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Italian prime minister demands that she be addressed as prime minister in masculine form

Pentagon to send Ukraine new aid package worth $275 million

Europe will ban sale of one type of car

European Commission head announces new aid and investments for Serbia

Biden calls Putin's rhetoric on nuclear weapons 'dangerous'

Lukashenko on Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict: What are you fighting for in these mountains, where not even goats walk?

Swedish authorities offer to create united northern army

Lukashenko: Conflict issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be resolved now - with Ilham Aliyev

Lukashenko about situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border: Where are we racing horses, where are we rushing to?

Pashinyan: Armenia-Diaspora relations undergo profound substantive changes

Lukashenko to Pashinyan: Sit down with Aliyev and make a decision, if you don't make it today, it will be worse

Bulgarian interim government urges to speed up transition to euro zone

President of Karabakh: It is necessary to unite all national potential and efforts

IMF: China's sharp and uncharacteristic economic slowdown will stall growth in Asia by the end of 2023

Iran: Riots in country were planned by the intelligence services of the USA, England, Israel and the KSA

Steinmeier: Ukraine war caused 'epochal break' in Germany's relations with Russia

Gas prices in Europe remain high in coming years

Ararat Mirzoyan and Toivo Klaar stress importance of hosting EU civilian mission in Armenia

Armenia's ambassador-at-large: Daily false propaganda can't cover up Azerbaijani war crimes

Taiwan MFA outraged by Putin's speech on his status and Pelosi's visit

Armenia gives no response to peace treaty proposals, Bayramov says

Netanyahu expects return to power after 5th Israeli election in 4 years

Armenian gravestone found in Trabzon, Turkey neighborhood

Pashinyan: CSTO Secretary General's report mainly reflects existing realities

Azerbaijan talks possible deliveries of its gas to international Turkish hub

CSTO leaders to meet in late November: Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border will be discussed

Dollar, euro continue falling in Armenia

Pelosi's house attacked, her husband injured

Russias Putin to have private talks with Armenias Pashinyan, Azerbaijans Aliyev

Mher Grigoryan: CIS needs a new scientific and technical agreement

Pentagon strategy doesn't rule out use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear threats

French National Assembly plans to pass resolution proposing certain sanctions against Azerbaijan

Mher Grigoryan: There are no other corridors in the trilateral statement other than Lachin's

Konstantin Zatulin: Russia should have made maximum efforts so that there would be no war in Karabakh

The Hill: The American people deserve to know how the war in Ukraine will end

Sochi to host trilateral talks of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders on October 31

Poland receives first Turkish drones

Hungarian government may extend price limits on fuel and some basic foodstuffs

Armenias Simonyan attends meeting of heads of EEU countries parliaments

Polish general appointed as head of EU mission to train Ukrainian troops

Russia MP: Karabakh status decision is in fact its Armenians safety guarantee

Zatulin: West seeks to push Russia out of negotiation process at any cost

Legislature head proposes to organize, under CIS auspices, return of Armenians detained in Azerbaijan

Iran prevents bomb explosion in Shiraz crowded street

Iraqi parliament expresses vote of confidence in new cabinet

France lawmakers visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Putin: Moscow is doing everything possible to normalize relations between Yerevan and Baku

Annual shopping festival kicks off in Dubai on December 15

Lazarevsky Club: Minute of silence held in memory of fallen Russian and Armenian soldiers

Bayramov and US Assistant Secretary of State discuss Yerevan-Baku relations

Expansion of cooperation with Interpol is important, Armenia PM says

Armenia defense minister briefs Austria envoy on situation due to recent Azerbaijan military aggression (PHOTOS)

Australia can't rule out energy price caps

Armenia parliament speaker: Use, threat of force undermine processes aimed at establishing peace

Garo Paylan is in Yerevan

Barack Obama tries to help Democrats win midterm elections

Azerbaijan president, Russia first deputy PM discuss North-South transport corridor project

PM Pashinyan receives France-Armenia friendship group delegation from French parliament

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

CIS premiers sign several agreements at Kazakhstan meeting

Konstantin Zatulin: Nagorno-Karabakh peoples right to self-determination must be respected

Armenia legislature head: Policy of threats, coercion is unacceptable to us

U.S. must strengthen its defense against growing threats from both China, Russia

Karabakh ex-President: Necessary to rule out mistakes, miscalculations which will have irreversible consequences

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

Viking swords embedded in mound 1,200 years ago discovered in Sweden

Residents of Moldova asked not to go out into street in dark

Bloomberg reports fuel shortages in some parts of Europe

British schoolboy writes book that became bestseller
YEREVAN. - The possibilities of exporting goods from Armenia to Russia are limited and have currently reached their possible maximum.

Armenian economist Ashot Yeghiazaryan told the aforementioned to Armenian News  NEWS.am, commenting on the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyans statement in Moscow on that the export of goods from Armenia to Russia grew actually 90 percent in the first six months of the current year, reaching its historic maximum in a quarter.

According to the economist, the index of 90 percent growth is conditioned not only by Armenias EAEU membership: a number of factors have influenced the export growth.

I think there are several factors here: ruble stabilization, which I think has to do with the legalization of a certain amount of shadow turnover. Besides, most probably the goods of other countries have also been exported to Russia via the territory of Armenia; this shouldnt be ruled out either, Yeghiazaryan said.

In his words, the possibilities of exporting goods from Armenia to Russia are limited, there actually being no resources at the moment for expanding in that direction.

When we analyze the export structure in Russias direction, we see that brandy, water, fruit and canned food make up the most part there. This is the production which is based on a limited use of resources. All in all, Armenias resources are limited in terms of agricultural raw materials. Considering that Armenia has no agricultural manufacturing, which also cant exist in the framework of the EAEU, I think in the recent years we have reached the maximum of what we can export to Russia and EAEU states. The economic conditions created in Armenia today, dont allow our country to have compatible goods, as well as improve and diversify its export, Yeghiazaryan said.
It is inappropriate to include Azerbaijans supporter, Turkey, in the neutral group of negotiators which in interested in the actual settlement of the Karabakh conflict,Turkologist Viktor Nadeyin-Rayevsky told Armenian News  NEWS.am.

In his words, Turkey is the side which helps Azerbaijan. Exactly the Turkish militaries prepare Azerbaijani Special Forces, exactly the Turkish militaries are in the headquarters and Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan. Of course, we cannot consider Turkey as a neutral state in this issue. Therefore, the Turks participation in the Karabakh conflict is inappropriate, Viktor Nadeyin-Rayevsky said.

Touching on the recent statement of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on the similarities between the Russian and Turkish offers on Karabakh, the Turkologist noted: I think this is top flight optimism. The only similarity so far has been that both sides are interested in ceasing the conflict. I dont yet see other similarities.

According to Viktor Nadeyin-Rayevsky, the issue of negotiations is that of ascertaining the positions. This is an issue, which can in no way be solved by Russia alone. The normalization issue always concerns both parties to the conflict. And, actually, there cannot be a final version of actions without the decision of the Armenian side, Nadeyin-Rayevsky concluded, stressing that the Armenian side has no wish to engage Turkey in the Karabakh conflict settlement.

As reported earlier, touching on the Karabakh issue, the Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu specifically said: When considering Russias proposals, we see similarities with our offers addressed to Armenia. We will make our contribution to the solution of Karabakh conflict.
YEREVAN. - Another rally in support of Sasna Tsrer armed group has kicked off in Yerevans Liberty Square.

Member of Hayazn party, Armen Hovhannisyan announced that the Sasna Tsrer members can give a lesson to everyone and people should follow their example, Armenian News - NEWS.am correspondent reports.

We are first and foremost interested in the condition of the boys. According to very precise information, we inform you that even if some of them have physical issues, by their spirit they can give a lesson to all of us  both us and those who made them appear in that condition. We must be volitional and purposeful,Harutyunyan said.

The party member recalled that an announcement on the reformulation of a new council was made on Friday. The latter will have certain coordinating functions. That authority can be said to have [already] formed. After certain changes, we will present the list. At the same time, Id like to note that this platform is free. Anyone can come and deliver a speech from here, Hovhannisyan added.
YEREVAN. - The daily rally in support of the Sasna Tsrer armed group lasted unprecedentedly short on Saturday as compared to the recent days.

This time the protestors didnt allow actress Gayane Gasparyan, who continually spoke at the rally in the recent days, to continue her speech, Armenian News - NEWS.am correspondent reports.

The rally participants didnt like her saying offensive words to the citizens who interrupted her speech on Friday. Specifically, activist Vardges Gaspari announced that nobody has the right to offend others by microphone. The protestors also interrupted another woman who started praising Russia. Armenias Founding Parliament opposition group member Alec Yenikomshian was also near the stage, but he didnt make a speech.

A concert is planned to be held in the Liberty Square at 8pm Sunday, during which Ruben Hakhverdyan and Areg Nazaryan will perform. The concert will again be followed by a march.

The Saturday rally lasted for about 40 minutes. It has already ended, no march being held.
15:58

Ten freedom fighters from the Northeast that include three women, who are largely unfamiliar to the rest of the country, will be honoured by the central government as part of the 70th Independence Day celebrations.





Kanaklata Baruah, 17, was shot dead by the Britishers at Gohpur in Assam's present-day Biswanath district while going to hoist the national flag at a local police station. On the same day, about 150 km away at Barhampur in state's Nagaon

district, Bhogeswari Phukanani, a 57-year-old mother of eight, was killed for the same reason by the British Police.





Bhogeswari and her colleague Ratnamala were leading a procession at Barhampur when they came face-to-face with police officer Captain Finish, who snatched the flag from Ratnamala.





When Bhogeswari saw it, she hit Captain Finish with the pole of the flag. A furious Captain Finish pulled out his revolver and fired at Bhogeswari, who succumbed to injuries.





Naga spiritual and political leader from Manipur Rani Gaidinliu will also be honoured as part of the "forgotten heroes" programme.





Ranima, as she was popularly and affectionately called, led a movement against the British colonialism in 1930s and the struggle soon turned into a battle to uproot British from Manipur and Nagaland.





She was in jail for 14 years and was released from jail only when India got independence in 1947.





Another freedom struggle hero of Assam, who will be honoured, is Kushal Konwar. He was hanged by the Britishers for derailment of a military train at Sarupathar in Golghat district in 1942.





Arunachal Pradesh's freedom fighter Moje Riba will be honoured as he was the first person to hoist the tricolour at Dipa village in Arunachal Pradesh on August 15, 1947.





Riba was arrested by British Police for participating in the Independence struggle and distributing pamphlets during the Quit India Movement.





Assam's first Chief Minister Gopinath Bordoloi will be honoured as it was due to his continuous fight that Assam remained with India after he foiled the design of Muslim League to include the Hindu-dominated state into East Pakistan during "grouping" scheme.





Tirot Sing, one of the chiefs of the Khasi people in the early 18th century will also be honoured. Sing fought against British attempts to take over control of the Khasi hills.

Shoorvir Pasaltha Khuangchera, the first Mizo leader to fight Britishers in 1890, will also be honoured.





As the British invaded Lushai hills (Mizoram), Shoorvir died fighting them.





Matmur Jamoh was a freedom fighter from Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh who will be honoured.





Jamoh had killed a British assistant political officer Noel Williamson in 1911 as he did not like the British interference of people's day-to-day life while his followers killed another British officer Gregeorson.





Jamoh was soon arrested and sent to Cellular jail in Andaman where he died in obscurity.





Freedom fighter from Assam's Dimasa tribals Sambhudan Phonglo will also be honoured for his contribution during country's freedom struggle.
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India on Saturday said that it will welcome a dialogue with Pakistan on relevant issues following top Pakistani foreign adviser Sartaj Aziz's statement on Friday that Islamabad would like to have an exclusive dialogue with New Delhi on Kashmir "India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognized terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow-up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan," he stated. India suspended bilateral dialogue with Pakistan after gunmen attacked an Indian air base at Pathankot in January. India had blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad militant group for the attack. Sartaj Aziz said on Friday Pakistan's Foreign Secretary would write a letter to his Indian counterpart to extend a formal invitation for the talks. He told the media that Pakistan would invite India for the Kashmir talks despite the stalled Composite Dialogue process between the two countries. Pakistan and India have fought three wars, two over Kashmir, since their independence in 1947. Sartaj Aziz said a recent conference of Pakistani envoys also focused on relations with India. "The Envoys Conference noted that India's policy of not engaging in a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan was not conducive for peace in South Asia," Aziz said. The conference vowed to continue diplomatic, political and moral support to "the Kashmiri movement for self-determination". The advisor said Kashmir would be on top of the agenda of Pakistan during the forthcoming session of the UN General Assembly. Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan had written to the UN Human Rights Council on "human rights violations" in the Kashmir Valley and the council had conveyed to India that it wants to send a fact-finding mission to Kashmir. India had accused Pakistan of interfering in the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir following the mass protests that engulfed the Kashmir Valley after the July 8 killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. On July 25, Indian authorities arrested Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist Bahadur Ali in Jammu and Kashmir who had infiltrated into India from Pakistan. Following this, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar summoned Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit on Tuesday and issued a strongly worded demarche protesting against continued cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. --IANS ab/vm ( 415 Words) 2016-08-13-21:26:07 (IANS)
Twelve militants were killed and 13 others were injured in the Dahna-e-Ghori district of Baghlan province, Xinhua news agency quoted an army spokesman as saying.

According to an army official, 20 more militants lost their lives and 15 others were wounded in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province.

--IANS ask/ahm/

( 84 Words)

2016-08-13-21:42:03 (IANS)
After China blocked India's bid for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the two countries had a lengthy discussion on the issue in a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Saturday Lengthy discussion on Indias NSG membership, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said while briefing the media after the three-hour-long talks. The External Affairs Minister outlined the importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21 (Conference of Parties climate summit held in Paris last year), he said. Swarup said that India offered to discuss any technical issues China might have and it was agreed that the Directors General of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon. At the NSG plenary held in Seoul in June this year, China blocked India's bid for membership on the ground that a country joining the 48-member group should be a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Saturday's talks also focused on other bilateral issues, regional and global developments and India's preparations to host the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit this year. According to Swarup, overall, the discussions were positive, constructive and held in an open spirit. He said progress in bilateral ties was reviewed, as also challenges on some recent issues. Positive assessment of expanding investments, more infrastructure cooperation, easier visas, greater tourism and expanded cultural, academic and civil society interactions, the spokesperson said. The issue of China vetoing India's bid to put Pathankot airbase attack mastermind and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar on the UN terror list also came up for discussion. Swarup said that China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism. Sushma Swaraj also conveyed to Wang Indias concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The situation on the border was reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility were discussed, Swarup said. It was also agreed to set up a new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries to discuss ties. Regional and international issues including the implications of Britain's exit from the European Union, the situation in Korean Peninsula, UN Security Council reforms and forthcoming G20, East Asia and BRICS summits were also on the agenda. South China Sea was not brought up by China, Swarup said. An international arbitration tribunal in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague ruled on July 12 that China violated the Philippines' rights in the South China Sea, one of the busiest commercial shipping routes in the world. The court accused China of interfering with the Philippines' fishing and petroleum exploration, building artificial islands in the waters and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone. The tribunal held that fishermen from the Philippines had traditional fishing rights in Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and that China had interfered with these rights by restricting their access. The court held that Chinese law enforcement vessels unlawfully created a serious risk of collision when they physically obstructed Philippine vessels in the region. China is locked in disputes over the Spratly and Paracel groups of islands in the South China Sea with other countries of the region. --IANS ab/vm ( 552 Words) 2016-08-13-21:42:06 (IANS)
Hindi and Hebrew are the most spoken languages in Silicon Valley, thus any India-Israel collaboration can create a vibrant ecosystem that will help start-ups to mushroom and thrive the world over, Israel's Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon said. "Start-ups constitute one of the pillars in further strengthening India-Israel relations," Carmon told IANS, while announcing the Indian winners who will participate at this year's Start Tel Aviv -- a global event that brings to one platform entrepreneurs from across the world. Quoting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the ambassador said that in the Silicon Valley, considered the global capital for start-ups, Hindi and Hebrew are heard more than English. On the USA's East Coast, Indians and Israelis already dominate the diamond business. "If the people from India and Israel dominate the start-up space in Silicon Valley, why can't they meet more often in New Delhi or Tel Aviv? I think start-ups provide great opportunities for people of both the countries who share common goals and aspirations," he added. "Proud of their history and tradition, India and Israel are two countries with a large population of young people, eager and curious to grasp the future," the ambassador said. "Let's do it together." Ambassador Carmon said the initiative in start-ups was just one of the pillars identified to push India-Israel relations. He identified the others as agriculture, water ecosystem, defence, homeland security, education and academia. XLPAT Lab co-founder Komal Talwar and Advenio's Mausumi Acharyya were picked as the winners of the "Start Tel Aviv - India Finals" competition. They will join founders from 22 other countries for an intense, five-day start-up experience in Tel Aviv from September 25 to 29 this year. "It is for the first time that the competition is focusing on women. We want to bring the women entrepreneurs to the front of the stage to take their rightful place in the start-up world," said Ditza Froim, Minister-Counsellor for Public Diplomacy at the Israeli Embassy. Talwar's XLPAT boasts of patent and technology coverage of over 120 countries which allows users thorough and exhaustive patent searches within minutes and also generate claim charts. Focussing in the field of computer aided diagnosis, Acharyya's Advenio is developing a software to analyse hundreds of medical images to help doctors arrive at quick decisions about a medical problems. Start Tel Aviv is organised to help promising early-stage start-ups to meet and establish relationships with potential customers, partners and high-profile industry leaders. (Gokul Bhagabati can be reached at gokul.b@ians.in) --IANS gb/ap/sac ( 427 Words) 2016-08-13-16:56:01 (IANS)
The SBI filed the complaint on behalf of consortium of 17 banks for causing loss of Rs 6,027 crore.

"We have registered a case against Mallya on the complaint of SBI," a CBI official told IANS.

"It was a lease that SBI and its consortium of banks advanced various credit facilities to Kingfisher airlines," the official said.

The official said Kingfisher Airlines availed credit facilities of SBI as well as various other banks during 2009-10. In this period, the company failed to meet financial payment commitments.

"Kingfisher Airlines did not keep its account with the consortium of banks regular and its accounts became non profitable," the official said.

The consortium of banks, therefore, recalled the credit facilities and also invoked the corporate guarantee of UBHL and personal guarantee of Vijay Mallya

According to the official, the banks in the complaint have said Mallya "deliberately" did not repay the outstanding amount of the consortium of banks.

The banks also said there was a conspiracy among the group companies, promoters, and others unknown to cheat the consortium of banks.

Mallya flew to London on March 2 this year just days before a consortium of lenders knocked the Supreme Court's doors to recover Rs 9,431.65 crore in loan and interest.

--IANS rak-ao/pgh/vm

( 264 Words)

2016-08-13-19:26:04 (IANS)
Titled 'Love Your Country,' the two and a half minute video has a strong patriotic background score, featuring the 29-year-old actress becoming the voice of people.

Siddhart Sharma, Piyush Wasnik and Yash Chauhan have given the vocals of the video that has bagged 11,748 views in just a day of its release.

On the work front, the 'Queen' actress will next be seen in Vishal Bharadwaj directorial period romance drama, 'Rangoon' alongside Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor. (ANI)
In a major boost for oncology treatment, the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH), Andheri, here will set up 18 sophisticated cancer care centres in mofussil areas, a top official said here on Saturday. KDAH Chairperson Tina Ambani also announced the launch of Edge Radiosurgery system -- a first in South Asia -- to offer a precise, non-invasive alternative to conventional cancer surgery. "The launch of Edge and 18 cancer centres in Maharashtra not only represents a significant milestone in our journey but reaffirms KDAH's endeavour to make international innovations available and accessible to all Indians," Tina Ambani said on the occasion. She described cancer as "one of the biggest public health challenges of our times" which the KDAH was ready to tackle head on with its medical talent and world-class technology as part of its focus on advancing healthcare technologies and medical excellent to facilitate healthcare access in the country. Lauding the KDAH move, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said it would take the fight against cancer to the next level and the state needs many more such institutes to take the initiative in advancement in healthcare. "The launch of Edge is important because the precision technology will not only bring down cost but also reduce the pain and trauma of the patients and their families. KDAH has become a technological milestone in the country," Fadnavis said. The Reliance Group's KDAH will acquire 18 advanced TrueBeam medical linear accelerators to equip the new cancer centres in Maharashtra, the first of which are likely to be operational in Akola, Gondia and Solapur in 2017, and the rest will roll out in a couple of years. The evolution in advanced surgery was facilitated in the presence of internationally renowned radiation oncology specialists -- Dr. M. Salim U. Siddiqui from Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, USA and Prof. Carlo Greco, Managing Director and Director of Clinical Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal. The two medicos Siddiqui and Greco are in India to share their knowledge and expertise in the new technology among leading oncologists from India. Explaining the benefits of Edge Radiosurgery, KDAH's head of Radiation Oncology Dr. Kaustav Talapatra said its a non-invasive technique using a GPS-enabled tracking device that helps the radiologist constantly track the movement of affected cells even as treatment is being delivered, allowing treatment with a high degree of accuracy. "This precision radiation provides huge advantages in term of convenience, cost and comfort for patients as the number of sessions reduces significantly, with no incision or hospital stay, thereby enabling them to return to their normal lives within 15-30 minutes or less," Talapatra said. Ashok Kakkar, Sr. MD, Varian India which is the market and technology leader in radiotherapy and radiosurgery systems, said KDAH's plan to install 18 TrueBeam machines is the largest, one-time commitment by any single institute. "This is a major investment program by KDAH to remain ahead of the curve in adopting latest technologies in line with the best global practises in the area of Cancer care across the state of Maharashtra," Kakkar said. KDAH's Centre for Cancer deals with the widest range of cancers and brings together multidisciplinary expertise under a single roof to offer a broad scope of cancer services, public education, screening, diagnosis, treatment, pain management and palliative care. According to National Cancer Institute, a whopping 1.25 million new cancer cases are reported every year in India, but there are only a few comprehensive cancer care centres in the country, with a majority located in the metros. --IANS qn/lok/vm ( 597 Words) 2016-08-13-21:26:10 (IANS)
A day after an all party meeting took place in New Delhi discussing the ongoing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Buran Wani, Defence expert Qamar Agha said it is a good political initiative which will send a positive message in Kashmir. "The all-party meeting attended by the ruling and the opposition party and the resolution taken on Kashmir by the Lok Sabha yesterday will send out a positive message in Kashmir. These are some good political initiatives which will allow the talks to proceed peacefully," he told ANI. He said the situation in Kashmir for the past 30 to 40 days has become grim due to curfew and subsequent protests, however, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's firm commitment on 'Insaniyat (Humanity) Jamhuriat (democracy), and Kashmiriyat' might become instrumental in resorting normalcy in Kashmir. The all-party meet which was held yesterday was chaired by Prime Minister Modi and was attend by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, former prime minister Manmohan Singh along with other opposition party leaders. Addressing the media after an all-party meeting, Singh said the leaders of all parties put forth their concerns in one voice and with the right intent. "I have assured all the political parties that every suggestion, which they have put forward to bring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir would be taken into consideration," he said. "The Centre has decided on a development package of over Rs 80,000 crores for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir and its people," he added. He further said that there were no talks about sending an all-party delegation to Kashmir. Divulging further details, Jaitley said all political parties were of the view that there should be no compromise on issues of national security. "All the parties were also of the view that the problems being faced by the common man in Jammu and Kashmir must be looked into. Security forces have been advised to act with utmost restraint, curfew has been relaxed in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. The Finance Minister said that the decision to call separatists and Hurriyat leaders for talks would be evaluated by the government as per the prevailing situation. During the four-hour-long meeting some of the opposition parties also asked the government to take a few immediate confidence-building measures like putting an end to the use of pellet guns and relaxing Armed Force (Special Powers) Act in some parts of the valley. Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with thousands injured and more than 50 killed during protests against Wani's killing. (ANI)
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday expressed disappointment over the recent episode of Shah Rukh Khan's detention at the Los Angeles Airport in the United States and sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was denied visa by the United Kingdom. Speaking to ANI, NCP leader Majeed Memon appealed to the US, UK and other countries that only because somebody's name is Muslim, they should not jump to the conclusion that the person dangerous, and, thereafter insult, humiliate and harass him. "It is very distressing that after Shah Rukh Khan was detained and harassed at Los Angeles airport, only because his name happens to be Khan. He made a movie some time back 'My Name is Khan'. I think he should make a band and wear on his chest saying 'My Name is Khan and I am not a terrorist.' US has done it earlier also at the New York Airport," Memon said. "Now we are sorry to find that Amjad Ali Khan has been denied visa by UK because his name happens to be Khan. This is very unfortunate. I appreciate that both UK and US are very careful in the matters of security. No doubt, we don't dispute that. But only because somebody's name is Khan, people are being harassed; I think it is not fair. It is sending a very wrong message. I appeal to US, UK and other countries that only because somebody's name is Muslim, don't jump to the conclusion that he is dangerous. So, please don't insult, humiliate and harass him," he added. Amjad Ali Khan's visa application to the United Kingdom was on Friday rejected by the British High Commission in Delhi, hours after Shah Rukh Khan was detained at the Los Angeles Airport by US immigration department. Amjad Ali Khan had applied for a visa to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in September in London. Earlier, the U.S. Department of State apologised for the move offered a clarification, saying that even 'American diplomats' were pulled over security issues. "Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk - even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening!," Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, U.S. Department of State said in a tweet. Khan had tweeted his displeasure earlier saying that it "sucked" to be detained at the U.S. immigration every time. "I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks. The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons," he said. The U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma also apologised to Khan over his detention at the U.S immigration at Los Angeles airport, ensuring it does not happen again in the future. "Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesn't happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US," tweeted Verma. (ANI)
The two leaders are expected to discuss issues of mutual interests.

Wang had arrived in Goa on Friday for a three day visit to India.

When asked whether he would like to make any statement on China seeking support from India on the South China Sea dispute, Yi said, "It is up to India to decide what position to take."

He will also hold bilateral consultations with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Wang's visit to India is part of the regular high level dialogue between the two countries.

Both Foreign Ministers have been meeting regularly on the margins of multilateral meetings.

During their meeting, the two sides will discuss various issues of mutual interests including the upcoming multilateral meetings including G-20 Summit being held in China and BRICS Summit being held in India. (ANI)
Agra MP Katheria has lost his beloved pet dog, named 'Kalu' and the family is very sad.

The matter came to fore when Katheria's wife Mridula lodged a police complaint about her missing dog at the Hari Parvat Police Station.

"On Tuesday morning, our dog went missing. I have lodged a police complaint with the Superintendent of Police (SP) Agra," Mridula told ANI.

"When Police can probe case of Azam Khan ji's missing buffaloes then why not our missing pet dog?" she asked.

She further said her family was missing Kalu and the other dog Bhoora had not eaten anything for the last three days. Kalu-the missing dog is a black Labrador.

In 2014, seven buffaloes of Azam Khan went missing from his home. However, they were later found after the police conducted searches and were on their toes for almost a week. (ANI)
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has described as unfortunate the state government's move of closing down Jaipur based Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication and absorption of its faculty in the Rajasthan University. The decision to close the university and merge it with Rajasthan University is very unfortunate, Mr Gehlot said in tweets on his official page. This is also against the spirit the decision of the NDA Government at the Centre that had upgraded the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Mr Gehlot observed in another post at the social media. Questioning timing and haste in the state government's move, the senior Congress leader said "Rajasthan BJP Government did not even wait for the High Court decision in this matter..,..Case is pending in the court, then what was hurry to close it?". The university was established through a Rajasthan Assembly's Act in 2012 in the previous Congress regime. The state run varsity commenced its first academic session in 2013 with two PG degree courses in Journalism-print media and electronic media. The present BJP led government later decided to close a couple of the new varsities, including this institution, opened by the previous government and accordingly the faculty of the HJUJ has formally been absorbed in the Mass Communication Center of the Rajasthan University on August 11. Meanwhile, a petition against the government was filed before the High Court that is still pending before the court.UNI SS SV 1213 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0089-885688.Xml
Police said, Kannakai Kaliparambath Aslam (24) acquitted in the Thuneri Shibin Bhaskaran murder case recently, was proceeding to Vellur on a scooter with his two friends. He was waylaid and attacked by motorbike borne assailants at Chalappuram.

Aslam, who suffered grievous injuries succumbed in a private hospital.

His companions Puliyav Otthattupoil Sharif (20) and Mohammed, who suffered injuries, were admitted to a private hospital.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front, in which the Indian Union Muslim League is a constituent, has called for a dawn to dusk hartal in Vatakara taluk to protest the killing.

Security has been tightened in the locality in view of prevailing tense situation.

Pro-CPI (M) Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activist Shibin was killed at Thuneri near Nadapuram on January 22, 2015.UNI PCH CS 1006

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City-based Trujet has announced its plans to operate a Krishna Pushkaralu special schedule from August 16-23. The 12-day Krishna Pushkaram began yesterday. This is in keeping with Trujet's tradition of offering more options to its esteemed passengers during Pushkaralu, other festivals and special events, a company statement said here today. Turbo Megha Airways Private Limited Vankayalapati Umesh said "We are very pleased to announce the special Krishna Pushkaralu schedule 2016 which will connect Vijayawada with Chennai, and offer more flights on Vijayawada Hyderabad sector. Our patrons from Chennai and Hyderabad can easily travel in the morning to Vijayawada and return by the evening flight. We keep customer interests as foremost in mind and hence with this schedule's convenient day-return option, there's no night stay cost involved for the devotees. We are continuing our practice of offering special schedules as we started the airline last year on Godavari Pushkaralu with Pushkaralu focused schedule, the statement said.UNI VV CS 1331 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-885818.Xml
Puducherry Lt.Governor Kiran Bedi visited the Modern Fish market on the ECR at Karuvadikuppam near here today. The modern fish market was constructed in an area of 37,886 sq.ft at a cost of Rs.13.5 crore with world bank financial assistance. All facilities including a conference hall, creche besides 110 stalls were provided in the air conditioned market building. Even though, the then Chief Minister N Rangasamy had dedicated the market to the people in February 2014, it was not utilized by the vendors. Dr.Bedi inspected the market building in June and directed the officials to make it operational. As a follow-up, she visited the market and heard from the officials the reasons for the delay in making the market functional. She then asked the officials to do whatever necessary and ensure that the market is functioned forthwith. She also visited the Kurumambet waste dumping yard.UNI PAB CS 1433 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-885890.Xml
The Minister arrived by a helicopter at Jodeghat village in Adilabad district which borders Maharashtra and garlanded the statue of the Gond martyr and later met the family members of the tribal freedom fighter.

Mr.Javadekar paid respects to Komaram Bheem as part of "70 saal azadi, remembering him".UNI SMS CS 1450

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Puducherry unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today condemned the remarks made by Lt.Governor Kiran Bedi against the Scheduled Tribe People. CPI (M) secretary R Rajangam in a statement here said, the Lt.Governor had made some adverse remarks against the ST people on Twitter that they are criminals. The remarks of Ms Bedi would spoil the unity among the people, he said and urged the Union government to initiate action against Ms Bedi. He also called upon the democratic forces in Puducherry to join together to fight against those who are functioning against the unity of the people.UNI PAB CS 1444 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-885916.Xml
More than one lakh police personnel would be deployedon security duty to ensure an incident-free celebrations on Monday.

Police sources said more than 10,000 policemen, including2000 plain clothes police personnel, would be on securityduty in the city, which was being decked up forthe occasion.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who was elected for a record second successive term and became Chief Ministerfor sixth time, would unfurl the National Flag from theramparts of Fort St George and deliver the customary address.

As part of heightened security measures, Police haveintensified patrolling and carrying out intense vehiclechecks.

Check posts have been put up in all entry points ofthe city and police teams were conducting regular checkson lodges, mansions and hotels to confirm any anti-socialelements were staying.

All important installations like airport, railway stations and bus depots have come under security blanketand passengers were allowed entry into railway stationsafter thorough frisking.

A seven-tier security arrangements were put in placein the airport and entry of visitors have been bannedfor the next one week.

Police sources said security has also been tightened at Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh borders.

The Coast guard, on its part, was maintaining a strictvigil in all the 13 coastal districts.UNI GV CS 1518

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"The leaders covered a whole gamut of bilateral relations, discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted .

"A morning for neighbourly engagement. Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on PM," he said in another tweet.

During the meeting with Ms Swaraj, along with NSG issue, Chinese bid to block UN move for listing of Maulana Masood Azhar, the chief of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, is also expected to have figured in the discussion.

Mr Wang had arrived here yesterday but he first visited Goa, where he held talks with Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and called on Governor Mridula Sinha.

During his visit to Goa, he reviewed arrangement made for the BRICS summit to be held in October this year, and in which Chinese President Xi Jinping will participate.

Prior to that Mr Modi will visit China to take part in the G20 Summit in Hangzhou. UNI NAZ PS SW 1559

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India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the public sector undertaking under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, posted a remarkable performance for first quarter of the current financial year 2016-17. According to the financial results announced yesterday, the total turnover in quarter ending June 2016 increased to Rs 110.5 crore as compared to Rs 105.96 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The company registered Net Profit Before Tax (PBT) at Rs 13.78 crore as compared to Rs 2.77 crore in the corresponding quarter last financial year ie 2015-16, an increase of a significant 397 per cent from last year.These details were announced in the Board of Directors' meeting of the company yesterday on August 12, 2016 at the Group's flagship hotel, The Ashok, New Delhi. Buoyed by the profits in last financial year 2015-16, ITDC has posted good performance for this year as well.During the period Hotel The Ashok bagged the award for 'Best Hotel Based Meeting Venue' at the coveted National Tourism Awards 2016. And Chef M U Kasture, Executive Chef-The Ashok has been honored with 'Best Chef of India' award at National Tourism Awards 2016ITDC is the official event management agency for Bharat Parv, 2016- a week-long celebrations of Indian culture, cuisine and unity at Rajpath being organised by Ministry of Tourism.It has adopted Qutub Minar as a part of its CSR initiative under the aegis of Government's Swacch Bharat Abhiyan and organises regular cleanliness drives at the monument's premises.UNI ADP PY SW 1519 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0429-885994.Xml
Trading community across the country, associated with Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will observe Independence Day as 'Less Cash Day'. According to CAIT announcement, the unique initiative is taken to support call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for creating cash less economy in India. The CAIT has urged Mr Modi to declare Cash Less Economy as a programme on the pattern of Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojna. CAIT has also asked the PM to start an effective wide spread national campaign in his forthcoming address to nation on 15 August from the rampates of Red Fort. It is remembered that Mr Modi in his 'Mann Ki Baat' address on May 21st, 2016 advocated strongly on the need of developing a cash less society. However the CAIT has formed a bigger alliance with national organisations of other different sector of economy under the banner of 'Alliance for Digital Bharat.'In a bid to develop conducive atmosphere for digitalisation in non-corporate sector, prominent stakeholders of economy have come forward to form the 'Alliance for Digital Bharat'. The Alliance includes national organisations of traders, transporters, consumers, farmers, hawkers, SMEs, self-employed groups etc. Proposed GST which is designed to be based on a digital platform coupled with various moves of the Government to encourage cashless economy has necessitated the formation of an alliance which will become a common market in line with keeping at par, the goods and services in proposed GST.Commenting on this, B C Bhartia, National President and Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General of CAIT said the promotion of adoption of less cash payment system coupled with demanding simplified tax regime and favourable support policies including incentivising benefits for deeper percolation among the masses are being seen as measures to boost this sector which has long remain neglected when compared with rapid strides the organised sector has made over the last few years. They said this move not only supports the Government's intention to leverage its financial inclusion scheme, it also allows smaller business owners to realise impending benefits of these new age technologies. With mobile wallet user base expected to grow manifold and rise in circulation of credit and debit cards, it is crystal clear that the consumer of today is largely attracted by ease of service, followed by choice or range of products and/or services on display. UNI ADP PY SW 1540 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0429-886040.Xml
"Not only Kashmir, PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) is also part of India," the Chief Minister told reporters here.

He said the people living in the so-called PoK were being forced to live in fear and the situation there was no better.

The octogenarian Chief Minister said the Baloch community in Balochistan was also subjected to atrocities, which should be avoided.

"The neighbouring country should adopt corrective measures and in no way should eye Indian territory," Virbhadra Singh said.

Modi on Friday said at the meeting of all major political parties that "Pakistan occupied Kashmir is ours", stating that dialogue must be initiated with expatriates all over the world from that region.

On protests in Gujarat over thrashing of Dalits, the Chief Minister said skinning of dead cows was an old profession being undertaken by the community since ages.

"We should rather respect the profession and give full honour to those who were involved in such profession," he said.

"As the skinning of cows and buffalos is associated with their profession which also helps them economically, such acts (of thrashing) are to be condemned," he added.

--IANS vg/in/vm

( 225 Words)

2016-08-13-16:44:06 (IANS)
Mr Modi appreciated the follow up action taken on the outcomes of his successful visit to United Kingdom in November last year.

Ms Patel briefed the Prime Minister on the activities and future plans of her department in India.

The Prime Minister congratulated Ms Patel on her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development and recalled her long association with India in her previous roles, and several visits to India, an official statement here said.UNI SD SW 1614

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The Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to fulfill promises made to people of the country from the ramparts of Red Fort during the Independence day in 2014 and 2015.Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said, "The PM will make a speech on Independence day where he will say many things. However, the promises made by him in his speeches on the Independence Day in 2014 and 2015 still remain unfulfilled."In this context, Mr Sibal charged the Prime Minister with failing to fulfill promises of bringing an end to violence against women and putting a check on incidents of communal violence."In 2014, Modiji said that violence against women on the rise. Modi ji implied that he would bring an end to violence against women. But, the sad reality can be seen on the news everyday. There are allegations against BJP members like Harak Singh Rawat. But the Prime Minister is silent on this issue. A BJP MLC from Bihar molested someone in a moving train, and the Prime Minister is silent. "A Gujarat leader was arrested for molesting someone, and the Prime Minister is silent. Madhya Pradesh has the highest incidence of violence against women, and the Prime Minister is silent. The PM had also said that there should be a moratorium of ten years on the incidents of communcal violence in the country. However, in 2016 there have been 2078 incidents of communal violence. What happened to PM's promise to not tolerate communalism, he said''Mr Sibal added, "What is the value of his promises from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He has not fulfilled his promises in part nor in full. I want to congratulate the PM that despite all his promises in his Independence day speeches, he did nothing."He also accused the Prime Minister of failing to fulfill promise made to the farmers of the country in his speeches."In 2014, 2115 farmers committed suicide. In 2015 it rose to 2997. In 2016, the number provided by a Minister of the government was 363. However, according to the BJP-led Maharashtra government, in Marathwada alone, there have been 400 farmer suicides. So what is the truth?''Mr Sibal said.Charging Mr Modi with not being concerned about the plight of farmers, Mr Sibal said, "PM Modi gets selfies with Mr. Zuckerberg in California but doesn't meet with Indian farmers.''He also charged the BJP leader with making insensitive statement about farmers suicides."In 2013, when the BJP led Madhya Pradesh government was asked about the high incidence of farmer suicides, they blamed evil spirits. In a reply in Parliament, Agriculture Minister Radha mohan Singh attributed the suicides by farmers to impotency and love affairs. We want to ask the Prime Minister as to what is his stance on the issue,'' Mr Sibal said.Taking a jibe at the scheme of the Modi government like 'Digital India' and 'Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana', Mr Sibal said, "Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, 17 lakh people were given degrees. But, only 5 per cent got employment.The PM speaks a lot about Digital India. However, according to available figures, in the Network Readiness Index India is at rank 91. Under the UPA, we were ranked at 68. Also, the average internet surfing speed in India is 3.5 mbps which is the lowest in Asia.''UNI AR SW 1631 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-886135.Xml
Speaking at the function, the Chief Minister asked how Malayalam, which was acceptable to Dr Herman Gundert, a German missionary, has become unacceptable to Malayalees in the state and elsewhere.

Even the state run recruiting agency Public Service Commission was of late finding it inconvenient to raise exam questions in Malayalam, he said.

Stating Malayalam language was indebted to Dr Gundert, who compiled a grammar book in the language, Mr Vijayan said his contribution needed to be re-analyzed.

Mayor Thottathil Ravindran, A Pradeep Kumar, MLA, Purushan Kadalundi, MLA, Bishop Dr Royis Manoj Victor and noted Industrialist P V Gangadharan, among others, spoke at the function presided over by Jeevan T V satellite channel Managing Director Baby Mathew Somatheeram.

The award was instituted by Jeevan TV in memory of Dr Gundert, who launched first Malayalam language newspaper Rajyasamacharam from Illikunnu, near Thalassery in Kannur district in 1847.UNI PCH CS 1643

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BJP General Secretary A N Radhakrishnan today said police has been providing two types of justice to the people of Kerala. He said CPI(M) is trying to implement cell rule and interfering in police officials work by violating all the norms. Talking to newspersons here, Mr Radhakrishnan alleged that CPI(M) and police are trying to include RSS leaders in the CPI(M) activists Dhanaraj of Payyanur murder case as part of conspiracy set by them. Police has listed the name of RSS district karyavahak in the FIR of Dhanaraj murder case, following the pressure from CPI(M) leadership. Police had taken into custody of the district karyavahak and later released after finding that he was innocent in this case. But CPI(M) is threatening the police in this regard and they again filed remand report by listed district karyavahak under conspiracy angle by using the power of government. Mr Radhakrishan said the party will legally and politically face the attempts of CPI(M) for charging fake cases against RSS leaders. BJP will organise a protest meet on August 18 at Payyanur to protest against the police and CPI(M) action. BJP state president Kumanam Rajasekharan would inaugurate the meet, and BJP General secretaries M T Ramesh and K Surendran will address the gathering. Meanwhile, on August 22, a secretariat march at Thiruvananathapuram will be organized by the party against the CPI(M) violence in Kannur and to protest against the partiality shown by the police. BJP District president P Sathyaprakash also attended the press conference. Mr Radhakrishnan said that BJP desire to strengthen the NDA and the State unit aims to set up a Congress , Communist Kerala. He said the Kerala Congress (Mani) policy towards the BJP will announce, the party will react accordingly. However, he said Kerala Congress (Mani) faction is one of the biggest political party in Kerala and they are mostly represent the farmers. The Kerala Congress is formed only to shown protest against the Congress dominance before three decades.UNI AK PS SW 1843 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-886435.Xml
The government today launched the Smart Ganga City scheme under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), in ten important cities including Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan and Varanasi.Other cities selected under the scheme are Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Patna, Sahibgunj and Barrackpore. The scheme was launched by Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti and Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu through video conference.NMCG has chosen these cities in the first phase for infrastructure development for sewage treatment which would be on hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model. Addressing the function from Ujjain, Ms Bharti said cooperation of Urban Development Ministry was key to the success of Namami Gange Programme.She said learning from the past experience of Ganga Action Plan, her ministry this time had gone for hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model.The Minister said though in the first phase only ten cities have been taken up but gradually more cities would be taken up, adding that involvement of district administration and municipal body was key to success of this programme.In his address from Hyderabad, Mr Naidu said his ministry was an integral part of this programme and expressed hope that Namami Gange programme having adopted hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model would be a great success.The district magistrates and mayors of ten chosen cities participating in the video conference appreciated the programme and promised full support of state administration and local bodies for its success UNI RBE SW 1742 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-886310.Xml
"ARTO identified as Mohammad Saleem this morning sustained critically injuries when he was hit by a car at a yard by learner driver,'' police sources here said.

They said that profusely bleeding ARTO was rushed to the hospital from where he was referred to Ludhiana for advanced treatment. UNI VBH PS SW 1944

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Both Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress flayed Bharatiya Janta Party and its leader for trying to politicise National Flag by taking out 'Tiranga Yatra'. "To divert the attention of the countrymen from their failure to forward any relief to poor people, farmers or any other community, BJP is now using National Flag for it's tiranga Yatra", asserted BSP supremo Mayawati. In an official statement here today, Mayawati claimed that the use of National Flag for political programmes is highly objectionable and must be immediately stopped. Attacking BJP further on it's president Amit Shah taking lunch in the house of a Dalit MP in Lucknow today, the BSP chief said that the BJP had many governments in the state and even in the Centre so it must stop attending lunch or shedding crocodile tears for Dalits but bring in Legislation to facilitate the welfare of the Dalit community, if they were really serious towards their development. "If BJP really wanted to help the Dalit community and help them in living with full dignity and honour than they must change the rules and give more power to the members of the community through Legislation", demanded Mayawati. She said that BJP is just doing politics over Dalit to make media head lines when the truth was before everyone. Former UP chief minister also attacked Amit Shah for his comment that only BJP could do development of Uttar Pradesh. "Everyone had seen what development BJP had done during it's regime in Uttar Pradesh or even in the Centre", Mayawati pointed alleging that the state go far behind in every field when BJP was in power. Uttar Pradesh Congress too attacked BJP on it's 'Tiranga Yatra'. "It was not just unconstitutional to use national flag in any political programme but what is more serious is that the ruling Party, who was deemed to be responsible for protecting it, is himself involved in such unlawful exercise", claimed Congress leader, Deepak Singh, who was recently elected MLC. "BJP or it's leader had never participated in freedom struggle so they seems to have no respect towards national flag which is a symbol of our freedom hence they even not think even once before using `Tiranga' for making political gain out of it", alleged Mr Singh demanding that the President of India or State Governor should take immediate cognizance and stopped BJP to use National Flag in Party's programme.Attacking BJP further over their efforts to woo the Dalit vote bank, Singh said that the poor and down-trodden section of the society are now not going to be misguided by such political 'dramebaji'. "Narendra Modi had fooled the entire national by showing them dreams of 'Achche Din' during last Parliamentary elections but now the truth is that the prime minister had even snatched two time meal from the common man and the Dalits and down-trodden section of the society are the worst hit", asserted Singh claiming that the BJP is now trying to misguide the Dalits once again. Interestingly Mr Singh also questioned over Shah's claim of having lunch in a Dalit house. ``What BJP wanted to tell by claiming that BJP national president had lunch with a Dalit when the truth is that Shah just had lunch with a Party MP in latter's house",Mr Singh pointed while adding that if BJP wanted to check what the Dalit had left to eat in the BJP's `achche din', then they must go to the house of any poor and down-trodden section of the society to have lunch and not in the house of their own MP. UNI MB JW PR 2105 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-886785.Xml
After incidents of crimes against girls increasing across the Uttar Pradesh, girls are not safe even in native district of UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Etawah. Hundreds of girls here decided to stop going to school after being harassed by miscreants.Hundreds of school girls protested here in front of their village Vaidpura to express their rage about eve-teasing incidents they were facing during their way to schools.After information of the protest, local Vaidpura police reached there and tried to pacify the situations but girls and their parents said that girls will start going to schools again only after when police will take actions against culprits.Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) N Kolanchi said here today that he has formed a team led by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) to enquire about the whole incidents and then he will take actions against culprits. He said that for protections of the girls, female police force will be deployed in front of their schools and in between the way of their schools. Some of the girls who were victims of eve-teasing said that they had to hear bawdy comments nearly every day by gangs of scoundrels and many times they try to stop girls and harass them with their gangs.Girls said that in these situations it seems impossible that girls can continue their academics.A local Sandeep Kumar said that girls are very frighten after these incidents of eve-teasing. Principal of the Mulayam Singh inter College Anuj Pratap Singh said that along with staff members he visited to the village of the girls where they were protesting and promised with them that actions will be taken agists the culprits with the help of police.SP N Kolanchi said he has received more than 10 cases and has instructed police team to insure security of the girls. He said that under no conditions culprits will be spared.UNI XC-JDM MB JW PR 2216 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-886840.Xml
The Netherlands's Dorian van Rijsselberghe clinched the first sailing gold of the Rio 2016 Games, winning the men's RS:X boardsailing class on points before the regatta finished, World Sailing, the sport's governing body, said.With 23 points after 12 preliminary races, the Dutchman sits 21 ahead of Britain's Nick Dempsey, who has clinched silver, World Sailing, formally known as the International Sailing Federation or ISAF, said.That is an insurmountable lead even if van Rijsselberghe is disqualified in the final medal race scheduled for tomorrow and Dempsey wins, World Sailing said. The only thing now that could put Van Rijsselberghe and Dempsey's medals at risk, is failure to make a "judicious" effort to sail in the medal race, the governing body said."If they show up Sunday and sail, they win," a World Sailing press spokesman said.Van Rijsselberghe racked up seven first-place finishes in 12 races, the most dominant performance of any sailor so far at Rio 2016."Its been great because the whole week I haven't talked to him, and it's been pretty tense because we're like arrggghhh...," Van Rijsselberghe said of his rivalry with Dempsey."If there's one opponent that makes me work for it and makes me sail excellent, it's him," he added.The only medal left to decide in the men's RS:X is bronze. Two points separate Poland's Piotr Myszka from fourth place Pierre le Coq of France. Le Coq stands only six points ahead of Greece's Vyron Kokkalanis.In the women's RS:X Stefaniya Elfutina of Russia leads the final ten after a week of steady performances. In 12 races she only finished above eighth once and that finish, a 16th, was her single allowed discard.Italy's Flavia Tartaglini and Spain's Marina Alabau Neira are in second and third. Only 25 points separate the first from the 10th place medal-race qualifiers meaning the final medals are up for grabs in a race where points for each finish are doubled.Meanwhile, preliminary sailing began in the men's 49er and women's 49erFX two-person skiff classes.In the men's Laser one-person dinghy class, Brazil's Robert Scheidt increased his chances of winning a record sixth Olympic sailing medal with fourth- and fifth-place finishes in the roller-coaster waves and light winds of the "Pai" open-ocean course outside Guanabara Bay.The result moved him into second place behind Croatia's Tonci Stipanovic who has led the regatta from the first day.REUTERS DS0643 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0177-885484.Xml
A Bangladesh court allowed police today to continue holding two men in connection with an attack last month claimed by Islamic State that killed 20 hostages at an upscale cafe in the capital, Dhaka police said.Police told the court they needed more time to interrogate Hasnat Karim, a dual British and Bangladeshi national, and Tahmid Hasib Khan, a student at Toronto University, in connection with the assault on July 1. The families of both men say they are innocent.Their cases have been marked by confusion. When the two men were remanded in custody earlier this month, police official Masudur Rahman told reporters they had been arrested "from two different places".But their families say Karim and Khan were dining, separately, with family and friends when gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery. Karim, a 47-year-old engineer, was said to be at the cafe to celebrate his daughter's 13th birthday.Police confirmed today that Karim has been formally arrested, while Khan was being held as a suspect. Both appeared before the court, with Karim being remanded for a further eight days and Khan for six.Rahman said Karim was arrested because police needed "further details" because of information that emerged during his interrogation.He told Reuters that video footage during the cafe attack showed Karim appearing to act "calm and normal with the militants." He declined to give any further information.Karim's wife, Sharmina Karim, told Reuters it was not at all clear to her what was happening."He is innocent. He went to the cafe along with me and our two daughters," she said after Karim made his court appearance. "How can it be that he would go there knowing there would be such a massacre? Is this not unusual, unbelievable thinking?"There was no immediate comment from the Khan family.Karim and Khan were among 32 people rescued by police and taken into custody for questioning after the attack. Police released the others soon after.During the attack on the cafe, Islamist militants singled out non-Muslims and foreigners, killing Italians, Japanese, an American and an Indian before security forces stormed the eatery to end the 12-hour siege. Two police also died in the operation.The government has dismissed suggestions that Islamic State has a presence in Bangladesh, even though photographs of attackers posing with assault rifles in front of the group's black banner were posted on the group's propaganda outlets.Neither Karim nor Khan appeared in the photographs. REUTERS AKC VP1755 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-886311.Xml
RIGA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Inga Kolegova, the current head of the Latvian State Environmental Service, withdrew her candidacy for the post of the State Revenue Service's director-general on Friday, citing insufficient political support.

Kolegova said in an interview with Latvian public radio that she found political intrigues around her candidacy unacceptable.

"Most importantly, though, I do not see a possibility to carry out reforms in the State Revenue Service without solid political support," Kolegova said, explaining that in order to push through the planned reforms it would be necessary to amend Latvia's current laws.

"Considering these circumstances, I came to the conclusion that my work (as head of the Revenue Service) would not be successful and productive," Kolegova said.

She also denied that she decided to withdraw her candidacy because of reports about her allegedly suspicious business deals.

Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis voiced regret over Kolegova's decision but said he understood that it was too hard for Kolegova to withstand the pressure she has been exposed to in recent days.

Kucinskis said in an interview with Latvian Television that a new tender would be arranged to select a candidate for Latvia's next tax chief. This time, a staffing company will be hired to pick the best candidate, Kucinskis' spokesman Andrejs Vaivars informed.

Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola, who had proposed Kolegova for head of the State Revenue Service, said that new rules were needed to ensure the success of the new tender, but that for now there is no alternative candidate for the position.

Although partners of Latvia's tripartite center-right coalition, Kucinskis' centrist the Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS) and the right-wing National Alliance, backed Kolegova's candidacy, the center-right Unity denied its support, raising suspicions about Kolegova's past business deals and the accuracy of her tax returns.

Last year, for instance, Kolegova received 320,000 euros (about 358,400 U.S. dollars) in dividends from Pallog, a company she co-owns with her brother, and then gave the money away to the brother and his other company. Kolegova has declared similar transactions also in previous years.

Although Kucinskis assured coalition partners that he had ordered a detailed examination of Kolegova's deals and that it had revealed no irregularities, Unity refused to back Kolegova's candidacy and called for a new tender to pick Latvia's next tax chief.

After the State Revenue Service's previous director-general Inara Petersone stood down at the end of June, a public tender was held to fill the vacant position, but none of the candidates who applied in the competition was found to be suitable.

It was then decided to look for a candidate among Latvia's top-ranked public servants without organizing a new tender. Apart from Kolegova, the job was also offered to Treasury head Kaspars Abolins and Baiba Vitolina, the head of the Consumer Rights Protection Center, but they refused to run for the position.
HELSINKI, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Finnish divers have allegedly located two World War I sunk German warships in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia, media reported on Friday.

The ships were among the seven German torpedo boats lost after an attack against the Russian base in Paldiski, Estonia in early November 1916.

Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat defined the findings now as the most important discovery of sunk ships in the Baltic in recent years.

Juha Flinkman, a member of the Finnish diver group Badewanne, told the daily that the fate of German flotilla was one of the last question marks still open from the First World War naval history.

Until 1940s the prevailing view was that the boats were destroyed in combat with Russian artillery. A group of ten torpedo boats and three light cruisers completed the pounding of Paldiski, but seven torpedo boats did not return to the base in Latvia.

Researcher Juha Joutsi from the Finnish War Museum told Helsingin Sanomat that the operation in 1916 marked the largest losses of the Germans in the Baltic Sea during the Great War.

Even though called torpedo boats, the fairly new German vessels then were destroyer class, some 80 meters long. The class was called V-25 and a total of 71 vessels were built in all.

The operation to dive to the depth of some 100 meters had been difficult. The group was able to locate torpedo boats G90 and S59. Parts of G90 were missing as the Germans themselves directed a torpedo to it to speed up sinking.

The German vessels were divided into small compartments and thus explosive mines did not sink them instantly and Germans were able to evacuate most sailors.

Work to find the remaining five vessels will continue next summer.

The Finnish group earlier made news for having located the wrecks of Russian cruises Pallada and German WWI submarine U-26.

The group finances its work on its own or through sponsors. It is not associated with Finnish authorities.
HAVANA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Colombian government and the guerrilla group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), agreed on Friday to create a tribunal to prosecute war crimes committed during the country's decades-long armed conflict.

The parties announced the tribunal in a joint statement in Havana, where negotiators have been holding peace talks since 2012 to yield a final peace agreement to end the conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people.

A number of important world figures and bodies will be invited to help appoint 24 judges for the court, they said in the statement released by the Cuban and Norwegian delegations, which act as guarantors of the peace process.

Those parties invited to nominate judges would include Pope Francis, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Criminal Chamber of Colombia's Supreme Court, the International Center for Transitional Justice, and Colombia's State University System, among others.

Twenty of the judges will be Colombian, while four will come from other nations, according to the statement.

The agreement signed Friday states that the FARC and the Colombian army would abide by any decisions made by the court, concerning any crimes committed during the country's civil war.

Anyone admitting any crimes and confessing the truth would receive sentences of restricted freedoms of between five and eight years, but would not go to jail, according to the agreement.

Those who do not do so but are found guilty could receive sentences of up 20 years in jail, it added.

Furthermore, any FARC members who are not found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, murder, kidnapping, or sexual abuse will receive a full amnesty, the statement said.




Zoran Milanovic (L), leader of the Social Democrat Party (SDP) shakes hands with Andrej Plenkovic, the newly elected president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), before a television debate in the campaign for elections at the Croatian Television (HRT) in Zagreb, capital of Croatia, Aug. 12, 2016. Croatia will hold an early parliamentary election on September 11. (Xinhua/Miso Lisanin)

ZAGREB, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The leaders from Croatian two biggest parties on Friday held a televised debate in the campaign before the early election set for Sept. 11.

Zoran Milanovic, president of the main opposition Croatian Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Andrej Plenkovic, newly elected president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), debated on the issues of economic growth, employment and debts.

Milanovic, former prime minister, said Croatia needed a stable government and a safe direction for economic development. He promised if in power his party would impose no new taxes and would strive to create more jobs for youth and invest more in education that would amount to 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Plenkovic refuted Milanovic's idea of no new taxes, saying it was Milanovic who increased the value-added tax rate to 25 percent when he was the prime minister. He added HDZ would reduce the rate to 24 percent in second year of next government and by the end of the term to 23 percent. Meanwhile, the party would undertake the reform of the corporate and income taxes, he said.

Regarding debts, Milanovic said the previous HDZ government has left the government a huge budget deficit. He said it was during his term that Croatia for the first time ever had a positive balance of payments in the amount of two percent of the budget.

Plenkovic argued during Milanovic's term, public debt has drastically increased, saying HDZ would reduce the debts with economic growth and using state-owned assets.

When questioned on employment, both of them pledged to encourage job creation but gave no specific plans.

Regarding how to deal with a possible new migrant crisis, Plenkovic said he believed there would be no new migrant wave. He said the problem of protecting external borders has been solved at the European Union level.

While Milanovic said his government did quite well last year on the refugee issue. SDP would act same way if there would be a new wave of refugees, he said.

The debate, held at the Croatian Television (HRT), was the first televised debate in 13 years.

By now SDP has formed a coalition -- People's Coalition-- with the Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats, the Croatian Party of Pensioners and Croatian Peasant Party to run the election, while HDZ is heading towards the election without national coalition partners.

A latest poll has showed the two parties were neck to neck for the upcoming election, with the People's Coalition winning 29.2 percent of the votes and HDZ 28.3 percent.

Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic called an early election after HDZ-led government stepped down following a no-confidence vote in June after being in power for only five months.
MEXICO CITY, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Mexican police have recaptured Luis Reyes Enriquez, known as "Z-12", a founder and leader of the Los Zetas Cartel, during an operation in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, authorities said on Friday.

Z-12 was recaptured on Thursday evening in the town of San Pedro Garza Garcia, near the city of Monterrey, Juan Carlos Silva, head of the anti-drugs division of the federal police, said in a statement.

Reyes Enriquez was first captured in June 2007 in the state of Hidalgo, when Los Zetas was amidst a violent rampage against other gangs across the country.

However, he was let go from the Puente Grande maximum security prison in April 2015 after a judge lifted his sentence. That decision was reversed in August 2015 but Reyes Enriquez went into hiding after an order for his re-arrest was issued.

He now faced "a sentence of 47 years and six months in jail," Silva said.

Reyes Enriquez was a former soldier who founded Los Zetas with other former army operatives in the late 1990s, initially as an armed group working for the Gulf Cartel. However, the group grew in force and broke off in 2010 to become arguably Mexico's most violent cartel.

Z-12 is considered to be one of the principal leaders of Los Zetas and very close to the head of the Gulf Cartel, Osiel Cardenas, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence in the United States after being extradited in 2007.
Image taken on Aug. 8, 2010 shows Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro during an interview with four Venezuelan correspondents in Havana, capital of Cuba. The Cuban revolutionary leader will celebrate his 90th birthday on August 13. (Xinhua/Str)

by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Fidel Castro is one of the most admired, controversial and respected politicians in the last century, whose legacy will endure the test of time due to his life-long struggle to achieve social justice and fight against inequality.

That is why Katiuska Blanco, a Cuban journalist and biographer of Castro, believes millions around the globe will remember the leader who will turn 90 on Aug. 13.

"Fidel has already become one of the great political figures of all time. His legacy is powerful, beautiful and based on solid socialist ideas and values," Blanco said in an interview with Xinhua.

Since 2003, she has written three books related to Castro's life, two of them linked to his family and early childhood in the eastern town of Biran where his Spanish father settled in 1915 and married local farmer Lina Ruz.

Her last take on Castro is a book of over 1,000 pages, where she talks with the Cuban leader about his childhood, university life, early political and military career, and the revolutionary armed struggle in the Sierra Maestra mountains until the triumph of the revolution on Jan. 1, 1959.

Blanco is currently working on a second tome of the leader's biography after compiling hours of conversation and anecdotes.

"He is in the hearts of millions of Cubans and people around the world, which will last through time. Fidel always tried to reach out to the poor and his main concerns were always for the disadvantaged," she said.

The Cuban journalist said Castro is a "true leader" with an outstanding human sensibility and discipline, who is always willing to fight against inequalities and wrongdoings caused by the capitalist system.

"Throughout the years, I have learned from Fidel that he is an eternal rebel as he will battle until his last breath for social justice. This was embedded into him very early in life as he was surrounded by very poor farmers in his hometown," she added.

As he is about to turn 90 years old, Castro's ideas are still present in Cuban society, even though he retired from public life 10 years ago.

In 2006, the former Cuban president temporarily passed on his duties to his brother, Raul, before formally resigning as head of state in 2008.

According to Blanco, Fidel Castro is still very active and is worried about many issues worldwide such as food production, current wars and "capitalist destruction."

"He is a very informed man, he is always asking his aides for information about numerous topics that concern him," she revealed.

To celebrate Castro's 90th birthday, billboards have been erected across the country with his portrait and best-known phrases, while state television is filled with interviews about his time in power and hundreds of cultural events to honor him will take place until Aug. 13.

"Fidel has become a world reference, an inspiration for many and the guide that has led this country to social justice and great achievements in education, health, sports, culture and science," Blanco said.




Liu Jieyi(C Front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during an UN Security Council meeting on Sudan and South Sudan at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, Aug. 12, 2016. The Chinese envoy on Friday called for full consultation with South Sudan on the deployment of a regional protection force, saying the deployment should obtain consent from the country's transitional government. Only by doing so will the regional protection force truly achieve the goal to promote peace and stability in South Sudan and to create favorable conditions for implementation of a peace agreement of all parties, China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the UN Security Council. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS , Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called for full consultation with South Sudan on the deployment of a regional protection force, saying the deployment should obtain consent from the country's transitional government.

Only by doing so will the regional protection force truly achieve the goal to promote peace and stability in South Sudan and to create favorable conditions for implementation of a peace agreement of all parties, China's Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the UN Security Council.

Liu made the remarks after the Security Council voted for a resolution to authorize deployment of 4,000 strong troops to strengthen the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, after a renewed fighting in the country's capital of Juba.

The resolution decided to increase the force levels of UNMISS from its current 12,000 up to a ceiling of 17,000 troops, including 4,000 for the Regional Protection Force.

It also threatens to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan if the transitional government impedes the deployment of the regional protection force.

The U.S.-drafted resolution was adopted by the 15-nation council with 11 members voting in favor. China, Russia, Venezuela and Egypt abstained.

Ambassador of South Sudan Akuei Bona Malwal told the council that his government rejected this resolution "as it did not take into account or even consider the points of view of South Sudan."

"The adoption of this resolution goes against the basic principle of UN peacekeeping operations, which is the consent of the main parties to the conflict," he added.

In July, clashes between government and opposition forces took place in Juba, killing 272 people, including 33 civilians. Since then, the security situation in South Sudan has significantly deteriorated.

The idea to deploy a regional force was decided at a summit of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc and also a main actor in resolving South Sudan crisis.

An IGAD communique on Aug. 5 noted that the composition, mandate, armament, deployment and funding of the regional protection force shall be done in consultation with South Sudan's transitional government.

After the United States proposed the resolution, South Sudan accused it of plotting to put the country under UN trusteeship by revising the mandate of the protection force agreed upon by regional countries.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China has firm plans to increase scientific literacy among the public.

According to a science and technology progress plan published by the State Council on Monday, China expects its knowledge-intensive services to contribute to 20 percent of GDP by 2020.

The plan lists measures to improve legislation on scientific research and technological development, streamline fund raising systems and raise the efficiency of governance.

It also pledges greater efforts in the education, publicity and popularization of science, intending to raise the proportion of scientifically-literate citizens to 10 percent by 2020.

A 2015 survey by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) revealed that the proportion of scientifically-literate citizens has almost doubled from 3.27 percent in 2010 to 6.2 percent last year.

Major cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin were higher, reaching 18.7 percent, 17.5 percent and 12 percent respectively, similar to levels in the U.S. and Europe at the turn of the century.

In April, China's central authorities issued national standards to measure Chinese citizens' scientific understanding.

Aside from scientific knowledge, such as the big bang or evolution theories, scientific understanding also requires citizens to have the relevant thinking ability, said Qiu Chengli, an official with the science popularization section of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

"For example, when an earthquake or an emergency happens, people need to have the basic ability to save themselves or others," Qiu said.

The proportion of scientifically-literate citizens in China has often been on the low side compared with many developed countries. The figure for the United States reached 28 percent in 2008 and with Swedish citizens it was 35 percent in 2005.

Qiu said China's science popularization campaign also needs an innovative touch.

By the end of 2014, China had more than 1,100 science and technology museums.

However, in a country that has an online population of 710 million, the Internet is now the preferred channel for people to gain science information.

The CAST survey found that over 53 percent of Chinese people obtain scientific knowledge online and for those with a better scientific understanding it rises to over 91 percent.

"It is time to educate scientific and technological minds," said Li Zhimin, director of the Science and Technology Development Center under the Ministry of Education, adding that science-related websites, digital museums, and digital libraries should all play their part in the campaign. Li also pointed out efforts to draw more private funds to the cause.

In 2014, public spending made up 76 percent of the 15 billion yuan (2.25 billion U.S. dollars) spent popularizing science.

"We saw successful examples such as the 'Sony ExploraScience' project sponsored by Sony, and scientific elements in the U.S. Disney park. Why not support enthusiastic Chinese enterprises and organizations?" Li said.

The plan said that youngsters, farmers, migrant workers and public servants will be the key groups targeted in the science promotion campaign.

Chen Zhiwen, chief editor of the education website www.eol.cn, called for changes in the science education of young Chinese.

"We used to think that the results of education outweigh the process. However, it is actually the process of education that cultivates children's scientific spirit and thinking."
by Jamil Bhatti

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least four terrorists have been killed and 10 others arrested by the security forces in ongoing combing operations in different areas of Pakistan, officials said.

According to a statement released on Friday from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army's mouthpiece, at least six terrorists including two important militant commanders were arrested and a cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during a combing operation in Rawalpindi district.

"Combing operations are underway across the country to bust terrorist sleeper cells and eliminate hiding terrorists," said the ISPR.

On Friday morning, security forces and intelligence agencies conducted another operation after an intelligence tip-off and arrested four would-be suicide bombers along with five explosives laden jackets in Khyber Agency, Pakistan's northwest tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

"Security forces also arrested two employees of the local government in the area, who facilitated the suicide bombers to cross the border into Pakistan from Afghanistan," assistant local administrator of the area told media.

In another operation on Friday morning, security forces raided a hideout in Kahan area of Kohlu district of the country's southwest province of Balochistan and killed four terrorists presented in exchange of fire.

Spokesman of the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force, told media that the killed terrorists of a banned outfit were involved in target killings, attacks on security forces, destroying public properties and other terrorism related activities.

Earlier on Thursday, at least four militants were killed in a shootout with paramilitary troops in the country's southern port city of Karachi. The killed terrorists were planning to hit the Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 14 in the city.

The ongoing combing operations against terrorists and their facilitators across Pakistan are part of Pakistani government's efforts that it has started after the Monday's deadly suicide attack in a public hospital in southwest provincial capital of Quetta, which killed at least 72 people and left over 100 others injured.

The incident took place when a suicide bomber attacked a crowd of lawyers who gathered to protest against the killing of their local association's president. The president was shot dead by unknown gunmen in a separate attack half an hour before the bomber hit the gathering of the lawyers.

Security analysts believed that the terrorists' attack at the civilians is a proof of their frustration because many of them have either been killed or expelled from their strong bases in the country's northwest tribal regions as the result of extensive military operations.

On Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif delivered a policy statement on the Quetta terrorist attack in the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, calling for national unity to defeat the remaining terrorists who are targeting innocent people in sheer frustration.

"I want to announce that the nation is united in the war against terrorism and this war will be taken to its logical conclusion at all costs," the prime minister said.

Following the deadly attack, Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif chaired a Corps Commander Conference at the Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi city on Tuesday and directed the commanders and intelligence outfits to further intensify the combing and targeted operations with full vigor to eliminate terrorists and sleeper cells.

General Raheel said the coward attack at civilians in the hospital is an attempt to undermine the successes of operation Zarb-e-Azb.

Pakistan claimed to have achieved vital successes against the terrorism two years after the launch of military operation Zarb-e-Azab (Sharp Strike) in June 2014 in its northwestern tribal area of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, which was once considered as the safe haven for the Pakistani Taliban and foreign militants.

Pakistan military said it has killed over 4,000 militants and arrested over 1,000 others in addition to destroying the strong holds of so far, however analysts and local watchers said that the security agencies will have to go after the runaway terrorists and their facilitators hiding in urban and rural areas of the country.

Pakistani lawmakers are calling for better coordination among all security agencies and the unity of political forces to defeat the terrorists.

Ghalib Khan, a member of the lower house, said "the government has done a lot to deal with the terrorism and violent extremism. Now, all political parties and segment of the society should set aside their differences and forge unity to counter the remaining threat."

Although the militant groups have been kicked out of their specific safe havens and the security situation across the country has substantially improved, the recent attack in the hospital showed that the militants still have networks to plan and execute attacks in public places.

"We should go after the terrorists hiding in their sleeping cells in urban areas, but at the same time we would have to make our judiciary strong enough to penalize arrested terrorists quickly without favor and fear," Hashmat Ali Habib, a senior lawyer of Supreme Court of Pakistan, told Xinhua on Friday.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Handling explosives, rappelling from a 6-story building, parachuting from 800 meters, and dodging a hail of bullets -- it's all in a day's work for these women.

For this female-only squad of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) special operations forces, daily training carries all the risks of real battle.

"Sometimes, I hear bullets fly past my ears. I realize how I would feel if enemies were to shoot at me on the battlefield," said Huang Anqi, 21, who was among the first to join the squad. The brigade was reorganized as a special ops troop in 2013, and soon after the all-women's squad was formed.

The first time Huang was asked to rappel from a tall building, she clutched the rope and didn't dare to move, but after daily practice, it has become her strong suit.

The squad now consists of 21 soldiers between the ages of 19 and 26. They are trained in shooting, climbing, explosives, reconnaissance equipment, parachuting, operating boats, driving and swimming.

Female soldiers may not be as physically strong as their male counterparts, so their training focuses more on skills, said Miao Zhong, political instructor of the company that supervises the squad.

"Their training is as intense and demanding as that for male soldiers. They have to train for up to 10 or 11 hours a day," Miao said.

The female soldiers are tasked with special reconnaissance, combat missions and assisting in counter-terrorism operations, so they hone their skills in infiltration, reconnaissance and striking, according to Liu Yong, deputy commander of the brigade.

Liu said every soldier in the brigade is trained according to a personalized growth plan to become an expert in a particular area, while also developing skills in other areas.

In the women's squad, Wu Mei is good at martial arts, Yang Xujiao climbs shockingly fast, Ma Yan is an adept sniper, and Qian Ren beats the men at swimming.

"In special ops forces, it is crucial for an individual to develop all-around abilities. Though it is much smaller since reorganization as a special ops force, the brigade has become stronger, featuring greater mobility, better-performing soldiers and more diverse missions," said Tang Kaixi, the brigade's political commissar.

"From the changes in the brigade, we can also see the future direction of the PLA Army and new modes of combat being practiced in the armed forces," Tang added.

Training is intense and dangerous, and no soldier is a stranger to injury. Qian Ren suffers from severe lumbar disc herniation and Huang Anqi once sprained her shoulder. Bruises, knife wounds and foot blisters are common.

"Life here can be hard, but we all joined the squad of our own volition. We aim for excellence," Yang Xujiao said.

Last year, Huang Anqi chose to extend her military service for another three years.

"I haven't had enough of being a soldier. The brigade has offered a lot of new knowledge and skills since its reorganization. I want to stay longer to learn more and become a better person," Huang said.
WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Xinhua) -- The head of Islamic State in Afghanistan was killed in a U.S. drone strike last month, the Pentagon said Friday.

Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed on July 26 in the Achin district of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, said Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Trowbridge in a statement.

Khan, a former senior leader of the Pakistani Taliban, was appointed head of the IS's branch in Afghanistan in January 2015 after pledging allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to a U.S. Treasury sanctions notification last year.

Khan helped establish training camps in western Afghanistan for the IS and was responsible for a series of suicide attacks that killed up to 30 people in Jalalabad in April 2015, the Pentagon said.

"Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, and the actions of this network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar," said Trowbridge.

Nangarhar has been a hotbed for IS presence since last summer.

"Khan's death affects ISIL-K (the Pentagon's acronym for IS's Afghanistan branch) recruiting efforts and will disrupt ISIL-K's operations in Afghanistan and the region," he added.

However, this is not the first time Khan has been reported dead. Afghan intelligence agents claimed he was killed in January of last year, but the report was never confirmed.

U.S. officials estimate there are some 1,000 to 1,500 IS fighters in Afghanistan currently, most of them are believed to be former Pakistani Taliban who shifted loyalty to IS in the past two years.
BRASILIA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Supreme Court announced Friday that the final impeachment trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff will be held on August 25.

On August 10, the Senate voted 59-21 to move ahead with the trial, after a recommendation to do so by its impeachment committee.

Next week, Ricardo Lewandowski, the president of the Supreme Court, will meet with leaders of different political parties to determine the procedure of the trial and voting.

He will seek to broker a deal about the length of the sessions, the intervals and the time each senator will have to speak before casting their vote.

Expectations among analysts are that the trial will last under five days, although allies of interim president Michel Temer are seeking to reduce this period further.

A vote by two-thirds of the 81 senators (54 votes) are needed for Rousseff to be impeached and permanently removed from office.

Rousseff "went against the Constitution" by deliberately delaying payments to public banks and authorizing additional credits without the approval of Congress, allegedly in order to hide a growing deficit in public finances, according to an impeachment committee's report.

Rousseff was temporarily suspended for up to 180 days on May 12 and her vice-president, Michel Temer, took over the presidency on an interim basis.

If Rousseff is convicted and removed from office, Temer would complete her mandate until the end of 2018.
BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's proposal to build a more interconnected global economy would help reduce inequality, Argentine experts have said ahead of the G20 summit scheduled for Sept. 4-5 in China's eastern city of Hangzhou.

Now is a crucial moment for the global economy in which China's leadership can make a difference, they believe.

As the world's second-largest economy, "China is the factor driving economic growth and global demand for goods and services, with projections of above 6.5 percent annual growth from 2016 to 2020," Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of the Asia Viewers consultancy in Argentina, said during a recent interview with Xinhua.

They agreed that "international economic cooperation has reached a crucial point," and that "the role of China at the G20 summit is of great importance."

China takes the annual presidency of the G20 summit this year, which will center on the theme "Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy."

"This vision speaks of a global community where economic connectivity between countries leads to the benefits of growth being equal for all," they said.

In their opinion, as the summit agenda reveals, the Hangzhou G20 summit calls for members to commit to coordinated macro-economic policies in order to reduce negative collateral effects, maintain stability on the financial markets, and increase investment and consumption.

In addition, they hailed China's effort to establish a G20 working group on trade and investment.

Radulovich and Peralta say they believe this would help explore "topics such as long-term governance and the coordination of fiscal and financial policies, which are crucial to the G20."
KATHMANDU, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- As human errors have been pointed out as a major reason for increasing air accidents in Nepal, the Nepalese authorities have said that they would strengthen inspections for "health and behavior" of crew members.

The Himalayan country witnessed six air accidents in the last one year, killing 36 passengers and crew members.

Speaking at Committee for Good Governance and Monitoring of Nepalese Parliament on Friday, Sanjeev Gautam, director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), said that the CAAN has now decided to focus on addressing human behavior issue of the crew members.

"We don't understand why the pilots are repeatedly entering clouds as it is a violation of the standard operating procedure," he said.

Gautam told the lawmakers that the CAAN has issued a circular to airline operators telling them that if any pilots were found entering into cloud during the monsoon season, their licenses would be withdrawn immediately.

Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Kumar Rai also said that the government would implement the policy of regular health check for pilots before they start a flight. Nepalese lawmakers said that if the current safety issues are not corrected immediately, anyone could be a victim. They said that repeated air accidents have spread the bad image of Nepal as a risky country for travel.

The Himalayan country is under the significant safety concern list of International Civil Aviation Organization and the European Commission has banned Nepalese airlines to fly over the sky of European Union showing deficiency in Nepal's air safety.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (Xinhua file photo)

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia may be forced to sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine if there are no other options available, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday amid the recent escalating tensions between Moscow and Kiev.

"I would not want that to happen, but if there is no other option left to impact the situation, the president could make such a decision," he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been escalating as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused Kiev of plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea and vowed to take additional measures to ensure the safety of the infrastructure and citizens there.

Russia has arrested a group of suspected saboteurs, two of whom admitted that they had plotted bomb attacks in Crimea upon the assignment given by the Ukrainian military intelligence service, the Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing a video footage obtained from the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB).

Interfax also quoted an unnamed source with Russian special services saying that one person had been arrested and several more detained, and that they had started providing testimony confirming Kiev's involvement in the terror scheme.

Ukraine has yet responded to the video footage. It was not clear when the arrests were made.

On Wednesday, the FSB said the country had prevented a series of terrorist attacks in Crimea orchestrated by the Ukraine military intelligence service, in which two Russian servicemen were killed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday "the people who seized power in Kiev ... have switched to terror tactics instead of searching for ways for a peaceful settlement," calling Ukraine's actions "criminal."

However, the Ukrainian side has denied such claims.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said, "Russian accusations towards Ukraine of terrorism in occupied Crimea sound as preposterous and cynical as the statements of the Russian leadership about the absence of the Russian troops in Donbass (region of Ukraine)."

Crimea, which was previously part of Ukraine, was incorporated into Russia in 2014 following a referendum, which was recognized by Moscow but rejected by Ukraine and Western powers.

Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov said the claims were "hysterical and false," and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry termed the allegations as Moscow's attempt to justify its re-deployment and actions in the region.

Ukraine will ask the UN Security Council to hold an urgent meeting if tensions continue to rise over Russia's accusations, Ukraine's Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko on Wednesday told reporters at UN headquarters.

RISING TENSIONS

Both sides have enhanced military readiness on the border, while the United States urged the two sides to avoid escalating tensions.

Poroshenko said on Thursday that he has ordered the country's defense and law enforcement agencies to put their units near Crimea and in eastern Ukraine on high alert.

Later Thursday, Ukrainian State Border Service's Spokesman Oleg Slobodyan said that Ukraine's frontier guards have already started enhancing the combat readiness of their units near Crimea and in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions.

In Russia, an anti-aircraft missile regiment based in Crimea has received a new S-400 Triumf air defense missile system, by far Russia's most advanced surface-to-air missile system, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

The S-400 Triumf is capable of hitting an airborne target at a distance of up to 400 km with medium- and long-range missiles. The regiment will take part in a strategic command-and-staff military drill after preparations are completed, the press service of Russia's Southern Military District said.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Friday with Poroshenko and urged him "to do his part" to avoid ratcheting up tensions with Russia, according to the White House.

Biden noted that the United States has urged the Russian side to do the same, the White House said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Ben Hodges, the commander of the U.S. Army in Europe urged Russia to allow observers, including Western journalists, to attend the upcoming military drill.

Ruslan Bortnik, head of the Ukrainian Institute of Analysis and Management of Policy, said the escalation in Crimea due to terrorist reports go against both Ukrainian and Russian interests, but help radicals and warmongers, which are not welcome by both sides.

He did not exclude possibility of foreign forces instigating trouble in Crimea.

Alexey Pushkov, chairman of the State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, believed that the West should impose pressure on Kiev to avoid a collapse of the Minsk agreements aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, adding Putin's warning is not only directed at Ukraine, but also at the West and the United States.

Still, analysts believed that the current situation is unlikely to evolve into a large scale military conflict.

Related:

Spotlight: Russia, Ukraine in new dispute, Putin accuses Kiev of plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been escalating as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused Kiev of plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea and vowed to take additional measures to ensure the safety of infrastructure and citizens there.
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rejuvenated the peace process on Saturday by launching the implementing phase of the peace agreements.

The meeting held in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur is the first under President Rodrigo Duterte, two years after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Philippine government and MILF in 2014 facilitated by Malaysia.

Philippine presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza hailed the entering of implementation phase as another milestone in the peace process, stressing the commitment by the new Philippine administration to honor the past peace deals.

Murad Ebrahim, Chairman of MILF, said continuing the peace process remains the only reasonable and viable pathway that could bring progress, development and lasting peace to the Philippines.

Mohd Johari Baharom, Malaysia's deputy defence minister, said a successful peace process in the region would fend off treat posted by Islamic State (IS).

The implementation of the peace agreement with the MILF largely depends on its political track since the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the supposed implementing mechanism of the CAB, failed to pass in the previous Congress.
HOHHOT, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region opened new international air routes on Friday to Thailand and Russia.

A Thai AirAsia Airbus 330 will fly Ordos to Pattaya once a week, covering the distance in 4.5 hours.

A new link from Ordos to Russia's Irkutsk run by Tianjin Airline will fly every Monday and Friday taking 2.5 hours.

The airport was accredited by the State Council as an international air hub in January and its first international route was to Seoul and plans flights to Ulan Bator and Hong Kong.

Ordos is about 300 km from the regional capital Hohhot. Its name translates into "many palaces" in Mongolian. The city, with a population of 1.94 million, has rich coal and natural gas reserves. For tourists, its major attractions include the tomb of Genghis Khan, deserts and ruins of an ancient civilization dating back almost 50,000 years.
HOUSTON, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were injured Friday after a flash fire broke out at a refinery in Port Arthur, a city about 146 km east of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.

The fire happened at the Sunoco refinery, the largest oil refinery in the United States with a maximum production capacity of 636,500 barrels per day.

The Jefferson County police confirmed the blaze, but did not say when the fire occurred and what caused the fire, which sent the seven people with burns to a local hospital, according to local TV station ABC13.

There is no danger to the surrounding area, the police said, adding that authorities are on the scene to investigate the accident.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- For the small, impoverished county of Fuping in the northern province of Hebei, an inspection tour by Xi Jinping in late 2012 was a game changer.

"It was a cold, chilly day, with snow everywhere, but the memory of it burns even today," Tang Rongbin, a 72-year-old farmer from the village of Luotuozhuang in Fuping, recalled.

Xi, who at the time was the newly-elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, arrived with relief materials such as cooking oil, flour, quilts and winter coats, which the villagers gladly accepted.

But Tang said Xi's visit was more of one of belief than of relief.

"[Xi] came to my house, sat down and we talked like neighbors," Tang said.

"He said we could turn dust to gold so long as we have confidence," he said.

Only about three hour's drive from Beijing, Fuping has stood economically isolated for years. While the rest of the country was rushing headlong to riches during its nearly four decades of economic reforms and breakneck growth, life in Fuping remained, mostly, flat.

The county has been under the national poverty alleviation plan since 1994. At one point, two in five Fuping residents were living under the poverty line of 2,300 yuan (about 354 U.S. dollars) in annual income.

In 2012, the per capita net income of Luotuozhuang village residents was just short of 1,000 yuan. Nationwide, the per capita net income of rural residents that year was about seven times as much.

Even today, nearly 30 percent of the county's 200,000 residents live on less than one dollar a day.

Xi's 2012 visit, however, gave the county hope that it would find its way off the poverty list after all, as an influx of funds followed the Chinese leader's visit.

Roughly 300 million yuan was allocated to support Fuping's poverty alleviation work in 2013 alone -- almost 1.5 times as much as the county had received over the previous two decades.

The financial injection seemed to have worked a spell. By 2015, per capita income of Luotuozhuang residents had tripled from 2012 levels to nearly 3,000 yuan.

"Our aim now is to lift all residents above the poverty line by 2017," said Luotuozhuang village chief Zhang Fengzhong.

In retrospect, Zhang told Xinhua that the local officials were quite nervous about Xi's Luotuozhuang visit.

Li Ningtai, Fuping Party secretary, was one of them. "We were concerned -- what if the general secretary is not satisfied with our poverty relief work?" Li recalled.

But Li said that Xi had insisted on visiting the "poorest" localities in Hebei for his first domestic inspection tour as the Party's chief.

"He wanted to see the view from the coal face," Li said.

His tour of Luotuozhuang was not the first time that Xi had experienced poverty first hand.

Addressing the Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum in Beijing last October, Xi spoke about the seven years he spent farming in the northern province of Shaanxi in the late 1960s. He said he had been "overwhelmed" seeing rural poverty firsthand.

"My fellow villagers and I worked so hard. Even to improve our lives just a little bit seemed almost impossible at the time," he said.

"Over the past 40-plus years, I have worked in county-, city-, and provincial-level posts and in the central government, and poverty relief has always been an important part of my work, the part I give most of my energy to," he said.

Indeed, poverty relief has been a policy priority for decades.

China lifted 439 million people out of poverty between 1990 and 2011.

But with Xi at the helm, poverty relief has been taken even more seriously.

China is striving to become a "Xiaokang," or a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, by 2020, just before the centennial anniversary of the founding of the CPC.

One aim is to make sure that those yet to be lifted out of poverty and take their rightful place as citizens of a well-off society with the rest of the nation.

In Xi's own words, "No one should be left behind."

With tens of millions of Chinese still struggling on less than one dollar a day, the 2020 task is, without doubt, daunting.

But Xi's determination to rid China of the ailment is also not to be underestimated.

For four years in a row, Xi's lunar New Year tours have taken him to development backwaters to inspect poverty reduction efforts.

In fact, poverty relief work has been a prominent feature of nearly all of Xi's domestic inspection tours.

Just last month, Xi visited Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, an under-developed area with a high concentration of ethnic minorities.

"There are still some 50 million Chinese struggling with poverty, and by 2020, they must be all lifted out of poverty. This is my top concern now," Xi said during the tour, which saw him talking with villagers about their lives, and urging CPC cadres to take the lead in poverty reduction.

Xi also, at a national conference on poverty alleviation in Ningxia's capital of Yinchuan, urged developed regions in the east to help their partner regions in the west better address poverty.

Wang Sangui, a professor with Renmin University, said Xi's domestic visits, including the one last month to Ningxia, underscored the leadership's governance determination to focus on impoverished and underdeveloped regions.

"For Xi and the leadership, poverty reduction is not just an economic issue, but a political one, which is closely linked to the people's well-being and to lasting stability in China," Wang said.

His words were echoed by Xu Yaotong, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance.

"Xi is first and foremost concerned with 'Xiaokang' of all Chinese people," said Xu.

"If we compare China's development to a wooden bucket. The amount of water a bucket can hold is determined by its shortest plank," Xu continued, adding that poverty is one of the short planks.

"To build a comprehensively 'Xiaokang' society, the country must address those short, weak planks," Xu said.

In addition to inspection tours, Xi has also, more than once, raised poverty alleviation with national lawmakers during the annual March sessions of China's top legislature.

Just this year, Xi told lawmakers from the northwestern province of Qinghai that targeted measures were the way forward and the role of education must be emphasized to ensure the people do not slip back in to poverty.

Infrastructure in ethnic regions will be improved and competitive, local industries will be encouraged, which will all facilitate self-development, Xi said.

Wang, meanwhile, also noted that while striving to reduce poverty at home, China has also actively supported the other developing countries as they navigate the same path.

China was the first developing country to meet the Millennium Development Goals target of reducing the population living in poverty by half ahead of the 2015 deadline.

Over the past 60 years, China has provided 166 countries and international organizations with nearly 400 billion yuan in assistance.

It has unconditionally forgiven mature inter-governmental interest-free loans held by heavily-indebted developing countries seven times.

The goal of eliminating poverty in 15 years was laid out at a United Nations summit in last September, and China pledged an initial 2 billion U.S. dollars to establish an assistance fund to help developing nations fight poverty.

Xi also pledged at the summit that Beijing will do its best to raise investment in the least developed countries (LDCs) to 12 billion dollars by 2030, Xi said, and exempt the debt of the outstanding intergovernmental interest-free loans due by the end of 2015 owed by the relevant LDCs, landlocked developing countries and small island developing countries.

The multi-billion-dollar pledges in aid, investment and debt exemption to less developed countries will help them meet key poverty reduction targets, Wang said.

In the meantime, China's progress in anti-poverty work has also provided experience for countries still plagued by extreme poverty.

In a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of a landmark summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in last December, Xi said China will establish a number of regional vocational education centers and several capacity-building colleges for Africa, train 200,000 technicians for African countries, and provide the continent with 40,000 training opportunities in China.

"To use an ancient Chinese proverb; China is not only giving African countries fish, but also teaching them how to fish," Wang said.
BERLIN, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- "I learned of Yusra Mardini and the 'Regugee Olympic Team' at the opening ceremony of Rio Olympics on TV. After reading about her story, I felt sorry first for her and her family," Marion Smith, an ordinary Berlin citizen told Xinhua on Saturday, when asked about the Syrian swimmer, who fled her country to Germany last August.

That was truly an experience full of danger. As Mardini's home was destroyed in the Syrian war in 2015, she and her sister decided to leave their homeland for Germany, the destination of hundreds of thousands of war refugees in the Middle East.

Before arriving in Europe, the motor of the boat carrying them with other 18 refugees stopped working in the Mediterranean. Mardini, her sister and another two had to jump into the water to push the boat for over three hours until it reached Greece.

Fortunately, 18-year-old Mardini survived the battle with the sea.

After settling down in Berlin, she continued her training with the help of a local swimming club.

Another turning point of her life came when she was selected as one of the 10 refugee athletes under the name of "Refugee Olympic Team" to compete at the Rio Olympic Games.

Last Saturday and this Wednesday, Mardini participated in the heats of 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle. Though her performances were not good enough to send her to the semifinals, her wide-reported life story has touched Germany, where she now lives.

Many German newspapers, magazines and TV channels have focused on her.

Melanie Haack, a sport news editor of the newspaper "die Welt", said, "Mardini's jump into the swimming pool in Rio is a victory."

Viva TV, a German music TV channel, called Mardini "the coolest athlete of the Olympics" and "the true definition of hero."

"Meanwhile, I think she delivers to other refugees courage and persistence of fighting for a better future," Smith said.

It echoed Mardini's own words when she was asked by media to give advice to other teenager swimmers before the Olympics, "Never give up."
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rejuvenated the peace process in the Southern Philippines on Saturday by launching the implementing phase of the peace agreements.

The meeting held in the Malaysian capital is the first under President Rodrigo Duterte, two years after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Philippine government and MILF in 2014 facilitated by Malaysia.

Philippine presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza hailed the entering of implementation phase as another milestone in the peace process, stressing the commitment by the new Philippine administration to honor previous peace agreements.

Manila's commitment was partly demonstrated by the high level delegation at the meeting, including cabinet members like Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay and senior lawmakers.

Murad Ebrahim, chairman of MILF, said continuing the peace process remains the only reasonable and viable pathway that could bring progress, development and lasting peace to the Philippines.

He said MILF would welcome Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari as well as other factions to participate in the peace process.

The implementation of the peace agreement with the MILF largely depends on its political track since the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the supposed implementing mechanism of the CAB, failed to pass in the previous Congress during the precedency of Benigno Aquino III.

The security concerns over Southern Philippines has increased since the rise of IS, to which some militants including members of the terrorist terrorist Abu Sayyaf group had pleaded allegiance.

Speaking at the event on Saturday, Malaysian deputy defence minister Mohd Johari Baharom said a handful of Malaysians had sneaked into the Philippines to join Abu Sayyaf.

He said a successful peace process in the region would fend off the threat by IS.

For his part, MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim admitted that IS elements had penetrated the area, "but we are confident that if the peace process succeed, IS will not get foothold" in the region.
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Afghan Taliban have released six crew members, including a Russian national, of a Pakistani helicopter which crashed in Afghanistan last week, officials said on Saturday.
CHENGDU, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A female panda named Yaxing gave birth to twins on Friday in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the ninth pair born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in two months.

A male cub weighing 179 grams was born at 12:30 a.m. and a female cub, weighing 89.4 grams, was born at 9:50 a.m., said panda expert Wu Kongju at the Chengdu base Saturday.

Yaxing -- who will be 14 in two weeks -- and her cubs are all healthy, said Wu.

Having given birth to twins in 2014, Yaxing appeared to be at more ease in handling her new-born cubs than first-time mother pandas. She managed to hold two cubs after they were born.

The newborns came hot on the heels of this year's eighth twin cubs, also born at the base, on Tuesday.

The base celebrated the births of this year's first panda twins on June 20, when Yali delivered two female cubs.
Philippine presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza (2nd L, front) shakes hands with Murad Ebrahim (2nd R, front), Chairman of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), during a meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, on Aug. 13, 2016. The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rejuvenated the peace process in the Southern Philippines on Saturday by launching the implementing phase of the peace agreements. (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia remains committed in facilitating the peace process in southern Philippines, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Saturday.

The Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) announced the launching of implementing phases of the peace agreements at the beginning of a two-day meeting in Malaysia, the first under new Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

The two parties signed a historical Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014 with the facilitation by Malaysia, aiming to end decades of conflicts in the restive south.

"Malaysia will remain committed to the process for as long as is desired," Najib said in a statement, promising to provide all possible assistance if requested by Manila.

"While certainly there are challenges ahead, I am confident that under President Duterte's leadership, and with Malaysia steadfast in its role as an honest broker, a new era of development and prosperity in southern Philippines can be achieved." he added.

Ab Ghafar Mohamed, the Malaysian facilitator of the peace process, told a press conference during the meeting that his country will continue provide support in the implementing phases, including the decommissioning of MILF forces.


MOGADISHU, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Somali National Army (SNA) on Saturday killed a senior Al-Shabaab commander in an operation near Beledweyne town in Hiiraan region, central Somalia, said a local official.

Beledweyne Deputy Commissioner for Security Affairs, Mohamed Ibrahim Abdullahi, told reporters that the commander of the Islamist group was shot dead during heavy fighting between the army and the militants.

"SNA conducted operation in the outskirts of Beledweyne this morning where our forces killed Abdi Aden, a terrorist commander for military operations," Abdullahi said.

The Somali army, alongside the Africa Union peacekeeping force, has intensified the fight against Al-Shabaab, killing a number of militants in recent days, although the militants are still able to stage periodic attacks, mostly in the capital Mogadishu.
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Two people including a bystander were killed and two others wounded after unidentified gunmen fired upon a policeman in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Saturday.

The policeman was attacked late Friday evening at his native village Chaunchar of Kulgam district, about 70 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Two gunmen wearing masks last evening fired upon, from point-blank range, at a police constable Manzoor Ahmad who was sitting on a shopfront along with fellow villagers at his village Chaunchar," a police official posted in the district said. "Ahmad and another civilian Farooq Ahmad Dar were killed on spot, while two other civilians were wounded."

The two others civilians were immediately removed to hospital and their condition was stated to be stable.

Locals said following the attack the gunmen fled from the spot. However, the incident created panic in the area.

Reports said Ahmad had survived two bids on his life in the past.

Police officials suspect hand of militants in the attack.However, so far no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troopers stationed in the region since 1989. However, of late Indian policemen too have been trained to fight them.

Militants in the region usually target families and individuals for their possible links with Indian police and defense agencies. Even people having associations with pro-India political parties are targeted at times.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
LHASA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Ten lamas from monasteries across Tibet are taking their final test in Lhasa, hoping to receive the highest academic degree in Tibetan Buddhism studies.

The test, covering the general knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan language and sutra debate, began Friday at Ganden Monastery and will last for five days.

"The candidates have stood out from thousands of lamas at 10 different monasteries in Lhasa, Xigaze, Chamdo and Ngaqu," said Benba, an official with the Tibet branch of China Buddhist Association.

Candidates who pass the final test will present a formal dissertation at the Jokhang Temple in spring before being awarded the "Gexe Lharampa," equivalent to doctorate, said Benba.

"Gexe" means knowledgeable and "Lharampa" is the highest among all four ranks in the Gexe system.

Ninety-five lamas have been awarded the degree since the test resumed in 2004.

The test was suspended after a riot instigated by separatists during the event in 1988.
Palestinian demonstrators take part in a protest in solidarity with Mohammad El Halabi, World Vision's manager of operations in Gaza who was accused by Israel of funnelling millions of dollars in aid money to Hamas, organised by foundations and societies benefiting from World Vision in Gaza City August 7, 2016. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

GAZA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- 26-year-old Gaza young man Muhanad al-Sheikh seems very much enthusiastic to cast his vote in the Palestinian municipal elections scheduled on October 8 in the Palestinian territories.

The last municipal elections held in the West Bank and Gaza took place in 2005. At that time al-Sheikh was only 15 and didn't have the right to vote.

"Now I have the right and I will choose the people to represent me in the municipal councils," he told Xinhua.

Although excited to vote in the upcoming elections, al-Sheikh said he didn't believe that electing a new municipal council would improve the hard living conditions in the impoverished Gaza Strip.

The narrow coastal enclave has been put under a tight Israeli blockade since 2007 right after the Islamic Hamas movement's violent takeover of the territory. Since then, rates of poverty and unemployment have been growing high.

"There is a horrible economic and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Holding the municipal elections is good, but it won't improve the deteriorating situation in Gaza," said al-Sheikh.

According to him, Gaza has been the largest prison in the world in the past ten years.

"Lifting the siege and ending the internal split between Hamas and Fatah would certainly help ending this endless horrible situation," said he.

On June 21, the Palestinian government decided to hold the municipal elections in all Palestinian territories on October 8. Hamas won the last elections held more than a decade ago.

Israel didn't accept the results of the elections and imposed an embargo on any government Hamas would form, besides asking Hamas to recognize Israel and give up violence.

However, Hamas refused those requirements and formed the first unity government in 2006. In the summer of 2007, Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip after defeating the security forces loyal to Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Looking forward to the coming elections, al-Sheikh expressed hope that the elections would be a better opportunity to improve the lives of Gaza youths. Graduated from a local college, al-Sheikh has been unemployed for three years.

"I hope that rates of unemployment and poverty among young people would decrease soon," he said.

Hatem E'lleyan, another Gaza young man in his mid 20s, agreed with al-Sheikh and expressed hope that the elections would serve the interests of the local population. E'lleyan sells hot drinks along the Gaza seaside.

"I don't know if I will go to vote in the municipal elections, I haven't decided yet, but I believe that holding the elections is a good step that may change our bad situation," said E'lleyan.

Living in poverty, siege and lack of hope, many Gaza young people are seriously considering leaving home for a better life.

"I believe that holding the elections, and starting with the municipal elections can be an introduction to help the youths change their mind," said Hani Habib, a Gaza-based political analyst.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said in a report that Palestinians aged between 15 and 29 years old represent 30 percent of the population.

According to the report, around 40 percent of the young people said they will participate in any elections held in the future. Around 29 percent of the youths said they won't participate.

Hisham Kuhail, executive director of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, said till now Gaza youths between the age of 15 to 29 is the group with highest registration rate for the coming elections.
Members of China's peacekeeping infantry battalion stand in formation for inspection by representatives of the Untied Nations at their camp in South Sudan on May 26, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

KAMPALA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's participation in Africa's peace and stability causes in recent years has gained recognition and appreciation from African countries, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday while visiting Uganda.

At a joint press conference held here with his Ugandan counterpart Sam Kutesa, Wang said that China is currently pressing on with the implementation of a pledge made by Chinese President Xi Jinping last year that the country would provide 100 million U.S. dollars in military assistance to the African Union to support the establishment of the African Standby Force.

Wang said over the years China has been involved in peacekeeping, mediation and providing assistance to help end conflicts on the continent.

He said over 2,400 Chinese peacekeepers are currently being deployed to seven missions in Africa, including countries such as Mali and South Sudan where Chinese peacekeepers even sacrificed their lives during service earlier this year.

Chinese peacekeepers stand guard outside the camp of east theater of operation command headquarters of UN Mali Peacekeeping Mission in Gao, Mali, May 27, 2015. (Xinhua/Han Lijian)

"We have provided, through bilateral and multilateral means, peacekeeping assistance to the African Union and other regional organizations," he said.

Kutesa said China has been and remains one of Africa's most reliable partners, adding that different from Western powers' imposition of solutions on Africa for its problems, China has always been supportive and helping Africa find its own solutions.

In a bilateral meeting held earlier in the day, the two ministers supported regional efforts aimed at ending the ongoing fighting in South Sudan.

"We have emphasized the importance of a government of national unity, fully implementing the agreement of the resolution of the conflict of South Sudan," Kutesa said.

He added that they also discussed the conflict in Burundi and other international issues of mutual interest.
Abducted women and children rescued by Nigerian troops from suspected terrorists are seen after an operation in Dikwa, Borno State, Nigeria, July 28, 2015. (Xinhua/NAN)

LAGOS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Friday said it had reunited more than 200 children with their parents affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

The successful re-unification was conducted with the collaboration of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) under Restoring Family Link Program, Sa'ad Bello, a regional head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in northern city of Yola.

He said the children, mostly of between the age of five and 12, were from Bama and Baga in Borno.

"We still have about 165 unaccompanied children in four designated camps in Adamawa," Bello told reporters.

According to him, some families from Bama visited some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Yola where they identified their children.

He said after intensive investigation by appropriate authorities concerned, the children were handed over to their parents.

He said the agency with the support of ICRC, was working hard, through appropriate channels, to identify the parents of the remaining unaccompanied children.

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.
RAMALLAH, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Islamic Affairs and Waqf Minister Yousef Ideis on Saturday condemned the Israeli military raid on Islamic Zakat Charity Committee in Bethlehem, south of the West Bank.

Minister Ideis told Xinhua that those are systematic actions by Israel that target the Palestinian institutions and run counter to humanitarian values and ethics.

The charity will continue to offer its humanitarian services for Palestinians in the city, Ideis vowed.

He called for providing such charity committees with protection and guarantees to allow it to continue its work for Palestinians in those difficult times.

Mohammad Rizq, head of the charity, told Xinhua that an Israeli force surrounded the committee building in the center of the city and stormed into the offices after blowing its doors and seized computers, cheque books and files related to orphans and poor people.

Rizq said that this is the second assault in one year noting that it only aims at obstructing the work of the committee.

Israeli sources were not immediately available to comment on the incident.
by Jamil Bhatti

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least four terrorists were killed and 10 others arrested by the security forces in ongoing combing operations in different areas of Pakistan in the wee hours of the Friday morning, officials said.

According to a statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army's mouthpiece, at least six terrorists including two important militant commanders were arrested and a cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during a combing operation in Rawalpindi district.

"Combing operations are underway across the country to bust terrorist sleeper cells and eliminate hiding terrorists," said the ISPR.

On Friday morning, security forces and intelligence agencies conducted another operation after an intelligence tip-off and arrested four would-be suicide bombers along with five explosives laden jackets in Khyber Agency, Pakistan's northwest tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

"Security forces also arrested two employees of the local government in the area, who facilitated the suicide bombers to cross the border into Pakistan from Afghanistan," assistant local administrator of the area told media.

In another operation, security forces raided a hideout in Kahan area of Kohlu district of the country's southwest province of Balochistan and killed four terrorists presented in exchange of fire on Friday morning.

Spokesman of the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force, told media that the killed terrorists of a banned outfit were involved in target killings, attacks on security forces, destroying public properties and other terrorism related activities.

Earlier on Thursday, at least four militants were killed in a shootout with paramilitary troops in the country's southern port city of Karachi. The killed terrorists were planning to hit the Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 14 in the city.

The ongoing combing operations against terrorists and their facilitators across Pakistan are part of Pakistani government's efforts that it started after the Monday's deadly suicide attack in a public hospital in southwest provincial capital of Quetta, which killed at least 72 people and left over 100 others injured.

The incident took place when a suicide bomber attacked a crowd of lawyers who gathered to protest against the killing of their local association's president. The president was shot dead by unknown gunmen in a separate attack half an hour before the bomber hit the gathering of the lawyers.

Security analysts believe that the terrorists' attack at the civilians is a proof of their frustration because many of them have either been killed or expelled from their strong bases in the country's northwest tribal regions as the result of extensive military operations.

On Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif delivered a policy statement on the Quetta terrorist attack in the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, and called for national unity to defeat the remaining terrorists who are targeting innocent people in sheer frustration.

"I want to announce that the nation is united in the war against terrorism and this war will be taken to its logical conclusion at all costs," the PM said.

Following the deadly attack, Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif chaired a Corps Commander Conference at the Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi city on Tuesday and directed the commanders and intelligence outfits to further intensify the combing and targeted operations with full vigor to eliminate terrorists and sleeper cells.

General Raheel said the coward attack at civilians in the hospital is an attempt to undermine the successes of operation Zarb-e-Azb.

Pakistan claims to have achieved vital successes against the terrorism two years after the launch of military operation Zarb-e-Azab (Sharp Strike) in June 2014 in its northwestern tribal area of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, which was once considered as the safe haven for the Pakistani Taliban and foreign militants.

The Pakistan military said it had killed over 4,000 militants and arrested over 1,000 others in addition to destroying the strong holds of so far. However, analysts and local watchers say that the security agencies will have to go after the runaway terrorists and their facilitators hiding in urban and rural areas of the country.

Pakistani lawmakers are calling for better coordination among all security agencies and the unity of political forces to defeat the terrorists.

Ghalib Khan, a member of the lower house, said "the government has done a lot to deal with the terrorism and violent extremism. Now, all political parties and segments of the society should set aside their differences and forge unity to counter the remaining threat."

Although the militant groups have been kicked out of their specific safe havens and the security situation across the country has substantially improved, the recent attack in the hospital showed that the militants still have networks to plan and execute attacks in public places.

Hashmat Ali Habib, a senior lawyer of Supreme Court of Pakistan, told Xinhua on Friday that we should go after the terrorists hiding in their sleeping cells in urban areas, but at the same time we would have to make our judiciary strong enough to penalize arrested terrorists quickly without favor and fear.
MANILA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Filipinos who were tortured, jailed, raped, illegally arrested and whose relatives disappeared when Philippine former President Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law in 1972 intends to ask the Supreme Court to stop the government plan to bury Marcos in the heroes' cemetery, a spokesman for the group said Saturday.

Trinidad Herrera, of the Samahan ng Mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detention at Aresto or SELDA, said their group plans to file a petition with the Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari next week.

"We want the Supreme Court to issue a temporary retraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction to stop the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines from conferring national honors to Marcos through the burial at the heroes' cemetery," Trinidad said.

" If such misdeed happens, it will be a grave injustice to the thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings, enforces disappearances, illegal arrests and detention, torture and harassment perpetrated by the Marcos fascist regime," he added.

Herrera is one of the 9,539 human rights victims who filed a class suit against Marcos in Hawaii. They won the case.

"Marcos is no hero. He was a murderer, torturer and a plunderer. To confer national honors to Marcos is a defilement of the people's historic struggle against the tyranny of martial law," Herrera said.

Herrera reiterated the victims' call to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his decision "to give such honors to a dictator, and instead hasten the process of indemnification of the victims and relatives."

"Even in the sunset years of our lives, we will continue to fight for justice for all victims of martial law and state fascism," Herrera said.

The Marcos burial issue has again stirred heated debates on whether Marcos deserves a burial befitting a hero after Duterte said he would allow the dictator to be buried in the heroes' cemetery.

Duterte, a close friend of the Marcoses, believes that burying Marcos in the heroes' cemetery will "erase hatred" and heal the country.

Preparations are underway for the Marcos burial. A spokesman for Duterte told reporters that the exact for the burial has yet to be decided but Marcos's only son and namesake, former senator Ferdinand Marcos, announced that it would take place on Sept. 18.

Anti-Marcos groups are planning to mount a series of activities starting next week hoping that Duterte will change his mind.

Marcos, who ruled the country for two decades, died in exile Hawaii in 1989, three years after the Marcos family fled the Philippines following a popular uprising that ousted him when millions of Filipinos, backed by the military, took to the streets to protest Marcos abuses.

The Marcos family has long been dogged by accusations that the former president oversaw massive human rights abuses and plundered billions of dollars from the state.

His body, which was brought back to the Philippines in 1993, is now on display inside a glass box in an air-conditioned mausoleum beside the family's ancestral home in Batac, north of Manila.

The Marcos family, pleading for an "honorable burial", had lobbied the government for Marcos' remains to be interred at the heroes' cemetery in Manila. But the anti-Marcos and human rights groups have opposed the plan saying the disgraced leader does not deserve a military honor and a plot in the hallowed ground.
SANAA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's parliament unanimously ratified Saturday the "Higher Political Council" to unilaterally rule the country, lifting the power and legitimacy of the internationally recognized exiled president and his government, the Houthi rebels-controlled state TV reported.

The parliament held its extraordinary session with 143 members out of 301 attending.

The quorum is completed as the 143 lawmakers formed the majority to take the decision officially because there were 26 of the 301 members had died and have not been replaced with new elected ones due to the civil war since 2014, the TV cited Parliament Speaker Yahya al-Raiee as saying.

"The Council of Representatives unanimously recognizes, ratifies and blesses the formation of the Higher Political council to rule the country from it's geographically far north to Aden in the south, and from east to the west of Yemen's official borders," Parliament Speaker al-Raiee and the attending MPs voted with "Yes" as showed by the state TV.

The vote legally stripped internationally recognized exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi along with his government out of office, according to the attending parliamentarians.

Late on Friday, Hadi warned the parliament of taking such a step, threatening to hold them accountable and subject them to punishment.

The ruling council was declared and formed on Aug. 6 between former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party and Shiite Houthi armed group following the breakdown of peace talks with their foes in Kuwait.

It is made up of 10 senior officials, who dominate the decision making in the country, and was declared in a ceremony in the presidential palace in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.

Senior Houthi leader Saleh al-Sumad was elected as council president and Kasim Labuzah of former president's General People's Congress party as vice-president, according to Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.

They said the council's next mission is to form a new "national government."

The escalating move came after UN-sponsored peace talks with their foes of internationally recognized government of President Hadi in Kuwait collapsed after over three months of fruitless negotiations to end years-long civil war.

The civil war and airstrikes of Saudi-led military coalition have killed over 6,400 people, mostly civilians and displaced more than two other millions.

Saudi Arabia intervened in support of President Hadi and his government in March 2015 after the Houthis and Saleh forces expelled them to Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

However, Saudi-led military coalition has failed to force bring back exiled President Hadi and his government to the office in Sanaa.

Sanaa and most of northern and southern provinces have been under tighten control of Houthi and Saleh armed forces since September 2014 when they stormed the capital and other major cities.

Saudi-led coalition warplanes launched three airstrikes few kilometers away from the Parliament building simultaneously with the Parliament session vote to approve the new ruling political council.

No casualties were reported, as Saturday airstrikes marked the fifth consecutive day of aerial bombing on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.

Related:

News Analysis: peace not likely at short nor medium terms in Yemen

SANAA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN-sponsored peace talks between the Yemeni factions which took place in Kuwait for more than two months have come to an end without a breakthrough.

A new round of talks is likely in one month, maybe in other country not Kuwait, according to the UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. Full story

Peace talks between Yemen's warring parties end in Kuwait
PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Casualties were feared as a rocket fired by Taliban militants struck a house in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of the northern Baghlan province on Saturday afternoon, a local official said.
Members of Yemen's parliament attend a parliament session in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, on August 13, 2016. Yemen's Iran-backed rebels convened parliament in defiance of the internationally recognised government prompting condemnation fromPresident Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

SANAA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's parliament unanimously ratified Saturday the "Higher Political Council" to unilaterally rule the country, lifting the power and legitimacy of the internationally recognized exiled president and his government, the Houthi rebels-controlled state TV reported.

The parliament held its extraordinary session with 143 members out of 301 attending.

The quorum is completed as the 143 lawmakers formed the majority to take the decision officially because there were 26 of the 301 members had died and have not been replaced with new elected ones due to the civil war since 2014, the TV cited Parliament Speaker Yahya al-Raiee as saying.

"The Council of Representatives unanimously recognizes, ratifies and blesses the formation of the Higher Political council to rule the country from it's geographically far north to Aden in the south, and from east to the west of Yemen's official borders," Parliament Speaker al-Raiee and the attending MPs voted with "Yes" as showed by the state TV.

The vote legally stripped internationally recognized exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi along with his government out of office, according to the attending parliamentarians.

Late on Friday, Hadi warned the parliament of taking such a step, threatening to hold them accountable and subject them to punishment.

The ruling council was declared and formed on Aug. 6 between former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party and Shiite Houthi armed group following the breakdown of peace talks with their foes in Kuwait.

It is made up of 10 senior officials, who dominate the decision making in the country, and was declared in a ceremony in the presidential palace in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.

Senior Houthi leader Saleh al-Sumad was elected as council president and Kasim Labuzah of former president's General People's Congress party as vice-president, according to Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.

They said the council's next mission is to form a new "national government."

The escalating move came after UN-sponsored peace talks with their foes of internationally recognized government of President Hadi in Kuwait collapsed after over three months of fruitless negotiations to end years-long civil war.

The civil war and airstrikes of Saudi-led military coalition have killed over 6,400 people, mostly civilians and displaced more than two other millions.

Saudi Arabia intervened in support of President Hadi and his government in March 2015 after the Houthis and Saleh forces expelled them to Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

However, Saudi-led military coalition has failed to force bring back exiled President Hadi and his government to the office in Sanaa.

Sanaa and most of northern and southern provinces have been under tighten control of Houthi and Saleh armed forces since September 2014 when they stormed the capital and other major cities.

Saudi-led coalition warplanes launched three airstrikes few kilometers away from the Parliament building simultaneously with the Parliament session vote to approve the new ruling political council.

No casualties were reported, as Saturday airstrikes marked the fifth consecutive day of aerial bombing on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.
Palestinian women hold pictures of prisoners during a protest demanding better detention conditions for Palestinians who are imprisoned in Israeli jails, in front of the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in East Jerusalem on August 7, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

RAMALLAH, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Islamic Affairs and Waqf Minister Yousef Ideis on Saturday condemned the Israeli military raid on Islamic Zakat Charity Committee in Bethlehem, south of the West Bank.

Minister Ideis told Xinhua that those are systematic actions by Israel that target the Palestinian institutions and run counter to humanitarian values and ethics.

The charity will continue to offer its humanitarian services for Palestinians in the city, Ideis vowed.

He called for providing such charity committees with protection and guarantees to allow it to continue its work for Palestinians in those difficult times.

Mohammad Rizq, head of the charity, told Xinhua that an Israeli force surrounded the committee building in the center of the city and stormed into the offices after blowing its doors and seized computers, cheque books and files related to orphans and poor people.

Rizq said that this is the second assault in one year noting that it only aims at obstructing the work of the committee.

Israeli sources were not immediately available to comment on the incident.
PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- At least two civilians have been killed and three others injured as a rocket fired by Taliban militants struck a house in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of the northern Baghlan province on Saturday, a local official said.

"A rocket fired by Taliban rebels struck a house in Shahi Khil village of Baghlan-e-Markazi district today afternoon, killing two innocent civilians and injured three others," Hajji Mohammad Tawab told Xinhua.

All the victims, including women and children, belong to one family, the official asserted.

Meantime an army spokesman in the province, Abdul Khalil, in talks with Xinhua confirmed the bloody incident and said it happened amid fighting between security forces and the Taliban militants in the area.

He also blamed Taliban outfit for the deadly attack, saying Taliban militants without regarding human rights firing blind rockets and terrorizing the civilians.

Taliban militants fighting government forces in parts of the northern Baghlan province are yet to comment on the report.
PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Afghan forces crackdown against Taliban have left 32 militants dead in the northern provinces of Baghlan and Kunduz over the past 24 hours, a security official said Saturday.

An army spokesman in the northern region, Nasratullah Jamshidi told Xinhua that 12 insurgents have been killed and 13 others injured in Dahna-e-Ghori district, baghlan province over the past 24 hours.

According to the official, 20 more militants have lost their lives and 15 others wounded in Imam Sahib district of the neighboring Kunduz province over the period.

The official, nonetheless didn't mention the possible casualties of government forces in the said provinces over the past two days.

Taliban militants who have been fighting the government in several provinces are yet to make comment.
KABUL, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing militancy and violent incidents have claimed the lives of at least four civilians including three children and injured four others in a single day on Saturday, officials said.

In the latest bloody incident, a rocket allegedly fired by Taliban militants struck a house in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of the northern Baghlan province on Saturday afternoon, killing at least two innocent civilians and injured three others, according to a local official.

"A rocket fired by Taliban rebels struck a house in Shahi Khil village of Baghlan-e-Markazi district today afternoon killing two innocent civilians including a child and injured three others," Hajji Mohammad Tawab told Xinhua.

All the victims, which include women and children, belonged to one family, the official asserted.

An army spokesman in the province, Abdul Khalil in talks with Xinhua confirmed the bloody incident and said the deadly attack occurred amid ongoing fighting between security forces and the Taliban militants in the area.

Blaming Taliban outfit for the deadly attack, Khalil said the Taliban without care about human rights fired blind rockets to harm and terrorize the civilians.

Taliban militants fighting government forces in parts of the northern Baghlan province are yet to comment on the report.

In a similar violent incident which happened earlier in the day, a mortar fired by warring sides in the southern Uruzgan province struck a residential area outside provincial capital Lashkar Gah killing two children and wounding another, according to local officials.

Those who lost their lives, according to doctors at Trinkot hospital, are two 10-year-old boys and the injured one whose condition is not life threatening is also of the same age.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Civilians often bear the brunt of war in Afghanistan as more than 1,600 civilians had been killed and over 3,560 others injured in the first half of the current year, said a report of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released here last month.
HANGZHOU, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A cargo train left east Chinese province of Zhejiang on Saturday for Russia's Chelyabinsk, the latest freight train service China has launched to boost trade ties along the ancient Silk Road.

The X8024 freight train leaving from Yiwu at 4:18 p.m. Saturday is the fourth route connecting the eastern Chinese export hub with cities in Europe, Central and Western Asia.

The weekly train service will travel 7,200 kilometers in eight days before reaching Chelyabinsk, a logistic and transit hub for Russia in the Ural Mountains region.

This compares with 35 days for a shipping route connecting Yiwu and Chelyabinsk.

Trade between Yiwu and Russia amounted to 507.4 million U.S. dollars in 2015. Daily package delivery from Yiwu to Russia stands at 23,000, or roughly half of all the e-commerce orders Russia has placed in Zhejiang Province.

This newly opened freight train service takes only two thirds of the time used for road transportation and costs only one fifth of air transportation.

The freight train service is also expected to extend to Russian's capital Moscow in the future.
Image taken on Aug. 9, 2016 shows books about Fidel Castro, in Havana, capital of Cuba. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez)

by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Fidel Castro is one of the most admired, controversial and respected politicians in the last century, whose legacy will endure the test of time due to his life-long struggle to achieve social justice and fight against inequality.

That is why Katiuska Blanco, a Cuban journalist and biographer of Castro, believes millions around the globe will remember the leader who will turn 90 on Aug. 13.

"Fidel has already become one of the great political figures of all time. His legacy is powerful, beautiful and based on solid socialist ideas and values," Blanco said in an interview with Xinhua.

Since 2003, she has written three books related to Castro's life, two of them linked to his family and early childhood in the eastern town of Biran where his Spanish father settled in 1915 and married local farmer Lina Ruz.

Her last take on Castro is a book of over 1,000 pages, where she talks with the Cuban leader about his childhood, university life, early political and military career, and the revolutionary armed struggle in the Sierra Maestra mountains until the triumph of the revolution on Jan. 1, 1959.

Blanco is currently working on a second tome of the leader's biography after compiling hours of conversation and anecdotes.

"He is in the hearts of millions of Cubans and people around the world, which will last through time. Fidel always tried to reach out to the poor and his main concerns were always for the disadvantaged," she said.

The Cuban journalist said Castro is a "true leader" with an outstanding human sensibility and discipline, who is always willing to fight against inequalities and wrongdoings caused by the capitalist system.

"Throughout the years, I have learned from Fidel that he is an eternal rebel as he will battle until his last breath for social justice. This was embedded into him very early in life as he was surrounded by very poor farmers in his hometown," she added.

Image taken on April 19, 2016 provided by Cubadebate shows Fidel Castro (L) and Cuban President Raul Castro (R) taking part in the 7th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), at the Conventions Palace in Havana, capital of Cuba. (Xinhua/Ismael Francisco/Cubadebate)

As he is about to turn 90 years old, Castro's ideas are still present in Cuban society, even though he retired from public life 10 years ago.

In 2006, the former Cuban president temporarily passed on his duties to his brother, Raul, before formally resigning as head of state in 2008.

According to Blanco, Fidel Castro is still very active and is worried about many issues worldwide such as food production, current wars and "capitalist destruction."

"He is a very informed man, he is always asking his aides for information about numerous topics that concern him," she revealed.

To celebrate Castro's 90th birthday, billboards have been erected across the country with his portrait and best-known phrases, while state television is filled with interviews about his time in power and hundreds of cultural events to honor him will take place until Aug. 13.

"Fidel has become a world reference, an inspiration for many and the guide that has led this country to social justice and great achievements in education, health, sports, culture and science," Blanco said.
People work at a factory of Harbin Electric International Company Ltd. (HEI) in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 2, 2015. (Xinhua/Wang Jianwei)

BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's proposal to build a more interconnected global economy would help reduce inequality, Argentine experts have said ahead of the G20 summit scheduled for Sept. 4-5 in China's eastern city of Hangzhou.

Now is a crucial moment for the global economy in which China's leadership can make a difference, they believe.

As the world's second-largest economy, "China is the factor driving economic growth and global demand for goods and services, with projections of above 6.5 percent annual growth from 2016 to 2020," Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of the Asia Viewers consultancy in Argentina, said during a recent interview with Xinhua.

They agreed that "international economic cooperation has reached a crucial point," and that "the role of China at the G20 summit is of great importance."

China takes the annual presidency of the G20 summit this year, which will center on the theme "Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy."

A high-speed train runs in Bose City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 22, 2016. (Xinhua/Wei Wanzhong)

"This vision speaks of a global community where economic connectivity between countries leads to the benefits of growth being equal for all," they said.

In their opinion, as the summit agenda reveals, the Hangzhou G20 summit calls for members to commit to coordinated macro-economic policies in order to reduce negative collateral effects, maintain stability on the financial markets, and increase investment and consumption.

In addition, they hailed China's effort to establish a G20 working group on trade and investment.

Radulovich and Peralta say they believe this would help explore "topics such as long-term governance and the coordination of fiscal and financial policies, which are crucial to the G20."
LUSAKA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- International observers to Zambia's general elections and referendum on Saturday declared the elections free and fair, despite claims of fraud from the main opposition candidate.

While acknowledging minor challenges that may have occurred, the observers said the overall situation was that the elections were free, fair and credible.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who led the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), said the elections were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere within the framework that satisfactorily meets the continental and regional principles of democratic elections.

"The AUEOM commends the people of Zambia for the largely peaceful 2016 elections, notwithstanding a few incidents of election-related violence," he said when the various observers presented their preliminary statements on the elections.

Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who led the Commonwealth Observer Group, said the mission's assessment was that the voting, closing and counting processes of the elections were credible and transparent.

"It is the Commonwealth's hope and expectation that this spirit of orderliness, tolerance and peace, which has characterized the voting process, will prevail as the results phase continues," he said.

The Southern African Development Community Electoral Observation Mission also commended Zambia for holding free, fair and credible elections despite the pre-election violence that characterized the campaigns.

The mission observed that the electoral body made commendable efforts to render the management of key aspects of the electoral process credible, free and fair.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Observer Mission also hailed the peaceful manner in which the elections have been held.

Chief Observer Mission Ashraf Gamal Rashed the elections were generally conducted in a free, peaceful and transparent environment despite a few challenges.

On Friday, Hakainde Hichilema, main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), accused the electoral body of deliberating delaying the announcement of the results.

Hichilema told reporters at the National Results Totaling Center after a meeting between the presidential candidates and the electoral body that the delay was meant to allow ruling party supporters to storm polling stations at night and write fake results.

The party has since demanded that three top senior officials from the electoral body, including its director, should resign for allegedly colluding with the ruling party to rig the elections.

Martha Mushipe, the party's legal counsel, said the three officials were linked to a man who was arrested on Friday for entering into the electoral body's server room at the National Results Totaling Center.

The man has since been arrested, and the opposition party claims he implicated the three officials when he was interrogated.

Zambians voted in presidential, parliamentary and local government elections on Aug 11. They also voted for city mayors and in a referendum meant to amend part three of the constitution which deals with people's rights.

Results released by the electoral body show that incumbent President Edgar Lungu is leading with 262,149 votes while Hichilema has 243,794 from 29 constituencies of the 156 constituencies announced by the electoral body.

The winner of the election must get more than 50 percent plus one of the vote to avoid a re-run following the amendment of the country's constitution.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- iFlytek Co. Ltd, a company that develops Siri-like speech and language technology, said on Saturday that its net profit surged in the first half (H1) of 2016, thanks to business expansion.

Net profits in H1 rose by 78.97 percent year on year to hit 256 million yuan (38.5 million U.S. dollars), the hi-tech company said in a report filed to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

iFlytek's operating revenues rose to 1.46 billion yuan in the first six months, a rise of 40.7 percent year on year, thanks to its fast spreading artificial intelligence business.

The company's total assets reached nearly 9.3 trillion yuan at the end of June, up 2.2 percent year on year. Meanwhile, earnings per share stood at 0.2 yuan, up 66.67 percent year on year, the report said.

High-tech sector has became one of the pillars of China's economic growth along with the service sector and consumption as the economy shifting from a labor-intensive and credit-fueled growth model to one based on hi-tech, innovation, stronger consumer spending and the service sector.
MANILA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Saturday to address two concerns raised by the U.S. embassy in Manila earlier, but ignored the embassy's concern over President Rodrigo Duterte calling U.S. Ambassador to Manila Philip Goldberg "gay" and "son of a bitch."

On Friday, the U.S. embassy issued a statement saying the comments were "inappropriate and unacceptable."

In a speech before army troops on Friday, Duterte mentioned a lunch meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Manila last month.

Duterte said Kerry, who offered more than 30 million U.S. dollars in aid for law enforcement training, was "OK" but he criticized Goldberg, saying "I had a feud with his ambassador, his gay ambassador. Son of a bitch."

The U.S. statement clarified that the 32-million U.S. Dollar -pledge is not new funding and that "assistance provided by these funds is subject to the same rigorous vetting."

The embassy also voiced concern over the "extrajudicial killings" of people suspected to have involved in the illegal drug activities in the country.

The Philippine statement said it "took note" of the concerns raised by the U.S. embassy but directly addressed only the two issues, and completely ignored the remarks on the "gay" issue.

Duterte told reporters Friday that he would not apologize to Goldberg, adding that the American envoy was not at all sorry for what he said during the presidential campaign period.

Goldberg earned the ire of Duterte when the envoy criticized then presidential candidate Duterte for making light of the rape and killing of an Australian woman missionary during a jail riot in Davao City in 1989.

The Office of the President released to media the foreign department statement, saying the Duterte administration welcomes the media statement issued by the U.S. embassy.

"We took note of their on issues of mutual concern," it said.

"We do not condone any unlawful killings and Philippine authorities have been instructed to immediately look into these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice," it added.

"Law enforcement officials are expected to abide by legal procedures and strict operational protocols. Alleged violations of these protocols will be investigated by the authorities and those who have broken the law will be prosecuted," the statement said.

It also stressed that the Duterte administration is "committed to the rule of law" in its campaign against illegal drugs.

"The Philippine government is focused on its peace and order efforts, including the eradication of illicit drugs and its manufacture, distribution and use from our society. Nevertheless, while pursuing this objective, the Philippine government is committed to the rule of law, and the protection of human rights of all," the statement read.

The statement said Manila welcomes U.S. embassy's "reaffirmation of the longstanding ties between the Philippines and the United States, and the importance of the strategic alliance vis-a-vis our shared values and shared goals."

"We look to the substantial and meaningful assistance of the United States in pursuit of our own national objectives, especially in addressing the issues of counterterrorism, maritime security and economic cooperation," it said.
Poster of a speed dating event for dogs in Liverpool, a brainchild of a new artist with the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology Kuang-Yi Ku.(Photo courtesy of Foundation for Art and Creative Technology )

LIVERPOOL, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Canine capers will hit Liverpool when the city's first ever speed dating event for dogs takes place on Aug. 24.

Ten lucky dogs will be given the chance to find their perfect partner, and also take part in a stage performance based on a fictional scenario set in 2046 at a Love Hotel for dogs.

The event, taking place at Fact (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) in Liverpool, is the brainchild of the foundation's new artist in residency Kuang-Yi Ku from Taipei, Taiwan.

Photo shows Kuang-Yi Ku, host of a Speed dating event for dogs scheduled to be held on Aug. 24, 2016 in Liverpool. ( Photo courtesy of Foundation for Art and Creative Technology )

Kuang-Yi Ku will be hosting the speed dating event Pet's Pettings, when the dogs will be given the opportunity to find their perfect partner, and make their stage debuts in the futuristic performance area.

Dog owners in the city have been invited to put forward their pets for starring roles in the unique event.

As well as being an artist, Kuang-Yi Ku works as a dentist in Taipei and collaborates on the research into the sexual habits of dogs and cats.
BAGHDAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces launched an operation against the Islamic State (IS) extremist militants and retook control of four villages on Saturday in south of the major IS stronghold in Mosul, the capital of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, a military senior official said.

The security forces, backed by heavy support from the U.S.-led coalition aircraft, started their advance late on Friday night against the IS positions in villages scattered at the western bank of Tigris River near the militant-seized town of Qayyara, some 50 km south of Mosul, Major General Najim al-Jubouri, commander of Free Nineveh Operations Command, told Xinhua.

After hours of heavy clashes with the extremist militants, the troops managed on Saturday morning to recapture the villages of Imam Gharbi, al-Mreir, al-Tal'ah and al-Bazajlah, leaving more than 57 IS militants killed, including seven suicide bombers, Jubouri said.

"The international coalition aircraft conducted more than 30 airstrikes against the IS positions and destroyed at least seven of their vehicles," Jubouri added.

The recapture of the villages came as the security forces are preparing to carry out operation to drive out the IS militants from the town of Qayyara as part of a major offensive aimed at liberating the last major IS stronghold in Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

In Iraq's western province of Anbar, at least 10 IS militants were killed when the international warplanes conducted airstrikes on IS positions in Jazirat al-Ramadi area, a sprawling agricultural land to the north of the provincial capital city of Ramadi, which itself located some 110 km west of Baghdad, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

The attacks against the extremist militants in the province was part of an offensive designed to drive out the IS militants from the rural areas in north of Euphrates River after the government troops and allied militias reclaimed key cities and towns, including Ramadi and Fallujah, the source said.

Iraq has witnessed worsening violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014. Enditem
An Iraqi soldier helps a wounded soldier from clashes in south of Mosul, August 12, 2016. Picture taken August 12, 2016. (Reuters photo)

BAGHDAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces launched an operation against the Islamic State (IS) extremist militants and retook control of four villages on Saturday in south of the major IS stronghold in Mosul, the capital of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, a military senior official said.

The security forces, backed by heavy support from the U.S.-led coalition aircraft, started their advance late on Friday night against the IS positions in villages scattered at the western bank of Tigris River near the militant-seized town of Qayyara, some 50 km south of Mosul, Major General Najim al-Jubouri, commander of Free Nineveh Operations Command, told Xinhua.

After hours of heavy clashes with the extremist militants, the troops managed on Saturday morning to recapture the villages of Imam Gharbi, al-Mreir, al-Tal'ah and al-Bazajlah, leaving more than 57 IS militants killed, including seven suicide bombers, Jubouri said.

"The international coalition aircraft conducted more than 30 airstrikes against the IS positions and destroyed at least seven of their vehicles," Jubouri added.

The recapture of the villages came as the security forces are preparing to carry out operation to drive out the IS militants from the town of Qayyara as part of a major offensive aimed at liberating the last major IS stronghold in Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

In Iraq's western province of Anbar, at least 10 IS militants were killed when the international warplanes conducted airstrikes on IS positions in Jazirat al-Ramadi area, a sprawling agricultural land to the north of the provincial capital city of Ramadi, which itself located some 110 km west of Baghdad, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

The attacks against the extremist militants in the province was part of an offensive designed to drive out the IS militants from the rural areas in north of Euphrates River after the government troops and allied militias reclaimed key cities and towns, including Ramadi and Fallujah, the source said.

Iraq has witnessed worsening violence since the IS took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014.
(File photo)

by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's claims that President Barack Obama is the "founder" of terror group Islamic State (IS) threaten to hurt himself with the voters who he needs to win over, experts said.

Trump raised hackles among opponents this week with the statements that Obama "founded" IS while Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is the co-founder.

Trump was in fact referring to the Obama administration's missteps in handling the Middle East that led to the formation of the radical Islamist group.

IS sprang up while Clinton was Secretary of State, and Trump and his supporters have blasted Clinton for what they said was putting Iraq on the backburner after U.S. forces left the country, leaving IS to fill a power vacuum there and in neighboring Syria.

While Trump's IS statements were meant to be sarcastic, many Americans have not taken it lightly. And with Trump trailing Clinton in the polls, the bombastic real estate tycoon risks losing the White House if he continues with such incendiary remarks.

"Trump's comments reflect a candidate that seems more interested in the reaction of a crowd at a political rally than the esteem of the voting public," Dan Mahaffee, an analyst with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua.

"While a thoughtful policy approach would build a case about the shortcomings-real or perceived-of the Democrats' foreign policy, Trump's comments reflect a desire to use barbed one liners that fire up the people at his rally," he said.

Indeed, Trump's verbal bombs were what won him the primaries, at a time when the Republican rank and file is fed up with Washington politicians who talk a lot but take little or no action to fix major problems.

But analysts believe that, after clinching the nomination, now it is the time for Trump to remake his image and behave in a more statesman-like manner that appeals to voters outside his base.

While Trump has galvanized white, blue-collar men in a way not seen in decades, this demographic is narrow, and analysts said now Trump needs to appeal to a broader audience.

While Trump's bombastic rhetoric and actions worked well to fire up a populist segment of the Republican primary electorate, they are increasingly alienating a wide range of moderate, educated general election voters, Mahaffee noted.

Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, said that claiming Obama as the founder of IS is "an incendiary comment connecting the president and Democratic candidate to a deadly terrorist organization."

"Using this kind of rhetoric and insinuation is not working. He needs to remake his candidacy, though it' s unclear if he wants to focus on serious policy debates," Zelizer told Xinhua.

Analysts said Trump needs to stop with the name calling and poke serious holes in the policies and arguments of the Clinton team.

"Trump could hurt Clinton by pointing out that the world is chaotic right now and Clinton and Obama have done little to restore order," Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua.

Trump can point to examples in many places where Americans have been killed and blame the foreign policy of the Obama administration, West said.

"However, Trump constantly steps on his own message by misstating facts, so it is hard for him to convince voters he is up to the job," West said.

Many people outside Trump's base see him as a bully who exaggerates and does not seem very stable. Those perceptions make it difficult for him to win over independent voters who remain undecided, West added.

The question remains whether Trump can reverse this image as the clock ticks toward the November elections, when Americans will cast their ballots for the next U.S. president.

Time is running out for Trump to do this, and the time for him to act is now, analysts said.

"First impressions matter a lot so the more Trump makes outrageous claims, the harder it becomes to alter basic views about himself. Time is running short for him to shift the campaign narrative," West said.
DHAKA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Police in Bangladesh on Saturday formally arrested a British national in connection with the deadly attack at a Spanish cafe in capital Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulshan last month.

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Saturday also sought a 10-day remand for Hasnat Karim, a British-Bangladeshi man and a former North South University teacher, while seven-day for Canadian university student Tahmid Hasib, who along with Hasnat was arrested on Aug. 3 on suspicion of having links with the Gulshan attackers.

Metropolitan Magistrate in Dhaka Imdadul Haque placed Hasnat on an eight-day fresh remand after showing him arrested in the case on Saturday.

Also on Saturday Metropolitan Magistrate Judge Golam Nabi granted a six-day fresh remand for Tahmid.

The Briton is the first person to be shown arrested in the Gulshan terror case.

The duo were produced before the Dhaka courts Saturday on completion of their eight-day remand.

The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nurunnahar Yasmin on Aug. 4 granted eight days of remand for each of two key suspects who were inside the cafe during the terror attack.

The whereabouts of the Spanish cafe attack survivors -- Karim and Khan - remained a mystery in the aftermath of Bangladesh's first-ever hostage crisis on July 1 in which 18 foreigners were killed.

The arrests came a day after Bangladesh announced a cash reward of 4 million taka (about 50,632 U.S. dollars) to anyone giving information leading to the arrest of the militant kingpins -- Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and former army officer Syed Md Ziaul Haque.

Canadian-Bangladeshi Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury along with former army officer Syed Md Ziaul Haque, who has been dismissed for a coup attempt, plotted to attack Spanish cafe in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulshan, police had earlier said.

Both Chowdhury and Haque were also behind the attack near the country's largest Sholakia Eid prayer venue on July 7 and the militants gunned down in Dhaka's downtown Kalyanpur area during a raid on July 26.

Responsibility for the Gulshan attack has been claimed by the Islamic State group, an assertion rejected by the authorities, who blamed "homegrown" terrorists for the incident. Six of the gunmen were killed while one was captured and detained alive, but he later died in hospital.

Bangladesh has pointed finger at the banned Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) for the terror ttack at the Spanish restaurant in Dhaka's diplomatic enclave Gulshan on July 1 that left 22 people, including 18 foreigners and two police officers dead.

JMB, campaigning for establishment of Islamic rule in Bangladesh, carried out a series of bombing attacks in 63 out of the country's 64 districts, including capital Dhaka on Aug. 17, 2005, leaving two people dead and 150 others injured.

Hundreds of JMB leaders and activists were rounded up while six top leaders of the group, including Shaikh Abdur Rahman, were hanged in 2007.

Police said militants gunned down in Dhaka's Kalyanpur area during a raid on July 26 were involved with JMB.

Before the wounds of the July 1 deadly terror attack had even begun to heal, Bangladesh suffered a fresh blow on July 7 when terrorists attacked Muslims' Eid prayers.

At least four people were killed, including two police officers and one of the attackers, after several explosions and gunfire took place at the entrance of the country's largest Sholakia Eid prayer venue in Kishoreganj district, some 117 km northeast of Dhaka, on the morning of July 7.
JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Saturday joined the peoples and revolutionary movements of the Global South in celebrating the 90th birthday of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

The occasion of the 90th birthday of Fidel Castro comes as South Africa marks more than 20 years of bilateral relations with Cuba, with party-to-party relations between the ANC and the Communist Party of Cuba stretching back even further.

Castro is a longstanding supporter and friend of the ANC and the South African people, and remains a global icon for his commitment to internationalism and solidarity of the nations of the Global South, the ANC said in a statement.

"Our two parties enjoy a long history of cooperation dating back to the anti-apartheid struggle, when Cuba led by Comrade Castro, lent invaluable military assistance not just to the ANC but also to other frontline states battling the might of the apartheid military apparatus," the statement said.

In the 1960s, the first group of South African students arrived in Cuba for training in medicine and other sciences. Since then hundreds of South Africa medical doctors have been trained in Cuba as part of the government's efforts to strengthen South Africa's public health system.

As part of this successful programme, Cuba has also come to South Africa to serve in rural hospitals and clinics around the country. Cuba has also supported South Africa with engineers working in various fields in the country.

"The ANC is pleased to say that bilateral trade relations between South Africa and the Republic of Cuba continue to grow from strength to strength," said the statement.

Today the ANC reaffirms its solidarity with the Cuban people, who continue to suffer as a result of an illegal and inhumane commercial, economic and financial embargo stretching over five decades, the statement said.
TIRANA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreigners visiting Albania through the ports of Vlora and Saranda has registered a year-on-year increase of 18 percent from June 1 to August 10, a peak tourist reason for the country, local media reported on Saturday.

The number of foreign visitors arriving at the two port cities by sea went up to 52,917 from June 1 to August 10 this year, up from 44,722 a year ago, the Minister of Economic Development, Trade, Enterprise and Tourism Milva Ekonomi was quoted as saying.

According to her, such figures show that Albania is turning into a tourist destination for foreign visitors who choose Albania not only as the country where they want to spend their vacations but also as a country that has to be visited at least once.

The ministry announced on Saturday it has collaborated with the National Tourism Agency to launched a campaign to raise awareness on the protection of clean beaches in Albania.

Several beaches along the Albanian coastline were polluted, the ministry said in a press release, citing inspection results released by government authorities.

Vacationers in the southern part of the country have already been told to be careful in order not to pollute the place where they stay, according to the ministry. Enditem
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) shakes hands with Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi, India, Aug. 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Bi Xiaoyang)

NEW DELHI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to build closer partnership with India, and enhance pragmatic cooperation with India in all fields, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj during their meeting on Saturday here.

Wang positively reviewed the development of China-India ties, which he said have been making remarkable and comprehensive headways in recently years thanks to joint efforts by both sides.

Leaders of the two countries have maintained close exchange of visits and communications, the dialogue mechanism between the two governments has been ever increasing and perfecting, the complementariness of the two economies has been further tapped and a win-win cooperation pattern is taking shape, Wang noted.

What's more, the two peoples have enhanced understanding and friendship through more and more trade and cultural exchanges and communications, he added.

The two sides have strengthened strategic dialogue on such major international issues as climate change and global action, and safeguarded the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries.

China and India are strategic partners, and China is ready to work with India to master the general course for the development of ties, build a closer development partnership, and expand their all-around pragmatic cooperation, Wang said.

China will strengthen communication and coordination with India to render both the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) summit in China's Hangzhou and BRICS summit in the Indian state of Goa successful, and thus elevate the status and role of emerging economies on world arena, Wang said.

The two sides are to enhance cooperation in such fields as railway and industrial park construction, security, anti-terror and anti-extremism, and to expand communication and exchanges in education and tourism, and facilitate more exchanges among regional governments of both countries, and jointly safeguard their common interests as well as those of all developing countries, Wang propositioned.

Wang said that the two countries have much more common interests than differences, more needs for cooperation than competition, while expressing confidence that the two sides can hold onto the general direction of ties, and refrain from allowing difference over singular issues to baffle the general cooperation.

Swaraj, for her part, said that India has good prospect of the development of India-China relations, and has taken a series of measures to encourage Chinese investors and promote bilateral engagement, as as to foster the further development of ties.

The two sides have good coordination on regional and international issues, she said, adding that India attaches great importance to ties with China, and is ready to strengthen the ties in various fields, strengthen humanitarian exchanges, and properly handle existing problems with patience, as as to inject new vitality to the bilateral ties.

The two diplomats also exchanged views on specific issues on bilateral ties, as well as regional and international issues of common concern, such as the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the Briexit.
HAVANA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cuban leader and former president Fidel Castro on Saturday, thanked all the good wishes for his 90th birthday, and slammed the U.S. for the "dangers" it has caused against humanity.

In an article published by Cuban state media, Castro wrote: "Mankind is faced today with the greatest danger in its history."

"We must preserve peace around the world and must not let any world power believe it has the right to kill millions of human beings," Castro noted.

The former Cuban president warned of great dangers against humanity and said world powers like Russia and China can't be subjected to threats from any other country that is capable of using nuclear weapons.

Castro also remembered his childhood and natal town of Biran in eastern Cuba, as well as confrontations with the U.S. during his 47 years in power and the plans masterminded by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to assassinate him.

"I laughed with the Machiavellian plans several U.S. presidents had to eliminate me in any way," added the Cuban leader.

According to Cuban intelligence services, Castro's enemies and Washington organized 637 conspiracies to assassinate him from 1958 until he officially retired in 2008.

Castro expressed his gratitude for the birthday wishes and gifts he has received from all over the world and said he'll return them with "ideas to continue the struggle."

After leaving office in 2006 to his brother Raul Castro due to a severe illness, Fidel has been out of the public eye.

His return to public prominence this year came on April 19 at the closing session of the Cuban Communist Party's Congress.

It's not clear if Castro will make a public appearance for his 90th birthday.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's Vice Presidential running mate Mike Pence has a more positive image than Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's VP choice Tim Kaine, a latest Gallup poll has found.

Pence is much better known across the United States as his image has grown significantly more positive over this time than Kaine's. As of now, Republicans are embracing Pence more than Democrats are embracing Kaine, according to the poll.

Both Pence's favorable and unfavorable ratings have risen, while the percentage of those who have never heard of him has dropped from 65 percent before last month's National Republican Convention to 39 percent. His favorable rating has gone up more than his unfavorable rating, Gallup found.

The Indiana governor received some nationwide media attention last year for signing a "religious freedom" law that the gay and lesbian community of that U.S. state sharply criticized, and was facing a difficult gubernatorial re-election campaign before Trump chose him as running mate, Gallup found.

Trump has grabbed many negative headlines since the conventions, including his pronouncements about the Muslim family whose Army captain son was killed in Iraq, the tensions between him and Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, and whether nuclear weapons can or should be used.

The conciliatory statements made by Pencee may be seen as an attempt to assuage the situation, by sympathizing with the soldier's family. Yet, while Trump's statements have not helped his own favorable ratings, Pence has gained substantially in net favorability, Gallup said.

Pence is now better known and liked across key subgroups than he was before the Republican convention. Sixty-four percent of Republicans have a favorable impression of Pence, up from 40 percent in mid-July. He has risen to 33 percent favorability among independents and even has a 17 percent score among Democrats, up from a paltry 5 percent in July.

Americans'overall image of Clinton's VP choice Kaine has become somewhat more negative since the beginning of the Democratic convention, Gallup said.

The U.S. senator from Virginia has a favorable rating of 33 percent, up from 24 percent before the convention. But his unfavorable rating has increased from 14 percent to 30 percent.

In the next three months, the American people will continue to form opinions of Kaine and Pence, and their images may be affected by the forthcoming vice presidential debate on Oct. 4 at Longwood University in Virginia, Gallup said.
Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump attends a campaign rally at Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania August 12, 2016. (REUTERS/Eric Thayer)

by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's claims that President Barack Obama is the "founder" of terror group Islamic State (IS) threaten to hurt himself with the voters who he needs to win over, experts said.

Trump raised hackles among opponents this week with the statements that Obama "founded" IS while Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is the co-founder.

Trump was in fact referring to the Obama administration's missteps in handling the Middle East that led to the formation of the radical Islamist group.

IS sprang up while Clinton was Secretary of State, and Trump and his supporters have blasted Clinton for what they said was putting Iraq on the backburner after U.S. forces left the country, leaving IS to fill a power vacuum there and in neighboring Syria.

While Trump's IS statements were meant to be sarcastic, many Americans have not taken it lightly. And with Trump trailing Clinton in the polls, the bombastic real estate tycoon risks losing the White House if he continues with such incendiary remarks.

"Trump's comments reflect a candidate that seems more interested in the reaction of a crowd at a political rally than the esteem of the voting public," Dan Mahaffee, an analyst with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua.

"While a thoughtful policy approach would build a case about the shortcomings-real or perceived-of the Democrats' foreign policy, Trump's comments reflect a desire to use barbed one liners that fire up the people at his rally," he said.

Indeed, Trump's verbal bombs were what won him the primaries, at a time when the Republican rank and file is fed up with Washington politicians who talk a lot but take little or no action to fix major problems.

But analysts believe that, after clinching the nomination, now it is the time for Trump to remake his image and behave in a more statesman-like manner that appeals to voters outside his base.

While Trump has galvanized white, blue-collar men in a way not seen in decades, this demographic is narrow, and analysts said now Trump needs to appeal to a broader audience.

While Trump's bombastic rhetoric and actions worked well to fire up a populist segment of the Republican primary electorate, they are increasingly alienating a wide range of moderate, educated general election voters, Mahaffee noted.

Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, said that claiming Obama as the founder of IS is "an incendiary comment connecting the president and Democratic candidate to a deadly terrorist organization."

"Using this kind of rhetoric and insinuation is not working. He needs to remake his candidacy, though it' s unclear if he wants to focus on serious policy debates," Zelizer told Xinhua.

Analysts said Trump needs to stop with the name calling and poke serious holes in the policies and arguments of the Clinton team.

"Trump could hurt Clinton by pointing out that the world is chaotic right now and Clinton and Obama have done little to restore order," Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies of the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua.

Trump can point to examples in many places where Americans have been killed and blame the foreign policy of the Obama administration, West said.

"However, Trump constantly steps on his own message by misstating facts, so it is hard for him to convince voters he is up to the job," West said.

Many people outside Trump's base see him as a bully who exaggerates and does not seem very stable. Those perceptions make it difficult for him to win over independent voters who remain undecided, West added.

The question remains whether Trump can reverse this image as the clock ticks toward the November elections, when Americans will cast their ballots for the next U.S. president.

Time is running out for Trump to do this, and the time for him to act is now, analysts said.

"First impressions matter a lot so the more Trump makes outrageous claims, the harder it becomes to alter basic views about himself. Time is running short for him to shift the campaign narrative," West said.
GENEVA, Aug.13 (Xinhua) -- A young man attacked several passengers on a train near the northern Swiss city of St. Gallen on Saturday afternoon, injuring at least six people, local media and police source said.

The Swiss News Agency reported that the 27-year-old man was thought to have used a knife and set flammable liquid on fire, injuring at least one of the passengers severely.

The Swiss public radio SRF reported that at least six people were injured, including a 17-year-old and a 50-year-old man, three women aged 17, 34 and 43, and a six-year-old child. The attacker was apparently injured as well.

A local police statement said the attack took place at around 2:20 p.m.local time, and dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack.

The attacker is a Swiss citizen, according to the police statement.

A local police spokesperson also told the press that the injured passengers, with both stab and burn wounds, had been taken to hospital. The motivation for the attack is still unclear.

Last month, a 17-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker attacked passengers with an axe on a train near Wuerzburg in Germany, wounding five people before being shot dead by police

Saturday's attack was the first of its kind in Switzerland, but local police source has declined to confirm any terrorism links to the attack, saying that the investigation is still underway.
LAGOS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) --The Nigerian government on Saturday announced that it has arrested two prominent members of a militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in southern city of Warri in Delta State.

The suspects were apprehended last Thursday around Sapele area of the state, Commodore Joseph Dzunye of the Nigerian Navy said at a news conference.

Dzunye said the NDA members identified as Felix Miyenminiya, 53 and Stanley Jongha, 35, were the brains behind series of attacks on Chevron facilities between May and July this year.

"Besides, the hoodlums are also involved in pipeline vandalism and sea robbery," the navy chief added.

"It is worthy to note that the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies have been doing their best to curtail attacks on oil facilities as well as reducing act of criminality in the Niger Delta Area," he said.

Dzunye warned that the Nigerian Navy would not fold its hands and watch the unscrupulous elements destroying the nation's economy.

The NDA has launched a violent campaign of vandalizing pipelines and blowing up critical oil facilities in parts of the oil-rich region.

These attacks have had a debilitating impact on the country's petroleum industry at a time of grim economic hardship, arising from the sharp fall in international crude oil prices and a marked decline in petroleum revenues. Enditem
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) receives interviews in New Delhi, capital of India, on Aug. 13, 2016. Wang Yi said here Saturday that consensus had been reached with the Indian side to firmly support each other so as to ensure the successful organization of the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits. (Xinhua/Bi Xiaoyang)

NEW DELHI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Saturday that consensus had been reached with the Indian side to firmly support each other so as to ensure the successful organization of the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits.

Speaking to journalists before wrapping up his visit to India, the foreign minister said the major aim of this trip was to conduct strategic communications with India ahead of the G20 summit scheduled next month in China and the BRICS summit to be held in India in October.

On bilateral relations, Wang said the two countries have made all-around progress in a number of areas since the establishment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government more than two years ago. He cited growth momentum of trade, rapid increase of China's investment in India, railway cooperation as well as humanity and cultural exchanges as fields that enjoy vigorous growth.

The foreign minister stressed that as two neighbors that are both the world's major countries, it is inevitable for China and India to come across certain problems in developing ties. However, the common interests far exceed differences, and the need for cooperation far exceeds competition.

China and India should not let specific differences affect the overall situation of friendly bilateral ties, nor should they let individual problems obstruct the course of cooperation, the foreign minister emphasized.

He said that the two sides have reached consensus that individual problems will eventually be solved through the strengthening of mutual trust and reduction of unnecessary misunderstandings.
GENEVA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A young man attacked several passengers on a train near the northern Swiss city of St. Gallen on Saturday afternoon, injuring at least six people, local media and police source said.

The Swiss News Agency reported that the 27-year-old man was thought to have used a knife and set flammable liquid on fire, injuring at least one of the passengers severely.

The Swiss public radio SRF reported that at least six people were injured, including a 17-year-old and a 50-year-old man, three women aged 17, 34 and 43, and a six-year-old child. The attacker was apparently injured as well.

A local police statement said the attack took place at around 2:20 p.m.local time, and dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack.

The attacker is a Swiss citizen, according to the police statement.

A local police spokesperson also told the press that the injured passengers, with both stab and burn wounds, had been taken to hospital. The motivation for the attack is still unclear.

Last month, a 17-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker attacked passengers with an axe on a train near Wuerzburg in Germany, wounding five people before being shot dead by police

Saturday's attack was the first of its kind in Switzerland, but local police source has declined to confirm any terrorism links to the attack, saying that the investigation is still underway.
by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Recent remarks of Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers indicated "reluctant and conditional" desires to normalize tense bilateral ties since the military removal of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, said Egyptian political experts.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday that Egypt is facing a security threat and a serious economic crisis.

"We don't want to see Egypt like that. We want to see a great Egypt," he added, showing Turkey's willingness to restore ties with Egypt provided the Arab country stops its crackdown on Morsi's loyalists, mostly from the now-blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood group.

"We did not want our relations to be sour," Cavusoglu told state-run Anadolu news agency, noting relations between Cairo and Ankara soured due to disagreement of visions on the Syrian crisis besides Morsi's military overthrow.

On Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry considered Cavusoglu's remarks strange and contradictory despite some "good points," and rejected Turkey's interference in Egypt's domestic affairs and "the Turkish minister's elaborative evaluation of the Egyptian economic conditions."

Political science professor Hassan Nafaa said that the Turkish foreign policy is changing and that the country has started a new beginning with Russia and Israel.

"I believe Cairo-Ankara ties will be resumed sooner or later and it's just a matter of time," Nafaa said. "However, the situation is more complicated as Turkey facilitates the Brotherhood group."

He thought that a brave decision is need from either side, but there is not enough political will for that now.

The Egyptian economy has been suffering recession over the past five years due to political turmoil, leading to declining foreign currency reserves from 36 billion U.S. dollars in early 2011 to 17.5 billion dollars in mid-2016, with a budget deficit of over 35 billion dollars in the fiscal year of 2015-2016, 11.2 percent of the country's GDP.

The Turkish-Gulf dialogue has been resumed after a three-year pause due to tense relations after Turkey condemned the ouster of Egypt's Morsi and opened its borders to host his fleeing loyalists.

However, the Turkish government's tone towards Egypt has recently changed, making reconciliation possible, especially as it is pushed by Saudi Arabia and its affiliates.

"It's in Egypt's favor to have good relations with all regional powers, especially those with political and economic weight like Turkey. I believe some countries seek a Sunni alliance with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey to face ambitions of Shiite Iran," Nafaa explained.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi so far remained silent to the July 15 coup attempt against Erdogan. Also as a non-permanent UN Security Council member, Egypt showed reservation to a joint statement backing Erdogan's government and rejecting the attempted coup.

"Due to the isolation after the coup attempt, Turkey needs to reopen channels with regional powers including Egypt and Syria," said Mohamed Mohsen Abul-Nour, a researcher of international affairs.

He noted that the remarks of Turkish officials over the past couple of months showed "leniency and flexibility" towards Egypt and Syria, arguing there could be some unannounced negotiations between Cairo and Ankara to normalize ties based on Gulf mediation.

Abul-Nour echoed Nafaa's view that the Saudi-led Sunni in the face of the Iran-led Shiite in the Middle East region needs the biggest Sunni regional powers, namely Egypt and Turkey, the reason why Saudi Arabia is working on their reconciliation.

"But a fast reconciliation is unlikely because what has been ruined over the past three years will take some time to rebuild," the researcher added.
CARACAS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The re-opening of the Colombia-Venezuela border began on Saturday at 5 am, in an "ordered, controlled and gradual" fashion, shortly before the anniversary of its closure on Aug. 19.

From the early morning, people were allowed to cross on foot at the Venezuelan border crossings of San Antonio and Boca del Grita in the state of Tachira, Paraguachon in Zulia, Puente Paez in Apure and Puerto Ayacucho in Amazonas.

This decision was announced on Aug. 11 by Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos after they held a summit in Venezuela.

At this first stage, Colombians will be allowed to cross on foot from 5 am to 8 pm and Venezuelans from 6am to 9 pm.

Those wishing to cross the border must have a migration card, granted by both governments in order to control and verify who is crossing.

In the coming days, the transportation ministers, Venezuela's Ricardo Molina and Colombia's Jorge Eduardo Rojas, will hold a meeting to agree on how to re-open the border to vehicles.

The closure of the border, which stretches for 2,219km, happened on Aug. 19, 2015, at the order of Maduro in response to an alleged attack on a Venezuelan army patrol by paramilitaries operating from inside Colombia.

Since then, it was only re-opened recently on July 10, 16 and 17 to allow around 130,000 Venezuelans to cross to the Colombian city of Cucuta to buy essential food and medicine, due to Venezuela's spiralling economic crisis.

Juan Carlos Tanus, the director of Civil Association of Colombians in Venezuela, told Xinhua that the gradual opening of the border "is truly a huge step of great importance for both peoples."

"For Colombians living in Venezuela, this is even more crucial, as we have all been victims of the circumstances leading to the border being closed...such as smuggling and paramilitarism," he said.

As a result of tensions around the border, around 20,000 Colombians illegally living in Venezuela along the border were deported, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

While the problems which led to the closure have not disappeared, Tanus believes this step shows that "Caracas and Bogota have the good will to resolve the situation."
By Luan Xiang

SHANGHAI, Aug. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- If you are one of those who only know China for being a world factory, well, forgive me for looking at you in condescension... -- That was an old wives tale and so yesterday.

Here is the update: China at the moment present as you are reading this article is a land of youthful, creative fabulosity.

And a group of the best and most popular amongst Chinas creators celebrated a massive party last month in the World Expo pavilion in Shanghai, eastern metropolis at the exit of the Yangtze River to the Pacific.

Everyone is a creator, was the slogan of the Taobao Makers Festival.

The Taobao Makers Festival 2016, -- or in mandarin and literally, the stuff-making festival -- organized by the countrys (and the worlds) biggest B2C and C2C e-commerce platform, showcased a world themed in Technology, Art and Originality coming alive from the future.

T IS FOR TECHNOLOGY

At the Technology section, new inventions applying the fancy Virtual Reality (AR), Augmented Reality (AR) and the combination of both, the next-generation of Mixed Reality (MR), projected in front of an impressed public the possibilities of a future better and more fun.

Using the Buy+ system created by Alibabas Gnome Magic Lab (GM Lab), a shopper could have a thorough review of an item at a virtual store and even try on a pair of delicate lingerie with a few taps on the controller.

What we see: A visitor trying out the VR technology at the BUY+ lab;

Magic Leap, a brand almost mysterious in China, made its debut in the mainland at the Makers Festival, where its CMO Brian Wallace explained to a curious youth public what was the MR, and what it means to the human civilization to manage the MR technology.

Magic Leaps MR technology combines the VR and the AR and apply it into practical uses, such as in medicine, industry, education and many other crucial aspects of our life.

A IS FOR ART

The artistic realm will never stop being the vanguard of mankinds creativity.

Yet in the future, not only the homo sapiens like you and I can become musicians, filmmakers, painters, sculptors and poets, but also virtual imagines: Maybe some day in the near future, a human creation, being it a virtual character or an android, will be so close to real that we will have to reconsider our definition of people.

One of the already existing and well beloved representative of a virtual being, Japan s adorable anime idol Miku Hatsune, also showed up at the Makers Festival, only this time speaking Chinese.
$1M bail for importing 6,540 rounds of ammo in biscuit tins

Morrisson Mewalal is accused of importing, from the US, 6540 rounds of ammunition into this country in Danish Cookie tins.

He appeared before Magistrate Indira Misir- Gosine in the Princes Town Magistrates Court also charged with illegally having a shotgun in his possession.

Mewalal, a recovering cancer patient, was unable to post the bail yesterday.

He was remanded into custody at the Maximum State Prison.

The charges stem from the largest ever ammunition seizure in Piparo on August 5 by police officers of the Princes Town Police Station. Mewalal arrived in the country from the United States the following day and went to the Princes Town Police Station where he gave himself up. A father and his son were also arrested along with Mewalal, but the former were released from custody on Wednesday night.

Yesterday, police officers carried three boxes with the ammunition, and another rectangular box with the gun, into the courtroom. Mewalal was then escorted in handcuffs and when the case was called, Misir-Gosine read the charges that between July 18 and August 5, he imported 6,490 rounds of .22 ammunition and 50 rounds of .35 ammunition, he not being the holder of a permit to do so. The second charge alleged that he imported a rifle between those same dates.

Police prosecutor, Sgt Raymond Dookhoo, told the magistrate that the police intend to proceed indictably in prosecuting the charges.

Dookhoo did not object to bail being granted to Mewalal, who was represented by attorney Subhas Panday and instructed by attorney Petronella Basdeo.

Panday told the magistrate that Mewalal lived in Philadelphia for the past 20 years but had lived in Piparo before he migrated.

The matter was postponed to September 9.
Let us wear Hijab

One of the 13 officers who have written the PSWA is Special Reserve Police (SRP) Constable Sharon Roop, who has been in the service for the past six years and is based at the wireless room of the Chaguanas Police Station. WPC Roop has written to Ag CoP Williams seeking an audience to discuss the matter but yesterday told Newsday she has been unsuccessful in getting an appointment.

Saying is a devout Muslim, WPC Roop said she then wrote to the PSWA asking for assistance but the Association too, has not responded.

Roop said she was born into the Muslim faith but never practised the religion seriously until two years ago when she began studying the Holy Koran and decided to follow her faith deeper.

She said that she opted to wear a long sleeve uniform and trousers instead of a skirt and short sleeve top. I yearn for the day when I can report for duty in my Hijab because while I am committed to my job as an officer of the law, I also have a religious obligation to fulfil, Roop said adding that it is the duty of all serious Muslim women to cover their head when out in public.

Only a Muslim woman can understand how I feel and I intend to continue pushing for my constitutional right to wear a Hijab while on duty because as far as I am aware provisions are made for female Muslim officers to wear the Hijab in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. She spoke of attending a womens conference in Central Division a few months ago, and while wearing a Hijab and plain clothes, a Sergeant prevented her from going on a walk to interact with the public, because of her Hijab.

I am a practising Muslim and it is clear from the Koran that wearing the Hijab is a religious obligation.

It represents that I am submitting to Allah. The mother of two said she is hoping for a positive response from Commissioner Williams.

PSWA Secretary Insp Anand Ramesar, Newsday was told, wrote letters to Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon, Commissioner Williams, head of the Anjuman Sunnat Jamaat Association (ASJA) Yacoob Ali and Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Dr Maria Gomes, requesting consultation on whether the petitioning officers should be allowed to wear the Hijab while on duty.

Yesterday, PSWA President, Insp Michael Seales said, the Association has taken note of the request by SRP Roop and 12 other female officers of the Muslim faith who have made a request and as a consequence, the Association Secretary was approaching the issue and this resulted in writing persons for consultation.
Aboud, no friend of the sea say fishermen

They are ascribing total blame on him for their predicament which they say now have them out of pocket all because of his public pronouncements which, according to them, is scaring away customers from their stalls .

The FFOS and some fishermen have not been seeing eye to eye on reasons being given as to why dead fish is turning up in the Gulf of Paria. Fishermen say they are responsible as they are the ones dumping the unwanted fish that keep washing ashore while Aboud argues that it is Petrotrin as they used Corexit in 2013 to deal with a massive oil spill in La Brea. Aboud said certain species of fish is not fit for consumption. Fisherfolk believe that because of Aboud, fish is not selling and they are convinced that once he is out of the picture, sales will soar once again .

He (Aboud) is not a friend of the sea, declared fisherman Desmond Belfast, a father of eight who spoke to Newsday yesterday at the Claxton Bay Fishing Depot. Belfast, Paul Lewis, Dillon Jaggernath along with vendors Elwin King and Saphina Lutchman are just a few who work out of the Claxton Bay port and are now grumbling and want Aboud to stop speaking .

If he was a friend of the sea he would have acted differently, continued Belfast who insisted that the dead fish that keeps washing ashore in the Gulf of Paria is the excess which has been disposed of by his colleagues. When Newsday visited yesterday, fishermen were busy throwing out unwanted fish that became tangled in the net back into the sea. That is the fish, they say, that the current takes down to La Brea and environs and could be seen floating or washed ashore. Recently, scores of dead fish began turning up in the Gulf of Paria and preliminary testing conducted by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) revealed that it was not as a result of Corexit but either spoilt or unwanted catch by fishing vessels operating in the Gulf of Paria .

Jaggernath then told Newsday: It has nothing to do with poison .

When the fish come thick and hook up in the net, we cant keep it. Catfish, mullet, cro cro, herring, right now all that fish holding plenty, and when it come up thick, we have to throw it back in the sea .

When that set of fish hook up in your net in the night, you cant take out all that fish because it have no market for it. He further asked: So what you doing with it? You give away what you could give away and you throw away the rest. He then explained that it happens at every port and that all the fish thrown away is usually taken down to La Brea and surrounding beaches .

The current does pull everything down there. The boat men, the wholesale and retail fishermen said Abouds intervention is causing them to have to dump thousands of pounds of fish every day .

At a press conference on Thursday, Aboud again warned consumers that it was unsafe to eat certain species of fish stating that the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and EMA were not being honest with the public. Contrary to what was being said by fisherfolk, Aboud said the fish kill has nothing to do with dumping .

Jaggernath continued: If he has concrete evidence that fish have poison that is all well and good but he has none. Aboud has other ways to earn a living, we have none and we have families to look after. Look at us, we are eating fish everyday and nothing is happening to us, nobody get sick, nobody in hospital. What is he doing to us.? Yesterday at 11.30 am, vendors Lutchman and King told Newsday that they were at their respective stalls for well over four hours and had only seen about three customers for the morning. Lutchman showed two coolers of fish which, she said, she will have to dump because of low sales .

When contacted yesterday, saying that he had to speak the truth, Aboud said he had but one message for the fisherfolk in Claxton Bay .

He said: Tell them I say do not eat the fish. It has a very high level of contamination. I do not want them to die. Aboud said instead of blaming him they should blame the agency which used Corexit which contaminated the water. I did not pollute the water, he said
Chief Servants funeral today

The drummers played their tribute to Daaga inside NJAC headquarters on Duke Street in Port-of-Spain.

The inclement weather didnt hamper their spirits, however, and they proceeded to drum about a celebration in Daagas honour.

The drumming took place in the same room where Daagas condolence book was. As the drumming continued in front of a portrait of Daaga, persons proceeded to dance and fully express themselves in Daagas honourary celebration. Newsday was told that the drumming procession will take place again, nine days after Daagas death. At 9 am today at Queens Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain, the nation will bid goodbye to the political/social activist who was formerly known as Geddes Granger, whose funeral will be followed by internment at Lapeyrouse Cemetery.

One of those persons at NJAC HQ was veteran calypsonian Hollis Chalkdust Liverpool who fondly recalled the hard work done by Daagas cultural group, Pegasus, to promote calypso.

He recalled that at his competitions, Daaga upheld a certain dignity in the local artform and rejected any smuttiness of lyrics.

Liverpool said Daaga help mould local calypsonians.

Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) head Khafra Kambon also hailed Daagas leadership of the 1960s/1970s popular movement that sought to complete the 1962 Independence process by inculcating cultural pride in Africans and Indians, so giving them the self-confidence to control the commanding heights of the economy, rather than colonial interests.

Kambon said that the very success of this nations petrochemical sector in Point Lisas  built, run and administered by local persons  was largely the result of a self-belief engendered in the population by Daaga and his movement.

On a personal note, Kambon said that while he had left NJAC over differences of viewpoints such as strategy, he had always maintained his friendship with and respect for Daaga. (Additional reporting by Jabarri Superville/NYLO Intern)
Hero grandfather laid to rest

As the chapel was filled to capacity many mourners sat in the adjoining auditorium to bid farewell to Morris Sammy of Circular Drive, Gopaul Lands, Marabella.

Morris, 74, drowned last Sunday in the sea off Coconut Drive, Mayaro when he attempted to save his granddaughters Alisa and Anastacia.

Sadly, nine-year-old Anastacia also drowned.

Alisa, thankfully survived the ordeal. The bodies of Sammy and Anastacia resurfaced minutes after they disappeared beneath the waters.

Delivering the sermon at the service, Dr Arnold Ramcharan said Sammy had gone to meet his Maker and asked the family to accept this and celebrate his life. Sammy was a father of five and grandfather of 18. His eldest son Robert and daughter Wendy delivered the eulogy.

They described their father as a hero and someone who had great love for people.

Robert said his father believed in serving Jesus Christ and would reach out to anyone and everyone in need. He recalled an account of his fathers support to a neighbour who was diagnosed with cancer.

Daddy would lift this sick woman bodily and put her in his car and take her for treatment. The cancer patient went through the process of losing her hair and later she began to recover, Robert said.

Mourners listened attentively as Sammys children spoke about his early days in San Fernando when he attended Grant Memorial School and would cut classes to play pan. Sammy, they say, was known for playing the guitar in Church. He was an active member of the Claxton Bay Open Bible Church.

Other speakers described him as a dependable individual and a man of his word. Sammy was later cremated at the Funeral Home. His granddaughters funeral is set for next Monday
CXC exams results available online

However, the Ministry of Education had not received the database of results for local students who wrote exams up to yesterday afternoon, an education official told Newsday.

It is expected that schools and education centres will obtain their complete results next week.

On top performing students, the official said that even when the ministry receives the data base, it will not be in a position to name them as some students may require a review of their results. If reviews are required, and until that review process was complete, then the top students will be named. The release of the results was done in Anguilla by CXC Registrar, Glenroy Cumberbatch.

Local students may access them on the CXC website www.

cxc.org To access their results, students are required to log onto the website by entering among other requirements, their examinations centres and candidate numbers.

Other exams for which results are available are the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence, Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) and the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).
Second Dance to Fitness event today

Hence the decision of the people behind the beverage, Ginseng Up, to sponsor the Dance to Fitness series in which trained instructors from the Fit Addicts Movement (FAM) will take participants through various dance moves as a form of exercise.

Having held the first Dance to Fitness event in Tacarigua last Saturday (August 6), the organisers are getting ready to hold another event today at the Central Regional Indoor Sport Arena aka Chaguanas Indoor Court in Saith Park, Manic Street, Chaguanas.

Newsday spoke with FAM founder and personal trainer, Daniel Pablo Philip, about what to expect during the two-hour event (9 am to 11 am). Dance to fitness is a form of exercise that blends aerobics and dance moves.

Many people find this more fun than traditional exercise because it is done to music. Participants also learn actual dance moves to the latest songs.

We incorporate a total body work - upper body, lower body and the core/abs. Dance to fitness is the new way to dance and get fit while having fun and burning calories, Pablo declared with a smile.

Interested persons can register at the venue on the day of the event; a $50 registration fee gets you a T-shirt, goodie bag from Ginseng Up and free Ginseng Up to drink. Pablo and two or three other instructors will take turns leading the dance routines while FAM trainers will be moving through the participants, ensuring everyone is doing the moves correctly and providing assistance where needed.

Looking to the future, the FAM founder told Newsday he has already gotten calls from persons in Tobago and St Vincent who want him to organise similar dance workouts for them.

For more information, email fitaddictstt@gmail.com or send a Whats App message to Pablo at 346-7387 or to Angel at 721- 7345.
National effort needed on Zika

While going through beer bottles with mosquito larvae in cases outside a resident compound, Deyalsingh lamented that there were too many breathing grounds on one property for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

The Government can do as much as we can, here you have citizens having breathing grounds for mosquitoes on their properties and the population has to get on board. You have just seen at one house there was about 30 beer bottles turned up to trap water, that is 30 potential breathing sites in one residents yard. The population is still not getting the message in the numbers that we want because spraying is not the only answer. The more you spray the more resistance you build up with the mosquitoes. We need cleaning of the surroundings and to make sure that there is no breathing sites. Deyalsingh also called on all agencies and regional corporation to step-up their game, and hold residents accountable for unkempt properties.

This is a really distressing sight for me to see the amount of derelict vehicles.

The corporation really needs to step up their game in finding people because you cannot only have a culture shift.

The culture shift has to be backed by legislative means, and we have already increased the fine for unkempt lots from $300 to $3,500, he said.

He told Newsday that although there are 200 plus confirmed Zika cases by blood test, 84 cases are in the St George West area. St George West has about 30 to 40 percent of the national number of cases and to that end we are stepping up our activities in St George West. Todays exercise is to demonstrate the fight against the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes has not waned, and we are keeping up the fight here in St George West where the bulk of the cases are coming from, Deyalsingh said.

He lamented it is ridiculous and there are too many breathing grounds for mosquitoes, which can be an absolute disaster.

Deyalsingh also confirmed to the media there were three babies were born and were tested positive for Zika, but no microcephaly. He said no one wants to accept personal responsibility for their surroundings, and the fight against Zika will not be won if individuals do not help the Ministry.

Deyalsingh explained that the numbers of Zika cases in the country might be under reported, and was not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but globally.

He said all 76 countries are affected. Others members in the walkabout yesterday include the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, Act Chief Medical Officer Dr Clive Tilluckdharry, head of the Insect Vector Controls and members of the Trinidad an Tobago Police.
TT gets FATCA extension

FATCA is a 2010 US federal law to enforce the requirement for US citizens, including those living outside the US to file yearly reports on their non- US financial accounts to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN).

Speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, Imbert said Government has signalled to the US Treasury that it is ready to execute the inter- government agreement (IGA) with respect to FACTA. The Deadline is September 30 but the original deadline was September 30, 2015. I subsequently got an extension from the US authorities of one year. Imbert was confident that once the IGA is signed and the relevant FACTA legislation is laid in Parliament, we we may be able to negotiate another extension because we would have shown good faith and we would have shown that we are serious in proceeding with those two matters. He was also confident this should stave off the impending problem that is facing the banking industry in TT. Acting Attorney General Stuart Young said this precedent has taken place in other countries. Reiterating that FACTA legislation will be laid in Parliament shortly after it resumes next month and that the legislation requires a special majority for passage, Young said, We expect the Opposition to support the legislation because of the importance it has for TT. Young previously said the former Peoples Partnership (PP) government failed over the last five years to ensure TT was FACTA compliant.

On the successful launch of the US$1 billion bond last month in New York, Imbert justified the bonds final price being set at 4.5 percent. He said consultations with the bulk of investors showed, it was clear that 4.5 percent was what is called a cliff. Imbert added,  If you pass that... you drop off the cliff and the bond would have gone to zero...

the bond would have been failed and TT would have been a laughing stock.
What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames

news
Kejriwal Clear he was on Vacation not for Vipasana but for Framing Political Strategy: Satish Upadhyay

New Delhi, Sat, 13 Aug 2016 NI Wire

The way in Which Kejriwal has Announced his own & his Ministers Political Deputation to Various States IT is Clear That he was on Vacation not for Vipasana but for Framing Political Strategy: Satish Upadhyay

New Delhi, 12th August: Delhi BJP President Shri Satish Upadhyay has said that the purpose of Aam Aadmi Party Convenor and Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal's VIPASANA has become clear after his return to Delhi. Delhi is facing many problems and the Delhi Government was reprimanded for its obstinacy during the VIPASANA of the Chief Minister but the Chief Minister is silent and he is concentrating only on politics.

Shri Upadhyay has said that the way in which he has announced his own political deputation and that of his prominent Ministers to various States, it has become clear that he was on vacation not for VIPASANA but for framing political strategy.

Shri Upadhyay said that in any political party the State Incharge has to work 24x7 in the political field. In such situation Chief Minister Kejriwal will devote his full time to Punjab, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satender Jain to Goa and Water Minister Kapil Mishra to Gujarat. In such situation the people of Delhi want to know who will run Government in Delhi.

Shri Upadhyay also said that BJP demands that the Chief Minister of Delhi and all those Ministers should go on leave and appoint a Working Chief Minister in Delhi. He said that perhaps the Aam Aadmi Party Government will be the first Government whose Ministers shall also be political incharges in States. Although Ministers of most of the ruling political parties go for election campaigns but they do not take over the responsibility of Party Organisation.
PM Modi concluding remarks at All Party Meeting on Jammu & Kashmir

New Delhi, Sat, 13 Aug 2016 NI Wire

I am very happy to note that all our colleagues have expressed one voice and one sentiment.

Yesterday, when we talk of Jammu & Kashmir, we should talk about four parts of the State of Jammu & Kashmir: Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

I am thankful to leaders of all political parties for the concerns they have expressed about the current situation in parts of Jammu & Kashmir. The rich traditions nurtured by our democracy for last six decades have been the biggest strength of unity and integrity of our country. We may have some differences on some issues but when it comes to the integrity and sovereignty of the country, we all stand united.

Like every Indian, I have been deeply hurt by the recent incidents in Jammu & Kashmir. It is very sad to see that children are not able to study, apple produce is not able to reach the mandis, shopkeepers are not getting their daily income and Government offices are not able to work for the service of the people. The poor are the worst affected by this situation.

Our existence as political workers is on account of the people. They are our strength, our source of energy; In fact, people's power is a vital part of our public life. Irrespective of whether a civilian or security force is injured or killed, the pain is felt by all of us. I express deep sympathies to their families. We are committed to provide better healthcare services to the injured; we want to restore peace in the Valley at the earliest possible so that people can lead their normal life, can earn their livelihoods, send their children to school and sleep well at night.

We are committed to a permanent and peaceful solution to the issue of Jammu & Kashmir in accordance with the basic principles of the Constitution. We have an open mind and our doors are always open. We are committed to the welfare of every citizen of the entire State of Jammu & Kashmir. We have been following the path shown by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji to find a solution.

Jammu & Kashmir is often called the crown of India. In fact, Jammu & Kashmir is a symbol of the age old commitment of equanimity towards all creeds (sarv-panth sambhaav), where Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Muslims have been living together for centuries. The state of Jammu & Kashmir is the symbol of our founding fathers' faith which defines us as Indian in spite of our diversity. Jammu & Kashmir is not only a matter of our territorial integrity but also defines our nationhood. We cannot deny the fact that the security forces have suffered all kinds of injuries; that they have been the target of planned attacks. Despite this, our security forces have shown restraint. Statistics reveal that security personnel have been injured in large numbers.

Despite false propaganda by certain elements in Kashmir, the percentage of those spreading confusion and unrest; and those instigating youth is very low. Every Kashmiri wants peace, has faith in Democracy. That is why, despite threats by separatist elements during every election, the Kashmiri people have expressed faith in the Indian democratic system in each election (festival of Indian democracy). Even just before the recent disturbances, high votes were cast in the constituency of Chief Minister Mehbooba ji. Therefore, to spread the myth that this is a public agitation is far from the truth.

In some areas certain prohibitions were imposed in order to maintain law and order. This is a legal way of maintaining law and order. Otherwise the lives of peace loving people will be affected adversely. In reality, a common man was not troubled as much by such prohibitions, as he was troubled by continuous strikes declared by separatist elements.

During this period, the Amarnath Yatra proceeded smoothly. In addition, the State Government is working on solar energy in the Ladakh region. The NEET, CET, and UPSC Civil Services Exams were organised as per schedule. Even all essential commodities were provided to citizens. We are now approaching the best season for tourism. The Apple crop will also be ready for harvest. This is of paramount importance for the livelihood of a common Kashmiri. Certain separatist elements are trying to take advantage of this time and disturb the peace in Kashmir, and unnecessarily disrupt the lives of peace-loving citizens.

The fundamental reason for disturbances in Kashmir is cross-border terrorism promoted by our neighbouring country. Due to terrorism normal life in Kashmir Valley is affected. Since the start of Terrorist activities in Kashmir in 1989-1990, in action by the Security Forces:

 More than 34,000 AK 47 Rifles were seized.

 More than 5000 Grenade launchers were seized.

 Around 90 LMGs were seized.

 More than 12,000 Revolvers were seized.

 3 Anti Tank Guns and 4 Anti Aircraft Guns were seized.

 More than 350 Missile Launchers were seized.

 63,000 kilograms of explosives including RDX and more than one lakh Grenades were seized.

 During this period more than 5,000 foreign terrorists were killed which is almost equal to the strength of 5 Battalions.

When weapons have been seized in such huge numbers, so many foreign terrorists have infiltrated to spread death and destruction, the world will never accept the false propaganda of Pakistan, even if it speaks a hundred thousand lies.

Pakistan forgets that it bombs its own citizens using fighter planes. The time has come when Pakistan shall have to answer to the world for the atrocities committed by it against people in Baluchistan and PoK.

We are fully committed to the fundamental rights of the people. Our anti-terror laws are more humane than those of any other democracy in the world. Our governments and our security forces have shown restraint in dealing with these incidents.

India will fight against terrorism with full might and resolve. This is our national duty. To consider India's commitment to the Rule of Law, as a weakness, will be a mistake by our opponents. India is committed to end terrorism. For us, means and ends' are both important and we are sufficiently capable in both these regards.

It is also a fact that Kashmiri Pandits have been displaced from their centuries-old ancestral dwellings in Kashmir Valley. Such atrocity against a particular community is the misdeed of terrorists trained and armed with weapons by Pakistan, and their sympathizers. These can never be the deeds of those who believe in Kashmiriyat.

For the all round development of Jammu and Kashmir, a decision has been taken for a development package of more than Rs. 80 thousand crore (800 billion rupees) in consultation with the State Government. Under this package not only have roads and electricity projects been envisaged, but development of every region and every section of society of Jammu and Kashmir has been kept in mind. This includes better facility for education of children, employment to youths, modern facility for treatment, facilities for promotion of tourism in the state and special arrangements for production of fruits in the State.

In order to provide employment immediately, the government has decided that 10 thousand Special Police Officers (SPOs), about 1200 Para Military and about 4000 candidates in 5 IR battalions will be recruited. In addition, about 1 lakh 25 thousand (125,000) persons will be trained under Udaan and HIMAYAT schemes so that unemployed people can get appropriate employment.

The PDP-BJP government led by Ms. Mehbooba Mufti is making best efforts to address the State's problems. During the last one month, the Government has tackled the situation very carefully in spite of extremely adverse circumstances. The whole nation stands with her.

I would like to reiterate that the Central and State Governments are committed to address the people's genuine grievances and restore peace in the state. We will deal strictly with acts of violence, terrorism and anti India activities. At the same time, genuine grievances of every person will be heard and addressed.

I would like to reiterate that all the political parties and all Indians will have to fight unitedly against terrorism and destructive forces. At a time when terrorism is spreading its wings across the world, and terrorism is being instigated by our neighbour, we will have to fight this battle unitedly. The government has an expectation of constructive cooperation from all political parties in this matter. All political parties will have to bury their differences and cooperate to restore peace and prosperity in the state. I fully believe that with the active efforts of the state government and with your full cooperation, we will be able to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir very soon.

I would like to reiterate our main steps and our policy in respect of Kashmir:

1) It is the duty of any Government to maintain law and order. There will be no compromise with terrorism.

2) In today's age, in accordance with democratic traditions, we will encourage involvement of civil society with citizen activities.

3) We will take forward the political process, in accordance with democratic traditions.

4) The process of connecting Kashmiri youth with economic activities of the State will be speeded up.

5) The States in which people of Jammu & Kashmir are residing, whether they are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Buddhists or of any religion, should approach them and should make efforts so that they can contact with their relatives in Jammu & Kashmir and can apprise them about their own progress and the progress in other States of India.

6) Ministry of External Affairs should make efforts to approach the people of PoK residing in different parts of world and collect information about the miserable conditions in PoK and bring them to the knowledge of the world community.

I once again thank you all for giving your important views and suggestions in this meeting. I thank you all for supporting the Government. We all are committed to this national spirit that there cannot be any compromise on India's territorial integrity. We are ready to address grievances of all sections within the framework of the Constitution.

Thank you.

Source: PIB
Smart Ganga City Scheme Launcehd in Ten Cities: Uma Bharti

New Delhi, Sat, 13 Aug 2016 NI Wire

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti and Union Urban Development Minister Shri M Venkaiah Naidu launched Smart Ganga City Scheme today in ten important cities through video conference. These cities are  Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan, Varanasi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Patna, Sahibgunj and Barrackpore. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has chosen these cities in the first phase for infrastructure development for sewage treatment. This will be on hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model.

Addressing the function from Ujjain the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti said that cooperation of Union Urban Development Ministry is key to the success of Namami Gange programme. She said learning from the past experience of gaga action plan her Ministry this time has gone for hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model. The Minister said district level mentoring committees will be constituted to monitor the speedy implementation of Namami Gange programme. The Minister said that though in the first phase only ten cities have been taken up but gradually more and more cities will be taken up. She said the involvement of district administration and municipal body is key to success of this program.

In his address from Hyderabad Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said his Ministry is an integral part of this programme. He expressed the hope that Namami Gange programme having adopted hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model will be a great success.

The District Magistrates/Mayors of the ten chosen cities participating in the video conference appreciated the Namami Gange programme and promised the full support of state administration and local bodies for its success

Earlier, Shri Rajat Bhargav, Mission Director NMCG made a presentation on hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model to be adopted by NMCG for speedy implementation of Namami Gange programme.

Source: PIB
Communication is a Critical Cog in the Wheel of Change: Shri Venkaiah Naidu

New Delhi, Sat, 13 Aug 2016 NI Wire

The NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi has placed communication as a critical cog in the wheel of change, said, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu. Speaking at the valedictory function of Mid Career Training Programme for Senior Indian Information Service officers (IIS) at Indian School of Business, in Hyderabad on Saturday, Shri Venkaiah Naidu stated that as a process, communication has been woven into a policy matrix which aims at maximum governance, minimum government.

Today, we live in an age of instant communication, the images and tools of the media landscape influence our thought process on a continuous basis. The need to constantly re-invent our understanding and perception through an institutionalised skill upgradation program which includes a re-examination of our approach towards the communication process, he stated.

Shri Naidu said that the government in the past two years has embarked on a program of communication innovation- adopting methods, seeking spaces to ensure last mile connectivity to the people. Our approach has attempted to weave different platforms, varied contents through a focussed 360 degree approach. While we have succeeded in adopting a new communication philosophy which incorporates the Citizens concerns, there are areas which still reflect chinks in the armour of government communication, he said.

He informed that the ministry has taken up the initiative of providing Information Service Officers skill upgradation through an institutionalised training policy. The objective is to plug the gaps in the Governments communication approach in areas of content design, social marketing, branding, impact assessment and weaving technologies in the digital age. To bring about a change always creates a dissonance in the government process. He said that the two weeks training program is aimed to offer a fresh perspective, clarity on the nuances of communication management and gave tools and ideas to keep pace with the digital communication world to the IIS officers. He informed the officers that they would be going to the University of Berkeley for a further one week program training program on the contemporary changes in the communication discourse.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu stated that training and development is a vital part of human resource development. The recent advances in technology and communication space have completely overhauled the way the Government interacts with the citizens. This change being led by Social Media has ushered in a new era of Governance. it is absolutely necessary for constant upgradation of skills of officers in light of development of new technologies, he added.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu said that in the last two years the present government has taken a lot of Citizen centric initiatives but communicating the benefits remains a challenge. Social and behavior change communication is a critical factor in the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which is a major flagship scheme of the government. I am hopeful that the Media Strategy and Planning in the changing scenario of social advertising, a course module taught at ISB during the training of the officers, would benefit in defining the communication roadmap for the government social sector schemes and to ensure last mile reach, he said.

As the digital media continues to influence the communication and media landscape, social and digital media planning has to be an integral part of the governments communication strategy. "I am sure the exposure to the officers about the best practises in digital media planning around various organisations across the world would have provided the required skillset and tools to address the challenges in the public domain", he said.

He further added that the old mediums of communication have not become irrelevant. Radio still holds its relevance considering the mass outreach it has. Even the Governments Mann ki baat Programme has become an excellent communication platform where the Prime Minister of our country not only directly communicates his views on diverse topics/ issues but also takes feedback from people through myGov platform and Phone in services. In the current scenario, training in specific domains is incomplete without case studies and practical exposure. Case studies have proven to be an excellent way of practicing and applying new concepts. As such, they're very useful tools in learning and implementation.

The different phase wise training for the IIS Officers have been designed keeping in mind the broad objective of the Governments Communications needs as well as changing communication and technology paradigm.

Later, the Minister addressing the students of ISB, reiterated that Kashmir is an integral part of India and nobody can question on this, he said. The GST bill, which was passed by Parliament will be a game changer the business scenario positively. Explaining about the various governments schemes, directed to different sections of the people, the Minister stated that people are perceiving the change in the areas of governance from the last two years.

Source: PIB
Leaves are falling, the air is crisp and deer season is right around the corner. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this time of year. Becoming involved in hunting a few years ago gave me yet another reason why I look forward to fall.
Moroccos state-owned phosphates company (known by its French acronym OCP) will invest 2 billion dirhams in a water desalination plant in the Atlantic city of El Jadida.

Part of the OCPs environmental strategy, the new plant will have a capacity of 75 million cubic meters per year as of 2020, its projected date of completion, of which 15 million cubic meters will be dedicated to drinking water.

The first phase of the project requires an investment of 800 million dirhams with a production capacity of 25 million cubic meters per year.

The OCPs strategy also provides for the hydraulic transportation of the extracted phosphates from the mines to the transformation plant, as well as investing in waste water muddy water treatment.

The strategy includes building a water pipeline between Khouribga and Jorf Lasfar to help save millions of cubic meters of water per year. The El Jadida plant will thus add to another plant that is being built in Jorf Lasfar.
Pro-unity government forces Thursday announced eminent liberation of Sirte a day after they took control of the Islamic State groups headquarters in the coastal city.

We are preparing to announce the total liberation of Sirte in the next two days at the most, sources from the Misrata militia, fighting under the unity government, said.

Sirte is 70 percent free, it will soon be completely free, said Sirtes Mayor Mokhtar Khalifa.

Forces loyal to Prime Minister Faiez Serraj Wednesday clinched a mega victory against IS in Sirte- 450 kilometres east of Tripoli, following the capture of the citys Ouagadougou convention center turned into a command center by the terrorist group. They also took over the citys university and main hospital.

IS took control of Muammar Gaddafis home town last year turning the city into its North African base, wherefrom it sew havoc in the region and in Europe.

After nearly four months of battle against the militant group, pro-government forces regained confidence thanks to US decisive military actions. The Pentagon said US launched in total 29 airstrikes against IS positions  enabling Misrata forces to make headway into the city following some lulls due to IS tactics.

Despite Tuesday gains, the militants, now estimated at less than 1,000, are still controlling parts of the coastal city. Mayor Mokhtar Khalifa told media the citys southern and western sections were under control of the Libyan fighters loyal to the UN-brokered unity government in Tripoli.

Some 16 pro-government forces were killed in Wednesday fighting while 11 were reported wounded. The regular forces also lost one warplane on Tuesday, which IS claimed it brought down.

Victory over IS in Sirte will constitute a major boosting factor for Serrajs cabinet still struggling to win national recognition since emerging from the agreement signed in Morocco, in December 2015.

Serrajs Government of National Accord (GNA) has received international support but is facing opposition from the countrys legitimate parliament based in the East, which has refused to endorse it. The House of Representatives and its allied government of Beida have refused to relinquish power in favor of the GNA.
US Presidents special envoy for the global coalition to counter the Islamic State (IS) group will visit Morocco early next week to update Moroccan authorities on the coalitions actions to weed out the terrorist group, the US State Department said on Wednesday.

Morocco is a strong partner in the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL and Special Presidential Envoy McGurk will meet with senior officials to provide an update on the campaign and discuss how we are intensifying Coalition efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL, the US State Department said in a statement.

McGurk who is expected in Morocco on Monday August 15 has started a visit to Iraq on Wednesday.

While in Morocco, Brett McGurk will meet with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman, to discuss cooperation in the global campaign to defeat IS, the statement further said.

Morocco co-chairs with the Netherlands the Global Forum for Combating Terrorism (GCTF) and took part on July 21 in the first joint ministerial meeting of the international coalition against IS, held in Washington.

The ministerial meeting was chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The kingdom of Morocco has emerged as a leading actor in the fight against terrorism, and many countries including European ones are seeking to share its expertise.

Morocco helped French authorities locate the Paris attacks mastermind who was hiding in Saint-Denis, a suburb of the French capital.
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Ukrainian tanks and APCs move toward the de facto border with Crimea near Kherson in southern Ukraine on Friday. Photo: Aleksandr Shulman/AP

Russia appears to be preparing for a new military offensive in Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War, which notes that since August 5 there has been an ongoing Russian military buildup on the northern, eastern, and southern Ukrainian borders, allowing it to threaten or conduct military operations into Ukraine from multiple directions, increasing Ukraines vulnerability to Russian or Russia-backed separatist forces.

The looming possible escalation follows claims by Russias FSB state-security service earlier this week that it had prevented two attempts by Ukrainian special forces to launch attacks in Russian-held Crimea. Foreign Policy reports that Ukrainian officials denied Russias claims, with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko declaring that Russias accusations were insane. For his part, Russian president Vladimir Putin has responded to the alleged threats by vowing to take further security measures in Crimea, though a spokesman for Ukraines foreign ministry suggested that Putin really just wants more war. On Friday, Vice-President Joe Biden urged Poroshenko to avoid escalating the conflict as much as possible.

That might prove impossible, however. As CNN pointed out on Thursday, Ukraines military forces are now on high alert as they scramble in anticipation of a Russian attack, and overall tensions are the highest they have been since Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea, which led to the now two-year-old war in eastern Ukraine. The ISW adds that Ukraines military mobilization on its borders with Russia and Crimea will tax [the countrys] finances and military capabilities and may also further weaken Ukraines fragile political situation.

Foreign Policys Reid Standish adds some more context regarding what has become an increasingly bloody summer because of the conflict:

The renewed hostilities in Crimea come as violence has surged during the summer months in eastern Ukraine despite a nominal ceasefire. More than 9,000 have died since the war began in April 2014, with more than 600 Ukrainian soldiers killed in fighting so far this year. According to recently released figures by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, civilian casualties have spiked to a level not seen since August 2015, prior to the implementation of the most recent ceasefire.

In addition to Russias military buildup, it has been conducting provocative military exercises in the region, with more planned near the Ukrainian border and inside Crimea next week. The BBC reports that it has now delivered advanced air-defense missile systems to Crimea as well. Those missiles are designed to hit airborne targets from as far away as 249 miles, which means they could reach deep into Ukrainian territory. For an idea of the scale, timing, and range of Russias renewed offensive capabilities in the region, see below:

Just out! Russian military build-up in and around Ukraine. Including S-400 today.https://t.co/5IEonHZaQS pic.twitter.com/menygZSEbG  ISW (@TheStudyofWar) August 12, 2016

So assuming that Ukraine is right, and Russia is fabricating reasons to pursue a premeditated escalation of hostilities  why would they do that? According to Reuters, Russias claims of Ukrainian incursions into Crimea could just be a way for it to back out of peace talks that had been planned for next months G20 summit in China, or as a way to gain more leverage over Ukraine and the West whenever those talks do occur. Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst in Ukraine, told Reuters that he didnt think Putin would go all out for a big war, but Russias plan could focus on smaller military operations in order to scare the West with the prospect of full-scale conflict with Ukraine  thus pressuring Kiev to accept Russias preferred plans to resolve the war.

The Economist has a few theories as well:

The timing of the spat is notable in light of upcoming elections in both America and Russia. American officials say that Barack Obama, Americas outgoing president, has made it clear that he wants progress on Ukraine before the end of his term. Victoria Nuland, the American State Department official responsible for Ukraine, has been in talks with Vladislav Surkov, a close confidant of Mr. Putin. By rejecting the Normandy Four format, Mr. Putin may be hoping to pressure Mr. Obama into making the grand Yalta-style bargain he has long desired.



A re-run of the Ukrainian drama may also play well domestically ahead of Russias parliamentary elections on September 18 th . As the countrys economic crisis grinds on, the looming vote has the Kremlin anxious. Dmitry Medvedev, Russias prime minister, drew widespread criticism in May when he told a griping Crimean pensioner that Theres no money, but hang in there  all the best to you! While the war in Ukraine has largely disappeared from state media in recent months, its return to the headlines could provide a welcome distraction.



Speaking of influence on an election: Any renewed or expanded conflict in Ukraine could also have implications for the U.S. presidential race, since Republican nominee Donald Trump is largely seen as sympathetic to  and sometimes even admiring of  President Putin, and because members of his campaign are directly entangled with elements of the Russian regime. Trump and his campaign have also sought to downplay the threat that Russia poses to Ukraine. They softened the language in the official GOP platform regarding the conflict, and Trump insisted in a recent interview that President Putin is not going into Ukraine. He said recently that he would not defend Americas Baltic NATO allies against Russian invasion. There is also the added intrigue of the extensive cyberattack on U.S. Democratic Party groups, which is believed to have been perpetrated by hackers working for Russia, and the possibility that the U.S. will issue new sanctions on that country as a result.
But there is no evidence [of fraud] because the election hasnt occurred yet, Trumps spokeswoman said on Saturday. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP

Donald Trump is not only not backing down from his insistence that the only way he can lose the election in November is if the Clinton campaign cheats  hes doubling down, and even trying to deputize his supporters to monitor the election through that lens. At a campaign rally in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Friday, Trump told supporters that he cannot lose the state  which FiveThirtyEight currently gives Clinton an 88 percent probability of winning  unless the election is rigged against him. CBS News Sopan Deb passes along the key section of Trumps remarks, which was preceded by the candidate once again suggesting that Bernie Sanders was cheated out of victory in the Democratic primaries (he wasnt), and followed by Trump calling for more voter-identification laws:

Were gonna watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people dont come in and vote five times. Because if you do that, and I know youre all voting  If you do that, were not gonna lose. The only way we can lose, in my opinion  I really mean this, Pennsylvania  is if cheating goes on. I really believe it 



[T]hats the way we can lose the state. And we have to call up law enforcement. And we have to have the sheriffs and the police chiefs and everybody watching. Because if we get cheated out of this election, if we get cheated out of a win in Pennsylvania, which is such a vital state, especially when I know whats happening here, folks. I know. She cant beat whats happening here.



The only way they can beat it in my opinion, and I mean this 100 percent, is if in certain sections of the state they cheat, okay? So I hope you people can sort of not just vote on the 8 th  go around and look and watch other polling places and make sure that its 100 percent fine[.]

To that end, the Trump campaign website has a new sign-up page asking supporters to become election observers in November. Normally, a campaign asking supporters to participate in poll-watching efforts would be standard operating procedure  and in this case would also offer a small indication that the Trump campaign is actually starting to function like an actual campaign. What is not normal or responsible, however, is how the Trump campaign is framing such work, via Trumps rhetoric and on the website sign-up page: as a necessity to directly prevent another candidates ill-gotten victory. (The sign-up page also redirects to a donation page, so its not clear if and how the Trump campaign will work with the volunteers.)

The new sign-up page on the Trump website. Photo: Trump Campaign Website/Screencap

In addition, The Guardian points out that such work is probably illegal in some states:

Election observers are not unusual and are often relied on to field complaints and concerns from voters. Depending on state law, campaign representatives may be barred from the role. In Pennsylvania, only election officials, certified poll watchers or qualified voters with valid reasons can bring challenges on the grounds of identity or residence, according to the Advancement Project, a civil rights group.



The states election code states that a voter shall have the right to cast his or her vote: without the use or threat of force, violence or restraint; without the infliction or threat of infliction of injury; without any intimidation or coercion upon or against his or her person; or without any other action intended to deny any individuals right to vote.



Trumps initiative to enlist election observers may risk running afoul of a longstanding consent decree that bars the Republican National Committee from engaging in such activities, according to Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine.



Pushed for evidence that the election would be rigged, Trump campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson told CNN on Saturday that, There is no evidence because the election hasnt occurred yet, adding that, This is not far-fetched. Election fraud has been a concern for a very long time.

A concern is one way to put it; a demonstrably absurd conspiracy theory is another. There is simply no evidence that U.S. voter fraud exists on any meaningful scale, let alone actually influences elections. Instead, all reasonable evidence invalidates Trumps view  which, bolstered by supporters like Sean Hannity, is more likely aimed at delegitimizing a Clinton victory before it happens, rather than expressing actual concern over otherwise inconsequential voting irregularities.

Indeed, now there might not just be scores of Americans who will take Trump at his word and end up believing that any Clinton victory is illegal, there might be Trump supporters illegally observing the polls on election day, directly empowered by the Trump campaign to look for ways to help prevent a rigged Clinton victory.

This post has been updated to incorporate The Guardians reporting on state election laws regarding poll watchers.
good

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i'm so excited for this

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oui

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lmao at the tweets. i love drunk history tbh

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this will be GREAT

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i love drunk history so much. when does the new season start?

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this'll be fun

lol i had JUST opened a tab to make a postthis'll be fun

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He's so cute here (TO ME), that I'm starting to question my taste in men, and my taste in general.



Edited at 2016-08-13 01:13 am (UTC)

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we can have bad taste together!

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this gif makes me want Lin the Villain soooooo badly

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Lmao I was surprised someone had beaten you to it! ;)

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Drunk History is so much fun, looking forward to this.

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I love Alia so much!

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Alia is so pretty.

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people are actually drunk on this show? ive only seen bits and pieces and the people on there just seem like they are (terribly) fake acting drunk.

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The person telling the story is always drunk, not sure about the actual actors though.

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i've only ever seen one where i doubted his drunkenness. the producers are always adamant that they all drink together and down a considerable amount of alcohol. i think sometimes drunk people just have an OTTness that can come off as fake sometimes idk.

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i love this one

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yes! they were so good at picking up jenny's giggles

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ita

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saaaaame

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"RIP these pigeons. let's do this. boink!"

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lol her giggles omg



this is so good. i need to watch more

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I love the Jen Kirkman ep when she talks about Peggy Shippen



i'm ridiculously excited for this.

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tony hale is alway great lip syncing on this show

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this fucking creep

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yikes

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Expose him!

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oh...oh nooo, this just jumped up a hell of a lot on the not okay meter....

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lbr, this isn't just not okay, this is actually straight scary.

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agreed, this puts him in predator territory



I mean, when I was 22, I was getting ready to graduate from college. The idea of dating a HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR...

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Lionel come gather your child tf



but nicole was a wild teen so this is probably nothing to this family smh

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That's what I'm thinking. She's got pretty much a free pass thanks to Nicole

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Her older sister is Nicole Richie, we probably shouldn't be too surprised that she's flying around the world with Justin Bieber.

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mte

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Oh god, back in my days of not obsessively following the rules, I could never lick the remnants of coke. Couldn't stand the taste. Ick!

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nasty, someone save her.

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at least his girlfriend of the week got to go to japan for free so good for her. otherwise, lol, gross.

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when i was 16 i dated a 20 year old(and now looking back i don't understand how my parents let that fly because i will raise hell if my daughter ever even tries to pull that bullshit) and then when i was 18 i went on a vacation with my boyfriend(he was 21) who i'd been with for about 6 months. though i did wind up marrying that one!

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that's really shitty i'm sorry you went through that :(



i only dated the guy for a very short period of time thank god.

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I feel like so many girls have a story about dating a creeper in their 20s when they were underage

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when I was 16 my mom would let me hang out with the like 23 year old men from church idk why she let me. i wish she didnt.





it didn't help that our church encouraged it. Though I was lowkey convinced that they were pushing the undocumented men towards us more to marry. it was shady as fuck.

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smh

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1. Run Sofia!



2. Are those comments from Hailey real? If so,





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I love the irony of him releasing this song

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Really, it was only a matter of time before Beiber began to slowly transform into David Wooderson.

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it ain't right when only one of you can legally drink alcohol imo

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ia..or buy a lottery ticket lol

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or vote (but we know justin probably doesnt do that)

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Local leaders called for a comprehensive solution to gun violence in Milwaukee during a recent conversation exploring strategies to combat the issue. The solution, they said, must address the root causes of violence.

"You cant police your way out of this. More police does not reduce hopelessness; more police does not reduce disparities. That happens through jobs, through less incarceration and through education," said Willie Brisco, president of Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH).

The group gathered as part of a project by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Urban Institute and the Joyce Foundation, and included representatives from the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), Wisconsin Department of Justice, Milwaukee County District Attorneys office, Running Rebels, the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the Bradley Foundation.

The projects goal is to give voice to communities hit hard by gun violence and look at the issue in a holistic way, according to Spencer Overton, president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

The recent discussion, hosted at Bader Philanthropies, followed an earlier meeting in November. Leaders focused on recommendations from the previous meeting and a national survey on gun violence and perceptions of law enforcement.

Those recommendations included reducing access to guns, improving police-community relations, providing resources to affected areas and individuals and increasing collaboration among organizations working to combat violence. Community conversations in Richmond, Virginia, and Stockton, California, also factored in.

Reggie Moore, director of the City of Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), praised the work that has been done. However, he said those recommendations need to be "part of a bigger strategy" and stressed the need to develop a comprehensive, citywide anti-violence plan. He said OVP will begin to develop that plan by asking for feedback from the community, particularly those affected by violence.

The numbers

The Joyce Foundation commissioned a nationwide survey by the Beneson Strategy Group to better understand the views of gun violence in communities of color. It was also designed to gauge reaction to possible solutions and gain insight into the gun violence, policing and mass incarceration.

"We are in the midst of a national conversation in this country around policing, and the criminal justice system, and gun violence  and I think this research really should help inform that national conversation," said Nina Vinik, program director of the Joyce Foundations Gun Violence Prevention Program.

Vinik added that the findings create an opportunity for "nontraditional allies and partners to join together to address these issues more comprehensively."

She said the survey, which was released in April, showed that African-Americans and Hispanics experience these issues personally. Most have a personal connection to someone who has been sent to jail, prison or another correctional facility, and young people are disproportionately affected.

Fifty-seven percent of African-Americans and 45 percent of Hispanics believe that most Americans dont care about the gun violence affecting communities of color. Those numbers were even higher among 18- to 29-year-olds. High percentages of both groups expressed concern about interactions between police and young men of color. Only 47 percent of black people agreed that an individual wont have problems with police if following the law.

Despite those concerns, the survey showed that only 8 percent of African-Americans and 4 percent of Hispanics said police make their community less safe, a finding questioned by Zeynab Ali, a former City of Milwaukee Youth Council representative and founder of Inspirational Impact.

"It just didnt make sense that African-Americans  didnt feel uncomfortable with the police being present in their neighborhoods," said Ali. She said that number would be much higher if youth in Milwaukee were surveyed.

The survey sample, which Vinik said was meant to be "nationally representative," included a large number of people from non-urban areas. Less than 40 percent of African-Americans and less than 30 percent of Hispanics surveyed earned less than $40,000 a year. Six out of 10 African-Americans surveyed were women.

"I think it probably wouldve been a little bit better if it wouldve been more focused on specific neighborhoods that were most impacted," said Alan Schultz, a co-chair of Community Uprise at UWM and a member of Ex-Prisoners Organizing.

The local picture

Milwaukees poverty rate of 29 percent is almost twice the national average. Almost 40 percent of the citys black population and more than 31 percent of Hispanics live in poverty. In 2015, there were 145 homicides and 633 non-fatal shootings, according to data from the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission. Violence rates were highest among those two groups.

Vinik said concentrated poverty is a leading risk factor for violence.

Because of that, Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal said there needs to be a more robust discussion about providing resources to those areas that are affected. He said the discussion should address the economic impact of fatal and non-fatal shootings, including the loss of productivity, unemployment and health care and other support costs.

"When you look at the economic impact of this, there should be some political will to get things done," Royal said.

Mallory OBrien, founding director of the Homicide Review Commission, said tracking data has helped significantly reduce homicides citywide. The commission has developed recommendations and strategies to prevent violence, including mediation and intervention in communities and consistent programming for youth.

Similar strategies have worked elsewhere, including Gary, Indiana, where homicide rates and non-fatal shooting rates are down.

The president of Bader Philanthropies urged those at the meeting to work together to solve larger issues. Dan Bader said he hopes philanthropic resources will be better targeted and "aligned" moving forward.

Moore said increased philanthropic funding will be beneficial but he added that the public sector  the city, state and county  "has to step up." "There has to be an equitable balance to what were investing in prevention versus enforcement," he said.

In 2016, MPD accounted for 45 percent of the citys $615 million proposed budget.

"We cant put $50,000 into this and expect a population-level change that we want to see in this community," he said. "There has to be a significant shift in resources."

Mayor Tom Barretts office did not respond to a request for comment.

"We didnt get into this overnight and were not going to get out of it overnight," said Brisco. "Its going to take some time, and its going to take work."

Ali said, "I think its just a matter of us taking action."
It is an election year and I am a political junkie. Therefore my inbox runneth over with political emails. Recently I've received numerous such emails (from avowedly "progressive" organizations) alerting me to US Senator Elizabeth Warren's latest hobbyhorse. "Election Day should be a holiday," says the Massachusetts Democrat, "so no one has to choose between a paycheck and a vote."

How exciting! A new "birther" controversy motoring over the horizon in our direction! Senator Warren passed on a presidential run this year but enjoyed considerable buzz and may well reconsider in 2020 or 2024. So I'd like to see her birth certificate -- long form, please -- with a view toward contesting her eligibility. She's obviously not from this country, and probably not even from this planet.

The federal government recognizes ten holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, Inauguration Day (in years following presidential elections), Washington's birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

How many of those do you get off work?

Unless you're a government employee (or work for a bank), the answer is almost certainly "not all of them." And the further down the income and prestige scales your job is, the more likely the answer is "only a few of them, and usually without pay."

Senator Warren would presumably know this if she was from, or lived in, or even spent much time visiting, the United States.

Surely she would have, at one point or another, shopped at Wal-Mart, or eaten at McDonald's, or taken in a film (most theaters are open EVERY day, Christmas being the busiest day of the year in the movie business), or traveled by air, or hailed a taxi, on a holiday.

And when she did any of those things, how could she conceivably have avoided noticing the people who make it possible for her to do those things? You know, the workers whose job title isn't "US Senator?"

Warren's proposal wouldn't it make it any easier to vote for anyone who has a hard time voting now. The people who have a hard time voting are the people who don't get new government holidays off work with pay just because a light bulb comes on in Elizabeth Warren's head.

Early voting makes voting easier. Relaxed rules for absentee voting make voting easier. Voting by mail makes voting easier. Turning "Election Day" into two full days, 48 hours from midnight Friday night to midnight Sunday night, would make voting easier.

Calling for Election Day to be made a federal holiday, on the other hand, just gives people good reason to wonder if perhaps US Senator Elizabeth Warren is proof of extra-terrestrial life. And disproof of extra-terrestrial intelligence.
Reprinted from Smirking Chimp

I'm sick of the so-called "news" in this country.

If you turn on MSNBC or CNN any morning, all you'll hear is the hosts and guests arguing about the latest absurd thing that Donald Trump has said.

On Monday, Trump laid out his economic plan, but the media ignored the details and the fact that his plan is Voodoo Economics 2.0, and they instead focused on the fact that he called Hillary Clinton unfit to serve as president.

On Tuesday, the networks focused on the fact that dozens of establishment Republicans and national security advisers had signed a letter calling Trump dangerous, but, again, never mentioned issues, just personality.

By Wednesday, Trump had broken new ground by apparently encouraging "2nd amendment people" to assassinate Hillary Clinton or her Supreme Court nominees.

And today, if you were to turn on any of the 24-hour stations you'd know that Trump declared last night that Obama literally founded ISIS.

Honestly, it doesn't matter what day of the week or what time of day a person tunes into the 24-hour news networks, he or she can always find out the latest vapid and boorish insult that's spewed from Trump's lips.

The problem is... it isn't news!

It's nothing but pure infotainment.

The corporate commercial networks are much, much happier presenting personal drama in the form of packaged infotainment and faux outrage rather than any sort of programming in the public interest.

This isn't just me saying this either, I've put this challenge to my radio listeners for the past several weeks: If any listener or reader can find a moment where CNN or MSNBC has hosted a real substantive policy discussion on any significant issue, we'll reward that listener or reader with a copy of one of my books of their choosing.

So, how many books have we given away?

Zero, zilch, none.

It's not because the candidates aren't saying things that are worth serious discussion, it's because the so-called "news" refuses to cover those things.

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This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

Reprinted from Consortium News



Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking with supporters at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona, March 21, 2016.

(Image by (Photo by Gage Skidmore)) Details DMCA



Perhaps former CIA acting director Michael Morell's shamefully provocative rhetoric toward Russia and Iran will prove too unhinged even for Hillary Clinton. It appears equally likely that it will succeed in earning him a senior job in a possible Clinton administration, so it behooves us to have a closer look at Morell's record.

My initial reaction of disbelief and anger was the same as that of my VIPS colleague, Larry Johnson, and the points Larry made about Morell's behavior in the Benghazi caper, Iran, Syria, needlessly baiting nuclear-armed Russia, and how to put a "scare" into Bashar al-Assad give ample support to Larry's characterization of Morell's comments as "reckless and vapid." What follows is an attempt to round out the picture on the ambitious 57-year-old Morell.

I suppose we need to start with Morell telling PBS/CBS interviewer Charlie Rose on Aug. 8 that he (Morell) wanted to "make the Iranians pay a price in Syria ... make the Russians pay a price in Syria."

Rose: "We make them pay the price by killing Russians?"

Morell: "Yeah."

Rose: "And killing Iranians?"

Morell: "Yes ... You don't tell the world about it. ... But you make sure they know it in Moscow and Tehran."

You might ask what excellent adventure earned Morell his latest appearance with Charlie Rose? It was a highly unusual Aug. 5 New York Times op-ed titled "I ran the C.I.A. Now I'm Endorsing Hillary Clinton."

Peabody award winner Rose -- having made no secret of how much he admires the glib, smooth-talking Morell -- performed true to form. Indeed, he has interviewed him every other month, on average, over the past two years, while Morell has been a national security analyst for CBS.

This interview , though, is a must for those interested in gauging the caliber of bureaucrats who have bubbled to the top of the CIA since the disastrous tenure of George Tenet (sorry, the interview goes on and on for 46 minutes).

A Heavy Duty

Such interviews are a burden for unreconstructed, fact-based analysts of the old school. In a word, they are required to watch them, just as they must plow through the turgid prose of "tell-it-all" memoirs. But due diligence can sometimes harvest an occasional grain of wheat among the chaff.



President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney receive an Oval Office briefing from CIA Director George Tenet. Also present is Chief of Staff Andy Card (on right).

(Image by (White House photo)) Details DMCA



For example, George W. Bush's memoir, Decision Points, included a passage the former president seems to have written himself. Was Bush relieved to learn, just 15 months before he left office, the "high-confidence," unanimous judgment of the U.S. intelligence community that Iran had stopped working on a nuclear weapon in 2003 and had not resumed work on such weapons? No way!

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Quetta hospital bomb blast, killing more than 90 people, is the latest grim reminder to the ceaseless violence in Pakistan's strife-torn volatile province of Balochistan.

The deafening blast that ripped through scores of mourners in a Quetta hospital on Monday (August 8) has killed at least 93 people, mainly lawyers, in this year's bloodiest terror attack in Pakistan.

The massive explosion occurred when nearly 100 lawyers and some journalists reached the Civil Hospital with the body of Bilal Anwar Kasi, president of the Balochistan Bar Association, who was killed earlier.

Lawyers have been targeted several times in recent months in Balochistan. One lawyer, Jahanzeb Alvi, was shot dead on August 3. Bilal Kasi, who himself was shot dead on August 8, had condemned Alvi's murder and announced a two-day boycott of courts. The principal of University of Balochistan's law college, Barrister Amanullah Achakzai, was also shot dead by unknown assailants in June.

Balochistan has experienced targeted killings and disappearance of Balochis by security forces for more than a decade. Pakistan's largest province by area, Balochistan is home to a low-level insurgency. Further complicating this chaotic scenario is a horrific campaign of murders against minority Shiite Muslims by Islamic fundamentalist Sunnis, particularly in and around the provincial capital city of Quetta, as well as a flurry of attacks on ethnic Hazaras.

Ironically, a Pakistani Taliban faction and the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have both claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide attack.

"The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ur-Ahrar takes responsibility for this attack, and pledges to continue carrying out such attacks. We will release a video report on this soon," the group's spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said in an email, according to Al Jazeera, which also quoted ISIL's Amaq website as saying: "A martyr from the Islamic State [of Iraq and the Levant] detonated his explosive belt at a gathering of justice ministry employees and Pakistani policemen in the city of Quetta."

However, Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri blamed the Indian intelligence agency RAW, saying it was responsible for incidents of terror in Quetta.

The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has called for a United Nations (UN) probe into the planned killings of lawyers, through suicide attacks and targeted killings, in Balochistan, "where the state has been conducting operations for the past 14 years and where there are thousands of cases of arbitrary arrests, disappearances and extra-judicial killings."

In a statement, the AHRC said it is not possible that the government of Pakistan can have an impartial and transparent inquiry into the incidents as it is itself a party in the violations of human rights. "There have been more than two inquiry commissions that were formed in order to probe the enforced disappearances. The commissions completed their work in 2014 but the reports have still not been made public and it appears that the government does not have any intention to release them."

Tellingly, in January 2016, the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) said that approximately 463 people were forcefully disappeared while 157 mutilated bodies were found from Balochistan in 2015. Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman of VBMP, told a Press Conference at Quetta Press Club, "The VBMPS report is comprised on documents received from missing persons' families, Human Rights Organization and political parties." Voice for Baloch Missing Persons is a human-rights organization representing the families of abducted Baloch persons all over Balochistan.

21,000 people have gone missing in Balochistan

According to Baloch activist Mama Qadeer, around 21,000 people have gone missing in Balochistan, adding that they had received 6,000 mutilated bodies to date. Qadeer was speaking at a press conference at Karachi Press Club on April 17, 2016. In January 2014, Mama Qadeer led a long march from Quetta to Islamabad to highlight the issue of missing persons and other atrocities by the army-led security forces against the Baloch people.

On July 26, 2016, a human-rights activist and the editor of a newspaper Abdul Wahid Baloch was taken away allegedly by the Pakistan security forces and his whereabouts are still unknown. The Baloch National Movement (BNM) organized a protest in Toronto, Canada, on July 31, 2016.

Baloch activists accuse the military of bombing entire villages in its attempt to hunt down alleged Baloch militant leaders. According to a BBC report of October 2015, one such military operation was conducted in Awaran district on 18 July 2015, when much of Pakistan was on Eid holiday at the end of Ramadan. The target for the aerial bombardment was Dr Allah Nazar, the chief of the Balochistan Liberation Front group. The military believes he was killed in the attack. "The operation was unannounced and indiscriminate," points out Bibi Gul, a Baloch human-rights activist. "Women and children were killed and thousands left the area. The army cordoned off the entire area. For nearly a month, people weren't allowed to go there to pick up the dead bodies."

On Sept 12, 2013, the Dawn, a leading English newspaper, reported that over the past three years almost 600 mutilated bodies -- more victims of the war between the state of Pakistan and the separatists -- have been found in Balochistan, citing documents from the home and tribal affairs department of the province.

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This is a reprint from NewsBred.

The first thing that comes to your mind is that it's so disproportionate.

The massive Dalit uprising on Una flogging in Gujarat is way out of size. Mayawati, Rahul Gandhi and others making a beeline is so fiendish given how dalits have suffered under the regimes of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress all these years.

Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi coming out in open, for two days in succession against cow vigilantes, offering himself to be shot rather than be those unfortunate ones in the name of cow protection, was so grossly unnecessary. Sure, Dalits are as important to BJP as they are to BSP or Congress in view of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab next year. But a sense of proportion is the first sign of a mature democracy.

On the face of it, people who commit crime should be punished. It ought to be a matter of law and order. A criminal act committed "for" and "against" is a matter between "for" and "against." You and I might have our opinions but every Hindu isn't looking for a cow-killer as every Dalit isn't killing cow in his shed.

Yet, our media is forcing us to take positions. A position of pro or anti cow- protection. Like they did with the "tolerance" and "intolerance" debate. Like they did with the "pro" or "anti" Kanhaiya Lal. Like they did with "pro" or "anti" Burhan Wani. They want us to be divided, polarized. That India remain weak. They dread a strong, resurgent India.

That there are Muslims trying to save cows is glossed over. That not all cow-vigilantes are Hindus is brushed aside. I ask you: where's cow-protection or cow-slaughter in your day-to-day life in terms of priority? I dare say nowhere in your top 100. If it was, cows won't be having plastics on the streets.

Who are these media? A Google search on "dalit and cow vigilantes" showed up the usual culprits: Indian Express, Newsweek, Washington Post, Independent, Guardian, Huffington Post and New York Times Or NDTV and ABP in video search. Try it for yourself !!! It does mark them as "activist" media. Hand-in-gloves. Don't give me the sh*t that it's human lives that bothers them. All they want is a divided, polarized and thus a WEAK INDIA. This Lutyens Media is setting the agenda to bring India on to its knees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a stunning remark the other day. "Some people want me to answer everything," adding that it frees up those officials who are required to act on the matter. He also wanted himself to be shot than those who are being hounded in the name of cow-protection. A la Mahatama Gandhi. As far as I know, there are no Op-Eds being written on PM's bleeding heart. Instead, all we find are three-column stories on how "fake" these sentiments are. T here is no benefit of doubts given to our legally elected Prime Minister who continues to enjoy massive support of 74% in the country.

The Prime Minister's reaction is extraordinary. As is the response in support by the parent body of BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). They have decided to dare anyone who is doing crime in the name of cow-protection. They are willing to alienate their own source of strength. They are willing to take on their conventional base of supporters. They are willing to be seen as deviating from the so-called Hindutva agenda. And all this, if you believe this partisan media, only in the name of securing Dalit votes in assembly elections next year. As if BJP and RSS haven't heard of the logic: "A bird in hand is better than two in the bush."

Yes, Modi's past track record has the infamous 2002 Gujarat riots. But in 14 years of his rule in Gujarat, that was the only communal riot. He continues to speak the language of "sabka saath, sabka vikas." If the man continues on his journey, the economic and political outreach aside, his social engagement would be the biggest legacy of his tenure. He would have elevated the narrow Hindutva agenda to include all Indians and that's never happened in India ever, neither under British nor under despicable Congress rule. His radical social policies have far more substance than the impotent rhetoric of Congress or left. It's on par with latrines for girls, toilets and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Modi hasn't deviated from his developmental stance. He, more than any other political leader in India, understands the new aspirational India. He won the 2014 elections on development agenda and he isn't going to deviate from his goal. His is the most corruption-free government ever in India. Period. And the reforms his government has introduced, including GST, are unmatched by any other.

Not yet half-way through his five-year mandate, Modi has so far been statesman-like. He hasn't indulged in below-the-belt hits of a Rahul Gandhi or Arvind Kejriwal. Nor has he fallen to the bait of Lutyens Media, which has long been under control of Congress-left, if not funded by imperialistic West and their think tanks or NGOs.

Now what is left for us to do? I suggest vigilantism. Let's keep India First as our guiding principle without falling into the polarization trap. India has many ills and drawbacks but the solution lies in reaching out, rather than taking a hardened, divisive stance. Put a hand on your heart and tell me if you don't have a good Hindu or Muslim friend. Let media ignore what good Muslims do for Hindus or the latter for Dalits and vice-versa. Let's build on warmth which you and I have for people of other community. Don't let our treasonous media poison our hearts.

And certainly not about our elected Prime Minister. Let him complete his term. Let the voters judge his performance. He would be in or out as the masses perceive. That's democracy anyway. But let's not make it a poisoned chalice for him. Let's not work overtime to bring him down. Let not our biases and prejudices come in the way of a glorious India of tomorrow.

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Reprinted from Campaign For America's Future

This week, a policy debate threatened to break out in the presidential campaign. Amid the insults ("crooked Hillary," "unfit Trump"), purblind lunacy and rolling scandals, invented and real, the two presidential candidates traveled to Michigan to lay out contrasting plans for the economy.

The moment was quickly lost in the din over Republican candidate Donald Trump's latest idiocy ("Barack Hussein Obama is the founder of ISIS). But the two speeches (Hillary Clinton here; Donald Trump here) did give an indication of how the establishment economic consensus is beginning to crack, and where the two candidates truly divide.

Taking On the Rigged Global Economy

Most of the commentary focused on the traditional contrast between the candidates: Trump embracing Republican gospel of tax cuts for the rich and corporations; Clinton for raising taxes on the rich and lifting the floor under workers. But what is more interesting is how the two candidates are moving to challenge the old, failed, bipartisan "Washington consensus."

Both candidates now trumpet their opposition to the bipartisan trade policies of the last decades. Trump's assault on our "lousy trade deals" is the centerpiece of his appeal to working people. He promises to renegotiate NAFTA or tear it up, to crack down on China's currency manipulation and mercantilist policies, and, of course, to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that President Obama continues to promote. Trump's alternative, naturally, is that he'll negotiate better deals -- whether these are better deals for global corporations or for workers is less than clear. He indicts Clinton for championing the old deals in office, while criticizing them on the campaign trail.

Under pressure from Sanders in the primary and Trump in the general, Clinton restated her opposition to the TPP deal that she had championed while secretary of state: "I oppose it now. I'll oppose it after the election, and I'll oppose it as president."

She called for a new trade policy, beginning with a special trade prosecutor to crack down on trade violations, and promising to levy penalties on companies that move their headquarters abroad. Carefully attuned to polling data, Clinton touts the benefits of trade, innovation, and investment in education and training so Americans can compete. She has yet to detail what her alternative strategy would be.

But both candidates for president now stand in opposition to the establishment consensus. The editors of The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, fretting about the rising tide of "protectionism," rebuked Trump and Clinton respectively. The old "Washington consensus" is beginning to crack.

Public Investment Over Austerity

Both candidates now support large-scale public investment as a source of jobs, economic growth and increased productivity.

Clinton promises to pass the "biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II," calling for spending $275 billion over five years to rebuild our infrastructure plus an "infrastructure bank" that can mobilize private capital into public works investment. Trump says that her program is too small and he'd double it.

Both break from the austerity budgets of the last years that bear much of the blame for the slow recovery.

Tax and Spend vs. Tax Cut and Spend

Trump, the self-proclaimed "king of debt," isn't worried about increasing deficits and debt. He calls for massive tax breaks along with public investment in infrastructure and the military. He argues that these imperatives are more important than deficits, and that the resulting growth will pay for them in the long run.

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From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
Ahead of Ghanas December 7, general election, a joint high-level mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) has ended a three-day meeting in Accra.



The Mission comprised senior officials from the three institutions: Marcel Alain de Souza, the President of the ECOWAS Commission and Mrs Halima Ahmed, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.



The rest were Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs and Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel.



Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Dr Ibn Chambas noted that the principal objective of the joint mission was to contribute in sustaining democratic governance in Ghana.



Dr Ibn Chambas said the Mission sought to reiterate the strong support of the international community for peaceful, transparent, and credible elections, develop an understanding of the perspectives of Ghanaian stakeholders on key issues and development ahead of the polls.



The rest are to assess the risks of election-related violence and urge for a peaceful electoral process, to explore options to further support dialogue and consensus by stakeholders on critical issues, as well as gather agreement on all sides for the organisation of a peaceful summit, which culminates in the signing of a Peace Accord as a reaffirmation of the peace consensus.



He said, in the course of the mission, consultations were held with the Chief Justice, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Minister of the Interior, in the presence of the Inspector General of Police, senior leadership of political parties, the Electoral Commission, the National Peace Council, religious leaders, civil society organisations and media associations.



He said the joint Mission obtained an expression of commitment from the political parties to sign a Code of Conduct ahead of the December elections; which is similar to the 2012 Kumasi Declaration.



Dr Ibn Chambas explained that signing the agreement would cement their commitment to peace, before, during and after the elections.



He said, this would send a good signal to Ghanaians about their intention to protect the nation's democracy, their respect for human rights and the cultivation of peace.



He said the Mission was satisfied that the stakeholders were able to use legal channels to address their concerns regarding the voters register; as a result there was a general consensus that could be used for the general election.



He said as the official campaign is being launched, the Mission expresses the hope that all political parties would invest in the civic education of the population.



He said in particular, the Mission noted the importance of increased participation of women and youth in the electoral process.



Dr Ibn Chambas stated that the Mission advises politicians to avoid inflammatory rhetoric in their declarations, which could incite violence, and instead, focus on issues-based campaigning.



He said the joint Mission was proof of the international communitys solidarity with Ghana, a country with a strong and rich democratic heritage.



The ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN are optimistic that through the efforts of all, Ghana will solidify its democratic credentials and consolidate its well-earned status as a model for credible elections and democratic governance," he said.

Source: GNA









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Former Chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Albert Kan Dapaah has stated that laws do not work properly in the country and that unscrupulous politicians and civil servants found culpable of stealing from State coffers are left unpunished.



Instead of culprits to serve as a deterrent to others, he observed that they rather hailed by the citizenry themselves whose money they have reportedly dissipated.



He said this has partly been so because Ghana lacks the culture of sanctioning people who steal from state coffers.According to him, the country over looks corrupt cases unlike the Western world where perpetrators are punished to serve as deterrent to others.



Juxtaposing Ghana to Western countries, he explained that systems work in the latter and that people who steal from state coffers walk on streets without being questioned.



The laws in the country do not work, even if the person is found culpable of a crime, we set them free, there are two politicians whose names come up when we mention corruption, Nigerias former President Sani Abacha and former president of Democratic Republic of Congo Mobutu Sese Seko, do you think that if Abacha or Mobutu were to be presidents of America, they would have stolen state monies, they wouldnt have dared. Their structures work, there is no way you can steal monies, the systems do not create rooms for corruption, he said.



The Consultant to the Financial Accountability and Transparency Africa, observed that one would not even dare to cross road when the red signal peeps.



If you are caught without the presence of a police, you will be dealt with, the money that you will be fined is even more than the vehicle you are driving, he said.



Speaking on Abusua FMs Abusua Nkommo hosted by Kwame Adinkrah, the Former Minister of Defence wondered why people who have been accused of corruption have not been sent to court.



None of the names Auditor General have proposed to be dealt with by the law have been asked to face the full rigours of the law, they are walking freely on the streets, the former Member of Parliament (MP) Afigya Sekyere West constituency said.

Source: ultimatefmonline









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Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


Credit: National Research Nuclear University

Researchers of MEPhI (Russia), the University of Rostock (Germany) and the University of Pisa (Italy) suggest a new method for generating extremely strong magnetic fields of several giga-Gauss in the lab. Currently available techniques produce fields of one order of magnitude less than the new method. In nature, such superstrong fields exist only in the space. Therefore, generation of such fields in laboratory conditions provides new opportunities for the modeling of astrophysical processes. The results will contribute to the new research field of laboratory astrophysics.

The Faraday effect has been known for a long time. It refers to the polarization plane of an electromagnetic wave propagating through a non-magnetic medium, which is rotating in the presence of a constant magnetic field. There is also an inverse process of the generation of a magnetic field during the propagation of a circularly polarized wave through a crystal or plasma. It was considered theoretically in the 1960s by Soviet theorist Lew Pitaevsky, a famous representative of Landau's school. The stronger the wave, the higher the magnetic field it can generate when propagating through a medium. However, a peculiarity of the effect is that it requires absorption for its very existenceit does not occur in entirely transparent media. In highly intense electromagnetic fields, electrons become ultrarelativistic, which considerably reduces their collisions, suppressing conventional absorption. The researchers demonstrate that at very high laser wave intensities, the absorption can be effectively provided by radiation friction instead of binary collisions. This specific friction leads to the generation of a superstrong magnetic field.

According to physicist Sergey Popruzhenko, it will be possible to check the calculations in the near future. Several new laser facilities of record power will be completed in the next several years. Three such lasers are now under construction within the European project Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) in the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary. The Exawatt Center for Extreme Light Studies  XCELS is under the development at the Applied Physics Institute RAS at Nizhny Novgorod. These laser facilities will be capable of the intensities required for the generation of superstrong magnetic fields due to radiation friction and also for the observation of many other fundamental strong-field effects.

Explore further The role of magnetic fields in star formation

More information: T V Liseykina et al. Inverse Faraday effect driven by radiation friction, New Journal of Physics (2016). Journal information: New Journal of Physics T V Liseykina et al. Inverse Faraday effect driven by radiation friction,(2016). DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/18/7/072001
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A key vote in alignment with Democrats in December was a factor in receiving the endorsement of New York State United Teachers, said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro.

One-hundred-eightyone Democrats and 178 Republicans voted in favor of Every Student Deserves Success Act, which reauthorized federal funding for elementary and secondary education and provided states with more flexibility on standardized testing.

Sixtyfour Republicans and no Democrats voted against it.

I think its a testament to my prioritizing of education issues, Stefanik said in a telephone interview on Friday, regarding the endorsement NYSUT announced Thursday.

I got a lot of positive feedback from teachers in the room when I did the regional interview, Stefanik said. Many of them Ive gotten to know through visits to their schools or meetings with NYSUT.

Stefanik is running in the 21st Congressional District against Democrat Mike Derrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, in Clinton County, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls.

In other campaign news, Stefanik said she is looking forward to competing in the Washington County Fair political celebrity cowmilking contest at 6 p.m. Aug. 26.

Im looking forward to a rematch with (state Assemblyman) Dan Stec, she said.

Stefanik confirmed that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., will visit Saratoga Springs later this month to headline a fund-raising reception for her campaign.

Yes, he will be, she said.
QUEENSBURY  Herb Koster of Queensbury and Vero Beach, Florida, died Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 at the age of 86. He retired after 23 years of federal government service in January 1994. Earlier in his career he was an on-air broadcaster in radio and television from 1947 to 1967.

Koster was born Aug. 13, 1929 in New York City, the oldest son of Henry and Marie (Nordmann) Koster. He attended Hartsdale Junior High School and graduated from Groton High School, Yonkers, in 1947 and the SUNY College at Cortland, in 1951.

Koster was appointed deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Commerce in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. In that role he was instrumental in the management of the New York State Exhibit at EXPO 67 in Montreal, the preparation of successful Olympic bid material for Lake Placid for the 1980 Winter Games and management of all tourism and economic development programs for the state.

In 1969 he started his federal career as director of public affairs for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Subsequently, he became director of public affairs for the General Services Administration, The Voice of America (where he won several distinguished awards for his service), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. As the first public affairs director for the bi-partisan Federal Election Commission in 1974, he established all of the information programs for federal candidates and their committee; the then newly established election law.

After managing the late Congressman Jerry Solomons (R-NY) initial successful campaign in 1978, Koster became the congressmens executive assistant. In 1980 he became director of government affairs for the Miller Brewing Company. Earlier, he also served as Director of University Affairs for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Koster returned to serve Rep. Solomon in 1992 as his chief of staff until his retirement in 1994. He managed the congressmans successful campaigns in 92, 94 and 96.

His earlier career in broadcasting began at WKRT AM  FM in Cortland, in 1947 while attending SUNY College at Cortland. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1950 and went on active duty in January 1953. He served in the Far East Command (Korea and Japan) during the Korean War. Because of his prior broadcasting experience and after his service in the infantry, he was selected by the Far East Network of Armed Forces Radio as a broadcaster in Tokyo, broadcasting to the United Nations and troops in the field. He served under Captain George Kennedy (famed actor) from whom he received a special commendation for his services. Koster, who had attained the rank of staff sergeant then received a direct commission as second lieutenant. He was awarded the National Defense, United Nations and Korean Campaign medals. Returning stateside, Koster served in the U.S. Army Reserve as aide-de-camp to Major General Cooper B. Rhodes and Major General Laddie Stahl, both commanding generals of the 98th Iroquois Division of upstate New York. He retired from the active Army Reserve in 1968 with the rank of captain.

After returning from overseas in 1955, Koster joined KWKH Radio, a 50,000 Watt CBS station in Shreveport, Louisiana as a staff and news announcer. In June 1955 The General Electric Stations, WGY and WRGB-TV, Schenectady, invited Koster to join their staff. He performed on both radio and television specializing in news, weather and sports, including play-by-play of the annual Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown, and the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He hosted the live weekly Teen Age Barn talent show and was the regular announcer for Tobns First Prize products. In 1963, he joined KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as news anchorman. When Westinghouse Group W created a news bureau in the Pennsylvania State capital he was appointed as its first director. There he covered Gov. William Scrantons presidential bid in 1964 and the Pennsylvania governors race in 1966. He went back to Pittsburg to become a news anchorman for WIIC-TV, Channel 11, NBC until he returned to New York State at the invitation of Gov. Rockefeller.

His late wife Shirley, the former Shirley Kile of Ellenville, New York, pre-deceased him in 1988 after 37 years of marriage. He maintained a home for over 50 years in the Town of Northampton, Fulton County, New York. He was active in the Republican Party there serving as a committeeman and Chairman of the town GOP. He was also a member of the Fulton County Republican Executive Committee. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and he strongly supported the constitutional right to bear arms.

He was an active member of the American Legion in Florida, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Military Officers Association of America and actively supported national veterans projects such as the proposed Flag Amendment. He also was a member of the President Ronald Reagan Alumni Association. Earlier, he had been a member of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., The Congressional Staff Association in the U.S. Capital, The Pennsylvania Correspondents Association in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, The Governors Club in New York State and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He was a founding Board member of the Gerald B. Solomon Freedom Foundation which supports scouting and other patriotic causes.

Koster had attended the First United Methodist Church in Northville, New York and the Living Lord Lutheran Church in Vero Beach, Florida.

Survivors include his wife, the former Darlene Fountain Livers of Northville, who he married on April 9, 1994 in Glens Falls; his three children, John of Gardnerville, Nevada and his wife, Heidi and their two daughters, Anna and Emily, Jeffrey of Deltona, Florida, and Jean Peterson and her husband, David and her two daughters, Kile and Jessica of Rome, New York, his son, James of Vero Beach, Florida predeceased him on Jan. 22, 2004. Arlene Koster of Clifton Park, the wife of his late brother, Fred who pre-deceased him on April 20, 2011; a cousin, Sylvia Weng of Spring Valley; and several nieces and nephews. In addition, he had four step-children, Karyn (Guy) Holappa of Hamilton, Massachusetts, Eric Livers of Glens Falls, Stephen Livers of Mayfield, and Nancy (Jay) Jablonski of New Market, New Hampshire; and five step-grandchildren, Keaton and Rachael Holappa, Andrew, Caroline, and Gregory Jablonski.

At the familys request there will be no calling hours or funeral service.

Family and friends are invited to a graveside service 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 20 in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Northville with military honors.

Donations in loving memory of Herb Koster can be made to the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation, 100 Park St., Glens Falls, NY 12801.

Arrangements are entrusted under the care of Northville Funeral Service, Northville and Baker Funeral Home, Queensbury.

Condolences may be sent to Northville Funeral Services Inc., 401 Bridge St, Northville, NY 12134 or through www.northvillefuneralservice.com.
GLENS FALLS  Democratic congressional challenger Mike Derrick drew distinctions between himself and incumbent Republican Elise Stefanik during the opening of his Glens Falls campaign office Saturday, calling her voting record an indictment of her leadership.

Derrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, in Clinton County, told the crowd at the first of three scheduled field office openings that he has a level of experience Stefanik lacks.

From experience flows wisdom and judgment, and thats a distinct difference between the two of us as candidates, he said.

His second salvo of criticisms addressed Stefaniks voting record.

She consistently votes against the best interests of the North Country, Derrick said. You can look in the category of education. You can look at infrastructure. You can look at womens issues. You can look at health care.

The list of bills Stefanik has voted for and against, Derrick said, would serve as an indictment of her tenure in office.

Derrick directed specific attention to the Zika virus crisis and Congress decision not to vote on appropriating funds to fight it before summer break.

Congress left town, he said. Elise Stefanik is a member of the majority in the Congress. They control the agenda. She is close to (House Speaker) Paul Ryan. She is influential in that body. They failed to do their job.

You can see I get a little fired up about it, he added. That is a failure to perform on the part of the U.S. Congress, and she must be held accountable.

Stefanik voted in May for the Zika Vector Control Act, a bill formerly known as the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, which rolls back environmental regulations on pesticide use and is positioned by Republicans as a way to fight the virus.

Holding a mailed press release from Stefanik that claimed she has led efforts to protect the districts natural treasures, Derrick instead offered a heavy critique of the congresswomans environmental record.

Im gonna get pissed off again, he said, to laughter from the audience.

He cited rankings from the League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy group, that gave Stefanik the second-lowest score of House representatives in the state for last year. (She is tied at 9 percent out of 100.)

Which is absolutely in opposition to what you read on this paper, Derrick said.

She consistently votes against our environment, and if we dont have our environment... we are going to lose that which sets us apart from the rest of the state, he said.

How can she vote to increase the amount of acid rain in this region and reverse the progress weve made? he asked. It is absolutely unconscionable.

The topic of education also occupied much of the office openings forum, with Derrick saying that increased education funding is needed because we cant afford to have our greatest export be our children.

Asked why he thought New York State United Teachers, the states largest teachers union, had endorsed Stefanik on Thursday, Derrick said he has great respect for both teachers and the union, but is unsure why the union chose Stefanik.

The campaign, according to a press release on Thursday, was set to open offices in Plattsburgh and Watertown later Saturday.

This is a first, Derrick said as began his opening address. Ive never opened an office before. So to have all of you come out and be here this morning, to kind of show the amount of interest and support we have in your community, is absolutely fantastic.












As its been reported by Russian media sources, on the night of August 8, two Ukrainian special forces squads attempted to breach Russias national border in the Crimea. This operation was organized by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, using armored vehicles to provided fire support to its operatives. Two Russian soldiers were killed in the firefight that followed, but Russian border guards managed to capture seven Ukrainian operatives alive.





Those operatives have already given incriminating testimonies, revealing that the goal of their operation was to carry out acts sabotage and terrorist attacks that were aimed at destabilizing the situation in the region during the pre-election period. To achieve this goal they were instructed to lay land mines on the Simferopol  Yalta highway to assassinate local elected officials who travel on this road often. The Ukrainian special forces squad carried a large number of weapons and explosives, media sources say.









Two days later, in anofficial statement, Russias President Vladimir Putin announced that Kiev would be better off seeking a peaceful solution to the situation in the Donbass region instead of trying to launch terrorist attacks in Russia.





According to Putin, both the EU and the US must take practical steps to hold Kiev authorities accountable, since the sponsors of the sitting Ukrainian government are to decide whether they want Kiev to commit criminal acts of aggression or engage in peaceful dialogue with the people of Donbass.





Its hardly a secret that Ukraine has long become a center for illegal arms trade, while various terrorist groups from various region of the world have been finding safe heavens in this deteriorating state. This fact has been openly admitted by Reuters .









It is noteworthy that it was the United States that became the largest arms supplier to Ukraine, notes the UAWire, adding the military equipment shipped to Kiev was worth 117.5 million dollars. This information has been confirmed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. It should be noted that back in November, when Barack Obama signed the US defense budget for 2016, he allowed for the shipment of up to 300 million dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine, if the administration deems it necessary. The list of possible deliveries included small weapons, munitions, drones, anti-tank weapons and mortars.





Looking at the mild reaction in Washington to these events, one cant help having the impression that the US decided to transform Ukraine in a sort of Afghanistan, while replacing Al-Qaeda it officially supported back in the Cold War days, with Nazi fighters today. Therefore, Kiev is actively encouraged to embark on various campaigns of state-sponsored terrorism which can possibly lead to more disastrous consequences.

































With tensions building between Ukraine and Russia, Radio Sputniks Loud & Clear speaks with defense correspondent for the Nation, Michael Klare, about what the changing relations mean to NATO. "I think for most people on both sides, some kind of stability is the ultimate objective," Klare tells Loud & Clear s Brian Becker, describing a recent incident on the Crimean peninsula in which two Russian soldiers were killed by what Russian President Vladimir Putin described as Ukrainian-sponsored "sabotage-terrorist groups."

"I dont know whos behind this, whether theres some rogue factions on both sides trying to provoke things, but I cant imagine that the political leaders in Ukraine and certainly not in Moscow want to see an escalation at this point." While its possible that the Ukrainian government is anticipating a Hillary Clinton presidency that will more aggressively court Kiev, Klare has his doubts.

This buildup largely uses a masquerade of "Russian aggression" to justify increased US defense spending. "I dont think its in Russias interest to heat up the conflict in Europe at this time. I think President Putin, as Ive said, is eager to mend fences with the West in order to have sanctions lifted and also to make progress on other fronts. "I do not believe that theres any serious prospect of Russia engaging in some kind of assault on the Baltic republics. That doesnt make sense to me."





























In a bid to stymie Chinese influence in the region, the Japanese government plans to deliver two patrol vessels to the Philippines, and provide surveillance aircraft. While Tokyo has its own dispute with Beijing over a series of islands in the East China Sea, it will also devote resources to the South China Sea, aiding Manila in its territorial dispute, by providing ships and aircraft.

"We are talking about big-sized, 90-meter long vessels," Masato Ohtaka, deputy foreign press secretary for Japans foreign ministry, told reporters .





Intelligence sources told the Washington Free Beacon earlier this week that Beijing has increased its number of security vessels around Scarborough Shoal, effectively crossing a "red line" set by the Obama administration.





"We are very concerned," Ohtaka said, adding that, "Its not getting better in the East China Sea."





Improved relations between Manila and Tokyo extend beyond military capabilities. Japan is discussing providing the Philippines with a $2.4 billion loan to create a new railway to ease traffic congestion in Manila. "This is one of the biggest projects Japan has ever embarked upon using the yen loan," Ohtaka said.
































IFS raised concerns about the levels of financing by the Bank of Ghana to government, which was as much as GHC1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2016.

They described the move as contrary to the IMFs condition of zero central bank financing in 2016.

If the central bank is to provide financing to the government, where does this leave the IMF programme? the think asked in a statement.

Government is required under the IMF-extended three year credit facility to undertake zero per cent financing of its budget from the central bank following the passage of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Amendment Bill. Contrary to this, however, the BoG Act requires that the central banks monetary financing must not exceed 10 per cent of the previous years total revenues. But, consistently, the BoG has not been able to keep to this limit.

The IMF will in the coming days engage the government on the status of the countrys programme with the fund. This was after Parliament voted to amend the existing Bank of Ghana law.

This will allow for government borrowing from the Central Bank of up to five per cent of previous years revenue.

But IFS is worried about the breach of the IMF conditions and the possible implications of the countrys future relationship with the IMF.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies also observed a large discrepancy of GH1.7 billion in the January to May 2016 fiscal data provided by the government.
Kennedy Agyapong, a couple of weeks ago, suggested that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei traded sex for the electoral commission job, drawing criticism from members of the general public.'

Nana Akomea said the party found the comments as Unfortunate and regrettable.

Kennedy Agyapong this week, said, his comments were meant as a joke, and not a serious accusation. Speaking on Adom FM, he said he was not expecting the media to hype it as it was done.

Mr Akomea says, contrary to public belief that the NPP did not call the Assin Central MP to order, the NPP reprimanded the MP for the comments. There is no doubt this comment against women is terribly unfortunate, he said.

Speaking on News File, Nana Akomea said, The party has engaged him [Mr Agyepong] in the matter and the party has urged him to do the honourable thing,
The facility, which is expected to be completed in 2016, will comprise shops, banks, hospitals and schools.

The necessary funds has been provided to the contractors with them affirming that the completion and handing over of the project to government will be done by August.

The market project is being constructed by the China Railway Construction and Engineering Group and it is part of the 1.3billion loan government contracted from the EXIM Bank of China for infrastructural development in the country.

The project when completed will comprise shops, banks, hospitals and schools.

It will also have a car park, a well-constructed drainage system, and walk ways to ensure free movement of goods and people at the facility.

Work on the project began in December 2014 after a court in Cape Coast had ordered the demolition of the old project to make way for the stadium.
He said a petition to pardon three pro-government communicators who have been convicted and incarcerated for contempt, do not taint the powers of the Supreme Court.

According to him, "The strengthening of institutions [such as] the Electoral Commission, and Judiciary deserve the respect of all Ghanaians in order to play their role as arbiters as referees in this election.

The Montie three, Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase alias Mugabe were sentenced to four months in prison by the Supreme Court following contempt proceedings against them.

See also: Mahama receives another petition

The contempt proceedings came after the three threatened the Supreme Court judges who sat on the Abu Ramadan and Gary Nimako versus the Electoral Commission case.

A petition book subsequently opened by pro-government group Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP) gathered over 18 million signatories from government appointees including the deputy minister of Education in charge of Tertiary, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare and the Education Minister, Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
Paramount Chief of Bawku, Naba Asigri Azoka Abugrago II endorses President John Mahama

If somebody does you good, we dont return him with bad. Its reciprocal. My yearnings have been fulfilled. Presidents have come and gone. Nobody has been able to satisfy my wishes and today you have come to do so. Im dumfounded as to how to thank you. So, what do we do in return? One good turn deserves another. We should all vote for him in the upcoming elections to retain power, the paramount ruler of the Kusaug Kingdom told his subjects [translated] amid cheers and tooting of vuvuzelas.

Acting Kwahumanhene, Nana Asiedu Agyemang III declares unflinching support for President John Mahama.

It is our prayers that because of your love for the country and love for the people of Okwahuman you should get another four years, he said in Akan.

Nana Saafo Attara II, Adontenhene of the Dodi Traditional area in the Volta region supports Mahama.

People in Accra and the bigger cities who claim, we the people in this part of the Volta region can sit there and do their politics. We here can feel the impact and we appreciate what President John Mahama has done for us.

"We are exceedingly appreciative of what the President has done for us and we will surely reward him accordingly".

Sunyani Chief promise 80% vote for Mahama.

Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri:"I was surprised that the people of the Eastern Region promised President Mahama 50 percent of the votes but I am promising that we will give the president 80 percent of the total votes in the region."

Boso chief endorses Nana Addo

Ghana is in pain. When Moses died, God chose Joshua and told him Be strong and courageous. These were the two words God told Joshua. It is these same words I am also telling Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, so he can lead us through the Red Sea to the Promised Land, Chief of Boso in the Asuogyaman constituency, Osabarima Agyeman Boasia II.

Chief of Tuobodom Nana Obeng Ameyaw Barimah II wants Nana Addo to win

When you win the election, the people of Tuobodom need a nursing training college. We know this will come to fruition because we are very confident that you will win, Nana Obeng Ameyaw Barimah II said.

Sefwi Anhwiaso chief endorses NPP's '1-Factory-1-District' policy

We have heard you say that in every district your government will help establish one factory. As usual, we have heard the naysayers and doubters saying it cannot be done. I am not a politician, but I vividly recollect that our grandmothers used to make soap out of plantain husks and cocoa pods, Ogyeahorhuor Kwaku Gyebi II, said.

Even if Nana Akufo-Addo does not build a cocoa processing factory here in Anhwiaso, but says he will set up a soap making factory, for example, it is clearly doable. The 1-District-1-Factory policy is one I wholly endorse. We, in Anhwaiso, know that once you have said you will do it, it will be done.

Osabarima Adugyei Gyamfi II, Chief of the Akyem Akrofufu in the Eastern Region endorses Nana Addo

We pledge to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that, just as we have always done, whether in rain or in sunshine, day or night, we, the chiefs and people of Atiwa, back and support him fully in this years elections.

Krontihene of Dadieso, in the Suaman constituency, Nana Armah Kofi III, supports Nana Addo's 1 district, 1 factory policy.
In his address delivered at Essam, in the Bia West constituency, when Nana visited the town, Imam Yakubu Abdulai stated that we are convinced that you and Dr. Alhaji Bawumia represent HOPE, because we are aware of your track record and your unfailing commitment to see a prosperous Ghana. We have no doubt that Alhaji Bawumia desires same for Mother Ghana.

More here: Nana Addo responds to Dauda

According to the Chief Imam, the expectation of Moslems in Bia, and across the country, is for the government of the day to put our taxes to judicious use, and create an enabling environment, so businesses can thrive.

This, in the Imams opinion, will help Ghanaians fish for ourselves.

Imam Yakubu Abdulais request to the NPP flagbearer when he is voted into office is to enable the citizenry heave a sigh of relief from the hardships and suffering facing Ghanaians.

The Imam used the opportunity to express our appreciation to Alhaji Dr. Bawumia for donating 400 bags of cement and GH10,000 towards the construction of an Islamic Senior High School for the Bia District.
According to Akufo-Addo, "the northern part of the region [Western North] has to get its own region if Akufo-Addo becomes the next President of Ghana. My government will follow all the constitutional provisions to get this new region".

Nana Addo believes an independent Western North Region will enhance the governance of the northern part of the region.

READ MORE

However, speaking on Citi FMs Eyewitness News Friday, Mr Ahi noted that the Western Regional Minister has received several petitions in connection to the new region and that it will be forwarded to the president for consideration.

We have started working on it. In fact, when you check in the last 6 March [Independence day]address of the Western Regional Minister, he said emphatically that he has received a request from people living in the northern part of the Western Region about the need to create a region and so he knows and he mentioned this, he twittered. We are in the process of forwarding it to His Excellency the president for consideration.

The Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing also faulted Akufo-Addo premise for the creation of the region.

He said:The basis upon which Nana Akufo-Addo promise this region is that all the resources are emanating from the northern part of the region.

Mind you, constitutionally, before you can create a region out of existing region, you will need the support of all support of all registered people to vote and when they vote, 50 percent have to vote and out of that 50 percent, 80 percent must vote yes.
According to him, the idea of the new region was never part of Akufo-Addos agenda, saying he made the promise because residents in the Northern part of the Western Region are yearning for it.

I am sure when he got to Sefwi Wiawso, some people told him that what is needed by the people around here is the need to create a region and so Nana Akufo Addo picked it and so that is why the first day in Sefwi, he couldnt make that promise, he said in an interview with Citi FM.

If he had thought of it before going to that part of the Western Region, he should have made the statement immediately he was in the Sefwi areas, the Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing added.

The Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party has promised to create a Western North Constituency in the Western should he be elected president in this years elections.

Speaking at Juabeso in his five-day visit to the Western region, Nana Addo explained that "the northern part of the region [Western North] has to get its own region if Akufo-Addo becomes the next President of Ghana. My government will follow all the constitutional provisions to get this new region".

READ MORE

Nana Addo believes an independent Western North Region will enhance the governance of the northern part of the region.

Nana Addo's promise adds to the many proposals to carve another region out of the western region because of distance between the western north and the western south.
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According to a report by Guardian Newspaper, the lawmaker was invited to answer questions on the allegations of money laundering, which was dropped in 2012 in controversial circumstances,as well as other sundry petitions against him by various individuals.

ALSO READ: Jibrin calls for speaker's resignation

It was further reported that Jibrin may soon be arraigned before a court over charges of fraud, corruption, diversion of public funds and money laundering, among others petitions against him.

In a bid to allegedly stop his arrest and prosecution by the authorities, Jibrin reportedly rushed to court on Thursday August 10, 2016 seeking injunction restraining the Police and other anti-graft agencies from arresting or charging him to court.

ALSO READ: 7 things you should know about Reps whistle-blower

In 2012, Jibrin was arraigned along with former Nasarawa State governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma, over N15 billion money-laundering allegations.
Usman made the disclosure to newsmen at the end of her tour of Calabar port, which many stakeholders suggested should be dredged to accommodate bigger ocean-going vessels.

She said that funds used for such dredging projects in the past ``should not be that high.

``Is good time for us to compare capital dredging and maintenance dredging, the News Agency of NIgeria (NAN) quotes the managing director as saying.

All the three major operators in Calabar port decried the inactivity, saying that they were experiencing 25 per cent capacity utilisation in the port.

The terminal operators noted that they were assured dredging would be completed by December 2006 but this has not been done.

Usman also said that the management was trying to renovate the rail line, which went out of Apapa port.

``We have met with the management of the Nigeria Railway Corporation and we believe there should be a viable route to evacuate goods.

`` We would also repair the access roads. We visited the old Calabar port and indeed we saw that the roads were bad, NAN quotes her as saying.

She said that the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing, is conducting repair works on access roads to Lagos ports.

On Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Usman said that the authority would prioritise host communities to determine the key areas of CSR to identify the critical projects that would impact on the communities where we generated revenue.

Also in the week under review, the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC), urged all agencies under the Federal Ministry of Transportation to patronise the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) to make maritime industry more creative.

The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, made the plea when the Management of NITT visited the Councils Headquarters in Lagos.

Bello said that the Nigerian Shippers' Council had been patronising NITT over the years to upgrade the knowledge of its staff, saying that only knowledge could drive the maritime industry.

``I am calling on the management of NITT to be more creative, concerted and deliberate on what is happening in our economy.

``NITT should be more creative like any enterprise. You have to advertise, you have to compete with other institutions.

``So many mistakes had been made in the past for want of knowledge in the industry and we had suffered for it, NAN quotes Bello as saying.

He described transportation as an economic journey which should be able to address creation of wealth.

The executive secretary said that there was a lot of deficit in infrastructure, adding that unless there was adequate infrastructure, economic progress would not take place in the industry.

Bello said that the NSC being the Economic Regulator, would focus more on the diversification of maritime operations.

He said that for Nigeria to be the hub of West Africa countries in importation, there was need for Nigerian ports to be competitive.

In his response, the Director-General of NITT, Dr Aminu Yusuf, said that the NSC, as well as the NITT were organisations driven to professionalise the transport industry.

``NITT is marking its 30th anniversary this year and the management deemed it worthwhile to visit our sister organisations to acknowledge their contributions toward the growth of the institution the director-general said.

He described the NITT as the apex multi-modal transportation training and research institution duly mandated to professionalise the transportation industry in Nigeria and beyond.

Yusuf said that the NITT instituted long-term professional programmes and Certificate in Transport and Logistics Diploma in Transport and Logistics Post-Graduate Diploma, among others.
This is contained in a statement issued by Col. Sani Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations on Saturday in Abuja.

He said the troop were in a joint patrol with Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Katsina State, under operation "SHARAN DAJI"

Usman said that the team swung into action and pursued the suspected armed bandits towards Dumburu forest in Zamfara.

The spokesman said during the encounter, the team killed one of the suspected cattle rustlers and armed bandits, while the other two escaped with gun shot wounds.

He said that items recovered included an AK-47 rifle with registration number 1985PS6288, additional AK-47 rifle magazine and 3 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.

In a related development, a combined team arrested a suspected notorious cattle rustler and armed bandit, Abubakar Mohammed and his boys, Ana's Gora and Bello Sani.

He said items recovered from them included 49 cattle and 25 sheep.

Usman said that the special raids were carried out along Faskari-Sheme-Mairuwa road, Katsina State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)s checks in the community on Saturday observed that the people of the community were still living in fears and were apprehensive to provide information to journalists.

The residents remained in a fearful mood following the kidnap of their monarch, Oba Oseni on Sat. July 16, only to be released on Sat. Aug. 6 after a N15.1 million ransom had been paid.

NAN reports that in the process of abducting the 73-year-old oba by gunmen in his palace, five persons that included the monarchs wife were alleged to have sustained various degrees of injuries from guns shots.

In the process, two of them died.

Residents of Oniba Street, in Iba junction where the Obas palace is located had become deserted while the few residents displayed palpable suspicions to strangers.

The vice-president, Iba Estate, Mr Johnson Olabode, however, told NAN that residents were still surprised that their traditional head could be a target for criminals.

"Everyone in the community is still surprised and living in fear, residents felt bad that a highly placed personality could be an object of scorn.

"We appeal to the relevant authorities to beef-up security in and around the community and the waterways to forestall any future recurrence," he told NAN

Olabode also appealed to the residents to be vigilant and conscious of internal security, checking movements of strange faces coming in and out of the community.

An old woman living close to the palace declined to comment

``I no go talk I beg, I don't want trouble oo, she said

A hotel operator in the estate who pleaded anonymity said he and his colleagues had intensified screening of their customers to ascertain their intentions.

"Since the incident, we have improved surveillance in and around the hotels and bars and other relaxation joints in the community, we check the type of customers coming in and going out," he told NAN.

However, NAN observed that places of worship within the community also screened members before they would be allowed in.
Onanuga stated this on Saturday in Kaduna while addressing members of staff of the agency in the North-West zone.

He said that his mission in NAN as the chief executive was to restore the agency to its position as the major news provider that broke the news first.

He said that the world had gone digital and that NAN must be reposition in that direction to meet local and global demand on it for quality and reliable services.

He assured that management of the agency would equip staff with necessary tools to ensure efficiency, adding that he was in the zone to intimate the staff on the new direction of the agency.

The managing director described NAN as the main news provider in the country, stressing that it must, therefore, not lag behind ``but remain the main source of news to the wide range of subscribers.

There was a plan for television sets in public places that would be showing news, documentary and a lot of information on flight movement, but it was abandoned.

The plan was for NAN to be able to have its presence everywhere and releasing news to the public as it breaks. It will be marvellous; we will complete that project.

We have equally launched a new website that offers free services not only to Nigerians but all over the world and is currently running.

We are also re-designing the site we have currently for subscribers and it will be out soon.

Similarly, new websites are being designed for photo news, video and audio to widen our services and meet the demand of our subscribers, he said.

Onanuga also said that plans were on to improve the revenue base of the agency to generate more income to enable it to take care of staff welfare.

We will soon commercialise our zonal offices to generate revenue for the agency by giving out our conference rooms for the public to hold conferences, training and other activities, he said.

He urged the members of staff to cue into the agencys ``change agenda and improve productivity in order to maintain NANs position as the leading news provider in the country.

We have the human resources; let us join hands, work together to move the agency to greater heights.

``There is no way I will say I understand the agency problems better and how well to address them without physically reaching out to ascertain the state of things.

I assure you that I will do my best to address all the challenges confronting the agency, he added.

Also speaking, the Editor-in-Chief of the agency, Malam Lawal Ado, said that the new management was determined to build a ``new NAN and urged all staff to support the drive for a better NAN.

Ado said that the agency would not achieve its objective without harmony among members of staff, and urged them to be committed to their jobs and improve on quality of reports.

The new management wants to built a new NAN; it is the collective effort and responsibility of all members of staff and we must put our heads together and work harmoniously to achieve this objective, he said.
In a chat with Pulse, Afolayan revealed that his desire to impact the next generation of filmmakers was one of the strong reasons for jumping on the project.

ALSO READ: Kunle Afolayan impressed with filmaking competition's entries

Why did you go into this partnership with Sahara group and what expectations do you have?

Sahara Group recently pledged to impact the lives of 12million beneficiaries using an extrapreneurship framework which seeks to create a platform that finds, creates and connects young people with business interests in emerging markets through skills training, mentoring and access to a network of committed stakeholders. The Grooming Film Extrapreneurs with Kunle Afolayan is a spin off this framework. Being an expert in the filmmaking industry and my desire to impact the next generation of filmmakers, it was a natural thing to do. I expect to use this platform to pass down necessary values and skills to the next generation of filmmakers.

What has been the response of young film makers to the grooming film extrapreneurs project?

Interestingly, we have had an incredible number of responses. This is indicative of the level of creativity we have in the country and also corroborated the fact that as long as you have the right platforms, anything is possible. In fact, creativity becomes unlimited. This has been proven by the entries and we keep receiving mails from young film makers seeking to know how they can be part of the project. I am so excited to be part of the project.

How will you describe some of the stories of entrepreneurs featured on the submitted entries?

Words can really not convey some of the interpretation of the main reason for the project and this is very good for the industry and the nation. Nigerian youths have risen to the challenge to produce an excellent narrative that celebrates entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Most entries tell stories that I believe will redefine the perception of Nigeria as a country around the globe. With the theme- My Nigeria, My PlatformNigeria through an entrepreneurs eyes, I believe captivating and inspiring truths about Nigeria will be documented for the whole world to know the truth about our resilience, excellence, versatility and creativity. In fact, I can confidently say we should look out for the top 20 entries and the overall winner.

How does the extrapreneurship platform work?

The extrapreneurship platform is very user friendly. Filmmakers can log on to the platform, fill in the necessary information on the form and paste the YouTube link generated from their upload.

What will you be looking out for as 20 people are expected to be shortlisted before the overall winner emerges?
In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Saturday, he thanked everyone who was instrumental in ensuring freedom for the detained IPOB members.

He, however, called on the government to release the acclaimed leader of IPOB, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, to enable him go home and ``take care of his young family.

"I commend the Federal Government for the bold and patriotic step taken in the release of some of the members and supporters IPOB detained in Aba.

"I thank all the men and women of goodwill who facilitated the release and urge them not to relent until absolute peace and harmony is achieved in Nigeria.

"This magnanimity shown by the government is one of the shortest and surest ways to peace and unity of Nigeria, which is non-negotiable.

"The government should also extend this gesture to Kanu, who has been in detention for awhile, Oye said.

He urged the Federal Government to open more avenues and channels of discussion with all agitating groups, who were protesting the political and economic structure of Nigeria for amicable resolution of issues.
Oyegun, however, said the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari was a blessing from God.

He stated this on Friday, August 12, at a surprise 77th birthday party held for him by staff of the APC national secretariat in Abuja.

Oyegun said: It has been tough times for the nation. When we were campaigning and it is necessary to continue to hammer on this part, we were not in government.

We knew things were very bad, but we did not know they were as bad as we eventually found them and the revelations that come out everyday continue to buttress that fact.

Nobody ever expected the price of crude to collapse in the way it has done and one can only repeat what Mr. President said a few days ago.

That is for being a nation that had an excess crude account, today because of the collapse of the price of crude, a lot of states of this country do not have enough resources to meet their basic functions, responsibilities.

That we would never again depend on a single crop whether it is oil, whether it is solid minerals, whether it is agriculture.

He assured that the President and the APC are determined to fix the current challenges confronting Nigerians.

The president is laying a single foundation, very solid foundation, for the take-off of this nation such that all the resources that God has endowed this nation with, whether it is in solid minerals that it is plentiful, whether it is in agriculture, we can grow virtually anything in this nation of ours we have been blessed with rich soil.

The Nigeria of tomorrow would be a Nigeria that produces, the Nigeria of tomorrow would be a Nigeria that can give employment to its youth.

The Nigeria of the tomorrow would be a nation that would provide plentiful opportunities for its people that is the Nigeria Buhari is presently constructing, Oyegun said.

ALSO READ: We are not happy with Ekweremadu  Oyegun says
Magistrate Judge William Duffin ruled that the guilty verdict returned by a trial jury in 2007 against Brendan Dassey was based on a coerced confession he gave as a 16-year-old youth with a learning disability.

Dassey and his uncle, Steven Avery, were convicted in separate trials of killing freelance photographer Teresa Halbach at Avery's home in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Halbach's charred remains were found in an incineration barrel and a burn pit on Avery's property, about 80 miles (130 km) north of Milwaukee.

The case was the subject of the 10-part Netflix-released documentary "Making a Murderer," which questioned the handling of the investigation and the motivation of Manitowoc County law enforcement officials, who sent Avery to prison in 1985 for a rape he did not commit.

Avery served 18 years in prison before DNA evidence exonerated him of the rape. He filed a $36 million federal lawsuit against the county, its former sheriff and district attorney in 2004.

A year later, Avery and his nephew were accused of killing Halbach. Dassey was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault and mutilation of a corpse. Avery was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and being a felon in possession of a gun.

The Emmy-nominated documentary suggests authorities planted evidence against both defendants, a claim rejected by the current sheriff.

In his ruling on Friday, Duffin wrote that misconduct by Dassey's own lawyer was "indefensible," including his permitting investigators to interrogate his client without being present.

The judge also faulted Dassey's interrogation by investigators, who assured the teenager "he would not be punished if he admitted participating in the offenses" and that "he had nothing to worry about."

"These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary," Duffin said.

Dassey is set for release within 90 days unless prosecutors plan to retry him.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Woman jailed for 3rd DUI

Steffanie Bray was jailed on April 11 and charged with driving under the influence  third offense and possession of marijuana less than one ounce after deputies with the Nye County Sheriffs Office responded to a report of a traffic accident at the intersection of Highway 160 and Postal Road.

Deputies learned the driver, identified as Bray, had reportedly hit another vehicle head-on. A witness at the scene reportedly told deputies that he had been following Bray from the Mountain Springs Summit and called Nevada Highway Patrol because Bray was all over the road.

When deputies spoke with Bray, she reportedly told them she was very tired and that she ran into the guard rail at the top of the summit. Bray could not explain why she did not notify police about the guard rail accident. Bray was questioned about whether she had taken any medications and she stated, Yes, I took three of my Lortabs. Deputies asked how strong the Lortabs were and Bray stated they were 10 milligrams. Bray said she had ingested the pills at approximately 9 a.m. the morning of the accident.

Bray also admitted to deputies she took some sleeping pills the night before and had consumed a five-hour energy drink while she was driving to keep her awake.

Deputies subsequently had Bray perform field sobriety tests which she failed.

According to the declaration of arrest, Bray has two prior convictions for driving under the influence within the past six years.

When deputies inventoried Brays vehicle they reportedly found a large bag of a green leafy substance of suspected marijuana and a large amount of pills which were subsequently identified as Oxycodone. Deputies noted that Bray does not have a prescription for the narcotics.

When questioned, Bray reportedly said she bought the marijuana for her boyfriend and she obtained the Oxycodone for her back pain from her friend.

Bray was subsequently arrested and transported to the Nye County Detention Center and booked on above charges.

Trip to the store lands man in jail for drugs

John Kennedy Ming, Jr. was jailed on April 13 and charged with possession of a controlled substance  heroin, possession of a controlled substance  methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance  marijuana after deputies noticed a truck parked in the fire lane at 300 S. Highway 160 in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

As deputies approached the truck they reportedly smelled a strong odor of suspected burning marijuana emanating from the open drivers window. The driver, subsequently identified as John Kennedy Ming, Jr., was asked to produce the marijuana and he handed them a small cigarette or roach.

As deputies were speaking to Ming a woman exited the store and approached the vehicle and reportedly told deputies that Ming was waiting for her.

Deputies were notified by dispatch that Ming had two warrants for his arrest out of Nye County.

When deputies told Ming he was going to jail he reportedly asked the female to give him his cigarettes and for her to take possession of the truck.

Deputies searched the package of cigarettes and found a clear bag of a brown tar-like substance of suspected heroin and a small white crystalline substance of suspected methamphetamine. The white crystalline substance later tested positive for methamphetamine. The suspected heroin was placed into evidence and sent to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Crime Lab for analysis.

Ming was transported to the jail and booked on above charges.

Compiled from Nye County Sheriffs Office arrest reports and written by reporter Michelle Hermann. Contact her at michelle.pvtimes@gmail.com
Randy Porter was at a religious event in Dayton, Ohio, when he got an idea: Why not bring this activity, a friendly party, back to his own church in Davenport?

Porter, an associate minister at Grace Family Church, pitched it to the minister, the Rev. Nathan Hurst.

Hurst liked the idea, and the Block Party is now planned for Aug. 28 for the church, 2627 Hickory Grove Road.

"It's our opportunity to reach out to the local community," Hurst said. "That's not been done at this building for some time."

Grace Church is now being held at the site of the former Good News Church. The two congregations merged, the minister said.

There is a sign on Hickory Grove Road, the site of the church. In addition, news of the Block Party will be spread, house-to-house, through the neighborhoods. Grace Church members visit households in the area, introducing themselves and offering to say a prayer.

"We obviously want to leave them with something," Hurst said. While some residents are hesitant at first, the church members ask if they can pray for someone in need.

"That helps us to open up the conversation, connect, and find out the needs of our area," the minister said.

Porter, the associate pastor for healing, lives in Muscatine. He works with the healing ministries at Grace Church.

Plus, Porter also participates in Global Awakening mission trips, usually in Brazil. Recently, he was part of a group of 630 people who went to Dayton, a city in southwest Ohio that he compares, economically, to Detroit.

The big group tackled a number of civic projects in Dayton, "just to show people we really do care," Porter said.

The Davenport Block Party is a matter of carrying out the commandment, "Love thy neighbor as thyself," Porter said. "We want to be good neighbors.

The free party features a number of inflatables for kids, as well as a volleyball tournament promised to be "as non-competitive as possible," Porter said. A bean bag toss is planned.

It's the first party for the church at its current location. In the past, Grace church has been at the Scott County Y in Bettendorf, and, for a time, at Rave Cinemas, Davenport.

"We don't shy away from the fact we are a Christian community and we want to see the lives of our neighbors improve," Hurst said.

The activities are designed to be fun, and interesting for residents. "Our job is to be here and connect with people and show them Jesus Christ," Hurst said. "Then, he changes their lives, not us."
A Davenport man was given a deferred judgment and three years of probation Friday after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a crystal methamphetamine investigation earlier this year.

Gage A. Wenthe, 25, also agreed to participate in Scott Countys newly formed mental health court.

The mental health court provides wraparound services, rather than jail or prison time, for nonviolent offenders who struggle with mental illness.

District Court Judge Mark Smith, who oversees the court, noted that Wenthes presentence investigation indicates that he has mental health and substance abuse issues that need to be addressed.

Given your criminal history, it would appear to the court that your mental health issues cause you to do criminal acts because youre not on your medication, he said.

Wenthe will be required to maintain his medication regimen and stay away from any substances not prescribed to him.

He must appear in court weekly and abide by the terms of the mental health court program and probation. Wenthe also must complete a residential program at the Salvation Army once he is released from the Scott County Jail, Smith ordered.

If he successfully completes the program, the conviction will not be entered on his record.

Smith said Friday that the court is a privilege and told Wenthe it is important that he is committed to completing the program.

Im 100 percent committed, your honor, Wenthe said.

He pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and possession with intent to deliver marijuana.

Scott County Sheriffs deputies searched a home in the 400 block of West 7th Street just before 9 a.m. April 6 as part of an investigation into the narcotics activities of Wenthe, specifically the sale of crystal methamphetamine out of the home.

The home belongs to 3rd Ward Alderman Bill Boom, who was representing the City Council at a broadband conference in Austin, Texas, at the time of the search.

Deputies seized the drug, also known as ice, marijuana, suspected marijuana wax, an unknown white powder, drug paraphernalia, a digital scale, packaging materials and two rifles, according to investigators.

Wenthes cellphone had several text message conversations conspiring with others in the sale, purchase and use of illegal controlled substances in the Quad-City area, according to investigators.

Wenthe, when questioned by deputies, admitted to being a middle man for the sale of methamphetamine and marijuana to several people in the area, according to investigators.

Boom told the Quad-City Times in April that Wenthe lived in his home for six years and that he had been taking care of Wenthes health care, including making sure he stayed on a regimen of prescription drugs.

He said he knew nothing about the illegal drugs found in his home.
The board of the local Girl Scout council will sell Camp Tahigwa in Dorchester, Iowa, with one condition: The public still can use it.

The Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois studied all of its camps for two years before deciding to sell all of Tahigwa and a little more than 22 acres at Camp L-Kee-Ta in Danville, Illinois.

The council has invested several million dollars in the former Camp Conestoga in Scott County, now named Camp Liberty.

The board is stipulating that the 315-acre Camp Tahigwa, with its lodge, staff house and camp sites, be sold to a buyer who will agree to continue to make it available for scouting and other public uses. The camp is about 170 miles north of Davenport.

The vote to sell was unanimous. The last appraisal, made in 2008, was $1.5 million.

We are very pleased at the work of the Property Committee to ensure the buyer must maintain the natural state of Camp Tahigwa, board chairwoman Theresa Colgan said, following Thursday's vote. The pristine property will continue to provide years of enjoyment and appreciation of nature to the public.

The board also assigned a task force to contact county conservation groups, the Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation in the hopes of finding interest among them to buy the camp.

GSEIWI remains committed to providing programs and outdoor education that are relevant and fiscally sustainable for our girls, council CEO Diane Nelson said. We utilize parks and naturalized areas throughout the council to offer the best outdoor programs to girls and that will certainly continue.

The council has raised more than $4 million for build-outs and renovations at Camp Liberty in North Liberty, which is its most central camp. It opened this summer, and council officials reported record camp registration of 1,400 girls.

The major changes with camp properties are in response to scouts' demands, Nelson said. Studies revealed that today's girls are not as keen on outdoor camping as they are in air-conditioned facilities that provide WiFi, among other things. But outdoor programming, including camping, will continue.

Transportation to Camp Liberty is offered for girls in outlying council areas, including Decorah and Waterloo.
PORT BYRON, Ill.  Really, there's just one way to feel after three minutes of competition at Tug Fest.

"If you're not completely exhausted and your legs aren't wobbling and your hands aren't shaking, you didn't pull hard enough," said Tony McKeag, while standing on shore waiting for his event. "It's three minutes of pure hell."

His dad, Vern, has a shorter description of how to feel when it's over.

"If you do it right, your hair hurts," Vern said.

Yes, the competitors bring a lot of intensity to Tug Fest. And for the 30th year on Saturday, tuggers representing LeClaire, Iowa, and Port Byron, Illinois, squared off for bragging rights to one of the Quad-Cities' most unusual bistate contests.

Since 1987, the two cities have strung rope across the Mississippi River, shutting down the river temporarily for an afternoon of raw-boned competition.

Over 11, three-minute bouts, the two small towns battle for supremacy. This year, the Illinois side won all 11 matches.

The Illinois side of the river has dominated Tug Fest in recent years. The 2013 competition was the last time that LeClaire won, and that broke a six-year losing streak, according to Quad-City Times archives. Last year, Port Byron won, 11-0.

The 2016 Tug Fest added a new wrinkle to the competition. This year, the 2,700-foot, 680-pound rope was strung across the Mississippi River from both sides of the river and joined in the middle.

Previously, the rope was transported across the river from Port Byron to LeClaire. However, some thought the process made the Iowa-side part of the rope wetter, said Kari Long, president of the LeClaire side of Tug Fest.

As a result, each side took rope to the middle of the Mississippi, where it was joined. To Long, the gesture represented connecting the two competing sides of the river.

"Which for the 30th anniversary is pretty darned cool," she said.

Of course, in Port Byron, the idea that Illinois gained an advantage because of the way the rope was distributed was met with, to say the least, skepticism.

"Absolutely not," said Vern McKeag, a veteran tugger from Orion, Ill.

Tens of thousands of people go to Tug Fest each year, according to event organizers, and Saturday's 11 competitions are just a part of three days of festivities. Fireworks, food, music, a parade, a 5K run and carnival rides also are a draw. And in LeClaire this year, there also was an arm wrestling contest for the first time.

The festival not only is a popular Quad-City event. It draws people from outside the area. In LeClaire, people from Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and Kentucky all responded to the emcee's shout out to visitors.

Tammie DeRemer traveled from Monroe, Wisconsin, this year after seeing television coverage of the 2015 contest.

"We've never had time to stop but thought what the heck," she said.

The spectator farthest from home Saturday probably was Letecia Bordon, who is from Argentina.

Bordon was in the area visiting friends and decided to go to Tugfest in LeClaire. She was impressed.

"It's amazing," she said. "It's so American."
MUSCATINE, Iowa  Darcy Petersen has been promoted to Manager, Project Management in the Information Technology Department at Kent Corporation. She joined the company in 2011 as project manager. Darcy holds a bachelors degree in Business Management from Iowa Wesleyan College. Prior to Kent Corporation, Darcy was employed at Bridgestone/Bandag.

Ray Curtis was recently promoted to Manager, Business Architecture in Kent Corporations Information Technology department. He joined the company in 2012 as a business architect. Ray holds a bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Iowa and a Master of Business Administration from St. Ambrose University.

Kent Corporation is a diversified family owned corporation with subsidiary companies developing science and nutrition-based finished food products, food and beverage ingredients, pharmaceutical and personal care applications, animal nutrition and companion animal products. The subsidiary companies consist of Grain Processing Corporation (GPC), Kent Nutrition Group, Kent Pet Group, headquartered in Muscatine Iowa, and Kent Precision Foods Group headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Prayer center searches for volunteers

Planning for a "One Voice" Christmas has begun at the Quad-City Prayer Center at NorthPark Mall, Davenport.

Volunteers are sought for positions, including dancers, drummers, costumes, hospitality, medical and displays. Informational events: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23. The Prayer Center is located next to Sears in the mall. Online: onevoiceqc.com

End-of-life program at Grace Lutheran church

Grace Lutheran Church, 1140 E. High St., Davenport, will host a program on end-of-life decisions. It begins at 11:45 a.m. with a light lunch, followed by a presentation at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28. The speaker is Dr. Stephen Sorensen, medical director of in-patient palliative care at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport.

Discussion of end-of-life topics should begin while people have the ability to make decisions about care issues, said Dr. Rebecca Wiese, a physician and member at Grace. To make reservations, call 563-322-0769.

Swing, sway at St. John's

A upbeat event, "Swing and Sway with Ray Wierson and the original Celebration Band," will be 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at St John's United Methodist Church, 14th and Brady streets, Davenport. Tickets are $12 at the door.

Aledo man is seminary's first graduate

Walther Theological Seminary student Mathew Schmidt earned his master of divinity degree this month and became the first graduate of the seminary in Decatur, Illinois. Schmidt has been called to serve as the pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Forsyth, Illinois, with installation on Aug. 28. He is a native of Aledo, Illinois.
The lease said no pets, but a cat showed up, then an arguably housebroken dog.

When a Davenport couple then invited others to move into their rented home, the landlord drew the line.

Both parties appeared last week in Scott County magistrate court  a large first-floor courtroom that easily held another two dozen tenants and landlords engaged in similar disputes.

Most commonly, tenants are evicted for failure to pay rent.

Some simply cooperate with the legal warnings, collect their things and go.

But in many cases, renters must be forced out. In those cases, both parties stand to lose.

While landlords can be saddled with civil-processing costs, left-behind belongings and property damage, renters sometimes lose everything.

Setting the scene

A clerk cleared her throat and began taking roll: "Heatherton Cooperative and Angela Lewis; Forest Grove Properties and Anna Whitney; PC Homes and Kevin Hans."

As pairs were called to the front of the courtroom, renter and landlord stood shoulder-to-shoulder before the magistrate, pleading their cases.

Two Scott County Sheriff's deputies and a Davenport police officer stood by, keeping watch over the largely tedious proceedings.

But it was the duty of Magistrate Eric Syverud to sort out each case and to do so with an eye and an ear for funny business.

"You guys gotta pay the rent or vacate," he told one couple.

"One at a time," he warned when the bickering went on too long. "I don't need to hear all this."

When a renter pleaded, "I just landed a brand new job, sir," Syverud ruled it was too late.

"You'll have until next Monday at 1 p.m. to get your stuff out of there," he said, adding, as he did repeatedly, "Good luck, sir."

Push comes to shove

The process for removing a deadbeat tenant can be fairly swift. Or not.

How it works: The renter is notified that the landlord has cause to evict. Notice is given in writing that a property owner intends to evict. If the renter refuses to leave, a forcible entry and detainer summons is obtained from the county clerk's office, setting a court date. If the tenant doesn't show up, the landlord is almost always given immediate possession of the property.

If the renter is present in court, he or she has an opportunity to argue against eviction. If the magistrate rules in favor of the landlord, an eviction order is issued. A court-ordered writ of possession then is obtained, giving the tenant 24 hours to vacate.

Some tenants find themselves in a tough spot, having to move out on short notice. Some, in fact, leave behind much of what they own.

When that happens, another drastic measure follows the process.

They are known as set-outs: Personal property belonging to evicted renters or foreclosed-upon homeowners is, literally, hauled to the curb.

Scott County Sheriffs Deputy Dwight West, who works in the departments civil division, said set-outs typically occur after tenants have vacated. Deputies frequently supervise the process, partly to help protect personal property but also to intervene in potential disputes.

Whether a bank foreclosure or an eviction by a landlord, property owners are responsible for removing furniture and household goods belonging to evicted tenants.

Deputies are there to make sure no property of value is left, and if the (occupant) is still there, to try to smooth things over as much as possible, West said. Landlords are not required to use our services, but the writ of possession must be handled through the sheriffs office.

Eviction cases are not part of the criminal side of the justice system; they are part of the small-claims court process. Each week, in both Scott and Rock Island counties, eviction-court judges and magistrates make decisions that affect one of the most basic human necessities: Shelter.

Ive lost my income

Deputy West remembers a woman who refused to leave a rental property during a 2009 eviction.

He posted the "writ of possession," the order requiring people on the receiving end of an eviction to get themselves and their belongings out within 24 hours.

He explained the process, but she refused to answer the door when the time came to go.

She did unlock the door, but she didnt move anything out of the house, he said. The woman, "cursing a blue streak," left to pick up her three children from school, then returned with them.

She was standing in the doorway and tried to push her way by me, right in front of her kids, West said. The kids were saying Mom, please stop! Please stop!

The woman was arrested, and the children were sent with another family member.

April Miller said she was renting a two-bedroom apartment with her two children near the Menards store on North Brady Street in Davenport when her financial circumstances changed.

I lost my income, she said. They decided to kick me out instead of trying to work with me.

Deborah Gearhart, 49, was evicted the first time about three years ago from a home in Davenport.

I was living in a building that had been purchased by another owner. It changed hands, she said. Within five days, I got an eviction notice.

She says she owed 10 days of rent, but the landlord said she owed nearly $1,600 in rent.

I was trying to make ends meet, she said. I had just lost my job. I didnt have it.

With an eviction on her record, she knew she would have trouble finding another place to rent. As part of their background-check process, landlords often consult judici.com for criminal and civil records in Illinois and iowacourts.state.ia.us for those in Iowa.

I started making as many phone calls as I could, Gearhart said. I ended up losing a lot of stuff because I couldnt take it with me.

More recently, she was living with a roommate who decided to move in with a family member. She could not afford to pay the full rent and again was evicted.

Now living with a friend, Gearhart said she doesnt know what shell do next. Her job as a convenience-store clerk provides little money for housing.

Making $9 an hour doesnt cut it, she said. Finding a decent place to live is going to be almost impossible for me unless Im living with somebody or rooming with somebody else.

The places Id be able to get on my own are cockroach-infested apartments. Right now, if I didnt have the friend I have, Id be living in my car.

Two sides to the story

In eviction court, where down-on-their-luck renters sometimes burst into tears, judges hear it all.

When facts are not in dispute, cases can be resolved in minutes.

She took my rent money and went to Vegas, one landlord recently told a judge in Rock Island County court. The eviction was granted.

Kevin McClung of Eldridge has been a landlord since 1993 and has appeared in eviction court very few times. But he made a recent appearance in court on behalf of McKeppy Properties LLC.

Every eviction he has been involved with has been the result of failure to pay rent, he said.

Im not an absentee landlord, McClung said. I treat the place and the apartments like I could live there at any time.

"Im willing to help them if they make an effort. You have to separate the personal from the business side of things.

The biggest problem he has experienced was not with his renters, but with their guests.

Usually, its the family or friends that blow it for the tenant," he said.

He tells some renters that their family members are going to cause them to lose an apartment.

Sometimes, I feel like a counselor, he said, adding that he can see a problem coming. You can tell by the excuses."

Some say there are no excuses.

I believe most tenants want to be evicted, said Ron Gruenhagen, president of the Quad-Cities Rental Property Association Inc. They choose not to follow the rules. They choose not to pay their rent.

Additionally, he said, many people dont know how, or refuse to, keep their homes clean.

To avoid problems with bad renters, Gruenhagen takes the time to investigate them. He does so, in part, because he feels responsible for the well-being of his other tenants.

I feel like I am, in some way, affecting the life of the tenants who already are living close by, he said. I have to spend a lot of time seeing who the new person might be.

The association includes members from both sides of the river, said Gruenhagen, who has been a landlord since 1973. The group, which meets monthly, organized in 1990 to raise the quality of landlords in the Quad-Cities and to make them aware of rental-property laws.

LeRoy Petersen is among the 100-or-so members.

Fifty years ago, when we had someone who wasnt paying their rent, we just threw them out, he said. Before, people were more respectful of the laws.

He has had renters who have rented from him for 35 years.

They become family, he said.

Over the course of time, the number of problem renters has grown, Petersen said, adding, Something that is easily acquired is not treasured.

Young people of today are moving out of their parents houses before they know how to wipe behind their ears. If you look at the court record, generally, they have been evicted more than one time. They know what the system is.

Things left behind

Those who work in civil processing have their own eviction stories to tell.

Rock Island County Deputy Chris Work has seen some unforgettable environments, including animal waste and so much filth that hazardous-materials crews were notified.

When I go into a house, I try to figure out what the back story is, Work said, adding that he tries to consider whether loss of a loved one or a job may have resulted in a loss of motivation to clean or care for a home.

In some cases, the losses are in those things left behind, including live animals.

At a recent foreclosure eviction in Davenport, residents abandoned a tank of live fish. As clean-up crews sifted through mounds of disposable drinking cups, dozens of cardboard boxes, empty bottles, a dirty cat-litter box, toys and debris, they came upon the aquarium.

Within minutes, Scott County Animal Control Officer Chris Robinson arrived, loading the fish  tank and all  into a county vehicle.

Ive seen bearded dragons, snakes and cats, he said. Some evicted tenants leave their dogs behind.

In the backyard and garage at the Davenport eviction, a crew sorted through piles of toys, fishing gear, more boxes, bottles and junk.

Kimberly Stewart, owner of Eldridge-based Kimberlys Kleaning, supervised.

She has been in the cleaning business for 23 years and contracts with banks, asset companies and area Realtors. She and her crew haul away the garbage and maintain the property until it is rented or sold.

Much of the personal property hauled away in an eviction is a loss to the renter and a cost to the landlord.
WASHINGTON -- Job insecurity is a central theme of the 2016 campaign, fueling popular anger about trade deals and immigration. But economists warn that much bigger job losses are ahead in America -- driven not by foreign competition but by advancing technology.

A look at the numbers suggests that America is having the wrong debate this year. Economic security won't come from renegotiating trade deals, as Donald Trump claimed in a speech in Detroit Monday, or rebuilding infrastructure, as Hillary Clinton argued in Warren, Michigan, on Thursday. These are palliatives.

The deeper problem facing America is how to provide meaningful work and good wages for the tens of millions of truck drivers, accountants, factory workers and office clerks whose jobs will disappear in coming years because of robots, driverless vehicles and "machine learning" systems.

The political debate needs to engage the taboo topic of guaranteeing economic security to families -- through a universal basic income, or a greatly expanded earned-income tax credit, or a 1930s-style plan for public-works employment. Ranting about bad trade deals won't begin to address the problem.

The "automation bomb" could destroy 45 percent of the work activities currently performed in the United States, representing about $2 trillion in annual wages, according to a study last year by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. We've only seen the beginning of this change, they warned. Currently, only 5 percent of occupations can be entirely automated, but 60 percent of occupations could soon see machines doing 30 percent or more of the work.

The McKinsey analysts sharpened their argument in a new paper released last month. Their estimates, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data covering more than 800 occupations, drew a shocking picture of the future. In manufacturing, 59 percent of activities could be automated, and that includes

"90 percent of what welders, cutters, solderers and brazers do." In food-service and accommodations, 73 percent of the work could be performed by machines. In retailing, 53 percent of current jobs could be lost.

White-collar workers may imagine that they're safe, but that's wishful thinking. If computers can be programmed to understand speech as well as humans do, 66 percent of jobs in finance and insurance could be replaced, for example, McKinsey warns.

Robots are replacing workers around the world. The density of robots per 10,000 workers is actually higher in Japan and Germany than in the U.S, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers. In last February's "Economic Report of the President," they cited research noting that "middle-skill" employees, such as bookkeepers, clerks and assembly-line workers have been replaced first, but that "big data and machine learning will soon make it possible to automate many tasks that were difficult to automate in the past."

Workers are already reeling from the job implosion we've seen so far. A study released last week by Bruce Stokes of the Pew Research Center found that 89 percent of Americans surveyed thought that "the loss of U.S. jobs to China" was a serious issue. That anxiety translates into growing skepticism about free trade. As of March, 51 percent of Americans still thought free trade deals were a good thing, but that was down from 59 percent two years ago.

Pew data shows that the people most likely to oppose trade deals are older white men, the people whose former job security has probably been most affected by the modern, global economy. Free trade agreements are supported by 54 percent of women; 55 percent of blacks; 67 percent of young adults between 18 and 29; and 72 percent of Hispanics. Young, diverse Americans seem to accept the disruptions that are part of the global, high-tech economy.

This campaign has distilled the populist rage at elites who are seen to have benefited from globalization while some blue-collar workers have suffered. This anti-elitism is only likely to grow as vast new sectors of the economy are transformed by the Silicon Valley technologies that have created a new class of American billionaires. People shouldn't hate the future, or the technologists who are building it, but this anger could become a polarizing fixture of the national mood.

Politicians need to begin thinking boldly, now, about a world where driverless vehicles replace most truck drivers' jobs, and where factories are populated by robots, not human beings. The best way to cushion this future is to start planning for how Americans will be able to take care of their families -- and find meaningful work -- in a world where most traditional jobs have vanished.
CEDAR FALLS  After two years of collaboration between the University of Northern Iowa faculty union and university administration, a major agreement will rectify faculty salary inequities.

The agreement will result in an increase of $155,064 in salaries for 51 faculty members of the unions bargaining unit. A total of 78 percent of the adjustments correct inequities in the salaries of women or minority faculty members. Out of 51 faculty salary adjustments, 36 (70 percent) are for women. Among the 15 men, four are racial/ethnic minorities.

An additional $13,428 was recommended for distribution across the annual salaries of four faculty department heads.

Outside of contract negotiations, this is the most important labor-management agreement in the history of UNI, said Joe Gorton, president of United Faculty, the bargaining agent for university professors.

United Faculty and university administrators convened a salary equity committee in the fall of 2014 to assess possible salary inequities.

Gorton said the need for the committee arose from concerns brought to their attention.

When we heard of the issues, we were concerned the disparities could be gender-based -- as in there could be legal claims, vis-a-vis a lawsuit," Gorton said.

In a statement, the committee said it conducted a regression analysis to identify faculty who may not be paid equitably based upon such factors as years of service, rank, years at rank, discipline, gender, and service as department head.

Carissa Froyum, professor of sociology, and associate provost Nancy Cobb spearheaded the analysis.

Froyum said the analysis initially flagged 86 professors. Based on statistical methods, the committee determined that 51 faculty were not being paid like the majority of their counterparts in similar positions with similar qualifications.

Froyum said the salary inequities most likely began in starting salary negotiations between new faculty hires and department heads who offered the positions.

Gorton said subsequent percentage-based raises would have exacerbated the problem.

If people arent familiar with markets and how salaries are comparing currently  they can act inconsistently with offering initial salaries, Froyum said.

She said individuals using their discretion  perhaps seeing qualifications on two similar resumes differently, or a lack of departmental knowledge on what was offered to candidates in the past  probably is the root of the inequities.

Froyum said the university 's merit system  the ability of departments to award salary increases based on perceived performance  also could be a root of inequities. Froyum wouldnt call the inequities deliberate discrimination.

People bring assumptions about groups of people to the table, certainly, Froyum said. And their perspectives are shaped by what they see.

She said everyone has internalized biases, and the by-product in this case disproportionally affected women and minority faculty members.

Gorton said the agreement is a result of years of trust-building between faculty and the administration since the closing of Price Lab school.

He added that the settlement cost would have been far greater if the two parties had gone to court.

Gorton couldnt say whether the payout could be tied to a 3.7 percent tuition increase for university students this fall, but that the settlement wasnt part of regular salary negotiations.

In its July meeting, the board of regents said a tuition increase, generating an additional $5.6 million for the university, would assist the universities in  meeting mandated salary, and directing these revenues to support teaching and student needs.

"Faculty care deeply for our students and for the university and local community and are at the heart of our institution," said Jim Wohlpart, interim university president. "We are deeply appreciative of the collaboration with United Faculty to investigate and resolve an important issue."
NATION

Baby dies after being left in hot SUV

A 6-month-old boy died after being left all day in a hot sport utility vehicle in a San Antonio-area Wal-Mart parking lot, authorities said.

His death brings the number of children who have died in hot cars in the U.S. this year to at least 27, including six in Texas, said Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org, a national child safety nonprofit based in Philadelphia. That's up from last year's total of 15.

The baby's father, who works at the store in the suburb of Helotes, told officers that he forgot to drop his son off at day care before going to work about 6:15 a.m. Friday, said Helotes police Capt. Anthony Burges. The father found his child dead after finishing work and returning to the SUV about 3 p.m.

Alligator nearly bites off womans hand

A woman trying to get a soda can she dropped into the water in the Everglades had her hand nearly bitten off by an alligator, authorities said.

Kimberly Ann Sexton, 49, was trying to retrieve a Mountain Dew can she dropped on Friday when the animal attacked her hand, according to a report released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Sexton was bitten by a 6.5-foot alligator, the report said. The animal was found by a trapper and euthanized after the incident.

WORLD

6 wounded in stabbing on train

Police in Switzerland say a Swiss man set a fire and stabbed people on a train in the country's northeast, wounding six people as well as himself.

Police in St. Gallen say the incident happened at 2:20 p.m. Saturday as the train neared the station in Salez, near the border with Liechtenstein.

They say the 27-year-old suspect had at least one knife and poured out a flammable liquid, which caught fire.

Police spokesman Bruno Metzger said that the assailant poured the liquid on one woman, and that it appeared to have caught fire when it came into contact with oxygen.

Police say the wounded included a 6-year-old child, three women aged 17, 34 and 43, and two men aged 17 and 50. Some of the injuries were said to be serious but there were no further details immediately.

U.S.-backed forces defeat terror group

On the streets of Manbij, men chanted slogans against the Islamic State group or clipped their beards and women walked with their faces uncovered for the first time in over two-and-a-half years, hours after the militant group was pushed out of the northern Syrian city.

U.S.-backed fighters seized the key Islamic State stronghold late Friday after two months of heavy fighting that killed more than 1000 people and displaced thousands. The fighters also freed hundreds of civilians the extremists had used as human shields, Syrian Kurdish officials and an opposition activist group said.

The capture of Manbij is the biggest defeat for the extremist group in Syria since July 2015, when they lost the town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey. The capture of Tal Abyad deprived the militant group of a direct route to bring in new foreign militants or supplies.

Turkey wants cleric in U.S. arrested

Turkish authorities have prepared an official request for the temporary arrest of United States-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen over his alleged involvement in the coup attempt on July 15, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said Saturday.

The request by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's office claims it has determined the coup was staged upon orders by Gulen and requests that he be arrested prior to the submission of a formal extradition request.

The request has been submitted to Turkey's Justice Ministry for it to be relayed to U.S. authorities, Anadolu said.

Ankara claims Gulen movement is responsible for the failed putsch which has left more than 270 people dead and has branded it a terrorist organization. It has demanded that its leader, who runs a network of worldwide charities and schools from self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, be returned to Turkey to face trial.

Washington has said it would need evidence of the cleric's involvement, and says the regular extradition process must be allowed to take its course. Gulen has denied involvement in the violent coup attempt.

On Friday, Turkey's foreign and justice ministers announced that a four-person delegation from the U.S. Justice Department will be arriving on Aug. 22 and meet with their Turkish counterparts on the following two days to discuss the extradition request. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced on Saturday that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden would be visiting Turkey during that time, Anadolu said.

In Washington, The White House confirmed that Biden will travel to Turkey on Aug. 24. Biden typically meets with the premier of a foreign country when he visits. He has been one of the Obama administration's key interlocutors with Turkey's government, speaking frequently with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Derek Lindahl was leaning over the tray table at his seat, reading a book on his phone, when JetBlue Flight 429 started to shake.

There was a bit of light chop, then a big bump that got everyones attention, Lindahl told the Rapid City Journal. Then the plane dropped for a good second or two.

Flight 429  an Airbus A320  was traveling from Boston to Sacramento on Thursday night when it hit major turbulence in the skies above South Dakota. More than 20 people aboard were injured, including two crew members.

Though it was scary in the moment, Lindahl said what stood out to him the most about the experience was the calmness, and professionalism that everyone exhibited.

That calmness and professionalism helped soften the experience for Lindahl and others. Several individuals who were on the plane expressed gratitude in interviews and on social media, after all 24 of the injured passengers and crew members were treated and released from Rapid City Regional Hospital on Friday morning.

The whole thing was over before it started, Lindahl said. The real story is how great everyone was in the aftermath.

According to Lindahl, the crew members were in the back of the plane "doing what they do" when the turbulence hit. Lindahl, a software engineer who lives in Sacramento, said the seat belt light was on.

"I was wearing my seatbelt. Always do," he said.

Others, however, were not so secured. Debris and people floated weightlessly in the cabin. Lindahl saw a flight attendant in the rear galley slammed to the ceiling, dislodging a tile.

The lady in front of me was off her seat and sort of hovering there, Lindahl said. I reached between the seats and grabbed her shoulders and pulled her down and in place until it stopped. As far as I know, she was not physically injured, but was justifiably shaken up.

Passenger Rhonda Lynam of Pacific Grove, Calif., told the Associated Press the plane began to rock as it went "right through a black cloud."

"It was like a movie. It was just crazy," Lynam said Friday morning from a hotel in Rapid City, where the plane was diverted the night before. "We started hopping all over the air, and then all of a sudden, it, like an elevator, just dropped. And when that happened, even people who had their seat belts on flew out of their seats. I did, my mom did."

A real sense of danger filled the cabin in those moments, Lindahl said, but the flight crew members didnt crack.

Even though the front two (flight attendants) were injured, I was watching their faces and they remained calm the entire time, he said.

When planes hit extreme turbulence, they usually drop about 40 or 50 feet, although it can feel like more because it happens so quickly and our bodies aren't used to the force, said former US Airways pilot John M. Cox, now CEO of the consulting firm Safety Operating Systems. In rare cases, planes have fallen 200 feet or more.

Once it was apparent that several passengers and crew members were injured, the pilot asked over the speaker system if a medical professional was on board, Lindahl said. A doctor came forward and began tending to one of the injured flight attendants, and the pilot announced that he would conduct an emergency landing at Rapid City Regional Airport.

Passengers were checking on each other, Lindahl said. One guy next to me was hit in the head by a falling bag. I told him to seek medical attention. Another was starting down the road of an anxiety attack, so I told him to take deep breaths.

Lindahl said the plane touched down 30 minutes later.

The call came into the Rapid City Fire Department at 7:24 p.m., said RCFD spokesman Jim Bussell. Personnel at the airports fire station were on the scene a minute later, and emergency personnel responded within 10 minutes.

The 146 passengers and crew were divided into two groups: the injured and the uninjured. All of the injuries were minor, Rapid City Fire Chief Mike Maltaverne said at a press conference on Friday, describing them as bumps and bruises.

EMTs began administering care and handing out coffee, water and blankets. Workers from the airport came in and opened the cafe so hungry passengers would have something to eat, Lindahl said.

Rapid City Police Officer Ed Hofcamp  whom Lindahl also praised  said he walked through the crowd with a pocket full of crayons, little plastic airplanes, and junior officer stickers for the children, remembering one small boy in particular.

This little guy just had a great personality, Hofcamp said. Not only did he bring up my spirits, but I think he brought up the spirits of everyone in the airport. He was just fun to be around.

Seven customers and two crew members were taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital by ambulance, and an additional 15 customers were taken by bus for further evaluation. All 24 patients were released by Friday morning.

JetBlue sent another plane to the airport to take the 122 uninjured passengers to their final destination in Sacramento. It arrived around 2 a.m. M.T., Lindahl said, and touched down at Sacramento International Airport by 4:15 a.m. Pacific Daylight time. According to Lindahl, JetBlue provided everyone with a full refund for the flight.

As for Lindahl, he has no qualms about air travel in the future.

"It was an unfortunate freak thing and we all got out safely because we all remained calm and everyone else relied on the professionalism and training," he said.
STURGIS | Several people were injured and a dog was killed when bees being held in a commercial bee hive in Sturgis attacked after becoming agitated Friday evening.

Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDewater said law enforcement were called to a home in the 1800 block of Davenport Street after the beekeeper attempted to add more bees to the hive.

Her dog, a black lab mixed breed, was in the vicinity of the hive and the Brazilian and German honey bees began to attack.

"The bees got more upset because the people were trying to get them off by spraying water on the dog," VanDewater said.

When police officers and personnel from the Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene, they were overcome by the bees.

"We were chased a couple blocks away," VanDewater said.

VanDewater and two other officers were stung multiple times by the bees. One officer was stung 47 times, the police chief said.

The city sent out an alert on its Code Red system at 7:09 p.m. warning residents to stay in their homes because of the bee infestation. Law enforcement cordoned off an 8-block area from Junction Avenue to Fulton Street and from Shephard Street to Park Street.

A relative of the beekeeper arrived on the scene later and worked to get the bees back in the hive. The city sent out a second message to residents about an hour and 20 minutes later to tell them the bee issue had been resolved.

VanDewater said he was uncertain about city ordinances against beekeeping in city limits.
Carol Oedekoven had hoped to see some shooting stars during the meteor shower on Thursday night.

Instead, she wound up with shooting pains in her foot from the bites of an attacking skunk.

That meant a late-night trip to the hospital and the start of a painful series of injections to protect her from the life-threatening rabies virus.

Oedekoven had just settled in with her husband Wayne, daughter April, son-in-law Kelly Halter and grandsons Vern, 7, and Harry, 5, in the dark of their Meade County ranch to watch the Perseids meteor shower when she felt sharp pains in her right foot just after 10 p.m.

Somethings chewing on me, she yelled.

In spite of the near total darkness on their ranch, located near the Belle Fourche River 26 miles northeast of Sturgis, Oedekoven knew right away the identity of her assailant.

I looked down and I could see the white stripe, even though it was dark, she said. I said, run everyone, run.

Carol is thankful the animal didnt bite or spray other members of her family seated in chairs or lying on blankets nearby.

We had been out there for a half hour or better, she said. I was glad it was me and not Vern or Harry.

The family scrambled for safety as the skunk first chased Oedekoven across a deck toward their house, then disappeared into the darkness.

Oedekoven was taken to the Sturgis Regional Hospital emergency room where she was treated for deep bite wounds to her foot.

She also received five shots, the beginning of a series of injections of rabies immunoglobulin. She will receive more vaccine injections over the next week.

Left untreated, rabies can lead to fever, headache and confusion, and later to anxiety, hallucinations, paralysis and excessive salivation before eventually causing death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rabies killed more than 100 people annually at the turn of the 20th century, with the virus mostly in domestic animals prior to 1960.

The injections, while painful, have been almost completely effective in stopping the virus. Now most cases are seen in wildlife and unvaccinated pets.

According to the CDC, most human deaths, one or two per year since the 1990s, are suffered by those who fail to seek early treatment, many because they dont realize they have been bitten or scratched by an infected animal.

In South Dakota, skunks, raccoons and bats are primary carriers of rabies, according to state epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger of Pierre.

Sixty percent of the skunks we test are rabid, Kightlinger said. Its an ever-present, year-round danger.

Carol Oedekoven had detected the smell of a skunk around the ranch in recent days and had mentioned again a slight odor before she was attacked Thursday night.

A whiff of skunk odor is a common occurrence in rural areas. April Oedekoven initially joked about her mom just trying to frighten everyone when she reported the pungent smell Thursday.

I had never seen an animal do that before, just come up and start biting someone, April said.

Kightlinger said aggressiveness is another indication of rabies. Rabid skunks will bite and even chase people into a building, clawing at doors, he said.

A normal skunk will just run away from you, he said. "Rabid skunks can be vicious."

Kightlinger said of 421 skunks tested in the state from 2006 to 2015, 206 were found to be infected with rabies. That includes 12 rabid animals reported in Meade County and four rabies cases in Pennington County over that period.

He said of 13 cases of rabid animals reported in South Dakota thus far in 2016, seven were skunks.

Anyone bitten or scratched by a skunk will almost automatically be subjected to rabies injections, he said.

You dont guess, because the likelihood is that the skunk is going to be rabid, Kightlinger said.

Kightlinger urges anyone encountering a potentially rabid animal to attempt have it captured for testing, but only if it can be done safely.

Since Oedekoven is already undergoing treatment for presumed exposure to rabies, catching the skunk that attacked her is a moot point, except to confirm the presence of the virus.

The Oedekovens still plan to set traps to prevent another attack. I hope we catch it, Carol said.
LEAD | There are those among us whose genuine interest in others, and a lifetime of work to improve the lots of those less-fortunate, will linger long past their time on earth.

James Bernard Jim Dunn, a life-long resident of Lead, was one of those rare individuals.

Tributes were pouring in Friday to Dunn, the former veteran state legislator and Homestake Gold Mine spokesman who died Thursday at the VA Hospice in Sturgis, following a year of declining health. He was 89.

With dads passing, the world somehow now seems smaller, his son, Tom, said Friday from his Colorado home. Dad was such a presence, in the day a commanding physical presence that diminished somewhat with time. But that presence still showed up to the very end.

Credited with capably representing Lead, Deadwood and the remaining Northern Hills during 30 years in the state Legislature, and promoting use of the Homestake Mine, first as a site for experiments that led to a Nobel Prize in physics for Ray Davis and eventually to the Sanford Underground Research Facility, Dunns impact extended beyond mining to science, tourism and gaming, friends said.

Jim was the spark that created the explosion that gave us the Sanford Lab, said former legislator and Lead Mayor Jerry Apa, who knew Dunn for more than 40 years and once lived two doors from him and his wife.

Born June 27, 1927, to William and Lucy (Mullen) Dunn in a house above the Old Abe mine shaft in Lead, Dunn attended St. Patricks Grade School and was in the first graduating class at the new Lead High School in 1945. Following graduation, Dunn enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Signal Corps.

After being discharged in 1947, Dunn returned to his hometown and began a 38-year career with Homestake. Starting as a machinist, heavy equipment and diesel engine mechanic in the mechanical department, he rose through the ranks, joining the companys public affairs department and representing Homestake as a lobbyist in Pierre from 1963 to 1970.

He earned a degree in business and economics at Black Hills State College in 1962, and was promoted to assistant director of public affairs from 1962 to 1978, when he was named director. Although he retired in 1985, Homestake immediately re-hired him as a consultant charged with negotiating the purchase of homes at Terryville which sat on Homestake property. Son Tom said it was among the most trying duties he ever performed for the company.

It was a difficult negotiation for him because he knew virtually everyone, he said. Homestake was incredibly generous and gave them more than market value for their homes, but a few holdouts made the ordeal extremely difficult for him.

Among the dozens of nonprofit, professional and legislative boards and committees on which Dunn served, Deadwoods Adams Museum was his most treasured, his son said.

Former Deadwood History Inc. Executive Director Mary Kopco, now director of the Fort Collins Symphony, said Friday that Dunns love of history, friendship and frank talk would be missed by many.

You always knew where you stood with Jim Dunn; even with criticism, he had a special way of telling it like it is, Kopco said. Dont we wish all politicians were like Jim Dunn, a man with integrity and not a mean bone in his body?

In 1970, Dunn ran for the state House as a Republican. Two years later, Dunn began an unbroken, 28-year incumbency in the South Dakota Senate, making him the fourth person in state history to hold a legislative seat for 30 years, according to family members.

Dunn received many honors and awards during his lifetime, including being inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2002; named 1996 Legislator of the Year by the National Republican Legislators Association; City of Deadwood Wall of Fame inductee; Lead-Deadwood High School Hall of Fame; and Black Hills State University Distinguished Alumnus.

Foremost, Dunn was known for publicly stating his beliefs when others may have held back.

He was interviewed by a reporter years ago and asked about his longevity in the Senate, and he mentioned his love of Spearfish Canyon and the cabin we had there, and in particular, he just loved working up a sweat chopping wood, Tom said. He said he even imagined that the log was some contentious issue he was dealing with, or the log was some environmentalist S-O-B. I dont think that comment made the newspaper.

Many longtime friends and legislative associates said Dunns insights had proven invaluable in their early years.

When I was first elected to the state Senate, Jim was assistant majority leader and a mentor to me and many others, said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. He was a patient veteran, always willing to help a greenhorn. He and Betty became friends to Linda and me, and we will miss him."

To honor Dunns service to South Dakota, Gov. Daugaard has ordered U.S. flags in the state flown at half-staff next Friday, spokesman Kelsey Pritchard said.

Dunn is survived by four children: Sue Dunn, Denver; Tom Dunn, Parker, Colo.; Mary Beth Mallow, Black Hawk; and Kathy Forti, Lewistown, N.Y. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty, in April 2015.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, followed by a vigil at St. Patricks Catholic Church in Lead. Mass of Christian burial is slated for 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at St. Patricks, followed by a luncheon, and subsequent burial at Holy Cross Cemetery.
WASHINGTON | Every couple of years or so, I feel the need to whine about the plight of newspapers. It's August. I'm Trumped out. So today's the day.

Except that HBO's John Oliver beat me to it with the best defense of newspapers  ever. His recent "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" monologue about the suffering newspaper industry has gone viral in journalism circles but he deserves a broader audience.

Besides, it's funny.

Leavening his important message with enough levity to keep the dopamine flowing, Oliver points out that most news outlets, faux, Fox and otherwise, essentially rely on newspapers for their material. This includes, he says, pulsing with self-awareness, Oliver himself. He's sort of part of the problem, in other words, but at least he knows it, which makes it OK, sort of.

The problem: People want news but they don't want to pay for it.

Consequently, newspapers are failing while consumers get their information from comedy shows, talk shows and websites that essentially lift material for their own purposes.

But somewhere, somebody is actually sitting through a boring meeting, poring over data or interviewing someone who isn't nearly as important as he thinks he is in order to produce a story that will become news. As Oliver points out, news is a food chain, yet with rare exceptions, the most important members of the chain are at the bottom, turning off the lights in newsrooms where gladiators, scholars and characters once roamed.

Some still do, though most are becoming rather long-ish in the tooth. (You can actually get that fixed, you know.)

That any newspapers are surviving, if not for much longer in any recognizable form, can be attributed at least in some part to the dedication of people who really believe in the mission of a free press and are willing to work harder for less  tweeting, blogging, filming and whatnot in addition to trying to write worthy copy. Most of the poor slobs who fell in love with the printed word go unnoticed by any but their peers.

An exception is Marty Baron, the unassuming executive editor of The Washington Post, recently featured in the film, "Spotlight" about the Boston Globe's stories under Baron's leadership about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

It's a good movie, not just because of great casting and acting but because it's a great tale about a massive investigative effort that led to church reform and the beginning of healing for victims. (Not to worry, my pay comes as a percentage of the money I make for the company. This won't make a dime of difference.)

My point  shared by Oliver  is that only newspapers are the brick-and-mortar of the Fourth Estate's edifice. Only they have the wherewithal to do the kind of reporting that leads to stories such as "Spotlight." What happens to the "news" when there are no newspapers left?

We seem doomed to find out as people increasingly give up their newspaper subscriptions and seek information from free-content sources. And though newspapers have an online presence, it's hard to get readers to pay for content.

As Oliver says, now is a very good time to be a corrupt politician. Between buyouts, layoffs and news-hole reductions, there's hardly anyone paying attention.

Except, perhaps, to kitties.

In a hilarious spinoff of "Spotlight" called "Stoplight," Oliver shows a short film of a news meeting where the old-school reporter is pitching a story about city hall corruption. The rest of the staff, cheerful human topiaries to the reporter's kudzu-draped mangrove  are more interested in a cat that looks like a raccoon.

And then there's Sam Zell, erstwhile owner of the Tribune Company, who summed up the sad trajectory of the nation's interests and, perhaps, our future while speaking to Orlando Sentinel staffers in 2008. When he said he wanted to increase revenues by giving readers what they want, a female voice objected, What readers want are puppy dogs

Zell exploded, calling her comment the sort of journalistic arrogance of deciding that puppies dont count.  Hopefully we get to the point where our revenue is so significant that we can do puppies and Iraq, OK? (Expletive) you.

Yes, he said that.

Moral of the story: If you don't subscribe to a newspaper, you don't get to complain about the sorry state of journalism  and puppies you shall have.
Montgomery County (MD) Fire & Rescue Service(SILVER SPRINGS, Md.) -- A third body has been pulled from the ruins of a Maryland apartment complex following an explosion and fire earlier in the week, police said.



The third body was found Friday afternoon, a day after two other bodies were pulled from the debris of the building in Silver Spring, Maryland. Investigators have not yet identified the three victims, whose bodies have been transported to the chief medical examiners office in Baltimore for autopsies and possible identification.



The blast and three-alarm fire at the Flower Branch Apartments late Wednesday night left at least 34 people injured, including three firefighters. Many of the injuries resulted from residents jumping out of windows, officials said.



Some 100 residents from 28 apartments in two buildings were forced to evacuate and are displaced, according to Montgomery County Fire Department spokesman Pete Piringer.



One building at the complex suffered structural collapse, several others were damaged and storefront windows across the street were shattered. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service division chief David Steckel said the building still presents a "collapse hazard" to investigators and rescue crews, and that hot weather has made their working conditions difficult.



"It's been a very challenging incident for us," Steckel said at a news conference Friday afternoon.



As of Friday afternoon, approximately 110 residents from the apartment complex were accounted for since the explosion. But investigators have not yet been able to determine the exact number of residents missing, according to Montgomery County Police Department assistant chief Russ Hamill.



"Investigators are still working to identify the missing people from this event. Throughout the day, we have located many individuals that were originally thought to be missing," Hamill told reporters Friday. "We do not have a number at this time."



He said that if any residents are still trapped inside the building, it's unlikely they're alive.



"Tragically, that doesn't seem that that's a possibility at this time," Hamill said at a news conference Thursday night.



Earlier Thursday, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service chief Scott Goldstein said between five and seven residents were still unaccounted for.



Anyone seeking to locate loved ones from the complex can receive immediate assistance at the nearby Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park, officials said.



Investigators are looking into the cause of the deadly blast and fire. The Montgomery County Police Department, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are jointly investigating.



ATF special agent Jeffrey Matthews said investigators will ultimately conclude whether the origin and cause of the explosion and fire was "accidental, incendiary or undetermined."



There are natural gas furnaces and quick-fire stove tops in each apartment of the four-level buildings on Piney Branch Road, officials said. Washington Gas, which serves more than 1.1 million customers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C., turned off the natural gas to the complex around 1:45 a.m. Thursday morning.



"Washington Gas is supporting local, state and federal officials responding to and investigating this incident. Our thoughts are with the families impacted by this event, the company said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday.



Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said fire and rescue teams responded to a complaint at the apartment complex on July 25 about the smell of gasoline in the area. Officials are looking into the complaint.



The American Red Cross and local officials have set up a temporary shelter at the Long Branch Community Center in Silver Spring for displaced occupants, like Mariana Turag.



Turag told ABC News she heard the explosion, which felt like an earthquake, and saw flames billowing out from her neighbor's apartment unit.



"That blast was a warning for everyone to get out, Turag said at the shelter Thursday. I open the door -- there was a big blast in the apartment across from me.



For those looking for ways to help victims, financial donations can be made directly to the Montgomery Housing Partners, a nonprofit that has stepped up to help the displaced Flower Branch Apartment residents. Donations of goods can be taken to the CASA Welcome Center in Silver Spring.

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Nepal Representative of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Kevin Allen (left) shakes hands with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latteras official residence, in Baluwatar on Saturday, August 13, 2016. Photo Courtesy: PMas Secretariat

Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal Representative of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Kevin Allen called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latters official residence, Baluwatar on Saturday.

During the meeting the duo discussed o ranges of issues concentrating over the issues of refuges problems in Nepal. During the function Allen briefed about the UNs proposal to solve the problem of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Pashupati Shamsher Rana has made clear that unification was halted at the eleventh hour due to the over ambition of the RPP-Nepal over the issue of power and position in the party.

Rana has made the revelation while speaking at an interaction program in Kathmandu on Saturday. The planned unification was dropped at the eleventh hour after the RPP-Nepal did not agree to balance of the functions while dividing duties and rights of the national chairperson and executive chairperson of the new party, Rana said.

However, he claimed that the unification process with RPP Nepal has not ended. The Unification was not halted but postponed, he said.

However, the Kamal Thapa led RPP-Nepal has repeatedly been claiming that the unification process with the RPP has been ended. Chairman Thapa has been blaming Rana for ruining the unification process.
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It's a surprise that Srijit Mukherji's movies don't get as much notice outside West Bengal, and outside India, as it should. Bengali commercial cinema in India was in a state of creative decadence till Mukherji burst onto the scene with Autograph, his stylishly-crafted tribute to Satyajit Ray's immortal masterpiece Nayak, in 2010. More than half a decade later, Mukherji has become arguably the most bankable director working in Kolkata's studios today. Few can bridge the rural-urban divide in Bengal as well as he does. And most of his movies--from Autograph to Rajkahini--manage to achieve the double of achieving critical acclaim and humongous box-office returns. Even as I write this, he is preparing for his big leap into the ambitious world of Hindi cinema--he is busy with the post-production of a Hindi remake of Rajkahini, titled Begum Jaan, which stars Vidya Balan and is produced by Vishesh Films.

In the last few years, however, he has unfailingly kept a date with the most auspicious of occasions in Bengal--Durga Puja. In 2014, he wowed everyone with Chotushkone, a complex tale of four fictitious film directors and their tryst with death. In 2015, he stunned everyone with his Partition-inspired Rajkahini, which featured a powerpacked performance from Rituparna Sengupta as Begum Jaan, and had arguably half the stalwarts of Bengali cinema in its lineup. This year, the maverick director returns with Zulfiqar, which is interestingly a big-screen adaptation of two of William Shakespeare's best-known tragedies, Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, but set in the seamy underbelly of Kolkata's infamous Port area.

Like Rajkahini, Zulfiqar too has a heavyweight cast. Veteran actor Prosenjit Chatterjee (Shanghai, Traffic) plays the eponymously-named Zulfiqar Ahmed, obviously modelled on Julius Caesar. Other members in the cast include Parambrata Chatterjee (Kahaani, Traffic), Jisshu U Sengupta (Mardaani, Piku), Paoli Dam (Chatrak, Hate Story, Ankush Arora Murder Case), Deepak "Dev" Adhikari, Ankush Hazra, Kaushik Sen, Kanchan Mallick, Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, Nusrat Jahan, Kyra Dutt and June Maliah.

The trailer for the movie is out, and my guess is that Mukherji will keep his Puja record spectacularly intact. The three-munute trailer promises a world of divided loyalities, numerous betrayals and copious amounts of bloodshed, while staying true to Shakespeare's vision. Mukherji has collaborated with his most trusted collaborators on his film too--Anupam Roy (Piku, and the forthcoming Pink), Soumik Halder for cinematography, Indraadip Dasgupta for the background score, and Soumyabrata Rakshit as the chief assistant director. More notably, though, the action sequences have been designed by heavyweights Javed and Aejaz Gulab, who are making their Bengali debut after having wowed Hindi cinema through their work in films such as Shootout At Lokhandwala, Don 2, Mission Istanbul and others.

Produced by Shree Venkatesh Films, Zulfiqar hits screens in Bengal on October 7. Whether it get a same-day pan-India release is something that remains to be seen. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
The already peculiar Madonna Inn is about to get a whole lot more so. The famed San Luis Obispo spot known for its 110-uniquely themed rooms will soon be welcoming to its grounds 101 painted cows.

Organizers of the roving series of fiberglass and painted life-sized cows known as CowParade decided that to kick things off in SLO they should put all the artwork in one spot (it is traditionally placed around a city). And what better place for 101 unique cows than the 110-unique roomed Madonna Inn?

Opened in 1958, the inn is located right on 101 and is famous for themed accommodation like the "Safari," "Jungle Rock," and "Fabulous Fifties" rooms (in addition to the waterfall urinal).

"'Anybody can build one room and a thousand like it,'' inn founder Alex Madonna told the New York Times back in 1982. ''It's more economical. Most places try to give you as little as possible. I try to give people a decent place to stay where they receive more than they are entitled to for what they're paying."

"I want people to come in with a smile and leave with a smile," he added. "It's fun."

The cow unveiling is set to take place on September 17, and will feature one cow being painted live by famous LA graffiti artist Man One. "Man Ones graffiti art is comprised of his trademark bold, colorful art strokes and has been featured at famed galleries and museums including The Getty, Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institute," reads a press release.

The event is free and open to the public.





Related: Local Artist 'Flattered' By Brazen Theft Of $750 Painting
This week we covered a lot of food world happenings at SFist. There was, for starters, a mouth-watering recap of some over-the-top good festival food at Outside Lands. We had big news that the couple behind Bar Tartine, Nick Balla and Cortney Burns, would pursue a Japanese-inspired spinoff restaurant they'll call Motze. Yelp got pissed that Google is backing Zagat links, because it owns Zagat. Craft beer bar Buffalo Theory opened on Polk. Bon Appetit started doling out awards, one for the tiny inner Richmond Bakery Arsicault (Bakery of the Year) and one for Leo's Oyster Bar (Best Design award for a new restaurant in the country). The Lone Star Saloon cleared a legacy business hurdle, which might keep the building from getting sold. And finally, Second Act Marketplace, the Upper Haight vendors' hall in the former Red Vic movie house, has closed. That wasn't everything, though: The rest is here.

Docs Clock, the Mission Street dive bar that we heard in February would close next year, will seek legacy status but may still have to move. Eater had the news that owner Carey Suckow would be applying for the legacy distinction, as that could grant the bar $500 per employee annually, with the city providing $4.50 per square foot annually to the property owner if they were to extend a ten-year lease. Meanwhile, though, Suckow will seek a new home for her establishment.

Noe Valley butcher shop Drewes Meats, considered to be one of the oldest butcher shops in San Francisco, has closed. Inside Scoop learned that news: It appears to have been an eviction of the shop, which had been renamed E&J Fine Meats in recent years.

Mazza Luna, an upscale Lebanese restaurant, has shuttered after a few years on Van Ness (at Eddy). Hoodline had the word on that, observing that the same restaurant group behind Mazza Luna will open a sushi spot there as soon as September 1st, to be called Hinata Sushi.

The iconic Jacks space, a historic restaurant location vacant since 2009 when French bistro Jeanty at Jack's closed, is getting a new life as a co-working space. Bar Works, a New York City trio of such spaces, is arriving in town according to the Chronicle. The co-working space market, though, is starting to get as competitive as the restaurant one, with plenty of tony options. That's what made the Jack's space appealing, Bar Works managing director Franklin Kinard tells the Chron. By going after a landmark building, we felt it was a dramatic way to announce ourselves to the marketplace."

Iza Ramen, located in the Lower Haight on Fillmore, will open a location on Folsom Street. Inside Scoop writes they'll take over the space formerly occupied by Triptych, the longtime SoMa brunch and dinner joint that closed in March.

Sweetgreen, the popular organic salad chain that's a hit in Berkeley and Palo Alto, is opening in SoMa according to Eater. This is going to make it harder to decide between Mixt greens, Tender Greeens, et al.

Berkeleyside had news on the shuttered Antoinette in the East Bay's Claremont Hotel. After a reboot it will be called Limewood, and it will be considerably less fussy than the short-lived venture involving Dominique Crenn, which an East Bay Express review said was "for the one percent."

Batter Bakery, which once operated side-by-side with Square Meals, parted ways with that partner last year, and now has successful settled on Pine Street next to Grubstake. There, they'll have an extended menu according to Eater.

Rich Table, who have been closed for three weeks, are back open for business. They write that they've improved their kitchen through a new farmers market-focused menu.

Noe Valley's Hamlet is closing from next Monday until next Thursday to reopen with a re-tooled concept. "We loved the first incarnation of Hamlet," owner John Dampeer wrote in a press release, "but for our business to sustain, it was necessary to re-focus as a more casual and relaxed, everyday hangout 'community center' of sorts for everyone to share a few drinks and bites." With opening chef Stephen Chan leaving, head chef at sister spot Caskhouse will redesign a menu geared toward bar food. "The mid-level restaurant market in SF is not only grossly saturated, but it's also a cumbersome business to operate in the city where yields are non-existent due to impossible-to-reach essential margins," Dampeer shared, echoing the thesis of that recent Times article we discussed here.

This Week In Reviews

The Weekly's Pete Kane was at Corridor this week, the latest from the Hi Neighbor restaurant group behind Trestle, Fat Angel, and Stone's Throw. "It's technically a two-part affair on the ground floor of the recently re-skinned mid-rise at 100 Van Ness," Kane explains, with a cafe component. "Virtually everything is affordable  rare is the item that crosses the $20 frontier  and few ingredients require a hunt in the dictionary... It's good, approachable food, and  this being high summer  there's a judicious use of top-notch produce."

At the Chronicle, with Michael Bauer away in Italy for three weeks (timed, for good or ill, to that San Francisco magazine piece questioning him on ethical grounds), that paper doesn't have any reviews from him, but instead has a nice profile on Inner Richmonds 105-year-old Schuberts Bakery. They've also handed over some space to local Tiki lord Martin Cate (Smuggler's Cove, Whitechapel) who explains his craft and its history in some detail.

That provides nice context for the Tiki-influenced drinks at Louie's Gen-Gen Room, which Chronicle drinks writer Esther Mobley absolutely adores. "It feels secluded, personal, unshared  a world away from the shoulder-to-shoulder battalion at Liholihos bar upstairs," she writes, focusing on understated drinks that compliment dishes like the okonomiyaki waffle, which SFist recommends here.
Question: Our home was built in the 1920s and is showing its age. Painting the home every 10 years is out of the question so we decided to have the vinyl siding installed. After the workers left, the home looked brand-new. But after a few months I noticed the siding was coming loose. I called the contractor and found out the phone number is no longer in service. Can you advise me on what to do now?

Answer: The original wood siding on your home is most likely poplar wood, which has dried over the years and has a tendency to split if a siding nail hit it in the wrong place. Fortunately, each piece of loose vinyl siding can be removed without having to remove the entire wall. If the loose piece is in the middle of a wall, you do not have to start at the top and remove all the siding. A contractor can use a special inexpensive tool to undo the locking lip at the bottom of each panel to expose the loose areas. Where the wood siding is split, the vinyl can be reinstalled using special fasteners, or the split wood can be repaired and the vinyl siding's fasteners can be relocated away from where the original wood is damaged.

Vinyl siding is very easy to install once all the outside or inside corners, window trim and soffits have been installed. Even if the entire wall is loose and has to be removed it can be repaired in less than an eight-hour day with a crew of two experienced workers. If you have a two-story home it may take a little longer, but the original vinyl can, in most cases, be reused and you would have to pay for labor only. If you can't locate the original contractor, at least give the company name or the contractor's name to the local Better Business Bureau to protect other unsuspecting homeowners from experiencing poor workmanship.

C. Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home improvement questions at C. Dwight Barnett, Evansville Courier & Press, P.O. Box 268, Evansville, Ind. 47702 or e-mail him at d.Barnett@insightbb.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NEW YORK | When Terina McKinney displays her leather bags and belts at events attended primarily by black women, they are often interested in her designs, and in her experience as an African-American business owner. But she seldom makes sales.

"They all ooh and ahh and ask a ton of questions, but don't necessarily make purchases," says McKinney, whose Jypsea Leathergoods products range from $20 to $325. Instead, her customers tend to be white or Asian women.

While calls have been increasing for black consumers to support black-owned businesses with their buying power estimated at more than $1.2 trillion a year, social media campaigns with momentum like #buyblack are relatively new. And McKinney's frustration is shared by some other black business owners who say they can find it hard to sell to black consumers.

The factors can be logistical or practical, such as being located farther away or having higher prices than big chain stories, retail experts and civic leaders say. Scarcity can be a reason: It can be hard to find businesses owned by African-Americans. But other considerations might be emotional, like wanting a trendy design everyone is wearing, or the perception that national brands are better.

"There's a myth that's been placed on our communities for many generations: White people's ice is colder. White businesses are superior to black businesses," says Ron Busby, president of the U.S. Black Chambers, a national business organization for black-owned companies. "We have to change that mentality. We have to be better, conscientious consumers."

McKinney, who lives in Camden, New Jersey, outside of Philadelphia, says her lower sales to black shoppers don't seem to be a matter of money, since she finds that many will spend on well-known labels.

Designer Joede Brown has seen similar responses to her crocheted clothing, which sells under the Black Pearl Creations brand from under $30 to up to $500 for the most intricate pieces. She finds black customers sometimes say her products are too expensive, although they'll wear a big-name brand that costs the same or more.

Brown, who lives in Manchester, New Hampshire, recognizes that a preference for well-known brands isn't limited to the black community, but also wonders if buying them is a statement: "You've beaten me down, but look, I can have this too."

Consumers who do try to focus their spending on black-owned companies say finding them requires research, and it can take more time and effort to get there. But locating options is getting far easier, both through local and national social media campaigns and online lists from groups like the U.S. Black Chambers.

"This is the only way we as a people can generate wealth, by supporting our own," says Rebecca Briscoe, of Houston. Her grandfather's photography company was black-owned and focused on black customers from the 1940s onward because white photographers would not do business with them.

"If you don't support their business, they don't have a business," says Briscoe.

Campaigns like #buyblack and also #bankblack, which encourages people to use black-owned financial institutions, are having an impact. The #bankblack campaign got a boost last month from rapper and activist Killer Mike, who called on people to shift their money to these banks. OneUnited Bank has gone from 50 new accounts a day to as many as 1,000, says Teri Williams, president of the financial institution that has offices in Boston, Miami and Los Angeles and also operates online.

"It's opening the community's eyes to the many ways they're spending their dollars," Williams says of the campaigns.

Businesses that provide a service may have more success than those that sell merchandise, says Jerome Williams, a marketing professor at Rutgers University.

"Since service businesses tend to involve more people interactions, the people relationships should prove to be more important, compared to situations where the focus is primarily on the product," he says.

Small and medium-sized retailers can find it hard to compete on price and selection with giants such as Wal-Mart that can negotiate lower prices with manufacturers through their scale. And finding black retailers and service providers across a range of industries isn't always easy, Jerome Williams says.

"As a black consumer, if I wanted to buy from a black-owned merchant, there aren't enough to satisfy my needs," he says.

The nearly 2.6 million black-owned companies in the United States account for about 9 percent of the total number of businesses in a country where 13 percent of the population is black. The 2012 census of businesses found that black-owned operations made up about 6 percent of all U.S. retailers and about 7 percent of businesses that provide food or accommodation.

Financial counselor Harrine Freeman has black-owned beauty supply and clothing stores, a dollar store, shoe repair and other service providers not too far from her Washington, D.C., home. She has searched online or asked friends and neighbors to find other businesses. But other black-owned stores might be an hour's drive away.

"I'm willing to drive that far, but that's not to say I can go there every week," Freeman says.

Many stores in traditionally black neighborhoods may also have changed hands. In parts of Los Angeles, including the once-majority black South Central area, Hispanics have replaced many of the black residents, and many black-owned businesses have closed or moved, says Joe Hicks, vice president of Community Advocates Inc. in Los Angeles.

Black-owned businesses offer black consumers distinct advantages  especially if shoppers have felt discriminated against at other places  and can provide services tailored to their needs, says Geraldine Henderson, a marketing professor at Loyola University in Chicago. She cited health care providers who understand medical concerns that may be more relevant to black patients.

"You want to go to a provider with cultural competence," Henderson says.

Maggie Anderson, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, wrote a book called "Our Black Year" about her effort to buy from black-owned businesses exclusively. That included the stores where she and her husband bought food, clothing, household necessities and personal care items, as well as service providers like hair salons, auto mechanics and restaurants.

Sometimes that meant driving 50 miles to get things. Sometimes it meant going without fresh fruit because they couldn't find what they wanted at a black-owned store. It meant telling their daughters "no" when a toy or book wasn't sold at a black-owned shop.

"It was a message to our fellow black consumers that we have to be more accountable to what has happened to and what is happening to our community," Anderson says.

Anderson says she has sensed some wariness when she speaks with groups of black consumers about her project, because the audience understands the amount of work involved. She says she also knows that while she had the time and financial resources to devote to the endeavor, people with lower incomes, little spare time and lacking the means to travel might have difficulty doing the same.

"It is not that that black consumers will not shop with black stores, products or services," says Hicks. "Most American consumers are looking for the best buy, the most convenient, best quality within a relatively short distance from where they live."
For most women, taking nine months off to rest while pregnant is not a possibility. Women often plan to work right up to their due dates to get the most time possible with their baby during maternity leave. But working during pregnancy isnt always easy.

In order to stay healthy and productive on the job, its helpful to understand how to alleviate common pregnancy discomforts, says Mayo Clinic Health System family physician Dr. Jill Boulden.

Feeling nauseous at work is a common pregnancy discomfort. To keep the nausea at bay, Boulden advises snacking often and avoiding things that trigger that sick feeling in your stomach. She recommends keeping a stash of crackers or other bland food at your desk.

You might feel tired as your body works overtime to support your pregnancy, and resting during the workday can be tough. Boulden offers these tips to help keep your energy up:

 Eat foods rich in iron and protein, such as red meat, poultry, leafy green vegetables, iron-fortified whole-grain cereal and beans.

 Take short, frequent breaks. Getting up and moving around for a few minutes can reinvigorate you.

 Drink plenty of fluids. Keep a water bottle in your work area so you can sip throughout the day.

 Cut back on activities. Scaling back can help you get more rest after the workday ends.

 Maintain your fitness routine. Physical activity can help boost your energy level. Try a prenatal fitness class, or take a walk after work, as long as its OK with your health care provider.

 Go to bed early. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Pillows between your legs and under your belly can add comfort.

As your pregnancy progresses, everyday activities, such as sitting and standing, can become uncomfortable, says Boulden. Moving around every few hours also can ease muscle tension and help prevent fluid buildup in your legs and feet.

Its also important to limit the amount of stress at work during your pregnancy. Job stress can sap the energy you need to care for yourself and your baby. To reduce the amount of stress at work, share your frustrations with a supportive co-worker, make daily to-do lists and prioritize your tasks, and practice relaxation techniques.

Working during pregnancy is not always easy. If you have concerns about your work duties affecting your pregnancy, talk with your health care provider.
WEST BRANCH, Iowa | An Iowan's birthday passed quietly on Wednesday, the day Herbert Hoover was born in 1874.

Sure, there isn't much grand about a 142nd observance of anything. The date was likely noted only in newspaper columns that feature "On this date in history."

History has been mixed, if not unkind, when it comes to Iowa's lone president, a man whose only elected office was that of the highest in the land, perhaps the world. He wasn't a city councilman, nor member of a local park board. He only became a Republican a few years before the 1928 GOP National Convention, when he, while serving as secretary of commerce under President Calvin Coolidge, was nominated to be the standard bearer for the party in that November election opposite Democrat Alfred Smith, of New York.

Hoover carried 40 states in the national election, including his native Iowa and neighboring South Dakota and Nebraska, while amassing a record margin of victory in electoral votes, 444-87. Hoover carried 93 of 99 Iowa counties, but didn't win in Plymouth and Crawford counties. He won Woodbury County with 20,587 votes to Smith's 16,831.

Hoover, a Quaker orphan who became a self-made mining millionaire, rose to great political heights after a number of successful humanitarian efforts, the start of which took place in 1914 when he organized -- and personally helped finance -- an effort to get 120,000 Americans stranded in Europe home safely as World War I began. He wasn't yet 40 years old.

Later that year he was named chairman of the Commission for Relief in Belgium and saw to it that hundreds of thousands of people in Belgium, innocent victims of war, received food. He later became director general of the American Relief Administration, which helped feed 350 million people in 21 countries.

"What impresses me most is his public service," said Janlyn Slach, public affairs specialist for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa, where Hoover was born in a 14-by-20-foot cottage that remains on the property in West Branch, a National Historic Site that welcomes 40,000 visitors annually.

"He was an orphan and was very involved with helping other people, especially children."

After the U.S. entered World War I, Hoover was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to serve as head of the Food Administration. He educated U.S. citizens on the importance of cutting their consumption of certain food items, those needed by Allied forces overseas. After the war, he organized a vast aid network to feed millions of those starving across war-ravaged Europe.

Those successes, however, soon faded as the Hoover presidency was greeted by the stock market crash on Oct. 24, 1929. Unemployment, it was reported, was 3 percent as Hoover assumed the Oval Office. It would rise to 23 percent in three years.

And while the triumphs of the 31st U.S. president are illustrated throughout the museum and library bearing his name, his Depression-era failures are also highlighted. Hoover, the man who seemingly fed half the world in the run-up to his presidency, was slow to react as millions in the U.S. lost their homes, their jobs and their savings in the early 1930s.

Aid, he noted, should have local and voluntary origins; that wasn't the central mission of the federal government.

"Prosperity cannot be restored by raids upon the public treasury," he said in his State of the Union address in 1930.

The electorate lost confidence in Hoover, who was indelibly tied to images of soup and bread lines and the shantytowns many came to derisively label "Hoovervilles." Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Democratic Party nominee, hammered Hoover in the 1932 election. Hoover carried only six states. Roosevelt won Iowa by 18 percentage points, 59-41. The Democrat more than doubled Hoover's vote total in Woodbury County, 26,397 votes to 12,764.

Hoover and his wife, Lou, left Washington D.C. for their home near their beloved alma mater, Stanford University in California, where the former president would devote much time to the Hoover Institution.

He later would chair the Boys Clubs of America and helped establish CARE and UNICEF, organizations devoted to the welfare of children. He continued the work that made him known as "The Great Humanitarian" by again feeding the masses in Europe harmed by the violence of World War II.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman, a Democrat, appointed Hoover to a commission challenged to reorganize the Executive Departments. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, repeated the appointment six years later.

Hoover returned to West Branch in 1962, two years before his death, to dedicate the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, just one minute or so north of Interstate 80.

The highest point on the site contains the graves for both Hoover and his wife, a spot where one can see the humble cottage in which the 31st U.S. president was born. The simple stones of Vermont marble, and the design of the museum and library, mirror the Quaker ideal of simplicity.
SIOUX CITY | When owls make a noise, it tends to sound something like "who-who," right?

Yet Jack McGaffin, 3, of Sioux City, insisted Olaf, the 9-year-old barred owl living at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, communicates through a series of clicks.

"(Olaf) makes a noise with his tongue and blinks," he said, mimicking the bird. "It's like click-click-blink, click-click-blink."

Jack ought to know. Emily McGaffin said her son is a regular at Nature Tales for Preschoolers, a program offered at the 4500 Sioux River Road nature center.

The McGaffins were among the children, parents and grandparents in attendance earlier this week.

In addition to checking in with Olaf as well as Skye, the Nature Center's American kestrel, and Scarlett, a red-tailed hawk, kids listened to a story, participated in a craft and went on a nature hike.

Naturalist intern Brianna Martens said preschoolers are curious about the world around them.

"Children love to learn and they love to explore," said the Morningside College biology senior. "This is fun for them."

Rae Hattan, a fellow naturalist intern, nodded her head in agreement.

"When I was a preschooler, I'd come to many of the (Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center) summer programs," said the Iowa State University English and biology junior. "So, it feels like I've come full-circle, teaching the type of class I attended as a child."

Did Hattan recall being read "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or cutting owl caricatures out of construction paper?

"No, but I remember making plenty of finger puppets," she said with a wistful smile. "When you're working with preschoolers, you can never go wrong with finger puppets."

Well, that may not be true for Joel Henneous. The 5-year-old Sioux City boy was a bit bored with his craft. According to mom Jessica Henneous, he was simply biding his time for the nature hike.

"Both Joel and his brother (2-year-old Beau) love being outside in the summertime," she said as the boys zipped up and down the trail.

While Beau chose to stick close to grandpa Bill Christiansen, Joel helped Martens track the chirps of nearby chickadees.

"Can you hear that chirping?" Martens asked her pint-sized assistant.

"Uh-huh, I can hear it," Joel said with certainty. "I'm an expert when it comes to listening."

Overhearing the conversation, Jessica Henneous couldn't help but kid her extremely confident son.

"Joel, in the past few minutes, you've said you're an expert when it comes to spiders and, now, listening for chickadees," she said with a smile. "Is there anything else that you're consider yourself an expert on?"

"Yes, I'm a dinosaur expert," Joel informed his mom. "I know everything there is to know about dinosaurs."
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City woman was arrested after trying to evade police on a stolen scooter Thursday.

According to court documents, Shantel Peterson, 19, was spotted by police driving the stolen motor scooter at 13th and Court streets. She drove through several stop signs at 30 miles per hour down 12th Street "without regard for anyone's safety," the documents said.

With marked squad cars chasing her, Peterson then drove into oncoming traffic and caused other drivers to stop or slow down to avoid collision, the documents said. Peterson drove on and off the roadway, through private property and off a wall before fleeing on foot, according to the documents.

She was found to be in possession of burglary tools, meth and drug paraphernalia, authorities said.

The scooter had been modified from its original appearance and the plates had been removed to disguise the vehicle, the documents said.

Peterson had been out on bond after she was arrested for a felony theft charge in March, when she was in possession of a stolen van.

She is being held at the Woodbury County Jail on three counts of second degree theft, reckless driving, possession of drugs and eluding.
SIOUX CITY | A male gunshot victim was dropped off at Mercy Medical Center Friday night by a personal vehicle.

Police were notified by the hospital around 8:45 p.m. After talking with the victim, they determined the shooting happened near the intersection of Pierce and 11th streets.

Police Sgt. Jim Cunningham said there were at least two vehicles involved in the incident.

"The vehicles were stopped waiting for a light, from my understanding," Cunningham said, adding that officers found broken glass at that intersection "indicating a window was possibly shot out."

The condition of the victim was unknown Friday night, but Cunningham said, "he was alert and talking" and being treated by the medical staff.

Pierce Street was blocked off from 11th to 12th streets while police investigated the scene until 9:45 p.m.

"We don't have any suspects identified," Cunningham said. "(We) have possible vehicles involved, but we don't have anything confirmed yet."

"It is unknown exactly what led to this," he said.

The crime is under investigation.
Air Force Col. Bud Day, having already fought in World War II and the Korean War, was flying his 65th mission over Vietnam, when his plane was shot down and he, after bailing out, suffered a broken arm and injuries to his back and eye. Captured by North Vietnamese soldiers, he was beaten up before becoming that conflict's only U.S. prisoner of war to escape his captors. After wandering dazed in the jungle for days, Day was captured by the Viet Cong, and he eventually ended up in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, where his bravery and leadership, while enduring 5 1/2 years of relentless torture and starvation, resulted in his later becoming the only American ever to be awarded both the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest citation, and the Air Force Cross.

During his own 6 1/2 years in that same Hanoi hellhole, Marine pilot Orson Swindle, who had been shot down as he was flying his 205th mission, would lose 75 pounds while being subjected to physical and mental torture. Navy Cmdr. Everett Alvarez, another captured pilot, spent 8 1/2 years, more time in captivity than any other American during the Vietnam War, in the brutal custody of his Hanoi jailers.

I met all three of these remarkable American heroes in early 2000 in New Hampshire. All three were there on their own nickel, volunteering on behalf of the campaign of a fellow former POW, a former Navy pilot whose character they had seen up close during his own 5 1/2 years of suffering in the Hanoi Hilton and who was running for president, Sen. John McCain.

Now, four elections later, the Republican presidential nominee is a man who, during Vietnam, consciously avoided the military draft, has called his successful avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases during his swinging New York days his "personal Vietnam" and has dismissed McCain as "not a war hero." Donald Trump said: "He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured."

That same election cycle, 2000, the Democratic nominee was then-Vice President Al Gore, who had been one of only a handful in his Harvard class to volunteer for the military draft and service in Vietnam. I asked Gore why he, whose father was an influential U.S. senator, had chosen the U.S. Army. Here is what he said, and it is worth thinking about today: "I came from a small town (Carthage, Tennessee) of 3,000. ... If I didn't go, somebody else would have to go. I knew just about everybody else who was going to have to go in my place. ... For me, that sort of reinforces the sense of community and nation that is at the root of why you have a duty to serve your country."

I recall Gore's answer when I asked him whether he knew anyone who had died in the Vietnam War. He listed the names of five neighbors: "James Stallings, Jackie Underwood, Charles Holland, Walter Pope and Roy Wills." These men were all from Smith County, Tennessee, and the names of all five can be found on the wall of Washington's Vietnam Veterans Memorial. That memorial is a place where Gore had visited more than once but where former House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- a fierce armchair commando who, like Trump, had eluded the military draft and who was unable to name anyone who had died in Vietnam when I asked -- had never found time to visit.

As John McCain struggles to win re-election in Arizona to his sixth Senate term, fate has cruelly chained him to a national ticket headed by the man who so publicly and so callously disparaged McCain's valor and sacrifice. For McCain, an iron rule of American politics prevails: In every campaign you are in, there will always be somebody on your side who you wish devoutly were on the other side.
CHICAGO  Matt Szczur hit two home runs and the Chicago Cubs won their 11th straight game, backing Jake Arrieta and battering Adam Wainwright to rout the St. Louis Cardinals 13-2 Friday.

Willson Contreras launched a three-run shot to cap a five-run second inning, and Javier Baez and Jorge Soler also went deep to make things easy for Arrieta (14-5).

The Cubs' winning streak is their longest since a 12-game run in 2001. They pulled 14 games ahead of scuffling St. Louis in the NL Central and improved the best record in the majors to 73-41.

Szczur, who recorded his first multihomer game, and Kris Bryant each had three hits. The Cubs roughed up Wainwright (9-7) for seven runs and chased him after two innings, tying his shortest outing in 245 career starts.

PADRES 8, METS 6: Rookie Ryan Schimpf hit a grand slam and added a two-run shot in San Diego's victory over New York. Jabari Blash and Christian Bethancourt also homered early to help the Padres hand the Mets their fourth straight loss and sixth in seven games. The defending NL champions (57-58) fell below .500 for the first time since April 17.

BRAVES 8, NATIONALS 5: Jace Peterson, Freddie Freeman and Anthony Recker homered and Atalnta beat Washington to snap a 14-game losing streak in the nation's capital.

PHILLIES 10, ROCKIES 6: Ryan Howard hit a grand slam and drove in five runs to help Jake Thompson earn his first major league victory and lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

American League

ASTROS 5, BLUE JAYS 3: Joe Musgrove pitched seven innings for his first major league win, Teoscar Hernandez homered for his first big league hit and the Houston Astros beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Friday night. Astros DH Evan Gattis had four hits, including two doubles. Hernandez had two hits and reached base three times while George Springer singled and walked three times.

YANKEES 6, RAYS 3: His pregame tribute ended by a storm, Alex Rodriguez soaked in repeated cheers during his final game in pinstripes, getting one more hit for the New York Yankees and returning to third base one last time. On a night filled with nostalgia as the Yankees and Rodriguez turn to uncertain futures, baseball's most notorious star of the last two decades drove a 96 mph fastball from Tampa Bay's Chris Archer into the right-center field gap in the first inning of New York's 6-3 victory Friday.

INDIANS 13, ANGELS 3: Rajai Davis and Jose Ramirez each stole three bases to help Cleveland tie the franchise record with eight, and Brandon Guyton drove in five runs against Los Angeles.

Interleague

RED SOX 9, DIAMONDBACKS 4: Hanley Ramirez had two three-run homers for six RBIs, David Ortiz added a homer and the Boston Red Sox beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 in interleague play on Friday night. It was a much-needed victory for the Red Sox, who had lost four of five.

WHITE SOX 4, MARLINS 2: Carlos Rodon pitched six innings for his first victory since May and Chicago beat Miami. Adam Eaton tied a career high with four hits for Chicago in its first game in Miami since 2004.
WASHINGTON

(, 2016)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is being awarded aindefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable contract for engineering, management, and technical services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Integrated Battlespace Simulation and Test Department. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in August 2020. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated against individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via electronic request for proposals; three offers were received. The, is the contracting activity (N00421-16-D-0013)., is being awarded amodification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive, firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-15-C-0031) for the procurement, delivery, installation, configuration, and standup of the Naval Air Station Lemoore Training Infrastructure System and Pilot Fitting Facility in support of the F-35 Lightening II aircraft. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (90 percent); Greenville, South Carolina (6 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (4 percent). Work is expected to be completed in March 2019. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $20,783,686 will be obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor cost-plus-fixed-fee modification 01 to task order 0218 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001) for additional production engineering support for the installation and integration of systems required for the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G. This effort also includes Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System follow-on test and evaluation support. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (75 percent); and St. Louis, Missouri (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2017. Fiscal 2015 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $18,361,373 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.
In the meantime, South Korean authorities continue their attempts to persuade the world that reunification is inevitable and to everyones benefit.

The potential reunification of the Korean Peninsula is also unlikely to occur without the approval of key regional players. Russia and China are concerned that this move would result in the US military being deployed right at their doorstep. The US fears losing their influence in the region and the new country getting in cahoots with China.

And Japan dreads the possible rise of anti-Japanese sentiment in the region and possible increase of competition in high-tech manufacturing.

Last but not least, all of the aforementioned nations are reluctant to allow the government of this new hypothetical state to seize control of North Koreas nuclear weapons.

And then theres Pyongyangs take on the situation, as the North Korean leadership firmly believes that the reunification is being prevented by the "imperialistic forces and their puppets"  namely, the US military contingent stationed in South Korea and the US-backed government in Seoul.

However, Konstantin Asmolov, analyst at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies, told Sputnik that this difference of opinions is typical of the dialogue between the two countries.

"In inter-Korean dialogue, each side always berates the other; each side claims that it seeks unification, offers new options and makes proposals, etc., while the other keeps ignoring and rebuking them. And meanwhile, most of these proposals simply cannot be implemented at the time. Yes, the mutual mistrust is difficult to overcome, and what kept piling up for decades cannot be removed in just a few years time. Nevertheless, there is a hypothetical possibility of unification, though it would be extremely difficult to achieve. In any case, dialogue is way better that exchanging threats," Asmolov said.

Lyudmila Saakyan for Sputnik Korea


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Pakistani authorities told Radio Free Europe on Friday that all seven people of the helicopters crew including a Russian citizen, who was a pilot, were released by the Taliban terrorists.

They were taken hostage by Taliban militants on August 4, when the helicopter crash-landed in the eastern Afghanistans eastern province of Logar.


NEW DELHI (Sputnik)The six crew members of the Pakistani Mi-17 helicopter that were captured by Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan after crash landing have been released and taken to Islamabad, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Nafees Zakaria said on Saturday.

"The Six crew members of Punjab government [Mi-17] helicopter that went missing in Afghanistan on August 4, 2016 have been released and arrived in Islamabad today," he told RIA Novosti.

Nafees Zakaria added that Russian national Sergei Sevastyanov was among those freed.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)About 40 Taliban terrorists and 30 more militants from unspecified groups were killed in various parts of the southeastern province of Paktika. The ministry said that there were nine foreign fighters among the killed.

Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, fighting the continuing Taliban insurgency, with other extremist groups such as the Daesh expanding their activities in the country as well. Over the last months, the Taliban has made advances in Helmand, Kandahar, Kunduz and Uruzgan provinces, and civil casualties are at their highest level in two years.
"Fortifying the islands with rocket launchers, if proved to be true, will only demonstrate Vietnams determination to strengthen its military deployment," said the editorial. "Vietnam has been enhancing its control of the islets and islands in Nansha in order to consolidate the beneficial status quo."

Vietnams Foreign Ministry vehemently denied the report following the stern warning from Chinas state media saying that the information about the rocket launchers was "inaccurate" although US State Department officials acknowledged that they were aware of the report and did not refute its claims.

The editorial ultimately laid the blame at the feet of the West, most prominently the United States, that incited the regional diplomatic row by encouraging the Philippines to seek a ruling from The Hague arbitrational court contesting Chinas longstanding claim to most of the South China Sea territory.
Earlier in the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the release of the Mi-17 crew, including Sevastyanov, captured by the Taliban militants after the helicopters crash landing in Afghanistan.

"According to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, the whole crew of Mi-17 helicopter has been released and sent to Lahor town. In the next one or two days, he [Sevastyanov] will be sent back home," Kabulov said on Rossiay-24 television.
Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia, is a relatively young city founded in 1903. Nevertheless, Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

One doesnt see too many old buildings and architecture in Novosibirsk as in other Siberian cities, like Tuymen, Tobolsk, Omsk or Irkutsk; from the beginning, Novosibirsk was built to serve as an administrative and political capital of Eastern Russia.

Nonetheless, the capital of Siberia is an interesting modern city that has a lot to offer.
For his part, retailer Yasin Demir told Sputnik that he too does not expect a rapid improvement, but remains optimistic for gradual changes for the better. "We have lived through a serious crisis in relations with Russia. Now, there are still many difficulties with regard to trade between our two countries, and they are not easy to overcome. I don't think we will be able to get back on our feet any time soon. Our economic situation was not very good even before the incident with the Russian plane, and after that things got very bad. We can only hope for the best, and there is hope  it came after the meeting between the presidents. We will need time to get back on our feet. Such things cannot be fixed in a day."

Finally, Munir Demir, another Laleli retailer with twenty-five years of experience, said that he has never seen a situation as difficult as the one at present.

"I have never encountered such a difficult situation before, either in domestic or foreign markets. God willing we will cope with this and will be able to get back on our feet. In this respect we look forward to next year. We are concerned not so much for ourselves as for the future of our children. We sincerely believe that the outcome of the negotiations between Turkey and Russia will have a positive effect on our situation," the entrepreneur noted.
LONDON (Sputnik)  "Following a meeting with the RMT [UK National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers] and TSSA [Transport Salaried Staffs Association] this morning, we are pleased to hear that both unions have agreed to call off strike action planned for this weekend and for the bank holiday period," Eurostar said in a travel update.

According to the statement, Eurostar will operate according to a normal schedule on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

However, on Sunday four trains have been cancelled (two Paris to London, two London to Paris), while on Monday two trains have been cancelled (one Paris to London and one London to Paris service).


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Western countries are no longer supporting the Ukrainian authorities unconditionally, Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian parliament's upper house, said on Saturday, commenting on a recent telephone talk between US Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

During a phone call on Friday, Biden urged both Ukraine and Russia to avoid escalating tensions over Crimea.

"Yesterday's phone conversations between Biden and Poroshenko, as well as between [EU foreign policy chief Federica] Mogherini and [Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo] Klimkin are signs  even unclear ones  that Western countries are damped by Kievs latest undertakings and are not ready to support the Ukrainian authorities as unconditionally as previously," Kosachev wrote on his Facebook page.
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik)  The 40 police officers were released on Friday morning and arrived at a hospital in the Bolivian city of La Paz with several injuries, the La Paz Department chief of police, Jose Luis Aranibar, told media as cited by El Diario on Friday.

The police officers were held by miners in the town of Mantecani, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from La Paz, since Thursday.

The miners were blocking roads in protest against a new reform that would regulate the creation of unions. They took hostage the police officers who tried to get them to unblock the roads. On Friday, the miners decided to temporary remove their roadblocks in the La Paz Department.
MEXICO CITY (Sputnik)  An investigation will be launched into a theft case involving Argentinas Vice President Gabriela Michetti, federal prosecutor Guillermo Marijuan announced.

Around 245,000 pesos (over $16,700) were stolen from Michettis home on November 22, 2015, the day that she became Vice President.

Marijuan ruled in favor of opening an investigation into the theft on Friday, saying, as quoted by La Nacion, that "new evidence" must be examined without prejudice to facilitate the identification of "other persons responsible."
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  On Thursday, a US House of Representatives Joint Task Force report revealed that US Central Command (CENTCOM) manipulated intelligence to present a rosy outlook of anti-Daesh efforts in Iraq and Syria.

If these charges are shown to be well founded, it will bring discredit on CENTCOM and the US armed forces more generally, Freeman said on Friday. It will also explain why, despite all the claims of success against Daesh, the movement it represents is alive and well in more places than ever.

In the US armed forces, Freeman continued, budgets and reputations depended on evidence of effectiveness, whether the evidence was adequately documented or not.


ALEPPO (Sputnik)There are women and children among the dead. The south of the city has been most affected, with over a dozen people having been killed in the area earlier this week when a gas bomb hit a passenger bus and a local market was shelled.

Russia formed seven round-the-clock humanitarian corridors across Aleppo this month to allow safe passage for civilians and militants wishing to lay down arms.

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 Fatah al Sham (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, or Nusra Front) are not part of the deal. Both groups are banned in Russia and a range of other countries.
The West is, meanwhile, calling for toppling President Bashar Assad, which Mayer said would inevitably lead to the seizure of power in Syria by rebels, including members of Islamist terrorist groups.

"Under their rule, Syria will finally collapse, something that does not meet the interests of the West," Mayer pointed out.

According to him, the current situation in Aleppo looks like what he described as a "proxy war."

The rebels control the part of the city which is surrounded by Assad troops, supported by the Russian air force.

According to Mayer, as a result of a temporary truce reached by the United Nations, "thousands of jihadists were able to penetrate the city."

Armed with advanced weapons, they are funded by the Gulf states and are able to fight "the Assad regime" by all means. This is why the conflict in Aleppo is unlikely to end in the immediate future, Mayer concluded.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier proposed to organize an "air bridge" to deliver humanitarian aid to the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor, local media reported.

"In the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor because of the situation on the ground people must be provided [with humanitarian aid] by air bridges. If both parts of Aleppo are not enough provided with humanitarian aid, we must probe the possibility of [delivering] aid, especially medical goods, by air," Steinmeier told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

He also called on parties of the Syrian conflict to take necessary measures to protect civilians.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Committee (HNC) expects Russia to turn the recently-established daily three-hour truce in Aleppo into a full-fledged ceasefire, HNC spokeswoman Bassma Kodmani told Sputnik.

"I believe Russia knows very well that 3 hours are not enough in terms of allowing aid to the city. We need to see something really different If Russia is able to suspend fire for 3 hours, I am sure it can do it for longer than that, it can activate the cessation of hostilities, which is what we are looking for," Kodmani said.

"Even if we are talking about a provisional measure for a momentarily relief, 3 hours are not enough, it's a sign that Russia is able to calibrate the intensity of this attack on the city," she added.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Yemeni parliaments session failed because of the absence of quorum, according to media reports.

Only 120 lawmakers of 301 attended the session in the countrys capital of Sanaa initiated by the Shia Houthi rebels, Sky news Arabia TV-channel reported.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) carried out 14 airstrikes against the terror group's positions in Syria and Iraq during the last 24 hours, the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release on Saturday.

"Attack and fighter aircraft conducted four strikes in Syria Fighter aircraft conducted 10 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government," the statement said.

In Syria, the airstrikes destroyed 12 Daesh oil tankers, an oil storage tank, a pump jack and a tactical vehicle.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Turkey on Friday first time since attempted coup in the country to reiterate Tehran's support to Ankara. There he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

"The Turkish officials have promised to provide security and welfare for the Iranian touristsLifting the bans does not mean that the travel agencies are not accountable for providing due services for the Iranian tourists," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

On July 15, an attempted coup took place in Turkey and was suppressed the following day. Over 240 people were killed during the coup attempt and an estimated 2,000 were wounded.
Some rebels told the outlet that US officials supporting moderate rebel forces intentionally turned a blind eye to Fatah al-Shams participation in the offensive to ensure the opposition maintains a foothold in Aleppo.

The Americans, of course, knew what was going on. They ignored it to put some pressure back on Russia and Iran, it quotes a western diplomat in contact with the opposition as saying.

According to the rebels, there are strong strategic reasons for some foreign powers to want to quietly help the opposition in Aleppo.

The city is Syrias largest and the last remaining urban stronghold of the rebels.

Without it, they could become a rural rebellion with far less pressure to bear on political negotiations that world powers hope will end the bloodshed, the newspaper says.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Syrian Army, backed by the US coalition, liberated the country's key northern city of Manbij, close to the Turkish border from Daesh, the US Department of Defense said in a press release.

"That  is a major setback for ISIL [Islamic State] at the hands of our partners the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces], including thousands of Syrian Arab troops that are fighting to liberate their own homes. It is also the latest significant milestone in the coalition's efforts to cut off and eliminate a hub of ISIL activity," Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said as quoted in the press release.

According to Trowbridge, there is evidence that Daesh militants are attempting to flee the city, trying to mix with civilians so that they could use them as human shields.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Ten minors were killed and another 28 were injured in an airstrike on a school in north-west Yemen carried out by a Saudi-led coalition, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders, or MSF) said Saturday.

"Final number of injured from Haydan school is 28 & 10 deaths," MSF wrote in its official Twitter account.

.@MSF update: Final number of injured from Haydan school is 28 & 10 deaths. All between 8-15 years old #Saada #Yemen pic.twitter.com/Qj4pu8tiPi    - (@msf_yemen) August 13, 2016

All children affected by the airstrike on a town in the Saada province were between 8 and 15 years old, the organization added.
The nuclear accord signed between the United States and Iran last year has once again sparked controversy with President Obama claiming last week that "Israeli defense officials are behind [it] and now recognize the efficacy of the accord" while asserting that the Iranians "no longer have short term breakout capacity that would allow them to develop nuclear weapons."

Israel immediately fired back saying that the deal was akin to Europes 1938 capitulation to the Nazis at Munich and argued that the deal had "no value" because the "facts on the ground are opposite to the ones the agreement is based on."

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) signed by Iran in Vienna along with US, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany carries with it a number of loopholes that, along with the Obama administrations overly simplistic calculation of Tehrans nuclear capability timeline and allegations that Iran has incrementally exceeded the quotas mandated by the agreement, increase the possibility that the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamanei may slow-walk towards a nuclear bomb before the US realizes it.
There is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in Eastern Syria (Hasak and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in what can only conceivably be construed as a call for the formation of a Daesh "caliphate" in Syria.

In December 2012, only months after the defense intelligence report, President Obama caved to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the more hawkish wing of the national security establishment saying the United States considered the opposition to be "the legitimate representative of the Syrian people."

Again, the opposition that the Obama administration deemed to be the "legitimate representative of the Syrian people" was led by the precursors to the Daesh terror network, AQI and ISI, with Washington employing a policy of feigned ignorance agreeing to provide arms, aid, and support to other factions of the opposition knowing that these groups would potentially function as a conduit.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The US Navy has ordered Aegis systems costing nearly half a billion dollars for the navies of Japan and South Korea under the Foreign Military Sales program, the Department of Defense announced.

"Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training [of] Moorestown, New Jersey, is being awarded a $490.6 million contract for the production of Aegis Weapon System MK-7 ship sets and support equipment," the announcement stated on Friday.

The Aegis systems and engineering support will be supplied to the United States, the government of Japan and the government of South Korea under the Foreign Military Sales program, the Defense Department said.
Top Russian defense contractors are expected to present their finest merchandise to prospective buyers from all over the world.

Major General Roman Kordyukov, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of Scientific Research and Engineering Support of Advanced Technologies (Innovative Research) of the Russian Ministry of Defense, told Sputnik that international military expos play an important role in the process of manufacturing and developing Russian military hardware.

"Analysis of this type of events, which are held under the auspices of the Russian Defense Ministry, shows that we've managed to bring together developers, manufacturers and consumers of military and double-purpose hardware, and provide them with comfortable conditions for cooperation," Maj. General Kordyukov explained.
Last week, the eleventh Type 052 Luyang III-class elite guided-missile destroyer joined the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet marking an aggressive increase in the production of the lethal vessels. The battleship is often compared to Japan's violent Aegis destroyer.

Only one week prior, the ninth and tenth 052D destroyer took to the waters after being produced in Chinas Jiangnan Shipyard with Beijing planning to construct at least five more battleships in the coming weeks amid tensions in the South China Sea.
On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry published video footage of the PAK FA Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter jet to commemorate Russian Aerospace Force Day.

The super stealth fighter jet reaches a max speed of 1,516MPH (2,440kmh) with an astounding battle range of 3,418 miles with maneuverability and combat characteristics leading most defense analysts to deem the aircraft better than Americas F-22 Raptor which has long held the distinction as the most fearsome warplane to grace the skies.

The PAK FA T-50 has been somewhat controversial in Moscow circles due to its hefty unit cost, exceeding $50 million per aircraft, which far exceeds the cost of other Russian aircraft although coming in at a bargain basement price and with far greater capabilities when compared to the budgetary eyesore that is Americas F-35 stealth fighter. Not only does the T-50 have superior maneuverability compared to the F-35, but it also travels at a 30% higher speed with a range over 2,000 miles farther.
According to NATO's spokeswoman Oana Lungescu, Turkey's membership in the Alliance is "not in question".

She said: "Turkey is a valued ally, making substantial contributions to NATO's joint efforts. Turkey takes full part in the Alliance's consensus-based decisions as we confront the biggest security challenges in a generation."

NATO has assured Turkey it's membership is safe and the statement comes in response to "speculative press reports regarding NATO's stance regarding the failed coup in Turkey and Turkey's NATO membership".
A distinct square shape much larger than the Earth was once again spotted on two different cameras 25 hours apart earlier this week. UFO hunters spotted the mystery cube and uploaded it to the web leading many to speculate that it was an unidentified flying object that latched onto the orbit of the solar system.

The first video footage was shot on NASAs Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) cameras EIT 195 and EIT 171. Alien enthusiast and founder of UFO Sightings Daily Scott C Waring said the pictures were absolute proof that the cube was more than a pixilation glitch and are actually indicative of a floating celestial body.

"This is evidence that the cube is really there and is a large skid object bigger than the earth," claims Waring. "The cube is in the same location in both photos."


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier the situation in Ukraine and Syria in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on August 15, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Steinmeier is said to visit the opening of Russia-German summer school "Ways of Developing Energy Sector. Modern Challenges" in the Ural Federal University.

"After the event, the ministers of the two countries will hold talks discussing urgent aspects of bilateral cooperation in political, economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres. Lavrov and Steinmeier will continue exchange of views on key international issues including implementation of the Minsk agreements on settling the Ukrainian crisis and promoting the peace process in Syria, European security issues, fighting international terrorism," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Among the discrepancies, he says, is the different attitude towards Syrian President Assad: while Russia supports the Syrian leader, Turkey has been demanding that he leave office for a long time.

However, the joint interests, which do not coincide with those of the US and EU, could finally prevail, Kortunov says.

Another point of discord is the Kurdish issue, the expert says. Until now, Russia has been supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey regards as a terrorist organization.

Kortunov therefore suggests that such support might be implicitly denied in exchange for the recognition by Ankara of the Kurdish community after the end of the military conflict.

"It is a hard line of Russian policy in the region," the expert stressed.

However the most difficult problem to solve is the relationship between Sunni Turkey and its main Shi'ite rival, Iran", the outlet says, noting that it is not by chance that right before the meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan in St. Petersburg Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of Iran and Azerbaijan in Baku.
Why do they hate China? Caleb Maupin wonders in his article for the New Eastern Outlook website.

He explains that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton says she dislikes China because it allegedly violates human rights.

Republican nominee Donald Trump says he dislikes China because it is undermining industrial jobs in the United States.
"As much as the United States benefited from Turkey being at odds with Russia and thus more committed to NATO at the time, the White House decided it was better off facilitating a rapprochement between Moscow and Ankara if it meant reducing the risk of another major accidental collision on the Syrian battlefield that could draw in the United States," the think tank noted.

"Did you get that?" Ikonnikova sarcastically asked. "We sat down at the negotiating table with Turkey not as a result of the apology from the Turkish president, not because of the concessions which Turkey agreed to in Syria. No, the negotiations are being conducted solely thanks to the United States."

"Of course, that is Stratfor's version," the journalist noted. "I, you will understand, have my own. Factually, following the reconciliation with Russia, Turkey closed the famous border crossing at Bab al-Hawa. It was through this area that the militants constantly crossed back and forth between Turkey and Syria. Only after this did a Syrian-Russian humanitarian operation in Aleppo become possible  an operation which, most likely, will soon enter a military phase."

"And the bitter truth for the US is the fact that the situation in Syria is no long under their control. Moreover, after the liberation of Aleppo, the war which Washington has long supported and nourished will come to an end."

Ultimately, Ikonnikova noted, "Russia has no illusions about any 'inseparableness' with Turkey, no matter how much President Erdogan may call Putin a 'dear friend'. But so long as one side is ready for concessions and convergence, we will use these circumstances. And our American partners shouldn't concern themselves about it."


TOKYO (Sputnik)Earlier in the day, Abe held talks with head of Yamaguchis election commission, where he expressed desire to meet with the Russian leader, Kyodo news agency reported.

In May, after the meeting of Putin and Abe in the Russian resort city of Sochi, Sergei Naryshkin, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, said that Putin's visit to Japan was likely to take place at the end of 2016. According to Japanese media, the time and the place of the next meeting were also discussed during Sochi's meeting.

Current relations between Russia and Japan are overshadowed by tensions that emerged after the 2014 crisis in Ukraine and Japans decision to impose sanctions against Russia, along with Western states, in connection with Crimeas reunification with Russia and due to Moscow's alleged interference in the Ukrainian conflict, which Russia resolutely refutes.
Russia stands a good chance of resolving the Syrian crisis by teaming up with Turkey in the region.

According to Salman Rafi Sheikh, a political analyst and expert on international affairs, the war in Syria has already reached a level where it is no longer a typical 'civil war', given the large number of geopolitical players involved in it.

"Notwithstanding that it is still a riddle that continues to defy an agreeable solution, some recent developments, especially Turkey's internal situation and the way it has affected its erstwhile 'good relations' with the West, have opened a window of opportunity for Moscow to harness it to its advantage and drive the West away from following two contradictory policies: dialogue and tacit support of some 'moderate' groups-a policy that, in turn, is based upon dominating the Middle East as well as encirclement of Russia by engaging NATO in the region," Sheikh writes in his opinion piece for New Eastern Outlook.
Ankara has made a series of shifts in its foreign policy course since Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim replaced his predecessor Ahmet Davutoglu in May 2016.

However, despite simmering tensions between Turkey and the West, Ankara is unlikely to change sides and abandon its Western allies, according to Basheer Nafi, a senior research fellow at the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies.

Nafi's view is that after Yildirim assumed his position as Turkey's PM, Ankara took efforts to mend its relations with Moscow and Tel Aviv, tried to normalize its relationship with the United Arab Emirates and signaled that it is determined to improve its ties with Iraq and Egypt.
Specifically, the vice president pointed to the Obama administration's move to quadruple US defense spending in Europe, and its efforts to strengthen NATO on the ground, including through the deployment of forces and equipment to Poland and the Baltic countries. "The next administration should redouble the United States' commitment to strengthening NATO and our partnership with the EU," Biden insisted.

Effectively trying to have his cake and eat it too, Biden also suggested that "investing in the core institutions of the West does not require reverting back to simplistic Cold War thinking. The United States should remain open to cooperation with Russia where our interests overlap, as we demonstrated with the Iran nuclear deal, as well as with the New START agreement on nuclear weapons. It is also difficult to envision how the war in Syria will ultimately end without some modus vivendi between Washington and Moscow."

Factually, the vice president's piece for Foreign Affairs was a continuation of concepts he laid out earlier. In June, Biden said that the US and Russia should avoid a new Cold War, adding that Washington would "have to continue cooperating with Russia where our interests overlap."

Commenting on Biden's essay for Foreign Affairs, Russian political analysts speaking to the independent online newspaper Svobodnaya Pressa noted that it's very difficult to speak of walk the line of cooperating with a country that's trying to force you to play by their rules.
For his part, political consultant Evgeny Minchenko suggested that the move was part of a conscious effort by the president to advance loyal technocrats through the government apparatus, with Vaino himself being taken into the presidential administration earlier specifically as a candidate for future promotion.

According to Minchenko, the administrative new blood has fewer connections to the old cadres, and connected with the president personally. At the same time, "most important for them is the effectiveness of their work, rather than loyalty to one group or another."

At the same time, the analyst suggested that the shuffle was part of a natural process of replacing old cadres with new ones. "Putin had a task of cultivating new cadres, which he has been working to address in recent years," Minchenko said.

For his part, Konstantin Kalachev, the head of a Moscow-based political think tank, emphasized that Vaino is a "representative of a new generation of Russian officials," with great experience and whose career path commands respect. At the same time, "it's likely that a great deal of commentary will come out of Japan, where Vaino has worked."

"At one time," the analyst recalled, "Sergei Ivanov was seen as a possible successor to Putin, on par with Dmitri Medvedev. Ivanov is a man of the old school, sufficiently firm, strong-willed, and a good organizer. As head of the presidential administration, he showed himself to be an effective worker. But it appears that changes were needed  new people. This means that we will see a new approach. Different generations means a different style of work. Vaino did not come from the security services. He is a graduate of MGIMO, and has more diplomatic skills and abilities."
Whilst the tens of thousands congregate over this weekend, global numbers are said to be as much as 80 million, but the community has long suffered persecution at the hands of other Muslims who do not believe that they are true members of Islam.

There is a consistent claim of Ahmadiyya being based on "the true teachings of the Quran", and everything has a contextual explanation in accordance to what is written in the holy book. But it is statements such as this that also cause conflict amongst other Muslim sects who believe their claims are almost blasphemous, such as claiming the prophet Muhammad wasn't in fact the last prophet of God to have graced this world.

At Friday prayers, His Holiness Masroor Ahmad, known as the Fifth Caliph of the worldwide Ahmadiyya community, called on Allah to give the community "protection" from those he said had "cruel plans" against them.

Just seeing the visual presence of the team of security guards surrounding the residence of the Caliph, and accompanying him everywhere he travels including two who even carried briefcases containing devices which we were told are designed to deflect bomb blasts.

The security teams, standing fully alert were ready to whisk him to safety in case of any emergency.

Why any other group of people would wish to cause harm to a community leader and people who never call for retaliation when community members are faced with persecution, is another question. The community promotes peace and goodness daily to everyone, and wishes to integrate as opposed to segregate or live outside of society in any way.

"Britain is our home, and we are taught that your home, wherever it may be in the world, is with whom your allegiance and loyalty must be. We believe in humanity first, and for us living in Britain, being a Muslim and a Briton go hand in hand beautifully." an attendee visiting from Bradford in the north of UK told Sputnik.

This year's annual Jalsa is the 50th anniversary event and takes place in the wake of the murder of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah, who was a member of the Ahmadi community.

His attacker, Tanveer Ahmed from Bradford, was sentenced to 27 years imprisonment just this week, and many spoke about the sadness felt by everyone worldwide hearing of this tragic incident. It is however accepted that the conflicts shall exist in the minds of many people and to the extent where many are prepared to even harm others in the name of their own God.

"It is about educating each other. It is very much our duty to explain to all that we want to make the world a better place for everyone and that there is no sense in continuing arguing and fighting about differences in opinions, or variations in what we all believe," said Javed Uddin, a member of the Leicester 'Jamad' or 'community.'

The three-day event opened with Friday Prayers early on in the day followed by a symbolic Union Flag raising ceremony.

"You can say that the flag raising is like a symbolic gesture, but it is also a key part of our faith. It is saying that we are proud members of both the British and Ahmadiyya communities and we represent both positively in everything we live by daily."

A non-Muslim attendee who was visiting the event after hearing about it online by chance, told us:

"I understand how locally in this rural, predominantly white British town there would be many who would feel worried that this event is taking place here. But they are only the ones who believe everything they read about in the newspapers and who are force fed negative information about the small minority factions worldwide committing unlawful, barbaric acts," he said.

He added: "It's time to amplify our positive message of peace and humanity to become the new narrative. That is what the majority of Muslims worldwide believe at the core of their beliefs, and events such as this Jalsa are perfect examples of what masses of people who are promoting goodness can achieve."

Over the weekend, visitors can expect to see the world's first community Quran writing project in which men and women in attendance will write individual verses of the Quran by hand, with the aim of compiling the entire Holy Book, verse by verse. Men and women gathered in separate areas of the site, but both sides were identical in terms of what was taking pace, except here the men are doing all the cooking for the women's side too. A culinary army operation called 'Langar' is in full force at the centre of the site where fresh bread and a tasty array of curries are being prepared around the clock, feeding all attendees for free during the whole weekend.

Charity and a sense of duty to serve all communities are at the core of the faith. It is common practice for Ahmadiyya mosques around the world to open their doors for wider community members to visit and learn about their faith, and indulge in the free food prepared on site.

Visitors to the Jalsa can see exhibits including a life-sized replica of the Shroud of Turin, presented by Barrie Schwortz who is a world-leading expert on the shroud.
In 2015, a year-long investigation by the Associated Press covering the previous six years found that approximately 1,000 officers across the nation had their licenses revoked and lost their jobs for sex crimes that included rape and possession of child pornography.

Among the estimated 1000, some 550 were decertified for various forms of sexual assault, including rape, sodomy or sexual shakedowns, where victims were forced to perform sexual acts to avoid arrest.

The remaining officers were fired for sexual offenses, including possessing child pornography, "voyeurism in the guise of police work," sending graphic messages to minors, or having sex while on duty.

Perhaps the most damning statistic contained within the study is that one-third of the officers lost their jobs for committing sexual offenses against minors.

Hatch was released from jail in June on $50,000 unsecured bail, and was ordered to not contact his victims or have any contact with girls under the age of 16. Under the conditions of his release, he is also not permitted to use drugs, drink alcohol, or possess weapons.

A study conducted by the Cato Institute found that between 2009-2010 sexual misconduct was the second most common complaint against police, after the use of violence and excessive force.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Two children have been killed and one more injured in a shooting in US Kansas City in Missouri state, local media reported Saturday, citing police.

Law enforcement responded to a gunfire report at about 2:00 a.m. local time (7:00 GMT) and discovered three children with gunshot wounds at a residence, Fox4 broadcaster reported.

Two of the victims, reportedly aged 8 and 9 died shortly, while the 16-year-old victim is being treated in the hospital.
His nominal 'rogue' status cost him the support of the Democratic Party, which he belatedly joined in order to pursue a presidential nomination. Not only did party-appointed 'Superdelegates' vote almost invariably for Clinton, shifting the odds in her favor during the primary election, but the Democratic National Committee and its chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz actively sought to undermine his campaign.

After stepping down from her DNC role in the wake of Wikileaks' revelations of her Clinton bias, Wasserman Schultz was tapped to help run Clinton's campaign.

Did Bernie Sanders buy his 600KBeach House with the small donations from his supporters or with payoff from Hillary & the Democrats?   FeistyFloridian (@peddoc63) 11 August 2016

Despite the accepted narrative of Sanders' status as 'socialist maverick', the US site Counterpunch notes that the senator supported former president Bill Clinton's war on Serbia, the 2001 Authorization Unilateral Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF), as well as Obama's incursion into Libya, which has been partly blamed for the current war there and Europe's migrant crisis. Additionally, he supports an expanded US role in the Syrian Civil War. In February 2016, Counterpunch wrote: "Even Hillary belatedly admitted that her Iraq war vote was a mistake. Bernie, however, has never apologized for his two votes endorsing the overthrow of Saddam."

Revelations of the DNC's impartiality came after Sanders' endorsement of the Clinton campaign. Following the scandal, Sanders promptly left the Democratic Party, but he hasn't withdrawn his endorsement of his former rival, leading to disillusionment among many Democrats.

Media exposes Sanders, he bought a house as big as the toolshed on the Clinton estate!

#JillNotHill #DemExit pic.twitter.com/dBadxUo2fU  Chris Bothma (@bothma_chris) 13 August 2016

The home purchase prompted ire both among conservatives and former supporters in the Twitterverse. However, Snopes.com was quick to underscore that Sanders hadn't paid for the new digs with dirty Clinton kickbacks, but that the cash for the purchase came from the sale of his wife Jane's family property.

"My family had a lake home in Maine since 1900, but we hadn't had the time to go there in recent years-especially since my parents passed away," Sanders' wife told Seven Days, a Vermont alternative weekly featuring a "Bernie Beat" section. "We finally let go of it and that enabled us to buy a place in the islands-something I've always hoped for."

Nevertheless, it's worth considering that Sanders' lifestyle and voting record mirror those of other Democratic senators.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A lone shooter killed an imam and one more person in New York's Queens district, close to the the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque, media reported Saturday.

Earlier in the day, media reported of imam's death and that his assistant was hospitalized with the gunshot wound.

According to the ABC broadcaster, the Imam Maulama Akomjee and a 64-year-old man whose identity was not disclosed both succumbed to the gunshot wounds.


BAKU (Sputnik)Armenia has violated the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh using heavy machine guns 11 times during last 24 hours, the Azerbaijans Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"The Defense Ministry says that Armenian armed forces using heavy machine guns violated the ceasefire regime across the contact line 11 times in last 24 hours," the ministrys press service said.

Azerbaijan's Armenian-dominated breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed its independence in 1991. After the military conflict ended in 1994, Azerbaijan lost control over the region.
In Turkey, at least 83 percent of respondents are concerned about terrorists arriving in their country purporting to be refugees, something that was echoed by respondents in Russia and Hungary, where the figures stand at 77 percent and 72 percent, respectively.

It's important to note that Turkey, which had a population of almost 75 million in 2013, has already taken in 2.7 million refugees according to the UN. Russia, meanwhile, has preferred to accommodate Russian-speaking asylum-seekers fleeing war-torn eastern Ukraine; at one point, over a million Ukrainian citizens were living in Russia but many have returned.

As for the integration of refugees, 38 percent of Germans are optimistic about the matter, while 51 percent do not believe integration is possible.

Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Grim, head of Ipsos's Political and Social Research Department, warned of the serious political implications of Europeans remaining at loggerheads over the issue of refugees.

"The treatment of asylum seekers, the willingness to accept them, and the social integration of refugees into European society will dominate political debates ahead of the elections to the Bundestag in 2017," he was quoted by Die Welt as saying.

A total of 16,040 respondents took part in the survey, which was conducted between June 24 and July 8.

In an interview with Sputnik in May, Professor Philippe de Bruycker also warned that members of the European Union could choose to prevent migrants from the Middle East and North Africa from entering their borders if the refugee agreement between Brussels and Ankara falls through.

"If the deal with Turkey collapses, I am afraid that the only alternative that some [European] governments have in mind is really to close the border of the European Union to the refugees," De Bruycker, an expert on European asylum law at the European University Institute's Migration Policy Centre, asserted.
After graduation, Castro practiced law in Havana, providing pro-bono legal assistance to the poor.

In the early 1950s, Fidel joined the Party of the Cuban People (Partido Ortodoxo). He was considered a parliamentary candidate on the partys list in the 1952 parliamentary elections, but the partys leadership ultimately decided Castro was too radical.

Following the military coup of March 11, 1952, which brought Fulgencio Batista to power, Castro emerged in the forefront of the struggle against the dictatorship. He formed a small group of former members of the disbanded Partido Ortodoxo and began preparing to topple the Batista regime.

On July 26, 1953, the group stormed the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba, but the attack was brutally suppressed. Castro was arrested and faced a military tribunal. At the trial, he delivered his famous History Will Absolve Me speech, in which he outlined a program for national liberation and revolutionary change in Cuba. Castro was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but in May 1955, he was pardoned under the pressure of public opinion and left for Mexico the same year.

In December 1956, a group of revolutionaries led by Castro returned to Cuba on a small yacht called the Granma, landing in the province of Oriente. The group grew to become the Rebel Army, which launched a guerrilla war against the regime.

Following the overthrow of the Batista dictatorship on January 1, 1959, Castro took command of the Cuban Army, and became prime minister of Cuba in February 1959. In April 1961, he led the operation to defeat the US-sponsored invasion of Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs.

After fending off a countercoup, Castro announced that Cuba would embrace socialism.

In October 1965, he was appointed first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party.

In 1976, he took over as chairman of the Cuban National Assemblys State Council, thus simultaneously serving as Cubas head of state and government.

On August 1, 2006, Castro temporarily transferred power to his younger brother Raul before undergoing intestinal tract surgery on July 31, 2006.

On February 19, 2008, he announced his resignation as head of state. On the same day, the Granma newspaper published his address to the people of Cuba, in which he declared that he would not return to power.

After retiring from government, Castro first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party until April 19, 2011, when he officially announced his resignation from the post, to be succeeded by brother Raul.

Since retiring, Castro has devoted his time to publishing a series of articles called Reflections.

In 1963, Castro was made an Emeritus Doctor of Law by the Lomonosov Moscow State University. In 1961, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize. In 1963, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Castro holds two orders of Lenin, awarded in 1972 and 1986, and an Order of the October Revolution, awarded in 1976.

Among the many international awards Castro has received, some are truly unique, including the Commander's Cross of the Order of Saint Bridget of Sweden, presented to him on March 8, 2003, by the abbess of the monastic order founded in the 14th century in Sweden. Castro was awarded the cross in recognition of his services in promoting the high ideals of dialogue and peace." The presentation of the Commanders Cross was timed to coincide with the opening of the Order of the Holy Savior of Santa Brigida residence in the heart of Havana.

On August 31, 2003, Castro was awarded the highest honor of the American Indian Movement, the Eagle Feather, in recognition of his revolutionary achievements and warrior qualities. The Eagle Feather is awarded to persons who have demonstrated courage, dignity and honesty. Castro was the first recipient of this award born outside of the United States.

During his years in power, Castro reportedly survived more than 600 assassination attempts by the US government, Cuban exile groups and the US mafia.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On August 13, Cuban revolutionary leader Castro celebrates his 90th birthday.

In a message sent to the former Cuban leader Putin underlined Castro's "personal contribution to the development of friendship and cooperation between our [Russia, Cuba] countries."

"I am confident that these relations will continue to develop fruitfully in the future, contributing to regional stability and security," the text of the Putin's message says as quoted by the Kremlin.


BERLIN (Sputnik)Last week, German media revealed that one of the attackers in Bavaria had been in touch with an Islamic State member via phone with a Saudi number.

According to the FOCUS magazine, German authorities were not technically capable to crack the coded instructions, which were being sent to the both assailants up until they carried out the attacks.

"Once again we see how important the much-criticized NSA is for our safety," the source told the German outlet.
In an interview with the news site Svobodnaya Pressa , Dmitry Zhuravlev, head of the Institute of Regional Problems in Russia, said that ordinary Russians would benefit if the Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba was able to propose agreeable lending conditions.

The interview came after reports emerged that the financial division of Alibaba, Ant Financial Services Group, is in talks with Russian banks on the possibility of lending to small businesses in Russia, according to the company's head of foreign business Jia Han.

"Everything will depend on the [lending] conditions that are offered by Alibaba. If the Chinese come with good conditions and in normal amounts, it will greatly support ordinary people. The lack of cheap loans to small businesses remains one of the most pressing problems of the Russian economy," Zhuravlev said.
Former Cuban leader also slammed US President Barack Obama for not apologizing for US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, which killed thousands of people, during his visit to Japan.

Castro gave up his presidential position in 2008 after a serious illness and his brother, Raul Castro, became next president.
In an interview with Muslimpress.com, Joaquin Flores discusses the Turkey's coup and Washington's involvement in the coup.

Here's the full text of the interview:

MP: Are there enough evidence and facts to say that the United States was involved in the attempted coup in Turkey?

Joaquin Flores: Yes, now that we are a few weeks out, and have been able to check out all of the reports which began to immediately surface in the first few hours and days of the coup attempt, I can say with as much certainty as I'll ever have that the US was directly involved in the coup in Turkey. This had support of the NATO command at the highest level in Turkey. Of course, former Air Force Commander General Akn Ozturk has been described as the ringleader of the failed coup, and this accusation seems warranted. He is a person most trusted by the US and Israel.

There are a lot of ways to approach interpreting the facts and evidence, from the actual first words of the US establishment, spoken in the language of coup support 'continuation and stability', to the direct testimony of eye witnesses, specific people in the Turkish command who are closest to Israel and NATO, to compelling circumstantial evidence as well.

The three most important regiments which participated in the coup were part of Turkey's 'NATO Rapid Deployable Corps'. A lot of regular citizens in Istanbul, (we recall the closing of roadways), took pictures of the military vehicles, mostly troop transports. And the registration plates on these military vehicles, show that they belonged to the 2nd Armoured Brigade, which is stationed in the Istanbul district of Kartal, and the 66th Mechanised Infantry Brigade, which is based in Hasdal, together with the 6th Regiment.

MP: How do you analyze Fethullah Gulens role in the failed coup?

Joaquin Flores: The Gulen cult is used in Turkey in a similar way that the US uses religious cults and sects within the US military and diplomacy, like 7th Adventist, Jehovah's Witness, the Mormons, to create certain divisions of operation, based upon fealty to these beliefs. Gulen was the most preferred method of organizing US assets within Turkey - not just within the military, as NATO itself is able to organize many of these elements alongside Gulen - but also in civil society, courts, police, and other administrative-civilian areas of governance and power within Turkish society. As we know, Gulen lives in Pennsylvania and cooperates with US intelligence agencies. He is known as a major opponent of Erdogan, even though before they worked together.

It is clear now that the dust has settled that Gulen's network acted on orders from the US. The US's need to take a decisive action was clear once Kemalists with connections to the military, like Dogu Perincek, pushed the issue of radically accelerating Turkey's rapprochement with Russia and Iran, and this pushed to the fore the matter of withdrawing from NATO.

The reality is that Gulens structure infiltrated all the way up to the very top of the government and intelligence services. Erdogan understood the danger of this sect, but lacked any pretext to act in a decisive way. And because of the Gulen-US influence in Turkey, taking a piecemeal approach would not work. Also, some of the Gulen assets would not be clearly known until the actual coup attempt.

MP: Two top U.S. generals have been accused of being involved in the coup. Whats your take on this?

Joaquin Flores: We need only look specifically at one of these two in order to understand the dynamics of the coup. The fact remains that US General John F. Campbell was the primary organizer of a coup d'etat in Turkey, on orders from a structure in Washington. We must remember that the July 25th edition of the Turkish daily Yeni Safak, generally considered favorable to President Recep Erdogan's AKP party, also reported that General John F. Campbell was the U.S. commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan. However, the fact that Yeni Safak reported this, is not sufficient. But it does reinforce clearly that the official position of Ankara is that the US supported the coup.

Setting aside all other facts, this fact alone speaks volumes. Even if the US was not involved in the coup, the fact that Ankara would use this as a 'pretext' to weaken (or even cut) ties with Washington speaks tremendously about Turkey's planned new orientation.

Substantively, let's recall that Turkish generals Cahit Bakr and Sener Topcu who backed the coup were detained in Dubai airport. Both of these men worked with Campbell in Afghanistan, leading the Turkish contingent within NATO's structure.

MP: Does it show American involvement in the coup?

Joaquin Flores: Indeed it does, however the facts I've just discussed are not the only clues in the Turkish coup plot which directly points to NATO. In order to better, or rather more clearly, demonstrate the American involvement in the coup, we have to more closely examine certain facts.

What is obviously not a coincidence is the fact that the same coup participants stationed at the Turkish Air Force, were the most NATO-integrated structures of the Turkish Military. The Incirlik Air Base, where the US military is based, was used by the coup plotters to launch the now infamous attacks on the Turkish parliament. General Bekir Ercan Van was arrested by forces loyal to Erdogan, and after which he sought asylum from the United States. In the aftermath of the coup, the power was cut to the base by forces loyal to Erdogan, and a no fly order was put into effect for US military aircraft in the area. Also, we have to include that on July 30th the base was surrounded by Turkish troops in order to thwart the possibility of a second coup attempt.

The role of US media and official statements in the first minutes of the coup attempt is critical. We cannot look at the official US statements after it was clear that the coup was failing, even there here too there are some clues, concerns about 'human rights' and so forth, coming from pro-NATO media in the EU and US. Instead, I refer again to Kerry's first statements about 'continuation' and 'order', which is the US language for supporting a coup, or legitimizing a government. From the start, there was a Western media campaign to spread disinformation, that President Erdogan had fled the country.

For example, the American news network , NBC, cited a high ranking US military as the source of their claims that the coup had succeeded and that Erdogan had fled the country. This corroborates claims that the US military was directly involved in a disinformation campaign during the most critical early minutes and hours of what eventually prove to be a failed coup attempt.

Also what is so apparent here is the fact that the majority of those arrested after the coup attempt were people related to the NATO structure. Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, spoke at a forum on security organized by the Aspen Institute last month, and here he declared - as quoted in the July 28th edition of Bloomberg, that after the coup "many of our interlocutors have been purged or arrested".

But it doesn't end there. Curtis Scaparrotti, the present NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, was also quoted in the same edition of Bloomberg and also the Washington Examiner on July 29th, as confirming all of this, in saying that:

"Some of the officers that we have our relationships with in Turkey are now either detained, in some cases retired as a result of the coup"

It is only rational for us to take these as the closest to an admission from the very top brass of NATO itself, that they had at the very least favored or supported the coup. Now, it is only logical, given NATO's relationship to Turkey and their assets, that this was more than 'support'. This was a NATO initiative, and the circumstantial evidence I've discussed so far only points in that direction.

MP: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkeys coup script was written abroad. Do you agree with him?

Joaquin Flores: All the facts I've discussed so far clearly point in that direction quite conclusively. There aren't any facts I've left out which can point in any other direction. No one can credibly talk about the known facts, which don't point directly to Gulen and Washington. And no one can credibly dismiss the known intimate connection between Gulen and Washington.

MP: What Western countries could have been involved in the coup? US President Obama has denied Washingtons involvement in the coup. Whats your take on his denial?

Joaquin Flores: While NATO is a multi-national force of the US and its transatlantic 'partners', all the evidence so far points just to the US parts of NATO.

Of course Obama has denied involvement in the coup. The US always denies these things, not matter how obvious. The same is true of nearly any accused criminal. There's really nothing more to say, but still it's an interesting question. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my views and assessment of the Turkish coup.
The plot to Phantom Brave revolves around the character Marona, a young girl who has the power to communicate with Phantoms, which are essentially the spirits of the dead. In the world of Chromas, her powers carry a negative stigma, and she lives on an island all by herself taking odd jobs to survive. However Marona has a guardian - the phantom Ash - a friend of Maronas deceased parents tasked with watching over the girl.

Compared to Disgaea, the storyline for Phantom Brave carries more serious and emotional tones and it does a good job on all fronts. Marona is a very cheerful and musical character, even with all the misguided hatred towards her - she is very patient and keeps a very positive attitude even when she is at fault, while Ash can be a bit more serious on how Martona is treated. Marona and Ash, along with other characters, make for a very satisfying story and the narrative, is top notch.

In addition to the main story, the PC version also includes the Another Marona storyline, from the Wii and PSP remakes. This takes place after the main story, with everyone in the world except for Marona is killed, and its up to her and the sudden appearance of Phantoms to defeat the threat from 30 years past that has returned. This is a nice addition, since there are new characters with special abilities to enjoy on top of a good additional story to play through.

At its core, Phantom Brave is an SRPG (strategy role playing game) through and through. However, there are some differences that separate it from the traditional SRPG. Gone are the grid based squares that many SRPG players are used to. Each character now has a movement ring at their disposal, giving players a bigger area to traverse and wider range for skills. Moving and manipulating enemies will require a bit more strategy than your basic SRPG and it can take time to get used to but once mastered it can be very satisfying.

The other big change is the number of allies that can be placed on the field. Marona may not be much of a fighter, but she has many phantom friends to help her fight off enemies. However they are nothing but ghosts, lacking any physical presence in the world. Marona will have to summon the Phantom to an object on the field - a rock, a tree, or anything in the surrounding area. However, Phantoms are only allowed on the field for a limited number of turns, and after the timer runs out, the Phantom will no longer be able to be re-summoned during battle. Battles can change greatly on how the player utilizes each phantom. Its not always best to summon every phantom on the first round. If the player is not able to reach the enemies in the amount of turns before the time on the phantoms run out, it will put the player at a disadvantage.

Overall Phantom Brave is really well balanced. I found it less of a grind then my time with Disgaea series. Visually the graphics havent changed by any stretch of the imagination. Text and character portraits look a lot sharper and character models are however pretty blocky and dont look very great. Overall its definitely an improvement over Disgaea PC which had similar issues.

Whether you have played Phantom Brave before or not, this is a solid edition and a welcome addition to an already great lineup of PC games from NIS America. With the PC port the player gets a deep story, better graphics, addicting SRPG gameplay, and the additional storyline.

Phantom Brave PC is a must play for SRPG fans alike.

Pros:

-Deep Story

-Upgraded Graphics

-Fun Combat

-DLC bundled in
A new private security firm will soon take over security services at the Port of Longview. Commissioners this week awarded a five-year contract to Florida-based G4S. The contract will cost nearly $1 million a year, based on security officers hours.

Its been a decade since the port starting contracting private security services after it switched from being an open port post-9/11, said Norm Krehbiel, Port Interim CEO.

The ports existing five-year contract with U.S. Security Associates (formerly McRoberts Protective Agency) is slated to expire Sept. 30. The expiration of the contract automatically triggered a competitive selection process.

U.S. Security applied for a new contract, but commissioners opted for G4S instead, in part, because it was the lowest bidder and partly because G4S performed better in a ranked evaluation process, Krehbiel said. The security officers man the gates at port entrances and patrol the port facility.

The total price of the contract fluctuates based on hours, but should amount to about $920,000 annually. This year the port had $935,000 budgeted for services.

However, a decline in logs has meant the port needed fewer security officers hours this year, Krehbiel said.
Scientists at University of Florida examined skulls of adapiforms, which is lemur-like primates that scurried around the tropical forests of Wyoming millions of years ago. These primates are said to be our cousins.

The paper published Journal of Human Evolution suggests that the fossil skull found can tell a lot about the human brain evolution. The first author of the paper Arianna Harrington who is also doctoral student at Duke University in the US said The idea is that any patterns we find in primate brain evolution could lead to a better understanding of the early evolution that led to the human brain.

The study found that various differences in early primates and modern primates, such as increased in brain size due to addition of more complex neurological function, the vision improvement was also seen in the study after studying the 3-D brain cast of early primates, confirming the evolution pattern. This was the first time that virtual 3-D brain was used.

This isnt the first time that the size and evolution of brain is being studied by researchers. A study that held previous years back that compared Australopithecus afarensis, the oldest hominid known and Victoriapithecus macinnesi, an early Old World monkey also showed the same results, that is the increment in brain size were seen in that too.

Jonathan Bloch, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum said While it is true humans and other modern primates have very large brains, that story started down at the base of our group. As our study shows, the earliest primates actually had relatively small brains. So they didnt start out with large brains and maintain them.

Adapiforms and plesiadapiforms were found to have larger region in the brain that is responsible for vision than the region responsible for sense of smell. Therefore the paper states that they seem to rely more on vision than on smell.
Mother of 2 Basabo slain siblings held

Police early Saturday arrested Tanzin Rahman, mother of the two minor siblings whose throat-slit bodies were found in the citys Basabo area on Friday night, in connection with the murder. Officer-in-charge of Sabujbagh Police Station Abdul Kuddus Fakir said a team of police conducted a drive in Sabujbagh area of the city and arrested Tanzin at about 4:00am. Earlier, the throat-slit bodies of Mashrafi Bin Mahbub Abrar, 7, son of Mahbubur Rahman, and his (Abrar) sister Humaira Binte Mahbub Takia were found in their house in Basabo area on Friday night. -- Dhaka, Aug 13 (UNB)
Angelina Jolie becomes Professor of Georgetown University





In May, actress and U.N. Special Envoy Angelina Jolie signed on to be a visiting professor at the London School of Economics for the fall. Now, she "will do the same guest spot at Georgetown University," LSE's sister school in Washington, D.C., a source reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.

The 41-year-old mom of six, who did not attend college, will share her knowledge in lectures, workshops and research focused on women, peace and security - subjects that are close to her heart.

"It is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women's rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict," Jolie said in a May statement, announcing her U.K. gig. "I am looking forward to teaching and learning from the students, as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations."

The course, the first of its kind internationally, was launched last year by Jolie and former U.K. foreign secretary William Hague, who will also serve as an unpaid visiting professor at LSE.

After meeting with the By the Sea star, Melanne Verveer, executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, expressed her excitement for bringing their program stateside.

"I was pleased to meet with Angelina Jolie during my recent trip to London on ways we at Georgetown University can continue the collaboration between our sister programs on both sides of the Atlantic," Verveer said in May. "We look forward to welcoming Angelina and former foreign secretary Hague to Georgetown in the future."




SCB signs deal with aamra networks

Abrar A. Anwar, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bangladesh and Syed Farhad Ahmed, Managing Director & CEO, aamra networks limited sign an agreement on behalf of their respective organization in the city recently. Under the agreement aamra netw

Economic Reporter :

Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) has planned to provide complimentary Wi-Fi services across all the branches of the bank, according to a press release.

To this effect, the SCB has a MoU with aamra networks limited on Saturday. Abrar A. Anwar, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bangladesh and Syed Farhad Ahmed, Managing Director & CEO, aamra networks limited signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organization. Senior officials from both the organization were present during the agreement signing ceremony.

Now every time clients step into a branch of SCB, they can get the latest update of business news, use state-of-the art Online Banking facility, browse through Banking products and offerings on Bank's web-site, or simply check the latest happening on clients' social networking sites through high-speed Internet connectivity.

The Wi-Fi connectivity will be offered to clients free of charges. This Wifi facility will help clients to make the best use of their time by remaining productive and staying updated every time clients visit a branch to bank with Standard Chartered Bank.
Paikgachha shrimp farming feared to fall for lack of support

Khulna Correspondent :

Shrimp farming in Paikgachha upazila of the coastal district Khulna is apprehended to take a downward trend in growth for various reasons, including lack of technical support.

Although the upazila holds a prominent name for shrimp production, the sector insiders here are mainly facing difficulties for want of necessary equipment to detect various diseases of the fish. The farmers as well as officials of the Upazila Fisheries Department have to face trouble for unavailability of Polymer Chain Reaction (PCR) machine, used to diagnose viral and other diseases of shrimp.

Farmers said the nearest PCR machine for them is the one installed by the District Fisheries Department in Satkhira, and to avail service from there also, they have to spend as much as Tk1,000.

Besides, dearth of other technical facilities is also hampering growth of the industry.

For want of diagnosis of the diseases, a lot of shrimps die every year, forcing the farmers to count heavy losses.

The farmers started shrimp cultivation in the 80s in the saline water of the upazila.

However, shrimp farming saw a boost in the upazila within a few years as it was more profitable than farming of any agricultural corps.

According to the District Fisheries Department, some 5,000 tonnes of shrimp are produced every year in some 4,000 enclosures on 20,000 hectares of land in the upazila.

Several thousand residents of the upazila are earning their livelihood being directly or indirectly involved in the industry.

Although the sector has a substantial role in growth of the country's economy through export, the farmers are struggling with the want of proper technical assistance. They are forced to use the traditional methods for shrimp farming instead of the modern ones.

Shrimp cultivator Golam Kibria Ripon said if there was a machine to detect virus, they could know weather the shrimp fries were affected with disease before preserving those.
India`s `meddling` in internal affairs of Nepal protested

LAND locked Nepal has been undergoing political turmoils since the monarchy was abolished and turned into a federal democratic republic in 2008. Last week, Nepal's Parliament elected Pushpa Kamal Dahal, widely known by his pseudonym Prachanda, as Prime Minister in the country's 25th change in leadership in 26 years. Political instability, which gripped this South Asian country since last fall after Madheshi ethnic groups protested the new Constitution violently claiming their inadequate representation, has been hampering the economy badly. The Madeshis who have strong cultural ties with neighbouring India had stalled the country's export-import with India during last year's political turmoil centering the new Constitution. Many Nepalese blamed India for a subsequent trade halt - including vital fuel deliveries - across the border though India claimed the protests made the cross-border trade impossible. In protest of Indian 'unnatural meddling' in Nepal's internal affairs, the then Kathmandu government snapped all Indian TV channels and strengthened trade relation with China.Prachanda's predecessor KP Sharma Oli resigned last month after only nine months in office. During the period of public anger towards India over the trade issue, Oli administration maintained a hard line towards India and made building relations with China a priority. In last week, he warned India against "unnatural meddling" in Nepal's affairs and said his party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), would fight any attempts to reverse agreements he had signed with China, including a transit and trade pact. So far, both India and China have expressed support for Prachanda's new government.Prachanda, under a power-sharing agreement between his Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Center) and the Nepali Congress Party, will serve as Prime Minister for nine months, after which power will pass to Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chairman of the Nepali Congress Party, for nine months. That transition could well add to the political turmoil again involving disputes over Nepal's new Constitution, which was approved by the Parliament last September, and jockeying between Nepal's powerful neighbours, India and China. Prachanda has promised to address Madhesi demands, though he hailed the passage of the Constitution in its current form last fall as "a victory of the dreams of the thousands of martyrs and disappeared fighters" of the Maoist insurgency. Many think if Prachanda bowed before Madheshi's demands it will be seen as a compromise with the sovereignty and dignity of Nepal.The allegation against emerging regional big power India of interfering in neighbouring countries' internal political dynamics is not unknown. The democratic government in Nepal has decried the meddling, causing political instability and economic impasse to continue there. Nepal is a smaller country in the subcontinent which has no access to the sea and largely depends on bordering nations for the economy. After long experiences of meddling by India in internal affairs, the Prime Minister of Nepal is trying hard to come closer to China which could be a lesson for India. No respectable country can tolerate internal matters to be dictated from outside. However, when a government that does not enjoy the support of the people shall be ready to follow such dictates for protection.
Populism, past and present

Shlomo Ben-Ami :

It seems that practically no Western democracy nowadays is immune to right-wing populism. While populist rhetoric seems to be reaching fever pitch, with far-reaching consequences - most notably the United Kingdom's vote to "Brexit" the European Union - the reality is that the strain of nativism that it represents has long bedeviled democratic politics.

Populist movements tend to focus on blame. Father Charles Coughlin, the 1930s-era Roman Catholic priest from Detroit who promoted a fascist agenda for America, consistently sought to root out the culprits for society's problems. Likewise, today's right-wing populists have eagerly turned on the "establishment" and the "elites."

In Europe, this has meant blaming the EU for everything that goes wrong. Addressing the complex roots of current economic and social challenges - the UK and France, for example, suffer substantially from hereditary privilege and frozen class systems - is a lot harder than decrying the EU as a villainous behemoth.

Beyond blame, populist ideology relies heavily on nostalgia. Much of the current upheaval in Europe evokes Edmund Burke's repudiation in 1790 of the French Revolution as the product of a misguided faith in ideas that defied people's attachment to history and tradition.

For the UK's Brexiteers, the borderless world that the EU, with its commitment to globalization, represents is destroying the nation-state, which better protected their interests. In their referendum campaign, they recalled a past when jobs were secure, neighbors were familiar, and security was assured. Whether that past ever really existed was irrelevant. The last time European democracies were overtaken by radical political movements, in the 1930s, demagogues based their support largely on the old lower middle class, whose members feared being dispossessed and pushed into poverty by uncontrolled economic forces. In the wake of the protracted euro crisis, and the painful austerity that followed, today's populists have been able to play on similar fears, again primarily among older workers and other vulnerable groups.

Of course, Europe is not alone in being swept up by populism. The United States, where Donald Trump has secured the Republican nomination to be president, is also in serious danger. Trump paints a bleak picture of life in the US today, blaming globalization (specifically, immigration) and the "establishment" leaders who have advanced it for the struggles of ordinary American workers. His slogan, "Make America Great Again," is the ultimate display of false populist nostalgia.

Moreover, just as Brexiteers want to withdraw from Europe, Trump wants to withdraw the US from international arrangements of which it is a part, if not the linchpin. He has suggested dispensing with NATO, declaring that US allies should have to pay for America's protection. He has also launched tirades against free trade and even the United Nations.

As elsewhere, Trump's protectionism and national narcissism are sustained by the anxiety of those hit by the impersonal dark forces of the "market." The turn toward populism constitutes a revolt against intellectual orthodoxy, embodied by cosmopolitan professional elites. In the Brexit campaign, "expert" became a slur.

This is not to say that challenging the establishment is entirely without merit. The establishment is not always in touch with the people. Populism can sometimes be a legitimate channel for aggrieved voters to make their frustrations known, and to call for a change of course. And in Europe, there are plenty of legitimate grievances: austerity, widespread youth unemployment, a democratic deficit in the EU, and an overloaded bureaucracy in Brussels.

But, rather than focus on real solutions, today's populists are often appealing to people's basest instincts. In many cases, they are emphasizing feelings over facts, stoking fear and hate, and relying on nativist appeals. And, in fact, they are less interested in tackling economic grievances than they are in using those grievances to win support for an agenda that would roll back social and cultural openness.

This is most apparent in the immigration debate. In the US, Trump has won support with proposals to block Muslims from entering the US and to build a wall to keep out those crossing the border from Mexico. Likewise, in Europe, populist leaders have capitalized on the influx of refugees fleeing conflicts in the Middle East to convince people that EU-imposed policies threaten not just Europeans' security, but also their culture.

The fact that nearly all of the regions in Britain that voted for Brexit received massive EU subsidies supports this interpretation. So do circumstances in Germany. Though the arrival of a million largely Muslim immigrants last year has not hurt the economy - which remains at full employment - many people are rejecting Chancellor Angela Merkel's vision of a new, more multicultural Germany.

Simply put, for many Europeans, immigrants represent less a threat to their livelihoods than a challenge to their national and tribal identities. Populist leaders like the UK Independence Party's Nigel Farage have not hesitated to capitalize on this cultural anxiety, leading British voters ultimately to vote against their own interests.

And yet the grievances which populists like Farage and Trump manipulate are real. To preserve the principles of openness and democracy on which continued social and economic progress depends, those grievances must be understood and addressed. Otherwise, populists will continue to win support, with potentially severe consequences, as the Brexit debacle shows.

Fortunately, there is also precedent for escaping populist takeovers. In the 1930s, as Europe drifted into the hands of either tyrants or banal democratic leaders, America's Coughlins and others were overshadowed by President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. And a new deal - one that corrects the EU's yawning democratic deficit and puts an end to self-defeating austerity policies - is precisely what will save Europe today.

(Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli foreign minister, is Vice President of the Toledo International Center for Peace. He is the author of Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab Tragedy).

Courtesy: Project Syndicate


Will Trump survive ninety days ?

Abu Hena :

With another ninety odd days to go in the run up to the US presidential election on 8 November, the big question is now being asked : "Will Trump survive another ninety odd days?" In all probability the answer is "no". Most Americans think that Trump is not a normal candidate. He is a political rampage charging ever more wildly out of control. He can neither be changed nor contained because he is "psychologically off the chain". With each passing day he displays the 'classic symptoms of medium-grade-mania' in more disturbing forms: inflated self-esteem, impulsiveness, aggression and compulsiveness. In an article in International New York Times, David Brooks writes: His speech patterns are like something straight out of a psychiatric text book. Manics display something called "flight of ideas." Trump insults Paul Ryan and John McCain, undermines NATO and raises the specter of nuclear war. He makes fun of a grieving mother of a dead war hero and has no feelings for her pain. He hears a baby crying and is unable to perceive the child's discomfort and share the worried mother's concern for her baby. Trump is insensible, insensitive, insinuating, intriguing, inciting, unbalanced, unpredictable and incommunicable--- all in one person.

Donald Trump is impulsive, arrogant and boastful harboring a hawkish attitude which may induce him to use the military to make a show of force abandoning the principles which the American public cherish. By inciting violence against his opponent by the US Gun Lobby he has shown how much lower he could go. It gets us wondering not just at the depths he has already shown but whether there is worse to come if he is allowed to indulge his whims. Some people compare Trump to the great authoritarians of history, which is wrong. Trump is not Napoleon or Frederick II. They had grandiose plans and great ability to lead the army and the nation. Trump is a delinquent whose reckless aberrations can drum up war frenzy to cause violence and anarchy. He simply behaved like an insane man when he took a Purple Heart, America's highest military decoration, as a gift from a Veteran and said mockingly,"I always wanted one, but this way getting is much easier".

It's a shame that the American people are still tolerating this cynic who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons. He has insulted the American war heroes who dedicated their lives for their nation and for the cause of humanity. Like an ordinary offender, his psychology is obvious. He sees no reason why he should not get what he wants by stealth or by force.

Trump made his intentions clear when he told his foreign policy adviser that it is pointless to have the nuclear weapon and not use it.

There are many instances in history when a war-monger's compulsive motivation led to armed aggression. Frederick increased his army after becoming the king, picked a quarrel with Austria and invaded Austria. He was in turn attacked by Austria, Sweden, Russia and France and at the end Prussia was in ruins.

He was a well-intentioned ruler, yet when he became obsessed by a huge army, he turned tyrant. Napoleon underlines the same human folly. He established 'Code Napoleon' which gave all men equal rights under the law. But his desire to play at soldiers led him to reveal that he was no exception. In 1812 he marched into Russia with an army of half a million men. The Russian winter brought his doom and only eighteen thousand of his men survived and staggered back to France. The same insane behavior drove Hitler to hysteria and brought down his downfall.

In 1945, the Russians fought their way into Berlin and Hitler said, "The German people are not worthy of me". Reading the story of Frederick, Napoleon and Hitler, it is difficult to disbelieve that an invisible spirit was at work to teach the human race the wisdom of restraint. Donald Trump never learnt the lesson of restraint. Neither the United States nor its military is safe in his hand. All indications are there that Trump will expose the world's only superpower to grave dangers to raise himself above the ambivalence that shrouds his life.

Trump is permanently tainting the Republican Party and the great men and women who have built and served it. Events have forced Republicans off the fence. For the past sixteen months Republican leaders have condemned Trump while sticking with him only for the sake of the party. But Trump is unmoved. He lacks the virtuosity of accommodation, moderation and humility, and like Hitler, he may say when he is crushed,

"the American people are not worthy of me." Throughout the Roman history, despotic rulers have shown their personal traits through their conduct. In Nero we encounter inhuman insensitivity, Marius was paranoid, Tiberius was a sadist, Caligula was insane. Trump is the modern representation of all of them. In contrast, Aurelius was a stoic who believed that man's only chance of escaping shipwreck was through reason and self-discipline. In the murderous history of the Roman Emperors he stands out to be the beacon of moral virtue. Trump is the opposite of him. He is governed by passions and is locked up inside own frame, unable to penetrate into the areas of others. One passion in particular never ceases to delight him and that is the feeling of superiority over other men.

Republican leaders have now concluded that Donald Trump is a threat to the party's fortunes and have begun distancing themselves from the presidential nominee. They now treat Trump's defeat as a given and urge voters to send Republicans to Congress as a check on a Hillary Clinton presidency.

At a recent conference of Republican donors, Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, warned that even the party's substantial majority in that chamber might be in jeopardy. With such an erratic and belligerent candidate leading their panel, many in the party have long seen a go-your-own-way strategy as inevitable.

Trump is already a loser and he is planning a pre-emptive uprising. Almost sure of a certain defeat in November, Trump has signaled that he would bring down American democracy with him. His comment, "I am afraid ,the election is going to be rigged, ", is the opening move in a scheme to delegitimize the election result.

The outcome is acceptable only if Trump wins. Trump's political operative Roger Stone has declared, "The government will be shut down if they attempt to steal this and swear Hillary in." So far, Trump has crossed all limits of civility and decency, from launching an openly racist campaign to loose talk about nuclear weapons. He has challenged the independence of the judiciary, and prescribed religious test for entry into the United States. With this latest tactic he has vowed to destabilize the country and prove that democracy has failed in America.

Donald Trump has hijacked the Republican Party, clinching the nomination spending $60 million from his own coffer. Now he has raised $82 more not to win the election but to discredit the democratic system of the United States, the leader of the free world. Russia's Vladimir Putin is his Best friend. Tom Graham, George W. Bush's top national adviser on Russia, says, the real aim of the hacking of the DNC emails may not have been to help Trump or hurt Clinton but simply to publicize the unseemly side of US politics."

Graham conjures a nightmare scenario of waking up on Nov.9 to an astounding result from one or two states, perhaps a 20-point victory for Trump in California. "If someone wanted to do great damage to the US, this is the way they could do it." Graham says, "Russia has the capability to do something like this. And you can be sure they are probing in a very active way the vulnerabilities."

"There's nothing surprising about the idea of Russia collecting information by clandestine means and leaking it for political effect," says Ed Lucas, author of The New Cold War, " What would be new is that they're doing it to try to swing an election in America. And that is quite a big deal."

Donald Trump is the man who has made the 'big deal'. He tweeted for his mentor, the Russian strongman: "Putin has become a big hero in Russia with an all-time high popularity." Earlier, the Russian "bear", the FSB, main successor to the KGB, had nosed around in the computer networks of the White House, State Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff. Then the "Fancy Bear", which is run out of Russia's military intelligence, breached the DNC. Now the "paranoid" President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB chief, has set the most sinister move in motion from Kremlin, targeting the most important US presidential election in November, with the support of "Agent Trump." So ,'God Save the United States'.

[Writer who was elected MP in the 7th and the 8th Parliaments of Bangladesh is an author and columnist]


Trump is 'totally nuts,' says Robert de Niro

Reuters :

U.S. actor and producer Robert De Niro said on Saturday that U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump should not run for president because he was "totally nuts".

Trump, a billionaire businessman seeking his first public office, has courted controversy with a string of inflammatory statements about his main opponent Hillary Clinton, guns, Mexicans, Muslims and war veterans, among others.

De Niro made the comments to a Sarajevo audience as he presented a digital version of Martin Scorsese's film "Taxi Driver", in which he starred, to mark its 40th anniversary.

"I don't know, it's crazy that people like Donald Trump ..., he shouldn't even be where he is, so God help us," De Niro said to wide applause in the Sarajevo National Theater.

"What he's been saying is really totally crazy, ridiculous ... he is totally nuts."

"But I think now they are really starting to push back, the media ... finally they are starting to say: Come on Donald, this is ridiculous, this is nuts, this is insane," De Niro said.

Trump has blamed U.S. news media of taking many his comments out of context.

On Friday night, the 73-year-old actor opened the 22nd Sarajevo Film Festival, which was founded as an act of defiance towards the end of the city's 1992-1995 siege during the Bosnian war, and was honored with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to film.

"I will treasure this award - my Heart of Sarajevo - because I don't think there is another city in the world that has shown such heart in the face of so much tragedy," De Niro said at the ceremony.
Hillary releases tax return

CNN :

After hammering Donald Trump on the campaign trail for refusing to reveal his tax returns, Hillary Clinton released her latest federal income tax return Friday, showing she and Bill paid roughly a third of their multi-million dollar income to Uncle Sam.

The Clintons pulled in $10.6 million in 2015, much less than the nearly $28 million they made the year before.

Their tax return showed that they paid $3.24 million in federal income taxes.

That means their effective tax rate-a measure of their income tax burden-was 30.6% based on their adjusted gross income. That's on par with their 32% effective rate in 2014. The campaign reported the Clintons' effective tax rate as 34%, which includes the more than $300,000 the couple paid in self-employment taxes, which are payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare. Experts often don't include them when calculating federal income tax burdens.

By any measure, though, Hillary Clinton and her husband have satisfied the Buffett Rule that she'd like to impose if elected. Under that rule, anyone with adjusted gross income over $1 million would have to pay a minimum of 30% of their income in taxes. Related: Here's how much Hillary Clinton's tax plan would hit the rich The Clintons primarily made their money in two ways: speaking and writing. Together they made $6.7 million in speaking fees. That's well below the roughly $20 million they made the year before.

They also made close to $3.1 million on their various books. And Bill Clinton's consulting business brought in nearly $1.7 million.

The couple also received $226,000 in pension and annuities. As a former U.S. president, Bill Clinton is entitled to receive a pension north of $200,000 a year.

They made another $109,000 in interest and dividends, and claimed $3,000 in capital losses carried over from prior years. The couple gave $1 million to their private Clinton Family Foundation, which is different than the Clinton Foundation that has been the subject of scrutiny. With the release of her 2015 income taxes, Clinton has now released 39 years' worth of tax returns over the course of her career. Her opponent Donald Trump has yet to release any tax returns, a fact she brings up regularly. Trump says he's not releasing them because he's under audit and said he would when the audit is complete. In fact, there is nothing preventing him from doing so during an audit. By not releasing them during the campaign, he is breaking with a 40-year bipartisan tradition of transparency expected of presidential nominees. The fact that he won't release his taxes has raised questions about the actual size of his fortune and some of his businesses connections.

And it's also led to his critics alleging he pays very little in income taxes. Without seeing his returns it's impossible to say. But tax experts note that as a real estate investor he's entitled to a bevy of tax breaks that can greatly reduce his tax bill. Some of the most advantageous ones: writing off the interest paid on loans financing the properties and a favorable depreciation schedule to account for a property's wear and tear.

"You can recover the cost of the building over time, even though they typically appreciate in value," said Steve Rosenthal, a tax lawyer and senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center.

But one of the biggest breaks of all, Rosenthal said, is what's called a like-kind exchange. That lets real estate developers swap one property for a very similar one without having to pay capital gains taxes on the original property. It also lets them escape taxation if they sell a property and put the money in trust so long as it's designated to acquire a similar property in the near future. Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, released 10 years' worth of returns. In 2015, Kaine and his wife, Anne, reported $313,441 in adjusted gross income and paid nearly $63,000 in federal income taxes for an effective rate of 20%. The vast majority of their income-nearly $312,000 -- came from their salaries.


Foolproof security ahead of Aug 15

Staff Reporter :Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia on Saturday said, they have taken foolproof security measures in Dhanmondi and other parts of the city ahead of the National Mourning Day (Monday).Although there is no particular intelligence report of possible subversive activities, police have beefed up the security arrangements in the wake of recent terror attacks in different parts of the country, the DMP boss said.Addressing a press briefing at Russel Square in the city's Dhanmondi, the DMP boss also placed a set of directives for ensuring security and traffic management in the area from today (Sunday).A good number of police check posts will be set up in and around the main venue of the programme at Bangabandhu Bhaban on Dhanmondi Road No. 32 in order to ensure full proof security, he said.According to instructions, vehicular movement will be restricted from Russel Square to Metro Shopping Mall and no vehicle will be allowed to park between Kalabagan Playground and Sobhanbagh mosque on Mirpur road.Mourners will have to wait around Kalabagan Playground until the VIP and VVIP visitors pay their tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi starting from 4:00am on August 15.Visitors, without any combustible substance and bags, have to enter the museum through a security archway and leave through the opposite way, he said.He also requested people not to carry any bag, sharp weapons, firebox or any inflammable product while visiting Bangabandhu Bhaban to pay tributes to the late President, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.On the fateful night in 1975, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated by a group of misguided army officers. His wife Fazilatunnessa Mujib, sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell and daughters-in-law Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal were also killed in the bloodbath. Sixteen more people, including Sheikh Fazlul Haq Moni, all close to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, were shot dead in the sensational incident.
RMG workers block street in city

Staff Reporter :The workers of the factory of the New Style Apparels took to the street in Badda in the capital city on Saturday in demand of the resumptions of production. The factory workers blocked the street in the morning with slogans to open the factory. The workers said, the authority temporarily closed the factory on August 7 with assurance to open on Saturday (yesterday). But the factory did not open. The workers gathered in front of Lutfun shopping complex and blocked the Badda-Rampura Road. As a result,the area was plagued with huge gridlock. The passengers suffered for hours. The police talked with the workers and convinced them that they would contact with the garment company about their demand. Then the workers withdrew their blockade. Shahinur Alam, the Sub-Inspector and Duty Officer of Badda police station confirmed the development. He said, the garment workers gathered in the street demanding opening of their factory. Police convinced them to end to the siege saying that their demand would be met.
SC okays dismissal of four judges

UNB, Dhaka :The Supreme Court has approved the dismissal four judges for their irregularities. They are judge of Comilla Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal SM Aminul Islam, former judge of Thakurgaon Ruhul Amin Khandaker, former additional district judge of Jamalpur M Sirajul Islam, and former additional district judge of Khulna Mainul Haque. They are now attached with the Law Ministry.The apex court has cleared their dismissal fortheir alleged involvement in corruption, irregularities and misconduct, Law Secretary Abu Saleh Sk. Md. Zahirul Haque told UNB on Saturday.The ministry will issue a gazette in this regard soon, he said. The decision came from a full court meeting of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, sources at the court said.
4 students drown in Dhaka, Dinajpur

bdnews24.com :A schoolboy drowned in the pond at Dhaka University's Shahidullah Hall while bathing with three others. Their bathing was in breach of a ban imposed on such activities in the pond.Acting Proctor Amzad Ali said the incident occurred at around 3pm on Saturday. The victim has been identified as Mohammad Ali, a ninth grader of Birshreshtha Motiur Rahman School in Bangshal.Bathing in the pond was banned after a Dhaka University student drowned in it last year.Amzad Ali said, "They (the schoolboys) bathed in the pond even after seeing the signboard forbidding everyone from bathing in it. It was very unfortunate."He said the two bathing-stands of the pond would be fenced off if people continued to violate the ban.In Dinajpur, three schoolboys drowned in the river Punarbhaba at around 1:30pm, Birol Police Station Inspector Anwar Hossain said.They have been identified as Mehedi Hasan Palash, a grade-10 student of Dinajpur High School, Abid Bin Turja, an eighth grader of Dinajpur Zilla School and Masud Abdullah, a grade-11 student of Dinajpur City College.The police official said the trio drowned while bathing in the river.Locals recovered the bodies since Dinajpur Fire Service does not have any diver, he added.
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If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes.

What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection?

Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were.

Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property  there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection:

You get to see exactly what will happen to your money

When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor.

Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on.

A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with.

You find out about potential major repairs

Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing.

If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately.

You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on

One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home.

Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly.

You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for

While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best.

This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit.

Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home.

You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price

If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home.

You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price.

You can sell your home faster and for more money

If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are.

In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price.

Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for.

Your home will hold its value longer

As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property.

When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home.

You can make smart decisions about property investments

Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property.

If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal.

There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about.

If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage

If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing.

They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit.

You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors

If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for.

For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money.

You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition

Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building.

You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure.

Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so.

As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process.
Whilst on our amazing 11 day adventure through Albania and the ensuing love affair that resulted, we found ourselves in the charming town of Berat. This beautiful Ottoman city has clung to the side of mountains for centuries and we inevitably ended up extending our stay. We heard whispers amongst our fellow travellers of a secluded waterfall out in the rural wild lands that more resembled a tropical paradise, named Bogovewe had to investigate further! The resulting adventure was definitely one of our most memorable of the trip so far.

Journey There:

After just a quick browse on the internet to find some information on how to get to the waterfall, we knew we would be in for long day! Although we should have already known this with our previous experiences using Albanian transport!

The night before our trip out, we had been invited to dinner with a lovely Albanian family who certainly made us feel at home serving traditional Albanian dishes, and also plying us with homemade Rakia! They didnt seem much the wiser about the location of these waterfalls but they tried their hardest to make some inquiries and even drew us a small map!





Booking.com





We left in the morning still pretty unsure of where we were actually going and even which buses to take. But with the spirit of adventure in our hearts we headed off to see what the day would bring! Following their vague instructions as closely as we could we made our way on the local bus to the big gas stationan averaged sized petrol station where the furgon should set off from!

When the furgon finally turned up a full 15 minutes late we were escorted on to the seats they selected for us, apparently over here you cant pick your own place! We thought it was just us but pretty much everyone else was hauled into a specific seat, even to the point of splitting couples up and telling children to stand for their hour long journey! It just seems to be one of the many strange but inexplicable Albania ways!

The 2 hour journey took us through some really remote villages, men and women were still using hoes to farm by hand, horse and carts more prominent than motorised vehicles and donkeys were used to carry such heavy loads. The journey could have been so much quicker had the driver not ran several errands along the way as well as many winding detours to drop people off in the tiniest of villages and farms in the middle of nowhere!

See Prices in Berat for Accommodation Here

Hiking to Bogove waterfall:

Upon arriving in Bogove an Aussie couple mentioned that the last bus was around 3pm, giving us 3 hours to enjoy the waterfall. We figured this would be plenty of time to get there and back. Once we had bought a few supplies for the trek we set off up the trail. The shop keeper had given us some rough instructions which helped set us on our way we have a pretty bad track record of always walking in the opposite direction to our desired destination!

The hike up there was extremely hot, the searing dry heat and dry dusty track really took it out of us. The hour long hike felt never ending as we hadnt really had chance to acclimatise to the sudden heat we found ourselves in (the first weeks we had been stuck with unseasonably cold weather, such as snow in Bled!!) As the sweat began to drip from every pore we took solace in the fact that we were surrounded by lush green mountains, the sound of the refreshing river rushed by below us and a chorus of wildlife sang from every corner. Bogove was just around the bend!

Finally once the climb up the winding dusty track was over we began our dangerous and treacherous descent to the river. The sound of the crashing water from the falls was now beginning to become almost deafeningly tempting as we followed the overgrown path. You could tell not many people have been down here given the unkept nature of the trail, in parts there were bridges over the steep canyon that had caved in and been partially washed away. It really made you feel the power of nature but also quite isolated. We were literally off the beaten track down here and having not seen a single other person since that lonely shopkeeper over an hour ago we expected that the Australians we spoke to on the bus to Bogove would surely be there.

As we made out the waterfall through the trees we were finally here. The Aussies were nowhere to be seen and we had the entire place to ourselves. It felt really quite special to be here alone, as though we were explorers laying eyes on such beautify for the first time. If this place was in Western Europe it would be on so many must see lists, but out here it hides in the mountains for only the bold to discover. It does deserve much more recognition, but somehow it does feel like that would spoil the magic somewhat.

Jumping into Bogove waterfall:

As we approached the water the temperature dropped rapidly and our eagerness to leap straight into the icy water after the dry hot hike suddenly went away! We knew we had come here to swim in the turquoise waters of the tropical Bogove waterfall but we needed some time to psyche ourselves up!

Spending a little too much time chilling out on a rock and just staring into the jaw dropping beautify that lay before us we finally decided to go for it. The colour of the water and the perfection of the surroundings was just too tempting not to!

For some reason its always been on my bucket list to skinny dip, it was exactly how Id have pictured it and now was my chance! I was still slightly concerned that the Australian couple would make a sudden appearance, shouting Gday from around a rock as I stood there with my pants around my anklesbut I just thought what the hell, the water is that cold they arent going to see much anyway!

I stood on the rock stark bollock naked ready to jumpbut I froze! Suddenly I was worried about cramping up and drowning in the most undignified manner imaginable. As half an hour passed Nic began egging me on even more. It was now or never, 3,2,1I jumped! The water took my breath away and I began frantically paddling for the edge, water flying everywhere as I ungainly scrambled back on to the rock bashing both knees in the process! Not the graceful experience I had envisioned!

Now it was Nics turn, I was pleased with the fact I had managed to tick this one off and even more happy that only Nic was here to see how ungracefully I did it! As much as I encouraged Nic to get her kit off too she had none of it! Still worried about the Aussie couple she stuck with the bikini, but it wouldnt provide much protection against the cold! Taking her time and complaining about the sun going in she eventually took the leap. It was definitely better watching someone else frantically splash around!

Getting Back:

After all the adrenaline and excitement, we laid back just watching the power, beauty and serenity of these twin waterfalls. Totally losing track of time we suddenly realised that it was 2:30pmShit, thats the last bus missed and we are in the middle of nowhere! We discovered from the same shopkeeper that in fact the only way home now was to wait for the next car!

Having never hitchhiked before we were kind of scared and excited. We had always wanted to and yet had made excuses not toonow we had none and were stuck in the middle of nowhere! After waiting for 40 minutes in the beating sun without a single car passing us we had all but given upuntil in the distance along came a solitary vehicle. To our surprise they actually picked us up, this is pretty easy it seemed!

READ MORE: See Our Guide To Berat Here

A lovely local couple took us half the way to a town called Polican. They mentioned tentatively that there might be a bus at either 6 or 6:30pm so we attempted to hitch the whole way home. This time we didnt have the same luck, car after car sped passed us as the sun began to sit lower in the sky! As we turned back up to the makeshift bus stop a couple of local guys shouted us over, one had lived in London and spoke good English, the other, who had a scythe over his shoulder smiled a black toothed grin and shook our hands with what could only be described as a palm and two stumpsmaybe he needed to be a bit more careful with the old Scythe!

We had had such amazing experiences with Albanian people that we wanted to trust them in their promise to help us. But as time went on the guy who had lived in London became rather pushy, telling us how badly the English had treated him and that suddenly his free help came with a 20 price tag. A car pulled up full of his friends with an offer to be taken to the nearest village for help. Now we felt quite uncomfortable and even as he repeatedly offered us his ID card as assurances that he was trust worthy we hurried back up to the centre of the town!

As 6:30pm came and went without sign of the bus we were starting to become a little concerned, the guys before had put us off Hitch hiking a little but we couldnt stay here for the night. A lad who had been cleaning his car nearby had clearly been keeping his eye on us. It transpired that he was headed the same way and offered us a ride for just under 5 Euros for the two of us. At this point it was a godsend! Jumping in the car with his stony faced military pal we raced back around the tight dusty roads at almost brake neck speeds. In the end they were really nice and asked us in their limited English where we were from and what we were doing in Albania, they even dropped us right outside our guest house.

Overall:

What a day full of amazing adventures and experiences, just one of the reasons why we fell in love with Albania so much. Its just full of random twists and turns where you literally have no idea what is going to happen next. This is definitely the charm of travelling through this beautiful, diverse and friendly country. Bogove waterfall will be somewhere we always look back on with fond memories of a day of firsts!

How to get there:

Take the local bus from outside the main Mosque/ big church to the big gas station (An orange petrol station with a cafe attached!)

The catch the 8 or 9am Furgon to Bogove via Skrappar.

Once in Bogove take the dirt track by the side of the restaurant for around 30 mins before it forks off. Then take the grassy path and follow the steep trail down to the river. If you follow the river you will eventually come to the waterfall.

The last bus back to Berat is 3pmthen you have to hitchhike!

Have You Ever Been to Bogove or Berat?

See more from this country:

See more from our backpacking adventure:

UK TO NZ

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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.
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DU QUOIN  Pastor Lon McPherson is expecting a few more people than normal to attend this coming Sunday's services at Liberty Church in Du Quoin.

That's when he and fellow church members will lift up a special prayer for children, teachers, workers and administrators in the school system, he said.

Liberty Church's back-to-school prayer service is among several that have already been held or are planned over the coming few weeks to offer what some believe or hope is protection and guidance for the school year.

I think they need to know that the church is standing with them during difficult times and the church is standing with them in prayer and supporting them and loving them," said McPherson, who is pastor of Liberty Church. "(We're) asking God to bless them. We all want to be blessed.

Those at Liberty Church's worship service will also receive a little patch that they can attach to their back pages, McPherson said. In years past, the church gives out about 100 of these tags.

One side of the tag reads: "This congregation loves, supports and prays for this individual and has asked God to bless them."

The reverse side has the scripture from the Bible scripture Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

That scripture, McPherson said, is to encourage the child or adult.

That prayer will be delivering during Liberty Church's 10 a.m. service on Sunday. The church's Facebook page notes: "Prayer for wisdom, favor and safety is so important."

Other school prayers being said this week

Also saying special prayers for school students, staff and administrators on Sunday will be Pastor Chris Swims and congregation at Hopewell Baptist Church in Carbondale.

A prayer mass is standard at Murphysboro's St. Andrews Catholic Church, which will be attended by St. Andrews students, their parents and families and parishioners. This year's mass begins 15 minutes after the first day of school starts on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

Later on this month, at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, West Monroe Street Apostolic Church in Herrin will host a "Back to School Prayer Rally."

Other churches, like Southern Illinois Worship Center in Herrin, have already hosted services, holding its "Back to School Prayer Rally" this past Wednesday.

College students not forgotten

The services also extend to older students, like those the Newman Catholic Student Center hopes to be celebrating on Sunday, Aug. 21. That center's staff welcomes its students back with a mass beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, followed by a "Welcome Back BBQ" around noon. Director Tim Taylor said the mass and barbecue are open to all students, not only those who are Catholic.

Taylor said the mass and welcome-back barbecue are important for several reasons.

"I think one way in which its important is that for us, working with college student  its a way of becoming a welcoming community, forming a welcoming community around our new students ... and the students who have been away for awhile," Taylor said. "On top of that (another reason) is to really bring the spirit of God into our students for that kind of blessing for them and their lives and their work."

Then, he noted, it is a celebration.

"Its a celebration for them for the upcoming accomplishments and for what their devotion to their studies (will lead them) to improving themselves and their education."
CAMBRIA  Children can be found running and playing in parks across Southern Illinois.

But, for children with disabilities, it is often a different story  those same swings, slides and jungle gyms are not designed in a way that lets them play too.

On Aug. 21, that will change for children with varying abilities in the Cambria area. The village will officially open its first accessible playground equipment at a ribbon cutting at 2 p.m. Aug. 21 in Cambria Village Park, located on Illinois 184.

The swings are not in place right now. We want the handicapped kids in the area to be the first ones to play on it, said Suzzette Coffey, village trustee and fire commissioner.

The project cost $28,859 for the swings, the sidewalk, mat and a new concrete parking area. Coffey added the mat alone cost $8,000, but the village wanted to get the best mat possible.

We have a new handicapped accessible parking lot next to the accessible swing set, so its really nice, Coffey said.

The project began with a donation from Let Them All Play-Ground, a group in Carterville dedicated to providing playground equipment for children of differing abilities that raised and donated money to Carterville, Crainville and Cambria for playgrounds.

Valerie Lawrence is an adult now, but grew up in Cambria, and she uses a wheelchair," Coffey said. "She was instrumental in getting this going."

All of the concrete labor was donated by Mike Bailey and Family Concrete of Cambria. The city bought the concrete, but Bailey donated all the work, according to Coffey. Let Them All Play-Ground donated a little more than $7,000.

Let them all Play-Ground donated money to Cambria, Carterville and Crainville to set up these types of playgrounds. We have had other donations, including donations from churches and individuals. We raised money, too, Coffey said. It has definitely been a community effort.

Accessible playgrounds also are located in Cannon Park in Carterville and at Crainville City Park.
CARBONDALE  Shawnee Health Service hosted a luncheon at its Carbondale Dental Office in celebration of National Health Center Week and used the event as a way to thank local lawmakers for their support and give them an update.

Patsy Jensen, executive director of Shawnee Health Services, spoke about the role of Federally Qualified Health Centers, also known as community health centers in Illinois and the nation. Shawnee Health Services, Christopher Rural Health Planning Corporation, Community Health and Emergency Services Inc., and Rural Health Inc. provide care across Southern Illinois.

Jensen said Community Health centers in Illinois serve 1.3 million patients at nearly 350 sites, offering medical, dental and behavioral health care.

What is really remarkable is 60 percent are enrolled in Medicaid  20 percent are uninsured. Out of all of our patients, 95 percent live at below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. I think that is a critical number to get, Jensen said. We are all expanding our services to meet the needs of the people in our communities.

Community health centers are spending about 2 percent of the states Medicaid dollars. For Shawnee Health Services, about $3 million of the organizations $26 million budget come from a federal grant. The centers put in about $9 for every dollar of Medicaid they receives.

The state and federal governments are getting a nice return on their investment, Jenson said.

Kim Mitroka of Christopher Rural Health Planning Corp. spoke next about innovations in health care, specifically screening for mental health and telemedicine.

We screen every patient over 12 years old for depressions and we make sure those people get those services, Mitroka said.

Mitroka also has seen an increase in drug addiction, both illegal drugs and prescription medication.

This is a huge problem, and its two-fold. Not only do they need a treatment program, but we also monitor them to make sure patients are properly taking their medications.

Fred Bernstein, CEO of Community Health and Emergency Services Inc. in Cairo, spoke about the challenges community health centers face, saying challenges are his life and adding that the view from Cairo is sometimes very sobering.

The area is remote enough that we have to provide all the service it can," he said. "It is likely that our clients would not access those services at all if we didnt provide them."

CHESI struggles every day to earn enough money to provide services.

For the most part, we are a Medicaid/Medicare and sliding fee scale facility, Bernstein said, adding that they don't see patients with private insurance.

Cairo lost its mental health provider and the group that has taken over has not provided the services they committed to providing, according to Bernstein. Also, the only grocery store in town has closed.

Health care is essential, but so are the social services that support the health care, Bernstein said.

He also spoke about the difficulty recruiting doctors and the need for telemedicine services.

There is no place in the state or few in the country that could benefit more from telemedicine than Cairo, he added.

Jensen wrapped up the presentation.

We share in common our desire to serve our community. We provide quality care the best we can, Jensen said.

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, State Sen. Gary Forby, State Rep. Terri Bryant and representatives of State Reps. John Bradley and Brandon Phelps attended the event.
A Columbia man will go to jail for the rest of his life for robbing a Denmark bank.

A Bamberg County jury deliberated for one hour on Thursday before finding Homer Arthur James guilty in the 2014 armed robbery.

Circuit Judge R. Lawton McIntosh sentenced James to a mandatory term of life in prison without parole because of his criminal history.

The 56-year-old James, of 510 Lakeside Avenue, has three prior armed robbery convictions in Lexington County, Richland County and Virginia, according to 2nd Judicial Circuit Deputy Solicitor David Miller.

James is the third member of the trio responsible for the robbery that took place on June 5, 2014 at Enterprise Bank on Highway 321.

His co-defendants are also serving life sentences without parole. They are Lewis Garvin, 46, and Leon Amos Jason James, 30, both of Columbia. They were sentenced last fall.

Miller said that the three men traveled to Denmark at about noon on June 5.

Leon James entered the bank shortly after noon then again at 1 p.m., asking about opening a checking account.

He left the bank both times without opening an account.

At 1:30 p.m., Homer James and Garvin, wearing masks, entered the bank. They ordered tellers to empty their bank drawers.

The men were holding guns.

The ordeal lasted less than 1-1/2 minutes.

Leon James drove the getaway vehicle.

After the robbery, Olar Police Chief James Walley spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the one driven by Leon James.

Walley attempted to stop the Pontiac Grand Am, but it wrecked on Weed Avenue and the suspects fled on foot.

State Law Enforcement Division agents arrived and used dogs to track the men, but werent successful.

The next day, the Bamberg County Sheriffs Office received calls about possible trespassers near the Govan Fire Department.

When deputies arrived, the two men fled in opposite directions. They were identified as Homer James and Leon James.

Officers from multiple jurisdictions, assisted by the fire department, established a perimeter and the SLED tracking team returned to the area.

Within an hour of SLED arriving, Leon James was taken into custody.

At about the same time that Leon James was apprehended, a caller contacted law enforcement to report a suspicious person walking on Highway 64.

It was the third man, Garvin, and Bamberg Police Sgt. Chris Sandifer arrested him.

The officers maintained their perimeter throughout the night and the SLED tracking team captured Homer James on June 7.

Miller said, This case would not have been solved and these prosecutions would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies in Bamberg County, the State Law Enforcement Division and the volunteers of the Govan Fire Department. Thanks to their combined efforts, three career criminals have been taken off the streets.
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By Trend

National air carriers of Azerbaijan and Turkey are satisfied with the level of the current cooperation and intend to further expand it, said Vice President of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL) Eldar Hajiyev Aug. 12.

AZAL and Turkish Airlines have been carrying out flights under a code-sharing agreement for two years, said Hajiyev.

This allowed further strengthening the position of both companies in this sphere, he noted. Istanbul airport ranks the first for the number of daily flights from the Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

He added that after the events in Turkey, the number of passengers to Istanbul slightly decreased, but despite this, in total, the passenger traffic to Turkey is on the rise.

For example, the number of tourists going to Antalya from Azerbaijan increased by more than twice in July 2016 as compared to July 2015, explained Hajiyev.

There is a growth in the Bodrum, Izmir and Dalaman directions too, said the AZAL vice president.

However, there is a record growth in the Antalya direction, he noted.

The number of daily Baku-Antalya flights reached four in July and August, added Hajiyev.
Armenias armed forces have 11 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Aug. 13.

The Armenian army was using large-caliber machine guns.

The Armenian armed forces stationed in the Barekamavan village of Noyemberyan district, Berkaber and Vozashen villages of the Ijevan district, Chinari village of the Berd district of Armenia opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions located in the Kokhanebi village of the Tovuz district, Gizilhajili and Gaymagli villages, and on nameless heights of the Gazakh district.

Positions of the Azerbaijani army also underwent fire from the Armenian positions located near the Garakhanbeyli village of the Fizuli district and the Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district.

Moreover, Azerbaijani positions also underwent fire from the Armenian positions located on nameless heights of the Goranboy district.

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 Azertac

Azerbaijan`s tank crew has produced successful results at a Tank biathlon contest held as part of the International Army Games2016 held in Russia, the Defense Ministry said. In the international competition, which was attended by 54 tank crews from 17 countries, Azerbaijani tank crew ranked seventh in the overall table and fifth in the ranking for the best crew.





Azerbaijani tank crew, which participated in this competition for the first time, performed a variety of tasks at a high level, skillfully destroyed all the targets and overcame obstacles. The ability and professionalism of our tank crew, which outclassed the Armenian team in the overall figures, was highly appreciated by the jury and arbiters of the competition as well as by specialists and experts, the Ministry said.
By Trend

Belgian police released three people Friday who were detained overnight in a counterterror operation in the Brussels area, Sputnik reported.

Searches were conducted in homes of people under scrutiny on suspicion of links to terrorism and foreign fighters returning from Syria, the RTBF broadcaster reported, saying no weapons or explosives had been found.

Two women and a man, who was tagged electronically for trying to leave for Syria, were released after being questioned by the investigating judge, according to the broadcaster.

Belgium has been investigating several cases related to last years terror attacks in Paris and this spring's Brussels bombings, as well as foiled terror plots in the country.
By Trend

Europe didnt keep its promise to cancel the visa regime for Turkish citizens, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with German RTL TV channel, Anadolu Agency reports.

Erdogan said that if Europe doesnt keep its word, Turkey wont accept Syrian refugees from the European Union.

Earlier, European Commissions President Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU may introduce visa-free regime for Turkey in the autumn of 2016, but in case if Ankara fulfills all the requirements.

Turkey expected Europe to support it during the last military coup attempt, Erdogan said. European countries should have sent at least one representative to Turkey for support, as it was done after the terrorist attack in France.

Commenting on the decision of Germanys Constitutional Court to ban his televised address to a rally in Cologne, Erdogan said he doesnt respect this decision of the court.

Germanys highest court on July 31 upheld a ruling that banned Erdogan from addressing a rally via a video call to protest the July 15 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.

Erdogan had said 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.

He declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20.
By Azertac





Prominent economist and representative of the Business Institute of Chinese Xinjiang University Habibullah Imamhaji has today visited Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL).





He had a meeting with employees of the Confucius Institute at AUL. He highlighted the relations and cultural and educational exchange of Chinese Xinjiang University with the world`s leading education institutions.





Director of the Confucius Institute in Azerbaijan Rafig Abbasov provided information on educational, cultural and educational activities of AUL. He also highlighted the importance of organizing seminars on Azerbaijan's geostrategic role in creation and development of infrastructure of the Silk Road Economic Belt an restoration of the historic Silk Road.





Abbasov also emphasized the possibility of implementing scientific researches in partnership with Chinese experts.
A masked Kashmiri protester stands during a protest against India after a day-long curfew in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Kashmir has been under a security lockdown and curfew since the killing of a popular rebel commander on July 8 sparked some of the largest protests against Indian rule in recent years: photo by Dar Yasin/AP, 8 August 2016

A woman looks at a monitor showing Japan's Emperor Akihito delivering a speech in a video message in Tokyo, Japan. Japan's Emperor Akihito addressed to the nation in a rare video message on his worry that it may become difficult to carry out his duties as the symbol of the State considering his fitness level gradually declining. This will raise a debate in Japan as the current Japanese law states the Emperor serves until death.: photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi, 8 August 2016
Bloom Properties, a Bloom Holding subsidiary dedicated to developing sustainable and integrated urban communities, has awarded the main works contract of its Park View mixed-use development on Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to Tharwaa/Al Mansouri 3B joint venture.



With enabling works for Park View in final stages of completion, site mobilisation has also commenced. Main works on the project are set for completion by Q4 2017.



Bloom Properties is the first developer to commence construction within the university neighbourhood of Saadiyat other than the master developer.



Park View was launched during Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2015, receiving an overwhelming response from buyers and investors. The project is located in the proximity of New York University Abu Dhabi campus and other major upcoming tourist attractions. The attractive rental yields and potential long-term price growth prospects of the project have contributed to its high uptake, said the statement.



Sameh Muhtadi, CEO, Bloom Holding, said: Bloom Properties is delighted to appoint Tharwaa / Al Mansouri 3B joint venture to carry out the main construction works of this strategically-located project on Saadiyat. The development of Park View articulates our sustained efforts to provide investors with the best real estate products within prime locations. With the commencement of the main contracting works, we seek to fulfil our commitment in delivering the project on schedule and to the highest construction standards."



Adnan Abuzanat, president, Tharwaa / Al Mansouri 3B joint venture, said: We are honoured to be awarded this contract by Bloom Properties. This is a very exciting project and we will justify the confidence and trust placed in us by Bloom Properties by deploying the best construction technologies and processes to ensure the efficient and timely completion of the project.



Park View will comprise two buildings, one residential and another hotel apartments. The residential component will include a total of 207 units ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments. The hospitality component will include 217 furnished and serviced hotel apartments featuring studios, one- and two-bedroom executive apartments.



The development will also comprise a wide range of commercial and leisure amenities including retail outlets, restaurants, Abu Dhabis first sky pool 30 meters above the ground, a state-of-the art gym.



Bloom Holding, a subsidiary of National Holding, is a group of companies dedicated to developing sustainable and integrated urban communities that offer an enriching lifestyle and quality of life, the statement added. - TradeArabia News Service


US Steel Canada on Wednesday rejected a buyout offer from Ontario Steel Investments, a group that includes shareholders of Essar Global, saying it was not considering further proposals by Essar, which had been eliminated from the sale process.



The offer, made on Tuesday, includes the assumption of C$954 million ($734 million) in liabilities under US Steel Canada's pension plan and a commitment to provide C$25 million ($19.13 million) toward post-employment benefits for US Steel Canada's staff.



US Steel Canada, which has been in creditor protection since 2014, said Essar was rejected as a potential buyer of the business earlier this year following discussions with stakeholders including the Ontario government.



It cited a failure by Essar, the Indian energy and resources conglomerate, to provide evidence of its financial ability to own and operate the company and an inability to gain the support of all stakeholders, including the provincial government.



Essar this week attempted to re-enter the bidding process for US Steel Canada's operations in Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ontario, through the Ontario Steel investment vehicle, and has the support of the United Steelworkers (USW) union.



Gary Howe, president of USW Local 1005 in Hamilton, criticised US Steel Canada for rejecting the latest offer.



"It's ridiculous, especially when US Steel Canada (took) just a day to think about it. This is going to cause people in Hamilton to be extremely upset and it's irresponsible," he said in an interview.



US Steel Canada, which employs nearly 2,000 workers in Ontario and has the capability to produce 2.6 million tonnes of steel annually, is a former unit of US Steel Corp. - Reuters


A Southern California man was sentenced on Friday to life in prison for fatally stabbing an engineering student from Saudia Arabia who the killer met after the victim posted an online ad to sell his car two years ago, prosecutors said.



The remains of the victim, Abdullah Abdullatif Alkadi, 23, were found alongside a freeway in the desert town of Indio, about 125 miles (200 km) east of Los Angeles, in October 2014, about a month after he went missing.



Alkadi, an international student at California State University, Northridge, had been last seen at his residence in the Los Angeles suburb of Reseda on Sept. 17.



Authorities said the killer, Agustin Rosendo Fernandez, 30, stabbed Alkadi to death that day, when he showed up at the victim's home to pick up an Audi A5 convertible that Alkadi had agreed to sell him for $35,000 in an earlier meeting between the two men.



Fernandez, who had found Alkadi's car-for-sale ad on Craigslist, kept the cash and then made off with the vehicle, disposing of Alkadi's body along the way. Prosecutors said the stolen car was later found parked at the killer's apartment in Long Beach.



Fernandez in June was tried and found guilty of first-degree murder in Alkadi's death. The jury also found in favor of special circumstances of murdering during a robbery and murder during a carjacking, as well as personal use of a deadly weapon.



Under the sentence handed down on Friday, Fernandez will serve a life term in state prison without the possibility of parole, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.  Reuters
On what should be a bonanza long weekend for the tourist industry in a seaside playground favoured by Thailand's royal family, shops and restaurants are shuttered, streets are empty and security forces are advising people to stay in their hotels.



The resort of Hua Hin was rocked by four bombs less than 12 hours apart that killed two people and wounded 24, as thousands flocked to its hotels and beaches for a long weekend to celebrate the Queen's birthday, which is also Mother's Day in Thailand.



"It's a ghost town now," said Irish tourist Tim Kelleher. "Usually this place is so popular."



The bombings were part of a series of attacks on world-renowned seaside resorts in southern Thailand that may jeopardise the Southeast Asian nation's target of luring a record 32 million visitors in 2016.



Tourism is one of the only growth sectors in Thailand, and accounts for 10 percent of an economy that has struggled under the stewardship of a military government that seized power two years ago.



"It's bad for the economy, which is limping along on one leg, and now we have these incidents," Ittirit Kinglek, the president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, told Reuters.



"It will definitely have an impact on tourism, but it's too early to estimate how it will affect tourist numbers and revenues."



Other blasts hit the island of Phuket, a resort town in Phang Nga province, and Surat Thani, the jumping off point for travellers heading to the white sandy beaches of Gulf of Thailand islands such as Koh Samui.



No group has claimed responsibility, though suspicion could fall on insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in southern Thailand. Police and security analysts said the small devices appeared to be aimed more at sending a message than causing widespread death and destruction.



Embassies in Thailand warned their citizens to stay vigilant on Friday and some warned that there could be more attacks.



Australia, the source of just over 800,000 visitors to Thailand in 2015, issued a travel advisory saying Australians should "exercise a high degree of caution", and warned that "further explosions in any part of Thailand are possible."



China, the single biggest source of tourists to Thailand with nearly 8 million visitors in 2015, told citizens to avoid crowded areas and pay close attention to security developments.



FREE REFUND



The German units of tour operators TUI and Thomas Cook said customers booked on trips to Thailand departing before Aug. 15 could cancel or rebook to other destinations free of charge.



TUI, which has about 2,000 customers in Thailand at present, said it would help any who wished to leave early.



Thai Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said the sector was resilient and would rebound from any impact fast, as it had in the past.



"If anything happens, Thailand's tourism will be able to adjust and come back quickly," she told Reuters.



The attacks are the latest challenge to an industry that has weathered more than a decade of political instability and bounced back from several major setbacks in the past two years.



A bomb attack at a Hindu shrine nestled among luxury shopping malls and hotels in central Bangkok killed 20 and injured more than 120 in August 2015.



Tourist arrivals dropped by more than half a million in the month after the blast, but Thailand still hosted a record 29.88 million visitors in 2015.



A year earlier, months of sometimes deadly street protests paralysed the Thai capital before a coup in May 2014. The month after the military takeover, tourist numbers slipped to their lowest in more than two and a half years.



The attacks would hurt business and consumer confidence, Thai Airways Chief Financial Officer Narongchai Wongthanavimok told Reuters.



"To some extent, it should affect the Thai tourist industry and Thai Airways because confidence may be hit," he said. "But how much the impact will be, we need to monitor and assess the situation."



Business at budget airline Thai AirAsia was so far unaffected, Chief Executive Tassapon Bijleveld told Reuters.



Thailand's Erawan Hotel Group, one of the top five Thai hotel operators with a portfolio that includes two of the targeted resorts - Hua Hin and Phuket - has increased security at its hotels but not yet seen cancellations because of the blasts, group president Kamonwan Wipulakorn told Reuters.



At the Erawan shrine in Bangkok on Friday, the location of the 2015 bombing, there were no security checks as tourists and Thais visited, a Reuters witness said.



Australian tourist Vanessa Jamieson, at the shrine with 6-year-old twins on Friday, said the bombings in southern Thailand had made her rethink her holiday plans.



"We stayed away from most public places today," she said "Frankly, if the bombings continue then we might as well jump on a plane and go somewhere else."  Reuters


The TransGriot is available for speaking engagements, college lectures, panel discussions, media interviews, conferences or Trans 101 education efforts for your school, business or professional organizations.



For local Houston area, Texas or national events, you can e-mail me at transgriot@yahoo.com



For events outside the Houston metro area, I ask that my travel and lodging expenses be covered.



This is separate from my speaking fee.



If you are interested in having me appear as a speaker or panelist, you can e-mail me with the date and details of your proposed event.

Please book as early as possible because my speaking and event calendar slots during the year rapidly fill up.
The USDA shocked grain markets Friday with its newest outlook for the corn and soybeans crops that are getting ready to be harvested. The government agency is now projecting record-breaking yields for corn at 175.1 bushels per acre and soybeans at 48.9 bushels per acre.

If these projections come true this fall, the corn and soybean crops will be the largest in U.S. history, adding to the global surplus of grain.

While record yields are a point of pride for the agricultural industry, the overwhelming supply is hurting prices. On Fridays report, soybean prices dropped as much as 21 cents per bushel, and corn fell to the lowest level in almost seven years.

As of noon Friday, corn for delivery in December was worth $3.24 and November soybeans traded for $9.69.

OPEC primes pump for cutbacks

Oil prices jumped over $44 per barrel this week after a statement by new Saudi oil minister, Khalid Al-Falih, suggested that the Saudis would attempt to boost prices at next months OPEC meeting.

While a supply cut from OPEC could raise prices, skeptics point out that many of the member states, especially Saudi Arabia, have been increasing production in recent months, adding to the worlds overwhelming supplies of petroleum, gasoline, and diesel fuel.

If OPEC members cant agree to scale back production, it appears that they will continue pumping at full-speed and could knock prices back below $40, taking gasoline and diesel fuel prices along for the ride.

OJ prices wild

Orange juice prices spurted to a four-year high recently at $1.95 per frozen pound and have gyrated wildly since. Prices exploded as the market feared an orange tree disease called citrus greening and a wild start to the Atlantic hurricane season could derail this years crop.

Since then, friendlier weather forecasts and signs of weaker consumer demand knocked the market back down, although prices were still lofty Friday near $1.82 per pound.

These higher prices were welcomed by Floridas orange growers, who suffered through prices near $1.00 per pound in recent years. Longer-term, they are facing a dire threat from citrus greening that has already ravaged Floridas groves and could lead to further losses in the coming years.
When former mayor Kenyne Humphrey attended local events, organizers frequently introduced her husband by mistake.

Ive been mayor three times, but people just instantly assume its the man, said Humphrey, the only woman currently serving on the Casper City Council.

R.C. Johnson and Amanda Huckabay are both seeking Ward 1 seats in the upcoming election. Theyre the only women in a field of 15 candidates.

I dont feel like having one woman on council is enough diversity, Huckabay said.

Huckabay and other women who have served on council made clear they became involved in politics based on issues they were passionate about  not simply to diversify the council. Still, many expressed a belief that women can bring a unique perspective and help facilitate communication.

Humphrey said she believes women bring a stable presence to council and can defuse tense situations. During her time as mayor, Humphrey said she was able to read body language and make sure debates did not get out of hand.

Women add a sense of calmness and reason, Humphrey said.

Stefanie Boster served on the council with three other women and agreed that women had a different approach when it came to analyzing and debating city business.

Women, generally speaking, tend to try and make sure everyone feels heard, said Boster, who left the council in 2010. I dont think men always have that same approach.

Huckabay argued that women not only have a different temperament but could offer insight on certain policies, such as the importance of late-night child care.

But Boster recalled that during her time on council one obvious issue affecting women  domestic violence prevention  was spearheaded by her male colleague Keith Goodenough. She said she could not think of specific issues where women would necessarily have a different opinion.

Whether women are more likely to advocate for certain policies or not, current and former council members agreed on the key barrier keeping women from running for office: the second shift women are expected to work at home in addition to their professional obligations. Boster estimated her time commitment to the council at about 20 hours per week.

We see more women working full-time jobs but still needing to go home and take of the kids and cook dinner, Humphrey said. I work 50 hours a week, Im running to meetings, I dont sleep.

Jerre Jones, who has been involved in local politics for decades including through the League of Women Voters, said the current economic downturn may be the reason fewer women are running for council seats. With families hurting, women who may have had more free time when their husbands had good-paying jobs now need to work themselves.

If the economy is better, they may not have to work as much, or maybe not at all, so theyre freer, Jones said.

Jones also said there is still a predisposition in Wyoming to view women as homemakers.

Our Wyoming culture is a little bit isolated. We dont have the tendency of more liberal areas in the country to have women who are more free, Jones said.

Johnson agreed that while leadership positions are often considered male roles in society at large, family dynamics may be especially likely to discourage local women from getting involved in politics.

Theres a lot of that traditionalism in Casper, Johnson said.

Humphrey said that while she has always been treated with respect by her colleagues on council, she had encountered hostility that men were less likely to deal with. Humphrey was forced to shut off her home phone after receiving death threats and abusive phone calls and said she had stopped reading comments on articles about her work.

You definitely learn quickly that you have to have thicker skin, Humphrey said. Women are the easier target.

Perhaps due to these factors, both Johnson and Jones said women were more likely to need encouragement to stand for office. Johnson said that while men can often easily imagine themselves as political leaders, the same is not true for women.

If theyre encouraged to be on some of the council, the committees that council has they become more inclined to run for office, Jones said. The main barrier is getting there in the first place.
CHEYENNE  The Rev. Franklin Graham urged Christians to vote for candidates who share their values and beliefs and pray for the United States at a stop Friday in Cheyenne as part of his Decision America tour.

An estimated 2,400 people showed up on the lawn of the Wyoming Supreme Court, making Cheyenne the 35th state capital Graham has visited this year.

He drew a crowd of 3,800 on Wednesday in Boise, Idaho, KBOI-TV reported, and a crowd of 2,700 on Tuesday in Helena, Montana, the Great Falls Tribune reported.

Graham is the son of famous evangelist Billy Graham, who led crusades, or evangelism campaigns, from the 1940s through the 2000s.

Franklin Graham also leads the Samaritans Purse organization.

Since January, Graham has been crisscrossing the country with the intent of holding rallies at all 50 state capitals.

At each stop, his message is the same: Christians need to vote for like-minded candidates this year.

The Christian voice has to be heard, he said. It has to be heard at the polls.

Graham used the Book of Nehemiah to draw parallels between the book and modern America.

He stopped several times during his comments to lead the crowd in prayers for the country, government leaders, law enforcement and for individuals own transgressions.

Before our nation can be healed, our individual hearts can be healed, he said, later adding, Unless America turns back to God  we will fail as a nation.

Graham stopped short of endorsing any candidates. He said he has no hope in the Democratic or Republican parties.

I dont think I have to convince any of you that our country is in trouble, he said. Theres no person or political party that can turn this thing around. The only hope for this country is Almighty God.

But Graham did tell the crowd to be mindful of electing a president that would be more likely to support conservative Christian beliefs and appoint Supreme Court judges sympathetic to religious freedom.

The Supreme Court nomination issue is one Republicans have used nationally to draw support for Donald Trump from Republicans and others who dont like Trump.

You might have to hold your nose, but vote, Graham said.

He did not endorse either Trump or Hillary Clinton, however.

Im not here to tell you who to vote for  you figure that out, he said.

Graham criticized what he feels is too much political correctness in the country, stated opposition to same-sex marriage and said a description of progressive is just a code word for being an atheist.

Theres no difference between secularism and communism  theyre both godless, he said.

The crowd was made up of a variety of people of various backgrounds and ages. Many waved small American flags distributed by volunteers.

Some people traveled hours from other parts of Wyoming or neighboring states.

Justin and Jessica Brown, of Sidney, Nebraska, were at the event with their 5-month-old daughter, Joelle.

The Browns said they planned their day around the Graham event and were happy to be around other like-minded Christians.

Justin Brown said there are a lot of issues nationwide that concern him.

Theres freedom for everybody except the God-fearing Christian, he said.

Jessica Brown said its important for Christians that share similar beliefs to be around one another.

Christians need to support other Christians and pray together, she said.

Despite Graham not endorsing any candidates or parties, that didnt stop the rally from drawing candidates and elected officials.

Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray met Graham and gave Graham his signature bucking horse and rider lapel pin, and state Rep. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, was also at the rally.

Darin Smith, a Republican candidate for U.S. House, had signs and volunteers at the rally, and Graham posted a photo of himself and Liz Cheney to Facebook.

Graham said after the rally hes been moved by thousands of people who are willing to come to state capitals at noon on weekdays just to meet with like-minded people.

I want Christians to stand up and be proactive, he said.

Grahams next stop is Augusta, Maine, on Aug. 23. From there, hell make his way down the East Coast and through the eastern Great Lakes states before ending his tour Oct. 13 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
SHERIDAN  The opponents debated the states budget, guns and Medicaid expansion, but the most illuminating interactions between Rosie Berger and Bo Biteman on Tuesday came during the commercial breaks of the live radio program.

The atmosphere was tense inside the Sheridan Media studio. Berger, the incumbent, and Biteman, the challenger, are facing off in Tuesdays GOP primary to represent House District 51, in western Sheridan County. Biteman is running an aggressive campaign, challenging Bergers votes on a number of social issues.

In the studio, he tried to make small talk, asking Berger if she had been on the program, Public Pulse, before.

Berger told him she had. She also told him she has cast thousands of votes and that he was unfairly cherry-picking some of them as a campaign tactic.

Biteman has listed Bergers votes on his campaign website. Hes accused her of being a liberal for not changing state law to repeal gun-free zones in schools, by being involved in the Capitol reconstruction project that is being challenged in court and by supporting gay rights. Anonymous campaign literature that praises him inaccurately described a bill she supported.

In the corner of the small room sat Bitemans campaign manager, Whitney Johnson. She joined in: Unfortunately, youre accountable for your votes.

***

Its possible that voters in the slice of northeastern Wyoming that comprises HD51 could help make history Tuesday by re-electing Berger, currently the second-ranking Republican in the Wyoming House, who has said she will seek the top position of speaker.

The state hasnt had a woman speaker of the House since 1969, when Republican Verda James from Casper held the seat.

Or voters in Sheridan County could reject Berger  who has served since 2003  and select Biteman in the primary. The Republican who prevails Tuesday will face Democrat Hollis Hackman in the November general election.

Berger said shes not too worried about Biteman. She said hes among a group of socially conservative Republicans who are challenging incumbents, armed with misinformation.

Heres what Im hearing from my constituents, or my community: They dont want Wyoming politics to be run by anonymous, secretive organizations or organizations that are from out of state, she said. Theyre concerned about these efforts changing the political culture of Wyoming. More and more Im hearing, Were Wyoming. We build relationships. We want to know who we are electing.

Biteman and his campaign manager declined to meet with the Star-Tribune. Biteman requested the newspaper send questions by email. The newspaper sent the first round of questions Monday and did not receive a response.

Biteman works as a certified professional landman in the oil and gas industry. He is a volunteer firefighter and emergency services responder with the Ranchester Fire Department. He describes himself as a constitutional conservative.

***

Kim Love, the host of Public Pulse, returned after the first commercial break with questions about a failed 2015 bill that would have protected LGBTQ Wyomingites from discrimination at work. Berger voted for the bill.

Ms. Berger, on Mr. Bitemans (web) site, he describes this bill as, Discrimination against womens privacy, allowing men to use womens restrooms, lockers and showers if they claim to identify as a woman, Love said. Is that a true characterization of this bill?

Absolutely not, she said, adding that the bill was amended to remove any bathroom protections for transgender people.

So when you talk about family values, Im right there with you on making certain we support and protect our families, friends and neighbors, she said. But that is not in the bill that was engrossed and that we voted on in the House. So there is nothing about restrooms in this bill. So I think its time to stop talking about this issue.

Its about workers in Wyoming and making certain they have a fair chance and that we respect whatever their belief is and we wouldnt take that into consideration when we are either hiring or firing an individual, she continued. And when you have conservative groups like the Wyoming Mining Association, the Wyoming Business Alliance and the Wyoming Chamber of Commerce supporting this bill, I think its something a Legislature needs to look at seriously.

Love asked Biteman for a response.

Well, I just want to clarify: When this bill came to the House for introduction, did it have the bathroom part in it? he said.

That is correct, from the Senate, but it was eliminated, Berger said.

But did you vote for it to be introduced as a whole when it came to the House? Biteman asked.

Well, of course I voted for the bill to be introduced, Berger said. How else do we have a debate about an issue unless it gets to the floor? If we voted no on every piece of legislation, we would never have an opportunity to find a good solution for the citizens of Wyoming.

Berger again described the process of removing the section that would have affected bathrooms.

If you want to criticize legislators on voting for introduction, then there would be no reason to hold a legislative session, she said.

Berger later said she wasnt convinced that Biteman fully grasped the legislative process, an allegation the Star-Tribune asked him about in an email. He did not reply.

Berger said she suspected that an anti-LGBT group provided socially conservative candidates with opposition research on incumbents. Bathroom politics are an issue in other legislative races, with challengers using similar arguments across the state.

If thats true, its not clear which groups would have provided the research. The Star-Tribune called WyWatch Family Action, which has endorsed Biteman and supports traditional families. A representative of the organization said her group did not provide candidates any research and its likely Biteman did his own research.

***

Berger said in her first race for the Legislature, she won by only 25 votes. She said shes had other competitive races, too, where shes had to fight attacks, some untrue.

But this year is different, she said.

She pointed to a piece of campaign literature that attacks her work on the Wyoming State Capitol restoration and accuses her of voting for the bathroom protections. The card bears Bitemans name and address but does not say who paid for it. Biteman didnt reply to a question about who paid for it.

Two years ago, the conservative Republic Free Choice, an organization supported by Susan Gore, the wealthy Gore-Tex heiress and founder of the Wyoming Liberty Group, sent mail in support of and opposition to candidates in key legislative races.

When the Liberty Group and Republic Free Choice did their pieces, they identified themselves, Berger said. This to me is a new phenomenon.

***

Tom Lubnau, who was speaker of the House in 2013 and 2014, said Sheridan County would benefit from having Berger in the leadership role.

Lubnau, who lives in Gillette, said his city needed a new water pipeline from the Black Hills. He was able to advocate for the Gillette-Madison Pipeline, which was paid for and completed when he was in office. The Legislature under Lubnaus leadership also paid for dorms and other facilities at Gillette College.

Those kinds of things can happen, funding-wise, for Sheridan, he said. Rosie is a big supporter of her community college. And I dont know if she gets a liberal label for doing that. Thats just representing her constituency, and she does a nice job supporting them.

Lubnau is worried that there will be a leadership vacuum in the Legislature if Berger doesnt win. Current House Speaker Kermit Brown is retiring. The third-ranking Republican, Tim Stubson, is not seeking re-election, as he is running for the U.S. House.

From my experience, its nearly impossible to be speaker without being majority floor leader first, Lubnau said of the No. 2 position, which Berger currently holds. Because the majority floor leaders job is sort of a speaker-in-training. Understanding and managing the flow of bills  its probably the unsung part of the House of Representatives. In a 40-day and in a 20-day session, they do lots and lots of business. That type of organization and the ability to manage that volume of work in that amount of time doesnt happen by accident.

In addition to official roles of assigning lawmakers to committees and assigning bills to committees, the speaker needs to accommodate lawmakers disabilities, confront lawmakers who misbehave and counsel legislators on personal problems, Lubnau said. That means days are long. Lubnau said it was the hardest job hes ever had.

Lubnau said some people attack Berger  who everyone calls Rosie  because she is nice.

And I dont know if anyone would say that, but shes a woman, and that must make her liberal, too, Lubnau said. She thinks about things. A lot of what people say about her is unfounded. When she was vice chair of Appropriations, and when she was chair of Appropriations, the budgets she brought in even when we had lots of money were very conservative.

The Star-Tribune told Biteman in an email it had spoken to Lubnau and asked him for names of people who support his candidacy. Biteman didnt reply.

***

Early one morning nearly a decade ago, Berger walked into the Wyoming State Capitol. She was chairwoman of the Joint Appropriations Committee and had work to do before the House convened to vote on bills.

I realized what a privilege it was to represent the people and what an honor it was to serve as chairman and what a huge responsibility it was, she said. I thought, I need to share this. So how could I do that?

The seeds for Leap into Leadership were born.

Leap into Leadership is a one-and-a-half-day seminar hosted by the bipartisan Wyoming Womens Legislative Caucus each year during the legislative session. Its aimed at inspiring women to serve in public office. There are speakers and training and networking sessions. Women throughout the state observe the Legislature. Theyre encouraged to think big in terms of what they can contribute to their communities, Berger said.

Wyoming State Auditor Cynthia Cloud attended the first Leap into Leadership class in 2010.

I had just announced I was running for state auditor, Cloud said, And saw an advertisement for people to sign up who were running for office. I thought, Oh, I need to go to that. It was incredible. I made so many contacts. In my class, Rep. (Ruth Ann) Petroff was there. She was thinking of running, Sue Willson (a representative from Cheyenne.) There was a whole group of us running for office.

Cloud won the office and now hosts a reception for each years Leap into Leadership class.

One thing I took from that was dont let anyone tell you you cant do anything. Its a real confidence-builder and encourages women to participate in government. Everywhere I go I encourage women to run for office. Just in the Legislature we need more women. Were not represented at all.

Only one woman is serving in the Wyoming Senate. But this year, more women are running for the Legislature than in 2014 and 2012.

It is really exciting, Berger said. Thanks to Leap into Leadership, several women are running.

Every year a few men attend. The program features nationally acclaimed speakers, and men have said they want to be part of it too, Berger said.

For Berger, encouraging people to serve has become a passion.

You get involved in your community, you find something youre comfortable with, you learn it well, and then you go to the next level, she said. ... I will meet with anyone  male or female  who wants to visit about government.
FARMINGTON, N.M.  Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye is renewing the tribe's call for the federal government to reimburse farmers for damaged caused by a massive mine waste spill in southwestern Colorado.

Begaye was among the tribal, state and local officials who participated earlier this week in a discussion marking the one-year anniversary of the blowout at the Gold King Mine.

An EPA-led crew triggered the spill during preliminary cleanup work on Aug. 5, 2015. Three million gallons of wastewater carrying arsenic, lead and other heavy metals tainted rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

Begaye said the spill was devastating for Navajo farmers and the $445,000 the EPA recently awarded for response costs is only a quarter of what the spill has cost the tribe so far.
GRANGER  Authorities say a 21-year-old woman was killed and three other people, including two young children, were injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash near Granger.

Sgt. David Wagener with the Wyoming Highway Patrol said Bonny Wood, of Jackson, was killed Sunday when the driver of the SUV she was in crossed into the opposite lane of U.S. Highway 30 and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to roll multiple times. The 28-year-old driver, a 5-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy were injured.
Wyoming has a complicated relationship with women in politics.

Wyoming earned the moniker the Equality State because it was first to grant women the right to vote, in 1869. The next year, Esther Hobart Morris, of South Pass, became the nations first female justice of the peace. Wyomingites elected the countrys first female state superintendent of public instruction, Estelle Reel, in 1894, and the nation's first female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross, in 1924. The state also lays claim to the nations first woman bailiff, all-woman jury and first female mayor.

However, more recently, the status of women in Wyoming hasn't been as lustrous. The state has one of the widest differences between average mens and womens wages in the country. College-educated women in Wyoming generally earn less than high-school-educated men. Just one woman serves in the Wyoming Senate.

The entire 90-member Wyoming Legislature counts just 12 women, a figure that makes Wyoming lag in female representation compared with other state legislatures. Yet more women in Wyoming are registered to vote than men: 124,000 women to 117,000 men, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from November 2014.

The number of women in the Legislature next year may increase, according to a Casper Star-Tribune analysis of women legislative candidates.

And observers say many of the women running for the Legislature are strong candidates, and their chances of winning are good.

Theyre not token women, said Marguerite Herman of the Wyoming League of Women Voters. These are women who come with real credentials and would be a big asset to not just to carry womens voices but to add to the deliberations of the body."

Womens voices

Women and men in Wyoming tend to be politically conservative, and they can benefit from conservative women in the Legislature, said Kathy Kleeman with the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Women of all kinds, including Republican women who are pro-life, bring their distinct voices and their distinctive life experiences, Kleeman said. Men have never been pregnant so a pro-life woman is coming at that discussion differently. Whether youre pro-life or pro-choice, your feelings about that issue can be very personal. You know Democratic women, Republican women come with their distinctive life experiences. Theyre at the table and notice different things about policy. It matters.

And abortion isnt the only topic women can lend expertise to, Kleeman said. It is a bipartisan group of women in Congress -- including U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming -- who have led the effort to require federal agencies, when performing medical research, study effects on women. Heart attacks, cancers and other conditions affect women differently than men.

Women do the majority of caretaking of children and elderly family members in American society. They tend to hold so-called pink-collar jobs in nursing and teaching. They generally do most of the shopping for their families.

Its different things women notice, she said. Its not that men cant do those things. Its not that they dont do those things.

Retiring legislators

Of the 12 women lawmakers, five are leaving the Legislature, including some in key leadership positions.

Retiring are: Reps. Elaine Harvey, chairwoman of the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee; Ruth Ann Petroff, chairwoman of the House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee; Norine Kasperik and Rita Campbell.

The Senates only woman, Bernadine Craft, is also retiring. But Lisa Anselmi-Dalton of Rock Springs is running for Crafts seat, and she has no challengers thus far.

The loss of their historical and institutional knowledge will be a blow for the Legislature, said Herman, of the League of Women Voters.

However, the state may make history with Rep. Rosie Berger, currently No. 2 in Republican leadership in the House. If Berger wins re-election, she said she will seek the body's top position, speaker of the House.

The last time a woman was speaker of the House was 1969. The speakers position is powerful -- it includes deciding which committees legislators sit on, clearing bills for introduction and influencing the schedule of bills up for discussion each day. Speakers can sit on a bill they dislike or send bills to committees where they know they will be killed.

Candidates

When Lindi Kirkbride, who has worked as a lobbyist in Cheyenne, first considered running, friends encouraged her to run for the House. She refused. She had heard Craft was retiring from the Senate, and she was concerned there would be no women in that chamber.

Kirkbride is in a three-person GOP primary on Tuesday for Senate District 6 in Laramie County against Rep. David Zwonitzer and Anthony Bouchard.

Im not a younger woman, she said. Im a little bit of an older woman. Im a mother. Im a grandmother. Im a rancher woman. Ive worn lots of different hats throughout the years.

Kirkbride is now retired, which she said is affording her time to serve the state.

Having a supportive husband has also been key, she said.

Im going to spend more than Im bringing in, she said. Hes been hauling me around to these parades in these small communities.

In addition to Kirkbride are a number of other women running for Senate seats in Laramie County -- including Republicans Tara Nethercott and Affie Ellis.

Both women have law degrees and have been before the Legislature to lobby, and theyre viable candidates, said Herman, of the League of Women Voters.

We could end up with maybe four women in the Senate next time, Herman said.

Herman is concerned that some voters will see a womans name on the ballot and vote against her, perhaps subconsciously thinking shes not equipped for the job. Kirkbride doesnt expect that to be the case. She said no one has questioned her credentials based on her gender.

"The Wyoming Republican Party is thrilled with the talented and extremely deserving group of individuals that have volunteered to serve our state, said Matt Micheli, chairman of the states majority political party.

This year, the Democrats recruited more women to run than the GOP. That includes Lander Democrat Julia Stuble. At 32, she would be a younger female voice, if she defeats Republican Rep. Lloyd Larsen in House District 54 in the November general election.

Stuble said the current Legislature is not providing new solutions to the states historic boom-and-bust economy, which is currently weathering a bust.

The challenges that were facing today are only going to become more complex, Stuble said. We can best face this changing world by giving voice to the vast diversity, to the vast experience, thought and perspective in the state. We dont address complex problems with one answer because we have similar perspectives in the Legislature. Those answers are not benefiting our state. Its not serving our people.

Ana Cuprill, chairwoman of the Wyoming Democratic Party, said her organization identified several women throughout the state who would be good legislators. The party approached them, sometimes more than once.

There are several issues the Legislature has been deliberating on for years in which women have a stake, including the states gender-wage gap and workplace safety, Cuprill said.

I think even Medicaid expansion is going to be a huge issue for women, she said. There are a lot of single moms who are working, falling into that gap -- barely making enough money to support their families but not enough to buy health insurance.
Editor:

I was born and raised in Wyoming on a family-owned ranch.

For the past 33 years, I have been a small-business owner doing work all over the state of Wyoming. The unfortunate thing is that more and more regulations coming out of Washington, D.C., has made it harder and harder to do business. This is why I am supporting Liz Cheney as a representative of Wyoming to Congress.

I have been fortunate enough to know Liz for a while now and Liz lives the same values as I have being a Wyoming Cowboy; to defend and promote the family, integrity, hard work, respect of others regardless of race, religion or financial status and above all the honesty.

Liz knows what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong and will stand her ground to do the best for Wyoming.
Editor:

The CST article of July 30 shows Chuck Gray is the true deceiver. He accuses Ray Pacheco of being deceptive in his party affiliation. Pacheco has freely admitted his past party affiliations. Gray on the other hand has made it part of his campaign tactics to attack his opponents to draw attention away from his political ideas, platform and ineptitude. Also evidenced in the debate. Gray attacked Tom Lockhart through Republic Free Choice in the 2014 campaign as being liberal and supporting Obama.

As quoted from a letter sent in the 2014 campaign, "... another politician who gives lip service to their constituents and then goes to Cheyenne and votes to advance the liberal agenda of Obama and his liberal special interests." Far from the truth, Tom's voting record proves otherwise.

There is a pattern with Gray and his value system. His values are to spread lies about his opponents, draw attention from himself and his shortcomings and not answer a question without attacking his opponent.

His shortcomings are: 26 years old, single, only lived in the state four years, has had everything given to him, manages a business with questionable business ethics, belongs to a radical far right constitutional conservative organization, and only knows how to spread lies. He doesn't want voters to know these facts and deceives the voters by attacking his opponents.

Do you want someone like Gray who spreads lies and deception and who can't speak on his "ideas and merits," nor his record? Gray only wishes to advance his political agenda and will not represent the constituents of HD 57, which include other parties and political beliefs. He is quoted in the CST: "I will work with constitutional conservatives."

What about the majority of the rest of the people? So what if Pacheco has changed party affiliation? Reagan once was a Democrat; Tom Reeder once was a Democrat and a union member. It happens. During the debate Gray never stated he was a Republican or a Wyomingite, only a constitutional conservative. Gray is the one using deceptive tactics taking lessons from the Democrats; he's the RINO.
PHOENIX  Over the objections of a tribe, the state Court of Appeals has allowed a non-Indian family to adopt the child of a Native American mother.

In a unanimous decision, the judges said the trial court correctly considered all the issues, including the interests of the child, who had been with the adoptive family as a foster child since a week after she was born.

The ruling was hailed by the Goldwater Institute, which has been trying for years to void the Indian Child Welfare Act, which generally requires the fate of children with Indian blood to be determined by tribal courts.

The law creates a separate and unequal system for children of Native American ancestry, said Adi Dynar, an attorney for the organization, which interceded in the case.

Conversely, Stephen R. Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, decried the ruling and groups like the Goldwater Institute, which he said continue to prey on vulnerable Indian families by attacking the ICWA.

But a closer examination of the ruling and the facts of this case suggest it is not as broad as either side claims. Instead, it turns on the fact that, for whatever reason, the tribe did not act quickly enough to preserve its claim of jurisdiction over the child.

The case involves a girl, not identified, who was born in 2014. At the time of her birth, both she and her biological mother tested positive for amphetamines and opiates.

About a week later, the Department of Child Safety placed her with foster parents, where she has been ever since.

The state Department of Child Safety eventually sought to terminate the parental rights of both the mother, who did not live on the reservation, and the father, who was never identified. As required under federal law, the Gila River community was notified of the move but did not object, resulting in the parents losing their legal rights.

At a subsequent hearing, the trial judge found the foster parents were an adoptive placement meeting all of the childs needs. That included a willingness to honor her heritage, including making arrangements to ensure her continued exposure to tribal culture.

The tribe had not provided an alternative placement with a tribal member. Only later did the tribe seek to transfer the case to tribal court, a move the state judge denied. The tribe appealed, saying guidelines of the Bureau of Indian Affairs say a change in placement is not a valid reason to deny transfer.

But appellate Judge Lawrence Winthrop, writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, said he reads the Indian Child Welfare Act as not allowing transfer to tribal court after parental rights have been terminated.

Put another way, the court said the tribe waited too long to act.

Winthrop acknowledged the breadth of the welfare act, a law Congress enacted in 1978 amid concerns that a large number of Native American children were being placed with non-Indian families. He noted, for example, that the law says any state court proceeding involving the foster placement of termination of parental rights of an Indian child must be transferred to the tribe at the request of the tribe or the parents.

But Winthrop pointed out that mandate is only where parental rights have not been terminated. And in this case, he said, the tribe did not seek to have the case moved until after the trial court had terminated those rights.

In his prepared statement, Lewis does not address the legal underpinnings for the appellate court ruling. Instead, he noted that the mothers other three children were placed with tribal families.

The net effect ... if upheld will be to tear a small child away from her siblings and from her Akimel Ootham heritage, he said. Our community believes this is not at all in the best interests of the child, nor does it present the intent of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

He said tribal lawyers are weighing legal options.

Dynar, for his part, saw the ruling as a needed victory over the scope of the act, even though the appellate court based its ruling on the statute.

Federal law forbids racial discrimination in all adoption cases but contains one exception: Indian children, he said, saying the act allows a tribes objections to trump the ability of a state court to determine what placement is in the best interests of the child.

But its important to remember: All Indian children are citizens of the United States, entitled to constitutional protections, he said.

The Goldwater Institute last year filed its own lawsuit in federal court seeking to void provisions of the law.
MEXICO

Alleged founder of Zetas cartel is arrested

MEXICO CITY  Mexican police say they have re-arrested a former soldier who was allegedly one of the founders of the Zetas drug cartel.

Federal police said Friday they arrested Luis Reyes Enriquez in a raid in the Monterrey suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia.

Reyes Enriquez was arrested in 2007, and spent almost eight years in custody until a judge absolved him of organized crime and drug charges in April 2015. Prosecutors appealed that ruling, and a superior court re-instated his conviction and a sentence of 47 years.

Teachers union leaders

leave prison on bail

MEXICO CITY  A Mexican court has let two leaders of a radical teachers union leave prison on a form of bail following weeks of protests by supporters over their arrests and recent education reforms that include mandatory teacher evaluations.

Attorney General Arely Gomez says the court did not absolve the men but rather freed them while legal proceedings continue. She denied that their release was politically motivated.

Prosecutors arrested the two leaders in June and accused them of setting up an illegal financial network to fund protests and line their own pockets.

C. AFRICAN REPUBLIC/CONGO

Cholera outbreak kills 50 in two countries

Central African Republics health minister says at least 16 people have died from cholera and there have been 66 recorded cases since the beginning of August.

Fernande Ndjengbot, Minister of Health, said Friday the government is mobilizing with organizations including the World Health Organization and U.N. Childrens Agency to isolate the disease and provide clean water, medicine and aid to the communities.

The ministrys emergency health report said it has spread across the Oubangui river to Congos Libi area where 34 people have died and there are 387 suspected cases.

SYRIA

Airstrikes on market, hospital kill at least 18

Airstrikes in opposition areas of Syrias northern Aleppo province struck a market, a hospital and a village on Friday, killing at least 18 people, including children and two hospital staffers, activists and rescue workers said.

The air raids hit the only hospital for women and children in the town of Kafr Hamra before dawn, killing two staffers. The Syrian Civil Defense said it pulled 10 people alive from the rubble.

Kafr Hamra is near the northern front line in the divided city of Aleppo, where government troops have sealed the main route into opposition areas, effectively trapping nearly 300,000.

NIGERIA

Helicopters rush polio vaccines to risky areas

MAIDUGURI  Military helicopters on Friday rushed polio vaccines to dangerous parts of northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram operates and two paralyzed toddlers were recently discovered, a Nigerian health official said.

The World Health Organization said the new cases indicate the wild polio virus has circulated undetected for five years in Borno state  a major setback after Nigeria was declared polio-free in October.

Attacks by the Islamic extremists prevented the emergency operation from getting health workers to two parts of Borno state where the children were found.

Wire reports
Family and friends will gather from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 13, to celebrate the life of Odell Baskerville, the former Arizona Inn chef and longtime culinary instructor who died on July 21. He was 60 years old.

The event at the Art Institute of Tucson campus, 5099 E. Grant Road, will feature stories of Baskerville's life as told by those who knew him and refreshments. Baskerville was teaching at the school at the time of his death.
Fates Play Cruel Joke On Silverbell Mexican

Charged With Eloping With Girl When He Was Only Fellow-Passenger

A misunderstood telephone message, the subsequent severance of telephone communication between Tucson and Silverbell Friday afternoon, and the imps of Old Nick himself, combined to play a cruel prank on a respected Mexican citizen of Silverbell. At the sheriffs office the name of the man was deleted from the records, lest the affair become public and cause the man, who is married, embarrassment and possible domestic trouble.

About 5 oclock a telephone message was received at the sheriffs office from Deputy Sheriff Bell at Silverbell, asking that an officer intercept the Silverbell stage and remove and hold in custody a young Mexican girl and, as the receiver of the message understood him to say, a man who accompanied her.

An officer was sent to take the couple into custody. They proved to be Eloisa Ayala, a young Mexican girl, perhaps 16 years of age, and a middle-aged Mexican man, who was the butt of the imps joke. After they had been taken to the sheriffs office, an effort was made to get into communication with the deputy at Silverbell and ascertain what charge there was against them, but the telephone line to Silverbell had been put out of commission, and Officer Rube Hopkins was sent in an automobile to learn the circumstances of the case.

When he returned the man was released with profuse apologies, for it was established that he was simply a passenger on the same stage chosen by the girl as a means of making her escape from home. The girl was turned over to Probation Officer Hopley.
HATCH, N.M.  An Ohio fugitive wanted for murder has been arrested in the fatal shooting death of a New Mexico police officer Friday.

Dona Ana County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Jameson says that 36-year-old Jesse Hanes is suspected of gunning down Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop Friday.

Hanes fled and is suspected of carjacking a man at a rest stop before shooting him in the stomach. The man's condition is unknown.

Authorities say the deadly confrontation began when Chavez pulled over Hanes, who was driving a luxury car with two passengers, in the village of Hatch, about 40 miles northwest of Las Cruces. A fellow officer who arrived to assist Chavez said he saw him holding paperwork and reaching for his service weapon before he was shot and fell to the ground.

Hanes then fled on Interstate 25 at speeds up to 100 miles per hour before stopping at a rest stop and carjacking a man, authorities said.

Sheriff's deputies spotted Hanes in the stolen vehicle and pursued, slowing it down by deflating the tires. The suspect crashed the vehicle into a pile of wood and briefly barricaded himself in the car before surrendering to sheriff's deputies, Jameson said. The suspect had a gunshot wound to the right thigh which appeared to be self-inflicted, she said.

The two passengers who had been with Hanes also were arrested.

Chavez, who was shot in the neck, died at University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. He had been an officer with the department for two years.

Jameson said she doesn't know why Chavez initiated the stop.

Hanes was wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man just outside Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus.

A bulletin sent out three days later by the Ross County Sheriff's Office in Ohio said both Hanes and another suspect, James Nelson, were believed to have fled the state and were armed and extremely dangerous. It warned that the two men have a violent criminal history.

Hanes was 16 and living in Columbus when he pleaded guilty in 1995 to involuntary manslaughter and other charges. He was sentenced to prison and released at 32. He went to prison again in 2014 after pleading guilty to robbery and was released in April 2015.

Nelson, who also goes by "JD," has a string of drug-related convictions in central Ohio dating back to the mid-1990s.

The Chillicothe Gazette in Ohio reported Saturday that Nelson was also taken into custody in New Mexico on warrants in the July 25 shooting death of an Ohio man.

However, the Dona Ana County authorities have yet to identify the two people arrested with Hanes.
OPINION: "My original thought was, 'Why would anybody vote for Kari Lake, or any other candidate if they had no faith in our election system?' Now I understand. Because nobody wants to be a loser. And, with her or the others they cant lose," writes Oro Valley resident Ray Lindstrom.
The University of Arizona's vice president of health sciences may be under scrutiny, but he was showered with praise during a special meeting in Tucson Friday.

During the public comment period of a four hour Arizona Board of Regents Health Affairs Committee meeting, 14 members of the public lauded Dr. Joe G.N. "Skip" Garcia for his leadership, among them Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Francisco Garcia and Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias.

The Tucson meeting and another one held in Phoenix Aug. 5 were convened after the Arizona Medical Association took a vote of "no confidence" in the UA's health sciences leadership. The association asked the regents to conduct an independent investigation.

It's unclear how the Arizona Board of Regents, which is the governing body of the state's public university system, will proceed after Friday's hearing. Board of Regents president Eileen Klein opened the meeting by saying that in recent days there had been questions about use of public money by UA Health Sciences and that action outside of the special meeting may be needed. A similar meeting was held in Phoenix last week.

'Superstar'

Yet Garcia's long line of supporters called him "transformational" and a "superstar" and said that over the next decade he could help make Banner-University Medical Center Tucson one of the best hospitals in the nation.

UA cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Zain Khalpey told the regents that in 2013 his department was disintegrating and he was ready to leave. But Garcia put words into action, he said, and the UA Health Network's merger with Banner Health, which occurred last year under Garcia's watch, has been a stabilizing force.

"I want to stay here and grow," he said.

Garcia has come under scrutiny for his leadership, his large salary and for his travel expenses. Public criticism began after six key leaders at the UA College of Medicine Phoenix left earlier this year, including its dean, Dr. Stuart Flynn.

The Arizona Medical Association in June took a vote of "no confidence" in the governance of the UA's two medical schools, which ultimately falls under the leadership of Garcia and UA president Ann Weaver Hart.

The Arizona Medical Association also wants the Arizona Board of Regents to oversee an independent investigation into, "any U of A organizational impediments or policies that contributed to the departures of the well-respected and quality team that was in place."

Garcia, who earns a salary of $870,000, this week was the subject of an Arizona Republic article that focused on his travel expenses, including a chauffeured car that costs $475 or more for trips between Tucson and Phoenix.

Many of Garcia's supporters spoke against the article, though they did not question its accuracy. They said it was harmful to the pathway to success that Garcia began when he came to the UA in 2013.

Several applauded when Regent Rick Myers referred to the article as "crap" and said that focusing on Garcia's travel costs is "mindless and irrelevant" given all the positive things happening within UA Health Sciences.

"I don't know if we are not telling the story right or if the media is not listening," Myers said.

NIH grant

Regent Ron Shoopman said that when massive change occurs, people either get on board with it and move with the change, or they judge.

Shoopman and others spoke of a need for better communication about UA Health Sciences successes, among them a recently announced $43.3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) award over five years that's part of the Precision Medicine Initiative that President Obama introduced in his 2015 State of the Union Address.

The White House describes the initiative as, "a bold new research effort to revolutionize how we improve health and treat disease."

Both UA medical schools had a record number of applicants for the current academic year  6,458 to the UA College of Medicine Tucson and 5,358 to the UA College of Medicine Phoenix. The Tucson medical school made 200 offers of admission, and the Phoenix school made 153.

The UA's medical schools in Tucson and Phoenix are not two branches of one school. Rather, they are separately accredited institutions and at the moment are the sole medical schools for training allopathic physicians in Arizona.

Though they are two separate schools they are both under the same governance, led by Hart and Garcia.

Accreditation worries

And therein lies the rub for some critics who say that the Garcia-Hart combination has been too self-serving and not responsive to the needs of leaders at the Phoenix medical school.

Flynn, who had been in his job since 2008, recently left for a position in Texas. After he announced his departure, five other key leaders in the Phoenix medical school said they were leaving, too.

Four followed Flynn to Texas, where hell be founding dean of a medical school jointly operated by Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas Health Science Center. One went to a bigger job at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Those departures occurred as the nine-year-old UA College of Medicine Phoenix is in the midst of trying to get full accreditation.

Last year, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education wrote a letter to the school saying changes would be needed in order to secure full accreditation.

The accrediting body expressed concern about a recent academic affiliation between Phoenix-based Banner Health and the UA that was created when Banner merged with the Tucson-based UA Health Network.

The Phoenix medical school has since been granted provisional accreditation this year, which puts it on pace for full accreditation in 2017, Garcia told the regents today.

Worries that the leadership void would affect the accreditation process, led to the "no confidence" vote by the association.

The 4,000-member, 120-year-old association's action was unprecedented, executive vice president Chic Older said in an interview this week. In addition to the no confidence vote, the association has asked the Arizona Board of Regents to take, "corrective action," based on an investigation, "to ensure long-term excellence in medical education at the U of A College of Medicine Phoenix and Tucson."

Hart has said she'll be doing a "climate survey" of the work environment at the UA's health colleges through an outside party, and she'll also have an outside investigator do exit interviews with all the Phoenix leaders who left.

But Older has said association wants the investigation at the behest of the regents, not the UA.

Garcia, who reports directly to Hart, oversees all of the UA's health colleges  the UA College of Medicine-Tucson; UA College of Medicine-Phoenix; UA College of Pharmacy; UA College of Nursing; and the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

'Huge loss'

The loss of Flynn was "huge" for the fledgling Phoenix medical school, which sits amid a growing biomedical campus in the city's downtown core, said Cary Pfeffer, a Phoenix resident, author and owner of a consulting firm who sat on a community advisory board to the Phoenix medical school for several year.

Pfeffer said he joined the board because he wanted to have an active role in an important educational institution.

"I didn't go to the UA, I don't have kids interested in becoming doctors. But the more I learned about the school, the more impressed I was. Especially knowing where we are with our need for doctors and medical professionals," Pfeffer said. "It is an easy place to support."

The future of that advisory board has been in limbo since Flynn's departure, he said.

"I think Stuart did a terrific job," Pfeffer said. "But he also assembled a great team to share his level of enthusiasm in all segments of the organization.

"When you have strong, inspiring, selfless leaders, people generally want to stay with them. I don't think president Hart or Dr. Garcia have provided that kind of leadership."

Garcia has said that the departure of several senior leaders is not unusual in academic medicine.

"It doesn't happen when the top leadership is supportive and leads selflessly," Pfeffer countered. "I am very disappointed that ABOR hasn't done more to take action. Individual members on the Board of Regents have known about this for years, how these two do not lead."

Specifically, Pfeffer said, Garcia was not providing enough support to the senior leadership at the Phoenix medical school.

"It strikes me as an imperialistic sort of governance from afar," he said.

New medical school

In one year, UA will not be the only medical school in the state training allopathic (M.D.) physicians.

A third allopathic medical school will be opening a campus in Arizona. The Mayo Clinic, which is based in Minnesota, will open its medical school in Scottsdale in the summer of 2017 with a class of 50 students, spokesman Jim McVeigh said.

Two other private medical schools in Arizona  A.T. Still University in Mesa and Midwestern University in Glendale  both offer D.O. degrees in osteopathic medicine.

In a ranking of best to worst rates, Arizona ranks 36th in active primary physicians, the Association of American Medical Colleges says.
Foxtel has invested in Australia Day, a film from Brisbane-based Hoodlum productions.

Directed by Kriv Stenders (Red Dog, Kill Me Three Times, The Principal) it will be released in 2017 and have its Australian television premiere on Foxtel.

Exploring diverse Australians whose worlds collide on our national holiday it stars Bryan Brown, Shari Sebbens, Sean Keenan and Matthew Le Nevez.

Written by Stephen M. Irwin (Secrets & Lies) it also features Jenny Wu, Daniel Webber, Elias Anton, Isabelle Cornish and Phoenix Raei and newcomer Miah Madden.

A release indicates, Set in Brisbane over 12 hours, Australia Day explores the lives of three Australians from diverse backgrounds whose different worlds collide, illuminating contemporary issues that simmer beneath the surface of modern Australia. The heartfelt drama interweaves these three stories and highlights the aspirations of everyday Australians on the most controversial national holiday, Australia Day.

Foxtels Director of Movies Ross Crowley said: As we expand Foxtels ongoing commitment to original drama and telling Australian stories it is natural that we work directly within the feature film format. Were excited to work with Hoodlum, the acclaimed Kriv Stenders and the entire creative team to tell this compelling and contemporary Australian story.

Hoodlums Executive Producer Nathan Mayfield said: This powerful story is one that every Australian will connect with. We are constantly questioning what it means to be Australian and what it means for both our newest and oldest Australians. Working closely with local communities, Australia Day offers a rare insight into our current hopes and fears at a grass roots level. We are so excited by the ensemble of cast who bring their own unique perspective to the project. Australia Day is bold storytelling we could only make with Foxtel and with Kriv at the helm we are destined to see a drama that will provoke conversation and give hope to audiences.

Executive Producers are Nathan Mayfield, Tracey Robertson, Leigh McGrath and Foxtels Head of Drama Penny Win and Producer Edward Herbert.

Production commences in and around Brisbane from August 22.
Help India!

By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,

Mumbai: Raising serious doubts over the prosecution case of a recovery of AK-56 at his instance, the Bombay high court suspended the 10-year jail term of Atif Mulla, convicted under the charges of Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in the case of blasts in 2002-2003 at Mumbai Central, Vile Parle and Mulund.

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Hearing his bail application on Thursday, a division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Amjad Sayed ordered Mullas release on a bail of Rs 1.50 lakh and surety of the same amount. It has also asked him to deposit the Rs 1.15 lakh fine ordered by the trial court and cautioned him not to indulge in any illegal activities or leave the country.

While releasing him on bail, the high court observed that there were serious doubts about the claim that police had recovered an AK-56 and 28 live cartridges at his instance.

A special court in April 2016 sentenced 10 accused, including Atif Nasir Mulla for their involvement in the bomb blasts case that had claimed lives of 13 people. The court had sentenced Muzammil Ansari, Wahid Ansari and Farhaan Khot to life imprisonment. Atif Mulla, Saquib Nachan, Hasib Mulla and Ghulam Khotal were sentenced to a jail term of 10 years, while Noor Malik, Anwar Ali and Muhammed Kamil were awarded two years imprisonment each.

Mulla, an MBA from Padgha in Maharashtra was acquitted of charges of conspiracy to cause bomb blasts but was sentenced 10 years rigorous imprisonment for alleged recovery of Ak-56 at his instance.

He was arrested on April 15, 2003 and was released on bail by Bombay High Court in 2005. He was however jailed again after the verdict of special court this year.

Advocate Mubin Solkar who argued for Mulla before high court expressed satisfaction and told TwoCircles.net, We are happy that high court appreciated our points. There were many loopholes in the prosecution case and trial court had not considered defences argument during trial. The recovery of AK 56 was planted on Mulla to implicate him.

During the argument Solkar pointed out many contradictions, irregularities in the witnesss testimony and said that the conviction was based on faulty appreciation of evidence by trial court. The high court accepted Solkars argument, raised doubts over recovery and suspended Mullas sentence.

With this bail he became the third convict in the case to get bail from high court. Earlier, Ghulam Khotal and Hasib Mulla were released on bail last month as they have already served a substantial part of their jail term and their appeals were likely to be heard only after four or five years.
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

Srinagar: Member of Parliament and PDP member Muzaffar Hussain Beighs comments in a national paper saying that madrassas were responsible for the current unrest has ensued a huge backlash in the valley.

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Beigh had represented the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the all-party meeting convened by the Union governmnet to discuss the current unrest in Kashmir.

I told (the all party meet) that there is a narrative of religious extremism. This narrative is created in madrassas. Our teachers and schools dont have such commitment or reach. These kids are trained in the religious texts without context. Now there is a revival of Khilafat, which has taken the form of ISIS. It is bound to influence the youth of Kashmir, he was quoted as saying to The Indian Express.

 I told them (All Party meeting) that what is taught in Madrassa is not real Islam. They teach them politicized Islam. They (the students) get two sets of kameez pajamas from their families and these vulnerable minds are told that if you die in Jihad, you will go to paradise and if you survive you will be a hero. We should have had a counter narrative (in Kashmir), the newspaper added.

National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah expressed shock at Beighs statement has and termed it as perverse anti-Kashmir tirade and stereotypical Muslim bashing at the All Party Meet.

Not a single local young boy who has joined militant ranks in recent months has come out from a Madrassa-based educational background  this fact itself exposes the fallacy of what PDP is trying to peddle for its own vested interests, Omar said.

Some of these young boys were toppers in the mainstream educational system while a few of them were meritorious students in professional college programs. What PDP is trying to do by distorting the truth is extremely dangerous and perverse, he added.

Meanwhile, the Union government has also declined the request of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to visit Kashmir to investigate cases of human rights violations during the ongoing unrest.

Independent MLA from Langate, Er Rasheed lamented the government decision and have said,  Let India not forget that it had sought and ensured UN intervention on alleged human rights violations in Nepal but now when UNHRC had sought permission to visit J&K, the same propagators of Human Rights with the consensus of all parties refused to allow them the same.

Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir also denounced the government decision to decline the request of UNHRC.
BEIJING - As the annual Group of 20 (G20) summit draws closer, media across the world have paid more attentions to Beijing's role in supporting the growth of less developed economies.

Leaders of the world's 20 largest economies are scheduled to meet in China's eastern city of Hangzhou on Sept 4 and 5. Hopes are high that China's leadership will breathe fresh life into the quest for an elusive global recovery.

According to The Herald of Zimbabwe, many African countries are hoping that the annual event will focus more on issues dealing with the skewed development trajectory of the world.

The newspaper also highlighted China's stance that less developed countries are in urgent need of speeding up the process of industrialization.

"This hope is pinned on China's stance that it will push the G20 members at the meeting to consider supporting the industrialization of Africa," it said.

"Given its status, China can successfully act as a 'broker' to leverage both political and economic power between developed and developing countries," it added.

Meanwhile, other diplomatic issues of global concern are also expected to be raised. British and Russian media paid close attentions to the announcement that British Prime Minister Theresa May and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting at the coming G20 summit.

Sky News reported that May and Putin agreed during a telephone conversation to see each other at the summit to seek closer and healthier ties between the two nations.

Both leaders had said they were unhappy with the current state of relations between Britain and Russia, Sky News quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying.

Russia and Turkey have also been trying to repair ties as Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Turkish Ambassador to Russia Umit Yardim told Sputnik on Thursday.
New development dynamics highlights of China's economy: official Updated: 2016-08-13 10:30 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - New economic drivers are surfacing in China and its industrial structure is improving, said an official Friday.

Despite headwinds in July, there was fast development in new industry, technology, businesses and services, said Sheng Laiyun, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics.

His remarks echoed a statement by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which said Thursday that new economies and dynamics are spurring growth, retooling industries and creating jobs.

China's high-tech sector grew 12.2 percent in terms of value added in July, 0.6 percent faster than June, on the back of technological innovation, Sheng told reporters at a press conference.

Investment in the high-tech sector grew 14.2 percent in the first seven months of 2016, while financing for energy-intensive industries declined.

The new energy vehicle sector grew 52.5 percent in July, he said, adding that revenues of strategic emerging services grew 15.6 percent year on year in the first half of 2016.

Some 177,000 new energy autos were produced and about 170,000 were sold in the first half of 2016, up 125 percent and 126.9 percent respectively, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Meanwhile, the new business model of the sharing economy has evolved into a vital part of China's economy, hitting a market scale of 1.95 trillion yuan ($295.5 billion) in 2015, according to an Internet Society of China report.

With an annual growth of 40 percent, China's sharing economy market will account for more than 10 percent of the country's GDP by 2020, the report predicted.

Stellar growth has made the sector a huge employer, with the leading ride-hailing service provider Didi creating 13 million jobs.

The development of new economies gained momentum after endorsement in the annual government work report in March, which said new development dynamics and new economies must be promoted.

Boosted by pro-innovation and entrepreneurship measures, an average of more than 40,000 market entities were registered every day in the first half of 2016, according to NDRC data.

The number of patents surged 41 percent to 164,000 in the first half of 2016.

China's economy grew 6.7 percent year on year in the second quarter, flat with the first quarter, the slowest pace since the global financial crisis.

Confronted with medium growth, China needs to develop new economies as a national strategy in order to boost development and overcome the middle income trap, said Liu Yingjie, director of the comprehensive bureau of the Research Office of the State Council.
China warns of geological disasters Updated: 2016-08-13 20:50 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - Meteorological authorities on Saturday warned of possible geological disasters in Northern China as heavy rain in the areas showed few signs of weakening.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) and the Ministry of Water Resources together warned of high risks of flash floods in parts of Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi from Saturday to Sunday evening.

The NMC renewed a blue alert for a rain on Saturday afternoon, forecasting torrential rain in the Northern areas of Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei and Southern regions on Saturday and Sunday, with precipitation of up to 50 millimeters expected in some places.

China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
A big blow to Abe's revisionist designs Updated: 2016-08-13 10:37 By LIU QINGBIN(China Daily)

Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko wave to well-wishers who gathered to celebrate the monarch's 79th birthday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo Dec 23, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

In a rare televised speech on Monday, Japan's 82-year-old Emperor Akihito hinted his wish to abdicate because his declining health is preventing him from fulfilling all his duties. Last month NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting organization, reported that Akihito, who is suffering from prostate cancer and heart problems, wanted to step down in a few years.

Although Akihito stopped short of saying that he wished to abdicate, the very possibility of his unprecedented abdication has sparked a heated debate on the future of Japan's 2,600-year-old royal family, one of the world's oldest.

Chinese observers' opinions on Akihito's 10-minute speech are divided. Many argue the emperor's hint at abdication is aimed at thwarting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempts to amend Japan's pacifist Constitution. Japan's royal family, especially the emperor and his eldest son, 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, have constantly urged Japanese people and politicians to respect the Constitution and reflect upon the country's wartime history.

Some, on the other hand, tend to play up the conflict between Naruhito and his younger brother Akishino over the throne. Naruhito is most likely to succeed Akihito, but the crown prince's only child Princess Aiko cannot follow him to the throne under Japan's male-only succession laws. His brother, however, has a son.

Although Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party enjoy a more than two-thirds majority, along with their coalition partners, in the upper house and are bent on amending the Constitution to make Japan "a normal state", it is unlikely that they pressured the emperor to hint at retirement in order to expedite the constitutional amendment.

Rather, Akihito's message could be a complaint against the government ignoring for a long time his request to retire because of his inability to fulfill the ceremonial duties, and a suggestion to allow princesses and their children to inherit the throne.

In his Monday address, Akihito emphasized his role as the "symbol of the state", signaling his opposition to elevation of the emperor as head of state, which the Abe administration suggested in its new constitutional draft. Perhaps Akihito wants to change the monarchy into a profession that allows retirement to deal a blow to Japan's burgeoning militarism.

The vast majority of Japanese people is reportedly sympathetic toward the emperor because of his difficult schedule and supports his desire to retire. But for that to happen, Japan's parliament needs to revise the 1947 Imperial House Law, as the Constitution does not support abdication by a reigning emperor.

As much as some Japanese right-wingers want to abolish the emperor's ceremonial role, which remains the crux of Shinto religion and hence deterrent to their efforts to "soften" the Constitution, Akihito seems to have thrown a spanner in their works by hinting his wish to abdicate.

In fact, Akihito's speech could tie legislators in knots, involve considerable political resources and manpower, and prevent any such constitutional backsliding, because of the absence of any legal precedent. And a new clause or revision allowing a reigning emperor to retire could create huge rifts among legislators before it comes into effect.

That explains why some rightists called Akihito's intention to retire a constitutional "violation". In his address commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II last year, the emperor expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's atrocities before and during the war. He made similar remarks during his 1992 visit to China, the first and only one by a Japanese emperor.

Even if his abdication is eventually approved, Akihito could still help the new emperor perform his duties in a display of unity in the royal family. But even without it, Japan's ceremonial monarchy can defend the Constitution from ill-intentioned right-wing revisionists.

The author is an associate professor at University of International Business and Economics.
Chinese man dies in France after violent robbery Updated: 2016-08-13 22:05 By Tuo Yannan in Paris(chinadaily.com.cn)

Zhang Chaolin, a 49-year-old Chinese man from Wenzhou city, Zhejiang province, died in hospital near Paris on Aug 12 after suffering severe head injuries during a violent robbery on Aug 7, a hospital announcement said.

He died from his injuries after being transferred to the Fondation Opthalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, which specialises in brain injuries.

Zhang had visited a restaurant to meet a friend in the Rue des Ecoles, in Aubervilliers just northeast of Paris, when he was attacked by three young people and lost consciousness. His bag was stolen.

Another Chinese surnamed Zheng who was with Zhang was also injured.

Zhang, who was resident in France, was the father of two sons.

According to the Chinese Rights Protection Center, a local Chinese assistance organisation founded in March, police took DNA tests from Zhangs clothes but no matches with the police database were made.

Wu Changhong, a counsellor at the center, told China Daily that the group had been set up to help protect Chinese people from a sharp increase in crime against Chinese in the area.

According to him, earlier this year in the same area a Chinese from Shandong was attacked and robbed in front of his home, and suffered four broken ribs. No arrests were made.

Local Chinese resident said that last May they had urged the authorities to install security cameras at the place where Zhang was attacked but got no response.

Aubervilliers is home to a large number of Chinese, many running wholesale fashion outlets for which the area has become famous.

The Chinese Embassy in Paris has warned Chinese visitors to avoid unsafe areas.

To contact the reporter: tuoyanna@chinadaily.com.cn
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Laptop sales have plateaued despite companies launching new products to stimulate the market, with insiders blaming it on the economy and a switch by consumers to tablets.  Photo vietnamnet.vn

HCM CITY  Laptop sales have plateaued despite companies launching new products to stimulate the market, with insiders blaming it on the economy and a switch by consumers to tablets.

In the first half of this year there has been a slight fall in sales compared with the same period last year, Nguyen Van Thanh of the mobile devices purchasing department at The Gioi Di ong (Mobile World) Joint Stock Company told Viet Nam News.

Lenovo, without providing detailed figures, said: Viet Nam has contributed significantly to the companys [business] on the global and regional scale. [But] it has been a challenging year for many and for Lenovo too.

A wholesale company, which did not want to be identified, said it has had to reduce this years laptop sales target due to the downturn the market is going through.

A salesperson at a computer wholesaler, who asked not to be identified, said many people no longer use laptops because they have switched to tablets.

Though the market has been slow, laptop producers have been launching many products with new and improved features and competitive prices.

Lenovo has rolled out a number of new products and solutions to address every customers needs like Yoga 300, IdeaPad 305, and ideapad 710s.

To meet businesses demands, it launched the new ThinkPad X1 series in an ultra-thin size.

Acer came out with products like the Aspire S13 while HP launched Zbook Studio G3 Mobile Workstation, Elite Book 1040 G3 and Elite x2 1012 G1.

Thanks to such products, these brands remain the most popular in the market.

Thanh of Mobile World said: Many laptops with new technologies and good prices have been launched this year. The most popular ones are 14-16-inch laptops with Windows.

Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, and Apple are the most popular brands.

Many more new products would be launched before the end of next year to help revive the market, he revealed.

Roy Ng, country general manager of Lenovo, remained upbeat about the future: Viet Nam has recovered from a long economic recession and Vietnamese businesses are now investing strongly in IT systems, while consumers are longing for innovative designs to improve the experience and quality of life. -VNS
HCM CITY  The Vietnamese Government is encouraging public-private partnerships, a mode of investment that has been successfully tried in many countries.

It is an opportunity to tighten the connection between State management agencies and business associations, especially the Viet Nam Association for Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE), Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa, who is also chairwoman of the VAWE, said in her opening speech at the "Enhancement of the public  private partnership between MOIT and VAWE" workshop in HCM City on Thursday.

The Government offers incentives for forming stronger public-private partnerships (PPPs): A prime ministerial decision, for instance, promulgates PPPs as a tool to mobilise capital and improve technology, management and operational efficiency, thus contributing to national development.

Todays workshop helped women-owned and -led enterprises, which comprise 25 per cent of all Vietnamese enterprises, to better understand how to benefit from these government incentives and programmes and promote their participation in the supply chain, Thoa added.

The workshop also informed enterprises about market opportunities and new distribution channels resulting from free trade agreements Viet Nam has signed, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Besides, participants connected and exchanged ideas with potential partners.

In 2010 there were 65,000 women business leaders, and the figure was up to 91,000 by 2015.

Sixty per cent of women managers and leaders are in agriculture and rural businesses and the rest in services, Thoa said, adding woman entrepreneurs make up a key part of the countrys key human resources.

The Government has set a target of increasing the rate of women entrepreneurs to 35 per cent or more by 2020, with at least 350,000 enterprises headed by them.

Nearly 200 businesswomen from central and southern provinces and cities took part in the workshop.  VNS
Eight out of 14 start-ups of the Topica Founder Institute (TFI) introduced their products and called for investment at the Topica Founder Showcase 2016, held in Ha Noi on Wednesday. Photo dantri.com.vn

HA NOI  Eight out of 14 start-ups of the Topica Founder Institute (TFI) introduced their products and called for investment at the Topica Founder Showcase 2016, held in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

These start-ups presented their products to 40 domestic and international investment funds, such as IDG Ventures, Unitus Impact, NSI Ventures and 500 Start-ups, besides KK Fund, Gobi Partners and IMJ Investment Partner.

Finally, three Vietnamese startups -- Homily, Fundy and Wisami -- received investments at the graduation ceremony, held on the same day as the event. However, the value of the investments has not been revealed.

According to the Topica Edtech Group, the top 15 enterprises that graduated from the TFI programme through five terms have called for US$15 million in investments.

Some of these outstanding names are Appota, Giaytot, S3 and Kyna, besides Beeketing, Vlance, iMap and Antoree, as well as Uplevo, Atadi, Hoayeuthuong and Adtop.

The Topica Founder Institute, which is a member of the Global Founder Institute Network, is a start-up accelerator programme of the Topica Edtech Group.  VNS
Commercial banks have called for customers to use caution when using telephones and the internet, as hackers may steal from them.  Photo vnexpress.net

HA NOI  Commercial banks have called for customers to use caution when using telephones and the internet, as hackers may steal from them.

This followed a warning from the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV), which told credit institutions and payment intermediaries on July 30 that criminals could attack important information technology (IT) systems in Viet Nam.

Hoang Thi Na Huong in Ha Noi, a Vietcombank customer, said she received notifications of transfer orders of VN500 million from her Vietcombank account between from 11pm of August 3 until 5am on August 4 while she was at home.

The last three of those orders did not send an OTP (one-time password) to her phone as usual. She reported this to Vietcombank and the bank cancelled the last three orders to keep VN300 million in the bank.

At a meeting on August 11 between Huong and Vietcombank, the bank found that Huong had browsed a scam website on her phone and the site had stolen her banking information and password.

Vietcombank recommend that customers do not send usenames and password for e-banking access, as well as OTP and bank card numbers, through unfamiliar telephones, emails, social networks, websites and links, the Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam notified customers via text this week.

Vietcombank told the press that scammers had impersonated bank executives and contacted customers asking for internet banking information, which they said needed to give customers gifts, special offers and awards.

Some scammers told customers that they needed information to help customers deal with accounts that were illegaly accessed or about to become invalid.

Scammers also impersonated customers relatives and requested banking information over social networks to send money to the customers from overseas.

Hackers also falsified bank services by sending links to customers emails, defrauding them of security information.

This month, Tien Phong Bank (TPBank) advised customers to change credit cards if they had used their cards to book tickets on Vietnam Airlines website, whose cyber-system was attacked by an alleged Chinese hacker group late last month.

TPBank pledged to assist customers with 60 per cent of the card changing fees, according to VnExpress online.

The Viet Nam International Bank (VIB) reportedly emailed customers, recommending that they only provide their information on websites with addresses beginning with https:// or with a key symbol.

It also suggested that customers should not carry out card transactions using devices with public internet connections.

Sai Gon Thuong Tin Bank (Sacombank) said customers should not use their names to open accounts for other people, and not transfer money into accounts of strangers.

After the cyber attack at Vietnam Airlines, the SBV asked credit institutions and payment intermediaries to immediately check their IT systems to guarantee security.

Supervision must be strengthened for timely responses to security holes, illegal access and attacks over the cyberspace, the SBV said.  VNS
Director of Ha Nois Department of Information and Communications said the city will soon offer free Wi-Fi in some areas such as the old quarter, tourist locations, and bus stations.  Photo vietnamtourism.com

HA NOI  Director of Ha Nois Department of Information and Communications said the city will soon offer free Wi-Fi in some areas such as the old quarter, tourist locations, and bus stations.

The city expects the free Wi-Fi internet access to make it easier for Hanoians and tourists to navigate around the inner city. In July, the citys bus operator Transeco installed free Wi-Fi hot spots in 200 buses for bus routes No.86, No.11 and No.12.

Ha Noi and HCM City are not the only cities to provide free Wi-Fi coverage. Tourism hubs including Hoi An, Hue and a Nang in the central region and Hai Phong and Ha Long in the north have been wireless since 2012.

Nearly 49 million people, more than half of Viet Nams population of 90 million, are online as of June 30, 2016, according to statistics compiled by Internet World Stats.  VNS
Peter Cowan

ang Nhat Minhs 1997 account of the beginning of the Vietnamese uprising against the French colonialists in Ha Noi Winter 1946 has long been a favourite among Vietnamese audiences and foreigners inclined to seek such a film out.

The war-time epics popularity was clear to see among the audience at the Ha Noi Cinematheque for a Thursday night screening and Q&A with the director as part of the cinemas week-long celebration of Minhs films, curated by Dutch poet Dick Gebuys.

While the film is certainly entertaining for those with an affinity for or knowledge of Viet Nam, the recounting of an obscure, for most foreigners, piece of history may be difficult for the casual movie-goer to appreciate.

Ha Noi Winter 1946 tells the story of President Ho Chi Minhs efforts to negotiate autonomy for Viet Nam from French colonialists. The film follows three young Vietnamese men and shows how the political situation of the time affected the average person.

Minh was clearly concerned with maintaining historical accuracy and this is one of the films strengths. The film captures the oppression normal Vietnamese people suffered by showing calm, serene scenes of everyday life and then swiftly having French troops brutally and randomly attacking Vietnamese people, though the film was not entirely unkind to the colonialists, with the character Michel, in particular, being easy to identify with.

Featuring several letters from Ho Chi Minh to his fellow Vietnamese or to French diplomats, Minh ensured accuracy by using the actual letters the President wrote and cutting them into poignant moments of the film. However, the letters were often simply read out with the camera focused on Ho Chi Minh writing them, which did slow the pace of the film. The glowing portrayal of the President may also be jarring for some foreigners, given the disdain for politicians in many Western countries.

One point where the films accuracy could be questioned is the sparseness of female characters involved in resistance efforts. While there are a few small roles for female fighters, the biggest female role in the film goes to the pregnant wife of Lam, one of the resistance fighters. The importance of women in all of Viet Nams wars has been well documented, and while this film may be missing a feminine touch, Minhs other films, including the highly acclaimed Dont Burn, certainly make up for this.

On the whole, historical accuracy was a point in Ha Noi Winter 1946s favour as it lends the movie legitimacy it may not otherwise have. Dick Gebuys pointed out how important showing the truth was to Minh, the director, once telling him he did not want to make a movie for the altar of any ancestors.

While accuracy was paramount, Minh effectively used his artistic license to ensure Ha Noi Winter 1946 entertained, as well as educated. The battle scenes, while of course looking dated almost 20 years on, were shot in a way that portrayed the chaos and terror of war. The climactic scene where Viet Minh fighters begin singing after running out of bullets was especially poignant. After the screening, Minh explained how he had read a French soldiers diary who described exactly such a scene.

The young Viet Minh fighter Toan was another highlight of the film. Toan led the attack on a French ship on the Hong (Red) River to steal weapons for his comrades, the French afterwards demand Ho Chi Minh turn the young man over to them. Toans recklessness and bravado deftly show the difficulties the President faced in negotiating with the French, having to prepare for peace but also be ready for war. Ha noi Winter 1946 portrays this dichotomy effectively and puts a human face to the carnage colonialism wreaks on the young in Toan.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Ha Noi Winter 1946, especially for a foreign audience, is the poor sub-titling. Of course this is no fault of the director but the obviously inaccurate translations sometime detracted from the experience. A Vietnamese audience member remarked that the film deserved better subtitles, and she wasnt wrong.

Overall, Ha Noi Winter 1946 certainly achieved Minhs aim of creating a historically accurate epic that also portrayed the effect that the momentous political events of 1946 had on average Vietnamese people. He said he did not want to be known as a "war director" and the film can also be scored a success in that regard, with its portrayal of some of Vietnamese cultures quirks enlightening and memorable. Some knowledge of the context of the film was, however, needed to fully enjoy it, and the Q&A afterwards certainly added to the experience. Ha Noi Winter 1946 is definitely worth a watch, albeit after a quick read on the period in which the film is set.  VNS
President Tran ai Quang has urged peoples courts at all levels to stick to the law abiding spirit in order to make fair convictions.  Photo dantocmiennui.vn

HA NOI  President Tran ai Quang has urged peoples courts at all levels to stick to the law abiding spirit in order to make fair convictions.

At a working session with leaders of the Supreme Peoples Court in Ha Noi yesterday, President Quang, who is also head of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, stressed that court was a symbol of justice, of the people, for the people and by the people.

It was a must for the all-level peoples courts to speed up the settlement of cases, especially those relating to economic affairs and corruption, he said, highlighting the reclamation of assets from corruption.

More importance should be placed on mobile courts to raise public awareness and prevent crimes and law violations, the leader added.

Apart from improving the quality of court proceedings, the courts should perform outstandingly in their role in reconciliation and dialogues, the President said.

Another important job was to review and ensure the progress and quality of the building of draft laws as well as documents guiding the implementation of laws, he reminded the court officials.

The President listed other jobs for the court system in the time ahead, including revamping its organisation and equipping its staff with both ideology and professional skills.

Underscoring the huge tasks facing the courts to protect justice in the context of national industrialisation and modernisation, and international integration, President Quang affirmed that the Party, the State and people always paid due attention to judicial agencies, including all-level peoples courts, helping them to become more pure, strong and comprehensive.

The Supreme Peoples Court reported that from October 2015 to June 2016, the courts at all levels settled nearly 281,000 cases.

Efforts have also been focused on overturning wrongful convictions from many years ago that have drawn public concern.

The most noteworthy is a case relating to Huynh Van Nen in the central province of Binh Thuan, who stayed behind bars for 17 years due to a false conviction for the murder of two people in the 1990s, and another concerning Tran Van Them in the northern province of Bac Ninh, who was wrongfully convicted of murder years ago, the court said.  VNS
HCM CITY  Rotating rice and shrimp farming on the same fields in the Mekong Delta has proven so economically effective and environmentally friendly that experts have urged the creation of zoning areas for the cutlivation model.

Under the model, which was created by farmers in the Deltas coastal areas, farmers grow rice in the rainy season and allow saline water to enter fields to farm shrimp in the dry season.

The model has a yield of 300-500kg of shrimp and 4-5 tonnes of paddy per hectare each year, providing profits of VN35-50 million per ha (US$1,5002,300) a year, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.

Rice-shrimp fields also have 15-30 per cent higher profits than when only rice or shrimp is cultivated in areas where saline water intrusion occurs in the dry season.

Shrimp bred in rice-shrimp fields also have less disease outbreaks as rice cultivation helps improve the soil. In addition, shrimp are farmed at a low density of three to five shrimp per sq.metre and are not given animal feed.

Speaking at a recent forum held in Bac Lieu Province, Tran Van Khoi, acting director of the National Agriculture Extension Centre, said the cultivation model needed less pesticides and antibiotics, thus ensuring cleaner produce and environmental protection.

However, irrigation systems as well as water supply and drainage canals are not well developed and other obstacles include a lack of quality rice seeds, shrimp fries and standard farming processes to improve yields, he said.

Zoning for rice-shrimp farming would help reduce these problems, he said.

Since the cultivation model uses rice fields to convert to other crops, support policies could be created for farmers, he said.

Nguyen Cong Thanh of the Minh Hai Fishery Research Sub-institute said proper attention should be paid to shrimp fries and rice seeds used in the model.

Shrimp fries should be quarantined before breeding and rice seeds should be suited to the conditions of localities. And the farming schedules of rice and shrimp must be strictly followed. If this is done, the model could be sustainable, he said.

Under the model, farmers breed black-tiger shrimp, white-legged shrimp or blue-legged prawn and cultivate several kinds of saline-resistant rice varieties that can grow in water with salt content of up to 0.5 per cent. All of these rice varieties have a high yield.

Nguyen Van Hoa, deputy head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Plant Cultivation Development, said: The Plant Cultivation Development and the National Seed Centre are researching new rice varieties resistant to saline water and suited to the rice-shrimp farming model.

The Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute has created 11 new rice varieties that can grow in saline water with a salt content of 0.2-0.6 per cent. The varieties have a yield between 5-9 tonnes per ha.

This year, the deltas area under the shrimp-rice farming model has increased to about 153,000ha, up 2.5 times against 2000, according to the Directorate of Fisheries.

The coastal provinces of Kien Giang, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu have the largest areas of rice-shrimp farming in the Delta.

Expansion potential

Hoa said the area under shrimp-rice farming in the Delta was expected to increase to 200,000ha by 2020.

Areas that have potential for rice-shrimp farming should be zoned. Programmes and investment projects for rice-shrimp farming and environmental evaluation should be built, he said.

Phan Thanh Lam of the Institute of Aquaculture No 2 said rice-shrimp farming in the delta was an open farming model as most farming conditions depend on the regions weather and climate conditions.

To reduce risk of saltwater intrusion and be effective, proper attention should be paid to implementation, cultivation schedules, improvement of fields, water pumping systems and community-based management models, he said.

The community-based management model of rice-shrimp farming, also known as a large-scale rice-shrimp field, is implemented in several delta provinces.

In 2014, the National Agriculture Extension Centre chose 25 households in Kien Giang Provinces An Bien District whose adjoining fields with a total area of 42ha rotated shrimp and rice cultivation on the same schedule and process, managed by the community.

Participating households were paid 60 per cent of shrimp fry costs and 30 per cent of input materials and shrimp food costs.

The profits from shrimp and rice cultivation of the households totalled VN56.8 million ($2,500) per ha, according to the provinces Agriculture and Fishery Extension Centre.

Last year, 23 households with 40ha of adjoining fields in Kien Giangs An Minh District begun participating in this model and earned profits of about VN30 million per ha each year.

The National Agriculture Extension Centre has also implemented this model in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang provinces, attracting the participation of a total of 190 households with a combined area of 190ha. VNS
HCM City is considering two proposals, one from a Swiss company, to build public toilets.Photo cafebiz.vn

HCM CITY  HCM City is considering two proposals, one from a Swiss company, to build public toilets.

One of them is from the Ha Noi-based Vinasing Media and Trading Joint Stock Company, whose VN110 billion ($5 million) project includes 1,000 toilets, 500 rubbish bins at parks, schools, parking lots, and metro stations and 10 tanker trucks to carry away wastewater.

The toilets will be built of lightweight materials that can be dismantled easily.

The company has, in return, asked the Peoples Committee for the right to use advertising spaces on the citys 40 flyovers and walkers overpasses for 15 years.

The city wants the company to build two model toilets before September 2 to assess them.

Swiss company Mister Loo has offered to build $40,000 public toilet measuring 25-50 square metres and equipped with soap, napkins and air conditioners.

The company has suggested a fee of VN5,000-10,000 ($0.23-0.45) to use the toilet, but Tran Vinh Tuyen, vice chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee, said the city has no intention of charging the public.

He called on the company to study toilet designs to identify the one best suited to the citys culture and architecture.

He instructed the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to work with the company to assess the proposal and work out the cost.

According to the department, the city has a total of 208 public toilets now, 155 of them in parks, markets, bus stations and along major streets, and the rest near tourist attractions. VNS
Sometimes, the price of coconut was only at VN14,000-15,000 (US$0.62-0.67) per dozen.  Photo cand.com.vn

BEN TRE  Co-operation between farmers and businesses has brought profit and stable output for coconut growers in the southern province of Ben Tre, which produces the most coconuts in Viet Nam.

Linking businesses and farmers improved the quality and value of products made from coconut trees and boosted local economic development.

Lu Van Dung, a farmer in Giong Trom Districts Hung Le Commune, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that co-operating with enterprises offered them a stable price for their crops.

Output was not stable when they sold their products to traders, he said.

Farmers are forced to sell their products to traders at low prices if they have a bumper crop, Dung told newspaper.

Sometimes, the price of coconut was only at VN14,000-15,000 (US$0.62-0.67) per dozen, he said.

This did not happen after he signed a contract with Ben Tre Import-Export Joint Stock Company three years ago.

Guaranteed, stable income was what convinced Dung to join the project with 1ha of his field.

They provide the fertiliser, techniques, they cover the output. I dont have to worry about prices plunging like with traders, Dung said.

He added that the company committed to buy coconuts at VND50,000 ($2.2) per dozen.

They also would pay more if the market price rose above the current floor price, Dung said.

Nguyen Van Khinh said he is happy to know he can count on a stable year-round price after signing with the company.

He asked the company to sign a long term deal instead of his current one year contract, Khinh said.

Besides offering farming advice and fertiliser, they also provide farmers with plant protection drugs, he added.

The company provides about VND12 million per ha each year to help farmers, Khinh said.

The number of farmers co-operating with the company and other local businesses has increased sharply.

More than 1,120 households have joined the companys project, covering an area of 897ha, with monthly output of 900,000 coconut fruits, said Ho Thanh Liem, the companys technical manager.

According to Ben Tre Coconut Association, the province has more than 63,000ha of coconut trees, with a yield around 500 million fruits per year.

However, coconut products for export are still limited, with dry coconut fruit and desiccated coconut the main exports.

Research from the Oil and Oil Plants Research Institute revealed that the coconut sector has faced many difficulties due to shortage of planning.

Sometimes, coconut processing plants lacked materials due to foreign traders buying coconuts from farmers at higher prices.

However, linking farmers and businesses should be strengthened to bring more profits for both, experts said.  VNS
BINH INH  Hundreds of hectares of scallion seedlings in south-central Binh inh Provinces Phu My District are dying because of a shortage of water due to prolonged drought, local farmer said.

Farmers often plant scallion plants to meet the demands during the annual Tet holiday. But the hot weather is affecting the scallion yield this year.

o Hoc, a farmer in My Quang Commune, said his family had planted 1ha of scallion seedlings, but half of them had died and the remaining would not grow due to the hot weather.

I spent millions of ong and took a lot of care of this crop, but I could not harvest it as expected, Hoc said.

He said his scallion crop did not last till harvest time.

According to Hoc, local farmers would face a serious shortage of seedlings this season.

Hocs neighbours fields are also in the same situation.

Harsh weather over the past two weeks has killed crops in many fields here.

Farmers said the price of scallion seedlings would surge because the south was the main supplier for other regions in the country.

Another difficulty for scallion growers is the rising price of straw, one of the major materials that help the seedlings to grow well.

According to the farmers, the quality of scallions depends a lot on straw because it helps to prevent the growth of grass and conserves the moisture of the land.

Farmers will face more serious difficulties if the price of both seedlings and straw increases.

Nguyen Thi Tam, a local scallion grower, said she could not harvest enough seedlings for her family to plant this crop.

She said she not only harvested enough seedlings for her own field last year, but also sold the remaining to other farmers in the village to earn money.

Deputy Director of My Quang Agriculture Co-operative Vo Van Tu said that hot weather had destroyed many scallion fields here.

The 85ha of seedlings planted for the summer-autumn crop would not meet the demand for scallions this year, Tu said.

According to the peoples committee of Phu My District, the ongoing drought this year had put farmers in a difficult situation.

More than 726ha of summer-autumn crops have been affected due to drought, disease and saline intrusion, the committees statistics showed.

About 4,580 households in 13 communes and townships of Phu My District are coping with water shortage this year.  VNS
Gender equality for the advancement of women is both a target and a factor contributing to the countrys economic development, stated Viet Nam Womens Union President Nguyen Thi Thu Ha.  Photo ncseif.gov.vn

HA NOI  Gender equality for the advancement of women is both a target and a factor contributing to the countrys economic development, stated Viet Nam Womens Union President Nguyen Thi Thu Ha.

Ha made the statement during a consultation conference in Ha Noi yesterday to seek measures to implement Goal 5 on gender equality of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

The 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development comprises 17 goals and 169 criteria. Goal 5, which aims to solve gender inequality and empower women and children, was also a solution for the success of other goals, thus strengthening the role of women and proving the benefit of caring for women during the development in each country, she noted.

Ha affirmed that the engagement of scientists and international organisations in mapping out orientations, solutions and mechanisms to eliminate gender inequality was significant to the building of a national plan of action for the implementation of Viet Nams sustainable development goals.

The ideas collected during the event would also help the union to design measures to enhance gender equality and the unions recommendations in realising the national plan of action on the 2030 agenda, she said.

She noted that although women play a key role in all sustainable development goals, the income of women was much lower than that of men, while their retiring age is lower.

The ratio of women engaging in politics was still low, while women were facing many social issues such as domestic violence, sexual and labour abuse, she said, stressing that a long-term strategy is crucial to deal with the matter, together with a close co-ordination of relevant ministries and agencies.

Meanwhile, Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Co-ordinator in Viet Nam, said that the UN was working with the Vietnamese Government in making a development plan for the country in the next five years, with a highlight on gender equality.

Gender inequality in Vietnam still existed in many different forms, she said, noting that women were a more vulnerable group as they are family and child care givers. They also had less access to social welfare policies, and needed more attention and investment from the Government and the whole community, she stated

She also suggested that along with other measures to improve the situation, the country should also ensure the full and effective engagement of women in all leadership positions at all levels and policy making activities.  VNS
The Central Highlands province of ak Nong has suggested speeding up the construction of the Nhan Co Aluminum Plant to ensure its completion in 2016 as scheduled.  Photo vietnamnet.vn

AK NONG  The Central Highlands province of ak Nong has suggested speeding up the construction of the Nhan Co Aluminum Plant to ensure its completion in 2016 as scheduled.

At a working session with Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung in ak Nong on Thursday, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Le Dien called for more attention from ministries and centrally-run agencies to the building of irrigation facilities in the locality to cope with climate change.

Along with road, railway and airport projects from 2016-2021, the official proposed the Government allocate capital for its migration projects, saying ak Nong hosts 51,000 unplanned migrants who have not been helped to settle in, affecting the localitys security.

According to Dien, the province will focus on creating economic breakthroughs in the next five years, targeting a bauxite-aluminum-spongy iron complex, high-tech agriculture, and tourism.

At the same time, ak Nong will pour more funds into infrastructure construction to serve local development, gearing towards an annual growth rate of 9 percent and per capita income of VN52 million (US$2,340), he noted.

Minister Dung urged the province to mobilise other resources, apart from the State budget, especially those from businesses to spur growth.

ak Nong should improve its investment climate and regional connectivity, he suggested.

The minister promised to propose the Prime Minister maintain mid-and long-term capital for the province, and create the best possible conditions for projects in the locality.  VNS
After Harvard Business School, Indian executives now have of Business offering a classroom programme. Northwest Executive Education has partnered with University of of Business-Executive Education to launch a programme for senior executives in the Indian sub-continent.
contracted by 6.8 per cent in July, belying hope of a rising trend after outbound shipments increased 1.3 per cent in June, the first increase in 19 months.
The top leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been killed in a US drone strike in a southern Afghan province, the Pentagon has said, dealing a major blow to the dreaded terrorist outfit.

The Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Trowbridge said the US and Afghan Special Operations Forces conducted operations against the in southern Nangarhar province between July 1 and 30.

"During this time, US forces conducted an airstrike targeting Hafiz Sayed Khan, the Islamic State in the Levant-Khorasan emir, in Achin district, Nangarhar province July 26, resulting in his death," Trowbridge said.

Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against US and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorised Afghans, especially in Nangarhar.

Here's Pentagon statement:





Pentagon statement on drone strike that killed #ISIS leader in #Afghanistan, Hafiz Sayed Khan. pic.twitter.com/WE48at7OgH  Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) August 12, 2016

Nangarhar province has been a hotbed for ISIL-Khorasan activity since the summer of 2015.

ISIL-K uses the area to train, equip, disseminate and control fighter pipelines, providing ISIL-K commanders throughout Afghanistan with a continuous supply of enemy fighters from this province.

"Khan's death affects ISIL-K recruiting efforts and will disrupt ISIL-K's operations in Afghanistan and the region," he said.

Khan, a former member of the Pakistani branch of the Taliban who swore allegiance to Middle East-based Islamic State, had earlier reported killed last year but the death was never confirmed.

His death is the latest in a series of high-profile targets killed by the coalition forces as the war on terror goes on.

In May a US drone killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the Afghan Taliban leader, in a strike in Pakistan.

Khan's death is a major blow to efforts by the to expand its control from its Middle East territory into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghanistan's Taliban group has frequently clashed with IS since January 2015.

The Taliban's dominance in a region home to numerous local and foreign militant groups is facing a serious challenge from IS, which has been gaining some support.

There has also been evidence that IS is trying to recruit Taliban fighters, with several Taliban commanders declaring allegiance to IS.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called for launching of a counter propaganda to expose to the world the atrocities committed by Pakistan on the people of Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
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.
Jesup native Larry Kies has spent more than 30 years sharing his passion for agriculture with students in sub-Saharan Africa.

On Aug. 21, he and his wife, Jane, will visit the Cedar Valley to share insights and stories related to their work as missionaries.

Mount Hope and Dunkerton United Methodist churches will host the Kies. The event will take place at Dunkerton UMC, 301 Washington St. It includes a 5 p.m. potluck, followed by a presentation at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the community.

A potluck dinner begins at 5 p.m. Afterward, the couple will present a program about their students and missionary work.

The event will take place at Dunkerton UMC, 301 Washington St. It is free and open to the community.

The Kieses are missionaries with the General Board of Ministries of the UMC. In this capacity, they have held teaching positions at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, since 2002. They are supported in their work by the Iowa Annual Conference as well as UMC conferences in California, Nevada, Illinois and West Virginia.

Africa University is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and supported by churches across the globe. It was founded in 1992 as the first private international university in Zimbabwe.

Larry Kies is a technical adviser to the Africa University Farm. In this capacity, he serves as farm manager and focuses on developing an agricultural program for the purposes of teaching and research. He also teaches classes in crop production and farm management.

After earning a bachelors degree in biology from Iowa State University, Larry joined the Peace Corps. He was assigned to teach agriculture in Botswana. He later taught and managed the farm at Maun Secondary School.

After 15 years, he returned to the United States to earn a master of science degree in vegetable crops at the University of California-Davis. He and his family returned to southern Africa, where he managed a beef, dairy, cotton and maize farm. He was later sent to Nyadire Mission in Zimbabwe, where he served as farm manager.

Jane Kies was born in Ndola, Zambia, and was raised in southern Africa and England. She now teaches intensive English to students from non-English speaking countries at Africa University.

She began her career as a volunteer in Uganda on behalf of Church Missionary Society. There, she taught in a rural secondary school. She returned to England to earn certification in Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language.

Jane went on to teach English at Maun Secondary School in Botswana and advise student groups. She moved on to the Nyadire Mission high school, where she taught English. She also helped women there establish a Sunday school for children at Nyadire UMC.

She and Larry were transferred to Africa University in 2002. Their work includes preparing students to return to their home villages and pursue agricultural careers or continue their education.

For more information on Africa University, go to AfricaU.edu or email the Kieses at LKies@AfricaU.edu.
There will be a potluck at 12:30 p.m. Members who attended the Continental Congress in June will give a report, and members will also be working on plans for the NE District Conference in September. Any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a Revolutionary War ancestor is eligible for membership. For more information and assistance in research, contact Sue LeQuatte at ladybass66@aol.com or 939-7260.
WATERLOO  U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassleys regional director Jason Mohr, who is based in Waterloo, will hold open office hours throughout northeast Iowa Tuesday.

The office hours provide an opportunity for Iowans to get help with their casework or express their opinions.

Mohrs schedule is as follows:

11 a.m. to noon at New Hartford Public Library, 406 Packwaukee St.

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Waverly Public Library, 1500 W. Bremer Ave.

2 to 3 p.m. Dunkerton Public Library, 203 E. Tower St.

3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Fairbank Public Library, 212 E. Main St.

The Iowa Republicans offices in Iowa regularly help constituents contact federal agencies to sort through problems with Social Security payments, military service matters, immigration cases and other issues.

Grassleys state offices are located in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo.

Residents who cant attend the meeting but have questions can contact Grassleys Waterloo office at 232-6657.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Bipartisanship with Democratic colleagues has allowed the GOP Senate majority to make meaningful progress on good ideas from senators on both sides of the aisle, Sen. Charles Grassley said Saturday in the Weekly Republican Address.

That is the dramatic change in the way business is done for you in the U.S. Senate, Grassley said, citing the accomplishments of the Judiciary Committee he chairs.

Drawing from the common-sense nature of Iowans, Grassley, who is seeking re-election, said he decided early on that the Judiciary Committee, which he has been a member of since arriving in the Senate in 1981, would its time and your taxpayer dollars to focus on areas where agreement was possible.

Its the right thing to do. And it works, he said in the weekly address that is a counter to the presidents weekly commentary. Every one of the 27 bills passed out of the committee under my leadership has had bipartisan support. The president has signed 12 of those bills into law.

Grassley, who has admitted hes in his toughest re-election campaign against former Democratic Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, used his time to make the case that his committee has bucked the do-nothing reputation of Congress.

Judge has sought to make that an issue in her campaign to block Grassley from a seventh Senate term.

The Judiciary Committee accomplishments include addressing the addiction epidemic, reducing the illicit market for sex trafficking and expanding support for victims, protecting inventors and expanding government transparance, Grassley said.

With four months left in this session of Congress, Grassley hopes to push ahead on legislation addressing sentencing reform, juvenile justice, reducing crimes against the elderly, keeping better tabs on sex offenders and empowering whistleblowers who uncover waste, fraud and abuse in government.

The bipartisan approach he has taken on the Judiciary Committee has ensured the Senate has wasted neither time nor resources, Grassley said

Now its a formula for representative government that puts us to work for you, he concluded.

The Judge campaign responded: "Iowans will see through this misleading radio address and realize Chuck Grassley is no longer on their side. Hes not working for anyone other than Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and his special interest friends who want to turn Medicare into a voucher system and decrease access to womens health care.

"Only someone who has been in Washington too long would pat himself on the back for leading unprecedented obstruction of judicial nominees," the Judge campaign statement continued. Iowans are ready to make a change and elect someone who truly knows how to work together to get things done for our state.
UNITED STATES  As November looms ever closer, Americans continue to grapple with the many issues and the rheteroic surrounding the 2016 Presidential election process. The national conventions for the Democratic and Republican parties are now over, and candidates officially declared. At the same time, the smaller Libertarian and Green parties have also declared candidates. To date, this race has been one of the most contentious, and only promises to continue in that vein.



One of the most critical issues for Pagans, Heathens and polytheists is a candidates position on religious freedom and the protections granted by the First Amendment. The Pew Research Center recently published an overview of Religion and the 2016 Election. Where do various religious communities fall within candidate support? According to the June polls, GOP candidate Donald Trump finds his biggest support among white Evangelical Protestants. Roughly eight-in-ten white evangelical Protestant voters (78%) say they would support Trump if the election were held today. That percentage is up slightly from 2012.

On the other hand, black Protestants strongly favor Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Nine-in-ten black Protestants who are registered to vote say they would vote for Clinton if the election were held today (89%), as would two-thirds of those with no religious affiliation. The unaffiliated is defined as the nones, or those not connected with any religion.

Pews report did not record any interest in third-party candidates, nor did it analyze the responses from voters within non-Christian religious populations. Pew states, There were not enough interviews with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and members of other religious groups to analyze their responses separately. That includes Pagans, Heathens and polytheists, unless some were labeled unaffiliated. Regardless, the data arent there.

Another Pew study published in January discusses the value of candidates religion within the campaign process. Does a candidates religious affiliation matter to voters? According to that study, 51 percent of Americans are less likely to support a candidate who does not believe in God. That statement could be read as meaning simply an atheist candidate, which is how Pew analyzes the data, or it could also be read as a candidate practicing a minority religion, who does not believe in the Abrahamic god. This nuance was not addressed.

At the same time, Pew does note that the percentage of people concerned about a candidates faith has been dropping. That figure is down twelve points from 63 percent in 2007. Similarly, the number of Americans who are less likely to support a Muslim candidate is also down from 46 percent in 2007 to 43 percent in 2016.

And, this trend follows with other major religions as well. The candidates own religious affiliation is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the election process, paralleling the growth of the nones, an increase in minority religious practices, and other similar trends that suggest a movement toward greater secularization.

While the candidates religious beliefs are of decreasing interest, their position or their partys position on religious freedom is still a vital part of the campaign process. Religious freedom was and is still one of the backbones of the American system.

So where do the parties stand? Here is a look at the official 2016 party platforms with statements by the candidate in no particular order.

2016 Democratic Party Platform

Democrats will always fight to end discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. (p. 22)

The Democratic platform predominantly addresses religious freedom in general terms. It is included in discussions of general civil liberties, diversity in the military, LGBT rights, and the condemnation of profiling and hate speech. Democrats state, It is unacceptable to target, defame, or exclude anyone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  (p. 18)

The platform talks more specifically about religion in three places. First, when discussing marriage equality, Democrats say, [We] applaud last years decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT peoplelike other Americanshave the right to marry the person they love. They go on to indirectly reference the run of Religious Freedom Restoration acts (RFRAs) in the following statement: We will do everything we can to protect religious minorities and the fundamental right of freedom of religion. (p. 47)

The Democrats also mention religion in a section titled Honoring Indigenous Tribal Nations. They pledge to empower tribes to maintain and pass on traditional religious beliefs, among other things. And, they offer to acknowledge the past injustices that have led to the destruction of such beliefs. (p. 22-23)

Under the title Religious Minorities, Democrats say, We are horrified by ISIS genocide and sexual enslavement of Christians and Yezidis and crimes against humanity against Muslims and others in the Middle East. We will do everything we can to protect religious minorities and the fundamental right of freedom of religion. (p. 51)

This idea is supported by a comment in Clintons own book, Hard Choices, published in 2014:

Religious freedom is a human right unto itself, and it is wrapped up with other rights, including the right of people to think what they want, say what they think, associate with others, and assemble peacefully without the state looking over their shoulders. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that each of us is born free to practice any religion. (p.74)

Clinton herself is reportedly a Christian and, at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, said, [It] is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too greatand no ceiling too highfor all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.

More recently, in an Op-Ed for the Deseret News, owned by the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and with a Mormon readership, Clinton wrote, As Americans, we hold fast to the belief that everyone has the right to worship however he or she sees fit. Ive been fighting to defend religious freedom for years. She ends noting the blessings of Constitution and promise to uphold the Presidents sacred responsibility to protect it.

2016 Republican Party Platform

[Republicans] oppose discrimination based on race, sex, religion, creed, disability, or national origin and support statutes to end such discrimination. (p. 9)

The Republican Party tackles religious freedom head-on. In a section titled The First Amendment: Religious Liberty, the party begins by saying, The Bill of Rights lists religious liberty, with its rights of conscience, as the first freedom to be protected. Religious freedom in the Bill of Rights protects the right of the people to practice their faith in their everyday lives. (p. 11)

From there, the Republicans continue on to discuss the ongoing attempts to compel individuals, businesses, and institutions of faith to transgress their beliefs and the misguided effort to undermine religion and drive it from the public square. More specifically, the urge the repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which removes the 1954 IRS code restricting tax-exempt entities, including religious bodies, from engaging in partisan politics. (p. 18)

The Republican Party platform goes on to endorse the proposed First Amendment Defense Act (HR 2802) that addresses discriminatory actions against a person on the basis that such person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction. This includes the repeal of the IRS tax code as well as further protections for faith-based institutions. The Republicans explain, [the act would] bar government discrimination against individuals and businesses for acting on the belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. As such, the platform also condemns the Supreme Courts ruling in United States v. Windsor. (p. 11)

Religious rhetoric can be found in other sections of the platform, similar to the partys position on marriage equality. However, the Republicans do not directly address religious freedom again until their discussion on foreign policy with regard to Israel and Syrian refugees. In both cases, they acknowledge their support of governments and systems that protect the rights of all minorities and religions. (p. 47) The platform reads:

The United States must stand with leaders, like President Sisi of Egypt who has bravely protected the rights of Coptic Christians in Egypt, and call on other leaders across the region to ensure that all religious minorities, whether Yazidi, Bahai, Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant Christians, are free to practice their religion without fear of persecution. (p. 59)

Where does Trump stand specifically? He has reportedly spoken out briefly on the repeal of the Johnson Amendment. According to Time, Republican platform committee member Tony Perkins said, [Repealing the Johnson Amendment] is a priority in the platform, and from the Trump folks, it is a priority of the campaign, and will be a priority of the administration.

Trumps running mate, Indiana governor Mike Pence, is a supporter of the RFRA movement, having signed one of the most publicized of such laws. Trump wrote in his book Crippled America, published in 2015, What offends me is the way our religious beliefs are being treated in public. There are restrictions on what you can say and what you cant say, as well as what you can put up in a public area. The belief in the lessons of the Bible has had a lot to do with our growth and success. Thats our tradition, and for more than 200 years it has worked very well. (p. 132)

Trumps foreign policy has been a hot topic after he suggesting banning Muslims from entering the country. However, he has since explained that his statement is about territory and not religion. As noted in the New York Times, Pence recently supported this idea when he stated that the campaign suggested an immigration ban on all people coming from certain Daesh-controlled territories.

In July, Trump himself was quoted in The Washington Post, saying We have a religious, you know, everybody wants to be protected. And thats great. And thats the wonderful part of our Constitution. [] I live with our Constitution. I love our Constitution. I cherish our Constitution.

2016 Libertarian Party Platform

As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others. (p. 1)

The Libertarian Party published its 2016 platform in May after holding its own national convention. The platform is far shorter than either of the two major parties. Similar to the Democrats, the Libertarians did not address, condone, or endorse any specific religious freedom actions or proposed legislation. They simply expressed their general position with regard to religious liberty. In section 1.2 Expression and Communication, the party writes:

We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor the freedom to engage in or abstain from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion. (p. 2)

That is the only section that directly mentions religion or religious freedom; however, it is implied within other held positions affecting personal liberty, such as abortion, parenting and marriage equality. In all cases, Libertarians stress that government should stay out of the matter. (p. 3)

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson supports the platform in full. However, in his book Seven Principles of Good Government, he did note a nuance with regard to child care. He supports the use of government vouchers for child care, if and when it is within a religious facility. (p. 96-97)

More recently, The Deseret News published an op-ed with Johnson, who addresses religious freedom to the news agencys Mormon readership. He wrote, Given the divisiveness and pain that have accompanied several state religious freedom laws, I approach attempts at legislating religious exceptions to anti-discrimination laws with great sensitivity and care.

Johnson goes to say that he supports religious belief but fears politically-driven legislation which claims to promote religious liberty and is used to for discrimination. Here he is referring to the RFRAs.

In his conclusion, Johnson writes, America is big enough to accommodate differences of opinion and practice on religious and social beliefs. As a nation and as a society, we must reject discrimination, forcefully and without asterisks. Most importantly, as president I will zealously defend the Constitution of the United States and all of its amendments.

2016 Green Party Platform

As a matter of right, all persons must have the opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, any discrimination by race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, religion, or physical or mental ability that denies fair treatment and equal justice under the law. (10 Key Values)

The Green Party addresses religious freedom throughout its platform. In its Ten Key Values, the party condemnes the systematic degradation or elimination of our constitutional protections, and as part of that, they support the U.S. constitutional guarantees for freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and that there shall be no religious test for public office. The Greens go on to say that they look to eliminate laws that discriminate against particular religious beliefs or non-belief, as well as eliminating the use of public funds to support faith-based initiatives. (Democracy)

In the Social Jusice section of the document, the Greens restate their support of the Bill of Rights, and then go on to offer a call to action with regard to a number of common situations in which religious freedom enters the debate. These situations include curricula in government-funded public schools, the Pledge of Allegiance, displays in public spaces, courtroom oaths, Boy Scouts, abortion, tax exemptions and more.

The Greens say, We affirm the right of each individual to the exercise of conscience and religion, while maintaining the constitutionally mandated separation of government and religion. We believe that federal, state, and local governments must remain neutral regarding religion.

On her own site, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein reiterated key components of the party platform. She only mentions religion specifically once, and that is with regard to foreign policy. She writes, U.S. policy regarding Israel and Palestine must be revised to prioritize international law, peace and human rights for all people, no matter their religion or nationality.

In a 2016 interview with OntheIssues, Stein spoke about religious freedom within the U.S. She said We dont live in a religious countryin the sense of having no national religion, and instead the separation of church & stateso faith should not be a public issue. [] Failing to separate church and state is a bad prescription. Stein added that she brings a perspective of religious neutrality, which she believes is needed in this diverse modern world.

* * *

While statistics appear to tell a story of a decreased interest or concern with religions place in politics, the decline is still very small. Whether religion is dealt with in specific terms, as the Republican Party did, or in more general ways like the Libertarians, it will continue to play a significant role in the American political machine. Religious conviction can be found underlying many major social issues, such as marriage equality and abortion rights, and at forefront of other debates, such as in public prayer and holiday displays. The U.S. may not be a religious country, but it is a country that continues to concern itself profoundly with the practice of religion, or lack thereof, in its many forms.

Editors Note: The Wild Hunt Inc is a non-profit news journal and does not take a position for or against any one party.
The design for MassArts new Design and Media Center establishes a new identity and welcoming threshold for the College along Bostons ''Avenue of the Arts'', designed by Susan T. Rodriguez of New York-based Ennead Architects. Called MassArt Design and Media Center, the architecture reveals the vitality of the art and design community within.

The new building translates the aspirations for the Colleges evolving interdisciplinary curriculum into a flexible system of studios, galleries and shared technical spaces. Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA) were the consulting structural engineers for the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) Design and Media Center.

Located at a critical intersection of campus and city, within a dense urban block comprised of a wide range of buildings from different eras, the new Center rests on the historical foundations of an early 20th century structure. The design weaves together old and new with the transformation of a former brick gymnasium.

The renewed monumental volume of the gym has become a crossroads at the heart of campus and a dynamic collaborative environment. Its transparent new face to the City is a dramatic shift from the opacity of the original building and establishes a new front door to the campus. Now a distinct and visible presence on Huntington Avenue, this triple-height exterior glass envelope, supported by a series of four king-post trusses and punctuated by an entry vestibule along the eastern edge, extends into a new public plaza that blurs the distinction between interior and exterior space.

Marking the entry to the building, a double-height lobby creates a memorable focal point upon entering the building. A choreographed sequence of stairs and accessible ramps serves to orient visitors to major public spaces, as well as improve internal circulation and accessibility between buildings for the entire campus. A new studio volume directly above the lobby is clad in a diaphanous screen of perforated metal that filters the southern light.

Surrounding the central exhibition volume are multiple levels of walkways linking the program spaces throughout the Center. A concentration of mixed-use studio volumes, galleries, critique spaces and a lecture hall form the backdrop for the main exhibition hall. The Center also includes new technical spaces for sound and light and a new wood shop on the lower level that will serve the entire campus. A crenelated ceiling completes the space with a rhythmic series of skylights that animate the interior with daylight throughout the day.

This newly daylit environment, along with energy efficient systems, local and recycled materials, and enhanced envelope performance will also contribute to making the overall campus increasingly sustainable. The building is designed to receive LEED silver certification and is in compliance with Massachusetts Executive Order 484.

Designed to not only enhance the quality of collaborative teaching spaces for the College but also to celebrate the spirit of design innovation at MassArt, the four-story network of spaces form a state-of-the-art facility for cross-disciplinary creative exploration and collaboration and an environment that to reinforce connections to the local creative economy and surrounding Arts district.

Project Facts

Project name: MassArt Design and Media Center

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Size: 40,000 **New total square footage of MassArt Campus with Design and Media Center: 800,000

LEED Ceritification: Built to meet LEED Silver Certification

Academic Spaces:

Basement

Wood Shop (Machine Room and Bench Room) Installation Room

Fabrication Shop

2 Classrooms

First Floor

Atrium

Lecture Hall

Gallery

2 Project Rooms

Product Development Lab

Hallway Crit/Gallery

Fenway Studio (to open Summer 2016)

Second Floor

2 Project Rooms Seminar Space Hallway Crit/Gallery

Third Floor

Huntington Studio

2 Installation Rooms

Project Room

Sound Studio

Professional Film Lighting Studio 2 Black Box Studios

Hallway Crit/Gallery

Exhibition Space: Doran Gallery, 1137 square feet

Public areas: Atrium and Doran Gallery open to the public, Classrooms and additional spaces private access via key-card

Accessibility: Fully handicapped-accessible with compliant stairway, elevators and restrooms

Total project cost: $40.4 million

All images  Matt Melrose

> via Ennead Architects




















Aug 13, 2016 | By Tess

Xuberance, the Shanghai-based design studio that last year unveiled two stunning 3D printed wedding dresses, has recently partnered with the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts to design and unveil a line of 3D printed furniture. The collection, which was guided by the theme Designed in China, global manufacturing, has once again demonstrated the amazing designs and pieces that can come from combining interior design and new manufacturing technologies like 3D printing.



The Furniture Design Studio at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts has been a pioneer for the incorporation of 3D printing into its educational program, teaching its students how to master 3D design and printing technologies to make the most of their creativity. For the recent furniture design project, the school teamed up with 3D printing design brand Xuberance to further expose the students to state-of-the-art 3D printing technologies. As part of the collaboration, Xuberance founder Mr. Steven MA offered his insight to the furniture design students to inspire them to push the limits of furniture design.

The results, as one can only imagine, were stunning. Among some of the more notable pieces were student Yang Zhuo Yis project aptly named Edge. Edge, which consisted of a 3D printed end table made from transparent unsaturated resin and iron, demonstrates the designers keen eye towards varying angles, both for aesthetic and functional purposes. The furniture piece, which measures 800 x 400 x 380mm, evokes the sense of a sort of futuristic, geometric cliff edge. The piece also pushes the boundaries of furniture in terms of its complicated internal structure, which was achieved with 3D design, and which can be seen in detail because of the table's transparent outer material. According to the designer, the transparent material was also meant to act as a virtual space to help explore unlimited thinking, effectively turning the furniture piece into a sort of sculptural art piece as well.

"Edge" by Yang Zhuo Yi

Corner chair, the pieces designed by Liu Zhijie, were made from a combination of materials including 3D printed nylon, chicken wing wood and white wax wood. The two chairs, which are distinguished by their different colored woods and their drastically different heights, were made by combining natural wood shapes with digitally designed and additively manufactured connecting pieces. In addition to their practical uses, the chairs are also notable for their complex structures, which could not have been achieved by hand. By using digital design, the student artist was able to combine more rigid natural wood shapes with traditionally impossible joint structures.

Corner chair by Liu Zhijie

Fellow student Li Xuanji designed an equally stunning coat rack called All Things Grow, which was made from a combination of natural Sapele wood and 3D printed nylon. The 3D printed coat rack, which also doubles as a lamp, was inspired by natural elements like trees and antlers, and evokes the feeling that it is growing out of the ground and flowing endlessly, like tree branches with no ending.

"All Things Grow" by Li Xuanji

Two other notable pieces include Liu Nian Feis Empty light, and Zhang Yues foldable screen called Set Magic. The former, a small table lamp, was made from 3D printed parts, brass, holographic glass, and a digital board and micro-computer. The piece is more than just a lamp however, as it was designed to forecast the weather through WiFi connectivity and display it through a holographic projection. The lamp's design was itself inspired by the atmosphere and the night's sky and is hoping to remind people to lead healthy and nature-friendly lives even within our fast paced urban environments. The small light, measuring 21 x 20 x 19cm, even resembles a cloud.

"Empty" by Liu Nian Fei

"Set Magic", which was made from 3D printed materials and painted beechwood, draws on traditional Chinese ornamentation but with a modern twist. The room divider screen is meant to connect Chinas traditional past to its future through the combination of traditional wood and modern 3D printed elements. The piece, which is meant to provide a multi-dimensional sensory experience by combining 3D printed elements with a more 2D wood surface, effectively brings China's ancient traditions into a modern context in a harmonious and stylish way. "Set Magic" measures 202 x 259 x 4cm.

Each of the students innovative designs was made using industrial grade 3D printing technologies for optimal results.

"Set Magic" by Zhang Yue

Posted in 3D Printing Applications

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Aug 12, 2016 | By Alec

Thanks to numerous fantastic test results, you could start think that metal 3D printing has become the most normal thing in the world. Just earlier this month, NavAir successfully tested a MV-22B Osprey fitted with a partially 3D printed engine nacelle, and plenty of similar stories are appearing regularly. You might even be wondering why it took so long. After a decade of innovation, surely we should have progressed passed single 3D printed components? In reality, however, aerospace metal 3D printing has been stuck in a kind of limbo as nothing more than an interesting new technology that needs more study.

This is perfectly illustrated by the pioneering efforts of Honeywell Aerospace, a global provider of integrated avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for various partners from the aerospace, aviation and defense industries. They were one of the first to begin experimenting with metal 3D printing way back in 2010, but they havent gotten much further than a few practical test parts yet. But it seems as though the technology is reaching a turning point, as it is receiving FAA approval and has also become cheaper and faster than competing technologies. As a result, Honeywell has now begun taking the 3D printing technology out of the laboratories, and into the engine development realm. Metal 3D printing is finally ready for lift-off.

This is a huge moment, as Honeywell first introduced metal 3D printing to the aerospace industry way back in 2010  when it 3D printed a 718 nickel-based superalloy part with a tangential injection nozzle (TOBI) and installed it on an active test plane. This was followed by numerous other 3D printing tests, including generator parts in 2012. In January 2015, Honeywell even became the first company to use electron beam melting (EBM) to produce an aerospace component with that same 718 superalloy. The component in question was a HTF7000 engine tube that featured an experimental design. While previously consisting of eight different part numbers, this was just a single part number that was designed in a matter of weeks  rather than months.

Honeywell further showed its dedication to 3D printing by opening several 3D printing labs in China, India, Europe, Mexico and the U.S. We also patented a novel approach to chemically machine the internal passages of complex, cooled components that were machined using 3D technology, says Honeywell engineer Donald Godfrey.

Whats more, the company is fully aware of what 3D printing can do for them  especially as a time saving tool that can build more efficient geometries and cut down on inventory. Whereas traditional airplane parts can take months to make, 3D printing cuts down that time significantly. A turbine blade could take up to three years to develop  but 3D printing cuts that down to just nine weeks. Suppliers are now able to upload that same CAD file directly to a machine and have the parts printed out in a matter of hours or days. Its a more efficient and cost-effective process, the company recently argued.

So why has it been taking so long? As Donald Godfrey explained, Honeywell has been consistently held back by the lack of a metal 3D printing supply chain. Establishing powder production and storage facilities, as well as melting testing and post-treatment processes simply takes a long time. Fixing those schedules has been one of the major challenges, and which cannot be done without approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), clients and Honeywells own engineering and marketing departments. We have to select a powder vendor, and then audit that vendor to Honeywell quality standards, Godfrey explains. Then we must document how the powder is to be received, stored, loaded into the printer and reused after a build. All of that information must be submitted to the FAA.

Whats more, Godfrey believes that many 3D printing technologies are simply not suitable for anything other than laboratory applications right now. For as it stands, metal 3D printing does not yet bring the necessary cost-saving advantages with it. While saving a lot of time, the associated costs make the technology unappealing on a large scale. This is further hampered by the fact that aircraft assembly processes are so complex that traditional production processes cannot be completely phased out. 3D printing can only affect so many parts. Right now, the economic advantages of metal 3D printing do not match up with those of simple casting solutions, he says.

Honeywells solution? Shifting to Electron Beam Melting 3D printing technology from Arcam. Not only does it significantly reduce production times, but it is also open to any type of metal material and can support an unparalleled variety of complex geometries and flexible designs. Honeywell is developing this technology to reduce capital-tooling budgets and marching it into production to reduce component costs and to improve quality, he says. Tools that might take six or seven weeks to manufacture can be printed in a day or two. If we can get the right tools to the test rigs two or three months ahead of the original plan, we can save tens of thousands of dollars in schedule and program costs.

Though this is not without its own challenges either, in part thanks to the heat the electron beam 3D printer generates. The electron-beam machine never gets below 1900 F. You have to let it cool down for about 8 hrs. before you can take a part out of the machineand that has to be calculated into your overall production time, Godfrey says. While laser 3D printed parts also get very hot, they can be handled far quicker.

Honeywell is nonetheless moving forward with the technology, and is ready to leave the exploratory phase behind them. They are currently testing and developing new powders in a lab in Bangalore, India  which requires 3D printing more than 1,000 test bars that need to be extensively tested. Whats more, Honeywell is looking to break out of existing material limitations. Right now everybody in the industry is printing powders that have been around for 20 years, because its a new technology. When you change to a new powder youre adding another unknown, says Godfrey. Honeywell has its eyes on some 40 new types of metal powders.

But they have particularly set their sights on expanding nickel and aluminum 3D printing capabilities, and will be 3D printing up to seven parts for their TPE331 engine. We also have been incorporating 3D printing of tooling for low-volume, high value castings. Some of these castings are produced with printed sand and others are produced using printed patterns. The technology has helped us shave months from our procurement schedules. Some castings were produced in less than a day, while most were cast in less than a week, Godfrey revealed.

While progress has thus been slow from an external point of view, metal 3D printing is finally ready for its next phase at Honeywell and is moving towards actual use. According to one report, up to 40 percent of Honeywell members could be equipped with EBM 3D printing technology for production purposes  especially for small volume production. Metal 3D printing is finally going places.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Sathish wrote at 5/8/2017 8:34:28 AM:Dear Sir, I am a research scholar doing my research in the field of electron beam melting of material. In this regard i request your support to process the material in EBM and I assure that i will abide the terms and conditions. Thank you, (sadish.kss@gmail.com)Sathish wrote at 5/8/2017 8:32:39 AM:Dear Sir, I am a research scholar doing my research in the field of electron beam melting of material. In this regard i request your support to process the material EBM and I assure that i will abide the terms and conditions. Thank youTibor van Melsem - Founder Dimanex wrote at 8/12/2016 9:02:25 PM:Supply Chain Disruption: - Better service to your customers - Better financial performance - Reduction of the environmental footprint




Max Ehrenfreund and Jeff Guo in The Washington Post:

According to this new analysis, those who view Trump favorably have not been disproportionately affected by foreign trade or immigration, compared with people with unfavorable views of the Republican presidential nominee. The results suggest that his supporters, on average, do not have lower incomes than other Americans, nor are they more likely to be unemployed.

Yet while Trump's supporters might be comparatively well off themselves, they come from places where their neighbors endure other forms of hardship. In their communities, white residents are dying younger, and it is harder for young people who grow up poor to get ahead.

The Gallup analysis is the most comprehensive statistical profile of Trump's supporters so far. Jonathan Rothwell, the economist at Gallup who conducted the analysis, sorted the respondents by their Zip code and then compared those findings with a host of other data from a variety of sources. After statistically controlling factors such as education, age and gender, Rothwell was able to determine which traits distinguished those who favored Trump from those who did not, even among people who appeared to be similar in other respects.

Rothwell conducted this kind of analysis not only among the broad group of Americans polled by Gallup. He was also able to focus specifically on white respondents, and even just on white Republicans. In general, his results were the same regardless of the group analyzed.

Rothwell's research includes far more data than past statistical studies of Trump. It also provides a detailed view not only of the people who support him but also of the places where they live. Academics and other analysts will continue to study the Trump phenomenon in months and years to come, and may, of course, reach different explanations.

This research leaves some mysteries unsolved. Something is afflicting the places where Trump's supporters live, but Trump's supporters do not exhibit more severe economic distress than do those who view him unfavorably. Perhaps, Rothwell suggests, Trump's supporters are concerned less about themselves than about how the community's children are faring. Whatever it is, competition from migrant labor or the decline of factory work appear to be inadequate explanations.

More here.
Older adults in Flint say theyre not getting enough support to help them deal with the ongoing water crisis, and many say they have experienced illnesses or medical conditions they attribute to the tainted water. This poll of 700 Flint residents age 60 and older indicate a majority (52%) say the level of support for seniors has been not enough.

More than a third (35%) of respondents said they have experienced illnesses or medical conditions they believe were triggered by the water crisis. About nine in 10 (89%) of those having medical issues said they have had skin problems, including rashes, flaking and itching. Nearly half (46%) reported hair loss; Thirty-eight percent (38%) cited sores on their head or skin; and one-quarter (25%) said theyre suffering from tooth loss or gum pain.

Other findings of the survey include:

About half (51%) of older adults in Flint said they have not had their blood tested for lead poisoning, and forty percent (40%) of untested respondents said they dont know where to go to have testing done.





When asked to name the top priority to help older adults in Flint, the most frequent response was paying for the cost of replacing (lead) pipes from the street into your home (45%). Help with selection, installation, and reimbursement of faucet filters, shower filters and whole-house filters was the second highest response (8%).





Three-quarters reported installing water filters in their homes, but about 6 in 10 of these poll participants (61%) said they had only one faucet filter and no shower or whole-house filters.





About one-quarter (26%) said their water bills are more expensive than before the crisis and sixteen percent (16%) said they have charges on their bills that they dont understand.





Thirteen percent (13%) of respondents said their water appliances (water heater, water pump, washing machine, etc.) needed to be replaced due to the water crisis. Half of these said it will be very hard to pay for new appliances.

On behalf of AARP, Public Policy Associates conducted this needs assessment, which included telephone interviews conducted June 20-25, 2016 by EPIC-MRA of Lansing, MI. For more information, contact Katherine Bridges at KBridges@aarp.org.
11AAA semis will be awesome and more from HS football quarterfinals

The Class 11AAA high school football playoffs should be awesome, and 11B and nine-man teams also offer plenty of excitement.
BEIJING  Japans Sharp Corp. says its proposed acquisition by the Taiwanese company that assembles Apples iPhones will go ahead soon after Chinese anti-monopoly officials gave their approval, clearing the last regulatory obstacle.

A share issue to complete the $3.5 billion acquisition by Taiwans Foxconn will take place as soon as possible, Sharp said in a statement.

All examinations by the competition authorities of the relevant countries have been completed following approval by Beijing, the company said.

Foxconn agreed in March to acquire Sharp and said it plans to turn around the legendary but struggling Japanese brand.

It was the first foreign takeover of a major Japanese electronics producer.
ALLENTOWN, Pa.  A soldier accused of killing his then-14-year-old girlfriends mother because she disapproved of their relationship has been found guilty of first degree murder.

It took the jury about four hours to reach its verdict Friday in the trial of Army Spc. Caleb Barnes, The Morning Call of Allentown reported. First degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence. Barnes will be sentenced on Sept. 19.

During his testimony Friday, Barnes placed the blame squarely on the teen Friday, telling jurors that she committed the murder and his only role was helping dispose of evidence because she claimed to be pregnant.

His testimony came after Jamie Silvonek, now 15, took the stand for the defense but told a wildly different story that implicated him in the slaying.

Barnes, whos from El Paso, Texas, is accused in the stabbing death of Cheryl Silvonek in March 2015 in Pennsylvania because she disapproved of his relationship with her daughter because of their age difference. Barnes, now 22, was 21 at the time of the killing.

Jamie Silvonek had agreed to testify against Barnes as part of a plea deal, but prosecutors rested their case Thursday without calling her. Silvonek, who was tried as an adult, pleaded guilty in February to first-degree murder and criminal conspiracy and is serving 35 years to life.

On Friday, in a twist, the defense called her to the stand, where she told the court she was inexorably, ineffably in love with Barnes, The Morning Call reported.

The teen admitted urging Barnes via text to carry out the slaying so they could continue their relationship.

I believe what I did was just as bad or worse than the physical act, she said. I realized that I had to do the right thing. Thats taking accountability for my actions, something your client has yet to do.

Silvonek described Barnes reaching for her mothers throat from the back seat of her SUV as the woman parked in the driveway of her home after driving the couple to a concert in Scranton.

Silvonek, wearing a beige jumpsuit and shackles, wiped away tears as she talked about her mother, her voice cracking with emotion. She stared at her lap, her long blond hair covering her face.

Barnes, in a suit and tie, glared at Silvonek while she testified, prompting a reprimand from the judge.

You will not have that kind of eye contact with this witness. Are we clear? Judge Maria L. Dantos told Barnes.

Barnes later told the court that Silvonek stabbed her mother to death during a fight after she revealed she was pregnant. Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Dimmig called Barnes account nonsense that slandered the girl.

Barnes said he had fallen asleep in his Camaro parked outside the Silvoneks house before heading back to Fort Meade in Maryland, where he was based. He was off-duty at the time of the killing.

He said he was woken up by Jamie Silvonek, covered in blood, banging on the car window. She told him her mother was dead in the SUV, Barnes testified.

Dimmig showed Barnes the murder weapon. Barnes told the prosecutor it was a knife he had left at the Silvoneks home the week before the killing and he had never gotten it back from his girlfriend, according to Lehigh Valley Live.

You didnt pick this out special? Dimmig asked.

Thats a utility knife. Thats not a knife for killing someone, Barnes answered.

The jury began deliberations late Friday afternoon.

___

Information from: The Morning Call, http://www.mcall.com
TUCSON, Ariz.  Tribal police are investigating a crash that killed a veteran U.S. Border Patrol agent while patrolling on his motorcycle in southern Arizona.

Tucson Sector Chief Paul Beeson said Friday that Manuel Alvarez, 37, and another agent were in a remote area south of Sells, Arizona. That area is mostly Tohono Oodham tribal land.

The cause of the crash on Thursday is still unknown and being investigated by tribal police, Beeson said. Another agent who was on his own motorcycle and who was involved in the collision suffered minor injuries, he said.

I think this is a loss that is gonna be felt by all of us for a very long time. He was a member of our team, a member of our family, out there doing the work that Border Patrol agents love to do, Beeson said.

Beeson said he didnt know whether the agents were attempting to arrest anyone, but he said that area is known for heavy smuggling activity. He said he couldnt pinpoint the exact location but that it was in an extremely remote area with dirt roads.

Alvarez is survived by his wife and four children. He was assigned to the Tucson Sectors Casa Grande station.

Alvarez was a dedicated agent with 13 years on the job, Beeson said. Not everybody signs up to ride the motorcycles. Thats a tough, dirty job, but he was doing it, Beeson said.

Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday ordered flags lowered to half-staff in Alvarezs honor and on the day of the officers funeral, which is pending.

The agents death serves as a tragic reminder of the daily risks that law enforcement officers face, Ducey said.

Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske said hes authorizing all of the agencys uniformed personnel to wear mourning bands until after Alvarezs memorial services.

Alvarezs death was the 12th line of duty death for the Tucson Sector and the second within the last three years.
DALLAS  Investigators have determined that a Texas sheriffs deputy found dead at his home after notifying dispatchers of prowlers in his yard killed himself.

Travis County sheriffs Sgt. Craig Hutchinson was suffering from depression and facing foreclosure on his home and other financial pressures, authorities announced at a news conference Friday.

Round Rock police Chief Allen Banks had announced last week that the gunshot that killed Hutchinson came from his own service weapon, but investigators couldnt conclusively say whether he killed himself. Developments in the case this week, including signs that Hutchinson was suffering from stress and anxiety, led authorities to rule out that others were responsible for his death, according to Round Rock police Cmdr. Willie Richards.

The gunshot that killed Hutchinson, 54, went through the palm of his hand and struck him in the head. He was weeks away from retirement following a 32-year career with the sheriffs office.

Were going to put something in place to prevent something like this from happening again, Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton said.

Hamilton, who struggled Friday to compose himself, pledged to put measures in place that identify sheriffs personnel who may be suicidal and provide help.

Hutchinsons death July 25 prompted a flurry of speculation as it came amid the fatal shootings of five police officers in Dallas and the ambush and killing of three law enforcement officers in Louisiana. His memorial service drew thousands and prompted officials to close several avenues for a long procession of vehicles to the service.

The case has similarities to the death last September of Fox Lake, Illinois, police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz. In both cases, the officers told dispatchers about suspicious characters before they were found shot and each incident led to broad police responses. In the case of Gliniewicz, authorities allege that he had been embezzling funds from a youth program he ran and that, fearing it would be exposed, he killed himself and tried to make it look like someone else killed him.

No one has alleged any wrongdoing by Hutchinson, who was remembered as a gentle giant and man of his word.

Richards said Hutchinson previously had two vehicles repossessed and faced foreclosure proceedings on his Round Rock home, north of Austin, beginning in 2011. It appears he and his wife were able to retain the home but foreclosure warnings continued, including just weeks before his death.

Hamilton said Hutchinsons death left his department stunned. Hutchinson had told the sheriff earlier in the month how excited he was for retirement and how he wanted to move to a ranch and purchase cattle.

Detectives investigating his death processed more than 150 pieces of evidence, canvassed some 250 homes and chased down more than 100 tips. Hutchinson had notified dispatchers in the early hours of July 25 that two suspects were trying to break into a backyard shed. But officials said Friday there didnt appear to be anything taken from the shed or any indication of forced entry.

I want to apologize to the citizens of Williamson County to have to use that many resources to address this particular issue, Hamilton said.

Williamson County Justice of the Peace Bill Gravell Jr., the official who certified that the sergeant killed himself, said suicide is one of the leading manners of death he investigates.

We need to be more aggressive and open in talking about this topic, he said.

___

Follow David Warren on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/WarrenJourno
WASHINGTON  Job insecurity is a central theme of the 2016 campaign, fueling popular anger about trade deals and immigration. But economists warn that much bigger job losses are ahead in America  driven not by foreign competition, but by advancing technology.

A look at the numbers suggests that America is having the wrong debate this year. Economic security wont come from renegotiating trade deals, as Donald Trump claimed in a speech in Detroit Monday, or rebuilding infrastructure, as Hillary Clinton argued in Warren, Mich., on Thursday. These are palliatives.

The deeper problem facing America is how to provide meaningful work and good wages for the tens of millions of truck drivers, accountants, factory workers and office clerks whose jobs will disappear in coming years because of robots, driverless vehicles and machine learning systems.

The political debate needs to engage the taboo topic of guaranteeing economic security to families  through a universal basic income, or a greatly expanded earned-income tax credit, or a 1930s-style plan for public works employment. Ranting about bad trade deals wont begin to address the problem.

The automation bomb could destroy 45 percent of the work activities currently performed in the United States, representing about $2 trillion in annual wages, according to a study last year by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Weve only seen the beginning of this change, they warned.

Currently, only 5 percent of occupations can be entirely automated, but 60 percent of occupations could soon see machines doing 30 percent or more of the work.

The McKinsey analysts sharpened their argument in a new paper released last month. Their estimates, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data covering more than 800 occupations, drew a shocking picture of the future. In manufacturing, 59 percent of activities could be automated, and that includes 90 percent of what welders, cutters, solderers and brazers do.

In food service and accommodations, 73 percent of the work could be performed by machines. In retailing, 53 percent of current jobs could be lost.

White-collar workers may imagine that theyre safe, but thats wishful thinking. If computers can be programmed to understand speech as well as humans do, 66 percent of jobs in finance and insurance could be replaced, for example, McKinsey warns.

Robots are replacing workers around the world. The density of robots per 10,000 workers is actually higher in Japan and Germany than in the U.S., according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

In last Februarys Economic Report of the President, they cited research noting that middle-skill employees, such as bookkeepers, clerks and assembly line workers, have been replaced first, but that big data and machine learning will soon make it possible to automate many tasks that were difficult to automate in the past.

Workers are already reeling from the job implosion weve seen so far. A study released last week by Bruce Stokes of the Pew Research Center found that 89 percent of Americans surveyed thought that the loss of U.S. jobs to China was a serious issue.

That anxiety translates into growing skepticism about free trade. As of March, 51 percent of Americans still thought free trade deals were a good thing, but that was down from 59 percent two years ago.

Pew data shows that the people most likely to oppose trade deals are older white men, the people whose former job security has probably been most affected by the modern, global economy. Free trade agreements are supported by 54 percent of women, 55 percent of blacks, 67 percent of young adults between 18 and 29, and 72 percent of Hispanics. Young, diverse Americans seem to accept the disruptions that are part of the global, high-tech economy.

This campaign has distilled the populist rage at elites who are seen to have benefited from globalization while some blue-collar workers have suffered. This anti-elitism is only likely to grow as vast new sectors of the economy are transformed by the Silicon Valley technologies that have created a new class of American billionaires. People shouldnt hate the future, or the technologists who are building it, but this anger could become a polarizing fixture of the national mood.

Politicians need to begin thinking boldly, now, about a world where driverless vehicles replace most truck drivers jobs and where factories are populated by robots, not human beings.

The best way to cushion this future is to start planning for how Americans will be able to take care of their families  and find meaningful work  in a world where most traditional jobs have vanished.

Email: davidignatius@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
Driving student success in New Mexico by supporting both excellent authorizing practices and charter schools that provide quality programs and innovation in education.

 N.M. Public Education Department website

Since 1999, New Mexico taxpayers have offered parents and students a limited choice of charter schools for K-12 education. The understanding, as laid out above, was that those charters would be quality schools that provide a real option to traditional public schools.

Seventeen years later, a report from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers says theres been a big misunderstanding.

It found the elected state Public Education Commission, which oversees state charters, has such vague standards for reauthorization it is not holding its charters accountable for academic performance, resulting in around a third of the 57 state-authorized charters having D or F school grades.

That shortchanges students, parents and taxpayers.

The PECs 10 commissioners are responsible for granting new charters, evaluating those charters every two to five years and determining whether to reauthorize or close charters based on performance.

Yet the report rated the commission as minimally developed on holding schools accountable for academic performance, said it sets a standard for approval that allows underqualified applicants to receive a charter, and explains a school with incomplete or partially inaccurate budgets, operations, and education plans would meet the standard.

It sums up the subpar mess with PECs application evaluation rubric sets a bar for approval that is too low and that contains ambiguous language.

Out in the parent/student/taxpayer world, that lack of accountability and low bar mean 40 percent of charter schools authorized by PEC received an A or B grade for the 2015 school year; 28 percent received a C grade; and 32 percent received a D or F grade.

Yet there are few if any repercussions for a C or D or even an F as long as school leaders simply promise PEC they will try to do better.

That is borne out by PEC recently renewing six schools charters even though none met its charter goals or received a state grade of A or B  the loosely defined standard for renewal.

Some will argue that charters that get low state grades serve challenging student populations; thats a dog-ate-my-homework excuse. School grades are based on student improvement, not achievement, and every school should be expected at minimum to turn out students who are in a better place than when they came in.

PEC Chairwoman Patricia Gipson says PEC is serious about educational quality and accountability and commissioners are not supporting the continuation of schools that are underserving or underperforming.

Yet to date PEC has only closed a handful of charters for poor performance.

That needs to change if New Mexico is going to honor the enabling legislation that created charter schools almost two decades ago, and if students, parents and taxpayers are going to get real K-12 choices.

Because the option to go to  or pay for  a D or F school that doesnt educate kids shouldnt be an option at all.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
It was an idea as grand as the great outdoors.

The big cheese of the U.S. Forest Service and other top officials were descending upon the Southwestern Region headquarters in Albuquerque, and Francisco Valenzuela wanted to transform the dull, windowless basement conference room where many meetings would take place into something more befitting the subject matter  something more parks and recreation.

So the great outdoors came indoors with the aid of camping chairs and theatrical props made to look like a campfire.

That was easy enough.

But the centerpiece as envisioned by Valenzuela, the regional director of the Forest Services division of Recreation, Heritage and Wilderness Resources, was a huge mural that artistically captured the nebulous concept of sustainable recreation, the Forest Services credo.

Sustainable recreation is a movement, a new way of thinking and acting about recreation management and the role it has in improving lives, communities and our natural world, said Denise Ottaviano, Forest Service public affairs specialist. It engages with the enormous and creative energy of people who care for and benefit from public lands.

Instead of commissioning a professional artist, Valenzuela and assistant Julie Padilla sought out a very special group of artists at the VSA Arts of New Mexico, a nonprofit whose program at the North Fourth Art Center in Albuquerque provides visual, performing and literary arts instruction to adults with disabilities.

The concept was explained to the VSA Arts folks, but no specifics were provided, no proposals or drafts required.

I just told Julie, once they understand the idea, dont get in their way, Valenzuela said. Let them use their imagination and skills to tell a story.

It was a leap of faith.

It was also a little unnerving.

It was scary, Valenzuela admitted. We didnt know what we would get.

He neednt have worried.

Our students may not be able to hike as fast or climb as far or have the words to express their love of being in nature, but they get it, said Susanna Kearny, visual arts outreach director. It was such a cool collaborative effort with our teachers and our students.

Seventeen students  some intellectually disabled, some with physical issues  crafted the mural on a canvas spanning 16 feet across and 6 feet high. Lead teachers Tom Brejcha and Tyler Smith and three other teachers helped sketch out the outlines of what their students wanted to convey. And then they let the students go to it for the next five weeks.

Across the canvas grew bright green trees and blue and purple flowers. The Sandias rose rosy pink. A blue river rushed along. Skunks and squirrels, deer and elk, roadrunners and salamanders, rabbits and turtles, butterflies and ravens populated the landscape. Several woodland creatures danced with children.

Woodsy Owl and Smokey Bear were there. Curiously, so was Bigfoot.

Throughout the bucolic scene were people, lots of people, hiking, climbing, camping, communing with nature. An elegant woman holding a parasol with her gold jewelry-wrapped arm floated down the river in a canoe. A man in a wheelchair with a red backpack fished in the stream.

That man is Rudy Via, and his self-portrait was his contribution.

Via, his mother said, was born 30 years ago with cerebral palsy, but that hasnt stopped him from participating in activities from fishing to painting.

He can do anything he wants in life, said his mother, Bridget Via. He just has to do it differently.

Through her, I asked Rudy about the mural. He responded through a voice output communication device, a tablet with icons he pushes to speak aloud the words he wants to say.

I was happy to be a part of this project, because it is in a public place for a lot of people to see the type of art that we do at VSA, he said. It was a group effort among many artists. I hope other people get excited about the beauty and the importance of our national forests.

And just as Valenzuela had hoped, the mural was a beautiful exposition of how nature touches everyone and how important it is to so many in so many ways.

The mural, unveiled at that big meeting in March with Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, was a hit.

People were just amazed by it, inspired by it, Valenzuela said. I consider it a miracle. It was just a work of love.

The mural still hangs in that basement conference room, a bright spot in a room the public will likely never set foot in.

That, it seems, is a shame.

Perhaps someday, Valenzuela said, a more public place befitting a work of art about public lands by a special segment of the public, will be found. I hope so.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Go to ABQjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
Does the ethnic and racial diversity of state government workers mirror the ethnic and racial composition of New Mexico?

Harold Bailey, president of the NAACPs Albuquerque branch and a former director of the state Office of African American Affairs, sought to answer that question but was told the state does not track that information.

Now, Bailey said, he is speaking to legislators with the hope of getting someone to sponsor a bill compelling state departments and offices to record such employee data.

Concerns about state workforce diversity were voiced last November when the NAACP sponsored its Civil Rights and Diversity Conference. A common concern expressed by NAACP members and partners was the need to ask the state to conduct a review and assessment to determine the racial and ethnic makeup of our state workforce, Bailey told the Journal.

Knowing that an analysis of all state departments at one time would be unwieldy and unrealistic, Bailey said the NAACP sent five state offices and departments requests for information under the Inspection of Public Records Act, or IPRA. Those requests were made to the Governors Office, the office of the governors chief of staff, Public Education Department (Santa Fe office only), the Children, Youth and Families Department (Santa Fe office only), and the Personnel Office.

Specifically, the IPRA requests asked for the ethnic and racial breakdown of all appointments, exempt and non-exempt staff, the breakdown of women, and a listing of employee job and position categories.

The departments informed Bailey that lists meeting the description of his request do not exist and under IPRA Compliance Guide rules, they had no obligation to create such lists.

Governors Office spokesman Michael Lonergan said that Martinez is the first Hispanic female governor in the history of the United States and is running the most transparent administration our state has ever seen. Further, the state is an equal opportunity employer and does not require employees to check a box indicating their race. All hires are based on merit.

Lonergan said that more than half of the governors Cabinet members are either women or minorities.

Baileys response was short and simple: Prove it.

He noted that a number of municipalities and states around the country are beginning to compile these worker demographics.

That information should be available to the public and it will give us a record of what our public and elected officials are doing and if theyre really committed to diversity and inclusion.
A New Mexico native has filed a lawsuit alleging he was sexually abused in the 1970s by a former priest who turned up in Morocco earlier this year, more than a quarter century after he vanished from his Albuquerque parish.

Arthur Perrault, who helped ignite the clerical abuse crisis in New Mexico in the 1990s, was served with an unrelated lawsuit in May at an English-language school in Tangier where he apparently worked at the time.

The new lawsuit, filed Aug. 4 in 2nd Judicial District Court in Albuquerque, alleges that an unidentified man was sexually abused by Perrault from 1975 to 1977, both on and off church property.

The man, who now lives outside New Mexico, was abused when he was a child parishioner at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Albuquerque, the suit says.

The lawsuit names a defendants the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Our Lady of Assumption Parish and the Servants of the Paraclete.

Perrault was sent in 1966 by the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., to a treatment facility operated by the Servants in Jemez Springs.

The archdiocese said in a written statement that it does not comment on pending litigation, however, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe continues to be vigilant and stands firm on its zero tolerance policy regarding sexual misconduct.

The policy includes background checks for all employees of the archdiocese, the statement said. The archdiocese also has a safe-environment coordinator and an independent review board to ensure compliance, it said.

Hall also represents Kenneth Wolter, 35, who filed a lawsuit in February alleging that he was sexually abused by Perrault in 1991 and 1992, while Wolter served as an altar boy at St. Bernadettes Church in Albuquerque.

Hall said investigators working with an informer in Morocco learned this year that Perrault was working at an English-language school in Tangier.

Hall sent a FedEx package to the school in April containing a copy of Wolters lawsuit and a legal summons. An employee at the school signed for a FedEx package addressed to Perrault, court records show.

Perrault was subsequently fired from his job at the school, Hall said.

Hall asked District Judge Denise Barela-Shepherd in June to find Perrault in default and to resolve the case in Wolters favor. Barela-Shepherd has not ruled on the request.
A former University of New Mexico School of Law professor is trying to oust a high-profile incumbent, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in a hotly contested Florida congressional primary election later this month.

Tim Canova, who was a UNM law professor from 1998 through 2004, has raised more than $637,000 since mid-May  with much of the money coming from Bernie Sanders supporters  in his bid to oust Wasserman Schultz, the Miami Herald reported this week.

Wasserman Schultz, who recently stepped down as head of the Democratic National Committee after internal emails were leaked, has the backing of Hillary Clinton, who beat Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Among other issues, Canova, who is now a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has clashed with Wasserman Schultz over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a trade deal that has become a controversial issue this year on the campaign trail.

Wasserman Schultz was one of 28 House Democrats who voted to support giving President Barack Obama fast-track authority for the trade deal. Canova has been an outspoken critic of the TPP.

His focus on international trade goes back to his time in New Mexico. In a 2003 Journal op-ed, Canova raised concerns about the North American Free Trade Agreement, arguing that the deal did not provide adequate regional assistance for Mexico to improve its infrastructure, educate and train its residents, or enforce environmental laws.

Canova did not respond this week to a Journal inquiry sent to his campaign. The primary election in the Miami-area 23rd Congressional District will be held Aug. 30.

STEPPING DOWN: State Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, R-Sandia Park, recently resigned from the Legislature, just over five months before her term would have expired.

Beffort, who had served 19-plus years in the Senate and wasnt seeking re-election this year, said this week that she felt ready to move on and wants to spend more time with her family. Her late husband, Steven Beffort, died in June 2014.

I am looking forward to whatever comes next in my life, she told the Journal.

She cited bills creating full-day kindergarten and early childhood programs as among her greatest accomplishments as a legislator, while describing the states film industry and water rights as other top issues.

Befforts resignation from the Legislature was effective July 29, according to a letter she delivered to Secretary of State Brad Winters office.

Her Senate District 19 seat  the district stretches from Albuquerque to Moriarty and encompasses parts of four counties  is now vacant, and Gov. Susana Martinez will choose a successor in the coming weeks after getting nominations from the four county commissions.

Beffort said she hopes former state Rep. Jim White, who won a four-way Republican primary race for her seat in June, will be appointed to the vacancy. White is running against Democrat Harold Murphree of Sandia Park in the Nov. 8 general election.

Dan Boyd: dboyd@abqjournal.com
SANTA FE  Three New Mexico state lawmakers are seeking to intervene in an ongoing court battle over the legitimacy of a 2010 water settlement authorized by the Navajo Nation and then-Gov. Bill Richardson.

The legislators  two Republicans and one Democrat  argue in a brief filed this week with the state Court of Appeals that the settlement was never ratified by the Legislature and should be nullified.

In their court filing, the legislators  Sen. Steven Neville, R-Aztec, and Reps. Paul Bandy, R-Aztec, and Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe  specifically allege that the agreement violates state laws requiring that all proposed water contracts be submitted to the Legislature for final approval and that any such deals resolve all water rights under dispute.

As a precedent for their argument, they cite a 1995 state Supreme Court ruling against then-Gov. Gary Johnson, who had signed off on a tribal gambling compact without legislative approval.

No governor has the authority to bind the state of New Mexico to a perpetual agreement like this without action by the Legislature itself, as the elected representatives of the people, the amicus brief says.

However, a spokeswoman for the State Engineers Office and the Interstate Stream Commission dismissed the claim as a rehash of previous unsuccessful attempts to derail the Navajo water settlement.

This argument has been raised and rejected by two other judges in approving two other Indian water rights settlements in New Mexico, spokeswoman Melissa Dosher-Smith said Friday. Well be responding to their arguments in this case as briefing before the Court of Appeals proceeds.

Under the 2010 agreement, the Navajo Nation was awarded more than 600,000 acre-feet of water from the San Juan River and federal support for building a new water pipeline in exchange for the tribe forgoing additional water claims.

The agreement was approved by Congress and the Navajo Nation, but it was never submitted to the Legislature.

In recent years, the agreement has been hung up in court.

Several Four Corners-area agricultural groups filed an appeal after a state district judge approved the water deal in 2013. In 2014, the same three legislators who filed this weeks brief asked the state Supreme Court to order a review of the agreement; the states highest court denied that request.

Brad Cates, an attorney who is representing the legislators in their latest legal action, said Friday that he believes the case is clear-cut.

You cant just negotiate away hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water without legislative action, Cates told the Journal.

New Mexico is also entangled in several other water disputes, including one with neighboring Texas, and the outcomes of the various cases could have long-lasting impacts on farmers, ranchers and future water users.
FARMINGTON  The Farmington woman arrested on allegations of drug trafficking and promoting prostitution Tuesday is a teacher at a local middle school.

A Farmington Municipal School District administrator confirmed that 40-year-old Anna Marie Schroth of Farmington is a teacher at Mesa View Middle School.

Chris Pash, the districts executive director of human resources, said in a statement that Schroth has been placed on leave while the district investigates the incident. She has been teaching at Mesa View for about two and a half years, Pash said, in telephone interview.

We are aware of the charges against Ms. Schroth. We are looking into the situation, Pash said.

Schroth is facing felony charges for promoting prostitution, conspiracy to commit drug trafficking and a misdemeanor charge for tampering with evidence. Her charges are in connection with the July 15 arrest of 41-year-old Jordan Carter.

Carter was pulled over by a Farmington Police Department officer after the officer spotted a vehicle speed through a stop light. During the traffic stop, Carter allegedly reached for a handgun that was next to a bag filled with a white powder on the floorboard, The Daily Times reported.

Ammunition and 11 grams of methamphetamine were found during a search of the vehicle, according to the affidavit for Schroths arrest.

The vehicle Carter was driving was registered to Schroth, according to San Juan County Sheriffs Office Sgt. Kevin Burns, an operations supervisor with the Region II Narcotics Task Force, which is handling the ongoing investigation.

According to the affidavit, Schroth admitted to law enforcement officials that she received a phone call from Carter from the San Juan County Detention Center telling her to clean the house, which she understood to mean clean up the drugs and drug paraphernalia in her home. She also stated Carter was living with her at her Farmington home.

Schroth also admitted to helping Carter package and deliver methamphetamine, according to the affidavit.

A search warrant was executed on Schroths home, where drugs, including prescription medications, marijuana and a brown powdery substance that tested positive for codeine were found, according to the affidavit. Drug paraphernalia and two guns  a .22 caliber revolver and a bolt-action rifle with a scope  also were found.

According to the affidavit, Schroth admitted to authorities that she set up an ad on a website for a woman called Star for the purpose of sex activity, that she paid for Stars motel room, clothes and cellphone, and that she received money from Stars activities with her clients.

Carter remained in custody Thursday at the San Juan County Detention Center with no bond, and Schroth was released on a $30,000 bond Tuesday night.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

A national teachers union and Hispanic advocacy groups have joined the list of organizations that object to the FBIs Dont Be a Puppet website, which the agency brought online this year to educate youth about violent extremism. The website has been criticized as targeting American Muslims and encouraging the policing of thought in schools.

Public schools should be safe havens that embrace all students and families, regardless of citizenship and national origin, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a letter this week to FBI Director James Comey. Efforts like Dont Be a Puppet will only exacerbate the bullying and profiling of Middle Eastern and Muslim students by creating a culture of animosity and distrust.

AFT represents 1.6 million public school teachers and other education workers, including more than 7,000 in New Mexico. Nineteen other organizations joined in the letter to Comey, including the League of United Latin American Citizens, the National Council of Jewish Women and AASA, and The School Superintendents Association.

In April, another coalition of groups, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union, asked the FBI to dismantle the website.

The FBI declined to comment on criticism about the website, which acknowledges that extremist thoughts are not illegal and encourages students to be tolerant and inclusive of all people. The FBI unveiled the website in February for use in schools to teach teens about violent extremism groups, both foreign and domestic, and to try to keep them from being radicalized.

The website encourages students to report suspicious behavior to teachers or others, including law enforcement. The Journal published a story about the website in March.

The website listed possible warning signs of someone planning to commit violence extremism include talking about traveling to places that sound suspicious and using code words or unusual language.

The website is an effort to combat what the FBI says is a growing problem: the recruitment, especially over the internet, of youth by violent extremism groups.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

The New Mexico Public Education Department has taken over the finances of La Promesa Early Learning Center and released a new report that shows a pattern of suspicious transactions at the charter school founded by embattled APS board member Analee Maestas.

PED officials made a surprise visit to La Promesas offices at 7500 La Morada Place NW on Friday morning and took over control of its payment and procurement processes. The school now needs the departments approval to spend any money. Curriculum and academics are still managed by school staff.

The takeover was spurred by a recent PED investigation launched after Maestas submitted a questionable receipt to the state K-3 Plus summer learning program.

Maestas, who faces possible misdemeanor and felony charges, including making a false public voucher, asked for $342.40 in reimbursement for carpet cleaning at La Promesa, but the invoice appeared to have been doctored, and the cleaning company reported that it had worked on ducts at Maestas home, not carpets at the school.

In July, State Auditor Tim Keller said his office had determined that Maestas committed fraud and lied to cover her tracks. La Promesas governing council placed her on paid administrative leave a week later.

PED completed its own review of all La Promesa administrative reimbursements, as well as its K-3 Plus funding.

The department report, obtained by the Journal, flagged a number of suspicious financial dealings at the school, including:

Maestas acting as chief procurement officer, possibly without proper certification.

Maestas being reimbursed $292.25 for a staff Thanksgiving meal, an expense that was listed as Instruction/Other Purchased Services/Other Charges. PED noted that this significant amount of food was not eligible for reimbursement, because it appeared to be a direct benefit to those in attendance.

A school principal, who PED clarified was not the current principal, Chris Jones, receiving a $1,635 reimbursement for fencing materials. There is no detailed list of the items, and auditors were not able to determine who had done the work or whether the fence was completed.

The same principals also being reimbursed $1,320 for 83 library books purchased from a company called Solutions Unlimited. PED couldnt identify the books by ISBN or UPC number. The total amount due is handwritten at the bottom of an inventory sheet.

Solutions Unlimited does not have a website, and the phone number listed on La Promesas invoice is apparently for a cell number, which was never answered, according to the report. The companys listed address is a rural residence in Estancia.

A third $725 reimbursement to the principal also not being able to be verified. It reportedly covered Christmas concert brochures printed by Solutions Unlimited, though staff members were not able to produce a copy or template. No documentation was provided to show that the principal had made a payment to the company, the report states.

School purchases being made on holidays and Sundays, when the office was technically closed.

The report states that La Promesas bookkeeping is sloppy and disorganized, with numerous documents improperly classified or lacking necessary signatures.

The report repeatedly warns of the potential for inappropriate purchases, unallowable expenditures and fraud, which could affect future federal and state funding.

PED spokesman Robert McEntyre said his department takes allegations of misusing taxpayer dollars seriously and will hold anyone accountable for abusing public funds.

La Promesa staff and Maestas attorney, Marc M. Lowry, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

PED has forwarded the report to Keller, the state auditor, who could undertake a complete investigation of the school.

Maestas may face felony charges punishable by up to 18 months in prison for the allegedly doctored carpet cleaning receipt alone. The case has been submitted by Keller to the office of District Attorney Kari Brandenburg for review.

Maestas continues to serve on the Albuquerque Public Schools board but is on paid leave as La Promesas executive director.
Eight-year-old Elijah Jay Dimas finds his inspiration in performance.

He needs that inspiration to face some pretty tough challenges life has thrown his way.

In May 2015, he was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma, a bone cancer that affects mainly children and adolescents. He recently began his 21st cycle of chemotherapy treatments at Presbyterian Hospital.

Everyone falls in love with Elijah, says Tina Benavidez, his grandmother. Hes never once asked why him. He keeps a smile on his face despite everything going on.

Elijah gets a five-day cycle of chemotherapy every 21 days.

Then he goes back for the Neulasta shot, which helps grow his white blood cells and boost his immune system.

Before and after he gets the shot, hes in complete quarantine because his immune system is so low.

Elijah can often be found at Presbyterian, even when hes not getting treatments.

Sometimes, hes there as a performer.

Elijah will sing, dance and read to other children at the hospital.

He dresses up as Cat in the Hat on reading days. Or he dons green on St. Patricks Day.

He has also been known to try his hand as a ventriloquist with his ventriloquist dummy in tow.

While still an amateur, Elijah hopes to be like his idol, Terry Fator.

Fator became a household name in 2007 after winning season 2 of Americas Got Talent, when he combined his incredible talents of singing, comedy and celebrity impressions. He has his own theater at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., and his show is often sold out.

In June, Fator had a show in the Duke City. Elijahs nurses called him to explain that Elijah was a huge fan. That he had tickets to the show at Route 66 Casino, then couldnt make it because he was being admitted to the hospital.

They asked if I would have time to stop by, Fator says. Usually, I dont have time, but my flight came in early, and I headed over to meet Elijah. He stole my heart with his smiles.

Fator asked Elijahs doctors when he would be well enough to travel.

He was told in the next few days. The performer flew Elijah and his parents, Patricia and Anthony, to Las Vegas to watch his show at the Mirage.

Then I brought them over to my house and spent a little time with him and his family, he says. I keep in touch with his mom, Patricia. Hes such a bright spot in my life.

Benavidez says the trio enjoyed their trip and were honored by Fators hospitality.

No one ever expected Terry to do this, she says.

Benavidez says the community has also been a great support.

Yard sales have helped raise money for Elijahs medical costs. And, on Sunday, there will be another fundraiser from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, 2121 Edith NE.

There will be a dinner and a dance, and raffle tickets will be sold.

Fator wanted to step in again and help out.

The performer is offering the grand prize for the raffle, which includes two round-trip tickets from New Mexico to Las Vegas, two nights at The Mirage, $200-per-day dining credit, two tickets to his Las Vegas show and dinner with him and his wife.

And it doesnt stop there. Fator will also match what is raised up to $10,000.

Terry posted this online before he contacted us, Benavidez says. It humbles us that he would want to step forward and help out. Elijah has been a fan of his since he was younger. Its special.
CUBA  The Sandoval County Fair drew more than 4,800 people to this scenic community this month, exceeding last years turnout.

Visitors from across the county, including Bernalillo, Rio Rancho, Corrales and surrounding communities, attended the weeklong event. There was also a strong Native American turnout, particularly from the Navajo, Jicarilla Apache and Kiowa nations.

This is one of the best shows weve ever put on, Timothy Johnson, president of the Sandoval County Fair Board, told the Observer on Aug. 6, the day before the fair concluded. Weve got talent everywhere.

A parade through the streets of Cuba kicked off the event lineup on Aug. 6.

The event schedule featured performances by the Westernaires, a Colorado-based youth organization promoting horsemanship, a powwow and a rodeo, featuring highly-ranked New Mexican participants at the state and regional levels.

The Sandoval County 4-H program also held an exhibition and auction.

The 4-H program, which consists of 10 clubs with more than 200 members, engages youth ages 5 to 19 to raise and care for livestock, which may win awards, be sold at auction or showcased at the State Fair next month.

They spend time with these animals every day, said Sandoval County Commissioner James Dominguez, a member of the Sandoval County 4-H board. They groom them, they brush them, they feed them.

Dominguez, a descendant of Spanish colonial settlers with roots in Bernalillo and San Luis, continues his familys tradition of ranching. His great-grandfather, Juan Dominguez, raised sheep and cattle on 14 tracts at the family homestead in Cabezon.

As a 4-H board member, Dominguez said he believes the program and auction encourage youth to be responsible.

Its really good for the kids, he said.

Rebecca Moore of Corrales expressed similar feelings. Her daughter, 13-year-old 4-H club member Taylor Moore, single-handedly raised Sandoval Countys grand champion steer, which will be shown at the state fair this year.

Taylor has been involved in 4-H since she was 8, according to her mother. The prized red calf, paraded at the auction, drew admiration from everyone attending.

Its 11 months of work, said Rebecca, who owns a family farm in Corrales. She puts an enormous amount of work into steers.

Another young participant at the fair was Laramie Martinez, 10, of Farmington.

A member of the Navajo tribe, Laramie displayed poise and experience beyond his years as he competed with men more than twice his age and size at the rodeo. He has been roping steers from horseback since he was 8.

Johnson said some horses and bulls showcased at the fair will travel to the Indian National Finals in Las Vegas, Nev.

He believes the fair is an important way of unifying the diverse residents of Sandoval County.

Its an opportunity for the county to get together, said Johnson. Its a good place to visit, to show off your animals, to get some competition going.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

A national group of radical feminists more commonly associated with fights for abortion and gay rights has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of two Albuquerque women they say are at risk of greater violence, discomfort and oppression because of transgender policies in public schools.

The suit seeks to block federal guidelines issued in May 2016 that instruct schools to allow transgender people to use bathroom and school facilities aligned with their self-identified gender instead of their genitalia.

The group, Womens Liberation Front, or WoLF, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque on Thursday saying two of its New Mexico members who are identified in the court documents as AB and ABs mother have a well-founded fear they will have to share such facilities with people who are biologically male and that puts them at imminent, traceable risk.

The reinterpretation of sex to include gender identity also means that girls bathrooms and locker rooms must be opened up to any male who identifies as female, the group says on its website.

And in the suit, the group says as a female, she is more vulnerable to assault or rape (including impregnation) when she is in isolated or closed areas with men.

WoLF spokeswoman and board member Kara Dansky said there are many, many news reports of women being assaulted in bathrooms by men dressed as women.

But transrights activist Adrien Lawyer said those incidents are of sexual predators behaving as sexual predators not people who truly identify as transgender women. And he said there have been no reports of transstudents assaulting peers in school bathrooms. He pointed to a 2013 UCLA study showing that transpeople do experience violence in bathrooms matching their sex instead of their gender.

We already have existing rules and laws against sexual assault, Lawyer said. In fact, the data shows that transpeople are harmed in the bathroom. We arent the assailants. We are the victims.

The solution to the fear and risk of transwomen in bathrooms is to block the federal guidelines or alter them, Dansky said Friday in a phone interview from New York.

Blocking them would return public schools to using male- and female-only facilities, presumably based on genitalia, though Dansky said her group doesnt talk about it in terms of genitalia.

Altering the guidelines, she said, could introduce other options, including requiring three bathroom and facility spaces, one for males, one for females and one open or neutral facility.

But that is the essence of discrimination, said Lawyer, codirector of the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

At school, youre saying I have to be the person to walk all the way across campus to use the nurses bathroom because Im trans? Lawyer said. This is protecting against an enemy that doesnt really exist, and were marginalizing in the name of womens equality and safety.

Lawyer, who said he lived as a female lesbian for 20 years, said he understands the desire to have protected and safe spaces. Lawyer acknowledges the long-standing struggle in some lesbian communities about accepting transwomen, who are people born with male genitals but who identify as women. The Michigan Womyns Music Festival, held for more than 40 years, struggled in its final sessions over controversy because they excluded transwomen.

I have the same genitals as (Dansky) and people would lose their mind if I went into a womens bathroom. I have a beard, Lawyer said. Were not our genitals.

But were not our gender either, Dansky and her group argue. The group says on its website that gender is a hierarchical caste system that organizes male supremacy. Gender cannot be reformed  it must be abolished.

First and foremost, we think the whole concept of gender identity is problematic and has not been sufficiently studied to justify the legal protection, Dansky said. We know that biological sex is grounded in science.

On this note, WoLF is in line with groups it is often at odds with on other social issues.

The Albuquerque Public Schools boards most conservative member, Peggy Muller-Aragon, has been the most vocal critic of allowing transgender people to use facilities different than their genitalia.

In March, months before the federal guidelines were released, APS administration enacted its transgender bathroom policy.

At the time, Peggy Muller-Aragon objected  as WoLF now does  that the decision was made without a board vote, saying the policy could traumatize kids by exposing them to the body parts of the opposite sex. WoLF says in its suit that the federal government also violated procedure by implementing the guidelines without input or notice.

Dansky said the policy is undoing the equality that her group has worked for, Dansky said.

Her group has set up a GoFundMe account to fund the lawsuit. As of Friday, it had raised more than $10,000 of its $75,000 goal.
Community members join family, friends and other law enforcement officers to grieve the loss of Ofc. Jose Chavez, who was shot Friday, during a community vigil, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal) Community members join family, friends and other law enforcement officers to grieve the loss of Ofc. Jose Chavez, who was shot Friday, during a community vigil, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal)http://abqjournal.com/wp-content/plugins/journal-handouts/js/tinymce/plugins/jpcngtools/dialog-box.php# Hatch Chief of Police James "Trey" Gimler III grieves the loss of Ofc. Jose Chavez was shot Friday, during a community vigil, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal) Family and friends, including Patricia Ramirez, center, sister of Hatch Police Ofc. Jose Chavez was shot Friday, comfort each other during a community vigil, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal) Rincon Fire Chief Jorge Au, right, and his wife Joann Au leave flowers and balloons at the memorial where Hatch Police Ofc. Jose Chavez was shot Friday, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal) APD motor officers get a wave of thanks from a Village of Hatch police officer as an escort from southern New Mexico escorted the body of Hatch officer Jose Chavez, who was killed in the line of duty Friday, to the Office of the Medical Investigator Saturday Saturday Aug. 13, 2016. (Jim Thompson/Journal) Lesli Zerr, of Hatch, N.M., lays a wreath of chiles with flowers at the site where Hatch Police Ofc. Jose Chavez was shot, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop across the street from the chile shop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M.(Marla Brose/Journal) Analee Banuelos, left, an 11th grader at a local high school and her sister Rosa Banuelos, right, look at the flowers, crosses, candles and wreathes at the site where Hatch Police Ofc. Jose Chavez was shot, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop across the street from the chile shop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. "It's a very sad day for all of us here. I knew it wasn't one of our own from here," Rosa Banuelos said. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal) APD motor officers lead the escort of the body of Hatch officer Jose Chavez, who was killed in the line of duty Friday, to the Office of the Medical Investigator Saturday Aug. 13, 2016. (Jim Thompson/Journal) Rhonda Cabrales of Hatch, who works across the street at a chile shop from the site where Hatch police officer Jose Chavez was shot Friday, stands near the sign where people placed flowers, crosses, balloons and candles, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop across the street from the chile shop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal) Officers who were part of an escort gather around after they delivered the body of Hatch officer Jose Chavez, who was killed in the line of duty Friday, to the Office of the Medical Investigator Saturday Aug. 13, 2016. (Jim Thompson/Journal) Flowers, crosses, candles and wreathes lay where Hatch Police Ofc. Jose Chavez was shot the day before, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop across the street from the chile shop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal) Fred Cabrales, who work at Hatch Chile Express, talks about seeing the aftermath of the shooting of Hatch Police Ofc. Jose Chavez, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop across the street from the chile shop along Franklin St. in Hatch, N.M.(Marla Brose/Journal) Inside the Hatch Police Department, Dona Ana Deputy Michael Hinojosa talks about his friendship with Hatch Police Ofc. Jose Chavez, Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Hatch, N.M. Chavez was shot Friday afternoon during a traffic stop in Hatch, N.M.(Marla Brose/Journal) Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique 'Kiki' Vigil, right, speaks to the media Saturday to offer details of the investigation into the fatal shooting of Hatch police officer Jose Chavez. (KOAT-TV) Jesse Hanes, 38. (Ross County Sheriff's Office) James Nelson II, 36. (Ross County Sheriff's Office) Hatch officer Jose Chavez at his graduation from the police academy on Oct. 31, 2013. (DACSO) Hatch officer Jose Chavez at his graduation from the police academy on Oct. 31, 2013. (DACSO) Jesse Hanes, 38. Police officers and state employees prevent drivers from entering Hatch, N.M., after a shooting on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Dona Ana County authorities say a Hatch police officer has died after being shot during a traffic stop on Friday. (Anayssa Vasquez/The Las Cruces Sun-News via AP) Prev 1 of 21 Next

HATCH, NM  When shots rang out in the small southern New Mexico town of Hatch on Friday afternoon, halting the steady hum of tourist traffic through the village known for its chile, Fred Cabrales said he rushed out of the roadside shop his mother-in-law owns.

He knew right away that an officer had been shot.

You could see under the vehicle, and you could see his uniform, he said. In the first couple of minutes, there were probably eight or nine police cars (that showed up).

Sheriffs deputies say that 38-year-old Jesse Hanes, a fugitive wanted on murder charges out of Ohio, fired at one of the Hatch Police Departments seven officers during a traffic stop on Franklin Street. Another officer returned fire, but Hanes and his two passengers sped away in a silver Lexus.

The fallen officer, Jose Chavez, 33, was airlifted to the University Medical Center in El Paso, where he died after surgery. Hed been shot in the neck.

Border patrol agents, deputies with the Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office and New Mexico State Police joined Hatch officers in a manhunt for the suspects. Hanes and his traveling companion, James Nelson, 36, were arrested a couple of hours later after authorities say Hanes carjacked, shot and wounded a motorist at a rest stop.

Nelson was wanted in the same Ohio murder and was taken into custody a couple of miles from where Hanes was arrested.

Hanes was charged with an open count of murder in Chavezs death.

Nelson wasnt charged in Chavezs death, but he was charged with being a fugitive from justice and was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center.

A man originally believed to be a third suspect was a hitchhiker who was not involved in the shooting and is being treated as a witness, Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said.

All about catching bad guys

Ever since he was a little boy in Juarez, Mexico, Chavez wanted to be a police officer, his two older sisters told the Journal on Saturday. They said he became a United States citizen about 10 years ago, after the family moved to Las Cruces.

He worked really, really hard to complete school and got his citizenship, said his sister Patricia Ramirez. He got his job, and he always wanted to do more. We told him we didnt like it, that we worried for him all the time, but he was all about catching bad guys.

Lupita Chavez said her brother loved animals and had recently been excited to tell her about helping a woman find her lost dog.

Jose Chavez wasnt supposed to be working Friday. But he decided to go in that day for overtime.

He called his mother about 20 minutes before he was shot to check in, according to his close friend Leonel Palomares.

You dont think it will happen so close to you. I still cant believe it, Palomares said.

Ramirez said she too cant believe it. She said that when her brother asked a nurse to tell his family and his girlfriend he loved them before he went into surgery, it didnt cross her mind that he might not make it.

Then, this morning, they had to tell his youngest daughter, Aryam, 6, the news.

Shes just been looking through all his pictures that her mom has, Ramirez said. She wanted to see all the pictures since they met.

She said Jose Chavezs older daughter, 14-year-old Jannely, has been strong, like her father would have been, and is holding the family together.

Dona Ana County deputy Michael Hinojosa, who was in the academy with Chavez, said he was touched by how much Chavez cared for his daughters.

Hinojosa and other Dona Ana County deputies took over calls for the Hatch Police Department while they mourned the loss of their officer.

He said all the officers in the department escorted Chavezs body to the Office of the Medical Investigator in Albuquerque on Saturday.

At a midday news conference in Las Cruces, Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique Kiki Vigil and Undersheriff Ken Roberts spoke about Chavez.

Weve lost one of our best, our finest, Vigil said. Were mourning with the rest of law enforcement here in the county.

Parole violation

Ohio law enforcement knew that Hanes and Nelson were violent.

They had put out multiple bulletins and wanted posters for the pair after an investigation into the killing of a 62-year-old bus driver last month.

In that case, Theodore Timmons was found dead of multiple gunshots in his home July 25, according to a report in the Chillicothe Gazette.

Its unclear what the motive was for the killing, but officers quickly homed in on Hanes and Nelson as suspects.

Authorities said they believed the pair had fled the state, and one of the wanted posters said they were extremely dangerous.

Hanes was on parole when Timmons was killed, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

He had served nearly three years in prison in a robbery case and was released in April of this year. He was supposed to serve additional years on parole, but he violated his conditions of release, according to the DRC records.

Nelson was also on parole. He served nearly a year in prison for two drug charges and was released in mid-July.

How he and Nelson ended up in the tiny town of Hatch  and what they were doing there  is unclear. Jameson didnt say if authorities believe they were just passing through or if Hatch was a destination.

Blood on his hands

Minutes before he was shot, Chavez told a fellow officer on the phone that he was about to make a traffic stop.

When the officer arrived as backup around 3:40 p.m., he saw Chavez near the suspects silver Lexus holding paperwork while also reaching for his gun. He saw smoke, then Chavez fell to the ground, Jameson said.

Deputies believe Hanes shot Chavez through the passenger side window.

Jameson said Hanes led officers on a chase exceeding 100 mph south on Interstate 25 before pulling into a rest area near Radium Springs.

She said Hanes approached a motorist, demanded his car keys, then shot the man when he refused to go with him. The 36-year-old victim was taken to a hospital in El Paso where he was in stable condition Saturday afternoon.

Hanes fled in the stolen red Chevy Cruze, Jameson said.

Authorities slowed him down by putting down a spike belt, but it wasnt until he crashed into a woodpile behind a house off N.M. 185 that they were able to take him into custody. He had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg and was taken to the hospital, where he remained late Saturday. Authorities said he was conscious and alert, but they didnt know when he would be released from the hospital.

Charles and Karma Brewster were watching television in their home when Hanes came careering down their long driveway. His two front tires were flat and about 25 officers were right behind him.

Charles Brewster said Hanes backed into the woodpile in their backyard, then tried to accelerate, but he was stuck. They could see he had blood on his hands.

He hit this woodpile, he said. I saw one gun on the dash that was silver and then another in his hand that was black. We hit the floor.

Officers escorted the family out of their home and took Hanes into custody a short time later. Television crews descended on the Brewsters home.

Shock and sadness

Throughout the day Saturday, small memorials cropped up around Hatch. Balloons, chile ristras and flowers adorned a signpost near where Chavez had been gunned down. Other tokens were left on an empty police cruiser a block away and a small shrine of candles was left at the police department.

At the Hatch Chile Express, Cabrales said passing tourists who stopped in for chile products asked them about Chavez, and expressed their shock and sadness. Some people left sympathy cards addressed to the village.

About 100 members of the community, police officers and first responders attended a candlelight vigil in front of the police department Saturday night. The vigil, punctuated by the sobs of Chavezs youngest daughter, included prayers from a Catholic priest and a Baptist minister, and a State Police officer thanked Chavez for his service.

When asked if he wanted to say anything, Hatch Police Chief James Trey Gimler teared up and shook his head, saying, I cant.

Cabrales said it was hard to believe that an officer he had just joked with at the convenience store the day before was killed.

We see most officers on a daily basis, he said. Theyre constantly patrolling and then will stop in and visit. Of course, its such a small town and I see them all four or five times a day.

The shooting, he said, has made him feel differently about the place he calls home.

Ive always thought it was safe here, Cabrales said. We dont lock our doors. But, last night, we did.
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Donald Trumps revamped tax plan stands in stark contrast to his rival Hillary Clintons plan, although many of the differences go back to the traditional split between the Republican and Democratic approaches to tax reform.

In terms of the big picture, it tends to be traditional Republican vs. traditional Democrat on the tax side, said Bill Smith, managing director of CBIZ MHMs National Tax Office, who has compiled an infographic contrasting the two candidates tax plans.

Hillary is not surprising, he noted. Most of what she thinks is kind of in alignment with what President Obama has been putting forth in his budget every year and getting nowhere with. Theres not that much thats new.

Trumps latest plan changes the tax rates he originally proposed and refines his approach to taxing carried interest income earned by hedge fund managers.

Initially he was talking about it as if he had come up with the idea, whereas it has been pushed by everybody for years and years on both sides of the aisle, said Smith. Under his original plan its either going to be a tax break for them if carried interest is covered under his 15 percent pass-through business tax, and then it would be an even lower rate than they were paying, or if it was taxed as ordinary income, assuming they were paying 23.8, and he came in at 25 percent, it was only a bump up of 1.2 percent. The fact that he was talking about carried interest at all, given the rest of his plan, seemed kind of silly to me. Now that he has gotten with the Republican powers that be and upped the brackets to 12, 25 and 33 [percent], its a much more important question about how that is going to be taxed, if its going to be subject to the 15 percent business income flow-through rate or whether it will truly be taxed as ordinary income, because then it would be a significant increase if its subject to the 33 percent.

Clinton wants to tax carried interest at ordinary income rates as opposed to the lower capital gains rate, a frequent proposal by the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress.

Hillary wants to tax carried interest also, but shes not changing the tax rate, so that would be a significant impact, said Smith.

Trump had originally proposed to significantly increase the standard deduction to $25,000 for individuals and $50,000 for couples filing jointly, but its unclear whether that proposal remains in the plan he unveiled this week (see Trump Tax Plan Seen as Boon for Rich, Question Mark for Others).

It would essentially quadruple the standard deduction, said Smith. Then that would be a boon to some of the lower- and middle-class taxpayers, but most of what hes doing tends to benefit the wealthy, and most of what Hillary is doing takes away from the wealthy. Shes got the Buffett tax, and shes got the 4 percent surcharge on adjusted gross income over $5 million, and she wants to scale back on the estate tax exemption and increase the maximum rate on the estate tax. Donald Trump wants to repeal it. He wants to limit the pass-through income to 15 percent, and Hillary doesnt have any changes there.

Trump has also proposed to allow parents to deduct the cost of childcare expenses, although the proposal has been criticized for only benefiting parents who earn enough to write off the expenses from their taxes.

On the business tax side, Trump is proposing a top rate of 15 percent. It wasnt exactly clear what he meant about that, but it seems clear now that any K-1 income you get on pass-throughs is going to be limited to a maximum rate of 15 percent, said Smith. To me thats the biggest single change. Its a sort of sea change in the way things are taxed in his plan. Hes basically trying to keep a consistent business rate, if you will. Thats been part of the fight historically between Democrats and Republicans. They are generally in line with lowering the corporate rate, maybe not the same amount, but Republicans said were not going to let you do that piecemeal because so much business is done through pass-throughs that you have to deal with individual rates at the same time. The Donald has done that with his proposal that if youre getting basically active trade or business income on a K-1, thats also going to be limited to 15 percent when you get it. Thats huge and Hillary has no changes on that side. Her individual rate still stays at 39.6. She still has the Net Investment Income Tax on top of that. So shes not making any major changes in that respect.

For more details on the two plans, Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting has produced a tax briefing contrasting the Trump and Clinton tax plans.

The implications of the proposed tax reform plans could be big for tax practitioners and their clients after the election. BDO USA surveyed a group of American tax directors earlier this year, and found that 77 percent of them believe tax reform will pass under a Republican president, in contrast to 33 percent who expect tax reform to pass if the next president is a Democrat. With Republicans currently in control of both the House and Senate, that opinion should not be too surprising. BDOs survey also found that one out of five tax directors surveyed consider planning for tax reform under the next president to be their top tax concern for 2016.

Tax professionals have good reason to anticipate the results of the November election to have a yuuge impact on the clients they service.
IMGCAP(1)]I was recently invited to Shanghai for a weeklong visit, and as the date neared, I found myself getting anxious. The city is massive.

With a population density nearly four times that of my hometown, a language barrier, and Eastern worldview, its intimidating. Naturally, the question is, why bother?

Because of the benefits of travel, gushes a friend. Your mind opens, experiences are priceless, youll learn new things, make new friends. . .

True, the benefits outweigh the costs. As I think about it, Ive gone through similar experiences before. San Francisco is our favorite city. The first visit was intimidating. Where will I stay? How will I get around? The second visit was better. This time Ill stay here and go there. By our tenth visit, we were giving advice to other passengers on the plane ride out there.

Extend that traveling mindset to another future destination: value-based pricing. As value-based pricing is typically presented, the first steps for transitioning a firm from hourly billing to a value based model are hard to find. Below Ive outlined a process that will help your firm travel to this strange new place.

For our purposes, the value-based pricing model Im referring to has three features:

 The price of the service varies based on the value of the project to the client. It provides you equitable compensation in return for providing clients great results.

 The price of the service is fixed and paid up-front. In addition to cash flow benefits, this eliminates billing hourly in arrears and relieves the client from making uninformed value decisions.

 The service provided focuses less on the output the firm provides, and more on the outcome the client has described.

The benefits of a value-based pricing system like this include improved cash flow, higher client satisfaction, and more rewarding work for partners and associates. Implied in all of this is a higher per hour rate and more time for knowledge workers to learn and think, increasing their value to clients.

So, What Could Be the Problem?

Sounds great, right? This is where anxiety creeps in and the journey looks difficult. Why arent more firms doing this? you might wonder. This is just flat-rate pricing. That wont work for us. Our clients are used to our rates. Our competitors are going to say were overcharging. Isnt this unfair to clients? We cant just change the firm over on the drop of a dime.

Ive heard all of this and I agree. Its not easy. However, if the benefits are worth it, you can make the transition. Its a process, not an event, and Ill outline it for you.

Step One: Structure the Project

The first part of the process is structuring the project. Start by defining an idealized vision of the future. Step out three to five years and imagine a day in the life of a value-based pricing firm. Think about a single partner and their work with their best client. The firm grip on language the partner has developed to communicate value. Their ability to get to true economic buyers in the organization, buyers who can prioritize their budget. A willingness to push back on conventional wisdom for the clients benefit. A clear understanding of the outcomes the client is after. The partnership that has developed between your firm and theirs. The partners deep understanding of where the client wants to go. The firm seeing the benefit from twice as much revenue coming from that client at half the hours.

That vision has to be clear and it has to be compelling. This is critical because change is hard. Think back to traveling to China. If you didnt see the benefit, why would you go? Start by finding a professional services firm that has adopted this model. Bring them in and have them sit on a panel with your leadership team. Dont get stuck in the present. Simply let them tell you about their days, weeks and months.

Once you have a clear vision, bring it back to today. How many future-oriented, outcome-focused conversations are your partners having today? Half a dozen a month? One a week? None? This is important because you need to set up metrics to measure progress. As Drucker taught us, what gets measured gets managed. You can live with zero value-based, future-oriented conversations right now. You should be upset if youre still at zero 12 months from now. When you know where you are today, set the target for 12 months from now.

I suggest you set up two numbers because your firm is full of smart, aggressive people, and they are all at full utilization right now. The first number is the ideal number of conversations you want them to have in the next 12 months. Follow that with the absolute minimum that you can live with. A minimum acceptable standard. Anything below is failing. Think about the minimum hours you require from an associate. Now think about the absolute worst performance you had to live with for more than six months. Thats your unwritten minimum acceptable standard. Its just as important as the optimistic number you put up for the goal.

Step Two: Identify the Right Players

The second part of the process is identifying the right clients and prospects for value-based pricing conversations. Your best shot at success is with your best prospects. When planning a trip to China, you cant go everywhere, so you start with big cities, important sights and major attractions. Your initial prospects for value-based projects will follow the same script. Target your best-performing clients. These are not necessarily your top billing clients. Your best initial value-based pricing conversations are future based, meaning that youre going to be talking about something the client is after in the future. To make it easy on your firm, look for clients that have some of the following characteristics:

 above average revenue growth;

 recent investment in staff or technology;

 a history of using consultants;

 identifiable economic buyers who can prioritize budgets (vs. simply allocating a given budget).

Your firm should identify at least as many clients and prospects as you hope to have successful value-based conversations with. You need the revenue growth because it naturally leads to discussions about the future, which well cover in detail on the next step. You want evidence of recent staff or technology investment because that too is an indicator of future growth. If theyve used outside help like consultants before, you wont be battling the concept of should we or shouldnt we use outsiders that rages inside so many organizations. Being able to identify economic buyers who can prioritize a budgetnot just allocate an existing budgetindicates that youre going to visit with someone who will come up with the money for the right outcome.

In addition to focusing on the right companies to have these conversations with, its equally important to focus on which people you want to see having these conversations. As tempting as it is, resist the temptation to test this with underutilized junior partners, new associates or hired guns. While it may be easier at first, if theres going to be future buy-in by the entire firm, you need these initial conversations to come from the top.

Start with a top-performing partner because their interactions with clients are already close to future-oriented, outcome-focused conversations. Theyll be the toughest to get buy-in on the vision because they are successful in their current ways, but theyll also have the best chance at success. Once they warm to the idea, the first thing theyll want to know is what these conversations sound and look like.

Step Three: Enter the Conversations

The third part of the process is learning the new language required for value-based conversations. You can have these conversations about any business topic, but as with a first trip to a strange land, were going to narrow the focus and see where the topic leads us. Specifically, were going to focus on the future. Where the client plans on being one year from today and why they consider the work to get there to be worth the effort.

The thing about value-based conversations is they arent solution oriented, meaning its not about an output we can provide. These talks are outcome oriented, meaning they are based on what the client is focused on, learning why they are focused there, and helping where you can. Two-thirds of this information doesnt come from you, only the client.

For instance, the client says, Next year? Well, well have identified a strategic acquisition. . . In a non-value-based conversation, the partner will feel the urge to talk about acquisitions and the firms success in identifying, valuing and aiding such transactions. A value-based conversation, on the other hand, will focus on understanding the why behind that desire. What will an acquisition do? Why now? What are the business reasons? What are your personal reasons? What are the financial reasons? What about nonfinancial reasons? What advice do I have for them regardless of whether or not I do the work? Would you, the client, be interested in help with that?

The clients answers contain the value. Value resides with the client, and your partners need to practice uncovering it and helping the client quantify it. To get started on value-based pricing, your firm needs to deliberately have these conversations in the next 12 months. Only after you hear a strong why bother? behind a desired outcome will you be able to unlock value-based pricing and the treasures within.

Getting Started

That three-step process is the best way to start on the road to value-based pricing. Its a proven way to get early success you can build on. The reason it works is because your people are applying this process in other areas of their lives. Its just like the way you make sure the first trip into a foreign land will be successful enough to warrant a return trip.

Start with the structure, building a vision and how youll measure progress and success. Second, spend time identifying the right companies and people to have conversations with. That includes wooing the partners in your organization who are most likely to have success with this approach, regardless of how busy they are. Third, focus on the language of the value-based approach. Your firms outputs have different worths to different clients, and the better your partners are at identifying where the highest value lies, the more rewarding your work is.

Follow that approach to get started. Note that its activity based, and youre looking for small successes to build on. Its just like my trip abroad. I understand the big picture benefits, Ive identified my target, and now I need to get there, get my bearings, and enjoy it enough to want to have other journeys. Start building your structure today. Twelve months from now, you want stories and metrics to improve on.

Greg Chambers is the founder of the sales-and-marketing consultancy Chambers Pivot Industries LLC. Greg helps entrepreneurial companies create sales-and-marketing practices they can get excited about and are a perfect fit for their cultures.
(Bloomberg) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, earned adjusted gross income of $10.6 million in 2015 and paid $3.6 million in federal income taxes, according to a tax return her campaign released Friday as it sought to draw a contrast with her Republican rival, Donald Trump.

Their income would place the Clintons well within the top 0.1 percent of earners, based on data for the 2014 tax year analyzed by a leading economist on income inequality.

The couple paid an effective tax rate of 34.2 percent in 2015 and donated 9.8 percent of their adjusted gross income to charityincluding a $1 million gift to the Clinton Family Foundationaccording to the return. The family foundation, which is separate from the better-known Clinton Foundation, listed Hillary and Bill Clinton as its only donors on its 2014 tax filing.

Fridays release adds to eight years of returns that Hillary Clintons campaign made public last year. All told, the Clintons have made their tax returns public for every year dating back to 1977, according to a campaign news release.

In releasing the returnalong with 10 years of tax information for her running mate, Virginia Senator Tim KaineClintons campaign once again tried to create a contrast between her and Trump over transparency in their personal finances.

Trumps Audit

Departing from 40 years of tradition for presidential candidates, Trump has so far refused to release any of his tax returns for public inspection. Trump has said that hes under an audit by the Internal Revenue Service and wont release his returns until that audit is concludedwhich may not happen before the Nov. 8 election. IRS officials have said theres no law preventing taxpayers from releasing their returns to the public, even if theyre under audit.

Yet the Clintons eight-figure income, which included almost $6 million from speaking fees and consulting fees for Bill Clinton and more than $4 million in speaking fees and income from book sales for Hillary Clinton, may complicate her attempts to appeal to lower- and middle-income voters. Their income appears to place them well within the top 0.1 percent of earners, based on data gathered by economist Emmanuel Saez of the University of California at Berkeley. Taxpayers in that group had average income of just over $6 million in 2014, according to Saezs data.

Prior Years

The Clintons prior tax returns showed that from 2007 through 2014, the couple made $139.1 millionmuch of it from paid speeches. The Clintons paid $43.9 million in federal taxes over those yearsan average tax rate that works out to 31.6 percent.

In 2015, their return shows, they overpaid their federal taxes by more than $1 million and asked that the excess be applied to their 2016 tax bill.

Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, paid an effective federal tax rate of 20.3 percent in 2015 on $313,441 in adjusted gross income, according to a copy of their return for the year. Over the past 10 years, the couple have donated 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income to charity, according to the campaigns news release.








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In March 2016, Gareth Morgan, of British online newspaper Express, published a very interesting article in which he displays some photos that would allegedly prove that former German leader Adolf Hitler lived to 95 [years old] with his Brazilian lover.

Hitler is said to have used the assumed name of Adolf Leipzig and was known to the 12,000 locals in Nossa Senhora do Livramento as the Old German, Mr Morgan stated.

He also informed that Simoni Renee Guerreiro Dias, who wrote Hitler in Brazil - His Life and His Death, claims he was in the area hunting for buried treasure using a map given to him by friends within the Vatican.

However, Mr Morgan also mentions that some researchers and academics refuse this theory, like historian Guy Walters, who described it as 2,000 per cent rubbish.

Draw your own conclusions

For further information: http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/455810/The-INCREDIBLE-picture-that-proves-Adolf-Hitler-lived-to-95-with-his-Brazilian-lover

The INCREDIBLE picture that 'proves' Adolf Hitler lived to 95 with his Brazilian lover

THIS is the picture that proves Adolf Hitler did not die in his bunker and escaped to Brazil where he lived to the ripe old age of 95, a Nazi-hunting author claims.

The evil dictator fled to Paraguay, via Argentina, before settling in a small town in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, according to a shocking book.

Hitler is said to have used the assumed name of Adolf Leipzig and was known to the 12,000 locals in Nossa Senhora do Livramento as "the Old German".

The man at the centre of the controversial claim is pictured, two years before his death in 1984, posing happily with his black girlfriend Cutinga.

Simoni Renee Guerreiro Dias, who wrote Hitler in Brazil - His Life and His Death, claims he was in the area hunting for buried treasure using a map given to him by friends withing the Vatican.

She insists that Hitler was using his lover Cutinga to hide his true identity as a vile Aryan supremacist.

Simoni, a Brazilian jew, refuses to accept that the Fuhrer shot himself in his Berlin bunker on April 30 1945. She is demanding that Leipzig's remains be exhumed and his DNA tested tested against living relatives of Hitler.

She told local journalists: "I just laughed at first, I thought it was a joke. Today I'm convinced it is true and Adolf Hitler didn't end up here by chance."

Simoni spent two years in the small town near the Bolivian border, which was founded during an 18th century gold rush, investigating her oddball theory.

She has linked the Fuhrer's alleged arrival in the area to a Vatican offer of ownership rights over buried Jesuit treasure in a cave near his adopted home.

And she claims that he chose the surname of Leipzig because it was the birthplace of Hitler's favourite composer, Bach.

Her suspicions about Adolf Leipzig increased after she Photoshopped a moustache onto the grainy picture she obtained of him and compared it to photos of the Nazi leader.

According to Simoni, an unidentified Polish nun recognised an elderly man due to have an op at a hospital in Cuiaba in the early eighties as Hitler and demanded he leave - but was reprimanded by a superior who claimed he was there on Vatican orders.

Conspiracy theorists have long argued Hitler escaped from Germany and fled to south America, following fellow Nazis Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele.

This theory became the centre of a fresh row last year when two British authors were accused of plagiarism by a journalist in Argentina.

Gerrard Williams and Simon Dunstan claimed in a 2011 book Grey Wolf: The Escape of Adolf Hitler, that the Fuhrer fled with his mistress Eva Braun to Patagonia and had two daughters before dying in 1962 aged 73.
Fireworks go off during the Rostec's 2nd International Fireworks Festival in Moscow's Brateevsky Cascade Park. [Photo/VCG]

MOSCOW - Chinese tourists took a fancy to shopping in Russia, spending over $2 billion in 2015, recent figures from a report of the Russian federal tourism agency Rostourism showed.

"The Chinese are responsible for 5 to 20 percent of revenues of major malls of Moscow and St Petersburg," the agency said.

Rostourism said Chinese tourists prefer buying luxury goods, watches, cosmetics and Russian jewelry. There has also been an increase in demand for luxury rooms in hotels.

Last year, Russia received more than 1.2 million Chinese tourists, which is 87 percent more than in 2014, the agency said.

The number of tourists arriving in Russia from China on a visa-free exchange basis in the first quarter of this year exceeded 35,000, or 47 percent more than a year ago.

"We are seeing a growing interest in our country and for our part, make every effort to make guests from China feel comfortable in Russia," Rostourism's head Oleg Safonov said.
UPDATE: Brussels Airport saw cargo volumes decline in July as airlines reduced services and cancelled flights in response to weakening demand.

The European airport saw total cargo volumes decline by 8.8% year on year in July to 39,689 tons. The largest decrease in percentage terms was felt by its belly cargo business, which was 16.5% down on a year earlier to 9,827 tons.

Full freighter demand was down 9.8% year on year to 12,799 tons and integrator volumes slid 2.9% to 17,063 tons.

The airport blamed the decline on companies ceasing operations and the cancellation of flights as a result of business decisions and the economic climate in Asia.

Brussels Airport head of cargo Steven Polmans added that July 2015 had been a particularly strong month, with volumes up by almost 20%

It said the Asian economic climate was also to blame for the downturn in integrator demand.

In its results for June, the airport revealed that KF Aerospace, which started flights to Brussels Airport in 2015, had ceased operations to the airport, Yangtze River Express has transferred part of its activities to Schiphol and Saudia Cargo has gradually reduced its operations.

KF Aerospace had launched the three times a week transatlantic service from Toronto and Moncton to Brussels last year to cater for live items, perishables, pharmaceuticals, and other high value goods seamlessly across North America and into Europe. The service utilised a DC10-30 freighter.

A KF Aerospace spokesperson said it had announced in March 2016 that it was ceasing those operations as it was unable to secure sufficient volumes at a profitable margin.

The aircraft and crew were transferred to flying on behalf of Solar Cargo out of Miami, Florida into South American destinations such as Lima, Peru; Bogota, Columbia; and Caracas, Venezuela; along with charter services. That dedicated service started in April 2016.

Polmans said that Yangtze announced heavy maintenance on one of their aircraft, reducing their frequencies to Brussels, and to avoid having only one frequency in Brussels, moved that flight to Amsterdam.

However, as of mid August, the airline will resume normal operations at Brussels.

Saudi has been reducing operations at Brussels for the last five years but other Gulf carriers have entered the market and increased calls at the Belgian airport, improving its connections with the Middle East.

"Although we regret to see that the once biggest cargo carrier at Brussels reduced their operations that much, we are glad that every reduction was followed by an increase in frequencies or a new airline entering the market," said Polmans.

"At this moment, Saudia increased frequencies again, so they remain very welcome and we will see what happens in future."
August 12, 2016

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights issued a report July 21 showing that there were 70 incidents of assault against Egyptian Shiites during the period from January 2011 to May 2016.

The report also highlighted the killing of Shite cleric Hassan Shehata and three of his students in June 2013.

The report indicated that these violations arise in the context of incitement to hatred, violence and discrimination against Shiites. In addition, the report accused many parties of supporting this anti-Shiite attitude such as the official religious institutions and state-run media outlets, in addition to the Islamist political currents such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafist Call and some private media outlets. According to the report, some media outlets provided unbalanced coverage that incited hatred and discrimination against this minority in Egypt. While there are no confirmed statistics on their numbers, estimates range from the thousands to 3 million out of Egypts total population of about 90 million.

Shiite intellectual Ahmad Rasim al-Nafis said that regular citizens, under the oversight of the regime, systematically practice violations against Shiites. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Nafis accused security forces of failing to counter such violations and of clamping down on Shiites, especially when they want to visit the sacred shrines of Prophet Muhammads family members or travel abroad.

Nafis said Saudi Arabia and some of the Gulf countries have spent billions of dollars on media campaigns to demonize Shiites and turn the conflict in the region from being Arab-Israeli to Sunni-Shiite. He also indicated that such campaigns had influenced the Arab people who now believe that Shiism is more dangerous to the Arab nations than Zionism.

Al-Azhar is schizophrenic when it comes to Shiism, Nafis said. He said statements made by the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar accusing Shiism of impugning the Sunni creed contradict Al-Azhars leniency toward the Jaafari school of Shiism and the study of the Shiite traditions in its institutions. He added that there are masters and doctorate dissertations on Shiite figures under the supervision of senior professors at Al-Azhar University.

It is worth mentioning that there is a document attributed to Mahmud Shaltut, the former grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, stating that the Jaafari school of theology is legitimate under Islam. In 2013, Ahmad al-Tayyib, the current grand sheikh of Al-Azhar, said in a television interview that Jaafari is the fifth Islamic school of theology, indicating that it is occasionally used as a source for religious edicts, especially those concerning family affairs.

Nafis believes that the current Egyptian government is too weak to build a state where the concepts of citizenship, freedom of thought and coexistence prevail. He also asserted that Article 98 of Egypts Penal Code, under which presenter Islam al-Behairy and author Fatimah Naoot were sentenced to imprisonment for contempt of religion, is a wonderful victory for what he described as the theocracy.

Leading Shiite figure Al-Tahir al-Hashimi agreed with Nafis on the systematic violations against Shiites, indicating that the report observed only a part of what the Shiites actually suffer in Egypt. He said that most Shiites dont reveal their religious affiliation for fear of being harmed either by the citizens or security apparatuses, asserting that Wahhabism has been strongly prevalent in the Egyptian community since the 1970s, and it stands behind the hostile stance espoused by most Egyptians against Shiites.

Hashimi stressed that Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Endowments adopt a discourse that fuels hatred against Shiites. He said some individuals affiliated with security apparatuses are personally hostile against the Shiites, which negatively affects the nature of the relationship between the two parties, asserting that the religious persecution against any sect harms the reputation of Egypt in the first place.

Hashimi did not rule out that the current rapprochement between the Egyptian and Saudi regimes is behind Egypts silent attitude toward the violations against Shiites. However, he believes that the harm of this silence is greater than its good, asserting that any violation against Shiites harms the reputation of Egypt internationally and deepens the split in the Egyptian community. Hashimi said that any economic or strategic gains achieved from the Egyptian-Saudi rapprochement will be useless if the Egyptian community is split.

Sheikh Nasser Radwan, the founder of the Salafist Ahfad al-Sahaba coalition and a vocal opponent of Shiism in Egypt, accused Egyptian Shiites of exaggerating the number of attacks against them. Radwan told Al-Monitor that he has observed  during his participation in book fairs in various Arab countries  several Shiite-affiliated individuals trying to attract young people and influence their beliefs through offering free books that falsify Islamic belief and history.

I do not support violence. I believe that thoughts should only be encountered by thoughts, Radwan said. Although he accused Shiites of standing behind many of the violent attacks perpetuated in the Arab world, he stressed that violence is not the ideal way to deal with what he described as the scheme of disseminating Shiism, indicating that violence is counterproductive and distorts the message of those who encounter the dissemination of the Shiite tradition. Moreover, Radwan asserted that the killing of Hasan Shehata, in addition to other incidents where Egyptian Shiites were attacked, are not systematic and were not incited by any of those who take on the responsibility of encountering Shiite thoughts.

In the same context, Radwan believes that teaching Shiism in Al-Azhar does not mean that the latter deems it valid, indicating that Al-Azhar and its sheikhs have adopted clear stances where they condemned the terrorist attacks perpetuated by what he called Shiite militias in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.

On the other side, Muhammad Abd al-Aty, the head of the faculty of educations Islamic Studies Department at Al-Azhar University, told Al-Monitor that there is an intellectual crisis between the Sunnis and Shiites. He said there is a radical Sunni opinion that accuses Shiites of nonbelief and looks at them as more dangerous than any other enemy, while some Shiites consider themselves as the only representatives of Islam and deem their imams infallible. Abd al-Aty emphasized that Al-Azhar stands in a neutral zone between the two views and accepts all within a framework void of radicalism.

Abd al-Aty said that Al-Azhar does not turn a blind eye to the moderate Shiites such as those who are affiliated with the Jaafari and Zaydi doctrines, indicating that students at Al-Azhar University study these two doctrines and the institution views them as moderate.
August 12, 2016

On Aug. 13, Israeli and international human rights organizations will hold another round of protest activities in the Khirbet Susya village in the West Bank in the South Hebron Hills. The activists, who view the Susya campaign as their life work, have recently learned that their protests have borne fruit: The US administration, as well as the European Union and Britain, warned Israel not to demolish the village and expel its residents.

The Palestinian village of Khirbet Susya has been in the South Hebron Hills since the 19th century. The Israeli Susya settlement was erected near the village in 1983 on Palestinian lands that were confiscated by Israel as state lands. Human rights activists claim that ever since then, Israeli authorities, pressured by the settlers, have been trying to drive out the Palestinian villagers from their lands. In 1986, the area was declared an archaeological site, and so the Khirbet Susya villagers were expelled from their lands, moving into caves and tents they erected on agricultural lands that they owned. Since then, Israel has been waging a battle against Khirbet Susya residents, claiming that they have constructed illegal buildings and taken over lands that do not belong to them.

In July 2000, after Palestinian terrorists murdered Yair Har Sinai, a resident of the Susya settlement next to the Palestinian village, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began destroying buildings in the village and banished some of the residents. This was in retaliation of the murder, which was not committed by the villagers. The court issued an interim order that halted the demolition work, but the threat remained. Additional attempts were made over the years to destroy structures in the village and expel its inhabitants. Recently, the civil administration issued demolition orders for most of the villages structures.

However, it seems that the international strategy adopted by human rights activists might accomplish what dozens of demonstrations and petitions to the High Court of Justice couldnt: the removal of the demolition threat for good. On Aug. 10, US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said, If the Israeli government proceeds with demolitions in Susya, it would be very troubling. She added that the US administration hopes that a solution will be found to avoid the demolition.

The hint and the threat were clear. Her words came as a continuation of the firm message that was also transmitted by other higher-ups in the US administration and by congressmen. They all warned that should Israel destroy the Palestinian village homes, a severe US response would follow. The EU also transmitted sharp messages to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, and high-level British Foreign Ministry officials warned that the demolition of the village would make it difficult for London to continue to assist Israel in international forums.

Rabbi Arik Ascherman, who left the Rabbis for Human Rights organization this week but had spearheaded the Susya protest for many years, told Al-Monitor that there is a dispute among the organizations: whether to keep the protest local or whether to mobilize international public opinion to put pressure on Israel.

I am a fan of the second approach, he said, and added that while the first step must encompass efforts to change things from within, once this stage has been exhausted and efforts have failed, it is imperative to continue further. With all due respect to efforts of the human rights legalists and a battery of legal advisers from all the other organizations, there is no doubt that the reason that Susya is still standing today is international pressure, headed by the United States, Ascherman said.

The connection between human rights organizations in Israel with international human rights organizations and governments has strengthened greatly in recent years. In fact, almost all such Israeli organizations today have an activist for external relations. This is a kind of foreign minister tasked with deepening the connection with international organizations and governments that have influence over Israel.

The more that the Israeli organizations became disillusioned with the performance of the local authorities and the judgments of the courts, the more they looked outside for help. Thus, they formed contacts with sources that could put pressure on Israel to lead to positive results (in their view).

Two substantive issues regarding Susya were brought to the courts in recent years. The first is whether the village inhabitants are living on land they owned for generations, as they claim, or whether they took control of land over which they have no right of possession. The second issue is why the state is not creating master building plans that will allow the inhabitants to continue to live in their village.

On Aug. 1, the High Court of Justice held another discussion, headed by Supreme Court President Justice Miriam Naor, on the state petition to demolish Palestinian Susya. At the end of the discussion, the justices gave Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman two weeks in which to submit his position regarding the evacuation of Susya and negotiation with its inhabitants. But even before the defense minister could submit his answer, Israel found itself in the crosshairs of an international protest movement that put Liberman in a bind.

Professor David Shulman, an Israel Prize laureate and activist in the Israeli-Palestinian peace movement Taayush, has been a partner in the Susya struggle since its inception in 2000. In an interview with Al-Monitor, he said that the long battle constitutes a test case. At the very beginning of Taayushs activities in South Hebron Hills, infrastructure for Palestinian inhabitants was erected with the assistance of international organizations and foreign governments that financed them. Over the years, organizational activists brought ambassadors and attaches from the United States and European embassies to the area. At first, this was to encourage the diplomats to help the Hebron Hills residents, and afterward, to enable them to see firsthand the hardships of the Palestinian residents who, Shulman said, are slated for evacuation.

Today, they are very familiar with Susya, said Shulman. Susya is a unique instance in which there is an attempt to demolish an entire village. That is why it enraged the entire world. The [Israeli] courts disappointed us, especially the High Court of Justice that refused to intervene. Evidently theres no chance to attain a fair trial, certainly not in the military system in the territories. The only thing that deters Israeli governments is international pressure.

Ascherman also thinks that international mobilization against Israel regarding Susya stems from the fact that over the last year Israel has significantly intensified the scope of demolitions in Area C. According to a BTselem press release, Israel has destroyed at least 188 residential structures in Area C that were under Palestinian ownership. According to B'Tselem, this is the largest number of structures destroyed by Israel in the West Bank since 2006.

Human rights organizational activists in Israel believe that the demolition momentum in Area C can only be stopped via international pressure, as shown in the Susya instance. In their opinion, the Susya affair clearly showed the defense minister and the IDF that not everything goes and that the international community is setting red lines that Israel must not cross.
August 12, 2016

According to the National Commission for Lebanese Women, some 600 women were elected during the 2016 municipal elections, an increase of 15% compared to the last elections held in 2010. More educated and more present in the work sphere, women seem to be gaining representation in the public sphere, serving their local communities.

In Baakline, 15 people are elected to the city council, including the president of the municipality. Sara Bou Kamel, a telecommunications engineer running as an independent, almost won the 15th position on the city council in the Chouf area, but ended up 16th, losing by five votes.

Bou Kamel is highly involved in her community through her activities with the nongovernmental organization TERRE Liban. She worked with the previous municipal administration to implement garbage-sorting solutions in Baakline and to train people to fight deforestation and prevent fires.

I come from a family that was already involved in politics. I was raised to care about this country, Bou Kamel told Al-Monitor. Even though I implemented TERRE Liban's branch in the Chouf, leaders of the community would prefer to talk to [founder and President] Paul Abi Rached than me. I wasn't taken seriously as a woman, which was a bit frustrating since it was about my own village.

However, the garbage crisis in the summer of 2015 pushed her to more extensive involvement. She met You Stink activists and learned how to mobilize others around her. I was lucky that Baakline has many projects in coordination with the European Union, like the one on democratic participation in the municipality, she said. There is a committee for each zone of the city that meets to talk about their issues in order to present them to the municipality, and I was involved in one committee. I felt that I can lead something, and I was encouraged by many people such as the former mayor, Nouha Ghosseini, who is an important figure in the community. It helped for people to think a young lady can participate. Baakline is a kind of prototype.

Although more women have been elected in local elections, there are currently only four women in the Lebanese parliament. Rima Majed, a lecturer at the American University of Beirut, told Al-Monitor, It still shows a very low political representation for women, but municipalities are better than the parliament because women are not representing or related to male politicians.

She added, It shows a bigger role for women in communities, which can be explained in different ways. Lebanese society is in a period of transition, with a clear shift in female employment, for example, but men are still dominating the public sphere. Still, women are more independent financially because working is often a financial necessity for a household, and there is an increasing phenomenon of unmarried women, because there are more and more divorces. A lot of women in Lebanon have reached the stage where they feel they can take charge of public matters. They are well educated and they work. Society can also be considered a bit more open. It's still not [the norm]  very few women were elected in Akkar and in the south  but in Arsal, one woman won. We can't generalize, but women do participate more and more. There is still a long way to go, and that should be helped with proper measures and policies to balance gender in our society.

Majed also emphasized the importance of the community, telling Al-Monitor, Municipalities are a lot about families, not necessarily politics. In small localities, active women get more visibility, especially with their personal network, whereas it's more difficult in bigger cities for women, as parties and big families have a lot of weight there. Another problem women face in local elections is that the system is not based on proportionality. The full list either wins or loses. It indirectly reinforces the patriarchy.

She added, If the list containing women fails, women can't reach the municipality. Yet according to Decree-Law No. 118 of 1977, these elections should be of the majority plurinominal type and not a list system like the parliamentary elections. This situation led Bou Kamel to fail, even with the support of her parents, an important political family of Baakline that agreed not to have representatives from the family run against her so that their daughter could lead her own independent program. But her first steps in politics paid off, she said, People, especially the young ones, were very supportive. They contacted me and they know I am good and active on the ground, reliable. It was a great experience personally, and people started to know me although I didnt go to school in the village.

The path for women in Baakline was blazed a long time ago by Ghosseini, the former mayor who is currently a lecturer for three Lebanese universities. In 1992, she returned to Lebanon from studying in France. Five years later, with the support of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, her students and the Lebanese association Baladi, Baldati, Baladiyati (My Country, my Town, my Municipality), she decided to be part of a list in the 1998 municipal elections.

Ghosseini told Al-Monitor it was a real challenge for a woman at that time. The electoral list was prepared by compromise with the families and political forces of Baakline. It was not so easy for me to find a place as a woman. The support of Jumblatt was essential for me to be accepted  first as a city council member, not mayor  by the male members of my family and the religious leader of my town. The election results were inspiring: I had the best score in the poll with a surplus of 200 votes out of 2,089 compared to the second winner. These results clearly show the aspiration of the people of Baakline for change, she said.

However, a compromise was established and the municipal mandate from 1998 until 2004 was shared under the direction of two mayors belonging to the great families of Baakline. Ghosseini was then elected as mayor and president of the federation of municipalities of Chouf Souayjani for two consecutive terms: 2004-2010 and 2010-2016.

Herself inspired by two women elected as mayors in 1963, Soulayma Dorgham in the Bekaa Valley and a Mrs. Eid [authors note: Ghosseini didn't remember her first name] in her own region, Ghosseini considered Bou Kamel's loss a success. She said, It doesn't have to be for women a reason to renounce politics. We have to change mentalities by a constant presence in every election. Failure is not the end. We women must always work and support each other to increase the number of women in politics and encourage them in the short term to invest their commitments and convictions in serving others, this being possible because municipal elections are local elections focused on family and services, whose objective is optimizing the well-being of residents. Municipal elections are considered the first level of the expression of authority and power to local democracy. Subsequently, women can access regional and even national levels.

This wish is shared by a number of women who have organized themselves to challenge the dominance of male representation in the Lebanese public sphere. One, Women in Front, is an association created to motivate women to participate in the legislative elections that have been pushed from 2014 to 2017. From this group, lawyer Nadine Moussa became the first woman to submit her candidacy for the presidential elections that still have yet to be held.
August 12, 2016

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Palestinian photojournalist Ashraf Amra is pleading with international human rights organizations, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate to be allowed to travel from the Gaza Strip to Moscow to receive a journalism award.

Amra, a resident of the Deir el-Balah refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, won second place in the Top News category in the Andrei Stenin International Photo Contest on Aug. 4. The contest was organized by the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency under the auspices of the UNESCO commission of the Russian Federation. More than 7,000 photographers from 71 countries participated.

Amra's career in photojournalism started in 2002. He worked with several local news websites and was a reporter for several local radio stations. He also worked as a freelance photographer selling photos to such international news agencies as Reuters and AFP. He is now a photographer for APA images, an independent Palestinian photojournalism agency.

He told Al-Monitor, I have tried to travel to Moscow to receive my award at the award ceremony scheduled to be held on Aug. 30, but so far I am unable to travel due to the tight closure policy imposed on the Gaza Strip by Egypt and Israel. I am afraid I will not be able to receive my award and will be denied the opportunity to represent my country in this prestigious ceremony.

The Egyptian authorities have maintained an almost complete closure of the Rafah crossing on the eastern borders of the Sinai Peninsula since July 2013. In consideration for the tense security situation in Sinai, the crossing is opened sporadically for a few days at a time for humanitarian cases only. Egypt claims that it is keeping the crossing closed to prevent armed jihadists from crossing over from Gaza, though Hamas has denied this danger on more than one occasion. According to statistics published by Gaza's Interior Ministry in December 2015, the Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing for only 21 days during 2015.

As for the Israel-controlled Erez crossing, Gisha, the Israeli Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, indicated, "Since March 2006, Israeli policy has been to deny Gaza residents passage except for certain humanitarian cases and prominent businessmen, who were allowed entry with Israeli facilitation."

The photo that won Amra second place shows the body of Rahaf Hassan, a 2-year-old child killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit her house in the Zeitoun neighborhood east of Gaza city on Oct. 11, 2015. The airstrike also killed the childs mother Noor Hassan, who was five months pregnant. Amras photo shows the father, Yehya Hassan, hugging his childs dead body in his arms at her funeral.

Amra said, It is a photo that wonderfully represents a humanitarian issue. It portrays the cruelty of the Israeli occupation that targets houses inhabited by civilians and children. This photo describes the recurring tragedy experienced by the residents of the Gaza Strip during the previous Israeli wars.

He noted that his photo is different from dozens of others of the same scene, because of his choice of angle that highlighted the sadness of the father as he summoned the strength to bid his child a final farewell.

The award means a lot to Amra, who said, I want to go to Moscow to represent my country and to talk about the suffering of my people in front of the audience in this international event. The fact that a Palestinian photo won this prestigious award shows that the international community is still aware of the Palestinian cause and that a Palestinian photo can still influence international public opinion.

This is not the first time that Amra has tried to leave Gaza to receive a journalism award. The photojournalist had won third place in the same contest in 2015 in the Everyday Life category, but was unable to leave the Gaza Strip then as well.

Israel began its closure policy on Gaza following Hamas' kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit from a military post near Kerem Shalom on June 25, 2006. Gazas crossings were kept closed for long, regular periods. On June 15, 2007, Israel decided to close four of the six border crossings with Gaza, keeping open only Kerem Shalom and Erez.

Amra was able to accept the Palestinian Press House 2015 free media award for best photo at a ceremony in the Gaza Strip.

Amra, who has covered three Israeli wars on Gaza, noted that Palestinian photographers have good chances of winning international competitions because of the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the continued Israeli occupation and the blockade on Gaza ongoing since 2007, as the ongoing misery and suffering of the people in Gaza continue to draw the worlds attention. However, he explained, the blockade endangers journalists in Gaza, since Israel has banned the entry of safety and security equipment such as helmets and shields for journalists, putting their lives at risk.

The 51-day war in 2014 claimed the lives of 17 journalists and wounded 20 others.

Amra himself has sustained several injuries during his career, including a foot injury during the 2012 war. He was hurt when Israeli planes bombed al-Shawa media tower in central Gaza city, where a number of media offices are located.

On Oct. 21, 2015, Amra was covering the funeral of Palestinian citizen Ahmed al-Sarhi, who was killed by Israeli fire in Deir el-Balah. Amra took a stray bullet to his hand.

Amra said, In October 2015, I requested that Israel allow me to travel through the Erez crossing to receive medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip, but my request was denied without any justification." He added, Israel denies us the right to travel, fearing we will exercise our role as journalists and talk to other people about our suffering.

He hopes that Abbas will hear his appeal and that international human rights organizations will fill their duty in pressuring Israel to allow him to travel to Moscow to receive his award. I hope all Palestinians will be allowed to travel without being subject to any conditions and obstacles, he said.
August 12, 2016

Around this time six years ago, Turkey was bracing for a referendum on controversial constitutional changes that would profoundly reshape the judiciary. To lure opposition voters, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had put a sweetener into the package  an article to prosecute the leaders of the 1980 coup, which had victimized mostly leftist, Kurdish and some rightist quarters.

In a memorable episode in parliament ahead of the vote, then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan broke into tears as he eulogized young people executed after the coup, and he read the farewell letter one of them had penned. "The referendum," he said, "will be a score-settling with the mentality that sent young people to the gallows."

Today, having survived a coup attempt himself, Erdogan is an ardent advocate of reinstating the death penalty. Consistency is hardly Erdogan's strong suit, yet this turnabout is not just another one, for it threatens a full-blown crisis with the European Union and serious rifts at home.

No one has been executed in Turkey since 1984, first under a de facto moratorium and then legal reforms aimed to advance the country's EU accession bid. Capital punishment was fully removed from the books in 2004, under Erdogan's government, following two amendments in 2001 and 2002 that had narrowed its scope to terrorism and crimes committed during war.

Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim say it is the Turkish people who want the death penalty back after the July 15 coup attempt. Yet, talk in Ankara's political corridors suggests otherwise. On July 16, hours after the putsch was suppressed, a group of AKP supporters were already calling for the death penalty at the parliament's courtyard. "We want executions," they chanted, as Yildirim emerged from an emergency session to condemn the putsch. Al-Monitor, however, has learned that AKP lawmakers began discussing the restitution of capital punishment while the putschists bombed parliament during the night. Moreover, the demonstrators were able to enter the parliament's premises as guests of the AKP, which reinforces claims that the whole thing was orchestrated.

Top EU officials, including foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, have issued stern warnings that reinstating the death penalty would end Turkey's membership bid. Yildirim at one point cautioned against "rushing decisions in the heat of the moment," though he asserted "the will of our citizens is an order for us."

Erdogan, for his part, has urged parliament to take up the issue, pledging to readily approve any amendment to that effect. He reiterated his call even at the massive rally in Istanbul Aug. 7, which was meant as an unprecedented display of unity between the government and the opposition, including the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), a staunch opponent of the move.

Ertugrul Gunay, who served as Erdogan's culture minister before resigning in disappointment in 2013, believes the president is using the threat of the death penalty to bully opponents and "bluff" the EU.

Gunay told Al-Monitor, "Erdogan is a pragmatist" with "no scruples about contradicting what he said yesterday. He knows very well that retroactive application of the death penalty [for the putschists] is legally impossible. So, why this turnabout? To spread fear in society, I believe. It is an intimidation intended for tomorrow, for the coming days."

Gunay drew a link between the death penalty controversy and Erdogan's efforts to overcome the crisis with Russia, which he described as a "great debacle" for Turkey. "The Russia move, along with the death penalty rhetoric, is a show for Europe  a message saying, 'Look, I have the Russia option.' [But] no European leader has correctly read the bluff."

Turkey, Gunay argued, has too much to lose from severing ties with Europe or NATO, and closer bonds with Russia can never compensate for the loss. "A break is unlikely, so the bluff is aimed at the domestic public as well. Ties [with Europe] may become strained, but a break is something that neither Turkey's economy nor military nor social fabric can afford," he said.

Atilla Kart, a former lawmaker, warned of disastrous consequences if the death penalty was restored, stressing that a draconian crackdown was already underway against the Gulen community, which is held responsible for the putsch. "Today's practices pale in comparison to the 1980 coup," Kart, who had served as a lawyer for victims of the 1980 coup, told Al-Monitor. "They don't even feel the need to trump up some evidence  acting [merely] with feelings of enmity and vengeance. [People are prosecuted] on the basis of lists sent directly to the courts, without any investigation by police and prosecutors."

Kart recalled the massive sham trials that targeted mainly soldiers but also journalists and intellectuals several years ago, which the government first backed and then disowned as a Gulenist "setup" to weaken the military. "Can you imagine what a huge catastrophe it would have been if the death penalty was applied at the time?" he asked.

Metin Feyzioglu, the head of the Turkish Bar Association, told Al-Monitor that major legal obstacles stood in the way of reinstating the death penalty. Any such move will require not only adding a new article to the constitution, but also the removal of an existing one that gives precedence to international law with respect to human rights, and therefore Turkey's withdrawal from related protocols of the European Convention of Human Rights. He said, "Even if you go that far, you still can't apply the death penalty retroactively. And if you insist you can, you override a fundamental, 2,000-year-old principle of law, which means a total break with Europe and the rest of the world."

Feyzioglu, too, believes the controversy was aimed at domestic consumption, but warns it impedes the extradition of coup plotters who managed to escape abroad.

Besides the CHP, the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party is also opposed to the death penalty, which means an outright amendment in parliament is arithmetically impossible. Yet, with support from the Nationalist Action Party, the AKP could take the amendment to a popular referendum.

The government has not spoken of a referendum so far, and Yildirim keeps pledging commitment to the spirit of unity displayed at the Istanbul rally, in which the CHP is a key element.

CHP Deputy Chairman Bulent Tezcan told Al-Monitor the party would not back down from its opposition to capital punishment. He slammed the AKP for stirring popular sentiments "instead of promoting common sense," but doubted it would actually submit a proposal in parliament. "If they do, that would be a sign of a serious descent into authoritarianism [and] break with the West," he said. "But I don't really think this is what they are aiming at, and hopefully, it won't happen."

"Hopefully" is the most oft-used word in Turkey these days, reflecting perhaps less hope and more apprehension on what lies down the road.
Etowah County authorities say they have found a man reported missing since last night.

Sheriff Todd Entrekin said Jerry Ray Pennington, 68, was located safely this morning.

He was previously last seen Friday night walking from a residence on Carnes Chapel Road.

Entrekin said family members had been concerned because of medical issues Pennington suffers.

Jerry Ray Pennington

Involved in the search were the sheriff's office, Ivalee Volunteer Fire Department, Gadsden/Etowah Emergency Management Agency, North Alabama Search Dog Association and A-Med Ambulance.
A 7-month-old baby was found dead in a hot car on Friday afternoon in the parking lot of a Texas Wal-Mart.

The baby was apparently left in the car for nearly nine hours, as the boy's father worked inside the store in Helotes, a suburb of San Antonio, KENS5 reported.

The father told police he was supposed to drop the child off at daycare before arriving to work at 6:15 a.m., but he forgot.

A bystander didn't notice the baby in the car until about 3:09 p.m.

The father was taken into custody for questioning. It's unclear if he will face criminal charges.

According to the report, temperatures reached 100 degrees for much of Friday afternoon.
Bill Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton speaks during a campaign stop for his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

(Jim Cole)

Former President Bill Clinton told a Nevada conference on Friday that the email controversy surrounding his wife, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard."

Clinton disputed that the former secretary of state received classified information on the server.

He was referring to a question from a reporter, who asked the former president if his wife could be trusted after the email investigation, which resulted in no criminal charges by the Justice Department.

"First of all, the FBI Director [James Comey] said when he testified before Congress, he had to amend his previous day's statement that she had never received any emails marked classified. They saw two little notes with a 'C' on it," Clinton said at the Asian American Journalists Association event Friday in Las Vegas. "This is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard."

Clinton said the emails in question "were about telephone calls that she needed to make, and the State Department usually typically puts a little 'C' on it to discourage people from discussing it in public in the event the secretary of state, whoever it is, doesn't make a telephone call," according to CNN. Does that sound threatening to the national security to you?"

He said that the system used for classifying information is "too complicated to explain to people."

"Do you really believe there are 300 career diplomats because that's how many people were on these emails, all of whom were careless with national security? Do you believe that?" he said. "Forget about Hillary, forget about her. Is that conceivable?"
terri sewell.jpg

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (Frank Couch/AL.com file)

The hacker who accessed the computer systems of the Democratic National Committee and the campaign arm of House Democrats released a new batch of documents on Friday, including what is claimed to be the cell phone numbers of Democratic members of Congress and logins and passwords for newspaper and other website subscriptions.

Rep. Terri Sewell's, D-Birmingham, cell phone number was not listed on an Excel spreadsheet accessed by the hacker, who is going by the moniker Guccifer 2.0, but the mobile numbers for some of her staff members were, including at least one who no longer works in Sewell's office, suggesting the information is outdated.

On his WordPress account, Guccifer 2.0 said the Excel file and other information was taken from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which recruits and supports House Democratic candidates.

"It's time for new revelations now. All of you may have heard about the DCCC hack. As you see I wasn't wasting my time! It was even easier than in the case of the DNC breach," wrote Guccifer 2.0, who claims to be from Romania but who cybersecurity experts believe to be a member of a group of hackers with ties to the Russian government, according to the Smoking Gun.

The hacker also released what he claimed were logins and passwords the DCCC used for Lexis-Nexis, the Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, and other publications, including Glenn Beck's website. The password Democrats used for Beck's site was "nutbag."

In June, Guccifer 2.0 released what he said was the Democrats' research opposition file on Donald Trump. The 237-page report mostly compiled by the Democratic National Committee consisted of press clippings and Trump interviews, presumably to be used by the committee for attacks on the Republican presidential candidate.

Last month, just before the start of the Democratic National Convention, WikiLeaks obtained and released hundreds of DNC emails, including messages that showed the committee favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary race. The DNC is supposed to stay neutral during primaries, and the revelation led to the resignation of DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other staffers.
Brian engine.png

Brian McArdle, 42, was the first case of human West Nile virus in 2016. McArdle is a resident of Mobile County.

(John Naughton)

In a quiet patient room inside the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, John Naughton, 44, was spending his Friday evening sitting beside the hospital bed of his brother-in-law and longtime high school friend, 42-year-old Brian McArdle.

Naughton adjusted McArdle's pillow to unblock the speaker attached to his bed and searched for a song on a hospital TV monitor to play. In hopes that some sort of music would lift his friend's spirit, he stumbled upon a song that had an old country western feel. Not being able to speak or move most of his limbs, McArdle slightly nodded his head giving his approval.

"It's the kind of stuff his father would play working on their cars," said Naughton. "I think he recognized it and it made him feel a little bit at home."

McArdle, who is from Mobile County, has not been at his home in West Mobile for nearly a month, after being diagnosed as the county's first case of human West Nile virus this year. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention website states that as of Aug. 9, only two cases had been reported in Alabama this year.

Three cases were reported in Mississippi in the past week, according to The Associated Press. Also this week, a person died of the virus in Colorado, AP reported.

Naughton says on July 18 McArdle left his job at Prichard Trucking Company early when he began to feel sick.

"He thought he had a stomach bug and he recovered a little bit from that and then declined again," said Naughton.

Two days later he checked into the Mobile Infirmary with a fever, but decided to check himself out of the hospital three days later.

"He went home and told his wife. 'I've made a huge mistake. I've got to go back to the hospital'," said Naughton.

At that point, Naughton says the symptoms of dizziness, confusion and disorientation that accompany the West Nile virus began to set in. On July 26, McArdle was admitted to UAB and was immediately put in the intensive care unit.

Naughton said that was when his friend's health began to quickly spiral downward.

"Within 48 hours, he had no control over his muscles, his eyes and he could make sounds but could not speak," said Naughton.

On Aug. 3, Naughton says doctors officially diagnosed McArdle with the West Nile virus.

According to Dr. Bernard H. Eichold II, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department, the West Nile virus is a form of mosquito-borne illness. The seriousness of the illness may depend on a person's health and age.

Naughton says that McArdle may have been more susceptible to getting the virus due to his health. In 1993, he was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disorder called IGA nephropathy. In 1998, McArdle received a kidney from his mother and in 2013 he had to receive a second transplant from his aunt.

The kidney transplants have forced McArdle to take prescription immune system suppressants.

"The medication he takes has to suppress his immune system to keep his body from rejecting the organ," said Naughton. "I believe his suppressed immune system is the reason this has jump on him so harshly."

For Naughton, seeing how susceptible his brother-in-law was to getting the virus makes him worry about his wife, Monica McArdle Naughton. She was also diagnosed with IGA nephropathy in 2003 and has had two kidney transplants.

"It hits home for me not just because it's my brother-in-law but I know it could be my wife laying in that bed," said Naughton.

Now, Naughton as well as McArdle's wife of 18 years, Marcie, and their three children are hoping doctors will begin to offer some good news to the family.

Doctor's completed a trache procedure on McArdle on Aug. 12. They told the family that the chance of death were slim, but his recovery could take nine to 12 months.

"They told us to keep in mind that he's been heavily sedated in order to allow his brain to stop worrying about the rest of his body," said Naughton. "That way it can concentrate on healing itself."

Naughton said doctors told the family that until McArdle is completely removed from sedation, they won't know if there is any permanent brain damage.

"We're hopeful and prayerful that there isn't any permanent damage," said Naughton.

As the country western music continued to play softly in McArdle's hospital room, Naughton tried to stay positive about his brother-in-law's recovery.

He said that he can envision McArdle smiling in his dad's garage, working on a car engine when he gets out of the hospital.

"He probably fixed it completely and perfectly three times but to him it's not perfect yet," said Naughton. "I look forward to seeing him spending that time doing something he loves."

McArdle's family plans on holding a benefit lunch on Saturday, Oct. 8 to help raise money for his wife and children while he recovers. The benefit will be held at the First Community Bank located at 6241 Cottage Hill Road from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Listed below are steps to take to avoid mosquito bites:

* Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothes to help prevent mosquitoes from reaching the skin and to retain less heat, thereby making you less "attractive" to mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are more attracted to dark colors.

* When possible, wear long sleeves and long pants.

* Avoid perfumes, colognes, fragrant hair sprays, lotions and soaps. They attract mosquitoes.

* Follow the label instructions when applying repellents.

* When using repellents, avoid contact with eyes, lips, and nasal membranes.

* Use a good mosquito repellent registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on exposed areas. To see the list, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html. Some of the most reliable repellents contain at least 10 percent of the chemical DEET. All repellents should be used in accordance with label instructions.

* Apply DEET repellent on arms, legs, and other exposed areas but never under clothing. After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water.

* Citronella candles and repellents containing citronella are used sometimes, but their range is limited. Herbals such as cedar, geranium, pennyroyal, lavender, cinnamon, and garlic are not very effective.

* Mosquito activity peaks at dusk and again at dawn. Restrict outdoor activity during these hours.



* Keep windows and door screens in good condition.

* Replace porch lights with yellow light bulbs. They attract fewer insects.

* Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so empty all water from old tires, cans and jars, buckets, drums, plastic wading pools, toys, and other containers.

* Clean clogged gutters.

* Remove the rim from potted plants and replace water in plant/flower vases weekly.

* Replenish pet-watering dishes daily and rinse birdbaths weekly.

* Fill tree holes and depressions left by fallen trees with dirt or sand.

* Stock ornamental ponds with mosquito fish or use larvicide "doughnuts."

* Do not place grass clippings in or blow leaves into drainage ditches or storm drains. This will block the flow of water and allow mosquito breeding near the home.

Source: Mobile County Department of Public Health
Juba, South Sudan  The capital of the worlds newest country was rocked by violence in December when fighting broke out within the military. The conflict quickly spread across the country as the armed forces split between those loyal to the government and those allied to former Vice President Riek Machar.

From the start of the conflict, people arrived at United Nations bases for protection, but after several months they show no sign of leaving and humanitarian agencies are faced with the prospect of having to provide assistance to almost 70,000 people living on UN compounds around the country.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General is Hilde Johnson, who has been in charge of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) since independence in 2011. She talked to Al Jazeera about her decision to open up the gates to people seeking protection.

Al Jazeera: On that day when the fighting started, civilians flocked to the UN for sanctuary. How did you make the decision to let them in?

Hilde Johnson: The violence started quite late on December 15, so it was in the early hours of December 16 when [UN] security sent me messages that people were coming to our gates in big numbers. I think the first numbers were 500, and then suddenly it started increasing and of course I took a decision immediately that we have to open our gates.

We have a mandate to protect civilians at UNMISS and there have been incidents in the past where gates have remained closed when civilians have been in need of protection, and Ive made it very clear to myself thats not going to happen on my watch. So we opened the gates. What surprised us was the numbers, because in a very short time it was increasing to thousands and thousands and thousands of people in both locations in Juba.

Al Jazeera: How long will you care for these people for?

Johnson: We have no choice but to continue to give people protection. There is no way we can force people out of our bases and compounds, so we are now at a rush against time. The rains are coming much earlier than expected, we were expecting to have maybe three to four weeks more to prepare for this very tough situation and were extremely concerned about the fate of the displaced civilians in our camps, because this is not an environment fit for protecting so many people over such a long time. We have humanitarian partners working around the clock to assist.

Were trying to develop sites that can be ready and be better and give more space, and also to move to the other site here in Juba, which has more space, but it is a rush against time  it is really a desperate situation.

Al Jazeera: The UN has been accused of harbouring rebels or former soldiers at these camps, as well as of assisting opposition leader Riek Machar and his family. What do you say to that?

A woman cheers during a rally in support of President Salva Kiir [Reuters]

Johnson: These are baseless accusations. Firstly, UNMISS and the UN is guided by international humanitarian law. It is our obligation to protect civilians that are in need of protection but are fleeing for their lives whatever their circumstances are. And the minute people come to our gates  leaving uniforms, weapons if any are ex-combatants  they become civilians and under international humanitarian law, have the right to protection the minute they enter our gates.

That is the situation. We have not in any way supported or given refuge to Riek Machar or his family. In this context, these accusations and allegations are totally baseless and I have repeatedly refuted them. We have now a situation where in all crises and conflicts and trouble like this  the UN usually is blamed for a lot of things. We are now facing criticism and blame from both sides and my thinking then is: If were facing criticism from both sides, were probably doing something right.

Al Jazeera: On the subject of the camps, given what happened and the fact that people do look like theyre going to stay for a long time, if you had to take the decision again would you make the same one?

Johnson: I would not be able to face the mirror if I were not to say open the gates. We have no choice in situations like this than to give people protection. The alternative would be, in the situation they were in, that they would be killed. I think thats clear to most of the South Sudanese in this country. So we saved thousands of peoples lives and we will in any alternative scenario, I would have done the same.
As the former leader turns 90, he is seen as both a totalitarian dictator and an anti-imperialistic humanitarian.

Opinions concerning the elderly former president of Cuba are extremely divided, depending on political persuasions.

For the vast majority of the estimated 1.5 million Cuban-Americans he is the devil incarnate, a tyrant responsible for the death of thousands, the emotional separation of families and the abuse of human rights.

In Cuba, however, he is revered by most, who point to the countrys successes in healthcare and education, culture and sports. There are few shades of grey in evaluating the man who steered Cuba since taking power in 1959, leading it into the socialist camp before ceding power to his brother Raul in 2006.





Early life

Castro came from a wealthy land-holding family in the east of Cuba, where his father Angel had arrived as part of the occupying Spanish army when Cuba was still a colony of Spain.

His mother, Lina, was the family cook who married Angel several years after the birth of Fidel. The family members had significantly different political views, and in a microcosm of the polarisation of Cuban society, some members sought exile after the revolution, while others remained on the island.

Educated in private Catholic schools, Castro obtained a doctorate in law at the University of Havana and worked for several years as a legal aid lawyer.

His passion was politics, and in 1952 he was a candidate for the Cuban Congress  an election that never took place after presidential candidate Fulgencio Batista led a military coup.

Castro then turned to revolution, attempting to overthrow Batista with an attack on the military garrison in Santiago on July 26, 1953.

The revolution

Arrested after the failed coup attempt, he was granted an amnesty, and moved to Mexico to regroup, subsequently returning with other Cubans  and Argentine Ernesto Che Guevara. After a successful military campaign between 1956 and 1958, the revolutionaries took power on January 1, 1959.

The love-hate relationship with the United States has loomed large since then, with Washington imposing an embargo on trade with the rebellious island in 1960 and breaking diplomatic relations in 1961.

OPINION: The US in Cuba  a history of organised crime

The latter issue was resolved with the formal re-establishment of diplomatic relations in July 2015.

Yet, for 55 years tensions between the two countries remained high, with assassination attempts against Castro and acts of terrorism being orchestrated from the US  resulting in the deaths of some 3,400 Cubans.

Partly because of these tensions, and because of his political ideology, Cuba aligned itself with the Soviet Union after Washington broke relations with Cuba.

The former USSR and socialist countries of Europe became the major trading partners of the island, and Castro declared himself a Marxist-Leninist.

How will he be remembered? Googling 'Fidel Castro' brings up 20 million references, proof of an extraordinary interest in his role in national and international politics. by

In October 1962 this alliance with the USSR brought the world close to thermonuclear war, as Soviet missiles were stationed on Cuban soil.

The implosion of the Soviet Union in 1989-90 led to major problems for Cuba, which lost more than 80 percent of its trade within a year (PDF), and a loss of 35 percent in gross domestic product.

There then followed the Special Period, with extensive belt-tightening in Cuba, as Castro sought desperately to maintain the survival of the revolution.

His legacy

While Castro is a polarising figure for many, he is revered in developing countries, largely because of the many education and public health programmes instituted by the country.

Cuba currently has some 50,000 medical personnel working in 60 developing countries, and Cuban support has been praised effusively by many, from Nelson Mandela to Ban Ki-moon.

OPINION: The power of Cubas free healthcare

The Cuban experience also defied logic, with its revolution surviving despite the bitter opposition of the US only 145km away.

Now physically debilitated, Fidel Castro remains lucid, occasionally writing articles for Cubas official newspaper Granma, and meeting with foreign dignitaries.

He devotes his time to studying the challenges of development facing poor countries, including food production and desertification.

In March 2016, he issued a blistering critique of the visit of President Barack Obama to Havana, and warned Cuba not to be taken in by the empire.

Now an elder statesman, he made his last public appearance in April at a congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, at which he made reference to his death.

How will he be remembered? Googling Fidel Castro brings up 20 million references, proof of an extraordinary interest in his role in national and international politics.

He is seen as both a totalitarian dictator and an anti-imperialistic humanitarian. Under his rule Cuba became a symbol of resistance to the dictates of Washington  while ignoring those of Moscow.

Now an ailing elder statesman, there are few reminders of his fiery oratory, his political charisma, and his proud nationalism.

But the historical record is very clear, and under his influence Cuba, a poor country of 11.2 million, has enjoyed widespread international attention for decades.

John M Kirk is Professor of Latin American Studies at Dalhousie University in Canada, and the author and co-editor of 16 books on Cuba, a country he has been visiting since 1976.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Two Bangladesh naval ships and spotter plane deployed in search for fishermen missing after boat sinks in Bay of Bengal.

A major search is under way for 17 fishermen reported missing after an Indian trawler sank off the coast of Bangladesh.

Two Bangladesh Navy ships and a patrol aircraft were deployed on Saturday after a distress signal was sent from a ship travelling with the fishing boat that sank in the Bay of Bengal, officials said.

Seventeen fishermen were missing after the trawler sank today, Tapushi Rabeya, a Bangladesh Defence Ministry spokesman, told AFP.

Waters were choppy when the trawler sank in the bay around 40 nautical miles (70km) north of Hiron Point in the Sundarbans  the worlds largest mangrove forest that straddles the India-Bangladesh border.

Hiron Point docking station is popular among both fishermen and tourists.
Children in Cambodia are being given a new healthy snack aimed at curbing malnutrition and early signs appear promising.

Nine-month-old Thorn is clinically malnourished, but in desperately poor Cambodia he is still among the lucky ones.

His mother, Phorn Sileap, cant afford him private medical care. She earns less than $2 each day working in the capital city Phnom Penh as a waste recycler.

But a clinic set up in the slum area where Phorn Sileap lives has identified Thorns condition and he will be sent to hospital for intensive treatment.

A report in the science journal Nutrients estimates that malnutrition in Cambodia is costing the country $266m each year, said Al Jazeeras Sohail Rahman, reporting from Phnom Penh.

Cambodias GDP is growing at more than 6.5 percent annually, the fastest in the region, but the financial burden of dealing with malnutrition is excessive for this developing country, Rahman said.





One novel approach to the countrys malnutrition problem is a new and inexpensive wafer snack, which is made from fish, rice, beans and other micronutrients developed specifically for the Cambodian palate.

Produced and packaged, a supply of the snack is given each month to parents to feed their malnourished children.

The progress of the children who are fed the wafers is recorded and measured for improvements.

Children across the capital Phnom Penh are trying out these snacks and researchers say the initial results seem promising, Rahman said.

Dr Frank Wieringa of the French Research Institute for Development said there are noticeable differences in children who are taking the nutrient-packed wafer.

What we see is that the children like the food. They eat it, which is already a big help, Wieringa told Al Jazeera.

After three months we think we see children who are eating it [the snack] getting fatter and getting taller, he said.

Not progressed as fast

UNICEF Representative in Cambodia Debora Comini said efforts to deal with malnutrition have not progressed as fast as they could have in Cambodia.

Progress has been quite gradual, Comini told Al Jazeera.

There is increased attention in national policies. For example in the national development planning there is now a specific focus on nutrition. However, if we look at the indicators, we certainly have not progressed as fast as we could have, she said.

Government officials agree that more could be done.

Ly Sovann, director of the Ministry of Healths communicable disease control department, said he hoped to see more cooperation to improve nutrition.

The wafer snack is a small step in the right direction, says Al Jazeeras Rahman, noting that aid agencies have been able to help 4,500 malnourished children in the past year.

But, there are many more malnourished children who need to be helped sooner rather than later, he said.
Move following report of 1,914 new cases in the past week will allow territory access to federal funds and personnel.

The US government has declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico as a result of a Zika epidemic.

The declaration allows the federal government to award grants, access emergency funds and temporarily appoint personnel where needed, among other things.

This administration is committed to meeting the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico with the necessary urgency, Sylvia Burwell, health and human services secretary, said in a statement.

Burwell travelled to the US territory in late April to evaluate its response to the outbreak.

The announcement came just hours after Puerto Rico reported 1,914 new cases in the past week, for a total of 10,690 since the first one was reported in December.

READ MORE: White House to seek $1.8bn to combat Zika

The mosquito-borne virus has infected 1,035 pregnant women, which is a concern to authorities because Zika has been tied to a severe birth defect known as microcephaly.

More than 100 pregnant women infected with Zika in Puerto Rico who have given birth have had healthy babies, officials said.

Puerto Rico reported the first microcephaly case acquired on US soil in May, involving a dead foetus that a woman turned over to health authorities.

Since then no microcephaly cases have been reported, but federal officials said it is only a matter of time.

Puerto Rico Govenor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he had asked federal officials to declare a public health emergency and thanked them for their support.

Zika poses a hidden threat to future generations of Puerto Ricans, and I feel the responsibility to do everything in my power to fight the spread of it, he said.

Organic larvicide

Garcia recently authorised the use of Bti, an organic larvicide, to fight the spread of Zika after rejecting aerial spraying with the insecticide naled as proposed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ana Rius, Puerto Rico health secretary, said 90 people have been hospitalised because of Zika.

Officials also said 30 people have been diagnosed with a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre that has been linked to Zika.

Health authorities said they believe the number of Zika cases is much higher because eight of 10 people show no symptoms and many do not go to the doctor.

The emergency was declared one day after the US surgeon general visited Puerto Rico and said he expected 25 percent of Puerto Ricos nearly 3.5 million people will be infected with Zika by years end.
Yemens Houthi rebels convened the countrys parliament for the first time in close to two years, in defiance of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis internationally recognised government, prompting condemnation.

Saturdays session in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa came after the Houthis appointed a political council signed by ousted president Ali Abdullah Salehs party to run the country, and rejected a United Nations proposed peace plan.

Hadi denounced the parliamentary session as a violation of the constitution and a crime punishable by law, in remarks carried by the official Yemeni Saba news website.

Whatever takes place at this meeting has no legal effects and cannot be implemented, he said.

According to the constitution, more than half of the 301-member national assembly have to attend the session for voting to take place.

The solution is not by this tricky way, or by using the parliament which has expired and ended a long time ago, Muhamed Jumeh, a journalist at the UK-based al-Quds al-Araby newspaper, told Al Jazeera.

Any decision taken by the parliament must be taken on the agreement of different parties who make up the parliament, and that condition was not there, said Jumeh, adding that Houthi media reported about 140 members of parliament attended the session.

All voted in favour of the council, which was created last week, according to the Associated Press news agency.

READ MORE: Houthi, Saleh council formation criticised by UN

UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has described the rebel governing council as a violation of commitments to the peace process.

Last week, he suspended UN-brokered talks between rebels and the government in Kuwait.

Yemen descended into chaos after the 2012 removal of Saleh, whose forces are fighting alongside the Shia Houthi rebels.

Security deteriorated further after the Houthis swept into Sanaa, and pushed south, forcing Hadis government to flee into exile in March last year.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia assembled a coalition of Arab states to battle the Houthis in Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition is backing Yemeni forces loyal to the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who are trying to oust Iran-allied Houthis from the capital.
Police rule out international terrorism and describe deadly blasts in southern provinces as act of local sabotage.

Police are continuing their search for the suspects behind a series of bomb blasts across Thailand that killed four people and and injured more than 30, including tourists.

The country was on edge after 11 small bombs exploded across five southern provinces on Thursday night and Friday morning.

The bombs, most of them detonated in double blasts, struck key tourism hubs during a long weekend.





Two bombs exploded in the upmarket resort of Hua Hin late on Thursday, killing one woman and wounding more than 20 others.

They were followed by two more on Friday morning that killed another person.

A further two blasts struck on Friday in the popular tourist town of Phuket, while two more bombs were reported in the southern provinces of Trang and Surat Thani, in each of which one person was killed.

This incident will remind all Thais that there are still ill-intended people in the country, Prayuth Chan-o-cha, Thailands prime minister, said in a televised speech on Friday.

I would like to urge all Thais and the media not to panic. From now on, please help keep an eye on the situation, and arrange volunteers in your area to monitor all important places as well as tourist attractions in every province.

INSIDE STORY: Will Thailands new constitution lead to stability?

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police have ruled out international terrorism and said the campaign was an act of local sabotage.

There have been no arrests yet, Piyapan Pingmuang, deputy national police spokesperson, told AFP news agency on Saturday morning.

He said police have yet to identify any suspects or a motive.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Hua Hin on Friday, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute for Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, said: I think the timing is striking here. Today is the 84th anniversary of the birthday of Her Majesty [Queen Sirikit].

We had the referendum last Sunday. So it seems clear to me that this is a coordinated round of bomb attacks.

I think this has to do with domestic politics. It has something to do with anti-regime sentiments  anti-regime people who want to send a message that they dont like the outcome of the referendum.

Chakthip Chaijinda, the national police chief, said in Bangkok on Friday that authorities had received intelligence that an attack was imminent, but police had no precise information on location or timing.

We just didnt know which day something would happen, he said.

Authorities have also been quick to play down possible links to a separatist movement in Thailands southern border region.

READ MORE: Thai separatists launch series of attacks

The explosive devices were similar to those used by separatists in southern Thailand, but that did not conclusively show they were the perpetrators, Chakthip said.

If the Muslim rebels in the south are to blame, it would mark a major expansion of their secessionist campaign that has been concentrated further south and rarely targets foreigners.





Last week, Thailand voted to accept a military-backed constitution despite claims by opponents that it will entrench the militarys power and deepen divisions.

Famed for its idyllic islands and Buddhist temples, Thailand is a tourism powerhouse and was hoping for a record 32 million visitors in 2016.

The industry accounts for at least 10 percent of a lagging economy that the military government, which came to power in 2014, has struggled to invigorate.

Thailands reputation as a holidaymakers paradise has in recent years weathered bus and boat accidents, bouts of political unrest and crimes against foreigners.

Embassies in Thailand warned their citizens to stay vigilant on Friday and some warned that there could be more attacks.

Australia, the source of just over 800,000 visitors to Thailand in 2015, issued a travel advisory saying Australians should exercise a high degree of caution, and warned that further explosions in any part of Thailand are possible.

China, the single biggest source of tourists to Thailand with nearly eight million visitors in 2015, told citizens to avoid crowded areas and pay close attention to security developments.

Free refund

Tour operators TUI and Thomas Cook said customers booked on trips to Thailand departing before August 15 could cancel or rebook to other destinations free of charge.





TUI, which has about 2,000 customers in Thailand at present, said it would help any who wished to leave early.

Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Thai tourism minister, said the sector was resilient and would rebound from any impact fast, as it had in the past.

A bomb attack at a Hindu shrine located among luxury shopping malls and hotels in central Bangkok killed 20 people and injured more than 120 others in August 2015.

Tourist arrivals dropped by more than half a million in the month after the blast, but Thailand still hosted a record 29.88 million visitors in 2015.

A year earlier, months of sometimes deadly street protests paralysed Bangkok before a coup in May 2014.

The month after the military takeover, tourist numbers slipped to their lowest in more than two and a half years.
An arrest warrant has been issued for a Jordanian writer after he allegedly shared a cartoon on social media that was deemed highly offensive to Muslims.

The warrant for writer Nahed Hattar was issued on Friday after he failed to appear for questioning over the cartoon posted on his Facebook page.

It is not known who produced the cartoon, which shows a fighter from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) sitting next to two women and asking God to bring him a drink.

Did not mean to offend

The backlash against Hattar was immediate with Jordanian social media users lambasting the writer for sharing the cartoon and accusing him of being anti-Islam and purposely causing offence to Jordanian Muslims.

Social media users also called on the government to question and arrest Hattar, and some attacked him for being Christian and a secularist.

Attempting to explain his motive for sharing the cartoon, Hattar said that he did not intend to cause offence to Muslims and wanted the cartoon to expose ISIL and the Muslim Brotherhood.

I did not mean to offend the believers. Instead, I was trying to expose how terrorist Daesh [the Arabic acronym for ISIL] militants and the Muslim Brotherhood envision God and heaven, Hattar said in one explanation.

In a second explanation, Hattar said that as a non-believer he respected the believers who did not understand the satire behind the cartoon.

However, Hattars comment about Jordans Muslim Brotherhood, an organisation that was founded in 1945 as a political and religious group and whose members have served in the countrys parliament and government, could be considered libellous, which is a crime under Jordanian law.





Jordans Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement in response to Hattars comments that called on the government to take strong measures against those who publish seditious material that undermined national unity.

ISIL is considered a foreign illegal group under Jordanian law, and expressing any form of support for it is illegal.

A big mistake

This whole controversy was politically motivated by Hattar and his opponents who took advantage of this issue to take revenge against him for his controversial and often offensive political stances, Jordanian writer Fahad al Khitan said.

Khitan described Hattar as a fool for making a big mistake.

Hattar is an outspoken supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has described those who oppose the Assad regime as terrorists or terrorist sympathisers.

Hattar has also been an outspoken advocate of depriving Jordanians of Palestinian origin of their legal and civil rights in Jordan. He has called for an exclusive, East-Bank Jordanian identity without its Palestinian component.

Reem al Jazi, a well-known Jordanian civic activist, said Hattar had caused offence to everyone, not just Muslims.

Hattar is a racist and bigoted individual, Jazi said, but opposed attacking the writer for being secularist or Christian.

Hattar is not claiming to write from a Christian perspective, and is a self-proclaimed non-believer, she said.

If he is to face legal consequences for his actions, it should be for accusing the Muslim Brotherhood organisation of terrorism, a libel under Jordanian law, not for sharing a cartoon, she added.

Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports
Bangladeshi community wants incident treated as a hate crime as police look for man who fled scene with gun in his hand.

A Muslim imam of a mosque in New York City and his associate have been shot dead while walking along together following afternoon prayers, authorities say.

The men were approached by a man from behind and shot both in the head on Saturday in the Ozone Park neighbourhood of Queens, a police spokesperson said.

Police said no arrests had been made.

The victims, identified as Imam Maulana Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were both wearing religious garb at the time of shooting, police said.

Police had initially identified Uddin as Tharam.





The men were transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where they died, the hospital said.

The suspect was seen by witnesses fleeing the scene with a gun in his hand, police said.

We are currently conducting an extensive canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses, said deputy inspector Henry Sautner of the New York Police Department (NYPD).

He said video surveillance showed the victims were approached from behind by a man in a dark polo shirt and shorts who shot them and then fled with the gun still in his hand.

Naima Akonjee, 28, one of the imams seven children, said she rushed to her parents home after the shooting.

She said her father did not have any problems with anyone.

Outraged at the killing of an imam & his assistant in #Queens. Confident the NYPD will get the coward who did this. Prayers to all affected.  Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) August 13, 2016

The New York Times reported that Akonjee was carrying more than $1,000 but the money was not taken.

Members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque said they want the shootings to be treated as a hate crime.

More than 100 people attended a rally on Saturday night and chanted We want justice!

READ MORE: Is gun violence in the US infectious?

Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasios staff who serves as a liaison to Muslim communities, attended the rally.

I understand the fear because I feel it myself, she said.

I understand the anger. But its very important to mount a thorough investigation.

The motive for the shooting was not immediately known and no evidence has been uncovered that the two men were targeted because of their faith, said Tiffany Phillips, a spokeswoman for the New York City Police Department.

This is a hate crime

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, held a news conference on Saturday near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid, where the two men had prayed.

Kobir Chowdhury, a leader at another local mosque, said: Read my lips: This is a hate crime directed at Islam.

We are peace-loving.

CAIR said Uddin was an associate of Akonjee.

These were two very beloved people, Afaf Nasher, executive director of the New York chapter of CAIR, told Reuters news agency. These were community leaders.

READ MORE: Obama on Dallas shooting  a wake-up call for America?

There is a deep sense of mourning and an overwhelming cry for justice to be served.

There is a very loud cry, too, for the NYPD to investigate fully, with the total amount of their resources, the incident that happened today.

We are calling for all people, of all faiths, to rally with compassion and with a sense of vigilance so that justice can be served.

You cant go up to a person and shoot them in the head and not be motivated by hatred.

Mayors statement

Eric Phillips, a press secretary for Blasio, said the mayor was closely monitoring the police investigation into the shootings.

While it is too early to tell what led to these murders, it is certain that the NYPD will stop at nothing to ensure justice is served, Phillips said in a statement.

In June, CAIR issued a statement calling for Muslim community leaders to consider increasing security after the Orlando massacre and incidents that it said had targeted Muslims and Islamic houses of worship.

A man who called himself an Islamic soldier killed 49 people in an Orlando, Florida, nightclub on June 12.

Last year, three American students were shot to death at a residential complex of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill over what police had said was motivated by a long-running dispute over parking spaces.

However, the victims families believe they were targeted because they were Muslims and have pushed for hate-crime charges.








Among those arrested were two local suspects in the June grenade attack outside Kuala Lumpur and three foreigners.

Malaysian police have arrested nine suspected members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) during a two-week sweep, as part of a crackdown on suspected extremists, a senior official said.

Among those arrested were two suspects in the grenade attack on a bar in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in June, which injured eight people, Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar said on Saturday.

Khalid said the two bar attack suspects had conspired with two others who had already been charged in court in connection with the attack in Petaling Jaya on June 28.

The returning jihad: ISIL in Southeast Asia

A known Malaysian ISIL fighter in Syria, Muhammad Wanndy Muhammad Jedi, had said in a posting on his Facebook page that the group had carried out the attack.

If the claim was genuine it would have been the first attack by ISIL on Malaysian soil.

Khalid said the two men who carried out the June 28 attack had been caught in the northeastern state of Kelantan, where they had been awaiting instructions from Wanndy to carry out further attacks.

Following their arrest, police managed to seize a grenade, and it was suspected it would have been used in a planned attack, Khalid said.

He said two other people had been arrested for helping to hide the suspects.

Police had also tracked down a suspected ISIL member whose cell had received orders from Wanndy, and had threatened attacks on the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and on government buildings in the countrys administrative capital of Putrajaya, Khalid said.

Most wanted

According to Channel News Asia, Wanndy, 27, is believed to be operating from al-Raqqah in Syriah and is now number one on Malaysias most wanted terrorist list. He reportedly left for Syria in 2014.





Others arrested included a 17-year-old in the eastern state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, who was believed to have been planning a lone wolf attack on non-Muslims after communicating with another Malaysian ISIL member in Syria.

Three foreigners, who were ex-military, were also arrested in Kuala Lumpur for allegedly using the country as a transit point to secure fake travel documents and plan an attack on a Middle East nation, Khalid said.

Khalid said the arrests were made from July 20 to August 9 in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Sabah and Kelantan.

Two weeks ago, Malaysian authorities had cancelled the passports of 68 of its citizens who were suspected of having gone to Syria and Iraq to support ISIL.

More than 200 Malaysians have been arrested by anti-terrorist police on suspicion of ISIL-related activities since early 2013, police records show.
State news agency says army in annexed peninsula given S-400 surface-to-air missile system amid tensions with Ukraine.

Russia says it has deployed long-range S-400 missile systems in Crimea amid heightened tensions with Ukraine.

Russian state news agency TASS quoted Moscows southern military district as saying in a statement on Friday that troops in Crimea had received the modern S-400 Triumph air defence system.

The surface-to-air missile system  which can hit targets up to 400km away with an altitude of up to 30km  is one of the most advanced in the Russian arsenal.

The Russian military plans to demonstrate such systems during a series of exercises called Caucasus-2016, scheduled for next month.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to ensure the security of Crimea on allegations that Ukrainian military forces were planning to blow up critical infrastructure on the peninsula.

Illegal annexation

Ukraine has adamantly denied such allegations, with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko calling them preposterous and putting his countrys military on combat alert.

On Friday Ukraine accused Russia of plotting further unrest as the international community sought to ease tensions after the two sides tightened security around the Crimean peninsula.

Federica Mogherini, the European Unions foreign affairs chief, reiterated the blocs support for Ukraine, saying it did not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea, while urging both sides to avoid any actions which could further escalate tensions.

Russias FSB security service has said it thwarted terrorist attacks in Crimea last weekend by Ukrainian military intelligence and beat back armed assaults, claims that Kiev has fiercely denied.

Both sides have in response boosted security around the region as the feud over Crimea has unexpectedly flared up again, prompting fears of a wider conflict.

On high alert

Ukrainian troops near the peninsula and along the frontline with pro-Russian separatists in two other eastern regions have been placed on high alert.

Ukraines military intelligence said the enemy is planning large-scale provocative actions.

The government of Ukraine also accused Russia of increasing its forces, replenishing munitions and building up military hardware in the war-scarred east of Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russian prime minister, followed up angry accusations from President Vladimir Putin by branding Kievs alleged raids in Crimea a crime against the Russian state and the people of Russia.

He warned that Putin could sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine if there remains no other way to influence the situation, Russian news wires reported.

Russia occupied and annexed Crimea two years ago in response to Ukraine toppling its pro-Russian president amid mass protests calling for closer ties with the West.
Turkish prosecutors have formally requested the US government for the temporary arrest of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, over his alleged involvement in the attempted coup on July 15, Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The request filed on Saturday by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutors office says it has determined the coup was staged upon orders by Gulen, and that he be arrested prior to the submission of a formal extradition request, the report said.

Turkeys Justice Ministry passed on the letter to the US, which accuses Gulen of 10 charges including attempting to overthrow the government, according to reports.





The news comes as Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that US Vice President Joe Biden will visit Turkey, the first by a Western leader since the failed coup.

The White House said Bidens visit will take place on August 24.

A delegation from the US Justice Department will also arrive on August 22 to discuss the extradition.

On Saturday, Yildirim appeared to rule out any compromise on the demand for Gulen to face trial in Turkey.

Improving our relations with the United States depends on the extradition of Gulen, and on that issue there is no room for negotiation, Yildirim said, according to CNN Turk.

The US has asked the Turkish government for evidence of Gulens involvement, and has said that the extradition process must be allowed to take its course.

Earlier in August, an Istanbul-based court issued an arrest warrant against Gulen.

Gulen has repeatedly denied the governments accusation and has denounced the arrest warrant as yet another example of President Erdogans drive for authoritarianism.

In the past, he has been accused of being the leader of an organisation that illegally tapped into the conversations of Erdogan and Ahmet Davutoglu, the former prime minister.

Turkey has designated Gulens network, which runs charities, schools and businesses across the world, as a terrorist organisation and has launched a widespread crackdown on suspected members since the failed coup attempt.

Since the July 15, around 26,000 people have been detained or arrested, mostly from the military, on suspicion of being involved in the failed putsch.
Amnesty International calls on the US and Russia to rescue Ghina Wadi, 10, after she is shot in the leg in Madaya.

The UK-based human rights group Amnesty International has called for the evacuation of a 10-year-old Syrian girl who was shot in the leg by a sniper in the government-besieged town of Madaya, in the suburbs of Damascus.

In a statement released on Friday, the group urged the United Nations humanitarian task force in Syria, headed by United States and Russian authorities, to evacuate her for fear of her deteriorating health.

The organisation also launched an online petition that has garnered close to 6,000 signatures.

Ghina Wadi was shot on August 2 in her left leg en route to buy medicine for her mother, along with her eight-year-old sister, who also suffered minor injuries.

The bullet in her leg shattered her thigh, causing a complex bone fracture and severing of a nerve, according to Amnesty.

The doctor said she needs surgery as soon as possible, Diana Semaan, a researcher for Amnestys Syria team, told Al Jazeera.

Semaan also said the Syrian government has refused to provide the family with permission to evacuate the girl for further medical treatment not available in Madaya. Wadi was taken to a makeshift field hospital in the town, where she has been taking sedatives, including morphine, to ease the pain for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.

There is a risk that her muscles in the left leg will be permanently shortened, causing walking abnormalities, Semaan said.

READ MORE: UN criticised for inaction on citizens trapped in Syria

The girls aunt, Fadah Jassem, who lives in the UK, has also urged for help.

Knowing she [Wadi] is enduring so much pain and having no idea of when she might get treatment has been very difficult to stomach, Jassem told Al Jazeera.

She has limited access to painkillers and enduring tremendous levels of pain day and night [] Its been impossible to understand why anyone would harm this innocent 10-year-old girl. So we just are trying to focus on getting her out for treatment rather than ask too many questions about how and why.

Jassem also posted on her Facebook page on Friday saying: The family are also now convinced she may never walk on her leg again.

The rebel-held town of Madaya has been under siege by Syrian government forces and Hezbollah fighters loyal to President Bashar al-Assad since July 2015.

We think it may have been Hezbollah forces who shot her with a sniper at a checkpoint. The town is under the control of the Syrian government, so it may have been either them or Hezbollah. It is not clear, Neil Sammonds, another Amnesty Syria researcher, told Al Jazeera.

Civilians trapped in Madaya have witnessed a severe shortage of medical and aid supplies.

READ MORE- Survival in Madaya: We are living on water and salt

A report released last month by the US-based Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) organisation and the Syrian American Medical Society, showed that 86 people in the town have died from preventable deaths, including 65 from malnutrition and starvation, up until May 2016.

Children in Madaya are at high risk of injury or death, as they may not recognise the danger of a checkpoint or know what a landmine is, Elise Baker, a research coordinator at PHR, told Al Jazeera, estimating there are snipers stationed at 65 checkpoints and 12,000 landmines in the town, routinely targeting children, women and men.

The towns only field hospital, lacking the surgical supplies, anesthetics and antibiotics needed to heal landmine and sniper wounds, is staffed by two dental students and a veterinarian, according to Baker.

Between November 2015 and May 2016, five children died from landmine and sniper injuries in Madaya. Medical staff in Madaya knew they could not provide the treatment needed to save these childrens lives and requested evacuations for them. However, their requests were not granted and the children died as a result.

Evacuations have in the past been granted on a very limited basis, with many continuing to suffer from treatable injuries.

The Syrian conflict, which began with peaceful protests in March 2011 against President Bashar al-Assad, has spiralled into a multi-sided civil war.

The death toll stands at more than 280,000 people killed, according to UN estimates.
Former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-deputy president Joice Mujuru call for unity among opposition parties.

Zimbabwes opposition leaders led a mass rally against the countrys embattled President Robert Mugabe over his failure to resolve a worsening economic crisis.

Thousands of supporters gathered on Saturday to hear opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-deputy president Joice Mujuru denounce Mugabe and call for unity among opposition parties to defeat the 92-year-old president who has held power for almost 30 years.





We need a collective consensus of all Zimbabweans to make sure that Mugabe listens to the voice of the people, Tsvangirai said in Gweru, some 220km southwest of the capital.

I dont hate Mugabe but I disagree with him that he gets to 92 and does not want to leave the throne, Tsvangirai told the crowd, according to the AFP news agency.

Mujuru, the widow of Zimbabwes first post-independence army general, was fired from Mugabes government and the ruling ZANU-PF party in December 2014.

Before being sacked, Mujuru had been seen as Mugabes favoured choice of successor. She launched her own party in March.

We want the people of Zimbabwe to work as one not to be divided. Today we found a way of working together to deal with issues affecting us, Mujuru told the rally.

Zimbabwes season of rising discontent

Thousands of Tsvangirais Movement for Democratic Change supporters and Mujurus newly formed Zimbabwe People First chanted Mugabe must go at the rally.

Others hoisted placards reading Where are the promised jobs?, Stop abductions and No to bond notes  referring to the pending introduction of controversial bond notes, a local token currency equivalent to the US dollar.

Zimbabwe has been hit by a series of street protests triggered by an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers.

Also on Saturday, state media reported that there would be delays  once again  in paying the salaries of civil servants.

The Herald newspaper reported that August salaries for army personnel, police, teachers and health workers would be delayed by at least a week. In July, government employees staged a strike over late pay.

It is a fact that we have revenue challenges, Prisca Mupfumira, Zimbabwes public service minister, told the newspaper when announcing the new pay delay.

In June only police and security forces were paid, while other civil servants received a $100 advance with the news their salaries had been delayed.

Zimbabwe spends at least 80 percent of its revenue on state workers wages, according to officials, while about 90 percent of the population has no formal employment.
India extends a strict curfew over the restive region as separatist leaders call for more protests.

Mid-August is a time of celebration across most of India, as people commemorate the countrys independence.

But in the northern region of Kashmir, this time of year often means heightened security and stifled expression. And this year is worse than usual.

After a decade of relative stability, Kashmir has experienced more than a month of violence  triggered by the death of a prominent Kashmiri separatist, Burhan Wani. He was killed by Indian soldiers on July 8.

And Kashmiris across the region took to the streets in protest.

Police swiftly imposed a curfew. Mobile networks have been suspended intermittently for the past month.

And Indias security forces have been accused of using unnecessary force. More than 50 protesters have been killed since July.

So, what is the solution to this latest crisis? And what will the Indian government do to address the grievances of Kashmiris?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Hafsa Kanjwal  Kashmiri graduate scholar at the University of Michigan

Vivek Katju  retired Indian Foreign Service officer who has previously represented India in Kashmiri dialogue with Pakistan

Kavita Krishnan  Social rights activist as well as secretary of the All India Progressive Womens Association
Dr Marc Lamont Hill is an award-winning journalist and author and is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. Hill is known for his work addressing the intersections of race, justice, politics and culture. His latest best-selling book is We Still Here: Pandemics, Policing, Protest and Possibility which follows on the success of Nobody: Casualties of Americas War on the Vulnerable from Flint to Ferguson. Hill has received numerous prestigious awards from the US National Association of Black Journalists, GLAAD, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
           2005     ..        
Throughout this presidential campaign we've heard many liberals and neo-conservatives wail against the nationalism espoused by Donald Trump and condemn how nationalism still resonates among tens of millions of regular Americans. Elitists and media messengers likewise express horror when Mr. Trump announces that in all matters, be they domestic or foreign, his policy and attitude will be "America first."

Why is loving one's nation and putting its countrymen first, which is the definition of nationalism, so offensive to liberals, elitists, and neo-conservatives? Why are those who imbibe the natural love and preference of citizen toward country and countrymen immediately scorned and accused of harboring xenophobia?

At its core, political leftism, which is today's dominant variant of liberalism, disdains distinctiveness and yearns for a universalism manifest in an across-the-board leveling in which everything is the same  be it in sexual conduct, values, morality, religion, or country. Nothing riles left liberals more than nationalism, which places one's country and its unique ideals and traditions over another country. Nationalism is the foremost obstacle standing in the way of socialism and global trans-nationalism wherein nations purposely shed and lose their identity and distinctiveness in favor of a bland, non-distinct shell.

The goal of trans-nationalism is one set of universal laws not worked out by the native population, but rather something imposed from above by a multicultural power structure that boasts it knows better what is best for everyone. In today's politically correct climate, where liberals own the political and social vocabulary and the definition of words, nationalism leaves the gate as a concept already tainted, targeted, something excluded from "acceptable" company.

Political and social elitists are drawn to universalism since they intend to be part of the controlling class, the anointed and select who fraternize with the well connected. They boast of their worldliness and international "understanding and tastes" that transcend the mere parochialism and nationalism of the hoi polloi and their countrymen. For them, it is cosmopolitanism over nativism, a badge of sophistication, of being a citizen of the world, masters of the universe...part of the ruling class. It's also good for business.

Many of today's neo-cons are themselves former Democrats who grew tired and alarmed at liberalism's excesses. Among prominent leading neo-cons are individuals who were raised as N.Y. Democrats until, after their formative years, their celebrated parents left liberalism, the Democratic Party and their liberal social network to begin a new movement. Neo-conservatism distinguishes itself from historic conservatism, which is now known as paleo-conservatism. In many ways it has the features and mindset of an exclusive political country club. While the neo-cons discarded many of their former N.Y. liberal ideals, their antipathy to nationalism remained.

There is also the understandable fear factor. For many, nationalism is an outlook reminding them of Nazi Germany and other European countries where nationalism was used to demarcate between the native populations as opposed to the "other," Jews being the "other" though being born, raised, and having served their countries. This non-acceptance of the outsider led to decades of disenfranchisement, discrimination, only partial citizenship, continued pogroms, and eventually the Holocaust against the Jews.

Too many remain unable to distinguish between the toxic nationalism of pre-World War II Europe and what has been the favorable norm and condition here in America. America is not Europe  indeed, it was born in rebellion against European attitudes and prejudices. American nationalism is a positive phenomenon, since it is based on the quintessential American belief in fair play, meritocracy and idealism and is kept in place generation after generation by an overwhelmingly good-willed people who are philo-Semitic, an Old Testament-inspired citizenry, where Judaism is highly respected and where Jews have been welcomed as part and parcel of the very fabric of American life itself.

Americanism is an admirable and safe form of nationalism, something not to be feared, reviled, or looked down upon as a display from mass, brutish malcontents. Contrary to the liberal and neo-con generalizations and finger-pointing, I've seen an abundance of American nationalists who are open-hearted, pleasant, upper-middle-class, highly educated, and not xenophobicsalt-of-the-earth good people.

Plain, old-fashioned Americanism is separate from that category we call American exceptionalism. American exceptionalism speaks to those grand, larger-than-life ideals in which America excels: liberty and freedom, meritocracy, fighting for what's right, individualism, equal justice under the law, hard work, moral clarity, volunteerism, optimism, can-do ingenuity. Americanism, however, is a simple and straightforward item. It is emotional, and it is natural. It is the patriotism and natural inclination to love our country and to put the legitimate needs of our people first, especially when those requests are not for freebies and entitlements, but the right to work for a living and to be treated as well as the incoming immigrant.

"Putting Americans and America First," as Trump wishes, is an admirable quest for anyone who rightfully feels that a country must first consider, take care, and choose her citizens over those who are not citizens and over those who live in other countries.

Evidently, the critics of nationalism do not extend to the American people the capacity for discernment, the "smarts" to distinguish between people per se and conduct and consequences. For example, those rightfully alarmed over open borders and illegal immigration are immediately accused by liberals, elitists, and neo-cons of being bigots and anti-immigrant. But such is not the case. Common sense tells us that open borders bring in unchecked diseases, terrorists and criminals, and an overload of unprepared people collapsing our nation's infrastructure and local institutions. That's precisely why countries historically, and always, maintained borders. It has nothing to do with being a "racist" nationalist.

Illegal immigration is a brazen disregard for our laws, and it has left many areas of the country vandalized and many of our citizens harmed and victimized. The need for closed borders is not a function of xenophobia. Worse, today's unbridled immigration is a tactic, a purposeful importation of millions of people who will later vote for the Democratic Party that will pay for these votes (with our tax dollars). Instead of assimilating into our existing culture, many immigrants are demanding that we surrender our way of life and beliefs to accommodate theirs. To cast aside all these valid concerns and label as bigoted and anti-immigrant those alarmed at what is happening is to accuse Trump supporters of lacking discernment. No, it's not bigotry that motivates  rather, a need to protect. Those infected, however, with an intellectual and moral sense of superiority over those they consider inferior smugly impute to others the worst of motives. It tells us a lot about what they truly think of us.

When Donald Trump expresses the conviction held by tens of millions of honorable citizens that Islamic immigration needs to be temporarily halted until we make sure that those arriving will not harm us, as is the case in Europe, it is not bigotry against a people  rather, it is a reasonable and natural desire to protect ourselves and our loved ones from an ideology that is changing the face of Europe and actively and forcefully ushering in Western and Christian oblivion. Daily we see and hear of beheadings, massacres of dozens, fire-bombings, axing of pedestrians, grotesque tortures, and a silencing of free speech in the name of the ideology Muslim immigrants are bringing into Europe. These atrocities were uncommon and not part of daily life...not until this massive Islamic immigration and invasion. It is common sense to wish to defend against these potential atrocities here. Why is the primal need to protect disregarded and labeled bigotry? Indeed, those who demand continued immigration are acting with dereliction of duty to protect our society and families.

A major component of Americanism is ensuring that jobs for Americans receive priority when considering trade agreements. Some call this economic nationalism. Neo-conservatives and establishment Republicans have defended and touted every trade deal under a purist free-trade catechism while harshly denouncing as "un-conservative" attempts by Donald Trump to challenge many of these trade deals that have been destabilizing to the average American and the families whose breadwinner has lost his manual job. We need to ask: since when did it become conservative to trade away American jobs on the altar of free-trade absolutism, or to use a universalist yardstick that prioritizes global interests over the needs of heartland Americans who rely on manufacturing jobs?

Being indifferent to Americans who wish to do an honest day's labor is more emblematic of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who in the name of environmentalism will eagerly shut down the livelihood and family dignity of those men relying on jobs in the coal mines, fracking acreage, the oil and gas fields, timber, beef raising, fishing, and other jobs tied to the land.

Too many in the neo-con commentariat class are devoted to an academic paradigm they learned, not to people. They are highbrow slaves to abstraction disembodied from on-the-ground citizens. Americanism is more important than a type of conservatism, transnational liberalism, or establishment Republicanism whose visions are theoretical or funder-based, a type of internationalism detached from anything specifically American or for Americans.

In redefining conservatism, too many have made "nation building" a foundational principle of "conservative" foreign policy. Forgetting that Islamic/sharia societies are viscerally against our Western ways and do not, and never will, share our values and aspirations, Americans simply no longer want to send our young men and women, and national treasure, to enact global pipe dreams. Our suffering on behalf of nation building and trying to remake the Middle East has been a flesh-and-blood suffering, something more real than the academic constructs of neo foreign policy. Yes, it's about time America and Americans came first!

Nation building is simply social engineering on a global scale. While leading neo-cons and Paul Ryan Republicans do not share the liberal Democrat obsession with socially engineering everything on the domestic level, many retain the penchant for social engineering on a global level.

Too many who now call themselves conservative are redefining conservatism to match the comfort zone they still have with many things emblematic of the Democratic Party and liberal society of their younger years...prior to their conversion. Theirs is not a philosophy of the people, for the people, and by the people. It is very ivory-towered. It is not a people's movement. It certainly does not rise to the amber waves of basic, old-fashioned Americanism. As for me and tens of millions of others, we'll take Americanism over globalism and trans-nationalism any day. It's a much better fit.
Patriotic and resolute until the very end, Sipsey Street Irregulars' Mike Vanderboegh died on Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at the age of 64.

He wrote this back in January:

I beat the odds of my first cancer diagnosis for five years through the grace of God, who evidently wasn't done with me yet. In those five years, we broke the Fast and Furious scandal story ... and generally became a thorn in the side of the empire[.]

In December 2010, the Obama-controlled media complex desperately wanted to ignore an illegal government-sponsored gun-walking operation known as Fast and Furious.

And it would have, if not for a stubborn blogger/patriot/gun rights activist named Mike Vanderboegh.

The fearless defender of a citizen's right to bear arms latched on to a story coming from ATF street agents at CleanupATF. org.

Accusing an ATF official in Phoenix of purposely approving more than 500 untraceable AR-15-type rifles to be "walked" into Mexico, the agents asked if anyone out there could confirm a rumor that one of the rifles was linked to the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

Vanderboegh, with the help of David Codrea and courageous whistleblowers, took up the challenge. On December 28, 2010, writing for his own blog, he led with this headline: "Border Patrol Agent killed with smuggled AR-15? Some ATF agents seem to think so." The rest is history.

A self-described "Christian libertarian," Vanderboegh started out as a radical left-wing antiwar member of various communist groups. His disillusionment with Marxism-Leninism came about from a chance meeting with an ex-Wehrmacht surgeon he met while working as a hospital aide in Ohio in 1977.

The man he called Herr Doktor gave him a copy of Hayek's The Road to Serfdom. After countless conversations with the doctor, Vanderboegh was ready to make the break from his fellow travelers. Understanding he was now going to be a traitor to the class struggle, he blamed the defection on marital troubles:

I didn't tell them that this was because I had a crisis of conscience. I lied and told them I was just burnt out and that my wife was about to divorce me. This was more or less true, but still a lie. However, the first thing you're taught when you get to be a killer tomato (red thru and thru) is that it is OK to lie to anybody about anything if it advances the party's goals. So given that, lying to liars was even expected, in a way. Anyway, I got out and never looked back. That didn't mean I wasn't constantly haunted by the reality of what I had done.

Vanderboegh, the ex-communist, was a brilliant writer, a pit bull patriot, a Second Amendment champion, and a founder of the Three Percenters, a group of gun owners "who will not disarm and who will not compromise" their constitutional right to bear arms. Finally, and most importantly, Mike V. was inspirational.

Vanderboegh roused other citizen-journalists with limited resources, like me, to verify first, trust later. With no big-name news organization behind him, he adhered to Thoreau's maxim: "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."

He rabidly defended America's founding principles through his blog posts and speeches. Vanderboegh understood that in these dark times, when the Lie has become the "pillar of the State," and self-serving parasites in the media are feeding at the trough of the power elites, Americans need to possess the same unapologetic, fearless, and revolutionary spirit of the first patriots.

Not much intimidated Vanderboegh. He boasted that he was on the last three White House enemies lists.

In an April 2010 report entitled "Meet the Patriots," the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) listed Vanderboegh as one of "36 individuals at the heart of the resurgent patriot movement." The authors described him as an "anti-Obama health care activist."

A month earlier, on March 19, 2010, Vanderboegh had slammed the Affordable Care Act as "Nancy Pelosi's Intolerable Act." The headline on his blog read, "To all modern Sons of Liberty. THIS is your time. Break their windows. Break them NOW." The "illegitimate" law, he wrote, was a "tyrannical transfer of power wrapped in soft lies" and "carried the hard-steeled fist of government violence."

In an interview with the Washington Post in 2010, an SPLC research director said Vanderboegh "has been on our radar since the 1990's when he first surfaced in Alabama militia groups."

The Center kept a close eye on Vanderboegh's activities, often mentioning him in their Hatewatch articles and Intelligence Report. According to the SPLC's bio, Vanderboegh declined to be interviewed by the publications' writers over the years, telling them, "P--- on you lying b------- and the fact-challenged horse you rode in on." In response to their request for a list of the facts he suggested the Center misrepresented, Vanderboegh responded in part, writing, "[B]y all means, you lying, conflationist b-------, have at it. Just don't expect me to assist you. Oh, yeah. Thank you in advance for all the free publicity."

In his own words, shortly before his death, Vanderboegh summed up the belief system that informed everything he did. His love of country spurred him not only to expose the corrupt government officials behind the deadly Fast and Furious operation, but to never stop holding all enemies of our way of life accountable.

From Sipsey Street:

For many years I have introduced myself as a Christian libertarian who believed in God, free men, free markets, the rule of law under the Founders' Republic, and that the Constitution extended to everyone regardless of race, creed, color or religion. As I take my leave from this existence, I must admit that the Constitution, as the Founders crafted it, is now or soon will be dead  killed by corruption and collectivism and mostly by our own sloth and moral cowardice in opposing its enemies. Yet if the Constitution is dead as an organizing and unifying force in this nation, the principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights can never die as long as there remain free men and women who believe in the Founders' vision. This is the essence of the Three Percent, that no matter how small our numbers are  if we remain armed and determined  we may yet preserve the flickering flame of liberty.

Amen and farewell.
Unless you had taken a course in advanced agitprop, you would not have recognized that Seddique Mateen, the father of the Orlando nightclub shooter, was a plant. He was part of the propaganda show for Hillary Clinton, now playing to sparse audiences from coast to coast. The show is produced and directed by radical "let it all hang out" leftists, in coordination with misogynistic Islamic supremacists, who believe in forced marriage of children under 13 and clitorectomies.

The purpose of Mateen in Florida, a state Hillary needs to win, was to change the narrative, since Khizr Khan was so successful in changing the narrative at the Democratic National Convention. Those "selected" for front- or second-row status at a presidential candidate's event are hand-picked for ideology, gender, race, or ethnicity. There is no chance that the Clinton show did not know of and approve of his appearance.

Clinton needed to change the narrative for two reasons. First, her poll numbers are not really up as Pat Caddell, a professional pollster, has attested to, especially if you look at the abracadabra methodology. It's a classic case of disinformation.

What if you give a candidate event, and very few voters show up? You change the narrative, as the Clinton campaign has done, PhotoShop the audience of the event to downplay the numbers, get fire marshals to close down overflowing events of the opponent, or whip up interest in the campaign events via "walk-ons" like Khan and Mateen.

Second, and more important, there are continuing photos of Hillary tripping on and off stage with Broadway lights flashing "brain freeze," "conquers the stairs," and more. There are numerous documented events, that is, that even the producers cannot hide.

Pakistani-born Khizr Khan published writings in support of sharia, the enemy of the U.S. Constitution. And the choice between these two is the issue of this election. To understand the importance of sharia in today's threat to America, here is a quote from Stephen Coughlin, who formerly briefed the Pentagon and other U.S. officials on the threat of Islam:

For these enemies, the implementation of Islamic law  shariah  as the governing law of the land is the objective. This is true not only for jihadi groups like al-Qaeda, but also for dawah organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood and ummah entities like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a transnational body that makes reasonable claims to represent the ummah, or the entire Muslim world." (Catastrophic Failure: Blindfolding America in the Face of Jihad by Stephen Coughlin. Washington, D.C.: Center for Security Policy Press, 2015, p.26.)

In a 1983 article in the Houston Journal of International Law, Khan gratefully acknowledged "the writings of S. Ramadan," citing Ramadan's book, Islamic Law  Its Scope and Equity, with endorsements of sharia. Said Ramadan was a Muslim Brotherhood ideologue and a founding member of the Muslim World League. "From his Geneva, Switzerland home ... Ramadan established the Islamic Center, a combined mosque, Muslim community center, and think tank. Swiss investigative journalist Sylvain Besson included 'The Project,' a 14-page manifesto dated 1982, and discovered by the Swiss secret service in 2001, in his La conquete de l'Occident: Le projet secret des Islamistes (Paris: Le Seuil, 2005, pp. 193-205.) "The Project" a blueprint for installing Sharia-based Islamic regimes in the West by propaganda, proselytization, and if necessary, jihad war  and is believed to have been authored by Said Ramadan." See here.

Seddique Mateen is a supporter of the Afghan Taliban and hosts a program on a California-based satellite Afghan TV station, aimed at the Afghan population in the U.S. The Taliban Islamic extremist movement comprises Pashtuns, and Mateen's show has a Pashtun, pro-Taliban slant, a source told Logan of CBS.

But these events with Khizr Khan and Seddiq Mateen raise more serious questions. We already know of Hillary's association with Huma Abedin, vice chair of Hillary's campaign, who was involved with the establishment of Hillary's private email server. When she was two years old, Huma's family moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under the patronage of Abdullah Omar Nasseef, associated with the Muslim World League, who founded the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs with offices in Saudi Arabia and London. Nasseef, the Muslim World League, and the government of Pakistan created the Rabita Trust, which was named a specially designated global terrorist entity and had its assets frozen by the Treasury Department on October 12, 2001.

A Treasury Department press release indicated that the Rabita Trust is headed by Wa'el Hamza Julaidan, one of the founders of al-Qaeda with bin Laden. Does anyone recognize that name? Ms. Abedin worked for many years at a journal that promotes Islamic supremacist ideology, founded by the same Nasseef. Huma's mother, Saleha, is reportedly an advocate for genital mutilation for girls in the Islamic world.

Then there's Tim Kaine. While he passed the screening test for typical American male with ties to the (liberal wing) Catholic Church, another group Hillary needs to win, Kaine also has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2007, he appointed Esam Omeish to his state immigration committee despite Omeish's status as the leader of the Muslim American Society, a group federal prosecutors identified as having been "founded as the overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in America." Omeish resigned when videos surfaced of him supporting Hamas and Palestinians waging jihad against Israel.

In September 2011, Kaine spoke at a dinner organized by the New Dominion PAC that honored a Muslim Brotherhood terror suspect named Jamal Barzinji with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Kaine acknowledged the help his campaign received from his "friends" in the audience and asked for their support for his Senate campaign. They obliged him.

A web of associations can come in handy when seeking influence.
Tributes to Black Lives Matter are becoming as common as catfights on Love and Hip Hop. So lauded is this movement that one cannot be faulted for feeling as though the viewer can hardly sit through a Democrat politician's speech, or watch an award show outside the CMAs that will not include at least some tribute to this movement.

The 2016 VH1 Hip Hop Honors was no exception. On July 11, 2016, during that show's opening, Alicia Garza, one of founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, said:

We began the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag and network when Trayvon Martin's family was denied justice three years ago. When Mike Brown was killed the people of Ferguson rose up, and #BlackLivesMatter became a movement. This movement is grounded in Black people's dignity, justice, and freedom. It's about love, not violence.

As usual, the public rhetoric of Black Lives Matter (BLM) is spot on. There is a case for BLM that resonates loudly among African-Americans, even conservative ones. Few among us oppose dignity, justice, freedom, or love for anyone, much less for ourselves. And how many among us  especially African-Americans  are not saddened when unarmed men and women are killed by police officers, or someone from "the neighborhood watch," often for no other apparent reason than looking like our children?

Furthermore, although others dismiss BLM as a "movement based on a lie," as Harvard economist Roland G. Fryer, Jr. found in a recent study, "[o]n non-lethal uses of force, blacks and Hispanics are more than fifty percent more likely to experience some form of force in interactions with police. Adding controls that account for important context and civilian behavior reduces, but cannot fully explain, these disparities." So BLM does raise legitimate questions about police and minority relations.

However, there is a gap between BLM's rhetoric and their reality that should give black conservatives reason for skepticism about the organization as a whole. Because as much as one may applaud lines like "love, not violence," what is one to believe when that rhetoric is matched by tweets celebrating the deaths of police officers or chanting in the streets, "Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon?" If BLM is not anti-police  as many including President Obama claim  how does one explain BLM eloquently denouncing the Baton Rogue cop-killings, then seeing many associated with the BLM movement cheering those killings on Twitter, as well as chanting disruptively during the moment of silence at the DNC Convention?

All groups have their extremists, of course, but it is hard to believe that the people sent to attend an event as prestigious and well covered as a national political convention were not representative of the group as a whole. In fact, BLM does not seek to conceal its roots in violence, as shown in this video featuring the other two co-founders of Black Lives Matter, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullers, who lead the crowd in a chant "from our beloved Assata Shakur." Ms. Shakur is not only a cop-killer, but a member of two organizations  the Black Panthers and the Black Liberation Army  that are said to have killed dozens of other police officers, as well as committing many violent crimes and acts of terrorism.

BLM often seems almost intentionally vague about its beliefs. The "What We Believe" section on the organization's website, blacklivesmatter.com, contains such poetically obtuse phrases as "As we forge our path, we intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting." But there is clarity to be found about their ideology in the list of extraordinary demands put forth by The Movement for Black Lives (MBL), a coalition of over 60 Black Lives Matter-affiliated organizations.

One demand from MBL that is particularly revealing is the one calling for "[r]eparations for the continued divestment from, discrimination toward and exploitation of our communities in the form of a guaranteed minimum livable income for all Black people"  including the "undocumented."

Putting aside the fiscally conservative objection as to how the U.S. can afford to pay approximately $2 trillion a year to African-Americans, what is fascinating about this reparations demand is that it isn't justified in the way most reparationists would make their argument. Most reparationists couch their argument in America's history of slavery. The most prominent modern reparationist, for example, Ta-Nehisi Coates, who wrote "The Case for Reparations" for The Atlantic, argues, "To celebrate freedom and democracy while forgetting America's origins in a slavery economy is patriotism a la carte."

Yet MBL argues that reparations are due to all black people  even those who are "undocumented" and have no personal or familial history with American slavery.

If a black African  whose ancestors were never enslaved by the U.S. and is in the U.S. illegally  is entitled to "a guaranteed minimum livable income," the call isn't for reparations, but rather for a drastic redistribution of wealth, signaling that BLM is yet another movement like the Occupy movement from a few years ago, whose primary objective is socialism.

BLM underscores this by demanding "a progressive restructuring of tax code at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure a radical and sustainable redistribution of wealth." Alicia Garza spoke of her objections to the American economic system when she told The Nation, "We are living in political moment where for the first time in a long time we are talking about alternatives to capitalism[.] ... It is a political moment that's opening up opportunities to envision a world where people can actually live in dignity."

It is also important for black conservatives to understand that although Black Lives Matter is supported by several Jewish organizations, the movement itself suffers from an anti-Israeli zeal that borders on anti-Semitism, accusing Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinians.

Clearly Black Lives Matter's reverence for domestic terrorism, its socialist agenda, and its anti-Israeli views make the movement a poor partner to any conservative.

What, then, should be the conservative response?

To dismiss BLM out of hand is to ignore some of the very real problems that exist in the black community. Often our white counterparts have a difficult time hearing that "Driving While Black" exists, or other issues we raise as "our" reality. To dismiss tensions between the black community and the police is naive, just as it is to say, "Well, if 'they' didn't commit so much crime, there wouldn't be a problem."

This, while true on its face, dismisses historic issues of unequal access to quality in education, as evidenced by the still statistically significant black-white achievement gap. Are we saying because schools in low-income or minority urban centers are unequal, it should be a reason to commit crime? No. But we are saying there are hues that shade and deepen the complexion of the problem.

Conversely, whatever inherent truths may lie behind the matter, to embrace BLM is to embrace its messages of hate and progressivism as the answer to societal ills.

However, there is an opportunity here for conservatives to educate the black community on the multiple benefits conservatism holds for it.

Up until the early 1970s, blacks kept much of our income in our own communities. We had black-owned businesses, including banks, newspapers, and the like.

Additionally, as discussed, our children are mired in an educational system that benefits teachers unions under the watch of the progressive left  leaving our children at a gross disadvantage. The GOP enacted legislation to create the very successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program  and voted to reauthorize it. Despite clear empirical evidence that minority students were outperforming their traditionally schooled counterparts (of all colors), the successful program was pulled  by the Democrats. The black community should be aware that this administration has hamstrung our children and that the conservative principle of school choice benefits us  as research has borne out time and time again.

Conservatives should take every opportunity to speak out about the black genocide perpetuated by Planned Parenthood. When more black children are aborted than born alive in New York City, it's clear that Margaret Sanger's fondest wish that the "undesirable" "human weeds" be "exterminated" has come true  and not only exterminated, but done so at a profit for them.

As we have discussed before, the GOP has a black eye in the black community. It will take patience, perseverance, and genuine communication not laced with traditional "talking points" that come across as condescension. Conservatives must be willing to hear the concerns of black America, and understand that it will take time to build trust. Conservatives must be willing to show up in places they haven't traditionally gone before: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), community events, church gatherings, etc. And we cannot continue to force these "but black-on-black crime...," "if you don't do anything wrong, you have nothing to fear," "all lives matter" comments down the throats of those who have been hostile to our positions. True or untrue, these narratives don't "win friends and influence people" who may be hearing your message for the first time.

Black lives do matter. And conservative principles can enrich and benefit black lives. We must take the time and make the effort to take that message to the black community.

Together, Marie Stroughter and the pseudonymous DK co-founded the African-American Conservatives website and weekly radio show. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Before the hyperventilating begins, let me stipulate that neither President Obama or Hillary Clinton ever sat down with Islamic State chieftain Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and signed the articles of incorporation. But were it not for their actions and inactions in facilitating a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, creating a vacuum ISIS would gladly fill, the terrorist groups caliphate arguably would not exist.

Trump now says he was merely being sarcastic when he said it:

Donald Trump charged President Barack Obama on Wednesday with being the founder of the Islamic State during a campaign rally in Florida."In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama," Trump said during a campaign stop in Fort Lauderdale. "He is the founder of ISIS."Last week, his campaign tried to draw financial links between the Clinton Foundation and the terror group. Wednesday, he called Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton the group's co-founder. Trump has long accused Obama and Clinton for pursuing Middle East policies that created a power vacuum in Iraq that was exploited by Islamic State. He had criticized Obama for announcing he would yank U.S. troops out of Iraq, which Obama critics believe created the instability in which extremist groups thrive.

No more calls, we have a winner. Sarcasm or not, he is on the money. ISIS would not be the threat it is today were it not for the policies of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They should at least rate an honorable mention. The fact is that President Obama, who famously dismissed ISIS as a JV team, ignored the intelligence reports of the rise of the Islamic State and the danger it posed. As Investors Business Daily editorialized, Obamas later promise to degrade and destroy ISIS was an empty threat by a President who could have destroyed ISIS in the cradle but didnt:

Degrade? Degrading has been the foreign policy of a president who recently said that he didn't have a strategy yet for dealing with the Islamic State's butchery after watching it train and prepare for a year in its Syrian base before its "sudden" expansion into Iraq. A former Pentagon official told Fox News that Obama received specific intelligence in daily briefings about the Islamic State's rise. The information was said to be "granular" in detail, laying out IS' intentions and capabilities for at least a year before it seized big chunks of Iraqi territory and started beheading Americans. Obama's indifference to the briefings was an issue during the 2012 campaign, when former George W. Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen observed that Obama personally attended only 44% of them. Obama's perceived lack of interest in a terror war, which he claimed was won prior to the Benghazi attack, mirrors his reported lack of interest in the rise of the Islamic State.

The fact is President Obama willfully snatched defeat from the Iraq victory of President George W. Bush. The Islamic States capture of Ramadi was a long way from the purple fingers Iraqi women held aloft in the countrys first free and democratic elections:

The White House description of the fall of Ramadi to ISIS forces we were supposedly busy degrading and destroying as a setback is like the British calling Dunkirk in World War II a strategic withdrawal. Ramadi is a defeat, the result of the precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by President Obama against the advice of military minds who know better about these things than the former community organizer from Illinois.

President Bush left a stable Iraq, one where Shiite and Sunnis had learned to coexist and resist a common al-Qaida enemy. There were free and fair elections and we all remember the pictures of Iraqi women holding up their purple fingers indicating they had proudly voted in those elections. Now we have the mass graves of ISIS, beheadings and what can only be called the ethnic cleansing of Christians.

It is a myth, as the White House now claims, that President Obama inherited an Iraqi mess from President Bush and had no choice but to withdraw U.S. troops in the absence of a status of forces agreement. The problem was not that Iraq and Prime Minister Noor al-Maliki wanted the U.S. to leave, but that the force Obama wanted to leave was just too small. As Patrick Brennan has written in National Review:

These claims dont jibe with what we know about how the negotiations with Iraq went. Its the White House itself that decided just 23,000 troops made sense, when the Defense Department and others were proposing more. Maliki was willing to accept a deal with U.S. forces if it was worth it to him -- the problem was that the Obama administration wanted a small force so that it could say it had ended the war. Having a very small American force wasnt worth the domestic political price Maliki would have to pay for supporting their presence. In other words, its not correct that the al-Maliki government wanted American troops to leave.

So unserious was Obamas attempt to degrade and destroy ISIS that he at one point spared ISIS oil facilities, a prime source of its funding, because attacking them might hurt the environment.

If you wondered why our air campaign against ISIS was inept, consider the statement by Mike Morell, speaking on the Charlie Rose program That we didnt take out the oil facilities that ISIS was using to become the best financed terrorist organization in history because of our concern the environment would be harmed. As the Washington Times reported:

A former CIA director said the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State has been reluctant to attack oil wells controlled by the extremist group partly because of environmental concerns. We didnt go after oil wells -- actually hitting oil wells that ISIS controls because we didnt want to do environmental damage, and we didnt want to destroy that infrastructure, said former spy chief Michael Morell, using an acronym for the Islamic State.

So much for the campaign to degrade and destroy ISIS, giving credence to the adage that there is no specific and credible evidence of intelligence in the White House. You win wars by breaking things and killing the enemy and letting the sea levels take care of themselves. You dont win by worrying that destroying an enemys infrastructure might melt a glacier in a hundred years.

Obamas precipitous withdrawal from and abandonment of Iraq provided ISIS an incubator in which to grow. It was an extension of Obamas view that the heavy foot of America had created all of the worlds problems and our withdrawal from world leadership would solve everything: It, and the consequences of it, were predicted by President George W. Bush in a 2007 speech: As Fox News reported:

A prophetic warning from then-President George W. Bush before he left office about what would happen if the U.S. withdrew troops from Iraq too soon is getting new attention in light of the Islamic States gains, as each of his predictions appears to be coming true. Bush, as discussed on "The Kelly File," made the remarks in the White House briefing room on July 12, 2007, as he argued against those who sought an immediate troop withdrawal. To begin withdrawing before our commanders tell us we are ready would be dangerous for Iraq, for the region and for the United States, Bush cautioned. He then ticked off a string of predictions about what would happen if the U.S. left too early. It would mean surrendering the future of Iraq to Al Qaeda (the precursor of ISIS). It would mean that wed be risking mass killings on a horrific scale. It would mean we allow the terrorists to establish a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they lost in Afghanistan. It would mean wed be increasing the probability that American troops would have to return at some later date to confront an enemy that is even more dangerous. Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen says all these predictions have come true.

Every single thing that President Bush said there in that statement is happening today, he told Fox News.

Intended as sarcasm or not, Donald Trump is right on this one. President Obama deserves credit as a co-founder of ISIS.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
At a Detroit campaign rally on August 11, Hillary said:

"My mission in the White House will be to make the economy work for everyone, not just those at the top."

An observant voter, which would exclude most Democrats and Never Trump voters, would ask why Obama has not made the economy work for everyone during his eight years, and why Hillary did not offer her insights to Obama when she was part of the Obama administration. If Hillary is vowing to make the economy work for everyone, then the premise of her promise is that the economy is not working for everyone. So why elect Hillary as Obama's third term?

To be fair to Hillary, she does have some proposals that will make the economy work for everyone just as it works for those at the top. By those at the top she must mean herself, her "husband" Bubba, and the Clinton Foundation as the best examples.

First, Hillary will show how you can give speeches at $500,000 a pop to foreign governments and Wall Street firms that need a friendly ear in our government. Hillary does not explain how you can get appointed to a position of influence in her administration, such as secretary of state.

Second, Hillary will show you how you can read the Wall Street Journal and then make at least $100,000 on your first try on cattle futures.

Third, Hillary will show you how to make $10 million in 2015, $28 million in 2014, and $27 million in 2013. Seems Hillary had a slow year on 2015 running for president and lying about her email server. It took time from her speech-making.

But if $100,000 is not enough, or you are not good at making speeches, then you can sell pardons  for example, to guys like Marc Rich  for close to a million dollars.

Last but not least, you can have someone write a book for you, pass if off as your own, then have a friendly publisher give you a ten-million-dollar advance.

Hillary will share her proven track record of amassing $200 million since leaving the White House in 2000 with our silverware. If you follow Hillary's program, you will not have to steal any silverware.
Pope Francis emphasizes the right of people to transgress national borders at will. He has tried to associate the mass violation of borders with what has been called the new humanity. The pope generally avoids reference to Christ, but he seems to vaguely associate the new humanity with the promised overthrow of evil and the establishment of God's reign on earth.

Speaking to a group of over one million young people at the World Youth Day gathering on July 31, the pope said, "People may judge you to be dreamers, because you believe in a new humanity, one that rejects hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders as barriers and can cherish its own traditions without being self-centered or small-minded."

The pope does not seem to urge readying for the God-Man who alone can establish a new humanity. He preaches the humanist construct of "follow your dreams." Everyone gets a prize  not for doing, but for dreaming.

In actuality, Pope Francis promotes the right to ditch one's own people and invade the wealthiest nations because, as the bank robber said, "That's where the money is." By telling young people they should "not use borders as roadblocks," and not because of famine, but to find better buttered bread, Pope Francis is justifying criminality, not Christfulness.

Every entity needs a boundary in order to exist: a skin, a wall, a border. The transgression of a boundary is a momentary means to an ongoing, unjust seizure. When someone breaks into a house, that is just the beginning of his crime. The purpose of the intrusion is for the thief to take everything he can as quickly as possible. When people steal into a country, they make no commitment to anybody but themselves. The cognitive dissonance of criminality  that is, an overwhelming psychological need to feel justified  itself precludes gratitude. It behooves the invader to grab all he can of other people's wealth for as long as possible, while justifying himself with self-serving illusions such as the pope provides.

Pope Francis also misled the young people by exhorting them to "download the best link of all: that of the heart, which sees and transmits goodness without growing weary." Again, the idea that the heart transmits only goodness is humanist fallacy. The heart is the seat of the mind. It is the source of compassion, but it also generates discontent and envy, which are the bases of the socialism Pope Francis promotes.

Christianity perceives the heart as a throne. When the throne is empty, as this Pope seems to envision it, following the heart can do as much harm as good.

Christ said He had not come to change the law and that His followers should obey the law of the land as the practical beginning of clearing a path to Him. Pope Francis seems to say break the law to get what you want. And to Christ, we can redistribute what we want without Your help. So take your time; we are not ready for You.
When Aesop wrote the famous fable The Crow and the Pitcher, he wasnt making up a story. The fable was based on actual observation that was confirmed by recent scientific studies that found that crows, indeed, do just the same as the crow in the fable when presented with a similar situation. Crows are remarkably intelligent creatures who demonstrate complex skills like the ability to manufacture and use tools, remember human faces, and use individual experience to predict, plan and adapt to their environment. Crows are found to bend wires into hooks to acquire hard to reach food, crack open walnuts by dropping them into pavements from a height, and even memorize the schedule of the garbage truck so that could pick up some tasty morsels.

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Food isnt the only motivation factor that drive crows to adaptability. Crows also demonstrate intelligence when building nests, using whatever materials that are available to construct them. A typical nest is composed of interlocking twigs, often recycled from the old nest, and pieces of wires of various lengths and thickness, gathered from the surrounding, to strengthen the nest structure. Tokyo residents have observed that crows in the city have learned to use coat hangers instead.

In such a large city, there are few trees, so the natural materials that crows need to make their nests are scarce. As a result, the crows will often steal hangers from the people who live in apartments nearby, and carefully assemble them into intricate nests. The completed nests almost look like works of art.

Nests built from hangers were also discovered in other Japanese cities. In Fukuoka City, the Jungle Crow would often make nests atop power lines during the breeding season that could cause large blackouts due to short circuiting. The Kyushu Electric power company actually has "crow patrols" that search out and destroy hanger nests on their power grid.

Also see: Massive Bird Nests on Telephone Poles

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Sources: Besgroup / Sinister Pictures / Cracked via Oddity Central
For decades, the city of Tokyo has been waging a losing battle against winged invasion. Crows, cormorants, owls and birds of other species have invaded the metropolis in tens of thousands. They nest in utility poles and cause blackouts, steal hangers to build nests, dive-bomb on citizens, poop and peck. Its an eerie reminiscent of the Alfred Hitchcocks thriller The Birds where a small town gets victimized by a flock of birds.

Ornithologists blame the decrease in forests and breeding areas due to progressive urban development, causing the birds to move into human populated areas. Besides, there are tons of fresh garbage to eat from and lot of sheltered places in the city to raise families.

When Japanese photographer Yoshinori Mizutani moved to Tokyo for university, he was surprised by the massive number of birds in the city. Since then, Mizutani has been trying to highlight the issue of invasive birds in cities, and through his photography, show how the urban landscape has been made surreal by their presence.

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

In this latest series, Mizutani photographed flocks of cormorants perched on overhead power lines becoming silhouettes that resemble musical notes on a score. He calls this series HANON, in reference to the French piano instruction book. Although his images appear to be nearly monotone, they were actually shot in color.

Since the 1980s, the great cormorant has been enjoying a population explosion in Japan thanks to improved water quality and the protection of their colonies, said Mizutani. The large rise in cormorant numbers has resulted in widespread problems, such as damage to the fishing industry, recreational fishing and other fauna and flora.

Previously, Mizutani had photographed Tokyos parakeet population. These brightly colored birds have a different history, unlike that of the crows and cormorants who came from the suburbs and disappearing forests.

The parakeet was originally brought to Japan as pets from places such as India and Sri Lanka. But when they turned out to be too noisy, many owners released them. They now inhabit in great numbers in the citys trees.

Related: City Crows Build Nests Out of Coat Hangers

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

Photo credit: Yoshinori Mizutani

via The Guardian
Our Outback Steakhouse visit was far enough behind us to allow for digestion to fully occur. Texas Roadhouse was on the current days agenda.

Each named for a distant land, these two chain meateries face off across Ann Arbor-Saline Road. I was halfway through an assignment to see how they compare when my young adult son came in from a hot July bike ride and asked: Do I need to change this T-shirt before we go out to eat?

No, I respondedand realized that being able to wear anything is, along with easy parking, a key selling point for these mass-marketers. After all, you probably wont see anyone you know, and, bored to distraction by corporate menus, you may end up with gravy or grease or BBQ sauce on your clothes.

Such were my lackluster expectations, post-Australia and pre-Texas. But then my prejudices were rollickingly busted by cheery servers, a cliched but fun decor, and one of the juiciest sauteed-mushroom-and-onion-topped grilled ribeye steaks around. During a time of painful division between rural and urban, northern and southern cultures in America, theres value in every reminder to look beyond easy judgments.



Despite their proximity, the steakhouses settings couldnt be more different. Outback is in the misnamed Village Centre. Built in the 1980sthe High Suburban periodit was for decades hidden behind a grassy berm. Though the barrier was bulldozed last year, newcomers may still need a trip or two around the triangle framed by Ann Arbor-Saline, Oak Valley, and Waters roads to find an entrance.

Theres no missing Texas Roadhouse. A simulacrum of a frontier blockhouse, it sits smack up against Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. Its street-side edge was once another berm, hiding the Meijer store that opened in 1989. Now, cashing in on the New Urbanist trend, the Pittsfield Place shopping strip flaunts its commerce proudly, a rampart of fast food and mobile phone storefronts. Although Texas Roadhouse opened last December, exterior work continued into this summer, as if there can never be enough fortification against the Comanches.

You drive in through a crazy maze setup in what used to be Meijers parking lot, then walk in past long rows of benches. Passing the pager drop box by the entrance, I tsk-tsked at the presumption theyd get crowds large enough to need such management in Ann Arbor, with its mature landscape of homegrown restaurants and good steakhouses. Yet inside the vast wood-beamed interior, more than half the tables were full for an early Saturday lunch, and families kept streaming in the whole time we were there.

We waited less than a minute at the front desk, under a jaunty welcome sign welded from horseshoes. A hostess came over with a basket of rolls in hand and asked us if we wanted to pick a raw steak from the display case of neatly sorted cuts (the way you might pick lobster elsewhere). We declined and followed her to a booth, where a metal bucket of shelled peanuts awaited.

Tall glasses of water soon arrived, lemon wedges alongside. Turns out the butter with the warm rolls is whipped with honey and cinnamon, a tradition familiar from North Carolina BBQ stands. We didnt look too hard at the laminated card menu, because we had been online and knew we would order the same things wed had at Outback. So we munched salty peanuts and sweet rolls, listened to country music, and checked out the Tigers game on the high-mounted TVs around the central bar. Hard to miss the mounted buffalo and buck heads (fake, the bartenders assured us, though supposedly real at some of the chains other locations). We passed on our servers invite to order Kenny Chesneys favorite blue rum cocktail but picked out his likeness among county-fair-style big-head caricatures on the wall, along with Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, and Blake Shelton. At one point a couple servers passed us carrying a sawhorse-mounted leather saddle to a table, where they cajoled a teenager into sitting on it while they serenaded him with Happy Birthday.

Our Cactus Blossom deep-fried onion appetizer looked very much like the Bloomin Onion Aussie-tizer wed tried at Outback. But the Cajun Horseradish dip at the Roadhouse had a bite that kept taste buds stimulated more than the bland bloom sauce at Outback. And, in a comparison that would continue, the Roadhouse onion cost a few dollars less.

Our server kept our waters full, and at a relaxed moment I couldnt resist asking how she felt about wearing a uniform with I love my job written on the back. Her face lit up: I do love it here. We have funwe get to dance every day.

At night, at the bar? I guessed.

No, she chirped. Every hour if we canline dancing, she answered. Ill show you.

She disappeared at a trot. A moment later the music volume went upsome song about a chicken on a stick, I think. A half-dozen laughing T-shirted women began an intricate line dance. It lasted maybe a minute.

Our main dishes arrived shortly after, and our now even bubblier server insisted we cut the ribeye while she watched, to make sure it was cooked as requested. It was, with a delicious sizzle still going at the marbled edge.

Texas Roadhouses ten-ounce ribeye was leagues better than its gray, heavyweight counterpoint at Outback. The Roadhouse ribs were moister, too, falling from the bone more easily than the dry Outback version. The BBQ sauce was decent at both places, and both had good mashed potatoes with real texture and bits of skin, but Roadhouse fries were more appealing, thick cut and cooked crispy with a light dusting of seasoned salt. The Roadhouses grilled shrimp were juicier and fresher tasting as well, with pepper the dominant flavor rather than Outbacks mouth-drying crust of garlic salt.

Credit goes to Outback in two other areas, however: lovely green snips of basil and plum tomato quarters garnished its shrimp, and nicely steamed and balsamic-dressed broccoli florets and yellow squash made up the mixed vegetable side (Texas Roadhouse had plainer broccoli and mini carrots). Some folks will also prefer the darker interior and quieter sound level at Outback, with Paul Simon and Adele instead of country on the sound system. And at the Roadhouse, I felt I was asked too often whether I wanted bacon and cheese on top of pretty much everything we ordered but the brownie.

Instead of continuing a spreadsheet of comparisons and contrasts, suffice to say that the upbeat atmosphere and sense of better value and greater care with the food tip the scales in favor of the Texas Roadhouse for any outing that doesnt require a serious conversation. Since neither chain originated anywhere near the geographic location claimed by its marketing (the first Outback was in Tampa, the first Roadhouse in Indiana), no points to anyone for authenticity. And neither approaches the quality of our homegrown Chop House, Knights, and Zingermans Roadhouse.

Ill end with a tellingly disenfranchised quote from our low-energy Outback server as she proceeded to undersell us on corporates latest new! (the exclamation point is on the menu) appetizer, the Aussie Signature sampler:

I dont know why we need a sampler, because everything in it is on the menu already. But they [as in, corporate] just do whatever they want.

Might a line dance for this sentiment be to the tune of Aint that America?



Texas Roadhouse

3133 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. (Pittsfield Place)

332-8850, texasroadhouse.com

Mon.-Thurs. 4-10 p.m., Fri. 4-11 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Appetizers $4.99-$8.99; sandwiches and salads $3.99-$13.99; entrees $9.99-$26.99; desserts $5.99

Wheelchair friendly



Outback Steakhouse

3173 Oak Valley Dr. (Village Centre).

662-7400, outback.com

Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Appetizers $7.49-$12.49; sandwiches, tacos, and salads $3.99-$12.99; entrees $9.99-$21.49; desserts $3.99-$7.99

Wheelchair friendly
Security never plays well with convenience. Or so we thought. As companies strive to make the life of users seamless and easier in every way possible, security becomes a primary concern. Two-factor authentication and OTP introduces an additional layer of security but at the cost of ease of use. But Samsung is out to change that belief. The Korean conglomerate won the hearts of a lot of excited consumers with the unveiling of the flagship Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Although being referred to by analysts as less practical, the iris scanner in a consumer phablet is a technological marvel for many. Samsung has been able to integrate the technology seamlessly into the Galaxy Note 7 without compromising on the looks of the device. And it works as advertised on the software part as well, offering an added layer of biometric protection to the Galaxy Note 7.

Samsung Pass is a feature that allows an application to use the fingerprint sensor with an API. The South Korean tech giant has also integrated the new iris-scanner authentication method into Samsung Pass, making it easier for banks to utilize the iris scanner to grant users access without keying in credentials. And now, top Brazilian banks are already looking into utilizing Samsung Pass to allow users to authenticate themselves using the iris scanner as a replacement to keying in credentials. According to the senior head of mobile products at Samsung Brazil, the company is already in talks with Brazilian banks to help integrate iris scanning as a way to log in. No banks were named by the official, but Bradesco might be a good guess as they were the first in the country to enable fingerprint authentication.

Iris scanning is more secure and harder to replicate than fingerprint scanning. It is also touted to be more accurate than fingerprint scanning, although it has its caveats of having proper lighting or not playing well with glasses. The biometric data from the iris scanner is encrypted and stored in the device, secured by Knox to be matched with the data while identifying the user. The collaboration with local banks to support authentication with iris scanning will prove to be a significant boost to the popularity of iris-scanning feature and at large, the Galaxy Note 7 itself. The new flagship phablet is set to launch in Brazil by September 2016.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission, KFTC, announced yesterday (Friday) that it is to formally investigate if Google has violated anticompetition laws. This is not the first time that South Koreas antitrust regulator has investigated Google as in 2013, the regulator investigated if Googles insistence that smartphone manufacturers using Android on their devices had to use the Google Search on the device was bad for competition. At the time, Google was cleared of any wrongdoing after the investigation. For the current story in 2016, it is not clear the extent of the investigation so far. The KFTC did not disclose the nature of the investigation nor did they detail any potential antitrust violations. However, an unnamed individual told the source website, Reuters, that the Korea Fair Trade Commission visited Googles Seoul headquarters back in July 2016. The KFTCs announcement followed a local report that the commission had quashed anticompetition charges concerning the pre-loading of Googles applications and services onto devices running the Android operating system.

Google is no stranger to being accused of anti competitive practices. Earlier this week, Russia fined the company $6.8 million and the European Union has recently launched a new raft of investigations into Googles business, in particular at alleged anticompetitive behaviour. The massive success of Googles Android platform mirrors how successful Googles Search engine has been. However, there are a number of differences: Google insists that companies using the Android operating system must follow certain guidelines or rules. Its this that has raised eyebrows in a number of countries or regions of the world as it is seen as excluding other businesses. Although Android is the leading smartphone operating system across the world, in some countries such as India the market share has reached 97% and regulators are worried that this gives one business too much control. We have seen other moves designed to wrestle Googles insistence that manufacturers use Googles services, such as Microsoft supporting a Cyanogen OS platform based on Googles Android but without the requirement to use Googles applications.

At this time, neither Google nor parent business, Alphabet, have commented on the Korea Fair Trade Commissions statement and in the absence of information we will have to wait for the investigation to run its course. This is a developing story but it may be some weeks before we have an update.
The Internet of Things movement has been subject to security concerns from its inception, and most buyers are okay with that. The issue comes when certain IoT appliances that really should not be insecure end up being insecure. While there are a huge number of proprietary standards out there, to the point that theres an all out war to find even the dominant category of IoT standard, most IoT devices use some derivative of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular signal to communicate. These are all protocols that can easily be broken into, if theyre not carefully secured. The problem with IoT is that theyre usually not. One particularly alarming example of that was shown at the recent DEF CON security conference.

At the conference, white hat hackers and security research firms strut their stuff by cracking the latest tech wide open, and showing everybody exactly how they did it so that the manufacturer can patch up the loophole that led to the hack being viable. Naturally, such gatherings of great minds in security often include more off the grid elements, and its one of those that actually managed to bust the best-in-show smart lock wide open. First, two representatives from Merculite Security went to work on a set of smart locks. In total, 12 of the 16 locks tested went down. Of them, three different companies models literally broadcast their passwords in plain text to anybody listening via Bluetooth. Let that sink in. If your front door is secured by Quicklock, iBluLock, or Plantraco, any schmuck with a $10 Android phone from Walmart could let themselves into your home with the help of root privileges and a few apps related to Bluetooth sniffing and logging. The other locks, aside from the four left standing, required some convoluted exploits, like using a sniffer to record traffic when an authorized user opened the door and then playing that back, but went down easily enough.

The real show stopper was when an independent hacker by the handle of Jmaxxz managed to crack the nicest lock in show, an August model, wide open, and had prepared a presentation about the whole thing, complete with angsty princesses sarcastically complaining about how difficult it was to crack the locks. Naturally, some of the locks ended up losing out to a good old fashioned screwdriver, as well; this means that the locks were not only digitally insecure, but also physically so. These are flaws youre not going to find on the average $20 Kwikset, and a nice representation of security in IoT right now; that is to say, there basically is none.

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There are some companies, of course, looking to buck that trend. Right now, the most shining example is Samsung. Recently, Samsung committed to providing more security in not only their Tizen-based Smart TVs, but their entire Smart Home IoT setups. Amazon Echo, meanwhile, is relatively safe from backdoors, according to Amazon, and the upcoming Google Home is a complete wildcard. For the most part, though, the swath of smart fridges, coffee makers, washers, and thermostats out there are far from hack-proof. At the dawn of the IoT movement, there were whispers that the huge amount of different standards coming out, along with basic security protocols being followed, would likely be adequate, given the scale and use cases of the tech. Obviously, that has proven to be far from correct in this day and age; ransomware for thermostats is a thing, white hat hackers have taken over cars on test tracks as a proof of concept, and here we are at the logical conclusion of it all; literally insecure smart door locks. So, in conclusion, IoT may be incredibly convenient and make your life far easier, but trusting the tech right now is a horrible idea.
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Steve Harvey  His Wife, Kids & Height Steve Harvey is an American comedian, actor, radio and TV show host, producer and an author of different relationship advice books. Steve Harveys Early Life Born in Welch, West Virginia, on January 17, 1957, as Broderick Stephen Harvey, Steve was the last of five children. His family relocated to Cleveland when he was young and there, he attended Glenville High School from ...

Intriguing Things You Should Know About Danny Kokers Rise to Fame and Who His Wife Is Danny Koker is popular as the star of the History Channel reality TV series, Counting Cars. Prior to him appearing on the show, the TV personality was a musician who had embarked on a number of national tours with his rock group, Counts 77. He and his group have released quite a number of songs ...

Fun Facts You Didnt Know About Andy Cohens Rise to Prominence and His Partner Andy Cohen is one of Americas top media personalities who gained prominence after helping to bring the Bravo network back to life. He also hosted a couple of shows on the network, including the popular nightly series Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. After rising to the position of head of production and development at ...

Tracing Isha Sesays Career Until CNN, Her Worth And Why She Divorce Her Husband As far as journalists of African origin go, Isha Sesay is one of the most famous on the continent  and by extension, the world. The Sierra Leonean and British journalist has had a successful career since she joined the industry in 1998. In that time, she has worked for a host of major media ...

Open Secrets of How Joanna Gaines Balances Her Career With Being a Wife and Mother Joanna Gaines is the co-founder of Magnolia Homes, a business she runs with one goal: converting houses to homes. She doubles as the lead designer of the company which she co-owns with her husband, Chip Gaines. Lady Gaines gained massive popularity when she became a co-star with her husband on the HGTVs show, Fixer Upper. ...

Juicy Details of Ayesha Currys Love Story With Stephen, Her Family Members and Recent Pursuits When your husband is one of the greatest basketballers that the NBA has ever seen, then it bestows on you the status of a celebrity wife  and may not even demand that you do anything extra to maintain that status. However, Ayesha Curry, the wife of multiple NBA champion, Steph Curry, is not one ...

What Is Tarek el Moussas Ethnicity, Why Did He Divorce His Wife and Who Is He Dating? Tarek El Moussa has made himself one of the most recognizable men on reality television, especially to fans of HGTV. Thanks to his expertise in the world of real estate, Tarek has become a national star. But even to his hardcore followers, there are questions about Tarek El Moussa that remain unanswered, such as his ...

Fun Facts About Natalie Beckers Lonely Childhood and Eventual Career Success Natalie Becker is an actress of South African descent who became famous for her appearance in films like The World Unseen and The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior. A multitalented individual, Natalie is also a television/radio presenter. She is also a co-founder of the Thought Leader Global Media which she runs together with ...

Top 3 Female CNN News Anchors You Didnt Know Were Africans CNN is one of the leading news agencies in the world. The satellite and cable news network was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and has been one of the best sources of news for a number of years. It also boasts of the best journalists and presenters all around in media broadcasting. The company is a ...

Channels That Aided Katie Pavlichs Growth as a Journalist and All About Her Marriage To Friedson If you have ever come across any Fast and Furious featuring Barack Obama, it is the handiwork of Katie Pavlich. The book which claims to have exposed Obamas bloodiest scandal and the shameless cover-up thereof, has been earning Pavlich much praise and fame ever since it was published in 2012. Nonetheless, Pavlich is more famed ...

Is Oprah Winfrey Married? Husband, Children, Biography, House, Facts Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire philanthropist, talk show icon, producer, actress, and writer. The media icon famously dubbed The Queen Of All Media owns and hosts the highest-rated television program in the media circle. Read more about the powerful television star below. Oprah Winfrey Biography Oprah was born as Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954, to a ...

Who Is Arsenio Hall, What Happened To His Talk Show and Why Do Fans Think He Is Gay? He is one of the funniest beings to have graced the comedy constituent of the American entertainment industry. Arsenio Hall has a reputation for the rib-cracking disposition always portrayed in his comedy roles. He is not just a comedian; he is also an actor and a former talk show host for his popular show, The ...

What Is Woah Vicky Famous For and Who Are Her Family Members? Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Woah Vicky is one of those stars that have utilized the internet as a powerful tool to propel themselves to instant fame. The social media space, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc., offers lots of people the right opportunities and potentials to become superstars overnight. Not everyone achieves ...

Where Is Michael Strahan Since His Retirement From The NFL and Who Is His Partner? Michael Strahan is a retired American football player turned media personality. He played the defensive lineman position and holds the record for most sacks in a single NFL season. He also only played for the New York Giants throughout the entire 15-year professional career that saw him win a Super Bowl ring. In February 2014, ...

How Wendy Williams Went From Being a College DJ to Having Her Own Talk Show and More About Her Divorce Wendy Williams is a former radio personality, now talk show host, who is known for her outspokenness and brash no-nonsense attitude. She gained fame and notoriety for her on-air clashes with celebrities before moving on to host her own talk show. Since 2008, Williams has hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. ...

Who is Sunny Hostin? Her Husband, Family & Net Worth Sunny Hostin is no ordinary Latina  American lawyer but also a successful columnist, multi-platform journalist, and social commentator. A happily married woman and mother of two, Hostin is the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and co-host of ABCs popular morning talk show, The View. She is a legal expert popularly known as a former ...

Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

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The Duke of Westminster left his son very little (but the trust got loadsa tax-free money)

The Duke of Westminster has died. There will be no land grab for his vast estates in Londons Mayfair and Belgravia. Chinese and Russian investors can stable the horses. The Duke, whose family gained their estates thanks to an ancestors friendship with William the Conqueror, who took charge of the land after a successful invasion, has left the spoils of war to this heirs. The Guardian is upset that the State wont get their chunk of change:

the sixth duke is said to have left an estate worth 9.9bn upon his death this week to his son and yet, despite the fact that inheritance tax is supposedly payable on all estates on death worth more than 325,000, it has been widely reported that very little tax will be due in this case.

He did? No. He left the estate to a trust managed by his son. As the departed Duke said:

Id rather not have been born wealthy, but I never think of giving it up. I cant sell. It doesnt belong to me.

It belongs to the trust. Indeed, the Guardian adds:

The English legal concept of a trust is believed to have been developed during that era, when knights departing the country with no certainty of returning wanted to ensure that their land passed to those who they thought to be their rightful heirs without interference from the Crown. Trusts achieved that goal and the concept has remained in existence ever since, representing the continual struggle of those with wealth to subvert the rule of law that may apply to others but that they believe should not apply to them.

No. They are using the rule of law to stay legal.

The late Duke had this advice for his heir: Hes been born with the longest silver spoon anyone can have, but he cant go through life sucking on it.. He has to see himself as a caretaker, keeping the estates in good shape in his lifetime. It took me ten years just to understand what I had inherited.

Anorak

Posted: 13th, August 2016 | In: Broadsheets, Money, Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink




Day 7  Sevilla, Spain: Andalusia Art Trek

9" x 12" oil painting by Niki Gulley





Plein Air Painting and Photography Workshop Led by Niki aGulley and Scott Williams





On the last day of our Spain Art Trek, we visited Plaza de Espana, a Moorish paradisiacal gathering place with a half mile of tiled fountains, pavilions, ponds and lush plantings. Some of my painters captured the river and bridges flowing through the center of the park, while others focused more on the unusual architectural elements. After shooting the area, the photographers and tourists continued on to visit more of the city, and we met up that evening to catch a Flamenco concert. Filled with haunting refrains from the Spanish guitar while dancers entertained with rapid, energetic footwork, sweeping movements and mesmerizing gestures, we were so wrapped up in the performance, an hour felt like minutes. For our final night, we treated ourselves to dining outside on a delicious meal with new friends and wonderful memories.









Breakfast from our hotel rooftop in Sevilla






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STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. On August 13 President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan took part in an opening ceremony of the conference of the NKR Parliamentarians' Association, press service of the NKR Presidential administration informed Armenpress.

President Sahakyan signified the formation of the NKR Parliamentarians' Association noting that the way passed by our veterans, their experience and knowledge, active participation in the solution of national issues may and should serve as an example for the younger generation.

Bako Sahakyan gave state awards to a group of MPs who participated in the historical sessions of the former Nagorno Karabakh Regional Council held on February 20, 1988 and September 2, 1991.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. Groups constituting Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State terrorist organizations (both outlawed in Russia) continue attempts to break down regime of cessation of hostilities in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Damascus, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria said, reports TASS.

Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists executed 40 gunmen and members of their families for an attempt to surrender arms.

"In Aleppos Qaryat al-Ansari neighborhood, Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists executed militants and members of their families who tried to lay down arms and leave the city via humanitarian corridors to areas controlled by government troops. In all, 40 people were killed," the center said.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. Pakistani police have arrested several hospital workers over a scheme that sold newborn babies in Peshawar, BBC reported.

The gang swapped newborn babies with the bodies of dead infants in hospitals and maternity homes, and told their parents the child had died, police told the BBC.

The babies were then sold to childless couples for between 70,000-300,000 rupees (500-2,200; $650-$2,850).

Pakistan has seen several high-profile cases of baby abductions recently.

Police told the BBC they had received a number of complaints about stolen babies.

Some women who had given birth to healthy babies said they were told within hours that their child had died

Among those arrested were five women and two men, including a nurse, two health workers and an agent who allegedly struck the deals with childless couples.

An abducted baby girl was rescued from the gang's custody.

The gang had abducted and sold nine newborns, police said.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Ministers of Russia and Germany Sergei Lavrov and Frank Walter Steinmeier will hold an official meeting in Yekaterinburg on August 15.

They will discuss settlements in Syria and Ukraine, issues of the European security and fighting terrorism, Russias Foreign Ministry said on August 13, TASS reported.

"At the negotiations, the Foreign Ministers will discuss current aspects of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres," the Ministry said. "Sergei Lavrov and Frank Walter Steinmeier will continue the exchange of opinions on key international issues, including progress in implementation of the Minsk agreements on settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and progress of the peace process in Syria, on issues of the European security, and on fighting international terrorism."

Prior to the negotiations Lavrov and Steinmeier will take part in the opening ceremony of the Russian-German Summer School "Development of Energy Sector. Modern Challenges" at the Urals University.
BEIJING - China's top economic planner has pledged more efforts to support the green sector after the country fulfilled its energy-saving targets and saw the environment improve in the first half of this year.

A national plan will be drafted on the development of energy-saving and environmentally friendly industries for the 2016-2020 period, according to a latest statement from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The government will encourage more qualified companies to issue green bonds, the NDRC said.

It will also consider setting up a fund to support the green industry and attract private investment.

Tax breaks will continue for firms using energy-saving and environmentally friendly equipment, the NDRC noted.

It said China made headway in energy saving and environmental protection in the first six months, with the energy consumption per 10,000 yuan ($1,500) of GDP dropping 5.2 percent year on year, exceeding the annual target of 3.4 percent.

The country also saw lower emissions of major pollutants, with the density of PM2.5, a type of particulate matter that causes hazardous smog, falling 9.3 percent year on year.

In the first half, 338 cities saw the number of days with good air quality reach 76.7 percent of all days in the period, up from 72.7 percent a year earlier, NDRC figures showed.
AUBURN  Union Springs native Michael Murray had a vision 13 years ago to raise money for the athletes of the Special Olympics. He wanted to create teams and see who could pull a 39,750-pound fire truck the fastest.

Through the years, Murray and company have raised thousands of dollars for the athletes, with August being one of the biggest fundraising months worldwide for the Special Olympics, especially this year coming around the time of the Olympic games in Rio.

While Murray was the one to start this particular fundraiser, he credits the community and most notably the athletes for keeping it alive.

Right now its the only one in the state that is doing it, Murray said of the fire truck pull Saturday at Casey Park in Auburn. We have 10-person teams and you come in with a mix of five men and women with five Special Olympic athletes pulling. You pull the truck for 20 feet and the team with the fastest time wins.

Raising money is the No. 1 priority of this event. Allowing the athletes to pull 20 tons steel is another.

Every other year there will be the Special Olympic World Games and the Special Olympic National Games. 2016, the National Winter Games will be held in Austria. Last year 6,500 athletes from over 160 nations participated in the World Summer Games located in Los Angeles.

The funds go toward all the athletes, Murray said. The athletes and their families never pay a dime in any sport that they compete in. We have local, regional and national athletes. The world games are coming up in a couple of months.

On Saturday, 26 athletes participated in the pull at Casey Park, ranging from young children to seasoned adults  all with the goal of having fun.

In the previous 13 years, upward of 60 athletes have taken part in the event. Murray credited Saturday's oppressive heat as a factor that could have hurt the turnout this year.

Its very encouraging seeing them participate and having a really good time," said Pat Rafferty, member of the board of the regional Special Olympics. This event is a fundraiser that helps fund Special Olympic activities regionally and in the state. Its important in that aspect.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. Police Corporal Gagik Mkrtchyan  who was wounded on July 17 when gunmen ambushed the Police precinct in Yerevan  has died on August 13, Armenpress was informed by the Armenian Healthcare Ministry.

The doctors have done everything possible to save his life, but they were unable.

Gagik Mkrtchyan has received many surgeries.

In the morning of July 17 gunmen stormed a Police HQ in Yerevan and took hostages  demanding the release of Zhirayr Sefilyan, who was imprisoned a month ago, charged with illegal possession, transportation and acquirement of weapons and ammunition.

Police Colonel Artur Vanoyan has been killed by the gunmen during the ambush.

Colonel Aram Hovhannisyan, Lt.  Colonel Hrach Khosteghyan received gunshot wounds.

The hostages were released within a week, but on July 27 the gunmen took hostage the paramedics who came to show medical assistance to the wounded in Police station.

On July 30 a police officer Yuri Tepanosyan has been killed by sniper fire from the seized police precinct.

On July 31 the gunmen laid down the weapons and surrendered.






2 thousand Daesh militants flee using civilians as human shields, later liberated. Kurdish leader: the militia "will no longer be able to travel to and from Europe." For the Pentagon IS "is on the ropes." Hundreds of mines and booby traps placed by jihadists in the ground before fleeing.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Arab and Kurdish militia fighters have liberated the city of Manbij, in northern Syria, from the Islamic State, effectively cutting the jihadists' main route to Europe. The mixed Arab-Kurdish coalition fought for 73 days to clear the area from the Islamic extremist group.

Fleeing, the Daesh militias [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] seized 2 thousand people, including men, women, children, using them as human shields. The civilians were released in the night and in these hours are returning to their homes in the city.

The Islamic State had taken control of Manbij about two years ago. The city is the crossraods for two roads that connect it to Aleppo, the epicenter of the war now underway in the country, to the south-west and Raqqa, the capital of the "Caliphate" in Syria, to the south-east.

Salih Muslim, leader of the Syrian Kurds, said that "with the release of Manbij, IS members will no longer be able to travel to and from Europe. Among the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who fought against the jihadists, there are also the powerful militia of the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG).

Their advance was also aided by the continuous air raids of Russian fighter jets against Daesh stations. Since the offensive to recapture the city, which began on 21 May, members of the SDF have ripped the over a thousand km2 from the IS. There are still some pockets of resistance held by Daesh militiamen in the northern suburbs.

The road through Manbij has become over time a strategic crossroads for jihadists for the supply of weapons, vehicles and men from the Turkish border and the center of Raqqa.

Commenting on the military success a Pentagon spokesman said that "IS is on the ropes, although fighting continues" in some places.

According to reports from the London based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the IS militiamen fled on board about 500 cars, bringing with him a group of civilians. The jihadists headed northeast, to Jarablus, near the border with Turkey which is under IS control.

Meanwhile, plans are already being put in place to restore normalcy to Manbij. A task which, according to experts, will be hampered by the hundreds of mines and booby traps that militants have planted in the ground before fleeing.
by Sumon Corraya

Catholic volunteers deliver about 50 Euros and a package with items for personal hygiene to 1,650 families. The country is facing the worst floods in 10 years. Three million people affected, more than 15 thousand homes destroyed. Launch of an information campaign against infections and epidemics.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Caritas Bangladesh is launching a series of initiatives to help victims of the devastating floods in Bangladesh. The Catholic charity's volunteers (see the photogallery) distributed 4 thousand BDT (about 46 ) and cleaning kit for each person, for at least 1,650 families affected by the emergency. Efforts are concentrated in two districts in the north of the country. The delivery of relief supplies was also attended by officials of the central government of Dhaka.

In the summer of 2016, Bangladesh - a poor country and often the scene of natural disasters, which annually cause victims - had to face the worst floods in 10 years.

At least three million people, scattered in 16 districts of the country, have been effected in various ways; water and mud spilled by the rivers have washed away more than 15 thousand homes.

Interviewed by AsiaNews Pintu William Gomes, head of the Department of Disaster Management of Bangladesh Caritas he says: "We have distributed aid in two districts, Sirajgonj and Kurigram, those most affected. Soon other districts will be affected by the distribution.

The head of Caritas stresses that the situation is improving from a point of view of the emergency, but the drama of the affected population continues unabated. "We handed out disinfection kits containing bags, mugs and other basic necessities, so that the population can collect drinking water safely."

Mr. Hamid Islam, one of the many victims in the Sirajgonj district, says: "The Government only gave us dry food, but stocks have run out three days ago. The money received from Caritas  he adds - are of great help. So I want to thank them.

Danis C. Baskey, regional director of Caritas Rajshahi, also reports that an information campaign has been launched by Catholic volunteers on hygiene and cleanliness in the affected communities, to prevent the risk of infections and epidemics. Among the points in question how to avoid snake bites  a common problem with rising water levels - the use of the toilets, hand washing and personal hygiene.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation swimming announcer Elliotte Friedman (whos only doing that job thanks to Steve Armitage having to pull out late over health concerns) made a substantial gaffe Thursday, mixing up the lanes of Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps during the 200-metre IM gold medal race and falsely announcing that Lochte had won before realizing his mistake and apologizing profusely. After on-air apologies, Friedman also offered an apology on Twitter:

Whats really interesting, though, is the amount of support and positive feedback Friedman received in the wake of that tweet:

https://twitter.com/DanGinnane/status/763980859837775876

Here are some of the other positive tweets to Friedman, from people both inside and outside the broadcasting realm and from people around the world:

. @FriedgeHNIC Be kind to yourself, we've all effed up. I've been marvelling at your calls with #ByronMacDonald all week

@FriedgeHNIC You're still the best in my books. Chin up, Elliotte.

@FriedgeHNIC Elliote. We've not met. But we heard from all in Canada how amazing you are. Such an easy mistake to make. You'lll ride again

@FriedgeHNIC don't even worry about it! Athletes make mistakes all the time too, we're all in the same boat. 

@FriedgeHNIC Live TV is hard, partner. No one gets through a career unscathed. New day.  Cam Cole (@rcamcole) August 12, 2016

@FriedgeHNIC it's ok man. Trust me. Your self worth and career isn't measured on a swimming event. Your family loves you. Canada loves you.  chuck swirsky (@ctsbulls) August 12, 2016

While there were some critical tweets, others even jumped in to defend Friedman from those people:

@ctsbulls I would respectfully disagree. He will always be remembered for both blunders tonight. Ruined them for me and my family.  Scott (@ScottSmathison) August 12, 2016

@ScottSmathison @ctsbulls you and your family need hobbies. Get a life. Enough kicking a man when he's down.  Troll Buster (@trollbuster12) August 12, 2016

If I didnt say that shed won the gold, I would have been on a flight this morning and I would have gone home. I would have quit. Theres no question in my mind. Quit? Really? If I hadnt gotten her getting the gold, I would have quit in the morning. No doubt. No doubt. And done what? I dont know. You cant deliver that performance on this stage. You cant. Its not acceptable. It just isnt. He still doesnt remember calling the Oleksiak race. It was the biggest swimming event of the Olympics for his viewers, and its a blank space in his mind. He knows he nailed the call of her getting gold, but he is still stinging from botching her name in the middle of the race. I am more embarrassed about that one than I am about the Phelps one, he says. Thats a Canadian moment And I fed it up. Friedman is 45. He is not here by accident; he earned this assignment over many years. But he sits in Olympic Aquatic Stadium and says, I feel today like Im starting over. Everything I do, I have to work on it to make sure that I dont do that again. Basically, thats a message: Nothing you did before was good enough. You better find a way to make it better now. He re-dubbed the Phelps race for future airings, but he asked producers to keep the old one. Someday, he will watch it. He has studied the best franchises in sports, and he has learned: You succeed by breaking yourself apart after you fail.

Friedman deserves credit for his prompt and thorough apology, and for his willingness to improve. By all accounts, he has been doing a strong job calling both swimming and diving in Rio for the CBC, and thats particularly impressive considering that that change in assignment (he was initially going to do sideline reporting) came only just over a week before the Olympics. His mistakes were significant, but a couple of mistakes shouldnt ruin a career, and Friedman has a strong track record of journalism in print and on-air, especially when it comes to hockey. Its positive to see so many people chime in with support for him, and maybe that should happen after more announcing mistakes. Announcers are human too, and its good to see a lot of viewers here recognize that. Its good to see Friedman resolved to continue improving, too, but he should be careful not to be too down on himself. Viewers have forgiven him; now he needs to forgive himself.

[Dan Ginnane on Twitter]
by Nina Achmatova

Serghei Ivanov - historical ally of the head of the Kremlin - was removed from office after more than four years of service, replaced by a young and efficient bureaucrat. According to Putin experts he is replacing the old circle of power, made of comrades and friends, with young and faithful executors to strengthen his personal leadership.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Russian leader Vladimir Putin has 'fired' Serghei Ivanov, one of his closest aides and long time head of the presidential office. He has appointed Anton Vaino, born in 1972, who comes from a diplomatic career and a family of high communist nomenclature. Experts portray him as nothing more than an efficient bureaucrat. The reshuffle - according to Kremlin sources consulted by the Moscow Times - is part of Putin's broader strategy to replace the old guard of his closest collaborators with younger and faithful 'apparatchik' figures, in order to strengthen his personal leadership in a delicate moment.

The head of presidential administration in Russia is a sort of equivalent of the chief of staff of the White House and works closely with the Head of State. The presidential administration is the nerve center of the power system of the Russian Federation and its head is considered a member of the inner circle of the president.

Ivanov, 63 years, knows Putin since the 1970's : He is form St Petersburg and worked in the KGB, and the current Russian secret service, FSB. Ivanov has long been seen as an opponent of Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev in the race to occupy the most prestigious seats of the country; after Medvedev became president in 2008, he served as Putin's deputy prime minister. Once the latter returned to the Kremlin in 2012, he brought him with him as head of the presidential administration.

Ivanov thanked the Russian leader and wanted to point out that his four years and eight months of work was the longest-serving head of presidential administration of the Federation. "I am convinced that Vaino is ready for this job," said Ivanov, who personally recommended his deputy's name to replace him. The new task assigned to him, however, sounds like a real fall of status: special envoy of the Presidency for the environment and transport.

"Putin is replacing the old friends with servants, people of trust and who he is not bound by personal friendships, and who does not remember when he was not the leader of the country," says the political scientist Stanislav Belkovsky. "Vaino is totally neutral and respectful and is not going to discuss anything or ask questions. It's a personal choice of Putin, "said a source in the Kremlin. The young man - considered close to Sergei Chemezov, head of state holding and arms producer Rostec - has never been seen as a political actor within the magic circle of Putin, but more like a personal assistant, very similar to Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov.

Also according to the Moscow Times, the Russian leader is entering a new phase of his power and think that it is now easier for him to do it all alone. "He no longer needs fellow soldiers - writes the Russian newspaper - or creative input from his staff. He needs neutral executors ", at a time when the country is struggling with the economic crisis, the shrinking of reserve funds and before parliamentary elections (in September) and presidential (March 2018).

From this point of view the appointment of Vaino follows the same logic of the recent reshuffle implemented at different levels: the president's body guards, Aleksei Dyumin and Evgheni Zinichev were appointed governors of the regions of Tula and Kaliningrad, while a former bodyguard staff, Viktor Zolotov, became head of the newly formed national Guard, a sort of super-internal army, with almost unlimited powers.

The trend was started last year, with the sudden dismissal of the powerful head of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin, longtime friend and ally of the Russian leader. The defenestrations then continued this year with the departure of two other 'friends', as the head of Putin's personal security, Yevgeny Murov, and that of the Federal Service for Narcotics Control, Victor Ivanov.

According to some, it is a time when the head of the Kremlin wants to have ample leeway to make decisions quickly and easily, which was becoming increasingly difficult within the elite. The ouster of Ivanov has given rise to speculation about possible early presidential elections, now scheduled for March 2018. At the time, Russian law prohibits a president who resigns before the natural expiration of the mandate, to run for the next election, but a source in the government points out: "what we are seeing now are attempts to improve the manageability of the system. A decision on possible early elections is the next step for Putin".
On the occasion of the World Elephant Day, celebrated yesterday, the authorities publish the last census of mammals living on the island. Decline of 39% from 2007. Ministry spokesman: "In addition to poaching, elephants are suffering from bad sanitary conditions. We have much work to do".

Jakarta (AsiaNews / Agencies) - On the occasion of the World Elephant Day celebrated yesterday, the Indonesian authorities have focused attention on the conditions of the Sumatran elephant, a very rare and highly endangered subspecies. The Director-General for the Environment Ministry revealed that, according to the last census, the island has only 1,724 specimens remaining. This means a decrease of 39% from 2007.

Listya Kusumawardhani, Ministry spokesman, said: " From 2012 to 2016, 146 wild Sumatran elephants have been poisoned or killed by poachers for their tusks to satisfy demand in the illegal ivory trade in Riau and Aceh [cities in the center and north of the island ed] ".

Listya explains that there are other threats in addition to the ivory market and the destruction of their natural habitat. For example, the Sumatran elephants locked in retention centers have become highly vulnerable to infectious diseases such as herpes, due to poor hygienic conditions in which they are enclosed. "There are eight breeding centers for elephants in Indonesia - he says - but their health facilities are very backward. We have much work to do".

Nevertheless, the official is convinced that some decrees approved by the Government will be able to create new living spaces for Sumatran elephants, "Jakarta stated that 27 million hectares of forests are protected areas. The mammals of Sumatra and other endangered species can live safely there ".

As endangered species go, the number of Sumatran elephants is not very worrying. WWF Indonesia, however, appeals for vigilance and to make every effort to ensure that the specimens are not further depleted. Nyoman Iswarayoga, director of communications of the organization, said: "Although the official number is still in the thousands, we must continue to find innovative ways to save the Sumatran elephant from extinction".
Thieves Take Off With More Than 5,000 Gallons Of Canadian Maple Syrup

Trending News: Canadian Crisis - Someone Stole $150K Worth Of Maple Syrup

Why Is This Important?

Because this is the face of crime in Canada.

Long Story Short

Canada is reeling after another (yes, another) major maple syrup heist. More than 5,000 gallons was looted from a storage facility near Montreal's airport and the bandits are still on the loose.

Long Story

America's hat is a peace loving nation know for moose, shirtless prime ministers and "hackey." The country is so nice that after a Canadian broadcaster f***ed up the call on Michael Phelps medal win, hundreds of people Tweeted support after he said sorry, reminding us all that nobody is perfect and that's eh-OK with Canadians.

But not everything north of the border is all reindeer and crystal clear rivers. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that thieves managed to steal 20,000 litres (5,283 gallons) of bottled joy from a facility near Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport in Montreal  a take estimated at $150,000 Canadian (roughly $116,000 USD).

The culprits stole 20 pallets worth of Costco-brand syrup destined for Japan and are still at large. The cargo company in charge is offering $10,000 for any info leading to the recovery of the Canadian "liquid gold."

Alfredo Monaco, vice president of Mexuscan Cargo, told CBC that this will hurt the producers hard as "margins are thin." He also said it won't be that easy to deal the pancake-enhancer on the black market since the syrup is Costco's Kirkland brand, so the heist doesn't really make a lot of sense.

You cant sell this at the corner store," he said. "People will know what it is, so its probably harder to get rid of on the black market. We do take precautions, but the minute you let your guard down for one second, thats it.

Caroline Cyr, a spokesperson for the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers told CBC that thefts like these are rare. Still  and I wish I was joking here  an even bigger heist happened in 2011 when $18 million worth of Canadian's sweet export was looted.

Canada's clearly got a maple mugging problem, but I'd take that any day in exchange for all the sh*t going on south of the border.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

How is this not a fake news story?

Disrupt Your Feed

If they're not going to sell it, maybe they just really like having pancakes for breakfast.

Drop This Fact

Syrup producers in the country work in a sort of cartel, where all the sweet sap is regulated to be sold for a certain price.
Hi there ... My wife had a subclass 100 spouse visa (permanent residence) BUT for the past 5 years we have been living in the USA. Unfortunately, the Visa expired (back in 2014).



We may be moving back to Australia and I'm not sure what she should be applying for?



Is it the Resident Return 155 OR something else?



Thanks

Darren
Burglary arrests

Two men were arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a Flagstaff cellphone store this week.

According to the police report, Flagstaff police officers responded to a burglary in progress in the 100 block of East Route 66 at about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday. The glass front door had been broken by a large boulder. Witnesses saw one of the suspects take off his shirt, wrap it around his hand and use it to punch through the remaining glass to enter the store. The witness said the other suspect acted as a lookout.

The inside of the store was in disarray but few items appeared to be missing.

Officers later located two men matching the suspects' descriptions. One had cuts on his body. Both men made statements implicating themselves in the break-in. One suspect had the store's business phone in his possession.

Anthony Rueben Garcia, 23, and Nicholas Aaron Sanchez, 22, were both arrested by Flagstaff Police Department on commercial burglary charges. They were booked into the Coconino County Detention Facility.

City and county residents who want to report a crime but wish to remain anonymous may call Silent Witness at 774-6111 or (877) 29-CRIME, submit a tip online at www.coconinosilentwitness.org, or text the word Flagtip along with your information to 274637 (CRIMES). Rewards of up to $2,000 are given for information that leads to an arrest.
Hi All,



I need some advise on what content to add to my sponsor stat dec for 801 application. As we can only provide 10 months worth of evidence due to the wait times, i am not sure what to add as we have not really done much since the grant of the 820. I can't use the same format as the 820 as a lot of that information is now irrelevant. Any advise would be appreciated.



Thanks

Scott.
As those that are familiar with the topic have already noticed, the MSRP sticker price is higher than what company representatives used to quote , $6,800. However, there are several things to be considered apart a $500 price hike.First of all, customers can get a $300 rebate if they agree to buy the car , but they will have to pay the $7,000 in the first place. The payment will be non-refundable, so there is a risk that the promised vehicle will only be delivered in a few years.If things go incredibly wrong with Elio , customers might not get a car at all, and there is a chance that they will not get a refund, as they will have to sign an agreement that declares that they understand that there is no definite date for production or delivery.In other words, customers that want the $300 deduction for a base model Elio 3-Wheeler , without destination/delivery charges, taxes, registration, title, installation, and other options and fees, risk not getting the car in the foreseeable future if the company tanks.Before the price increase, Elio Motors used to request a deposit between $400 and $900, and customers could have made refundable or non-refundable deposits. The latter was limited to $900, not the $7,000 requested after this shift in strategy. Elio Motors did not raise the price of its 3-Wheeler just because, but the company had to ask for a loan from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing plan operated by the Department of Energy.Among the conditions for the DOE-loan is to demonstrate that the product has market acceptance, which refers to a base of customers that will buy the resulting product.As Jalopnik notes, Elio Motors has a little over 56,000 reservations, out of which 85% are non-refundable, but none of these have a binding contract to buy the vehicle when it enters production.The conditions involved in the Department of Energy loan request will require Elio Motors convincing customers to buy their car when it comes to market, thus the $7,000 price for the base model without a refund possibility.Refundable reservations are still available, but customers that expect a refund would have to pay $7,300 for the same base model. According to Elio Motors representatives, the pricing scheme described above will only be valid until the company reaches 65,000 reservations.Acknowledging the details presented above it's unclear whether the obligation to buy the vehicle will exist for those that place a reservation after Elio Motors attains the number of orders specified above, or if the price will increase even further.Regardless, we wish Elio Motors all the best, as they have promised a lot and we would not want to see another insolvency make people lose the money they invested in exchange for the promise of an exciting product (think Kickstarter projects here).
Let's take the Rennsport Neunelfer in the images to your right, for instance. We're dealing with a machine dressed in the overly extrovert Ultraviolet Blue (here's what happens when you mix this shade with a partial wrap for an original take on the Martiny livery).Since we're dealing with a 2016 rear-engined coupe, the mileage is just the kind you'd expect, with the odo showing 863 miles.Even the seller of this Porscha is special, since the GT3 RS, which has only had one owner, is being offered by McLaren London. Now, before you imagine Woking has decided to make profits by taking advantage of Porsche 's track special strategy, you should know we're talking about a dealer that's part of the Jardine Motors Group, with the latter's portfolio also including other brands.We've already become accustomed to the various goodies packed by the GT3 RS, but this particular example has one option that drew our attention. We're talking about the six-point safety harness, which means this Neunelfer is ready to sustain any kind of track activity you can think of.As for the pricing, the circuit-savvy ride is listed at GBP254,950 (that's $329,357 or EUR295,003 at the current exchange rates). In our book, this price matched the otherwise hefty average financial side of the GT3 RS adventure.And speaking of GT3 RS PDKs, we'll remind you the latest trend related to this Porsche sees owners removing the massive rear wing . And with 2017 Porsche 911 R deliveries having begun earlier this summer, it's difficult not to notice how the de-winging move brins the Rennsport machine closer to the 911 R's appearance.
The Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder and the Huayra recently got together to... go jogging. While previous episodes of this kind have accustomed us to these octane behemoths being pushed to their limits , the piece of footage at the bottom of the page brings a different take on the matter.The clip shows the hypercars meeting at the track - we're talking about the Monticello Motor Club, in New York. This is a country club that includes a 4.1-mile racetrack, sitting at about 1.5 hours of driving from Manhattan.Truth be told, the speed monsters weren't abused on the track because this was a dealer gathering, so we're talking about customer cars. Going past the less-than-badass pace, we see the video below as a bit of a challenge.To be more precise, we're curious about the clip's effects. In theory, the power being displayed here may remain unused, but the video should still have magnetic powers. After all, spending a little over two minutes of your time watching the four hypercars going for a jog doesn't sound too bad.If, however, you feel that you can't do without the hooning bits, we might have a solution for you. This involves a machine whose power-to-weight ratio can easily overshadow the figures of the beasts we have here. And since the four-wheeled creature has a hybrid heart, it fits the setup.We're talking about the Regera, Koenigsegg's latest toy. The Swedes have held the customer launch of the hypercar recently - one thing led to another and we all ended up with a video showing how a burnout looks like when you have a setup involving 1,500 horses and no gearbox.
Google executive and roboticist Chris Urmson left the team who is planning to develop "self-driving cars." According to the latest report, he is "unhappy with the project."

Urmson is one of the core members and his departure would mean a lot for the group. While this is not the first time that a member quits on the project, many are speculating about the reason behind.

The spokesperson for the tech company Alphabet- Johnny Luu has confirmed Urmson's goodbye. Kindly read the excerpt of the email message below, courtesy of New York Times.

"Seven years ago, the idea that a car could drive itself wasn't much more than an idea. Chris has been a vital force for the project, helping the team move from a research phase to a point where this lifesaving technology will soon become a reality. He departs with our warmest wishes."

According to the website, Urmson decided to withdraw himself from the project after Google hired John Krafcik last year. The top roboticist is said to be unhappy with the latter's way of directing the project.

As per a Google insider, the two had massive quarrel all over the months which made him quit. While a company representative refused to comment on the rumor, Mr. Urmson disputed the hearsays.

The executive wrote on Medium that he is still uncertain about his next plan. However, he wrote that he is confident the "self-driving cars" project is definitely in good hands.

Google formed an exclusive group to study the patent which is labeled as "the research X." The aim is to introduce a new technology of "self-driving cars" that will be autonomous.

But this project is still several years aways from becoming industrialized and commercialized. So the public may need to wait furthermore for a new detail to come up with the promising project.

Meanwhile, be sure to catch the latest news from Google, here at AutoWorldNews.
The Air Forces pilot shortage continues to grow as its aviators move to airline flying jobs, military officials said this week. The USAF estimates it will be short 700 fighter pilots by years end, up from the 500-plus gap officials told Congress about earlier this year. The shortage could increase to 1,000 in the coming years unless the branch beefs up recruiting and retaining efforts  not only for fighter-jet pilots, but drone pilots as the militarys use of unmanned aircraft expands, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told Washington reporters this week. The airlines are forecasted to be hiring a lot more. They already are, she said.

Among the top proposals are to increase pilots retention pay above the current $25,000 per year, and James specified increasing drone pilots retention bonuses to $35,000 per year, The Associated Press reported. Weve got to make sure that we remain competitive, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said in the CNN report. He added that the Air Force also wants to expand its F-16 training programs and keep pilots flying between missions. The reality is, pilots who dont fly, maintainers who dont maintain, controllers who dont control are not going to stay with the company because were not allowing them to be the very best they can be, he said. The Air Force later this year will start training enlisted airmento be drone pilots for the first time in efforts to fill jobs for itsRQ-4 Global Hawk drone program.
For the second time in a week, Canadian authorities are investigating a crash involving an apparently stolen aircraft, this time with tragic consequences. The Piper Tomahawk crashed on a main street in Peterborough, Ontario, about 1:30 a.m. local time Friday. The pilot and lone occupant was killed in the crash. The plane hit an illuminated sign and street lights before hitting Lansdowne Street. The aircraft belonged to a man in Markham, Ontario, about 60 miles from Peterborough and was being flown without his knowledge, according to authorities.

The pilot was reportedly in his 20s and its not clear whether he had any formal flight training. Last week, a Newfoundland man allegedly took a relatives Cessna 180 on floats for a joyride and crashed it on shore but he wasnt seriously injured. In Peterborough, witnesses said it appeared the pilot was trying to land on the street, which didnt have much traffic at that hour. The aircraft had fuel but its not yet known if there were technical issues. The pilots identity hasnt been released.
13 August 2016 15:26 (UTC+04:00)

The e-government portal has received more than 30 million requests from the population since it was launched, according to the Data Processing Center of the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan. This year alone the portal has received 8 million requests, the center said.

The portal presently offers 423 e-services of various organizations.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
13 August 2016 16:14 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan`s tank crew has produced successful results at a Tank biathlon contest held as part of the International Army Games2016 held in Russia, the Defense Ministry said. In the international competition, which was attended by 54 tank crews from 17 countries, Azerbaijani tank crew ranked seventh in the overall table and fifth in the ranking for the best crew.

Azerbaijani tank crew, which participated in this competition for the first time, performed a variety of tasks at a high level, skillfully destroyed all the targets and overcame obstacles. The ability and professionalism of our tank crew, which outclassed the Armenian team in the overall figures, was highly appreciated by the jury and arbiters of the competition as well as by specialists and experts, the Ministry said.

--
New Orleans has not just recovered from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina. Its tourism is booming. More people are flocking to the city, which 
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The City of Bakersfield, which won the lawsuit challenging the 24th Street widening project in Superior Court, will ask a judge Friday to let 
A former Kern County sheriffs deputy who made national news after escaping from custody in his second of three arrests in the span of a week 
WASHINGTON  Cigarette use by Native Americans, already the highest in the nation, grew to 38.9 percent at a time when most other ethnic groups saw their rates dropping, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Thursday.

The report said smoking by Native American and Alaska Native adults grew from 37.1 percent in the period 2002 to 2005 to 38.9 percent between 2010 and 2013. That led other ethnic groups by a large margin, with blacks and whites tied for second-highest rate of cigarette smoking at 24.9 percent.

The numbers are disappointing, but not surprising, according to the director of the University of Arizona Center for Rural Health.

We tend to see higher rates of tobacco use in rural populations and also certain minority populations, such as Native Americans, said Dr. Daniel Derksen.

This was echoed by the associate director of the CDC Office of Smoking and Health, who noted the large differences in smoking between the ethnic groups.

Even though the overall cigarette-smoking rate is declining, disparities remain among racial and ethnic groups and within subgroups, Bridgette Garrett said in a statement released with the report.

Looking beyond broad racial and ethnic population categories can help better focus the strategies that we know work to reduce tobacco use among sub-groups with higher rates of use, she said.

Derksen said those strategies include cessation treatments in health insurance plans, policies that bar smoking indoors and in certain areas, and taxes on tobacco products. When all of these factors work together, Derksen said, cigarette smoking declines.

But many Native Americans in rural areas dont have health insurance that includes treatments to quit smoking, and many live in areas with high rates of advertisements from tobacco companies seeking to develop lifetime customers.

In the case of American Indians, youre sometimes fighting all of those (factors), Derksen said. You might have a tax-free tobacco (store) in the neighborhood  You may have a casino close to the community where smoking is allowed in the community, so people are not only smoking but theyre able to buy cigarettes.

After Native Americans, blacks and whites, Hispanics were next-highest with an adult smoking rate of 19.9 percent. Asians smoked the least from 2010 to 2013, according to the CDC, at 10.9 percent. Rates decreased for all groups except Native Americans and Alaska Natives, the CDC said.

There were wide disparities in smoking between ethnic groups and even within subgroups. While 10.9 percent of Asians overall smoked, rates within the group ranged from 7.6 percent for Chinese and Asian Indians to 20 percent for Koreans.

The CDC said cigarette smoking in the country had declined overall, but some of the strategies used to curb smoking werent working for certain groups.

We know smoke-free policies, hard-hitting media campaigns, higher prices for tobacco products, and promotion of cessation treatment in clinical settings are proven to reduce tobacco product use, said a statement from Corinne Graffunder, director of the CDC Office of Smoking and Health.

If fully implemented and enforced, these strategies could help reduce tobacco use, particularly among racial and ethnic populations with higher rates of use, her statement said.

Derksen noted that while many businesses have adopted smoke-free areas, Native American land often has casinos and hotels that allow smoking indoors  perpetuating cigarette culture and making it difficult for those who have quit to stay smoke-free. He added that smoking and drinking often go hand-in-hand.

They are linked. There are certain populations that have had collateral damage from that, Derksen said.

That collateral damage includes the most-recognized health consequence  lung cancer  but also includes an array of medical issues, including pulmonary and cardiovascular problems. And thats not including the effect of secondhand smoke on those living with smokers, especially children, Derksen said.

And that can only change with multifaceted intervention strategies, he said.

You cant just focus on one intervention, you really have to approach it form these different levels to be effective, Derksen said.

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Web Links:

_ Smoking rates graphic embed code:

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SIDEBAR:

Up in smoke

New numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show smoking fell in recent years among adults in all ethnic groups except Native Americans. The rate of smoking, by group, over a three-year span:

Native American/Alaska Native:

 2002-2005: 37.1 percent

 2010-2013: 38.9 percent

White:

 2002-2005: 27.7 percent

 2010-2013: 24.9 percent

Black:

 2002-2005: 27.6 percent

 2010-2013: 24.9 percent

Hispanic:

 2002-2005: 23.9 percent

 2010-2013: 19.9 percent

Asian:

 2002-2005: 14.5 percent

 2010-2013: 10.9 percent
Running 195 miles from springs in the upper Chino Valley to its confluence with the Salt River near Phoenix, the Verde River supports thousands of acres of agriculture, feeds a burgeoning recreation industry and provides drinking water for 2 million people in Maricopa County.

The river, as many in the Verde Valley know, is also expected to shrivel to a trickle by 2050 along some of its reaches without conservation measures that will scale back groundwater pumping and irrigation diversions.

It was this somewhat bleak outlook for one of the last flowing rivers in the state that inspired a new program aimed at helping individual residents, farmers and businesses have a direct hand in helping sustain the Verdes flows.

The new Verde River Exchange Water Offset Program creates a system where individuals can receive compensation for voluntarily reducing their normal water usage, which is translated into credits that can be sold to organizations, businesses or residents that want to reduce water consumption in the Verde River Valley.

The result is an overall reduction in the amount drawn out of the river over a certain period of time.

While a suite of efforts involving nonprofits, businesses and producers already exist to protect and support the river corridor and recreation around it, this is the first that focuses solely on keeping water in the river, organizers said

Its a new tool for people who want to balance their impacts on the river, said Jocelyn Gibbon, a key organizer of the exchange and principal of Freshwater Policy Consulting.

Water exchanges that mimic carbon trading have been done in other locations, but most require bigger water users to buy credits from those who conserve in order to avoid mandated water use reductions, Gibbon said.

The Verde Valleys program, on the other hand, is voluntary and an attempt at making conservation strides in a time and place where local governments arent interested in layering on water use restrictions or conservation requirements, said Kim Schonek of The Nature Conservancys Arizona chapter.

What's unique here is there's no regulation that requires participation (in the exchange) so the goal is to have people who manage the water and rely on the river to have an interest and motivation to protect and conserve it with us, she said. You could do nothing and the river would go dry or you could take action, and this is action that doesn't hurt business.

Eric Glomski is from Page Spring Cellars and Vineyards, one of the credit purchasers in the programs inaugural pilot year, which kicked off last month.

Getting involved in this program is an example of us trying to do things differently than we've done on a lot of other rivers in Arizona, Glomski said. We have a chance to live sustainably in this landscape that we're in.

Glomski said he would like to put educational materials in the winerys tasting room to highlight water conservation efforts like the exchange and make suggestions for what others can do to help the river.

Merkin Vineyards is the other test year participant, and together the two vineyards bought 8.4 acre-feet of water credits, which is slightly more than the amount needed to irrigate nine acres of grape trees. The credits were generated by a local family that has agreed not to irrigate one of its pastures in return for a modest payment from the vineyards.

Under the system, a buyer can decide how much water they would like to offset, whether it be a certain acreage or specific amount of a homes outdoor or indoor usage, Gibbon said.

The wineries are a good fit to start off the program because they depend on water being available long-term and also rely on an economy and tourism that are bolstered by a healthy flowing river, Gibbon said. In the future, she said she could see the program appealing to water-conscious residents, developers or homeowners associations and businesses in the hospitality or beverage industry.

On the other end of the exchange, Gibbon said potential credit sellers include farmers willing to stop irrigating or switch to less water-intensive crops, homeowners willing to forgo watering a big lawn or the creators of projects that direct stormwater into recharge basins rather than into the citys wastewater system. In the future, the city could establish incentives for people who do buy the water offset credits, Gibbon said.

The goal is for this program to work out potential kinks and then become a model for other watersheds in the state and beyond, said Chip Norton, president of the nonprofit Friends of Verde River Greenway, which is administering the Verde River Exchange.

Glomski said his goal in participating is to set off that larger adoption.

Our involvement as a pilot is small but if its a domino and helps set off a chain reaction and more people get involved, then its worth something, he said. There are so many partners were going to need to pull this off, but we've got to start somewhere.
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Its no secret that the cost of higher education has reached an all-time high. However, there are many things a prospective student can do to help offset the steep cost of college. To attend college for free, you can apply for scholarships, work for your school, find tuition-free degree programs and more.

How much does college cost?

Over the past 10 years, the cost of college has been increasing. College Board data shows that in 2011-12, tuition and fees averaged $9,890 at public four-year colleges (in 2021 dollars). In 2021-22, that number was $10,740. The disparity is even greater for private four-year colleges; from 2011-12 to 2021-22, average tuition and fees rose from $33,320 to $38,070.

The cost of college depends largely on the school you choose to attend. Heres how College Board breaks down average costs for the 2021-22 school year:

Expenses Average cost Public university tuition $10,740 for in-state students; $27,560 for out-of-state students Private university tuition $38,070 Room and board $11,950 for public universities; $13,620 for private universities Books and supplies $1,240 Transportation $1,230 for public universities; $1,060 for private universities Personal expenses $2,170 for public universities; $1,810 for private universities

How to attend college for free

Its important to research all the ways you can avoid paying much  if anything  to attend college. Here are the top strategies you can pursue.

1. Apply for grants and scholarships

There are thousands of programs, institutions, companies and organizations that give away free money. In general, grants are based on need, while scholarships are based on academic, artistic or athletic merit.

You can apply for grants and scholarships at the federal and school level by completing the FAFSA. Ask your high school guidance counselor or college financial aid office if youre eligible for any local programs or institution-specific scholarships.

Scholarship search engines are an easy way to find scholarships outside of your college offerings. You can customize your search based on any number of factors, including:

Race.

Ethnicity.

Gender.

Financial need.

Potential major.

Military affiliation.

Religion.

Physical disabilities.

The earlier you start your search, the more free money you could qualify for. Many grants and scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so the sooner you apply, the more money you could score.

2. Serve your country

The U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force, Military (West Point), Merchant Marine and Naval academies offer free college opportunities to students who serve after college. Scholarships are also available through local Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs.

Offered at more than 1,700 colleges and universities in the U.S., the ROTC program provides a paid college education and guaranteed postcollege career to participants in exchange for committing to serve in the military after graduation.

If youve served on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, you may also qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which helps cover the cost of in-state tuition and fees and provides an allowance for living expenses, books and supplies. Those who qualify for the programs maximum benefit will have the full cost of public in-state tuition and fees covered for 36 months. There are funding limits for private and foreign schools.

AmeriCorps is another national service organization that offers education awards in exchange for community work. The award amount varies among AmeriCorps programs, but a person cannot earn more than the aggregate value of two full-time national service education awards. The full education award is equal to the maximum Pell Grant value for that year. Members also receive a living stipend while serving in the program.

3. Work for the school

Many schools offer free or reduced tuition for employees and staff of the school. In addition, if a students parent works for a college, a full or partial waiver may be available for that student. The terms vary by the institution, since theres no minimum standard, but many full-time workers qualify for tuition-free classes. Future students can find out about their schools policy by calling the admissions office.

4. Waive your costs

Some students can get a free pass based on academic performance or other factors.

Tuition waivers may be available for (current or former) military and talented students, says Manuel Fabriquer, founder of College Planning ABC, a financial aid and admissions counseling firm in San Jose, California. Even families that have substantial income can get tuition waivers if [the student] has the right test scores.

Some schools also offer waivers for Native American students, though this policy varies by school. To find out what a school offers, contact the financial aid office.

5. Have your employer pick up the costs

Theres a long list of companies that offer tuition reimbursement, including Chegg, Google and Hulu. Ask your employer if theyre willing to provide full or partial tuition reimbursement. Up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement each year is tax-free for both employees and employers.

6. Choose an in-demand career

Another great way to attend college for free is to find a high-need field of study. If youre trying to cut the cost of college, this is something to consider before you even enroll.

Math, science, nursing, teaching and social work are all subjects that colleges may incentivize through scholarships. There are additional opportunities available through organizations like Teach for America and the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, and you can earn a TEACH Grant of up to $4,000 per year in exchange for a commitment to teach at a low-income school or educational service agency for four of the first eight years after graduation.

7. Attend a work college

A work college is another way to get a free or substantially discounted college education. These schools, which are generally four-year liberal arts institutions, provide educational opportunities as well as valuable work experience.

Be aware that all students must participate in a comprehensive work-learning service for all four years of enrollment. In other words, all resident students have jobs. Often the jobs are located on campus, but off-campus jobs are also possible. Specific program details vary by college.

All participating work colleges are approved and supervised by the U.S. Department of Education and are required to meet specific federal standards.

8. Choose a school that pays you

Some schools will pay you to focus your studies on a single subject, which they select. Schools like the Webb Institute and the Curtis Institute of Music offer a select range of academic programs and pick up the tuition cost for every student.

However, its important to think through the decision before you commit to this course. You dont want to get caught up in taking free college courses only to graduate and realize that youre not interested in the subject anymore.

9. Attend a community college with a free tuition program

There are many community colleges that now offer free tuition programs; Tennessee, Oregon, California, New York and Washington are all examples of states that have implemented some version of free community college.

For many states, you have to graduate from an in-state high school and enroll full time to qualify for the free tuition program. You may also have to commit to staying in the state for several years after graduation. Even though tuition will be free, you may still have to pay for textbooks, supplies and room and board.

10. Look into online tuition-free degree programs

Community colleges arent the only schools that offer tuition-free programs. Some employers provide free college courses to employees. For example, Starbucks has partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) to provide workers with full tuition for their online programs and degrees.

The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and Berea College in Kentucky are two schools that offer online tuition-free programs. You can do a Google search for more online tuition-free degrees, which may be especially suited for students who want to continue living at home.

Will President Biden make college free?

During his campaign, President Biden indicated that making community college tuition-free for all Americans was a top priority. Unfortunately, the president was forced to cut the proposal from his spending bill, citing some pushback from moderate Democratic senators.

Now its unclear what the path toward nationwide tuition-free community college would look like  especially if the Republicans take back one or both chambers of Congress during the 2022 midterms.

What if I take out student loans?

If youve done everything you can to go to college for free and you still have to pay for some of it, you can use student loans to cover the financial gaps.

Whether you take out federal or private student loans, you should borrow only as much as you need. Every dollar that you borrow is a dollar you have to pay back with interest. The more you borrow now, the more youll end up paying back after you leave school. While Biden suggested in his campaign that he would like to forgive $10,000 of student loan debt per borrower, there are no official plans in place  so you should plan on paying back your entire balance.

Federal student loans are available when you complete the FAFSA. They include flexible repayment terms, like income-driven repayment plans, forgiveness options and long deferment and forbearance periods. If youre still struggling to pay for college and have maxed out the federal loan limit, you might need private student loans, which can have high interest rates and fewer borrower protections. If this is the case, its important to shop around with a few lenders before applying for your student loan in order to keep your costs as low as possible.

The bottom line

While getting a free college education is possible, it will require a lot of time, effort and commitment. Start your search early and apply to as many scholarships, grants and other programs as possible. If you cast a wide net, you have the best chance of attending college for free. If you still need to fill in the gaps, taking out a student loan can get you the rest of the way.
Its pay day for a half dozen business owners in South St. Petersburg.

Businesses owners to get grant funding

South St. Pete labeled as a Community Redevelopment Area

Friday, city officials delivered on a plan to generate tax dollars that could be turned around and given to small business owners to improve their businesses.

Earlier this year, the city council declared parts of South St. Petersburg as Community Redevelopment Areas, a designation previously used for downtown.

The label allows the city to turn tax dollars into grants for business owners.

We had people that were applying for things like, needing fire sprinkler systems or new windows or play grounds if they were a daycare center, says Mayor Rick Kriseman. So a lot of different little needs that they had that would really help them take that next step with their business.

Elihu Brayboy and his wife own Chiefs Creole Cafe on the corner of 9th Avenue South and 22nd Street South. Hell get more than $100,000 for his investment in renovating the Merriweather Building just doors away from his restaurant.

City officials expect the CRA to generate more than a million dollars next year for other business owners in the area to take advantage of.
Early voting for Florida's primary starts Monday, and Tampa Bay-area Democrats and Republicans have kicked off their strategies for the upcoming election.

Sen. Marco Rubio campaigned in Tampa Bay area Saturday

Campaigns are already focusing on battleground state

Florida has 400,000 new registered voters

To prepare, the GOP opened a new campaign office in Brandon. Sen. Marco Rubio was on hand for the grand opening, where he encouraged staff, volunteers and voters from across the country to support Republican candidates in the general election.

Rubio is currently running in a tight race to keep his Senate seat.

"I'm the only one running for U.S. Senate in Florida that if need be will be a check-and-balance on the next president of the United States no matter who that is, Rubio said. My Democratic opponent, Patrick Murphy, is going to be a rubber stamp if, God forbid, Hillary gets elected.

As Rubio met with voters, he acknowledged the battle between Donald Trump and establishment Republicans. Rubio and Trump were bitter rivals in the primary but have since endorsed each other.

"At this point, the choice we have is between Hillary Clinton and Donald," Rubio said. "As I've said before, I do disagree with Donald on a number of issues, but I disagree with Hillary on every issue, and that's the choice before me. People will have to make their own choice."

Despite harsh criticism from Trumps recent comments, Rubio said he doesnt think his party is divided or that supporting the GOP nominee is hurting his campaign.



"The presidential race is an election for president. I think people understand that the Senate is an independent branch of government. It's a co-equal branch. Senators don't work for the president, they work for the people of the states that elected them," Rubio said.

Rubio said hell continue to keep his focus on winning in November and maintain the critical majority in the Senate.

During the outing, he also made stops in Polk and Osceola counties.



On the other side of the aisle, the South St. Petersburg Democratic Club also met Saturday to discuss their "Get Out and Vote" strategy. Florida has never had more registered voters going into the August primary than it does now.

A surge of almost 400,000 new voters are ready to cast ballots this election cycle. Republicans have the edge with new voters; 59 percent have registered as Republican.
Here are five key statistics on the amount of debt medical students anticipate upon graduation according to the Medscape Med Student Life & Education Report: Are Young Doctors Prepared?

1. Nearly 60 percent of medical students anticipate having medical school debt of $150,000 or more; 38 percent say their medical school debt will be more than $200,000 upon graduation. Only 14 percent said they won't have medical debt.

2. Not quite half  43 percent  of medical students surveyed said they feel very prepared or somewhat prepared for the debt they accumulated in medical school. Thirty-seven percent said they weren't prepared.

3. Male students with more than $200,000 feel more prepared than female students in the same position  48 percent of male students said they were very or somewhat prepared, compared with 38 percent of female students.

4. Thirty-three percent of female students with more than $200,000 in debt feel somewhat or very unprepared, compared with 33 percent of male students.

5. Despite their debt, 44 percent of male and 47 percent of female physicians said earning potential was only moderately important when considering their specialty choice. Forty-one percent of male and 28 percent of female physicians said it was extremely important or very important.
A 31-year-old man pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting at nurse at Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs, according to the Montana Standard.

Ross Michael Robertson, who was being treated for schizophrenia at Montana State Hospital when the incident occurred Jan. 10, 2012, pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault. In court, Mr. Robertson said he has no recollection of the events, according to the report.

According to an affidavit, Mr. Robertson became agitated after the nurse told him to change shirts. He was wearing a brown sweatshirt instead of a gray t-shirt he was required to wear to designate his status on the forensic unit. As the nurse walked away, Mr. Robertson pushed her, and she flew backwards about 10 feet.

The nurse lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital in Anaconda, Mont., and treated for a traumatic brain injury.

A sentencing date for Mr. Robertson has not been set.

More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits:

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NY pharmacist guilty of distributing black-market HIV drugs
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The last hours of trading at BHS on Oxford Street

The doors have been locked for the final time on British Home Store's flagship branch in central London - and by next weekend no stores will be left.

The Oxford Street outlet is one of 58 closing over the next eight days as administrators call time on 88 years of British retail history.

On their last-ever shift, workers told the Press Association of their fears as the chain's collapse has affected 11,000 jobs, 22,000 pensions.

Maira Estupinan, 39, said: "I'm very sad, for myself and everyone losing their jobs. I have worked with so many lovely people here, a lovely manager, and I'm so upset to leave."

Inside, the shop was littered with scores of red and yellow "everything must go" style signs advertising as much as 80% off.

Hundreds of last-minute customers picked over the remaining stock.

Duff & Phelps and FRP Advisory have already overseen 105 closures over the past weeks, with the last of BHS's total 163 stores scheduled to close on August 20.

News of the store's failure in April sparked a lengthy parliamentary inquiry and has left its high-profile former owners potentially facing a criminal investigation.

Retail billionaire Sir Philip Green has borne the brunt of the public fallout, having been branded the "the unacceptable face of capitalism" by furious MPs.

Sir Philip owned BHS for 15 years before selling it to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for 1 in 2015. Sir Philip has come under fire for taking more than 400 million in dividends from the chain, leaving it with a 571 million pension deficit and for selling it to a man with no retail experience.

Veteran Labour MP Frank Field has asked the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to launch a formal investigation into the pair to ascertain if any criminal wrongdoing occurred during the sale of the chain and throughout their respective ownerships.

He said: "The central concern that emerged from our inquiry was the rushed sale of a struggling high street institution to manifestly unsuitable buyers. There is no way someone with Sir Philip Green's experience believed they were anything but."

Surai Zacarias, 36, who has worked at BHS since 2012, said: "I have to look for another job, of course, it's been such a long day. It's been very badly managed by those in charge, I wish this to happen to no one else - not at any company.

"It is not easy to come in to work and the next thing you have no job."

Brendon Cabey, 34, from Islington, north London, has worked at BHS for 12 years. He said that if he saw Sir Philip he would "say nothing at all to him. He has made this company go down the drain. I would not talk to him".

He said he is "trying not to think" about his pension.

Nikki Rav, 25, has worked in the store since she was 17.

She said of Sir Philip: "Just leave it to Karma. It will come round to him."
EU structural and investment projects in Northern Ireland signed before the Chancellor's Autumn Statement will be guaranteed after Brexit, the Treasury said.

The current level of agricultural backing, which underpins the farming industry, will also be matched by the Government until 2020.

Europe's Peace programme for entrenching the peace process through community development is due to run until 2020. The future of a programme designed to pump 17 million euro into groups which help victims of the conflict had been in doubt, it has been claimed.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said: "We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive.

"That's why I am confirming that structural and investment funds projects signed before the Autumn Statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave.

"The Government will also match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, who play a vital role in our country."

But Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir has said that short term assurances provided by the Chancellor around EU funding do not go far enough.

"Prior to the referendum, the European Union had agreed to contribute over 1.2 billion to Structural and Investment Fund programmes in the north scheduled to run between 2014 and 2020. This includes contributions to the cross border PEACE IV and INTERREG VA Programmes. The decision today not to underwrite that sum in relation to EU funds from now to 2020 is a setback to the economy and a failure by the British government to match European support for the peace process.

"Despite the promise of the British Prime Minister to act in the interests of all, there has been no attempt to consult with myself, the Executive or the Irish Government, about the best way forward in relation to European funds.

"While the decision to honour letters of offer issued up to November will help some applicants for EU funds, it will leave a question mark over scores of other vital projects and means potentially up to 300m of future funding is in peril.

"I have discussed this issue with the Chancellor and with my counterparts in Scotland and Wales, calling on the British Government to give a commitment that devolved administrations would not lose a penny of EU related funding streams. I have also written to the European Commissioner for Regional Policy with Irelands Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and reiterated the joint support of the Executive and the Irish Government for our cross border PEACE and INTERREG programmes.

"Rather than providing the certainty needed following the EU referendum this short-sighted decision could deepen the economic blow. It is clear the Executive needs to be front and centre in decisions around Europe and in all negotiations on these crucially important issues."

Assurances expected from the Treasury include:

:: All structural and investment fund projects, including agri-environment schemes, signed before the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on the budget will be fully funded, even when these projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU.

:: The Treasury will also put in place arrangements for assessing whether to guarantee funding for specific structural and investment fund projects that might be signed after the Autumn Statement, but while the UK remains a member of the EU.

:: Where UK organisations have bid directly to the European Commission on a competitive basis for EU funding projects while the UK is still a member of the EU, for example universities participating in Horizon 2020, the Treasury will underwrite the payments of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU.

While the UK voted to leave the European Union by 52% to 48%, 56% in Northern Ireland voted to remain.

Stormont's first and deputy first ministers Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness recently registered their concerns with the Prime Minister over the future of projects relying on EU money. Northern Ireland receives approximately 10% of the UK's cash from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

EU funding has helped build the Peace Bridge over Londonderry's River Foyle and boosted transport links between Belfast and Dublin.

It has supported scores of community groups working in some of the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland as part of the rebuilding of a more normal society after the Troubles.

Brexit campaigners had claimed Northern Ireland got back 67 million less than it contributed to Europe last year.

The Chancellor added: "We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we use the opportunities that departure presents to determine our own priorities."
The Executive has agreed a multi-million pound support package to keep Northern Ireland's only existing air link to the USA going.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the support package is in the region of 9m over three years, with the bulk of the money coming from the Stormont budget.

A spokesman for Belfast International Airport declined to reveal the amount of financial support that has been made available, but was in a position to confirm that "a significant support package" had been agreed to save the United Airlines daily service to Newark.

United Airlines' transatlantic route has had a chequered history in the past few years - it was suspended in 2015 - and the airline was preparing to axe the service within weeks.

Belfast International Airport managing director Graham Keddie lauded the effort and commitment that went into the negotiations.

"This was teamwork at its best," the airport chief said.

"It's not overstating it when I say that this was an outstanding achievement for Northern Ireland plc.

"We burned the midnight oil to get this deal across the line."

Mr Keddie praised the dogged determination of both local and UK political figures in getting the support deal agreed.

"In the end, we got a tremendous result, one that we can all be justifiably proud of," he said.

"The United service is our one and only direct link to the United States of America, which is a market of enormous importance for the NI economy.

"As we go about 'selling' Northern Ireland as an ideal location for foreign direct investment, with the big plus of a reduced rate of corporation tax, it is essential that we have direct access to that market."

Last night Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim Danny Kinahan also welcomed the rescue package.

He said that United Airlines had intended to cancel the service but intervention led by himself, along with colleagues from across the political spectrum, enabled a new package to be offered to United to keep the transatlantic route operating.

"This is an excellent example of what can be achieved when political differences can be put aside," the MP said.

"The loss of this vital tourism and business link to the United States would have had a serious economic impact on Northern Ireland."

Details of the financial support package for United have not yet been officially made public.
Premiere screening of a documentary about the various changes marijuana has undergone over the last several decades, including medical marijuana information and recent research.

Marijuana has changed.

Marijuana wax, oil or concentrates can raise the THC content from the standard street level 15% to 65-85% THC.

Campus Safety Magazine, January 2015

You are Invited to the PREMIERE SCREENING, Q&A, AND AFTER PARTY After Party, 7:30pm location will be announced at the premiere screening.



Check local PBS and NBC listings for BROADCAST late August / September

New Marijuana is a documentary and series of short videos to help youth, parents and educators throughout New Mexico understand the various changes marijuana has undergone over the last several decades. The program includes information regarding medical marijuana, the affect of cannabis on teenage brains and DUI and marijuana. Because of recent debate and changes in the drugs usage and legality (medical and recreational), the perception of marijuana and its safety has changed dramatically. This project includes information about the most recent research and affect cannabis has on all of us.

Underwriters for the project include: The City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County/Department of Substance Abuse Programs, State Farm Insurance, Cooperative Educational Services, NM Department of Transportation, NM Coalition of Educational Leaders, NM School Boards Association, NM Pediatric Society And SafeTeen New Mexico

For more information visit: SafeTeen.net or ChristopherProductions.org
Troubled land: Colombian citizens hold up a sign that reads No more terrorism, no more violence, no more kidnapping, no more FARC

I have recently returned after spending a very interesting week in Colombia, sharing experiences about the peace process. One aspect of this trip which most surprised me was the realisation of just how far we have come in our own post-conflict journey.

I was invited to Colombia by the Irish government and the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who were hosting the week's events. We met mainly with senior business leaders and politicians in Colombia's main cities of Bogota, Medellin and Cali.

Although the Colombian conflict is different to our Troubles, particularly in scale, there are also many parallels and it became increasingly apparent during the week that Colombia can learn much from our peace process.

The Colombian conflict has been going on for more than 50 years, having begun in earnest with the formation of the FARC and ELN guerrilla armies in 1964. To date, an estimated 40,000 combatants and 177,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict and 25,000 are missing.

Several attempted peace deals have failed over the years, but the current talks in Havana, led by President Santos, are progressing well and are predicted to conclude in the near future with the outcome being put to the Colombian people in a referendum - just like the Good Friday Agreement was put to the people of Ireland.

The Colombians we met and spoke with had the same fears and concerns which I remember we had around the time of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations.

They are sceptical about the true intentions of the FARC and ELN, as well as about their own government's ability to deliver a viable peace process.

They are so conditioned by 50-plus years of conflict and false dawns that they are understandably cynical, but many of them can also see the prize which peace and stability could bring - particularly in economic terms.

The more we explained the nature of our journey and offered them encouragement, the more I began to appreciate just how much progress we have made in the last 18 years since the signing of our agreement.

It brought me back to the time around the Good Friday negotiations when we had similar feelings to those being experienced in Colombia at present. I was asked often if Northern Ireland was different 18 years on from our peace deal and when articulating the improvements in security atmosphere, levels of anxiety, economic opportunity and tourism that perhaps we have been underestimating our achievement. Our Colombian friends certainly praised our progress.

One of our key messages was how important it was to get the peace agreement across the line as, once you have secured an agreement and it has been endorsed by the majority of the people, then you have something tangible to defend against threats. The Good Friday Agreement, despite its imperfections, has endured against many threats.

We also cautioned patience, because, as we now well know, an agreement is the beginning of a new journey and there will inevitably be challenges and crises as the complex issues of delivering lasting peace unfold.

Just look how long it took us to achieve functioning local political institutions.

A vital aspect of our process is that, while we stalled, sometimes for dangerously long periods, we did not, however, step backwards and the original agreement has held firm long enough for us to value our new normality.

I remain impatient about the unresolved issues, such as marching, victims, peace walls and educational segregation and we mustn't weaken in our efforts to resolve them.

I realise now that it is time we gave ourselves a well-earned pat on the back for what we have achieved against all odds, which other conflict areas would love to emulate.

I think that the Colombians have a chance to learn from both our successes and mistakes and I will watch their journey with great interest.
In recent years, Finland has slashed smoking numbers through a series of public health campaigns and legislative action

A possible link between a deadly form of stroke and smoking has been discovered by scientists.

Researchers in Finland found a sharp drop in the number of people who suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage - the most fatal form of stroke - occurred in the same period as a decline in smoking numbers.

Between 1998 and 2012 the number of people who smoked plunged 30% among 15 to 64-year-olds in the country, the study found.

During this time, cases of the killer stroke also went down by 45% among women under 50 and 38% among men under 50, as well as by 16% among women over 50 and 26% among men over 50.

Scientists said they could not establish whether the change in smoking habits caused the drop, but it was "highly likely" Finnish tobacco policies played a role.

A British charity said the findings were a "wake-up call" to smokers and this should help motivate people to quit.
EU structural and investment projects in Northern Ireland signed before the Chancellor's Autumn Statement will be guaranteed after Brexit, the Treasury said.

The current level of agricultural backing, which underpins the farming industry, will also be matched by the Government until 2020.

Europe's Peace programme for entrenching the peace process through community development is due to run until 2020. The future of a programme designed to pump 17 million euro into groups which help victims of the conflict had been in doubt, it has been claimed.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said: "We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive.

"That's why I am confirming that structural and investment funds projects signed before the Autumn Statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave.

"The Government will also match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, who play a vital role in our country."

Assurances expected from the Treasury include:

:: All structural and investment fund projects, including agri-environment schemes, signed before the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on the budget will be fully funded, even when these projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU.

:: The Treasury will also put in place arrangements for assessing whether to guarantee funding for specific structural and investment fund projects that might be signed after the Autumn Statement, but while the UK remains a member of the EU.

:: Where UK organisations have bid directly to the European Commission on a competitive basis for EU funding projects while the UK is still a member of the EU, for example universities participating in Horizon 2020, the Treasury will underwrite the payments of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU.

While the UK voted to leave the European Union by 52% to 48%, 56% in Northern Ireland voted to remain.

Stormont's first and deputy first ministers Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness recently registered their concerns with the Prime Minister over the future of projects relying on EU money. Northern Ireland receives approximately 10% of the UK's cash from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

EU funding has helped build the Peace Bridge over Londonderry's River Foyle and boosted transport links between Belfast and Dublin.

It has supported scores of community groups working in some of the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland as part of the rebuilding of a more normal society after the Troubles.

Brexit campaigners had claimed Northern Ireland got back 67 million less than it contributed to Europe last year.

The Chancellor added: "We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we use the opportunities that departure presents to determine our own priorities."
A man is chained up in Saw III

Inmates at Magilligan Prison near Limavady are able to watch films featuring mass murder, robberies, torture, explicit sex scenes and even rape, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

A number of DVDs are available from the prison tuck shop, including Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, which features gruesome murder scenes, Saw III, an American horror film full of blood, gore, torture and death, and Love and Other Drugs, which has sex scenes.

Other films include Harry Potter, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Love Actually, The Italian Job, Planet of the Apes, Pretty Woman, Coyote Ugly, Rambo and Rocky Balboa.

James Bond films such as Licence to Kill, Goldfinger, Octopussy, From Russia With Love, Live and Let Die, The Spy Who Loved Me and The Man with the Golden Gun are also available.

There is also a large collection of television shows available.

The list of DVDs was released following a freedom of information request by this newspaper.

A spokesman for the Justice Department said: "The general rule at Magilligan Prison is that if you or I can purchase a DVD in a shop or online, for example, Amazon, then a prisoner can also purchase it."

But prison authorities were criticised by TUV leader Jim Allister after it emerged that a film which features a graphic rape scene is also available for inmates to watch.

Death Wish, an action thriller directed by Michael Winner and starring Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, sparked controversy when it was released in 1974 due its support of vigilantism and depiction on graphic violence, particularly a brutal rape scene.

The spokesman for the Justice Department explained that Magilligan Prison holds a list of banned DVDs "that at different times have been identified as being unsuitable".

"Every effort is made by tuck shop staff to minimise inappropriate content being purchased," he added.

But in response Mr Allister said: "Prison should be about convicts repaying their debt to society and ultimately being released as reformed individuals who have learned their lesson and can make a positive contribution.

"The public will be alarmed to learn that material of this nature is how prisoners pass their time when in their cells."

"Films such as Death Wish, which has been described as an 'immoral threat to society' should have no place in prisons.

"When the Assembly returns I will be pressing the Justice Minister to ensure that robust policies are put in place to prevent prisoners having access to violent and pornographic material."
Police hunt underway in Dublin for man armed with a shotgun and handgun

A Garda hunt is underway in Dublin for man armed with a shotgun and handgun.

It's been reported several shots were fired by the suspect last night at an address Blubell area of West Dublin.

Nobody was injured in the incident.

This morning gardai received reports that the man had left a home in the same area and travelled in the direction of the nearby canal.

A large number of gardai including the Garda helicopter, dog unit and several armed units, are now scouring the area looking for the suspect.

The search is concentrated around Labre Park in west Dublin.

A source said: "This is a volatile situation. Shots were fired at a home last night and luckily nobody was injured.

"This man is now walking around the capital and it is believed he is carrying two firearms.

"He is armed and dangerous and members of the public should be very careful."
A Turkish woman has been assaulted by a man in what police are treating as a racially motivated attack.

Dorset Police said the man approached the victim, who was in her 20s, and made a religious comment to her before punching her in the face.

The victim sustained bruising to her head but did not require medical treatment during the incident which happened at around 2.20am on Saturday in the Charminster area of Bournemouth.

A passer-by came to the victim's aid and took her to a nearby bar to alert the police.

The suspect is described as aged in his 40s, of stocky build and was wearing a grey tracksuit and a grey hooded top with the hood up. He spoke with a Scottish accent.

Inspector Jonathan Wasey said: "This was a vicious and unprovoked attack on a young woman as she walked alone.

"I am urging anyone who witnessed the incident or saw a man matching the description given in the area at the relevant time to please contact Dorset Police immediately.

"Racially motivated incidents such as this have no place in our community and they will simply not be tolerated.

"A full investigation is under way to find the offender.

"Officers will be carrying out high-visibility patrols in the area to reassure the community and can be contacted with any concerns."
In this Friday, March 3, 2006 photo, Brendan Dassey, 16, is escorted out of a Manitowoc County Circuit courtroom in Manitowoc, Wis. A federal court in Wisconsin on Friday overturned the conviction of Dassey, a man found guilty of helping his uncle kill Teresa Halbach in a case profiled in the Netflix documentary "Making a Murderer." (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

A US federal court in Wisconsin has overturned the conviction of a man found guilty of helping his uncle kill Teresa Halbach in a case profiled in the Netflix documentary Making A Murderer.

The US District Court in Milwaukee on Friday overturned Brendan Dassey's conviction and ordered him freed within 90 days unless an appeal is filed.

Dassey confessed to helping his uncle Steven Avery carry out the rape and murder of Ms Halbach, but lawyers argued that the confession was coerced.

Dassey was 16 when Ms Halbach was killed in 2005 after she went to the Avery family car salvage yard to photograph some vehicles. Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide.

Dassey's case burst into the public's consciousness with the popularity of the Making A Murderer documentary.

AP
Hafiz Saeed Khan died in southern Nangahar Province on July 26, the officials said

An American drone strike in July killed a top Islamic State group leader in Afghanistan, US officials have said.

Hafiz Saeed Khan died in southern Nangahar Province on July 26, the officials said.

The US state department last year designated Khan a global terrorist, saying he was the leader of IS in Khorasan, which includes former members of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban.

Khan had previously been a Tehrik-e Taliban commander, but last year pledged loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

US and Afghan leaders have been concerned about the growth of IS in Afghanistan.

The group was targeted by a US-backed Afghan military offensive last month, in which five US commandos were injured.

AP
Searches are ongoing for any extremists who might still be hiding in Manbij

US-backed fighters now control a northern Syrian town that until recently was a stronghold of the Islamic State group, according to a Syrian Kurdish official.

Manbij "is under full control," said Nasser Haj Mansour of the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces.

He added that searches are still being carried out for any extremists who might be hiding in the town.

The SDF launched its offensive in late May to capture Manbij under the cover of air strikes of the US-led coalition.

Manbij was an IS hub and a main point linking the self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq with the rest of the world.

It lies on a key supply route to the IS de facto capital of Raqqa. AP

Amateur videos online showed scores of residents going down to celebrate in the streets shortly after SDF fighters captured the town late on Friday.

Some men were seen clipping their beards with scissors while women were able to uncover their faces.

IS imposes a harsh and extreme version of Islam on the territory under its control, including a mandatory dress code.

"May God destroy them. They slaughtered us," a young man shouted in a Manbij square.

"May they not live for a minute."

A young woman defiantly uncovered her face while smoking a cigarette and flashing a victory sign in a photo which Kurdish activists posted online.

Under the extremists' reign, women had to wear long black cloaks that covered everything except their eyes, while all adult men were forced to grow beards. Smoking was banned.

Some IS fighters were captured in the town while others fled to nearby villages, said Haj Mansour.

"Military operations will continue until these villages are clean," he said.

Sherfan Darwish, another SDF official in Manbij, also confirmed that the town is under the full control of his fighters.

The capture of Manbij is the biggest defeat for the extremist group in Syria since July 2015, when they lost the town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey.

Hundreds of civilians that IS used as human shields are now free with the capture of Manbij, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

SDF fighters have been slowly advancing in the town and nearby villages over the past weeks.

The fighting and the air strikes have killed some 450 people, according to the Observatory.

IS suffered major defeats over the past months in Syria and Iraq, where the military recaptured the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in the western Anbar province.

However, IS still controls large parts of Syria as well as Iraq's second largest city, Mosul.

AP
The burkini is banned from some French beaches

A French court has rejected a demand by a group of French Muslims in Cannes to overturn a ban on full-body, head-covering swimwear on city beaches.

A lawyer for the Collective Against Islamophobia in France said after the decision on Saturday by a court in nearby Nice that he would lodge an appeal with the Council of State, the highest administrative body in France.

Sefen Guez Guez said by telephone the decision was made by a judge without a debate.

The ruling upholding the ban on so-called burkinis fell as the newspaper Nice Matin revealed that another Riviera town, Villeneuve-Loubet, had issued a similar ban.

France is at the height of vacation season, and on edge after deadly Islamic extremist attacks in Nice and on a Catholic church in northwest France.

AP
The first home in Beatrice built by Nebraska inmates is in its final stages.

About nine crew members, all inmates of the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln, have been building the new home at 1923 Ella St. since March. The home will be finished by November.

The project is one of many by Prairie Gold Homes, through partnership with the Nebraska Department of Corrections and cities such as Beatrice. The idea is two-fold: teach inmates vocational skills and provide communities with affordable housing.

Its going really well, said crew member and inmate Ty Sullivan. We have a lot of guys with a lot of experience in multiple areas. As a class, what we dont know individually, we figure out as a group.

In a previous interview Byron Fischer, president of Prairie Gold Homes' board of directors, explained that the men of the program are called students. After their applications were accepted, the students went through Home Builders Institute pre-apprenticeship construction training, Fischer said. Later, they gained OSHA and first aid training.

Construction-related experience isnt required in order to be accepted into the program, but it helps, the inmates said on Wednesday as they took a break from applying joint compound to drywall.

You have to have a decent history with the institution, Sullivan said. You cant really be a mess-up and do a program like this. You have showed good behavior and prove that you can handle yourself in a community setting.

The men said neighbors of the construction zone did not approve of the project at first.

At first, they were pretty negative, Sullivan said. There was even talk of protest. But that was quickly put away once they saw that were well-mannered and disciplined to get this house up. Now, theyre cool. They even bring doughnuts sometimes and stop and say hi. They definitely warmed up to us once they got to know us.

The team is building the entire house except work that legally must be contracted out  electricity, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning. The next steps in finishing the house include installing interior doors, cabinets and flooring, as well as pouring the driveway and patio. Contractors also dug the hole and poured the walls for the foundation.

All of the project contractors are from Beatrice or near Beatrice, said Bruce Harder, the students construction instructor on-site and in the classroom. Harder is an employee of Prairie Gold Homes.

Were working in Beatrice, so we should get all of our supplies and contractors from Beatrice, Harder said. Thats really important.

The new home will be energy efficient and low maintenance, according to a press release. The property is owned by the city of Beatrice, which is responsible for selling it.

Harder and Sullivan said the city has been very helpful, supportive and enthusiastic throughout the project and that city officials are interested in another Prairie Gold Home going up in city limits in the future.

At the groundbreaking ceremony on March 29, Mayor Stan Wirth said the city hopes to have the house pre-sold before completion and before moving on to the next one.

The students had positive things to say about the Prairie Gold Homes program, as well as the instructors, such as Harder.

Its a very good program, student Mike Ziemer said. We have very good instructors. Theyre willing to take the time to work with us. As students, we all work well together. Theres not a whole lot of conflict. Most of us have been locked up together for a while and know each other.

The men listed facets of construction theyre experienced in  electricity, flooring, framing, roofing. Some said working with concrete was new and challenging to them. Ziemer said putting the rafters up was the most challenging part of the job.

Most of this is pretty easy for me, Sullivan said. But Im learning techniques along the way.

Sullivan said working with concrete involves a lot of technical work and rules relating to city and state codes, which he said has been interesting to learn about.

This allows me to do things Ive never done before and to better expand my abilities, Sullivan said in March.

Harder said hes enjoyed working with the students and theyre doing a good job building the house as a team.
Mourners pay their respects at the flag-draped coffin of Anne of Romania (AP)

Thousands of Romanians lined the streets to say farewell to Anne of Romania, the wife of Michael, the last king of Romania.

Romania and neighbouring Moldovan both observed a national day of mourning on Saturday for Anne ahead of her funeral.

A male Orthodox choir sang in a park outside the unfinished cathedral in Curtea de Arges to the hundreds who gathered before the funeral, which will be a private service.

Anne died on August 1 in Switzerland at the age of 92. She only first visited the country when she was nearly 70 and did not speak the language. Yet many respected her for her 68-year marriage to Michael, whom she wed months after the communists forced him to abdicate in 1947.

"She was a symbol of our country," said 79-year-old Eugenia Cristescu. "The royal family brought about great change in Romania. It raised us from being simple people and brought respect to the country."

Earlier church bells rang around Bucharest, the Romanian capital, and hundreds turned out as Orthodox and Catholic priests held services at the city's Royal Palace before Anne's body began its journey to Curtea de Arges, where members of the royal family are buried. Her body has lain in state this week in Romania.

Four of the couple's five daughters were present for the funeral. Princess Irina, who was stripped of her royal title in 2013 after she was arrested with her husband for running an illegal cockfighting ring in the US, will not attend her mother's funeral.

Michael, 94, has cancer and is living in Switzerland. He will also not attend the funeral on the advice of doctors.
Many people will have been disturbed by the recent revelation that fewer people in Northern Ireland are donating to charities

Many people will have been disturbed by the recent revelation that fewer people in Northern Ireland are donating to charities.

Some 10% fewer people are donating and one of the main reasons is the lack of trust felt by the general public, though the current economic situation may be a factor.

Northern Ireland people have a reputation for being generous to charities, and the totals are comparatively higher here than in other parts of the United Kingdom.

The drop in donations to some well-known official charities suggests, at first glance, that we are losing our reputation for generosity.

This is only one side to the story. The details of donations being given to individuals including Andrea Hobot, Kevin Carey and Andrew Gill, as well as Aundrea Bannatyne, would suggest that money is still pouring in for people who need help. For example 160,000 has been raised in two days for Kevin who is battling an aggressive brain tumour. It may be a truer picture that, rather than developing a miserly streak, Ulster people are simply exercising the sort of innate common sense and judgment which they are renowned for.

Perhaps they are wary of giving to some established charities if they suspect that too much of their money is going to wages and administration. If this is true, it poses serious challenges for charities, who need to demonstrate a balance between raising necessary donations and still reassuring the public that they are not simply acting like other businesses. The fact remains that Northern Ireland people have long shown an open-heartedness to those in trouble. What is abundantly clear, is that when it comes to very human stories of people under pressure, the public here gives generously and in doing so people cut through all the old stereotypes.

If anything, we are probably more generous than ever, but are just giving differently. We should also be aware of the dangers of social media, but it has a positive side in that the need for funding is spread widely in super-quick time.
The Rev John Gray, of the Free Presbyterian Church (Write Back, August 3), is critical of the appointment of Fr Edward O'Donnell as an ecumenical canon of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast.

The Statutes of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland state that the Dean and Chapter of St Anne's Cathedral, having consulted with the Bishop of Down and Dromore and the Bishop of Connor, may appoint up to three ecumenical canons.

A cathedral's ecumenical canon may say, or sing, morning or evening prayer or the Litany, read Holy Scripture, deliver an address and assist at occasional services. A former Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Dr Jonathan Swift, famously said: "We have enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another."

CADOGAN WEST

By email
A Beatrice resident and long-time member of the Beatrice Rotary Club was honored by the club last weekend and named the recipient of a prestigious, annual award.

Dorothy Zimmerman was named the 2016 recipient of the Charles N. Cadwallader Award on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Rotary International District 5650 Conference. She joined the local Rotary club in 1993.

Zimmerman was selected because of her significant international service to the Zimba Mission Hospital in Zambia, her wide ranging community activities in Beatrice and Gage County, and her exceptional leadership in Rotarys District 5650 and her local Beatrice Rotary Club, a press release from the club states.

The award is presented annually in honor of Charles N. Cadwallader, a distinguished Rotarian who served as president of Lincoln Rotary Club #14, district governor and director of Rotary International, and who sponsored 11 Rotary Clubs in the district.

Dorothy Zimmerman is the third resident of Beatrice to receive the Cadwallader Award. William W. Cook Sr. was so honored in 1964 and Everett R. Jones was the 1981 recipient.

Rotary Internationals emphasis on service connects 1.2 million members and more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work focuses on improving lives locally and internationally.
This combination of photos released by the Bangladesh branch of the Islamic State (IS) group shows five men who allegedly carried out a terrorist attack at a cafe in Dhaka in which 20 hostages were killed, July 4, 2016.

Days after terrorists slaughtered 20 hostages in a Dhaka cafe last month, a ruling party politician wept in front of journalists because his son was among them.

This is sorrowful, painful and embarrassing. I am a failed father. I apologize to all through you, Imtiaz Khan Babul, an official with Bangladeshs Awami League party, told reporters tearfully on July 5 as he spoke about his son, Rohan Ibn Imtiaz.

Imtiaz and some of the other young men who allegedly attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery on the night of July 1 were members of Bangladeshs affluent class who had attended the nations top schools  and then gone missing.

The story of Rohan Ibn Imtiaz illustrates the challenge that nations like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and India face in trying to shield young people from the pull of extremist groups like the so-called Islamic State (IS).

Indonesia, India and Bangladesh are among five countries with the largest Muslim populations, according to Pew Research Center, a U.S.-based think tank.

Officials in these countries acknowledge that they have a tough fight ahead, but say they are committed to crushing the threat.

It is without a doubt that this is a battle on all fronts  in cyberspace, on the ground and in the mind, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Zahid Hamidi told an international conference on de-radicalization in Kuala Lumpur in January.

We must ensure the effectiveness of our rehabilitation programs, we must include all relevant parties, Zahid added. There is a very real need to engage and re-engage our youth.

We should be worried

Malaysia and neighboring Indonesia have implemented programs that aim to reform convicted militants. Their governments also are monitoring and clamping down on social media sites that promote radicalism.

In Malaysia, officials have visited campuses of schools and universities to give talks to dissuade students away from the extremist path.

As far as sociological measures are concerned, a lot needs to be done, Professor Zaini Othman, who heads the Strategic Security Research Center at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, told BenarNews.

Ahmad El-Muhammady, a counter-terrorism and intelligence expert at the International Islamic University Malaysia, says the government needs to be creative in countering the potent online narrative of IS and like-minded groups, such as by disseminating comic books that promote an anti-IS messages.

When there is youth recruitment in a country, we should be worried because radicalization spreads silently, he told BenarNews.

Indonesia has taken a multi-pronged approach in dealing with the problem, officials say.

The government has launched websites that promote peace, non-violence and a positive spirit among young Indonesians, and it wont hesitate to block sites that promote the opposite, they say.

We are using pictures, narration, advertisement and animation in media. We hope that it can counter radicalization of youths against the influence of IS," Inspector General Arif Darmawan, the deputy head of head of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), told BenarNews.

The BNPT is turning to members of a young generation hooked on video games, mobile phones and computers, and who are skilled in information technology  including hacking  to help the government fight IS in cyberspace.

[I]f we see children change in their behavior, then we approach them through soft ways. They usually cannot be directly deradicalized, because if we act directly and fast, they will run away and its a danger, Arif said.

Officials in Malaysia and Indonesia for many months have warned of a threat of citizens who have joined IS launching attacks on home soil after returning from combat tours with the group in the Middle East.

In January, Indonesia suffered its first IS-claimed attack, a suicide-mission in downtown Jakarta that killed eight people, including the four attackers. In late June, Malaysia was hit by its first attack claimed by IS, when a grenade explosion injured several people at a nightclub on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

Approximately 568 Indonesians are now fighting in the conflict in Syria-Iraq, and an estimated 73 Malaysians have joined, or tried to join, militant groups in that region, according to the Terrorism Financing Regional Risk Assessment 2016 report, a document that was released this week and co-published by Indonesia and Australia.

IS has a Malay-language combat unit, known as Katibah Nusantara, for fighters from countries where forms of that language are spoken. The unit has posted propaganda videos online, including one that showed children undertaking military training and indoctrination.

They grow up without role models

In Bangladesh, the attack on the cafe was not the first act of violent militancy committed by members of the countrys privileged class.

Before the attack in Dhakas diplomatic quarter, the country had been gripped by a wave of smaller-scale killings targeting secular writers, intellectuals, religious minorities and others. Some of the suspects in those murders were products of prestigious private schools and universities, too, officials said.

A.K.M. Nurun Nabi, a professor of population science at Dhaka University, sees detachment from parents as driving young people  especially from the well-to-do class  toward radicalism.

The youths have no role model. The parents of most of the youths are running after money; they do not interact with their children. The servants take care of the children and youth and the chauffeurs take them to the schools. Thus they grow up without any idols, Nabi told BenarNews.

IS claimed the cafe attack. But before and even afterward, Bangladeshs government denied that IS has a presence in the country and blamed the home-grown Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh instead.

IS released photos of five men it said had carried out the cafe attack, toting guns and smiling in front of an IS flag. Families of the five subsequently confirmed their identities.

To combat the extremist threat, the government has mounted a crackdown on suspected militants. Apart from taking a hard approach, the authorities have enlisted the support of 100,000 Muslim clerics and scholars who have issued a fatwa condemning religious extremism.

We have been holding meetings with the school teachers, students and guardians on a regular basis to spread the peaceful message of Islam. The Islamic scholars have been working with the government to fight militancy and extremism, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told BenarNews.

The imams have been preaching anti-militancy sermons at the mosques so that the youths are not misguided.

Targeting 300,000 madrassas

In neighboring India, at least 35 Indians have left the country for Iraq and Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State, according to latest figures available from Indian intelligence agencies. Of these, six have died in battle.

More than 50 Indian Muslims have been arrested for allegedly working directly for or showing leanings toward the Middle East-based terror outfit.

Indian security forces have prevented more than 30 Indian youth from boarding flights to the IS strongholds, while 32 others who sympathized with the group are currently undergoing counseling with help from their parents and local clerics, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) source told BenarNews.

In a written reply to the parliament last week, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir said the IS had managed to attract very few Indian youths and the government had launched various de-radicalization programs to help those youth return to the mainstream.

Among them, the government has launched a program, Nai Manzil (New Goal), that will offer financial aid to young people who have studied at madrassas  Islamic boarding schools  so they can pursue modern education and vocational training. The program, funded through a loan of U.S. $50 million from the World Bank, aims to shield some 30 million Muslims studying at some 300,000 madrassas across India from radicalization.

But some Indian security experts say the government needs to do more.

The government needs to work on changing their mindset. Children as young as five years need to be educated. De-radicalization of a person over 15 years of age has no meaning, retired Maj. Gen. Afsir Karim, an expert on terrorism and internal conflicts, told BenarNews.

Kamran Reza Chowdhury in Dhaka, Akash Vashishtha in New Delhi, Tia Asmara in Jakarta, and Muzliza Mustafa in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
A man injured by shrapnel lies on the pavement after a small bomb exploded in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin, Aug. 12, 2016.

Updated at 9:01 a.m. ET on 2016-08-14

An onslaught of bombings that killed four and injured dozens in Thailand likely was politically motivated, Thai officials said Friday.

Ten foreigners were among at least 34 injured in 11 bomb blasts in multiple locations across southern Thailand that began Thursday and spilled into Friday, a national holiday known as Mothers Day which celebrates the queens birthday, the Health Ministry said.

Most of the attacks targeted southern tourist hotspots, including Phuket and Hua Hin, which houses Klai Kangwon, the summer palace of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, who turned 84 on Friday.

Eight of the attacks took place within a three-hour span on Friday, indicating that they were coordinated, according to officials, who ruled out terrorism.

The assailants must be in the same syndicate because this series of attacks needs several men to carry out making the bombs, delivering the bombs, planting the bombs and escaping, Col. Piyapong Klinpan, the spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order  the formal name for the Thai junta  told BenarNews.

There must be a kingpin to plan it out and execute it. Who he is, we will find out, he added.

Politically motivated?

From the prime minister on down, Thai officials said they suspected that nearly all the attacks were politically driven and tied to this weeks constitutional referendum, in which a majority of voters approved a draft charter that critics see as entrenching military rule.

You figure it out  why they happened when the country is starting to get better, its foundation starts to get firm, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha told reporters in Bangkok, alluding the referendum.

At a news conference in the Thai capital, the nations police chief said suspicion fell on political forces opposed to the adoption of the draft charter, which is expected within the next few months.

All [the attacks] took place in seven provinces where voters accepted the draft charter. There might be some opponents who carried out [the attacks] to discredit [the government] or damage tourism, Police Gen. Chakthip Chaichinda told reporters.

Police said they were ruling out a connection to international terrorism. Officials said they had also not found evidence tying the bombings to insurgents in Thailands predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking Deep South, although the devices "were similar to those used by separatist groups in southern Thailand," the Associated Press quoted Chaktip as saying on Friday.

Some 60 percent of voters in the southern border region, which has seen more than 6,500 people die since 2004 in violence related to an insurgency, voted against the draft charter in Sundays referendum.

The incident is not linked to terrorism but is an act of stirring up public disturbance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Security officials are expediting the interrogation process to bring the culprits to justice. Please rest assured that the government and security agencies are working together to resolve the situation and bring about peace at the soonest, it added.

Potato chip bags

The first bombing took place Thursday afternoon at a market in Trang province, about 900 km (560 miles) south of Bangkok, killing a soldier and injuring six others. The attack likely stemmed from a gangland dispute, officials said.

Two more bombs exploded in the evening in the resort town of Hua Hin, about 193 km (120 miles) south of Bangkok, killing one and injuring 21.

On Friday, twin bombs went off near a clock tower in Hua Hin, killing one and injuring three, officials said.

In Phuket, two small bombs exploded, injuring one.

In Phang Nga province next to Phuket, two bombs exploded but no-one was injured. In Surat Thani province, meanwhile, two bomb blasts killed one and injured three, officials said.

All bombs were contained in potato chip containers or bags with improvised black powder. For last nights bombs, they were detonated by cell phones, an EOD official who inspected the bomb scenes near Hua Hins clock tower on Friday told BenarNews on condition of anonymity.

Attacks on tourist sites in Thailand are rare, and tourism is a major driver of the Thai economy. The attacks on Thursday and Friday came nearly a year after a bombing at a Hindu shrine in Bangkok that is popular with tourists killed 20 people and injured over 100. Two ethnic Uyghurs have been arrested and charged in connection with that attack.

Police also revealed Friday that two other bombs were found in different markets in Phuket  a world-famous destination among tourists  on Wednesday, the day that the referendum results were officially certified, but the explosive devices were disarmed by a bomb squad.

Travel warning

The string of attacks caused the Australian government to issue a travel alert warning its citizens that further explosions in any part of Thailand are possible.

Condemnation of the attacks also poured in from abroad.

We condemn these deplorable acts of violence. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones, and the Thai emergency personnel responding to these incidents, said the U.S. State Department, which earlier in the week had voiced its concern about the referendums passage.

Rights watchdog Amnesty International, which has slammed the two-year-old juntas record on human rights, also deplored the attacks.

Nothing can justify intentionally carrying out indiscriminate attacks, which disregard the basic right to life. These acts of violence show utter contempt for human rights, Champa Patel, senior research Advisor for Amnesty Internationals Southeast Asia and Pacific Regional Office, said in a statement.

Those behind the attacks must be brought to justice through fair trials. Amnesty International calls on Thai authorities to ensure their response is in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law, Champa added.

Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok contributed to this report.

An earlier version incorrectly reported that Thai police had ruled out a connection in the bombings to southern Thai insurgents.


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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."
Several years ago, the University of Colorado Boulder did something pioneering in American higher education.It committed to bringing onto its faculty, on a rotating basis, a notable academic conservative in an endowed chair. I held this chair, the Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought & Policy , over the past academic year, following upon Bradley Birzer and Stephen F. Hayward before me.CU Boulder is, by reputation, one of the most left-liberal places on the American academic scene. Along with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the University of California, Berkeley, CU embodies the quintessence of the progressive academy: the school is elite (if public), and along with its very precious town it is hip, moralizing, ecological, democratic-socialist, and overwhelmingly inhospitable to those on the right.But further characteristics of Boulder, Colorado, and its university, clear to all who spend time there, include being laid-back, entrepreneurial, and now rather libertarian since the "green rush" of legal marijuana enthusiasts has pushed into Boulder mightily.In the fight for the soul of Boulder, laid-back is winning, and that provides an opening for conservatives.An example: One speaker I brought to CU this past January was Arthur B. Laffer, Ronald Reagan's economics guru and author of the famous curve displaying an inverse relationship between tax rates and receipts.Laffer gave his talk, all about the tax-reform victories of the 1980s and the advantage that low-tax and low-regulation states have in the push for jobs and growth. The audience was mixed-about half conservative enthusiasts from metro Denver, and half Boulder and CU regulars, which is to say college-town progressives.The amount of good will spilling out of the lecture hall that evening was something to behold. Progressives and conservatives alike were one-upping each other in affirmation of the talk. Typical comments: Why don't we lower tax rates at the top so as to decrease the value of loopholes, and thus undercut cronyism? Why don't we agree that we want more jobs, and the way to get them is to tax and regulate them less?By popular affirmation, Laffer's talk was one of the most successful, in terms of community-building and bonhomie, in the history of the program.Not long ago-and still today at places like Yale and Missouri-a progressive college-town audience would shout down a major representative of the Reagan administration or opponent of progressivism as a matter of routine.I certainly recall, in college at Columbia in the 1980s, then-State Department official Elliott Abrams being raucously silenced at the outset of his invited talk on Latin American affairs, to the point where he could not utter an audible word through the microphone. The event had to be canceled after twenty minutes of constant disruption. I had feared that something similar might happen with Art Laffer, but his talk was perfectly received.This past year, I gave dozens of talks all over the state under the auspices of the CU conservative thought and policy program and only once ran into an audience that was a little obstreperous.A few weeks after Laffer's talk, I was on stage at CU discoursing on the finer points of supply-side history. Several questioners, making their points in the manner of Eugene V. Debs, would not let go of Kansas. Kansas's schools are bereft of funding ever since the governor accepted Laffer's advice for supply-side tax cuts-so their argument ran.Those criticisms were easy enough to parry (the opponents to the tax-rate cuts in Kansas cut school funding to gin up a false controversy), but the episode made me realize something. This was the only encounter I as the CU conservative, or my invitees, had had of the venerable anti-conservatism of the college town.Up and down Boulder and the state I talked, with almost everybody happily absorbing my conjectures and findings, and when disagreeing, saying so productively, in a surely-we-can-work-this-out spirit. That laid-back attitude and refractory leftism cannot abide each other. At the moment in the Rocky Mountain West's main academic town, we are in the era of laid-back. That's good for the educational atmosphere.The most amusing, and revealing, moment of the year came in February, when the Western Civilization program (into which the conservatism program has been folded) hosted a forum on the Paris climate agreement. The panelists were four Washington, D.C., environmental regulators and Steve Hayward. Devilishly, Steve had alerted his network of the event and stacked the audience with sympathizers.The regulators were a thing to behold. They set down the axiom that the scientific views of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were not to be challenged-this was the ground rule for further discussion.Then they had a hard time staying within the generous time limits. One of them talked like a bowling ball running down an endless lane, perhaps 20 minutes overtime and still only warming up. And they kept confiding that if the climate problem were in fact solved, climate regulators such as themselves would find their careers disrupted. They were caricatures of themselves.These hapless wonks were completely unprepared for the audience. Questions challenged the notion of settled science, the bureaucratic self-absorption of the climate-change establishment, the anti-democratic nature of everything.The panelists kept looking around as if wondering where the real audience was-this was Boulder they had trucked out to, after all.One panelist, an assistant to Secretary of State John Kerry, kept saying that his boss requires that all department business-no matter what the issue under consideration-must begin and end with an appeal for action on climate change. He got a crescendo of laughter as the point sunk in to the audience. Back to D.C., oddballs, was the message from, of all places, CU.CU and Boulder still have plenty of blind spots. Buffaloes and Boulderites have no idea how to deal with, for example, the problem of poverty and the minimal economic growth that the Obama administration has given us these eight years. At a panel at the Boulder Conference on World Affairs in March, one of the speakers mentioned that there is a calculator online where poor people can figure out how much they will get hit by new taxes and benefit phase-outs on finding a job.This "effective marginal tax rate" of the down-and-out, averaging around 50 percent, is the highest anybody, rich or poor, faces, thanks to Obamacare and related programs. The audience let that point hang in silence for few seconds, before reverting all attention back to hedge funds, the top 1 percent, self-flagellation, and Wall Street. Boulder progressives relish trashing capitalism, even when it means being blind to free-market solutions that actually can address core problems of poverty and joblessness.Is the Conservative Thought & Policy program at Boulder a worthy experiment? It is hard to say it is not.The money behind it is private, the students have descended upon the visiting scholars to advise their American Enterprise Institute and Intercollegiate Studies Institute chapters, and the faculty treats the visiting scholar as a most welcome colleague.The charge of "tokenism" remains. A single conservative comes in and after a year is whisked away for a new one, with the ranks of the tenured professors remaining as is. But Boulder and its university have shown, through this prominent position, that conservative ideas and personages will have their chance to make a difference unobstructed.Efforts at further correction of the liberal academy's complacency towards conservatism should build on this success.


Federal Law Academy Principle U Aung Htoo Federal Law Academy Principle U Aung Htoo

In a recent interview with U Aung Htoo by MNA reporter Aik Sai, discussion wavers around federalism and its potential benefits for ethnic groups.

Mon News Agency (MNA): Could you tell us how you believe the recent Mai Ja Yang summit held by ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) will impact the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Conference?

U Aung Htoo: Whatever it is, it is good that the ethnic armed groups who signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) and the non-NCA groups took the opportunity to hold talks. It means the ethnic armed resistance groups can get together whenever and wherever necessary. Having such talks adds further potential to the establishment of a union. I will acknowledge that. However, we cannot think that Mai Ja Yang summit is only beneficial if it is connected with the 21st Century Panglong Conference. That is not the only measure. Our view is that the 21st Panglong Conference is just like the peel of a fruit. We have not tasted its true flavour yet. It is currently just a name. There is no concrete information. Therefore, if there are baseless outcomes from the 21st Panglong Conference then the results cant be used to write a new constitution.

There has been nothing mentioned as to whether the results from 21st Panglong Conference can surpass the original Panglong Conference. No one knows what can be done if the result from this new Panglong Conference is completely opposite from the original text. Additionally, while this conference is being held, there are laws, still in practice, that counter economic incentives throughout the states and the union. For example, as with the Myanmar Economic Zone Project Law in 2014, the government gave to wherever the project was situated; it gave the license, and also acknowledged special economic zone. The law could also be named the foreign investment law. All natural resources could be sold. The government also took over the states land, air and water rights in the 2012 Land Law. The states dont have any rights. This law covers everything. Therefore, the military system continues and nothing has been decided yet. Ultimately, there is uncertainty regarding its effectiveness and itll be a waste of time having the 21st Century Panglong Conference. So, it isnt realistic to compare the results from the Mai Ja Yang summit to the 21st Century Panglong Conference.

MNA: You just mentioned that the 21st Century Panglong Conference wont bring many advantages. What can the ethnic groups bring to the conference and what should be done to ensure the conference is beneficial?

U Aung Htoo: We are not reaching peace nor ceasing civil war in the country by holding conventions. There are conventions held worldwide. This country has civil war and both sides, the government side and revolution [armed resistance] side, hold talks. It isnt about the number of participants on either side. Therefore, it isnt a problem to have one side with 50 representatives, while the other side only has 10 representatives. It is not a numbers game. Each side has only one voice. The side with 50 representatives has one voice and the side with 10 persons has one voice.

It is still acceptable to have a tripartite talk between the National League for Democracy (NLD) as one side, the Tatmadaw as another side, and then an ethnic armed groups as the third side. This will mean three voices, and the answer will be decided by these three voices. However, right now there is about 700 representatives and that means 700 mouths will be talking.

If we look at the last peace conference, there were 50-60 representatives. Each individual had 10 minutes to speak. That meant over eight hours were used up. Afterwards, the statements were recorded. How can a decision be made through this process? This could be the same for the 21st century Panglong Conference, resulting in uncertainty as to how the civil conflict can be solved. In all honesty, only two sides should be attending. What I see is that if the 21st century Panglong Conference proceeds in this way, the results will be similar to the second National Convention. This will take 10 to 15 years or more. The 2008 Constitution will become strong. That is what I believe.

MNA: Peace can be achieved only if tripartitle talks are held. However, now there will be multiple parties at the talks. Do you think the ethnic groups final proposals will be successful?

U Aung Htoo: Regarding the first point, we are not sure whether they [ethnic armed groups] have clear vision or not. That is one thing that they must decide by themselves. Additionally, there is the issue regarding the level at which the proposals will be accepted by the NLD government. The NLD will only proceed after the Tatmadaw [army] gives the green light. If the proposals are done in accordance to the NCA process, the Tatmadaw will continue to give green lights. Therefore, to go back to what I have said, in order to hold talks with two sides or even three sides, the NCA cannot proceed. However, if the NLD government is brave and goes ahead, it potentially could happen. Thus far, I have not seen such a thing.

MNA: What main topics should be discussed for the armed conflict to be solved and to achieve peace?

Aung Htoo: As I just said, the first point relates to sovereignty and the second point is about how to form Pyitaungsu [Union]. The third point is that we can only negotiate for the rights that are realistic. For the states, that is. Now, what we are proposing is that if we go with a federal union, there are two standard examples. One is the system that the United State is practicing, duel federalism, which has been in practice for over a century. This is a two-sided federal system. Federal government have ultimate and far-reaching laws with the states running their own governments. Both sides connect and the states are given the right to govern appropriately. However, such a system comes with its failures and human rights abuse can occur within the states regulations. For example, if we look at U.S history, a civil war took place because the southern states would not abolish slavery and eventually lost the war. In this instance, the federal system failed. Nowadays, when the federal system is used, the states in the union must safeguard human rights considerably.

Thats the first point. The second point is regarding the structure of the Pyitaungsu. The Federal Union is established with the power to recognize sovereignty and other powers must be included with the states and the union. Therefore, with that approach, for example, when a law is to be enacted, the federal union parliament has the power to pass it but only in policy form. Comparatively, the states have the power to activate the law. In 1962, Burma did not succeed, as the central power system did not work. Now, after 50 years, the entire country has almost turned into ash. The hungry young people are now working in Thailand and Malaysia for low wages, and this should be changed. When the changes take place, more power must be given to the states. Subsequently, the ethnic people within the states will work hard in order to compete with the world and the federal union will have a foundation. We will improve in the asymmetric federalism system. The system denotes that the powers of the states within the union are given proportionate and varying powers. For example, the Hluttaw [parliament] is based on the population and based on the states, and the Amyotha Hluttaw [Parliament] is based on the states.

Amyotha Hluttaw must have equal representatives from all states to be definitive equality. However, this sole focus cannot be done, and what we propose is asymmetric federalism. It is a fundamental of unity and diversity. The diversity is integral. We have to research and acknowledge our differences and from that point, work for unity. This does not mean that we have to damage diversity while we are seeking for the unity. However, it is happening here and now. It has been going on for 50 years already. By justifying unity, they are destroying diversity. Therefore, this system needs to recognize diversity. To give an example, we all know about the electric power plant in Karenni State and the whole country has been benefiting from using that power. However, if you go and talk to the people in Karenni state, you will find out that they feel its unjust.

If we look closely at federalism, we can take Kachin State as an example. Kachin State has produced jades and precious stones for many years, but now there is almost nothing. The state has more than 300 mining companies. The number of companies that belong to the Kachin people are few but many are granted by the military government. This is necessary to think about. If we look at the Arakan State, we will see that they historically lived there freely. If their state people can tap into their natural gas, they would be rich. However, it is not the case. That is not right and it is not equal.

MNA: The last question is regarding the non-Bamar ethnic groups view that the Tatmadaw is Bamarizing [Myanmarizing] the country. What do you think of that?

U Aung Htoo: That is so true that they are using Myanmarization. I am a real Bamar but what they say is true. Now, in the army [Tatmadaw], after the 2nd senior general official level, there is no one from an ethnic group. That has been the case for a decade already.

If you look at the military training fields, you will only see statues of Barmar heroes or kings. You will see statues of Anawratha, Bayin Naung and Alaungpaya. Comparatively, if you go to Switzerland, you will see that there are 26 states and then you will see symbols from all the 26 states.

Furthermore, the worst crimes took place in ethnic areas, not throughout the mainland or Bamar state. That is the sad truth.

MNA: One last question, how can we solve these different views to become the same?

U Aung Htoo: Well, now, what we are talking about is a democratic country, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi announced it as a democratic country. If it is real a democracy, why not grant complete of freedom expression? Because I am here, it is okay to talk about this. However, if I am in Yangon giving a talk about this, I will be charged with some kind of article. Why cant the government provide a real democracy? They should provide real democratic system. The ethnic groups have their own problems and need to solve them on their own.

Federalism is based on the states acting as a base. The states should have their rights so that democracy can be granted. Therefore, why does the government accept the ethnic armed groups that signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), while leaving out non-signatory groups as unlawful? This is abusing the law, and considering the non-signatories as unlawful groups could force them to lose trust with the public.

Recently, media groups were able to join the ethnic armed group summit because the Tatmadaw gave the greenlight; if this were not the case, no media group would be present.

What I want first is real democracy. The government must give the public freedom of expression, association, and gathering etc. Funding opportunities should be given to the public, but up to today, the government controls funds from reaching the public. The people live in poverty and no international aid reaches the people. Now, the public is required to provide money in order to register an organization, but why should this be? That is not real democracy. The public is waiting for the promise that Daw Aung San Suu gave; real change.

The ethnic people are also waiting for change they were promised as they rushed to vote for her party [National League for Democracy]. However, until today, nothing has changed. The only change is that Daw Suu took the place of U Aung Min. Nothing else. The government cannot produce an economic policy. They cannot stop the civil war yet and they do not have a policy for the federalism. They have not changed the constitution. Worse yet, they said they would amend the constitution later.

The constitution must be changed, and the structure of the whole country must be change with it.
Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) staff this Tuesday petitioned the Minister of Agriculture, Patrick Ralotsia over the repeated reinstatement of the current Acting Vice Chancellor who they say lacks leadership acumen.

During the General Staff Meeting held on the 6th July 2016, BCA/BUAN staff resolved to petition the Minister of Agriculture over the prevailing state of affairs at BUAN the repeated reinstatements of the current Acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of BUAN, Dr Mataba Tapela.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Boipelo Khumomatlhare confirmed to this publication yesterday that he received the petition which has since been passed to the Minister himself. The petition, which was submitted by a delegation of three-Dr Nelson Tselaesele, Dr Mogadime Rammolai and Dibeela, requires the ministers response within 14 days. I cannot answer on his behalf but I can confirm that it was received and the Minister is still looking into it, confirmed Khumomatlhare.

The petitioners contention is that the current Acting VC has overstayed his acting position since 2014 without any one relieving him. The overstaying has delayed the progress of turning BUAN into a fully-fledged university. The staff also argues that currently they do not have faculties, job profiles and salary structures; all these crucial structures have suffered delays even though they were assured they would be ready by the beginning of July 2016. This situation further exerts uncertainty and perplexity on staff members and consequently lack of confidence on the incumbent.





The continued exclusive re-appointment of the same individual to the position of Acting Vice Chancellor has created a vacuum that has resulted in lack of focus and direction for BUAN, reads part of the petition.

This scenario, according to the petition, has excluded competent staff members from taking up the acting position to forge ahead with the transformation process, which has now stagnated. This prolonged and exclusive stay of the current acting VC may be a violation of Botswana labour laws and further disadvantages illegible staff members from acquiring dynamic managerial experience.

This state of affairs they indicated has adversely affected the entire staff morale and has left them utterly frustrated and disillusioned. The staff further indicates that there is a critical lack of transparency, consultation and failure to communicate with staff about the transformation process of BUAN. The general staff believe that the anticipated launch of BUAN would be pre-mature and should be aborted because BUAN does not have credible and identifiable structures that could constitute the university which could be ready to be launched.

It is our conviction that the launch of the university should be spearheaded by a fully-fledged and qualified individual whose credibility as leader has been proven internationally and regionally. In view of the above, the general staff membership is of the view that the current acting VC has failed to implement the transformation process to its logical conclusion  a fully-fledged university of agriculture - and should therefore be relieved of his position.

Consequent to the above concerns, the staff is urgently demanding that the statutes, which have been approved, be implemented without any further delays to constitute the Governing Council and other university structures that would then facilitate the advertisement of the VCs post and the establishment of faculties for BUAN. They also want the appointment of the current acting VC to be reversed and another qualifying staff member be appointed to act the period envisaged for the current acting VC (1st August 2016  30th Jan 2017). If our requests are not considered within fourteen (14) days, staff members may consider boycotting the anticipated launch of the so-called university and any other future events related to the university, reads the petition.
As reports of clashes within the Botswana Democratic Party members continue unabated over the preferred candidate to lead the party between Mokgweetsi Masisi and other candidates, Botswana Ambassador to Japan, Jacob Nkate, is said to be the secret bomb to be delivered at the appropriate time.

It is said some of Nkates supporters and volunteers are busy assembling teams of strong and influential men and women within the party who are doing the ground work for him in their constituencies and regions while he is still on official duty. Nkate, even though not active currently is said to be enjoying the support of some MPs and Ministers who are being frustrated within the party. The BDP faithful are said to be putting their hopes on Nkate despite his absence from the political scene. Nkate will return home at the end of this year after completing his diplomatic assignment in Japan. The alleged bickering between the Vice President Masisis camp and that of Infrastructure, Science and Technology Minister Nonofo Molefhi is said to be one of the contributors pushing some democrats to believe Nkate is the solution as his campaign is quiet and typically in alignment to the norm and processes of the Party. When contacted for comment, Nkate maintained that he would not discuss his candidature for now because he is still a civil servant. His team is said to be playing their cards close to the chest to allow him to finish his term in Japan.

A minister who is in support of Nkates candidacy said a lot of people tend to think they know you just because you have been in the public eye for so long. Some even tend to dehumanise you. They forget that one is a normal human being with feelings, family and friends. He further stated that We people in public life also tend to allow others to define us and they define us through how they see us. With Nkate for instance, those who like him will say he is decisive, assertive and firm. Those who dont feel so positively disposed will say he is impulsive and arrogant. So it may be important sometimes to help the truth as opposed to just letting the truth speak for itself.





That is why some of us are waiting for him to come home and publicly declare then would we rally behind him.Botswana Guardian understands that the recent BDP special congress held in Mogoditshane gave Nkates supporters an opportunity to reach out to a wide audience during the same weekend. It is understood that during these informal chats their potential supporters were encouraged to carefully and objectively gauge those in the race for the leadership with a view to identifying the best candidate in terms of Party and Government leadership experience and ability to woo voters and the rest of society to believe in the Party again, especially the youth and the middle class and other members of the party who feel side-lined and excluded or have left the Party for various reasons. The supporters were energised by the fact that coincidentally, Nkate had a pre-arranged visit to the country during the same week. While he flew back to Japan on the same weekend, Botswana Guardian could not establish whether Nkate met his supporters for a brief on progress or not.

Nkate, who comes from the small village of Tsau, served in various structures of the party and in government. A senior BDP MP told this publication that as a politician Nkates path has been well traced. I believe he is a conviction politician. He does what is right in his view for society, not for himself or his political career. That is why in spite of all that has been said you would not find that he has favoured himself, his family or his friends whether its at Lands and Housing, Trade or Education ministries or BEDIA. If you recall well he is the only cabinet member who resigned as Assistant Minister at Finance Ministry under Festus Mogae during the Zac Construction saga.

The MP is of the view that Nkates resignation was motivated by his desire to clear his name while the rest of Government continued with business without being encumbered by his personal issues. A mark of a leader indeed! He came back to Cabinet as a full Minister because there was never any fault on his part and therefore no need to clear his name either with the police or court. In fact, Nkate was legally and formally appointed as a Director of Zac Construction and was registered as such with the Registrar of Companies with a directors fee attached to the appointment, as is the practice in the economy. I believe, where he has made mistakes, they have been just that, genuine mistakes.

The legislator further said Nkate has proved to be a decisive leader in Government and is probably one of the few Ministers who have had to run Ministries that are perceived to be controversial and difficult such as Lands and Housing and Education. Said the MP in favour of Nkate, he has had to take difficult and controversial decisions such as the demolition of Tsolamosese squatters houses. Here again, his Ministry was simply implementing a court order, yet some of us try to use this to adjudge him as arrogant. In my view our country and economy needs decisive leaders who are going to make unpopular decisions if such are for the good of all society and the economy.

BDP insiders believe given his track record in government, private sector and his current diplomatic role as well as his legal training and practice, he would be able to have more people interested in the party even internationally. Confronted, Nkate said he would not discuss politics because of his employment. I would rather not discuss political issues. Look I can only spare you time if you ask me about my current assignment on behalf of Botswana Government.

The veteran politician has however indicated that he would only pronounce his next move at the right time. Obviously when I am back home I will be free and ready to be me. Politics is my second nature and if I were called upon to serve and I and my family believe I can add value, I will gladly do so. However, there will be a lot of soul searching and conversations with colleagues in the party to be had as part of the determination of my next steps. When quizzed whether he will be interested and consider standing for the position of president if called upon by his supporters he answered, As far as I am concerned there is no vacancy in the presidency and again interest is one thing and reality another. Let us cross the bridge when we get to it.
All is not well within Botswanas most feared secret agency, the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS). Some members of the notorious spy agency are not happy at the way they are being treated, Botswana Guardian has gathered. Sources at DISS have told Botswana Guardian too much favouritism is killing morale at the organisation.

The most affected are the agents who have been recruited from the government security. In the past few years DISS engaged in a massive recruitment drive including reaching out to security officers from government, police officers and Botswana Defence Force (BDF) officers. The issue which is of major concern within our organisation concerns training, promotion and participation in operations. Some of us who were recruited from the government security are being sidelined, said a source. The disgruntled agents accuse their superiors of favouring agents who were previously in the employ of the BDF.

Another source revealed that about 100 former government security officers and now DISS agents have expressed their displeasure about this treatment during various meetings. The agents have queried that during their recruitment they were promised intensive intelligence training and participation in the agencys various operations. We never get promotion or participate in those operations. Some have gone for the one-year training while others have not. Even if you have undergone training you are overlooked and those who are picked are from BDF.





The only job that former government security officer do is being a registry officer at the offices- it is basically clerical work that we do, said the source, adding, We are never promoted. All that was promised during recruitment has never occurred. Of course in most cases our training is integrated training where we go in group. Upon completion of the training we are placed in different divisions but you would find that those you trained with are progressing while you are in one rank for a long time even years. The disgruntled members are said to have on several meetings demanded answers as to the promises made to them but nothing has come to pass. The concerns are said to have been expressed during meetings with DISS boss Isaac Kgosi while his subordinates had promised to take up the matter with him at other meetings at which he was not present.

The officers claim that no one except for former BDF members, has been promoted or participated in any of the operations undertaken. The agents are said to be reluctant to take the matter further or organise themselves to petition their leaders because within the spy agency there is no trust. Everyone is said to be looking over their shoulders, as the agents do not trust each other.

Apparently no one wants to take a lead in approaching the management because they fear losing their jobs. It is alleged that even though DISS Director General Kgosi has introduced an open door policy, the agents who do not trust their superiors are reluctant to approach Kgosi. Contacted for comment Kgosi said given the sensitivity of his organ, he is hindered to discuss any matter with third party regarding DISS.
When Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) was launched in 2013, Internet traffic was at 2.3 Gigabytes per second. Today Botswanas Internet traffic stands at +10.4 Gigabytes per second and is expected to exceed 25 Gigabytes per second by 2020. BoFiNet, the wholesale provider of national and international telecommunication infrastructure, revealed this on Wednesday at its media breakfast in Gaborone.

Adrin Sivako, Technical Executive at BoFiNet explained that, according to the exponential growth patterns, We estimate the traffic bandwidth to reach 25 Gigabytes by the year 2020. The majority of our traffic goes to Europe and USA. According to global Internet perspective currently, there is too much volume of traffic which sits around 80 Exabytes/month, this is equivalent to 1 million DVDs played per day. Botswanas Internet traffic by volume only generates around 45 000 DVDs per day, which is 601 bytes.

On the other hand Sivako revealed that, operators are making sure that they provide high speed Internet. They are now considering 5G connectivity. There has always been a bad experience with the already existing 3G and 4G networks, which the local mobile operators are continuing to roll out across the country. However, BoFiNet CEO Mabua Mabua remains hopeful that as the 5G comes in, As an economy I believe we can catch-up and be able to have a reliable and fast connectivity.





On the slow pace of internet services, Mabua said BoFiNet has always provided the best infrastructure and services to the operators, therefore if the end users are unable to access a service from a service provider, whether bank or mobile operator or electricity vendor, they should always challenge the usual statements of its network fault. Chances are that the fault is with that particular service provider. BoFiNet has infrastructure that guarantees high quality service. BOCRA as a regulator then has to enforce the ISPs to provide high quality service to the end user to ensure that they get value for their money, he said.

BOCRA is currently undertaking an exercise on cost and pricing modelling. Mabua noted that, The advocacy for lower tariffs continues. We may reduce the tariffs but there are no guarantees that the ISPs will translate that to the end consumer. This still remains the duty of the regulator, BOCRA to enforce.
Parliament has passed into law a Bill that calls for the establishment of Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority, to regulate the energy sector.The Authority shall be a body corporate with a common seal, capable of suing and being sued.

Minister of Minerals, Water and Energy Resources, Kitso Mokaila said the authority would be responsible for providing an efficient regulatory framework for the regulated sector in accordance with the Act, with the primary mandate of providing the economic regulation of the sector.It would be responsible for ensuring sustainable and secure supplies in the regulated sector. Ensuring tariffs in the regulated sector are fixed on the basis of a tariff methodology that has been set up in a transparent manner taking into account government policy on cross subsidies between classes of consumers and setting and maintaining standards, Mokaila stated.

The authority would also be expected to protect and preserve the environment as well as ensuring that the regulation of the energy sector is done in accordance with the best international regulatory practice. According to the minister the authority will have functions such as regulating tariffs, including allowed revenue for regulated entities and regulate coal supply agreements between collieries, coal suppliers and price-regulated generators. The seal of the authority, according to Mokaila shall be such device as may be determined by the Board and shall be kept by the Chief Executive Officer.





Powers and functions of the Authority will be exercised and performed by the Board appointed by the Minister, Mokaila explained. The minister noted that funds for the Authority will consist of monies appropriated by parliament, funds borrowed with the approval of the finance minister to cover short-term cash flow requirement among others. According to the proposed Act the authority will establish and maintain a non-discriminatory and efficient regulatory framework to be followed by all regulated entities in the sector. A person shall not provide a service under a regulated sector unless licensed to provide such service in the prescribed manner, reads the proposed Act. Mokaila revealed that any person who contravenes the provisions of this Act would be committing an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding P30 000 or in the case of a corporation, to a fine not exceeding 10 percent of its annual turnover.

This Bill comes after Member of Parliament for Gaborone Bonnington South Ndaba Gaolathe tabled a motion in Parliament calling for the establishment of an independent regulatory body for water and energy sector. The motion, which was supported by minister Mokaila, was adopted by Parliament last week Friday. Some BDP MPs however maintained that the Bill was not as a result of Gaolathes motion but is something that has been on the pipeline. Gaolathe embraced the Bill by the minister indicating that they will support the Act all the way with one common goal of seeing Batswana benefit.
SADC Ministerial Committee Organ (SMCO) composed of Ministers of Foreign Affairs has endorsed Botswanas Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pelonomi Venson- Moitois candidacy for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The Ministers will present their recommendation to the SADC Heads of State and Government summit who will confirm Moitoi as the regional candidate in Mbabane, Swaziland at the end of the month.Botswana Guardian has it on good authority that SADC ministers made their decision during a meeting attended by all except Mauritius and Madagascar last week in Maputo, Mozambique after Botswana pronounced that Venson- Moitoi is still running for the position which has been declared open to all interested candidates.

However, it still remains uncertain if any of the member states will counter the SMCO recommendation by availing their candidates at the heads of state summit. Reports reaching Botswana Guardian indicate that after endorsing Venson- Moitoi, the SMCO emphasised the need for Botswana to share and, or provide the SADC Secretariat with her campaign strategy so that the entire region can own it. It is said the SMCO advised that SADC must use a more or similar strategy that was used when it was campaigning for the outgoing chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma.





An extract from the confidential minutes of the Maputo SMCO meeting shows that the ministers recommended that once the heads of state and government summit approve Venson- Moitois candidature, the region must Set up a campaign team consisting of SADC ministers of foreign affairs, with the support of the secretariat to spearhead the campaign for Venson-Moitoi.Speaking to Botswana Guardian, Venson Moitoi confirmed, saying: As a candidate I will comply with the SMCO advice and we will provide the SADC Secretariat with my hand or, our campaign strategy for the simple reason that I am their candidate and there is no way in which I could disobey my masters instructions.

Botswana pronounced her position to regional governments following a cabinet decision a fortnight ago to endorse Venson-Moitoi to go for a re-run. Cabinet also approved that there must be a budget for the campaign. Currently the budget remains a closely guarded secret as it is still being worked on. Venson- Moitoi said the delay to reveal the total budget was influenced by numerous factors, key amongst them being that after cabinet gave her the go ahead, the next step was to make a pronouncement and then seek regional endorsement at ministerial level.

Now that we have been endorsed by the ministers we are starting to work on our budget which will largely depend on our strategy and will cover travel and other related matters, she said. During the July elections held in Kigali, Rwanda, Venson- Moitoi managed to pass all election hurdles to the last stage as she remained the last candidate standing after former Uganda vice president, Specioza Wandira Kazibwe and Equatorial Guineas Foreign Minister Agapito Mba Mokuy were eliminated one after the other. However, she too was unable to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority required to usher her into office.
The Solution

One thing I've learned in my years of teaching in the U.S. is that many young Americans are moral relativists. As students in elementary and secondary schools, they were taught that there is no moral fact of the matter. Thus, when people disagree about moral issues, their different perspectives are equally valid. It would be wrong to criticize anyone from another culture who sees things differently.For example, my son's high school English teacher wanted her students to say that child slavery in Ghana is morally permissible, the unstated premise being that there are no absolute moral principles that apply to all cultures at all times and places. In my college teaching, I often encounter the results of such thinking.If I leave students' relativism unchallenged and ask "Was the Holocaust evil and immoral?" many students will say "No." "Was slavery evil and immoral?" I ask. Students often respond, "No. At the time people thought it was moral; society said it was moral, so it was moral."I often describe female genital mutilation, practiced in places like rural Sudan and argue that it is immoral because it is painful, involuntary, can lead to infection and death and removes the possibility of feeling sexual pleasure. Thus, this practice is immoral. But my students frequently respond, "That's just your perspective. The Sudanese would be unlikely to agree with you."Students enter my classroom believing nothing is truly good or evil and that moral beliefs are the result of what society says. Their moral nihilism can be seen when they write good and evil with scare quotes-i.e., "good" and "evil"-and when they demonstrate their desire to tolerate any evil imaginable as long as it is practiced in another culture.Teachers are apparently so worried that moral disagreements will lead to conflicts that they teach that "everyone is entitled to their opinion."Well-meaning liberal teachers think they are thereby promoting "tolerance," but they are actually unintentionally producing moral nihilism in their students, leaving them with the moral compass of a psychopath.The term "Islamophobia" is now used by teachers and professors to prevent legitimate criticism of Muslim cultural practices and behaviors. The liberal media are mostly silent about Pakistani rape gangs in England, the killing of homosexuals, and the ill-treatment of women. Moral relativism and its cousin cultural relativism (the notion that moral criticism of another culture is neither possible nor permissible) are widely taken to be true in America.There is one enormous exception to the prohibition on cultural criticism. Liberal teachers and professors, meaning very nearly all of them, think Western culture is to be condemned as ethnocentric and immoral, with the crime of colonialism being the chief criticism. All other cultures, however, must be defended against all-comers in the name of tolerance, anti-racism, and anti-ethnocentrism. They are beyond criticism and most students accept that.Of course, it isn't just college students who are moral relativists. Many of their professors are. For example, I was accused of being a racist by a college professor from Wisconsin for condemning the sexual attacks on non-Muslim German women in Cologne during the 2016 New Year's Eve celebrations.He quibbled that mostly Egyptians were involved rather than Syrian refugees. I replied that my concern was Muslim immigration to Europe in general, not just Syrians. His response was that I was implying that all Muslim immigrants are rapists and that I was a despicable racist for saying such a thing, which of course I had not said.I have found that it is not difficult to get students to abandon their relativism. Here's my approach.Students will agree that it would be immoral to ask someone for a ride to the airport but then refuse to ever return the favor. Students will also agree that it would be unfair to distribute grades in class arbitrarily. They will agree that helping the elderly with their taxes is morally good and that intentionally running them over with their cars is not.The point is to show them that our most basic moral intuition concerns justice.Evidence that moral thinking is not a "social construct" can be shown further by pointing to elements of morality that are demonstrated in the animal kingdom. For example, as this video shows, a monkey that sees that his neighbor continues to get a grape for doing a specific task while he is now given cucumber for that same activity will express frustration and outrage.Students can thus see that justice is not a human invention.Most students do in fact behave in a moral fashion, despite the moral nihilism promoted in schools and colleges. But these false doctrines can only undermine their dedication to pursuing moral goods and they can also leave them incapable of thinking coherently about how to deal with Muslim terrorism or other crucial moral issues of the day. Without a coherent moral framework, students are prone to crazed witch hunts and scapegoating.Examples include the figurative lynching last fall of the Yale faculty member who said that perhaps "offensive" Halloween costumes should be permissible. She and her husband were forced to resign their positions. More recently, students on social media said that expressing sympathy for the murdered French citizens was "racist" because similar sympathy was not being expressed for victims in some Third World countries.By starting with students' own moral practices and intuitions concerning justice, a professor can lead them in productive conversations about moral matters. The most important step is to point out the contradiction in saying that there are no moral standards that apply to everyone, and then prohibiting legitimate criticism of other cultures. For in that case, there are indeed moral principles that apply to everyone and criticism of other cultures is not simply being "intolerant."I have had success in getting students to agree that the Holocaust was immoral, that female genital mutilation is immoral, that slavery in other cultures is immoral. Some students express the concern that for changing their beliefs in these ways, they will be judged racist and immoral by their contemporaries. But that is a risk that all moral realists must face.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Province of Manitoba has yet to confirm if it will match the City of Brandons $500,000 funding commitment to the Keystone Centre this year.

As a result, the Keystones five-year capital plan is in a holding pattern, as the citys funds are contingent on the provinces contribution.

We havent heard anything specific. We get the general comments coming back that (the province) supports the facility and how important

File The Keystone Centres City Square is shown earlier this year after a major renovation that was jointly funded by the City of Brandon and the Province of Manitoba. The Keystones five-year capital plan is currently in a holding pattern while it waits for word on whether the province will match the citys $500,000 funding commitment.

we are for economic development, said Keystone Centre general manager Neil Thomson. Were just trying to move forward on our capital plan.

This issue will be brought up at Mondays city council meeting, with the Keystone Centres board chair, Coun. Shawn Berry (Linden Lanes), bringing forward a motion to remove the matching funds condition for 2016.

When the citys original funding commitment was made in January, Berry said council had hoped the former NDP government would commit to the funding prior to the election.

But as it turned out, all the worst-case scenarios happened, Berry said. We didnt get the commitment at that time from the sitting government, and of course now with the new government, theyre just trying to get their feet under them and we havent had an answer back from them.

Berry points out the $500,000 is already in the citys 2016 financial plan  with the majority coming out of the accommodation tax reserve, and the remaining $100,000 from the general budget.

Just for this year, Berry hopes council will be on board to delete the words: conditional upon matching funds from the Province of Manitoba from the capital plan.

Even though its not everything that we need at the Keystone, at least it allows us to get something started and done, Berry said. Because every year we wait, things just get worse and worse and worse and the amounts for capital needs just grow and grow and grow.

Last fall, city council voted in favour of supporting the Keystones five-year capital plan. For several years, the facility had been trying for a multi-year funding plan rather than one-off capital requests.

At 540,000 square feet, the Keystone is Brandons largest and most recognizable venue, bringing a wide array of events to the city. Thomson explained at the time that committed capital funding would help to put the aging facility on more stable footing and ensure the necessary maintenance can be planned for, well in advance.

Thomsons original request was $2 million per year  $1 million from the province and $1 million from the city for the next five years. During budget deliberations last January, the city approved $500,000 for 2016.

We had to eliminate a fair bit of stuff. What we were hoping to get done in the next five years, based on the funding we were promised now, Berry said.

The plan had to be scaled back, and Thomson said its generally capital needs required for day-to-day operations rather than big-ticket items.

The purpose of us doing it in this manner was trying to establish a regular capital funding program, Thomson said. So certainly our expectation is the province will still come to the table and because of the change in government, they felt they need a bit more time.

A request was made to the Province of Manitoba on Friday by The Brandon Sun to get a status update on the file. A government spokesperson responded with a statement via email:

Good governments make the difficult decisions. The NDP never made a difficult decision while in provincial government and spent beyond their means. In an effort to return the province to a responsible fiscal track, all capital projects are under review to ensure Manitobans are receiving the best value for their tax dollars.

 jaustin@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @jillianaustin
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Be Kind, Be Real, Be Natural. That is the motto for one of Brandons newest businesses. Just 10 days ago, Riverbend Naturals Salon & Boutique opened its doors at 1005 13th St., the former location of Pirouette Active Wear.

Bryan and Melinda Tannahill, owners and operators of Sunset Creek Flooring, Cabinets & Design, along with manager and licensed stylist Kaleigh Peters, have all been working hard in the last few months to create and open this new shop.

Along with Peters, master licensed stylist Sarah Strickland and licensed esthetician/skin care specialist Tanya Smith are part of the Riverbend Naturals team. All three professionals were born and raised in Brandon.

The salon is unique in that it is Green Circle certified. This means they recycle everything from metals, plastics, colour tubes, light bulbs, bobby pins and papers to the hair they cut off.

We ensure that between 85 to 95 per cent of all our salon waste is managed in an environmentally friendly and responsible way. The things we recycle get made into metals for playgrounds, the hair gets recycled and is used in dog and cat beds, water buoys to soak up oil spills, etc. It all goes back into our communities to improve them, Peters said.

In the salon and boutique, they carry a number of different lines that are natural and toxin-free. Some examples include: Pure Anada Cosmetics that are produced locally in Morden; Rocky Mountain Soap Co., which is a natural, organic skin care line, also made in Canada; KEVIN.MURPHY hair products, which are toxin, chemical-, sulphate- and paragon-free; and Kogi Naturals, which is produced in British Columbia and is also natural and organic.

We pride ourselves on being different, unique and full of fresh ideas. We want to give back and support our community. One way that we have chosen to give back is through the Green Circle initiative, Peters said. Were excited to welcome clients to a warm and inviting place where they can come to chill, relax, unwind and leave looking and feeling better.

Visit riverbendnaturals.ca or call 204-717-8550 for more information on the services that are offered.

Back in the Biz

Ben Hernandez laughed when I said that he certainly doesnt ever let any grass grow under his feet. Just a couple months after the closing of Remingtons Restaurant, Hernandez is taking over the Green Olive Restaurant at 612 Rosser Ave.

While we congratulate Hernandez on his new business, we must also extend a special thanks and best wishes to June and Vern Klassen as they embark on a new chapter in their lives after running the downtown restaurant for 25 years.

Theyve been looking for someone to take it over, someone that will continue with the traditions of the Green Olive as theyve built a strong client base over the years. One of the things they were looking for in the transition with the new ownership is to have someone that they feel comfortable with. I am very grateful to both Vern and June for being so accommodating and I am humbled by the fact that they have put such faith in me and my family to carry on with their traditions and leaving me with their baby, Hernandez said.

While Hernandez officially takes over on Monday, the restaurant will be closed for three days for prep work and to make some changes to the menu. It will reopen on Thursday.

While not in the immediate future, other changes are in the works as well. Hernandez plans to host a grand reopening with the announcement of a new name for the restaurant this fall. Keep reading #businessbuzz for more details!

Blooming Success

Congratulations to Trish Fjeldsted of The BloomBox for getting the Certified Floral Designer designation from the American Institute of Floral Designers.

CFD recognition is granted only after a floral designer has demonstrated an understanding of the concepts of design through education and by subjecting their floral design work to a vigorous peer evaluation conducted by an international panel of design experts. The evaluation took place on July 1 in California.

These are coveted designations in the floral industry around the world, with around 50 designated florists in Canada and only one currently in Manitoba, said Shaun Fjeldsted.

According to a recent news release from the AIFD, Fjeldsteds designs and evaluation marks were considered to be so artistic that she has been extended an invitation to become an accredited member of AIFD. Keep up the great work, Trish!

Visit bloomboxonline.com for more information.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The results are in: Assiniboine Community Colleges Class of 2015 has fared well on all major counts.

Each year, ACC contracts an independent firm to survey our most recent graduates approximately nine months after graduation to see how they are doing. This years highlights include:

94 per cent employment rate;

 87 per cent working in a career related to their studies;

 77 per cent with permanent jobs;

 93 per cent still right here in Manitoba;

 $45,708 is their average annual salary.

Not bad for a one- or two-year investment in their education.

From my perspective, graduate outcomes are a key accountability tool for a college or a university. But beyond an individual college or university, it can be a strong policy tool for those who provide oversight for institutions.

In the late 1990s, I became the chair of the graduate followup survey committee from the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC). At that time, MPHEC conducted the survey on behalf of 17 universities in the three Maritime provinces. We surveyed graduates both two years and five years after graduation to see how they were faring. It was a source of excellent information that could inform public policy.

Certainly, one of the items we tracked closely in the Maritime provinces was how many of our graduates left the region after finishing their studies. We were simply paying to educate people for the benefit of the rest of Canada. As one of my colleagues put it: It seemed our strategy was educate and export, rather than train and retain.

While out-migration has not been a foreign topic to Manitoba, it is one area where the survey results might put ones mind at ease. This year, we found that 93 per cent of the graduates remained in Manitoba.

During my time at ACC, the numbers have varied, but typically the percentage of graduates remaining inside the province has been between 90 and 95 per cent. This is pretty remarkable, considering that we have students who come from out of province and outside of the country. Last year alone, more than five per cent of our full-time population were international students.

Higher education in Manitoba has many financial contributors, but the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada and students are the big three. We are often blind to some areas of contribution by the federal government as resources flow through transfer payments for higher education to provinces. All of these stakeholders expect to see returns on their investments.

Last year, using our graduate data, Economic Modelling Specialists Inc. examined the rate of return for taxpayers and students from investments in ACC. What they found was that students received a 20.1 per cent internal rate of return, and taxpayers received an 8.2 per cent internal rate of return. Not bad returns, considering that last month, a Canadian bank issued $1.8 billion of negative-yield bonds guaranteed to lose money in the long run.

Our results also show that students who attend ACC are generally satisfied with their experience. In the most recent survey, 90 per cent indicate they are satisfied with the quality of education they receive and 94 per cent of graduates would recommend ACC to a friend or family member. This is a testament to the many people who work at ACC and community volunteers who serve on our program advisory committees to help keep our programs relevant. But none so much as our excellent faculty who share their knowledge in a caring way with students creating bonds and connections that endure.

As ACC gears up for another academic year, we look forward to serving a new group of students. We are hopeful that the ACC experience will help transform their lives and contribute to strengthening Manitoba.

 Mark Frison is president of Assiniboine Community College.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Luxury governance?

While waiting for a stop signal a few days ago, there was a government vehicle beside me, and two workers were working on the signal box. I think it was from the Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation department. What attracted my attention was the make and model of the vehicle, as it was a Mercedes-Benz long-chassis van. Mercedes-Benz government vehicles? What next? What happened to Fords, Dodges and GMCs? Will cabinet ministers soon be driving Mercedes-Benz convertibles? I dont know whether the vehicle (or vehicles, as there could be more!) was acquired in the reign of Premier Selinger, who spent money like it was going out of style, or whether this is the new standard being set by Premier Pallister and his gang. Whoever did it, all I can say is, no wonder our taxes are so high! I suppose, on the positive side, we can be thankful that the British luxury-car maker Rolls-Royce doesnt sell vans.

Its not being spent on the kids

The tax-free child benefit has just been increased to $6,400 per year for children under age six and $5,400 per year for children age six to 17. Samaritan House is again appealing to the community for donations, which is disappointing since they have indicated that children make up a large percentage of clients. My mom got $5 per child and we got by on very meagre meals and very few extras. People are getting hampers more often than every two weeks and I have seen them smoking, purchasing beer and owning cellphones. Someone needs to teach them how to budget. I have to budget approximately $600 per month myself and do not access the food bank or soup kitchen. Where is the extra money going? Stop having kids if you cannot afford them.

More trash picker-uppers needed

I want to send a big bouquet to the young lady riding a bike Friday morning, sporting a garbage bag attached to her handle bars. She was picking garbage off the boulevards around the 34th Street traffic circle. We are so fortunate to have people like her in Brandon. Awesome!
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I love watching these poor, pathetic people (pundits) on television working so hard and so seriously to try and figure me out. They cant!

 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on Twitter.

If it was a joke, it was another in a long list of utterly tasteless and mean-spirited ones. If it was an offhand remark, its further evidence of the unfiltered brand of irresponsibility that will ultimately be the undoing of an ill-considered U.S. presidential aspiration.

If it was a coy attempt to incite action while still maintaining plausible deniability for any and all consequences of that incitement, it demonstrates ignorance of an order so high it should finally disqualify its perpetrator from the contest in which he is currently embroiled.

However you choose to interpret Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trumps infamous remark that Second Amendment people might be able to stop Democratic counterpart Hillary Clinton, should she be elected in November, from appointing undesirable judges to the United States Supreme Court  innocent joke, bungled ad lib, indirect appeal for violent action, or, as Trumps supporters and surrogates insist, merely a call for gun-rights supporters to use their power as a motivated voting faction  it is completely unreasonable and boundlessly cynical to suggest it will not be received by some as a direct call for armed retaliation.

History  and, in particular, American history  is filled with stories of unbalanced people who committed violent acts because voices, real or imagined, told them to do so.

Trump, whose earlier public appearances have already included a loudly voiced desire to punch a disruptive intruder in the face and a promise to pay the legal fees of anyone willing to knock the crap out of tomato-wielding protesters, has made tough talk and saying whats on his mind the oratorical engine of his largely unscripted campaign.

With last weeks wildly irresponsible appeal to those Second Amendment people, Trump seems to have indicated hes OK with the notion of being the violence-triggering voice in someones head.

He then upped the ante this week by at first loudly proclaiming that President Barack Obama was the founder of the Islamic State, an echo of sorts to accusations over the past eight years that Obama is a Muslim and terrorist sympathizer.

<t$>It was a claim that he pedalled back a bit on Friday, calling his comments sarcasm, only to then refute his own backpedalling later in the day by saying but not that sarcastic, to

be honest with you, to a crowd in Erie, Pa.<t-3>

This behaviour has been a constant Trump hallmark since this campaign began. Trumps campaign is a train wreck of false accusations and last-minute pulled punches that are blamed on a supposedly biased media, paired with incoherent and meandering speeches that leave one wondering whether he is suitable enough to run his own business, let alone a world superpower.

Writing for Rolling Stone last week, columnist David S. Cohen asserted Trump is engaging in stochastic terrorism, employing an obscure academic term most often used in describing the actions of those who inspire violence against abortion providers or pro-choice activists. In Cohens piece, stochastic terrorism is defined as using language and other forms of communication to incite random actors to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable.

In other words, while Trump apologists might be justified in stating no reasonable person would view his Second Amendment remark as a direct call for violence against his opponent, it is disingenuous for them to pretend they arent aware that Americas bitterly divided political landscape currently includes many people whose words and behaviours suggest something other than reason. This isnt a ballot question; its a bullet fear.

Those who support Trumps straight-talk approach to politics say hes just a guy who says whatever he thinks. And its probably true there was more stupidity than strategy to the clearly impromptu crack. Unfortunately, there are too many times when Trumps behaviour compares to that of a failing comedian who lapses into profanity and toilet humour when he realizes the prepared material isnt connecting and going off script is an easier way to get a rise out of the crowd.

When a hack standup does it, the words dont matter. The worst-case reactions are silence, heckling or being booed off the stage. But Trump isnt doing eight minutes at the Chuckle Hut; hes running for the most powerful office in the world, a position that he seems to be treating like a joke.

Yet his words carry enormous weight  and his inability or unwillingness to recognize the possible consequences of his outbursts only serves to reinforce the position of those who believe his temperament renders him unfit for the U.S. presidency.

 Winnipeg Free Press and The Brandon Sun
The employers' group IBEC has warned the Government against imposing a "one-size-fits-all" rule on retirement age.

It follows an inter-departmental report recommending that workers get the option to work past the current retirement age of 65.

The Government has confirmed that the Workplace Relations Commission is to draw up a code of practice on the issue of working longer.

IBEC's Head of Social Policy Tony Donohoe described the recommendations as "sensible".

However, he added that ultimately retirement is down to a contract between employee and employer.

Mr Donohoe said: "It's obviously affected by the type of work that the person is doing and the nature of the business. It will suit some workers, but not all workers.

"The retirement age is essentially a contractual retirement agreement between the employers and the employees themselves.

"That's the only way we can guarantee the viability and futures of the businesses themselves."


Melissa Dowland, coordinator of teacher education at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, shows teachers an abandoned mud dauber nest found outside Eastern Elementary School in Greenville. (Photos by Cliff Hollis)

Teacher Lauren Brewington shakes a bush to collect items for further study.

Workshop participant Evan Hamilton uses a loupe to examine part of a mud dauber nest.

Chasing June bugs, examining abandoned mud dauber nests and collecting tree droppings highlighted the first few hours of a weeklong East Carolina University summer institute for elementary school science teachers.It's the kind of excitement and activity that the teachers want to create for their students when they return to school in late August.said Brittany Daniels '16, who will be teaching fourth grade at South Greenville Elementary School for the first time this fall.Daniels was among 15 recent ECU graduates attending the free workshop designed to give new teachers confidence and support and improve elementary science education. Some will begin their teaching careers this year while others have been in the classroom less than a year or two.said workshop organizer Dr. Tammy Lee, assistant professor for science education in the ECU College of Education.ECU is the only university in the state that offers a concentration in K-6 science education in its education degree program. Started in 2012, enrollment in the concentration has grown from seven students to more than 100.Lee said. Faculty members in the college's six academic departments work regionally and statewide providing workshops, seminars and support to school districts and teachers, many of whom are Pirate alumni.Daniels, whose first day at South Greenville Elementary will be Aug. 18, said she completed the additional 18 credit hours needed for the elementary science concentration because "it wasn't a subject I was as confident in" as others, she said.Now she's looking forward to her first day, and incorporating music into lesson plans on the ecosystem, rocks and other topics.Daniels said.Research shows that if children are exposed to science concepts early, they stay interested in the subject, Lee said.Lee said.Partnering in the workshop was the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences' Melissa Dowland and Megan Chesser. They guided the teachers around the Eastern Elementary School campus on Aug. 1, listening to cicadas and bird calls, to get them thinking about how to adapt their own school grounds for teaching science outdoors.said Chesser, teacher education specialist at the museum. The school day might be their only opportunity to get outside, she said.Using loupes, bug boxes and sweeper nets, teachers practiced their observation and identification skills. By the end of the week, they wrote three lesson plans to implement in their classrooms before Christmas break.Lee said.Amanda Mongillo '15, a sixth grade teacher at W.A. Pattillo Middle School in Tarboro, has been teaching since her December graduation. Since Mongillo hasn't had a full year in the classroom, she's looking forward to creatingwhich includes designing a lesson plan on ecosystems.She said her students love going outdoors, where they have held relay races mimicking sound waves and scavenger hunts to identify leaves and trees. She got interested in science as a kid, with the influence of her dad, as they bonded over school projects like a homemade telescope or the classic potato light bulb.Lee said the workshop shows teachers how to institute methods and strategies that are research-based, how to overcome barriers like a lack of resources or equipment, and inspire their work with elementary students.Lee said.The teachers spent one day at Eastern and the rest of the week at River Park North, where ECU microbiologist and assistant professor of biology Dr. Ariane Peralta led some of the sessions.The workshop is funded by a research start-up grant funded by ECU titled PIRATES (Preparing and Inspiring Achieving Teaching Excellence in Science) and led by Lee, who spearheaded the development of the elementary science concentration to improve STEM education in the early grades. Each participant received a stipend to attend.
EU structural and investment projects in Northern Ireland signed before the British Chancellor's Autumn Statement will be guaranteed after Brexit, the UK Treasury said.

The current level of agricultural backing, which underpins the farming industry, will also be matched by the British Government until 2020.

Europe's Peace programme for entrenching the peace process through community development is due to run until 2020. The future of a programme designed to pump 17m into groups which help victims of the conflict had been in doubt, it has been claimed.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said: "We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive.

"That's why I am confirming that structural and investment funds projects signed before the Autumn Statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave.

"The Government will also match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, who play a vital role in our country."

Assurances expected from the Treasury include:

:: All structural and investment fund projects, including agri-environment schemes, signed before the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on the budget will be fully funded, even when these projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU.

:: The Treasury will also put in place arrangements for assessing whether to guarantee funding for specific structural and investment fund projects that might be signed after the Autumn Statement, but while the UK remains a member of the EU.

:: Where UK organisations have bid directly to the European Commission on a competitive basis for EU funding projects while the UK is still a member of the EU, for example universities participating in Horizon 2020, the Treasury will underwrite the payments of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK's departure from the EU.

While the UK voted to leave the European Union by 52% to 48%, 56% in Northern Ireland voted to remain.

Stormont's first and deputy first ministers Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness recently registered their concerns with the British Prime Minister over the future of projects relying on EU money. Northern Ireland receives approximately 10% of the UK's cash from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

EU funding has helped build the Peace Bridge over Derry's River Foyle and boosted transport links between Belfast and Dublin.

It has supported scores of community groups working in some of the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland as part of the rebuilding of a more normal society after the Troubles.

Brexit campaigners had claimed Northern Ireland got back 67 million less than it contributed to Europe last year.

The Chancellor added: "We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we use the opportunities that departure presents to determine our own priorities."
It cost almost 98,000 to jail some of Ireland's most high-profile criminals in Portlaoise last year.

Figures released by the Irish Prison Service show that while less people were jailed in 2015, the cost increased by 2,000 per prisoner.
The Government is being urged to do more to support victims of farm accidents.

There are an estimated 2,500 farm accidents each year with 19 of those fatal in 2015.
An Irish nanny who was cleared of murdering a baby girl in the US is facing a big compensation bill, after being found civilly liable for the child's death.

Aisling Brady McCarthy was originally accused of killing baby Rehma Sabir in 2013, before all charges were dropped last year due to a lack of evidence.
Fidel Castro has thanked Cubans for their good wishes on his 90th birthday on Saturday and criticised US president Barack Obama in a lengthy letter published in state media.

Castro touched on his father's death shortly before his own victory in overthrowing US-backed strongman Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

He criticised Mr Obama, who appeared to anger the revolutionary leader with a March trip to Cuba in which he called for Cubans to look toward the future.

Castro wrote a sternly worded letter a week after the trip admonishing Mr Obama to read up on Cuban history, declaring that "we don't need the empire to give us anything."

He attacked Mr Obama in Saturday's letter for not apologising to the Japanese people during a May trip to Hiroshima, describing the US president's speech there as "lacking stature."

He also wrote: "I want to express my deepest gratitude for the shows of respect, greetings and praise that I've received in recent days, which give me strength to reciprocate with ideas that I will send to party militants and relevant organisations."

"Modern medical techniques have allowed me to scrutinise the universe," wrote Castro, who stepped down as Cuba's president 10 years ago after suffering a severe gastrointestinal illness.

Castro accompanied his thanks with reminiscences about his childhood and youth in eastern Cuba, describing the geology and plant life of the region where he grew up.

The Cuban government has taken a relatively low-key approach to Castro's birthday, in comparison with the large-scale gatherings that had been planned for his 80th.

Government ministries have held small musical performances and photo exhibitions that pay tribute to the former head of state.

State media showed images of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro arriving in Havana and a tribute was planned at a Havana theatre for Sunday evening. The government did not say which Cuban officials would attend.

Castro last appeared in public in April, closing the twice-a-decade congress of the Cuban Communist Party with a call for Cuba to stick to its socialist ideals amid ongoing normalisation with the US.

The need for closer economic ties with the US has grown more urgent as Venezuela, Castro's greatest ally, tumbles into economic free-fall, cutting the flow of subsidised oil that Cuba has depended on from the South American country for more than a decade.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Cubans are emigrating to the United States, hollowing out the ranks of highly educated professionals.

The brightest spot in Cuba's flagging economy has been a post-detente surge in tourism that is expected to boom when commercial flights to and from the United States, Cuba's former long-time enemy, resume on August 31.
Police block a Cleveland street to prevent a protest march from deviating from the approved route.

"By the third day of protests around the DNC, activists prone to acts of disruptive but non-violent, non-destructive acts of civil disobedience as a way to express the intensity of their grievances seemed to have figured out the new policing strategy."</li>

"As police make more use of bicycle officers, my colleagues and I expect to see more protesters on bicycles testing the limits of this emerging police tactic, thinking of ways to incorporate bicycles into protests, developing new ways to impede or disrupt police efforts to control future protests."

"Similarly, the amount of press personnel on hand in Cleveland seemed equally excessive ... The press presence at times overwhelmed protest actions and impeded police efforts to manage events."

After attending both major political conventions this summer, an East Carolina University sociology professor is shaping new research around large-scale protests and police response tactics.There is a continuous adaptation and evolution between large-scale protesters and the police dispatched to keep them under control, said Dr. Bob Edwards.Edwards is working with a team of sociology and criminal justice faculty and students that hails from several institutions - ECU, Western Washington University, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Arcadia University - and has been observing and documenting protests since 2001. They monitor the web pages and social media of both protest groups and police in order to attend planned and spontaneous protest events.There's a delicate and constantly shifting balance between security and free expression, Edwards said.After attending protest events each day during the political conventions, the team met to talk through what they'd seen and plan for the following day. Now that the conventions are over, they have a massive amount of notes and photos to sort through, but several observations stood out.Edwards said. There was one significant episode of contention between police and protesters in Philadelphia, but it was mild compared to past political conventions during the Iraq War, Global Justice protests during the 2000s or the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011, he added.There was a noticeable difference in the approaches to policing between the two conventions, with a much larger police presence in Cleveland. Edwards said the city of Philadelphia took measures to reduce the number of arrests after facing lawsuits related to the arrests made during past protest events.he said.During a pre-demonstration meeting of activists Edwards observed a discussion of how few arrests were being made and what demonstrators would have to do to be arrested, short of violence or property damage.Edwards said.In Cleveland, approximately 300 bicycle officers were used extensively to manage protesters and bystanders, forming mobile barricade lines to steer marchers into pre-defined routes, forming rings around groups of protesters to separate them from each other or from their audience, and riding through or near small groups of protesters to make their presence known.Edwards said.The most surprising aspect of the two sets of protests for Edwards and the team was the lack of protest and contention in Cleveland, compared to expectations and to the massive police presence. Several thousand officers were brought in from at least 20 different states to assist the city's police department.he said,As the group's notes and photographs are organized and annotated, the members will compare the two events and look for illustrations of changes in strategy and of how the two police agencies worked differently.Edwards said.
ISLAMABAD: The number of cellular subscribers as well as teledensity declined for the second consecutive month in...
I wrote this article as part of my Vietnam diary to explain the meals we ate while in the field. Ted McDonald and I often exchange emails about old times and other memory droppings. He asked what we ate and I sent him this article. At his request, I offer it here for those who ever wondered what the food was like on that cruise in 1968. Bobby Tony

Below are some pictures from the Charlie Company 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division website. This was the field meals as delivered by helicopter in case quantity. Usually the case was opened (sometimes using the old M16 prong flash suppressor as shown on left below  put over wire and twist until broken) and then turned upside down.

Here is a case of C-Rations unopened but with the wire removed

That would hide the Label so you could not pick and choose favorite meals. Each soldier would draw one meal or more depending on when the expected next resupply copter was scheduled.

Menu:

Most Hated: Ham and Eggs, Ham and Lima Beans, Boned Chicken

Most liked: Beans and wieners, Beef Steak, boned chicken

Favorite dessert: Pecan roll, Date nut, pecan roll, pound cake, pretty much all of them.

Favorite Fruit: Peaches, pears

Each case would include several P38 personal can opener.

Normally turned over to hide labels.

Here is a single meal in box

Here is a B-1 Unit as it looks in individual box pack.

Accessory pack: sugar, Creamer, Coffee, Sugar, Toilet paper, Chewing gum, matches, 4 pack cigaretts, Plastic spoon.

Here is a typical meal with labeled contents

Above Pictures from Charlie Company site

If a unit was sufficient size and close to a base camp sometimes a hot meal would be flown out on copters. This was usually when a temporary laager site was being constructed for longer than one night stay.

Generally we ate from the can cold or at 50-70 F temperature. I never saw any but there was some heat tablets that you could light and hold can over it. We never built a fire as it was usually forbidden. I also never saw a GI cook food on the barrel of a rifle or M60 but I am sure it happened. Most of the mech units could heat food on the engine of the APC. The typical way for Grunts to heat a meal was to break down a claymore mine which contained a pound or so of C4 plastic explosives. C4 looks and feels like play dough but will burn at extremely high temperature. You could roll a small ball and open can partially. Hold the can over the small ball of C4 by the lid and light the C4. It burns extremely fast and hot quickly heating up the contents. It is also very expensive form of heating a meal, but a GI has got to do what a GI has to do.
LONDON: Rishi Sunak on Tuesday became Britains third prime minister this year and the first person of colour to...
A level at The Canberra Hospital has been unable to accommodate patients for more than two years, but the government denies it has led to bed shortages or pressure on other parts of the health system.

Level 4 in building 1 was vacated by paediatrics in December 2013, with the completion of stage 2 of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, and it was renovated between April last year and February at a cost of about $9 million.

A level at The Canberra Hospital has been sitting empty for nearly four years Credit:Gabriele Charotte

A number of levels in the building have been extensively refurbished as part of major works on the southside hospital campus.

But six months on and no decision has been publicly made about what level 4 will be used for - a "simply unacceptable" situation, according to Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson.
To defend ourselves we could make cheap robot submarine drones. Making local with Australian dollars will quickly balance the books. Kevin Cox, Ngunnawal Paul Malone is spot on when he says the government should pick winners, like a high-speed train between Sydney and Melbourne, rather than waste $50 billion of taxpayers' money on unneeded submarines that will be obsolete by the time they're built. Pamela Collett, Narrabundah

Streamline poll The declared Senate outcomes put the lie to a host of alarmist predictions at the time changes were being made to end the racket of interlocking group voting ticket numberings, and allow voters to express their preferences without meeting outlandish formality provisions. Informal voting was under 4 per cent nationally, much of that deliberate, and much less in the ACT. Those voting for minor parties saw some of those candidates elected or helped shape who won the last few vacancies in tight contests in several states as large numbers of votes were transferred from those excluded. The ballot paper could be greatly simplified by the removal of party boxes whose presence leads to larger parties not making the most of their strongest support. Surpluses of elected candidates should be distributed to minimise exhausted votes and allocate the same proportion of each transferable paper's value as contributing to the candidate's quota.

Bogey Musidlak, Proportional Representation Society of Australia (ACT Branch) convener Marriage expires Bruce Taggart ("Marriage fairness", Letters, August 7) supports his view with the claim: "Imagine how loudly James would whinge if anyone dared to suggest that heterosexual couples should be content with civil unions." This is exactly what I suggest! An increasing number of heterosexual couples are already turning their backs on legal marriage and one in two marriages ends in divorce  isn't this sufficient proof that the Marriage Act has outlived its use-by date? G. Bell, Franklin

Manuka strategy The cynical reality is that the Chief Minister's sudden embrace of "the community's views on the Manuka precinct is a sign an election is near" ("Manuka backdown a surprise", Editorial, August 7). Mr Barr's manoeuvre is solely to "ensure the controversial issue is off the agenda until after October 15". His undertaking to seek advice from a panel of community representatives and that development would be subject to a competitive process does not, despite the editorial's hope to the contrary, alter expectations of his intention to completely alter the area. The situation is reminiscent of the notification of a budget allocation for a major scoping study which later was claimed to have been an announcement that the project, the tramway, would proceed if he was elected. Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

Token gesture In regards to bringing the major banks to book by inviting them round once a year for a chat, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison evidently took no notice of the farcical contempt with which Australian and international corporations treated our Senate taxation inquiry this year. Imagine if we had dealt with institutional child abuse just by having the bishops over to tell us about progress each year. And how far we'd go with juvenile detention now by giving the same discredited, mendacious NT and federal ministers further opportunities for obfuscation and deception via an informal conversational setting. To be treated like children by the new federal government, in having serious concerns about banks so casually and artfully dismissed, is just plainly insulting.

Alex Mattea, Kingston Religion shielded I was filled with great disappointment as I read news that religion had been afforded further legal protections under recent changes made to the ACT's Discrimination Act. Much like the sale of indulgences throughout the Middle Ages, taking advantage of the green light to plunder children without fear of prosecution until very recently and the tax-free wealth-hoarding arrangements still enjoyed in most countries around the world are examples of "making hay while the sun shines". What hope can any society have of freeing itself from the vestiges of these primitive and misogynistic traditions that limit our species in so many ways if religion can't be held up for the ridicule, scorn and contempt it deserves?
An axe-wielding robber is on the run after holding up a fast food outlet in Brisbane's north.

The robbery on Saturday evening took place just a few hundred metres away from an Albion jeweller that a 27-year-old man allegedly robbed after attacking the owner with an axe on July 15.

An axe-wielding man robbed a take-away store in Bribane's north.

The Hudson Road Subway outlet at the centre of the latest robbery had closed early and staff inside declined to comment.

A police spokesman said a man, believed to be in his 20s, entered the business about 5.45pm and made off with a sum of cash.
The two boys reported missing from Toowoomba on Saturday have been found safe and well.

The 10 and 12-year-olds, who were related, were last seen at a Wilsonton shopping centre on Monday (August 8) and it was believed they had travelled more than 40 kilometres on the day they disappeared, catching a taxi to a Roadhouse in Hattonvale before travelling by bus to Eddw Vale.

Police said the two boys missing from Toowoomba last seen on August 8, were found safe and well on Saturday evening.

Police said the boys had in fact taken a 65 kilometre taxi trip from Toowoomba towards Brisbane on August 10.

A 14-year-old boy, had been reported missing from Bribie Island on Friday afternoon, but was found safe and well on Saturday morning.
Police are searching for three men after a shooting and arson attack in regional Queensland on Friday night.

About 10pm, three men began arguing and making threats towards a man and woman at a rural property on Cedar Creek Road, Diglum, 80 kilometres south-west of Gladstone, police said.

Three men destroyed a rural house in Diglum on Friday night, after setting it on fire following an argument with the residents. Credit:Steve Cassell

The argument then escalated and one of the men fired at least one shot, before the trio set the house and a nearby caravan on fire and fled.

The house was destroyed in the incident, but no one was physically injured.
But Jack was "a very loving and kind uncle and we all loved him very much", Mr Lloyd said.

Rod Lloyd, of Narre Warren, told the crowd in the Salvation Army's Bourke Street temple that his uncle Jack Lloyd had suffered bouts of depression and alcoholism.

An emotional Rod Lloyd at a service to commemorate 50 years since his uncle, John Lloyd, died in the Salvation Army hostel fire. Credit:Chris Hopkins

But they were all someone's father, son, uncle, or brother, a service to mark 50 years since the disaster was told on Saturday.

John ''Jack'' Lloyd, who died in the 1966 fire.

Not long before the fire, Jack had been living with Mr Lloyd's family in Chadstone, "but he left and we didn't know where he'd gone" and they grieved his loss deeply.

Mr Lloyd said the family couldn't afford a funeral for Jack, so his coffin was added to 15 victims of the hostel fire who had no relatives to claim them. The Salvos held a funeral for them all in this same temple in 1966.

Mr Lloyd, then aged 20, remembered riding in the funeral procession with crowds lining Flinders Street, Swanston Street and Bourke Street, and policemen saluting the coffins. "It was a big, emotional event."

His younger brother Brad Lloyd told The Age his parents deemed him too young, at 12, to attend the 1966 funeral so Saturday's service was a way "to say my last goodbyes. I never got to say goodbye to him".
Melbourne's "dog box" apartments will be targeted by new design rules banning windowless bedrooms and living areas, but the Andrews government has chosen not to introduce minimum dwelling sizes.

The draft design standards have been released alongside research showing 60 per cent of apartments recently constructed in Melbourne were of low quality.

High Australian household debt may discourage the RBA from hiking interest rates in 2017, warns Citi. Credit:Penny Stephens

Planning Minister Richard Wynne said some of the city's high-rise units were not fit to live in and failed to provide adequate natural light, fresh air and storage.

A number of developers had told him they had built apartments even they were not "particularly proud of".
How the Failures of Higher Education Led to the Rise of Bernie Sanders

As both a devoted political observer and a college student, the rise of the self described democratic socialist from Vermont was impossible to ignore. Sanders took the nation by storm with his cries for free healthcare, free college, and free everything else under the sun. A struggling millennial generation embraced him with an unapologetic and firm desire to stick it to the evil billionaire class for their supposed greed. His supporters didn't care about economic fact or individual liberty, they only cared that the mass inequality caused by the goons on Wall Street came to an end. They shouted, stomped, and cried for a $15 dollar minimum wage, completely unaware of the havoc such a mandate would actually wreak on low-wage workers. It was hard to keep a straight face as my peers told me that socialism hasn't actually been tried "the right way" before and that the failures of countries like the Soviet Union, Greece and Venezuela were irrelevant. I also remember holding back a chuckle when a professor of mine tried to explain to me that a redistribution scheme that would leave surgeons and waiters with identical wages would work. While I don't see Bernie Sanders as anymore than a sellout and intellectual lightweight that is just as confused as his pack of supporters, his candidacy undoubtedly revealed something about a change in American culture that had been suspected by many but unconfirmed until now. The virtues of grit, character and strength are being replaced by entitlement and victimhood. While the ill-effects of this transformation have crept into almost all of the institutions that Americans hold dear, it is nowhere more evident than in higher education.



Going into my second year of college, I have dealt with my fair share of professors with viewpoints that stand in strong opposition to my own. I expect this, and am fine with it. There are few things that I enjoy more than a hardy exchange of ideas that challenges me to think and defend my beliefs. The problem, however, is that the debate is becoming more and more one-sided. If you, as the student, don't subscribe to the narrative that an all-knowing central government is necessary to save the stupid people from their own freedom, you are either declared ignorant, bigoted, or both. Even worse, you sometimes are just silenced altogether. Look at the banning of The Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro from speaking at DePaul University, which is only the most recent example. Students on campuses all over the country have had their free speech and opportunity to hear alternative ideas stifled simply because the cupcakes on campus can't handle dissent. Even lifetime liberal Kirsten Powers notices this, writing, "A "dialogue" with the illiberal left is one in which they inform you of the "right" way to think."



This shutting out of the other side of every argument has also watered down the quality of our education and the content that we are taught. For example, I had an American History class in my first semester in which the professor, unsurprisingly a Bernie Sanders supporter, spent almost an hour raving over Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger. He explained to us her courage in providing contraception and eradicating the poor of their unborn children in order to improve their financial situation. My strong moral objections to the services Planned Parenthood performs aside, it turns out that Sanger was an ardent racist and that at least part of her motivation involved a desire for a racial cleanse, much in the same fashion as the Nazis. If the professor really just likes Planned Parenthood that much, that's okay. He has a right to feel that way. But when he, as an educator, fails to tell the entire story in pursuit of getting his students to think a certain way, he becomes nothing more than an indoctrinator. This type of dishonesty from the very people we are supposed to learn from has no doubt been cancerous to students. They take the opinion of a biased professor as fact and designate any varying opinion as wrong. It is never more visible than in the young people you see protesting on television. After watching them for a couple of seconds it's not hard to tell that there is no doubt in their minds that they are right. Usually the interviews are most revealing, however, when one of them has to defend their purpose to a reporter and fails to produce words belonging to the English language, much less an articulate argument.



Politicians like Bernie Sanders prey on minds like these. Big promises of free stuff, hope and change have proven effective because they closely mirror the type of rhetoric that is drilled into our brains in the process of 'getting an education.' To be clear, I still see tons of value in a college education, and every professor certainly isn't like this. I had plenty of good ones in my freshman year alone. Still, this is an issue that needs to be seriously addressed. Not by trying to silence professors from the other side, for that would make us no better than them. A better result would come from a coalition of conservatives, libertarians, and even the truly free-thinking progressives pushing for serious intellectual diversity. Not only would this heighten the quality of education, but it would play a huge role in fixing our politics. No more political correctness, no more one sided debates, but intellectual conversation. Instead of just learning the economics of Marx and Keynes, maybe we could read some Hayek and Hazlitt. I think that this would go along way in allowing young people to decipher the coded language of the radical left, and perhaps give our country a fighting chance. While professors will always have their views, and only the students can drink the kool-aid, I would love to see universities start serving more than one flavor.


Western Australia's drying climate is bad news for our western swamp tortoises, and scientists have moved fast in another bid to save them from extinction.

The tortoises are Australia's most endangered reptile - and scientists are now worried that their Perth wetlands are in danger of drying out.

Working with Perth Zoo, the scientists have moved 25 of the swamp tortoises, which were bred in captivity, to a new home at Meerup, close to Northcliffe and Augusta in the southwest of the state.

"Researchers have identified suitable sites for the assisted colonisation trial and in doing so have taken into consideration current and future climate scenarios and the impact on tortoises and egg development," Dr Gerald Kuchling from the Department of Parks and Wildlife said.
Lahore: Pakistani police on Saturday arrested the former husband and the father of a British woman on suspicion of murder after her second husband alleged she was the victim of an "honour killing" for remarrying, police said.

Samia Shahid, 28, a beautician from Bradford who was visiting her family in Pakistan, died last month in the village of Pandori in northern Punjab province.

Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch was murdered by her brother. Credit:Twitter @QandeelQuebee

The case attracted attention because it came days after the high-profile honour killing of outspoken social media star Qandeel Baloch, whose brother has been arrested in the case.

Deputy Inspector General Police Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh, the investigating officer in the case, said police had arrested Shahid's ex-husband - her cousin Shakeel - and her father, Chaudhry Shahid.
Erie, Pennsylvania: Republican Donald Trump has backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State.

Trump on Friday told a rally in Pennsylvania his remarks this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of ISIS, as Islamic State is also known, had been sarcastic.

"I said Obama is the founder of ISIS. The founder! And these dishonest media people, they're the most dishonest people," Trump said.

"So I said the founder of ISIS, obviously I'm being sarcastic, but not that sarcastic to be honest with you," he added.
Washington: Amidst reports that Donald Trump probably pays no tax, Hillary Clinton piled pressure on the beleaguered Republican presidential nominee on Friday  releasing her 2015 tax return, which reveals a total tax payout in excess of 35 per cent.

Over the years Trump has noisily demanded that President Barack Obama release practically everything  save for the size of his underwear. In segueing from New York property mogul to national political figure, Trump campaigned at different times for Obama to release his birth certificate; college applications, transcripts and other documents; and passport records.

But through the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump has stubbornly refused to release his own tax returns, fueling speculation that his affairs are structured to take advantage of generous real estate deductions by which he pays little or no tax; that his claimed donations to charity are bogus; that perhaps he's worth only a fraction of what he claims; that some of his business deals, associates or practices are too dodgy to share with voters; and/or that he has funds stashed in foreign bank accounts.

Or as Mitt Romney, the GOP's 2012 presidential candidate and a searing Trump critic, charges, Trump is bent on hiding a "bombshell of unusual size."
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.
The slide in Montana coal production continues, with more than 7 million fewer tons mined through the first half of the year compared to 2015.

Through June, mines in Montana lost roughly two months worth of production when compared to last year. The disparity was worst in the past two months.

The main reason for the decline is natural gas, said Bud Clinch, of the Montana Coal Council, particularly in Midwest power plants where both natural gas and coal are burned. Once used as a spot fuel to generate electricity during peak demand, gas is now used more often because of its affordability, Clinch said.

Coal accounted for more than 40 percent of the nations electricity production fewer than 8 years ago, but now accounts for just 29 percent and has been surpassed by natural gas in use by power plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The nations ability to generate power using coal has declined 15 percent since 2011.

Natural gas has been cheaper than coal for 17 straight months, according EIA. The trend has cut into demand for Montana coal, of which the spot price has fallen to $8.50 a ton, four times less than the national average, as mines attempt to remain competitive, according to the EIA.

It really is a distance-to-market ratio, Clinch said, explaining Powder River Basin's rock-bottom prices. You see this disproportionate rate to transportation, which is three times the cost of coal.

In first half of the year, Montana saw more than 66 coal mining jobs lost and the bankruptcy of Arch Coal, which abandoned plans to develop a mine at Otter Creek, a project in which Arch had already invested $159 million and paid Montana an $86 million bonus for state-owned minerals involved in the deal.

A $1.4 billion coal deal signed by the Crow Tribe with Cloud Peak Energy in 2013 has also languished, and declining royalties from another Crow mine has resulted in tribal government layoffs.

State coal taxes are taking a hit because production is down. The 2016 fiscal year, which wrapped up in June, was $7.3 million lower in coal tax collections than the previous year, according to Montanas Department of Revenue. Losses started accelerating in January. On average, a train load of Montana coal produces $30,800 in federal and state taxes, according to the Coal Council.

Montana coal severance taxes, which amounted to $54 million in the just-ended fiscal year, are split between the state coal trust and several government programs directly funded with coal money. Montana libraries receive roughly $500,000 a year in coal taxes and will cut spending on online research databases to cover losses.

The state coal trust is worth roughly $1 billion. Its interest pays for infrastructure and economic development programs.

While sizable, coal revenue is a small percentage of the $1.75 billion in state taxes collected last year.
Lawsuit seeks $5M in wages for Great Adventure hourly workers

The class action lawsuit says workers should be paid for time spent walking across Great Adventure amusement park in Jackson.
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Airlines, hotels and online travel agencies have gone all out to lure travellers with discounts for the long weekend up to Independence Day and then stretching it to raksha bandhan on August 18.
Stung by market concerns over the merger of Aditya Birla Nuvo (ABNL) and Grasim Industries, the top management of the on Saturday said the deal had many benefits which seem to have been overlooked. The ABNL stock lost 17 per cent while Grasim remained flat on Friday  a day after the announcement of the merger.
Days after declaring a war against foreign goods, Baba Ramdev on Saturday announced a mission to save cows. Ayurved will invest Rs 500 crore in four mega shelters for cows across the country.
Soon after losing re-election in the June primary, Yellowstone County Clerk of Court Kristie Boelter told her staff she wouldnt be in the office as much.

In a June 15 email in which she wrote my status in the subject line, Boelter said she was gearing up for my new path. She informed her staff that she had to prepare for a new career and delegated two supervisors to manage most office operations.

Boelter said in an interview on Wednesday that she was fulfilling her responsibilities, but from outside of the office. She also said she recently went on vacation and has been caring for a sick family member.

Boelter said she is working full-time for her full-time salary. Boelter is paid $81,358 a year, which includes longevity pay.

District Judge Russell Fagg, the districts chief judge, said he had seen Boelters email.

Im disappointed she hasnt been in the office very much because shes getting a nice salary, and I think we owe it to the taxpayers to make sure the job gets done, Fagg said on Thursday.

Boelter also accused the incoming clerk of court, Terry Halpin, of digging at her office.

Halpin, a Republican and judicial assistant for Fagg, soundly beat Boelter in the June 7 primary, getting 51 percent of the vote to Boelters 33 percent. A third Republican, Richard William Nixon, received 14 percent of the vote. No Democrat filed for the office.

Halpin will take office at the beginning of 2017.

Boelter was seeking a second term. Her first term was marked by complaints by judges and conflicts over office operations and clashes with other elected officials.

Boelter wrote in her email: It is important for you to know that I will fulfill my obligations for these next 6 months, but I also must prepare myself for my new career. As each of us know family comes first and although you are like family to me I am not obligated to pay your bills nor do you depend on me to pay them.

I must make my transition a smooth one for my family and myself.

Therefore I will be taking advantage of the benefits that I have as an elected official, one of those being the benefit of not having to be at work as much. I will still be coming in periodically to make sure things are going well and to fulfill my responsibilities.

Boelter referred questions about the benefits of her office to Deputy County Attorney Kevin Gillen.

Gillen said elected county officials do not accrue vacation or sick time and that the benefit could be interpreted as physical presence in the office isnt required to be more than the official believes is necessary to perform the functions.

Elected officials can come and go as they please, Gillen said. All of the elected officials put in more than enough time in my book, including Ms. Boelter, he said.

The only Montana statute regarding absences for a county officer, Gillen said, is that if an officer is gone from the state for more than 30 consecutive days without the consent of the county commissioners, the officer forfeits the office.

Gillen also said he had not heard complaints about any elected officials and their hours.

Because of the responsibilities of her office, Boelter said shes probably been in the office more than any other elected official. She also said she has the same responsibilities since the primary election but was not doing them in the office.

Most of her work, she said, is communicating with attorneys and organizations through emails and that she has been emailing and taking staff questions from outside the office.

After the primary, Boelter said, she took time off she had acquired from time she had put in earlier to take a little bit of break to take classes and a vacation. She also took personal time off when a family member became ill, she said.

Boelter posted on her Facebook page on July 23 that she had finished her realtors class. On to the exam! she wrote.

On Wednesday, Boelter said she had returned to the office and was helping to process marriage licenses but could not estimate her weekly hours.

Boelter on Wednesday also posted on Facebook that she was back in the office to process marriage licenses and said she had been processing licenses for 2 straight days. We have a lot of newly weds in Billings!!

During her first years in office, Boelter said, she worked more than 40 hours a week and almost every weekend because there was not enough staff.

And because elected officials do not earn vacation or sick time, she said she decided to take some time off. All the other elected officials do the same thing, she said.

Boelter also accused Halpin of trying to stir controversy over her office hours.

Terry already won. I dont know why she had to keep digging my office, Boelter said.

Halpin responded saying she had seen Boelters June 15 email and had heard about it from other attorneys and courthouse staffers. Im not sure how Im responsible for sending the email (Boelter wrote) to her staff, she said.

Judge Fagg said, while he's disappointed Boelter hasn't been in the office as much, "her absence really hasnt affected the office. We have had problems and unfortunately, we continue to have problems, Fagg continued.

The problems, the judge said, were not going to get solved until the new clerk takes office. Which is unfortunate, but its kind of where were at, Fagg said.

Losing Halpin, who has worked for Fagg for 17 years, will be terrible for him, the judge said.

Terry is awesome, Fagg said. He called Halpin a terrific judicial assistant, totally organized and service oriented. I will miss her tremendously, he said.

The only way I can look at it  its for the greater good, Fagg said.
The Supreme Court order lifting an eight-month-old ban on sale of big diesel cars in the Capital does not clear the policy haze the industry has been facing since last year.
Racetrack is their favourite laboratory - made up of 24 engineers and funded by the founders of Ola, Pune-based is getting ready to launch the countrys first electric motorcycle.
Drug firm on Saturday reported a fall of 82.65 per cent in consolidated net profit to Rs 15.89 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, mainly on account of dip in sales and increased expenditure.

The company had posted a net profit after taxes, minority interest and share of profit of associates at Rs 91.61 crore in the same period a year ago, said in a BSE filing.

Consolidated total income of the company also decreased to Rs 1,090.83 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 1,138.87 crore in the year-ago period.

The company's UK business (excluding one time opportunity) displayed strong performance and grew by 26 per cent in the first quarter as compared to the same period year ago, said.

India business of the company grew by 10 per cent for the quarter under consideration as against the corresponding period of the last financial year, it added.

On the other hand, the company said, its US business contributed 18 per cent of the global revenues and fell by 16 per cent for the first quarter of the current fiscal.

Emerging market business saw a fall of 16 per cent in the quarter under consideration. Irish business also fell by 18 per cent in terms of rupee in the first quarter of 2016-17.

"International business contributed 62 per cent of the total revenues during Q1 of FY17," the company said.

The company's three units -- one at Chikalthana, and two at Waluj have received Establishment Inspection Reports with observations, Wockhardt said.

"The company has initiated required steps to address the concerns raised by USFDA and is putting all efforts to resolve the matter," it added.
Yoga guru Ramdev will participate in the annual 70th Independence Day Parade to be held in New York this month and hold yoga camps in the US city of Houston.

Ramdev has been invited by the Federation of Indian Association (FIA) to be the guest of honour for their Independence Day Parade in New York on August 21, a media release said.

As part of his North American tour, he will also visit Ontario in Canada on August 19 and 20 and Houston on August 23 to address yoga instructors and yoga practitioners on Vedic Holistic Living.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj during which India's bid for membership of the NSG is understood to have figured among other regional and bilateral issues. Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted:

Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi pic.twitter.com/ZcuvUpwzIv  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 13, 2016

Wang had arrived in Goa yesterday on a three-day visit to India.

He had met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and discussed about preparations for the BRICS summit. The Chinese Foreign Minister arrived here last night. He called on Modi first and then held talks with Swaraj. China had stalled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the ground that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday discussed the misgivings that have cropped up between the two sides, after Indias failed bid to become a member of the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). India has singled out China for having put obstacles in New Delhis path, while Beijing has advised its neighbour to neither be downhearted about the development nor allow it to overshadow the bilateral relations of the two countries.
If you like stories about courageous people with terrible handicaps who surmount insurmountable odds to attain a glorious triumph and then run around high-fiving everyone and shrieking "whoo" while stirring music plays in the background, this isn't the one for you. But I did learn to swim at age 75. That's worth something, no? Maybe a seal clapping ironically?



Tragically, I never acquired this mundane skill at the proper age because after my parents went down on the Titanic, I couldn't bear being around water. That's a pathetic lie. I was just a little scaredy-cat, is all. I remember being delivered to the YMCA pool in downtown Schenectady, New York, for group lessons. Imagine my horror: A pack of bloodthirsty savages intent on mayhem (i.e. eight-year-old boys) shoving, yelling, kicking and splashing each other, while one frazzled adult tries in vain to maintain order and give instruction. Make that naked savages - no swimsuits, for some reason - rendering me even more vulnerable. And there was water. Once beneath the surface of that treacherous liquid, I learned to my dismay, I could not breathe.
Montana oil and gas companies may soon have to notify everyone within a quarter mile of a proposed drilling site in order to get a permit.

The state Board of Oil, Gas and Conservation decided this week to pursue rules for notifying neighbors of the oil and gas wells. Proponents say the change will prevent Montanans from being blindsided by drilling activity. Oil and gas stakeholders fear an increase in lawsuits if the rule goes through.

In Montana, individuals do have a right to come forward and object to a drilling permit, said Sue Beug, of the Northern Plains Resource Council. The challenge is finding out when a project is in the works. Short of scanning the legal ads in a county paper of record, it can be hard to learn about drilling projects.

So this gives and individual notice that theres going to be drilling before the permit is issued. If they have objections, they can come forward, Beug said.

But the notification rules, as they now exist, are problematic for drillers, said Alan Olson, Montana Petroleum Association executive director. The proposal calls for notifying owners of habitable structures, a definition that if misinterpreted could result in someone not being notified.

My big concern on that is the ambiguity just invites lawsuits, Olson said. The rule kind of morphed. It targeted occupied dwellings, but they didnt come up with a definition of an occupied dwelling. Then it was defined as habitable structures. Then, they expanded it to include schools.

Im not opposed to that per se, but what are these various definitions? Whos the owner of the school? Does that include every taxpayer in the school district?

Olson worries that anyone not contacted will file a lawsuit and potentially derail the drilling project. Public schools and hospitals would also have to be notified.

The Board of Oil, Gas and Conservation staff looked up well statistics dating back to 2010 and found that in only a handful of cases were there un-notified neighbors within a quarter-mile of a proposed well site.

Montana already has notification rules for drilling projects because of the split estates, those properties in which a person who holds the title to the surface, doesnt hold the title to the minerals beneath the land.

Surface rights owners must be notified when the owners of the minerals beneath them decide to drill. A public notice also must be filed in the county paper of record and in the Helena Independent Record.

The notification rule is a softer response to an earlier request for mandatory distances between homes and wells. Northern Plains and landowners concerned about drilling activity urged the board to establish minimum distances between homes and wells out of concern for homeowner safety. At issue were the volatile organic compounds. Emitted from wells and storage tanks, VOCs can be deadly.

Neighboring states North Dakota and Wyoming have minimum setback requirements. The board formed a subcommittee to look into the rule, but ultimately decided setbacks werent needed.
Latching on to the detention of Bollywood superstar at a US airport, UP Minister Azam Khan has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama over the condition of Muslims.

"Modiji is not permitting us to lead a peaceful life here and in America, PM's friend Barack Obama would not allow us to live," Khan told reporters here yesterday evening.

"We (Muslims) are a disturbed lot and don't know where to go," he added.

The SP leader used the lyrics of a popular Hindi movie song 'samjhega kaun yaha, dard bhare dil ki zuban/Jaye toh jaye kahan' to stress his point.

On the attack on BJP leader Brijpal Teotia in Ghaziabad, the Samajwadi Party leader said the use of bullet cannot be justified even if it is used for a right cause.

He said the law and order in the state was on the right track and the police administration was taking prompt action against criminals.

"If crimes are committed, prompt action is taken and criminals are put behind the bars. The law and order condition in the state was on the right track," the Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister said.

Asked about the BSP legislators joining BJP, he said, "Many politicians see more opportunities to mint money in the ruling BJP.
With Independent Day celebrations having begun across the nation, Union Home Minister will visit birth place of Birsa Munda at Ulihatu village in Khunti district of Jharkhand on Saturday to remember the sacrifice of the freedom fighter.

This is being done under "Zara Yaad Karo Kurbani" programme of Union government to pay tribute to various freedom fighters all across the country.

Rajnath is likely to lay the foundation stone of state's tourism department's proposed tourist complexes in Ulihatu and the state government's road projects.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is expected to go to Hira Nagar in Jammu and Kashmir, the birthplace of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, and Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, while Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will visit the colonial-era cellular jail in Port Blair and Rewari in Haryana to pay tribute to Rao Tula Ram.

As part of the Centre's celebrations of 70 years of Independence, Union ministers will visit the birthplaces of forgotten heroes and sites of struggles that were part of the country's freedom movement.
Bihar is likely to be the second state to pass the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Constitution Amendment Bill, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar calling Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and offering to have the Bill passed on August 16.
may cheer Fridays order by the Supreme Court lifting the ban on registration of diesel vehicles with engine capacity over 2,000 cc in Delhi, but the government and green groups are opposing various of its aspects.
Priyank Kharge, Karnatakas IT minister is wooing technology entrepreneurs and coders in Bengaluru to solve local challenges that dog the capital city, which they can take to solve similar issues in smaller cities in the state.
Putting an end to a 92-year-old tradition of the colonial era, the will be merged with the general Budget from 2017-18 onwards.
Let me just spit it out.

When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asks for public comments, they don't mean you, and they don't mean me. In fact, they don't mean the public at all.

Dan Ashe, the Director of the USFWS, highlighted the publics ability to make public comments in his March 3 announcement of the agency's proposal to delist grizzlies from the endangered species list and he made much ado about the importance of the public's input.

Did he mean it? In a word, no.

The public comment process is intended, by design, to exclude the public from making public comments.

From the press release announcing delisting:

"The Service will be seeking review and comment by the public, other federal and state agencies, and independent scientists." And it goes on to say, "Please note that submissions merely supporting or opposing a potential delisting, without supporting documentation, will not be considered in making a determination.

What Ashe didn't mention was that the delisting documents to be commented upon consist of more than 800 pages of dense, bureaucratic jargon and incorporate by reference over 250 hard-to-find (and harder to read) scientific reports, management plans and other documents, in all totaling many thousands of pages.

We're talking about an undertaking of biblical proportions here, as in reading the Bible three or four times during a 60-day period  and then writing comments.

Recently, at the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee meeting in Bozeman, we finally learned how the grizzly delisting "public comment" process played out. The public submitted 290,000 comments. Of those, only 12,000 were considered "unique." The other 278,000 dont count.

Of those 12,000, only 10 to 20 percent were considered substantive," at most 2,400 comments. The other 9,600 dont count.

So, out of 290,000 comments only 2,400 comments will be "considered in making a determination" to delist grizzly bears.

Only eight out of every 1,000 submitted comments will be considered. That's eight-tenths of 1 percent of the comments submitted by the American public.

Who actually has the wherewithal to make public comments that can pass through the USFWS filter, on a proposal that runs to thousands of pages?

Well, big nonprofits can. They have the money, and some of them employ scientists that can understand the jargon and the voluminous scientific reports.

So, too, can mid- to large-sized corporations. They also have the money and the people, some of them scientists. They also have a profit motive.

Of course, other government agencies are invited to comment and they use our tax dollars to pay our public servants to write their public comments.

And finally, scientists - who have something of a free pass. But here is the kicker: The government and private industry are the largest employers of scientists and much, perhaps most, funding for scientists comes from government and industry.

And how about you? Are you one of the 288,600 people whose voices are being disregarded?

The USFWS will respond that decisions are to be made based on science and that they are justified in disregarding 99.2 percent of submitted comments. Where does that leave the average nonscientific American who was bamboozled into thinking that the comment they submitted actually mattered?

Where is the public process that allows them to weigh in? There isn't one. The American public has been disenfranchised, marginalized. And so less than 1 percent of the public comments will be "considered in making a determination.

Exactly who are the less than 2,400 commenters whose comments will be "considered in making a determination?" And why, exactly, are their voices more important than yours?
Health has reduced the time taken to issue an policy from seven to fourteen days to about seven minutes. The insurer has used a technology-based application (app) called Ampower to simplify the sales process and make turnaround faster.
Border Security Force (BSF) handed over 1500 certificates to Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, pledging to donate their organs at a function organised in collaboration with National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), here today. Speaking on this occasion, Shri J P Nadda stated that this is a great initiative by BSF and will go a long way in spreading awareness about Organ Donation. Shri Nadda further said that Indias First Line of Defence, The Border Security Force (BSF) has been safeguarding our borders for the last 50 years and this is indeed another commendable service to the nation by BSF. .

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Donating organs is akin to gifting a new life. Organ is a National Resource and not even one should be wasted. I, therefore, call upon all Indians to Pledge to Donate Organs after Death and save many precious lives. Let organ donation become a national movement and show to the world that even in death; we care for our fellow citizens and the humanity at large," Shri J P Nadda Stated.

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The Health Minister further said that the benefits of initiatives should reach out to every nook and corner of the country and should not be limited to cities only. He further added that the demand for organs is likely to increase manifold in future keeping in view the increased incidence of lifestyle diseases. So, there is a need to create a system for improving the rate of safe, effective and ethical donation of cadaver organs for transplantation in those who need them badly. .

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Government is also taking various steps to simplify organ donor law/rules and procedures such as: Website of National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (www.notto.nic.in) which provides updated information and online facility for registering pledges for organ donation. A 24x7 call centre with toll free helpline number (1800114770). The Ministry has also launched a National Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Registry. The networking of transplant and/or retrieval hospitals has been started initially in Delhi and NCR. Five regional level organizations called Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) have also been identified. .

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Also present at the function were Dr. (Prof) Jagdish Prasad, DGHS and K K Sharma, DG, Border Security Force (BSF) along with the other senior officers from the BSF and the Health Ministry. .

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Priti Patel MP, UK Secretary of State for International Development calls on PM

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The Rt. Hon. Priti Patel MP, UK Secretary of State for International Development called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today. .

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The Prime Minister congratulated Ms. Patel on her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development. The Prime Minister recalled that Ms. Patel has had a long association with India in her previous roles, and visited India many times. .

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The Prime Minister recalled his successful visit to UK last year in November, and appreciated the follow up action taken on the outcomes of the visit. .

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Ms. Patel briefed the Prime Minister on the activities and future plans of Department for International Development in India. Ms. Patel also discussed bilateral cooperation in the spheres of skill development, infrastructure financing, innovation, energy, and ease of doing business. .

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A string of coordinated bomb blasts within hours rocked Thailand's famous tourist towns, including Phuket, killing four persons and injuring several just days after the country voted to accept a military-backed Constitution.

At least 11 bombs, many of them twin blasts, hit five southern provinces in the past 24 hours.

Two bombs went off in the resort of Hua Hin this morning near the clock tower, a city landmark, killing one and injuring three.

"The bombs went off while we were working on site, they were not very far from each other," according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Samoer Yoosumran.

Around 200 meters away, another two bombs exploded late yesterday as foreign tourists were leaving local bars to go back to their hotels, Yoosumran said.

At least 15 people -- mostly foreign visitors -- were injured and a woman who had a food vending cart in front of a bar was killed, according to Yoosumran. No Indian has been reported injured.

Hua Hin is a popular coastal resort, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of the Thai capital, Bangkok. The city is home to many hotel chains, including the Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt.

It's also home to the Klai Kangwon Palace, the seaside residence of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The palace is located less than about 2 kilometers from the bombing site.

Two more persons were killed in three blasts in Surat Thani and Trang area.

There were reports of bomb explosions in popular resort town of Phuket in Patong beach injuring a few but no fatalities were reported.

A bomb also exploded near the governor's residence in Muang district.

The blasts came as the country celebrates the birthday of Queen Sirikit, a day also observed as Mother's Day here.

This is is first time there have been bomb blasts in popular tourist spots like Hua Hin and Phuket.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts and it is not clear if they are connected.

Thai police said that the bombings were acts of local sabotage and not "terrorist" in nature.

"It is still unclear which group is behind the bombings," a police spokesman said and dismissed speculation that Muslim rebels waging a rebellion in Thailand's far south were behind the recent attacks.

The series of blasts come days before the one year anniversary of the Erawan Brahma Shrine bombing, which killed 20 people.

Thailand economy relies on tourism.
If you haven't heard a lot about what Hillary Clinton thinks of a string of controversial comments by that have generated round-the-clock coverage on cable news broadcasts, there is a reason - it's by design.
Nepal is keen to host President in September and efforts are on to arrange for his visit here as the chief guest of a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the promulgation of the country's new Constitution, a media report said today.

Nepali side wants to host the Head of State of India as the chief guest at a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the promulgation of Constitution, which falls on September 19, The Himalayan Times reported quoting top officials and diplomatic sources.

"Nepali and Indian authorities are trying to arrange a state visit of Indian President to Nepal as early as in September before the prospective visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping," the daily said.

There is speculation here that the Chinese President might visit Nepal on a brief stop-over in mid-October while on his way to attend the BRICS Summit in Goa.

With Mukherjee's visit, the Indian side wants to give a clear message that it has been working with Nepal despite some ups and downs in bilateral relations for one year, the daily said.

However, officials here have not yet given any confirmation on Mukherjee's Nepal visit.

As of now, officials in New Delhi also said there was no such visit scheduled for the President. However, Mukherjee is expected to travel to some European countries mid-September.

The Himalayan Times also claimed that the Indian side might not be interested in President Mukherjee attending the anniversary of promulgation of the Constitution given New Delhi's "reservation" over some of its clauses.

"If the Constitution is amended before the anniversary, a visit date in and around the anniversary of the Constitution promulgation could be fixed," an official was quoted as saying.

The Nepalese government yesterday decided to send deputy prime ministers Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Bahadur Mahara to neighbouring India and China, respectively, as special envoys of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.

Deputy Prime Minister Nidhi told reporters that the purpose of his visit to India was to invite President Mukherjee to visit Nepal and prepare the ground for the India visit of Prime Minister Prachanda, who received an invitation from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the day he was elected to the top post.
Pakistani police have declared a known cleric as a 'suspect' in the murder of social media celebrity and is likely to arrest him, a media report said on Saturday.

"Mufti Abdul Qawi's name has been made part of the Qandeel murder case on the statement of her father," senior police officer Azhar Akram told Dawn newspaper.

"The cleric's suspected role in her murder cannot be ruled out," he said, adding police can arrest the cleric when sufficient evidence against him is available.

Qandeel was killed soon after her controversial pictures with Qawi appeared on her Facebook account.

She had received death threats from Qawi's followers for allegedly disgracing him.

Qandeel was found dead in her house on July 16. Muhammad Waeem, her brother, confessed to have strangled her in a so-called 'honour killing'.

Waseem, who had earlier claimed that he was the lone killer, disclosed the name of his cousin Haq Nawaz as a co-suspect after the polygraph test.

Besides Waseem and Haq Nawaz who have been sent on judicial remand by the court, the police also got the remand of two other accused, Zafar Hussain, the cousin of Haq Nawaz, and Abdul Basit, a taxi driver.

Qawi is upset over his name being included in the suspect list saying when Qandeel's brother has confessed to her killing and also disclosed the name of the other suspects, police's insistence to drag him into the case is unfair.

"I have already replied to a police questionnaire and now again raising fingers at me is not justified," Qawi said.
The world's premium airlines have rushed to make their first and business-class cabins pleasure domes of comfort. Champagne, caviar, celebrity chefs, and seats that recline 180 degrees into beds are now mandatory if you're going to compete for the globe's top trotters. A less-visible industry trend now accompanies these high-tech thrones, and the battle for supremacy is just as fierce: Yes, the airlines have gone to war over your pajamas. Passengers riding the premium cabin want to deplane "looking crisp and fresh," says James Bradbury-Boyd, a spokesman for Singapore ...
An attorney for said the media mogul would be willing to be interviewed briefly under oath in a lawsuit over his mental competency that could influence the future of his majority ownership of Viacom and CBS.
South of the famous temples of Kyoto, where factories and subsidised homes dot the landscape, a single skyscraper stands out. Perched at its top is Shigenobu Nagamori, replete in a luminous green tie, pocket square and spectacles, holding forth on his distinctive business ways. If you work for me, the billionaire chief executive officer of Nidec says, you'll never be fired for lacking talent, but don't count on taking many holidays. If you buy shares in the $27-billion electronics giant I started in a shack beside my mother's farmhouse, forget about asking for bigger dividends. ...
GREAT FALLS  Two Illinois residents were killed when the motorcycle they were riding struck a deer in central Montana, went off the road and hit several trees.

The Montana Highway Patrol says the crash was reported at about 11 a.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 89 southeast of Great Falls, near Armington Junction.

Trooper Michael Flood said the man who was driving and his female passenger died at the scene. Neither was wearing a helmet. Their names, ages and hometowns were not released.
The Obama administration on Friday declared a public health emergency in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, saying the rapid and widespread transmission of the threatens the health of infected pregnant women and their babies.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Saturday accused the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of favouring only few sections of the society and said the saffron party believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.

Addressing a public rally at Uttar Pradesh's Kakori, Shah also attempted to corner the Congress Party and said the nation is lagging behind on the developmental path as one family governed India for 60 years since Independence.

"Without Uttar Pradesh's development, the country's development is not possible. If the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party comes to power.can Uttar Pradesh develop? Will you get 24 hours electricity? Will cases like Bulandshahr stop? If the Samajwadi Party or Bahujan Samaj Party come to power in Uttar Pradesh they will work only for a particular community, but the Bharatiya Janata Party believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'," he added.

The BJP chief's assertion assumes significance as the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to take place next year.

Shah arrived here earlier in the day to lead the 'Tiranga Yatra' organised by the BJP to pay homage to India's freedom fighters on Independence Day.

The 'Tiranga Yatra' is a part of the Independence Day celebrations, the plans for which were discussed during a BJP meeting held with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.

The BJP MPs will carry out the Yatra for a week from August 15-22 and spread the message of harmony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of India's independence.

The Prime Minister has also asked the BJP MPs to highlight the contributions of freedom fighters and martyrs among school children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Stating that blacklisted American citizen Matthew Craig Barrett, who is facing a second expulsion from Pakistan is not a spy, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the former has no right of appeal following his involvement in 'wrongdoing'.

Nisar said that Barrett will be deported in the next three days because the findings of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) suggested that he was not a "spy", reports the Express Tribune.

He added that Barrett is however, found involved in "objectionable activities".

The Interior Minister said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been asked to submit a report within a week so that cases like these do not recur in the future.

Briefing about Barrett, Nisar said that he obtained his visa at the Pakistani consulate in Houston, using false documents to enter the country.

He added that several immigration officials at the airport in Rawalpindi and one at the consulate in Houston are under investigation for allowing Barrett to enter Pakistan despite being blacklisted.

Barrett was deported from Pakistan in 2011 on the directives of the Supreme Court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The minor victim in the Bulandshahr gang-rape case on Saturday moved the Supreme Court demanding that FIRs be registered against Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Azam Khan and the erring police officials.

The other demands of the minor victim include the transfer of this case to New Delhi, a court-monitored probe, security and rehabilitation.

Earlier this month, the Samajwadi Party leader kicked up a controversy with his insensitive remarks suggesting that this incident of gang-rape could be a political conspiracy against the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Khan received a flurry of criticism for his comments from the opposition parties, women's groups as well as the victim's family members.

The Allahabad High Court had yesterday ordered a CBI inquiry into the Bulandshahr gang-rape case observing that it was "not satisfied" with the police investigation so far.

The High Court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the July 29 incident, also said it intended to "monitor the investigation into the case".

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.B. Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Varma passed the order a day after the state government submitted a status report on the investigation into the incident in a sealed cover.

The incident had taken place when six members of a Noida-based family were travelling to Shahjahanpur in western Uttar Pradesh.

At the Highway passing through Bulandshahr, their car was stopped by criminals, who dragged the 13-year-old girl and her mother out and raped them in a field nearby.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the Bulandshahr rape victim moving the Supreme Court to file case against the Samajwadi Party leader (SP) Azam Khan for passing disgraceful comment, former Commission for Women (NCW) member Shamina Shafiq on Saturday said it is 'mockery' of the democratic system to elect such politicians.

"It is mockery of the entire democratic setup that we have if we are selecting and electing people who end up making such bizarre statements against women. they are so concerned as far as their buffalos and cows are concerned," she said.

Shafiq said this is very unfortunate and shocking that the state government is not taking actions against their own leader who is passing such bizarre statements.

"It is absolutely deplorable that now the victims, the survivor of sexual violence have to reach out to the Supreme Court for not getting justice as far as insuring that the perpetrator of the crime gets punished, but also against the people who are torch bearers of the legal system," she added.

The minor victim of the case moved the Supreme Court earlier today demanding to register FIR against Khan and the erring police officials.

The other demands of the minor victim include the transfer of this case to New Delhi, a court-monitored probe, security and rehabilitation.

Earlier this month, the Samajwadi Party leader kicked up a controversy with his insensitive remarks suggesting that this incident of gang-rape could be a political conspiracy against the Uttar Pradesh Government.

The Allahabad High Court had yesterday ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the Bulandshahr gang-rape case observing that it was 'not satisfied' with the police investigation so far.

The incident had taken place when six members of a Noida-based family were travelling to Shahjahanpur in western Uttar Pradesh.

At the Highway passing through Bulandshahr, their car was stopped by criminals, who dragged the 13-year-old girl and her mother out and raped them in a field nearby.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The first husband of a British-Pakistani woman who was strangled to death last month on Saturday confessed of killing her.

Mohammad Shakeel confessed to the police of killing Samia Shahid by strangling her to death with her own dupatta, reports the Express Tribune.

Reports suggest that a local court in Jhelum rejected Shakeel's bail application while directing the police to arrest and present him before the court.

28-year old Samia, from Bradford, was killed while visiting her family in northern Punjab last month.

Samia's second husband, Mukhtar Syed Kazam, said he believed his wife was killed because her family disapproved of their marriage.

He also alleged that Samia was tricked into travelling to Pakistan over claims that her father was ill.

Kazam, in his police complaint said his wife Samia was murdered during a visit to her family on July 20.

He described his wife's death as an "honour killing", a practice which has escalated in the country where a relative is murdered for bringing what is deemed dishonour to the family.

Earlier, the victim's father denied the charge and claimed his daughter died of natural causes.

Last week, at an emotional press conference, Kazam presented a copy of a post-mortem report which said that his wife had marks on her neck, suggesting she had been strangled.

The Police said the forensic report confirmed Samia's dead as an unnatural one.

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Leading Manufacturing Companies in India were honored at the National Awards for Manufacturing Competitiveness (NAMC) hosted by the International Research Institute for Manufacturing (IRIM) at Hotel ITC Grand Chola in Chennai on 12th August 2016.

Among the Award winners, Tractor & farm mechanization equipment major New Holland Fiat (India) Pvt. Ltd. based in Greater Noida bagged the top award followed by the Chennai Plant of Schneider Electric India Ltd. and the Nagpur unit of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. which received the First and Second runner-up respectively.

Mr. Anand Louie, Director - IRIM Welcomed the gathering and spoke about the importance of using the Information technology and the need for continuously upgrading the manufacturing systems to become competitive in the global ecosystem.

The Vice Chairman of Sanmar Group Mr. N. Kumar presided over the event and distributed the awards. Mr. Kumar spoke about the factors which influence the competitiveness of Indian manufacturers. He also touched upon the need for getting a third party's perspective of an organization's progress which would help in building robust strategies for growth.

Murugappa Group, A conglomerate headquartered at Chennai with diversified interests had an active participation with 4 of its units belonging to the divisions of Carborundum Universal Limited & Coromandel International Limited winning accolades at the event.

India primarily being an Agriculture based Economy, It was interesting to observe the progressive trend in Farm Equipments and Agro chemicals sector as the majority of the participation was from these two. This positive outlook is only expected to spread across the other segments in the days to come.

IRIM, as an unbiased third party evaluated and rated each company on its unique manufacturing competitive index. This rating was achieved through a structured assessment of the manufacturing facility on 10 indicators of manufacturing competitiveness which are building blocks behind the calculation of this index. The assessment was customized to each facility by assigning unique weightage to each of these indicators based on organization's priorities to become more competitive.

This is the third time such a Program has been conducted by IRIM in India.

Compared to the Previous Edition, There has been a 40 percent increase in the number of participating companies which is an indicator of the optimism prevailing among the manufacturing fraternity in India.

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U.K. Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel, who is on a three-day visit to India, on Saturday said after passing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, India has become a more attractive investment destination as doing business will be easier now.

"That is an important piece of reform, because it speaks to the agenda of ease of doing business in India, which for British companies and for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is incredibly important, because India has made great progress not only on GST, but also on the ease of doing business. You know (it) makes India more attractive when it comes to investment opportunities and also for business to business relationship," she told ANI.

Talking about the United Kingdom's role in assisting with the development of smart cities in India, she said, "The British Government has already given its indication of smart city development in Pune, Indore and Amravati as well. I met the minister yesterday for urban development and we discussed the assistance of my department and my government on technical support around the whole process of smart cities."

She added that tomorrow (on Sunday) she will visit Bhopal to meet Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to further discuss about the work that can be done on urbanisation and urban development.

Responding to a question about apprehensions in the business community after the U.K.'s exit from the European Union, she said the Indian businessmen are very positive about exploring new opportunities as Britain now has a new government department for international trade.

"During my visit, I spent a lot of time with the business community here in India and I could tell you, they are pretty positive and encouraged by what would follow because my prime minister, of course, has established now a new government department on international trade, which for India would mean new trading opportunity, more commerce opportunities and more business opportunities, which would be really important and good for India, good for the economy in India and in the long term good for jobs and development opportunities," she said.

Talking about her meeting with Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day, she said, "We spoke very much about the strength of the strategic U.K.-India relationship, where we are working in collaboration on skills in particular urban development and smart cities."

When asked about Britain's view on the recent turmoil in Kashmir, and Pakistan taking the issue to the United Nations, she said when it comes to security cooperation and counter-terrorism support the United Kingdom will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with India.

"The United Kingdom is at the forefront of counter-terrorism and also on providing support to India on these issues in particular, when it comes to security cooperation and counter-terrorism support, the United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with India," she said.

During the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Patel briefed him on the activities and future plans of the Department for International Development in India. She also discussed bilateral cooperation in the areas of skill development, infrastructure financing, innovation, energy, and ease of doing business.

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India on Saturday urged China to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held three-hour-long discussion earlier today on bilateral issues, regional and global developments and also on the preparations for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Organisation meeting.

According to sources, a discussion on China's technical hold on listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 Committee was also taken up during the meeting. Besides, India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership was also discussed at a length.

Swaraj outlined the importance of meeting India's clean energy goals in the context of COP-21 and offered to discuss any technical issues that China may have.

At the meeting, the situation on the border was reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity was discussed. Both leaders agreed that the Director Generals of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon, said sources.

Swaraj also conveyed India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Regional and international issues, including implications of Britain's Exit from The European Union (BREXIT), situation in Korean Peninsula, UNSC and forthcoming G20, East Asia Summit, BRICS were also on the agenda.

The South China Sea, however, was not brought up by China, said sources.

There were positive assessment of expanding investments, more infrastructure cooperation, easier visas, greater tourism and expanded cultural, academic and civil society interactions. A new mechanism at level of Foreign Secretaries was agreed to discuss ties.

Stating that the progress in bilateral ties was reviewed, as also challenges on some recent issues, sources said overall, the discussions were in a positive, constructive and open spirit.

Meanwhile, Wang also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on the G20 Summit to be held in China in September. The Prime Minister conveyed his greetings to President Xi Jinping.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will today leave on a three-day official visit to China accompanied by a high-level delegation.

The Prime Minister's Office in a statement said the delegation will inspect a number of industrial zones, cargo terminals, technological parks and production houses in North Eastern China that help economic development, reports the Colombo Page.

The Prime Minister is also being accompanied by Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

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HELENA  Attorneys for the state have agreed to have DNA testing performed on several items of evidence recovered during the investigation of a 1994 homicide near Helena as two men convicted of the crime seek to prove their innocence.

Paul Kenneth Jenkins, 62, and Freddie Joe Lawrence, 54, are serving life in prison for kidnapping and killing Donna Meagher after robbing the Jackson Creek Saloon in Montana City, where she worked. Meagher's body was found west of Helena.

A 2015 law allows people convicted of a felony to petition for DNA testing if the identity of the perpetrator was a significant issue in the case and they can argue the evidence might establish their innocence. Petitioners must also swear, under oath, that they are innocent of the crime.

The men's attorneys argue most of the evidence in the murder case did not undergo DNA testing and could produce a genetic profile that doesn't match either defendant, according to court documents.

Earlier this month, the state agreed to the testing of several items, including a ligature found on the victim, a rope, a hair in the rope, the victim's fingernail scrapings and clippings and a cigarette butt found near the victim. However, state prosecutors argue there was no evidence of sexual assault in the case so other items, including a rape kit, should not be tested.

Both sides have until Aug. 26 to submit their arguments and proposed orders to District Judge Kathy Seeley.

Jenkins and Lawrence were convicted after a 1995 trial in which witnesses testified to seeing vehicles matching theirs near the saloon at the time of the murder and men they identified as Jenkins and Lawrence in the area where Meagher's body was found in the days after the murder.

They argue there was no physical evidence linking them to the crime and prosecutors only had circumstantial evidence.

The state notes that Lawrence told investigators that Jenkins had a lot of money after the homicide and unusual keys, like those used to open a pop machine. The bar was robbed of about $3,300, with most of the money being taken from gambling machines that were opened with a similar key. Lawrence later recanted his statements.

Fellow jail inmates testified that Lawrence talked about the crime, including identifying a pry bar as the murder weapon  information that had not been released to the public.

Lawrence's in-laws told investigators that they overheard him saying if the woman hadn't lied about how much money she had, she would still be alive. His mother-in-law said Lawrence had talked about being kicked out of Jackson Creek Saloon and that the bar deserved to be robbed, followed by Jenkins saying that could be arranged.

Lawrence argues that his in-laws aren't reliable because his father-in-law was mentally ill and only implicated him in an effort to collect a reward for information about the crime.

Jenkins had tried to prevent his wife from testifying that she was there when Jenkins and Lawrence robbed the bar and kidnapped Meagher, arguing she was mentally impaired. Mary Jenkins died of Alzheimer's disease about five years after the trial, court records said.

Prosecutors also note that Jenkins said he didn't know where Montana City was, but that a store owner and another bar employee reported having seen him at both establishments.

Both men appealed their convictions to the Montana Supreme Court, but they were upheld.
The Association of Hospitals (AOH), one of the oldest and trusted associations in healthcare. All the trust hospitals associated with Association of Hospitals are stringently following the provisions of 41AA of Bombay Public Trust Act and scheme framed by Bombay High Court.

"The authorities from office of Charity Commissioner and other departments keep inspecting the charitable hospitals from time to time and are generally satisfied with the implementation of the Scheme. Whenever they point out improvement areas the same were complied with promptly. The charitable hospitals send the reports in real time to office of the charity commissioner about status of occupied and vacant charitable beds. Monthly reports giving all details are also filed with the office of Charity Commissioner" said Dr. PM Bhujang- President, Association of Hospitals.

"No hospital has received notice regarding refusal to treat poor patients and in fact no eligible poor patient has been denied the available treatment and many hospitals continue to treat poor patients even though their IPF (Indigent Poor Fund) is in the negative balance" he further added.

The member hospital of AOH have set up an Indigent Patient Fund where The Trust Hospital annually set aside at least 2% of their annual turnover as they are not receiving any grants or any exemption from government. Through the Indigent Patient Fund we help in availing assistance to the lower section of the society by providing treatment in The Trust Hospital at free or negligible cost.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Balochistan, Baloch Women's Forum president Naela Quadri Baloch on Saturday said the people of the region support him and he should take up the Baloch issue with the international community at the United Nations in September.

"We hope that you (PM Modi) will raise the Balochistan issue and Baloch people's suffering in the UN session in September. And, we are with you. People of Balochistan, Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, we all thank you," Naela told ANI.

Another Baloch leader, Baloch National Movement (UK) spokesperson Hammal Haider Baloch expressed similar sentiments, saying: "It is for the first time that an Indian Prime Minister has expressed his wish to support the Baloch people. And, I think it is a very crucial decision made by the Indian Government. We hope Prime Minister Modi will play the same role that (Indira) Gandhi had played in 1970-71."

Hammal said the people of Balochistan identify with the democracy and secularity of India and their cause needs to be supported by the international community to bring peace and stability in the region.

"Baloch people share common interest with India. We are secular and we also believe in democratic principles. It is high time for India and other democratic countries in the to come forward and support the Baloch people, because supporting Baloch people is very important. Without supporting Baloch and other ethnic groups in Pakistan, it is almost impossible to bring stability in that particular region because Pakistan has proved to be a failed state," he said.

He alleged that Pakistan is butchering people in Baloch and Sindhi political activists, and is supporting dangerous religious groups, which are radical in their approach and are a threat to ethnic groups in the country.

"They are killing Baloch people, they are butchering Sindhi political activists and they are supporting religious groups, which are not only a threat for these small ethnic groups but for the as well," he said.

Hammal further said despite getting all types of assistance from other nations, Pakistan has never complied with international rules.

He added that Pakistan is responsible for nurturing extremist groups in Balochistan, which are linked to dangerous terror outfits like ISIS, al-Qaeda and Taliban.

"As you can see that Pakistan has been promoting Islamic extremists in Balochistan, and they have created hundreds of Islamic groups, which are linked to the ISIS, the al-Qaeda, Taliban," he said.

He also called on the international community and India to come forward and further support the cause of the Baloch people.

Prime Minister Modi has said yesterday that time has come to expose Pakistan's brutalities on the people of Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He made the remarks as the government launched a fresh offensive against Islamabad for igniting the latest unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, whom Pakistan has continuously tried to tag as a 'martyr'.

Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with thousands injured and more than 50 killed during protests against Wani's killing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong assertion at the all-party meeting on the atrocities being carried out on the people of Balochistan and Pak-occupied (PoK) by Pakistan, security expert Ajay Sahni on Saturday said the statement squarely puts Islamabad on the mat.

Speaking to ANI, Sahni said the statement coming from the Prime Minister itself, is important, both for international discourse and domestic discourse.

"It is for the first time at this level that we have had a very clear statement on what is essentially the Indian Constitutional position and essentially the position that should have been articulated by the Indian State, even in view of the UN Council Resolution," he said.

"It is very important that the Prime Minister has chosen himself to put up a statement and I think it will have two crucial consequences- one, it will result in a better informed national-international community because the world has always accepted the Pakistani position that has always been very aggressively articulated," he added.

The security expert insisted that the Indian position has never been correctly articulated by successive governments.

"The second thing is even within Kashmir, people are not adequately aware of the actual history and the actual legal and constitutional position of Pakistan held . Consequently, I think the statement is important, both for international discourse and domestic discourse on the subject and it very squarely puts Pakistan on the mat which is important because it has never been done before," he said.

"The time has come to expose Pakistan's brutalities on the people of Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied (PoK)," said Prime Minister Modi said on Friday as the government launched a fresh offensive against Islamabad for igniting the latest unrest in Kashmir.

"When we talk about Jammu and Kashmir, then we should talk about four regions - Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)," he said.

Addressing the media after the all-party meeting, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "I have assured all the political parties that every suggestion, which they have put forward to bring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir would be taken into consideration."

Singh quoted the Prime Minister as saying that the time has come for Pakistan to answer the world on atrocities against the people in Balochistan and the PoK.

During the four-hour-long meeting, which comes in the wake of continued unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8, some of the opposition parties also asked the government to take a few immediate confidence-building measures like putting an end to the use of pellet guns and relaxing AFSPA in some parts of the valley.

Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with thousands injured and more than 50 killed during protests against Wani's killing.
Unrelenting curfew by the authorities and protest shutdown called by the separatists crippled Valley for the 36th consecutive day on Saturday.

Authorities continued curfew and restrictions at ten district headquarters in the valley in addition to the trouble torn towns of Sopore, Handwara, Trehgam, Awantipora and some others, a senior police official said here.

Restrictions were imposed in old Srinagar city falling under the jurisdiction of seven police stations.

An injured youth, identified as Suhail Ahmad, succumbed to injuries in a hospital overnight, taking the death toll to 57 since violence gripped the valley on July 9.

The youth was injured when a mob attacked the vehicle of an additional district magistrate at Lethpora in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu highway last week.

The security guard of the magistrate had fired to disperse the mob killing one person on the spot while Suhail Ahmad had sustained a bullet injury in the head.

Both call facilities and mobile Internet services remained suspended in the valley on Saturday.

Internet facility on mobile phones was suspended on July 9, a day after the killing of Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani, in a gunfight with security forces.

Call facilities were, however, available on post paid mobile phones provided by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Separatists have issued a fresh protest calendar extended the ongoing shutdown till August 18.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah paid tributes to the revolutionaries -- Chandrashekhar Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil -- at Kakori on the outskirts of the state capital on Saturday.

Addressing a gathering of party workers, he said that the sacrifices of the great freedom fighters cannot be paid back.

After paying floral tributes to the three revolutionaries who robbed a train carrying money for the British treasury in Kakori in 1925, Shah said that he will talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop this place as a big tourist attraction.

Shah's visit is part of a nationwide outreach programme by the ruling party, "Azadi 70 - Yaad Karo Kurbani", to be followed by "Tiranga Yatra" in which several union ministers, party leaders, MP's would take part from August 16.

Urging the young generation to be informed about the freedom struggle and the supreme sacrifices of the freedom fighters, Shah said Uttar Pradesh has given a patriotic government at the Centre by its blessings, and that the BJP was yet again looking to them to form a "doer" government in the state.

Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to go to polls in early 2017.

He slammed the Congress for the backwardness in many parts of the state even after 70 years of independence as the party was at the helm for almost 60 years.

He lashed out at the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for working for just one community, and the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) for working for the development of just one family.

He said, it is only the BJP which works with the idea of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas".

He later had lunch at the BJP's Dalit MP from Mohanlalganj, Kaushal Kishore's house.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday.

"A morning for . After Chinese FM, UK Secy of State for Intrnational Development @patelforwitham calls on PM," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a visit to India, called on Modi.

Patel, who arrived here on Friday in her role as a cabinet minister in the new British government of Prime Minister Theresa May, also held meetings with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu.

She said that Britain was deepening its economic partnership with India to deliver long-term progress.

With Naidu, she discussed ways of how Britain can share its skills and expertise to drive forward India's vision for new smart cities and boost opportunities for new businesses.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi here on Saturday and discussed "issues of mutual importance".

The two sides then held delegation-level talks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Earlier, Wang called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Wang was among the first foreign ministers to be welcomed in India after the Modi government took office in May 2014.

--IANS

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Finnish divers have allegedly located two World War I sunk German warships in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia, the media reported on Friday.

The ships were among the seven German torpedo boats lost after an attack against the Russian base in Paldiski, Estonia, in early November 1916, reports Xinhua news agency.

Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat defined the findings now as the most important discovery of sunk ships in the Baltic in recent years.

Juha Flinkman, a member of the Finnish diver group Badewanne, told the daily that the fate of German flotilla was one of the last question marks still open from the World War I naval history.

Until 1940s, the prevailing view was that the boats were destroyed in combat with Russian artillery. A group of 10 torpedo boats and three light cruisers completed the pounding of Paldiski, but seven torpedo boats did not return to the base in Latvia.

Researcher Juha Joutsi from the Finnish War Museum told Helsingin Sanomat that the operation in 1916 marked the largest losses of the Germans in the Baltic Sea during the Great War.

Even though called torpedo boats, the fairly new German vessels then were destroyer class, some 80 meters long. The class was called V-25 and a total of 71 vessels were built in all, Xinhua reported.

The operation to dive to the depth of some 100 meters had been difficult. The group was able to locate torpedo boats G90 and S59. Parts of G90 were missing as the Germans themselves directed a torpedo to it to speed up sinking.

The German vessels were divided into small compartments and thus explosive mines did not sink them instantly and Germans were able to evacuate most sailors.

Work to find the remaining five vessels will continue next summer, Xinhua said.

The Finnish group earlier made news for having located the wrecks of Russian cruises Pallada and German World War I submarine U-26.

The group finances its work on its own or through sponsors. It is not associated with Finnish authorities.

--IANS

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INS Satpura, an indegenous multi-role stealth frigate, arrived at Port Majuro in the Marshall Islands on Saturday on a two-day visit, an official statement said.

INS Satpura is first Indian Navy ship to visit the island nation, situated near the equator in the Pacific Ocean.

The statement called the visit a "demonstration of India's commitment to peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and Indian Navy's increasing footprint and operational reach".

Bilateral relations between India and Republic of Marshall Islands have developed over the years through bilateral visits and interactions at various international forums.

Republic of Marshall Islands voted in favour of India's non-permanent seat of the UNSC for the year 2011-12 and also supported the G-4 short resolution on UNSC reforms.

India is engaged in capacity building and human resource development of the Island nation, especially in education and health sector, through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.

The ship is en route to India after participating in Exercise RIMPAC-16, the largest multilateral naval exercise in the world, conducted biennially by the US Navy off the Hawaiian Coast.

During the visit, Indian Naval personnel will have professional interaction with the Republic of Marshall Islands police forces, the statement added.

Meetings with senior Government and military authorities, sporting and cultural interactions, aimed at strengthening ties and mutual understanding between the two countries, are also planned.

The ship is commanded by Captain A.N. Pramod.

--IANS

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Ireland made history by winning its first rowing medal (silver in the lightweight men's double sculls) while Britain snatched two gold medals both in the men's four and women's pair event at the ongoing Olympic Games here.

Ireland claimed silver behind France in the lightweight men's double sculls. The silver was Ireland's first medal in rowing at an Olympic Games as well as the first medal for Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games while Norway took bronze, its second rowing medal at the 2016 Games here on Friday, reports Xinhua.

"I suppose it's hard to know what it means because it's never been done by anyone before," said Paul O'donovan on what it means to win Ireland's first rowing medal.

On the other hand, Britain became the first NOC to win this event five times in a row, breaking the record of four set by themselves between 1908 and 1932.

When asked about the reasons behind Britian's domination of this class Alex Gregory, member of the crew, said "If I told you that secret we wouldn't be able to do it again. But it's actually really simple: we just put a lot of miles in, and somehow we practice what we do in a race, and thankfully we get it right. But everyone on this table does that, so maybe a little bit of luck on the day."

Australia settled for silver, also its sixth medal in the men's four. While Italy took a bronze, its first medal in this event since 2004, when it also took bronze.

Britain won women's pair for the second time in a row. Heather Stanning and Helen Glover are the first British women to win the same rowing event twice. New Zealand and Denmark took silver bronze respectively.

"We crossed the line and felt like Olympic champions. In London, we crossed the line and six months later we felt like Olympic champions," Britian's Glover explained the difference from last time they became Olympic champions.

When asked about her future plan, Stanning replied "At the moment, we want to enjoy what we've done today and then take stock away from this environment. I do intend to return to work with the Army for the next year."

The Netherlands won its second gold medal in the lightweight women's double sculls after gold in 2008. Canada claimed silver, its second medal in this event after a bronze medal in 2008. China took bronze after silver in 2012. Huang Wenyi won her second medal in this event after that silver in 2012, when she partnered with Xu Dongxiang.

--IANS

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In his first public comments after his 10-day meditation break, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday reiterated his demand for full statehood of Delhi.

Addressing a meeting to mark unveiling of a statue of Delhi's first Chief Minister, Chaudhry Brahm Prakash, Kejriwal also made an oblique criticism of a Delhi High Court ruling that has given Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung primacy in the affairs of the administration in the capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader quoted the late Brahm Prakash's son as saying that his father fought doggedly to secure statehood for Delhi.

"We are also fighting for statehood," Kejriwal said. "We are also fighting for the rights of the people."

The Chief Minister said the decision to make the Lt. Governor the supremo in Delhi was an insult to the people of Delhi and the choice they made in the February 2015 assembly elections.

"Why should it be that the value of a vote in Haryana is more than in Delhi? This is an insult to the people of Delhi. We too are part of this country. But our vote has no value," he quipped.

Underlining the development work being done by the AAP government, Kejriwal said that providing better education and health facilities were the main focus of his government.

"We are focusing more on health and education because we feel that better education of our children will help in the development of our nation."

He said the government would open 1,000 Mohalla Clinics by the end of this year and that 100 of them were already functional.

"We want to construct 10 big hospitals across Delhi but the DDA (Delhi Development Authority) is not providing us land even though we are ready to pay for the land," he added.

Kejriwal said a naturopathy centre would be opened at the Chaudhry Brahm Prakash Ayurveda Charak Sansthan in outer Delhi.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Filmmaker Shirish Kunder is delighted as his short movie "Kriti" has been viewed over seven million times on YouTube.

Shirish tweeted on Saturday to announce the news. He posted: "7 million views of 'Kriti'. Film shot in two days where everyone including me worked for free... brings us so much love."

His wife and filmmaker Farah Khan also took to the social media platform to join in the celebrations. She wrote: "This little film just keeps getting bigger. Shirish Kunder, Manoj Bajpayee, when do we party?"

Shirish also went on to thank actor Manoj Bajpayee, who stars in the short film.

"Especially to you for making this happen. Or my script would be celebrating its third birthday in my locker."

The film's success comes after the film's makers' legal battle with a Nepali filmmaker, who claimed that "Kriti" is a copy of his film "BOB".

But the copyright claims over "Kriti", produced by Muvizz.com, were finally put to rest on July 15.

The movie, which also stars Neha Sharma and Radhika Apte, released online on June 22.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal authorities were arranging Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to the Himalayan nation as the chief guest for the first anniversary of the promulgation of the country's constitution, the media reported on Saturday.

"If the constitution is amended before the anniversary, a visit date in and around the anniversary of constitution promulgation could be fixed," The Himalayan Times quoted an official as saying.

The first anniversary will be observed September 19.

On Friday, the government decided to send Deputy Prime Ministers Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Bahadur Mahara to India and China, respectively, as special envoys of newly-appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Nidhi said the purpose of his visit to India was to invite Pranab Mukherjee to visit Nepal and prepare grounds for Dahal's visit to New Delhi, who received an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the day he was elected the premier.

According to The Himalayan Times, Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae had said high-level visits between Nepal and India occur shortly as bilateral exchanges could not be put on hold for too long.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Rae is in New Delhi, apparently to discuss Nidhi's visit agenda, authorities said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least nine suspects linked with the Islamic State (IS) militant group were arrested in Malaysia, police said on Saturday.

They were arrested by the police counter terrorism forces in Kuala Lumpur and other states between late July and early August, Xinhua news agency quoted police as saying in a statement.

Two of them were involved in an earlier grenade bombing on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, the first IS related attack in the country, the police said.

A 17-year-old suspect detained in the state of Sabah had received orders from an IS militant in Syria to launch a lone wolf attack, according to the police.

Three foreigners were also arrested in the operations who police believed were using Malaysia as a transit point while they obtained forged travel documents to launch an attack in the Middle East.

Malaysia authorities said 230 IS members were arrested since 2013 while 90 Malaysians were identified to be linked with the IS in Syria.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, on Saturday named a man who sent her obscene messages on Facebook and vowed to fight such perverts.

"It was shocking to see such messages. And this kind of situation is being faced by thousands of women every day," Sharmistha Mukherjee told IANS.

She said all the messages landed on her account on Friday from the account of a man who calls himself Partha Mandal.

"First I thought of blocking or ignoring him. Then I thought why should I feel ashamed of sharing such posts because I am not guilty," she said.

"Such people will take advantage of silence. That's why I chose to speak up."

The Congress leader, who fought the 2015 assembly elections in Delhi, said she made her profile public after joining in order to get suggestions and complaints from people.

She said she will also lodge a complaint against Mandal with the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police.

"I don't want any special attention from the police for being the daughter of the President," she quickly added.

"The police must have many such cases. I just want the police to be strict with such people."

Sharmistha Mukherjee also appealed to women facing similar problems to lodge complaints.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States swimmer Ryan Lochte said that he wants his compatriot and rival, 22-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps to keep performing and continue till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

But Phelps said he does not intend to compete in another Olympics once the Rio Games get over.

The 31-year-old, who has won 22 Olympic gold medals and four in Rio, quit after London 2012 only to reverse that decision in 2014.

"I guarantee he will be there. I think so. I really think so. So Michael, I'll see you in Tokyo," Lochte was quoted as saying by National Broadcasting Company on Friday.

Phelps earlier said, "I'm not going four more years and I'm standing by that," he insisted after finishing second in the 100m butterfly final on Friday.

"I've been able to do everything I've ever put my mind to in the sport. I'm happy with how things finished."

He added, "No more. This is it. I said it a bunch before. But I'm not doing it. I swore in London I wasn't coming back and this is final. Were the papers here, I'd sign them tomorrow."

Phelps made his Olympics debut in 2000, winning his first gold in Athens in 2004. He has 27 Olympic medals in total, with 22 golds.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Afghan Taliban has freed the crew of a Pakistani helicopter that crash-landed in Afghanistan's Logar province on August 4, Pakistani intelligence officials have said.

Six Pakistanis and a Russian pilot, who were captured by militants in a Taliban-controlled district, were handed over to authorities in Pakistan's Kurram Agency on Friday, Radio Free Europe quoted the intelligence officials as saying.

The Punjab government Mi-17 helicopter was on its way to Russia via Uzbekistan for maintenance when it crashed in Afghanistan, the officials said.

According to Dawn online, the reports have not been confirmed by Pakistani officials.

Both Russian and Pakistani governments were making efforts for the release of the crew. The Afghan government also initiated an operation for their rescue.

The Foreign Office said earlier this week that the Afghan government was trying to secure their release with the help of tribal elders of the area.

Following the crash, Pakistani Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif had immediately called Commander Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan General Nicolson and asked him to help in the recovery of the crew.

Gen Sharif also asked Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to help in organising a safe and early recovery of the crew.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday called for patience and unity to help rid of bad people behind the bomb attacks that killed four and injured 15.

Prayut made the statement in a special televised programme on Friday night right after presiding over Thai Queen's 84-year-old birthday ceremony, Xinhua reported.

Expressing sorrow for families of the victims, the Prime Minister has promised that his government would do the utmost to alleviate victims as well as investigate the tragedy.

He said the government would look after the safety of all diplomats and foreigners in the country and fully care for those affected.

Prayut asked the public not to be panic and not to make any assumption as the culprits are still at large.

Yet he alerted the public that "there are still bad people in Thai society who tried to act before the referendum day and on this auspicious day known as Queen Sirikit's birthday and Mother's day of all Thai people."

After the multiple explosions that struck Thai tourist towns on Friday, police detained two suspects for being involved in the blasts.

Friday's explosions came just hours after one person was killed and nearly 20 injured, including foreign tourists, in two explosions in Hua Hin town on Thursday night.

At least eight explosions hit three cities in 12 hours, the police said.

"The blasts in Prachuap Khiri Khan and other southern provinces were not terrorist acts, but of sabotage," Pol Maj Gen Piyaphan Pingmuang, deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said.

He said that Thailand had no conflict over race and religions among ethnic minorities or was under threat linked to Islamic State terrorism.

The explosions stemmed from internal conflicts and were aimed at creating chaos, he said.

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda instructed all police agencies to tighten security at government offices and symbolic places, particularly bus terminals, railway stations, airports, tourist attractions and areas frequented by tourists.

The explosions began on Thursday night in the resort of Hua Hin. Two bombs placed near a local bar called Johnny's 56 went off as tourists were leaving to go back to their hotels, CNN quoted Police Lieutenant Colonel Samoer Yoosumran as saying.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid a host of opposition leaders switching allegiance to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Left Front on Saturday accused the West Bengal's ruling party of seeking to establish "autocracy" in the state.

"Why are they so afraid of the Opposition? They want to wipe out every sign of opposition in the state. Trinamool is destroying democracy and seeking to establish autocracy," Left Front chairman Biman Bose said.

Pointing fingers at Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, Bose said despite bagging 211 of the 294 assembly seats, Trinamool's hunger for power was "insatiable".

"Her (Banerjee) party leaders are going around with bags of money shopping representatives of other parties," said Bose.

The veteran Marxist leader's comments come in the wake of the TMC taking over control of several opposition-controlled civic bodies after the Congress and the Left members joined the ruling party.

Earlier in July, Communist Party of India-Marxist legislator Dipali Biswas from Malda's Gazole constituency, and Congress' Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya, representing Bankura's Bishnupur, defected to the Trinamool Congress.

--IANS

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BELFIELD  The North Dakota Department of Health is investigating an oil spill on a western North Dakota butte where oil is seeping out of a hillside.

Denbury Onshore discovered a spill on July 18 at an oil and gas well about 15 miles northwest of Belfield. At the time, the spill was estimated to be 2 barrels, but is much larger than the company initially thought.

Karl Rockeman, director of the Division of Water Quality, said late Friday that oil was discovered to be seeping out of the hillside in multiple locations.

The company has recovered 504 barrels, or 21,168 gallons, of oil and 120 barrels, or 5,040 gallons, of produced water from holes drilled into the subsurface of the site. The total size of the spill is still being determined.

It may be larger than that yet as well, Rockeman said.

Its unknown whether the spill has contaminated groundwater. The health department and the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division have been on site multiple times and continue to investigate.

The cause is listed as a failure of an underground flow line. Rockeman said it appears likely that the line was leaking for some time before it was discovered.

The impacts are confined to a relatively small area and have not affected surface water or drinking water sources, Rockeman said.

The Oil and Gas Division has requested that the company take water samples from a stock pond about 300 yards away so the pond can be monitored, according to a cleanup plan filed with the state.

The company is not supposed to begin reclaiming any of the contaminated areas until its determined that no further seepage is occurring, the plan states.

Produced water, or saltwater, is a waste byproduct of oil production.

The same oil and gas well has had previous spills, including incidents reported in 2006, 2010 and 2014, according to health department records.

Denbury did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday.
Two teenage sisters who wrote a letter in their own blood to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav seeking justice for their dead mother, met him here on Saturday.

The girls, Latika and Tanya Bansal from Bulandshahr, had written the letter alleging that their mother Annu Bansal was burnt alive on June 14 by their father and paternal grandparents and the local police did not pay any heed to their complaint.

Annu succumbed to her injuries six days later.

Moved by the letter, the Chief Minister ordered the Bulandshahr SSP and other senior officials to visit Latika and Tanya's house and get a first hand account of the whole case. Thereafter, he invited them to his official residence.

Latika and Tanya, escorted by their maternal uncle and maternal grandmother met Akhilesh for over 30 minutes. The chief minister assured them of all possible help and justice.

He also said the two girls will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each, a flat and announced that the expenses of their studies would be borne by the state government.

He also offered a government job to the maternal uncle and proposed to bear the expenses of their maternal grandmother's treatment who is suffering from cancer.

After the meeting, Latika said she was satisfied by the action being taken.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hon Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank you for the opportunity given to me to speak on the GST Bill once again. This gives me the second opportunity in this House to put forward the views of the hon chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr J Jayalalitha Amma on this Bill and to earnestly request the government to accede to the amendments suggested by our party.
Is this going to be the caste governance model put in place by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the future? So far the party has avoided appointing representatives of dominant castes in states. Vijay Rupani, who has just become Gujarat chief minister, is a Jain whereas the dominant challenge in the state comes from Patels (Patidars).
Coming down heavily on the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal over the operation case, the BJP on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sack her top leaders who figured in the tapes in the wake of the findings of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory.

"During the assembly polls, Banerjee kept alleging that the tapes that had emerged as a result of the sting operation were doctored. Now, the CFSL has examined the tapes following directions of the Calcutta High Court and its report says that the tapes were genuine.

"We now look forward to the TMC chief, who is also the state's CM, to act against her state ministers and members of Parliament who had figured in the tapes," BJP national secretary in-charge of West Bengal Siddharth Nath Singh told PTI.

Attacking the TMC government over the Vivekananda flyover collapse, Singh cited a report of investigation conducted by scholars at IIT Kharagpur claiming "it is now clear that substandard construction material and faulty supervision was responsible for the tragedy which claimed close to 30 lives.

"We would like to ask if Mamata Banerjee would not act against the erring officials, including ministers in her own cabinet as well as the Mayor of Kolkata."

Replying to a query, the BJP leader said, "Banerjee contends that renaming the state as Bengal was necessary as West Bengal comes at the bottom of the list of states, prepared alphabetically, during meetings held in the national capital. This is an absurd reasoning and therefore we are opposed to it."

"Moreover, we suspect that by renaming the state as Bengal, she is trying to erase the bitter history of partition in line with her of appeasement of a particular community. We are not going to allow that to happen," he said.

Singh said that with a vote share of nearly 17 per cent, "the BJP has, for the first time since its establishment, emerged as a force to reckon with. We look forward to improving our position further in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and, of course, in the next assembly polls which will be held in 2021.

"We have identified the areas on which our thrust would be. These are the weak points of the ruling TMC."

Asked to elaborate, the BJP leader said, "There is an all-pervasive sense of dejection in West Bengal despite the fact that the Left Front has been virtually obliterated there."

"TMC won because it appeared as the only viable option but its self-styled syndicates and youth clubs are painfully reminiscent of the marauding Left cadres who had wrought havoc in the state for close to three decades.

"Moreover, Banerjee's response to the violence in Malda earlier this year shows that she has given up her sense of propriety in her zeal to build a vote bank. About her track record with regard to checking influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, the less said the better."

Singh said even the Supreme Court's observation that it was a silent invasion of India could not serve as a wake up call for the state government.
Angered over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence from Parliament, Congress today sought to make "PM-mukt Parliament" a major issue and signalled that it would take it up aggressively in the winter session.

"Monsoon session of Parliament is over. We discussed many serious issues. But, the Prime Minister was absent during many of these discussions," Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal said.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha discussed issues like Kashmir and Dalit atrocities and the Prime Minister was absent during these discussions.

Earlier too, when Parliament had debates on Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and on the role of Governors, the Prime Minister was not there, he said.

"We have a PM-mukt Parliament. It is a sad state of affairs. He says he respects the Constitution, but doesn't attend Parliament," Sibal said.

"We will raise this issue in the next session. Why the PM doesn't come to Parliament? It is because he is afraid. We want him to remain the Nation's Watchman and provide the nation with answers," Sibal said.

Alleging that the Prime Minister was "not in the habit" of answering questions posed to him, Sibal said Modi did the same thing as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

The Prime Minister likes to address rallies and meetings as one does not have to answer to crowds. "But in Parliament, you have to answer the opposition.... In a crowd, no one will question him. But, in Parliament, the opposition will," he said.

Earlier this week, the party in a commentary had taken potshots at the Prime Minister over his "absence" from Parliament, saying "India has been forced to come to terms with a PM-mukt Parliament".

"When PM Modi assumed office, he had said that Parliament is a temple of democracy and he kowtowed before entering the august building for the first time. A year into his term, on one of his numerous trips to the USA, he said, the Constitution is the only holy book for his Government.

"But, today, India has been forced to come to terms with a 'PM-mukt Parliament'. PM Modi's actions show his disdain for the Parliament and its affairs", the party said, targeting Modi by using a parody of his call for 'Congress-mukt Bharat' he had made during the Lok Sabha poll campaign.

The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister loves to speak, but, unfortunately, not in interest but for vote bank .
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister on Saturday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on atrocities on people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan in Pakistan.

"Not only Kashmir, PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) is also part of India," the Chief Minister told reporters here.

He said the people living in the so-called PoK were being forced to live in fear and the situation there was no better.

The octogenarian Chief Minister said the Baloch community in Balochistan was also subjected to atrocities, which should be avoided.

"The neighbouring country should adopt corrective measures and in no way should eye Indian territory," said.

Modi on Friday said at the meeting of all major political parties that "Pakistan occupied Kashmir is ours", stating that dialogue must be initiated with expatriates all over the world from that region.

On protests in Gujarat over thrashing of Dalits, the Chief Minister said skinning of dead cows was an old profession being undertaken by the community since ages.

"We should rather respect the profession and give full honour to those who were involved in such profession," he said.

"As the skinning of cows and buffalos is associated with their profession which also helps them economically, such acts (of thrashing) are to be condemned," he added.
Five people were killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh and a person was washed away by the overflowing Ujjad river in Rajasthan, even as the water level of the Ganga river in Bihar rose due to heavy downpour in the last few days.

In Uttar Pradesh, five persons were killed in rain-related incidents as light to moderate rainfall and thundershowers occurred at many places in eastern and western parts of the state since yesterday.

While a mother-daughter duo was killed in their sleep in Sonbhadra when their mud house collapsed due to heavy rains, three persons, including a couple, died in Jaunpur district, police said.

It was a pleasant day in Delhi with the mercury settling at normal levels and it drizzled in some areas.

"The maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 33.7 and 25.5 degrees Celsius respectively, both normal for this time of the year," a MeT official said.

While the city received 29.88 mm rainfall till this morning, the recording till the evening was 0.2 mm.

In Rajasthan's Kota district, a 30-year-old man is feared dead as he was swept away by strong currents of the overflowing Ujjad river when he was crossing a overpass on it, police said.

In Baran district, a couple and three other persons are reportedly stranded at two places due to the overflowing Barni river, they said.

Light to heavy rains lashed parts of the state, with Atru in Baran receiving 9 cm rains followed by 8 cm in Alwar. Heavy rains occurred at isolated areas of Jaipur and Kota divisions.

The water level of Ganga river in Bihar rose following heavy downpour in the last few days, even as the Disaster Management Department said no district in the state is presently in the grip of floods and no relief camps are functioning.

The Ganga river is flowing above danger mark at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna district, Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, while Ghaghra river remained at spate in Siwan district's Gangpur-Siswan area. Koshi river's water level was above red mark at Baltara in Khagaria district.

Light to moderate rainfall occurred at many places in the state, while heavy rainfall was witnessed at one or two places in the north-eastern parts of the state since yesterday.

According to the MeT office, Bhagalpur received the highest rainfall of 16.6 mm followed by 2.4 mm in Purnea. Patna and Gaya received 1.2 mm and 0.4 mm rains respectively since yesterday.

In Punjab and Haryana, maximum temperatures hovered around normal level even as a few places received rains. Amritsar in Punjab recorded a high of 35.5 degrees Celsius, while Karnal in Haryana received 22 mm rainfall.

In West Bengal, the capital recorded maximum temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal, in absence of any rainfall.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major breakthrough, revenue officials today seized 58.1 kgs of smuggled gold worth about Rs 18 crore and arrested 12 people including a woman for their alleged involvement in the racket.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials said that acting on a tip-off, a special team rushed to a hideout near Rabindra Sarani area in North Kolkata and seized the precious yellow metal in 350 pieces of gold biscuits.

Twelve people, including a woman, hailing from Manipur and Mizoram, were arrested in this connection. They were later produced before a city court which remanded them to judicial custody till August 24.

The case had a trail in Mumbai, where two persons were arrested earlier this month for their alleged involvement in gold smuggling racket, the officials said.

Those arrested here are suspected to be part of the same gang which smuggled these yellow metals from Mayanmar and went to Mumbai.

After the arrest of two members of the gang, the rest took shelter in Kolkata and continued with their smuggling business, the officials added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haryana Police today rescued nine cows from an abandoned truck as they were being taken for slaughter on the Birauli link road in Haryana here.

The truck, which was bogged down in mud Radhana village, was spotted by villagers on the link road. When they went to check the matter, they found no one and heard the bovines' voices.

A police team led by SHO Dharambir Singh rushed to the spot and broke the truck's door open only to discover nine cows and two bulls stuffed in the truck.

The bulls, who had died by the time police reached, were buried in the village while the cows were handed over to the villagers.

Police said that prima facie, the bovines were being taken for slaughter. The accused abandoned the vehicle and fled after it got stuck in mud due to heavy rain.

A case has been registered against unknown persons under relevant provisions of the law and a manhunt was launched to nab the accused.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If U.S. Department of Agriculture predictions stay true come fall, this years corn and soybean crop will be the largest harvest in U.S. history.

We were expecting big numbers, but its even bigger, said North Dakota State University crop economist Frayne Olson.

With the publishing of its latest outlook Friday, USDA sent markets spiraling downward.

While farmers usually pride themselves on having a bumper crop, the high yields are adding to a global surplus already in place. Soybean prices dropped as much as 21 cents per bushel, and corn fell to the lowest level in almost seven years.

For the first time, USDA sent crop surveyors into fields to gather data for crop estimates rather than relying on historical data. What they found points to record-breaking yields  175.1 bushels per acre for corn and 48.9 bushels per acre for soybeans.

With that in mind, Olson said the price drop was not as much as he expected: I was looking at worse.

But that doesnt ease the pain being felt by grain producers.

No room in the bin

The biggest short-term issue for farmers is going to be storage capacity, Olson said. While there will be enough space to hold the crop nationwide, on an individual basis, some producers arent going to have the bin space.

A lot of farmers are going to be short on storage, Olson said.

Most have cleaned out their soybeans, according to Olson, who said the problem will be primarily with wheat and corn.

Olson said he has heard from farmers that many were able to aggressively pre-price soybeans, contracting them during the price rally in mid- to late June. The corn rally at that time was not as big.

(Farmers) made some (corn) sales at those levels, but not enough, Olson said.

For those that have to sell at harvest because they dont have room, hauling straight to the elevator rather than storing in bins, the futures markets are telling them to sell soybeans first, Olson said.

If they can store corn and wheat, futures markets price get higher. By holding off until December, farmers can get $3.30 per bushel for corn based on the current market conditions. By March, they could get $3.40 per bushel, $3.47 in May and $3.54 in July.

Olson said theyll likely never get all their money back but buyers are willing to pay them more later.

Soybeans futures, on the other hand, go from $9.84 per bushel at November harvest down to $9.78 in March.

Marketing strategies

Once the crop is in the bins, the strategizing starts.

Those with cash flow issues can take out Commodity Credit Corporation loans with the crop as collateral through USDAs Farm Service Agency, according to Olson. They can use that money to pay back the bank for their operating loan or other bills.

It allows you some time to make some decisions, he said.

Weather issues are the most likely events to cause a price rally, and, for those that didnt have to sell straight off the field, soybeans hold the most promise  though the windows of opportunity will be short.

For the big soybean producing regions of Brazil and Argentina, hot and dry weather led to smaller yields in late harvest soybeans and second planting corn, Olson said.

They had a good crop, but it was not monster as we expected, he said.

As North Dakota farmers are harvesting, Brazilians will start to plant. The dry weather, coupled with economic issues making it hard to get a loan, could have an affect on the region.

Meanwhile, demand for soybeans in the international market is strong, and, with a good stock but no surplus, that commodity market continues to be the most volatile.

Any hiccup could quickly affect it, Olson said.

For corn, it will take a bigger problem to create a price surge.

Olson said there are other grains that can be used for animal feed. In particular, sprout damage in the European wheat crop has flooded the market with low quality feed wheat.

Wheat woes

I hate to say it, but marketing wheat this season is going to be a challenge, Olson said. Its going to be harder to get a good rally out of wheat. There are lots of places to go, but, if youre looking for really high quality wheat, the amount out there is less.

In places, such as Russia, where farmers raise winter wheat, there have been large yields with good milling characteristics but the protein levels are below average  dropping from a 12 percent average to 11 percent.

Theres going to be a premium paid for spring wheat with high protein, said Olson, explaining millers will need it to mix with the winter wheat to up protein content.

The standard protein rate for spring wheat is 14 percent. What qualifies as high protein will vary on what this years average protein count comes out to be.

Canada, the other large grower of hard red spring wheat, will make its crop report in a couple of days.

They have had a lot of rain near harvest, Olson said, which could lead to some quality issues.

As the Canadian harvest starts to roll in around Sept. 1, if there are quality issues, it could gradually add more strength to the spring wheat market.

Farmers should look to export sales and the type of wheat being bought on the international market, according to Olson.

Once they realize there is this low protein problem, if Canada has problems, countries will come to the U.S. to buy spring wheat, Olson said.

But if Canada has no problem, there will be a lot of competition between the two countries for export sales.
Arjun Rathwa, an Aam Aadmi Party leader from the tribal-dominated Chhota Udepur district of Gujarat, today claimed BJP and Congress leaders hare have filed several false police cases against him.

Rathwa had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election on an AAP ticket from Chhota Udepur. He said he has moved the High Court seeking to quash the FIRs.

The sub-divisional magistrate had also issued a notice to him asking why he should not be externed from seven districts under the Gujarat Police Act, he said.

"I am being victimised by Congress and BJP leaders for leading a campaign against corruption. FIRs against me are politically motivated and a form of vengeance," Rathwa said.

He said he was targeted especially after he carried out a sting operation on a school run by a trust of Congress leader and former Union MOS Naranbhai Rathwa.

He was arrested on the charge of demolishing freedom fighter Birsa Munda's statue on April 14, a day before it was to be inaugurated, after he led a campaign opposing the installation on the ground that it bore no resemblance to the late leader, Rathwa said.

"I was first detained, then arrested and kept in jail for seven days before granting bail. My political opponents are now trying to take away my job as a college professor on the ground that I was jailed for seven days," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A campaign worker for Britain's right-wing UK Independence Party has been indicted in the United States on charges including blackmail and money-laundering.

A federal indictment issued in Arizona alleges that George Cottrell agreed to launder money for undercover law-enforcement agents posing as drug traffickers. He is accused of 21 counts relating to money laundering, fraud, blackmail and extortion.

The indictment says that in 2014 Cottrell, using the online alias Bill, "agreed to launder the undercover agents' purported drug proceeds by transferring the property to offshore accounts." It says Cottrell later met the agents in Las Vegas and arranged for them to transfer USD 20,000 to an associate.

It also alleges that Cottrell tried to blackmail the supposed drug traffickers, threatening to go to the police unless they paid him 130 Bitcoin, then worth about USD 80,000.

Cottrell was arrested July 22 at Chicago's O'Hare airport as he and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage were returning from the Republican convention in Cleveland.

A judge denied bail, saying Cottrell "poses a serious risk of flight."



Cottrell, who is in his 20s, is the son of a wealthy aristocratic family. His uncle, Lord Hesketh, worked for the Conservative Party under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and later became a supporter of UKIP.

His mother, Fiona Cottrell, is the daughter of another lord.

UKIP said today that Cottrell had worked unpaid for the party, helping with logistics and media arrangements during Britain's European Union referendum campaign. UKIP supported the victorious "leave" side in the June 23 vote.

UKIP said in a statement that the criminal allegations "date from a time before he was directly involved" with the party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Romanian national Gabriel Marian, the key accused in the sensational hi-tech ATM fraud case in which a number of people lost about Rs 2.5 lakh, was today taken to various places for evidence collection even as state DGP Loknath Behera said search has been intensified for the three other foreigners involved in the crime.

Marian, who was brought to the ATM kiosk in Althara Junction here under high security, explained to investigators how he had tampered with the ATM to swindle money.

He was also taken to various hotels where he had stayed with three other Romanians, who were also involved in the fraud, which shocked the state capital earlier this week.

Behera told reporters that police would seek Interpol's help to collect details of similar kind of frauds elsewhere.

Stating that search has been intensified to nab the other accused, he said police are probing whether the foreign nationals received any assistance from local people to carry out the fraud.

Thirty five-year-old Marian, who was nabbed from a hotel in Vashi on Wednesday night, was remanded to police custody till August 22 by Chief Judicial Magistrate P V Aneesh Kumar here yesterday.

According to the FIR filed by police in court, they illegally got the "secured" bank data with the intention of stealing the money of depositors who came to the SBI ATM counterat Althara in the city.

They conspired and manufactured fake ATM cards with the data obtained and withdrew money from ATMs in Mumbai, the FIR said.

The accused had committed offences threatening the Indian banking system and also the internal security of the country, it said, adding, investigation was in the preliminary stage.

For securing the arrest of the three other foreign nationals involved in the case, a Red Corner notice has been issued and the help of Interpol has also been sought, it said, adding, non-bailable arrest warrants have also been issued against the accused.

At least 22 persons have filed complaints before police and bank officials regarding withdrawal of their money from the ATM counter.

As per the preliminary assessment, customers have lost about Rs 2.5 lakh from their accounts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Coimbatore-based woman doctor has been booked in a attempt to murder for allegedly trying to kill her 82 year-old father last year.

A CCTV footage of the September 2015 incident purportedly showing a woman tampering with the medical support system of a elderly man after allegedly getting his thumb impression in some documents has gone viral on social media.

She is then seen swiftly moving out after the hospital staff came to the room.

A case under different sections of IPC -- 307 (attempt to murder), extortion and trespass has been filed against the doctor, police said today.

The case was filed after a complaint against the woman by her Chennai-based brother, at whose hospital the father was admitted to.

The elderly man passed away a few days after the incident.

The woman doctor's brother has also moved the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council, seeking disqualification of his sister as a medical professional.

Council Vice-President J A Jayalal said that some enquiries have been held already and the woman doctor has sought time to respond.

"It is a family issue. The allegation (by the complainant) is that she was trying to intimidate (her father) and attempted to do some mischief. Her brother has submitted the video footage," he told PTI.

However, the veracity of the video needs to be ascertained and it needs more expert scrutiny, Jayalal said.

"Overall it looks like getting some (thumb) impression (on documents). Somebody is in death bed and you cannot force someone to (sign papers)," he said, adding the Council will hold detailed enquiries into the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The mother-daughter duo, gang raped recently near a highway in Bulandshahar, has moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case to Delhi besides registration of FIR against UP minister Azam Khan for his certain remarks as well as the erring policemen.

The brutal incident had happened on the night of July 29 when a group of highway robbers stopped the car of a Noida-based family and sexually assaulted the woman and her daughter after dragging them out of the vehicle which had four other occupants.

The Allahabad High Court recently ordered CBI probe into the incident besides deciding to monitor the investigation.

In the plea filed in the Supreme through lawyer Kislay Pandey, the woman's husband has sought an order for "transfer the trial of the present case to Delhi from Bulandshahar in the interest of justice".

Unhappy over the probe by Uttar Pradesh police, the petitioner has said the investigation be conducted by "some other competent agency".

Referring to alleged controversial remark of Azam Khan, UP Minister for Urban Development, that there was a "political conspiracy" in gang rape, the plea said that an FIR be registered against him as the statement "substantially outrageous" the "modesty" the victims and their family.

The plea has also sought "appropriate damages" for the victims besides a direction that the state and others, including the DGP, be stopped from infringing fundamental right to life of the victims.

"Direct the respondents (State Home Secretary, Khan, DGP and SSP of Bulandshahr) to pay the appropriate damages to the petitioner as per the Law," the plea said.

It also alleged that police did come for help despite victims making several distress calls on helpline number.

"The victim dialed 100 number after the incident to seek help from the police but it did not help at all," it said, adding "Direct registration of an FIR against erring police officials for disobeying directions of law in the present case.

The plea said, "Azam Khan, Minister for Urban Development



of UP called a press conference and publicly insulted the petitioner by terming the entire incident as a political conspiracy only and nothing else and thereby caused various acts and deeds being substantially outrageous to the modesty of the petitioner."



It said that six members of the family were travelling from Noida to Shahjahanpur on national highway-91 when they were waylaid, assaulted and robbed.

The offenders, who were hiding behind the bushes, emerged and took the family at gunpoint and forced the father of the victim to take the vehicle off the road, it said.

The mother-daughter duo were ravished barely 100 meters away from the police post, it said, adding that the offenders snatched cash to the tune of Rs 36,000 and some jewellery from the victims.
Against the backdrop of demand by RJD and other political parties for reservation in jobs for Bihar natives, the state government has asked the state Public Service Commission to put on hold the ongoing recruitment process for Assistant Professors.

"The state government has asked the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) to put on hold the interview being carried out for appointment of Assistant Professors for various subjects in the state's universities," Bihar's Education Minister Ashok Choudhary told PTI today.

BPSC is holding interviews for 3345 posts in various subjects of the universities.

When contacted BPSC Secretary Prabhat Kumar Sinha said that the Commission would abide by the state government's directives.

"We have not received the letter to this effect so far, but Commission will go by the directives of the state government," Sinha said.

The domiciliary issue was kicked up by RJD chief Lalu Prasad who had demanded 80 per cent reservation for locals in jobs as well as in admission to educational institutions under the state control.

Prasad had claimed outsiders were cornering majority of Assistant Professors' posts in subjects like English.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had supported Prasad's demand and demanded Nitish Kumar government to stop the ongoing interview of BPSC for Assistant Professors in English and other subjects and conduct the interview only after incorporating the latest guidelines of UGC (which approved pre-2009 Phd).

In April this year, UGC had exempted candidates registered for M.Phil/PhD programme before July 11, 2009, from clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET) or the State-Level Eligibility Test (SLET) in order to become eligible for appointment as assistant professors in colleges and universities.

On August 3, the Bihar Education minister had announced



in the state Legislative Council that the government would take action after taking legal advice with regard to halting the ongoing recruitment process for posts of Assistant Professor.

Choudhary, however, made it clear that interviews for the posts which had already completed will remain unaffected by the decision.

The government has sought information from the Commission about the subjects in which interviews have already been completed, he added.

BPSC is holding interviews for 3345 posts in various subjects of the universities of the state.

The Commission has already published the results of Maithili and English. Successful candidates in Maithili has even joined the Colleges they have been allotted.

Subjects in which interviews have concluded are- Physics, Economics, Philosophy, Psychology and Chemistry.

Choudhary said the fresh appointment process would start soon as per the amendment in UGC Regulation 2009.

The amendment in UGC Regulation 2009, the notification for which was issued in July this year allowing candidates who have completed their PhD degrees prior to 2009, makes thousands of candidates from Bihar eligible to appear in the interview for Assistant Professors.

"The fresh recruitment process would start as per amendment in UGC 2009 regulations which give a certain relaxations to the candidates with a few riders," the Minister said.

Asked when the fresh recruitment would start, he said that "It is the government's priority to complete the recruitment process for the posts of Assistant Professor as soon as possible as vacancies are rising in the universities."



Stating that the number of vacancies of Assistant Professor would go up to 9,000 in the fresh recruitment, Choudhary said that "We have asked universities to furnish the details of vacancies in various subjects till March 2016 and we believe that the vacancies may be in the range of 7,000 to 9,000.
Aam Aadmi Party today accused BJP of being "anti-Dalit" after the saffron party's councilors in South MCD "tried to attack" a civic body representative from the community.

AAP alleged that the BJP's councilors attacked Dalit councilor Jeevan Das when he raised issues of road cutting and alleged encroachment by MP Ramesh Bidhuri (of the BJP).

"On Friday, the BJP councilors tried to attack, and misbehaved with Dalit councilor Jeevan Das during discussion on encroachment.

"Das' only mistake was that he took up the issue of encroachment by BJP MP Bidhuri and was ill-behaved with then," the AAP said in a statement.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party hit out at Congress councilors too for allegedly being tight-lipped over the issue, suggesting they backed the "attack".

"The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) gives irresponsible statement saying he should be attacked instead of the Dalits. And in Delhi, councilors of his party ill-behave with a Dalit councilor. This shows the BJP is anti-Dalit and cannot see members of the community marching ahead," the AAP alleged.

The AAP claimed this was not the first time that BJP men have attacked Dalit councilors or other leaders of the community.

"Few months ago too, they badly beat up AAP's Dalit councilor Rakesh Kumar during common session of the MCD on camera. The police though has not taken action against the BJP persons in this matter yet.

"Add to this, the North MCD had recently passed a proposal to register case against Delhi Minister and AAP's Dalit MLA Sandip Kumar," the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brazil today launched the first public immunisation programme in the Americas against dengue fever, with 500,000 people to be injected with the world's first authorized vaccine against the disease, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said.

The programme will be rolled out in the southern state of Parana, said the maker of the Dengvaxia vaccine, which is the result of 20 years of research and 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) of investment.

"We will vaccinate all individuals 15-27 years of age in 28 municipalities and 9-44 years of age in the two municipalities with the top dengue burden in our state over the next three weeks," Parana Health Secretary Michele Caputo Neto said in a Sanofi statement.

He cited a study published in the Brazilian Journal of Health Economics indicating that implementation of the dengue immunisation strategy "could result in 74 percent reduction in disease burden in these highly-impacted municipalities within five years".

Sanofi said the campaign was the "first dengue immunisation public programme in the Americas".

The vaccine has been approved in Mexico, the Philippines, El Salvador and Costa Rica.

In Parana state, home to 10 million people, cases of dengue fever and deaths due to the disease have tripled in recent years, according to Sanofi.

The mosquito-borne viral disease killed 863 people in Brazil in 2015, a 82.4 percent increase on the previous year.

The incidence of dengue has grown "dramatically" around the world in recent decades, according to the World Health Organization.

Asia currently bears 70 percent of the global burden of the disease. In April Sanofi launched a public immunisation programme against dengue in the Philippines.

Dengvaxia is produced in France in a facility which should be able to produce 100 million doses per year when at full capacity.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today said that the Centre had approved the government's request for a Rs 200 crore loan to implement various schemes in the Union Territory.

Talking to reporters here, he said he had met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during his recent visit to Delhi to get the Centre's nod for finalising the budget for the Union Territory for the 2016-17 fiscal.

He said he had also sought Rs 1,000 crore as subsidy for the UT to meet commitments to implement welfare schemes.

While conceding the plea for loan,the FM had told him that the plea for subsidy would be considered expeditiously.

Narayanasamy announced that government employees engaged for work during the Assembly polls in May this year would be paid overtime allowance totalling Rs 3.29 crore.

The overtime allowance for police personnel would be decided in the next few days, Narayanasamy said.

He said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj whom he had met during his Delhi visit, had promised to look into his plea for for steps to expand the area of operation of Passport Seva Kendra to benefit those hailing from Villupuram, Tindivanam, Chidambaram and Mayiladuthurai.

Presently the Kendra caters to applicants from Puducherry and Karaikal regions.

He said Swaraj had enquired about the recent happenings in Pondicherry Central University (following release of a controversial magazine Widerstand), to which he had told her government's role was restricted to maintain law and order.

As far as the management of the University and other issues of the institution were concerned, the Union HRD Minister was the competent authority to intervene.

He said the University was also responsible for ensuring a congenial environment.

He said he had sought appointment with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and also to discuss various projects, including making available a stretch of land falling within Tamil Nadu limits to expand the runway of Puducherry airport situated on Puducherry-Tamil Nadu border.

'We are keen that we should have cordial relations with the neighbouring States of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka', he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Philippines' ex-president Fidel Ramos has called for formal talks with China to resolve the South China Sea (SCS) issue after meeting Chinese officials during a visit to Hong Kong in the wake of an international tribunal's verdict that rejected China's claims over the area.

Ramos, who was appointed as the special envoy by the PhilippinesPresident Rodrigo Duterte for his contacts in the higher echelons of the Chinese government, held talks with Fu Ying, Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress, and Wu Shicun, President of the National Institute for SCS Studies in the last few days.

Winding up his five-day visit to Hong Kong, 88-year-old Ramos stressed that his meetings with Fu, a former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, and Wu, a specialist on South China Sea dispute, were held "in a private capacity", but said Manila wanted formal talks to avoid further tensions with China and allow the two countries to cooperate in some areas.

Discussions on resolving the territorial dispute would be held, but "as to where this will take place we don't know yet. We have to go back to Manila to find out the latest developments on the official side", he was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong media.

Acknowledging the talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying last night said that "we noted that Fu Ying and Wu Shicun met with their old friend Ramos in Hong Kong. We hope that communication as such will help China and the Philippines restart dialogue and improve relations".

At the centre of the conflict between China and the Philippines isScarborough Shoal which is called as Huangyan Island by China in the SCS over which the international tribunal last month upheld the Philippines right and struck down Beijing'sclaims on almost of the SCS.

China, which boycotted the tribunal, rejected its verdict and called for bilateral talks with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei which have counter claims over the area to resolve the dispute. Taiwan too has claims over certain parts of the South China Sea.

China also rebuffed assertions by the Philippines, the US, Japan and Australia to implement the tribunal verdict which they said is binding.

Relations between Manila and Beijing were strained after the Philippines sought the international arbitration to resolve the dispute.

A statement signed by Ramos, Fu and Wu yesterday said that in addition to marine conservation and fishing rights, the two nations should cooperate on tourism, investment, and cracking down on drugs and corruption.

Efforts on issues such as drugs, smuggling and crime are not as tricky as defence and national security and thus more achievable at this point.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Wu as



saying thatChina and the Philippines could explore ways to open the Scarborough Shoal to fishermen from both countries and jointly develop fish farms in the disputed waters.

But the Philippines has to respect China's territorial rights over the shoal, Wu said.

He said Ramos' fence-mending trip to Hong Kong could help lower tensions raised by the SCS dispute. But Ramos would have to first visit Beijing for talks with Chinese officials to pave the way for Philippine President Duterte to make a formal state visit to Beijing, he said.

Analysts said the consensus reached between Ramos and Fu was crucial to rebuilding confidence between the two nations.

De La Salle University assistant professor Richard Javad Heydarian said Ramos' trip restored a functional level of communication between the two countries.

The visit made room to discuss less politicised areas for cooperation, paving the way for more high-stakes talks between Beijing and Manila, he said.
Look, theres a limit to how long we can talk about Donald Trump. Lets talk about the big Senate races.

Which are all about Donald Trump! Theres Ohio, where Republican Sen. Rob (Endorsed Donald Trump) Portman is in a fight for his political life. And New Hampshire, where Republican Sen. Kelly (Didnt Say Endorse) Ayotte is in trouble.

In Pennsylvania, embattled Republican Sen. Pat Toomey published an opinion piece last spring taking his own Trumpian temperature: There could come a point at which the differences are so great as to be irreconcilable. Still not quite at the tipping point. Nearly there, with that thing about the grieving parents of the Muslim war hero, but still teetering.

The Democrats just need to win a few seats to get control of the Senate. Most of the contests will depend on what happens at the top of the ticket. But there are a few they could probably win even if Trump astonishes America with his policy riffs during the debates and Hillary Clinton is discovered cooking meth in the back of her campaign bus. For instance, theres Wisconsin, where former Sen. Russ Feingold is trying to reclaim his seat from businessman Ron Johnson, who grabbed it during the tidal wave of Republican victories in 2010.

Of all the people who slid in that year, Johnson is perhaps the most pathetic. This is the guy whose campaign sent out a tweet mourning the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, featuring a picture of an actor who had played Scalia onstage. He once called Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, who is of Indian heritage, an immigrant. Decried The Lego Movie as an insidious piece of anti-capitalist propaganda. Referred to public school students as idiot inner-city kids. And once, in an attempt to prove the globe wasnt really warming, said Greenland got its name because it was actually green at one point.

Those of you who complain every four years that the entire presidential election seems to be all about a handful of states will be thrilled to know those swing states tend to be exactly the same places that have the biggest Senate races.

In Florida, Marco Rubio  the man who helped give us Donald Trump, Republican presidential nominee  is back. During the primary campaign, you will remember, Rubio described the Senate as the most useless place in the world. True, during his first term hed been absent for about a trillion votes  but who cared? Nothing that happened there mattered anyhow. When asked about the possibility of running again, the states extremely junior senator irritably tweeted that he had already said like 10,000 times he was not going back, never, ever.

He then announced he was seeking re-election.

To take Rubio on, the Florida Democrats will have to choose between Rep. Alan Grayson, a liberal whos sometimes described as, um, outspoken, and Rep. Patrick Murphy, a boring moderate. Grayson has had a few problems lately  like a House Ethics Committee inquiry into a $16 million hedge fund he was running. And the allegations that he had physically abused his former wife. And that his new wife will be running for his House seat.

Floridians, do you get tired of all this political drama? Do you know what its like to be a voter in New York, where the Senate race is Chuck Schumer versus The Woman Who Got 25 Percent Last Time Around? Plus you have endless beaches and sunny weather.

And New Hampshire  we have to spend half the winter talking about New Hampshire because it gets to have the first presidential primary until the end of time. Now its also got a big Senate race, which features incumbent Kelly Ayotte and Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte is dancing around the Donald Trump issue, claiming she plans to vote for him but does not endorse him. Which is sort of like saying youre going to marry the guy but do not intend to take him to the prom.

This election is so ungodly, the senators are lucky we even notice theyre around.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj during which India's bid for membership of the NSG is understood to have figured among other regional and bilateral issues.

Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October.

"Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, along with a photograph of the meeting of the two foreign ministers.

Wang had arrived in Goa yesterday on a three-day visit to India. He had met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and discussed about preparations for the BRICS summit.

The Chinese Foreign Minister arrived here last night. He called on Modi first and then held talks with Swaraj.

China had stalled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the ground that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

(Reopens DEL 21)



The event saw the launch of Chinese New World Press' first overseas editorial department in collaboration with General General Book Depot (GBD) from India.

"The objective of NWP is to make the world know about China..The harmonious and friendly China...And also the China that is always going to be India's friend," said Xiaohui Wang, Editor-in-Chief, CIPG, head company of New Word Press.

Kaushal Goyal, owner of GBD, said that the publishing house also plans to set up an editorial office in Beijing with New World Press (NWP) and that such collaborations were aimed at promoting strong international relations between the two countries.

"Our association will promote strong relationship including socio-cultural, history, economics and political issues, betweeen India and China," Goyal said.

GBD, which has already reprinted NWP's 'The Main Battlefield of the East' in English, is in the process of translating four other books by the Chinese publishing house in Hindi.
A Venezuelan court upheld the 14-year sentence of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, in a move likely to increase tension in the crisis-hit South American country.

Lopez has repeatedly declared himself innocent of the charge of inciting violence at anti-government protests in 2014, calling himself a political prisoner.

"This is certainly a political trial. Unfortunately, the government's interest takes priority over the justice system," Lopez's lawyer Juan Carlos Gutierrez told AFP.

"They upheld his sentence under the same terms," Gutierrez said, referring to the 14-year sentence.

A 45-year-old US-educated economist, Lopez was arrested in February 2014 amid a wave of pro- and anti-government protests that swept Venezuela and left 43 people dead.

The government accused Lopez, one of leftist President Nicolas Maduro's most hardline opponents, of inciting the violence.

His sentence, handed down in September after a closed-door trial, was strongly condemned by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union.

During his 12-hour July appeals hearing, Lopez once again declared himself innocent.

Jesus Torrealba, spokesman for the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), wrote on Twitter Friday that the group rejects "the illegal and unjust condemnation of our brother @leopoldolopez and we reiterate that he will be freed by a vote of the people."



Venezuela's opposition has steeled itself in a battle to remove Maduro in a recall referendum, blaming the leader for the country's mounting chaos.

Once-booming Venezuela, home to the world's largest oil reserves, is gripped by severe shortages of food, medicine and basic goods that have triggered violence and looting.

The opposition is racing to force a referendum by January 10, four years into the president's six-year term.

Any time after that, a successful recall vote would simply transfer power to Maduro's hand-picked vice-president rather than trigger new elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A video of Hollywood star Johnny Depp loosing his temper and smashing wine glass while fighting with estranged wife Amber Heard has been leaked online.

The one minute 37 seconds long clip features the 53-year-old actor going berserk, in the kitchen, during a fight with Heard, 30, who has accused him of abuse, reported Aceshowbiz.

However, the video was taken months before Depp allegedly hit Heard with a phone during an altercation back on May 21.

The clip opens with the "Black Mass" actor kicking cabinets and cursing.

Heard is seen apologizing to him. The actor then gets a bottle of wine and pours it in a glass before finding out that he was being recorded.

According to the sources close to Depp the video is "heavily edited" and there are parts where Heard is seen smiling.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Bangladeshi court today extended the remand of a British national by eight days and a Canadian citizen by six days for their alleged involvement in the Dhaka cafe attack last month that killed 22 people, including an Indian girl.

Hasnat Reza Karim, 47, who had been shown arrested this morning, has been placed on an eight-day remand in connection with the Gulshan terror attack case, Counter- Terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said.

A British national and former teacher of the North South University, Hasnat has witnessed the bloody carnage in the Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1, and was previously placed on an eight-day remand on August 4.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate also extended the remand of Tahmid Hasib, a 22-year-old student at the University of Toronto, by six days, Islam said.

However, Tahmid, a permanent resident of Canada, has not yet been shown arrested for the cafe attack in the heart of Dhaka's diplomatic enclave that killed 22 people, including foreigners and policemen.

The 11-hour standoff ended after commandos stormed into the cafe and killed the hostage-takers.

Tahmid and Hasnat were among the 32 hostages rescued by the commandos from the cafe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Diamond-studded gold ornaments worth Rs 3.19 crore were today seized by Customs officials from two passengers who arrived here from Mumbai.

The ornaments were seized from two men, one from Gujarat and another from Maharashtra, after they arrived here in a flight from Mumbai, Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) Customs officials said.

Since the case involves domestic passengers, it has been handed over to state sales tax department, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In one of the biggest seizures of this year, 12 persons were arrested today by the DRI officials here for allegedly smuggling into the country Rs 18 crore worth gold from Myanmar.

The 58 kg of gold, which has been seized, was allegedly smuggled via Moreh border in Manipur, official sources said.

The officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested these 12 carriers, including one woman, of Mizo and Manipuri origin from a guest house in Chittaranjan Avenue area. They were to hand over the gold to some local contacts, they said.

All of them had smuggled gold after concealing it under the clothes worn by them and inside certain machine items like compressor carried by them, the sources said.

The gold, which was in 350 small pieces, has been seized and all the accused have been arrested, they said.

The value of the seized gold is assessed to be Rs 18.33 crore, the sources said.

It is one of the biggest haul of gold so far this year. The DRI officials had in March last year seized 87 kg of gold from Kolkata.

The gold is of high quality and has Myanmarese marking on it. Efforts are on to ascertain people who helped them cross the border and others involved in it, the sources said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eight persons, including two women, were killed and over a dozen injured in two separate accidents on Yamuna Expressway in the wee hours today, police said.

Six persons including a woman and a child were killed and a dozen were injured when a canter hit a bus at Kilometer No 88 of Yamuna Expressway, DSP Sanjai Kumar said.

The canter driver fled from the spot and the injured were rushed to district hospital, he added.

One of the deceased was identified as Mentu (22) of Kanpur and efforts are on to identify others, Kumar said. In a seperate accident, two persons of a family were killed when a car they were travelling in overturned at the same strech after hitting a divider.

The family was travelling from Farrukhabad to Delhi when the incident took place, he said.

The deceased have been identied as Rampal(64) and Lajjavati (60), the DSP said.

The car was being driven by an army personnel who apparently dozed off at the wheel, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An elderly Sri Lankan pilgrim has gone missing after landing here at the IGI airport along with Buddhist pilgrims, police said today.

Ramanayaga Mudiyanselage Jayasekara, in his late 60s or early 70s, is a resident of Sri Lanka's Mahiyangana town. He had arrived at the T-3 Terminal of the IGI airport from Colombo at 6.45 PM on Thursday along with a group of around 80 pilgrims but was later found missing, they said.

"The information about the man was conveyed to concerned departments and agencies and efforts are on to search him," Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) DK Gupta said.

Jayasekara was last seen near gate number 18 of the airport in the CCTV footage but there was no further clue regarding his whereabouts, police said.

The pilgrims were scheduled to stay at a Sri Lankan facility in Civil Lines area. When they boarded two buses, everyone thought he was in the other vehicle. But as they reached Civil Lines, Jayasekara was found missing.

Police said that the missing person was in the habit of drinking alcohol and can not speak English or Hindi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Superstar Salman Khan's wedding date has always been a talking point but his father Salim Khan says even God does not have any idea about the marriage.

The 80-year-old veteran scriptwriter, who is often questioned about his son's wedding, took to Twitter to announce that he will be hosting a radio show, but asked his followers to not grill him about the "Sultan" actor's marriage.

"...You may ask me any question except 'When is Salman getting married' - even God doesn't know. @KiranKotrial @SohailKhan @BeingSalmanKhan," Salim tweeted.

The "Sholay" writer will host the programme titled 'The 70mm Show,' which will air every Saturday and Sunday.

There were reports that Salman is planning to get hitched in November. He is reportedly dating Romanian anchor Iulia Vantur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Children of farmers will observe a day-long hunger strike at various places in Maharashtra on August 15 to seek repeal of 'anti-farmer' laws.

"We have decided to hold 'atmaklesh andolan' at Azad Maidan here on August 15, to demand that farmers be freed from the clutches of the legislations which have enslaved them," Bhumiputra Sangharsh Vahini president Abhijeet Patil Falke told reporters here.

"Government has cheated farmers and failed to resolve any of the issues affecting them," said Falke, a Pune-based IT entrepreneur.

Children of farmers will join in the agitation on I-Day in large numbers all over the state, he said.

Vahini leader Amar Habib said the Government had failed to repeal three legislations -- land ceiling act, essential services act and land acquisition act.

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"There's no plan for how to deal with it in place; right now it's pretty piecemeal."

 Rod Backman of Covenant Consulting Group, on the lack of a development plan in the oil patch. Backman's firm conducted a survey of Badlands stakeholders, funded by the World Wildlife Fund, asking about their concerns when it comes to oil development and how it affects the livelihood and recreation activities of residents and visitors.

q q q

"The law is the law, and that hasn't been changed."

 Scott Radig, the state Health Department's manager of solid waste programs, after the Health Council voted to ratify the new rules allowing up to 50 picocuries of radioactive waste from oil and gas production in specially permitted landfills, during a redo meeting.

q q q

"We got a little, but it's really, really late."

 Sarah Vogel, attorney for two groups that challenged the State Health Councils approval of radioactive waste rules.

q q q

"This year, we've had beautiful weather around the world and the world grew a massive crop. Outside of a 50-cent play up or down for seasonal lifts and as this crop gets locked away, the price won't move $1 or more until there's a shift in the weather. We need a surge in demand, a drought somewhere in the world and weakness in the U.S. dollar."

 Eugene Graner, president of Heartland Investor Services, on how good crops around the world impact the market.

q q q

"Last year, it seemed like it was all weeds. But you've got to be patient. There's something about wild plants, it's no flash in the pan."

 Bill Wagner, Hazen, one of 15 landowners in North Dakota participating in a multistate Honey Bee and Monarch Butterfly Partnership that involves Pheasants Forever as lead partner, along with honey producers, federal and state land and wildlife agencies and seed companies.

q q q

"The Lord makes this stuff grow. All I have to do is tend to it, and I'm happy to be able to get up every day and do it."

 Dwight Duke, who raises produce at Skyline Ranch Produce near Hensler.

q q q

"So we know that more and more students do want to come to live on the campus, and it really changes the complexion of the campus as we become more of a residence campus  as students live on campus, they interact on campus."

 Larry Skogen, president of Bismarck State College, on how the school is changing.

q q q

"We're all quite concerned about the number of police officer-involved shootings that we've had. There's more this year than in any one year I can ever remember up to this point."

 Sgt. Mark Buschena, after Bismarck police officers wounded a suspect on Monday night.

q q q

"It's a little more ambitious than just asking for help. We want to run this like a business. The charity side is what goes on in the church."

 Monsignor Chad Gion, discussing a coffee truck at the Spirit of Life Church in Mandan. The profits from the 2-month-old business support the food pantry and homeless outreach efforts of the church.

q q q

"We're not forcing law enforcement agencies to host these trainings. They're inviting us."

 TJ Jerke, the Humane Societys state director for North Dakota, on training classes offered to law enforcement on dealing with animal abuse cases.

q q q

"We are making history today."

 Leander "Russ" McDonald, president of United Tribes Technical College, on hosting the Bismarck City Commission.
The Madras High Court has refused to quash proceedings against industrialist A C Muthiah pending in an economic offences court here over filing of alleged distorted financial statements by the city-based First Leasing Financial Company of India of which he was a director.

Dismissing a petition by Muthiah, Justice P N Prakash yesterday held there were sufficient materials to proceed against him and rejected his contention that he cannot be vicariously held liable for the company's alleged offences.

Following an inspection in 2013, the Reserve Bank of India filed a complaint for prosecution of the company and its directors for publishing financial statements for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 allegedly containing false particulars and statements in order to make it look as if the firm was financially sound, on the strength of which huge loans were borrowed from various financial institutions.

Muthiah, who had resigned as director of the company in 2013, had sought to quash further proceedings on the file of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate/Economic Offences Court (EOW) II.

The judge disagreed with the petitioner's contention that the April 14, 2014 order of the EOW taking cognisance of the offence did not satisfy the test laid down by Supreme Court.

He said the fact remained that Muthiah was the director of the company until his alleged resignation on November 1, 2013.

There was a clear assertion in the complaint that the Board of Directors knew full well about the malpractices in accounting and in the teeth of this assertion, it cannot be held otherwise in a proceedings under section 482 of CrPC (power of high courts to quash proceedings), the judge said.

He also noted that according to the prosecution the distorted annual reports were signed by Farouk Irani, a co-accused, and Muthiah.

"... There are sufficient materials in the complaint for the prosecution to proceed as against A C Muthiah and his plea that he cannot be vicariously held liable for the alleged offences committed by A1 company stands rejected," he held.

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Torrential rains causing flooding in parts of the southern United States have killed at least three people, US media reported today, as millions of Americans on the East Coast sweat through soaring temperatures and stifling humidity.

Flooding in parts of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi shut down many roads yesterday, prompting numerous rescues and cutting off at least one town as an area of low pressure slowly moved west along the Gulf Coast.

Rivers and streams were out of their banks on yesterday, the National Weather Service said.

The floods killed at least three people yesterday, local media reported. Among them, a man in the Louisiana town of Zachary, near the capital Baton Rouge, drowned trying to escape flood waters, local television station WAFB reported.

"We were walking out and he slipped and fell," his roommate Vernon Drummond told the station. "He went under the water. We tried to save him, but we couldn't."



The area recorded 10 to 15 inches (25.4 to 38.1 cm) of rain, David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told AFP. Another 10 inches were expected in parts of Louisiana over the next two days.

"Even for them it's very unusual," Roth said.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and planned to hold a conference today morning after meeting with emergency officials.

"We are in constant contact with local officials and first responders, and assistance is already on the move to affected parishes," he said in a press release.

Layton Ricks, president of Livingston parish in the Baton Rouge area, told reporters that "we're experiencing one of the worst storm events we've ever had, with flash flooding."



He said roads that had never flooded were under water, and that the backlog of people waiting to be rescued was as long as 150, even after more than a thousand rescue operations had been carried out so far.

The National Weather Service warned of "significant flash flooding" through the weekend as the weather pattern moves north.

"A low- to mid-level cyclone over the Lower Mississippi Valley will slowly begin to lift northward into the Middle Mississippi Valley by Sunday evening into Monday," it said.

Entergy Louisiana said more than 7,500 customers were without power yesterday night.

On the East Coast, meanwhile, residents are spending the weekend hot under the collar amid excessive weather warnings in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

The combination of heat and humidity would make it feel as hot as 43 degrees Celsius in those cities.

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Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said "freebies" would no longer help the country develop and maintained that reforms were the need of the hour.

Naidu, while addressing students of Indian School of Business (ISB) here, said, the NDA government is committed to protecting the public sector units and at the same time would encourage private sector participation in India's growth story.

"We are following a particular model so far - Soviet model of Socialism - which proved to be not harmonious with the Indian situation. Now, we are changing our approach.

"Freebies (free power to public) can no longer take the country forward. We are trying to be populistic like (offering) free power," he said, while talking about the implementation of 'Smart Cities' project.

He said business and industry are vital for the growth of the country and the government would come forward to offer concessions to the industry if it is worthy.

"We are focusing on the 'ease of doing business' and removing the obstacles that are there in the business. We have no problems in giving necessary concessions, also so that the business grows and then value is added and employment is created," he asserted.

"Earlier, the slogan was Automation is anti-nation. Government gives priority to business and to the industry and removed all obstruction. Reforms are also need of the hour," the senior leader said.

Referring to accumulated losses of Air India and government-run hotels, he said the national carrier has loses to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore and it would impact the public indirectly.

"Now, public sector is also made accountable. If you don't perform and then you have to go on giving salaries (to the employees of those loss making PSUs), that is not possible. Of course, they should be given the comfort. We got to protect the public sector and at the same time encourage private sector," he said.

Meanwhile, in an apparent dig at Pakistan, he claimed, "our neighbour is abetting, funding and training terrorism without any hesitation."



"The entire country says one word that Kashmir is an integral part of India and even Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) has to be with India," he said.

He also requested political parties not to use the issues pertaining to Dalits for political advantages and categorically stated that law and order is state subject.

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The French resort of Cannes won court backing for its "burkini ban" today as a judge refused to overturn its decision to forbid Muslim women from wearing the full-body swimsuit.

Local authorities in the Riviera city, home to the famous Cannes film festival, moved to ban burkinis from beaches at the end of July. The nearby resort of Villeneuve-Loubet followed suit today.

Three women backed by the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) challenged the Cannes decision in court on yesterday, saying it was illegal and calling for it to be suspended.

But a court in Nice rejected the request, saying the move was legal under French law forbidding people from "invoking their religious beliefs to skirt common rules regulating relations between public authorities and private individuals".

The judge noted that the Cannes ban had been declared "in the context of the state of emergency and recent Islamist attacks, notably in Nice a month ago".

"The wearing of distinctive clothing, other than that usually worn for swimming, can indeed only be interpreted in this context as a straightforward symbol of religiosity," the ruling said.

CCIF lawyer Sefen Guez Guez said he would appeal the decision before France's highest administrative court, adding: "This decision opens the door to a ban on all religious symbols in the public space."



Anti-racism groups have expressed outrage at the burkini bans, which come at a highly sensitive time following a series of jihadist attacks in France.

Islamic dress has long been a hot-button issue in secular France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places. But there is no ban on wearing religious symbols or clothing.

Cannes mayor David Lisnard said he had signed off on the burkini ban out of "respect for good customs and secularism", a founding principle of the French republic.

In nearby Villeneuve-Loubet, mayor Lionnel Luca had a different justification for banning the garment, saying he made the decision for sanitary reasons.

"I was informed that there was a couple on one of our beaches where the wife was swimming fully dressed," said.

"I considered that unacceptable for hygienic reasons and that in general it was unwelcome."



He disputing charges that the burkini ban was discriminatory, saying it was intended "to avoid any disturbance to public order in the region which was hit by attacks".

Burkinis have also been in the headlines in France this week after a waterpark in the city of Marseille cancelled plans to host a private event for women wearing burkinis, following a public uproar.

France has been hit by three major terror attacks in 18 months, and the Islamic State group claimed two assaults on French territory in July.

On July 14 Nice was the target of an attack claimed by IS which killed 85 people, when an Algerian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day.

And on July 26, a priest was killed in his church in northwestern France by two attackers who had proclaimed their allegiance to IS.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Attacking the AAP government over Guru Gobind Singh Indrapastha University increasing its fees by 75 per cent, senior Congress leader Mukhesh Sharma today accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of cheating the youth by pushing the agenda of privatisation of education.

GGSIPU, a Delhi-government run university has increased its annual fees by 75 per cent this academic session. Around 5,000 students are enrolled in the 11 University Schools of Studies (USS) in the university.

"Not only the Kejriwal government has cheated the youth, but it is also pushing the agenda of privatisation of education. We demand that the fees hike be rolled back immediately," Sharma said.

"Why has the fees been increased when students have not been given any additional facility? Also, they have not increased the number of seats. We will resist this attempt of the AAP government to force students to move outside Delhi to pursue higher studies," he said.

IP University officials said the board of management (BOM) had in June approved the decision of revising the fees.

The admission fees charged by self-financing institutes has also been hiked in keeping with the recommendations made by the State Fee Regulatory Committee set up by the Delhi government in February 2013 to determine fees in private institutions in Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today expressed disappointment over the outcome of the All Party Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the "refusal" of the Centre to acknowledge the gravity of the situation in Kashmir will flare up the current unrest.

"It is disappointing how the central government had turned its focus on the tried, tested and failed formulations of looking at the issue in Kashmir through the prism of Pakistan and radicalisation," the former Chief Minister said in a statement here.

"The unrest in Kashmir is not because of Pakistan. While suggesting so might be politically expedient and convenient for the Centre, it comes with the unimaginable risk of alienating the people of Kashmir to an irrevocable and irreparable limit. When that limit is breached, no amount of rhetoric or grandstanding will help," he said.

He expressed dismay at the "refusal" of the government to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.

"I am dismayed that New Delhi has yet again refused to acknowledge the gravity of the already volatile situation in the Valley. This will add further fuel to the current unrest," Omar said.

Launching a scathing attack on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he accused it of advancing an anti-Kashmir narrative and insulting the Kashmiris.

"Whose interests is PDP trying to serve by distorting the ground reality in Kashmir? Towards what self-serving political goal does PDP want to insult and defame the people of Kashmir?



"Given how PDP has provided the central government with an opportunity to advance an inherently anti-Kashmir narrative, it is not surprising that the All Party Meeting turned out to be a cruel, practical joke with the people of Kashmir," the former Chief Minister said.

He said people expected the Prime Minister to go beyond the "traditional BJP line" of talking to the alienated youth of Kashmir through Pakistan.

He said PDP should know that the political sentiment in Kashmir was neither due to ISIS nor a revival of the Khilafat movement as was alleged by PDP Vice President Muzaffar Baig at the All Party Meet.

"The spurt in local boys most of whom are educated and from affluent backgrounds joining militant ranks has nothing to do with either ISIS nor the revival of the Khilafat movement.

"The root cause of growing alienation in Kashmir is New Delhi's continued refusal to acknowledge that the issue in Kashmir is a political issue and its consequent refusal to engage with the people of Kashmir for a sustainable solution," Omar said.

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Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, said on Saturday her ministry will offer special subsidies to smaller food processing units in a bid to encourage them.

"If you add food processing service to the cold chain, our ministry has decided to provide 50 per cent subsidy. If you only set up cold chain for storage and use cold chain vehicles to transport materials to food processing units, we will provide 35 per cent subsidy," Jyoti said.

She was speaking at a programme on food processing organised by industry body, Assocham here.

"Our ministry will soon issue guidelines on the same. This will help save crops of smaller farmers from destruction and provide better quality food to consumers," she said.

"I am happy to share that our proposal to set up 200 small food processing units has been given go ahead by the Cabinet. Such units can be set up at an investment of Rs 15-20 crore, and is not restricted by land requirement," Jyoti said.

She also said that her ministry is talking to railway ministry to create a system wherein cold chain bogies can be added to super-fast trains, specially for perishable items.

"Our ministry is coordinating with the railway ministry on this. If this happens, it will be a big step in the direction of food processing," she said.

Jyoti said that a big step taken by the Centre has been to separate food processing ministry from agriculture, which has spurred reforms in this sector.

"Without proper processing system, crops get destroyed. China's focus on food processing system has paid dividend, while we have lagged behind. I would like to congratulate that PM Modi who worked to strengthen the food processing sector by making a separate ministry, which was earlier working under agriculture ministry," she said.
Voicing concern over the spillover of the Kashmir unrest to various parts of Jammu region, BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma today said the government will take measures to prevent "anti-national" elements from vitiating the atmosphere in the region.

"The forces, which are trying to disrupt the peace in Jammu and Kashmir, get support from Pakistan and they don't want to see peace in the state.

"Now they are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Jammu region's Kishtwar, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri but the government will not allow them to succeed," Sharma, MP from Jammu-Poonch, said.

Sharma hoped the ongoing unrest in Kashmir valley would end soon and that peace and normalcy would be restored in the region.

"The Centre and the state government are serious about restoring peace and normalcy in Kashmir and it was made clear in yesterday's All Party Meeting on Kashmir," he said.

A magistrate, an SSP and three other police officers were among 47 people injured yesterday in stone pelting in Doda district of Jammu region.

Over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, the former party state chief said it would be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after it the state Assembly passes it.

"I must tell you that the GST Bill, which was passed in parliament, would also be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after it gets passed in the next session of the state Assembly," he said.

Sharma said all the apprehensions of the finance ministers of the states have already been addressed in the bill and they have agreed to implement GST in their respective states.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has agreed to start a new train service from Jammu to Haridwar which will be flagged off tomorrow, he said.

"People of Jammu region, especially Hindus, used to face problems because of only one train available to Haridwar but from tomorrow a new train service will be started connecting Jammu with Haridwar," Sharma said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the All Party Meeting made it clear that the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an "integral" part of India and the Pakistan government and its Army is engaged in wide spread human rights violation in these areas.

"The people of PoK and Baluchistan are the worst victim of human rights violation and the people of Jammu and Kashmir welcome the statement of the Prime Minister in which he said that Pakistan would be exposed for such violations," Sharma said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump has found at least one supporter for his allegation that the US administration founded the Islamic State group.

The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group quoted Trump at a rally in the country's south today, saying the presidential candidate's statements were based on facts.

Hassan Nasrallah says: "this is an American presidential candidate who is saying this. What he says is based on facts and documents."



Trump this week described President Barack Obama as the "founder" of IS. Trump later said the claim was intended as sarcasm.

Nasrallah, who has sent thousands of his fighters to Syria to shore up President Bashar Assad's forces, has long claimed that the US helped create and fuel the rise of Islamic extremists to destabilise the Middle East.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The unit of the BJP launched the 'Yaad Karo Kurbani' (remember the sacrifices) fortnight, from August 9 to August 23, to remind the people of the sacrifices of the freedom fighters and to honour them at their native places.

BJP state vice-president Ganesh Dutt said those from who fought the British and made the supreme sacrifice for the country, would be honoured at their native places by Union ministers.

Union minister Mohinder Nath Pandey would visit Dhaar in Jubbal district on August 22 to honour late Bhagmal Sohta, while another Union minister, Ajay Tamta, would honour Hakam Singh at Bari village in Dehra sub-division of Kangra district on August 18, said Dutt.

Other freedom fighters from the state too would be honoured under a programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inculcate the spirit of nationalism among the youth by making them aware of their sacrifices, he added.

Meanwhile,former state BJP chief and Shimla MLA Suresh Bharadwaj launched a campaign, '70 years of freedom-remember the sacrifices', to recall the contribution of the freedom fighters.

He said the youth must be made aware of the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters so that they draw inspiration from their lives.

Bharadwaj asked party workers, especially the Mahila Morcha, to reach out to the people and inform them of the achievements of the BJP-led government at the Centre.
FARGO -- Groups in the Fargo-Moorhead area working to address the opioid and heroin epidemic taking a growing number of lives are inviting local clergy to join in the fray.

Its a whole team effort, said U.S. Attorney Chris Myers, who describes himself as one of many who are organizing campaigns across the region in response to the growing problem of opioid addiction.

Myers said communities of faith are uniquely qualified to assist in the battle because, for some people fighting addiction, affiliation with a congregation may be the only family or support structure in their lives -- which is critical to success and recovery, he said. Without that, people are often on their own.

Myers said that through youth ministries, all communities of faith can engage with young people in a positive way before they embark on a path that leads to trouble.

Its hard to reach kids and get them to listen; the faith community has a significant influence over their congregations, he said.

Myers added that Gerri Leach, executive director of a local organization called Jail Chaplains, has been instrumental in enlisting the participation of local clergy in getting the word out about the deadly risks people take when they use the increasingly potent drugs snaking their way into communities.

The federal prosecutor said an organizing meeting with local clergy is planned for Aug. 23, which will be followed by a communitywide forum from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 7 at Fargo South High School.

That forum will be the third Arms Wide Open event, following two held earlier this year -- one at West Fargo High School and another at the Fargo Theatre.

The first event featured speakers and a panel discussion, while the second centered on a video documentary of the dangers of opioid addiction followed by a discussion of community members.

Myers said the Sept. 7 event will feature Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Chuck Rosenberg, as well as North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley and Cass County States Attorney Birch Burdick.

The event will also include resource booths showcasing support services available to those with addictions and their families.

Myers said each forum is intended to include as many people and organizations as possible.

This issue affects everybody in the community -- everybody, he said.
Over a dozen peace-promoting organisations in Mumbai under the banner of the Gandhi-Edhi Campaign today said the prime ministers of India and Pakistan should resume bilateral talks and create a conducive atmosphere for the SAARC summit in Islamabad in November.

Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif had the greatest responsibility to ensure success of the summit, Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman of Observer Research Foundation, said.

"If Indo-Pak relations remain frosty, and if bilateral talks do not resume, there is every danger of the SAARC summit ending in a fiasco. The entire South Asian region will be a big loser," he said.

Describing South Asia as the most populous but least socio-economically integrated region in the world, Kulkarni said the people of SAARC countries should put pressure on their respective governments to take concrete steps to promote regional cooperation.

"Pakistan must adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and religious extremism, without making any distinction between 'good' and 'bad' terrorists. There should be no more redrawing of national boundaries in South Asia."



Participants at a meeting organised by ORF and other groups which are part of the Gandhi-Edhi campaign here took a pledge to promote the noble traditions of Mahatma Gandhi and Abdul Sattar Edhi, the legendary Pakistani humanitarian who passed away last month, and other great personalities who symbolised service of humanity as the best form of worship of god.

Addressing the meeting via video link from Karachi, Faisal Edhi, who is continuing his late father's philanthropic work, said India and Pakistan should unitedly fight against poverty, unemployment, disease and socio-economic backwardness.

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India on Saturday raised with China its blocking of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar's banning by the UN as well as Beijing's opposition to India's NSG membership bid for which the two sides agreed to have a meeting soon between their top disarmament officials.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during their talks, also decided to put in place a new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries to discuss various aspects of bilateral ties which have witnessed strain in the recent past.

Swaraj also conveyed to Wang, India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during the three-hour-long discussion including over lunch.

They reviewed the situation on the border and discussed further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity.

Earlier in the day, Wang also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a number of issues were discussed during the 20-minute-long meeting.

"Lengthy discussion were held on India's NSG membership. Swaraj outlined importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21. India offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that the DGs of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon," official sources said.

China had scuttled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), evoking a strong reaction from India.

India had said China was the only country that put a road block to its NSG membership.

Swaraj also raised the issue of China blocking India's efforts to get JeM chief Azhar, mastermind of the Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks, banned by the UN.

"China's technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UNSC 1267 Committee was also taken up. China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism," the sources said.

They said the situation on the border was also reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity were discussed.

"A new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries agreed to discuss ties," the sources said.
An inter-state gang of thieves was unearthed with the arrest of two of its members from Delhi-Agra Highway here and jewelery worth lakhs was seized from their possession, police said today.

The duo, identified as Haresh alias Krishna Rathore and Shivnarayan alias Bhoora Thakur, was yesterday arrested by a Special Operations Group (SOG) while the kingpin of the gang Devendra Chauhan, a resident of Agra, had managed to flee, SP Alok Priyadarshani said.

The gang was active in Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Palwal and Bharatpur, the accused told during interrogation.

Police have also recovered stolen ATM cards and laptop from a house where they used to keep the stolen items in Farah area here, the SP said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The nephew of the governor of a key province where Iraqi forces are battling the Islamic State group has been gunned down in the country's north, officials said today.

The shooting in Iraqi Kurdish regional capital Arbil came just hours after Nowfal al-Aqoub, the governor of Nineveh, made controversial remarks about children being fathered by IS fighters in the province.

The killing of Aqoub's nephew, who was also his personal driver, comes as Iraqi forces prepare for the battle to retake Mosul, the capital of Nineveh and the last city in the country still held by the jihadists.

Sifuk Watban al-Sultan died of a single gunshot to the head yesterday night near the governor's house in Arbil, the governor's secretary told AFP, asking that he not be identified by name.

A Nineveh provincial councillor, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed Sultan's death, saying that Kurdish security forces had subsequently removed surveillance cameras from the house as part of the investigation.

The motive for the killing was not immediately clear, but it came after Aqoub made remarks at a conference in Baghdad earlier yesterday that were criticised by a political rival.

The governor said that IS fighters had fathered children under temporary marriages as part of so-called "sexual jihad", a practice used by the jihadist group to motivate its militants.

Some of the women involved -including some of those who travelled to the Middle East to support IS- have apparently participated voluntarily, but others may have been coerced.

While Aqoub was apparently criticising IS, the office of former parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi issued a statement accusing him of insulting the women of Mosul.

Iraqi forces have been conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to retake Mosul from IS, which has held it since June 2014, but they still have significant ground to cover as well as logistical preparations to make before a final assault can be launched.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
group jihadists have released hundreds of civilians used as human shields while fleeing a crumbling stronghold in northern Syria, but the fate of remained unknown today.

The last remaining IS fighters abandoned Manbij near the Turkish border on Friday after a rout that the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes".

The retreat from the city, which IS captured in 2014, marked the jihadists' worst defeat yet at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurdish alliance supported by US air strikes.

Fleeing jihadists took around 2,000 civilians, including women and children, on Friday to ward off air strikes as they headed to the IS-held frontier town of Jarabulus, according to the SDF.

At least some of the civilians were later released or escaped, the alliance said on Saturday, but the whereabouts of the rest was unknown.

"There are no more IS fighters" left in Manbij, an SDF member said.

Kurdish television showed footage of jubilant civilians in Manbij, including smiling mothers who had shed their veils and women embracing Kurdish fighters.

A woman burned a black robe that the jihadists had forced residents to wear, while men who had lived for weeks under a shaving ban cut their beards with scissors.

"The battle was very hard," a Kurdish source told AFP.

"And the jihadists had laid mines" in the city.

"One SDF fighter entered a house on Friday and saw a shoe placed on a Koran. When he removed it there was an explosion and he was killed," this source said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, reported that several hundred of the civilians taken from the city were no longer being held by IS.

"Among the civilians taken by IS there were people used as human shields but also many who chose voluntarily to leave the town due to fear of reprisals" by the SDF, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF launched an assault in May on Manbij, on a key jihadist supply route between the Turkish border and IS's de facto Syrian capital Raqa.

The jihadists, who have suffered a string of losses in Syria and Iraq, have often staged mass abductions when they come under pressure to relinquish territory they hold.
An Islamic preacher has been taken into custody from nearby Panur for his alleged links with terror outfit Islamic State (IS), police said today.

The man had taken classes for 11 of the 21 persons from Kerala who are missing and are suspected to have joined the IS, they said.

"We have taken a person into custody. Verification is on. As of now, we cannot conclude if he has any links with IS," Kannur District Police Chief Kori Sanjaykumar Gurudin told PTI.

Mohammed Hanif, who hails from Kambalakkad in Wynad was taken into custody from Panur last night, police said.

A Mumbai police team is also in Kannur and are verifying if he was the one against whom a case had also been registered in Mumbai, they added.

Hanif is reported to have worked as preacher in various places, police said.

On August 8, police had said of the 21 persons who went gone missing from the state, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad.

They include four women and three children. Their disappearance came to light last month after the families approached officials in Kasaragod.

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A 20-year-old IUML worker was allegedly hacked to death by some unidentified persons in Vadakara here, triggering tension in the area.

Aslam was riding a two-wheeler when a group of persons who came in a car attacked him around 6 pm yesterday. He was admitted to a private hospital here but succumbed to injuries around 10 pm, police said



He was recently acquitted by a court in the case related to the murder of DYFI activist Shibin last year.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today condemned the murder, even as the opposition UDF of which IUML is a major partner protesting the killing.

Talking to reporters, Vijayan described the murder as "unfortunate" and said a special team would probe it.

Restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed today for the next ten days in seven police station limits in Vadakara and Nadappuram areas in the aftermath of the murder, police said.

Police personnel have been deployed in strength at important locations. Besides, ten mobile units patrolling the areas, they said.

19-year-old Shibin was murdered allegedly by an armed group atThooneri in Nadapuram in January last year.

Police had booked Aslam and 16 others in connection with the murder. A special additional sessions court here in June this year had acquitted all the accused.

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Scores of Jamia Millia Islamia students today staged a protest alleging that "surprise checks" were made by Delhi Police in their hostels.

While the students dubbed them as "raids", police officials maintained that they were part of routine checks being conducted in that area ahead of Independence Day.

"This is a breach of students' constitutional rights. What is the fear of security from students that they are conducting raids in hostels," a protesting student said.

The students gheraoed the Chief Proctor Mehtab Alam's office and shouted slogans against him for allegedly allowing police on campus.

Jamia officials maintained that the police authorities visited the campus for routine verification.

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Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the upcoming Jang-E-Azaadi memorial here will give much needed boost to tourism in the region.

Interacting with the officials during his visit to the memorial site, he said the state-of-the-art memorial will put Punjab on the world tourist map.

He said it would play a vital role in acquainting younger generation about the saga of great sacrifices made by martyrs especially from Punjab to free their motherland from the yoke of British imperialism.

"I am sure once completed this world class memorial will be a perfect blend of grandeur, aesthetics and architecture" added Badal.

The Chief Minister said it was a matter of pride for every Punjabi that "more than 80 per cent of people who laid their life for country during the national freedom struggle hailed from the state".

However, he bemoaned that there was not even a single memorial of such heroes either at national or state level due to which people were unaware of their immense contribution.

"Therefore being true custodian of rich cultural heritage of state it is our bounden duty to construct this memorial", the CM said.

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Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Malayalam filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan's 50th year in cinema and his 75th birthday will be celebrated by screening his films and documentaries on his life in Kerala.

The Federation of the Film Societies of India's Kerala chapter will organise a three-day film festival here from tomorrow, in which six feature films by Adoor and three documentaries on his works will be screened.

"Nizhalkooth", "Vidheyan", "Mathilukal", "Elipathayam", "Anantharam" and "Swayamvaram" will be among his movies to be screened at the Lenin Balavadi here from August 14 to 16, Federation members said.

Documentaries "Images/Reflections" by Girish Kasaravalli, "Bhoomiyude Chuvadurach" by Vipin Vijay, "Lights on Adoor" by Prasanna Ramaswamy, to be screened on these days, would throw light on the life and exemplary filmmaking of the iconic Director.

Noted critics like C S Venkateswaran, Vijayakrishnan and Meerasahib are expected to be participated in a seminar on the works of Adoor, who turned 75 last month, in the city on August 16.

A large number of people from the film and literary fraternity including eminent writers Sethu and Perumbadavam Sreedharan, director Kamal and actor Madhu, are expected to take part in another felicitation programme at Ganesham open air auditorium here on August 17.

Adoor would be felicitated by his friends from various walks of life during the event.

A caricature show connecting his movies would be a novel experience for the participants.

A live interview with the filmmaker would also be another highlight of the programme, its organsiers said. Adoor's latest movie, "Pinneyum" ('Once Again'), starring Dileep and Kavya Madhavan, will hit the screens next week.

It is after eight years that the multi-time national award winning director is helming a film.

He has scripted and directed 11 feature films and about 30 shorts and documentaries and majority of them had won awards and honours at the state, national and international levels. "Swayamvaram", "Kathapurushan", "Kodiyettam", "Elipathayam", "Vidheyan", "Mathilukal", "Oru Peunnum Randanum" are among his hit films.

His debut feature film, "Swayamvaram", won the National Awards for best film, best director, best cameraman and best actress.

Adoor's third feature, "Elippathayam" won the coveted British Film Institute Award for the most original and imaginative film of 1982.

In 2006, he received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the country's highest national honour for lifetime achievement in cinema.

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WILLISTON  North Dakota oil production fell 2 percent in June to less than 1.03 million barrels per day, the Department of Mineral Resources said Friday.

The drop of more than 20,000 barrels per day puts the states oil production at its lowest point since April 2014, said Director Lynn Helms.

Low oil prices continue to be the cause for the slowdown, with prices that seem to be stuck between $40 and $48, Helms said. The price needs to hit at least $50 for increased hydraulic fracturing activity in North Dakota.

Being stuck in that band is tough, especially during these good weather months when there could be a lot of activity, Helms said. Thats causing production to continue to slide.

Helms expects oil production will drop below 1 million barrels per day by the end of the year and plateau around 900,000 barrels per day.

Companies completed 44 new oil wells in June, bringing the number of wells that have been drilled but waiting on fracking crews to 887.

In order to maintain production, companies need to add 70 to 80 new wells each month, Helms said.

In addition, Helms said hes hearing anecdotally that more companies are shutting in wells or restricting production due to the most recent price drop.

Operators are pretty frustrated and not willing to liquidate their oil assets at those low prices, Helms said.

The state had 33 active drilling rigs on Friday, which is higher than the low of 25 hit earlier this year but still at May 2009 activity levels.

While oil production dropped, natural gas production increased 1 percent in June to nearly 1.67 billion cubic feet per day. Helms attributes the increase to the focus of activity on the prolific core of the Bakken, where wells produce more natural gas.

Even though natural gas production increased, the amount of gas flared decreased, continuing a trend for the industry. The percentage of gas flared decreased from 11.5 percent to 9.8 percent in June, according to the preliminary figures.

With the oil price above $40, companies are putting workover rig crews to work and repairing wells that had been inactive, Helms said. The states inactive well count dropped 98 in June to 1,486.

The amount of Bakken crude being hauled by rail continues to drop due to market conditions that are driving more barrels to be shipped by pipeline, said Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority.

Just over 300,000 barrels per day left Bakken rail terminals in June, with the majority headed to the East Coast, followed by the West Coast refineries, Kringstad said.

About 29 percent of Bakken crude was transported by rail in June compared to 57 percent by pipeline.

The state had an uptick of oil transported by truck north to Canadian pipelines in June, which Kringstad said is likely in part due to the Fort McMurray wildfire in Alberta.
A local court today remanded L H Hiranandani Hospital CEO and four doctors in judicial custody till August 26 in connection with an alleged kidney transplant racket.

Hospital CEO Sujit Chatterjee, medical director Anurag Naik, Mukesh Shetye, Mukesh Shaha and Prakash Shetye, who were arrested on Wednesday, were sent to 14-day judicial custody by Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Bandra.

The five doctors also filed bail applications in the court, which is likely to be heard on Tuesday.

They were arrested under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act on the basis of a report by the Director of State Health.

Yesterday, a local sessions court had rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of two doctors - Veena Swelikar (a general surgeon) and Suvin Shetty (a consulting pathologist).

The racket was exposed after the police were tipped off that a kidney transplant operation had been scheduled on July 14 at the privately-run Hiranandani Hospital in Powai, where donor and recipient were not related.

Following the bust-up, nine persons, including the donor, receiver and agents were arrested.

The operation on Brijkishor Jaiswal, the recipient, was stopped at the last moment as police found that the woman who was donating the kidney to him was not his real wife, contrary to the papers submitted by the duo.

The woman had pretended to be Jaiswal's wife only to be able to donate him the kidney for monetary gains, according to the police.

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Lanco Infratech today said its board has approved sale of its solar power arm, with generation capacity of 35 MW, to its subsidiary Lanco Property Management Company Pvt by way of slump sale.

"The board of directors on August 12, 2016, approved the sale of solar power undertaking... Comprising 35 MW by way of slump sale to Lanco Property Management Company Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary," Lanco Infratech told BSE today.

The rationale for slump sale is to securitise the cash flows and ring-fence debt servicing of the solar undertaking.

The consideration will be in the form of allotment of shares of Lanco Property.

Net worth of solar power undertaking is Rs 32.17 crore, 1.82 per cent of total net worth of Lanco Infratech.

The company's website showed that Lanco Property was incorporated as a professionally-managed firm to manage investor funds meant for the real estate sector.

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A local Congress leader was shot at by a person known to him near his residence in Bowenpally area in Secunderabad here today, police said.

The victim, identified as D Yadgiri, is undergoing treatment at a hospital and is stated to be out of danger.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said as per the initial information given by Yadgiri, a person with whom he had a land dispute opened fire on him.

The incident took place between 11 am and 11.30 am.

"Yadgiri said he was shot by a person known to him. We are investigating as to what the dispute is. We found that at least two rounds were fired at him. The victim ran into a nearby hospital to save himself. Later he came to the police station and registered a complaint," Reddy said.

"The assailant also tried to chase Yadgiri and entered that hospital, but later disappeared from the spot," he said.

Reddy said they found two weapons -- one in a dustbin at the hospital and the other with the victim.

A senior police official added that apart from the two bullets, they have also recovered four empty shells from the crime scene.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) spokesman Mahesh said, "Yadgiri's daughter had unsuccessfully contested the recently-held elections of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)."



Further investigation into the case is on.

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Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central US Gulf Coast today, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in homes by waist-high water and leaving one man dead who became trapped by floodwaters.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency as rescue workers in the southeastern part of the state braced for more precipitation through the weekend. Edwards was scheduled to return to Louisiana later today to deal with the situation. He had been in Colorado for a meeting of the Democratic Governors Association.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing their banks and threatening widespread flooding after extreme rainfall that began yesterday, the National Weather Service reported.

A spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said one man died today after slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary. Casey Rayborn Hicks identified the victim as 68-year-old William Mayfield. His body was found around noon today.

William "Beau" Clark, the parish coroner, ruled the death "an accidental drowning."



Mike Steele, a spokesman for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said requests were coming in for high-water vehicles, boats and sandbags. Tangipahoa Parish in the state alone requested tens of thousands of sandbags.

A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday morning across most of south Louisiana. The weather service said in a statement that an additional 3 to 5 inches could fall over the area.

In south Alabama, a flood watch was in effect today as rain fell in the Mobile area.

The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs, both in Louisiana, were predicted to set record crests over the weekend. Forecaster Alek Krautmann said both rivers could flood many houses in suburban areas near Baton Rouge.

He also said that flooding downstream in Ascension Parish is a threat, as those swollen rivers will be slow to drain into Lake Maurepas.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded at 9 a.M. Today.

Rescuers were still plucking people from floodwaters in Amite and Wilkinson counties in southwest Mississippi. Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued earlier today near Gloster.

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BJP MP from Hamirpur and BCCI president lashed out at Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for allegedly "shielding mafias" while the common man was suffering.

"Only mafias are flourishing under the Virbhadra Singh government while the common man is suffering," he said after launching the 'Tiranga Yatra' of his party to celebrate 70 years of Independence at Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district.

Noting that as many as 70 "pro-people" initiatives of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre would be highlighted during the 'yatra', Thakur said, "It is extremely unfortunate that in spite of progressive initiatives of the Centre, the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has failed miserably to implement the social welfare schemes in right earnest."

"Instead, drugs, mining, liquor and forest mafias are prospering in the state and its resources are being plundered. The government is a party to this plunder and loot," he alleged.

The BJP leader claimed that there was a time when Himachal Pradesh was the number one state with over 75 awards but now, it had dropped to the 22nd spot with a debt liability of over Rs 45,384 crore.

"The farmers are in distress, the unemployed youth is restive, governance has failed and the visionless government is helpless," Thakur alleged.
A man set a train carriage in Switzerland on fire using a flammable liquid and also stabbed passengers today, injuring six people, including a six-year-old child, police said.

The man, a 27-year-old Swiss citizen, carried out the attack on a train travelling in Switzerland's far east, along its border with Liechtenstein, and was also injured, regional police in St Gallen said in a statement.

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A multi-layer security blanket has been thrown around the Red Fort, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation, and adjoining areas ahead of the Independence Day.

More than 8,000 security personnel, including 5,000 men from Delhi Police, have been tasked with ensuring foolproof security arrangement at the venue where a large number of foreign dignitaries and general public will be present on the occasion, a senior police official said.

A special team of NSG snipers and commandos will form the inner layers of the security cordon. Anti-aircraft guns have been deployed to thwart any aerial intrusion by objects like drones and projectiles, they said.

Also, police are surveying the areas in the vicinity of the Red Fort and have collected details of over 9,000 people residing there.

The buildings facing the Red Fort will be secured by police and paramilitary personnel.

Panoramic photography will be used to ensure a close watch on 605 balconies and 104 windows that open towards Red Fort. Security agencies have also marked out over 3,000 trees in the area, said the officials.

Army and NSG officials will run a special communication and command centre to keep a close watch on the proceedings of the day at Red Fort.

Metro stations nearby will be closed till the Prime Minister will be at the venue, whose security is the task of the Special Protection Group and the Defence Ministry, officials said.

Special measures will be taken to meet "on-the-spot situations" such as the Prime Minister choosing to meet people at the venue as he previously did twice, they said.

Security along the route to be taken by the Prime Minister's cavalcade from 7 RCR to Red Fort will be monitored with the help of hundreds of CCTV cameras.

Besides, 200 CCTVs and two high-mast, high-resolution cameras, managed by three control rooms, will keep under observation the Red Fort premises.

Special spotters of Delhi Police and paramilitary will keep an eye on parking areas. Over 60 sniffer dogs of paramilitary forces and Delhi Police will also be part of the extensive security arrangement.

Delhi Police has already prohibited aerial activities including para-gliding, flying UAVs and hot air baloons till October 10.

Preliminary security arrangements were made in July and senior police and intelligence officials have been regularly updating them to weed out any shortcomings and glitches.

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Naval divers today located wreckage of the second MSRTC bus which was washed away in the turbulent Savitri river near Mahad in Raigad district after a British-era bridge collapsed on August 2.

"Continuing search operations on Day 10 at Savitri River, the naval divers located one more wreckage assessed to be part of the second bus (Jaigad-Mumbai).

Post recovery of first bus on August 11, search was continued downstream. The wreckage is 400 meters from the bridge in an area where strong currents are observed. The wreckage is completely submerged in around 5 meters depth," a Defence spokesperson said.

"It is assessed that the wreckage is recoverable. NDRF teams are being informed and a crane for recovery of the wreckage is being requested," spokesperson Commander Rahul Sinha said in a statement here.

On Thursday, wreckage of Rajapur-Borivali MSRTC bus was retrieved approximately 170 and 200 meters from the collapsed bridge.

After the Navy divers located the bus, braving strong currents and crocodiles in the river, NDRF teams were summoned to retrieve it.

The Indian Navy team comprising personnel specialising in diving was searching for the wreckage and survivors since the morning of August 4, braving high water current and crocodile hotbeds in the river.

So far, 26 bodies have been recovered and nearly 14 are still missing and feared dead after two State Transport buses and some other vehicles fell in the swollen river following the bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad in Raigad district, about 170 kms from here.

The bridge was to be dismantled last December as part of the Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion project.

Meanwhile, anxious kin of the deceased who were camping at the rescue site have left the place.

Sanjay Patil, Additional SP of Raigad police said, "The local MIDC Mahad police has registered a case of accidental deaths of 26 people whose bodies have been recovered while a missing case has been registered for those whose bodies have not been found so far.

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Director General of O P Singh said the department has requested the Centre to set up its own air wing and expressed hope the appeal would be granted soon.

The Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has sent a proposal to the Home Ministry for its air wing around six months ago, Singh said.

Singh who was heading a team to Jharkhand following flash floods in Chatra, Garhwa and other places, said the situation were under control.

He said there is a regional response team in Ranchi but five acre land was required to function it fully.

teams were also at Deoghar and Ranchi, he said and added such teams are stationed at nine places following flood situation in neighbour Bihar.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has again made the demanded of special category status for Bihar saying it will make the state a major contributor in the nation's growth.

He raised the issue in a letter to NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya in response to his letter over formulation of vision and strategy for the period beyond the 12th Five Year Plan.

"For us to realise the dream of developed India and developed Bihar by 2030, it is absolutely necessary to relook and consider the lack of resources of less developed states like Bihar and its demand for special category status," he said in the letter, made available to the media today.

Kumar stressed on regional imbalances since Independence as the country witnessed different trajectory of development and deprivations which, he said, has resulted in creation of "island of development within the country."



"Bihar with a population of 8 per cent of the country's population contributes only about 3 per cent of the national GDP. It has always been our quest to be a contributor and not a drag to national growth. This can be achieved if the 8 per cent population of Bihar contributes say 10 per cent to the national GDP," he added.

The delay in redefining poverty measurement and release of socio-economic-caste census 2011 data is regressive, Kumar said in the letter.

"One size fit all or centralised strategy" has never worked or can never be fruitful for the country, he said.

"The government of India initiates entitlement & habitation based planning which would galvanise the planning process in meeting the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) challenges," he said.

The Bihar CM also pointed out that reduction in central allocation and alterations in the funding pattern of various centrally-sponsored schemes has resulted in increased burden on the states.

The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna was earlier fully funded by the Centre but now the states have to pay 40 per cent of the cost affecting states like Bihar, he said.

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Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault was arrested Friday afternoon at a protest rally where the Dakota Access Pipeline is headed toward the Missouri River just north of the reservation boundary.

Archambault was booked into the Morton County Jail and released on bond late afternoon. He was charged with disorderly conduct for pushing back on a police line formed when protesters tried to prevent pipeline workers from leaving the site. Tribal councilman Dana Yellow Fat was also arrested Friday as were four others who attempted to block pipeline workers trying to reach the work site early this morning.

Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said a total of 18 men and women have been arrested over the two-day protest, most for disorderly conduct, and two for a more serious charge of criminal trespass.

Protesters also surged toward the pipeline when word spread through the crowd that human bones had been uncovered by pipeline workers. Tribal historian and protest organizer LaDonna Brave Bull Allard confirmed that no human remains were found, though it's possible what was found will be investigated as a cultural site though it is not on the reservation.

Kirchmeier said Friday's number of protesters appeared to be about the same as Thursday, when about 225 to 250 people gathered alongside Highway 1806 to sing, pray and draw attention to the pipeline. They fear it will rupture and contaminate their water, downstream water and disrupt sacred sites. Pipeline construction started in late May but it was only this week that it moved onto location near the reservation where it will be bored very near the confluence of the Missouri and Cannonball rivers.

The protesters were joined Thursday by Shailene Woodley, the heroine of a major movie series Divergent, a futuristic film based in an apocalyptic world. Woodley said she shares worries about clean and available water and has been involved in the Standing Rock protest since February. She helped with the protest petition delivered to Washington, D.C., ran two days with the petition runners and told the Bismarck Tribune she plans to stay with the cause until they (Dakota Access) pack up and leave. I stand in solidarity with these people.

Archambault and the tribal council have sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in federal district court, seeking an injunction that will be heard Aug. 24. The tribe hopes to delay the project for an expanded environmental review. The corps issued easements for two Missouri River crossings after conducting a less rigorous Environmental Assessment.

Archambault was unavailable for comment.

The pipeline will be an underground artery of Bakken crude, pulsing nearly a half-million barrels daily from the oil patch to near Chicago. The 1,100-mile delivery will pass through North Dakota and South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.

Pipeline organizers say the number of protesters will keep growing and they expect busloads from regional reservations to join them in coming days.
72 doctors and 158 employees of various Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the district will lose one-day salary after they were found absent from duty.

During a surprise inspection led by DM Jagatraj at 30 PHCs including PL Sharma district hospital, several doctors and employees were found absent from their duty following which the DM has decided to cut their one-day salary, a district spokesperson said.

The DM said they should reach at health centres on time to serve the public.

He asked the doctors to refrain from private practice and said strict actions will be taken against them, if found guilty.

The District Magistrate also warned of action against the doctors who prescribe medicines that are unavailable at PHCs.

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Over three thousand Haj pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh are set to fly to Mecca and Medina between August 17 and September 5.

"A total number of 1,485 Muslims are scheduled to fly to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia from Indore between August 17 and August 27 for the Haj pilgrimage. Thereafter, 1,260 devotees will fly from Bhopal between August 28 and September 5," MP Haj Committee (MPHC) Chairman Inayat Hussain Qureshi told reporters here.

Around 150 Muslims from the state will leave for Haj from Nagpur on August 25 -26, he added.

"Besides, an additional quota for 162 Haj pilgrims has been cleared by the state government," Qureshi said adding that with this more than 3,000 devotees are scheduled to go on Haj yatra.

MPHC Chairman said that a Haj House has been built in Bhopal adding that a place for similar facility for faithful is being scouted for here.

He said that the quota of Haj pilgrims in MP was based on the 2001 Census, adding that it should be decided on the basis of 2011 Census, so that more Muslims can visit the holy places.

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One of the world's most famous university rivalries just got more interesting today with Oxford University clocking over 2,400 more undergraduate entrance applications than Cambridge.

As many as 19,124 teenagers applied to Oxford this year compared to 16,719 wanting to get into Cambridge, even though the former has 3,200 places available, 300 fewer than Cambridge's 3,500 available spots.

"This incredible competition between them keeps them on their toes and it is part of their success. It can look elitist and small-minded but it actually helps ensure that the two universities continue to be world-class," Nick Hillman, director of the UK's Higher Education Policy Institute and a former student at Cambridge, told 'The Daily Telegraph'.

The applications also mark a record for the Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) combine, with 35,843 youngsters applying for the 2016-17 academic year -- an increase from 34,799 the year before, latest figures show.

Roughly 29,143 applicants were not successful at securing a place this year -- up by 1,044 or 4 per cent -- from the 28,099 last year.

The figure was a 6 per cent rise on the 27,500 teenagers whowere turned down in 2014.

Experts believe the rise in numbers was partly to do with renewed pressure on elite universities in the UK to broaden access to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those from ethnic minorities.

However, some believe the gap between the Oxford and Cambridge can also be explained by a toughening in Cambridge's admission process whereby students need to have at least two A* for roughly half of the courses at the university, including science, mathematics and medicine.

But it could also have to do with Oxford having a more aggressive outreach for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Describing as an "occupier" of Gilgit-Baltistan, a US-based organisation has said that Islamabad's withdrawal from this part of Jammu and Kashmir would help resolve the Kashmir issue.

"Indian Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's policy to highlight human rights violations in Gilgit-Baltistan is a positive step," said Senge Sering, director of the Washington DC-based Gilgit-Baltistan National Congress.

In a statement, Sering said the UN Security Council through its resolutions has declared an intruder in Gilgit-Baltistan.

"The community including India and other neighbors of must remind Pakistan that it is an occupier in Gilgit-Baltistan and only Pakistan's withdrawal from Gilgit-Baltistan will help fast track the settlement of dispute over Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan," he said.

"Since Gilgit-Baltistan is a disputed area, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan should have the right to initiate direct talks with the UN Office representatives, the government of Kashmir in Srinagar and the Indian Union government in Delhi to come up with mechanisms to solve the dispute," Sering added.
The mystery surrounding the murder of a Pakistani-origin British woman has been solved with her former husband confessing to having killed her for marrying a person from the Shia sect, police said today.

Samia Shahid, 28, was found dead on July 20 at her parents' house in Mangla area of Jhelum district in Punjab province.

"Chaudhry Shakil, the first husband of Samia, has confessed to have strangled her on July 20. He said he had a grudge against her for marrying a man of other sect," said a police official involved in the investigation.

He said police are also investigating the role of Samia's parents for abetment to murder.

"It appears that Shakil murdered Samia with the consent of her parents who changed their statements to save the accused," the official said, adding that Samia's father's different claims about her death were to cover up the crime.

Chaudhry Shahid, Samia's father, earlier had claimed that she died of cardiac arrest and later changed his statement to claim that she had committed suicide.

"He (Shakil) has been arrested along with the father of the murdered woman and further legal proceeding will be worked out," another police official said.

Samia, a resident of Dhok Pandori village, some 230 km from Lahore, had come to Pakistan from Dubai in mid July to see her ailing father and was allegedly murdered on July 20.

Her murder came over a week after social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch was strangled by her brother "for disgracing" family honour which caused international uproar forcing the Pakistani government to announce the introduction of strict legislation against those involved in honour killings.

Syed Mukhtar Kazim, second husband of Samia, told police that his wife had been killed by her family members for marrying against the will of her parents.

"My wife converted to Shia -- my sect -- before wedding which had irked her parents," Kazim had said, calling upon the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure justice is done.

Police have registered the case against five accused, including Samia's father, mother Imtiaz Bibi, sister Madiha Shahid, cousin Mobeen and Samia's first husband Shakil under sections 302 (murder), 34 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the autopsy report, Samia had marks on her neck, suggesting that she had been strangled.

Kazim and Samia, both British-Pakistani dual citizens, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai.

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.

"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," Kazim said.

"She told me by phone that her father was all right and now she was getting threats to her life. On July 20, my wife's phone was switched off and on contacting Mobeen, her cousin, he told me that Samia had suffered a heart attack and died," Kazim said.

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Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today paid rich tributes to freedom fighters who were imprisoned in the Cellular Jail at the Andaman Islands.

At a programme '70 Saal Azadi-Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani' held in the premises of the jail here, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed all ministers to personally visit places of historical importance in freedom struggle to remind people of the contributions of freedom fighters.

Parrikar released a set of post cards of paintings on heritage and brochure on 'Heritage Walk-Naqsh-e-Kadam' and also inaugurated an art exhibition on freedom movement in the art gallery at the jail.

On arrival, Parrikar placed wreath at the Martyr's Column and visited the solitary cell where Veer Savarkar was kept.

He also participated in a bike rally by riding pillion.

Later, Parrikar met the family members of defence personnel who were on-board the missing AN-32 flight.

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Patanjali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by yoga guru Ramdev, today threatened to file a suit against the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which has issued 27 notices this year to the company for what it calls violation of advertising code of conduct.

"We would file a suit against ASCI. We would file the case in the court very soon. We are discussing the possibilities and would take action on this issue very soon," Ramdev said here at a press conference while describing these notices as "love letters" from ASCI.

However, he left the venue when posed with questions on certification of his toothpaste range, under brand name Dant Kanti.

Questioning the authority and jurisdiction of ASCI, Ramdev said it is a body "formed by MNCs and they are spreading wrong messages about advertisements by Patanjali".

"It is an illegal organisation and I would write a letter to the government of India in this regard," he said, adding that ASCI "is not a constitutional authority but a company only, which has advising powers to its members".

"They are sending love letters to us. This issue has even been raised in Parliament also."



He said further that various high courts in their orders have ruled that ASCI has no constitutional authority.

In May, ASCI upheld 10 complaints against for products such as Jeera Biscuit, Kacchi Ghani mustard oil, Kesh Kanti and Dant Kanti, among others.

The advertising regulator had earlier upheld six cases each against Patanjali in March and April of 2016.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore had on August 2 informed Parliament that over 30 complaints against advertisements by Ltd were received between April 2015 and July 2016.

Patanjali is looking to open five food production units to meet growing demand. "We would set up food production units in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. Production at the Nagpur unit would start soon," he said.

Production in most of them is slated to start by the end of 2016.

"We would invest more than Rs 1,000 crore in three units by the end of this year," Ramdev said.

The company, which is foraying into the dairy segment, has also plans to tap the international market by taking the brand Patanjali global.

"We are setting up a special unit for export, which would start by March-end. It would be at our Nagpur facility," he added.
Police today thwarted attempts by separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who are under house arrest, to take out processions from their residences to Lal Chowk.

In the first instance, Mirwaiz, the chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference, came out from his Nigeen residence located on the outskirts of Srinagar this afternoon.

He was immediately detained by the police and taken to Nigeen police station, officials said.

Separately, Geelani, who heads hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference, also tried to take out a march from his Hyderpora residence on Srinagar-Airport road.

However, the police stopped the octogenarian leader, following which he along with his supporters staged a sit-in on the link road, officials said.

The sit-in lasted for over half-an-hour and ended peacefully, the officials said.

The two Hurriyat factions as also JKLF led by Yasin Malik had given a call for 'Lal Chowk March' today and tomorrow to press for 'right of self-determination' in accordance with the UN resolutions.

While Mirwaiz and Geelani have been under house arrest, Malik is lodged in central jail here since his arrest on July 9 following widespread clashes in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Prior to his arrest, Mirwaiz accused the central government of trying to hoodwink the people of the country and international community "by keeping a lid on the ground realities" in the valley.

"They are claiming that some people are misguided. If that is the case, there is a great opportunity for them to conduct a referendum and see what the people of Kashmir want," he told reporters.

He said "the reality is that the people of Kashmir neither demand employment or contracts nor the subsidy. The only demand of the people is freedom and restoration of their rights. So the Indian government should read the writing on the wall."



Apparently referring to India's stand that the ongoing unrest in the valley is sponsored by Pakistan, Mirwaiz said, "repeatedly attempts are being made that the ongoing movement in Kashmir is sponsored and somebody is pushing it from behind.

"This is the movement of the people of Kashmir. It is not today's movement or the movement started in 1947. The people of Kashmir are rendering sacrifices since 1931 for their rights.

"Our programme and our stand is crystal clear - the right of self-determination is the basis of our struggle," he said.

He said no election, no economic package and "so-called" political initiative would work in Kashmir till the issue is resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions.

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A policeman was killed and another injured when a fight broke out among the security men at Rongbongway police station in Karbi Anglong district, a senior police official said today.

The incident occurred last night when some police personnel of the 11th Battalion opened fire during a fight with each other at the kitchen of the police barrack, Superintendent of Police, Debajit Deuri, said.

While constable Ratul Gogoi was killed on the spot, Paban Jyoti Deka was seriously injured and admitted to a hospital in nearby Golaghat district, the SP said.

Contrary to media reports about KPLT militants attacking the police station and firing at it, the SP said primary investigations showed that firing followed after a fight broke out among the policemen there.

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Aam Aadmi Party today accused Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal of raising the "bogey" of ISI threat in Punjab to "terrorise" the people to create fear and panic.

It also said that but Sukhbir's "evil designs" has been exposed by none other than his father Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who categorically ruled out any such threat.

"It is ridiculous that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who also holds Home Portfolio, is virtually terrorising the people of Punjab by raising the bogey of ISI threat," an AAP statement, issued by its Campaign Committee, said today.

"Couple of days after Sukhbir claimed that Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI was planning attacks on political leaders of the state, the Chief Minister had yesterday denied, saying there was no direct evidence about the involvement of ISI or any other foreign agency in any of the cases, including the attack on RSS leader Gagneja and sacrilege incidents."



Refusing to buy Sukhbir's theory, AAP accused him of conspiring attacks on opposition leaders including party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Claiming that fearing a defeat in the next year's Assembly elections, AAP said the Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was leveling baseless accusations against the party that it was hobnobbing with the hardliners.

"In the garb of pretended ISI threat, Sukhbir may create disturbance in the state by conspiring attacks on AAP leaders, as the party has emerged as a serious political challenge for Akalis," the statement claimed.

Sukhbir's bogey of ISI threat could be termed as "most serious and well planned" conspiracy to create fear among the general public, AAP said, adding it cannot be ruled out that under the garb of ISI threat, Sukhbir may conspire for fierce and deadly attacks on AAP leaders in Punjab.

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Rahul Gandhi will hoist the national flag at the party headquarters here on Independence Day on Monday for the first time since he took over as the Congress Vice President three years ago.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who usually hoists the tricolour at the party office, is at present recuperating at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here.

She had taken ill during a roadshow in Varanasi on August 2 and was rushed to the Army Research and Referral Hospital here that night. Next day, she was shifted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today paid tribute to freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

"Instead of making fun and frolic in his youthful days, Birsa Munda fought for Bharat Mata. He also fought against social evils," Singh said.

Accompanied by Chief Minister Raghubar Das and other ministers and senior BJP leaders, Singh paid his respect to the tribal legend at his birth place in Ulihatu, in Khunti district, about 75 km from here.

He met Munda's descendants, who expressed delight at the arrival of the Home Minister.

"Lakhs of people suffered in the struggle for Independence. Birsa Munda joined the struggle at a young age. He also fought against social evils," Singh said as he recalled Chandrasekhar Azad's sacrifice of life at the age of 26 and Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran days.

The Centre would search unsung heroes, who struggled for freedom and incorporate them in the history books, he said.

Stating that there would be a year-long celebration to mark the 70th Independence Day, Singh called upon the people to join in efforts of eradicating poverty and unemployment and take the country among developed countries.

Singh said nobody could make allegation of corruption against the BJP-led government at Centre.

Singh added India holds its head high at international level and its credibility has risen.

Reminding them of Birsa Munda's fight against social evils, Singh asked people to make Swachch Bharat mission a success.

Cleanliness is next to godliness, he said.

Chief Minister Das said his government would fulfil Birsa Munda's dreams.

Jharkhand has abundance of mineral resources which would be utilised to fulfil the dreams of Birsa Munda, Das said on the occasion.

All landless tribals would get pucca houses, he said, adding training would be imparted to the youth and employment would be given in the state.

He also announced to make Birsa Munda's village an "ideal village", renovating 71 houses into pucca houses and providing basic amenities to the villagers.

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Three years after Delhi Metro started operating the premium Airport Express Line, its daily ridership has finally breached the 50,000 mark, riding on the back of cheaper fares.

"The Airport Express line of the Delhi Metro has recorded the highest-ever ridership of 50,000 on August 12. The overall ridership registered was 50,077. This is the first time that its ridership crossed 50,000," a Delhi Metro spokesperson said.

As per official data, the daily ridership figure of July, 2013, when DMRC had taken over its operations was 10,069. It subsequently rose to around 12,000 in March 2014 and further to 19,466 a year later.

On August 28, 2015, more than 32,000 people had taken the 23-km-long corridor, also known as Orange Line.

As the ridership failed to pick up pace, metro resorted to slashing fares by up to 50 per cent in September last year to popularise the relatively expensive corridor which connects New Delhi Railway Station to IGI Terminal 3.

As per the current fare structure, the minimum single journey fare on the corridor is Rs 10 and the maximum Rs 60.

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Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has visited Hawai and paid tribute to former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Kalikho Pul who was found dead on Tuesday last.

Accompanied by BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal and other dignitaries, the minister also visited the final resting place of Pul yesterday, an official release said here.

Rijiju conveyed their condolences to Dangwinrasai Pul, wife of Late Pul and other bereaved family members.

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The security in and around the city as well as across the state has been beefed up in view of the Independence day celebrations on Monday.

"We have made adequate security arrangements in the city. Quick reaction team and additional policemen have been deployed. Sensitive areas are being given additional security," Jaipur Police Commissioner Sanjay Agarwal told PTI.

He said all the units have been sensitised and a three-layer security will be there at Chaugan stadium where Independence day celebration will take place.

The state level Independence day celebration will take place in Ajmer which will be attended by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

"Security has been beefed up and extra police pickets would be there at several junctures of the city besides QRT and additional police personnel," another police officer in Ajmer said.

He said all the senior police officers have been asked to increase patrolling and vigorous checking at every nook and corner of city.

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Senior DMK leader and former minister S P Sarguna Pandian died here today following an illness.

The 75-year-old Deputy General Secretary of DMK passed away early this morning, a party release said.

She is survived by her two sons. Her husband had predeceased her.

Party President M Karunanidhi said Pandian, who was the Social Welfare Minister during 1996-2001, had spoken in DMK stage meetings even as a young woman and had later grown through the party ranks.

In his condolence message, he said she had represented DMK twice from Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency in the city in 1989 and 1996.

Party Treasurer and Opposition Leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly M K Stalin paid tributes to Pandian.

Meanwhile, the party high command announced that DMK flags would fly at half mast for three days and asked the functionaries to postpone all party works during this time.

(REOPEN MES 4)



Expelled AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O



Panneerselvam also expressed concern over "people suffering from non-availability" of essential commodities and urged the government to address the matter.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Palaniswami assured that the government "is taking all steps" to provide essential commodities through state-run fair price shops.

"In fact, we have ordered procurement of about 20,000 tonnes of pulses while palmolein is also being procured," he said.

School Education Minister K A Sengottaiyan slammed DMK for today's protests and accused the opposition party with trying to find faults with the AIADMK government.
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was detained at an American airport, should have displayed his patriotic credentials and returned to India after suffering another "insult" in the US, which would have been a "slap on the face of America," Shiv Sena said on Saturday.

Reacting to Khan's detention at a US airport, for the third time in seven years, Sena said despite this "common occurrence," the "tolerant actor" goes to the US repeatedly.

"This has been a common occurrence with Shah Rukh at most big US airports. Still, this tolerant actor goes to the US repeatedly, only to get insulted," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

"He should have returned, displaying patriotic credentials, and telling the US that 'I won't step into your country if you are going to insult me in this manner,' the Sena said.

"Had he done so, it would have been a slap on the face of America. The US views every Muslim as a terrorist," the Sena said.

The Bollywood actor was detained briefly at the Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, after which he expressed disappointment on social media.

"I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks," (sic) the actor tweeted.

In April 2012, he was detained at the White Plains airport near New York for overtwo hours and, in 2009, at the Newark Airport in New Jersey for nearly two hours.

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma has apologised to for his detention at Los Angeles airport and said the US was working to ensure that it does not happen again.

The Sena also suggested that the Khans, a reference to other Bollywood bigs with that surname, should give direction to the 'misguided" youth of Kashmir who are on rampage.

"The Khans of Bollywood should take to Twitter to 'show direction' to misguided youth in Kashmir who are on a rampage," the Sena said.

The editorial also referred to last November's incident when Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said that his wife Kiran Rao wondered whether they should move out of India, as she feared for the safety of their children in a climate of "insecurity".

That was the time when the issue of "rising intolerance" in India was being hotly debated, and when several artists and authors returned government awards to protest "intolerance".
Shanghai General Motors Wuling will recall over 12,000 SUVs over faulty transmission control modules, China's product quality watchdog said.

The recall by SGMW will start from August 16 and involve Baojun 560 models produced between January 5 and July 13 this year, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The company will replace the defective TCMs on 12485 vehicles for free, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

Established in 2002, SGMW is a three-shareholder joint venture, with capital from SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, Liuzhou Wuling Motors Co Limited and GM China, a unit of US carmaker General Motors in China.

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Sharmishtha Mukherjee, Delhi Congress spokesperson and the daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, today claimed a man harassed her by sending lewd messages and put up screenshots of the texts on her Facebook page.

She lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime unit of Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EoW).

"We are in the process of registering a case and launching investigation to catch the culprit," said Anyesh Roy, DCP (Cyber Crime).

Police said the "lewd" messages were sent to the complainant through Facebook Messenger. The profile of the sender mentions him as a resident of Nauhati in Hooghly, West Bengal.

Sharmishtha said she received the messages last night and decided to go public thinking her silence will encourage the sender to harass other women.

"The person is completely unknown to me and he sent me dirty sexual messages last night. I first thought of ignoring him and blocking him but then (I) thought my silence will encourage him to find other victims," she said, identifying the man as Partha Mandal.

In her Facebook post, she said, "I strongly feel such ppl shd be publicly exposed & humiliated. I'm posting screenshots of his profile & messages he sent me. I'm also tagging him. Pls share this post & tag this rat as a msg that these pervert acts will not be taken lightly (sic)."



"Police might have thousands of such cases with them. I will fight as an ordinary woman and do not require any preferential treatment as a daughter of the President of India. Police must work all such cases with equal diligence," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sharmishtha Mukherjee, Delhi Congress spokesperson and the daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, claimed today that a man harassed her by sending lewd messages and put up screenshots of the texts on her Facebook page.

"The person is completely unknown to me and he sent me dirty sexual messages last night. I first thought of ignoring him and blocking him but then (I) thought my silence will encourage him to find other victims," she said, identifying the man as Partha Mandal.

The Congress leader said she would lodge a complaint with the cyber cell of Delhi Police.

In her Facebook post, she said, "I strongly feel such ppl shd be publicly exposed & humiliated. I'm posting screenshots of his profile & messages he sent me. I'm also tagging him. Pls share this post & tag this rat as a msg that these pervert acts will not be taken lightly (sic)."



"Police might have thousands of such cases with them. I will fight as an ordinary woman and do not require any preferential treatment as a daughter of the President of India. Police must work all such cases with equal diligence," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Barring clashes at some places, situation was by and large peaceful today in Kashmir where separatists had planned to take out processions, to prevent which curfew was in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town.

Meanwhile, broadband internet services were suspended across Kashmir, except some areas housing government offices and residences of officials, while mobile internet services remained suspended in the valley for the 36th consecutive day.

About half a dozen incidents of stone-pelting were reported from different parts of the valley, a police spokesman said.

The policemen were injured in a clash with stone-pelting protesters at Ashtingoo in Bandipora district of north Kashmir, the spokesman said, adding one of the injured was shifted to Delhi for advance treatment.

The clashes were also witnessed at Kanoosa, Aloosa and Kemah villages in Bandipora during the day but there was no report of any casualty, he said.

The spokesman said clashes between stone-pelting mobs and security forces also took place at Zampa Kadal in interior Srinagar and Palhallan in Pattan area of Baramulla district.

Barring these clashes, the situation remained by and large peaceful across the valley, the spokesman added.

Earlier, the authorities had imposed curfew in entire Srinagar district to foil the plans of separatists to march to the historic Lal Chowk and stage a sit-in for two days.

Curfew also remained in force in Anantnag town, the epicentre of the current unrest.

Separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, both of whom are under house arrest, tried to take out processions from their residences to Lal Chowk but police thwarted their attempts.

In the first instance, Mirwaiz, the chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference, came out from his Nigeen residence located on the outskirts of Srinagar this afternoon.

He was immediately detained by the police and taken to Nigeen police station, officials said.

Separately, Geelani, who heads hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference, also tried to take out a march from his Hyderpora residence on Srinagar-Airport road.

However, the police stopped the octogenarian leader, following which he along with his supporters staged a sit-in on the link road, officials said.

The sit-in lasted for over half-an-hour and ended peacefully, the officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Uma Bharti today jointly launched 'Smart Ganga City' programme in 10 cities located along Ganga to set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and improve drainage network there on hybrid annuity mode on public private partnership basis.

Union Urban Development Minister Naidu and Water Resources Minister Bharti launched the works through video conferencing and were joined in by District Magistrates/Mayors of cities/towns.

Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Varanasi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Lucknow, Patna, Sahibganj and Barrackpore are the cities/town where the programme will be implemented in the first phase.

Bharti also stated the government plans to form District-Level Mentoring committees in Ganga basin states - on the lines of High-Level Task Force chaired by Cabinet Secretary - to keep an eye on programme implementation.

"Earlier, STPs would become defunct within four-five years for reasons including non-maintenance. Now, with the hybrid annuity mode, we expect the STPs to remain operational for longer period even as water is recycled," Bharti said, while addressing the event from Ujjain.

In the hybrid annuity model, a part of capital investment (up to 40 percent) will be paid by government through construction linked milestones and the balance amount through an annuity over the contract duration up to 20 years to ensure longevity.

In previous schemes, Centre and states borne 70 per cent of the costs for setting up STPs. Now the programme will be completely Centre-sponsored, the Minister said.

She said her Ministry will sign MoUs with other Central Ministries to see recycled water from the STPs is bought for their use.

To a question, she said the Government will expand the Smart Ganga City programme to other cities including Agra in time to come.

"Also several foreign companies have come forward to work under hybrid annuity mode," Bharti said.

At one point, the Minister stated the government will keep in mind local biodiversity and culture while doing river front development works.

Addressing the event from Hyderabad, Naidu urged local governing agencies concerned to join the mission "with complete dedication" and appealed people too to participate in the programme to make it successful.

"My ministry is an integral part of the Namami Gange programme," he said, adding his Ministry will work with the Water Resources Ministry on a 'Mission Mode'.

(REOPENS DEL 25)



On their part, the DMs/Mayors demanded government to ensure timely release of funds for executing works under the programme and assured the Union Ministers that they will co-operate on issues like acquiring land for setting up STPs and other works.

Special Secretary in the Water Resources Ministry Amarjit Singh informed the government has started work on STPs of 4,200 MLD capacity out of the total 7300 MLD-capacity plants envisaged.

"We are conducting survey for setting up STPs of the remaining 3,100 MLD capacity. The work should begin in another 10 months," he said.

Earlier, National Mission for Clean Ganga Mission Director Rajat Bhargav made a presentation on hybrid annuity mode based on PPP model to be adopted for fast-tracking the Namami Gange programme.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi today paid rich tributes to the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pramukh Swami, who passed away this evening.

She said he will always be remembered as a "crusader of humanity, religion and spirituality".

His death is a huge loss and he leaves behind a rich legacy, the Congress president said.

"Country and humanity has lost a saint in the death of Swami and he led a selfless life in the service of humanity and built temples in India and abroad to spread Indian culture and spirituality," she said.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also paid tributes to the head BAPS Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

He said the spiritual guru's message of compassion and service will remain an "inspiration".

"Deeply saddened by the passing away of HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj. His message of compassion & service will remain an inspiration," the Congress vice president said on Twitter.

Pramukh Swami, who was ailing for some time due to old age-related problems, breathed his last at 6 PM in Sarangpur in Gujarat's Botad district. He was 95.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP National Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh today said the party would fight the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh on the twin planks of "good governance" and "eradication of corruption and criminalisation of politics".

"In UP there is a tremendous yearning for good governance and a political climate free from the menaces of corruption and criminalisation.

"We wish to keep our focus on this aspiration and not get distracted by talks of what other parties are doing. Whether we would have a face or not during the polls has to be decided by the Parliamentary Board.

"But we see no reason why we should rush towards a decision on this count merely because our opponents, suffering from political bankruptcy, have projected their chief ministerial candidates," Singh told PTI here.

"We just need to look at the current state of the SP, the BSP and the Congress to get an idea of the extent to which they have become politically bankrupt. The SP is in power but is incapable of preventing incidents like the Mathura violence and the Bulandshahr gang-rape," he said.

"The BSP had ruled the state in recent past and its tenure is remembered only for rampant corruption. The Congress has suddenly brought in Sheila Dikshit with a view to playing the Brahmin card.

"All this shows they have run short of ideas as well as the ability to convince the people that they can fulfil promises if voted to power," Singh said.

Singh rebutted BSP supremo Mayawati's repeated allegations that the BJP was "anti-Dalit", in the wake of the alleged assault on lower caste youths in Gujarat and "objectionable" comments by expelled party leader Dayashankar Singh, saying "she has been on a back foot and is now trying to use these incidents as a springboard for herself".

"While she was in power in UP, as per official statistics, more than 3,000 incidents of crimes against Dalit women were reported from the state. So she could do nothing for the very segment which she believes to be her core vote bank.

"Compare that with the swift action against the accused in BJP-ruled Gujarat and the alacrity with which Dayashankar Singh, our state unit vice-president was sacked," Singh said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Spiritual head of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pramukh Swami, passed away this evening at Saragpur in Botad district.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid rich tributes to the 95-year-old spiritual leader saying that "he was a mentor to me".

Pramukh Swami, who was ailing for some time, due to old age related problems and was under treatment at Sarangpur temple of the sect, breathed his last at 6 PM this evening.

"His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head and president of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, inspirer of countless and a great servant of society, passed away today, at 6 pm in Sarangpur. We deeply mourn the departure of our revered guruji," an official statement of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha said.

He is credited to have overseen construction of over 1,000 temples including some grand ones like Akshardham in Gandhinagar and Delhi and had initiated over 800 youths to monk-hood during his life time.

Modi tweeted that he was a stalwart among humans who embodied compassion and humility.

"HH (his Highness) Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a stalwart among humans, who embodied compassion and humility. His service to the society will always be remembered," Modi said in a tweet.

"HH Prmukh Swami Maharaj was a mentor to me. I will never forget my interactions with him. Will miss his presence," the Prime Minister said in another tweet.

He is also known for his social concerns, having



actively participated in rescue and relief operations during the times of floods and famines, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Thousand of his devotees, started thronging to temples of his sect in various cities and town and women were seeing crying at those temples, mourning his death.

Born at Chansad village in Vadodara district on December 7, 1921, Shantilal, as he was named by his parents, showed religious streaks since his childhood.

The youngest of nine siblings, Shantilal was selected by Shastriji Maharaj, the then head of the Swaminarayan BAPS sect, to become a sadhu, a religious mendicant of the sect.

In a letter to his father Motilal Patel, a devotee, Shastriji Maharaj had instructed that Shantilal be sent to him to lead a religious life.

At the age of eighteen, he was initiated into Swaminarayan sect under the guidance of Shastriji Maharaj, and given a name of Narayanswarupdas.

He was recognised for his sharp intellect and management skills and was given the duty to take care of temples run by the sect.

When he was 28, he was appointed the President, or Pramukh, of BAPS replacing Shastriji Maharaj at a ritual performed at Amli Vali Pol in Ahmedabad on May 21, 1950.

He travelled extensively, both in India and abroad, in the process holding 'satsang' and creating a large base of devotees.

He travelled in over 45 countries, including UK, USA, Canada, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Dubai, Japan, France, Germany, Egypt and others.

He also oversaw construction of over 1,000 temples belonging to the sect across India and abroad including England, USA, Canada, East Africa, South Africa and other countries.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and former Chief Minister Anandiben Patel too expressed grief over Swami's demise.

Congress leaders Shaktisinh Gohil also expressed shock and said, "he had a special place in my life and had guided me on many occasions. The loss and void created by his departure can never be filled.
Australian bowlers Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon decimated the Sri Lankan batting line-up as the hosts stood at 55 for five at lunch on the opening day of the third and final Test in Colombo today.

Sri Lanka, who elected to bat first on a bright sunny morning, were dealt early blows against an inspired Australian side which is looking for a consolation win.

Dhananjaya de Silva, batting on 23, and Dinesh Chandimal, on seven, were at the crease after putting together a 29-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Pace spearhead Starc, who took three wickets, bagged Kaushal Silva for a duck as the opener struggled to score after facing 15 balls.

Off-spinner Lyon, who has been criticised for failing to benefit from turning tracks, soon combined forces with Starc to rattle the Sri Lankan top-order with two wickets.

The spinner seemed to have learnt his lessons on these pitches after getting Kusal Perera caught at first slip and then the prized wicket of Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews, who was out for just one.

The left-handed Perera looked good during his 32-ball 16 which included three boundaries, but was done in by a beauty from Lyon that pitched and turned to take an outside edge of the bat.

Starc also kept the other end busy with his wicket-taking as he bowled opener Dimuth Karunaratne for the fifth time in the series as the hosts slipped further.

Sri Lanka, who took an unassailable 2-0 lead in Galle, have a chance to register their first whitewash against a major team since gaining Test status in 1981.

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Senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today suggested that the Bihar government set up a organ transplant facility in one of the state's premiere medical institutes to facilitate organ donation and transplantation in the state.

Speaking on the occasion of the World Organ Donation Day, Modi exhorted people to come forward to make a pledge to donate their organ/body to give a "gift of life" to others even after their deaths.

"Pledge your organs and live a second life by giving a gift of life to others through organ donation. This is the only way one can play second inning even after one's death," Modi said while speaking at a function organised by Dadhichi Deh Dan Samiti which works to propagate the importance of organ donation.

Modi, who along with noted physician Dr S N Arya took a pledge to give their body/organs on the occasion, also asked people to convince their family members to get ready for this.

Modi, the former Deputy Chief Minister, honoured several family members of those who donated their eyes.

Modi also honoured state's Labour Resources Department's Principal Secretary Dipak Kumar Singh who donated his father's body in 2014.

Former Deputy CM asked the government to set up eye bank and transplant centre in all the private and government medical colleges of the state.

Besides, the government should also set up transplant institute either at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna and Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Patna in order to train doctors for giving brain stem death certificate, retrieval of organs and transplantation.

He suggested driving license should mention as whether the person wanted to donate or not and which organs.

IGIMS Director Dr N R Biswas said the institute will have the facility of 'heart transplant' by Diwali this year. Besides, it will also startstate's first organ bank.

Patna high court Justice (rtd) J N Singh emphasised on the need to give adequate publicity to the issue of organ donation among the people throughout the year and not on a particular day in a closed hall.

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Sweden's youngest ever cabinet minister, who came to the country as a refugee from Bosnia, announced her resignation today after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

Aida Hadzialic (29) minister for secondary and adult education, revealed that she had been stopped by police in the southern city of Malmo and tests showed she had an alcohol level of 0.2 grammes per litre of blood- just the level considered an offence in Sweden.

"That was the biggest mistake of my life... I will take responsibility. I announce my intention to resign from my ministerial post," an emotional Hadzialic told a press conference at government headquarters in Stockholm.

"I understand that a lot of people are disappointed in me. And I am angry with myself, and certainly I deeply regret it," added the young politician seen as the future of the Social Democrat party.

Hadzialic was born in Bosnia and immigrated to Sweden at the age of five, in 1992, with her parents fleeing the war in the Balkans.

She became involved in the Social Democrats youth movement in high school and went on to be elected a municipal councillor at age 23.

Then in 2014 at 27 she became the youngest ever government minister in Sweden's history.

She is not the only politician to have to drop out since Sweden's political left returned to power two years ago.

Deputy premier and environment minister Asa Romson from the Green party resigned in May after a series of gaffes, the last being to describe the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States as "the accidents of September 11".

Housing minister Mehmet Kaplan, of Turkish origin, had to step down in April after comparing Israelis to the Nazis, and Mona Sahlin, the national coordinator for protecting democracy against violent extremism, was forced to resign in May after media revealed that she had made false income declarations for her bodyguard to help him obtain bank loans.

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A knifeman started a fire on Swiss train and stabbed passengers injuring six people including a six-year-old child, police said.

The motive was not immediately clear, but the incident follows a string of violent, often deadly assaults in Europe in recent months, with many claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group.

Police told AFP the suspected attacker, who used flammable liquid to start the fire, was a Swiss national, and not of immigrant background.

"According to the information we have for the time being, the 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid ... (which) caught fire," Saint Gallen regional police said in a statement.

The man, who "was also armed with at least one knife", carried out the attack on a moving train near Switzerland's eastern border with Liechtenstein and Austria, it said.

Seven people including the suspected attacker were admitted to various hospitals with burn and stab wounds, the statement said.

One woman and the attacker were "very seriously injured", police spokesman Hanspeter Kruesi told AFP.

He said no one had overpowered the attacker, but that he had been hurt in the fire.

The victims included two men aged 17 and 50, three women aged 17, 34 and 43 and the six-year-old child. Dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack, the police statement said.

Police said the attack had taken place at around 2:20 pm (local time) near the Salez station on a train running between Buchs and Sennwald.

A massive contingent of rescue workers rushed to the scene, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters.

The Salez station remains closed, and police said replacement buses had been set up.

Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack.

The attack is the latest in a string of brutal assaults in Europe in recent months that have left the continent on edge.

In January 2015, a jihadist assault on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in Paris left 12 dead while another four died in an attack on a Jewish supermarket in the city.

In November 2015, a coordinated jihadist attack claimed by IS in Paris left 130 people dead.

On March 22 this year, suicide bombers struck Brussels airport and a metro station in another coordinated jihadist attack claimed by IS near the European Union headquarters, killing 32 people.

On July 14, a Tunisian man rammed a truck into crowds of revellers in the southern French city of Nice, killing 85 people.

Swiss neighbour Germany has also seen a string of attacks in recent weeks.

In July there were two attacks by migrants in the southern state of Bavaria -- an axe rampage on a train and a suicide bombing. In Munich, an 18-year-old German-Iranian also went on a gun rampage in a shopping mall, leaving nine people dead.
Ten monks from Buddhist monasteries across Tibet are taking their final test in the provincial capital Lhasa in a bid to attain the highest academic degree in Tibetan Buddhism studies.

The test, covering the general knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan language and sutra debate, began yesterday at Ganden Monastery and will last for five days, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

"The candidates have stood out from thousands of lamas at 10 different monasteries in Lhasa, Xigaze, Chamdo and Ngaqu," Benba, an official with the Tibet branch of China Buddhist Association said.

Candidates who pass the final test will present a formal dissertation at the Jokhang Temple in spring before being awarded the "Gexe Lharampa," equivalent to doctorate, Benba said.

"Gexe" means knowledgeable and "Lharampa" is the highest among all four ranks in the Gexe system.

Ninety-five Monks have been awarded the degree since the test resumed in 2004.

The test was suspended after riots against Chinese control in 1988, which China blamed on the separatists.

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A political activist has been detained in connection with the string of coordinated blasts that have rocked Thailand, killing four people, with police indicating that the attacks were an act of "local sabotage".

There were unconfirmed reports yesterday that two suspects had been detained for questioning following the spate of low intensity bomb blasts that killed four people and injured 35, including at least 10 foreigners, in five southern provinces -- Hua Hin, Phuket, Phangnga, Trang and Surat Thani.

However, the only detention that has been confirmed by police is that of a 67-year-old political activist and former Constitution writer in the southern province of Trang.

Soldiers apprehended Prapas Rojanapithak at his house in Muang district while he was watching TV this morning.

He was taken to a police station and later to a military camp in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where he is being questioned, the Bangkok Post reported.

The arrest came under Section 44 order of the interim Constitution which gives the military power to summon, arrest or detain suspects in a range of security-related cases.

Police have ruled out international terrorism and said the campaign was an act of "local sabotage".

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers who analysed the blast sites have concluded that all the explosions were connected as the devices used in every attack were similar and mobile phones were used to trigger the blasts.

The bombs in each attack were packed with ball bearings, similar to bombs used in past political disputes and the explosion at Erawan Brahma Shrine on August 17 last year, the officers stated.

"We have collected DNA samples from the scenes of the blasts and the results should be known and sent to investigators responsible for each crime scene on Sunday. We hope to seek arrest warrants soon,"deputy police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen was quoted as saying.

Based on the existing evidence, he said the violence did not look like an expansion of the secessionist campaign that has been concentrated in the muslim-dominated Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat as it rarely targets foreigners.

Senior officials of the military government also believe the attacks were political in nature and intended todiscredit the regime.

Prapas was a member of the committee that drafted the 2007 Constitution following the military coup that overthrew former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

However,Prapas joined 90 other southern academics and activists in signing a statement condemning the May 22, 2014, coup that overthrew the government of Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Meanwhile, security has been increased at Suvarnabhumi international airport here following the bombings and arson attacks in the south.

(Reopens FGN 12)



Police, soldiers and sniffer dogs have been deployed at the international airport in Samut Prakan province since last night to join airport security officers in patrolling the airport and thoroughly checking passengers' luggage and belongings.

"This is not a terrorist attack. It is just local sabotage that is restricted to limited areas and provinces," national police deputy spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told a press conference here.

"Thailand has no religious, racial or territorial conflicts. We don't have the presence of Islamic State. The incident was just the turbulence of national peace and order. But at this stage, it is also hard to pinpoint whether it is linked to the Constitution referendum or politics," the spokesman said.
Actor Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from "Criminal Minds" following an on-set argument with the show's producer.

The 54-year-old TV star, who was a part of the CBS series since its inception, reportedly kicked a writer on the sets, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from 'Criminal Minds'. Creative details for how the character's exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date," producers ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios said.

Later the "Chicago Hope" actor responded to his dismissal and said he loved the show and gave his 100 per cent in its each episode.

"I love 'Criminal Minds' and have put my heart and soul into it for the last 12 years.

"I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won't be possible now. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have," Gibson said.

The actor was initially only suspended for the incident, but now he is officially out from the show.

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The city police today rescued a 26-year-old man, son of a Surat-based businessman, and arrested three persons who had abducted him.

Deepak Mukeshbhai Kukadia, the victim, had been abducted from Tapovan Road locality here on August 11.

Police arrested Lalit B Patel (36), Dinesh Patel (39), and Sandip Patel (42), all local residents, under section 363 (kidnapping) and other relevant sections of the IPC.

Somnath Tambe, in-charge of Bhadrakali police station, said that search for some other accused was on.

According to the police, nine to ten persons from Nashik (including the arrested accused) had invested money with Deepak's father Mukeshbhai Kukadia. He could not return the money due to some setbacks in the business.

These investors then allegedly hatched the plan to kidnap Deepak and demand Rs 3 crore from his father.

After they called Mukeshbhai, he approached the Bhadrakali police, who traced location of the caller and arrested three of the accused at ABB Circle on Trimbakeshwar Road here this morning and rescued Deepak.

DCP Laxmikant Patil had appointed Hanumant Ware as investigation officer of the case, Tambe said.

A local court granted the police three days' custody of the arrested trio.

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Grappling with desertions from his party CPI-M and ally Congress, West Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose today accused the Trinamool Congress of trying to establish single-party rule in the state.

Bose alleged that the TMC was out on a "shopping spree" and was 'buying' public representatives belonging to opposition parties just like purchasing cows and goats.

"What goes on in the state does not reflect democracy, but autocracy of the highest order. Why are they so afraid of the Opposition? They want to wipe out every sign of opposition in the state. TMC is trying to establish single-party rule in Bengal," Bose said.

The TMC today took over the effective control of Left Controlled Kultuli Panchayat, as 13 panchayat members of the Left today switched over to the Trinamool Congress.

Countering Bose's contention, state minister and TMC's South 24-Parganas district president Sovan Chatterjee said, "We are not forcing or asking anyone to join our party. Those who want to be part of the development process initiated by Mamata Banerjee are joining TMC on their own."



Since last week, several Congress and Left councillors have switched over to the TMC helping the Trinamool Congress to take over the several opposition-controlled municipalities of the state.

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US Vice President Joe Biden is expected to visit Turkey later this month, the Turkish prime minister said today, as relations between the two countries are strained over Ankara's demand to extradite an exiled cleric blamed for the July 15 coup attempt.

"The American vice president is expected... To come to Turkey, on August 24 with the American delegation," Binali Yildirim told a group of journalists, according to the website of TV channel CNN Turk.

If confirmed, the Biden visit would mark the first time a top Western leader has visited Turkey since the attempted putsch by a rogue faction within the military to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Yildirim's comments came after Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday that Turkey had received "positive signals" from Washington regarding its extradition demand.

Ankara wants the return of Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of being responsible for orchestrating the coup alongside his movement.

Gulen denies the accusations, and the US has asked Turkey to provide evidence which Ankara claims it has done sending several documents.

But the prime minister appeared Saturday to rule out any compromise on the demand for Gulen to face trial in Turkey.

"Improving our relations with the United States depends on the extradition of Gulen, and on that issue there is no room for negotiation," Yildirim said, according to CNN Turk.

Earlier reports had said US Secretary of State John Kerry planned to visit Turkey on August 24. But now the prime minister said Kerry would come in October.

Washington however has not confirmed these visits.

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Journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik, whose meeting with 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in 2014 had created a controversy, today suggested the Kashmir issue can be resolved through four-party talks - India, Pakistan and both sides of Kashmir.

"I think the Kashmir issue is an extremely complex issue between India and Pakistan and this can be solved by dialogue only, and it should involve four parties," Vaidik said during an interaction at the Mumbai Press Club.

"Apart from India and Pakistan, this issue should be and must be resolved by both the Kashmirs, the Kashmir rightfully governed by India and the other Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan," he said.

The imbroglio can never be sorted out without involving both sides of Kashmir in the dialogue process, he said, adding India need not be defensive while holding the dialogue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reminder to Pakistan about the excesses it committs in Balochistan and its illegal occupation of PoK was an upright stand, Vaidik said.

"I have been advocating such a bold stance on Kashmir issue from all the previous Prime Ministers. Modi has put it into practise now," he said.

He also said that before demanding a plebiscite in Kashmir, Pakistan should go through the conditions laid down by the UN, such as withdrawal of forces from PoK which it had usurped illegally. Pakistan should also return the vast tract of Indian land which it gave away to China, he said.

Speaking on the future of small magazines in India, Vaidik said the Modi government had failed to come out with a policy to promote Hindi education.

"Hindi has not been given due respect in the country. Those who claim to be nationalists have not done anything for the uplift of Hindi," he said.

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Bilateral cooperation in the spheres of skill development, infrastructure financing, innovation, energy and ease of doing business was discussed today when British Minister for International Development Priti Patel met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

The Prime Minister congratulated her on her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development as he noted her long association with India in her previous roles.

Modi recalled his successful visit to UK last year in November and appreciated the follow up action taken on the outcomes of the visit, a PMO statement said.

Patel briefed the Prime Minister on the activities and future plans of Department for International Development in India, it added.

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Kerala Congress(M) leader and Lok Sabha member Jose K Mani today alleged there is an "ulterior" motive behind the "false propaganda" that his party will join hands with NDA in state politics.

"Alliance with NDA is not in our agenda. The motive behind such false propaganda is a suspect," he told reporters here when asked about reports that the party may join hands with BJP.

His statement comes two days after a powerful section in Kerala Congress(M) headed by P J Joseph publicly opposed an alleged intention of KC(M) chairman K M Mani to join the NDA camp.

"Where goodness exists, there lives Kerala Congress," he said to a query on an article penned by CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on the party mouthpiece 'Deshabhimani.'



In his article, Balakrishnan had spoken of the political scenario after Mani severed ties with UDF and said CPI(M) would not allow BJP to be the beneficiary of the collapse of the Congress-led alliance in the state.

"We don't have any enmity with anyone. All like us. Those who think feel that our stand is correct. No one has any issues with us," Mani said.

Kerala Congress(M) led by Mani had last week withdrawn support to the Congress-led UDF coalition of which it was a part for more than three decades.

KC(M) had also announced that the party MLAs would now sit as a separate block in the state Assembly.

The party would be "equidistant" from Opposition UDF, ruling CPI(M) led LDF and BJP-led NDA, Mani had said.

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Uttar Pradesh government has asked the Kanpur district administration to identify a piece of land for the state's first Unani hospital in the city.

The Director, Unani has ordered to identity a piece of land in the city for the purpose, Regional Ayurvedic and Unani Officer Dr Nirankar Goyal said.

"Government Inter college ground is being considered for the Unani hospital. The District Magistrate and other officers concerned will discuss and take decision on the matter on August 16," he said.

The 25-beded hospital would require 355 sq mt land and it would come up at a budget of Rs 60 lakh.

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BLACK REPUBLICAN BLOG - The Republican Party is the party of civil rights and the four Fs: faith, family, freedom and fairness. The Democratic Party is the party of the four Ss: slavery, secession, segregation and socialism (Quote By Author Michael Scheuer).
The Assam Assembly today witnessed ugly scenes with the Speaker adjourning the House twice after a BJP member made an "objectionable" remark against a Congress MLA.

When the situation did not improve and Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed lay down on the floor of the House, Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass ordered the marshals to evict him along with his party colleague Abul Kalam Rasheed Alam.

The situation started turning ugly when BJP MLA Binanda Kumar Saikia raised the issue of encroachment of government land in his constituency Sipajhar.

Citing a Supreme Court judgement, he appealed the government to evict all "doubtful" encroachers from the area.

When Ahmed started talking against a blanket eviction, ruling party MLAs began shouting at him. BJP MLA Rama Kanta Dewri allegedly hurled 'objectionable' and 'unparliamentary' words at him.

The Speaker expunged all statements made after Saikia's speech till resumption of the House after the second adjournment.

Ahmed and other Congress and AIUDF MLAs rushed to the Well of the House against the objectionable statement as well as the Speaker not allowing their objections to be recorded.

Ruling party MLAs also rushed to the Well and confronted the opposition MLAs, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for ten minutes.

Both sides continued to argue even after the adjournment and the Speaker left the House.

As soon as the House reassembled, Ahmed led the Congress and AIUDF MLAs again into the Well against the objectionable statement. This time too, ruling MLAs ran towards the Well to resist them.

BJP MLA Ashok Singhal came very close to Ahmed and shouted at him, which prompted the Speaker to ask the Chief Marshal to stand in between them.

Suddenly Ahmed lay down on the floor to the surprise of all, protesting against the objectionable word.

The Speaker then asked the marshals to clear the floor by evicting him from the House along with Alam and again adjourned the session for ten minutes.

After the House reassembled, Dass asked the Leader of



Opposition Debabrata Saikia to make a statement on Ahmed and Congress' behalf.

"Only expunging the word is not the solution. We want action so that such incidents do not take place in future," Saikia said.

Referring to the BJP MLA's statement on encroachment, the senior Congress leader pointed out that half truth was more dangerous than full lie.

AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam regretted the incident and said the ruling party MLAs do not hear anything against their statements and 50-60 persons shout together when a member from his party or Congress speaks.

On this, again dozens of BJP MLAs, including Pijush Hazarika, Mrinal Saikia, Ashok Singhal and Topon Kumar Gogoi, raised their voices against Islam.

"See, this is what I was saying. They do not listen to others at all. If the Assembly cannot run properly, how can Assam run smoothly? You should take action against the MLA who made the objectionable statement," the AIUDF member said.

The Speaker then asked Parliamentary Affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary to reply to the query of BJP member Saikia.

"All encroachments will be evicted and all members of the House should be unanimous on this. There will be no consideration on encroachments," Patowary said.

Addressing the media outside the House, Congress' Ahmed said 1.3 lakh families have lost their homes due to erosion for many years across Assam and many of them were currently staying on government land.

"The SC judgement is not for blanket eviction. It has some exceptions like for erosion-affected families. In Sipajhar, the encroachers are mostly erosion-effected people," he added.

The Speaker later told reporters in his chamber that most of the ruling MLAs were new and there was no training or briefing on Assembly functioning.

"That is probably the reason why they are aggressive or over-enthusiast," Dass said on behaviour of BJP MLAs.
The US government today declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico as a result of a Zika epidemic.

The declaration allows the US Department of Health and Human Services to award grants, access emergency funds and temporarily appoint personnel where needed, among other things.

"This administration is committed to meeting the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico with the necessary urgency," Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a department statement. Burwell traveled to the US territory in late April to evaluate its response to the outbreak.

A department spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment on what immediate steps the agency may take.

The announcement came hours after Puerto Rico reported 1,914 new cases in the past week, for a total of 10,690 since the first one was reported in December.

The mosquito-borne virus has infected 1,035 pregnant women, which is a concern to authorities because Zika has been tied to a severe birth defect known as microcephaly. More than 100 pregnant women infected with Zika in Puerto Rico who have given birth have had healthy babies, officials said.

Puerto Rico reported the first microcephaly case acquired on US soil in May, involving a dead fetus that a woman turned over to health authorities. Since then no microcephaly cases have been reported, but federal officials say it's only a matter of time.

Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he had asked federal officials to declare a public health emergency and thanked them for their support.

"Zika poses a hidden threat to future generations of Puerto Ricans, and I feel the responsibility to do everything in my power to fight the spread of it," he said.

Garcia recently authorized the use of Bti, an organic larvicide, to fight the spread of Zika after rejecting aerial spraying with the insecticide naled as proposed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Puerto Rico Health Secretary Ana Rius said 90 people have been hospitalized because of Zika. Officials also say 30 people have been diagnosed with a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre that has been linked to Zika.

Health authorities say they believe the number of Zika cases is much higher because eight of 10 people show no symptoms and many don't go to the doctor.

The emergency was declared one day after the US surgeon general visited Puerto Rico and said he expected 25 per cent of Puerto Rico's nearly 3.5 million people will be infected with Zika by year's end.

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Indian-origin British lawmaker Keith Vaz has sought an explanation from the UK Home Office over reports of refusal of visa to Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, saying the decision would "severely damage" Indo-UK relations.

"I am astonished at this . Amjad Ali Khan is one of India's greatest living artists and I cannot believe that his visa has been refused. I have today written to the Home Office and asked for an explanation and for a reversal of the decision," said Vaz, the longest serving Indian-origin MP and Chairman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee.

"Relations between the UK and India can be severely damaged by this kind of action. I hope that this sorry state of affairs can be brought to a swift conclusion and I look forward to seeing Khan in the UK," Vaz said in his statement.

Khan, 70, who was to perform at the Royal Festival Hall next month, had yesterday said that he was "shocked and appalled" at the rejection of his visa application.

Tagging Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in his tweet, Khan had written, "My UK visa rejected. Extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love & peace @HCI_London @MEAIndia @UKinIndia @SushmaSwaraj."



An internationally renowned musician, Khan was honoured with Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, in 2001.

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today attacked Pakistan on the issue of terrorism and its handling of restive Balochistan.

"Pakistan is facing the problem of terrorism to such an extent that while they push 10 jihadisinto our side, there is a bomb blast that kills 70-80 people somewhere in Pakistan," he said at an event organised by Chinmaya Mission here.

Earlier this week, a suicide bomber had targeted Quetta's Civil Hospital killing at least 70 people.

Parrikar said Pakistan was the "only country to bomb its own citizens".

"While they talk about Kashmir, the way they deal with PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) and Balochistan...It is the only country, which bombs its own citizens," he said.

On the ongoing Kashmir unrest, he said the youths in the state should be educated about their "historical, good things" and this could change a lot of things.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The body of a woman was found stuffed in a suitcase near a canal on the Delhi-Agra Highway, police said here.

The half-naked body was spotted by villagers who informed police.

The deceased, who was aged around 35 years, had multiple stab wounds on her body.

"The woman was probably killed somewhere else and her body has been dumped here," SP, (city) Alok Priyadarshini said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over the past two years, the politics surrounding the cow and the violence perpetrated in the name of cow protection has escalated in the country. While self-proclaimed 'gau rakshaks' have taken it upon themselves to protect cows and punish anyone they consider guilty of killing the animal, ironically, they have turned a blind eye to the pitiable condition of shelters in which stray cows live across the country. Naresh Kadyan, animal activist and chairman, People for Animals Haryana, spoke to Shakya Mitra on the challenges in ensuring better living conditions for animals.Excerpts:



Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at cow vigilantes who are spreading violence in the name of gau raksha. What do you make of Modi's comments and the backlash he has received from fringe Hindu organisations for it?



Prime Minister Modi's message is very clearly against such anti-social elements. The United Nations-affiliated International Organisation for Animal Protection along with People for Animals (PFA) Haryana endorsed the PM's statement because no one is above the law of the land, and the social fabric should be maintained.
A special one-day session of both the Houses of Bihar Legislature has been scheduled for August 16 for ratification of the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST .

The one-day session of the Bihar State Legislative Assembly was called by Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary for ratification of GST Bill, its Secretary Ram Shreshtha Rai said.

The Bill has been supported by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Second Amendment) Bill, 2014 on GST has already been passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The GST Bill, seen as single biggest tax reform in a long time, needs to be ratified by at least 15 state legislatures before the President can notify the GST Council which will decide the new tax rate and other issues.

Assam yesterday became the first state to ratify the Bill.

The government has set a deadline of April, 2017 for its rollout.
On March 30, 2016, two Mumbai tax officers raised a demand of Rs 10,000 crore, which included a hefty interest component for late payment, with State Bank of India, alleging that the public sector bank had not complied with its advance tax commitments. The bank obliged the tax department on the same day, but also sent an accompanying letter detailing its advanced tax payments for the fiscal.

The taxmen acknowledged the receipt of the letter, conceded their oversight (faulty record keeping) and processed the refund of Rs 9,500 crore on April 1. In the Indian tax system, this would have gone down as 'routine' and not something to make a hue and cry about. However, essentially, the taxmen were playing the system to meet their collection targets for the financial year 2015/16. The arrangement worked well for them - the Rs 10,000 crore figure went down as part of the tax collected for the fiscal in department records, and the refund two days later would be recorded as part of transactions for 2016/17.

It could very well have slipped through the cracks if not for the revenue secretary, who detected three large refunds totalling over Rs 20,000 crore in April 2016. A probe was ordered into the incident. The two tax officers were transferred. This led to protests by other tax officers in Mumbai.

The incident brings to fore the pressure of 'targets' under which tax officers work and the frivolous nature of tax demands. It also points to one of the major worries for the department - the large number of disputes and pending cases at different levels of adjudication.

Frivolous tax demands by the department have, in fact, been a big concern for businesses, both domestic and MNCs, over the years. Some of the tax disputes, especially those involving international players, have not only given India a bad name, but have unnecessarily held back large sums in legal wrangles causing great loss to both businesses and the government.

The Problem

The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that at the end of 2014/15, the amount stuck in different tax disputes (direct and indirect taxes) at different levels of adjudication and appeals were worth Rs 7.7 lakh crore. Of these, disputes related to direct taxes alone accounted for Rs 6.15 lakh crore.

A big chunk of direct tax cases - involving Rs 3.84 lakh crore, which was almost on par with the government's revised revenue deficit for the fiscal - was pending before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeal) in 2014/15. In the first half of 2015/16, the amount had gone up to Rs 5.67 lakh crore, says a CAG report.

While our legal system is very slow in disposing off tax-related disputes, even at the CIT (A) level the pendency rate is very high. In 2014/15, out of the 306,000 cases pending before the CIT (A) only 74,000 were disposed off - the highest in five years. Cases pending before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) for the fiscal were worth Rs 1.45 lakh crore, followed by the Supreme Court at Rs 46,500 crore and high courts (Rs 37, 600 crore).

Experts says many cases that come before the CIT (A) are repetitive and despite precedence and Supreme Court guidelines, the same assessment errors are committed year after year. This results in a large number of cases going against the revenue department. "The errors are repetitive and the main problem is lack of supervision from senior officers," says Himanshu Sinha, who served the Indian Revenue Services (IRS) for more than a decade, and is now Partner, Direct Taxes, in law firm Trilegal.

The poor success rate of the department, especially in cases of direct tax disputes, also speaks volumes. Between 2011/12 and 2012/13, 50-60 per cent of cases before tax tribunals and courts, leading all the way up to the apex court, went in favor of taxpayers, while the revenue department got favourable verdicts in 10-25 per cent of cases. Sinha, in fact, pegs the failure rate of the revenue department at 70-80 per cent and says that 95 per cent of the losses are because the cases are weak. Only 5 per cent are lost because of the quality of legal representation.

The Cause

The revenue department has often been criticised for making wrong and aggressive demands leading to unnecessary tax disputes. While most experts attribute this to the tax officers' lack of understanding of evolving business models, proper guidance and unrealistic targets, insiders point to a deeper malaise. Says Sunil Agarwal, Senior Taxation Partner, at AZB & Partners, and a former ITAT counsel: "The (unwritten) instruction from the CBDT is that if an assessing officer is not sure about the assessment and there is a possibility of an error, he or she must err in favour of the department."

This, says Agarwal, is to cut down on the possibility of not taxing something that should have been taxed, because the department does not have remedial measures, and may even be reprimanded by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the executive for an error. "There are powers of reopening the cases but those powers come with a lot of conditions and limitations," he adds. During an audit, the CAG has the power to raise objections and ask the department why a particular transaction was not taxed, based on its calculations. The tax department is entitled to respond to the CAG audit, but counter arguments are often dismissed by the auditor general. As a consequence, these reported anomalies find a place in the annual Public Accounts Committee report placed before the Parliament, where the executive has the right to ask for an explanation and even initiate civil or criminal proceedings against the erring officer for causing loss to the exchequer. Given the risks, a tax officer usually plays safe and raises demands even if he is not sure about the assessment. On the other hand, say experts, the taxpayer has multiple channels to get the assessment rectified.

The government's penchant for retrospective changes in tax laws has further added to the number of disputes. Vodafone and Cairn Energy tax disputes are cases in point, where India could have been spared of negative publicity.

Solution at Sight?

Mounting tax disputes and slow disposal of cases make India a difficult tax jurisdiction. But the government has been working towards creating an environment where not only are disputes minimised, but the judicial processes are also expedited. The committee headed by retired judge R.V. Easwar has already come out with a set of recommendations to simplify the regime, and the government has accepted most. There's more to come.

Since July 2014, the Income Tax Department has issued 23 circulars to help tax officers become more efficient and approach cases with more clarity. The apex court, too, played its part by constituting a special bench to hear only tax cases and deposed 197 cases in 2015. The special bench is likely to continue hearing cases this year as well. The government has also come up with a direct tax dispute resolution scheme to clear pending cases before CIT(A) and cases involving tax demand due to retrospective changes in laws. The revenue department is hopeful that a lot of people may come forward and pay their dues to settle disputes.

While such one-time measures may be effective, concerted efforts to change the way the tax department thinks and works will be key to bringing down tax disputes and high pendency rates. However, if the government is serious about its 'ease of doing business' initiative, technology will have to play a major part to overhaul the Indian tax assessment system.


 AFP Headline on Stabbing Says Less With More | Main | New York Times Casts Olympians' Anti-Israel Hostility As Mutual Animosity 

August 12, 2016

AFP Headlines Conceal Egyptian, Lebanese Bad Sportsmanship at Olympics







Lebanese and Egyptian athletes have been reproached for bad sportsmanship after a series of anti-Israel stunts at the Rio Olympics. AFP headline writers, though, appear to be going out of their way to obfuscate the facts.

As CAMERAs UK Media Watch has noted, when Lebanese Olympic delegation barred Israeli athletes from boarding a bus, an act for which they were reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee, an pitiful AFP headline announced: Israeli and Lebanese teams compete for bus.? The euphemistic language miserably failed to summarize the story, and obscured the discriminatory behavior of the Lebanese delegation.

And today, after an Egyptian judoka refused to shake the outstretched hand of his victorious Israeli challenger, earning boos from the audience, AFP again fell short. Its headline: Egyptian judoka jeered after Israeli handshake snub.?

The headline is perhaps less awful than the earlier one. But the language is still unnecessarily vague, and inexplicably so coming from a major professional media organization. To describe the incident as involving an Israeli  snub? suggests it was the Israeli who snubbed his opponent, and not the opposite. And if it was an Israeli snub, was it also an Israeli jeer?

It's possible that some readers will be able to extrapolate from the AFP headline what actually happened. Others certainly wont.

The Poynter Institute has described headlines as often the most important element on the page.? A Columbia School of Journalism document says they may be more important than any paragraph in a normal story.? So why cant AFP get it right?

Theres no good excuse for bad sportsmanship in the Olympics. And theres no good excuse for bad headlines about the bad sportsmanship.

Posted by GI at August 12, 2016 04:56 PM

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When is hurricane season? Here's what you need to know in South Texas
SHARE Michael Sotelo

By Jamil Oakford, jamil.oakford@caller.com

The Corpus Christi Police Department posted a tweet Friday morning asking for help in finding a man.

Michael Sotelo, 18, has a no bond warrant out for aggravated assault family violence, a felony offense.

He's described as 5 feet 8, 170 pounds. He may have some facial hair.

The tweet said that anyone who sees Sotelo should not confront him, but should call 911 and report his whereabouts.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 361-888-TIPS (8477) or go online at 888TIPS.com.

Twitter: Caller_Jamil
Rolando Garza (left) and Carlos Olvera

SHARE Rolando Garza Carlos Olvera

By Fares Sabawi of the Caller-Times

When Nueces County sheriff deputies pulled over two men driving a new Cadillac Escalade south of Driscoll on Thursday afternoon, something didn't seem right. The driver's and the passenger's stories didn't add up, and they were nervous, Capt. Danny Lobreau said.

After a Texas Department of Public Safety K-9 alerted authorities to search the vehicle further, deputies found $546,390 in the car and in the suspects' pockets. Sheriff Jim Kaelin said he believed the men were with a drug cartel and were taking money to Mexico.

Rolando Garza, 21, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. Carlos Olvera, 28, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and driving with a suspended license. Both men are believed to be Rio Grande Valley residents, deputies said.

Nueces County Jail officials said Garza's bond was set at $1 million. Olvera's bond for the money laundering charge was not set Friday evening.

Traffic stop led to a money laundering bust. $546,390 to be specific pic.twitter.com/93HMSRHXxS  Fares Sabawi (@Caller_Fares) August 12, 2016

Twitter: @Caller_Fares
Associated Press State officials are working to train Texas county election employees and educate potential voters on the new ID law modifications in time for the November election.

SHARE

By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times

State officials are working to train Texas county election employees and educate potential voters on the new ID law modifications in time for the November election.

The move comes after a federal judge in Corpus Christi this week signed an order allowing voters without photo ID to cast their ballots. Those without photo ID would be required to sign a declaration stating they have a "reasonable impediment" to obtaining one of the types of photo identification required in Texas' voter ID law.

Lawyers for the state, federal government and civil rights advocates involved in a lawsuit over the controversial voter ID law discussed Friday how the state is going about educating the public about the changes. The state will submit a written report to U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos on Monday.

The state is spending $2.5 million on efforts to inform voters of the changes in time for early voting and Election Day.

The order softens Texas' controversial voter ID law that a federal circuit appeals court last month found racially discriminatory. The law required voters to show one of six types of a government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license or passport and could have left up to 600,000 Texas voters without the proper identification in this fall's presidential election, opponents claimed.

Under the approved agreement, voters may show an alternative form of identification such as a utility bill or government check that displays the voter's name and address. The agreement also allows voters to use photo IDs such as a driver's license or personal ID card from any state, expired or not.

However, voters who have one of the six types of government-issued photo IDs, or are able to get one, are still required to use those.

Twitter: @CallerKMT

Get registered

Nueces County Voter Registrar's Office

Where: 901 Leopard St., Suite 102, Corpus Christi

Information: 361-888-0404 or visit http://www.votetexas.gov/ for an application.

ELECTION

KEY DATES

Last Day to Register to Vote

Oct. 11 (First business day after Columbus Day).

Early Voting 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 24  Nov. 4

Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail

Oct. 28 (Received, not postmarked)

Last Day to Receive Ballot by Mail

7 p.m. Nov. 8 (election day; unless overseas deadline applies)

Election Day

Nov. 8

Not registered

to vote?

To vote in Texas, you must be registered. You are eligible to register to vote if:

You are a United States citizen;

You are a resident of the county where you submit the application;

You will be at least 18 years old on Election Day;

You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole); and

You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.

Source: Texas Secretary of State
SHARE Joe McComb

By Kirsten Crow of the Caller-Times

A former councilman is looking to return to chambers at City Hall.

Joe McComb, who has previously served as a Nueces County commissioner and Corpus Christi councilman, filed Friday morning as a candidate for an at-large seat on the City Council.

McComb sought appointment earlier this year to serve in an at-large position left vacant when Lillian Riojas moved to San Antonio. City Councilman Michael Hunter was ultimately appointed by the City Council to the seat.

There are three at-large representatives on the council. In the upcoming election, one at-large position will be vacated  City Councilman Mark Scott has reached his term limits.

Those who currently hold the remaining two of three at-large seats  Hunter and incumbent City Councilman Chad Magill  are seeking election. Margareta Fratila, a business consultant who pursued a place on the dais in 2014, has also filed to run for an at-large seat.

McComb was one of two candidates to submit paperwork to the city secretary's office as of Friday.

Ryan Schroeder, a core analyst, filed to run for District 1, a position held by Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn.

Several others have formally declared their candidacy since July 25, the first day of filing.

Included in the new names are Rick Gomez, a real estate broker who is challenging incumbent Lucy Rubio for District 3; and Ben Molina, president of Pinnacle Roofing, who will run against incumbent Brian Rosas for District 2.

Two have filed for District 4, a position that will be open. City Councilwoman Colleen McIntyre has said she will not seek re-election in November.

Dr. Lloyd Stegemann, a surgeon, filed for candidacy July 29. Greg Smith, owner of a campground and RV park business, filed to pursue the position earlier that week.

Incumbents who submitted paperwork on the first filing day included Magill, Hunter and Rubio, as well as Vaughn; and City Councilman Rudy Garza Jr., who is looking to serve in District 5 for another term.

Mayor Nelda Martinez formally declared a bid for re-election July 25. Dan McQueen, an engineer, filed as a candidate to run against her the same day. McQueen ran against Martinez in 2014.

The final day to file for candidacy on City Council is Aug. 22.

Election Day is Nov. 8.

Twitter: @CallerCrow
Friday, August 12, 2016 at 11:18PM

Gmail is making it very clear for its users when youve been sent a sketchy link. If you use Gmail on the web or on Android. Youll see a question mark in place of the senders profile photo if the message wasnt authenticated by either the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) or DKIM). Those who check Gmail on the web will see a familiar warning message similar to Googles Safe Browsing protection tool thatll let you know you might be clicking a link that has malware or uses phishing to get your personal information. Google is quick to emphasize that of course not all affected emails could be dangerous. But it is definitely better to be on high alert in situations like this.
Friday, August 12, 2016 at 10:52PM

Weve known for a while that theres a new Gear smartwatch heading our way. Samsung has practically confirmed this news with its invite for its IFA 2016 press event happening on September 1st at Berlin, Germany. The Gear S3 will come almost a year to the day Samsung released its predecessor at IFA 2015 as well. Some of the new features rumoured to be integrated into the Gear S3 include an altimeter, barometer, speedometer, and GPS. Its starting to look like the smartwatch geared towards the more active crowd. Well get more confirmation pretty soon.

Source: CNET
Born to an Austrian father, who was a successful cotton businessman and once consul-general to the United Kingdom, Mr Lederer's fluency in German led him to be assigned to a special wireless unit where his translation skills were used against the Germans, Italian and Vichy French in North Africa and Lebanon.
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.
Sample letter to a doctor : " When you are asking for help from a doctor you have never met, but have determined is an expert on your p...
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Arnold "Jack" Rosen, husband of Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran, jumped on the hood of a moving vehicle and rode on it for more than a block before falling off, leading to his arrest on a charge of public drunkenness July 22.

According to the full incident report released by the Ocean Springs Police Department, two patrol officers were dispatched after a report was received of a man jumping on the hood of a female's car as she was attempting to drive away. Neither the identity of the driver of the vehicle nor a vehicle description are included in the report.

The officers made contact with the suspect, later identified as the 56-year-old Rosen, shortly after 11 p.m. Rosen was leaning on a truck near 416 Washington Avenue -- a residential address across from the Knights of Columbus Hall. The original arrest report erroneously listed 522 Washington Ave. as the site of the incident.

The officers' report states that there was an "intoxicating odor" coming from Rosen's breath and when the officers attempted to speak with Rosen about the incident, he became "very uncooperative and belligerent" towards the officers.

Rosen refused medical treatment, was placed into "double locked handcuffs" and transported to the OSPD for booking. He remained in the municipal jail overnight and was released on his own recognizance the next morning after posting bond.

Rosen is due in Ocean Springs Municipal Court Sept. 7. If convicted, he faces a fine up to $330, plus a $30 state assessment.

Rosen is a native of Mobile, Ala., who relocated to Ocean Springs after his marriage to Moran in October 2014. The couple reside in Moran's Washington Avenue home.

Although this was Rosen's first arrest in Ocean Springs, he has had several run-ins with local citizens, including a well-known local physician, a newspaper publisher and members of the board of aldermen, according to multiple sources.
Most of the current state-of-the-art technologies available on high-end automobiles, will find their way, sooner or later, in much more affordable models. Autonomous driving is no exception.



According to Autocar, the Nissan Micra will sport an advanced Propilot autonomous system in less than 10 years, as one of the autonomous drive department heads, Stewart Callegari, explains.

Currently, the B-segment is still predominantly a three-pedal [manual gearbox] market and its very much price driven. But we expect that to change, and when it does Propilot will become appropriate.

The first car to benefit from the Propilot system is the new Serena minivan, scheduled to go on sale in Japan at the end of next month. The system will be introduced in several other models, including the Qashqai in Europe in 2017, followed by US and Chinese market launches.

The cars will adopt the systems first phase of development, as it will only control the cars steering and brakes on certain types of roads, such as motorways. The second stage is expected in 2018, adding a multi-lane function.

Nissan Sway Concept pictured

PHOTO GALLERY
Opels Rodgau-Dudenhofen Test Centre has turned 50 years old and to celebrate the occasion, the automaker is opening its gates to the public.



On September 10, visitors can take a look at GMs European test site, with Opel expecting up to 20,000 guests, including well-known athletes, politicians and businesspeople. The highlight of the day will be the Klassik Tour Kronbergs stop at the grounds, with Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann leading the way.

September 10 will be a totally new experience for the Opel Test Center, says Vice President Vehicle Engineering at Opel, William F. Bertagni. Over five decades, the site has grown into Opels largest and most important test center in Europe. We are looking forward to celebrating this anniversary with our guests, to giving them a look behind the scenes while again demonstrating how exciting and approachable our brand is.

Opels test center features 70km of test tracks, numerous test and development benches over 2.8 square kilometers of land and the opportunity to visit it is a rare one. The main action will take place at the recently completed Skid Pad where the main stage and catering will be located.

The Klassik Tour Kronberg will make a stop at the testing facilities where it will complete two special stages. The first one will take place at the high-speed circular track while Opel will also bring out their VLN racers and rally cars with professional drivers behind the wheel demonstrating their abilities.

Visitors will also get the rare opportunity of a special sightseeing tour in the facilities, covering the high-speed circuit, mountain track and torture track.

PHOTO GALLERY
By approaching the cheating emission scandal differently in most parts of the world, Volkswagen seems to have managed to reduce the consequences.



This is backed up by the companys January to July sales, which almost matched the figures posted in the first seven months of 2015, when the automaker moved 3,403,200 vehicles worldwide, compared to 3,374,000 more recently, representing an insignificant 0.9 percent drop.

China remains a major consumer of brand new Volkswagen cars and accounted for 1,601,900 units this year alone, up 8.4 percent, followed by Europe, where 1,021,100 vehicles were delivered, down 1.5 percent, while in North America, the manufacturer witnessed a 5.0 percent drop, to 326,500 vehicles sold, out of which 177,800 found new homes in the USA.

The Volkswagen brand made a cautious start to the second half of the year in Europe. One main reason was that July had two working days less this year than last year. Another factor was the special effect caused by the general consumer reticence in some key European markets as a result of changed economic conditions, explained the VW Brand Board Member for Sales, Jurgen Stackmann.

Despite the increased demand in Volkswagen Passenger Cars coming from China, the brand delivered 1.8 percent less vehicles worldwide last month, compared to July 2015, and aside from the Asia-Pacific market, and Central and Eastern Europe, the automaker failed to achieve growth.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: John Boivin

UPDATE: 2:20 p.m.

Nelson Public Works director Colin Ennis says further testing on Friday showed that while contamination levels have dropped slightly, the recommendation against swimming will remain posted at the beach for the time being.

Further tests have been planned to try to determine the source of the contamination.

ORIGINAL

At the start of what promises to be one of the hottest weekends of the summer, beach-goers in Nelson are being told they shouldnt go into the water at the citys Lakeside Park.

The city posted notices on Thursday recommending against swimming because of a high E. coli readings in the water.

The citys weekly testing found an average of 1,100 E. coli in five standard samples of water from Lakeside Park. The acceptable limit is an average sample of 200 counts of the bacteria.

Nelson Public Works director Colin Ennis says it's the first time his staff can recall a water quality advisory being issued for the beach with a warning not to swim.

The closure forced a change of plans for Francine Brillon, who came down to the beach to hang out for the day with her eight-year-old nephew Dominic.

Its sad you know because its the first hot summer weekend and its almost the middle of August, she said. It looks like its going to be probably closed for a while now because were going to have more and more heat over the next few days, which doesnt bode well.

City officials say the culprit is likely animal feces, and the prime suspect is the flock of Canada geese that make the park and adjacent waterfront their home. However, the river also drains from Kootenay Lake, and they say there could be other sources of sewage. If the problems persist, further tests will be done to try to pinpoint the source of the contamination.

Brillons not sure how officials can tackle the problem.

Its always an ethical issue, what do you do with wild animals that have the right to live as well as we do? she says. So I dont know, Ive been pondering that question.

Officials were planning to test the water again Friday to see if the current had changed the contamination levels.

Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a common bacteria found in animal intestines, including humans. It is mostly harmless, but some strains can cause cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, or more serious medical issues
Photo: Contributed

Three men were arrested without incident, following a recent home invasion attempt in Summerland.

On Aug. 9 at 7:45 p.m., the Summerland RCMP received a call regarding a home invasion in progress in the 9200 block of Alder Street.

The homeowner observed a suspicious van drive onto his property and four individuals were seen exiting the vehicle with masks on their faces and various weapons in hand.

The house occupants immediately fled the residence through the back door and called police from a neighbouring house.

The four suspects fled before police arrived.

Officers were able to provide a detailed description of the suspects and their vehicle and broadcast the information to neighbouring detachments in the Okanagan.

After hearing the broadcast, officers with the Kelowna RCMP Street Enforcement Unit (SEU), which included members of the Kelowna RCMP Drug Section, set up a surveillance point on Highway 97.

Officers spotted the suspect van at 8:15 p.m. travelling north in West Kelowna. The vehicle was stopped and the three men, ages 25, 33 and 41, were arrested.

A search of the suspect vehicle allegedly provided evidence to support the suspects were involved in the Summerland home invasion. Police are still searching for the fourth subject involved.

All three subjects were held in custody and appeared before a justice of the peace where two were released on conditions and a third was held in custody.

Police believe this was a targeted incident and the public is not at risk.

Anyone who may have information regarding this investigation, please contact the Summerland RCMP at 250-494-7416 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (tips).
Photo: Google Maps

You may be noticing a lot more activity on the former BC Tree Fruits property on Clement Avenue.

According to city planner Terry Barton, property owners are performing environmental remediation on the property.

The property housed a fuel depot several years ago, necessitating the cleanup.

"We're talking about oil here and heavy metals," said Barton.

The large site has two owners.

The owner of the southern portion is preparing the property for construction of a brewery development.

The north portion is still for sale.

"They are taking away the risk," he said.

"I think the previous owners were going to sell it with the risk and the new owner would deal with it. I think these guys are thinking, why don't we just clean it up, make it clean and that might be an easier way."

Environmental mitigation is taking place on both properties.
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Although it may not be common knowledge, Friday is Vinyl Record Day.

To mark the day, locally, London Drugs in Penticton held an event in conjunction with the Penticton Pistoleras, the local roller derby team.

"It's fun to have a day recognizing vinyl records, and all the records in the store are 15 per cent off during the store hours until 9 p.m.," said Vicki Scott, the audio video department manager at the store.

The celebration traditionally takes place on Aug. 12, the date when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877.

At London Drugs at the Cherry Lane Shopping Centre they spent the day doing demonstrations on cleaning and maintaining a vinyl record collection as well as offering three separate listening sections set up throughout the store in the cosmetics department, in front of the store and in the audio video department.

The event was held in conjunction with a recruitment effort by the Penticton Pistoleras, the local roller derby team.

Team members were there to play some music, as well as do some recruiting and offer information about the South Okanagan Roller Derby Association.

"It brings attention to the records and to us as well, so it's a good mix," said team member Renee Lammerts.

Lammerts said at this time they are trying recruit women for the team and men to serve as referees and volunteers at their events.

If juniors are interested they are invited to come down and practice with the team with parental consent.

For more information on the roller derby association, go here.
Photo: David Ogilvie

UPDATE: 7:20 p.m.

A man who disappeared off the shore in Peachland has died.

Kelowna RCMP say the 76-year-old man's wife noticed he hadn't resurfaced and called for help.

Several minutes later a paddle boarder located the man below the waters surface and with the assistance of a group of bystanders brought the unresponsive man to shore, says Const. Jesse ODonaghey.

When emergency services arrived on scene several bystanders, which included an off duty nurse, were performing life saving measures on the victim."

West Kelowna RCMP are supporting the BC Coroners Service in the investigation.

ORIGINAL

Emergency crews were working to revive a swimmer who disappeared in the water Friday afternoon off the Peachland shore.

A witness says paramedics were performing CPR on the man for almost 30 minutes after a boater pulled him unresponsive from Okanagan Lake.

It happened after 3 p.m. Friday off Beach Avenue, near a popular swimming area.

There's no word yet on the man's condition.

Castanet will update as details become available.
Photo: Google Maps

RCMP are seeking witnesses in connection with an incident early Friday morning in which a Vernon man is alleged to have been struck by a car that left the scene.

The accident is said to have occurred around 5:20 a.m., when the local man, 26, was walking near the intersection of 43rd Street and 25th Avenue, police report.

RCMP say the victim claimed he was struck by a car which failed to stop at the scene.

The man was transported to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The suspect vehicle is said to be a white Pontiac Vibe, and is believed to have been driven by a female with a male in the front passenger seat. No other details were provided.

Police are asking anyone with information to the incident to call the detachment at 250-545-7171 or contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (tips).
Photo: Contributed Riley Frank, from Jammer's Liquor Store surveillance video.

A man with a troubled past will serve a five-year jail sentence for robbing Jammer's Liquor Store at gunpoint in January.

Riley Frank, 29, entered the liquor store on Highway 97 with 27-year-old Christopher Stocker, just after 9 p.m. on Jan. 17. Both were dressed in dark hoodies.

A lone, 25-year-old woman was running the store that night. It would prove to be her last shift.

Frank produced a hand gun from his pocket and pointed it at the clerk. He demanded she open the till, and then face the wall.

Frank proceeded to pull large bills from the till, while Stocker took five bottles of Smirnoff vodka from the shelf.

In all, $1,200 in cash and alcohol were taken.

The pair left the store and took off in a white Chevrolet pickup.

In a surveillance video, the liquor store clerk can be seen immediately keeling over after they leave, hands on her knees and visibly distraught.

Police arrived on scene, but it took the clerk an hour to compose herself enough to give a statement to police.

She never returned to work at that liquor store.

Police immediately distributed the surveillance footage to other officers in Kelowna, and one officer, who had been stationed in Williams Lake in the past, recognized one of the suspects from his previous post up north as Riley Frank.

Running his name through their system, police found a white Chevrolet pickup truck was registered to Frank.

Not long after, an officer spotted a truck matching the description in Rutland in the early hours of Jan. 18. Multiple police converged on the scene and pulled over the truck at Stremel Road and Highway 97.

Frank and Stocker, along with a .45 calibre hand gun and a loaded magazine were inside the vehicle.

Both of the men were extremely drunk according to the arresting officers.

When an officer asked Frank about the robbery, he replied, Robbery, what are you talking about?

Frank was taken to a holding cell, where he was held for several hours to sober up.

When he awoke, he claimed to have no recollection of the previous night's event.

Frank was under probation and bail conditions at the time of the robbery, stemming from possession of a stolen car and flight from police charges in February 2015.

This isn't Frank's first run in with the law, and it's not the first time alcohol has played a role in him getting into trouble. Frank says alcohol changes who he is, and he never would have committed the robbery if it wasn't for his drinking.

Save for a three-year period when he was sober from 2010 to 2013, Frank has struggled with alcohol since he was young.

Frank grew up in Williams Lake, on the T'exelcemc First Nation reserve. His grandparents and parents were both victims of B.C.'s residential schools program, which devastated his family for generations.

Born in 1986, Frank was exposed to alcohol in the womb. By age 11 he was drinking alcohol and by 16 he was using cocaine.

According to Chief Joe Alphonse of the Tl'etinqox-t'in First Nation, who spoke at Frank's sentencing, life is hard for young people on their reserve, as there are few opportunities for them.

Despite Frank's rough upbringing and criminal record, Alphonse says Frank acts as a role model for younger people in their community when he is able to remain sober.

In 2004, at 18, he met a woman. They moved to the Kootenays so she could pursue college, and eventually ended up in Kelowna.

Frank's defence counsel, Gavin Jones, says his girlfriend was a good influence on him, steering him down a better path.

On the night of Jan. 17, 2016, the couple had an argument, and it sent Frank spiralling off the wagon. He started with a 60-ounce bottle of vodka and doesn't remember anything after that until he woke up in a jail cell, facing multiple charges.

Frank pleaded guilty to the robbery charges in March.

Frank's family and community were supportive of him in the courtroom Friday, as he was streamed by video from prison.

Alphonse said he is a busy man, and he wouldn't have come to Kelowna to if he didn't believe in Frank's future.

While Frank has 19 prior convictions, Jones says 13 of those were for breaching probation conditions or missing a court date, and he has never been convicted of a violent crime in the past.

Jones described Frank as an excellent candidate for rehabilitation.

Justice Brad Chapman read an apology letter in court that Frank had written for the liquor store clerk he had robbed.

Alcohol is no excuse for the way I treated you, but it was the only life I was ever shown, the letter said. Before that day I was doing my best to change my ways and break that cycle and start a new life, but I allowed alcohol to get the best of me.

I can't imagine the pain you and your family have been through in this ordeal. I am so sorry.

Chapman said he would take the community's belief in Frank, as well as his remorse, into consideration when sentencing.

The five-year sentence he was given is the mandatory minimum sentence that can be given for robbery with a restricted firearm.

Having been in custody since his arrest on Jan.18, Frank received enhanced credit for time served, at 1.5 times the actual number of days he has been in jail. With credit for 311 days served, Frank has another 1,515 days left in jail.

Stocker, Frank's accomplice in the robbery, is in custody, and continues to go through the court process.

Chapman encouraged Frank to take advantage of recovery programs that are offered while he is incarcerated.

I sincerely hope, sir, no offence, that we don't ever run into each other again in the circumstances such as this, Chapman said. That's more up to you, than I.
Photo: Facebook - Okanagan Indian Band

by Cindy Rhyason

A colourful mural called the 'Four Food Chiefs' has been unveiled on Okanagan Indian Band land near Vernon.

Sheldon Louis, a 36-year-old Syilx artist, designed the giant art piece and mentored four youths during the painting of the mural, on the outside of the Community Services and Development building on Head of the Lake Road.

Logging in 60 hours over seven days, Louis and his group transformed a plain concrete wall into meaningful art.

The 'Four Food Chiefs' mural represents an ancient Okanagan narrative when four chiefs  Black Bear, Bitterroot, Saskatoon Berry, and Salmon  met to discuss what to do about the coming of the first peoples to their land, promising to ensure food for their people.

The mural was unveiled during an official ceremony Friday afternoon, with elder Lucy Louis beginning with a traditional prayer. She noted the mural is a symbolic reminder that good health  physical, mental, and spiritual  is crucial. Chief Bryon Louis and councillors Tim Isaac and Allan Louis also attended the unveiling.

Sheldon Louis is an established artist who created the Chancellors mace on display at UBC Okanagan. A Louis painting also adorns the foyer of Kelowna General Hospital.

The progress of the mural can be seen on Facebook.
Photo: Google Maps

The quick action from West Kelowna firefighters saved a person with mobility issues from a burning mobile home early Saturday morning.

Fire crews responded to Westview Village in West Kelowna at 4 a.m. and found heavy smoke pouring out of the back of one of the homes in the mobile home park.

Crews quickly searched the residence, and found a person just inside the front door. The person was shaken from the fire, but uninjured.

With the person out of the house, firefighters fought the blaze in the back bedroom, encountering heavy smoke and flames.

After the fire was knocked down, crews doused any remaining hotspots. Damage to the home is estimated at $50,000.

An investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fire, but it is not believed to be suspicious.
Photo: The Canadian Press

A man hit by lightning at a park in New York's Hudson Valley died Saturday, a hospital spokesman said, while four other people wounded by the same strike remained hospitalized.

The 50-year-old man succumbed to his injuries around 1 a.m. Saturday at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, according to Tim Massie, a senior vice-president at hospital operator Health Quest. The victim's name wasn't immediately released as the hospital and authorities worked to locate his family.

The victims, ranging in age from 46 to 55, were gathered around a bench at Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie when a fast-moving thunderstorm hit around 4 p.m. Friday, city police said.

Emergency responders found three people unresponsive, two others conscious but injured, and some belongings on fire.

Two 46-year-old men remained in intensive care Saturday at the Vassar hospital with burns and internal injuries, Massie said. He said one of the victims was doing well enough that he could be moved from intensive care within about two days, while the other was more gravely hurt and would likely remain longer in the ICU.

Police said two other, less gravely injured people were taken to another hospital; a hospital spokeswoman didn't immediately return a call Saturday about their conditions.

The bolt hit two days after a man and a woman were killed by an apparent lightning strike in a western New York cemetery.

But such deaths, overall, are rare. While lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year, it kills an average of 49 people annually, injuring hundreds more, according to the National Weather Service.

Before Friday, 25 people had died of lightning strikes nationwide so far this year, in circumstances ranging from watching a music festival to walking to their cars. Florida has seen more lightning fatalities  six  than any other state this year.
Photo: The Canadian Press

National Guard soldiers and other officials in boats and helicopters plucked more than 1,000 people from their homes and cars as "unprecedented, historic" flooding swamped Louisiana, the governor said Saturday, warning that the slow-moving storm would dump even more rain and cause further problems.

At least two people were killed when swift-moving water quickly inundated roads.

"This is an ongoing event. We're still in response mode," Gov. John Bel Edwards said, urging residents to heed warnings to evacuate and not rely on their past experiences because the state has never seen flooding like this before.

Beginning Friday, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisiana and an additional 4 to 6 inches was possible Saturday afternoon, National Weather forecaster Donald Jones said.

Mississippi and Alabama were also struggling with heavy rainfall.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents said they had to be rescued by boats or wade though waist-deep, snake-infested water to reach dry ground. Dozens of them awoke Saturday morning on cots at a makeshift Red Cross shelter only a few blocks from their flooded homes and cars.

John Mitchell, 23, said he swam to safety with his pit bull after police officers in a boat picked up his 20-year-old girlfriend, Haybriel Thomas; her 1 year-old daughter, Kaylee; and Mitchell's father.

"This is the worst it's been, ever," Mitchell said of the flooding. "We tried to wait it out, but we had to get out."

Mitchell fears he lost their trailer home and his car, which was flooded up to the seats. A bag of clothes was all he had time to save as the water levels rapidly rose.

"People are keeping it together better than I thought they would," he said of the roughly 60 people who stayed at the Red Cross shelter.

Shanita Angrum, 32, said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized flood waters had trapped her family in their home. A police officer carried her 6-year-old daughter, Khoie, on his back while she and her husband waded behind them for what "felt like forever."

"Snakes were everywhere," she said. "The whole time I was just praying for God to make sure me and my family were OK."

Angrum said her family probably lost most of their possessions, including two cars and the new school clothes she purchased for her daughter.

"We got to start all over," she said.

The storm system was drifting slowly west from southeast Louisiana to an area along the central Gulf coast.

Edwards declared a state of emergency Friday. He said the basement of the Governor's Mansion had flooded.

"That's never happened before," he said.

One man died Friday after slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary, said East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's spokesman Casey Rayborn Hicks, who identified the victim as 68-year-old William Mayfield.

A second victim was found in St. Helena Parish, where crews pulled a body from a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10. His name has not been released, but he's believed to be from the area.

Meanwhile, crews continued to search for possibly another washed away vehicle after residents reported a missing person.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing their banks. The governor said some were expected to crest more than 4 feet above previous records and officials were not sure just how widespread the damage would be.

In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge reported as much as 11.34 inches of rain compared with 2.34 inches at New Orleans' international airport in Kenner. A weather service meteorologist said one weather observer reported 17.09 inches of rainfall in Livingston.

The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs, both in Louisiana, were predicted to set record crests over the weekend.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded.
Liberal Politics from the Heart of Bluegrass Country
We would like to hold discussions about equal rights and peace, said Tar Pong Kyaw of the TNLA. Whether we are allowed to participate or not [at the 21CPC] will depend on State Councillor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Representatives of the TNLA, the Arakan Army (AA) and the Kokang-based Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) held negotiations on Tuesday with a government peace delegation from the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) on the issue of participation in the peace process.

The meeting was held in Mongla, the headquarters of the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), on the Sino-Burmese border.

The Burmese military has officially stated that the three groups would have to pledge to disarm if they want to be included in the peace process.

TNLAs Tar Pong Kyaw said that the government delegation told them to release a statement signalling whether they wish to attend the Panglong conference.

Because of this, we concluded the meeting without any agreement, he said.

The so-called 21st Century Panglong Conference is slated to be held on August 31, when hundreds of delegates from the military, government, parliament, political parties and ethnic groups will sit around a table to discuss the nature of future peace talks, according to a statement on the State Counselors Office Facebook page on Monday.

Some critics have accused both the previous government, headed by former military general Thein Sein, and the current Suu Kyi-led administration of isolating the TNLA, MNDAA and AA from the peace process.

The three ethnic militias  which are to date frequently engaged in conflict against government forces  were excluded from signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the Thein Sein government on October 15 last year.

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), a coalition of ethnic armed groups of which the TNLA is a member, has stated that all groups must be included in the peace process.

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Earlier, when she was meeting the UNFC, a nine ethnic armies alliance, for the first time on 17 July, she said that according to Johanthan Powell, who was deeply involved in Northern Ireland conflict, said that it had dragged on for some 300 years for the timeline to solve the problem was not attached and thoughts were entertained that given enough time the problem would be resolved. But admitted that was wrong. That was why, she stressed, the time limit is an important part in resolving the conflict.

Spokesman for UNFC Khu Oo Reh, on 9 August, in response to Suu Kyis deadline said the EAOs would need more time to prepare for common positions among the EAOs signatories and non-signatories and mildly complained that being dragged into the peace process hastily wont be beneficial for them. He stressed that the EAOs only need a bit more time.

Echoing Khu Oo Reh, Arakan National Party central committee member Oo Hla Saw recently told Radio Free Asia that even Pa-O National Organization, Pinlaung township MP Khun Maung Thaung, as chair of the Ethnic Affairs and Local Peace Committee, also a Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) member, was at lost regarding how representation of the elected MPs for the UPC would be chosen.

The UPDJC is the highest organ that oversees the whole peace process, made up of the government/military, EAOs and the political parties, each with 16 members, 48 altogether.

Other than that, Oo Hla Saw said it seemed the parliament has not been interested in the issue and no discussion made on it until now. The most frustrating thing was the participation quota, as this was said to be altered and still to be discussed.

He pointed out that the UPC concerned the ethnic nationalities most for they are the most to suffer from the civil war ranging among their midst.

Adding to the frustration is the failed attempt to make the three excluded EAOs  Kokang or Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Arakan Army (AA)  inclusion in the peace process.

On 9 August, in Mong La, the governments peace negotiation team, made up of former lawmaker Thein Zaw, former Lt-Gen Khin Zaw Oo and former information minister Aung Kyi, discussed on how the groups could participate in the peace process, the NCA and the Framework for Political Dialogue (FPD) review.

According to Tar Bone Kyaw the negotiation was said to have been unsuccessful and that disagreement arose on the choice of wordings for the to be released public statement of the three groups.

Tar Bone Kyaw said that it was hard to promise and sign the public statement using the wordings to abandon the armed struggle, to explicitly end the conflict, but were ready to accept the formulation of to terminate the internal civil war to really end the armed conflict.

It was agreed that both parties have agreed that the governments delegation would carry the request of the three EAOs for further deliberation on the choice of wordings to their leaders  State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing -, while the three would discuss on how to go about further with the solution among themselves. However, no further exact date has been made to meet again.

Mixed and convoluted signals coming from ethnic EAOs leadership, such as Khu Oo Reh and Kwe Htoo Win of KNU futher complicate the already complex peace process.

For example, regardless of Khu Oo Rehs sort of plea for more time that has fallen on deaf ears, to ready themselves in sorting out common positions among the EAOs, the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) is participating in the recent Framework for Political Dialogue (FPD) amendments, although not clear whether its suggestion, as non-signatory EAOs, might be considered, given its just observers status without decision-making power.

For now, the UNFCs political position of all-inclusiveness will be tested on the eve of the shattered negotiation between the three excluded EAOs and the government peace team, recently in Mong La. And for sure, people will be closely monitoring its move.

In this respect, the worry that the forthcoming UPC will fall into the same fate as Suu Kyis predecessor President Thein Sein is also real and that she might be residing over a conference, which is neither all-inclusive nor comprehensive like the first UPC held from January 12 to 16 of 2016.

Pundits have speculated that the crucial point of discussion will be on how the group participation structure is being worked out in the amendment of the FPD, which now seems that the former NCA agreement on it will be kept intact for the time being.

The present setting is seven group configuration, while the ethnic nationalities  Armed and unarmed  are for a tripartite dialogue, involving the government, parliament and military; the EAOs; and the registered political parties.

To this, Kwe Htoo Win has come up with a brilliant idea that during discussion the seven group setting could be used, while in decision-making the tripartite posture would be employed. The only problem remains on how this could be implemented on a practical term.

As it is, we all could only wait and see how the scenario will unfold. It might have been better to give the UNFC a bit more time; watered down the wordings so that the three excluded EAOs could participate in the peace process; and alleviate the frustration of the elected parliamentarians  and as well the non-elected political parties -, on how the peace process is to go about, including their part of responsibility and participation. But as this is not the case and the timeline of Suu Kyi is to be observed, we could only hope that things will work out positively and would pave way for a better tomorrow, made necessary by the UPC or 21st Century Panglong Conference.
News / Local

by Tanaka Mrewa

A PUMULA South man who allegedly attacked and robbed a Sunday News reporter on his way from work leaving him unconscious has appeared in court.Handsome Zulu robbed Dumisani Nsingo of a Samsung cellphone, $30 and a paper bag with bread and chips.Zulu pleaded not guilty to a robbery charge.He told the court that he was given the cell phone by one Tinashe Siziba who asked him to sell it."I didn't steal the cell phone. Tinashe Siziba gave me the phone asking me to sell it on his behalf and I did so," said Zulu.The court heard that Siziba was recently convicted of murder and is in jail.Western Commonage Magistrate Mr Steven Ndhlovu remanded Zulu in custody to next week Thursday for trial.Prosecuting, Ms Magret Takawira said Zulu attacked Nsingo on April 16 at around 10PM."The complainant disembarked from a taxi near Godlwayo Primary School.The accused person appeared from the opposite direction and hit him with a stone on the head."He fell unconscious. Accused took his cell phone, wallet that contained cash and a national identity card," said Ms Takawira.She said Nsingo regained consciousness and went to report the matter at Pumula police station."Police arrested one Xolani Dube who was found in possession of the stolen phone on June 19."When Dube was interviewed he told the police that he had bought the cellphone from Zulu leading to his arrest on August 11," she said.In his statement to the police, Nsingo said he regained consciousness around 1am the next day and sought assistance at a house close by."The man I found at that house accompanied me to the police station. I fell unconscious again when I got there. I regained my consciousness at the hospital."The police called me on June 20 asking me to go to the station to identify my phone," reads the statement.
News / Local

by Zvamaida Murwira

Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries will next week launch a housing construction programme in Bulawayo that will see 46 000 houses being built in four cities. The multi-million dollar project is scheduled to be complete in seven months.In an interview last night, church leader, Prophet Walter Magaya said the ground-breaking ceremony for the project will be held in Bulawayo next Wednesday.He said PHD would build 20 000 houses in Harare and Mutare, 3 000 in Midlands province, and another 3 000 in Bulawayo. "I want to say thank you to my Government, which facilitated the acquisition of 20 percent of the land that I got while 80 percent was bought from private entities who had title deeds."I want to say thank you to my Government and I will not let it down on the land that it facilitated my ministry (PhD) to acquire," said Prophet Magaya. The development is expected to create about 3 000 jobs.PHD has since employed a 1 500-workforce of various categories who are currently based in Prospect, Waterfalls, Harare, where construction of a more than 200-room hotel is almost complete.Asked how he was managing to embark on such a huge project running into millions of dollars during these difficult times, Prophet Magaya said he was working with his foreign partners."We have foreign partners who are investing back home. They are working with my company Planet Africa, which is into construction," said Prophet Magaya. He said servicing of the land in all the cities had already started."We are in the process of employing workers. To date, we have employed 1 500 and they are still here at Prospect. As a ministry, we are saying to all partners of the ministry, we want you to redeem yourself. It is your time for you to have your own land," said Prophet Magaya.Asked how much the houses would cost, Prophet Magaya said the houses would be valued at reasonable prices."They will be sold at a much lower price. It will be quite affordable to low income earners, and would be lower than most of these projects. We are determined to fulfil Government's economic blueprint Zim-Asset in providing infrastructure. Our concept is housing for all," he said.On how long he thought the project would take to complete, Prophet Magaya said: "If I managed to complete construction of a hotel in a record five months, what would stop me from completing it in seven months?"The housing project is one of several that Prophet Magaya has spearheaded. He recently completed construction of a 15 000 seater stadium, in addition to construction of 1 500 houses in Harare and Chitungwiza.The PHD project comes barely a fortnight after Varun Beverages Pepsi announced that it would start constructing its $30 million bottling plant that would create 400 jobs.
In the battle of Midwestern burger chains, Culver's and Steak 'n Shake both have their devotees.

But Steak 'n Shake scored a decisive victory in a Chicago federal courtroom last week when a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Culver's over a butcher-themed TV commercial was dismissed.

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"We disagree with it but we accept it," Steve Anderson, vice president and general counsel of Wisconsin-based Culver Franchising System, said Friday.

The spots both feature a butcher in a white uniform touting three "well-marbled" cuts of beef formed into patties that are flattened and seared on a grill, then stacked on a bun and topped with cheese.

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Culver's first aired its "Butcher-Quality Beef" ad in April 2015. Seven months later, Steak 'n Shake's own butcher-shop commercial hit the airwaves, leading to the lawsuit in January.

Culver's complained Steak 'n' Shake produced an ad that closely mirrored this one.

In his ruling, Judge Gary Feinerman decided that Culver's did not have a legitimate beef over the alleged copyright infringement.

"Pressing down on patties with a spatula and flipping them while they cook is standard grilling practice; adding cheese to a burger is not a stroke of originality; and it is common parlance to describe beef as marbled," Feinerman wrote.

As for copying the theme, Feinerman was unmoved by Culver's claims, drolly observing it was "hardly original" for an ad to describe the quality of meat or feature a butcher.

"The butchers function as stock characters  both don a white butcher coat and, unsurprisingly, work in a butcher shop," he wrote.

Anderson said Culver's "disagrees that the two ads are not similar." In fact, he said they filed the suit after customers and franchisees noticed the similarity and brought it to the company's attention. While he understands such an interpretation is in the "eye of the beholder," he invites side-by-side comparisons of the spots.

"If you put a bunch of people in a room and show them the ad, some would say they're similar and some would say they're not similar," Anderson said. "We certainly think they're similar."

An attorney in the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins, which represented Steak 'n Shake in the Culver's lawsuit, declined to comment on the decision Friday.

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Culver's has until Aug. 26 to file an amended complaint. Anderson said Culver's is considering its options but will "probably not" refile.

The first Culver's restaurant opened in 1984 in Sauk City, Wis., a small town near Madison. Privately-held Culver Franchising System, launched three years later, is headquartered nearby. Culver's has 581 restaurants in 24 states.

Steak 'n Shake was founded in 1934 in Normal, Ill., and is now headquartered in Indianapolis. The chain has more than 550 restaurants in 28 states.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Northwestern Memorial Hospital must pay $3.3 million to the family of a man who died after he was given a drug dosage 10 times higher than what was ordered, a Cook County Circuit Court jury decided Wednesday.

Michael Vandelinder, 56 of suburban Detroit, died in 2010 after traveling to Northwestern for treatment for an infection after a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. The hospital gave him 10 times more of the anti-viral drug foscarnet than was ordered, causing kidney failure, according to Clifford Law Offices, which represented Vandelinder's family in the case.

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"It really is a very fair result for a family that went through something so horrible," said Sarah King, one of the attorneys with Clifford Law who represented the family. She said it shows "just how careful hospitals need to be when they're dealing with dangerous drugs."

A Northwestern spokesman declined to comment on the case Friday.

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Northwestern admitted in court documents that the hospital's pharmacy was negligent for filling an order of 2,400 mg of foscarnet with 24,000 mg of the drug, which the hospital then administered to Vandelinder.

Vandelinder was in remission from his leukemia at the time of the overdose, King said. He had only one functioning kidney before the overdose, and that was a transplanted kidney he had received 13 years earlier, she said. He's survived by his wife and four grown children.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com
Military helicopters on Friday rushed polio vaccines to dangerous parts of northeastern Nigeria , where Boko Haram operates and two paralyzed toddlers were recently discovered, a Nigerian health official said.

The World Health Organization said the new cases indicate the wild polio virus has circulated undetected for five years in Borno state  a major setback after Nigeria was declared polio-free in October.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria  Recent attacks by the Islamic extremists prevented the emergency operation from getting health workers to two parts of Borno state where the children were found, Borno state health commissioner Ibrahim Miringa told The Associated Press.

Massive challenges face Nigerian health workers supported by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to urgently vaccinate millions of endangered children in an area where the U.N. suspended aid after a military-escorted humanitarian convoy was attacked last month.

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"Not all the areas that have been liberated by the military could be accessed by our health officials because of recent attacks in Jere and Gwoza local government areas carried out by Boko Haram," Miringa said. Jere and Gwoza are the areas where the first two cases of polio were found in Nigeria in more than two years, the WHO announced Thursday night.

Nigeria's removal from WHO's list of polio-endemic countries had meant all of Africa was free from the crippling disease. Only two other countries remain on the list  Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Miringa said the two children, aged under 2, were among refugees arrived from areas newly freed from Boko Haram.

He said health workers have been vaccinating refugees as they arrive in major camps. "But recent liberation of internally displaced persons from the hinterlands and their being camped in satellite camps have made the immunization exercise difficult."

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International organizations plan to support Nigerian health workers in using "a hit-and-run kind of strategy," the WHO director for polio eradication, Dr. Michel Zaffran, told reporters in a conference call.

A massive vaccination drive was starting in Borno and within weeks would be carried to nearby Benin, Chad, Central African Republic, Chad and Cameroon, Zaffran said.

Associated Press
At least one person was injured Saturday afternoon in a crash that started an auto fire near Columbus Drive, officials said.

According to Chicago Fire Department media information, the crash happened shortly after 3 p.m. at Congress and Balbo drives. There was a pin-in accident and an auto fire at the scene.

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One person was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, but the person's condition, age and gender were not available.

Fire officials said the person was not burned.
Yahya Farooq Mohammad is facing charges that he hired a hit man to kill an Ohio judge who was overseeing his terrorism case. (Lucas County sheriff's office / Lucas County sheriff's office)

Authorities are investigating whether a Bolingbrook woman was involved in a male relative's alleged plot to kill an out-of-state federal judge presiding over his terrorism-related case, a search warrant made public Friday revealed.

Yahya Farooq Mohammad, 38, was indicted last year on federal charges that accuse him and three other men of conspiring to send money and other assistance to an al-Qaida leader in 2009.

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Last month, while still awaiting trial, Mohammad was indicted on other charges alleging he tried to hired a hit man to kidnap and murder U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary of the Northern District of Ohio.

According to the indictment, Mohammad told a fellow inmate in Lucas County Jail he wanted to pay $15,000 for the judge to be kidnapped and killed. That inmate informed authorities and an undercover FBI agent was enlisted to pose as a hit man, federal officials said.

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In an April 26 recorded conversation, after the undercover agent asked Mohammad when he should carry out the murder, Mohammad allegedly responded, "The sooner would be good, you know."

Mohammad allegedly arranged for a relative to pay the FBI agent a down payment of $1,000. The undercover agent met the woman May 5 outside a Bolingbrook postal facility and she gave him 10 bills of $100 in a white envelope, the federal search warrant said.

The two met again May 16, when the undercover agent showed the woman a photo with a "doctored image portraying (the judge) deceased with multiple gunshot wounds to the head," the document stated. He demanded payment.

Mohammad was charged with attempted first-degree murder of a federal officer, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire, records show. His relative has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Federal authorities said Friday they continue to investigate whether she was involved in the alleged plot.

Her attorney, Christopher Grohman, said the woman believed the $1,000 payment was for a business investment that her relative asked her to pursue on his behalf. Grohman said the woman, after seeing the doctored photo of the allegedly slain judge, immediately called her attorney, who notified federal authorities.

The woman did not make any incriminating statements to suggest she was in on the plot during secretly recorded conversations she had with Mohammad and the undercover FBI agent who posed as the hit man, her attorney said.

Zouhary has since recused himself from the original case in which Mohammad was accused of attempting to fund al-Qaida.

Attorney Thomas Anthony Durkin represents Mohammad in both cases. He said the United Arab Emirates-born man had studied electrical engineering as a graduate student at Ohio State University. It's unclear whether Mohammad ever lived in the Chicago area. Grohman said the woman has been living with her three children in a relative's Bolingbrook home since Mohammad's 2015 arrest.

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According to a May 18 federal search warrant, made public Friday, special agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Chicago searched the house, computers and all other electronic devices such as cellphones and tablets as part of their investigation.

The jailhouse informant who helped federal authorities ensnare Mohammad in the murder-for-hire plot has an extensive criminal history with a pending weapons charge and is serving a 40-year prison term for child porn-related charges, according to the search warrant.

Prosecutors said he was not promised a possible reduction of his sentence in exchange for his help.

Still, Durkin was skeptical of the man's reliability. Durkin also represents Adel Daoud, a young Hillside man accused of soliciting the murder of an undercover FBI agent after his arrest in 2012 on charges he plotted to detonate a car bomb outside a Loop bar.

"All I can say now is that it is interesting the government once again (like Adel Daoud) has stooped to using a notorious jailhouse informant to devise an absurdly convoluted plot that makes little to no practical sense," Durkin said.

cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @christygutowsk1
The ancient Greeks and Romans wrote grisly legends about Mount Lykaion. The Arcadian peak, some would write, was where one of the first Greeks tried to trick Zeus by feeding him a sacrifice tainted with human flesh. In punishment, the legend goes, Lycaon was either slain or turned into a wolf.



As a result, according to some ancient writers, the firepit altar at the top of the mountain didn't just receive gifts of livestock from the people of ancient Greece. Sometimes a human boy would be added to the offering in Zeus's honor (or eaten), perhaps even in the hope of inducing a lupine transformation. But were musings on these sacrifices taken from historical accounts, or were they simply instances of ancient myth turning into urban legend?



Now, archaeologists working to excavate the altar on Mount Lykaion say they may have found evidence that these horrible tales held some truth. A 3,000-year-old skeleton - a young man - has been found curled up in the ashes.



The researchers involved have yet to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal, which means that they haven't presented evidence to be evaluated by experts not affiliated with a dig. Accordingly, everything must be taken with a grain of salt - it's possible that any case these scientists make for tying the remains to a human sacrifice, if they try to make one at all, will be debunked by their colleagues.



But with that in mind, Ioannis Mylonopoulos of Columbia University - who wasn't involved in the latest excavation - thinks the findings could be something special.



"If the preliminary date of the burial (11th century B.C.) suggested by the excavators is correct, then this is extremely significant," Mylonopoulos told The Post in an email.



These wouldn't be the first signs of human sacrifice among ancient Greeks, he added. Several other archaeologists have already found - and published peer-reviewed data on - skeletons that seem to suggest such rites took place. In this case, Mylonopoulos said, the skeleton's lack of head (only its lower jaw was preserved) is "very suspicious" and could be a clue that some kind of ritual led to its demise.



But if analysis of the site can confirm that the youth was sacrificed to Zeus, the resolution of that mystery will pose another, perhaps more difficult question: Why was he buried at the spot where he was sacrificed?



"Whether it's a sacrifice or not, this is a sacrificial altar ... so it's not a place where you would bury an individual. It's not a cemetery," excavator David Gilman Romano, professor of Greek archaeology at the University of Arizona, told the Associated Press.



Mylonopoulos agreed that this would be perplexing and makes him suspect that the body might actually be from a later period, having been placed there after the altar's use in animal sacrifices had long since passed. If the man really was tucked away in the ash of his own sacrifice 3,000 years ago, it could be an honorific practice that researchers aren't familiar with.



"If there are indeed finds from this period from within the rather careless tomb, then the most convincing interpretation at this stage would be that we are indeed dealing with a human sacrifice and that the deceased was buried within the ash altar as a form of honor," Mylonopoulos said.



While Romano and his colleagues continue to study the skeleton and its surroundings for clues, they'll also continue to excavate the rest of the altar. More than 90 percent of it remains unaccounted for.



"We have a number of years of future excavation to go," Romano told the AP. "We don't know if we are going to find more human burials or not."
News / National

by Nqobile Tshili and Felex Share

THE Government has announced civil servants' pay dates for this month, underlying its commitment to timeously fulfil its salary obligations to its workers.According to the payment schedule, members of the Zimbabwe National Army and Air Force of Zimbabwe will be paid on August 23. Those in the health sector will receive their salaries on August 26, while the police and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services will be paid on August 30.The Zimbabwe Nurses' Association recently appealed to the Government to recognise its members as belonging to the essential services sector because of the nature of their job, hence the need to pay them earlier.After those in the health sector and the security forces have been paid, next to receive their salaries will be teachers on September 2. The rest of the civil servants will be paid on September 5 while pensioners will receive their payments on September 9.The Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Prisca Mupfumira said it was a matter of time before all the civil servants were paid within the month worked as the Government's strategies to raise money start paying dividends."It is a fact that we have revenue challenges but as promised, we have managed to bring forward the pay dates for most of the workers except for teachers who received their July salaries on August 2 and for this month they will be paid on September 2," she said."Just as said by President Mugabe during the Heroes' Day commemorations that mechanisms are being developed to ensure workers get their salaries on the traditional pay dates, we are working day and night to improve and meet this target."We thank Treasury for working to ensure these improvements come. September dates will be availed as soon as modalities are in place because we want the workers, whom we treasure so much, to concentrate on service delivery."Minister Mupfumira added: "We will also continue engaging the workers, through the official channels, to update each other on the developments that will be taking place. They have every right to know what will be happening and National Joint Negotiating Council meetings will be held constantly."Apex Council president Mrs Cecilia Alexander said although they have noted some stability when it comes to their pay dates, they were worried that they overlapped into the next month."There has been some steady improvement and in other sectors the Government has maintained the dates as they had last month," she said. Mrs Alexander implored the Government to continue working on improving on the pay dates."So we're calling on the powers that be to take this matter seriously. And it was our hope that in August the situation would have normalised. But we've realised that we've not yet achieved normalcy and we will continue to engage," said Mrs Alexander.A few weeks ago, President Mugabe appealed to civil servants to be patient, saying the country was faced with an array of challenges that include illegal sanctions, drought as well as the use of the multi-currency system, mainly the US dollar that the country had little control over.He said the Government would strive to ensure that the problem of delays in salary payments was addressed.
HATCH, N.M.  Authorities say a police officer has died after being shot in the neck during a traffic stop. Three suspects are in custody.



The Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department released a statement late Friday saying Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez died Friday after being airlifted to a hospital in El Paso, Texas.



Authorities say the 33-year-old was a two-year department veteran.



The officer had just arrived at the traffic stop when a passenger got out of the vehicle and fired shots.



County sheriff's officials say the three male suspects fled in a car and were later arrested. Their names haven't been released.



Authorities say one of the suspects suffered a gunshot wound to the right thigh.

Associated Press
Years ago, Donald Trump built his political brand by questioning President Barack Obama's background and demanding he release records. Today, Trump has declined to release many of the same records that he once encouraged others to release.

Here are eight that The Washington Post has asked Trump to release:

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1. Tax returns: All major presidential nominees since 1976 have released their tax returns. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had earlier released returns from 2007 to 2014 and released her 2015 return on Friday.

2. Gov. Mike Pence's tax returns: Clinton's running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, also released his tax returns from the past 10 years on Friday. Aides to Pence have yet to say if he will do the same.

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3. Melania Trump's immigration records: Given Trump's firm opposition to illegal immigration, questions have been raised about Melania Trump's journey to becoming a U.S. citizen. Trump indicated earlier this week that his wife plans to soon release documentation at "a little news conference." That news conference has yet to be scheduled, and Trump has yet to release documentation of his wife's path to legalization. It is unknown what kind of work visa Melania Trump first received and when, along with how she received her green card.

4. Documentation of charitable giving: David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post has repeatedly asked Trump to provide documentation of the millions of dollars he has claimed to have given to charity.

5. College application and transcript: In 2012, Trump insisted that Obama release "his college records and applications." Trump has yet to do the same.

6. Passport application and records: In 2012, Trump also challenged Obama to release his passport application and records. Trump has yet to do the same, although he did release his birth certificate.

7. Medical records: Nominees have frequently released their health records. In 2008, Sen. John McCain released more than a thousand pages of medical records. In July 2015, Clinton released a two-page letter from her doctor the results of several lab tests. In December, Trump released a four-paragraph letter from his personal doctor stating that a recent medical examination "showed only positive results" but didn't get into much detail.

8. Full documentation of military deferments: During the Vietnam War, Trump received five deferments, including one 1-Y medical deferment in 1968 because of bone spurs. The Post has asked Trump to provide a copy of the doctor's letter that led to that deferment.
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)

WASHINGTON  After selecting architects and a site for the Obama Presidential Center, President Barack Obama faces another key decision: choosing a director for his library and museum.

The job hasn't been advertised yet, but if recent practices hold a director could be in on the job by early next year.

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Alan Lowe, who in July took over as head of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, knows the drill. Lowe, 52, was the inaugural director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas. Lowe took the post during planning stages for the library in 2009, four years before the facility opened.

"It was never a dull day as director of a presidential library," said Lowe, who oversaw a library with 43,000 artifacts, including the bullhorn Bush used to speak from the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks.

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"The raw material of history," Lowe said.

The Obama Presidential Center, now being designed, is scheduled to open in 2021 in Jackson Park. The government will administer its archives and museum; the nonprofit Obama Foundation will oversee its own offices and activity space.

At the Bush center, Lowe said he learned it's important to keep its museum "relevant and exciting for people" because after the first year or so, attendance tends to drop off.

The center opened in May 2013, drawing more than 230,000 visitors through the end of that year, about 500,000 in 2014 and about 300,000 in 2015, center spokeswoman Hannah Abney said. "We're on track to be close to 2015 numbers this year," she said.

The landmark on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas is the 13th presidential library in the National Archives' portfolio.

Lowe, a Kentucky native with a master's degree in history from the University of Kentucky, worked for the National Archives for 20 years. He got his start as a young archivist at Ronald Reagan's Library when early work processing the presidential papers was being done in an old pasta factory near Los Angeles.

After his name was put up for the Bush library post, a series of interviews culminated with a meeting with George and Laura Bush in the Oval Office late in his presidency.

According to Lowe, George Bush asked him what would be his first priority if selected for the job. Lowe singled out a top-notch team of employees.

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"The first priority is to hire great staff because there's so much to do, you have to make sure you have the right people on board and you do it," he said.

The Obama library team now is being assembled. A museum specialist, supervisory archivist, archives technician and three archivists have been hired, National Archives spokeswoman Laura Diachenko said. The National Archives is advertising for a facility operations specialist responsible for heating, air conditioning, security and other systems. That hire, like other staffers, will work first in an old furniture store in Hoffman Estates and move to Jackson Park when the presidential center is completed, she said.

The Obama library director will be paid between $123,000 to $170,000 a year, Diachenko said. The country's top archivist, David Ferriero, will consult with the president on the hire. The job posting used for Lowe's successor in Dallas will be a model for the Obama library's chief, she said.

Duties in that posting included directing staff, programs and activities of the library including archival, conservation, exhibit, public and educational programs. Job requirements included experience leading a historical, archival, cultural, philanthropic, educational or governmental institution; success in cultivating public-private partnerships; an understanding of 21st century events and issues; and innovative thinking to "market the museum to drive attendance."

The director keeps close ties to the president's foundation, the posting said.

At the Bush library, home to a vast collection of his paper and digital records, Lowe oversaw about 40 federal employees  about half of them archivists  as well as contractors doing custodial and security work.

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He said the library put a premium on customer service, which made its 325 volunteers crucial. Some were docents; others worked in marketing and administration.

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"There wasn't a day ... that we didn't need that help," he said. "They were very much a part of our team, a part of our family."

Lowe has high expectations for Obama's library, anticipating an "amazing archives collection" and "top-notch museum."

"A fascinating president and presidency," he said.

Partnerships with civic groups, universities and elementary and secondary schools will be pivotal to the library's success, he said. Lowe hopes Lincoln's library and museum, a state-owned facility, someday will collaborate on projects with Obama's.

"Two presidential libraries right here in Illinois, I would love that," he said.

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kskiba@tribpub.com

Twitter @KatherineSkiba
Margaret M. Schlickman encouraged local officials to focus on affordable housing and homeless issues during her 27 years on the Arlington Heights Housing Commission.

"Margaret was a true public servant and she served not only the residents of Arlington Heights but the residents of the greater Chicagoland area with a real passion for affordable housing and just a concern for those in need," said Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes. "She dedicated her life to addressing those concerns."

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Schlickman, 86, died of complications from dementia July 1 at Addolorata Villa in Wheeling, said her son, Stephen. She had been a longtime Arlington Heights resident.

Born Margaret Muraski, Schlickman grew up in Rockford and graduated from Bishop Muldoon High School, where she was president of the senior class. She married Eugene Schlickman in 1951 and moved with him to Washington while he attended law school at Georgetown University.

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The couple moved to Arlington Heights in 1956. Margaret Schlickman's husband was elected trustee in Arlington Heights in 1959 and served for 16 years in the state House. The couple later divorced.

Around the time of the couple's divorce, Schlickman took a job working for then-U.S. Sen. Charles Percy's office as a receptionist. Several years later, then-U.S. Rep. John Porter hired her as a caseworker in his office. She later was promoted to be Porter's director of constituent services in his office. She retired from Porter's office in 1996.

Schlickman's interest in affordable housing stemmed from her work on the issue in the 1970s with the priests who ran St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, which her sons attended.

In 1979, Arlington Heights leaders tapped Schlickman to chair Arlington Heights' new Housing Commission. The advisory panel was charged with expanding housing opportunities for everyone in the community, increasing the number of housing units for individuals in the low and middle-income brackets, and serving as the village's fair housing review board.

"Margaret was soft-spoken and a very good communicator, but when it came to the issues she was passionate about, she was a very strong advocate," said Nora Boyer, a housing planner for Arlington Heights. "She focused on groups of people who fell through the cracks."

Boyer said Schlickman's lengthy tenure on the housing commission allowed her to provide "historical background and perspective" on various initiatives. She "knew the people and could bring them to the table," Boyer said.

"She loved the community and more important, the people of the community," Boyer said.

Schlickman stepped down from the commission in 2006.

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Schlickman also was chair of Wheeling Township's Human Services Committee from 1989-91.

Schlickman is also survived by another son, Andrew; two daughters, Mary Rogozinski and Monica Oliver; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Services were held.

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
News / National

by Stephen jakes

A Policy Analyst Butler Tambo has clashed with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions over its move to challenge the implementation of the Special Economic Zones.He said he got Whatsapp messages some of these bulk ones saying ZCTU wants to demonstrate against the Special Economic Zones Bill on the 20th of August 2016 and want the President not to sign it into law even though it has gone through both houses of parliament."The organisation argues that because the Bill suspends the operationalisation of the labour Act in SEZs then it will lead to slave labour," Tambo said."Honestly ZCTU in a Zimbabwe where there is more than 85% unemployment what labour rights do you still represent since people are either loafers or vendors. If the Bill soon to become SEZ Act can create employment so let us have it main thing is let us get people into those factories first and foremost and stop being a country of vendors then worry about labour rights later we are too deep in poverty as a country to worry about such niceties and luxuries like labour rights."He said who exactly is ZCTU serving considering the only real workers are Civil Servants and a few parastatals,a few corporate and a large NGO sector that is left of Zimbabwe.Such poor relevance seeking is nauseating."I for one championed and even wrote extensively in support of SEZ and believe this is the best way to go for a struggling economy like ours," he said.
An audit of Community Unit School District 308's English-learner programs found improvement over earlier audits, but also pointed to areas of work for the district.

The Illinois State Board of Education audit found the Oswego-based district has implemented 27 of the required areas, including screening students for program eligibility, having highly-qualified teachers in the programs and monitoring students who leave an English-learner program. But it also found the district has only partially implemented 15 areas, such as consistently and properly notifying parents about their child's enrollment in an English-learner program and some areas related to curriculum.

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No areas fell into the "not implemented" category during the spring audit from ISBE's division of English language leaning. A 2011 audit, meanwhile, found the district was not compliant in 19 areas, according to District 308.

"I've been here only two years," Theresa Ulrich, director of English learners, said. "And with the number of serious issues that needed to be addressed when I got here, and to not have any noncompliance, that really shows that not only do we know we're making progress, but the state recognizes that we're making progress, too."

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The audit comes after a 2014 report from outside consultants found the district's English-learner programs were poorly designed and had been carried out inconsistently for years prior. Students enrolled in the programs didn't have the same access to educational opportunities as their peers, and the programs were out of compliance with some state and federal requirements, the report stated, among other findings.

That audit found there was no unified curriculum for English-learner programs, an area cited again in the most recent Illinois State Board of Education audit. The audit found the district's English-learner curriculum was not aligned to some state standards, and there was no district-wide map outlining how the curriculum would be taught in class.

Ulrich cited several changes the district has made since the 2014 audit, including putting in place new math and English language arts curricula, standardizing and creating more stability for English learner programs and providing more resources to teachers.

She said the district has put together a framework for how the English learners curriculum will be used in class and how they will correlate with state standards, which has been one of the most challenging areas for the district.

"Even the state doesn't have a full understanding of what a comprehensive project that is," she said.

The Illinois State Board of Education report was based on written documentation and a two-day visit to a district early childhood center, elementary school, junior high school and high school, where auditors reviewed data and student records, conducted interviews and visited classrooms and other buildings.

Ulrich said one of the challenges of the audit is that it reviews everything the district has done historically, dating back to before she worked in the district. The majority of the areas found to be only partially implemented "are findings that just require a little tweak," she said.

The district was required to create plans to correct the partially implemented areas and submit them to the state board's division of English language learning.

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sfreishtat@tribpub.com

Twitter @srfreish
Tony Prisco has been laid to rest. I don't find that sad, in itself, as it is said that the next world is a better place and, the longer I live, the more I am convinced of that. What I do find sad, though, is how frequently we find out how remarkable a person is only after he or she is gone.

In fact, I learned that the entire Prisco family story is remarkable . . . and instructive, as well.

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Tony Prisco was the son of Tony Sr., who was the son of Italian immigrants and moved to Aurora after serving in the Marines in World War I, settling in the Italian section of Aurora on the near southwest side.

Tony Sr. started his own grocery business and ultimately opened a store at the intersection of Lake Street and Jericho Road. In working at the family store as a young boy, Tony inherited, by example, the work ethic of his father. He also learned about helping his fellow man. During the Great Depression, Tony watched his father giving away food to people who couldn't afford to pay for it.

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Tony married a Romanian girl, Anna Kish, the daughter of an immigrant father who worked at Austin Western for several years before returning to Romania to retrieve his wife and bring her to the land of opportunity. While the Italian part of Aurora was on the southwest side, the Romanian section was on the northeast side. Both immigrant groups began arriving in the early 1900s.

No doubt, both groups were initially looked down upon (especially the swarthy-skinned Italians) with their strange languages and customs. But they were unbowed in their efforts to grasp a piece of the American Dream, even as they were learning a new language and strange new customs, while living in relative poverty.

Looking back, today, the Prisco family certainly succeeded and part of that success is no doubt related to their reverence for, and pursuit of, education. Anna, the mother of Tony's children, had been a school teacher and had considerable influence on her children.

Although the Priscos are known for their grocery store, Rob Prisco, who managed the store for two decades before semi-retiring recently, has a Ph.D. in physics. His brother, Michael, has a Ph.D. in bio-medical engineering and his sisters attained degrees in nursing, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Clearly the Prisco Story is a classic story of the American Dream: immigrants seeking a better life come to the land of freedom and opportunity, weather all adversity and prejudice, and leverage a strong work ethic and pioneer spirit to become successful citizens of America. The success they achieved was not guaranteed, nor was it bestowed upon them  they, themselves, crafted it.

This has been the story of our nation since its inception. New generation upon new generation of immigrants coming to America; new blood re-energizing and revitalizing our nation, breathing new life and new meaning into our unique and ongoing experiment in democracy.

It is ironic that often the most anti-immigrant Americans are those who are only a generation or two removed from being immigrants themselves. I have an Aurora friend of Romanian extraction who is virulently anti-Hispanic. She never stops to think that although they seem so different, Hispanic immigrants  no less than the Italian or Romanian immigrants who came before  are mainly hard-working, family-oriented people pursuing the American Dream and stoking the American economic engine, anew, by doing the work more established and complacent Americans, like ourselves, no longer have a taste for. Not only do they wait our tables; they also fight our wars.

And one needs only to look at what is happening at Aurora University or Waubonsee Community College to see the "value added" that this city and this country will receive from the latest generation of Americans who, like the well-educated Priscos, are the sons and daughters of immigrants.

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Although sometimes a reluctant one, America truly is a "melting pot." As I attended Tony Prisco's funeral Mass, I noted the amazing assortment of last names of his grandchildren, who were listed as participating in the funeral service: Guzauskas (Lithuanian), Mesdaghi (Persian), Urueta (Mexican), Donnell (Scottish), Strong (English), Prisco (Italian).

This gave me the comforting notion that, someday, we Americans will be so blended that the haters won't know who to hate and there will be but one race  the human race. Amen.

Tom Weisner is mayor of Aurora
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"Prophets should be seen as Yahweh's messengers not as poets and authors" Discuss this in relation to prophets in Ancient Israel and in Zimbabwe? (25) (Article number 105)DIVINITY REVISION QUESTIONS| 13 AUGUST 2016COMMENT OVERVIEW- The above question might be new to some of us ,but the question is common .The question demands us to discuss the validity of the claim that the prophets in Israel acted as messengers not poets and authors .Number of so many prophets in Israel specifically the writing prophets ,have been regarded as poets because of their behavior, this is true in the case of the country prophet Amos .J Thompson defined a prophet as a messenger of God whereas U.S.A English dictionary define a poet as a person who writes poems. In order for you totally answer the above question you have to be able to answer the following fundamental questions.- Who acted as a prophet and poet in Israel?- Who authored books ?- Can prophets be regarded as poets ?- Which prophet can be regarded as a poet and authorANSWERS- J Thompson define a prophet as a messenger of God whereas B W Anderson define a prophet as someone who communicate the will of God .Prophets in Israel acted as the messengers of God ,this is true in the case of true prophets .This can be supported by the use of the messenger's style of speech. Number of so many prophets in Israel used a messenger style of speech [they are so many prophets who used the messenger style of speech]. The idea originated with Moses who confronted King Pharaoh in Exodus 5:1 "Thus says the Lord" ,thus acting as a messenger style of Yahweh. Reading Due 18:18 ,indicates that Yahweh appointed prophets for a specific mandate. Amos explained to the Israelites that prophets acted as the messengers of prophets ,this is evidenced in Amos 3:7.Jeremiah and Isaiah were assured that throughout the ministry they will be divinely inspired. In Zimbabwean context ,Zimbabwean prophets claim to be messengers of God ,this is evidenced by the use of messenger style of speech ,for instance Makandiwa, Angel, Wimbo, Chiza, Fodrick the Apple prophet ,Freddy the Spectacle prophet. This can be further supported by the words of Zimbabwe prophets before delivering any prophecies[ The Lord said to me /Mwari ataura neni ati /ukhulume lami uNkulunkulu wathi] As such, this indicates that Israel prophets and Zimbabwean prophets can be seen as Yahweh's messengers.HOWEVER PART- As much as Israel prophets can be seen as messengers of Yahweh, it will be loss of memory if one ignore the view that they can be labeled as authors and poets .Moses authored the Pentateuch even though some scholars deny this ,this is evidenced in Exodus 17:14 .The canonical prophets , are believed to have authored their prophetic books [see the article on compiling and preservation of prophetic books ].Isaiah of Jerusalem was instructed to write down ,this is recorded in Isaiah 8:1.He even authored the book ,this is evidenced by Isaiah 30:8.Jeremiah is well known of dictating his prophecies to the secretary Baruch ,this is recorded in Jeremiah 36:4.In Zimbabwean context, writing books cannot be separated from Zimbabwean prophets ,Magaya is well known of his book which condemned the Vapostori "MARINE SPIRIT". Angel wrote so many books this same applies with Makandiwa,Proffessor Guti. The reason why books are being authored in Zimbabwe is unknown, perhaps for preserving information, business and as way of delivering the message. What remains is that Zimbabwean prophets write books .Basing on the above one will be tempted to regard/label Israel prophets and Zimbabwean prophets as authors.- Israel prophets have been labeled as poets ,for instance Amos was labeled as a poet by Vauld ,because of his stylistic way of writing .This include use of similes and metaphors, imagery, songs, wordplays and delivering the message in public places .Isaiah of Jerusalem used poetic devices for instance songs e.t.c. In Zimbabwean context, no prophet has claimed to be a poet but one should not that their characteristics will lead one to regard them as poets. Considering how they deliver the message for instance, parables ,stories and songs. [look for the examples].QUESTION DEMANDS- justify the above allegationCONTACTS+263777896159 (WhatsApp)Zimsec A level Divinity Questions and Answers with Witness Dingani (Facebook page )Leadership is lifting a person's vision to high sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. Peter Drucker
This week marked the opening of the new Centegra Hospital in Huntley.

I wrote in 2011 that the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board should turn down the request of Centegra for permission to construct the new hospital. There are plenty of beds in Elgin at both Sherman Hospital on Randall Road and the Provena Saint Joseph Hospital on Airlite Drive. Both hospitals have changed names and hands since then.

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"Severe medical emergencies according to state law, must be transported to the new Centegra Huntley Hospital," said Huntley Fire Protection District Fire Chief Kenneth Caudle. "With less serious medical conditions such as a broken leg, Huntley paramedics will have the option of transporting patients that request it to Elgin Hospitals for care."

Centegra is providing a hospital "where doctors believe treatment begins with listening and where the best medicine is innovation," according to hospital's website. The 384,135 square-foot hospital has 128 beds in private rooms, a full-service emergency department, and cardiology services.

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Even though, it will be much closer for her, Lake in the Hills resident Martha Simpson does not plan on using the Centegra Huntley Hospital.

"After having the same primary care physician for 18 years, I have no intention of changing providers," she said. "I have been extremely happy with the care I have received at Advocate Sherman Hospital."

With two wonderful, full service hospitals in Elgin, I do not have a need to seek medical attention all the way in Huntley. Although, it will definitely be much more convenient for people living in Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Southern Crystal Lake, and Algonquin, time will tell if patients abandon medical facilities providing treatment in Elgin.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Service Review Board made the decision to allow another hospital. Now that this new hospital has opened its door, the hope is that there will be plenty of patients to fill all the beds in Elgin and Huntley.

Linda McDaniel-Hale is a Fox Valley resident who offers opinion on local topics.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney's eldest daughter, bouncing back from an aborted 2014 U.S. Senate bid, heads into a crowded primary race next week for Wyoming's lone seat in the House of Representatives buoyed by big-name Republicans and wealthy out-of-state donors.



Liz Cheney, the apparent Republican front-runner, has commanded a level of fund-raising and A-list party support - including two former presidents and onetime Cabinet members - that is rare, if not unheard of, for a relative newcomer to Wyoming politics.



Her strength is even more significant in a solidly red state where the Republican primary winner is virtually assured victory in the general election.



"She can go to Chicago or New York, and in one fund-raiser pull in more money than the next two closest candidates combined," said Deb Oakley Simpson, a daughter-in-law of former longtime Wyoming Republican Senator Alan Simpson and a Cody-based civic activist who backs one of Cheney's primary foes, state Senator Leland Christensen.



To date, Cheney, 49, has received individual donations totaling more than $1.1 million, far outpacing the collective campaign receipts of her seven Republican opponents and the two Democrats running in Wyoming's primary elections on Tuesday.



According to the latest opinion poll on the race, conducted during the second week of July, more than half of Wyoming voters were undecided, but Cheney led with 21 percent, more than twice the following of her nearest competitor.



Her standing marks a striking turnaround from her first bid for public office, when she returned to her home state three years ago to challenge incumbent Senator Mike Enzi and was branded by some fellow Republicans as a "carpetbagger" backed by deep-pocketed outsiders.



Her campaign also suffered from a public feud with her sister Mary Cheney, a lesbian, over Liz Cheney's opposition to same-sex marriage.



She ended up withdrawing from that race several months later, citing a family health crisis. Cheney and her husband, Phil Perry, an attorney, have five children.



Now Cheney, also a lawyer who worked in the State Department while her father was vice president, is leveraging her Washington connections as she runs for the open, at-large House seat in the nation's least populous state.



Campaigning as a "strong conservative voice for Wyoming," she has vowed to protect the state's pivotal coal industry, defend gun rights and generally work "to reverse President Obama's devastating policies."

Because without all her famous out of state famous buddies and a shit ton of out of state money no one would know the little carpetbagger and fewer still would want her representing them.Wyoming does have a small population so she won't have to buy too many votes to get in and the cattle and coal barons are already celebrating. They may be disappointed because, while she may embrace many of the vile ideas of her daddy, it remains to be seen if she has the same Machiavellian evil of her dad.
Man gets probation in ecstasy case

A 21-year-old man has been placed on two years of probation and fined more than $5,000 for selling ecstasy last year on Naperville's far south and southwest sides.

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Daniel T. Kadlec lives in the 9S300 block of Skylane Drive in the unincorporated Aero Estates community near Naperville's far west side. He pleaded guilty July 28 in Will County Circuit Court to an amended felony charge of the manufacture/delivery of 10 to 15 ecstasy tablets, according to court records.

In addition to probation, Judge Daniel L. Kennedy also ordered Kadlec to pay fines and court costs totaling $5,717 records said.

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Kadlec's arrest followed an investigation by the Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad. Director Mike Weber said earlier this year Kadlec was a drug dealer who met with undercover detectives and sold them ecstasy.

Kadlec had no prior criminal record in DuPage, Will and Kane counties.

Jail, probation for identity theft

A Naperville man has been sentenced to eight days in Will County jail and placed on four years of probation for using another man's credit card information to buy goods and services last year, including renting a Bolingbrook hotel room.

Carl A. Tirona, 28, of the 800 block of Tappingo Street, was convicted of a felony continuing a financial crimes enterprise, according to Will County court records.

The sentence was handed down by Judge Carla J. Alessio Policandriotes on July 14.

Bolingbrook police last summer investigated Tirona after a man reported someone had used his card information to rent a room at the Quality Inn.

Police found Tirona in the room, and during a search of his vehicle found several credit cards, a magnetic credit card reader/writer, receipts for purchases Tirona made using the stolen information and drug paraphernalia, police said last year.

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Man sentenced for bogus police report

A 26-year-old man has been ordered to perform public service work for calling Naperville police last year and falsely claiming an intruder had attacked him in his home.

Joshua J. Mance, 26, of the 800 block of Benedetti Drive, Naperville, pleaded guilty in DuPage County Circuit Court to a charge of attempted disorderly conduct/filing a false crime report, according to court records.

Judge George J. Bakalis on July 7 ordered Mance to serve 21 days in the Sheriff's Work Alternative Program, or SWAP; spend two years on court supervision; and reimburse the city of Naperville $1,780 for the expenses involved in investigating the bogus crime.

Mance called police on May 5, 2015, to report that "an individual unlawfully entered his residence and attacked (him,)" even though no attack had occurred, according to court documents.

wbird@tribpub.com
Sex not factor in vote

I was having some serious difficulty falling in line behind Donald Trump, but it is now quite clear thanks to Fran Orchard's letter, "Sexism at root of election." I fit the profile she lays out quite nicely. In her expert analysis, the following attributes are required for anyone voting for Trump: Insufficient intellectual ability, check (my wife and kids tell me all the time); white male, check (no debate here); addle-brained senior, check (Medicare-eligible, although I'm still working and pay for insurance, which reinforces first point); lack of financial security, check (I don't have one of those generous government or Illinois pensions, just my own savings retirement accounts and Social Security, if it remains solvent); and hatred for the other (hatred is a strong word but other is quite broad so I'm sure something fits).

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The only category where I'm questionable is uneducated ( I do have master's degrees in engineering and business, but not from an Ivy League school, so value is suspect). Also, my senior- addled brain has forgotten most of what I learned.

I can assure you that my votes in 2008 and 2012 had nothing to do with race and my vote in 2016 will have nothing to do with sex. Fran, can you say the same? If you want to see what sexism and racism look like, maybe you should take a look in the mirror, or does it only cut one way?

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Bill Adamson, Naperville

America at stake in election

The "Sexism at root of election" comments drew my attention  and not in a good way.

The writer claims that Hillary Clinton is the victim of the unspoken out-of-control sexism. I would say that America suffers when people are so biased that they can't see the light of day.

It goes without saying that both candidates have their inconsistencies. I would say that Donald Trump has verbally said things that are not presidential, but he has not contributed to the problems America faces today.

Obviously, Hillary Clinton has had many problems in the past  the most important of which has been the email scandal. If you really listened to what FBI Director James Comey said, Clinton is guilty and certainly should not be elected to office and should be brought to justice. As secretary of state, she enormously jeopardized the safety of this country. Is this someone you would trust to a higher office?

What is at stake here is America. We need to start supporting people who will uphold the Constitution and the laws of this land.

Pat Stover, Naperville

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Learning too cursory today

My compliments to Bill Mego on his essay, "Everyone's getting dumber, and no one seems to care," (Naperville Sun, Aug. 7th). In recent years, we've heard and read about the declining quality of education and learning in the United States. This has been well documented in surveys which have ranked education achievement levels in countries around the world. Mego writes "every generation of kids gets a less rigorous education than the one before it."

This subject coincides with emerging discussions about anti-intellectualism. In 1980, Dr. Isaac Asimov, a professor and prolific writer, wrote: "There is cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life " Additionally, last week on NPR's "Here & Now," host Eric Westervelt and his guest discussed anti-intellectualism's effects on today's politics and some of the thinking expressed by presidential candidates.

All of us, students and adults alike, are affected by the foregoing. Increasingly, in large part due to extraordinary technology advances and a multitude of competing information outlets, many gather information and think they're acquiring knowledge. Then, opinions are shaped by content, which may be superficial. How many today take time for research and reasoning and make a real effort to learn subject material before reaching conclusions? We may have inadvertently created an environment conducive to cursory learning.

Asimov's thread of anti-intellectualism just may lengthen if a stimulating and rigorous educational environment, supported by needed learning skills and accountability, is not in place during the critically formative years in school.

Russell Harwood, Naperville

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'Telling it like it is'

I found it very refreshing to read Fran Orchards' view of the current political climate ("Sexism at root of election."). She should be applauded for standing up and not being afraid to tell it like it is. Donald Trump is very comfortable making outlandish statements that are not fact-based, bigoted, and designed to incite hatred and discord.

Additionally, Trump's vice-presidential selection is just as unsettling. When Gov. Mike Pence first addressed the Republican convention, he acknowledged "... the Christians and Republicans" in the group. What does that say about his views of the non-Christians who were part of that same group?

In DuPage County, which is very conservative, I thank Orchard for voicing her point of view.

Jim Ford, Naperville

Whose idea was floating wetland?

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The headline to a story by Genevieve Bookwalter, "Naperville's 'floating wetlands' may clean pond algae," (Aug. 6) implies that Naperville North High School grad Anneke Duin conceived the idea for the floating wetland in Naperville's first stormwater retention pond. While her work may have been exemplary, the project had been described in a City of Naperville job bulletin March 11.

Did she make the suggestion to the city before the bulletin was written? If so, give her credit for that. If not, the headline is misleading. It is a great solution with much promise.

Russ Manthy, Naperville

Mapping amendment needed

I was one of over 563,000 voters who signed a petition to get the Independent Map Amendment on the November ballot. I, like the majority of Illinois citizens, want real change in Springfield.

I want to have a choice of candidates, not just the same candidates running unopposed every election. Two-thirds of the Illinois House and Senate contests will have only one candidate on the ballot in November.

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I want to choose my own legislators, not be gerrymandered into a district the legislators have drawn for me to suit whichever political party is creatively drawing the map that year. I want a transparent, fair and impartial way to draw legislative maps, and this is exactly what the Independent Map Amendment would do.

The duty of drawing the legislative maps would be given to an 11-member independent commission. Both the selection of commission members and their drawing of the maps would be open for public and media scrutiny, a far cry from the backroom partisan political process we now have.

The proposed amendment had enough valid signatures to get on the ballot. Now the well-financed, politically influential opposition has filed suit to keep it off the ballot. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court should step up and allow voters the opportunity to make this needed change in the Illinois Constitution.

Annette Smith, Naperville

Share your views

Submit letters to the editor via email to suburbanletters@tribpub.com. Please include your name and town of residence for publication. Please include phone number and email address for confirmation. Letters should be no more than 250 words.
From right to left are poms Brittany Marchese, Emily Wolak and Natalia O'Grodny, who were helping to welcome back students to school at Ridgewood High School. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

The school year began Aug. 12 at Ridgewood High School in Norridge, and students who entered the main entrance between 7:30 and 8 a.m. were welcomed by cheerleaders and members of the pompon team.

"We're excited to have the building full again," said Chris Uhle, the school's principal. "We're excited to have the kids back, and we've raised the bar academically."

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An estimated 800 students are enrolled at the home of the Rebels, he said.

Jillian Lazzara was among the cheerleaders greeting students on their first day of school. Asked what it means to be a Rebel, she replied, "a fighter."

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"We fight to win and to achieve our goals," she said, shyly.

Lazzara hopes to become a professional makeup artist after high school. Others talked about their milestone.

"It feels scary, a lot of unknowns," said Christian Racca, a senior from Norridge who rode a bike to school. "I just want to see where it takes me."

About being a Rebel, Racca took a moment to consider the answer.

"I feel like a Rebel is, we have to try," Racca said. "Being a Rebel means aspiring to be perfect."

Allison Witkowski, a senior from Norridge and a cheerleader, said she was excited for the first day of school.

"It's fun," she said.

But Witkowski said she is aware she's closing out her high school career.

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"I'm sad it's coming to an end," she said.

Those looking to get information about the school can follow Uhle's Twitter account, @d234_principal.

Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press.
Northbrook police report four more cars were reported stolen in three days time on the heels of two cars stolen earlier in the month.

Among the stolen is a 2016 Jaguar XJ that had been parked Aug. 8 in a driveway in the 400 block of Lee Road. Police said it had been left unlocked, with keys inside, so a dealership could pick it up and repair it. But it was gone when the dealer arrived at 9:30 a.m. the next morning.

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A 2013 Lincoln that had been left in the 4300 block of Phyllis Drive was stolen the same night, according to Northbrook police reports. Police say they aren't sure whether that car was locked or not.

On the morning of the 10th, a 2015 Audi Q3 was stolen from a driveway in the 200 block of Summerfield Road. Another car on that Summerfield block, left unlocked, was found with papers from the console scattered around the car, but nothing was taken. A car parked in the 1700 block of Happ Road was found in a similar condition.

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And on Aug. 11, a resident of the first block of Bridlewood Court reported that her 2008 Mercedes SL600 convertible was missing from her driveway.

Two cars had been stolen the night of Aug. 2. A 2014 Porsche Cayenne, left unlocked in a driveway in the 600 block of Driftwood Lane, and a 2013 Volkswagen, left unlocked, with keys inside, in a driveway on the 300 block of Sunset Court, are both gone.

Northbrook police Cmdr. Mike O'Malley said Aug. 9 that he suspects that a small number of crews are stealing cars all over the area. He said that many of the crimes are preventable, because few locked cars are being stolen.

He said keys had often been left in the cars for mechanics or valet services. Northbrook police chief Chuck Wernick asked residents Aug. 9 to lock their cars and pocket their keys, a request he's made several times before.

Northbrook officials pleaded again Friday, as they reported more car thefts, that people lock their garages and cars.

Officer Roger Scott said that it's hard to convince some Northbrook residents that they need to lock up their houses and cars.

"They think it's Mayberry," he said.

"Northbrook is a very safe place, but it's not free of crime," Village President Sandy Frum. "They think they're in La-La Land," she said of people who don't lock up their valuables.

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"People in this community tend not to believe there is crime here, or that there is significant crime," Jerry Zachar, a psychologist/social worker who directs the department of social services for Deerfield police, said Aug. 11.

"They see the community as what they want to believe it is, as opposed to what it is."

ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @IrvLeavitt
Arizona Mayor Refuses Border-City Meeting Because Of Spanish Invitation

Trending News: This Mayor Freaked Out Because A Meeting Invite Was In Spanish

Why Is This Important?

Because the reaction is kind of excessive.

Long Story Short

An Arizona mayor from a border town near Mexico is refusing to attend a meeting that could improve cross-border relations because the invitation was written in both English and Spanish.

Long Story

The mayor of an Arizona town that shares a border with Mexico is making headlines for an inflammatory email noting his refusal to attend a meeting for mayors of towns near the US/Mexican border, claiming that he won't "attend a function that is sent to me in Spanish/Mexican.

An Arizona mayor refused to attend a meeting because the invite had a Spanish translation https://t.co/PC11O5Qcqb pic.twitter.com/dG71jqCBFz  Mic (@mic) August 12, 2016

Ken Taylor, the mayor Huachuca City (yes, that is a Spanish word), Arizona, sent the angry email to John Cook, the executive director of the US-Mexico Border Mayors Association, who planned the event. According to Taylor, he was insulted by the bilingual invitation, adding that one nation means one language" (note: the US has no official language).

Cook, who is also mayor of El Paso, Texas, responded to Taylor by informing him that their mayors association is one that is bi-national, and given that the association was elected to serve both communities, issued communications need to reflect that. In an email to Taylor, Cook said:

I am sorry that you don't understand the importance of a bi-national association that addresses the opportunities and challenges facing both the US and Mexico in a global economy.

Dear Hauchuca City Mayor Ken Taylor..... pic.twitter.com/qZXM0KPUq7  AJ Diaz (@abenavidez79) August 12, 2016

Despite Cooks insistence of his disappointment in Taylors reaction, the Arizona mayor continued to defend his position, making remarks like if Mexico is NOT stopping drugs, crime, and terrorists from coming INTO our country from Mexico, then Mexico is not a friend and I don't care to help. I have better things to do in fighting the problems they export to us.

Meanwhile, other nearby towns are more enthusiastic about the meeting.

I dont understand the issue the mayor (Taylor) has with it. Again, I really dont feel comfortable saying anything else without talking to Mayor Taylor first, but I will say that is not the attitude we get from other mayors around this area. Quite frankly, I am really surprised that Mayor Taylor has an issue. Nobody else around here has those issues, said Rick Mueller, mayor of Sierra Vista, Arizona.

Ken Taylor steps up to put #Arizona in embarrassing natl spotlight again over "joint" US/Mexican Mayor invitation. https://t.co/NTDnZ4JcJh  Arizona Votes (@AZVotes) August 12, 2016

The cross-border mayors meeting is expected to take place on August 24 in Laredo, Texas.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Doesnt this Arizona mayor have more serious things to be worked up about?

Disrupt Your Feed

Throwing a hissyfit over a bilingual invitation is pretty absurd.

Drop This Fact

Huaracha City is home to nearly 2000 people, 20 per cent of whom are Latino.
A Hobart woman told police "she evened the score" when she killed her husband with an overdose of heroin, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Kelly Marie Cochran, 34, already charged with killing her boyfriend in 2014 and dismembering his body in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, was charged Friday with murder in the death of her husband in February in Hobart.

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During a May 23 interview with Hobart Detective Jeremy Ogden, Cochran said she blamed her husband for taking "the only good thing I had in my life," court records state. "I still hate him (her husband), and yes, it was revenge. I evened the score," records quote her as saying.

During about 70 hours of interviews, Cochran confessed that she lured Christopher Regan, a co-worker, to her Iron River, Mich., home with the offer of sex, and that her husband, Jason Cochran, interrupted them.

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Jason Cochran, 37, fired a long-barrel .22-caliber rifle into Regan's head, the probable cause affidavit says. Afterward, Kelly Cochran told police she got the cord for an electric saw so that Jason Cochran could dismember the body, which was placed in garbage bags and dumped in the woods two days after the killing, documents said.

Following Regan's disappearance on Oct. 14, 2014, the Cochrans had become suspects during the investigation, the probable cause affidavit states.

Meanwhile, during the investigation of Jason Cochran's death 16 months later in Hobart, Kelly Cochran emerged as a suspect as her stories changed and inconsistencies became apparent, court records state.

Cochran fled Northwest Indiana without telling family members on April 26, about nine weeks after her husband's death and around the time that Michigan authorities charged her in Regan's death. Michigan authorities charged her with murder, home invasion, conspiracy to commit dead bodies  disinterment and mutilation, concealing the death of an individual, lying to a police officer and accessory to the fact to a murder.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Cochran in Wingo, Ky. She is currently in custody in Michigan.

Following her arrest in Kentucky, Cochran spoke with police on April 29 and provided details in the killing of Regan and directed them to recovery of evidence in the case, documents said. She told police she and her husband had argued on Oct. 13, 2014, and that her husband asked her how she was going to fix things. "Ms. Cochran stated she contemplated killing Jason instead of Chris," records quote her as saying.

During interviews, court records state that Cochran confessed to killing Jason Cochran, her husband of 13 years. Cochran told police she delivered an overdose of heroin to her husband on Feb. 20, and put her hands on his neck, nose and mouth. He died less than a minute later, Cochran told police, according to records.

Medics told police Kelly Cochran's behavior was disruptive when they were called to a residence in the 7100 block of Mississippi Street, Hobart. She wouldn't leave the room, despite repeated requests, while medics attempted to revive Cochran, records state.

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After speaking with Ogden by phone, Cochran directed Michigan authorities to a site where investigators found parts of a the rifle used in Regan's killing and human remains, including a skull with an apparent bullet hole, bones and bone fragments, records state. Police also found a .22-caliber bullet and a pair of eyeglasses believed to belong to Regan.

Ruth Ann Krause is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Employees walk to the auditorium to listen to speakers during the Lake Central School Corp. health fair. The day long event took place at Lake Central High School and promoted wellness among employees of the school district on Thursday, August 11, 2016. (JOHN SMIERCIAK / Post-Tribune)

Teachers were out of their classrooms, dancing in the gym, stretching their legs in the hallway and having a healthy meal in the cafeteria of Lake Central High School during the Health Fair sponsored for all employees by Lake Central School Corp.'s Wellness Committee.

The day was meant to be enjoyable, but also informative and practical. Franciscan Alliance was on site providing blood draws for health screenings. School district employees were lined up down the hall and around the corner waiting for their turn.

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"I'm on cholesterol medication and this is an extra blood draw to see where my numbers are," said Emily Traficante, fifth-grade teacher at Kahler Middle School. "I had never had blood drawn before I did the last fair and I found out I had high cholesterol the first time I did this. "

The effort is meant to help keep absenteeism low by providing education on healthy living for all school corporation employees, said Jeanne Mrzlock, nurse at Clark Middle School and one of the 20 members of the Wellness Committee who helped put the fair together.

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"I have had staff members come to me and say, 'Thank you, I would never have known about my cholesterol or thyroid' if they had not had the test done at the Health Fair," Mrzlock said.

Each Health Fair participant was given a card at the registration desk. Participants were required to attend one presentation and visit five vendor tables Thursday and have it marked on their card. Completed cards were turned in and staff members receive $120 reimbursement on their employee health insurance, Mrzlock said. Lake Central offers its employees a self-funded insurance program.

"We just believe it is an important component of our total package of being a Lake Central employee," said Larry Veracco, superintendent. We'll do a survey to see what participants liked and then we can do little components during the year."

Mrzlock and Louise Tallent, the Family and Consumer Science teacher at the high school, were busy all morning helping to ensure the Health Fair was running smoothly.

A motivational speaker, Michael Miller, gave a talk in the LGI Room on how stress can negatively affect a person's health  and the health of those around him.

Upstairs in the gym, Tim and Sue Bourget, owners of the Second Street Dance of Schererville, guide a group of women teachers through the box step. At the conclusion of the lesson, the Bourgets demonstrated a ballroom dance sequence.

"Ballroom dancing is a great hobby," said Tim Bourget. "Older folks do puzzles to work their mind. You do the same with ballroom dancing and you can meet people and have fun."

Other active opportunities at the fair included yoga and Zumba classes in the downstairs gyms.

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In a small meeting room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the J Hall, Rob James, director of business services, and Angie Szymborski, benefits coordinator, explained the Teachers' Retirement Fund (TRF) and Public Employees' Retirement Fund (PERF) to staff members.

"I think it was a great program," said Tammy Hart, fifth-grade teacher at Clark Middle School. "They gave us a lot of great information about our retirement."

Szymborski said she thought the Health Fair was a great way to start off the year and the presenting the program was rewarding for her, too

Four hallways were lined with long tables featuring vendors handing out promotional items and information. The types of vendors varied from health clubs including Anytime Fitness, Fitness Pointe, OMNI and Southlake YMCA to retailers such as Baum's Natural Foods, Cabela's, Fleet Street and Sam's Club.

Franciscan Alliance Healthcare was a major presence in the North Side Hall with representatives there from behavioral health, cancer prevention, nutrition, sleep disorders and mammogram information.

At one vendor station in the Main Street West hall, Melody Wolff, first-grade teacher at Homan Elementary School and Vendor Coordinator for the Health Fair, was laying on a narrow table to get her legs stretched by Ginger Rex, fascial stretch therapist.

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"I'm a runner and when I run my legs get tight and this helps stretch the muscles," said Wolff.

As she stretched Wolff's leg, Rex said fascial stretch therapy is intended to increase range of motion, improve performance and reduce pain and risk of injury.

Like any other fair, the Health Fair served food  but fair goers walked away with more than a plate of nutrition. Chef Scott Tope of Michaels & Associates dished out advice on healthy eating and cooking along with a plate of pasta.

Nancy Coltun Webster is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Various guns are displayed at the Chicago FBI office. David Rutter asks if the theory of gun ownership as a crime deterrent applies if you include all the times we shoot ourselves inadvertently. It happens more than most would expect. (M. Spencer Green / AP)

Here's one underlying existential truth about guns. Existential is my new favorite word this week. I will learn what it means next week.

Meanwhile, let me assert that you have a right to guns. Big, deadly guns. Let's not fight over that issue. It's too late. My hands are up in the air. Don't shoot.

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If you like guns, you might caress them, put them under your pillow at night, kiss them tenderly if the mood suggests you should. Go ahead. You are entitled to your affections.

Here's my only doubt about guns residing under the comforting umbrella of "law-abiding citizens." The concept of why possessing a gun is approved and necessary is a far different proposition from and unrelated to "law-abiding citizen."

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Indeed, I am not sure there is such a thing. We all are "LACs" until we get caught violating the law, which we all will do in different circumstances. Don't deny it. I know you.

Every career criminal had at least a few years before he committed any offense. The day before he developed the first sudden and uncontrollable urge to hold up a 7-Eleven , he was a "law-abiding citizen."

Even discounting the sudden lurch to criminality, "law-abiding citizen" suggests those of us so designated are protected from our own clumsy, insufferable ignorance by good intentions. Which is clearly a false proposition.

As irrefutable disproof, we have breaking news from Hoosierlandia. The strange pixilated realm of Hoosierlandia, as I have explained over and over and over, extends from just south of Rensselaer all the way to the Ohio River Bridge out of Evansville. Hoosierlandians sprinkle fairy dust into the river as they speed over the span onto Kentucky.

It even includes Anderson, a city of 55,670 down in Madison County where county Prosecutor Rodney Cummings had a bad Second Amendment moment last Saturday. He is the ultimate, designated five-time elected "law-abiding citizen" of Madison County.

Mister law and order was eating what we are told is a medium-rare sirloin steak in the local Texas Roadhouse. He was wearing shorts.

Inside the front pocket of his shorts, he was carrying his 9mm handgun as he'd done for 30 years. There was a bullet in the chamber.

You can see where this is going, can't you?

Yes, he arose to leave, and the gun fired down through his pocket into the floor. Missed his foot and other body parts. Splinters sprayed. It didn't kill anything except the festive mood in the restaurant. On the other hand, if you bought a Texas Roadhouse franchise, you probably should anticipate some incidental gunfire. Any joint with "Texas" in its name eventually will have bullet holes in the wall. Any joint named "Roadhouse" should expect machine gun bullets in the bathroom.

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"Accident" is not quite the right word about guns. Humans are the accident waiting to happen. Guns fire inadvertently, as machines will. The accident is that he did not shoot himself or someone else.

A "law-abiding citizen" gun owner invariably has at least one mindless life event and will kill somebody in that moment. Didn't mean it. But did it, anyway, because people are inescapably deadly at least once in their lives, and we all hope they are not packing a 9mm Glock when they encounter that opportunity.

Match mental indolence with a new gun. See what happens.

As he later told reporters: "I always try to be as safe as I can. Carrying a gun in my pocket is probably not the smartest move." The first sentence is obviously untrue. The second seems too obvious to be worth the breath to utter.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

The Internet maestro of gun failures at GunFAIL keeps track of these events nationally just to see if the theory of gun ownership as a crime deterrent actually applies if you include all the times we shoot ourselves inadvertently. Last week, Americans shot each other 38 times without meaning to shoot. Sort of a ho-hum week.

Eleven were kids.

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As local newspapers report in Anderson's neighborhood, multiple unintended firearm casualties  particularly children and toddlers  has been a recent concern there.

As for Mr. Law-Abiding Citizen Cummings, he promises to send the gun out for a professional examination to guarantee it's not cracked.

No word if he plans to do the same for his head.

David Rutter was a senior editor for 40 years at six newspapers in five states. He's never been law-abiding.

david.rutter@live.com
Knifeman Kills 1 On Swiss Train, Injures 5

Trending News: 6 People Were Stabbed And Burned In A Swiss Train Attack

Why Is This Important?

Because we live in terrifying times.

Long Story Short

A suspect identified as a 27-year-old Swiss man reportedly ignited a flammable liquid in a train and proceeded to stab passengers. Six people were burned and injured in the attack, and one died of her injuries.

Long Story

Trains are quickly becoming a terrifying mode of travel on a continent where they're such an important form of transport. On Saturday, Switzerland suffered its first of a string of lone wolf attacks on trains across Europe.

The details are murky as this is breaking news, but so far officials are saying a 27-year-old man, identified as being Swiss, got onto a train near Salez in St Gallen Canton, close to Liechtenstein, and proceeded to ignite a flammable liquid. The guy then started stabbing people.

A 34-year-old woman died of her injuries while in hospital. Five others were injured, including a six-year-old kid, two 17-year-olds, a woman aged 43 and a man aged 50, according to BBC News. Several dozen passengers were on board.

No information as to the attacker's motive was provided, but police released this statement:

"According to current information a 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid. He was also armed with at least one knife. The liquid caught fire," as quoted by Reuters.

Recent train attacks have occurred in France where three American heroes came to save the day, in Germany where a guy attacked passengers with an axe and in Belgium, but that plot was foiled. In the past, some of the attacks have been inspired by or claimed by the Islamic State, but it's still too early to make any judgements on that.

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Will this cause European countries to up train security even more?

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If this happened in America, the guy might've been carrying a gun instead of a knife. And instead of six injured, we'd probably be seeing at least six dead.

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Nearly 300 people in Europe have died in terrorist attacks over the last two years.
Denise Tomasello performs along with the Tommy Muellner Trio at the Second Annual Rush Street Reunion, set for 4-9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Joynt on State, 440 N. State St., Chicago.

David Floodstrand of Skokie is the man behind the event, which will celebrate the legacy of Chicago's nightlife, and the great era of the Rush Street clubs. Floodstrand, an alum of those golden years, is the author of the forthcoming book, "Rush Street, Chicago's Street of Dreams."

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The evening will also feature performances DJs and other guests, plus interviews with folks who recall the great days. Tickets are $30, and available at rushstreetreunion.com
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China's State Council has approved Pingxiang, a city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the border with Vietnam, to be a new opening-up pilot zone, a statement said on Friday.

The plan for the new zone will be published by the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner, according to the cabinet website.

Pingxiang is Guangxi's second "key pilot zone for development and opening-up" after Dongxing, approved in August 2012.

Southwestern Yunnan Province's Mengla bordering Laos, and Ruili, a major border crossing between China and Myanmar, as well as northern Inner Mongolia's Manzhouli city and northeastern Heilongjiang Province's Suifenhe-Dongning zone in the neighborhood of Russia, are also on the pilot zone list.

The pilot zones were expected to play a positive role in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, boosting opening-up and facilitating the mutually beneficial cooperation with neighboring countries.
Chinese police have launched a nationwide campaign against the selling of guns online, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced Friday.

The MPS said police will strengthen the scrutiny of logistics companies that might be involved in gun delivery and crack down on illegal Internet websites, forums, and instant messaging services that facilitate the online gun trade.

Police have also taken resolute action against criminal offences such as manufacturing, selling and possessing guns. More than 80,000 suspects were apprehended in about 9,000 gun dealing cases from 2011 to 2015, according to the MPS.

China bans the manufacturing and sale of guns in order to control violent crime. Private citizens are not allowed to own guns. According to Chinese law, a person can face up to seven years' imprisonment if convicted of illegally owning a gun.
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People attend a rally to protest against deploying the U.S. missile defense system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), in front of the defense ministry in Seoul, South Korea, July 13, 2016. South Korea's defense ministry on Wednesday announced an agreement with the United States to deploy the U.S. missile defense system, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), to its southeastern region despite continued opposition from neighboring countries. [Xinhua]

A three-day visit to Beijing by six South Korean opposition lawmakers has deepened the political divide in the country over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system.

The lawmakers, all critics of the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), were travelling to Beijing at a time when relations between South Korea and China are rapidly deteriorating.

They are, however, being reviled by some South Korean politicians as "betrayers" who could jeopardize national security, and South Korean President Park Geun-hye also criticized them as sympathizers with China.

Such accusations have triggered strong reactions among South Korean opposition parties.

A major South Korean opposition lawmaker said it is possible to impeach President Park over her turning a blind eye to growing public opposition over the deployment of the missile defense system.

Tensions between Beijing and Seoul have reached unprecedented levels after the latter finally decided to deploy the THAAD system on its soil, despite repeated opposition from China.

The South Korean lawmakers said they did not intend to align with Beijing during the trip. Rather, they said, they would seek to meet with Chinese scholars to understand China's stance on the THAAD issue and discuss ways to prevent bilateral relations from worsening further.

Such bilateral communication is what is needed most at this very moment. But the South Korean government and some media outlets branded them as "traitors" and "flunkies for China," a move that only stifles rational voices and acts, and jams the communication channels between Beijing and Seoul.

Seoul's decision to deploy a THAAD unit not only poses a serious threat to China's security and strategic interests, but will end up damaging South Korea's own interests as well.

Many politicians and liberal activists are calling for the government to reconsider deploying the missile defense system, and people around the country have continued holding rallies against the planned THAAD deployment.

According to a Gallup Korea survey released on Friday, only 33 percent of the respondents said they were satisfied with President Park's job performance and 53 percent held an unfavorable view.

Experts said that the THAAD deployment will only worsen tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and South Korea might find itself trapped even deeper within a security paradox.

The South Korean government should realize that the planned THAAD deployment, which will undermine regional peace and stability, could lead the country down a dangerous path. It needs to act with prudence and carefully reconsider the situation before obstinately pushing ahead with the missile defense system.
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U.S. Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton gestures to spectators on the last day of the 2016 U.S. Democratic National Convention at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States, on July 28, 2016. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has formally accepted the U.S. Democratic Party' s nomination for president and pledged more economic opportunities for Americans and "steady leadership". [Xinhua]

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Friday released her 2015 tax returns and stepped up pressure on her Republican opponent Donald Trump to make his tax returns public.

Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, paid an effective federal income tax rate of 34.2 percent and an effective state and local income tax rate of 9 percent in 2015, with a total income of about 10.7 million U.S. dollars, according to her campaign.

They donated 9.8 percent of their adjusted gross income to charity, mostly to the Clinton Foundation.

Clinton's campaign also released a list of 41 speeches that she delivered in 2013, with speaking fees ranging from 225,000 dollars to 400,000 dollars. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton delivered 43 speeches that same year, with speaking fees ranging from 100,000 dollars to 750,000 dollars.

Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine and his wife Anne Holton released 10 years of their tax returns, which showed that they paid an effective federal income tax rate of 20.3 percent and an effective state and local income tax rate of 5.4 percent in 2015, with a total income of about 313,000 dollars.

"Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency," Clinton campaign communication director Jennifer Palmieri said Friday. "In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns."

Trump has claimed that he cannot release tax returns because he is being audited. But legendary investor and billionaire Warren Buffett earlier this month challenged the Republican presidential nominee to discuss their tax returns publicly.

"There are no rules against showing your tax returns and just let people ask us questions about the items that are on there," said Buffett. "You're only afraid if you've got something to be afraid of."

However, the disclosure of Clinton's wealth, mainly coming from highly-paid speeches delivered to financial institutions, might also raise concerns about whether she could really defend interests of middle-class families and take a tough stance against Wall Street as she has promised.
China Aid

Originally reported in Chinese by Qiao Nong. Translated by Carolyn Song. Written in English by Ava Collins.

(Hangzhou, ZhejiangAug. 10, 2016) With a major international summit of world leaders to be held in Chinas coastal Zhejiang province in early September, Chinese authorities have increased pressure on churches in the area, closing down a prominent house church for organizing Christian activities without permission.

The G20 summit is an annual meeting of nations to discuss key issues of the global economy. The leaders of 19 nations and the European Union, including President Obama, will meet in Hangzhou, Zhejiang from Sept. 4-5. Zhejiang authorities have reportedly been preparing for this meeting as early as February, including a close monitoring of hotels, restaurants, churches and temples.

In addition to this monitoring, however, crackdowns on religious activity unapproved by the government have increased. Authorities have cited that their actions to prepare for G20 include closing various folk beliefs, which they claim pose safety risks, and organizations that hold large or unusual activities without approval.

This initiative specifically targets Christian house churches. Officials recently raided a house church in Hangzhou that is affiliated with Watchman Nees Little Flock Local Church movement. This house church has nearly 2,000 members and has been meeting for more than forty years, even gathering during Mao Zedongs oppressive Cultural Revolution. A local neighborhood committee and police station issued a notice that prohibited all future meetings.

According to Li Guisheng, a Christian human rights lawyer, the churchs members consulted with him regarding legal problems but chose not to reveal their churchs name for fear of being exposed.

Local Christian Zan Aizong reported that eight officials from the religious affairs bureau and its subdistrict office raided the church to take pictures and disperse the service, forbidding the church from meeting further. Several other house churches in the area also reported authorities forcing meetings to stop.

Authorities have also been targeting churches outside of Hangzhou, including Qibao Church, which is located in Wenzhou. According to a local Christian, They put signboards inside the church and required us to  comply with the Five entries and five transformations [Editors Note: Five entries and five transformations is a series of requirements imposed by the Communist Party in order to align churches with socialist ideals]. After removing some church crosses, they wanted to put up the [national flag], but [some] people did not let them. It was not possible for [officials] to erect some flags. Our church doesnt have one and neither does our rooftop. [The authorities] are picking quarrels over nothing.

Zhou, another Christian from Hangzhou, said that many of the churches supplementary activities will begin closing in mid-August, and he expects that the government will require house churches to stop meeting altogether.

A translation of the document issued to the Little Flock church can be read below.

China Aid reports on instances of Christian persecution such as this crackdown on house churches in order to expose abuses committed by Chinese authorities.

Notification to Stop Illegal Gatherings

To the owner of Xingye Mansion 906-908:

According to investigations, we discovered that you organized believers to participate in Christian activities arbitrarily without permission. Your action violates the Articles 12 and 20 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs and may pose potential danger to the society.





Article 12: Collective religious activities of religious citizens shall, in general, be held at registered sites for religious activities (i.e., Buddhist monasteries, Taoist temples, mosques, churches and other fixed premises for religious activities), organized by the sites for religious activities or religious bodies, and presided over by religious personnel or other persons who are qualified under the prescriptions of the religion concerned, and the process of such activities shall be in compliance with religious doctrines and canons. Article 20: A site for religious activities may accept donations from citizens in accordance with religious customs, but no means of compulsion or apportionment may be adopted.

No non-religious bodies or sites not for religious activities may organize or hold any religious activities, nor accept any religious donations.

In conclusion, please stop all illegal gatherings within a week of receiving this notice (deadline 7/12/2016) in order to eliminate potential dangers. The public security bureau, the fire department, market surveillance and the ethnic and religious affairs bureau and other related departments will be forced to employ compulsory measures if you refuse to reform in the allotted time. The believers can attend nearby legal Christian sites such as Chongyi Church and other related venues.

The Sijiqing Street Ethnic and Religious Bureau Sijiqing Street

7/5/2016 7/5/2016

China Aid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
A stand of Pin An Bank at an expo in Beijing, Oct 30, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Profit growth of Ping An Bank slowed down in the first half of 2016 as the economic slowdown cast a shadow on Chinese banks, with analysts calling for changes in the business models of traditional banks.

Net profit of the Shenzhen-based commercial bank grew 6.1 percent year-on-year to 12.29 billion yuan ($1.85 billion) in the first half. The growth rate was much lower than that for the year of 2015, which was 10.42 percent.

Operating revenue of Ping An Bank rose 17.59 percent to 54.77 billion yuan in the first six months of this year. The lender is gaining more revenue from non-interest business, which generated 18.57 billion yuan, 33.91 percent of total revenue, up 0.72 percentage point from a year earlier.

However, the nonperforming loan ratio climbed 0.11 percentage point from the start of the year to 1.56 percent by the end of June.

"The economic slowdown has posed serious challenges to banks, with profits declining and bad debts increasing," Ping An Bank President Shao Ping said at the company's interim results news conference in Shenzhen on Friday.

"But a positive sign is that bad debts of banks have not deteriorated in the first half of this year. This is also the case for Ping An Bank. And also, such new markets as cultural tourism have been developing robustly across the country. That is a major driver for Ping An Bank's growth."

A report by Sinolink Securities said the quality of Ping An Bank's half-year performance has exceeded its expectations. The report expects the bank to grow 9.3 percent on an annual basis in 2016, with advantages in comprehensive finance and innovation development.

The slowdown of the Chinese economy has put high pressure on banks. According to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, net profit of Chinese commercial banks increased only 3.17 percent year-on-year in the first half, much lower than the 6.32 percent annual growth rate recorded over the first quarter of 2016.

Liu Guohong, head of the Finance and Modern Industry Research Center at Shenzhen-based think tank China Development Institute, said the days when banks can rely on loan-deposit interest differences to make profits have gone. They now have to make changes against the backdrop of an unpleasant macro-environment and increasing competition from non-bank financial institutions.

"Demand among micro, small and medium-sized enterprises for loans is still large and banks still have space for growth," Liu said.
HoloFilms Debuts Poke-mon Ho! VR Porn Parody

Trending News: Now There's A Pokemon Go VR Porn Parody

Why Is This Important?

Because this is so 2016 it hurts.

Long Story Short

You can follow Misty's mission to catch 'em all with her "Poke-mon Ho" app in the latest porn parody of the augmented-reality game. But while there are other Pokemon Go porn parodies out there, this one lets you experience the action in virtual reality.

Long Story

Okay, okay, I know. You're probably tired of reading about Pokemon Go right about now. You don't want to hear another thing that reminds me of all those hours you will never get back chucking imaginary balls at Drowzees and Pidgeys. Maybe, by some slight chance, you work in the Pentagon and don't want to be reminded that you can't even play because it's been banned out of foreign security fears. Pokemon Go is so played out an ice-cream place near my apartment gives you free scoops depending on what level you are. We get it, but this isn't about Pokemon Go, it's about Poke-mon Ho! (exclamation point not added by me).

HoloFilms Productions has finished yet another porn parody of the insanely popular game Pokemon Go  Pornstar Go XXX Parody and StrokemonThe XXX Parody are the others we're aware of. In it, you follow around Pokemon trainer Misty played by adult film actress Penny Pax, who is wearing a far tinier version of what the character in the cartoon had on.

"As [Misty] continues on her journey, she encounters what she thinks is a rare pokemon," explained HoloFilms to Mashable. "It turns out to be a human she is well acquainted with, and reveals who this special guy is at the very end."

So pretty much  not putting myself too much out on a leg here  Misty goes around having sex. I mean, it's a porn parody after all.

But the craziest part about this is that you are actually a character in the story. Well, not exactly. You can look through a character's eyes for the point-of-view virtual reality porn experience, because, incredibly that's an option now.

My childhood is officially ruined.

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Is a pop culture event judged by the number of porn parodies it has?

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This is too late, Pokemon Go is so July 2016.

Drop This Fact

This week, a Russian woman claimed to have been raped by a Pokemon Go character (not Pokemon Ho!).
An investor checks stock prices at a securities brokerage in Fuyang, Anhui province. Lu Qijian / for China Daily

Hang Seng Index rises to eight-month high on speculation start date soon to be announced

Securities regulators of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong are working closely with Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd for the launch of the long-anticipated Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program.

Deng Ge, a spokesman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said on Friday that the commission has set up a special working group to lead and prepare for the stocks trading link.

"When relevant regulations and technical preparations are ready, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect will be launched this year," said Deng, without giving an exact date.

The special working group, headed by CSRC Vice-Chairman Fang Xinghai, is responsible for coordinating efforts among various departments within the commission and relevant government bodies and between the mainland and Hong Kong regulators, according to financial magazine Caixin on Thursday.

The stocks link is "imminent", Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd Chief Executive Officer Charles Li told CNBC on Thursday.

Li said the link is vital to bringing more tradable products to a wider marketplace in the future.

Premier Li Keqiang said in March that the country would strive to launch the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect this year.

The stock connect is a cross-border investment program modeled after the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, which was launched in November 2014 and which allows mainland investors to buy Hong Kong stocks, and vice versa.

On Friday, the Hang Seng Index advanced 0.83 percent to 22,766.9, an eight-month high on speculation that the start date of the trading link with Shenzhen will soon be announced.

The Shanghai Composite Index closed 1.6 percent higher at 3,050.7 points on Friday. The Shenzhen Component Index rose 1.32 percent, while the ChiNext gauge of small-cap startup companies added 1 percent.

The CSRC also said on Friday that it is seeking public advice from Aug 12 to 27 on revising the regulations on guaranteed funds.

Deng said revisions to the regulations are meant to better protect the interests of investors, because fund management companies shoulder joint liability.

Deng said the amendments include controlling the scale of the guaranteed funds, strengthening regulations on fund managers and perfecting risk control indicators.

There are 151 guaranteed funds in China with the net value totaling 330 billion yuan ($49.7 billion), according to data from the CSRC.
A property construction site in Huai'an, Jiangsu province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Tighter policies to regulate soaring housing prices in some red-hot cities are in the pipeline, industry analysts said.

"In the second half of the year, deleveraging from the houses purchased with high debt will become mainstream policy in cities such as Hangzhou and Tianjin where prices are rising too fast," Centaline Property chief analyst Zhang Dawei wrote in a research note on Friday.

Suzhou and Nanjing, two cities in Jiangsu province where home prices topped the list of the month-on-month growth rates for the past several months, started to tighten credit policy by increasing the down payment ratio for homebuyers, according to a government statement on Thursday.

Even though the direct impact of the policies announced in Suzhou and Nanjing are limited, it represented the beginning of a new round of tighter regulations, Zhang wrote.

In Suzhou, for instance, if the households haven't paid off the bank loans for the first home, the mandatory down payment for their second home will increase from the existing 40 percent of the total expense to 50 percent. If they already have loans for two residences, their applications for mortgages to purchase new homes will be rejected.

Skyrocketing housing prices in some cities are mainly due to easy credit policies, which have led to severe housing speculation, Zhang said.

The narrow measure of money supply, which covers cash in circulation plus demand deposits, reached 44.36 trillion yuan ($6.68 trillion) in the first half of the year, up 24.6 percent from the same period last year, according to data from People's Bank of China, the central bank.

"First-tier cities, however, are unlikely to introduce such tighter policies because the markets are very stable," said Guo Yi, marketing director of the real estate consultancy company Yahao Real Estate Selling and Consulting Solution Agency. "The scarcity of land resources is causing high prices as urbanization develops. It is impossible to regulate the property market through the supply of land."
Pedestrians pass by a local branch of State Grid Corp in Yichang, Hubei province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Treasurer Morrison said electricity network included critical power services

The blocking of Chinese companies' attempts to buy a controlling stake in an Australian electricity grid has sounded the alarm for Chinese outbound investors regarding sectors deemed to be in the national interests of Western countries, an analyst said on Friday.

Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison on Thursday barred State Grid Corp of China and Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd from buying 50.4 percent of electricity distributor Ausgrid, which was valued at more than A$10 billion ($7.7 billion).

"Ausgrid's footprint includes critical power and communication services provided to businesses and government," said Morrison in Brisbane.

He said bidders had been given a week to respond, and he will make a final decision after reviewing any revised submissions.

Huang Rihan, a researcher at the Center for China and Globalization, said Chinese companies will face similar challenges regarding national security in the increasing outbound investment process.

Many developed countries have national security review systems on foreign acquisitions, particularly sectors regarded as being in their national interests and supporting peoples' livelihoods, said Huang, who is also the chief editor of the Politics and International Relations Forum.

"As the power grid deal exceeds 10 percent of the Australian company's shares, the Australian government will follow their policies to check the investors' background and details of the merger," he added.

Huang said Chinese investors need to do more investigation and to have sufficient communication with foreign companies and governments, before making acquisition decisions, as well as be fully prepared for possible national security reviews.

"China's outbound investments are mostly led by State-owned enterprises. But when they talk to their foreign partners or governments, they should be open about their business interests to win the trust of the other side," he added.

When US President Obama's administration last year raised concerns about a Chinese company buying a port in the northern Australian city of Darwin, where US Marines are based, the Australian Treasurer beefed up oversight of the sale of state assets.

He also subsequently blocked the sale of the S. Kidman & Co cattle station.

Morrison stressed that the national security concerns posed by the Ausgrid sale were "not country-specific and relate to the transaction structure and the nature of the assets".

Huang from CCG said there was a certain political influence behind the national security review.

"The relationship between China and Australia is relatively stable. But due to the pressures from their American ally, Australia has to pay more attention to reviewing Chinese investors," he added.

Bloomberg contributed to the story.
BUENOS AIRES - China's proposal to build a more interconnected global economy would help reduce inequality, Argentine experts have said ahead of the G20 summit scheduled for Sept 4-5 in China's eastern city of Hangzhou.

Now is a crucial moment for the global economy in which China's leadership can make a difference, they believe.

As the world's second-largest economy, "China is the factor driving economic growth and global demand for goods and services, with projections of above 6.5 percent annual growth from 2016 to 2020," Nadia Radulovich and Maria Cecilia Peralta, co-founders of the Asia Viewers consultancy in Argentina, said during a recent interview with Xinhua.

They agreed that "international economic cooperation has reached a crucial point," and that "the role of China at the G20 summit is of great importance."

China takes the annual presidency of the G20 summit this year, which will center on the theme "Towards an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy."

"This vision speaks of a global community where economic connectivity between countries leads to the benefits of growth being equal for all," they said.

In their opinion, as the summit agenda reveals, the Hangzhou G20 summit calls for members to commit to coordinated macro-economic policies in order to reduce negative collateral effects, maintain stability on the financial markets, and increase investment and consumption.

In addition, they hailed China's effort to establish a G20 working group on trade and investment.

Radulovich and Peralta say they believe this would help explore "topics such as long-term governance and the coordination of fiscal and financial policies, which are crucial to the G20."
A visitor tries the Jianguan AR glasses at the launch of the product in Shanghai, July 9, 2016. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

British startups gathered at the Google Campus in London on Thursday and competed head to head for a chance to fly to Shanghai and join China's growing innovation industry.

At the Shanghai International Innovation Competition-UK, eight young companies pitched to a panel of tech experts who quizzed them on their products and their viability for entry into the Chinese market. The competition plays into China's plans to transform Shanghai into a startup hub to rival those in Europe and the United States.

"Shanghai wants to become a leading innovation center - like Silicon Valley - in China. London plays that role in Europe, so we are connecting the two cities," said John Zai, CEO of Cocoon Networks, a company that bridges the Chinese and European startup communities that hosted the contest.

"The people who joined this competition see the future - they see which market will be the biggest, the market that gives them the most potential to expand, and that's China."

EVA Diagnostics, presenting their AnemiPoint device that performs at-home blood tests, took first prize. They will now fly to Shanghai Bay Valley in September and take part in the competition's global finals against local startups as well as fledgling tech companies from Singapore and South Korea. The overall winner will receive a cash prize, investment resources and three months free working space at a tech incubator in China.

"We're delighted and honored to have the opportunity to go out to China and start building partnerships and engage in the investment community out there," said Toby Basey-Fisher, CEO of EVA Diagnostics. "We see China as a very big growth opportunity for us."

The Chinese government identified entrepreneurship and innovation as key drivers for economic diversification in a 2015 development report.

"Mass entrepreneurship and innovation in itself is a major reform endeavor," Premier Li Keqiang said in March.

The government has established more than 1,600 incubators for startups across the country, and is armed with the world's biggest war chest of venture funds. Through State and enterprise funding, about $231 billion was raised in 2015 alone, and by April 2016 almost $340 billion was available for tech investment, according to consultancy Zero2IPO Group.

Jeffrey Tijssen, co-chair of the China working group at Tech London Advocates and one of the judges on the panel, said that companies like Cocoon act as important conduits for startups in Europe wishing to exploit the Chinese market.

"A lot of startups look at China as the next big frontier," said Tijssen.

Along with EVA Diagnostics, the startups that made the competition's shortlist include: Combat Medical that makes cancer-fighting thermotherapy devices and Cupris, whose clinical imaging smartphone software allows patients to remotely share diagnostic information with healthcare professionals.
Officials in Huichang, a county in southern Jiangxi province with a population of about 530,000, are being encouraged to read more books by both Chinese and foreign writers to improve their governing abilities.

The activity, which was officially launched in March last year, is called "Lanshan Reading" and was initiated by Cai Xiaowei, the county head.

The original reading list contained just 12 books, including Xi Jinping: The Governance of China by the president, but this year's list contains 23 books and covers a wider range of topics to better understand trends at home and abroad.

In addition to traditional best-sellers, such as Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the reading list includes a critique of Industrie 4.0, a strategic initiative related to a manufacturing technologies by the German government, and a graphic book to educate people about legal issues.

A number of books about improving governance at the grassroots level, and others related to environmental protection and sustainable development have also been recommended.

Peng Changchun, head of the county's finance bureau, is one of a large number of officials that have joined the literary trend.

"The activity has improved the bureau officials' knowledge, broadened their vision and improved their abilities to think about questions and do their jobs," he said.

One of the books Peng has read is a collection of essays by D. Gale Johnson, an economist from the United States, that focus on issues related to China's agricultural sector, rural areas and farmers.

Peng said the book "objectively displays some situations in China's rural areas nowadays".

Peng is seeking inspiration about how financial resources can be used more efficiently to lift rural areas out of poverty, and how rural residents can become more involved in the governance of their home areas.

Song Zhensheng, who also works for the county's finance bureau, has been inspired by the activity. "When you see these books in the office and at home, you feel an urge to read that you haven't felt for a long time," he said.

"Reading them will gradually improve our mental world, and we are experiencing a change from being asked to read books to wanting to read them," he said, adding that he usually spends an hour reading outside working hours every day.

Huichang has now given out more than 123,000 books free of charge.

Officials who have joined the activity are required to make notes regularly and attend a monthly reading salon.

Chen Huimin, deputy head of the organization department of the county's CPC committee, the department in charge of the activity, said next year's reading list will be released soon.

"This reading activity will only be strengthened, not weakened," Chen said, adding that an increasing number of people are joining the campaign to obtain greater knowledge from the books.
Four people critically injured in a fatal explosion in Dangyang, Hubei province, were transferred to hospitals in the provincial capital, Wuhan, on Friday, according to local authorities.

Twenty-one people, ages 22 to 51, were killed and five people were injured in the incident, which happened at Dangyang Madian Gangue Electricity Supply Co on Thursday afternoon. All of them were company employees, according to the local government public relations department.

The dead employees have been identified and DNA tests have been conducted, the department said.

The company's legal representative has been detained and several other people are being investigated by the local police, it added.

A statement issued by the State Administration of Work Safety said the cause of the blast had yet to be determined,

The blast happened at 3:20 pm on Thursday, when a high-pressure steam pipe ruptured as workers were testing thermo-power facilities, a preliminary investigation showed.

Villager Du Qiuxin, who lives about 1 km from the plant, told Xinhua News Agency that there was a loud bang when the blast occurred.

"I rushed out to check what had happened. The area was quickly sealed off and a lot of police officers and firefighters arrived," she said.

The local authority said the plant became operational earlier this year and its facilities are still undergoing test operations,

One of the critically injured workers, a 32-year-old surnamed Liu, has worked for the plant's co-founder, Dangyang Huaqiang Chemical Co, for nine years, according to Xinhua.

"He began to work at the power plant just a month ago. It's a huge blow to the family. His father died last year and his daughter is only 8-years-old," Liu's uncle said.

All the plant's facilities have been shut down, and work has been suspended at neighboring companies.
Villager Liao Zubin reads a book with a group of children at a volunteers' center on July 31,2016. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Zhong Yongjin is president of the volunteer association in his village in Huichang county, Jiangxi province.

Among a number of good works the association has carried out this year, Zhong is particularly proud of the dredging of a water channel.

The channel, which provides water for one-third of the village's rice paddies, had been clogged with mud after heavy rain in May and June.

Early one morning in July, more than 10 members of the volunteer association started dredging the channel. As the work continued, more than 40 other villagers joined in, and using tools such as hoes and spades, the work was finished in the scorching noonday heat.

"If it weren't for the villagers who joined us, we wouldn't have been able to finish the work," said Zhong, adding that he believes the volunteer association has inspired residents to contribute more to the community.

The association was established in Huichang's villages as part of the county's drive to encourage a volunteer spirit.

On Nov 21, the county launched a project aimed at encouraging Party members to undertake volunteer work.

Now more than 23,000 Party members in the county are following the example set by Huichang's top official, Cai Xiaowei, who for the past eight months has spent half a day every month undertaking volunteer work.

Liang Xiaoming, honorary president of Huichang's volunteer association, said he was impressed that the practice had continued for more than eight months.

"It has helped to create an atmosphere conducive to developing volunteers in the rural areas," Liang said.

The efforts appear to have paid off, and volunteer associations are now thriving at the grassroots level.

One example is the volunteer association in Zhong's village. Since it was established in April, the association's membership has risen from fewer than 20 people to about 40.

"Our members are everywhere in the village. If there is anything that needs our help, they will send a message to our group on WeChat (a popular social-networking platform). Then, I make a proposal, and those who have the time sign up to do the work," Zhong said.

(China Daily 08/13/2016 page7)
Best Slip-On Shoes For Men

Trade In Your Sneakers For One Of These Stylish Slip-On Shoes

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

Whether youre doing kick flips in the parking lot or removing your shoes at airport security, slip-on shoes are a great option for the guy on the go. Generally laceless and always easily removable, slip-on shoes are ideal for frequent flyers or for your next beach jaunt.

Thanks to high-end riffs on traditional slip-on shoes, you can now get classic styles like Vans, Toms and Sperrys in luxurious leather and luscious suede finishes, and more suave colorways. Think of a slip-on shoe as the cousin to a sneaker: when paired right you can wear them with a suit, or just save them for your weekend wardrobe or a pair of cuffed denim.

To pull off slip-on skate shoes without looking like your preferred method of transportation is a long board, avoid more youthful prints like checks, cartoons, or flames. Same rule for what you pair the shoes with: a band t-shirt is cool but pairing that with Vans can tread into teen territory.

When wearing slip-on shoes, sockless is generally the way to go. Especially with silhouettes like smoking sandals and loafers, socks can make the shoes look clunky and nerdy. To avoid any odors that come with going sockless, ball up a dryer sheet and leave them in your shoes after each use, or opt for a store-bought deodorizing powder.

Rivieras Classic

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Converse Chuck Taylor Vintage Slip-On Sneaker

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Seavees Hawthorne Slip-On

These arent your little brothers slip-ons. The sumptuous suede finish and neutral grey colorway adds an upscale feel to the traditional slip-on silhouette. Plus, the perforated foot-bed not only adds a serious comfort factor, but lets in a breeze to combat any funky odors that come with going sockless.

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Kenneth Cole Refined Leather Sneaker

Oil-slick black finish and a modernistic construction make these Kenneth Cole kicks ooze downtown cool. Since these shoes have such a fresh finish, feel free to wear them with a more formal look to impress your boss or turn a few heads. Dont let the leather finish fool you though  the sneaker aesthetic and Velcro straps make these shoes uber-comfortable and easy to slip off at the end of the night.

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Aldo Chimone Boat Shoe

Heading out on a trip? Aldos Chimone boat shoe calf-skin and cork construction makes it light and bendable enough to slip in the side of a briefcase or in any carry-on without adding extra weight. The crisp leather finish makes it a more high-end alternative to a traditional slip-on.

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Hudson Ipanema

Skate shoes or slip-on sneaks dont really fit your wardrobe? Make like the Italians and opt for a smoking shoe in a high-end finish. The leather weave and light silhouette of this Hudson smoking sandal makes it an ideal shoe for summer days, whether youre on the coast of Italy or just running errands Stateside.

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The Rail Nathan Slip-On

Smooth suede, slight perforations, and a contrast sole give this slip-on a modern appeal. Pro tip: to keep the white sole fresh after weeks of wear, attack any dirt or scuff marks with nail polish remover.

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Nike Zoom Stefan Janoski Slip-On

Nike created a traditional skate shoe with a sportier twist, complete with a big Nike branding on the side. Pair with high-end sweats or some straight legged denim for a more streetwear-infused look. Plus, even though they boast a heavier silhouette, the shoe is super lightweight.

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Mark McNairy x Generic Surplus Slip-On Woolrich

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Saturdays NYCs take on the slip-on shoe has the laid-back feel of a typical slip-on, but the high-tech canvas finish makes it much more appropriate for Saturdays in the city. Plus, a thicker sole will give a subtle lift to any shorter guys.

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Soludas Smoking Slipper

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Vans Classic Slip-On Shoe

Finally, we can break out the best kicks from our childhood without looking like an extra from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. A slick pair of shoes from the California skate brand will add a hint of youthful rebellion to a pair of cuffed denim. Pro tip: avoid the checkered finish unless youre heading to a Slipknot concert.

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Government news conferences must be held within 24 hours of serious major events and incidents to deal with public concerns, the General Office of the State Council said in a statement released on Friday.

The statement further specified the responsibility of national and local government agencies in responding to public opinion on government affairs.

The development of the internet in recent years has been changing how people communicate. Social media have the ability to incite and expand public sentiment quickly and often. But "some government officials do not respond to public sentiment quickly and effectively", the release said.

Government agencies must react promptly, if they are to be effective, the release said, so news conferences should be held within 24 hours of major emergencies.

Regarding public reaction to smaller government affairs, agencies should respond within 48 hours and keep updating with authoritative information on the latest developments.

When there is notable public opinion on major State Council policies and decisions, the central government agencies directly involved should be the first to respond. Similarly, local government agencies should be the first to address the public's reaction in matters directly related to them.

The statement said that public officials must have the room to decide for themselves how they should address the public and errors they make in this regard should be tolerated.

Wang Xiaole, a communication expert at Central University of Finance and Economics, said the protocol laid out in the statement is suited to the new media era, as public sentiment can now grow much faster than before.

"This requirement will help to change the lack of willingness some local governments have in responding to people's concerns," he said.

However, Tang Jun, a social policy expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is sometimes not a good idea to respond so quickly, because "some incidents can be complicated and time is needed to complete their investigation".
Tan Suo Yi Hao, the mother ship of a 4,500-meter manned submersible, returns to her home port of Sanya, Hainan province, on Friday after completing her maiden voyage.[Photo/Xinhua]

China is capable of exploring depths of 10,000 meters below the surface of the ocean after the Tan Suo Yi Hao, the mother ship of a 4,500-meter manned submersible, returned to her home port of Sanya, Hainan province, on Friday.

The vessel had just completed her maiden voyage, conducting deep-sea scientific investigations in the Mariana Trench, the Chinese Academy of Sciences said.

The Tan Suo Yi Hao, which is 94.45 meters long and 17.9 meters wide, with a 12,000 horsepower main engine and a range of 10,000 nautical miles, is a modified marine-engineering vessel.

It is equipped with a number of laboratories, data processing and information centers, and other equipment. It serves as a base for the submersible, deep-sea expeditions and engineering.

The ship is the first of its kind in China, according to staff members at CAS' Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. The ship, which is owned by the institute, had a crew of 60, including 39 researchers in different fields. It embarked on the voyage in June after undergoing 13 months of modifications.

During its 52-day mission, the vessel conducted 84 research projects in the Mariana Trench with the Chinese-developed Haidou ARV (autonomous and remotely operated vehicle), which is capable of diving to a depth of 11,000 meters, the Tianya and Haijiao deep-sea landers, an ocean floor seismometer and other appliances.

Liu Xincheng, the mission leader, said many valuable samples and data were collected at different depths during the voyage.

A report about the voyage will be published in Beijing after further study and analysis.

"It is the first time China has conducted explorations at 10,000 meters with domestically developed high-end deep-sea devices. It indicates that China has entered a new era in the field of marine science and technology," Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said.

At a ceremony held on Friday to celebrate the vessel's return to port, Wang Lu, Hainan's deputy governor, said the mission was a breakthrough that will further promote the development of China's deep-sea technology.

"It was a milestone for China in terms of deep-sea expeditions", Bai wrote in a congratulatory letter.
The promotion of standardized medical treatment in Anhui province has lowered patients medical costs for patients, according to the health chief of the province.

More than 20 percent of patients of 75 county-level public hospitals in Anhui in the first quarter of this year received care under the "clinical pathway management" system, which promotes standardized healthcare and reduces variability in clinical practices, Anhui Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission Director Yu Dezhi said at a news conference on Friday organized by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, China's top health authority.

The patients' expenses decreased an average of 18.6 percent for supplementary medications and 4.28 percent for antibiotics. As a byproduct of the reduced costs, there were fewer disputes between patients and healthcare workers, Yu said.

The clinical pathway management system, which was adopted by all county-level public hospitals in Anhui province at the beginning of the year, covers 100 kinds of disease. Patients treated for these ailments receive standardized care even at different hospitals.

Certain accessory drugs and antibiotics are barred from use in these regimens.

The system will become the norm at all major public hospitals in the province by the end of the year, Yu said.

Jiang Yu, who researches China's medical reform at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the clinical pathway management system aims to ensure the quality of medical care while controlling the expense by cutting unnecessary medications and tests and procedures.

"The system is an innovation of Anhui province, and will be adopted nationwide," he said.

"But it has limitations, and customized treatment remains necessary for some diseases."

Anhui is one of 11 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities selected to pilot a national medical reform program that would make healthcare more affordable and accessible, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The main goals of the reform are to establish a multitiered healthcare system to alleviate the burdens on big hospitals and improve healthcare for people at the grassroots; to reform the payment of the government's medical insurance programs control medical expenditures; and to give the market a more important role in the healthcare sector.

Because government funding does not fully cover costs, many public hospitals in China rely largely on medication sales and fees for care sustain themselves, resulting in high medical expenses for patients and the government.
The late Chinese poet Xu Zhimo, widely recognized for promoting China's affinity with the University of Cambridge, is being celebrated with an annual festival at his former college in the city this week.

This year's Xu Zhimo Poetry and Art Festival, on Thursday and Friday, brought together poets and artists at King's College, Cambridge, to celebrate the cultural exchange between the United Kingdom, China and other countries that share a close link with the life and work of Xu (1896-1931).

His poem Farewell to Cambridge, written in 1928 when he was revisiting King's College, Cambridge, after studying there in the 1920s, is learned by millions of schoolchildren across China.
China-bashing not good for US economy, only wooing voters

China Daily | Updated: 2016-08-13 07:36

US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday played the China-bashing card once again in his latest attempt to reverse his falling popularity. The inflammatory rhetoric, however, is dangerous and damaging to relations with China.

In a speech in Detroit that outlined his economic prescription for the United States' economic headaches, Trump alleged that China "breaks the rules in every way imaginable" when trading with the United States, and "is responsible for nearly half of our entire trade deficit".

The former property developer pledged to boost the US economy by hindering China's exports to the US market and renegotiating global trade rules. "Americanism not globalism will be our new credo," Trump said.

To make Trump more appealing to the blue-collar working class in Midwestern states, the economic advisers of the New York mogul earlier threatened a tougher approach on trade that includes a possible "trade war" with China, the world's second-largest economy and the US' largest trading partner.

By making China and global free trade the scapegoat for the US' lackluster economic performance, Trump and his team betrayed the Republicans' traditional endorsement of unrestricted trade. It is no coincidence that Trump shares a similar view with his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton that Washington should pursue myopic protectionism and "stand up to China" to make up for lost ground.

For years, China-bashing has been an easy card for US presidential candidates to play to cover up the country's fundamental structural drawbacks. After all, rectifying these problems needs more painstaking reforms that neither of the two parties dare propose at the risk of electoral defeat.

However, the populist protectionist policies mean Americans would have to pay a much higher price to bring factory jobs back to the country. By failing to focus on some real competitive edges, such protectionist means will only prompt countermeasures from other nations, leading to tit-for-tat protectionism and even trade wars, in the worst-case scenario.

The US Chamber of Commerce, traditionally a supporter of the Republicans on trade, said that Trump's approach would cost 3.5 million US jobs and result in higher prices for American consumers as well as a weaker economy.

Meanwhile, lashing out at China for US economic frustrations has proven futile. Ironically, the US middle and working classes, whom Trump and Clinton have been eager to pander to, would become the first to take the hit of US trade barriers against China.

As the main beneficiary of Sino-US win-win cooperation, Americans have grown accustomed to high-quality and affordable Chinese-made goods. Without their country's massive trade with China, neither their quality of life nor their country's high-end advantage in the global industrial chain can be maintained.

Fiery rhetoric has become Trump's calling card ever since the start of this election race. But even the billionaire himself would not have seen his own business thrive without decades of ties with China.

The world has gotten used to generations of US presidential candidates denouncing China in an election race. But they usually reorient their China policy as soon as they enter office and tried instead to bolster ties.

That was true with former presidents George W. Bush and Hillary's once anti-trade husband Bill Clinton, who nevertheless gave China most-favored-nation treatment, which in part contributed to the US' economic boom in the 1990s.

Hopefully, the threat of launching a trade war with China by the current presidential candidates is merely tough talk. China-bashing is a recurring theme every four years, and by now it's become quite monotonous. Let's hope four years from now the presidential hopefuls are willing to change their tune and say something more truthful about the US' relationship with China. US voters deserve it.

(China Daily 08/13/2016 page10)
Actors perform during the Cavalia show held in Chaoyang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Aug 11, 2016. Cavilia is a fresh mix of equestrian and performing arts, multimedia and special effects, innovatively integrating acrobatics, dance, aerial stunts and live music. [Photo/Xinhua]
Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko wave to well-wishers who gathered to celebrate the monarch's 79th birthday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo Dec 23, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

In a rare televised speech on Monday, Japan's 82-year-old Emperor Akihito hinted his wish to abdicate because his declining health is preventing him from fulfilling all his duties. Last month NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting organization, reported that Akihito, who is suffering from prostate cancer and heart problems, wanted to step down in a few years.

Although Akihito stopped short of saying that he wished to abdicate, the very possibility of his unprecedented abdication has sparked a heated debate on the future of Japan's 2,600-year-old royal family, one of the world's oldest.

Chinese observers' opinions on Akihito's 10-minute speech are divided. Many argue the emperor's hint at abdication is aimed at thwarting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempts to amend Japan's pacifist Constitution. Japan's royal family, especially the emperor and his eldest son, 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, have constantly urged Japanese people and politicians to respect the Constitution and reflect upon the country's wartime history.

Some, on the other hand, tend to play up the conflict between Naruhito and his younger brother Akishino over the throne. Naruhito is most likely to succeed Akihito, but the crown prince's only child Princess Aiko cannot follow him to the throne under Japan's male-only succession laws. His brother, however, has a son.

Although Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party enjoy a more than two-thirds majority, along with their coalition partners, in the upper house and are bent on amending the Constitution to make Japan "a normal state", it is unlikely that they pressured the emperor to hint at retirement in order to expedite the constitutional amendment.

Rather, Akihito's message could be a complaint against the government ignoring for a long time his request to retire because of his inability to fulfill the ceremonial duties, and a suggestion to allow princesses and their children to inherit the throne.

In his Monday address, Akihito emphasized his role as the "symbol of the state", signaling his opposition to elevation of the emperor as head of state, which the Abe administration suggested in its new constitutional draft. Perhaps Akihito wants to change the monarchy into a profession that allows retirement to deal a blow to Japan's burgeoning militarism.

The vast majority of Japanese people is reportedly sympathetic toward the emperor because of his difficult schedule and supports his desire to retire. But for that to happen, Japan's parliament needs to revise the 1947 Imperial House Law, as the Constitution does not support abdication by a reigning emperor.

As much as some Japanese right-wingers want to abolish the emperor's ceremonial role, which remains the crux of Shinto religion and hence deterrent to their efforts to "soften" the Constitution, Akihito seems to have thrown a spanner in their works by hinting his wish to abdicate.

In fact, Akihito's speech could tie legislators in knots, involve considerable political resources and manpower, and prevent any such constitutional backsliding, because of the absence of any legal precedent. And a new clause or revision allowing a reigning emperor to retire could create huge rifts among legislators before it comes into effect.

That explains why some rightists called Akihito's intention to retire a constitutional "violation". In his address commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II last year, the emperor expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's atrocities before and during the war. He made similar remarks during his 1992 visit to China, the first and only one by a Japanese emperor.

Even if his abdication is eventually approved, Akihito could still help the new emperor perform his duties in a display of unity in the royal family. But even without it, Japan's ceremonial monarchy can defend the Constitution from ill-intentioned right-wing revisionists.

The author is an associate professor at University of International Business and Economics.
Most Chinese first encounter populus euphratica trees in their textbooks, in which the trees are praised for their strength and toughness, which enable them to survive any kinds of difficulties, setting an example for human beings when they face obstacles.

In the Uigur language, the name of populus euphratica means the most beautiful trees in the world. Most of the populus euphratica originate in China, while 90% of them survive along the northern Tarim basin. Luntai county rests in the Northern part of this region: Groves of these trees protect this desert area.

Even the toughest trees need Man's care: currently, 19 management stations have been built in Luntai County, and over 200 forest rangers take responsibility for the trees.

In recent years, these rangers put in a lot of effort to convince herdsmen who live in the populus euphratica forests to leave land to the forest. The record of their progress is remarkable: less forest fires, more scientific management and planting. Generation after generation will continue to promote environmental protection, and preserve this area for the future.
The Nanjing Hair Salon in Shanghai is among the oldest of its kind in the country and it used to attract celebrities and wealthy people. Provided to China Daily

By noon on Tuesday, his first working day of the week as Monday is the day off for his shop - the Nanjing Hair Salon in Shanghai - the 56-year-old Chen Mingxing has cut the hair of about a dozen people.

But instead of looking satisfied, the barber appears rather unhappy.

Not that the Shanghai native dissatisfied with his morning's work. But the manager of the city's, as well as the country's, most historic hair salon is worried that despite a lot of customers this may not be enough to sustain the over 80-year-old business.

"Summer is particularly tough. With less hair-dying and curling, we have not been making profits even though every one of us is busy," says Chen, who has been working at the Salon for the past three decades.

Founded in 1933 by Huang Huapei, a Chinese-born American who was very upset by the poor haircut he got while in Shanghai, the Nanjing Hair Salon is widely known as the largest and most high-end of its kind in the city, if not China.

Its two-floor space covers an estimated area of around 500 square meters, and boasts 27 seats attended by some 70 staff.

According to the Shanghai Chronicle, in the 1950s, there were about 200 branded barber shops in the city, 50 of which were listed as premium.

But Nanjing Hair Salon remained the most expensive and coveted among the 50, mostly frequented by local celebrities and the wealthy, because of its imported equipment and location on Nanjing Road West, one of the most bustling commercial streets in China.

At its peak in the 1930s and later in the 1980s, lines outside the salon used to form before sunrise, especially before Chinese New Year, as tradition has it that a haircut means a new outlook.

Well-known figures that used to have their hair done at the salon included Soong Meiling, film star Hu Die and Ruan Lingyu.

"Barbers here were more like celebrities," says Chen.
Principal Wang Xiaochun watches film with children in class. Photos by Lai Xinlin and Chen Zheng/Provided to China Daily

Xihaigu, known as "bitter barren land", is situated in the southern part of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

It covers seven poverty-stricken counties including Xiji, Haiyuan and Guyuan. Located on the Loess Plateau, it faces rain scarcity and extremely poor living conditions. The UN has identified the region as one of the world's most inhospitable places. But in spite of the tough conditions, there are quite a few rural teachers who work in the area. The schools in this area have very few facilities. But despite these problems, the teachers continue to perform their duties with great devotion. China currently has more than 3 million rural teachers teaching more than 40 million rural children. According to the Ministry of Education, between 2010 and 2013, the number of rural teachers fell from 4.73 million to 3.3 million.
(Photo : Getty Images) Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi is currently on a visit to India.

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China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that India is free to decide where it stands on the South China Sea dispute, Times of India reported.



"It is up to India what position it has to take," Wang said when asked whether he has come to India to seek New Delhi's support in the maritime dispute.



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Wang, who is on a three-day tour to India, is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India's Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Saturday. Wang is expected to discuss a host of contentious issues with Indian officials including the Nuclear Supplier's Group impasse.



Sources claim that Wang would seek the commitment of Indian leaders on the South China Sea dispute ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in September in China.



Beijing fears that an international bloc led by the US may seek to embarrass China by evoking South China Sea dispute at the G20 summit. Such a move could hurt China, given that it is under pressure to accept the verdict on the South China Sea dispute delivered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in June.



The court dismissed China's expansive claim over the disputed maritime territory. However, the Chinese government has stated that it would not accept the verdict, regardless of international pressure.



Recent Tension in Indo-China Relationship



The tension between China and India has increased drastically in recent months after Beijing blocked New Delhi's bid to blacklist Masood Azhar at the United Nations. China also stopped India's attempt to become a member of the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG).



India deployed over 100 military tanks to the Ladakh border last month, while China recently carried out a joint military exercise along with Pakistan near Kashmir.



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(Photo : YouTube) The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is expected to hit the market in September.

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One of the most interesting devices in Xiaomi's lineup is the Mi Note, and it has been quite a while since the series had a major upgrade. Now, there are rumors that the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is gearing to release a new smartphone dubbed as the Xiaomi Mi Note 2.



A handful of leaks have pointed to the existence of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, despite the fact that the company has kept silent about it. If the rumors are true, the Mi Note 2 will be released Sept. 5.



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The Xiaomi Mi 2 is expected to come with a dual camera setup, a trend Xiaomi tested with the Redmi Pro. Just like most premium handsets on the market, the Mi 2 is also rumored to sport a curved screen. According to GSM Arena, the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is expected to have a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with 2K display. There are rumors that a lower model with a Full HD display will be available as well.



Under the hood, the premium model of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is expected to sport a Snapdragon 821 chipset with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage space. The entry level model is expected to sport a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage space. Both models will have a 3600mAh battery pack.



The premium model of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is expected to have a price tag of around $524, while the entry-level model is expected to cost around $375, according to Giz China.



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TagsXiaomi, xiaomi mi note, xiaomi mi note 2, Mi Note, Mi Note 2, xiaomi mi note 2 specs, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 price, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Release Date, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 news
(Photo : Getty Images/ Feng Li) Workers assemble tie at the production line of Babei Group Co., Ltd in Shengzhou of Zhejiang Province, China.

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Foreign firms operating in the giant economies of China and India have an "extreme risk" of being associated with modern forms of slavery, according to a report from Verisk Maplecroft, a unit of Verisk Analytics.



"Companies are heavily reliant on goods and raw materials from India and China," the firm said. "However, sourcing from these countries can come with a substantial risk of association with forced labor."



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There report ranked 198 countries based on the risk level that businesses will be exposed to "slavery, servitude, trafficking in persons and forced or compulsory labor." Researchers also took into consideration the countries' legislation, law enforcement, and reported cases of abuses.



The research found that nearly 60 percent of countries have a high-risk tendency of forced labor in their supply chain. North Korea ranked top followed by South Sudan and Sudan. India and China, which landed on the 15th and 23rd spots, respectively, are the highest ranked major economies, CNN reported.



According to Verisk, forced labor in China is seen in many of its industries, while it is common in India's agricultural and garment sectors.



Both the Chinese and Indian government refused to comment on the report on Thursday when asked by CNN.



The United States and Europe, on the other hand, have no escape as they are also classified under medium risk. While Britain, Denmark, Finland, and Germany are the four major European economies that had low risk of forced labor.



"When countries with the most advanced legislation struggle to completely eradicate slavery, it reveals the challenges governments in less developed regions face," Alex Channer, principal human rights analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said.



According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index by Walk Free Foundation, an estimated 46 million people worldwide live as slaves; forced to work in factories, mines, and farms; sold for sex; trapped from debt; and born in servitude.



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Tagsmodern slavery, Verisk Maplecroft, slavery, Versik Analytics, Economy
(Photo : Getty Images) Workers put up scaffolding on a building owned by the contract manufacturer Foxconn International Holdings Ltd in Shenzhen, China.

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Apple's partner Foxconn Technology Group completed its $3.8 billion acquisition of electronics manufacturer Sharp Corp. on Friday, after getting the approval of Chinese anti-monopoly officials.



"Our investment in Sharp has completed all necessary reviews by the relevant governments, and our company and Sharp will now move to complete the transaction in accordance with our agreement as soon as possible," Foxconn said.



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Sharp confirmed that it has received the cash infusion from Foxconn, or Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, in new syndicated loans from two Japanese banks. At the same time, the Taiwanese company assumed a 66 percent stake in the Osaka-based firm.



With the deal completed, Sharp's CEO Kozo Takahashi, who apologized to shareholders in June for failing to live up to their expectations, resigned from his post and Tai Jeng-wu, the right hand of Foxconn founder Terry Gou, was appointed following a board meeting scheduled on Saturday.



The Financial Times reported that under Foxconn, Sharp is bracing for radical changes with Guo signaling the need to cut down the Japanese company's workforce. This contrasts his statement before the deal about the need to keep employees.



Sharp, which is famous for its consumer-electronic products, incurred massive losses for the second-straight year in the year which ended in March. It faced hurdles as its consumer-electronics business encountered fierce competition from other Asian brands and it also became too dependent on the volatile display panel business for growth, according to The Wall Street Journal.



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TagsFoxconn, Sharp, Acquisition
(Photo : YouTube Screenshot) Samsung is set to release an upgraded version of the Galaxy Note 7 exclusively in China.

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Samsung has confirmed it will release a different variant of its latest flagship Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in China.



"It is true that we are reviewing the rollout of a new tablet with 128 GB built-in memory in China because Chinese companies are aggressively doing marketing with high-capacity memory," Koh Dong-jin, Samsung's president of mobile business, told The Korea Herald. "We will accept diverse opinions from various regions and also consider whether that move will disappoint Korean customers."



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Samsung is facing competitive pressure from local Chinese brands like Huawei and Xiaomi who are throwing much hardware in the pipeline. To compete, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 variant made for China will feature 6GB of RAM. Furthermore, its internal storage is128GB.



With no other specific details out yet, Android Headlines hinted that aside from the RAM and on-board stage, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 made for the Chinese market could have similar hardware specs as the variant released worldwide.



The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is likely to sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip or the Exynos 8890 chipset, a micro-SD memory card slot that allows an added 256 GB of external memory, a 12-megapixel camera featuring an f/1.7 aperture and 1/2.5 inch sensor, a 5-megapixel front-facing sensor, a fingerprint scanner in the home button, and the cutting-edge iris scanning technology that is dubbed as the "safest security technology" so far.



The price of the upcoming unit is yet to be announced yet. However, there are rumors that the upcoming China variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will carry a price tag of $914 in China, while the Galaxy Note 7 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage will cost $899 in Korea.







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TagsSamsung, Galaxy Note 7, Smartphones
(Photo : Getty Images.) Chinas state run Xinhua has said that India's admission into the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) is not entirely closed.

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Barely a month after China blocked India's entry into the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG), China's state-run media Xinhua news agency said on Friday that the door to India's admission into the elite nuclear club is not "tightly closed," Times of India reported.



The uncharacteristically soft remark on India's NSG bid from Chinese state media was accompanied with China's usual concern that only signatories of the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty should be allowed into the group.



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"So far, there is no precedent for a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory to become an NSG member. Many inside the body that monitors the global flow of nuclear materials insist prudence in handing a membership card to any non-treaty party," Xinhua said as it reiterated China's demand that signing the NPT is a prerequisite to NSG membership.



Xinhua called on India to understand China's concerns on the South China Sea following a verdict issued by an international tribunal court in June, which dismissed China's expansive claim in the maritime territory.



Xinhua referred to a joint statement issued at the end of a trilateral summit between Russia, China and India in Moscow, which said that New Delhi agrees to find a solution to the South China Sea through negotiations with all the concerned parties.



Chinese state media's remark on the NSG impasse and the South China Sea dispute came just ahead of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India. Wang is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday.



It is not clear whether Wang will try to assuage New Delhi's disappointment over the NSG blocked. However, sources claim that Wang will try to seek India's commitment on the South China Sea dispute. Sources say that China wants assurance from New Delhi that it would not help the US-led bloc to raise the South China dispute at the upcoming G20 Summit in China this September.



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TagsIndia, china, India NSG membership, India and China, Wang Yi
(Photo : Getty Images) Japan is set to provide two patrol vessels and a surveillance aircraft to the Philippines.

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Japan on Friday announced that it would provide two patrol vessels and a surveillance aircraft to the Philippines.



The announcement was made by Masato Ohtaka, a senior official of Japan's foreign affairs ministry, during his ongoing Manila trip.



"We are talking about big-sized, 90-meter (295-foot) long vessels. We are also discussing the possibility of leasing aircraft designed for training. They are surveillance aircraft," Ohtaka said.



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The Philippines has been engaged in a bitter maritime dispute with China over the South China Sea while Japan is also facing similar a situation with China in the East China Sea.



Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday met with his Filippino counterpart Sec. Perfecto Yasay Jr. Kishida, during the meeting, promised that Japan is working to deliver 10 petrol vessels to Manila as agreed recently.



The two leaders urged China to respect maritime order based on the rule of law' for regional stability and prosperity. "We invoke and urge China to make sure that maritime security and the rule of law must completely and uncompromisingly respected," Yasay said after the meeting.



The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration, in its long pending verdict on July 12, rejected China's claims over disputed South China Sea saying that the country has no legal authority to claim the contested territory. Beijing has strongly opposed the verdict. The Asian power continues to build military facilities in several contested territories in the South China Sea, resulting in deteriorating ties with claimants countries like Vietnam, Taiwan, and Philippines.



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TagsJapan, china, Philippines, Naval Ships, South China Sea
(Photo : Getty Images) China is introducing new rules to curb industrial overcapacity.

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To overcome overcapacity across key Industrial sectors, the Chinese government has decided to impose stricter environmental, safety, and energy efficiency standards, Reuters reported.



The Ministry of Industry and Information published draft policy document on its website (www.miit.gov.cn), saying that it would "normalize the stricter implementation and enforcement of mandatory standards" to solve overcapacity problem plaguing various industries such as steel, coal, cement and aluminum.



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Additionally, the Chinese government would impose a "tougher credit policy" that will cut off loans to firms that fail to comply with the new standards. However, firms would be given six months to meet the new standards. If they fail, shut down orders would be issued against them.



If the need arises, authorities would also resort to other punitive actions such as cutting off power and water supply and demolishing equipments of firms that fail comply with the new environmental and safety standards. Officials can also seal equipments and facilities to ensure that plants remain non-operational.



China plans to reduce its annual crude steel capacity by 45 million tones and coal production by 250 million tones by the end of this year. However, the Chinese government is very much behind in meeting these targets, the National Development and Reform Commission said.



Chinese authorities have expressed concerns that some local governments have been complacent in dealing with the issue of overcapacity. On Thursday, the state planning agency signaled out three regions - Mongolia, Fujian, and Guangxi - for not acting diligently on the issue of overcapacity.



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Tagschina, China steel overcapacity, Chinese Economy, Environmental Issues in China
(Photo : Penn State) Squid ring teeth

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A unique protein derived from the teeth of squids that are located in their suction cups enables conventional textiles to self-repair, igniting the advent of self-healing textiles.



This protein that allows torn clothing to miraculously self-repair or "heal" itself was developed by researchers at Pennsylvania State University with funding from the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. This fabric-coating technology was created by turning the squid's ring teeth into a liquid form using yeast and bacteria.



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The resulting self-healing solution can be used to coat cotton, wool and other fabrics. When the coated fabric is torn, one only needs to place the edges together and apply warm water. The torn fabric then miraculously "heals," becoming as strong as before even after being laundered.



The protein solution can also be applied to threads before the fabric is even made. Since the garments are self-repaired by water, laundering them can also fix small tears and other defects.



"Fashion designers use natural fibers made of proteins like wool or silk that are expensive and they are not self-healing," said Penn State Professor Melik C. Demirel.



"We were looking for a way to make fabrics self-healing using conventional textiles. So we came up with this coating technology."



Dermirel said the substance can be adapted to develop clothing that protects soldiers, farmers and industrial workers by neutralizing toxic chemicals. Adding anti-bacterial properties allows the substance to be used in medical dressings to reduce infection.



The Penn State team now needs to find out how to make the proteins without using squid or their teeth.



"The next step would be to see if clothes can self-repair when we pour the liquid into a washing machine, like you would a detergent, and apply water and heat," said Demirel.



He said the coating is less than a micron deep, so it won't be noticed in everyday wear. He said this is the first time science has made self-healing textiles.



An intriguing video of the squid protein is on YouTube here.



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Tagssquid ring teeth, self-healing textiles, Pennsylvania State University, Melik C. Demirel
(Photo : Getty Images) Shibing.

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For its college students, China's failing economy has made a career in the People's Liberation Army -- Mao Zedong's famous "army of peasants," two-thirds of which were really peasants until 2011 -- a more tolerable career option.



College graduates and students accounted for some 150,000 of the 400,000 recruits to the PLA in 2014 and 2015, announced the PLA. Retaining these better educated recruits remains a huge problem, however, but is being tackled by disbursing generous perks such as a better shot at jobs in state-owned enterprises and tax breaks if these ex-soldiers open their own business after leaving the service.



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College educated recruits are also paid better. The central government, for example, increased family allowances to $3,765 annually while Hubei province is giving some $3,200 to PLA recruits that graduate from local universities.



While soldiering is mainly a deadly and dirty physical activity, today's electronic battlefield means brawn is no longer sufficient. Brains matter more than ever and the modernizing PLA is going to great lengths to ensure its high tech weapons have brainy soldiers behind them.



Before its push for better educated recruits, the PLA consisted of men with middle school or high school degrees. This emphasis of brain over brawn is part of ongoing PLA reforms that are now more important as China finds itself in a two-front conflict facing the United States and Japan over the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea, and India that is reinforcing its forces arrayed along its 4,000 kilometer-long border with China.



The PLA's modernization has seen it build smart and long-range missiles; launched a growing number of modern warships and attempt to build fifth generation stealth jet fighters. Then there's the need for brainy soldiers for cyber warfare and electronic warfare.



China's Military Service Law required two-thirds of all new PLA recruits come from rural areas. These people only needed to have a ninth grade education to qualify. The remaining one-third had to be high school graduates coming from cities.



Under that same law rescinded in 2011, college students were exempt from the possibility of conscription. The result was a military largely without college-educated soldiers.



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TagsPeople's Liberation Army, recruits, college graduates, Military Service Law
(Photo : Getty Images) Passengers at O'Hare International Airport wait in line to be screened at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint in Chicago, Illinois.

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Misbehaving plane passengers in China could face sanctions of up to 50,000 yuan ($7,500) under a proposed civil aviation law.



Unruly passengers such as those who use mobile phones and smoke while on-board, use force to occupy seats, or make false security threats or disturbances will be subjected to hefty fines, according to the South China Morning Post.



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The new proposed policy, which is a revision of a two-decade-old regulation, was posted by the Civil Aviation Administration on its website this week, seeking to hear the public's opinion until next month.



The administration proposes over 10 types of misconduct subject to penalty. Violations include plane hijacking; kidnapping; airport or aircraft barging; possession of deadly weapons or other lethal items on-board; occupying seats or luggage carriers by force; and occupying or blocking service counters or security check passages.



Passengers who obstruct crew members from carrying out their duties or instigate other passengers will also face sanctions.



Over the past five years, China's civil aviation industry has grown at a double-digit rate. In 2015, over 436 million passengers took flights in China, up by 11.3 percent from a year earlier.



While the number of Chinese travelers is increasing, there have been several incidents which may be cause for concern.



For instance, in November, a passenger from the mainland intentionally opened the emergency exit door for some fresh air. Another passenger was also put behind bars for 10 days after beating and scolding crew members on a flight from Beijing to Dalian, Liaoning province.



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Tagsairplane rules, plane passengers, unruly passengers, civil aviation industry
(Photo : Getty Images.) Alibaba is set to make Paytm one of its priorities.

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Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is planning to bet big on its investment in Indian e-commerce company Paytm, Rediff reported.



During an earnings call for its quarterly result on Friday, the company gave an official indication of its plan to include Paytm among its top priorities in future.



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As per the transcript of the earnings call, available on the SeekingAlpha, Joseph C Tsai, executive vice-chairman, said "The other emerging market is in India, where we have decided to play some very strategically located assets in that market. We invested jointly with Ant Financial into a company called Paytm, largest mobile wallet company in India. We think mobiles and payment are going to be important strategic assets for us in that market."



According to reports, Alibaba is already helping to train the senior management of Paytm to hone their skills for their soon to be launched Paytm Payment Bank. Last year, Paytm was among several Indian fintech companies that was granted a license to start a payment bank.



Today, Paytm is India's largest mobile commerce platform. Founded in 2010, the company initially offered mobile recharge and utility payment services on its platform. Paytm later ventured into e-commerce and today it has become one of the leading e-commerce players in India.



Alibaba's Foray into Indian Startup Ecosystem



In March 2015, Paytm became the first Indian startup company to receive funding from Alibaba Group. Alibaba, along with its subsidiary company Ant Financial Services, invested $575 million for a 25 percent stake in One97 Communication Pvt Ltd, the parent company of Paytm.



Later in the same year, Alibaba invested $500 million in another leading Indian e-commerce company, Snapdeal. There are speculations that Alibaba may also pick up a stake in Snapdeal's main competitor, Flipkart. However, so far there has been no development on this front.



Alibaba's growing interest in Indian startup companies is part of its long-term strategy to seek growth opportunities in various emerging markets. Experts say that over-competition in the US market has pushed Alibaba to seek opportunities in developing countries.



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TagsPaytm, Alibaba, china, China and India, Alibaba India, Alibaba Investment
home World 60 Christians from China turn to Czech Republic for 'religious persecution' asylum

At least 60 Chinese Christians fled to the Czech Republic to seek asylum from alleged religious persecutions just as China garners criticisms over human rights abuses.

Czech newspaper HospodAAskA noviny reported Aug. 3 about the 60 Chinese asylum-seekers, who claim to be members of 10 different denominations and fled religious persecution from their home country. They arrived in the central European country in batches between February and May, and they presently stationed at a detention facility in east Bohemia and another in a far eastern region. They're reported to be unusually guarded and appear fearful for retaliations on family members left in China.

According to Asia Today, the Communist state denounced the Chinese asylum-seekers in the Czech Republic through Monday's report on Global Times as mere illegal immigrants only disguised as Christians.

Radio Prague also reported that Martin Rozumek, director of the non-government organization Aid to Refugees, told HospodAAskA noviny that he believed the applications may be unsuccessful because Czech's Ministry of the Interior adopted an approach that seeks to discourage asylum seekers.

Czech has granted asylum to only six Chinese nationals in the past half-decade before the administration of Czech President Milos Zeman, who chose to better relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to China Aid's interview in May with a Christian member of a persecuted house church in China, many people outside China refuse to believe the ongoing religious persecution in the eastern Asian country.

"I know a lot of Chinese students are resistant to the idea that there's religious persecution in China. They believe that it's just U.S. propaganda, and even some Americans think that it's not that bad," said a China Aid member.

The country also came under fire after convicting two house church leaders and two other human rights activists, detained during its nationwide political crackdown last year, in unannounced and highly suspect trials.

"The charade of forced 'confessions' and show trials immeasurably damages the Chinese government's global standing and obliterates any remaining confidence in President Xi's ability to foster the rule of law in China," said U.S. Representative Christopher Smith and also added, "These developments should come as no surprise as lawyers, Christian 'house church' leaders, and democracy advocates were all identified in 2012 as enemies of the state."

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Smith's co-chair for the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), also denounced China

"China cannot continue to benefit from the international rules-based system, while making a mockery of the rule of law at home," said Rubio.
home World Indian priests line-up to save lives as kidney donors

Fr. Davis Chiramel of Kerala, India set the trend for 15 other religious leaders, including a bishop and a nun, to save lives by becoming kidney donors.

According to TheNEWSMinute (TNM), most of the organ recipients happened to be non-Christians.

The founder of Kidney Federation of India also reportedly receives hundreds of people willing to become kidney donors.

"I had gone through the medical history of at least ten people who had donated kidney earlier, and had seen the downloaded videos of transplant surgeries. I was fully convinced that kidney donation does not cause any health issues,'' The Times of India quoted Fr. Chiramel as saying.

Bishop Mar Jacob Muricken of the Syro-Malabar Eastern church said he took inspiration from Fr. Chiramel's act years ago and realized that becoming a kidney donor himself led him to act on Pope Francis' call to love each other regardless of caste or religion, especially in the Holy Year of Mercy.

Bishop Muricken donated his kidney to E Sooraj, a 30-year-old lower caste Hindu man from Kottakal in southern India, two months ago.

"I believe this should be a strong message for people around me, to be open to donate organs," said the auxiliary bishop of Pala Diocese on NDTV, as reported by Christian Today.

"I am inspired by Father Chiramel who once donated his kidney seven years ago," Bishop Muricken added.

Sister Chaitanya also donated her kidney to a 40-year-old man.

Fr. Chiramel became the first priest in the world to donate an organ when he donated his kidney to a 46-year-old electrician, Thekkemadathil Gopinathan in 2009. The family man, who claims to be "completely happy" now and back to a normal life again, said he initially hesitated on accepting the priest's offer then but only got persuaded by his friends and Fr. Chiramel's own determination.

"How can I make a priest, who is engaged in many other social service activities, suffer for me? This was my thinking then," shared Gopinathan.

Fr. Chiramel also announced he donated his cadaver body for scientific study at Thrissur Medical College Hospital.
home US Tim Kaine points at Hillary Clinton's Methodist faith as the 'root of everything she does'

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine connected presidential running mate Hillary Clinton's Methodist faith as the basis for her decisions and actions.

The 58-year-old Catholic Jesuit senator from Virginia discussed attended Thursday's annual meeting for the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. in New Orleans, where he discussed how the Methodist faith heavily influenced the former Secretary of State.

He talked about how the 68-year-old Clinton grew up as a Midwestern Methodist church kid and rose to become a Frist Lady of the White House, a senator and even a secretary of state.

"That Methodist connection, that beautiful sense of duty, the obligation to others, that is the root of everything she does," said Kaine, in a transcript made by the Hillary Clinton campaign shared with The Christian Post.

He also picked on how Clinton, who was a law student then, chose to work for Marian Wright Edelman at the Children's Defense Fund "to defend the right of young people in South Carolina's juvenile justice system" when she could have gone to Wall Street instead.

Kaine also shared how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. talked to Clinton about migrant worker issues when her youth pastor took her to Chicago to see the famed Baptist minister and civil rights activist.

"And then that opened her up to the fact that there were issues out there that she needed to grapple with," said Kaine.

According to a poll survey released July 13 by Pew Research Center, Hispanic Catholics solidly support Clinton, who promised to refuse any deportation among immigrants and to help them integrate into the American society.

Meanwhile, a majority of religious conservatives criticize Clinton for her unflinching support for abortion.

"But I do believe that in many areas judgment should be left to God, that being more open, tolerant and respectful is part of what makes me humble about my faith," said Clinton, during the sixth annual Women in The World Summit in April.

A supporter of same-sex marriage, Clinton also seemed to take a swipe at critical conservative Christians during a campaign event in Iowa.

"I have been very disappointed and sorry that Christianity, which has such great love at its core, is sometimes used to condemn so quickly and judge so harshly," she said.
California senator drops controversial provision in anti-religious freedom bill

Religious colleges in California are claiming victory after a California senator announced that he would amend a bill that threatens religious freedom.

State Sen. Ricardo Lara said he would delete a provision in SB 1146 that would allow gay and transgender students to file a lawsuit for discrimination against private religious colleges and universities that receive state financial assistance, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Notwithstanding any other law, a postsecondary educational institution that is controlled by a religious organization and that receives financial assistance from the state or enrolls students who receive state financial assistance is subject to Section 11135, and violation of that section may be enforced by a private right of action as described in Section 11139," the bill reads.

Section 11135 of the California Code prohibits discrimination against anyone "on the basis of race, national origin, ethnic group identification, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, color, genetic information, or disability" under any programme that is funded or receives funding from the state.

Lara's move seeks to remove a portion of the bill that aims to remove exemption of religious schools to anti-discrimination laws.

He will instead go for the bill that would still require religious schools to disclose their exemption and report it to the California Student Aid Commission.

"The goal for me has always been to shed the light on the appalling and unacceptable discrimination against LGBT students at these private religious institutions throughout California," said Lara.

In amending the bill, Lara said, "I don't want to just rush a bill that's going to have unintended consequences so I want to take a break to really study this issue further."

But he vowed to resurrect the deleted provision through other legislation next year.

Concordia University Irvine president Kurt Krueger hailed the dropping of the controversial provision as victory.

"It appears that we have won a battle in the war to defend religious freedom, but we anticipate that many more battles remain," he said.

He said "If the amendments reflect Senator Lara's expressed intent, Concordia will support SB 1146 moving forward."

Six universities formed the Association of Faith-Based Institutions and provided $350,000 to campaign against the bill.

Following Lara's announcement, the universities said they have changed their position on the bill from "oppose unless amended" to "support."

Kristine Soares, president of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, wants to see the amended bill before issuing a stand.

"It's a positive development. This gives us time to really work on the issue the senator is trying to address," she said.
Indonesia considers outlawing homosexual acts

A group of Islamic activists has filed a petition with Indonesia's Constitutional Court seeking to expand the coverage of an existing law against sex between an adult and a minor of the same gender to include two homosexual adults.

The Family Love Alliance has also asked the court to extend the law on rape to cover homosexuals.

"We see the moral degradation that is happening," said Rita Hendrawaty Soebagio, chairwoman of the alliance, according to AFP. "This is purely because of our love for our nation; we must do something while we have a chance."

The alliance said the gay community's influence in Indonesia is spreading.

The court has held five hearings since the petition was filed last May; the next one will be held later this month.

On its website, the court said it was hearing testimonies from health experts who say gay sex could cause sexually transmitted diseases.

Homosexuality is taboo in Indonesia although gay sex is legal in most parts of the country.

Soebagio told the Associated Press that their "real reason is so that we have much clearer norms."

"We are not intending to criminalise those who have a deviant sexual orientation. That is not the point. They can be free to live but not show their lifestyle," she said.

The Indonesian government said on Thursday that there was "no room" for gays in the country.

Human Rights Watch noted that in the past two months, the gay community has been verbally attacked by senior officials who are seeking to ban them in university campuses.

Presidential spokesman Johan Budi said protecting LGBT rights is not the government's priority.

"Rights of citizens like going to school and getting an ID card are protected, but there is no room in Indonesia for the proliferation of the LGBT movement," he told AFP.

Indonesia's higher education minister wants LGBT organisations banned in universities while the defence minister compared LGBT rights groups to a "type of modern warfare."

Last February, Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Muslim group, criticised gay lifestyles as perverted and a desecration of human dignity.
Iraqi refugees convert to Christianity, share Gospel to families and friends

Under the threat of the Islamic State (ISIS), thousands of residents from Fallujah, Iraq, have fled to a refugee town called City of Refuge.

And in the last 18 months, Frontiers USA said that through the work of missionaries, over 140 refugees have converted to Christianity.

Frontiers president Bob Blincoe said after Iraqi forces recaptured Fallujah, some of the new Iraqi Christians want to go back to their homes and share their newfound hope with their neighbours.

"They are attracted to go home because that is the place they knew as where they lived their lives," said Blincoe, according to Mission Network News. "And there's no future for them in the refugee tents in the City of Refuge."

"But now they have a mission, and they feel jubilant in the Lord. They have been baptised, most of these groups that they're working with have been baptised," he said.

He said the reason why Muslim refugees have accepted Christ was because of Jesus' words, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden. Learn of me, I will give you rest for your souls, for I am meek and humble."

"This way of the Lord, this unexpected hope for miserable people, for desperate people, is the number one reason," he said.

The new Christians are sharing the Gospel to their family and friends.

"This is driven by Muslims who have come to faith themselves, which is the thing that of course must happen," Blincoe said.

Blincoe shared the testimony made by Layla who fled Fallujah together with her husband and children.

"They fled on foot, losing ground to the upcoming cloud of the enemy cars and trucks heading their way when, to their great surprise, a pickup truck slowed down and stopped and [the driver] said, 'Get in the back,'" he said.

At the refugee camp, he said, "God gave this woman, Layla, this vision of a man who would tell her about Jesus. That happens, I'm not going to say 'often', but it's often the entry into people hearing from the Lord. That fellow...was distributing goods and he came to her house the next day and offered to open up the Bible with them."

Blincoe added that "now the real contest for the soul of Iraq begins."

"We have a sense that we are on the frontlines of the free world. That everything depends on winning the people that have been displaced by ISIS, them going back to their homes, and winning those parts of Iraq where no missionaries can set foot," he said.

He's now asking for prayers for the extension of the Gospel in Iraq.
ISIS uses Iraqi families as 'human shield wall' in Mosul in preparation for looming siege

Thousands of Iraqi families are being used as human shields by the Islamic State (ISIS), according to a Christian charity organisation.

"We've been told ISIS is literally lining up men, women, and childrenwhole familiesin a 'human shield wall' as a defensive preparation for the oncoming siege for Mosul," said Vernon Brewer, president of World Help, which has been delivering food and other supplies to Iraqis fleeing ISIS-captured areas.

Brewer said Iraqis risk their lives by trekking a 40-mile journey through desert terrain under 120-degree temperatures without food or water.

"Manyespecially children and the elderlyhave died in the desert; their bodies litter the escape routes these desperate families are taking to reach safety," he said, according to CBN News.

World Help said U.S.-backed Iraqi forces are setting their sights to retake Mosul, the last ISIS-held stronghold in Iraq.

It said many have already escaped to a refugee camp in Dibaga village, which can only hold 3,500 but now has 20,000 refugees.

"The road [to Dibaga] is a three-day walk, full of bodies of either people who have been killed by ISIS or children dying because of thirst. Thousands of families are coming to a camp of a few hundred tents. They are in desperate need for most essential things like water and shade," a partner of World Help said.

Reports reaching the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said ISIS fighters have captured up to 3,000 fleeing Iraqi refugees.

"UNHCR has received reports that ISIS captured on 4 August up to 3,000 IDPs (internally displaced people) from villages in Hawija District in Kirkuk Governorate trying to flee to Kirkuk city. Reportedly, 12 of the IDPs have been killed in captivity," said the report, according to NBC News.

World Help said it will continue bringing supplies to refugees despite the threats.

"The world has largely moved past the conversation on the crisis in Iraq, but we must not forget there are still tens of thousands of Iraqi families with real, urgent needs. That's why we haven't abandoned our work here," said Brewer.
U.S. military appeals court upholds dismissal of Christian Marine over Bible verse

The United States military's appeals court has upheld the bad-conduct discharge of a Christian Marine who posted Bible verses at her computer desk but was ordered to remove it.

In a 4-1 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) in Washington ruled against former Lance Cpl. Monifa Sterling, who was court-martialed for posting the Bible verse Isaiah 54:17, which says, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper," according to the Associated Press.

Sterling was convicted by a military court in 2014 for six offences mainly because of the Bible verse. She was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

According to Liberty Institute, which represented Sterling in her appeal, she printed the Bible verse in May 2013 and posted it on three places at her workspace.

But when her supervisor saw it, he ordered her to remove it, saying, "I don't like the tone."

Sterling refused to take it down, believing that it was her First Amendment right to post the Bible verse. The following morning, she found out the posts were removed.

She reprinted copies and posted them again. The next day, she found again that these were thrown in the trash.

During the trial, Sterling represented herself and invoked the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) in defending her posting the verse.

The court ruled against her. She lost her appeal at the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals and at the CAAF.

First Liberty announced that they will appeal her case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of First Liberty, described the CAAF decision as "absolutely outrageous."

"A few judges decided they could strip a Marine of her constitutional rights just because they didn't think her beliefs were important enough to be protected. If they can court-martial a Marine over a Bible verse, what's to stop them from punishing service members for reading the Bible, talking about their faith, or praying?" she said.

The institute's Michael Berry said First Liberty is appealing the case to the U.S. Supreme Court for justice and precedent.

"Ms. Sterling posted the Bible verse as an expression of her faith  an expression which should have been protected by RFRA," said Berry. "Our Marines give up many freedoms when serving, but religious freedom is never one of them. The First Amendment, RFRA, and military code all protect service members' right to express their faith freely."
Young pastors aim to plant more churches to draw 'hip-hop' people in Missouri

Young pastors like Kenny "KP" Petty are working hard to plant more churches and trying to draw people who have grown up in hip-hop culture where "rap music, gangs, urban clothing, art, poetry, hardship and violence have molded our people."

Petty was a gang member in high school and was shot twice. He went to jail at 19 for attempted murder but was acquitted.

He and co-pastor/rapper Kyle Hubbard are in their fourth year of planting The Gate church in University City, a poor neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the Baptist Press.

Another church in Baden, St. Louis is also set to rise.

"Our environments are so raw and produce such a distinct lifestyle that you can almost sense inauthenticity," explained Petty. "To reach people here you gotta have a real sense of understanding to earn credibility. But the reality is, when out on these streets we need to have full confidence in the power of the Gospel to change people's lives."

While he was in jail, a chaplain challenged him to read Psalm 51 three times a dayand he was moved, eventually leading to a personal transformation.

"Against You and You only have I sinned ... It caused me to cry out for mercy," Petty said.

Petty said he didn't know much about Christianity but after studying and growing, "I began to understand that the church is God's plan for the world."

"I wanted to be part of a church that was biblically sound and culturally relevant," he said, describing hip-hop as a culture that has "produced men who are absent from the home, young pregnancies, women who are raising children alone, drugs, violence, and a sense of hopelessness."

Hubbard said they saw an opportunity to bring the Gospel to people who are "disenfranchised, impoverished, in the hip-hop culture that has hoisted a generation of people living in hopelessness."

Under The Gate's method, there are four community groups, each responsible for a two-block area in University City.

They do prayer walking, talking to residents, identifying ministry needs and letting God work out "divine appointments."

"When they come into our church, our first priority is to get them discipled, teaching them sound theology, challenging them on finishing [high] school, preparing them for job interviews, scheduling, finances. We help the whole man and the same for our women," said Hubbard.

The Gate has purchased a former Lutheran church in the heart of University City. It paid $30,000 for the building. $300,000 is needed for repairs and renovation.

"It's a lot of work," said Petty. "Because of all the Southern Baptist Crossover volunteers who will be helping this year, our church will have the opportunity to solely engage with people and share the Gospel with them."

He added, "We're in this together. We're better together. God wants His body to be united in the faith, and He does this by knitting our hearts together. The Gate is a story of God seeing the Kingdom mind of Southern Baptists."
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Outlaw country met new-school country on Friday night at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion with Hank Williams Jr. and Chris Stapleton sharing a bill together.

The pair co-headlined with Waco's Wade Bowen warming up the sold-out crowd starting just after 7 p.m. He's been active since 2000 on the Texas Country circuit so he wasn't exactly a stranger to many people in the pavilion crowd.

RELATED: Country music finds its soul on 'Traveller'

It seemed that the air outside dipped about ten degrees cooler when Kentucky-bred Stapleton took the stage with his band, which now includes Willie Nelson's longtime harmonica player (43 years!) Mickey Raphael in the pocket to his right.

A metallic "Nobody to Blame" kicked off his set, with Raphael drawing harmonics over the top.

Stapleton then pulled out a cover of Rodney Crowell's "I Ain't Living Long Like This" which throbbed from the stage.

He put on guitar clinics throughout his set, through the night's humidity.

Stapleton's radio hits "Traveller" and "Fire Away" were mass sing-alongs and fitting since they've been some of the best and most true things to come out of Nashville in some time.

His success has proven that maybe, just maybe, mainstream country fans are sick of the bedazzled jeans and hip hop beats and are craving actual songs.

Set closer, David Allan Coe's "Tennessee Whiskey," came loaded with Stapleton singing the praises of his band, which includes his wife on backing vocals.

Stapleton is somewhat of a newcomer but a powerful one to be reckoned with. His "Traveller" LP was released in May 2015 but it's remained on the country charts and seems to have become a modern classic in just a year's time.

Somehow Stapleton has managed to bridge the gap between the likes of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Johnny Cash and George Jones.

Stapleton didn't play his other hit "Parachute" which was a big surprise for a lot of people in the crowd, but the Crowell cover made up for it. Expect Stapleton to be around for a long time.

Hank Jr., son of country icon Hank Williams Sr., is a legend in his own right, who has been charting country singles for six decades straight and influencing countless acts in the rock and country world.

Williams hit the stage a bit before 10 p.m. brash and strutting to his version of Waylon Jennings' "Are You Ready For The Country" and then his own "If Heaven Ain't A Lot Like Dixie".

In a live setting Williams pushes onstage volume to the limit, and at one point even begged his sound man to crank it up higher. Even as he inches closer to his seventh decade he's demanding more.

RELATED: Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson and the other greatest classic country artists left on the planet

He played his controversial foot stomper "Keep The Change" which railed against political correctness. He's ornery but not a bit mean.

A short visit to the piano featured stories of a childhood featuring the likes of Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, and Fats Domino coming around after covering his father's music.

Hank Sr.'s specter looms large in his son's life to this day. His live show is a celebration of survival, something that eluded his father.

An acoustic set featured "Outlaw Women" and "Dinosaur" and the surprise appearance of "There's a Tear In My Beer" which he charted with in the '80s as a duet with his ghostly father. The acoustic jaunt was a mini autobiography of sorts.

"Most of my real rowdy friends have been called home," he sang with a chuckle during "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)" pointing to the sky. He is one of the last men standing these days, with Merle Haggard going off to heaven earlier this year and others in that same vein slowing down dramatically.

He updated his classic kiss-off "A Country Boy Can Survive" by mentioning an AR-15 and a 1911 pistol which got a big cheer from the crowd. He was preaching the choir most of the night.

He closed the evening with his anthem "Family Tradition" accompanied by Chris Stapleton who now should have legal custody of the song after owning a few verses of it.

Standing in the wings was the world's oldest roadie, Ben Dorcy, 91, who did road work for Hank Sr.'s contemporaries like Hank Thompson and Ray Price before settling in with Willie Nelson for decades.

His presence, like a country music shaman, bridged the gap between the old school and new school perfectly.

Here's hoping he kept everyone in line backstage.
Idea person: Nicole Lander, director of Outreach Services for the Houston Food Bank.

Idea: To feed fresh, hot meals to more hungry children, the food bank needs a bigger kitchen.

How it started: After her mother went back to work, Lander, 11, had to get dinner started every night for her hard-working parents and her brother and sister. Although she never went hungry, she grew up with others depending on her for their meals.

This early experience set the stage for her job today. Two years ago Lander joined the Houston Food Bank. Among other responsibilities, she oversees programs that feed more than 15,000 children and 8,400 seniors in the 18 counties that the food bank serves. It's a big job: According to the nonprofit Feeding America, Harris County, the largest county in the Food Bank's service, ranks third in the U.S. for child food insecurity.

At a previous job in the food-care industry, Lander witnessed kids pushing to get in front of the cafeteria lines, bartering for food and crying when school staff deemed them ineligible for food aid. When she arrived at the Food Bank, she recognized that during the summer, seven out of eight children lose access to the breakfast and lunches that they receive via school programs: "We have the capacity to do more here, so why not?"

Lander started offering summer breakfasts and lunches to kids in schools' free and reduced lunch programs. To do this, the food bank had to double its kitchen's production.

Last year, Lander's team prepared 4,000 lunches and 3,000 breakfasts to kids.

The lunches involve an entree with fruit and vegetables. Her favorite Food Bank dish is spaghetti with meat sauce: "When you take off the cellophane, it smells so good."

How it's growing: As Lander feared, after the first summer, the kitchen "hit a production wall." The Keegan Kitchen was built in 2006, when the Food Bank prepared mainly frozen food. The kitchen was too small to prepare enough food, and there wasn't space for the 32 to 50 volunteers who work in the summer program day. It had only small tables, no coveyor belt. And the loading dock wasn't wide enough to handle the number of trucks needed.

Lander started fantasizing about improvements and approached Brian Greene, president of the Food Bank, to discuss the possibility of a bigger, updated kitchen.

Greene agreed that the kitchen needed to grow. The questions were, how? and where? Lander considered working with the existing Keegan Kitchen Center, but the lot on which it sits was too small.

Greene proposed the winning idea: building a new kitchen at the Food Bank's Portwall campus, where the organization's warehouse and offices are located. This location would provide easy access to Food Bank volunteers, to the warehouse, and existing large loading docks.

Next steps: The board of directors supported Greene's plan to design the kitchen, raise the needed funds and place the current facility for sale. The new kitchen will be able to produce 20,000 meals per day. Lander expects it to be at capacity within five years.

Originally, Lander's goal was to have a new kitchen up and running by summer 2017, to be ready for the summer swell. But construction is ahead of that schedule: The kitchen is now expected to be fully functional by the end of this year.

"Never in a million years did I think we would have a kitchen at end of 2016," says Lander. "Normally this is a two to three year process, but this shows our commitment to feeding hungry children and senior citizens in our service area."

Her team is now recruiting more volunteers for the Food Bank's rural service area, to increase meal production and packaging.

Bottom line: During its first summer, the new kitchen is expected to provide meals for 7,000 people per day.

Bookmark Gray Matters. Our loading dock isn't wide enough to handle the number of trucks needed.
A Dallas woman is behind bars after police said her pit bull attacked two people in one month.

Alicia Hernandez, 64, had seven violations in 2010 for her pit bull. The dog attacked two people in less than a month, prompting the Dallas Police Department to arrest her on charges of attack by dangerous dog.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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The new West Point Market is under construction in Fairlawn and scheduled to open October 31.

AKRON, Ohio - Patrons of the old West Point Market need only wait until late October to shop the next iteration of Akron's family-owned specialty grocer. Construction is already underway at the new Fairlawn location.

With third-generation owner, CEO Rick Vernon, at the helm, the new "Best of West Point Market"-themed store will honor some of the older location's traditions to appeal to its Baby Boomer customer base, while modernizing to appeal to Millennials.

"Millennials have a lot in common with our customer base," Vernon said. "Like the Boomers they appreciate cheese and wine, they appreciate good food and they appreciate value."

Third generation West Point Market owner Rick Vernon

The nearly 80-year-old store at 1711 West Market Street closed last December to make way for a Whole Foods store. West Point Market originally opened at a site in Highland Square in 1936 before moving to the Wallhaven neighborhood in 1941.

Here's what you need to know about the new West Point Market:

New Fairlawn location

The new West Point Market is now under construction at 33 Shiawassee Avenue in a plaza just off of West Market Street. Vernon and crew looked for a site for eight months, and were losing hope when by accident they came across the abandoned plaza owned by John Chlebina of Common Wealth Properties in Akron.

"We knew right then it would be the best spot for us," Vernon said. "The founders moved the store west from Highland Square and now I'm moving it west again."

The 12,000-square-foot building, about half the size of the former store, is easy to find and offers has plenty of parking. It will be the flagship store for other smaller locations expected to open in downtown Akron and Medina.

Most departments represented

The new store is being built in two phases. Phase 1, opening in October, will house the wine department and offer holiday specialty foods.

Phase II will be complete by March, with a kitchen putting out fresh and prepared foods. It will include a deli, chef's case, bakery and catering.

The store won't have a traditional produce department but will have seasonal produce from local farmers. Gift-wrapping will be offered.

New wine bar with taps

The Fairlawn market will include a 45-person capacity wine bar. The wine bar will feature six taps rotating limited-edition and locally brewed beers.

"That's our evil plan," said Vernon, a craft-beer enthusiast. "I'm looking for beers not everyone else carries."

An example is Akron's Hoppin' Frog, whose Gangster Frog India pale ale on tap is Vernon's current favorite.

Live local music is also planned for the new store.

"Alumni" relocation team

Much of the new market's staff will come from the former store. The 30 to 40 employees will still sport aprons, but the new uniforms will have a more casual feel.

"I wouldn't think about relocating and putting the store back together without the employees," he said. "I still have my management team. I couldn't do without them."

Customer service and great employees are important to the new store's success, Vernon said, as is honoring West Point Market traditions.

"We'll keep the integrity of recipes and our signature products, and represent it well," he said. "That's our plan and I think we've got a good shot to pull it off."

You can keep up with the details of the new West Point Market here.
Attempted child enticement, Rademaker Boulevard: An 11-year-old Brook Park girl reported that a man driving a gray Ford pickup truck stopped and asked her if she wanted to smoke with him.

It happened at about 4:20 p.m. June 23. Police did not release the report until Aug. 4. The girl was walking on the sidewalk when the man approached. The man, 42, of Brook Park, was later identified and arrested.

Grand theft auto, Brookpark Road: A 2008 Chrysler Town & Country was stolen between 9-9:45 p.m. July 28 from outside Brookpark Skateland, 13445 Brookpark. The vehicle was later found by Cleveland police.

Grand theft auto, Brookpark Road: A 2012 Ford pickup truck was reported stolen July 30 from Holy Cross Cemetery, 14609 Brookpark. Also, someone broke into the cemetery's maintenance building and stole three weed eaters. The pickup truck was later found by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Fleeing & eluding, Ohio 237-Interstate 480: Police tried to stop a motorcycle that was traveling 107 mph -- first on Interstate 480, then on Ohio 237 -- at about 2 a.m. July 31. Officers did not catch up to the motorcycle.

Assault, Gallatin Boulevard: A Brook Park man, 18, said he was assaulted by a boy and girl, both 17-year-old Brook Park residents, in Gallatin Park, 15091 Gallatin.

The attackers beat the victim with their fists, leaving scratches and bruises on his face. The victim owed the boy and girl money. The boy and girl were both later arrested.

Assault, Westbrook Drive: A Brook Park man, 45, was assaulted in his home by a 32-year-old Berea man at about 11:30 p.m. July 29. The two men had been drinking together when the younger man started punching the older man. Police are investigating.

Child endangerment, Glenway Drive: At about 8:30 p.m. July 25, police responded to a report of an unattended 5-year-old girl on a sidewalk outside Glenbrook Townhouses. Police called relatives, who picked up the child, and reported the parents to Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services.

Shoplifting, Brookpark Road: A Lakewood woman, 51, a Cleveland woman, 19, and a Cleveland man, 22, were arrested at about 9:30 a.m. July 27 after they were caught stealing 10 packs of condoms and energy drinks from True North Shell, 13030 Brookpark.

The women stuffed the merchandise into a large purse while the man distracted the clerk. A clerk saw the condom display moving, noticed the merchandise missing and called police.

After-hours consumption of alcohol, Smith Road: Paponetti's Pizza, Ribs & Spirits landed in trouble when it was caught serving beer after permitted hours at 3:30 a.m. July 28.

Police noticed several vehicles in the parking lot. They peeked inside and saw several open beer bottles on the bar. They knocked on the window and someone left them inside the bar. Officers notified the state of Ohio about the violation.

Petty theft, Bowfin Boulevard: Two bicycles were stolen at about noon July 28 from a front yard.

Sudden illness, Holland Road: Two prisoners in Brook Park jail were taken to Southwest General Health Center July 28 after they fell in their cells. They were on heroin and started experiencing withdrawals in jail, police said.

If you wish to discuss or comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The cartoon gallery above includes previously unpublished alternative cartoon ideas,in finished and rough sketch form, for cartoons posted recently.

Trump tarnishes Lincoln legacy

It's bad enough that any candidate would imply an opponent may be assassinated, but for the nominee of the party of Lincoln to appear to suggest an opponent could be shot is appalling and disturbing.

The idea that John Wilkes Booth might endorse Trump if he were alive today isn't a stretch. Beyond both being entertainers, Trump foments the angry unhinged fringe that Booth embodied.

Another Clinton controversy

Friday it was reported that Hillary Clinton's Chief of Staff at the State Department, Cheryl Mills had traveled to New York City to interview job candidates seeking a top position with the Clinton Foundation.

Prior to being Clinton's Chief of Staff, Mills was President Bill Clinton''s Deputy White House counsel. In that capacity she defended him during his impeachment hearings.

Mills was the senor legal advisor for Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential run.

The Clinton campaign is claiming the trip is a non-ssue because it was done on Mills own time and it constitutes volunteer charity work.

Recently released State Department emails showed that a top Clinton Foundation official sought to curry favor for a billionaire Foundation donor from Mills and Huma Abedin, Clinton's longtime aide who has nearly been joined at the hip to Hillary for years.

Upon becoming Secretary of State, Clinton signed an agreement, along with the Clinton Foundation, that they would't "create conflicts or the appearance of conflicts for Senator Clinton as Secretary of State."

If Trump needs material for his Mexican border wall, he can use the remnants of the firewall between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation, that the Foundation and Hillary's aides burned down.

Some people are wondering about Trump's mental fitness. His opponent appearing to be tone deaf and thinking the rules don't apply to her, isn't exactly a great alternative.

"RNC/TRUMP "Come to Jesus" meeting

Reportedly the RNC and the Trump campaign are set to meet today in Florida for what's being described as a "Come to Jesus" meeting. However it turns out that the conductor who keeps derailing the 'Trump Train' will not be attending.

Trump complained this week that he was being crucified by the media. But Trump's been nailing himself to the cross with his unhinged tongue.

Just look at how Trump misplayed the ripe Clinton State Department controversy thrown in his lap. The emails play right into Clinton's #1 campaign problem -- her high negatives for truthfulness and being secretive. Instead of hammering away on that story, Trump rants for days that Obama and Clinton founded ISIS. The same people who signed off on the operation that killed Osama Bin Laden and the drone strikes that have killed dozens of ISIS leaders.

Trump would have fired Trump this week if this was the "Apprentice" instead of the realist of reality shows.

Coming up Sunday--Trump and Clinton's tax returns.
WARREN, Ohio - Cleveland Police Detective Martina Latessa has handled hundreds of domestic violence cases. But she is troubled most by the one she couldn't investigate.

That's because it happened in her family.

Latessa's 15-year-old niece, Bresha Meadows, is accused of killing her father July 28 by shooting him once in the head with a .45-caliber, semi-automatic handgun. Prosecutors have not decided whether they will try Bresha Meadows as a child or an adult. A hearing is set for Aug. 30 in Trumbull County Family Court.

Latessa is assigned to the Cleveland police's domestic violence unit. She investigated 274 cases last year. And she stressed that said she wanted to help her sister, Brandi, and her sister's children move away from what she called the constant abuse of Brandi's husband, Jonathan. But Latessa said she had not seen nor heard from her sister in more than five years.

"She was the sister I never heard from,'' the detective said.

Latessa said Jonathan Meadows manipulated her sister's family for years. She said her sister's family moved often and did not have published phone numbers. Latessa said her sister was too afraid to contact anyone for fear Jonathan Meadows would find out.

"There wasn't a damn thing I could do to stop this,'' Latessa said. "He kept her so isolated. If I personally reached out to my sister, I might as well have dug her grave. She truly believed that if she ever told anyone about the dark secret in that house that she and the children would be killed.''

Jonathan Meadows' sister, Lena Cooper, told The Plain Dealer that her brother was a good man who loved his wife and children. She stressed that if the situation was so bad in the house, Brandi Meadows could have left.

"He wasn't there 24 hours a day,'' Cooper said.

But Latessa said the family lived in fear of Jonathan Meadows. Any mistake or problem would, at the least, bring a form of mental, physical or emotional abuse. She cited one example: Brandi Meadows said that if she ever woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, she needed to wake up her husband, too.

"He thought that she was either talking to another man or about to leave him or that she was going to call us,'' Latessa said.

On July 9, 2011, her sister appeared to have had enough. Brandi Meadows walked into the Warren Police Department and told officers that her husband had been threatening to kill her. He accused her of cheating on him, and "he became furious.''

Meadows told his wife he would kill her and their three children "because he was not going to let anyone else have her or raise their kids,'' according to the police report.

She told officers she knew her husband "was capable of extreme violence.'' Her mother picked her up and drove her to the family's home in Parma. Meadows took out a civil protective order against her husband.

She soon dropped the protection order and went back to him.

Asked why she returned, Brandi Meadows said in a Plain Dealer interview she feared retaliation.

"He made me drop it,'' she said. "He told me what needed to be said to get it dropped.''

Latessa, the Cleveland police detective, said she tried to convince her sister to leave her husband in 2011. The detective tried to reach out to the couple's three children. She re-united with Bresha Meadows in May, when the teenager ran away and reached out to her aunt in Cleveland. The girl eventually returned home.

"The whole family was the perfect set of victims,'' Latessa said. "My sister isn't stupid. She knew what to say. She knew how to put on the happy face to send (authorities) away.''
Ciara Perez Rodriguez shows where she was punched by a Cleveland police officer while she was in handcuffs. Perez-Rodriguez appeared Saturday in Cleveland Municipal Court on charges of assaulting a police officer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland woman punched in the face Thursday by a police officer suffers from mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, family members said.

Ciara Perez-Rodriguez, 21, suffered bruises and swelling on her face and arms in the altercation with police officers, according to her father, Louis Perez.

The altercation with an unnamed police officer during an arrest sweep on Cleveland's West Side was caught on video and quickly garnered widespread attention.

Officials have not identified the police officer who punched Perez-Rodriguez as she was handcuffed against a police cruiser. Court records identify several Cleveland police officers involved in the arrest, but do not directly identify the officer who hit Perez-Rodriguez.

The incident happened about 1 p.m. Thursday in the 1300 block of West 80th Street. Perez-Rodriguez's 14-year-old cousin, Andrew Perez, said he witnessed the incident.

Andrew Perez said he was with his grandmother when police descended on the neighborhood. The officers pointed guns at residents, including some children, he said.

Andrew Perez said his cousin told officers she didn't want to give them her name. She walked away from the officers, who then arrested her, he said.

Perez-Rodriguez spit on the officer to try to stop him from arresting her, Andrew Perez said. He said the officer hit her, put her in a chokehold and dragged her to the ground.

An arrest affidavit says Perez-Rodriguez threw a Pepsi can at several police officers. The officers told her she was under arrest. She spit at two Cleveland police officers, court records say.

Officers wrote that she continued to fight with officers while being handcuffed and kicked one officer in the shin. She spit at another officer and kicked an officer twice, including once in the groin, according to court records.

She kicked another officer in the shin as she was being put into the police cruiser. The officer grabbed her arm, causing heavy bruising, according to court records.

"You can't put that type of pressure on her," Louis Perez said Saturday. "Because right away, she'll lose control."

Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Steve Loomis said Saturday in a text message that the video "clearly shows a defensive open hand to prevent her from spitting in someone's face AGAIN."

Loomis said four supervisors were on scene during the arrest. He said all paperwork and use of force reports were completed at the scene and injury forms were filed for the officers who were spit on.

Loomis said Perez-Rodriguez was originally arrested because she threw a Pepsi bottle from the crowd and hit a police cruiser as the officers were conducting their investigation into an arrest sweep of violent offenders that live in that neighborhood. Ten people were arrested, Loomis said.

"Despite what some may think or report it is not in our job description to be shot, stabbed, beat up, or spit on before we are legally able to defend ourselves and take action."

Perez-Rodriguez appeared Saturday in Cleveland Municipal Court, where she is charged with felony assault of a police officer. Cleveland Municipal Judge Marilyn Casssidy set Perez-Rodriguez's bond at $1,000.

Two others arrested during the sweep also made court appearances. Jorge Perez Montano, 19, is charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Court records say police arrested him with a .380-caliber handgun hidden in his fanny pack that also had crack cocaine in it.

A third man, Gary Morales, 22, is also charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Police reported Morales had a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun in a fanny pack under his shirt. Morales also had nine baggies of marijuana inside the pack, court records say.

The incident comes when Cleveland police are under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice meant to reform a department plagued with complaints about excessive use of force and how police officers handle residents suffering from mental illnesses.

A 2014 report from the Justice Department criticized the police department for, among other things, officers injuring citizens who were already handcuffed.

Cleveland police spokesman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia previously said officers were conducting a multi-agency operation. She did not give details or immediately return a call Saturday seeking comment.

Cleveland city spokesman Dan Ball said Friday he did not know if the officer who punched the woman is a Cleveland policeman.

"This has to stop," Andrew Perez said.

If you wish to discuss or comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section.
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A Cleveland man was found dead Friday morning inside a vacant house on the city's East Side, police said.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - A man's decomposing body was found Friday morning inside a vacant house on Cleveland's East Side.

Jeffrey Casey, 55, was found dead about 10 a.m. Friday inside a house on the 1000 block of East 141st Street in the city's South Collinwood neighborhood, Cleveland police spokesman Det. Reginald Lanton said.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause and manner of Casey's death, Lanton said.

No further information about the discovery was released. Casey's family did not wish to comment on his death when reached Saturday afternoon.

Casey has been in an out of police custody since 1979, Cleveland and county court records show. More than 20 cases have been filed against him, and many of them involve drug-related charges.

Casey's most recent case was in 2014, records show. The man pleaded guilty to one count of drug trafficking in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and was sentenced to three years probation.

If you'd like to comment on this story, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Suspicious, Frazier Drive: A resident reported seeing a person in his backyard with a flashlight attempting to enter his home Aug. 3. The person was described as a man wearing dark clothing. Police searched the area but were unable to locate the person.

Theft, Hilliard Boulevard: On Aug. 3 a catalytic converter was reported stolen from a car parked in a lot at a local business.

Theft, Center Ridge Road: On Aug. 5 after midnight two men on bicycles fled from Westlake Police and then left the bicycles. At 2:55 a.m., Rocky River officers saw two men with similar descriptions riding bicycles that also fled, abandoning the bikes. Later in the day, the two bicycles were returned to their owners on Cottonwood Drive where two other bikes were left behind.

Suspicious, Beachcliff Road: On Aug 6 officers stopped a suspicious man in the area who matched the description of a person who attempted to enter a home earlier in the week. He was eventually arrested for weapons and drug charges.

Theft, South Bend Circle: A resident reported several gaming/electronic items missing from his home Aug. 6. The resident does not remember if doors to the house were locked or not and there is no evidence of forced entry into the home; no other items were missing. A second resident on the street also reported cash missing from his wallet overnight. The doors to the home were unlocked.

Theft, Erie Road: A resident reported Aug. 6 two bicycles were stolen from an unlocked garage overnight.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
Brantley inching back to playing shape from B1

It has been a nightmarish season for Michael Brantley, who has dealt with shoulder issues for nearly a year now.

(AP photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In late January, Michael Brantley revealed his lofty goals.

He wanted to return to the Indians' lineup on Opening Day. He longed to stand beside his teammates on the third-base line at Progressive Field during introductions on a brisk, April afternoon. He hoped to put an end to the endless questions about his condition and his recovery by the time the Tribe took the field for the first time in 2016.

Well, Brantley can recycle the same aim for 2017. The left fielder's season is over after only 11 games.

Brantley will undergo season-ending surgery on Monday in Dallas, Indians manager Terry Francona announced on Saturday afternoon.

Francona said the team will release additional details about the operation following its conclusion on Monday. Brantley has dealt with right shoulder and biceps issues since he made a dive attempt on a fly ball in the outfield last September in Minnesota.

After a two-week rehab program proved unfruitful in October, Brantley underwent surgery in November. He was initially expected to miss four to five months.

Brantley couldn't escape the recurring setbacks, though. The more he ramped up his hitting activity during his recovery, the more often he experienced discomfort.

He played in a pair of Cactus League games in late March, only to be shut down for several days and begin the season on the disabled list. The Indians activated Brantley in late April, but after six games played in a seven-day span, he returned to the sideline. He made several rehab attempts after that, but he never reached the finish line.

Brantley visited Dr. Keith Meister -- who will perform Monday's operation along with Dr. Mark Schickendantz -- in late June. At that time, he was first diagnosed with biceps tendinitis and was given a cortisone shot. He eventually appeared in four games over eight days on a minor-league rehab assignment before that, too, stalled out.

"When he came back from Texas that time," Francona said, "I thought we were going to get him back in about 10 days."

Brantley ventured to New York earlier this week, when his diagnosis progressed into chronic biceps tendinitis. He returned to Cleveland and met with the Indians' staff before the group arrived at the decision to schedule another surgery.

"I guess I figure that all the work, it'll pay off somewhere," Francona said. "It may not be this season, but I don't think those things go unrewarded. I just think that he'll come back and he'll find a way to be as good as ever. I firmly believe that, because I believe in him. I get a front-row seat to see how hard he works and things like that. I just think he'll find a way to come back and be just as good as he ever has been."

Brantley contributed nine hits in 39 at-bats to an Indians offense that ranks third in baseball -- and second in the American League -- in runs per game. In 2014-15, he posted a .319/.382/.494 slash line, with an average of 18 home runs, 90 RBI and 45 doubles per year. In those two seasons, he walked more times than he struck out.

"[The front-office guys are] always keeping their eyes open," Francona said. "But, we've basically played without him this year, so we'll just keep playing. That's what we always do."

In all, Brantley and the Indians consulted with five different doctors during the process. He received multiple injections, underwent a procedure to break up scar tissue, plugged away in the batting cages and attempted to maintain optimism.

In the end, it has essentially added up to a lost season.

"Part of the issue is when it started to hurt him was when he'd get in the batter's box," Francona said. "And he was going to that machine and he was cranking it up. Like, you'd walk in there and see him hit and you're like, 'Man, he can play tonight.' But then, when he got off the live pitching is when he felt it. So, you can't just stop him and say, 'Rest,' because then he could go through the whole winter and feel great, and then they start playing the games in spring training and it'd crop up again. That was a lot of the dilemma in this thing.

"Sometimes, you go into somebody's shoulder, you go into somebody's knee -- it's just, things happen."
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA  The use of efavirenz in HIV-infected participants in the landmark START trial was associated with significantly increased risk of suicidal behavior, Alejandro Arenas-Pinto, MD, reported at the 21st International AIDS Conference.

The impact of efavirenz exposure was particularly high in those with a prior psychiatric diagnosis, according to the infectious diseases specialist. The message here is that its probably just those patients with preexisting neuropsychiatric conditions who are at higher risk of suicidal behavior, according to our data. This supports a recommendation to screen for preexisting depression and other neuropsychiatric conditions before efavirenz initiation.

Bruce Jancin/Frontline Medical News Dr. Alejandro Arenas-Pinto

START was a clinical practice-transforming randomized trial that established a clear clinical benefit for a strategy of initiating antiretroviral therapy immediately upon diagnosis of HIV infection in asymptomatic adults instead of waiting until their CD4+ count drops below the level of 350 cells/mm3 (N Engl J Med. 2015 Aug 27;373[9]:795-807). Immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART) was associated with a 57% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome, a composite comprised of serious AIDS-defining events, serious non-AIDS adverse events, and all-cause mortality.

Once the results were in, however, Dr. Arenas-Pinto and the other START investigators quickly noticed that suicidal behavior was the second-most-common serious non-AIDS event observed in the study. A total of 57 patients were affected, for a rate of 0.36 events per 100 person-years of follow-up. There were 30 suicide attempts, 16 cases of suicidal ideation, 3 completed suicides, and 1 case each classified as intentional self-injury or self-injurious ideation. A closer look was warranted, said Dr. Arenas-Pinto of University College London.

The investigators next determined that the risk of suicidal behavior was significantly higher in the 3,516 START participants on efavirenz than in the 1,169 subjects on other ART drugs. The risk was 4.2-fold greater in patients who started on efavirenz immediately than in those randomized to begin the drug on a deferred basis. In contrast, suicidal behavior was no more frequent in patients who started on other ART medications immediately than if treatment was deferred.

In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis of predictors of suicidal behavior in patients on efavirenz, the stand-out predictor was prior diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, with an associated 12.8-fold increased risk. Heavy alcohol use was associated with a 6.1-fold increased risk and ever having used recreational drugs conferred a 2.9-fold increased risk. In contrast, the risk of suicidal behavior in patients on efavirenz dropped sharply with advancing age.

Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside transcriptase inhibitor marketed as Sustiva, or when incorporated into once-daily, fixed-dose, triple-drug therapy with tenofovir/emtricitabine, as Atripla.

The labeling for efavirenz states that many of the drugs more common side effects involve the brain. They include dizziness, insomnia, depression, anxiety, nightmares, hallucinations, delusions, and confusion.

The START study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Arenas-Pinto reported having no financial conflicts of interest.

bjancin@frontlinemedcom.com
Source: @tmophotos, Qwake via General Electric

General Electric is venturing into the "Mouth of Hell," and it wants to bring the world along for the journey. Over the past two weeks, filmmaker and adventurer Sam Cossman has joined forces with the industrial giant in an effort to bring the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua  nicknamed "The Mouth of Hell"  online. Descending 1,200 feet into the volcano sporting a specialized exo-suit, Cossman installed a wireless sensor network that's designed to detect and predict when a volcano will erupt. Naturally, because this is the age of social media, GE's Snapchat and Facebook page have transmitted every step of the voyage. GE's officials explained that Cossman and his band of explorers are considered experts at taking on "extreme environments." Fitting, since the leap into Masaya is an exploration into what might be thought of as hell.



"Masaya volcano is one of the most active lava lakes on the planet which made it an ideal location to install these sensors with the goal of creating an advanced early warning system" using GE's proprietary systems, Lindsay Stein, associate global creative director at the company, told CNBC recently. The dive into Masaya "could not only set a new precedent for more accurately predicting volcanic eruptions worldwide, but could also help the scientific community create open source early detection systems by making the data available to developers worldwide," Stein said. Normally, data from volcano monitoring is restricted to just pressure and temperature data. However, Cossman and his team will install more than 50 advanced sensors inside of the volcano intended to track its carbon dioxide levels, humidity, atmospheric pressure, gravity and a variety of other factors, for up to three months.



Source: @tmophotos, Qwake via General Electric

Afterward, that information will be available to developers and scientists, in order to help them build better early detection applications. "The goal is to allow anybody in the world who is interested to have access to tools and data that otherwise wouldn't have been available," said Jayson DeLancey, GE's developer evangelist. "Once a developer has access to a platform, services and data, there really is a wide range of opportunities to solve challenging problems."





Source: @tmophotos, Qwake via General Electric
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the crowd during a campaign rally at La Gala May 16, 2016, in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, when in fact the results never change, is one definition of insanity. That definition works for economic insanity, too.

Over the past seven-and-a-half years, President Obama has maintained a steady course of burdensome new regulations, significant tax increases, and massive federal spending on so-called infrastructure. He has unconstitutionally ordered executive actions, favored labor over business, attacked banks, insulted successful corporate leaders, and backed federal-government mandates on business.

And with all this, strong economic recovery from a deep recession -- which has been an American tradition -- never came to pass.

A recent Wall Street Journal news headline proclaimed: "The Worst Expansion Since World War II." The story noted that this lackluster economic expansion is actually getting weaker.

Another recent Journal headline asserted: "Productivity Slump Threatens Economy's Long-Term Growth." The story noted that output per hour is experiencing the longest losing streak since 1979. The U-6 underemployment rate stands twice as high as the traditional unemployment (U-3) rate.

Yet Obama has continued to do the same thing over and over again.

And now comes Hillary Clinton's economic plan, which will deliver more stagnant growth, falling wages, dropping productivity, and depressed investment.

Her program would raise taxes on so-called rich people, corporations, capital gains, death, and stock transactions. She would spend massively on infrastructure and again mandate rules for private businesses. Remarkably, she has no corporate tax reform (even Obama had a plan) to revive corporate investment and boost productivity, wages, and living standards.

Now here's the question: By repeating Obama's policies, how does she expect the economy to do any better than it did during Obama's presidency?

She doesn't.

Clinton's goal is not economic growth, but reducing inequality and social injustice in the name of "fairness." But she never tells us what "fair" means, although we know it's code for higher taxes and larger government.
Former Cuban President Fidel Castro and President of Cuba's University Students Federation (FEU) Randy Perdomo look at a newspaper during a meeting in Havana in this picture provided by Cubadebate. The pictures of Castro with Perdomo were taken on January 23, 2015 according to Perdomo's account.

Fidel Castro thanked Cubans for their tributes to mark his 90th birthday on Saturday in a meandering column carried by state-run media in which the iconic leftist revolutionary also lambasted his old foe, the United States.

Cuba went into overdrive this month honoring the retired "El Comandante" who spearheaded its 1959 revolution and built a Communist-run state on the doorstep of the United States, surviving what it says were hundreds of assassination attempts along the way.

Thousands danced to Latin beats along Havana's curving seafront Malecon boulevard throughout the night from Friday to Saturday. It was a giant street party in his honor, with a live band playing "Happy Birthday" on the stroke of midnight and fireworks exploding on the other side of the bay.

"I want to express my most profound gratitude for the shows of respect, the greetings and gifts I have received the days, which give me the strength to reciprocate through ideas," Castro wrote in the opinion piece.

Castro, who handed power to his younger brother Raul in 2008 due to poor health, went on to reminisce about his youth as a child on the family plantation in the eastern village of Biran, in particular about his father who died before the revolution.

"He suffered quite a bit," Castro wrote. "Of his three male children, the second and third were absent and distant, both fulfilling their duty in revolutionary activities."

Even back then, Fidel wrote, he knew Raul should replace him if anything should happen to him, in particular if the United States succeeded in its attempts to kill him.

"I almost laughed about the Machiavellian plans of the U.S. presidents," he wrote.
Following plans by the Kaduna State Government to demolish Gbagyi Villa community, rights activist and senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, yesterday appealed to Governor Nasir El-Rufai to reconsider the decision to avoid rendering over 10,000 residents homeless.

Sani and some aides from the Senate paid a touring visit to the disputed land between the people of Gbagyi villa and Kaduna Polytechnic, urging the State Government to play a mediating role between the residents of Gbagyi Villa and the Management of Kaduna Polytechnic, a federal tertiary institution in order to douse the tension in the State generated by the threat of demolition of houses in the community.

While addressing members of the Gbyagi Villa community, Senator Sani said we are in a democracy, people have the fundamental right to say no. The State government is simply meddling into what it ought not to meddle into. You cannot meddle into where you dont have jurisdiction. It is very wrong for anybody to do that.

A former legislator in the Kaduna House of Assembly and former commissioner in the State, Mrs. Maria Dogo in her address said that members of the community never encroached into the Polytechnics land, pointing out there was misunderstanding during the time of late Governor Patrick Yakowa which was resolved.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Gbyagi Villa Community, Mr. Chris Obudumun commended Senator Sani for intervening in the controversy, while assuring that the people in the community will continue to live peacefully with their neighbours.
Hi, I'm trying to write code with prepared stmt but only code is displayed. Anyone?



PHP <?php $con = new mysqli( ' localhost' , ' root' , ' cookie' , ' homedb' ); if ($con->connect_error) { echo ' Cannot Connect to mySQL: ' , $con->connect_error(); } else { if (isset($_POST[ ' url' ])) { $stmt = $con->prepare( ' SELECT url, username, password, purpose, emailused, date-time, count, saved FROM emailtbl WHERE url = ? ' ); $stmt->bindValue(1, $_POST[ ' url' ]); $stmt->execute(); if ($row = $stmt->fetch()) { echo ' <table class="emailResults"> <caption> Email Activity for ' , htmlspecialchars($_POST[ ' url' ]), ' </caption> <thead> <tr> <th scope="col">url</th> <th scope="col">Username</th> <th scope="col">Password</th> <th scope="col">Purpose</th> <th scope="col">E-Mail Used</th> <th scope="col">date-time</th> <th scope="col">count</th> <th scope="col">Saved</th> </tr> </thead><tbody>' ; do { echo ' <tr>' ; foreach ($row as $value) echo ' <td>' , $value, ' </td>' ; echo ' </tr>' ; } while ($row = $stmt->fetch()); echo ' </tbody></table>' ; } else echo ' <div class="error">No Results Found</div>' ; } else echo ' <div class="error">No valid "url" for Query</div>' ; } $stmt = $con->prepare( ' UPDATE emailtbl SET date-time=DATE(); count=count + 1' WHERE url = ? ' ); $stmt->bindParam(s, $_POST[' url ' ]); $stmt->execute(); echo $stmt->error ? ' < div class =" error" > url update query error: ' . $stmt->error . ' < /div > ' : ( $stmt->affected_rows > 0 ? ' < div class =" success" > Success! Updated ' . $stmt->affected_rows . ' records. < /div > ' : ' < div class =" error" > FAILED! No records updated. < div > '); ?>

</body></html>





There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.



Hi, I'm trying for awhile to code up a MYSQLi dropdown from a database, select a field(url, formatted as "http://www.thisurl.com) and arrive at that destination. I've tried several forums re. compatability (connection/query/output etc..Problem is I blow up at the first query (see screen shot). It's like my PHP isn't working. If someone will advise of the PHP issue maybe I can work out the app code. Any volunteers? Thanks!

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 1

HTML < !DOCTYPE html > < html > . < title > email visit info < /title > < head > < /head > < BODY > create and display dropdown from database, url selected provides needed username and password. clicking on selected takes the user(me) to that url < br > < center > < form id =" testform" name =" testform" action =" " method =" post" accept-charset =" UTF-8" > <? php echo " <center>" ; echo date( ' m/d/y' ); echo " </center>" ; $con=mysqli_connect( " localhost" , " root" , " cookie" , " homedb" ); if(mysqli_errno($con)) {echo " Can't Connect to mySQL:" .mysqli_connect_error();} else {echo " </br>" ;} $id = ' ' ; $url= ' ' ; $username = ' ' ; $password = ' ' ; $purpose = ' ' ; $emailused = ' ' ; $date-time = ' ' ; $count = ' ' ; $saved = ' ' ; echo " <select name= 'url'>" ; echo ' <option value="">' . ' ---select email account ---' . ' </option>' ; $query = mysqli_query($con, " SELECT url FROM emailtbl" ); $query_display = mysqli_query($con, " SELECT * FROM emailtbl" ); while($row=mysqli_fetch_array($query)) { echo " <option class=highlight value='" . $row[ ' url' ]. " '>" .$row[ ' url' ] . ' </option>' ;} echo ' </select>' ; ?> < input type =" submit" name =" submit" value =" Submit" / > < /form > { $url = $_POST['url']; // ----------------------- display the table ------------------------ echo ' < tr > '.' < td > '.' < table border =" 1" > '.' < tr > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'url'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'username'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'password'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'purpose'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'emailused'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #FFD47F" > '.'date-time'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #FFD47F" > '.'count'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'saved'.' < /td > '.' < /tr > '; // while($data = mysqli_fetch_row($fetch)) while($data=mysqli_fetch_row($result)) { echo (" < tr > < td > $data[0] < /td > < td > $data[1] < /td > < td > $data[2] < /td > < td > $data[3] < /td > < td > $data[4] < /td > < td > $data[5] < /td > < td > $data[6] < /td > < td > $data[7] < /td > < /tr > "); } echo ' < /table > '.' < /td > '.' < /tr > '.' < /table > '; mysqli_query($con,"UPDATE emailtbl SET date-time = 'DATE()'; count = 'count + 1'; WHERE url=$url"); ?> < /center > < /body > < /html > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 <? php echo " <center>" ; echo date( ' m/d/y' ); echo " </center>" ; $con=mysqli_connect( " localhost" , " root" , " cookie" , " homedb" ); if(mysqli_errno($con)) {echo " Can't Connect to mySQL:" .mysqli_connect_error();} else {echo " </br>" ;} $id = ' ' ; $url= ' ' ; $username = ' ' ; $password = ' ' ; $purpose = ' ' ; $emailused = ' ' ; $date-time = ' ' ; $count = ' ' ; $saved = ' ' ; echo " <select name= 'url'>" ; echo ' <option value="">' . ' ---select email account ---' . ' </option>' ; $query = mysqli_query($con, " SELECT url FROM emailtbl" ); $query_display = mysqli_query($con, " SELECT * FROM emailtbl" ); while($row=mysqli_fetch_array($query)) { echo " <option class=highlight value='" . $row[ ' url' ]. " '>" .$row[ ' url' ] . ' </option>' ;} echo ' </select>' ; ?> < input type =" submit" name =" submit" value =" Submit" / > < /form > { // ----------------------- display the table ------------------------ echo ' < tr > '.' < td > '.' < table border =" 1" > '.' < tr > '.' // ======================anchor attempt========================= // echo " < a href =' ".$row[' url ' ]. " ' > ".$row['url']." < /a > "; // ========================================================== < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'username'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'password'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'purpose'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'emailused'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #FFD47F" > '.'date-time'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #FFD47F" > '.'count'.' < /td > '.' < td bgcolor =" #ccffff" > '.'saved'.' < /td > '.' < /tr > '; // while($data = mysqli_fetch_row($fetch)) while($data=mysqli_fetch_row($result)) { echo (" < tr > < td > $data[0] < /td > < td > $data[1] < /td > < td > $data[2] < /td > < td > $data[3] < /td > < td > $data[4] < /td > < td > $data[5] < /td > < td > $data[6] < /td > < td > $data[7] < /td > < /tr > "); } echo ' < /table > '.' < /td > '.' < /tr > '.' < /table > '; mysqli_query($con,"UPDATE emailtbl SET date-time = 'DATE()'; count = 'count + 1'; WHERE url=$url"); ?> < /center > < /body > < /html > ----------------------------------------------- 3 < !DOCTYPE html > < html > < head > < title > test 3 < /title > < /head > < body > < center > < form id =" testform" name =" testform" action =" " method =" post" accept-charset =" UTF-8" > < table border = 1 cellpadding = 2 cellspacing = 2 bgcolor =" #D4FFAA" > < tr > < th > url < /th > < th > username < /th > < th > password < /th > < th > purpose < /th > < th > emailused < /th > < th > date-time < /th > < th > count < /th > < th > saved < /th > < /tr > <? php $connect=mysql_connect( " localhost" , " root" , " cookie" ) or die( " error" ); mysql_select_db( " homedb" , $connect); $sql= " SELECT * from emailtbl" ; $result=mysql_query($sql, $connect); $url= ' ' ;; while($res=mysql_fetch_assoc($result)) { echo " <tr>" ; echo " <td>" ; echo ' <input type="radio" name="url" >' ; echo " </td>" ; echo " <td>" ; echo $res[ ' username' ]> ' ; echo "</td>"; echo "<td>"; echo $res[' password ' ]; echo "</td>"; echo "<td>"; echo $res[' purpose ' ]; echo "</td>"; echo "<td>"; echo $res[' emailused ' ]; echo "</td>"; echo "<td>"; echo $res[' date-time ' ]; echo "</td>"; echo "<td>"; echo $res[' count ' ]; echo "</td>"; echo "<td>"; echo $res[' saved ' ]; echo "</td>"; echo "</tr>"; } ?> </table> </form></body></html> --------------------------------------------------------



modified 19-Aug-16 9:24am.









"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







In a vb.net 2010 web form application, I want to create an error message when the user clicks on a checkbox or a process button. This error message will occur when there is a duplicate record when the same school year appears for the same student.



The problem of the student having more than 1 record for the same school year is nothing I can change since my school is using vendor software. I just basically want to tell the user to fix the problem using the vendor software and then they rerun my supporting web form application.



My goal is to keep the user on the current web form page they are on and allow them to do whatever processing they need to do for another student.



Thus my question is what is the best way to display the error message? Would I use a javascript alert, a regular alert, place the error message within the web page, and/or something you would recommend?



Would you tell me:



1. Why you recommend a particular method?



2. Would you show me the code on how to accomplish this goal and/or point me to the url that will show how to generate this code?



dcof wrote: Would I use a javascript alert, a regular alert Those are the same thing.



The easiest way is to use alert("Some Message Here");



However, you can easily do nicer looking dialog boxes using jQuery and jQueryUI. Dialog | jQuery UI[^]



With jQuery UI, you add a div to your page that will display the message, write the necessary jQuery to wireup your dialog and then call it. Very simple and looks way better than alert();.

There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.



I downloaded this app[^]. It runs fine on my PC.



I then followed this[^] to host it in IIS on my server. My server is Server 2012.



I get

This page cant be displayed Make sure the web address http: Look for the page with your search engine. Refresh the page in a few minutes.

I can ping the server, and I can connect remotely to my SQL Server instance on my server, I just cannot reach this app in IIS on my server. I'm guessing it's not hosted correctly.



I'm not sure how to fix this. My experience in Web stuff is limited. Can anyone point me in the right direction?



Thanks



[UPDATE]

I got it working. I had not opened a port on the router. Don't I feel silly.

If it's not broken, fix it until it is



modified 15-Aug-16 22:36pm.



What qualities do people look at web developers when they hire them to build a Web site.



How to be become an expert web devloper????







Web designers make web sites.



There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty.



If you're interested in site design, I would suggest looking more deeply into graphic design and specific tools, like DreamWeaver (is that still a thing?), Wix, and WordPress.



If you're interested in development, be prepared to become a subject matter expert on networking, security, web-stack architecture, database technologies, JavaScript, PHP/C#/Java, abstraction, and "The IT Crowd".

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



Nathan Minier wrote: Web developers make web applications.



Web designers make web sites.



There is a fairly fundamental difference: developers make the web work and designers make it pretty.

This is well put, but perhaps not the whole story.



1. For a web site to work well, you would also need someone writing great content, have an understanding of information architecture, web usability, and more. I sometimes teach the Web Editor program at our university, which links text, image handling, usability/accessibility, structuring the site, and also some coding.



2. Even if you are more into the backend of a web site/web application, the level of expertise you would need varies. For example, ASP.NET WebForms is much easier (if you're not good at OO practices) and more similar to a traditional HTML web site than ASP.NET MVC.



To develop web sites, I usually say you need five skills:



1. HTML

2. CSS

3. Database logic (traditionally SQL Server or MySQL)

4. Server code (ASP.NET, PHP)

5. Javascript



Of these five, Javascript could perhaps be omitted, depending on the website's needs, but you can't live without the other four.



If you keep things simple you will find that web development is much easier than most other programming. It's also more rewarding, as you get results very quickly, and people from all over the world can watch your work. Thus, if you're new or relatively new to programming, then web development is a great way to expand on your knowledge.



Good luck!



Petter







That said, I think there are some points of contention in the block that you wrote about developers (I do live in that world, so have a whole hell of a lot to say ).



petter2012 wrote: For example, ASP.NET WebForms is much easier (if you're not good at OO practices) and more similar to a traditional HTML web site than ASP.NET MVC.



I'm sorry, but IMO this is terrible advice. WebForms obfuscate the dual nature of web applications and lead to confusion, not clarity. It was a bad stop-gap to try and make WinForm developers comfortable using a RAD tool for the web. At this juncture, I think advising learning it is an exceedingly bad idea, and I don't just say that because I'm getting tired of modernizing applications that were written using it. New devs (in the MS stack) should put in the time to learn MVC.NET; it will serve them far better and will improve the state of software overall.



I would also contend that MVC.NET is quite a bit closer to the DHTML pages that I worked on with PHP and CGI gateways in the last 20 years than WebForms. WebForms are much closer to that Adobe Cold Fusion garbage that is like some sort of torture from the very pits of hell.



petter2012 wrote: Of these five, Javascript could perhaps be omitted, depending on the website's needs, but you can't live without the other four.



I'm afraid that I need to argue this point as well.



The fact is that Java(ECMA)Script is the language of the web; modern stacks can even use it for the server-side. Realistically, it's the only item that you mentioned that is a programming element that absolutely needs to be learned for a modern web application. HTML and CSS are important, but those are ostensibly templates and configurations. SQL queries are nice and all, but a decent ORM can stand in. Even server logic can (depending on the application) potentially be ignored as DBMS have begun exposing http data endpoints to support the asychronous nature of the current web application (not to mention those goofy mobile apps).



petter2012 wrote: If you keep things simple you will find that web development is much easier than most other programming.



I would argue that this is true for amateurs using a WYSIWYG toolset to make a web page for their bowling league, not aspiring professional developers. It also serves the aforementioned designers well as a proof-of-concept for their designs. I think that learning code is very much a value-for-dollar item, with the dollar in this case being the time and effort spent on it.



Yes, a CRUD application using total bolierplate can be created and running within minutes if you have even nominal skill, but that's no different from a native application. Developing a robust and useful web application requires at least as much complexity, planning, and headache as a native app; effectively the user's browser is the UI thread.



I guess ultimately what I'm saying is that I don't want to see the people who are just starting out being soft-balled on this. If they want to be a graphic designer then hey, go the designer route. This isn't for everyone, a point on which I think we're all in agreement. But if a fresh face is not intimidated by the depth and breadth of knowledge needed to be a real developer, then they should do it and do it right.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



Nathan Minier wrote: if a fresh face is not intimidated by the depth and breadth of knowledge needed to be a real developer, then they should do it and do it right.

Hi,



No need to apologise: please note that I never advised the OP to use WebForms - it's a matter of how far down the programming path one wants to go.



By the way, ASP.NET WebForms was created to differentiate between presentation (HTML) and logic (ASP.NET) as opposed to blurring them together (like in ASP and PHP), which it still does well. Quite many member portals (for example) have been written using WebForms, at a time when PHP was a competitor. I agree that WebForms is less adequate for a Web 2.0 scenario, but it's much easier to learn than MVC.NET for example, so once again, I think we are in agreement.



Skipping out on SQL? No, I dont think so...



So sure, if one wants to dig deep into coding, then he or she should by all means explore ASP.NET MVC, some advanced PHP, and many several newer and perhaps more exciting languages. It all depends on what one tries to achieve, and where in the path from design to code one wants to place oneself. As you said, the route you are suggesting "isn't for everyone", and Scott Gunthrie himself said some time ago that WebForms and MVC.NET are for different people but both have their merits (or something along those lines). I for one live happily with both approaches.



modified 31-Aug-16 19:55pm.



petter2012 wrote: Skipping out on SQL? No, I dont think so...



Well, one can dream.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli





for example you can write "hello world" 10 times or you can use a loop

that are the traits which a good developer should possess.

Now to become a web developer you should know.

1-HTML

2-CSS

3-one client side language

4-one Server side language



I am storing html string formatted in database. Now I want that string to be shown formatted but it's putting string as it is with tags. This is in C#. Good answer is appriciated







If, on the other hand, that text is opened in a web browser (IE, FireFox, Chrome, etc.) then it will interpret the text (that is what browsers do) and display it with the context that you want. The browser does have to consider the text is coming from a website and isn't just a simple file that happens to have HTML in it by accident. It, too, will then just show the text.



As a hint, the text will have to be part of a web page that the browser can open or opened within a webpage that's already on the browser.





Ravings en masse^ "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010







var htmlString = HttpUtility.HtmlEncode(user.Company);





It's a method called HtmlEncode in the HtmlUtility class which takes a string parameter and encodes it into a Html-safe string.



modified 5-Jan-17 10:54am.



we're loading all partials views to a common div.

JavaScript $(divname).load(url);

on clicking a row in a table or clicking on an icon,or clicking on link, view changes. my requirement is, in a partial view, we have two text boxes which are free type. before this view clears, i need to save these data to db. what appropriate event is to be used before this view goes? i tried

JavaScript $( document ).unload $( document ).unbind $(div).change $(div).unload

etc. nothing worked.

please help me to resolve this issue



modified 11-Aug-16 5:46am.





JavaScript var loadPartial = function (target, url, asyncPromise){ if (asyncPromise){ asyncPromise().done( function (){target.load(url)}); } else { target.load(url); } }

You can then update your values via AJAX safely before the div is loaded, or not pass a callback if that's not appropriate for a particular navigation. Using $(button).click for the save of ease, I don't know what your navigation event looks like.

JavaScript $(button).click( function (){ loadPartial($(div), this .url,$.ajax({.../update your database/})); });

It's not the prettiest thing, but it's flexible.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



modified 11-Aug-16 8:32am.



I am trying to add background color to my page, and padding the paragraphs, and divisions. But its not working. I would appreciate it if you could go through the code and explain whats wrong. Any tips on how I should do it, or what I can learn from or follow will be appreciated too. Thanks





HTML < !DOCTYPE html > < html > < head > < title > Jake's Coffee Shop < /title > < meta charset =" utf-8" > < style > <! CSS For Menu > ul { list-style-type : none ; margin : 0 ; padding : 0 ; width : 50px ; background-color : #f1f1f1 ; } body { background-color : black ;} # UnorderedList li { display : inline-block ; } li a { display : block ; color : #000 ; padding : 8px 16px ; text-decoration : none ; } li a:hover { background-color : #555 ; color : navajowhite ; } </ style > < /head > < body > < h1 > Jake's Coffee Shop < /h1 > < div id =" MenuBar" > < ul id = " UnorderedList" > < li > < a href = " https://www.google.com" > Home < /a > < /li > < li > < a href = " https://www.yahoo.com" > Menu < /a > < /li > < li > < a href = " https://www.music.com.bd" > Music < /a > < /li > < li > < a href = " https://www.google.com" > Jobs < /a > < /li > < /ul > < /div > < div id = " content" > < p > < div > Come In And Experience... < /div > < br > < div > < img src =" images.jpeg" alt =" Heartmelting Coffee Picture" > < /div > < br > < ul id =" ItemMenu" > < li > Specialty Coffee And Tea < /li > < li > Freshly Made Sandwiches < /li > < li > Bagels, Muffins, And Organic Snacks < /li > < li > Music And Poetry Readings < /li > < li > Open Mic Nights < /li > < li > ... < /li > < /ul > < /div > < /p > < footer > < address > 23 Pine Road < br > Nottingham, NGI 5YU < br > 0115 9324567 < br > < /address > < p > Copyright  2011 Jake's Coffee House < /p > < p > < a href =" mailto:ratul_shams@yahoo.com" > yahoo@ratul_shams.com < /a > < /p > < /footer > < /body > < /html >





ScarletMcLearn wrote: <! CSS For Menu >

That's not a valid construct, although most browsers will ignore it. If you were trying to write a comment, you need to use the correct syntax depending on the context:

HTML <!-- < style > body { background-color : black ; color : white ; } </ style >





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer











I've often found a typo in a style statement ends the implementation of that particular style at that point. By type, I mean a real syntax error, such as ; instead of :. An unrecognized style isn't usually so serious.



for example, the following would be a problem:

HTML < div style =' color:#400;background-color;#888;text-shadow:2px 2px 0px #444;' > < /div > because of the semicolon after background-color. As this has some browser dependency on how the error is handled, partial style implementation is possible and often puzzling.



Ravings en masse^ "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010


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Quade: Abortion investigation suggests government being 'weaponized'

The timing of the investigation suggests that the state is using its power to retaliate against citizens, Quade said.
Rick Trotter leads the Fellowship Memphis congregation in song during Sunday services in October 2006 when he was named the new voice of the Memphis Grizzlies. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)

Leaders of both churches seemed to go the extra mile not once but twice to help Rick Trotter deal with his demons.

After Fellowship Memphis leaders fired him for "inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature" in 2010, they supported his wife and children while they paid for him to get three months of counseling.

They took him at his word there had been only a "single incident" of that conduct during his five years as the congregation's worship leader.

They allowed him to read "a letter of apology confessing sexual addiction along with other improprieties of a sexual nature to the members of the church body."

Confession is good for the soul.

After Trotter applied for a job at Downtown Church in 2011, pastors and elders of both churches met and discussed his past transgressions.

They got his permission to speak openly about how he used his smartphone to secretly record women in Fellowship's restroom.

Downtown Church leaders spoke to his counselors "to determine the effectiveness of the treatment as well as his readiness to re-enter the ministry."

They met with Trotter and his wife "to assess his readiness to re-enter the ministry as well as overall health."

They gave him "an accountability plan" and hired him part-time. They hired him full-time in 2014, but only after he made "a statement of full-disclosure" to the congregation.

Confession is good for the soul. So is repentance.

"As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation," reads the Westminster Confession of Faith used by Downtown Church, "so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent."

Apparently, Trotter truly didn't.

The former growling Grizzlies announcer was arrested Tuesday, accused of filming "upskirt" videos while women were kneeling during services at Downtown Church earlier this year.

"When Downtown Church discovered an incident of sexual misconduct by Trotter, they immediately investigated the matter, terminated his employment, and turned the matter over to the sex crimes unit of the Memphis Police Department," lead pastors of both churches said in a joint statement Thursday.

"Trotter's actions are contrary to our values, and we are deeply sorry for the suffering of the victims."

No doubt.

Both congregations and their leaders have done good things for Memphis. Both were formed  Fellowship in 2005 and Downtown in 2010  to be racially and socioeconomically diverse.

In a community that too often sorts itself by race and class, these two intentionally inclusive churches have embodied the power of reconciliation.

Helping Trotter to confess, repent and be restored to the Body of Christ was part of that work.

It wasn't enough.

"Institutions are good by virtue of their creation to serve the humanizing purposes of God," the late theologian Walter Wink wrote in "The Powers That Be."

"They are all fallen, without exception, because they put their own interests above the interests of the whole."

And especially above the most vulnerable.

In their written statement, the church leaders said all of the victims were adults.

The victims told reporter Jody Callahan last week that two of them were under 18 when this happened in 2010.

The church leaders said all of the victims were offered free counseling.

The victims said Fellowship Memphis leaders made them meet with Trotter and his wife in their home to discuss the incident.

"They said the only person I could talk to about it was a counselor, and they wouldn't give me any more information," one adult victim told Callahan.

The church leaders, all male pastors and elders, said the victims were asked if they wanted to press criminal charges, and all declined.

The victims, all women, said they were discouraged by church leaders from reporting the incident to the police, and were told the evidence had been destroyed.

"They said that no one would consider pressing charges because it would ruin his life and he had a family," an adult victims told Callahan.

Leaders of both congregations seemed to go the extra mile to help their fellow staff member, to forgive his trespasses and protect their institutions.

Their first priority should have been to help and protect the most vulnerable among them, the women who were trespassed against.

Contact columnist David Waters at waters@commercialappeal.com.
August 8, 2016 - Michael Rallings is congratulated by members of the Memphis Police Department after being introduced as the new director of MPD. Rallings, who served as interim director since the retirement of Toney Armstrong, was chosen to permanently lead the department from a pool of six candidates selected in a national search. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)

Was interim Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings really the most qualified candidate for the job, or the most qualified applicant for what Memphis needs at this time?

The question is not a slight of Rallings, who likely helped seal Mayor Jim Strickland's decision to name him permanent director after his stellar handling of the July 10 demonstration by various groups concerned about inequalities that negatively impact the lives of African-Americans.

The protesters ended up blocking the Hernando DeSoto (Interstate 40) Bridge. If Rallings had tried to forcefully remove the protesters, instead of listening to their concerns, there could have been real trouble that Sunday night.

In my mind, naming a person to replace former police director Toney Armstrong, who stepped down about a month after Strickland took office Jan. 1, was about more than resumes. As an institution, The Commercial Appeal supported Strickland's vow to a conduct national search.

You cannot be sure you have the best-qualified pool of applicants if you do not cast a net  in this case a $40,000 net, the cost of the search  to haul in the "best-qualified candidates." The search, conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, resulted in a list of six finalists, including Rallings.

I think it was money well spent. My only beef is that there was no female candidate.

Strickland, during a news conference last week expanding on Rallings' appointment, called him the "most qualified candidate in the entire country" to lead the city's Police Services.

I understand the mayor's enthusiasm for what is probably his most important appointment in terms of what a well-run police department means for a city. The hyperbole aside, though, the homegrown Rallings was the right choice for what Memphis needs now.

E. Winslow "Buddy" Chapman, who heads CrimeStoppers of Memphis & Shelby County, was the Police Department's last civilian police director. He served from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. Since that time, directors have come from the department's ranks.

He was appointed at a time when mayors of major cities were looking for ways to change the policing dynamics that, as now, were drawing complaints about harassment and the unnecessary use of force.

Also in play at that time was an effort to have promotions based on merit and a consistent set of standards, rather than on whom you knew. The U.S. Department of Justice also was breathing down the city's neck regarding hiring more African-American and female officers.

Chapman set out to change the culture. He was open and accessible, whether the news out of the department was good or bad. He pushed for better training and better-educated officers. He viewed the media as an ally in his efforts. He developed trust within the African-American community.

His efforts did not sit well with many of the department's top brass.

We have had some good directors since Chapman. Still, leadership that comes from within sometimes can make it harder to change the culture. That is why I initially hoped Strickland would bring in someone from the outside to lead the Police Department.

But as circumstances unfolded over the last seven months and consensus built across the community that Strickland should pick Rallings, I changed my mind. Right now, the department, which is losing officers because of cuts in benefits two years ago, needs the stable leadership Rallings represents.

Memphis needs a police director who has the trust of the community to tackle violent crime, to be a highly visible advocate for improved police-community relations, and to make certain that every officer knows that there will be no tolerance for misconduct, dishonesty, the use of unnecessary force or disrespect of any citizen. Rallings seems to understand all of that.

I hope he cooperates with the reconstituted Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board, which I think will help build the department's credibility in the community.

As a journalist who seeks answers on behalf of this newspaper's readers, I hope he realizes the importance of sharing information with citizens beyond the basics. That includes a willingness to engage the public whether the news out of the department is good or bad.

It is one thing to stand in front of television cameras to talk in detail about a major drug or weapons bust while the drugs or weapons are on display. It is another matter, however, to give scant details about an unfavorable incident involving officers and then not say anything about it for weeks or months.

Rallings is in a great place now in terms of community and interdepartmental support. It is his honeymoon phase with the community. There will be rough spots during his leadership tenure, but as long as he remains accessible and continues to listen to citizen concerns, it will be a happy marriage.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, this is an awful time to be in law enforcement.

The number of police officers killed in the line of duty so far this year is up slightly from 2015. As of last Wednesday, the count stood at 73, including the murders last week of De'Greaun Frazier, a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent, during an undercover drug sting, and a sheriff's deputy killed by a gunman near Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Public demonstrations across the country in July alone put a spotlight on what protesters believe are widespread and systemic cases of police brutality  particularly against people of color.

In Memphis, hundreds of officers have turned in their badges and left the force in recent years. Many quit in disgust because their benefits were taken away by elected city leaders, while some no doubt concluded that the increased scrutiny was not worth it.

Also last week, the Justice Department issued a damning  and unrefuted  report accusing the Baltimore Police Department of blatant abuses against African-Americans. The report, along with video of deadly police encounters with citizens in Baton Rouge, suburban Minneapolis and Chicago, have sparked an "I told you so" response from young people across America.

With all of that negativity, why in the name of Dick Tracy would Michael Rallings, a 26-year police veteran, want to put off his planned retirement next year to become police director in Memphis? You have to wonder if the department's new head man needs his own head examined.

Rallings acknowledged as much last Monday at City Hall when he was formally introduced as the permanent director by Mayor Jim Strickland. In what appeared to be a Freudian slip, Rallings said the other finalists for the job "offered their condolences and their assistance."

Strickland and others in the audience chuckled at the comment. Rallings did not.

"The last six months have been tough," the new director said. "They've been some of the toughest months in my career, some of the toughest months in law enforcement across the nation."

But as I listened to the rest of Rallings' remarks, it became clear why he is, as he put it, "ready to serve." He explained it not by talking about himself, but by addressing every young person in Memphis.

He spent the first part of his remarks telling young Memphians they too can succeed despite the challenges they face living in a city that often seems unforgiving. He encouraged them to work hard in school, to seek out positive role models and to keep God in their lives.

Rallings said he was about 14 before he finally got it. From that moment on, he was determined to be "respectful and responsible." Now, he said, "I'm a living example of what God can do in your life."

And no, none of what Rallings said will put an end to juvenile delinquency, street gangs and truancy. Certain corners of Memphis will remain dangerous places to be  day or night. Homicides will continue to pile up, and a handful of police officers under his command will no doubt continue to mess up.

Some of the same people who showered Rallings with praise last month, might easily be the ones flailing him with criticism next month.

But I've concluded that Rallings does not need a head examination after all. The man is perfectly sane. He just wants to take on the daunting task of changing the culture of Memphis, both within the department and within the community.

He wants us to see young Memphians, particularly African-Americans, as citizens of worth, not worthless citizens.

In essence, he wants to push a societal reset button, after which mutual trust and respect between the police and the communities they serve will begin to take shape.

Perhaps you think he's being unrealistic, and he probably is. But then, Rallings' parents also thought the light would never come on inside his head. Except it did. And now Strickland has picked him to lead law enforcement in Memphis to a brighter day.

With a little assistance, of course, from all of us.
Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal Juveniles in custody at the Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Court Detention Center participate in a social studies class at the HOPE Academy in the detention facility.

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By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal

If Judge Dan Michael is successful, teenagers who commit crimes will stay in the juvenile court system until they're old enough to rent a car.

Michael is working with a committee of law enforcement and juvenile justice officials on legislation to change juvenile court jurisdiction in Tennessee.

"What it would do is it would give us longer with those kids who are on the fence, who probably haven't hurt anyone other than scared them to death, who we know may need another two years. That if we don't hold them for those two years, they're liable to go out and do something even worse," said Michael, of the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County

According to Michael, the new bill would change just one word in the existing law  the age.

"My proposal is very simple; it changes one sentence in the law," Michael said. "The law currently says juvenile court should have jurisdiction until 19 years of age. I'm taking out 19 and plugging in 25. It changes nothing else but the age."

But that one word change in the bill would create sweeping changes in the juvenile court system if passed. Juveniles who commit a crime before their 18th birthday would have the ability to remain in the juvenile court system until they turn 25, depending on the crime. However, a judge could still file a motion to transfer the juvenile to adult court if the offense warranted it, Michael said.

Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said she would need to see the bill's language to better understand Michael's proposal, but changing the age of jurisdiction would prompt a long, complicated process.

"First of all, if you were to increase the number of individuals that would be monitored and supervised by (Department of Children's Services), they don't have the resources to do that," Weirich said. "That would take additional funds, additional personnel..."

Weirich was more open to the idea of blended sentencing, where a juvenile court imposes both juvenile and adult sanctions simultaneously, with the adult sentence suspended. If the offender completes the juvenile sentence without incident, oftentimes they do not have to serve the adult sentence. If the juvenile violates the conditions of the first sentence, he or she may be required to serve the adult sentence.

Michael acknowledged the bill would prompt a "massive change in the state" and said he did not yet have the answer for how to accommodate more people for a longer time.

"Yes, it would take building a system that does not currently exist," he said. "You would have to have facilities, treatment facilities, staff in place in order to bring these children in and keep them longer than we do now."

Keeping individuals who commit crimes as juveniles in the juvenile court system longer would allow judges and other law enforcement entities to work with them until their brains are fully developed, Michael said. Science has shown that the human brain does not finish developing until a person is in his or her mid twenties, he said.

A National Center for Biotechnology Information manuscript on adolescent maturity states that the frontal lobes of the brain are responsible for functions like planning, working memory and impulse control, but "are among the last areas of the brain to mature; they may not be fully developed until halfway through the third decade of life."

In 2005, the United States Supreme court struck down the death penalty for crimes committed under the age of 18 with the Roper v. Simmons case. The court declared it unconstitutional because youth at that age have a reduced capacity to make good decisions, and as a result, were less culpable. An amicus brief filed by several juvenile justice organizations for the case repeatedly asserts this premise: that teenagers have not fully developed their decision making skills and are therefore less culpable for crimes they commit.

"...16- and 17-year-olds are more likely than adults to engage in risky behavior; are more likely to consider only the immediate effects of their acts rather than the long-term consequences; and are far more susceptible to being overcome by peer pressure than adults, both in terms of how they evaluate their own behavior and in conforming their conduct to what peers are doing," the brief stated.

"As a society, we can spend money on incarcerating a child at 16 for 15 years in the adult system where he's not going to get an education, where he's not going to get treatment to train him into becoming a productive person," Michael said. "But his brain is going to keep growing and what he's going to learn is how not to get caught...his respect for authority will decline over time."

With the proposed bill, the juvenile justice system would provide treatment and rehabilitation services until the offender has proven to the courts that he is mature enough to be released, Michael said. That could be at age 19, but it could be age 21 or 25, he said.

"We make him prove to us that he is thinking, he's lost his impulsivity," Michael said. "We might structure goals for that child to meet before we release him into the community."

Weirich said it was important to take the victim's perspective into account -- the age of the offender doesn't matter to someone who has been on the receiving end of intentional, deliberate violence.

"If you've got a 16-year-old that goes to the trouble of either buying a gun off the street or taking his big brother's gun so that he can put it in people's faces and take their personal belongings, don't tell me he doesn't know what he's doing," Weirich said. "Don't tell me that his brain isn't fully developed and he's not aware that it's a crime."

Like Weirich, Shelby County Public Defender Stephen Bush said he needed to know more about the specifics of Michael's proposal.

"As public defenders, we are interested in reforms that keep children from being prosecuted in the adult system. I look forward to seeing the legislation the Judge is proposing," Bush said in an email.

Michael said the bill is currently on hold until a juvenile justice realignment group formed by the Tennessee legislature meets for the first time later this month. If they are not interested in working with him on the bill, business will "crank back up" with the informal committee Michael already has formed.

When asked how much the bill would cost and who would be responsible for the additional juveniles, Michael responded:

"That's the question isn't it?"
August 10, 2016- De-Angela Ewing guides her Mixxedfit class through a workout at Zealot Fitness. While serving as Marine in Iraq, Ewing stepped outside a mess hall to make a phone call just as an enemy rocket struck the dining area, killing and wounding many fellow service personnel. She's fought PTSD ever since returning to Memphis, but perhaps the most effective therapy has been exercise and serving as a personal trainer. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE August 10, 2016- De-Angela Ewing guides her Mixxedfit class through a workout at Zealot Fitness. While serving as Marine in Iraq, Ewing stepped outside a mess hall to make a phone call just as an enemy rocket struck the dining area, killing and wounding many fellow service personnel. She's fought PTSD ever since returning to Memphis, but perhaps the most effective therapy has been exercise and serving as a personal trainer. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)

By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal

During the entire frenetic hour that she's whirling, shaking, strutting and dancing with almost-scary abandon, De-Angela Ewing actually feels calm  liberated from stress and anxiety, not to mention some very bad memories.

The transformation is obvious five nights a week at Ewing's fitness studio near Sycamore View and Macon where she leads Zumba classes, teaches wellness and sells health products and supplements. All through the sessions, she fairly pulsates with energy and enthusiasm, hardly resembling the young woman who a decade ago returned from war troubled and aimless.

"I see a lot of new faces in here  what's going on?" she says as class members stroll into Zealot Fitness and Wellness Studio.

"Any requests? (But) no Zydeco."

In the class that follows, her clients get dance-fitness instruction, while Ewing gets therapy.

Exercise, both in the classes and on her own, has helped curb the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder that had left her angry, irritable and on edge  uncomfortable around people or in traffic, Ewing says. It's also allowed her to forego the medications that are often prescribed to PTSD patients but had made her feel "like a zombie." she says

"It helps me release the stress that builds up during the day. It helps with the mood swings."

There's a growing wealth of research documenting the benefits exercise can provide for PTSD sufferers by boosting the brain's production of endorphins, which enhance feelings of well-being, and suppressing levels of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone. Physical activity also allows patients to work off their anger and sleep better,

In a 2005 study, patients who participated in a 12-week aerobic exercise program reported improved moods and lower anxiety levels within just one month. Research cited by the National Institutes of Health found that even modest workouts on exercise bikes produced "clinically significant" reductions in PTSD symptoms.

However, psychologists and other professionals who treat PTSD patients say exercise therapy generally must be part of a broader regimen that includes "trauma-focused" treatment to deal with the experiences that triggered the disorder. And in many cases, medication  particularly a type of antidepressant  is needed, they say.

Ewing, 32, knows that PTSD will be a continuing challenge for her, no matter how cathartic exercise might be.

A native Memphian, she enlisted in the Marines after graduating high school in 2002 to be "part of the elites," she said. "I wanted to do something that was going to challenge me."

Her struggles began after she was sent to Iraq in 2004, assigned to a base in the bloody region known as the Sunni Triangle. Ewing was the only female attached to a quick-reaction force that provided security for supply convoys arriving at Camp Taqaddum, about 45 miles west of Baghdad.

For the next year and a half, she helped set up perimeters to protect the convoys from ambush, and she responded to the frequent bombing attacks involving improvised explosive devices.

One of the more frightful events Ewing experienced involved a mortar attack on the base. Just as she stepped into a phone booth to make a call, a mortar round landed on a chow hall only 15 feet away, killing and wounding several service personnel.

"Shrapnel was everywhere. People were laid out," she recalls.

Ewing also underwent extensive surgery and treatment for a mysterious infection that caused her neck to swell.

After returning to Memphis in 2006, Ewing was hostile, anxious and uncertain where her life was headed. "I knew I had a problem," she said.

She went to the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center for help with PTSD. There, she received therapy and was prescribed medication, including antidepressants, painkillers and sleep aids. "It was a cocktail of different pills," Ewing says.

Dr. Nancy Jordan, supervisor of the Trauma Recovery Center at the Memphis VA facility, said there is no specific medication for PTSD. Instead, patients often receive prescriptions to deal with symptoms of the disorder, such as depression and anxiety.

"On an individual, case-by-case basis, the effects of it can vary," Jordan said.

PTSD treatment is rooted in a "tremendous" amount of research showing which methods work, she said. The most effective involve different types of trauma-focused sessions, including ones in which the patient talks about the episodes or experiences that sparked the disorder.

Jordan said exercise can be a "wonderful adjunct to treatment," given its proven benefits to both the body and brain. Patients in the VA's six-week residential PTSD program often go to the gym at the facility and swim in the pool at the Church Health Center.

Ewing, however, said she felt the VA's methods weren't working. She took the pills for 90 days, but felt sluggish, moody and out-of-sorts  just the opposite of her usual high-spirited, aggressive self.

"I felt like, I'm 22 years old. I don't want medication. I don't want to be a zombie."

Ewing had a background in dance, and after attending class in Zumba, which incorporates movements inspired by Latin American dance, "a light switch went off," she said. "It woke me up. I actually felt happy. I actually felt alive."

Four years later, she married, moved to Virginia and had a son, but her PTSD struggles continued even after she got certified to teach Zumba in 2011. Her marriage fell apart, and in 2014 she returned to Memphis with her son.

In December 2014, Ewing reopened a shuttered studio on Macon and began teaching Zumba. She still struggles with the stress of PTSD and running a business. But the exercise, and the knowledge that she's helping others manage their health, is rewarding.

During the dance sessions, Ewing drifts into a focused, pleasant "zone," she says.

The PTSD "doesn't go way," she said. But she feels she can overcome it.

"I'm a fighter," Ewing says. "I'm a Marine."
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Democratic lawmaker Joe Armstrong is now a felon, so it is more than appropriate to bind his fate to that of his Republican colleague, Jeremy Durham. The disgraced legislators should both quit the Tennessee House of Representatives. If they fail to do so, legislators should come back to Nashville for a special session to expel them.

What a strong message that would send to the people of Tennessee that they deserve far better  and that their leaders will not tolerate corruption or abusive behavior.

Sadly, there is little appetite on Capitol Hill for a special session. Two petitions  one to consider expelling Durham and the other to consider expelling Durham and Armstrong  were drafted, but neither drew even half the needed 66 signatures by last week's deadline.

"There was not anywhere near enough interest to come to special session," said Cade Cothren, spokesman for the House Republican Caucus. He added that Caucus Chairman Glen Casada had no intention to revive it.

That is too bad.

The joint Durham-Armstrong petition was premature and should have been circulated only after a verdict was reached in the Armstrong case.

Practically speaking, resignation or expulsion would be purely symbolic. Neither man is coming back to the Tennessee General Assembly next year.

Armstrong, D-Knoxville, a 28-year veteran, can no longer seek to run for the state legislature because he was convicted of a felony. He was found guilty Aug. 8 on a federal charge of filing a false tax return. A jury agreed with prosecutors on one of three counts. Armstrong failed to report $321,000 in income to the IRS that he made from the sale of cigarette tax stamps. He bought them before a tax increase  which he voted for  went into effect. Then, he sold them for a profit.

Durham, R-Franklin, was handily defeated in his primary battle against challenger Sam Whitson Aug. 4. The two-term legislator had suspended his campaign last month after a state attorney general's report accused him of abusing his office through inappropriate sexual contact or harassment of 22 women. He had been deemed a danger to unsuspecting women and was banished by Speaker Beth Harwell to an office in another state building.

Meanwhile, Durham and Armstrong are still eligible for lifetime pensions and lifetime health benefits for themselves and their families, even after they leave political office. Lawmakers elected before a new law took effect July 1, 2015, qualify for those rich health benefits after having served just one term in office.

Durham and Armstrong were grandfathered into the old law, and Armstrong's conviction does not affect his health benefits. The legislative pension benefit kicks in after four full years in office.

If Durham fulfills the remainder of his term, he will qualify for it. Only by resigning or being expelled will that stop him from collecting a $4,130 annual pension from the state of Tennessee for the rest of his life.

A 2010 law barred lawmakers who are convicted of felonies from benefiting from lifetime pension benefits. However, because Armstrong was elected in 1988, that law does not apply to him. The silver lining for voters is that he faces a prison sentence.

Still, the benefits Durham and Armstrong will be keeping should leave a bad taste in the mouths of voters. Lawmakers should be ashamed if they do not give the expulsion petition another chance and act on it. Neither Armstrong nor Durham deserve another day as a legislator.
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Frank Frisch

Germantown

In his Aug. 10 column, Eli Lake with Bloomberg View asserted that Johnson and Weld, like most libertarians, are libertine (Can Never Trumpers go Libertarian?). According to Wikipedia, a libertine is devoid of moral or sexual restraints.

Interesting choice of words given that Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson and his running mate, William Weld, were each successful and popular two-term governors, and Weld is also a well-respected former U.S. attorney for Massachusetts. Neither has ever suffered any taint of scandal. Such people are not frequently labeled libertine.

Socially tolerant and fiscally conservative, libertarians believe social tolerance means the government should not be regulating and criminalizing behavior absent an overwhelming reason to do so. So jailing pedophiles and thieves is a libertarian social good, but jailing people who suffer crippling pain for purchasing opioids is not, and, taxpayers cant afford to house and feed so many honest people anyway. By the same token, if Cargill wants to buy, sell or grow soybeans, the government should neither help nor hinder it in doing so, and taxpayers shouldnt be burdened with providing Cargill subsidies.

Despite Lakes ad hominem attack, current trends in polling for Johnson and Weld indicate the taxpaying public shows a growing appetite for a much smaller, less intrusive federal government with less regulation, lower taxes and reduced spending.
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By Anne Applebaum

On a crackly Skype line from Ankara, Turkey, the story I heard was both new and strangely familiar.

I was speaking to an academic, a man with a belief in freedom and free markets, and he was telling me about the arrests, detentions and firings of his colleagues: Sahin Alpay, a 72-year-old liberal journalist with wide European contacts. Orhan Kemal Cengiz, a human rights activist and journalist. Ihsan Dagi, a professor of international relations and theorist of democracy. Lale Kemal, a journalist who writes about the military and security. And there were others.

None of them, he told me, had supported the failed coup in July. None of them were "Gulenists," followers of the reclusive Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, a Pennsylvania resident whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blames for the coup attempt. Some of them had written in the past for a newspaper, now shut down, that Gulen supporters had owned; others had not. What linked them was something different: All of them were "democrats" or "liberals," in Turkish terms  a category of people whom the Turkish president finds threatening. Liberals have questioned his attacks on the media and judiciary. Liberals have investigated him for corruption. Liberals want to reduce the power of the state he directs.

The identification and elimination of whole classes of "enemies" is an old totalitarian practice; so is the arrest of people not for what they have done, but for who they are. It's not a sign of strength. On the contrary, it's what dictators do when they are afraid or paranoid, when they feel isolated, when they worry that the sycophants around them might be secretly plotting their overthrow. They use violence because they fear that they are losing support.

Dictators who fear their enemies also look for allies. But they don't want allies who will criticize what they are doing, either out loud or by example. And so, in the wake of the failed coup and the successful crackdown, Erdogan naturally sought out the company of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. In St. Petersburg this week, the settings at a luncheon for the two men included porcelain plates decorated with their portraits.

At least until now, Putin's model of suppression has differed from Erdogan's strategy. Instead of mass arrests, he has used targeted violence. To intimidate journalists, he ensures that one is occasionally murdered; to scare oligarchs, he locked up one of them for a decade. He controls the economy through a system of cronyism and kickbacks on a breathtaking scale.

But like Erdogan, Putin needs company. Both men share a paranoid fear of the enemies they can't see. Both men know that a large portion of their population dislikes them. Both men know that the academics and intellectuals arrested in Ankara or under siege in Moscow will always oppose them, even if they are forcibly silenced. Both men know that the biggest threats to their personal power are the ideas and causes that those people represent: not merely democracy but rule of law, judicial independence, media freedom, human rights.

Both were also nearly at war with one another just a few months ago. In November, the Turks shot down a Russian jet that had entered their airspace; the two countries are on diametrically opposite sides of the Syrian conflict. Many NATO leaders feared Turkey, a NATO member for decades, would drag them into an open war.

Geostrategic, military and even historical calculations should make Turkey and Russia antagonists. But their meeting illustrates something that many Western politicians and "realist" thinkers find difficult to understand: That ideas and ideology sooner or later trump "interests." If Turkey were still a democracy, Erdogan would be looking to his Western allies to help him push back against Russia. But contact with the West also means contact with Western ideas. Dependence on the West means dependence on states that believe in the legal norms which Erdogan wants to repress, states that might support the people Erdogan wants to lock up.

We can tell ourselves all we want that, in this cynical world, the United States and Europe should pursue realpolitik goals and financial interests. We can argue that the nature of the regimes we support shouldn't matter, that cold-eyed calculation should determine our foreign policy. But when it really matters, dictators choose other dictators over everything else. Democrats should take note.

Anne Applebaum writes a biweekly foreign affairs column for the Washington Post. She is also the Director of the Transitions Forum at the Legatum Institute in London.
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By Carl Leubsdorf

In the wake of an unexpected federal appeals court decision, a Texas federal judge on Wednesday eased the restrictions of the state's onerous voter identification law for this year's election.

But despite Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos' acceptance of the compromise 2016 plan worked out by the state, the Justice Department and minority rights groups  and despite several other favorable decisions affecting Texas and other states  the battle against Republican efforts to tighten voting laws is hardly over.

In Texas, the 2016 plan will allow someone without a photo ID to vote by signing an affidavit that he or she is a U.S. citizen and presenting proof of residence, such as a paycheck, bank statement or utility bill. But it won't keep state officials from pressing to preserve the 2011 law requiring photo ID, including appealing the 5th Circuit's ruling against it to the Supreme Court.

And don't underestimate the resilience of groups backing tighter voting curbs in the name of preventing largely non-existent voter fraud. Court decisions throwing out restrictive measures in North Carolina and Ohio are being challenged in an effort to limit their impact in those two battleground states.

At the same time, Republican nominee Donald Trump added a potentially explosive new issue in one of his typically inflammatory-but-uniformed statements, raising the prospect of an election "rigged" by widespread voter fraud.

In what many saw as a possible excuse if he loses in November, Trump told The Washington Post, "If the election is rigged, I would not be surprised." He cited "the voter ID situation," adding, "We may have people vote 10 times." And on Tuesday, he praised the North Carolina voter ID law that courts have rejected.

Though he provided no evidence, Trump will soon be able to cite a forthcoming book by the president of the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton, which alleges Justice Department efforts to block voting curbs could instead trigger widespread voter fraud.

This counterattack comes as federal courts are showing increasing resistance to the post-2008 GOP-led effort to curb voting in the name of preventing fraud, despite the slim evidence that fraud is a serious problem.

In recent weeks, separate rulings by two appeals courts  the 5th Circuit dominated by conservative judges and the 4th Circuit controlled by liberals rejected the strict voter ID laws passed by Texas and North Carolina, confounding expectations of contrary verdicts requiring a Supreme Court resolution.

That may yet happen, though the death of Justice Antonin Scalia has left the court split 4-4 on many issues and unable to provide much legal guidance.

But the Supreme Court split may change next year, presuming the next president wins Senate confirmation of a justice to fill the court's vacant ninth seat. A Hillary Clinton nominee could provide a majority to overturn the 2008 decision legalizing state voter ID laws, a decision whose recent skeptics include the appeals court judge whose decision the high court upheld.

In the North Carolina case, a 4th Circuit panel ruled out both the state's voter ID law and other restrictions that reduced early voting days and limited the kinds of documents voters could use to identify themselves. And it rejected an appeal by the state that would have prevented the decision from taking effect this year. On Monday, a GOP-controlled Board of Elections in Greensboro shelved a plan that would have made voting harder for college students and black residents.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, where a federal judge blocked the Republican secretary of state's efforts to shorten early voting time, Judicial Watch went to court to challenge the assertion that the limit would disproportionately burden African-Americans.

Elsewhere, federal judges have eased restrictions in voter ID laws in Wisconsin and North Dakota and blocked an effort to require evidence of citizenship for voting in Kansas. The Wisconsin judge said he would have thrown out the state's law entirely, except for the 2008 Supreme Court decision.

It will take some time for these various cases to be resolved, both legislatively and in the courts. Texas GOP officials make clear they do not regard the matter as over.

But Richard Hasen, an expert on voting law and a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, expressed optimism in The New York Times: "We are nearing the end of an era of increasingly restrictive voting rules imposed just about exclusively by Republican legislators and election officials over the objections of Democrats and voting rights groups."

Carl Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. Contact him at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com.
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By Eli Lake

U.S. special operations forces in Syria do many things in the war against the Islamic State. They gather intelligence, build relationships with local communities, help spot targets for airstrikes and train and advise local forces on the ground. One thing they cannot do, though, is enter into range of the enemy's fire.

Four U.S. military officials told me that the 300 or so U.S. special operators in Syria are under very strict rules of engagement. Because such rules are highly classified, these sources have requested anonymity.

But the rules in place, known as "last cover and concealment," are highly restrictive compared to special operations missions in the war on terror before 2014. Those rules of engagement allowed for U.S. special operators to fight alongside the local forces they trained. The rules of engagement for Syria, according to one military officer, amount to: "Don't get shot."

Other U.S. defense officials told me, however, that U.S. special operators in Syria were allowed to defend themselves if they came under fire. But they confirmed that the troops were not engaging in offensive missions. "Our mission in Iraq and Syria is to enable local forces in defeating ISIL  with air support, intel support, training and equipment," Major Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway, a spokesman for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, told me Wednesday. "Our forces always have the right to defend themselves, but they do not engage directly in offensive combat operations."

Behind the scenes, the restrictive rules of engagement have met opposition. U.S. military officials tell me key members of Congress as well as officers on the ground in Syria and Iraq have asked for the flexibility to do more. One such lawmaker is Mac Thornberry, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. The communications director for his committee, Claude Chafin, declined to discuss the matter in detail. But he said, "The chairman is concerned about the restrictions placed on our guys which limit their effectiveness in helping others."

In some ways the rules of engagement for Syria are reminiscent of the restrictions placed on U.S. special operators in El Salvador in the 1980s. The U.S. forces in that tiny country helped train the embattled government's counterinsurgency forces. But they were not allowed to go into battle with the forces they trained.

Roger Carstens, a former lieutenant colonel for the Green Berets who trained local forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, told me there are good battlefield reasons for allowing the adviser to fight with the forces he trains. "They gain legitimacy and credibility and they show your partner forces that you share the risk," he said.

Carstens also said that fighting alongside indigenous troops is a kind of vetting process. "The instructor gets to see whether the forces he is training have absorbed their training," which he said is important to evaluate how effective they are.

On the other hand, a benefit of the restrictive rules of engagement is that so far the Pentagon has not had to acknowledge any special operators based in Syria have been killed in action. Only three such troops have been killed in action since President Barack Obama launched the new war against in the Islamic State two years ago. All were based in Iraq.

"If you take a look at it from the soldier's perspective, it's always best to be on the ground sharing risk with your trainees," Carstens told me. "But as Carl Von Clausewitz reminds us, war is a political act, and sometimes what might make sense to the American soldier or even the tactical or operational commander may not make sense on the strategic and political level for all sorts of reasons."

For Obama, the politics of his new war in Syria and Iraq are hard to miss. Until 2014, he boasted of how he was ending his predecessor's war. Last week, he began a press conference at the Pentagon with updates on combat in Libya, Iraq and Syria. His successor will inherit those wars. It will be up to the next president to determine whether Americans training the locals to fight the Jihadists should also join them in battle.

Eli Lake is a Bloomberg View columnist.
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Before the EU referendum, the Remain campaign warned British farmers that they would lose out if we left the EU. The EU will invest almost 22 billion in CAP funding in the UK between 2014 and 2020, said the campaign. Vital funding would be lost. Only the top 10% of UK farmers could cope if the UK left the EU Leave campaigners cannot guarantee that funding for UK farming would continue Lots of leading figures from the industry even wrote an alarmist letter to The Times.

It wasnt just farmers who were told they should be worried.

Britain Stronger In offered the following statement as part of their Get the Facts message:

We would lose vital EU funding for the farming, scientific and medical research and programmes that make a real difference in your local community, including job-creation schemes for young people to infrastructure projects that improve your everyday life, including broadband networks, better roads and new bridges. In a recession, our government would not be able to replace these grants even if they wanted to.

Until a couple of months ago the Government spin machine was keenly promoting these messages as part of Project Fear. This morning there has been a pretty effective briefing to the media from the Government spin machine rebutting such nonsense. The message has come through loud and clear that the funds will be maintained. Project Reassurance is well under way.

The BBC reports:

EU funding for farmers, scientists and other projects will be replaced by the Treasury after Brexit, Chancellor Philip Hammond has said.

In a move which could cost up to 4.5bn a year, the Treasury will guarantee to back EU-funded projects signed before this years Autumn Statement.

Agricultural funding now provided by the EU will also continue until 2020.

In the full announcement Sajid Javid, the Local Government Secretary, says Local Enterprise Partnerships will get the funding they were due from the EU. Greg Clark, the Business and Energy Secretary, assures us that the UK Government will be underwriting the significant Horizon 2020 grants. Damian Green, the Work and Pensions Secretary, reports that such projects as the Ways to Work programme in Liverpool will not lose out.

David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, said:

This announcement shows that the government is ensuring that those people and organisations currently supported by EU funding can continue to benefit from a measure of continuity. This will offer reassurance to them, and help ease the transition to our new relationship with the EU.

This undertaking reflects what the Vote Leave campaign said before the referendum:

If the public votes to leave on 23 June, we will continue to fund EU programmes in the UK until 2020, or up to the date when the EU is due to conclude individual programmes if that is earlier than 2020.

We will also be able to spend the money much more effectively. For example, some of the bureaucracy around payments to farmers is very damaging and can be scrapped once we take back control.

After protecting those now in receipt of EU funding, we will still have billions more to spend on our priorities. We propose that at least 5.5 billion of that be spent on the NHS by 2020, giving it a much-needed 100 million per week cash transfusion, and to use 1.7 billion to abolish VAT on household energy bills.

The maths was never all that challenging. Our net contribution to the EU budget is 10.6 billion a year. So should we choose to maintain all the spending programmes undertaken by the EU in the UK that will be eminently affordable.

Of course in the longer run there will be plenty of debates about what the priorities should be. There have been plenty of concerns raised that much of the EUs spending has been wasteful or inefficient. In certain cases actually damaging. New Zealand farming has continued to prosper after subsidies were scrapped.

But for the period until 2020 it is right and proper for the funding obligations to be honoured. It allows planning to calmly continue.

Along with the abandonment of the Emergency Budget and the welcome rise in share prices, todays news is another encouraging sign that we have nothing to fear from Brexit.
Not for the first time in 2016 Andrea Iannone has incurred the wrath of a member of the MotoGP contingent after an incident with Eugene Laverty on Friday afternoon led the Northern Irishman to brand him as disrespectful.

The two Ducati men found themselves on track together in the closing seconds of FP2, with both on course to better their fastest times. With Laverty initially ahead, Iannone was frustrated in an attempt to get by.

It appears the Italian felt it would have been more beneficial for the Aspar Ducati man to move aside and follow him, something that enraged Laverty when Iannone made this suggestion.

"He has no respect for anybody," bristled Laverty, who was seen angrily gesticulating in Iannone's direction when they both stopped for a practice start.

"I was doing my fastest lap and he had to overtake me. When I stopped he more or less told me I needed to get out of his way so then I said "What the f**k?! Are you kidding?!" He needs to have respect. If a rider is cruising and in the way then I can understand that.



"I was slower than him but that was my lap. This guy has been doing crazy things all year and that was the icing on the cake for me. How in your head can you think that is OK? To tell another rider to leave the track. For a guy that calls himself 'Crazy Joe' as soon as I raised my voice he rode away...he wasn't so crazy.

Looks like Iannone did something to make Laverty angry #AustrianGP #MotoGP FP2 pic.twitter.com/qTGq2UxgEZ-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) August 12, 2016

"You have to have respect for people when you are racing at 300kmph and most of the guys do because we've all been brought up doing the same thing. Since I was five years old my parents told me to have respect and I keep that same mentality.

"To be at the top level he is a role model for other guys and he shouldn't be acting that way in that position," said Laverty, who ended the day 21st fastest.

When pressed on the incident, Iannone feigned indignation, and pointed to his level of spoken English as reason for the misunderstanding. "He said I not respect other riders," he pondered. "Why?"

"I talk with him and I tried to explain. But my English is very bad and is possible he don't understand me very well. But for sure I try my best [to speak good English] always, but I think after the media briefing I come and try to explain more time. I think it is better.

"But no, I tried to explain Eugene the next time you pay a little bit more attention. Because when I tried to pass him, I brake very late because it was my fast lap - and he braked after me!

"But he looked [saw] me. And when I go inside corner four, I pick up the bike. If I did not pick up the bike he would be off. It would be a complete disaster because I think we would both crash.

"But no problem. I'm not angry with him and never have a problem with him because it's practice not over and I understand he push very fast for his fast lap. But is better he follow me, because he look me and stay on the rear and arrive."

Upon learning of Iannone's comments, Laverty took to Twitter to challenge the factory Ducati man's contention that he had nearly caused a crash. "@andreaiannone29 is delusional," he wrote. "Datalogging proved this 'incident' of his never even occurred."

Iannone ended the day second fastest, 0.23s slower than team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.
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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.
After almost two years of being closed to accommodate an electrical cable upgrade project, TVAs Raccoon Mountain Visitor Center reopens to the public with new exhibits on Saturday. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily this summer, and is ADA accessible.

We are excited to see the visitor center reopen, says Ken Cornett, senior manager at TVAs Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Facility. I think the public will be eager to see the new displays and stand out on the observation deck and see the great view of the river gorge.

TVA closed the Raccoon Mountain Visitor Center about two years ago to install new electrical cables down the 38-floor elevator shaft that would connect the electrical generators inside the mountain to the power grid.

"Folks may not realize that the visitor center is a working part of the facility, but it is, says Mr. Cornett. We ran several thousand feet of new electrical cable through the center and down the elevator shaft to the generators 1,500 feet below.

Mr. Cornett explains that the new cables are safer and lighter than the ones they replace because the cables are air cooled versus oil cooled. Safety is essential to TVA, and these new cables increase the safety and reliability of this facility, says Mr. Cornett. Thats critical, as Raccoon Mountain is key to helping TVA supply reliable and affordable power to homes and businesses throughout the Valley, said officials.

Over the years, tens of thousands have visited the center, and now they again have access to displays explaining Raccoon Mountain, TVAs history and its activities today. Two new displays include updated photos and videos that describe TVA and its operations.

We are very proud of the visitor center, says Tony Giggy, BVI project manager for visitor centers. BVI is TVAs retiree organization dedicated to educating the public about TVA. The majority of our volunteers are TVA retirees and they will be able to share firsthand knowledge of TVA and its operations.

Mr. Giggy notes that, One of the key features of the center is the large map of the TVA River System that allows visitors to track how water flows through the Tennessee Valley.

While the Raccoon Mountain Visitor Center is a learning opportunity, access to the equipment inside the mountain is not available for safety and security reasons. However, visitors can take virtual video tours of Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Facility, as well as more traditional hydroelectric generation facilities, via a monitor inside the visitor center.

About the Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Facility

Visitor Center HoursDaily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET from April through October; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. November through March. Closed for major holidays and during adverse weather events.

Facility ConstructionBegan in 1970 and completed in 1978

ReservoirHolds 107+ billion gallon and takes 28 hours to fill up

Dam8,500-foot-long; largest rock-fill dam ever built by TVA

Intake tower230 ft. high; 80 ft. taller than the Statue of Liberty

Electrical Generation1,600 MW or enough to power 935,000 homes

Employees32

Recreation Trails30 miles of biking and hiking trails
Check it out: Fun things to do this weekend in Lake County
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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.
Peter Mandelson, pictured, warned of dire consequences should we pull out of the Chinese-backed Hinkley Point nuclear power station project

What a humiliating week it has been for former Cabinet minister Peter Mandelson.

On Wednesday, he went on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme to discuss one of the most serious issues facing Britain.

Lord Mandelson warned of dire consequences to our trade with China if we pull out of the Chinese-backed Hinkley Point nuclear power station project.

He went on to ridicule security concerns surrounding Chinese involvement.

Yet within 24 hours of his intervention, it emerged that China General Nuclear Power Company  Britains prospective partner at Hinkley Point  faces very serious accusations from the FBI that it has been conspiring to steal U.S. nuclear secrets for the past 20 years.

If that were not embarrassing enough for the oh-so-self-confident Mandy, later it emerged that the Australian government stopped a Chinese bidder from attempting to buy a controlling stake in the countrys largest electricity network, on the grounds that because of intense security concerns it would be contrary to the national interest.

So it was that within 72 hours of Lord Mandelsons endorsement of the Hinkley Point deal, his words were proved to be deeply misguided after two of Britains closest allies signalled the danger of doing business with China.

Most unfortunately, his BBC interviewer, Sarah Montague, did not ask the obvious question: was Lord Mandelson being paid to continue George Osbornes calamitous kow-towing to the Chinese, which resulted in the putative Hinkley Point deal?

The question is intensely relevant, and not just because (as Montague did mention) Mandelson was last year President of the Great Britain China Centre, which promotes trade between the two countries.

Since stepping down from government, this notorious wheeler-dealer has made a fortune from his public affairs consultancy, Global Counsel.

Disgracefully, he has kept the names of his clients secret  despite the fact that peers are generally obliged to make their clients public through their Register of Interests.

There is good reason for this rule. It enables the rest of us to judge who is in a position to influence our unelected legislators.

This is especially relevant in connection with influential figures, such as Lord Mandelson, who are able to gain regular access to British ministers and official diplomatic channels.

A day after Lord Mandelson's warning, it emerged China General Nuclear Power Company  Britains prospective partner at Hinkley Point  faces very serious accusations from the FBI that it has been conspiring to steal U.S. nuclear secrets for the past 20 years

Mandelson, however, has successfully claimed that the clients belong to the company, rather than to him directly, so are not personal.

Here is a disturbing example: we learned recently that in February Mandelson flew to Zimbabwe, where he has no known connections, for a secret meeting with the finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa.

The meeting was arranged and attended by the British Ambassador, Catriona Laing.

This was in itself extraordinary. Our missions overseas should not act as an introduction bureau, advocate or concierge for any passing politician or business leader, let alone a man who twice stepped down from Blairs government because his word could not be trusted.

Our embassies are funded by the taxpayer, and their contacts, skills and resources should be used only in the national interest, for the diplomatic objectives set by elected ministers.

They should not be committed to serve any private interest.

This meeting had an especially sinister overtone because Lord Mandelson is paid by Lazard, a giant investment bank.

A few months later, it emerged that Mr Chinamasa was engaged in intense negotiations in an attempt to secure a $1.1 billion loan  from Lazard.

When Mandelsons meeting and the subsequent negotiations were reported, they caused a storm of protest both here and in Zimbabwe.

Mandelson hurriedly denied that he had met Chinamasa on Lazards behalf. (As a general rule of modern politics, one should never believe anything about Peter Mandelson until he denies it himself.)

However, our embassy in Harare and the Foreign Office have so far supported his claim to have visited Zimbabwe only for the selfless purpose of (to quote Mandelsons spokesman) meeting representatives of the business community and civil society to encourage them to continue the process of reform. What a noble fellow he is!

Why the Foreign Office should have decided that Lord Mandelson  who, as I say, was forced to resign twice, after lying about his mortgage, and after a row over attempts to secure a British passport for an Indian billionaire  should be entrusted with the duty of lecturing Zimbabwe about good governance is a mystery.

As is why the BBC should constantly seek his views on anything connected to probity in public life.

The fact is that, like his friend Tony Blair, Mandelson has made a fortune since leaving office.

As with Blair, his business dealings have been clouded with secrecy. As with Blair, he has enjoyed special access to ministers, foreign embassies and the resources of the British state.

What we do know is that Lord Mandelsons paymasters include the Sapinda investment group  established by a German named Lars Windhorst, a survivor of two bankruptcies and a criminal conviction  as well as Russias Sistema Group.

Sistema includes a major defence contractor. So, assuming that Mandelson adds any value to the group, he has been indirectly helping to arm Vladimir Putin for the past three years.

If Mandelson is representing any of these interests overseas, our diplomatic missions should have nothing to do with him.

For the past six years Lord Mandelson, pictured, has been operating with the 'tacit protection' of the Cameron government

As for his role at Lazard, it is hard to fathom. Though he is described as chairman of Lazard International, his duties and achievements are so nebulous that they have never been reported in the banks annual accounts, regulatory filings or media releases. Nor has his salary.

It is also worth noting that for the past six years, Mandelson (like Blair) has been operating with the tacit protection and approval of the Cameron government.

It is easy to see why that might be. Cameron and Osborne never made any secret of their admiration for New Labour.

Furthermore, both of them may well be calculating that they, too, can make a fortune now that they are out of office, by trading on the connections they made in government.

Indeed, Cameron indicated that this might have been on his mind when on leaving office he went to stay in the 17 million London town house of Alan Parker, a PR mogul.

As for George Osborne, he has shown himself to be entranced by ostentatious wealth, at least since he unwisely walked onto the superyacht belonging to billionaire Oleg Deripaska back in 2008 during a Mediterranean break.

The Russian was, as it happens, a social friend of Peter Mandelson, who also enjoyed his hospitality.

Frankly, all of this stinks to high heaven. Theresa May, who has already shown that she is determined to restore integrity to public administration, is well placed to sort out the problem.

She should conduct an immediate cull of all the special envoys, busybodies and other emissaries who deliver messages or conduct diplomatic business on our behalf overseas.

At best, such people cause confusion; at worst, they undercut our embassies and make foreign powers believe that our government has a secret agenda.

Mrs May needs also to insist that parliamentarians like Lord Mandelson should reveal the identity of their private clients.

It is looking more and more likely that the Prime Minister will pull the plug on Hinkley Point.

If this means that she becomes the first premier in two decades to pull the plug on Peter Mandelson as well, then so much the better.

Pickles and a case of double standards

Sir Eric Pickles has been guilty of persistent hypocrisy ever since being appointed national anti-corruption champion last summer.

The former Cabinet minister has thrown himself vigorously into examining alleged electoral fraud by Muslims in the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

Fair enough. The problem is Pickles has shown no interest in examining the very serious evidence suggesting that the Tory Party broke election laws by overspending in key marginals ahead of the 2015 general election.

Sir Eric Pickles, pictured, 'has been guilty of persistent hypocrisy ever since being appointed national anti-corruption champion last summer'

Without looking at the evidence, Eric Pickles supported the Tories denial of wrong-doing, declaring the partys confidence that its expenses were above board and that he has complete confidence in Conservative organisers who submitted the controversial expenses.

There is a double standard at work here. On the one hand, Sir Eric comes down like a ton of bricks on Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage Muslims who allegedly cheated at local elections.

Yet he appears to have cleared, without a second glance, the group of white, public-school educated Tory politicians caught up in the expenses scandal.
Attorney Terry Olsen of Olsen Law Firm in Chattanooga will serve as vice-chair of the Tennessee Bar Associations International Law and Practice Section until June 2017.



The International Law & Practice Section serves as a resource for Tennessee lawyers practicing in all aspects of international law focusing on private international law and international business transactions.



Mr. Olsen is involved with local and state organizations which focus on immigration, and international issues. He has been chair of the Chattanooga Branch of the British American Business Group, board member of the British American Business Group Atlanta, and president of the World Trade Society of Chattanooga.

Mr. Olsen is a frequent speaker on immigration and international law, and has also been published in several legal journals, and publications on immigration & international topics.
Few wronged women have had to endure what the wife (Ana, left) of Lloyds Bank boss Antonio Horta-Osorio (right) has suffered

There can be no greater moment of heartbreak than when a wife discovers that her husband is having an affair.

It could be a bill on his bank statement for jewellery she never received, a stray hair on his jacket, the mobile phone switched off when hes away on business.

However she finds out, it will probably be the most devastating emotional trauma of her life.

For all that, few wronged women have had to endure what the wife of Lloyds Bank boss Antonio Horta-Osorio has suffered this week.

The appalling ordeal for Ana was not just discovering her devoted husband of 25 years was having an affair, but for it to be splashed across the front page of The Sun, with pictures inside of the loved-up couple together at a business conference.

The headline? Lloyds Bonk  married chief in tryst with lover. How humiliating.

Horta-Osorio is a proud family patriarch  he and Ana have three children  who preached the highest personal and family ethics in professional life.

Yet he was prepared to risk everything he loved, everything hed worked for, everything, surely, that really mattered in life, for a cheap fling.

Now, he is about to be paid back for his weakness  with interest.

Even if his marriage survives, his life will change for ever.

He has lost the trust of his wife, the admiration of his children (including his two daughters, who will be hit hardest by his betrayal) and the respect of his colleagues.

Ana may forgive him in time  I really hope she does.

But if she doesnt, he could lose his home, the unconditional love of his children, half his fortune, their family holidays, their Christmases and  given hes already spent time in the Priory for stress-related insomnia  his very peace of mind.

And for what? A blonde he met at a think tank dinner, who had a better understanding of fiscal stimulation than his wife.

Academic expert Wendy Piatt was prepared to wreck a marriage for the prize of a powerful multi-millionaire, who took home 8.5 million in pay and perks last year.

CEO of Abbey Bank Antonio Horta-Osorio (left) and wife Ana attend the F1 Charity Party, at the Victoria & Albert Museum on June 17, 2009 in London

Wasnt there a shred of guilt when he phoned home from his 350-a-night five-star hotel, while waiting for his mistress to arrive, to tell his wife how tough his day had been?

How ironic that this is a man who paraded his family values and praised his wife not only for encouraging him to accept the Lloyds job, but supporting him when he had a breakdown.

As I say, I hope Ana can find it in her heart to forgive.

Marriage, children and a lifetime of shared experience can be worth fighting for.

The question is whether this rich, self-indulgent man has the guts to win back the wife whom he really doesnt deserve.

Who'd forget Hugh?

Having failed to recognise a picture of his Bridget Jones Diary co-star Renee Zellweger on a TV chat show  despite having made two movies with her  Hugh Grant confesses that hes never kept in touch with any of his former co-stars.

He thinks women like Renee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Julianne Moore all hate him.

I doubt it. They probably just dismiss him as an insufferably pompous, seedy womaniser and posh prat  like the rest of us do.

Having failed to recognise a picture of his Bridget Jones Diary co-star Renee Zellweger on a TV chat show  despite having made two movies with her  Hugh Grant confesses that hes never kept in touch with any of his former co-stars

Westminster wars ...

How sensible of Theresa May to choose hiking in the Swiss Alps for her summer break. No woman, let alone our Prime Minister, wants to be snapped red as a lobster on a sunshine holiday, with her wobbly bits showing in unflattering swimmers. Leave that to David Cameron.

The Kew literary festival is excited to have Paddy Ashdown promoting his new book Game Of Spies, about the French Resistance. Id rather read an honest account of Paddy Pantsdowns lurid affair with Tricia Howard. He could call it Game Of (Unzipped) Flies.

When he was PM, Tony Blair didnt do God. Now hes snapped bare-chested on the beach wearing a large crucifix around his neck. Is this to protect him from demonic spirits, or just from the rightly furious families of the soldiers killed in the Iraq war, who are magnificently fighting to bring a court action against him.

More than 6,000 elderly bed-blockers stuck in hospitals are costing the NHS 6 billion a year. This is not just because social services and care homes cant look after them, but also because their families dont. Of course, there are cases where children are unable to care for their aged parents, but in many situations its not that they cant, just that they wont.

A report by the plain-speaking Eric Pickles claims the authorities turned a blind eye to electoral fraud in Muslim communities for fear of appearing racist. It is not racist to acknowledge the biggest area of electoral fraud is postal voting, nor that there are more than 800,000 Muslims in England and Wales who have little or no English. Most of them are Asian women. If you cant even speak the language, how can you fill out a postal vote?

Blessed humanitarians George and Amal Clooney hosted a lavish dinner in aid of Darfur refugees on the shores of Lake Como in Italy.

Meanwhile, 400 migrants were living rough a stones throw away at Como train station.

Perhaps it escaped Clooney that the cost of his human rights lawyer wifes designer frock would have been enough to feed those desperate migrants down the road for a month.

Blessed humanitarians George and Amal Clooney hosted a lavish dinner in aid of Darfur refugees on the shores of Lake Como in Italy

The truth about Tinder

A talented 21-year-old rugby player who met a woman on Tinder was cleared by a jury in just one hour after she claimed he raped her.

For the uninitiated, Tinder is a dating app that allows men and women looking to hook up to post their picture and a description of their intentions.

That can be anything from single professional looking for lasting love to prepared to sleep with anyone. You swipe right on your mobile phone if you like the look of the person and arrange to meet up.

Zach Kibirige, an England junior player, swiped right and exchanged nearly 1,000 digital messages over a fortnight with his accuser before they met and had sex. He said it was consensual. She said it was rape. The jury believed him.

Its all too easy to argue that Tinder encourages men to prey on vulnerable women, but with more than a billion swipes a day, an estimated 50 million Tinder members and 12 million hook-ups every 24 hours, its difficult to avoid the conclusion that all too many women know exactly what theyre letting themselves in for.

They may delude themselves they might find lasting love, but in reality Tinders just a knocking shop.

After three decades, the Yorkshire Ripper is to be moved from a cushy mental hospital into a high-security prison to serve his life sentence.

Peter Sutcliffe says: There is a higher risk of attack in prison.

The people in charge dont give a damn.

Just as he didnt, when he butchered 13 women and tried to murder seven more.

A tale of two female icons

Two images emerged this week of modern female icons.

First we had Katherine Grainger, our greatest-ever female Olympian.

Without a shred of make-up, the 40-year-old was proudly holding her latest medal, testimony to her decades of relentless physical work on and off the water.

First we had Katherine Grainger (pictured), our greatest-ever female Olympian

Then we had the billion-heiress Petra Stunt, the daughter of Bernie Ecclestone, reclining in cushions and languidly laying out her hand for a manicure, surrounded by four women attempting to make her beautiful.

Everything has been handed to Bernies girl on a plate, yet shes never achieved anything in her life except learning how to post on Instagram.

Katherine the Great versus Petra the self-obsessed  I know which one is a true role model.

A TUC report says half of all women are harassed in the workplace, and that they are too afraid to stand up for themselves.

Tell that to Judge Patricia Lynch. She responded to a racist, sexist man who called her a c*** in court by calmly saying: Youre a bit of a c*** yourself. Being offensive to me doesnt help.

Absurdly, Judge Lynch is facing an official inquiry when she should be given a medal. Here was a woman in a top job refusing to play the victim card and standing up to a bully.

Not so taxing for the Duke

Due to an elaborate maze of family trusts, the deceased Duke of Westminsters family is likely to avoid a 3 billion inheritance tax bill.

The Duke inherited his wealth, owned most of Mayfair, spent wisely  except on 2,000-a-time hookers  and was worth an estimated 9.3 billion.

Yet the rest of us are facing a 40 per cent inheritance tax on our estate over the value of 325,000.
NHS bosses are preparing plans to end the scandal of cataract operations being rationed to save money.

They will urge GP surgeries to offer the life-changing procedure to ease the soaring demand on hospital clinics.

Dr David Geddes, head of primary care commissioning for NHS England, plans to issue new guidelines next year in the hope of drastically improving access to the operation.

It follows Daily Mail revelations about the thousands being denied the 800 procedure.

NHS bosses want GPs to take on more cataract operations to ease demand on hospitals (file picture)

An investigation this month showed three-quarters of hospitals ration operations and only refer patients with severe sight loss.

The Mail also revealed how many hospitals encourage patients to go private for the surgery at a cost of up to 3,600 an eye.

The country's leading sight-loss charity the Royal National Institute of Blind People urged Jeremy Hunt to intervene in response to the revelations.

It wrote to the Health Secretary this week asking him to tell NHS trusts not to deny patients the procedure on the basis of cost.

NHS England, which runs the health service, has since confirmed it is preparing guidelines for 2017/18 to address the crisis. Demand for cataract surgery is likely to rise as the population ages.

Officials are seeking advice from 12 leading charities and organisations, including the RNIB, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the Royal College of GPs.

The guidelines are expected to instruct health trusts to ensure eye specialists decide who needs treatment, not cost-cutting managers.

They will urge doctors to consider patients individually and take into account the impact of sight loss on their lives.

Many trusts currently enforce strict rules under which patients can be referred for operations only if they score six out of 12 or lower in a sight test.

The guidelines will also urge GP surgeries to offer the half-hour cataracts procedure themselves, to ease the pressure on hospitals.

Large practices would be encouraged to run eye clinics staffed by ophthalmologists and surgeons who would carry out operations and routine check-ups.

The NHS can only do 330,000 cataract surgeries per year but that figure could rise sharply if GP surgeries also offered them (file picture)

The NHS only has capacity to do 330,000 cataract operations a year but this could be hugely increased if GP surgeries also offered them.

The guidance will be issued to England's 211 Clinical Commissioning Groups, which control local NHS budgets and decide which patients deserve treatment.

The health watchdog NICE is also drawing up guidelines on cataract treatment that are due in 2018.

Around half of over-65s suffer from cataracts to some degree. This occurs when the lens in front of the eye becomes cloudy with age.

But it can be easily treated with a quick operation to replace the affected lens with a plastic implant costing 800 an eye.
Ten thousand British kidney cancer patients a year are to have their tumours removed by a robot, after health chiefs agreed that the procedure reduced the almost unbearable pain suffered by many patients during recovery.

The 2 million, multi-armed Da Vinci machine, until now licensed only for prostate surgery, is one of nine recommended procedures to have demonstrated the greatest clinical benefit and the lowest cost.

The decision is a turnaround for NHS England, which planned to decommission the robotic procedure as it costs hundreds of pounds more than conventional surgery because it uses disposable instruments.

However, clinical commissioners were persuaded by extensive evidence from the British Association of Urological Surgeons showing better outcomes for those operated on with the robot.

Its great news for patients, said Ben Challacombe, consultant urology surgeon at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, who has performed 400 robotic kidney cancer operations and trained 15 surgeons in the technique.

This procedure allows only the cancerous part of the kidney to be taken out and is better than the traditional option, when the entire kidney often had to be removed.

Both operations are carried out under a general anaesthetic. In conventional surgery, a 6in diagonal incision is made close to the lowest rib  a large cut that causes pain while the patient is recovering.

In robotic surgery, five tiny  in incisions are made lower down, across the hip between the belly button and the back. Instruments attached to the Da Vinci robot arms  controlled remotely by a surgeon  are inserted through these incisions.

The kidney is loosened from surrounding tissue and the blood flow is stopped while the cancer is removed. This process takes about 30 minutes. Timing is vital, because kidney damage occurs while the organ is deprived of oxygen, and the robot operates with better vision and dexterity than is possible with conventional surgery.

There were approximately 11,900 new cases of kidney cancer in the UK in 2013, a rise of 38 per cent in a decade

Robot-assisted surgery allows surgeons to undertake all these steps, including suturing the kidney back after cutting out tumours, very quickly and precisely, said Professor Naeem Soomro, director of robotic surgery at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Trust, which uses two robots for six procedures.

One beneficiary of the new technique is Barry Hartwell, of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, who was diagnosed with five kidney tumours in April last year.

My grandfather and mother died of kidney disease which had spread, and my elder brother had it too and had to have a kidney removed, says the 29-year-old plasterer. But I was still shocked to be told I had kidney cancer on both sides, because at 27 you think you are invincible.

He had the four tumours on his right side removed in May last year with open surgery, causing him almost unbearable pain during recovery. Breathing, talking, moving, coughing, all hurt so much; even now, Im still experiencing pain on my right side.

'I spent seven days in hospital, several in critical care, and had to take eight weeks off work. I knew I needed to have the tumour on my left kidney removed, but I could hardly bear the thought of going through all that pain again.

Half of the cases of kidney cancer occur in the over-70s and about 4,400 patients die

Barry was referred to Mr Challacombe to have the operation on his left side performed with a robot. Compared with my first operation, my recovery was remarkable, I didnt need to go into critical care, left hospital after three days and my pain was so much less, none at all after the first week. Within a fortnight, I was back at work.

There were approximately 11,900 new cases of kidney cancer in the UK in 2013, a rise of 38 per cent in a decade. Half occur in the over-70s and about 4,400 patient die.

There are 60 robots in use within NHS trusts, and while in routine use for prostate surgery, many have also been used to treat lung, bladder, bowel, throat and voicebox cancer.

Urology surgeons believe bladder removal due to cancer is as pressing a case for commissioning as kidney cancer because the conventional operation is very long and often involves removing other organs.
Events brilliant TV critic Deborah Ross loved Poldark so much that she begged us to land her a cameo in the new series. The story of her day on set with star Aidan Turner (opposite, with Ross) is suitably surreal  and utterly hilarious

So, I am to be an extra in the second series of the BBC TV phenomenon that is Poldark, starring Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark and other actors and actresses playing other people and stuff.

I am nervous and fearful. What if my potential isnt spotted and Im not promoted to a speaking line, even though I have been practising THE PILCHARDS ARE COMING! THE PILCHARDS ARE COMING! for some weeks now? (To Ali, in the corner shop: Ten pounds on my Oyster card and also THE PILCHARDS ARE COMING! THE PILCHARDS ARE COMING!).

Worse, what if I were to accidentally tumble and fall on, say, Mr Turners face and in trying to restore my balance I make a grab for his shirt and its ripped from his torso as I pull him to the floor?

The wardrobe people (and also the make-up people) are obviously fantastically good. My hair is made greasy and dirt is smeared on my face and my clothes are an old straw hat, woollen socks, several rough skirts, layered

I have been cast as a Poor Passer-by, and while I would like to say that it took several hours to transform me into a Poor Passer-by, as it proved an extraordinarily uphill task, it seemed to take no time at all

Id say it doesnt bear thinking about except that I do, in fact, think about it quite often, and all day on Tuesdays.

I have only myself to blame. I am to be an extra because I begged that this was so; begged my editors, who in turn begged the production company. I had a strong case. Didnt I deserve to be in it, considering I was the shows biggest fan, had watched the first series every Sunday without fail, had written glowingly about it every week, was still grieving for Baby Julia?

They buckled, and now here we are, but not in Cornwall, disappointingly.

The series, which returns on September 4, is, of course, set in Cornwall, with its brooding cliffs and brooding skies and brooding sea to match our brooding hero, and much is filmed there. But my instructions are to head to Cirencester in Gloucestershire, and the Royal Agricultural University, which is doubling as the Cornish town, Bodmin.

I had been for my costume fitting a week earlier, when I had practised on the wardrobe people  THE PILCHARDS ARE COMING! THE PILCHARDS ARE COMING.

They were optimistic about my chances of promotion. (Very convincing, they said. If we werent sitting in a caravan in a car park wed be up on the cliffs watching for their arrival.)

In the meantime, I have been cast as a Poor Passer-by, and while I would like to say that it took several hours to transform me into a Poor Passer-by, as it proved an extraordinarily uphill task, it seemed to take no time at all.

The wardrobe people (and also the make-up people) are obviously fantastically good. My hair is made greasy and dirt is smeared on my face and my clothes are an old straw hat, woollen socks, several rough skirts, layered. I am told that back in the 18th century I wouldnt have worn pants as they were a luxury, but they say I can keep my own on.

Aidan Turner's topless scything went viral, was voted TV moment of the year

I am glad to hear this because if, for instance, I were to accidentally tumble onto Mr Turner and rip his shirt off and I had no pants on that truly doesnt bear thinking about, even though thats all I now think about on Fridays. And most of Saturday.

We gather. That is, myself and the other extras. The universitys courtyard has become Bodmins market square, where I am made a stallholder, which has to be a promotion of sorts.

My stall sells hares, walnuts, eggs, crab apples, wool. I believe I would have been better off specialising in the one thing, like walnuts, thereby becoming the go-to place for walnuts, but nobody is at all interested in my business plan.

I am sad to see that I am not selling pilchards, which is a pity, because if they were selling well I could have at least shouted: THE PILCHARDS ARE GOING! THE PILCHARDS ARE GOING! and I would not have felt as if all my practice had gone to waste.

The scene involves Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) crossing the square to a building on the other side and remonstrating with someone on behalf of Ross, who is on trial.

The first series covered the first two books of Winston Grahams saga, ending, as you will no doubt recall, with the Warleggans ship smashing into rocks, Ross encouraging the starving miners to plunder the spoils that washed up on the beach  and then the cliffhanger on the actual cliff where he was arrested for wrecking, incitement to riot, murder.

My day of filming took place in September of last year, and its a day that is cold and wet and blustery; a day, alas, that would be entirely unsuitable for gratuitous skinny-dipping of the kind that is worth the licence fee alone, or topless agricultural work, although I can not think what implement might best be employed. (A scythe, perhaps?)

Were wrapped in blankets between takes, while Ms Tomlinson hugs a hot water bottle under her cape.

There must be 15 takes of the same scene, all in all. Over and over, we have to do it. Indeed, one Rich Passer-by  What? How does that work?  fondles my hares so many times that in the end I am forced to tell him: Enough with the browsing, already. Buy or move on, my friend.

Im then asked if Id like to meet Mr Turner. I say Im indifferent, dont care much either way YES, YES, YES!

He is in his civvies, while I am still greasyhaired and dirty-faced. We dont have long. I tell him I have my pants on (he looks relieved), then lie and say it took hours and hours to de-glamorise me.

I bet! he says and, get this  hes Irish! Poldark is Irish! I knew Turner was from Dublin but its still kind of a shock.

He is 33, and certainly adorable, with his dark eyes and dark curls that now have their own Twitter account. (@Poldarkshair).

Is he, though, fed up of all the phwoaring?

Ah, yes, he says, simply. And what about when the topless scything went viral, was voted TV moment of the year, appeared on the front of every newspaper? I dont read the press, I dont follow it. I dont find it that interesting, to be honest.

Me neither, I further lie. What a fuss about nothing, I think I even add.

I then tell him, truthfully, that Robin Elliss Poldark, from the BBCs 1975 adaptation, which I had thought could not be bettered, idiot that I am, was my first crush.

I add that I was in love with this Poldark at the same time my sister was in love with David Cassidy and wed furiously argue their merits until I won by asking how many Cornish mines Cassidy had ever saved from closure.

I also say I remember Demelzas first words in that series, which were: Drop my knickers for a shilling, I will. He says: We didnt use that, did we? No, I say, as shes less slutty this time out.

He did not watch the original series, he says, as I wanted to put my own stamp on the character.

The first he knew of Poldark was when he received a package containing the first two Graham books, eight scripts written by Debbie Horsfield and a note to say he would be getting a call. When he was offered the lead, the first thing he did was Google the name.

Then I was like, bloody hell, this is quite a bit deal.

I later speak to Debbie Horsfield, who says the part had Aidan written all over it.

Id seen him in Desperate Romantics and Being Human, which Id loved. I was very clear about the qualities Ross had to have. He is a very complex and complicated character. He is charismatic but also has vulnerability, and is quick-tempered, and also a rebel, an outsider, and I thought, who fits that bill? And I thought back to Being Human and Desperate Romantics and thought both of those characters are very different but have elements of what we are looking for in Ross.

And when you wrote that topless scything scene, did you think, this is going to drive the audience wild?

I was very taken aback, to be honest. That scene is in the script. Its a crucial moment in the story because Demelza and Ross have just had sex the night before and hes working the field to try to forget about it. From a storytelling point of view, we needed to be aware of his physicality, to remind us of that night before. We thought that was as far as it would go, and then to see the photograph in every newspaper for the next six months  nobody envisaged that would happen.

Annoying? Its great to have the publicity but I suppose its slightly frustrating when its the only thing mentioned about the show. 

I wonder how it has changed Turners life. He says, Nothings changed an awful lot. Really? You get recognised the odd time, and you get fan mail from time to time, and everyone is very sweet and supportive, which is flattering, but it doesnt affect my daily grind.

I tell him Im worried about typecasting  will I always be selling hares from now on?  and ask if he is too.

I dont worry about that. Actors have a lot of choice. Its one of the few powers we have. You can choose what you want to do and in what direction you want to take your career.

And then its time to go. Alas, all that practising of THE PILCHARDS ARE COMING! had been in vain, and had always been in vain, it transpires.

There are no pilchards in series two, says Debbie. And topless scything? No topless scything either.*

I wasnt asking about that for myself, Im quick to tell her. Just asking for a friend.

Poldark begins on Sunday September 4 at 9pm

1. STILL MISSING DOWNTON?

Victoria, ITV, September

The gaping hole left by Julian Fellowes period drama is set to be filled by a biopic of Queen Victoria starring Jenna Coleman in her first role since leaving Doctor Who.

Victoria, ITV. The story concentrates on Victorias accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 and there is no skimping on detail: the first episode recreates Victorias coronation at Westminster Abbey in its full glory

ITV is hoping the eight-part Sunday night drama will create the same magic as Downton Abbey thanks to a combination of big budgets, period detail and a sexy cast that includes Rufus Sewell, who plays Prime Minister Lord Melbourne.

The story concentrates on Victorias accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 and there is no skimping on detail: the first episode recreates Victorias coronation at Westminster Abbey in its full glory.

2. RAIDERS OF THE LOST FILMS

Hooten And The Lady, Sky 1, September

An ambitious stab at the adventure genre, Hooten And The Lady promises to be a fun, frothy drama as the dark nights draw in.

The eight-part series follows the adventures of maverick explorer Hooten, played by US Love Soup actor Michael Landes, and British Museum curator Lady Alexandra, played by W1As Ophelia Lovibond, with the wonderful Jane Seymour also making a return to our small screens.

Comparisons with Indiana Jones are inevitable but insiders say Michael Douglass 1984 film Romancing The Stone is closer to the mark.

Shot in South Africa, Moscow, Cambodia and Rome, the series is from the makers of Death In Paradise, so expect tongues to be firmly in cheeks.

3. THE USUAL SUSPECTS

National Treasure, C4, September/October

A timely drama stars Robbie Coltrane as Paul Finchley, a faded comedian accused of historic sex crimes, and Julie Walters as his devastated wife trying to come to terms with the allegations against him.

Written by This Is England author Jack Thorne, the four-part series delves into the consequences of such an accusation with obvious nods to high-profile, real-life Yewtree cases from the past few years.

Joining the cast are Andrea Riseborough as the couples daughter, and Tim McInnerny as his more successful former comedy partner.

4. QUEEN: THE EARLY YEARS

The Crown, Netflix, Nov 4

Another royal drama, and with an astonishing 100 million budget, one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

Wolf Hall actress Claire Foy plays a young Queen Elizabeth II, with former Doctor Who star Matt Smith as her husband, Prince Philip.

The Crown, Netflix, Nov 4. Wolf Hall actress Claire Foy plays a young Queen Elizabeth II

Covering the first decade of the Queens reign, The Crown will also cover our monarchs relationship with Winston Churchill.

Writer Peter Morgan has great pedigree with his royal dramas: he wrote the 2006 Oscarwinning film The Queen, which starred Helen Mirren as HRH, and this one promises to show what really goes on beyond the Palace gates.

5. A KILLER IN OUR MIDST

Dark Angel, ITV, September

Adultery, bigamy, fraud and murder: the perfect ingredients for a chilling two-part thriller.

Based on a true story, this two-parter stars Joanne Froggatt as Victorian serial killer Mary Ann Cotton, a seemingly loving wife and mother.

Based on a true story, Dark Angel is a two-parter starring Joanne Froggatt as Victorian serial killer Mary Ann Cotton, a seemingly loving wife and mother

Yet she is hiding a dark secret: ruthlessly determined to create a better life, she travels around the North-East, embedding herself within unsuspecting families before killing them and taking their money.

The supporting cast includes Alun Armstrong and Jonas Armstrong, and theres an award-winning team of writer, producer and director whose credits include Downton Abbey.

6. LOST.... AND FOUND

The Missing, BBC1, late 2016

A return for this hit psychological thriller, but dont expect a re-run of the original story.

Instead of a hunt for a missing child, the second series will focus on an abducted child being found after 11 years, and a familys attempts to move forward after such a traumatic experience.

James Nesbitt and Frances OConnor have been replaced by David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes as the husband and wife dealing with this emotional bombshell.
Pais is a little-known grape which deserves top billing  the presence of Javier Bardem with the elegance of Penelope Cruz. It made its way from Spain to Chile in the 16th century and alongside Chiles great value and dependability is an example of growing confidence in wines that couldnt be produced anywhere else.

With diverse wine styles across landscapes from glacier to desert, mountain to ocean, Chile is on the march and Pais is one of a fistful of grapes leading the charge.

Pais is often a workhorse for bulk wine. But solo or skilfully blended, some of the old vine fruit creates superb summery reds that are immense value for the character and complexity on offer. Bouchons Pais Salvaje 2015 (12%) 9.99 at dulwichvintners.co.uk is made from wild vines and feels like a wonderfully gutsy Gamay fringed with floral allure.

Torres Reserva del Pueblo Cepa Pais 2014 (12%) is a steal for 7.25 from The Wine Society and scrumptious chilled with a barbecue. Im also encouraged by Chiles blends  Von Siebenthals Parcela #7 2012 (14%) with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is a classic punching above its 15 price at highburyvintners.co.uk.

And Chiles spicy signature red grape Carmenere is also thriving both solo and in blends  Estevez Cabernet-Carmenere 2014 (13.5%) is ace for just 4.89 in Aldi.

As for whites, is there nothing Chile cant do? Aromatic grapes such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer sit alongside classic varieties in dynamic locations such as Itata in the south with Pandolfli Price Los Patricios Chardonnay 2013 (14.5%) or Montes Outer Limits Zapallar Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (13%).
When Cold Feet became a huge hit, John Thomson hit the bottle, the shows writer wrestled with depression, and Hermione Norris fled the country to escape the fame.... so why on earth are they doing it all over again?

'Id got lost. With these three words John Thomson reveals the devastating impact of appearing on one of Britains biggest and best-loved television dramas. Thomson was one of the stars of Cold Feet, which in 1998 rocketed him to fame alongside the then unknown Irish actor James Nesbitt, Hermione Norris (whod been working in a supermarket between acting jobs before getting the role), Helen Baxendale, Fay Ripley and Robert Bathurst.

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When Cold Feet became a huge hit, John Thomson hit the bottle, the shows writer wrestled with depression, and Hermione Norris fled the country to escape the fame.... so why on earth are they doing it all over again?

Event has been given exclusive access to the Cold Feet reunion, joining the stars on set in Manchester to listen to their tales of tears, fears and how the years have changed them all

But as Thomson admits, success had a darker side for him. At the time the Nineties seemed great for me, but I was living a hedonistic lifestyle. I moved to London and lived there for ten years. Every day was a groundhog day of private members clubs and parties and it just got too much.

I knew something had to change and I moved back to Manchester. I stopped partying. I focused on my family. You learn from your mistakes. I stopped drinking on December 29, 2006 [three years after the fifth and final series was shown].

Cold Feet also turned Nesbitts life upside down, despite propelling him to a phenomenal career that has seen him appear in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Hobbit. Nesbitt and Thomsons first taste of fame plunged them into a spiral of drinking and partying that adversely affected their relationships. Nesbitt was dogged at the time by accusations of dalliances outside of marriage, while Thomson was accused of cheating on his partner.

James Nesbitt's character Adam returns from travelling in the new series

James Thomson (right) and Nesbitt embrace as they reprise their roles as Pete and Adam in the new series

Thomson Ceallach Spellman (left) as Matthew

For Thomson a return to the show is a chance he never thought he would have, for redemption and to prove himself as an actor. On set he is meticulously prepared, and in between filming works out in the gym. The old days of partying and tabloid notoriety are long behind him, and he is the first to admit he has never been happier or more appreciative of the opportunity to return to his past  as a sober man.

The original Cold Feet should have been his passport to happiness. The show was a TV phenomenon, winning 20 major awards including Baftas, British Comedy Awards and National Television Awards during its run from 1998 to 2003. Set in Manchester  then the rocking cradle of The Stone Roses, Oasis and Happy Mondays  the original Cold Feet followed the story of three sets of 20-something couples as they navigated life, love and relationships.

After an unpromising start (the pilot pulled in fewer than four million viewers) the show took off and was soon dubbed the British version of Friends. The cast members became the biggest stars on TV. Helen Baxendale  who played Nesbitts on-screen girlfriend, Rachel Bradley, even went on to be in Friends. Almost 11 million people tuned in to the Cold Feet episode where Rachel died in a car crash. The subsequent funeral turned into front-page news.

But Rachel wasnt the only victim of Cold Feet. Nesbitt and Thomsons off-screen antics gave them notoriety in the gossip columns. Nesbitt is now separated from the actress Sonia Forbes-Adam, mother of his teenage daughters, Peggy and Mary) while Thomson  who went on to star in Coronation Street and David Walliams Billionaire Boy  is divorced from Sam, the mother of his daughters, Olivia, 13, and Sophia, six.

As sun streams through the windows of a Conservative Club in Prestwich, Manchester, Nesbitt is pacing anxiously past a table heaving with trays of ham and egg mayonnaise sandwiches, watched dispassionately by the Queen, whose portrait is hanging by the bar.

Im nervous about this, he says in his Northern Irish burr as he waits for the stage hands to pull clingfilm from the sandwiches and the make-up artists to re-apply powder to his face. Im definitely feeling the fear.

So he should be, for 18 years after its debut, Cold Feet is coming back to our screens once more. It is week two into filming of the long-awaited, much-anticipated reprisal of the show, and its hard not to separate the twists and turns in their personal lives from those of the characters they play.

While a clean and sober Thomson has found redemption in returning to the show, his character now has to tackle the chronic depression that devastated Mike Bullen  the writer and creator of the show  who admits that the success of Cold Feet became a noose around his neck. Id be asked to write something. Id deliver it and then Id get these disappointed responses from TV companies saying: But this isnt a Cold Feet, is it? he says. I went through a depression. I couldnt get off my couch. I want to talk about depression in men in the new series, as it is something that isnt explored often in drama.

Event has been given exclusive access to the Cold Feet reunion, joining the stars on set in Manchester to listen to their tales of tears, fears and how the years have changed them all. Theres a lot of herbal teas being asked for  in the old days it was just basically pints of lager, says Nesbitt. But the big difference is after filming were all in bed by 10.30 instead of 3.30am.

Adam (James Nesbitt) with Ceallach Spellman (Matthew)

In terms of drama  and the reputations of its actors, from Nesbitt to Downton Abbeys Bathurst  it is probably the biggest gamble ITV has taken for more than a decade. The decision to go ahead with a new show was conducted with the levels of secrecy usually reserved for issues of national security.

When strong rumours of a reunion (which turned out to be unfounded) emerged three years after the show ended, the story made such waves it appeared on News At Ten. Bullen was wary of returning to the show, recalling how it didnt start off as a hit: The screening was delayed and it was so late that by the time it started only my mum was watching, he jokes. Fay Ripley also thought the series was doomed to failure from the start: The pilot for the series was basically a flop and we all thought that was it. And then it just turned around overnight. We plugged into something that the audience loved.

The new Cold Feet does not pick up from when we last saw the characters in 2003. It starts in the present  each character has moved on. Nesbitts Adam, who has been away travelling, has returned to Manchester to rebuild a relationship with his teenage son. Jenny (Fay Ripley) has got back with a struggling Pete (Thomson). Meanwhile, Karen (Norris) and David (Bathurst) remain divorced.

As he rests between filming, a trim-looking Thomson  whose career started alongside Steve Coogan, playing Fat Bob to Coogans Pauline Calf  says: This whole process has been incredibly important for me. Im older, wiser and a very different man. When you are younger you cant handle things. None of us knew how massive Cold Feet was going to be. That sort of thing can be very scary.

I realised how lucky I was to have my family and this job that I loved. You come back on set here and it just reinforces that. Im lucky to have got this chance to do it all again.

Ive cried, he admits. Jimmys definitely cried. Its been very emotional.

While Thomson, 47, is in a reflective mood, Nesbitt, whose star has sky-rocketed over the past decade with roles in award-winning dramas from The Missing to Lucky Man, is in high spirits. For all his A-list status, Nesbitt was among the keenest to reunite with the show. I was definitely not going to be Posh Spice, he says, laughing. I was in from the start. This is something very special to me. Nesbitt has a deeply sentimental attachment to the show, born of the fact that he categorically credits it with turning him into a star. He did not, however, refresh his memory of Cold Feet by watching the original series back to back before he started. And then I got to Manchester. I was jet-lagged, I was staying in a flat in Didsbury and I turned on the TV and there was an old episode of the show.

It was a scene with me and Hermione smoking weed together in a toilet. I thought it was brilliant. Really funny, really true to those mad moments in your 20s, and I also had absolutely no memory of actually doing that scene. I walked on to set the next day and saw Hermione. I said to her: Do you remember the two of us smoking a joint in a toilet? She said, No. Youre making that up. Neither of us had any memory of it at all.

A still from the original series of Cold Feet

You have to wonder if Hollywood fame has brought Nesbitt the biggest trailer and the most demands on the set. Nesbitt guffaws with laughter. Robert calls me the peacock because I can be very vain. Were very different. Robert is like a cross between Terry-Thomas and Lord Charles, and then John has always been the joker.

When we filmed the first time around we all shared a caravan on set, which could get pretty ripe towards the end of the week. Now we all have a little trailer each. You slip into the same relationships, were even telling the same jokes. Coming back together for the first time at the first read-through was actually great. It wasnt a Spice Girls reunion. We were all actually quite nervous. It was all of us, older, changed a bit but not really changed that much at all. If anything I think we are all closer now.

Over the course of a few weeks, several of the shows stars  from Ripley to Norris to Bathurst  tell me they were initially reluctant to return to the series. Nesbitt, now 51, nods.

The idea for another Cold Feet has come up a few times over the past decade and its never felt right. This time it just did.

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Things happen to you in your 20s and in each decade things change. Your late 40s and your early 50s throw up different issues. Theres a lot to do with you as a parent, your relationship with your kids.

There is a new generation of Cold Feet kids: weve had this injection of new blood.

Newcomer Ceallach Spellman plays Adams son, Matthew, while Ella Hunt and Daisy Edgar-Jones play Ellie and Olivia Marsden, the children of Karen and David. Madeleine Edmondson plays Jennys daughter, Chloe, and Jack Harper plays Pete and Jennys son, Adam.

Fay Ripley, 50, like Nesbitt, did no research for her reprisal of the tough, straight-talking Jenny Gifford. I had a few facials and a haircut, she says. But I took the view that there was no point going through old scripts or watching old episodes.

I struggle to remember what happened last week, let alone what happened to me 15 years ago. I remember the big things but I cant remember half of it. I remember leaving Pete  I couldnt forget that because for years every time I walked into a supermarket someone would say to me: Why are you so mean to Pete? Give the poor man a break.

I also remember I had a baby in real life while Jenny was giving birth on the show. They got a stand-in to film the scene and they put the pregnancy belly on the wrong way round so the pubic hair was visible just under her chest. That made me die laughing.

She was, she claims, the most nervous of the cast when they met at the read-through at a secret location in London in December. On the way there the cab driver got involved in an accident. It was very minor but part of me was wondering if I could go home and just say I couldnt make it because there had been this terrible incident.

Its a weird feeling to go back. It was so bizarre walking into the room but within minutes it felt like wed all just been together yesterday. I remember looking round at everyone and thinking we all looked really good. I just wish I had the body I had back then. And my memory is definitely going  the lines are so much harder to remember at my age.

As with the first Cold Feet, the city of Manchester itself is, says producer Rebecca Ferguson, the seventh cast member. The new show has been filmed exclusively in and around the city and new music has been written for the theme tune by Elbows Guy Garvie and I Am Kloots Peter Jobson  both Manchester locals and Cold Feet fans.

Ripley recalls getting the train to Manchester Piccadilly for the first time in more than a decade. I came out of the station and everything seemed different  but somehow the same. The whole city has grown up since we left it. I was remembering streets wed filmed on, streets wed all hobbled drunk down, this group of young actors having the best time of their life. And Manchester itself seems to have gone on its own journey. Its a different city in many ways because its so smart and modern but the heart is still the same  and hopefully it will be the same with the show.

Several weeks after filming wrapped, Norris is reflecting on what she describes as the most surreal experience of my life. She says: I didnt want to do the show. I thought it was a huge mistake to go back. Every bone in my body was telling me not to do it, leave the past in the past, because you risk spoiling something millions of people genuinely loved.

So what changed? She lets out a sigh. Mike Bullen. At the end of the day any project is not about the actors, its about the writer. But I didnt feel good about it until we went to the read-through and then I just relaxed  there is something about this group of actors that just works.

Norris says: It started off feeling so very wrong, then being together felt extremely weird. We all knew each other so well for that moment in time and it was like replaying the characters as well as our own relationships with each other.

The one person I really missed was Helen [Baxendale]. She, Fay and I used to share a very basic caravan. Wed all be getting changed in there, eating our cheese baps and having a laugh. It was very strange to be there without her. But then thats like life. You just miss people.

When the first series was on television I couldnt quite cope with the response. When we werent filming Id disappear and go travelling. I went all over India, I went to Thailand and Asia. No one knew who I was, I didnt have a phone, I was completely away from it all and I loved it.

Norris admits owing a strange debt to JK Rowling: Id grown up with a name that people just used to completely take the mickey out of. People thought it was ridiculous. On Cold Feet I started reading Harry Potter and I loved the fact there was a Hermione. And then there was the Potter movie and now every guinea pig, goldfish and hamster is called Hermione and no one laughs any more. Times have changed.

I find it incredibly hard to watch myself on television. Its why Ive never watched any of the original series of Cold Feet. All I know is I was there. Im very proud to have been part of it and I hope we do the whole thing justice.

Cold Feet returns to ITV next month#

The lovable rogue

James Nesbitt (Adam Williams)

Born in County Antrim, Nesbitt got his first small-screen role in 1991 in the movie Hear My Song and in 1996 appeared in one episode of Ballykissangel as an ex-boyfriend of the shows star, Dervla Kirwan.

Of his Cold Feet character (left, with Helen Baxendale) he says: I like Adam. Hes a boy trying to be a man like we all are. But he tries hard'

Recently awarded an OBE, he is one of the highest-paid British actors on television.

Of his Cold Feet character (below, with Helen Baxendale) he says: I like Adam. Hes a boy trying to be a man like we all are. But he tries hard. Adam was this absolute man-child but he had to cope with grief, he lost the love of his life.

The one moment that hit me filming this time around was when he goes back to the house he shared with Rachel, with their son. It was very emotional. There were tears, which I never expected.

The feisty mother

Fay Ripley (Jenny Gifford) London-born Ripley (right), who studied drama at the prestigious Guildhall, became one of the most sought-after actresses on television after Cold Feet.

She has featured in many TV dramas and starred in the recent Suspects but has also found acclaim as a cookery writer.

Fay Ripley (Jenny Gifford) London-born Ripley (right), who studied drama at the prestigious Guildhall, became one of the most sought-after actresses on television after Cold Feet

Cold Feet changed everything. It was massive in the day but it was still British television. No one turned into Madonna.

Of her Cold Feet character she says: Jennys funny, shes a good laugh and you know where you are with her. A lot of people thought she was harsh. But she was a go-getting woman with a husband who always needed a big kick up the a***. Underneath all that she loves him. Shes just very blunt, very down to earth.

Jenny then Feisty Jenny began the series married to hapless Pete Gifford (Thomson) and as a young mother to their son. ... and now Jenny is the mother of two teenagers and is coping with Pete, who is suffering from depression.

The bored housewife

Hermione Norris (Karen Marsden)

Norris (right) starred in Spooks and the critically acclaimed In The Club. In 2002 she married Wire In The Blood (in which she also starred) writer Simon Wheeler, the father of her two children, Wilf, 11, and Hero, eight.

Hermione Norris (as Karen Marsden) says: I loved Karen. She was a strong woman, she seemed very together from the outside, but she needed to find herself.

She says: I loved Karen. She was a strong woman, she seemed very together from the outside, but she needed to find herself.

KAREN THEN One half of the upwardly mobile Marsdens  but behind the immaculate grooming she was imploding, with serial affairs and a massive alcohol problem.

... AND NOW A single mother, she has spent the past decade bringing up her three children along with Matthew, the son of Adam and Rachel.

The devious banker

Robert Bathurst (David Marsden)

Born in the Gold Coast in 1957, Bathurst (left) auditioned for James Bond the year the role was given to Timothy Dalton.

Prior to Cold Feet he appeared in Red Dwarf and The House Of Eliott. In recent years hes been a regular on Downton Abbey.

Robert Bathurst (David Marsden). He and Karen have settled into a civil relationship and share custody of their children

He says: I thought another Cold Feet was a risk. A big risk. I resisted for a long time.

Of David, his character, he says: Hes an emotional cripple  but somehow there is something quite likeable about him.

DAVID THEN Left his wife when she began an affair with her publisher (Sean Pertwee). After a bitter custody battle he fell for his divorce lawyer.

... AND NOW He and Karen have settled into a civil relationship and share custody of their children.

The tortured soul

John Thomson (Pete Gifford)

Born in Salford, Thomson (right) became part of a new wave of Northern comedy actors, with Steve Coogan and Caroline Aherne.

He starred in The Fast Show, Coogans Run and Knowing Me, Knowing You with Coogan.

John Thomson (Pete Gifford). A loveable loser, his marriage faltered when his wife told him she had a crush on his best friend, Adam

Still largely known as a comedy actor, he has gone on to star in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road.

He was known as a party animal in the Nineties but today he says: Im a changed man. I eat healthily, I exercise, I look after myself. Im in better shape than I was first time round [in Cold Feet] even if the location catering did add a few pounds.

Of Pete, he says: In the original, Pete was always the loser, the joker, the funny one. Bad things happened to him but he would still get drunk and have a laugh. But when I was given the script by Mike Bullen I was quite shocked. As an actor I realised I was going to be tested.

PETE THEN A loveable loser, his marriage faltered when his wife told him she had a crush on his best friend, Adam. Jenny left for New York with their son and he remarried. But they split up when she slept with a colleague.
Edna OBrien is furious. The veteran Irish novelist has written a novel that many critics consider her masterpiece, the crowning glory of a long life, but the judges of the Man Booker Prize have chosen to ignore it. I am inflamed, says the author of The Little Red Chairs in her deep voice, sitting straight-backed in the library of her home near Londons Sloane Square, choosing her words very carefully but with an obvious anger. I was surprised not to be included and one day I might learn why.

With those low, controlled tones and the way she tilts her head, OBrien sounds strangely like an Irish Margaret Thatcher. Shed really hate that, as a lifelong Labour voter, but imagine Maggie as a bookish bohemian from County Clare in a long, pleated skirt, a black knitted top and with bright turquoise beads at her throat. These were made by Native Americans.

The life of Edna OBrien has been full of such extraordinary moments. Her debut novel The Country Girls was banned and burned in Ireland in 1960 for being immoral in its description of teenagers leaving their village  as she had  for the big city

Now 86, she still has the fine features and quick mind that dazzled Richard Burton and Marlon Brando in the Seventies, when she was a famously fiery feminist, breaking taboos with her rollocking, beautifully written stories about how real women felt about life, love and sex.

She reaches for a volume that quotes her friend, the late Samuel Beckett, and reads the words with relish as if they are a curse on the Booker judges. Let me say before I go any further, that I forgive nobody. I wish them all an atrocious life and then the fires and ice of hell.

Then a slow, wicked smile creeps across her face, because although OBrien is righteous in her anger, she is also making mischief. She has nothing to prove, this woman the critics have recently elevated to a place among the greatest writers of all time, comparing her with Joyce and Solzhenitsyn. The American literary giant Philip Roth declares her the most gifted woman now writing in English.

A new generation of readers has been transfixed by The Little Red Chairs, a story about a notorious war criminal fetching up in disguise as a healer in an Irish village and capturing the heart of a lonely local woman until he is found out.

Based on the real-life Butcher of Bosnia, Radovan Karadzic, The Little Red Chairs feels hugely topical at a time when millions are on the run from war. Yet it was not on the longlist for the Man Booker announced in late July. Its too easy to say there is a feeling of rejection, because of course there is, says OBrien. It was an omission that I did not expect and neither did many people. Other authors and other publishers have confirmed that to me, so Im not behaving as the wronged diva.

As a former Booker judge herself, OBrien is sure of her own talent and willing to say so. I am not going to be the modest violet about that. I work so hard, so passionately, so relentlessly on the words. There are many good writers. I happen to be one of them. We both laugh, but its true. These things hurt, and inflame, but sweet are the uses of adversity  they do not stop one writing. No way!

So now she is working on a new novel whose plot she will not describe, because then it would lose its power, as dear old Sam Beckett used to say. The author of Waiting For Godot was a fellow exile from Ireland who once sat at the foot of her bed in a hotel in Paris saying very little, waiting for her to recover from the effects of her one and only trip on LSD, which had been given to her by the famous therapist RD Laing.

OBrien with Michael Caine and his wife, Shakira, 1990

The life of Edna OBrien has been full of such extraordinary moments. Her debut novel The Country Girls was banned and burned in Ireland in 1960 for being immoral in its description of teenagers leaving their village  as she had  for the big city. It was a huge hit here, though. Some of her early books were made into films, including Zee & Co in 1972, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Caine, and OBrien fell in with the movie crowd.

I was a country gal who by accident, chance, luck and my own vivid personality entered into a world of glamour. I was the one who was giving the parties, and everyone came.

Jane Fonda was a friend, Judy Garland dropped in to one of the Saturday-night revelries at her home in Putney. Very famous people were quite different then  they were not surrounded by bodyguards in dark glasses. They were not as pretentious.

She had married and given birth to sons but was on her way to divorce by then. The Hollywood star Robert Mitchum came to visit her alone and danced in the parlour to her favourite records. We danced all the way up the stairs to the tiny bedroom, she wrote in her autobiography of 2012, Country Girl.

Marlon Brando came to see her too  his whole being taut, like an animal, ready to spring  but they stayed up all night talking instead of making love. Before leaving in the morning he asked, are you a great writer? She answered, I intend to be. Richard Burton was hurt when she turned down his advances, but like Brando she saw him as a bard and a brother rather than a lover.

Paul McCartney dropped by and sat in her kitchen playing the guitar for her boys Sasha and Carlo and making up a song on the spot: Edna OBrien, shell have you sighing, shell have you crying, hey, shell blow your mind away...

But then she had a dream about throwing burning oil over all the people who came to her parties, and stopped them immediately. I began to feel they were drawing out my working, serious, ruminative, writing self, she says now. It was seeping away from me.

She has worked very hard ever since, producing a total of 17 novels to date, as well as biographies of Byron and Joyce and collections of short stories. Faber is putting out new editions of her early work, with the novel August Is A Wicked Month next in line.

Edna OBrien in 2003. A new generation of readers has been transfixed by The Little Red Chairs, a story about a notorious war criminal fetching up in disguise as a healer in an Irish village and capturing the heart of a lonely local woman until he is found out

First published in 1965 and banned in several countries, it is described as a simmering tale of a woman rediscovering herself on the French Riviera. The book was used against her in the battle for custody of her sons, when the court was told it was indecent and obscene. She won custody anyway.

By the end of the Seventies she was an outspoken political figure too, commentating on the Troubles and womens rights and more than holding her own against Sir Robin Day and Michael Foot on the first- ever Question Time in 1979.

She delved into international politics with The Little Red Chairs, going to see Karadzic on trial in The Hague and interviewing many survivors of conflict. But couldnt Edna OBrien put her feet up now? I think I should be putting my feet up, but that aint the mathematics of life! I live by my writing. I have no other money. Ive no capital. I rent this place. Ive never had a fortune. I never got the big money. Those windfalls never came my way, and that does at times infuriate me. Yes.

As 90 looms, does she think about the end of her life? I do, yes, because Im alone. I have children but they have their wives and their children. I think about death, often. Sometimes with great anxiety and apprehension, which isnt the actual death itself but a long illness and helplessness and a dependency and I ask, on whom can I depend?

She is ambiguous about the possibility of life after death, but does know where she will be laid to rest. My grave is on an island in County Clare in a graveyard where my mothers family are buried. The walls of the monastery ruins are bleached, with big medallions of white lichen. So its very stark and beautiful. Water birds and sky birds, wheeling in and out. I think about it as if I am alive after death, seeing it all and writing about it. Thats a rather happy thought.

She has plans for her own funeral to include music by Van Morrison, a signed copy of whose album Moondance I notice on a rack. Id like it to be a good show but not too long, as if it was a party I was giving. Full of life, full of generosity.

Not yet, though, because OBrien is off to the Edinburgh Festival to talk about The Little Red Chairs. Im very glad Im a writer. Wouldnt be anything else. If I were born again Id like an income though.

Theres that wicked smile again. Shes a hoot and she knows it, a dry wit with a gleam in her eye. I was born in the year of the horse, 1930. A horse just keeps going until it falls down and dies. 

Edna OBrien intends to keep on going like that horse, whether she is shunned by the Booker judges or showered with praise. I thank God and the gods for the talent I have been given and I thank my mother for my perseverance, otherwise I would have given up at 40 or 50 or 60, says this wise, witty, salty voice that still has so much to say. Never give up! e
The final curtain comes down on BHS this weekend (or should that be the final shutter?) as the groups last stores close and its remaining staff head for the Jobcentre.

The pensions row will, of course, rumble on, but what may be crucial now is that the significance of this debacle extends far beyond BHS.

The state of the UKs defined benefit pension schemes is grim. The deficit across all pension funds is now reportedly more than 1trillion.

Curtain call: BHS' last stores close this week and its remaining staff head for the Jobcentre

The time has come for some truly radical solutions and perhaps Steve Webb, former Pensions Minister, has hit upon such a plan by proposing that some company pensions should be quickly transferred to the national rescue scheme, the Pension Protection Fund.

Normally a fund only goes into the PPF when its sponsoring company goes bust  as in the case of BHS  but Webb correctly points out that acting sooner might save everyone a lot of pain.

BHSs pension deficit was far lower just a year ago. Had it transferred into the PPF at that time, the cost and risk to all involved might have been lower.

How many other companies are barely able to survive and are also labouring under obligations to a pension fund that realistically they stand no hope of ever returning to surplus?

Changing the rules as Webb suggests would be extremely controversial. It might smack of bailing out companies from their liabilities.

Members of the funds in question would have to be convinced that joining the PPF  and taking a small cut to their pensions  might be less risky than ploughing on in the hope that their company could somehow make it good.

Steve Webb, former Pensions Minister, has maybe hit upon a plan by proposing that some company pensions should be quickly transferred to the national rescue scheme

I am not yet convinced of the likely effectiveness of Webbs idea, but it  or something like it  merits serious consideration.

Clearly it would not be acceptable if it became a way for companies and their shareholders to shuffle off their responsibilities.

Nor would it be acceptable if scheme members  innocent victims of this situation  paid an onerous price.

Safeguards could be put in place to avoid this, but it would be foolish to believe that such a change in how the PPF works would not have some unintended consequences.

Future worries: The pensions crisis this country is facing cannot be kicked down the road

However, the pensions crisis this country is facing cannot be kicked down the road in the hope that something will somehow turn up to solve it.

Anyone who claims otherwise is perpetuating the never-never-land approach that helped to create the financial crises we have faced since 2008.


Find a new flight in minutes and watch as the plane arrives

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The era of traipsing around travel shops in search of the best flight deal is long gone.

App 'appy: In a crisis, they could even spare you the kind of flight-desk anguish faced by Steve Martin in the hit Hollywood comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles

These days search engines on the internet such as Skyscanner will do the legwork on your behalf.

Information about thousands of flights that can be booked in an instant is only a few taps away on a smartphone app  often saving you hundreds of pounds in the process.

In a crisis, they could even spare you the kind of flight-desk anguish faced by Steve Martin in the hit Hollywood comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles, when he found himself stranded at an airport with no one able to help.

This is what happened to Bob Hughes, a retired British Airways customer services assistant, who gets great discounts on international flights thanks to his previous job.

However, he faces the downside that he is more likely to get bumped off flights if there are too many passengers.

The 70-year-old widower, who lives in Uxbridge, West London, says: I was stranded in Singapore at 11 oclock at night in April this year having just been bumped off a flight back to Britain.

Bob Hughes was stranded in Singapore at 11 oclock at night in April this year - but his Skyscanner app helped him book a new flight for just a few hours later

I whipped out my smartphone and tapped my requirements into the Skyscanner app. Within a couple of minutes Id booked another flight for just a few hours later.

I walked straight to the check-in desk and discovered the flight confirmation details had even been sent 30 seconds earlier. The hassle of booking was avoided and I got to choose the price and airline  400 with Emirates.

British Airways later refunded me for the inconvenience of being bumped off their plane and I also enjoyed a bonus stop-over in Dubai.

Other flight comparison websites with app tools that are worth checking out include Kayak and Momondo.

Flightaware: Free

With this app, there is no need to wait until you get to the airport to find your flight is delayed.

With this app, there is no need to wait until you get to the airport to find your flight is delayed

All the key details about your flight are accessible via your smartphone.

Thanks to such apps, you can also go plane spotting, as they allow you to find out what planes are flying around in real time, giving the routes and heights of jets.

It also lets you check out local weather reports and airport information to find your way around. The app is just one of many similar pieces of software you can download on to your phone to help keep tabs on fights.

Others worth considering include Flight Tracker, Flight Board and Flightradar.

Wait no longer as parking slots, taxis and buses are listed

Parkopedia: Free

This app aims eventually to list every parking spot in the world. It currently details availability and charges on 38 million spaces in 52 countries.

Ease: Drivers tap in where they want to drive to or check out local spots on their phone

Drivers tap in where they want to drive to, or check out local spots on their phone. Nanny Sam Correia, from Blackheath, South-East London, spends a lot of time searching for free or cheap spots for her Nissan Micra.

The 29-year-old says: It is always a nightmare to park in London. This app allows me to go straight to an available spot  often just a street away that I did not know existed.

If one is not available, I press on a link which enables me to pay for a car park by credit card and simply drive there.

Other apps to consider are RingGo Parking and JustPark.

The RingGo app aims to help those who do not want to carry around a pocketful of coins for the car park, but prefer to pay by giving their credit or debit card details over the phone instead.

Hailo: Free

For the best taxis in London there is no substitute for a black cab. Though not the cheapest, black cab drivers know streets like the back of their hands, having passed the Knowledge test.

With Hailo, a licensed taxi is a couple of taps away and with you in minutes. The app has an option to pre-book a taxi from an airport by putting in your flight details  and should arrive on time even if your flight is early or delayed.

You will be informed when the vehicle arrives.

It is also available in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.

Uber: Free

This service, which some fear undermines traditional black taxis, cannot be ignored as it makes booking a minicab much simpler.

Uber easy: Users get details of the nearest car, when it will arrive and pay using the app

Users are given details of the nearest car, when it will arrive and pay using the app. You can even track the cabs progress towards you.

Passengers can also opt to choose the type of car  everything from a basic economy vehicle to a luxury model.

It is available in 16 UK cities, but can also be used in major cities worldwide.

UK Bus Checker: Free

The app offers live times and maps for every bus route in Britain. If you do not want to see any advertisements, it costs up to 3.99.
Imagine a world where washing machines and dishwashers could be automatically programmed to come on when electricity was cheap or fridges slowed down temporarily when energy was expensive.

The cost savings could be substantial but the technology requires smart meters to work properly.

These monitor and display how much energy is being used every half-hour. That means customers can see almost immediately the amount of gas and electricity they are consuming throughout the day.

Control: Smart meters can be used with internet-based tools to set washing machines to run when power is cheap

They also communicate directly with energy suppliers, so there is no need for homeowners to supply meter readings any more. And they could be linked to household appliances too, allowing them to operate when demand for energy is low.

Smart Metering Systems owns and operates smart meters for energy suppliers, ranging from Centrica to Total to First Utility. The shares are 466p and should increase materially as the meters are rolled out across the country.

Peak demand for gas and electricity comes in the morning, when people are getting ready for work, and in the early evening when they come home.

Encouraging individuals to spread usage through the day and night is part of an overall Government plan to make the UK more energy efficient.

Smart meters are a key step towards this, so the Government has told gas and electricity suppliers that they need to install smart meters in every home by 2020.

SMS was founded in 1995 as an independent contractor, connecting businesses to gas and electricity on behalf of big industrial energy suppliers, such as BP, Dong Energy and ENI.

That business remains, but in 2004 the energy meter market was opened up to competition and SMS moved in. By the end of the year, it owned and operated 100 meters. Today it owns more than a million, including 600,000 domestic ones. SMS installs and operates these for energy suppliers and in return receives an annual rent.

The company began installing smart meters for businesses in 2008 and today 25 per cent of large firms  from supermarket chains to manufacturers  use its meters.

More competition: The independent suppliers are also expected to win market share from the Big Six as smart meters are installed

Looking ahead, the company has a huge opportunity in the residential market. The meters only recently began to be installed in homes and so far, smaller independent energy suppliers have been quicker off the mark than the Big Six  British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE.

SMS has already won contracts with eight independent suppliers, including First Utility, the biggest and best known. Together, these firms supply gas and electricity to 1.6million homes and SMS has been tasked with installing meters in 300,000 of them by 2017.

However, over the next four years chief executive Alan Foy hopes to install them in at least two million homes  both from existing contracts and new ones. There are good reasons to believe that Foy will achieve his ambition. First, SMS has been in the metering market for more than a decade, during which time it has established relationships with a wide range of suppliers and gained a reputation for reliability.

Second, Foy has been steadily building up expertise in the field and earlier this year acquired three businesses, two of which employ more than 100 specialist smart meter engineers.

The independent suppliers are also expected to win market share from the Big Six as smart meters are installed.

Some are using the new technology to win over customers, offering cheaper electricity at certain times of day, for example. Among the Big Six, British Gas will be installing its own devices but the remaining five have yet to clarify if they will follow suit or leave it to external parties, such as SMS.

If even a couple of them outsource to independent suppliers, SMS should gain substantial market share, not least because it is the only firm that offers an end-to-end service to suppliers  owning the meters, connecting them, operating and maintaining them.

Financing expansion is expensive. Installing a million meters, for example, would cost SMS about 300million. But the firm has bank facilities in place and is also receiving income from the devices that it has already installed. Once meters are in place, they provide a steady annual income stream, so SMS is expected to become a generous dividend payer over time.

In the meantime, turnover and profits are increasing steadily and the group already pays a dividend, albeit a relatively modest one.

Sales are expected to increase by 12 per cent in 2016 to 60.3million, with a further rise to 68 million next year. Profits are forecast to rise 9 per cent to 19 million this year and more than 22 per cent to 23.2million in 2017.

A dividend of 4.2p is expected for 2016, rising to 5.2p the following year.

Midas verdict: Smart meters have attracted controversy, with some consumers worried about data security, while others worry about whether they will actually work.

But the Government has expressed a commitment to having them in every home by 2020 and even if that target slips under Prime Minister Theresa May, the ultimate ambition is widely expected to remain in place, as smart meters are an integral part of UK energy policy.

SMS is neatly placed to benefit from the rollout and, at 466p, the shares should deliver substantial long-term gains.
Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb says the Government should consider calling time on the worst zombie pension funds and force them to join the Pension Protection Fund.

The PPF was created to take on funds from collapsed firms, but Webb said funds at struggling companies should be put into the rescue scheme before firms fail.

He proposed targeting funds with ballooning deficits where the sponsoring firm is unlikely to last the next two or three years.

Different approach: Steve Webb says the Government should consider calling time on the worst zombie pension funds

The plan could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds in salvage costs when firms go bust.

The fate of struggling schemes has been in the news since BHS collapsed with a pension deficit of 571million.

The last store in Londons Oxford Street closed yesterday. Just four years ago the deficit stood at 450million.

Webb, now director of policy at life insurer Royal London, said a proposed inquiry by the Work and Pensions Committee should consider the mechanism, even if it is politically unpalatable.

Funds that fall into the PPF are penalised, because any members yet to draw a pension face a cut of up to 10 per cent in payouts.

It is understood the Pensions Regulator and Pension Protection Fund already have a list of firms with zombie schemes.

Current issue: The fate of struggling schemes has been in the news since BHS collapsed with a pension deficit of 571million

Last year, the Pensions Institute issued an alarming report which said that as many as 1,000 of the UKs defined benefit pension schemes are at serious risk of falling into the PPF.

The fund is widely hailed as a success story of pension reform and manages schemes worth 30billion. It is funded by a levy on existing pension funds.

By handing the schemes to the PPF the deficits would be brought under control sooner before liabilities escalated, Webb said.
One in six victims of bank fraud currently does not receive a full refund. Others have to fight tooth and nail to get their money back.

But things are about to get worse once the recommendations of the latest probe into the much maligned  and failing  current account market are implemented.

The new regime demanded by the Competition & Markets Authority  a regulator whose aim is to promote competition across industries  has technology at its heart.

Worrying: One in six victims of bank fraud currently does not receive a full refund

Consumers will be able to use cutting-edge apps to get themselves a better banking deal.

But experts fear it will come at a cost if the banking industry and other companies involved in bringing about change fail to invest in customers online security.

They are also concerned that consumers will have to shoulder all the financial cost of cyber crimes committed against them.

The authority wants banks to share data more freely, using the same kind of technology as Facebook and taxi company Uber.

This should enable customers to compare current account deals based on their personal history of transactions.

But it has raised security fears among analysts. Suren Thiru, head of economics and business finance at the British Chambers of Commerce, is warning the regulator to tread carefully.

The CMA wants banks to share data more freely, using similar technology to Facebook

And Sue Lewis, chairwoman of the Financial Services Consumer Panel, which advises the Financial Conduct Authority on behalf of consumers, is highlighting a greater risk of scams and fraud, particularly for the least savvy consumers.

The authority says privacy and security concerns are paramount and that customers can decide what is shared and with whom.

But fraudsters have already proven they can bypass security features of banks and other businesses, and customers can be the ones left suffering as a result.

The push for banks to share data more freely has raised security fears among analysts

The Office for National Statistics has started recording fraud and computer offences in its Crime Survey for England and Wales.

Early estimates show that more than 1.4 million consumers lost money from bank account and credit card fraud in the year to the end of March 2016, but 229,000 victims received only a partial refund or none at all.

These statistics show only crimes against individuals and not small firms, suggesting that the total number of people affected could be even higher.
New far-reaching plans to promote competition in the current account market will take shape in seven months.

Here, The Mail on Sunday answers seven crucial questions about the banking reforms.

Simpler to switch: New 'open banking' service will be available through smartphone apps

What will change?

The key reform is open banking. This will let you transfer information held by your bank  such as your borrowing history  to rivals more easily, making it simpler to check whether other deals will prove cheaper or better for you.

The service will be available through smartphone apps, which are expected to be provided by comparison websites and emerging technology firms, in much the same way that switching websites use your energy consumption to recommend providers.

You will also be able to manage accounts held with different companies through a single app.

Banks will be required to display in branches and on their websites key information about the quality of their service.

Furthermore they must remind you of your right to switch at certain trigger points, for example if they close your local branch, increase charges or send an annual statement.

Other changes include: strengthening the current account switch service  which guarantees a smooth transition to a new account; ensuring you can access old statements even after an account is closed; forcing banks to alert you when you dip into an unagreed overdraft and the provision of a grace period to dodge fees; and caps on overdraft charges to be determined by each bank, known as the monthly maximum charge.

Changes: The key reform is open banking, which will let you transfer information held by your bank  such as your borrowing history  to rivals more easily

Why is reform needed?

Only 3 per cent of customers swap banks each year, an indicator of lacklustre competition. It is acknowledged that the biggest banks hold all the cards  and most of the customers  in a poorly working market.

Not enough has been done to rectify this to make way for smaller rivals.

Why don't more people move to a new bank?

Jody Baker, head of money at website comparethemarket, says: There are two key drivers behind this lack of competition  lack of awareness and fear.

Many simply dont understand the potential benefits of switching and worry about interrupted access to money, also believing it is an onerous process.

It can also be hard for some to determine if an alternative account represents better value, as there is no uniform way to compare.

Easy: Jody Baker, head of money at website comparethemarket, backs more switching

Why should I care?

You can save money or have a better banking experience by changing your current account. The perceived hassle is often magnified, while the rewards may be great.

The average saving for those moving to a better account are estimated to be 92 a year, while consumers who are regularly overdrawn could save double that.

You may be in the band of people who feel content, but are unaware of getting a raw deal, warns Sue Lewis.

She is chairwoman of the consumer panel that advises City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority on money matters and says the proposed reforms do not go far enough.

She explains: Banks with the highest charges and lowest quality of service have the biggest market share.

Satisfied loyal customers may not be aware they are being treated unfairly.

Who will benefit?

Overdraft users who pay disproportionate fees compared with the amounts they borrow should be winners under the new plans. If this is you, the reforms may convince you to seek out a cheaper account.

For example, if you have an unplanned overdraft of 100 on a Lloyds Bank Classic account for seven days, you could pay more than 70. But by switching to First Direct, an online subsidiary of HSBC, you could eliminate these fees altogether, because it offers a 250 interest-free overdraft.

Those confident about using the internet and smartphone technology should find comparisons easier under the new regime. But technophobes will miss out. Lewis says: Open banking will not help the digitally excluded.

Wealthy customers of private banks will not benefit from the reforms, as the service they receive incorporates investment  not just simple day-to-day banking.

Scales of injustice: Traditional banking did not carry today's risks

When will the changes come?

Measures will be phased in from early next year to autumn 2018, when the roll-out should be complete.

The first stage of open banking  incorporating simple information such as bank prices, branch locations and terms and conditions  will be available from the end of March next year.

The full development of open banking will take until early 2018, to ensure customer data is properly protected.

Current account providers will be expected to publish their maximum monthly charges for overdraft users by the end of the summer next year, while old bank statements will be available from early 2018.

How do I compare accounts now?

Though comparing accounts will be easier, there are tools available now to help you start afresh with a new provider.

In March last year, the website Gocompare launched the first free switching tool to use personal transaction history to find a better deal.

Websites such as FairerFinance and MoveYourMoney also rank current accounts based on factors including ethics, transparency and customer service.
An e-commerce website designed to help make life more comfortable for those living with cancer has closed a 1.6million funding round.

The for-profit online store, Live Better With, supplies non-medical products  from balms to mobility aids  to address symptoms and side effects of those undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery, and has recently partnered cancer charity Marie Curie.

With Marie Curie product bundles, a donation from sales goes to the charity. The site is aimed at friends and family members of patients buying gifts for their loved ones as well as patients themselves.

Expanding: Founder Tamara Rajah has a team of eight working at offices in London and NYC

After initial funding of 250,000, office space and access to support from Forward Partners last year, the latest funding round  led by venture capital firm Fig with Downing Ventures, Forward Partners, the London Co Investment Fund and angel investors  will be used to expand in the UK and abroad.

Founder Tamara Rajah, 33, who has a team of eight working at offices in London and New York, said: We have had over half a million visitors now and weve got an online community of well over 20,000.

Rajah, who had the idea after working on healthcare strategy at management consultancy McKinsey & Co, explained: I spent seven years working on healthcare. I focused a lot on strategies for people with long-term conditions in the UK and in the US.

'I noticed that these people get good medical care, but because theyve got long-term diseases, they have side effects and symptoms that can really affect their day-to-day lives. Those are less addressed by medical treatment.

I became frustrated that they dont know about hundreds of non-medical products that can soothe side effects and make their lives a little more normal.
Small companies are set to be exempted from controversial tax reporting plans in the latest effort by the new Government to lift their red tape burden.

About 1.3million small businesses and landlords will not be forced to complete online quarterly tax returns under plans announced by former Chancellor George Osborne last year.

The concession is expected to be outlined tomorrow in a Treasury consultation paper and follows a furious reaction to the original plans.

Exempt: About 1.3million small businesses and landlords will not be forced to complete online quarterly tax returns

Under the new proposals, businesses that cannot go digital will not be required to complete the online returns, and a large number of smaller businesses will simply be exempted.

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: Weve been engaging with the Government extensively on this and it is good to see they are listening. Removing small businesses and the self-employed with modest turnovers altogether from the proposals would mean that half of the UKs 5.4 million small businesses would not be affected.

While announcing the dispensation for smaller companies, Jane Ellison MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, is expected to confirm the Governments long-term commitment to digital tax reporting as a way to make the UKs tax administration more efficient and straightforward.

She said this weekend: By replacing the annual tax return with simple, digital updates, businesses will be able to concentrate on putting people and profit, not paperwork, first.

The tax reporting exemption follows warnings from small businesses that the plans would be a dogs dinner.

In a letter last December to Sajid Javid, then Secretary of State for Business, Dr Adam Marshall, now acting director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the issue of tax administration had risen up the ranks to become one of the principal regulatory complaints received from businesses across the UK Chamber Network.

It follows warnings from small businesses that the plans would be a dogs dinner

A petition under the title Scrap plans forcing self employed & small business to do 4 tax returns yearly was signed by more than 100,000 people and debated in Parliament in January.

The concession to small companies on tax reporting follows last weeks announcement that the very smallest companies would also be exempted from paying into the Apprenticeship Levy  another controversial scheme launched by Osborne last year.

Last week the Government confirmed that employers operating in the UK with a pay bill of more than 3million must contribute to a new apprenticeship levy from next April. But it also revealed a key concession for smaller firms.

Ministers proposed that companies with fewer than 50 employees that take on a 16 to 18-year-old apprentice will not have to contribute towards training costs.

Those taking on apprentices will benefit from a cash incentive of 1,000 per apprentice. The same sum will go to the training provider.

The Apprenticeship Levy was another controversial scheme launched by Osborne last year

The Government has offered to pay 90 per cent of the costs of training older apprentices for firms with fewer than 50 employees.

It is urging employers and training providers to have their say on the initial proposals.

The call for views comes amid fears, reported in The Mail on Sunday last week, that the Government will miss its target to create three million apprenticeships by 2020 as firms rein in hiring trainees.

Emma Jones, founder of small business support group Enterprise Nation, who was among those at Theresa Mays round table for small business representatives at No 10 on August 4, said: It was a strong start to talks with the Prime Minister and her new team around small business.

She is right behind the need for a push to encourage small businesses and start-ups to go global and the need to stay positive in a challenging environment.
Department store group John Lewis is to launch Made Locally, an initiative to support local suppliers and manufacturers, in October.

The project will see it bring together locally designed and made products in dedicated areas in its shops.

The initiative will start in its Leeds store, which opens October 20, and will stock more than 120 products from 11 Yorkshire suppliers, including Masons Yorkshire Gin and The Harrogate Candle Company.

Proud: Deborah Wilson, left, and Fiona Carrs candles are truly British

All the suppliers are based within a 30-mile radius of Leeds. The goods will also be available on the John Lewis website.

Over the next few months, shops in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff will also increase their range of locally made products, followed by new shops opening next year in Oxford and Shepherds Bush, West London.

The project has been set up in partnership with Harrogate-based The Great British Exchange, which launched in 2014 and sources artisanal products from new designers, established makers, independent businesses and UK factories. It helps independent suppliers make their products available in national retailers.

The Harrogate Candle Company, started by neighbours Deborah Wilson and Fiona Carr in 2012 after discussing their love of scented candles, will add John Lewis to its list of stockists  from independent gift shops to florists. The candles are hand-poured in Harrogate.
The Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, was killed last month in an airstrike in Nangarhar province, the Pentagon said Friday.

Saeed was named head of ISIS's 'Khorasan province,' which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of neighboring countries, early last year when a group of Pakistani Taliban switched allegiance to the jihadist group.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Gordon Trowbridge said the strike came while US and Afghan special operations forces carried out counter-ISIS operations in southern Nangarhar province throughout July.

The Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, was killed in July in a strike in the border region between the two countries, a US defense official says

'During this time, US forces conducted an airstrike targeting Hafiz Saeed Khan, the Islamic State in the Levant-Khorasan emir, in Achin district, Nangarhar province July 26, resulting in his death,' Trowbridge said.

Saeed 'was known to directly participate in attacks against US and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar,' he added.

Details of the strike were not immediately available, but a US official told the BBC that Saeed was killed by drone.

The death of Saeed represents a major setback for ISIS as it tries to establish itself as a serious force in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of ISIS-linked cadres in restive Nangarhar province, close to the Pakistani border.

That attack came less than six months after another strike in Afghanistan killed Abdul Rauf Khadim, who was thought to be the ISIS number two in the country.

Map of Afghanistan locating death of the Islamic State group's regional leader in Kot district, Nangarhar province

Some Afghan Taliban members have defected to the jihadist group, with insurgents apparently adopting the black ISIS flag to rebrand themselves as a more lethal force.

Most NATO combat troops who had been fighting the Taliban and other insurgent groups have now left Afghanistan, with responsibility for the country's security switching to local forces.

The Afghan troops, however, still rely on US air support and training and have struggled to stem frequent Taliban offensives.

The former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike inside Pakistan in May.

Both the Pakistani Taliban and Islamic State jihadists have claimed responsibility for a horrific suicide bombing on Monday at a hospital in Pakistan which killed 73 people.

The IS group has also claimed responsibility for a July 23 attack in Kabul that killed dozens of people and left hundreds maimed.
Kremlin said two Russians were killed in Crimea on Wednesday

Russia has deployed its most advanced surface-to-air missiles to Crimea as tensions rise in the region.

The S-400 'Triumph' air defence system has been sent to the peninsula, following a pledge to deploy it to the region last month.

The announcement came on Friday amid escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia over the contested peninsula.

Russia has deployed the S-400 'Triumph' air defence system to Crimea amid rising tensions. It is pictured here during military exercises near Elektrostal, outside Moscow, in 2010

The air defence system can track some 300 targets and shoot down around three dozen simultaneously over a range of more than 150 miles

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that two Russians were killed while thwarting what it described as a series of attempted terror attacks by Ukrainian 'saboteurs' in Crimea.

President Vladimir Putin condemned what he described as a 'stupid criminal action' by the Ukrainian authorities and vowed to take additional steps to ensure security of Crimea.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko rejected the Russian claims as 'fantasy' and 'provocation'.

He said his government would use only political and diplomatic means to restore its sovereignty over Crimea.

Since Crimea's annexation, Russia has stepped up its military presence in the peninsula, which is home to its Black Sea fleet.

Earlier this week, footage appeared to show a fleet of Russian armoured trucks driving down a street on the peninsular in a large convoy on the northern Crimea border.

Russia has deployed advanced surface-to-air missiles to Crimea amid rising tensions

The S-400 'Triumph' is the country's newest anti-aircraft and missile defence system.

The air defence system can track some 300 targets and shoot down around three dozen simultaneously over a range of more than 150 miles.

It has also been deployed to Syria, where Moscow is conducting a bombing campaign in support of long-time ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The deployment of the S-400 to Crimea comes as NATO rolls out the biggest military build-up in eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.

The United States has angered Moscow by installing a missile defence shield close to its borders.
A Silicon Valley internet mogul who made $300 million at the age of 25 and appeared on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' as a highly eligible bachelor was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for violating his probation in a domestic violence case.

Gurbaksh Chahal, now 34, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Tracie Brown, who gave him time to appeal the decision before starting to serve the sentence.

Brown determined last month that Chahal had violated the probation ordered after he pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic violence battery.

Silicon Valley internet mogul, Gurbaksh Chahal (left in court in July), 34, was sentenced Friday to a year in jail for violating his probation in a domestic violence case

Prosecutors said surveillance footage from his San Francisco penthouse showed him punching and kicking his girlfriend and trying to smother her with a pillow.

Chahal entered his plea to the reduced charges after the woman stopped cooperating with authorities and a judge said the video could not be used as evidence because it had been improperly obtained.

He was accused of violating his probation by kicking another girlfriend, who also didn't cooperate with prosecutors.

His lawyers challenged her credibility by saying she got into a sham marriage to get a US visa and had been drinking on the night of the dispute.

Chahal said both women had cheated on him.

During the previous probation hearing, Brown reviewed the video of the first attack before issuing her ruling. The footage was not made public.

Chahal made $300 million in 2007 when he sold his digital advertising company to Yahoo.

It was determined that Chahal (center) violated probation ordered after he pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic violence battery. He was accused of violating probation by kicking another girlfriend. He said both women cheated on him

A year later, he appeared on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' in a segment that promoted him as a highly eligible bachelor.

Chahal's legal woes extend beyond the criminal case. Two former employees have sued him for discrimination, painting him as a bullying boss who thought little of women.

Patricia Glaser, the lawyer representing Chahal in the lawsuits, did not return emails or phone calls seeking comment.

Emails to Chahal's online advertising technology company, Gravity4, were not returned.

Faced with the initial domestic violence charges, Chahal got help from powerful former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and the former chief financial officer for the state of California, Steve Westly, according to one of the lawsuits and emails between Westly and Chahal reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Westly, who was on the board of a company Chahal founded, suggested the businessman reach out to Willie Brown, according to a 2015 lawsuit by Yousef Khraibut, a former Gravity4 employee.

Chahal's (pictured in 2008) legal woes extend beyond the criminal case. Two former employees have also sued him for discrimination, painting him as a bullying boss who thought little of women

Chahal told Khraibut that he paid Brown a $250,000 retainer to exert pressure on the district attorney to dismiss the charges, saying Brown had the 'juice' to make them disappear, the lawsuit said.

A woman who answered the phone at Brown's law office said he would not be back until Friday.

Brown said in a radio interview last September that he was asked to put together a legal team to defend Chahal but did nothing unethical and returned most of the $250,000.

Westly, whose name has been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2018, said in a statement that he doesn't comment on ongoing legal cases but added that domestic violence in any form is inexcusable.

Khraibut's lawsuit also accuses Chahal of crass behavior, saying he sought male colleagues' opinions of a bikini photo of a prospective female employee and used a vulgar term to describe decisions to let attractive women advance in the hiring process.
RMT Union is already behind worst wave of industrial action in 30 years

Around 1,800 workers to walk out on Friday August 26 in protest

Union barons yesterday announced another wave of rail strikes which threaten to wreck the travel plans of thousands over the bank holiday weekend.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union is already behind the worst wave of industrial action to hit the railways in 30 years.

In a move aimed at causing maximum disruption, hardline bosses unveiled plans for three 24-hour strikes on the Virgin Trains-operated East Coast Main Line, one of the countrys busiest routes.

Union barons yesterday announced another wave of rail strikes which threaten to wreck the travel plans of thousands over the bank holiday weekend

MPs accused the RMT of co-ordinating widespread strike action to cause chaos.

Around 1,800 rail workers will walk out on Friday, August 26, when many families are due to begin their weekend getaways, before striking again on Bank Holiday Monday. The other strike will be next Friday at the start of another busy holiday weekend.

The walkouts centre on union claims that plans to introduce more flexible working arrangements will see 200 lose their jobs.

The union had been planning to stage a four-day strike on Eurostar services this weekend in a row over workers work/life balance. It was called off at the last minute yesterday but the strike threat had left hundreds of holidaymakers in limbo.

Unions have refused to rule out the possibility of further Eurostar strikes. More disruption is expected on Southern Rail following a summer of misery for thousands of commuters affected by its depleted service and cancelled trains.

Will Quince, a Tory member of the Commons transport committee, said: One has to question whether this is some kind of drive to undermine the train companies and the Government to make renationalisation more attractive, which of course it isnt.

Around 1,800 rail workers will walk out on Friday August 26, when families across Britain are due to begin their weekend getaway, before striking again on Bank Holiday Monday

Unions have a place when they have a legitimate cause. But when they are complaining about work/life balance while taking no account of the work life balance of commuters who cant get home to see their families they must be resisted.

Rail minister Paul Maynard also took aim at the unnecessary and thoughtless action by the RMT.

He said: They appear determined to try to wreck the daily lives of passengers who do not deserve this disruption.
Former flight attendant Joanne Snow, above, was found not guilty by reason of insanity

An American Airlines flight attendant accused last year of attacking crew members and air marshals during a trans-Atlantic flight has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Joanne Snow, 67, had faced charges of interference with flight crews and attendants, and with assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer or employee of the United States. She faced 25 years in prison.

Snow, who had worked for the airline for 45 years, had attacked co-workers and two US air marshals and tried to open the jets door as it taxied for takeoff, according to the Charlotte Observer.

This week, federal prosecutors reduced the charges to simple assault.

Snow, above, became extremely agitated on a round trip flight in November 2015

Lawyers for both sides agreed that Snow had reacted badly to some prescription medication and was no longer a danger to herself or others

In a Charlotte courtroom on Friday, both sides stipulated that the flight attendant had reacted badly to some prescription drugs taken before the flight, and had been treated by a psychiatrist and was no longer a threat to the public.

US Magistrate Judge David Cayer agreed, and accepted the not-guilty plea recommended by attorneys.

'She is not a criminal. If she had been removed and given the psychiatric treatment she needed, none of this would have happened,' said coworker Cyndy Atkins in January.

On November 23, 2015, US Air Marshal Joseph Fialka said in an affidavit that while American Airlines Flight 704 was en route to Frankfurt, Germany, from Charlotte, one flight attendant told him that Snow slapped her in the face while they were in the aircraft's middle galley.

American Airlines was criticized for not properly handling the matter when flight attendant Joanne Snow began acting erratically on a flight in November 2015

Fialka said Snow later shoved him several times on his shoulder and arm as he was seated, then went to the back of the plane and grabbed the collar of another air marshal.

After those incidents, Fialka said he was talking with another air marshal when Snow became upset and hit him in the chest with an open palm.

Fialka said Snow and the same crew were assigned to the return flight from Frankfurt to Charlotte on November 25. When the plane arrived in Charlotte, Fialka said Snow tried to get past a passport control officer.

She was eventually handcuffed and taken to an interview room, but Fialka said she kicked him five or six times before they got there.
Foul-mouthed response: Judge Patricia Lynch QC hit back at racist thug John Hennigan after he called her a 'bit of a c***'

A judge who called a racist thug a bit of a **** after he launched a foul-mouthed tirade at her in court is facing an official investigation over her remarks.

Judge Patricia Lynch, QC, received widespread praise for the robust way she dealt with John Hennigan when sentencing him for his ninth breach of an anti-social behaviour order in 11 years.

But she was placed under official investigation by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office after it received several complaints about her choice of language in court earlier this week.

During sentencing, the 50-year-old defendant told her she was a bit of a ****, to which she responded: You are a bit of a **** yourself. Being offensive to me does not help.

Hennigan, who has convictions for 47 offences involving racism and anti-social behaviour, then shouted back: Go f*** yourself, to which the judge replied: You too.

After the extraordinary exchange, Hennigan banged on the glass panel of the dock before performing a Nazi salute. He twice shouted Sieg Heil and then started to sing: Jews, gas them all. Judge Lynch was unperturbed and, speaking in a measured tone, simply turned to the guards and said sarcastically: We are all really impressed. Take him down.

Thousands of people have written messages on internet forums and social media in support of the judge, with many branding her a hero and an idol.

On Twitter, Greg Stone wrote: Judge Patricia Lynch, a nation salutes you. And Luke Farley wrote: Hats off to Judge Patricia Lynch. I think it was a reasonable response given the vile racist in front of her. Her conduct in Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex was widely praised in legal circles.

Leading criminal barrister John Cooper QC said: This is a judge in the real world. What we want from judges, in my view, is normality.

Its refreshing to have a judge who isnt stuffy. The individual was acting in a quite appalling way and was lucky not to be on a contempt of court charge.

Vile abuse: John Hennigan, 50, pictured, of Harlow, Essex, was jailed for 18 months after he breached an ASBO by using racist language towards a woman and her two young children

Mark Fenhalls QC, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, added: Judges face huge pressures in their daily work, often dealing with unsavoury people and situations.

We all aim to control our emotions in court, but it is hardly surprising that once in a while even the most respected and measured judge is provoked into saying something aloud that everyone else present might just have been thinking.

Fellow lawyer Matthew Scott, author of legal comment website Barrister Blogger, said that speaking to a defendant in a language they understand is sometimes justified.

As a general rule, its probably not a good idea for judges to call defendants ****s in the courtroom, but for every rule theres an exception, he added.

Hennigan, from Harlow, Essex, was jailed for 18 months on Tuesday after pleading guilty to breaching his Asbo again in April last year when he made racist comments to a black woman shopper and her children in the town.
Prince William and Kate spent part of their recent summer break in the 16th-century holiday home of Michael Green

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have holidayed in a stunning French chateau owned by the media boss who first employed David Cameron.

Prince William and Kate spent part of their recent summer break in the 16th-century holiday home of Michael Green, who has a 103million fortune.

The couple, along with their children Prince George, three, and one-year-old Princess Charlotte, enjoyed a ten-day break at Chateau La Rocque, in the village of Pouydraguin, west of Toulouse.

It is not clear whether the couple paid to stay in the chateau or whether they were lent it.

However, they have previously borrowed properties belonging to the Queens nephew, Viscount Linley, in Provence, and a lavish villa in Mustique, owned by John and Belle Robinson, founders of the Jigsaw empire.

They arrived in France in a private jet owned by the Duke of Westminster, who died on Tuesday, which returned to pick them up on Friday last week and then flew them home to Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

Prince William has since returned to work as a pilot with East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Green, 68, employed David Cameron as his spin doctor for seven years at Carlton Communications before he was elected as MP for Witney.

Carlton merged with Granada to form ITV in 2003, but shareholders blocked Greens appointment as chairman and he was forced to resign.

He continued in business, but also retrained as a psychotherapist, and now runs a practice from his 7 million property in Mayfair.

The couple, along with their children Prince George, three, and one-year-old Princess Charlotte, enjoyed a ten-day break at Chateau La Rocque, in the village of Pouydraguin, west of Toulouse

Green, 68, employed David Cameron as his spin doctor for seven years at Carlton Communications before he was elected as MP for Witney

Middleton's new line - wigs for queens and princesses

Prince William complains about Kates nightmare hair, which she has to straighten to get rid of frizz.

But canny Carole Middleton, Kates mother, has a solution.

Her firm, Party Pieces, is now offering a Medieval Princess Wig, with long dark curls rather like well-coiffed Kates in its natural state.

At just 14.99, its quite a bargain  as is the Medieval Warrior Queen wig with auburn ringlets, should anyone wish to resemble flame-haired Fergie, Duchess of York. Curl power!

Party Pieces, is now offering a Medieval Princess Wig (left) and Medieval Warrior Queen (right)

Pelly leaves creditors in the lurch

Guy Pelly and Elizabeth Wilson attend The Ivy Chelsea Garden's 'A Year In The Garden' party

Prince Harry and Prince Williams party-loving wingman, Guy Pelly, wont have to pick up the bill for his defunct nightclub Public, which collapsed in 2012 amid reports of Sloanes urinating in the street outside.

After years of wrangling over the Chelsea clubs debts, the case has finally been closed  and Pellys creditors will be left 560,000 out of pocket.

The final reckoning from liquidators raking through the ashes of SPP Chelsea, the company that controlled Public, confirms: There will be no dividend to any class of creditor.

Creditors of the Kings Road haunt, where Prince Harry held his 27th birthday party, include hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks and British Gas.

It emerged recently that Pelly also dodged a 374,436 tax bill to HMRC, another of the companys creditors.

Still, the party continues. Pelly, pictured with wife Lizzy, now runs Alpine-themed club Bodos Schloss in Kensington and Mexican tequila joint Tonteria, which means nonsense in Spanish.

Theresa May decreed Boris Johnson must share Chevening, the Foreign Secretarys grace-and-favour mansion, with colleagues David Davis and Liam Fox  and trustees of the Kent estate have also been scaling back grand designs.

They recently submitted plans to erect an eight-metre-high stone obelisk in Chevenings parkland  but then scrapped the plans two months later.

Why the U-turn? We do not share the reasons why applications are withdrawn, hedges a planner.

Victor Meldrew doesn't believe Corbyn's a leader

I dont believe it! Richard Wilson, best known for playing Victor Meldrew in One Foot In The Grave, has turned his back on Jeremy Corbyn after praising him earlier this year.

Speaking before his heart attack this week, from which the 80-year-old is now recovering in hospital, he explained: I voted for Corbyn because I thought the party needed a shaking and the three other candidates didnt impress me at all.

But I wouldnt vote for him again. I dont think hes shown any leadership skills. I suppose hes being true to himself, but I dont see how you can run the Labour Party in the House when most of your MPs arent on your side.

As recently as February, Wilson said that Corbyn was the person he most admired. I just dont know where were going to go, he adds.

I dont know about this other chap, the new guy [Owen Smith].
Whitehall is blocking a Tory promise that 'being a British citizen is for life' by refusing to honour the voting rights of ex- pats.

Ex-Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to change the law to grant the vote to one million Britons who have been living abroad for more than 15 years.

The Conservative Government said that, just as a British citizen gets a UK passport for life, they should be able to vote back home.

Plans by former Prime Minister David Cameron to change the law to grant the vote to one million Britons who have been living abroad for more than 15 years have been shelved

Under plans included in the first Queen's Speech after the 2015 general Election, the so-called 15-year rule would have been abolished.

Ex-pats would then have been allowed to vote in the last constituency in which they live.

But it has now emerged the plans have been shelved indefinitely because the civil service claim they are too complicated to implement.

Bureaucrats say that, because electoral registers are only kept for 15 years, it would be too hard to establish the last constituency that a person lived in.

The news  which break a solemn Tory promise - has triggered anger among backbenchers.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who has been campaigning to change the law, said: 'I'm sure this is being used as an excuse to hold things up  it's a stalling tactic.

'Civil servants don't like changes that are difficult.'

The delay has already cost many expats the chance to vote in last month's EU referendum, despite a court battle fought by 95-year-old World War Two veteran Harry Shindler, who lives in Italy.

And it means the 15-year rule will still be in place if new Prime Minister Theresa May were to opt to call a snap election within the next year.

It is almost two years since the Conservatives first promised to scrap the 15 year rule, when then-Party chairman Grant Shapps said: 'Being a British citizen is for life.

Mr Shapps said: 'It gives you the lifelong right to be protected by our military and Foreign Office, and to travel on a British passport. We believe it should also give you the lifelong right to vote.'

Legislation was included in Mr Cameron's first Queen's Speech, after last year' s election victory, but no Bill emerged before the parliamentary session ended in May.

No Bill was included in the most recent Queen's Speech, in May  merely the intention to legislate at some stage.

Now a former Foreign Office minister has admitted the change is proving more 'complex' than imagined when the pledge was made, in September 2014.

David Lidington, now the Commons Leader, said the issue was how expats could prove former residence in a particular constituency, when voting registers no longer existed from that period.

'Without that verification, critics say, political parties could be tempted to allocate a large number of expats to marginal seats  where their votes could be crucial in determining the winner.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who has been campaigning to change the law, said: 'I'm sure this is being used as an excuse to hold things up  it's a stalling tactic

'Mr Lidington said: 'It is a complex matter, because we would have to not just extend the franchise but establish a new system of voter registration - which is not straightforward given that voter registers no longer exist for periods that go back earlier than 15 years.

'We have to find some way of allocating those individuals to constituencies and verifying a previous place of residence.'

Mr Clifton-Brown said he was astonished by the comments, because the possible stumbling block had never previously been mentioned in talks about the Bill.

He argued: 'All a person has to do is provide some evidence of their last place of abode and that really shouldn't be too difficult.

'There are doctor's notes, passport numbers and National Insurance notes  and any of that can be used as proof, so this shouldn't be a problem.

Mr Clifton-Brown  who helped persuade Mr Cameron to make the promise in the first place  said he understood the former Prime Minister's reluctance to change voting rights before the June Brexit vote.

But he added: 'The referendum is now over and there is already a lot of bad feeling among people in the EU who couldn't vote in it  they are pressing us to do something about this.'

The Tory backbencher has requested a meeting with Ben Gummer, the new constitutional reform minister, and a Commons debate on the controversy, when the Commons returns in September.

More than five million British citizens are believed to live abroad, of which at least one million are thought to be barred from voting by the 15-year rule.

Expats were first given the right to vote in 1985, but only those who had lived abroad for no longer than five years.

Later, this was extended to 20 years, before being reduced to 15 years by Tony Blair's Government, in 2000.

Mr Lidington's comments came when he was questioned in the Commons by Mr Clifton-Brown, earlier this month.
Frozen rose - or frose - is made by blending the pink wine with lemon juice and sugar before popping it in the freezer for six hours

It has long been one of the most popular summer drinks.

Now experts predict that a new version of rose may soon become Britains next big trend in wine.

Frozen rose - or frose - is made by blending the pink wine with lemon juice and sugar before popping it in the freezer for six hours.

The result is a slushie-style concoction that is proving wildly popular in the small selection of cocktail bars where it is already being sold.

Thousands of people across the country have also posted pictures of homemade versions of the drink on social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram.

The Beaufort House bar in Chelsea, West London, claims it has been inundated with requests for frose after adding it to the menu earlier this month. It has now become their best-selling drink.

Hannah Cary, 25, events manager at Beaufort House, said that while the drink provided a sense of nostalgia for some drinkers who remember slurping on brightly-coloured fruit slushies as children, it also had a universal appeal to the young and old.

She said: We have had all ages of people come in to ask for a glass of frose, we have been absolutely inundated with requests and some people do get quite nostalgic about it.

When one person sees another customer order a glass of it in the bar, they also want to have one. Its the same effect as if somebody sees another person with a flaming shot  theyre immediately curious and want to try it themselves.

Our director had been over to New York and saw the kind of drinks that were really popular and people wanted to order. Frose was being served over there in everything from martini to wine glasses.

So when we added our seasonal cocktails to our menu for summer, we decided that frose would be a good addition and decided to serve it in a big wine glass.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SUMMER-STYLE FROSE Ingredients: One bottle of rose wine Juice of 2 lemons Two teaspoons of sugar Mint to garnish Method: Add lemon juice, sugar and wine into a blender. Blend until smooth. Freeze for 6 hours (the alcohol prevent the mixture from becoming solid ice). Serve. Advertisement

We have been getting some really good feedback on the drink  its great for people who work in the area and want to have a drink when they are finished at the office for the day. Its good to have something different.

Particularly because its the middle of summer, and because of the buzz about it on social media, its certainly the drink people are talking about.

The idea for the alcoholic slushie came from Bar Primi in New York, where the general manager Justin Sievers wanted to create a new drink using rose wine that was suitable for long hot afternoons.

Wine experts may have turned their noses up at rose in the past, sales of the pink wine have trebled in the past decade and it is now one of Sainsburys biggest selling drinks.

Every one bottle in 10 sold last year was rose and the supermarket giant alone sold 15 million bottles.

Although it may now be a similar strength to the likes of red and white wine, rose is claimed to have been created as a diluted version of red wine in Greece.
Heavy fog in Adelaide on Saturday morning triggered road warnings and caused four flights to be diverted to Melbourne.

Jetstar and Tiger Air flights from Indonesia were redirected from Adelaide Airport, as was a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur and a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore.

A spokesperson for Adelaide Airport told Daily Mail Australia these flights were scheduled to land between 6am and 7.30am and passengers should be arriving back in Adelaide by late morning.

Heavy fog blanketed the city of Adelaide on Saturday morning, lowering visibility

Four international flights were redirected to Melbourne after they were unable to land

The passengers were sent back to Adelaide just a few hours later as the fog cleared slightly

No delays were experienced in flying out of Adelaide airport as a result of the fog.

Earlier in the morning, a road warning was issued by the Bureau of Meteorology which said the fog would make road conditions dangerous.

South Australia Police advises people driving in foggy areas to slow down, watch the gap between themselves and the car in front, and turn on their headlights.

Pictures posted to social media showed the fog blanketing the city.

Instagram user Harley Egel, 24, was struggling to see as he drove through the city streets.

'Eerie vibes around Adelaide this morning,' he wrote.

'Literally cannot see 50m in front of me.'

Social media users posted photos of the thick haze covering the city

At about 4.30am Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning for dangerous road conditions caused by the fog

The fog began to clear as the morning progressed and the Bureau of Meteorology said it was clear again by late morning

Others reported being unable to see major city structures such as Adelaide Oval.

Matt Collopy, senior meteorologist for the Bureau of Meteorology, told Daily Mail Australia the fog cleared by late morning.

He says there is a small possibility of fog setting on the city on Sunday, but it is too early to tell.

'It looks like we may see a bit of low cloud building up against the hills, and that's usually the precursor for fog in Adelaide, but it needs to continue to do that right through the evening,' he said.

'I think tomorrow there will be a little too much wind and not enough moisture to match this morning's conditions, but we will continue monitoring it throughout the evening.'

City landmarks such as Adelaide Oval could barely be seen through the fog
A toddler, whose body was discovered in a duffel bag when a couple tried to smuggle it over the border into Mexico, had drowned at an LA home earlier this week.

Johnny Lewis Hartley, 39, and Mercy Mary Becerra, 43, were stopped while going through the pedestrian crossing in San Ysidro, in California, on Tuesday.

Their duffel bag was placed on an X-ray machine which revealed the body of the two-year-old girl.

Johnny Lewis Hartley, 39, (left, in court in San Diego) and Mercy Mary Becerra, 43, (right) were caught trying to smuggle a duffel bag with the body of a dead toddler inside

Johnny Lewis Hartley (right), 39, and Mercy Mary Becerra, 43, tried to enter Mexico through the Tijuana crossing only to be apprehended and handed over to US officials

Today, police announced that the girl had drowned earlier that week at a home in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier.

She had also suffered from malnutrition and dehydration, a San Diego prosecutor said Friday.

Deputy district attorney Kurt Mechals gave few other details about the case.

Johnny Lewis Hartley, 38, and Mercy Mary Becerra, 43, who are both heavily tattooed and from Whittier, were charged Friday with one count of murder each.

Both pleaded not guilty.

Officials believe they have identified the girl and located her parents, who have not been named, and Mechals announced that they will not be charged with murder.

As Hartley was being detained at the Tijuana crossing (seen here), Becerra tried to flee

Hartley, 39, and Becerra, 43, had been staying at the Best Whittier Inn (pictured) in California

He said no missing child report had been filed about the girl.

Hartley and Becerra were not related to the girl but knew her parents, Mechals said.

He declined to comment on why Hartley and Becerra had been taking care of the child and why they were allegedly heading to Mexico with her body.

As Hartley was being handed over to US Customs and Border Protection, his companion, Becerra tried to flee, but she was caught a short time later and also transferred into American custody.

Henry Munoz, a Whittier resident and former neighbor of Hartley's, told KTLA-TV that the couple had been evicted from the home where they lived several years earlier.
Texas and 12 other states have asked a judge to block the Obama administration's transgender bathroom order nationwide.

A lawsuit filed by the states against the government claims that the guidance to public schools allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice, says it usurps the authority of school districts nationwide.

Austin Nimocks, a lawyer who represented the Texas attorney general's office, said the federal recommendations already are being enforced, placing billions of dollars in federal funding for education at risk for states that do not comply.

The guidance issued by the Justice Department and Education Department said public schools must allow transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, as opposed to their birth gender, or face the loss of federal funds.

Texas and 12 other states have asked a judge to block the Obama administration's transgender bathroom order

A lawsuit filed by the states against the government claims that the guidance to public schools allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice, says it usurps the authority of school districts nationwide

Nimocks called the guidelines rules that were foisted upon the states and said their reach 'extends across the country, to every school district, without exception'.

He asked the judge for a ruling encompassing schools nationwide as soon as possible, saying students are returning to schools in a matter of days.

Justice Department lawyer Benjamin Berwick urged US District Judge Reed O'Connor to dismiss the injunction request.

Berwick said the dismissal is necessary because the federal guidelines issued in May were non-binding with no legal consequences.

He added that the primarily Republican-governed states objecting had failed to show the guidelines would harm them.

'These documents state explicitly that they do not have the force of law,' Berwick told O'Connor.

Following milestone achievements in gay rights including same-sex marriage becoming legal nationwide in 2015, transgender rights have become an increasingly contentious issue in the US.

The use of public bathrooms has been a key element in the controversy.

The administration's directive enraged conservatives who say federal civil rights protections encompass biological sex, not gender identity.

Following milestone achievements in gay rights including same-sex marriage becoming legal nationwide in 2015, transgender rights have become an increasingly contentious issue in the US. Pictured are protesters against the bathroom bill in North Carolina

The use of public bathrooms has been a key element in the controversy. Protesters stand against the bathroom bill in Massachusetts

O'Connor, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, peppered Berwick with questions about whether the guidelines were rules that could force states to overhaul their policies regarding bathrooms.

The other states in the Texas-led suit are Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, Maine, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah, Georgia, Mississippi and Kentucky.

Ten other states have also separately sued over the guidelines.

The federal government in its May letter sent to school districts nationwide that while its guidance carried no legal weight, they must not discriminate against students, including based on their gender identity.

The US Supreme Court on August 3 said a Virginia school board may temporarily block a student who was born a girl from using the boys' bathroom while a legal fight over transgender rights proceeds on appeal.

A federal judge on August 1 heard arguments over whether to stop North Carolina from enforcing its law barring transgender people from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity in government buildings and public schools.
She was flown to Florida trauma center where she's in a critical condition

Passersby tended to her before emergency medics arrived to reattach it

When she reached down to fetch it, the alligator almost took off her hand

Unnamed woman, 49, dropped can off the side of dock in the Everglades

A Florida woman is in a critical condition after a five-foot-long alligator almost bit off her hand.

Kimberly Anne Sexton, 49, of St Cloud, was fetching a can she dropped in the water when the reptile swooped up and 'almost fully amputated' her hand.

Two passersby grabbed her by the legs to stop the gator from pulling her into the water.

A Florida woman is in a critical condition after a five-foot-long alligator almost bit off her hand

By the time they had freed her from the animal's jaws, her hand hung on to her arm by a thread.

Witnesses and her family tended to her before emergency medics arrived at Willards Fish Camp in the Everglades, near Fort Lauderdale.

When doctors arrived by helicopter, she had lost 'a lot of blood', her right hand was 'almost fully amputated' and she was drifting in and out of consciousness, said Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles.

He added: 'The hand was still attached though it was a very severe.

'The whole time they [medics] were there, the alligator was right there in the water.

Video Courtesy WSVN

The unnamed woman, 49, was fetching a can she dropped in the water when the reptile swooped up and 'almost fully amputated' her hand

She was flown to Broward Health North Trauma Center, where she is still believed to be in critical condition.

The badly injured woman is said to have arrived at the hospital within the so-called 'golden hour' for trauma care.
Up to two dozen new grammar schools could be launched in working-class areas.

The Governments plans to allow the creation of more grammars are likely to be modest in scale and have a strict focus on providing for hardworking middle-income families.

This will not amount to a return to a nationwide system of selective education, according to the Times Educational Supplement.

Government plans to allow the creation of more grammars are likely to be modest in scale and have a strict focus on providing for hardworking middle-income families (file picture)

A Whitehall source said: It is unlikely they will try and bring in thousands of grammar schools.

Instead, it will be a handful here and there, in normal working-class areas.

The new selective schools are expected to be required to admit a significant proportion of pupils in receipt of free school meals.

The TES quoted another source, claiming ministers and advisers want to take on the ideas behind the London Academy of Excellence. The LAE is a highly successful selective sixth-form college in Newham, which has been nicknamed the Eton of the East End because of its impressive results.

This Government will be far less interested in raising the bottom 10 per cent and more concerned about helping low and middle-income families. In-work families with a reliance on public services, the source added.

A separate source, who met with No 10s policy unit, agreed that Downing Street wanted to target middle-income families.

They said they wanted to be genuinely radical when it came to education, and that they wanted to shift their focus towards the hardworking middle-income families as well as the vulnerable families, the source said.

The driving force behind the new push for grammar schools is understood to be Nick Timothy, Theresa Mays joint chief of staff and former director of the free schools charity, New Schools Network. Mr Timothy would favour using the free schools policy to reintroduce grammars, but with the added requirement that a strict allocation go to students gaining free school meals, according to the TES.

SENIOR TORIES DECLARE THEIR SUPPORT Senior Conservatives and grassroots activists have declared their support for a new generation of grammar schools. Last week, it emerged Theresa May was considering whether a fresh wave of selective schools could help boost social mobility. She would need to overturn a ban on creating grammars brought in by Tony Blair in 1998. Today the largest group of Conservative organisations and politicians has come out in favour of the idea, rebuffing claims that the Prime Minister does not have her partys support. The coalition of support has been formed by the Bow Group think-tank, whose board includes former Cabinet member Lord Tebbit, and MPs Dominic Grieve, Sir Gerald Howarth, John Redwood and Adam Afriyie. Historian David Starkey and philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, who also sit on the board, support the plan as well. The group is joined by campaign organisations Conservative Voice, Conservative Grassroots, Conservatives For Liberty and The Freedom Association, as well as think-tanks Parliament Street, ResPublica and the Centre for Policy Studies. Bow Group chairman Ben Harris-Quinney said any Tory MP considering blocking the plans should consider their position as elected representatives very carefully. Windsor MP Mr Afriyie said that creating new grammar schools and allowing existing ones to expand would help to rebuild a more socially mobile Britain. Advertisement

In an interview last November, he said: Where parents want some selective schools, I dont really see why we have a fairly arbitrary rule saying they cant open them.

This isnt an argument for a full-on return to a selective system of grammars and secondary moderns. If you have got an incredibly diverse market of school providers in a particular county or city then I think its arbitrary to say there shouldnt be a new selective school, if thats what parental demand suggests should happen.

Meanwhile, Toby Young, chief executive of the West London Free School trust and an early pioneer of the free school movement, has suggested an alternative to a reintroduction of grammars, calling for academies and free schools to be partially selective.

Jim Skinner, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads Association, told the TES: It would make sense for the Government to prioritise areas of disadvantage.

The idea of using free schools to offer a grammar school education to more young people is a very positive step. Although, we would add, at a time of pressure on secondary school places, that areas which are already basically selective, such as Kent and Buckinghamshire, should be able to open more grammars.

Tory MPs and campaign groups have been pressing for a lifting of the ban on new grammar schools. But such a move would trigger a ferocious battle in Parliament  where all the main Opposition parties and some Conservative MPs are fiercely opposed to such a move.

The Government has a working majority of only 17.
A group of four-wheel drive enthusiasts were forced to call for help when their Toyota Pajero became bogged in mud.

Video has captured the moment a tiny Daewoo Lanos attempted to rescue the truck after it became bogged on Kawana Way, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

'This was me and my mates, we were all on the piss the only person sober was the bloke with the [Daewoo] Lanos- thought it would be a great idea to pull the Pajero out,' Corey Kirwan wrote on Facebook in reply to the video.

Scroll down for video

A group of four-wheel drive enthusiasts were forced to call for help when their Toyota Pajero became bogged in mud (pictured)

Video has captured the moment a tiny Daewoo Lanos attempted to rescue the truck after it became bogged in mud on Kawana Way, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast

The video titled 'Unbelievable' was uploaded to Facebook on Friday and has amassed over 150,000 views.

It shows the Pajero, with all four wheels stuck in the mud, attached to the silver Daewoo hatchback with a tow strap.

One of the men shouts 'ready GO' as the driver of the Daewoo slams his foot on the accelerator and spins the wheels.

When the rope loses slack the Daewoo stops in its tracks and it appears the rescue attempt might fail.

But the wheels keep spinning and sure enough the Pajero is heaved out of its muddy mess.

One of the men shouts 'ready GO' as the driver of the Daewoo slam his foot on the accelerator and spins the wheels

Sure enough the Pajero is heaved out of its muddy mess

'YEAH LANOS,' exclaims one of the men.

A number of Facebook users have praised the unlikely hero.
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Michael Phelps' last individual event wasn't a golden one, but his signature smile did not fade.

Phelps lost the top spot on the Olympic podium for the first time ever in the Men's 100m butterfly event - and for the first time during his incredible run in Rio.

Joseph Schooling, a 21-year-old from Singapore, took home the gold with a record time of 50.39 seconds.

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Michael Phelps lost his final individual Olympics race to Joseph Schooling of Singapore (pictured together), who set a new Olympic record

New kid on the block: Despite the loss, Phelps was all smiles with Schooling as they looked at the clock after the Men's 100m butterfly event

Phelps was quick to come over and congratulate Schooling, who took home the gold with a record time of 50.39 seconds

Three-quarters of a second later, Phelps touched the wall at the same moment as South Africa's Chad le Clos and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh, all three recording a time of 51.14 seconds.

'It is a wild way to end my individual career. It is just wild,' Phelps said after the race. I was like 'Three? Three of us tied for third?'

The race had been billed as a clash between Phelps and le Clos.

But Schooling looked stunned and humbled as he claimed his tiny nation state's first ever Olympic gold medal after racing Phelps, his childhood hero.

Schooling was born in Singapore, but went to school in Jacksonville, Florida before attending the University of Texas.

'It was just a thrill to swim against Michael Phelps and all those guys,' he said after the shock win. 'I'm just ecstatic. I don't think it has set in yet. It's just crazy.'

Phelps hardly looked dejected as he claimed his silver, linking arms with le Clos as all three swimmers enjoyed rapturous applause.

The Greatest of All Time said he was happy to have finished his Olympic solo career by tying with two of his closest rivals.

'A three-way tie is pretty wild,' he said. 'It's faster than I went, I think, four years ago to win. Joe is tough.'

'He had a great year last year and has had a really great last two years so hats off to him. He swam a great race.'

Phelps added: 'Well I saw second next to my name and then I looked up again and then I looked over at Laszlo and Chad like, huh, we all tied for second, that's kind of cool.

'Chad and I have had some races over the last four years and Laszlo and I - I can't even remember when our first race was.

'Probably as long as Ryan (Lochte) and I. So kind of special and a decent way to finish my last race. I can't complain too much.'

Schooling, meanwhile, smiled and tried to take in the enormity of his win as the gold was placed around his neck and the unfamiliar national anthem of Singapore rang out.

The young swimmer clasped his chest, sang along and fought back tears before punching the air as he took a lap around the aquatic arena.

He still looked awestruck as Phelps congratulated him warmly, scarcely able to believe he had beaten the Team USA legend.

'I'm sorry if I don't seem like I'm full of emotions but I don't know what to believe - that I actually did it or I'm still preparing for my race. I'm between the two of them,' Schooling said.

The two swimmers even shared an embrace in the pool after the thrilling race, which had originally been billed as a clash between Phelps and South Africa's Chad le Clos

Schooling, 21, looked stunned and humbled as he claimed his tiny nation state's first ever Olympic gold medal after racing Phelps, his childhood hero

Schooling first met Phelps at a training camp in Singapore in 2008, the same year Phelps would compete in Beijing

'I need to let this moment sink in, realize what I've done and then I'll have a better understanding of what I accomplished.'

'But right now all I can say is I'm really honored and privileged to have an opportunity to race in an Olympic final alongside huge names like Michael Phelps, Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Cseh, guys that have redefined the sport.'

Phelps still has a chance to end his Olympic career on a golden note, as he will race in the Men's 4x100 medley relay.

I need to let this moment sink in, realize what I've done and then I'll have a better understanding of what I accomplished. But right now all I can say is I'm really honored and privileged to have an opportunity to race in an Olympic final alongside huge names like Michael Phelps, Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Cseh, guys that have redefined the sport Joseph Schooling, who won gold

He has already won gold in the Men's 200m medley, as well as the 200m butterfly, 4x100 freestyle relay and 4x200 freestyle relay.

If Team USA takes the win, the 31-year-old will retire with 23 Olympic gold medals and 28 medals total.

But Phelps' teammates are already hoping he will change his mind and return to the games in Tokyo four years from now.

Rio has turned out to be an incredible swan song for Phelps, who had originally planned to retire after the London 2012 games.

'I hope that Michael can stay around long enough for me to race him again,' Le Clos said after their race on Friday. 'I'd love that'.

Phelps however insists he is done.

'Done. Chad asked me in the award area and the Dwyers were chanting 'four more years.'

'They did the same thing in London. The 800 free relay guys said four more years... No I am NOT going four more years.

'And I'm standing by that.

'I've been able to do everything I've ever put my mind to in this sport. And 24 years in the sport. I'm happy with how things finished.'

He added: 'Being able to close the door on this sport how I want to, that's why I'm happy now.

'I'm ready to retire. I'm happy about it. I'm in a better state of mind this time than I was four years ago. And yeah. I'm ready to spend some time with (baby son) Boomer and (fiancee) Nicole.'

He added that he would be in Tokyo in four years but not to compete.

Ryan Lochte is already hoping he'll get the chance to have a rematch with Phelps in the Men's 200m medley after falling to the fifth spot on Thursday.

'I guarantee he will be there,' Lochte said of Phelps on the Today Show Friday morning.

'I think so. I really think so. So Michael, I'll see you in Tokyo!'

Even Phelps' mother Debbie wants him to return to the games, telling the Today Show it 'would be wonderful' to see him swim in a sixth Olympics.

Lochte said his own loss in that race, the first time he failed to medal in the event since the 2004 Athens games, has 'sparked a fire' in him to return.

It remains to be seen if Phelps' silver medal win on Friday will do the same, although he told Schooling after the race: 'No way.'

'If he changes his mind, that would be fun,' Schooling said. 'I like racing Michael.'

Whether or not Phelps comes back for Tokyo, his return to the pool has been an incredible tale of redemption after years of landing in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Phelps had won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the Men's 100m Butterfly since the 2004 Athens games

He failed to make it a four-peat on Friday but he still laughed as he made a three with his hand to signify the incredible three-way tie for the silver medal

Hungary's Laszlo Cseh, part of three-way tie, also threw up the number three with his hands from across the pool

Phelps clasped hands with his rival Chad le Clos of South Africa, who also won silver on Friday night

The three swimmers looked at the clock in shock and awe when they realized all three of them had tied

After Phelps' long golden streak in Rio, Friday night's tie was one of the surprises to happen in the pool this week

The Olympian was arrested for driving under the influence in September 2014 and soon after checked himself into rehab.

Phelps has since described that fateful night as a call for help. He came out on the other side a different man - and a different athlete.

'I want to be here. That's the difference,' he told the Today Show as he trained for Rio in April. 'I haven't trained like this in a decade.'

'I had no desire to go to work out before. And I want to retire how I want to retire. And I have a great opportunity to do that.'

No doubt some of Phelps' new perspective can be attributed to another new role in his life as fiancee to Nicole Johnson and father to their three-month-old baby Boomer.

Phelps' adorable son has been the only person able to steal the spotlight from the unstoppable swimmer.

After the medal ceremony for the 200m butterfly earlier this week, Phelps broke ranks during the customary walk around the pool and bounded into the stands to plant a tender kiss on Boomer.

'You're going to bring tears to my eyes now,' the Olympian said when asked about the sweet moment.

Phelps was all smiles as he held up his first silver medal from the Rio games on Friday night

It was a rare sight to see three swimmers sharing the silver medal spot on the podium, and they still looked in shock

But the boys were still happy to show off the new hardware around their necks, even if it wasn't gold

Schooling still looked awestruck as he took the top spot, scarcely able to believe he had beaten the Team USA legend

Schooling said he felt 'honored and privileged' to have an opportunity to race in an Olympic final alongside Phelps

Phelps, Le Clos and Cseh's flags hung together side-by-side to illustrate the three-way tie

Good teammate: Phelps celebrated fellow American swimmer Maya Dirado's surprise gold medal just moments before he got into the pool for his own race

'I wanted to be with him more,' he added. 'Being able to share that one moment that I had with him was definitely something very special.'

Phelps revealed on Thursday night that he has tried to look up at Boomer and Johnson before the start of every race in Rio.

And the Greatest of All Time hasn't been afraid to show his emotions in these final Olympic games.

Phelps held back tears as he took the top spot on the podium after winning gold in the 200m individual medley on Thursday.

He said afterwards it was still a dream to win gold, even if he has repeated the feat 22 times.

'I say this a lot, but every single day I'm living a dream come true, he explained.

'As a kid I wanted to do something that no one had ever done before and I'm enjoying it.'

'Being able to finish how I won is just something very special to me and this is why you are seeing more and more emotion on the medal podium.'

'You know as a kid, it's not like pulling teeth to get me in the pool anymore. I want to finish my career how I want to, so that's what I'm doing.'

Phelps silver was the only event of the night that didn't see an American gold.

Maya DiRado started the evening off with a surprise gold medal in the women's 200-meter backstroke final.

She was then followed up by Katie Ledecky who totally outclassed her opponents in the 800m freestyle, finishing more than 12 seconds ahead of her closest opponents.

And in the surprise of the evening, Anthony Ervin won the 50m freestyle at the age of 35, becoming the oldest ever gold medalist in swimming, some 16 years after he won the same event in Sydney.

Golden girl: 19-year-old Katie Ledecky, from Washington DC, won her fourth gold of these Olympics and fifth in all

The other swimmers were nowhere to be seen as Ledecky powered through to win some 12 seconds ahead of her rivals

United States' Maya Dirado celebrates after winning a surprise gold medal in the women's 200-meter backstroke final

Gold medalist Maya DiRado of USA can't believe her win during the medal ceremony for women's 200m Backstroke
A rare glimpse inside Brisbane's women's jail shows the shocking hierarchy between the criminals and how much power they hold behind bars.

From murderers to drug traffickers - each criminal has their place in the system, The Courier Mail reports.

While some prisoners are happy to keep to themselves others rise to the top - and strive for power.

Lindy Williams stands accused of murdering her partner before butchering him

Swimsuit model Brodie Swan is facing charges in the facility as well

Cop killer Donna McAvoy is one of those who has landed a top job -she works in the officers' mess and speaks to management on behalf of fellow inmates.

McAvoy - whose part in a violent armed robbery led to the death of a Queensland police officer after he was shot in the face with a shotgun - is now able to demand rights for prisoners.

These include making sure security staff are more considerate with noise when 'locking up'.

The cop killer resides with the likes of Lindy Williams, a woman accused of killing and butchering her partner and Brodie Swan, a swimsuit model.

Lindy Yvonne Williams, 56, stands accused of murdering her partner George Gerbic, 66, but denies she did it.

She keeps to herself in jail.

Brisbane women's correctional centre is home to some of the most violent prisoners in Queensland

Mr Gerbic's body - which had been hacked into pieces - was found on the side of a road in Gympie, Queensland after it had been set alight.

Swimsuit model Brodie Swan is also facing charges she wants to fight - and has had a baby since arriving to jail.

She is charged with drug trafficking and receiving stolen goods after a huge police bust in 2013 found over $2m in motorbikes, cars and jewels in rental sheds.

Jade Maree Clark - who was jailed of the death of bikie associate Darren Britza on the Gold Coast in Queensland has had a job made for her.

The woman is a bail clerk - and works on her laptop in the old chaplain's office during the day.

Some prisoners have some power in the centre - as they take on jobs

This powerful position means she can back-up other prisoner's requests.

Kim Margaret Earle - who stands accused of murdering her 18-year-old son - works in the library.

Past residents include convicted drug smuggler Jenny Romero-Maya, 35, who was known for using her looks to get what she wanted.

And Emma Louise Ney who was convicted of manslaughter after hitting her partner with the back of an axe.
Hannah Debenham (pictured right), 42, of Uckfield, Sussex, was under investigation for two months following the accusation, before the case was dropped this week when no supporting evidence was found. The mother-of-two was asked to 'voluntarily' attend a police station where she was questioned by a modern day slavery inspector, which she branded 'the worst day of my life'. She and her husband were grilled for a total of four hours, first at their home and later during separate interviews at Eastbourne Police Station. She told MailOnline: 'It was just devastating. We just wanted to help. If I was charged I would have had to declare that and it would have been a permanent impediment to my career. They also spoke to my husband and told him that if I could face life in prison if I was found guilty. I've been an NHS mental health specialist for 15 years and have often worked with people being questioned and charged by police. It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me.' Ms Debenham said her solicitor described the action by Sussex Police as an 'outrageous overreach.' The Ukrainian family had been living with Ms Debenham for just three weeks when the accusation was levelled.
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Torrential rain and floods ravaging Louisiana have killed at least three people and forced more than 1,000 from their homes.

Almost a foot of rain fell on Louisiana overnight on Friday - the kind of deluge which has a likelihood of occurring once every 500 years, according to the Pacific Standard.

It was equivalent to around three months' worth of rainfall during hurricane season and up to another two feet is expected to fall on Saturday.

Soldiers on boats and helicopters plucked people from the roofs of their homes and cars as 'unprecedented' weather continues to pound the state.

Floodwaters in Walker, Louisiana, unearthed caskets from the beneath the ground in St Marks Cemetery and sent them floating to the water surface.

Huge swathes of Louisiana are underwater after around three months of rain fell on parts of the state overnight on Friday

President Robby Miller of the Tangipahoa Parish has told those living near the overflowing Tangipahoa River (pictured) to leave their homes

Walker Police Department in Louisiana shared this harrowing photo of two caskets that had been unearthed by the flood waters

The rain which fell on Louisiana overnight on Friday was equivalent to three months-worth during hurricane season

Residents of Baker, near Baton Rouge, were rescued by boats or waded through waist-deep, snake-infested water to reach dry ground.

Dozens of them awoke Saturday morning on cots at a makeshift Red Cross shelter only a few blocks from their flooded homes and cars.

Shanita Angrum, 32, said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized flood waters had trapped her family in their home.

A police officer carried her six-year-old daughter Khoie on his back while she and her husband waded behind them for what 'felt like forever'.

She said: 'Snakes were everywhere. The whole time I was just praying for God to make sure me and my family were okay.'

Angrum said her family probably lost most of their possessions, including two cars and the new school clothes she purchased for her daughter.

Seven highways are already underwater - cutting off access to Baton Rouge - and a slow moving storm is expected to dump even more rain in the area, governor John Edwards warned.

Officials and civilians took to boats to rescue people from their flooded homes along the Tangipahoa River near Amite, Louisiana

Entire homes and cars were submerged in water in parts of Louisiana, including Amite (pictured)

More than 1,000 people were forced to abandon their homes and more rainfall is expected Saturday

The Coast Guard said that a helicopter crew rescued two adults and their 6-year-old child from their home in Baton Rouge (pictured, Amite)

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency for Adams, Amite, Pike, Wilkinson and any other counties affected by the heavy rainfall

'This is an ongoing event, we're still in response mode,' he said, urging residents to heed warnings to evacuate.

One of the people killed in the storm was 68-year-old William Mayfield, according to the emergency management director in East Baton Rouge Parish.

'We were in the trailer just watching TV and then the water just started coming up,' Mayfield's roommate told WAFB.

The second man slipped into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary, Louisiana, on Friday.

And another man was pulled from a submerged pickup truck on Louisiana Highway 10 in St. Helena Parish.

The State Fire Marshal confirmed they found a man, in his 50s, inside a marooned Chevrolet at around 7pm on Friday.

The victim's name has not been released, but Louisiana State Fire Marshal "Butch" Browning said he is believed to be from the area. His body has been turned over to the parish coroner's office.

The National Weather Service put flash flood warnings in effect for Livingston (pictured), West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, Iberville, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and Ascension parishes

Almost a foot of rain fell on Louisiana overnight on Friday - the kind of deluge which has a likelihood of occurring once every 500 years

Even the local sheriff's station hangar, holding at least two police helicopters, were affected by the downpour

Seven highways are already underwater, cutting off access to Baton Rouge

A slow moving storm is expected to dump even more rain in the area, governor John Edwards warned

Soldiers on boats and helicopters plucked people from atop their homes and cars as 'unprecedented' weather continued to pound Louisiana (pictured)

Meanwhile, crews are continuing to search for possibly another washed away vehicle after residents reported a missing person.

Browning said the area is sparsely populated and authorities only came across the vehicle after earlier successfully rescuing the driver of an 18-wheeler whose truck was pushed off the roadway.

'The water was coming over the road for over a half-mile,' Browning said. 'It's about 1 to 2 feet of rushing water, enough to push a large truck off the road completely.

'The truck was found in a curve before where the 18-wheeler went off the road.'

He said some people with a boat helped to find the pickup and would continue searching for the possible second vehicle through the night.

The deaths came as Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency as rescue workers in the southeastern part of the state braced for more rain through the weekend.

Michael Tramonte and Nikki Conger clear their possessions from their house on Watters Road, east of Pontchatoula, Louisiana, ahead of the coming flooding

Floordwaters encroach heavy machinery along the railroad tracks in Osyka, Mississippi

The torrential rain and floods ravaging Louisiana have killed at least three people

Edwards' spokesman Richard Carbo said the governor returned to Louisiana on Friday because of the flooding.

He had been in Colorado for a policy meeting of the Democratic Governors Association but left early because of the storm.

Edwards returned home to a flooded basement at the Louisiana Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge.

The governor's family has been relocated until the situation is resolved, WAFB-TV reports.

Edwards has scheduled a news conference for 10am on Saturday to discuss the flooding situation in multiple Louisiana parishes.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing their banks and threatening widespread flooding after extreme rainfall that began late on Thursday, the National Weather Service reported.

Seventeen inches were recorded in Livingston, Louisiana, according to The Weather Channel.

Mike Steele, a spokesman for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said requests were coming in for high-water vehicles, boats and sandbags. Tangipahoa Parish in the state alone requested tens of thousands of sandbags.

High water threatens homes and businesses in Amite, Louisiana, as storms threaten the north shore

Residents wade through floodwaters from heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge

A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday morning across most of south Louisiana.

In a statement, the weather service said an additional three to five inches could fall over the area.

In southern Alabama, a flood watch was in effect Friday as rain fell in the Mobile area.

The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs, both in Louisiana, were predicted to set record crests over the weekend.

Forecaster Alek Krautmann said both rivers could flood many houses in suburban areas near Baton Rouge.

He also said that flooding downstream in Ascension Parish is a threat, as those swollen rivers will be slow to drain into Lake Maurepas.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded at 9am on Friday.

Rescuers were still plucking people from floodwaters in Amite and Wilkinson counties in southwest Mississippi.

Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued earlier on Friday near Gloster.

Brad Gilbert, left, helps his friend Mike Abel with his flooded business in Amite, Lousiana

Residents wade through floodwaters with some possessions in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge

Hansford, 62, says waters from Beaver Creek, which is normally more than 400 feet away from his house, rose quickly overnight. He said another stepson who lives nearby alerted him.

'We woke up and the water kept on coming,' Hansford said. 'It came up to my waist.'

His wife told Hansford that it's the highest she's seen the creek in the 48 years she's lived there.

Hansford said he and his family members all have disabilities, and he's the only one who can swim.

Emergency workers rescued all three in a large military-style truck and took them to the fire station in Gloster, where they were sheltering Friday.

More than 50 people have been flooded out of a neighborhood in Crosby, Mississippi, and will be housed at a shelter in Natchez.

Wilkinson County Chancery Clerk Thomas Tolliver said an apartment complex and surrounding houses in the town were flooded after 10 inches of rain fell. Authorities said they expect to shelter displaced Crosby residents at least until Monday.

The forecaster Krautmann said flooding is 'quickly becoming widespread' and officials are considering evacuation orders.

Harrison Central High School students run through the rain towards their buses after being dismissed early due to the weather on Thursday

Floodwaters surge from a crack in the parking lot on the corner of highways 584 and 51 in Osyka, Mississippi

Krautmann said one observer near Livingston reported 13.75 inches of rain from midnight to Friday morning.

Krautmann said the ground was heavily saturated by rainfall since Wednesday.

Heavy rain and street flooding prompted the rescue of residents from their homes in Tangipahoa Parish and the cancellation of classes in five school districts, authorities said.

Parish President Robby Miller said authorities rescued 72 people and seven pets stranded by high water.

Shelters have been opened in the town of Amite and the city of Hammond to house evacuees.

'They will be allowed to return home once the water starts to recede,' he said.

In Hammond, nearly two dozen streets were closed because of high water, and sandbags were made available to residents hoping to keep water out of homes and businesses.

'The last major flood we had was in March,' said city administrator Lacy Landrum. 'This one is on track to be a similar event.'

A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday morning across most of south Louisiana. Pictured, Verot School Rd in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

The Acadian Thruway in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is seen covered in floodwaters in this picture from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development

In Mississippi, Harrison County Emergency Manager Rupert Lacy said steady rain continued on the Gulf Coast. He said a handful of houses were reported as flooded Thursday, but none so far Friday.

Keith Townson, manager of Shopper Value Foods in Amite, has lived in the area for 40 years.
Dairy Australia said the trend was expected to continue

Consumers are turning to expensive brands to support ailing farmers

Home brand milk sales have plummeted 15 per cent as Australians show their support for the country's battling dairy farmers.

Consumers are choosing more expensive Australian brands over supermarket 'home brands' to help farmers weather a national dairy crisis.

Dairy farmers across Australia are facing huge financial hardship after industry giants Fonterra and Murray Goulburn slashed the price of milk earlier this year.

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Australian consumers are leaving cheap home brand milk on the shelves in favour of more expensive brands

Consumers are willing to fork out more to help dairy farmers - even as the price of some brands plummets to as little as $1 a litre

Supermarket branded milk at outlets such as Coles and Woolworths currently sells for as little as $1 a litre.

But a new survey by Dairy Australia showed consumers were happy to fork out more for Australian brands in order to help ailing farmers.

Dairy Australia spokesman Charlie McElhone told the ABC he expected the trend would continue.

'There has been about a 15 per cent reduction of private label sales in favour of the company branded product,' he said.

'Similarly we have seen company branded sales share increase considerably at the same time.'

The organisers of the Love My Milk campaign produced this chart to help consumers support Australian farmers

In May sales of branded milk jumped by 10 per cent as Australians rallied together to support local dairy farmers.

Online grocery store Aussie Farmers Direct saw an increase in sales, demand and enquiries about branded milk after Fonterra and Murray Goulburn slashed their payouts.

Retail expert Dr Gary Mortimer said the trend was partly driven by consumers jumping on social media.

He said: 'We feel good about using social media to let other know we didn't buy the cheap milk and therefore supported dairy farmers.'

As consumers ignore home brand milk, prices have plummeted by 15 per cent

Aussie Farmers Direct chief executive Keith Louie said in May that their website traffic had also doubled and customer calls about branded milk jumped nearly 40 per cent over the past week.

'As the current dairy crisis has unfolded, the dairy industry has urged Australians to support farmers by not buying $1 per litre supermarket housebrand milk, and instead choosing branded milk that puts more money back into the dairy supply chain,' Mr Louie said.
The body of a popular chef at an upscale San Francisco restaurant had been found dumped in a mall stairwell.

Frank Galicia, 28, was discovered dead, covered in scratches and numerous injuries at the bottom of a flight of stairs by Bloomingdale's at San Francisco's Westfield Mall on Wednesday at 10.15am.

Police have ruled the death a homicide but have not released any further details about his murder, NBC reports.

Frank Galicia, 28, (left and right) a chef at an upscale San Francisco restaurant had been found dumped in a mall stairwell

Detectives are investigating the killing and are currently viewing surveillance cameras in the area.

Galicia had landed his dream job as a line chef at Sons & Daughters restaurant in San Francisco six months ago. He's been living hostels after he moved from Boston to pursue his career.

'Things were finally going well for him. He found an apartment, he was dating a girl,' his brother, Louis Galicia said.

His family are devastated by the loss.

Galicia, 28, was discovered dead, covered in scratches and numerous injuries at the bottom of a flight of stairs by Bloomingdale's at San Francisco's Westfield Mall (pictured)

Galicia had landed his dream job as a line chef at Sons & Daughters restaurant in San Francisco (pictured) six months ago

'He was a kind spirit with a big heart. His way of connecting with the family was always making us a dish, making us dinner,' Louis Galicia said.

'He never wanted to be in any kind of altercation. He was the brother that went with the flow. With everything else that's going wrong with the world, he was that diamond in the rough that was shining bright every day.'

Louis Galicia, who had dreamed of opening a restaurant with Frank, pleaded with the public to come forward if they had any information about his brother's death.

'He was robbed of his life over something that I'm sure was petty,' Louis Galicia said.

Police have ruled the death of Galicia a homicide but have not released any further details about his murder

Friends and colleagues at Sons & Daughters said they found it strange when he didn't show up for work on Wednesday.

Staff at the Michelin-starred restaurant were told about his death on Thursday and closed the restaurant out of respect.

'We are shocked and devastated by Frank's passing  we are a small team that operates like a close-knit family and he will be dearly missed,' Sons & Daughters said in an official statement.

'Our thoughts and condolences are with Frank's family and friends at this difficult time.'

Executive chefs Matt McNamara and Teague Moriarty, of Santa Cruz, have since created a GoFundMe page to support Galicia's family who have relocated to San Francisco for the investigation.

So far it has raised just over $600 of its $5,000 goal.

'This sudden loss has devastated Frank's family, friends, and his team here at Sons & Daughters,' Moriarty wrote on the GoFundMe page. 'We were so lucky to have known and [worked] with Frank. The restaurant industry in SF is tight knit and we collectively feel the loss.'

As news of Galicia's death spread, mall employees said they were sticking together in pairs and avoiding isolated areas.

Video courtesy of KRON
Six people were hospitalized after a plane had to make an emergency landing at the Orlando International Airport on Friday.

A Spirit Airlines flight landed safely after it was reported that there was smoke in the cockpit.

Seven people requested medical attention but only six were taken to the hospital, a spokeswoman told the Orlando Sentinel.

Six people were hospitalized after a plane had to make an emergency landing at the Orlando International Airport on Friday. A Spirit Airlines flight (file photo) landed safely after reports of smoke in the cockpit

The six people who were taken to the hospital were crew members who said they felt nauseous and had trouble breathing, the Sentinel reported.

Airport officials said the flight from Orlando to Labrobe, Pennsylvania, left at 4pm but returned shortly after 5pm because of the smoke.

The plane was carrying 179 passengers who were safely taken off the aircraft.

The rest of the passengers are still in the terminal waiting for the next flight, according to News 6.

It's unclear what caused the smoke, but officials said it got into the air conditioning system.

Authorities said that no flames were seen.

The six people who were taken to the hospital were crew members who said they felt nauseous and had trouble breathing. Officials said it's unclear what caused the smoke. Pictured is the Orlando International Airport where the plane landed

Video courtesy of WPXI




from burning toilet rolls is enough for a regulation landing

A pilot from the Royal Flying Doctor Service landed to the light of 20 flaming toilet paper rolls, not flares, when a woman hurt herself badly in remote northern Queensland.

When the service realised they would have to fly to an area with no flares for landing, calls were put out to the community to band together and help.

Within half an hour, toilet paper rolls dunked in diesel fuel were lined up and ready to burn so the pilot could land and get the injured stock hand to hospital.

A pilot for the Royal Flying Doctor Service had to land to the light of burning toilet paper rolls, not flares, when coming to pick up a critically injured woman in remote northern Queensland

The rolls, seen burning in the distance, are placed 30 metres wide apart and 100 metres apart lengthways

Theres an incredible sense of community in the outback, pilot Geoff Cobden told Daily Mail Australia.

Its incredible what they do. If you get crook or injured, everybody pulls together and comes up with a solution.

He called the Burke and Wills Roadhouse at about midnight to explain he would need the unconventional lights, and stayed on the phone to explain how to soak them and exactly how to place them.

The rolls are placed 30 metres wide with 100 metres lengthways between each one.

Pilot Geoff Cobden said it wasn't uncommon to land by the light of flaming toilet rolls

The unusual landing took place at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse (pictured) in remote northern Queensland

When he entered the airspace, Mr Cobden used a radio to tell the people on the ground to light the makeshift flares, so they were able to make the most efficient use of the light.

Luckily for the Roadhouse, the pilot said he only needed to use one lot of burning toilet rolls to get in and out of the airstrip, so they wont be left too short.

Toilet paper flares are not uncommon in this line of work, in fact, they give off enough light to classify as a regulation landing for the pilots, who do about 10 of these landings a year  but Mr Cobden says safety remains paramount.

We all have a can-do attitude, but its can-do safely, he said.

The woman who was injured had multiple serious injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery.

She was transported to Mount Isa Hospital due to time constraints, but was treated in the plane, which Mr Cobden describes as a flying intensive care unit.

RFDS in Queensland covers an area of 760,000 kilometres squared  an area bigger than France, Ireland, Thailand and Chile.
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The horse carriage of a local brewery participates in the parade of Gaeubodenvolksfest, in southern German city of Straubing, on Aug. 12, 2016. The Gaeubodenvolksfest, the second largest folk festival in Bavaria, was founded in 1812 as an agricultural festival to organize an annual meeting of the people in the Danube region. [Xinhua]
The writer, director, producer and star of The Birth of a Nation  a film that is considered a frontrunner for an Academy Award - is determined to not let it be defined by the memory of a rape charge he faced as a college student 17 years ago.

Nate Parker and Jean McGianni Celestin, who shares a story writing credit with Parker, were roommates at Penn State in 1999 when they were accused of raping a girl after she passed out in their room after a night of drinking.

They said the sex was consensual.

Parker, who previously had a consensual encounter with the girl, was acquitted in 2001. Celestin was initially found guilty of sexual assault, but the conviction was overturned on appeal and he was not retried.

Now, Parker and Fox Searchlight, who bought the film for $17.5million, with plans to release it in October, are trying to get ahead of the controversy before Oscar season.

Nate Parker (pictured left, in the poster for the film, and right, with his Sundance Institute Vanguard Award on Thursday) spoke about a rape charge he faced 17 years ago

Parker, a father to five daughters, said he was sure it would come up but insisted the case doesnt reflect his attitude towards women.

I stand here, a 36-year-old man, 17 years removed from one of the most painful moments in the life, he told Deadline in an interview. And I can imagine it was painful, for everyone.

He added: I was cleared of everything, of all charges. Ive done a lot of living, and raised a lot of children.

Ive got five daughters and a lovely wife. My mom lives here with me  I brought her here. Ive got four younger sisters, he said,

He acknowledged the current dialogue about sexual violence on college campuses, calling it a very serious issue.

But he added that he refuses to repeatedly rehash the case.

I will not relive that period of my life every time I go under the microscope.

Parker (above in the film) is the writer, director, producer and star of The Birth of a Nation  a film that is considered a frontrunner for an Academy Award

Parker (left, accepting the Breakthrough Director of the Year award during the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards in April) and Jean McGianni Celestin (right), who shares a writing credit with Parker, were accused of raping a girl after she passed out in their room

And distributor Fox Searchlight, which guided Birdman, 12 Years a Slave and Slumdog Millionaire to Best Picture Oscars, is standing by Parker.

We stand behind Nate and are proud to help bring this important and powerful story to the screen, the company said in a statement, according to Deadline.

Parker also said he doesnt want the rape case to detract from his films mission, which he hopes will act as a catalyst for discussion on the racial tension in the United States this year.

Parker believes the tension is linked to the story portrayed in his film about Nat Turner, a slave and preacher who orchestrates an uprising in Virginia in 1831.

He was interviewed about the case by Deadline on Thursday, hours before accepting the Sundance Institutes Vanguard Award at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.

There, Parker said he wants other aspiring filmmakers to have the same opportunity he did , so the cast and crew of The Birth of a Nation is endowing a fellowship for a young filmmaker of color to participate in the Sundance Institute's Ignite program each year for the next five years.
A state tribunal has allowed a drug addict who assaulted his daughter, a high school teacher who filmed a woman changing and a man convicted of possessing child pornography to work with children.

The convicted criminals were each granted a Working With Children Check this year after the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal granted their appeals against WWCC bans, according to The Daily Telegraph.

A WWCC is required to work or volunteer in a child-related occupation.

Several convicted criminals were granted a Working With Children Check this year after the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal granted their appeals against WWCC bans

One of the overturned cases is a heroin addict in his 40s who has been convicted of assaulting his 16-year-old daughter and his female partner.

Another is a 22-year-old man who is accused of rubbing his face on an underage girl's groin.

A third is a high school teacher who has been convicted of using his camera phone to record a woman getting changed in a changing room at a busy shopping centre.

One of the overturned cases is a heroin addict in his 40s who has been convicted of assaulting his 16-year-old daughter and his female partner

A 53-year-old man who won an appeal has been accused of placing his hand up a woman's skirt in a carpark.

A Children's Guardian spokeswoman said new laws were put in place in November to provide 'better protection for children' but the successful WWCC appeals had already gone through.

The parents of Daniel Morcombe, who was killed by a paedophile when he was 13, are worried cases are being overturned.

'If you've done a crime against a child ... then don't work with children,' he said.

'That stands for life. Find another job.
The Women's 50m Freestyle semifinals were delayed for more than half an hour on Friday night after the bus went to the track stadium instead.

Brazilian swimmer Etiene Medieros was one of the athletes on the truck, but the delay clearly didn't effect her performance.

Medieros came third in her heat and qualified for the final on Saturday night, along with Team USA's Simone Manuel.

The Women's 50m Freestyle semifinals were delayed for more than half an hour on Friday night after the bus went to the track stadium instead

One of the semifinal heats featured American gold medalist Simone Manuel, who qualified for the finals on Saturday

All of the remaining medal ceremonies for swimming were pushed up in order to fill the time and the semifinals were the final event to take place at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium

All of the remaining medal ceremonies for swimming had to be pushed up in order to fill the time as the athletes were taken to the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.

It was a golden night for Team USA, which saw Katie Ledecky score her fourth gold medal in the Rio Olympic games.

Ledecky blew past her competitors in the Women's 800m freestyle final, appearing almost half a pool-length ahead as she reached the final 50 meters.

She crushed her own world record and waited for 11 seconds before her competitors crossed the finish line.

Ledecky has become only the second woman to sweep the 200, 400 and 800-meter freestyles.

Jazz Carlin of Britain won silver, while Boglarka Kapas of Hungary claimed bronze.

Meanwhile, Team USA's Anthony Ervin reclaimed his top spot in the Men's 50m Freestyle, 16 years after he first won it in the Sydney 2000 games.

France's Florent Manaudou, the defending champion, finished second and just 0.01 seconds behind the 35-year-old veteran, who won in 21.40 seconds.

It was a golden night for Team USA, which saw Katie Ledecky score her fourth gold medal in the Rio Olympic games

Ledecky blew past her competitors in the Women's 800m freestyle final, appearing almost half a pool-length ahead as she reached the final 50 meters

Nathan Adrian appeared back on the podium with bronze.

Maya DiRado kept the gold coming for Team USA on Friday after a stunning upset in the Women's 200m backstroke.

She defeated Katinka Hosszu, Hungary's Iron Lady, who was hoping for a fourth gold in the pool.

Hosszu had already won the 100m backstroke, the 200m individual medley and the 400m individual medley.

But in Friday night's race she was caught in the final few meters as DiRado beat her by six hundredths of a second. Hilary Caldwell of Canada took bronze.

There was another upset in the pool, but not in Team USA's favor, as Phelps took a surprising silver in a three-way tie in the Men's 100m Butterfly.

Joseph Schooling, a 21-year-old from Singapore, took home the gold with a record time of 50.39 seconds.

United States' Anthony Ervin celebrates after winning the men's 50-meter freestyle final

Maya DiRado kept the gold coming for Team USA on Friday after a stunning upset in the Women's 200m backstroke

Three-quarters of a second later, Phelps touched the wall at the same moment as South Africa's Chad le Clos and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh, all three recording a time of 51.14 seconds.

'It is a wild way to end my individual career. It is just wild,' Phelps said after the race. I was like 'Three? Three of us tied for third?'

Phelps will have one more chance to claim gold in the pool in his final Olympic race, the Men's 4x100 medley relay, on Saturday.

Simone Manuel will also have a chance to add a second gold medal to her mantle in the Women's 50m freestyle.

Michael Phelps took a surprising silver in a three-way tie in the Men's 100m Butterfly, losing out on gold to Singapore's Joseph Schooling (pictured together after the race)

Manuel became the first African American woman to win an individual Olympic swimming medal on Thursday after taking a top spot in the Women's 100m freestyle.

She tied for first place with Canadian teenager Penny Oleksiak in an Olympic record time of 52.70 seconds.

The gold medalists, who were both making their Olympic debuts in Rio, beat heavy favorites, sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell to victory.

'This medal is not just for me, it's for a whole bunch of people who have come before me and have been an inspiration to me,' Manuel said.
Thailand plans to develop a special SIM card just for tourists that would allow the government to track their movements.

Thailand's telecommunications regulator has approved, in principle, a plan to issue special SIM cards to foreign tourists so they can be tracked through their mobile phones.

Officials at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said the plan would apply to tourists only.

This is a backflip on an earlier announcement that it would cover all foreigners, including resident aliens on long-term visas, the Bangkok Post and other media reported Wednesday.

The commission said the plan would be studied further after its endorsement on Tuesday.

Under a new plan, tourists could be tracked through special SIM cards (stock images)

The move is intended to help boost national security and locate tourists who have overstayed their visas or are in trouble

Foreign and Thai users are already required to register when purchasing SIM cards.

State surveillance of online activity is high under the military government installed after a 2014 coup, and there have been dozens of arrests of people for political material posted on Facebook and other sites.

NBTC Secretary-General Thakorn Tanthasit suggested that the plan would not only help catch terrorists and criminals, but also help find travelers who have gotten in trouble or gone missing.

'We are not limiting any rights,' he told the Bangkok Post.

'The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has no authority to check on the location of users.

'But if tourists commit wrong, or there is a court warrant, we will then forward the warrant to a mobile phone operator and seek cooperation.'

His endorsement has been met with skepticism, as he has so far been unable to explain any details of the plan, or explain how the special cards would differ from normal SIM cards, which already can be used for tracking phones.

He was not available to answer repeated calls to his office.

The SIM card tracking scheme has been met with skepticism, as it appears to be very easy to dodge

NBTC Secretary-General Thakorn Tanthasit came under fire for being unable to provide any details of the plan

AIS, the country's leading cell phone service provider told Associated Press it 'would be happy to comply' with the plan if it helps ensure national stability.

A statement issued by AIS noted the existing requirement for everyone - Thai and foreigner alike - to register when buying a SIM card.

Poomjit Sirawongprasert, president of Thai Hosting Service Providers Club and a strong advocate of free speech online, described the plan as useless, especially if it is meant to capture criminals or terrorists.
A Florida woman who once starred on the reality show 'I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old' appeared in court to face manslaughter charges on Friday.

Sixty-two-year-old Kathleen Marie Steele was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect after her six-year-old son beat her 13-day-old daughter to death while she left them in a hot car for almost 40 minutes.

'Miss Steele, you are charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, do you understand the charge?'

'Yes, sir,' Steele said quietly. Those were her only words during the short hearing.

Kathleen Steele, 62, appeared in court on Friday to answer to the charges of manslaughter after her six-year-old son beat her newborn to death when she left her three young kids in a car - Steele appeared on a reality show when she was 55 and pregnant with the boy - since then her husband died and she had two more children and was going to try for another with her dead husband's frozen sperm

The judge set bond at $100,000. Steele bonded out Friday night and she not allowed to have contact with anyone younger than 18, reported ABC Action News.

Steele has two other children, boys three and six.

Steele already has a lawyer, attorney Robert Love, who said he found her 'devastated.'

Steele's newborn baby, also named Kathleen, was in good health Monday morning when the the mother took her to see a pediatrician, bringing along her young sons.

As they were leaving the doctor's office, Steele's oldest son, Frankie, dropped his mother's phone - shattering the screen, so Steele drove to a cellphone repair store in St. Petersburg to get the phone fixed.

Instead of bringing her children into the store with her though, she turned the car off, rolled up the windows and left them inside alone for a half hour (temperatures went as high as 81 degrees on Monday).

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Kathleen Marie Steele, 62 (left), has been arrested after her six-year-old son Frankie (right, at age four) beat her newborn daughter to death. Steele starred on the reality show ''I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old' in 2010

Steele left her three young children in the car while she went into this cell phone repair shop

While Steele was inside the business, the baby began crying, and Sheriff Bob Gualtiari says Frankie took his sister out of her car seat and began beating her to make her stop. When officers later spoke to the boy, he immediately admitted what he had done, describing in detail how he had hurt the baby.

'I took the baby, and I slammed her like this, and slammed her down, and pushed her up into the ceiling,' Gualtiari recalled the boy saying.

'What he was talking about when he pushed her up into the ceiling, he was holding her up, then he said he was flipping her this way and flipping her that way and she would fall. The way he was describing it is he was tossing that baby around like a ragdoll,' he said.

'The best way I can describe it is, he pummeled her,' he added.

In 2010, Steele and her husband starred on the reality show 'I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old', when they were expecting their first child

Steele's husband (pictured) died from cancer in 2011, but she continued to have two more children thanks to embryos they had created years earlier

Gualtiari says the newborn was beaten so badly that it's likely she died in the car.

'I'm telling you, this baby's face was a mess. There was no mistaking the condition that this 13-day-old infant was in,' he said.

When Steele got back into the car, the boy told her his sister was in a 'serious' condition, but his mother ignored him and went to run another errand at an Enterprise Rent-a-Car.

After another half hour, the family returned home and that's when Steele called a neighbor, who is a nurse, for help.

The nurse immediately realized that the infant was dead, but called 911 anyway. The baby girl, also named Kathleen Steele, was officially pronounced dead at St. Petersburg General Hospital.

Gualtiari says the girl had probably been dead hours by the time her mother noticed.

Phil and Kathleen Steele are pictured above on the reality show. The could got married when they were in their mid-40s.

Steele became pregnant in January 2009 with embryos she and her husband made when they were first married in their mid 40s. Above, Steele on the reality show

An autopsy showed the girl sustained head trauma and had multiple skull fractures.

It's unclear if Steele has an attorney. Because of the boy's age, he will not be charged in his sister's death. His school district confirmed that he would not be returning to Lakewood Elementary in the fall.

In 2010, Steele and her husband appeared on the show 'I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old', when they were expecting their first son. On the show, Steele explained that she had tried and failed to get pregnant for several years, suffering multiple miscarriages.

Sheriff Bob Gualtiari demonstrates how the boy slammed his sister on the floor of the car to silence her when she started to cry

'I was going to try no matter what,' she explained on the show. 'We had been trying too long and lost many. You're sort of in denial.'

She added: 'I'm not a quitter. I don't like to fail. I tend to be an over-achiever and a perfectionist.'

She said on the show that she wanted 'as many children as possible.'

The financial advisor's husband died a year later of cancer, but she conceived a son three years later, and her daughter, with this frozen sperm. Police say the insemination procedure was performed by a doctor in New York City.

Gualtiari condemned the practice, saying it's troubling 'that some supposed medical professional agrees to impregnate a 62-year-old woman with her dead husband's sperm - and she gives birth to a baby that, by all accounts, she's unable to adequately care for.'

'Steele made statements in the last couple days that she was not finished, and apparently there's more frozen sperm and she wants to have another baby boy. Something is seriously messed up with that,' he added.

'She was having a hard time with what she had,' a neighbor told ABC Action News. 'I don't know how a kid can turn that bad that quick.'

By numerous witness accounts, Kathleen Steele was an inattentive parent, and [her sons] were largely unsupervised and had very serious behavioral issues. She was [at the station] Monday night and being interviewed. For one hour into the interview, she never even asked what the kids' status was. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtiari

Neighbors of the North Redington Beach family told WTSP that the 6-year-old boy was not happy to have another sibling. And just days before the baby's arrival, an accidental fire started at their home (it's unclear how the fire was started).

Steele was even under investigation by the sheriff's office Child Protection Investigation Division, for an incident that happened just three days after baby Kathleen's birth.

Above, the home where Steele reportedly noticed her daughter was in distress hours after the beating

While the family was at a Treasure Island hotel, Steele dropped the baby from a car carrier and down a flight of stairs. The incident was ruled an accident by authorities.

Sheriff Gualtiari dodged questions that they could have done more to protect the children.

'By numerous witness accounts, Kathleen Steele was an inattentive parent, and [her sons] were largely unsupervised and had very serious behavioral issues,' the sheriff said. 'She was here Monday night and being interviewed. For one hour into the interview, she never even asked what the kids' status was.'

'I'm 100 percent confident there's nothing else we could've done or should've done. We couldn't have prevented this from happening,' he said.
A seven-month-old boy died after being left all day in a hot sport utility vehicle in a San Antonio-area Walmart parking lot, authorities said.

The baby's father, who works at the store in the suburb of Helotes, told officers that he forgot to drop his son off at day care before going to work about 6.15am Friday, said Helotes police Captain Anthony Burges.

The father found his child dead after finishing work and returning to the SUV about 3pm.

Firefighters reported the father was visibly distraught while leaning over the child, who had been declared deceased.

A seven-month-old boy died after being left all day in a hot SUV in the parking lot of a Helotes, Texas, Walmart (pictured), where his father worked

The father was taken to a hospital after reporting chest pains, Burges said.

Officials said the father was cooperating with police until he 'locked up', which they said was likely due to shock, according to the Houston Chronicle.

No charges have been filed, and the identities of the father and boy have not been released.

Temperatures in the area hovered around 100 degrees much of the afternoon.

The death brings the number of children who have died in hot cars in the U.S. this year to at least 27, six in Texas, said Janette Fennell, founder and president of KidsAndCars.org, a national child safety nonprofit based in Philadelphia.

On August 4, twin 15-month-old girls died after being found in the back seat of a hot SUV parked in front of a duplex car Carrollton in northwestern Georgia.

When police arrived, they found people holding the girls in the water of a baby pool behind the duplex, some with ice packs, trying to cool the girls off.

Last year, there were 15 heatstroke deaths of children in vehicles, Fennell said.

The toll began rising sharply in the 1990s with the passing of laws requiring that young children be placed in the back seat to avoid air-bag injuries.

The death of the boy in Helotes brings the number of children who have died in hot cars in the U.S. this year to at least 27 (stock image of children who have died in hot cars)

With the children strapped into the back seat, drivers can tend to forget them, Fennell said.

Fennell said the numbers of heatstroke deaths of kids in cars fluctuated in the following decades, averaging 37 such deaths a year since 1998.

The worst year was 2010, with 49, according to both a count by Fennell and Jan Null, a research meteorologist at San Jose State University, who also tracks numbers.

The temperature inside a parked car on a 90-degree day will reach 119 degrees in 20 minutes and 133 degrees after an hour, Null said.

Parents should get into the habit of always opening their back doors when they leave the vehicle, according to Fennell.

Leaving a purse or cellphone in the back seat can help.
Three young men escaped from a prison in the west of NSW in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police are urging the public not to approach 22-year-old Andrew Fernando or Greg Walford and Dean Boney, who are both 20.

The men were last seen about 2.40am on Saturday at the minimum-security Brewarrina Correctional Centre.

Three young men escaped from a prison in the west of NSW in the early hours of Saturday morning, including Greg Walford (pictured)

Dean Boney, pictured, was one of the men to escape from Brewarrina Correctional Centre

At the prison, they threatened a correctional officer working in the administration building with knives, a hammer and a screwdriver.

The trio then stole a Toyota Landcruiser from the facility and were last seen heading north towards Brewarrina.

Police began to pursue the vehicle but were forced to stop as the prisoners were driving erratically and the chase was deemed unsafe.

Pursuit was attempted again near Walgett at about 3.45, but was also terminated due to security concerns.

Andrew Fernando, 22, was one of the men who stole a Toyota Landcruiser from the facility and were last seen heading north towards Brewarrina

The three men are of Aboriginal appearance and were wearing prison greens when they escaped.

They were serving sentences for aggravated break and enter offences, and the public are urged to avoid contact with the men, but to call Triple Zero (000) if they see them.
Police are hunting for two boys, aged 10 and 12, who are missing after taking a 65 kilometre taxi ride out of town.

The boys, who are related, have been missing for four days after taking the taxi from Toowoomba, Queensland, to nearby Hatton Vale.

They were last seen on Monday afternoon as they left a shopping centre in Toowoomba.

Police said they feared for the boys' safety.

Police are looking for this 12-year-old boy who went missing from Toowoomba shopping centre four days ago

Police described the 10-year-old as slim, about 140cms tall with a blonde hair and long fringe, The Brisbane Times reported.

The 12-year-old was about 145cms tall, slim and with a long fringe.

Anyone who has seen them is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Officials with the Australian Bureau of Statistics were concerned about the success of the 2016 census months before hackers crashed the website for two days, a leaked memo has revealed.

Program manager Duncan Young wrote in an email to his colleagues in February: 'As most of you are aware, the census program has alerted its steering committee and board that is has assessed its status as RED,' according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

'This means that we have assessed that the program will not be able to deliver on the current scope, timetable and/or budget. This status is as a consequence of both budget reductions since program commencement and program delays during 2014,' he said.

Officials with the Australian Bureau of Statistics were concerned about the success of the 2016 census months before hackers attacked the online survey, a leaked ABS memo has revealed

Program manager Duncan Young (pictured) wrote in an email to his colleagues in February: 'As most of you are aware, the census program has alerted its steering committee and board that is has assessed its status as RED'

Mr Young offered up five suggestions on how to cut back on the Census' budget, including asking fewer questions or less people.

ABS boss David Kalisch proposed his own solution called 'Project Arthur,' which would postpone the census to every 10 years instead of five years, freeing an extra $200 million in the ABS website to upgrade their office computers.

Some of the ABS computer's code is up to 30 years old.

It comes as it experts say the cyber-attacks which halted the census website on Tuesday were the work of by amateur 'hacktivists', rather than advanced organisations.

Cyber security insiders have formed theories about the origin of the 'denial of service' attacks which prompted authorities to shut down the website.

Others have suggested an organised cyber-crime gangs which offer attacks for payment were using Australia's census to showcase the havoc they can wreak, reports Sydney Morning Herald.

Tobias Feakin, a cyber-security expert with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the crises indicated a lack of preparation from the ABS.

There will be 'serious consequences' for those who failed to prepare for cyber attacks which halted the census website on Tuesday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) has warned

'My gut instinct is it's some sort of hacktivist group not at a terribly high level. The most serious issue in my view is there was an apparent lack of strategies in place. This is all about Australia raising their game.'

Gideon Creech, a lecturer with the Australian Centre for Cyber Security at the University of NSW, said they could be using the attack as a testament to their cyber attacking power.

'It shows everybody they've got this massive weapon. The world's talking about it.'

On Thursday Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull warned there will be 'serious consequences' for those who failed to prepare and prevent cyber attacks which halted the census website on Tuesday.

ABS boss David Kalisch (pictured) has conceded the system suffered four attacks which forced them to shut down the website

Mr Turnbull admits there were 'serious failures' with the national survey, which was conducted on an opt-out online basis for the first time by the Australia Bureau of Statistics, costing taxpayers $272 million in operational costs.

'There is time for a review and an inquiry. There are lots of people out there trying to find out who's to blame and which heads should roll and so forth,' Mr Turnbull told 2GB on Thursday.

'My calm demeanour on your radio program is disguising the fact ... that I too am very angry about this. I am bitterly disappointed about this.''

The 'denial of service attacks' that caused the census website to crash were 'absolutely commonplace, highly predictable' and inevitably going to happen, Mr Turnbull said.

'Measures that ought to have been in place to prevent these denial-of-service attacks interfering with access to the website were not put in place. That is a fact.'

The failure of prevention measures was compounded by hardware problems, he said - pointing to 'big issues' for the ABS and IBM - which was contracted to carry out the census.
A woman was convicted in the death of her second husband this week.

Prosecutors have suggested in open court she had something to do with the demise of husbands one and three.

Now, husband No. 4 is bitterly denouncing the Louisiana legal system, saying he's nearly bankrupted himself paying for her legal defense.

Emma Raine, 52, was convicted of second-degree murder Friday in the 2006 death of Ernest Smith.

Prosecutors say she and her then-lover, James Raine, arranged to have Smith killed for insurance money.

Emma Raine (pictured in an August 2013 booking photo) was convicted of second-degree murder Friday in the 2006 death of her second husband Ernest Smith

James later married Emma. He was found shot to death in their Poplarville, Mississippi, home in 2011.

Emma Raine had moved to Missouri and married John W. Golston by the time a cold-case investigation led to her 2013 arrest.

She faces a mandatory life sentence. But Golston still insists she's not guilty.

Prosecutors in the Raine case spun a lurid yarn of money, infidelity and murder, and Golston said Friday that its proliferation in media and online, where his wife was portrayed as 'a black widow', played right into their hands.

'They had her tried and convicted before she went to trial,' Golston said when reached by telephone hours after Friday's verdict.

Emma, 52, had moved to Missouri a few months after James Raine's October 2011 death.

Golston, 50, said he had not known Emma very long before he married her in December 2012 but knew she was three times a widow.

'Her honesty,' he said when asked what drew her to him.

'She seemed really nice and she was easy with her heart. I still don't see all this devious stuff that I've been seeing on the internet.

'I still don't believe that she could have done that.'

Terry Everette (pictured) anxiously confessed that he had killed Ernest Smith at the behest of James and Emma for $10,000 of Smith's $800,000 benefit. Everette was tried and convicted of second-degree murder in December 2014

They had only been married about a half a year when police showed up. 'They said it was for forgery,' he said. But police in New Orleans actually jailed her on a murder charge in Smith's death seven years earlier.

Smith had been gunned down just outside the couple's apartment in an all-but abandoned complex in eastern New Orleans, where months earlier, floods following levee failures during Hurricane Katrina had laid waste to everything.

Police claimed she showed little emotion at her husband's death, but the case soon went cold.

James Raine's murder more than five years later would lead to its reopening. According to testimony from Raine's brother Enoch and two uncles, adopted brother Terry Everette was shaken by Raine's gunshot death.

He anxiously confessed to the family that he had killed Ernest Smith years before at the behest of James and Emma for $10,000 of Smith's $800,000 benefit.

The relatives said they urged Everette to turn himself in. They waited months. He never did. So, they contacted a cold case detective in New Orleans.

Everette was tried and convicted of second-degree murder in December 2014.

It was then that prosecutors introduced evidence they said indicated the 1994 death of Emma's first husband Leroy Evans, while he was under care following a car accident, was suspicious.

That evidence was not allowed at Emma's trial this week.

Prosecutors produced insurance records and other documents showing Emma had increased insurance on Smith over the years.

Even her defense team acknowledged she engineered a forgery scheme to keep Smith's daughter from her share of the benefits.

But, in echoes of the defense argument, Golston insisted Friday that the murder case was built on hearsay and documents that don't prove guilt.

'I think this whole thing was fabricated. It was a setup and it wasn't right,' Golston said. 'She didn't have anyone killed and she didn't kill anyone.'

Asked his occupation, Golston said he was 'an average worker'. He said he didn't want to try to calculate how much he has spent on Emma's defense. 'I'd get sick. It bankrupted me, almost.'

He faults the prosecutors and the judge and says defense attorneys were too slow to run down leads.

'I don't go to New Orleans and I won't,' he said. 'From what I've seen, the judicial system down there is really corrupt.'

Golston was uncertain when asked how the conviction will affect his future and his marriage. 'I don't know what I'm going to do,' he said. 'But I have to live, too.'

The fallout is hard on James Raine's family, as well. His adopted brother, Everette, is serving a life sentence. Like Emma, he was convicted of second-degree murder.
like Golden Staph are resistant to many antibiotics

Doctors who have been handing out too many restricted antibiotics despite there being a strict regime in place could be fueling the rise of superbugs.

Doctors at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital, one of the city's major health facilities, have been 'throwing fire on the superbug problem', according to an expert.

The superbugs like Golden Staph are resistant to many antibiotics because of their widespread use, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Doctors have been 'throwing fire on the superbug problem' by handing out too many restricted antibiotics says expert

Doctors at Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital have been handing out too many restricted antibiotics despite there being a strict regime in place

Doctors at the hospital issued 38,000 doses of powerful restricted antibiotics between January and May last year without prior approval.

Further the hospital staff are supposed to test each of the hospital's surgical wards for the growth of these superbugs every month, but due to 'resourcing issues' only one ward is done each quarter.

The revelations come after a few horror-filled weeks for minister Jillian Skinner who has had to answer questions about wrong chemotherapy doses and two babies who were given nitrous oxide instead of oxygen, one of which died.

Peter Collignon, professor of infectious diseases at the Australian National University medical school thinks the issues seen at the hospital are reflected elsewhere.

The revelations come after a few horror-filled weeks for minister Jillian Skinner (pictured) following wrong chemotherapy doses and two babies given nitrous oxide instead of oxygen

Hospital staff are supposed to test each of the hospital's surgical wards for the growth of these superbugs every month - but only one ward is done each quarter

'Doctors are trying to do the best for their patients [but] they believe this is another level of bureaucracy interfering with their decision-making,' he said.

'Not agreeing with reasonable rules is throwing fire on the superbug problem. It's bad enough as it is. But it's worse if people give too many broad-spectrum antibiotics for longer than they need to be'.

The hospital has been congratulated for running the analysis but must now address how they will deal with the findings.
may be cut short if Senate reform goes ahead

Labor and the Coalition say they will support a plan to divide up six and three-year Senate terms.

The move has angered crossbencher Derryn Hinch, whose time in Parliament may be cut short if the reform goes ahead, so much that he has threatened legal action.

'Yes, I would consider going to the High Court if I'm given a three-year term. I think it's unfair. But I will wait and see how it's going,' he told the Guardian in July.

Labor and the Coalition have said they will support a plan to divide up six and three-year Senate terms, which has angered crossbencher Derryn Hinch (pictured)

Usually senators are elected for six year terms, with half of them eligible for election every three years.

After a double dissolution election the Senate is given power to decide how six and three-year terms are assigned.

The method currently being supported by Labor and the Coalition will see the first six senators elected in each state serve the longer term while the lower six will be made to seek re-election in 2019.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Penny Wong has confirmed Labor will back the plan, The Sydney Morning Herald understood.

Hinch has gone as far as to suggest a new plan in which each party is guaranteed at least one six-year term.

But with Labor and the Coalition's combined 56 votes in the 76-seat Senate the major parties preferred plan is guaranteed to pass, the publication reported.
He is expected to be handed a restraining order at private hearing today

Local reports say this is the second time the man had entered property

throw a knife out window and quickly flee the area

Said he saw

Local reports say this is the second time the man has entered David Guetta's (pictured) property

A Polish man has been arrested for allegedly breaking in DJ David Guetta's Ibiza mansion for a second time.

Police were holding the suspect at a nightclub in Ibiza Town on Thursday after he allegedly jumped over the boundary wall to get into the property.

A worker told police that he spotted the man in the kitchen of the mansion near San Jose in the west of the Balearic island.

The worker added that he then saw the man throw a knife out the window - which has not yet been found - before fleeing the area.

According to local reports, this is the second time the man, who has not been identified, had entered the property.

The suspect previously tricked a maid into thinking he was a friend of the French DJ and was let into the house.

The man will be questioned by a judge at a private hearing today.

David Guetta was born in Paris in 1967 and is the second-highest paid DJ in the world after Calvin Harris

He is expected to be handed a restraining order preventing him from approaching Guetta, his family or his house.

David Guetta was born in Paris in 1967 and is the second-highest paid DJ in the world after Calvin Harris.
He has also claimed to have lost $40,000 worth of revenue from his job

Mr Goldwasser claims he has spent $28,000 in legal fees on the issue

The 48-year-old Melbourne chauffeur said FCA had a duty of care

A chauffeur has slammed a luxury car brand for allowing him to drive his 'lemon' of a car, which he claims pumped toxic exhaust fumes through the air-conditioner for seven months.

Aviram Goldwasser, 48, says Fiat Chrysler Australia (FCA) breached their duty of care to him, his passengers and failed to abide by Australian Consumer Laws.

But lawyers representing the FCA dealer which Mr Goldwasser purchased the vehicle from, have denied these claims and said that they 'reject' that the vehicle he purchased there sustained 'major failure'.

The Melbourne father-of-two says he has lost more than $40,000 worth of revenue by not being able to run his business and lost a total of $28,000 in legal fees dealing with the issue with FCA.

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Melbourne chauffeur Aviram Goldwasser (pictured) claims that Fiat Chrysler Australia breached their duty of care to him and his passengers after he noticed carbon monoxide being pumped into his defective vehicle

In a bid to shame the manufacturer Mr Goldwasser launched a social media campaign against FCA claiming the company destroyed his business and his health.

'I've never been to so many doctors in one year,' Mr Goldwasser said in a video posted to Facebook.

'I said, "Listen I don't feel well my face always feels warm, I get constant headaches... something is going on, something is wrong". You have so many medical issues because of it.'

For seven months Mr Goldwasser claims he has had to breathe deadly odourless gases being emitted from the vehicles air conditioning system - without any help from the manufacturer.

Hopping from dealership to dealership, Mr Goldwasser claimed that the FCA refused to repair the diesel particulate filter (DPF) in his car, which was the reason for the dangerous carbon monoxide leak.

'The car was not fit for purpose for seven months, it wasn't fixed in a reasonable time, and they've done nothing to mitigate my losses,' he said.

In a bid to shame the manufacturer Mr Goldwasser (pictured in the social media video post) launched a social media campaign against FCA in a video posted to Facebook

In a desperate attempt to seek help, Mr Goldwasser claims to have contacted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), who allegedly said that the issue was 'very serious'.

'I filled out a form sent it to the ACCC, I get an email back from the ACCC, saying, "this is quite a serious issue", and I'm reading it and thinking this is really good,' he said.

The father-of-two (pictured) says that he has lost over $40,000 worth of revenue by not being able to run his business

'They said, "We think you have a really strong case and you should take legal action", and I said, "What? What about helping me?"'

Mr Goldwasser, who purchased the $52,000 2014 Chrysler 300c Turbo Diesel in May 2014 to start his business, said the leak did not start until a year after owning the vehicle.

He also claims repairs by FCA were only looked into after months of legal action and a report released by Jeep specialists Poly 4x4.

'Exhaust fumes are coming directly from this pipe before any filtering,' the report read.

'These exhaust gases are dangerous and contain carbon monoxide.

'This vehicle is not fit for road use and should not be driven until this issue is rectified. This fault is a major concern.'

Mr Goldwasser (pictured in the defective car) who purchased the $52,000 2014 Chrysler 300c Turbo Diesel in May 2014 to start his business said that the leak didn't start until a year into having the vehicle

But repairs were only looked into after months of legal action and an independent report was issued (pictured) by Jeep specialists Poly 4x4

After initially denying the fault, the lawyers representing the FCA dealer wrote in December that: 'After extensive diagnostic testing, our client's technicians have identified a leaking diesel particulate filter and exhaust gas recirculation tube, which they believe to be the source of the smell identified by your client.'

'If your client elects to purchase a replacement vehicle that is a matter for your client.'

'Our client however rejects that the vehicle purchased from its dealership sustained a major failure or that your client is entitled to a replacement vehicle.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted FCA for comment.

After initially denying the fault, the lawyers for the FCA dealer wrote to Mr Goldwasser in December that: 'After extensive diagnostic testing, our client's technicians have identified a leaking diesel particulate filter and exhaust gas recirculation tube (pictured)

The lawyers for the FCA rejected that the vehicle purchased had sustained a major failure in the letter (pictured)

A spokeswoman from FCA told News.com.au: 'While as a rule, we avoid commenting publicly about individual customers, we will continue to work proactively to ensure that all of our customers have the best possible ownership experience.'

It is believed that the manufacturer has since repaired the fault and offered compensation to Mr Goldwasser.

Mr Goldwasser told Daily Mail Australia: 'I want full refund for the car. I also want full remedy for my income loses.

'We haven't even spoke about the health issues and the stress they put me through.'

In total Mr Goldwasser has calculated 80 full days from May 22 last year to December 18 many that were two to five hour visits to dealerships.

Mr Goldwasser said on top of that he was restricted for seven months and couldn't use the air conditioning while he drove which stopped him from driving people when it was raining or too hot.

'So I worked one job here one there. So it's hard to calculate an exact figure,' he explained.

And for all of that Mr Goldwasser said that the company's only offer of compensation was allegedly six days.

For seven months Mr Goldwasser (pictured) claims that he has to breathe deadly odourless gases being emitted from the vehicles air conditioning system which caused headaches and other health problems

Since getting his car back in January Mr Goldwasser (pictured) has resumed driving the vehicle claiming that he doesn't have a choice because of serious debt caused by the incident

Since getting his car back in January Mr Goldwasser has resumed driving the vehicle claiming that he doesn't have a choice.

'I still have another $23,000 left on my credit card to pay  but how do I know it's fixed? I want them to admit they should never have released the car,' he told News.com.au.

The carmaker was under investigation last year by the ACCC following a number of complaints from customers over vehicle faults.

Meanwhile in June an automatic transmission fault linked to the death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin has led Jeep to recall almost 50,000 cars in Australia because they can roll away in the 'park' position.
Jose Chavez, a 33-year-old father of two, was shot in the neck

A New Mexico cop was shot dead by the passenger of a car he pulled over for a routine traffic stop.

Police officer Jose Chavez, a 33-year-old father of two, had just arrived at the stop in Dona Ana County when a man got out of the car and shot him in the neck.

He was airlifted to a hospital in El Paso where he died from his injury, officials said.

The three men in the car are believed to have shot another person while stealing the gray Lexus.

With officer Chavez bleeding out at the scene, the driver led another cop on a dangerous, high speed car chase through the state.

Two of the suspects - James Nelson II and Jesse Hanes - are wanted for the fatal shooting of a 62-year-old Ohio man last month, the Chillicothe Gazette.

A New Mexico cop was shot dead by the passenger of a car he pulled over for a routine traffic stop (pictured, the scene where suspects were arrested)

Two of the suspects involved in the shooting of a New Mexico cop - James Nelson II (right) and Jesse Hanes (left) - were also wanted for the fatal shooting of an Ohio man

Officers stopped the car by popping its tires using 'stop sticks' and arrested the driver, who was suffering from a bullet wound to the thigh.

The two other suspects were arrested later in the evening.

'A passenger... reportedly exited the vehicle and she fired shots at the officer,' said Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson.

An officer who witnessed the shooting then chased the vehicle at speeds exceeding 100mph but 'was unable to catch up,' he added.

An officer who witnessed the shooting chased the vehicle at speeds exceeding 100mph

Officers stopped the car by popping its tires using 'stop sticks' and arrested the driver, who was suffering from a bullet wound to the thigh (pictured, the scene of the arrest)

'The incident at the rest stop triggered a multiple-jurisdiction manhunt.

'We had assistance from just about every police agency in this county, including air assistance from border patrol.'
Additional 1,500 firearms officers could take two years to put in place

One force has fewer than 10 firearms officers on stand-by at times

Senior police officers fear that a terror attack outside London could lead to 'carnage', with many forces unequipped to respond to a Paris-style atrocity.

A source said that while the Metropolitan Police had done a 'fantastic job' in unveiling their new armed officers, elsewhere the capability to respond would be 'woefully inadequate'.

He added that one force in the country has fewer than 10 firearms officers on stand-by at times.

Senior police officers fear that a terror attack outside London could lead to 'carnage', with many forces unequipped to respond to a Paris-style atrocity

A source said that while the Metropolitan Police had done a 'fantastic job' in unveiling their new armed officers, elsewhere the capability to respond would be 'woefully inadequate'

'Many of us feel our national armed response and capability would be woefully inadequate and take too long to respond. We'd have carnage,' a source told The Mirror.

'It is fair to say that if a dynamic terror attack took place in some northern cities, the deaths would only be limited by the number of bullets the attackers have.'

He added that the prospect is 'truly horrifying' and believes that drawing attention to the issue 'is the only way of embarrassing the powers that be into doing something'.

Earlier this month, Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe unveiled the plan to put more highly visible patrols, armed with pistols and semi-automatic SIG Carbine rifles, at major landmarks in London as a deterrent to potential attackers.

Earlier this month, Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe unveiled the plan to put more highly visible patrols at major landmarks

The new generation of armed officers also have BMW F800GS motorbikes to allow them to scramble to an incident anywhere in the capital and speed boats so they can deploy from the Thames.

The officers are masked, which provides an extra layer of safety for counter-terrorism officers as they carry out their various specialist tasks.

But Police Federation chairman Steve White warned that it could take at least two years to get the additional 1,500 firearms officers planned nationally in place.

But Police Federation chairman Steve White warned that it could take at least two years to get the additional 1,500 firearms officers planned nationally in place

Mr White said: 'Some forces are getting volunteers coming forward, but they are not always being selected because they don't meet the criteria.

'It is vitally important that standards are maintained. The best-case scenario is two years in terms of recruiting an extra 1,500 officers.

'If there is an attack it is unlikely to be an isolated incident. We've got to have the resources around the country because it might happen in multiple places at the same time.'
The Duke of Westminster let Tory minister Norman Tebbit, pictured with wife Margaret, stay in one of his London houses on 'very favourable' terms after his wife was left paralysed in the Brighton IRA bombing

The late Duke of Westminster let a Tory minister stay in one of his central London houses on 'very favourable' terms after his wife was left paralysed in the Brighton IRA bombing, the former minister has revealed.

Former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Norman Tebbit disclosed the generous offer after the billionaire Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor died of a heart attack at his grouse shooting estate in Lancashire at the age of just 64 on Tuesday.

Lord Tebbit, the former chair of the Conservative Party, was left badly injured in the IRA attack in October 1984 and five others were killed.

'I'm not sure how I would have managed but for his generosity,' said Lord Tebbit, according to The Telegraph.

Tebbit was no longer able to stay at his home in the Barbican and required extra security after the bombing but was surprised to receive a letter from the Grosvenor Estate offering the peppercorn rent.

The MP for Epping and Chingford said: 'We had never previously met, but he was offering me a 20-year lease, on terms very favourable indeed to me, on a central London house that was part of his Grosvenor Estate.

'When the 20 years had passed, I wrote offering to surrender the lease as I had long since stood down from front-line politics, but he replied that it made no difference to him and he was happy to renew.'

Lord Tebbit decided to leave the Belgravia property at the end of the 20 years despite an offer from the Estate to continue to lease.

Former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Norman Tebbit disclosed the generous offer after the billionaire Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor (pictured) died of a heart attack at his grouse shooting estate in Lancashire at the age of just 64 on Tuesday

The father-of-four, the 6th Duke, was the richest property developer in the UK, whose vast wealth comes from estates in Oxford, Cheshire, and Scotland as well as huge swathes of Mayfair and Belgravia.

His tragic death means that his son Hugh will now inherit the entire estate, including the family seat in Cheshire, Eaton Hall, at the age of just 25.

A spokesman for the family said: 'It is with the greatest sadness that we can confirm that the Duke of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor (64) died this afternoon at Royal Preston Hospital.

'He was taken there from the Abbeystead Estate in Lancashire where he had suddenly been taken ill.

'His family are all aware and they ask for privacy and understanding at this very difficult time.'
Veteran Scottish actor Richard Wilson, who was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, is believed to be in a stable condition in hospital after suffering cardiac arrest

One Foot In The Grave star Richard Wilson is said to be fighting for his life after suffering a 'severe head injury' while having a heart attack.

The veteran actor, 80, was put in intensive care and is in a stable but 'serious' condition, sources say.

Wilson was rushed to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest on Wednesday afternoon.

A source told The Sun: 'Richard had a really nasty fall and hit his head.

'He was on life support in the hospital in the intensive care unit. Hes stable but very ill and in a serious condition. Its been a very difficult time for his friends and family.'

His 86-year-old sister Moira told the Mirror: 'I am praying hes OK.

'We havent seen each other. I cant travel.'

Wilson, who was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, recently revealed he originally turned down his most famous role, playing Victor Meldrew in One Foot In The Grave.

The Scottish actor made his name playing the cantankerous protagonist but said he had to be talked into it because he thought he was too young for the part.

At one point, television bosses were even thinking about casting Les Dawson as the curmudgeon.

Wilson told Radio Times: 'I was in my early 50s and Victor was 60. I turned it down.

'I think Les Dawson was being considered. A very funny man but I don't know if he could have played Victor.'

Producer/director Susan Belbin continued to pursue Wilson and, after reading more scripts, he was convinced.

One Foot In The Grave: Annette Crosbie as Margaret and Richard Wilson as Victor Meldrew

He went on to play the pensioner at war with middle-class suburbia for five series from 1990 to 1995, before returning for a final run in 2000.

Wilson had planned on resurrecting Victor for a performance at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, despite the fact he was killed off in the final episode of the BBC series.

His 12-night run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was due to start on Tuesday.

The Scottish actor made his name playing the cantankerous protagonist but said he had to be talked into it because he thought he was too young for the part

But concerns about his health were raised when it emerged he had pulled out of the run of shows, with his agent then confirming he had been taken ill.

Wilson had planned to re-create writer David Renwick's script for a 1993 episode called The Trial, which sees Victor waiting in the house, on a rainy day, on call for jury duty.

Half an hour with Victor would have been followed by half an hour with Wilson himself, answering questions from the audience.

The actor promised fans that the OAP - known for the catchphrase 'I don't believe it!' - would not have mellowed with age.

He said: 'I think Victor is around 80 now. But I am playing him roughly 74.
TV chef James Martin has fuelled speculation he might take over as the host of troubled BBC show Top Gear after months of controversy surrounding the programme.

The 44-year-old television personality is top of the list to replace Chris Evans and he revealed he might have put a bet on himself if the odds were better.

Chris Evans stepped down from the programme in July after just one season following plummeting ratings and claims of infighting with fellow host Matt LeBlanc.

TV chef James Martin (pictured) has fuelled speculation he might take over as the host of troubled BBC show Top Gear after months of controversy surrounding the programme

Martin said: 'Apparently I'm the bookies' favourite. I walked past a bookies in Leeds and saw my name on there, and I thought, "What the hell's going on there?" I was top of the list. But the phone hasn't rung yet...

'I know that's the rumour, but I don't know where I'm going to fit it in.

'I can't even put a bet on myself now because you lot [the press] have made the odds even!

'I enjoy my cars and I like the collecting of them, but Top Gear is a really tough show - it's a different ball game.'

The chef, who was at the helm of Saturday Kitchen for 10 years, is currently presenting This Morning with Anita Rani and admits the criticism from the public has been a 'rude awakening' for him.

He told The Sun's TV Magazine: 'It's certainly been a rude awakening for me. All of a sudden I've been slagged off left, right and centre.

The 44-year-old television personality is top of the list to replace Chris Evans (left) and he revealed he might have put a bet on himself if the odds were better. Evans stepped down from the programme in July after just one season following plummeting ratings and claims of infighting with fellow host Matt LeBlanc (right)

'Unfortunately, on social media now, people feel they can say whatever they want and there's not a lot I can do about it.'

A BBC spokesperson said: 'This is pure speculation - we dont expect further changes to the line-up'.

The revamped car show had suffered flagging ratings, with a new low of fewer than two million viewers for the series finale.

The show launched with 4.4 million overnight viewers but then plummeted to 2.8 million for the second episode. The show never went back above that figure.

By contrast, the former Top Gear presenters, who will launch their new Amazon Prime show The Grand Tour in the autumn, bowed out with 5.8 million viewers.

Before the revamped Top Gear had even aired, it was already embroiled in a row over 'donuts' around The Cenotaph.

After LeBlanc and racing driver Ken Block caused an uproar by performing stunts around the war memorial, Evans branded the incident 'disrespectful' and said the footage would not be aired.

Evans and LeBlanc were also forced to deny claims that they were at loggerheads during filming.

LeBlanc, 48, tweeted in March: 'I'm at war with @achrisevans? That's funny, I thought we were pals.'

The Grand Tour, starring former Top Gear hosts James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (left to right), began filming in South Africa in July

Evans, 50, also laughed off the report, tweeting: 'Just been on the phone to @Matt_LeBlanc to confirm we are "at war" as reported in The Sun today. He says, "sure, whatever.." Why I oughta!'

The Grand Tour, starring former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, began filming in South Africa in July.

The name of the programme is a reference to 'The Grand Tour' undertaken by 17th Century Englishmen such as Lord Byron when they visited France, Italy and the rest of Europe.
A murder probe has been launched after a father-of-five was beaten to death at a pub in a leafy commuter belt village.

Police were called to the George Inn, in the village of Burnham, shortly after midnight to reports a man had been attacked inside the pub.

A 48-year-old man - named locally as Dean Haverley - was treated at the scene but died in hospital.

Speaking to MailOnline, his older brother Craig said: 'He was my best friend and my little brother and I'm going to miss him big time'.

Dean Haverley, the youngest of eight siblings, was beaten to death in the George Inn pub

Mr Haverley was a father-of-five and was described by his brother as a 'brilliant father who doted over them'.

He said: 'He was a great dad and he absolutely loved all of them'.

He added: 'He was an upbeat, funny guy, always laughing and he had my kids in stitches. The last time I saw him was about two or three days ago when he came round to mine and we watched some TV and had a few beers in my man cave.

'He was the youngest of eight siblings and we were very close and always together'.

Mr Haverley, 53, from Britwell, was not with his brother last night but revealed how he had visited the George Inn with his younger brother on Monday night.

'It was a typical night in the pub. We had a couple of beers, played on the fruit machine and then left. It's a tiny pub and is a real community pub. Our friend is the landlord and he's very shaken up by what's happened.'

He added: 'I've already had hundreds of people round, which just shows what a great guy Dean was. People just can't believe what has happened.'

Mr Haverley's son Dougie Mcclean wrote on Facebook: 'RIP Dad. Let's get this geezer caught.'

Police were called to the George Inn, in the village of Burnham, shortly after midnight

The area was sealed off by police today as officers investigated. No arrests have been made.

Kalbinder 'Tony' Singh, who works at Sea World fish takeaway next-door told MailOnline: 'I closed up the shop at 10pm and then came back this morning to see police outside the pub so I knew something was wrong. The police said they couldn't tell me anything.

'I am shocked, especially because for the last three to four years there has been no trouble in the village and the pub has been pretty quiet.'

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Simon Steel of the Major Crime Unit, said: 'My appeal is to anyone who was in The George Inn public house around midnight who witnessed the assault or has any information regarding the incident to contact police immediately.

'This is an isolated incident and we are conducting a thorough investigation to find out what happened inside public house last night.

'A scene watch will remain in place at the public house and there will be police activity in the area.'

Dean (left) with his older brother Craig, who described him as 'upbeat and a fantastic father'

Anyone with any information should call 101 and quote reference 1 (13/8).

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: 'Police officers were called to The George Inn public house in High Street at 12.01am today to a report of a man having been assaulted inside that location.

'The victim, a 48-year-old local man, was treated at the scene but sadly later died in hospital. His next of kin has been informed.'

Burnham is a leafy village between Slough and Maidenhead and a short train journey from Paddington, making it popular with commuters.

There are four pubs on Burnham's High Street, with two more on the adjacent Church Street and Britwell Road. The George Inn is the oldest pub in the High Street.
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A wildlife park is celebrating the arrival of the first ever lion triplets to be born since it opened 46 years ago.

The proud parents, rare Asiatic lions Rana and Kanha, have made history with their very first litter at Cotswold Wildlife Park, near Burford, Oxfordshire.

On Saturday, the adorable trio of cubs are pictured making their public debut and meeting their father for the first time.

Debut: Kali, Sita and Sonika made their first public appearance at Cotswold Wildlife Park, near Burford, Oxfordshire

Adorable: The boisterous youngsters can also be seen nuzzling and playing with their affectionate mum on Saturday

New mum: The proud parents, rare Asiatic lions Rana and Kanha (pictured), have made history with their very first litter

Kali, Sita and Sonika, the three female cubs, are shown playfully running down a grassy slope as they explored their new surroundings.

The boisterous youngsters can also be seen nuzzling and playing with their affectionate mum.

One little lioness appears to be practising her roar and looks ready to pounce as she stretches out on top of a log.

The new parents came to Cotswold Wildlife Park in 2013 and 2014 as part of the European Breeding Programme and keepers hoped that they would one day produce a litter of their own.

Breeding: The new parents came to Cotswold Wildlife Park in 2013 and 2014 as part of the European Breeding Programme

Love in an instant: Rana and Kanha formed an instant bond and two years later, Kanha gave birth to her three cubs

Stretch: One little lioness appears to be practising her roar and looks ready to pounce as she stretches out on top of a log

Rana and Kanha formed an instant bond and two years later, after a gestation period of four months, Kanha gave birth to her three cubs.

Lionesses rear their cubs in seclusion and often reject them if they are disturbed so keepers watched the births remotely on CCTV monitors.

For nearly two months, the triplets lived solely with their mother in the birthing pen.

Rana remained in the neighbouring enclosure but was never too far from the cubs.

He was often seen by keepers taking a great interest in his new family.

This week, the cubs were successfully introduced to their father in the main outdoor enclosure for the big cats.

Tradition: For nearly two months, the triplets lived solely with their mother in the birthing pen as lionesses rear their cubs in seclusion

Playful: Kali, Sita and Sonika are shown playfully running down a grassy slope as they explored their new surroundings

Exploring: One of the triplets playing with mum's tail at Cotswold Wildlife Park as she meets the public for the first time

The three adorable cubs are the first ever triplets to be born at the park since it opened in 1970, and the first cubs to be born in 14 years.

Curator of Cotswold Wildlife Park, Jamie Craig, said: 'We have not bred lions for many years at Cotswold Wildlife Park so it is an exciting time for the mammal keepers.

'Our young pair are proving to be exemplary parents and, although there was some trepidation when we reintroduced the lioness and her cubs to the male, all went without a hitch and they can now be seen playing happily families in their enclosure.'

Asiatic lions, which are found in the wild in India, are one of the world's rarest big cats, with wild population numbers having declined drastically over the last century, almost to the point of extinction.

Historic: The three adorable cubs are the first ever triplets to be born at the park since it opened in 1970, and the first cubs to be born in 14 years

Rare: Asiatic lions, which are found in the wild in India, are one of the world's rarest big cats. Pictured, one of the cubs being groomed by her mother

Dwindling: Wild Asiatic lion population have declined drastically over the last century, almost to the point of extinction
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Stunning photographs have captured the Perseid meteor shower that has been delighting stargazers across the world.

The annual spectacle reaches its peak this weekend, when there also happens to be a darker sky than usual, making the shower clearer to see.

The Perseid shower takes place in July and August and is the result of particles falling from the Comet Swift-Tuttle.

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Spectacular photographs have captured the Perseid meteor shower that has been delighting stargazers across the world

The annual meteor shower takes place in July and August and is the result of particles falling from the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The skies were lit up by the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland

The Perseid meteor shower is at its peak this weekend, when there also happens to be a darker sky than usual

A stunning photograph shows satellites, planes and comets going across the night sky above Corfe Castle, Dorset

Nasa has said the rate of meteors has doubled, with around shooting stars 200 per hour, meaning the chance of catching a glimpse of the shower is greater this year.

PERSEID METEOR SHOWER Based on records, the normal rate of the Perseid meteor shower is to see 50 to 75 meteors per hour. But according to Nasa, the rate will double this year to about 150 to 200 meteors per hour. The peak of the shower is on Aug 12 and 13, when there also happens to be a darker-than-usual sky, making the shower even clearer to see. Advertisement

Photographs have captured the stunning skies seen in Northumberland and Dorset, as well as Washington State in the US.

The trail of particles from the comet forms meteors, or shooting stars as they are also known, which heat up as they enter the Earths atmosphere creating tails of light across the sky.



These specific meteors travel at a speed of 132,000 miles per hour and are called Perseids due to the way in which they appear to streak away from the Perseus Constellation.

Since meteoroids that create a meteor shower all move on a parallel path, and at the same speed, they seem to originate from a single point in the sky to observers on Earth, known as the radiant.

As the Perseids shower occurs at a similar time as the Delta Aquarids shower, it can be confusing trying to understand which one you are seeing.

The chance of catching a glimpse of the shower is greater this year, as the rate of meteors has doubled compared to previous years

A Perseid meteor streaks above the Big Dipper photographed north of Reardan, Washington, on Friday morning

The trail of particles from the comet forms meteors, or shooting stars as they are also known, which heat up as they enter the Earths atmosphere creating tails of light across the sky

The Northern lights can be seen in the horizon during the Perseid Meteor Shower in the early hours of Friday

Photographers captured the Perseid meteor shower over Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth, Dorset

Viewing the sky from the Northern Hemisphere, the Delta Aquarids will appear to come from the south, while the Perseids will come from the north.

Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, the Delta Aquarids will appear to originate just overhead, and the Perseids will stem from the north.

Based on records, the normal rate of the Perseid meteor shower is 50 to 75 meteors per hour but according to Nasa, the rate will double this year to about 150 to 200 meteors per hour.

The annual Perseids meteor shower has been lighting up the sky since July 17. This picture was taken at the Haldon Belvedere, St Lawrence Castle which sits on the Haldon Hills above Exeter

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower was on Friday night, when there also happens to be a darker-than-usual sky forecast. The shower is pictured over a field during sunset, in Studland, Dorset

The meteor shower has been enjoyed by people around the world. Pictured is the shower seen above medieval tombstones in Radmilje near Stolar, south of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The meteor shower could be seen over Hatchet Pond in Hampshire on Wednesday. The best time to look for the shower will be around midnight when there is a dark sky

Meteors can be quite faint, so it is best to look out for them in a dark sky, free of moonlight and artificial lights. Pictured is the meteor shower seen over Ladram Bay in Devon

On Thursday night as well as the meteor shower, Mars, Saturn and the moon aligned.

A large triangle could be seen, with the moon appearing to be white, Mars a bright orange, and Saturn a yellow colour.

Catching a glimpse of the meteor shower will very much depend on your location. However, the best time to watch the sky for these shooting stars will be around midnight.

Because meteors can be quite faint, it is best to look out for them in a dark sky, free of moonlight and artificial lights.

The Perseids has been occurring since July 17, and will carry on throughout August. The stunning spectacle can be seen in various locations across the globe, including Ladram Bay in Devon (pictured)

Viewers in Devon were treated to an absolute spectacle, as the meteor shower could be seen over Bigbury on Sea (left) and Orcombe Point (right)

The normal rate of the Perseid meteor shower is to see 50 to 75 meteors per hour. Pictured is the shower seen over Budleigh Salterton in Devon

A picture taken with a slow shutter shows a meteor moving past stars in the night sky over lake Neusiedlersee near Moerbisch am See, around 70 km southeast of Vienna

On Thursday night as well as the meteor shower, Mars, Saturn and the moon aligned. A large triangle could be seen, with the moon appearing to be white (top right), Mars a bright orange (bottom right), and Saturn a yellow colour (top left). Pictured left is a star

People in Spain also saw the shower. Pictured is the forest of crosses in Marganell, Spain, where the sky was lit up by the shower

The Perseids meteor shower gets its name because it appears to radiate from the constellation Perseus. Pictured is the shower seen over Burgh Island in Devon
Angela Merkel will push German companies to offer more positions to refugees

Angela Merkel has invited big company executives to attend a summit next month where she will urge them to hire more refugees.

More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market.

This will reduce their dependence on the state and compensate for labour shortages as the workforce ages.

Merkel will push reluctant German companies to offer more traineeships and positions to refugees, the newspaper Bild reported.

Large companies have been criticized for doing little to help integrate the refugees into the thriving job market.

Companies say most of the new arrivals lack the German language skills and the education required for a job.

Engineering giant Siemens, chemicals group Evonik , carmakers Opel and VW and utility RWE will share with Merkel the results of pilot projects with refugees.

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Merkel's office declined to confirm Bild's report, which said the meeting at the chancellery will take place September 14.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported a month ago that the 30 biggest DAX-listed companies had until June employed only 54 refugees, including 50 who were hired by logistics provider Deutsche Post.

More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market

Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel last month urged large companies to do more for refugees, saying their efforts pale in comparison to the Mittelstand, the small and medium-size companies considered the backbone of Europe's biggest economy.
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Britons enjoying the sunshine can look forward to highs of 30C next week - but experts warn the Spanish plume could also bring a blanket of toxic smog with it.

Families enjoyed a sunny day at the beach today as the mercury hit highs of 22C in the south east, with largely dry and warm weather across the UK.

And there will be much higher temperatures next week as the Spanish plume arrives with warm air from the continent on Wednesday, making some parts of the country hotter than Morocco and Tenerife.

Hundreds of people basked in sunshine as they took part in the annual Holi One Colour Festival in Wembley Park, West London today.

Thousands of people basked in warm weather as they took part in the Holi One Colour Festival, pictured, in London today

Powdered paint, pictured, swirled through the air as revellers wearing white shirts got into the spirit of the occasion

The event is inspired by the Hindu Holi Festival but organisers say it is not religious but instead 'promotes togetherness'

It took place in Wembley Park and festival-goers enjoyed music from DJs from around the world as they danced among the paint

They were left looking like they had been through a rainbow as pink, blue, yellow and red powder swirled through the air

Inspired by the Hindu festival, which takes place in March, the event in London is not religious but is about 'promoting togetherness and the colours of everyday life'.

People, who were dressed in white to maximise the impact of the event, got into the spirit of the occasion by throwing powdered paint over each other while dancing to music.

They were left looking like they had been through a rainbow as pink, blue, yellow and red powder swirled through the air.

Others made the most of the weather in Brighton, where the beach was packed out with families and friends soaking up the sun.

Meanwhile in Brighton, hundreds of people took to the beach, pictured, to sunbathe and enjoy the blue skies

The beach and pier, pictured, were swarming with people as families got out to make the most of the good weather

Britons enjoying the sunshine today can look forward to highs of 30C next week - but experts warn the Spanish plume could also bring a blanket of toxic smog with it. Pictured are families enjoying the sun in Swanage, Dorset

The country has seen largely warm and dry weather today. Pictured are the cliffs at Anvil Point, Dorset

Families enjoyed a sunny day at the beach in Bournemouth with the south-east hitting highs of 22C today

However, experts warn that the hot weather will also bring higher levels of pollution brought over from the continent.

On Wednesday, England and Wales will see a moderate level of pollution - increasing the risk for those with breathing problems.

Dr Penny Wales, from the British Lung Foundation, told The Mirror: 'If you have a lung condition, we advise reducing or avoiding strenuous, outdoor exercise.

'Stay away from pollution hotspots, and if you're getting wheezy or coughing from walking outside, get in touch with your doctor.'

There will be much higher temperatures next week as the Spanish plume arrives with warm air from the continent on Wednesday. Pictured is Bournemouth beach today

Sunbathers enjoyed the sun in front of Bournemouth Pier (left) while a walker strolled along the coast in Dorset (right)

A walker stops to take in the view at Durlston Country Park near Swanage, Dorset, in the sunshine earlier today

Tomorrow will be similar today, with largely dry weather across the country. On Monday, there will be more sunshine with a ridge of high pressure coming in from the south

While the south-east will see hot and dry weather on Wednesday, there may be outbreaks of showers towards the west and the odd thundery shower.

Met Office forecaster Chris Page said: 'Temperatures on Wednesday are likely to be the highest that we see next week.

'In the north, we will see temperatures of between 17 and 20C, while further south we could see temperatures in the high 20s and even 30C in some places.

'Regardless of the actual temperature, it is going to feel very warm because of the light winds.'

But he said temperatures are expected to return to normal levels towards the end of the week, staying largely warm and dry.

Experts warn that the hot weather will also bring higher levels of pollution brought over from the continent

Temperatures are expected to return to normal levels towards the end of the week, staying largely warm and dry. Pictured is woodland in Swanage, Dorset
A Melbourne doctor accused of sexually assaulted his male patients asked them to undress before he molested them.

Dr Andrew Churchyard, a senior neurologist at Cabrini Health and Monash Health in Melbourne, took his own life in July while awaiting a criminal trial for sexual assault charges, The Age reported.

Since Dr Churchland's death more than 40 patients have come forward to say they had been violated by the doctor.

Dr Andrew Churchyard (pictured), a senior neurologist at Cabrini Health and Monash Health in Melbourne, took his own life in July while awaiting a criminal trial for sexual assault charges

Many have serious degenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Huntington's Disease.

Adviceline Injury Lawyers is putting together a claim against Dr Churchyard's estate and possibly Cabrini Hospital where he rented a room.

Dr Churchyard was not employed by Cabrini Health, but accredited to work at the hospital until February 5 of this year.

Lawyer Bree Knoester told The Age patients described Dr Churchyard as a man who built up their trust before indecently assaulting them and cleverly disguising it as legitimate medical treatment.

She said his patients' stories were similar. Dr Churchyard would ask them to take their clothes off without a sheet or anything to cover themselves up.

He then asked the patients to do various things like walk around the room naked so he could study them, got them to stand on scales, or examined their genitals.

One man said Dr Churchyard requested he bring himself to an erection, while another said he was asked to masturbate in front of the doctor in a 'relaxation technique'.

Despite Dr Churchyard being charged with two counts of indecent assault, he was allowed to continue working at Cabrini Health (pictured) as long as he was accompanied by a chaperone

A third man said Dr Churchyard appeared to ejaculate while he was 'examining' him.

Numerous patients have said they felt uncomfortable and embarrassed by being asked to do these things, but felt dependent on him for 'specialist care'.

'People thought they were seeing the best person in the field. That might have made them feel less willing to question his practices,' Ms Knoester said.

Many patients said he made them feel like they did nor need to see any other doctors and he provided all the medical services they needed.

Monash Medical Centre (pictured) immediately suspended Dr Churchyard in July 2015 after he is reported for sexual assault

One man, who did not want to be named, said when he saw Dr Churchyard his rectum was examined seemingly without a reason, and he tried to report it through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

He eventually decided against it because Dr Churchyard was treating his family for a genetic condition known as Huntington's disease.

During this time, the man's brother was being repeatedly abused by Dr Churchyard and he was completely unaware of it.
The ex-husband and father of a British woman suspected to be the victim of an 'honour killing' appeared in a Pakistani court today after being arrested by police.

Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, died last month during a visit to her family village in Punjab.

Shahid's ex-husband, Muhammad Shakeel, and father, Muhammad Shahid, have been arrested and will remain in custody.

The second husband of the beauty therapist, Mukhtar Kazam, claimed she was murdered for bringing 'dishonour' on her family.

Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, died last month during a visit to her family village in Punjab

She was allegedly hunted by her family in 2014 after she ran away from the cousin she had been forced to marry.

'Shahid's ex-husband, Muhammad Shakeel, who was on pre-arrest bail, was arrested along with Shahid's father, Muhammad Shahid, after a local court did not extend Shakeel's bail,' Aqeel Abbas, a local police official said.

Abbas said both men would remain in custody for four days in Jhelum, 78 miles east of the capital Islamabad.

Police have not charged the men.

Kazam and Shahid, a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police said.

Shahid's ex-husband, Muhammad Shakeel (left) and father Muhammad Shahid (right) have been arrested and will remain in custody

Kazam, who is Pakistani, said his wife had angered her parents by converting to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding.

Earlier this month at an emotional news conference he had presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife's death that said the 28-year-old had a 7.5ins gash on her neck, suggesting she had been strangled.

Shahid's father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.

Islamic scholar Syed Sibtain Kazmi says he recorded threats from Samia's family as he refused to say where they were - and then gave them to the police.

Earlier this month at an emotional news conference current husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam (right) had presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife's death that said the 28-year-old had a 7.5ins gash on her neck (left), suggesting she had been strangled

He first met the murder victim when she came to the Anjuman-e-Haideria Shia mosque in Bradford for advice about to how to divorce Mohammed Shakeel.

He told the BBC: 'She told me under oath that her first marriage was a forced marriage, which happened without her free will as she was pressurised into the marriage by her family'.

West Yorkshire Police have declined to respond to whether they had offered to protect Samia at the time described by Mr Kazmi.

A spokesman said: 'West Yorkshire police is currently reviewing all previous contact with Samia Shahid, including any alleged criminal offences and the action taken as a result.

'Her death remains a matter for the Pakistani authorities and we are continuing to liaise with them.'

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.

Shahid's father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes. Pictured, a copy of the post-mortem document
The father of the New York teenager who took his own life after being mercilessly bullied at school has slammed the parents of the students who tormented his son.

Daniel Fitzpatrick, 13, hanged himself in his family's attic in Staten Island, where he was found by one of his older sisters about 5:30pm on Thursday.

His father, also named Daniel, posted an emotional 18-minute video on Facebook on Saturday as he struggled to cope with his son's death.

Daniel Fitzpatrick (pictured), 13, hanged himself in his family's attic in Staten Island, where he was found by one of his older sisters about 5:30pm on Thursday

'I hope the memory of what you did to my son is burned in your memory for the rest of your life and you suffer as much as he has suffered under your bulls**t,' Mr Fitzpatrick said in the video.

'I have no words to describe the pain I am feeling right now. The parents of those boys, you know who you are, your boys know who you are, I know who you are  now the world knows what kind of people you are and what you will be.

'To the parents of the boys who tormented my son, all I have to say is I hope you never have to feel what my family is going through right now.

'You get to hold your children every night and day for the rest of your lives, I dont get that anymore. Your little monsters took that from me, and my wife, and his sisters.'

His father, also named Daniel, posted an emotional 18-minute video on Facebook on Saturday as he struggled to cope with his son's death

In the emotional video, the heartbroken father also held up a picture of his son.

'I dont know what else to say, I miss my son. All I want is to hear him say "good morning dad one more time, that way I can tell him good morning, I love you",' he said.

'I used to ask him "who loves you", he would always reply "you do"  that was our thing.'

It comes after Daniel wrote in a note, which was shared by a family friend on Facebook, how his treatment at Holy Angels Catholic Academy left him feeling utterly helpless.

The 13-year-old's father held a picture of his son during the video, and said: 'I hope the memory of what you did to my son is burned in your memory for the rest of your life and you suffer as much as he has suffered under your bulls**t'

Daniel, who took his own life after being mercilessly bullied by former friends, has blamed his school for not helping him in a heartbreaking final note

'At first it was good. Lots of friends, good grades and a great life, but I moved and went back and it was different,' Daniel wrote.

'My old friends changed, they didn't talk to me, they didn't even like me.'

The 13-year-old then wrote about a fight he had with a student and former friend, which led to the other pupil being punished. His former friend blamed him for getting in trouble, something that only worsened the bullying.

In a note, which was shared by a family friend on Facebook, the 13-year-old detailed how his treatment at Holy Angels Catholic Academy left him feeling utterly helpless

Daniel ended his two-page letter by saying he 'wanted to get out' of the school where he was bullied

'They continued, I gave up, the teachers either they didn't do anything! Not get them in trouble even though they did trouble, I got in trouble instead because [the student] was mad at me because he believed I failed him.

'I told all the teachers nothing except one she was the nicest teacher ever she understood and did something but it didn't last long.

'I wanted to get out, I begged and I pleaded. Eventually I did, I failed but I didn't care. I was out that's all I wanted.'

Daniel wrote his letter on June 30, as he desperately wanted to make sure he would be able to start new at another school, Brooklyn's Xaverian High School, in the fall, the New York Daily News reports.

His shattered mother, Maureen Fitzpatrick, said his son was let down by the school.

Daniel's (pictured with his sister, Shannon) parents said one of his teachers called him 'lazy' in front of the class. One of his sisters, said that teacher often made a deliberate effort to embarrass pupils

Daniel's (left with his father, Daniel) mother, Maureen Fitzpatrick (right), said her son felt like 'the whole school was laughing behind his back' at the bullying he received

'Danny said that he was afraid of his teachers. He felt like the whole school knew what was going on and was laughing behind his back. They humiliated him,' she told the NYDN.

'My son shouldn't have to die to be heard. There's something wrong with the adults in authority positions when kids can't go to them for help.

'No parent is supposed to bury their child.'

His parents also told the newspaper one of the teachers at the school called Daniel 'lazy' in front of other students.

His sister, Kristen, said the teacher in question often made a deliberate effort to embarrass pupils - and would even publicly display low test scores to shame those who did not perform as well as others.

'My son shouldn't have to die to be heard. There's something wrong with the adults in authority positions when kids can't go to them for help,' Daniel's mother said

The 13-year-old was a student at Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

Holy Angels Catholic Academy's principal, Rosemary McGoldrick, could not be reached for comment

Holy Angels Catholic Academy's principal, Rosemary McGoldrick, could not be reached for comment.

The Brooklyn/Queens Diocese said it is 'reexamining' its policies around bullying in the wake of Daniel's death.

'The principal, teachers, and staff of Holy Angels Catholic Academy are heartbroken over the loss of Danny Fitzpatrick,' a spokeswoman told the newspaper.

'We take the issue of bullying very seriously and address every incident that is brought to our attention.'

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family create a memorial fund.

Shortly before 3:25pm, it had received more than $34,000 in donations.
A Chinese national who fled Sydney by catching a taxi and paying a fare of $4,500 to escape police after accusations of supplying ice has been denied bail.

Ho Ming Sze escaped Sydney after investigators arrested three men in July and seized almost 90kg of methylamphetamine, also known as the drug 'ice', with an estimated street value of almost $45 million.

The 28-year-old was arrested in Melbourne on Friday before being extradited to Sydney by detectives from the Redfern Region Enforcement Squad.

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The 28-year-old Chinese national was arrested in Melbourne on Friday before being extradited to Sydney by detectives from the Redfern Region Enforcement Squad

Sze faced Parramatta court for his bail hearing charged with supplying a commercial quantity of drugs.

He appeared via video link but chose not to show his face.

Sze was the fourth man to be charged for playing part in the alleged Sydney ice syndicate.

The Chinese man is said to have fled Sydney on July 23 after police made the other three arrests, and warrant was also issued for his arrest.

He allegedly fled the centre of Sydney in a taxi before extending the fare and getting the driver to take him to Melbourne, which cost almost $4,500.

After his extradition, Sze arrived in Sydney on Friday afternoon and was taken to Botany Bay Police Station.

The Chinese man is said to have fled Sydney on July 23 after police made the other three arrests, and warrant was also issued for his arrest

He was charged with supplying large commercial quantities of a prohibited drug.

Three other men were charged after police stopped a 26-year-old man in Thomas Street in Haymarket on July 22 for talking on his phone while driving, where a search of his car uncovered three kilograms of ice.

A 30-year-old man carrying a briefcase on Canberra Street in St Johns Park was stopped the following day, and police found another 10 kilograms of ice.

At 8pm that same day police executed a search warrant on a house in Canberra Street, in St Johns Park, seizing $1.4 million in cash and arresting a 21-year-old man.

The three men have since been charged and their matters remain before the court.
A Florida woman who once starred on the reality show 'I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old' and has been charged with manslaughter charges in the death of her infant daughter, was under investigation before the child's death.

Sixty-two-year-old Kathleen Marie Steele was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect after her six-year-old son beat her 13-day-old daughter to death while she left them in a hot car for almost 40 minutes.

However, in July, when Steele gave birth to her daughter of the same name, child services were called in for an incident at a hotel after the baby suffered a head injury, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

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Sixty-two-year-old Kathleen Marie Steele, whose newborn daughter was killed by her six-year-old son, was already investigation prior to the infants death, according to a news report. Days before her daughter, also named Kathleen, was born the family was force to move into a hotel due to a fire

Just days after the birth, child protective services were called to the hotel for an incident. Prior to an investigation commencing, the infant died. Steele (left) was arrested on Monday after her six-year-old son (right, at age four) beat her newborn daughter to death. Steele starred on the reality show 'I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old' in 2010

One of Steele's neighbors said the woman was doing alright until a fire destroyed her home, according to FOX 13.

In July, just before giving birth, a fire swept through Steele's Redington Beach home.

The family was forced to live in a hotel before taking up residence in a rental home on the same road as their house.

After the baby was born while the family lived in the hotel, investigators said an incident occurred, which injured the baby.

Steele said she tripped while going down stairs during a fire alarm at the hotel.

She said the infant fell out of a carrier and hit her head, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Doctors reported minor brain bleeding at the Department of Children and Families was contacted.

However, no signs of abuse were found and Pinellas sheriff's child protection investigators determined July 30 that the injury was an accident.

A follow-up was scheduled for August 1, but Steele rescheduled for Wednesday, which would be two days after the girl's death.

Video Courtesy WFLA

Steele, 62, appeared in court on Friday to answer to the charges of manslaughter after her six-year-old son beat her newborn to death when she left her three young kids in a car

Another call was placed regarding Steele's children when a caller said her kids were unsupervised and malnourished.

Investigators again visited but found no signs of abuse.

'It's horrible. It's horrible. It's just sad. It's just -- I don't even know how to describe what happened,' Greg Burton, Steele's neighbor, told FOX 13.

He said he never saw Steele hurt or mistreat her children.

'I never saw any evidence of child abuse or anything. She always kept tight control on the kids, from what I could tell.

'She did yell at them, disciplinary-wise, when they were doing something wrong,' Burton said.

Steele has bonded out of jail and is ordered to have no contact with her two older children, who are in the care of child services

Steele is now ordered to stay away from her two other children.

They are now in the custody of child services.

In court on Friday, the 62-year-old was quiet and barely spoke.

'Miss Steele, you are charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, do you understand the charge?'

'Yes, sir,' Steele said quietly. Those were her only words during the short hearing.

The judge set bond at $100,000. Steele bonded out Friday night and she not allowed to have contact with anyone younger than 18, reported ABC Action News.

Steele has two other children, boys three and six.

Steele already has a lawyer, attorney Robert Love, who said he found her 'devastated.'

Steele's newborn baby, also named Kathleen, was in good health Monday morning when the the mother took her to see a pediatrician, bringing along her young sons.

As they were leaving the doctor's office, Steele's oldest son, dropped his mother's phone - shattering the screen, so Steele drove to a cellphone repair store in St. Petersburg to get the phone fixed.

Instead of bringing her children into the store with her though, she turned the car off, rolled up the windows and left them inside alone for a half hour (temperatures went as high as 81 degrees on Monday).

Steele left her three young children in the car while she went into this cell phone repair shop

While Steele was inside the business, the baby began crying, and Sheriff Bob Gualtiari says the six-year-old took his sister out of her car seat and began beating her to make her stop. When officers later spoke to the boy, he immediately admitted what he had done, describing in detail how he had hurt the baby.

'I took the baby, and I slammed her like this, and slammed her down, and pushed her up into the ceiling,' Gualtiari recalled the boy saying.

'What he was talking about when he pushed her up into the ceiling, he was holding her up, then he said he was flipping her this way and flipping her that way and she would fall. The way he was describing it is he was tossing that baby around like a ragdoll,' he said.

'The best way I can describe it is, he pummeled her,' he added.

In 2010, Steele and her husband starred on the reality show 'I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old', when they were expecting their first child

Steele's husband (pictured) died from cancer in 2011, but she continued to have two more children thanks to embryos they had created years earlier

Gualtiari says the newborn was beaten so badly that it's likely she died in the car.

'I'm telling you, this baby's face was a mess. There was no mistaking the condition that this 13-day-old infant was in,' he said.

When Steele got back into the car, the boy told her his sister was in a 'serious' condition, but his mother ignored him and went to run another errand at an Enterprise Rent-a-Car.

After another half hour, the family returned home and that's when Steele called a neighbor, who is a nurse, for help.

The nurse immediately realized that the infant was dead, but called 911 anyway. The baby girl, also named Kathleen Steele, was officially pronounced dead at St. Petersburg General Hospital.

Gualtiari says the girl had probably been dead hours by the time her mother noticed.

Phil and Kathleen Steele are pictured above on the reality show. The could got married when they were in their mid-40s.

Steele became pregnant in January 2009 with embryos she and her husband made when they were first married in their mid 40s. Above, Steele on the reality show

An autopsy showed the girl sustained head trauma and had multiple skull fractures.

It's unclear if Steele has an attorney. Because of the boy's age, he will not be charged in his sister's death. His school district confirmed that he would not be returning to Lakewood Elementary in the fall.

In 2010, Steele and her husband appeared on the show 'I'm Pregnant and...55 Years Old', when they were expecting their first son. On the show, Steele explained that she had tried and failed to get pregnant for several years, suffering multiple miscarriages.

Sheriff Bob Gualtiari demonstrates how the boy slammed his sister on the floor of the car to silence her when she started to cry

'I was going to try no matter what,' she explained on the show. 'We had been trying too long and lost many. You're sort of in denial.'

She added: 'I'm not a quitter. I don't like to fail. I tend to be an over-achiever and a perfectionist.'

She said on the show that she wanted 'as many children as possible.'

The financial advisor's husband died a year later of cancer, but she conceived a son three years later, and her daughter, with this frozen sperm. Police say the insemination procedure was performed by a doctor in New York City.

Gualtiari condemned the practice, saying it's troubling 'that some supposed medical professional agrees to impregnate a 62-year-old woman with her dead husband's sperm - and she gives birth to a baby that, by all accounts, she's unable to adequately care for.'

'Steele made statements in the last couple days that she was not finished, and apparently there's more frozen sperm and she wants to have another baby boy. Something is seriously messed up with that,' he added.

'She was having a hard time with what she had,' a neighbor told ABC Action News. 'I don't know how a kid can turn that bad that quick.'

By numerous witness accounts, Kathleen Steele was an inattentive parent, and [her sons] were largely unsupervised and had very serious behavioral issues. She was [at the station] Monday night and being interviewed. For one hour into the interview, she never even asked what the kids' status was. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtiari

Neighbors of the North Redington Beach family told WTSP that the 6-year-old boy was not happy to have another sibling. And just days before the baby's arrival, an accidental fire started at their home (it's unclear how the fire was started).

Steele was even under investigation by the sheriff's office Child Protection Investigation Division, for an incident that happened just three days after baby Kathleen's birth.

Above, the home where Steele reportedly noticed her daughter was in distress hours after the beating

While the family was at a Treasure Island hotel, Steele dropped the baby from a car carrier and down a flight of stairs. The incident was ruled an accident by authorities.

Sheriff Gualtiari dodged questions that they could have done more to protect the children.

'By numerous witness accounts, Kathleen Steele was an inattentive parent, and [her sons] were largely unsupervised and had very serious behavioral issues,' the sheriff said. 'She was here Monday night and being interviewed. For one hour into the interview, she never even asked what the kids' status was.'

'I'm 100 percent confident there's nothing else we could've done or should've done. We couldn't have prevented this from happening,' he said.

Steele's two sons are now in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.
Officer Steve Dunham took the boy to Subway, where they had dinner together

A police officer said he was 'heartbroken' when he found a seven-year-old boy trying to sell a teddy bear on the street in order to eat for the first time in days.

Officer Steve Dunham took the boy to Subway - but it wasn't until two other officers appeared at his home in Franklin, Ohio, that they realized he had been living among garbage, cat urine and liquor bottles.

Parents Tammi and Michael Bethel, who told police they didn't realize their son had gone missing, have been charged with five counts of child endangerment each.

But the mother-of-five hit back on Friday, commenting on the Franklin Police Department's Facebook post about the incident to defend the state of her home.

She wrote: 'I can also post pictures that I randomly took from January to August and it shows my house clean.

'The cop just popped up on the wrong day I hadn't had a chance to clean the mess that all them kids had made...

'BTW my kids didn't even eat the food that the cops brought them because they had just ate.

She also added: 'Another BTW I could throw a rock from my house and hit CVS where my son was at. He goes down there all the time with his brothers.'

Tammi Bethel (pictured) hit back on Friday, commenting on the Franklin Police Department's Facebook post about the incident saying her kids made a mess, but they were fed and well clothed with 'fresh kicks'

Police officer Dunham said he was 'heartbroken' to see the young boy trying to sell his teddy bear for food, but mother Tammi Bethel shared her side of the story

Police received a call last Saturday reporting a young boy had been wandering the streets alone, the Hamilton Journal News reported.

'It broke my heart,' Dunham told WLWT. 'He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadn't eaten in several days.'

Dunham said he and the boy 'said a little prayer and ate dinner together' at the Subway across the street before he brought the kid back to the police department.

Meanwhile, officers Amanda Myers and Kyle O'Neal dropped by his home to find rotten food, 'a large amount of bugs' and squalid living conditions, according to an initial report cited by the Hamilton Journal News.

In alarming photographs of the home, a casserole dish sits on top of the oven with leftover food still inside while every other surface of the kitchen appears to be littered with containers.

Pictures inside the fridge showed it was largely empty with puddles of brown liquid accumulating inside the door.

But mother Tammi insisted nothing was amiss, writing on Facebook that her kids created a mess, but were well clothed with 'fresh kicks'.

She wrote yesterday: 'All the kids are in the house. And my kids have went to Franklin long enough that we all know people.

'They are not babies. The cops had to force them to take [the food] saying don't waste it. And my son has always had fresh kicks!

'As a matter of fact I bought all of them Steph Currys at the beginning of summer. Wth is wrong with being barefoot in the summer time? I know tons of ppl that go barefoot and it hasn't killed them yet.'

She also wrote that she intended to file a lawsuit because an officer told her 'none of this would go public right in front of the children services worker named Roy'.

Police found a boy on the streets who said he hadn't eaten in days- and when they arrived at his home in Franklin, Ohio (pictured), they found garbage, cat urine, rotten food and bugs

Parents Tammi and Michael Bethel, who told police they didn't realize their son had gone missing, have been charged with five counts of child endangerment each

The Bethels, who have a total of five children ages seven, 11, 12, 15 and 17, had not realized their seven-year-old had wandered off.

Warren County Children Services removed the children, who are currently under the care of their relatives, and a judge barred the parents from contacting them.

Tammi and Michael Bethel are due to appear at a pre-trial hearing scheduled on September 16.
Equestrian Trails Elementary teacher Megan Webb wrote an open letter explaining why she is leaving her job as a teacher after ten years

A Florida woman's letter explaining why she is leaving her job as a teacher after ten years has become an online sensation.

Equestrian Trails Elementary teacher Megan Webb's piece was published by the Palm Beach Post on Tuesday.

In it, the 32-year-old described her financial woes and said: 'Why am I leaving? I am being forced to make a decision between the absolute love of teaching and living up to my potential to support myself.

'Since graduating from college, I have been fortunate enough to focus on my work, and ignore my stagnant income by living with my parents.'

According to Webb, she is unable to live on her own because 'I simply cannot support myself comfortably with my current income.'

She wrote: 'When I started teaching in the Palm Beach County School District a decade ago, I made $33,830. Today, I make $43,239.'

Minus 'taxes, insurance, union dues, and retirement deductions,' Webb claimed she gets $27,800 in take-home earnings.

Equestrian Trails Elementary in Wellington, Florida, is pictured in this photograph

According to Webb, she is unable to live on her own because 'I simply cannot support myself comfortably with my current income'

She wrote: 'I bring home a little over $2,000 each month.

'In Palm Beach County, where the average apartment rental is $1,338, and after the cost of basic utilities (approx. $190), a car payment (with a modest lease, approx. $250), and car insurance (approx. $100), that would leave around $200 a month for food, gas, cell phone, and any other expenses.

'Could I count my pennies, and scrape by? Barely. But what kind of life is that?'

Webb explained: 'I haven't lost my passion. I've just lost my ability to turn a blind eye to the impact that my salary has on my life outside the confines of my classroom.'

An editor's note from the newspaper said that she 'is taking a yearlong leave of absence to pursue a new career'.

Her piece has received a range of comments on the Palm Beach Post's Facebook page

A Facebook commenter said it would be 'unlikely' she'd get a job with higher wages and similar time off and benefits

This Facebook commenter wrote: 'So she makes a salary of $42,239, which is comfortably above the median in South Florida and she complains that she got a meager 27.8% in raises over the last ten years?'

Her piece has received a range of comments on the Palm Beach Post's Facebook page.

One user wrote: '43000 for 9 months work? Not bad. What does she do for the other three months?'

Another person said: 'So she makes a salary of $42,239, which is comfortably above the median in South Florida and she complains that she got a meager 27.8% in raises over the last ten years?

'That's an average raise of 2.78% per year, materially higher than the average worker, whose wages have stagnated.'

This person commenter: 'I left teaching, which i acquired a masters in, after just three years for many of the same reasons. Breaks my heart'

A woman argued: 'Teachers are the ones that make doctors and lawyers. Would be nice for them to get paid that way'

Another person said it was 'a terrible loss for our children'

A different Facebook user wrote: 'Does she think she will make more than $43,239, with summers off, weekends off, spring breaks, christmas breaks, retirement benefits, health insurance, in the private sector , with no experience and a degree in education?. maybe.. but unlikely.'

A separate Facebook user said: 'It's sad really. Teachers are the ones that make doctors and lawyers. Would be nice for them to get paid that way.'

Someone else commented on the social media site: 'I left teaching, which i acquired a masters in, after just three years for many of the same reasons. Breaks my heart.'

One user wrote: 'A wonderful teacher and a terrible loss for our children.'

Webb told the newspaper: 'I'm not looking for sympathy. I just want to draw attention to a situation thats hurting our teachers and ultimately hurting our children.'
from their injuries after being rescued

These pictures show the incredible moment a man was pulled out of the rubble alive after a concrete wall collapsed on four shanty homes in Manila, Philippines.

Two teenage girls, who were also rescued from the debris on Saturday, have since died from their injuries according to local reports.

An unknown number of residents remain trapped underneath the rubble, which is thought to be home to around 20 people.

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Hope: A Filipino rescue worker holds the hand of a trapped man who survived after a concrete wall collapsed on top of houses in Manila, Philippines

Safety: The man was pulled to safety from the debris, which claimed the lives of two girls

Life line: While the rescuers worked in the heavy rain, the trapped man was given oxygen through a tube

Disaster: Monsoon in the area caused the boundary to collapse over four or five homes in the shanty town

The boundary wall near the city's prison collapsed on Saturday morning after heavy rain in the area according to the Inquirer.

Even as rescue efforts got underway, the rain continued to flood the area.

Johnny Yu, head of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), said that the concrete wall collapsed onto four or five shanties, which were home to about 20 people.

City mayor Joseph Estrada sent 50 rescuers to the scene to free those who are still trapped and emergency services are at the scene helping families that are affected.

Rescue: Mayor Joseph Estrada sent 50 rescuers to the scene to free those who are trapped

Tragedy: Two teenage girls who were rescued from the rubble later died in hospital while receiving treatment

Survivor: The man, who was rescued alive, was still able to move his arm during the rescue

Freed: Dozens of rescue workers carried the survivor on a stretcher, after he was extracted from the debris

Rain: There's possible flooding in the country as the southwest monsoon batters the region

In an official statement, Yu said: 'All available rescue and emergency units are now on the scene as we speak. We are exerting all effort to assist them.'

Tragically, two teenage girls who were rescued from the rubble later died in hospital while receiving treatment according to InterAksyon.

The condition of the unidentified man who was rescued is currently unknown.

Philippine's Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has issued an orange alert warning for rainfall in Manila and other parts of the country on Saturday.

There's possible flooding in the country and a potential need for evacuation as the southwest monsoon batters the region.

Unknown: The condition of the unidentified man who was rescued in these images is currently unclear
say exercises activate left and right spheres of the brain

Australian children are being encouraged to rub their belly buttons and touch their knees to improve their academic grades.

Parents are also being told their children's learning will be enhanced by memorising numbers in a bid to 'rewire' the brain, The Age reported.

The program is known as Brain Gym and the method is being used by a handful of Australian schools.

Other techniques include picturing the letter 'X' to improve neural connections and drawing the number eight in the air to get better at reading.

Australian children are being encouraged to rub their belly buttons and touch their knees to improve their academic grades (stock image)

Margaret Howden, who teaches school staff techniques to improve brain function in children, said the exercises activate different parts of the brain (stock)

Margaret Howden, who teaches school staff techniques to improve brain function in children, said the exercises activated different parts of the brain.

'It activates the hands and the eyes together, and this activates the left and the right spheres of the brain, helping students focus,' she told Fairfax.

Exercises such as rubbing one's belly button or touching one's knees are thought to stimulate arteries which supply blood to the brain.

Standing up and alternatively touching each hand to the opposite knee during the course of four to eight relaxed breaths improves reading, listening, writing and memory, according to Brain Gym.

Similar brain-training programs have been developed by education giant Pearson Australia, which claims one of its computer programs helps students' memory.

But the well tried program has its critics, including the principal of Broadmeadows Valley Primary School in Melbourne's north.

Andrew James turned to the program in 2012, but dumped it two years later after seeing after it yielded few results.

'We saw very little, if any improvement in their performance,' he told The Age.

The school principle said neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to change in response to experience, does exist, 'just not in this way'.
A New York man has died and four others are badly injured after lightning struck near the park bench they were gathered around.

The victims were gathered at Mansion Square Park in Poughkeepsie when a fast-moving thunderstorm hit around 4pm on Friday.

The 50-year-old man died around 1am Saturday at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Tim Massie of Health Quest confirmed.

A New York man has died and four others are badly injured after lightning struck near the park bench they were gathered around (pictured, emergency responders at the scene)

Emergency responders found three people unresponsive while two others conscious but injured. Some of their belongings had been set alight.

The four people, aged between 46 to 55, was standing together near a bench when the lightning struck, police said.

None of the victims were struck directly, but rather were standing under a tree that was hit, ABC reported.

Two 46-year-old men are believed to still be in intensive care at the Vassar hospital with burns and internal injuries.

The two others - who suffered more minor injuries - were taken to Mid-Hudson Regional Medical Center.
Mother Sarah Bolton (pictured) noticed the peanut butter at Dufferin Grove Park on Wednesday morning

A playground in a Toronto, Canada, park was revealed this week to be smeared with peanut butter.

Mother Sarah Bolton noticed the peanut butter at Dufferin Grove Park on Wednesday morning, the Toronto Star reported.

Bolton, who was with her 2-year-old child Lewis at the time of the discovery, told the newspaper: 'It's just a really scary situation.

'It would have to take a sociopath to do something like this.'

She recalled: 'It was everywhere.

'All over the hand railings... on the ladder, all over the swings, all over the slides.'

Speaking to the National Post, Bolton said: 'The volume must have been at least three jars of peanut butter. It was unbelievable.'

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A Parks, Forestry and Recreation spokesman said parks staff removed the peanut butter from the playground equipment

Parks, Forestry and Recreation spokesman Matthew Cutler told CTV News: 'At Dufferin Grove on Wednesday, staff were approached in the park by a parent who reported peanut butter on the playground equipment.

'In this case, there was peanut butter on the equipment which was promptly removed by parks staff.'

Peanut butter was previously reported to be on Carleton Park, Perth Square, and Hillcrest Park playgrounds, according to CTV News.

Cutler told the outlet peanut butter was not located at those parks by parks staff.

Food Allergy Canada said in a statement: 'Given that even a small amount of peanut butter, if ingested, could cause a serious allergic reaction and be potentially life-threatening, it is an upsetting situation for everyone.'

Dufferin Grove Park is seen in this Google Maps image

The group said: 'Food allergies are a health concern for over 2.5 million Canadians.

'Peanut allergy affects approximately 2.4 per cent of children (under 18), representing about 167,000 kids.'

Toronto police spokeswoman Const. Caroline de Kloet told the National Post: 'As soon as someone calls the police, an investigation will begin.

'But we can't start an investigation based on a story in a newspaper or comments online.
Texas lawyer Jerry Guerinot said he no longer represents people accused of capital murder after four decades of posting a perfect record.

None of his nearly three dozen capital murder clients was found innocent.

Some opponents of capital punishment have called him the worst lawyer in the United States, but Guerinot shrugs off the criticism, saying he takes on notoriously difficult cases.

In this June 10, 2016 photo, attorney Jerry Guerinot, poses for a photo at his Houston, Texas office. Guerinot figures he's taken about 600 cases to trial in his more than four-decade-long career. (AP Photo/Michael Graczyk)

'My theory is if they are the sorriest of the worst or the very worst, I got 'em,' the 71-year-old said. 'Somebody's got to defend  'defend' is the wrong word  represent these people.'

Guerinot, who has represented gang members, serial killers and sociopaths accused of heinous crimes, works in Harris County, which has sent more people to death row than any US county since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

But David Dow, a law professor at the University of Houston, slammed Guerinot in for failing to investigate his clients' cases.

In a 2010 New York Times article, Dow said: 'He doesnt even pick the low-hanging fruit which is hitting him in the head as hes walking under the tree.'

Jim Marcus, co-director of the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas, also accused Guerinot of failing to properly represent his clients.

He pointed to 1996, when jurors convicted people in four separate Guerinot cases over a seven-month period.

Three of those clients have been executed.

Marcus now represents the fourth, Anthony Medina, who he contends in appeals received virtually no defense from Guerinot, including little trial preparation and inadequate questioning of witnesses.

'It is unthinkable that a defense attorney would try four separate death penalty cases to verdict in the space of seven months,' said Marcus.

Maknojiya Jainul, 39, (pictured in June 2016) received a life sentence for the murder of a Houston convenience store clerk, and credits Guerinot for saving his life

But Guerinot responded to the criticism, and said he was not the lead attorney on some of those cases.

He also claimed that extensive preparation was made earlier on two of them and that he spent considerable time on Medina's case before trial.

The lawyer also acknowledged the perception of trying to rush cases to get a paycheck, 'but that's not what happened.'

Over his career, court records show 21 Guerinot clients received the death penalty. Ten have been executed.

Two had their sentences commuted to life when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that those under 18 at the time of the crime could not be executed. One case is awaiting retrial on the punishment. Prosecutors dropped the charges in another case.

Thirteen other Guerinot clients are serving life sentences, either because a plea agreement or lesser charge was negotiated, jurors couldn't agree unanimously on the death penalty or prosecutors didn't seek it.

'You never hear about the ones we pleaded down to murder or aggravated robbery or when the jury came back (with a life sentence),' Guerinot said.

This fall, courts are reviewing cases involving two former Guerinot clients. While his performance isn't the central issue, they raise questions about whether they received fair trials.

The highest profile case involves Linda Carty, the only British woman on death row in the United States.

Linda Carty, a former Guerinot client, is the only British woman on death row in the United States. Her case is being reviewed, since new lawyers argued prosecutors improperly withheld evidence

She was convicted in 2002 of orchestrating her 20-year-old neighbor's slaying and abducting the woman's infant. Carty denied involvement, but got death

'I hate to say that man's name,' Carty said in a 2010 prison interview. 'I wouldn't be here if I had better counsel.'

She was convicted in 2002 of orchestrating her 20-year-old neighbor's slaying and abducting the woman's infant. Carty denied involvement, but got death.

Three men convicted as accomplices received long prison terms.

Her current lawyers believe she deserves a new trial, arguing prosecutors improperly withheld evidence from the defense team Guerinot led.

Carty told the Associated Press that Guerinot didn't meet with her until a month before the trial  and never sought legal help from the British consulate.

Guerinot says Carty refused to meet him for four months and, even though she is from St. Kitts when it was part of the British Virgin Islands, she never told him she was a citizen of Britain, where the death penalty is outlawed.

Regardless, Guerinot said: 'She got the death penalty because it was a terrible crime.'

At a June court hearing, Guerinot testified his defense efforts were hampered by Carty and other uncooperative witnesses.

Final submissions from lawyers are due August 29 and the judge will make a recommendation to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court.

Guerinot was top assistant to the lead defense lawyer in a case involving Duane Buck, who was condemned following his 1997 conviction for a double slaying in Houston

Guerinot was top assistant to the lead defense lawyer in the second case involving Duane Buck, who was condemned following his 1997 conviction for a double slaying in Houston.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on October 5 regarding testimony from a psychologist called by the defense who said under cross examination that black people were more likely to commit violence.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding a psychologist who made racist comments under cross examination (pictured, Duane Buck)

Kathryn Kase, executive director of the Texas Defender Service, a legal group that represents Buck and other death row prisoners in appeals, said the defense should have tried to stop the testimony because it was offensive and the man on trial was black.

'It's that they also never objected to the prosecution's questions or arguments about the evidence that skin color, race, makes someone more likely to be dangerous in the future,' she said.

Guerinot believes he got numerous appointments over the years because of his capital case experience, which began in the early 1970s as an assistant prosecutor, and his frequent presence at the courthouse once he went into private practice.

'It's very hard to look at a judge who says, "I need you to take on this case," and say: "I won't do it,''' he said.

In 2001, Texas passed a law that attorneys for indigent people be selected from a list of those deemed qualified through training and experience.

Guerinot said he hasn't retired but he is tired of being pilloried over capital murder cases and won't take them anymore.
Eyebrows were raised when stunning actress Jenna Coleman was cast in the role of the 'stern' Queen Victoria.

But ITV's new drama Victoria is set to show the royal as never seen before - with raunchy bedroom scenes seemingly on the cards.

The show's creator Daisy Goodwin hinted that there could be sex scenes featuring Jenna Coleman, 30, and her co-star Tom Hughes, who plays Prince Albert in the drama.

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ITV's new drama Victoria, featuring actress Jenna Coleman, is set to show the royal as never seen before - with raunchy bedroom scenes seemingly on the cards

Show creator Daisy Goodwin pointed out the couple had nine children in 17 years. Coleman is pictured with Rufus Sewell, who plays Lord Melbourne, Victoria's first prime minister

When questioned about the possibility of there being steamy action on screen, the author said: 'All I will say is Victoria and Albert had nine children in 17 years.

According to The Telegraph, she added: 'One of the things that Albert did when he built Osborne House was to install a special bolt in their bedroom so that if they wanted to get it on, all theyd have to do is push a button by the bed and the door would be locked so no servants or children would interrupt them. I say no more.'

A preview shot from the series shows Coleman and Hughes sharing a passionate moment, with the actress pressing her hands on his chest as she gazes into his eyes.

With her bare shoulders on show, the beautiful actress cuts a very different figure to the traditional image of Victoria as being prudish and rather frumpy.

Former Doctor Who actress Coleman said she thought a lot about the difference between the royal's public and private roles

The new ITV drama charts the early life of the queen from her accession to the throne at 18 through to her marriage to Prince Albert

Coleman cuts a very different figure to the traditional image of Victoria as prudish and rather frumpy. But the show may actually be more true to life than you might imagine

But the show may actually be more true to life, with Victoria describing sex as 'heavenly love-making'.

After the birth of their youngest child, Princess Beatrice, in 1857, Victorias doctor, Sir James Reid, gave her a stern warning against attempting any further pregnancies.

The Queen, then 38, was apparently devastated and was said to have responded: Oh Sir James! Am I not to have any more fun in bed?

Albert had a risque portrait commissioned of Victoria, which was not considered appropriate to show to the public.

The series, written by author Daisy Goodwin, is tipped to be as popular as Downton Abbey

Speaking about Victoria, the actress said: 'When she is in her quarters she is undone and private'

Speaking about the role, former Doctor Who actress Coleman said: 'Something we spoke about a lot was this idea of playing between state and private, between Victorias public face, her private face and going between those two worlds.

'When she is in her quarters she is undone and private. Its about finding the human within the role of Queen and discovering the girl taking on this incredible responsibility.'

The new ITV drama, which is tipped to be as popular as Downton Abbey, charts the early life of the queen from her accession to the throne at 18 through to her marriage to Prince Albert.

Running across eight episodes, the series has been created and written by Daisy Goodwin, in her screenwriting debut.

The first episode of Victoria is set to air on Sunday August 28 at 9pm.

Running across eight episodes, the series is Goodwin's screenwriting debut

The first episode of Victoria is set to air on Sunday August 28 at 9pm
This change is a result of new technology and online booking services

the week - rather than just Friday and Saturday

People go out all days of

There has been a shift seen in the culture of eating out with Australian families eating earlier according to data collected from 3,500 restaurants scattered across the nation.

Families are trying to avoid the chaos that comes with eating after 7pm with 35 per cent of Australians preferring to eat between the 5pm and 6pm timeslot.

The new trend towards dining earlier has been attributed to a growing popularity to spend more time with the family, healthy lifestyles and cost-conscious diners taking advantage of outside peak time offers.

There has been a shift seen in the culture of eating out with 35 per cent of Australian families eating earlier (stock), according to data collected from 3,500 restaurants across Australia

Chief executive of Dimmi, Steven Premutico, told They Sydney Morning Herald that the changes in the way Australians are eating out was revealed in the 2016 Dimmi Australian Dining Index.

The shift towards Sunday is a bit of a new crazy. People are doing less of the boozy Friday night out and spending much more time on Sunday with the family, he explained.

Were seeing families eating out a whole lot more.

The new trend has also been said to allow diners to fit more into their lives according to Mr Premutico who said eating out earlier allows people to sleep earlier and get up to do sport or exercise.

Chief executive of Dimmi, Steven Premutico (pictured), was revealed in the 2016 Dimmi Australian Dining Index

Families are trying to avoid the chaos that comes with eating after 7pm with 35 per cent of Australians preferring to eat between the 5pm and 6pm timeslot (Dimmi Index pictured)

Data also showed that there was a 21 per cent rise in people eating between 9pm and 10pm  a result of new technologies such as online booking, which allows restaurants to fill tables outside peak times.

Restaurateur Neil Perry, told the newspaper: Were seeing people eating earlier, people eating later, people wanting to dine seven days a week.

Perry explained that the focus of business for restaurants compared to 20 years ago has moved on from revolving around the Friday and Saturday night and is seeing the whole week filled with customers.

The new trend has been said to allow diners to fit more into their lives according to Mr Premutico who said eating out earlier allows people to lead healthier lifestyles (stock)
A synthetic oxytocin nasal spray (pictured) could become what researchers hope will be a ground breaking new treatment for autism

A nasal spray could become a ground-breaking new treatment for autism that has already shown increased levels of responsiveness and awareness from trial patients.

A synthetically made version of oxytocin, also known as the 'cuddle hormone', will allow individuals with autism to become more social and has proved to have incredible results.

Professor Adam Guastella from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre, who is leading the project, has said trials had proved to be extremely promising so far.

'The sorts of results that we have in our trials suggest children show more responsiveness and awareness of the important social information in a relationship,' Prof Guastella told 9News.

'They seem to be able to remember that information more effectively.'

Autism spectrum disorder and autism are both general terms for a complex group of disorders that affect brain development.

It is characterised with varying degrees of difficulties in social interaction both verbal and non-verbal.

Christine Blue's son Hayden who was diagnosed with autism when he was only two years old said that he has been a participant in the trial.

'Hayden was happy to be included in a group, he wouldn't go off on his own and his eye contact was better,' she told 9News.

'His general engagement with another person is better.'

Professor Adam Guastella (pictured) from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre who is heading the project has said that trials have proved to be extremely promising so far

Christine Blue's son Hayden (pictured with mother Christine) who was diagnosed with autism when he was only two-years-old said that he has been a participant in the trial

It is believed the new treatment could also be proved useful to treat anxiety and other neurological conditions and participants who would like to take part in the trial are being advised to contact the centre.

Professor Guastella said if all went to plan the drug could be used commercially for people with autism within the next five years.
Jo Shintah was torn from her car after accidentally accelerating while picking up a parking ticket

A former actress who was killed in a freak accident at a car park boom gate was due to leave on a dream holiday the day after tragedy struck.

Jo Shintah was torn from her car after accidentally accelerating while picking up a parking ticket in Gold Coast's Pacific Fair shopping centre earlier this month.

The 61-year-old, who featured in the hit film 'Strictly Ballroom', has been remembered in a touching tribute from friends and family two weeks after she tragically died, Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

'She was a larger than life personality, always immaculately presented. She was always passionate and enthusiastic about her interests and inspired a wide network of people across the world,' close friend Julie Boyd said.

Ms Shintah was shopping 1.5km from her unit a day before she was set to fly to Europe with a friend.

It is believed she dropped the ticket or her ticket was rejected, causing her to be torn from her vehicle, suffering fatal head injuries as horrified shoppers watched on.

The 61-year-old woman was killed in a freak accident after she was torn from her car in Gold Coast's Pacific Fair shopping centre (pictured)

A spokesperson from Queensland Police said Ms Shintah died before emergency services could take her to hospital

The paid parking system was installed at the Gold Coast shopping centre (pictured) in June

'Jo lived on the Gold Coast for the past 25 years, just a short walk from Pacific Fair, where she shopped on a daily basis,' Ms Boyd said.

Friends and family will bid her farewells in a funeral service on Monday.

A spokesperson from Queensland Police said the woman had died before emergency services could take her to hospital.

'She lost control of her vehicle and collided with the boom gate structure. She was pronounced dead at the scene,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

The paid parking system was installed at the Gold Coast shopping centre in June.

An investigation is under way and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
An awkward Singaporean schoolboy approached his hero, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, at a training camp in 2008 and asked for a photo.

Eight years later, Joseph Schooling, now 21, beat his idol in the 100-meter butterfly in Rio, securing his tiny republic's first ever Olympic gold.

But who is the Asian champion who set a new Olympic record of 50.39sec on Friday and edged out Phelps?

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Hero: Schooling (right) first met Phelps (left) at a training camp in Singapore in 2008, the same year Phelps would compete in Beijing

Eight years later: Now 21, Schooling (right) beat his idol (left) in the 100-meter butterfly in Rio on Friday

Gold: Singapore exploded in celebration Saturday after the homegrown swimming hero beat Phelps

Schooling was born in Singapore and first met Phelps when the US Olympic swim team visited Singapore in 2008.

The American helped inspire the young Singaporean to move to the United States for extensive training at 14, first going to Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida before attending the University of Texas.

The swimming star's mother, May, and father, Colin, negotiated their son's long-term deferment from National Service in 2013, according to Yahoo! Sports.

In 2013, May predicted her son would be a success in Rio, but could never have predicted Friday's result.

'In 2016, he will definitely be a finalist,' she said in 2013. 'Podium if he gets there, it'll be good, whatever the medal.'

Schooling's stunning girlfriend, Casey Shomaker, a student at the University of Texas School of Law, posted a poignant tribute to her other half on Facebook Saturday.

Alongside a photograph of her boyfriend standing on the podium, she wrote: 'And thus the kid has become the king.'

New kid on the block: Despite the loss, Phelps was all smiles with Schooling as they looked at the clock after the men's 100m butterfly event

Shock win: Schooling, 21, looked stunned and humbled as he claimed his tiny nation state's first ever Olympic gold medal after racing Phelps (pictured together), his childhood hero

Schooling, who lives in Austin, Texas, posted a picture of his medal on Instagram, alongside the caption: 'Well... That was nuts! Thank you for all the support and wishes. I'll seeya later rio #rio2016.'

On Saturday, Phelps posted a picture of the pair together in the pool and wrote: 'What a race!! Congrats to @josephschooling !!! We've got an updated pic!! Best of luck bro!! I'll be watching!'

At the medalists' news conference, Phelps urged reporters to ask Schooling some questions.

'I'm proud of Joe,' Phelps said. 'I've been able to watch him grow and turn into the swimmer that he is.'

Schooling's grand-uncle Lloyd Valberg was Singapore's first Olympian at the 1948 London Games. Hearing about him as a child, Schooling told his father he wanted to compete in the Olympics.

The youthful looking Schooling might be unknown to the rest of the world, but in swimming circles he has solid credentials.

Overwhelmed: Schooling wrote on Instagram: 'Well... That was nuts! Thank you for all the support and wishes. I'll seeya later rio #rio2016'

Upbringing: Schooling was born in Singapore and first met Phelps when the US Olympic swim team visited his country in 2008

He earned bronze in the 100 fly at last year's world championships in Russia, and he owns a slew of medals from the Asian, Commonwealth and Southeast Asian Games.

He competes for the University of Texas, where he'll be a junior this fall. He swept the 100 and 200 butterfly at this year's NCAA championships and swam on all three winning relays for the Longhorns.

He has the school's mascot and the words 'Come and take it' tattooed on his left shoulder blade.

Singapore exploded in celebration after the homegrown swimming hero beat Phelps, who ended in a sensational dead heat for silver alongside South Africa's Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary.

'It hasn't really sunk in yet,' Schooling said. 'I don't know what to believe, like, whether I actually did it or I'm still preparing for my race.'

Referencing the picture of himself and Phelps together in 2008, he said: 'That's pretty crazy, what happens in eight years.'

He told The Guardian: 'They came to the country club that I trained at.

'Everyone just rushed up and was like its Michael Phelps! Its Michael Phelps and I really wanted a picture. I was so shell shocked, I couldnt really open my mouth.'

Couple: Schooling's stunning girlfriend, Casey Shomaker (pictured together left and right), is a student at the University of Texas School of Law

Parents: Schooling's father Colin (left) hosted a viewing party at his home in Singapore

Proud: The swimming star's mother, May (pictured together) predicted her son would be a success in Rio

Schooling believes if it wasn't for Phelps, he would not have become the champion he is today.

'He is the reason why I wanted to be a better swimmer,' he said.

Schooling smiled and tried to take in the enormity of his win as the gold was placed around his neck and the unfamiliar national anthem of Singapore rang out.

The young swimmer clasped his chest, sang along and fought back tears before punching the air as he took a lap around the aquatic arena.

He still looked awestruck as Phelps congratulated him warmly, scarcely able to believe he had beaten the Team USA legend.

Champ: Joseph Schooling, now 21, beat his idol in the 100-meter butterfly in Rio on Friday, securing his tiny republic's first ever Olympic gold

Schooling said: 'I need to let this moment sink in, realize what I've done and then I'll have a better understanding of what I accomplished.

'But right now all I can say is I'm really honored and privileged to have an opportunity to race in an Olympic final alongside huge names like Michael Phelps, Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Cseh, guys that have redefined the sport.'

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan, who was in Rio to cheer Team Singapore, led an outpouring of congratulations for Schooling, whose mixed European and Asian heritage has resonated in the immigrant society of 5.5 million people.

'It is an incredible feat, to compete among the world's best, stay focused, and emerge victorious,' Lee said in a Facebook post.

Schooling will receive Sg$1.0 million ($743,000) for his gold medal as part of a program aimed at encouraging studious Singaporeans to excel in sport.

Medalists: Schooling said he felt 'honored and privileged' to have an opportunity to race in an Olympic final alongside Phelps

Good sport: Phelps was quick to go over and congratulate Schooling, who took home the gold with a record time of 50.39 seconds

Sharing a moment: The two swimmers even shared an embrace in the pool after the thrilling race, which had originally been billed as a clash between Phelps and South Africa's Chad le Clos

In Singapore, people called for a public holiday to celebrate the win.

On the internet, Pokemon-themed memes celebrated Schooling's evolution from fanboy to champion, while schooling puns abounded.

Schooling's father Colin, who hosted a viewing party at his home in Singapore, wept when his son won.

'If I cry in front of all of you all, it's because I have nothing to be ashamed of,' he told reporters. 'My love for my son is nothing I can describe to you all.'
Seven people have been injured after a man attacked passengers on a train in Switzerland with 'fire and a knife'.

Swiss police have confirmed the train has been sealed off an it is understood the county's interior minister is holding an emergency meeting over the incident.

The man set the train carriage on fire using a flammable liquid and also stabbed passengers, including a six-year-old child, police said.

Police say the suspect, who is fighting for his life after setting also setting himself on fire, is a 27-year-old Swiss national who is not of immigrant origin and does not have a criminal record.

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A 27-year-old man went on a stabbing spree and set a train, pictured, on fire in Switzerland

Seven people, including a six-year-old child, were injured in the attack, and have all been taken to hospital as emergency services remain at the scene (pictured)

Police, pictured, from nearby St Gallen are investigating but have yet to establish a motive

Clean-up crews are now at the station after emergency services took the victims and offender to hospital, with the latter in 'critical condition'

The attack, in which some have sustained 'serious injuries', happened near Salez-Sennwald Train Station on the line between Buchs and Sennwald at around 2.20pm.

Five people were stabbed or burnt while another man suffered smoke inhalation as he came to the aid of the others.

The offender, a 27-year-old Swiss citizen, carried out the attack on a train travelling in Switzerland's far east, along its border with Liechtenstein.

A statement said: 'According to current information a 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid. He was also armed with at least one knife. The liquid caught fire.'

Reports in Switzerland suggest a 17-year-old girl and two women aged 34 and 43 were injured while a 17-year-old boy and 50-year-old man were also hurt.

The assailant remains in police custody but is said to be 'unresponsive' due to his injuries, police said.

According to website watson.ch, the head of the local police media team said the offender was 'on fire' when he was apprehended, and added he had a 'typical Swiss name'.

Bruno Metzger of the St Gallen cantonal police said the attack could be a 'crime of passion', adding: 'A terrorism background still seems very, very far-fetched.'

So far a 17-year-old girl, 17-year-old boy, 50-year-old man and two women aged 34 and 43 have been confirmed among the wounded

The offender has been confirmed as being a Swiss national and is said to have used a 'flammable liquid' to set the carriage on fire

Reports in Switzerland have suggested that the attack was 'not terror-related'

The train was carrying dozens of passengers and the carriage was reportedly left covered in blood as the wounded were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

Police are still establishing the attacker's motive. Switzerland's 20 Minuten newspaper reported on its website that police did not believe the incident was terrorist-related.

It is the latest in a series of similar attacks in Europe over the past month, including a 17-year-old injuring five people with an axe and knife on a train in Wurzburg, Germany, in July.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and later released footage of the 17-year-old axeman, named as Muhammad Riyad, being gunned down by armed police after fleeing the scene.

Police said the offender was 'on fire' when they apprehended him at the station, pictured

Investigators are examining the train and station, pictured, and the offender is said to be in a serious condition himself after being wounded during the attack

The attack took place at around 2.30pm this afternoon near Salez-Sennwald Station (pictured)

A massive contingent of rescue workers rushed to the scene, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters.

The Salez station remains closed, and police said replacement buses had been set up.

Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack.
Bill Clinton has slammed the FBI director for what he calls the 'the biggest load of bull I've ever heard' regarding Hillary Clinton's emails.

The former president made the comments about James Comey at an Asian American Journalists Association meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday.

It is the first time he has spoken specifically and outright about his wife's email investigation, according to the New York Post.

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Bill Clinton slammed FBI director James Comey for what he calls the 'the biggest load of bull I've ever heard' Comey's testimoney regarding Hillary Clinton's emails

'They saw two little notes with a "C" on it  this is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard  that were about telephone calls that she needed to make,' Bill Clinton said of his wife on Friday in Las Vegas

'First of all, the FBI director said, when he testified before Congress, he had to amend his previous day's statement that she had never received any emails marked classified ,' Clinton told the crowd.

'They saw two little notes with a "C" on it  this is the biggest load of bull I've ever heard  that were about telephone calls that she needed to make.

'The State Department typically puts a little "C" on it to discourage people from discussing it in public in the event the secretary of state, whoever it is, doesn't make a telephone call.

'Does that sound threatening to the national security to you?' he said as he made the case for his wife.

However, some Republicans are criticizing Clinton's remarks and calling his words 'spin'.

Wisconsin representative Sean Duffy told Fox and Friends: 'Hes just trying to spin Hillary out of trouble, and it doesnt work.'

'For Bill Clinton to come out now and say that this is a bunch of "bull", why then did he have this secret meeting with Loretta Lynch on the tarmac in Arizona to make sure he could tap down any kind of prosecution that comes from the DOJ.

'If he wasnt concerned about Hillary Clinton and her scandal about the email he wouldnt have had to have that secret meeting.'

Hillary Clinton has been taking heat for using a private server for her emails since it was revealed last year.

Hillary Clinton has been taking heat for using a private server for her emails since it was revealed last year but an FBI investigation deemed she would not face charges, despite calling her behavior 'careless'

An FBI investigation deemed that no charges would be brought against Clinton for the use of the private server.

Bill Clinton continued to argue that there is no way Hillary Clinton ever put national security at risk during her time as secretary of state.

'Do you really believe there are 300 career diplomats because that's how many people were on these emails, all of whom were careless with national security?
The mother who shot and killed her two daughters on her husband's birthday to 'make him suffer' called the girls together for a 'family meeting' just moments before opening fire.

Christy Sheats, 42, murdered her two daughters, Taylor, 22, and Madison, 17, in their home in Katy, Texas, on June 24.

It was during the meeting Sheats shot her daughters, who they tried to escape the house with their father, Jason.

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Christy Sheats, 42, murdered her two daughters, Taylor, 22, and Madison, 17, in their home in Katy, Texas, on June 24, after telling them they needed to have a 'family meeting'

Madison collapsed and died, while Taylor ran into the street before she was shot again by her mother, NBC News has reported.

Taylor later died at hospital.

Jason, who had just turned 45, escaped the bullets and ran to his neighbors for help.

'We heard the dad say, "Don't do this. They're our kids," a neighbor, Fazz Zainuddin, told KPRC.

'The cops were behind the trees and behind the cars, and they told the mom to put the gun down and obviously she did not.'

Investigators say she had 'had ample time' to shoot Jason Sheats during the horrific attack but had chosen to keep him alive to 'make him suffer'.

'She accomplished what she set out to do, and that is to make him suffer,' Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said during a news conference.

Tension among the family had been brewing and Taylor had recently argued with her mother about plans to marry her boyfriend Juan Sebastian Lugo.

Madison (left) and Taylor (right) Sheats were shot dead by their mother on June 24

Christy Sheats shot her children to make her husband, Jason (pictured), 'suffer' - police say

Investigators say she had 'had ample time' to shoot Jason Sheats during the horrific attack but had chosen to keep him alive to 'make him suffer'.

'She accomplished what she set out to do, and that is to make him suffer,' Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said during a news conference.

Tension among the family had been brewing and Taylor had recently argued with her mother about plans to marry her boyfriend Juan Sebastian Lugo.

Her mom wanted to ground her daughter and prevent her from seeing her boyfriend, while her husband had argued it was inappropriate to ground someone of Taylor's age.

Mr Sheats told officers he believed she was going to discuss their crumbling marriage and possible divorce with their daughters.

911 calls released by the sheriff's office revealed the horror locals and the family felt during the shooting.

Tension among the family had been brewing and Taylor had recently argued with her mother about plans to marry her boyfriend Juan Sebastian Lugo

Madison (left) collapsed and died almost immediately after she was shot by her mother (right), as her sister and father tried to escape

In the first call, a woman is heard crying, 'Please. Forgive me. Please. Don't shoot.' After a scream, she cries, 'Please. I'm sorry,' and 'Please. Don't point that gun at her.'

Another woman is heard saying: 'I promise you, whatever you want,' before the call is disconnected.

In a second call, a woman is heard saying, weakly: 'She shot 'em.'

A neighbor during a third call describes the daughters lying in the street in front of their house. They describe Christy kneeling over her eldest daughter and shooting her.

At a funeral for his two daughters, Jason Sheats (middle) said: 'If you have loved ones, tell them you love them every day'

Sheats (left) had been suffering from depression and was upset at her daughter, Taylor (right), for planning to marry her boyfriend

Mr Sheats said that his wife of more than 20 years had been suffering from severe depression and would drink heavily.

She was admitted on three separate occasions to a private mental health facility and had been suicidal and suffered from depression.

Sheats also had been unemployed since 2012.
after her terrorist husband was killed in battle

British schoolgirl Khadiza Sultana who left her home in Bethnal Green to join ISIS, has been been killed in an airstrike

The family of a British schoolgirl who was killed after running off to join ISIS has said she wanted to flee Syria but was told to stay by her best friend.

Khadiza Sultana, 17, one of three pupils who left their school in east London to join Islamic State, is thought to have died in a Russia airstrike on the terror group's de-facto capital, Raqqa.

She became disillusioned with life in the self-declared caliphate and was desperate to escape, but was told not to by former classmate Amira Abase, 16.

The two girls travelled to Syria in February last year, two months after fellow Bethnal Green Academy classmate Shamima Begum.

Unlike Khadiza, Amira appears to have embraced life under the terror group, reported The Times.

She is married to Abdullah Elmir, a notorious terrorist known as the 'Ginger Jihadi', who has praised the gunman who murdered 30 British tourists in Tunisia.

Khadiza, thought to be the first British female member of ISIS to die, was radicalised by ISIS online propaganda.

The former straight-A student became disillusioned with life in Syria after her new husband - an American fighter of Somali origin - was killed.

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She became disillusioned with life in the self-declared caliphate and was desperate to escape, but was told not to by former classmate Amira Abase, 16

Amira Base (left) and Shamima Begum (right) are thought to be alive and still living in Syria

Her family's solicitor Tasnime Akunjee told BBC Newsnight: She found out quite quickly the propaganda doesnt match up with the reality.'

Mr Akunjee had previously made plans to help Kadiza escape across the border into Turkey.

But in strained phone calls to her sister Halima Khanom, a projects coordinator at the Imperial War Museum, Kadiza admitted she had zero chance of fleeing.

Kadiza was also put off from leaving after another foreign bride was publicly beaten to death.

Austrian Samra Kesinovic, 17, was killed in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa last year after travelling to Syria the previous year.

The three girls were pictured by airport cameras before getting into a car in Turkey to cross the border into Syria.

The girls flew to Turkey and caught a bus to the border before being smuggled into Syria

All three of the schoolgirls had attended Bethnal Green Academy in Tower Hamlets

Several months after arriving, the three girls were trained for 'special missions' - prompting fears they were to be used as suicide bombers.

Kadiza's death has sparked fears over the safety of the other two schoolgirls.

Sharmeena Begum is not related to Shamima but was friends with the girls.

The 17-year-old is also believed to have married an IS fighter and her father Mohammad Uddin said he was shocked and deeply worried by the news.

He said: 'I have had no contact with her. I last heard from her two or three months ago when she texted me to say she was okay.

The journey taken by the schoolgirls: They flew from London to Istanbul and then were smuggled into Syria by bus

'Obviously, the news about Kadiza makes me very worried. If this has happened to one of the other girls, it could have happened to my daughter as well. I'm shocked.'

The Bethnal Green schoolgirls are among more than 800 Britons who have left the UK to join IS.

It is thought that at least 250 have since returned. Some have faced prosecution on arrival in Britain, with others allowed to re-enter society under the watch of security services.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan Howe told MPs last year that it was unlikely the girls would be prosecuted if they returned to Britain unless there was evidence they had committed specific crimes.
Nigel Farage took his new moustache out to meet the people today as he went canvassing for Ukip for the final time

Nigel Farage took his new moustache out to meet the people today as he went canvassing for Ukip for the final time.

The 52-year-old, who resigned as leader of the party after the Brexit vote on June 23, met voters in Newington, close to Ramsgate.

On Friday, Mr Farage attracted ridicule after appearing on television sporting a newly-grown bushy moustache.

His facial hair has been compared to the likes of Ron Burgundy from the Anchorman films.

Other comparisons have been made to TV character Alan Partridge and James Beck playing Private Joe Walker in Dads Army.

Twitter users were quick to poke fun at the new moustache, with one saying it was 'up there with the worst things ever to exist on this planet'.

Others said it was 'strangely auburn' and 'worse than Brexit', while one added: 'Farage has just done for the moustache what David Brent did for the goatee.'

Another quipped: 'You know when Farage said he was resigning so that he could be himself? Did he literally mean he just wanted to grow a moustache?'

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The 52-year-old, who resigned as leader of the party after the Brexit vote on June 23, met voters in Newington, close to Ramsgate

On Friday, Mr Farage attracted ridicule after appearing on television sporting a newly-grown bushy moustache

Mr Farage has previously worn a moustache, having grown one ahead of a BBC TV appearance following his plane crash in Brackley, Northamptonshire, in May 2010.

Mr Farage revealed the look on RT UK as he rejected suggestions he bears some responsibility for an apparent spike in race hate after the Brexit vote.

He claimed he had destroyed the far-Right in Britain as Ukip had won over protest voters who previously backed the genuinely anti-Jew, anti-Black BNP.

Mr Farage was accused of stooping to racism in the referendum campaign with a poster depicting streams of brown-skinned refugees fleeing to the EU.

A surge in reports of xenophobic and racist hate crime following the June 23 vote prompted the new Government to launch a new action plan to deal with it.

Mr Farage's new facial hair has been compared to the likes of Ron Burgundy from the Anchorman films

Other comparisons have been made to TV character Alan Partridge and James Beck playing Private Joe Walker in Dads Army

But Mr Farage rejected the idea that some of the rhetoric of the Brexit campaign may have contributed to the spike in incidents.

He told Sam Delaney's News Thing on RT UK: Let's just be fair; there were some horrendous things said on both sides.

There were some on the Brexit side who hurled racist abuse at Polish people or whatever... Yeah, it happened, right.

Equally, there were some on the Remain side who said insults and threats through social media to those who were prominent on the Brexit side.

But let me say this to you: do I feel responsible for people saying extreme things? Quite the reverse. I destroyed the British National Party.

MEPs Bill Etheridge, Diane James and Jonathan Arnott along with Elizabeth Jones, Councillor Lisa Duffy and Phillip Broughton are all battling to replace Mr Farage as Ukip leader

If I hadn't been around, and done what I'd done, that strain of opinion would've been represented by (former BNP leader) Nick Griffin, and the BNP, and would genuinely have been motivated by hate. I'm not motivated by that, I'm not against anybody.

MEPs Bill Etheridge, Diane James and Jonathan Arnott along with Elizabeth Jones, Councillor Lisa Duffy and Phillip Broughton are all battling to replace Mr Farage as Ukip leader.

The victor will be announced at Ukip's annual conference in Bournemouth on September 15.
Labour MP Simon Danczuk tweeted about the mid-air drama

Labour MP Simon Danczuk was a passenger on a commercial jet which was forced to land after a suspect package was found on board.

He tweeted the drama from his seat before the plane from Copenhagen made an emergency landing in Dusseldorf.

The MP for Rochdale tweeted: 'Suspicious package found on plane I'm on from Copenhagen, emergency landing at Dusseldorf.

'Everyone is fine but they are worrying times.'

It comes after seven people were injured after a man attacked passengers on a train in Switzerland with a knife.

The man, 27, set the train carriage on fire using a flammable liquid and also stabbed passengers, including a six-year-old child, police said.

The attack happened near Salez-Sennwald Train Station on the line between Buchs and Sennwald at around 2.20pm.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk tweeted the drama from his seat before the plane from Copenhagen made an emergency landing in Dusseldorf

The incident comes after seven people were injured after a man attacked passengers on a train in Switzerland with a knife (file image)
Five people who were wounded in a random shooting after a gunman opened fire on a truck and a church van in Missouri have been identified.

Joplin authorities said in a statement that Kenneth Eby, Karen Mech and Heidi Gustin of Joplin's Immanuel Lutheran Church were sitting in a church van at a traffic light when they were shot by a 26-year-old man.

Two other victims who were shot separately in their pickup, were identified as Donal Pugh, who's in serious but stable condition, and Debbie Pugh, who sustained minor injuries, according to the Joplin Globe.

The five people injured in Missouri shooting have been identified. Vicki Eby (right) said that her husband Kenneth Eby (left) had been driving their church's van at the time of the shooting. She said one bullet hit her husband's lung and he's still in critical condition

Vicki Eby, who was also in the van but not injured, told KOAM-TV that her husband Kenneth had been driving the church van at the time the shooting occurred.

She said they heard 'three pops go off' but it was so dark 'we didn't know what was happening'.

Tom S Mourning II (pictured) was arrested after five people were injured in the mass shooting in Joplin, Missouri

Eby said one of the bullets hit her husband's lung and he's hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

Police said there is no apparent motive for the shootings, which were allegedly carried out by Tom Mourning II shortly after 5am Saturday, the Joplin Globe reported.

Officers were first called to a duplex about a possible shooting and found no victims.

Police responded to a call at 5.08am about a possible shooting at a duplex at 1810 S Connecticut Ave, before they tried to stop a vehicle nearby.

When the did, the driver fired shots at an Immanuel Lutheran Church van that was stopped at a traffic light.

Kenneth Eby, Mech, and Gustin, who are members of the church, were injured.

Mech suffered minor injuries from shrapnel cuts and Gustin suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and has non-life threatening injuries.

Police were called at 5:08 am today about a possible shooting at a duplex at 1810 S. Connecticut Ave (pictured)

Two of the churches comfort dogs were also injured in the shooting.

The man surrendered and was arrested at 5.22am.

Mourning has been charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful use of a weapon, according to the Newton County Prosecutors Office.

His bond is set at $300,000.

'We are very grateful that these victims do not appear to have life-threatening wounds because of this act,' Mayor Mike Seibert said.
A police canine who ran off after she was shot during Wednesday's face-off between a 34-year-old gunman and Arkansas police has been reunited with her handler.

Kina, a German shepherd with the Greenwood Police Department, disappeared during the shootout that killed Sebastian County Deputy Bill Cooper and left Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells with a graze wound on his forehead.

Billy Monroe Jones barricaded himself inside his home for several hours after opening fire on the police, with police saying he wanted to create a 'ruckus' before his court hearing scheduled that day.

Kina, a German shepherd with the Greenwood Police Department, was reunited with her handler Corporal Dennis Wisner (pictured)

Kina (pictured left and right) ran off after she was shot twice on Wednesday. X-rays showed bullet fragments were left in her body, but the dog is expected to make a full recovery

Kina ran off after she was injured on Wednesday, and police lost track of her amidst the chaos of the shooting.

But the beloved German shepherd was found on Friday morning at a construction site about a mile from the crime scene in Hackett.

A heartwarming video shows her running to Corporal Dennis Wisner, despite suffering dehydration and two shots with both entrance and exit wounds, police said.

X-rays showed bullet fragments were left in her body, but the dog is expected to make a full recovery after she was taken to the veterinarian for treatment.

Kina's recovery is a dose of good news after Cooper, 65, was shot in the neck and pronounced dead around 1.15pm Wednesday, Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck said during a news conference.

He added that Cooper, a former Marine, was 'about ready to retire' before he was killed.

Spells had a close call, suffering a graze wound on his forehead. He has been released from the hospital.

Sebastian County Deputy Bill Cooper died after he was shot in the neck by Billy Monroe Jones, 34, after his father called 911 saying Jones pointed a gun at him

Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells (right) had a close call, suffering a graze wound on his forehead. He has been released from the hospital

Fort Smith police spokesman Sergeant Daniel Grubbs said: 'Essentially it was an ambush. It just appears this guy was waiting on us to get here'

Jones, who was due in court that day, eventually surrendered at around 11.45am on Wednesday

Both Cooper and Spells responded to a 911 call made by Jones' father after the 34-year-old pointed a gun at him.

Fort Smith police spokesman Sergeant Daniel Grubbs said: 'Essentially it was an ambush. It just appears this guy was waiting on us to get here.'

Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck said during a news conference explained: 'Jones wanted to cause what was told to us as a 'ruckus' and he was due in court in Fort Smith regarding a petition to revoke a suspended sentence charge.'

Court records show Jones has had a drug conviction in state court along with a handful of minor charges in Greenwood, such as speeding and public intoxication.

After the shooting, Jones barricaded himself inside his house and shot a bomb-disposal robot sent in to investigate his trailer at one point during the four-and-a-half-hour standoff.

Dozens of police vehicles clogged Arkansas 253, a two-lane road that runs through a mix of woods and fields east of Hackett.
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The Great Depression is often remembered through bleak black and white photographs featuring long unemployment lines and hungry people waiting for a slice of bread.

As one of the darkest periods in American history, the Great Depression devastated the United States from 1929 to 1939, directly followed by World War II, which lasted until 1945 and kicked American industry into gear.

But even amidst the difficult times, families and neighborhoods tried to make the best of things.

Earlier this year, the Library of Congress has shared stunning photographs that show the period in vivid color, showcasing the strength of families, the recovery of farming and the joys of state fairs as the nation emerged from a dark time.

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Female workers employed as wipers take a break for lunch at the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in Clinton, Iowa, in 1943

Young school children sit at their desks in San Augustine County, Texas, in October 1943

Men and women chop cotton on rented land in White Plains, Greene County, Georgia, in June 1941

Faro and Doris Caudill, homesteaders, pose together for a photograph in Pie Town, New Mexico, in October 1940

A selection of the collected photos have been featured in Peter Walthers new book, New Deal Photography, USA 1935-1943, which was published in July by Taschen.

The photographs peek into the lives of people across the United States, ranging from street fairs to Vermont to lunch scenes featuring women working on the Northwestern railroad.

Taken from 1939 to 1941, the pictures show an America just beginning to pull itself out of a financial disaster that sent nearly 15million Americans into unemployment by 1933.

The photos are a selection from a joint project between the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information to document American life through pictures taken between 1935 and 1944.

More than 40 photographers contributed to the documentary photography program, according to Slate, but very few were shot with Kodachrome film.

Of the 180,000 images kept in the Library of Congress, only 1,600 are in color. The color photos werent available to the public until 2004.

Children, donning American flags and a drum, stage a patriotic demonstration in Southington, Connecticut, in May 1942

A man rests on the porch of a store selling live catfish near Natchitoches, Louisiana, in July 1940

A man takes a swing of his drink at the grounds at the Vermont State Fair, Rutland, Vermont, in September 1941

A worker in Clinton, Iowa, takes a break from work in 1943. Photos that have been released by the Library of Congress are from a joint project between the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information

The United States began its plunge into one of worst economic disasters of the 20th century after Wall Street plunged on October 24 1929, known as Black Thursday, precipitating the Black Tuesday crash, which sent shock waves around the nation.

The massive plunge in an overheated market was followed by a perfect storm of economic calamity, including the widespread collapse of banks, the rise of mass unemployment and huge movements of people from impoverished agricultural states in search of work.

The Great Depression reached its peak in 1933 when some 13 to 15million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the banks had collapsed.

President Franklin D Roosevelt's reform measures would eventually go some way towards getting the country back on its feet, but it was in World War II, more than a decade after the crash, that the country's economy would find full relief.

These rare photographs are some of the few documenting those iconic years in color.

People shop at Eagle Fruit Store down the street from the Capital Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1942

A women and children stand outside Shulman's Market on N Street and Union Street SW in Washington, DC, in 1941

A group of people ride a horse and wagon through Greene County, Georgia, in 1941
Jeffrey Lee Wood (pictured) has been on death row since 1998 for a 1996 murder he did not commit. He is scheduled to die on August 24

A Texas inmate on death row is scheduled to die at the end of the month, despite not having killed anybody.

Jeffrey Lee Wood, who is scheduled to die on August 24 - five days after his 42nd birthday - is on death row for a 1996 murder he did not commit and, according to some, did not know was going to be committed.

His case is rare, according to the Houston Chronicle, although Texas does allow for this type of execution.

A law called 'the law of parties', which began in the 1970s, states that anyone who 'solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid the other person to commit an offense' is just as responsible for the crime that occurs.

Under the law of parties, Wood was found guilty after waiting in a Texaco convenience store for Daniel Reneau in Kerrville, Texas.

Reneau went inside and shot dead the store clerk with a .22-caliber handgun.

Wood says he thought Reneau was going in to the store to buy food and drinks, but Wood is not totally free of guilt.

Under the law of parties, Wood was found guilty after waiting in a Texaco convenience store for Daniel Reneau in Kerrville, Texas, who shot and killed Kris Keeran, the store's clerk

Terri Been visiting her brother Jeffrey Lee Wood as he serves his sentence on death row

Jeffrey Lee Wood is scheduled to die on August 24. he has served 18 years on death row

Court records say Wood and Reneau were in cahoots to rob the store of a safe they believed contained thousands of dollars.

Wood backed out. Reneau decided to go forward with the plot.

Wood's then-girlfriend testified that Wood asked Reneau to leave his gun before the two went to the convenience store that day.

Allegedly, Reneau brought the gun without Wood's knowledge.

The defense argued that Wood could not have anticipated the death of Kris Keeran, the store's clerk, and was being held responsible for Reneau's decision to murder the man.

Both men were convicted, sentenced to death and in 2002 Reneau was given a lethal injection

Both men were convicted, sentenced to death and in 2002 Reneau was given a lethal injection.

Wood has sat on death row for 18 years. His daughter was a baby when he was convicted.

She now says she has recurring nightmares about watching her father be executed and sometimes wakes up screaming.

Scott Cobb, president of Texas Moratorium Network, who advocate against capital punishment, said if Wood is killed on August 24, he will be the 'least culpable person executed in the modern era of death penalty'.

A writ of habeas corpus has been filed to the state's highest court in hopes of a new sentencing hearing.

This month, 16 Roman Catholic bishops in Texas wrote to Texas governor Greg Abbott, imploring him to grant a stay of execution to Wood, who is set to die five days after his 42 birthday

The filing highlights that Wood has 'debilitating emotional and intellectual impairments' and was vulnerable to manipulation, like that of Reneau.

With an IQ of 80 and a diagnosis of being borderline mentally impaired, Wood was initially committed to a mental health hospital and a neuropsychologist told the court that Wood was unable to grasp issues in the case facing him.

But after 15 days in the hospital he was released and the jury never know about the neuropsychologist's findings.

This month, 16 Roman Catholic bishops in Texas wrote to Texas governor Greg Abbott, imploring him to grant a stay of execution to Wood.

'Mr. Wood has never taken a human life in his own hands.

'He was not even in the building at the time of the crime.

'It is extremely rare for any person in the history of modern death penalty to have been executed with as little culpability and participation in the taking of a life as Mr. Wood,' the letter reads.

Former governor Rick Perry granted a stay to Kenneth Foster Jr, who was also convicted of capital murder under the law of parties.




A possible shooting at a Raleigh, North Carolina, mall left the shopping center on lockdown on Saturday afternoon.

Shots were allegedly fired at Crabtree Valley Mall at approximately 2.30pm, causing terrified shoppers to flee.

As of 4.30pm, Raleigh police have said in a statement that no suspects have been arrested and that arriving officers found no one with any gunshot wounds.

Hours later, Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said they had still not confirmed the shooting.

'We have not determined that there was a shooter,' she told WRAL, adding that police had not found shell casings or people with gunshot wounds.

'We are examining all possibilities,' Deck-Brown told reporters at a news conference.

Shots were fired at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, North Carolina, at approximately 2.30pm, causing terrified shoppers to flee

As of 4.30pm, no suspects had been arrested and no one with gunshot wounds had been found

Hours later, Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said they had still not confirmed the shooting

Video posted on social media sites, however, shows dozens of people running toward mall exit doors as numerous screams were heard.

Outside the mall, where people gathered afterward, a police officer got on the loudspeaker of a fire truck and said there was no one shot in the mall.

Antonio Richardson, the owner of Casanova, a clothing store in Crabtree Valley Mall, said he saw a shooting unfold after an argument in the food court and that he heard as many as four shots.

He said that he was standing at the entrance to his store Saturday afternoon when he saw two men who appeared to be in their early 20s arguing in the food court.

In these images from a video provided by Lauren Baker, people rush to one of the exits of Crabtree Valley Mall

While many shoppers were able to exit the mall, some were stuck hiding in stores as police searched for the gunman

He says he saw one of them pull out a gun and begin shooting. As he was running away, he says he heard as many as four shots in all.

Kristen Warring, 26, of Raleigh, was heading to a video game store with her boyfriend when they heard shots coming from the mall's food court.

They ran into the store with dozens of others before the doors of the mall were locked.

'We heard at least 10 shots, maybe more. It was loud. We were close,' Warring told The News and Observer.

'We got as low as we could, behind a barricade.'Saw a lot of people running and pushing to get out. Texted 911 at that point to let them know there were 30-40 people - about half were children. ... They said to keep to low, said police were on the scene.'

Warring said they staying behind the barricade for about 45 minutes.

Police cars block the entrance to Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday

Police officers went store to store to check on shoppers and employees before announcing that it was safe to leave

Several police cars were parked outside the mall as officers searched for a suspect and victims

'Then they let us out,' she told The News and Observer. 'On the way out there were bags and shoes and drinks all over the place from people dropping them and running out.

'I was comforting a lady. It was chaotic and really frightening. I just never imagined I would be in a situation like this.'

Footage from a news helicopter showed shoppers filing out of the mall with their hands over their heads as police took control of the scene.

Later, scores of people gathered outside the mall, appearing to wait for news of what happened or to find loved ones who had sheltered inside.

Police officers went store to store to check on shoppers and employees before announcing that it was safe to leave.

Authorities urged people in the area to avoid the Crabtree Valley area.

Antonio Richardson makes a call from the parking deck of Crabtree Valley Mall following the possible shooting
Britain's biggest police force has set up a controversial unit  dubbed as thought police by critics last night  to investigate offensive comments from the internet.

It will be supported by an army of volunteers trained to seek out anything they deem inappropriate on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

They will then report it to officers who will attempt to track down the culprits and possibly prosecute them, according to a report seen by The Mail on Sunday.

Scotland Yard is spending 1.7 million to set up its Twitter squad, which will have five detectives running it.

The Metropolitan Police, pictured, are spending 1.7million on a social media squad to investigate abusive comments and track down trolls

The establishment of the new unit comes after a surge in reports of racist and sexist abuse on social media, with some trolls jailed for making death threats against MPs.

But there have also been high- profile cases where police have been accused of being too heavy-handed in arresting or prosecuting people simply for making jokes.

Last night, MPs and civil liberties campaigners raised fears that the new unit would stop people expressing opinions for fear of arrest.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: We want more police on the street, not thought police.

Online bullying is an increasingly serious problem but police should not be proactively seeking cases like these and turning themselves into chatroom moderators.

With such measures, even if well intentioned, there is a real danger of undermining our very precious freedom of speech.

Andrew Allison, of The Freedom Association libertarian group, said: Theres a risk of online vigilantism, where people who are offended by the least thing will have a licence to report it to the police.

And Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: Police are becoming moral arbiters rather than dealing with real issues that threaten our security.

From the sinister...Bristol MP Thangam Debbonaire, pictured, complained about a tweet after a 20-year-old student said she should get in the sea  a dismissive phrase regularly used on Twitter. The politician replied: I believe that is a threat to kill.

...to the ridiculous: After a relative posted this photograph on Facebook of the Siddiqui family paintballing  along with the tongue-in-cheek caption ISIS training day  the family was visited by officers from Derbyshire Police. The fun-loving family regularly appear on the reality television show Gogglebox.

Documents seen by this newspaper show the Home Office is pouring 452,756 into the Online Hate Crime Hub, which is due to run for two years.

It will be headed by a detective inspector, a detective sergeant and three detective constables.

The London Mayors City Hall headquarters has advertised for a civilian programme manager who will be paid up to 52,455  twice what a PC earns  to co-ordinate the project.

The detectives role will be identifying the location of the crime when online abuse is reported, and refer it to the appropriate force area and social media providers.

Social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook  which do not always comply with police requests to obtain users details  will be asked to help fund a community element to the unit, in which volunteers skilled in the use of social media will identify, report and challenge online hate material.

It is feared that this will lead to large numbers of comments being reported to social media providers or police as inappropriate, even if they were only meant jokingly or had no malicious intent.

Robert Sharp, of the anti-censorship group English PEN, said: Threats of violence must of course be investigated and prosecuted, but the police need to tread carefully.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron compared the unit to the 'though police' of George Orwell's dystopian classic 1984, pictured

London Mayor Sadiq Khan's (pictured) office is in favour of the unit because it wants to more to be done to bring hate crime offenders to justice

In the most notorious case of police over-reaction to a single tweet, Paul Chambers was fined for joking he would blow up an airport if it was closed by snowfall.

It took several years before his conviction was quashed on appeal.

John Cooper, the QC who defended Mr Chambers, said: It does concern me that an aspect of policing is being sub-contracted to members of the public.

Mother-of-two Debra Burt was questioned by police after writing on a friends Facebook page that she wanted to throw an egg at David Cameron.

Derbyshire Police visited the home of the Muslim Siddiqui family who appear on the television show Gogglebox after a relative posted a Facebook photograph of them paintballing with the jokey caption: ISIS training day.

Yesterday it emerged that a Labour MP had reported a student to the authorities at Bristol University for what she considered a death threat.

Verity Phillips, 20, tweeted to local MP Thangam Debbonaire that she should get in the sea  a regular dismissive phrase used on Twitter.

The politician replied: This person has just told me to drown  I believe that is a threat to kill.

The London Mayors office is backing the new project as it believes social media provides hate crime perpetrators with a veil of anonymity, making it harder to bring them to justice.

It says almost half of hate crime against Muslims has taken place online, while almost one in five anti-Semitic incidents took place on social media.

There was a 42 per cent surge in reports of hate crimes  on the streets as well as online  in the wake of the EU referendum.

Under laws amended in 2015 amid growing concern at soaring abuse on the internet, trolls can now be jailed for up to two years for malicious communication.
She's the Olympics presenter who caused a sensation in Rio with her eye-catching outfits  including a skimpy dress which may have revealed just a little bit too much for some viewers.

But now vivacious TV star Helen Skelton is back in more familiar attire  wrapped from head to toe in sturdy outdoor clothing for a bracing hike across the Pennine Way in the Peak District as she returns to Countryfile.

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The 33-year-old is joined by Prince Edward (pictured left) for an episode of Countryfile; she has been presenting the swimming (right) for the BBC during the Olympics

The 33-year-old is joined by Prince Edward for an episode of the show being broadcast this evening to mark the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburghs Award.

It comes just days after Ms Skelton caused a stir with her risque fashion choices when she presented swimming events at the Olympics, receiving both praise and criticism on Twitter.

Her controversial short skirt showed off her legs and became one of the top-trending topics on Twitter on the first day of action in Rio, and she followed up the look with some other daring numbers.

Helen Skelton has presented swimming during the Olympics alongside former British swimmers Mark Foster (left) and Rebeca Adlington

The Countryfile star chose a vibrant dress for one of the days of action

Her outfit was a surprising change of image for Helen, who had been known primarily as a wholesome presenter of childrens programme Blue Peter and the similarly family-friendly Countryfile.

Prince Edward plays an active role in the Duke of Edinburghs Award, and has been a trustee of the charity since 1988.
Bangladeshi Muslim community leaders and members spoke out about shootings during a rally Saturday night near the crime scene

Police said they haven't determined a motive for the killings and that there's no indication the men were targeted because of their faith

The gunman fled the scene on foot and is still at large, police said

One man said they blame 'Donald Trump for creating Islamophobia'

at the scene believe it was a 'hate crime'

An imam and his assistant were shot and killed in broad daylight as they walked home from a mosque in Queens.

Police said a gunman walked up to religious leader, Maulama Akonjee, 55, on Saturday afternoon as he and his assistant, Thara Uddin, 64, were leaving the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Ozone Park.

Both men were rushed to Jamaica hospital, where Akonjee, a married father-of-three, was pronounced dead.

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Imam, Maulama Akonjee (left), was shot dead in broad daylight as he and his assistant Thara Uddin (right), left a mosque in Queens

Imam Akonjee and Uddin, were approached by a gunman who shot them in the back of the head. Uddin was also reportedly shot in the chest. Hours after the men were gunned down members of the community (pictured) gathered at a rally near the crime scene

Several members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community spoke during the rally calling the shootings a 'hate crime'

His assistant died about fours later.

Imam Akonjee was described as a revered religious leader.

He came to Queens from Bangladesh a little less than two years ago, according to the New York Daily News.

Earlier on Saturday, shortly after the shooting, a crowd of angry Muslim men gathered at the scene insisting it was a hate crime, saying the two men were specifically targeted.

Religious leaders (pictured) held a press conference demanding justice for the tragic shootings at the Mosque of Imam Maulama Akonjee, Al Furqan

A man cries while community members and religious leaders pray together near the area where Imam Akonjee and Uddin were shot

The community mourned the loss their beloved religious leaders on into the night during the rally

'That's not what America is about,' local resident Khairul Islam told the newspaper.

'We blame Donald Trump for this ... Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia.'

Police said they received multiple 911 calls of two males being shot at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 79 Street around 1.50pm.

Both men were rushed to Jamaica hospital, where Akonjee, a married father-of-three, was pronounced dead. His assistant died about fours later

The suspect, who fled the scene on foot, is still at large as police continue the hunt for the man. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing

Both men suffered gunshot wounds to the back of the head and were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Imam Akonjee was pronounced dead at the hospital while his assistant died hours later.

Uddin's brother, Mashuk Uddin, told the Daily News that a bullet tore through his brother's brain.

Thara Uddin had also been shot in the chest. He was on life support at the hospital before he passed away.

The two victims were heading to Mashuk Uddin's house when they were attacked.

Mashuk Uddin told the newspaper that he's 'very shocked', adding that his brother had no 'problems with anybody'.

Uddin's brother, Mashuk Uddin, said that a bullet tore through his brother's brain. Community members gathered behind the police tape surrounding the crime scene Saturday evening during a rally

Members (pictured) of the Bangladeshi Muslim community held the rally around 8pm at the site where Imam Akonjee and his associate Uddin were fatally shot while walking home from a mosque

Police have said that there's no indication the men were targeted because of their faith. But speakers (pictured) at the rally in Queens say they fear the men could be victims of a hate crime

Scores of people gathered at the shooting site chanted 'We want justice!' Millat Uddin, a member of the mosque, has called on authorities to treat the killings as a hate crime

Outraged members of the community rallied near the crime scene demanding justice be served for the tragic killings of two religious leaders

'He just goes to the mosque, prays and goes home.'

Around 8pm Saturday outraged members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community held a rally at the site where Imam Akonjee and his associate Uddin were fatally shot.

Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasio's staff, who serves as a liaison to Muslim communities, attended the rally and said: 'I understand the fear because I feel it myself.

'I understand the anger. But it's very important to mount a thorough investigation.'

Police said they haven't determined a motive for the killings and that there's no indication the men were targeted because of their faith.

But speakers at the rally in Queens say they fear the men could be victims of a hate crime.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, held a news conference near the crime scene, where Kobir Chowdhury, 40, a leader at another local mosque, said: 'Read my lips: This is a hate crime' directed at Islam.'

Earlier on Saturday, Chowdhury also told the Daily News that the shooting was 'just a pure, blind, hate crime'.

Scores of people gathered at the shooting site and chanted: 'We want justice!'

Millat Uddin, a member of the mosque, has called on authorities to treat the killings as a hate crime.

'The community's heart is totally broken,' said Uddin, who is not related to Thara Uddin.

'It's a great misery. It's a great loss to the community and it's a great loss to the society.'

He told the Daily News: 'People being shot in the head in broad daylight is unheard of. Killing people brutally, like they're an animal.'

The daughter of Imam Akonjee said her father had no enemies.

Naima Akonjee, 28, one of the imam's seven children, said she rushed to her parents' home after the shooting.

She said her father used to call her just to check up on whether she had eaten properly. She'd tell him, 'Why are you caring about me?'

'And he said, "If I'm not caring about you, who will?"' she recalled.

She said her father didn't have 'any problems with anyone' and that her father and Uddin were close friends who always walked together to the mosque from their homes on the same street.

Earlier in the day and shortly after the shooting a crowd of angry Muslim men (pictured) gathered at the scene insisting it was a hate crime, saying the two men were specifically targeted

Local residents were outraged after the shooting that happened between 79th Street and Liberty Avenue. A man gestures towards the place where Imam Akonjee was killed

Several residents said they were shocked, angry and feared for their lives following the shooting

The two victims were apparently heading to Mashuk Uddin's house when they were attacked

The imam's nephew, Rahi Majid, 26, told the Daily News that he isn't 'sure what kind of an animal would kill that man', adding that his uncle wouldn't 'hurt a fly'.

Local residents described the imam as a pious, well-respected member of the community, the Daily News reported.

Worshipper Shahin Chowdhury said he had advised people to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing. Imam Akonjee and Uddin were dressed in their traditional Muslim garb at the time of the shooting.

He called the imam a 'wonderful person' with a voice that made his Koran readings especially compelling.

Witnesses said the shooter was tall and Hispanic.

They said the man was carrying a large handgun and wearing a dark blue shirt and short pants.

During a press conference Deputy Inspector Henry Lautner said that a preliminary investigation 'revealed that the two victims were walking northbound on 79th Street and as they were turning onto Liberty Avenue, they were approached from behind'.

He added that video surveillance showed 'a male with medium complexion dressed in a dark polo shirt and shorts' approaching the two religious leaders.

Local residents described the imam as a pious, well-respected member of the community

One local resident blamed 'Donald Trump' for the shooting, saying 'Trump and his drama created Islamophobia'

Kobri Chowdhury, the president of a second neighborhood mosque said the shooting was 'just a pure, blind, hate crime'

Officials said the gunfire erupted a block away from the elevated A train station.

The suspect, who fled the scene on foot, is still at large as police continue the hunt for the man.

Lautner said investigators 'are currently conducting an extensive canvass of the area for video and additional witnesses'.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

Witnesses said the shooter was tall and Hispanic. They said the man was carrying a large handgun and wearing a dark blue shirt and short pants

The imam's nephew, Rahi Majid, said he isn't 'sure what kind of an animal would kill that man', adding that his uncle wouldn't 'hurt a fly'. Deputy Inspector Henry Lautner (center) holding a press conference near the scene
It is a gripping crime drama that has left millions on the edge of their seats, thanks not just to the sensational twists and turns of the plot, but because it is based on a bloody series of events which are all too real.

Making A Murderer, a ten-part series, became a global word-of-mouth phenomenon as soon as it aired on Netflix last December.

Armchair detectives binge-watched as they followed the fortunes of two convicted killers in a saga more far-fetched than anything a Hollywood screenwriter could conjure up.

The show told how one man spent 18 years in jail for a rape he did not commit, only to be arrested along with his nephew for a still more terrible crime  just weeks after he filed a 27 million wrongful imprisonment case against police and prosecutors.

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Steven Avery, pictured as a child and adult for promotional material for Making A Murderer, was jailed in 2005 without parole for killing photographer Teresa Halbach in Wisconsin, US

Now comes another extraordinary twist, which calls into question both the failures of American courts, and the newfound power of reality TV to influence our lives and institutions  perhaps extending its reach to justice itself.

Late on Friday night, a judge overturned the conviction of the nephew, Brendan Dassey, damning the police for making false promises and coercing a confession from a mentally challenged 16-year-old.

In one pathetic scene, viewers of the show had seen footage of officers pressuring Dassey, who has a mental age of nine, into a making a confession.

He then asks if he can leave to do his homework.

The boy was also shown being bullied and manipulated by his own defence team.

American prosecutors now have 90 days to decide whether to stage a retrial or release him.

This is right, this is justice, his lawyer Laura Nirider said last night, adding that Dasseys family are grateful, in shock.

The ruling could also mean that Steven Avery, 54, who is serving life without the possibility of parole for the 2005 murder of photographer Teresa Halbach, stands a chance of winning his fight for a new trial, and may even walk free all as the cameras roll for a second series of the hit show, which will air at Christmas.

Most will have welcomed this scrutiny of Americas criminal justice system, with its conviction rate above 90 per cent, where the falsely imprisoned can end up languishing for decades without an adequate appeal.

The plight of Dassey and Avery, who are now household names, has attracted high-profile supporters including actors Susan Sarandon, Ricky Gervais and Mia Farrow.

His nephew Brendan Dassey's conviction for the same crime was overturned last week by a judge who ruled the 26-year-old's confession had been 'coerced'

More than 250,000 people signed a petition begging Barack Obama to pardon the two men, which ended up forcing the White House to release a statement  pointing out that the President was not lawfully able to overturn the convictions.

Rallies were also held across the world, including London, Sydney and New York, protesting the two mens innocence.

Yet there is also considerable evidence ranged against Avery, and some commentators now wonder  should he be released  just how much the decision will have been prompted by the mesmeric power of TV drama and mob sentiment.

Avery was a petty criminal from rural Wisconsin, whose record included robbery and setting fire to the family cat.

Jogger Penny Beernsten was sexually assaulted in 1985 as she ran alongside Lake Michigan, only a few miles from Averys mobile home and car scrap metal yard.

Despite multiple eyewitnesses placing him miles away from the scene, Beernsten picked out Avery from an identity parade, and he was convicted and sentenced to 32 years.

His lawyers claim that a feud between Avery and his cousin  who is married to a local police officer  had led to him being immediately framed for the rape by the Manitowoc County Sheriffs department.

Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos were initially drawn to the story after the Innocence Project, a group which has helped overturn dozens of wrongful convictions, began to champion the case.

The first hour of Making A Murderer shows how police and prosecutors rushed to judgment in the rape case  before modern DNA testing exonerated Avery.

Viewers then saw a jubilant Avery walking free from jail after 18 years.

It might have ended as simply another case of a wrongfully imprisoned man set free but within days Avery had announced he was launching a 27 million lawsuit against police and prosecutors.

He was then charged with the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach, a 25-year-old who was last seen heading to take pictures of a vehicle at Averys yard for a car magazine.

Avery, pictured, was jailed in 2005 for life without parole, but could now be granted another day in court to battle for his freedom but others worry a guilty man could be released

The story is told through police interrogations, recorded prison phone calls, interviews with family and lawyers and courtroom footage. There is no narrator.

While police were convinced that they had the right man  Halbachs burned remains had been found in a fire pit on Averys property, and her car keys were discovered inside his mobile home  many believed he had, yet again, been framed.

Averys blood was found inside Halbachs car, but then a vial of his blood from the previous case was found to have been tampered with.

The box in which it had been stored had the taped lid removed and a tiny needle mark was found in the top of the vial, suggesting blood could have been removed via a syringe and planted at the murder scene.

Others questioned why no evidence of rape or the murder had been found in Averys home, and why the key to Halbachs car had been discovered in plain sight during the sixth search of the house by officers.

And why had some of her bones been found at another location well away from Averys land?

Manitowoc police officers, who at the time were in the middle of being deposed in his wrongful imprisonment lawsuit, had been involved in gathering evidence in the murder case, and defence lawyers insisted they might have planted evidence to frame him.

It was, however, the confession by Averys then 16-year-old nephew Dassey which proved the most damning.

The youngster who was deeply impressionable, confessed that he raped Halbach and saw his uncle shoot her dead.

He also admitted helping dismember and burn the body.

Dassey immediately recanted his confession, but it was too late.

He was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault, and mutilation of a corpse. Avery was tried and convicted separately.

In a letter written after his 2007 conviction, Dassey said: The investigators tormented me until I said what they wanted me to say.

'The investigators got into my head saying that if I confessed they would let me go, but when I did they locked me up. They tricked me. I was afraid of them back then.

He called the trial a witch hunt and added: The prosecutors dont care what they do. They just want a conviction.

In his ruling on Friday, Milwaukee judge William Duffin ordered Dassey, now 26, to be freed within 90 days unless prosecutors decide to retry him.

Judge Duffin said that investigators made false promises to Dassey by assuring him he had nothing to worry about.

These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dasseys confession involuntary under the 5th and 14th Amendments [of the US Constitution], he wrote.

The show made unlikely celebrities of some of the main characters.

Averys middle-aged defence lawyers, Dean Strang and Jerry Buting, became internet pin-ups, receiving scores of marriage proposals from adoring women.

Buting has even secured a deal with publishing giant HarperCollins for a book about the case.

While Netflix does not release its ratings figures, Forbes magazine called the show the best documentary ever, and one critic raved that Making A Murderer is dense with detail and characters and twists and turns that leave the viewer so gripped that sleep and meals become secondary considerations to the business of guzzling every episode.

Not everyone is a fan, however  particularly those concerned by the ever-increasing reach of television and, in particular, the internet, where debate has been raging.

Many have complained that Making A Murderer is unfairly sympathetic to Avery and Dassey, and leaves out vital evidence which points to their guilt.

Avery was previously wrongly convicted of sexual assault and was jailed for 18 years. He is pictured embracing his family upon his release in September 2003

Ken Kratz, who originally prosecuted the two men, is writing his own book about the crime  saying that he wants to give a voice to the largely forgotten victim.

Kratz, whose reputation was tarnished by a 2014 sexting scandal, complained: Any time you include only the statements or pieces of evidence that support your particular conclusion, then that conclusion could be reached. It really presents misinformation.

He claimed that vital evidence including the fact that Avery called Halbachs work and specifically asked for the young, female photographer on the day of her murder  was left out of the show.

Halbach had previously taken pictures of Averys cars and, according to Kratz, she was creeped out by him.

She went to her employer and said she would not go back because she was scared of him.

Even Averys son Steven Jr is unsure of his fathers innocence. Last month he revealed that he had no idea if his father was guilty, saying: The only thing I know was the entire case was very shady.

He added: Its clear that there was corruption. Him and Brendan deserve a fair trial. If theyre guilty, then let them sit.

So far neither Avery nor Dassey have seen the show, but they can only be grateful for the attention it has brought.

Averys lawyer Kathleen Zellner said last night that she had been visiting her client in prison when the news that his nephews conviction had been overturned came through. She said he was thrilled.

We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well, Zellner said, claiming that new developments in scientific testing since Averys 2007 conviction will almost certainly clear him.

She told Americas NBC network: Am I going to tell you exactly what it is? I am not. But its been a long time.

There was a lot of evidence that wasnt tested.

Filmmaker Laura Ricciardi promised more bombshells, including an interview with a juror who convicted Avery for murder, but who had felt bullied.

She explained: The juror contacted us directly and told us the verdicts in Stevens trial were a compromise.

'They were afraid if they held out for a mistrial that it would be easy to identify which juror had done that and they were fearful for their own safety.

Whatever twists and turns the case takes next, one thing is for sure: the cameras will be rolling to satisfy the appetite of millions of true-crime fans.
They are the terrible scenes the world hoped it would never see again

The Mail on Sunday has uncovered the first shocking evidence that Islamic State is using mustard gas on the front line in Iraq

They are the terrible scenes that the world had hoped it would never see again after the horrors of the First World War.

But now The Mail on Sunday has uncovered the first shocking evidence that Islamic State is using mustard gas on the front line in Iraq.

Troops fighting against the terror group have been left with appalling injuries  including agonising blisters on their skin and badly damaged lungs  in a frightening echo of warfare in the trenches on the Western Front.

Without any regard for the international ban on the chemical weapon, IS has used the lethal gas repeatedly against Kurdish forces who are battling to drive out the jihadis.

The terror group  which has killed hundreds of victims in repeated attacks in France and against other targets in the West  is fighting a last-ditch battle to hold on to the dwindling area it controls in Iraq and Syria.

Nearly 100 Kurdish soldiers have been injured in mustard gas attacks, which are now taking place as often as twice a week, according to doctors speaking publicly for the first time.

The Mail on Sunday has interviewed victims of the weapons, which are banned by the United Nations.

They described poisonous yellow clouds of mustard gas burning their skin and damaging their lungs.

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Their injuries have been verified as the effect of mustard gas, according to experts from the US and Italy.

They are convinced the jihadis are now producing sophisticated chemical weapons on an industrial scale in Iraq and fear IS will use them in a desperate bid to defend its stronghold city of Mosul in northern Iraq, which is now surrounded by UK-backed Iraqi and Kurdish troops.

Proof of ISs use of mustard gas comes just days after reports that President Assads regime in Syria has been using chlorine gas against civilians.

One Kurdish soldier spoke of how six Islamic State rockets containing mustard gas landed in the village of Sultan Abdullah in Gwer province, Iraq, while he was on patrol.

Father of six Mirmaj Hassan, 39, breathed in the noxious fumes, which also seeped inside his military uniform, causing large blisters on his skin.

The soldier, who was one of 13 Peshmerga victims of chemical weapons on August 12 last year, said: It was 6pm and the sun was going down. Wed been on the front line all day and everyone was exhausted.

Agonising: Kurdish fighter Mirmaj Hassan and the blisters on his abdomen

Then we heard the whistle of incoming rockets and took cover. I was only about 30ft from where the rocket landed on the roof of a house. It gave off a smell like onions.

I didnt have a gas mask so I covered my mouth with my hand.

But I soon felt pain in my throat and my chest tightening. I collapsed on to the ground, sweating and completely out of breath.

I tried to shout for help but could only gasp. Then I began to feel this strange burning sensation around my stomach and back.

Hassan told The Mail on Sunday how he undid his belt and pulled up his green shirt to inspect the wounds. He said: My skin was going moist and turning to liquid, like I was holding a match to my abdomen. I touched it and it was very painful.

Eventually some other Peshmerga saw me. They ran to where I had collapsed, picked me up and carried me into a hut.

My skin was turning to liquid

There was no medicine to give us. All the officers did was throw water over us. But the burning sensation continued and blisters appeared. I could hardly breathe. Even today I have a constant cough and feel like Im choking.

I spent four days in hospital before going back to the front line, because even the wounded have to fight Islamic State  we must get rid of them. We would be thankful for more protection  we need more gas masks and hoods. I still dont have either.

To prove that the Peshmerga were victims of chemical weapons, doctors took blood and urine samples from injured troops.

The laboratory tests found traces of the chemical compound sulfur mustard (mustard gas)  a chemical agent first produced by the German Army in 1916 and used against British Tommies in the trenches.

Horrific: Blistering on Kurdish victims' arm, left and right

The results were verified by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The use of any mustard agents on the battlefield is banned under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.

The head of the OPCW also said recently that there are extremely worrying signs that Islamic State is making its own chemical weapons.

The CIA has also publicly confirmed that it believes IS has the ability to produce mustard gas and chlorine.

The tests were ordered by the Peshmergas head of medical affairs, Dr Muhsin Zangana, who said: There can no longer be any doubt that Islamic State is using chemical weapons against us, weapons which are getting bigger every week and can be fired from a longer range so they are more difficult to detect.

THE HORRORS OF WW1 TRENCH WARFARE... NOW BEING USED AGAINST THE KURDS 'A greenish, yellow cloud rolled along the ground. Gas travels quietly... you have about 20 seconds to adjust your gas helmet. A company man on our right was too slow; he sank to the ground, clutching at his throat, and after a few spasmodic twistings, went west. In the corner of the trench, one of the companys pets was lying dead, with his two paws over his nose.' Soldier Arthur Empey on a 1916 gas attack Advertisement

'I personally have treated victims from more than 50 attacks and the symptoms are consistent  the burns, ulcers inside the body, damage to the lungs, dry eyes and rashes.

We are fortunate that no soldiers have died yet but we have one victim from Gwer last year who is getting worse. He could die if he is not flown overseas for treatment. We dont have what he needs.

Dr Jodal Ahmed. a civilian doctor from Erbil in Iraq, has also treated chemical weapons victims, even though he has received no specific training. Dr Ahmed also said there was a shortage of medicines for the troops affected by the gas.

He said: Theyre given Salbutamol tablets [a drug also used to treat asthma] to help them breathe and eye drops. Its not enough. And I am seeing more and more cases like this. The Peshmerga deserve better treatment.

Brigadier General Hajar Ismail, the Peshmergas director of public relations, could not hide his frustration as he told The Mail on Sunday that of the 150,000 Kurdish troops fighting IS, only one in ten has gas masks and hoods. This shortage of protective equipment is now being exploited by the jihadis.

Barbaric: British troops suffering the appalling effects of a German gas attack in 1918

He said: Germany and the United States have given us 15,000 masks but we need 50,000, as the jihadis will use chemical weapons when we advance on Mosul. Last year their chemical weapons were 60mm short range shells which didnt include much gas.

'Now theyre using 1m-long Grad rockets, with a lot more of the harmful substances in the nose of the missile.

Most of the chemical weapons attacks on us happen near Mosul. This points to the gas bombs being produced there. Intelligence reports also say the chemistry department at Mosul University is being used to make chemical weapons.

IS will soon be able to inflict mass casualties

'They are concocting a new generation of explosive devices and I believe Daesh [IS] will soon be able to inflict mass casualties. We will be unprepared and ill-equipped.

Even Kurdish officers must go without gas masks on the front line.

One, Major Farhad Merozi, explained that when a rocket containing mustard gas exploded just yards from him on May 14 this year in Gwer, all he could do was wrap a wet towel around his head.

Within seconds he was vomiting and he temporarily lost his sight. He then fell unconscious.

Eventually he was taken to hospital and given oxygen.

He said: It was a very frightening experience, I couldnt understand what was happening to my body.

Wed been firing rocket-propelled grenades at Daesh when suddenly they responded with rocket fire.

'Seventeen of us were injured, all with burning skin and gasping for breath. It was horrible. I will never forget it.
What the Sheik desires, the Sheik will have  the tallest skyscraper in the world? No problem. A Louvre-like gallery in the desert? The architects and auction houses will do the rest.

Just over 100 miles south-west of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is an island retreat that demonstrates a different kind of ambition; one that even by the standards set in this part of the world is a little barmy.

Sir Bani Yas recreates the African safari experience in the heart of the Middle East.

Different: Visitors look at scimitar-horned oryx at the Sir Bani Yas game reserve in Abu Dhabi

Big cat: Cheetahs, those fixtures of the African plains, can be seen on the island

A 30-minute flight from the skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi (you can also drive and take a short boat ride) lands you in the middle of a safari, where we instantly spot gazelles and peacocks.

Then we see the heads of giraffes peering our way. And thats just the start.

Theres hardly time to admire the villa assigned to us before we are met by Kate from Ross-on-Wye and jump in her jeep.

We drive past Arabian oryx, with their distinctive white coat, and the equally endangered scimitar-horned oryx, brought to the island from Morocco as protection from hunters who use their keratin-rich horns for nail and hair treatments.

The island has one of the largest breeding herds in the world.

All the species come from somewhere else  blackbuck antelope from the Indian sub-continent, crowned crane (Ugandas national bird) and the elegant giraffe.

The President of Sudan presented Sheikh Zayed with eight; now there are 36.

Suddenly, Kate looks worried. She tells us to look over our shoulders, where Gilbert and Gabriel, two cheetahs, have ambled onto the Tarmaced road  but they seem just as relaxed as we are.

Then we catch sight of the flightless blue-necked ostrich  the fastest bird on land (whose legs turn pink during the mating season).

Necks best thing: Sir Bani Yas has a population of African giraffes

Creature comforts: There are 14,000 animals on the island, looked after by a large team

There are 14,000 animals on the island, looked after by a large conservation team.

This is the most unnatural of nature reserves, but it works spectacularly well  a safari park drawn up like a sudoku grid.

It is all meticulously planned, from the import of the animals and the staff, the water systems and the luxury.

Under British rule, this was a forgotten patch of desert.

During the Fifties and Sixties, before Britain handed the emirates to local leaders, the island was used as a training range by the Army.

The odd used shell can still be found on some of the paths.

In 1971, while Abu Dhabi and Dubai were still small, sleepy towns, the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, was so enamoured of the island that he decreed it should become a nature reserve.

He set about two tasks  importing a range of exotic animals and creating the conditions that would allow them to survive and reproduce.

Short hop: Sir Bani Yas game reserve is a 30-minute flight from the skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi

To achieve his goal, he ordered in zoological experts from around the globe. World leaders, keen to impress him, presented him with local species as gifts.

From that point, the island was transformed. Some 2.5 million trees  from palms to acacia bushes  were planted in straight lines.

To irrigate the desert, a desalination plant was built on the mainland, and pipes built under the sea.

Across the island, 80 miles of thin blue plastic irrigation pipes nestle among the sand and acacia bushes.

The island is 34 square miles, large enough to get lost, but with the heat and the roaming animals, guests are not encouraged to stray from their guides.

We go on a wadi walk for a geological tour and visit the site of a Christian monastery, which dates back to AD 600, and a 100-year-old cemetery with headstones facing towards Mecca.

Visitors are mainly expats and locals from Abu Dhabi and Dubai; some like us come from further afield, combining the crazy noise and bling of the cities with the barren beauty of the island.

Yes, of course, this is a rich mans folly  the manufacturing of a wildlife paradise by the command of a Sheik.

For a few days of escapism, it works spectacularly well. But for how long?
She's always been a pioneer of fearless experimentation.

But Grace Jones has been turning the globe gold with her most recent run of shows, which hit Gothenburg, Sweden on Friday.

The 68-year-old looked incredible as she turned warrior princess in bodypaint for the fans at Way Out West music festival.

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Signature sex appeal: Grace Jones plumped for body paint and a gold headdress for Way Out West music festival in Gothenburg, Sweden on Friday night

At first, Jamaican-born Grace teased her supermodel figure beneath a long, black cloak.

She even hid her distinctive appearance behind a gold skull mask as she commenced her stage performance.

But it wasn't long before her high cheekbones and scantily-clad limbs were on display in yet another bold and brave stage appearance for the fashionista.

Confidence: She cloaked her flawless figure in a black overcoat

Belting it out: The star was back onstage for a rare performance for fans

Grace dressed in a gold feathered headdress and little else, barely maintaining her modesty in a corset.

Fans of the Pull Up To The Bumper hitmaker will know that it's nothing out of the ordinary, though.

In 2015, Grace challenged new musicians like Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and Lady Gaga, writing in her autobiography I'll Never Write My Memoirs that they were not doing anything new by dressing provocatively.

'They dress up as though they are challenging the status quo, but by now, wearing those clothes, pulling those faces, revealing those tattoos and breasts, singing to those fractured, spastic, melting beats  that is the status quo.'

Feeling it: She turned warrior princess as she entertained fans

Bold: Dressed in just bodypaint it was a bold stage costume for the star

'You are not off the beaten track, pushing through the thorny undergrowth, finding treasure no one has come across before. You are in the middle of the road.

'You are really in Vegas wearing the sparkly full-length gown singing to people who are paying to see you but are not really paying attention. If that is what you want, fine, but its a road to nowhere.'

And Grace has no plans to slow down on the performance front any time soon, either.

In July, it was confirmed that Grace would replace MIA as headliner at Afropunk festival in London.

Grace will also return to Ireland in September for a performance that will feature in a documentary called Grace Jones  The Musical of My Life.

Cheekbones: She accentuated her high cheekbones with the face paint

Making an impact: It was a performance many of her fans would not forget
The show must go on for stressed star Sheridan Smith  the show of public affection, that is.

The Funny Girl actress, who recently returned to work after time off due to exhaustion, enjoyed a stage-door smooch with the shows American director, Michael Mayer, who flew in from the U.S. this week to support the actress after her public breakdown.

Smith had to deny she was drunk when she slurred her words on stage in April, and the show was cancelled after 15 minutes.

The show must go on for stressed star Sheridan Smith  the show of public affection, that is

The Funny Girl actress, who recently returned to work after time off due to exhaustion, enjoyed a stage-door smooch with the shows American director, Michael Mayer

When the fragile star reprised her lead role as Fanny Price in July, producers advised Smith, 35, not to sign autographs outside Londons Savoy Theatre every night, because it would tire her out.

But the single actress, who was devastated when her married lover, Hollyoaks actor Greg Wood, reportedly cheated on her last year, showed no signs of flagging as she locked lips with Mayer.

Following such a tumultuous time in her love life, perhaps Smith is hoping for a repeat performance.

Following such a tumultuous time in her love life, perhaps Smith is hoping for a repeat performance

Pete Townshend has confessed a surprising tendresse for his Who bandmate Keith Moon, who died from an accidental drug overdose, aged 32, in 1978.

In the very early days I suppose I was a little enamoured of him, Townshend, 71, says of the drummer.

Not sexually; he was a rather lumpy fellow physically, and any homoerotic feelings I had were towards the more conventional handsome men of the day like Chris Stamp, our manager, or Mick Jagger.

His feelings for Moon were clearly reciprocated.

Today, men are tough enough and easy enough to tell each other if there is a bond.
The Bachelorette and her fiance just moved into their new Dallas, Texas home earlier this week.

And it seems Jojo Fletcher and Jordan Rogers are quickly settling into domestic life, as they were seen out and about together on Friday.

But in the morning, before the couple struck out to complete some errands, Jordan, 27, emerged without his shirt and flaunting his muscular chest to retrieve something from his car.

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Perfect couple: It seems Jojo Fletcher and Jordan Rogers are quickly settling into domestic life, as they were seen out and about together on Friday

The hunk donned only a pair of white shorts and some low-cut sneakers for the retrieval mission, which afforded him another opportunity to show off his muscular chest.

Later, the pair looked content as they headed out for some shopping.

Jojo kept things casual in a partially sheer grey tank top which revealed her hot pink bra underneath.

Some tight, ripped jeans revealed her svelte figure and pert derriere, while some white slip-on shoes and a New York Yankees ball cap rounded out the relaxed ensemble.

Forget something? Jordan donned only a pair of white shorts and some low-cut sneakers for the retrieval mission, which afforded him another opportunity to show off his muscular chest

A large checkered tote with leather handles was her main accessory.

She appeared to keep the make-up to a minimum, with the exception of some nude lipstick.

Fiance Jordan also decided on a casual look for their outing, opting for a royal blue v-neck t-shirt, heather grey shorts and the same sneakers from his morning endeavor.

Keeping it casual: Some tight, ripped jeans revealed her svelte figure and pert derriere, while some white slip-on shoes and a New York Yankees ball cap rounded out the relaxed ensemble

He also protected his eyes with some classic shades, and carried their purchases in a large blue tarpaulin bag.

While the moving was no doubt hard work, at least the couple were able to blow off a bit of steam later on Thursday when they stopped by the Bud Light Party Convention in Dallas.

Jojo teamed a low-cut black tank top with some short daisy dukes for the occasion, while her fiance kept things simple with a grey t-shirt and black trousers.

Time to drink: While the moving was no doubt hard work, at least the couple were able to blow off a bit of steam later on Thursday when they stopped by the Bud Light Party Convention in Dallas
Peter Facinelli was spotted making out with a mystery blonde in Los Angeles' Studio City area on Thursday.

This comes almost six months after the 42-year-old and his then-fiance, Jaimie Alexander, ended their engagement, following a nearly four-year relationship.

The Twilight hunk appeared to be wasting no time in the romance department as he snuggled, cuddled and kissed the flaxen-haired beauty on a public bench.

Moving on: Peter Facinelli was spotted making out with a mystery blonde in Studio City, CA on Thursday

The father-of-three, clad in a pullover Henley and jeans, put his arm around the unidentified female, passionately kissing her.

As he puffed on a cigarette, Peter engaged in conversation with the much-younger blonde, who appeared to enjoy her time with the Nurse Jackie actor.

Peter's companion kept warm during the cool California weather, clad in a grey sweater, skinny jeans and suede ankle boots.

Not shy: The father-of-three, clad in a pullover Henley and jeans, put his arm around the unidentified female, passionately kissing her

Making her jealous? This comes almost six months after the 42-year-old and his then-fiance, Jaimie Alexander, ended their engagement, following a nearly four-year relationship

His past: Prior to his time with his Loosies co-star, the Twilight actor was married to Jennie Garth, who he allegedly left for Jaimie

She's impressed: As he puffed on a cigarette, Peter engaged in conversation with the much-younger blonde, who appeared to enjoy her time with the Nurse Jackie actor

On February, Peter and Jaimie Alexander, 31, announced they were calling off their engagement.

The couple, who had been dating since 2012, vowed to remain friends, at least according to their publicist.

'Due to conflicting family and work commitments on opposite coasts, and after much consideration, Peter and Jaimie have chosen to part ways amicably and remain good friends.'

It's over: On February, Peter and Jaimie Alexander, 31, announced they were calling off their engagement. They are pictured in January in Beverly Hills

Then-wife: Prior to his relationship with Jaimie, Peter was married to Jennie Garth, 44. They are pictured in LA on June 24, 2010

Prior to his relationship with Jaimie, Peter was married to Jennie Garth, 44.

The duo were married for eleven years before Peter chose to end their marriage in March 2012.

The former couple have three children together: daughters Luca, 19, Lola, 13, and Fiona, nine.

Since their split, Jennie has moved on and is happily married to actor Dave Abrams.

Signature LA attire: Peter's companion kept warm during the cool California weather, clad in a grey sweater, skinny jeans and suede ankle boots
Sunrises Sam Armytage brushed off rumours of a romance last year.

But with 60 Minutes reporter Michael Usher making the move to the Seven Network, gossip of a blossoming relationship between the high-profile journalists is once again doing the rounds.

Tongues have been set wagging ever since her co-host Natalie Barr, 48, attempted to organise a date between the 39-year-old and the recently divorced father-of-three.

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Budding romance? Rumours of a budding romance between Samantha Armytage (L) and newly signed Channel Seven reporter Michael Usher (R) have begun to circulate

According to the Daily Telegraph, a dinner was organised for the pair, out and about in Sydney in June 2015.

However, Sam feared their catch-up could set the gossip mill in full motion and instead opting for a home cooked meal.

'We had organised to catch-up for dinner at a restaurant but I thought if we went out and were photographed, people might think we were dating!' she told the publication.

New job: Michael has left Channel Nine to appear in a newly formatted 'news special series' for Seven after 23 years at his old network

'Michael Usher and I are mates,' she added.

Meanwhile, Michael left Channel Nine to appear in a newly formatted 'news special series' for Seven after 23 years at his old network.

It is the latest in a string of woes for 60 Minutes which earlier this year saw presenter Tara Brown and several other crew members facing jail in Lebanon after a bungled attempt to recover an Australian woman's children from their father.

Caring friends: Natalie Barr (left) attempted to organise a date between the 39-year-old and the recently divorced father-of-three

Just mates: Sam brushed off rumours on a relationship last year and told The Daily Telegraph the reporters were just friends

Confirming the news on Tuesday, a network spokesman told Daily Mail Australia they wished Michael well in his new venture.

'I can confirm Michael Usher has left the network and Channel Nine wish him well,' the spokesman stated in an email to the Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.

Sevens Director of News and Public Affairs Craig McPherson celebrated the coup in a statement, confirming he will be joining its 'News and Public Affairs team'.

'We couldnt be more pleased to have Michael joining Australias number one news team,' Mr McPherson said.

'Widely regarded as one of the countrys foremost investigative journalists, his passion and experience will further strengthen our dedicated team.

'Michael will be instrumental in future news programming including presenting the Seven News Investigates series currently in production.'

Television star: Michael has been working at Nine since 1999 when he joined their Olympics coverage in preparation for the 2000 Sydney Games

Michael has been working at Nine since 1999 when he joined their Olympics coverage in preparation for the 2000 Sydney Games.

The father-of-three was then assigned to the Nine Network's US bureau as a foreign correspondent before being posted to their London office, covering Europe and the Middle East.

During his time abroad, he covered 9/11 attacks, bombings in London and Madrid, the Iraq war and many more breaking news stories.
Tom Hiddleston jumped into the modern world of communication by opening an Instagram account on Tuesday.

And it may have taken him a few days to work it out, but he's now following his girlfriend Taylor Swift, according to Just Jared.

Taylor followed the 35-year-old right back but they have yet to post snaps of one another - the official sign of a loved-up couple.

They must be an item: Tom Hiddleston and Taylor Swift, pictured at LAX on July 6, became Instagram friends on Friday, the social media blessing that proves they are a couple

The 26-year-old pop superstar was the first person he followed on Friday along with 16 other friends.

The pair have been dating since meeting at the Met Gala in New York in May.

Amazingly, the 35-year-old Thor actor already has 789,000 followers even though he has just one post of himself as Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief, Madness and Evil.

'He's back': Amazingly, the 35-year-old Thor actor already has 789,000 followers even though he has just one post of himself as Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief

She's his No. 1: Taylor was the first person the British actor friended on Instagram

Taylor was among Toms friends, including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, who welcomed him to social media on Tuesday, some in a hilarious way.

Robert Downey Jr had a laugh at his Avengers co-star's expense as he mocked the Brit's debut on Instagram.

He posted a picture of the actor wearing his infamous 'I heart T.S.' vest, the initials standing for Taylor Swift.

Join me in welcoming the biggest T. Stark fan of them all to Instagram! @twhiddleston A photo posted by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr) on Aug 9, 2016 at 3:09pm PDT

Making up for his earlier joke: Robert chose a steamy still of himself as Tony Stark in a foundry and superimposed the words 'I heart Loki' on the vest

The 51-year-old captioned the image of Tom frolicking in the surf: 'Join me in welcoming the biggest T. Stark fan of them all to Instagram!'

The actors' characters Iron Man (aka Tony Stark) and Loki famously came to blows in the 2012 The Avengers movie.

And showing that he has a wonderfully self-deprecating sense of humour, on Wednesday Robert took the mickey out of himself.

He superimposed the words 'I heart Loki' on the vest he wore in a very steamy still of himself as Tony Stark in a foundry and shared it with his 10.8 million followers.
She's due to give birth for the first-time in coming months.

And Laura Csortan was positively glowing in a snap captured to Instagram on Friday.

The 39-year-old former Getaway presenter, caressed her burgeoning baby bump in a skin-tight T-shirt dress as she returned back to Sydney after a trip to Byron Bay.

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Bumping along nicely: Former Getaway presenter Laura Csortan, 39, was positively glowing in a snap shared to Instagram on Friday

'Thank you for the welcome home sunshine Sydney!,' Laura captioned the stunning shot that saw her posing in front of a vine-covered brick wall.

'I can finally wear my maternity T-shirt dress which I now 100% fill out!,' she continued alongside the hash-tags #growing and #babybelly.

The former model highlighted her lithe arms and svelte frame in the skin-tight purple number, while caressing her blossoming baby bump.

Allowing her fair tresses to fall in waves around her shoulders, Laura complemented the look with a flawless complexion, subtle smoky eye, hint of blush on the apples of her cheeks and a nude lip.

27 weeks: As she prepares to become a first-time mum, the former Miss Australia continues to document her pregnancy experience on social media. On Thursday she shared this image of her bare baby bump to Instagram

Just a day earlier, the former Miss Australia exposed her bare baby bump in a candid snap shared to Instagram.

Sporting an all-black ensemble, Laura shared that her unborn baby was 'kicking like a mini Olympian'.

'Well hello there! Little one having a growth spurt and kicking like a mini Olympian! #27weeks #baby #belly #boom,' she captioned the image.

Excited: Laura will become a first-time mum in November and has been sharing baby bump pictures to Instagram

As her due date nears, Laura has been relying on loved ones for emotional support.

Opening up to Woman's Day, the statuesque beauty shared the difficulty she has faced in having to explain that she is going to be a single mother.

'I didn't know how it would go down, I was terrified but it's certainly been received really well,' she said of sharing her unexpected pregnancy news with friends and family.

Candid: As her due date nears, Laura has been relying on loved ones for emotional support and she recently opened up to Woman's Day about the difficulty she has faced in having to explain that she is going to be a single mother

Hopeful: 'I will be a single mum and there's a lot of single mums saying, "I went through it and these are the things you might find difficult or not," so that's really fabulous as well,' she said

'I will be a single mum and there's a lot of single mums saying, "I went through it and these are the things you might find difficult or not," so that's really fabulous as well.'

Laura has not publicly revealed who the father of her unborn child is or whether she is expecting a boy or girl although she recently referred to the baby as 'her.'

'When the baby's older I'm happy with her finding out who her father is. I'm going into this with an open mind,' she said.

Former flame: The model was linked to retired AFL player Chad Cornes last year

Speculation: Laura has not publicly revealed who the father of her unborn child is. She previously dated American model Joshua Slack, 28

Her former flames include retired AFL player Chad Cornes, who she was linked to last year and American model Joshua Slack, 28, who she dated the year prior.

Speaking of her and Joshua's 11-year age gap, she previously told Daily Mail Australia that age is 'just a number.'

'I think it's great and there are a lot of really great girls in the industry that have younger boyfriends as well. It's just a number. Whatever makes you happy, whatever works,' she said.

Laura's due date is November 12, three days after her 40th birthday.
She's the super-fit Gold Coast beauty who is taking the modelling world by storm.

And Jesinta Campbell - who walked in the David Jones spring-summer launch last week - was spotted showing off her model physique in the exclusive suburb of Double Bay on Friday.

The 24-year-old brunette showed off her catwalk winning figure in a pair of tight-fitting leggings, which drew heaps of attention to her trim pins, along with a faux fur jacket.

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Busy day: Jesinta Campbell showed off her flawless skin during a low-key outing in Sydney on Friday

She kept warm on the casual outing in the chic number, while styling her glossy tresses out and straight.

The fashionista kept accessories to a minimum, opting for her treasured diamond engagement ring, given to her by fiance Lance Buddy Franklin, and a black handbag slung over one shoulder.

Jesinta completed her look with stylish shades and appeared makeup-free to keep her skin glowing and flawless for her new ambassador role for the skincare line, Olay.

Strutting it: Last week Jesinta showed off her stunning figure in a leopard print bikini during the David Jones Spring/Summer runway show in Sydney

Still stylish: She kept warm on her casual outing in a faux fur jacket

Her own best advertisement: She appeared make-up free to keep her skin glowing and flawless for her new ambassador role for the skincare line, Olay

Covering up her famous features: Jesinta completed her look with stylish shades

A week earlier, Jesinta strutted down the runway and showed off her enviable figure in a range of stylish spring-summer ensembles, as well as skimpy swimwear during the annual David Jones catwalk show.

She also secured an ambassador role with skincare line Olay.

It marks a significant milestone for the former Miss Universe Australia, who recently signed with international talent company IMG.

Jesinta said: 'I am so excited to be working with Olay, its such a respected brand that aims to make women feel good about themselves, which I love.

Easy do: She styled her glossy brunette tresses out and straight

Multi-tasking: The 24-year-old managed to play on her phone and carry her dry cleaning at the same time

Bliss: The former Miss Universe Australia looked to be in happy and content spirits during her day out on the town

'Like all busy women, a simple, effective skincare regimen is essential for me,' she continued.

'Whether Im putting in long hours on set, working out or travelling, I know I can trust that Olay Total Effects will keep my skin healthy and radiant despite my crazy lifestyle.'

The Daily Telegraph reported a month earlier that Jesinta had parted ways with her agent of six years Sharon Finnigan in a bid for global stardom.

Jesinta is now being looked after by Australian publicist Annie Kelly, who boasts Lara Bingle and Shanina Shaik among her model clients.

Strutting: Jesinta recently signed up with IMG modelling agency




She's an in-demand model who knows how to work her famed curves in a number of swimwear shots.

But Ashley Hart covered up her assets in a Calvin Klein emblazoned sweater as she took to the streets of Sydney's Bondi on Friday for a fashion photo shoot.

After posing up a storm in the relaxed attire, the 28-year-old still managed to flaunt her toned legs in a pair of denim short-overalls.

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Covering up her assets: Bikini model Ashley Hart, 28, swathed her famed curves in a Calvin Klein emblazoned sweater as she took to the streets of Sydney's Bondi on Friday for a fashion photoshoot

Perched on a stool at a trendy Eastern Suburbs eatery, Ashley cut a relaxed figure as she scrunched the sweater's sleeves up to her elbows.

Teaming the laid-back look with a pair of ripped denim shorts, she accessorised with a pair of white sneakers and delicate jewellery.

Allowing her signature shoulder-length locks to fall effortlessly around her face and shoulders, the popular personality playfully rested her left hand on her head, bringing attention to her sparkling wedding rings.

Effortless: Teaming the laid-back look with a pair of ripped denim shorts, she accessorised with a pair of white sneakers and delicate jewellery

Bling: The popular personality playfully rested her left hand on her head, bringing attention to her sparkling wedding rings

Beauty: The yoga enthusiast allowed her signature shoulder-length locks to fall effortlessly around her face and shoulders

While beaming for the camera, the beauty opted for a minimal makeup look of a bronzed complexion, defined brows, a glossy lip and a chic white manicure.

Clearly at ease on the shoot, the yoga enthusiast flashed her pearly whites as she pulled a number of animated expressions.

Switching things up, Ashley was then seen leaning against a white tiled wall as she looked wistfully into the distance.

Natural: The stunner opted for a minimal makeup look of a bronzed complexion, defined brows, a glossy lip and a chic white manicure

At ease: Switching things up, Ashley was then seen leaning against a white tiled wall as she looked wistfully into the distance

At one moment she rested her left arm around her taut stomach, then linked her fingers into the pockets of her light wash denim shorts.

Another series of snaps saw the svelte star then opt for a more tailored ensemble of a pale blue dress shirt teamed with denim short-overalls that highlighted her impressively lean and toned legs.

Ashley credits her figure to regular exercise, including frequent yoga practice.

And having qualified as a yoga teacher in 2008, she revealed to Daily Mail Australia last year that the practice helps her maintain her enviable curves.

Trim and terrific: Another series of snaps saw the svelte star then opt for a more tailored ensemble of a pale blue dress shirt teamed with denim short-overalls that highlighted her impressively lean and toned legs
He became a pariah in Hollywood after multiple booze-fuelled racist rants went public last decade.

And Mel Gibson has spoken candidly about his struggle with alcoholism as he works to rebuild his shattered film career with upcoming Blood Father and Hacksaw Ridge, which he is directing.

The Australian actor admitted he spent many years in Alcoholics Anonymous following incidents in 2006 and 2010, saying he wouldnt have survived otherwise.

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'Spiritual path for the psychopath': Mel Gibson admitted he spent many years in alcoholics anonymous after incidents in 2006 and 2010, saying he wouldnt have survived otherwise

They call it the spiritual path for the psychopath. They say there's only three options: you go insane, you die or you quit. That's the harsh reality. I'm an old hand at that, he told Good Weekend.

The 60-year-olds admissions come just as recordings from a drunken fight with his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva rear their ugly head again.

In the 2010 tapes, the actor first reprimanded the mother of his six-year-old daughter for breastfeeding with implants and accused her of lying about getting a boob job.

Dark past: The 60-year-olds admissions come just as recordings from a drunken fight with his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva (pictured) rear their ugly head again

He then launched into a rant about her tight and revealing clothes, saying he wont stand for it anymore.

'You go out in public and its a f****** embarrassment to me! You look like a fucking b**** on (ecstasy), he said.

'And if you get raped by a pack of n*****s itll be your fault. All right? Because you provoked it.

The recordings have resurfaced as part of legal proceedings against Grigorieva, seeking to slash her payments for staying quiet about the incident because of a 2013 interview she did with Howard Stern.

Not letting it get to him: Gibson told Good Weekend he now felt the drama was more than half over and he was finding a sense of ease

The Californian Court of Appeal this week forfeited the remaining US$500,000 of a pre-agreed US$750,000 payment to the Russian pianist.

She had earlier lost a US$15 million payout after she leaked the tapes of their fight, meaning she has now received just 1/60 of what was originally awarded.

Gibson told Good Weekend he now felt the drama was more than half over and he was finding a sense of ease by not letting it get to [him] and being good to [him]self.

Pariah: Dumped by his longtime Hollywood agent and quietly blacklisted by most of the film world, the veteran actor has only six acting credits to his name since 2005

Dumped by his longtime Hollywood agent and quietly blacklisted by most of the film world, the veteran actor has only six acting credits to his name since 2005.

That was when he went on his notorious long anti-Semitic rant after being pulled over for drink driving.

But despite his professional struggles, Gibson has remained in the public eye and his fame, though now turned to infamy, seems to have barely diminished.

Redemption: He is working to rebuild his shattered film career with upcoming Blood Father (pcitured) and Hacksaw Ridge, which he is directing

Its something he has always struggled with since he shot to prominence in the 1980s with Mad Max and Lethal Weapon, saying while it was initially fun the novelty soon wore off.

'You've lost a very precious thing and that's your anonymity. That's part of it; now I get that. But you don't sign the deal that says you have no more rights, he said.

You don't sign a piece of paper that says people can say anything they want about you  in public  and there's nothing legally you can do about it. You get all kinds of stuff. It's a bit of a rude awakening.

Blood Father opens on September 1. Hacksaw Ridge opens on November 3.
Shemar Moore spent 11 seasons as an FBI agent in the hit series Criminal Minds.

Unfortunately, the 46-year-old actor was unaware of the theft perpetrated against him in real life by former friend and sometime-costar Keith Tisdell, 42.

On Friday, a judge ordered Keith to pay $61,084 in restitution to Shemar, after admitting to grand theft charges, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Bad news: Shemar Moore, 46, pictured on May 1, was unaware of the theft perpetrated against him in real life by former friend and sometime-costar Keith Tisdell, 42

Allegedly, Keith befriended Shemar after appearing with him in a season eight episode of the long running crime procedural.

In court, Shemar said 'in bringing that story to life, we became friends We went into business together.'

The business in question was called Baby Girl LLC, a nod to one of Shemar's signature catch-phrases from the show.

Justice: On Friday, a judge ordered Keith (center) to pay $61,084 in restitution to Shemar, after admitting to grand theft charges, according to the Los Angeles Times

Actually a charity, the company's goal was to help battle multiple sclerosis, a disease from which his mother suffered.

Keith then went on to steal tens of thousands of dollars from the company, before an audit showed money was missing, and Shemar confronted his friend, who denied any wrongdoing.

'In my mind, he wasn't man enough to look me in the eye and fess up,' said Shemar.

Good friends: Shemar and Keith sat next to each other at the 2014 NAACP Image Awards

He continued, 'I've done a lot for him because he had me, my friends fooled. I'm not here for money. I'm here because he betrayed a friendship. This is not OK. You don't do this to people.'

Over the course of their friendship, Shemar also bought Keith $10,000 rims for his car and covered thousands of dollars in other expenses.

According to arrest records, Keith was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement in January but ended up admitting to a charge of grand theft.

The court's restitution ruling comes after news of Thomas Gibson's dismissal from the show following an alleged physical altercation on set with a producer.
Her career is thriving.

And Erin Molans latest TV role includes a hosting gig on Channel Nines travel show, Getaway.

Taking to Instagram to celebrate the feat, the 33-year-old TV personality uploaded a picture of herself standing next to a wax figurine of Taylor Swift.

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New role: Erin Molan uploaded a picture of herself posing alongside a wax figurine of Taylor Swift to celebrate her new role on Getaway

Don't miss my GETAWAY debut tonight on @channel9 at 5.30pm! I show you how to spend 48hrs in Sydney for the perfect @nrl Grand Final Weekend, she simply captioned the picture of herself.

In the snap, Erin was dressed casually in a crisp black blazer teamed with a satin shirt and a pair of denim trousers that showed off her trim pins.

She opted for a natural palette of make-up to highlight her striking features and swept back her long blonde tresses into a ponytail.

Erin completed her debut look on the popular travel destination show with a pair of ankle boots.

Ever growing: The hosting gig adds to her ever-growing resume which includes a co-hosting role on The NRL Footy Show and The NRL Rookie

The hosting gig adds to her already impressive resume which includes a co-hosting role on The NRL Footy Show and The NRL Rookie, as well as commentating work on NRL games for Channel Nine.

It also appears the Canberra natives love life is going from strength-to-strength.

The blonde beauty revealed in March that she was in a relationship with policeman Sean Ogilvy, who she secretly dated for three months.

'We are very much in love,' Erin confessed. 'I think it's for life. He is a good boy, so we will see.'

New relationship: The blonde beauty revealed in March that she was in a relationship with policeman Sean Ogilvy, who she secretly dated for three month

However, the bubbly beauty did revealed that she was worried about the pressures of having a relationship in the public spotlight.

'I'm OK. I'm used to it, she said.

I just worry about him. It's a very new world for him,' she said. 'He's a smart man. He is capable.'

Love at first sight: Erin and Sean first laid eyes on each other at Sydney restaurant and bar, the Coogee Pavilion, more than seven months ago

Erin and Sean first laid eyes on each other at Sydney restaurant and bar, the Coogee Pavilion, more than seven months ago.

'He saw me from across the room and feel in love instantly,' she gushed. 'He is a lovely, lovely man. Now I know why nothing else hasn't worked out because it wasn't him. I'm very lucky.

'He's a beautiful bloke and I mean that.'

And Sean agreed.

'I'm very lucky. She's beautiful,' he told the Daily Mail Australia.

'She's beautiful': Erin's boyfriend echoed the sentiments and said he was a 'lucky man'




He burst into Hollywood as a fresh-faced 23-year-old when he starred in Mad Max.

But now, almost four decades later, Mel Gibson admits that he's feeling his 60 years  despite claiming to have developed a hide like a rhinoceros that arrows bounce off.

Oh my god. I get up at five or six in the morning and  owww  I'm crawling across the floor like a duck-shot dog trying to get to the shower, he told Good Weekend.

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Advancing years: Mel Gibson admits he is feeling his 60 years  despite claiming to have developed a hide like a rhinoceros that arrows bounce off.

I feel I'm pretty physical, so that's good, but I have aches, pains, bad back, the whole deal. But you've just got to ignore it, right? We're all going one way.

The Australian actor enjoyed a prolific two decades as an action star, anchoring two Mad Max sequels and four Lethal Weapon films.

He also starred in war films Gallipoli, The Patriot, and We Were Soldiers, chase films Bird On A Wire and Conspiracy Theory, and even voiced John Smith in Pocahontas.

A star is born: He burst into Hollywood as a fresh-faced 23-year-old when he starred in Mad Max

Despite his success in Hollywood, Mel's once-thriving acting career has often been completely overshadowed by his racist, homophobic and antisemitic tirades.

In 1991, he made derogatory remarks about the LGBT community and in 2006 and 2010 respectively, he was widely criticized for making antisemitic and racist comments.

In many of his films, the virile young star performed his own stunts, even jumping 60 metres off a building in Lethal Weapon  though he admitted he was afraid of heights and had to be shamed into it.

Breakout role: Mad Max kickstarted his career, but Gibson's big break came two years later with Gallipoli in 1981, which was picked up for international distribution

He also made a successful foray into directing, beginning with The Man Without A Face in 1993 and Braveheart in 1995, which was also one of his iconic roles.

A decade later he found success with controversial biblical epic The Passion Of The Christ and then Apocalypto in 2006.

The latter directorial effort came the same year as his fall from grace in an anti-Semitic rant when he was pulled over for drink driving that was recorded and leaked to the public.

Prolific: Gibson starred in four Lethal Weapon films between 1987 (pictured) and 1998

Gibson was even shut out of the remake/sequel to the role that launched his career, replaced in Mad Max: Fury Road last year by Tom Hardy.

In another sign of his advancing years, he told Good Weekend he had no regrets about not reprising his role: I thought about the physical agony, being swung around on some fishing pole.

Now, after just six acting roles in the past decade he is trying to rebuild his career with a starring role in crime flick Blood Father and directing World War 2 epic Hacksaw Ridge.

Action star: Next came Braveheart (left) in 1995, which he also directed, and The Patriot in 2000 (right)

His latest role shows the transition in his career from young hunk to older, grizzled veteran with salt-and-pepper hair and proudly weathered face.

In the Jean-Francois Richet-directed film, Gibson plays a recently-released convict who has to protect his estranged 16-year-old daughter from drug dealers.

The art imitating life is easy to spot as he tries to redeem himself for past mistakes and break back into Hollywood in his twilight years.

Long road back: During his years in the wilderness, the star played depressed alcoholic who can only communicate through a handpuppet

Grizzled acting veteran: In Blood Father, Gibson plays a recently-released convict who has to protect his estranged 16-year-old daughter from drug dealers

There is one length Gibson has no intention of going to though, ruling out plastic surgery entirely.

I don't want the dimple on my chin to be my navel, he said. You see some people getting touched up. It starts to get weird. Just let it go.
He's often seen in the wresting ring showing off his incredibly chiselled torso and putting his body on the line for WWE matches.

But John Cena covered up his bulging muscles in a plaid suit while strolling through Adelaide airport on Saturday.

The 39-year-old wrestler looked dapper in the bold pattern and had clearly left his 'You can't see me' catchphrase and persona in the ring.

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You can't see him: WWE superstar John Cena strolled through Adelaide airport on Saturday keeping his muscles under wraps while dressed in a plaid suit

John wore a matching blazer and trousers as he flaunted his towering physique.

Adding to his look, he wore a black tie that featured a similar chequered pattern in two shades.

The actor and athlete finished his look with black dress shoes while clutching a black carry-on bag, as he made his way through the departures.

Bold look: The 39-year-old was a standout in the bold pattern and had clearly left his 'You can't see me' catchphrase and persona in the ring

Dapper: The actor and athlete finished his look with black dress shoes and held on tight to a black carry on bag as he made his way through the departures

International: The 15-time World Champion is in Australia as a part of WWE Live which is touring the country

The 15-time World Champion is in Australia as a part of WWE Live which is touring the country.

Meanwhile, fellow wrestling stars Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and AJ Styles also jetted Down Under for the tour of Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.

In recent years, John's career has exploded with acting role in the hit films Trainwreck, Sisters, Daddy's Home and will voice a character in the upcoming Surf's Up 2: Wavemania.

Doing it all: In recent years John's career has exploded with acting role in the hit films Trainwreck, Sisters and Daddy's Home

Smitten: John is dating WWE Diva Nikki Bella, real name Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace and the pair recently celebrated their four year anniversary

John is dating WWE Diva Nikki Bella, real name Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace and the pair recently celebrated their four year anniversary.

Nikki has been a main cast member of Total Divas, the reality show which follows the female WWE athletes and John has been there beside her.

WWE Live have their final show of the tour in Sydney on Saturday night at the Qudos Bank Arena.
She's the daughter of makeup king Napoleon Perdis.

And despite already hinting at her desire to enter into the family business, Lianna Perdis is clearly set on paving her own way to success.

The 16-year-old model has just been signed with international agency Chic Model Management, reports The Daily Telegraph, signalling a very bright future for the young beauty.

The agency manages the likes of Home And Away star Pia Miller, Miss Universe Australia Laura Dundovich and model Chloe Maxwell.

On the rise: Napoleon Perdis' eldest daughter Lianna has just been signed with Chic Model Management

'Lianna is an impressive young girl who is not only smart and well presented but also stunningly beautiful,' Chic Management told the publication.

It has been a big year for the rising star, with the striking teen gracing the cover of Girlfriend's July issue after launching her own Total Bae cosmetics range in May.

The socialite, who was born in Australia and raised in the US, now splits her time between Athens and Australia with her parents and three younger sisters - Athina, Angelene and Alexia.

Famous family: The young beauty splits her time between Athens and Australia with her parents and three younger sisters - Athina, Angelene and Alexia

And while Down Under recently, she spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her stance on plastic surgery and beauty.

With plenty of young celebrities going under the knife in their teens, the natural beauty admitted she felt no pressure to get cosmetic work done.

'Obviously everyone has insecurities and no one is perfect but I don't think you should get work done to change how you look,' she said.

Speaking highly: Chic said the 16-year-old was 'impressive young girl who is not only smart and well presented but also stunningly beautiful'

'You're beautiful the way you are,' Lianna added.

Meanwhile, it's no secret that the young beauty's father has had work done, with Napoleon himself being quite open about his use of Botox injections.

While Lianna says she understands her father's choice, noting he 'does it for age reasons,' cosmetic work is not a path she's keen to go down.

Non-stop: It has been a big year for the rising star, with the striking teen gracing the cover of Girlfriend's July issue after launching her own Total Bae cosmetics range in May

The heir to the multi-million dollar Napoleon Perdis brand also spoke about her decision to enter into the family business and whether she thinks her younger sisters will follow suit.

'Not everyone wants to work with the business,' the teenager said.

'I hope they do, but for right now, that's what I like doing and they're all really proud of me and supportive.'

'If you're doing something that you enjoy, then it's not necessarily hard or stressful for you.'

Confident: Lianna told Daily Mail Australia that she isn't keen on cosmetic surgery, saying: 'You're beautiful the way you are'
He has found fame as one of the main players of Australia's answer to One Direction - 5 Seconds Of Summer.

And Ashton Irwin, who has a legion of dedicated fans, appears to have pulled a move similar to that of Harry Styles - cutting off his long locks, much to the dismay of fans.

The 22-year-old Aussie musician shared a snap to Instagram on Saturday of a pile of hair on the floor, explaining that the dumped locks were in fact his after getting a chop.

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Making the chop! 5 Seconds Of Summer's Ashton Irwin appears to have pulled a move similar to that of Harry Styles - cutting off his long locks, much to his fans dismay

He wrote alongside the snap: 'I have short hair for the first time since I was approximately 8 years old.'

And many of his 4.8 million followers have since expressed their disapproval.

One commented: 'Ash you can't do that to me.. Please grow it back.. I'm crying rn (right now).'

'I wasn't ready for this': Many of Ashton's fans appeared distressed at the turn of events, commenting on his photo in shock and disappointment

Meanwhile, another wrote: 'I wasn't ready for this' in all uppercase for dramatic emphasis.

And hundreds of others shared their dismay by writing several variations of 'noooooo', 'what' and 'oh my god.'

One Direction's Harry sent his fans into a frenzy when he chopped off his signature tousled locks in May.

A change: The 22-year-old star told his followers: 'I have short hair for the first time since I was approximately 8 years old'

Bold move! One Direction's Harry Styles also chopped off his chestnut locks earlier this year, sending his masses of fans into a frenzy

He removed his chestnut tresses for a new movie role, however this did not help to soften the blow for some of his most dedicated fans - who appeared to feel a connection to his locks.

Meanwhile, as 5 Seconds of Summer nears its fifth year together, Ashton has celebrated their success from humble beginnings with a new tattoo laced with symbolism.

The drummer revealed the meaning behind the black bird with its wings outstretched on the back of his neck.

Can't pleae them all! The talented drummer has sported a variety of haircuts since finding fame, however his fans have come to love his longer locks

'It represents bravery': Ashton recently revealed the meaning behind his new black condor tattoo on the back of his neck

The young musician told KIIS 1065's Kyle and Jackie O 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 told the KIIS 1065's Kyle and Jackie O the tattoo is a condor from California, where his father is from, and that it 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 love heart design tattoo on his left wrist

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.

In good company: His 5SOS bandmates - including Michael Clifford, Luke Hemmings and Calum Hood - also have several tattoos

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.

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'

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.
Mohamed Hadid took his taste for the finer things in life up a notch or two with his latest purchase on Friday afternoon.

The eccentric father of supermodels Gigi and Bella treated fiancee Shiva Safai to a spin in his new set of wheels, a Charles Morgan 3-Wheeler, during an appearance in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon.

Boasting a noisy twin filter engine the unconventional forest green car ensured Mohamed commanded attention while driving close to his Los Angeles home.

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A classic: Mohamed Hadid - the eccentric father of supermodels Gigi and Bella - treated fiancee Shiva Safai to a spin in his latest set of wheels, an unconventional Morgan 3-wheeler, during an appearance in Beverly Hills on Friday afternoon

The Jordanian-American real estate developer added an authentic flourish by sporting a pair of old-fashioned goggles before taking to the road.

Evidently pleased with his latest purchase, Mohamed later posted a short video designed to showcase the three-wheeled car  which can reach speeds of 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds  with followers on Instagram.

Captioning the short clip, he wrote: Its that Sunday drive with my lady Shiva. Even though its Friday.

Old school: The Jordanian-American real estate developer added an authentic flourish by sporting a pair of old-fashioned goggles before taking to the road

His fiancee later shared her own snap, a selfie of the pair enjoying a leisurely cruise in the open top vehicle alongside the caption: Out with my boo.

Retailing between 31,450 and 34,995, the Morgan 3-Wheeler comes with tasteful leather seats and a spacious, cockpit shaped interior.

With its three wheel design experts claim driving the vehicle, which has been updated with 21st century technology, requires 'the mentality of a motorcyclist.'

Hard to miss: Boasting a noisy twin filter engine the unconventional forest green car ensured Mohamed commanded attention while driving close to his Los Angeles home

Mohamed's outing comes months after he was charged with three misdemeanor criminal counts related to a megamansion project in the upscale Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The charges against Mohamed included illegal use of land, building without a permit and failure to comply with orders from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.

Construction on the 30,000-square-foot project nicknamed the 'Starship Enterprise' by irate neighbors was halted by building officials in September after a neighbor complained that construction had destabilized the slope.

Good times: His fiancee later shared a selfie of the pair enjoying a leisurely cruise in the open top vehicle alongside the caption Out with my boo'

Officials ordered Mohamed to demolish and remove illegal additions including an unapporoved 70-seat underground Imax theater and guest suites built below a swimming pool, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The criminal charges were brought after Mohamed's appeal of the decision was denied.
She's been at the centre of some explosive drama on the new series of Made In Chelsea.

But Nicola Hughes forgot about her love life woes by working up a sweat at the gym.

The Irish beauty flashed her toned and tanned figure in sweats as she left a workout in London, days after it emerged her on/off boyfriend Alex Mytton had dumped her by text.

Still smiling! Made In Chelsea's Nicola Hughes forgot about her love life woes by working up a sweat at the gym

The blonde beauty showed off her stomach in a cropped black top from Pink Soda, teamed with matching leggings.

She slung her gym bag over her shoulder and carried a water bottle as she left her work out.

Despite building up a sweat, the glam reality star was still looking amazing, adding makeup and leaving her long locks loose.

Looking good: The Irish beauty flashed her toned and tanned figure in sweats as she left a workout, days after it emerged her on/off boyfriend Alex Mytton had dumped her by text

Meanwhile Nicola suffered an awkward evening at the premiere of The War Dogs at Picturehouse Central in London on Thursday night when she came face to face with love rival Olivia Bentley on the red carpet.

Although the two blondes weren't pictured together at the reality TV star-studded event, there's no doubt being in the same room would have been more than a little awkward given the revelations of the past week.

During Monday night's episode of the MIC: South Of France summer spin-off, viewers were shocked to discover Alex Mytton had called an end to his two year romance with Nicola via text, but had also slept with Olivia just days earlier.

In shape: The blonde beauty showed off her stomach in a cropped black top from Pink Soda, teamed with matching leggings

Alex dropped the bombshell by messaging the Irish beauty: 'This is the hardest thing in the world, but its not going to work.'

Defending his actions to his friends, he mumbled: 'Some people might say it was cowardly,' as he saw the shocked expressions on their faces.

The news was even more shocking for his friends Jamie Laing, Sam Thompson and Francis Boulle, who were not even aware the couple had split up.

Heading home: Despite building up a sweat, the glam reality star was still looking amazing, adding makeup and leaving her long locks loose

After a drunken dalliance with Olivia, Alex went on to tell Sam that he 'regretted it', adding: To be honest I remember very little about it.'

In an awkward exchange he went on to tell Olivia words to the same effect as he explained the morning after: 'I feel a little bit ropey today.'

He added: 'Im kind of a bit annoyed with myself - breaking up with Nicola and then leaping into bed with someone else. I do have a lot of feelings for her.'

Olivia hilariously responded: 'Good luck keeping your d**k in your pants.'

Awkward! MIC's Nicola (L) came face to face with love rival Olivia Bentley (R) on the red carpet at the premiere of The War Dogs at Picturehouse Central in London on Thursday

Drama: During Monday's episode of MIC it was revealed Alex Mytton had called an end to his two year romance with Nicola via text, but had also slept with Olivia just days earlier
She's become known for her no-nonsense attitude on The Bachelor.

But there could be more than meets the eye when it comes to Georgia Tripos - with reports the raven-haired beauty has an exotic dancer past.

On Friday, it was claimed that the stunning brunette once worked as a stripper prior to her stint on the hit Channel Ten reality TV show.

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'Totally false': A source close to Bachelor contestant Georgia Tripos has slammed reports that the 24-year-old was a stripper before appearing on the reality TV show

However, a source close to the 24-year-old artist has dismissed the claims, calling them fabricated and confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they are completely false.

'In regards to an article about Georgia being a stripper - it is totally false,' the source said firmly.

The female friend added that photos of Georgia that were recently published in accordance with the claims, were simply part of a professional photoshoot.

'They are using lingerie photos she took in a photoshoot.'

Support: The female friend also touched on photos of Georgia that have been published in accordance with the claims, saying they were for a lingerie shoot

Adding: 'They are taking some great lingerie pictures of Georgia and associating them to stripping.'

The artist from Melbourne stripped down to her lingerie for a glamour shoot months before heading into The Bachelor mansion.

Another shoot with the brunette shows her looking quite comfortable in her lacyt smalls and provocative poses.

Shot in a hotel bedroom and balcony overlooking the city's Queen Victoria Market, the boudoir snaps were taken in September last year.

Risque: The artist from Melbourne stripped down to her lingerie for a glamour shoot months before heading into The Bachelor mansion

White hot! She posted this racy snap to Instagram, flaunting her physique in a skimpy white bikini

For a series of photos, the raven-haired beauty flaunted her incredible curves in lacy underwear and a pair of black stockings.

In one image, Georgia cast a provocative gaze at the camera while gently touching her chest and posing on an unmade bed.

She displayed her slim, sun-kissed curves while pouting her glossy lips and slightly arching her eyebrows.

In another photo, she swapped her bra and knickers for a sheer bodysuit which clung tightly to her hourglass figure.

Competition: Georgia is among the remaining 10 women vying for the heart of Perth oil rig worker Richie Strahan on The Bachelor Australia

She also stepped out on the balcony and displayed her shapely derriere in the figure-hugging body suit.

Meanwhile, Daily Mail Australia has revealed contestants Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris and Noni Janur also have past modelling experience.

Kirralee, 28, has posed for several lads' mags over the years, including Ralph, Zoo Weekly and The Romp.

Va va voom! Georgia (second from left) is pictured wearing a black lace gown in a promo picture for the show

Noni, 25, a Bali-based bikini designer, was also featured in a swimwear shoot for an Australian photography website last August.

Georgia is among the remaining 10 women vying for the heart of Perth oil rig worker Richie Strahan on The Bachelor Australia.

Describing herself as a 'second generation Australian-Greek', she is a Fine Arts graduate from Monash University and self employed artist.

She recently told The Daily Telegraph: 'Richie should choose me because I think I can keep him on his toes, wouldn't get bored, we would definitely challenge each other.'

'We both would help each other and support each other. We'd be a good team,' she continued.
He previously denied reports of a feud with Sonia Kruger.

But International TV star Darren McMullen has slammed his former The Voice co-host, weeks after she made controversial comments about banning Muslim immigration in Australia - saying the bubbly TV personality knows very little about Australian history.

'Let's be honest, all us white folk are visitors in (Australia) and came off the boat at some stage for a better life,' he told The Sunday Telegraph.

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Not a fan: International TV star Darren McMullen has slammed his former The Voice co-host, Sonia Kruger, weeks after she made controversial comments about banning Muslim immigration in Australia

He added: 'I find it a bit hilarious when people who invaded a country centuries ago and claimed it as their own then start trying to close up the borders and keep everyone out.'

The Scottish-born actor and host of The Big Music Quiz dismissed Sonia's call to ban Muslims from immigrating Down Under as 'sad' and misinformed.

'As soon as you start segregating people and saying 'well, you have no right to call this place your home, this is my patch of land because my parents happened to have sex here, and I happened to have been born here, that I have more rights to live in this country than you ' it's absolutely absurd, utterly absurd,' he said.

Opposing views: The Scottish-born actor and TV host dismissed Sonia's call to ban Muslims from immigrating Down Under as 'sad' and misinformed

Darren, 34, was an instant hit amoung viewers when he began hosting the reality singing competition in 2012 and he went on to co-host the show alongside Sonia, 50, for one season last year before moving on.

Last month, Today Extra's Sonia sparked a firestorm of criticism after bluntly weighing in on global terrorism.

She called for a nationwide ban on Muslim immigration as a proposed solution to global terrorism, in the wake of deadly terror attacks in France.

History: Darren, 34, was an instant hit amoung viewers when began hosting the reality singing competition in 2012 and he went on to co-host the show alongside Sonia, 50, for one season last year before moving on

Controversy: Last month, Today Extra's Sonia weighed in on politics by calling for a nationwide ban on Muslim immigration, as a proposed solution to global terrorism in the wake of deadly terror attacks in France

'Personally, I would like to see [Muslim immigration] stopped now for Australia because I would like to feel safe as all of our citizens do when they go out to celebrate Australia Day and I'd like to see freedom of speech,' she said

Last year, it was claimed that there was tension on the set of The Voice with tabloids reporting that Darren and Sonia couldn't stand one another, although at the time, he laughed off the rumors.

'We'll probably be dating next week... In fact, lets start that rumour right here  me and Sonia its sexual tension,' he told KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O.
Kate Hudson ensured she took advantage of rising summer temperatures on Thursday afternoon during a day out in London with her loved ones.

The American actress was joined by her youngest son, five-year old Bingham, and a small gathering of friends for a stroll through the citys leafy Notting Hill.

Kate, 37, looked typically stylish in frayed jeans and a seventies themed T-shirt emblazoned with the philosophical message You Just Gotta Keep Living Man!

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Out and about: Kate Hudson ensured she took advantage of rising summer temperatures on Thursday afternoon during a day out in London with youngest son Bingham

With the British summer in full swing the actress completed her look with a pair of simple flip-flops, while heavily tinted sunglasses rounded things off.

Meanwhile Bingham  Kates son with Muse rocker Matt Bellamy  sported a Marvel Avengers T-shirt decorated with images of Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man.

Mingling with passers-by Kate later paused to admire a fellow pedestrians fluffy pet dog, and she was seen crouching to give the puppy a friendly stroke as Bingham and a female friend looked on.

Shady: With temperatures steadily rising the actress kept her eyes shielded behind a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses

Looking good: Kate, 37, looked typically stylish in frayed jeans and a seventies themed T-shirt emblazoned with the philosophical message You Just Gotta Keep Living Man!'

Animated: Meanwhile Bingham  Kates son with Muse rocker Matt Bellamy  sported a Marvel Avengers T-shirt decorated with images of Hulk, Captain America and Iron Man

Finishing touches: Kate completed her look with a pair of simple flip-flops, while heavily tinted sunglasses rounded things off

Cute: Mingling with passers-by Kate later paused to admire a fellow pedestrians fluffy pet dog, and she was seen crouching to give the puppy a friendly stroke as Bingham and a female friend looked on

With spirits raised the actress  also a parent to 12-year old son Ryder with ex-husband Chris Robinson - later showed off her fun side during a trip to a local toy store.

Grabbing a large hoop, Kate made a game attempt at hula-hooping - but her efforts appeared to fare less well than her acting.

Indeed, the star prompted perplexed stares from passers-by as she attempted to show off her skills with the hoop while standing in the shop doorway.

Famous customer: The actress later paid a visit to a local toy store

Here we go: Grabbing a large hoop, Kate made a game attempt at hula-hooping - but her efforts appeared to fare less well than her acting

Put a ring on it: The actress caught the eye as she idled in the shop doorway during her outing on Thursday afternoon

Kate's latest appearance comes following claims by UsWeekly that she is dating musician Diplo.

The daughter of Goldie Hawn met the ex of Katy Perry in May at New York City's Met Gala, but reportedly didn't start a romantic relationship with him till mid July when they partied together in Spain.

Diplo last dated Perry, the Roar pop star he connected with when his ex Kathryn Lockhart was pregnant with his baby in the fall of 2014. Perry and Diplo split the next year.

He has also worked with Taylor Swift and Madonna.

Dating game: Kate's latest appearance comes following claims by UsWeekly that she is dating musician Diplo

What the hell is she doing? The star prompted perplexed stares from passers-by as she attempted to show off her skills with the hoop while standing in the shop doorway

Going full circle: Kate was in high spirits while larking around with her hula hoop

Upbeat: The blonde actress showed off her fun side while taking a break in West London
She's going to make her return to the small screen later this year, in the reality series Clubland.

And as Brynne Edelsten prepares to return to television, she revealed to The Sunday Telegraph that she is still finding herself.

The 33-year-old socialite told the publication: 'You know what, I haven't found my talent yet, I can't act, because I can't memorise the lines.'

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'I haven't found my talent yet': Brynne Edelsten is heading back to television she revealed in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph that she is still finding herself

The ex-wife of 73-year-old Geoffrey Edelsten added that her dancing isn't great either but said: 'I can talk off the top of my head for ages, so thats working for me right now.'

Brynne's starring role in the series will give audiences a glimpse into Melbourne's wild nightlife through the nightclub Bond.

The blonde revealed she formed a close relationship with the nightclub crew after her split with her husband, although she had previously met them while married although chose to lead a quieter life.

Reality comeback: The 33-year-old explained: ''I can talk off the top of my head for ages, so thats working for me right now' and will star in the upcoming series Clubland

Getting back to it: Brynne's starring role in the series will give audiences a glimpse into Melbourne's wild nightlife through the nightclub Bond

'Once we separated, we lived under the same roof for months when wed broken up, so I just wanted to be out all the time,' Brynne explained.

It's not the first time Brynne has tried her hand at reality TV, she briefly appeared on Dancing With The Stars Australia in 2011, placing fifth in the competition.

She also starred in her own reality series Brynne: My Bedazzled Life in 2012, but the show was axed by Channel Seven after only six episodes.

Old friends: The blonde revealed she formed a close relationship with the nightclub crew after her split with her husband although she had met the crew before they parted ways

The show received a re-boot under the title of Brynne: My Bedazzled Diary three years later but the show was once again canned, this time after just five episodes.

The US-born beauty is best known for her former marriage to Australian businessman and medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten, who is 40 years her senior.

Clubland will appear on Network Tens ONE channel.
She's been enjoying a summer break with her husband and three children in the glam surroundings of the South of France.

But it was back to reality for Isla Fisher on Friday as she jetted back home to Los Angeles with her children Olive, eight, Elula, five, and 16-month-old son, Montgomery.

The actress was seen juggling her luggage and three kids in LAX arrivals, while looking super chic.

Landed: It was back to reality for Isla Fisher on Friday as she flew home to LA with children Olive, eight, Elula, five, and 16-month-old Montgomery after a holiday in the South of France

Isla rocked a wide-brimmed hat and shades for the airport dash, while keeping her outfit casual with a fitted leather jacket teamed with baggy jeans.

She looked like she may have caught the sun from the fun trip, but seemed a little subdued as she pushed the stroller through the airport.

While there was no sign of Sacha at the airport, the holiday was a family affair, with the Hollywood couple invited to stay on U2 frontman Bono's luxury yacht with their children during the getaway.

Family time: The actress was seen juggling her luggage and three kids in LAX arrivals, while looking super chic

Summer style: Isla rocked a wide-brimmed hat and shades for the airport dash, while keeping her outfit casual with a fitted leather jacket teamed with baggy jeans

Isla and Sacha enjoyed some quality time with their children in the South of France following Isla's recent promotional tour for her new children's book, Marge In Charge.

Isla previously told The Bookseller: 'Now that I have children of my own I see the joy and magic in their everyday lives and books are a crucial part of this. I hope together we can introduce Marge to as many family bedtimes as possible.

Isla first met English funnyman Sacha in 2002 at a party in Sydney and got engaged two years later, before marrying in 2010 in Paris.

Long flight: She looked like she may have caught the sun from the fun trip, but looked a little subdued as she pushed the stroller through the airport

Where's dad? While there was no sign of Sacha at the airport, the holiday was a family affair, with the couple invited to stay on U2 frontman Bono's luxury yacht

Time to relax: Isla and Sacha enjoyed some quality time with their children in the South of France following Isla's recent promotional tour for her new children's book, Marge In Charge

The even pair appeared on-screen together for the first time in Sacha's latest comedy, Grimsby.

Speaking on chat show Lorraine, who asked if the actor comes home clad in his costumes, she said: 'Of course he does, it's hard to drop the accent if you're doing it all day on set.

'Obviously the kids get very confused. When they were tiny and The Dictator would be holding Elula, it was very strange!'
She rose to stardom in 2004 after placing first in the Miss Universe pageant.

And Jennifer Hawkins, 32, has revealed that the then-owner of Miss Universe, Donald Trump, is a source of great inspiration to her.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph this week, the Australia's Next Top Model host gushed about the Republican candidate, saying: 'He inspired me to keep going and follow my heart.'

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'He's really passionate and really driven': Jennifer Hawkins, 32, has revealed that the former of Miss Universe, Donald Trump, is a source of great inspiration for her

'He's really passionate and really driven. He's like, 'What's next?' He prompts you to think, 'All right, what is next?''

Donald had similar words of affection for Jennifer, telling Sixty Minutes in 2011: 'I think that Jennifer is the most beautiful Miss universe that I've seen in many, many years.'

'She was not only beautiful outside but she was also equally beautiful inside. So I don't say that about many. Believe me, we've had our problems with some of them and she was really great,' he explained.

Friends in high places: Jennifer rose to fame in 2004 after placing first in the Miss Universe pageant, which was then owned by Donald Trump

The feeling is shared! Donald had similar words of affection for Jennifer, telling Sixty Minutes in 2011: 'I think that Jennifer is the most beautiful Miss universe that I've seen in many, many years'

As the US Presidential election draws closer, Trump has made headlines for his unpresidential statements, which includes his bizarre proposal to build a wall between America and Mexico to help combat 'illegal' immigration.

'A nation without borders is not a nation. There must be a wall across the southern border,' his official website reads, adding that Mexico, not the US, must pay for it.

He has also proposed a temporary ban on Muslims entering America 'until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.'

Controversial: As the US Presidential election draws closer, Trump has made headlines for his policies

Trump stirred controversy last week when he claimed that President Barack Obama 'founded' the ISIS terror army.

He has since clarified that his statements were made sarcastically, Tweeting: 'THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?'

In a followup message on Twitter, he mocked the pundit class for working itself into a lather over his Middle East comments.

'I love watching these poor, pathetic people (pundits) on television working so hard and so seriously to try and figure me out. They can't!' he Tweeted.
She's often seen doting on the three children she shares with ex Ben Affleck.

But Jennifer Garner treated herself to a night out with her girlfriends on Friday.

The 44-year-old was spotted leaving Little Beach House, which is Soho House's newest offering in Malibu, California.

Treating herself: Jennifer Garner enjoyed a girls' night out at Little Beach House in Malibu on Friday

Jennifer kept it cool and casual for the warm summer's evening in a frilly printed mini-skirt.

She teamed it with a cream jacket over a black tank top, and slung a pale blue handbag over one shoulder.

Jennifer showed off her natural beauty as she sported just a little make-up, and left her glossy chestnut brown hair down.

The actress was seen bidding farewell to one of her pals before hopping into her car and heading home.

Dressed down: The actress kept it casual but looked lovely in her summery ensemble

Cool and casual: Jennifer wore a frilly mini-skirt with a cream jacket and black tank top

Jennifer and estranged husband Ben Affleck, 43, announced their separation on June 30 last year, one day after their tenth wedding anniversary.

The former couple, who share daughters Violet, 10, and Seraphina, seven, and son Samuel, four, have yet to proceed with divorce papers.

Speaking about their marital split to NBC's Today recently, Jennifer said: 'We are definitely a modern family.'

Natural beauty: The 44-year-old wore her chestnut brown hair down and sported just a touch of make-up

The two actors sparked rumours of a reconciliation in May when they were spotted enjoying a family holiday with their children in Paris.

However Jennifer clarified the situation, explaining: 'Ben was working in London on Justice League, and I felt like, "Well, the kids should have that experience." And he and I are great friends, and we just all went en masse.'

The Alias star previously married Scandal actor Scott Foley in 2000, after meeting on the set of Felicity, but the pair called it quits after two and a half years of marriage.
Demi Lovato has apologised for laughing at her mother's tasteless Zika virus joke.

The star took to Twitter on Saturday after many were put off by a Snapchat story she shared earlier in which her mom Dianna Hart joked, 'Everybody down in Rio gonna get the Zika virus!'

But on Saturday, Lovato - who was heard giggling in the background and added three laughing emojis to the initial clip - apologized for the incident via Twitter, writing, 'In no way did I mean to offend anyone last night. I was laughing at how southern my mom sounded, not the issue at hand. Deepest apologies.'

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Cleaning up a mess: Demi Lovato apologized Saturday after she giggled at her mother Dianna Hart's inappropriate remark about the Zika virus

Sorry: The singer (pictured last month) and her mother both took to Twitter to apologise

Hart also apologized for the rude remark, writing on her Twitter page Saturday: 'My deepest and sincerest apologies to everyone who was offended by this. I never meant to hurt anyone. I'm sorry,' adding an image of a sobbing emoji.

Users of social media sites were quick to condemn the remarks made by Hart (who appeared to be consuming alcoholic beverages at the time) as ignorant and irresponsible amid ongoing health concerns about the illness, which can cause birth defects to babies born to infected mothers.

Concerns about the disease have impacted the first-ever Olympics in South America, amid a peak of Zika cases in Brazil this past February.

Prior to her apology, the 23-year-old received similar treatment to Taylor Swift after her recent fiasco with Kanye West on Twitter. Upset users punched up tweets about the star accompanied by a #DemiLovatoIsOverParty hashtag.

'In no way did I mean to offend anyone': Demi offered her 'deepest apologies', claiming her parent's Southern accent was what made her chuckle

Taking responsibility: Hart, under her married name of Dianna De La Garza, expressed remorse over offending social media users with her words

Girls night out: Hart, 54, looked to be knocking back drinks when she told her daughter's Snapchat fans, 'Everybody down in Rio gonna get the Zika virus'

One user at the handle @rihsmg @write, 'How are you gonna joke about the Zika virus w ur daughter. Demi's fam is trash.'

Another harsh response came from user @xrocknroll who wrote, 'No wonder Demi is such a dumb***....look at her mom. #DemiLovatoIsOverParty.'

And user @andreloganx, a native of Brazil, wrote, 'People [who] make jokes [about] a serious problem like diseases do not deserve an ounce of respect. #DemiLovatoIsOverParty.'

Bad idea: While social media users did not care for her light-hearted emojis about such a serious topic, Lovato said the laughs were over her mother's Southern twang - and not the Zika virus

Trending: Twitter users used the hashtag #DemiLovatoIsOverParty to accompany their gripes about the singer and her mother

Hit close to home: One Brazil native didn't see the humor in Hart's observation

Some of Lovato's fans struck back at her critics, as they said that Demi was not the one who made the inflammatory remarks, but rather her mother; and that many of the same social media users joked about the Ebola virus in similar fashion years back.

The Snapchat dust-up came in contrast to Lovato's usually socially-conscious demeanor, as she spoke about mental health in Philadelphia at the Democratic National Convention in July.

She told The San Diego Union-Tribune Thursday that she recognizes the 'importance [in] sharing my story and speaking out' about issues near and dear to her.

Confident: Lovato looked sure of herself last November in London at an awards show

Lovato has been open about her past struggles with depression, bipolar disease and eating disorders.

'I think every artist has the ability to speak out about things they believe in, and that its important, but its also a personal choice,' she told the paper.

'Some people like to keep it private, and thats totally their choice.'
Mark off another milestone for Amy Schumer.

The 35-year-old comic Saturday said on Instagram Saturday that she had finished shooting a not-yet-titled action-comedy with Goldie Hawn in Hawaii, after coaxing the comedy stalwart out of a 14-year layoff from Hollywood to act in the film.

'That's a wrap,' Schumer wrote to nearly 5 million followers, adding, 'Can't express how grateful I am that @officialgoldiehawn said yes.'

New besties: Amy Schumer, 35, and Goldie Hawn, 70, share a laugh in an Instagram shot Amy posted Saturday after wrapping up work on an action-comedy film due in theaters next year

The feelings were mutual, as Hawn, 70, wrote on her page Saturday, 'Wrapped our film tonight...so emotional. Another light in my life #neverwillsaygoodbye #friendsforever.'

The Trainwreck star on Wednesday told The Los Angeles Times about her persistence to work with Hawn - whose comedy credits date back to the 1960s with Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, spanning to films such as 1980's Private Benjamin, 1992's Death Becomes Her and 1996's The First Wives Club.

'I met her on an airplane a couple of years ago and told her there's a movie I really want to make with her,' Schumer told the paper. 'And she was very nice, [saying,] "OK, honey. She probably thought I was a psycho.'

Comedy queens: Hawn said she was 'emotional' after parting ways with Schumer on the movie they'd worked on in Hawaii

Schumer didn't abandon the idea however, continually bringing up the idea of a creative collaboration every time she crossed paths with Hawn.

'Then Id meet her at different things, saying, "Were making this movie together," and I think, eventually, some people got in her ear and told her I wasn't crazy, that I make things,' Schumer told the paper.

In the film - which also stars Christopher Meloni, Randall Park, Ike Barinholtz and Wanda Sykes - Hawn plays the mother of Schumer's character. The comic explained the basic plot and how she and Hawn interact onscreen.

Summer fun: Schumer and Hawn relaxed between takes on the Honolulu set of the film July 11

'My character is supposed to go on this trip [to] South America with a boyfriend,' Schumer said. 'But he breaks up with her. And its a nonrefundable ticket and she doesnt want to drink alone.

'Its a Goldie Hawn movie and shes gorgeous. Goldie  Hawn! I dont remember the first time I didn't love her!'

Hawn - who was last seen on the silver screen in 2002's The Banger Sisters - has made more headlines as the mother of Hollywood A-lister Kate Hudson in the time since. She said she was very finicky about taking any roles, but the project with Schumer fit all the right criteria.

Fun in the sun: Schumer, sunbathing with Hawn (left) earlier this week, aggressively pursued the 70-year-old Hollywood stalwart to work alongside her

'It had to be funny and it had to be with the right person,' Hawn told ET in May. 'I did a lot of stuff, but if it can't live up to the expectation, it's not worth doing.'

Hawn told the television show that in the upcoming film, she and Schumer 'are on quite a romp together, the two of us - in the jungle,' adding, 'It's just going to be a blast! So that's what brought me back.'

The movie, directed by Jonathan Levine, is slated to be released next May 12.
Their relationship has been rocky over the past year - with Rocco reportedly growing tired of his mother's strict parenting.

But Madonna's eldest son seemed over the moon with his mum as she allowed him to get his ears pierced the day after his 16th birthday, this week.

The Express Yourself hitmaker, 57, was seen taking her son to Elite Jewelry & Piercing in Manhattan on Friday, where he reportedly walked out with a shiny new stud in his ear, before celebrating his special day inside a volcano in Iceland.

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Sweet sixteen: Madonna (left) was filmed taking her eldest son Rocco (right) to get his ear pierced on Friday in New York's East Village, according to reports

TMZ reports that the teenager chose a gold square stud costing $120 for the earring, whilst the piercing totalled $15.

The outing was allegedly a brief one, with the site reporting the pair spent roughly half an hour inside before heading back out for the day.

It came after Madonna posted a sweet message to her son to celebrate his birthday.

She posted two heartfelt uploads on Twitter - the first of which showing him visiting his adoptive brother David's homeland of Africa, last month.

Cool mum: Madonna looked ethereal in a white maxi dress on the day

My first born son: Madonna has four children, but Rocco will always be the baby

Rebel heart: The 16-year-old has recently repaired his relationship with his mother

She wrote: 'Happy Birthday to my First Born Son! A true Warrior with a beautiful Heart. Let the Sun shine!'

In another throwback snap, which showed herself carrying a young Rocco in her arms, she wrote: 'Once my baby always my baby. Happy Sweet 16!'

In a final snap, she gushed: 'Happy Birthday Wild Child! Time waits for no one!!'

Sweet 16: The popstar dedicated her post to the boy who will always be her 'baby'

Cuddles: The popstar accompanied her sweet message with a throwback shot from his infancy

Rocco's stepmum Jacqui Ritchie also got in on the action, sharing a cute photo of the pair enjoying a boat trip, captioned simply: 'Happy 16'.

Rocco's father Guy - to whom Madonna was previously married for eight years - remarried English model Jacqui in 2015.

She has taken on step-motherly duties with earnest, providing Rocco with three other step-brothers and sisters through her marriage to Guy.

Sweet snap: Rocco's step-mother Jacqui Ritchie (right) also wished him a happy birthday with a sweet snap

While she shared an adoring snap to celebrate her step-son's birthday, the group also lived it up in Iceland by visiting the Thrihnukagigur volcano.

Jacqui, 34, posted photographs taken from 120 metres inside the volcano on Instagram, saying it was a 'magical experience to journey into the Earth's womb'.

Enjoying the spiritual trip, the group delved into the dormant volcano after Jacqui and Guy gave Rocco a touching present for his birthday.

As source told Mirror: ' Guy and Jacqui had a Kabbalah wedding and they wanted something based on belief and spirituality for Rocco's present.

'It's a silver and gold protection bracelet with his star sign birth stones, moonstone and topaz.'
Luisa Zissman left fans gobsmacked on Friday when she revealed her remarkably svelte appearance, one week after birth.

The new mum-of-two was dressed in her jockey gear, about to go horse-ridingjust over seven days since welcoming baby Indigo Esme.

And while some were more concerned by her decision to get back on her beloved horse, others remarked at how different she looked in her 'ready to pop' baby bump post, from last week.

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What a transformation: Luisa Zissman looked remarkably different just one week after giving birth to Indigo Esme

'I know she's only a week old,' she said. 'But I can't resist not horse riding for one more day.

'lets see how this goes I'll prob only last 2mins! AND the jodphurs fit! woohoo #postpartum #horseriding #newborn (sic)'

Fans were quick on the comments, asking 'Were has your belly gone? (sic)' and 'This is my goal for a week after baby has been born!!'

She was called 'amazing' and 'fantastic' by those in awe of her transformed appearance.

Less than seven days ago: Just last week, Luisa had been complaining about still being pregnant in August as she shared a 'ready to pop' selfie in the same spot

Fellow mums felt for the brunette on the recovery front, however, saying: 'Ouch' and 'That's got to hurt'.

It was only last Tuesday that Luisa was complaining about still being pregnant in August, showing off her bare belly in the same mirror for her Instagram fans.

She wrote: '1 plug gone, 4 sweeps, 1 failed gel induction, 100% effaced, 2cm dilated, 1 night stay in hospital...

'It's August & im still pregnant think I'll look like this forever now, obvs baby loves being in my tummy...'

Fans will know that Luisa certainly doesn't hold back when it comes to communicating with her social media followers, nonethless.

The former Apprentice star admitted she was in a lot of pain from breastfeeding, five days into motherhood for a second time.

Luisa posted an Instagram selfie of her breasts covered in cabbage leaves and iced towels as she got used to feeding again.

Feeling the pain: Luisa Zissman shared a photo of her swollen breasts on Instagram after giving birth to her second child a few days ago

Sharing the photo on her Instagram on Sunday, Luisa wrote: 'Cabbage leafs and iced towels in plastic bags, the glamorous life of motherhood. Regretting that boob job right about now. #engorged #massivemelons.'

Luisa and second husband Andrew Collins welcomed baby Indigo at London's Portland Hospital last Tuesday.

And like many new mothers' experience, the former Celebrity Big Brother star is finding the first few days of nursing rather painful.

Sneak peek: Luisa shared a photo of her six-day-old daughter on Instagram, with her face obscured

Flamboyant fashion: The Apprentice runner-up shared a photo of baby Indigo in a bright coloured baby grow

Luisa previously under a breast enlargement operation in 2013, taking her chest from a 32C to a 32E.

Luisa also teased her 414K followers with photos of her newborn - but the little girl's face was obscured in both images.

In one shot of her baby wearing a neon flamingo-print babygrow, Luisa wrote: 'How amazing is this baby gro! Literally fluorescent haha poor baby, probably blinded her.'

Luisa arrived home from hospital on Friday to be greeted by Irish millionaire husband Andrew, 46, and her six-year-old daughter Dixie, from her first marriage to Oliver Zissman.

Ready to pop: Luisa shared a photo of her belly on Instagram just 24 hours before giving birth to Indigo

She announced Indigo's birth on Friday with a photo of the baby's hand, writing: 'She's here! Born Tuesday 2nd August at 9.21pm weighing a very healthy 8.1lbs (where was she hiding in my little bump?!).

'Daddy won't let me post any pics of her so this is all you'll get, but she's perfect in every way.

'I had a perfect hypnobirth in water, she was born very quickly after a 1hr labour with no pain relief. I love giving birth!! It's the most amazing thing ever!

'Finally home from hospital & enjoying being a family of 4! Oh and her name: Indigo Esme Collins.'

Ready for some sleepless nights: Luisa shared a dark photo of Indigo's crib next to the bed on her first night home from hospital

Luisa revealed in April she was pregnant with her first child with Andrew, who she wed at the Chateau de la Napoule, a waterside castle on the French Riviera in July 2015.

The pair, who share a 17 year age gap, started dating in late 2013 - a few months after she found fame on The Apprentice - with Andrew proposing with a 1.5million Boodles ring in Paris in October 2014.

She remains on good terms with her first husband Oliver - founder of Totally Fitness - who she split from in 2012 following three years of marriage after he allegedly cheated on her.
US judge frees convicted nephew from "Making a Murderer"

A US judge in the state of Wisconsin on Friday ordered the release from prison of Brendan Dassey, who was featured along with his uncle in the Netflix documentary series "Making a Murderer."

Unless prosecutors decide to appeal the judge's order overturning Dassey's conviction, he could be set free in 90 days.

Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery were sentenced to life terms for the murder of a woman in 2005.

A US judge in the state of Wisconsin has ordered the release from prison of Brendan Dassey, who was featured along with his uncle in the Netflix documentary series "Making a Murderer" Gil Cohen Magen (Pool/AFP/File)

Their story was featured in the Netflix documentary series, prompting many to believe that they were improperly convicted.

The judge's order included strongly worded rebukes of the investigating police and of Leonard Kachinsky, the public defender appointed in 2006 to represent Dassey -- a 16-year-old minor at the time.

US Magistrate Judge William Duffin referred to Kachinsky's representation as misconduct that was "indefensible." He also said police investigators acted inappropriately toward Dassey.

"The investigators... assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about. These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary," Duffin said.

Following release of the Netflix series, fans called for the two men to be freed and almost 130,000 people signed a White House petition asking for a presidential pardon.

"There is clear evidence that the Manitowoc County sheriff's department used improper methods," the petition said.

The White House explained that because the men were not convicted of federal crimes and "are both state prisoners," pardoning them was outside the scope of the president's power.

The documentary was prompted by the unusual story of Avery, who remains in prison serving a life sentence.

He was exonerated of a rape case through DNA evidence and freed from prison in 2003 after serving 18 years behind bars.

Two years later, while he was suing Manitowoc County in Wisconsin over wrongful imprisonment, he was arrested over the death of 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach.

Dassey was also charged with Halbach's murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Thai authorities hunt tourist town bombers

Thai authorities on Saturday hunted for culprits behind a wave of bombings targeting popular holiday destinations, as businesses braced for the economic fallout from the attacks on the crucial tourism industry.

The kingdom was on edge after 11 small bombs and a series of suspected arson attacks exploded across seven southern provinces Thursday night and Friday morning, killing four locals and wounding more than 30 people -- including foreign tourists.

The bombs, most of them detonated in twin blasts, struck key tourism hubs during a long weekend, including the seaside resort town of Hua Hin and the island of Phuket.

Soldiers and sniffer dogs patrol near Bangkok's Erawan Shrine, a popular tourist destination that was the site of a bomb attack almost one year ago Lillian Suwanrumpha (AFP)

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police have ruled out international terrorism and said the campaign was an act of "local sabotage".

They said the motive was still unclear, but stressed the assault was not connected to a simmering insurgency in Thailand's southern tip, as some analysts have suggested.

"I can assure you that this is not a terrorist attack or the expansion of militants from the three southernmost provinces," deputy police commissioner Ponsapat Pongcharoen told reporters.

If the southern Muslim rebels are to blame, it would mark a major expansion of a secessionist campaign that rarely targets foreigners.

It would also be a huge embarrassment to Thailand's coup-installed military government, which has made boosting national security a flagship policy of its regime.

Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha confirmed Saturday that at least one man had been detained for questioning over a suspected arson attack in Nakhon Si Thammarat province that coincided with the bombings.

But Prayut stressed it was just a preliminary investigation.

"Don't say he was arrested, he is just under investigation by officials and being questioned. Please be calm," he said.

- 'Confidence will return' -

In hardest-hit Hua Hin, a popular beach resort far from the conflict zone that was rocked by four bombs, locals said they were fearful the town's mainstay tourist industry would suffer just ahead of peak season.

"Hua Hin has never had a problem like this," Nai Amporn, the owner of a beachside restaurant, told AFP.

"I am afraid business will become slow -- even this morning, you can see there are fewer people here for breakfast. I think they have all gone home," he added.

Famed for its idyllic islands and Buddhist temples, Thailand is a tourism powerhouse and was hoping for a record 32 million visitors this year.

The sector accounts for at least 10 percent of Thailand's economy, which the military government has struggled to invigorate since its 2014 power grab.

"The confidence in tourism will return," Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said Saturday, adding that the industry is still aiming for a target revenue of 2.4 trillion baht ($69 billion) in 2016.

An August 2015 bombing at a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people -- mostly tourists -- was followed by a sudden drop in visitors. But it did not stop the kingdom from welcoming a record high of nearly 30 million travellers that year.

- 'Rebels capable' -

The recent bombings were aimed at striking the vital tourism sector without causing extensive carnage, said Anthony Davis, a security analyst at IHS Jane's.

"This will have a significant impact on the tourist season in the south this year and into early 2017, using tactics that were clearly intended not to cause mass casualties," he told AFP.

He said southern insurgents were the only domestic group capable of carrying out the coordinated assault.

"They have the operational infrastructure and the manpower. Arguably, extending the campaign in a striking manner was only a matter of time," he told AFP, adding that the junta's initial efforts to negotiate with the rebels had reached an impasse.

Davis said it was unlikely the junta's other political foes -- supporters of the ousted government loyal to ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- were responsible for the attack, as they have been under close military surveillance since the coup.

The bombings came less than a week after the junta's draft of a new charter was approved in a referendum.

The poll was held in in a repressive climate, with criticism of the document banned under a harsh anti-campaigning law.

Only the north and northeast -- strongholds of the ousted government -- and the three insurgent-torn provinces rejected the charter.

The southern rebellion, waged by Muslim militants seeking greater autonomy from the Buddhist-majority state, has killed more than 6,500 people since it erupted in 2004.

Blasts in Thailand

The site of a bomb blast and arson attack on Bang Niang market in Thailand's Phang Nga province is roped off with crime scene tape Jerome Taylor (AFP)
Drought ravages Lesotho as water is exported to South Africa

For farmer Mohlakoane Molise, the view of the enormous Katse dam from his smallholding high in the mountains of Lesotho taunts him daily.

His country is suffering through its worst drought in 35 years, but the vast and vital water reserves remain out of reach, destined instead for export to neighbouring South Africa.

"I am very angry about that water, because it could benefit us, we could use it to water the crops when there is a drought. But that's not happening," the 65-year-old widower told AFP.

Shephard Ts'olo Lesofe secretly takes his sheep down to drink from the controversial Katse dam in Lesotho, which only provides water to South Africa John Wessels (AFP)

Kneeling in front of his round, thatch-roofed hut, he sorted through his maize, examining each grain, one-by-one.

The operation didn't take long. His total annual harvest filled just two large sacks, in place of the usual dozen.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), the 2016 harvest for Lesotho's primary crop maize is estimated at 25,000 tonnes, a dramatic drop from last year's 78,000-tonne haul.

Instead, the mountainous kingdom - entirely landlocked by South Africa - must import food from its larger neighbour.

But it too has been hit by the drought after the El Nino weather phenomenon wreaked havoc on the region's rainfall patterns, and maize prices have sky-rocketed by 60 percent in the last year.

According to the United Nations, 40 million people across southern Africa risk malnutrition by next year's harvest.

"From September, we'll have nothing left and we'll struggle to buy maize from the shop," said Molise.

Below, the immense dark blue of the dam stood out in stark contrast to the bare, brown mountains.

- 'It's like a desert' -

The valley here was flooded in the nineties to make way for Katse. The deal: hydroelectricity for impoverished Lesotho in exchange for a reliable water supply to the bustling cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

"There were fields around the river before the dam was built, and there were trees, but they are covered by water," said Molise.

"Since the dam is here, it's difficult to get water. The crops are very poor, even the grazing land. It's like a desert."

In Sephareng, the village tap has run dry for months. Residents must instead make their way up the mountain - a good half-hour walk along a rocky trail - to a communal pump. There, a feeble trickle of water fills their buckets, while their cows and donkeys drink from the small puddles left behind by a vanishing stream.

For its part, Africa's second-largest dam is fulfilling its mandate, despite the drought.

"The level today is about 63.4 percent, which is quite low," said Tatuku Maseatile, Katse acting branch manager for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA).

"We are still able to meet our annual targets in terms of both generation and water transfer."

From his office high up on the soaring dam wall, he had an unparallelled view of the waters below.

"I do think people are benefiting from the dam," he said, ticking the projects off: a water supply system, construction jobs, two industrial fishing projects, schools.

"And roads in the mountains, tarred roads brought by the project - another direct spin-off - and a clinic built and transferred to the government."

- Disastrous consequences -

Along those tarred roads, women trudged uphill for hours to reach the clinic for the WFP's monthly food distribution.

"We give them four packs each," explained Mamakase Grace Sello, 21, a nutrition student interning with the WFP.

"It's for lactating or pregnant mothers, and infants below the age of two. But we know that often the whole family eats some, including the fathers, even if they should not. The nutrients are for the babies."

In a country where the overwhelming majority of families depend on their own crops for food and where nearly a quarter of the population is affected by AIDS, charities are predicting disastrous consequences by next year's harvest.

Earlier this year, the Lesotho government declared the drought a natural disaster.

"I've never seen a drought like this," said shepherd Ntoaesele Mashongoane, 32.

"This drought is really terrible, especially for the pregnant sheep. They don't have enough grass and there's no water."

His flock moved down the steep mountainsides to the water's edge for a drink - a small consolation - and the deep blue of the dam reflected the skies above, not a raindrop in sight.

Farmer Mohlakoana Molise sorts through his last yield of maize John Wessels (AFP)
Pakistan chopper crew home after Afghan hostage drama

Six crew members of a Pakistani government helicopter which crash-landed in Afghanistan's volatile east have been released, an official said Saturday, after they were taken hostage by the Afghan Taliban.

The crew "was released in an inter-tribe exchange on the Pakistan-Afghan border (and) arrived in Islamabad today," foreign ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement.

He neither specified who had been holding the crew hostage nor what kind of exchange had secured their release.

The Mi-17 transport helicopter crash-landed in Afghanistan's Logar province on August 4 Aamir Qureshi (AFP/File)

All six -- five Pakistanis and a Russian navigator -- are "safe and in good health," he said, adding that the helicopter belonged to the Punjab provincial government.

A senior Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the crew's safe return.

After the August 4 crash, local authorities in Afghanistan said the six-person crew had been taken hostage by the Afghan Taliban.

Militants set the MI-17 transport helicopter on fire and took the crew to a Taliban-controlled area after it made an emergency landing in Logar province.

The crew included retired Pakistani military officers and a Russian navigator, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported at the time.

Pakistan had sought permission to fly a helicopter -- being sent to Russia for overhauling -- over Afghan air space.

Russia's foreign ministry said the navigator would be handed over to Moscow's embassy in Islamabad, which would organise his return home.

Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif said he had spoken to the Afghan president after the crash in a bid to secure the crew's release.

"President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard," he posted on Twitter.

Kabul has long accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and continuing to nurture sanctuaries on its soil in the hope of maintaining influence in Afghanistan.

Analysts said it was not clear how the Pakistan government had secured the crew's safe release.

"Our government is tight lipped while the army also did not say anything about the role of the Afghan government," security analyst Hasan Askari told AFP.

The Afghan Taliban have not commented on the conditions of the release.

"One thing is however, very clear -- that the Afghan Taliban certainly do not want to deteriorate their ties with Pakistan," Askari said, referring to Islamabad's backing of the Taliban regime during its time in power in Afghanistan.

He questioned why the helicopter was being sent to Russia for repairs through Afghan airspace, describing it as a "mysterious exercise".

Pakistan's army uses Russian-made MI-17 helicopters, several of which have crashed in recent years.

In February, an army officer was killed when a military helicopter crashed in northern Pakistan on a routine night training mission.

Last August, 12 people were killed when a helicopter belonging to the army crashed in northwest Pakistan.
Philippines eyes 'two-track' talks with China: envoy

The Philippines and China discussed setting up a "two-track" system that would allow them to cooperate in some areas while separately handling "contentious issues" such as their South China Sea territorial dispute, a Manila envoy said Saturday.

Former president Fidel Ramos and ex-interior secretary Rafael Alunan discussed the proposal at meetings with Chinese representatives in Hong Kong on a trip aimed at improving relations.

Ramos, a longtime advocate of closer ties, said the talks were "very hospitable... very encouraging, in the sense that we have a common interest" in such goals as fighting global warming.

Former Philippine president Fidel Ramos said the talks with China were "very hospitable... very encouraging, in the sense that we have a common interest" in such goals as fighting global warming Anthony Wallace (AFP)

They met with Fu Ying, chair of the foreign affairs committee of the National People's Congress, China's communist-controlled legislature.

Alunan said both sides discussed "encouraging track two or think-tank exchanges... where we will be discussing contentious issues."

"That would relieve us (of) the burden of discussing contentious issues because we have another group doing that while we explore ways and means on how to move our relations forward," he told reporters.

He did not say which "think-tanks" would be involved in these issues, apparently referring to the two countries' territorial dispute over the South China Sea.

When asked if they discussed a UN-backed tribunal's ruling last month that Beijing's claims over most of the South China Sea were invalid, Ramos said "we never mentioned that."

The decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration was widely seen as a victory for the Philippines which has challenged China's claims to the vital waterway.

China refused to recognise the decision and had demanded that the Philippines disregard it in future talks. The Philippines rejected this.

Both Ramos and Alunan stressed that they were only informal envoys and that further formal talks would be handled by other parties.

Ramos said they also "talked about fishing," referring to China driving away Filipino fishermen from a shoal it occupied in 2012 after a stand-off with Philippine authorities.

The shoal is 230 kilometres (140 miles) off the main Philippine island of Luzon and 650 kilometres from Hainan island, the nearest major Chinese landmass.

Ramos said he discussed restoring the previous situation where Chinese, Filipino and even Vietnamese fishermen freely plied their trade in the Scarborough Shoal.

However both Ramos and Alunan said the Chinese side made no commitments and merely noted their proposals.

While the territorial dispute has strained ties, new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has previously said he would seek Chinese help for vital infrastructure projects.
Philippine Congress needs say on Marcos burial: ex-president

The Philippine Congress must decide whether late dictator Ferdinand Marcos is buried in a heroes' cemetery, the ex-president said Saturday.

Fidel Ramos' remarks appeared to contradict the controversial decision of firebrand leader Rodrigo Duterte to allow Marcos, who has been accused of massive corruption and human rights abuses, to be buried in the Heroes Cemetery despite a widespread outcry.

"I said officially, let the people decide. Who are the people? Our representatives and senators now sitting in Congress," said Ramos, who served in the military under Marcos until turning on him in 1986.

Fidel Ramos' remarks appeared to contradict the controversial decision of leader Rodrigo Duterte to allow Marcos to be buried in the Heroes Cemetery despite widespread outcry Anthony Wallace (AFP/File)

He suggested that elected lawmakers issue a resolution about Marcos' burial, saying it would reflect the will of the people.

Duterte, who openly boasts of his alliance with the Marcos family, has said Marcos deserves burial in the special cemetery because he was a soldier and a president, regardless of any misdeeds.

Marcos ruled the country for 21 years, mostly under martial law, and he and his family looted state coffers and ruthlessly suppressed dissent.

But a popular revolt, helped by Ramos, toppled Marcos from power and sent him and his family fleeing into exile in Hawaii where he died in 1989.

For his role in ousting Marcos, Ramos was appointed defence chief and later elected president, serving from 1992 to 1998.

He is influential with Duterte, having helped him get elected president in May.

But the country's National Historical Institute has questioned Marcos' war claims and activist groups say burying him in the cemetery would whitewash his crimes.

The Marcos family, which has made a remarkable political comeback in recent years, has kept the preserved body of their patriarch on display in their hometown in the northern Philippines but have insisted that it deserves burial with honours in the Heroes' Cemetery in a Manila suburb.

However, a former Ramos official, then-interior secretary Rafael Alunan, recalled that during the Ramos administration, Imelda Marcos agreed to have her husband's body buried in their hometown, not in the Heroes' Cemetery.

"We said that because the burial will have to be done... there, will be no burial in the Heroes' Cemetery," Alunan said.

Alunan told reporters he did not know if the accord could be considered legally binding but remarked: "I would think that because the agreement is still in force, then both sides should honour it."

Representatives for the Marcos family could not be contacted for comment.

A group representing former detainees under the late dictator said Saturday they would file a petition with the Supreme Court to stop the burial.

"Marcos is no hero. He was a mass murderer, torturer and a plunderer. To confer national honours to Marcos is a defilement of the peoples historic struggle against the tyranny of martial law," the group said.
Philippines, Muslim rebels relaunch peace talks

The Philippines on Saturday restarted peace talks with the country's largest Muslim rebel group, the first under President Rodrigo Duterte aimed at ending decades of violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Negotiators for the two sides said the weekend talks in Malaysia would discuss details of Duterte's peace road map.

"They will discuss the road map to clarify certain issues. But let me warn everyone, it is not an easy task. It is very complicated," Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur without elaborating.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has waged a bloody insurgency in the mainly Muslim southern Philippines since the 1970s Ted Aljibe (AFP)

The 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has waged a bloody insurgency in the mainly Muslim southern Philippines since the 1970s but an accord signed in 2014 had raised hopes of a lasting peace.

Under the accord, the rebels would have only given up their arms after a law was passed creating an autonomous homeland in Mindanao and a regional government was elected.

The vote was meant to take place alongside the May 2016 general election.

However a bungled raid into MILF territory that killed 44 police commandos in 2015 helped derail the passage of the law and stalled the peace process with the rebels.

Dureza described the relaunching of the talks in Malaysia, the first formal sit-down between the two sides since Duterte took office, as a "big milestone for peace in Mindanao".

MILF chief Murad Ebrahim said he welcomed fellow Muslim rebel Nur Misuari, chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), to join the transition commission to establish the "Bangsamoro" autonomous region in the south.

"For the inclusion of brother Nur Misuari, the MILF welcomes him joining because we believe there has to be inclusivity in finding a solution to the problem in the Bangsamoro homeland. We need all the players to be onboard," he said.

While there were some people in the southern Philippines inspired by the Islamic State jihadists, Ebrahim said "if the peace process was successful, they (IS) will not garner the people's support."

The Philippine Muslim separatists comprise three main groups -- the MNLF and breakaway factions the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group.

Armed Muslim groups have been fighting since the 1970s for an independent Islamic state or autonomous rule in the south, which they regard as their ancestral home, and the conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

The conflict has condemned millions of people across Mindanao to brutal poverty and created fertile conditions for Islamic extremism, with the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and other hardline militants making remote areas their strongholds.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a peace accord in 2014

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has more than 12,000 fighters Ted Aljibe (AFP/File)
IS frees hundreds of 'human shields' in Syria

Islamic State group jihadists have released hundreds of civilians they used as human shields while fleeing a crumbling stronghold in northern Syria, but the fate of others remained unknown Saturday.

On another front, scores of civilians were killed on Saturday in air raids by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, and in shelling attacks by the rebels in the battleground province of Aleppo, a monitoring group said.

At least 51 civilians including four children were killed in Aleppo city and the surrounding countryside, while another 22 civilians were killed in the neighbouring province of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces indicates a safe street to civilians fleeing the zones controlled by the Islamic State group on August 7, 2016 in Manbij Delil Souleiman (AFP/File)

The last remaining IS fighters abandoned the city of Manbij near the Turkish border on Friday after a rout the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes".

The retreat from the city which IS captured in 2014 was the jihadists' worst defeat yet at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurdish alliance backed by US air power.

Fleeing fighters took around 2,000 civilians, including women and children, Friday to ward off air strikes as they headed towards the IS-held frontier town of Jarabulus, according to the SDF.

At least some captives were later released or escaped, the alliance said Saturday, but the whereabouts of the rest was unknown.

"There are no more IS fighters" left in Manbij, an SDF member said.

Kurdish television showed footage of jubilant civilians in Manbij, including smiling mothers who had shed their veils and women embracing Kurdish fighters.

One woman burned a black robe that the jihadists had forced residents to wear, while men who had lived for weeks under a shaving ban cut their beards.

- Booby-trapped houses -

"The battle was very hard," a Kurdish source told AFP, adding the jihadists had laid mines in the city.

"One SDF fighter entered a house on Friday and saw a shoe placed on a Koran. When he removed it there was an explosion and he was killed," the source said.

One resident told AFP there was not a single house inside his neighbourhood that had not been booby-trapped.

"We ask the people in charge... to do something" to remove the mines, Jamal Abul Ababiyya said, adding that mines were wounding people every day.

AFP footage showed the city's streets strewn with rubble and a wall still painted with the jihadists' black and white flag.

A female SDF fighter, a traditional keffiyeh scarf loosely tied around her hair, beamed as she spoke of the city's "liberation".

"We're inside Manbij after its liberation from IS... and taking civilians to secure places," Nayruz Serekaniye said.

The Britain-based Observatory also reported that several hundred of the civilians taken from Manbij were no longer being held by IS.

"Among the civilians taken by IS there were people used as human shields but also many who chose voluntarily to leave the town due to fear of reprisals" by the SDF, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF began an assault in May on Manbij, on a key jihadist supply route between the Turkish border and IS's de facto Syrian capital Raqa.

The jihadists, who have suffered a string of losses in Syria and Iraq, have often staged mass abductions when they come under pressure to relinquish territory they hold.

IS has also booby-trapped cars and carried out suicide bombings to slow advances by its opponents.

- Hundreds killed -

SDF forces captured Manbij on August 6 but continued to battle pockets of jihadist resistance there.

According to the Observatory, 437 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed in the battle for Manbij and surrounding territory.

Around 300 SDF fighters died, along with more than 1,000 jihadists, it said.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Gordon Trowbridge said on Friday that IS "is clearly on the ropes".

"It has lost the centre of Manbij, it has lost control of Manbij," he said.

Since the battle for Manbij began, US-led strikes have destroyed more than 50 IS heavy weapons and more than 600 fortified fighting positions, Trowbridge said.

But the job of clearing the city will be difficult after the jihadists left behind hundreds of mines and booby traps, he added.

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 and has since killed more than 290,000 people and drawn in world powers on all sides of the war.

Rebels and government forces clashed Saturday in Syria's second city Aleppo, a fortnight on from the launch of a major rebel offensive on July 31.

In Aleppo city and the neighbouring countryside, air raids by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, as well as shelling by the rebels left at least 51 civilians dead on Saturday, according to the Observatory.

The latest toll brought to over 230 the number of civilians killed in the embattled city since the rebel offensive began.

Strikes by the Russian and Syrian air force continued despite a pledge by Moscow to observe a three-hour daily ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid deliveries.

An image taken from an AFP video on August 12, 2016 shows a school that was used by Islamic State group fighters to manufacture explosives in Manbij

Women in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli on August 13, 2016 mourn during the funeral of several fighters killed during battles with the Islamic State group in Manbij Delil Souleiman (AFP)

IS fighters seized around 2,000 civilians as they fled Manbij on Friday, using them as protection against air strikes en route to the jihadist-held town of Jarabulus

Syrian civilians flee the northern town of Manbij, on August 7, 2016 Delill Souleiman (AFP)
On the national stage, the Trump train stalls

Donald Trump hasn't quite asked the dead to vote for him, but he's nearly there.

"I joke a lot as I say if you're sick, if you just got the worse prognosis that a doctor can give you, if you're lying in bed and you just know you're not going to make it -- you have to get up on November 8th and you have to vote," he said Thursday.

At least nine times in the speech to evangelical leaders in key swing state Florida, the brash 70-year-old billionaire -- sometimes speaking in an uncharacteristically low voice -- called on them to ensure their parishioners cast their ballots for him.

A new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News shows Donald Trump trailing Hillary Clinto in the swing states of Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia Jewel Samad (AFP)

The Republican presidential candidate is a bit worried about his chances in November against Hillary Clinton, and he's not exactly hiding it.

And his team is struggling to transform his winning primary campaign model into an unbeatable national election machine.

During the Republican primaries, the Manhattan real estate mogul and former reality television star ignored the experts and the pundits who told him to be more "presidential," to stop insulting his rival and to prepare his speeches.

To everyone's surprise, Trump's iconoclastic strategy worked. He was the last man standing, and won the Republican Party's nomination.

But since officially becoming the party's standard-bearer, at the urging of his aides, he has given more policy-driven speeches using a teleprompter.

But part of him visibly chafes at the constraints, and he's quick to go off-script -- and off-message, as evidenced by some of his near-daily missteps in recent weeks: over Russia, the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in action, on guns and Hillary Clinton, and on the Islamic State group and President Barack Obama.

"They would like to see it be a little bit different, a little more modified. I don't like to modify. But that's what I've done. Well see where it takes me," he told Time magazine on Tuesday.

Floating from one plan to the next, Trump remains incapable of outlining his campaign strategy. When he is asked to do so, he says he relies on his instincts. He stages rallies in seemingly random locations, sometimes in states that are unwinnable.

"The crowds we're getting are tremendous. So I don't know what that indicates. But it's got to indicate something good," he said Tuesday.

"We'll find out on November 8."

- Time running out -

Trump has a handful of stock campaign pledges: to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, curb immigration, destroy the Islamic State group and bring industrial jobs back to America.

But winning a presidential election historically requires more than just catchy slogans.

Clinton's campaign team has designed a strategy that centers on consolidating support among black and Hispanic voters for the former secretary of state and first lady, and on winning over white working-class voters in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio, which could be the key to victory.

The strategy hinges on a strong grassroots game, with local paid and volunteer campaign workers on the ground.

It also requires a massive communications budget.

According to ABC News, the Democrat's campaign and her main super PAC (political action committee) have spent nearly $93 million on television ads against just $11 million spent by outside groups backing Trump.

The Republican's official campaign committee has so far spent nothing on television ads -- practically unheard of in modern campaigns.

Trump is acting as if he is still in the more welcoming world of the Republican primaries, in which 31 million people voted. In 2012, nearly 130 million people voted in the November presidential election.

So far, Trump's expected appeal to middle-class, middle-of-the-road voters has not materialized, according to opinion polls.

"Preferences are substantially baked by this point in time. There's not much cooking time left," said Christopher Wlezien, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin.

- Clinton in command -

Trump's unpredictability, seen as an advantage in terms of a possible campaign rebound in September, "can be a good thing and a bad thing, right? But it's not clear it's been a good thing in the last two weeks," Wlezien told AFP.

Not only has Trump dropped off in the national polls (48 percent for Clinton against 40 percent for Trump, according to HuffPost Pollster), but he is also in danger in the so-called swing states that has often been key to Republican wins.

A new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News show him trailing Clinton in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.

The US presidential election is an indirect one -- voters in each state technically pick a slate of party electors -- not one of the candidates -- when they cast their ballots. The winner needs a majority of the 538 votes in the Electoral College, or 270.

Experts for the specialized political newsletter Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia are predicting that Clinton will win easily, with 347 electoral votes against 191 for Trump.

"Trump is behind, and he may not have many ways to catch up," said Kyle Kondik, the newsletter's managing editor.

Faced with the prospect of defeat, Trump so far seems oddly detached.

"If at the end of 90 days I fall short... even though I'm supposed to have a lot of good ideas, it's OK. I go back to a very good way of life," he told CNBC.

"It's either going to work or I'm going to, you know, I'm going to have a very, very nice long vacation."

A supporter holds up a placard as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally in Kissimmee, Florida, on August 11, 2016 Gregg Newton (AFP)

A supporter of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign rally in Kissimmee, Florida, on August 11, 2016 Gregg Newton (AFP)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has given more policy-driven speeches using a teleprompter since winning the party nomination Gregg Newton (AFP)

A young infant waves a poster during a campaign rally for Donald J. Trump in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on August 10, 2016 Gaston De Cardenas (AFP)
Briton formally arrested over Bangladesh cafe carnage

Bangladeshi police have formally arrested a British national allegedly involved in the deadly Islamist attack on a Dhaka cafe that killed 22 people last month, officials said Saturday.

Hasnat Karim, a 47-year-old Briton, had initially been detained along with Tahmid Khan, 22, a University of Toronto student, as a suspect in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

A court Saturday ordered Karim to be remanded in custody for eight more days after police said he was the "first person" to be formally arrested over the attack.

Gunmen raided the Dhaka cafe on the night of July 1, taking a group of mainly Western diners hostage and then killing 20 of them, along with two policemen

Karim and Khan were both inside the Holey Artisan Bakery when gunmen raided the cafe on the night of July 1, taking a group of mainly Western diners hostage and then killing 20 of them, along with two policemen.

Police had sought to hold Karim for 10 more days, saying the father of two should be questioned further as he was now the "first person to have been arrested in the case".

"We have found some information regarding his involvement in that incident," Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP.

Karim and Khan were last week arrested under a law which allows the police to detain someone on suspicion of any crime but they were not directly linked to the attack.

Karim's lawyer maintained he was innocent.

"We've said that he was a victim of circumstances. He was used as a body shield and forced to walk with the attackers at gunpoint," Golam Mostafa told AFP.

Khan was remanded into police custody for six days, police said.

Neither Karim and Khan have been seen in public since the end of the siege when commandos stormed the cafe in the capital's upmarket Gulshan neighbourhood on the morning of July 2.

The men's families have said they were being held by security forces even though there was no evidence to link them to the attackers.

Karim's father Rezaul Karim last week told AFP that his son had helped save lives during the siege.

"My son was a hero. He saved the life of at least eight people during the siege. I know him. He is innocent."

Relatives say Karim, his wife and two children were at the cafe to celebrate the 13th birthday of their daughter.

Reports in local media said both men were being investigated for suspicious activity during the siege. They said Khan was seen holding a firearm and Hasnat Karim strolling with the attackers on the roof.

Karim was a lecturer at the North-South University in Dhaka, where two of the five attackers who were gunned down at the end of the siege had studied.

Khan, who is a Bangladeshi citizen, was back in his homeland while on leave from the university.

Police earlier this week named a Canadian citizen, Tamim Chowdhury, as the attack's mastermind, offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The siege was by far the deadliest in a string of attacks claimed by Islamist groups which have blighted Bangladesh over the last three years.

The Dhaka cade siege was the deadliest in a string of attacks claimed by Islamist groups which have blighted Bangladesh over the last three years
IS threat lingers in Afghanistan despite leader's death

The killing of the Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan has dealt a major blow to the jihadists, but despite a US-backed scorched earth offensive the regional franchise is far from over, observers said Saturday.

Hafiz Saeed was killed in a US airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province last month, the Pentagon announced Friday, as Afghan forces mount an operation against the militants after they claimed the deadliest attack in Kabul for 15 years.

The death of Saeed, the second prominent militant to be killed in a US regional strike in recent months, is a setback to the group's efforts to expand beyond its heartland of Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

An Afghan soldier points his gun at an Islamic State group banner as he patrols during ongoing clashes in eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on July 26, 2016 Noorullah Shirzada (AFP/File)

"The killing of IS leader Hafiz Saeed in a US airstrike is a major blow to the group, which will struggle to make gains without a strong leadership," Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir told AFP.

"But the IS threat in the region is still far from over."

The group claimed twin bombings last month that tore through crowds of minority Shiite Hazaras protesters in Kabul, killing 80 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001.

The devastating attack in the capital represented a major escalation for IS, which so far has largely been confined to its stronghold in Nangarhar, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings.

But officials denied that it marked a turning point for IS in Afghanistan, saying the group has been under heavy pressure from both US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

The US military says the group's nascent presence in Afghanistan has dwindled, with fighters largely confined to two or three districts in Nangarhar from around nine in January.

But despite the offensive, residents of Nangarhar say the group is still maintaining its reign of tyranny in the region.

- IS-Taliban alliance? -

"The offensive is going on and the government says they are winning," a tribal leader in Hiska Mina, one of the worst-hit districts in Nangarhar, told AFP.

"But Daesh fights every night, and the insecurities have increased, not decreased," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Local tribal leaders say the Taliban, a stronger group than IS, has forged an informal alliance with the jihadists after a year of fierce rivalry in order to effectively combat government forces.

"The Daesh and Taliban have stopped fighting each other and are both fighting the government," said Malek Haseeb, a tribal leader in Kot, a mountainous district from where IS militants were last month flushed out by Afghan troops.

"Once government forces leave, we fear Daesh will return and resume their operations," he added.

An army commander in Nangarhar confirmed the informal insurgent alliance, but the Taliban have strongly denied joining hands with IS.

The Taliban, who have themselves often been accused of savagery during their 15-year insurgency, have publicly sought to appear as a bulwark against IS's reign of brutality and as a legitimate group waging an Islamic war.

The NATO-led coalition estimates there are around 1,500 IS militants in Afghanistan -- mostly disaffected Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, as well as Uzbek militants and local residents of Nangarhar.

The group has so far not announced a successor to Saeed.

Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of IS-linked cadres in Nangarhar, close to the Pakistani border.

News of his death comes after former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in another US drone strike inside Pakistan in May.

Map of Afghanistan locating death of the Islamic State group's regional leader in Achin district, Nangarhar province
Zimbabwe's opposition leaders rally against Mugabe

Zimbabwe's opposition leaders led a mass rally Saturday against embattled President Robert Mugabe's failure to resolve the country's worsening economic crisis.

Thousands of supporters gathered to hear Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-deputy president Joice Mujuru denounce Mugabe's hold on power, calling for unity among opposition parties.

"The reason we are here is because we need a collective consensus of all Zimbabweans to make sure that Mugabe listens to the voice of the people," Tsvangirai said in Gweru, some 220 kilometres (140 miles) southwest of the capital Harare.

Zimbabwe's opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters shout anti-government slogans during a demonstration in Gweru, on August 13, 2016 Zinyange Auntony (AFP)

"I don't hate Mugabe but I disagree with him that he gets to 92 and does not want to leave the throne," he told the crowd, gathered in a stadium.

Thousands of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and Mujuru's newly formed Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) attended the rally, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

The crowd clad in red MDC party colours chanted "Mugabe must go," others hoisted placards reading "Where are the promised jobs?" "Stop Abductions" and "No to bond Notes" -- referring to the pending introduction of bond notes, a local token currency equivalent to the US dollar.

The rally went on under a watchful eye of anti-riot police.

Mujuru, the widow of Zimbabwe's first post-independence army general, was fired from Mugabe's government and the ruling ZANU-PF party in December 2014.

Before her ouster, she had been seen as Mugabe's favoured choice of successor.

She launched her own party in March.

The former deputy president urged the nation and opposition parties to unite.

"We want the people of Zimbabwe to work as one not to be divided. Today we found a way of working together to deal with issues affecting us," Mujuru said.

Zimbabwe has been hit by a series of street protests - the largest seen in many years in the country, triggered by an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers.
UN says Gaza employee diverted rubble on PA instructions

The United Nations on Saturday said a Gaza employee had diverted tonnes of rubble on instructions from the Palestinian Authority (PA) days after Israel charged him with aiding Islamist movement Hamas.

Engineer Waheed Borsh, 38, who worked for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), was arrested on July 16 and accused by Israel of being recruited by a Hamas member to "redirect his work for UNDP to serve Hamas's military interests".

He was charged in an Israeli court with diverting 300 tonnes of rubble from a UNDP project in the coastal enclave to a Hamas operation to build a jetty for its naval force.

Palestinian workers remove debris from buildings which were destroyed during the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the summer of 2014, in Gaza City, on August 10, 2016 Mohammed Abed (AFP/File)

Hamas, the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip since 2007, have denied any involvement.

UNDP said that after reviewing Borsh's charge sheet -- which was made public on Tuesday -- it had "established that the rubble in question was transported to its destination according to written instructions from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of the Palestinian Authority as to where it should be placed."

"UNDP has full documentation on the process flow, the instructions and transportation of the rubble," it said in a statement.

UNDP had said on Tuesday that it was "greatly concerned by the allegation" and promised "a thorough internal review of the processes and circumstances surrounding the allegation".

The charge sheet's publication came days after the Gaza head of US-based NGO World Vision was charged with passing millions of dollars of international aid money to Hamas.

Since 2008, Israel has fought three wars in Gaza with Hamas, which is branded a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

Israel has long alleged that aid has been diverted to Hamas, claims rejected by NGOs and the United Nations.
The personal blog of Peter Lee a.k.a. "China Hand"... Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel, and an open book to those who read. You are welcome to contact China Matters at the address chinamatters --a-- prlee.org or follow me on twitter @chinahand.
First-ever marijuana growers' fair opens in Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  People flocked to Oregon's first-ever marijuana growers' fair on Saturday where a competition for best pot plants was being held, with the winners to be displayed at the Oregon State Fair.

The inaugural two-day Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair underscores how the once-illicit marijuana industry is starting to go mainstream in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized recreational marijuana use, along with Washington, D.C.

Ed Rosenthal, known in pot circles as the Guru of Ganja, poked, prodded, rubbed and sniffed several dozen marijuana plants  some of which were so big they engulfed him in an exhibition hall on the Oregon State Fairgrounds. He and other judges were picking nine winning plants  three in each of three categories  that will be displayed at the Oregon State Fair for two weeks starting later this month.

A sign at the Oregon State Fairgrounds displays the dates for the Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair in Salem, Ore., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. In a sign of how mainstream the once-illicit marijuana industry is becoming in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized it, exhibitors are heading to the state capital to set up for the inaugural Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

Rosenthal, wearing a marijuana-leaf print shirt, scribbled on his clipboard as onlookers snapped photos and gaped at rows of pot plants. None had buds, per contest rules.

"The first thing is health and to make sure they don't have infections and then to make sure they ... don't have nutrient deficiencies. Then, we look at the structure of the plant: Has it been getting as much sun as it should be getting? Is it sunburned?" Rosenthal said.

Danny Grimm, owner of Uplifted, a cannabis farm, entered the competition and said that winning it could spur sales.

"It's great to put it on our portfolio and get publicity here and get our name out there," he said. "That is huge for the cannabis industry, and it's definitely a step in the right direction for us. We've been waiting for this for years."

Donald Morse, a pot grower who came up with the idea of holding the fair, was happy with the strong attendance on opening day Saturday. Segments of the industry, from seed providers all the way to a company offering mechanized bud trimmers, were among more than 80 exhibitors.

Reggae music thumped from Savant Plant Technologies' display on Friday as owner James Knox, 38, of Corvallis, set up his do-it-yourself grow package, including peat and microorganisms to stimulate plant growth.

"It's nice for us to be stepping across the line and say, 'Here we are, and we're ready to do business,' " he said. "For those of us who have been doing this a long time, this is a breath of fresh air because we're able to work openly and in the light."

The winning entries of the pot-plant competition will be displayed at the state fair with more traditional items like tomatoes, hogs and horses, but in a translucent greenhouse guarded by extra security. Only those 21 or older will be allowed to enter. It will be the first time cannabis will be exhibited at a state fair anywhere in the United States, organizers said.

"It is an historic event. It's a great opportunity to meet these growers that typically were underground," fair organizer Mary Lou Burton said. "We're trying to get people connected up and networking."

Oregon voters legalized recreational marijuana in a November 2014 ballot initiative. Medical marijuana was legalized years earlier. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is in the process of issuing licenses and regulations for recreational marijuana, from seeds to sales.

Business is already booming. Oregon's Legislative Revenue Office in May quadrupled its estimate of net state tax revenues, from $8.4 million to $35 million, expected from recreational marijuana through June 30, 2017.

Morse, who is also executive director of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council, said the growers' fair aims to demystify marijuana.

"It's not to tempt people to use marijuana," Morse said. "It is to educate. Cannabis is Oregon's newest farm crop."

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Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky and Gillian Flaccus at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus.

Oregon's producers display live marijuana plants for the Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair in Salem, Ore., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. In a sign of how mainstream the once-illicit marijuana industry is becoming in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized it, exhibitors are heading to the state capital to set up for the inaugural Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

James Knox, owner of Savant Plant Technologies, discusses his products while setting up for the Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair in Salem, Ore., on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. In a sign of how mainstream the once-illicit marijuana industry is becoming in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized it, exhibitors are heading to the state capital to set up for the inaugural Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

Judges rate marijuana plants at the Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair marijuana plant competition in Salem, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Nine winners will be on display at the Oregon State Fair between Aug. 26 and Sept. 5, 2016, for the first time ever. The Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair runs through the weekend in Salem, Oregon. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

A Marijuana plant awaits judging in the Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair marijuana plant competition in Salem, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Nine winners will be on display at the Oregon State Fair between Aug. 26 and Sept. 5, 2016, for the first time ever. The Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair runs through the weekend in Salem, Oregon. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

Greg Seybert, head farmer at marijuana grower Synergy Farms in Carver, Ore., inspects a marijuana plant with his girlfriend, Samantha Aune in Salem, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. In a sign of how mainstream the once-illicit marijuana industry is becoming in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized it, exhibitors are heading to the state capital to set up for the inaugural Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair running through the weekend. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
Ferris wheel that dropped girls had worn out rivets

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Worn out rivet fasteners on a Ferris wheel are being blamed for an overturned gondola at an eastern Tennessee fair that earlier this week sent three girls plummeting more than 30 feet to the ground.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced late Friday that it has renewed permits for the ride's owner, Family Attractions Amusement, to resume operations at other fairs around the state. But the Frris wheel is excluded from the permit.

Inspectors hired by the company and the Greene County Fair found that rivets had worn out on the bottom of the tub carrying the girls, allowing a trim piece to come loose and get lodged in the frame of the wheel and tipping the gondola over.

Law enforcement cordon off the area surrounding the Ferris wheel Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, after three people fell from the ride during a county fair in Greenville, Tenn. Baileyton police Officer Kenneth Bitner is visible at right. Police say one of three people who fell from the Ferris wheel suffered a head injury and remains hospitalized in serious condition. (O.J. Early/The Greeneville Sun via AP)

"Ride NOT safe to operate at time of inspection," Frank Guenthner, an inspector hired by ride owner Family Attractions Amusement, wrote in his report.

The Ferris wheel, which inspectors say was correctly assembled at the site, is being sent back to the manufacturer for repair.

Tennessee does not conduct its own inspections of fair or amusement park rides, instead relying on third-party inspectors. The company was allowed to operate in the state based on an inspection made in Indiana in June.

Six-year-old Briley Rae Reynolds suffered a traumatic brain injury in the fall on Monday and her 10-year-old sister, Kayla, broke her arm. Kayla and an unidentified 16-year old have been released from the hospital. Briley Rae had been in listed critical condition for nearly four days, but was upgraded to serious condition on Friday, according to The Greenville Sun.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam told reporters earlier Friday that it was too soon to say what Tennessee might do to avoid future injuries on rides

"I don't know that right now I have a policy shift of what should happen differently," he said.

It's not the first time Family Attractions Amusement rides have hurt riders.

At the 2013 North Carolina State Fair, five people were injured when an Italian-made ride called the Vortex unexpectedly restarted as they were trying to get off the ride, flinging them through the air and down to the steel deck below. Investigators determined that a safety mechanism had been disabled by ride operators including the son of company owners Dominic and Ruby Macaroni.

Joshua Macaroni earlier this year entered an Alford plea  a concession that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt  on a felony charge of obstruction of justice. He was sentenced in February to five to 15 months in prison, though the judge suspended that to a month in jail. He was also ordered pay a $22,500 fine.

The Greeneville Sun has reported that Greene County Fair Board officials decided to go through with a five-year contract with a Family Attractions despite the North Carolina incident, citing the company's previous safety record in Tennessee and the owners' claims that they were not involved with the Vortex ride. "

Their rides were not inspected when they were assembled in Tennessee.
Ohio fugitive arrested in New Mexico officer's death; 1 held

Authorities don't yet know why a New Mexico police officer in a small village famous for its green chile and not much more pulled over two Ohio murder suspects before being gunned down.

But the daytime encounter with Jesse Hanes and James Nelson on Friday turned out to be deadly for one of the eight police officers in Hatch, 190 miles south of Albuquerque.

Officer Jose Chavez, 33, was shot dead at a convenience store in front of a fellow officer who had just arrived, authorities said.

In this Oct. 31, 2013 photo released by Dona Ana County Sheriff shows officer Jose Chavez at his graduation ceremony from our Law Enforcement Academy in Las Cruces, N.M. Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, was gunned down during a traffic stop Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Chavez was shot in the neck and airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where he later died. Authorities don't yet know why a New Mexico police officer in a small village famous for its green chile and not much more pulled over two Ohio murder suspects before being gunned down. (Dona Ana County Sheriff via AP)

The suspected shooter is Hanes, 38, who along with Nelson was wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man just outside Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus.

Ohio authorities had said that Hanes and Nelson, 36, were believed to have fled the state and were armed and extremely dangerous, warning that the two men have a violent criminal history.

It's unclear whether Chavez, a father of two children who joined the Hatch Police Department two years ago, knew the suspects were wanted in Ohio.

A fellow officer who arrived to assist just as Chavez was shot reported seeing him with paperwork and appearing to draw his service weapon before smoke filled the air and Chavez fell to the ground.

Chavez was shot in the neck and airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where he later died.

Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique 'Kiki' Vigil said Chavez went through training at the department's academy in 2013 and that he was considered one of their own.

"We're not gonna allow these folks to get away. We've lost one of our best," Vigil said.

Police arrested Nelson and were waiting for Hanes to be released from the hospital to book him on state charges, sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said. Hanes was treated for a gunshot wound to the right thigh which appeared to be self-inflicted, she said.

Hanes' arrest came after a dramatic car pursuit, a carjacking and the shooting of a bystander whose car Hanes stole, police said.

Hanes was driving a luxury car when Chavez pulled him over at a gas station shortly before 4 p.m. Friday.

Chavez was standing outside the passenger's door when Hanes reached through the window and shot him, police said. Nelson was the passenger. A third man who police said had been hitchhiking is being treated as a witness and won't face charges.

Hanes then fled on Interstate 25 at speeds up to 100 miles per hour before stopping at a rest area, authorities said. He carjacked a 36-year-old man, shooting him in the stomach after the man refused to accompany him, police said. That man has not been identified but is in stable condition at an El Paso, Texas, hospital and could be released Saturday, Jameson said.

Hanes fled on his own after shooting the man, but sheriff's deputies were able to stop him by using a tire-deflating device. The suspect crashed the vehicle into a pile of wood and briefly barricaded himself in the car before surrendering to deputies, Jameson said.

Nelson and the hitchhiker were found about 7 miles away near Rincon.

Jameson says she doesn't know why Chavez initiated the stop. His body has been escorted to Albuquerque, where the medical examiner will conduct an autopsy Monday. An Albuquerque funeral business has offered to provide free services, Jameson said.

Dona Ana County Sheriff's deputies have taken over public safety duties in Hatch while the small police department mourns Chavez's death.

"There's a total of eight (officers) out there. Today there's seven," Vigil said.

Gov. Susana Martinez said the killing of Chavez is heart-breaking. "Our hearts break for the loss of a brave law enforcement officer senselessly killed while doing his job--protecting us. As the wife and daughter of law enforcement officers, I know the law enforcement community will pull together to support one another and Officer Chavez's family," Martinez said in a statement Saturday afternoon.

Hanes was 16 and living in Columbus when he pleaded guilty in 1995 to involuntary manslaughter and other charges. He was sentenced to prison and released at 32. He went to prison again in 2014 after pleading guilty to robbery and was released in April 2015.

Nelson, who also goes by "JD," has a string of drug-related convictions in central Ohio dating back to the mid-1990s.

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Associated Press writer John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.

In this Oct. 31, 2013, photo released by Dona Ana County Sheriff shows officer Jose Chavez at his graduation ceremony from our Law Enforcement Academy in Las Cruces, N.M. Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, was gunned down during a traffic stop Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.Chavez was shot in the neck and airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where he later died. Authorities don't yet know why a New Mexico police officer in a small village famous for its green chile and not much more pulled over two Ohio murder suspects before being gunned down. (Dona Ana County Sheriff via AP)

This photo provided by Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows Jesse D. Hanes. Dona Ana County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Jameson says that Hanes is suspected of gunning down Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction via AP)

This photo provided by Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows James D. Nelson. Authorities say Nelson, a fugitive from Ohio was with another suspect believed to have fatally shot a New Mexico police officer on Friday, Aug. 13, 2016. Nelson and Jesse Hanes were both wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man at his home just outside Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus. Dona Ana County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Jameson says that Hanes is suspected of gunning down Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction via AP)
Nephew in 'Making a Murderer' has conviction thrown out

MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A judge overturned the conviction of a Wisconsin man found guilty of helping his uncle kill a woman in a case profiled in the Netflix series "Making a Murderer," ruling that investigators coerced a confession using deceptive tactics.

In his ruling Friday, U.S. Magistrate William Duffin in Milwaukee ordered Brendan Dassey freed within 90 days unless prosecutors decide to retry him. The state Department of Justice, which handled the case, declined to comment Friday. The state could also appeal Duffin's ruling.

Dassey's case burst into the public's consciousness with the popularity of the "Making a Murderer" series that debuted in December. The filmmakers cast doubt on the legal process used to convict Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery in the death of Teresa Halbach, and their work sparked national interest and conjecture. Authorities involved in the case have called the 10-hour series biased, while the filmmakers have stood by their work.

FILE - In this Friday, March 3, 2006 photo, Brendan Dassey, 16, is escorted out of a Manitowoc County Circuit courtroom in Manitowoc, Wis. A federal court in Wisconsin on Friday overturned the conviction of Dassey, a man found guilty of helping his uncle kill Teresa Halbach in a case profiled in the Netflix documentary "Making a Murderer." (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

Dassey confessed to helping Avery carry out the rape and killing of Halbach, but his attorneys argued that his constitutional rights were violated throughout the investigation. Dassey didn't testify at his uncle's trial and his confession wasn't presented as evidence there. Both men are serving life sentences.

Duffin said in his ruling that investigators made false promises to Dassey by assuring him "he had nothing to worry about."

"These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments (of the U.S. Constitution)," Duffin wrote.

Dassey, who is now 26, was 16 when Halbach, a photographer, was killed in 2005 after she went to the Avery family auto salvage yard to take pictures of some vehicles. Court papers describe Dassey as a slow learner with poor grades, with difficulty understanding some aspects of language and expressing himself verbally. He was also described as extremely introverted and poor at picking up on communications such as body language and tone.

Dassey was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault, and mutilation of a corpse in Halbach's killing. Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide.

Avery made headlines in 2003 when he was released from prison after spending 18 years behind bars for a rape he didn't commit. After being freed, he had a $36 million lawsuit pending against public officials when Halbach disappeared on Halloween 2005.

Friday's ruling came after Dassey's appeal was rejected by state courts. The judge said that Dassey's confession to police in 2006 was "so clearly involuntary" that a state appeals court ruling to the contrary was an unreasonable application of established federal law.

"The court does not reach this conclusion lightly," Duffin wrote.

The investigators did not have any ill motive, the judge wrote, but rather "an intentional and concerted effort to trick Dassey into confessing."

The error was not harmless because Dassey's confession was the entirety of the case against him, the judge said.

Laura Nirider, one of Dassey's attorneys, said he thought that if he told investigators what they wanted to hear, he'd get to go back to school.

"This is justice for that 16-year-old kid ... who we all saw being bullied into giving a statement that was completely untrue," she said.

Dassey, who has been incarcerated for 10 years, is in shock and wants to go home, she said. If prosecutors decide to bring a new trial, the confession would not be usable, she said.

A brother who has acted as a Halbach family spokesman did not immediately respond to phone messages and an email.

Kathleen Zellner, an attorney for Avery, said in a statement that Avery was thrilled for his nephew. Avery is pursuing his own appeal.

"We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well," Zellner said.

Joe Friedberg, a defense attorney in Minnesota who was not involved in the case but is familiar with it and participated in a forum on it with Avery's first defense attorney, said he doesn't believe the decision will have any bearing on Avery's case.

"The kid's confession was not entered into evidence against Avery, and I don't think it impacted Avery's trial at all," Friedberg said.

Netflix last month announced that new episodes of "Making a Murderer" were in production to follow appeals by both Avery and Dassey.

"As we have done for the past 10 years, we will continue to document the story as it unfolds, and follow it wherever it may lead," filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos said in a written statement following Friday's ruling.

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Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Doug Glass contributed from Minneapolis.

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Clinton releases 2015 tax returns, pushing Trump for his

WASHINGTON (AP)  Hillary and Bill Clinton earned $10.6 million last year, according to a tax filing released by her campaign that sought to pressure presidential rival Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns.

The filing shows that the Clintons paid a federal tax rate of 34.2 percent in 2015. The bulk of their income  more than $6 million  came from speaking fees for appearances made largely before Hillary Clinton launched her campaign in April 2015. They gave more than $1,042,000 to charity, with $1 million going to the Clinton family foundation. That is the financial vehicle the family uses to give money to museums, schools, churches and other charitable causes. It is not the same organization as the better-known Clinton Foundation.

The Clintons' income puts them well within the ranks of the top 0.1 percent of Americans, though they pay a higher tax rate than many of their elite peers, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, based on 2013 data.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gives a speech on the economy after touring Futuramic Tool & Engineering, in Warren, Mich., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The release on Friday is part of an effort to undercut Trump's character by questioning the celebrity businessman's record. Trump has refused to make his filings public, saying they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and he'll release them only once that review is complete. All major U.S. presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns.

Trump steered clear of mentioning his personal taxes Friday. A spokesman pointed to Clinton's move to delete tens of thousands of personal emails from her private account as secretary of state and questions about whether she used her government post to benefit the Clinton Foundation.

"Hillary Clinton has turned over the only records nobody wants to see from her  the American public wants to see the 33,000 emails she deleted to obstruct an FBI investigation," said Trump spokesman Jason Miller.

The Clintons have disclosed tax returns for every year since 1977, in part due to laws requiring public officials release returns. She put out her most recent eight years of tax filings last summer and several years during her first presidential bid.

Seeking common ground with blue-collar workers who have been attracted to Trump, Clinton frequently mentions his returns as a way of underscoring how his economic plans would benefit his personal interests and questioning whether he's as wealthy as he claims.

Democrats believe Trump's returns could be a trove of politically damaging information. They want to see his tax rate, charitable giving, and business dealings with foreign governments.

"Here's a pretty incredible fact: There is a non-zero chance that Donald Trump isn't paying (asterisk)any(asterisk) taxes," Clinton tweeted, after releasing her own returns.

Protesters at Trump afternoon rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, held up signs reading "Tax Forms" before being escorted out by security.

Clinton's strategy borrows from President Barack Obama's winning playbook against Mitt Romney in 2012. Obama repeatedly used Romney's business dealings against him and seized upon his reluctance to release certain tax records.

Clinton's campaign also released 10 years of returns from running mate Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton. Over the last decade, the couple has donated 7.5 percent of their income to charity, the campaign said, and paid an effective tax rate of 25.6 percent last year.

Kaine, the Virginia senator who's spent much of his life in public service, reported a far lower income than the Clintons. Over the past decade, he and his wife earned the most in 2014, more than $314,000 in adjusted gross income. The Clintons made about 90 times more, reporting nearly $28 million for the same year.

Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, has yet to say if he will release his taxes, which he has not done as governor of Indiana. A spokesman for the governor's office referred all tax-related questions to his vice presidential campaign. The campaign did not respond to messages.

Clinton has tried to paint Trump as an out-of-touch business mogul. But her substantial wealth has caused headaches. Republicans have seized upon the millions in speaking fees and a tone-deaf comment by Clinton in a 2014 interview that she was "dead broke" after leaving the White House in 2001. The couple owed millions in legal fees, but quickly generated far more from book deals, paid appearances and consulting fees.

In total, the Clintons earned than $139 million between 2007 and 2014, according to eight years of federal income tax returns released by her campaign last July.

The bulk of their income came from speeches delivered to corporate and interest groups, which paid Bill Clinton and later Hillary Clinton after she resigned as secretary of state in early 2013.

Clinton delivered six paid speeches in 2015, including one to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. She commanded her highest rate from EBay, which paid her $315,000 for a March 2015 address in San Jose.

Bill Clinton's consulting work for GEMS Education, a global network of for-profit schools based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, earned him more than $5.6 million in fees between 2010 and 2015, according to the tax returns.

He also earned more than $17 million over the same period for consulting work for Laureate Education, Inc., another for-profit education system based in Baltimore that makes most of its profits from overseas operations. Several students enrolled in some of the schools have sued the company. The cases have since settled.

Bill Clinton's office previously said he had ended his consulting work with Laureate last year. On Friday, his office confirmed that Clinton also halted his business dealings with GEMS Education last year. His office said he had "engaged with GEMS students and faculty around the world and assisted the Varkey GEMS Foundation in its efforts to increase access to education to underprivileged children."

___

Associated Press writers Eileen Sullivan and Jeff Horwitz contributed to this report from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed from Erie, Pa.

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3 killed in 'historic' Louisiana floods; thousands rescued

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  As the Louisiana floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibson's two-story home, she hacked away on a hole near the roof, desperately trying to get to safety.

She used a saw, a screwdriver and her feet, knocking her way through wood, vinyl and sheet rock.

"I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough," the slightly-built, 115-pound woman said. "I would saw for a while. I'd kick at it for a while."

In this aerial photo over Robert, La., Army National Guard, vehicles drive on flooded U.S. Route 190 after heavy rains inundated the region, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Eventually, Gibson made it out of her Tangipahoa Parish home with her dogs, and they were all rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat. It was one of thousands of rescues after a deluge dropped more than a foot of rain on parts of southeast Louisiana, submerging roads, cars and homes.

At least three people were killed across the state, and the rescues were continuing late Saturday, including missions by crews in high-water vehicles who went car to car to pluck motorists from a flood-soaked interstate. Maj. Doug Cain from the Louisiana State Police said about 125 vehicles were stranded on a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 12 near Baton Rouge and the occupants were being taken to safety.

In one dramatic moment earlier in the day, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car that was almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB. The woman, who is not initially visible on camera, yells from inside the car: "Oh my god, I'm drowning."

One of the rescuers, David Phung, jumps into the brown water and pulls the woman to safety. She pleads with Phung to get her dog, but he can't find it. After several seconds, Phung takes a deep breath, goes underwater and resurfaces  with the small dog.

Both the woman and dog appeared to be OK.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods "unprecedented" and "historic." He and his family were even forced to leave the Governor's Mansion when chest-high water filled the basement and electricity was shut off.

"That's never happened before," said the governor, whose family relocated to a state police facility in the Baton Rouge area.

Rivers and their tributaries swelled and bulged beyond their banks.

During an aerial tour, an Associated Press reporter saw homes in parts of rural Tangipahoa Parish that looked like little islands among flooded fields. Farmland was covered and streets descended into impassable pools of water.

In the Livingston Parish city of Denham Springs, a suburb of Baton Rouge, entire shopping centers were inundated, only roofs of cars peeking above the water. And in many places, the water was still rising, with days expected before rivers were expected to crest.

"This is an ongoing event. We're still in response mode," Edwards said, urging residents to heed warnings to evacuate and be prepared for a disaster that could last for several days.

Earlier in the day, Edwards said more than 1,000 people had been rescued. That number appeared to at least double by the end of the day, when Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said 2,000 people in his parish alone had been rescued, and more people still await help.

"We haven't been rescuing people. We've been rescuing subdivisions," he said. "It has not stopped at all today."

Beginning Friday, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisiana and several more inches of rain fell on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas got even more rain. In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches while one weather observer reported more than 17 inches in Livingston.

The system is expected to turn to the north Sunday and portions of central and northern Louisiana could see heavy rain into next week.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency for several counties in his state as it also battled the heavy rainfall.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents were rescued by boats or waded through waist-deep, snake-infested water to reach dry ground. Dozens of them awoke Saturday morning on cots at a makeshift Red Cross shelter only a few blocks from their flooded homes and cars.

John Mitchell, 23, said he swam to safety with his pit bull after police officers in a boat picked up his 20-year-old girlfriend, her 1 year-old daughter and Mitchell's father.

"This is the worst it's been, ever," Mitchell said. "We tried to wait it out, but we had to get out."

Mitchell fears he lost their trailer home and his car, which was flooded up to the seats. A bag of clothes was all he had time to save as the water levels rapidly rose.

Shanita Angrum, 32, said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized flood waters had trapped her family in their home. A police officer carried her 6-year-old daughter, Khoie, on his back while she and her husband waded behind them for what "felt like forever."

"Snakes were everywhere," she said. "The whole time I was just praying for God to make sure me and my family were OK."

The body of a woman from Amite was recovered Saturday from the Tickfaw River, according to Michael Martin, chief of operations for the St. Helena Sheriff's Office.

The woman, her husband and the woman's mother-in-law were driving on a state highway Friday when their car was swept off the road. The woman's husband and mother-in-law clung to a tree for hours before they were rescued Saturday, Martin said.

A man died Friday after slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary, said East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's spokesman Casey Rayborn Hicks, who identified the victim as William Mayfield, 68. And the body of Samuel Muse, 54, was found in St. Helena Parish, where crews pulled him from a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10, authorities said.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing. The governor said some were expected to crest more than 4 feet above previous records. Officials were not sure just how widespread the damage would be.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded.

In southwest Mississippi, Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued near Gloster, which had more than 14 inches of rain, when the nearby Beaver Creek rose quickly overnight.

"We woke up and the water kept on coming," Hansford said. "It came up to my waist."

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Fuller reported from New Orleans.

Residents evacuate with food in ice chests on Providence Boulevard in Hammond, La., where flood waters inundated homes after heavy rains in the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this aerial photo over Robert, La., stranded people wait on flooded U.S. Route 190 after heavy rains inundating the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this aerial photo over Robert, La., rescuers and evacuees stand on U.S. Route 190 after heavy rains inundating the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

This aerial photo over Hammond, La., shows flooded Hammond Eastside Elementary Magnet School and Hammond High Magnet School after heavy rains inundated the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this aerial photo a boat motors between flooded homes after heavy rains inundating the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Hammond, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

This aerial image shows flooded areas of North Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Patrick Dennis/The Advocate via AP)

A resident wades through flood water at Tiger Manor Apartments by the North Gates of LSU, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Brianna Paciorka/The Advocate via AP)

Lafayette firefighters bring people rescued from flood waters to the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Brad Bowie/The Advocate via AP)

Leanne Stockstill, center, is boated out of the Geo-Jes subdivision off Central Thruway and Frenchtown Road, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. At the motor is Van Guarino, and seated foreground are helpers John Firmin, left, and Mark Mancuso. (Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP)

Tammie Wise holds her dog Mikey, after Jeffrey Lesage, right, boated them to safety in Central, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP)

Residents use a raft to evacuate as others walk out of their neighbor Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (John Oubre/The Advocate via AP)

Volunteers pull a boat with a woman and young child as they evacuate from their homes Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Baton Rouge. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (John Oubre/The Advocate via AP)

Residents push an inflatable mattress through flood water at Tiger Manor Apartments by the North Gates of LSU, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Brianna Paciorka/The Advocate via AP)

A resident wades through flood water at Tiger Manor Apartments by the North Gates of LSU, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Brianna Paciorka/The Advocate via AP)

Residents wade through flood water at Tiger Manor Apartments by the North Gates of LSU, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Brianna Paciorka/The Advocate via AP)

A Lafayette firefighter brings guests luggage to the street while evacuating them from the Fairfield Inn in Lafayette, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Brad Kemp/The Advocate via AP)

Blandyn LeBlanc, left, helps his friend Logan Green, bring Green's dogs off a boat, after picking them up at Green's flooded house in Central, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP)

Vehicles pass a submerged car in a ditch on Highway 30 near Brightside, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Brad Kemp/The Advocate via AP)

The grill of Mike McBride's 18-wheeler, shows the high level of debris he drove through in the Natalbany River flood waters in Baptist, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. McBride was trying to get to drive to Texas when he was rerouted several times and took a chance at driving across the flooded street. A slow-moving storm that has dumped almost a foot of rain in Louisiana parishes south and west and Mississippi counties north of the Mississippi-Louisiana state line, are in for more rain. National Guard soldiers and other officials in boats and helicopters plucked more than 1,000 people from their homes and cars as "unprecedented, historic" flooding swamped Louisiana, the governor said Saturday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

This aerial image shows flooded areas in Denhamp Springs, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Patrick Dennis/The Advocate via AP)

This aerial image shows flooded areas on the campus of LSU, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Patrick Dennis/The Advocate via AP)

Mike McBride, of Monroe, drives his tractor trailer rig through the Natalbany River flood waters in Baptist, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. McBride was trying to get to drive to Texas when he was rerouted several times and took a chance at driving across the flooded street. A slow-moving storm that has dumped almost a foot of rain in Louisiana parishes south and west and Mississippi counties north of the Mississippi-Louisiana state line, are in for more rain. National Guard soldiers and other officials in boats and helicopters plucked more than 1,000 people from their homes and cars as "unprecedented, historic" flooding swamped Louisiana, the governor said Saturday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

This aerial image shows flooded areas of North Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (Patrick Dennis/The Advocate via AP)
Crew of crashed Pakistani helicopter freed by Afghan captors

ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistan's foreign ministry says the crew of a Pakistani helicopter that went missing in Afghanistan earlier this month has returned home after being freed by their captors.

In a statement, the ministry said Saturday the six-member Pakistani crew was freed with help from tribal elders in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It did not say who was holding the crew, but an Afghan governor has said the six Pakistanis and a Russian navigator were detained by the Taliban in an area outside the government's control. The helicopter went down on Aug. 4 as it headed to Russia via Afghanistan.
Anti-India protests persist despite strict curfew in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India (AP)  Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday extended a strict curfew to most parts of the restive region as separatist leaders called for weekend protests against Indian rule.

Government troops in armored vehicles patrolled the streets to thwart any attempt by protesters in Srinagar to march to the city's commercial center.

Despite the stringent curfew, protests erupted at about eight places in the city on Saturday. At two places, police and paramilitary soldiers fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to stop rock-throwing protesters.

At least 10 people, including six policemen, were injured in clashes across the region, said a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Separatist leaders, who challenge India's sovereignty over Kashmir, urged Kashmiris to march to a historic square over the weekend to demand a referendum to decide the future of the region.

Shops, businesses and schools were shut for the 36th straight day and authorities blocked most cellphone services and internet in an attempt to prevent demonstrators from mobilizing.

Kashmir has been under a security lockdown and curfew since the killing of a popular rebel commander on July 8 sparked some of the largest protests against Indian rule in recent years. At least 56 civilians and two policemen have been killed and more than 1,400 protesters have been arrested.

Kashmir is divided between archrivals India and Pakistan, but claimed by both in its entirety.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training Kashmiri rebels who have been fighting for independence or for a merger with Pakistan since 1989. Pakistan denies the charge, saying it only provides moral and political support.
Swedish minister quits after being caught drunk driving

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Sweden's minister for higher education says she's resigning immediately from the center-left minority coalition after being caught drunk driving after having two glasses of wine.

Aida Hadzialic told a news conference Saturday that she was stopped Thursday evening by police in the southern Swedish city of Malmo with a blood-alcohol level of .02, which is illegal in Sweden. She faces a sentence of up to 6 months in prison.

The 29-year-old Hadzialic told Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Friday about "my life's biggest mistake" and decided to step down.

Born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hadzialic became Sweden's first Muslim minister when she joined Lofven's government in 2014. She came to Sweden at age five.
Former Chippewa Falls Middle School science teacher Joel C. Jahnke, facing two counts of second degree sexual assault of a child, will next appear in Chippewa County Court at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6.

Jahnke, 28, who formerly lived in Bloomer and whose address is listed in court records as Burlington, Wisconsin, on Thursday waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Jahnke is also charged in Chippewa County with exposing his genitals between January and June 2015, child sexual exploitation and causing a child to view-listen to a sexual act, both between June 2015 and March 2016.

The sexual assault charges date from between Jan. 1 and June 5, 2015 in Chippewa Falls.

All of the charges are felonies.

According to a criminal complaint:

A Chippewa Falls Police investigator talked to a student at the middle school, who said Jahnke had sexual activity with her during the spring semester of 2015. The girl said sexual contact took place in a classroom at the middle school.

The girl said the sexual contact ended in June 2015, but she and Jahnke had communicated with each other since.

Jahnke admitted to investigators having sexual contact with the girl in his classroom at the school. He also admitted to electronically sending nude images and videos to the girl.

Jahnke was hired by the school district on Aug. 28, 2012. He was an instructional assistant at Chippewa Valley Middle School until Aug. 25, 2014. He was a seventh grade science teacher at the Chippewa Falls Middle School from Aug. 26, 2014 to March 30, 2016.
Romania buries 'Queen Anne' in lavish funeral

CURTEA DE ARGES, Romania (AP)  As church bells rang, thousands of Romanians turned out Saturday in a central town for the grand funeral and burial of the woman they call Queen Anne, the wife of Michael, the last king of Romania.

Romania and neighboring Moldova both observed a national day of mourning Saturday for Anne. Soldiers placed her royal flag-draped coffin, which arrived 45 minutes late, on a catafalque outside a cathedral in a park in Curtea de Arges. A phalanx of Orthodox priests sung the funeral liturgy addressing her as "Queen Anne."

Following a short private service, she was buried inside the unfinished brick cathedral. People clapped and members of the royal family shook hands with people in the crowd.

Honor guard soldiers carry the flag-draped coffin of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, backdropped by the former Royal Palace, at the end of a religious service, ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, in Bucharest, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Romanians and Moldovans are observing a national day of mourning Saturday ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, the wife of Michael, the last king of Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Anne died Aug. 1 in Switzerland at the age of 92. She first visited the country only when she was nearly 70 and did not speak the language. Yet many respect her for her 68-year marriage to Michael, whom she wed months after the communists forced him to abdicate in 1947.

"She was a symbol of our country," said Eugenia Cristescu, a 79-year-old singer in a local church choir who was dressed in a gold-and-black embroidered peasant blouse and skirt. "The royal family brought about great change in Romania. It raised us from being simple people and brought respect to the country."

Earlier Saturday, church bells rang around Bucharest, the Romanian capital, and hundreds turned out as Orthodox and Catholic priests held services at the city's Royal Palace before Anne's body began the journey to Curtea de Arges, where members of the royal family are buried. Her body has lain in state this week in Romania.

Four of the couple's five daughters were present for the funeral. Princess Irina, who was stripped of her royal title in 2013 after she was arrested with her husband for running an illegal cockfighting ring in the U.S., did not attend.

Michael, 94, has cancer and is living in Switzerland. He did not attend the funeral on the advice of doctors.

Romanian gendarmes on horseback lead the hearse with the coffin of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, on a main avenue in Bucharest, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Romanians and Moldovans are observing a national day of mourning Saturday ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, the wife of the last king of Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Princess Marie, daughter of Romania's last monarch King Michael, wipes her tears during a religious service ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, in Bucharest, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Romanians and Moldovans are observing a national day of mourning Saturday ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, the wife of Michael, the last king of Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

People watch from a window as Romanian gendarmes on horseback lead the hearse with the coffin of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, on a main avenue in Bucharest, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Romanians and Moldovans are observing a national day of mourning Saturday ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, the wife of Michael, the last king of Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Honor guard soldiers carry the flag-draped coffin of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, backdropped by the former Royal Palace, at the end of a religious service, ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, in Bucharest, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Romanians and Moldovans are observing a national day of mourning Saturday ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, the wife of Michael, the last king of Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Honor guard soldiers carry the flag-draped coffin of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, backdroped by the former Royal Palace, at the end of a religious service, ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, wife of Romania's last monarch King Michael, in Bucharest, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Romanians and Moldovans are observing a national day of mourning Saturday ahead of the burial of Anne of Romania, the wife of Michael, the last king of Romania. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
US-backed Syrian force captures key IS stronghold of Manbij

BEIRUT (AP)  On the streets of Manbij, men chanted slogans against the Islamic State group or clipped their beards and women walked with their faces uncovered for the first time in over two-and-a-half years, hours after the militant group was pushed out of the northern Syrian city.

U.S.-backed fighters seized the key Islamic State stronghold late Friday after two months of heavy fighting that killed more than 1000 people and displaced thousands. The fighters also freed hundreds of civilians the extremists had used as human shields, Syrian Kurdish officials and an opposition activist group said.

The capture of Manbij is the biggest defeat for the extremist group in Syria since July 2015, when they lost the town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey. The capture of Tal Abyad deprived the militant group of a direct route to bring in new foreign militants or supplies.

This image posted online on Wednesday, July. 6, 2016, by supporters of the Islamic State militant group on an anonymous photo sharing website, shows a member of Islamic State militants fires a Grad missile to shell towards Kurdish-led forces in Manbij, in Aleppo province, Syria. The photo bears the watermark of Islamic State media releases and is consistent with other AP reporting. The Arabic caption on the photo reads, "Targeting strongholds of Kurdish infidels with Grad rockets south of Manbij." (militant photo via AP)

Manbij is important because it lies on a key supply route between the Turkish border and the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the IS group's self-styled caliphate.

Manbij had been under IS control since January 2014, when the extremists evicted other Syrian militant groups from the town.

The Islamic State group's loss of Manbij followed two months after they lost the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

Nasser Haj Mansour, of the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces, told The Associated Press that the town of Manbij "is under full control," adding that operations are ongoing to search for any IS militants who might have stayed behind. The SDF launched its offensive in late May to capture Manbij, and was supported by U.S.-led airstrikes.

Amateur videos posted online showed that shortly after SDF fighters captured the town late Friday, scores of residents went down to celebrate in the streets. A man was filmed trimming his own beard with scissors, and then moving to clip the beard of another man on a motorbike. Women were able to uncover their faces.

IS imposes a harsh and extreme version of Islam on the territory under its control, including a mandatory dress code.

"May God destroy them. They slaughtered us," a young man shouted in a Manbij square. "May they not live for a minute."

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to Associated Press reporting of events.

In a photo posted online by Kurdish activists, a young woman defiantly uncovered her face while smoking a cigarette and flashing a victory sign.

Under the extremists' rule, women had to wear long black cloaks that covered all but their eyes, while all adult men were forced to grow beards. Smoking was banned.

Haj Mansour said some IS fighters were captured in the town while others fled to nearby villages.

"Military operations will continue until these villages are clean," Haj Mansour said.

Sherfan Darwish, another SDF official in Manbij, also confirmed that the town is under the full control of his fighters.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said the remaining IS fighters in Manbij left last Friday along with hundreds of civilians in some 500 vehicles heading in the direction of the city of Jarablus, on the border of Turkey.

Kurdish officials did not respond to requests for comment on whether the IS fighters were given a safe route to leave Manbij. During the offensive, the SDF had offered fighters a safe route to leave the town but they refused.

The Observatory said that following the capture of Manbij, hundreds of civilians used by IS as human shields have been freed.

SDF fighters had been slowly advancing on the town and nearby villages for weeks.

According to the Observatory, the fighting and the airstrikes have killed 1,756 people, including 438 civilians, 299 SDF fighters and 1,019 militants since the Manbij offensive began in late May.

Among those killed was the top Kurdish commander, known as Abu Layla, who died on June 5, days after sustaining wounds during the campaign.

IS has suffered major defeats over the past months in Syria and Iraq, where the military recaptured the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in the western Anbar province. However, IS still controls large parts of Syria as well as Iraq's second largest city, Mosul.

In this photo released on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016 by Hawar news, the news agency for the semi-autonomous Kurdish areas in Syria (ANHA), shows the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces raise their flag in the center of the town of Manbij after driving Islamic State militants out of the area, in Aleppo province, Syria. Syrian Kurdish officials and an activist group say U.S.-backed fighters have seized a key Islamic State stronghold in northern Syria after two months of heavy fighting and freed hundreds of civilians the extremists had used as human shields. (ANHA via AP)
Germany calls for "air bridge" to supply besieged Aleppo

BERLIN (AP)  Germany's foreign minister says humanitarian aid is desperately needed in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo and that it may be necessary to start an "air bridge" to bring it in.

Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Saturday that Germany was in talks with the U.S., Russia and the United Nations to try and organize "urgent humanitarian assistance" to the northern Syrian city.

Despite calls for a cease-fire and Russia's promise of a three-hour daily respite from airstrikes to allow in humanitarian aid, there has been no letup in the violence.

Lt.-Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian Military General Staff, arrives to speak to the media at a Russian Defense Ministry building in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. Rudskoi said that fighting in Aleppo will cease for three hours daily to allow humanitarian aid deliveries. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
GOP could be near Trump breaking point; frustration abounds

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP)  The Republican Party could be nearing a breaking point with Donald Trump.

As he skips from one gaffe to the next, GOP leaders in Washington and in the most competitive states have begun openly contemplating turning their backs on their party's presidential nominee to prevent what they fear will be wide-scale Republican losses on Election Day.

Back in 1996, the party largely gave up on nominee Bob Dole once it became clear he had little chance of winning, so it's not without precedent. Nevertheless, it's a jolting prospect now, with roughly three months still left before the Nov. 8 vote and weeks before the three presidential debates.

In this Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pauses during a campaign rally in Altoona, Pa. The Republican Party could be nearing a breaking point with Trump. As the celebrity businessman skips from one gaffe to the next, GOP leaders in Washington and top battleground states have begun openly contemplating turning their backs on their partys presidential nominee to prevent what they fear will be wide-scale Republican losses on Election Day. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republicans who have devoted their professional lives to electing GOP candidates say they believe the White House already may be lost. They're exasperated by Trump's divisive politics and his insistence on running a general election campaign that mirrors his approach to the primaries.

"Based on his campaign record, there's no chance he's going to win," said Sara Fagen, the political director for former President George W. Bush. "He's losing groups of people he can't get back."

Trump's campaign says things are moving in the right direction, a position that itself feeds the discontent among his GOP detractors. The billionaire businessman's loyalists say enough time remains to change the dynamic against Democrat Hillary Clinton who, like Trump, is deeply unpopular with voters.

And his backers are blaming the media for the perception that all is not well.

"Frankly, a lot of stuff over the last week ... it's him being distorted," said Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. "For the last week or so, he's been very focused and very much on his game."

Trump did show some modest improvement as a candidate in the past week. He has stopped criticizing a Muslim family of a fallen U.S. soldier. Gone are the fights with some of his party's most respected members of Congress.

But also in the past seven days, Trump has questioned the advice of senior aides, threatened to stop raising money for the party, dismissed the usefulness of get-out-the-vote efforts and defended his decision not to run any television ads even as his opponents fill the airwaves with spots backing Clinton in several contested states.

It all largely overshadowed the content of 44 previously-unreleased email exchanges Clinton had while at the State Department. They became public on Tuesday and showed her interacting with lobbyists, political and Clinton Foundation donors and business interests while serving as secretary of state.

"He can't simply continue to preach to the choir and think he's going to put together a coalition that will win the White House," said Ryan Williams, a party strategist and former aide to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney. "He's essentially guaranteeing that he will lose by refusing to clean up his mistakes and stop committing future ones."

The mistakes do keep coming.

Trump this past week stuck by a patently false claim that President Barack Obama founded the Islamic State group. The candidate made an off-handed remark about Clinton that was widely condemned by critics as an invitation to violence. He even acknowledged that losing might not be so bad.

"I'll just keep doing the same thing I'm doing right now," he told CNBC on Thursday. "And at the end it's either going to work or I'm going to you know, I'm going to have a very, very nice, long vacation."

All of it, to some Republicans, should lead the party to give up on its nominee.

More than 100 GOP officials, including at least six former members of Congress and more than 20 former staffers at the Republican National Committee, have signed a letter asking the party chairman, Reince Priebus, to stop helping Trump's campaign.

They call the New York real estate mogul a threat to the party and to the nation. They want the RNC to take resources now helping Trump and shift them to vulnerable GOP candidates for House and Senate.

The letter follows a steady stream of recent defections from Republican elected officials and longtime strategists who vow never to support Trump. They want party leaders to acknowledge that backing his White House bid is a waste of time and money.

"They're going to do it sooner or later. They might as well do it sooner to have more impact," said former Minnesota Rep. Vin Weber, one of the Republicans to sign the letter to Priebus.

Senior Republicans in Washington and in some of the most contested states have discussed a scenario in which the party scales back its presidential focus in states that don't feature top races for Senate. They could abandon a state such as Virginia, for example, and focus more on a state such as Indiana, where Democrat Evan Bayh is trying to make a Senate comeback.

That's according to several Republican officials in Washington and states that would be affected, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. They spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe publicly those private discussions.

There is no evidence that a formal plan to break with Trump exists at either the state party or RNC level, but Priebus has informally discussed the possibility with party leaders in battleground states in recent days, three of the officials said.

Should that occur, it's not likely to happen until after Labor Day, as the party is still relying on Trump to help raise money to fund its expansive political operation. But the amount of money needed decreases as each day passes, giving the RNC greater financial freedom to potentially change course as the election nears.

For now, Priebus is vocally supportive of Trump. The party chairman joined the nominee on Friday, part of a larger effort to ensure an experienced political hand is almost always at the candidate's side when he travels.

Others keeping Trump company this past week include former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

"We've always found it's wise to have people traveling with him, because it's an opportunity to have him engaged and not just sitting there," Manafort said.

Some credit that strategy for Trump's avoiding devastating unforced errors, such as his tussle with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the Muslim-Americans parents whose son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq in 2004. Manafort also has privately assured swing state Republicans that Trump no longer will attack party rivals  House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Arizona Sen. John McCain and Ohio Gov. John Kasich among them.

But it's hardly foolproof.

After several error-free days, Trump caused a major stir Tuesday when his comments about supporters of the Second Amendment's right to bear arms were viewed by some as advocating violence against Clinton.

He came in for criticism again after saying on Wednesday that Obama was the "founder" of IS, a false claim he repeated several times on Thursday  even when given the chance to tone down his attack on the president's foreign policies.

On Friday, Trump started the day saying he was only being sarcastic, before telling a Pennsylvania rally, "but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you."

It's those kinds of moments that lead experienced Republicans to think Trump cannot be saved from himself.

"He's almost like someone with an addiction who can't stop," Fagen said. "Until he gets help and admits it, he won't be able to change."

The dissension in the Republican ranks hasn't affected Trump's ability to draw supporters to his rallies. Lisa Thompson, a firefighter from St. Cloud, Florida, is among the many who continue to stand in long lines for hours to see Trump at his events.

She said those balking at his missteps were being "too sensitive"  a luxury the nation can't afford with growing security threats. She urged Trump to stick with his playbook.

"Why be fake?" she asked.

Others aren't so sure.

Mike Dedrel, a UPS driver and Trump supporter who's also from St. Cloud, said he hoped in the coming months that Trump wouldn't speak off the cuff as often and stick to pre-planned answers. If he doesn't, Dedrel said, he's concerned that Trump is on the way to an Election Day defeat.

"I was worried about that from Day One, when he was going against 16 other guys," he said. "But at the end of the day, I know he'll be a great president  if he can win."

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Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report.

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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

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he leaves a campaign rally, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, in Altoona, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, in Altoona, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
French minister inspects stepped-up security at Lourdes

PARIS (AP)  Soldiers, police and undercover agents are mixing with pilgrims, some hoping for a miracle cure, at the French pilgrimage site of Lourdes, where some 20,000 are expected to gather on Monday for the Feast of the Assumption  a security challenge for France on high alert for terrorist attacks.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve inspected the more than 500 security forces at the shrine on Saturday, two days before Monday's celebration of the Assumption when, according to Roman Catholic belief, Mary, the mother of Jesus, ascended into heaven.

A down-to-earth security plan is greeting pilgrims as they arrive in this town nestled in verdant southwest France, coming from around the country and from abroad. Police and soldiers were already milling among pilgrims on Saturday, around the sanctuary or the plaza in front of the sprawling white Basilica.

Monday's outdoor Mass will present a special security challenge since some pilgrims are in wheelchairs or on stretchers, making the trip here in hopes of finding a miraculous cure.

Cazenueve said that 297 extra forces were brought in  mobile units, soldiers, bomb squads, canine units  to help local forces, raising the security presence to 508. In addition, pilgrims are being patted down and their bags checked at three entrances to the Lourdes Sanctuary  reduced from 12 in normal times, Lourdes officials have said. Video surveillance cameras have been mounted, drones forbidden and traffic rerouted away from the site at critical hours of the day.

"I've mobilized you all for several months, especially this summer, during an extremely high terrorist threat level," the minister said to the extra forces, thanking them for the help.

A Bastille Day truck attack in Nice, on the Riviera, that killed 85 people was followed less than two weeks later by the slaying of a priest while saying Mass in his small church in Normandy, in northwest France. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group.

The July 26 direct strike on a symbol of Catholicism underscored the need for precautions in Lourdes, which refused to cancel the Assumption celebration. Numerous towns have dropped summer festivals.

Philippe Subercazes, deputy mayor for security, noted that Lourdes has mounted heavy security in the past, for papal visits in 2004 and 2008.

"Then, the idea was to protect the pope, one man. Now, we must protect the crowd. It's a bit different," he said on BFM-TV.

"There are those who feel reassured" by the presence of armed security forces, he said, then added, "Perhaps foreigners ... are more surprised to see these (security) systems."
The Latest: Stranded drivers on interstate being rescued

AMITE, La. (AP)  The Latest on flooding in the Deep South (all times local):

8:10 p.m.

A state police spokesman says authorities are going car to car to rescue people stranded on the Interstate from the horrific Louisiana flooding.

In this aerial photo a boat motors between flooded homes after heavy rains inundating the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Hammond, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Maj. Doug Cain from the Louisiana State Police said about 125 vehicles are stranded on Interstate 12 between Tangipahoa Parish and Baton Rouge.

He says most of the vehicles are on a seven-mile stretch of the freeway.

Authorities are going in high water vehicles to each car to rescue people and carry them to safety.

The people are being taken to a Target store in Baton Rouge where they can either be picked up by family or friends or will be taken to a shelter.

Torrential rain has swamped large portions of southeast Louisiana, cutting off roads and highways.

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6:15 p.m.

Gov. John Bel Edwards surveyed the flooding by helicopter Saturday and is urging people to stay away, saying it's still risky to venture out.

He said one of his worries is that as the rain lessens in the next several hours, people will become complacent and feel too at ease in parishes where waters may still be rising for several days, getting in cars in areas that could still be dangerous.

"I'm still asking people to be patient. Don't get out and sightsee," Edwards said. "Even when the weather is better, it's not safe."

Three deaths have been confirmed so far, and Edwards said at least one person is missing in one area.

The governor also visited a series of emergency operation centers.

"Flooding is obviously very widespread. It's a record levels," Edwards said. "We're not out of the response phase yet."

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4:30 p.m.

Authorities in Louisiana say another person has died in the dangerous floods, raising the death toll to three.

Michael Martin, chief of operations for the St. Helena Sheriff's Office, said authorities recovered a woman's body on Saturday from the Tickfaw River.

He said the woman, her husband and the woman's mother-in-law were driving on a state highway Friday when their car was swept off the road.

The woman's husband and mother-in-law had been clinging to a tree for hours before they were rescued Saturday.

They were among more than 1,000 people who had to be rescued as heavy rains fell during a short span, surprising a lot of residents.

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Dramatic video shows a woman and her dog being rescued from a car as floodwaters swallow the vehicle.

The video shot by WAFB shows two men on a small boat approaching a convertible that is almost submerged in the brown water. A woman yells from inside the car "Oh my god, I'm drowning." One of the rescuers, later identified as David Phung, jumps into the water and pulls the woman from the car.

She pleads with Phung to get her dog, but he can't find the dog under the water. After several seconds, Phung takes a deep breath, goes underwater and resurfaces with the dog.

Phung told the television station that it was lucky the dog was still conscious. Both the woman and the dog appeared to be OK.

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4:15 p.m.

A Louisiana woman says she used a saw and her feet to knock a hole in the wall of her house to escape the rising floodwaters.

Lyn Gibson said Saturday that she made the hole near the roof of her two-story home in Tangipahoa Parish so that she and her dogs could get to a National Guard rescue boat.

Gibson, a horror book author and real estate broker, spoke to The Associated Press by phone from the hospital, where she had been reunited with her husband, who fell ill at a neighbor's house as the floods worsened.

The Gibsons' home had taken in more than 2 feet of water in a March flood. It had only been restored and repaired for 90 days. Gibson says she's sure it's wrecked again.

More than 1,000 people have been rescued and at least two people were killed when swift-moving water swamped roads.

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2:30 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard says it has rescued five people from flood waters in the Baton Rouge area.

In a news release, the Coast Guard said that a helicopter crew rescued two adults and their 6-year-old child from their home and took them to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on Saturday.

A second helicopter crew rescued two women and evacuated them to the airport as well.

The rescues were part of more than 1,000 made by the National Guard and other officials as heavy rain and flooding inundated the state.

It was Coast Guard aircrews that made over 24,000 recuses in New Orleans during the flooding from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

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Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has declared a state of emergency for Adams, Amite, Pike, Wilkinson and any other counties affected by the heavy rainfall and severe flooding over the last few days.

Bryant says shelters are open and he wants to make sure anyone forced from their home is taken care of. He says the state of emergency will ensure state resources are available to all local governments that need help.

Bryant said damage assessments will be conducted by Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and local officials as areas become accessible.

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2 p.m.

Mississippi officials say the heavy rain and flooding affected nearly all of the 342 people who live in the small town of Crosby.

The Wilkinson County's emergency management director, Thomas Tolliver Jr., says those residents left their homes Friday as the town was inundate by flood waters. More than 1,000 people in Louisiana had to be rescued and at least two people have died.

Tolliver said some people in Crosby were able to leave on their own, but others had to be recused from their home.

He said most were sent to shelters in Natchez.

Tolliver said Saturday the water has started to recede and those living in Crosby will be allowed back in by Sunday to assess the damage.

Tolliver said most of the buildings in Crosby sustained water damage.

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Corrects spelling of county to Wilkinson.

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1:25 p.m.

LSU has canceled its football "Fan Day" and media day due to the continued rain and flooding across south Louisiana.

The events were both scheduled to be held on campus on Sunday.

LSU Vice-Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said in a news release Fan Day will be not rescheduled.

Officials say more than 1,000 people have been rescued and two people have died in the floods.

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12:45 p.m.

Dozens of people are staying at a Red Cross shelter in Baker after they had to be rescued or helped from the Louisiana floods.

John Mitchell said he swam to safety with his pit bull. Police officers in a boat picked up his girlfriend, her young daughter and his father.

Mitchell fears he lost their trailer home and his car, which was flooded up to the seats. A bag of clothes was all he had time to save as the water levels rapidly rose.

The governor says more than 1,000 people have been rescued and two people have died in the floods.

Shanita Angrum said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized flood waters had trapped her family in their home. A police officer carried her 6-year-old daughter on his back while she and her husband waded behind them to safety. She says snakes were everywhere.

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Louisiana State Police say a 54-year-old Greensburg man died when his pickup ran off Louisiana Highway 10 and was submerged in the flood waters.

Senior Trooper Melissa Matey says Saturday that firefighters from St. Helena Parish Fire District 4 recovered the body of Samuel Muse on Friday night.

Matey says the highway was covered by several feet of water and Muse's vehicle was not visible.

At least one other person died in the unprecedented flooding in Louisiana. The governor says more than 1,000 people have had to be rescued from their homes or cars.

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11:50 a.m.

Flash flood warnings are still in effect for southeast Louisiana as more rain is in the forecast.

More than 1,000 people have had to be evacuated and at least two people have died after heavy rains inundated parts of the state.

The National Weather Service says the flash flood warnings are in effect for Livingston, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, Iberville, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and Ascension parishes until 2:15 p.m. Saturday.

In south Mississippi, more than a half-dozen counties are under a flood watch until Sunday.

Forecaster Tim Destri says additional rainfall accumulations through Sunday morning in Louisiana could range between 3 to 6 inches west of Interstate 55 with locally higher amounts. Somewhat lower rainfall totals east of I-55 are expected.

In Mississippi, Destri said an additional 2 inches could fall from McComb to the Mississippi River. Gloster, Mississippi, in Amite County, had a two-day rain total of 22.8 inches.

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10:55 a.m.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says flooding has reached record levels in some parts of the state following days of torrential rain.

He said at a press conference Saturday that officials still don't know how bad the flooding will get and warned residents not to rely on past experience when deciding on a course of action. He says residents advised to evacuate should do so.

Edwards also advised residents to avoid unnecessary road travel. He said more than 1,000 people have been rescued so far from homes, cars and elsewhere. About 100 pets have also been rescued.

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9:25 a.m.

The National Weather Service says the same system that is currently affecting parts of Louisiana dumped heavy rainfall on coastal Alabama this week.

Weather service meteorologist Da'Vel Johnson said Saturday that Gulf Shores on the Alabama coast got 7.45 inches of rain from Monday through 7 a.m. Friday. Dauphin Island got 5.26 inches during the same period.

More rain fell Friday, but Johnson said those rainfall totals weren't available Saturday morning.

Johnson said the storm system had mostly moved away from Alabama by Saturday.

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9:15 a.m.

The National Weather Service has issued flash flooding warning for all of southwest Louisiana until 2 p.m. Saturday as a low pressure system continues to drift slowly to the west. Forecaster Donald Jones in Lake Charles, Louisiana, says the storm system moved from southeast Louisiana to an area along the central Gulf coast in 24 hours or about 100 to 200 miles.

A flood watch for southwest Louisiana is in effect until Sunday afternoon.

Jones says 6 to 10 inches of rain has fallen over the last 24 hours and an additional 4 to 6 inches will be possible Saturday afternoon.

Jones says Iberia, Lafayette and Vermilion parishes have been the hardest hit with flood water getting into some homes.

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7:55 a.m.

More rain is expected to swamp already soggy ground across Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast where at least two people died and dozens had to be rescued from waist-high water surrounding their homes.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency as rescue workers in the southeastern part of the state brace for more precipitation.

Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said the governor returned to Louisiana on Friday because of the flooding. Edwards had been in Colorado for a policy meeting of the Democratic Governors Association but left early because of the storm.

Edwards has scheduled a news conference for 10:30 a.m. Saturday to discuss the flooding situation, which also affected the Louisiana Governor's Mansion, where the basement flooded.

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More rain is expected to swamp already soggy ground across Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast where at least two people died and dozens had to be rescued from waist-high water surrounding their homes.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency as rescue workers in the southeastern part of the state brace for more precipitation.

Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said the governor returned to Louisiana on Friday because of the flooding. Edwards had been in Colorado for a policy meeting of the Democratic Governors Association but left early because of the storm.

Edwards has scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Saturday to discuss the flooding situation, which also affected the Louisiana Governor's Mansion, where the basement flooded.

People gather outside a Red Cross shelter in Baker, La., on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. National Guard soldiers and other officials in boats and helicopters plucked more than 1,000 people from their homes and cars as "unprecedented, historic" flooding swamped Louisiana, the governor said Saturday, warning that the slow-moving storm would dump even more rain and cause further problems. (AP Photo/ Mike Kunzelman)

A member of the St. George Fire Department assists residents as they wade through floodwaters from heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Residents wade through floodwaters from heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in homes by waist-high water and leaving one man dead who became trapped by floodwaters.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Floodwaters surge from a crack in the parking lot on the corner of highways 584 and 51 in Osyka, Miss., early Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Flooding is also affecting areas of southwest Mississippi just north of the Louisiana state line. (Matt Williamson/Enterprise-Journal via AP)

In this aerial photo over Robert, La., rescuers and evacuees stand on U.S. Route 190 after heavy rains inundating the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Residents wade through floodwaters from heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Residents wade through floodwaters from heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in homes by waist-high water and leaving one man dead who became trapped by floodwaters. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Michael Ugbo, 5, holds the hand of a St. George Fireman as residents are evacuated from floodwaters due to heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in homes by waist-high water and leaving one man dead who became trapped by floodwaters.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

A member of the St. George Fire Department assists residents as they wade through floodwaters from heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in homes by waist-high water. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Water creates a current across W. Oak Street in Amite, La., as motorists try to navigate the high waters from storms pounding Tangipahoa Parish, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in their homes by waist-high water and leaving dead one man who was trapped by floodwaters. (Ted Jackson/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP)

Getting out ahead of the flood, Michael Tramonte and Nikki Conger clear their possessions from their house on Watters Road, south of Hwy. 22 and east of Pontchatoula, La., ahead of the coming flooding Tangipahoa River as storms pound Tangipahoa Parish, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in their homes by waist-high water and leaving dead one man who was trapped by floodwaters. (Ted Jackson/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP)

In this aerial photo over Robert, La., stranded people wait on flooded U.S. Route 190 after heavy rains inundating the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even clinging to trees as a slow-moving storm hammers the state with flooding. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)
Sweden digs in on proposal to ban lobsters from Europe

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Sweden is digging in on a proposal to ban imports of live lobsters into the European Union after a rebuke from American scientists, and the issue could go all the way to the World Trade Organization.

Sweden asked the European Union to bar imports of live American lobsters into the bloc earlier this year after 32 American lobsters were found in Swedish waters. The U.S. government then told the European Commission that the proposal isn't supported by science, and American and Canadian scientists issued reports calling the Swedish claim into question.

Now, Sweden's Agency for Marine and Water Management is issuing a response to criticism, and says the country is right to be cautious about the appearance of a foreign species in its waters. The response came out at the end of July and defends the prevention of the spread of American lobsters as "environmentally desirable and cost-effective."

The Congressional delegation of Maine, the country's largest lobster producing state, issued a statement that said it will appeal to the WTO if the European Union ultimately sides with the Swedes.

Lobstermen in America and Canada, which together export $200 million worth of lobster to European markets each year, are hopeful that Sweden's call for a ban eventually amounts to nothing.

"I haven't taken my Swedish engine out of my boat yet," said Gerry Cushman, a Port Clyde lobsterman. "I'd like to see lobsters stay open throughout the world everywhere."

European Union's Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species is expected to express an opinion about Sweden's call for a ban on Aug. 31. The country has said American lobsters, which are fished off the coasts of the U.S. and Canada, could spread disease and overtake the smaller European variety of lobster.

Robert S. Steneck, a University of Maine scientist, wrote a paper that said the American lobsters that turned up in Europe were most likely released illegally, as opposed to migrating across the ocean. He also wrote that American lobsters don't pose a threat to European lobsters, in part because winter ocean temperatures along the coasts of European countries are too warm for the American lobsters to reproduce.

But Sweden's marine agency said it is "vital" to take a precautionary approach to the issue, because American lobsters' failure to gain a foothold in Europe thus far is "no guarantee that the same species will not be successfully invasive in another place or time." The agency also says more research is needed into the impact of cross-breeding of American and European lobsters.

Maine's congressional delegation said the European import market is critical to the lobster industry, and the state's leaders remain committed to supporting it. Maine's lobster industry was worth about a half billion dollars last year and catches have soared to record highs in recent years.
What Trump and Clinton didn't say in their economic speeches

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spelled out their economic visions in high-profile speeches in Michigan this week. They delved into taxes and regulations, trade deals and job growth.

Yet perhaps most notable about their speeches is what they left out.

Mostly unmentioned were major challenges that have slowed the U.S. economy and made good-paying jobs harder to find, particularly in struggling pockets of the country. They are challenges that tend to preoccupy economists and defy simple fixes:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves after delivering an economic policy speech to the Detroit Economic Club, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A less efficient workforce. A dwindling proportion of adults either working or looking for work. Automation and increasingly high-skilled jobs that require technological know-how that many people lack.

They are problems that analysts say require a transformative vision. Yet neither candidate voiced anything like the high-reaching themes that were hallmarks of previous campaigns  from Bill Clinton's "Bridge to the 21stcentury," which urged Americans to face a more globalized economy, or George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind," which sought to overhaul public education to better serve more children.

Each promised a bright future but also spotlighted the country's challenges.

"It's much easier to be either optimistic about the future or harp on problems that voters already recognize," said Daron Acemoglu, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has studied the impact of automation on the workforce.

When Trump spoke Monday and Clinton followed on Thursday, each pledged more spending for rebuilding roads, bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure, which many economists say is long overdue. Such work, beyond creating more construction jobs, could ultimately lower transportation costs, raise workers' productivity and accelerate economic growth.

But economists worry that the United States faces long-run challenges beyond dilapidated airports and tunnels. An economy's ability to expand is shaped largely by two trends: The size of its workforce and how much its workers produce for each hour on the job.

In both areas, the United States is weakening. In the past decade, the workforce has grown an average of just 0.5 percent a year  barely half its post-World War II pace. Much of that slowdown is due to the continuing retirements of the vast baby boom generation, 10,000 of whom turn 65 every day. Similar demographic trends are also bedeviling Europe and Japan.

And productivity  output per hour worked  has increased an average of just 0.6 percent a year in the past five years, the slowest pace since the recession of the early 1980s. Rising productivity is vital to raising living standards because it allows businesses to pay employees more without having to raise prices.

All of which means the United States may be stuck in a low-growth rut for years to come. Federal Reserve officials now estimate that the economy's growth potential is only 1.8 percent to 2 percent a year, down from 2.5 percent to 2.8 percent five years ago.

That broader slowdown went unmentioned by either candidate. Potential solutions are complicated and in many cases wouldn't be popular with voters.

For example, most economists consider increased immigration not a problem but a solution  to the challenge of an aging U.S. workforce. More legal immigrants would accelerate workforce growth. Yet few issues are as contentious in this election.

William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said immigration reform, if it provided a path to citizenship for people who entered the country illegally, would be economically beneficial  in part because it would bar employers from underpaying those workers and thereby give them more spending power.

Galston argued that Japan's economy, which is aging faster than the United States and has barely grown for two decades, has suffered from an "absolute refusal to countenance immigration."

In her speech, Clinton briefly mentioned "comprehensive immigration reform" and said it would "unleash a lot of new income and growth." Trump, who launched his campaign with promises to build a wall to keep out Mexicans, barely mentioned the issue.

Clinton also proposed helping more students attend college, increasing training for those who don't and spending more on "scientific research that can create entire new industries."

Those steps might help boost productivity over time if they improved workers' skills. But Clinton didn't cast them as potential remedies for weak productivity. Rather, she hailed the U.S. workforce as the "most productive" in the world.

Openings for such high-skilled jobs as data scientist, software engineer, physician's assistant and nurse practitioner have grown fast since the Great Recession. Yet they require more skills than many workers have, particularly older people with less education. That trend has contributed to a sharp drop in the proportion of Americans in their prime working years  ages 25 through 54  who either have a job or are looking for one.

And automation is threatening lower-paying jobs. Self-driving cars, check-in kiosks at airports and hotel and potentially touch-screen ordering at restaurants could put more lower-skilled Americans out of work.

"We're really just seeing the very beginning of robots competing with workers," Acemoglu said. The consequences "could be potentially very disruptive if we pursue business as usual. Or they could amazingly fruitful if we adapt to them."

Acemoglu says this would require overhauling high school education to provide more skills-related training, rather than waiting for community college, in addition to providing training for current workers.

Yet instead, both candidates spent considerable time discussing ways to revitalize American manufacturing. Trump focused more on old-line sectors, like autos, planes and steel, which have mostly shrunk in recent years. Clinton cited "advanced manufacturing" that requires greater skills. Yet modern factories that use more technology typically don't employ as many people as those that are retrenching.

"I would like to see the workforce prepared for the jobs of tomorrow, rather than bringing back the jobs of the past," said Tara Sinclair, chief economist at Indeed, a jobs listing website.
Thai police hoping to quickly identify bombing suspects

BANGKOK (AP)  Police in Thailand said Saturday that they were hoping to identify suspects over the next couple of days in a series of bombing and arson attacks that struck several tourist towns, killing four people and wounding dozens, including 11 foreigners.

The attacks, which hit Thursday and Friday, came days after a referendum was held in which Thais approved a new constitution that critics say will bolster the power of the military, which has ruled the country since a May 2014 coup, for years to come. Thai authorities have suggested there were political motives behind the violence, but named no specific suspects. No one has claimed responsibility for any of the 11 bombings.

"We hope we may have some suspects today or tomorrow," Police Gen. Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, told reporters Saturday. He did not elaborate, but said that police were gathering evidence and that international militant groups were not believed to be behind the attacks.

In this Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, photo, an injured person is helped after a bomb blast in the southern resort city of Hua Hin, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Bangkok, Thailand. Police are investigating a series of bomb blasts in Hua Hin and other cities in Thailand. (Daily News via AP)

The violence appeared aimed at dealing a blow to Thailand's tourism industry, which brings in crucial income to the government.

One small bomb exploded on a beach in the popular Patong area of Phuket island, and four others rattled the seaside resort city of Hua Hin, prompting businesses to shut their doors, streets to empty and anxious tourists to huddle inside their hotels. The wounded foreigners included nationals of Austria, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The four who were killed were Thais.

The fatalities came from bombs in Hua Hin, 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Bangkok, and the cities of Surat Thani and Trang, farther south. All of the affected destinations  which also included Phang Nga and Krabi, as well as Phuket  are popular with foreign and Thai tourists.

Pongsapat said the perpetrators are believed to belong to the same networks and were still inside the country.

Voice TV and other media outlets reported later Saturday that police in Nakhon Si Thammarat had arrested a 67-year-old man who is suspected of being responsible for a fire at a supermarket in the southern city that the authorities had listed in the series of attacks. Police said they found evidence at his home and in electronic devices they had confiscated from him that he was involved in an active political movement against the government. But they failed to explicitly link him to the other attacks.

Foreign governments, including the United States, issued warnings urging travelers to use caution and avoid affected areas. Many tourists on Saturday were resuming their vacations while keeping an eye for any sign of trouble.

Niels Seeberg, who has lived in the Hua Hin area for 10 years, said Saturday that he was out with friends Thursday night and saw the carnage from the blasts.

Seeberg, a 59-year-old Danish tour leader, said that the incident left him feeling angry and helpless, "and I don't know what to do with my anger."

While police and other officials have strongly hinted that opponents of the military government that seized power in the 2014 coup may have been behind the attacks, they also have acknowledged signs that Muslim separatists from the country's deep south could have had a hand in the violence.

Royal Thai Police Col. Krisana Patanacharoen said Friday that the bombings followed "a similar pattern used in the southern parts of the country"  a reference to a low-level insurgency in the largely Islamic south that has ground on for more than a decade and killed more than 5,000 people.

Southern militants fighting for greater autonomy have carried out sophisticated, coordinated attacks before, but most have hit three provinces in the far south that were not among those targeted this week.

Speaking at a Saturday event to promote Thai products and handicrafts, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha assured reporters that he was dealing with the situation.

"Don't go starting a witch hunt yet as we must make our home as peaceful as possible; everyone is panicked and flustered, but I have to remain calm," he said. He vowed to keep working in order to make sure that "such terrible acts" never happen again, so that the "nightmare" of the past few days would become just a fading memory.

The violence occurred just ahead of the anniversary of the Aug. 17, 2015, bombing of Bangkok's popular Erawan Shrine, which left 20 dead and injured more than 120. Thai authorities said that bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities were disrupted by a crackdown, but analysts suspect it might have been the work of Uighur separatists angry that Thailand forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China.

Although two arrests were made in that case, a confusing investigation shook faith in the competence of the police and raised doubts about who were the true culprits. The case has not yet come to trial.

___

Associated Press journalists Jerry Harmer in Hua Hin and Papitchaya Boonngok, Grant Peck and Kiko Rosario in Bangkok contributed to this report.

In this Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, photo, rescue workers help an unidentified woman after a bomb blast in the southern resort city of Hua Hin, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Bangkok, Thailand. Police are investigating a series of bomb blasts in Hua Hin and other cities in Thailand. (Daily News via AP)

People walk along the beach in Hua Hin, Thailand, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Thais and tourists headed warily into the main part of a big holiday weekend Saturday as police looked for suspects and a motive behind a series of blasts that shook resort towns across Thailand, killing four people and wounding dozens more. (AP Photo/ Penny Yi Wang)

In this Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, photo, the injured are helped after a bomb blast in the southern resort city of Hua Hin, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Bangkok, Thailand. Police are investigating a series of bomb blasts in Hua Hin and other cities in Thailand. (Daily News via AP)

Authorities direct traffic after explosions occurred overnight and Friday morning in the tourist city of Hua Hin, Thailand on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The city is home to a swath of beachfront resorts as well as a royal palace. A wave of coordinated explosions rattled multiple cities across southern Thailand, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Penny Yi Wang)

Authorities direct traffic after explosions occurred overnight and Friday morning in the tourist city of Hua Hin, Thailand on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The city is home to a swath of beachfront resorts as well as a royal palace. A wave of coordinated explosions rattled multiple cities across southern Thailand, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Penny Yi Wang)

A road is blocked after explosions occurred overnight and Friday morning in the tourist city of Hua Hin, Thailand on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The city is home to a swath of beachfront resorts as well as a royal palace. A wave of coordinated explosions rattled multiple cities across southern Thailand, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Penny Yi Wang)

Authorities direct traffic after explosions occurred overnight and Friday morning in the tourist city of Hua Hin, Thailand on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The city is home to a swath of beachfront resorts as well as a royal palace. A wave of coordinated explosions rattled multiple cities across southern Thailand, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Penny Yi Wang)

In this image made from video, Royal Thai Police Col. Krisana Patanacharoen speaks to reporters during a news conference in Bangkok, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, regarding the wave of bomb blasts in the central and southern Thailand, including the resort town of Hua Hin. (AP Photo)

Investigators work at the scene of an explosion in the resort town of Hua Hin, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. The blast followed a series of two explosions in Hua Hin Thursday evening that left one person dead and a number injured. (AP Photo/Jerry Harmer)

Andrea Tazzioli, 51, from Italy, poses for a photograph in San Paulo Hospital in the tourist city of Hua Hin, Thailand on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Tazzioli was fetching his own birthday cake, when he was injured in a bomb blast overnight. A wave of coordinated explosions rattled multiple cities across southern Thailand, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more, police said Friday. (AP Photo/Penny Yi Wang)

In this Dec. 31, 2015, photo, visitors walk on the beach in the resort town of Hua Hin, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Bangkok, Thailand. Police on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, have confirmed that another person has died in a new bomb blast in the southern resort city of Hua Hin, hours after twin explosions killed one woman and wounded several others late Thursday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Frustration abundant, GOP could be near Trump breaking point

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP)  The Republican Party could be nearing a breaking point with Donald Trump.

As he skips from one gaffe to the next, GOP leaders in Washington and in the most competitive states have begun openly contemplating turning their backs on their party's presidential nominee to prevent what they fear will be wide-scale Republican losses on Election Day.

Back in 1996, the party also largely gave up on nominee Bob Dole once it became clear he had little chance of winning, so it's not without precedent. Nevertheless, it's jolting prospect now, with roughly three months still left before the Nov. 8 vote and weeks before the three presidential debates.

In this Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pauses during a campaign rally in Altoona, Pa. The Republican Party could be nearing a breaking point with Trump. As the celebrity businessman skips from one gaffe to the next, GOP leaders in Washington and top battleground states have begun openly contemplating turning their backs on their partys presidential nominee to prevent what they fear will be wide-scale Republican losses on Election Day. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republicans who have devoted their professional lives to electing GOP candidates say they believe the White House already may be lost. They're exasperated by Trump's divisive politics and his insistence on running a general election campaign that mirrors his approach to the primaries.

"Based on his campaign record, there's no chance he's going to win," said Sara Fagen, the political director for former President George W. Bush. "He's losing groups of people he can't get back."

Trump's campaign says things are moving in the right direction, a position that itself feeds the discontent among his GOP detractors. The billionaire businessman's loyalists say enough time remains to change the dynamic against Democrat Hillary Clinton who, like Trump, is deeply unpopular with voters.

And his backers are blaming the media for the perception that all is not well.

"Frankly, a lot of stuff over the last week ... it's him being distorted," said Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. "For the last week or so, he's been very focused and very much on his game."

Trump did show some modest improvement as a candidate in the past week. He has stopped criticizing a Muslim family of a fallen U.S. soldier. Gone are the fights with some of his party's most respected members of Congress.

But also in the past seven days, Trump has questioned the advice of senior aides, threatened to stop raising money for the party, dismissed the usefulness of get-out-the-vote efforts and defended his decision not to run any television ads even as his opponents fill the airwaves with spots backing Clinton in several contested states.

It all largely overshadowed the content of 44 previously-unreleased email exchanges Clinton had while at the State Department. They became public on Tuesday and showed her interacting with lobbyists, political and Clinton Foundation donors and business interests while serving as secretary of state.

To some Republicans, it's enough for the party to give up on their nominee.

More than 100 GOP officials, including at least six former members of Congress and more than 20 former staffers at the Republican National Committee, have signed a letter asking the party chairman, Reince Priebus, to stop helping Trump's campaign.

"They're going to do it sooner or later. They might as well do it sooner to have more impact," said former Minnesota Rep. Vin Weber, among those who signed.

Senior Republicans in Washington and in some of the most contested states have discussed a scenario in which the party scales back its presidential focus in states that don't feature top races for Senate. They could abandon a state such as Virginia, for example, and focus more on a state such as Indiana, where Democrat Evan Bayh is trying to make a Senate comeback.

That's according to several Republican officials in Washington and states that would be affected, including Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. They spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe publicly those private discussions.

There is no evidence that a formal plan to break with Trump exists at either the state party or RNC level, but Priebus has informally discussed the possibility with party leaders in battleground states in recent days, three of the officials said.

Should that occur, it's not likely to happen until after Labor Day, as the party is still relying on Trump to help raise money to fund its expansive political operation. But the amount of money needed decreases as each day passes, giving the RNC greater financial freedom to potentially change course as the election nears.

The dissension in the Republican ranks hasn't affected Trump's ability to draw supporters to his rallies. Lisa Thompson, a firefighter from St. Cloud, Florida, is among the many who continue to stand in long lines for hours to see Trump at his events.

She said those balking at his missteps were being "too sensitive"  a luxury the nation can't afford with growing security threats. She urged Trump to stick with his playbook.

"Why be fake?" she asked.

___

Associated Press writer Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report from New York.

___

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
When Gregg Irwin next appears in Chippewa County Court, it will be within a week of the first anniversary of a Sept. 28, 2015 crash that took the life of 20-year-old Erica M. Strandt of Chippewa Falls.

The 48-year-old Boyd man is charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle in the crash in the town of Edson.

Fridays court session with Strandt frustrated Strandts family, including her mother, Jennifer Grau.

She lost a 17-year-old son, Jason, who was murdered in Chippewa Falls in February 2010. Since last September, she has watched the case about the death of her daughter slowly unwind.

Online court records said a review hearing for the case against Irwin was first set for Jan. 6. It was then scheduled for Feb. 17, then March 4 and then Friday.

The latest court session was pushed off until next month at the request of defense attorney Harry Hertel of Eau Claire, who said a reconstruction of the crash done for the prosecution by the Wisconsin State Patrol had inconsistencies. He said he wanted to have Irwins insurance company, State Farm, do its own crash reconstruction.

Judge Steven Cray granted the extension so the defense and prosecution can gather more information. If we are unsuccessful on the 22nd, wed schedule a preliminary hearing, Cray said.

A family friend of Erica Strandt, John Imm, questioned why the Standt case has taken so long. He said another of his friends, Vanessa Rossano, was killed in a January 2016 crash in Eau Claire County. The defendant in that case entered a guilty plea in April.

According to a criminal complaint against Irwin:

Irwin was driving a 2009 Dodge truck northbound on 300th Street and claimed to have stopped at a stop sign before crossing Highway 29. He was struck by Strandts vehicle, a 2000 Saturn SL.

His preliminary alcohol breath test registered at 0.15, nearly twice Wisconsins standard of intoxication of 0.08 for first time drunken drivers.

A review of Department of Transportation records show that Irwin was convicted of OWI on April 6, 1992 for an offense that occurred on March 9, 1992, according to the complaint.

Irwin has posted a $5,000 cash bond.

Erica Strandt, who attended Eau Claire Memorial High School and earned a General Educational Development degree, was survived by a daughter.
Egypt Christians stage rare Cairo protest, demanding rights

CAIRO (AP)  Egyptian Christians staged a rare protest in downtown Cairo on Saturday to demand the government uphold their rights, saying they are being treated as second-class citizens in the Muslim-majority country.

Standing on the steps of a courthouse in the capital, some three dozen demonstrators braved Egypt's draconian protest ban to hold signs aloft, calling for their legal rights to be upheld in disputes between Muslims and Christians.

"I am an Egyptian citizen above all," said Michael Armanious, a Christian demonstrator. "We pay taxes, we serve in the army, we are dealing with all the same economic problems in Egypt with the rest of our countrymen, why should we have fewer rights?" he said, flanked by roadblocks and equal numbers of police, who forced the crowd to disperse after an hour.

Egyptians protest against the latest surge of assaults on Christians in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Egyptian Christians have staged a rare protest in downtown Cairo to demand the government uphold their rights, saying they are sorely lacking and they are treated as second-class citizens in the Muslim-majority country. Arabic on the sign at right reads, "no to pressure on victims for reconciliation," at center, "yes to nationalism and no to extremism." (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Christians make up some ten percent of Egypt's 91 million people. They sided overwhelmingly with Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi when he overthrew an Islamist president in 2013, paving his way to the presidency. But some have recently voiced concerns that their lot has not improved under the former general, despite his promises.

Interfaith disputes are common in the countryside. Most often they arise over mixed-faith love affairs or the building of churches. Many confrontations result in violence perpetrated against Christians or their property, and are resolved by extra-judicial councils of local elders that favor the Muslim side.

The Christians demonstrating Saturday oppose such councils and are insisting such cases be brought to court.

Last month, the leader of Egypt's Coptic Christian church warned of increased attacks on Christians, saying national unity is being "defaced." Pope Tawadros II told Egyptian lawmakers that since 2013 there have been 37 sectarian attacks on Christians  nearly an incident a month.

The comments came after a string of attacks hit the southern province of Minya, home to a large Christian community but also a substantial concentration of extremist Islamic groups. In July, a Muslim mob stabbed a Christian to death over a personal feud, while days earlier, in two separate incidents, mobs attacked and torched houses of Christians over a rumor that they intended to convert buildings into churches. In May, a Muslim mob stripped an elderly Christian woman and paraded her on the street following a rumor that her son had an affair with a Muslim woman.

Lawmakers say that parliament is currently drafting a new law to criminalize actions that undermine national unity, as well as a law that eases regulations over the construction of churches, which are severely restricted.

Egyptian police try to break up a protest against the latest surge of assaults on Christians in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Egyptian Christians have staged a rare protest in downtown Cairo to demand the government uphold their rights, saying they are sorely lacking and they are treated as second-class citizens in the Muslim-majority country. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Egyptians protest against the latest surge of assaults on Christians in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Egyptian Christians have staged a rare protest in downtown Cairo to demand the government uphold their rights, saying they are sorely lacking and they are treated as second-class citizens in the Muslim-majority country. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
In North Dakota, people vs. oil pipeline protest strengthens

NEAR THE STANDING ROCK SIOUX RESERVATION, N.D. (AP)  Chekota American Horse and his 8-month-old son traveled a few miles from their home on the nearby Sioux reservation to join the growing protest against a $3.8 billion oil pipeline that's going into the ground fast. Mekasi Horinek, a Ponca, traveled from Oklahoma. Carlos Castaneda, who is Sioux and Ute, came from Denver.

"I came here because this is about our water and about his future," American Horse said of his son, Caden, who on Friday gazed wide-eyed at riders on war-painted horses. Nearby, as bulldozers and backhoes rumbled, tribal members from across the nation chanted prayers, burned sacred herbs and hoisted upside-down American flags.

The months-long "spirit camp" protest by the Standing Rock Sioux against the Dakota Access pipeline  projected by the end of the year to be carrying nearly a half-million barrels of crude daily from North Dakota's rich Bakken oil fields more than 1,000 miles to Illinois  transformed this week from a quiet action to something more active, with about 100 who gathered Friday and with at least 18 people arrested in the construction zone Thursday and Friday, including the tribal chairman.

Native Americans protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in southern North Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe went to court to try to block a $3.8 billion pipeline that's going in the ground fast to carry oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Now tribal members are trying to turn up the heat, with arrests in the pipeline construction zone near the 2.3-million acre reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. (AP Photo/James MacPherson).

Tribal members and their supporters are vowing to continue protests and acts of civil disobedience, and the tribe, whose reservation straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border, also is seeking a court order to block the pipeline's construction, which it says would disturb sacred sites and have a deleterious effect on the environment.

Castaneda, 35, said his conscience called him to travel from Colorado to the protest at the confluence of the Cannonball and Missouri rivers.

"All the way around, this pipeline is wrong. My business is on hold and I will be out here for as long as it takes," he said of his tiling business.

Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners announced the four-state pipeline in 2014, days after North Dakota Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple urged industry and government officials to build more pipelines to keep pace with the state's prolific oil production, saying that would reduce truck and train traffic, curb natural gas flaring and create more markets for the state's oil and gas.

In North Dakota, the pipeline would cross beneath the Little Missouri River once and the Missouri River twice. The company said the pipeline would include safeguards such as leak detection equipment; workers monitoring the pipeline remotely in Texas could close valves within three minutes if a breach is detected.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe late last month sued federal regulators for approving the pipeline, which would be the largest-capacity pipeline yet in North Dakota. The tribe argues the pipeline would disturb sacred sites and affect drinking water for the thousands of residents on the reservation and the millions who rely on it downstream.

"This water is just not for us," said Brave Heart, a 64-year-old Vietnam veteran and a Lakota Sioux from Fort Peck in eastern Montana. "It's for everyone and future generations."

Armed security guards hired by the company stood watch over construction crews on Wednesday. The next day  the same day "Divergent" actress Shailene Woodley joined the protests  the gathering took a turn, as some people entered a zone established for workers' safety, Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said.

About 20 North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers and 10 deputies from his department, one-third of the county's force, stood by to monitor the protests Friday afternoon.

Horinek, one of the protest organizers, said he was grateful for the troopers and deputies.

"We need the police here," said Horinek, who said he feared the company's guards. "We're scared that they will get scared and shoot somebody."

Castaneda, like other protesters, hoped the pipeline could be stopped in court. But he said he and others would "do whatever it takes" to stop it.

"Violence? I have no comment," he said. "But if people get violent with us, we will do whatever it takes to protect our people and our water."

Sixteen-year-old Satara Red Tomahawk, from Standing Rock, said she would remain at the protest site until she has to go back to school next week.

"I really don't like this," she said of the pipeline. "I'm really proud of our people standing together as one because if our water is polluted, it's going to hurt everyone."

Bill Left Hand, of McLaughlin, S.D., stands next to a sign at the site of a protest Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline that will cross the Missouri River in Morton County. The pipeline would start in North Dakota and pass through South Dakota and Iowa before ending in Illinois. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

People against the Dakota Access Pipeline chant in opposition on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at a site where a roadway was being constructed to begin the process of building the pipeline. The pipeline would start in North Dakota and pass through South Dakota and Iowa before ending in Illinois. Construction of the pipeline began this week just north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

Law enforcement officers stand over a protester at the site of where a roadway was being built for construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in rural Morton County, N.D. The pipeline would start in North Dakota and pass through South Dakota and Iowa before ending in Illinois. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

Up To Us founders actress Shailene Woodley, left, and filmaker Ann Kleinhenz were at the protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline on Thursday. The pipeline would start in North Dakota and pass through South Dakota and Iowa before ending in Illinois. Construction of the pipeline began this week just north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. Nearly 200 people came from across the country to join in the protest. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

Tribune Law enforcement arrested several people protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline on a newly constructed roadway to be used in building the pipeline Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. The pipeline would start in North Dakota and pass through South Dakota and Iowa before ending in Illinois. Construction of the pipeline began this week just north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. Nearly 200 people came from across the country to join in the protest. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)
Venezuela-Colombia border begins gradual reopening

SAN ANTONIO DEL TACHIRA, Venezuela (AP)  Thousands of Venezuelans on Saturday crossed into Colombia to buy food and medicine under the first step of a controlled, gradual reopening of the border.

Five pedestrian border crossings opened for the day early Saturday under an agreement for the eventual full restoration of border traffic.

Venezuelans were required to provide their personal information and explain why they are going into Colombia.

Presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia agreed Thursday to the gradual reopening of their 1,380-mile (2,200-kilometer) border after the Venezuelan government nearly a year ago closed crossings to crack down on smuggling.

Officials alleged that speculators were causing shortages in Venezuela by buying up subsidized food and gasoline and taking them to Colombia, where they could be sold for far higher prices.

The five checkpoints will now be open to pedestrians from early morning to 9 p.m. each day.

Among those crossing the border on Saturday to go shopping was government worker Nancy Cardenas, who was greeted by a military band playing tropical tunes as she left Venezuela's Tachira state to enter Colombia.

Cardenas said, "there is no rice, sugar, nor toilet paper," in her city of San Cristobal.

Heriberto Salinas said he was traveling to Colombia to buy medicine for his wife's thrombosis.

Venezuelans have been desperate to cross into Colombia to buy basics as shortages worsen in their economically struggling country, an OPEC member that has been hit hard by the fall in oil prices.

Hundreds of Venezuelans stormed a border checkpoint in July and illegally crossed into Colombia for the day to go grocery shopping.
US agency studies how to detect algae bloom outbreaks

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Scientists spent this week studying how nutrient levels contribute to algae blooms on the heels of this summer's massive outbreak that closed Utah Lake, sickened people and left farmers scrambling for clean water during some of the hottest days of the year.

The goal of the study on the waters of Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake is to determine how to predict outbreaks before they happen, said Christopher Shope, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Utah.

That would allow state and county officials to be able to warn boaters, swimmers and farmers ahead of time, he said. The federal agency conducted the study.

FILE - This July 20, 2016, file photo, Jason Garrett, water quality bureau director at the Utah County Health Department, looks at the water in Utah Lake Wednesday, July 20, 2016, near American Fork, Utah. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey will study how nutrient levels contribute to algae bloom outbreaks on the heels of this summer's massive algae bloom that closed Utah Lake, sickened people and left farmers scrambling for clean water during some of the hottest days of the year. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Toxic algae is a problem around the U.S. An enormous outbreak in Florida this year fouled beaches on the Atlantic coast, and a 2014 outbreak at Lake Erie left more than 400,000 people in the Toledo, Ohio, area without tap water for two days.

This study is an experimental "proof of concept" project designed to show longer-term research is worth the financial investment, Shope said. Currently, state officials monitor water bodies for algae on a limited basis because equipment is expensive, and monitoring and analyzing are time-consuming.

U.S. Geological Survey teams used one set of equipment to collect data at each lake  in the Great Salt Lake's Gilbert Bay and throughout Utah Lake. A larger study of Utah Lake, for instance, would require five sets of monitoring equipment that cost $150,000 each and an additional $50,000 annually to operate.

The study aims to hone in on which nutrients are causing the algae. Researchers will look at wastewater treatment plants and agriculture operations, among other things, Shope said.

The study was launched after this summer's bloom that covered large parts of the 150-square-mile Utah Lake and left about 100 people with symptoms such as vomiting, headache and rashes.

The bacteria commonly known as blue-green algae spread rapidly, turning the water bright, antifreeze green with a pea soup texture and leaving scummy foam along the shore. The lake was reopened after the algae dissipated at most locations.

Ben Holcomb of Utah's Division of Water Quality said his team is grateful for the U.S. Geological Survey's assistance.

"It really helps us fill in those gaps across the lake," said Holcomb, the biological assessment program coordinator.

He said he's unaware of any way to get rid of the bloom in huge bodies of water with protected wildlife. But he said being able to closely monitor water readings in real time would give officials a tremendous tool.

"We would be able to get the word out quicker to perhaps keep people off the lake," Holcomb said. "The amount of data limits our ability to make good, quick decisions."

FILE - This July 20, 2016, file photo, the water along the shore of Utah Lake is shown, near American Fork, Utah. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey will study how nutrient levels contribute to algae bloom outbreaks on the heels of this summer's massive algae bloom that closed Utah Lake, sickened people and left farmers scrambling for clean water during some of the hottest days of the year. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Arpaio won't take blame for failed case against Flake's son

PHOENIX (AP)  The sheriff of metropolitan Phoenix refused during a recent deposition to accept responsibility for bringing a failed animal cruelty case against the college-age son of a U.S. senator over the heat-exhaustion deaths of 21 dogs at a kennel operated by his in-laws.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio gave the pretrial testimony in a lawsuit by Sen. Jeff Flake's son, who alleges the lawman injured his reputation by repeatedly publicizing trumped-up accusations over the 2014 animal deaths. A copy of the July 14 depositions was publicly released this week by Flake's lawyer, despite objections from the sheriff.

Austin Flake and his then-wife, Logan, were in charge of the dogs while his in-laws were out of town. The in-laws initially said the animals died after a dog chewed through an air conditioning wire.

But prosecutors dismissed the felony animal cruelty charges against the couple after an expert determined the kennel's AC unit failed because it wasn't properly maintained. Prosecutors have said the case presented to grand jurors didn't take into account the potential for problems with the air conditioner. The in-laws have since pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge.

The younger Flake's malicious-prosecution lawsuit alleges that Arpaio pursued the investigation to gain publicity and do political damage to the senator, who criticized an investigation by a sheriff's volunteer posse into the authenticity of President Barack Obama's birth certificate. Arpaio has denied the allegations.

In his deposition last month, Arpaio was unable to cite any evidence to support the allegations against the couple, but repeatedly expressed confidence in his investigators.

"I am going by what my detectives accomplished during their investigation," Arpaio said. "They had the nuts and bolts already. I defend my people. I have confidence in them. I don't have to know everything that's going on."

Stephen Montoya, a lawyer representing Austin and Logan Flake, said his clients had no idea at the time that the air conditioner was failing and have suffered from the publicity that Arpaio generated about the case. The sheriff held press conferences and issues news releases on the case.

Some people who read about the case posted threatening comments online about the couple, and the senator's son was suspended from his college for an honor-code violation as a result of the dog deaths, Montoya said.

"Waking up and finding those dogs was the worst day of their lives," Montoya said.

Arpaio's office declined to comment Friday on the deposition, saying the sheriff hasn't yet received a transcript of his testimony.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery's office, which filed but later dismissed the charges against the Flakes, declined to comment. The prosecutorial agency isn't named as a party in the lawsuit.

This isn't the first time Arpaio has been accused of trumping up charges in an animal cruelty case.

He launched an investigation against a Chandler police officer over the 2007 heat-exhaustion death of a police dog that was left in a hot vehicle for 12 hours in blistering summer heat.

The officer was charged with animal abuse, but was eventually acquitted. He filed a lawsuit alleging Arpaio trumped up the criminal case so the sheriff could exploit the publicity.

Taxpayers paid $775,000 to the officer to settle the case. Arpaio's office didn't acknowledge any wrongdoing in the agreement to resolve the case.

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Islamic State losses mount with liberation of Syrian town

The Islamic State group's loss of the northern Syrian town of Manbij to U.S.-backed fighters marks the latest in a string of defeats for the extremists across their self-styled caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

The strategic town, which lies on a supply route between the Turkish border and the de facto IS capital, Raqqa, fell to the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces on Friday after more than two months of heavy fighting and U.S.-led airstrikes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the fighting claimed more than 1,700 lives, including more than 400 civilians.

IS still controls large areas of Syria as well as Iraq's second largest city, Mosul. It has also claimed major terrorist attacks in recent months, including the Orlando shooting, the Nice truck attack, and a Baghdad bombing that killed some 300 people.

This image posted online on Monday, July. 18, 2016, by supporters of the Islamic State militant group on an anonymous photo sharing website, shows Islamic State fighters fire their weapons during clashes with the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces in Manbij, in Aleppo province, Syria. ISyrian Kurdish officials and an activist group say U.S.-backed fighters have seized a key Islamic State stronghold in northern Syria after two months of heavy fighting and freed hundreds of civilians the extremists had used as human shields. The Arabic caption on the photo reads, "Soldiers of the caliphate clash with Kurdish infidels in northern countryside of Manbij." (militant photo via AP)

But Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, the top U.S. commander for the fight against IS, said this week that some 45,000 IS militants have been removed from the battlefield, reducing the group's total numbers to as few as 15,000.

Here is a look at the IS group's recent territorial setbacks.

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FALLUJAH

Iraqi forces captured Fallujah in late June after a five-week offensive. Fallujah is just an hour's drive west of Baghdad, and in early 2014 became the first Iraqi city to fall to IS. The Sunni city was an insurgent stronghold following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and more than 100 American soldiers were killed in house-by-house fighting there in 2004.

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PALMYRA

Syrian government forces aided by Russian airstrikes drove IS out of Palmyra, an eastern oasis town known for its stunning Roman-era ruins, in March. During their 10-month reign, the extremists destroyed 2,000-year-old temples and other monuments in the town's UNESCO world heritage site, once one of Syria's main tourist attractions. The extremists view such ancient ruins as monuments to idolatry.

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RAMADI

Iraq declared the capital of its western Anbar province "fully liberated" in February after months of fighting. As in Fallujah, Iraqi forces laid siege to the city and then gradually pushed in with the aid of heavy U.S. airstrikes. The battle to recapture Ramadi destroyed much of the city, and most of its residents have yet to return home.

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SHADDADEH

The SDF captured some 2,400 square kilometers (927 square miles) of territory from IS in northern Syria in February alone, including the strategic town of Shaddadeh, on the main road linking Raqqa and Mosul. The strip of territory along the Turkish border had been used to bring in supplies and foreign fighters.

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SINJAR

Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish forces pushed IS out of Sinjar, west of Mosul, in November 2015 with the help of a U.S.-led air campaign. When IS overran the town in 2014, the extremists killed and enslaved thousands of members of Iraq's Yazidi religious minority. The recapture of the town severed a major supply route between IS-ruled territories in Iraq and Syria.

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TAL ABYAD

Syrian Kurdish forces captured the northern Syrian town of Tal Abyad in July 2015, handing the extremist group its biggest loss in Syria since the establishment of its self-proclaimed caliphate the year before. The loss of Tal Abyad severed the most direct supply route from the Turkish border to Raqqa, forcing IS to rely on a narrow belt of territory further west, including Manbij.

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SIRTE
The Latest: Sheriff takes over duties in Hatch; town mourns

HATCH, N.M. (AP)  The Latest on the slaying of a New Mexico police officer (all times local):

1:40 p.m.

Dona Ana County Sheriff's deputies have taken over public safety duties in the village of Hatch following the fatal shooting of one of its eight officers.

This photo provided by Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows Jesse D. Hanes. Dona Ana County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Jameson says that Hanes is suspected of gunning down Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction via AP)

The department says deputies will respond to calls in Hatch while local officers mourn the killing of 33-year-old Jose Chavez. The officer, who had been on the force for two years, was killed Friday after pulling over two Ohio fugitives.

Police suspect 38-year-old Jesse Hanes was the shooter. James Nelson, who is also wanted on suspicion of murder in Ohio, was in the car.

Hanes remains hospitalized after shooting himself in the leg.

Nelson is being held on a fugitive warrant.

A third person in the car was a hitchhiker who is considered a witness.

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1:10 p.m.

Authorities say a fugitive from Ohio was with another suspect believed to have fatally shot a New Mexico police officer during a traffic stop Friday.

James Nelson and Jesse Hanes were both wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man at his home just outside Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus.

Police say Nelson was in the car when Hanes killed 33-year-old Jose Chavez, a police officer in the village of Hatch, New Mexico. Nelson is being heled on a fugitive from justice warrant.

Hanes remains hospitalized after shooting himself in the leg.

Nelson, who also goes by "JD," has drug-related convictions in Ohio dating back to the mid-1990s

Authorities say Hanes killed 33-year-old Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez.

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12:18 p.m.

Federal and local authorities plan to release more information about the fatal shooting of New Mexico police officer by a suspected fugitive from Ohio during a news conference Saturday.

The Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department says the conference is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. MDT.

Authorities say 38-year-old Jesse Hanes, who is wanted in Ohio on a murder charge, fatally shot 33-year-old Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop Friday.

Hanes has an extensive criminal history in Ohio, including involuntary manslaughter and robbery convictions.

Police say two others were in the car when Hanes shot Chavez before fleeing, carjacking a man at a rest stop, shooting him.

Deputies were able to stop Hanes by deflating his tires.

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This story has corrected to show that the age of suspect Jesse Hanes is 38, not 36.

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11:05 a.m.

An Ohio fugitive wanted for murder has been arrested in the fatal shooting death of a New Mexico police officer.

Dona Ana County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Jameson says that 36-year-old Jesse Hanes is suspected of gunning down Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop Friday.

Hanes fled and is suspected of carjacking a man at a rest stop before shooting him in the stomach. The man's condition is unknown.

Authorities say the confrontation began when Chavez pulled over Hanes in the village of Hatch, about 40 miles northwest of Las Cruces.

Hanes then fled but sheriff's deputies were able to stop him using a tire-deflating device.

Two others were also arrested, but have not been identified by New Mexico authorities.

Hanes was sought in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man just outside Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus.

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4:07 a.m.

Authorities say a New Mexico police officer has died after being shot in the neck during a traffic stop, and three suspects are in custody.

Dona Ana County authorities say the officer was shot by a passenger who had gotten out of the vehicle during the Friday traffic stop in the village of Hatch, about 40 miles northwest of Las Cruces.

Thirty-three-year-old Hatch Officer Jose Chavez was taken to a Texas hospital, and died.

The three suspects drove south on Interstate 25, then stopped at a rest stop, where one of them carjacked another vehicle. Authorities say that car's owner was shot. Authorities caught up with all three suspects, one of whom had a gunshot wound to the leg.
Wandering moose inspires 400-mile cross-border trail

NEWCOMB, N.Y. (AP)  The 400-mile trek of a radio-collared moose named Alice is the inspiration for a proposed hiking trail from Ontario's forested Algonquin Park to the heart of New York's Adirondack Mountains.

Planners of the A2A  Algonquin to Adirondack  Trail liken it to Spain's famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, with the added benefit of preserving an important wildlife migration corridor between two vast wilderness regions.

"This is one of last great migration routes. It's an area where wildlife can regenerate itself," said Emily Conger, chair of the trail committee for the A2A Collaborative, the Ontario-based nonprofit conservation group behind the project.

This photo taken on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016, shows Huntington Wildlife Forest from the top of Goodnow Mountain in New York's Andirondack Mountains, in the center of the 15,000-acre research forest owned by the state College of Environmental Science and Forestry. The nonprofit A2A Collaborative in Lansdowne, Ontario, is planning a hiking trail from here to Algonquin Provincial Park following the general route taken by a radio-collared moose released by wildlife workers here in 1998. The 400-mile A2A Trail, still in early planning stages, is intended to promote protection of the migration corridor used by moose and other wildlife, as well as boost tourist business in villages along the way. (AP Photo/Mary Esch)

Still in the planning stage with no definite route, the A2A will combine existing trails and roads following the general track taken by Alice, a moose radio-collared by New York wildlife workers in 1998 and released in a remote forest area in the central Adirondack town of Newcomb.

For two years, researchers tracked Alice as she swam across lakes, traversed the U.S. Army's Fort Drum, swam the St. Lawrence River and loped across Canada's busy Highway 401 before eventually reaching the 3,000-square-mile Algonquin Park, where she died of unknown causes. Her remains were found in 2001.

"We want to create a trail system that is not only a destination, but also elevates the concept of wildlife corridors and connectivity of landscapes," said Sarah Walsh, with New York's Department of Environmental Conservation who serves privately as A2A's volunteer president. "People will be able to experience the way Alice made this journey."

The Adirondack section of the trail will most likely start in Newcomb at the Adirondack Interpretive Center, a nature center where the College of Environmental Science and Forestry tracked Alice. From there, it will meander through hardwood and evergreen forest interspersed with bogs, streams and lakes.

A tentative plan includes 192 miles of existing hiking trails, 56 miles of rail-trail, 60 miles of main roads and 115 miles of back roads. Coordinators plan to engage communities along the route to provide amenities for trail-walkers.

Conger envisions something similar to the 375-mile stretch of the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain that she walked in 2014, starting in the rugged Pyrenees and traveling through villages, vineyards, farms and forests. Along the way, pilgrims were welcomed into cafes, shops and inns in communities that had a thriving tourist industry because of the trail.

"The A2A can bring a similar economic boost for small towns in northern New York and eastern Ontario," Conger said.

A series of trail-promoting events is in the works along the Canadian section starting this fall, with a goal of seeing the full route completed in five years, Conger said.

Neil Woodworth, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club, which has been building and maintaining trails in the region for more than 90 years, said the A2A Trail is feasible but will take considerable resources. The club hasn't been asked to work on the A2A, but for the next few years, Woodworth said his organization is committed to building the Adirondack leg of the 4,600-mile North Country National Scenic Trail that stretches from North Dakota to Lake Champlain.

Walsh concedes that the A2A Trail has many obstacles outside the park boundaries, but the organization will work with civic groups, greenways, land trusts and others to design a route that communities will embrace. She said the Appalachian Trail, maintained by 31 trail clubs and many partnerships from Georgia to Maine, provides inspiration.

"It took decades to complete the Appalachian Trail," she said. "We've only been working on this for less than two years."

This photo taken on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016, shows Rich Lake from a trail at the Adirondack Interpretive Center, where the 400-mile A2A Trail is proposed to begin. The nonprofit A2A Collaborative in Lansdowne, Ontario, is planning a hiking trail from here to Algonquin Provincial Park following the general route taken by a radio-collared moose released by wildlife workers in the surrounding Huntington Wildlife Forest here in 1998. (AP Photo/Mary Esch)
What's a picture worth? More than a thousand words to voters

A mishmash of voices and music blaring from video screens compete for attention inside a new art exhibit in Ohio looking at the images and sounds of presidential campaign television ads.

In another show near New York City that explores how photos affect voters, snapshots of John Kennedy greeting supporters are mixed with selfies of candidates with celebrities and "regular people."

Whether the images are from grainy black and white videos or colorful Instagram posts, there's no question they've all impacted the way Americans choose who lives in the White House.

FILE  In this July 27, 2016 file photo, Jennifer Pitta shows off a tattoo of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Lackawanna College, in Scranton, Pa. This photo will be included in the International Center of Photography's show in Long Island, New York, exploring how photos affect voters, from snapshots of John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama's "Hope" poster. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, file)

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The election year exhibit at the Toledo Museum Art provides a glimpse into how campaigns use ads to sway opinions and capture votes through four emotions: hope, pride, fear and anger.

"This is about lifting the veil on the persuasive techniques that politicians use to influence you," said Harriett Levin Balkind, a co-curator of the show.

And those tricks and techniques are done with our emotions in mind, she said.

That's because researchers have found voters tend to make choices based on feelings more than the issues, said Balkind, founder of HonestAds, a New York City nonpartisan group that deciphers political ads.

The exhibit, called "I Approve This Message," features miniature theaters showing the evolution of presidential ads on television, beginning with the first commercials in 1952 up through the 2012 election.

The clips include Dwight Eisenhower's cartoonish "I Like Ike" commercial from 1952, President Ronald Reagan's uplifting "Morning in America" in 1984 and President Lyndon B. Johnson's "Daisy Girl" from 1964 that warns of nuclear holocaust.

The LBJ ad, in which a girl's innocent counting of daisy petals morphs into a countdown to a nuclear explosion, aired just once as a paid ad, but was shown many more times in news reports. "I think of that as the first viral ad," Balkind said.

There are some obscure ads featured, too. One shows Jacqueline Kennedy speaking in Spanish during her husband's 1960 campaign.

What stands out is how themes are often repeated  Eisenhower was the "The Man from Abilene" in 1956; Bill Clinton "The Man from Hope" in 1992.

Organizers of the exhibit  open now through Election Day on Nov. 8  made sure each exhibit features an equal number of commercials from both parties, said Adam Levine, the Toledo museum's associate director who's also the show's co-curator.

"This is not an exhibition about politics," he said. "It's about voters."

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The exhibit on presidential images by the International Center of Photography in Southampton, New York, comes at a moment as technologically historic as Johanness Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in the 1400s, said Mark Lubell, the center's executive director.

Part of the exhibit, "Winning The White House: From Press Prints to Selfies," shows examples of how a new form of communication can influence society, in this case choosing a president, Lubell said.

"The world was a much different place before the printing press than after and I think we are now living through that same moment," he said. "If someone takes a selfie and sends it on social media and that person has 20,000 friends, that's a more impactful picture  you with Clinton or Trump  than a picture from a traditional news source."

Approximately 200 selfies featuring everyday people and celebrities like Meryl Streep and Katy Perry with Hillary Clinton or others of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders with supporters form a pattern of wallpaper covering a 12-foot wall inside the gallery.

The exhibit features many iconic images from the past half-century, including the Kennedys campaigning in New York City in 1960 and the Barack Obama "Hope" poster designed by artist Shepard Fairey for the 2008 campaign along with posters and video materials. It runs at the Southampton Arts Center until Sept. 11, before moving to the Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey, until November.

"Since the time of Abraham Lincoln through the present day, presidential candidates have used photographic imagery in their campaigns to impact public opinion," says Claartje van Dijk, assistant curator of the center. "While staged and curated press prints have historically been the tools of choice for candidates to reach and perform for their electorate, the delivery method has shifted."

Work by professionals and photojournalists are the heart of the exhibit.

"Despite the oversaturation of images seen on social media, publishers still hire professional photographers for their political knowledge," says Nina Berman, director of the photojournalism program at Columbia University. "What we are seeing more of from their work is a particular style of interpretive photography."

Since the 1990s, news photographers have strived to break down "the vision of propaganda" that show candidates in idealistic settings, she said.

"They are photos emphasizing that this really is a show," Berman said.

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Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio, and Eltman reported from Mineola, New York.

FILE  In this June 3, 1992 file photo, Bill Clinton, plays the saxophone during a campaign stop on "The Arsenio Hall Show" in Los Angeles as host Arsenio Hall stands by. This photo will be included in the International Center of Photography's show in Long Island, New York, exploring how photos affect voters, from snapshots of John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama's "Hope" poster. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

In this July 28, 2016 photo, a visitor looks at an exhibit on political campaign ads at the Toledo Museum in Toledo, Ohio. The exhibit, which runs through Election Day, looks at how campaigns use emotions such as hope and fear to influence voters through advertising. (AP Photo/John Seewer)

In this July 28, 2016 photo, visitors view an exhibit on political campaign ads at the Toledo Museum in Toledo, Ohio. The exhibit, which runs through Election Day, looks at how campaigns use emotions such as hope and fear to influence voters through advertising. (AP Photo/John Seewer)

In this July 28, 2016 photo, a sign explains an exhibit on political campaign ads at the Toledo Museum in Toledo, Ohio. The exhibit, which runs through Election Day, looks at how campaigns use emotions such as hope and fear to influence voters through advertising. (AP Photo/John Seewer)

In this Wednesday, July 13, 2016 photo, Adam Levine and Harriett Levin Balkind, co-curators of an art exhibit on political campaign ads, pose in front of a video screen at the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio. The show looks at how campaigns use emotions such as hope and fear to influence voters through advertising. (AP Photo/John Seewer)

In this July 28, 2016 photo, visitors view an exhibit on political campaign ads at the Toledo Museum in Toledo, Ohio. The exhibit, which runs through Election Day, looks at how campaigns use emotions such as hope and fear to influence voters through advertising. (AP Photo/John Seewer)

FILE  In this Oct. 16, 1992 file photo Ross Perot is shown on a screen in a paid 30-minute television commercial, during a media preview in Dallas. The image will be included in the International Center of Photography's exhibit in Long Island, New York, exploring how photos affect voters. (AP Photo, File)

FILE  Aug. 1, 1972 fie photo, following a three-hour long closed meeting in Washington,, Sen. Thomas Eagleton, left, and Sen. George McGovern, right, head in different directions, after McGovern announced that Eagleton was stepping down as his vice presidential running mate. Two new photo exhibits running until Election Day show how images and video sway opinions and capture votes. This photo will be included in the International Center of Photography's show in Long Island, New York, exploring how photos affect voters, from snapshots of John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama's "Hope" poster. (AP Photo, File)

FILE  In this July 28, 2016 file photo, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her running mate Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., celebrate in a sea of falling balloons during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Two new photo exhibits running until Election Day show how images and video sway opinions and capture votes. This photo will be included in the International Center of Photography's show in Long Island, New York, exploring how photos affect voters, from snapshots of John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama's "Hope" poster. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Kenny Baker, who played R2-D2 in 'Star Wars,' dead at 81

LONDON (AP)  Kenny Baker played the lovable droid R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, achieving cult status and fans' adulation without showing his face or speaking any lines.

The 3-foot 8-inch (1.1 meter) performer  a word he preferred to actor  inside the waste-bin-shaped costume has died at 81. Baker's nephew and carer, Drew Myerscough, said he found Baker dead Saturday at his home in Preston, northwest England.

Myerscough told Sky News that Baker had suffered years of breathing problems, "which he had borne very bravely." He said the affection of "Star Wars" fans around the world "kept him going, without any doubt."

CORRECTS BAKER'S AGE. FILE- In this Saturday, May 26, 2007 file photo, actor Kenny Baker, who portrayed the R2-D2 in the first Star Wars movie, signs autographs at Star Wars Celebration IV, billed as the world's biggest Star Wars party, marking the 30th anniversary of the release of the first film in the Star Wars saga, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Baker, 81, has died Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. His niece, Abigail Shield, said he was found dead by a nephew on Saturday at his home in northwest England after a long illness. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

"He was amazed that, even after 30-odd years, the fans still basically adored him," Myerscough said.

Baker's agent, Johnny Mans, confirmed his death. He said Baker was "one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet, and a fabulous and talented performer."

Mark Hamill, the "Star Wars" series' Luke Skywalker, tweeted: "Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination. He WAS the droid I was looking for!"  a reference to a famous line from the first film.

Actor Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in three "Star Wars" movies, tweeted: "So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny."

Born to a music-loving family in the central England city of Birmingham on Aug 24, 1934, Baker started performing at 16 as part of a troupe called "Burton Lester's Midgets."

Baker told The Associated Press in 1985 that Burton had asked him "What can you do?' I said I could roller skate, ride a bike and whistle. I joined them and did all that, and conjuring tricks, played drums and comedy routines as well."

Baker later worked as a DJ and circus clown, and as half a comedy-musical duo called the Mini-Tones with Jack Purvis, who also appeared in the "Star Wars" films.

Fame came when he was cast as the actor inside R2-D2's cylindrical robot costume in 1977's "Star Wars."

"I worked the levers," he told the AP.

Baker said he initially turned down the part. In an interview on his website, he said he told director George Lucas "I don't want to be stuck in a robot, what for, for goodness sake?"

Eventually, he said he told Lucas, "I'll help you out."

Even though R2-D2's dialogue amounted only to beeps and whistles, the droid and his lanky friend C-3PO became two of the series' most beloved characters.

Baker returned for "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," and reprised the role in three prequels released between 1999 and 2005.

Despite their onscreen rapport, Baker and Anthony Daniels, who played the protocol droid C-3P0, weren't close. Baker accused Daniels of being snobbish; Daniels was once quoted by Britain's Daily Mirror as saying Baker "might as well be a bucket."

Baker also appeared in films including "The Elephant Man," ''Time Bandits," ''Willow" and "Labyrinth."

Baker's wife Eileen died in 1993. The couple had two sons.
Mackenzi Prochnow of Eau Claire had set up her chair to watch the Pure Water Days parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, three hours ahead of the parades start.

Then she found out she would have to move out of her spot by the Chippewa County Courthouse because fire rigs from the Chippewa Fire District needed to part there.

Prochnow and her family, including son, Blake, 5, and daughter, Baylee, 2, still got prime viewing seats, near where judges viewing stand. My kids enjoy the parade, Prochnow said.

So did Prochnows mother, Bobbi Hembd. Im on my lunch hours, Hembd said. Her boss at the Walmart store in Lake Hallie was nice enough to allow her to take in part of the parade.

Cory Jeffers got to relax during most of the parade through downtown Chippewa Falls. A member of the Chippewa Fire District, he had to wait until it was time for the districts four rigs to join in near the end of the parade. Jeffers said the rigs were the districts newest trucks.

Lynn Perrenoud of Fox Lake, near Madison, relaxed in a chair awaiting the parades start. She once lived in Chippewa Falls and returned to the area to visit with family.

Its beautiful here. Theres been a lot of changes since I moved away, she said. She added Irvine Park and the rest of the city are amazing.

Jeri Sedlacek of Chippewa Falls has lived in Chippewa Falls for about 30 years. She was used going to the parade when it wound its way by the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. The parade route changed years ago, now going south on Bridge Street.

Were excited to go down to River Fest, she said of the celebration in Allen Park after the parade.

Actually, her granddaughter, Jesslyn, 4, was very excited about River Fest, because of the inflatible attractions.

Jesslyn had walked through last years Bridge to Wonderland parade in Chippewa Falls, but this was her first time celebrating Pure Water Days.

What was she excited about while viewing the parade?

The treats, she replied.
First-ever marijuana fair opens in Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  People flocked to Oregon's first-ever marijuana growers' fair on Saturday, where a competition for best pot plants will be held with the winning entries to be displayed at the Oregon State Fair.

The inaugural two-day event being held in an exhibition hall on the Oregon State Fairgrounds underscores how the once-illicit marijuana industry is starting to go mainstream in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized recreational marijuana use, along with Washington, D.C.

Donald Morse, a pot grower who conceived the Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair, said attendance was strong, less than two hours after the doors opened Saturday morning. Segments of the industry, from seed providers all the way to a company offering mechanized bud trimmers, were among more than 80 exhibitors.

A sign at the Oregon State Fairgrounds displays the dates for the Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair in Salem, Ore., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. In a sign of how mainstream the once-illicit marijuana industry is becoming in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized it, exhibitors are heading to the state capital to set up for the inaugural Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

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Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter @andrewselsky

Oregon's producers display live marijuana plants for the Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair in Salem, Ore., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. In a sign of how mainstream the once-illicit marijuana industry is becoming in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized it, exhibitors are heading to the state capital to set up for the inaugural Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2015, file photo, Shane Cavanaugh, owner of Amazon Organics, a pot dispensary in Eugene, Ore., arranges the cannabis display in his store. In a sign of how mainstream the once-illicit marijuana industry is becoming in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized it, exhibitors are heading to the state capital to set up for the inaugural Oregon Cannabis Grower's Fair. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang, File)
Egyptian lawyer, journalist released after prison sentence

CAIRO (AP)  Egyptian authorities have released two prominent human rights activists who had been jailed for over a year for demonstrating against police brutality.

Lawyer Mahienour el-Masry and journalist Youssef Shabaan were freed Saturday after serving 15 months in jail having been convicted of "storming a police station" at a demonstration in the coastal city of Alexandria in 2013.

El-Masry had been incarcerated before for her activism, and in 2014 received the Ludovic Trarieux Human Rights Award while on hunger strike in prison. Hunger striking is often used in Egypt to protest ill treatment and lack of due process.
Rossetti gets skeet gold; Al-Rashidi wins bronze and hearts

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Gabriele Rossetti made a golden addition to the family's medal collection.

The Mustache stole the show, however.

Rossetti was perfect while capturing gold in men's skeet, 24 years after his father took bronze in the same event. But it was mustachioed independent athlete Abdullah Al-Rashidi earned bronze and the fans' hearts Saturday at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Abdullah Al-Rashidi, right, an independent athlete from Kuwait competing on the Refugee Olympic Team, celebrates winning the bronze medal during the victory ceremony for the men's skeet gold medal match at the Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

"I am happy. I don't know why they help me, but thank you," Al-Rashidi said.

First, Rossetti's story.

The 21-year-old Italian prodigy with deep-rooted skeet genes was the favorite heading into Rio, and he lived up to expectations  after surviving a shoot-off to get into the finals.

Needing to make up ground heading into the final day, Rossetti didn't miss a shot: 25 straight targets in the second qualifying stage, 12 more in the four-person shoot-off.

He hit all 16 semifinal targets and matched that against Sweden's Marcus Svensson in the gold medal match. Rossetti earned the gold when Svensson missed his final shot, giving the Italian a brighter medal than the bronze his father, Bruno, earned at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

"I didn't think about my father's medal before the competition, but now I have added to the family medal collection," Rossetti said.

Now, Al-Rashidi.

The 52-year-old, who trains falcons when he's not shooting, has a long shooting history.

Al-Rashidi's Olympic debut came at the 1996 Atlanta Games and Rio was his sixth time on sport's biggest stage. A three-time world champion, he had never earned an Olympic medal, though; Rio was his first final.

Al-Rashidi was unable to compete for his country after Kuwait's national Olympic committee was suspended by the IOC for government interference. He and the other Kuwaiti athletes who qualified  double trap gold medalist Fehaid Al-Deehani among them  were allowed to compete as an independent team under the IOC flag.

Al-Rashidi tied as the top qualifier in Rio and became an instant fan favorite once the finals begin.

The capacity crowd, most of it Brazilian, latched on to the underdog in the Arsenal jersey  he liked the way it looked and felt  and cheered wildly when he was introduced and with every target he shattered.

Al-Rashidi played up to the adulation, waving his arms and pumping his fists to their cheers during introductions, spurring the fans even more.

Al-Rashidi ended the semifinals in a three-way tie with Denmark's Jesper Hansen and Stefan Nilsson, forcing a shoot-off for a spot in the bronze medal match. Al-Rashidi shot last in the threesome and the crowd knew he had a chance to move on after Hansen and Nilsson each missed one, screaming and waving flags before the Kuwaiti's turn.

Playing the showman again, he raised his gun in the air and flashed a thumb's up as the cheers continued. An official at Al-Rashidi's station tried to urge the Kuwaiti shooter to take his turn, but he shrugged and pointed at the crowd as if to say, "What am I supposed to do?"

He hit both shots, setting off another round of cheers and a shot at the bronze against Ukraine's Mikola Milchev.

Al-Rashidi was perfect in the bronze medal match.

Al-Rashidi raised his arms in the air, dropped to his knees and kissed the ground. He rose and threw his hat in the air as the crowd chanted in Portuguese: "Ole, ole, ole, Mustache!"

"We like his mustache, so we start to chant," one Brazilian fan said.

The man with the mustache  he actually trimmed it recently  soaked in the adulation, again raising his arms after receiving his bronze medal as another chant about his facial hair rang out across the Olympic Shooting Centre.

"I am Brazilian," Al-Rashidi said. "I am from Brazil."

Gabriele Rossetti of Italy, center, celebrates winning the gold medal with the women's skeet Gold medalist Diana Bacosi, left, of Italy and silver medalist and compatriot Chiara Cainero, during the victory ceremony for the men's skeet gold medal match at the Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Abdullah Al-Rashidi, right, an independent athlete from Kuwait competing on the Refugee Olympic Team, prays after winning the bronze medal during the men's skeet bronze medal match at the Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Gabriele Rossetti of Italy kisses his gold medal during the award ceremony for men's skeet event at Olympic Shooting Center at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Hammond urged to do more to plug EU funding gap

Chancellor Philip Hammond has been urged to take further steps to provide certainty to businesses, scientists and farmers after guaranteeing any European Union funding they lose after Brexit will be paid by the Government.

In a major announcement which Mr Hammond said would cost around 4.5 billion a year, the Treasury will plug the post-Brexit funding gap for projects which receive EU structural and investment funds and which are approved before the Autumn Statement.

Projects that gain approval after the mini-Budget - expected in November or December - will be assessed by the Treasury to see if they should also get a guarantee.

Philip Hammond will guarantee Government funding for projects backed by the EU structural and investment fund which are signed off before this year's Autumn Statement

Organisations that bid competitively for European Commission funding, such as universities applying for Horizon 2020 research money, will also have their payments underwritten.

And the Government will maintain Common Agricultural Policy pillar one funding for farmers until 2020, as a domestic system is put in place.

But industry bodies, representative groups and campaigners have called for further guarantees amid concerns that the likes of scientists and researchers have already missed out on funding due to uncertainty caused by the vote to leave the EU.

The Royal Society fellowship of scientists described Mr Hammond's announcement as "very welcome news".

But its president Sir Venki Ramakrishnan said some scientists had already missed out on collaborative projects because European colleagues were worried about funding.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think that is why this measure is so welcome because we have been hearing anecdotal reports of people not being willing to collaborate with certain UK collaborators because they weren't sure that they would be able to to stay for the full duration of the grant.

"People have been told that, so far there are anecdotal reports and we are trying to gather evidence to see the extent of this."

He called for an extension of the guarantee to projects that gain approval after the Autumn Statement.

"Our hope is that any grants that are awarded while we are still in the EU should be allowed to complete," he said.

The National Trust and British Chambers of Commerce said they were worried about the Autumn Statement cut off date.

A National Trust spokesman said: "We welcome the Government's decision to continue with funding for newly agreed and existing agri-environment schemes. But set against this is the continued uncertainty should new applications be restricted beyond this autumn. This would put at serious risk decades of effort by farmers and organisations like ours to protect and enhance our countryside."

British Chambers of Commerce acting director general Adam Marshall said projects "crucial to local business success and confidence" have been at risk since the referendum due to the lack of clarity over funding and welcomed the move.

But he added: "The delays that many worthwhile projects face in the approval process must also be cleared away - especially given the fact that the Treasury guarantee only covers projects signed by this year's Autumn Statement."

The CLA, which represents over 32,000 farmers, landowners and other rural businesses said the move was "vitally important" but called for a "world-leading" domestic funding policy to be drawn up and ready for 2021.

University of Aberdeen dean for Europe, Professor Dame Anne Glover, said: "The research community needs to continue pressure to ensure this commitment is fully honoured.

"We must also highlight the importance of having explicit responsibilities for science, engineering and technology in the Department for Exiting the EU as argued for by Scientists for the EU, the Royal Society and many others.

"Without a clear understanding of the link between science, engineering and technology and our economy the Government may inadvertently compromise our future."

Making the announcement, Mr Hammond said: "We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive.

"That's why I am confirming that structural and investment funds projects signed before the Autumn Statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave.

"The Government will also match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, who play a vital role in our country.

"We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we use the opportunities that departure presents to determine our own priorities."

Labour welcomed the move but called for clarity over whether Britain would remain a member of the European Investment Bank, which funds infrastructure investment in areas like housing.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "We welcome Philip Hammond's decision to agree with Labour's calls for EU structural funds to be protected post-Brexit.

"This will help to give some reassurance to communities and businesses right the way across the UK.

"However, we also want to urgently hear the Chancellor speak up on the importance of keeping Britain's membership of the European Investment Bank as we have set out in Labour's five red lines for negotiations."

The Local Government Association said the commitment "falls well short" of a full guarantee around the future of all the 5.3 billion in regeneration funding promised to local areas.

LGA chairman Lord Porter said: "The continued uncertainty risks damaging local regeneration plans and stalling flagship infrastructure projects, employment and skills schemes and local growth."

The peer said much of the funding is tied up in proposals which have not received Government approval and called on ministers to "pull out all the stops" to get the projects signed off.

He went on: "The Government must also use the Autumn Statement to guarantee that local areas will receive every penny of EU funding they are expecting by the end of the decade, as well as honouring commitments to match fund EU monies with domestic funding.

"This guarantee needs to be made regardless of whether the money comes from the EU or is replacement funding and even if decisions over which projects it should be spent on have been made or not."

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said the guarantee "does not go far enough" because it only covers "about half" of the regional funding due to Wales.

He went on: "We now need to hear directly from the UK Government about the detail of this announcement.

"We need a 'full guarantee' that funding will continue for our existing EU programmes to 2023.

"It's also not unreasonable to expect further funding to address Wales' economic and social needs, particularly support for our most deprived areas after this date."

National Farmers Union president Meurig Raymond welcomed the news and said it would allow time for a domestic system to be put in place.

"The Treasury's announcement today is positive for farmers," he said.
Israeli performers concerned at 'growing anti-Semitism' in UK

Israeli performers have raised concerns about "growing anti-Semitism in the UK" as they returned to the Edinburgh Festival following an absence sparked by targeted protests.

The International Shalom Festival will bring Israeli performers to Edinburgh on Wednesday for the first time since 2014.

Organisers say Israeli arts companies were deterred from visiting Edinburgh last year "following targeted protests and demonstrations in 2012, and threats of disruption in 2014 to Israeli performers".

The International Shalom Festival is taking place in Edinburgh

They say the event has received no funding from the State of Israel, and the festival has received cross-party political support in Scotland.

Shalom Festival organiser Nigel Goodrich said: "This event has received absolutely no funding from the State of Israel, it is not financed by the Israeli embassy and we have not asked for a single shekel from them or any agency of the state of Israel itself.

"To be criticised as 'Israeli State-sponsored' is absurd and completely inaccurate.

"The Festival is about peace, and peace means dialogue, not violence."

Performer Hadar Galron said: "We see and hear on Israeli media coverage about growing anti-Semitism in the UK so an event aimed at building cultural bridges left me feeling overwhelmed and touched.

"There's an old Jewish proverb: 'It takes a little light to banish darkness- but a little darkness cannot turn out the light'."

SNP MSP John Mason said: "For too long people have jumped to support either Palestine or Israel with little concern for the other side. We need more events like this so we all have a better understanding of all sides in that region."

Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw said: "The Edinburgh Festival is an opportunity for all to show their talents. It should not be a place for discrimination of one type of performer, Israeli.

"Too often in the past there have been problems with artists who may have received sponsorship from the Israeli Embassy being targeted.
Man held after two people killed in hit-and-run incident

A man has been arrested after two people died in a hit-and-run crash.

The 23-year-old from Eastbourne has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drink or drugs and failing to stop after a road traffic collision, and remains in police custody, Sussex Police said.

Officers were called to Bolsover Road in the East Sussex town at about 9.34pm on Friday following reports a black Seat Leon had collided with a silver Volkswagen Polo, which then collided into two parked cars - a blue BMW 330d and a grey Audi A3.

Police arrested a man following the incident in Eastbourne on Friday night

The driver of the Polo - a 48-year-old woman from Eastbourne - and the passenger - a 46-year-old man from Uckfield - were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Officers searched the area and arrested a man in Grand Parade at about 12.05am on Saturday morning.
Stuart Broad fined for Twitter comments

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee for comments he made on social media during the fourth Test against Pakistan at the Oval.

Broad has been charged with breaching the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match".

The 30-year-old criticised the umpires' decision to give Alex Hales out to Yasir Shah's low catch at midwicket off the bowling of Mohammad Amir.

Stuart Broad has been fined for comments he made on Twitter during the fourth Test

The decision was made in the absence of a definitive video replay to overturn the umpire's 'soft signal' that the ball had not hit the ground before being taken.

Hales himself was moved at close of play to tweet a screengrab of the moment Shah gathered the ball, with the words ''bit blurry to be fair!''.

The opener was responding, equivocally, to his team-mate Broad, after the bowler had questioned a journalist's assessment that ''replays are unclear but umps say out'' by posting: ''replays are unclear? You don't believe that do you?''.

For this, Broad was found to have violated Article 2.1.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

Following the close of third day's play on Saturday he admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Richie Richardson of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.

Explaining his decision, Richardson said: "One of the most fundamental principles of the sport is to always accept and respect an umpire's decision. In this case, Stuart ignored this golden rule and made inappropriate comments in regard to the umpires' decision."
Terror in the dark: Honduran land rights activist fears for her children but vows to fight on

By Paola Totaro

LONDON, Aug 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Award-winning Honduran land rights activist Ana Mirian Romero spends her days fighting for her children's future - and her nights fearing they will be killed in their sleep.

"I live every day with the fear of raids on my home where my children sleep," said the mother of five, who has received multiple death threats during her long battle against a hydroelectric dam in the southwest of the country.

"(But) for me, defending my land is about defending my children's future."

Honduras has the highest murder rate for environmental activists in the world, according to advocacy group Global Witness.

But Romero, who recently won the 2016 Front Line Defenders Award for her campaign work, said her love of the land, forests and river that sustained her ancestors would not allow her to give up.

"The risks (land) defenders face in Honduras are physically dangerous and psychologically exhausting," Romero, a member of the indigenous Lenca community, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation through a translator.

"But I do this because if they come to take away the water and my homeland, it is like they take away the life from a person. I decided to become a defender until the last day that God may give me."

GUNNED DOWN

Between 2010 and 2015, 109 activists were killed defending their land and local environment, according to Global Witness which campaigns against corruption and environmental abuse.

Six of the eight victims whose cases were reported publicly last year were from indigenous groups, it said.

In March, high profile environmental campaigner Berta Caceres, winner of last year's prestigious Goldman Environmental prize, was gunned down in her home at night.

Just days later, fellow activist, Nelson Garcia, was shot in the face by an unidentified gunman sparking demands for an urgent investigation by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Romero, a member of the Lenca Indigenous Movement of La Paz (MILPAH), knows only too well the terrible fate of some of her fellow defenders but says the attacks have bolstered her courage.

"When Berta Caceres died, for us it was as if it gave us more power. It (didn't) make us more afraid but it gave us more strength, it was impossible for us to stop," she said.

Activists reported this week that Martin Gomez Vasquez, a MILPAH leader in Romero's village of Santa Elena, was cornered and stoned in an attack last month.

Vasquez was able to escape but told police that he heard one of his attackers speak into a phone saying they would find and visit him in the night to harm his family.

Police ordered special patrols for the family but activists say nobody has been prosecuted.

ARSON ATTACK

Romero has been an activist in her area since 2010 when MILPAH filed a lawsuit for recognition of the community's ancestral land and has actively resisted the installation of the Los Encinos hydroelectric dam ever since.

She said the community wanted no more than clean air and water and insists she is a "defender not fighter".

Romero said that in the past year her home had been raided by armed men as she and her children slept and she had been assaulted when heavily pregnant.

Her daughters have also been threatened by armed intruders and in January last year, the family home was burnt down in an arson attack.

Romero had never been outside Honduras before flying to Dublin in June to collect her award with her four-month-old baby Priscilla.

Santa Elena in the La Paz region is so remote that in order to reach the car that would take her to the airport in the capital Tegucgalpa, Romero had to trek for three hours with her baby after torrential rains and mud closed local roads.

Romero said she felt far safer during her 10-day trip to Dublin and London than she has in a long time.

She described how one evening she refused to take a taxi, despite being exhausted, to enjoy being out after dark.
Fires kill 4 people in Portugal, 1,000 evacuated on Madeira

LISBON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Wildfires raging in Portugal killed at least four people and more than 1,000 people were evacuated on the tourist destination island of Madeira, where flames spread to its regional capital, Funchal, authorities said on Wednesday.

The Portuguese interior ministry said it had requested help from the European Union. Neighbouring Spain sent two planes and Italy one aircraft to help with the fire-fighting efforts.

"This abnormal situation surpasses the normal response capacity of our forces," Prime Minister Antonio Costa said, warning that the next few days could be critical due to scorching temperatures.

Lisbon also sent a force of more than 100 emergency service workers on a military plane to Madeira, where the fires, fanned by strong winds, have killed three people, destroyed about 40 homes and a five-star hotel in the hills above Funchal.

On mainland Portugal, one person was killed by flames in the central Santarem region as thousands of firefighters struggled to control dozens of forest fires, raging amid a summer heat wave across the country.

The fires have destroyed homes, shut major motorways for hours and forced the evacuation of several villages this week, mostly in the north of Portugal.

The fire in Funchal was mostly under control by late morning, regional governor Miguel Albuquerque told a televised news conference, but several other blazes were still raging on the island.

He said 80 people were in hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, including two in a serious condition.

All those killed and injured by the fires were local residents. One person was missing, Albuquerque said.

More than 1,000 residents and tourists were sent to makeshift shelters and army barracks during the night, although some had been allowed to return since. Two hospitals in the area were also evacuated.

Police have said that various fires were lit by arsonists and they arrested several suspects.
Libyan forces report capture of Sirte university from Islamic State

TRIPOLI, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Libyan forces battling to oust Islamic State (IS) from Sirte said they captured its university complex on Wednesday but lost one of their warplanes over the city.

Rida Issa, a spokesman for the forces, said it was not clear how the plane crashed. Islamic State said it had shot down the jet, killing the pilot, according to a statement on a website close to the jihadist group.

Forces aligned with Libya's U.N.-backed government launched their campaign for Sirte in May. On Aug. 1, the United States began air strikes to help them advance against militants encircled in the centre of the Mediterranean coastal city.

U.S. drones and fighter jets have carried out a total of 29 strikes since then, targeting several IS emplacements on Monday and a gun-mounted pick-up truck on Tuesday, according to statements by U.S. Africa Command.

Libyan fighter jets have also been flying regular missions over Sirte, the hometown of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, whose fall in an 2011 uprising precipitated years of factional anarchy in the oil-exporting North African country.

The U.N.-backed government arrived in Tripoli in March, but has struggled to impose its authority and faces continuing resistance from armed factions that control eastern Libya.

On the ground in Sirte, Libyan forces led by brigades from the city of Misrata have suffered heavy casualties from Islamic State mines and sniper fire. Clashes have been sporadic, with heavier fighting interspersed with lulls that last for several days.

"Our forces are making progress in their attack against Daesh (Islamic State), and have recaptured the University of Sirte," Issa said. They had also advanced to a cluster of unfinished buildings used by Islamic State snipers just west of the centre of Sirte, he said.

The latest clashes came after the government-backed fighters reached a hotel complex southeast of the recently captured Dollar neighbourhood on Monday.
LAKE HALLIE  A few of my least favorite things:

Plastic wrap or a plastic bubble around things I buy. You need a knife to open them and usually I cut myself. ...

Going to the doctor and not knowing what it is going to cost. I think that all clinics and hospitals should have a big price list posted in the lobby. Then you can decide if a liver enzyme test is going to be worth the cost. ...

Any drug ad on TV or in magazines. Get rid of them all. Most people  myself included  wont see our doctors about a new drug for the condition we may or may not have. Those drug ads are no better than Googling stomach pain and talking yourself into a disease that 1 in 10,000,000 people get. ...

Any interview with any undecided voter. I dont care if you cant make your mind up who you will vote for. In all reality you will probably blow off Election Day by saying, Im just so confused and undecided I cant vote. Or you are just seeking the publicity by saying you are undecided. ...

Back-to-school sales that start right after the 4th of July. ...

Any more complaints that a media is discriminating against conservatives or liberals. If you are a liberal, you arent going to get a fair shake from Fox News. If you are a conservative, MSNBC may not be your friend. Who cares? ...

If you want true fairness in all radio and television media, bring back the equal time doctrine. That required public media to provide equal time to liberals, conservatives and the crazy people. ...

Friends on Facebook who continually post that they have found our Lord and savior. OK, I am cool with that. I am pleased with you. I am happy for you, now please knock it off. This is said with love  which, of course, makes it all right. ...

Meetings, discussion groups, stakeholder events or anything that wants to start the conversation on something that will get discussed to death but nothing will be done; like fixing bad roads in Wisconsin. ...

Flashy color enameled paper brochures from clinics, hospitals, universities or any other nonprofit or charity. Look, you dont need to advertise. Just take the money you spend on these items and lower your prices or give more money back to your charity, which will help more people. ...

Ted Nugent. If you dont know who he is, you are lucky. Ted is a wild-eyed gun fanatic who at one time was a hard rocker or psychedelic rocker. He has sold about 30 million albums, some of them pretty weird. Ted, at 67 you should probably slow down a bit. You could implode. ...

Runners that run with traffic and bicycle riders that ride against traffic. You folks are going to get hit one of these days. Use common sense and obey the rules of the road. You will stay out of the ER. ...

Any more reporting on the Confluence Project in Eau Claire. I like it but I have heard enough. ...

Twist-off bottle caps or pull tabs that are on so tight it takes a vice grip pliers to remove them. My hands hurt now and I dont have the grip I did at 18, so cut me some slack. ...

Plastic bugles at military funerals or ceremonies. They have a chip in them that plays Taps when you press a button. Yes, it is better than no bugler at all or a tape recording as such. But if the chip dies, someone is going to look pretty silly holding a plastic bugle they cant play. Check with your local high school band director. You might be surprised what kids will step forward and do.

Thats all for now, folks!
Indonesian LGBT activists see hope after 'unprecedented' attack

By Beh Lih Yi

JAKARTA, Aug 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The rights of Indonesia's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community may have come under "unprecedented attack" in 2016, according to Human Rights Watch, but activists said progress had seen LGBT people no longer living in the shadows of society.

The LGBT community is largely tolerated in Indonesia, especially in urban areas. But LGBT people suffered a sudden public backlash when a central government minister said in January that LGBT people should be barred from university campuses.

The comment swiftly "grew into a cascade of threats and vitriol" against LGBT Indonesians, rights group HRW said in a report documenting the anti-LGBT reaction, which was released on Thursday.

At the height of the backlash, the authorities banned TV and radio programmes from broadcasting LGBT-related information and a minister said the LGBT movement was being used by outsiders to brainwash Indonesians.

An Islamic boarding school for transgender women was also forced to shut down.

Based on interviews with 70 LGBT people and activists, HRW said anti-LGBT rhetoric had fuelled increased hostility from family members and neighbours, forcing some LGBT people to relocate as a security measure, and fostered stigmatisation.

"While activists have remained steadfastly committed to protecting their constituents and continuing their work, the government has failed to uphold its international human rights commitments," HRW said.

It urged Indonesian President Joko Widodo to condemn the anti-LGBT atttacks and end the abuses.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, and the barrage of criticism against LGBT has been seen as a test of the country's largely tolerant attitude towards the group.

"I don't feel safe with seeing all the 'end LGBT' statements on social media. I feel like a dog," an unidentified 25-year-old gay man interviewed by HRW was quoted as saying in the report.

Some of Indonesia's LGBT activists, however, saw a silver lining to the controversy.

Activist Ryan Korbarri, 28, said the backlash which was played out on television and in local newspapers prompted his parents' curiosity about his job with a LGBT rights group.

"They did not know what I was doing before, they are more aware now although they tried to persuade me to leave my job. I told them this is the way I live and I will stick with it," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"It used to be a taboo but we openly talk about it now. Many parents did not realise there are so many LGBT people here until then," Korbarri added.

Dede Oetomo, one of Indonesia's most prominent LGBT activists, said LGBT groups suffered setbacks after the minister's comments, including difficulties in securing funding for advocacy campaigns but he remained optimistic.

"It put things on the table, whether you like it or not, this is a real issue and it gets talked about," said Oetomo, an academic and the founder of LGBT rights group, GAYa NUSANTARA.

"It is possible still to live as an out gay, lesbian or trans person and survive. My counterparts in Bangladesh have been hacked to death," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Oetomo however sounded a note of caution, pointing to a petition lodged with Indonesia's top court by anti-LGBT groups to criminalise consensual sex between adults of the same gender.
Coca-Cola HBC upbeat on full year after first-half profit rises

By Martinne Geller

LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Soft drink bottler Coca-Cola HBC forecast modest sales volume growth for the full year after a roughly flat first half, citing slowing declines in Russia and continued growth in Nigeria, helping to lift its shares more than 5 percent.

The company, which bottles Coca-Cola drinks in 28 countries, also reported a bigger-than-expected improvement in earnings, helped by cost-cutting and lower commodity costs.

Its shares were the top gainer on London's FTSE 100 index , up 5.5 percent at 0810 GMT.

Comparable earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) rose 4.8 percent to 229.6 million euros in the six months to July 1, topping consensus estimates of around 220 million, according to analysts. Its EBIT margin was 7.5 percent, up from 7 percent a year ago.

Sales revenue fell 3.4 percent to 3.04 billion euros ($3.4 billion), but rose 2.4 percent excluding currency fluctuations. It rose 3 percent excluding the impact of one less selling day, which will be given back in the second half of the year.

The company cited price increases, selling more higher-priced drinks, and volume growth in markets including Nigeria and Romania.

Overall volume though was up 0.1 percent.

Despite tough comparisons with a strong year-earlier period, the company said volumes "held up well" in July, making it confident of "volume growth for the year as a whole".

"We do forecast an improvement (in the back half)," Chief Executive Dimitris Lois told reporters. "This improvement reflects one more selling day and additional initiatives we have focusing on very strong marketing calendars."

The company is also bringing forward some restructuring initiatives from 2017 into 2016, primarily in emerging markets like Russia and Nigeria. It now plans to spend 48 million euros this year, instead of 35 million euros, so it can more quickly benefit from the resulting operational efficiencies.

It said volumes in emerging markets should improve as declines in Russia slow and Nigeria grows, despite the recent depreciation of the Nigerian currency.

After a slowdown in the second quarter, resulting from the devaluation, Lois said conditions in the country should normalise, and he reaffirmed his forecast for Nigerian sales to rise at a mid- to high-single-digit rate this year.
Spain's Abengoa secures provisional debt deal in bid to ward off bankruptcy

By Axel Bugge

MADRID, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Indebted renewable energy firm Abengoa said on Thursday it had reached a restructuring deal with its main creditors that will hand them control of the company, as it tries to avoid becoming Spain's biggest ever bankruptcy.

Seville-based Abengoa - an engineering business which borrowed heavily over the past 10 years to fund an aggressive expansion into clean energy - has been negotiating since November with lenders to try and cut its debt of over 9 billion euros ($10 bln).

It has yet to draw a line completely under a tumultuous 12 months, heralded by unsuccessful attempts to carry out a rights issue last August that eventually led it into pre-insolvency talks.

Abengoa said in a statement on Thursday that negotiations with a group of investors and creditors, including banks, had led to "a deal on the terms and conditions for the restructuring of its financial debts and its recapitalisation."

The agreement, however, needs to be ratified by 75 percent of creditors by the end of October in order to avoid bankruptcy, under Spanish law. The company did not specify if it had reached that threshold, adding that it would hold a telephone conference with investors on Aug. 16. A banking source familiar with the talks said the company hoped to reach that threshold by the first week of September.

A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment.

Once the restructuring is finalised, control of Abengoa will be transferred from its founding family, with about 90 percent of the ownership going to banks and bondholders.

Its new owners - a mix of banks such as Santander and funds specialised in distressed debt, like Elliott Management and KKR Credit - will also have to keep the company on a stable footing as it shrinks and refocuses on core businesses such as construction.

It has already been gradually shedding assets in recent months, including a fibre networks subsidiary which it sold to Sweden's Ericsson for an undisclosed amount.

"It's a positive step, and hopefully it means the business can continue," CreditSights analyst Andrew Moulder said of the restructuring deal.

"The engineering and construction side of Abengoa is a reasonably good business to be in, and if the financing is done on a sustainable basis the main obstacle is getting everybody to sign up and getting the requisite approvals in time."

SHARES JUMP, THEN SLUMP

Abengoa shares jumped 9.9 percent at the market open on news that a deal had been reached, but were down 4.5 percent by 1230 GMT as investors took profits after recent gains in anticipation of an agreement.

The deal will provide the company with much-needed cash, after its finances have been so stretched over recent months that it has failed to pay some wages on time.

It will now get a total of 1.17 billion euros in cash - including some already granted to tide it over in recent months - and a further 307 million euros in financial guarantees.

Abengoa said it had offered creditors two options under the restructuring deal. The company would convert 70 percent of outstanding debts into equity, and refinance the remaining debts over six years, in return for 40 percent ownership of the restructured company. The family would also relinquish another 50 percent in the company to new investors.

Alternatively, 97 percent of the company's financial debt would be written off and the remaining 3 percent would mature in 10 years without interest payments.

Creditors hope to present the court with the finalised restructuring by the first week of September, the banking source familiar with the talks said, adding that Abengoa also had to call a shareholder meeting to ratify the deal.
Turkish ambassador in Russia: NATO can't dictate Ankara's foreign policy - agencies

MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Reuters) - NATO has no right to tell Ankara who it can build relations with and Turkey will develop its ties with Russia despite Western views, Russian news agencies quoted Turkish Ambassador to Russia Umit Yardm as saying on Thursday.

"In no way can NATO limit our contacts with other countries ... It means NATO has no right to dictate its terms and tell us who we should or should not meet and communicate with," Yardm was quoted by the RIA news agency as saying.
Nigeria riven by new battles over scarce fertile land

By Ulf Laessing

NIMBO, Nigeria, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Muslim herdsmen fleeing Boko Haram jihadists and fast-spreading desertification in the north of Nigeria are clashing with Christian farmers in the south, adding a dangerous new dimension to the sectarian tensions and militancy plaguing the country.

Thousands of people from Muslim Fulani tribes have moved southwards this year, leading to a series of clashes over land that have killed more than 350 people, most of them Christian crop farmers, according to residents and rights activists.

The fighting threatens to fracture the country further by bolstering support for a Christian secessionist movement in the southeast, which has been lingering for decades but gained fresh momentum late last year when resentment over poverty and the arrest of one of its leaders spilled over into street protests.

The conflict is also exposing a growing problem that has attracted less international attention than Boko Haram and the militants threatening oil production in the Niger Delta region.

Fertile land is becoming scarcer across Africa's most populous nation, and conflict over this dwindling resource is likely to intensify. The population of poverty-stricken Nigeria is expected to more than double to almost 400 million by 2050, according to the United Nations.

There are no signs that the secessionists will take up arms against the government like in the 1967-70 civil war that killed one million people. But the clashes and growing resentment at the arrival of Muslim herdsmen come at a time when many people in the southeast are complaining about widespread poverty.

In one of the deadliest clashes, about 50 people were killed in April when Fulanis attacked the village of Nimbo in southeastern Nigeria, according to residents, rights groups and lawmakers who visited Nimbo after the violence.

They said the attackers opened fire on villagers and torched a house where a priest and his family were sleeping, with the family only surviving by jumping out of a window.

"The Fulanis ... came in the town and shot at any man they saw and killed him," said Joseph Obeta, another priest in Nimbo, which is now almost deserted after hundreds of villagers fled during or after the attack.

Obeta said if there was an independent state in the southeast of Nigeria, it would be easier to prevent such violence.

"It would make a difference if the southeast were on its own."

He was echoing the sentiment of campaigners lobbying for an independent state. They say they want to stop the Muslim north from dominating the Christian south of the West African country, which is split fairly evenly between Muslims and Christians.

They say the influx of herdsmen from the north is part of a plan by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani Muslim, to turn Nigeria into an Islamic nation - an allegation vehemently denied by the government and Buhari.

CRISES

Fulani leaders say their communities have no choice but to migrate southwards.

The precise numbers involved are unclear, but thousands first moved to central Nigeria to seek new pastures and escape the violence and insecurity of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Growing desertification - where fertile land turns into desert for reasons including over-exploitation and drought - has forced many further south this year, to more than 1,000 km from their homeland.

The Fulani leaders say they are clamping down on members who commit crimes but added that they often were themselves victims of kidnapping, attacks or cattle rustling at the hands of residents of southern farming communities.

"When they suffer maltreatment (in southern areas they migrate to), they do not usually speak up or report to police until when it becomes unbearable, then they will react," said Alhaji Gidado, head of the Fulani cattle breeder association in the southeast.

Buhari said last week that he had ordered security forces to "deal decisively" with violence between herdsmen and farmers.

But he faces a host of other crises.

His security forces are battling the Boko Haram in the northeast - the president's priority since taking office last year after making an election promise to defeat the jihadists.

Seven years into Boko Haram's insurgency that spread from Nigeria into Chad, Niger and Cameroon, regional armies have retaken most of the territory that had been seized by the group, though it still stages suicide bombings.

The countries are in a final push to defeat the hardline Sunni Muslim group, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, but lingering divisions in their joint task force are complicating that mission.

Buhari has also promised to crush militants that have carried out pipeline bombings in the southern Delta region and are threatening to trigger a wider conflict that could cripple oil production in a country facing a growing economic crisis.

On the problems created by Fulanis migrating south, residents and rights activists said Buhari's previous pledges to tackle the clashes between the herdsmen and crop farmers had not been backed up by any significant security action.

Human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe, invited by the U.S. House of Representatives to give testimony in May about Boko Haram and other crises facing Nigeria, said the Fulanis had been operating in "plain sight" to stage attacks that were more brutal than the jihadist group.

VIGILANTES

Police have said they had increased patrols in farming areas that have been affected by violence but local youth have nevertheless taken up arms against Fulanis since the Nimbo attack.

"The Fulani people have been robbing, raping women," said 28-year old Anthony Okafor, searching cars at a vigilante checkpoint outside Nimbo. "That's why we are here."

Some residents said the youth, with their outdated rifles borrowed from farmers, would be no match for the Fulanis, who they said had assault weapons.

Officials worry poverty levels are rising in rural areas, where there are few job opportunities outside agriculture, as many scared farmers have abandoned their fields.

Stanley Okeke, head of the government council in Agwu, said production of cassava, a staple crop, had fallen significantly in parts of Enugu state, to which Nimbo and Agwu belong.
Turkish foreign minister vows legal action against diplomats fleeing post-coup probe

ANKARA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A deadline for Turkish diplomats recalled to Ankara as part of investigations into a failed military coup expired on Thursday and legal action will be taken again those who fail to return, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

In an interview with private broadcaster NTV, Cavusoglu said two Turkish civil servants in Bangladesh had fled to New York, while two military attaches in Greece had fled to Italy.
Russia, UN to seek "workable humanitarian pause" in Aleppo

GENEVA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it was trying to arrange with Russia a "workable humanitarian pause" in fighting in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo, warning time was running out for up to two million trapped civilians.

U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that reports of a gas, believed to be chlorine, being dropped on Aleppo are being investigated. "There is a lot of evidence that it actually did take place", he told reporters, adding that if confirmed the attack would amount to a war crime.

Russia said on Wednesday there would be daily three-hour ceasefires in Aleppo starting Thursday to allow humanitarian convoys to enter the city safely, a proposal which the United Nations mediator said was "not enough".

U.N. humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said that a 48-hour pause was required to ensure safe deliveries, adding: "What is the new and positive thing today is that the Russian Federation said they would like to sit down with us and the other co-chair (the United States) to discuss how the U.N. proposal could be implemented. We are hopeful that will lead to something."
Libyan forces work to secure gains against Islamic State in Sirte

TRIPOLI, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Libyan forces on Thursday were securing and de-mining areas newly captured from Islamic State in Sirte, combing the area around a convention complex that had been a symbol of the militant group's authority in the city.

Forces aligned with Libya's U.N.-backed government seized the Ouagadougou convention centre and several other key sites on Wednesday, advancing into areas that had been fought over for weeks.

Those forces, supported since Aug. 1 by U.S. air strikes, said in a statement that they had taken Islamic State's "most important bastions" in its former North African stronghold.

But they have yet to gain control of several neighbourhoods in central Sirte where an unknown number of militants are dug in. Eighteen government-aligned fighters were killed on Wednesday and 72 wounded, Rida Issa, a spokesman for the Sirte operation, said.

There has been house-to-house fighting in residential areas in recent weeks, with the brigade fighters struggling to gain ground against sniper fire, trip wires and landmines.

The fighters are led by brigades from the nearby Misrata, who repelled an Islamic State advance south of their city in early May before pushing eastwards to Sirte and besieging the militants in the centre of the Mediterranean city.

The capture of Sirte would be a major setback for Islamic State, ousting the jihadist group from the only city in Libya where it established total control.

It could also boost the fortunes of the U.N.-backed government, which has been struggling to impose its influence on a country riven by political and armed rivalries.

Brigades fighters found a house used as a laboratory for making explosive belts and seized a number of military vehicles used by Islamic State, some damaged and some in good condition, the spokesman, Issa said.

"Military engineering units are now working to clear the captured areas of mines," he added.

From an estimated fighting force of some 6,000 men, more than 350 brigade fighters have been killed and at least 1,500 since the campaign to recapture Sirte began.

On Wednesday, Mokhtar Fakron, an air force spokesman was killed with another pilot when their jet came down over Sirte.
Paralysis partly reversed using brain-machine interface training

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Paraplegic patients recovered partial control and feeling in their limbs after training to use a variety of brain-machine interface technologies, according to new research published on Thursday in the journal "Scientific Reports."

The researchers followed eight patients paralyzed by spinal cord injuries as they adapted to the use of the technologies, which convert brain activity into electric signals that power devices such as exoskeletons and robotic arms.

Between January and December 2014, the patients used virtual reality scenarios and simulated tactile feedback exercises to train their minds.

"To our big surprise, what we noticed is that long-term training with brain-machine interfaces triggers a partial neurological recovery," said Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, a professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering at Duke University, according to a statement from Duke.

"What we didn't expect and what we observed is that some of these patients regained voluntary control of muscles in the legs below the level of the lesion and regained sensitivity below the level of the spinal cord injury," Nicolelis said.

The researchers believe that the training in effect rewired the circuitry in the brain, giving it new ways to communicate with parts of the injured body.

"We may actually have triggered a plastic reorganization in the cortex by re-inserting a representation of lower limbs and locomotion in the cortex," Nicolelis said.

"These patients may have been able to transmit some of this information from the cortex through the spinal cord, through these very few nerves that may have survived the original trauma. It's almost like we turned them on again," Nicolelis said.

"It is very encouraging," Dr. Ron Frostig, a professor of neurobiology and behavior at the University of California, Irvine, said in an interview.
Russia announces war games after accusing Ukraine of terrorist plot

By Andrew Osborn

MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin summoned his security council and the Russian Navy announced war games in the Black Sea, a day after the Russian president accused Ukraine of trying to provoke a conflict over Crimea, which Moscow seized and annexed in 2014.

The belligerent posture heightened worries in Ukraine that Russia may plan to ramp up fighting in a war between Kiev and pro-Russian eastern separatists that had been de-escalated by a shaky peace process.

Using some of his most aggressive rhetoric against Kiev since the height of the war two years ago, Putin has pledged to take counter-measures against Ukraine, which he accused of sending saboteurs into Crimea to carry out terrorist acts.

Ukraine has called the accusations false and says they look like a pretext for Russia to escalate hostilities. Such an escalation could be used by Putin to demand better terms in the Ukraine peace process, or to inflame nationalist passions at home ahead of Russian parliamentary elections next month.

The Russian leader met his top military and intelligence service brass on Thursday and reviewed "scenarios for counter-terrorism security measures along the land border, offshore and in Crimean air space," the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he had ordered all Ukrainian units near Crimea and in eastern Ukraine onto the highest state of combat readiness. He was seeking to urgently speak to Putin, the leaders of France and Germany, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and European Council President Donald Tusk.

Oleh Slobodyan, a spokesman for the Ukrainian border guards, said Russia had massed troops on Ukraine's border with Crimea in recent days following an uptick in Russian military activity in northern Crimea and heavier fighting in eastern Ukraine.

"These troops are coming with more modern equipment and there are air assault units," he told a news briefing in Kiev.

The Russian Defence Ministry said its navy - whose Black Sea Fleet is based in Crimea - would start to hold exercises in the area to practice repelling underwater attacks by saboteurs.

PUTIN'S PLAY

Russia says it caught the infiltrators after at least two armed clashes on the border between Crimea and Ukraine over the weekend, and one of its soldiers and an FSB security service employee were killed. Kiev denies the events ever happened.

Whatever the truth, the allegations have already scuppered planned talks about eastern Ukraine slated for the sidelines of a G20 summit in China next month. Putin said such talks would now be "pointless."

In an editorial, the Russian newspaper Vedomosti said escalation was a proven Kremlin tactic ahead of negotiations. Putin was trying either to alter or to tear up the Minsk peace process, named for the Belarus capital where truces were hammered out for the war in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region.

"Events in Donbass in 2014-15 showed that the Kremlin tactic is to raise the stakes before negotiations. The main political question now is what will happen to the Minsk process. Will Russia break away from it or will it demand new concessions?" the newspaper wrote.

"Putin in his rhetoric has returned to the start of 2014. Once again, he does not deem the Ukrainian authorities legitimate."

Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst in Ukraine, said he thought the Kremlin had its own revised peace plan for eastern Ukraine up its sleeve.

"Putin will scare the West with the prospect of full-scale conflict with Ukraine," he said. "He is trying to increase pressure on Kiev to force Ukraine to accept a Russian plan to resolve the conflict in the east.

"Putin won't go all out for a big war. But there might be pinpoint military operations against radicals whose bases are located near the border with Crimea."

PUTIN'S AIMS

The European Union and the United States have tied the success of talks under the Minsk process to any possible decision to lift financial sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

But Moscow has grown increasingly frustrated by the talks and by what it says is Ukraine's refusal to fulfil the terms of the truce. Kiev for its part says Moscow is the one that is still stirring tensions among pro-Russian separatists.

Escalating tension over Crimea could give Putin a pretext to abandon talks altogether, or demand changes to their format and terms, while holding out the prospect of a full-scale renewal of hostilities if he doesn't get what he wants.

It could also help rally Russians ahead of the parliamentary vote, in which the main pro-Kremlin United Russia Party might struggle to win as many votes as usual because of an economic slump caused by low oil prices as well as the sanctions.

"While polls show United Russia doing okay (60 percent support), Putin never likes to take chances with domestic politics," Timothy Ash, a strategist at Nomura Bank, wrote in a note. "(He) will want to impress on the Russian electorate his own strength and how lucky they are to be Russian citizens as perhaps compared to their Ukrainian counterparts."

The imbroglio also gives Crimea's pro-Russian authorities an excuse for their failure to raise living standards since Russia took over. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-backed prime minister, told state TV he blamed the Ukrainian incursions on the U.S. State Department.

Putin may also hope instability in Ukraine can feed into the U.S. presidential election campaign, where Republican Donald Trump accuses President Barack Obama's administration of incompetence and has called for better ties with Moscow. Putin may yet hope to cut a deal on both Ukraine and Syria, the two big issues of contention with Washington, before Obama exits.

What actually happened in and around Crimea at the weekend remains disputed. U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said Washington had so far seen nothing to corroborate Russia's version. A spokeswoman for EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini also said there had been no independent confirmation.

Russia's Kommersant newspaper on Thursday cited unnamed security sources as saying a group of men Russia had arrested for planning attacks had confessed to seeking to destroy Crimea's tourist industry by bombing resorts.

The sources told Kommersant two of seven saboteurs in one group had been killed and five captured. Most were Crimea residents and some had Russian passports, they said.
I, an American Muslim, want to thank Donald Trump.

I am not one of his supporters. No way, never. He might even think I am one of his many nemeses: Born in Baghdad and brought to this country by my parents in 1964 as they fled the persecution of a military dictatorship, I believe that Islams place is America. In America, Muslims can practice their religion more freely than any other country in the world, including Muslim countries.

I am both Muslim and American. I dont have to choose one or the other. Yet many Americans dont understand that.

Its only starting to make sense to many of my fellow citizens  and for that growing clarity, I have Trump to thank.

We all agree that we live in dangerous times. Terrorism and xenophobia are fires that exponentially fuel each other. As Americans, we live in the nightmares of what has been happening since 9/11 and what can happen. As American Muslims, we add another layer of fear with the thought of deportation for immigrants and internment camps for the native-born.

Every time Muslims appear on television, we receive the most egregious emails and calls demanding our expulsion, sometimes even our genocide. We live through what Mormons and Catholics and Jews went through before securing their place in America, and we must sail through the strait of danger to reach our safe harbor.

Trump has brought those real issues to the surface.

Before, very few believed the type of bigotry and racism we face on a daily basis. Light and air can expose this hatred, which is what Trump has unwittingly provided. He has illustrated that anti-Muslim bias is not a Muslim problem. Its an American problem that we all have to face head on.

Trump has also forced our nation to recognize people such as Humayun Khan and his Gold Star parents. Yes, there is the threat of terrorism (committed by those who are more deranged than they are Muslim). It can only be defeated when we give voice to Muslim heroism rather than singling out Muslims as the guilty party who have to prove their innocence.

By giving more credence to violent extremism than to the moderate mainstream of my community, Trump agrees with the Islamic States ideology far more than we do. What Muslims know  and what Americans are coming to know  is the heroes.

Heroism happens every day when Muslims work with law enforcement to counter the efforts of the Islamic State to recruit our youths. It happens when our religious leaders speak vociferously against the cult of death by bringing to light the theology of life. It happens every minute of every day when Muslims treat their patients and teach their students and take care of their neighbors.

As presidents and national security leaders have said over and over again, we will not win against the Islamic State and al-Qaida militarily, and we cannot arrest our way out of this crisis; we can only win on the battlefield by winning the battle of ideas. Muslims have answered the call. And Trump has inadvertently forced our nation to finally witness the loyal contributions of Muslims throughout our society.

So our friends efforts to partner with us have been bolstered. Leaders like Russell Simmons and Rabbi Marc Schneier have begun a social media campaign called Muslims Are Speaking Out. Americans of Jewish, Christian and Muslim background are reconnecting to their shared Abrahamic roots, even if they vehemently disagree over U.S. policy in the Middle East  ardent Zionists working with Muslims on common ground in the United States, an expanding plane thanks to Trump.

At the Muslim Public Affairs Council, I got calls, emails and letters from supportive citizens before. But Trumps candidacy has opened the floodgates. My inbox overflows with encouragement.

Congress and state legislatures throughout the country have condemned anti-Muslim hysteria and reaffirmed our democratic aspirations as one people with liberty and justice for all. American Muslims do not take the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence for granted. I find all I need as a Muslim in these founding documents, not in foreign laws from countries in the Middle East or South Asia, and not in the demagoguery of Trump.

It is time for us to be great together against the forces of hatred and violence. It is time for us to make our country greater by putting the spotlight on those who speak for togetherness  for one nation under one God.

The United States is our home. We arent going anywhere other than this great country. And Trump has spurred our fellow American citizens to listen to us.
U.N. wants Russia to agree "workable humanitarian pause" in Aleppo

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it was talking to Russia about a "workable humanitarian pause" in fighting in Aleppo and that three hours a day was "not enough" to help up to two million civilians trapped in the divided Syrian city.

The U.N. wants a 48-hour weekly halt to the violence in order to deliver large amounts of food and other aid and to evacuate the sick and wounded.

"Today in the meeting the Russian delegation confirmed their willingness to sit down with us (Thursday and Friday) to try to agree on a workable humanitarian pause for us to go the Aleppo road way to help the poor people of east as well as in the west," U.N. humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland told reporters.

Egeland, speaking after chairing a weekly meeting of the humanitarian task force composed of major and regional powers, was referring to the Castello road, the main supply route into the rebel-held east, cut off by the Syrian government.

"We need 48 hours because the people are so many that the convoys have to be big, the road is so destroyed, it is mined, there are so many dangers, the logistics are so enormous that we do need time - each week we need 48 hours," Egeland said.

U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said: "We are available and interested in talking to ensure that the three hours could not be simply as a declaration and then nothing happens. The rest will depend on the further discussions with the Russians."

De Mistura also said that senior military officials from Russia and the United States are still working on restoring an overall ceasefire after five years of civil war that has killed a quarter of a million people and displaced 11 million.

"Russian and American teams have been meeting in this building, they are focusing on the Castello road developments, no doubt, and on general new approaches for a reduction in violence."

At least four people died and many suffered breathing difficulties when a gas, believed to be chlorine, was dropped alongside barrel bombs on an Aleppo neighbourhood on Wednesday, a hospital and a civil defence group told Reuters.

De Mistura, asked about the reports, replied: "It's really not for me to assess who did it and whether it actually took place, although there is a lot of evidence that it actually did take place.
Novartis says South Korea employees gave kickbacks, confirms indictment

By John Miller

ZURICH, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Novartis employees in South Korea gave kickbacks to doctors including paying for their travel abroad, the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday as it faces scrutiny over illegal practices to boost sales.

The Basel-based company confirmed media reports that six current or former employees had been indicted by the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office. It declined to comment on whether this might trigger a sales ban in the country, as reported by the Financial Times.

Novartis said some of its Korean staff had held meetings with doctors that violated its policies and were "inconsistent with our culture and the expectations society has for us".

"Some associates supported travel to overseas congresses for some healthcare practitioners in a way that did not fully comply with self-regulation standards," it added in a statement.

Despite acknowledging wrongdoing, Novartis said it rejected "the implication that the alleged conduct was sanctioned by the most senior management of Novartis Korea".

The Yonhap news agency reported on the indictment on Thursday, citing industry sources that indicated a total of 23 people, including publishers of medical publications and doctors, had been indicted.

Seoul prosecutors could not be reached by Reuters for comment after office hours.

Novartis has faced numerous probes across the globe where authorities or whistleblowers accuse it of bribing doctors to boost sales of pharmaceuticals products.

Its offices in South Korea were visited by local authorities in February in relation to suspected bribery.

In March, it agreed to pay more than $25 million to the U.S. government to settle civil charges that it bribed healthcare professionals in China.

Last year, it paid $390 million to settle U.S. charges that it paid specialty pharmacies illegal kickbacks.

Novartis is fighting a separate U.S. Justice Department prosecution that alleges it long lavished speaking fees and "opulent" meals, including a nearly $10,000 dinner for three, to get doctors to prescribe its drugs. [http://reut.rs/1VHLpYz]

In April, Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation into bribery allegations, although Novartis said accusations were unfounded.

Chief Executive Officer Joe Jimenez said this year that legal scrutiny over kickbacks largely relates to "legacy issues" stemming from what he called Novartis's historic "results-oriented" culture. Jimenez said he has since implemented measures to halt inappropriate behavior.

On Thursday, Novartis said it launched its own internal investigation immediately after being alerted to the Korean shortcomings. It has begun remediation measures and will discipline employees who broke rules, the company said.
Paris condemns Israeli demolition of French-funded buildings in West Bank

PARIS, Aug 11 (Reuters) - France on Thursday condemned the Israeli army's demolition of French-funded buildings in a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, saying it was a violation of international law.

The demolition of agricultural installations in Nebi Samuel last week, was the third time this year that buildings funded by French humanitarian aid had been demolished or confiscated by Israeli authorities, a foreign ministry spokesman said. Among them, in February, was a school.

"We urge Israeli authorities to stop these operations, that are in contravention of international law," the spokesman said.

Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an arm of the military that deals with Palestinian civilian issues, said demolition orders were issued because the structures were built without Israeli permission.

"No request for building permits of the illegal structures had been received by their owners. They were invited to a committee to give them a chance to rectify the situation and gain permission but they failed to appear," COGAT said in answer to a Reuters query.
Stress tests show Bulgarian banks don't need state support -central bank

By Tsvetelia Tsolova

SOFIA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - None of Bulgaria's banks require state support but some will need to raise capital or sell assets to bolster their capital buffers, the central bank said on Thursday after stress tests on lenders.

The health check was the first by the Balkan country since it endured a banking crisis, triggered by the collapse of Corporate Commercial Bank (Corpbank), its fourth largest lender, in 2014.

The central bank is not due to release individual banks' test results until Saturday and analysts and bankers were cautious, saying they needed to see how each of the country's 22 mostly foreign owned lenders fared.

"The Bulgarian banking system is stable," central bank Governor Dimitar Radev said in a statement.

"The main indicator of a bank's financial resilience, the ratio of common equity tier one capital to risk-weighted assets, or the CET 1 ratio, remains significantly above the required minimum regulatory requirements on a system level and is above the EU average as announced in the latest European stress test," he said. The results of separate stress tests on leading European Union banks were announced on Aug. 1.

Following the Bulgarian stress tests the central bank drew up plans with some lenders to increase or maintain their capital buffers, it said, but did not disclose how many lenders.

Analysts wanted to see if there were any signs of problems similar to those at now bankrupt Corpbank.

"We knew that the system as a whole is well capitalised. What we did not know was how certain banks have performed and this we continue not to know," said economic analyst Lachezar Bogdanov at independent think-tank Industry Watch.

"The fact that not a single bank would require state support is good news for now, but we need to see the results."

An international audit of Corpbank in 2014 prompted a writedown of two thirds of its assets and a parliament commission accused its main shareholder of running it like a pyramid scheme and said supervision by the central bank was lax.

Radev was appointed central bank governor last year as part of efforts to boost confidence in the banking sector after the crisis.

At the start of the latest stress tests, Bulgarian banks had an average CET 1 capital ratio of 19.98 percent, the central bank data showed. That was adjusted down to 18.9 percent following the asset quality review as some loans or assets were not as strong as declared, the bank said.

That capital ratio would drop to 14.4 percent under an adverse three-year theoretical economic shock, the central bank said.

Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov welcomed the results. After allocating money in this year's budget to support banks if needed, he said that money would now be used to repay maturing government debt instead.

Corpbank's demise forced the government to pay out 3.6 billion levs ($2 bln) to guaranteed depositors and lifted the country's budget deficit to 5.8 percent of GDP in 2014.

Its collapse also triggered bank runs at several other lenders, with the third-largest, First Investment Bank, receiving 1.2 billion levs of liquidity support from the state. It has since repaid the funds in full.
Libyan forces in fresh clashes with Islamic State in Sirte

By Ahmed Elumami

TRIPOLI, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Libyan forces engaged in renewed clashes with Islamic State militants in Sirte on Thursday, a day after capturing a convention complex that had been a symbol of the militant group's authority in the city.

Forces aligned with Libya's U.N.-backed government seized the Ouagadougou convention centre and several other key sites on Wednesday, advancing into areas that had been fought over for weeks.

Those forces, supported since Aug. 1 by U.S. air strikes, said in a statement that they had taken Islamic State's "most important bastions" in its former North African stronghold.

But they have yet to gain control of several neighbourhoods in central Sirte. On Thursday, fighters advancing on a hotel and guest houses near Sirte's port exchanged sporadic fire with militants, said Rida Issa, a spokesman for the Sirte operation.

The forces said they had "made incursions" into Areas 1 and 3, two of the districts still occupied by militants, and that they had "dealt with a number of snipers hidden in a corner of the Ouagadougou hall complex ... they were eliminated."

The gains come after weeks of house-to-house fighting in residential areas, with sniper fire, trip wires and landmines slowing the advance.

The fighters are led by brigades from nearby Misrata, who repelled an Islamic State advance south of their city in early May before pushing eastwards to Sirte and besieging the militants in the centre of the Mediterranean city.

The capture of Sirte would be a major setback for Islamic State, ousting the jihadist group from the only city in Libya where it established total control.

It could also boost the fortunes of the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which has been struggling to impose its influence on a country riven by political and armed rivalries.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Tuesday, before the latest advances, GNA Prime Minister Fayez Seraj said he believed the defeat of Islamic State in Sirte would "not take too much time. Probably not months, just a few weeks".

After Wednesday's advances, brigade fighters found a house used as a laboratory for making explosive belts and seized a number of military vehicles used by Islamic State, some damaged and some in good condition, said Issa, the spokesman.

"Military engineering units are now working to clear the captured areas of mines," he added.

U.S. Africa Command said it carried out seven strikes in Sirte on Wednesday, targeting trucks mounted with heavy artillery, fighting positions, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and two supply trucks. U.S. drones and fighter jets have carried out 36 strikes over Sirte since Aug. 1.

Eighteen GNA-aligned fighters were killed on Wednesday and 72 wounded, Issa said. Among the dead was Mokhtar Fakron, a senior air force commander who was killed with another pilot when their jet came down over Sirte.
Russia announces war games after accusing Ukraine of terrorist plot

By Andrew Osborn

MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin summoned his security council and the Russian Navy announced war games in the Black Sea a day after the Russian president accused Ukraine of trying to provoke a conflict over Crimea, which Moscow seized and annexed in 2014.

The belligerent posture heightened worries in Ukraine that Russia may plan to ramp up fighting in a war between Kiev and pro-Russian eastern separatists that had been de-escalated by a shaky peace process.

Using some of his most aggressive rhetoric against Kiev since the height of the war two years ago, Putin has pledged to take counter-measures against Ukraine, which he accused of sending saboteurs into Crimea to carry out terrorist acts.

Ukraine has called the accusations false and says they look like a pretext for Russia to escalate hostilities. Such an escalation could be used by Putin to demand better terms in the Ukraine peace process, or to inflame nationalist passions at home ahead of Russian parliamentary elections next month.

The Russian leader met his top military and intelligence service brass on Thursday and reviewed "scenarios for counter-terrorism security measures along the land border, offshore and in Crimean air space," the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he had ordered all Ukrainian units near Crimea and in eastern Ukraine onto the highest state of combat readiness. He was seeking to urgently speak to Putin, the leaders of France and Germany, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and European Council President Donald Tusk.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the United States was extremely concerned and called on both sides to reduce tension and rhetoric.

In New York, the U.N. Security Council held a closed-door meeting at Ukraine's request to discuss the growing tensions.

Ukrainian U.N. Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko warned that Russia had amassed more than 40,000 troops in the region and said the build-up could reflect "very bad intentions."

Oleh Slobodyan, a spokesman for the Ukrainian border guards, said he had observed an uptick in Russian military activity in northern Crimea in recent days after heavier fighting in eastern Ukraine.

"These troops are coming with more modern equipment and there are air assault units," he told a news briefing in Kiev.

The Russian Defence Ministry said its navy - whose Black Sea Fleet is based in Crimea - would start to hold exercises in the area to practice repelling underwater attacks by saboteurs.

There were reports on Thursday evening that the authorities had cut off Internet access in northern Crimea close to Ukraine.

PUTIN'S PLAY

Russia says it caught infiltrators after at least two armed clashes on the border between Crimea and Ukraine over the weekend, and one of its soldiers and an FSB security service employee were killed. Kiev denies the events ever happened.

Whatever the truth, the allegations have already scuppered planned talks about eastern Ukraine slated for the sidelines of a G20 summit in China next month. Putin said such talks would now be "pointless."

In an editorial, the Russian newspaper Vedomosti said escalation was a proven Kremlin tactic ahead of negotiations. Putin was trying either to alter or to tear up the Minsk peace process, named for the Belarus capital where truces were hammered out for the war in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region.

"Events in Donbass in 2014-15 showed that the Kremlin tactic is to raise the stakes before negotiations. The main political question now is what will happen to the Minsk process. Will Russia break away from it or will it demand new concessions?" the newspaper wrote.

"Putin in his rhetoric has returned to the start of 2014. Once again, he does not deem the Ukrainian authorities legitimate."

Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst in Ukraine, said he thought the Kremlin had its own revised peace plan for eastern Ukraine up its sleeve.

"Putin will scare the West with the prospect of full-scale conflict with Ukraine," he said. "He is trying to increase pressure on Kiev to force Ukraine to accept a Russian plan to resolve the conflict in the east.

"Putin won't go all out for a big war. But there might be pinpoint military operations against radicals whose bases are located near the border with Crimea."

PUTIN'S AIMS

The European Union and the United States have tied the success of talks under the Minsk process to any possible decision to lift financial sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

But Moscow has grown increasingly frustrated by the talks and by what it says is Ukraine's refusal to fulfil the terms of the truce. Kiev for its part says Moscow is the one that is still stirring tensions among pro-Russian separatists.

Escalating tension over Crimea could give Putin a pretext to abandon talks altogether, or demand changes to their format and terms, while holding out the prospect of a full-scale renewal of hostilities if he doesn't get what he wants.

It could also help rally Russians ahead of the parliamentary vote, in which the main pro-Kremlin United Russia Party might struggle to win as many votes as usual because of an economic slump caused by low oil prices as well as the sanctions.

"While polls show United Russia doing okay (60 percent support), Putin never likes to take chances with domestic politics," Timothy Ash, a strategist at Nomura Bank, wrote in a note. "(He) will want to impress on the Russian electorate his own strength and how lucky they are to be Russian citizens as perhaps compared to their Ukrainian counterparts."

The imbroglio also gives Crimea's pro-Russian authorities an excuse for their failure to raise living standards since Russia took over. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-backed prime minister, told state TV he blamed the Ukrainian incursions on the U.S. State Department.

Putin may also hope instability in Ukraine can feed into the U.S. presidential election campaign, where Republican candidate Donald Trump accuses President Barack Obama's administration of incompetence and has called for better ties with Moscow. Putin may yet hope to cut a deal on both Ukraine and Syria, the two big issues of contention with Washington, before Obama exits.

What actually happened in and around Crimea at the weekend remains disputed. U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said Washington had so far seen nothing to corroborate Russia's version. A spokeswoman for EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini also said there had been no independent confirmation.

Russia's Kommersant newspaper on Thursday cited unnamed security sources as saying a group of men Russia had arrested for planning attacks had confessed to seeking to destroy Crimea's tourist industry by bombing resorts.

The sources told Kommersant two of seven saboteurs in one group had been killed and five captured.

Russian state TV on Thursday evening broadcast footage of one of the detained men being interrogated by the FSB security service. The man, whose name was given, said he had been part of a group of saboteurs working for Ukrainian military intelligence and that they had planned to blow up a ferry, an oil refinery and a chemical factory among other targets.

State TV aired footage of what it said was the saboteurs' weapons cache showing a large number of mines, grenades and improvised explosive devices laid out on the floor.
Venezuelan opposition leader urges united regional front against Maduro

By Mitra Taj

LIMA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles urged regional leaders on Thursday to lend their support to opponents of Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro and to back a recall referendum that could remove Maduro from power.

Capriles, who spoke ahead of a meeting with Peru's new president, hailed what he described as growing support in South America as the economic crisis in Venezuela deepens and new market-friendly presidents have replaced former leftists in Peru and Argentina.

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in Peru and Mauricio Macri in Argentina are both vocal critics of the Venezuelan government and a shift to the political right is also occurring under interim President Michel Temer in Brazil.

"The region is changing," Capriles, a two-time presidential candidate, told a news conference in Lima. "Corrupt governments are falling in Latin America, and they're going to continue to fall."

Opposition leaders in Venezuela have planned a march in Caracas on Sept. 1 to demand that electoral authorities permit the recall referendum this year.

The timing is important. If it takes place in 2016, the country could see a new government. If it takes place in 2017, the vice president would take over should Maduro lose.

Critics have accused the country's electoral council of stalling the referendum process, however, and it looks unlikely that a vote will take place this year.

On Thursday, a group of 15 countries in the Organization of American States called on Venezuela to quickly take remaining steps needed to hold the referendum, according to Peru's foreign ministry.

Capriles said regional heads of state must also block Maduro from holding the presidency of the Mercosur trade group and "relaunching" the regional bloc UNASUR, which once provided a platform for late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his allies to stand together.

"Those days when a club of buddies would cover each other's backs is over," Capriles said. "South America has to stand firmly with respect to the rights of the people."

Capriles has found a new ally in Peru's Kuczynski, a 77-year-old former investment banker who promised not to shy away from denouncing what he describes as political repression in Venezuela. The two were scheduled to meet late on Thursday.

Capriles said Latin Americans sympathetic to the government that Chavez started in 1999 should visit the country now. Many Venezuelans say they are hungry, unable to get basic foods or medicines, and lootings and riots happen daily.

Maduro says his government is the victim of an "economic war" led by the United States.
Major 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes off Vanuatu - USGS

SYDNEY, Aug 12 (Reuters) - A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck about 535 km (330 miles) southeast of the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, briefly triggering a local tsunami warning.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for areas close to the quake, although there was no Pacific-wide threat of a tsunami, the Hawaii-based centre said.

The tsunami warning, which had included coastal areas of Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji, including the Fijian capital, Suva, was later cancelled.

The shallow quake was measured at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles). It initially registered with a magnitude of 7.6 but was later downgraded.
Malaysia's $25 bln pension offshoot set to boost Islamic finance

By Liz Lee and Bernardo Vizcaino

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Islamic finance market is set for a much-needed boost when the country's largest pension fund launches a 100 billion ringgit ($24.9 billion) Islamic fund in January, offering a potential boon for asset managers.

The Employees Provident Fund's (EPF) sharia-compliant pension plan opened to acclaim this week with Malaysians lining outside its offices to invest.

The allocation represents about 15 percent of the EPF's total investments of 681.7 billion ringgit as of March.

Having a standalone pension fund of that size is a rarity in Islamic finance, even for majority-Muslim Malaysia, and it is expected to draw interest from foreign asset management firms with homegrown players also upbeat about the prospects.

"The benefits are multifold, to us and to the industry," said Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid, CIMB Islamic senior managing director and deputy chief executive officer.

"As EPF allocates more into the sharia fund, surely they would want to progressively deploy more of their funds into sharia-compliant investments."

This would include the market for Islamic bonds, or sukuk, with demand gradually increasing as the EPF hires external firms to manage its bespoke funds, Safri said.

Ancillary businesses such as Islamic securities services would also benefit, as well as Islamic money markets, he said.

The EPF plans to allocate an additional 20 billion to 30 billion ringgit in 2018 to its Islamic fund, depending on the availability of sharia-compliant investments.

The new fund would attract foreign competitors into Malaysia but also widen the opportunities for incumbents, said Mohammad Hasif Murad, investment manager at Aberdeen Islamic Asset Management Sdn Bhd.

"This announcement might be a good value proposition for foreign players to jump on the bandwagon. We expect EPF to continually assess the response from the market and gradually increase the allocation for Islamic in the medium term."

Islamic fund managers screen their portfolios according to religious guidelines such as bans on alcohol and gambling, similar to socially responsible funds in Western countries.

Close to a fifth of total assets under management in Malaysia are now managed this way.

As of December, fund management companies in Malaysia held 132.4 billion ringgit worth of Islamic assets, up 19.7 percent from a year earlier, according to Securities Commission data.

While the benefits of a standalone Islamic retirement fund trickle down to fund managers, the outlook for Malaysia's sukuk market is also improving.

A healthy supply of sukuk is expected for the rest of 2016, on track to exceed the $34.5 billion of sukuk issued in Malaysia last year, CIMB's Safri said.

"We expect an active second half, in terms of total size of the corporate sukuk market, which will grow to $40 billion at the minimum," he said.

Growth in the fixed income market would outpace equities, as investors seek more stable returns, he added.
German economic growth slows less than expected in Q2

BERLIN, Aug 12 (Reuters) - German economic growth slowed less than expected in the second quarter as higher exports and strong state spending and private consumption compensated for weaker investment in construction and machinery, preliminary data showed on Friday.

The economy grew by 0.4 percent on the quarter between April and June after it expanded by 0.7 percent in the first three months of 2016, the Federal Statistics Office said.

That was double the consensus forecast in a Reuters poll for 0.2 percent growth.
Pakistan passes controversial cyber-crime law

ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Pakistan has adopted a much-criticised cyber security law that grants sweeping powers to regulators to block private information they deem illegal.

The National Assembly approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2015 late on Thursday after the Senate had unanimously adopted it last month.

Government officials say internet restrictions under the new law are needed to ensure security against growing threats, such as terrorism.

But the law has alarmed human rights and pro-democracy activists worried that its vague language could lead to curtailment of free speech and unfair prosecutions.

"The overly broad language used in the bill ensures that innocent and ignorant Pakistani citizens, unaware of the ramifications of what the bill entails, can be ensnared and find themselves subject to very harsh penalties," said Nighat Daad, founder of a group called the Digital Rights Foundation.

"There have been no provisions set in place to protect sensitive data of Pakistani users  The state cannot police people's lives in this manner."

The law provides for up to seven years in prison for "recruiting, funding and planning of terrorism" online.

It also allows "authorised officers" to require anyone to unlock any computer, mobile phone or other device during an investigation.

Activists say the bill's vague language without well-defined descriptions for libel or defamation typical in other countries' could be used to prosecute any satirical website, including political ones.

The law also carries a penalty of three years for "spoofing".

"Whoever with dishonest intention establishes a website or sends any information with a counterfeit source intended to be believed by the recipient or visitor of the website, to be an authentic source commits spoofing," the law says.

Daad said the bill allowed the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority "unlimited powers" to decide what was illegal.

Governments around the world have been grappling with how to block online incitement to criminal activity, while major internet services have stepped up campaigns to identify and remove Web postings that incite violence.

Facebook, Google and Twitter are working more aggressively to combat online propaganda and recruiting by Islamist militants while trying to avoid the perception they are helping state authorities police the Web.
Hungarian economic growth beats forecasts in second quarter

BUDAPEST, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Hungary's economy expanded faster than expected in the second quarter of the year, helped by a pick-up in consumption and output in the vehicle industry.

Annual economic growth accelerated to 2.6 percent from 0.9 percent in the first quarter, preliminary unadjusted data showed on Friday. Analysts had forecast a 1.9 percent rise for the second quarter.

The statistics office said market services, the vehicle industry and agriculture were the main drivers of the increase.

Growth in the services sector is an indication that consumption contributes to growth.

Central European states have been boosting wages to fight an outflow of skilled labour into richer Western Europe.

A sharp rise in wages and consumption has also helped economic growth in neighbouring Romania where economic output surged by a surprise 6 percent in the second quarter.

"We expect that consumption and net exports were the main drivers of the economic growth," said Peter Virovacz, an analyst at ING Bank in Budapest.

He said he may lift his full-year growth forecast from the current 2.2 percent, but he added that it would remain hard for the government to reach its 2.5 percent target as that would require 3.2 percent growth in the second half of the year.

Economy Minister Mihaly Varga, however, said he was optimistic that growth could accelerate further in the rest of the year.

"We do not need to change our 2.5 percent growth forecast for this year if negative effects decrease," he said, adding that those included a decline in construction and a slowdown in the inflow of European Union funds and vehicle production.
Turkey's role in U.S.-led coalition against IS will see no interruption -minister

ISTANBUL, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Turkey's role in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State will continue without interruption following last month's failed military coup, Defence Minister Fikri Isik said in an interview with the Haberturk television channel on Friday.
Bangladesh police arrest five planning suicide attacks in Dhaka

DHAKA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Bangladesh police said on Friday they had arrested five members of a domestic Islamist militant group planning suicide attacks in the capital, Dhaka, as authorities hunted for the mastermind of a deadly assault last month.

Police swooped on the cell on Thursday on the outskirts of Dhaka and said the suspects, including four would-be bombers and a bomb-maker, were sent to the capital to bolster the attack capability of the group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

"All of them were from the northern part of the country and were sent to Dhaka," said Monirul Islam, chief of the Dhaka police counter-terrorism unit.

He said the men were planning to launch attacks against high-profile targets in the city but he did not provide details.

Officers recovered jihadi material, 25 detonators and a huge amount of raw materials for explosives at the site in Kalyanpur, the same suburb where police killed nine suspected JMB members on July 26, Islam said.

Police have accused JMB, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, of a series of attacks over the past 18 months that has ratcheted up worries about the threat of militancy in the Muslim-majority South Asian country.

The attacks include the July 1 assault on an upmarket Dhaka cafe in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the cafe attack and while the government has dismissed the claim, security experts say the scale and sophistication of the assault suggest links to trans-national networks.

Islam, the counter-terrorism chief, said police believed that Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen and prime suspect in the cafe attack, is in Dhaka.

Police are hunting for him, a sacked army major-turned militant, Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque, and a third suspects known as just "Merjer" in connection with the cafe attack, he said.
China wants to revive Brazil high-speed train project -sources

By Alonso Soto and Leonardo Goy

BRASILIA, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Chinese firms are pushing to revive an $11 billion high-speed-train project to link Brazil's two largest cities, shelved after the South American nation descended into recession and political turmoil, three sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.

China's ambassador to Brasilia told interim President Michel Temer on Wednesday that Chinese train builders and operators want to participate in Brazil's biggest ever infrastructure project, delayed repeatedly because of doubts about its viability and concession models, the sources said.

Temer was invited to ride the high-speed train connecting Shanghai and Hangzhou next month during a G20 summit when he will discuss the project in bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a Brazilian presidential aide said.

"The Chinese are working hard to revive the project," said the aide, who asked for anonymity because he was not allowed to speak publicly. "Brazil is not convinced yet, but is supportive of the idea."

A spokesman with the Chinese embassy in Brasilia said he did not know the content of the discussions between Temer and ambassador Li Jinzhang. Li did not immediately respond to email requests for comment.

Temer's press office declined to comment.

The project linking business hub Sao Paulo with Rio de Janeiro was seen as a big step in Brazil's quest to join the club of developed nations when it was first proposed in 2010, when the economy was booming.

The original plan was to have the high-speed rail link ready in time for the Olympics, now under way in Rio.

In 2013, the government delayed a tender for the project for the third time because of lack of interest as builders complained about the concession model.

When the economy started to sour in 2014 and then President Dilma Rousseff faced a rebellion of her allies in Congress the project was forgotten, seen as too expensive and difficult to carry through.

Now with its economy mired in recession, Brazil would have to rely on private companies to finance the ambitious project that is likely to cost more than the $11 billion once estimated by the government, said Temer's aide and another government official involved in the discussions.

As initially envisaged, the government planned to use state-run banks to partly finance the construction of the 400-km (250-mile) railway.

The high-speed railway was the pet project of Rousseff, who was suspended from office in May pending an impeachment trial in the Senate over accusations she doctored the fiscal accounts to bolster her re-election chances in 2014.

Her vice-president Temer took over with the promise of pulling the economy out of what could be its worst ever recession with a mix of market-friendly policies that include the sale of infrastructure concessions.

Chinese companies interested in the bullet train include China Railway Construction Corp Ltd , a Brazilian government official said.

The company could not be immediately reached for comment.

Chinese companies believe the project is economically viable, but want the Brazilian government to propose a new concession model before making a final decision, a Chinese official familiar with the discussion told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
South Africa's NUM union ends strike at power utility Eskom

By Tanisha Heiberg

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 12 (Reuters) - South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has ended a week-long strike after signing a wage deal with state-owned utility Eskom, the country's sole power provider, the union said on Friday.

The dispute was the latest problem to beset Eskom, which has struggled to meet power demand in Africa's most industrialised country, which is on the verge of recession and is grappling with a fuel sector strike as well as a potential stoppage in the auto sector.

Eskom, which has managed a year without frequent blackouts that have hurt the economy in the past, said in a statement it had signed a two-year wage deal with the NUM and Solidarity union, following overnight talks.

The utility said the strike, which started on Monday affecting some of its power plants, had not impacted electricity supplies.

"The strike is over," NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said.

The new deal signed between Eskom, the NUM and Solidarity union grants the lowest paid workers increases of 10 percent and other employees will receive an 8.5 percent raise, in line with the NUM's revised demands.

Eskom had previously offered pay increases of 7 to 9 percent while the NUM, whose members make up a third of the utility's workforce, had on Tuesday lowered its wage demand to between 8.5 to 10 percent from 12 to 13 percent.

Inflation was 6.3 percent in June.

The Solidarity union, whose members were not on strike, said its members had accepted Eskom's latest offer.

The metalworkers union NUMSA, whose members had also not joined the strike, was yet to sign the deal, but has accepted the offer in principle, Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said.

"We are expecting everything to be back to normal by Monday," Phasiwe said.

The work stoppage coincided with a strike by around 15,000 workers in the petrochemical industry who downed tools over wages last week.

However, there have been no significant fuel shortages and refineries, including those operated by Shell, BP , Chevron and Sasol, have maintained output, saying they had adequate contingency plans.

Those involved in the oil sector dispute were on Friday due to hold negotiations mediated by labour authorities.
India's Modi consults parties on Kashmir; separatists cold

By Tommy Wilkes and Fayaz Bukhari

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR, India, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met leaders of national political parties to find a way of ending weeks of unrest in Kashmir, but some separatists said the talks would be futile if they did not include all the parties to the conflict.

Indian security forces killed a militant leader on July 8, sparking a wave of violent protests across the Himalayan region, which has been ruled in part, but claimed in full, by both India and Pakistan since 1947.

Police extended a curfew in parts of the Muslim-majority territory for a 35th day on Friday, a clampdown that Kashmiris said showed authorities' failure to defuse deep-seated anger against Indian rule.

With 54 protesters killed so far, one of the two factions of the region's main separatist alliance, the Hurriyat Conference, said there was no sign of the anger abating.

"Unless there is an acknowledgement among all political parties in India that Kashmir is a dispute and not an internal issue and has to be addressed accordingly, there is very little chance of the situation improving or real peace returning," said faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Modi led the closed-door meeting in New Delhi attended by leaders of the opposition Congress party, and several regional parties, according to a picture his office posted on social media.

Opposition leaders have also stepped up calls for an all-party delegation to visit Kashmir for talks with regional leaders.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party rules the state in a power-sharing arrangement with a regional party and has long advocated a tough posture toward the revolt.

His government has shunned talks with Hurriyat and other groups that challenge India's claim, putting on hold peace talks with Pakistan, telling it to first rein in anti-India militants operating from its territory, a charge its arch rival rejects.

Modi this week appealed to young people in the state to abandon violence and work for its development. Protests have erupted against Indian rule for decades, and analysts said Modi's government appeared short of ideas on how to pacify the protesters.

"I don't see anything in terms of a strategy," said Ajai Sahni, of the Institute for Conflict Management, based in Delhi. "The government and the separatists are speaking in completely divergent voices."
Belgium detains three in anti terrorism case after Brussels raids

BRUSSELS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Belgium has detained three people after a string of house searches in Brussels as part of an anti terrorism investigation, prosecutors said on Friday.

"Eight house searches were conducted last night by the federal judicial police of Brussels ... at the demand of an investigating judge specialised in terrorism," the federal prosecutors said in a statement.

No weapons or explosives were found, they said, without elaborating further on the details of the case.
One of two rival chairmen of Libya sovereign fund quits

LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - One of two men claiming the chairmanship of Libya's $67 billion sovereign wealth fund, Hassan Bouhadi, has tendered his resignation, his spokesman said on Friday.

Libya's political infighting made it too difficult to conduct business, Bouhadi said in his resignation letter, seen by Reuters.

In October 2014, Bouhadi was appointed head of the fund, the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), by authorities in eastern Libya. They had moved to the east to set up a parliament and government after rival factions took control of institutions in the capital, Tripoli.

The appointment put him at odds with AbdulMagid Breish, who was appointed chairman in June 2013 before the split but stepped aside a year later, then claimed to have been reinstated following a decision by the Libyan Court of Appeal.

Breish was not immediately available for comment on Friday.

The dispute has mirrored the split nature of the government following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Libya's new U.N.-backed unity government, the Government of National Accord (GNA), is struggling to impose its authority on the country since it took charge in March.

GNA Prime Minister Fayez Seraj has faced opposition to unifying split institutions such as the central bank and the LIA from hardline factions in the House of Representatives based in the east.

The LIA is also involved in two law suits against investment banks Goldman Sachs and Societe Generale, seeking to claw back over $3 billion lost in trades carried out under the Gaddafi regime.

Over a third of the fund's assets remain frozen under sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council in 2011 to prevent money being spirited out of the country.
Belgium frees three detained in anti terrorism case after Brussels raids

BRUSSELS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Belgium released three people it had detained on Thursday night after a string of house searches in Brussels as part of an anti- terrorism investigation, broadcaster RTL said on Friday.

Earlier in the day Belgian federal prosecutors said they had conducted eight house searches on the orders of an investigating judge specialised in terrorism.

No weapons or explosives were found, they said, without elaborating further on the details of the case.
home World Christian editor in Bangladesh flees to America for safety

A Bangladeshi Christian editor, who fled to the U.S. for safety, said she'd rather not go back to her home country while persecution among Christian minorities remains high.

Rosaline Costa, the 67-year-old Catholic editor of Hotline Bangladesh, left the predominantly Muslim country in July after threats of her safety became apparent.

The monthly newsletter exposed cases of corruption, terror, and religious persecution. As the publication's editor of 30 years, Costa said she "made several editorials in the newsletter" that denounced the country's cases of religious-driven violence.

"In the last two and a half months I could not go out of the house," she told Catholic News Service (CNS) Tuesday during her visit to Washington.

She revealed she couldn't even drive straight to the Hotline Bangladesh office or to her home and had to get into her car parked next to her house and then drive it to a garage connected to her office just to get to work.

Costa also received calls harassing her and went to the authorities to report them.

"I went to the police and they did not want to take a report," she said.

The editor also talked about a woman "beaten very badly."

"But she would not let me visit her in the hospital," Costa told CNS. "She did not want to be identified. Second, she feared for my safety."

Costa now lives in New York City with her two nephews and a niece, each of whom also left Bangladesh last year after suffering harassment. Her nephews left after Muslims forced them to convert to Islam while her niece fled after her Muslim uncle tried to force her into marrying him.

"I don't want to go back," said Costa, as she reflected on the current state of targeted violence.

According to the Christian Freedom International, a human rights organization, the country's religious violence may be brought about by the growing Christianity in the Muslim country.

"In the past six years, it is estimated that 91,000 Muslims from across the country have become Christians. This may account for the huge increase in persecution," it said.
Burnley swoop for Belgium midfielder Defour

LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Promoted Burnley have agreed to sign Belgian international Steven Defour from Anderlecht.

"Anderlecht and Burnley have reached agreement concerning the permanent transfer of Steven Defour," the Belgian club said in a statement on Friday.

The defensive midfielder joined Anderlecht in 2014 after spending three seasons with Porto where he won two Portuguese crowns.

Defour previously played for Genk and Standard Liege, the club where he twice won the Belgian title.
Austria turns away more migrants at Italian border

VIENNA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Austrian police said on Friday they are turning away four times as many illegal immigrants at the Brenner border crossing as in May due to tougher controls and more migrants heading for northern Europe from Italy.

"The situation for us is still relatively relaxed," said Edelbert Kohler, deputy head of Tyrol police, in charge at the crossing. "But the recent developments in Italy are causing us a great deal of concern."

More than 25,000 migrants, mainly from Nigeria and Ethiopia, arrived in Italy in July, 12 percent more than in the same period last year, EU border agency Frontex said on Friday.

Most of the more than 94,000 people who have arrived in Italy by boat this year travelled from sub-Saharan Africa to Libya where people smugglers, who have taken advantage of the breakdown of order there, charged them hundreds of dollars for the passage, often in unseaworthy boats.

After a clash at the Italian-French border, where migrants broke through police barriers, and as the number of migrants waiting to be let into Switzerland has been building up over the past days, Austrian authorities fear migrants could shift their routes as they try to reach wealthier northern Europe.

Police turned away 35-50 people who entered Austria illegally from Italy per day in July compared to about 10 a day in May, Kohler said.

Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka has been pushing for tough new immigration rules which would allow unsuccessful asylum seekers to be turned away at the border within an hour.

But Chancellor Christian Kern, whose Social Democrats govern together with Sobotka's People's Party as junior coalition partner, has so far rejected this and focussed on securing the borders of Austria's neighbours.
Sri Lanka blocks sale of freehold land in $1.4 bln Chinese deal

By Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez

COLOMBO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's government on Friday agreed a new version of its $1.4 billion real estate agreement with China after changing the terms and blocking the outright sale of land - part of a project covering a square mile right next to the capital's port.

Since coming to power in January 2015, President Maithripala Sirisena's administration has suspended most Chinese infrastructure projects that, it says, were badly priced and financed on onerous terms harmful to the national interest.

The reclamation project, Sri Lanka's largest foreign direct investment (FDI) project, was suspended two months after Sirisena defeated China-friendly Mahinda Rajapaksa, saying the proper procedure had not been followed. It had been signed in front of China's President Xi Jinping when he visited the island nation in 2014.

China Communication and Construction Co Ltd has dropped its claim against the government for $143 million in compensation for delaying the project by almost one year in return for extra land being added to the project.

Under the new agreement, the government plans to develop an international financial and business district in Sri Lanka within the port city and call it "Colombo International Financial City".

Chinese firm CHEC Port City Colombo, which is overseeing the 269-hectare project, said it will create about 83,000 jobs and attract more than $13 billion in FDI from outside investors including India, Singapore, Malaysia and China.

"The tripartite agreement has many features that are beneficial to Sri Lanka that was lacking in the 2014 agreement," the Megapolis ministry said in a statement, referring to the three signatories: CHEC, Sri Lanka's Urban Development Authority and the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry.

India uses Colombo's port for more than 70 percent of its shipping and had raised concerns about the proposal to sell a 20-hectare plot freehold to China's CHEC.

The Chinese firm will now get 110 hectares of reclaimed land on a 99-year lease and the Sri Lanka's government will keep complete ownership of 159 hectares.
Peru's government loosens restrictions on industrial fishing

LIMA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Peru is opening up more coastal waters to industrial fishing vessels to help them catch cold-water anchovy, used to make fishmeal, as waters have warmed, President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's government said on Friday.

Industrial boats in Peru, the world's biggest fishmeal producer, will soon be able to haul in anchovy closer to shore, starting at 5 miles (8 km) from the coast instead of 10 miles (16 km), the government said in the offical gazette El Peruano.

The government of former president Ollanta Humala had limited the 10 miles (16 km) closest to the shore to artisinal fishing to protect reproduction areas and encourage more of the anchovy, rich in protein and omega fatty acids, to be eaten in Peru instead of ground up as animal feed for export.

Kuczynski's production minister said that rule did not increase anchovy consumption in Peru and the warming of coastal waters was hurting the local fishmeal industry because it was driving away cold-water fish.
Messi wants to return to Argentina squad

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi announced on Friday that he wants to return to play for the national team, reversing his decision to retire earlier this year.

Messi said in June that he would not play for Argentina again after the team lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America.
Economic growth in Peru likely slowed to 3.7 pct in June

By Ursula Scollo

LIMA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Economic growth in Peru likely slowed to 3.7 percent in June from the same month a year ago as construction activity shrank and production in the mining sector eased, a Reuters poll showed.

Growth estimates of the eight economists surveyed ranged from 3 percent to 3.9 percent. All were below May's 4.88 percent year-on-year expansion and the 4.04 percent pace posted in May of 2015.

Construction activity shrank 3.78 percent in June after four straight months of growth, according to state statistics agency Inei. A nearly 4 percent drop in public investments dragged on the construction sector, said BanBif analyst Isaac Foinquinos.

The mining and hydrocarbon sector grew 15.82 percent in June, down from the 33.06 percent expansion in May as surging copper production declined, the government said.

The central bank has estimated a 4 percent growth rate in all of 2016. The annual growth rate firmed to 4 percent in May thanks to soaring copper production from new mines.

Domestic demand, however, has remained relatively weak and the central bank said that private investments fell in both June and July.

Growth data for June is scheduled for release on Monday.
Olympics-Shooting-American Rhode wins record sixth medal in six Games

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - American shooter Kim Rhode won the bronze medal in women's skeet shooting on Friday, an honor that puts her in an elite record-holding group of just five other Olympic athletes who have won a medal in six different Olympic Games.
Glencore begins arbitration against Bolivia over mine nationalization

By Rosalba O'Brien

SANTIAGO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Swiss-based mining and trading firm Glencore said it would begin arbitration proceedings against Bolivia over the nationalization of some of its assets by the Evo Morales government.

"Glencore's objective has always been to settle the dispute with the government of Bolivia amicably," the company said in an emailed statement on Friday.

"However, after almost nine years of negotiations without receiving any compensation for the nationalization of three of its operations, Glencore had no other option but to initiate arbitration proceedings to enforce its rights under international law."

Leftist Morales, an ex-coca grower who took power in the impoverished Andean country in 2006, has made nationalizing Bolivia's resources industries a key plank of his policies. The government says it welcomes investors but retains sovereign control of projects.

The Glencore case relates to the 2007 and 2010 nationalizations of two smelters, as well as a small tin and zinc mine, which the government took back into its own hands in 2012 after a violent dispute between employees and independent miners.

Bolivian state attorneys defended the actions of the Morales' administration, saying in a statement that the original privatization by a previous government had not been handled properly and that nationalization had been "in the public interest and for social benefit".
Colombia tax reform to go to Congress in October -president

BOGOTA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - A long-awaited tax reform will be presented to Colombia's congress in October, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Friday, and it will be approved before the end of the year.

Santos' comment came amid growing uncertainty in the market and among business owners about whether there is still time to pass the reform, key to maintaining Colombia's credit ratings.

"Tax reform will be approved during this legislature, so it can come into force next year. It will be presented in October, there's more than enough time," Santos said at a business leaders conference in the city of Cartagena. "There will be until Dec. 16, 20 to approve it."

The reform is still being analyzed by experts, the president said, and one of its goals will be to reduce the tax burden on businesses.

Sources with knowledge of the reform have said it will include a three-point increase in the value added tax.
Olympics-Swimming-Schooling wins first gold for Singapore

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Joseph Schooling won the men's 100 metres butterfly final on Friday to secure Singapore's first Olympic gold medal and deny Michael Phelps a 23rd in the last individual race of the American's extraordinary career.

Phelps, the defending champion and world record holder who is heading into retirement -- again -- after Rio, finished second in a three-way dead heat with two of his greatest rivals -- South Africa's Chad Le Clos and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh.

Astonishingly, all three touched out in 51.14 seconds, behind Schooling's Olympic record 50.39.
home Entertainment 'Star Wars Rebels' season 3 spoilers news: Gets a new TV spot; Darth Vader will not return

"Star Wars" fans have a lot to rejoice about this year. First off, the new trailer for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" has been revealed, and the third season for "Star Wars Rebels" is less than a month away. However, though Vader's presence will be in "Rogue One," the "Rebels" series will not be seeing any of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Showrunner Dave Filoni revealed to SlashFilm that Darth Vader will not appear in the show and focus on the new villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn had been one of the more famous villains from the expanded universe, and fans are delighted to see that the Grand Admiral has found his way into official "Star Wars" canon.

When asked about Vader, Filoni said, "I don't like to tease people along and then have them be disappointed. So it's really an elected decision to not have Vader around because, as we get closer to 'A New Hope,' I want him to serve as that story."

He also goes on to say that the crew of the Ghost would not survive if Vader was the one who would actively pursue them.

Filoni also took the time to thank James Earl Jones for returning to voice Vader. Jones was the original voice of Vader in the original "Star Wars," and he's currently busy performing live theater.

The third season will also seem to have less of an appearance from Vader's Sith Inquisitors. Fans of the show have shown their disdain for the incompetence of the Inquisitors, but their absence could further justify the absence of Force-users by the time "A New Hope" rolls in.

Aside from Thrawn, Darth Maul will be serving as an enemy of both the Empire and the Rebellion.

Ezra and the gang will have a lot in their hands when the third season for "Star Wars Rebels" is set to roll in coming September.
Malaysia arrests Islamic State suspects for grenade attack on bar in June

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Malaysian police have arrested nine militants, including two suspected of carrying out a grenade attack, claimed by Islamic State, at a nightspot on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in June, the country's police chief said on Saturday.

A known Malaysian IS fighter in Syria, Muhammad Wanndy Muhammad Jedi, had said in a posting on his Facebook page that the group had carried out the June 28 attack on a bar in the Puchong neighborhood that wounded eight people.

If the claim was genuine it would have been the first attack by IS on Malaysian soil.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement the two men who carried out the attack had been caught in the northeastern state of Kelantan, where they had been awaiting instructions from Wanndy to carry out further attacks.

"Following on from their arrest, police managed to seize a grenade, and it was suspected it would have been used in a planned attack," Khalid said.

He said two other people had been arrested for helping to hide the suspects.

Police had also tracked down a suspected IS member, whose cell had received orders from Wanndy, and had threatened attacks on the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and on government buildings in the country's administrative capital of Putrajaya, Khalid said.

Others arrested included a 17-year-old in the eastern state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, who was believed to have been planning a 'lone wolf' attack on non-Muslims after communicating with another Malaysian IS member in Syria.

Meanwhile, three foreigners, who were ex-military, were arrested in Kuala Lumpur for allegedly using the country as a transit point to secure fake travel documents and plan an attack on a Middle East nation, Khalid said.

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have been on high alert since IS-linked militants carried out an armed attack in the capital of neighbouring Indonesia in January.

Police said last week 230 people, including 200 Malaysians, have been arrested since 2013 for involvement in militant activities.

In June, IS released a video of its fighters from Southeast Asia calling on its supporters to unify under one umbrella group and launch attacks in the region.
Zambia's opposition leader takes narrow early lead in election

LUSAKA, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Zambia's main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema took an early lead over President Edgar Lungu on Saturday in a tight election battle fought as the key copper producer's economy stutters due to weak commodity prices.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) delayed announcing the first results on Friday, saying audits were taking longer than expected mainly due to a large voter turnout.

It denied charges by Hichilema's United Party for National Development (UPND) that it was dragging its feet because it was trying to manipulate the results in favour of Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF).

Data from eight of Zambia's 156 constituencies showed businessman Hichilema in the lead with 47,706 votes after Thursday's election, against 41,572 for lawyer Lungu.

Voter turnout currently stood at 57.55 percent, far above the 32 percent recorded early last year when Lungu narrowly won an election to fill the vacancy left by the death of then president Michael Sata.

If no candidate fails to win more than 50 percent this time, Zambia will have to hold a second round of elections.

Campaigning for this week's vote centred on the economy, after months of rising unemployment, mine closures, power shortages and soaring food prices in Africa's No. 2 copper producer.

Supporters of the two main parties clashed in what is generally one of the continent's most stable democracies.

Hichilema says the president has mismanaged the economy but Lungu, whose government has been negotiating a financial support package with the International Monetary Fund, blames weak growth on plunging commodity prices.
Hungary readies economic stimulus for autumn minister tells paper

BUDAPEST, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Hungary will present a package of stimulus measures in the autumn to lift economic growth above 3 percent in the years ahead, Economy Minister Mihaly Varga told a newspaper.

Hungary's output rose by an annual 2.6 percent in the second quarter, above expectations but the slowest among regional peers Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, which faces an election in 2018, is targeting 2.5 percent growth this year, a figure Varga has said is still achievable if headwinds seen in the first six months ease.

The government has already signalled plans for some form of stimulus measures to bolster the economy and Varga's remarks indicate the plans are taking their final shape.

Saturday's edition of the pro-government daily Magyar Idok quoted Varga as saying that Budapest was working on a number of steps, including employment reforms, in a bid to lift growth into the 3 to 5 percent range in the years ahead.

Varga also said Budapest aimed to lower unemployment to about 3 percent from the current 5 percent. That low level however also includes 232,200 people employed in public works programmes as well as 116,700 people employed abroad.

The minister said the government aimed to address a labour shortage with unspecified training programmes and reforms, adding that investment in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, renewable energy and tourism could also boost the economy.

Hungary's economy ministry was not immediately available for comment on the details of the proposed package.

The planned measures come as the National Bank of Hungary, led by Orban ally Gyorgy Matolcsy, is phasing out a massive Funding for Growth Scheme that provides cheap loans to small businesses via commercial banks.

The bank, which next meets to discuss policy on August 23, has also said it would not cut its base rate further from a record-low 0.9 percent.
Swedish minister quits after being caught driving under influence

STOCKHOLM, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Aida Hadzialic, Sweden's youngest-ever cabinet minister, said on Saturday she was resigning her education post after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

Hadzialic, who is minister for upper secondary school, adult education and training, told a news conference she was stopped by police on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden with 0.2 per mille alcohol in her blood after a dinner in Copenhagen.

The 0.2 per mille level is Sweden's legal limit for drunk driving, a level that is low compared to that in most other countries.

"I choose to do this because I believe what I have done is that serious," the Social Democrat politician said.

Hadzialic, 29, became Sweden's youngest-ever minister when she was appointed to the centre-left coalition government in 2014. She came as a refugee to Sweden from Bosnia at five years of age with her family.
U.S. Vice President Biden to visit Turkey on Aug. 24 - PM

ISTANBUL, Aug 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is to visit Turkey on August 24, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was quoted as saying by Turkish media on Saturday.

Yildirim, speaking to a group of Turkish journalists, said that Washington's attitude on an extradition request for Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating an attempted coup last month, had improved.

Yildirim said a total of 81,494 people including judges, soldiers and civil servants have either been suspended or sacked since the July 15 abortive putsch.
Bulgaria's third largest lender must raise capital after tests

SOFIA, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's central bank has told the country's third largest lender First Investment Bank (Fibank) to raise about 206 million levs ($117 million) in additional capital by April, following a health check on the Balkan country's banks.

The central bank said on Thursday that the asset quality review (AQR) and stress tests showed none of Bulgaria's 22 banks require state support and that the banking system as a whole is well capitalised and resilient to market shocks.

The health check was the first by the Balkan country since a banking crisis, triggered by the demise of its fourth largest lender Corporate Commercial Bank (Corpbank) two years ago.
Bangladesh allows more time to detain two over July cafe attack

By Serajul Quadir

DHAKA, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A Bangladesh court allowed police on Saturday to continue holding two men in connection with an attack last month claimed by Islamic State that killed 20 hostages at an upscale cafe in the capital, Dhaka police said.

Police told the court they needed more time to interrogate Hasnat Karim, a dual British and Bangladeshi national, and Tahmid Hasib Khan, a student at Toronto University, in connection with the assault on July 1. The families of both men say they are innocent.

Their cases have been marked by confusion. When the two men were remanded in custody earlier this month, police official Masudur Rahman told reporters they had been arrested "from two different places".

But their families say Karim and Khan were dining, separately, with family and friends when gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery. Karim, a 47-year-old engineer, was said to be at the cafe to celebrate his daughter's 13th birthday.

Police confirmed on Saturday that Karim has been formally arrested, while Khan was being held as a suspect. Both appeared before the court, with Karim being remanded for a further eight days and Khan for six.

Rahman said Karim was arrested because police needed "further details" because of information that emerged during his interrogation.

He told Reuters that video footage during the cafe attack showed Karim appearing to act "calm and normal with the militants." He declined to give any further information.

Karim's wife, Sharmina Karim, told Reuters it was not at all clear to her what was happening.

"He is innocent. He went to the cafe along with me and our two daughters," she said after Karim made his court appearance. "How can it be that he would go there knowing there would be such a massacre? Is this not unusual, unbelievable thinking?"

There was no immediate comment from the Khan family.

Karim and Khan were among 32 people rescued by police and taken into custody for questioning after the attack. Police released the others soon after.

During the attack on the cafe, Islamist militants singled out non-Muslims and foreigners, killing Italians, Japanese, an American and an Indian before security forces stormed the eatery to end the 12-hour siege. Two police also died in the operation.

The government has dismissed suggestions that Islamic State has a presence in Bangladesh, even though photographs of attackers posing with assault rifles in front of the group's black banner were posted on the group's propaganda outlets.
Petrol bombs thrown at police ahead of Northern Ireland parade

BELFAST, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Catholic youths attacked police with petrol bombs in the Northern Ireland city of Londonderry on Saturday ahead of one of the largest Protestant parades of the year.

Thousands of pro-British unionists were due to take to the streets of the city for the annual Apprentice Boys parade, which marks the ending of the siege of Derry by Catholic King James II in 1689.

Pro-British Protestants march every summer to commemorate historical events, sometimes triggering a violent response from mainly Catholic Irish Republicans.

Police said at least 25 petrol bombs and fireworks were thrown at officers as they investigated a suspected bomb that turned out to be a hoax, but no injuries were reported. Police said they had been called to investigate several suspicious objects across the province.
Zambia's Lungu ahead in early vote count, opposition cries foul

By Chris Mfula and Stella Mapenzauswa

LUSAKA, Aug 13 (Reuters) - President Edgar Lungu was ahead of his main rival on Saturday in early counting from Zambia's presidential election, but the main opposition said its count showed their candidate ahead and the vote may have been rigged.

Lungu faces a stiff challenge from United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema, who accuses him of failing to steer the economy out of its slump after Africa's second-largest copper producer was hit by weak commodity prices.

He led with 262,149 votes against Hichilema's 243,794 after 29 of the country's 156 constituencies in Thursday's voting had been collated, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) told a news conference also attended by political parties.

Early results announced on Saturday from only eight constituencies had put Hichilema ahead.

In a statement, the UPND said data from its own parallel counting system showed Hichilema beating Lungu "with a clear margin", based on about 80 percent of votes counted.

Electoral officials have warned political parties against making such statements, but all parties have access to the raw voting data and may add up the results faster than the national commission.

The ECZ had hoped to have final results from the elections - in which Zambians also chose members of parliament, mayors and local councillors and decided on proposed constitutional changes - by early Sunday. Results were now expected later, officials said, without giving a time frame.

The commission had earlier rejected UPND charges that some officials were working to manipulate results to the advantage of Lungu's Patriotic Front.

It said police were still investigating a report that an ECZ official had given his identity card on Friday to a man who could then enter the commission's computer room and tamper with the results.

The UPND renewed its calls for the commission to remove some officials from the election process to preserve its credibility.

"There is a syndicate in this institution and the syndicate is colluding to steal the election," UPND lawyer Martha Mushipe said.

LARGE VOTER TURNOUT

The ECZ has also defended the relatively slow pace in announcing election results, saying audits were taking longer than expected due to a large voter turnout.

As of Saturday's count, turnout was at 56.72 percent, far above the 32 percent recorded early last year when Lungu narrowly won an election to fill the vacancy left by the death of then president Michael Sata.

If no candidate manages to win more than 50 percent this time, Zambia will have to hold a second round of elections.

Campaigning for this week's vote centred on the economy, after months of rising unemployment, mine closures, power shortages and soaring food prices.

Supporters of the two main parties clashed in what is generally one of the continent's most stable democracies.

With emotions running high as parties awaited results, the ECZ would need to clearly demonstrate it was acting to resolve complaints to retain the confidence of the electorate, political analyst Lee Habasonda of the University of Zambia said.

"People are giving them the benefit of doubt at this particular time, they have not lost confidence in them yet but yes, there are certain questions being raised about their performance," he told Reuters.
Venezuelans cross reopened border to Colombia for food, medicine

By Anggy Polanco

SAN ANTONIO, Venezuela, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Thousands of Venezuelans were welcomed to Colombia by a military band early on Saturday morning as the two countries' borders were officially reopened after being closed by Venezuela a year ago.

Some people had traveled across Venezuela to queue overnight hoping to cross to buy food and other basics that are in short supply in Venezuela, which is steeped in an economic crisis.

"I came with my family to do some shopping because we can't find anything to eat," said Wilmary Salcedo, a 17-year-old engineering student who had traveled some 500 miles from the central city of Maracay hoping for rice, sugar and cooking oil.

Venezuela's stores lack the most basic foods and medicines. Queues of hundreds and even thousands of people are common, and riots and looting are a daily occurrence.

Venezuela's President Maduro abruptly closed the border last August hoping, he said, to protect his country from smugglers and paramilitaries. Critics saw the action as a stunt to shift attention from worsening domestic problems.

Maduro announced the reopening on Thursday, alongside his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos.

"We're interested in a new beginning in economic and commercial relations with all of Colombia's productive sectors," Maduro said on Thursday. Santos said it would be a "gradual" reopening.

Five border crossings will be open to pedestrians during the day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time (1100 to 0200 GMT). A representative from Colombia's foreign ministry said 5,000 people had crossed in the first two hours.

The border has for years been a hotbed of smuggling of everything from price-controlled toothpaste and pasta to illegal drugs and weapons. Maduro blamed Colombians, among others, for the country's crisis and the closure strained relations between the South American neighbors.
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On 90th birthday, Fidel Castro thanks well-wishers, appears at gala

By Sarah Marsh

HAVANA, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Fidel Castro made a rare public appearance on Saturday at his 90th birthday gala, after the leader of the 1959 revolution thanked fellow Cubans for their well wishes and lambasted his old foe the United States in a column carried by state-run media.

Cuba went into overdrive this month honoring the retired "El Comandante," who built a Communist-run state on the doorstep of the United States, surviving what it says were hundreds of assassination attempts along the way.

Thousands danced to Latin beats along Havana's curving seafront Malecon boulevard throughout the night from Friday to Saturday. At the giant street party, a live band played "Happy Birthday" on the stroke of midnight and fireworks exploded on the other side of the bay.

The iconic leftist revolutionary, who handed over power in 2008 to his younger brother Raul due to ill health, appeared later in the day for a birthday gala featuring children's theater, live music and videos from his life.

Seated in the front row of the Karl Marx theater, he was flanked by Raul and regional ally Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Increasingly frail, Castro had last made an official appearance at the Communist Party Congress in April.

"I want to express my most profound gratitude for the shows of respect, the greetings and gifts I have received the days, which give me the strength to reciprocate through ideas," Castro wrote in the opinion piece.

Castro went on to reminisce about his youth on the family plantation in the eastern village of Biran, in particular about his father who died before the revolution.

"He suffered quite a bit," Castro wrote. "Of his three male children, the second and third were absent and distant, both fulfilling their duty in revolutionary activities."

Even then, Fidel wrote, he knew Raul should replace him if anything should happen to him, in particular if the United States succeeded in its attempts to kill him.

"I almost laughed about the Machiavellian plans of the U.S. presidents," he wrote.

True to form, Castro went on to blast Barack Obama, this time for the U.S. president's speech in May when he visited Hiroshima, site of the world's first atomic bombing at the end of World War Two.

"He lacked the words to ask for forgiveness for the killings of hundreds of thousands of people," Castro wrote.

In his last opinion piece, in March, the "Historic Leader" accused Obama of sweet-talking the Cuban people during his visit to the island - the first by a U.S. leader in 88 years - and of ignoring the accomplishments of Communist rule.

Many Cubans feel Fidel is no longer in step with the times. Raul's most broadly feted accomplishment since taking power has been implementing a detente with the United States after a half century of confrontation.

Considered more pragmatic, the younger Castro also introduced market-style reforms to the state-dominated economy and increased personal freedoms, such as the right to travel abroad. Fidel has lent these policies only lukewarm support in public.

Many Cubans still revere Fidel for freeing Cuba from U.S. domination and introducing universal, free healthcare and education.
Pakistan police arrest ex-husband, father in suspected 'honour killing'

By Mubasher Bukhari

LAHORE, Pakistan, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Pakistani police on Saturday arrested the former husband and the father of a British woman on suspicion of murder after her second husband alleged she was the victim of an "honour killing" for remarrying, police said.

Samia Shahid, 28, a beautician from Bradford who was visiting her family in Pakistan, died last month in the village of Pandori in northern Punjab province.

The case attracted attention because it came days after the high-profile honour killing of outspoken social media star Qandeel Baloch, whose brother has been arrested in the case.

Deputy Inspector General Police Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh, the investigating officer in the case, said police had arrested Shahid's ex-husband - her cousin Shakeel - and her father, Chaudhry Shahid.

"The court has sent them to police custody for physical remand of four days," Bakhsh said. "Once, facts are established, we would be in a better position to say if it is an honour killing or a murder as revenge."

Shahid's relatives have said she died of a heart attack, but her husband, Kazim Mukhtar, told Reuters last month that he believed she had been poisoned and then strangled. He said they had both received death threats from her family in the past.

Less than two weeks before Shahid died, Baloch, 26, who had divided opinion in the deeply conservative Muslim society by regularly posting revealing photos on social media, was found strangled and her brother was arrested.

Some 500 women are killed every year in Pakistan by relatives who feel their family has been shamed by a daughter or sister hanging out with men, eloping or otherwise infringing conservative demands on women's modesty.

Baloch's death led Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ruling party to announce that it would pass long-delayed legislation outlawing "honour killing" within weeks.
Egypt public prosecutor orders 13 arrested in wheat corruption case

CAIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Egypt's public prosecutor has ordered the arrest of 13 people for 15 days pending an investigation into their role in a wheat procurement corruption scandal, judicial sources said on Saturday.

Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, has been mired in controversy over its wheat supplies, with industry officials claiming that over 2 million tonnes of the 5 million tonnes of wheat procured locally in this harvest may exist only on paper.

Egypt pays high prices for wheat to encourage farmers to grow it. Local traders, the middlemen who buy wheat from scores of small-landholders, have for years mixed cheaper imported wheat into local supplies and then claimed the state subsidies.

On Aug. 7, the prosecutor said in a statement that local wheat suppliers had worked with government employees to falsely claim 621 million Egyptian pounds ($69.93 million) worth of grain that did not exist.

The prosecutor had already ordered that private silo owners suspected of claiming higher quantities of wheat than they were actually storing should be banned from travel and have their funds frozen.

The 13 facing arrest are accused of profiteering, forgery and enabling the embezzlement of public funds, the sources said, without elaborating on their role in the procurement chain. It was not clear if any had been arrested yet.

Suppliers delivered 221,800 tonnes of wheat based on false documents worth a total of 621 million pounds and have received 533 million pounds for deliveries to date, the prosecutor said in his Aug. 7 statement.

Egypt's parliament has set up a fact-finding commission to look into allegations of corruption in wheat procurement. The final report is expected this month.
German far-right leader wants to send refugees to islands outside Europe

BERLIN, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The head of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) says Berlin should send rejected asylum seekers and illegal immigrants to islands outside Europe and turn its refugee office into an emigration bureau.

The influx of over one million migrants last year fueled support for the AfD, which now has seats in eight of Germany's 16 state assemblies and is expected to make a strong showing in state votes next month in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Party leader Frauke Petry made the suggestions in an interview with the Bild newspaper published on Saturday.

"Illegal migrants and asylum seekers whose applications are rejected will be accommodated on the two islands outside Europe that are protected by the United Nations," Petry added, without naming the two islands she had in mind.

German media interpreted her remarks as a reference to Nauru and Manus, two Pacific islands where Australia funds camps to hold asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach its shores by boat. They are told they will never be settled in Australia.

"I propose the transformation of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees into an office for emigration, which ensures that all illegal migrants leave this land as soon as possible," Petry added.

The refugee office has been overwhelmed since last year with hundreds of thousands of asylum applications.

Known for her fiery speeches to AfD supporters, Petry sparked an uproar earlier this year when she called for German police to be allowed to use firearms against illegal migrants.
Turkey says no compromise with Washington on cleric's extradition

By Humeyra Pamuk

ISTANBUL, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Turkey will not compromise with Washington over the extradition of the Islamic cleric it accuses of orchestrating a failed coup, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday, warning of rising anti-Americanism if the United States fails to extradite.

Yildirim's comments, at a briefing for local reporters, were the latest to take aim at Turkey's top NATO ally and coincided with a report that an Istanbul prosecutor wrote to U.S. authorities asking for the detention of cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Turkey says Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in rural Pennsylvania since 1999, masterminded the failed July 15 putsch when a group of rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, warplanes and helicopters in an attempt to overthrow the government. Gulen has denied the charge and condemned the coup.

"There is no compromise apart from this chief terrorist coming to Turkey and being prosecuted," Yildirim was quoted as saying by state-run Anadolu Agency.

"The only way to prevent the rising (negative) sentiment against America is for the U.S. to hand over this man and make sure Turkey's justice system holds him accountable."

Turkey's foreign minister said this week documents had been sent to the United States and that Turkey had received "positive signals" about Gulen's possible extradition. Turkey has not said clearly whether it has filed a formal extradition request.

The White House said on Saturday that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on Aug. 24, the first trip by a high-ranking U.S. official since the abortive coup.

Yildirim said a U.S. technical team would visit Turkey on Aug. 22 to discuss legal issues relating to the possible extradition, according to Anadolu. He said Secretary of State John Kerry is due in October, according to broadcaster CNN Turk.

Yildirim said he believed there would be a "positive outcome" with Washington on the extradition, Anadolu said.

U.S. officials have said that the United States has a formal process for dealing with extradition requests and that Turkey must provide solid evidence of Gulen's involvement.

The Istanbul chief prosecutor wrote to U.S. authorities asking for Gulen's detention, CNN Turk said. Turkey's Justice Ministry passed on the letter - which contained 10 charges against Gulen including attempting to overthrow the government - to the United States, it added.

Gulen said on Friday he would hand himself over to Turkish authorities only if an independent international investigative body first found him guilty.

"If a tenth of the accusations against me are established, I pledge to return to Turkey and serve the heaviest sentence," he said in an opinion piece in French daily Le Monde.

More 240 people were killed in the putsch, and Turkish authorities say they have detained more than 35,000 people and placed more than 17,000 of them under formal arrest.

Yildirim said that more than 76,000 officials have been suspended and nearly 5,000 dismissed since the coup, including 3,000 soldiers as well as judges and civil servants.

SECURITY CRACKDOWN ALARMS NATO, EU

There is concern among Turkey's NATO allies as well as the European Union, which it aspires to join, that Erdogan - in power the prime minister or president since 2002 - might be using the purge to eliminate dissent.

Such perceptions have angered senior Turkish officials, who say that Western critics appear to be more concern about the security response than the coup itself.

Still, the scope of the security sweep now appears to be worrying even some in the ruling, Islamist-rooted AK Party.

"Even if the shock absorber of a car breaks down, they say someone with (the Gulenists) has done this," Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes told CNN Turk.

"(Such an approach) would make this a witchhunt....and would weaken the gravity of what happened on July 15," said Turkes, a former member of the nationalist opposition who switched to AK.

Erdogan's critics say he and the AKP he founded allowed Gulen's followers to rise to important posts within the state apparatus and relied on them to help curb the power of the military, which had ousted four governments since 1960 for posing what it saw as an Islamist threat to the secular order.

The troubled relationship between Gulen's movement and Erdogan and the AKP he founded burst into the open with a corruption scandal in late December 2013 that fingered members of Erdogan's inner circle. Erdogan cast the allegations as an manoeuvre orchestrated by Gulen's followers to undermine him.

Speaking to Reuters on Saturday in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Selahattin Demirtas, head of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition, said Erdogan had allowed Gulen's followers to tighten their hold within state bodies.

"Gulenists have been organising within various state institutions ... within the last 35-40 years but they had their golden years by all means (after) AKP took the helm (in 2002)," Demirtas said in an interview.

"Until the last three years, staff positions within the state were presented to them openly with the support and encouragement of the AKP. These positions were given to them; and this wasn't done covertly. They didn't get these positions by tricking the AK Party. This was an obvious alliance."
Thousands return to Manbij after IS militants flee city

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

BEIRUT, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Thousands of displaced residents streamed back into the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Saturday after U.S.-backed fighters ousted the last Islamic State militants from their former stronghold, residents and U.S. allies said.

The U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday they had seized full control of the city near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the militants, who had been using civilians as human shields.

Hundreds of cars and vehicles carrying families and their belongings flocked into the city from makeshift camps and villages in the countryside, where many of the city's residents took shelter during the two-month campaign, according to an SDF official and relatives who were in contact with residents.

"Thousands are coming back and shops are opening. Today is the first day life is returning to normal," said Sharfan Darwish, spokesman for the SDF-allied Manbij Military Council told Reuters from the city, adding they were working to restore basic services.

Pro-SDF news sites showed jubilant families who had been trapped in the city during the fighting talking about how harsh life was under Islamic State and its imposition of strict dress codes in public.

Their footage showed men shaving their beards and veiled women setting fire to niqabs they were forced to wear in public that covered their entire face apart from the eyes.

The militants were finally ousted after a deal was reached on Friday that secured their departure together with some 2,000 civilians, believed to have been their relatives, towards their stronghold of Jarablus near the border with Turkey, a Syrian from Manbij who is in touch with relatives there said.

It was not clear whether those leaving were hostages or had left voluntarily, a Kurdish source said.

The SDF, formed last year by recruiting Arabs to join forces with the powerful YPG Kurdish militia, launched an offensive with the support of U.S.-led strikes at the end of May to remove Islamic State from areas it controls along the Turkish border.

BLOW TO MILITANTS

The loss of Manbij, occupied by Islamic State since early 2014, is a big blow to the militants as it is of strategic importance, serving as a conduit for the transit of foreign jihadists and provisions from the Turkish border.

The operation, in which U.S. special forces played a significant role on the ground, marks the most ambitious advance by a group allied to Washington in Syria since the United States launched its military campaign against Islamic State two years ago.

Darwish attributed the speedy return to life in the city to a military and aerial campaign that he said spared many neighbourhoods where thousands of civilians had remained even at the height of fighting.

Despite intensive U.S. bombing of bridges, several hospitals and a large silo in the course of the campaign, the city appears to have been spared the devastation of other cities in the Syrian conflict.

The SDF, which had already cleared over 13,000 mines, was sweeping some neighbourhoods in search of militant sleeper cells suspected to still be operating.

A former resident of the city said he had reports from family members that the Kurdish YPG, who are the dominant group within the SDF, had rounded up dozens of young men before screening them because of concerns that some of them belonged to sleeper cells.

The capture of Manbij bolsters the position of Kurds who already control an uninterrupted 400 km (250 mile) stretch of Syria's northern border with Turkey.

Washington has long lacked capable proxies on the ground, but has found its first strong allies in SDF.
Mali aims to save $50 mln by striking 13,000 'ghost' workers off payroll

BAMAKO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Mali, one of the world's poorest countries, has identified 13,000 fictitious workers on the state payroll who had cost a total of 30 billion CFA francs ($50 million), according to the information minister.

A source in the West African state's finance ministry told Reuters on Saturday these were mostly workers who had either died or left to go and work for international organisations. The source added that prosecutions could follow, but for the moment the priority was to get stolen money repaid.

The landlocked desert nation and an important gold exporter, Mali has suffered from endemic corruption and instability over the years, and more lately from multiple insurrections by Islamist groups in the north, as well as infighting between armed factions.

Information Minister Mountaga Tall made the comments about bogus state employees on state TV and radio late on Friday.

"The minister (of public service) conducted a physical control combined with paying in cash ... (and) detected about 13,000 staff that were either fictitious or irregular," he said.

"The savings that can be made if all measures are taken ... will be around 30 billion CFA francs," Tall added. He did not give a breakdown of the figure. The source at the finance ministry also could not provide such details.

Investigating and striking off ghost workers are among the requirements of Mali's programme with the IMF.
Olympics -Brazil judge blocks disbursement of public funds to Games

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge has ruled that the federal government and the city of Rio de Janeiro cannot provide some 270 million reais ($85 million) in public funds for the Olympics organising committee unless its accounts are made public.

The decision late on Friday by Rio de Janeiro federal judge Marcia Maria Nunes was based on a request by federal prosecutors to prevent disbursements announced by a minister this month designed to prop up the accounts of the organising committee.

If the transfers had already been made, the judge said the organising committee should not make any payments using the money, under the threat of a fine of 100,000 reais per day.

Presidential Chief of Staff Eliseu Padilha announced on Aug. 4, the day before the Rio Olympics' lavish opening ceremony, that the federal government would provide 120 million reais to the organising committee and the city of Rio would make a further 150 million available.

He said the money would be used to fund the opening and closing ceremonies of the Aug. 5-21 Olympics and next month's Paralympics.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes declined to confirm the transfer.

However, a spokesman for Rio 2016 said the organization would not require public funding to balance its books. He said organizers had been curbing expenses as Brazil suffers its worst recession in decades.

"We had a commitment not to use public money in organising the Olympic Games. This has to do with several things: with transparency and the need to prove that we can do things without the rescue of the government," he said.
In a recent extra-mural lecture delivered at Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (IIT-M), Major General (Retd.) GD Bakshi allegedly said, "In our generation, we split Pakistan into two. Your generation should split it into 4." Bakshi's "irrational jingoism" wasn't well received by an MTech student Abhinav Surya who wrote to the institute's director complaining about the retired army officer's hate mongering.

"I am writing this letter to you with a bleeding heart, worried about the recent EML lecture by GD Bakshi on 11th August, 2016. I am still not able to digest the fact the institute has given a platform to such a speech filled with hatred, instigating violence among the students. A lecture that was heavily loaded with brewing enmity, inhumanity and glorification of brutality," Surya wrote.

The student's rebellion did not go unheard. IIT-M's director Bhaskar Ramamurthi responded by forwarding the complaint of the student to the core EML team responsible for organising the lecture. "I am copying the EML core on this email. I request them to look into your complaint to see if any legal boundaries were crossed with regard to incitement to violence, etc. No public speaker, EML or otherwise, can cross these," he stated.

Unrepentant Bakshi

According to The News Minute, Major General Bakshi is least embarrassed about his comments. "They tried to break up India, so we need to break them up into four, of course," an unrepentant Bakshi told the news portal. He claimed that his speech was supported by 99.9 per cent of students and only 10-12 Kashmiri, left liberal students opposed what he said.

Thereafter, wittingly or unwittingly, Bakshi made public his distrust of Kashmiris. "I do not respect Kashmiri students or leftist liberals - they only try to promote sedition on our campuses," he said. That sets the record straight. Bakshi is indeed a hate monger. Why? Because he thinks every Kashmiri and left liberal student promotes sedition. Such an assertion is absolutely ridiculous.

And if anyone thinks that Bakshi's sweeping remarks against Kashmiris and left-liberals are true then he/she too is in need of a reality check. They seem to have been influenced by a hyper nationalist, Hindutva government. We must not forget that the incumbent government's Home Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that the pro-Afzal Guru protests in Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) were backed by Hafiz Saeed on the basis of a fake tweet.

Interestingly, Bakshi also stated that India should support the freedom movement in Balochistan. As per Bakshi, "From 1993 onwards, we have been fighting terrorism in major cities. My contention was that we should equally support the freedom movements in Balochistan."

Such a viewpoint has been increasingly gaining currency in India. Yesterday, at an all-party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that there was a need to expose Pakistan's atrocities in Balochistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. But the fundamental question is: what moral authority does the Indian government have to raise both these issues in the international arena?

Indian political leaders and hyper-nationalist television anchors are silent about the extra-judicial killings, torture, sexual assault and use of pellet guns in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. It's true that army convoys should not be stone pelted or put on fire. Protests that turn violent lose their legitimacy.

However, what has prevented successive governments from reviewing Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)? No substantial measure has been undertaken to revoke the draconian legislation or subject the errant security officers to a fair trial.

Yet some people tend to argue that India should expose Pakistan's human rights violations. Shouldn't we put our own house in order first? And the situation is no better in Pakistan. Till very recently, there were no democratic elections in PoK to preserve its disputed nature. Terming Pakistan's Azad Kashmir as "far from free", the Human Rights Watch called out the Pakistani government for violation of basic freedoms and practising torture on a routine basis.

In Balochistan, thousands have gone missing with corpses being found in decomposed, mutilated state. But in the words of noted Pakistani author Ahmed Rashid, "the army, paramilitaries, and the government have consistently denied being responsible for violence in Balochistan, pointing instead to the myriad of armed groups operating in the region."

Let's face the facts. Both the sides are guilty of human rights violations in their respective territories. They don't wish to talk about their respective follies and open themselves up to high level probe. They are simply insincere about investigating into their human rights crimes and hence choose to indulge in convenient political deviations. That's precisely why Pakistan is perennially interested in J&K's human rights violations and now India is keenly following up on cases of barbarity in Balochistan, PoK.

At the end of the day, the people of J&K, PoK and Balochistan are the ones who lose everything. They are not only subjected to gross human rights violations by their governments but are also reduced to pawns in a dangerous game of geopolitics.

Bakshi's hatred not new

Coming back to Bakshi, he is not a recent convert to jingoism. In fact, he has been a venom-spewing orator since a long time. In April 2014, the author of this piece had a first-hand exposure to what Bakshi repeated in IIT-Madras. At that time, I was a student of Maharaja Agrasen College at the University of Delhi.

As a retired army officer, Bakshi was invited to be the chief guest at the annual day function. Very much like Surya, I too was aghast, when I heard Bakshi advocate the annihilation of Pakistan. His words were almost the same. He stated that the biggest achievement of his generation was that they split Pakistan into two parts and if the current generation supported them then they would split it into four parts.

I am least surprised that Bakshi has claimed that most of the students appreciated his speech at IIT-Madras. At my college, he was given a standing ovation. That's right! The auditorium reverberated with thunderous applauses every time Bakshi sounded his war cry.

Flawed idea of unity

There are certain sections within the Indian society who seem to base India's unity on an anti-Pakistan plank. Bakshi also belongs to the same group. That's probably the reason why he mentioned at IIT-Madras that the best way to strengthen India's unity was by fighting Pakistan.

I recently had lunch with someone who said "Indians don't seem to realise the difference between being aggressive and abusive."

The context of the conversation was obviously different. But it says a lot about us as a nation. We somehow don't realise that we can question Pakistan's actions pertaining to cross-border terrorism without hating ordinary Pakistanis. We can work towards a peaceful solution despite all bilateral disputes with Pakistan without destroying Pakistan.

It's such a simple thing which is not so commonly understood. Someone I know raised the slogan "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" in the presence of a few colleagues.

The response that he received was below his expectations, so he raised the slogan "Pakistan Murdabad". This is something we need to change. If unity between a set of people is premised on hatred for someone else then it is severely flawed.
After the Amarnath land row in 2008, PDP lost the Assembly election and, in 2009, the nomination of Omar Abdullah - the grandson of Sheikh Abdullah - for the post of chief minister raised hopes and expectations among the Kashmiri people, especially the youth.

Omar was expected to address the local issues. He was portrayed as an energetic and dynamic leader by the media. But destiny proved otherwise. He turned out to be an icon of controversies as his government faced one heated situation after the other.

Omar Abdullah is seen telling TV channels today what Mehbooba did as the opposition leader.

He faced his first challenge in February 2009 when the Army killed two persons at Bomai in north Kashmir's Sopore. As CM he seemed committed to withdrawal of the draconian law - AFSPA - which gives Indian armed forces protection from prosecution while operating in "disturbed areas".

But consistent failures to revoke the law gave the then opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the chance to accuse him of "lowering the dignity" of his chair. On the other side of the coin, he promised 80,000 jobs for youth, but it remains a dream.

The other major crisis that hit Omar's government was the killing of two young girls of Shopian - Asiya and Neelofar.

The incident shocked every Kashmiri and protests were held everywhere. The other major crisis which the ruling NC believe was the chief cause of its downfall was when, in 2010, Indian forces and the local police opened fire at protesters after the Machhil fake encounter and the death of Tufail Mattu - this led to killings of more than 128 people in over six months; Omar went into a shell.

He didn't resign fearing the opposition would take over. Over the next three years, Omar constituted commissions of inquiry, ordering probes into civilian killings by the armed forces. In April 2012, Omar faced yet another controversy when he called one of his party workers, Haji Muhammad Yousuf, to his house to inquire into allegations of fraud against him. He handed Yousuf over to IGP crime. The next day, the party worker died in police custody.

Following this, the hanging of Afzal Guru in 2013 and, subsequently, the floods of 2014 turned sour for Jammu and Kashmir. Disaster struck as the deluge ravaged Kashmir. It evoked a question on the credibility of the state government, and all these years of governance proved the NC leader had failed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Using his failures to motivate Kashmiris to vote for them, and BJP-PDP alliance won the election in 2014; stabbing its own values and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, the PDP shook hands with the BJP.

The present CM, Mehbooba Mufti, rose to power pretending to be the healer and would make an appearance at pro-freedom gatherings, even mourning militants.

With Mehbooba's rise as a politician, Kashmir seemed to be heading towards a time when the Mufti's daughter would probably become the first successful chief minister by solving the long pending dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

But nobody had known that despite castigating BJP before elections, her party would show eagerness forming the government with the rightwing, Hindutva front.

They say tough situations produce tough humans, but Mehbooba Mufti has fled the turmoil in the most abrupt fashion. The killing of innocents by men in uniform, the journey of young Kashmir towards militancy, the stagnated peace-process, the growing weather vagaries, the debacle of agriculture, flood-hit masses waiting for reprieve - the myriad issues plaguing the PDP-BJP government - no longer bother Mehbooba Mufti.

It seems she has surrendered to the fact that the BJP should be given way in whatever it wants to support her party's petty power clinging for half a decade.

The political downslide has been such that Mehbooba only speaks on minor issues, assured of a patient hearing from her colleagues.

Self-rule, a slogan which Mehbooba and her party had raised the chorus for, has been thrown into the dustbin.

In the past, Mehbooba's fire and energy seemed to outclass even the likes of Mamata Banerjee, Jayalalithaa and Mayawati, but with time she failed to learn from these very counterparts that politics is about clinging to thought and ideology, not succumbing to pressure.

For the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, under Mehbooba's leadership, internet and phone services have been banned for the past one month, since the death of militant commander Burhan Wani. Even the publishing of newspapers was banned for three days after the police raided media houses and shut down a major printing press in what was seen as the most sweeping information blackout.

"The undesirable step was taken to ensure peace," J&K government spokesman Nayeem Akhtar said. However, the CM claimed she didn't know who had given the orders. Mehbooba also stated she was not informed before Burhan Wani's encounter, a claim IG Sahai has denied.

The PDP, known for its soft corner for the Hurriyat, has talked about giving them political space when it was in the opposition. In the past, the Hurriyat leadership was open to represent itself freely. However, under Mehbooba's rule, the Hurriyat's workers live in the fear of detention.

The last nail in the coffin for Mehbooba was the way she handled the current agitation. In the aftermath of Burhan Wani's killing, in just 33 days, 60 Kashmiris have lost their lives while 6,500 have been injured and 300 blinded by pellets. Mehbooba has become the synonym for tyrant and her tears now seem photoshopped.

Her past rhetoric of using images of killed youth to seek justice for them is haunting her now.

From a three-year-old boy Burhan, who was shot dead in his father's lap along with his father in restive Sopore by unknown gunmen to the five-year-old Nasir Khan blinded in pellet-led struggle by forces, Mehbooba's government has painted the streets of Kashmir red the blood of innocents.

On all burning issues, once the vocal and firebrand Mehbooba Mufti has chosen the route of silence and it seems the alliance with the ideologically different BJP has, with time, proven disastrous.

It has made Mehbooba speechless. With every compromise by her government and its mounting failure, the PDP cadre is asking where their fiery leader has disappeared.
The Rajya Sabha passed the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill on August 11, which will aim to increase maternity leave for working women in India from 12 (three months) to 26 weeks (more than six months).

For India, it is a big leap as a nation to bring in this amendment. Statistically, we will join an elite club of the top three nations, with Canada and Norway offering such paid benefits as a rule to new moms.

Globally, a check on how nations treat their new mothers throws some interesting highlights.

For example, USA is in the strange company of Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Liberia and Lesotho extending no financial support, which translates into unpaid leave for working women post giving birth.

In Europe, Bulgaria and Greece extend far better benefits related to paid maternity, with a lot of flexibility.

Joining this group are Slovakia, Estonia and Hungary that even offer a flexible paternal pay package with various compensation tiers. These Eastern Bloc nations, despite being way poorer, have not shied away from focussing on maternity benefits as a right compared to their Western European counterparts.

With the Brexit storm prevailing, UK's women employees also fear losing out on some of the maternity benefits. Yes, there are fallouts beyond the financial and political gains and losses.

Back home in India, after Rajya Sabha discussed the Bill, there have been comments on paternal leaves too, an area which most European nations have not overlooked.

There are variable models of sharing of leaves, and partial to fully-paid wages, where parents can jointly choose and distribute these benefits amongst themselves. The new law would bring in respite to millions of working would-be mothers whose constant dilemma is between choosing their job or taking care of the newborn. It will be a big change and would improve the gender balance at our workplaces.

However, there is a need for pertinent parallel campaigns that should now supplement this major change.

First comes in the issue of breastfeeding, where WHO recommends compulsory breast milk to be fed to the newborn for up to six months, to be followed till the child is two years old.

The new law would bring in respite to millions of working would-be mothers whose constant dilemma was between choosing their job or taking care of the newborn.

A major argument that supports the extension of the period of paid leaves is to address malnutrition. This brings us to the other side of the debate. There is a huge population of young women working in the unorganised sector with hardly any rights. Can a war on malnutrition and promoting breast milk be won with no focus on this sector?

Second, major companies have more evolving HR practises and policies which are not always limited to following government rules. In the past they have brought in major changes, including work-from-home policies, flexi hours for extended period of time post-childbirth, and so on. For such firms, the amendment would hardly create any bother.

The Bill also has a provision that companies with over 50 employees will need to establish a creche, either individually or with other companies.

However, a sustained campaign is required so that setting up of a creche, apart from paid maternity, doesn't become a deterrent in recruiting women in the first place.

Also, smaller companies, typically, dont enjoy the financial headroom of ushering in changes which incur costs. Hence, a sustained information flow and "good corporate citizen" responsibility sharing is what is required to enable them bring in the necessary change.
Just as he arrived in Goa, en route to New Delhi, for an official interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Wang Yi, Chinas foreign minister, made the real purpose for his visit clear.

India, he announced to the media, needed to decide "where it stood on the matter of the South China Sea"  a clear indication that support on the vexed territorial disputes in Southeast Asia is what Beijing wants from India.

Indeed, days before Yis departure for India, The Global Times, a tabloid widely seen as the Chinese governments mouthpiece, warned New Delhi that its seemingly inimical posture on the South China Sea (SCS) was potentially damaging for bilateral ties and could create obstacles for Indian businesses in China.

"Instead of unnecessary entanglements with China over the South China Sea debate during Wang's visit," an editorial in the newspaper declared, "India must create a good atmosphere for economic cooperation, including the reduction of tariffsamid the ongoing free trade talks."

Indian observers say China is worried that India could join other countries in raising the controversial issue of SCS in the G20 summit to be held in Hangzhou next month (September).

With the United States certain to rake up the UN tribunals rejection of Chinese claims within the "nine-dash line", China is taking pre-emptive measures to ensure it has adequate support for its own position on the matter. Lobbying New Delhi seems part of a broader Chinese plan to counter moves by Washington and its supporters to push Beijing on the defensive.

Wangs sharp opening salvo, however, mustnt prevent Modi and Swaraj from speaking their mind. For three reasons, Indias political elite must make it clear that New Delhi feels compelled to take a principled stand on the disputes in the SCS.

First, Indian trade and economic linkages in the Pacific are becoming stronger and deeper. Not only are ASEAN and the far-eastern Pacific key target areas of the "Act East" policy, the Southeast Asian commons are increasingly a vital facilitator of Indias economic development.

With growing dependence on the Malacca Strait for the flow of goods and services, and a tenfold increase in India-ASEAN trade during the past decade, economics is increasingly a factor in Indias Pacific policy.

Wang must know that territorial conflicts in the SCS threaten the future trajectory of Indias economic development, creating an unacceptable impediment for regional trade and commerce.

Second, Chinas foreign minister must be apprised of New Delhis view that the disputes in the Southeast Asian littorals are a litmus test for international maritime law. With its growing stature in the league of maritime states, India has an obligation to take a principled stand on the issue of freedom of navigation and commercial access as enshrined in the UNCLOS.

The presence of armed Chinese naval ships, aircraft and submarines in key littoral spaces in the SCS, New Delhi must say plainly, is a transgression that India cannot be seen to be condoning.

Lastly, India must question Chinas maritime intentions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Since 2013, Chinas undersea presence in the South Asian littorals has been a cause of growing strategic concern in India. With Beijing deploying Chinese submarines under the flimsy pretext of anti-piracy operations, New Delhi believes the PLAN (People's Liberation Army navy) is preparing for a larger strategic thrust in the Indian Ocean.

Wang must be sensitised of the possibility that Chinese aggression in the SCS might destabilise the wider Asian littorals by exacerbating existing power asymmetries. By taking a principled stand on the territorial disputes, Chinas foreign minister must be assured that India only hopes to contribute to the restoration of a fair and equitable maritime order.

There are, of course, things that New Delhi cannot officially tell Beijing. For instance, the correlation that Indian maritime analysts discern between aggressive Chinese patrolling in the SCS and its growing deployments in the IOR; or the suspicion in Indian strategic circles that China might use its SCS bases as a springboard for active projection of power in the Indian Ocean.

Many Indian analysts, in fact, view Chinas aggressive response to the UN Arbitral Tribunals verdict as part of a broader strategy to project power in Asias critical littoral spaces.

Two aspects about Indias view of the SCS dispute, however, might interest Wang.

First, irrespective of the claims and counter-claims by China and its neighbours, Indian observers believe Beijing operates from a position of strength in the SCS, wherein it has physical possession over critical islands.

New Delhis strategic calculus, however, is bound to be impacted by Chinas militarisation of its islands  particularly the deployment of missiles, fighters and surveillance equipment, allowing the PLAN effective control over the entire range of maritime operations in the SCS.

Secondly, Indias maritime observers realise that the central implement of Chinese maritime tactics in the SCS are its militia forces. Chinas surveillance ships, coast guard vessels and fishing fleets are the real force behind its dominance of the littoral spaces.

With the expansion of Chinese maritime activities in the IOR, there is a possibility that the presence of non-grey hulls in the Eastern Indian Ocean might gradually rise.

Already, Chinas distant water fishing fleet is now the worlds largest, and is a heavily subsidised maritime commercial entity. While an increase in the presence of such ships doesnt always pose a security threat, India remains wary of Chinese non-military maritime activity in the Eastern Indian Ocean.

That said, nothing lays bare Indian anxieties, as much as the prospect of Chinese naval bases in the IOR. Indias China sceptics are convinced Beijings blueprint for maritime operations in the Indian Ocean involves the construction of multiple logistical facilities.

A ten-year agreement with Djibouti in 2015 for the setting up of a naval replenishment facility in the northern Obock region is widely seen by Indian experts as proof of Beijings strategic ambitions in the IOR.

This does not mean New Delhi is going to bandwagon with the United States in an effort to contain China. To the contrary, Indian policymakers are clear that naval manoeuvres in the SCS emphasising "freedom of navigation" are a risky proposition. While India would like to see all parties act in accordance with the law, Wang must be reassured that New Delhi will not take sides on the territorial disputes.

Even so, the possibility that China might eclipse India in its own "backyard" will continue to drive a security response in New Delhi, even as it seeks to strengthen Indian naval presence in its near and extended waters.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
University of Virginia officials say they havent redacted any information in response to records requests from members of the General Assembly.

A group of state legislators, led by Sen. William R. DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, accused UVa of withholding information after the legislators demanded records related to the $2.3 billion Strategic Investment Fund.

The legislators said the records the university sent back  including 1,000 pages of email correspondence  were missing attachments and accused the university of hiding behind exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act.

The university released a statement Friday night saying the 2,000 pages of records were complete.

First, the University never claimed any FOIA exemptions in its response. You asked us not to assert any exemptions, and in the spirit of cooperation, we did not. reads the statement, signed by UVa President Teresa A. Sullivan and Rector William H. Goodwin.

Second, the University did not redact any information from its response, the statement continues.

The legislators also were disappointed that the universitys data dump did not include exhaustive records from University Investment Management Company, which manages the endowment.

The university reiterated its initial response to the request: that UVIMCO is a private foundation not subject to records requests, and that the university does not possess its records.

Goodwin and Sullivan said the university is cooperating with inquiries by the auditor of public accounts (which is conducting its yearly audit) and the Office of the State Inspector General.

DeSteph responded later Friday night, saying that he was extremely disappointed with tonights response, although I am not entirely surprised with the response  I am stunned with the continued lack of transparency that just fuels public distrust of the universitys handling of public money.

On behalf of my fellow legislators and the citizens of the commonwealth, I will continue to pursue the explanation that is owed to the citizens, the students and parents that are involved with the university.
FREDERICKSBURG  Three teenagers were among the six victims of Friday's fiery plane crash near Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County.

Virginia State Police released the identifies of the six people on the plane, identified Saturday as a 1969 Beech 95-B55 twin-engine, fixed-wing aircraft. All six were killed in the crash and subsequent fire.

William C. Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Indiana, was the pilot of the plane. The passengers were Robert D. Ross, 73, of Louisville, Kentucky, who owned the plane; Lisa K. Borinstein, 52, of Shelbyville, Indiana; Luke J. Borinstein, 19, of Shelbyville, Indiana; Emma R. Borinstein, 15, of Shelbyville, Indiana; and Maren Timmermann, 15, of Berlin, Germany.

Chris Hoke, superintendent of the Northwestern Consolidated School District of Shelby County, Indiana, confirmed that the three teenagers were students of Triton Central High School.

Emma Borinstein was a sophomore at the school.

Her older brother Luke Borinstein was a Triton Central graduate and a student at Wabash College.

Maren Timmerman was a junior at Triton Central.

The Borinstein's mother was victim Lisa Borinstein.

"It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that we announce having received official notification of the victims of the tragic accident," his statement said. "Triton Central is a close knit community and we will rally around the families and each other in the wake of this tragedy."

The bodies were recovered from the burnt wreckage and sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for positive identification, examination and autopsy, according to Virginia State Police.

The aircraft departed Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday morning and stopped in Shelbyville, Indiana, before heading to its final destination of Shannon Airport.

The plane touched down midway down the runway and then executed a "go-around," according to an investigation by state police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

As the plane attempted to turn and climb, it appeared to have stalled as it made it beyond the railroad tracks at the end of the airport property. The plane banked left, crashed in the trees and immediately caught fire.

The official time of the crash was 12:24 p.m. Police received the report of a plane crash at 12:26 p.m.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Virginia State Police Trooper T.J. Ferrara and the NTSB and FAA. State police and the NTSB are still at the scene Saturday.

Virginia State Police were assisted at the crash site by the Spotsylvania County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management; Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department; Chancellor Volunteer Fire Department; National Park Service; and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
COLUMBUS  Kasey Otto and her husband took a leap a faith when they and their four young children went on a missionary trip to Africa.

The couple had been praying and searching for more meaning in their lives when Otto said they got a call from the Lord to help orphaned children in Malawi.

In October 2012, she and husband Trevor and their children, the oldest being 9 at the time, packed up and left for the southeastern African country to do missionary work through the organization A Lighted Path. A little more than a year later, the family, which now includes two more children, has permanently moved to Africa.

Otto, a 33-year-old Columbus native, said she never would have pictured a future living in Africa while doing missionary work. When she first traveled there it was her first time out of the United States, except for a trip to Europe during her senior year of high school.

She had never done this kind of missionary work before.

We really had to trust that this was what the Lord was specifically telling us to do, Otto said.

In December 2013 the family decided to make Africa their home, though Otto said she finds it difficult to tell people where she is from. Although Nebraska is where she was born and raised, the past few years she has lived in the city of Blantyre, and two of the couples six children were born in Africa.

She expects that for at least the next few years Africa will be where her family lives as they raise money for a facility they hope to build to benefit orphans and vulnerable children through a preschool and feeding program. Plans are also to include pastor training and an opportunity for farmers to learn about sustainability practices.

Otto said it will take five to 10 years to get what is called the Oasis Project off the ground and thousands of dollars must be raised to make it happen.

Locally, she will be sharing her story at a fundraiser from 2-5 p.m. Aug. 27 at Federated Church in Columbus. Otto will give a presentation and answer questions starting at 3 p.m.

The transition to missionaries for the couple began when they both shared a dream about Africa after praying for direction in their lives. After a bit more thought and searching, they decided to give it a go.

When God tells you to do something, you need to be obedient and do it, Otto said.

Her husband quit his job working at PayPal. Otto, who was a stay-at-home mom and home-schooled her children, said their kids were excited about Africa.

The hardest part was leaving grandparents and aunts and uncles. (The children) saw it as an adventure. We told them everything that happened with the dream. They saw it as a faith journey as well, she said.

An offering was held by the couples church, King of Kings in Omaha, to help support their move. Their first work in Malawi was at a community center operated by A Lighted Path where they helped care for about 150 orphaned children and further developed a Christian-based preschool curriculum.

The city where they live is about the size of Columbus with the population of Omaha, Otto said. The national language is Chichewa, but most people do speak some English. Though the city of Blantyre has modern amenities, a portion of the population is poor.

The amount of poverty you see everywhere is shocking. Its interesting that they are happy with it. That is how they have grown up, cooking over a fire and going to get water. They dont know any different, Otto said.

The homes are about the same as a traditional American bedroom. People are also suffering from a lack of nutrition.

The value of an American dollar can go a long way in Malawi. Otto said children at the King of Kings church held a fundraiser for them and raised $700. That was enough to provide two meals a day for 150 children for an entire year.

For more information on the Otto family's mission or to donate, go to www.alightedpath.org.
The European Union and NATO face a significant challenge from the unfolding diplomatic rapprochement between Russia and Turkey.

For centuries, these two countries were implacable enemies and efforts a decade ago to forge a strategic partnership were undone by the Syrian civil war. While Moscow propped up Bashar al-Assad, Ankara either stayed out or supported his enemies. Relations hit a low point last November when Turkish jets shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber near the Syrian border for violating Turkey's airspace. Russia imposed sanctions and a freeze descended once more.

But even before the attempted military take-over last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had decided he could no longer afford a cold war with Moscow and began making overtures to the Kremlin. The failed coup appears to have expedited matters: Mr. Erdogan met with Vladimir Putin to agree to normalize relations between the two countries.

For President Putin, the opportunity to drive a wedge between Turkey, NATO and the EU is a small price to pay for abating Russian anger over the jet incident. He must recognize in Mr. Erdogan a leader cut from the same cloth  a democratically elected nationalist behaving more like a despot.

The Turkish leader's purge of opponents after the thwarted putsch has alarmed EU leaders who had encouraged Ankara to believe it could join the Union at some point in the future and had promised to introduce visa-free access for Turkish travellers to the Schengen area. But no date has been given for either, and several EU countries have made clear they would veto Turkey's accession. Europe has been desperate to keep both options open in order to stop Turkey reneging on a deal to keep Syrian refugees from crossing into Europe.

But Mr. Erdogan seems to be cooling toward Europe, none of whose leaders have been to Ankara since the failed coup, and is seeking alliances elsewhere.

The implications of an improving relationship between Russia and Turkey are significant both for policy on Syria and for NATO itself. The U.S. nuclear base at Incirlik is a key part of western defenses; were Turkey to leave the organization, its loss would be a serious blow.

Perhaps a weakened Mr. Erdogan needs a thaw with Russia more than Mr. Putin needs him. But the Russian leader has grabbed at the chance to cause fresh consternation in the capitals of Europe and in Washington.

The Telegraph (United Kingdom)
COLUMBUS  Thursday served as a prime example of Katlin Bedfords dedication to horse racing.

She was up early to gallop a horse at Platte County Agricultural Park, then took off for central Iowa to fulfill a commitment she had that evening.

The 25-year-old jockey had a date with a 5-year-old thoroughbred she recently picked up as a side project. She wasnt going to miss her second chance to ride him, even if it meant driving four hours to Prairie Meadows and returning to Columbus in the pouring rain.

Bedford has only been a jockey for five months, but her passion for riding goes back much farther.

Although the New York native grew up on a dairy farm, she fell in love with a different animal. Her father got her first horse when she was 5 and a trip to Saratoga Race Course a few years later cemented her life plans.

I was like, Im going to do that, said Bedford. And I did it.

The 5-foot-1 fireball is currently the only female jockey riding at Ag Park for the Columbus Races.

This could be an intimidating situation for some young riders, but not Bedford, who spent 5 1/2 years in the Marine Corps Reserve after high school.

That experience, she said, prepared her for just about anything life can throw her way.

Theres still people in the military who think females dont belong there either. This is actually easier to deal with, said Bedford, who is aware of the murmurs that sometimes come from her male counterparts.

Her response?

Whatever. Im not worried about you.

Bedford has bigger things to focus on.

Since she started working with thoroughbreds in 2009  bouncing back and forth between jobs in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Florida  she knew the end game was becoming a professional jockey.

Bedford completed the Marines Officer Candidates School. Then I declined my commission because Id rather ride horses, she said.

A call to jockey Larren Delorme, who she met years earlier in Florida, completed her transition to Nebraska.

Bedford rode at Fonner Park in Grand Island and Horsemens Park in Omaha before arriving in Columbus for opening weekend. She picked up her first win here Friday night atop Necessary Party and took two seconds and a third.

Im getting the rides. Thats what I want because it give me more experience, she said earlier in the day.

The young jockey also watches videos of veterans like Ricardo Santana Jr. and Hall of Famer John Velazquez to pick up on their techniques and strategies.

Right now, Im just trying to find my own style and put all the pieces together, she said.

And she has her sights set far beyond the finish line at Ag Park.

Bedford wants to race along the East Coast, back in Saratoga or Florida, while chasing the Triple Crown she learned about as a young girl.

One day, she said, thinking about her ride into the future.
A group of area residents is organizing an event to help Culpeper fight back against cancer.

Scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 20 from 5 p.m. to midnight at Rock Hill Farm on Norman Road, Culpeper Fights Back Against Cancer will feature dinner, an evening of live music and other activities to raise money for the local American Cancer Societys annual Relay for Life program.

Culpeper residents Mike Baker and Rodney Mills are coordinating the event in an effort to raise funds to help the Cancer Societys efforts to fight the disease, which the ACS says strikes one million Americans each year.

Mills said the event began when he and his sister, Mitzi See, were planning to schedule at party at Rock Hill Farm, which is owned and operated by Collis Jenkins.

When I approached Collis about available dates, Mike (Baker) was with me that day. We decided to make it a benefit because Mikes sister-in-law was involved in Relay for Life, Mills said. When the idea came up, I was immediately on board because I, like so many people, have been touched by cancer.

Admission for Culpeper Fights Back Against Cancer is $20, with children ages 15 and younger will be admitted for free.

There will be lawn games, including corn hole and ladderball, Mills said.

Admission includes dinner, which will be served from 5 to 7 p.m. and will include hamburgers, hot dogs, pulled barbecue and sides.

Water and soda will be provided, and drawings for door prizes will be held throughout the evenings activities. In addition, there will be a fifty-fifty raffle drawing to raise money for Relay for Life, Mills said.

Darrell Dixon, music coordinator for the event, said music will begin at 5:30 p.m. Local musical acts Double D, David Gilmore, Not at Liberty and Someone Elses Problem are scheduled to perform.

Mills said volunteer response for the event has been good, but more volunteers are needed. Anyone willing to volunteer to help during the event should contact Mills at 540/229-7632 or by email at mrrodneymills@gmail.com.
Three teenagers were among the six victims of Friday's fiery plane crash near Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County.

Virginia State Police released the identifies of the six people on the plane, identified Saturday as a 1969 Beech 95-B55 twin-engine, fixed-wing aircraft. All six were killed in the crash and subsequent fire.

William C. Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Ind., was the pilot of the plane. The passengers were Robert D. Ross, 73, of Louisville, Ky. who owned the plane; Lisa K. Borinstein, 52, of Shelbyville, Ind.; Luke J. Borinstein, 19, of Shelbyville, Ind.; Emma R. Borinstein, 15, of Shelbyville, Ind.; and Maren Timmermann, 15, of Berlin, Germany.

The bodies were recovered from the burnt wreckage and sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for positive identification, examination and autopsy, according to Virginia State Police.

The aircraft departed Louisville, Ky., on Friday morning and stopped in Shelbyville, Ind., before headed to its final destination of Shannon Airport.

The plane touched down midway down the runway and then executed a "go-around," according to an investigation by state police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

As the plane attempted to turn and climb, it appeared to have stalled as it made it beyond the railroad tracks at the end of the airport property. The plane banked left, crashed in the trees and immediately caught fire.

The official time of the crash was 12:24 p.m. Police received the report of a plane crash at 12:26 p.m.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Virginia State Police Trooper T.J. Ferrara and the NTSB and FAA. State police and the NTSB are still at the scene Saturday.

Virginia State Police were assisted at the crash site by the Spotsylvania County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management; Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department; Chancellor Volunteer Fire Department; National Park Service; and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors made the correct decision in rejecting the pump and haul permit for the Islamic Center of Culpeper based solely on facts, not on religious discrimination rhetoric as the UVa professor and Department of Justice insinuate without knowing details of the application.

Having just completed 40 years service on the Culpeper Joint Board of Zoning Appeals, I would like to submit an informed opinion on this case.

Had Mr. Mohammed Nawabe done his due diligence, he would have known of the potential sewer problem at the proposed location and not submitted an application.

Even after he learned of that problem, he purchased the property when he clearly had other options. He could have purchased a site that had public water and sewer or purchased a lot that had soil conditions conducive to installing a private water and sewer system.

If he were appearing before the BZA for relief in this situation, Nawabe would not be granted a variance because this is clearly a "self inflicted" wound; he went ahead with the purchase with knowledge of the sewer problem, and he had other viable options in his quest to build the mosque.

In order for the BZA to grant relief, a demonstrable hardship approaching confiscation or no viable options available must be shown. Nawabe cannot meet those requirements. (Since cases of this nature would not come before the BZA, I feel there is or cannot be any potential conflict of interest).

Remember the recent "accidental," "secret," "grandchildren," etc. meeting between Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton on the airplane in Arizona? The then-apparent appearance of impropriety has come to fruition.

Number one, within several days, the DOJ decided not to indict Hillary Clinton for the email scandal. Yesterday, Loretta Lynch and the DOJ declined the FBI's request to investigate the Clinton Foundation and its questionable funding raising activities. I guess the "grandchildren" discussion paid great dividends for the Clintons.

How ironic! The Department of Justice refuses to perform its job on matters with potentially national and international ramifications. However, the DOJ has found the time and resources to intervene with, and strong arm, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors over a local zoning matter that affects a single applicant. Unbelievable! Doesn't surprise me in light of the Obama administration's and DOJ's biased stance on all Islamic and Muslim issues.

I wonder if the DOJ would pay that same attention to a Baptist, Catholic, Methodist or other Christian applicant. You can answer that for yourself.

Kudos for the BOS's courage in making the correct decision based on facts and not yielding to "political correctness."

Francis Updike

Culpeper
Local Green Party condemns religious discrimination

The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors decision last Tuesday evening to deny permits for an Islamic Center should be a cause for concern for all of us.

For any democratic society to thrive, the majority must always be entrusted with the protection of the minority and the individual. This is a core concept of the foundation of our society embodied in the Declaration of Independence and again in the Constitution. Let us not forget that it was Virginia that led the cause of religious freedom being among the first of these guarantees of the majority to the minority.

The greatest lesson the forefathers took out of the enlightenment of Europe was the importance of religious liberty and the creation of a society that is not based on any religious authority. This idea is what has separated the United States of America from the rest of the world.

Ironically, it is here in Virginia, Culpeper specifically, where this religious freedom has brought national negative attention to our small town. It has been charged that the board of supervisors is succumbing to pressure that is driven by fear and religious persecution in the denial of permits for the establishment of an Islamic Center.

Every person in America is guaranteed to assemble and to worship in a manner of their choosing, or to not worship at all. too often legislative bodies have begun to exceed limitations given by law, a by-product of the politics of fear that now drives our nation.

For this reason the Piedmont Green Party stands firm in holding up the Bill of Rights and affirms the right of every person to have free exercise of conscience. We also hold firm to the separation of government and religion, forever remaining neutral at every level of government and therefore condemns any government decision, now or in the future, that may be based on religious bias.

It is our hope that they will refrain from any act of discrimination against any and all individuals or groups as they have been entrusted with the protection of the minority when they were elected by a majority.

The Piedmont Green Party stands with all people who face discrimination, bullying, or persecution in any manner, but today we stand specifically with our brothers and sisters of the Islamic community of Culpeper and surrounding areas in calling for fair and unbiased proceedings and decisions.

We call on all of the freedom loving people of Culpeper to join with us in the protection of all of our freedoms from corporate and government entities.

Interested persons are invited to the August meeting of the Piedmont Greens on Tuesday, Aug. 23 at the Culpeper County Library at 7 p.m. to learn more about this and other issues. You may also visit us at piedmontgreens.com.

Boards actions feel familiar

Many years ago my wife and I lived in a small southwest town in Florida. When civil rights laws were enacted in the 1960s, and the town was required to integrate, they opted to fill the public pool with gravel and close the movie theater. More than 20 years later, when we moved there, they still had neither one.

Culpeper Countys Board of Supervisors courses of action on the Confederate flag in Lenn Park and the Islamic Center pump and haul, remind me of what happened in that Florida town more than 50 years agothe town fathers there were smug in their cleverness.

It troubles me to think our supervisors might be acting the same.

Letters should be no longer than 300 words and include the name, address and phone number of the letter writer. All letters are subject to editing. Letters should be the original work of the signatory. The Culpeper Star-Exponent lists the affiliations of writers of letters to the editor when the writers are officially speaking for the organization they represent. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days.

Mail: Culpeper Star-Exponent 122 W. Spencer St., Culpeper, Va 22701 (attn: letters to the editor)

Fax: 540/825-0778
The following editorial first appeared in the Lincoln Journal Star.

As Dr. Drought walked out the door to retirement, he said something that deserves to be emphasized.

The scientific evidence is overwhelming that climate change is real and that humans are the driving cause, Don Wilhite said.

This is a sentence that needs to be hammered into the consciousness of Nebraskas policy makers  starting with the Gov. Pete Ricketts, who mistakenly says the question of what impact man is having on the climate is still unsettled.

There is room for debate on what the proper response should be to rising global temperatures.

But the debate on whether global warming and climate change is occurring and whether human activity is the primary cause is over. Politicians who havent kept up need to do their homework, or theyll find themselves standing in lonely company with members of the flat earth society.

Wilhite earned the Dr. Drought nickname as a world renowned climate scientist and drought expert at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His credentials are impeccable. His commitment and contributions to the state are beyond question.

Wilhite was a driving force in the creation of the UNLs Drought Information Center, the founding director of the National Drought Mitigation Center and the former director of UNLs School of Natural Resources.

So what Wilhite says cannot be ignored. And its important to recognize that the any skeptics with scientific credentials are on the outer fringe of respectability, amounting to perhaps 3 percent of the total.

To cite just one recent statement from the overwhelming majority, consider a letter sent to Congress in June from more than 30 scientific organizations including the American Meteorological Society, the Crop Science Society of America, the American Institute of Biological Sciences, American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America.

Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring and rigorous scientific research concludes that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.

Last year was the hottest on record. And 2016 is on track to be even hotter. Every climate observatory in the world now reports that greenhouse gases are now at a higher level than any time in the last four million years. At the start of the industrial revolution carbon dioxide was at about 280 parts per million. Now every location that monitors carbon dioxide  from Greenland to the South Pole, reports levels exceeding 400 parts per million.

Dr. Drought and his scientific colleagues have done much to benefit Nebraska agriculture and the state over the years. Its past time for Nebraskas elected officials to accept their consensus on global warming and climate change. Instead, jump-start the discussion on how to cope.
NAZKA - Peru - Archaeologists working on parts of a newly uncovered site have found astounding evidence regarding the building of ancient runways within the Incan desert.

We can reveal for the first time why the Incas saw fit to build runways for aliens to land on nearly 2000 years ago, professor Murray Walker, told National Geographic.

After extensive digging within the Nazca desert, the team finally found evidence that revealed the true reason the magnificent Incan people built runways.

According to the team, the Incans were so whacked out on cocaine and hallucinogenic drugs that they started to build these massive runways expecting imaginary aliens to visit them.

Say youre whacked out on the purest goddamn white powder this earth has ever produced, shit Id be building runways too. Then, maybe you have a few doses of peyote as well, sheeeit, Id be seeing aliens flying all over the place, it only makes sense huh? the professor added.

Since the discovery of the long runways in the mid 70s the scientific and archaeological teams scouring this barren area have been astounded and intrigued at the significance of the supposed alien spaceship landing strips.

It was not until three months ago when the team discovered ornate cocaine pipes, vials and even a mural depicting some Incans ingesting huge quantities of drugs that the penny finally dropped.

We found thousands of crack pipes, and murals depicting the Incans snorting mountains of white powder, it could only be one substance. Thats when we made our biggest discovery  a bag of pure uncut coke. It was like discovering Tutankhamuns tomb, I knew I had discovered the holy grail of Incan history. These guys made Tony Montana look like Mother Theresa. It was truly incredible. Of course I had to test it out for myself, lets just say I was seeing stars for a few seconds and it was the best shit I ever snorted in my life. The Incas must have been flying after taking this stuff. Truly awesome I tell you, professor Walker was quoted as saying.

The British Museum has taken a solid interest in the new finding and are hoping to have an exhibition of the Incan cocaine runways sometime next year.
LEEDS - England - A research centre studying primate behaviour has come to the conclusion that some monkeys are conducting experiments on the scientists who are meant to be studying them.

Weve got one fella, his name is Dimples. He came up to me the other day and looked me up and down. I actually got angry and got my clipboard and told him I was the one doing the studying here. He grabbed my clipboard, looked it over then ticked a few boxes himself, Dr. Werner Harsog, told Science Today magazine.

Some scientists feel very intimidated by the behaviour and have formed a group Scientists Against Monkey Stares (SAMS) which now has a huge following of over 2,000 scientists worldwide.

The monkeys come up to you and prod you as if theyre testing your reaction. I even had one open my mouth and check my teeth the cheeky bugger, another scientist revealed.




1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
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The production version of the Ignis will make its European debut at the Paris Motor Show and is also expected to launch in India in the coming months.

Suzuki has announced its line-up for the 2016 Paris Motor Show aka the Paris Mondial de lAutomobile. Among the models to be displayed, the highlight will be the production version of Suzuki's upcoming compact crossover, the Ignis. The car will make its European debut at the motor show. Suzuki will showcase the Vitara, the Jimny, the Baleno, the SX4 S-Cross facelift and the classic model from 1977 -- the Cervo -- as well.

The automaker also showcased the Ignis concept at the 2016 Indian Auto Expo, alongside the Baleno RS. Maruti Suzuki had said that it will launch the Ignis in India around the upcoming festive season, but might see some delays and is likely to be launched early next year (heres why). Speaking of its European launch, Suzuki has revealed that the Ignis will go on sale in Europe in January 2017. There is a fair chance that the Ignis will be exported to Europe from India, just like the Baleno. And if not Europe, then other countries.

The S-Cross facelift (known as the SX4 S-Cross in Europe), which made its debut a few days ago, will also be displayed at the Paris Motor Show. The automaker has completely redesigned the front fascia of the crossover and it now comes with two new Boosterjet turbo petrol engines  the 1.0-litre and the 1.4-litre  that are replacing the old, naturally aspirated 1.6-litre unit.

The 2016 Paris Mondial de lAutomobile will be open to the press on September 29 and 30. For the general public, it will open from October 1 to 16.

Source: CarDekho.com
A plethora of studies in June 2016 has claimed that the Scooters have captured near about 30 percent share of the Indian two-wheeler market. UM motorcycle is trying to establish their name in the Indian market. UM motorcycle is a renowned American brand but this name is not familiar among Indian motorcycle lovers.

As per the CEO of UM Lohia Two wheeler company, Mr Rajeev Mishras statement the UM motorcycle is planning to hit the Indian market by 2019. Basically, right now UM Motorcycles has three scooter models  Flash (110cc), Powermax (125cc) and Matrix (150cc) in its portfolio.

UM Motorcycless products were first showcased at the Auto Expo 2016. So, now the company is planning to launch a 200cc and then a 400cc motorcycle before finalising the 280cc-engined Renegade range. So, UM motorcycles now planning to deliver its products by the end of this month as they already got 3,500 booking units. Among these, 600 bookings were done during the first week of launch.

With this positive outlook and strong economic growth of India, the company is considering India as one of their potential markets and in coming few years, they are planning to become a strong competitor to all other premium motorcycle brands in India.

The UM motorcycle has started a joint venture with Lohia Auto so that they can rapidly conquer the Indian market. Now, they have a plant in Kashipur, Uttarakhand which can produce near about 50,000 units and this amount is certainly more than a third of UM Motorcycles global sales in 2015.

It is also true that neighbour countries like Bangladesh and Thailand will also join the company global manufacturing network by October this year. So, altogether UM motorcycles now have seven plants throughout the world.

By seeing the zealous of Indian motorcycle lovers the company is planning to hold its position as one of the premium motorcycle brands in India.

Source: Vicky.in
Figures for the quarter are not comparable with corresponding quarter ended June 2015.

New Delhi: Reliance Capital has reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 207 crore in first quarter ended June 30, 2016. Its net profit stood at Rs 201 crore in the year-ago period.

June quarter's data, the company said, include figures of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance (formerly Reliance Life Insurance Company) which became a subsidiary of the firm with effect from March 30, 2016.

Hence, the figures for the quarter are not comparable with the corresponding quarter ended June 2015 and sequential quarter ended March 2016, it said in a regulatory filing.

"Total income is Rs 3,663 crore for the quarter ended June 2016, where as the same was at Rs 2,470 crore during the same quarter a year ago," Reliance Capital said.

On standalone basis, there was a 22 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 213 crore in June quarter of 2016-17, against Rs 175 crore year ago. Total standalone income increased to Rs 1,007 crore for quarter from Rs 946 crore for same quarter year ago.

Besides, it informed for demerger of its commercial finance business to its wholly-owned subsidiary -- Reliance Commercial Finance, the Scheme for Arrangement has been approved.

"The appointed date for the scheme is April 1, 2016. The scheme is subject to requisite approvals. Accordingly, aforesaid commercial finance division has been considered as discounting operations," it said.

The related income tax for concerned commercial finance business is Rs 15 crore and profit after tax is Rs 42 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

Post demerger, the company would be applying to the Reserve Bank for registering itself as a core investment company, it added.

Part of Reliance Group, Reliance Capital provides services in asset and mutual fund management, commercial finance, life and general insurance, equities and commodities broking, wealth management services, distribution of financial products, asset reconstruction and proprietary investments.
New Delhi: CBI has registered a fresh case against beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya for alleged irregularities in repayment of Rs 1,600 crore loan taken from State Bank of India.

CBI sources said a case has been registered against Mallya and others after receiving a complaint from State Bank of India, which is leading a consortium of 17 banks that have given loans to Kingfisher Airlines.

The sources said it was alleged that Mallya had sought to recast his loan repayment in which information was suppressed by the businessman. The agency has already filed a case of alleged loan default by the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines to IDBI Bank.

The airline, owned by Mallya, had taken Rs 6,900 crore from a consortium of 17 lenders in early 2010 after a second debt restructuring for the airline. SBI has an exposure of Rs 1,600 crore to the airline.

Out of this, the bankers, which recalled the loan in February 2013, could recover only around Rs 1,100 crore after selling pledged shares of UB Group companies.

Other banks that have exposure to the airline include Punjab National Bank and IDBI Bank (Rs 800 crore each), Bank of India (Rs 650 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs 550 crore), Central Bank of India (Rs 410 crore).

UCO Bank has to recover Rs 320 crore, Corporation Bank (Rs 310 crore), State Bank of Mysore (Rs 150 crore), Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 140 crore), Federal Bank (Rs 90 crore), Punjab and Sind Bank (Rs 60 crore) and Axis Bank (Rs 50 crore).
The actor met the spiritual leader after wrapping the first schedule of his next film. Salman Khan is currently in Ladakh shooting for Kabir Khans Tubelight. The actor flew there last week and shot the first schedule of the film. Kabir and his crew flew in advance to prepare for the shoot.

Salman Khan flew from Mumbai along with girlfriend Iulia Vantur for the shot. She has been regularly accompanying the actor on all his shoots.

The actor has wrapped the schedule and before leaving for Mumbai, he decided to stop by to meet the 14th Dalai Lama. He is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.
Shah Rukh Khan is rich, famous and not a terrorist. Despite that, he gets detained at American airports every time. Khan was detained once again on Friday at the Los Angeles airport, for which the US state department eventually apologised.

However, this is the third time that the actor has been detained and he has one man to thank  the Karnataka-born Riyaz Bhatkal, founder of Indian Mujahideen  who is on the most-wanted list of the Interpol. Reports suggest that Bhatkal may have made a fake passport under the alias of Shah Rukh Khan which got the name blacklisted, and continues to cause the Bollywood star a lot of discomfort.

However, hours after SRK was detained, Twitter went abuzz with jokes on the superstar and soon the jokes started trending. Don Ka Intezaar To 11 Mulko Ki Police Kar Rahi Hai... But US is Not Included in those 11 Mulk! tweeted a user citing the 50-year-old actors famous dialogue from his movie Don.

Another user posted, US police detained #ShahRukhKhan at airport and Indian police cant even detain an actor on Footpath. But probably the funniest of it all had to be Shah Rukh Khans tweet, the actor who took the discomfort in his stride tweeted, The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons.
Daddy Shah Rukh Khan is known for being a loving father to his three kids. Gauri Khan has posted a picture where Aryan, Suhana and AbRam are seen flaunting their drawing skills. She captioned the picture as "A clear and effective picture...fine arts collectively". Aryan is showing off his torso with abs, while Suhana and AbRam are looking adorable as ever in the picture.

Recently, Shah Rukh Khan was detained at the Los Angeles airport for which the US state department eventually apologised. In 2009, Khan was detained by US immigration officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey because his name had come up on a computer alert list. Khan had ironically been visiting to promote his film My Name Is Khan.
The ban on so-called burkinis, at the height of the French Riviera vacation season, comes as the country remains on edge after deadly ISIS terrorist attacks on nearby Nice and on a Catholic church in northwest France. (Photo: PTI)

Paris: The French resort of Cannes has banned full-body, head-covering swimsuits worn by some Muslim women from its beaches, citing security concerns.

The ban on so-called burkinis, at the height of the French Riviera vacation season, comes as the country remains on edge after deadly ISIS terrorist attacks on nearby Nice and on a Catholic church in northwest France.

Cannes Mayor David Lisnard issued an ordinance forbidding beachwear that doesn't respect "good morals and secularism," noting that swimwear "manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create risks of trouble to public order."

A City Hall official said the ordinance, in effect for August, could apply to burkini-style swimsuits. Violators risk a 38 euro fine.
Surgeons found it harder to teach surgical trainees because patients were uncomfortable with the idea of a student operating on them. (Photo: Pixabay)

A growing number of surgeries performed with only local anesthesia create new challenges for surgeons, according to interviews with U.S. doctors.

Surgeries using new local anesthestics that numb an area of the body but leave patients awake, tend to have a shorter recovery time, but can also cause distress and anxiety for patients, researchers write in the American Journal of Surgery.

These awake surgeries also raise new issues for surgeons, who must balance the needs of operating room staff and patients, the authors found.

The surgeons that we interviewed told us that having an awake patient changed the way they communicated with their team, senior author Dr. Alexander Langerman told Reuters Health by email.

These changes, including using code words and limiting trainees' involvement with awake patients, were strategies surgeons developed on their own. None had formal training in surgeon-patient communication during awake procedures, said Langerman, an assistant professor of otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Langerman's team interviewed 23 surgeons in various specialties about their experiences operating on awake patients. The surgeons talked about many surgical procedures, ranging from biopsies to abortions to cataract surgery.

They said that awake surgeries tended to be more efficient and satisfying overall and that patients were able to help with certain check-ins during procedures.

The doctors also noted some disadvantages, including the difficulty of addressing patients pain during surgery and the possibility of patients making risky movements during the procedure.

Surgeons also found it harder to teach surgical trainees because patients were uncomfortable with the idea of a student operating on them. Many doctors found themselves less likely to let trainees participate in procedures, a change that could have a negative long-term effect on trainees learning, they said.

The most common type of communication between surgeon and patient that the doctors mentioned was to manage patients expectations, including warning patients about any upcoming changes in what they might feel. Doctors noted that they needed to choose their words more carefully and have code words for mistakes rather than saying oops.

Surgeons were aware of the fact that operating rooms can be uncomfortable for patients. Some tried to change this by playing music or limiting the number of people moving in and out of the room.

Some doctors offered patients the option of taking sedative medications, which would not keep them unconscious like general anesthesia, but might help them relax or go to sleep.

Most surgeons had never learned how to communicate with awake patients and many felt insecure about their techniques and were interested in learning new strategies.

Dr. Lashmi Venkatraghavan, a professor at the University of Toronto who studies communication during surgery, noted the importance of reducing patients anxiety. All the negative events will be remembered forever by the patients and it does have a long lasting psychological effect, she told Reuters Health by email.

Venkatraghavan, who was not involved in the study, recommends that surgeons give patients full explanations of what to expect during the surgery.

Surgeons should also tell patients about their options for how to manage pain or discomfort during surgery, such as how to get additional pain medicine or local anesthesia, she said.

I think all patients, no matter (if theyre) awake or asleep, should discuss with their surgeons the plans for the operation and how trainees will be involved in their care, Langerman said, adding that patients should specify how many details they want to hear about what is happening during the surgery.

You should ask for what you want and be prepared to negotiate with your surgeon as to what will help him or her perform at their best and keep you comfortable and satisfied during surgery, Langerman said.
Medicinal side effects that affect the brain and nervous system are especially worrisome for older drivers. (Photo: Flickr)

Seniors who get behind the wheel soon after starting to use narcotic pain relievers have twice the risk of getting into a serious car crash as their peers who use non-opioid painkillers, Swedish researchers say.

Senior drivers whod been using opioid painkillers regularly for several months also had higher odds of getting into accidents, but not as high as the new users did, according to Joel Monarrez-Espino of Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and colleagues.

Their study included 4,445 drivers between the ages of 50 and 80 who had been involved in a single car crash between 2005 and 2009 in which at least one person suffered an injury that required medical care, plus more than 17,000 similar drivers who had not been in crashes.

As reported in the journal Age and Aging, study participants were considered new to opioid painkillers if they had been given a prescription within one month before the crash. Regular users were those given at least three prescriptions in the last six months, with at least one prescription within a month of the crash.

New, but also frequent opioid analgesic use, resulted in an increased probability of single vehicle crashes, the research team wrote.

Specifically, the risk was 100 percent higher for the new opioid users, and 60 to 70 percent higher for the regular users, compared to the risk in people of the same age taking one or two non-opioid painkillers.

While more epidemiologic evidence is needed, patients could be advised to refrain from driving when using opioid analgesics, the authors wrote.

They did not respond to a request for comment. Whether the regular users in this study had a lower risk because their bodies were accustomed to the opioids is hard to know, said Dr. Thomas Meuser, a specialist in aging at the University of Missouri who was not involved with the study.

The study doesnt show if the participants took their medications consistently, Meuser told Reuters Health by phone.

Another reason for the drop in risk (among regular users) could be that some stopped or reduced taking their medications due to side effects, even though they continued being prescribed, said Meuser.

Paul Atchley, who studies the human brain, vision and attention to driving at the University of Kansas, told Reuters Health the findings should serve as a wake-up call for doctors to have better conversations with their patients about the true risks of taking these medications.

Driving is the riskiest thing we do on a daily basis, said Atchley, who wasnt involved in the study.

We need to understand whats at risk, so that we as drivers can make better choices, he said. Whats unique about this study isnt just painkiller use, but the pattern of use, Atchley pointed out.

The risk of being injured or killed in a car crash increases with age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Meuser noted that older adults generally have more diagnoses and take more medications than younger adults. Theres always a risk for side effects for someone taking five or more medications, he said. Side effects that affect the brain and nervous system are especially worrisome for older drivers.
Lufthansa employee Olivia Sievers said that her four-legged fan was probably "looking for a human friend." (Photo: Facebook)

Berlin: Most flight attendants have a tale to tell of long-distance relationships, but this one has a happy ending that's enchanted legions of social media users worldwide.

It all began in February, when Lufthansa employee Olivia Sievers flew to Argentina and encountered a stray dog outside her hotel.

Each time she visited Buenos Aires he would be waiting for her, eager for walks and treats. Sievers said today that her four-legged fan was probably "looking for a human friend."

His dogged persistence paid off last month and Sievers flew the dog named Rubio, Spanish for blond home to Germany.

The long-time animal rights activist say she's overwhelmed by the online response to her story and hopes it will encourage others to consider adopting dogs from sanctuaries.
Sydney, Australia: It was a bizarre sight -- 20 toilet rolls set on fire and lined up in rows after being drenched in fuel.

But for pilot Geoff Cobden, it was the only way he could safely land his plane in the dark of night in a remote area of Australia to help fly a critically ill woman to the nearest hospital hundreds of kilometres away.

The flight on July 31 in northern Queensland state was a hit on Facebook when it was posted by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and highlighted the challenges faced by their teams, who are often the only way people who work on cattle stations -- some of which are bigger than small European nations -- reach medical help.

"This particular night, we got a call that there's a patient. We discuss different ways of lighting the airstrip and we came up with dunny (toilet) rolls as the best option," Cobden, who was flying a Beechcraft King Air twin-turboprop aircraft, told AFP.

The ill farm hand had been taken to Burke and Wills Roadhouse, a service station some 250 kilometres (155 miles) or 30 minutes flight from where Cobden was based.

"They said 'yeah, yeah' we have plenty of dunny rolls and so we explained how to set up... so basically soak them in diesel and they'll burn for about half an hour, and set them up 30 metres wide.

"We say don't light them until we get there. We've got UHF radio so we talk to them from the aeroplane once we are overhead and get them to run along and light them all up."

Cobden said toilet rolls were a good way to light up airstrips if the cattle farms -- some of which are about 10,000 square kilometres (4,000 square miles) in size -- did not have working flares. The "absolute last resort" would be using the lights from vehicles, he added.

"Generally most stations have enough toilet rolls to avert the possibility of a car-lit landing." Cobden is based in Mount Isa, sometimes called the "oasis of the outback", with his three-person Flying Doctors team -- a doctor, nurse and a pilot -- covering an area of some 760,000 square kilometres, or bigger than France.
Bengaluru: A thirty-five year old techie, who posted an online advertisement to sell his bike, was poisoned with cyanide by a man posing as a prospective buyer.

According to reports, Sohan Haldar was found dead in his house under mysterious circumstances on August 5 when his colleagues decided to check up on him, after he failed to report for work. Forensic reports revealed that Haldar was poisoned and did not die of natural causes, as was assumed.

Sources said that 30-year-old Karthick Daulath accosted Haldar, a software engineer from West Bengal, in a popular online advertising platform. Daulath was posing as a prospective buyer for the KTM Duke motorcycle that Haldar had advertised online.

Daulath reportedly reached Haldars apartment on August 3, and after discussing the term of sales, the two men decided to have a drink.

Police sources revealed that Daulath poisoned Haldars drink with cyanide, and fled away with his wallet, and bike. He also withdrew a sum of Rs 27,000 the same day after finding the ATM pins in Haldars wallet.

Call records revealed that Daulath was in continuous touch with him from August 1 to August 3. He was also captured in the CCTV footages, leaving the apartment, and subsequently at the ATM kiosks, withdrawing money.

He was later arrested from his place at Rajaji Nagar.

Daulath has a criminal history and has been caught attempting to steal a gold chain from a jewellery, and has also been nabbed after a failed bank robbery.
Mumbai: Gangster Chhota Rajan, prime accused in the journalist J Dey murder case, thought that the veteran crime reporter was working for his rival Dawood Ibrahim and ISI, according to the charge sheet filed by CBI.

Dey was killed, allegedly upon Rajan's instructions, in suburban Powai on June 11, 2011.

According to CBI, Rajan told one Manoj on phone that journalist Jigna Vora (a co-accused) used to tell him "repeatedly" that Dey "is writing wrong things and is in touch with the other gang", and was a traitor.

Transcripts of Rajan's telephonic conversations are part of the charge sheet filed by CBI in a local court last week.

Rajan further said that Dey was not a good person, and was working for Dawood and ISI. Jigna used to tell him that Dey was a "traitor", he said.

Dey's wife told CBI that for a month before his murder, he was very upset. "Once he told me that he was going to die but not due to illness," her statement reads.

According to Dey's mother, around 15 days before his death he had told her that he would be visiting the Philippines. A few days before his death she also received a call from the accused Vinod Chembur (who later died) enquiring about Dey.

Fifteen days prior to the murder Dey had signed agreement with actor Ajay Devgn for writing a film script, she said.

The chargesheet also contains statements of journalists with whom Rajan spoke on phone after Dey's murder. Rajan told one of them that he regretted killing Dey.

"A news reporter has to remain in his limits and work ...if you are writing liesyou are inviting serious trouble," Rajan said.

According to another journalist, Rajan told him that Dey was hand-in-glove with "traitors", and he killed Dey.

A close friend of Dey's told the investigators that Dey had told him that Rajan was calling him frequently. He found the gangster to be very "polite". "I told him...one should be alert...because dons are polite when they want to deceive someone," he told CBI.

On the day of the murder, Dey had told this witness on phone that Rajan had again spoken to him recently. As Dey was worried about getting frequent calls from Rajan, the witness suggested that he should see if he had made any mistakes (so as to offend the gangster).

"Dey said so far he had done nothing wrong... but he had shared a very secret information with Vinod Chembur and from that day calls from Rajan increased," the witness said.

According to a police constable, who is a witness in the case, Chembur's son Sanjay told him Dey wanted to get Rajan killed and was supplying information to Dawood gang.

According to CBI, Rajan was upset with Dey over certain articles written by him, and also because Dey's planned book described Rajan as "chindi" (a small fry).

The book, 'Chindi -- Rags to Riches', was to tell stories of 20 gangsters with humble origins. It was supposed to describe Dawood, Rajan's friend-turned-foe, as being superior to the gangster.

Rajan was arrested at Bali airport in Indonesia on October 25 last year and deported to India.

The 300-page charge sheet against him was filed at the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court here last week.

The first charge sheet filed in the case in 2011 names Satiah Kaliya, Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge, Mangesh Agawane, Vinod Asrani, Paulson Joseph and Deepak Sisodia (all arrested).

Another charge sheet was filed against Vora next year. Accused of instigating Rajan against Dey owing to her own professional rivalry, she is currently on bail.
The IMUL worker was riding a two-wheeler when a group of persons who came in a car attacked him in on Friday evening. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Kozhikode: A 20-year-old Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) worker was allegedly hacked to death by some unidentified persons in Vadakara, Kerala, triggering tension in the area.

Aslam was riding a two-wheeler when a group of persons who came in a car attacked him around 6 pm on Friday. He was admitted to a private hospital here but succumbed to injuries around 10 pm, police said.

He was recently acquitted by a court in the case related to the murder of DYFI activist Shibin last year.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday condemned the murder, even as the opposition UDF of which IUML is a major partner protesting the killing.

Talking to reporters, Vijayan described the murder as "unfortunate" and said a special team would probe it.

Restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed on Saturday for the next ten days in seven police station limits in Vadakara and Nadappuram areas in the aftermath of the murder, police said.

Police personnel have been deployed in strength at important locations. Besides, ten mobile units patrolling the areas, they said.

19-year-old Shibin was murdered allegedly by an armed group at?Thooneri in Nadapuram in January last year.

Police had booked Aslam and 16 others in connection with the murder. A special additional sessions court here in June this year had acquitted all the accused.
Mumbai: A sessions court on Saturday sent the CEO of LH Hiranandani Hospital in Powai and four other doctors, arrested in connection with alleged kidney transplant racket, to judicial custody till August 26.

The accused, who were arrested on Tuesday, were produced before the court on Saturday as their police custody was to expire on Sunday.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Powai police, in-charge of the case, told the court that they have finished the investigation and do not need further custody of the five accused.

The police are now looking into three other transplants at the hospital. They expect to arrest more people from the hospital in connection with the case.

We are trying to find out for how long had the accused been in touch with each other and with Brijkishore Jaiswal, the intended recipient of the kidney transplant that was prevented recently and which blew the lid off the racket, said an officer.

The arrested accused are hospital CEO Dr. Sujit Chatterjee, Medical Director Dr. Anurag Naik and the three other doctors  Prakash Shetty, Mukesh Shah and Mukesh Shete.

The racket was exposed after the police were tipped off that a kidney transplant operation had been scheduled on July 14 at the privately-run Hiranandani Hospital where donor and recipient were not related.

Following the bust-up, nine people including the donor, receiver, and agents were arrested.

The operation on Brijkishor Jaiswal, the recipient, was stopped at the last moment as police found that the woman who was donating the kidney to him was not his real wife, contrary to the papers submitted by the duo.

The woman had pretended to be Jaiswals wife only to be able to donate him the kidney for monetary gains, according to the police.
New Delhi: Delhi police on Friday arrested a man who allegedly knocked down an ice cream seller and dumped him midway on the pretext of taking him to hospital in New Delhi's Mandir Marg area.

The incident comes to light close to the Subhash Nagar hit-and-run case where a milk delivery man was seen on CCTV footage hitting a pedestrian with his tempo and then driving off without helping the victim.

In the Mandir Marg case, Amritlal, the victim, was on his way to home at Kalibari when the car driven by accused Surjit Kumar hit him near Gol Market intersection at around 11.30 pm on August 9, police said.

The car dragged him to several meters before coming to halt, according to the eyewitnesses.

Sushil and Ankur, victim's co-workers, rushed and pulled Amritlal who was stuck beneath the vehicle.

The accused told them that he was taking Amritlal to RML hospital, but later "dumped" him near MS Flats on Peshwa Road and fled, police said.

Police found long skid marks across the Zebra crossing on Bhai Veer Singh Marg where the accident took place. Sushil said after they reached the hospital, they could not find Amritlal.

The police later found Amritlal's body on the backside of MS Flats on Peshwa Road at around 6.30 am on August 10. He was taken to Lady Harding Medical College where doctors declared him brought dead.

The vehicle's owner Karamchand told police that it was being driven by his driver Surjit Kumar who was arrested.

The incident reported a day after the Delhi government said it will soon announce 'Good Samaritan Scheme' under which people will be rewarded for taking victims to hospital and provided legal aid in case they face any problem.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police team investigating the ATM scam has stepped up the probe for the fifth person in the racket, while a local court here remanded the Romanian arrested from Mumbai to police custody till August 22. Steps to issue a red corner notice through Interpol for three others who have already left the country was also on. So far the police received complaints from 38 persons from whose bank accounts over Rs 7 lakh was siphoned off by the Romanian racket.

While the police anticipate that more complaints may come up in the coming days, police sources said that some bogus complaints which were not related with this ATM fraud were also coming up. According to police sources, efforts are on to track the fifth member of the gang with the help of the airport immigration wing. Though Romanian Gabriel Marian Ilie had given some information regarding the one who looted cash even after his arrest, the police did not take it at face value.

The police also got information that the gang received the technology for the looting operations from Bulgaria. Police sources said that the gang members only had school education, but Cristian Victor Constantin possessed technical knowhow. He was the one who looted the banking data by encrypting using tools made in Bulgaria. The cards were made using dummy magnetic cards that are available in the market.

According to a report submitted by the police at the local court while seeking Gabriels custody, the activity of the accused posed a threat to internal security and the Indian banking system. Various sections of the IPC and the IT Act for theft and forgery were charged against the accused. Meanwhile, three revenue officials in the district siphoned off around Rs 40,000 though online banking cheating. Incidentally, all the three were village officials of rural parts of the district. A caller who posed as a bank official and collected the ATM card number and one-time-password and siphoned off the amount.

Centre taking issue very seriously, says Arun Jaitley

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said that the ATM robbery in the state had highlighted the issues related to the financial security in the country as a whole. The RBI, the government and the banks have taken it seriously, Mr Jaitley said in response to Congress MP K.C. Venugopals poser. The technological firewalls to be created around the technology systems of bank is being further strengthened. The banking system is seriously looking into the whole issue and they are fully seized of it because if those systems can be hacked then the entire security of the financial system will get threatened, he said.

Wait 2-3 days for more info on case, says Loknath Behera

The investigation in connection with the ATM fraud detected in Thiruvananthapuram is an ongoing process and further details can be revealed only on basis of the progress in the probe, Director General of Police Loknath Behera told reporters on Friday. The probe is still on and it would take some time for giving further information, he said. "Wait for 2-3 days more for further information in the case" he said. Mr. Behera made these remarks in the background of information that the fulcrum of the fraud was based in Bulgaria. The DGP added that all information connected with the probe cannot be shared with the media.
The woman's body was spotted by the villagers near the Delhi-Agra Highway in Mathura. (Representational image)

Mathura: The body of a woman was found stuffed in a suitcase near a canal on the Delhi-Agra Highway, police said.

The half-naked body was spotted by villagers who informed police.

The deceased, who was aged around 35 years, had multiple stab wounds on her body.

"The woman was probably killed somewhere else and her body has been dumped here," SP, (city) Alok Priyadarshini said.
Hyderabad: Former director-general of police V. Dinesh Reddy, now a BJP leader, has strongly denied links with slain gangster Nayeemuddin. He is the third IPS official after Mr D.T. Naik and Mr Tiwari and a host of political leaders, including former Telugu Desam minister A. Uma Madhava Reddy, to have publicly denied links with the gangster.

While praising CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao for giving police the permission to nab the gangster  a step which he said previous governments did not take  Mr Reddy said he had sought an appointment with Mr Rao to pass on some sensitive information. Since a TV channel alleged that an ex-DGP had links with Nayeem, I had to clarify that it wasnt me. For TRP ratings they cannot tarnish my image. Let the channel name the ex-DGP. The first time I even saw Nayeem was on TV was after the encounter. When I was trying to identify who this joker was, the name cropped up, he said.

Mr Reddy dismissed accusations all through the press meet which was held at a city hotel. The event was shifted from the BJP office due to an AC problem. He said that as DGP he had issued a memo to the then deputy inspector-general of the State Intelligence Bureau to nab Nayeem. Its on record, he said.
VIJAYAWADA: Pilgrims visiting Vijayawada city for Krishna Pushkaralu will be served free and hygienic food. The government has made necessary arrangements for supply of free food to pilgrims and has appealed to voluntary organisations to come forward to acquaint the pilgrims with the taste of Andhra hospitality. As part of the efforts, the Akshaya Patra foundation has been making arrangements to supply free food to 3 lakh pilgrims daily. A central kitchen has been set up at Gollapudi market yard to supply food to various pushkarnagars in and around the city. Besides, several voluntary organisations have also came forward to supply free food to pilgrims.

The officials are coordinating with these organisations to supply free and hygienic food to pilgrims during the 12-day festival. Meanwhile, the state government is planning to maintain water levels at various bathing ghats as heavy inflows registered at the projects in Karnataka. The officials are expecting flood inflow to a tune of 9,300 cusecs to Prakasam barrage. The water level at Prakasam barrage increased as 3,000 cusecs of water released from Pulichintala project. Elsewhere, residents of Vijayawada, Guntur and surrounding areas are gearing up to participate in service programmes including free food to pilgrims.

City top cop asks leaders to ensure smooth festival:

Vijayawada police commissioner Gautam Sawang on Monday convened an all-party meeting at his camp office and sought the cooperation of the leaders to ensure the 12-day fete passes off without a hitch. Mr Sawang requested the political laders not stage any protests or rallies during the Pushkaralu and sought their suggestions for conducting the river festival without hindrance.

YSRC leader Vangaveeti Ranga appealed to the police chief not to create any inconvenience to the public especially in I-Town area and Krishnalanka areas by diverting traffic flow. Malladi Vishnu of the Congress asked the Commissioner to release alternative spots for vendors at the Rythu Bazaar so that their livelihood is not affected since the bazaar will be shut for 12 days at a stretch.

All the leaders assured the police chief of complete cooperation for the smooth conducting of Pushkarlu in the city. Meanwhile, managements of colleges and schools in the limits of Vijayawada and Guntur cities have declared holidays in view of the Krishna pushkaralu. Originally, several of the educational institutions had scheduled holidays for August 11, but taking into consideration the river festival, they have declared holidays up to August 23.

According to sources, the institutions were instructed to make available their premises for accommodation of staff from across the state. While lower rung staff will be housed in educational institutions, higher officials will be staying in hotels.
New Delhi: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday, during which India's bid for membership of the NSG is understood to have figured among other regional and bilateral issues.

Modi received Yi, who briefed him on G-20 summit to be held in China in September.

One of the most important issues discussed in the meet, apart from the NSG deadlock, was the listing of Masood Azhar as a terrorist under a UN resolution. China has been blocking India's efforts to list Azhar on the international blacklist of terrorists. India urged China to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

In the context of the Climate Change Summit in Paris in 2015, the clean energy goals as underlined by COP-21 were also discussed in the meet, said ANI.

Sushma Swaraj conveyed Indias concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that Director Generals of Disarmament of both countries would meet soon.

Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October. "Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, along with a photograph of the meeting of the two foreign ministers.

Additionally, the situation on the Indo-Chinese border was reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility were discussed.

Apart from this, regional and international issues including implications of Brexit, and the situation in Korean Peninsula was discussed. China did not bring up the issue of the South China Sea judgement in the meet, said ANI.

Wang Yi had arrived in Goa on Friday on a three-day visit to India. He had met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and discussed about preparations for the BRICS summit.

On Friday, Chinas state run media had claimed that the door to Indias entry into NSG was not tightly closed.

Wang Yi had met Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday, to review the logistics and security arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jinpings proposed visit in October to the state for the BRICS summit.

China had blocked Indias entry into the NSG earlier this year, despite considerable efforts at diplomacy by Narendra Modi and the government. Beijings contention was that India was not a signatory of a key nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

But stressing that India and China are partners not rivals, state-run Xinhua news agency said on Friday that, as Beijing and New Delhi head into a season of intensive top-level diplomatic encounters that could well define the future of their partnership, the two need to work together to keep their disagreements in check.
New Delhi: Angered over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence from Parliament, Congress on Saturday sought to make "PM-mukt Parliament" a major issue and signalled that it would take it up aggressively in the winter session.

"Monsoon session of Parliament is over. We discussed many serious issues. But, the Prime Minister was absent during many of these discussions," Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal said.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha discussed issues like Kashmir and dalit atrocities and the Prime Minister was absent during these discussions. Earlier too, when Parliament had debates on Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and on the role of Governors, the Prime Minister was not there, he said.

"We have a PM-mukt Parliament. It is a sad state of affairs. He says he respects the Constitution, but doesn't attend Parliament," Sibal said.

"We will raise this issue in the next session. Why the PM doesn't come to Parliament? It is because he is afraid. We want him to remain the Nation's Watchman and provide the nation with answers," Sibal said.

Alleging that the Prime Minister was "not in the habit" of answering questions posed to him, Sibal said Modi did the same thing as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

The Prime Minister likes to address rallies and meetings as one does not have to answer to crowds. "But in Parliament, you have to answer the opposition. In a crowd, no one will question him. But, in Parliament, the Opposition will," he said.

Earlier this week, the party in a commentary had taken potshots at the Prime Minister over his "absence" from Parliament, saying "India has been forced to come to terms with a PM-mukt Parliament".

"When PM Modi assumed office, he had said that Parliament is a temple of Democracy and he kowtowed before entering the august building for the first time. A year into his term, on one of his numerous trips to the USA, he said, the Constitution is the only holy book for his Government.

"But, today, India has been forced to come to terms with a 'PM-mukt Parliament'. PM Modi's actions show his disdain for the Parliament and its affairs", the party said, targeting Modi by using a parody of his call for 'Congress-mukt Bharat' he had made during the Lok Sabha poll campaign.

The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister loves to speak, "but, unfortunately, not in national interest but for vote bank politics."
Chances are youve seen the signs while driving around town.

You know the ones  for the blueberry sale. Theyre put up all over Carlisle (and South Middleton and Upper Allen townships and surrounding areas) every spring.

Or maybe, if you havent noticed those signs, youve seen the hanging flower baskets downtown.

You know the ones  they dot the streets of Carlisle, adding a bit of beauty to the area.

Or maybe, if you havent noticed the flower baskets, youve seen the electoral bake sales.

You know the ones  they take place outside the voting area at every election, offering tasty, low-priced brownies and cupcakes as a reward for exercising your civic duty.

These are the efforts of local service clubs, which are located throughout the midstate. Youre undoubtedly familiar with the names behind these various local projects  the Kiwanis, Rotary Club, the Upper Allen Womans Club.

But while many people see the things these groups do in the community, theyre not always familiar with the groups themselves or their missions.

Those missions involve serving others, at their core, but theres also a social aspect thats unique from, say, volunteering at a food bank or helping out at a charitable yard sale. It also sets them apart from social clubs such as a mens club.

Service clubs set agendas, they recruit new members, and they have national or international structures to help keep them on task. They appeal to people who like order and assisting others.

Everyone finds different ways to do good, says Carlisle resident Alden Cunningham, a past Rotary Club of Carlisle president.

What is a service club?

Service clubs are voluntary nonprofits where people get together to help others or raise funds that go toward that purpose.

Most have regular meetings, ranging from once a week to once a month.

They also generally have a specific focus for their service.

The Kiwanis, for instance, helps kids. Rotary Internationals mission has long been the eradication of polio worldwide, a goal its close to meeting with just two countries now reporting active cases. The Lions Club has been assisting the blind since being asked to do so by Helen Keller nearly 100 years ago.

The clubs charge dues, which also range in price. Cunningham says its about $600 per year for the Carlisle Rotary, but a club he attends in California, where he spends part of his year, has much higher dues. The Kiwanis club charges $150 annually.

Some employers, however, will foot the bill for the dues to encourage employees to serve and help burnish their own status in the community.

Everyone has their own reasons for joining service clubs.

I first came to the community 30 years ago this summer. I think everyone coming into a new community tries to find their way and build relationships, and a service club organization that helps people and encourages people to get involved is a great way to get to know the people around you, says Father Mark Scheneman, who joined the Rotary Club of Carlisle three decades ago.

Barrie Ann McBride George, the president of the Carlisle Kiwanis Club, first joined through her former employer, a nonprofit that encouraged its employees to involve themselves in serving the community.

Some clubs have membership restrictions.

Rotary, for instance, was founded in the early 1900s with an aim of combining good citizenship with good business practices. In its early days, it restricted the number of people from a given profession who could join, believing that the greater the diversity of its membership, the stronger the club would be.

When Rotary started, they only wanted one profession represented because they wanted to get different ideas, Cunningham says.

So, for instance, you couldnt have more than one lawyer or doctor.

In recent years, those restrictions have eased, in part because its become harder to recruit members  adding rules that discourage anyone from joining could cause serious membership drains.

Fundraising and foundations

Each club has its own way of doing things, but a major part of service clubs are the fundraisers that help bankroll charitable services all year long.

Thats where 2,900 boxes of blueberries come in. The Kiwanis of Carlisle have sold them for years, and its one of just two fundraisers the club puts on annually, the other a cranberry sale in the fall that it started last year. Between the sales, the Kiwanis made about $30,000 last year.

Its quite an undertaking, but we focus on that one major fundraiser instead of having to do it over and over, McBride George says.

The rules governing nonprofits are complicated, and the clubs cannot carry large balances from year to year.

The Kiwanis and the Upper Allen Womans Club both funnel the money they make from fundraisers into their foundations, separate entities overseen by many of the same members, which then send the money back into the community in different ways.

One recent Kiwanis project has been supplying younger elementary students in the Carlisle School District with a free book.

Every kid gets excited when they get a new book, whether they already have 100 books or two books, McBride George says. We want to promote a love of reading.

The womans club recently donated $10,000 to the Joseph T. Simpson Public Library, which went to pay for display screens. Its also donated to Operation Wildcat, a charity in the Mechanicsburg Area School District; groups that support women hurt by domestic violence; and New Hope Ministries.

Like the Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary, it also recognizes high school students for service and values. They have a special affinity for children, with many of the 40-year-old clubs members either mothers or grandmothers.

A few years back, the womans club funded equipment at Upper Allens Friendship Park. It sponsors those Election Day bake sales as well.

And every year the group sponsors a Cookies with Mrs. Claus event, which has even provided some laughs.

Karen Cochran, a former president, remembers getting supplies for the cookie event in advance and storing them at the Upper Allen Township Building, where Cookies with Mrs. Claus is held.

When she retrieved the milk from what she thought was in the refrigerator the next morning, it was frozen.

I had actually stored it in the freezer. We had to spin it that the reason it was frozen was that Mrs. Claus was just coming in that morning from the North Pole, and she brought the milk with her. What else are you going to say? she says.

Its memorable moments like those, the ones that make you grin and grimace at the same time, that keep people coming back to the clubs.

Changing for a new era

Many service clubs have been around for much longer than their members.

Rotary, for instance, was founded in 1905, Kiwanis in 1915, and Lions Club in 1917.

As youd imagine, the groups have changed a lot over the years.

Some of the change is social. Rotary didnt allow women until 1989, the Kiwanis until 1987.

But that change has been accelerated recently, with the advent of digital media and the changes that has brought to society.

Cunningham says people seem busier today. Scheneman notes the need to reach them electronically.

The Rotary is seeing more growth from its international branches than the domestic ones  Cunningham says China, in particular, is seen as a fertile ground for membership recruitment.

But while some things may change, the focus of the groups never will.

Were proud of the things we do, says Scheneman, who was president when the group began doing the hanging baskets around town some two decades ago. We have always tried to find leaders in our community, leaders in different professions to be our members.

Whatever we raise through craft shows, fashion shows, through our foundation and the bake sales, we give that money back to the community, Cochran says. Thats not to say that we dont do social things, but my reason for joining, and for many others, is because we give back to the community.
Hyderabad: Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said "freebies" would no longer help the country develop and maintained that reforms were the need of the hour. Naidu, while addressing students of Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, said, the NDA government is committed to protecting the public sector units and at the same time would encourage private sector participation in India's growth story.

"We are following a particular model so far  Soviet model of Socialism - which proved to be not harmonious with the Indian situation. Now, we are changing our approach.

"Freebies (free power to public) can no longer take the country forward. We are trying to be populistic like (offering) free power," he said, while talking about the implementation of 'Smart Cities' project.

He said business and industry are vital for the growth of the country and the government would come forward to offer concessions to the industry if it is worthy.

"We are focusing on the 'ease of doing business' and removing the obstacles that are there in the business. We have no problems in giving necessary concessions, also so that the business grows and then value is added and employment is created," he asserted.

"Earlier, the slogan was Automation is anti-nation. Government gives priority to business and to the industry and removed all obstruction. Reforms are also need of the hour," the senior leader said.

Referring to accumulated losses of Air India and government-run hotels, he said the national carrier has loses to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore and it would impact the public indirectly.

"Now, public sector is also made accountable. If you don't perform and then you have to go on giving salaries (to the employees of those loss making PSUs), that is not possible. Of course, they should be given the comfort. We got to protect the public sector and at the same time encourage private sector," he said.

Meanwhile, in an apparent dig at Pakistan, he claimed, "our neighbour is abetting, funding and training terrorism without any hesitation."

"The entire country says one word that Kashmir is an integral part of India and even Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) has to be with India," he said.

He also requested political parties not to use the issues pertaining to Dalits for political advantages and categorically stated that law and order is state subject.
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said her ministry will give 50 percent subsidy to those willing to add food processing service to the cold chain, while 35 percent subsidy those who will only set up cold chain for storage and use cold chain vehicles to transport materials to food processing units. (Photo: PTI)

Ahmedabad: Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said on Saturday that her ministry will offer special subsidies to smaller food processing units in a bid to encourage them.

"If you add food processing service to the cold chain, our ministry has decided to provide 50 percent subsidy. If you only set up cold chain for storage and use cold chain vehicles to transport materials to food processing units, we will provide 35 percent subsidy," Jyoti said.

She was speaking at a programme on food processing organised by industry body, ASSOCHAM, in Ahmedabad.

"Our ministry will soon issue guidelines on the same. This will help save crops of smaller farmers from destruction and provide better quality food to consumers," she said.

"I am happy to share that our proposal to set up 200 small food processing units has been given go ahead by the Cabinet. Such units can be set up at an investment of Rs 15-20 crore, and is not restricted by land requirement," Jyoti said.

She also said that her ministry is talking to Railway Ministry to create a system wherein cold chain bogies can be added to super-fast trains, specially for perishable items.

"Our ministry is coordinating with the Railway Ministry on this. If this happens, it will be a big step in the direction of food processing," she said.

Jyoti said that a big step taken by the Centre has been to separate food processing ministry from Agriculture, which has spurred reforms in this sector.

"Without proper processing system, crops get destroyed. China's focus on food processing system has paid dividend, while we have lagged behind.

"I would like to congratulate that PM Modi who worked to strengthen the food processing sector by making a separate ministry, which was earlier working under agriculture ministry," she said.
BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma (centre) on Saturday said the government will take measures to prevent "anti-national" elements from vitiating the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: PTI)

Jammu: Voicing concern over the spillover of the Kashmir unrest to various parts of Jammu region, BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma on Saturday said the government will take measures to prevent "anti-national" elements from vitiating the atmosphere in the region.

"The forces, which are trying to disrupt the peace in Jammu and Kashmir, get support from Pakistan and they don't want to see peace in the state.

"Now they are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Jammu region's Kishtwar, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri but the government will not allow them to succeed," Sharma, MP from Jammu-Poonch, said.

Sharma hoped the ongoing unrest in Kashmir valley would end soon and that peace and normalcy would be restored in the region.

"The Centre and the state government are serious about restoring peace and normalcy in Kashmir and it was made clear in yesterday's All Party Meeting on Kashmir," he said.

A magistrate, an SSP and three other police officers were among 47 people injured yesterday in stone pelting in Doda district of Jammu region.

Over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, the former party state chief said it would be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after the state Assembly passes it.

"I must tell you that the GST Bill, which was passed in parliament, would also be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after it gets passed in the next session of the state Assembly," he said.

Sharma said all the apprehensions of the finance ministers of the states have already been addressed in the bill and they have agreed to implement GST in their respective states.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has agreed to start a new train service from Jammu to Haridwar and it will be flagged off tomorrow, he said.

"People of Jammu region, especially Hindus, used to face problems because of only one train available to Haridwar but from tomorrow a new train service will be started connecting Jammu with Haridwar," Sharma said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the All Party Meeting made it clear that the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an "integral" part of India and the Pakistan government and its Army is engaged in wide spread human rights violation in these areas.

"The people of PoK and Baluchistan are the worst victim of human rights violation and the people of Jammu and Kashmir welcome the statement of the Prime Minister in which he said that Pakistan would be exposed for such violations," Sharma said.
Jammu: Voicing concern over the spill over of the Kashmir unrest to various parts of Jammu region, BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma on Saturday said the government will take measures to prevent "anti-national" elements from vitiating the atmosphere in the region.

"The forces, which are trying to disrupt the peace in Jammu and Kashmir, get support from Pakistan and they don't want to see peace in the state.

"Now they are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Jammu region's Kishtwar, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri but the government will not allow them to succeed," Sharma, MP from Jammu-Poonch, said.

Sharma hoped the ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley would end soon and that peace and normalcy would be restored in the region.

"The Centre and the state government are serious about restoring peace and normalcy in Kashmir and it was made clear in Fridays All Party Meeting on Kashmir," he said.

A magistrate, an SSP and three other police officers were among 47 people injured on Friday in stone pelting in Doda district of Jammu region.

Read: Omar Abdullah lashes out at PDP, says Modi govt's stance 'shocking'

Over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, the former party state chief said it would be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after it the state Assembly passes it.

"I must tell you that the GST Bill, which was passed in parliament, would also be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir after it gets passed in the next session of the state Assembly," he said.

Sharma said all the apprehensions of the finance ministers of the states have already been addressed in the bill and they have agreed to implement GST in their respective states.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has agreed to start a new train service from Jammu to Haridwar which will be flagged off tomorrow, he said.

"People of Jammu region, especially Hindus, used to face problems because of only one train available to Haridwar but from tomorrow a new train service will be started connecting Jammu with Haridwar," Sharma said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the All Party Meeting made it clear that the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an "integral" part of India and the Pakistan government and its Army is engaged in wide spread human rights violation in these areas.

"The people of PoK and Baluchistan are the worst victims of human rights violation and the people of Jammu and Kashmir welcome the statement of the Prime Minister in which he said that Pakistan would be exposed for such violations," Sharma said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office Jitendra Singh on Saturday said it is Indias moral and national responsibility to stand by our brothers in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and also Gilgit-Baltistan.

At the same time, to draw attention of the world to the kind of human rights violation that is taking place in that region, added Singh.

Singh further said that the actual culmination of Tiranga yatra will be in Kotli, Muzaffarabad when we succeed in hoisting the tricolour of India in PoK.

Balochistan activist Hammal Haider Baloch on Saturday said, We welcome PM Modis statement to support freedom movement of Balochistan. This is the first time ever that an Indian PM has expressed his wish to support Baloch people, very crucial decision.

Baloch people share common interest with India, we are secular and believe in democratic principles. Pak has never complied with international rules,theyre killing Baloch people, added Baloch.
New Delhi: Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Balochistan, World Baloch Women's Forum president Naela Quadri Baloch on Saturday said the people of the region support him and he should take up the Baloch issue with the international community at the United Nations in September.

'We hope that you (PM Modi) will raise the Balochistan issue and Baloch people's suffering in the UN session in September. And, we are with you. People of Balochistan, Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, we all thank you,' Naela told ANI.

Another Baloch leader, Baloch National Movement (UK) spokesperson Hammal Haider Baloch expressed similar sentiments, saying: 'It is for the first time that an Indian Prime Minister has expressed his wish to support the Baloch people. And, I think it is a very crucial decision made by the Indian Government. We hope Prime Minister Modi will play the same role that (Indira) Gandhi had played in 1970-71.'

Hammal said the people of Balochistan identify with the democracy and secularity of India and their cause needs to be supported by the international community to bring peace and stability in the region.

Read: Pak-occupied Kashmir is part of J&K: Modi at all-party meet on Kashmir

'Baloch people share common interest with India. We are secular and we also believe in democratic principles. It is high time for India and other democratic countries in the world to come forward and support the Baloch people, because supporting Baloch people is very important. Without supporting Baloch and other ethnic groups in Pakistan, it is almost impossible to bring stability in that particular region because Pakistan has proved to be a failed state,' he said.

He alleged that Pakistan is butchering people in Baloch and Sindhi political activists, and is supporting dangerous religious groups, which are radical in their approach and are a threat to ethnic groups in the country.

'They are killing Baloch people, they are butchering Sindhi political activists and they are supporting religious groups, which are not only a threat for these small ethnic groups but for the world as well,' he said.

Hammal further said despite getting all types of assistance from other nations, Pakistan has never complied with international rules.

He added that Pakistan is responsible for nurturing extremist groups in Balochistan, which are linked to dangerous terror outfits like ISIS, al-Qaeda and Taliban. 'As you can see that Pakistan has been promoting Islamic extremists in Balochistan, and they have created hundreds of Islamic groups, which are linked to the ISIS, the al-Qaeda, Taliban,' he said.

He also called on the international community and India to come forward and further support the cause of the Baloch people.

Prime Minister Modi said on Friday that the time had come to expose Pakistan's brutalities against the people of Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He made the remarks as the government launched a fresh offensive against Islamabad for igniting the latest unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, whom Pakistan has continuously tried to tag as a 'martyr'. Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with thousands injured and more than 50 killed during protests against Wani's killing.
Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and leader of main opposition National Conference, Omar Abdullah, on Saturday termed the Modi governments stance on Kashmir situation as shocking and hawkish and blamed BJPs coalition partner PDP for it. He also accused the PDP of indulging in perverse anti-Kashmir, anti-Muslim tirade at the all-party meet held in Delhi on Friday.

Abdullah expressed disappointment at how the Central government had turned its focus on the tried, tested and failed formulations of looking at the issue in Kashmir through the prism of Pakistan and radicalisation. He said, The unrest in Kashmir is not because of Pakistan. While suggesting so might be politically expedient and convenient for the Central government, it comes with the unimaginable risk of alienating the people of Kashmir to an irrevocable and irreparable limit, he said in a statement in Srinagar adding, When that limit is breached, no amount of rhetoric or grandstanding will help.

He also said, Im dismayed that New Delhi has yet again refused to acknowledge the gravity of the already volatile situation in the Valley. This will add further fuel to the current unrest.

Abdullah, expressing shock and dismay at PDP MP Muzaffar Hussain Baigs perverse anti-Kashmir tirade and stereotypical Muslim bashing at the meet. said it was Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, who had set the tone for this narrative that aims to vilify and defame the people of Kashmir. PDP was the only political party from J&K that was present in the All Party meet  allegedly held on the Kashmir situation. It is, therefore, extremely disappointing that the party chose to ridicule and vilify the people of Kashmir and went to the extent of saying there should be no agitation by political parties against excessive use of force and pellet guns.

He added, Not only did PDP choose to tacitly support the use of excessive force in the Valley, it also stooped to the extent of deriding those voices of empathy and solidarity at the national level that had been demanding the Central government adopts a humane and political approach towards the situation.

The NC leader alleged that it had become evident that the PDP was reading from a political script to suit a jingoistic, condescending narrative that stereotypes Muslims and also distorts the political issue in Kashmir as an alleged manifestation of radicalisation and religious indoctrination.

Whose interests is PDP trying to serve by distorting the ground reality in Kashmir? Towards what self-serving political goal does PDP want to insult and defame the people of Kashmir? Given how PDP has provided the Central government with an opportunity to advance an inherently anti-Kashmir narrative, it is not surprising that the all-party meeting turned out to be a cruel, practical joke with the people of Kashmir.

Abdullah said that the people expected the Prime Minister to go beyond the traditional BJP line of talking to the alienated youth of Kashmir through Pakistan. But that is exactly what the Prime Minister ended up doing, he said.

He added, PDP should know that the political sentiment in Kashmir is neither about ISIS nor a revival of the Khilafat movement  as alleged by PDP MP and party vice president, Baig, in the all-party meet. The spurt in local boys  most of whom are educated and from affluent backgrounds  joining militant ranks has nothing to do with ISIS or the revival of the Khilafat movement.

He asserted that the root cause of growing alienation in Kashmir is New Delhis continued refusal to acknowledge that the issue in Kashmir is a political issue and its consequent refusal to engage with the people of Kashmir for a sustainable solution.

He lashed out at the PDP for claiming the current situation in the Valley was a result of systemic religious indoctrination through madrassas.

He said Not a single local young boy who has joined militant ranks in recent months has come out from a madrassa-based educational background  this fact itself exposes the fallacy of what PDP is trying to peddle for its own vested interests. Some of these young boys were toppers in the mainstream educational system while a few of them were meritorious students in professional college programs. What PDP is trying to do by distorting the truth is extremely dangerous and perverse.

For Muzaffar Baig to suggest that these young boys are becoming militants for two sets of Kameez Pajamas is an indication of his partys mindset  of how they look down upon the people and especially the youth of Kashmir. These young boys are not rediscovering the path of armed resistance for two sets of Kurta - Pajamas as claimed by PDP but for their political beliefs, he said.

Abdullah concluded, While we disagree with their ways and methods and reiterate that violence is unacceptable, we cannot afford to ridicule and insult them and consequently push them further away from the system. Such contemptuous remarks from PDP  first from Mehbooba Mufti and now from Muzaffar Baig  are augmenting the anger and frustration in the Valley and that is a travesty.
New Delhi: Patanjali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by yoga guru Ramdev, on Saturday threatened to file a suit against the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which has issued 27 notices this year to the company for what it calls violation of advertising code of conduct.

"We would file a suit against ASCI. We would file the case in the court very soon. We are discussing the possibilities and would take action on this issue very soon," Ramdev said here at a press conference while describing these notices as "love letters" from ASCI.

However, he left the venue when posed with questions on certification of his toothpaste range, under brand name Dant Kanti.

Questioning the authority and jurisdiction of ASCI, Ramdev said, It is a body "formed by MNCs and they are spreading wrong messages about advertisements by Patanjali. It is an illegal organisation and I would write a letter to the government of India in this regard.

Ramdev added that ASCI is not a constitutional authority but a company only, which has advising powers to its members. They are sending love letters to us. This issue has even been raised in Parliament also.

He said further that various high courts in their orders have ruled that ASCI has no constitutional authority.

In May, ASCI upheld 10 complaints against Patanjali Ayurved for products such as Jeera Biscuit, Kacchi Ghani mustard oil, Kesh Kanti and Dant Kanti, among others.

The advertising regulator had earlier upheld six cases each against Patanjali in March and April of 2016.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore had on August 2 informed Parliament that over 30 complaints against advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd were received between April 2015 and July 2016.

Patanjali is looking to open five food production units to meet growing demand. "We would set up food production units in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. Production at the Nagpur unit would start soon," he said.

Production in most of them is slated to start by the end of 2016.

"We would invest more than Rs 1,000 crore in three units by the end of this year," Ramdev said.

The company, which is foraying into the dairy segment, has also plans to tap the international market by taking the brand Patanjali global.

"We are setting up a special unit for export, which would start by March-end. It would be at our Nagpur facility," he added.
Mumbai: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was detained at an American airport, should have displayed patriotic credentials and returned to India after another "insult" in the US, the Shiv Sena said here on Saturday.

Observing that the "tolerant actor" goes to the US repeatedly, the Sena said if he had decided to return, it would have been a slap on the face of the US.

The Sena was reacting to Khan's detention at a US airport, the third time in seven years. The Bollywood actor was detained briefly at the Los Angeles International Airport yesterday.

"This has been a common occurrence with Shah Rukh at most big US airports. Still, this tolerant actor goes to the US repeatedly, only to get insulted," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

"He should have returned, displaying patriotic credentials, and telling the US that 'I won't step into your country if you are going to insult me in this manner,' the Sena said.

"Had he done so, it would have been a slap on the face for America. The US views every Muslim as a terrorist," the Sena said.

The Sena also suggested that the Khans should give direction to the youth of Kashmir which is witnessing rampage. "The Khans of Bollywood should take to Twitter to 'show direction' to misguided youth in Kashmir who are on a rampage," the Sena said.

The editorial also referred to last November's incident when Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said that his wife Kiran Rao wondered whether they should move out of India, as she feared for the safety of their children in a climate of "insecurity".

That was the time when the issue of "rising intolerance" in India was being hotly debated, and when several artists and authors returned government awards to protest "intolerance".
The one-day session of the Bihar State Legislative Assembly was called by Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary for ratification of GST Bill. (Photo: Representational Image/PTI)

Patna: A special one-day session of both the Houses of Bihar Legislature has been scheduled for August 16 for ratification of the Constitution Amendment Bill on GST.

The one-day session of the Bihar State Legislative Assembly was called by Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary for ratification of GST Bill, its Secretary Ram Shreshtha Rai told PTI on Saturday. The Bill has been supported by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Second Amendment) Bill, 2014 on GST has already been passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The GST Bill, seen as single biggest tax reform in a long time, needs to be ratified by at least 15 state legislatures before the President can notify the GST Council which will decide the new tax rate and other issues.

Assam on Friday became the first state to ratify the Bill. The government has set a deadline of April, 2017 for its rollout.
Bulandshahr: The minor survivor in the Bulandshahr gangrape case on Saturday moved the Supreme Court demanding FIR against Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for his outrageous comments and the erring police officials.

In her petition, the 13-year-old appealed to the apex court to transfer the case to New Delhi and asked for a court-monitored probe, security and rehabilitation.

She has also alleged that police officials were helping the accused.

Earlier this month, the Samajwadi Party leader Khan kicked up a controversy with his insensitive remarks suggesting that this incident of gangrape could be a political conspiracy against the Uttar Pradesh government.

"We need to investigate whether this is a conspiracy by opponents who want to defame the government," Khan had said.

"For votes, people can stoop to any level. There can be a Muzaffarnagar, a Shamli and Kairana...why not this? For power, politicians can murder people, trigger riots, kill innocent people, so the truth has to be found out," he remarked.

Khan received a flurry of criticism for his comments from the opposition parties, women's groups as well as the victim's family members.

On Friday, the Allahabad High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry into the case observing that it was "not satisfied" with the police investigation so far.

The High Court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the July 29 incident, also said it intended to "monitor the investigation into the case".

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.B. Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Varma passed the order a day after the state government submitted a status report on the investigation into the incident in a sealed cover.

The incident had taken place on July 29 when six members of a Noida-based family were travelling to Shahjahanpur in western Uttar Pradesh. At the National Highway passing through Bulandshahr, their car was stopped by armed criminals, who dragged the 13-year-old girl and her mother out and raped them in a field nearby for almost three hours.
Current Affairs 2022

Welcome to the Adda247 Current Affairs website which provides you with the best compilation of the Daily Current Affairs 2022 taking place across the globe: National, International, Sports, Science and Technology, Banking, Economy, Agreement, Appointments, Ranks and Report and General Studies. Adda247 has been a fantastic buddy in assisting you in reaching your full potential in terms of knowledge and learning by providing you with the top academic information.

Adda247 is one of the most popular Current Affairs website in India for UPSC, SSC, Banking / IBPS, IAS, NTSE, Railways, NDA, CDS, Judiciary, UPPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPSC, MPPSC, and other state civil services / government job recruitment examinations in India.

Current Affairs is a major part of the exams like UPSC, UPSC CSE, IBPS, SBI, RBI, SSC, Railway, UPPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, TNPSC, UKPSC, APPSC, MPSC etc. Many Govt job aspirants have benefited from our Current Affairs website now its your turn. This is the best current affairs site to find recent updates on Daily Current Affairs not only for competitive exams but also for interviews and updated with the latest information happening in nation and around the world.

Current Affairs plays a vital role in all government examinations. To secure your selection with a vast margin, one needs to prepare this section in a holistic way. The current affairs section tests your awareness and how inquisitive you are. A basic understanding of current events will not only help you to secure a job, but will also help you grow in your job later.

Check out the link below or visit www.currentaffairs.adda247.com to get daily current affairs updates. This post will provide you a general overview of how to prepare current affairs and several approaches you can utilise in your upcoming banking exams.

The three main bank exams:- IBPS, RBI, and SBI are administered nationally each year and thousands of candidates sign up for them, raising the stakes in the race to the top. A significant portion of these bank exams is the GA Section, which contains the majority of the current events questions. This section is quite challenging because there is no set syllabus for it. This segment requires careful planning and continuous preparation on the part of the candidates.

To get ready for the current affairs section, you can use the advice below:

Candidates must first look at the previous years questions to understand what is asked in the exams. The previous years questions will guide what to read in newspapers.

GA section requires consistency; one must read newspapers daily.

Make crisp notes of important news.

Revise the notes on regular intervals.

Another method is to follow news channels or current affairs YouTube channels to remain updated with current affairs.

If you do not have time to read daily current affairs, you can follow monthly magazines provided by various institutes. Such magazines are available online as well as in PDF form.

It is very important to test your preparation on regular basis. Solve quizzes according to the exams you are targeting.

NOTE : READ- NOTE- REVISE-TEST to ace current affairs.

Why Adda247?

Adda247 provides you with every kind of current affairs sorted under various sections like national, international, sports and awards to ease your preparations. The current affairs are divided into various sections and some of the important topics are depicted below:

National Current Affairs:

Every single essential piece of news on whats going on in the country is included in this section

International Current Affairs:

As for the banking exam, a candidate must prepare well for both national as well as international news going on since last year.

Economic related issues:

This section of economic current affairs will include every little news about the economy of India and the economic corridor with other countries. You can also find other relevant topics related to daily current affairs like product rate, economic growth, new economic frisking zone, and schemes indulged in the growth of the economy.

Banking Current Affairs:

All the recent changes in rules, policies of banking sectors will be discussed in this section. As you are preparing for the banking exam, you must be aware of stock market, and other banking activities for economic growth.

Sports Current Affairs:

This section covers all the tournaments and sports events held recently in the nation or outside the nation.

Current Affairs Awards & Achievements :

Current affairs on both national and international awards are included in this section for your preparation.

Appointments Current Affairs :

This section covers all the new appointments done in various departments of the government of India and other countries of the world. At Adda247, we provide detailed information with designation and name for your convenience to prepare for your bank exam.

You can find the most relevant and updated current affairs for your bank preparation with us. Just join us and we will help you out with your preparation in the best possible way we can.

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Current Affairs 2022: FAQs

Q.1 What are the latest types of question asked in recent exams?

Ans. In RBI assistant mains it was asked when Ramsar convention was signed. This is a static question in context of current affairs as India got new ramsar sites. Adda covers the static part with its current affairs.

In SBI PO mains 2021, TIME Magazines Person Of The Year For 2021 was asked it was covered in current affairs.

Q2. How to cover the static portion in context of current affairs?

Ans. Candidate should look into political, historical background of the news. These aspects need to be prepared. Static portion is covered along with current affairs.

Q.3 What aspects to cover while reading government schemes?

Ans. For central level schemes: Amount allotted, ministry, year of launch, main characteristics are to be learnt. For state level schemes purpose and state is to be read.

Q.4. What are the various sources of Adda247 current affairs?

Ans. Adda 247 current affair sources are: PIB, NewsOnAir, RBI website, Various newspapers like Hindu, Indian express, financial express and many more.

Q.5 Does Adda247 provide Current Affairs PDF?

Ans. Yes, Adda247 provides weekly and month-wise current affairs pdfs in both Hindi and English languages.
New Delhi: The UK Home Office has said the visa application of sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was refused because it did not meet the requirements of Britains immigration rules.

According to a report, UK Home office said that all visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, and applicants must provide evidence to show they meet the requirements of the immigration rules. On this occasion, the officials were not satisfied that Amjad Ali Khan met the requirements of his visa.

Meanwhile, UK High Commission on Saturday said it will speak to Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

Read: After SRK detained at US airport, now Amjad Ali Khans UK visa rejected

"We don't comment on the detail of individual cases, but can confirm we will offer to speak to Khan about how he should apply for the correct type of visa to do what he wishes to do in the UK," a British High Commission spokesperson said on refusal of visa to the internationally renowned musician.

The 70-year-old artiste, who was to perform at the Royal Festival Hall next month, had said that he was "shocked and appalled" at the rejection of his visa application.

Tagging Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in his tweet, Khan had written, "My UK visa rejected. Extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love & peace @HCI_London @MEAIndia @UKinIndia @SushmaSwaraj."

"Shocked & appalled. #UK visa rejected. scheduled to perform at the #RoyalFestivalHall in Sep @HCI_London @MEAIndia @SushmaSwaraj @UKinIndia," he further wrote.

"Performing almost every year in #UK since the early 70s. Upset to have my visa rejected @HCI_London @MEAIndia @UKinIndia @SushmaSwaraj," he added.

Expressing disappointment over the denial of the travel document, Amjad's son Amaan Ali said, "This has never happened before. He is someone who has worked all his life for the country and peace. The government should take interest why they (UK) are doing this."
New Delhi: Virtually turning down Pakistan's proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K, India on Saturday made it clear that it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues in Indo-Pak relations and at this time it included stoppage of Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.

"India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali. Incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He was replying to a question on a statement by Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at a press briefing on Friday that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on Jammu & Kashmir for which the Pakistan Foreign Secretary would be writing to his Indian counterpart.

"Our Foreign Secretary would formally be writing to his counterpart in this regard," Aziz had said as he briefed the media about the Pakistan's Envoys Conference held on August 1-3 to deliberate on major foreign policy challenges of Pakistan and make recommendations.

At a separate event, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, "Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard", in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

"Threat of terrorism dominates global concerns today. It is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross border manifestation. Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard. At the international level we are also putting the spotlight on early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism," she said.
Bengaluru: An anti-corruption forum  We the People of Bengaluru (WPB)  has shot off letters to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the state governments arbitrary and ad hoc demolition of hundreds of residential and commercial buildings sitting on storm water drains in Bengaluru last week.

There should be no surprise over which property would come under the axe and which would be spared when both are built on a drain. The lack of transparency has created monstrous suffering for the people, said Dr Dominic F. Dixon, member of the UN, Core Diplomatic Programme in Geneva, UN Headquarters.

Almost all those who will lose their houses are also losing their life savings. It is necessary for the government to create a record of destruction, which is not being followed here. Errant people cannot be satisfactorily hauled up in a court at a later stage if there are discrepancies, said Mr K.V. Dhananjay, a senior Supreme Court lawyer.

Dont abandon, rehab them: Activists

Human Rights activists have come down heavily on the recent arbitrary and ad-hoc demolition drives taken up the government without giving any thought about rehabilitation for the displaced citizens.

The state government has violated human rights blatantly. How can a government displace its own people? There is no difference between Syria, Libya or Bengaluru. In 2016, when countries are taking in refugees, Bengaluru is causing a refugee crisis by displaying that we live in a third world city due to third world politicians, said Dr Dominic Dixon, consulting director for Academics, International Law and Justice UNITAR.

In developed and developing countries, the government will ensure that their citizens do not become victims of circumstances. In the Bengaluru context, the citizens have become the victims of circumstances. The plight of people who have been victims of a natural disaster have made the government wake up from its deep slumber and with its hasty decisions it is continuing to make another set of people victims of a governmental disaster, said Mr Dixon, who is taking up the case with the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Here is a government that is putting salt into the injuries of already hurt by providing no rehabilitation measures for the displaced, leaving them to fend for themselves. Firstly, the citizens feel they have been swindled by governmental officials and builders which had led to this fate, Dixon said.

Ideally the state should have come up with a bill in the sessions similar to that of the 2013 Land Acquisition Bill, where the government will house the people who are going to be displaced because of its action, as even government officials and builders were a part of the scam to a major extent, he added.

Will star hotels, big malls be demolished?

Members of an anti-corruption forum We the People of Bengaluru (WPB) have urged the government to carry out demolitions without any discrimination.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, the members told reporters, There are at least two five star hotels and a shopping mall that has numerous foreign retail outlets, which are built over storm water drains. The public expects the government to pull down these structures as well. However, if the government winds up its demolition drive simply because it is unwilling to raze down the five star hotels and the mall, it is clear discrimination and will worsen the suffering of all the people whose structures were already razed down hastily and mercilessly.

The people who resisted the demolition of their houses will cast doubts on the motive of the government to take this demolition drive to its logical conclusion - razing down every structure that blocks the storm water drain. They will feel abandoned is the government refuses to touch places belonging to highly influential and the wealthy, said K.V. Dhananjay, Supreme Court senior lawyer.

If the Government won't even touch the five star hotels, we demand that it reconstruct all the houses that it has demolished so far. This demolition drive would be anti-people if it only targets the poor and middle classes, while leaving the wealthy to bend the law at their will, Dhananjay added.
The attackers followed Congerss leader D. Yadgiri there with another gun but could not open as he had entered the doctors cabin. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: A Congress leader who was shot at thrice and chased by two persons managed to thwart them and survived. Police said the shooting was the outcome of a land dispute.

Two persons on a motorcycle fired at Congress leader D. Yadgiri, 48, near his house at Mallikar-junanagar, Bowenpally before noon on Saturday. The duo fired thrice, but missed Mr Yadgiri who suffered minor injuries. He fought the assailants and snatched their firearm and ran into a hospital next to his home.

Lucky politician survived 3 bullets

The attackers followed Congerss leader D. Yadgiri there with another gun but could not open as he had entered the doctors cabin. The duo abandoned their weapon and fled,

Police found that one of the suspects, identified only as Babu, a realtor from Alwal, had tried to kill Mr Yadgiri over a dispute over a four-acre parcel of land in Alwal. The attackers fired three bullets but did not strike Mr Yadgiri. Two brushed past his body, one bullet missed the target. Mr Yadgiri suffered bleeding injury and he got immediate treatment, said North Zone DCP B. Sumathi. Police said the incident took place between 11 am and 11.30 am. Yadgiri was coming out of his house.

After the bullets were fired, the victim ran into a nearby hospital. Later he came to the police station and registered a complaint, said Hyderabad police commissioner M. Mahender Reddy. He said the assailants had tried to chase Mr Yadgiri but later fled. Police officials have recovered CCTV footage of the incident and three empty cartridges from the spot. Cops have booked cases for attempt to murder and under the Arms Act.
According to medical experts, the treatment should have been given in Adilabad hospital itself. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Resident Medical Officers refused to comment on why a severe burns patient was not admitted to Gandhi Hospital  where doctors are constantly on the rounds. It is almost unbelievable that nobody saw a burns patient lying outside the out-patient department.

A senior doctor said, The problem is that there are not enough beds. Also, there is no one to guide patients who are constantly being pushed from one department to another. Even if it is not an emergency, a burns patient has to be given a hearing and has to be guided towards the next level of treatment.

Nitish is now at Aakar Asha Hospital, where he was admitted by the NGO, Helping Hand Foundation, for treatment. Senior plastic and reconstructive surgeon and director of the hospital Dr Bharatendu Swain said, Delay in the treatment has led to contraction of the skin, and that has to be removed first.

According to medical experts, the treatment should have been given in Adilabad hospital itself. It is important that facilities at government hospitals are strengthened for this kind of treatment.

A doctor explained, There are senior plastic surgeons who are willing to offer services to district government hospitals. An offer had been made to the Health department a year ago, but no action has been taken. There are many such cases where patients come to Gandhi Hospital and have to wait for months to get admission as these cases are not taken up on emergency basis.
New Delhi: India on Saturday raised with China its blocking of the UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as well as Beijings opposition to Indias NSG membership bid. The two sides agreed to have a meeting between their top disarmament officials over the NSG issue.

China has agreed to send its negotiator to New Delhi to take forward the talks on India's entry to the elite 48-nation group.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during their talks, decided to put in place a new mechanism at the level of foreign secretaries to discuss various aspects of bilateral ties which have witnessed serious strain in the recent past. Ms Swaraj also conveyed to Mr Wang, Ind-ias concerns on the Ch-ina-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during the three-hour talks. They reviewed the situation on the border and discussed further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility.

India, China discuss NSG, border security

Earlier in the day, Wang Yi also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a number of issues were discussed during the 20-minute-long meeting.

Lengthy discussion were held on Indias NSG membership. Swaraj outlined importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21. India offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that the DGs of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon, official sources said.

China had scuttled Indias bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), evoking a strong reaction from India.

India had said China was the only country that put a road block to its NSG membership. Swaraj also raised the issue of China blocking Indias efforts to get JeM chief Azhar, mastermind of the Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks, banned by the UN.

Chinas technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UNSC 1267 Committee was also taken up. China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism, the sources said. They said the situation on the border was also reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity were discussed.
New Delhi: With Pakistan offering a dialogue with India on the Kashmir issue, India  in a stinging rebuke that virtually turned down Islamabads proposal  said that while it would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations this includes a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism.

By this statement that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) put out on Saturday evening, New Delhi has amply made it clear to Islamabad that the issue of terror remains the top priority for India.

Later in the evening in what is being seen as yet another strong message to Pakistan that dialogue has to be linked to action on terrorism, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said India cannot agree that dialogue with sponsors and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard and that addressing the terrorism challenge is central to engagement.

In response to a statement by Sartaj Aziz, advisor on foreign affairs, government of Pakistan that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on J&K, the MEA official spokesperson in New Delhi said, India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations.

At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan.

In a remark at a book launch, Ms. Swaraj said, Among the issues that dominate global concerns today is the threat of terrorism. As you all know, it is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross-border manifestation. Unlike in the past, we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsors and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard.
A supporter of Mr Tiwari, Vinod Rai, was allegedly shot by the cops though the police have denied the allegation. (Representational image)

Lucknow: A BJP supporter was killed and several others injured in a clash with the police over trafficking of cows in Ballia district. The police seized a mini truck on Friday night in Ballia. The truck was carrying seven cows and the paperwork to establish ownership of the cows was not in order. The police claim that the truck driver escaped when the police apprehended the vehicle. The animals were then taken to the police station.

Soon after, BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari reached the police station with his supporters and demanded the release of the cows. He claimed that a villager named Vinod Yadav had brought the animals from a local fair and they were being transported with all legitimate paperwork.

The police officer also said he would teach me a lesson and refused to release the truck and the seized cows, the BJP MLA told reporters. Following the refusal, the two parties clashed. A supporter of Mr Tiwari, Vinod Rai, was allegedly shot by the cops though the police have denied the allegation.
New Delhi: A day after Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was shockingly denied a visa by Britain, the UK High Commission on Saturday said it would speak to the renowned musician about how he should apply for the correct type of visa to do what he wishes to do in the UK, thereby implying that the maestro had applied for the wrong type of visa.

The Sarod maestro had on Friday tweeted that he was scheduled to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in September and his visa was rejected.

In a statement, the British High Commission Spokesperson said, We do not comment on the detail of individual cases, but can confirm we will offer to speak to Mr Khan about how he should apply for the correct type of visa to do what he wishes to do in the UK. The UK Home Office, in London, without giving specific details, said visas are declined due to incomplete information. All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits and applicants must provide evidence to show they meet the requirements of the immigration rules, a Home Office statement said.

Meanwhile, Indian-origin British lawmaker Keith Vaz has sought an explanation from the UK Home Office over reports of refusal of visa to Sarod maestro, saying the decision would severely damage Indo-UK relations.

I am astonished at this news. Amjad Ali Khan is one of Indias greatest living artists and I cannot believe that his visa has been refused. I have written to the Home Office and asked for an explanation and for a reversal of the decision, said Vaz, the longest serving Indian-origin MP and Chairman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee.

Relations between the UK and India can be severely damaged by this kind of action. I hope that this sorry state of affairs can be brought to a swift conclusion and I look forward to seeing Khan in the UK, Vaz said in his statement.

In a series of tweets earlier, the maestro had said on Friday, Shocked & appalled. #UK visa rejected. scheduled to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in September. My UK visa rejected. Extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love & peace.
KOLLAM: The factories under the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation will reopen on Wednesday next putting an end to the year-long protests of the workers. The government approved the lowest bid to purchase 900 tonnes of raw cashew from the bids it received in the tender floated by the corporation recently.

The tenders were submitted to the government which has sanctioned a deal to purchase 900 tonnes of raw cashew from a Tuticorin-based company, Vinayaka Cashews. The consignment will reach Kollam soon, which will be distributed among the 30 factories under the corporation. The cashew selected is from Guinea Bissau. We expect to open the factories by August 17, Mr T.F. Xavier, the new MD of the Cashew Corp-oration, told this newspaper.

The corporation had received fresh tenders for importing cashew from Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast. Instead of the routine process of finalising tenders by the bodies itself, they were submitted to the government. According to market experts, there is an overall shortage of cashew this year and the government had failed to intervene in the market on time to get cashew at appropriate rates.

"The government should avoid mediators in purchasing raw cashew for the factories under the corporation and Capex in view of the upcoming Tanzanian season by September. Meanwhile, the government should also take steps to pay off the gratuity of the employees which has been pending for the last five years. The case of private factories should also be considered by the government, Mr Kadakampally Manoj, the whistle-blower who fought against the corruption in the cashew corporation, told this newspaper.

The recent tender by the corporation elicited good response after it was given concessions in tender criteria along with other perks for cashew traders. The major decision was to bring down the minimum quantity of cashew to be supplied to 500 tonnes from the earlier limit of 2,000 tonnes. The Guinea Bissau cashew that was approved by the government was quoted for Rs 142 per kg.
After weeks of dealing with the "Dog Days of Summer," southeast Missouri residents may be glad to hear that the region is moving into a wetter and much cooler weather pattern for the coming week.

The only problem is that St. Francois and surrounding counties have been placed under a Flash Flood Watch by the National Weather Service that will continue through Monday morning. If the current forecast holds true, however, it's likely the flood watch could end up being extended.

According to NWS, rounds of heavy rainfall are possible through Sunday night with total rainfall amounts throughout the watch area climbing as high as 4 to 6 inches. The heavy rainfall will result in flooding of low lying or poor drainage areas and ultimately result in dangerous flash flooding on smaller creeks and streams. Significant rises on larger streams and rivers will also be possible.

A look ahead at the week ahead

Saturday will see a high of 81 degrees with an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms. Sunday's high is forecast to drop into the 70's with a high of 77 degrees and a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Entering the work week, Monday is expected to see a high of 75 degrees with a 100 percent chance of thunderstorms and over an inch and a half of precipitation in the forecast. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to remain in the mid- to upper-70's with a 50-60 percent chance for thunderstorms both days.

Thursday and Friday, temperatures will be reaching into the low 80s, with a 50-60 percent chance of thunderstorms continuing.

Because of the threat of flooding, NWS reminds motorists that most flooding deaths occur in automobiles during the evening hours because darkness often obscures the danger of flood waters. Motorists should use caution when approaching areas prone to flooding during times of heavy rain.

Those coming upon a road or bridge inundated by flood waters should not take any chances. Turn around and find another route. No trip is worth a life.

For the most up-to-date information on NWS watches and warnings, check the latest on the Daily Journal website at www.dailyjournalonline.com
Chennai: A woman, who sold her newborn baby boy a month ago to make ends meet, got her baby back on Friday after her estranged husband reunited with her.

The woman preferred a complaint with Thiruvottiyur police stating that she had given away her baby boy for Rs 85,000. Cops traced the woman who purchased the baby and reunited the baby with its biological mother.

Nithya, resident of Somasundaram Street, Thiruvottiyur, gave birth to a boy in a private hospital in Sathiyamoorthy Nagar in Thiruvottiyur. While she was in the clinic as an expecting mother she met Latha who was there for fertility treatment. Nithya narrated to Latha her tale of woes on as to how her husband had ditched her. Nithya also managed to convince Latha that she would give the boy baby to her if she was willing to give her Rs 1 lakh in exchange.

The deal worked out and the baby changed hands soon after its birth. Nithya already had a 5-year-old kid from her marriage with Jayaram, which took place about 6 years ago. Trouble started when Jayaram, who had ditched her eight months ago, returned home last week. Jayaram learnt that the baby had been sold and he insisted on getting their boy back.

The couple approached Latha who refused to part with the child. Subsequently, the couple approached the Thiruvottiyur police who summoned Latha for interrogation. During the interrogation, Latha refused to part with the baby since she grew attached to it. The cops convinced the woman and got the baby back and reunited it with its biological mother.

Sources said no case had been registered yet. Cops indicated that they would book a case for selling the baby and would allow law to take it course in this case.
Chennai: Retired Major General G.D. Bakshis speech on Rise of the Indian Army and National Security at the IIT-Madras on Thursday in which he tore into Pakistan and its army has stoked a controversy with a section of students terming it as hate mongering and provocative.

The retired army veteran, who is known for his fiery and aggressive stand against Pakistan for its anti-India activities, spoke in detail about how the neighbouring country and its army has been back stabbing the Indian establishment every now and then on false promises of containing terror emanating from its soil. He also reportedly spoke about tit-for-tat to teach a lesson to the Pakistan establishment.

A day after Independence Day lecture organised by Extra Mural Lectures (EML) was delivered, an M.Tech student of the prestigious institute wrote to the director registering strong protest against Bakshis speech alleging that it was infusing hatred and enmity towards people of neighbouring countries.

The level of hatred in his speech was going out of proportions when he said, and I quote, In our generation, we split Pakistan into two. Your generation should split it into four. Only then we can live in peace. The underlying implication behind his constant call to give tit-for-tat was for calling out students to take up violent aggressiveness as their strategy, the student Abhinav Surya said.

As Major General Bakshi stood by his speech saying there was nothing wrong in what he said about Pakistan and its continuous anti-India activities, IIT-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi tried to wash his hands off the controversy saying the administration was not involved in organising the lecture and left it to the EML core to deal with the issue.

The students group had organised this lecture and they decide who they want to invite. If we try to interfere then they would say we are censoring and controlling. They inform me only when they invite constitutional functionaries because I have to receive them. Otherwise, IIT Madras administration is not involved in these lectures, Mr Ramamurthi told DC He also said he has requestioned the EML to look into the complaint to see if any legal boundaries were crossed with regard to incitement to violence.

No public speaker, E ML or otherwise, can cross these. Its up to the E ML core to decide what is the width of the spectrum of views the students want to hear, contest, debate, he said in his email reply to the students.

The student claimed that Maj Gen Bakshi mocked and insulted the freedom movement and credited only the Indian National Army with securing independence.

A student member of the EML said, It is just an allegation made by one student and there are other views about the lecture as well. We will soon upload the video or the transcription of the lecture. We just organise lectures, contact the speaker and take care of the logistics. Theres nothing beyond it, he said.
As the news of this sacrifice spread, the authorities swung into action, and a team of doctors and policemen were sent to the temple. (Photo: Facebook)

Bhopal: A 19-year-old girl from Madhya Pradesh sliced off her tongue and offered it to Goddess Kali, with an apparent desire to appease the deity into granting her wishes.

According to reports, Aarti Dubey, a student of TRS College in Madhya Pradesh, made the extreme sacrifice a day after she dreamed about the deity demanding her tongue in exchange for granting all her wishes.

The incident happened at a Kali temple in the town of Reeva in Madhya Pradesh.

Aarti fell unconscious immediately after slicing off her tongue. The people present at the temple covered her with a scarf and kept praying for her well-being instead of taking her to the doctor, said reports.

Incredibly, when Aarti remained unconscious for five hours, the people hailed it as a blessing of the goddess.

But then she regained consciousness and finished the rest of the rituals, including doing the rounds of the temple premises, with a faint smile on her face.

As the news of this sacrifice spread, the authorities swung into action, and a team of doctors and policemen were sent to the temple.

The doctors sent Aarti home after giving her first aid.

The girls brother expressed shock at his sisters actions. Aarti had confided in me about the dream and told me that she was going to offer her tongue to the deity. But it never occurred to me that she was serious about it. I thought she was just joking, Sachin was quoted as saying.

Stating that only illiterate and superstitious people performed such acts, Sachin said he never imagined his college-going sister cutting off her tongue.

But the temple priest praised Aarti. Admitting that he was at the spot when the girl cut off her tongue, Devi Prasad Sharma said the goddess would protect Aarti as she was a staunch devotee.

It is not clear whether any arrests have been made in the case so far.
It is not clear what conclusion has emerged from a lengthy all-party meeting on Friday to discuss the current situation in Kashmir and, earlier in the week, discussions in Parliament on the crisis-like context which has come to define the social, political and security situation in the Valley for over a month. The resolution in Parliament noted that all of J&K, including the areas occupied by Pakistan, belonged to India and reiterated that there would be no compromise with the countrys integrity and security. This is old hat and can be found in every parliamentary resolution on Kashmir.

While reiteration of the anodyne is inevitable from the parliamentary forum, there is not a shred in the resolution to indicate that a new  and dangerous  situation has developed and to explore possible ways to surmount it, even if a roadmap is not explicated. The saving grace is that the resolution calls for steps to restore peace. The mechanics of this could have been dwelt upon at the all-party meet. Three important suggestions were made. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of finding ways to defuse the situation and thinking about a roadmap.

Muzaffar Beigh, the representative of the PDP, BJPs partner in Kashmirs ruling coalition, spoke of the need to change the narrative among the youth and former J&K CM and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke about engaging the mainstream parties, the non-mainstream parties, and other stakeholders. The government, however, gave no indication of working on any of these lines. Nor did it have anything of practical value to offer  either in the parliamentary discussion or in the all-party meeting. Because Pakistan has been trying to internationalise Kashmir, Mr Modi spoke of internal matters of Pakistan as a tit-for-tat gesture  the terrible state of affairs and human rights violations in Balochistan and Sindh, and government violence in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Mr Modi, thus, ended up focusing on Pakistan, and had little to say about the intense popular discontent in the Valley.

By a coincidence, the deterioration in the Kashmir situation began about a month before Independence Day on account of internal developments, and has since been sought to be exploited to the hilt by Pakistan. It is imperative that the Indian government extends the olive branch to its own people in the Valley confident in the belief that the Kashmir Valley has just no interest in being absorbed by Pakistan, although there does exist a sliver of staunchly pro-Pakistan opinion that must be combated using all means. Empathy and pragmatism are both called for.
A country like no other, North Korea was always in my bucket list and only last month could I tick it off. Only a handful of tourists travel to North Korea, an experience which cant be described by just pictures and a few updates. On arrival at the Pyongyang Airport, I was surprised to find it gleaming. The North Korea Government has strictly banned any kind of religious literature, so make sure that you dont carry any such material. As soon as I met my group guide Zo, I was requested to surrender my passport and was assigned the government guide to monitor me 24x7. We left the airport in our shuttle bus and headed straight to my hotel.

The next day, we started early for Panmunjon. During the three-hour drive from Pyongyang to Panmunjon, we didnt see many cars  just a few bikes and military jeeps. All the security checkpoints had grim looking soldiers. Monument-like towers were being built on either side of the road. However, the other cities I visited  Wonsan, Hamhung and the mountain city Kumkang  are far inferior in infrastructure to Pyongyang. Due to shortage of power and even water, people stored water for daily needs in bath-tubs. But the hotels were decent and showcased the governments mission of portraying the DPRK (Democratic Peoples Party of Korea) as a stylish country.

The Workers Party Monument

The entire itinerary of our travel schedule was so controlled to just show the few highlights of North Korea, which has a long trail of human rights abuses. People here live in a near-total information bubble. North Koreans are taught to believe that they are lucky to live here with salaries at just US $50-100 per month. They are imposed with the fact that they dont need any money as the government provides them with all the basic necessities. It felt like travelling back in time, when North Korea began to isolate itself from the outside influence.

Arch of Reunification

Only a handful of tourists visit North Korea, hence the itinerary was designed in such a way that only what looks hi-tech or prosperous is shown to tourists. Many of the sights I visited looked as if a drama was being staged by the tour guides; the countrys attempt to portray perfection looked so contrived. The whole feeling was so unrealistic. For me, the most memorable moment was when there was a chink in the facade and the fake drama slipped off for a moment and this is what I would love to share, about some good things, some bad, some stupid, some dumb, some outlandish and some of pure innocent simplicity. North Korea was easily one of the most interesting trips I have ever made. I can recommend it to anyone who wishes a great learning of history and war.

The war museum

I was surprised to find that people in the DPRK constantly talk about war with South Korea and then talk about unification, and I myself got to see the huge monument of both Korean statues of women joining hands for a United Korea. The newly renovated war museum is a piece of art and technology. The highlight was the US navy ship Pueblo captured by submarines in 1968 on charges of espionage from North Korean waters. The North Korea Government describes all the battles won by them whereas the fact is that they hardly played any role in any war.



The Juche idea

North Korea nurtures an intense desire to be respected admired and feared by outsiders. Their national mentality is called the Juche idea which embraces national isolation. The Juche idea is memorialised by a large sculptural tower in the centre of Pyongyang topped with a flame symbolising the eternal nature of the ideology. You could see a huge colourful set of plastered buildings, a communist city hiding in capitalist times.



The writer is a travel enthusiast

TRAVEL FACTS

You can travel to North Korea only through an approved travel agent

The best time for the trip is from April to June and September to October

How to go: North Korea is completely safe and totally legal to visit. You can visit from Beijing or Shanghai.

Currency: Chinese Yuan or USD or Euro

Cuisine: Enjoy varieties of khimchi everyday, fermented cabbage and other vegetables with sticky rice. Dog meat is a delicacy in this country as Koreans do not consider dogs as pets.
Google has announced a new Gmail security update to warn users about messages with malicious links. (Representational image)

Google has announced a new security update for its popular mail service Gmail, which warns users if they receive any message with malicious links.

According to Googles App Security blog, users would be warned if they receive a message that can not be valid with Sender Policy Framework (SPF). As noticied earlier with unauthenticated messages, users will see a red question mark next to the senders profile photo to indicate potential risk.

Regarding the Gmail update, the blog said: On the web, if you receive a message with a link to a dangerous site known for phishing, malware, and Unwanted Software, youll begin to see warnings when you click on the link.

As mentioned earlier, Googles mailing service has been tightly backed up with high end security and this new extension will further strengthen protection against malware.

Though all photos with a eerie question mark beside the senders profile picture might not be malicious, the blog has suggested users to be extra vigilant while replying or open such mails.

Earlier this year, Google started using encrypting incoming and outgoing mails along with option for two-factor verification system for enhanced protection.

Google is one of the most popular mailing portals which has more than one billion monthly active users and it has strict policies in place to prevent users from malicious attacks.

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The law will allow "authorised officers" to require anyone to unlock any computer, mobile phone or other device during an investigation.

Pakistan has adopted a much-criticised cyber security law that grants sweeping powers to regulators to block private information they deem illegal.

The National Assembly approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2015 late on Thursday after the Senate had unanimously adopted it last month.

Government officials say internet restrictions under the new law are needed to ensure security against growing threats, such as terrorism.

But the law has alarmed human rights and pro-democracy activists worried that its vague language could lead to curtailment of free speech and unfair prosecutions.

"The overly broad language used in the bill ensures that innocent and ignorant Pakistani citizens, unaware of the ramifications of what the bill entails, can be ensnared and find themselves subject to very harsh penalties," said Nighat Daad, founder of a group called the Digital Rights Foundation.

"There have been no provisions set in place to protect sensitive data of Pakistani users  The state cannot police people's lives in this manner."

The law provides for up to seven years in prison for "recruiting, funding and planning of terrorism" online.

It also allows "authorised officers" to require anyone to unlock any computer, mobile phone or other device during an investigation.

Activists say the bill's vague language without well-defined descriptions for libel or defamation typical in other countries' could be used to prosecute any satirical website, including political ones.

The law also carries a penalty of three years for "spoofing".

"Whoever with dishonest intention establishes a website or sends any information with a counterfeit source intended to be believed by the recipient or visitor of the website, to be an authentic source commits spoofing," the law says.

Daad said the bill allowed the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority "unlimited powers" to decide what was illegal.

Governments around the world have been grappling with how to block online incitement to criminal activity, while major internet services have stepped up campaigns to identify and remove Web postings that incite violence.

Facebook, Google and Twitter are working more aggressively to combat online propaganda and recruiting by Islamist militants while trying to avoid the perception they are helping state authorities police the Web.

More than 30 million of Pakistan's 190 million people use the internet, mainly on mobile telephones, according to digital rights organisation Bytes for All.

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This photo provided by Rhonda Lynam shows a crew member in a neck brace being removed from a JetBlue aircraft after it landed at the airport in Rapid City. (Photo: AP)

San Francisco: At least 22 passengers and two crew members were injured on Friday when a JetBlue flight experienced turbulence with many hitting their head on the ceiling, the United States media reports said.

Twenty-four people were taken to a hospital for evaluation after Flight 429, from Boston to Sacramento, California, experienced rough turbulence, airline spokeswoman Katherine McMillan said.

"It was like a dream, people were flying out of their seat-belts and hitting their head on the ceiling, it was very scary," sources quoted a passenger Rhonda Renee as saying.

A flight attendant was assisted off the plane by medical personnel. The flight was en route from Boston to Sacramento, and had to be diverted to Rapid City, South Dakota.

It's believed that weather played a role in creating the bumpy flying conditions.

All were treated for minor injuries and had been released by early today, Rapid City Regional Hospital told NBC News.

JetBlue has sent a replacement aircraft to Rapid City to take the remaining passengers to Sacramento, the airline said in a statement.
Havana: Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro revived old enmities with the United States as he celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday, skewering Havana's Cold War foe for its repeated attempts on his life.

Castro, who retired from public life in 2006 due to ill health and appointed his brother Raul in his place, criticised US President Barack Obama for failing to explicitly apologise during his historic visit to Japan in May for Washington's decision to drop the atomic bomb.

"The US president's speech in Japan lacked the words to apologise for the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima, even though they (the United States) knew the effects of the bomb," the ex-leader said in an article published by official media.

(In his speech, Obama did decry the resort to war and called for a world without nuclear weapons.) Castro condemned as "equally criminal" the bombing of Nagasaki three days later on August 9, 1945.

"That's why you have to stress the need to preserve peace and that no power has the right to kill millions of people," Castro said.

Castro recalled his own youth and confrontation with the United States while he headed the communist island.

"I almost laughed at the Machiavellian plans of US presidents," Castro said in the article published late Friday.

According to Cuban intelligence services, Castro faced 634 plots between 1958 and 2000. Several of those have been substantiated by US officials; some reportedly involved slipping poisoned or explosive cigars to the cigar-loving Cuban leader.

Castro's brother Raul restored diplomatic relations with Washington last year.

Castro warned in his article about the risks of global overpopulation, calling it "the greatest threat in the history of mankind."

He singled out China and Russia as "great powers that cannot be subjected to threats of deploying nuclear weapons."

Castro was last seen in public on April 19 at the close of the Cuban Communist Party Congress.

Dressed in a blue tracksuit and speaking in a trembling voice, he seemed to say goodbye.

"Soon I'll be like all the rest," he said. "Everyone's turn comes."

After Barack Obama visited Cuba in March, Fidel Castro recalled the island's long enmity with the US, including Washington's backing for the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in 1961.

His bitterness over that botched CIA plot played a part in pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis the following year.
Johnny Small, right, walks back in to the courtroom on a hearing at the New Hanover County Courthouse in Wilmington. (Photo: AP)

Wilmington: A man convicted of murder as a teenager and imprisoned 28 years ago is luxuriating by sleeping on his cousin's living room sofa after a North Carolina judge ruled he did not get a fair trial.

Johnny Small, 43, said he looked forward to a hot bath and getting used to an amped-up world full of cellphones he never knew now that he's left prison after nearly three decades Thursday evening.

After prison cots, he said he preferred the sofa in a big, open room to a private bedroom.

"There's a lot I've got to adapt to," Small said after arriving at his cousin's manufactured home just before nightfall. "I don't know how to function. I mean, when I came into it (prison) I was still a kid and in a way I still got a kid's state of mind."

Hours earlier, Superior Court Judge W Douglas Parsons ruled there was not enough evidence to justify Small's conviction for the 1988 murder of Pam Dreher in Wilmington. She was shot in the head at point blank range while lying on the floor of her tropical fish store.

Parsons determined it was physically impossible for a supposed eye witness to be at the murder site at the time as she reported seeing Small leaving the shop. Police also withheld key evidence, Parsons said.

The judge said he didn't see proof of Small's innocence, but was persuaded to free him until prosecutors decide if there was enough evidence to put him on trial again.

"What I'm here to decide is, did he receive a fair trial?" Parsons said. "It is more than abundantly clear that he did not."

Small will be under electronic house arrest while charges are pending.

District Attorney Benjamin David said in a statement that his staff will meet with Wilmington police and the state attorney general's office "to determine whether any additional investigation should be conducted or additional charges should be filed."

The statement offered no timeline on a decision and a spokeswoman did not respond to an emailed question.

Small, wearing a tan jail uniform, was led from the courtroom before the judge finished speaking. His attorney, Chris Mumma, said he was hyperventilating as he realized he was about to be freed.

About 150 people falsely convicted of crimes were exonerated in 2015, a record number, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. The registry is a project of the University of Michigan Law School and has documented more than 1,850 such cases in the US.

Parsons' decision came after Small's teenage buddy said he was pressured by police to testify at the murder trial that both he and Small were at the scene. David Bollinger says a Wilmington homicide investigator made up the story and his grandfather pressured him to lie on the witness stand. Bollinger said he could no longer keep quiet and was ready to face the chance of being prosecuted for perjury on the witness stand nearly three decades ago.

State attorneys argued that Small deserved neither a new trial or to be freed from prison.

Bollinger, 47, said he testified falsely at Small's trial because prosecutors promised charges he faced would be dropped in exchange and threatened the death penalty if he didn't cooperate.

Bollinger said he was driving to an automobile auction in South Carolina with his boss about the time Dreher was killed and didn't drive Small to the scene, as he testified at the 1989 murder trial.

He said he lied then because he was afraid that since he was an adult he could get the death penalty, and a Wilmington police detective told him Small could get out of prison after turning 18.

Bollinger said he confided to his grandfather, a former police officer and FBI agent, about the lie police told him to tell and was told he should stick to the story.

Small's attorneys said without Bollinger's testimony, prosecutors never could have convicted Small of a crime that would have required planning by a more mature mind than the drug-taking, car stealing, juvenile delinquent Small admitted to being at age 15. No gun, fingerprints or blood-spattered clothing tied Small to the crime.

Also, Nina Raiford said she was walking past Dreher's shop when she saw Small exiting, then saw a news report about the slaying the same night. She didn't report what she saw until after Crime Stoppers offered a reward and she spoke to a school counsellor two months later, Small's attorneys said.

Punch-clock records from the fast-food restaurant where Raiford worked show she didn't quit work the night of the slaying until after she described spotting Small.
The man from Staten Island in New York was accused of assaulting a co-passenger while on board an Emirates flight on October 2015. (Photo: Pixabay)

New York: A 43-year-old man from the United States was sentenced to two years in prison on Saturday for sexually assaulting a woman while she slept on a flight from Dubai to New York.

Nadeem Mehmood Quraishi, from Staten Island in New York, was handed the statutory maximum punishment for carrying out the assault while on board an Emirates flight on October 26, 2015.

Quraishi was convicted by a jury in April following a US federal trial in Brooklyn.

His victim fell asleep after taking prescription medication on the more than 12-hour flight from Dubai to John F Kennedy International Airport.

In the original complaint, the woman said that after she woke up, Quraishi  who was sitting next to her in economy class  asked if she had a good nap. She then discovered lotion had been spread on her arms, chest and up her legs.

When going to the bathroom, she noticed that her underwear had been shifted and lotion smeared underneath.

Confronted by flight attendants, Quraishi admitted it, prosecutors said.

US attorney Robert Capers called it "an outrageous affront to what should have been a safe and peaceful passage on an international flight."

Diego Rodriguez, head of the FBI's office in New York, said the defendant took "full advantage" of his victim while she was at her most vulnerable.

"It's unfair to ask passengers to keep their wits about them for more than half a day in the air, which is why we take crimes aboard aircraft so seriously," he said.
Washington: Donald Trump hasn't quite asked the dead to vote for him, but he's nearly there.

"I joke a lot as I say if you're sick, if you just got the worse prognosis that a doctor can give you, if you're lying in bed and you just know you're not going to make it -- you have to get up on November 8th and you have to vote," he said Thursday.

At least nine times in the speech to evangelical leaders in key swing state Florida, the brash 70-year-old billionaire -- sometimes speaking in an uncharacteristically low voice -- called on them to ensure their parishioners cast their ballots for him.

The Republican presidential candidate is a bit worried about his chances in November against Hillary Clinton, and he's not exactly hiding it.

And his team is struggling to transform his winning primary campaign model into an unbeatable national election machine.

During the Republican primaries, the Manhattan real estate mogul and former reality television star ignored the experts and the pundits who told him to be more "presidential," to stop insulting his rival and to prepare his speeches.

To everyone's surprise, Trump's iconoclastic strategy worked. He was the last man standing, and won the Republican Party's nomination.

But since officially becoming the party's standard-bearer, at the urging of his aides, he has given more policy-driven speeches using a teleprompter.

But part of him visibly chafes at the constraints, and he's quick to go off-script -- and off-message, as evidenced by some of his near-daily missteps in recent weeks: over Russia, the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in action, on guns and Hillary Clinton, and on the Islamic State group and President Barack Obama.

"They would like to see it be a little bit different, a little more modified. I don't like to modify. But that's what I've done. We'll see where it takes me," he told Time magazine on Tuesday.

Floating from one plan to the next, Trump remains incapable of outlining his campaign strategy. When he is asked to do so, he says he relies on his instincts. He stages rallies in seemingly random locations, sometimes in states that are unwinnable.

"The crowds we're getting are tremendous. So I don't know what that indicates. But it's got to indicate something good. We'll find out on November 8," he said Tuesday.

Time running out

Trump has a handful of stock campaign pledges: to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, curb immigration, destroy the Islamic State group and bring industrial jobs back to America. But winning a presidential election historically requires more than just catchy slogans.

Clinton's campaign team has designed a strategy that centers on consolidating support among black and Hispanic voters for the former secretary of state and first lady, and on winning over white working-class voters in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio, which could be the key to victory.

The strategy hinges on a strong grassroots game, with local paid and volunteer campaign workers on the ground. It also requires a massive communications budget.

According to ABC News, the Democrat's campaign and her main super PAC (political action committee) have spent nearly $93 million on television ads against just $11 million spent by outside groups backing Trump.

The Republican's official campaign committee has so far spent nothing on television ads -- practically unheard of in modern campaigns.

Trump is acting as if he is still in the more welcoming world of the Republican primaries, in which 31 million people voted. In 2012, nearly 130 million people voted in the November presidential election.

So far, Trump's expected appeal to middle-class, middle-of-the-road voters has not materialized, according to opinion polls.

"Preferences are substantially baked by this point in time. There's not much cooking time left," said Christopher Wlezien, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin.

Trump's unpredictability, seen as an advantage in terms of a possible campaign rebound in September, "can be a good thing and a bad thing, right? But it's not clear it's been a good thing in the last two weeks," Wlezien told AFP.

Clinton in command

Not only has Trump dropped off in the national polls (48 percent for Clinton against 40 percent for Trump, according to HuffPost Pollster), but he is also in danger in the so-called swing states that has often been key to Republican wins.

A new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News show him trailing Clinton in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.

The US presidential election is an indirect one -- voters in each state technically pick a slate of party electors -- not one of the candidates -- when they cast their ballots. The winner needs a majority of the 538 votes in the Electoral College, or 270.

Experts for the specialized political newsletter Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia are predicting that Clinton will win easily, with 347 electoral votes against 191 for Trump.

"Trump is behind, and he may not have many ways to catch up," said Kyle Kondik, the newsletter's managing editor.

Faced with the prospect of defeat, Trump so far seems oddly detached.

"If at the end of 90 days I fall short, even though I'm supposed to have a lot of good ideas, it's OK. I go back to a very good way of life. It's either going to work or I'm going to, you know, I'm going to have a very, very nice long vacation," he told CNBC.
Dallas (US): Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday declared that theres only one way he could lose the state of Pennsylvania: if hes cheated out of it.

Were going to watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people dont come in and vote five times, he said at a rally in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

If you do that, were not going to lose. The only way we can lose, in my opinion  I really mean this, Pennsylvania  is if cheating goes on, he added.

Meanwhile, he said that he would bring jobs back to the US from countries like China by taking several strong steps and economic measures.

Were going to bring back our jobs to Pennsylvania. Were going to bring back our jobs to the United States. Going to bring back our jobs, folks, Trump said at an election rally in Erie in Pennsylvania, a key swing State.

The States across the country, he said, manufacturing and jobs are way down.

You go to other countries, theyre taking our companies, they're taking our jobs, he said.

I'll be your secretary of keeping companies in the United States, Trump said amidst applause from the audience.

Trump said Americans are tired of lies from leaders of the Democratic party. Theyre tired of losing their jobs, theyre tired of seeing their companies being ripped out and going to other places. Theyre tired of China coming in and dropping steel all over the place to put your companies out of business, so we have to go to China to get our steel, which is happening very quickly, he said.

And thats why the steel workers are with me, thats why the miners are with me, thats why the working people, electricians, the plumbers, the sheet rockers, the concrete guys and gals, theyre all - theyre with us, he added.

At another election rally in Altoona, Trump said he urged his supporters to keep a watch on polling booths in Pennsylvania on the election day.
Local tribal leaders say the Taliban, a stronger group than IS, has forged an informal alliance with the jihadists after a year of fierce rivalry in order to effectively combat government forces. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Jalalabad: The killing of the Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan has dealt a major blow to the jihadists, but despite a US-backed scorched earth offensive the regional franchise is far from over, observers said Saturday.

Hafiz Saeed was killed in a US air strike in eastern Nangarhar province last month, the Pentagon announced on Friday, as Afghan forces mount an operation against the militants after they claimed the deadliest attack in Kabul for 15 years.

The death of Saeed, the second prominent militant to be killed in a US regional strike in recent months, is a setback to the group's efforts to expand beyond its heartland of Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The killing of IS leader Hafiz Saeed in a US airstrike is a major blow to the group, which will struggle to make gains without a strong leadership," Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir told AFP. But the IS threat in the region is still far from over.

The group claimed twin bombings last month that tore through crowds of minority Shiite Hazaras protesters in Kabul, killing 80 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001.

The devastating attack in the capital represented a major escalation for IS, which so far has largely been confined to its stronghold in Nangarhar province, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings.

But officials denied that it marked a turning point for IS in Afghanistan, saying the group has been under heavy pressure from both US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

The US military says the group's nascent presence in Afghanistan has dwindled, with fighters largely confined to two or three districts in Nangarhar from around nine in January.

But despite the offensive, residents of Nangarhar say the group is still maintaining its reign of tyranny in the region.

Growing insecurity

"The offensive is going on and the government says they are winning," a tribal leader in Hiska Mina, one of the worst-hit districts in Nangarhar, told AFP.

"But Daesh fights every night, and the insecurities have increased, not decreased," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Local tribal leaders say the Taliban, a stronger group than IS, has forged an informal alliance with the jihadists after a year of fierce rivalry in order to effectively combat government forces.

"The Daesh and Taliban have stopped fighting each other and are both fighting the government," said Malek Haseeb, a tribal leader in Kot, a mountainous district from where IS militants were last month flushed out by government troops.

An army commander in Nangarhar confirmed the informal insurgent alliance but the Taliban have strongly denied joining hands with IS.

The Taliban have publicly sought to appear as a bulwark against IS's reign of brutality and as a legitimate group waging an Islamic war.

The NATO-led coalition estimates there are around 1,500 IS militants in Afghanistan -- mostly disaffected Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, as well as Uzbek militants and local residents of Nangarhar. The group has so far not announced a successor to Saeed.

Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of IS-linked cadres in Nangarhar, close to the Pakistani border.

News of his death comes after former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in another US drone strike inside Pakistan in May.
Fidel Ramos, a longtime advocate of closer ties, said the talks were very hospitable, very encouraging, in the sense that we have a common interest in such goals as fighting global warming. (Photo: AP)

Manila: The Philippines and China discussed setting up a "two-track" system that would allow them to cooperate in some areas while separately handling "contentious issues" such as their South China Sea territorial dispute, a Manila envoy said on Saturday.

Former president Fidel Ramos and ex-interior secretary Rafael Alunan discussed the proposal at meetings with Chinese representatives in Hong Kong on a trip aimed at improving relations.

Ramos, a longtime advocate of closer ties, said the talks were "very hospitable, very encouraging, in the sense that we have a common interest" in such goals as fighting global warming.

They met with Fu Ying, chair of the foreign affairs committee of the National People's Congress, China's communist-controlled legislature.

Alunan said both sides discussed "encouraging track two or think-tank exchanges... where we will be discussing contentious issues."

"That would relieve us (of) the burden of discussing contentious issues because we have another group doing that while we explore ways and means on how to move our relations forward," he told reporters.

He did not say which "think-tanks" would be involved in these issues, apparently referring to the two countries' territorial dispute over the South China Sea.

When asked if they discussed a UN-backed tribunal's ruling last month that Beijing's claims over most of the South China Sea were invalid, Ramos said "we never mentioned that."

The decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration was widely seen as a victory for the Philippines which has challenged China's claims to the vital waterway.

China refused to recognise the decision and had demanded that the Philippines disregard it in future talks. The Philippines rejected this.

Both Ramos and Alunan stressed that they were only informal envoys and that further formal talks would be handled by other parties.

Ramos said they also "talked about fishing," referring to China driving away Filipino fishermen from a shoal it occupied in 2012 after a stand-off with Philippine authorities.

The shoal is 230 kilometres (140 miles) off the main Philippine island of Luzon and 650 kilometres from Hainan island, the nearest major Chinese landmass.

Ramos said he discussed restoring the previous situation where Chinese, Filipino and even Vietnamese fishermen freely plied their trade in the Scarborough Shoal.

However both Ramos and Alunan said the Chinese side made no commitments and merely noted their proposals.

While the territorial dispute has strained ties, new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has previously said he would seek Chinese help for vital infrastructure projects.
Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos smiles during a press briefing at the Philippines consular office in Hong Kong, China. (Photo: AP)

Hong Kong: The Philippines wants formal negotiations with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation, the Southeast Asian nation's special envoy, Fidel Ramos, said today, after a meeting with former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying.

Ramos was speaking near the end of a trip to Hong Kong undertaken in a bid to rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea.

An arbitration court in the Hague ruled on July 12 that China had no historic title over the busy waterway and had breached the Philippines' sovereign rights there. The decision infuriated Beijing, which dismissed the court's authority.

"Informal discussions focused on the need to engage in further talks to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions to pave the way for overall cooperation," Ramos and Fu said in a joint statement today.

They added that China welcomed Ramos to visit Beijing as the special envoy of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who took office in June and has signalled a greater willingness to engage with China than his predecessor.

"It's not really a breakthrough in a sense that there is no ice here in Hong Kong to break but the fish we eat...are cooked in delicious recipes," Ramos, who had earlier referred to his visit as a fishing expedition, told reporters.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea, believed to be rich in energy deposits.

The statement added that both Beijing and Manila would seek to promote fishing cooperation, marine preservation, and tourism but made no specific mention of the South China Sea or the ruling, and did not set a timeframe for possible talks.

Ramos said neither side asserted its own sovereignty over disputed areas in the South China Sea, such as the Scarborough Shoal and Mischief Reef.

"There was no discussion on that particular aspect, except to mention equal fishing rights," said Ramos.

The statement said the discussions were held in a private capacity, and Ramos said later other back channel talks with China were underway.

"We hope this type of exchange can assist China and the Philippines in returning to dialogue and improving relations," China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement on the ministry's website.

China seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012, denying Philippine fishermen access, one of the factors that prompted Manila to seek arbitration.

Ramos was president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, when China occupied the submerged Mischief Reef.
The arrest came under Section 44 order of the interim Constitution which gives the military power to summon, arrest or detain suspects in a range of security-related cases. (Photo: AP)

Bangkok: A political activist has been detained in connection with the string of coordinated blasts that have rocked Thailand, killing four people, with police indicating that the attacks were an act of "local sabotage".

There were unconfirmed reports on Friday that two suspects had been detained for questioning following the spate of low intensity bomb blasts that killed four people and injured 35, including at least 10 foreigners, in five southern provinces-- Hua Hin, Phuket, Phangnga, Trang and Surat Thani.

However, the only detention that has been confirmed by police is that of a 67-year-old political activist and former Constitution writer in the southern province of Trang.

Soldiers apprehended Prapas Rojanapithak at his house in Muang district while he was watching TV this morning. He was taken to a police station and later to a military camp in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where he is being questioned, the Bangkok Post reported.

The arrest came under Section 44 order of the interim Constitution which gives the military power to summon, arrest or detain suspects in a range of security-related cases.

Police have ruled out international terrorism and said the campaign was an act of "local sabotage".

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers who analysed the blast sites have concluded that all the explosions were connected as the devices used in every attack were similar and mobile phones were used to trigger the blasts.

The bombs in each attack were packed with ball bearings, similar to bombs used in past political disputes and the explosion at Erawan Brahma Shrine on August 17 last year, the officers stated.

"We have collected DNA samples from the scenes of the blasts and the results should be known and sent to investigators responsible for each crime scene on Sunday. We hope to seek arrest warrants soon," deputy police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen was quoted as saying.

Based on the existing evidence, he said the violence did not look like an expansion of the secessionist campaign that has been concentrated in the Muslim-dominated Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat as it rarely targets foreigners.

Senior officials of the military government also believe the attacks were political in nature and intended to discredit the regime.

Prapas was a member of the committee that drafted the 2007 Constitution following the military coup that overthrew former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

However, Prapas joined 90 other southern academics and activists in signing a statement condemning the May 22, 2014, coup that overthrew the government of Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Meanwhile, security has been increased at Suvarnabhumi international airport here following the bombings and arson attacks in the south.

Police, soldiers and sniffer dogs have been deployed at the international airport in Samut Prakan province since last night to join airport security officers in patrolling the airport and thoroughly checking passengers' luggage and belongings.

"This is not a terrorist attack. It is just local sabotage that is restricted to limited areas and provinces," national police deputy spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told a press conference here.

"Thailand has no religious, racial or territorial conflicts. We don't have the presence of Islamic State. The incident was just the turbulence of national peace and order. But at this stage, it is also hard to pinpoint whether it is linked to the Constitution referendum or politics," the spokesman said.
The child, Oum, has now returned to her home and recovering. (Representational Image)

Rayong: A three-year-old toddler from Thailand was left with a gaping cut on her forehead, which was split open by a ceiling fan, when her father threw her in the air playfully.

According to Daily Mail, the impact of the accident was so strong that a blade of the fan that hit Oum's forehead, was left distorted. Oums father Em Phoeykiln immediately rushed her to a hospital, where doctors treated the four-inch wound on her forehead.

"I was just playing with her at home like we do all the time. Somehow when I was throwing Oum up in the air, her head hit the fan. I wasn't letting go of her and she was still in my hands. But she just hit the fan, 25-year-old Em said.

Oum has now returned to her home and recovering, Em said, adding that they wont play that game any more.

Oum is better now and we're grateful to the doctors and nurses that helped her. She has been so strong and we're proud of her. Now she's smiling again, but we won't be playing that game any more, Em said.

The operation that saved the live of Oum cost 70,000 baht (1,550) and to pay the huge sum, Em, a driver, and his wife are selling some of their assets.
In the city of Marseille this week, a waterpark cancelled plans to host a private event for women wearing burkinis after the idea sparked an uproar. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Nice: A second resort on France's Riviera coast, Villeneuve-Loubet, announced on Saturday a ban against burkinis after Cannes banished the full-body swimsuit from its beaches.

The town's mayor told AFP that he made the decision to bar the burkini worn by some Muslim women because of sanitary reasons.

"I was informed that there was a couple on one of our beaches where the wife was swimming fully dressed. I considered that unacceptable for hygienic reasons and that in general it was unwelcome," Lionnel Luca said.

The mayor of Cannes, famous for its annual film festival, said he had signed off on the burkini ban out of "respect for good customs and secularism", a founding principle of the French republic.

But prohibiting the burkini has caused an uproar with anti-racism organisations and human rights groups vowing to go to court to seek to overturn the "deeply worrying" ban.

In the city of Marseille this week, a waterpark cancelled plans to host a private event for women wearing burkinis after the idea sparked an uproar.

The issue comes at a highly sensitive time for relations with Muslims in France after two attacks last month linked to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

Mayor Luca referred to the attacks in disputing charges that the burkini ban was discriminatory, saying it was intended "to avoid any disturbance to public order in the region which was hit by attacks".

On July 14 the nearby Riviera city of Nice was the target of an attack claimed by IS which killed 85 people, when an Algerian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day.

And on July 26, a priest was killed in his church in northwestern France by two attackers who had proclaimed their allegiance to IS.

Islamic dress is a hot-button issue in France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places. But there is no ban on wearing religious symbols or clothing.
Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited executives from some of Germany's biggest listed companies to attend a summit next month where she will urge them to hire more refugees, the newspaper Bild reported on Saturday.

More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market, which would reduce their dependence on the state and compensate for labor shortages as the workforce ages.

Merkel will push reluctant German companies to offer more traineeships and position to refugees, Bild reported. Large companies have been criticized for doing little to help integrate the refugees into the thriving job market.

Companies say most of the new arrivals lack the German language skills and the education required for a job.

Engineering giant Siemens (SIEGn.DE), chemicals group Evonik (EVKn.DE), carmakers Opel(GM.N) and VW(VOWG_p.DE) and utility RWE(RWEG.DE) will share with Merkel the results of pilot projects with refugees, Bild said.

Merkel's office declined to confirm Bild's report, which said the meeting at the chancellery will take place Sept. 14.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported a month ago that the 30 biggest DAX-listed companies had until June employed only 54 refugees, including 50 who were hired by logistics provider Deutsche Post DPWG.DE.

Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel last month urged large companies to do more for refugees, saying their efforts pale in comparison to the Mittelstand, the small and medium-size companies considered the backbone of Europe's biggest economy.

More than 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, mostly refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
What has Hillary Clinton been doing while Donald Trump has been careening from one controversy to the next? She's been traveling the country giving speeches about jobs, hammering Trump on the economy, and mostly avoiding press contact that could bring attention to her email scandal, the Clinton Foundation, or her record as Secretary of State. And then she talks more about jobs.

Clinton's speeches are boring. They don't make much news. But they're in line with voter concerns three months away from the presidential election.

In her Democratic convention acceptance speech, amid all the promises and proposals, Clinton made her top priority clear. "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. Last week, still in convention afterglow, Clinton made a tour out West, giving speeches in Omaha, the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado, and Las Vegas that all focused on meat-and-potatoes economic issues.

The Las Vegas event was in a union building, with a heavily union audience, so there was more emphasis than usual on organized labor. But the heart of the speech was the same as Clinton's other presentations; after all of the pleasantries and stroking that are involved in campaigning, Clinton stuck to a relatively small number of big issues that voters care about most. Step by step, here's the essence of what Clinton did in Vegas:

1) Thank local constituents -- in this case, IBEW Local 357, the AFL-CIO, and the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 525 "who assisted with parking."

2) Thank local officials -- Sen. Harry Reid, Rep. Dina Titus and Democratic Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto.

3) Establish big picture: "We are going to create more good jobs with rising income."

4) Promise 'investments' focusing on roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, the electric grid, etc. "For ever $1 billion, we get 47,500 jobs, and they are mostly good union jobs with a good middle class income."

5) Promise more collective bargaining rights to unions.

6) Promise to make college affordable and "debt-free."

7) Promise national high-speed broadband Internet.

8) Remind people that Trump sells products made overseas.

9) Remind that big businessman Trump has sometimes stiffed small businesses working for him.

10) Praise a local small business (an IBEW shop, of course).

11) Pledge more technical education. "We need to invest in our young people and give them different paths besides four-year college to get ahead in America."

12) Promise free community college.

13) Remind again that Trump has mistreated small businesspeople.

14) Mention that her father was a small businessman.

15) Use example of Trump's Florida resort to imply (without actually saying) that she'll bring in fewer foreign workers to take American jobs.

16) Turn a Trump trademark against him. "You've got to ask yourself in this campaign, do you want a president who stands for 'you're fired' or one who stands for 'you're hired?'"

17) Mention Trump University.

18) Repeat Trump is unqualified and unfit to be president.

19) Mention one more time her plans for jobs, education, healthcare and more.

20) Sum up: "I think this election comes down to economic opportunity, national security, and American unity."

There wasn't a single headline in the entire 20-minute poll- and focus group-tested speech, or the others delivered in Nebraska and Colorado, which hit many of the same points. And by the way, Clinton's speeches are about one-third the length of Trump's unscripted performances, which often go over an hour, giving Trump far more chances to say something controversial.

Trump has often mocked the kind of speech Clinton gives. At a huge rally in Dallas last fall, Trump pledged never to give a canned presentation. "That would be so much easier," he said. "We read a speech for 45 minutes. Everybody falls asleep, listening to the same old stuff..."

Trump doesn't do that. His speeches are long, stream-of-consciousness affairs, with the potential to erupt into news at any moment. From Trump's perspective, Clinton's are the worst type of boring.

But boring can work. Look at Clinton's summation. Her presentation is entirely consistent with the issues that voters say are the most important in this election. Asked in the most recent Fox News polls which is the most important issue facing the country, voters most named the economy and national security. (The two topics were tied with 22 percent each.) When Clinton says, "I think this election comes down to economic opportunity, national security and American unity," she's not speaking off the cuff.

None of this means that Clinton, as president, might actually accomplish what she promises. For example, Clinton made big promises on jobs in her 2000 campaign for a Senate seat from New York, the Washington Post reported Sunday, and those promises came to nothing. Now, she's saying similar things again. It worked in New York in 2000 and 2006. Research and instinct indicate it's still what voters want to hear.

And she'll keep saying it. He might mock her, he might criticize her, he might give her new nicknames, but one thing Trump can count on is that Clinton will pursue her campaign relentlessly. She will never give up.

Think back to 2008, in her epic battle with then-Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination. Clinton wasn't very good at campaigning. But her effort had a plodding, one-foot-in-front-of-the-other quality to it that suggested while Clinton could never be a spectacular candidate like her opponent Obama, she nevertheless would keep moving forward until she achieved her goal.

One can go a long way in life by putting one foot in front of the other. In '08, Clinton ran into an overwhelming force in Obama. Now, things appear to be lining up her way. She'll do boring to win, any day.
Several of the jihadists who carried out the November 2015 Paris attacks slipped into Europe by posing as refugees in Greece, sparking fears that more extremists could be using the migration crisis to do the same. (Photo: AFP)

Athens: Anti-terror experts from European police agency Europol will travel to Greece in an effort to track would-be jihadists amongst the migrants stuck in the country's camps, a Greek police source said Saturday.

The team is expected to arrive in mainland Greece by the end of the month, the source said.

Its deployment is part of the "permanent cooperation between Greek authorities, their European counterparts and Europol" since Greece was hit by a massive influx of refugees and migrants in 2015 hoping to head to northern Europe, the source added.

Several of the jihadists who carried out the November 2015 Paris attacks slipped into Europe by posing as refugees in Greece, sparking fears that more extremists could be using the migration crisis to do the same.

The Europol team, which will include Greek officers, will be tasked with identifying individuals who could be undergoing a process of radicalisation.

Greek newspaper Kathimerini, which first reported the mission, said the team would consist of around 30 European police officers and that they were due to arrive in Athens on August 20.

The team will carry out checks in the dozens of camps where more than 47,000 migrants, most of them Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans fleeing fighting and poverty, have been stuck in grim conditions since Balkan countries cut off a route north by closing their borders last winter.

Europol's previous anti-terror controls have concentrated on the "hotspot" migrant registration camps on the Greek islands near Turkey, rather than the mainland.

The number of migrants crossing from Turkey has dropped sharply from a peak of thousands to around a hundred a day in recent weeks, following a controversial March deal between the EU and Ankara which does not allow new arrivals to leave the islands, or sends them back to Turkey.
Havana: Key events in the life of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who turns 90 on Saturday:

Taking Over

On August 13, 1926, Castro is born in Biran, eastern Cuba, the third of seven children. He is the son of a Spanish immigrant landowner and a Cuban mother who had been the family housekeeper. Fidel, a good student, is sent to a Jesuit school in Santiago de Cuba.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he studies law and becomes politically active, moving increasingly to the left and leading a series of anti-government protests.

On July 26, 1953, he leads a failed attack on Santiago de Cuba's Moncada military barracks. He is sentenced to 15 years in prison, but is granted an amnesty two years later. Fidel then goes into exile in Mexico with his brother Raul, where he later meets Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a young Argentine doctor.

On December 2, 1956, after setting off from Mexico, Castro lands in southeastern Cuba on the ship Granma with 81 fighters and launches a 25-month military campaign against dictator Fulgencio Batista.

The Cold War

On January 1, 1959, Batista flees the country. Castro makes a victorious entry into Havana and is appointed prime minister in February.

In January 1961, the United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba.

In April 1961, Castro's forces defeat 1,400 rebels in the US-backed Bay of Pigs invasion.

In February 1962, US President John F Kennedy decrees an embargo on all trade with Cuba.

In October 1962, the Soviet Union ships nuclear missiles to Cuba. After a tense standoff, it agrees to withdraw them in exchange for guarantees the US will not invade the island.

In 1975, Castro sends troops to help Angolan independence fighters.

Shortages and Repression

In 1990, Cuba plunges into extreme economic difficulties as the Soviet Union collapses. The period is marked by widespread shortages. The regime survives after legalizing use of the US dollar and opening the country to tourism.

In March 2003, Castro orders the arrest of 75 opposition leaders, who receive heavy prison sentences, prompting sanctions from the European Union. In 2010, the last 52 detainees are freed.

On July 31, 2006, Castro undergoes "delicate intestinal surgery" and temporarily transfers power to brother Raul, the country's defense chief.

In February 2008, Raul Castro is named president.

On April 19, 2011, Fidel gives up his last official title, handing PCC leadership to Raul as well.

On December 17, 2014, Fidel remains out of sight as Raul Castro and US President Barack Obama announce a normalization of relations.

But in March 28, 2016, after Obama makes a historic visit to Cuba, Fidel lambasts the US president's "syrupy words" and says Cubans do not need "gifts from the empire."

On April 19, 2016, his last public appearance, Fidel attends the PCC Congress and broaches the issue of his death.
The girl said one of the accused, who pretended to be a child counsellor, brainwashed her into believing that he loved her.

Birmingham: A 22-year-old girl has told the police that she was abused for over two years by 137 paedophiles, including the one who created her profile on a swingers website, when she was in school.

According to a report in Birmingham Mail, the police have the custody of only three of them so far. A schoolteacher, William Hanna, 66, his girlfriend Dianne Whitehouse, 61, and Ian McGlasson, 50, were sentenced to 19 years in jail. Two other suspects were also arrested, but they committed suicide.

The girl, Paula Smith (name changed), was 13 years old when she was raped for the first time. In November 2008, when Smith was on her way to school, one Nigel Greaves picked her up and took her to his home.

I assumed Nan had arranged for him to come and pick me up. He drove me towards Nans house but then headed to his instead. I asked him why and he said he needed to pick something up and asked me to go inside. Once inside, he dragged me upstairs, Smith, who lived with her grandparents, said.

Greaves dropped her at the city centre in Birmingham after repeatedly sexually assaulting her. He was one of the two men who committed suicide after being arrested.

After Greaves, another man  Ian McGlasson  abused her for over two years. McGlasson contacted Smith through Facebook, pretending to be a child counsellor. On the day of their first meeting, he took her to a hotel for a "counselling session," but he allegedly raped her.

We sat and talked for an hour and I became upset. He then sat next to me and began touching my leg. He then covered my mouth with his hand and pushed me down and raped me. Afterwards he said he was really sorry, he said he just wanted me to feel loved, Smith said, adding she was terrified and confused after the incident.

Smith said McGlasson "brainwashed" her into believing that he loved her. However, the abuse still continued. Smith said that McGlasson sometimes drugged her before raping her.

McGlasson even brought more child molesters, who would physically and sexually assault her. He contacted the other accused through a swingers website he created without Smith's knowledge.

She was repeatedly assaulted by Hanna and Whitehouse, now serving sentence, who sold her to other people. They even filmed some of the sexual assaults and posted them on internet.

Smith said she had given hints about child sexual exploitation (CSE) to social services, her teachers, and police, but they failed to help her.

It was her mother who contacted the police when she received a message on Facebook from McGlasson, who told her he was Smiths boyfriend.

Smith is now a mother of two children and assisting other victims of CSE and abuse.
he killing of Aqoub's nephew, who was also his personal driver, comes as Iraqi forces prepare for the battle to retake Mosul, the capital of Nineveh and the last city in the country still held by the jihadists. (Photo: Representational Image)

Arbil: The nephew of the governor of a key province where Iraqi forces are battling the Islamic State group has been gunned down in the country's north, officials said on Saturday.

The shooting in Iraqi Kurdish regional capital Arbil came just hours after Nowfal al-Aqoub, the governor of Nineveh, made controversial remarks about children being fathered by IS fighters in the province.

The killing of Aqoub's nephew, who was also his personal driver, comes as Iraqi forces prepare for the battle to retake Mosul, the capital of Nineveh and the last city in the country still held by the jihadists.

Sifuk Watban al-Sultan died of a single gunshot to the head on Fridayy night near the governor's house in Arbil, the governor's secretary told AFP, asking that he not be identified by name.

A Nineveh provincial councillor, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed Sultan's death, saying that Kurdish security forces had subsequently removed surveillance cameras from the house as part of the investigation.

The motive for the killing was not immediately clear, but it came after Aqoub made remarks at a conference in Baghdad earlier on Friday that were criticised by a political rival.

The governor said that IS fighters had fathered children under temporary marriages as part of so-called "sexual jihad", a practice used by the jihadist group to motivate its militants.

Some of the women involved -including some of those who travelled to the Middle East to support IS- have apparently participated voluntarily, but others may have been coerced.

While Aqoub was apparently criticising IS, the office of former parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi issued a statement accusing him of insulting the women of Mosul.

Iraqi forces have been conducting operations to set the stage for the battle to retake Mosul from IS, which has held it since June 2014, but they still have significant ground to cover as well as logistical preparations to make before a final assault can be launched.
A woman burned a black robe that the jihadists had forced residents to wear. (Photo: Youtube grab)

Beirut: Islamic State group jihadists have released hundreds of civilians used as human shields while fleeing a crumbling stronghold in northern Syria, but the fate of others remained unknown Saturday.

The last remaining IS fighters abandoned Manbij near the Turkish border on Friday after a rout that the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes".

The retreat from the city, which IS captured in 2014, marked the jihadists' worst defeat yet at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurdish alliance supported by US air strikes.

Fleeing jihadists took around 2,000 civilians, including women and children, on Friday to ward off air strikes as they headed to the IS-held frontier town of Jarabulus, according to the SDF.

At least some of the civilians were later released or escaped, the alliance said on Saturday, but the whereabouts of the rest was unknown.

"There are no more IS fighters" left in Manbij, an SDF member said.

Kurdish television showed footage of jubilant civilians in Manbij, including smiling mothers who had shed their veils and women embracing Kurdish fighters.

A woman burned a black robe that the jihadists had forced residents to wear, while men who had lived for weeks under a shaving ban cut their beards with scissors.

"The battle was very hard," a Kurdish source told AFP. And the jihadists had laid mines in the city.

"One SDF fighter entered a house on Friday and saw a shoe placed on a Koran. When he removed it there was an explosion and he was killed," this source said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, reported that several hundred of the civilians taken from the city were no longer being held by IS.

"Among the civilians taken by IS there were people used as human shields but also many who chose voluntarily to leave the town due to fear of reprisals" by the SDF, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF launched an assault in May on Manbij, on a key jihadist supply route between the Turkish border and IS's de facto Syrian capital Raqa.

The jihadists, who have suffered a string of losses in Syria and Iraq, have often staged mass abductions when they come under pressure to relinquish territory they hold.

IS has also booby-trapped cars and carried out suicide bombings to slow advances by their opponents. SDF forces captured Manbij on August 6 but had continued to battle pockets of jihadists in parts of the town.

According to the Observatory, 437 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed in the battle for Manbij and surrounding territory.

Around 300 SDF fighters died, along with more than 1,000 jihadists, it said.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Gordon Trowbridge said Friday that IS "is clearly on the ropes".

"It has lost the centre of Manbij, it has lost control of Manbij," he said.

Since fighting for Manbij began, US-led strikes have taken out more than 50 of IS's heavy weapons and destroyed more than 600 fortified fighting positions, Trowbridge said.

But the job of clearing the city will be complicated after the jihadists left behind hundreds of mines and booby traps, he added.

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 and has since killed more than 290,000 people and drawn in world powers on all sides of the war.

On Friday Russian and Syrian jets pounded rebel positions in and around second city Aleppo.

The raids came despite a pledge by Russia to observe a three-hour daily ceasefire in Aleppo to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries.
Pakistani security officials rush their injured colleague to a hospital after a roadside bomb went off near a vehicle escorting a judge in Quetta. (Photo: AP)

Quetta: The Islamic State terror group on Saturday claimed responsibility for the roadside bomb attack in Quetta city in Pakistan's Balochistan province that injured 17 people. The IS claimed the attack on social media and Twitter.

But a senior police official said the IS claim could be another attempt to gain attention as they are struggling for a foothold in Pakistan where militant outfits like the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda have deeper roots in the tribal region and in urban areas.

Security officials have said in the past that the IS does not have a credible presence in Pakistan where several militant outfits operate.

The roadside bombing on Wednesday left 17 people including four police officials accompanying a judge injured. But the judge escaped unhurt.

The IS has also claimed responsibility for carrying out a suicide bombing at the Civil Hospital in Quetta on Monday in which around 73 people were killed mostly lawyers and scores others were injured.

But the IS claim came soon after the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar a faction of the Pakistani Taliban had said it had carried out the suicide attack.

The troubled Balochistan province rich in minerals and natural resources has been hit hard by sectarian violence, terrorist attacks, and separatists who claim there is corruption in the provincial government.
US confirmed Khan's death, and said in a statement that the air strike took place during joint operations by US and Afghan special operations forces against IS in the southern part of Nangarhar province. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP)

Peshawar: The leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a U.S. drone strike on July 26, a Pentagon spokesman said on Friday after the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan announced the news to Reuters.

The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan is a blow to efforts by Islamic State - also known as ISIS or Daesh - to expand from its heartlands in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan, already crowded with jihadist movements including the Taliban and al Qaeda.

It is the second U.S. killing of a prominent militant in the region in months. In May, a U.S. drone killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a strike in Pakistan.

Despite that, Afghanistan's 15-year-old war grinds on with no clear victory in sight. Taliban fighters have been threatening at least two provincial capitals this summer, in Helmand and Kunduz, and a U.S. government report said Afghan forces have lost 5 percent of territory this year.

In terms of its own territory, Islamic State has been largely confined to a handful of districts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, where IS militants - mostly defectors from the Taliban - are blamed for raiding villages and government outposts.

Still, worries that Islamic State might be expanding its operational reach heightened this week when the group took credit for an attack on a Pakistani hospital that killed at least 74 people in the southwestern city of Quetta. A Pakistani Taliban faction also claimed responsibility.

A few weeks earlier, Islamic State claimed an attack on a rally in Kabul that killed more than 80 people.

Bitter rivals

Khan has been reported dead before. But a claim by Afghan intelligence agents last year that he had been killed was never confirmed.

On Friday, however, Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal told Reuters he had seen confirmation from Afghan security forces.

"I can confirm that ISIS Khurasan (Afghanistan and Pakistan) leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a U.S. drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province," he said.

Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge confirmed Khan's death, and said in a statement that the air strike took place during joint operations by U.S. and Afghan special operations forces against IS in the southern part of Nangarhar province. Trowbridge said the airstrike was in Achin district, as opposed to Kot district.

Khan - a longtime commander with the Pakistani Taliban - pledged allegiance in October 2014 to Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Taliban's various factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as their al Qaeda allies are bitter rivals of Islamic State's al-Baghdadi. The Taliban reject al-Baghdadi as leader of an envisioned worldwide caliphate.

In Afghanistan, Taliban and Islamic State fighters have battled over territory in Nangarhar, though both have recently been more busy defending against U.S. and Afghan assaults.

Between January and early August, American warplanes conducted nearly 140 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military.

Afghan forces, backed by the American military, killed an estimated 300 Islamic State fighters in an operation mounted two weeks ago, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said on Wednesday, calling it a severe blow to the group.
With Mukherjee's visit, the Indian side wants to give a clear message that it has been working with Nepal despite some ups and downs in bilateral relations for one year, the daily said. (Photo: PTI)

Kathmandu: Nepal is keen to host President Pranab Mukherjee in September and efforts are on to arrange for his visit here as the chief guest of a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the promulgation of the country's new Constitution, a media report said today.

Nepali side wants to host the Head of State of India as the chief guest at a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the promulgation of Constitution, which falls on September 19, The Himalayan Times reported quoting top officials and diplomatic sources.

"Nepali and Indian authorities are trying to arrange a state visit of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to Nepal as early as in September before the prospective visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping," the daily said.

There is speculation here that the Chinese President might visit Nepal on a brief stop-over in mid-October while on his way to attend the BRICS Summit in Goa.

With Mukherjee's visit, the Indian side wants to give a clear message that it has been working with Nepal despite some ups and downs in bilateral relations for one year, the daily said. However, officials here have not yet given any confirmation on Mukherjee's Nepal visit.

As of now, officials in New Delhi also said there was no such visit scheduled for the President. However, Mukherjee is expected to travel to some European countries mid-September.

The Himalayan Times also claimed that the Indian side might not be interested in President Mukherjee attending the anniversary of promulgation of the Constitution given New Delhi's "reservation" over some of its clauses.

"If the Constitution is amended before the anniversary, a visit date in and around the anniversary of the Constitution promulgation could be fixed," an official was quoted as saying.

The Nepalese government on Friday decided to send deputy prime ministers Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Bahadur Mahara to neighbouring India and China, respectively, as special envoys of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.

Deputy Prime Minister Nidhi told reporters that the purpose of his visit to India was to invite President Mukherjee to visit Nepal and prepare the ground for the India visit of Prime Minister Prachanda, who received an invitation from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the day he was elected to the top post.
Lahore: Pakistani police have declared a known cleric as a 'suspect' in the murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch and is likely to arrest him, a media report said on Saturday.

"Mufti Abdul Qawi's name has been made part of the Qandeel murder case on the statement of her father," senior police officer Azhar Akram told Dawn newspaper.

"The cleric's suspected role in her murder cannot be ruled out," he said, adding police can arrest the cleric when sufficient evidence against him is available.

Qandeel was killed soon after her controversial pictures with Qawi appeared on her Facebook account. She had received death threats from Qawi's followers for allegedly disgracing him. Qandeel was found dead in her house on July 16.

Muhammad Waeem, her brother, confessed to have strangled her in a so-called 'honour killing'. Waseem, who had earlier claimed that he was the lone killer, disclosed the name of his cousin Haq Nawaz as a co-suspect after the polygraph test.

Besides Waseem and Haq Nawaz who have been sent on judicial remand by the court, the police also got the remand of two other accused, Zafar Hussain, the cousin of Haq Nawaz, and Abdul Basit, a taxi driver.

Qawi is upset over his name being included in the suspect list saying when Qandeel's brother has confessed to her killing and also disclosed the name of the other suspects, police's insistence to drag him into the case is unfair.

"I have already replied to a police questionnaire and now again raising fingers at me is not justified," Qawi said.
Islamabad: An American who entered Pakistan last week after being expelled from the country five years earlier will be deported again after being interrogated, the interior minister said on Saturday.

Matthew Barrett, a 33-year-old Alabama native, had spent four years in Pakistan, where he married a local woman and had two children, before being kicked out of the country in 2011 after being detained near a sensitive military installation.

The US and Pakistan are allies but have had fraught relations over the years.

Washington has at times accused Islamabad of failing to do enough to combat terrorism. Pakistan was angered by the US commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden north of Islamabad in 2011, which was carried out without its knowledge.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Barrett was never suspected of spying, but was involved in "wrongdoing," without elaborating.

Khan said Barrett was detained at a guest house in the capital, Islamabad, last week after he submitted incorrect information in a visa application to the Pakistani Consulate in Houston.

In media reports and a letter smuggled from jail in 2011 to the Guardian newspaper, Barrett denied he was a spy and claimed to be a victim of simmering US-Pakistani tensions following the bin Laden raid. He was eventually deported and blacklisted.

Pakistani authorities have arrested two airport immigration staffers who cleared Barrett's re-entry and have launched an investigation into the incident.

Barrett's detention was today extended for two weeks, according to Raja Nazeer, an attorney representing the two immigration officials.

Nazeer said Barrett has a valid visa. Barrett told the court he returned to collect documents for his wife and children, who relocated to the United States in 2011, and that he had not paid any bribes or had any prior acquaintance with the immigration officials, Nazeer said.

The lawyer said the case against Barrett "has no grounds."

Barrett was arrested in his hometown, Huntsville, Alabama, in April 2013 for drug possession. A report in The Huntsville Times quoting court records said he was arrested April 4 at a house on Whitesburg Drive. It said Madison County drug enforcement agents found marijuana, LSD and prescription pain medication.
CHICAGO -- Seated in his office here, wearing neither a necktie nor a frown, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is remarkably relaxed for someone at the epicenter of a crisis now in its second year and with no end in sight. But, then, stress is pointless when the situation is hopeless. Besides, if you can ignore the fact that self-government is failing in the nation's fifth-most populous state, you can see real artistry in the self-dealing by the Democrats who, with veto-proof majorities in the state Legislature, have reduced this state they control to insolvency.

Illinois' government, says Rauner, "is run for the benefit of its employees." Increasingly, it is run for their benefit when they retire. Pension promises, though unfunded by at least $113 billion, are one reason some government departments are not digitized at all.

What is misleadingly called the state's Constitution requires balanced budgets, of which there have been none for 25 years. This year, revenues are projected to be $32.5 billion, with spending of $38 billion. Illinois Democrats are, however, selective constitutionalists: They will die in the last ditch defending the constitution's provision that says no government pension can be "diminished or impaired."

The government is so thoroughly unionized (22 unions represent almost all government employees), that "I can't," Rauner says, "turn on a light switch without permission." He exaggerates, somewhat, but the process of trying to fire someone is a career, not an option.

At last count, $7.6 billion was owed to many of the state's vendors. But the law in its majesty requires that the state's legislators -- those who write the laws -- get paid under any circumstances. This removes perhaps the most important potential pressure for compromise. If schools were unable to open this month, parents with pitchforks would march on Springfield, so a quasi-budget was cobbled together to keep government semi-funded for six months.

Under Rauner's Democratic predecessor, the Legislature passed a "temporary" tax increase, serenely expecting that when it expired they would enjoy the truth of Ronald Reagan's axiom that there is nothing as immortal as a temporary government program. They did not count on the first Republican governor in 12 years.

Rauner let the tax lapse. To their demand for more tax increases, he sweetly says: Let's talk. About pension reforms and tort reform. And about exempting local governments from paying on construction projects the "prevailing wage" -- which Rauner says is, effectively, "whatever unions tell them they want it to be," and which raises costs 30 to 40 percent.

Rauner favors term limits for state legislators. Democrats have job security, thanks in large part to the financial support of grateful public- and private-sector unions. Illinois voters overwhelmingly want term limits, which Democratic politicians oppose because, they say, such limits restrict voters' ability to get what they want.

Illinois is a leading indicator of increasing national childishness -- an unwillingness to will the means for the ends that it wills. Nationally, state and local governments' pensions have somewhere between $1 trillion and $4 trillion in unfunded pension liabilities, depending on, among other things, assumptions about returns on pension funds' investments. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2001, the 20-year median return was 12.3 percent and every percentage-point decline in returns increases liabilities by 12 percent. Last year, the largest fund, California Public Employees' Retirement System, which assumes 7.5 percent returns, instead gained 0.6 percent. This, in the sixth year of the recovery from the 2008-09 crisis, was the worst performance since then -- and another recession will surely happen.

Nationally, neither party is eager to talk about the rickety structure of the entitlement state, although the Democratic platform promises to make matters worse. Although scheduled Social Security benefits vastly exceed the value of worker and employer contributions plus interest, the platform, a case study in reactionary liberalism, opposes even raising the retirement age. This, even though benefits are available at 62, three years younger than when the system was created in 1935, when life expectancy at 65 was 12.5 years. Today, it is 19.3 years for men and 21.6 for women. If in 1935 Congress had indexed the age of Social Security eligibility to life expectancy, the age today would be 72.

The federal government can continue to print money. There are bankruptcy procedures for cities but not for states. So, high-tax Illinois will continue bleeding the population and businesses, but with one contented cohort -- the Democratic political class, for whom the system is working quite well.
Samia Shahid, 28, was found dead on July 20 at her parents' house in Mangla area of Jhelum district in Punjab province. (Photo: Youtube grab)

Lahore: The mystery surrounding the murder of a Pakistani-origin British woman has been solved with her former husband confessing to having killed her for marrying a person from the Shia sect, police said on Saturday.

Samia Shahid, 28, was found dead on July 20 at her parents' house in Mangla area of Jhelum district in Punjab province.

"Chaudhry Shakil, the first husband of Samia, has confessed to have strangled her on July 20. He said he had a grudge against her for marrying a man of other sect," said a police official involved in the investigation.

He said police are also investigating the role of Samia's parents for abetment to murder.

"It appears that Shakil murdered Samia with the consent of her parents who changed their statements to save the accused," the official said, adding that Samia's father's different claims about her death were to cover up the crime.

Chaudhry Shahid, Samia's father, earlier had claimed that she died of cardiac arrest and later changed his statement to claim that she had committed suicide.

"He (Shakil) has been arrested along with the father of the murdered woman and further legal proceeding will be worked out," another police official said.

Samia, a resident of Dhok Pandori village, some 230 km from Lahore, had come to Pakistan from Dubai in mid July to see her ailing father and was allegedly murdered on July 20.

Her murder came over a week after social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch was strangled by her brother "for disgracing" family honour which caused international uproar forcing the Pakistani government to announce the introduction of strict legislation against those involved in honour killings.

Syed Mukhtar Kazim, second husband of Samia, told police that his wife had been killed by her family members for marrying against the will of her parents.

"My wife converted to Shia -- my sect -- before wedding which had irked her parents," Kazim had said, calling upon the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure justice is done.

Police have registered the case against five accused, including Samia's father, mother Imtiaz Bibi, sister Madiha Shahid, cousin Mobeen and Samia's first husband Shakil under sections 302 (murder), 34 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the autopsy report, Samia had marks on her neck, suggesting that she had been strangled. Kazim and Samia, both British-Pakistani dual citizens, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai.

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.

"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," Kazim said.

"She told me by phone that her father was all right and now she was getting threats to her life. On July 20, my wife's phone was switched off and on contacting Mobeen, her cousin, he told me that Samia had suffered a heart attack and died," Kazim said.
A class 7 girl was allegedly molested by her schools lab assistant in northwest Delhis Nand Nagri area. Parents of the girl complained about it to the principal of the Delhi government-run school the next day. However, she didnt take any action against the accused following which the parents went to the local police station and registered a FIR under section of POCSO Act, meant to protect children from sexual offences.



The accused idenAugust 13, 2016, DHNStified as Naitram has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. The incident happened in the first week of July when the girl was going to her elder sisters class to borrow a pen from her, police said. Midway, Naitram spotted her and asked where she was going. The girl told Naitram that she was going to her elder sister who studies in class 8. Naitram said he could give her a pen and asked the girl to follow him to the laboratory. When the girl entered the lab, Naitram closed the door and started misbehaving with her.



He allegedly started touching her inappropriately. The scared girl then ran off from the lab, said a police officer. The girl attended the rest of her classes and went to her house. Next day, when she refused to go to school without giving any reason, her mother probed her persistently after which she revealed the matter to her.



Her parents informed the schools principal, who assured the parents of taking appropriate action against the employee. However, even after one month the school authority didnt take any action against Naitram. On Thursday, the miffed parents went to the local police station and registered the case, following which the police arrested the man. Police have however not yet taken any action against the principal Asha Kumar.



Deccan Herald tried calling the school principal but she didnt pick up the call. The Directorate of Education (DoE) has not received any complaint from the parents or the school yet. If a police complaint has been filed now, it will come to us in three to four days. An action against the principal or the teacher can only be taken after a preliminary inquiry by the police is done, a DoE official said.


A drunk man killed his flatmate in a fit of anger because he couldnt stand seeing him spit on the wall. Mukesh Mandal, 40, murdered Murshid, 36, whom he had known for a couple of years, on Thursday night. They had rented different rooms in the same flat in Gujjar Colony in south Delhis Gautam Nagar.



After offering namaz around 9.15 pm, Murshid was going to his room when he found Mukesh sitting on the stairs. Murshid asked him to make some space so that he could pass. But Mukesh still blocked his way and started brandishing his vegetable knife to scare him. Murshid, who was chewing tobacco, suddenly spat on the wall.



Mukesh got furious and asked Murshid to clean the wall. Murshid said he could do it anytime but he had to go to his room then, said a neighbour, who witnessed the quarrel. Mukesh lost control and attacked Murshid with the knife, plunging it in his chest. Murshid died later in hospital, said police. Mukesh tried to run away but was stopped by others and handed over to police.



Murshids neighbour said he was a quiet man and rarely talked to anyone. We all come back from work around 5 or 6 pm and we always meet together for tea, but Murshid rarely joined us, said Mustar. But Mukesh picked up fights every now and then, neighbours alleged.



Many times, he had threatened others too with the knife. He was drunk on most days and also took some drugs. Several labourers live on rent, alone or with their families, in Gujjar Colony. People in the same building are generally from the same state.



Murshid lived with one of his brothers. His wife and children live in Bihar. He worked as a labourer on contract basis. Mukesh is a domestic helps. His wife and children went back to Bihar on the night of the murder. Police said the landlords in the area have been penalised by police for not carrying out proper tenant verification.




The Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) has issued 82 notices to 54 police stations in last ten months for non-compliance with an order which mandates that any case relating to rape or sexual assault be immediately informed to it.



The SHOs of the police stations were asked to provide a written explanation as to why the Rape Crisis Cell (RCC) or the Crisis Intervention Centre (CIC) of the commission was not informed about each incident.



According to the commission, the specified procedure was not followed in 82 cases. The highest number of cases seven  went unreported from Mehrauli police station, followed by four cases each from Safdarjung Enclave, Punjabi Bagh and Sarita Vihar police stations. Among these 82 unreported cases, the victims in 36 cases were minors. Of these, victims in 15 cases were below the age of 13.



In 24 cases out of 82, the CIC counselors were not informed about the case at all. In 11 cases, they were informed after the FIR had been registered, while in 45 cases the counselors were informed after an FIR was registered and the medical examination had been completed.



In two cases, the counselors were informed before the FIR was registered but after the medical examination was conducted.



According to guidelines passed by the High Court of Delhi in 2008 for investigation of sexual assault cases, a CIC  an agency for responding to calls of sexual assault at the police station.
Fearing the overturning of its decisions, the AAP government on Friday urged the Lieutenant Governor not to shift out two of its handpicked officials heading the PWD and Health departments.



Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters on Friday that for the first time the AAP government had gone against the convention and posted a senior engineer to head the Public Works Department and a doctor to head the Health Department.



We request the LG not to shift them as it would impact the progress on projects for building new classrooms and mohalla clinic, said Sisodia, conceding that the power to decide postings entirely with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.



Vowing to complete the people-oriented projects launched by the Arvind Kejriwal government, Sisodia said for serving the people the AAP government would fight with other authorities and even request them, if needed.



We still have to build 4,000 new classrooms and achieve the target of building 1,000 Mohalla Clinics, so we are requesting the LG not to disturb the heads of the PWD and Health departments, said Sisodia.



Sisodia claimed the AAP governments minister have no powers to even appoint a peon. Even the court order said that the services matters and posting, including that of IAS and DANICS, will be handled now by the LG, he said.



The LG has given the power to appoint all staff to the officials but IAS and DANICS posts would still be filled by him, he said. Sources in the government said the posts of PWD secretary and Health Secretary are cadre posts and always occupied by IAS officers.



This discrepancy introduced by the AAP government may now be rectified by the LG, said an official. Jung on Tuesday told Sisodia that all services matters, including transfers/postings of IAS/DANICS officers, with the recommendations of Civil Services Board in case of IAS officers, will be placed through Chief Secretary directly before the LG.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay has condemned Sisodias misleading statement that now the government has no power even to transfer a peon.



Upadhyay said that after the verdict of the Delhi High Court, the LG has clarified that he will look into the transfer only of high level officers and the power of transfer of the lower level officers will be under the Kejriwal government.



He also said that it is true that the Kejriwal government appointed ineligible officers to the posts of Health Secretary and PWD Secretary disregarding the government rules and now all these statement are being issued to save both of these officers.


The top leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan has been killed in a US drone strike in a southern Afghan province, the Pentagon has said, dealing a major blow to the dreaded terrorist outfit.



Hafiz Sayed Khan along with his senior lieutenants died in the drone strike on July 26. The Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Trowbridge said the US and Afghan Special Operations Forces conducted operations against the ISIS in southern Nangarhar province between July 1 and 30.



"During this time, US forces conducted an airstrike targeting Hafiz Sayed Khan, the Islamic State in the Levant-Khorasan emir, in Achin district, Nangarhar province July 26, resulting in his death," Trowbridge said.



Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against US and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorised Afghans, especially in Nangarhar. Nangarhar province has been a hotbed for ISIL-Khorasan activity since the summer of 2015.



ISIL-K uses the area to train, equip, disseminate and control fighter pipelines, providing ISIL-K commanders throughout Afghanistan with a continuous supply of enemy fighters from this province.



"Khan's death affects ISIL-K recruiting efforts and will disrupt ISIL-K's operations in Afghanistan and the region," he said. Khan, a former member of the Pakistani branch of the Taliban who swore allegiance to Middle East-based Islamic State, had earlier reported killed last year but the death was never confirmed.



His death is the latest in a series of high-profile targets killed by the coalition forces as the war on terror goes on. In May a US drone killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the Afghan Taliban leader, in a strike in Pakistan.



Khan's death is a major blow to efforts by the ISIS to expand its control from its Middle East territory into Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan's Taliban group has frequently clashed with IS since January 2015.



The Taliban's dominance in a region home to numerous local and foreign militant groups is facing a serious challenge from IS, which has been gaining some support. There has also been evidence that IS is trying to recruit Taliban fighters, with several Taliban commanders declaring allegiance to IS.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj during which India's bid for membership of the NSG is understood to have figured among other regional and bilateral issues.



Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October. "Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, along with a photograph of the meeting of the two foreign ministers.



Wang had arrived in Goa yesterday on a three-day visit to India. He had met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and discussed about preparations for the BRICS summit. The Chinese Foreign Minister arrived here last night. He called on Modi first and then held talks with Swaraj.



China had stalled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the ground that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).


Latching on to the detention of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at a US airport, UP Minister Azam Khan has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama over the condition of Muslims.





"Modiji is not permitting us to lead a peaceful life here and in America, PM's friend Barack Obama would not allow us to live," Khan told reporters here yesterday evening.



"We (Muslims) are a disturbed lot and don't know where to go," he added.

The SP leader used the lyrics of a popular Hindi movie song 'samjhega kaun yaha, dard bhare dil ki zuban/Jaye toh jaye kahan' to stress his point.



On the attack on BJP leader Brijpal Teotia in Ghaziabad, the Samajwadi Party leader said the use of bullet cannot be justified even if it is used for a right cause.



He said the law and order in the state was on the right track and the police administration was taking prompt action against criminals.



"If crimes are committed, prompt action is taken and criminals are put behind the bars. The law and order condition in the state was on the right track," the Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister said.



Asked about the BSP legislators joining BJP, he said, "Many politicians see more opportunities to mint money in the ruling BJP."


The Philippines' ex-president Fidel Ramos has called for formal talks with China to resolve the South China Sea (SCS) issue after meeting Chinese officials during a visit to Hong Kong in the wake of an international tribunal's verdict that rejected China's claims over the area.





Ramos, who was appointed as the special envoy by the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte for his contacts in the higher echelons of the Chinese government, held talks with Fu Ying, Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress, and Wu Shicun, President of the National Institute for SCS Studies in the last few days.



Winding up his five-day visit to Hong Kong, 88-year-old Ramos stressed that his meetings with Fu, a former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, and Wu, a specialist on South China Sea dispute, were held "in a private capacity", but said Manila wanted formal talks to avoid further tensions with China and allow the two countries to cooperate in some areas.



Discussions on resolving the territorial dispute would be held, but "as to where this will take place we dont know yet. We have to go back to Manila to find out the latest developments on the official side", he was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong media.



Acknowledging the talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying last night said that "we noted that Fu Ying and Wu Shicun met with their old friend Ramos in Hong Kong. We hope that communication as such will help China and the Philippines restart dialogue and improve relations".



At the centre of the conflict between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal which is called as Huangyan Island by China in the SCS over which the international tribunal last month upheld the Philippines right and struck down Beijing's claims on almost of the SCS.



China, which boycotted the tribunal, rejected its verdict and called for bilateral talks with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei which have counter claims over the area to resolve the dispute. Taiwan too has claims over certain parts of the South China Sea.



China also rebuffed assertions by the Philippines, the US, Japan and Australia to implement the tribunal verdict which they said is binding.



Relations between Manila and Beijing were strained after the Philippines sought the international arbitration to resolve the dispute.



A statement signed by Ramos, Fu and Wu yesterday said that in addition to marine conservation and fishing rights, the two nations should cooperate on tourism, investment, and cracking down on drugs and corruption.



Efforts on issues such as drugs, smuggling and crime are not as tricky as defence and national security and thus more achievable at this point.



Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Wu as saying that China and the Philippines could explore ways to open the Scarborough Shoal to fishermen from both countries and jointly develop fish farms in the disputed waters.



But the Philippines has to respect China's territorial rights over the shoal, Wu said.

He said Ramos' fence-mending trip to Hong Kong could help lower tensions raised by the SCS dispute. But Ramos would have to first visit Beijing for talks with Chinese officials to pave the way for Philippine President Duterte to make a formal state visit to Beijing, he said.



Analysts said the consensus reached between Ramos and Fu was crucial to rebuilding confidence between the two nations.



De La Salle University assistant professor Richard Javad Heydarian said Ramos' trip restored a functional level of communication between the two countries.



The visit made room to discuss less politicised areas for cooperation, paving the way for more high-stakes talks between Beijing and Manila, he said.
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The mother-daughter duo, gang raped recently near a highway in Bulandshahar, has moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case to Delhi besides registration of FIR against UP minister Azam Khan for his certain remarks as well as the erring policemen.



The brutal incident had happened on the night of July 29 when a group of highway robbers stopped the car of a Noida-based family and sexually assaulted the woman and her daughter after dragging them out of the vehicle which had four other occupants.



The Allahabad High Court recently ordered CBI probe into the incident besides deciding to monitor the investigation.



In the plea filed in the Supreme through lawyer Kislay Pandey, the woman's husband has sought an order for "transfer the trial of the present case to Delhi from Bulandshahar in the interest of justice".



Unhappy over the probe by Uttar Pradesh police, the petitioner has said the investigation be conducted by "some other competent agency".



Referring to alleged controversial remark of Azam Khan, UP Minister for Urban Development, that there was a "political conspiracy" in gang rape, the plea said that an FIR be registered against him as the statement "substantially outrageous" the "modesty" the victims and their family.



The plea has also sought "appropriate damages" for the victims besides a direction that the state and others, including the DGP, be stopped from infringing fundamental right to life of the victims.



"Direct the respondents (State Home Secretary, Khan, DGP and SSP of Bulandshahr) to pay the appropriate damages to the petitioner as per the Law," the plea said.



It also alleged that police did come for help despite victims making several distress calls on helpline number.



"The victim dialed 100 number after the incident to seek help from the police but it did not help at all," it said, adding "Direct registration of an FIR against erring police officials for disobeying directions of law in the present case."



The plea said, "Azam Khan, Minister for Urban Development of UP called a press conference and publicly insulted the petitioner by terming the entire incident as a political conspiracy only and nothing else and thereby caused various acts and deeds being substantially outrageous to the modesty of the petitioner."



It said that six members of the family were travelling from Noida to Shahjahanpur on national highway-91 when they were waylaid, assaulted and robbed.



The offenders, who were hiding behind the bushes, emerged and took the family at gunpoint and forced the father of the victim to take the vehicle off the road, it said.



The mother-daughter duo were ravished barely 100 meters away from the police post, it said, adding that the offenders snatched cash to the tune of Rs 36,000 and some jewellery from the victims.


India today raised with China its blocking of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar's banning by the UN as well as Beijing's opposition to India's NSG membership bid for which the two sides agreed to have a meeting soon between their top disarmament officials.





External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during their talks, also decided to put in place a new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries to discuss various aspects of bilateral ties which have witnessed strain in the recent past.



Swaraj also conveyed to Wang, India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during the three-hour-long discussion including over lunch.



They reviewed the situation on the border and discussed further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity.



Earlier in the day, Wang also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a number of issues were discussed during the 20-minute-long meeting.



"Lengthy discussion were held on India's NSG membership. Swaraj outlined importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21. India offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that the DGs of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon," official sources said.



China had scuttled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), evoking a strong reaction from India.



India had said China was the only country that put a road block to its NSG membership. Swaraj also raised the issue of China blocking India's efforts to get JeM chief Azhar, mastermind of the Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks, banned by the UN.



"China's technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UNSC 1267 Committee was also taken up. China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism," the sources said.



They said the situation on the border was also reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity were discussed.



"A new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries agreed to discuss ties," the sources said.



The sources said the issue of South China Sea was not brought up by China in the talks.



They said Swaraj and Wang focussed on bilateral issues, regional and global developments besides preparations for the BRICS summit which will be held in Goa in October.



In his call on with Modi, Wang briefed him on G20 Summit to be held in China in September.



"The Prime Minister conveyed his greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping," the sources said.



They said overall, the discussions between the two sides were held in a "positive, constructive and open spirit", adding that the progress in bilateral ties was reviewed, as also "challenges on some recent issues".



The sources said there was a positive assessment of expanding investments during the talks as well the need for more cooperation in the infrastructure sector was emphasised.



The two sides also talked about the need for easier visas, greater tourism and expanded cultural, academic and civil society interactions.



Regional and international issues including implications of Brexit, situation in the Korean Peninsula, UN Security Council and forthcoming summits of G20, East Asia and BRICS figured in the talks between Swaraj and Wang.



Wang had arrived in Goa yesterday on a three-day visit to India. He had met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and discussed about preparations for the BRICS summit. The Chinese Foreign Minister arrived here last night.
The Bones of Grace

Tahmima Anam

Penguin

2016, pp 407

Rs 399





No wonder you were lost. With nothing to resist, you floated like a fallen leaf. Thus does this novels protagonist, Zubaida Haque, describe, in this retrospective narrative, her first impressions of Elijah Strong, her new American friend (and eternal love).



Bangladeshi-British writer Tahmima Anams writing is redolent with imagery; she has just come out with her third novel, an epic culmination to her Bengal Trilogy, which chronicles three generations of the Haque family, right from the 1971 Bangladesh War for Independence to the present day. Yet, this is also a stand-alone book, very much like her earlier novels. Fittingly, at the conclusion of this book, one does get the urge to explore Anams earlier works.



The enigmatically titled new book, The Bones of Grace, is more diverse in its setting: Cambridge (Massachusetts, USA), Dubai, Pakistan, Bangladesh (Dhaka and Chittagong). And it all pours out, in the form of a book-long confessional love letter, from the tortured heart, mind and soul of Zubaida, a marine paleontologist graduate from Harvard. Her breathless apologies, explanations and revelations are addressed to Elijah, the privileged American-philosophy-doctorate dropout she encounters in a Cambridge concert hall. A meeting of twin souls, it would seem, as the two connect fervently through the week, before she leaves for an archaeological dig in Pakistans insurgency-hit Baloch desert region. Im going to dig out a whale fossil... Ambulocetus natans, the walking whale, she informs, even as they exchange small details  her adoptive birth and lifelong-seeking, their matching solitary personas, and her childhood friend cum probable fiance, Rashid. They part, promising to be in touch through song-title-text messages.



The dig happens, the fossilised whale (Diana) uncovered, and it ends suddenly due to some harsh geopolitical truths. Zubaida is back home in Dhaka, to the gentlemanly and self-assured Rashid, besides their respective parents. Well-off and lifelong friends all, the inevitable wedding takes place. A mundane year of marriage and a miscarriage later, Zubaida is bound for Chittagong in a self-imposed, temporary isolation, finding happiness through her work with an NGO and a team of ship-breakers, and documenting exploited human existence of the most desperate sort. Even amid the environmental spoilage caused by the ship-breaking industry, she manages to find beauty and poetry. A decommissioned cruise ship, Grace, is ready for breaking. Anam writes: The curve of the ship began to appear, and now we could see the gleam of the hull, a poem of curves rising... and suddenly it was before us... white, immense, violent.



Zubaida has a premonition that this majestic condemned ship is home to mysteries and treasures beyond her comprehension. She is right. Among other factors, the Chittagong interlude draws into Zubaidas circle a young boy; Mo, a grand piano; Anwar, the man from Dubai in search of his lost beloved Megna; and Elijah, again. This fact changes the course of Zubaidas sombre existence. And even while Zubaida loses, she gains. Strange are the ways of fate.



The story ambles along, languorously at first and then in a surprising rush, revealing by stages and making connections. The novels main voice is Zubaidas, but there is also an extremely interesting and powerful chapter devoted to Anwar, the man who left behind his love in Dhaka, endured the dust and despair of high-rise Dubai, experienced the highs and lows of construction hell, returned, searched for his lost love, suffered, and ultimately became the instrument of another haunted souls salvation.



Its a well-crafted story. The author makes acute observations on life in the affluent West as contrasted with the survival-mode East. But her narrators voice also makes it clear that Elijah and Zubaida have connected, because they both have felt alone in their respective families. Then there is a fair amount of information on relevant topics like fossils and their evolutionary status. Interestingly, Zubaida identifies herself with the amphibian fossil. And there is satire, as befits a story set against conflicting societies.



Initially, a few factors  the near-soporific pace, the complex sentences  did work against the book. There is also a surreal air to it occasionally. But Anam is an accomplished writer, and one soon finds oneself involved with the characters fates. The well-etched characters are just humans, not caricatures. The writer is quick to make use of situations that lend themselves to humour: Molly, like a lot of women of her stature, used religious words like punctuation. There is more of this sort, enough to lighten the mood of a sumptuous, grand climax to a trilogy. Worth a patient read; even two.


Bearys Cultural Forum (BCF), United Arab Emirates, will conduct a career guidance symposium, will distribute scholarships, wheelchairs and sewing machine at Loyola Hall in St Aloysius PU College campus on August 14.





BCF scholarship committee vice president M E Mooluru said a career guidance programme will be held at 9.30 am. MLA J R Lobo will inaugurate, BCF, UAE, president Dr B K Yusuf will preside, MUDA chairman Ibrahim Kodijal will deliver the keynote address, DK district Wakf Advisory Committee chairman S M Rasheed Haji, Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy president B A Muhammed Hanif and MCC commissioner Mohammed Nazir will be the chief guests.



The scholarship meet and distribution of wheelchair and sewing machines will be held at 2.30 pm. BCF chief advisor Zafarullah Khan will inaugurate, BCF president Dr B K Yusuf will preside, Yenepoya University chancellor Y Abdulla Kunhi will deliver the keynote address, Fiza Group of Companies, Bengaluru, chairman B M Farookh will take part. Meanwhile, Star of Bearys 2016 Award will be conferred on Al Muzain Co., Junail, KSA, chairman Zakariya Jokatte.



He further said that scholarships of a total amount of Rs 25 lakh will be distributed among 600 students. Around 25 wheelchairs and 25 sewing machines will also be distributed.
With a view to explore India and its myriad colours, a citizen of Australia has purchased an autorickshaw and is driving it to various parts of the country.





Arron James Attard from Penrith, New South Wales, arrived at Chennai and purchased an auto rickshaw to explore the country to the fullest. From Chennai, he travelled to Bengaluru and Mysuru and was in Mangaluru in three days, having crossed a distance of 750 km.



I have visa for three months and will explore all parts of the country for the time, before heading to Chennai to leave for my country, Attard told Deccan Herald.



Instead of being a mere tourist, I want to be a traveller and want to experience everything. As a tourist one visits a particular place and then leaves the place. The travel in an autorickshaw is challenging; at the same time, it is the most reliable mode of transport. The hawkers, and the motorists were bewildered seeing a foreigner behind the wheels of a brightly painted autorickshaw and were questioning me on my journey, he said.



Speaking on the travel from Chennai to Mangaluru, he said, The three-day trip was unlike anything else I have experienced. The culture, tradition, language, food, dressing style varies in India from village to village and town to town. The North Indian culture is totally different from that of South India. I want to experience every aspect of the country, he said with a smile on his face.



No problem



Concurring that India is a land where different religions and caste co-exist, Arron said that, in Australia, the prominent religion is Christianity. The people in India are friendly and are ready to help those who need of it. I did not face any problem anywhere during my travel. There is variety of food in vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, which are spicy to savour in India. Although I did not taste all the food, I am hopeful of tasting at least a few in the next three months in India.



Attard also marvelled at the architectural magnificence of palaces, temples and historical structures, which were built several centuries ago and make us wonder over the craftsmanship of the artisans of those era. Unless one experiences, one will not get a feel of these architectural wonders of India, he insisted.



Asked to comment on his experience in Mangaluru, he said that city is busy, coupled with greenery and beaches. In Mangaluru, he visited Sulthan Battery, Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple, Kadri Temple and Aloysius Chapel before leaving for Udupi.
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel directed the district health officer to instruct private medical colleges to depute doctors at least thrice a week to primary health centres to attend to cases related to vector-borne diseases.





He gave the directions following reports of vacancy of medical officers in the PHCs in the district. Speaking at the Dakshina Kannada District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting here on Saturday, he said that as the number of vector-borne diseases has come down, the private medical college doctors or postgraduate medical students should be asked to visit at least thrice a week.



The MP directed the deputy commissioner to convene a meeting of private medical colleges to discuss the issue. If they fail to depute doctors, then the authorities should initiate action against such medical colleges as rural service is mandatory, warned Kateel.



DHO Dr Ramakrishna said that, out of 67 PHCs in the district, 10 posts of critical vacancies are lying vacant.



The official said that the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) deals with awareness creation about the harmful effects of tobacco use and about the Tobacco Control Laws.



The district will get a grant of Rs 39 lakh under the programme. A district Tobacco Control Cell will have to be constituted along with the setting up of Tobacco Cessation Centre at district hospital.



The official said that, under National Urban Health Mission, seven PHCs have been sanctioned to Mangaluru. The land for five buildings has been identified and an estimate has been sent to the government for approval. We have written to the additional DC for sanctioning land for two buildings at Kulshekar and Kunjathbail, he clarified.



Vigilance committee



The MP directed the ZP CEO to constitute a vigilance committee comprising members of the district Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, to inspect the works undertaken under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). This is to ensure that the funds are not embezzled under the scheme. The committee can inspect at least five works in each taluks, said Kateel.



Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary Umesh said that, under the MGNREGS, Rs 20.58 crore has been utilised in the district. Labourers who complete 100 days of work under the MGNREGS will be given 10-day skill training programme.



Housing scheme



Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesh directed all the urban local bodies (ULBs) and gram panchayats to prepare comprehensive lists of financially weak families, who do not have houses, under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.



The last date for submitting the applications seeking houses is August 31. There is a need to give wide publicity for the housing scheme, he said, and also directed the ULBs to conduct surveys of households that do not have toilets and submit reports within a week.



Under Swacch Bharath mission, a total of 464 applications have been received by the authorities seeking funds to construct toilets, of which, 296 applications have been approved and 132 toilets have been completed.



Koragas



To a query on five Koraga families residing in a pathetic condition at Sulkeri in Belthangady, the deputy commissioner directed the ITDP official to build confidence in the families that they will not be evicted. The five Koraga families will not be asked to vacate unless they have been given land to construct houses by the authorities.



The official said that the Koraga family was residing in Shirlalu in the past and after eviction they came to Sulkeri.
Social Democratic Party of Indias (SDPI) city unit secretary Mustafa on Saturday reminded BJP workers of an act that supports slaughtering of animals for food.





Addressing mediatresses here, Mustafa said there is a provision to kill animals for food according to an act introduced in 1966. It is also applicable to Kodagu and the BJP leaders are coming out with baseless statements without having a knowledge of the act, he charged.



Mustafa said according to statistics, India ranked top in the export of beef during 2014-15. Incidentally, a BJP legislator in Uttar Pradesh himself is a beef exporter. So also, four firms involved in same business in other parts of the country are owned by a particular community, he claimed.



He charged that the BJP, hiding all such facts, is creating chaos and confusion, besides indulging in attacking innocent dalits and minority community people.Mustafa suggested measures to check the cow slaughtering racket by legalising it with licence.



He also defended the speech of SDPI district unit president Ameen Mohsin on the issue at protest staged recently. He criticised that the BJP, which has no issues to fight the local body election, is engaged in a rift in the society.



MLA Apacchu Ranjan lacks concern towards development of the district. He is still unable to take up works on building private bus stand, Mustafa said.



Standing Committee president at Madikeri City Municipal Council Mansoor Ali said, Food habits have the backing of Constitution of India.
The Commercial Street police arrested three persons, including two women, who in the guise of customers, would make away with gold ornaments from jewellery showrooms.





According to the police, the arrested are Aliya Begum (67), her daughter Sabeeha Banu (50) and her grandson Imran Khan (20), all residents of Saraipalya near Manyata Tech Park in North Bengaluru. The police have recovered gold ornaments weighing 113 grams from the suspects. The prime accused, Musrath Banu, is absconding.



The women would visit jewellery showrooms wearing burqa. They would tell the staff that they had to purchase gold ornaments for a relatives wedding. While the staff showed them the gold ornaments, the accused would divert their attention and slip the ornaments into their hand bags.



They would then tell the staff that they were not satisfied with the designs and leave the place. It is only at the time of returning the ornaments to the showcase that the employees would realise that the women had made away with the valuables, said the police.



During the investigation, the CCTV footage from the showrooms were examined. But the face of the women could not be seen as they were clad in burqas. However, one woman had a mole near her eye. The police checked the records for accused with similar modus operandi.



They found Sabeeha Banu who was previously arrested in similar cases. They picked her up for questioning and she confessed to committing the crime. Based on her information, Begum and Khan were also arrested.



With their arrest, two cases in Commercial Street and one in RT Nagar police stations have been solved, added the police.
As many as 296 students from the MBA and MTech batches of PES University, Bengaluru were conferred their degrees at the first convocation of PES University on Saturday.





Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala presented gold medals to rank holders at the convocation ceremony. In his speech he advised students to follow the path of honesty and humility. He asked them to always strive for excellence. He emphasised that there is a need to realise the power of youth in India, and use them for technological and societal growth.



He also urged the students to remain focused in their scholarly pursuits and uphold the Indian values of righteousness and respect towards parents and teachers.



M R Doreswamy, University Chancellor announced plans of starting new academic programmes in commerce, economics, law, mass communication, media management and medicine. He also highlighted the achievement of the university which is indigenously developing a satellite that will be launched by ISRO in the coming months.
One distinguishing feature of the BJP-led government at the Centre has been its stress on the use of technology to improve governance.



After initial misgivings, the government has whole-heartedly embraced the Aadhaar identification system as an effective means for targeted delivery of subsidies and other services directly to intended beneficiaries. Government ministries now use social media for their outreach, and also to seek suggestions and feedback on their performance.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself uses Twitter and Facebook to connect directly, not just to citizens, but also to a wider global audience. However, perhaps the most ambitious digital initiative of the government has been the launch of MyGov.in, a portal aimed at ensuring citizens participation in governance.



Launched in July 2014, the portal describes itself as a platform that brings the government closer to the common man by creating an interface for healthy exchange of ideas and views involving the common citizen and experts with the ultimate goal to contribute to the social and economic transformation of India.



Through discussion groups, task forums and blogs the portal solicits suggestions directly from citizens on a variety of topics with the objective of using them as inputs for both policy formulation and policy implementation.



The portal also seeks suggestions from the public on draft legislation, and provides a platform for citizens to contribute ideas for meeting the grand challenges that the government has identified, such as the Swach Bharath Abhiyan.



The Prime Ministers recent townhall meeting where he interacted with some of those who had provided suggestions on the MyGov platform provided a glimpse of its potential.



Participation and empowerment

Encouraging citizens to participate directly in their governance is not a new concept. It has been tried out earlier in many countries, including India.



The Participatory Budget policy implemented by the Workers Party in the Brazilian state of Puetro Alegro in 1989, involved public discussion forums where people debated, discussed and contributed to decisions on how local-government capital budgets would be spent.



Closer home, the Peoples Plan initiative launched in Kerala in 1996 aimed to decentralise power over utilisation of devolved resources directly to the people so that they could use it to address local development needs and priorities. However, the MyGov initiative is much more ambitious in scope, aiming to involve citizens nation-wide in finding solutions to problems, both national and local.



Studies of such initiatives have pointed out some clear benefits. It enhances public engagement with the government and generates a sense of empowerment in those who participate. In democracies, where electorates are disenchanted with democratic processes, because their elected representatives often represent narrow sectional interests rather than broader societal concerns, such initiatives can get citizens to re-engage with governance processes. However, there are the inevitable pitfalls as well.



Three challenges

Successful design of online initiatives is a complex process that needs constant redesign to keep up with changing expectations and fast-paced technological change. It also needs to address the three most critical challenges facing such initiatives  recognition, implementation, and inclusion.



Once citizens contribute ideas and solutions they expect to see the most innovative and feasible ones being recognised and implemented. However, ministries and departments that have failed to provide solutions in the past are usually incapable of identifying innovative ideas or implementing solutions. Failures of public systems are often attributable to entrenched political and bureaucratic elites who have built up their power and privileges over many decades.



They are usually hostile to ideas that ensure effective utilisation of resources since it undermines their ability to earn private profit from public funds. Unless such power structures are broken, bright and innovative ideas will remain mere ideas, and those who contribute will soon become disenchanted and disengage from the process.



The problem is compounded by the fact that many of the areas where innovative ideas and effective implementation can have the most visible impact on peoples lives  clean cities, rural roads, better public health services, better schools are not controlled directly by the Centre, but by state and local governments, not all of whom have embraced such initiatives. More traditional mechanism to ensure better governance, such as citizens movements to ensure greater transparency in government functioning, social audits of implementation of government programmes, and initiatives by social welfare organisations, NGOs and private trusts to supplement government welfare efforts are likely to remain relevant for a long time to come.



There are two facets to the third challenge that the initiative faces, the challenge of inclusion. The first is overcoming the digital divide. While the dramatic expansion of mobile networks has indeed connected the nation to an extent unimaginable even a decade ago, digital inclusion is still very much work in progress. Digital initiatives resonate with the urban middle-classes, but have limited appeal in rural communities.



The digital divide means that platforms such as MyGov appeal to only a small section of the population. Ideas for change and suggestions for improvement from those who are digitally excluded will still have to come through more traditional grass-root political processes.



The second aspect of the problem is that of getting those who have the requisite technical and managerial expertise to actively engage in online discussions. Current issues on which the government is seeking suggestions include improving the quality of mobile telephone services and for enhancing efficiency of coal distribution.



A quick look through some of the suggestions made on the portal indicate that many see this as a forum for lodging complaints or for stating the obvious. There are numerous complaints about call drops and poor network coverage in the forum on mobile phone services. The section on improving coal transportation has suggestions to reduce coal use, shift to renewable energy and to improve the calorific value of coal. There are some technical suggestions as well and many of these might actually contain the seeds of bright and innovative ideas which deserve recognition and implementation. Moderated online discussions which enable more focussed interactions might be more efficient at generating ideas than completely open forums.



Grand challenges to grand prizes

While the problems of solving grand challenges such as ensuring a Swach Bharat or a Zero Call-Drop National Network through such online platforms are evident, there is another section of the website that can ensure more limited, but perhaps more creative and effective popular participation. Contests hosted on the website include those for Composition of an Inspiring Youth Anthem and Designing an E-Greeting Card for Raksha Bandhan.



It is likely that such national competitions hosted on the MyGov platform will capture the imagination of creative individuals, just like the competition to design the symbol for the Indian rupee did in 2009.



While the prize money for such competitions is not huge, the prospect of national recognition will undoubtedly help nurture creative individuals.



Such grand prizes have much greater appeal and ensure better quality participation because they focus creative energies on a single achievable goal. The problem with grand challenges is that there are no quick solutions, however creative they are.



Modern technology will have to be adopted to complement more traditional political, social and bureaucratic processes to solve them. This is not going to be an easy task, even for the current government.



(The author is Professor of Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Views expressed are his own and not those of IIM Calcutta)
A 47-year-old woman was killed while her husband and two children were injured after their car rear-ended a highway patrol vehicle near Mathikere village in Channapatna on Mysuru Road in the early hours of Saturday.





Bhanumathi, a lab technician, died on her way to hospital, while her husband Murugan and their son Harandev and daughter Harini were injured. They are residents of Chennai and had come to the city to attend a function, They were on their way to Mysuru to visit a relative when the incident took place, said the police.



According to the police, around 6 am, Murugan, who was driving, failed to notice the slow-moving patrol vehicle, and rear-ended it. Due to the impact, the car toppled and Bhanumathi suffered serious injuries while the others escaped with minor injuries.



Passersby shifted them to a nearby hospital where Bhanumathi was declared brought dead while Murugan, Harandev and Harini were treated for minor injuries and are in a stable condition.



A senior police officer said, Murugan, who was at the wheel, might have dozed off and failed to notice the patrol vehicle. He tried to steer the car to the left and hit the vehicle from behind. The car toppled and rolled over and was completely damaged. The two police personnel in the patrol vehicle were not injured. A case has been registered in Channapatna rural police station.
The indefinite protest launched against Bosch Ltd India, by its employees on termination of their service, will complete a year on August 14.





The company had sacked 263 technicians in 2015. The employees have been protesting against the companys decision. They are also demanding that the company reinstate them, by regularising their service.



A protesting employee, Prakash, alleged that the company had decided to remove them because they had completed around 10 years of service and were eligible to become regular employees. Former Labour minister P T Parameshwar Naik and present Labour Minister Santosh Lad had directed the management to resolve the issue but in vain.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has sent across a strong message that property buyers should not rely upon approvals given by the government agencies. Instead, check the revenue records on their own to verify the topographical details.





Even though the Palike, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and other planning authorities are the arms of the state government, BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad denies any deliberate wrong-doing.



He explains, The government has not committed any fraud on the people. It is some officials who connived with the builders and cheated people. The government has no role in it.



Apparently, BBMP has shrugged off its responsibility even as a major humanitarian crisis stares at many families, who will be rendered homeless in the wake of the large-scale demolitions.



Prasad contends that these houses were demolished as they had come up on government stormwater drains. When that being the case (houses on drains), these house owners will be treated as encroachers. Permissions were given by the fraudulent officers and builders. We are punishing them, he says.



Compensation to the property losers is not something that the financially ailing BBMP has on its agenda. It is the duty of the property buyers not to just rely upon the approvals given by the (competent) authorities. They should also go through the revenue records to see whether the property is on government land such as stormwater drains and lakes, Prasad points out.

BBMP's double standard



The Palike has set aside the BDA's Master Plan and the approvals given by the Authoritys officers. It has relied upon village maps, although a High Court ruling in 2012 says geographical details such as stormwater drains in the revenue records do not have any value if these details are not mentioned in the master plan.



Since the case pertained to a powerful builder, BBMP did not appeal against the order. A legal expert in the Palike points out, The demolition drive itself is illegal until the BBMP gets a favourable order against the High Court ruling.



Property owners who are particularly hit by the ongoing demolition drive are those who cannot afford legal assistance, a costly and time-consuming affair.
When BJP president Amit Shah remained unyielding in favour of Vijay Rupani for the chief ministership of Gujarat, it stunned many, even those within the party. For only a few hours earlier, it seemed clear that Nitin Patel would don the mantle that Anandiben Patel had laid down. Nitin Patel had even accepted peoples congratulations and given interviews to the media. But there was a method in Shahs madness. The new chief minister Rupani has been Shahs and Prime Minister Narendra Modis man from day one, and would move in step with them in Modis home state.





It is an open secret that there was no love lost between Shah and Anandiben. And the BJP chief, it is said, had wanted her replaced. Anandiben, who, according to some, broke down at the meeting where Rupanis name was finalised, had hinted that it was the people inside the party who tried to destabilise her.



Though a confidante of the prime minister who gave her the top job in Gujarat after he moved to Delhi, Anandiben knew her days were numbered. Around six months ago, when she visited Delhi, she had told a group of women journalists that she would not be leading the party in the next elections. After the party lost the civic body elections in rural areas to the Congress last winter (this was preceded by the Patidar rebellion which rocked Gujarat), Anandiben was buying time till this November when she would turn 75, the age when Modi wants BJP leaders to become margdarshaks. But the Una incident in which Dalits were thrashed for skinning cows, came as the opportunity the BJP top brass was waiting for.



Having promised to deliver his home state to Modi once again, the Gujarat electoral battle has now become Shahs baby directly, making him that much more accountable. And one of the challenges that the BJP president will face comes from within the party. Anandiben has made it clear that she is not interested in going anywhere, but would continue to work in Gujarat. The earlier buzz was that she would be sent as governor to one of the larger states, out of troubles way. The BJP cannot forget how the silent rebellion from within cost the party dearly in Delhi and Bihar polls, when the local leadership, not given their due, remained dormant.



Apart from being a Shah protege, Rupani has come through the RSS ranks and was made the Gujarat party chief by Shah, while the other reason for choosing him was his caste-neutral image. The new chief minister is a Jain, a small community in Gujarat, and can be expected to reach out to all castes. Rupani is a man without angularities, known for his skills to take everyone along. He may not create a non-Patel backlash, which the elevation of a Patel might have done, and the BJP will undoubtedly try and woo afresh the OBCs and Dalits, apart from doing damage control amongst the Patidars, though this is not going to be easy.



The BJP suffers from a 15-year anti-incumbency in Gujarat and also does not have a Narendra Modi at the helm. The party has been rapidly losing ground. If elections were held today for state Assembly, say many, it may get only 25-40 seats (out of 182). On the other hand, the Congress has been on the upswing, though it does not have a charismatic face to lead the elections, and polls are increasingly becoming presidential in character. Much will also depend on what mistakes the Congress makes between now and December 2017 (when Assembly elections are due), and on how much of a wild card the Aam Aadmi Party, which is seriously eyeing Gujarat, proves to be.



What is going for the Shah-Modi-Rupani team is that they are workaholics and 24x7 politicians known for their killer instinct, qualities that the Congress has failed to demonstrate in a sustained manner. And yet, the BJP is on a slippery slope, and has lost the support of three large and politically influential communities: the Patels, around 15% of the population, who stayed by its side since 1995; the Muslims, who have not been with the BJP; and, the Dalits, who constitute 7% (though there are also those who converted to Christianity). A section of the Dalits voted for Modi in the 2012 Assembly elections and in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and they have often been the front guard of the Hindutva forces in Gujarat.



That thousands of protesting Dalits should hit the streets of Ahmedabad after the flogging of youths from the community in Una, had its own story to tell about their disenchantment with the BJP. Modis emotional words, attack me but not my Dalit brothers, showed how much importance the prime minister attaches to placating the Dalits today.



The Patidar problem

The BJP leadership hopes to cool the Patel anger by evolving a middle path on the reservation issue that has agitated them. It has already appealed to the Supreme Court against the High Court order striking down the state governments ordinance to give 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections, as a sop to the Patels. The Gujarat government could look at an economic package for them, if the Supreme Court decides to endorse the lower courts verdict.



The Patidars are a powerful peasant community but they feel left out in the race for modern professions and for the states industrialisation. Their unrest points to a deeper crisis afflicting Gujarat today and its model of development that was lauded all round in 2014.



The Shah-Rupani duo can be expected to drive a wedge in the Patidar movement and wean away those around Hardik Patel. The BJP leadership calculates that ultimately, most Patels would have to return to the BJP fold, for it is not as if the Congress is promising them the moon. For all of Keshubhai Patels anger and rebellion against Modi, when push came to shove, the Patels remained by Modis side in the 2012 and 2014 elections. The trouble is that 2016 is not 2012 or 2014.



Gujarat is a high stake election for the BJP for the simple reason that the prime minister comes from Gujarat. If he loses his own state, his leadership may not remain as invincible as it is today. But much depends on what also happens in Punjab, UP and Uttarakhand, where elections will be held next year before Gujarat.



In some ways, it is UP - Modis adopted state as he contested from Varanasi  that has become more critical for the BJPs future trajectory, its position in Parliament and in its preparation for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.



BJP strategy to counter perception of being anti-Dalit

*Play out PM Narendra Modi's condemnation of attacks on Dalits by fake cow protectors and his statement shoot me, not my Dalit brothers

*Project NDA government's pro-poor Dalit economic empowerment since Modi had earlier urged SC entrepreneurs to become job givers than job seekers. Under Stand Up scheme, it is mandatory for each bank to give loan between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore to at least one Dalit.

*Aggressively counter opposition attack on hate crimes against Dalits to minimise its impact ahead of assembly polls in UP, Punjab and Gujarat.

*Expose BSP chief Mayawati on plight of Dalits during her tenure as UP CM. BJP charges that Mayawati in her earlier stint as CM had reduced instances of crime

covered under Prevention of Atrocities Act against SCs.



Winners of Dalits trust  BSP? Cong? Left?AAP?

*Different regional parties stand to gain political mileage with Congress failing to take the lead nationally on recent bouts of hate crimes against Dalits.

For instance: in Uttar Pradesh, BSP seems better positioned to consolidate Jatavs which is the caste of Mayawati since they are the victims of cow vigilantism. She is trying to lure back non-Jatav SCs who had voted for the BJP in UP during the 2014 LS elections.

*In Gujarat, the Dalits, who protested public flogging of SC youth in Una by cow protectors, will have no choice but to side with the Congress in the absence of other

parties in the fray.

*In Punjab, AAP appears to be making a dent into Dalit votes with its pro-poor and anti-corruption politics to unseat SAD-BJP government.





(The writer is a political commentator based in New Delhi)






A writer and an entrepreneur, Chandra Bhan Prasad, is a known Dalit face who does not minces words when it comes to the atrocities heaped on the underprivileged class. He is also one of the founders of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. With Dalits increasingly becoming targets across the country, Prasad sat with Shemin Joy of Deccan Herald to analyse the happenings.



Are the Dalits scared now or are they finding their feat and saying enough is enough?

During my childhood, if I recall, Dalits were rarely physically attacked. They were just insulted. Abuse was enough to control an entire Dalit hamlet. Elderly (Dalit) villagers would go to the landlords and their sons and apologise, saying their son will not repeat the mistakes that they said the youth had committed. They always used to be apologetic. That was 40 years ago.



The new generation Dalits, who uses smart phones, do not suffer atrocities and insults silently. They fight back instantly by arguing, confronting and looking straight into the eyes of those who target them. That is what is causing panic among the upper castes, OBCs as well because they do not have any memory about Dalits standing up to them. They dont have the experience of Dalits shouting back at them. So this boils their blood.

There is international parallel to it. Slavery was officially abolished by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. If you follow American history, after the Emancipation Declaration, the term that entered the American vocabulary was lynching. Lynching of blacks followed after blacks were freed and slavery was ended. Before that, they were somebody's property. So only the owner would hit the slave. Owner would not hit the slave so hard because he was his property and has to take care of him, spent on medicines and all. He also has to make him work.



Post economic reforms, a sizeable section, say 10-15 per cent Hindus, had been undergoing a process of radicalisation. After 2014 Lok Sabha elections, some thought that it is a verdict for change, a verdict for Narendra Modi, it is a verdict for development, making India prosperous, making India surpass the US in terms of GDP and strength. But 10-15 per cent radicalised Hindus thought that the verdict is to bring past and caste back. This is the same way in which a section of white supremacists in the US sincerely believed that slavery can be brought back. Groups like Ku Klux Kan sprang up. In India, a significant section, 10-15 per cent caste Hindus, sincerely believe that Modi government can help them bring back caste and past. They think Dalits are going out of their hands.



So their anger has been accumulating. Now they want to teach Dalits a lesson. They cannot catch urban Dalits. They cannot catch politicised Dalits in villages. So the idea is to attack the Dalit underclass and attack at all-India level. This cow protection movement is an all India phenomenon that could never happen unless there is an all India organisation backing them, mentoring them. And it is no suspense. It is Sangh Parivar, which is behind the cow protectors. Now they are saying there are two types of cow protectors  original and duplicate. How can there be duplicate cow protectors? Sangh Parivar says there are criminals who are sheltering behind cow protectors and doing all these crime. So the duplicate can be dealt with by law enforcers. They can withdraw silently because they do not have ideological commitments to cow. What about original cow protectors? They have commitment to cows, they have commitment to religion. They are nostalgic about caste and past. It is a two-way fight. Earlier Dalits tolerated. Today Dalits are confronting. You see the violence more. We could not think of a Rohith Vemula 40 years ago. A Dalit boy could have committed suicide and people would have just said suicide, suicide. That's all. But Dalits are now asking questions.



Do you think the incidents like Una in Gujarat are an attempt to assert on Dalits by cutting off their economic independence? Is it an attempt at the grassroot to check the growth of assertiveness among Dalits?

It is like you had child labourers. It is like you have a factory where 500 children are working. All of a sudden the doors and windows are opened and one by one start running way. The conservative caste Hindu, the Sangh Parivar variety which is essentially Modi's key constituency, has become Dalit phobic. They feel Dalits will challenge them one day and they need to control before that. Somehow control them. That is the idea. Use state power, use religious power, use muscle power, use even money power so that they dont get out of control.



You are a Dalit entrepreneur. You know what it to be economically important? How important is to become economically important?

It is very extremely important. Then only your dependence on caste system goes. As long as you are dependent, you cannot assert. Only when you are independent, you can target caste system. Now Dalits are into food business, Dalits are into manufacturing, service sector. Post globalisation, there is a market confronting society now.

Howsoever, big landlord you may be, howsoever physically big you are, howsoever sharp your moustache could be, if you enter a market to buy a mobile phone or an ice cream , you need money. Unless you have money, the market does not recognise you. All your social status has no meaning then. If he has money, an ordinary man can go and buy mobile phone or ice cream. It doesnt matter his size or colour. That is the market all about. This has traumatised caste Hindu society that has been going on radicalisation. I call them caste supremacists.



You have plans to open an e-food supply chain and you say you would sell beef through it. What was the reason behind it?

North India does not have a beef culture. Lets keep that aside. There are various factors. I want to pose a moral question to the society. So far, Dalits have not entered food business in a big way. They are into many businesses but food business is a new area. Food adulteration is a big issue. It is so difficult to find spices, milk and ghee that are not adulterated. The question I am asking is  Dalits are not into food business, they are socially impure, but who is causing impurity in food? Arent those the ones considered socially pure? India's food business, people agree, is highly adulterated. There is no need to do a huge survey to find out who does food business in India. They are of course the upper caste. They say they are people who are born pure. But they are selling impure food. So we are taking the lead, telling people to enter food business and sell only pure products. This in a way I am trying to look straight into the eyes of the society. The way the Dalits youth are doing now. I am inspired by the Dalit youths, who are looking straight into the eyes of the society.



Do you think the upper cast people are deciding what you should eat, what you should do?

I have been asked several times by fellow Dalits how come we could not rebel for thousands of years. What would have been the cause? Well, I said I am not that big mind to tell what would have been the causes. But my own childhood experiences would tell that control over Dalits tummy, that is taste, was the key to Dalits subjugation for ages and ages. Maharashtra government was telling the Bombay High Court that they may extend the beef ban to goat meat and chicken also, for a few months of the year. Here in Noida, we keep hearing the demand to ban meat business during festivals. Dalits have never said ban vegetables during festivals. Dalits have never said you should eat this vegetable or that vegetable. Since wages were given in kind before, Dalits could not eat what they wanted to eat. Dalits ate what the upper castes gave. Now Dalits are getting paid in cash because they are migrating to cities, they are working in factories, they are entering service sector. So they have cash in their hand. They are eating chicken, those who want to eat beef they are eating beef. The society, the caste Hindu stream, they challenge this. Dalits are saying that they will eat whatever they want. You cant control my tummy. You cant control my taste. This also frustrates a section of caste Hindu population that is so nostalgic about past and caste.



BJP and the rest of the Sangh Parivar talk about integrating the Hindu-fold. Do you think Dalits enjoy a place of importance in BJP's scheme of things?

Sangh Parivar is fearful of Dalits. It is fearful of Dalits and they want to integrate Dalits with their agenda  how nice you people are, you know, that meat eating is not good for the society, you are so neat and clean, you know Ramayana was written by so and so. So, before Dalits joined hands with other social forces, they somehow want Dalits to join them under their conditions. The 2014 verdict was for development. The Sangh Parivar and their associates, including BJP, seriously think that it was a mandate endorsing their ideology. So there is a mismatch. And thats where India is in self conflict. Modi has no strong opposition. If at all he has any serious opposition, it is from Sangh Parivar. The Sangh Parivar thinks that it was a mandate for Hindu cultural nationalism. Modi thinks, and rightly, that it was a mandate for development. That is why in the past two years, these are things unfolding in different ways. I dont believe in theories of conspiracies and all those things, I think Modi now seriously feels threatened by his own people. Because he does not want to go down in the history, he knows that in democracies, nobody will be in power forever. So his past also will be examined by some people. So he does not want to go down in the history as a man who said something and did something else. So it was two years wrong and he is now facing the heat.



What kind of impact the incidents like Una will have on the Dalit support for BJP? Will such incidents change fortunes of BJP in Gujarat and other states like UP and Punjab?

I think UP has gone out of BJPs hands. You know, the message I get, the feedback I have from Uttar Pradesh (is that) the Dalits are saying the purpose of voting in the coming assembly elections is not to bring any party into power but to defeat BJP. So vote for those candidates who have the potential to defeat BJP candidates.

Leather skinning, skinning of dead cattle has been the traditional job for Dalits for ages. Now Dalits are withdrawing from it. The Una flogging has shocked the entire Dalit community.



PM Modi has finally made a remark on cow vigilantism. Was Modi late in reassuring Dalits who were targeted? Does Modis remarks on cow vigilantism and Dalits (target me, not Dalits) betray BJPs nervousness?

Of course he was late but nevertheless we welcome that.



Do you think that his speech was a breakaway from the Sangh Parivar brand of politics?

I think so. Not only Dalits future is at stake, but his own future is at stake now. Also given the larger Hindu mass, there is a sizeable section of Hindus who do not endorse this Hindutva kind of things. He is fearful that even the Hindus have abandoned him, the liberal kind of Hindus who voted for development.



Do you think that BJP can shrug off their anti-Dalit stand? What should they do?

They should read history books. And they should read about parallels to the Indian society. They should read about what is happening in South Africa. They should read about what happened in the US. After the World War II, the US became a super power, an unmatched super power. But their histories were red with bloodshed. It is the White America that has to fight. Now America is just fumbled about what to do. Now they are super power, they have military power, they are economic super power. The racial tensions are so sharp, people are fighting on the streets. Finally, the white America said to hell with white supremacy. Thats what Sangh Parivar and BJP should learn that past can never be brought back. The social institutions that declined can never be brought back. Poverty can come back, violence can come back, climate changes everything forever, but social institutions that declined can never reappear. This basic grammar of society is what the Sangh is unwilling to learn, it seems.


Member of the Anti-Land Grabbing Action Committee and freedom fighter H S Doreswamy on Saturday hailed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his stand in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive undertaken by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). However, he urged him to take stern action against the builders responsible for the mess.





Addressing a press conference in the city, Doreswamy said that finally the government and the civic agency have woken up and are taking action to clear encroachments on stormwater drains.



He said: "All these years, the government and the BBMP did not take action and this year, after the flash floods, they are finally taking action against encroachers. It is a good move. However, it is sad that action is not being taken against the main culprits, the builders and layout developers. The builders are responsible for constructing structures on lake beds and drains. They should be arrested immediately."



He questioned the government on why it should wait for the Koliwad committee report before acting. "It will take two to three months for the committee to submit the final report on illegal buildings on lake beds and drains, and make recommendations for demolition and stringent measures. Why cant the government take action now against realty developers and seize their properties?" he pointed out.



Voicing a similar opinion, convenor of the committee, A T Ramaswamy, added that lawyers from his committee had approached Karnataka Human Rights Commission on August 11. The commission had observed that temporary rehabilitation with basic facilities should be provided before displacement of residents.



Letter to SC



The committee has written to Chief Justice of India Justice T S Thakur to order a CBI investigation into the revelation made in the open court by Chief Justice of Karnataka Justice S K Mukherjee that he was offered a bribe in a land related case before his bench and for not taking action subsequently.
As many as 11,000 people will witness the Independence Day parade at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade ground in Bengaluru on Monday (August 15).





Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will unfurl the National Flag in the presence of Governor Vajubhai Vala at 9 am. The chief minister will receive the guard of honour from 2,000 people spread over 54 contingents of police, Scouts and Guides, National Cadet Corps, Seva Dal amongst others.



More than 2,000 children will present cultural programmes on the occasion, said BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad, who is also the chairperson of the Independence Day celebration committee.



Security has been tightened in the capital with the deployment of Garuda Commando Force, two platoons of Rapid Action Force and 40 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police. As many as 40 CCTV cameras have been installed around the venue, City Police Commissioner N S Megharik said.



The top cop said that there was no specific alert from the Intelligence agencies. Two bullet-proof vehicles, two commando vehicles and two bomb disposal squads have also been deployed while baggage scanners have been installed at all entry points.



Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) R Hitendra said that traffic and parking arrangements had been made around the venue. Manjunath Prasad said that disaster management cells comprising 10 doctors, 30 paramedical staff, ambulance and fire and emergency personnel will be deployed at the ground. Beds have also been reserved at the nearby hospitals, he added.
Principal adviser to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) E Sreedharan on Saturday felt that Bengaluru should ideally have a Metro network spread over 150 kilometres considering its 11 million population.





The government should set up a commission to find out reasons behind the delay in execution of the 42-km-long Namma Metro Phase I project. The implementing agency should let people know on why there is a delay. Complexity of geology is not the reason. I know things are not moving in the right direction but I do not want to comment about it, Sreedharan, who is credited with building the Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro, said.



Sreedharan, popularly known as Metro Man, was in the city to launch the Karnataka Chapter of Foundation for Restoration of National Values (FRNV), a non-profit organisation which he himself heads at the national level. He urged the government to speed up the Metro network within the city on a war-footing.



On introducing a suburban rail system, Sreedharan said: The state government should take the initiative to realise the project. Under the new policy, the state governments have to bear 51% of the total cost of railway projects, he said.



Sreedharan said the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) has a limited passenger-capacity and cannot be introduced unless roads are wide.



He mentioned that the newly formed NGO, which intends to work towards bringing in electoral and administrative reforms, would take different measures to make government departments more accountable.



On the delay in executing the Metro project, the foundation is free to file a public interest litigation (PIL) or Right to Information (RTI) petition. This would put the implementing agencies on their toes, he noted.



Earlier, at the FRNV programme, he said: Deterioration in the basic values of people is evident from the manner in which Parliament and state legislatures function and increase in corruption level.



The foundation would work towards instilling values among people, especially in schools, he said. V Vishwanath, convenor of Karnataka chapter of FRNV, was present on the occasion.
As tales of encounter killings and unexplained disappearances unfolded on the screen, families from Kashmir broke down and shed tears for their lost loved ones.





At an interaction conducted by Amnesty International at the United Theological College here on Saturday, some of the 50-odd cases of human rights violation by the Indian army in Jammu and Kashmir were discussed. Amnesty International prepared a report and started a petition in a project called Broken Families to seek justice and action against those in the Army guilty of the crimes.



Showkat Ahmad Khan recounted how his brother, Shahzad Ahmad Khan, accompanied a man to Machil, an area close to the Pakistan border, on the promise of work. The sole breadwinner of the family, Shahzad, never returned. The family found out later that he had been killed by the Army in what turned out to be a fake encounter.



Raja Begums son Manzoor Ahmad Mir was believed to be missing for several years before his skeleton was dug up during the construction of a building near an Army camp.



An investigation indicated that he had been killed in an encounter with the Army which destroyed his body upon his death during interrogation. The familys fight for justice began then.



A panel discussion on the issue was disrupted when several people in the audience took offence to a comment by R K Mattoo, president of Bengaluru Kashmiri Pandits Association and former journalist, praising the Indian Army as the most disciplined in the world.



The trouble did not end there. A performance by Kashmiri rapper Roushan Illahi, popularly known as M C Kash, had to be cut short, prompting him to storm out of the hall. Almost immediately, several people in the audience raised slogans such as Hum kya chahte hain, azadi and Chheen ke rahenge azadi.



This culminated in a clash of opinion outside the hall. A group of people found the slogans to be anti-national and demanded that the police, who were present at the venue, arrest the sloganeers. The heated arguments were finally broken when the police made the sloganeers leave.



Himanshi Matta, media officer for Amnesty International, said, There were old mothers who wanted to talk about their issues. We hoped that people would hear them out. We didnt expect such a disruption. According to her, there had not been any plan to call Kashmiri Pandits to the event as the report was not about them.



They reached out to Amnesty International on the day of the event and asked to be a part of the panel and the programme.


At a time when doctors are yet to get over the scare of dengue in Kolkata and surrounding districts, the first case of scrub typhus was identified in the city on Saturday.





With the diseases higher rate of fatality than dengue or malaria, doctors are worried that tests are not being conducted properly. A vector-borne disease, scrub typhus is caused by small lice-like insects, which has similar symptoms like dengue, including high fever and body ache.



Added to these are blisters caused by the mites bite, doctors said. The disease came to the notice of the administration after a six-year-old boy from Park Circus in south-eastern Kolkata and a seven-year-old girl from eastern Kolkata came down with high fever, but both tested negative for dengue.
A woman doctor is in trouble for reportedly attempting to murder her father last year, with the police filing a case against her.





The police registered a case of attempt to murder against the Coimbatore-based doctor for trying to kill her 82-year-old father last year, while he was in the intensive care unit.



The doctors act would have gone unnoticed had the CCTV not captured her footage while trying to tamper with her father's life support system, which is now going viral.



The doctor is then seen trying to move out of the hospital room in stealth. A case under different sections of IPC--attempt to murder, extortion and trespass-- has been filed against her.



This follows a complaint filed by her Chennai-based brother at whose hospital the old man was admitted for treatment. He also moved the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council seeking disqualification of his sister as a medical professional.



The ailing man passed away after a few days. Council vice president Dr J A Jayalal said that some enquiries had already been conducted for which the doctor sought time to respond.
The BJP on Saturday expressed its eagerness on having an alliance with the JD(S) for the BBMP mayoral polls.





Speaking at an executive committee meeting of the BJPs Bengaluru Urban unit, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the prevailing political atmosphere is conducive to wrest power from the Congress in the BBMP Council. The people of Bengaluru voted for the BJP, which emerged as the single largest party in the BBMP polls last year. However, the Congress made a backdoor entry to capture power. Today, the BBMP is in doldrums due to the Congress rule. The time has come to ensure that the peoples mandate is implemented, Ananth Kumar said.



The Congress and the JD(S) had come together to rule the BBMP last year. With indications that the JD(S) is not keen on continuing the alliance, the BJP has started preparing the ground to wrest power. Ananth Kumar said the party had authorised former deputy chief minister R Ashoka to work out the details. The mayoral elections are scheduled to be held on September 19.



Ashoka told reporters he would hold discussions with senior leaders of the party on the kind of arrangement that could be arrived at with the JD(S). Later, he would meet JD(S) leaders H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy. The party will also short-list its mayoral candidate, he added. Ashoka pointed out that the BJP had recently formed an alliance with the JD(S) in Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat apart from five other ZPs. Earlier, speaking at the executive committee meeting, Ananth Kumar said the party should work out a strategy to win 25 of the 28 Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru region in the 2018 elections.



On Saturday, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy met JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda to seek the regional partys support during the Mayoral polls.



Reddy said that the JD(S) support is imperative. Though the Congress is placed in a better position in terms of numbers compared to last year, the JD(S)s support is needed. Without the partys support, the Congress will not be able to remain in power in the BBMP, he claimed. With BJPs R Ashoka indicating that the saffron party might seek JD(S)s support, the Congress has now become jittery. This, despite the three suspended JD(S) MLAs having assured support to the Congress, by ensuring the votes of at least eight corporators in its favour. We need the support of all the JD(S) corporators, legislators and MPs, added Reddy. Sources said the Congress has assured the JD(S) the deputy mayors post this term too.
The minor who was gang-raped in Bulandshahr has moved the Supreme Court asking for her case to be transferred to Delhi.





She sought FIRs against minister Azam Khan and UP police. Khan, UPs urban development minister, termed the gang-rape a conspiracy by the opposition at a press conference, for which he was criticised for being insensitive. He caused substantial outrage to the girls modesty, the petition said.



On July 29, a group of highway robbers stopped the car of a Noida-based family and sexually assaulted the woman and her daughter after dragging them out of the vehicle which had four other occupants. The incident caused widespread outrage.



The Allahabad High Court recently ordered a CBI enquiry, besides deciding to take up supervision of the case. In the plea filed by the victims father on her behalf, she asked for the transfer of the case from Bulandshahr to Delhi in the interest of justice.



The petitioner also sought "appropriate damages" for the victims besides a direction that the state and others, including the DGP, be stopped from infringing on the victims fundamental right to life. It also accused the police of not coming to the victims rescue despite her dialling the helpline number.
Five people of a family, including three women, were killed and one was reported missing in Chhattisgarh when their SUV was washed away by the Maini river. Five others died in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh.





The five people were washed away on Friday as their car was crossing a flooded culvert as water levels suddenly rose in Chhattisgarhs Jashpur district. Their bodies were recovered on Saturday, the police said. The SUV was carrying 12 members, including four women and a girl.



In Uttar Pradesh, five people were killed in rain-related incidents as light to moderate rainfall and thundershowers occurred at many places in eastern and western parts of the state since Friday.



While a mother-daughter duo was killed in their sleep in Sonbhadra when their mud house collapsed due to heavy rain, three people, including a couple, died in Jaunpur district, the police said. It was a pleasant day in Delhi with the mercury settling at normal levels even as it drizzled in some areas.



The maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 33.7 and 25.5 degrees Celsius respectively, both normal for this time of the year, a Met official said.



While the city received 29.88 mm rainfall on Saturday morning, the recording till the evening was 0.2 mm.



In Rajasthans Kota district, a 30-year-old man is feared dead as he was swept away by strong currents of the overflowing Ujjad river when he was crossing an overpass on it, police said.



In Baran district, a couple and three other people are reportedly stranded at two places due to the overflowing Barni river, they said.



Light to heavy rain lashed parts of the state, with Atru in Baran receiving 9 cm rain followed by 8 cm in Alwar. Heavy rain occurred at isolated areas of Jaipur and Kota divisions.



The water level of the Ganga river in Bihar rose following downpour in the last few days, even as the Disaster Management Department said no district in the state is in the grip of floods and no relief camps are functioning.



Ganga river



The Ganga river is flowing above the danger mark at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur, while the Ghaghra river remained in spate in Siwan districts Gangpur-Siswan area. Koshi rivers water level was above the red mark at Baltara in Khagaria district.



Light to moderate rainfall occurred at many places in the state, while heavy rainfall was witnessed at one or two places in the north-eastern parts of the state since Friday.



According to the Met office, Bhagalpur received the highest rainfall of 16.6 mm followed by 2.4 mm in Purnea. Patna and Gaya received 1.2 mm and 0.4 mm rain, respectively, since Friday. In Punjab and Haryana, maximum temperatures hovered around normal level even as a few places received rain.
He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.





Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.





Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.



A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.



He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.









Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar on Saturday said the BJP will support the state governments next course of action on the Mahadayi water dispute.





When it comes to protecting the interests of the state, the BJP is open to all options. If necessary, the BJP MPs will speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Mahadayi issue, Ananth Kumar said, replying to queries from reporters on Saturday.



The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal, last month, had rejected the states plea for an interim award seeking the diversion of 7 tmc ft of water from Mahadayi river to improve drinking water supply to four districts of North Karnataka.



GST

Ananth Kumar said he has been entrusted with the responsibility of speaking to states on issues related to the GST bill, in his capacity as parliamentary affairs minister.



Constitutional requirement makes it necessary that at least 15 state legislatures ratify the GST legislation.



Positive response

I am in touch with various chief ministers including Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and all of them have showed a positive response to get the bill passed in their respective legislatures, he said.



Assam on Friday became the first state to ratify the GST bill.



He said the state BJP will organise a felicitation function for Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Bengaluru for his role in ushering in the GST regime.


The state government has decided to convene an all-party meeting on August 16 and also to take a delegation to the Centre, in a bid to seek relief for areca and copra growers.





After Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave this assurance to farmers representatives on Saturday, Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha (KRRS) and Harisu Sene have decided to withdraw the ongoing padayatra.



Siddaramaiah met the farmers in Bengaluru on Saturday and assured them that the government would impress upon the Centre to announce a support price for the areca and copra crops.



After the meeting, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters that Siddaramaiah had called for an all-party meeting, comprising members of Parliament and Central ministers from the state, on August 16. The government has also decided to seek the prime ministers intervention, he added.



KRRS state president Kodihalli Chandrashekar said copra prices had crashed from Rs 17,000 per quintal to Rs 7,000 per quintal. Likewise, areca prices had crashed from Rs 80,000 per quintal to Rs 22,000 per quintal. This has affected a large number of growers in 13 districts of the state.


As many as 284 convicts will be released from various prisons in the state on Monday.





Though the state Cabinet had approved the release of 320 prisoners on August 10, the state Prisons Advisory Board objected to the release of certain prisoners.



Of the 284 convicts, 236 are males and 48 women. The men have completed 14 years of imprisonment, while the women have served jail term for 10 years.



As many as 99 men and 21 women prisoners will be released from the Central Prison in Bengaluru. Likewise, 24 men and two women from Ballari; eight men from Dharwad; 35 men and 17 women from Mysuru; 12 men and four women from Vijayapura; 33 men and two women from Belagavi; and 25 men and two women from Kalaburgi prison, will be released.



Goodwill gesture

Two NGOs that have been working with the Prisons department, are in the process of raising funds to help prisoners pay their fines at the time of release.



While Prison Ministry India, an NGO, has raised around Rs 80,000 so far, Peacemakers is in the process of raising Rs 1 lakh for this purpose.



Director General of Police (Prisons) H N Sathyanarayana Rao too has made a contribution of Rs 10,000. This time, there is a crisis. Many of the prisoners are not in a position to pay their fine. Not just me, superintendents of some prisons too have made contributions, he told Deccan Herald.



Sister Adele, Bengaluru Unit Coordinator, Prison Ministry India said that one prisoner, who is scheduled to be released, has to pay a fine amount of Rs 1 lakh. Last year, the NGO had raised Rs 2.25 lakh for this cause.



Peacemakers is raising money for the 21 women prisoners (Central Prison) who have been shortlisted for release. The NGO is also trying to mobilise funds to help rehabilitate the women.



If the prisoners do not pay their fine amount, which varies from one prisoner to another, they will not get their release orders. Every prisoner has to pay a fine as part of their sentence at the time of release.


Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Praveen Togadia on Saturday expressed utmost dissatisfaction and agony over Prime Minister Narendra Modis condemnation of cow vigilantes.





It is agonising that despite knowing the gamut of butchering cows and cow progeny, rather than making efforts to protect the cow, the head of the government has put the cow protectors lives in danger, Togadia said at a press conference here.



He demanded that Modi disclose the basis of the data with which he charged that 80% of the cow protectors are nothing but anti-social elements.



Among the larger Hindutva organisations, the RSS had come out in support of the prime minister to defuse public outrage and minimise the impact of cow vigilantism on Schedule Castes ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana.



Taking exception to the prime minister asking states to create a dossier of cow protectors, Togadia said the call was tantamount to racial profiling of a particular community and bracketing them with terrorists.



Togadia also said that without reaching out to vigilante groups, which he claimed had to hit the streets since laws for protecting cows were not implemented properly, Modi painted them in black.



Rather than appreciating Hindu efforts to save cows and initiating a sincere dialogue..., terming 80% of them anti-social and goondas is an insult to all those who have dedicated their lives to protect cows, Togadia said.



He urged the prime minister to disclose the basis of his remark that more bovine die of consuming plastics than by butchering. There are requests from Hindus, the VHP leader said, that Modi explain to the nation what he in his previous stint as Gujarat chief minister did to stop the use of plastic.



He said Modi has had a love-hate relationship with the VHP since his Gujarat days. In 1980s, both RSS functionaries  Togadia and Modi  together propagated Hindutva ideology in Gujarat.
India on Saturday said that it would accept Pakistans offer for dialogue, only if it was on the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from the neighbouring country.





A day after Pakistan offered to hold talks with India on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi responded with a strongly-worded statement.



India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations, said official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup.



At this time, he added, they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan.



His comment came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister M Nawaz Sharifs foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz said that Islamabad would soon invite New Delhi for a dialogue on the issue of Kashmir.



The troubled ties between India and Pakistan hit a new low with Islamabad trying to once again raise its pitch on the issue of Kashmir, cashing in on the unrest in the valley following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last month.
The Jammu and Kashmir government foiled a referendum march called by separatists here by imposing curfew in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley.





While, dozens of people including security personnel were injured in fresh protests on Saturday.



Authorities had sealed Lal Chowk to prevent the march called by separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik. All the entry and exit points of the commercial hub were sealed by rolls of concertina wires and barricades.



The separatists also called for a similar march towards Lal Chowk on August 14.An injured youth, identified as Suhail Ahmad, succumbed to his injuries in a hospital on Friday night, taking the death toll to 58 since violence gripped the Valley in the aftermath of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.



Ahmad had been hit by a bullet on August 2, after a personal security officer of a senior state official opened fire on demonstrators in Lethpora in south Kashmirs Pulwama district.



Reports said clashes erupted in Lethpora after the body of Ahmad reached home. Witnesses said that the youths placed the body of Ahmad on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and blocked it.



According to doctors, another injured youth from north Kashmirs Tangmarg, who was admitted at the tertiary care SKIMS hospital on Friday evening, continues to be in a critical condition.



Meanwhile, strike and curfew continued in Kashmir on the 36th consecutive day with dozens of protesters and security personnel injured in fresh violence across the Valley.



A police spokesperson said 12 personnel, including an officer, were injured in clashes that erupted in north Kashmirs Bandipora district.



He said, barring clashes at some places, situation was by and large peaceful on Saturday. About half a dozen incidents of stone-pelting were reported from different parts of the Valley, he said.
The opposition leaders have accused the Centre of ignoring their inputs on settling the unrest in the Kashmir Valley.





This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the task for the Ministry of External Affairs to establish contacts with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) residents living across the world and find out the atrocities they face and let the world know about it.



CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, The outcome of the all-party meeting on Friday was a 40-minute lecture by the prime minister looking straight into the camera. We were all sitting there. All that we had discussed in the earlier three hours did not reflect in what he said finally.



Yechury said that the Opposition made many suggestions in the meeting, but there was no response on lifting AFSPA or the use of pellet guns on protesters.



The only response was the Home Minister telling us that the suggestions had been noted and will be taken into consideration," he told a TV news channel. The government has some game-plan and this consultation did not serve as an input.



Senior Congress leaders felt that the meeting was mostly about Pakistan bashing and jingoism by the prime minister and it did not produce results. We all just repeated what we had said in Rajya Sabha. The only difference was that the prime minister was not present there and he was present here, a senior leader said.



Former Union minister Kapil Sibal said, We discussed Kashmir in Parliament, but the prime minister wasnt there. During the debate on Dalit atrocities, the prime minister was absent.
Many ignore or suffer online harassment silently, but President Pranab Mukherjees daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee decided to deal with the menace head-on.





Sharmistha (50), chief spokesperson of the Congress Delhi unit, on Saturday named and shamed a pervert who sent her obscene messages on Facebook. She has identified him as Partha Mandal.



The incident came to light when she spoke out on social media about the messages she received on Friday. Tagging Mandal, Sharmistha also posted screenshots of his profile and the messages he sent her. In separate comments, she said she does not know Mandal personally.



The Economic Offences Wing has received a complaint from Sharmistha Mukherjee today and has registered a case under appropriate sections of the law, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajan Bhagat.



Several people urged her to approach the police for action as they said shaming was not enough and legal proceedings were needed to tackle such incidents.
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
The Supreme Court has said though the right to organise peaceful protests is a fundamental right, the over-exploitation of caste, religion and other divisive tactics during violent mass demonstrations often make the task difficult for the police.





A bench of Justices A K Sikri and R K Agrawal asked the police to act with utmost care as law and order needs to be restored, but it should also be ensured that unnecessary force is not used.



It hardly needs elaboration that a distinguishing feature of any democracy is the space offered for legitimate dissent. One cherished and valuable aspect of political life in India is a tradition to express grievances through direct action or peaceful protest.



Organised and non-violent protest marches were key weapons in the struggle for independence. The right to peaceful protest is now a fundamental right, it said.



The court made the observation while awarding Rs 2 lakh compensation to Anita Thakur, general secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, and Rs 1 lakh each to the partys secretary and a senior journalist who were beaten up by the police on August 7, 2007, during a protest.



In Kashmir itself there have been numerous instances where separatist groups have provoked violence. In this scenario, the task of the police and law-enforcing agencies becomes more difficult and delicate, the bench said. The court noted that on numerous occasions the situation went out of control due to insufficient training for police personnel.



It is also becoming a common ground that religious, ethnic, regional language, caste and class divisions are frequently exploited to foment violence whenever mass demonstrations or dharnas, etc, take place. It is unfortunate that more often than not, such protesters take to hooliganism, vandalism and even destroy public/ private property, the bench said, adding this further resulted in police firing exacerbating the public anger.
Beijing on Saturday agreed to have further discussions with New Delhi on the contentious issue of Indias bid to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group.





External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in New Delhi to ease the strains in bilateral ties. Both sides also agreed to launch a new dialogue mechanism at the foreign secretary-level.



Wang Yi, currently on a visit to Delhi, briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the preparations for the BRICS summit in China.



The Chinese foreign ministers visit is the first such high-level engagement between the two nations after Beijing stonewalled New Delhis bid to enter the NSG during the 48-nation cartels annual plenary in Seoul last June.



Sources said Sushma and Wang Yi had not only reviewed progress in bilateral ties, but also discussed challenges on some recent issues, including sanctions on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.



They had a lengthy discussion on Chinas opposition to Indias plea to become a member of the NSG. Sushma conveyed to Wang Yi that Indias intended nationally determined contribution to global effort to mitigate climate change would require it to generate 40% power without using fossil fuel by 2030.



New Delhi had a target to raise the installed capacity for nuclear power generation from 5,780 MWe to 63 GWe by 2032. India could do so only in a predictable global environment where its membership in the NSG would enable it to take part in the process to formulate rules for international nuclear commerce, a source quoted Sushma as saying.



She also told the Chinese minister that New Delhi was ready to discuss any technical issue that Beijing might be concerned about regarding admission of India into the NSG.



They agreed that Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs) in the Ministry of External Affairs Amandeep Singh Gill would meet his counterpart in the Chinese government to sort out the differences over Indias entry into the NSG.



China has been arguing that if the NSG bends its rules to admit India, it should also open its door for Pakistan or any other country that did not sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.



The NSG in 2008 granted a waiver for New Delhi, allowing its members to enter into nuclear business with India.

Swaraj also conveyed to Wang New Delhis concerns over Beijings policy of blocking Indias bid to get United Nations sanctions imposed on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and other terrorist leaders based in Pakistan.



She stressed that China should review its stand in line with its own professed zero tolerance policy towards terrorism, sources said.



New Delhi also reiterated its concern to Beijing over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which involves building infrastructure in territories under the illegal occupation of Islamabad.



Sources said Swaraj and Wang had also reviewed the situation on the border and discussed about further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity.
The Philosophy and Literature Bad Writing Contest ran from 1995 to 1998. For an essay giving background on the contest, click here.

1998

We are pleased to announce winners of the fourth Bad Writing Contest, sponsored by the scholarly journal Philosophy and Literature.

The Bad Writing Contest celebrates the most stylistically lamentable passages found in scholarly books and articles published in the last few years. Ordinary journalism, fiction, departmental memos, etc. are not eligible, nor are parodies: entries must be non-ironic, from serious, published academic journals or books. Deliberate parody cannot be allowed in a field where unintended self-parody is so widespread.

Two of the most popular and influential literary scholars in the U.S. are among those who wrote winning entries in the latest contest.

Judith Butler, a Guggenheim Fellowship-winning professor of rhetoric and comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley, admired as perhaps one of the ten smartest people on the planet, wrote the sentence that captured the contests first prize. Homi K. Bhabha, a leading voice in the fashionable academic field of postcolonial studies, produced the second-prize winner.

As usual, commented Denis Dutton, editor of Philosophy and Literature, this years winners were produced by well-known, highly-paid experts who have no doubt labored for years to write like this. That these scholars must know what they are doing is indicated by the fact that the winning entries were all published by distinguished presses and academic journals.

Professor Butlers first-prize sentence appears in Further Reflections on the Conversations of Our Time, an article in the scholarly journal Diacritics (1997):

The move from a structuralist account in which capital is understood to structure social relations in relatively homologous ways to a view of hegemony in which power relations are subject to repetition, convergence, and rearticulation brought the question of temporality into the thinking of structure, and marked a shift from a form of Althusserian theory that takes structural totalities as theoretical objects to one in which the insights into the contingent possibility of structure inaugurate a renewed conception of hegemony as bound up with the contingent sites and strategies of the rearticulation of power.

Dutton remarked that its possibly the anxiety-inducing obscurity of such writing that has led Professor Warren Hedges of Southern Oregon University to praise Judith Butler as probably one of the ten smartest people on the planet.

This years second prize went to a sentence written by Homi K. Bhabha, a professor of English at the University of Chicago. It appears in The Location of Culture (Routledge, 1994):

If, for a while, the ruse of desire is calculable for the uses of discipline soon the repetition of guilt, justification, pseudo-scientific theories, superstition, spurious authorities, and classifications can be seen as the desperate effort to normalize formally the disturbance of a discourse of splitting that violates the rational, enlightened claims of its enunciatory modality.

This prize-winning entry was nominated by John D. Peters of the University of Iowa, who describes it as quite splendid: enunciatory modality, indeed!

Ed Lilley, an art historian at the University of Bristol in the U.K., supplied a sentence by Steven Z. Levine from an anthology entitled Twelve Views of Manets Bar (Princeton University Press, 1996):

As my story is an august tale of fathers and sons, real and imagined, the biography here will fitfully attend to the putative traces in Manets work of les noms du pere, a Lacanian romance of the errant paternal phallus (Les Non-dupes errent), a revised Freudian novella of the inferential dynamic of paternity which annihilates (and hence enculturates) through the deferred introduction of the third term of insemination the phenomenologically irreducible dyad of the mother and child.

Stewart Unwin of the National Library of Australia passed along this gem from the Australasian Journal of American Studies (December 1997). The author is Timothy W. Luke, and the article is entitled, Museum Pieces: Politics and Knowledge at the American Museum of Natural History:

Natural history museums, like the American Museum, constitute one decisive means for power to de-privatize and re-publicize, if only ever so slightly, the realms of death by putting dead remains into public service as social tokens of collective life, rereading dead fossils as chronicles of lifes everlasting quest for survival, and canonizing now dead individuals as nomological emblems of still living collectives in Nature and History. An anatomo-politics of human and non-human bodies is sustained by accumulating and classifying such necroliths in the museums observational/expositional performances.

The passage goes on to explain that museum fossils and artifacts are strange superconductive conduits, carrying the vital elan of contemporary biopower. Its demonstrated with helpful quotations from Michel Foucaults History of Sexuality.

Finally, a tour de force from a 1996 book published by the State University of New York Press. It was located by M.J. Devaney, an editor at the University of Nebraska Press. The author is D.G. Leahy, writing in Foundation: Matter the Body Itself.

Total presence breaks on the univocal predication of the exterior absolute the absolute existent (of that of which it is not possible to univocally predicate an outside, while the equivocal predication of the outside of the absolute exterior is possible of that of which the reality so predicated is not the reality, viz., of the dark/of the self, the identity of which is not outside the absolute identity of the outside, which is to say that the equivocal predication of identity is possible of the self-identity which is not identity, while identity is univocally predicated of the limit to the darkness, of the limit of the reality of the self). This is the real exteriority of the absolute outside: the reality of the absolutely unconditioned absolute outside univocally predicated of the dark: the light univocally predicated of the darkness: the shining of the light univocally predicated of the limit of the darkness: actuality univocally predicated of the other of self-identity: existence univocally predicated of the absolutely unconditioned other of the self. The precision of the shining of the light breaking the dark is the other-identity of the light. The precision of the absolutely minimum transcendence of the dark is the light itself/the absolutely unconditioned exteriority of existence for the first time/the absolutely facial identity of existence/the proportion of the new creation sans depth/the light itself ex nihilo: the dark itself univocally identified, i.e., not self-identity identity itself equivocally, not the dark itself equivocally, in self-alienation, not self-identity, itself in self-alienation released in and by otherness, and actual other, itself, not the abysmal inversion of the light, the reality of the darkness equivocally, absolute identity equivocally predicated of the self/selfhood equivocally predicated of the dark (the reality of this darkness the other-self-covering of identity which is the identification person-self).

Dr. Devaney calls this book absolutely, unequivocally incomprehensible. While she has supplied further extended quotations to prove her point, this seems to be enough.

1997

We are pleased to announce winners of the third Bad Writing Contest, sponsored by the scholarly journal Philosophy and Literature and its internet discussion group, PHIL-LIT.

The Bad Writing Contest attempts to locate the ugliest, most stylistically awful passage found in a scholarly book or article published in the last few years. Ordinary journalism, fiction, etc. are not eligible, nor are parodies: entries must be non-ironic, from actual serious academic journals or books. In a field where unintended self-parody is so widespread, deliberate send-ups are hardly necessary.

This years winning passages include prose published by established, successful scholars, experts who have doubtless labored for years to write like this. Obscurity, after all, can be a notable achievement. The fame and influence of writers such as Hegel, Heidegger, or Derrida rests in part on their mysterious impenetrability. On the other hand, as a cynic once remarked, John Stuart Mill never attained Hegels prestige because people found out what he meant. This is a mistake the authors of our prize-winning passages seem determined to avoid.

The first prize goes to the distinguished scholar Fredric Jameson, a man who on the evidence of his many admired books finds it difficult to write intelligibly and impossible to write well. Whether this is because of the deep complexity of Professor Jamesons ideas or their patent absurdity is something readers must decide for themselves. Here, spotted for us by Dave Roden of Central Queensland University in Australia, is the very first sentence of Professor Jamesons book, Signatures of the Visible (Routledge, 1990, p. 1):

The visual is essentially pornographic, which is to say that it has its end in rapt, mindless fascination; thinking about its attributes becomes an adjunct to that, if it is unwilling to betray its object; while the most austere films necessarily draw their energy from the attempt to repress their own excess (rather than from the more thankless effort to discipline the viewer).

The appreciative Mr. Roden says it is good of Jameson to let readers know so soon what theyre up against. We cannot see what the second that in the sentence refers to. And imagine if that uncertain it were willing to betray its object? The reader may be baffled, but then any author who thinks visual experience is essentially pornographic suffers confusions no lessons in English composition are going to fix.

If reading Fredric Jameson is like swimming through cold porridge, there are writers who strive for incoherence of a more bombastic kind. Here is our next winner, which was found for us by Professor Cynthia Freeland of the University of Houston. The writer is Professor Rob Wilson:

If such a sublime cyborg would insinuate the future as post-Fordist subject, his palpably masochistic locations as ecstatic agent of the sublime superstate need to be decoded as the now-all-but-unreadable DNA of a fast deindustrializing Detroit, just as his Robocop-like strategy of carceral negotiation and street control remains the tirelessly American one of inflicting regeneration through violence upon the racially heteroglossic wilds and others of the inner city.

This colorful gem appears in a collection called The Administration of Aesthetics: Censorship, Political Criticism, and the Public Sphere, edited by Richard Burt for the Social Text Collective (University of Minnesota Press, 1994). Social Text is the cultural studies journal made famous by publishing physicist Alan Sokals jargon-ridden parody of postmodernist writing. If this essay is Social Texts idea of scholarship, little wonder it fell for Sokals hoax. (And precisely what are racially heteroglossic wilds and others?) Dr. Wilson is an English professor, of course.

That incomprehensibility need not be long-winded is proven by our third-place winner, sent in by Richard Collier, who teaches at Mt. Royal College in Canada. Its a sentence from Making Monstrous: Frankenstein, Criticism, Theory, by Fred Botting (Manchester University Press, 1991):

The lure of imaginary totality is momentarily frozen before the dialectic of desire hastens on within symbolic chains.

Still, prolixity is often a feature of bad writing, as demonstrated by our next winner, a passage submitted by Mindy Michels, a graduate anthropology student at the American University in Washington, D.C. Its written by Stephen Tyler, and appears in Writing Culture, edited (it says) by James Clifford and George E. Marcus (University of California Press, 1986). Of what he calls post-modern ethnography, Professor Tyler says:

It thus relativizes discourse not just to form  that familiar perversion of the modernist; nor to authorial intention  that conceit of the romantics; nor to a foundational world beyond discourse  that desperate grasping for a separate reality of the mystic and scientist alike; nor even to history and ideology  those refuges of the hermeneuticist; nor even less to language  that hypostasized abstraction of the linguist; nor, ultimately, even to discourse  that Nietzschean playground of world-lost signifiers of the structuralist and grammatologist, but to all or none of these, for it is anarchic, though not for the sake of anarchy but because it refuses to become a fetishized object among objects  to be dismantled, compared, classified, and neutered in that parody of scientific scrutiny known as criticism.

A bemused Dr. Tim van Gelder of the University of Melbourne sent us the following sentence:

Since thought is seen to be rhizomatic rather than arboreal, the movement of differentiation and becoming is already imbued with its own positive trajectory.

Its from The Continental Philosophy Reader, edited by Richard Kearney and Mara Rainwater (Routledge, 1996), part of an editors introduction intended to help students understand a chapter. Dr. van Gelder says, No undergraduate student Ive given this introduction to has been able to make the slightest sense of it. Neither has any faculty member. An assistant professor of English at a U.S. university (she prefers to remain anonymous) entered this choice morsel from The Cultures of United States Imperialism, by Donald Pease (Duke University Press, 1993):

When interpreted from within the ideal space of the myth-symbol school, Americanist masterworks legitimized hegemonic understanding of American history expressively totalized in the metanarrative that had been reconstructed out of (or more accurately read into) these masterworks.

While the entrant says she enjoys the Bad Writing Contest, shes fearful her career prospects would suffer were she to be identified as hostile to the turn by English departments toward movies and soap operas. We quite understand: these days the worst writers in universities are English professors who ignore the canon in order to apply tepid, vaguely Marxist gobbledygook to popular culture. Young academics whod like a career had best go along.

But its not just the English department where jargon and incoherence are increasingly the fashion. Susan Katz Karp, a graduate student at Queens College in New York City, found this choice nugget showing that forward-thinking art historians are doing their desperate best to import postmodern style into their discipline. Its from an article by Professor Anna C. Chave, writing in Art Bulletin (December 1994):

To this end, I must underline the phallicism endemic to the dialectics of penetration routinely deployed in descriptions of pictorial space and the operations of spectatorship.

The next round of the Bad Writing Contest, results to be announced in 1998, is now open with a deadline of December 31, 1997. There is an endless ocean of pretentious, turgid academic prose being added to daily, and well continue to celebrate it.

1996

The entries for the second run of the Bad Writing Contest have now been tabulated, and we are pleased to announce winners. But first a few tedious words. There is no question that we have better  if thats how to put it  entries than the last time we ran the contest. Some of the entries are stunning, and we think almost all of them deserve a prize of some sort.

This is not to say that much of the writing we would consider bad is necessarily incompetent. Graduate students and young scholars please note: many of the writers represented have worked years to attain their styles and they have been rewarded with publication in books and journal articles. In fact, if they werent published, we wouldnt have them for our contest. That these passages constitute bad writing is merely our opinion; it is arguable that anyone wanting to pursue an academic career should assiduously imitate such styles as are represented here. These are your role models.

First prize goes to David Spurrett of the University of Natal in South Africa. He found this marvelous sentence  yes, its but one sentence  from Roy Bhaskars Plato etc: The Problems of Philosophy and Their Resolution (Verso, 1994):

Indeed dialectical critical realism may be seen under the aspect of Foucauldian strategic reversal  of the unholy trinity of Parmenidean/Platonic/Aristotelean provenance; of the Cartesian-Lockean-Humean-Kantian paradigm, of foundationalisms (in practice, fideistic foundationalisms) and irrationalisms (in practice, capricious exercises of the will-to-power or some other ideologically and/or psycho-somatically buried source) new and old alike; of the primordial failing of western philosophy, ontological monovalence, and its close ally, the epistemic fallacy with its ontic dual; of the analytic problematic laid down by Plato, which Hegel served only to replicate in his actualist monovalent analytic reinstatement in transfigurative reconciling dialectical connection, while in his hubristic claims for absolute idealism he inaugurated the Comtean, Kierkegaardian and Nietzschean eclipses of reason, replicating the fundaments of positivism through its transmutation route to the superidealism of a Baudrillard.

Its a splendid bit of prose and Im certain many of us will now attempt to read it aloud without taking a breath. The jacket blurb, incidentally, informs us that this is the authors most accessible book to date.

Second Prize is won by Jennifer Harris of the University of Toronto. She found a grand sentence in an essay by Stephen T. Tyman called Ricoeur and the Problem of Evil, in The Philosophy of Paul Ricoeur, edited, it says, by Lewis Edwin Hahn (Open Court, 1995):

With the last gasp of Romanticism, the quelling of its florid uprising against the vapid formalism of one strain of the Enlightenment, the dimming of its yearning for the imagined grandeur of the archaic, and the dashing of its too sanguine hopes for a revitalized, fulfilled humanity, the horror of its more lasting, more Gothic legacy has settled in, distributed and diffused enough, to be sure, that lugubriousness is recognizable only as languor, or as a certain sardonic laconicism disguising itself in a new sanctification of the destructive instincts, a new genius for displacing cultural reifications in the interminable shell game of the analysis of the human psyche, where nothing remains sacred.

Speaking of shell games, see if you can figure out the subject of that sentence.

Third prize was such a problem that we decided to award more than one. Exactly what the prizes will be is uncertain (the first three prizes were to be books), but something nice will be found. (Perhaps: third prize, an old copy of Glyph; fourth prize two old copies of Glyph.)

Jack Kolb of UCLA found this sentence in Paul Frys A Defense of Poetry (Stanford University Press, 1995). Together with the previous winners, it proves that 1995 was to bad prose what 1685 was to good music. Fry writes,

It is the moment of non-construction, disclosing the absentation of actuality from the concept in part through its invitation to emphasize, in reading, the helplessness  rather than the will to power  of its fall into conceptuality.

Incidentally, Kolb is reviewing Frys book for Philosophy and Literature, and believe it or not he generally respects it.

Arthur J. Weitzman of Northeastern University has noted for us two helpful sentences from The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, edited by Michael Groden and Martin Kreiswirth (JHUP, 1994). It is from Donald E. Peases entry on Harold Bloom:

Previous exercises in influence study depended upon a topographical model of reallocatable poetic images, distributed more or less equally within canonical poems, each part of which expressively totalized the entelechy of the entire tradition. But Bloom now understood this cognitive map of interchangeable organic wholes to be criticisms repression of poetrys will to overcome times anteriority.

What can we add to that?

William Dolphin of San Francisco State University located for us this elegant sentence in John Guillorys Cultural Capital: The Problem of Literary Canon Formation (University of Chicago Press, 1993):

A politics presuming the ontological indifference of all minority social identities as defining oppressed or dominated groups, a politics in which differences are sublimated in the constitution of a minority identity (the identity politics which is increasingly being questioned within feminism itself) can recover the differences between social identities only on the basis of common and therefore commensurable experiences of marginalization, which experiences in turn yield a political practice that consists largely of affirming the identities specific to those experiences.

Finally, the Canadian David Savory found this lucid sentence in the essay by Robyn Wiegman and Linda Zwinger, in Tonyas Bad Boot, an essay in Women on Ice, edited by Cynthia Baughman (Routledge, 1995):

Punctuated by what became ubiquitous sound bites  Tonya dashing after the tow truck, Nancy sailing the ice with one leg reaching for heaven  this melodrama parsed the transgressive hybridity of un-narrativized representative bodies back into recognizable heterovisual codes.

Thanks to these and all the other entrants. If you didnt win this time, the next round of the Bad Writing Contest, prizes to be announced, is now open with a deadline of September 30, 1996. So youve plenty of time to find examples from the turgid new world of academic prose.
By Joe Sterling and Boris Sanchez

13 August 2016 AMITE CITY, Louisiana (CNN)  Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called the widespread flooding spawned by the regions pounding rainfall across the southern part of the state a truly historic event that wont be over anytime soon. The rainfall battered the parishes around Baton Rouge and is expected to move west, he said at a news conference Saturday. There are record levels of flooding and cresting along rivers and creeks that will affect homes, roads, and driveways, he said. This is a major disaster, the governor said. This is an ongoing event and we are still in the response mode. The governor said at least two deaths have been confirmed and searches are being carried out. Initially, as flooding news emerged on Friday, CNN reported three deaths. [more]

Historic flooding batters Louisiana

By Bob Henson

12 August 2016 (wunderground.com)  A devastating flood event was unfolding over southeast Louisiana on Friday, and conditions may get worse yet, as an extremely slow-moving center of low pressure is dumping colossal amounts of rain on the region. This sprawling, stacked low is carrying more water vapor than many tropical cyclones, and its slow motion is leading to persistent rains that could add up to all-time record totals in some places. Multi-sensor analyses indicate that several areas in southeast Louisiana and southermost Mississippi racked up more than 6 of rain from 7:00 am CDT Thursday, August 11, to 7:00 am Friday (see Figure 1). More than 10 of rain was analyzed just northeast of Baton Rouge, the hardest-hit area thus far. In the 24 hours from 2:00 pm CDT Thursday to 2:00 pm Friday, Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport recorded a preliminary total of 8.49 of rain. Since records began in 1892, the citys largest calendar day total is 11.99 (set on April 14, 1967), and the largest two-day calendar total is 14.03 (June 6-7, 2001). Given the very slow motion of the stacked low, these all-time records are conceivably within reach. A cooperative observer in Livingston, LA, reported 17.09 of rain from midnight to 3:00 pm CDT Friday. The states official 24-hour record is 22 inches, reported near Hackberry on August 28-29, 1962.

As the low edges westward over the next 24-48 hours, the zone of heaviest rain potential will shift toward west Louisiana and east Texas, but southeast Louisiana will remain under the gun for more downpours at least into early Saturday. The short-range HRRR model produces another 2-6 of widespread rain over southeast Louisiana through Saturday morning, with localized totals of 8-12 not out of the question. Both flash flooding and river flooding threats are looming large for southeast Louisiana, where flash flood warnings were in place on Friday afternoon. Major flooding has already occurred throughout the day Friday, and a flash flood emergency (the most urgent type of flash flood warning) was in effect Friday afternoon for parts of Feliciana, West Feliciana, St. Helena, and East Baton Rouge parishes, which extend roughly from Baton Rouge northward. Water rescues and evacuations were under way in this region, according to the NWS. Even if the rains ease during the weekend, the area faces a major flood threat. The Tickfaw River at Montpelier, LA, hit a record crest of 22.75 feet at 1:30 pm CDT Friday, with several more feet expected this weekend. A number of other rivers across southeast Louisiana are projected to reach all-time crests, including the Amite River, where record levels of flooding can be expected to inundate many homes and roadways on the eastern side of the Baton Rouge metro area for an extended period. [more]

Record Flooding in Southeast Louisiana May Get Worse

Saturday, 3:20 p.m.: U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, has asked FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to rapidly process coming Major Disaster Declarations from state and local governments as well as request for assistance from individuals and public entities in Louisiana. His office shared a copy of the letter Richmond sent to FEMA in a news release. I have no doubt our state is experiencing an unprecedented event, Richmond wrote. I anticipate our state officials, after preliminary assessments, will present a formal request for a Major Disaster Declaration by the President. Your agency, under the Presidents leadership, has been responsive to our requests for assistance in the past. I hope this instance will be no different. Read Richmonds full letter.

Southeast Louisiana storm updates: flooding, dangerous conditions
Shah Rukh Khan Was Catching Pokemons When Detained At US Airport
Terms such as rising elephant and emerging superpower sound really nice, but how much truth is there to such claims? In order for this to be true, wed have to globally dominate at least a few industries in the future. Heres our list of seven such industries that we think India has the potential to dominate.

Automotive technology

The automotive sector in India is about $74 billion now, and expected to grow to $300 by 2026!

The Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) drafted in 2006 aimed to promote auto manufacturing in the country. The first phase was implemented between 2006 to 2016, and looked at economic growth, stability, passenger comfort, quality and cost competitiveness. The second phase is expected to be drafted only by the year end, but projections of AMP 2016-26 put India among the top three automotive manufacturing hubs in the world. India is unique in the sense that everything from the cheapest car in the world to the most expensive are all available here, and this diversity of consumers means that we have a unique edge over the rest of the world.

VFX

Its ironic that most Bollywood flicks dont have the greatest special effects, while Hollywood movies do, and yet most of the Hollywood effects are outsourced to Indian VFX studios! Life of Pi, Skyfall, Avatar, Lord of the Rings: The return of the King and Madagascar 3 are just some of the movies who have an Indian hand in their making.

V Srinivas Mohan, the visual effects designer of Endhiran and Maattraan amongst others, told a newspaper that of the 400 odd VFX and animation firms in India, only a dozen are involved in creative work while the rest are just cheap labour, doing rotoscope, wire removal, match moving and keying. Instead of being upset by this, we see this as an opportunity for growth. Because VFX is a valid profession now, even more people are getting into it, and that means a bigger upcoming talkent pool, which is surely going to yield more VS Mohans, and thus increase the quality of work done here. Mohan himself is excited because with the right initiative by the government, India can become a global VFX and animation hub by 2025 or so.

Telecom

Its no secret that we are one of the biggest telecommunications markets in the world already. When counting mobiles and landlines, were only behind China in terms of numbers, but hold much more promise because of our more open industry. We also have some of the lowest call tariffs in the world because of competition. When it comes to internet penetration, weve only connected a little above 300 million people, and that number can easily double, potentially.

Consider that most of the places connected via phones dont even have roads, and you can see how companies have developed very specific expertise that those from the first world just dont have. Companies such as Bharti Airtel, Tata, MTNL and Reliance Communications have market shares or stakes in places ranging from Nepal to Kenya, and as more of the world starts wanting to get connected, Indian telecommunication companies are probably going to be the ones to connect them.

Banking software

The Global Development Horizons(GDH) report titled Capital for the Future: Saving and Investment in an Interdependent World says that the developing world will dominate the global saving and investment landscape in the near future, and Indias share in this will almost double by 2030.

Our strength is the fact that unlike many countries in Europe and Asia which are addled with an ageing population, over half our population is under the age of 25. This means a large number of working people with aspirations to both save and borrow money, thus boosting the banking sector in the country.

The demands that a vastly young customer base will bring in, will help make Indian banking try newer things and go more digital. Its not a stretch to think that because of these demands, there will be quite a few financial innovations coming out of India in the near future, which will then be used on the rest of the world  developing or otherwise.

Medical information systems

The Indian medical fraternity is rightfully hailed as one of the best in the world. The medical tourism market itself is valued at $4 billion, with 1.27 million people from countries such as Canada, UK, US, China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka coming in as medical tourists. Its not just for costs, its also because of expertise.

We do have a doctor:patient ratio ( 1:1700) thats much less than the 1:1000 recommended by the World Health Organization(WHO). BEcause of this, Indian doctors see more patients a day than any other nation. One positive of this is increased experience, but the negative aspect is stress on the doctors. What does this lead to? More doctors turning into entrepreneurs, in order to help other doctors, because of indepth understanding of the problems they face.

Specialised services and dedicated apps for the medical community through which doctors can access regularly updated case studies are gaining importance.

Already, services such as Curofy and Daily Rounds  both based in India  are making waves among the global medical fraternity. We expect this to become a trend where India becomes a global leader in innovating medical information systems.

Internet of Things(IoT)

Though the Internet of Things is still an emerging segment, many Indian companies are already upping their game on that front. For instance, HCL Technologies is all set to launch an IoT incubation centre in the city of Richmond in the US. The objective of the centre is to leverage the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite for life sciences and healthcare, and the industrial and manufacturing sectors. However, its not just big companies that are in the fray, and many start-ups have sprung up.

CarIQ aims to make your car smarter by using an IoT-based device to communicate with others who have the same brand/make of car. SenseGiz is another IoT startup that allows you to attach small sensors to anything you want (such as keys), so that you never spend time looking for them. Entrib ShopWorx is a company that helping manufacturers make the shop floor smarter. Teewee is a company thats connecting all your gadgets and bringing all content to your TV. LifePlot is bringing out the cheapest and most mobile of electrocardiography tools. All of this is merely scratching the surface of innovations in IoT happening in India.

IoT also has a lot of potential for farmers  sensors can collect data to advise farmers about crop needs, and also be used in disaster prediction systems to warn farmers in advance.

In a rapidly urbanising India, which is expected to grow to 600 million by 2030, transportation systems will be of utmost importance, and IoT is going to enable smarter systems. With so much potential, and so many challenges ahead, its a no-brainer to assume that IoT will be big in India, but we think India will be big in the global IoT space as well.

Textile technology

Indias always been obsessed with dressing well. However, the textile market in India is not just local, its international. About 27 per cent of Indias total foreign exchange comes from textile exports. The industry also makes up 14 per cent of the countrys industrial production, and contributes about 3 per cent to our GDP. India also has about 24 per cent of the worlds spindle capacity, and a conservative estimate of the amount of jobs in the industry is 35 million... the world relies on us to dress itself!

We are already at the cutting edge of R&D, and create high quality fabrics for sophisticated markets. The South Indian Textile Research Association (SITRA) has developed an automated device that can produce knotless incision closures, and also unique hospital linen that have enhanced thermal properties. Theres a lot more to come from this industry, as more and more people globally lift themselves out of poverty and start looking to clothe themselves.

This article was first published in August 2016 issue of Digit magazine. To read Digit's articles first, subscribe here or download the Digit e- magazine app for Android and iOS. You could also buy Digit's previous issues here.
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.
Novartis' S Korea executives charged with bribing doctors

The former chief executive of the South Korean unit of Novartis and five other former and current managers have been indicted over allegations of making illegal payments to doctors amounting to 2.6 billion won ($2.3 million) for prescribing the company's drugs.

The Swiss pharmaceutical company expressed regret in a statement, but also said without elaborating that such conduct would not have been sanctioned by the "most senior management" at Novartis Korea.

"Novartis does not tolerate misconduct and we are already implementing a remediation plan in Korea based on the findings from our own investigation," the Basel-based company said. According to Paul Barrett, an official from Novartis International, the company could provide no other details on the case before the trial proceedings.

According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, it also indicted 28 others, including 15 doctors and six publishers of medical journals, over their suspected involvement in transactions that took place between 2011 and January this year.

Under South Korean laws, drug companies are barred from providing doctors rebates or discounts for the drugs they prescribed. The prosecution said, Novartis' South Korean associates, including former Novartis Korea chief executive Moon Hak-sun, tried to skirt the laws by funding academic events organised by publishers of medical journals, where the invited doctors allegedly received kickbacks disguised as attendance fees.

According to Barrett, Moon served as the chief executive of Novartis Korea before he agreed to take a temporary leave of absence in April.

In a related development Novartis said it was not under investigation over bribery allegations in Turkey and that it considered the matter closed.

"Based on thorough internal and external counsel investigations we have concluded that all recent publicly and anonymously reported allegations relating to Novartis Turkey are unsubstantiated. We are not aware of any government authority investigating Novartis. We now consider this matter closed," it said in an emailed statement yesterday.

In April, the Ankara chief prosecutor's office said it was investigating the Turkish unit of Novartis after it was alleged that the company benefited from bribery.


Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who is on a three-day visit to India, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj this morning to hold talks on a range of on key regional and bilateral issues.

The Indian foreign ministry said the leaders were expected to discuss various issues of mutual interest, including the upcoming multilateral meetings - the G-20 Summit to be held in China and the BRICS Summit.

Wang Yi started his visit on Friday from Goa, where Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 8th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit that India is hosting in October.

Besides visiting the BRICS venue, he met the local leadership, including Goa governor Mridula Sinha and chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

The visit comes amid strained ties between the two nations after China stalled India's bid for membership to the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group in June, on the ground that India was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The group comprises 48 countries that trade in sophisticated nuclear technology and material. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had told Parliament that the government plans to continue engaging with Beijing to win its support.

China's state-run news agency Xinhua had said India must stop blaming China for its failed attempt. "New Delhi should not be downhearted as the door to the NSG is not tightly closed," said Xinhua, even as it repeated that the group should not be open to countries that have not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Wang's visit also comes days after Chinese troops "transgressed" the border on land and by air in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

In Kolkata, a Chinese diplomat said Wang's visit shows the "maturity" of bilateral relationship between the two countries.

"The shared interests far outweigh the differences. The visit shows the maturity of our relationship. It shows that there is a lot of scope to continue with discussions and dialogues," Chinese consul-general in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu said.
Like so many people in Derry, Donegal and beyond, I was saddened beyond measure at the death of Bishop Edward Daly.

I last met him at broadcaster Don ODohertys funeral in May 2008, and recall with great clarity his beautiful homily, one which prompted many of us to reflect how the Bishop was a genuine holy man and a true Christian in every sense of the word. In that homily to his great friend, Don, he described him as a teachera master of words and music. He also reminded us that Don and Mary ...had no children, but a huge family. As a cub in BBC Radio Foyle, I had many occasions to meet him along with Bishop James Mehaffey, particularly around Christmas time, when their warm friendship shone through in their seasonal reflections to their flock in the Foyle area. I emphasise flock not flocks...they spoke to all their listeners, that was their huge family. He published his autobiography Hey Mister, Are You A Priest? in 2000, (On his first day in the Cathedral, a wee boy greeted him with the question 'Hi Mister, are you a Priest?) His chapter on the events of Bloody Sunday still make harrowing and poignant reading:

As I was entering the courtyard, I noticed a young boy running beside me. I was running and he was running and, like me, looking back from time to time. He caught my attention because he was smiling or laughing. I do not know whether he was amused at my ungainly running or exhilarated by nervous excitement. He seemed about 16 or 17. I did not see anything in his hands. I didn't know his name then, but I later learned that his name was Jackie Duddy. When we reached the centre of the courtyard, I heard a shot and simultaneously this young boy, just beside me, gasped or groaned loudly. This was the first shot that I had heard since the two or three shots I had heard some time earlier in the afternoon. I glanced around and the young boy just fell on his face. He fell in the middle of the courtyard, in an area, which was marked out in parallel rectangles for car parking. My first impression was that he had been hit by a rubber bullet. That may be because the noise of the shot had been masked by the general din and chaos, which prevailed at that time. The shot seemed to come from behind us, from the area in which the Saracens were located. I thought initially, that the shot had been the report of a rubber bullet gun; I could not imagine that he had been struck by a live round.

During a lull in the firing, I looked over from where I was lying and saw Jackie still lying out in the middle of the car park where he had fallen. He was, at this time, lying on his back with his head towards me. This puzzled me. I had distinctly remembered him falling on his face. I thought that, perhaps, he had managed to turn himself over. I subsequently learned that Willie Barber, who was running behind me, had turned him over. I then decided to make my way out to him. I took a handkerchief from my pocket and waved it for a few moments and then I got up in a crouched position and I went to the boy. I knelt beside him. There was a substantial amount of blood oozing from his shirt; I think it was just inside the arm, on the right or left side, I cannot remember which. I put my handkerchief inside the shirt to try and staunch the bleeding. Then a young member of the Knights of Malta, Charles Glenn, suddenly appeared on the other side of this boy. He immediately set about treating the wound. I felt that I should administer the last rites to the boy and I anointed him. The gunfire started again around this time. We got as close to the ground as we could. Then there was another lull; a group of two or three people came out and stood behind us. They offered help. We asked them to go back - we felt that we were safer on our own - so they went back.

After I got back to the parochial house, the enormity of what I had just witnessed crashed in on me. The kitchen was the place where we all gathered. I wept profusely. Maggie Doherty, our housekeeper, comforted me. She was the mother figure to us all on the many occasions of turmoil or grief. Other people and other priests arrived. Not much was said. Everyone was stunned into silence. Bishop Farren was in and out, asking us what had happened, distressed, bemused, incredulous and confused like all of us. He had been bishop of Derry for more than thirty years, but nothing could have prepared him for this.

Ever since my experience on that terrible day, I could no longer find any justification for the use of armed aggression by any faction in the North. I have to confess that this was a conclusion reached on emotional as much as moral grounds. Despite the propaganda, there is little that is glorious about armed conflict. Whatever the mythology, it is in reality a nasty, vicious and destructive business. It is my experience that it brutalises both those who participate in it and the society in which the warriors engage in their deadly combat. There may be some circumstances where and when armed conflict is necessary and constitutes the only possible way forward. In such situations, it may be morally justified. It is my conviction that such circumstances did not exist in our situation.

However, these murders, because that is what they were, had a quite different impact and influence on others, particularly younger people. Countless young people were motivated by the events of that day to become actively involved in armed struggle and, as a direct result, joined the Provisional IRA. Many former paramilitary members have gone on record stating that they first became actively involved in the wake of that Sunday. I am not at all sure about how I would have reacted, had I been a teenager and witnessed those same events.

Bloody Sunday cast a long and enduring shadow.

Bishop Edward Daly too cast an equally long and enduring shadow. It was an honour and a privilege to have known him.

AND WHO ARE YOU?

One of the funniest stories about Bishop Daly concerns his visit to Gransha psychiatric hospital where he encountered a legendary Derry character called Johnny Cuttems. Howre you doing Johnny, enquired the bishop? Not getting the expected response in return, he continued: Do you not know me Johnny? No, I cant say I do, says Johnny.

Im the Bishop of Derry responded Bishop Edward.

Dont worry, says Johnny. Youll not be long in here til you have that buckin notion knocked out of you!

NEWT NOT NEUTRAL!

Recently, Newt Gingrich, obviously huffed about not been chosen by Donald Trump as Vice Presidential candidate, said this about the Republican presidential nominee

Trump cant learn what he doesnt know because he doesnt know he doesnt know it. As Johnny Cuttems might have said: Aye, right!
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.
Alum Steve Kasprzyk, USA Men's 8 Set for 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio

 Drexel Crew alum Steve Kasprzyk and the United States men's coxed eight finished in fourth place, just shy of a medal, Saturday morning at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The U.S. rowed to a time of 5:34.23 to finish in fourth, just 0.39 seconds ahead of fifth-place Poland. Great Britain continued its dominance in the sport, winning the gold medal with a time of 5:29.63. Germany (5:30.96) took silver, while the Netherlands (5:31.59) won the bronze.These Olympics figure to be the final Games of Kasprzyk's impressive career. The 34-year-old 2005 Drexel graduate rowed in the 2012 Olympics in London, also earning a fourth-place finish.For more on Olympic rowing, visit www.rio2016.com/en/rowing Team USA  Men's 8 Final  Saturday, Aug. 13Great Britain  5:29.63Germany  5:30.96Netherlands  5:31.59USA  5:34.23Poland  5:34.62New Zealand  5:36.64----- The United States men's coxed eight won its repechage Thursday morning to advance to Saturday morning's final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The men's eight, which features Drexel Crew alum Steve Kasprzyk in the 5-seat, finished first with a time of 5:51.13. Rounding out the top four boats, all of which move on to the medal round, was the Netherlands (5:52.95), New Zealand (5:56.94) and Poland (5:59.22). Italy, which rowed to a 6:05.12, finished fifth and did not advance. Those top four boats will join Great Britain and Germany in Saturday's final scheduled for 10:24 a.m. EST. The U.S. will row from lane five.Advancing to the final provides Kasprzyk an opportunity to win an elusive Olympic medal. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Kasprzyk and the men's eight finished fourth in the final, just three-tenths of a second behind Great Britain for the bronze. It was a tightly contested final with the bottom four boats all finishing within seven-tenths of a second of each other.USA - 5:51.13Netherlands - 5:52.95New Zealand - 5:56.94Poland - 5:59.22Italy - 6:05.12Team USA - Men's 8 Final - Saturday, Aug. 13 - 10:24 a.m. ESTLane 1 - PolandLane 2 - NetherlandsLane 3 - Great BritainLane 4 - GermanyLane 5 - USALane 6 - New Zealand----- Because of stormy weather conditions, Day 5 rowing action at Lagoa Stadium at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has been postponed. The race has been rescheduled for Thursday morning at 9 a.m. EST.Drexel Crew alum ('05) Steve Kasprzyk, rowing in the United States men's coxed eight, was scheduled to compete in reps Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. EST. The top four boats in reps will advance to the medal round.----- The United States men's coxed eight, which features Drexel Crew alum Steve Kasprzyk, finished second on Monday morning in its opening heat at the 2016 Summer Oympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The boat finished with a time of 5:40.16, slightly less than two seconds behind the winning crew from Germany, which rowed to a 5:38.22. Poland finished third, crossing the finish line at 5:42.32. Germany jumped out to a fast start out of the gate and went on to lead the race at every split.With the second-place time, Team USA now moves onto Wednesday's reps, scheduled for 10 a.m. BRT (9 a.m. EST). Along with the U.S., the reps will feature Poland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Italy. The top four boats in reps will join Great Britain and Germany in Saturday's final.Stay tuned for the official heat sheets to be released. For more information on rowing at the Rio Olympics, click here Team USA - Heat 2 - Monday, Aug. 81st to final; 2-3 to repsGermany - 5:38.22USA - 5:40.16Poland - 5:42.32--- Former Drexel rower Steve Kasprzyk and the United States men's coxed eight are set for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The opening ceremony will kick off the event on Friday, Aug. 5. Kasprzyk and the men's eight will begin competition, which will be held at Lagoa Stadium, in heat two on Monday, Aug. 8 at 9:10 a.m. BRT The top finisher in the heat will advance straight to the final, while the rest of the crews will move on to Wednesday's reps. Reps are scheduled for Wednesday morning and the final is scheduled for Saturday.Joining Kasprzyk, who is slated to row in the 5-seat, in the men's eight will be coxswain Sam Ojserkis, stroke Austin Hack, Rob Munn, Mike DiSanto, Glenn Ochal, Alex Karwoski, Hans Struzyna and bow Sam Dommer. Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States figure to be the top crews in the running for medals.Team USA took the top spot at the Final Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland back in May with a time of 5:29.160 to qualify.Kasprzyk, a 2005 graduate from Drexel, was a member of Team USA's eight that finished fourth at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, just three-tenths of a second off of a spot on the medal podium. He is one of two rowers in the current Team USA men's eight to be making a second Olympic appearance, and is one of 12 returning rowing Olympians.He has an extensive resume of international and national success, including a gold medal at the World Rowing Cup II in 2014 and a gold medal at the 2011 Pan Am Games. The 34-year-old first joined the national team in 2007.Stay tuned for the official heat sheets to be released. For more information on rowing at the Rio Olympics, click here
Home Four wheelers Walayar Checkpost Back In The News: 6.5 Crore Worth Rolls-Royce Seized! oi-Rajkamal

Rolls-Royce recently said that the company will showcase the Dawn around South India to promote the luxury brand, as this region is a crucial market for the carmaker.

But that plan didn't go really well, since the Kerala Commercial Tax Department has seized the vehicle. A truck transporting the Rs. 6.25 crore worth Rolls-Royce Dawn was stopped at the Walayar checkpost.

Officials claim that the car was being transported without documents, but confirm that the car had a set of 'Clean' custom clearance document.

The Rolls-Royce dealer, Kun Motoren* informed the officials that the car was being transported for promotional basis, and was being taken to a hotel. They also told officers that the car will be taken back to Chennai after the event was over.

As per what J Udayakumar, the Inspector of Commercial Tax Department said, "We have stopped the car for being transported without proper documents and have issued a notice asking them to pay Rs 1.88 crore. The dealer has said that they will ship the car back to Tamil Nadu through the same checkpost and we will have a check on it."

The officer also added, "A Rolls-Royce is a luxury car and usually is manufactured based on a confirmed order. We have no information related to any exhibition being conducted in the said hotel and we have taken the car into custody."

The car was released, but there seems to have been a classic mix up. Maybe the cops need to read more automotive news websites to keep aware of what is going on.

*DriveSpark reached out to Kun Motoren to find out what really happened and this is what the dealership had to say: "The confusion at the checkpost after the Commercial Tax Department seized the car has been sorted. There is nothing more to comment on this."
The following guest post was written by Barb Byrum. Barb is currently the Ingham County Clerk and is a former State Representative who served three terms in Michigan House of Representatives from 2007-2012. She is currently running for re-election to serve a second term as the Clerk of Ingham County. Byrum grew up in Onondaga, Michigan, a small rural town in southwestern Ingham County and continues to live there today with her spouse and children.

Enjoy.

Attorney General Bill Schuettes attempt to reinstate a law banning straight-ticket voting through the 2016 General Election is unacceptable. Michigan voters have had the option to cast a straight-ticket vote for more than a century and changing it now, right before the State General Election is wrong.

A county clerks job consists of many constitutional and statutory duties, but perhaps the most important responsibility is that of being the chief election official for the entire county.

As the chief election official for Ingham County, I am responsible for conducting elections within my jurisdiction. This means I am responsible for the layout, production, and printing of more than 150 style types of ballots for 118 precincts in the upcoming General Election.

Keep in mind that the deadline to submit ballot wording for county and local proposals is August 16th and for state proposals the deadline is September 9th. These are tight deadlines because I must ensure that ballots make it to our military service members and other voters who are overseas by September 24th.

To complete the layout of the ballot, including sending proof ballots to each candidate and correcting name misspellings, could take up to two weeks alone. The printing and shipping of the ballots could possibly take up to another week after that.

Any hold up on this process would ultimately hurt voters.

With regard to straight-ticket voting, Michigan voters have twice voiced their opinion by statewide ballot proposal. In the November 1964 election, more than 65% of Michiganders voted to retain straight-ticket voting after the Legislature and Governor passed a law to do away with it. Later, in the November 2002 election, more than 59% of Michiganders again voted to retain straight-ticket voting after the Legislature and Governor triedagainto do away with it. SchuetteOnDuty is now deliberately going against those voters who decided twice to allow for the opportunity to vote using a straight-ticket. He is clearly only concerned with the will of the voters, when it comes to marriage.

With special interests in control of both the Republican Legislature and Republican Governor, enacting the ban on straight-ticket voting will make it more difficult to vote because the wait times to vote will get longer and longer and longer. In effect, this slimy tactic will hurt voter turnout. SchuetteOnDuty is working hard to disenfranchise voters, making it more difficult to get ballots printed in a timely manner and increasing voter and election worker confusion by appealing the District Courts ruling that authorized straight-ticket voting in the November election.

Michigan has some of the longest ballots in the nation and it will take approximately 10 minutes to vote the entire ballot. This timing does not even take into consideration the increased risk of mistakes, the consequence being spoiled ballots, which would require a new ballot for the voter and yet more time to complete the voting process.

Hurting voter turnout has been a continuous trend amongst Republicans. They have made it more difficult for voters by requiring photo identification, which does absolutely nothing to curb election fraud. They have also continued to require a reason to vote by absentee ballot and not allow same-day voter registration. This is plain, slimy politicking by the Republicans and the special interests that control them. They have no regard for the will of Michiganders, or for what is rightplain and simple.

SchuetteOnDuty says he acknowledges the tight timeframe before the General Election, but in reality, he has no idea and no respect for the voters or election officials.

I call on the Court of Appeals to uphold the rights of all Michigan voters and uphold the U.S. District Court ruling.

I call on Michigan Voters to check their registration status at https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/MVIC/ and request an Absentee Ballot at https://www.michigan.gov/documents/AbsentVoterBallot_105377_7.pdf.




Indonesia eyes Spain, Latin America as beef sources

In an effort to lower prices of beef, Indonesia is looking to import beef from Spain and Latin American countries including Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, a local daily said.

This month Indonesia, for the first time, imported 10,000 tonnes of buffalo meat from India. Indonesia has mainly sourced its beef imports from Australia.

"We will soon open the opportunity this year; G-to-G [government-to-government support] will be sought," newly installed Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Post on Wednesday, August 10. He added that hopefully an "equilibrium price" would be achieved.

The Ministry of Agriculture has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Latin American country, which was not identified, for the importation of over 10,000 tonnes of beef, the ministry's head, Amran Sulaiman, said, according to the Indonesian daily.

The government aims to bring the price of beef down to Rp80,000 per kilogramme (US$6.1) from the current range of Rp100,000 to Rp130,000 per kg.

The government's move to diversify beef import sources has been criticized as merely "emergency action".

"The government should start thinking of developing domestic beef production, which is the main issue that hasn't been touched," said Rochadi Tawaf, a cattle expert from Padjadjaran University.
Havana, Aug 13 (EFE).- Former Cuban President Fidel Castro, who turned 90 on Saturday, said in an article coinciding with that personal milestone that human beings were facing their greatest-ever existential threat and issued a call for "preserving the peace."

"We've got to keep hammering away about the need for preserving the peace and insist that no power can claim the right to kill millions of human beings," the leader of the 1959 Cuban Revolution said in the article titled "My Birthday" and published on the government Web site Cubadebate.

Castro, who handed over power on the Communist-ruled island to younger brother Raul Castro in July 2006 due to health reasons, addressed issues such as the problem of global overpopulation, nuclear weapons and the importance of education, but he also referred nostalgically to episodes in his youth.

"The human species today is facing the greatest risk in its history. Experts on these matters are the ones who can do the most for the inhabitants of this planet, whose numbers have increased from 1 billion at the end of the 1800s to 7 billion at the start of 2016. How many will our planet have in a few more years?" the former head of state asked rhetorically.

"The most brilliant scientists, who now number in the thousands, are the ones who can answer that question and many others of great importance," he said.

A year and a half after the start of the historic diplomatic thaw between Cuba and the United States, Castro said President Barack Obama's remarks during his visit to Japan in May were not at the level the occasion required.

"There was a lack of words of apology for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima, even though he knew the effects of the (atomic) bomb (dropped by the United States on that city at the end of World War II)," Castro said.

"The attack on Nagasaki, the city the owners of life chose at random, was equally criminal," he added.

But in a lighter tone, Castro also recalled his birth in Biran, a town in what is now the southeastern province of Holguin, and also his father, Spanish-born Angel Castro.

"How he loved to chat when he left the house in Biran! There he owned lands where sugarcane, pastureland and other agricultural crops were planted. But in the Pinares de Mayari (a high and cool plateau with pine forests) he wasn't the owner, but a lessee, like many Spaniards, who were owners of a continent by virtue of the rights granted by a papal bull," Castro wrote.

A bull "whose existence was unknown to all the peoples and human beings of this continent."

Castro also recalled the geographical characteristics of that region and revealed that his father suffered greatly before his death from an intestinal hemorrhage three years before the triumph of the revolution.

In one other paragraph in his 90th birthday reflection, he lamented that a lack of education "is the greatest harm one can do to a child."

Cuba has been celebrating Castro's 90th birthday for the past several months with a series of events and tributes that will culminate on Saturday with a ceremony at the Karl Marx Theatre in Havana.

Nicolas Maduro, the leftist president of Venezuela, Cuba's closest ally, arrived on the island Saturday for Castro's birthday celebrations, Cuba's official media said.
Blog Hinangai

While there is much discussion in Guam about the economic benefits of increasing the islands military presence, the damages/dangers that they represent are rarely mentioned. This blog, a supplement to the Peace and Justice for Guam Petition, is meant to counter that by providing information about the US military in Guam, with the hopes of steering policy away from a dangerous unilateralist course to more sustainable notions of regional development and a strengthening international solidarity.
Welcome to the world, little Esme Olivia Olsen.

Actress Sarah Wright Olsen and NCIS: Los Angeles star Eric Christian Olsen welcomed their second child on Aug. 9, bringing a baby girl into their flushing little family. Already the proud parents of two-year-old Wyatt, the couple took to Twitter on Thursday to celebrate their new bundle of joy.

"Love and joy don't do justice to what I feel when I look at these three," Wright wrote, captioning a photo of her growing clan. "Esme Olivia was born 8/9/16 at 8:55am she is 11 pounds of love."
The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.

Milan Kundera, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
We hope you enjoyed that burst of somewhat cooler summertime weather that we experienced over the last couple of weeks, but hot temperatures have returned in full force: The mid-valley will be sweltering under a heat advisory until 6 p.m. today, and even when the advisory gets lifted, the forecast is for high temperatures to continue lurking in the 80s and 90s.

As the weather heats up, so does the risk of wildfire, and so fire officials again are warning that area forests and other lands are primed to burn, if only someone is careless enough to give fire an opportunity to get going.

It doesn't take much: A campfire left unattended for a moment or two. A spark from a lawnmower. Someone dopey enough to bring fireworks into the forest.

This has been a relatively quiet year to date for fires, and that's good news. The state Department of Forestry announced earlier this week that so far this year, 470 wildfires have burned 2,685 acres on state forest land. By contrast, nearly 18,000 acres had burned on state-protected land by this time last year.

However, fire officials know how quickly that can turn around, and they also understand the fire season around these parts usually stretches into early October, so it still has a couple of months left. We've seen a number of fires already this season that could have turned truly nasty if firefighters hadn't been on top of their games. (A tip of the hat, by the way, to everyone involved in battling fires, and that includes farm workers laboring in mid-valley fields, who often provide the critical first line of defense when fire breaks out, holding them at bay until professional firefighters arrive.)

But as temperatures rise and humidity drops, the margin of error firefighters have when battling these fires becomes razor-thin.

And, of course, people provide the X factor in all of this: State officials estimate that people are responsible for starting 87 percent of all the fires on Department of Forestry land.

Forest officials around the mid-valley say that fire danger in the area is high, and so what's known as regulated-use rules are in effect. Most of these rules are common sense: No smoking, except while traveling in vehicles on improved roads. No open fires, including campfires. No fireworks. (Make sure you understand all the rules before you head out into the forest.)

Maybe you're thinking, what's the worst that could happen if I get a campfire going and it gets out of control?

Well, you could get charged with a crime. And if convicted, you may get to pay for the costs of firefighting. In fact, just this week, Oregon State Police arrested four suspects on suspicion of starting a fire that burned Aug. 5 on Weyerhaeuser property in the Scappoose area. The wildfire, which authorities believe resulted from an illegal campfire that spread out of control, ignited several logging slash piles. (The case against the four adults has been bolstered somewhat by video from social media that shows the individuals at the campfire site. This social media really has been a boon for prosecutors.) The Oregon Department of Forestry says it will take legal action against the men to recover the fire-suppression costs  and firefighting isn't cheap.

So, if you're heading out into the woods, be on your guard. Follow all the regulations that apply. Remember that a careless or foolish act on your part could blacken hundreds of thousands of acres, not to mention your rap sheet and your bank account. (mm)
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Hello, im moving to duba for university I have attested my highschool diploma and now the university in dubai is asking me to get my certificate equalized, what is the process? I filed my application on tuesday and for some reason Im worried I will get my papers rejected. They said It would take 2-3 weeks.But im in such a hurry and rush. Do they go easy on highschool transcript? what is the process why do they take so long? do they contact my school in canada? please help
It is a huge move for us but this trip out is our chance to let our 16 year old see Dubai for the 1st time as well as the 2 younger boys (almost 10 and almost 6) it's our daughter we are having to try and convince it's a good move. We have had alot of conversations about the experiences me and her dad have had but at almost 17 by the time we Move to the UAE we can't hold a gun to her head and force her to come and live a misrable life!
Hey all,



Is it easy to get a part time job in Lyon as a foreign student?



Thank you.
Did you think she was Thatcher reincarnated? I don't think Thatcher would have described her own Party as the 'Nasty Party' as May did way back in 2004.Oil keeps life as we know it functioning so I hope she does get something out of this approach.But she should remember that the Falkland Islanders have overwhelmingly expressed their wish to remain British (like the Gibraltarians) and there must be no softening of that position.We're going to have to get used to May. With the demise of Labour as an election-winning alternative to the Tories, she's going to be around for a long time yet.And in that sense she does resemble Thatcher.Self-determination applies to all, regardless of ethnicity or past history.
Hello,

my name is Thomas and i come from Germany.

Now i live in Rayong. Before i live in Nakhon Ratchasima for 1 year.

In NR you have a lot of big and small daily market where can buy everything.

Now i stay in Rayong aerea Ban Phe and looking for market where can buy clothes and pork and green and... but until now i not find a market like this.

I find only market with 100 (like twins) dry fish sellers.



Is here any outside daily (weekly) market with different things to buy?



Thanks for answers.

Thomas
Friday, August 12, 2016

Community Friday: PWIC Leadership and the Global Conference

Tendai Jordan

Tendais Story

I was talking to a colleague about how to produce a project as it hadnt been coming together as I had planned. This dilemma had happened before. After a lengthy conversation, she said to me, Tendai, you are an ideas person, and maybe could use a little help on the execution side of planning. I was shocked, but it made so many things I had been experiencing make sense. With that revelation, I was able to make some pivotal changes.

PWIC Encourages Leadership

Enter stage left, Powerful Women International Connections. I was honored to be invited to join this exclusive group of women. The membership is only offered to women who are compassionate about making a difference in the lives of others. I immediately felt a strong connection with this group of women. It seemed that after so many years, I was home with my family. I found myself among talented, gifted, committed, and dedicated women, each having a mission to improve the lives of others. Each woman works in various humanitarian projects. And, even better, each supports the other. It was amazing to witness!

The leadership is caring and supports the members by connecting them to whoever is able to assist them with the different aspects of their project. And, PWIC is international able to support its members located anywhere in the world.

A New Perspective

I had a project in progress. Although I didnt consider it a humanitarian project, I saw that by getting my project off the ground it would support humanitarian projects of powerful women as they go through challenges in their own lives. I saw how my project would assist them to be even more powerful in the midst of their own personal hardships as they put their lives on the line and at risk to make a difference to underprivileged communities.

My project is women sharing their stories of challenges and how they overcame them. Its called 5 PowerFull Women (5PW).

Finding Success

My passion is to challenge, encourage, and support women in giving their gift and living happy, fulfilling lives. I facilitate groups of 5 women who share their stories of victory and success over a challenging circumstance. The sharing is videotaped with the intention to share the discussion with other women of the world using current media and technology. I had had some success and have come to know this as my calling.

To my delight, with the support of PWIC, my project expanded and my book is published! PWIC saw how my project would support other women. They asked their experts to work with me. My project is alive and thriving!

I am excited about the upcoming Global Impact Conference as it will give me the opportunity to connect with women from all parts of the world. I will be able to share my project with compassionate leaders and get input from different perspectives.

Collaborative Leadership

Equally exciting, I am looking forward to seeing the projects and programs these women leaders have in progress. Examples of projects include working to stop human trafficking and domestic violence, putting clean water in developing countries, working to reduce recidivism, building schools/orphanages, and more.

I am honored to be a part of the leadership to support other women and see their projects grow and transform the world. I will also be leaving a legacy for my granddaughter and many other young women.

Join me at the Global Impact Conference in San Francisco, CA August 18-19, 2016

to see amazing women making a huge difference in society.

Sales Tips:

Give your vision everything you have Confer with those who have gone before you Find a supportive group Reach out to possible mentors Give back by mentoring those following your footsteps Exchange ideas with many Learn from the worst and the best feedback Continually implement change for improvement Track progress and adjust path ahead Continue to persevere!

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

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Lawyers for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held prisoner by the Taliban for nearly five years after abandoning a remote Army outpost in Afghanistan and faces criminal charges for leaving his unit, on Friday accused his top commander of burning more than 100 letters regarding the case.

The defense, in a court motion, asked a judge to remove Gen. Robert Abrams from the case and to cancel a scheduled Feb. 6 trial because Abrams told Bergdahls defense team Monday that he burned the letters, which were sent to him by supporters and detractors of their client.

The motion also said Abrams, head of the Armys Forces Command, failed to review a list of defense objections and comments provided Oct. 9 before he ordered Bergdahls trial, choosing not to read them because he claimed it was written for the lawyers.

It said Abrams suggested that if the defense wanted him to read the submission, it should be written in plain-speak, which one outside observer called a legally fatal blunder that could convince the judge to throw out the charges.

Abrams serves as the convening authority of Forces Command, a role in which he routinely decides whether soldiers facing serious charges go to trial. He also reviews trials after they are decided.

Two months after the defense submission, Abrams had ordered Bergdahl to stand trial at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy by endangering the safety of a command, unit or place, the latter charge punishable by up to life in prison.

Bergdahl, 30, of Hailey, Idaho was captured after leaving his combat outpost in 2009. Released in May, 2014, he was brought to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston for care under a long-established program for former prisoners of war and has remained here.

The defense asked that a new commander decide how to respond to recommendations by Lt. Col. Mark Visger, who presided over a fact-finding hearing here last year, that Bergdahl face a special court-martial and a maximum punishment of only one year in jail.

A Forces Command spokesman, Paul Boyce, said the court would take up the motion, perhaps as early as Aug. 22.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel Vanlandingham, a professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, called Abrams review of the defense materials a critical junction before he ordered the trial.

He only has to consider it  he doesnt have to agree with it  but he admitted he didnt consider it because he felt it wasnt written plainly enough, she said. I think its buffoonery. I think it falls far below the standard we expect our convening authorities to adhere to.

The defense motion called Abrams decision to not read its submissions disturbing evidence that he was not impartial or, in the alternative, that he could not be bothered to hear from the defense when exercising a critical quasi-judicial function. It said Abrams made things worse by his baffling decision to burn the letters, which spanned the full spectrum of opinion, and came from all types of people and on both sides of the case.

When defense counsel asked to see the letters, Gen. Abrams revealed that he had destroyed them by burning, the motion states, and this prevented both the court and the defense from knowing precisely how many such letters there were, what they actually said, and, importantly, who wrote them and how we might get in touch with those individuals. This damage is irreparable.

Vanlandingham said the letters werent a major issue, explaining, There is nothing in the rules for court martial that says the public gets to weigh in with a convening authority.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Addicott, a professor at St. Mary's University School of Law, agreed that the letters werent evidence, but personal correspondence of people not involved in the case.

Obviously the defense is throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks for future appeal issues, Addicott said, adding that he would have advised Abrams to save the letters.

But veteran defense lawyer Frank Spinner, known for successfully representing high-profile defendants, was stunned.

Are you serious? he asked, when told Abrams had burned the letters. Is he stupid? Oh my gosh, I cannot even conceive of a general, No. 1, doing such a thing and, No. 2, admitting such a thing.

sigc@express-news.net

.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has initiated a phase I clinical trial of an investigational vaccine designed to protect against yellow fever virus.

According to an NIAID statement, the study will evaluate whether an experimental vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical manufacturer Bavarian Nordic is safe, tolerable and has the potential to prevent yellow fever virus infection.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons/Muhammad Mahdi Karim/Creative Commons License

Bavarian Nordics experimental yellow fever vaccine, called MVA-BN-YF, is based on the companys proprietary MVA-BN platform, which uses an attenuated version of the Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus as a vaccine vector to carry yellow fever virus genes into the body. Bavarian Nordic says that more than 7,600 people, including 1,000 who are immunocompromised, have been safely vaccinated with MVA-BNbased vaccines.

The NIAID statement noted that prior studies have suggested that combining MVA-BN with ISA 720, an experimental immune-boosting adjuvant, induces a strong immune response after a single dose of vaccine. One goal of the study will be to assess whether two doses of unadjuvanted vaccine or a single dose of ISA 720 adjuvanted vaccine could provide protection against yellow fever.

NIAID said the placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial will enroll 90 healthy men and women aged 18-45 years who have never been infected with a flavivirus. Participants will be divided into six groups: One will receive the currently licensed yellow fever vaccine (15 participants) and five groups (15 participants each) will receive the investigational Bavarian Nordic vaccine, either with or without an adjuvant. The investigational vaccine will be administered intramuscularly while the licensed yellow fever vaccine will be administered subcutaneously. Trial participants will receive one or two doses of vaccine or placebo, separated by a month.

According to NIAIDs statement, the multisite trial will be conducted by NIAID-funded Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and Saint Louis (Mo.) University. The Emory Vaccine Center in Decatur, Ga., will assist in evaluating data.

Yellow fever infection usually causes fever, back pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness, but roughly 15% of infected patients develop severe disease manifested as jaundice, hemorrhage, and shock, resulting in potentially fatal kidney, liver, or heart conditions.

The current yellow fever vaccine can produce severe adverse complications, such as neurologic side effects, multiple organ system dysfunction and death, and thus cannot be given to infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. More than 105 million people in Africa have been vaccinated against yellow fever since 2006, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), but a new outbreak of the disease has caused an estimated 84,000-170,000 severe illnesses and 29,000 to 60,000 deaths in 2013.

For more details about the trial, visit the National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials website.

rpizzi@frontlinemedcom.com

On Twitter @richpizzi
Shropshire

A Full-Time position is available for an assistant herdsperson on a family dairy farm in mid Shropshire. We have a 250 dairy herd rearing own replacements together with a b...
Philip Hammond is to guarantee billions of pounds of UK government investment after Brexit for projects currently funded by the EU, including agricultural subsidies.

In a statement issued on Saturday (13 August), the Chancellor said the current level of funding under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Pillar 1 would be upheld until 2020 as part of the transition to new domestic arrangements.

Universities and researchers will also have funds guaranteed for research bids made directly to the European commission.

The chancellors funding commitment is designed to give a boost to the economy in what he expects to be a difficult period after the surprise result of the EU referendum in June.

NFU President Meurig Raymond said he is "extremely pleased" to hear the news officially

"We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive," he said.

"The government will also match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, who play a vital role in our country."

Voters backed leaving the EU in the 23 June referendum but Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated the UK government will not trigger Article 50, which would begin a two-year process to leave, during 2016.

'Much-needed certainty'

The National Farmers Union has reacted positively to the news, saying farmers have been given "much-needed certainty" in the short term.

CLA's Ross Murray said the decision is a "vitally important first step"

The union said it should mean that farmers can count on receiving the Basic Payment Scheme through to 2020 and that agri-environment schemes already in place are guaranteed through to their conclusion.

The NFU said its good to hear that other rural development grants such as Leader offered before the Autumn Statement will also be honoured.

NFU President Meurig Raymond said he is "extremely pleased" to hear the news officially after the NFUs discussions with Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom, her department and the Treasury in the past three weeks.

Mr Raymond said this certainty in the short term now allows time for the industry and Defra to formulate a domestic agricultural policy that is fit for purpose.

Mr Raymond said: "The Treasurys announcement today is positive for farmers.

"I hope that this short-term certainty will help to deliver longer-term confidence and this is exactly what farm businesses need now.

"Weve been emphasising to the Government at all levels that the success of the UKs largest manufacturing sector - food and drinkworth 108 billion to the UK economy, is underpinned by the farming sector.

"With the agricultural budget now retained and agri-environment agreements and BPS payments now honoured, I am delighted that the Prime Minister and Defra have understood the importance of farming and food production."

'Vital positive step'

The CLA, which represents over 32,000 farmers, landowners and other rural businesses, has described the announcement as a "vital positive step."

The organisation has argued that this step is vital to help businesses manage themselves through a period of "significant uncertainty" caused by the Brexit vote and "extremely poor trading conditions" for agricultural commodities.

As well as to provide the additional time necessary to develop a new improved UK-specific policy to replace the CAP.

CLA President, Ross Murray said: "This decision is a vitally important first step in preparing for the UKs exit from the European Union.

"It will provide a significant degree of reassurance to farmers and other landowners across the country.

"We have been clear, since the start of the EU Referendum campaign, that this is the first decision Ministers had to make to reassure rural businesses in the advent of a Brexit vote.

"It is therefore a strong signal that will give confidence to businesses considering their future in a difficult agricultural market.

"There are of course many more decisions that now need to be made, not least a commitment that there will be a fully funded, world-leading domestic Food, Farming and Environment Policy in place ready to succeed the current system in place ready for 2021."
A new scholarship of 15,000 to investigate a pressing strategic topic within the dairy supply chain has been announced by The Trehane Trust.

The bursary, to be called the Trehane Dairy Fellowship, will be awarded every two years.

Expressions of interest are now being accepted for its first study  identifying a Strategy for the UK Dairy Industry Post-Referendum.

Trehane Trust chairman Wynne Jones says the concept for the fellowship has been developed over the past year.

But the pressing need for a plan for the dairy industry following the EU Referendum vote has spurred the Trust to launch the bursary now.

"We are expecting the study to run over a nine month period during which the recipient, who will have strong analytical skills, political understanding and international industry connections, will mainly conduct desk research  but with some European and international travel to policy centres for essential meetings," he says.

"This is going to have to be an efficient, focused exercise to get the insight the industry needs in time to use it effectively.

"We aim to select a recipient by the end of September, at which point we should all have a better idea of the UKs response to the referendum outcome.

"The recipient will be asked to report back by July 2017 so that the findings can help inform negotiations and policy development."

The Trehane Trust is best known for its sponsorship of dairy-focused Nuffield Scholars, and this bursary will also be managed by the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust.

The funds can awarded to either a UK or overseas resident, and they can be an independent freelancer or someone who would like to accommodate the study within their day job.
Brownes has told four of its biggest suppliers it does not want their milk once their contracts expire on September 30 and Harvey Fresh has told five out-of-contract suppliers who have not signed new contracts, it does not want their milk after January.
"Therefore, economy of scale has become essential and this acquisition will provide AFGRI with the opportunity to align this strategy to its well-established vision of being the preferred supplier of premium agricultural equipment, services and solutions.
"We're chasing technology for the sake of technology," he said. "We need to slow it down because there's not enough people on the ground to support it.
What was it like to be an Oath Keeper? John Zimmerman can tell you
Adrienne Bailon is engaged.

Adrienne Bailon's engagement ring (c) Instagram

The 32-year-old star has announced she is set to tie the knot with Israel Houghton.

Sharing a video of her gorgeous ring sparkling in front of the Eiffel Tower, she wrote on Instagram: "You. Me. Oui. (sic)"

Israel also took to Instagram to write his own heartfelt message to his bride-to-be.

He shared: "I have seen and felt the essence of Gods grace through the life, the kindness and the courage of this woman. I've seen her attacked, lied about, wrongfully accused, mocked, laughed at, and misunderstood.

"But, I've also seen the shining example of the eagle she is that rises above the cacophony of the noise of ignorants- I'm learning from her example. She loves Jesus. She loves her family. She loves people. Even the ones that don't love her back. I pray God give me that same grace in my life.

"I've taken a giant leap of faith in asking her to share life with me forever and to give me a shot at getting it right this time... She has graciously granted my request... She said yes. Thanks Be To God. Thank you @adriennebailon for graciously loving me. (sic)"

Meanwhile, an insider has revealed the couple "couldn't be more in love".

A source told E! News: "They couldn't be more in love. They have known each other for a very long time. It just felt meant to be for Adrienne. He treats her so well.

"They worked on a project together a very long time ago and never lost touch."

The happy couple are currently enjoying a holiday in Europe and it is thought Israel may have proposed in France.

Sharing a snap of the pair kissing in front of the iconic French tower, Adrienne wrote: "French Kiss xo

#Paris #EiffelTower #SeineRiver #YachtsDeParis @ihoughton @nyricanmama (thnx Mami) (sic)"
Benedict Cumberbatch's 'Doctor Strange' role was "psychologically and physically" demanding.

Benedict Cumberbatch

The 40-year-old actor admits it was tough preparing for his role as the Marvel superhero and was told by Kevin Feige, the President of Marvel Studios, that it was one of the toughest regimes the studios had put an actor through.

He said: "He goes through so much psychologically and physically, which I can testify to as an actor. Kevin Feige went, 'I don't think we have put an actor through quite as much as this.' I said, 'I'll wear that badge with pride.'"

And Benedict - who has 14-month-old son Christopher with his wife Sophie Hunter - admits he found it difficult balancing his work out regime and his young family.

He told The Sun newspaper: "It was a tough shoot from that point of view. It was very, very physically demanding. Not just getting all hench, as they say in Wales, the buffness you need for the superhero stuff.

"But also just day-to-day fitness and the stamina to do 14-15 hour days with very little turnaround and very little sleep and a baby at home and all the rest of it. So I did go through quite a lot. No pain, no gain. But for the character, hopefully it'll show."

And Benedict is set to star in 'Doctor Strange' alongside Rachel McAdams.

At the time her casting was announced, she said: "I am going to go and do 'Doctor Strange'. A Marvel ... a kind of psychedelic Marvel comic with Benedict Cumberbatch. So yeah, I'm really looking forward to that."

'Doctor Strange' is slated for released in November 2016.
For me, Brad Pitt is an actor who has got better with age and he looks set to deliver another riveting performance in Allied.

Allied

Allied is the first big screen outing for Pitt since The Big Short at the beginning of 2016 and sees him team up with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis for the first time.

Zemeckis is one of the most exciting and versatile filmmakers around and has brought us films such as Flight, The Polar Express and Cast Away in recent years. Allied is his first feature since The Walk last year.

The first teaser trailer for the film has been released and we have it for you to take a look at:

Allied also sees Marion Cotillard on the cast list as Oscar-winning actress teams up with Pitt for the first time. I am excited to see these two actors share the screen.

Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Goode, Raffey Cassidy, Jared Harris, and Charlotte Hope complete this talented cast list.

Allied follows intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt) who meets French resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour during a mission in North Africa in 1942.

The pair falls in love and marry. But when Max is informed that Marianne may be a Nazi spy, he begins to investigate his own wife.

It may still be a tad early to talk about possible Oscar contenders, but Allied could well be a film to watch out for as awards season starts to roll around.

Allied is released later this year.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Thailand based Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a leading producer of intermediate petrochemicals, and energy group Compania Espanola de Petroleos S.A.U. (Cepsa) have signed an exclusive supply agreement for metaxylene, a key feedstock for the production of Isopthalic Acid (IPA), a high value-added chemical additive used in the manufacture of PET, coatings and other resins.

As per the agreement, Cepsa will construct its second metaxylene unit for exclusive supply to IVL. The new Sorbex unit, a near replication of the existing unit, will have a capacity up to 70,000 metric tonnes per annum.

Together with the existing metaxylene unit, Cepsa will be able to supply the entire production to Indorama Ventures' co-located site, which is integrated with Cepsa's refinery in San Roque, Cadiz, Spain. The additional new supply is expected to come on-stream in 2018.

Thailand based Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a leading producer of intermediate petrochemicals, and energy group Compania Espanola de Petroleos S.A.U. (Cepsa) have signed an exclusive supply agreement for metaxylene, a key feedstock for the production of Isopthalic Acid (IPA), a high value-added chemical additive used...#

This agreement will allow us to cater to our customers' growing IPA needs globally, from a reliable production platform with proven technology and a competitive supply chain infrastructure. The global IPA market is growing at five per cent per annum and it is our responsibility as a leader to support the growth effectively, said Group CEO of IVL Aloke Lohia.

IVL acquired the vertically-integrated business of IPA, PTA and PET from Cepsa in Spain in April 2016 and expects to make further investments at the location to improve the capacity, reliability of supply and service of goods to customers in a competitive environment, maintaining the site's excellent track record driven by its dedicated and passionate employees, the company said. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Nigeria spends over $4 billion per year on importing textiles and clothing, a statement from Hamma Kwajaffa, director general at the Textile Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (TMAN) revealed.However, the country 's textile sector can manufacture textiles and apparels for the domestic market as well as for the countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he said.

Nigeria spends over $4 billion per year on importing textiles and clothing, a statement from Hamma Kwajaffa, director general at the Textile Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (TMAN) revealed. However, the country's textile sector can manufacture textiles and apparels for the domestic market as well as for the countries in the Economic Community...#

These products can also be exported to the US under AGOA and to the European Union under its GSP scheme, Kwajaffa added.He was but worried over the huge imports of textiles and clothing, which according to him, not only weakens the domestic industry, steals jobs and reduces government revenue, Nigerian media reports said.In the statement, Kwajaffa urged the government to address the eight challenges which were earlier brought to the notice of the government.They include re-scheduling of the CTG loan facility, high tariff on gas despite fall in oil and gas prices, supplying fuel to industry, consistent supply of certified seeds to farmers and lastly allocating forex at official rates. (AR)

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/12/16 -- Canadian Orebodies Inc. (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Financing") and has increased the Financing to raise up to $5,600,000 through the sale of units of securities of the Company.

The Company closed on a total of $2,405,200 through the sale of 40,086,668 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.06 per Unit.

Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant of the Company (each such whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable into one Common Share for a period of 18 months from closing at an exercise price of $0.14 per share beginning on the date of the closing of the Offering. The expiry date of the Warrants may be accelerated, at the option of the Company, if the closing price of the Common Shares on a Canadian stock exchange exceeds $0.20 for a period of twenty consecutive trading days commencing on the date that is four months and one day after the closing of the Financing by giving notice to the holders thereof, in which case the Warrants will expire on the thirtieth day after the date on which such notice is given by the Company.

The Company will pay cash finders' fees to eligible finders for an aggregate amount of 6% of the gross proceeds and grant non-transferable warrants (each, a "Finders Warrant") to purchase an aggregate of up to 6% of the Units of the Company placed by each eligible finder. Each Finders Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share for a period of 18 months from the date of issuance at a price of $0.06 per Common Share. The Company paid cash finders' fees of $76,452 and issued 1,174,200 Finders Warrants on the closing of the first tranche.

Certain management and directors of the Company have participated in the Financing for the aggregate amount of $81,000. The issuances of Units to insiders pursuant to the Financing are considered related party transactions within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 in respect of such insider participation.

The proceeds of the Financing will be used for costs for the exploration and advancement of the Company's Hemlo property and for general working capital purposes.

The securities issued by the Company in connection with this offering are subject to a statutory hold period which expires on Dec 13, 2016.

Contacts:

Gordon McKinnon

President & CEO

Canadian Orebodies Inc.

(416) 644-1747

gmckinnon@canadianorebodies.com

www.canadianorebodies.com




GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/12/16 -- AZARGA URANIUM CORP. (TSX: AZZ)(FRANKFURT: P8AA)(OTC PINK: PWURF) ("Azarga Uranium" or the "Company") has issued 2,139,715 common shares, as described below, to settle outstanding obligations. The issuance of the common shares to settle outstanding obligations is consistent with the Company's strategy of preserving cash.

Further to the Company's news releases on 19 May 2016 and 8 July 2016, the Company has issued:

-- 56,995 common shares at a deemed price of C$0.60 per common share and 66,015 common shares at a deemed price of C$0.30 per common share to settle deferred compensation owing to three non-insider employees and one consultant in the amount of US$44,400; -- 1,140,626 common shares at a deemed price of C$0.60 per common share to settle US$532,800 of interest owing on the Company's US$1.8 million convertible loan with certain shareholders. Two of the three shareholders are insiders of the Company, while the other shareholder has an arm's length relationship with the Company; and -- 812,500 common shares at a deemed price of C$0.29 per common share as a bonus payment to certain insiders, employees and a former employee, who was an employee when the bonus payment was earned, of the Company.

In addition, the Company has issued 63,579 common shares at a deemed price of C$0.60 per common share to settle insider debts of US$29,699.

The issuance of the common shares is subject to final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Of the common shares issued, 1,229,205 common shares are subject to a hold period expiring on December 13, 2016.

About Azarga Uranium Corp.

Azarga Uranium is a mineral development company that controls six uranium projects, deposits and prospects in the United States of America (South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado) and the Kyrgyz Republic. The Dewey Burdock Project in South Dakota (the "Project"), which is the Company's initial development priority, has received its Nuclear Regulatory Commission License and the Company is in the process of completing all other major regulatory permit approvals necessary for operation of the Project, including those from the Environmental Protection Agency and the South Dakota Department of Natural Resources.

Follow us on Twitter at @AzargaUranium.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding its disclosure and amendments thereto. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's strategy to preserve cash and the Company's continued efforts to obtain all major regulatory permit approvals necessary for operation of the Project. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including without limitation: (1) the risk that such statements may prove to be inaccurate and (2) other factors beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Additional information about these and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties are set out in the "Risks and Uncertainties" section in the Company's most recent MD&A filed with Canadian security regulators.

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this News Release.

Contacts:

John Mays

Chief Operating Officer

+1 303 790-7528



Mark Hollenbeck

Dewey Burdock Project Manager

+1 605 685-3376

info@azargauranium.com

www.azargauranium.com




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 12, 2016) - Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (OTCQB: ATTBF) (CSE: ATT) (the "Company" or "Abattis"), announces that today the Company issued 2,621,452 common shares as compensation for services to consultants, directors and employees of the Company for the month ended July 31, 2016, no legend was required on any of the issued shares.

The Company is saddened to announce the untimely death of one of its directors, Tim Fealey. Mr. Fealey joined the Abattis board in 2011 as was a member of the audit committee. The board of directors is currently seeking a replacement.

Rene David, CFO of Abattis commented that "Terence (Tim) Fealey was a valued advisor and integral member of the Abattis board. He provided Abattis with insight and guidance that helped Abattis immeasurably. He was a terrific businessman, friend and mentor. His presence will be missed. Our condolences go out to his family."

The Company also announces that it has arranged a $50,000 CAD credit facility (the "Facility") from Crimson Opportunities Ltd. (the "Lender"), a company controlled by Rene David, the CFO of the Abattis.

The Facility is evidenced by a convertible promissory note (the "Note") which is unsecured and is due 24 months from the date of issuance of the Note, upon an event of default or upon a private placement of at least $250,000 in gross proceeds (the "Maturity Date"). Interest accrues at a rate of 10% per annum and is payable quarterly. The principal and interest under the Note is convertible at the election of the Lender with the conversion price being the lower of: (i) $0.05 per common share; or (ii) the allowable discounted to market price for each common share as permitted by the rules of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange"). The proceeds from the Facility will be used for general corporate purposes. The Facility also requires a $5,000 CAD initiation fee. All securities issued in conjunction with the Facility will be subject to a four-month hold period under applicable securities law.

The Facility constitutes a "related party transaction", as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Take-over Bids and Special Transaction ("MI 61-101"). The transactions will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any shares issued to or the consideration paid for the Note will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization and Abattis is not listed on a specified market.

About Abattis Bioceuticals Corp.

Abattis is a specialty biotechnology company that aggregates, incubates, integrates, and invests in the botanical drug development industry. The Company develops and licenses natural health products, medicines, extractions, and ingredients for the biologics, nutraceutical, bioceutical, and cosmetic markets - some of which will contain cannabinoid compounds. The Company also has an extensive pipeline of high-quality products and intellectual property for the rapidly expanding botanical drug market. We follow strict standard operating protocols, and adhere to the applicable laws of Canada and foreign jurisdictions. For more information, visit the Company's website at: www.abattis.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Rene David"

Rene David, CFO/COO and interim CEO

For further information, contact the Company at (604) 336-0881 or at news@abattis.com.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
NEW ORLEANS, LA--(Marketwired - August 12, 2016) - Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 7, 2016 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Embraer S.A. (NYSE: ERJ), if they purchased the Company's securities between April 16, 2012 and July 28, 2016, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

What You May Do

If you purchased shares of Embraer and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com). If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 7, 2016.

About the Lawsuit

Embraer and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false statements include, but are not limited to, that Embraer had paid bribes to officials in the Dominican Republic to secure contracts for the sale of aircraft, a scheme that Embraer's President and Chief Executive Officer was aware of.

On July 29, 2016, Embraer revealed that negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission for the settlement of the allegations of non-compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act had progressed to the point that the company was recognizing a $200 million loss contingency.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com

1-877-515-1850

206 Covington St.

Madisonville, LA 70447
CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - The Pentagon on Friday cleared Boeing Co.'s(BA) new aerial fueling tanker for production. The declaration by the Defense Department clears the way for a $2.8 billion initial production contract. Plane maker's difficulties in developing KC-46 program generated about $2 billion in write-downs. 'The KC-46 is ready to take the next step,' said Gen. Dave Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff in a statement. The Air Force said it would award Boeing contracts over the next 30 days for 19 KC-46 aircraft and their spare parts. 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.
Shah Rukh Khan's detention at a US airport on Thursday has created some major buzz. It has now emerged that Indian foreign ministry had to intervene before Khan was released from the Los Angeles Airport.

Government sources have revealed that the government has spoken to US diplomats and asked them to make sure that Khan does not have to endure such an experience again.

According to The Economic Times report, a source has said, "The matter was taken up with the US embassy here and also with the state department by the Indian embassy in Washington, DC. This helped in his quick release."

Soon after the incident, Richard Verma, US ambassador to India, took to Twitter to express his apologies.

Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesnt happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US.  Rich Verma (@USAmbIndia) August 12, 2016

This is not the first time that Shah Rukh, one of Hindi film industry's most successful stars, was detained at a US airport.

In 2012, he was detained at a New York airport for two hours when he had arrived to visit Yale University, where he was honoured as a Chubb Fellow.

In 2009, he was stopped at the Newark Airport, New Jersey, and was released after two hours at the intervention of the Indian consulate in New York.

"I was really hassled at the American airport because of my name being Khan. It was absolutely uncalled for. I felt angry and humiliated," Shah Rukh had said, who was then heading towards Chicago to participate in an Independence Day celebration event.

"It is a Muslim name and I think the name is common on their checklist," he had then said.

Read Firstpost's extensive coverage on Shah Rukh Khan's detention:

Shah Rukh Khan detention: Once is happenstance, thrice is Islamophobia

Like you said Shah Rukh Khan, it certainly sucks, but just get used to it

Shah Rukh Khan should have returned to India, says Shiv Sena

Shah Rukh Khan detained again at US airport. So?
Lahore: Pakistan's top counter-terrorism agency has issued two alerts, warning about possible terror attacks by two Taliban suicide bombers at the Wagah and Ganda Singh borders with India around the Independence Day.

The National Counter-Terrorism Authority has asked the Punjab Director General of Pakistan Rangers, the Home Department and the Punjab police chief to take high preventive measures to protect the public as well as security personnel.

"Tehreek-i-Taliban's Fazalullah group is planning to target parade at Wagah Border in Lahore and Ganda Singh Border in Kasur on 13, 14 or 15 August," the security alert says.

The letter also says two suicide bombers have been sent to hit these targets.

"Extreme vigilance and heightened security measures are suggested to avoid any untoward incident," it says.

The Punjab Home Department has also issued a separate alert saying "at least 16 suicide attackers have entered the Punjab province" who are planning to target public gatherings in connection with the Independence Day.

Following the alerts, the Punjab police launched a crackdown in the border areas and arrested a number of suspects.

"Police have taken more than 50 suspects into custody during a crackdown and security has been beefed up in the city as well as in the border areas," Lahore police spokesman Niyab Haider told PTI.

He said the suspects would be quizzed and kept into custody till verification process as a majority of them couldn't produce documents related to their identity.

He said police personnel have also been deployed at the border areas on Pakistan's Independence Day (14 August).

Rangers have also reportedly enhanced their patrolling in the border areas.

A deadly terrorist attack had hit Wagah in November 2014, when over 60 people, including children and security personnel, were killed and 200 others injured minutes after the flag-lowering ceremony at the border.

"We have taken measures in the wake of the security alert issued by Nacta about possible terror attack at two important places - in Lahore and Kasur," Lahore police chief Capt (R) Amin Wains said.

He said police had launched the combing, search and sweep and intelligence-based operation last night and arrested several suspects. He said major security enhancement has been made around the Wagah Border.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has cancelled all outdoor activities planned for celebrating the Independence Day in the view of terror threat.

"The Quetta blast this week that killed 74 people mostly lawyers has necessitated the need to be more careful about the 14 August festivities that attract massive public participation," an official said.
Guwahati: Tension gripped Tinsukia district in eastern Assam on Saturday after five to six militants belonging to the anti-talk faction of Ulfa shot dead two people and injured seven.

The attack took place on Friday night at a house in Bamungaon village. The dead were identified as Kishori Shah (65) and his son Rajesh Shah (35), the police said.

Hundreds of people in Philobari area came out to the streets to condemn the attack on "Hindi speaking" community and blamed police for their failure to protect the lives of innocent civilians.

"The Hindi speaking community in Assam has been facing attacks since 2000. However, the state government has not done anything to protect the lives of the people living in Tinsukia and other districts for generations and assimilated with the locals," a demonstrator said.

The locals demanded Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to visit Philobari and ensure security of the people.

They have also complained that the police were aware of a probable attack by the militants in the area but did not deploy adequate forces.

Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Mugdhajyoti Dev Mahanta said operations were launched against the militants and that security in the districts was intensified.
The elephant isn't easily provoked. But if it is boxed into a corner and incited with a thousand cuts, the aggressor runs the risk of being trampled in the wake of its eventual rage.

For decades since Independence, India has historically and inexplicably let Pakistan run away with the Kashmir narrative. Pakistan has forced three battles on us over the Valley and lost each of those. But Islamabad still managed a permanent seat on the high horse of morality. It got to set the terms despite being the vanquished. And as victors, all that successive Indian governments could do was to adopt a defensive posture.

While we have always tended to ignore, even play down our legal claim over the part of Kashmir (the so-called Northern Areas now known as Gilgit Baltistan) occupied by Pakistan, our neighbours have never failed to claim its writ on the area on our side of Line of Control through diplomatic, overt and even covert means.

A combination of Pakistan's sustained campaign and India's lazy response meant that the world now assumes "Kashmir problem" to be pertaining only to the area under our possession. International spotlight has consequently remained permanently focused on India and the way it manages to handle an unquiet land, allowing Pakistan to carry on with large-scale muffling of voices and untold atrocities on PoK. Recent Chinese interest has served to complicate matters even more.

Forced to deny alleged human rights violations in the Valley, forever on the defensive and repeatedly goaded by international agencies to "fix" and "solve" the "Kashmir dispute", India has remained mired in its biggest geopolitical failure.

In the last few days, however, there have been visible signs of a remarkable shift in India's foreign policy. It remains to be seen how the script pans out but Pakistan's cynical attempt to turn the killing of a terrorist into an inflection point for Kashmir insurgency seems to have finally broken the elephant's patience. The green shoots of a new muscular, counter-offensive strategy is visible.

The line of a new tactic, first articulated through external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup and then hammered out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an all-party meeting on Kashmir on Friday is clear.

India will categorically reclaim its writ over Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, no longer tolerate interference in matters internal and intrinsic to India's sovereignty, rebuff Pakistan's efforts of whitewashing cross-border terrorism and most significantly, expose globally its gross human rights violations, brutalities and untold atrocities in Balochistan and PoK.

Turning the tables on Pakistan which has always sought to include Kashmir within the ambit of bilateral talks, Modi said: "When we talk about Jammu and Kashmir, we should talk about four parts of Jammu and Kashmir Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh and PoK," thus totally redrawing the contours.

His categorical statement that "PoK is ours", is as big a strategic shift as any. This denies Pakistan the right to peddle a one-sided narrative on Kashmir and simultaneously stonewalls China's long-term ambitions in altering the ground situation in South Asia. This is of huge significance.

Defence analyst Alok Bansal who has earlier widely commented on the radicalisation of Kashmiri youth and the dangers posed by influence of the Islamic State in Kashmir, told ANI that Modi's statement on PoK is an important step.

This is an important step,India has now categorically stated that PoK is a part of India-Alok Bansal,Security Expert pic.twitter.com/OmblEAcgdE  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Security expert Ajay Sahni concurred, explaining that the statement, coming from the Prime Minister, puts Islamabad on the mat and is important both for international discourse and domestic discourse.

"For the first time at this level we have had a very clear statement on what is essentially the Indian Constitutional position that should have been articulated by the Indian State even in view of the UN Council Resolution," he told ANI.

"It is very important that the Prime Minister has chosen himself to put up a statement. It will have two crucial consequences  one, it will result in a better informed national-international community because the world has always accepted the Pakistani position that has always been very aggressively articulated."

Narratives do not emerge on their own. Often it is the effect of meticulous effort and an efficient communication strategy. Expats who have fled PoK can voice concerns that have systematically been silenced by Pakistan.

"Foreign ministry should get in touch with expats from PoK living in various parts of the world, gather information from them on the pitiable condition in the region and let the global community know about it," said the Prime Minister. This takes the battle straight up Islamabad's alley.

India'a position vis-a-vis Balochistan, whose struggle for Independence has met with large-scale state-sponsored brutality from Pakistan, has long been ambivalent and a lost opportunity.

During a recent visit to India, Balochistan activist and womens leader Naela Quadri Baloch, who has long been campaigning against Pakistans presence, opened up about the war imposed by Pakistan on her people.

Speaking to Times of India, Naela Qadri Baloch said: "For the last 15 years, we are facing war imposed on us by Pakistan, human rights violations and their kill-and-dump policy. 25,000 people including women and children are missing. They are abducted by Pakistan Army and abducted in front of people. There are testimonies and witnesses to these abductions. But it is not simple human rights violations or missing persons issue. It has reached the level of genocide."



"There are a hundred mass graves in Balochistan. It is a war situation; they are combing our villages. They fire indiscriminately, they kill anythingone-year-old babies, girls, women, anything living, even our cattle. They abduct women, they take women with them, they have rape cells They have abducted thousands of women; no one knows their whereabouts. They are using rape and dishonour as an instrument to crush a nation."

In the interview conducted in May this year, she also appealed to India, specifically requesting Modi to lend moral and diplomatic support to Balochistan in its battle for freedom.

"Modi is a bold and strong leader. None of his predecessors had this kind of mandate with a flourishing economy and enormous international support. Indira Gandhi had internal problems and despite that she stood up for Bangladesh. So why cant Modi?"

There is a clear case of a clear Indian policy on Balochistan and Modi's comments on Friday during the al-party meeting indicated a shift in approach.

"The violation of human rights in Balochistan should be brought to the attention of the global audience," Modi said. "Time has now come that Pakistan will have to answer to the world about the atrocities being committed on people in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir."

India has a huge opportunity to wrest the Kashmir initiative and open new front against Pakistan, which anyway has little international credibility beyond the backing of Asia's largest power. Whether or not Modi seizes it will define his legacy.
The minor, who was raped by gang of dacoits in Bulandshahr, has moved the Supreme Court seeking FIR against Azam Khan, Samajwadi Party leader and a minister in Akhilesh Yadav-led government in Uttar Pradesh, reported The Indian Express. The girl has also sought action against erring officers.

On 2 August, Azam Khan had alleged that a "political conspiracy" might be involved in the gang rape of the Noida-based mother and her teenaged daughter near Bulandshahr. According to the report, the minor has also asked that the case should be investigated under the top court's supervision. The girl also urged that the case be transferred to New Delhi.

Azam Khan's comments on the gang rape survivors was seen as insensitive and bizarre. The urban development and parliamentary affairs minister had said in that the investigative agencies should explore the possibility of some opposition party being involved in the gang rape.

While justifying the action against policemen on the issue, the minister had further said that the government should also keep a watch on opponents as "people can stoop to any levels" in politics.

"To get power, politicians can get down to any level. They can murder people, trigger riots, kill innocent people, so the truth has to be found out," Khan had said.

The family had threatened to commit suicide if the culprits were not punished within the next three months, reports said.

"Everyone in our locality knows what happened. There are media persons waiting outside our house. We have not been able to go home because of embarrassment," the girl's father told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, Khan refused to comment on the minor's move to SC and said he had not done anything wrong, reported CNN-News 18.

The gang rape occurred on the night of 31 August, when a 35-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter were allegedly waylaid by a group of dacoits. According to the police, the family's car was stopped on NH 91, the women dragged out of the vehicle, and the family robbed at gun point. The entire episode lasted over three hours.

According to reports, the victims had approached the Dehat Kotwali police station to file an FIR following the incident. The Indian Express reported that when the family reported the crime to SHO RS Singh, he failed to respond and did not visit the scene of crime. There were also reports that police did not answer calls placed to the emergency helpline number.

The family, comprising the woman, her husband, their two daughters and two other male relatives, were travelling from Noida to Shahjahanpur at around 2.30 am on Saturday night when they were stopped by the dacoits.

According to a report by The Times of India, as the family was approaching Dostpur village, the dacoits who were hiding behind the bushes allegedly flung a rod at the vehicle. The driver stopped the car and stepped out to investigate, when the robbers emerged from the bushes and took the family at gun point.

They forced the driver to take the vehicle off the road and drive into a field where they separated the family. They then dragged the woman and her elder daughter out and repeatedly raped the two victims for three hours. They then reportedly snatched Rs 11,000 in cash and also stole other valuables like jewellery, ATM card, etc.

With inputs from agencies
Hyderabad: A Congress leader was injured when unidentified assailants opened fire at him in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad on Saturday, police said.

Yadgiri, a local leader of the party, was shifted to a hospital and his condition was said to be stable.

The attack took place in Old Bowenpalli when the assailants on a motorbike fired six rounds at the Congress leader as he was coming out of his house. They escaped after the attack.

Yadgiri is said to be in the real estate and liquor business.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy visited the scene of the firing.
IIT Madras is again in the news. And it is not for another innovation but for another controversy. But wait. Was it a controversy? For the people who attended the event, it was a fierce and passionate speech by a soldier who has given his youth protecting our borders for the security of our country.

It was about the security threats India is facing inside and at its borders from our neighbouring countries. But the story didn't roll out the way it should. Instead, the narrative went to the extreme direction in equating Maj Gen GD Bakshis talk to hate mongering and Maj Gen Bakshi as one who 'glorified violence'. Was it really? Who are really behind it? Let's analyse.

Pre-lecture Analysis: It appears that the plan of calling him a 'war-monger' was already hatched even before his speech. A student Abhinav Surya, belonging to the notorious communist groups in IIT Madras, wrote in his Facebook post on 10th Aug 2016, a day before the talk (please refer the pic below) and we quote, who is a war monger who keeps shouting, "Pakistan, you can come and take Kashmir if you want". We all know Major Gen Bakshi's anger for Pakistan and he has solid reasons for it. But the plan was already rolled out by our dear anti-social elements to defame him and make a national level controversy. Mind you, this is the same minute fraction of IIT Madras which made loud noises around the nation last year in the form of 'APSC Controversy' and disgraced our esteem institute.

One will realise that the speech was not remotely near to the propaganda which followed the speech. The speech was on "National Security and History of Indian Army". So it was bound to be a tough one. He was supposed to explain the situation and the plans which we don't come across in our daily lives. And the soldier did justice to his speech by touching the tough elements involved in the security of the country. He spoke about the psychological wars played by Chanakya which prevented the destruction of India in the hands of Alexander. He spoke about the weapons and war tactics and how they need modernisation and innovation. He spoke about Netaji Bose and his Indian National Army's role in the independence of India and how the political leaders of that time conveniently neglected his great contributions. He spoke about the 1971 war with Pakistan and how the bravery of Indian soldiers and Airforce got sh*t out of Pakistanis. He showered praise on then the prime minister of India India Gandhi for her leadership in this war. He spoke about how Pakistan has failed to take Kashmir thought war and now it is playing the strategy of 'War of 1000 cuts'. He spoke about nuclear weapons and the timidness shown by our leaders by announcing 'No first use'.

So we must say that the speech was heavily charged one. It was a journey through the galaxy which we have never read about or imagined. He did his best in explaining these tough stuff in the most subtle way possible. And what did he get in return? A title of "War-monger" and a one who "glorified violence". Well if the dissidents feel that it was too extreme, they shouldn't have come to the lecture because the lecture was not by someone like Dalai Lama. Violence is involved when there is a war. My dear friends are quite vocal about peace and everyone should be but one should realise that the peace comes at a cost. And sometimes that cost is the life of a soldier.

Problem is that very few of us understands international relations and politics but we want the become peace agents. We don't understand that Pakistan is trying its best to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir by playing proxy wars and the result of it is the causalities. And what could be the solution to it? In Maj Gen's words "In our generation, we split Pakistan into two. Your generation should split it into four. Only then we can live in peace!". It was said in a context that Pakistan is a rogue state and will not fall in line till it is shattered into pieces. It is his opinion and it is borne out after years of experience of serving in Jammu and Kashmir. He said, "Fighting against Pakistan will unite you", so it was ultimately for the unity of the country and its stability. He did say that India must give missiles to Vietnam in a context that such act would act as a deterrence for China and position India aggressively in the world. It was also said in the context that our political leader should become strong in their decisions when it comes to national security.

A student at IIT Madras now writing aggressively about Maj Gen GD Bakshis talk, but very few know what he did during the talk? Here is the story the microphone was given to this student to ask the question in a crisp and "democratic" manner. However, instead of asking questions, he started lambasting Bakshi, calling him a war and hate monger who wants to destroy the world. He then said that he was ashamed of the Extra Mural Lectures team for inviting such a person. The veteran, Maj Gen Bakshi just smiled. The guy accused him, returned the microphone and left the hall in anger. He was not patient enough to listen what Maj Gen Bakshi has to respond. He was not ready for dialogue! No space for discussion. Just accusations! The same person is now writing letter to the director and accusing Maj Gen Bakshi. Is it not hypocrisy from this students part?

It will be worth noting that a Manipuri student, who had just joined the institute sixteen days back, told Bakshi that, away in Manipur, he was not aware of the extent of divisive forces at play here. He asked if there indeed are forces trying to divide India. Bakshi said, "Yes", and asked the boy to read the book Breaking India. Another important incident during that talk was worth noting. Few students started disrupting the talk by sloganeering, Maj Gen Bakshi calmly said, "This is India, Son, we can debate."

Post Lecture Analysis: The speech was well-received by most of the people sitting in the hall barring a few Kashmiris and a handful of communists which tried to insult the speaker after the lecture. Within hours, the letter written to the Director was leaked and was picked by a few media outlets with the headlines, "Major General Bakshi delivered the hate-mongering lecture, writes IIT-M student to the director" and "Trump at IIT Madras? GD Bakshis jingoistic speech prompts open letter by student." Everyone forget the last few words of the title writes 'a student' and 'open letter by student' and the personal opinion was projected as the majority's opinion. We will reiterate, the whole melodrama was orchestrated by just a handful of rogue elements which are highly indoctrinated and are notoriously infamous for such activities in the campus.

It is sad that the students who find it hard to voice out their opinion against a few radicals use their contacts and links to publish everything in the national media. But the whole case serves as a case study on what were the motives of such people? Well, after this controversy in IIT Madras, there is a great possibility that other educational institutes will not consider Maj Gen GD Bakshi for the talk. Anyone who will try to strike the topics of national security will be bogged down by the vocal left-liberal intelligentsia. There won't be any talk about Jammu and Kashmir, China, Pakistan, missiles and nuclear Weapons. Anyone who dares to touch these topics will be termed as an 'RSS Stooge' and will be discarded. And this will be the tragic result of the controversy which it never was.

Our only hope at this point of time is that our predictions will become false and people/students will become aware of the developments around. Peace and tranquility are the most desirable for any state but it is important to consider the concerns of a soldier who makes it happen.

Jai Hind!

Chirag Khalde is a project associate at the Department of Ocean Engineering in IIT Madras and Sumeet Roy is pursuing is pursuing MS programme in Department of Business Management, IIT Madras. Views are personal.
It was utterly surprising to go through a news report published on the front page of the leading Indian Urdu daily Inquilab dated 11 August, 2016. It is captioned as: Zakir Naik has link with Jamatud Dawah, IM and Hizbul Mujahidin. The amazement stems from the fact that the mainstream Urdu press in India has largely been in a perpetual denial of the charges against the Salafist Islamist tele-preacher and founder-ideologue of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Zakir Naik.

In this report, the Inquilab quoted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as saying, "Numerous shocking facts have been unravelled in relation to Zakir Naik. Investigations reveal that Naik is linked with extremist organisations like Jamatud Dawah, IM and Hizbul Mujahidin. This is dangerous for the national security of the country. A decision on the legal action against Zakir Naik will be taken after a legal consultation."

The Urdu daily has also quoted a renowned advocate Majeed Memon who seeks the government to take action against Naik on the solid evidences and abstain from doing any politics, as it might turn into a sensitive case.

Better late than never, the Indian government has initiated a probe into the sermons and activities of Zakir Naik, considering them a serious threat to the internal security of the nation. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra has confirmed submission of a report on the controversial Islamist televangelist by Mumbai Police Commissioner. He himself has pointed out a number of unlawful activities perpetrated by the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) of which Zakir Naik is the founder-ideologue. In fact, this Islamic organisation has been booked under two stern acts, UAPA and FCRA.

Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs has also issued an inspection notice to Zakir Naiks IRF for alleged FCRA violations. And this inspection notice is the first step towards suspending or revoking registration of any NGO or organisation under FCRA.

More to the point, a case has previously been registered by the police against an employee of the IRF. Three others, including two were arrested earlier by the Kerala Police in connection with alleged IS recruitment. According to the official reports widely published in the media, a case was registered against the employees of Zakir Naik's IRF, Arshid Qureshi, Rizwan Khan and two others at Nagpada police station based on a complaint lodged by the father of Ashfaque, one of the 21 youths from Kerala reported missing and suspected to have joined IS.

But the IRF has reiterated that all these allegations against Naik are false and baseless and that he has been promoting peace and harmony for decades. In its recent statement to several media outlets, the IRF claimed to be a research body that promotes greater awareness of Islam and its tenets and that the organisation only spreads the message of Islam and clears misconceptions, and that Dr Zakir Naik is an expert in comparative religion and has been conducting well-researched talks on Islam and other religions across the world. This statement continued: Naiks teachings of Islam are not unconstitutional since propagating ones religion is allowed by article 25 of the Indian Constitution.

Unless the honourable Indian judiciary issues its final verdict on the case of Naik, any alleged association of this Islamist televangelist with terrorism does not stand up to scrutiny. However, this man must be taken head on for his extremist, intolerant, xenophobic, misogynist and male-chauvinistic utterances. Undeniably, his medieval theological interpretation of Islamic references in modern times has done more harm than good. I am producing below a few examples of how brazenly Zakir Naik has misinterpreted the rulings and injunctions of Islam, along with the right meanings, correct context and explanations:

Zakir Naik preached sex slavery

"There are many verses in the Quran which say you can have sex with your wife and with whatever your right hand possesses," Naik said in 2010 in his public speech, as this video shows:

At a time when the worlds progressive Islamic scholars are outraged at the pre-Islamic practice of keeping sex slaves that the IS has now revived, Naik has justified the vile custom. By stating that Quran allows Muslims to have sex with female slaves, he has actually misinterpreted a related verse in the Quran.

The verse goes like this: Who abstain from sex, except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or whom their right hands possess, for (in their case) they are free from blame." (Quran, 23:56).

While Zakir Naik and many other medieval-minded Islamic preachers have interpreted the phrase whom their right hands possess (Ma Malakat Aymanukum, in Arabic), Muhammed Asad, one of the most influential Islamic scholars of the 20th century and Quran exegete has questioned it. Asad renders an insightful commentary on this Quranic verse:

This conventional interpretation is, in my opinion, inadmissible in as much as it is based on the assumption that sexual intercourse with one's female slave is permitted without marriage.

Therefore, Asad has translated this phrase as: Those whom they rightfully possess through wedlock. This is an established interpretation of this verse that rebuts the medieval perception of keeping sex slaves and making it permissible in Islam. In fact, such notions were prevalent among the Arabs of the pre-Islamic era, also known as the age of ignorance (Jahiliyah). It continued even most of Prophets lifetime. But the fact is that Islam did not introduce the vile practice of sex slavery. Almost in every era of the primitive religions until the emergence of advanced faith traditions, there were scores of female war captives or women in contract or temporary marriages, who were not equal to legal wives. But Prophet Muhammad prohibited the temporary marriage, sex slavery and all forms of unlawful sex outside marriage as grave sin in Islam. The Quran stated: And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Fahishah (a great sin, and an evil way that leads one to hell unless Allah Forgives him) (Quran 17:32).

Naik preached religio-fascism, Islam-supremacism and the exclusion of all other religions from the Muslim countries and societies:

He is reported to have said, "We (Muslims) know for sure that only Islam is the True religion in the eyes of God.  Therefore  we do not allow propagation of any other religion."

He also boldly stated: "How can we allow this (building of churches or temples in an Islamic state) when their religion is wrong and when their worshipping is wrong?"

Although Zakir Naik seemed to welcome people of all faith traditions in his programmes who were apparently free to ask any questions to him, he preached religio-facism and denigrated other religions in his particular tenor. He showed his supremacist side in even quoting from other religious scriptures like the Vedas, Bhagwat Gita, the Bible, the Gurugranth Sahib etc. To our utter surprise, he went to the extent of saying that Bible has pornography, teaches how to rape and how to even gang-rape.

But the Quran does not tolerate any insult to other religions or scriptures. On the contrary, it proclaims: And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah (6:108)

Going by the true Quranic injunction, it is the desire and design of God that people peacefully co-exist notwithstanding various faith traditions, myriad interpretations and completely different creeds. This is evidently clear from this verse in the Quran: "If your Lord had so willed, all who are on the earth would surely have believed, all of them. Would you, then, force people to become believers?"

Thus, religious pluralism or diversity is the expression of the will of God in Islam. Therefore, He prepared the earth in a fine balance and perfect harmony to make our peaceful coexistence possible. If one were to recall this universal Quranic commandment, one would not deny others their free will to profess and practice their faiths. If God had wanted, he could have created all humankind within one religious mould. But he didnt. For, it was the desire and design of God to have different peoples and myriad paths to reach him. So, we should respect the will of God; the desire and design of God. And as far as the role of preachers in Islam is concerned vis-a-vis their religion, the Quranic injunction is just to communicate, not to convert. Quran clearly says:

"And our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message." Quran (36:17)

It proves that Quran only allows to preach the message, and not to force people into believing in it. All the different translations of this verse corroborate this semantic position:

"And our duty is only to proclaim the clear Message." (Abdullah Yusuf Ali),

"And our duty is but plain conveyance (of the message). (Pickthal)

"And our duty is only to convey plainly (the Message)." (Mohsin Khan)

"And nothing devolves on us but a clear deliverance (of the message)." (Shakir)

But Zakir Naik did not restrict himself to only the deliverance of the message. He often lured people to convert to Islam. Though there was no force or threat intended, he got the job done with his particular tenor of preaching. An article in Firstpost noted that during a meeting in Dubai in 2015, a non-Muslim man asked six questions about Islam to Naik, with a rider that if he gets his answers he will convert to Islam. After answering all his questions, Naik converted him to Islam after getting him to repeat the Kalima Shahada  the acceptance of Allah as the one god and Mohammed as his only messenger."

Naik preached destruction of cultural, historical and religious sites:

Zakir Naik justified the destruction of Bamiyan Buddha at the hands of Taliban, by making this statement:

It is the right thing to do the destruction of Bamiyan Buddha, because Lord Buddha, who was against idolatry, would have approved that."

In one of his speeches, Zakir Naik openly exhorted to destroy the mazaars (Sufi shrines). And today IS zealots are doing the same thing in Iraq and Syria. This is a clear ideological nexus between Zakir Naik and the extremist Islamist terror outfits.

Naik preached child marriage

Naik justified the abhorrent practice of child marriage which the government of India has made unlawful with the prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) in 2006, and is still battling it along with the civil society. According to the Indian law, if the woman is below age 18 or the man is below age 21 while getting into the wedlock, it is regarded child marriage.

But Zakir Naik says: The only requirement for marriage in Islamic Sharia is that girl and boy both must attain the age of puberty that can occur at age 12, 11 or even 10.

Thus, Naik has not only misguided the Indian Muslim youth and misinterpreted the Islamic rulings but also brazenly violated the Indian law.

Actually, the misogynist preachers like Zakir Naik justify the child marriage in Islam on the basis of a Hadith, a report attributed to the Prophet (pbuh). It claims that the Prophet married Hazrat Aisha when she was just six and consummated the marriage when she was nine. But the authenticity of this report is untenable on many grounds.

First, it is impossible that the Prophet himself would have gone against the Quran which disallows to marry a physically and intellectually immature child. Second, Hazrat Aishas age can be calculated from the age of her sister Asma who was ten years older than Aisha. The compiler of Mishkat, a famous Hadith collection, writes in his biography of narrators (Asma ur Rijal) that Asma died in the Islamic year 73 (Hijri) at the age of 100. It is common knowledge that the Islamic calendar starts from the year of the Hijrah, Prophet's migration from Mecca to Medina. If we deduct 73, the year of Asma's death, from 100, her age at that time, we find that she was 27 during the Hijra. This puts the age of the Prophets wife Hazrat Aisha at 17 during the same period. And all biographers of the Sirah (the Prophets life) tell that he consummated his marriage with Hazrat Aisha in 2 Hijri. Clearly, she was 19 at that time and not nine.

Naik preached suicide bombing

As Firstpost reported, Zakir Naik once controversially said that suicide bombing may not be "haraam" if the situation demands. He mentioned Palestine as an example and said that it may be the last resort. This was among his most provocative statements that have serious repercussions, given the ongoing suicide bombings in the Islamic countries.

More shockingly, when he was asked in his recent press conference to come clean on his notorious statement justifying suicide bombings, he blatantly reiterated: Suicide bombings are permitted if a country is at war, and are directed by a commander." He did consider the ongoing suicide attacks as haraam (forbidden in Islam). But he added a qualifier: "However, many scholars permit it as a war tactic." So, Naik did not categorically condemn all kinds of suicide bombing, except for only the suicide bombing of the kind that is happening. Thus, he left it to the discretion of the extremist jihadists of today to justify that they are indulged in other kinds of suicide bombings which are lawful in Islam!!!!!

However, the authoritative Islamic scholars have declared suicide bombings as categorically and completely haraam under all circumstances, as elaborated in detail in an article on First Post.

Today the worlds enlightened, progressive and spiritually inclined Islamic scholars call for rejection of supremacism, violent extremism, respect for the other faith traditions and peaceful co-existence. A global Muslim reform movement is emerging with the recent petition entitled Muslims and Neighbors: We support the Muslim Reform. They have prepared a path-breaking progressive declaration which states in its preamble:

We are Muslims who live in the 21st century. We stand for a respectful, merciful and inclusive interpretation of Islam. We are in a battle for the soul of Islam, and an Islamic renewal must defeat the ideology of Islamism, or politicized Islam, which seeks to create Islamic states, as well as an Islamic caliphate. We seek to reclaim the progressive spirit with which Islam was born in the 7th century to fast forward it into the 21st century. We support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by United Nations member states in 1948.. We reject interpretations of Islam that call for any violence, social injustice and politicized Islamwe can transform our communities based on three principles: peace, human rights and secular governance.

The author is a scholar of Comparative Religion, Classical Arabic and Islamic sciences, cultural analyst and researcher in Media and Communication Studies. Views are personal. Write to him at grdehlavi@gmail.com
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met national party leaders on Friday to seek ways to end weeks of unrest in Kashmir, but a separatist group said there would be no peace until Indian politicians stop treating it as a purely internal issue.

Indian security forces killed Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on 8 July, sparking violent protests across the Himalayan region, which is split into areas ruled by India and Pakistan. Both countries claim sovereignty of all of Kashmir.

Police extended a curfew in parts of the Muslim-majority territory for a 35th day on Friday and mobile telephone networks were suspended from late on Thursday due to worries about fresh violence following Friday prayers.

National opposition leaders have stepped up calls for an all-party delegation to visit Kashmir for talks with regional leaders.

But Modi maintained a tough line on Friday, telling party leaders in New Delhi that now was not the time to send negotiators and that there must be no compromise on national security.

Modi's BJP rules Kashmir in a power-sharing arrangement with a regional party and has long advocated a tough stance toward the decades-long insurgency.

With 54 protesters killed since early July, one of the two factions of the main separatist alliance, the Hurriyat Conference, said there was no sign of anger abating.

"Unless there is an acknowledgement among all political parties in India that Kashmir is a dispute and not an internal issue and has to be addressed accordingly, there is very little chance of the situation improving or real peace returning," said faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Modi's government has shunned talks with Hurriyat and other groups that challenge India's claim, putting on hold peace talks with Pakistan, telling it to first rein in anti-India militants operating from its territory. Pakistan rejects allegations that such militants operate from its soil.

A resolution by India's lower house of parliament on Friday urged steps to restore peace but analyst Ajai Sahni said Modi's government appeared short of ideas on how to achieve that.

"I don't see anything in terms of a strategy," said Sahni, of the Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management. "The government and the separatists are speaking in completely divergent voices."
Srinagar: Curfew remained in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town on Saturday to thwart the separatists' plan to stage a two-day sit-in in the city centre even as the death toll in the ongoing unrest climbed to 56 in the Valley with the death of a youth injured in firing.

"Curfew has been imposed in entire Srinagar district to foil the plans of some elements to stage a sit-in for two days in the Lal Chowk city centre," a police official said.

He said curfew also remained in force in Anantnag town in south Kashmir.

The separatist camp, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, had asked the people to hold a "referendum" march at Lal Chowk on Saturday and Sunday.

The separatist camp is spearheading the protests in the Valley over the civilian killings during the protests against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last month.

The death toll in the ongoing unrest went up to 56 as a youth, Suhail Ahmad Wani, who was injured in firing by a policeman last week, succumbed to injuries at a hospital on Saturday, the official said.

Suhail had suffered a bullet injury in the head on 2 August at Lethpora in Pulwama district on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Normal life remained affected in the Valley for the 36th consecutive day due to the curbs imposed by the authorities and separatist sponsored strike against the killing of civilians in the security forces action.

Schools, colleges, business establishments, petrol pumps and private offices remained closed while public transport remained off the roads.

The attendance in government offices and banks was also thin, the official said.

Mobile Internet services continued to remain snapped in the entire Valley.
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi to discuss "key issues of mutual interest."

Delhi: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/N52UqLkNC1  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Delhi: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets EAM Sushma Swaraj pic.twitter.com/MoMemh8DjS  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

External affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted images of the meeting:

A morning for neighbourly engagement.

Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/2u7ypGmMwX  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 13, 2016

Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi pic.twitter.com/ZcuvUpwzIv  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 13, 2016

Wang, who is on a three-day visit to India will hold talks with Swaraj on various issues of mutual interest, during which India's bid for membership of the NSG is understood to have figured among

other regional and bilateral issues.

He called on Modi first and then held talks with Swaraj. His visit comes on the sidelines of increasing tensions between the two nations over key regional and bilateral issues. Putting the NSG issue behind them, leaders of the two nations will also engage in delegation-level talks.

China-India relations were soured earlier as Beijing blocked India's fervent bid to join the elite Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG) in June, on the ground that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, China's state-run media on Friday said that the door for India's admission into the NSG is "not tightly" closed and New Delhi should "fully comprehend" Beijing's concerns over the disputed South China Sea. The report came in ahead of Wang's New Delhi visit.

Terming that India and China are partners not rivals, a commentary by state-run Xinhua news agency said "as Beijing and New Delhi head into a season of intensive top-level diplomatic encounters that could well define the future of their partnership, the two need to work together to keep their disagreements in check".

"What should be noted above all else is that India has wrongly blamed China for blocking its entry into the NSG," it said.

"So far, there is no precedent for a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory to become a NSG member. Many inside the body that monitors the global flow of nuclear materials insist prudence in handing a membership card to any non-treaty party," it said in apparent reference to China's persistent demand that signing the NPT is a must for the entry of new members into the 48-member body which controls global nuclear commerce.

"However, New Delhi should not be downhearted as the door to the NSG is not tightly closed," it said in a first such reference by China in recent months since the two counties differed on the issue.

"But any future discussions need to be based on safeguarding an international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism, in which India itself has a huge stake," it said.

Wang on Friday met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to review the logistics and security arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposed visit in October to the coastal state for the Brics summit.

However the commentary did not mention whether Wang will be carrying any new proposals to assuage India's disappointment over its failed bid to get NSG membership despite having majority support in the grouping.

The commentary also wanted India to understand China's concerns over the South China Sea, where Beijing is on the back foot specially after the verdict of the international tribunal striking down its expansive claims over the area.

The US, Australia and Japan besides the Philippines which won the case asked China to implement the verdict saying that it is binding.

Beijing, which boycotted the tribunal's proceeding however termed it as illegal and null and void.

Referring to the joint communique issued at the recent meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC) in Moscow, the commentary said "India agreed that the South China Sea issue should be addressed through talks between the parties concerned".

"Given that the South China Sea correlates with China's vital national interests, it is hoped that India would fully comprehend Beijing's concerns, and continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific," it said.

Wang's visit comes ahead of next month's G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to take part.

An article in the state-run Global Times earlier said India should avoid getting "unnecessarily entangled" in the South China Sea (SCS) debate to prevent it becoming yet "another factor" to impact bilateral ties. China has been making the case that the G20 summit should avoid any references to the SCS asserting that it should be resolved directly by the parties concerned not by outsiders.

Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have counter claims over the area.

While Modi is due to attend the G20 meeting, President Xi Jinping is also scheduled to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit in Goa in October.

"Many believe the (Wang's) trip aims to help rasp off the rough edges of the relationship between the world's two leading developing countries, and build up consensus ahead of two important summits, the Group of 20 meeting in China and the BRICS gathering in India, to be held in the coming months," the Xinhua commentary said.

"China and India are partners, not rivals, and as long as they can properly handle their differences with sincerity and political dexterity, bilateral ties will grow stronger while the two become a force for good around the world," it said.

"At the same time, the world's two fastest-growing economies should maintain their positive momentum on bilateral ties that has been maintained in recent years, further deepen cooperation, especially in trade and commerce, and foster an even closer partnership.

"At a time of lacklustre global economic recovery, the two countries should team up to fend off trade protectionism, and make substantial efforts to bring the world's economic house in order at the two key summits and beyond," it said.

"As key emerging markets, the two nations, by standing together hand-in-hand can be a strong voice for the developing world, and render the global economic governance system fairer and more just. "When it comes to addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges such as climate change, the fight against terrorism and food security, the two most populous BRICS members share great potential to do even more," it said.

Interestingly, Wang's visit also comes just days after Chinese troops transgressed the border on land and by air in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand last month.

With inputs from PTI and IANS
Imphal: Imphal west district police on Saturday picked up Arambam Robita, editor of Women and Crime Journal, a monthly magazine, for sitting on a fast-unto-death, demanding the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

Robita told media persons that she decided to fast like activist Irom Sharmila who started fasting on 4 November, 2000 demanding the repeal of AFSPA and finally ended it on 9 August.

However almost all NGOs, women's organisations and activists had urged her not to fast mainly due to her having two daughters and opposition from Robita's husband Arabam Hera.

Despite the urging, Robita launched the fast on the ground floor of her office at Canchipur in front of Manipur University.

Sources said the district police were asked to pick her up.

Robita is also a writer who has bagged international and national awards.

Though the AFSPA was enforced in the hill areas much earlier to contain the insurgency by the Naga rebels, it was on 8 November, 1980 that it was imposed in the valley areas.

Despite Sharmila's campaign, it has continued in Manipur.
Head of Boachasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS), Pramukh Swami Maharaj, passed away on Saturday at Sarangpur in Gujarat at the age of 95.

Announcing the passing away of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS said in a message: "His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual head and president of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, inspirer of countless and a great servant of society, passed away today, 13 Aug 2016, at 6 pm in Sarangpur. We deeply mourn the departure of our revered guruji.

The arrangements for final darshan will be announced later today."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on Twitter on the passing away of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/764461069435830273

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also expressed his condolences on the death of the spiritual leader.

"Deeply pained to hear passing away of Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj. It's irreparable loss to the society as whole. My prayer!," Rupani tweeted.

https://twitter.com/vijayrupanibjp/status/764467543394353152

According to a BAPS health update on Friday, Pramukh Swami Maharaj was suffering from chest infection and was advised complete rest by the doctors.

"Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj's improving health had allowed him to give regular darshan on alternate days but once again his health has weakened due to chest infection. Doctors have advised complete rest. Hence there will be no darshan until his health permits," the BAPS statement said.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was the fifth spiritual successor in Bhagwan Swaminarayans succession of Gunatit gurus.

"For more than seven decades he had been travelling tirelessly, visiting over 17,000 towns and villages in India and abroad. However, for the last two years, because of old age and frail health, he had been residing at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Sarangpur under the able care of expert doctors," BAPS said in a statement.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was born on 7 December, 1921 to a farmers family in the nondescript village of Chansad, near Vadodara in Gujarat.

"In 1939, he renounced home to become a renunciate and received initiation into the sadhu-fold from his guru, Brahmaswarup Shastriji Maharaj and was named Sadhu Narayanswarupdas," the statement said.

Giving a timeline of the important moments of his life, the statement said, "On completing his Sanskrit studies, he was appointed as the kothari of the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Sarangpur in 1946 at the age of 25 years. Then in 1950, aged 28 years, Shastriji Maharaj selected him as the President (Pramukh) of BAPS in his place. Since then, he had been fondly known as Pramukh Swami."

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was known for his "untiring efforts in uplifting the tribals, liberating thousands from vices and addictions, providing relief and rehabilitation to innumerable people in times of calamity and catastrophe, and inspiring character and faith in hundreds of thousands of children and youths were some of his many outstanding services to society."

During his lifetime, the spiritual leader created and consecrated 1,100 mandirs and huge cultural complexes like Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi and Gandhinagar to portray the cultural and spiritual heritage of India.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj had also interacted with many heads of states and spiritual leaders.

"These include His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Indias late president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prince Charles, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the late Sheikh Isa bin Salman al Khalifa of Bahrain, and many royals, heads of state and other dignitaries," the statement said.
In the wake of the continuing unrest in the volatile state of Jammu and Kashmir and the militant attacks in Assam, security has been beefed up across the country ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

The Delhi police, especially, is making all efforts to ensure a safe Independence Day. Police Commissioner Alok Verma has cancelled leaves of all police officials for 15 August. Cops have been directed to keep sufficient bullet-proof jackets in every PCR van.

According to an India Today report, Noida police has alerted its Delhi counterpart about blasts across National Capital Region on 15 August.

Areas around Red Fort have been put under a massive security cover. The charge of ensuring security has been completely taken over by Modis security units, both Delhi Police and the Special Protection Group (SPG), and the Ministry of Defence from the CISF.

Canine squads from the CISF, ITBP, Delhi Police and army are sniffing out each and every inch of the area to look for sabotage devices like IEDs and bombs.

A multi-tier ground-to-air security ring has been thrown to thwart terror attacks at Red Fort from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the tricolour and address the nation, according to The Economic Times.

Drone detectors and paragliders, apart from tyre killers at 44 blockades are also going to be put in place to secure the area.

Over 9,000 men will be deployed around the fort and the Delhi Metro tunnel under the Red Fort will be shut. Armed police officials will be deployed on either end of the tunnel.

Around 500 CCTV cameras will be placed on the rooftops. "The area is sanitised a dozen times daily with the help of the dog squad and bomb detection teams. Quick response teams (QRT) patrol at the periphery. The CISF intelligence wing is sharing inputs with other agencies to strengthen the security rings," said a senior CISF officer.

Security agencies will also be using panoramic photography to capture suspicious movements. Delhi police has also issued an order prohibiting aerial activities till the second week of October.

Jammu and Kashmir

"Keeping in view the upcoming Independence Day, present security scenario in Kashmir and impending threats from militants, frisking points have been established in Jammu as well as in rural areas for the security and safety of public," The Economic Times quoted Senior Superintendent of Police (Jammu) Sunil Gupta as saying.

Checking will be intensified in Kashmir and at border areas. Gupta has directed incharge of Border Police Posts to keep a vigil on infiltration routs used by anti-national elements in the past. The army has placed Casper bullet proof vehicles along the highways.

Security was also beefed up at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmirs Reasi district. Keeping in view the present security scenario and the forthcoming Independence Day, security of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and Shivkhori shrine has been tightened, The Indian Express quoted Senior Superintendent of Police (Reasi), Sujit Kumar as saying.

All police stations and police posts have been interconnected through wireless network and phones.

Chennai

Security has also been increased at the Chennai airport. Powerful focus lights would be installed at the main entrances apart from the usual measures announced by the Airports Authority of India.

Around 50 police personnel in civilian clothes would keep vigil on the natuonal highway outside the airport.

Police will also be deployed at important high-rise buildings, in and around the Secretariat, foreign consular offices, Port, IT parks, statues of national leaders and worship places.

Uttarakhand

Security has also been tightened in Uttarakhand after the arrest of four Islamic State sympathisers in Roorkie. The arrested persons confessed that they had undertaken rekki for "a certain operation" at Haridwar, Dehradun and Roorkie. Districts sharing a border with Nepal and China are the focus of security agencies.

The area around Parade Ground of Dehradun too has been surrounded by officials as Chief minister Harish Rawat, along with his cabinet members, senior police and administrative officers would attend the flag hoisting ceremony scheduled for 10am at the ground, according to The Times of India.

Assam

High alert was declared across Assam after the Kokrajhar attack by National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-S) militants, which killed 14 civilians. Security was stepped up in areas falling under the Bodoland Territorial Council, Guwahati and at important installations across the state to prevent any further attacks.

With inputs from agencies.
In besieged Kashmir, where educational institutes haven't opened their doors for over a month now, youth have voluntarily started teaching classes called 'curfew schools' in various areas. Children are asked to attend these alternative schools for all subjects at various community locations like mosques, parks and private houses.

The move was taken voluntarily in wake of the ongoing uprising, as several people had been criticising closure of schools  even claiming that children are taking part in demonstrations or installing barricades because their schools are shut.

The Valley has been under curfew since 8 July, when the popular militant commander Burhan Wani was shot dead in South Kashmir. His death led to mass uprising  people coming out on to streets for anti-India and pro-freedom demonstrations and resorting to stone throwing. The government forces have killed 58 civilians, injured at least 6,000, with many sustaining wounds or losing their vision because of seemingly 'harmless' pellet guns. The crisis has been discussed even in Parliament but there seems no breakthrough in calming the angry population that seeks a political resolution of Kashmir.

But the same angry youth have also taken this initiative of providing education to children of all age groups, without any personal interests. At one such curfew school in Srinagars Hasanabad area, 16-year-old Sahil Sofi walks 5 km every day to attend the classes. Sofi is sitting with a group of children, boys and girls, around a young management professional, who teaches English.

Around 200 students from class 6-10 are taught voluntarily from 8 am to 1 pm by 25 local youth, at three different locations in Hasanabad. Sixteen-year-old Zainab was at her home in Baramulla  60 kilometers from Srinagar, when her relatives informed her about teaching classes. She shifted to her relatives place nearby and joined the classes.

One such volunteer is Khalid Abbas, 34, who teaches Science and English. It took time to channelise these classes, said Abbas. It is not only needed right now but other than this also we need such initiatives. Some students cant afford private tuition. We are doing this now on large scale.

Such classes have come up in various areas of Kashmir. In South Kashmir, which is the epicenter of the uprising, Mirwaiz Qazi Yasir, the chairman of pro-freedom group Jammu Kashmir Ummat i Islami had asked youth to take the initiative in opening (more) curfew schools. Following this, several such schools have opened up where youth are teaching children. We have 100 students attending the classes here and there are many in other areas too. People are sending their children. The parents are asking us to extend the timing, said one of the teachers at Qazi Mohalla Anantnag School.

At the school in Qazi Mohalla, children are offered lectures according to their school curriculum and also in drawing, sketching and games. The psychological impact of the anti-India protests has been grave on children, who have witnessed the violence by government forces. While in the last few weeks, several images have been circulating showing a group of children posing with hand-made wooden guns, pictures of children with books are also being shared.

The state education minister Naeem Akhtar had been saying that the schools should be reopened. Students parents ridiculed the statement, for the whole Valley is under curfew imposed by the government. A few days ago, the directorate of education departments Facebook page posted a message to students. Without you, our days are lifeless, read the post. Children, when are you coming back to school? It has been a long time since the last Morning Prayer, since the last afternoon huddle. Come back, before we forget the art of teaching and you forget the joy of learning, come back to salvage the old friendships. We miss you.

Users criticised the post, for school-going children have been among those killed and maimed. An official of the department says that someone posted the message in good faith. In any case, the curfew schools have come to the rescue in the absence of regular schools. Even the director of School Education Kashmir Shah Faesal says teaching children in neighbourhoods is an appreciable initiative by youth. Anything that helps the education of children should be appreciated, he said.

However, the anger against government for killings and attacks on civilians has caused more demonstrations. Children are part of such demonstrations but some have also found youth-driven teaching classes as their daily activity. If we talk to any student right now they only talk about slogans and stone throwing, said Abbas. Such sentiments have increased among young children since the uprising began a month ago, irrespective of their dreams about future.
In the past few months, reports on tigers in India and other countries have drawn mixed reactions. One was compiled by the World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum on the increase in tiger numbers in the wild from 3,200 to to 3,890. Indias tiger population is estimated to be around 2,230 according to a 2014 survey; an increase from 1,700 in 2010. On 29 July, on the occasion of International Tiger Day, a report titled Fierce but Fragile: Coexistence in a Changing World was released by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but this one puts forth more questions than gives answers.

The IUCN report warns, In the future, the situation for tigers could worsen as land is converted into industrial-scale palm oil plantation, and motorways and other infrastructure cut through tiger habitats. This leads to isolated and fragmented tiger populations which suffer from social and genetic problems. So despite the rise in tiger numbers, they are not entirely safe from the inescapable footfall of development. The report further cautions, If conservation efforts succeed in boosting tiger numbers and human populations continue to grow, the potential for conflict between tigers and humans will only increase and needs to be managed.

The IUCN and the German Development Bank (KfW) run the Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme in several countries including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sumatra, etc. Tigers have vanished from nearly 90 percent of its original range which extended from parts of Central Asia and Siberia to Indonesia. The programme aims to achieve several objectives to ensure tigers and humans coexist. It aims to reduce human-animal (tiger) conflict and over-exploitation of forests while at the same time managing tiger habitats and combating poaching. In India, the programme funds projects in the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) which includes areas of Nandaur wildlife sanctuary in Uttarakhand and Valmiki tiger reserve in Bihar, Manas and Dibru Saikhowa national parks and Kaziranga tiger reserve in Assam, Namdapha tiger reserve in Arunachal Pradesh and Cauvery and Malai Mahadeshwara wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka.

What do these increase in tiger numbers mean? What are the threats they face in the future? And is it really possible for tigers and humans to live side by side in 21st century India?

Bivash Pandav, a scientist at Wildlife Institute of India who works extensively in the Terai landscape, promises the future to be very challenging for tigers. According to him, there are two main challenge: protecting tigers outside protected areas and maintaining forest connectivity between protected areas. These areas are recognised as wildlife corridors that large-ranging animals like tigers, elephants, leopards, etc use to move from one area to another. The Terai region is the alluvial plains of marshy grasslands and subtropical forests. It is a linear landscape unlike the hilly regions of central India and Western Ghats.

In such a continuous landscape, rail and road infrastructure projects have devastating consequences resulting in fragmentation of otherwise connected forests. From 2005 to 2016, the area has seen tremendous pressure from developmental projects. In this time, the TAL has lost an important wildlife connection in the Gola river corridor. Now there is a border road project along the Indo-Nepal border that severely threatens the movement of tigers between trans-boundary protected areas of India and Nepal. The intimately connected areas of Dudhwa national park in India and Suklaphanta wildlife sanctuary and Bardia National Park in Nepal would be highly damaged by this project. So although tiger numbers show better readings than what they did 10 years ago in the landscape, the western part of about 2000 sq. kms of the arc compromising Rajaji National Park has a presence of only two tigers.

Recently 400 Gujjar families have been resettled outside Kalagarh forest division which forms a part of Sonanadi wildlife sanctuary. This adds an important inviolate connection with the Corbett tiger reserve.

Similar efforts in Rajaji enthuses Pandav to be hopeful of tigers making a strong comeback in the areas. With this projection he warns, For any landscape embarking on tiger recovery programme, we need to keep human-animal conflict in mind and gear-up for it. One of the ways he recommends is training frontline forest department personnel in dealing with conflict situations when large carnivores enter a human dominated area. They should be trained in chemical immobilisation and relocation techniques, and capture and release methods. The other more durable method is integrating conservation planning with developmental plans of the government. Protection of wildlife corridors should not be negotiable. They should be accorded protection status on par with larger protected areas. But there is no one common solution to different problems plaguing various areas. One thing though is common in a populous country like India and Pandav advocates without people you cannot save tigers, you need to earn the goodwill of the local people if you are serious about saving tigers.

In another another natural landscape of Manas National Park which was once a stronghold of tigers, Firoz Ahmed, head of tiger research at Aaranyak, an organisation based in Guwahati working towards conservation of nature, concurs with the sentiment when he says, Tiger conservation is not for tigers but for humans. Tiger reserves provide huge social services in form of clean water and pure air, etc. We are protecting forests in the name of the tiger. Ahmed and his colleagues like Bibhuti Lakhar who heads the elephant research have been working with the local communities around Manas for the past two decades. In an area which was rife with insurgency and still sees some sporadic violence for demands of a separate Bodoland, the concepts of conservation are relatively new. The teams work with the local populations on alternative livelihoods and impart training for development of skills. They also run education programmes and engage with over 100 schools in the area to pass on the importance of natural resources. Such slow seepage of knowledge will take time but they are trusting the close relationship Bodos have with forests for their message to take deep roots. Although the Indian side of the landscape has seen fragmentation, protecting areas that are left and the continuous habitat on the other side of the border in Bhutan offers hope that tigers and elephants will be able to endure.

Hope is not something Anish Andheria, president, Wildlife Conservation Trust, is banking on. He has a more pragmatic view of the situation tigers find themselves in. He opines only a handful of states namely Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Maharashtra contribute to the present tiger numbers in the country. The rest of the states like Orissa, Nagaland, Chattisgarh, etc present a grim picture of not even holding more than 10 tigers each. The overall tiger habitat, mainly areas of the parks outside of corridors and territorial forests, has shrunk in the last 40 years. So he thinks it would be naive to pat our backs for a handful of parks contributing to increase in numbers. In fact according to him these parks would have even reached their carrying capacities for the top predator. So adding more tigers would not be easy unless the states lagging behind speed up their resurrection efforts and more areas are left for tigers to disperse.

According to Andheria, along with habitat degradation, hunting for bushmeat especially in the North-Eastern states and man-made fires in some of the lesser known parks are major causes for low tiger densities. So even though the forests may be left intact, paucity of prey species cannot support viable predator populations. Even if there were to be tigers, they would invariably come in contact with humans in form of livestock predation. This usually leads to retaliatory killings, slowly wiping out any populations of tigers that could survive. He calculates about six lakh families extracting 12 kgs/ household of wood everyday. That puts immense pressure on the resources shared by both man and animal. To mitigate such scenarios, his organisation works closely with the local population, tapping into impressionable minds of school children. He also works with forest departments in training and capacity building. They have covered over 1,100 remote forest camps donating nearly 4,000 various items from blankets to four-wheel drives to make lives of forest guards easier.

Despite such efforts, he thinks, If the Prime Minister wants roads, there will be roads. He is under no illusion of developmental needs of a country like India. He recommends that conservationists should speak a language that governments understand instead of being at loggerheads with them. They have an obligation towards the tigers, elephants and trees that cannot vote, to think beyond short-term targets that fit in the five-year election calendars of governments.

Otherwise a different kind of fragmentation will happen: one where animals are not only scarred by mega developmental projects but also by empty forests syndrome. In such a case we will end up like many of South African parks where animals are fenced in and people are caged out.
Madehpura: In Bihar, there is an old saying that goes: "The reproductive organ does not recognise even sisters of mothers". Furthermore, the Kaulik sect that originated from the Aghora cult has this notion, in Sanskrit: "Sarv Yoni Biharesu, Matri Yoni Barjite (one can have sex with anyone barring one's mother).

It was perhaps this dogma that led Suraj Mehta to marry his mother-in-law Asha Devi, on 6 June, before a notary of Dhamdaha Court in Purnea district of Bihar. They lived as legal husband and wife merely for 17 days at Mehta's thatched house in Puraini village, Madhepura district. Puraini became a block 10 years ago, though it has been a panchayat for a lot longer.

On 23 June, both Mehta and Asha Devi filed for divorce in front of the same notary.

Says Umesh Sahani, the sarpanch of Puraini Panchayat, They have realised that they committed a big paap (sin) by destroying the sacred relation between saas and damaad." He denied that he had ever sanctioned or recognised the marriage between the two. Not a single media person except you approached me for my reaction on the issue which dominates the conversation of each and every person (here)," Sahani says. "How can a panchayat give approval to it (the marriage)?"

As for the sought-after couple, they are rarely available to those seeking their comments. They seldom leave their home, since the day they got married.

Says Pradeep Arya, one of the residents here: "They are seen outside the house only when they have to answer nature's call since they have no toilet at home."

Mehta and Asha Devi both belong to the Kushwaha caste. Suraj's father Parmanand Mehta has deserted him; "I feel ashamed to accept him as my son," he says, his anger apparent. The other members of their caste have also boycotted the couple, and that may be one of the reasons for their secluded life.

Suraj Mehta agreed to speak to me only after I said I was working for an NGO that helps in resolving domestic disputes. I admit I have committed a mistake which is not to be repeated. I have started paying regard to her (Asha Devi) as my mother," he said over phone. He repeatedly requested that I persuade his wife (Lalita Kumari) to return and live with him. However, he claims Lalita was (more) responsible for whatever happened between him his mother-in-law.

Asha Devi too now expresses regret for marrying her son-in-law. No longer do I treat him as my husband but as a son-in-law. We have already submitted papers in the court for divorce. I want to go to (my) husband at the earliest," she said.

The villagers all seem to know the twists and turns of this bizarre love story.

Suraj Mehta married Lalita Kumari, the daughter of Surendra Mehta of the nearby Maruaahi village in Auraee Panchayat, in June 2013. Being an agricultural labourer, Suraj worked hard to sustain his wife and son (the child was born in 2014). His work made him fall ill.

This was when his mother-in-law Asha Devi came to Puraini to enquire after his health, and then stayed back to help Mehta through his recuperation.

"It was during this time that they developed a physical relationship," says Suraj's father Parmanand. "I had warned my son to stay away from her as I felt she was not a theek-thaak aurat."

Suraj's wife Lalita Kumari apparently didn't sense anything amiss. A daughter can never doubt the character of her mother," says Puspa Ranjan Kumar, a former mukhiya.

Asha Devis husband (Surendra Mehta) has been working as a Grade Four employee at a factory in Delhi. She lives alone at her village with a daughter and two sons. Suraj became a frequent visitor to her home  the distance between the two villages is a mere three km.

All of us villagers have been in the know for the past two years that Suraj Mehta and Asha Devi are in a sexual relationship," says Pappu of Maruaahi village.

On the morning of 5 June, Suraj went Maruaahi and took Asha Devi to Dhamdaha on the pretext of consulting a doctor. They got married at a Shiva temple and on the following day, with the help of a local advocate, tied the knot before the notary. They have not mentioned their relationship in the affidavit they submitted in court.

The couple celebrated their suhaag raat (first night) as registered husband and wife at the house of their relative in Tarauna village," says Umesh Ram, who is a lawyer at the village court of Puraini.

News of their marriage spread like wildfire across the villages and when they landed at Puraini two days later, people welcomed them with abuse. A maha (grand) panchayat was convened at the house of Puspa Ranjan Kumar which was attended by sarpanches of both Puraini and Auraee Panchayats, the officer-in-charge of Puraini, Lalita Kumari, Surendra Mehta and hundreds of people from the two villages of Puraini and Maruaahi.

The atmosphere was surcharged with anger, and at one point, it was feared that the crowd would lynch Suraj and Asha Devi. Sensing this, the duo started to weep, with Asha Devi begging Surendra Mehta to pardon her and take her back. At the time Suraj did "sit-ups" and held his ears to ask Lalita Kumari for forgiveness. But both father and daughter said they didn't want their respective spouses back. I want the money and belongings given to my husband as dowry by my father during our wedding. At any cost I will not stay with him," she said.

We did not have any way out but to ask the couple to stay together because neither is acceptable to his/her partner," said Puspa Ranjan Kumar, who presided over the maha panchayat, clarifying, The panchayat never approved the marriage".

Reports filtering out from the house of Suraj and Asha Devi state that they are not living together as husband and wife but are desperate to return to their respective worlds. In the meantime, Lalita Kumari and Surendra Mehta have filed a case in the court at Uda Kishanganj for recovering her dowry, although some village elders are attempting to change the minds of the angry father and daughter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concluding remarks at the all-party meet to discuss the ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley, especially the ones extending support to activists in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, have made headlines across the world.

Pakistan forgets that it bombs its own citizens using fighter planes. The time has come when Pakistan shall have to answer to the world for the atrocities committed by it against people in Balochistan and PoK, the prime minister said according to a statement released by Press Information Bureau.

"We welcome PM Modi's statement to support freedom movement of Balochistan," Baloch activist Hammal Haider Baloch told ANI . Modis comments also come in the light of recent unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan region. The region has erupted into violent protests following a crackdown by Pakistans security forces, reported The Financial Express.

Here is the full text of PM Modi's remarks at the all-party meet on the Kashmir:

"I am very happy to note that all our colleagues have expressed one voice and one sentiment.

Today, when we talk of Jammu & Kashmir, we should talk about four parts of the State of Jammu & Kashmir: Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

I am thankful to leaders of all political parties for the concerns they have expressed about the current situation in parts of Jammu & Kashmir. The rich traditions nurtured by our democracy for last six decades have been the biggest strength of unity and integrity of our country. We may have some differences on some issues but when it comes to the integrity and sovereignty of the country, we all stand united.

Like every Indian, I have been deeply hurt by the recent incidents in Jammu & Kashmir. It is very sad to see that children are not able to study, apple produce is not able to reach the mandis, shopkeepers are not getting their daily income and Government offices are not able to work for the service of the people. The poor are the worst affected by this situation.

Our existence as political workers is on account of the people. They are our strength, our source of energy; In fact, peoples power is a vital part of our public life. Irrespective of whether a civilian or security force personnel is injured or killed, the pain is felt by all of us. I express deep sympathies to their families. We are committed to provide the best healthcare services to the injured; we want to restore peace in the Valley at the earliest possible so that people can lead their normal life, can earn their livelihoods, send their children to school and sleep peacefully at night.

We are committed to a permanent and peaceful solution to the issue of Jammu & Kashmir in accordance with the basic principles of the Constitution. We have an open mind and our doors are always open. We are committed to the welfare of every citizen of the entire State of Jammu & Kashmir. We have been following the path shown by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji to find a solution.

Jammu & Kashmir is often called the crown of India. In fact, Jammu & Kashmir is a symbol of the age old commitment of equanimity towards all creeds (sarv-panth sambhaav), where Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Muslims have been living together for centuries. The state of Jammu & Kashmir is the symbol of our founding fathers faith which defines us as Indian in spite of our diversity. Jammu & Kashmir is not only a matter of our territorial integrity but also defines our nationhood. We cannot deny the fact that the security forces have suffered a lot of injuries; that they have been the target of planned attacks. Despite this, our security forces have shown restraint. Statistics reveal that security personnel have been injured in large numbers.

Despite false propaganda by certain elements in Kashmir, the percentage of those spreading confusion and unrest; and those instigating youth is very low. Every Kashmiri wants peace, has faith in Democracy. That is why, despite threats by separatist elements during every election, the Kashmiri people have expressed faith in the Indian democratic system in each election (festival of Indian democracy). Even just prior to the recent disturbances, high votes were cast in the constituency of Chief Minister Mehbooba ji. Therefore, to spread the myth that this is a public agitation is far from the truth.

In some areas certain restrictions were imposed in order to maintain law and order. This is an administrative way of maintaining law and order. Otherwise the lives of peace loving people will be affected adversely. In reality, a common man was not troubled as much by such restrictions, as he was troubled by continuous strikes declared by separatist elements.

During this period, the Amarnath Yatra proceeded smoothly. In addition, the State Government has taken up a number of initiatives on solar energy in the Ladakh region. The NEET, CET, and UPSC Civil Services Exams were organised as per schedule. All essential commodities were provided to citizens. We are now approaching the crucial season for tourism. The Apple crop will also be ready for harvest. This is of paramount importance for the livelihood of a common Kashmiri. Certain separatist elements are trying to take advantage of this time and disturb the peace in Kashmir, and unnecessarily disrupt the lives of peace-loving citizens.

The fundamental reason for disturbances in Kashmir is cross-border terrorism promoted by our neighbouring country. Due to terrorism normal life in Kashmir Valley is affected. Since the start of Terrorist activities in Kashmir in 1989-1990, in action by the Security Forces:

 More than 34,000 AK 47 Rifles were seized.

 More than 5000 Grenade launchers were seized.

 Around 90 LMGs were seized.

 More than 12,000 Revolvers were seized.

 3 Anti Tank Guns and 4 Anti Aircraft Guns were seized.

 More than 350 Missile Launchers were seized.

 63,000 kilograms of explosives including RDX and more than one lakh Grenades were seized.

 During this period more than 5,000 foreign terrorists were killed which is almost equal to the strength of 5 Battalions.

When weapons have been seized in such huge numbers, so many foreign terrorists have infiltrated to spread death and destruction, the world will never accept the false propaganda of Pakistan, even if it speaks a hundred thousand lies.

Pakistan forgets that it bombs its own citizens using fighter planes. The time has come when Pakistan shall have to answer to the world for the atrocities committed by it against people in Balochistan and PoK.

We are fully committed to the fundamental rights of the people. Our anti-terror laws are more humane than those of any other democracy in the world. Our governments and our security forces have shown restraint in dealing with these incidents.

India will fight against terrorism with full might and resolve. This is our national duty. To consider Indias commitment to the Rule of Law, as a weakness, will be a mistake by our opponents. India is committed to end terrorism. For us, means and ends are both important and we are sufficiently capable in both these regards.

It is also a fact that Kashmiri Pandits have been displaced from their centuries-old ancestral dwellings in Kashmir Valley. Such atrocity against a particular community is the misdeed of terrorists trained and armed with weapons by Pakistan, and their sympathizers. These can never be the deeds of those who believe in Kashmiriyat.

For the all round development of Jammu and Kashmir, a decision has been taken for implementing a development package of more than Rs. 80 thousand crore (800 billion rupees) in consultation with the State Government. This package not only has proposals for roads and electricity projects, it actually envisages development of every region and every section of society of Jammu and Kashmir. This includes better facility for education of children, employment to youths, modern facility for treatment, facilities for promotion of tourism in the state and special arrangements for production of fruits in the State.

In order to provide employment immediately, the government has decided that 10 thousand Special Police Officers (SPOs), about 1200 Para Military and about 4000 candidates in 5 IR battalions will be recruited. In addition, about 1 lakh 25 thousand (125,000) persons will be trained under Udaan and HIMAYAT schemes so that unemployed people can get appropriate employment.

The PDP-BJP government led by Ms. Mehbooba Mufti is making best efforts to address the States problems. During the last one month, the Government has tackled the situation very carefully in spite of extremely adverse circumstances. The whole nation stands with her.

I would like to reiterate that the Central and State Governments are committed to address the peoples genuine grievances and restore peace in the state. We will deal strictly with acts of violence, terrorism and anti India activities. At the same time, genuine grievances of every person will be heard and addressed.

I would like to reiterate that all the political parties and all Indians will have to stand united in the fight against terrorism and destructive forces. At a time when terrorism is spreading its wings across the world, and terrorism is being instigated by our neighbour, we will have to fight this battle unitedly. The government has an expectation of constructive cooperation from all political parties in this matter. All political parties will have to bury their differences and cooperate to restore peace and prosperity in the state. I fully believe that with the active efforts of the state government and with your full cooperation, we will be able to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir very soon.

I would like to reiterate our main steps and our policy in respect of Kashmir:

1) It is the duty of any Government to maintain law and order. There will be no compromise with terrorism.

2) In todays age, in accordance with democratic traditions, we will encourage involvement of civil society with citizen activities.

3) We will take forward the political process, in accordance with democratic traditions.

4) The process of connecting Kashmiri youth with economic activities of the State will be speeded up.

5) The States in which people of Jammu & Kashmir are residing, whether they are Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Buddhists or of any religion, should approach them and should make efforts so that they can establish contact with their relatives in Jammu & Kashmir and can apprise them about their own progress and the progress in other States of India.

6) Ministry of External Affairs should make efforts to approach the people of PoK residing in different parts of world and collect information about the miserable conditions in PoK and bring them to the knowledge of the world community.

I once again thank you all for giving your important views and suggestions in this meeting. I thank you all for supporting the Government. We all are committed to this national spirit that there cannot be any compromise on Indias territorial integrity. We are ready to address grievances of all sections within the framework of the Constitution.

Thank you."
New Delhi: Angered over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence from Parliament, Congress on Saturday sought to make "PM-mukt Parliament" a major issue and signalled that it would take it up aggressively in the winter session. "Monsoon session of Parliament is over. We discussed many serious issues. But, the Prime Minister was absent during many of these discussions," Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal said.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha discussed issues like Kashmir and dalit atrocities and the Prime Minister was absent during these discussions.

Earlier too, when Parliament had debates on Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and on the role of Governors, the Prime Minister was not there, he said.

"We have a PM-mukt Parliament. It is a sad state of affairs. He says he respects the Constitution, but doesn't attend Parliament," Sibal said. "We will raise this issue in the next session. Why the PM doesn't come to Parliament? It is because he is afraid. We want him to remain the Nation's Watchman and provide the nation with answers," Sibal said.

Alleging that the Prime Minister was "not in the habit" of answering questions posed to him, Sibal said Modi did the same thing as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

The Prime Minister likes to address rallies and meetings as one does not have to answer to crowds. "But in Parliament, you have to answer the opposition.... In a crowd, no one will question him. But, in Parliament, the Opposition will," he said.

Earlier this week, the party in a commentary had taken potshots at the Prime Minister over his "absence" from Parliament, saying "India has been forced to come to terms with a PM-mukt Parliament".

"When PM Modi assumed office, he had said that Parliament is a temple of Democracy and he kowtowed before entering the august building for the first time. A year into his term, on one of his numerous trips to the USA, he said, the Constitution is the only holy book for his Government.

"But, today, India has been forced to come to terms with a 'PM-mukt Parliament'. PM Modi's actions show his disdain for the Parliament and its affairs", the party said, targeting Modi by using a parody of his call for 'Congress-mukt Bharat' he had made during the Lok Sabha poll campaign. The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister loves to speak, "but, unfortunately, not in national interest but for vote bank politics."
Beijing: Ahead of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India, China's state-run media said on Friday that the door for India's admission into the NSG is "not tightly" closed and New Delhi should "fully comprehend" Beijing's concerns over the disputed South China Sea.

Terming that India and China are partners not rivals, a commentary by state-run Xinhua news agency said "as Beijing and New Delhi head into a season of intensive top-level diplomatic encounters that could well define the future of their partnership, the two need to work together to keep their disagreements in check".

"What should be noted above all else is that India has wrongly blamed China for blocking its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)," it said.

"So far, there is no precedent for a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory to become a NSG member. Many inside the body that monitors the global flow of nuclear materials insist prudence in handing a membership card to any non-treaty party," it said in apparent reference to China's persistent demand that signing the NPT is a must for the entry of new members into the 48-member body which controls global nuclear commerce.

"However, New Delhi should not be downhearted as the door to the NSG is not tightly closed," it said in a first such reference by China in recent months since the two counties differed on the issue.

"But any future discussions need to be based on safeguarding an international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism, in which India itself has a huge stake," it said.

However the commentary did not mention whether Wang, who begins a three-day visit to India today, will be carrying any new proposals to assuage India's disappointment over its failed bid to get NSG membership despite having majority support in the grouping.

The commentary also wanted India to understand China's concerns over the South China Sea, where Beijing is on the back foot specially after the verdict of the international tribunal striking down its expansive claims over the area.

The US, Australia and Japan besides the Philippines which won the case asked China to implement the verdict saying that it is binding.

Beijing, which boycotted the tribunal's proceeding however termed it as illegal and null and void.

Referring to the joint communique issued at the recent meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC) in Moscow, the commentary said "India agreed that the South China Sea issue should be addressed through talks between the parties concerned".

"Given that the South China Sea correlates with China's vital national interests, it is hoped that India would fully comprehend Beijing's concerns, and continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific," it said.

Wang's visit comes ahead of next month's G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to take part.

An article in the state-run Global Times earlier said India should avoid getting "unnecessarily entangled" in the South China Sea (SCS) debate to prevent it becoming yet "another factor" to impact bilateral ties.

China has been making the case that the G20 summit should avoid any references to the SCS asserting that it should be resolved directly by the parties concerned not by outsiders.

Besides the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have counter claims over the area.

While Modi is due to attend the G20 meeting, President Xi Jinping is also scheduled to attend the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit in Goa in October.

"Many believe the (Wang's) trip aims to help rasp off the rough edges of the relationship between the world's two leading developing countries, and build up consensus ahead of two important summits, the Group of 20 meeting in China and the BRICS gathering in India, to be held in the coming months," the Xinhua commentary said.

"China and India are partners, not rivals, and as long as they can properly handle their differences with sincerity and political dexterity, bilateral ties will grow stronger while the two become a force for good around the world," it said.

"At the same time, the world's two fastest-growing economies should maintain their positive momentum on bilateral ties that has been maintained in recent years, further deepen cooperation, especially in trade and commerce, and foster an even closer partnership.

"At a time of lacklustre global economic recovery, the two countries should team up to fend off trade protectionism, and make substantial efforts to bring the world's economic house in order at the two key summits and beyond," it said.

"As key emerging markets, the two nations, by standing together hand-in-hand can be a strong voice for the developing world, and render the global economic governance system fairer and more just.

"When it comes to addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges such as climate change, the fight against terrorism and food security, the two most populous BRICS members share great potential to do even more," it said.
Kolkata: Notwithstanding China not being in favour of India joining the NSG club and recent "transgression" by the PLA in Uttarakhand, a Chinese diplomat said on Friday that Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit shows "maturity" of bilateral relationship between the two countries.

"The shared interests far outweigh the differences. The visit shows the maturity of our relationship. It shows that there is a lot of scope to continue with discussions and dialogues," Chinese Consul-General in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu told PTI.

Wang arrived on Friday for a three-day visit, starting his itinerary from Goa, the venue for the October Brics Summit.

He would hold talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj in Delhi on Sunday on key regional and bilateral issues, including China's "thwarting" New Delhi's bid for NSG membership. Admitting that there are lots of differences between the neighbouring countries including differences over NSG, Zhanwu said the two nations must not fail to see the bigger picture.

"Ours is a very important relationship. The differences are not that important. Our relation is strong and differences are nothing new," Zhanwu said.

Wang's visit also comes just days after Chinese troops "transgression" in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand last month. When asked about the agenda of the meeting of the foreign ministers tomorrow, the consul-general said they would talk about the shared interests of India and China.
Afghanistan: The Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hafiz Saeed, was killed last month in an airstrike in Nangarhar province, the Pentagon said Friday.

Saeed was named head of IS's "Khorasan province," which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of neighboring countries, early last year when a group of Pakistani Taliban switched allegiance to the jihadist group.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Gordon Trowbridge said the strike came while US and Afghan special operations forces carried out counter-IS operations in southern Nangarhar province throughout July.

"During this time, US forces conducted an airstrike targeting Hafiz Saeed Khan, the Islamic State in the Levant-Khorasan emir, in Achin district, Nangarhar province 26 July, resulting in his death," Trowbridge said.

Saeed "was known to directly participate in attacks against US and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar," he added.

Details of the strike were not immediately available, but a US official told BBC that Saeed was killed by a drone.

The death of Saeed represents a major setback for the IS group as it tries to establish itself as a serious force in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of IS-linked cadres in restive Nangarhar province, close to the Pakistani border.

That attack came less than six months after another strike in Afghanistan killed Abdul Rauf Khadim, who was thought to be the IS number two in the country.

Some Afghan Taliban members have defected to the jihadist group, with insurgents apparently adopting the black IS flag to rebrand themselves as a more lethal force.

Most Nato combat troops who had been fighting the Taliban and other insurgent groups have now left Afghanistan, with responsibility for the country's security switching to local forces.

The Afghan troops, however, still rely on US air support and training and have struggled to stem frequent Taliban offensives.

The former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike inside Pakistan in May.

Both the Pakistani Taliban and IS jihadists have claimed responsibility for a horrific suicide bombing on Monday at a hospital in Pakistan which killed 73 people.

The IS group has also claimed responsibility for a 23 July attack in Kabul that killed dozens of people and left hundreds maimed.

IS has been trying to expand its presence beyond its so-called "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria, where tens of thousands of jihadists have been killed in air strikes and offensives, but has made only limited progress.
Lahore: Pakistani police have declared a known cleric as a 'suspect' in the murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch and is likely to arrest him, a media report said on Saturday.

"Mufti Abdul Qawi's name has been made part of the Qandeel murder case on the statement of her father," senior police officer Azhar Akram told Dawn newspaper.

"The cleric's suspected role in her murder cannot be ruled out," he said, adding police can arrest the cleric when sufficient evidence against him is available.

Qandeel was killed soon after her controversial pictures with Qawi appeared on her Facebook account. She had received death threats from Qawi's followers for allegedly disgracing him.

Qandeel was found dead in her house on 16 July. Muhammad Waeem, her brother, confessed to have strangled her in a so-called 'honour killing'.

Waseem, who had earlier claimed that he was the lone killer, disclosed the name of his cousin Haq Nawaz as a co-suspect after the polygraph test.

Besides Waseem and Haq Nawaz who have been sent on judicial remand by the court, the police also got the remand of two other accused, Zafar Hussain, the cousin of Haq Nawaz, and Abdul Basit, a taxi driver.

Qawi is upset over his name being included in the suspect list saying when Qandeel's brother has confessed to her killing and also disclosed the name of the other suspects, police's insistence to drag him into the case is unfair.

"I have already replied to a police questionnaire and now again raising fingers at me is not justified," Qawi said.
New Orleans: Heavy downpours pounded parts of the central US Gulf Coast on Saturday, forcing the rescue of dozens of people stranded in homes by waist-high water and leaving one man dead who became trapped by floodwaters.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency as rescue workers in the southeastern part of the state braced for more precipitation through the weekend. Edwards was scheduled to return to Louisiana later on Saturday to deal with the situation. He had been in Colorado for a meeting of the Democratic Governors Association.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing their banks and threatening widespread flooding after extreme rainfall that began on Friday, the National Weather Service reported.

A spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said one man died on Saturday after slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary. Casey Rayborn Hicks identified the victim as 68-year-old William Mayfield. His body was found around noon on Saturday.

William "Beau" Clark, the parish coroner, ruled the death "an accidental drowning." Mike Steele, a spokesman for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said requests were coming in for high-water vehicles, boats and sandbags.

Tangipahoa Parish in the state alone requested tens of thousands of sandbags. A flood watch remains in effect through Sunday morning across most of south Louisiana. The weather service said in a statement that an additional 3 to 5 inches could fall over the area.

In south Alabama, a flood watch was in effect today as rain fell in the Mobile area. The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs, both in Louisiana, were predicted to set record crests over the weekend. Forecaster Alek Krautmann said both rivers could flood many houses in suburban areas near Baton Rouge.

He also said that flooding downstream in Ascension Parish is a threat, as those swollen rivers will be slow to drain into Lake Maurepas. The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded at 9 am on Saturday.

Rescuers were still plucking people from floodwaters in Amite and Wilkinson counties in southwest Mississippi. Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued earlier today near Gloster.
Karachi: Three militants of a banned outfit have been killed in an encounter with security personnel in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province.

The militants were killed last night after security personnel conducted a raid following intelligence reports that some militants were hiding in the Hazar Ganj area of Quetta. "When the Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers raided a house the militants hiding there opened fire on them. In the exchange three militants were killed and two FC soldiers wounded," said a spokesman of Frontier Corps.

The killing of the militants comes after a major terrorist attacks in Quetta this week.

Over 70 people, mostly lawyers, were killed and over a 100 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the Civil Hospital.
Lahore: The mystery surrounding the murder of a Pakistani-origin British woman has been solved with her former husband confessing to having killed her for marrying a person from the Shia sect, police said on Saturday.

Samia Shahid, 28, was found dead on 20 July at her parents' house in Mangla area of Jhelum district in Punjab province.

"Chaudhry Shakil, the first husband of Samia, has confessed to have strangled her on 20 July. He said he had a grudge against her for marrying a man of other sect," said a police official involved in the investigation.

He said police are also investigating the role of Samia's parents for abetment to murder.

"It appears that Shakil murdered Samia with the consent of her parents who changed their statements to save the accused," the official said, adding that Samia's father's different claims about her death were to cover up the crime.

Chaudhry Shahid, Samia's father, earlier had claimed that she died of cardiac arrest and later changed his statement to claim that she had committed suicide.

"He (Shakil) has been arrested along with the father of the murdered woman and further legal proceeding will be worked out," another police official said.

Samia, a resident of Dhok Pandori village, some 230 km from Lahore, had come to Pakistan from Dubai in mid July to see her ailing father and was allegedly murdered on 20 July.

Her murder came over a week after social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch was strangled by her brother "for disgracing" family honour which caused international uproar forcing the Pakistani government to announce the introduction of strict legislation against those involved in honour killings.

Syed Mukhtar Kazim, second husband of Samia, told police that his wife had been killed by her family members for marrying against the will of her parents.

"My wife converted to Shia  my sect  before wedding which had irked her parents," Kazim had said, calling upon the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure justice is done.

Police have registered the case against five accused, including Samia's father, mother Imtiaz Bibi, sister Madiha Shahid, cousin Mobeen and Samia's first husband Shakil under sections 302 (murder), 34 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the autopsy report, Samia had marks on her neck, suggesting that she had been strangled.

Kazim and Samia, both British-Pakistani dual citizens, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai.

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.

"Samia's mother phoned her on 11 July and asked her to come to Pakistan to see her ailing father. Samia arrived in Pakistan on 14 July," Kazim said.

"She told me by phone that her father was all right and now she was getting threats to her life. On 20 July, my wife's phone was switched off and on contacting Mobeen, her cousin, he told me that Samia had suffered a heart attack and died," Kazim said.
United Nations: United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan have a robust new mandate and thousands of additional troops despite government opposition to the move, raising the possibility of clashes between blue helmets and the country's armed forces.

The Security Council on Saturday approved a US-drafted resolution granting expanded powers to peacekeepers, requiring them to use "all necessary means" to protect UN personnel and installations and to take "proactive" measures to protect civilians from threats. The resolution also adds an additional 4,000 soldiers from Africa nations, bringing the peacekeeping force's troops to around 17,000.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, has been criticised for failing to protect civilians when UN sites came under attack last month. It has also been accused of failing to intervene in cases where government forces allegedly committed rapes outside UN camps.

The vote was 11 in favor with Russia, China, Venezuela and Egypt abstaining. Those abstaining cited concerns over the Security Council's failure to obtain South Sudan's consent for the regional protection force that would patrol around Juba, the capital.

South Sudan's Ambassador Akuei Bona Malwal told the council his country rejected the resolution because it failed to consider his country's views.

"The adoption of this resolution goes against the basic principle of UN peacekeeping operations which is the consent of the main parties to the conflict and also goes against the UN Charter," Malwal said.

"Consent of South Sudan to the mandate and operational modalities of the protection force outlined in the resolution would have been important as it would have given the force all the necessary freedoms to carry out the outlined mandated tasks."

US deputy ambassador David Pressman said he was aware of South Sudan's reservations.

"We recognise that the government of South Sudan, which has agreed to the protection force in principle, has and continues to express a number of concerns on the modalities of the resolution. That's why the resolution keeps an eye toward continued conversation with the government," Pressman said.

In South Sudan, Presidential Spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said his country was not prepared to accept the 4,000 troops unless their mandate was limited to the protection of peace monitors, humanitarian agencies and internally displaced persons.

"Unless they are coming to invade South Sudan, we are a sovereign country. If the whole world has decided to make us a protectorate, we will see from there," Ateny said. "If we do not cooperate they cannot come."
Islamabad: Afghan Taliban have released the crew members of a Pakistani helicopter which crash landed in Afghanistan last week, officials said on Saturday.

An MI-17 transport helicopter was on its way to Russia for maintenance when it crash landed on 4 August in a Taliban controlled area of Logar province. The rebels made the crew members as hostages.

An official said that local tribal elders were tasked to release the captives and after successful negotiation, the Taliban released the crew.

"All crew members were handed over to Pakistani in Kurram tribal region," an official said. He refused to give further details.

Several private channels also reported that the crew was released and already in Pakistan.

There has been confusion about exact numbers of the captives, as initially Punjab government which owned the chopper said that six Pakistanis and one Russian were on board, while officials of the federal government said there were only six crew members.

Taliban did not formally confirm the capturing or release of the crew.
Washington: US Vice President Joe Biden has urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko "do his part to avoid escalating tensions" with Russia in the Crimean peninsula, the White House said.

Speaking over phone, Biden on Friday assured Poroshenko that the US had urged Russia to do the same, EFE news reported.

"Both leaders reiterated their strong support for political and diplomatic means to restore Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the statement.

It also said Crimea was "occupied" by Russia "in contravention of international law".

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukrainian military intelligence units had tried to infiltrate into Crimea on two sabotage missions against critical infrastructure in the peninsula.

Poroshenko, for his part, ordered on Thursday troops on maximum alert along the line separating them and the rebel forces in Crimea, and claimed the Russian accusations were a pretext for launching fresh military threats.

Biden and Poroshenko also reviewed Ukraine's "recent progress" in complying with the International Monetary Fund's conditions for the next credit tranche.
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Monday is the first day of early voting in Florida's August 30 primary. It's a day of stark choices for Florida, none more so than two very high profile races: one where the whole state decides on a Senate candidate to face Rubio between reactionary careerist Patrick Murphy and progressive national icon Alan Grayson, the single best member of Congress, and one just for FL-23 residents (southern Broward County from Weston and Davie inland to a stretch of coast from Dania Beach, Hollywood, Sunny Isles down to Miami Beach) between the symbol of Democratic Party self-serving corruption, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and earnest progressive reformer, Tim Canova.





Wasserman Schultz originally drew the district for herself when she was in the state Senate, tossing the GOP 2 or 3 extra congressional districts in return for them allowing her to create one of the most Jewish districts ever drawn anywhere outside of Tel-Aviv. But the demographics of the district have changed it significantly now and it is now over 38% Hispanic, over 10% African-American and nearly 4% Asian-American. Democrats still have a 22 point registration advantage and Obama beat Romney 178,314 (62%) to 109,959 (38%). The winner of the August 30 primary will be the next member of Congress for the district.





This is Wasserman Schultz's first contested election and she's managed to make a hash of it, particularly seeming to buckle under pressure to agree to a debate and then abruptly pulling back and saying she would just do a 15 minute debate, waking up thousands of voters for the first time to what a really awful Representative they've been sending to Washington since 2005. Funny that Patrick Murphy, in the Senate race, is, like Wasserman Schultz, also too scared to debate.





Susan Smith, the president of Florida's Democratic Progressive Caucus may have been talking about Murphy or Wasserman Schultz or both of them when she said, publicly, that "We caution Democratic candidates that by refusing to hold town hall meetings or debate their primary opponents, they may be sending a message that our party doesnt value or trust voters. They are undermining our goal of having an informed electorate. They are also failing to define their campaigns and are weakening Democratic Party chances to win seats in the state legislature, the Congress and the U.S. Senate. We deserve better."





Grayson's campaign manager, Michael Ceraso told the media, which has already been calling out Murphy for his cowardice, that "The only way Patrick Murphy gets on a debate stage is if his dad buys him a spine. Hes backed Social Security cuts, Keystone XL, the Benghazi Committee and condemned President Obama. Its an abomination of a record, and Democrats would boo him off the stage. Patrick knows he cant risk defending himself. Only a Wall Street creation could have this much contempt for the democratic process, by refusing to stand before Florida voters and defend his record."





Ceraso was certainly talking about Wall Street shill Patrick Murphy in the statement but it fits Wall Street shill Debbie Wasserman Schultz as well. Many Democrats were nauseated this week to see Clinton-- up to her old tricks-- rush to Miami to try to save Wasserman Schultz's collapsing campaign. Watch the video below and please consider contributing to Canova, Grayson and all the Florida progressives by tapping the Blue America thermometer on the right.
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Since 1948, when Utah voted for Truman 54-45%, there was just one time when the Beehive State went Democratic. In 1964 only the 5 most racist states of the Old Confederacy plus his home state voted for Goldwater. The the rest of the country, Utah included, went blue. Utah gave Johnson an even bigger margin than they had given Truman-- 55 to 44%. In 2012 Utah only gave Obama 24.75% of it's vote, his worst performance of any state. So could Utah really go for Hillary in November?





Salt Lake Tribune poll actually NY Times this week asserted that Short answer: no. More nuanced answer: Trump won't get 50%, not with Clinton out-performing, Gary Johnson doing well and native son-- this far unpolled-- Evan McMullin likely to take more votes from Senor Trumpanzee. The last poll I saw, at UtahPolicy.com showed Mr. T leading with 37%, followed by Hillary with 25%, Gary Johnson surging with 16%, Jill Stein with 1% and other and "don't know" at 21%. Apoll actually showed Hillary and Trumpanzee tied at 35% each and Johnson at 13%. A report in thethis week asserted that Mormons' distaste for Trumpanzee is putting Utah up for grabs (and speculates that large Mormon voting blocs in Arizona and Nevada, normally reliably Republican, is making those two states lean away from Trump as well.

The first signs of Mr. Trumps troubles in Utah date to early March, when Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and a Mormon who is beloved in the state, gave a speech here warning that Americans were being duped by Mr. Trump. Later that month, Mr. Trump was throttled by Senator Ted Cruz in the states caucuses, winning a paltry 14 percent of the vote. In June, two polls showed Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton deadlocked in Utah, making it increasingly plausible that its six electoral votes are really in play.



...Voters such as Angie Melton, who has never voted for a Democrat, are feeling deeply torn.



Im upset by this turn of events, Ms. Melton, 41, said as she sat in the shade with her family next to the towering Salt Lake Temple, the center of Mormonism. Ive always voted Republican, but my thought has been that she would be less damaging in terms of world politics, she said, referring to Mrs. Clinton.



It doesnt mean that I agree with much of anything she says or her as a person, Ms. Melton added, but I would rather that she win.



Such hand-wringing is common as trepidations about Mr. Trump grow. On substance and style, he evokes an antipathy among many Mormons that is rooted in culture, religion and history. For a religious group that was driven to Utah during the 19th century in the face of persecution, Mr. Trumps calls for religious tests and a ban on Muslim migration echo a painful past, leaving some wondering if they will be next.



The issue of religious liberty is an important one in the state, and the notion of a religious test for immigration raises deep concerns, said Chris Karpowitz, a director of Brigham Young Universitys Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. Mormons are sensitive to issues like this because of their own history.

Deseret News hitting on them all. Clinton is sensitive to these arguments and penned an OpEd Wednesday for the LDS Church-ownedhitting on them all.

Im running for president to make sure our country continues to live up to our founding principles. Those timeless ideas teach us that were stronger together when we work in unison to solve our problems, no matter what we look like, where we come from or how we pray.



That last one is important. As Americans, we hold fast to the belief that everyone has the right to worship however he or she sees fit.



Ive been fighting to defend religious freedom for years. As secretary of state, I made it a cornerstone of our foreign policy to protect the rights of religious minorities around the world-- from Coptic Christians in Egypt to Buddhists in Tibet. And along with Jon Huntsman, our then-ambassador in Beijing, I stood in solidarity with Chinese Christians facing persecution from their government.



We stood up for these oppressed communities because Americans know that democracy ceases to exist when a leader or ruling faction can impose a particular faith on everyone else.



That was true all the way back in 1786, when Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion. One year later, that idea was enshrined in our Constitution forever. Its one of the sacred ideals that defines us as a country. And its something that Donald Trump doesnt seem to grasp.



Every day, Trump continues to prove he lacks the morals to be our commander-in-chief. In just the last couple of weeks, hes attacked the parents of an American soldier who gave his life for this country. Hes all but proposed abandoning our NATO allies, and we recently learned he even mused about the possible first-use of nuclear weapons.



With a new, outrageous headline seeming to pop up every day, its easy to forget that Trump showed us his true colors early on, when he proposed banning all Muslims from our shores.



Trumps Muslim ban would undo centuries of American tradition and values. To this day, I wonder if he even understands the implications of his proposal. This policy would literally undo what made America great in the first place.



But you dont have to take it from me. Listen to Mitt Romney, who said Trump fired before aiming when he decided a blanket religious ban was a solution to the threat of terrorism.



Listen to former Sen. Larry Pressler, who said Trumps plan reminded him of when Missouri Gov. Lilburn Boggs singled out Mormons in his infamous extermination order of 1838.



Or listen to your governor, who saw Trumps statement as a reminder of President Rutherford B. Hayes attempt to limit Mormon immigration to America in 1879.



Instead of giving into demagoguery, Gov. Gary Herbert is setting a compassionate example and welcoming Syrian refugees fleeing religious persecution and terrorism. Once theyve gone through a rigorous screening process, he is opening your states doors to some of the most vulnerable people in the world.



Americans dont have to agree on everything. We never have. But when it comes to religion, we strive to be accepting of everyone around us. Thats because we need each other. And we know that it so often takes a village-- or a ward-- working together to build the change we hope to see.

There's much more, but that's one heck of a lot of pandering already. Clinton actually has a staff on the ground in Utah and Bill Clinton is doing an event in Salt Lake City tomorrow. She may even do a rally there herself, though I wouldn't count on it.

There is no doubt that Donald Trumps offensive rhetoric has made Utah more competitive than before, and we will continue to assess our options in the state, said Marlon Marshall, the Clinton campaigns director of state campaigns and political engagement.



Young Republican Mormons such as Mary Weidman give Democrats hope. Sitting outside a soda shop in Provo, Ms. Weidman explained that after supporting Mr. Romney four years ago, she would vote for Mrs. Clinton in November.



I think its the lesser of two evils, Ms. Weidman, 27, said, expressing dismay over how Mr. Trump talks about women. When you think of a leader, he lacks every trait.

that would be the story of the year! (You can The chairman of the Utah GOP, James Evans, gets the last word: "Republicans at this point are a little unhappy with Trump, but theyre going to vote for him." Some will; some won't. But it would be even more exciting if Trump melts down further-- perhaps at one of the debates-- and says something that freaks out somany Utahans that Misty K. Snow beats Mike Lee in the Senate race. Nowwould be the story of the year! (You can help Misty's uphill campaign here .)








If you're on the hunt for dividend-paying stocks, we've got you covered. There are several solid dividend-paying stocks today that have been out of favor for one reason or another, and that makes for a great opportunity to get a higher than average yield.

We asked five of our contributors to each highlight a stock they think should be on an investor's buy list today. Here's what they had to say.

A dividend stock for decades

Todd Campbell: If you're anything like me, you like a bargain. While some bargain-bin stocks aren't worth owning, one that investors ought to be considering for their portfolios right now is ExxonMobil (XOM 2.93%).

ExxonMobil's shares recently sold off sharply alongside a drop in crude oil prices. However, short-term thinking probably isn't the best bet when it comes to evaluating the potential for an energy Goliath like this. A growing global population and expansion in important emerging markets means that the global demand for energy over the long term is heading up, not down. And given that ExxonMobil is one of the largest producers, refiners, and retailers of energy, it's probably going to benefit.

Adding conviction to that thinking is the fact that despite the weakness in crude and natural gas prices this past year, ExxonMobil is still turning a profit. Last quarter, its second-quarter earnings were $1.7 billion. That's a pretty good profit considering that oil prices are a fraction of their price five years ago.

Admittedly, no one knows when energy prices will rebound or stocks like ExxonMobil will head higher. But with a track record that includes an average 6.4% annual dividend hike over the past 33 years, it might be best not to bet against this company.

The yield is higher than it appears

Tim Green: Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy (BBY 3.81%) may not be widely known as a dividend stock, but it's one worth considering. The company pays a dividend of $0.28 per share each quarter, good for a yield of 3.35%. On top of the regular payment, an annual special dividend sweetens the pot even further. Best Buy has paid a special dividend in each of the past two years, and while the policy isn't guaranteed to continue, it boosts the true dividend yield closer to 4.7%.

Best Buy has turned itself around over the past few years by cutting costs, shedding international divisions, and focusing on competitive prices and customer service. The company produced adjusted earnings of $2.78 per share last year, a number that backs out various one-time costs, putting the P/E ratio at 12 and the payout ratio, including the special dividend, at 56%.

Further dividend increases will likely require Best Buy to grow its earnings, but a high dividend yield means that dividend growth doesn't need to be all that fast in order to make the stock attractive. A lack of exciting new products has been a problem for Best Buy, which has struggled to consistently grow comparable-store sales. But double-digit e-commerce growth and an increased focus on appliances and services should help combat weak sales of PCs and phones.

Best Buy has transformed itself into a far leaner company over the past few years, and the stock deserves a look from dividend investors.

One investor's trash...

Daniel Miller: Investors looking for an intriguing dividend stock to scribble on their shopping list need look no further than Covanta (CVA), which has been on my own list this year. Most investors have never heard of the company, as it delves into an industry few care to look into: waste.

Covanta owns or operates waste-to-energy plants that process roughly 20 million tons of waste each year, incinerating the nonhazardous solid waste into steam and electricity. It then turns around and sells the energy back to the world.

Incineration is widely accepted in Europe, and with Covanta's Dublin project roughly 70% complete, and its presence in China, the company is already one of the world's largest waste-to-energy operators worldwide. One recent victory for the company was winning New York City's contract, which could speed up the adoption of incineration, rather than traditional landfill disposal, to other large U.S. metropolitan areas.

Covanta's business model is great, in theory, as its customers pay it to take waste -- the fuel it uses to create energy -- and then sells the end-product as a typical business does. As with any stock, though, there are risks involved, as lower-cost landfills are still readily available in many regions.

Thus, the dilemma: Covanta either builds more incinerators near large sources of waste to become more cost-competitive, or takes the longer approach and waits as cities grow large enough that landfills become less of an attractive option.

It's definitely an intriguing stock for further research, with a yield of 6.3%, according to Morningstar's estimates. If investors believe more U.S. cities will follow NYC's lead and that the company will bring more of its business to the bottom line after the Dublin project is fully operational, Covanta could be a big long-term winner.

A steady pipeline of payouts

Tyler Crowe: Too often, companies in the oil and gas industry all get lumped into one category, when in fact, each one's business model can be wildly different. Despite the volatility in commodity prices. Enterprise Products Partners (EPD 0.67%) continues to crank out consistent and growing cash flow that it has used to raise its payout to shareholders every quarter for the past 48 quarters in a row.

There are lots of reasons the company is able to do this, but the two most important are its business structure and management's approach to growth. Many other companies own large diversified pipeline and infrastructure networks like Enterprise, but what Enterprise does with that network is what makes it unique. Around 80% of its customers pay it a fixed fee to rent space in that pipe regardless of whether they use it or not, which gives the company a strong base of cash flow from which to work. It also helps that 69% of the company's customers sport investment-grade credit ratings, so there isn't too much worry about a customer not paying the bills.

Then there is the way management has handled its growth and payout over the years. Unlike many other pipeline companies that have paid out every dollar possible to investors and relied on external capital to fund growth, Enterprise has elected to balance its payouts such that it can reinvest in the business and avoid needing to go to the debt or equity market every time it needs a dollar or two to fund new projects. This has given the company much more flexibility in the good times and bad.

At a distribution yield of 5.8%, it isn't the least expensive shares have been in a while, but it's still a respectable price for a steady dividend payer that should be on a dividend investor's radar.

The real estate mogul

Matt DiLallo: Real estate is a great place to shop for a lucrative income stream. While there are plenty of companies in that sector to choose from, Brookfield Property Partners (BPY) tops my list. Not only does it pay a pretty lucrative quarterly distribution with a current yield of 4.6%, but it expects to grow that payout by 5% to 8% per year. On top of that, its global real estate portfolio has several catalysts to drive capital appreciation.

The bulk of Brookfield Property Partners' portfolio consists of iconic office properties in gateway markets like New York, London, Toronto, and Sydney, as well as trophy retail assets in top markets across the U.S. These assets are more than 90% leased to long-term tenants, which provides steady cash flow to support the company's distribution. Meanwhile, these assets have solid appreciation potential via increased rents and redevelopment opportunities.

In addition to its core portfolio, Brookfield intends to invest up to 20% of its capital in opportunistic real estate assets. These include both mispriced properties and those with value-add potential. At the moment, about 15% of its capital is invested in such assets, including stakes in portfolios that own multifamily, industrial, hospitality, and self-storage properties. Not only do these assets generate current cash flow for the company, but each has untapped upside. In fact, Brookfield believes that its opportunistic investments can generate 18% to 20% returns on equity, compared to just 10% to 12% returns from its core portfolio.

Bottom line, investors shopping for some income should take a close look at Brookfield Property Partners, which is a one-stop shop for real estate exposure.
I've always known that Bank of America (BAC 0.86%) was a heavily traded stock, but it wasn't until today that I compared its trading volume to other big banks. Here's what I found:

This confirms what I thought. Yet I was surprised by how much higher Bank of America's trading volume is than the other banks. Its shares change hands at four times the velocity of runner-up Citigroup's (C 1.52%) on a typical day.

The comparison to Citigroup is apt because the banks are in similar positions. Both it and Bank of America lost so much money in the crisis eight years ago that they've had to focus on recovering ever since. This decimated shareholder value, and contributes to the fact that their stocks still trade for 40% discounts to book value.

The banks are similarly structured, too, offering both commercial and investment-banking products. And they're of approximately the same size: Bank of America has $2.1 trillion in assets on its balance sheet compared to Citigroup's $1.8 trillion.

This begs the question: If these two banks are so alike, what explains the fact that Bank of America's trading volume is four times that of Citigroup's? Or for that matter, of Wells Fargo's and JPMorgan Chase's?

The answer is much-less exciting than one might imagine. Namely, the reason Bank of America's shares trade at such a high velocity relative to these other banks is because its share price is lower. This makes it affordable for hedge funds and high-frequency traders to buy and sell a large number of Bank of America's shares.

Bank Share Price* JPMorgan Chase $65.32 Wells Fargo $47.90 Citigroup $45.58 Bank of America $14.85

The numbers aren't exact, but the size of the difference between these banks' share prices corresponds roughly over to volume. For instance, Bank of America's shares trade at four times the rate of Citigroup's because the latter's shares are three times the price of the former's.

It's worth noting, as well, that Bank of America's shares don't trade at a high volume only in the context of bank stocks; its volume is also high when you look at the broader market. Shares of the North Carolina-based bank trade at a higher average daily volume than any other company on the S&P 500. The runner-up is Chesapeake Energy, shares of which trade hands at half the pace of Bank of America's volume.

The point here is that Bank of America is a volatile stock. It offers a lot of potential, but it's not for the faint of heart.
Uber is arguably the most recent rags-to-riches story the business world has to offer. Seemingly overnight, the young ride-hailing company went from a small-time phone app to a household name. Surging onto the scene like that does wonders for a company's valuation, and Uber's has been cited numerous times as being over $60 billion. For context, Detroit's second-largest automaker, Ford, currently has a market cap under $50 billion.

However, at a time when many companies are battling one another to get a foothold in the Chinese market, Uber is raising a white flag and withdrawing from its operations in China. But despite backing down, did it really lose?

Why China is a different market

Despite China's massive economic potential for many global companies, it remains one of the most difficult markets in the world to crack. Between government regulations that often force foreign companies to pair up with local companies to enter the market, a litigation system that is confusing and often biased, and wildly different consumer preferences and culture compared to the Western world, even the most dominant businesses have said "No, thanks" -- even Alphabet ducked out for the time being.

Those issues played a lesser role with Uber; the major issue was that the company has been in a heavyweight bout with local ride-hailing champion Didi Chuxing in China, and it was essentially using its profits from other parts of the world to help fund this battle -- more on why this matters later. But the straw that may have broken the camel's back was a major investment from Apple.

Didi announced it had rounded up $7.3 billion in a funding round this summer from investors including China Life Insurance, Ant Financial, Apple, and others. While Uber has had zero issues raising capital with investors, this presented a unique challenge since the company had previously won markets by outspending its competition.

Let's make a deal

Rather than continue the unprofitable war for China's ride-hailing business, which had no end in sight and had Uber reportedly spending about $1 billion per year for a 20% market share, Uber thought outside the box to create an interesting deal. While the details aren't yet public, according to The New York Times, the new company's estimated value is a combination of Didi's $28 billion valuation and Uber China's $7 billion, and Uber shareholders would receive a 20% stake in the new company. Meanwhile, Didi would agree to make a $1 billion investment in Uber's global operations.

Honestly, it seems like a brilliant move. Uber wiggles its way out of a bleak scenario in China, and owns part of the company best positioned to benefit from a market with less competition, while receiving $1 billion in cash to help fund its attack on other markets.

What's next for Uber?

This move could mean a number of things for Uber -- and its investors. If Uber is planning to go public, the drag China was creating on its bottom line would have been a problem, and the company's investors were likely thrilled about the decision to back away from the region. This move gives the company a way to juice its bottom line and create a better growth story.

Speaking of growth story, now with even more cash, Uber can focus on other markets. One such market will almost certainly be India, which many consider to be the next battleground. It's the norm for local companies to win in China, but that is far from the case in India, where the massive market is much friendlier to foreign players wishing to operate in the country.

As a bonus, this deal could actually complicate a partnership created to take on Uber. Late last year, four of Uber's major rivals in the U.S. and Asia -- Lyft, Didi, Ola (the major player in India), and Grab -- entered into an alliance of sorts that allowed users to book rides from one another's apps in all of the regions they operate in. Now that Uber and Didi have their new setup, it'll make for an awkward situation for the alliance -- despite being in an alliance to thwart Uber globally, it's now in Didi's interest that Uber's global business does well. Furthermore, Ola, which is in the alliance with Didi, basically gets to watch the latter help fund Uber's attack to take market share in India.

If you can't beat 'em...

"As an entrepreneur, I've learned that being successful is about listening to your head as well as following your heart," Uber CEO Travis Kalanick wrote in a blog post obtained by Bloomberg. "I have no doubt that Uber China and Didi Chuxing will be stronger together."

While some will see Uber's surrender in China as an embarrassment, it seems the opposite to me. This was a wise strategy to stop the bleeding in China -- a market where many tech companies struggle to overtake the local competition -- to boost its cash position, to narrow its focus on a friendlier massive market, and to open the doors to an IPO in the near term. It sounds like a win-win for Uber.
DWT what they plan to do at the ballot box in November. Personally there's nothing that would ever move me to vote for someone I feel is unfit to be president, so that lets out Trump of Hillary. I would never vote for either of them under any circumstances. I've given up on lesser-of-two evils voting (and not even "at least she's not a psychopath" will work for me). I know there is no such thing as a perfect politician but unless I want to see someone ascend to public office because I believe in his our her intentions and capabilities, I wouldn't vote for them. I'm old enough to grant myself that luxury. Bernie's far from perfect but he's better than anyone else in my memory who's run for president. When the Clinton Machine stole the primary process and prevented him from being the nominee, the presidential election was over for me, other than as a vehicle to send a message to a Democratic Party that has long ago lost it's way and gets worse and worse. Better than the Republicans? Of course... but with party leaders like Rahm Emanuel,



-Howie I haven't asked the other writers atwhat they plan to do at the ballot box in November. Personally there's nothing that would ever move me to vote for someone I feel is unfit to be president, so that lets out Trump of Hillary. I would never vote for either of them under any circumstances. I've given up on lesser-of-two evils voting (and not even "at least she's not a psychopath" will work for me). I know there is no such thing as a perfect politician but unless Ito see someone ascend to public office because I believe in his our her intentions and capabilities, I wouldn't vote for them. I'm old enough to grant myself that luxury. Bernie's far from perfect but he's better than anyone else in my memory who's run for president. When the Clinton Machine stole the primary process and prevented him from being the nominee, the presidential election was over for me, other than as a vehicle to send a message to a Democratic Party that has long ago lost it's way and gets worse and worse. Better than the Republicans? Of course... but with party leaders like Rahm Emanuel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz , Chuck Schumer, the Clintons, Steve Israel... that ain't any party I want to be considered part of. I've known Helen for almost half a century. Despite having the same last name, we're not related. We sent to school together. I respect her decision to fight as hard as she can to keep Trump out of the White House, even if it means settling for Hillary. She wrote about why she came to that decision. It's a decision the majority of my friends have made.-Howie

A Point Of View: The B.S. Of A "Protest Vote"

-by Helen Klein





I wrote a blog piece about a Clothespin Campaign for Hillary and I stand by it, strongly. This is an opinion piece. While I was a Bernie supporter throughout the campaign season and dissed Hillary left, right and sideways, I will now vote for her, hands down. Trump is a MONSTER and must be stopped. Our choice is between the two of them, and thats that. No third party candidate has any shot in hell at winning and everyone knows this. I am finding all of this talk about a protest vote alarming, as it would give Trump an edge. In a swing state, a protest vote would have some impact, even if small, on helping Trump. However, it is irresponsible for people in blue states to take things for granted and depend on others in their state to vote for Hillary and defeat Trump. He is already carrying on about a rigged election so it is also very important for him lose the popular vote by as large a margin as possible. Furthermore, if enough people vote for third party candidates, they are risking a loss in electoral votes for Hillary. This happened with Ralph Nader in New Hampshire in 2000. While the reasons for Gores loss were complex, that election was extremely close and we wound up stuck with George Bush and his Iraq War. The latter has exacerbated the current mess in the Middle East and has helped to create ISIS.

Furthermore, it behooves anyone considering voting for a third party candidate to check out the candidates platform and history. To diss Hillary without doing so would be irresponsible. Also, the high moral ground would crumble.





For example, a closer look at Johnson is rather disheartening. Have Bernie supporters who are considering him really done their homework? If so, how could they possibly view him as better than Hillary, actually vote for him and risk Trump ascendancy? Many of Johnsons principles are the antithesis of Bernies and far worse than Hillarys. Some fall right into the hands of the 1% and corporate interests; many are against hallmarks of the progressive movement and would be very detrimental to many Americans.





A Libertarian, Johnson was Governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003. While in office, he drastically cut the size of state government, lowered taxes and favored privatization of services like prisons and Medicaid. Johnson wants to end the corporate income tax, introduce a single consumption tax (which would disproportionally affect those with lower incomes) and cut government spending by at least 20 percent. He favors appeal of the Affordable Care Act in exchange for privatized health care based on free market principles. While Johnson does support civil liberties and a womans right to abortion, he strongly emphasizes government downsizing and a private laissez-faire economic strategy. Woah!

History can and does repeat itself. Americans need to remember the rise of Hitler and see the parallels. It was not all that long ago and it could happen here. If elected, Trump would grind any semblance of democracy into the ground. His recent statements-- every day there is another awful one-- show that he is fomenting hate, rage, aggression and revenge in his flock, just like Hitler did. The Muslims, Latinos and African Americans are viewed as the cause of all of our problems and have become the targets of anger, instead of the Jews. Would Trump actually attempt to deport people? Unclear, but his fans would demand it. Would he try to shut down the press? You betcha! He cannot and would not tolerate any criticism, which is the purpose of a free press and fundamental to a democracy. Would he bully Republicans in office to go along with him or else? He already has and many are too scared to stand up to him, e.g., Ryan, McCain and McConnell. Would he follow through with threats to destroy anyone against him? Yes, he would and he has. In his new book, The Making of Donald Trump, David Cay Johnston describes Trumps cruel and spiteful personality, his destructive behavior towards those who had slighted him and his glee in ruining their lives. What kind of a man is this? Would he bomb the hell out of perceived enemies or in retaliation against those not going along with him? Sure he would. Would he do so more than Hillary? Absolutely, without even a pause to think it through. He has no conscience and no compassion. Are there controls on the nuclear button? Apparently no, not really: just the Secretary of Defense, who would be appointed by him and would surely be one of his lackies. Trump would probably take pride in being the first American President to use the atomic bomb since World War II. It would show proof of his omnipotence. He has already asked on several occasions, Why do we have them if we never use them? Would he worry about the consequences of such a decision? Doubtful: he is impulsive, lives in the moment and does not think that far ahead. As Commander in Chief, would the military go along with his aggressive directives? Wellprobably, but maybe not. Many generals and security advisors have already expressed alarm about a President Trump, even some of the nincompoops who went along with Bush. Perhaps wed have a mutiny by some of our military leaders. What would that do to our country? And being a super power, our allies would be in total panic mode. They already are. Would Trump collude with Putin, let down NATO and look the other way as Russia planned to invade other countries? Quite likely, as he has already implied this in some of his statements. Again, a parallel with the Hitler-Mussolini alliance. A bromance from hell.

As with most people, politics has become an unavoidable topic at any gathering. Some liberals I know, including Jews, insist they will not vote for Hillary under any circumstances and will vote for either Stein or Johnson as a protest vote. I must say, Trump is smart for not including Jews in his blame game, although he has made some blunders in this regard. Of course, his son-in-law is Jewish. Being Jewish myself, it is unfathomable that Jews are not horrified enough by Trumps ethnic cleansing schemes to vote for Hillary. When I noted to one friend that I had read that Johnson, a Libertarian, would abolish Social Security, his response was that that Johnson would have no ability to do so. So my friend aims to vote for someone who has a ridiculous platform he does not even support and who has no chance whatsoever of winning, all to show his protest against Hillary. And he is Jewish.





It is important to reiterate the gist of the first point in Chomskys article, as described in the Clothespin Campaign. Your vote is a responsibility. It is not about you personally or about taking the high moral ground. It is about the consequences of your vote on other people and the potential harm it would do. Yes, Hillarys foreign policies and hawkishness would do harm abroad and this is extremely concerning. But she is not all bad, as Trump is. She is complex; he is a horror show full circle. Domestically, she is ethnically inclusive and is supportive of womens rights and LGBTQ. Trump vilifies everyone in this country but white males. Trump is far more dangerous-- he is dangerous across the board in every way imaginable. To equate them as equally bad is to ignore the pervasive horrors of Trump: the narcissist, the bully, the master of hate and revenge who cares only about himself. He does not listen or take advice from anyone but himself. The superficiality of his knowledge and his lack of concern about it are astounding. He would rule like a dictator with an iron fist. Maybe his supporters want a dictator to solve all of their problems (he wont and they are being fooled), but most Americans (hopefully) do not.









The left can fight Hillary and her policies once she is in the Oval Office. If Trump gets in, we are lost. #NeverTrump:
Vale's decision to expand streaming contracts to its iron ore output may lock the miner into a low-price deal that will hurt the company when prices rise. Image source: Getty Images.

Investors familiar with precious-metal streaming and royalty companies may be intrigued by Vale's (NYSE: VALE) decision to reportedly sell streams of future iron ore output for as much as $10 billion to help pay down debt. Fairly uncommon, though not unheard of, a mineral streaming deal would provide the mining giant with much-needed cash while also giving it some measure of future assurance. But there is a dark side to such arrangements, and the problems that may arise are serious enough that Vale investors ought to worry if this deal goes through.

A torrent of opportunity

In a typical precious-metal streaming deal, the company buying the stream makes an up-front payment to the miner in exchange for receiving future production from the mine at a predetermined, usually below-market, price. The contracts often remain in place for as long as the mine is producing, and the streamer continues to make ongoing per-ounce payments.

Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW) essentially created the industry that we know today in the early 2000s. It is the largest pure precious-metals streaming company in the world and has streams on some of the largest and lowest-cost mines.

In the first quarter, it paid on average $4.14 per ounce for silver, ranging from $2.98 at Teck Resources' (NYSE: TCK) Antamina mine, in Peru, to $5.38 per ounce at Glencore's Peruvian Yauliyacu mine. Silver Wheaton's average cash costs for gold were $389 per ounce, falling between the $400 the company paid Vale for production from its Salobo, Brazil, and Sudbury, Ontario, mines, and the $366 it pays for gold from a number of other projects.

BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) has a royalty contract that operates much the same way for one of its mines in the Pilbara region of western Australia, where it pays Iluka Resources a royalty rate of 1.232% for iron ore mined from its Mining Area C, plus annual payments based on increases in production.

Digging itself out of a hole

Vale is looking to sell 3% of its future ore output to a group of unnamed Chinese companies over a 30-year period in exchange for as much as $10 billion. The miner is desperate to reduce its $27 billion debt load, which it has committed to lowering by a third over the next 18 months.In addition to the streaming deal, Vale continues to unload assets and is said to be exploring the sale of its fertilizer business to crop nutrient producer Mosaic for some $3 billion.

While numerous miners have come under pressure from falling commodity prices and are turning to asset sales to pay down their debt, streaming deals are also growing. Reuters, which was first to report Vale was mulling a streaming deal, noted Glencore, Teck, and Barrick Gold(NYSE: ABX) have all struck new precious-metals streaming agreements recently.

Not all that glitters is gold

But there's a big risk involved, too, particularly for Vale investors, as the miner is now considering expanding its use of streams.

The problem is that the price of the metal or mineral may not remain low. As more output is added to the stream, the contract, which, like the royalty contract Iluka Resources haswith BHP Billiton, is in perpetuity, meaning the value proposition moves from the miner to the streamer, particularly if prices rise.

When gold and silver prices soared during the commodities boom a few years ago, with gold rising to $1,900 an ounce and silver hovering at $50, streamers like Silver Wheaton reaped a huge windfall because they were paying deeply discounted rates. It was a windfall that came at the expense of the miners and their investors.

Gold miners also usedhedging tactics the way companies are using streaming contracts, and after prices soared, it cost them dearly to extricate themselves from the hedges. It cost Barrick Gold some $5.1 billion to completely unwind its hedges, while AngloGold Ashanti had to spend almost $1.4 billion to get out of its hedges after gold began rising.

Iron ore will rise again too

Analyst expectations for iron ore prices have been all over the place lately, with some seeing increases while others are forecasting a decline, but import prices for 62% iron content fines at the port of Qingdao, China, just jumped to a three-month high of around $62 per metric ton, still below their peak but well above the $37 per-metric-ton nadir they hit last December.

There are certainly contradictory signals as to whether pricing can keep rising this year, and the miners themselves are warning the boom cannot last, but by locking itself into a long-term streaming contract, Vale may be cutting itself and its investors out of the loop for future profits if and when iron ore prices do bound higher.

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.

Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Vale and Silver Wheaton. 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: Getty Images.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's world population clock, there are currently more than 7.3 billion people on the planet. Among those more than 7.3 billion people sit just 1,810 billionaires with a combined net worth of $6.5 trillion, according to Forbes' most recent rankings of the richest people in the world. Your chances of becoming a billionaire, based on this data, are only about 0.00002%.

Despite being such a small portion of the global population, billionaires are some of the most closely monitored people in the world. They've achieved a few lifetimes' worth of success, and some in a very short amount of time -- and the average Joe or Jane would love the opportunity to share in the success they've had by following their example.

Here's how billionaires build and retain wealth

Unfortunately for middle-class America, there is no concrete formula to becoming a billionaire. What we do have are a handful of billionaire secrets that the rich have used to build and retain their wealth over time that, when implemented, can make a substantial impact on your own personal finances over the long-term.

Here are three of the most important billionaire secrets to building and retaining wealth.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO, Warren Buffett. Image source: Fortune Live Media via Flickr.

1. Minimize your tax liability

According to Forbes' billionaire list, self-made billionaire Warren Buffett, who runs conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A)(NYSE: BRK-B), is the third-richest person in the world as of 2016. Yet, based on an op-ed article written by the Oracle of Omaha in The New York Times in 2011, Buffett claims to have paid only a 17.4% effective tax rate, which was actually much lower than that of many of the people he worked with in his office, including his secretary. How does Buffett get away with paying such a low tax rate despite being worth so much? The answer can be found in his investment timeframe.

You may have run across a popular Buffett quote stating that his "favorite holding period is forever." Buffett has made it clear that when he buys stock in a business, he intends to hold it for years or decades to come. Doing so provides a substantial advantage come tax time.

Short-term investments, which are defined as assets sold within 365 or fewer days, get taxed at a rate commensurate with your ordinary income tax bracket. Ordinary income tax brackets in the U.S. are progressive, meaning the richest Americans with short-term capital gains would owe 39.6%. Ouch!

Comparatively, long-term capital gains, or assets held for at least 366 days, get taxed at a much lower rate. Instead of paying 39.6%, the highest-income individuals owe just 20% on long-term capital gains. That's a massive difference that can allow wealthy people to keep a big portion of their gains to reinvest for the future.

Buffett, for his part, also pays a low tax rate because he tends not to sell much of what he owns. There's been no big picture change in the investment thesis for Coca-Colaor Wells Fargo, two core Berkshire Hathaway holdings for more than 25 years. As such, Buffett and his company reap the rewards of slow and steady growth without having any tax liability on the investment gains.

Two smart ways you can minimize your own taxes are to 1) hold your investments for the long-term to take advantage of lower long-term capital gains tax rates, and 2) seek out tax-advantaged retirement tools that can give you an edge. A Roth IRA, for example, allows your investment gains to grow tax-free for the life of the account as long as you don't make any unqualified withdrawals. You're probably not going to become a billionaire by investing in a Roth IRA, but you could very well save four-, five-, or six-digits in taxes that you won't have to pay come retirement.

Image source: Getty Images.

2. Live within your means

One of the more interesting traits of some billionaires is that they tend to live well below their means. Just because they have more money than they'll probably ever need doesn't mean they're in a rush to see how much of it they can spend.

Two perfect cases in point are Warren Buffett and the fourth-richest person on Forbes' list, Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim. Combined, the two have a net worth in excess of $110 billion -- yet Buffett lives in the same house that he purchased in 1958 for $31,500, while Slim has lived in the same house in Mexico City for more than four decades. These two could buy their own islands and not even blink, but they understand the value of a dollar and prudent budgeting, which is what keeps them from foolishly burning through their fortunes.

The billionaire secret here is pretty straightforward: live within your means.

Amazingly, though, this can be a problem for many Americans. The U.S. personal savings rate is an appallingly low 5.3% as of June 2016, which means far too many Americans are adjusting their spending habits to align with their income rather than finding ways to creatively save money and invest for the future. In other words, too many people are putting current pleasure ahead of future comfort, which is not how Warren Buffett or Carlos Slim operates.

A 2013 poll from Gallup found that only around a third of U.S. households keep detailed monthly budgets. If you don't keep a budget, it can be impossible to understand your cash flow; and if you don't understand your cash flow, you won't be able to optimize your ability to save, or to gauge how well or poorly you're doing with regard to meeting your retirement goal. Formulating a budget is easier than ever with online tools at the ready. The real challenge these days is staying accountable to your plan and surrounding yourself with people that have like-minded goals of saving and retiring comfortably.

Image source: Getty Images.

3. Follow the beat of your own drum

Finally, billionaires have demonstrated that they're leaders. In nearly all instances they became industry leaders or investment moguls by following the beat of their own drum rather than following in the footsteps of someone else.

Instead of trying to identify the drugmaker with the next breakthrough cancer drug, or which fiber-optics provider would have the next game-changing product, Warren Buffett went against the tide by purchasing some of the most tried-and-true, and borderline boring, companies on the planet. Over time, with the help of dividend reinvestment and compounding, he's turned his investments into a fortune.

Carlos Slim beat his own drum in much the same way when he took the risk of purchasing the Mexico telephone monopoly from the government in the 1990s. The move allowed Slim's fortune to explode higher, with Telmex still in control of around 70% of all fixed and mobile lines in Mexico as of today. Slim's willingness to take risks and head into areas where other investors have avoided has been his key to success.

The key point here is that you have to be willing to take risks if you want the possibility of a reward. One of the best ways to do this is by choosing to invest in the stock market.

A Bankrate Money Pulse survey last year found that 52% of Americans don't have any money in the stock market, which is sort of maddening given that stocks, over the long run, outperform practically all other asset classes. Historically, the stock market tends to increase in value by 7% per year, including dividend reinvestment, which would allow you the opportunity to build real wealth over time. If you're among these aforementioned 52% of Americans with $0 in stocks, perhaps now is the time to start marching to the beat of your own drum by investing in stocks.

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.

Sean Williamshas no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong.

The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares) and Wells Fargo. It also recommends Coca-Cola. 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.
With earnings out of the way, what's next for Raytheon? Image source: Getty Images.

In a week of strong earnings reports from American defense contractors, Raytheon's (NYSE: RTN) report was stronger than most. Quarterly earnings at the rocket maker surged 44% year over year. Free cash flow for the first half of the year was nearly triple what the company generated in H1 2015. And profit margins -- up nearly five full percentage points year over year -- were well above anything seen in recent memory, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Can Raytheon keep up this superb performance? To gather some clues, we listened in on Raytheon's post-earnings conference call. Here are five things they told us that we thought you'd like to know.

Thing 1: At this defense contractor, everything's going great guns

As further explained by company CFO Toby O'Brian, Raytheon sees no real movement in its sale projections for this year, and continues to expect to see only low-single-digit sales growth, and full-year revenues of $24 billion to $24.5 billion.

That said, the profitability of Raytheon's revenues is improving -- by about 20 basis points. Accordingly, management now expects to earn operating profit margins of between 13.2% and 13.4% this year, resulting in a $0.20 improvement in earnings, which are now estimated to be between $7.13 and $7.33. Cash flow is also improving, to the point where the company now expects to generate between $2.8 billion and $3.1 billion for the year.

With Raytheon tracking toward $500 million in annual capital spending, that should work out to free cash flow of between $2.3 billion and $2.6 billion -- as much as a 33% leap from 2015 FCF, and quite possibly the company's most cash-rich year ever.

But how?

Thing 2: In-demand products

Simply put, Raytheon is seeing strong demand from its customers around the world for the very products that it specializes in. This isn't simply a case of some "arms dealer" pushing its products on the world, but of world leaders seeking out Raytheon to fulfill a perceived need for national defense.

Thing 3: We need it, and we need it now

Strong global demand for defense products is driving Raytheon's sales growth. At the same time, the company is continuing to grow the profit margins on its products. How? Well, this comment from Mr. Kennedy gives one clue.

The buyers Raytheon is selling to are motivated buyers, driven to purchase missiles, and missile defense systems, out of a "sense of urgency." It almost goes without saying that panicked buyers aren't in the best position to comparison shop between competing systems, or to engage in long and drawn-out negotiations in price. All that adds up to improved profit margins for Raytheon.

Thus, Raytheon's international business is booming. But what about in the U.S.?

Thing 4: Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...

Here at the Fool, we've given a lot of thought to the competing Presidential candidates, and how their policies might affect the U.S. defense budget. In the short term, at least, Raytheon doesn't seem to be worrying about this.

Eventually, the election will end. Someone will win, and someone else will lose. In the meantime, Raytheon sees little risk to defense spending, even in the absence of a defense budget, as Congress will tide the contractors over with a continuing resolution to maintain spending. And after the budget is passed, and after that, when a new president moves into the Oval Office?

Call me a crazy optimist, but judging from experience, defense spending just isn't likely to decline.

Thing 5: Cautious optimism (emphasis on "cautious")

Questioned by analysts on why Raytheon appeared to have reduced the rate at which it was buying back shares, CFO O'Brian responded with the above blunt assessment, and it's one that should resonate with investors.

Raytheon's stock is a good one, its market is growing, and its prospects look bright. Raytheon's stock certainly is worth buying at some certain price -- but not at any price. Accordingly, as the stock goes up -- and Raytheon's is up 30% over the past year -- Raytheon's spending on share buybacks will go down.

Even in light of all the good news that Raytheon announced last week, that's a lesson investors might want to learn from, as well.

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.

Fool contributorRich Smithdoes not own shares of, nor is he short, any company named above. You can find him onMotley Fool CAPS, publicly pontificating under the handleTMFDitty, where he's currently ranked No. 308 out of more than 75,000 rated members.

The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
I've always known that Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) was a heavily traded stock, but it wasn't until today that I compared its trading volume to other big banks. Here's what I found:

Data source: YCharts.com. Chart by author.

This confirms what I thought. Yet I was surprised by how much higher Bank of America's trading volume is than the other banks. Its shares change hands at four times the velocity of runner-up Citigroup's(NYSE: C) on a typical day.

The comparison to Citigroup is apt because the banks are in similar positions. Both it and Bank of America lost so much money in the crisis eight years ago that they've had to focus on recovering ever since. This decimated shareholder value, and contributes to the fact that their stocks still trade for 40% discounts to book value.

The banks are similarly structured, too, offering both commercial and investment-banking products. And they're of approximately the same size: Bank of America has $2.1 trillion in assets on its balance sheet compared to Citigroup's $1.8 trillion.

This begs the question: If these two banks are so alike, what explains the fact that Bank of America's trading volume is four times that of Citigroup's? Or for that matter, of Wells Fargo's and JPMorgan Chase's?

The answer is much-less exciting than one might imagine. Namely, the reason Bank of America's shares trade at such a high velocity relative to these other banks is because its share price is lower. This makes it affordable for hedge funds and high-frequency traders to buy and sell a large number of Bank of America's shares.

Bank Share Price* JPMorgan Chase $65.32 Wells Fargo $47.90 Citigroup $45.58 Bank of America $14.85

*As of Aug. 8, 2016. Data source: Yahoo! Finance.

The numbers aren't exact, but the size of the difference between these banks' share prices corresponds roughly over to volume. For instance, Bank of America's shares trade at four times the rate of Citigroup's because the latter's shares are three times the price of the former's.

It's worth noting, as well, that Bank of America's shares don't trade at a high volume only in the context of bank stocks; its volume is also high when you look at the broader market. Shares of the North Carolina-based bank trade at a higher average daily volume than any other company on the S&P 500. The runner-up is Chesapeake Energy, shares of which trade hands at half the pace of Bank of America's volume.

The point here is that Bank of America is a volatile stock. It offers a lot of potential, but it's not for the faint of heart.

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.

John Maxfield owns shares of Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool recommends Bank of America. 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.
Boston Beer needs to focus on its beer to restore growth, and that might mean doing so out of the public spotlight. Image source: Boston Beer.

Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM) has gotten too big for its own good. It's no longer really a craft brewery, as it produces more beer in a month than the average craft brewer does in a year, but it's still too small to effectively challenge the megabrewers. Like an adolescent entering their teen years, the maker of Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, and Twisted Tea is at an awkward stage of its life, and it may be time for chairman and co-founder Jim Koch to take it private.

The brewer has arguably been the face of the craft beer industry for years, and Koch is still seen as an effective spokesman for small-time brewers who want more people to taste their beer, but his own brewery is no longer on the same growth trajectory as it once was; indeed, its flagship Samuel Adams brand is declining. And because Wall Street has an insatiable appetite for beat-and-raise earnings, Boston Beer finds itselfconstantly looking for the new new thing to juice growth.

A dime a dozen

According to the Brewers Association, there are more craft breweries in existence now than at any time before in history, pumping out almost 13% of all the beer produced in the U.S. and commanding 12% of the market.

Boston Beer and Koch have been integral in nurturing that growth, but now the presence of so many competitors is impacting its own results. The brewer says over the first six months of 2016 depletions -- sales from distributors to retailers, a reliable industry proxy for consumer demand -- have fallen 5% as Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, and Traveler all slide.

Moreover, as its flagship brand has struggled to keep pace with all the regional craft beers crowding it out on store shelves, Boston Beer has strayed further from its craft-beer roots, launching hard ciders, teas, andsodas, and most recently water. It's become a victim of its own success.

Going flat

Revenues fell 3% in the second quarter as the number of barrels sold slid 4% to under 1.1 million. Over the first half of 2016, barrels sold are down 5%. Extrapolating for the full year, that puts sales below 4 million barrels, down from the 4.3 million barrels Boston Beer sold last year. That means it still fits neatly into the Brewers Association's definition of a craft brewer, but maybe not so much anymore in the minds of beer drinkers.

According to the trade group, a craft brewer is:

Small: annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or fewer.

Independent: less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled by mass brewers.

Traditional: derives its flavor from the use of traditional or innovative ingredients and their fermentation.

But that first goalpost has been adjusted to accommodate Boston Beer's growth over the years (it used to be 2 million barrels). The majority of craft breweries havedramatically less output. According to the Brewers Association, 57% of all craft breweries produce less than 15,000 barrels annually, while regional breweries, or those with capacity between 15,000 and 6 million barrels, account for 4% of the total. They might produce most of the beer, but they're operating more like Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD) and SABMiller, which, when they complete their merger, will account for 30% of all beer produced globally.

There's so much competition now in craft beer that Boston Beer, which helped foster that growth, now finds its own performance diluted. Image source: Getty Images.

Since Boston Beer sits at one extreme of the spectrum, it's beyond the norm of what a true craft beer is. It could follow the lead of A-B InBev and start buying up other craft beers -- over the past few years, the macrobrewer has acquired nearly a dozen craft breweries -- but Boston Beer doesn't have the financial wherewithal to do that. At the end of the last quarter it had just $27.6 million in cash to its name, hardly enough to be making acquisitions, certainly not when a big brewer like Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) is dropping $1 billion to buy Ballast Point Brewing. Although Boston Beer has negligible debt on its balance sheet, it's unlikely to be willing to take on so much to make a deal.

The brewer's solution to its woes has simply been to branch out into new niches and gimmicky trends like nitro beer. While it's not necessarily neglecting its beer roots -- after all, it does put out a lot of different flavors andseasonals -- trying to find the next growth nichestill must be a distraction.

In a class by itself

A better bet might be going private. Boston Beer has two classes of stock, and Koch owns 100% of the B shares that have all the voting rights. He lets class A shareholders have a say on some things, but he has final say on the direction the brewer takes. By buying out common shareholders he'd be able to concentrate his efforts on what he loves and does best, which is brewing great-tasting beer, without having to worry about the market's demands for ever-better quarterly numbers. D.G. Yuengling & Son, the biggest craft brewer of all, has done well for itself outside the public market's spotlight and all it does is brew beer.

Boston Beer needs to pay more attention to its beer, to refresh its Samuel Adams brand, and to extend its own name in ways that hew closer to its roots. That doesn't seem possible as a publicly traded company. It might be time for Boston Beer to go private.

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.

Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Boston Beer. The Motley Fool recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV. 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.
The company with sizable stake in Toyota, Honda and Ford in Vietnam will offer 167 million shares.

The largest Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2016 of Vietnams stock exchange will take place on August 29 with 167 million shares of Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Corporation (VEAM).

The minimum value of the IPO will be over VND2.3 trillion ($103.32 million) and foreign investors are offered 12.57 percent of the companys charter capital at the initial price of VND14,280 ($0.64) per share, according to information published on the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) website.

VEAM with its IPO consultant on August 12 organized an introduction road show to present investment opportunities for investors. The machinery producer is estimated to have the charter capital of about $600 million after the auction, equivalent to 1.33 billion shares.

VEAM will have the largest IPO in Vietnam's stock exchange in 2016. Photo from baogiaothong.vn

The government will own 51 percent of the charter capital with 378 million shares and the rest will go strategic investors (36 percent), invester through an auction (12.57 percent) and preference shares for the companys staff (0.43 percent). The rest will be sold at the company's IPO on HNX.

VEAM currently holds a 30 percent stake in Honda Vietnam, a 20 percent stake in Toyota Vietnam and a 25 percent stake in Ford Vietnam. The corporation also owns numerous land lots in prime locations of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong and other large cities.

VEAM is has the fifth highest revenue among enterprises under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, only behind the PetroVietnam, Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage JSC (Sabeco) and Petrolimex. In 2015, the corporations financial report showed net profit of VND3.37 trillion ($151.2 million).

Established in 1990, VEAM specializes in manufacturing agricultural machinery, components, and assembling automobiles and motorbikes. The corporation has 20 subsidiaries nationwide, including Song Cong Diesel Limited Company, Southern Vietnam Engine, Agricultural Machinery Company Ltd. and other large manufacturers.

Related news:

> Vietnam's most popular bicycle brand peddles shares in IPO valued at $11 mln

> Vietnam Animation Company hopes to capture IPO audience

> Largest state-owned film studio to IPO after 20 years of losses
Bill Clinton says the assertions that wife and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lied about mishandling classified emails while secretary of state is the biggest load of bull I ever heard.

The former president made the comment Friday while responding to a question from the audience member about his wifes trustworthiness, during an event in Las Vegas.

On Saturday, Republicans were quick to criticize President Clintons characterization of the email scandal, with Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy telling Fox News Fox and Friends: Hes just trying to spin Hillary out of trouble, and it doesnt work.

Hillary Clinton has repeatedly said the emails, at the time, included no classified material, even after the FBI said parts of three emails were indeed marked as classified.

Voter trust in Hillary Clinton has arguable been her biggest campaign challenge, in large part because she used a private server system to send and receive government information while secretary of state, which led to a Justice Department investigation.

Bill Clinton also argued at the event Friday that FBI Director James Comey, before his congressional testimony this summer, had to amend his previous day's statement that Hillary Clinton had never received any emails that were classified.

They saw two little notes with a C on it -- this is the biggest load of bull I ever heard -- that were about telephone calls that she needed to make and the State Department typically puts a little C on it to discourage people from discussing it in public in the event the secretary of state, whoever it is, doesnt make a phone call, Bill Clinton said.

He also dismissed Comeys statement that Hillary Clinton was extremely careless with the emails and told the questioner that the federal governments agency-by-agency rules for dealing with classified material is too complicated to explain.

Clinton also argued that his wifes widespread support from former U.S. military and national security officials -- including Bush administration National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft -- proves his wife, if elected president, could be trusted with the governments utmost secret information.

Clintons White House challenger, GOP nominee Donald Trump, has said since the close of the Justice Department case that rival nations potentially have U.S. secrets as a result of Clinton using a private server, which should disqualifies her from running for president.

"The final jury will be the American people, and they will issue the verdict on her corruption, incompetence, and bad judgment on November 8th," Election Day, Trump also warned.

On Saturday, Duffy argued that Clintons comments the day before is not the first time the ex-president has tried to squash the email issue, pointing to him button-holing Attorney General Loretta Lynch amid the then-ongoing FBI investigation.

For Bill Clinton to come out now and say that this is a bunch of bull, why then did he have this secret meeting with Loretta Lynch on the tarmac in Arizona to make sure he could tap down any kind of prosecution that comes from the DOJ, Duffy said. If he wasnt concerned about Hillary Clinton and her scandal about the email he wouldnt have had to have that secret meeting.
Hillary Clinton's campaign is questioning a report about a top aide to Clinton when she was secretary of state also conducting interviews for the Clinton Foundation, saying implications about a potential conflict of interest are absurd.

Then-Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills took an Amtrak train from Washington to New York City in June 2012 to interview two executives to potentially become the foundations next leader, sources told CNN, which first reported the story.

Clinton purportedly accepted the secretary of state post in 2009 in part on the condition that any foundation activity would neither create conflicts nor the appearance of conflicts of interest for her.

The CNN report doesnt state Mills broke any rules but suggested her interviewing trip has added to the blurred lines between Clintons government work and non-government activities, which have long created problems for her and husband President Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clintons use of a private server as secretary of state to send and receive official emails has also added to that perception.

The Clinton campaign said Friday that Mills volunteered her personal time and paid for her own travel to New York City.

And it was crystal clear to all involved that this had nothing to do with her official duties, the campaign said. The idea that this poses a conflict of interest is absurd."

Mills' attorney also purportedly said such work was voluntary.

The foundation did not immediately respond to a FoxNews.com request Saturday for comment.

The CNN report comes the same week as a new batch of Clinton emails seemed to show foundation donors got preferential treatment during Clintons tenure at the State Department.

Conservative watchdog Judicial Watch released the 44 new email exchanges, which the group says were not in the original 30,000 handed over to the State Department. Clinton has repeatedly claimed she turned over all work-related emails during the now-closed probe into her private server use.

The documents challenge Clinton's insistence that there was "no connection" between the foundation and her work at the State Department.

In one email exchange, Doug Band, an executive at the Clinton Foundation, tried to put billionaire donor Gilbert Chagoury -- a convicted money launderer -- in touch with the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon because of the donors interests there.

And a report this week by The Daily Caller says that several investigations are being launched, including one led by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Civil Frauds Unit that will focus on the foundation's dealings in New York. The agency has declined to comment.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has also tried to get answers about Mills' New York trip. Grassley sent Secretary of State John Kerry a letter in January about the issue.
A coalition of technology groups and conservatives wants Congress to sue to stop the Obama administration from handing over control of Internet domain names to an international board, charging it could give authoritarian regimes power over the web.

Since 1998, an arm of the U.S. Commerce Department called the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) has handled domain names. However, in September, the Obama administration plans to allow the U.S. governments contract to lapse so the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will be run by a global board of directors with the domain-naming responsibility. Many fear this will allow governments such as Russia, China and Iran to have a stake in Internet governance and the de facto power to tax domain names and stifle free speech.

Congress twice included riders in appropriations bills to expressly prohibit tax dollars from being used for the transition, which President Obama signed into law. So, if the Obama administration allows the contract to lapse in September it could mark yet another questionable executive action by the administration.

Thats part of the reason the tech groups and conservatives are asking House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., and other congressional leaders to support litigation, similar to that which the House took against the Obama administration regarding unauthorized spending on Obamacare in a 2014 lawsuit.

Suing to enforce the appropriations rider and extending it through FY2017 are amply justified by the extraordinary importance of the constitutional principle at stake, the coalition letter says.

The letter also says that the Obama administration has not ensured the United States will maintain ownership of domain names .mil or .gov for military and government websites.

Without robust safeguards, Internet governance could fall under the sway of governments hostile to the freedoms protected by the First Amendment, the letter says. Ominously, governments will gain a formal voting role in ICANN for the first time when the new bylaws are implemented.

Speaker Ryans office referred questions on the matter to the House Judiciary Committee, which did not immediately respond to FoxNews.com for this story.

TechFreedom spearheaded the letter signed by 26 organizations, including Protect Internet Freedom, Center for Financial Privacy and Human Rights and Americans for Tax Reform; and 11 individuals such as TechFreedom President Berin Szoka; National Bloggers Club President Ali Akbar and Cliff May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Congress twice told the White House to pause the transition, yet the Commerce Department is blatantly ignoring the law, Szoka said in a statement. Congress cannot just let this slide. It must defend the Constitutions separation of powers, which gives the power of the purse to the House. That means making clear to the administration that the House will sue if NTIA does not extend the contract.

However, the Obama administration contends it isnt bound by the appropriation bills.

The law prohibits NTIA from using appropriated funds to relinquish the responsibility during fiscal year 2016, with respect to Internet domain name system functions, NTIA spokeswoman Juliana Grunewald told FoxNews.com. However, the law does not prohibit NTIA from evaluating a transition proposal or engaging in other preparatory activities related to the transition. In fact, Congress directed NTIA to conduct a thorough review of any proposed transition plan we receive and to provide Congress with quarterly updates on the transition, which we have done.

Gruenwald noted that a number of organizations have supported the transition, such as Freedom House, the Internet Society, the Internet Association, Computer and Communications Industry Association and the Internet Infrastructure Association.

The Obama administration announced in 2014 it planned to let the contract between the Commerce Department and ICANN expire at the end of fiscal year 2016, allowing the operating of the Internet absent the U.S. government.

The coalition letter continues by warning that the ICANN structure will have a tough time holding board members and staff accountable.

ICANN has already morphed from the technical coordinating body set up in 1998 into something much more like a government: It has the de facto power to tax domain names, the letter says. It adds, There are good reasons to worry about what it may do with this power absent the incentive for self-restraint created by its contract with the U.S.

Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and James Lankford of Oklahoma have sponsored the Protecting Internet Freedom Act to prevent the transition.

In June, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the chairmen of the Judiciary Committees of their respective chambers, wrote to Assistant Commerce Secretary Larry Strickling, stating the transfer would be illegal.

As we are sure you are aware, it is a violation of federal law for an officer or employee of the United States government to make or authorize an expenditure or obligation exceeding an amount available in an appropriation or fund for the expenditure or obligation, the letter says. It is troubling that NTIA appears to have taken these actions in violation of this prohibition.

In a letter of response on Aug. 10, Strickling told the lawmakers they had a misunderstanding of the transition.

Free expression exists and flourishes online not because of perceived U.S. government oversight over the [domain name system], or because of any asserted special relationship that the United States has with ICANN, Strickling said in the letter. It exists and is protected when stakeholders work together to make decisions.
One of the drawbacks of being a CEO is that you don't have an immediate boss who will give you regular feedback on your performance. This is why your board can be helpful. The right board can be a powerful multiplier of your efforts. Their knowledge, connections and experience can help you improve your organizations performance.

However, many board members need help providing feedback. Their initial inclination may be to focus on financial performance only.

The trend of opting for board members with diverse functional backgrounds often means that few actually have experience as a CEO. They may not understand how the CEOs job differs from the other executives in the organization.

For these reasons, its up to you to establish a relationship with your board that encourages them to provide appropriate and useful feedback. Here are two ways to do just that.

Provide your board with the right information.

Most of what the board members know about your company is what you tell them in the board meetings. Its very important to think about what you present and how you present it.

Unfortunately, I have been in far too many board meetings that sound like infomercials. The CEO showcases every department in the best possible light and never mentions any problems. This is pointless if you actually want help from your board.

Related: Advisory Board 101: How to Get Advisors to Say Yes

What the board needs to know is how you as the CEO run the business - not day-to-day specifics about each department. Work with your staff to identify a few key metrics that reflect how each department is doing. Break down the information to a general business level, and stay away from the intricate details.

For example, discuss your overall sales process and how the key metrics at each stage are doing. Board members should have experience with sales processes across many industries and can add value. Talking about a specific deal, unless you are asking a board member for help closing it for some reason, is a waste of time and will often lead down a rabbit hole.

Ask for specific advice.

Here are two methods for gathering feedback from your board.

First, after each board meeting, try to give your board members a homework assignment. Ask them to identify three things you are doing well and three things you or the company can improve.

Related: Enlist Advisors for Your Startup Wisely

After gathering their feedback, you should spend some time addressing those issues during the next board meeting, and repeat the process. Closing the loop on this feedback, and taking action on the items will dramatically strengthen your relationship with the board. It can help you improve your performance as well as the companys.

Related: Your Best Advisor in Life is Death

Second, once a year ask each of member to complete a CEO scorecard, grading you on your performance. The form I like to use focuses on the five responsibilities of the CEO.

Request each board member to provide a simple grade - between A and F -- for your performance in each area of responsibility. You should also rate yourself in each area.

Comparing how the board rates you to your own ratings can raise issues for reflection. Once the scorecards are complete, you should have a session with the board or a subset of the board, and discuss the grades.

It can be tricky to obtain input from your board. Your leadership in this area will go a long way toward building a healthy relationship that will benefit everyone.
Five people were injured, three of them critically, after being struck by lightning from a fast-moving storm in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., police said Friday.

Emergency responders were called to Mansion Square Park for reports of people struck by lightning shortly after 4 p.m. local time.

Authorities said three of the injured people were unresponsive and received CPR. Two others were injured, but conscious. Some people's belongings were on fire.



The Poughkeepsie Journal reported that one of the three critically injured victims was in surgery at a local hospital Friday evening, while the other two were in the intensive care unit.

Police said the victims are 46 to 55 years old and had been gathered around a park bench. Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolinson told reporters he was hopeful all the injured would recover.



The strike occurred two days after a man and woman were found dead in a western New York cemetery where they were struck by lightning.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two Ohio fugitives wanted for a murder have been arrested after authorities say one of them fatally shot a New Mexico police officer.

Dona Ana County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said Saturday that 38-year-old Jesse Hanes is suspected of gunning down Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop Friday.

Hanes fled and is suspected of carjacking a man at a rest stop before shooting him in the stomach. The man's condition is unknown.

Police said Hanes was with James Nelson, 36, who are both wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man in his home. A third person in the car was a hitchhiker and is being treated as a witness.

Chavez, a 33-year-old officer who had been a member of the Hatch Police Department for two years, was shot in the neck. He had a wife and two children, KVIA-TV reported.

Authorities say the confrontation began when Chavez pulled over Hanes, who was reportedly driving a 1991 Lexus, in the village of Hatch, about 40 miles northwest of Las Cruces.

As another officer arrived on the scene to assist Chavez, authorities said Hanes got out of the Lexus and opened fire.

"From traffic stop to the shooting took less than a minute," Jameson told FoxNews.com.

The other officer saw Chavez holding paperwork and reaching for his service weapon before he was shot and fell to the ground.

Hanes then fled on Interstate 25 at speeds up to 100 miles per hour before stopping at a rest stop and carjacking a man, authorities said.

Authorities said deputies pursued Hanes after spotting him in the carjacked vehicle.

The chase ended when the car crashed into a pile of wood. Police had deployed "stop sticks" to flatten the tires.

Hanes briefly barricaded himself in the car before surrendering.

Deputies found he was suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh. They believe Hanes shot himself, KRQE-TV reported. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Nelson was apprehended after he tried to flee on foot.

The Chillicothe Gazette in Ohio reported Saturday that Hanes and Nelson wanted in the killing of killing Theodore Timmons in Londonderry, Ohio.

The paper reported that three days after the murder the Ross County Sheriff's Office in Ohio sent out a bulletin saying that Hanes and Nelson, were believed to have fled the state and were armed and extremely dangerous. It warned that the two men have a violent criminal history.

Hanes was 16 and living in Columbus when he pleaded guilty in 1995 to involuntary manslaughter and other charges. He was sentenced to prison and released at 32. He went to prison again in 2014 after pleading guilty to robbery and was released in April 2015.

Nelson, who also goes by "JD," has a string of drug-related convictions in central Ohio dating back to the mid-1990s.

The Associated Press and Fox News' Joseph J. Kolb contributed to this report.
The imam of a New York City mosque and his associate were gunned down Saturday as they walked home from afternoon prayers.

Authorities said the men were shot in the back of the head shortly before 2 p.m. near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens.

Police identified the imam as 55-year-old Maulama Akonjee and the associate as Thara Uddin, 64.

NYPD Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said video surveillance shows the victims were approached from behind by a man in a dark polo shirt and shorts who shot them and then fled with the gun still in his hand.

"First it was two [shots], and then he goes, Boom! Boom! Boom! a local resident told the Post. "There was a carload of people across the street, and a girl across the street, and he just targeted these two guys."

At a press conference, police said there was no indication the victims were targeted because of their religion. However, members of the Bangladeshi community served by the mosque said they want the shootings to be treated as a hate crime.

More than 100 people attending a rally at the shooting site Saturday night chanted "We want justice!"



Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasio's staff, serves as a liaison to Muslim communities. She attended the rally and said, "I understand the fear because I feel it myself. I understand the anger. But it's very important to mount a thorough investigation."



Khaled Rahman, who also was there, said he believes the shootings were an attack "against our religion" and he hopes police increase security around mosques.



Shahin Chowdhury, a worshipper at the mosque, said members of the community had felt animosity lately, with people cursing while passing the mosque. He said he had advised fellow community members to be careful walking around, especially when in traditional clothing.



He called the imam a "wonderful person" with a voice that made his Koran readings especially compelling.



Worshipper Millat Uddin said Akonjee had led the mosque for about two years and was a very pious man.



"The community's heart is totally broken," said Uddin, who is not related to Thara Uddin. "It's a great misery. It's a great loss to the community and it's a great loss to the society."



Neighbors also described Thara Uddin as a pious and thoughtful man who prayed five times a day and went to the mosque. While at home, they said he would water his garden and one next door.



"A very honest, wise man ... (And) a very helpful guy," said neighbor Mohammed Uddin, who is not a relation of Thara Uddin's.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from the New York Post.
Eight people were injured fleeing a busy shopping mall in Raleigh, N.C. after apparent gunshots rang out Saturday afternoon.

Police and emergency personnel were called to the Crabtree Valley Mall at around 2:45 p.m. local time. More than four hours later, the Raleigh Police Department said officers had not located anyone with gunshot wounds and no one was in custody.

Officials said that eight people between the ages of 10 and 70 were transported to local hospitals with minor injuries suffered in the rush to evacuate the building.

Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said investigators had not found any shell casings, so she could not confirm whether there had been a shooter. But multiple witnesses reported seeing a gunman.

Antonio Richardson, who owns a clothing store in the mall, told the Associated Press that that he was standing at the entrance to his store when he saw two men who appeared to be in their early 20s arguing in the food court.

Someone just got shot at Crabtree and it was so scary me and Olivia are crying oh my god live footage !!!! pic.twitter.com/IAymO1xo8C  LB  (@Laurrrenbaker) August 13, 2016

Richardson said he saw one of them pull out a gun and begin shooting. As he was running away, he said he heard as many as four shots.



Witness Mark Rush told the station that he was walking out of a cell phone accessory store when he heard "about five or six" shots. He said the shooter was "10 or 15 feet" away and was carrying a handgun.

Rush said he and his family managed to get out safely.

Video posted on social media showed patrons running out of a store exit.

John Riggleman and Kristin Warring told AP that they were heading to a video game store when they heard the shots. They ran into the store with dozens of others before the doors of the mall were locked.



Warring said she later heard an additional series of shots.



Police told them they could leave the store at about 3 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Texas lawyer Jerry Guerinot (GER'-uh-no) says he no longer represents people accused of capital murder after four decades of posting a perfect record.

None of his nearly three dozen capital murder clients was found innocent.

Some death penalty opponents label him the worst lawyer in the United States. Guerinot says the criticism is unfair because he represented gang members, serial killers and sociopaths.

Twenty-one of his clients received the death penalty and 10 were executed. In one seven-month period of 1996, juries convicted Guerinot clients in four separate cases, which critics say is too large a case load.

This fall, courts will review two cases involving Guerinot clients now on death row. While his performance isn't the central issue, the reviews raise questions about whether they received a fair trial.
Not a scene from Dubai, the people of Vietnam (with their limited allowance) know how to 'live' it up.

With the Hungry Ghost Festival month upon us, the market for various paper replicas ranging from jewelry and fake money to cars, airplanes, electronic gadgets and luxury villas is heating up - literally.

Considered Vietnam's Halloween, the Hungry Ghost Festival falls on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month (this year it falls on August 17). According to traditional belief, the gates of hell open at the beginning of the month to free hungry, homeless ghosts and spirits into the human world.

During this time, Vietnamese try to appease the unfortunate souls for fear of them causing trouble by making offerings like popcorn, rice, salt and porridge.

As for the ancestors, the living welcome them with a feast, money and presents. This explains the long standing tradition of burning replica money to send to the next life where the ancestors will be able to use it. Vietnamese believe that the afterlife is essentially the same as living world.

But that was in the past. Modernization has brought with it hi-tech gadgets and Vietnamese are trying to upgrade their ancestors afterlives to a whole new level. Didnt get to ride the latest Porsche 911 or have a Bombardier private jet in this life? Now you have a chance, sooner or later.

A brand new iPhone 6 Plus comes with a Rolex, designer sunglasses, credit cards and even a shaver, all packed in a fake gold plated box.

Credit cards go in bulk (Bank of Hell written on top). There should be places like New York, Las Vegas or Ibiza in hell for these cards to be fully appreciated.

A Su-30 fighter jet? Why not? There is plenty of time to learn a few new tricks. Surely our great grandparents (and us) would make good use of them.

Imported pricey motorbikes. Normally these bikes would cost $8,000 - $9,000 right out of the window, but the paper replicas only cost at most VND200,000 ($10). Talk about a good investment.

Toyota, Porsche, Mercedes, Range Rover...cars are all over the place. And they only come at a price of VND50,000 ($2.5) each. We are trying to improve our products so that they look as close to the real ones as possible, the owner of the shop said.

Photos by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Related news:

> Ghosts make audacious break-out from gates of hell
A police dog that ran away after being wounded during a shooting that killed an Arkansas deputy was found alive and was recovering on Saturday, the Greenwood Police Department announced.

Police spokeswoman Kristin Faulkenberry told reporters the dog, named Kina, "was up and walking" when searchers found the animal Friday morning near where the shooting unfolded near Hackett, about 115 miles west of Little Rock.

The dog was shot and ran into a wooded area Wednesday when a man identified as Billy Monroe Jones opened fire on officers, killing Sebastian County Deputy Bill Cooper and wounding Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells.

Police said the dog had two gunshot wounds and was taken to a veterinarian, but appeared to be recovering.

Jones eventually surrendered and is now in custody. The suspect's father had called authorities after he said the man pulled a gun on him.

Police also said Jones wanted to cause a "ruckus" ahead of a court hearing. Jones was being held at the Crawford County Detention Center.

A funeral for the deputy will be held Tuesday at Community Bible Church in Fort Smith, the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office told reporters.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday ordered state flags lowered in honor of Cooper.

Click for more from Fox 16.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A French court has rejected a bid to close the 72 eateries and shops in the makeshift migrant camp in the northern port city of Calais, but the prefecture says it will continue inspections and legal action against what it calls a dangerous underground economy.

The Lille court turned down on Friday the demand of the Prefecture of the Pas de Calais region, the state representative, to close the operations which humanitarian organizations contend are a lifeline for the migrants, estimated at over 7,000 in the camp.

A statement by the prefecture said the installations don't respect sanitation rules, risk fires and are a source of public disorder.

The state provides free meals, but aid groups say not enough.
Police in Switzerland say a Swiss man set a fire and stabbed people on a train in the country's northeast, wounding six people as well as himself.

Police in St. Gallen say the incident happened at 2:20 local time Saturday afternoon as the train neared the station in Salez, near the border with Liechtenstein.

They say the 27-year-old suspect had at least one knife and poured out a flammable liquid, which caught fire.

Police say the wounded included a 6-year-old child, three women aged 17, 34 and 43, and two men aged 17 and 50. Some of the injuries were said to be serious but there were no further details immediately.

Police were investigating the attacker's motive. Switzerland's 20 Minuten newspaper reported on its website that police did not believe the incident was terrorist-related.

In addition to large police presence, the local fire department responded along with three rescue helicopters, two emergency doctors, three ambulances and railroad authorities.

A preliminary estimate says that the train suffered $103,000 in damage.

In July, a refugee from Afghanistan attacked four tourists on a German train, then stabbed a woman as he fled from the train. All survived. Police shot and killed the attacker.

Later in the same month, a teenager armed with an axe and knife attacked passengers on another train in Germany, injuring a score of people. He too was shot and killed by police as he tried to escape from the train.

Last September, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on a high-speed Amsterdam-Paris train, but he was overpowered by two young American soldiers and their companion.
Pakistan's foreign ministry says the crew of a Pakistani helicopter that went missing in Afghanistan earlier this month has returned home after being freed by their captors.

In a statement, the ministry said Saturday the six-member Pakistani crew was freed with help from tribal elders in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It did not say who was holding the crew, but an Afghan governor has said the six Pakistanis and a Russian navigator were detained by the Taliban in an area outside the government's control. The helicopter went down on Aug. 4 as it headed to Russia via Afghanistan.

The release of the Pakistani crew came two days after Islamabad said Kabul had informed it that the crew was alive and efforts were being made to rescue them through tribal elders.
In the aftermath of a coordinated wave of bombings that shook tourist towns in Thailand this week, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's military government is scrambling to hunt down those responsible. The 11 explosions killed four people and injured dozens, including 11 foreign tourists.

The big questions now are, who did it, and why?

There has been no claim of responsibility, but there are plenty of groups unhappy with the political situation in the Southeast Asian nation. Prayuth came to power in a 2014 coup, and his junta faces opposition from political opponents and activist groups, as well as a long-running insurgency in the nation's largely Muslim south that has left well over 5,000 people dead since 2004.

A look at groups the government is likely investigating in the latest violence, or has ruled out:

FOREIGN MILITANTS

Thai officials say they don't believe international Islamic militant groups are responsible, calling the bombings "local acts of sabotage." The timing of the attacks gives credence to the theory that domestic dissidents were behind it: The explosions occurred several days after Thais approved a new constitution in a referendum that critics say will ensure the military's hand in politics for the foreseeable future.

Analysts say it was also no coincidence the attacks came on the eve and 84th birthday of Queen Sirikit. The army sees itself as the primary defender of the monarchy and has made clear that protecting it is a top priority. The king and queen have a large palace in the seaside resort of Hua Hin, where some of the bombings took place, and targeting that city has "symbolic implications," said Pongphisoot Busbarat, research affiliate at the University of Sydney's Southeast Asia Centre.

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POLITICAL OPPONENTS

Thailand's military government will undoubtedly probe its primary political rivals, namely the opposition Pheu Thai party it ousted in a 2014 coup and their "Red Shirt" supporters in the north and northeast. A decade ago, in 2006, the army had also toppled their leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, triggering a decade of sporadic upheaval. The Pheu Thai party and its allies have denied allegations of involvement in low-level violence over the past decade, including grenade attacks and this week's bombings.

Anthony Davis, a writer for Jane's Defence Weekly, told The Associated Press that it's "difficult to give much credibility to the suggestion that this could be the work of disgruntled Red Shirt elements loyal to ... Thaksin Shinawatra. The Red Shirt movement as a whole has been under extremely tight military monitoring both before and since the military coup of 2014. The theory that they could have organized such a complex operation under the noses of the military government makes no sense."

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STUDENT AND CIVIL ACTIVISTS

Student and civil society activists have been among the most vocal against the junta, which has clamped down hard on critics, regularly ferrying those who speak out to military camps for "attitude adjustment" sessions. The activists have staged small protests sporadically since the 2014 coup, but the demonstrations have been overwhelmingly peaceful, and few believe they have the capability or desire to instigate violence.

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SOUTHERN INSURGENTS

Ethnic Malay militants fighting for greater autonomy in Thailand's far south have launched attacks there nearly every day for a more than a decade. Analysts say they are the only factions that have successfully staged sophisticated, coordinated assaults with improvised, remote-controlled explosive devices. Although their targets have overwhelmingly been confined to Thailand's three southernmost provinces, the militants have apparently carried out isolated attacks elsewhere  detonating, for example, a car bomb in the underground parking lot of a mall on the tourist island of Koh Samui in April 2015 that wounded at least seven people.

Thai police have not singled the militants out yet, but police spokesman Col. Krisana Patanacharoen said Friday that the latest bombings followed "a similar pattern used in the southern parts of the country."

Davis, the Jane's Defence Weekly writer, said the militants were the only "non-state actor in Thailand with the capability for a well-planned, well-coordinated operation like this." Don Pathan, a security analyst based in southern Thailand, said that the latest attacks didn't seem to fit the militants' traditional pattern of operations, but that if they were responsible, "it would definitely be a game changer" that could herald a new chapter in the conflict.

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THE MILITARY ITSELF

Conspiracy theories are part and parcel of whodunits in Thailand, and a few have speculated the army or a faction within it might have planted the bombs as part of an internal dispute or a bid to justify military rule by showing threats remain. Asked by a reporter whether the attacks could have been an internal job, a junta spokesman dismissed the idea outright. Writing in the Nikkei Asian Review, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, said that "Thailand's governing generals have gained a limited mandate from the referendum, and would be unlikely to undermine their legitimacy by resorting to terrorism of this kind, whatever the skeptics may say."

___

Associated Press writer Grant Peck contributed to this report.
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Blue Grass was the first successful fragrance by Elizabeth Arden, launched in 1936 (1934 according to other sources). After the launch of several fragrances with French names that ultimately failed in sales, Elizabeth Arden introduced the perfume "Blue Grass" with horses on its packaging in honor of her own horses which she adored and kept on her farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Although her sales advisors were strongly against a "horsey perfume" for women and predicted a major failure, the fragrance was very well accepted and is considered by some to be the first "American perfume".

Bluegrass is a region around Lexington which has been a center for breeding quality livestock from the late 18th century. It is named after the blue flowered cool-season poa grass. (Editor's note)



40 years after my first encounter with Elizabeth Arden's Blue Grass perfume, I drop my suitcases on a tax free shop floor: I have just spotted a Blue Grass perfume promotion. My Finnish limbic system kicks in with fragrant memory folded away for decades. I'm like a balloon pricked with a needle: I start blabbing nonsensical memories of Blue Grass to a nonplussed sales lady.

Let me explain. My mother's one and only scent was the crisp and clean 4711 Tosca. While growing up I managed to get a summer job in a drugstore selling Ecusson by Jean d'Albret among other things. The height of elegance to me was the chypre floral Justine by Louis Feraud.

At the fragile age of 16 I was sent from Finland to America for a year to learn English - or American English as it turned out. After a month with a family of three wild kids and a very large church organist mother I was placed in a new house. That is when I met My American Mom!

She was beautiful, tall, slender and bleached to a perfect, ice cool shade of blond. There we stood in the elegant hall of her house: an ex-beauty queen from Holland and a a teenage "tomboy" from Finland - one of the first words I learned in her house.

She gave me a hug and she smelled wonderful. I had never smelled anything like it before: fresh, grass-green and lovely. We sat down in her blue-and-white kitchen and had a cup of tea, orange pekoe, and she told me the name of her scent: Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden.

This is how my year with My American Mom began. As a beauty queen and a tomboy we didn't quite see things the same way. Mom wanted me to become a lady and I wanted to be a free spirit. Mom bleached my "vulgar" red hair blonde, and when the spring came, she made me sit on the artificial lawn in the back of the house to get a tan - not happening with my freckles. But every evening after dinner we would do the dishes together. Afterwards, Mom would reach for a bottle of Blue Grass hand cream that smelled so divine that I would forgive her everything.

After returning home to Finland I forgot about Blue Grass for a long time. The 80's were all about scents like Opium by YSL and Charlie by Revlon. I don't even remember seeing a bottle of Blue Grass around.

I should have paid attention.

Back in the tax free shop of Heathrow airport I buy two bottles of the scent just to please my limbic system without knowing that the scent was reformulated in 1986, 30 years after its birth. At home I realize I can't go back to the blue-and-white kitchen: Blue Grass does not smell the same anymore. Gone is the freshness and translucency of the original. Something overwhelming has replaced them.

My American past now relies on the fond memories of the Lady wearing Blue Grass.
$22,400 disappeared from a client's bank account. Investigation is ongoing.

A client of Vietnams state-run bank on August 5 has reported that VND500 million ($22,400) was debited from her account without her knowledge.

Seven transactions totaling $22,400 were made during the night of August 4 from the account of Hoang Thi Na Huong, a client of Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam JSC., Vietcombank. Huong claims she did not conduct any relevant transactions or receive any confirmation of such.

She said she still had the bank card with her at the time of the transactions and said to have not received any OTP (one-time password) confirmation code the bank normally sends her after a transaction is made.

The bank was able to hold back VND300 million ($13,455) in the system. The rest of the money, according to Vietcombank, was withdrawn through an ATM in Malaysia.

Based on the information provided by Huong, Vietcombank confirmed in a statement August 12 that the client has accessed a fake website on July 28 using her mobile phone, which led to her account information and internet banking password being stolen. The link was found by the bank in the browsing history of Huongs phone on August 11.

On August 4, the hackers logged in to Huong account to transfer money to various accounts at three banks in Vietnam.

That Huong had not received any confirmation code of the transactions was explained by the fact her account setting was changed to receive the confirmation code through an OTP-generating smartphone app instead of the traditional SMS. Huong dismissed this change, saying she's unfamiliar with such technology.

Huong agreed to leave the phone containing the fake link to the authorities for further investigation.

Vietcombank has sent a text message to all its clients warning against providing bank account information via email, social networks and strange websites following the incident and suspended online registration for the OTP-generating app.

The hijacking was a shock to bank account owners in Vietnam, where annual average income was around $2,100 last year, according to the World Bank.

In May, Vietnams Tien Phong Bank nearly fell victim of a massive cyber attack using fraudulent SWIFT messages. TPBank said that the attack might have been facilitated using malware installed on a software application used by the third-party vendor. The servers of the third-party vendor were based overseas, but did not say where.

Related news:

> Vietnam bank nearly falls victim of massive cyber theft like Bangladesh central bank

> Hackers attack Vietnamese cyber security company

> Vietnam Airlines under cyber-attack since 2014: security group
The move stands in contrast to the recent proposal by Hanoi to scrap the midnight curfew

Le Ngoc, head of the citys Office of Traffic Police, told VnExpress they will ask for approval from the Peoples Committee to prohibit restaurants and cafes from selling wine and beer after 10 p.m. to ensure social order.

Illustrative photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

The proposal will be submitted to the People's Committee next week, according to Ngoc.

He added that the ban will benefit the city as it can curb alcohol abuse, one of major causes of traffic accidents and social disorder.

Thats just the proposal. We have to consider the characteristics of each locality before advising the city, Ngoc said.

In 2013, the Traffic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City also proposed a ban on alcohol sales after 10 p.m., but the citys authorities turned it down.

Related news:

> Get the party started: Hanoi scraps midnight curfew
Santa Ana Limo Service Launches To Offer Best Luxury Vehicle Hire In Santa Ana And Beyond

Santa Ana Limo Service is a new business committed to helping people access the best luxury chauffeur-driven vehicles available for special occasions and executive travel.

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Limousines have been a hallmark of elite status since their invention, and are loved by the upper echelons of society. These incredible vehicles are outfitted with luxury interiors and features found in no other automobile. Fortunately, these luxury cars can be rented by ordinary people for special occasions like weddings, proms or even a special date night. Santa Ana Limo Service is a brand new business in Santa Ana equipped with the very latest vehicles, determined to offer the ultimate limousine experience for the best possible prices.

Santa Ana Limo Service (santaanalimoservice.net) has an impressive fleet of newly minted limousines, including six and ten passenger Lincoln Towncars, a 16 person stretch Hummer, and an 18 seater Lincoln Navigator party bus. In addition, there are luxury Mercedes vans for both parties and business occasions, and non-stretch Lincoln Towncars and Navigators for executive use.

The fleet is outfitted with the very latest features and functions, and is operated by experienced and highly qualified chauffeurs, who will ensure the very best experience possible. To encourage new clientele, the company is offering a free instant quote via the homepage, with a form that takes just seconds to fill out.

A spokesperson for Santa Ana Limo Service explained, "We wanted people to be able to quickly discover just how affordable and impressive our service is, and the free instant quote function is ideal for that purpose. Taking just 30 seconds to fill out, it will give people an accurate estimate of the cost of their journey, as well as giving them an idea of the limousines that are ideal for their intended occasion. This way, we will build a sustainable business by giving people the best choice, value and service available in Santa Ana."

About Santa Ana Limo Service: Santa Ana Limo Service is a new business offering limo and sedan transportation rentals to the city of Santa Ana and the entire Orange County region. They have created a new website ready to serve customers in Santa Ana with luxury transportation services. They offer limo rentals for special occasions such as birthdays, proms, weddings, wine tastings, date nights and more.

For more information, please visit http://www.santaanalimoservice.net/

Contact Info:

Name: Michael Bruce

Email: santaanalimoservice@gmail.com

Organization: Santa Ana Limo Service

Address: 3843 S. Bristol Street Suite 605 Santa Ana, CA 92704

Phone: (714) 676-9296

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/santa-ana-limo-service-launches-to-offer-best-luxury-vehicle-hire-in-santa-ana-and-beyond/127761

Release ID: 127761

For more information visit r



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Mat Tam Photography Update Portfolio With Shots Taken In Iconic Boston Locations

Mat Tam Photography can travel to multiple destinations with clients on a shoot, to capture them in some of Boston's most iconic locations, for the ultimate engagement shoot.

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Photography is now a greater part of our lives than at any time in history, and the digital age has seen every moment of people's lives documented and shared online. This means the bar is set higher than ever for those special occasions like engagements, marriages and newborn, where the photographs must be all the more stunning to reflect the magnitude of the occasion. Mat Tam Photography offers the best photography Boston has to offer, and will take individuals through Boston's most iconic landmarks, to achieve photographs that reflect both character and occasion.

The website portfolio has been updated with stunning shots taken throughout the day, at sunset, and in different locations throughout the city. These include beautiful leafy green parks and the picturesque Acorn Street in Boston, together with the iconic Lagoon Bridge in Boston Commons.

The portfolio shows why Mat is becoming known as the Best Boston Photographer available, as he captures the essence of the subject and sets them in surroundings that match their character.

The portfolio does not, however, demonstrate the innovative pricing structure: individuals pay nothing up front for their photographs, and only pay for the shots they love, available both in print and high definition digital files.

A spokesperson for Mat Tam Photography explained, "Mat is thrilled to be able to offer some of the best photography services in Boston, while making them as accessible and affordable as possible for the most people. By offering people the chance to buy only the photographs they love, Mat is committed to finding the best possible shots and making them look irresistible. This way, the client gets the very best results for the very best price. The portfolio demonstrates how Mat can use Boston's most beautiful scenery to give the images a more vivid life, and we hope to serve more clients than ever by sharing these shots as inspiration."

About Mat Tam Photography: Mat Tam Photography is an on-location Boston Photographer. They specialize in family, baby, children, senior and proposal pictures, with no Session Fees. Established in 2015, the client pays only after they have seen and fallen in love with the photo, with free editing and fast turnaround times. They are able to provide HD digital files. They are the most affordable and friendly professional photography service in Boston.

For more information, please visit http://www.mattamphotography.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Mat Tam

Email: info@mattamphotography.com

Organization: Mat Tam Photography

Phone: (781) 552-0624

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/mat-tam-photography-update-portfolio-with-shots-taken-in-iconic-boston-locations/127774

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Phoenix Pest Control Company Reports Increased Demand For Pest Repellents

A Phoenix pest control company has issued a warning after a global industry report found increasing demand for pest control services. The company has launched a new plug in pest repellent to combat rising cases in Phoenix, Arizona.

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HomeShielders, the pest control specialists in Phoenix, Arizona, has issued a warning over increasing pest issues in the area as demand for repellents rises. The warning comes after an official report by Azoth Analytics, called Global Pest Control Services Market: Trends, Opportunities and Forecasts, has analyzed the future of the industry, showing a global increase in demand for pest control services.

HomeShielders is a specialist company constantly striving for innovation, and offers a proven solution for driving pests away from customers' homes without using harmful chemicals, messy rat traps, or expensive pest control services.

The HomeShielders warning highlights concern in the industry as the global market has seen growing demand for services around business offices, commercial buildings, and industrial areas. The report suggests this could be a rise of infestations due to population growth, but it also names the stringent health and hygiene laws as a key factor.

The team at HomeShielders has seen the rise in Phoenix pest control cases firsthand, and has released a new product line to cater for the increased demand in the area. The HomeShielders site explains that the product is simple to use, which is crucial when dealing with rodents. It is also chemically free and eco friendly.

Important research and experimentation in pest control led the company to produce a a plug in device that allows users to simply attach the Plug2Repel system into any household plug, and relax in the knowledge that pests will be repelled in as little as 7-14 days.

A wide range of other products are also available on the HomeShielders site, including a pest emergency kit, a motion activated water sprinkler for driving away cats, dogs, squirrels and other outdoor pests, an ultrasonic snake repelling device, and a selection of items that can be used to repel mosquitos in different ways, ranging from electronic devices to bracelets.

Interested parties wanting to find out more about HomeShielders can get in touch using the contact form provided on site.

See how the repel device works here: https://youtu.be/1kog6WeECm0

For more information, please visit http://www.homeshielders.com

Contact Info:

Name: David Walters

Organization: HomeShielders

Address: http://www.homeshielders.com



Release ID: 127467

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The dead pigs kill tons of fish in Saigon River.

Viet Phuoc company in the southern province of Binh Phuoc will be fined VND290 million ($13,000) for polluting the biggest river in Ho Chi Minh City with dead pigs, local police said in a statement Saturday.

The agricultural company was caught throwing hundreds of dead pigs near the upstream of Saigon River, resulting in the death of about two tons of fish.

Water samples taken by the police have shown a number of pollution parameters exceeding regulatory standards. A pig breeding facility of Viet Phuoc has been subsequently suspended for four and a half months, the police said.

The company must also address the pollution within three months and pay VND8 million for collection of waste samples for analysis.

Viet Phuocs action has triggered serious public concern as environmental issues have been at the center stage of public discourse in Vietnam, especially after the mass fish deaths caused by Taiwanese steel company Formosa in April.

Dead fish found upstream of Saigon River. Photo by VnExpress/Van Tram

Earlier on July 6, local people in Binh Phuoc discovered an estimated two tons of dead fish upstream of Saigon River. The following week, Binh Phuocs Police Department and Natural Resources and Environment Department launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.

It's not the first time Viet Phuoc was penalized for polluting the environment. Just last year, the company was fined VND300 million for discharging untreated wastewater down to Saigon River.

Saigon River, 256 km long, is one of the main tributaries of Dong Nai River, flowing into Dong Nai River in Nha Be District. It starts in hill areas of Binh Phuoc Province's Loc Ninh District, which borders Cambodia.

It is the city's main source of water supply, main waterway that facilitates a lot of trade and commerce, and hosts important facilities, including the Saigon Port, a busy container port network, and Thu Thiem Tunnel, one of the longest cross-tunnels in Southeast Asia.

Related news:

> Stinky business: Taiwanese company caught dumping pig carcasses into Saigon River

> 800 tons of poisoned fish to be incinerated in central Vietnam

> Drought and fish deaths drown Vietnams seafood exports
'Mortal Kombat' Release Date, News & Update: Producer James Wan Isn't in a Rush to Release Film

The "Mortal Kombat" film has quite a long and complicated history since the Paul W. S. Anderson-directed and Lawrence Kasanoff-produced big picture was released to massive success in 1995. It was followed by a sequel titled "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" in 1997, which earned significantly less than its predecessor.

So many years passed before New Line Cinema announced a reboot in 2011, headed by Kevin Tancharoen ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Flash," "Supergirl," "Arrow"). However, Tancharoen decided to part with the project in 2013, announcing his departure on Twitter.

After 3 years of Kombat,I've decided to move on to other creative

opportunities. I wish everyone involved in the movie big success. Thanks!  Kevin Tancharoen (@KTANCH) October 25, 2013

Two years later, "Mortal Kombat" found a producer in James Wan, whose credits include the "Insidious" films, "The Conjuring" films, and "Furious 7." Wan, however, seems to be taking his time in the overdue project.

IGN spoke with the producer during the Television Critics Association press tour, in which Wan was helping promote CBS' "MacGyver" series, a project he is directing. Wan admitted that "Mortal Kombat" is still in development, something he says he wants to "do it right."

Wan admitted that he didn't want to speed up the process of creating and releasing the "Mortal Kombat" film, but instead, " take our time to make sure it's heading in the right direction." He said that the slow-but-sure way to approach the project is more important than churning out a bad film that no one would want to see.

Wan also admitted that he was definitely inspired by the original "Moral Kombat" characters as a child, calling them "colorful" and "interesting" because it's a different take on "Enter the Dragon." He also admitted that it would be a fascinating world to explore in film because it's a "mythical, bigger word that lives on another dimension on top of ours."

There's no due date for "Mortal Kombat" the reboot yet, so fans will have to check back for more updates soon.
Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Release Date, Latest News & Update: Leaked Features, Specs & Competition!

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is pumped up with awesome features according to latest updates. The laptop is set to sport a 4K Ultra HD panel screen, although rumors had it that it will just be offered as an upgrade. The original kit might be available plainly in 2K screen. A powerful display will an exciting upgrade from Surface Pro 4's maximum pixel resolution of 2,736x1,824.

Intel's 7th generation Kaby Lake processors are assumed to power up the latest Microsoft Surface Pro 5. They are thought to be more efficient than the existing Skylake. Kaby Lake, which will come in as 14nm microarchitecture, will do good to the performance and efficiency of the battery life of the device.

While it is electrifying to know about these new processors, it is quite unfortunate to note that Intel will not start mass production of Kaby Lake until the end of 2016. This suggests that Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will not be available for release this year or even on the first part of 2017.

Other important update for Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is the second-generation USB 3.1 ports which will come in handy for most of the users. Some additional features include the Surface All-in-One, sporting three different screen sizes: 21 inches (1080p), 24 inches (4K) and the 27 inches (4K).

Microsoft is not the only company prepping up for a release of their laptop, Microsoft Surface Pro 5. Apple might also let the cat out of the bag for the features of their MacBook Pro 2016. It is said to have TouchID sensor and OLED mini screen.

It is exciting to know who will get the upper hand in the world of innovation. The giant tech company is said to also release update not only for Microsoft Surface Pro 5 but also for Surface Phone, Xbox One and the rumored Surface All-in-One.
'Criminal Minds' Season 12 News & Update: CBS Fires Thomas Gibson Following Altercation With Executive Producer

There's a whole lot of buzz surrounding CBS' crime drama "Criminal Minds," as Thomas Gibson reportedly kicked a co-executive producer in the shin. The actor, who plays Aaron Hotchner in the long-running series, was quick to issue a statement that said he was regretful about what happened, and that it was caused by "creative differences" on set. It still didn't mean he had to hurt the victim, who was said to be Virgil Williams.

According to Deadline, the actor was immediately suspended following the incident. This is not the first time Gibson has hurt somebody connected to the series. He also reportedly pushed assistant director Ian Woolf some years ago, and was forced to attend anger management classes.

Things seem to have escalated quickly, as NBC News reports that CBS and ABC have fired Gibson from "Criminal Minds." The actor has been "dismissed" from the show, as per ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios statement yesterday.

CBS' "Criminal Minds" season 12 returns to television next month, so the producers are most likely in a rush to find a way to have his character exit the show without him having to be there. According to the statement, "Creative details for how the character's exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date." That later date would probably in the coming weeks, seeing a September 28 premiere for the upcoming season.

Whether or not CBS will decide to reshoot or delay the premiere of "Criminal Minds" season 12 remains to be seen, as the production has only a little over a month to work out Gibson's dismissal from the show. This is not the first time a major character and an original cast member has left the show, as back in 2007, Mandy Patinkin also left the show due to "creative differences." E! News reported that it seemed as a sour split, as then showrunner Ed Bernero wrote on a fan site that everyone involved in the show did their best to "give him anything he wanted."

"Criminal Minds" season 12 returns to CBS on September 28. Stay tuned to Game & Guide for more updates on "Criminal Minds" season 12.
The free event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29, and feature more than 30 different types of aircraft.
July 25, 1927  June 6, 2016

Diane Van Syoc was born in Ontario, Oregon, on July 25, 1927. At 1 year old her family moved to Beverly Hills, California, and then to Burbank, California, where she graduated from Burbank High School.

After high School she went to Indianola, Iowa, and attended Simpson College where she met the love of her life, Ralph Van Van Syoc. They were married Aug. 9, 1947, in Burbank, California, where they made their home. In 1963, they settled in Corvallis with their daughters, Cheryl and Dawn.

Diane enjoyed camping, crabbing, clamming, cooking, bridge, PEO and spending time with her family and friends. Diane was the founding member of PEO chapter DQ in Corvallis.

She was preceded in her death by her husband, Van.

She is survived by her daughters, Cheryl Fox (Jim) and Dawn Parr (Brad); grandchildren Paul Fox (Dana), Elizabeth Fox and Whitney Parr; and her brand new great-granddaughter, Harper Fox.

Diane passed away peacefully with her daughters by her side. At her request no service was held.

Donations in Dianes behalf can be made to St. Judes Childrens Hospital.
June 21, 1931  July 31, 2016

Dr. Richard A. Ohvall had a long and distinguished career in pharmacy academia. A native of Superior, Wisconsin, he worked in a neighborhood pharmacy while in high school, then graduated from pharmacy school with his bachelors degree at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1953. He went on to earn his Master of Business Administration at the UW School of Business and his Ph.D. in pharmacy administration, also at UW, in 1960. Before his graduate studies, he enlisted in the Army Medical Service Corps where he served as a hospital pharmacist in a U.S. Air Force hospital in Germany. He joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy in 1961, but returned to his alma mater in 1964, as an assistant professor and eventually the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the School of Pharmacy. In 1971, he was named Dean of Pharmacy at Ferris State University where he stayed until becoming Dean of Pharmacy at Oregon State University in 1976. He retired from that position in 1998, having served 27 years as a pharmacy school dean, the longest tenure of any of the current pharmacy deans at the time of his retirement. Dr. Ohvall's leadership and influence extended beyond the college level to the national level where he served as the National President of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy for the 1992 academic year. He also was the National President of Rho Chi Pharmaceutical Honorary Society in 1989. He was honored by his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin in Madison, by receiving a Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award in 1993 and an Honorary Citation Award in 1999. During his academic career, he was involved in numerous studies involving the growing enrollment of women pharmacists and their positive influence on pharmacy practice. Nationally recognized and respected for his contributions to pharmacy education, he leaves behind many former students and colleagues who owe their success in pharmacy to his mentorship and support. By urging his students to "never let a lack of knowledge stand in your way," he led others to achieve things they initially didn't think possible.
The Corvallis City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the downtown fire station, 400 N.W. Harrison Blvd.

Topping the agenda is a limited public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on next steps in the Coronado apartments case. The state Supreme Court in May declined to hear the citys appeal of its denial of the 10-unit complex on 0.81 acres of land at the east end of Northwest Mirador Place.

The Supreme Court denial affirmed a state Land Use Board of Appeals decision that sided with the developers. City staff is recommending approval of the project given the new guidance from LUBA. Public consideration of the controversial project began in June 2013.

Councilors also are expected to review the parking plans for two Oregon State University development projects, the Center for Advanced Wood Products and the new Peavy Hall. The university is required, under an interim parking development agreement with the city, to replace parking that is displaced by development.

In addition, Mayor Biff Traber is scheduled to update councilors on plans for a cold weather mens shelter, and City Manager Mark Shepard plans to address the issue of the demolition of Building 1 at HP Inc.

The meeting will be preceded by a 5:30 executive session on the status of pending litigation or litigation likely to be filed.

The main council session will include a community comments segment in which the public can testify on any subject except the Coronado project. Residents also can submit testimony in advance at www.corvallisoregon.gov/publicinput.

In other public meetings:

Saturday

 Ward 1 Corvallis Councilor Penny York will be the government comment corner guest from 10 a.m. to noon at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave.

Tuesday

 The Benton County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session at 9 a.m. in the county boardrooms, 205 N.W. Fifth St. The board will discuss the Coffin Butte Landfills annual report, the auction of county property and the initiation of proceedings for amending the zoning code regarding commercial marijuana businesses in the rural residential zone.

 The Benton County Board of Commissioners will hold a meeting at noon in the county boardrooms, 205 N.W. Fifth St. The board will consider forming an assessment district for improving Evergreen Road south of Philomath.

 The Corvallis City Council meets in a work session at 3;30 p.m. at the Madison Avenue Meeting Room, 500 S.W. Madison Ave. Councilors will discuss the adoption process for an urbanization study that includes a new buildable lands inventory and housing needs analysis as well as receive an update on the Imagine Corvallis 2040 vision and action plan work.

The council cannot make a decision at a work session, but public testimony will be taken at the end of the meeting on the agenda items. Residents can submit testimony in advance at www.corvallisoregon.gov/publicinput..

Wednesday

 The Corvallis Housing and Community Development Advisory Board meets at 11:30 a.m. at the Madison Avenue room.

 The Corvallis Arts and Culture Advisory Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation Department. 1310 S.W. Avery Park Drive.

 The Corvallis task force meeting to work on the citys housing development goals meets at 6 p.m. at the Madison Avenue room. Task force members are scheduled to discuss final recommendations it will make to the City Council.

 The Corvallis Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. at the downtown fire station. Commissioners are scheduled to finalize their recommendations on comprehensive plan amendments required to review Oregon State University growth and planning efforts.

Thursday

 The Imagine Corvallis 2040 Steering Committee meets at 4 p.m. at the Madison Avenue room. The committee will discuss an update of the draft vision statement revisions and outreach, evaluation metrics and hold a workshop on action plan prioritization and lead partner identification. The meeting is scheduled to last three hours.

 A public outreach meeting will be held to discuss the climate action plan a city task force is developing. The meeting, one of three scheduled to discuss the plan, is at 6 p.m. at the library. This first session will provide background and an introduction and discuss the plans goals and criteria.

 The Corvallis Parks, Natural Areas and Recreation Advisory Board meets at 6:30 p.m. at the downtown fire station.

Friday

 The Academic Strategies Committee of the Oregon State University Board of Trustees will meet from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Presidents Conference Room on the sixth floor of the Kerr Administration Building, 1500 S.W. Jefferson Way. Among the topics of discussion will be whether to terminate a masters degree program in agriculture.

Aug. 20

 Ward 3 Corvallis Councilor Zach Baker will be the government comment corner guest from 10 a.m. to noon at the library.
kacylee at 12-08-2016 07:52 PM (6 years ago) (f)



Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra, has expressed the willingness of his group to negotiate with the Federal Government to end the agitation for self-governance.

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra, has expressed the willingness of his group to negotiate with the Federal Government to end the agitation for self-governance. Mr. Kanu and two others, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, are facing trial for alleged treason.

They have been in detention since October 2015.

The government accuses them of being members of unlawful organisation and having illegal possession of firearms.

Reacting to the governments decision on Thursday to release some members of the group who were arrested in February, Mr. Kanus lawyers, led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor and the Amoebi Nzelu, said they were not opposed to talks with the government.

Nnamdi Kanu is not averse to political solution in resolving his present politically orchestrated ordeal, Mr. Ejiofor said.

He welcomes genuine political solution to this case. Nnamdi Kanu has people of proven integrity and impeccable character that will negotiate on his behalf, based on his demands when communication on this effect is established.

He however warned that the information going round in the media that Mr. Kanu was connected to the decision of members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger delta, MEND, to negotiate with government was false.

In the past few day, the media was awash news on negotiation going on between the Federal government and members MEND, where our clients name (Nnamdi Kanu) conspicuously featured.

It is on that note that we wish to inform the general public that Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship with members of the MEND. As such MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or IPOB in any purported negotiation going on between MEND and the Federal Government.

The general public is accordingly advised to ignore, discountenance and disregard the falsehood been peddled by MEND, said Mr. Ejiofor. Mr. Kanu and two others, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, are facing trial for alleged treason.They have been in detention since October 2015.The government accuses them of being members of unlawful organisation and having illegal possession of firearms.Reacting to the governments decision on Thursday to release some members of the group who were arrested in February, Mr. Kanus lawyers, led by Ifeanyi Ejiofor and the Amoebi Nzelu, said they were not opposed to talks with the government.Nnamdi Kanu is not averse to political solution in resolving his present politically orchestrated ordeal, Mr. Ejiofor said.He welcomes genuine political solution to this case. Nnamdi Kanu has people of proven integrity and impeccable character that will negotiate on his behalf, based on his demands when communication on this effect is established.He however warned that the information going round in the media that Mr. Kanu was connected to the decision of members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger delta, MEND, to negotiate with government was false.In the past few day, the media was awash news on negotiation going on between the Federal government and members MEND, where our clients name (Nnamdi Kanu) conspicuously featured.It is on that note that we wish to inform the general public that Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship with members of the MEND. As such MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or IPOB in any purported negotiation going on between MEND and the Federal Government.The general public is accordingly advised to ignore, discountenance and disregard the falsehood been peddled by MEND, said Mr. Ejiofor.

Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 12-08-2016 07:52 PM (6 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Google fined $6.7 million for violating law in Russia News oi -GizBot Bureau

Russia's anti-monopoly watchdog said on Thursday it has fined technology giant Google 438 million rubles ($6.7 million) for violating competition law.

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) said Google had forced mobile device manufacturers to pre-install its applications on mobile devices using the Android system, Xinhua reported.

SEE ALSO: Independence Day Offers: Top 10 Smartphones to Buy at No EMI Cost

Google was also accused of placing its applications at priority positions on the home page of mobile devices to the detriment of alternative software. Google's software also prevented the installation of applications of other developers, the FAS was quoted as saying.

"The Competition Law must be observed by all the companies that supply their products to the Russian Federation, including multinational corporations," Yelena Zayeva, Head of the Communications and Information Technologies Department of the FAS, said in the statement.

The FAS said Google must pay the fine within 60 days after the order becomes effective. The Russian side is still discussing related issues with the company.

SEE ALSO: Independence Day Special! Grab Top 15 Smartphones at Up to 50% Discount Price

The FAS ruled against Google last September over the company's abuse of its dominant market position, following a complaint filed by Yandex, one of the leading Internet technology firms in Russia.

Source IANS

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ASUS announces Back to School on all Notebooks, Desktops and AiOs News oi -Vigneshwar

Asus announced the second run of its 'Back to School' offer on its Notebooks, Desktops & AiOs (All-in-One) for this season. The exciting offer, which commenced on 5th August 2016 is an extension of a similar offer which had a runtime between June-July 2016.

The latest offer comprises three attractive bargains - Customers purchasing Notebooks with default 2 years Warranty can avail offer worth Rs. 4690.

SEE ALSO: This is what the dot on your Samsung earpiece indicates!

Offer worth Rs. 5990 can be availed with the notebooks with default 1 Year Warranty, and Desktops and AiO purchases are eligible for offer worth Rs. 5499. Customers can avail these exciting offers by paying Rs 299 and Rs. 599 for respective product categories and selected Lucky winners also stand a chance to win exclusive rewards.

Notebooks with default 2 years Warranty: Customers under this category can avail different offers for 2 specific models - Core i3 with OS & above, and Core i3 with DOS & below (NonDiscrete Graphics). Both packages include a 2 Years ADP worth Rs. 1690 and a GoIbibo Travel Voucher worth Rs. 3000.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Wowstick 1fs Electric Screwdriver Launched: 10 Similar Gadgets launched by Apple of China

Notebooks with default 1-year Warranty: Under this category, customers can avail 2 Years WEP (Warranty Extension pack) worth Rs. 2990 and GoIbibo Voucher worth Rs. 3000.

Desktops & AiOs (All-in-One): Customers can win a chance to get ASUS ZenPower battery worth Rs. 2499, and GoIbibo Travel Voucher worth Rs. 3000.

An extension of ASUS' 'Back to School' offer that ran through 25th June - 15th July 2016, the current offer will run until 25th August 2016.

SEE ALSO: Micromax Launches Alpha LI351568W Laptop with 6GB RAM at Rs 26,990

Commenting on this extended offer, Peter Chang, Regional Head - South Asia & Country Manager - System Business Group - ASUS India, said, "Owing to the tremendous response we received for 'Back to School' in its previous installment, we decided to re-launch the same at a grander scale. This time, we have included greater rewards and exclusive gift packages for both - students & young professionals, giving them a chance to win big without having to worry about expenses."

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Pentagon painted rosy picture of fight against Daesh: House probe

Iran Press TV

Thu Aug 11, 2016 9:42PM

An investigation by the US Congress says that intelligence approved by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) painted a rosier picture of progress in the battle against the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

The Congressional Joint Task Force (JTF), which reviewed military assessments of the American air offensive in Iraq and Syria beginning in 2014, released early findings of its probe on Thursday.

The Republican chairmen of the House Armed Services Committee, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Subcommittee on Defense of the House Appropriations Committee had established the task force.

The 17-page report faults the Pentagon for overly optimistic intelligence reports about the war against the Daesh, detailing "persistent problems" in 2014 and 2015 with CENTCOM's analysis of how the war was going.

The investigation blames the problem mainly on "structural and management changes" in 2014 that "resulted in the production and dissemination of intelligence products that were inconsistent with the judgments of many senior, career analysts at CENTCOM."

"These products were consistently more optimistic regarding the conduct of U.S. military action than that of the senior analysts," a summary of the report concluded.

A US military spokesman said CENTCOM officials "appreciate the independent oversight" and are "reviewing the findings of the initial report."

"Since the Joint Task Force investigation is ongoing, as is the DoD IG's investigation, we will refrain from further comment at this time," said Navy Cmdr. Kyle Raines.

The report presented no significant evidence that there was any political motivation for intelligence assessments more positive than reflected on the ground, but it still plays into the hands of those Republicans who argue that the Obama administration has consistently underestimated the threat posed by the terrorist group.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday accused President Barack Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton of founding Daesh in the Middle East region,

"He's the founder of ISIS. He's the founder! He founded ISIS," the real estate tycoon said, using an alternative acronym for the terrorist group.

"I would say the co-founder would be 'Crooked' Hillary Clinton," Trump added.

The investigation was launched after more than 50 intelligence analysts at CENTCOM had complained that their assessments were being handled inappropriately by their superiors.

Daesh terrorists, many of whom were initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the Syrian government, still control parts of Iraq and Syria. They have been engaged in crimes against humanity in areas under their control.

They have been carrying out horrific acts of violence such as public decapitations and crucifixions against all communities, including Shia and Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and Christians.

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Clashes Stall Aid in Northern Mali

By Katarina Hoije August 11, 2016

Recent clashes in northern and central Mali are hampering the deployment of humanitarian assistance, leaving vulnerable populations with limited or no access to health care, food, water and shelter.

While non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, can access most areas, banditry and continued attacks on roads slow down operations while posing a threat to humanitarian staff, says Badjougue Dambele, humanitarian coordinator for Oxfam.

"The security situation remains extremely volatile," he said. "Following the signing of the peace agreement last year, we were hoping for an improvement. Instead, we saw the situation deteriorate with clashes erupting not only in Kidal, but in other regions as well."

The conflict between the northern separatist and pro-government militias has fractured into inter-communal violence.

Last year, the number of hostile incidents targeting aid organizations increased threefold compared to the previous year, according to the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA.

Radical groups use improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, to mine roads, and while they are mainly targeting Malian and international troops, they limit access for NGOs as well.

Food is also regularly stolen, mostly by bandits. Criminality is the biggest risk for humanitarian agencies operating in the region, says Muriel Tschopp, country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

"We are targeted very regularly for car theft and so on," Tschopp said. "It's usually non-violent, but it makes operations difficult."

Violence

Since July 21 in the far northern town of Kidal, fighting between groups loyal to the Bamako government and separatists killed more than 30 people and injured 82 others.

A week earlier, violent protests in the northern city of Gao killed at least two civilians. The protests mirrored some of the population's disappointment with authorities over the lack of improvement since 2013, when the north was retaken from occupying Islamist militants.

These are also the regions with the most vulnerable populations, says Come Niyongabo of Doctors Without Borders, or MSF.

Food insecurity is chronic. And as this lean season wraps up ahead of the next harvest, close to one-third of the population in northern Mali is struggling to have enough to eat.

"When the fighting broke out in Kidal, we had just started a malaria prophylaxsis campaign for children under five years," Niyongabo said. "The violence forced us to stop our operations and focus on treating injured."

Interference

While MSF has resumed operations, NGOs working in the Kidal and Menaka regions that are largely controlled by armed groups say they are constantly forced to negotiate access to villages and vulnerable communities, slowing down operations.

"Imagine you have an injured person in a village that needs to be evacuated and you have to negotiate access before going into that village," said Barthelemy Brou Saoure of the International Committee of the Red Cross. "In that case, the insecurity does not only affect us, but also the people we are here to help."

In urban centers, such as Gao and Timbuktu, the situation has improved.

However, continued insecurity outside the cities prevents NGOs from addressing poverty and other long-term issues, such as unemployment.

And funding for emergency response in Mali has continued to fall since 2013. Current funding covers only one-third of the activities in the humanitarian response plan for Mali in 2016, according to OCHA.

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Ex-officials' Calls for UN Intervention in S. Sudan Seen as Treasonous

By John Tanza, Ayen Bior August 11, 2016

A South Sudanese diplomat in the United States says his government canceled the passports of five former officials of the Juba government because they were campaigning for the country to be taken over as a U.N. protectorate.

The former officials had expressed support for a proposed regional protection force to be deployed to South Sudan to quell violence in the country. Ambassador Gordon Buay, who runs diaspora affairs at the South Sudan Embassy in the United States, said a call by any South Sudanese person for a U.N. takeover was an act of treason.

"Any South Sudanese citizens holding passports and joining a rally calling on South Sudan to be taken over by the U.N., that person will lose his passport," Buay said.

When South Sudan in Focus noted that members of the South Sudanese diaspora were simply expressing their opinions, which does not violate the South Sudan constitution or any laws, Buay responded that such expression was a crime according to the South Sudan criminal court.

"There is freedom of speech, but there is no freedom for you to call for toppling the government of South Sudan and to take it over so that South Sudan will be ruled by the U.N.," he said.

March near U.N.

Members of the South Sudanese diaspora on Thursday marched near U.N. headquarters in New York City to urge the Security Council to unanimously support the deployment of a third-party force in South Sudan, with a strong mandate to protect its citizens.

Diaspora leaders say South Sudanese residents have paid a heavy price during the 2-year conflict, and most recently during the fighting that erupted in Juba in July, and believe an outside force will save lives and foster a sense of security in the capital.

South Sudanese native Peter Kuel flew from Seattle to New York to attend the protest. Kuel, who said this was his eighth protest in four years, said it felt different because time is running out.

"People are feeling a very urgent call," he said. "There is an urgent call among people here."

Kuel said there was no excuse for further inaction on the part of the Security Council, because a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in South Sudan. He and other protesters demanded that the council approve an arms embargo, targeted sanctions and the deployment of an outside force to protect Juba residents. And he dismissed claims by the Salva Kiir administration that the troops would undermine South Sudanese sovereignty.

Peace not a certainty

Ambassador Joseph Moum Malok, deputy permanent representative of South Sudan to the U.N., cautioned protesters to proceed with caution, saying countries where the U.N. has intervened "are not in peace today."

"Maybe [outside forces] managed to remove the regime in those countries, but they did not bring peace," he said. "Let's see what is happening in Libya. That was intervention of the United Nations, or the so-called intervention force. What happened in Afghanistan  is there peace? Or Iraq? There is nothing like that."

Angelo Kiassiano said he knew why he was protesting. Kiassano, a representative of the Western Bahr el Ghazal community in the United States, said he took part in the protest because of the years of fighting, the thousands of civilian deaths, and insecurity that has triggered widespread food insecurity across South Sudan. He said South Sudanese soldiers have no interest in protecting civilians.

"So we need a mediator, someone who can come in and help, help the civilians first  that is our first objective," Kiassiano said. "We are not politicians, we are human beings. We feel the pain of our own people. The U.N. has been there for us during the civil war and it is still there for us right now, so we need the continuation of that support and we need to save lives."

Kassiano said that a third-party force was desperately needed to protect citizens and that any suggestion that the U.N. would try to take over South Sudan was unfounded.

The protesters delivered a letter to the Security Council urging its support for the regional protection force, targeted sanctions and an arms embargo on South Sudan.

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DoD Officials: Local Forces in Libya, Syria Gain Ground Against ISIL

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2016  Local forces engaged in tough fighting in Libya and Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are gaining ground against the terrorist army, a Defense Department spokesman said today.

In Sirte, on the south coast of Syria's Gulf of Sidra, forces aligned with Libya's Government of National Accord have reduced territory under ISIL control by about a third over the last week Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Trowbridge told reporters at the Pentagon. The forces, supported by U.S. precision air strikes, continue to take over structures that ISIL had inhabited and once used to launch attacks on friendly forces, he said.

Several locations there were recognizable power centers for ISIL, including a conference center and the Amina Hotel, ISIL's eastern stronghold in the city, the deputy press secretary said.

"This advance is a testament to the determination of those GNA-aligned forces who have been aided by the precision air power and the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of the U.S. military," Trowbridge said.

"Just as we have [done] in Iraq and Syria," he added, "the coalition's counter-ISIL efforts in Libya are built on the notion that the way to deal ISIL a lasting defeat -- one that sticks -- is by supporting capable, motivated local forces that not only can defeat ISIL today, but keep it from rearing its ugly head tomorrow."

Manbij Recapture

In Syria, although the Syrian Democratic Forces continue fighting to recapture the city of Manbij from ISIL, the terrorist army is "clearly on the ropes," Trowbridge said.

ISIL has lost the city center and has lost control of Manbij, he added, noting that there are still pockets of opposition especially we believe in the north of the city, but the SDF has made significant progress in wresting control of Manbij from ISIL

The coalition also has strong evidence that ISIL forces are seeking to flee the city, Trowbridge said.

"That  is a major setback for ISIL at the hands of our partners the SDF, including thousands of Syrian Arab troops that are fighting to liberate their own homes. It is also the latest significant milestone in the coalition's efforts to cut off and eliminate a hub of ISIL activity located outside Syria," he added.

Manbij has served as a hub for recruiting and processing foreign fighters, the deputy press secretary said, and for dispatching operatives across the Turkish border for potential use in external operations.

"ISIL's inevitable defeat in Manbij does real damage to ISIL's capability in those areas," he added.

As ISIL forces try to run, Trowbridge said the Pentagon is receiving reports that fighters continue to intermix with innocent civilians to use them as human shields -- a practice that has not yet been independently confirmed, he noted.

But, the deputy press secretary said, "ISIL has consistently shown a willingness to put innocent lives at risk in blatant violation not only of the laws of armed conflict but of common human decency."

Meanwhile, Trowbridge added, the Syrian Democratic Forces are exercising great care to prevent civilian casualties and unnecessary damage to Manbij's civic infrastructure -- a challenge because of ISIL's practice of mining city structures as its fighters flee an area.

Trowbridge said that since May 21, SDF forces have liberated more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory from ISIL, and that supporting coalition forces have destroyed more than 50 ISIL heavy weapons, taken out more than 600 fortified fighting positions, blown up more than 150 ISIL battle vehicles and eliminated a number of ISIL car bombs while conducting more than 680 precision kinetic strikes.

"The coalition also has provided significant amounts of equipment and specialized training to the SDF, he said, "covering everything from training in small-unit tactics to helping them learn how to defeat those ISIL improvised explosive devices."

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Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 12, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted six strikes in Syria:

-- Near Raqqah, a strike destroyed an ISIL excavator.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed eight ISIL oil tankers.

-- Near Manbij, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Ayn Isa, one strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber and fighter aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 12 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Hit, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL headquarters and destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL assembly area and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Qayyarah, four strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL-used solar panels, two ISIL-used roads, an ISIL headquarters, and an ISIL artillery system and damaged a separate ISIL headquarters.

-- Near Ramadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL vehicles and three ISIL rocket systems.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck an ISIL improvised weapons cache and destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb storage facility.

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.

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Mobile EHPI, aircraft recovery Marines rise to help with Harrier pilots recertification

US Marine Corps News

By | August 12, 2016

U.S. Marines with Aircraft Recovery assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron had an opportunity to train with a mobile version of the Expeditionary Hover Position Indicator at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 9, 2016.

Recovery Marines used the indicator to simulate a helicopter dock deck and aircraft carrier landing environment for the AV-8B Harriers to complete their boat landing certification.

The EHPI is normally attached to a structure, but due to the reconstruction of the Harriers recertification site, pilots used the mobile version, which enables shipboard takeoff, landing and oversight for Marines and sailors on deck. The Marines set up the tower-like visual landing aid by hauling it out to the helicopter runway and raising it to provide approach and landing cues for pilots.

"Today we set up the EHPI for the Harriers we have on base," said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. William Norkus, a port crew leader with Aircraft Recovery assigned to H&HS. "The Harriers come in for their vertical landings and takeoffs. We have lights up in the sky that tell the pilots if they're coming in a little too right or too left, if they're coming in level-perfect, too high or too low and they use the lights to adjust accordingly so they land perfectly."

The Marines hauled out and set up the EHPI ensuring they had the space to conduct the training and recertification.

"The Harrier pilots are required to maintain a certain set of qualifications wherever they are," said U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Charles Maddox, staff non-commissioned officer in charge of Aircraft Recovery assigned to H&HS and Expeditionary Airfields section with MWSS-171. "It's not always a fact that the facilities are set up for them to conduct training, so we had to modify the runway slightly to provide them an area to recertify in those qualifications."

The EHPI is not a common aircraft recovery tool. Although the indicator is not difficult to use, it still requires training for the Marines on the ground and in the air.

"This piece of equipment is not something they train us for in our military occupation specialty school, this is a special request that came in," said Norkus. "We got it, trained on it and this is our first time using it just as well as the Harriers'. It's pretty simple, but it's an important job to get done."

Maddox said that the EHPI does not belong to the station but is instead a wing asset.

"It's the only kind in the world, the only one in the world," said Maddox. "It was specially delivered to us to assist Marine Aircraft Group 12 in maintaining their qualifications to fly without having to go too far and leave this area of operation to do it, so it gives them the ability to train here on deck."

Training with the EHPI helps Harrier pilots maintain their qualifications that assist them with LHD deck landings and takeoffs.

"It's not an easy feat when they don't do it all the time," said Maddox. "It's required for them to receive a certain amount of hours, passes, stops and landings. We use the Expeditionary Hover Position Indicator, which gives them a visual sight reference of where they should land, hover and stop."

Getting out on the runway to train with the EHPI is significant for the pilots, but also for the crew on the ground.

"It's really important for the Harrier pilots," said Norkus. "It's good training for them right now and for us as well because we don't get to do this every day."

Harrier pilots require a facility that accompanies an EHPI about every two weeks for boat-deck landing certification.

"If we go long periods without touching the simulated boat-deck or the boat, then we don't ever use the EHPI," said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sean T. McHugh, an AV-8B Harrier pilot with Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 542. "In this special case, because Iwakuni doesn't have a tower with a permanent EHPI attached to it, that's where we required the mobile EHPI's assistance."

VMA-542 is home based out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, forward deployed as part of the unit deployment program at MCAS Iwakuni. They worked with Aircraft Recovery to complete their certification before departing for other future operations in the Pacific.

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India blames Pakistan for rise of tension in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 5:42PM

India blamed Pakistan Friday for the rise of tension in Indian-controlled Kashmir as pressure mounts on New Delhi to cool down the situation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there was plenty of proof to show that the government in Islamabad was causing unrest in the disputed Himalayan region.

"The root cause of unrest in Kashmir is cross-border terrorism which is being encouraged by our neighboring country," the Indian premier said.

India's lower house of parliament on Friday urged the Modi administration to restore peace in Kashmir.

Modi, who leads the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has long advocated a tough stance against the decades-long pro-independence movement in Indian-controlled Kashmir, told a meeting of party leaders in New Delhi that now was not the time to send negotiators and that there must be no compromise on national security.

Clashes erupted in Kashmir on July 8, when people protested against the killing of Burhan Wani, a popular pro-independence fighter at the hand of Indian forces. More than 50 people have been killed, including two police officers, while thousands have been wounded in demonstrations that have been described as unprecedented in the history of Kashmir.

Indian authorities expanded the curfew Friday to areas across the disputed region in an effort aimed at blocking a march by pro-independence activists.

Since India and Pakistan won independence from the British rule in 1947, the rivaling neighbors have been claiming Kashmir in full but have partial control over it.

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Sometimes scientific experiments take a while to complete. In CHEM 122 lab the students have to perform a 40-plus step qualitative analysis looking for group 2 elemental ions in their unknown samples. This is the yearly experiment using hydrogen sulfide that smells up Lundberg Hall with odors reminiscent of a vented septic tank.

In my physics classes the longest lab usually is the one where we examine the conservation of rotational energy into potential. The students grind away for over two hours on that one. No experiment, however, can beat the famous pitch drop running at the University of Queensland, Australia, for the last 89 years. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds longest-running laboratory experiment.

In 1927 a professor of physics, Thomas Parnell, conceived of a test to illustrate that everyday materials can exhibit quite surprising properties. He took ordinary tar, or more correctly, bitumen pitch, the kind of material used to waterproof boats (see Noahs Ark) and set up an experiment to show students that substances appearing to be solid are in fact very-high-viscosity fluids. The properties of ordinary window glass fall into this category as most people know and it is said that the panes in many old windows in European cathedrals are thicker at the bottom due to the glass flowing over centuries of time. Still, many people were skeptical at first because pitch, like glass, feels rock hard and is quite brittle especially at room temperature, so much so it can be easily shattered with a hammer strike.

By placing a quart of heated pitch into a large glass funnel sealed at the bottom Parnell began this analysis. It took several years for the pitch to seek its own level but by 1930 he removed the stopper and patiently waited as a drop formed at the end. According to their website, the theninthwatch.com, the first drop broke free December 1938 a year before WWII. It took until February 1947 for the second drop to fall. The pitch has dropped so slowly that now in 2016, only nine drops have fully formed and broken free.

Because the exact second of the pitch drop is hard to predict, Professor Parnell passed away in 1948 without witnessing a separation. In fact, up until 2014 when the ninth drop parted, nobody had actually seen one fall. In that year however, webcams were mounted in the display cabinet in order to observe the process. Anticipating the detachment, several hundred thousand viewers tuned in with their computers and celebrated when the ninth piece dropped.

Since this experiment covers the course of several generations, it was handed off to John Mainstone, Honorary Professor in the School of Mathematics who carefully watched over the test for 52 years until his death in 2013. At this point custodianship has passed to Professor Andrew White of the same school. During his acceptance of this honor, White commented that the Australian continent was drifting north at about six millimeters per year, at a faster rate than the tar pitch was falling. You can measure your life in a number of drops and I think people find that very thought-provoking, he said.

Looking at the drop timeline on their website, one finds that the drop rate is not constant over time. For 50 years one drop fell an average of every eight years but since that time (when they installed air conditioning in the hallway) the progression has slowed down to one drop per 13 years. Because of the data recorded it is possible to calculate the viscosity of this sample of pitch. R. Edgeworth published in 1984 that the viscosity comes in at 2.3 x 10^9 poise at 20 degrees Celsius.

Believe it or not, there are competitors to this experiment. In 1944, scientists at Trinity College, Dublin, probably unbeknownst to what was happening down under, set up its own pitch drop experiment. In April 2013, after many drops had fallen, they moved the experiment to a location where they could monitor the pending drop and record its falling drip with a webcam. This drop dripped 5:00 p.m. on July 11, 2013, marking the first time that a pitch drop was successfully recorded on camera, prompting the Australian group to set up their monitoring station mentioned above a year later.

Only recently a third experiment of this sort has been discovered at Aberystwyth University in Wales that supposedly was started in 1914, thus predating the Australian one by 13 years. Unfortunately in this trial the pitch is more viscous than the other two and has not yet produced its first drop.

Perhaps we should set up a unique dropping experiment at GBC and use Silly-Putty instead of tar. I will ask Dr. Curtis if he will spring for the cost.
Uganda not to contribute troops to regional force in South Sudan

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 5:4PM

Uganda says it will not contribute troops to a regional protection force formed to enforce the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

"Not deploying in South Sudan was voluntary," Ugandan Foreign Minister Henry Okello said Friday.

The government in Kampala, a main ally of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, said the refusal to send troops was aimed at acquitting Uganda of accusations of interfering in the internal affairs of another country.

"We choose for Uganda not to be part of the deployment so that (those) who accuse the UPDF (Ugandan army) of meddling in the internal affairs of South Sudan have no opportunity to accuse us," the Ugandan foreign minister stated.

The UN Security Council is slated to vote on Washington's proposal to send 4,000 African troops to South Sudan. The vote was scheduled for 1400 GMT, but diplomats said it may be postponed to allow for more talks.

The contingent of 4,000 African troops will possibly also have forces from Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

The UN mission has been criticized for failure to contain violence in South Sudan.

Washington's proposal, which has already been rejected by Juba, also calls for a vote on an arms embargo on South Sudan if its government blocks the regional force.

Okello, however, said Uganda was ready to provide South Sudan with logistical or communications support.

UN refugee agency announcement

Earlier, the UN refugee agency said nearly 110,000 South Sudanese, most of them women and children, had sought refuge in Uganda this year. The agency said 82,000 of the people have fled the recent wave of fighting in the country.

South Sudan has witnessed a new wave of conflict since July 8, when gunfire erupted near the state house in Juba, where President Kiir and then Vice President Riek Machar were meeting for talks. More than 300 people have been killed in the clashes.

The South Sudanese refugees who fled to Uganda have been subjected to robberies and sexual assaults, the UN refugee agency said. "Armed groups are also reportedly abducting children aged 12 and above from schools and threatening people."

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Afghan President Ghani unfit for presidency: Abdullah

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:46PM

Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has slammed President Ashraf Ghani, saying his ally is "unfit for the presidency."

Abdullah made the comment during a gathering in the capital Kabul on Thursday. The president had agreed to give Abdullah the position of prime minister following the controversial elections of 2014. Ghani, however, reneged on the promise.

"Mr. President, over a period of three months you do not have time to see your chief executive face-to-face for even an hour or two? What do you spend your time on?" Abdullah asked in a rhetorical question.

"Ministers do not have the chance to speak. [The president] gives a one-hour lecture but he should listen to the ministers for 15 minutes," the Afghan chief executive stated.

Abdullah claimed that Ghani is out of touch with reality. He described the president as an arrogant person who did not consult him when appointing key government figures.

"There are arguments in every government but if someone does not have patience for discussion, then he is unfit for the presidency."

The rift between the two figures is no secret in Kabul and Abdullah's allies are already taking his side.

Amrullah Saleh, who leads the Green Trend party, said on Friday that Abdullah's supporters want Ghani to stop "micro-managing" the government and "consolidating personal power."

Ghani's office has made no comment on Abdullah's remarks. However, Hamidullah Farooqi, a senior adviser to the president, said Abdullah's disparaging remarks had left him "very disappointed."

"There are differences in every administration but lashing out publicly at the president at such a sensitive time will damage the public perception about the government," Farooqi said.

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Indian police expand curfew in Kashmir to block protest rally

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 10:26AM

Indian authorities have expanded a curfew to areas across the disputed Kashmir region in an effort aimed at blocking a march by pro-independence activists.

"Curfew has been imposed in entire Srinagar district, Anantnag town, Shopian town, Baramulla town, Awantipora and Pampore towns of Pulwama district," said an Indian police official on Friday, the Times of India reported.

The unnamed official added that the curfew was also being imposed in the town of Ganderbal as well as in Budgam, Chadoora, Magam, Kunzer, Tangmarg and Pattan areas of the restive valley as a precautionary measure.

Pro-independence activists went ahead with the planned protest in Srinagar after Friday prayers, nevertheless. Indian troops detained several of the demonstrators.

Authorities had cut mobile phone services to impede communication among citizens before the rally.

The pro-independence activists had called on supporters to converge on the Eidgah to commemorate the killing of protesters at the hands of Indian security forces over the past 34 days of clashes. The recent protests were launched against the killing last month of Burhan Wani, a local militant commander.

According to local reports, as many as 55 people, including two police officers, have so far been killed and several thousands of others injured during clashes between protesters and Indian security personnel.

Since India and Pakistan won independence from British rule in 1947, the arch-rivals have been claiming Kashmir in full but have had only partial control over it.

India often blames Pakistan for "rebel" attacks in the region, accusing Islamabad of giving arms to pro-independence militants and sending them across the borderline to launch attacks on Indian forces.

India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers deployed in the restive territory.

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Most ferocious Saudi air raids in recent months hit Yemen

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 10:26AM

At least eight Yemeni civilians have lost their lives as Saudi warplanes ramp up airstrikes against the capital, Sana'a, and other cities in the neighboring state.

Local Yemeni media reports said on Friday that five people, including three children, were killed in the latest Saudi air raid on the Baqim district in the northern province of Sa'ada.

Another Saudi airstrike on a residential area in al-Maton district of northern al-Jawf Province left a woman dead. Saudi jets also targeted a car in the same region, killing two civilians and injuring several others.

The airstrikes come in violation of the truce agreement that came into effect in April before the start of UN-backed negotiations between Yemen's Ansarullah movement and the Saudi-backed government of former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The talks to end Yemen's conflict once again broke down over the weekend, with pro-Hadi militants announcing a new Riyadh-backed military operation near Sana'a.

Reports say Saudi fighter jets carried out 20 strikes against Sana'a alone on Friday morning. Riyadh's military aircraft have also bombed the capital and other areas across the country 70 times over the past hours.

Responding to the Saudi raids on Friday, Yemeni snipers shot and killed a Saudi soldier in the kingdom's Jizan region.

This come as Saudi officials have ordered Jizan residents to immediately evacuate their homes in the wake of Yemenis' retaliatory attacks. The officials have threatened to strip the locals of their citizenship if they refuse to leave.

Yemeni forces also fired missiles at positions of pro-Saudi militants in Jawf Province.

A recent confidential report by a panel of UN experts said the Saudi regime had deliberately bombed civilian targets in Yemen.

The report presented to the UN Security Council on August 4 said Saudi Arabia and its allies have failed to take precautions and thus violated international humanitarian law while conducting airstrikes on Yemen.

Saudi regime has defended the deadly airstrikes on markets, clinics and a wedding ceremony in Yemen, citing the presence of armed forces at the sites.

Meanwhile, the United States has recently approved the sale of more than 130 Abrams tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment worth about $1.15 billion to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi military launched a military aggression against Yemen in March 2015 in a bid to bring Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh, back to power and undermine the Ansarullah movement.

About 10,000 people have been killed and at least 16,000 others injured since the onset of the aggression.

The Saudi strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

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Civilian Death Toll in Yemeni Civil War Exceeds 3,700 - UN

Sputnik News

16:08 12.08.2016(updated 16:13 12.08.2016)

According to United Nations, over 3,700 civilians have been killed and over 6,500 have been injured as a result of the ongoing civil war in Yemen.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Over 3,700 civilians have been killed and over 6,500 have been injured as a result of the ongoing civil war in Yemen, the United Nations said Friday.

"The number of civilian casualties in Yemen has been steadily mounting over the past few weeks. Despite the cessation of hostilities, between 11 April and 11 August 2016, we have documented 815 civilian casualties, including 272 deaths and 543 injuredThe total number of civilian casualties between March 2015 and 11 August 2016 stands at 10,270, including 3,704 killed and 6,566 injured," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a briefing.

In the past week alone, 49 civilians were killed and 77 more injured, Shamdasani added, noting that deadly incidents took place on Sunday and Tuesday. On Sunday, an airstrike killed 16 people, including seven children, in the Sanaa governorate, while 10 people, including three women, were killed when an airstrike hit a food factory in another area of the governorate the following Tuesday.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government and the Houthi opposition movement, who are supported by army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, since March 2015. The Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, has been providing government troops with air support since March 2015. The coalition has been accused by the United Nations and humanitarian organizations of indiscriminately bombing civilians and killing hundreds of children.

 Sputnik

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Georgia Sabotaging Work on Non-Use of Force in Abkhazia, South Ossetia

Sputnik News

12:38 12.08.2016(updated 12:54 12.08.2016)

Georgian side is consistently sabotaging work at Geneva discussions on documents for the non-use of force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Georgia is sabotaging talks aimed at adopting documents to prevent the use of force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday.

"It is impossible not to see the irony of Georgia's self-praise in regard to its allegedly exceptional contribution to reducing tensions and settling the political situation in the region. In reality, the Georgian side is consistently sabotaging work at Geneva discussions on documents for the non-use of force, blocking the discussion of the refugee problem by promoting politicized resolutions at the UN General Assembly, constantly resorting to informational provocations and confrontational rhetoric," the ministry said in a statement.

Tbilisi also continues with "propaganda cliches about 'aggression,' 'ethnic cleansing,' 'annexation,' 'occupation.' There is no point of disassembling the legal and factual inadequacy of these fabrications," the statement reads.

 Sputnik

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Update: air strikes against Daesh

12 August 2016

British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh

Latest update

- Monday 8 August  Typhoons bombed an artillery piece east of Mosul, while a Reaper destroyed a terrorist vehicle near Qayyarah.

- Tuesday 9 August  a Reaper continued to provide close air support near Qayyarah. Typhoons struck a further four Daesh targets in the Mosul area.

- Wednesday 10 August  a Reaper assisted Syrian democratic forces in close combat near Manbij. Typhoons attacked an armed truck in western Iraq.

Detail

In the past few days, Royal Air Force Tornados have conducted extensive reconnaissance missions over Syria and Iraq, while Typhoons and Reapers have delivered a series of strikes against Daesh positions in both countries.

A Reaper flew overwatch for Iraqi ground forces operating near Qayyarah in northern Iraq on Monday 8 August and used a Hellfire missile to destroy a terrorist vehicle as it was tracked at speed along an open road. To the east of Mosul, a light artillery piece had been identified, positioned within a building. This was successfully attacked by Typhoons with a Paveway IV guided bomb.

Typhoons were active over the same area the following day, conducting attacks with Paveway IVs which destroyed three Daesh-held buildings and a vehicle some 20 miles south-east of Mosul. The same day, a Reaper was again assigned to support Iraqi operations near Qayyarah. Its crew observed a Daesh team setting up a mortar and attacked with a Hellfire. It then used a second missile to destroy a mechanical excavator which was being used to help plant improvised explosive devices and tear up the carriageway of the main highway, in an attempt to hamper the Iraqi advance.

On Wednesday 10 August, a Reaper patrolled over Manbij, where Syrian democratic forces have cleared Daesh from much of the town. The Reaper intervened in close combat that developed just to the north of Manbij and successfully used Hellfires to clear two groups of extremists engaged in a fire fight with the Syrian moderates. Over Iraq, Typhoons bombed an armed truck concealed under trees some miles to the south-east of Hit. A number of secondary explosions followed as associated ammunition caught fire.

Previous air strikes

Tuesday 2 August: With Iraqi ground forces continuing their offensive to clear Daesh from the area around Qayyarah, a Royal Air Force Reaper provided close air support. The Reaper observed terrorists attempting to salvage a heavy machine-gun from a truck that had been hit by a previous coalition strike and successfully engaged them with a Hellfire missile. A second group of extremists were also attacked with another Hellfire. UK aircraft then provided targeting support that allowed a coalition fast jet to destroy a mortar team. Over Syria, a pair of Typhoons were similarly supporting the Syrian democratic forces as they fought to secure Manbij. A number of buildings on the south-western edge of the town had been fortified by Daesh as a major defensive position. These were successfully struck by the Typhoons, using eight Paveway IV guided bombs, despite the proximity of the moderate Syrian forces.

Wednesday 3 August: Tornados destroyed a Daesh mortar position while patrolling the north and west of Mosul.

Thursday 4 August: Tornados were again active over northern Iraq and conducted a Paveway IV attack on a machine-gun position in the hills to the north-west of Tall Afar. Meanwhile, Typhoons destroyed two Daesh-held buildings in western Iraq, while assisting Iraqi forces in the Euphrates Valley.

Sunday 7 August: Daesh were observed to be attempting to extract oil from one of the eastern Syrian oilfields which had been successfully targeted by previous coalition air strikes earlier this year. Two Tornados attacked a convoy of tankers north of Abu Kamal. Four Paveway IVs and four Brimstone missiles accounted for a number of vehicles, denying the terrorists the oil revenue they desperately seek. In northern Iraq, a Reaper and Typhoons were again supporting the Iraqi operations around Qayyarah. The Reaper conducted Hellfire attacks on a mortar team that was firing on the Iraqis and on a set of rocket rails. It then helped other coalition aircraft to successfully target an improvised armoured vehicle. The Typhoons also used three Paveway IVs to destroy three Daesh-held buildings.

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'A political solution is the only solution,' UN says, as rising violence deepens crisis in Yemen

12 August 2016  The United Nations today sounded the alarm over a spike in violence in crisis-torn Yemen, as the world body's human rights wing reported the number of civilian casualties in the conflict has been "steadily mounting," with some 815 casualties since April alone.

"The people of Yemen continue to bear the brunt of the suffering as a result of the inability of the parties to find a political solution to a conflict that has been raging for more than a year and a half. The return to full-scale hostilities only drives humanitarian needs further," said Jamie McGoldrick, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, in a statement, adding: "A political solution is the only solution to this crisis."

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), local media has reported that ground fighting and air strikes have killed and maimed children and women, and destroyed homes and markets, particularly in the capital, Sana'a, and its governorates, Sa'ada, Taizz, and Al Hudaydah.

Mr. McGoldrick pointed out that the depletion of foreign currency reserves in the Central Bank has made it difficult for importers to obtain lines of credit  "making it nearly impossible for Government entities to maintain basic social services."

By example, the Humanitarian Coordinator noted that 40,000 cancer patients throughout the country would no longer receive the medication they required because of banking restrictions that impeded their import.

"Humanitarians have been called on, once again, to fill the gap in the provision of basic social services, increasing the need for greater resources from the international community," he stressed.

Mr. McGoldrick called on all parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and take all necessary actions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in their conduct of hostilities.

"The humanitarian community also demands that the parties facilitate safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to people in need as well as the voluntary movement of civilians to reach humanitarian assistance," he stressed.

He urged the international community to exercise its influence over the parties to bring about an early and peaceful solution that puts the Yemeni people at the centre  "something all Yemenis deserve."

Meanwhile, earlier today in Geneva, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, updated the press on the steadily mounting number of civilian casualties in Yemen over the past few weeks.

"Despite the cessation of hostilities, between 11 April and 11 August 2016, we have documented 815 civilian casualties, including 272 deaths and 543 injured. Of these, in just the past week, since 5 August, 49 civilians were killed and another 77 injured," she said.

Some of the deadliest incidents took place on 5 July, 7 August and 9 August. "On 5 July, eight children were killed and seven injured due to a rocket that landed in the Al Zira'ah Neighbourhood in Marib City. The rocket was allegedly fired from an area controlled by the Popular Committees affiliated with Al Houthis," Ms. Shamdasani explained.

She went on to say that on 7 August, 16 civilians were killed, including seven children when airstrikes hit two civilian houses in Al Madid village in the Nihm district of Sana'a. Another 24 civilians, including 13 children, were injured and four other houses were partially destroyed.

"The village," she pointed out "is located some 30 kilometres away from an area of alleged armed confrontations."

On 9 August, the spokesperson stated: "An airstrike hit Al Khafifa food factory in the Al Nahdhah district of Sana'a, killing 10 civilians, including three women who worked in the factory. Another 13 factory workers were injured, with some having spent hours under the rubble before the rescuers managed to pull them out. The factory stands adjacent to a military camp."

On 5 August, a journalist was reportedly struck by two shells launched by the Popular Committees affiliated with Al Houthis.

"The total number of civilian casualties between March 2015 and 11 August 2016 stands at 10,270, including 3,704 killed and 6,566 injured," she concluded.

At the same time, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, strongly condemned the increasing violations to the cessation of hostilities, calling the breaches "unacceptable and not conducive to the peace process."

He urged the parties to speed up their efforts to find a comprehensive, political solution to the conflict.

"We remain fully committed to bringing peace to Yemen, but the process requires good faith and concessions from all sides," said the Special Envoy. "The cessation of hostilities is ongoing, yet each violation negatively affects the Yemeni population," he said calling on all parties "to show restraint and refrain from any action which undermines efforts to bringing about a peaceful, political solution to the conflict."

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Rapid Influx of South Sudan Refugees Strains Uganda Centers

By Lizabeth Paulat August 12, 2016

An unprecedented number of refugees from South Sudan have been streaming into Uganda since fighting broke out in Juba last month. In some border towns, refugees now outnumber local residents. Humanitarian agencies working at the border say more assistance is urgently needed.

In the past month, about 70,000 South Sudanese have sought refuge in Uganda. Many arrive malnourished and in desperate need of medical care. Aid agencies have swung into emergency mode trying to provide clean water, food, sanitation and shelter at overcrowded refugee intake centers.

Catherine Ntabadde with the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) said they've had to expand quickly to keep possible disease outbreaks at bay. She said having 4,000 people or even just 1,000 in one place can be challenging in terms of hygiene and water.

"We've been able to construct temporary bathing shelters for people to use, temporary latrines  these are at 10," she said. 'We've also installed a water treatment system to help ease on the access of safe water... the critical thing that we are enforcing is to sensitize this population about good hygiene."

Budget shortfalls, however, could hinder this work. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council  NRC  aid agencies have only received 20 percent of the funds they need to adequately handle the current flow of refugees.

And with tensions still high in Juba, many refugees have no imminent plans to return home.

40,000 refugees in holding centers

Jesse Kamstra, who works with the Lutheran World Federation, said there are currently about 40,000 refugees in holding centers waiting to be moved.

"And those had to be constructed on an ad-hoc basis," said Kamstra. "In all my career, I've never had a situation where we were receiving over 8,000 refugees a day and international media had not picked up on it, and that's something that's surprised us all. ... So no international attention, no additional funds and that's what happens."

Uganda hosts just over a half million refugees, mostly from the DRC and South Sudan.

Although aid agencies praise the Ugandan government's welcoming approach, in some areas like Adjumani district, South Sudanese now outnumber Ugandan citizens. This has caused a rise in community tension.

Stephen Obitre, a Ugandan living in Arua told VOA Ugandans must welcome refugees and learn to coexist with them. However, he said the influx hasn't been easy.

"This influx," he added, "has caused massive environmental degradation, in Arua, Yumbe and Adjumani because a lot of vegetation is just being cleared to settle these refugees. People are being displaced, like cattle grazers, without their consent."

The government has opened a new settlement camp that can house 100,000 refugees in a bid to ease the burden in Adjumani.

Yet without adequate funds, the new camp does not have the infrastructure it needs and clean water access. Aid agencies say emergency operations are far from over.

The NRC says 80,000 more refugees from South Sudan are expected to arrive by year's end.

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Pakistan: Intelligence Cooperation Deal With Afghanistan Can Help Counter Terrorism

By Ayaz Gul August 12, 2016

Pakistan is calling on Afghanistan to help create a formal intelligence-sharing deal so that the countries can better address allegations that their spy agencies are involved with anti-state violence on both sides of their shared border.

Pakistani prime minister's foreign policy advisor, Sartaj Aziz, renewed the call amid allegations the Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security (NDS) had links to Monday's deadly suicide hospital bombing in the southwestern city of Quetta.

The attack killed more than 70 people and wounded scores of others, with most of the victims belonging to the lawyer community.

A splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, or JuA, claimed responsibility for the bloodshed. The United States last month designated it as a global terrorist organization.

"It has already been known that this group (JuA) is somewhat indirectly being supported by the NDS," Aziz asserted, while addressing a news conference in Islamabad. He added the militants operate out of Afghanistan.

Gathering evidence

Aziz went on to defend official assertions that rival India's intelligence agency might also have exploited its collaboration with Afghan counterparts to plot the attack and previous terrorist raids in Pakistan.

"We do not want to indulge in finger pointing at this stage without gathering complete evidence as to who was involved in this attack. But we fear and are concerned that this possibility exists and as the investigation progresses it would become evident," Aziz said.

The advisor noted that in official discussions with their Afghan counterparts, Pakistani interlocutors are trying to promote close "links and interaction" between the Pakistani spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and NDS to enable the two countries identify incidents of their involvement and to prevent terrorists from using their respective soils against each other.

"This commitment can only be monitored when interaction exists between the two intelligence agencies at various levels, including at the border level and higher level. This is our objective and God willing we will make progress towards it," vowed Aziz.

It may not completely deter terrorism, he said, but asserted cooperation between ISI and NDS in terms of timely sharing of intelligence about possible terrorist or other illegal movements across the border will help minimize mutual "misperceptions and misunderstandings."

The Afghan government condemned the Quetta suicide bombing as a terrorist attack and has strongly rejected charges that its intelligence agency was involved.

Kabul's accusations

For its part, Kabul has long accused the Pakistani ISI of covertly providing sanctuaries to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network of terrorists for staging attacks against local and foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad acknowledges Taliban insurgents are among millions of Afghan refugees Pakistan has been hosting for more than three decades but denies giving any support to the Afghan insurgency.

Aziz acknowledged that there is mistrust in bilateral relations because of "historical reasons" but said that if established, the proposed intelligence cooperation forum will be to the benefit of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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UN: Violence, Hatred Against Burundi Tutsis Could Presage Genocide

By Lisa Schlein August 12, 2016

The U.N. Committee Against Torture warns acts of violence and incitement to hatred against the ethnic Tutsi minority in Burundi could develop into genocide. The committee has just issued its concluding observations on its examination of Burundi's implementation of the Convention Against Torture.

During its three-week session, the UN Committee Against Torture examined three regular reports submitted by Kuwait, Honduras, and Mongolia. The committee also addressed a special report from Burundi.

Reports of torture

Chair of the Committee, Jens Modvig, says it had requested Burundi submit a special report due to a number of worrying developments in the country. He tells VOA the committee has received information that reports of violence and torture are politically and ethnically motivated.

"I would like to mention also that the secretary-general's special advisor on the prevention of genocide has expressed preoccupation that we are in an early stage of something that could develop towards genocideBut, you could consider that systematic torture directed towards certain political and ethnic groups could be an early warning sign of a process that could deteriorate into genocide."

Deadly protests broke out in the capital, Bujumbura, in April 2015, following President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term in office. Since then, the U.N. refugee agency reports some 275,000 people have fled to neighboring countries in search of refuge.

Committee member Sebastien Touze says the government of Burundi has committed serious violations of people's fundamental rights. He says members are particularly concerned by the many extrajudicial killings, including those of political opponents.

Touze cites many cases of enforced disappearances, widespread torture, and numerous allegations of sexual violence against women. He says the Imbonerakure, a youth militia allied with the government, reportedly commits acts of murder, torture and other violence with total impunity. He says no investigations of cases of abuse have taken place.

The Burundian government sent a high-level delegation to present the report. But, the committee notes the delegation failed to show up on the second day to reply to a series of pressing questions. It says this is the first time that has ever happened in the history of the committee.

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Afghanistan's Long-simmering Political Tensions Go Public

By Ayaz Gul August 12, 2016

This week, long-simmering political tensions between Afghanistan's top leaders spilled into the open as Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, and his governing partner, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, sharply criticized each other, raising questions about the survival of the fragile so-called national unity government.

The political dispute erupted at a time of an intensified Taliban insurgency threatening to overrun the capital of the largest province of Helmand in the south and parts of northern Afghan provinces.

Abdullah, the country's chief executive, on Thursday gave a speech in which he said Ghani was unfit to govern the country because he had failed to work collaboratively and implement pledges of introducing electoral reforms.

"You don't have time to see your chief executive one-on-one for even an hour or two over a period of three months," Abdullah lamented. He also complained that he had been left out of key decisions and tried to paint Ghani as arrogant and a president out of touch with the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

On Friday, President Ghani hit back at Abdullah through his spokesman who did not use the title of chief executive for him in the official statement.

"Unfortunately, statements made by his excellency Dr. Abdullah Abdullah yesterday were in contradiction to the spirit and morale of the governance," the spokesman said.

Ghani asserted that governance is based on principles and legal procedures, and that actions are taken in line with that.

The "national unity government will move ahead as a collection, serious discussions will be held on his [Abdullah's] remarks in the near future," he said in a statement without elaborating further.

Ghani and Abdullah were rivals in the 2014 presidential election and both claimed to be winners after polls that many observers declared marred by fraud and irregularities.

U.S. intervention

The protracted tensions had brought Afghanistan to the verge of a damaging political rift when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry intervened and brokered a deal between Ghani and Abdullah to end the deadlock.

Under the agreement, Ghani was installed as the president and a new post of the chief executive was created for Abdullah to equally share power in their national unity government.

It was also agreed that a electoral reforms will be introduced to prevent a repeat of the controversy-marred presidential polls and a constitutional jirga or grand assembly would be held within two years to give legal to cover to Abdullah's office, a deadline due to expire next month.

But it is not possible to convene the jirga meeting because delay in electoral reforms have prevented authorities to hold parliamentary as well as regional elections that together form the constitutional jirga.

Rivalry between the Ghani and Abdullah camps was publicly known from the outset. But until now, both leaders brushed aside those concerns as media speculations.

In his speech the previous day, Abdullah vowed to remain part of the unity government and said he was scheduled to meet Ghani on Saturday to discuss their differences.

Afghan civil society activists, politicians and commentators in Kabul have expressed concerns over the political conformation, warning Abdullah and Ghani their dispute could push Afghanistan to a new crisis amid deteriorating nationwide security.

Taliban gains

Taliban insurgents have in recent weeks made significant gains in Helmand, the poppy producing province on the border with Pakistan. Struggling Afghan security forces have held ground in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah and a couple of neighboring districts only with the support of American airstrikes.

International charity, MSF  Medicine Sans Frontiers  said Friday sick and injured people are struggling to reach to a 300-bed hospital facility in Lashkar Gah it is runs in partnership with the Afghan ministry of health.

"The intensification and proximity of fighting is clearly limiting access to the hospital. Patients report that roads are blocked and checkpoints are delaying reaching the hospital," said Gullhem Molinie, the country representative for MSF in Afghanistan.

The charity said it has shared the coordinates and information related to all its facilities in Lashkar Gah with all parties to the conflict. A U.S. air raid last year destroyed the only MSF hospital in Kunduz killing and wounding dozens of its staff and patients.

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Thai Blasts Shake Tourism Industry

By Ron Corben August 12, 2016

Thailand's valuable tourism industry is reeling after a series of bombs and arson attacks Friday killed four people and injured at least 30 people, many of them foreign visitors.

The 12 attacks across southern Thailand's beach resorts came as the country marked the 84th birthday of Queen Sirikit, a national holiday. Some of the attacks were at the seaside town of Hua Hin, where the royal family has a residence.

A nationwide investigation is under way and police say they have arrested two men. They call the bombings "acts of sabotage," and not foreign terrorism. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The police also say the attacks do not appear to be linked to a low-level insurgency in Thailand's southern border provinces with Malaysia, that has gone on since 2004.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security adviser to the Thai government, said the attackers had a clear motive. "They want to destabilize the situation which is more and more stable as we move toward the third stage of the (political) roadmap. Certain suspects have been detained. I think the authorities will move very quickly to expand the search and investigation."

The focus of the attacks were major popular tourist destinations in Trang, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket, Phang Nga, and Surat Thani provinces.

In Hua Hin, streets were deserted Friday after the overnight and early morning coordinated attacks, with tourists warned to remain indoors at their hotels.

A spokeswoman for the Centara Grand Beach Resort Villas, who did not wish to give her name, said the resort had tightened security, amid a climate of unease along the southern tourist provinces.

"Normally, Hua Hin is a safe place and this is the first time for a bomb like this. At this moment, not only Hua Hin, I think in the southern part of like Phuket and the province that was bombed, I watched the news, it's quite serious now in the southern part of Thailand. And of course it will have an effect for tourism, for sure," she said.

Tourism is a key driver of the Thai economy, which has slowed down to about three percent annual growth. With around 30 million visitors a year, tourism contributes almost seven percent to national output and employs some 5.5 million people.

The attacks also come less than a week after voters backed a military-supported constitution that opens the way to fresh elections, a key step in the military's political plan since taking power in May 2014.

Under the new charter, the military will appoint a 250-member Senate. Along with the 500 members of the House of Representatives, the Senate will elect a new prime minister. Political analysts say this could lead to the appointment of a non-elected leader, possibly from the military.

Diminished political parties

Both major political groups  the Pheu Thai party  overthrown in a coup in May 2014 led by current prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, and the Democrat Party, will face diminished roles in the new government.

Kraisak Choonhavan, a member of the Democrat Party, said the attacks appeared to be political and symbolic because of the Queen's birthday holiday.

"This has to be the other opposition (Pheu Thai), which stands to lose for five years because the constitution states quite clearly that the selection of the prime minister will come from both the upper and lower houses" of Parliament, Kraisak said.

But Sunai Pasuk, the Thailand representative for Human Rights Watch, while condemning the attacks, said no conclusions should be drawn over who was responsible until the investigation is complete.

"The situation remains fluid, so there needs to be close collaboration between the public and the authorities and people should exercise extreme caution in southern Thailand," Sunai said.

The embassies of the United States, Britain, Australia and Japan all issued fresh warnings to their nationals to exercise caution when visiting tourist areas.

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French Firm DCNS Fails to Find Takers in India for Its AIPS Technology

Sputnik News

18:46 12.08.2016(updated 18:53 12.08.2016)

Sources from India's Ministry of Defense say that the AIPS technology proposed by the DCNS is similar to what is being used in Scorpene class submarines.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  In what could be a major setback to French naval ship-building company DCNS, its proposal to set up a 100% Indian subsidiary for manufacturing air-independent propulsion systems (AIPS) for submarines is likely to be rejected by the Indian government.

Amit Cowshish, former financial adviser to the Ministry of Defense says, "They (DCNS) are offering something which is already available in India." The Defense Research Development Organization is already developing AIPs in collaboration with DCNS for Scorpene class submarines.

The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) had sought the view of the Ministry of Defense regarding the proposed technology for manufacturing AIPs for submarines. FIPB is an inter-ministerial body responsible for processing FDI proposals and making recommendations for government approval.

The FIPB had deferred a decision on the proposal two times earlier. "The decision has been deferred on an approval sought by DCNS to set up a company in India (IndiaCo) for the purposes of conducting the business of undertaking design and industrialization studies, research and development activities and manufacturing and maintenance in relation to air independent propulsion systems for submarines," FIPB said after its 236th meeting which was held on June 10. Subsequent meetings held on July 12 and August 3 did not mention DCNS's proposal in its agenda.

Cowshish says, "The Ministry of Defense is not in favor of this because this is something which is already being developed by DRDO. Therefore, the foreign investors also have to keep this in mind. Something that is already available or is being developed in India, even in an area where there is 100% foreign direct investment (FDI), will not mean anything. So, it has to be something which India is hungry for."

Air independent propulsion systems are expensive and can be retrofit in old ships to enhance the survivability of the submarines. It uses a limited amount of stored liquid gas which ultimately is used to charge the battery of submarines. Due to this, submarines can remain in water for longer periods. Otherwise, submarines have to come back to the surface to charge their batteries.

In June this year, India had tweaked FDI norms for the defense sector. According to the new norm, "foreign investment beyond 49% has now been permitted through government approval route, in cases resulting in access to modern technology in the country or for other reasons to be recorded. The condition of access to 'state-of-the- art' technology in the country has been done away with."

Cowshish says, "FDI proposals for 100% have to be in areas where India lacks either the existing capabilities or is not even developing it."

 Sputnik

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Pakistan Ready to Work Out Bilateral Agreement on Nuclear Test Ban With India

Sputnik News

21:26 12.08.2016

Pakistani prime minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan is ready to consider the transformation of its unilateral moratorium into the bilateral agreement with India on banning nuclear testing.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  Pakistan is ready to consider a bilateral agreement on imposing a moratorium on nuclear testing with India, the Pakistani prime minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said Friday.

"Pakistan has consistently supported the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). We voted in favor of the treaty when it was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1996. We have announced a unilateral moratorium on further nuclear testing. Pakistan is ready to consider the transformation of its unilateral moratorium into the bilateral agreement with India on banning [nuclear] testing," Aziz told journalists.

The CTBT is a multilateral treaty that envisages signatories agreeing to ban all nuclear explosions for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted at the 50th session of the UN General Assembly on September 10, 1996 and opened for signature on September 24 of the same year.

It has been signed by 183 countries. To enter into force, the CTBT requires ratification by all 44 states listed in the annex. Currently, the treaty is ratified by 36 countries, including the three nuclear weapons possessors  Russia, the United Kingdom and France. Five signatories have not ratified the treaty yet, namely China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States, while India, North Korea and Pakistan have not signed it yet.

India was the first nation in the world to call for a CTBT and has initially participated in negotiations for the treaty in Geneva, but has expressed discontent with the deal's final draft and announced its intention not to sign. Pakistan initially voted in favor of the CTBT in 1996, but subsequently refused to accede to the agreement unless India did the same.

 Sputnik

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Russia deploys S-400 missile system to Crimea

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 2:1PM

Russia has deployed a regiment of its advanced S-400 air defense missile system to Crimea as a dispute deepens between Moscow and Kiev over the security situation in the Black Sea peninsula.

Russian news agencies made the announcement on Friday, citing a statement from Russia's Defense Ministry.

The ministry had earlier in the day announced that its navy would start to hold three-day military exercises in the Black Sea to practice repelling underwater attacks by saboteurs.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet based in Crimea is taking part in the military exercises. More than 10 warships, MI-8 and Ka-27PS helicopters are participating in the training.

"During the drill we are going to practice the issues of both operational and technical support. These include operations to counter underwater sabotage, navigational and hydrographic exercise, search and rescue missions," said Russian Navy Commander Admiral Viktor Chirkov.

'Ties with Ukraine could be severed'

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday that Moscow could break diplomatic relations with Kiev over the security incidents in Crimea.

Russian state news agencies quoted the prime minister as saying that he is not interested in severing the ties, but "if there is no other way to change the situation, the president could take this step."

The Russian Federal Security Service said on Wednesday that it had thwarted an incursion by the Ukrainian military into Crimea over the weekend, saying two Russians were killed in the incident.

Ukraine's defense intelligence rejected Russia's claim over the incursion, saying it was based on "fake information."

The Friday statement by Russia's Defense Ministry came two days after President Vladimir Putin ordered measures to ramp up security in Crimea.

The Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday that the Russian president held a meeting with his security chiefs to review "additional measures for ensuring security for citizens and essential infrastructure in Crimea."

"Scenarios were carefully considered for anti-terrorist security measures at the land border, in the waters and in the airspace of Crimea," the statement read.

The UN Security Council also held a closed-door meeting on Thursday at Ukraine's request to discuss the growing tensions.

The developments have ratcheted up tensions and prompted fears of a possible wider conflict.

People in Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea voted for rejoining the Russian Federation in a referendum in March 2014. The move angered the West which branded it as Moscow's annexation of the territory.

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Russia's Putin appoints new Kremlin chief of staff

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 1:37PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has relieved his close ally and powerful chief of staff Sergei Ivanov from his duties in the most high-profile power reshuffle at the Kremlin in several years.

"I'm happy with how you handle tasks in your line of work. I remember well our agreement that you had asked me not to keep you as chief of the presidential administration for more than four years and that is why I understand your desire to choose another line of work," Putin told Ivanov during a meeting broadcast live on state-owned Russia-24 TV channel on Friday.

"I'm receptive to your wish to transfer to another area of activity," the Russian president added.

Ivanov was also taken off the Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF), which is chaired by Putin and composed of key ministers and chiefs of security services.

The 63-year-old Ivanov, for his part, thanked Putin for his "high assessment" of his work during the past 17 years.

Ivanov would now serve as the Russian president's special representative for conservation, environmental and transportation issues.

Putin later named Anton Vaino, a 44-year-old ex-diplomat at the Russian Embassy in Japan and Ivanov's deputy since 2012, to the high-profile post.

The Kremlin chief of staff is tasked with drafting motions for the president to submit to the lower house of parliament (the State Duma), monitoring their enforcement, and carrying out surveys of domestic and foreign affairs for Russia's strongman.

Ivanov was named the deputy director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) following Putin's appointment as the FSB chief in August 1998.

In March 2001, Ivanov was appointed the Russian defense minister. He held the position until February 2007, when Putin elevated him to the post of first deputy prime minister and dismissed him as defense minister.

Many political analysts and observers had considered Ivanov a leading candidate to take over from Putin as president in 2008, when he handed over the top job to current Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev before reclaiming it in 2012.

Ivanov was appointed Kremlin chief of staff in December 2011.

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Russia holds drills in Black Sea amid tensions with Ukraine

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 9:55AM

Russian naval forces have announced three-day military maneuvers in the Black Sea amid growing tensions between Moscow and Kiev over the Crimean Peninsula.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that its navy would start to hold exercises in the area to practice repelling underwater attacks by saboteurs.

Russia Black Sea Fleet based in Crimea is taking part in the military exercises. More than 10 warships, MI-8 and Ka-27PS helicopters are participating in the training.

"During the drill we are going to practice the issues of both operational and technical support. These include operations to counter underwater sabotage, navigational and hydrographic exercise, search and rescue missions," said Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Viktor Chirkov.

The Russian Federal Security Service said on Wednesday that it had thwarted an incursion by the Ukrainian military into Crimea over the weekend, saying two Russians were killed in the incident.

Ukraine's defense intelligence rejected Russia's claim over the incursion, saying it was based on "fake information."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered measures to ramp up security in Crimea.

The Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday that President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with his security chiefs to review "additional measures for ensuring security for citizens and essential infrastructure in Crimea."

"Scenarios were carefully considered for anti-terrorist security measures at the land border, in the waters and in the airspace of Crimea," the statement read.

Putin has accused Ukraine of attempting armed incursions into the region, allegations denied by Kiev. The Russian president has pledged to take counter-measures against Ukraine

Putin blamed Ukraine for "practicing terror" and said, "This is very alarming news. In fact, our security services prevented an incursion into the territory by a sabotage-reconnaissance group from Ukraine's Defense Ministry."

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also ordered all Ukrainian army units near Crimea and in the easterly Donbass region to stand at the highest level of combat readiness.

Oleh Slobodyan, the spokesman for the Ukrainian border guards, during a news briefing in Kiev alleged that Russia was in recent days amassing further troops equipped with more modern equipment on Ukraine's border with the Crimean region.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has held a closed-door meeting at Ukraine's request to discuss the growing tensions.

The developments have ratcheted up tensions and prompted fears of a possible wider conflict.

People in Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea voted for rejoining the Russian Federation in a referendum in March 2014. The move angered the West which branded it as Moscow's annexation of the territory.

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Putin Replaces Top Adviser In Major Kremlin Shake-Up

August 12, 2016

by RFE/RL

In a major shake-up at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has transferred his chief of staff and one of his closest allies to a far less influential position.

The Kremlin's press office on August 12 issued Putin's order to "relieve Sergei Ivanov of his duties" -- a decision that came, according to the president, in accordance with a previous arrangement.

Ivanov is a former KGB officer who has served under Putin as a defense minister and deputy prime minister. Putin said Ivanov himself requested the move because he had been too long in his position as head of the presidential administration. Ivanov will retain his seat on the presidential Security Council.

Shortly after the statement, Russian state TV aired footage of a meeting between Putin, Ivanov, and the new chief of staff, Anton Vaino.



"I'm happy with how you handle tasks in your line of work," Putin said to Ivanov, who had been the president's chief of staff since December 2011. "I remember well our agreement that you had asked me not to keep you as chief of the presidential administration for more than four years, and that is why I understand your desire to choose another line of work."

The move comes as Russia continues to deal with an economic crisis and about a month before nationwide parliamentary elections. It also follows a reshuffle of regional leaders in July.

In 2008, Ivanov was considered a likely successor to Putin, when the Russian president could not run for three consecutive terms. Instead, Putin picked Dmitry Medvedev to run for president.

In a move viewed as symbolic, Putin on August 12 appointed Ivanov to be a special envoy for transportation and the environment, a lowly posting for a man once considered one of the most influential people in Russia.

In televised remarks, the 63-year-old Ivanov thanked Putin for his "high assessment of my work during the past 17 years," apparently accepting that his political career is essentially over.

Ivanov, a reputed hawk who served as defense minister from 2001 to 2007, was appointed as Kremlin chief just months before Putin's election to his third presidential term in 2012.

Ivanov is the latest former Putin ally to be pushed aside.

In the past year, the chief of the Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin; antinarcotics tsar Viktor Ivanov; and security service chief Yevgeny Murov have all lost their jobs.

Nevertheless, news of the reshuffle came as a surprise to many in Moscow.

Political analyst Mikhail Troitskiy suggested to the German dpa news agency that the dismissal could be due to health issues, Putin's determination to "demote the 'old guard'" and recruit younger professionals, or both.

Ivanov's successor, Vaino, is not a well-known public figure in Russia.

However, political analyst Valery Solovey told RFE/RL's Russian Service that Vaino's eventual appointment had been expected by Russia's political elite as far back as April.

Solovey described Vaino as an "absolute favorite" of Putin.

"[Putin] completely trusts him. He's proved himself to be a very qualified administrator, and a very good manager," Solovey explained.

Social-media users on August 12 posted several photos of Vaino at past Kremlin events, including one where he -- as chief of protocol at the time -- carried an umbrella for the president.

The 44-year-old used to work in the Russian Embassy in Japan and had been working as a deputy to Ivanov in the Kremlin administration since 2012.

Vaino's grandfather, Karl Vaino, headed the Communist Party in Soviet-ruled Estonia between 1978 and 1988.

He will now take up a powerful post that involves drafting laws for the president to submit to parliament, monitoring the enforcement of those laws, and conducting analyses of domestic and foreign affairs for the president.

Putin reshuffled several top regional officials in July in a move experts suggested was calculated to boost the Kremlin's chances ahead of parliamentary elections in September.

Russia is set to hold its next presidential election in 2018. Putin is widely expected to run for a fourth term.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Current Time television, AP, AFP, Reuters, and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-putin- dismisses-ivanov/27916834.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kremlin Reshuffle Sees New Chief of Staff Appointed

Sputnik News

13:09 12.08.2016(updated 13:51 12.08.2016)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has released Sergei Ivanov, the chief of staff of the Russian presidential administration, from his duties, the Kremlin said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Anton Vaino, who previously served as deputy chief of staff, has taken over the position. He has also been accepted as a member of the Russian Security Council, according to the Kremlin.

"President of Russia has issued a decree to release Ivanov from his duties as the head of the administration of the president of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Ivanov has been appointed as the new special presidential envoy on environmental management, ecology and transport.

Vladimir Putin said Friday that he was satisfied with the work Sergei Ivanov had done as Kremlin chief of staff and that Ivanov himself had asked to be transferred to a different position.

"We have successfully worked together for many years. I am satisfied with the way you have carried out the tasks you have been entrusted with," Putin said at a meeting with Ivanov, broadcast by Rossiya-24.

According to the president, Ivanov himself recommended to appoint new chief of staff Anton Vaino as his successor.

 Sputnik

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ELKO -- The family of the missing Spring Creek hiker is hosting a gathering in honor of their son and to thank the community for its continuous support Aug. 19.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Elko Convention Center and dinner will be provided.

Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by noon Monday on the Facebook event page titled Community Gathering for Jacob Beetler or call Laura Rogers at 388-4590.

This community has stepped forward and done more than anyone has asked for, said Rogers, in a previous statement to the Free Press.

One of the goals of the 20-year-old Spring Creek native was to glorify God, said his father Joe Beetler.

He said Jacob Beetlers favorite scripture verse was Proverbs: 3:5-6,  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Beetler left his residence at approximately 5 a.m. July 29 to hike the Ruby Dome area to scout for deer, according to a report from the sheriffs office.

Various reports included possible sightings and the idea he may have taken a different route. Close to a week after his disappearance, state and county search and rescue efforts were temporarily suspended due to weather concerns.

After almost two weeks, the Elko County Sheriffs Department changed its focus from a rescue to recovery mission, using specialized dogs to search for a body.

The Air Land Emergency Resource Team team from Texas had to return home, and while their search efforts did not uncover any new leads or clues, they were truly an encouragement and blessing to the family, said Rogers, updating thousands of people on the page Elko/Spring Creek LETS BRING JACOB HOME.

Their search efforts were coordinated by an experienced mountain rescuer from Idaho Search and Rescue in close coordination with the sheriff's canine teams. It has been over two weeks since Jacob's disappearance, but the family has not given up hope of his safe return. However, from the human perspective, this would indeed be a miracle from God.

There are still some volunteer hikers, backpackers and horse teams searching trails, but the primary search efforts have shifted to the deer archery hunters in the backcountry, Rogers continued, explaining hunting season began Aug. 10 and the Nevada Department of Wildlife asked hunters to remain watchful for Beetler.
Daesh Takfiris kidnap nearly 2,000 civilians in northern Syria

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 4:1PM

Members of the Daesh Takfiri group have kidnapped thousands of civilians in a Kurdish-populated city of the strategic northwestern province of Aleppo as the victims were fleeing heavy fighting between an alliance of Arab and Kurdish forces on one side and extremists on the other.

"While withdrawing from a district of Manbij, Takfiris abducted around 2,000 civilians," the Kurdish-Arab alliance, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on Friday.

The report came shortly after the SDF announced that they had launched a final assault to flush the remaining Daesh militants out of Manbij, located 446 kilometers (277 miles) north of the capital Damascus.

Friday's attack is "the last operation and the last assault," Sharfan Darwish, a spokesman for the SDF said.

Darwish went on to say that roughly 100 Daesh terrorists holed up in downtown Manbij were using civilians as human shields.

Manbij lies along the only supply line of Daesh between the Syrian-Turkish border to the north and the group's main Syria stronghold of Raqqah, which lies to the southeast.

Its liberation would mark the biggest strategic defeat for Daesh in Syria since July 2015, when the terrorist group lost the strategically important town of Tal Abyad on Syria's border with Turkey.

The SDF fighters launched an operation to retake Manbij two months ago. The city has been under Daesh control for more than two years.

Humanitarian aid arrives in Aleppo

Meanwhile, a convoy of 40 trucks carrying 1,000 metric tons of food supplies arrived in Syria's northwestern city of Aleppo on Thursday evening.

The newly-arrived supplies are said to be sufficient for two months.

Aleppo Governor Mohammad Marwan al-Olabi said local officials were adopting all necessary measures to meet the city residents' requirements.

Syrian government forces, backed by fighters from popular defense groups, are trying to purge foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists from areas under their control in Aleppo. The army has so far managed to open up several safe passages for civilians to leave the beleaguered city.

The United Nations has warned that two million people could be trapped in Aleppo as government forces and Takfiri militants are gearing up for a decisive battle for the city.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Back in 2014, the UN said it would no more update its official death toll for Syria because it could not verify the figures that it received from various sources.

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Zarif, Erdogan hold key talks in Ankara

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 2:31PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have held talks about key bilateral, regional and international issues.

The Iranian foreign minister met the Turkish president in Ankara on Friday in the fist visit by a high-ranking Iranian dignitary to Turkey since the failed July 15 coup attempt in the country.

The meeting, which featured luncheon, lasted for more than three hours. No more details on the meeting or discussed issues have been released yet.

The meeting came after Zarif held talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and attended a joint press conference with him.

Iran, Turkey pledge to fight terrorism

During his joint presser with Cavusoglu, the Iranian foreign minister said Tehran and Ankara have a common goal to improve cooperation on the fight against terrorism and extremism despite their differences on some issues.

"The two countries have a common opinion and goal to jointly fight terrorism, extremism and sectarianism, and despite the existence of different views on some issues, we share a common stance on [protecting] Syria's territorial integrity" and fighting Daesh and Jabhat Fath al-Sham terrorists, Zarif said.

He emphasized that Iran "has always had positive dialogues with Turkey on the Syria subject," adding that Tehran and Ankara share the view that the Arab country's future must be decided by the Syrian people.

The top Iranian diplomat went on to say that Tehran would strengthen its cooperation with Ankara in different fields.

Zarif also hailed the improvement of Russia-Turkey relations and their new efforts to stem the conflict in Syria.

"We also have great ties with Russia on the [Syrian] issue and we believe that all parties must cooperate to provide security and peace and stop the conflicts" in the region, the Iranian foreign minister said, adding, "We are ready to co-operate with both Turkey and Syria on this issue."

Elsewhere in his remarks, Zarif congratulated the Turkish government and nation for successfully thwarting a coup attempt last month.

"I congratulate the Turkish nation for the defiance they showed against the coup-plotters," he said, adding, "They showed the people of the region that they would not allow democracy and their rights to be taken away from them through coups and the use of force."

On the night of July 15, a faction of the Turkish military declared itself in charge of the country. Tanks and helicopters were used by the renegade military personnel to fight government loyalists on the streets of the capital Ankara and the most populous city of Istanbul.

However, the coup attempt was suppressed as people turned out on the streets to support the incumbent government.

Shortly following the coup attempt, Zarif and Cavusoglu exchanged views on the foiled putsch in three separate phone calls.

In the Friday press conference, the Turkish foreign minister also said Iran and Turkey agree on a number of issues, "especially on Syrian territorial integrity."

"On some issues, we have different views but we have never cut dialogue. We have emphasized since the outset [of the crisis in Syria] the importance of the constructive role Iran plays for a permanent solution in Syria," he added.

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Ankara Suspends Over 5,000 Education Staff Over Alleged Ties to Cleric Gulen

Sputnik News

22:31 12.08.2016

Turkey's Council of Higher Education (YOK) on Friday suspended 5,342 educational workers for alleged ties to cleric Fethullah Gulen suspected of guiding the recent military coup in the country, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the Daily Sabah newspaper, 4,225 academics and 1,117 administrative staff from both private and public universities were suspended from duty.

On July 15, an attempted coup took place in Turkey and was suppressed the following day. Over 240 people were killed during the coup attempt and an estimated 2,000 were wounded.

Turkish authorities have already sacked thousands of people across the country, including members of the armed forces, governors, military advisers, prosecutors, intelligence officers and judges. Ankara has accused US-based dissident Muslim cleric Gulen and his followers of playing a key role in the coup. Gulen has denied the accusations.

 Sputnik

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Turkish HDP Party Leader May Face Five Years in Prison For Promoting Terrorism

Sputnik News

15:40 12.08.2016(updated 16:08 12.08.2016)

The Turkish Prosecutor's Office is ready to charge Selahattin Demirtas, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) with disseminating terrorism-related propaganda, which means he could spend three to five years in prison if found guilty, media reported Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Turkish Dogan news agency said that the Prosecutor's office also wants to charge Demirtas's deputy, Sirri Sureyya Onder.

According to media reports, Demirtas and Onder may be charged with having promoted terrorist idealogies in their speeches at a rally in support of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan on March 17, 2013.

The PKK party is based in Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan and seeks to create a Kurdish state in parts of Turkey and Iraq. The PKK is considered a terrorist party and outlawed by many nations, including the United States and Turkey. Ocalan is serving a life sentence for his military struggle against Turkey but still remains an authoritative voice among the country's Kurdish population.

 Sputnik

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Russian-Turkish Thaw: Ankara Ready to Close Its Border With Syria

Sputnik News

13:46 12.08.2016

Turkey is already mulling the possibility of closing its border with Syria, amid the ongoing diplomatic fence-mending between Moscow and Ankara, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia.

The Izvestia newspaper quoted the deputy head of the Russian Lower House's Defense Committee as saying that during a recent session of the joint Russian-Turkish commission, Moscow specifically stressed the necessity of closing the Turkish-Syrian border.

Viktor Vodolatsky said that the August 11 session was a continuation of Tuesday's dialogue in St. Petersburg between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"The two, among other things, discussed the peace settlement in Syria, which is why we decided to urge Ankara to close the Syrian-Turkish border in order to stop the flow of terrorists and weapons," Vodoloatsky said.

He added that the issue is of paramount importance in ensuring Russia's national security, and that Moscow pledged to provide the Turkish side with satellite images of those areas where it is shown that weapons and militants are being trafficked.

It is safe to say that Ankara will most likely give the green light to the closure of Syrian-Turkish border given the ongoing normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey, according to Izvestia, which cited relevant agreements clinched during the meeting between Putin and Erdogan.

In this context, Igor Morozov, member of the Russian Upper House's International Affairs Committee, said that with Turkey's relations with Europe and the US leaving much to be desired, Ankara will now be focusing on developing cooperation with Russia.

It gives Russia a chance to reach a compromise with Turkey on a spate of contentious issue, and under conditions that will be dictated by Moscow, Morozov was quoted by the Izvestia as saying.

"The Turkish negotiators actually have no room to maneuver, and they are poised and ready to arrive at a consensus on difficult issues. This is why they will most likely say "yes" to our proposal to close Turkey's border with Syria," he said.

Vyacheslav Matuzov, an expert on eastern affairs, for his part, remained cautiously optimistic about the matter, which he said should be resolved by President Erdogan, Izvestia said.

"Apparently, some agreements on the issue have already been clinched, but the sides have yet to announce them," he said.

In late June, Russia's Ambassador to Syria Alexander Kinshchyak suggested that if Moscow and Ankara agree on a common approach in the fight against terrorism as part of the rapprochement between the two countries, Turkey will close its border with Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry has long been stressing that militants have been arriving in the war-torn Syria through the border with Turkey, while oil and other goods, revenues from which support terrorist groups in Syria have been leaving it through the country's north and further through Turkey.

Resolving the Syrian crisis was high on the agenda of talks between Putin and Erdogan in St. Petersburg on August 9. In the run-up to the meeting, Erdogan signaled his country's readiness to take joint steps with Moscow in the fight against terrorism.

 Sputnik

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Innovation Initiative to bring future-tech and ideas to the Armed Forces

12 August 2016

Defence Secretary launches new innovation push backed by 800m Fund.

Surveillance drones inspired by dragonflies, laser weapons, mobile robots that can inspect incidents involving chemical materials, sensors that use gravity to survey underground structures in minutes, and virtual reality helmets to practice calling in simulated air strikes.

These are the types of futuristic technology that along with other smart solutions are set to be backed by the government's new defence innovation initiative, which launches today.

The plan will transform how defence deals with the challenges of tomorrow, to gain critical advantage for our defence and security forces:

- An Innovation and Research Insights Unit (IRIS) will anticipate emerging trends in technology and analyse the implications for UK Defence and Security, informing critical decisions to maintain our military advantage and protect the UK.

- The best and brightest individuals and companies will be invited to pitch to a dragon's den style panel, backed by a fund of around 800m over 10 years. It will involve taking more risks in backing ideas, with a fast-track for truly novel ideas to match the pace of smaller firms.

- Once strategy and investment decisions have been taken, a dedicated hub will act as a 'defence and security accelerator', ensuring that innovative solutions to our most pressing national security challenges are developed at pace to stay ahead of our adversaries.

Aimed at transforming the Ministry of Defence's creative culture, the Innovation Initiative will fundamentally change the way defence does business. The initiative will challenge government to collaborate better with industry, academia and allies, and target new providers to boost the competitive advantage of UK defence and find answers to our most pressing national security questions from across sectors at pace.

A challenge function, drawing on external innovation talent and expertise, will ensure the MOD employs the best commercial practices and maintains its focus on innovation.

The full launch event for the Initiative in September will see a prospectus, exhibitions and explain how and when industry can apply to the Innovation Fund.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

"This new approach will help to keep Britain safe while supporting our economy, with our brightest brains keeping us ahead of our adversaries."

"Backed by a defence budget that will rise every year until the end of the decade, it will ensure that the UK maintains its military advantage in an increasingly dangerous world."

The initiative is part of the government's ambition to deliver an economy that works for all by building on the UK's science, technology and innovation strengths to harness emerging technologies and other smart solutions.

Disruptive Capabilities

The Ministry of Defence currently spends up to 20% of its Science and Technology budget on cutting edge "disruptive capability" projects. Disruptive capabilities displace an established technology and shake up industry.

Current projects include:

- A tiny Unmanned Aerial System with flapping wings inspired by the biology of a dragonfly, currently in development with Animal Dynamics. The 'micro-drone' will use cutting edge micro-engineering for unparalleled levels of performance. This has the potential to have a huge impact on intelligence-gathering in future operations in complex urban environments.

- A new Quantum Gravimeter developed with the University of Birmingham could allow us to survey underground structures in minutes rather than weeks. This portable gravity sensing system uses cold atom quantum technology and two gravimeters coupled together for the first time to allow for higher sensitivity and reliability when carrying out surveys, enhanced robustness to external noise sources and drastically reduced measurement time. Applications for our Armed Forces range from spotting enemy tunnels to supporting disaster relief.

- And we are developing a capability demonstrator with industry that will investigate the potential of laser weapons to target and defeat aerial threats.

Challenge

Today the department will also launch a new competition with the Home Office to challenge industry to design unmanned systems  robots and aircraft  that can assess hazardous scenes, such as sites contaminated by chemical and biological hazards.

This is in addition to the recent announcement at the Farnborough International Air Show of a joint UK/US innovation challenge to speed up the impact that robotic and autonomous systems could have on resupplying armies.

These collaborative challenges will inform the development of the Defence and Security Accelerator.

Building on existing work

The Innovation Initiative will build on the success of the existing Centre for Defence Enterprise model, which currently funds innovation, such as SME Close Air Solutions' new hyper-reality training tech. Using specialised headgear, our personnel could see simulated aircraft, enemy personnel and vehicles appearing on the real surrounding landscape, immersing and testing soldiers in complex joint forces situations.

Next steps

The full launch of the Initiative in September will see a prospectus, exhibitions and explain how and when industry can apply to the Innovation Fund.

The department is determined to create a culture that is innovative by instinct, to drive innovation through strategic planning, to catalyse innovation through science and technology and to find new ways to realise innovative solutions both affordably and at pace. Innovators can help us to understand how we take the next step to deliver this vision by responding to an online consultation on the Defence and Security Accelerator.

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US urges Ukraine-Russia restraint over Crimea

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 12, 2016 2:18AM

The United States has urged Ukraine and Russia to show restraint after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko deployed all forces near Crimea apparently in preparation for a confrontation with Moscow.

The US State Department said on Thursday that "Crimea is part of Ukraine," after Poroshenko ordered all Ukrainian army units near Crimea and in the eastern Donbass region to stand at the highest level of combat readiness.

"We are extremely concerned about the increased tension near the administrative boundary between Crimea and Ukraine," Elizabeth Trudeau, a State Department spokeswoman, said on Thursday.

"Our position, as I said yesterday, is well known: Crimea is part of Ukraine and is recognized as such by the international community," she said.

"We call for the avoidance of any actions that would escalate the situation," Trudeau added. "Take a step back."

"We continue to remain in close touch with international partners on this. But we believe now it's the time to reduce the tensions, to reduce the rhetoric and get back to talks."

Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014, and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum in which 96.8 percent of participants voted in favor of the secession. The voter turnout in the referendum stood at 83.1 percent.

Since then, the US and some other Western countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over accusations that Moscow has been involved in a deadly crisis in Ukraine, which broke out when Kiev launched military operations to crack down on pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine last year. Russia has denied the allegation.

The violence intensified in April 2014, after Kiev deployed troops to the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk to suppress pro-Russians.

The Minsk II truce deal, reached at a summit between the warring sides which was also attended by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk on February 11 and 12 last year, introduced measures such as a ceasefire, the pullout of heavy weapons, and constitutional reforms in Ukraine by the end of the year.

The shaky deal has, however, failed to end the deadly violence in the mainly Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine, with both sides trading accusations of breaching a ceasefire agreement which officially went into effect on February 15.

More than 9,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

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Foiled Crimea Terrorist Attacks 'Crime Against Russian State, People' - Medvedev

Sputnik News

15:37 12.08.2016(updated 15:56 12.08.2016)

Russian Prime Minister Dmintry Medvedev called the recently prevented terrorist attacks in Crimea "a crime committed against the Russian state and the people of Russia living on one of the territories belonging to the Russian Federation."

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The recently prevented terrorist attacks in Crimea are a crime against the Russian state and people, Russian Prime Minister Dmintry Medvedev said Friday.

"In my opinion, this is, certainly, a crime committed against the Russian state and the people of Russia living on one of the territories belonging to the Russian Federation  the territory of the Crimean peninsula," Medvedev told reporters.

"The investigation is underway, you are getting all the information on the matter, which is quite a lot. I can only express regret once againthat this sort of activity is approved by the leadership of a country that is close to us, despite the fact that we currently have complicated relations. This is very unfortunate both for our country, and especially for the people of Ukraine, who are being distracted from domestic problems through such terrorist acts," the prime minister continued.

Addressing the possibility of Russia ceasing diplomatic relations with Ukraine following the incident, Medvedev stated that while he "wouldn't want the situation to end like that," such a decision could be made by the Russian president if there no other options remain.

 Sputnik

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Ukraine-Russia Tensions Flare as Russians Rebuild Military in Crimea

By Carolyn Presutti August 12, 2016

Ukrainian troops are on high alert as tensions rise with Russia. Kyiv has accused Moscow of increasing its troop presence on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia two years ago. Moscow is accusing Kyiv of an incursion into Crimea. Some experts say the timing is ripe for a conflict because the world's attention is elsewhere.

Two years ago in Ukraine's Independence Square, riot police fired on protesters in Maidan. More than 50 were killed at close range. The result was the ouster of Ukraine's Russian-leaning President Victor Yanukovych and Russia's subsequent annexation of Crimea.

Now, the Ukrainian military is on high alert, fearful of another conflict with Russia. Moscow shut off three crossings at the Crimea-Ukraine border last week. Kyiv accuses Russia of massive troop buildups in the Donbas region and along the border shared by the two countries.

Phillip Karber of the Potomac Foundation told VOA's Jela De Franceschi the moves have clear invasion potential.

"They're reorganizing the 20th Army and then they created this new first guard's tank army. Since the end of the Cold War, the Russians haven't had anything tank army. Well, they're back," said Karber.

But Russia accuses Ukraine of provocations by planning raids in Crimea. Moscow released video of a suspected saboteur accused of planning to bomb infrastructure in Crimea. President Vladimir Putin said the alleged raids are a terror tactic.

"This attempt to provoke an outbreak of violence, to provoke a conflict, is nothing other than a desire to divert public attention from the country by those who took power in Kyiv, to continue to stay in power and to continue stealing from their own people," said Putin.

Residents in Dzhankoi, a Crimean city near the de-facto border with Ukraine, report all is calm now.

"I have seen police patrols in a couple of places near the market, nothing special. Actually everything is as usual," said local Bekir Mambetov.

Observers say both sides seem to be preparing for "something bigger" -- defense analysts in Moscow like Pavel Felgenhauer say a full-scale battle would take the world by surprise.

"The United States is in the turmoil of a very divided election campaign, President Obama is a lame duck, and most likely will not take any serious action. Europe is also divided by the Brexit, by the refugee crisis, by other things," said Felgenhauer.

Experts say the West needs to provide a united front to help diffuse the tension. One goes so far as to say Western politicians should at least start paying attention.

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Icelandic English

The Minister of Social Affairs and Housing has introduced a bill amending Act No. 44/1998 on Housing, pertaining to the future arrangement of housing matters. Some changes to the operation of the Housing Financing Fund are proposed. The most significant of these are:

Increased focus on the funds role in formulating policies and plans in housing matters.

Amendments to provisions on the funds role in accordance with the laws on general housing regarding capital contributions.

Limits on the funds authorisations to grant loans to individuals for the purchase of personal housing. Similar limitations as are in affect for Husbanken in Norway and ARA in Finland.

Provisions stipulating bookkeeping separation between the prior loan portfolio and the tasks that the Fund will undertake if the bill is passed.

Key role in formulating policies and plans in housing matters.

There is more focus on policy formulation, analysis and planning, and provisions on municipal housing plans and the duty of municipalities to assist those in housing difficulties are more clearly defined. The Housing Financing Fund will manage the granting of capital contributions and monitor the parties that have received such contributions, based on a clear overview and plans regarding housing needs.

Compliance with new laws on general housing regarding capital contributions.

With Act No. 52/2016 on General Housing, the Fund is entrusted with granting capital contributions and monitoring those who receive such contributions. The amendments are geared towards the provisions on the Fund reflecting this role.

There are also amendments to provisions on the funds income where it is presumed that capital contributions will be financed with contributions from the Treasury in accordance with the current state budget.

Limiting of the funds authorisations to grant loans to individuals.

The funds authorisations to grant loans will be limited to special loans due to social circumstances or market failure. Loans to individuals will be limited to those who do not have access to property loans on acceptable terms from other credit institutions due to the location of the property or for other reasons. The current provisions on maximum loans and the maximum price of properties will remain unchanged, as will the provisions on the borrowers payment capacity and the propertys mortgage eligibility.

The Fund will continue to grant loans to non-profit leasing companies and municipalities, e.g. for housing for the elderly, disabled, students and nursing homes.

Bookkeeping separation

In order to limit risks for the Fund and the Treasury and comply with the EEA agreements provisions on state grants, there will be a clear separation between the prior loan portfolio and obligations and the new loans and capital contributions.
ELKO  Tiffanie Huffman has recently opened a cannabis consulting business in Elko called Green Acres. One of her goals is to educate the public about the use of medical marijuana and she will soon be offering classes.

Huffman, who has worked in the industry, wanted to provide the opportunity to help people in the Elko area.

In order to find out more about local needs Huffman joined the Elko County Medical Marijuana Patients Association. She is now their executive assistant.

The application process for obtaining a medical marijuana card can be quite a challenge for some. Also, as there are no local physicians here who will write a prescription for a medical marijuana card, many patients fall into a catch 22 situation. Huffman combines her experience in pairing a client who has qualifying conditions with a physician located in Reno via Skype. With the physicians recommendation she can then apply for a card for her client via the state offices. She goes through all of the hoops to make things easier for the patient.

At the time of this interview Huffman said there were 239 registered patients in Elko County. That figure has since risen. A patient still must purchase medical marijuana supplies in a legal dispensary located in Reno, Las Vegas or Incline Village, or they have the option to grow their own.

Huffman will be offering public classes for people who want to understand the different types of cannabinoids.

Everybody is different in what works for them, explained Huffman. Cannabis was one of the most commonly prescribed pain relievers before aspirin. It was found in old references and archaeological sites as far back as 6000 B.C.

Combined with the cannabis consulting business, Huffman also started Art Forms Gallery. She has the gallery set up in the front room of her office space located at 469 Idaho St. The gallery displays all types of local artwork and Huffman is looking for more.

We are looking for anything, especially glasswork, Huffman said.

She puts her daily-featured artist on Facebook for more visual exposure. Artists interested in hanging their work at the gallery should message Huffman on Facebook or call 778-6958.

In addition to all of this, Huffman is prepping one room in the building to serve as a facility for freelance tattoo artists who come through town. The room will be available to rent on a daily basis.

Green Acres Consulting is open 10 a.m.  2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Huffman accepts appointments but walk-ins are welcome, too.
Fifth District Congressional candidate Jane Dittmar talked energizing voters, restoring voting rights and restoring the Dan River Regions economy during a meet-and-greet event with local ministers Friday evening.

 She is an awesome, awesome lady, said Danville resident and former city council member Joyce Glaise, who introduced Dittmar.

Dittmar talked about her vision for the congressional seat and held a question-and-answer session with attendees. She began by talking about her economic background on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.

 I have a job creation background, Dittmar said.

Dittmar said three things would lead to an influx of jobs and new business in the region: high-speed internet, workforce training and a welcoming community for new employers.

Dittmar explained that new business, local government and a skilled workforce were all part of the same ecosystem.

 Theyre all tied together, and we need to work together on it, she said.

Glaise also asked the ministers in attendance to work with their congregations to register citizens to vote and continuing to vote.

 We need to make sure to tell all your members in your churches who to vote for, Glaise said.

Dittmar said she wanted to work as an ambassador for the Danville community, and bring back the hopeful politics that began for her when her father worked for President John F. Kennedy.

Fielding questions from the audience, Dittmar was asked about how to get communities of Democratic voters during off-year elections and down ballot races. She asked those in attendance to continue to instill the value and privilege of voting in their friends and family.

 We need to provide some support, Dittmar said.

She also asked them to tell their congregations of the danger of Republicans rolling back accomplishments of President Barack Obama like the Affordable Care Act.

 That is at risk, Dittmar said. People have to know that.

Dittmar also voiced her support for Virginia efforts to the restore the voting rights of ex-offenders, and noted Virginia was one of only about 10 states that did not do so automatically.

 We need to fix that, she said. We need to do that right away.

Metcalfe reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
Low:

Fred, what were you thinking? Is crazy the word you wanted to use when discussing the idea of putting more Pittsylvania County representation on the Danville Utilities Commission?

Danville City Councilman Fred Shanks called it a crazy idea. Surely a member of city council can address this issue in a more dignified, respectful manner.

High:

School started Wednesday in Danville and Pittsylvania County, and a number of civic groups, churches and individuals helped local kids from poor families get the school supplies they needed.

Danville has the highest child poverty rate  37 percent  in Virginia, and the only way those kids ever will rise out of poverty is with a good education. Lets hope they use those school supplies to make a real difference in their own lives.

High/Low:

The first community meeting in Ringgold didnt go well for representatives of TurningPoint Energy, a Colorado company that wants to build a 6 megawatt solar power project to supply electricity to Danville Power & Light.

Ringgold residents were strongly opposed to the project. On Wednesday night at Dan River High School, the company will hold a second community information meeting.

Low:

Two Danville convenience stores were damaged last Sunday afternoon after their buildings were hit by cars. While there were no injuries, one of the drivers was charged, and one of the stores remained closed for several days. Each of the two stores suffered $50,000 in damage, according to police estimates.

In both cases, police found the drivers put their cars in drive instead of reverse  and lost control.

High:

About 1,000 pounds of animal feed have been donated by Southern States Cooperative to help feed the farm animals recently seized from Pritchett Lane in Blairs.

These are places theyre supposed to be cared for, and we want to help out any way we can, said Chris Carter, communications coordinator for Southern States. Were a grassroots organization, so we want to help out our community in any way we can.

High:

And finally this week, we salute the important work of 17-year-old Mae Gayle Dalton, whose Girl Scout Gold Award project was a campaign to End Rape Culture and Victim Blaming.

The phrase rape culture refers to the views of some in society that women are at fault for being sexually assaulted because of what they wear or where they go. The truth is only rapists cause rapes.

The majority of how Im spreading my message is word of mouth, Dalton said.  I am raising awareness about something very close to my heart.
To the editor:

If there was any doubt in anyones mind the Democratic National Committee and the mainstream news media are one and the same, the past few weeks should erase all of it.

The big story for the past few days has been Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump vs. the Khan family. Khan addressed the Democrats convention, and used the occasion to criticize Trumps proposal to halt  at least temporarily  the immigration of the Syrian refugees.

It makes sense to me, since the Islamic State group has vowed to infiltrate their fighters into the refugees, and our people in charge of vetting them say that its all but impossible to vet them accurately. In fact, anything else seems stupid to me. President Barack Obama said the IS group is contained, so why not just send them back home?

Unless I missed something, the only thing Trump said that could be considered offensive was to suggest that the reason the wife didnt speak might be because of their religion.

We all have seen the storm that resulted, with calls for Trump to apologize, or even for him to drop out of the race. Contrast that with their handling of Hillary Clintons experience with Gold Star families, four of them, who lost sons or husbands in Benghazi.

There was an election coming up and Obama had been boasting how the terrorists were on the run, so he and Hillary just waited it out, hoping for the best. That was bad enough, but worse was yet to come. When the bodies came home, Hillary stood over the coffins and I believe she lied to the survivors, the country and the world by saying that a video was responsible for the attack. That lie continued, from various administration officials, for at least two weeks. When the parents of Tyrone Woods and Sean Smith reported that to the media, Hillary Clinton called them liars. Then, to top it off, we all heard Hillarys comment about it: What difference, at this point, does it make?

Anyone who would ask that question regarding the deaths of four good men is not fit to shine the shoes of the Commander-in-Chief, much less to fill them.

ROBERT HUDSON

Pelham, North Carolina
Concise letters  250 words or fewer  on topics of local interest will receive first consideration for publication. All letters are subject to editing for language and clarity.

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Heston Blumenthal says the Melbourne Fat Duck experiment was a success. Photo: Penny Stephens

The "sound of the sea" has been switched off and the last snail porridge served. Fat Duck is flying home.

The last Fat Duck service at Crown Melbourne was on Sunday, a private lunch to celebrate exactly 20 years since the restaurant opened in the tiny village of Bray, England.

The incredible experience featured dishes Blumenthal hasn't put on a menu in many years such as crab risotto with crab ice-cream, and edible white chocolate candle filled with caviar. There was lasagne of marron with pig's trotter and truffle, hay-smoked veal sweetbread with cockles a la plancha, braised lettuce and triple-cooked chips and a mango and Douglas fir puree with bavarois of lychee and mango and blackcurrant sorbet.

Related Content Dinner by Heston in Melbourne is taking reservations

It was also the last time some Fat Duck classics - snail porridge and red cabbage gazpacho included - will ever be served as part of the restaurant's regular menu - perhaps only ever making an appearance for special "Hall of Fame" style dinners. They will make way for a new dishes when the restaurant re-opens in late September in Bray.

Blumenthal, who was at Sunday's lunch, sported a grey Fat Duck Melbourne T-shirt and looked relaxed and happy.

Fat Duck's six-month residency at Crown saw nearly 15,000 diners experience Blumenthal's 16-course multi-sensory menu and more than 16,000 bottles of wine were opened.

Mango and Douglas fir puree with bavarois of lychee and mango, and blackcurrant sorbet from Fat Duck's 2001 menu. Photo: Callan Boys

In spite of the $525 per person price tag (excluding wine) more than 300,000 applications were received for a table at Fat Duck when the ballot site went live in October.

"The amount of interest in the ballot and all the the media attention set up a big expectation," says Blumenthal. "I said to my guys, 'all that we can do is work as hard as we possibly can to make sure that it all goes well.'"

It went very well indeed with Fat Duck receiving almost unanimous praise by critics and, importantly, the public.

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"In the UK we've had so many years under the shackles of French cuisine where there was a perceived right or wrong way to do things," says the celebrity chef. "You don't have that in Australia. Customers were coming to the restaurant in the ideal to state of mind to rub their hands together in excitement and it really energised my guys."

Blumenthal relocated Fat Duck to Melbourne so the Bray restaurant could undergo a refurbishment and redesign.

"For me it was a no-brainer moving Fat Duck here in the first place, and now having done this six months, it's even more of a no-brainer to have a permanent restaurant here," Blumenthal says.

The last ever snail porridge to be served at Fat Duck. Photo: Callan Boys

The Fat Duck site at Crown will now be transformed and expanded into Dinner by Heston, scheduled to open in early November. Dinner will feature an a la carte menu similar to its London sister restaurant and Blumenthal says he expects the price point to be similar to London too, where a main course of roast turbot with mussel and seaweed ketchup, salmon roe and sea rosemary, say, will set you back about $80.

When Fat Duck reopens in the UK the new menu will be based on Blumenthal's memories of childhood holidays.

"Every table will have its own lighting system so it can turn from morning to night," says Blumenthal. "The courses will be like waking up, having breakfast, and maybe heading down to the rockpool. Then off to the beach or for a walk in the woods and eventually to bed and ending up in the sweet shop of your dreams."
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, left, and Republican presidential candidate Donal Trump in these 2016 file photos. Clinton and Trump offer voters distinct choices this fall on issues that shape everyday lives. Actual ideas are in play, as difficult as it can be to see them through the surreal layers of the 2016 presidential campaign. But decisions to be made by President Trump or President Clinton are going to matter to home and hearth. (AP Photo)

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Both say leave it up to states; just blowing smoke?

By Rob Hotakainen, McClatchy Washington Bureau (TNS)

WASHINGTON  While President Barack Obama has never hid his penchant for marijuana during his youth in Hawaii, Americans soon will elect a president who claims never to have touched it.

Republican Donald Trump boasts that he has never smoked marijuana or a cigarette, or had a drop of alcohol.

Democrat Hillary Clinton was adamant on CNN when asked whether she had ever smoked marijuana, replying that she never had and never would: "Absolutely not."

Despite their personal views, Clinton and Trump have pledged to allow the states to regulate marijuana.

That would be welcome news for Washington state, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska, where voters approved recreational marijuana, along with the 26 states that allow the drug to be used for medical reasons. But legalization backers still have one nagging question: Can you believe either Clinton or Trump?

Both candidates have a history of flip-flopping on major issues, and a majority of Americans don't trust either candidate: A CNN poll taken during the Republican convention found that only 30 percent think that Clinton is honest and trustworthy, compared with 43 percent for Trump.

Trump, who once called himself a supporter of abortion rights, now wants to ban abortions. After first opposing an increase in the minimum wage, he wants it raised.

In 1990, the Republican candidate called for legalizing all drugs, a position he no longer holds. And his statements on marijuana have given ammunition to both sides of the legalization debate.

Trump told a Denver television reporter recently that he would not use federal laws to block Colorado's marijuana sales: "I'm a states person. I think it should be up to the states, absolutely."

But last year, he told a conservative gathering that Colorado had experienced "big problems" by legalizing marijuana. "I think it's bad and I feel strongly about that," he said.

Ethan Nadelmann, the executive director of Drug Policy Action, a pro-legalization group, said Trump had been "all over the map," making it hard to know what he'd do.

"He's entirely unpredictable on this issue, as on so many others," Nadelmann said.

Clinton once opposed same-sex marriage but now backs it. As secretary of state, she promoted Obama's proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, only to oppose it now.

Like Trump, Clinton backs medical marijuana, though she says it needs more study. And Clinton has repeatedly said that states such as Washington and Colorado should be "laboratories of democracy" in experimenting with recreational marijuana.

In a 2014 interview on CNN, Clinton distanced herself from her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who famously said in 1992 that he had smoked marijuana once but never inhaled.

"No, I didn't do it when I was young," she said. "I'm not going to start now."

The Marijuana Policy Project, another pro-legalization group, praises two other presidential candidates: former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party.

"This is the most marijuana-friendly field of presidential candidates in history,"said Robert Capecchi, the organization's director of federal policies.

Tom Angell, the chairman of the pro-legalization group Marijuana Majority, said this year is the first time that all remaining presidential candidates had promised to respect state marijuana laws.

"In 2008, our movement had to physically chase down candidates during the New Hampshire primary just to elicit promises not to arrest cancer patients who were abiding by state medical marijuana laws," he said. "That shows how far we've come in only a couple election cycles."

Obama got in front of the issue in 2006, poking fun at Bill Clinton for claiming that he had never inhaled marijuana.

"I inhaled frequently. That was the point," Obama said.

In his 2012 book on Obama, biographer David Maraniss described how Obama had smoked marijuana with his buddies at the Punahou School in Hawaii.

Maraniss, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for reporting on Bill Clinton, said Obama had helped start a trend called "TA," or "total absorption," in which he and his friends were penalized for exhaling: They'd have to pass the next time the joint came around. The book detailed how they enjoyed doing "roof hits," closing the car windows and tilting their heads head back to suck in all the leftover smoke from the ceiling.

As president, Obama said he'd grown up in a home without a father and was angry about it: "I made bad choices. I got high, without always thinking about the harm that it could do."

No one knows how many of the 44 presidents have smoked marijuana, but Richard Nixon apparently was not one of them.

Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the law that classified marijuana as the most dangerous Schedule 1 drug, like LSD and heroin.

In a declassified recorded conversation with an aide, Nixon said he wanted a national commission to make "a goddamn strong statement about marijuana," one that "just tears the ass out of them."

Jimmy Carter tried a softer approach on regulation. He called for an end to federal penalties for possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, "leaving the states free to adopt whatever laws they wish." The proposal went nowhere.

Ronald Reagan went back to Nixon's get-tough approach, saying marijuana use could cause "permanent ill effects." And he said that "marijuana, pot, grass, whatever you want to call it, is probably the most dangerous drug in the United States."

Reagan's successor, George H.W. Bush, stepped up the war on drugs in 1988, saying "legalization is just another word for surrender, and surrender is not in our vocabulary."

Bush's son, George W. Bush, apparently smoked marijuana. He was outed by a friend, Doug Wead, who secretly taped some of his conversations with Bush before he ran for president.

According to a report published by The New York Times in 2005, Bush told Wead that he wouldn't answer reporters' questions about marijuana "because I don't want some little kid doing what I tried." After he left the White House, Bush joked with TV host Jay Leno that he "didn't behave that well" when he was younger. "I might have smoked some," he said.

With Clinton leading in the polls, many marijuana backers say she'll come under heavy pressure in coming months, with the Democratic national platform calling for a "pathway" to legalization for the first time.
SHARE Logan Boyd

UPDATE: Boyd was release 10:43 a.m. Saturday on $15,000 bond, according to information on the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office website.

A Tom Green County correctional officer was arrested Friday, charged with violation of civil rights of a person in custody; improper sexual activity with person in custody.

Logan Boyd, 28, was booked into Tom Green County Jail after allegations surfaced that a correctional officer had improper sexual contact with a person in custody, according to a Tom Green County Sheriffs Office news release.

Sheriffs investigators conducted several interviews and obtained other evidentiary information relevant to the case, the release stated. They then presented the information to the District Attorneys office for review and a warrant was issued for Boyds arrest, the release stated.

According to information on Boyds Facebook page, he completed basic peace officer training May 19 and was commissioned by Sheriff Jones at the Tom Green County Sheriffs Office on July 20.

Jail records list the date of offense as June 14.

Violations of the civil rights of person in custody is a state jail felony, punishable by 180 days to two years confinement and up to $10,000 in fines.

The Sheriff's Office news release said the allegations against Boyd came to light "as a result of a recent similar investigation that was conducted."

Two food service workers from Aramark Correctional Services, the contractor that prepares meals in the jail, were arrested Aug. 2 on the same charge as Boyd.

Complaints listed offense dates as July 26 for Luis Carlos Ayala, 51, and July 25 for Shannon Lorrian Strasburg, 45, and the Sheriffs Office began an investigation July 16.

In those cases, the Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigation Division received information from a confidential source that possible sexual activities were taking place in the jail and conducted several interviews, Sheriff David Jones said earlier this month.

Jones said the law considers inmates unable to give consent  similar to someone underage  in matters of sexual activity, especially involving someone who is an official, employee, civilian contractor or volunteer.
A farmer holds a piece of his drought- and heat-stricken corn while chopping it down for feed in Nashville, Ill., in 2012. Scientists have connected man-made climate change to extreme weather, including deadly heat waves, droughts and flood-inducing downpours

SHARE AP FILE PHOTOS Climate change activists carry signs as they march July 24 during a protest in downtown Philadelphia a day before the Democratic National Convention. Matthew Nisbet, a communications professor at Northeastern University, says the split with science is most visible and strident when it comes to climate change because the nature of the global problem requires communal joint action, and for conservatives that's especially hard to accept. Associated Press This image provided by the National Weather Service shows temperatures in the continental United States as of 3 p.m. on Friday, July 22, 2016. The weather service outlook for the following three months shows above normal temperatures across the country. (National Weather Service via AP) Associated Press FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2015 file photo, scientist Oliver Grah measures the velocity of a stream of melt from Sholes Glacier on one of the slopes on Mount Baker in Washington. Glaciers on Mount Baker and other mountains in the North Cascades are thinning and retreating. Dozens of scientific measurements show Earth is warming. Since 1997, the world has warmed by 0.44 degrees (0.25 degrees Celsius) and 51 monthly or annual global heat records were broken, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)

Politicians still differ on global warming debate

By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press

WASHINGTON  Tempers are rising in America, along with the temperatures.

Two decades ago, the issue of climate change wasn't as contentious. The leading U.S. Senate proponent of taking action on global warming was Republican John McCain. George W. Bush wasn't as zealous on the issue as his Democratic opponent for president in 2000, Al Gore, but he, too, talked of regulating carbon dioxide.

Then the Earth got even hotter, repeatedly breaking temperature records. But instead of drawing closer together, politicians polarized.

Democrats (and scientists) became more convinced that global warming was a real, man-made threat. But Republicans and tea party activists became more convinced that it was  to quote the repeated tweets of presidential nominee Donald Trump  a "hoax." A Republican senator tossed a snowball on the Senate floor for his proof.

When it comes to science, there's more than climate that divides America's leaders and people. The mainstream scientific establishment accepts evolution as a reality, as well as the general safety of vaccinations and genetically modified food. But some political leaders and portions of the public don't believe any of that. It's not a liberal versus conservative issue, especially when it comes to vaccinations, which are doubted by some activists on both ends of the political spectrum.

But nothing beats climate change for divisiveness.

"It's more politically polarizing than abortion," says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. "It's more politically polarizing than gay marriage."

Leiserowitz says 17 percent of Americans, the fastest-growing group, are alarmed by climate change and want action now, based on surveys by Yale and George Mason University.

Another 28 percent are concerned, thinking it's a man-made threat, but somewhat distant in time and place. Twenty-seven percent are cautious, still on the fence, and 11 percent are doubtful. An often-vocal 10 percent are dismissive, rejecting the concept of warming and the science. And about 7 percent are disengaged, not even paying attention because they've got more pressing needs.

So while the largest group is at least concerned with climate change, significant segments are not. And sometimes those segments mix in one family.

Rick and Julie Joyner, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, are founders of MorningStar ministries. Most of the people they associate with reject climate change. Their 31-year-old daughter, Anna Jane, is a climate change activist.

Rick Joyner, 66, would visit New York with other evangelicals to meet with Trump and then hear a completely different worldview from his daughter.

As part of a documentary a few years ago, Anna Jane introduced Rick to scientists who made the case for climate change. It did not work. He labels himself more skeptical than before.

"They're both stubborn and equally entrenched in their positions," says Julie, who is often in the middle. "It doesn't get ugly too often."

TRIBALISM

Recall the 20th century, with its race to the moon, advances in medicine and information technology, and "this incredibly strong belief in the promise of science," says Matthew Nisbet, a communications professor at Northeastern University.

People in the 1960s "had faith in science, had hope in science. Most people thought science was responsible for improving their daily lives," says Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences. So some scientists look back at that era with nostalgia, she says.

That's because now, Nisbet says, "we see partisan polarization or ideological polarization" and the implications of science "are intuitively recognized as threatening to one side and their worldview."

Yale psychology and law professor Dan Kahan argues, however, that public divides on science have existed for decades. He notes that some issues that formerly divided us no longer do, such as the dangers of cigarettes, after a public health campaign eroded the social acceptability of smoking.

The split with science is most visible and strident when it comes to climate change because the nature of the global problem requires communal joint action, and "for conservatives that's especially difficult to accept," Nisbet says.

Climate change is more about tribalism, or who we identify with politically and socially, Nisbet and other experts say. Liberals believe in global warming, conservatives don't.

Dave Woodard, a Clemson University political science professor and GOP consultant, helped South Carolina Republican Bob Inglis run for the U.S. House (successfully) and the Senate (unsuccessfully). They'd meet monthly at Inglis' home for Bible study, and were in agreement that global warming wasn't an issue and probably was not real.

"I said climate change was nonsense, Al Gore's imagination," Inglis says.

After seeing the effects of warming firsthand in Antarctica and Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Inglis changed his mind  and was overwhelmingly defeated in a GOP primary in 2010. Woodard helped run the campaign that beat him and hasn't been to his former friend's home for about a decade.

"I was seen as crossing to the other side, as helping the Al Gore tribe, and that could not be forgiven," Inglis says.

Woodard responds that the new Bob Inglis didn't fit South Carolina.

"If you want to talk climate change, you need to go up to New York and Boston to do that. You don't talk that down here," he says. "Conservatives just don't believe. They think it's like Martians."

Judy Curry, a Georgia Tech atmospheric scientist and self-described climate gadfly, has experienced ostracism from the other side. She repeatedly clashed with former colleagues after she publicly doubted the extent of global warming and criticized the way mainstream scientists operate. Now she says, no one will even look at her for other jobs in academia.

"What's wrong with disagreement? People disagree. You listen or you don't," Curry says. "This polarization comes down to being intolerant on disagreement."

WHAT CHANGED

In 1997, then-Vice President Gore helped broker an international treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, to reduce heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and gas. The U.S. later withdrew from the treaty.

"And at that moment" says Leiserowitz, "the two parties begin to divide. They begin to split and go farther and farther and farther apart until we reach today's environment where climate change is now one of the most polarized issues in America."

The election of Barack Obama and the tea party revolt made the schism even bigger, he says.

Stanford University's Jon Krosnick agrees that things changed around 1997, but he thinks Americans are fairly united  it's just they don't realize it. Krosnick's surveys show that nearly 90 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of independents and 70 percent of Republicans believe the increase in the world's temperature over the past century was mostly or partly caused by humans.

His studies show fairly consistent numbers, except for a drop in Republicans to 50 percent in 2011 that since has returned to 70 percent.

A bigger split in Stanford surveys indicates that while about 90 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of independents believe global warming will be a serious or very serious problem for the United States, barely half of Republicans feel that way.

To illustrate how the issue plays out in all sorts of ways, let's take lobster scientist Diane Cowan in Friendship, Maine, who expresses dismay.

"I am definitely bearing witness to climate change," Cowan says. "I read about climate change. I knew sea level was rising but I saw it and, until it impacted me directly, I didn't feel it the same way."

Republican Jodi Crosson, a 55-year-old single mother and production and sales manager in Bexley, Ohio, thinks global warming is a serious problem because she's felt the wrath of extreme weather and rising heat. But to her, it's not quite as big an issue as the economy.

And then there's Ken Martig Jr. An engineer and business owner in Allyn, Washington, he paid little attention to global warming until he learned that one proposed solution involved regulations and taxes. Now he doesn't think climate change is man-made or a major worry.

"If you put it down to one word today, it's a trust issue," the 73-year-old Martig says. "Do you really know for a fact that it's burning of the (fossil) fuels that are creating these greenhouse gases" that are causing the world to warm?

Scott Tiller, a 59-year-old underground coal miner in West Virginia, has seen mine after mine close, and he agrees with Martig.

"I think we've been treated unfairly and kind of looked down upon as polluters," Tiller says. "They say the climate is changing, but are we doing it? Or is it just a natural thing that the Earth does?"

BRIDGING DIFFERENCES

Overwhelmingly, scientists who study the issue say it is man-made and a real problem. Using basic physics and chemistry and computer simulations, scientists have repeatedly calculated how much extra warming is coming from natural forces and how much comes from humans. The scientists and their peer-reviewed research blame human activity, for the most part.

Dozens of scientific measurements show Earth is warming. Since 1997, the world has warmed by 0.44 degrees (0.25 degrees Celsius) and 51 monthly or annual global heat records were broken, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Arctic sea ice, ice sheets and glaciers are melting faster. The seas have risen and hot water has been killing coral in record numbers. Scientists have connected man-made climate change to extreme weather, including deadly heat waves, droughts and flood-inducing downpours. Allergies, asthma and pest-borne diseases are worsening public health problems, with experts blaming climate change.
Trump's criticism often ties him to both the GOP and that he may be unfit for office.

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Messages compete with one another

By Sahil Kapur, Bloomberg News (TNS)

WASHINGTON  To hear Hillary Clinton tell it, Donald Trump is both a typical Republican seeking to enrich the wealthy and a dangerous outlier unfit to serve as president.

The dueling messages are the byproduct of her running against a singular candidate who has upended the political playbook and provided an overabundance of potential attack lines. The result is Clinton painting Trump as a standard Republican on economics, and as an aberration from past nominees on the world stage by calling him a "loose cannon" who cannot be trusted to control the nuclear arsenal.

"My mission will be to make our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top. Donald Trump wants America to work for him and his friends at the expense of everyone else," Clinton said Thursday in an economy-focused speech in Warren, Mich. She accused Trump of espousing "a more extreme version of the failed theory of trickle-down economics," a common Democratic attack against Republicans.

Her case was strikingly similar to President Barack Obama's economic message in 2012 painting GOP rival Mitt Romney as seeking to enrich himself and his rich friends at the expense of ordinary Americans. Much like Obama portrayed Romney's views as "extreme" in seeking "trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy," Clinton on Thursday said Trump's agenda includes "trillions in tax cuts to big corporations, millionaires and Wall Street money managers."

Yet the Clinton campaign's overarching message about her opponent is that he's an anomaly who many Republicans are rejecting, a reckless menace who she says lacks both an understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the knowledge of international affairs needed to be the leader of the free world.

"Our founders fought a revolution and wrote a Constitution so America would never be a nation where one person had all the power," Clinton said in her July speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination. Trump, she said, "loses his cool at the slightest provocation  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 strategy reflects disputes within the Democratic Party about whether to portray Trump as an anomaly in the GOP or as a mere reflection of the party's long-standing agenda. Her campaign's ongoing attempts to highlight prominent Republicans breaking with Trump has frustrated party operatives who want voters to associate down-ballot GOP candidates with their unpopular nominee.

"Unfortunately, there is a faction within Clinton world that seems to be in the mindset that they can win without anyone else, and they're promoting the idea that the focus should be on showing how Republicans are shunning Trump because he's so extreme," former Democratic National Committee Communications Director Luis Miranda wrote in a private email on May 22 published by WikiLeaks. "They worry that our narrative  (will) make Trump look like everyone else, and thus a viable option."

Clinton's two narratives are not "necessarily inconsistent," said Katie Packer, a former top adviser to Romney's 2012 campaign who opposes Trump. "You can subscribe to conservative Republican orthodoxy on business and fiscal matters and still be dangerous on foreign policy and ill-suited temperamentally."

"I'm not sure it's the right strategy," Packer said. "If I were her I would focus my campaign on 'Trump is dangerous' and then define the ways: culturally, fiscally, and on the world stage. And then I would do everything to be the safe alternative."

Clinton's aim is to court various constituencies: working-class voters attracted to Trump's brash style but wary of Republicans, as well as women and moderates who may be amenable to the GOP but dislike Trump.

Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to Trump, lambasted Clinton's characterization.

"The only consistent thing about Hillary Clinton is that she repeats whatever lie her donor-funded advisers give her," Miller said. "She's an insider protecting insiders. She gets her friends rich while risking the lives and livelihoods of innocent Americans."

Clinton campaign spokesman Jesse Ferguson argued her message was consistent.

"Whether it was his business background or his economic policy agenda, they all add up to the same thing  putting Donald Trump first and risking economic devastation," Ferguson said in an email. "His unrealistic and unworkable economic ideas that are designed to only line his own pocket with millions from the taxpayers are just the latest in a long line of con-jobs by Donald Trump and the latest of his reckless ideas that put the economy at risk, proving he's unfit for office."

Republican operative Rick Wilson argued that Clinton, as a wealthy public figure, is a flawed messenger to paint Trump as the candidate of the rich. Yet he and other GOP strategists critical of Trump said she may succeed.

"When a candidate has low favorables like Trump, pretty much anything works. It's like a patient with a faltering immune system: You get sick easily and stay sick longer," Stuart Stevens, the top strategist for Romney's campaign, said in an email. "Majority of voters think Trump doesn't have right temperament to be president. Tax cuts for the rich never test well  For her, it's particularly useful to bang Trump on tax cuts for millionaires as it blocks any drift to Trump from (Bernie) Sanders voters."
BJP Refuses Permission To Ex-DGP

Former Director General of Police of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh government V Dinesh Reddy, who made a vain bid to get into active politics after retirement, has been in the news again, albeit indirectly, for alleged connections with slain Maoist-turned-gangster Nayeemuddin.

Dinesh Reddy, who joined the YSR Congress party after retirement and unsuccessfully contested the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha elections in 2014, quit the party later to take a plunge into the Bharatiya Janata Party. He, however, had never been active in the party. Since he is from Nellore, the Telangana BJP did not own him up and since he stayed back in Hyderabad, he was never a part of the Andhra BJP.

On Saturday Dinesh Reddy wanted to address a press conference at the Telangana state BJP office in Hyderabad to clarify his stand on Nayeem and sent messages to all media persons accordingly. However, the Telangana BJP did not give him permission, since it does not consider him as the party member. So, he sent messages to media again stating that he was shifting the press conference venue to a hotel.

He told media later that he could not address the press meet at the BJP office since there was no air-conditioner there!

The former DGP clarified that he had no connections with Nayeem, since the issue of informer would be dealt by the lower-level officers.

As far as I know, no DGP level officer had any connection with Nayeem. But, it is not uncommon that the police department utilises the services of surrendered Naxalites to deal with the extremists. We also did the same, he said.
The brass lights up and the tambor allegre drums rumble, as a subway train roars past.

Grupo Rebolu hails from Colombias Caribbean coast, but the members make their home in New York nowadays, a city they celebrate in the video for their song Empezando.

The ensemble remains true to its Afro-Colombian roots, and its cumbia and bullerengue rhythms bring people to their feet.

Bringing the crowd to its feet, and maybe even educating it a little, is what the group hopes to do when it hits Greensboro for the National Folk Festival on Sept. 9, 10 and 11.

We have every type of tempo in songs  slow ones, fast ones  and we just want to see the audience moving, singer and group manager Johanna Castaneda, 36, said in a telephone interview. And we also like to mention what the instruments are. We want people to learn more about the music, show them what Colombia has to offer. But its a very energetic show, we want to get people dancing, and even get them singing with us.

The group is one of about 30 musical acts performing on seven stages in downtown Greensboro during the three-day festival.

Grupo Rebolu is made up of Castaneda, her husband and fellow singer, Ronald Polo, and drummer Morris Canate.

Castaneda and Polo have two kids together, who occasionally travel with them.

We get our kids exposed as much as we can to what we do, she said. We bring them to rehearsals. And theyre very, very musical. They sing, they play. Its a little hard when youre trying to work, but we try to make this into a family thing because thats how we grew up.

Castaneda was raised in the Colombian capital of Bogota and has lived in New York for 23 years. Her father was a musician, and she said she had always been interested in pursuing a musical career.

There was always music, or some sort of instrument around us, she said. I picked up a cuatro, which is like a small guitar with four strings, and did some singing. And my brother became a harpist, and we worked together for a long time. And once we moved to the States, we did music. Thats all we did, that and go to school.

Polo and Canate grew up together in the coastal city of Barranquilla and performed with another outfit before leaving to form their own group. Castaneda met them in 2006.

The music incorporates, among other instruments, the tambor allegre, a conga-like drum, and the gaita, a kind of flute.

Colombia has a lot of rhythms because there are so many regions, but the region we cover in our music is the north coast, Castaneda said. Its a totally different type of instrumentation. Theres a lot of improvisation that goes on. It has a lot of Afro in it. Theres a lot of Afro descendants in that region, in that music.

The group also tries to give the music a bit more of a cosmopolitan flair.

We try to maintain the traditional part, Castaneda said. But from living in the United States, we have influences from whats going on here, like jazz. And so weve incorporated bass, a horn section, a guitar. It kind of adds a little bit to the tradition, makes it a little bit more urban, a little bit more modern.
GREENWICH  Greenwichs plans to dredge local waterways has dodged a bullet.

Last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he was going to sue the federal Environmental Protection Agency for agreeing to make permanent a temporary off-shore dump site in eastern Long Island Sound, near New London. The dumped materials would be silt and detritus dredged out of the waterways near the Connecticut coastline.

Connecticut has long pinpointed three sites for silt dumping: a western dump site, a central dump site and the one on the eastern portion, which is the focus of Cuomos suit.

It shouldnt have any effect on Greenwich, said George Wisker, an environmental analyst 3 at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The Army Corps of Engineers has given its approval for dredging the clogged Mianus River and dumping the dirt and plant material in deep water in the western portion of Long Island Sound, about halfway between Stamford and Long Island.

Theres capacity for quite a few million cubic yards at that location, Wisker said. The chances of it being used up in the next 30 years or so is very slim.

Because the Mianus River dredging project is headed for the western dump site, Wisker said, work would not be delayed by any legal action New York would take against the EPA.

New York doesnt like open water disposal of dredged material, they claim it causes all sort of impacts which frankly the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers dont agree with., Wisker said. There are no long term adverse affects we have seen.

Any material dumped off shore has to have both state and federal permits. New York has sent its own dredged material through Connecticut to the Sound once or twice a year, Wisker said.

Many soils contain trace amounts of toxic materials, Wisker said, and the amount within the soil that is to be dumped is regulated. Within that limit, dredged materials with the higher amount of contamination are laid down first and covered with cleaner sediment.

You help protect the environment by sequestering the material, keeping it away from critters and the water column, Wisker said. Its known to be very effective.

Cuomo, in a letter to President Obama protesting the EPAs decision, claimed the EPA had not demonstrated the need to make the temporary dumping site a permanent one. He suggested dumping the silt on land, a move Connecticuts DEEP said is too expensive.

One of the things you hear people say is that dredging is necessary, but open water disposal isnt. That you can do other things with this material, Wisker said. Its way too expensive, though.

pfrissell@hearstmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss
Businesses are increasingly embracing freelancers, realizing the many benefits of using contract workers for their projects. With more than 20 million people expected to leave the workforce to become freelancers in the next five years, businesses will find themselves dealing with a talent shortage.

Unfortunately, half of all businesses are still not prepared to bring freelancers onto their teams. Their hiring processes are set in stone, with new employees recruited, chosen and promised an annual salary.

It was quite shocking for us to see how few companies are actually well-equipped to work with tech freelancers, said 10x founder Rishon Blumberg. Some companies have great practices in place, while others require a lot of hand holding to help ensure a freelance project runs smoothly. Part of our mission is to help modernize the way companies engage with freelancers, especially strategic freelancers like the ones we represent.

Related: 4 Ways Enterpreneurs Can Prepare to Engage With Today's Freelancers

To accommodate a new freelance-driven marketplace, businesses must shift the way they think of their teams, and put processes in place that make it work. Here are a few things you should do to prepare your businesses for freelancers.

1. Have a recruiting strategy.

Finding talented freelancers can be complicated, but if you have a network in place from the start, its easier. Ask colleagues for referrals, and use online job boards to build a core group of reliable freelancers that you can turn to every time you need work completed. If you need highly-specialized workers at an affordable rate, consider working with a specialist who matches freelancers with the businesses that need their skills. Set aside at least a few minutes to speak one-on-one to each freelancer before making a hiring decision. This can help avoid freelancers who dont follow through.

2. Know your budget.

Pay can be a sticking point when trying to line up freelance workers. Many professionals have a set rate for each project, so one of the first questions about any potential job should be about pay range. If you set your offering prices too low, youll have difficulty attracting experienced talent, but if your rates are too high, youll quickly run through your budget. Calculate the amount you can afford to pay before you start your search. If you notice you cant win workers at that rate, consider increasing it.

Related: 5 Tips for Hiring Freelancers Who Will Boost Your Business

3. Assign a manager.

Someone on your team will need to manage freelance workers, which can be complicated if theyre working remotely. Coordinating on-site team members and telecommuters, whether theyre salaried or contract, can be challenging, so its important to find someone who will take the responsibility seriously. The manager should at least have a working knowledge of the duties that will be assigned to freelancers -- which isnt always possible, especially if a business needs specialized work such as application development or data analytics.

4. Set up paperwork.

Before beginning your freelancer search, youll need to have paperwork in place that will address all of the regulatory requirements for working with contractors. Make sure each worker knows the scope of the work, as well as the methods through which work should be transmitted to you.

Youll need to have a completed W-9 form on file for each freelancer, as well as a bookkeeping process that tracks each dollar you pay for reporting to tax authorities. If in doubt, you should have a bookkeeper and HR expert review your forms, accounting processes and paperwork to ensure youre above board with everything youre doing.

5. Choose technology.

Your workers will need tools on hand to do their work and communicate with your management team. Youll likely need online collaboration software that lets team members work together no matter where they are. Youll also need a way to communicate face-to-face with those workers, especially if getting together in person is out of the question.

Related: Remote Control: The Tools and Tactics You Need to Manage a Far-Flung Workforce

A video chat service for multiple meeting participants is essential when working with freelancers and salaried employees who arent in the office. Finally, consider how youll pay freelancers and put resources in place that will make it easy to ensure contractors get paid in a timely manner.

Freelancers will soon become an essential part of operating a business. It's important that companies start preparing for the trend now. By researching as much as possible about what your business needs to legally work with freelancers, you can start to ready your environment for a new way of hiring.

Related:

Will Freelancing Kill Jobs?

5 Things to Have in Place Before Hiring Freelancers

Why Tutoring Can be a Solid Source of Additional Income



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
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Last we heard, the Motorola Moto Z and Moto Z Force were scheduled for an early September release in the UK and possibly China as well. We still have no proof of the latter, but today the regular Moto Z was spotted in an Amazon UK pre-order listing.

Currently, the handset can be pre-orderd form clove.co.uk as well, so it is only natural for deals to start popping up elsewhere as well. However, we wouldn't exactly call Amazon's offer a deal, as its price seems to be set an a whopping GBP 610.19, while the aforementioned vendor has it listed at GBP 495. Mind you, we are talking about the very same basic Moto Z, both offers are also SIM-Free and include taxes. Granted, Amazon doesnt seem to be listing the storage of the unit, but even if it is the higher-end 64GB one, instead of the 32GB over at Clove, the match still doesnt check out, especially considering Verizon is offering the Droid version for $624 in the US.

Overall, the listing does look a bit unfinished in its current state without images, so there could be some error, or perhaps an undisclosed bundle with MotoMods. At lest there is Pre-order Price Guarantee, so there is that.

Source
State of Hawaii

From National Employee Freedom Week

Because Hawaii is not a Right-to-Work state, your freedom to leave your union is restricted, but you still have options to leave or reduce your union membership.

The first option is to become an agency fee payer, which means you only pay dues for the unions cost of collective bargaining, contract administration and grievance adjustment. As an agency fee payer, you do not pay for any other activities, including the unions political activities.

As an agency fee payer, you are not a member of the union, but since you continue to pay the representative portion of your dues, the union must continue to represent you fairly and without discrimination in all matters subject to collective bargaining.

As an agency fee payer you are still entitled to every benefit under the labor contract with your employer, including health care, pension, step increases, etc.

A generic letter to become an agency fee payer is here. You will need your union's address and contact information. We recommend that you make a copy of your letter and either deliver it in person and receive a stamped copy or mail it with Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested Signature. This protects you in case, a union boss loses your letter. We also recommend sending a copy of the letter to your employers payroll department.

Although the generic agency fee payer letter includes text noting that your objection is continuing and permanent, some unions will not respect this and will make you annually resubmit your refund request.

For a smooth exit, you may have to leave during specific opt-out timeframe or window. Ask your union for a copy of your signed enrollment form to determine when your window is.

Download a generic agency fee payer letter.

The second option is to become a religious or conscientious objector. If you would like to become a religious or conscientious objector, go to ChooseCharity.org. ChooseCharity.org includes a simple application process that requires no additional out-of-pocket costs.

Once the application is submitted, the ChooseCharity legal staff will take care of the rest of the process.

If you become a religious or conscientious objector, your full dues equivalent will be deducted but made payable a charitable fund exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the Internal Revenue Code. You will not be a member of the union, but are still entitled to every benefit under the labor contract with your employer, including health care, pension, step increases, etc.

If you think you may want to become a religious or conscientious objector, it is important that you do not request to be an agency fee payer.

State laws can differ depending on your profession, please consult with an employee rights organization if you have questions about your specific situation.

Non-union alternatives:

For Teachers:

More Information About Your Rights

All Employees:

For Teachers:

Labor Reform Information, Research, and News

* * * * *

2016 Survey Results

Link: State by State Breakdown

For National Employee Freedom Week, 2016, union members were asked two questions about employee freedom. In addition to asking if union members would like to opt-out of their union, NEFW also looked at the support for Workers Choice reforms, which would allow employees who opt out to negotiate directly with their employer.

Question 1: If it were possible to opt out of membership in a labor union without losing your job or any other penalty, would you do it?

Nationally

28.7YES

71.3NO

Question 2: If employees opt out of union membership and stop paying dues or fees to the union, should they instead represent themselves in negotiations with their employer?

Nationally
August 12, 2016

In many ways, the debate over the expansion of the Marine National Monument known as Papahanaumokuakea is a model for everything that can go wrong in Hawaii politics. Unnecessary division, stoked by ethnic, racial, and historical issues, pushed forward by an environmental movement that holds disproportionate influence in Hawaii (often heavily driven by mainland interests). Then, struggling to make themselves heard above the chatter are the small businessmen and families that will be most affected--in this case, Hawaii's fishermen.

Senator Schatz has asked the President to quadruple the size of the monument, which would make it the largest protected marine area in the world. Unfortunately, the longline fishermen who will see the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the greater Hawaiian islands cut by more than 50% don't have lobbying power in the nation's capitol.

Fortunately, there are a few who are speaking out against the proposed expansion. Former Senator Akaka, along with former Governors Ariyoshi and Cayetano, recently wrote to President Obama, urging him not to expand the monument. Their letter expresses one of the biggest problems with the current proposal:

"We oppose the proposed expansion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Native Hawaiian rights and Hawaii State rights have not been considered and there is no transparency in this process. No economic impact study was taken to determine the impact of this proposed expansion."

The fact that such an extreme action is being contemplated without any serious study of its economic, social, legal, or cultural impact on our state is simply astounding. The lack of transparency evident in the process is disturbing, but so is the lack of long-term thinking.

Hawaii has a history of being used as a testing ground for different political interests, but this proposal takes things too far. We cannot follow a path that could have such a serious impact on our state without a more responsible approach. The expansion plan must be put aside until a full, impartial assessment of its effects can be completed.

E hana kakou (Let's work together!),

Keli'i Akina, Ph.D.

President/CEO

Grassroot Institute
Hyatt Worker Says Hotel Ignored Assault by Royal

by Nicholas Fillmore, Court House News, August 12, 2016

HONOLULU (CN)  While the House of Saud is no stranger to accusations of bad boy behavior, including claims of drug smuggling, light sodomy and generalized mayhem, a recent lawsuit filed against the Hyatt Regency suggests how even the well-intentioned can succumb to royal patronage.

Michelle Silberstein says has been unable to return her job as a licensed massage therapist and esthetician at the Na Ho'ola Spa in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki since she was sexually assaulted in August 2014 by Hassan Maan Melhem, an interpreter for a Saudi prince.

Melhem later pleaded no contest to fourth-degree sexual assault and was given a deferred sentence and probation.

According the complaint, the prince  named in Silberstein's complaint as John Doe 1  has been a special guest of the Hyatt for several years, travelling with an entourage of males belonging to his ODAIS Group.

Melhem has accompanied the prince on multiple occasions to Hawaii, where he books entire floors of the Hyatt each year for weeks or months at a time. The income generated from the prince runs in the millions of dollars, so naturally the Hyatt indulges the prince's every whim, Silberstein says in her complaint.

One of the special arrangements offered by the Hyatt to the Saudi prince only is exclusive access to the entire Na Ho'ola Spa for extended blocks of time after hours, Silberstein says, adding that the prince specifically asked that spa employees line up for his colleagues to choose from.

The spa complied and ordered the employees to line up, the complaint says.

On the evening of Aug. 14, 2014, Silberstein was assigned to do a facial for an ODAIS Group member. Instead, Melhem showed up and ordered Silberstein to give him a body scrub, during which Silberstein says Melhem pulled her onto the table and tried to make her touch his genitals.

Silberstein says she managed to fend off Melhem's advances and was only able to escape from the room when someone was heard in the hallway. Undeterred, Melhem followed Silberstein and offered her a gift if she would go up to his room, according to the complaint.

Fearing for her safety, Silberstein says she fled the premises and reported the incident to the spa's director. The spa director reported the incident to the Hyatt's director of rooms, sales manager and the director of security, as well as an ODAIS Group liaison, the complaint says.

The next morning, Silberstein says she arrived at the hotel flanked by her significant other and a staff security guard to meet with the Hyatt's security director.

"From the outset of the interview, [the director] made it clear that his priority was to protect the ODAIS Group, not plaintiff," Silberstein says in her complaint. "He discouraged plaintiff from reporting the sexual assault to the police. Only after plaintiff insisted the police be called, did he agree to do so."

Although the security director's attempts to discourage Honolulu police from arresting Melhem were vain, Silberstein says Melhem was welcomed back to the Hyatt and the hotel spa after being released from jail the next day.

When contacted for comment, a manager of corporate communications at Hyatt's headquarters in Chicago seemed unaware of the incident. After further investigation, the manager said in an email, "While we do not discuss pending litigation, the safety and well-being of our colleagues is a top priority for Hyatt and we treat all safety concerns raised by our colleagues seriously. We pride ourselves on fostering and maintaining an award-winning workplace that's reflected in the long tenure of our colleagues around the world, including those in Honolulu."

Silberstein's attorney David Simons did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Silberstein is suing the Hyatt, Melhem and unnamed members of the ODAIS Group for sexual harassment, assault and battery and negligence. She seeks special, general and punitive damages.

PDF: Lawsuit
By Jesse Wood

The Watauga County Board of Elections will meet next Monday to reconsider early voting plans for the General Election in November. The meeting takes place in the Watauga County Courthouse at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 15.

The local board is reconsidering one-stop plans presented and voted upon in July because of the U.S. Circuit of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruling striking down the Voter ID law.

In July, the three-member board voted on one-stop plans, but because the board wasnt unanimous in its decision, the matter was slated to go before the State Board of Elections.

Elections Director Matt Snyder said that the State Board of Elections is now asking that local boards draft one-stop plans that comply with the ruling.

For example, the Voter ID law reduced early voting from two weeks to one week, so the Watauga County Board of Elections must draft plans to accommodate early voting from Oct. 20 to Nov. 5. In addition, same-day registration and out-of-precinct voting is also allowed again. All voter ID requirements are nil.

At the July meeting, the bipartisan board sparred over the location of an early voting site on the campus of Appalachian State University. The GOP board members, Bill Aceto and Nancy Owen, favored a one-stop plan that included an early voting site at Legends on the campus of Appalachian State University, which is located off of U.S. 321, on the edge of campus.

Meanwhile, Democrat member Stella Anderson favored a one-stop plan that included a site at Plemmons Student Union on the campus of Appalachian State University, a central hub of the campus. All members agreed upon the other sites out in the county: Watauga County Administration Building in downtown Boone, Blowing Rock Town Hall, Western Watauga Community Center in Cove Creek and at the volunteer fire departments of Meat Camp and Deep Gap.

Assuming the board doesnt reach a unanimous consensus, the SBOE will decide the one-stop fate of Watauga County. Snyder said that the SBOE hasnt scheduled a date to hear the unanimous plans yet.

See meeting notice and agenda below.

ICYMI: SBOE Issues Statement on Fourth Circuit Ruling

State Board of Elections Executive Director Kim Westbrook Strach today issued the following statement regarding the panel decision of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit:

We encourage all voters to stay informed of developments over the coming weeks.

Our agency is carefully reviewing todays decision from the Fourth Circuit. Absent alternative guidance from the courts, voters will not be asked to show photo identification this election. Early voting will run October 20 through November 5, and same-day registration will be available at early voting sites.

If voters do not appear at their assigned precinct within their county, their vote will still count for all eligible contests. However, to avoid voting a provisional ballot, we encourage voters to appear at their properly-assigned precinct on Election Day.

Counsel for the state are reviewing options on appeal. Regardless of the outcome, our agency will continue to educate voters and prepare elections officials ahead of November.

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Three Dublin men have appeared in court charged in relation to an assault which left a number of people injured and one man fighting for his life.

Leroy Howard, Daniel Delaney and Declan Byrne, all with addresses in the north inner city, were before Dublin District Court yesterday morning in relation to the incident.

The court heard that CCTV footage of the alleged assault was available, and that gardai were awaiting directions from the DPP.

Bail

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, August 1 of this year in the vicinity of Frederick Street, Ashbourne, Co Meath.

All three men, who are aged in their early 20s, were granted bail on the condition that they abide by strict terms.

Leroy Howard, with an address in Oriel Hall, Dublin 1, must sign on at his local garda station three times a week, observe a curfew between 10pm and 7am and stay out of Co Meath apart from for employment purposes and future court dates.

When asked if he understood the conditions of his bail, he replied: "I do indeed."

Daniel Delaney, of Mariners Port, Dublin 1, is also required to sign on at Store Street Garda Station on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and be at a given address between 10pm and 6am every day.

He was also instructed to stay out of Co Meath, but is allowed into the area for work.

Applying for bail, the court heard that Declan Byrne, of Spencer Dock, Dublin 1, had a sibling as well as nieces and nephews living in Co Meath, and asked for more lenient bail conditions so he could visit them. "We're not here to facilitate your social life," the Judge replied.

However, similar bail conditions were also granted to Mr Byrne, who works in Ashbourne.

The three accused will appear before Dublin's District Court on October 18, as authorities in Co Meath were unable to secure a sitting in Trim District Court for that day.

Injured

The three men had been detained by local gardai on Thursday morning, and were questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

A total of five males and one female were injured during this incident, with three of the injured men removed by ambulance to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. One of the men, who is aged in his early 30s, suffered a fractured skull and other serious injuries.
Businesses in south Dublin are up in arms over plans by Dublin City Council (DCC) to erect a large advertising screen that will partially block their shopfronts.

The 'metropole' advertising structure is set to be constructed in front of a row of shops in Donnybrook as part of an agreement the council made for their Dublin Bikes scheme.

The structure has an overall height of 5.47m, a width of 3.48m and the area of each of the display panels is 6.82 sq/m.

Planning documents revealed that if DCC cannot construct the screens the Dublin Bikes service could be significantly reduced, after a deal made with advertiser, JCDecaux.

However, a number of shop owners have since written to DCC complaining about the effect these screens will have on their business.

Worse

Owners of shops which are located at The Mall in Donnybrook believe that the advertising screens will block their shopfronts and therefore impact on sales.

Owner of Lyk Nu Cleaners Ken Conlan said in a letter to the DCC chief executive, that it would "without a doubt" have repercussions for his business.

Mr Conlan's business has been a part of the Donnybrook community since it opened its doors in 1974 - while the business has been in Dublin since first opening in 1941.

He said that there are already trees blocking the shopfronts that need to be addressed - and that this would only worsen the situation.

"This would block out my shop front from traffic travelling north on Donnybrook/Morehampton road (N11)," Mr Conlan said.

"The obstruction of my shop front and the shop fronts of my fellow business owners here at The Mall Donnybrook has been an issue for years due to the very large trees we have outside our shop," he added.

Mr Conlan also complained that by placing the hoarding in its proposed position, it would have an effect on the emergency services in the area.

He said the screen would block the view of drivers of emergency vehicles as they attempted to get out onto the main road and has suggested moving it closer to Donnybrook Stadium or closer to the city.

"I am not against an advertising hoarding being placed in Donnybrook or along the stretch of road, but I feel the current planned positioning is poor and needs rethinking.

"The installation as is would have major effects on our shops, our customers, N11 road users and indeed the emergency services at Donnybrook fire station."

Block

Meanwhile, owner of the Physio Studio, Gerrard Keenan said the hoarding would completely block his shop front.

The council have insisted, however, that these hoardings must go ahead.

As part of the Dublin Bikes agreement, 10 of these hoardings were to be placed around the city, but only six have been erected so far.

This agreement was made in 2009.

"It is, therefore, necessary to make provisions for the outstanding 'metropole' structures in order to fulfil the contractual obligations of the concessionary contract," the council said.
A homeless man was pelted with eggs by a gang passing by in a car during a disturbing late-night attack in the capital.

The man, who was sleeping rough, had been getting food from volunteers on a soup run, when three men drove by in a car.

They shouted at the homeless man "do you want something to eat?" before laughing and launching eggs out of the car window at him.

The incident happened on Lord Edward Street on Dublin's southside, shortly before midnight on Thursday.

The man, in his late 30s, is understood to have brushed off the incident, and said that he was used to that sort of behaviour.

Former Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke was volunteering with charity group Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) when the attack happened.

"I heard 'do you want something to eat?' and I turned around and there was this car, four-door beige, and next thing I heard two things fly past me - I didn't know what it was," Mr Burke said. "It was one of the crew who said to me 'it's the guy, he's after being pelted with eggs'.

"The car flew by, windows down, all laughing, and he pulled a hanky out of his pocket and started cleaning himself down.

"They were obviously out that night for the purpose of crucifying people less fortunate than them," he said.

The ICHH group are understood to have offered to get the homeless man fresh clothes to replace his top and trousers.

However, he was more interested in trying to get a bed for the night.

"It didn't seem to bother him, he was used to it," Mr Burke said.

"The team that was with me were blown away, but it just didn't surprise me," he added.

Mr Burke labelled the perpetrators as "cowards and thugs" and said that he hoped they never have to sleep rough on the city streets.

ICHH chief Anthony Flynn told the Herald that these are not isolated incidents.

He said that there have been a spate of unsavoury incidents in recent weeks - including one where another rough sleeper was urinated on.

"It's disgusting that a vulnerable person can be treated like this," Mr Flynn said.

"We had our own outreach team around Pearse Street, there was a regular client sleeping there and a group of guys came out of the train station and attempted to urinate on somebody.

"So we've had three or four incidents in the past couple of weeks. It's intolerable that somebody would try to urinate on another person.

"It seems that every week we're coming across an incident of either somebody being assaulted or something," he added.
Michael O'Reilly of Ireland poses with his gold medal following the Men's Boxing Middleweight Final. Picture Credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Michael OReilly answers the door to Herald reporter Martin Grant in his hometown Picture credit: Damien Eagers

Shamed boxer Michael O'Reilly lay low last night after arriving back in the country.

Our exclusive picture shows O'Reilly in his home in Portlaoise last night, after enjoying a BBQ with family and friends.

It is the first time he has been pictured since it emerged he failed a drugs test ahead of the Olympics.

He declined to answer several questions, including what supplement he took before the test. The boxer replied "no comment" to each question asked by the Herald.

Meanwhile, sporting bosses refused to reveal how much his travel to and from Rio has cost.

Silent

The Olympic Council of Ireland - which is significantly funded by taxpayers' money - has remained silent on how much it cost to send O'Reilly home after he was booted out of the Olympic athletes' village in Rio.

O'Reilly was seen arriving at his Laois home in the little village of Mountrath yesterday shortly after 3.30pm.

However, he hastily made his way inside when he arrived home at his modest house.

He bowed his head to the ground and dodged the waiting media in the quiet housing estate. The Herald watched on as several family members and friends arrived at the house throughout the day, offering their moral support to the boxer who was tipped for a gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

It is understood O'Reilly held a small BBQ for his family and friends.

Before the doping scandal emerged, O'Reilly had huge support from the local community.

A handful of tricolour bunting could still be seen dotted around a few houses, although nothing like a homecoming party awaited the boxer. Neighbours were very reluctant to talk about the shamed star.

One man described O'Reilly as a "good lad" while another said that he had make a "stupid mistake that he will regret".

The boxer did not emerge from his house yesterday evening after he arrived back into the country.

It is not known which airport O'Reilly used to arrive back into Ireland, however it is not believed he landed into Dublin Airport. Several sources said he was not spotted at the capital's airport. It is understood that he decided to arrive into one of the country's smaller airports - possibly Shannon - in order to avoid the media.

Departure

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) also remained tight-lipped on O'Reilly's departure from the Olympic village in Rio.

Although OCI boss Pat Hickey confirmed he had returned to Ireland in an RTE interview, a spokesperson for the organisation refused to confirm if he returned to the country.

"Michael's whereabouts is a private matter," a spokesman for the OCI said.

"We assisted with his travel home as at all times we had a duty of care to him and treated him in a professional manner.

"The OCI does not discuss administrative information publicly," said a spokesman.
Ten years ago this fall the unthinkable happened, again.

Charlie Roberts entered an Amish schoolhouse, ordered the adults and boys to leave, lined up 10 little girls at the blackboard, and shot them as police stormed the building, before turning his weapon on himself.

Five of the girls died. At least one was left in a permanently vegetative state. Horror rippled through a community where people had felt so safe they often didnt lock their doors. And the perpetrators wife and mother struggled to understand how this could have happened with no warning.

In most communities that wouldve been the end of the story. Perhaps some reporters would follow up with the victims families on macabre anniversaries. We could once again shake our heads at the senselessness of it all.

But the real story began that afternoon after the shootings.

As the police cars and news vans crowded into her yard, Marie Roberts, Charlies wife, had only just begun to formulate her own questions. One, however, was answered immediately.

As she wondered if shed be able to live among neighbors so horribly wounded by her husbands actions, neighbors  many of whom were Amish  began filtering by. They offered hugs, food, friendship and acceptance.

Then, the day after the girls funerals concluded, they made the loudest silent statement of all. The parents of all five murdered children attended their murderers funeral.

Immediately, in the very midst of their grief, they freely gave forgiveness.

How on earth could they manage to do that?

Forgiveness like that, given without even the repentance of the perpetrator, does not spring from a passing acquaintance with God.

Forgiveness like that springs from hearts in communion with God, walking daily with Him.

Forgiveness like that is a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus commanded, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than anyone else? Even the pagans do that, dont they? Therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (TLV)

I was moved while reading about our own senseless act of violence here in Bristol by the response Deborah Watts had, even as she lay bleeding on the floor. While she lay there, not knowing if the shooter would return, she prayed. Yes, she prayed for Gods help. But she also prayed for the man who had shot her. She actively loved her enemy, even while her own life was in jeopardy.

I have never been in a situation where I was faced with an enemy or where someones action stole the life of a loved one from me. But there have been people who did things that hurt people I loved. And I struggled to forgive them.

I could pray for them right away, but my prayers consisted of how I thought God should bless them by correcting them! It took a long time for me to realize the self-righteousness and judgmentalism that permeated those prayers.

It was only after God corrected me and showed me the error in my attitude and in my prayers that I could freely ask for Gods blessing on these individuals with none of my strings attached. God showed me, again, that He was perfectly capable of correcting whomever and whenever was needed. I had no business judging another mans servant!

So I encourage us all to take to heart the words of The Lords Prayer.

Do you want peace in the midst of crisis, whether public or your own? As it says in The Message translation, Matt. 6:12, 14-15, Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. 14-15 In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You cant get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from Gods part. (MSG)

When our carnal thoughts dwell on vengeance, we can defeat them by dwelling on peace. Pray for our community, nation and world. And bless your enemies. Thats when God sends us peace.
Suspect who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband facing attempted murder, other charges

Paul Pelosi, 82, suffered blunt force trauma to his head and body. The suspect was in search of the speaker, calling out "Where is Nancy?"
The First Amendment protects students against being forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. So how was it legal for a Texas teacher to require students to recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance, as a federal appeals court held this week? The answer lies in the difference between compelled symbolic speech and compelled class participation.

The events underlying the case attracted national attention of the Glenn Beck variety when they occurred in 2011. Brenda Brinsdon was then a high school sophomore in McAllen, Texas, a town near the Mexican border. The teacher of her Spanish class gave students the assignment of facing the Mexican flag with a 45-degree salute and reciting the Mexican pledge of allegiance. The assignment was intended both to teach Spanish language and to give students the "cultural" experience of imitating another nation's pledge.

Brinsdon, whose mother is from Mexico, objected, explaining that she believed "pledging her allegiance to a different country was wrong." Notably, she also thought none of the students should have to participate. The teacher told her that the assignment was graded and mandatory. Ultimately, after the principal's intervention, Brinsdon was given an alternative assignment. She got a C, whereas other students mostly got A's on the pledge assignment.

This being America, Brinsdon sued for violation of her constitutional rights. A federal district court rejected her claims. And the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on Tuesday upheld that judgment.

To win a lawsuit against public officials for infringing your constitutional rights, you first have to show that the officials violated clearly established law.

Brinsdon's best argument was that it's clearly established law that school officials can't compel students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

That's true, of course -- and has been since 1943, when the U.S. Supreme Court reversed an earlier decision and held that there was a constitutional right against compelled speech that allows students to exempt themselves from saluting the flag and reciting the pledge.

That decision, West Virginia v. Barnette, is one of the most remarkable constitutional decisions in the court's history. I teach it on the first day of my First Amendment class. The court's opinion, by the great Justice Robert Jackson, has several highlights. Probably the most quoted is this winner:

"If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us."

But the 5th Circuit correctly noticed that the issue in Brinsdon's case isn't whether she could be compelled to recite the U.S. pledge, but whether she could be required to recite the Mexican pledge as part of an educational exercise. And it held that because this was a different circumstance from the one discussed in the Barnette case, Brinsdon could not show that the teacher's assignment was in violation of clearly established law.

The court's decision was right -- and for a reason that comes right out of Jackson's famous opinion. What makes the forced recitation of the U.S. pledge unconstitutional is that it prescribes an orthodox belief and makes students symbolically express their commitment to it. Crucially, the U.S. pledge in U.S. schools isn't being performed as a make-believe exercise. It's meant sincerely, or at least it's supposed to be.

In the Texas classroom, the Mexican pledge was not intended as an indication of loyalty to Mexico. The point was to imagine what it would be like to have a loyalty that they did not necessarily possess.

By way of analogy, in my classes, I frequently require students to articulate arguments that they don't believe to be true. That's a crucial part of legal pedagogy. It's the way students learn to anticipate the arguments that the other side will make when they are practicing lawyers. But at a deeper level, occupying the subject position of someone you disagree with is one of the most intellectually stimulating and productive things a person can do.

That still leaves the deep question of Brinsdon's conscience. Suppose that, like the Jehovah's Witnesses children in the Barnette case, she sincerely believes it's wrong to recite the pledge of another country, even as an exercise in cultural understanding. Maybe she doesn't want to put herself in someone else's place. Shouldn't that entitle her to an exemption?

Well, no. Students don't have the constitutional right to opt out of educational assignments they don't agree with -- even on grounds of conscience. Imagine a student who doesn't want to study Christopher Columbus because she's sincerely offended by the European conquest of America's first peoples. She wouldn't be entitled to an exemption -- and rightly not. The same would go for a student who wants to skip evolution in biology class because it violates his religious faith. He's not entitled to opt out of the subject, nor should he be.

If the rule were otherwise, that would be the end of the curriculum in public schools. Someone would object to essentially every component, and the teacher would have to craft every lesson plan to avoid all the students' tender consciences.

Public school necessarily entails teaching facts and values to students. They don't have to agree, and they can't be forced to affirm or pledge that they do. But the students do have to learn what's being taught in the school -- even when that lesson is the unpopular one that it's helpful to imagine yourself as someone else.

Bloomberg View columnist Noah Feldman is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard University.
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Were the British rulers of India more conscientious than the Indian governments?

When 28-year-old Irom Sharmila quit food to force the Centre to lift the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, she could have been motivated by the success of a diminutive man in making the British run after him like parents coaxing mutinous kids with promises.

While Mohandas Gandhi successfully beat back unjust British rulers with hunger strikes and won his country freedom, the image of a fasting woman hanging on to life from a nasal feeding tube never managed to melt the Indian rulers mind and force a rethink on soldiers licence to kill in her tiny Northeastern state.

In 2000, the Manipuri gave up food, including a favourite one made of fermented soya bean and vegetables. Since then, she was turned into a godone who doesnt ask for food or have desires of the flesh. Irom called off her fast 16 years latershe was tired of the unfruitful struggleby eating honey through her mouth instead of nose. Strangely, it coincides with the 75th anniversary of Gandhis Quit India movement, a non-violent resistance.

Iroms struggle had almost all the ingredients of success. She was always in the limelightthe arrest, jail and release of a woman trying to commit suicide by fasting were an annual ritual that invariably became headlines. She had mass support. And Irom sustained her fasting for 5,759 daysit dwarfs Gandhis 17 fasts, the longest being 21 days, during the freedom movement. But what Irom lacked was an oppressor who was kind and a nation that cared enough.

Satyagraha, or the non-violent protest which often involves giving up food, works by pricking the conscience of the government and making the ruler feel guilty for letting the protestor go hungry. It worked well for Gandhi, and he used the hunger chop successfully against the British first at Bihars Champaran to win back farmers right to choose the crop of their choice.

From there on, Gandhis weapon of choice was fasting. And the British gave in almost always, keen to not turn him into a martyr. But after years of fasting when Irom decided not to turn herself into a martyr, her own people turned against her. Manipuris were angry largely for denying them a symbol of resistance, which is hard to come by.

Fasting hasnt lost its potency, but Manipur was let down by its fringe status that couldnt set the collective conscience of a nation on fire. Its localised pain didnt find traction among national audience. And Irom is not to blame for that, as success is hardly decided by the person undertaking fastproven during the struggle for the institution of national anti-corruption watchdog Lok Pal.

A nonentity called Anna Hazare caught the imagination of the nation by spotlighting the cure for corruption, a national curse. His nine-day-long fast was food for newspapers and the Maharashtrian was hailed the next Gandhi. After the historic bill was passed, the man faded into oblivion in his village of Ralegan Siddhi.

Irom, too, has threatened to go away if her people dont want to see her as a human being.

Views expressed are personal.

The writer tweets as @journalist10
Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakurs statement that the judiciary might have to step in to issue orders to the executive to clear the appointment of judges at the high courts can be read in two ways. First, the CJI had said earlier that India had too few judges and it is impossible for anyone to disagree with this. Astounding though it may sound, India now has about 20,000 judges for a population of 1.2 billion. This to a large extent accounts for the delay in judicial processes and untertrials having to stay in jail year after year. The countrys high courts have about 4 million cases waiting to be disposed of. Add to that the figure about 30 million in the subordinate courts and the figure works out to close to about 34 million, which, in fact, is a figure thats being talked about for quite some time. Although law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said the government has cleared the appointment of 250 high court judges, it is far off the required 478 in the 24 high courts of India.

Read: SC pulls up Centre for stalling judges appointments, says its hurting judiciary

There is a clear-cut process laid down in the Constitution for appointing high court judges. First, the judges are appointed through a consultative process involving the President, the CJI, and the governor of the state in which the high court is located and the chief justice of the high court concerned. Second, since the subordinate courts in a state function under the high court, a delay in the appointment of governors could affect the formers functioning also.

Read: Rahul says SCs observation on appointment of judges a reality check for PM

Considering the fact that legal theory sees law as a social phenomenon and the scholarly definition of jurisprudence as one encompassing all kinds of general intellectual inquires about law that are not confined to doctrinal exegesis or technical prescription, the judiciary in India has by and large two roles to perform. One is the conventional dispensation of justice to the wrongdoer as well as protecting the rights of the person on the right side of the law. The other is expanding the zone of justice, which economist-philosopher Amartya Sen has talked about in his book The Idea of Justice. For him, deprivation, on which he has written extensively, is a denial of justice. So, in an age when the horizons of justice are broadening, holding up judicial appointments would be going against the spirit of the age.

The author tweets as @uddalokbhattach. The views expressed are personal

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The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) recorded the statements of former Madhya Pradesh chief secretary AV Singh in a 15-year-old fraud case on Friday.

The case pertaining to reduction of penalty of a premier college from Rs24 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh by the erstwhile Digvijaya Singh-led Congress government, has among the accused the former chief minister, his then cabinet colleague Raja Pateriya and the college chairman.

According to EOW sources, the former chief secretary was questioned in connection with the case for around two hours.

He was asked a series of questions pertaining to his signature on the documents related to permission to lower the Rs 24 lakh penalty to Rs 2.5 lakh.

The ex-bureaucrat claimed during questioning that in the note sheet he signed for approval of the government, he had recommended for Rs 24 lakh penalty and not Rs 2.5 lakh penalty. However, the penalty was lowered later at the level of then CM and his ministerial colleague.

The penalty was slapped on the college by the state technical education department over some wrongful admission in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

On July 28, 2016, the EOW had recorded statements of the present MP state election commissioner R Parshuram, who was the principal secretary of technical education when the alleged fraud had taken place.

Digvijaya Singh, who was chief minister of the state from 1993 to 2003, along with his technical education minister Raja Pateriya have been accused of unlawfully reducing the penalty of RKDF College from Rs 24 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh, a top official said on Friday.

Statements of the former chief minister and Pateriya have already been recorded by the EOW in the past.

According to the complaint of a local journalist Radhavallabh Sharda, the former CM and Pateriya, in collusion with the college concerned, waived off the institutes penalty imposed on it by the government over some wrongful admissions in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

The college had then requested Singh to slash the penalty to Rs 5 lakh but he allegedly reduced it to Rs 2.5 lakh.

Digvijaya Singh, Pateriya and the college head were booked in December 2015 by the EOW under relevant sections of the IPC.
Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotras equation has always been one of the most speculated topics of B-Town, though none has ever uttered a word on it.

However, in a recent interview with a leading channel, the 23-year-old actor made a statement that ascertained her fondness for the Kapoor And Sons actor.

Read: Sidharth Malhotra is one of the closest people in my life, says Alia

Read: Sidharth is so gorgeous, I can get lost in his eyes, says Alia Bhatt

The Highway actor didnt take a second to reply Sid when she was asked whom she would choose among Ranveer Singh, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Shahid Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor to start a civilisation with, given she is the last woman left on the planet, reports Pink Villa.

Watch: Alia, Sidharth in a song from Student Of The Year

On the work front, Alia, who now is busy with the Dream Team tour in the US, will next be seen opposite Varun in Dharma productions high voltage drama Shuddhi.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
A slew of actors are known for their smoking habits, but Hrithik Roshan kicked the butt a few years ago and is soaking in the joy of being a non-smoker. He says a cigarette is the worst evil manufactured and he could be a role model for those who want to quit.

I am a true believer in the fact that it (cigarette) is the worst evil manufactured and sold in this world. It should not exist. As far as anti-smoking disclaimers are concerned, I dont know if that is the right way, Hrithik told IANS here during the promotion of his latest film Mohenjo Daro.

I think it needs a role model who will speak on the joy of being a non-smoker. Perhaps, someone like me. I would love to become a symbol of...someone who struggled with giving up smoking and now is enjoying his life as a non-smoker.

Hrithik Roshan and Pooja Hegde during their visit at a multiplex to meet their fans ahead of the release of the film Mohenjo Daro in Mumbai. (IANS)

That will go a longer way in changing peoples perspective and making them believe that smoking is not good, added the actor.

Set in the city of Mohenjo Daro, the nerve centre of the Indus Valley Civilisation (3,500-1,700 BC), Hrithiks new film brings an epic adventure-romance story to the silver screen.

Period dramas are generally slammed for being historically inaccurate. Wasnt he hesitant to sign on the dotted line when he was offered the role in the Ashutosh Gowariker directorial?

Hrithik Roshan in a still from Mohenjo Daro. (Twitter)

Had it been any other filmmaker, there would have been concerns. But with Ashutosh, you are assured... I know his penchant for facts and he loves to do research. There is so much time he spends on making sure he has all the information before he begins projecting something that is based on history.

Knowing that he was helming it, I had complete faith, said the actor, who also worked with the director in Jodhaa Akbar, an epic historical drama.

Apart from the director, Hrithik also had good words for his co-star Pooja Hegde, who has featured in southern films like Mukunda and Mugamoodi.

Read: Battle for box office: Rustom has an edge over Mohenjo Daro already

I got excited when I saw Poojas screen test. Thats when I got really happy that we have a face that can depict the emotion that Chaani (the female protagonist) needs to portray.

I got very happy and excited that we found a face which has not yet been established. So, it would be refreshing and would add so much more to the film, he said about the former beauty queen, who has made her Bollywood acting debut in the film.

Like Pooja, will Hrithik also try his hand at southern films?

Read: Mohenjo Daro review - Ashutosh offers a grandeur that fails to entertain

Maybe. I dont know. I really appreciate the way they make films. There is a lot to learn from their patterns. I admire those films, he said.

And what about making films like his father Rakesh Roshan?

No. I get scared... seeing him work, said Hrithik, who has given hit films like Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai and Krrish with his father.

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If you cant head to an exotic locale this Independence Day weekend, catch a glimpse of Ranveer Singh holiday photos from Switzerland instead - Its almost like youre there. Almost.

On cloud nine ... #MtPilatus #Lucerne #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND @myswitzerlandlive A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 9:06am PDT

Fact: Being stuck at home on a long weekend is a major bummer. But if theres one thing we can count on to help put us in a better mood, its stalking celebrities on social media and living vicariously through their exotic vacations.

Read: Wanna travel like stars? Check out these celebrity vacation hotspots

To make things easier for you, weve looked up Ranveers Instagram page to give you a taste of what the great wide world is like beyond your own four walls. Because when youre a celebrity and money is not an object, your vacation doesnt need to be to an all-inclusive resort where you can relax by a lukewarm pool and enjoy questionable seafood. Instead, you can vacation absolutely anywhere in the world and be treated like royalty wherever you go.

Read: Karisma Kapoor vacation pics make us wish shed pack us in her suitcase

Hello Ranveer Singh!

Let the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) commence.

Off for a Howl-iday w my homeboys...So friggin' excited!!!  Chal...can you guess where I'm going?? #euro #trippin A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 11, 2016 at 7:20am PDT

Okay okay here's a clue ... A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 11, 2016 at 7:49am PDT

Welcome to Switzerland !!!  #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND @myswitzerlandlive A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 11, 2016 at 11:44am PDT

The actor, who was busy with his upcoming film Befikre, says he is on a break post the hectic schedule of the movie. And of course taking a vacation to detox is the norm. So, after the gruelling schedule of the Aditya Chopra-directed film in Paris, the 31-year-old Bollywood star is off to Switzerland, which is synonymous with glitz and glamour.

Room with a view! #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND #Lucerne @myswitzerlandlive A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 1:32am PDT

The woods are lovely, dark and deep , But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep... #serenity A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 5:58am PDT

What better country to chill out in than Switzerland? Its natural beauty set amongst towering snow-capped mountains serves as a calming, quiet getaway that is ideal for a break, Ranveer said in a statement.

Im an adventure junkie. I intend to fully enjoy myself while Im here, said the Bajirao Mastani.

In Befikre, Ranveer will be seen romancing Vaani Kapoor. Apparently, he will also be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati that also features his rumoured girlfriend Deepika Padukone in the lead.

Speed Demon ! ! !   #Tobogganing #MtPilatus #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND @myswitzerlandlive A video posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 3:46am PDT

Did these Switzerland Instagrams give you major FOMO?

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Salim Khan made his foray into Bollywood in 1960, with the film Baarat. But surprisingly, the veteran screenwriter began his career as an actor. It was only a decade later that he joined hands with lyricist-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, thus becoming a formidable force in the industry.

Now, Khan is wielding the microphone. He has turned radio jockey for 91.9 FM Radio Nasha and will host The 70MM Show every weekend. On the show, he will talk about his experiences in the Hindi film industry. His first show took place on August 13.

Read: Naseeruddin Shah does not like successful people: Javed Akhtar

Ask him if he consulted his family before doing the show, and he says, My family consults me. Why should I ask them about it (laughs)? Im the head of the family. Do you think I asked Salman (Khan) if I should do this show?

Khan was never in two minds about hosting the show after Kiran Kotrial (conceptualiser and co-host) and other representatives from the radio channel approached him for it. They knew about the kinds of stories I could share. Once, Ashok Kumar (the late actor) told me that I am the right person to write a book on Bollywood, because I have seen the industry since the time of actors such as Raj Kapoor to Dharmendra, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and now, Ranbir Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor. But you cannot write an honest book. Bahut problems create kar degi woh (such a book will create a lot of problems). You have to be selective about what you want to say, he says.

Speaking his mind

In July, Khan made news for lambasting Naseeruddin Shah for his comment on late actor Rajesh Khanna. It was unfair to talk about a person who is no more. Back then, everyone had a problem with Rajesh Khanna. But that was then. His peak period was from 1969 to 1975, and it was almost certain that to make a hit film, you needed him. So, everyone was demoralised, says Khan.

Read: Frustration is tough to cure: Salim Khan on Naseers Rajesh Khanna comment

A proud father

Khan, however, starts beaming when you mention Salman and his last release Sultan in the same sentence. He narrates an anecdote, saying, When Aditya Chopra (producer) came home with the script of Sultan, he told Salman that if he doesnt do it, he will not make the film. If you see the movie now, you realise that no one but Salman could have played the role. Casting is that important.
Sonam Kapoor (left) attended the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 12. Her much-acclaimed film Neerja was screened at the Australian festival. Sonam also received the Best Actress award for her performance. Apart from being honoured at the event, she was invited for a special lunch by the governor of Victoria (a state in Australia)  Linda Dessau. She is the first woman to hold the office.

Read: Sonam Kapoor reveals the secret behind her beautiful pictures

A source close to the actor says, Sonam met Dessau before attending the awards ceremony. Being a strong supporter of womens empowerment, the governor had heard great things about Sonam and her strong views on gender issues.

Read: When you are a public figure, you need to be responsible: Sonam Kapoor

Sonam couldnt be reached for a comment.

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By the end of the third day it had dawned on Avnish Bajaj that India was a country straight out of Kafka.

He had been quite cool when the ordeal began. He was in Delhi and a policeman had come calling. The visitor looked like the quintessential Delhi policeman: the belly and beret were not perfect, and the speech was earthy. Actually, he could have been a policeman anywhere in India.

Saab has asked for you, he said. He wants to do a joint press conference with you.

This was late in the afternoon of 17 December 2004, a Friday. Avnish was one of the founders of Baazee.com, an online auction site and marketplace. He had sold it six months ago to eBay, the United States-based online marketplace, but continued to run it as the country manager.

Not bad, Avnish thought. Finally, he was going to get some recognition for all the hard work his team had done to help the police arrest the young IIT Kharagpur student who had put up video CDs for sale showing teen porn on Baazee. This CD showed a boy, 17, and a girl, 16, engaged in oral sex. Both were students of Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. Apparently, the boy had recorded the act and circulated it on mobile phones. The two-minute, thirty-seven-second clip was burned on to video CDs, which were put up on Baazee for Rs 125 apiece.

Baazees checks and balances kicked in, and the CD was taken off within 36 hours, before the weekend ended. But a random Google search could still throw it up because of the layers of indexing and cache. A journalist googled it. It showed up as a listing on Baazee. A tabloid ran a big story. The Delhi police took suo motu action and filed an FIR.

Read more: This excerpt from a book demolishes Ashokas reputation as pacifist

At the time Avnish was innocent enough not to know that if the police call you on a Friday afternoon, it is nothing but ominous. The office of the economic offences wing to which he was being taken could never be the venue of a press conference. Less naive Indians, when they get such invitations, leave for Dubai.

Avnish did call his lawyer, who said it was fine to go.

Sure enough, upon his arrival at the office he was put under arrest. The cyber laws, or whatever semblance of it existed back then, said the CEO of the website was liable. It did not matter who put the offending video CD on it.

No matter, Avnish thought. Slim and dapper, he remained his suave self, laughing and joking with the policemen. There was much mirth when his wife Tina Kapur arrived and signed her name in the register.

She has a different surname, one of the cops had observed. Are you really married?

They were, said Avnish, and that Tina was to change her surname at the end of the probation. That is not going to happen, now that I have been arrested.

Amid guffaws, one of the policemen said they had never met someone who was so jovial in custody.

But I have not done anything wrong. Why worry? thought Avnish. I am in a new industry and these things happen. Surely, they will understand the logic of it.

Baazee.com was an open marketplace. Anybody could attempt to sell almost anything on it. Whats more, Avnish and his team had worked hard through the weekend to identify the fellow who had put up the porn clip, and had him arrested. Avnish really deserved that joint press conference, not the arrest.

The next day, they shifted him to Tihar. And everything changed.

The place was freaking scary. I am completely innocent and I have been put here in this awful place. Who pays for this? he had demanded of his lawyer.

Welcome to India, said the lawyer. This is the system, deal with it.

He is no longer Avnishs lawyer.

Soon, Avnish was talking to the United States embassy in New Delhi. He was lucky that he was a US citizen, a fact that no doubt escaped the Delhi police.

The Americans intervened through the diplomatic channel. They also tried to educate the Indian authorities about how the cyber laws worked in other countries. With the case now being reported in the global media, the Indian government and authorities became supportive. Soon it looked like the police were nuts, probably trying to divert public attention from other issues.

Avnish got bail after three daysthree gruelling, soul-sapping days. But it would be eight years before he got out of it completely. The case went right up to the Supreme Court, whose three-judge bench quashed the whole thing.

Today, Avnish thinks of it as one of the things that shaped him, made him man up. In some ways I am proud of it. You feel like a martyr when you go to jail for an industry.

That industry is flourishing today: Flipkart, Snapdeal, Paytm, ShopClues, and Amazons India arm operate online marketplaces, helped by the understanding created by the case against Avnish.

Not just that, most of todays entrepreneurs share Avnishs self-confidence. They face adversity knowing that they have dealt with it before.

Read more: The suffering of the Terrorists and the Terrorized

Kunal Bahl, much before he set up Snapdeal, scraped plastic off things at a factory near Delhi for Rs 6,550 a month. He was deported while working in the United States. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, in a phase before he became the celebrated CEO of Paytm, used to go back to his house only in the dead of the night, so he did not have to face the landlord. The stress rose so high for Phanindra Sama, who founded RedBus, he had to take shelter in Vipassana. Yogendra Vasupal, founder of Stayzilla, almost smoked and drank himself into the ground. The first chartered accountant Suchi Mukherjee approached, when she wanted to set up LimeRoad, told her to go back to London. Shashank ND, in the early years of Practo, used to place his bed strategically close to his work desk, so when he collapsed, he did not hit the ground. Bhavish Aggarwal, when he decided to set up Ola, was berated by his father for becoming a travel agent. Mu Sigma founder Dhiraj Rajaram went to a dinner on a day he had three of his wisdom teeth taken out; he did not want to miss the deal. The founders of ShopClues gave a contractor Rs 9 lakh to do up their first office; he ran away with the money.

All of them bounced back. No wonder a recent blog on LinkedIn by Snapdeals co-founder, Rohit Bansal, crackles with silent laughter as it talks about questions over the future of ecommerce. The best is yet to come. Weve just gotten started and covered 5% of the journey, Bansal writes.

The Tip of the Iceberg is about the remarkable journey of Indias start-ups. Some found their destination, some did not.

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I dont know how many readers of this column were listening to music in the 1976-79 period. I suspect the number will be rather small. Those were the three years that roughly spanned the time when I got out of school and got into college. Many of my friends and I were already avid listeners and collectors (not the easiest of activities to pursue in an unconnected world with limited choices). Most of us couldnt afford good equipment either.

In that analog world, our music system would often be just a mono cassette tape-recorder or, at best, locally made stereos  brands such as Sonodyne, Cosmic, Bush and HMV come to mind. High-end amplifiers and speakers that catered to well-heeled audiophiles were far out of our reach  in any case, you couldnt buy them easily in India.

So recently, when a friend extolled the virtues of listening to music via a vintage amplifier and nudged me in the direction of one HS Sakhale in Mumbai, I impulsively went for it. A couple of weeks later after a quick electronic transaction between Mr Sakhale and me, the Akai AM 2600 stereo amplifier (DOB roughly 1976-79) showed up at my place.

Its a 10-kg metal and wooden box with old-school knobs, switches and double VU needle meters. But after hooking it up to my much more recent era speakers, Ive realised that Ive struck old gold at around 60-plus watts per channel. My speakers, till now used to a sleek black fancy amplifier, are reacting with vim, delivering sounds that I never thought they were capable of  warmer, sharper and with greater tonal range. I wondered how a 40-year-old amp could sound so much better than contemporary ones.

Also watch: Eggs Over Easy - Across From Me

Then I read a CNET article about how makers of modern amps, unless theyre of the really costly ultra top-end variety, spend much of their resources on licensing fees and royalties to third-party purveyors of proprietary services (think Dolby, HDMI, Apple, Bluetooth, and so on) than they do on the sound quality. Also, in an environment where the home theatre (an abomination if you ask me) rules, the market for good quality audio only equipment is minuscule, exclusive and very, very expensive.

Having taken the first two paragraphs of this piece to justify my middle-aged indulgence (actually, the Akai amp wasnt that expensive), lets get to the music Ive been listening to on my new acquisition. Appropriately, it has been old. Anyone remember a short-lived genre known as pub rock? It was a bridge genre that was in vogue in Britain mainly in the 1970s  a rebellion against the excesses of progressive rock and the flashiness of glam rock.

Mr Boombastic: At around 60-plus watts per channel, the Akai AM 2600 (c. 1976) stereo amplifier is pure gold.

True to its name, pub rock bands spurned big venues and chose small bars and pubs and I call the genre a bridge genre because it was quickly overwhelmed by British punk rock, which as we know was an even more rebellious, fierce and in-your-face sort of music. Interesting trivia about pub rock: it may have been begun in Londons Kentish Town by a sadly overlooked folk-rock band from, wait for it, New York!

Eggs Over Easy began as a duo in California before moving to New York and from there to London where a pub let them play for a few pounds a night.That may have set off a trend although it did not do much for the fortunes of Eggs Over Easy, which ultimately disbanded. I read about the duo, Jack OHara and Austin De Lone, in a delightful article in New Yorker recently, which described how the two men, now in their late sixties, have reunited and may be working on a compilation album.

A search for their music yielded a double album, Good n Cheap, which has 36 songs, most of them recorded in the early 1970s. All laid-back tunes with happy, even funny lyrics. Many originals and many covers. Delhi boozers will enjoy the country standard Im Gonna Put a Bar in My Car (And drive myself to drink); everyone will enjoy Horny Old Lady (especially the bit about the alien encounter); and those whove grown up listening to The Band, Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm, will marvel at the solidly-inspired Henry Morgan. Pub rock enjoyed a fleeting moment before punk arrived but Eggs Over Easy sadly had no brush with fame. Decades later, now theres a chance more people will get to hear what the pioneers of a forgotten genre sounded like.

Tailpiece: I dont know how to describe the music that Jeff the Brotherhood, a band comprising two brothers (none of them is named Jeff; theyre Jake and Jamin Orral) originally from Nashville, Tennessee, play. I heard one of their albums from 2015, Global Chakra Rhythms, and it sounded like the title: pure psychedelia. Their song titles dont leave room for ambiguity. What do you expect Radiating fiber plane to sound like? Or, Deep Space Bound on the Edge of Reality? Stoner music, right? Right. Even the tame sounding Food and Wine Festival turned out to be an excursion into stoner haven.

A good high: Jeff the Brotherhoods music is pure psychedelia or what you may call stoner music. (Corbis via Getty Images)

Then, just to be sure, I sampled another of their 2015 albums, Wasted on the Dreams. It was a different sound altogether: delicious garage rock! Wait, theres more. On Black Cherry Pie off the same album, a familiar sounding flutist appears and does a solo. Once. And then again. Guess who that is? Ian Anderson. Of Jethro Tull fame. Im still scratching my head.

Download Central appears every fortnight

From HT Brunch, August 14, 2016

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CBI has registered a fresh case against industrialist Vijay Mallya for alleged irregularities in repayment of Rs 1,600 crore loan taken from State Bank of India.

CBI sources said a case has been registered against Mallya and others after receiving a complaint from State Bank of India, which is leading a consortium of 17 banks that have given loans to Kingfisher Airlines.

The sources said it was alleged that Mallya had sought to recast his loan repayment in which information was suppressed by the businessman.

The agency has already filed a case of alleged loan default by the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines to IDBI Bank.

The airline, owned by Mallya, had taken Rs 6,900 crore from a consortium of 17 lenders in early 2010 after a second debt restructuring for the airline.

SBI has an exposure of Rs 1,600 crore to the airline. Out of this, the bankers, which recalled the loan in February 2013, could recover only around Rs 1,100 crore after selling pledged shares of UB Group companies.

Other banks that have exposure to the airline include Punjab National Bank and IDBI Bank (Rs 800 crore each), Bank of India (Rs 650 crore), Bank of Baroda (Rs 550 crore), Central Bank of India (Rs 410 crore).

UCO Bank has to recover Rs 320 crore, Corporation Bank (Rs 310 crore), State Bank of Mysore (Rs 150 crore), Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 140 crore), Federal Bank (Rs 90 crore), Punjab and Sind Bank (Rs 60 crore) and Axis Bank (Rs 50 crore).
For the first time in the history of Indian aviation, criminal cases would be registered against two senior pilots and two cabin crew members belonging to Air India (AI) and Jet Airways, who were caught drunk after operating passenger flights.

The flight safety department of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed AI and Jet to get FIRs registered against the four, and file compliance reports in a week.

HT first reported on August 11 that the two pilots had tested positive for alcohol after operating international flights  the first such safety violation in India.

Licence of both pilots of AI and Jet found +ve on alcohol test suspended for 4 yrs. Directions issued to lodge FIR. Imprisonment upto 1 yr, aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju tweeted.

The blood alcohol content of the AI pilot was particularly high at .025. Two cabin crew one each of AI and Jet  were caught drunk, said a DGCA official. Jet said it had sacked the pilot. On August 10, the pilot of AIs Sharjah-Kozhikode flight tested positive for alcohol. On August 3, the pilot of Jets Abu Dhabi-Chennai flight was found drunk.

Meanwhile, the DGCA has suspended 11 pilots belonging to Jet Airways, AI, Air Pegasus and Trujet for flying beyond the maximum permissible flying hours after taking action against 63 SpiceJet pilots for similar violation. It has also issued show-cause notices to these airlines.

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With barely three weeks to go for RBI governor Raghuram Rajan to step down, the focus is back on his successor. With the government expected to announce the name of the new RBI governor soon, official sources said the new governor would have to finish the task set by Rajan to clean up banks balance sheets at the earliest.

All RBI governors have been very competitive, but Rajans successor will be judged largely by how he finishes the unfinished task of Rajan, an official source, who did not wish to be identified, told HT.

Non-performing assets loans that do not yield returns  for public sector banks stood at 7.7% of total advances, or 4.76 lakh crore, as of March 31, 2016.

According to the RBIs Financial Stability Report, bad loans could rise to 8.5% of total advances by March 2017. The RBI has already asked banks to undertake asset quality review to address the NPA problem, besides rolling out debt restructuring exercises.

The central bank has a long way to go before banks can take firm decisions about the bad loans and what to do with them, said the source quoted above.

New banking licences is another focus area for the RBI, the baton for which will be passed on to Rajans successor.

Ever since Rajan announced his intention to step down at the end of his term on September 4, there has been intense speculation about his successor. Names, including SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya, RBI deputy governor Urjit Patel, former deputy governors Subir Gokarn and Rakesh Mohan, former economic advisor Kaushik Basu, NITI Aayog chairman Arvind Panagariya, chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, have been doing the rounds.
This week Facebook prompted a memory from six years ago  a digital version of This Day, That Year  that reposts your past online musings. Mine  dated the 10th of August, 2010  went like this: Wish the Prime Minister had spoken two months earlier on Kashmir. The PM I was writing about then was Manmohan Singh; the backdrop was the summer of discontent in the Valley that saw more than a 100 boys dead after raging clashes with security forces. Then too, like now, some of us implored Delhi to wake up from its slumber, petitioned the Prime Minister for intervention and pulled our hair out at how slow the reaction was in coming. Re-reading what I said six years ago only proved one thing  so formulaic and cussed are the responses to any crisis in Kashmir that the initial apathy is almost hardwired into pre-programmed reflexes.

In some ways the dysfunctional nature of the relationship between Delhi and Srinagar and the deja vu patterns that define it is what Sigmund Freud called repetition compulsion, or the desire to return to an earlier state of things. It could explain why we lurch from meltdown to meltdown in Kashmir and delude ourselves when it falls off the news-cycle that normalcy has returned. The posh resorts in Gulmarg, the saffron and tulips, the over-priced and always full hotels and the god-awful paneer manchurian and chow mein that has replaced gushtaba and tabak maaz at cafes across Srinagar  we cling to the irrelevance of these cosmetic cover-ups to convince ourselves that all is well. And so, when the streets erupts in rage, as they did in 2008, 2010 and now 2016, we first deny its existence, then underestimate it, then decry it, then react belatedly, then get Parliament to intervene, then hastily summon an all-party meeting and finally look towards our prime ministers to do something innovative and empathetic. A handful of half-hearted attempts are then made at a dialogue process, only to be shelved with the arrival of next seasons tourists  till its crisis time again  and then again. As a reporter on the Kashmir beat for over two decades I constantly feel transported to a past-life; we have all been in this moment several times before.

Read | Its yesterday again: Kashmirs old wounds need political healing

Yet, there are some crucial differences this time that will make defusing tensions much more difficult. The 2010 protests were in the backdrop of a fake encounter in the Machil sector in which the army has now court-martialed six of its own men and handed them life sentences. They were compounded by a tear gas shell hitting a 17 year old Tufail Mattoo as he walked home from tuition and was inadvertently caught in clashes between the forces and protesters. No matter what turn they eventually took, you could locate the origin of these protests in the specific context of rights violations, justice and the breakdown of law.

This time, the Valley erupted in support of a Hizbul Mujahideen militant  Burhan Wani. The subsequent erosion of moral authority from the large scale blindings by pellet guns  partial and permanent  of many young Kashmiris, some of them even younger than 16, has been a force multiplier for that anger. The idiom and tools of rebellion have changed as well. If it was primarily stones in 2010, now the crowds are much more violent. In some cases police stations have been set ablaze; even the Valleys first high-density apple orchard project set up by a young US-returned Kashmiri was destroyed by a rampaging mob. In some cases the protesters have outflanked policemen and CRPF at security posts, charging towards them and snatching their weapons.

Read | Acknowledge Kashmir as political problem, dialogue can follow later: Mirwaiz

In 2010, the state government had reached out to separatists, including pro-Pakistan Hurriyat Representative Syed Ali Shah Geelani to help bring calm to the streets. This time, too, the government made a similar appeal. But the harsh truth (beyond the irony that governments reach out to separatists for crisis management but initiate no institutional dialogue with them) is that the separatists who were once the masters of their individual fiefdoms and pockets of influence dont really have any control over the millennial generation of Kashmiris. One separatist leader who did not want to be named told me, half scared, that while he never used to speak of Muslim identity earlier in his public utterances, he now has to, to remain relevant among the young. Those who want a hard-fisted approach to Kashmir speak repeatedly of growing Islamism as a reason to pursue the danda over dialogue. How does that make any sense? Even if the Internet generation of Kashmiris  having grown up knowing only conflict, violence and a single faith culture  are radicalised  and certainly some are, isnt it even more imperative to find a language to engage with them in? No one will say it officially, but theres a genuine anxiety both within mainstream Valley parties and within the Hurriyat Conference at having been outpaced by a nameless, faceless agitation, with the mythology of Wani calling the shots from the grave. So even if Delhi gives shape to the contours of a new peace process who will it talk to? And what will be on the table? The now aborted autonomy report of the National Conference; the self-rule document of the PDP or the UPA interlocutors report that never even made it to Parliament?

Read | Kashmir crippled by lazy politics, needs greater outreach

Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed his talks with Naga insurgents as historic even though their demands clearly include separate passports and flag. Just last month T Muivah of NSCN-IM said, We have not given up on our demands for sovereignty. Irom Sharmilas non-violent struggle has been celebrated even though it was pitched in direct opposition to the Armys special powers. What if Sharmila were Kashmiri; would we have still seen her the same way? Why are we unable to show the same imagination and compassion in Kashmir that we have in Nagaland and Manipur? Because lets face it  the military has more than done the job assigned to it within the Valley and at the line of control. Infiltration has been contained and militancy crushed with government figures listing no more than 150 militants. What we are seeing in Kashmir, including the resurgence of educated local militants, is the failure of politics. Yes, Pakistan is fuelling the fire, but lets deal with Islamabad later. Or let the military deal with them. What Narendra Modi needs to do is to make his way to Srinagar and talk directly to the people. So that when he says the rest of India loves Kashmir, the Swarg bhoomi he means not just its mountains, and apples and rivers and strategic value, but the Kashmiri people as well.

Barkha Dutt is consulting editor, NDTV, and founding member, Ideas Collective. The views expressed are personal.

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The yatra is on the move. Starting on August 5 from Ahmedabad, the Azaadi Kooch March (march towards freedom) will cover 350 km to converge at Una where it all began with a video of Dalits being thrashed for skinning the carcass of a dead cow. Neither Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patels subsequent resignation nor Prime Minister Narendra Modis belated condemnation of vigilante gau rakshaks has made a dent. On Independence Day, if things go as planned, the procession will arrive at and unfurl the tricolour at Una.

Read | Una attack aftermath: Dalits pledge not to lift carcasses in Gujarat

The purpose is not to raise the flag as much as it is at giving a message to the government that Dalits will not tolerate any atrocities 35-year-old Jignesh Mevani, a former reporter turned activist who is leading the march, told PTI.

Mevani wants alternative economic opportunities for Dalits. At every village the rally passes through, Dalits take an oath to never pick up a carcass again. But the implications of the padyatra go far beyond the borders of Gujarat.

Dalits comprise 16.6% of the total population; in Gujarat its 7% and in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, 20.5%. This might explain the uncharacteristic alacrity with which the BJP expelled its vice president Dayashankar Singh for his offensive remarks against BSP chief Mayawati.

Read | In state after state, cow protection vigilantes pick on Dalits, Muslims

The Dalit vote is impossible to ignore. An analysis by India Today magazine finds that the BJPs Dalit vote share doubled from 12% in 2009 to 24% in 2014. But caste-based violence continues to plague India 69 years after Independence. Article 17 of our Constitution bans the practice of untouchability while the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 provides for strong legal protection. Yet, the data is grim. The National Crime Records Bureau reports a 44% increase in violence against Dalits  up from 32,712 in 2010 to 47,064 in 2014.

Partly this spike is because of better reporting, partly its a backlash from upper castes as Dalits grow more assertive. The upper castes are still stuck in a world where the Dalits and tribals are untouchables, Kancha Illaiah, director of the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy told the website IndiaSpend.

Read | Gujarat: Dalits refuse to dispose of dead cattle, demand govt protection

But it is not just crime, including routine rape and systemic murder. It is not just the denial of jobs or the persistence of abhorrent practices like manual scavenging. Its the ingrained and persistent practice of untouchability that grates. A November 2014 survey across 42,000 households across India by the National Council of Applied Economic Research and the University of Maryland found that one in four Indians admitted to practising some form of untouchability.

The focus on cow vigilantes is undoubtedly political. Emboldened by the BJPs victory of May 2014, thuggish gau rakshak groups have crossed a line that could cost the BJP valuable votes in states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab that have sizeable Dalit populations. It could also serve to create a new Dalit-Muslim political alliance that could potentially destabilise this government.

Atrocities against Dalits are hardly new, even if the sense of impunity to the gau rakshaks is. Dalits have been denied entry into temples, access to drinking water and even cremation grounds and beaten for the most minor transgressions. Beyond the politics lies the far greater moral question of social justice. How does any modern nation tolerate such widespread, blatant apartheid against such significant numbers of its own citizens?

Read | Progressive Modi? The PM speaks on transgenders, Dalits and Kashmir

There is one remarkable new difference and it lies in the nature of the protests. What we are witnessing in Gujarat could mark a new beginning of the annihilation of an old order. A new generation of a largely apolitical movement that is savvy on social media and articulate on various platforms, is no longer willing to tolerate the indignities heaped on their parents.

To dump the carcasses of cows outside administrative offices is a dramatic signal that sends an unambiguous message: Dalits can no longer be taken for granted. Patience for injustice is running thin, as it should. My birth is my fatal accident, wrote scholar Rohith Vemula in his suicide note. The march to Una aims to reverse that thought. Heres wishing for its extinction.

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GHAZIABAD: BJP leader Brijpal Teotia, who was attacked in Muradnagar on Thursday night, continues to be critical and is on life support.

Doctors at said Fortis Hospital in Noida conducted two surgeries on Teotia on Thursday night and another one is scheduled for Saturday.

The police have detained five people, including a woman con stable, for interrogation .Among the five detained is constable Sunita Hasanpuriya, posted in Baghpat district. She is wife of notorious criminal Rakesh Hasanpuriya who was killed in a police encounter, said inspector general of police (law and order) Hari Ram Sharma in Lucknow.

The others detained are Gaurav Sirohi of Bulandshahr, Vinay Gujar of Meerut, Shekhar Gupta, and Manoj of Ghaziabad. The G haziabad police have constituted six teams to nab the attackers.

The police are probing the role of criminal gangs in Ghaziabad that use AK -47 and other automatic machine guns. Prominent among them are gangs led by Sundar Bhati and Mukeem Kala.

Vikas, Teotias brother, said he received 32 units of blood. He sustained four bullet injuries, one on his right shoulder, one below the arm, and two in the chest. Only one bullet pierced Brijpal, fracturing his shoulder bone.

Unidentified men fired around 60 rounds at the BJP leader and five others, including his private bodyguards, at 8pm on Thursday. They were travelling in a white Mahindra Scorpio, when a white Toyota Fortuner SUV intercepted them. All six men in the SUV sustained bullet injuries.

On Friday, Teotias private guard Mohkam Singh lodged an FIR at Mu rad Na gar police station. Unidentified men were booked for rioting, attempt to murder and under sections of the Arms Act.

At the hospital, two operations were held between 1.30am and 5am on Friday. His shoulder bone has been operated on and the loss of blood contained. Doctors say his condition is better than yesterday, said Vikas.

He said there was no personal enmity between his brother and anyone.

We are praying for Brijpals speedy recovery, said Vikas. Union minister and Ghaziabad MP general (retd) VK Singh visited him at the hospital at 7.30am on Friday.

A former Delhi police con stable, Brijpal Teotia contested the 2012 assembly polls from Muradnagar segment on a BJP ticket. He lost by a margin of 4,540 votes.

The Ghaziabad police found the Toyota Fortuner SUV abandoned in the jungles of Niwari on Friday morning.

The car has a fake number plate. It was robbed from DLF Gurgaon on June 8, said Rakesh Kumar Pandey, SP (rural).

Further, the forensic team from Meerut was deployed to collect evidence from the Fortuner. The police on late Thursday night also recovered AK-47 and 9mm pistols in Modinagar. Another FIR was lodged at Mod in agar police station under attempt to murder and the Arms Act as two fleeing assailants fired at the police.
NEW DELHI: Apex court hit out at the government for sitting on recommendations of its collegium on appointment and transfer of high court judges. The Supreme Court lashed out at the government on Friday for allegedly stalling high court judges appointment and threatened to pass orders to clear the logjam, potentially triggering the latest episode in a string of clashes between the executive and judiciary.

Chief Justice of India TS Thakur read out a list of 75 names sent to the Centre for appointment as HC judges since February but lamented that there had been no progress.

The Centre is attempting to bring the judiciary to a grinding halt by not appointing high court judges, Thakur told attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, who promised to get back on the status of the list by September 13.

The court asked the government to send back the names in case of a problem but to not hold up the appointments.

If this logjam goes on, well be forced to judicially interfere with the government and ask for every file sent to you by the collegium.

The strongly worded comments came roughly four months after the CJI broke down and criticised successive governments for not increasing the number of judges to a number sufficient to deal with millions of pending cases.

Indias judicial system is crippled by a shortage of judges and cases often take several decades to reach a verdict, especially in the lower courts.

Indias 24 high courts have nearly four million cases pending before them while another 30 million cases clog trial courts. But clearing this backlog is considered virtually impossible with the current strength of judges  in the high courts, 434 posts out a sanctioned strength of 1,056 remain vacant.

Even in Indias top court that was originally set up in 1951 to oversee 1,215 cases by eight judges, now 31 judges have to decide on a staggering 60,000 cases annually. The CJI has said in the past that the country needed to double the number of judges from its current strength of 21,000.

But the proposal of passing orders to clear the backlog might spark a face-off between the government and the judiciary.

In the past, senior ministers have asked the SC to draw a lakshman rekha to not intrude into the executives jurisdiction.

The comments had come after the apex court came down heavily on the Centre and state governments for not responding adequately to drought conditions.

In the past, a government attempt to set up a national judicial appointments commission to appoint judges was quashed by the top court, which said the independence of the judiciary would be compromised by a body that was proposed to have ministers on it.

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NEW DELHI: Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University increased its annual fees by 75% this academic session. There are 11 University Schools of Studies (USS) under the university, in which around 5,000 students are enrolled.

This is the first time since 201112 that the fee has been revised. Students enrolled this year will have to pay Rs 70,000 instead of Rs 40,000.

Revised fee structures for affiliated institutes are available on our websites, www.ipu.ac.in and www.ipuadmissions.nic.in, said the university.

Officials said the board of management (BOM) approved the decision to revise the fee in June. The admission fee that the self-financing institutes charged has also been revised, based on the recommendations of the Delhi Fee Regulatory Committee.

Fee has been hiked by around 20-25% in private affiliated institutes, an official said. The Directorate of Higher Education has issued a notification to 74 affiliated institutes.

The proposed fee for M CA at the Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology is Rs 1,20,000, up from Rs 96,600. At Amity School of Engineering and Technology, the proposed fee for B.Tech has been raised from Rs 69,000 to Rs 81,500.

Officials said if any affiliated institute charged more money than what was notified, action would be taken.

Some students and parents informed the university that some affiliated institutes are charging more than the notified fee. They are seeking this money in the name of revised fee structures. The university will act against them, said officials.

The Delhi government constituted a State Fee Regulatory Committee in February 2013 to determine fee in private institutions in Delhi.

In March, a protest by the students of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University forced the Delhi government to roll back a fee hike.

Students of various colleges had protested outside Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence, demanding that the fee hike be withdrawn. Soon, Kejriwal tweeted he will ensure the fee is not raised.

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NEW DELHI: Delhi Police sought court permission to further probe the hit-and-run case where allegedly a minor driving his fathers Mercedes mowed down a 32-year-old marketing executive in April. They said new facts had emerged.

The police filed a fresh plea before additional sessions judge Vimal Kumar Yadav saying that before the Mercedes accident the boy was challaned for speeding. He had allegedly showed a false and forged driving licence to the traffic police.

The accused turned an adult four days after the April 4 incident.

Police needs to further investigate the matter as some new facts have emerged. Before this incident, the juvenile was challaned for speeding vehicles. He was driving this Mercedes car at the speed of 89km/hour. When a challan was issued, he showed a driving licence to the traffic personnel and claimed that it was issued from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh. A report has been received from the authorities concerned in Etawah which says the driving licence was not issued by them. This shows it was a false and forged driving licence, special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said.

T he plea, however, was opposed by senior advocate Ramesh Gupta and advocate Rajiv Mohan, who appeared for the accused.

The court fixed the matter for September 5 and asked the defence counsel to respond how they have a right to oppose the polices plea for further investigation.

Meanwhile, during the day, the court also heard arguments on behalf of the boy on the issue of framing of charges against him and on his appeal challenging the Juvenile Justice Boards order to try him as an adult.
NEW DELHI: The time has come to expose Pakistans brutalities in Balochistan and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, blaming cross-border terrorism for a violent phase in Kashmir that has left nearly 60 people dead since July.

Modi asked the external affairs ministry to contact expats from PoK to gather information about the pitiable conditions in the region and apprise the global community.

The PMs comments at an all-party meeting to discuss the volatile situation in Kashmir are being seen as an escalation of rhetorical hostilities between the two countries over the violence in the Valley.

Pakistan has forgotten that it bombards its own citizens from fighter planes, Modi said in apparent reference to Islamabads allegation of excesses by Indian security forces battling violent mobs in Kashmir since the killing of a Hizbul commander on July 8.

A section in the Indian establishment favours a counter-offensive by New Delhi over human rights violations in PoK and Balochistan, where Pakistans security forces are accused of extra-judicial killings in a crackdown on groups seeking greater autonomy for the resource-rich province.

Modi said the government will reach out to the Valley but added that Jammu, Ladakh and PoK should also be talked about in the same breath when discussing Kashmir, underlining the governments approach of taking care of the entire state and not just one region.

While Modi said the government was ready to talk to all in Kashmir, finance minister Arun Jaitley told reporters later that a decision to engage with the separatist Hurriyat will be taken keeping in view the prevailing circumstance.

Home minister Rajnath Singh told the meeting that an all-party delegation to the Kashmir will be considered after grounds were prepared in consultation with chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

All the parties barring the Shiv Sena favoured a ban on the use of pellet guns, which have injured a large number of civilians including children. Many of them have lost partial or full eyesight.

CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury and some others sought lifting the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, which gives unfettered powers to security forces, from civilian areas in the Valley.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was the first to speak, said the UPA government made sincere efforts for a practical and pragmatic solution to the problem but failed.

The government should be seen as caring, he said.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj informed that the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) has sought a visit to Kashmir but added that India will not allow interference in its internal matters.

The home minister said he had called up National Conference leader Omar Abdullah to invite him to the meeting, but the former chief minister expressed his inability citing time constraints. NC was unrepresented in the meeting.

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said that curfew  which completed 35 days on Friday -- was hindering normalisation of the situation and demanded fixing accountability against those responsible for deterioration of the situation.

TDPs YS Chowdhury floated the idea of using drones to keep a tab on trouble-makers in Kashmir.

Muzaffar Hussain Baig, a leader of the ruling PDP, said the unrest was different from 2010 when too the state had seen days of violence on the streets of Srinagar.

People from rural areas coming to the streets, he said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court lifted a ban on the registration of large diesel cars across the national capital region on Friday but imposed a 1% cess, aimed at cleaning up Delhis foul air. The charge will be on the ex-showroom price of the vehicle.

A bench headed by chief justice TS Thakur also indicated it would create a broader mechanism to check air pollution by diesel vehicles, saying it would decide later whether to increase the cess or impose it on smaller cars as well. The Centres contention that the court cannot order such a levy will also be adjudicated later.

According to HTs estimates based on last fiscals sales data, a 1% cess on the most popular utility vehicles and SUVs will yield around `54 crore for the exchequer in a year.

The transport authority will register a big diesel car only if receipt of payment of green levy is shown, the bench ordered. The environment protection charge will be paid with the Central Pollution Control Board, which was directed to open a separate account with a scheduled public sector bank to deposit the amount.

The top court had on December 16 first clamped the ban, one among a raft of judicial measures to clean up the Capitals air that is among the worst in the world. The ban was for three months but was extended indefinitely.

The decision to allow sale of such cars came four days after German carmaker Mercedes-Benz told SC it was ready to charge 1% cess on the cost of its vehicles to get rid of the ban on registering vehicles with engine capacity of over 2,000cc. Other manufacturers sought a similar relaxation from the court.

The automobile industry welcomed the order. We as a voluntary interim measure, offered to pay 1% of the ex-show-room price of the vehicle towards anticipated environment compensation charge as a deposit, and not on the premise that our vehicles are polluting the environment... Mercedes-Benz said in a statement.

...We reiterate that, being the pioneers of numerous technological innovations, Mercedes-Benz has the technology available and can switch our entire fleet to BS VI by 2018, the statement said.

Pawan Goenka, executive director of Mahindra & Mahindra, said the company was relieved. Hope this will put all controversy surrounding diesel fuel behind us and we will be able to focus on the more important task of making our vehicles compliant with BS VI norms by April 2020.

Rakesh Srivasatava of Hyundai Motor India described the court order as a positive step addressing the challenges of customers and various stakeholders. To improve investment climate positively is most important, supported by a structured and long road map for introduction of technology with a positive tax regime in which implementation of GST will play a key role, he said.

Mercedes had rushed to the top court, complaining that in the absence of an authoritative pronouncement from Supreme Court on the issue, high courts and state benches of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had started banning the sale of such cars. It cited a Kerala NGT order that enforced the ban.

Automobile companies offered to charge the cess to counter the recommendation of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, which has proposed a green tax of 20-22% of the ex-showroom price of diesel vehicles.

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NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained at the Los Angeles international airport on Thursday evening, the third time in seven years, possibly for a match with an entry on any of the several US terror watch-lists.

An exasperated Khan tweeted the detention really really sucks, drawing an apology from senior US state department official Nisha Biswal and the US envoy to India, Richard Verma.

The reasons for the superstar running into trouble with US immigration and airport authorities were not clear to Indian officials. The US has multiple watch-lists.

I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks, Khan tweeted. He added in another tweet, The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons.

Khan, whose 2010 film My Name Is Khan dealt with racial profiling in the United States, was allowed to go after the Indian embassy intervened with the state department and the department of homeland security, which oversees security at all entry points.

No formal complaint was lodged with the US as Khan had not complained of harassment, sources said.

While there was no response yet from the US department directly responsible, US ambassador Richard Verma tweeted: Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesnt happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US. Khan responded by thanking Verma for his concern.

Biswal, the assistant secretary for south and central Asian affairs, earlier tweeted to Khan she was sorry for the hassle but added that even US diplomats get pulled for extra screening.

Khan was detained by US immigration at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey for about two hours in 2009 after his name came up on a terror alert list. He was travelling to the US at the time to publicise My Name Is Khan, ironically about the racial profiling of Muslims.

He was then detained in 2012 at Westchester County airport near New York while travelling in a private jet with Nita Ambani, wife of business magnate Mukesh Ambani. At the time, the star had been invited to deliver a lecture at Yale University and he had reached three hours late as a result.

Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America, he had said in his address. The immigration guys kicked the star out of stardom.

Secondary screening is a standard procedure followed by most countries. A secondary screening is done if a passenger triggers an alarm of any kind during the first-stage primary checking. He or she is asked to step aside for a secondary check.

Former Indian defence minister George Fernandes was strip-searched at Dulles International Airport in Washington DC twice, in 2002 and in 2003.

Indian officials dont know the cause of Khans troubles. But they said there is a procedure by which individuals in a similar situation can seek redress, and get themselves off a list.

There was no response from the department of homeland security or Customs and Border Protection, which directly runs entry points into the US, till the filing of this report.
Delhi University law faculty aspirants have started a hunger strike against the delay in counselling for admission and the proposal to reduce seats.

In a report sent to the university, the Bar Council of India (BCI) said there can be only 8 sections with 60 students in each of the three centres.

This means the university will only admit 1,440 students as against the 2,310 seats declared by DU. As the university law faculty does not have any affiliation, it will have to follow BCI norms.

Due to this legal hurdle, the admission counselling has not taken place. Students have started the strike to put pressure on the administration to take some action.

This was the only means that we could adopt. The BCI is not saying anything, the university does not want to tell us. It is already mid-August and admission still not taken place, said Gorav Arora, an aspirant from Faridabad.

Read: Law Faculty aspirants protest at DU, court

Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) members joined them and asked DU to start the admission process immediately.

The National Students Union of India (NSUI), a student wing of the Congress, had begun their hunger strike on Friday.

The dean of the faculty, SC Raina, said the university was working on the matter.

As it is an issue of several years, it takes time to resolve. The university will do everything for the welfare of the students, said Raina.
A 50-year-old heart patient died on the way to hospital after police refused to let his auto-rickshaw through an independence day security drill on Saturday.

Kailash Chand, an east Delhi resident, suffered a cardiac arrest on Saturday morning. His son, Arvind, tried to rush him to a hospital but was stopped by the police near Geeta Colony Pul, a route that had been closed and its traffic diverted.

With time ticking away, Arvind pleaded with the security personnel to let him go but to no avail. Chands auto-rickshaw then took a circuitous route through Mori Gate and ITO, stopping at several intersections before finally reaching the hospital.

It took them one and a half hour to reach Lok Nayak hospital, which is otherwise only 10 minutes away. Chand died on the way.

Read | Paragliders, drone detectors will guard Red Fort on Independence Day

Arvind said the police told him that there was a lot of VVIP movement in the area as part of the independence day dress rehearsal and that they cannot allow them through.

Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat confirmed the incident and even offered the family our condolences.

It is a very unfortunate incident. It was a VVIP route and we had advertised the same in the papers.

There was a restriction on vehicular movement near Laxmi Nagar Pul while the route from ISBT was open.

Bhagat, however, said the patients family did not mention the medical emergency to the security men.

Otherwise, we had kept that route open for ambulances and had even let one pass that day. It is a very sad incident, he added.

Read | Trees around Red Fort on cops scanner ahead of Modis Independence Day address

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A Japanese-invested factory in Ho Chi Minh City (Source: VNA)

Chairman and CEO of the group Hideo Okubo expressed the wish at a meeting with Vice Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen on August 12

Okubo said the group is willing to help the city with training for tour guides and waiting staff at restaurants and hotels, adding that specific cooperation projects will be drafted in the coming time.

Most of Forvals partners are small- and medium-sized enterprises operating in the consultation field to support Japanese firms in making investments abroad, particularly within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said.

The corporation has advised many Japanese companies to invest in Vietnam, he said, adding that it has opened representative offices in Hanoi and HCM City and cooperated with Vietnamese businesses in other cities and provinces.

Tuyen hailed Forvals desire to invest in personnel training in tourism, education and health care, which matches the citys demand.

HCM Citys current tourism staff have yet to become fully professional, hence the city hopes to partner with the Japanese group to improve the quality of human resources in this field, he added.

The southern metropolis also hopes to have modern technological equipment and smart management processes to take better care of public health, he noted.

He proposed that the corporation persuades more Japanese businesses to run investments and support HCM City to grow vigorously, confirming that local authorities will create the optimal conditions for entrepreneurs to do business efficiently./.
Denial of statehood to Delhi is an attack on the asmita (pride) of its residents, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday  his first public comments on the issue since suffering a legal setback in his governments bid to gain complete administrative control of the Union territory.

Kejriwal, who returned from a 10-day meditation course in Dharamsala on Thursday, said he will continue the fight for full statehood as goons in the higher echelons of power were hampering his governments work.

Why should the value of a Delhi citizens vote be less than that of a Haryana voter? Why should the power of a government elected by a Haryana voter be greater than that of the government elected by a Delhiite? This is Delhi citizens insult. Its an attack on their asmita (pride), Kejriwal said at a function to unveil a statue of Chaudhary Brahma Prakash, Delhis first chief minister, at an ayurvedic centre in southwest Delhis Najafgarh. We live in the national capital, but our vote carries no value.

We have taken up the cause of the people and will take it to a logical conclusion Kai baar seedhi ungli se ghee nahi nikalta toh ungli tedi karni padti hai. Yeh itne bade bade gunde baithe hain, yeh aise nahin maante (we will employ all means necessary to achieve our goal as we are up against goons sitting in the higher echelons of power), he said.

Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party government has been embroiled in a tug-of-war with the Centre  which controls the Delhi Police and key agencies like the Delhi Development Authority  since coming to power in February 2014 and has accused it of interfering in official appointments and day-to-day functioning through lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung.

Jung has in turn accused the AAP government of disregarding established protocol.

The tussle is rooted in Delhis unique position as a Union territory functioning as the Capital.

In a blow to the AAP government, the Delhi high court on August 4 ruled that the L-G was the administrative head of the city, which is essentially a Union territory, and was not bound to act as per the advice of the Delhi cabinet. The city government said it will challenge the ruling in Supreme Court.
A 27-year-old labourer was electrocuted to death while working in a factory in outer Delhis Narela on Saturday morning.

Police said Ratnesh Kumar from Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, was working at a plastic granule factory in Narelas F Block, when he accidentally stepped on a live wire. As he was barefoot, he suffered an electric shock.

His colleagues saw him lying unconscious and rushed him to Raja Harish Chander Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. His body has been sent for a postmortem examination to know the cause and time of death. His family has been informed about the incident, a senior police officer said.

Police suspect water seeped inside the factory after heavy rain on Friday evening and touched the live wires. Kumar must have stepped onto the wet live wire and got electrocuted and died, a senior police officer said.

The police registered a case of negligence and started investigation.

Locals said that most factories were shut on Saturday and not many people were around in the morning when the incident took place.

Usually, it is a busy area and many labourers work here. But on Saturday morning, there were just a few people around. Kumar could have been saved if someone had spotted him earlier, a local resident said.

As part of their investigation, the police have summoned the owner of the building. How can the owner have allowed live wires to casually lie around inside his factory? Since it rained, the floor was wet and the roof was leaking. We have summoned the owner of the building and a case of negligence has been registered. We have also recorded statements of other workers in the factory, a senior police officer said.
A Ghaziabad-based businessman allegedly strangled his 18-year-old sister-in-law and cut her body in two following a failed attempt to lure her into a kidnap drama to clear debts running into Rs 7 lakh, police said on Saturday.

The accused Mohammed Naushad, 28, is a Delhi University graduate and owns a computer hardware repairing business at Connaught Place in the capital. Investigators said that he had run up debts of nearly Rs 7 lakh that he had taken for his business.

After killing Nargis on August 10, Naushad kept the body in a bag at his third floor house in Khoda but was unable to dispose it off.

After neighbours complained of a foul smell, police broke open the door of house on Friday and found Naushad with the bag containing the body.

Naushad hatched a plan that he would kidnap his sister-in-law Nargis and would demand ransom from his father-in-law, said Salmantaj Patil, superintendent of police (city).

On August 9, when his wife and children had gone to a local market, Naushad called Nargis and told her that a baba had advised him that she should recite some mantras after being tied to a bed, the officer said.

This will help him get rid of his loan, he told her, said Patil.

Nargis agreed to be tied up but refused to cooperate when he revealed his plan to enact her kidnap drama and extort money from his father-in-law.

Naushad then put up a tape over her mouth so that she could not make any noise. Meanwhile, his wife returned but he sent her to her parents house telling that Nargis has gone missing and she should look for her, the police officer said.

He pretended to help his in-laws in looking for the victim and even lodged a police complaint.

The accused then returned to his house on August 10 and strangled Nargis at around 1pm when she again refused to be part of the fake kidnapping, police quoted Naushad as saying.

The body was cut into two parts from near the abdomen in order to pack into a bag. Meanwhile, his wife wanted to come back and he was helpless as he could not find time to dispose the body which had started decomposing. He brought perfume and used it time and again over the body to cover up the foul smell and waited for suitable time to dispose the body, an investigator said.
For the first time, paragliders and drone detectors will watch over Red Fort  from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation during the 70th Independence Day celebrations on Monday.

The national capitals security has been tightened with over 12,000 policemen and several companies of paramilitary forces deployed on the routes to the monument.

The police will deploy spotters special commandos equipped with fully automatic assault rifles and high-tech gadgets.

Over 400 sharpshooters will be positioned on all high-rise buildings around the venue. NSG, BSF and SWAT commandos will be at strategic locations, said police.

Guards will stand at 605 balconies and 104 windows that open towards Red Fort. The commandos will be spread out within a 500-metre radius around the venue. We will have policemen in plainclothes, a police source said.

Twenty-five cops at a control room near the venue will monitor the live feed from 600 CCTV cameras. Cameras will take panoramic photos of the venue, said police. Dog squads are being sent on the venue five times a day for thorough checks. We will have our quick reaction teams on standby, a senior police officer said.

The citys borders have been sealed. The area over Red Fort will be a no-fly zone during the celebrations. Crucial spots such as Parliament complex, international airport, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals and Metro stations will be under vigil.

The traffic police have restricted traffic movement. Detailed traffic deployment will be in place to facilitate the movement of VIP vehicles, invitees and the general public. Public are requested not to touch any suspicious object. They are requested to immediately report about the presence of any suspicious movementsto the nearest policeman, said joint commissioner of police, Garima Bhatnagar.

Read: Trees around Red Fort on cops scanner ahead of Modis Independence Day address

Goods vehicles wont be allowed between Nizamuddin Bridge and Wazirabad bridge. Interstate Buses will not be allowed between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan. Local buses wont operate on Ring Road and between Hanuman Setu and Bhairon Road T Point between 4 am and 11 am on Monday, said police.

Security check at Jamia Varsity

Policemen reportedly conducted a routine check at Jamia Millia Islamia University on Saturday ahead of the Independence Day. Students protested against police entering the university and said they raided the boys hostel and disrupted classes.

How can police enter any university without permission from the court or the university? This is clearly yet another attempt by the government to harass the students, said a student and National Students Union of India member, Laraib Ahmed.

Police said the checks were a part of the Independence Day routine. The checks are a part of the security drill. We have got 1,500 forms filled in the district to ensure that no outsider is living in the area. This is to ensure residents safety, said a senior police officer.

The university said it was a routine check. This is not a raid. Students have misconceived it. This was just to check that everything is fine in terms of security, said university media co-ordinator, Iftekhar Ahmad.

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Indias Independence in 1947 changed the face of Delhi especially the southern part of the national capital, the area where Tomars established their kingdom in 736 AD. Refugees from Pakistan, mostly Punjabis, thronged the city. Initially, a majority of them went to neighbouring states  Punjab and Uttar Pradesh  to settle down before coming to Delhi. Delhi turned out to be safer place and offered better future prospects in terms of employment and business opportunities. The city then emerged as a cosmopolitan space in the next 69 years. The political and administrative setup underwent several changes since Partition. Ministry of rehabilitation was formed by P and it Jaw aharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.

The city eventually got a sophisticated urban planning system when Meher Chand Khanna, the then rehabilitation minister, took charge. Academic Sohail Hashmi said that south Delhi was a natural choice for early settlement as it was located at a height and had less river bodies in comparison to the other parts of the city. The Nizamuddin station, where most of the trains from Punjab came was in South Delhi. This could also be one of the reasons that a major chunk of refugees settled here, he said.

The citys southern limit extended beyond Lodhi Road, which was a forest land then. Colonies like Malviya Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Nizamuddin, Kalkaji and Jangpura were created to accommodate refugees. Lodhi Road was the southern boundary of the imperial suburban do pen fields and scrub lay beyond, where jackals howled and black bucks roamed, wrote Ranjana Sengupta, in an anthology, City Improbable: An Anthology of Writings on Delhi, edited by Khushwant Singh.

After Partition, thousands of refugees took shelter in Purana Qila in 1947 (PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES)

Nizamuddin was one of the first colonies to be developed in the Capital, Nizamuddin East and West became home to Karachis elites. Lajpat Nagar was developed as a refugee colony and most of its early residents were Punjabis from Karachi and parts of Balochistan, Multan and Sindh.

Lajpat Nagar had 50 houses in 1950s built in around 100 square yard. They had asbestos roofs and no separate bathrooms. There were common bathrooms made in the areas which are now ornamental parks, said Pawan Arora, resident.

In later years, well-off families settled in Greater Kailash, New Friends Colony, Vasant Vihar or Defence Colony. Soon flats in Sarojini Nagar, Laxmi Bai Nagar, Sadiq Nagar, Aliganj and Kidwai Nagar were constructed to accommodate government employees.

Named after the rehabilitation minister, Meher Chand Market, Khanna Market, which are the new high streets of south Delhi along with Khan Market were built and shops were allocated to displaced people from Pakistan.

In her paper, Distinctive Citizenship: Refugees, Subjects and Post-colonial State in Indias Partition, Ravinder Kaur, associate professor of Modern South Asian Studies at University of Copenhagen suggests that the hope of displaced people was to have rentable shop allotted to them by the government since it was impossible to buy property in Delhi because of the sky-high property prices, and it changed the way Delhi lived.

In his essay, Panjabi refugees and the urban development of greater Delhi, author VN Datta mentioned refugees set up industries in Malviya Nagar and Kalkaji with monetary help from government .Government loans and concessions helped them set up small-scale industries. The ministry of rehabilitation extended facilities for establishing such industries to refugees in Malviya Nagar and Kalkaji. About 25 industries were alloted to them, Datta mentioned in an essay, which is part of Delhi Through the Ages: Essays in Urban History, Culture and Society. Later, Okhla Industrial area was also set up for other enterprises by refugees, he adds.

Though major migration took place between 1947 and 1950, migrants kept coming to Delhi in later years too. Nand Lal Sachdeva, Madangir resident and president of Ba loch is tan Hindu Panchayat,w ho came to India in 1978, said, Some of us came early and others came many years after Independence. By that time, south Delhi was already urbanised to accommodate refugees from Pakistan. We were given houses in colonies like Madangir, he said.The area that has a chain of shops of garments, school bags, footwear, furniture, gift shops etc alongside a gurudwara is known as Pakistani colony by locals.
Brace yourself for Insta-jealousy!

Model Bella Hadid is breaking the internet with an ultra-sexy shot of herself in a blue denim bikini. The 20-year-old put her dangerous curves on proud display while celebrating reality TV star and fashionista Kylie Jenners 19th birthday in the Bahamas.

See: Model Bella Hadid wears the sexiest dress weve ever seen at Cannes

A photo posted by Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) on Aug 11, 2016 at 12:44pm PDT

Bella already shared some snaps of her July vacation with her 5.7 million Instagram followers, and now shes posted photos of some downtime in the sun with her model friends (including Kylie and Kendall Jenner, and Hailey Baldwin). Together theyve filled social media with an array of images, each one hotter than the last.

Read: Red hair, red bikinis and a black Maybach: Kylie Jenners birthday is so lit

chillin A photo posted by Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) on Aug 10, 2016 at 4:05pm PDT

Bella Hadid is a confident woman who is happy with her curves. She posted a photo of herself posing on a yacht in a frayed blue denim bikini; the skimpy outfit is accessorized with orange mirrored sunglasses.

A photo posted by Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) on Aug 10, 2016 at 3:46pm PDT

Like her older sister Gigi, Bella Hadid has seen her career skyrocket to astronomical heights. She began doing catwalk work in 2015 for the likes of Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Burberry and Balmain, and is now hugely popular with fashion brands. In May, she became the new face of Dior beauty.

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Last year, Suman*, 23, asked her mother to stop looking for a marriage partner for her daughter. One potential match, a handsome man had rejected her just because her face had a scar.

I did not even want to meet him because I knew I would be rejected, Suman says. A good-looking man would obviously want to marry a beautiful woman. Suman, a primary school teacher in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, has the scar, a deep one running from her nose to her upper lip, since she was five. I was playing in the fields and came too close to a rice thresher, she recalls. I have had this scar ever since. It is very prominent. People turn back to look at me and pass comments wherever I go.

Suman decided to have her scar surgically removed after she failed to find a good match for more than a year. The trigger was when one man, whom she really liked, rejected her. No one looked beyond the scar. I did not want to feel insulted every time someone rejected me. So, I told my mother that I wanted surgery, no matter what the cost, says the daughter of a sweet-shop owner. I told them to spend less on the wedding, if need be, she said. Suman had her first operation this July, which set her back by Rs 1.5 lakh. A follow-up surgery is scheduled in April 2017.

Smooth Operators

Makeovers before marriage have gone beyond facials. An increasing number of brides- and grooms-to-be are now turning to the scalpel to smooth out or erase what society deems a flaw in their looks.

Scar revisions top the list, with some doctors seeing more and more young men and women looking to fix inner-wrist scars from attempted suicides before they head to the mandap. Dr Manoj Johar, director and head of department of plastic surgery at Max Super-speciality Hospital, Patparganj, receives one or two cases like this every month. His patients are typically between the ages of 16 or 17 and their early 30s. The scars are a cry for help, Dr Johar says. Quite a few of the patients who came to me had tried to cut themselves two or three times. This means they do not have stress-management skills and need counselling. However, they arent interested in it and want to just get rid of the scars.

Read: Heard about LED therapy? Its the next big thing in skincare

Eliminating scars completely is not possible, so doctors now modify them to make them look less obvious. Dr Johar relies on lesion suturing (sewing skin together with tiny stitches), laser treatments, local flap surgery, fillers, liposuction or chemical peels, depending on the depth and size of the scar. Surgeries can cost up to Rs 2.5 lakhs, determined by how much work is involved.

Many prospective brides and grooms also seek help removing birth marks and scars from accidents to avoid facing repeated rejections when looking for a partner. Sometimes, they also want to correct scars that are not visible to the public, Dr Johar says. I got a patient who wanted a scar on her breast removed as she didnt want her fiance to see it.

Plastic perfection

Dr Aamod Rao, a cosmetic surgeon at Get Enhanced Clinic, Santa Cruz, Mumbai, says that liposuction and breast implants are amongst the most common surgeries performed in the months leading up to the November-December wedding season.

These range from simpler, less invasive treatments like skin lightening, correction of nose deformities and lip fillers, to complicated procedures like the Brazilian Butt-Lift. Women opt for the latter to make their behinds look fuller, rounder and firmer. We extract fat from other areas of the body (generally the abdomen) and create a graft which is then induced in the buttocks to give a fuller look, says Dr Rao.

Rao himself performs roughly three surgeries a month on brides-to-be. I advise patients to get operated at least three months before the wedding day because it may leave scars, he says.

Hymen repair is a less common procedure, but Dr Rashmi Taneja, senior consultant of plastic and cosmetic surgery at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, Delhi, receives 4 or 5 such requests in a year, with the women hailing mostly from outside Delhi. There are girls who come in to the city and have relationships with boys from a different community. When there is pressure from the parents for an arranged marriage, the women get a repair procedure so that they do not face problems after marriage, said Dr Taneja.

Read: All you need to know before you go for a hair transplant surgery

Sometimes, the effects of a previous relationship are far more visible. Doctors find that tattoo removal, too, is quite common among brides and grooms-to-be. Many come in specifically to remove or disguise tattoos that feature the names of their exes. I get 2 to 3 cases in a month of people wanting to remove the names of their exes, says Dr Johar. Removing a tattoo is many times more expensive than getting one. Depending on the size and the colour, a person may require one or multiple sittings, and a laser treatment can cost anywhere from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Spot therapy

Procedure for breast reduction, enhancement and correction of asymmetry are also common among those planning their wedding. Women are conscious about their breasts before marriage. Those with smaller breasts want to get it enlarged, the ones who have asymmetrical breasts want to get it corrected, says Dr Taneja.

At Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, one in five patients under senior cosmetic surgeon Dr Mohan Thomas is male, young and all set to wed. The men typically look to treat untimely hair-loss and augment enlarged breasts to fit the flat, muscular shape considered socially acceptable.

Twenty-two-year-old Rajs* breasts began to swell after he attained puberty. It was not evident if I was wearing a shirt, but if I went swimming or wore a vest you could tell something was off, he says. I became so conscious that I quit swimming in class 9. In college, he tried burning off that excess fat at the gym. I did several push ups. When I did not see any results after eight to ten months, I had to go to the doctor, he says.

Raj recently joined a technology firm after completing his BTech. He used the two-month gap between college and his job for a surgical procedure to remove fat from his chest. It cost him Rs 1 lakh.

Dr Thomas also cites cross-cultural alliances as one of the reasons for pre-wedding cosmetic corrections. When people feel they embody a certain ethnic stereotype, they worry that they might not be accepted by their in-laws He sees many patients from the North-East, marrying outside of their region, and choosing to adapt their features to assimilate better.

At Fortis hospital, Mumbai, cosmetic surgeon Dr Vinod Vij, has a different taken on the issue. It is a common perception that women get enhancement procedures to please their husbands. But its mainly for personal fulfilment. Marriage is just a good opportunity to do it.

Read: How chilled out brides are making their wedding wear fuss-free

Snehal Bisht, 27-year-old corporate administrator from Navi Mumbai had everything she needed to take her fiances travel business to the next level. One thing was holding her back: her face. Bisht developed prominent pore-related scars at puberty. She wanted them gone.

Six months before her wedding in November 2015, Bisht did what more and more young brides today are considering. She booked herself in for a one-day laser scar-removal treatment at a local clinic. I was sceptical of such an extreme solution, as society considers it tampering with your natural features, Bisht says. However, my fiance and my family encouraged me to try it. It changed my life. Bisht has now taken over marketing and operations in her husbands company.

Interestingly, cosmetic surgeries still comprise only about 5% to 10% of the total number of surgeries in the country. Just about 5% of my surgeries are for cosmetic purposes, says Dr Shahin Nooreyezdan, plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Apollo Delhi.

(* Names changed on request)
It maybe just one-minute long, but the first trailer for Allied, the new drama starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, is a hot mess - no pun intended.

Everything about the trailer is pretty - the stars, the sets, the cinematography - but even after watching it a bunch of times, the plot of this movie remains a mystery.

First, lets jot down what we understood. The movie is set during World War II (all the swastikas gave that away). Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard appear to be spies or government officials of some sort, who obviously fall in love at some point in the movie (all the kissing gave that away). And it takes place in Casablanca (which is either the boldest or dumbest move they couldve made).

On paper, Allied has a lot of ingredients in place. Its enough to get excited about - Brad Pitt (returning to the WWII arena after Inglourious Basterds and Fury), Marion Cotillard, the director (Robert Zemeckis, for Gods sake!) and the writer (Steven Knight). Not like you get any of that from this clip, which is more than happy just selling a run-of-the-mill Oscar bait movie.

Read: Is Brad Pitt cheating on Angelina Jolie with Marion Cotillard?

Read: Brad Pitt rescued a child from a stampede. Watch the drama unfold

Chances are the movie will almost definitely be better than this trailer, but well have to wait till November to see if the lukewarm marketing affects its performance.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to deliver his third Independence Day speech on August 15, he is inviting ideas from citizens on issues he should speak on.

Speeding up financial inclusion, toilets in every school, reducing LPG subsidy and electrification of villages were some of the key promises made by Modi during his second Independence Day speech on August 15, 2015. FactChecker reviewed the implementation of the key announcements he made, as we did previously for his 2014 speech.

1) Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: More than 228 million bank accounts opened; 24% have no money.

What Modi said: I had announced Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna on the last 15th of August. Even after 60 years of Independence; even when the banks were nationalised for the poor, 40% people of the country were without a bank account till the last 15th of August; the doors of the banks were not open for the poor. My countrymen, today, I can proudly say that we achieved that target within the time frame. 17 crore people opened their bank accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna. With a view to extend opportunities to the poor, we had said that these bank accounts could be opened with zero balance.

What happened: As many as 228.1 million new bank accounts have been opened as on August 3, 2016, an increase of 31% from 174 million in 201524% of these accounts (zero-balance accounts, in officialese) had no money, a reduction of 22% from 2015. The balance in the accounts increased 85% over one year, from Rs 22,033 crore to Rs 40,795 crore.

The previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had opened more than 50 million no-frills accountsas they called themfor the poor over five years, but most were never used, IndiaSpend reported in October 2014.

2) Swacch Vidyalaya Abhiyan: Claim of 100% separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools not true

What Modi said: It just came into my heart and I had announced that we would build separate toilets for boys and girls in all of our schools till the next 15th August. But later on, when we started work, the Team India figured out its responsibilities, we realised that there were 2 lakh and 62 thousand such schools where more than 4.25 lakh toilets were required to be built. I compliment all the state governments, government officers of the districts, policy framers and implementers of educational institutions, who were involved in realising this achievement.

What happened: A nationwide FactChecker check revealed the claim that 100% of Indias schools was not true. Random checks across seven states revealed widespread infirmities, such as:

Many schools, from urban New Delhi to backward and often remote areas such as Chatra district (Jharkhand) and Sedam Taluka, Gulbarga district (Karnataka), did not have toilets. The specific claim that every school now has separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools was not true.

Existing toilets in schools in areas such as Delhi, Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh), Tumkur (Karnataka), Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) and Wanaparthy (Telangana) -- either already built or new -- do not have water or are not maintained. That makes them useless. Without water, and after a few students used them, they became unusable.

A man cleans the Red Fort area after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech. (AFP File Photo)

Newly-built toilets in Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chauhans constituency), Chatra (Jharkhand) and Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir) could not be used because in the rush to build them, no drainage was constructed. In Baramulla, a toilet was constructed where there was no school. The school had been moved a year ago, but the toilet construction went ahead, so it could be shown as built.

The campaign aimed at constructing 417,000 toilets in 262,000 schools, or 1.5 toilets per school. This meant a maximum of two toilets in some schools, one in others. One or two toilets per school is not quite enough (For instance, in Pillangkatta, Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya, two government schools, each with more than 250 students, had just one toilet each; there were no separate toilets for boys and girls, and there was no water.)

Educating children in using toilets has proved to be as important as building them. The construction of toilets has been so rushed that various stakeholders do not appear to have had time to understand the importance of the mission and implement it in full measure.

Read | Swarg me charcha: How independent India looks like from really high up

Toilets were either in very bad condition or were unusable, according to another investigation conducted by ABP News in May 2016 across several states.

In June 2016, five girls in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradeshs Satna district left a state-run school in the absence of a proper toilet.

3) Give it Up: 10.4 million have given up LPG subsidy voluntarily, 1.76 million women get free gas connections.

What Modi said: My brothers and sisters, I had made a request to my countrymen that if you are economically sound, then why do you avail subsidy on LPG? Why do you need this paltry amount of rupees five to seven hundred which you usually spend on petty snacks? I had just started giving message about this, I didnt launch any campaign as yet, because I have faith in Team India. As the message spreads the result would come, but today I can tell with pride that ever-since I had launched movement of give it up subsidy of LPG gas cylinder, till date, 20 lakh (2 million) consumers have already given it up.

What happened: As many as 10.4 million people gave up their LPG subsidy voluntarily, according to recent official data from the ministry of oil and petroleum. The Centre launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to provide LPG connections to 50 million women from families who live below the poverty line over a period of three years, starting from financial year 2016-17.

As many as 1.76 million connections have been given under the programme as on 25 July 2016, according to data tabled in Parliament.

4) LPG subsidy saving 10% of claim made by govt: Rs 2,000 crore not Rs 20,000 crore, says auditor

What Modi said: Countless efforts of several types have to be made to wipe out the corruption in such a vast country, and that can be done. If I had said that I would cut subsidy worth Rs 15 thousand cores on LPG gas, then I can say that hundreds of articles would have been written to glorify my government. They can say that this man has the power and strength to discontinue the subsidy worth Rs 15 thousand cores on LPG gas.

In May 2016, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan claimed that this amount was more than Rs 21,000 crore in the last two financial years.

What happened: A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the governments auditor, tabled in Parliament during the current session, found that the saving from those who gave up the LPG subsidy added up to less than Rs 2,000 crore, The Hindu reported on July 20, 2016.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is greeted as he walks among schoolchildren after delivering his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort in New Delhi. (AFP File Photo)

The audit also found systemic problems with cash transfers -- called Pahal -- of LPG subsidy, including diversion of domestic subsidy for commercial use and commercial LPG being used in homes.

The subsidy discrepancy mostly stems from a fall in the global price of LPG imported, the CAG report said.

5) Electricity to villages: Govt says 98.1% electrified, but electricity supply suspect

What Modi said: Brothers and sisters, in the coming days, I wish to concentrate on an issue. Even today, there are about eighteen thousand, five hundred such villages in our country where electric wires and poles are yet to reach. Eighteen thousand five hundred villages are deprived of the sun of independence, deprived of the light of independence, they are deprived of the rays of development of independence. But it is now the solemn pledge of the Team India of 1.25 billion countrymen that the target of providing electric poles, electric wires and electricity to these 18,500 villages would be achieved within the next 1000 days.

What happened: As many as 587,569 of 597,464 villages (98.1%) in India were electrified as on June 30, 2016, which means only 9,895 do not have electricity, according to a recent report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

A village being declared electrified does not mean a household will get electricity, FactChecker reported in November 2015.

The ministry of power defines a village (from 2004-05) as electrified if:

Basic power infrastructure, such as a transformer and distribution lines, is provided in the inhabited locality as well as associated Dalit bastis (Dalit settlements, which are often excluded from village facilities), where they exist.

Electricity is provided to public places such as schools, panchayat (village council) offices, health centres, dispensaries and community centres.

The number of households electrified should be at least 10% of the total number of households in the village.

The first threshold for electrification should be at least 50% of homes in a coverage area (i.e. the majority), according to Rahul Tongia, Fellow at Brookings Institution, and advisor to the Smart Grid Task Force of the central government.

Actual electricity is important -- and that there should be no power cuts -- to achieve meaningful electrification, Tongia wrote in this column in The Hindu on October 7, 2014.

In Uttar Pradesh, for instance, three of four households get electricity for less than 12 hours a day. In Jharkhand, only 2% of electrified households get electricity for 20 or more hours; 81% do not get four or more hours in the evenings, while 60% face three or more days of total blackouts every month, IndiaSpend reported in October 2015.

An investigation of rural electrification data by The Hindu found that the number of villages said to be electrified in the last year is exaggerated. Their report revealed several discrepancies such as:

Many villages classified as un-electrified are counted as electrified on an app GARV (launched by the power ministry to track electrification).

Uninhabited villages have been marked as electrified. Villages like Panalomali, Kusadangar and Patyetapali in Odisha and Sunwara in Madhya Pradesh  all counted as electrified villages  have no people residing there.

6) Social security: 127 million people enrolled for three major programmes

What Modi said: We have laid great stress upon social security and also the welfare of the poor  and thus Prime Ministers Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY) and Prime Ministers Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) have been launched. Crores of people of our country have no social security cover.

What happened: APY has been given to 2.7 million, PMSBY to 94.5 million and PMJJBY to 29.7 million citizens as on 14 June 2016, according to official data.

Read | Take out Tiranga Yatras on 70th Independence Day, Modi tells BJP MPs

More recent data tabled in the Parliament indicates that 3.04 million Indians have registered under APY as on July 20, 2016.

7) Rural India: Agriculture budget increased by 44%, several rural programmes launched

What Modi said: We need drastic changes in the agriculture sector. The cultivable land is shrinking; it is getting divided between families and pieces of land are getting smaller. The fertility and productivity of our agricultural land must increase. The farmers need water and electricity and we are working towards their availability. We have decided to pump in fifty thousand crore rupees in Pradhaan Mantri Krishi Sinchaai Yojna. How will the water reach the farms? Water will have to be saved. We have to launch a movement in our agricultural sector with the mantra of Save Water, Save Energy, and Save Fertilisers.

Whats happened: Modi is right about the divide in farming land5% of farmers control 32% of Indias farmland and a large farmer in India has 45 times more land than a marginal farmer, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

The land that can be farmed has marginally declined, from 182.5 million hectares in 2008-09 to 182 million hectares in 2012-13, mainly for non-agricultural purposes, such as urbanisation, roads, industries and housing, according to data tabled in the parliament.

The agriculture budget rose 44%, from Rs 24,909 crore ($4 billion) in 2015-16 to Rs 35,984 crore ($5 billion) in 2016-17, to address growing distress in rural areas from successive monsoon failures.

Finance minister Arun Jaitely announced during Budget 2016 that 2.85 million hectares would be irrigation through the flagship Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) scheme in 2016-17. He also added that the government will reorient its interventions in the farm and non-farm sectors to double the income of farmers by 2022. An Indian farmers income effectively rose 5% per year over a decade (2003-2013), IndiaSpend reported in March 2016.

The budget also created a dedicated long-term irrigation fund (through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) with an initial corpus of Rs 20,000 crore

8) One Rank One Pension for service personnel: Approved, but protests continue

What Modi said: The issue of One Rank One Pension (OROP) has come before every government, each one has considered its proposal, and each and every government has made promises on it, but the problem is still pending to be resolved. I say to service personnel, we have accepted One Rank One Pension in principal but talks are going on with its organisations. Talks have reached at the final stage and we want that all get justice keeping in view the development of whole country. How it is implemented in view of its nitty-gritty situation, we are taking the talks forward by engaging with its stakeholders.

What happened: Modi approved the OROP proposal in April 2016. It will cost the government an additional Rs 7,488 in annual pensions and Rs 10,925 crore in arrears.

As many as 1.6 million pensioners were paid their first pensions through the OROP programme; Rs 2,861 crore was spent until March 31, 2016. Certain issues and anomalies have been raised by servicemen, which a government panel is considering.
The distress letter that Latika Bansal, a 15-year-old girl from Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr town, wrote to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and signed off with an appeal for justice in her blood, bore more than the desired results.

The chief minister assured Latika and her 11-year-old sister Tanya that the government would not only ensure a fair prosecution in the case of their mothers murder but would also extend help to them and their caretakers.

The chief minister saw the bandaged finger from where I drew blood to write the appeal and asked why I did such a thing. I explained that my distress and police inaction forced me to do so, said Latika while talking to Hindustan Times soon after the family came out of the CMs residence in the state capital, on Saturday.

Latika Bansals letter. (HT photo)

The chief minister promised Rs 5 lakh each to the girls, a house and a job for their maternal uncle. He said that the government would also bear the expenses for the treatment of their maternal grandmother who is suffering from cancer.

Latika and Tanya have no immediate family as of now. Their mother is no more and their father is in jail. The girls live with their maternal uncle Tarun Jindal and maternal grandmother Omwati in Devipura locality of Bulandshahr.

Earlier, the Bulandshahr police were asked to bring the family to Lucknow for a meeting with the chief minister.

On August 10, Latika wrote to Yadav, signing off in blood alleging non-responsive attitude of the police in connection with her mothers murder and demanded justice. She posted the letter on Facebook which soon went viral.

Latika said in the letter that her mother was burnt alive in front of their eyes on June 14 only because she could not bear a son.

You talk about Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, educate them) but a daughter was burnt alive in your area just because she had two daughters. And now we are getting life threats and the police are not with us but are helping the accused, she had written.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is a government campaign that aims at generating awareness on the declining child sex ratio (CSR), education of girls and other issues related to women empowerment.

Latika has accused her father Manoj Bansal and other family members of killing her mother. They (family members) locked my sister and me and set my mother on fire, Latika said.

We are happy that the chief minister responded to the appeal, Latika said on her way back to Bulandshahr.

I told the chief minister that I wrote to him in July too. Then, I felt that perhaps my blood on the letter would make him understand my trauma and appeal for justice, she said.

Though the police arrested Latikas father a day after the incident and sent him to jail, she said that other members of his family who were named in the FIR should also be arrested.

The UP govt will ensure prosecution in their mothers case and deliver justice, chief minister Yadav tweeted after the meeting.

In another tweet, he said, Met with Bansal family and assured UP govt will provide both the girld Rs 5 lakh for education.

#UPCM @yadavakhilesh also assured that @UPGovt will ensure fair prosecution in their mothers case & deliver justice

#UPCM @yadavakhilesh met with Bansal family & assured @UPGovt will provide both the girls Rs5 lakh for education.
Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh (centre) at the talk (Photo: VNA)

He was speaking to reporters at the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia in New Delhi on August 10, noting that the two nations have sound and long-standing relations, with mutual trust and common interests.

They also have good cooperation mechanisms and share similar viewpoints on regional and international affairs. Their defence and security collaboration is strong, as is information exchange, personnel training and facility equipment, he said.

The diplomat highlighted thriving economic connections with two-way trade increasing more than fivefold over the last decade to USD5.5 billion in 2015.

Indias investment in Vietnam is expected to shoot up in the next few years with major groups like Larsen & Toubro, Birla, Adani, Shapoorji, Escorts and Eicher seeking opportunities in Vietnam.

Bilateral partnerships in science-technology, especially in training, equipment purchase and joint research, along with culture and education have also been reinforced, Thanh said.

He added that while Vietnam has become a dynamic economy after 30 years of extensive reforms, India has enjoyed the fastest economic growth in the world.

Indias joining of free trade agreements like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the India  EU free trade agreement will open up numerous opportunities for the countrys export and economic growth.

All of them will substantially benefit Vietnam and India as well as bilateral ties, Thanh added.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the ambassador reiterated Vietnams support for stronger cooperation among countries bordering the East Sea, along with the peaceful settlement of disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and without use or threat to use force./.
The arrest of several army personnel in Bihar for possession of alcohol threatens to snowball into a major controversy with senior officials reportedly taking up the matter at the highest level for the illegality involved.

A senior army officer said the recent arrest of a captain as well as other personnel from trains under the state governments prohibition policy was a serious matter, as soldiers cannot be tried by civil courts, except for offences related to murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rape.

For trial of other offences, the jurisdiction of the army has also been fixed vide government SO 488, dated February 9, 1978. Many army officers are also not fully aware of it, the officer told Hindustan Times.

He said in cases related to offences other than the three specified above, court martial was the appropriate way to deal with them and the magistrate concerned should immediately hand over the accused to the army for trial.

It is then the responsibility of the commanding officer or the competent authority in the military, navy, air force or coast guard to carry out trial, he added.

Citing the provision under Protection of Members of the Armed Forces from Arrest, another senior officer said with the armed forces having their own set of rules, no arrest could be carried out by civil police without the consent of the central government.

Notwithstanding anything contained in sections 41 to 44 (both inclusive) of the Army Act, no member of the armed forces of the union shall be arrested for anything done or purported to be done by him in the discharge of his official duties, except after obtaining the consent of the central government, the officer said.

He said army personnel carry liquor with due permits from the army and travelling on trains with liquor is not illegal under the RPF Act.

Besides, the Patna high court has held that possession of liquor is not illegal under the existing Excise Act in Bihar. As such, all these arrests for possession are illegal and will remain so till the new, more stringent law comes into force. It hasnt been notified till date, said another army officer.

Though the Bihar Excise Act does not intrude into the cantonment areas, a letter by the excise commissioner to top army officials in Bihar and Jharkhand, inspector generals of paramilitary forces and NCC directorate made it explicitly clear that anyone found drinking or possessing liquor outside would face action.

This resulted in several army men being arrested while in transit. More than 20,000 jawans of the Bihar Regiment are posted in far-flung areas of different sectors, including Jammu and Kashmir, northeast region.

In such a case, when they get sudden order to move or get leave, they enter Bihar with liquor, oblivious of the fact that it could land them in jail, said another top army official.

The rumblings in the army comes on the heels of the Bihar police mens association threatening mass leave if its demand for revocation of suspension of 11 SHOs for alleged dereliction of duty in implementation of liquor ban is not considered by the government before August 28. The 11 SHOs were suspended on August 5.

The Bihar government imposed a total ban on alcohol across the state on April 5.
Two Baloch leaders welcomed on Saturday Prime Minister Narendra Modis stand to expose Pakistans brutalities in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

World Baloch Womens Forum president Naela Quadri Baloch said the people of the region supported Modi.

We hope that you (PM Modi) will raise the Balochistan issue and Baloch peoples suffering in the UN session in September.

And, we are with you. People of Balochistan, Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, we all thank you, Naela told ANI.

#WATCH: Baloch leaders welcome PM Modi's statement on PoK and Balochistanhttps://t.co/OVmaSrlgiy  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Hammal Haider Baloch, another Baloch leader, said: It is for the first time that an Indian Prime Minister has expressed his wish to support the Baloch people. And, I think it is a very crucial decision made by the Indian government.

Hammal, spokesperson of the Baloch National Movement (UK), said the people of Balochistan were secular and believed in democratic principles as he requested the international community to usher in peace and stability.

He alleged that Pakistan, a failed state, was butchering people and supporting dangerous religious groups, which are radical in their approach and are a threat to ethnic groups in the country.

#WATCH: Baloch leaders welcome PM Narendra Modi's statement on PoK and Balochistan.https://t.co/JucBnlg6yd  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Their appeal came a day after the Modi government launched a fresh offensive against Islamabad for igniting the latest unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last month.

Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with at least 58 killed and thousands wounded during protests against Wanis killing.
The Nalanda district administration in Bihar has started the process of imposing collective fine on a village after repeated seizures of liquor from there, the last being four days ago.

The administration has also served notices for confiscation of property to three big hotels of Nalanda  Hotel Madhuman in Biharsharief, Basant Hotel in Ekangarsarai and Midway Hotel in Rajgir  after seizure of liquor bottles from there.

The notices have been served to about 50 families in village Kailashpur in Islampur block and the matter is under process. We carried out raids in the village thrice and every time, liquor was seized from there. The village was earlier known for making liquor, Nalanda DM Thyagrajan SM told HT.

Thyagrajan said that the hotels had also been served notice following seizure of bottles from there in a dry state. After we receive their replies, confiscation of the property will get underway, he added, citing provisions of the excise law.

According to Bihars excise law, any premises or part thereof that may have been used for storing or manufacturing any liquor or intoxicant or for committing any other offence under this act is liable for confiscation.

Sources said over half a dozen more villages across Bihar face the prospect of collective fines for flouting the prohibition norms. The villages include two in Patna, two in Bhagalpur, one each in Munger and Siwan and a couple of others.

Dadhi Tola, a hamlet in Sheikhpura district, has also been issued notice. If there is any recurrence, the entire village will have to pay for it. I have directed the police and excise superintendents to keep special vigil on the village, said Sheikhpura DM Sunil Kumar.

The villagers have been brewing of country liquor despite raids in the last 20-25 days by excise and police officials and dismantling of illicit liquor manufacturing units.

As per the new excise bill which is yet to get gubernatorial assent, if a collector is satisfied, whether on a report of any excise officer or police officer or otherwise, that a particular village or town or any locality within a village or town or any particular group/community living in that village or town have been repeatedly violating any of the provisions or are habitual offenders or are obstructing the administration of this Act, then he/she may, by an order, impose a suitable collective fine. The existing law also has similar provisions.

The Bihar government imposed total prohibition in the state on April 5 but there has been no community fines so far despite huge seizures.

Principal secretary, department of excise and prohibition, KK Pathak said that proceedings were on in areas where offences have taken place repeatedly.

The idea is to create an effective deterrent for habitual offenders, not just to collect fine. It is up to the collectors to decide how they would like to go about it. In some cases, show cause notices have been served, he told HT.

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A local BJP worker was reportedly killed and several others injured in police firing in Ballia district on Friday during a protest at a police station to free a cattle-smuggling accused in UPs Ballia district, the party has claimed. Police has denied firing on the protestors but confirmed one death.

The victim has been identified as Vinod Rai, 38, a local BJP worker. Station officer of Narahi police station, Rajesh Yadav, said the police resorted to a mild cane charge to disperse a crowd which had laid siege to the post. But he denied that Rai was killed in police firing.

The incident took place when BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari and his supporters were staging a demonstration at the gate of the Narahi police station, demanding the release of an accused in the cattle smuggling case, the partys district president Vinod Dubey claimed. The party also claimed the accused Chandrama Yadav had been framed.

Tiwari and his supporters reached the police station after Yadav was arrested. Claiming that Yadav was falsely implicated, Tiwari alleged that police misbehaved with the relatives of the accused. His claim led to an argument with the policemen.

Demanding the arrests of two policemen, Tiwari and BJP supporters staged a demonstration outside the police station. The protest continued till late in the evening. Sub divisional magistrate BL Maurya and SP Manoj Kumar Jha reached the spot and tried to pacify the BJP supporters. Police personnel later asked the demonstrators to leave the police station gate.

However, the MLA refused to relent. According to BJP leaders, police resorted to a cane charge at this point. The mob retaliated by resorting to stone pelting. Later, police opened fire to disperse the BJP supporters, Dubey claimed.
Khadi for nation, khadi for fashion: Prime Minister Narendra Modis call to promote the signature fabric of India has caught on.

Central and state employees may soon have to sport khadi  once a week at least. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which promotes use of the cotton fabric, has requested all chief ministers to appeal to their employees to wear khadi once a week, say, every Friday. It earlier made a similar request to the Centre.

This will greatly support the khadi sector and rural artisans will get sustainable additional employment. The state government employees will also get the benefit of wearing skin-friendly natural fabric, reads KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxenas letter to CMs.

States such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have already decided that government employees should wear khadi one day a week, although it has not been made mandatory.

With the Modi governments push for using khadi  associated with Indias freedom struggle  finding takers, the KVIC is on an overdrive to promote its products. The last seven months has seen a deluge of orders for KVIC products.

Read | IIT-Bombay wants national symbol khadi in graduation ceremonies

Starting from the Prime Ministers Office (see box) that has placed orders over `30 lakh for handmade paper file cover and khadi dresses for its staff to the railways that in the past eight months placed orders of `40 crore for supply of six lakh bedsheets, eight lakh pillow covers and 75,000 blankets, the KVIC has its hands full.

In November, for a global conference that it organised in Delhi, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ordered gifts packs comprising tie and scarf for delegates. Ahead of the International Yoga Day on June 21, KVIC supplied kits worth `71 lakh to various ministries, PSUs, corporate and even political parties.

PSUs under the petroleum ministry have placed order for 50,000 small towels. Instructions have also been issued to PSUs to ask employees to wear Khadi once a week.

This is a far cry from the situation prevailing over a year back. Earlier, orders from the railways never exceeded `2 crore. Where our spinners and weavers had just 3-5 hours of work, it has now gone upto 8 hours. In the last eight months alone, orders worth `110 crore has been placed with KVIC, Saxena said.

Read | Want to produce khadi? Get a certificate from KVIC
Security forces in Kashmir are on alert in view of a Referendum March called by separatists on Saturday, a day after the central government held an all-party meeting to discuss the recent unrest in the Valley that has been under rolling curfew since the killing of a popular militant leader last month.

Authorities barricaded Srinagars commercial hub of Lal Chowk, and there was heavy deployment of forces on the 36th straight day of the curfew. There were barricades at every major intersection.

A march call by separatists from every mohallah, village, locality, tehsil and district towards Lal Chowk to demand azadi (freedom) prompted the arrangements.

Separatists issued a fresh protest calendar extending the ongoing shutdown till August 18. If and wherever stopped, sit and continue protest for till Sunday evening, the schedule said.

Mobile phone services, which were snapped late on Thursday night fearing large-scale protests and clashes after Friday prayers, were restored in the Valley around noon Mobile internet services remained suspended.

Dozens were injured in a crackdown on protesters after the Friday congregation prayers across the Valley.

A police statement said on Friday evening that more than three dozen incidents of stone pelting were reported from different districts of the Valley including Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara and Bandipora.

A securityman stands guard in central Srinagar. (AFP File)

Another death

Suhail Wani, who was injured in southern Kashmir last week when securitymen fired at protesters, died at a Srinagar hospital early on Saturday, taking the death in the month-long unrest to 58.

Thousands have been wounded in protests after security forces gunned down Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. Kashmiris have alleged atrocities by Indian armed forces during street demonstrations, and the use of pellet guns has been under the scanner.

Pakistani leaders have criticised India over the unrest even as New Delhi accused Islamabad of interfering in New Delhis affairs and backing terrorism.

Kashmiri protesters shout slogans during a protest on Friday. (AP)

PoK on agenda

At an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government will reach out to the Valley but added that Jammu, Ladakh and PoK should also be talked about in the same breath when discussing Kashmir, underlining the governments approach of taking care of the entire state and not just one region.

Modi asked the external affairs ministry to contact expats from PoK to gather information about the pitiable conditions in the region and apprise the global community.

The PMs comments at an all-party meeting to discuss the volatile situation in Kashmir are being seen as an escalation of rhetorical hostilities between the two countries over the violence in the Valley.

A section in the Indian establishment favours a counter-offensive by New Delhi over human rights violations in PoK and Balochistan, where Pakistans security forces are accused of extra-judicial killings in a crackdown on groups seeking greater autonomy for the resource-rich province.

Hours after Modis remarks, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party called for moral, political and financial support to the freedom movement in PoK.

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Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, who was detained at the Los Angeles Airport, should have displayed patriotic credentials and returned to India after another insult in the US, the Shiv Sena said on Saturday.

The party said if he had decided to return, it would have been a slap on the face of the US.

The Sena was reacting to Khans detention at a US airport, the third time in seven years. The Bollywood actor was detained briefly at the Los Angeles International Airport on Friday.

This has been a common occurrence with Shah Rukh at most big US airports. Still, this tolerant actor goes to the US repeatedly, only to get insulted, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

He should have returned, displaying patriotic credentials, and telling the US that I wont step into your country if you are going to insult me in this manner, the Sena said.

Had he done so, it would have been a slap on the face for America. The US views every Muslim as a terrorist, the Sena said.

The Sena also suggested that the Khans should give direction to the youth of Kashmir which is witnessing rampage.

The Khans of Bollywood should take to Twitter to show direction to misguided youth in Kashmir who are on a rampage, the Sena said.

The editorial also referred to last Novembers incident when Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said that his wife Kiran Rao wondered whether they should move out of India, as she feared for the safety of their children in a climate of insecurity.

My Name is Khan

The Nationalist Congress Party expressed disappointment over Khans detention.

It is very distressing that after Shah Rukh Khan was detained and harassed at Los Angeles airport, only because his name happens to be Khan. He made a movie some time back My Name is Khan. I think he should make a band and wear on his chest saying My Name is Khan and I am not a terrorist. US has done it earlier also at the New York Airport, NCP leader Majeed Memon Memon said.

Khan tweeted his displeasure after the incident , saying that it  really sucks to be detained at the US immigration every time.

The US Department of State apologised for the move and offered a clarification, saying that even American diplomats were pulled over security issues.
Hindi and Hebrew are the most spoken languages in Silicon Valley, thus any India-Israel collaboration can create a vibrant ecosystem that will help start-ups to mushroom and thrive the world over, Israels Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon said.

Start-ups constitute one of the pillars in further strengthening India-Israel relations, Carmon told IANS, while announcing the Indian winners who will participate at this years Start Tel Aviv -- a global event that brings to one platform entrepreneurs from across the world.

Quoting Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the ambassador said that in the Silicon Valley, considered the global capital for start-ups, Hindi and Hebrew are heard more than English.

On the USAs East Coast, Indians and Israelis already dominate the diamond business.

If the people from India and Israel dominate the start-up space in Silicon Valley, why cant they meet more often in New Delhi or Tel Aviv? I think start-ups provide great opportunities for people of both the countries who share common goals and aspirations, he added.

Proud of their history and tradition, India and Israel are two countries with a large population of young people, eager and curious to grasp the future, the ambassador said.

Lets do it together.

Ambassador Carmon said the initiative in start-ups was just one of the pillars identified to push India-Israel relations. He identified the others as agriculture, water ecosystem, defence, homeland security, education and academia.

XLPAT Lab co-founder Komal Talwar and Advenios Mausumi Acharyya were picked as the winners of the Start Tel Aviv - India Finals competition. They will join founders from 22 other countries for an intense, five-day start-up experience in Tel Aviv from September 25 to 29 this year.

It is for the first time that the competition is focusing on women. We want to bring the women entrepreneurs to the front of the stage to take their rightful place in the start-up world, said Ditza Froim, Minister-Counsellor for Public Diplomacy at the Israeli Embassy.

Talwars XLPAT boasts of patent and technology coverage of over 120 countries which allows users thorough and exhaustive patent searches within minutes and also generate claim charts.

Focussing in the field of computer aided diagnosis, Acharyyas Advenio is developing a software to analyse hundreds of medical images to help doctors arrive at quick decisions about a medical problems.

Start Tel Aviv is organised to help promising early-stage start-ups to meet and establish relationships with potential customers, partners and high-profile industry leaders.
Paying homage to the revolutionaries at Kakori martyrs memorial on Saturday, BJP president Amit Shah gave a call for parivartan (change) in Uttar Pradesh where assembly elections are scheduled next year.

Blending patriotism with politics, Shah sought the blessings of the largely OBC-Dalit audience to help in the formation of a majority BJP government in UP. The caste group accounts for more than half of the voters in the state.

The leaders who spoke before Shah were party MP Kaushal Kishore, a Dalit, and state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya, an OBC. Keeping with the BJPs UP plan, the two leaders targeted the SP and the BSP for neglecting the poor, especially the Dalits and the backwards.

Before leaving for lunch at the residence of Dalit MP Kaushal Kishore, Shah thanked UP for electing 71 BJP MPs in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

He said the change would remain incomplete without backing the Lok Sabha victory with a similar result in UP polls next year.

There is so much we want to do but UP government stalls all initiatives of the BJP. From free LPG connection (Ujjwala Yojana) to crop insurance scheme, affordable housing plan for the poor or fair price medicine shops, or be it AIIMS in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government blocks all our moves. Without UP, the countrys development would not be possible, he said.

As we celebrate 70 years of our countrys Independence, it is time to reflect on the sacrifices of our freedom fighters. Out of these 70 years, the Congress party has ruled the country for 60 years. It is time to ask why states like UP still do not have power and roads in all villages and why youths are unemployed. Did freedom-fighters lay down their lives for this, he asked.

After the solitary mention of Congress, Shah went on to concentrate on the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Do you think either the SP or the BSP can help end crimes like the ones that took place in Bulandshahr or Mathuras Jawaharbagh? Do you think they can provide ambulances in all UP villages, or employment to youths, or water for irrigation in all the fields, or end gundaraaj, he asked his audience who kept replying in the negative.

He appealed to the people to elect a BJP government for development.While the SP focuses on one caste, Behenji is focused on herself, he said.

Shah said he would seek the PMs help for developing the martyrs memorial in Kakori as a world class tourist site. Interestingly, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav had announced a `5 crore plan to develop Kakori as a tourist site on August 9  the 74th anniversary of the Quit India Movement.
India and China decided on Saturday to hold joint secretary-level talks on disarmament soon as the neighbours took a significant step forward on New Delhis bid for entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

The two countries will also set up a mechanism at the foreign secretary level to discuss bilateral ties, signaling a thaw in relations that came under strain after Beijing blocked Indias membership bid at the NSGs plenary session at Seoul in June.

The breakthrough came after an hour-long meeting between external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

PM received foreign minister Wang who briefed him on G20 Summit to be held in China. PM conveyed greetings to President Xi @htTweets  Jayanth Jacob (@jayanthjacob) August 13, 2016

Beijing had blocked Indias bid on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty (NPT). New Delhi considers the NPT discriminatory.

Saturdays decision to engage each other on the issue of disarmament could boost Indias chances of securing NSG membership by the end of 2016. The NSG is a club of 48 countries controlling trade in nuclear technologies and fissile materials.

The two ministers had lengthy discussion on the issue of NSG membership with Swaraj linking Indias quest with its clean energy requirements. She underlined Indias willingness to discuss any technical issue that China might have on the issue.

Swaraj urged the Chinese minster to reconsider Beijings stance of putting a hold on Indian efforts to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Mazood Azhar in the United Nations Sanctions Committee in accordance with Chinas professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

India and China to hold a meeting of officials on disarmament in a bid to break logjam over India becoming an NSG member @htTweets  Jayanth Jacob (@jayanthjacob) August 13, 2016

Overall, the discussions were in a positive, constructive and open spirit. Progress in bilateral ties reviewed, as also challenges on some recent issues, a source said describing the tone and tenor of the meeting.

Swaraj reiterated Indias concern over the China-Pakistan economic corridor which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), an area India claims.

Sources said Wang didnt raise the issue of South China Sea though he had said in Goa on Friday that India has to decide whether it wants to support Beijing on the territorial dispute.

A new mechanism at level of Foreign Secretaries agreed to discuss ties between India and China @htTweets  Jayanth Jacob (@jayanthjacob) August 13, 2016

Positive assessment of expanding investments, more infrastructure cooperation, easier visas, greater tourism and expanded cultural, academic and civil society interactions were other areas of discussion, the source said.

Wang, on a three-day visit to India, earlier called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and briefed him on the G-20 summit China is hosting in September. Modi will attend the summit.

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Kalu, the missing dog of former union minister and Agra MP Ram Shankar Katheria was found in Delhi on Saturday morning.

Interestingly, the New Agra police also traced another dog resembling the MPs pet in Agra after which confusion prevailed as to which one was the real Kalu.

Our missing dog Kalu was recovered in the morning, Katheria confirmed.

Kalu might have been taken away by someone and left in Delhi. Bhoora, the other dog at my house in Agra, was very sad and so was my wife Mridula. With the recovery of the dog, we are relieved and happy, said Katheria. The dog was being brought back to Agra, he added.

The missing dog was recovered within 24 hours of lodging a complaint with the Agra police.

Read | After Azams buffaloes, now UP cops to search for Katherias dog Kalu

Katherias spokesman in Agra, Sharad Chauhan, said that morning walkers in Peetampura locality in Delhi saw the dog roaming in the area. They had seen the pictures of the dog in the news and informed Katheria staff in Delhi by sending its picture through WhatsApp. The dog was identified by the former minister.

But even as Katheria confirmed that his pet had been found, the New Agra police also claimed that they had found the dog in Agra.

The in-charge at Bijlighar Crossing outpost said that a dog with a red collar had been traced. It had been bitten by local dogs. The family of the MP has been informed, said Dharmendra Singh, in-charge of New Agra police station.

On Friday, the BJP leaders wife Mridula Katheria had lodged a complaint with SP (city) Sudheel Dhule that her black Labrador had gone missing on Tuesday.

She had said that if the Uttar Pradesh police could find the buffaloes of state cabinet minister Azam Khan, they could also find her dog.

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A committee formed to probe Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Manns filming of the restricted-access route to Parliament is yet to finish its task even as the monsoon session ended on Friday.

Sources in the nine-member panel say a majority wants the investigation to end soon, but the three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, including chairman Kirit Somaiya, are delaying it.

On July 21, the Aam Aadmi Party MP from Punjab shot a video of his journey from his accommodation in the capital up till the Parliament house. The clip, which showed him pass by various check-points, was uploaded on Facebook, triggering criticism for endangering security.

A probe followed, keeping the 42-year-old lawmaker from Sangrur out for the rest of the session that began on July 18.

The committees next meeting is scheduled for August 23. This is because the BJP lawmakers have to be in their constituencies till then, even though the panels extended term ends on August 17.

We have time till the 17th, Somaiya told HT over the phone from Mumbai. I will speak with the members on the 16th when I return to Delhi and then request the Speaker for an extension.

The other BJP lawmakers in the committee are Satyapal Singh and Meenakshi Lekhi.

The party has instructed its lawmakers to fan out into their constituencies for a week-long Tiranga yatra from August 15. Our report cannot be completed because we have work left, said Somaiya.

KC Venugopal, the lone Congress member on the committee, said the probe on Mann should end immediately and the security recommendations can follow later. The investigation should have ended by August 3 (the original deadline), he said.

The committee was asked by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to suggest action against Mann and recommend security measures to avoid repeat of such incidents. The Speaker formed the panel on July 22 and advised Mann to not attend proceedings, pending probe.

The committee is divided on the action to be recommended against the lawmaker, sources from within it revealed. Some members are in favour of letting Mann off with a warning and treating his forced absence from Parliament as a suspension term. Somaiya and his party colleagues want harsh punishment.

The BJPs stance has prompted Mann to allege bias against him. Whatever they want to do, they should finish fast, he said. They have deliberately kept me away from the House. No Punjab issue was raised in the session.

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Latching on to the detention of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at Los Angeles International Airport, Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama over the condition of Muslims.

I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) 12 August 2016

Modiji is not permitting us to lead a peaceful life here and in America, PMs friend Barack Obama would not allow us to live, Khan said on Friday. We (Muslims) are a disturbed lot and dont know where to go, he said.

The SP leader used the lyrics of a popular Hindi movie song samjhega kaun yaha, dard bhare dil ki zuban/Jaye toh jaye kahan to emphasise his point.

On the attack on BJP leader Brijpal Teotia in Ghaziabad, the Samajwadi Party leader said use of bullets cannot be justified even if it is used for a right cause.

Khan said the law and order in the state was on the right track and the police administration was taking prompt action against criminals. If crimes are committed, prompt action is taken and criminals are put behind the bars. The law and order condition in the state is on the right track, the UP urban development minister said.

On BSP legislators joining BJP, Khan said, Many politicians see more opportunities to mint money in the ruling BJP.

Read | Celebs share detention ordeals after SRK gets detained at a US airport again
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday.

A morning for neighbourly engagement. Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup posted on Twitter.

India and China held delegation-level talks later in the day.

Wang met Goa chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday to review the logistics and security arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jinpings proposed visit in October to the coastal state for the BRICS summit. He is on a three-day visit to India.

Ahead of his visit, Chinas state-run media said the door for Indias admission into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group was not tightly closed.

Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi pic.twitter.com/ZcuvUpwzIv  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 13, 2016

A China-led opposition earlier this year Indias entry to the NSG, which aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Beijings contention was that India was not a signatory of a key nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

But stressing that India and China are partners not rivals, a commentary by state-run Xinhua news agency said on Friday that as Beijing and New Delhi head into a season of intensive top-level diplomatic encounters that could well define the future of their partnership, the two need to work together to keep their disagreements in check.
Bihar BJP leader Gopal Narain Singh said on Saturday chief minister Nitish Kumars regime is a super jungle raj.

Things which did not happen even during Lalu Prasads regime are now taking place in Nitish Kumars regime. This is the revival of the jungle raj which is evident from the fact that incidents of loot, kidnappings, ransom etc have become the order of the day. Criminals are demanding extortion from IG and DIG, Singh told reporters in Patna.

Singh said Nitish Kumar does not have any control over the administration.

Things have gone out of control completely from Kumars hands which was evident from the fact that a Pakistani flag was hoisted in CMs hometown Nalanda. Besides, pro-Pakistan slogan was raised in the state capital, Singh alleged.

Terming prohibition as a cheap publicity gimmick, Singh said the CM has been touring various states, but no one was heeding to his pleas for prohibition.

It was Nitish Kumar, who in his first 10 years of rule opened a huge numbers of liquor shops across the state and got people addicted to liquor. Now he wants to ban it overnight, which is not possible, he said.

Singh suggested Kumar should concentrate on improving law and order and development activities, instead of indulging in activities to build his personality through prohibition.

The BJP leader said he would go to Chapra on Sunday and take stock of the situation, which led to clashes between two communities few days back over an objectionable photo and video related to a particular community.

In reply to a query over appointment of a new state BJP president, Singh said, The (current) state president has completed his tenure of three years and now the central leadership has to take a decision in this regard.
The government has put on hold a proposal to divide other backward classes (OBCs) into three sub-categories and accordingly divide 27% quota in jobs and education in proportion to their population.

The move indicates that the government is treading cautiously ahead of the upcoming polls in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, where caste factor plays an important role in deciding the outcome.

The National Commission of Backward Classes (NCBC) had put forward the recommendation in February 2015.

Government officials said the sub-categorisation will create complications as not enough data on OBC population was available for the exercise.

A senior official of social justice and empowerment ministry said the Commission is also not legally competent to advice on issues other than the inclusion of castes under the NCBC Act, 1993.

As per the proposal, the central list of OBCs would be divided into three groups  extremely backward classes, more backward classes and backward classes  and the 27% quota would be apportioned among them as per their population and degree of backwardness so as to ensure that better-off OBCs do not corner the rights and benefits meant for deserving people.

The proposal has been considered in the ministry and it was concluded that sub-categorisation would create more complications. Also, the proposal would have to rely on the Socio-Economic Caste Census data, which is not available in a comprehensive manner, the official said.

Also, the Commission has proposed to carry out the exercise in association with ICSSR, which would be time-consuming. Further, in states, the sub-categorisation is of communities/castes and the NCBC report in this regard is incomplete, he said.

At present, there is no classification in the central list as a result of which the advanced OBCs avail most of the benefits, member of NCBC, Ashok Kumar Saini, said.

The majority judgement in the Indra Sawhney case has adverted to this aspect. According to justice Sawant, who delivered a concurrent but separate judgement, the absence of classification results in great injustice to the most deserving and really backward classes, Saini said.

Some states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, Karnataka, Haryana, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have, however, implemented sub-categorisation.

The Commission had also suggested that an expert body be commissioned to study the methodology and finalise the criteria and indicators.
If at all Brexit impacts India, it does so positively.

It is this perspective that visiting British MP and secretary of state for international development Priti Patel will promote during her meetings over the next few days with Indian political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, finance minister Arun Jaitley and skill development minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

This is an incredible time to be here, as fresh opportunities to crystallize trade and commerce deals have arisen after Britains decision to exit from the European Union, said Patel  the first secretary of state of the Theresa May government to arrive on an official visit.

The UK has been partnering India in furthering the NDA governments projects for building smart cities, skill development and the make in India programme. The two countries are on a new threshold to push forward the economic and trade agenda and enhance the economic partnership, said Patel, a second generation Gujarati origin migrant who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2010.

UK has the expertise to provide technical support towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modis economic agenda. It will be a privilege to meet the Indian Prime Minister once again on Saturday, Patel said in an interview to HT.

Patel is scheduled to fly down to Bhopal on Saturday evening for discussions with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on infrastructure development in the state. Big opportunities for global investors have opened up in India, Patel said.

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Security forces face a major test as many in Kashmir appeared set to celebrate Pakistans independence day on Sunday by hoisting hundreds of its flags as a mark of defiance against New Delhi.

Police and intelligence sources said they expect impromptu rallies and celebrations across the region, which has been roiled by weeks of violent street protests against last months killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani by security forces.

Kashmiri separatists traditionally raise Pakistans flag on its independence day, but this year a wave of public unrest against Wanis killing is sweeping the valley, where at least 58 people have been killed, mostly in police firing. The region remains under a curfew for 35 straight days and internet services remain suspended.

Public anger has also been fuelled by what locals see as New Delhis apathy towards the suffering of Kashmiris and its alleged refusal to find a political solution to the regions problems. An all-party meeting called by the government on Friday also failed to assuage feelings in Kashmir.

Large swathes of rural Kashmir, the south in particular, appeared to be out of the purview of security forces, giving Lashkar-e-Taiba militants a free run, sources said. The army has also suspended operations to limit civilian fatalities.

Underscoring the security challenge, a blast in a market in Poonch wounded a dozen people on Saturday, police said.

Lt Gen Satish Dua, head of the 15 Corps told HT, We only launch operation based on specific intelligence because we dont want collateral damage. The marrying up of actual terrorists with agitators has become a big challenge.

Separatist groups have also asked people to pray for Pakistans stability after every namaz on Sunday. They have asked Indias 70th independence day on Monday to be marked as a black day and all roads leading to Indian celebrations to be blocked. India and Pakistan, which won independence from Britain on the same day, celebrate a day apart.

Read | Day after all-party meet, Kashmir tense as separatists call march

For most years, August 14 has been a regular day in Kashmir. This year, sources said, many Kashmiri youth were preparing makeshift stages for rallies and marches in south and north Kashmir. Hundreds of homemade Pakistani flags were being distributed.

People are collecting bamboo sticks and wooden poles for hoisting the (Pakistani) flags, said a resident of South Kashmir.

Paramilitary soldiers patrolling near Lal Chowk in Srinagar. Close to 60 have been killed so far during the past 35 days in the protests over the killing of Burhan Wani. (Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo)

Hoisting another countrys flag is not unlawful so long as the intent is not to defame or disrespect India or show disloyalty. In Kashmir, however, the unfurling of Pakistani flag is usually not so much for love of that country as it is to spite India, analysts said.

It is just hopelessness and hatred for India that youth are celebrating Pakistan day, said senior journalist Sheikh Mushtaq.

Sources said Pakistani flags are likely to come up on electric poles and on old, abandoned buildings. The old quarters of Srinagars downtown area, a known protest venue, is also a concern for security forces, who have been asked to avoid taking action against protestors.

The early days of Kashmiri insurgency in 1990s saw militant groups such as Hizbul Mujahideen celebrate Pakistans independence by taking out flag marches and parades. Its flag would be unfurled and the national Anthem of Pakistan would fill the air. However, even back then, the participation by civilians in those celebrations was rare.

But Kashmiris could be looking at Pakistan and that country appears to be entering the civilian narrative after a gap of many years.

At least they are raising the issue of our freedom. What is India doing? Only firing at us. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and his ministers think it is an economic problem. Pakistan understands our pain, said Nissar Ahmed, a farmer in Tral.

Another Tral villager, Ghulam Nabi told HT, An all-party meeting took place and they spoke more about PoK and Balochistan than us Kashmiris.

We have been deceived by Delhi once too often. We are in no mood to be fooled. The youth of Kashmir have taken things into their own hands.

(With Abhishek Saha in Srinagar)
Powerful explosives meant for an attack on the LGB International Airport and other important areas of the city have been recovered, police said on Saturday.

Two extremists on a motorcycle threw a box they were carrying and fled after seeing a joint police and CRPF check point on Friday night near the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport, police officials said.

A powerful bomb and three grenades were found in the box.

A bomb disposal squad safely defused the explosives, police said.

Assam has witnessed intensified militant violence in the past week with the latest incident on Friday, when ULFA-Independent militants shot dead two and injured six people in indiscriminate firing at Philobari Bahbon village in Assams Tinsukia district.

In the same area on Thursday, the militant outfit had exploded an improvised explosive device (IED) in a drain on the Philobari bypass road near Badalbheta Tea Estate. No one was injured in the blast.

In another incident, on August 5, 14 people were killed and over 20 injured in an attack by heavily-armed NDFB(S) insurgents at Balajan in Kokrajhar district.

Security measures have been tightened in the state to prevent recurrence of such incidents, with the police and paramilitary forces intensifying security measures, state parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said in the assembly on Saturday.

The state government has decided to give Rs 5 lakh compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured, Patowary added.
Sharmistha Mukherjee, a Congress leader and the daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, named and shamed on Saturday a man identifying himself Partha Mandal for sending her obscene messages on Facebook and vowed to fight against such perverts.

This pervert Partha Mandal is sending me dirty sexual messages. My first reaction was to ignore & block him. But then I thought the silence would encourage him to find other victims, Sharmistha wrote on Facebook.

The Congress leader, who fought the 2015 assembly elections in Delhi, said she made her profile public after joining politics in order to get suggestions and complaints from people. Mondal had allegedly sent obscene messages to Sharmistha on Friday night.

Such harassment is not anything new on the internet and hundreds of thousands of people suffer it every day on social media. But instead of letting the matter go, Sharmistha decided to fight back by sharing the obscene message to publicly shame her harasser. She told HT that she would also lodge a complaint with police.

Just blocking & reporting is not enough. I strongly feel such people should be publicly exposed & humiliated. Im posting screenshots of his profile & messages he sent me, she wrote. Im also tagging him. Please share this post & tag this rat as a message that these pervert acts will not be taken lightly.

When HT got in touch with Sharmistha, she said she initially thought of ignoring the message but she realised that the offender will offend other women.

I decided to share the messages because there is a need for public exposure and public humiliation of such people, Sharmistha said over the phone from Delhi. Generally girls or women block such a person. But that never helps because the offenders take advantage of the situation and humiliate others.

She said police would take immediate action in her case only because she is President Pranab Mukherjees daughter, but she doesnt want any special treatment. I want the police to be active in case of complaint lodged by any women. Therefore, I will quietly go to the police and lodge a complaint. I will fight as a general person. I will approach the police as a common person, Sharmistha said.

Sharmistha has also appealed to other women facing similar problems to lodge complaints.

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A 13-year-old girl who was dragged out of a car and gangraped near a highway in UPs Bulandshahr district has approached the Supreme Court, demanding action against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan who said the incident could be a political conspiracy.

The girl, a resident of Noida, said she had lost confidence in the police force in Uttar Pradesh and the case should be transferred to Delhi, her lawyer, Kislay Pandey, told HT on Saturday. The girl has moved the court through her friend.

A gang of highway robbers raped the girl and her 35-year-old mother at gunpoint on NH-91 when they were travelling with their family from Noida to Shahjahanpur last month.

As the ruling SP came under attack over deteriorating law and order, Khan triggered a controversy for his comments that it must be checked if the ghastly incident is the handiwork of those who want to gain power in the state by tarnishing the image of this government.

His comments triggered sharp criticism from political rivals ahead of next years state election, and the girls father asked Khan if he would have made a similar statement for his own family.

The girl also demanded a court-monitored probe into the incident, rehabilitation and security, her lawyer said.

On Friday, the Allahabad high court ordered a CBI probe into the incident. The court asked police to furnish before the court statements of the victims and asked why the medical examination of the victims was not conducted.

After a country-wide outrage, the state government suspended seven policemen, including the Bulandshahr senior superintendent of police, for alleged laxity. The victims too alleged that police did not pay attention to their complaints initially.

The main accused in the Bulandshahr gangrape, Saleem Bawaria, was arrested on Monday.

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Congress leader Yadagiri sustained serious injuries on Saturday after being shot at six times by unidentified assailants in Secunderabad, police said.

Yadgiri was shifted to a hospital and his condition was said to be stable.

The attack took place in Old Bowenpalli when the assailants on a motorbike fired six rounds at the Congress leader as he was coming out of his house. They escaped after the attack.

Yadgiri is said to be in the real estate and liquor business.

Hyderabad police commissioner Mahender Reddy visited the scene of the firing.
Ten monks from Buddhist monasteries across Tibet are taking their final test in the provincial capital Lhasa in a bid to attain the highest academic degree in Tibetan Buddhism studies.

The test, covering the general knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan language and sutra debate, began on Friday at Ganden Monastery and will last for five days, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The candidates have stood out from thousands of lamas at 10 different monasteries in Lhasa, Xigaze, Chamdo and Ngaqu, Benba, an official with the Tibet branch of China Buddhist Association said.

Candidates who pass the final test will present a formal dissertation at the Jokhang Temple in spring before being awarded the Gexe Lharampa, equivalent to doctorate, Benba said.

Gexe means knowledgeable and Lharampa is the highest among all four ranks in the Gexe system.

Ninety-five Monks have been awarded the degree since the test resumed in 2004.

The test was suspended after riots against Chinese control in 1988, which China blamed on the separatists.
A Coimbatore-based woman doctor has been booked in an attempt to murder of her 82 year-old father last year.

A CCTV footage of the September 2015 incident purportedly showing a woman tampering with the medical support system of an elderly man after allegedly getting his thumb impression in some documents has gone viral on social media.

She is then seen swiftly moving out after the hospital staff came to the room.

The elderly man passed away a few days after the incident.

A case under different sections of IPC -- 307 (attempt to murder), extortion and trespass has been filed against the doctor, police said on Saturday.

The case was filed after a complaint against the woman by her Chennai-based brother, at whose hospital the father was admitted.

The woman doctors brother has also moved the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council, seeking disqualification of his sister as a medical professional.

Council vice-president J A Jayalal said that some enquiries have been held already and the woman doctor has sought time to respond.

It is a family issue. The allegation (by the complainant) is that she was trying to intimidate (her father) and attempted to do some mischief. Her brother has submitted the video footage, he told PTI.

However, the veracity of the video needs to be ascertained and it needs more expert scrutiny, Jayalal said.

Overall it looks like getting some (thumb) impression (on documents). Somebody is in death bed and you cannot force someone to (sign papers), he said, adding the council will hold detailed enquiries into the matter.
Three home guards killed in last years terror strike in Gurdaspur and four officers of the Mumbai Fire Brigade are among those who will be awarded the Presidents gallantry medals this year.

The Centre on Friday evening named Bodh Raj, Desh Raj and Sukhdev Singh for the Presidents Home Guards & Civil Defence Medal for Gallantry for resisting Pakistani terrorists holed up in the Dinanagar police station last year.

Like Superintendent of Police Baljit Singh, they too laid down their lives in the July 27 terror strike.

But only Singh and two Punjab police officers, who fought the terrorists, were awarded medals in 2015. The three home guards were left out.

Their sacrifice did, however, inspire Punjabs chief of home guards and civil defence to quickly set up a memorial designed on the lines of India Gate for the states home guards, whose sacrifice was never recognised. In all, 371 home guards have died on duty in Punjab.

A fourth home guard named for the Presidents gallantry medal is from Uttar Pradesh.

Mahadev Prasad Mishra died fighting six armed miscreants who attacked a police station in Pratapgarh district to free their accomplice in February this year. In contrast, the station in-charge was reported to have locked himself in a room.

Legally, the home guards and civil defence is a volunteer force that serves as auxiliary to the police and helps the community in an emergency such as disasters. For most of the volunteers, though, it is their only job.

State governments often use them to augment the police presence at less than half the salary paid to the constabulary.

Mumbai Firemen awarded

Four officers of the Mumbai Fire Brigade who died last year saving people in the fire that brought down the Gokul Nivas building at Kalbadevi will receive the Presidents Fire Service Medal for Gallantry this year.

This is the second Presidents gallantry medal being awarded to Mumbais chief fire officer Sunil Nesarikar. He was awarded the first one, also posthumously, in 2015 for leading fire-fighting operations at the Lotus Business Park in bustling Andheri the previous year.

Nesrikar repeated the feat at Kalbadevi, but was trapped in the debris when a part of the Gokul Nivas building on fire collapsed. Three other fire officers, including his deputy Sudhir Gopal Amin, who died in the operation have also been awarded. The other two were Sanjay Waman Rane and MM Desai.

The four are the only fire officers to be awarded the Presidents medal for gallantry this year.

In all, the home ministry announced on its website medals for nearly 60 home guards and civil defence personnel.

The move to put out the list on the official website three days before Independence Day is a break from convention. In the past, the names of the awardees were made public on the eve of Independence Day.

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India on Saturday rejected an out-of-turn proposal from Pakistan for a talks on Kashmir issue.

India said it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations and at this time it included stoppage of Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.

India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He said othe issues such as Incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan, are the issued that need to be discussed, he said.

He was replying to a question on a statement by Prime Ministers Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at a press briefing yesterday that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on Jammu & Kashmir for which the Pakistan Foreign Secretary would be writing to his Indian counterpart.

Our Foreign Secretary would formally be writing to his counterpart in this regard, Aziz had said as he briefed the media about the Pakistans Envoys Conference held on

August 1 -3 to deliberate on major foreign policy challenges of Pakistan and make recommendations.

At a separate event, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Threat of terrorism dominates global concerns today. It is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross border manifestation.

Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard. At the international level we are also putting the spotlight on early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, she said.
The water level in Yamuna has breached the warning level due to discharge of water from a barrage in Haryana, prompting the Delhi government to deploy disaster and flood management teams.

Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra said due to the water level nearing the danger mark, few people had to be shifted from north Delhis Burari.

Water level increasing in Yamuna. Nearing danger mark. No need to panic. Team on alert. Few people evacuated from Burari. Disaster management and flood department teams on night duty. Announcements done, he tweeted.

Mishra said water may recede after 3am and that the government has five district teams on standby.

The warning level for Yamuna is 204m and the danger level 204.83m. The highest water level of 207.49 m in Yamuna was recorded in 1978.
An eight-year-old girl, who was hospitalised in a critical condition after being attacked by unidentified people earlier this week, showed no signs of improvement on Saturday.

Doctors at the citys JK Lone hospital believe the assailants attempted to strangle her, causing severe brain damage and rendering her comatose.

Shivdaspura station house officer Narendra Pareek said the child went missing from her home on August 8. Her parents are daily wage labourers residing in Shivdaspura. When they returned from work that day, the child was nowhere to be seen. They found her in an under-construction building the next morning, he added.

The girls brother said they initially took her to the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, but reconsidered after seeing the high amount being charged at its intensive care unit. They then took her to their village, Pipli in Tonk district, and admitted her to a hospital there.

Pareek claimed that the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital did not inform police about the case. It was only on Friday night that the Tonk Kotwali thana briefed us, and told us that the child has been referred to Jaipur. When they reached the city, we admitted her to the JK Lone Hospital and lodged an FIR. We are trying to identify possible suspects, he said.

Officials said the girl may have been attacked with sexual intentions, but left for dead after she fainted. The condition of the child is extremely critical, and she has been kept on ventilator support. Her heart stopped beating on Saturday morning, and we administered CPR to revive her. She is currently in a coma due to the damage to her brain. The oxygen levels in her body depleted due to the strangulation, resulting in swelling of the brain, said Dr Ashok Gupta, hospital superintendent.

External tests indicated that she was not sexually assaulted. An internal examination is not possible right now because our primary concern is to save her life, Gupta added.

State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Manan Chaturvedi visited JK Lone Hospital and spoke to the girls family. I will check why the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital administration did not notify the police when the girl was first taken there. If any negligence is found, strict action will be taken against them, said Chaturvedi.

Police commissioner Sanjay Agarwal said police have asked the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital to submit all the documents related to the childs treatment. The papers from the first day will be useful for the investigation, considering that there was a delay of three days in registering the FIR. We are probing the case, and more details will emerge as it progresses, he added.

However, the management of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital denied any laxity on their part. The child was brought to our hospital, but her parents chose to leave before we could start the treatment, said RK Gupta, additional medical superintendent of the institution.
Leaving aside their frustration and bitterness triggered by the absence of any basic infrastructure facilities in the area since becoming Indian citizens exactly a year and 15 days ago, the 15,000 odd residents of the erstwhile enclaves are set to celebrate Independence Day  their second in life.

These citizens who lived without any citizenship for 68 years since Independence had their got their homeland on July 31, 2015, when they became Indian citizens following the implementation of the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement. They celebrated with bursting crackers, as it was the first time they got the right to hoist the Indian tricolour. They celebrated August 15 with greater fanfare.

Overall, 14,864 residents of 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India became Indian citizens, while 922 residents of Indian enclaves in Bangladesh migrated to India.

In less than a year, however, their illusion of El Dorado faded and the new Indian citizens descended on the streets to protest the apathy and negligence of the administration in developing infrastructure in the erstwhile enclaves where no basic facilities like roads, drinking water connection and electricity lines exist.

The bitterness reached such an extent that instead of celebrating the first anniversary of their Indian citizenship, they organised a protest on the midnight of July 31, 2016 in a bid to tell the world that they are living in the same darkness as before. During daytime they took out a silent procession, covering their faces with black pieces of cloth.

Read: Enclave dwellers go into protest mode on citizenship anniversary

However, August 15 is a special day. Our protest is against the administration of Cooch Behar district but not against India. Well celebrate Independence Day like everyone else in the country. We will resume our protest after the I-day celebrations, said Diptiman Sengupta, the leader of the ex-enclave dwellers.

Villagers said they have not availed any of the basic facilities offered by the Central and state governments because the district administration has failed to record land holdings. Without land records, we cannot apply for agriculture loan, crop insurance and house building schemes like Indira Awas Yojna. Electricity is yet to arrive. No school, health centre or road have been built, said Joynal Abedin of Madhya Mashaldanga.

Some of these new Indian citizens told HT, however, said that they will lack the enthusiasm to celebrate the day that way they did last year because their first full year as Indian citizen has been full of despair.

The news of fast development initiatives in the erstwhile Indian enclaves in Bangladesh (that are now part of Bangladesh) has farther fueled grievance among the residents. To protest, ex-enclave dwellers recently put up hundreds of scarecrows across their farmlands with posters written this is me hanging from the neck.

Our dreams have been dashed too soon, said Usman Gani, who migrated from Bangladesh opting for Indian citizenship and is living in a makeshift and rehabilitation camp at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district since November 2015.

Sometime we feel we have made a mistake by opting to settle in India, the despair was evident even over phone.
The Uttar Pradesh police spent the last two days on their toes, barely taking a break from their investigative duties. Oddly enough, the reason was neither a communal clash nor a high-profile kidnapping, but an affable black Labrador that went missing from the house of Agra MP Ram Shankar Katheria earlier this week.

Displaying the kind of zeal that would impress most animal activists, police and well-wishers presented Katherias family with three dogs to choose from within 24 hours of lodging the report. However, two of them  one recovered from New Delhi and another from Bijlighar area  turned out to be doppelgangers. The real deal, a friendly canine called Kalu, was found wandering the streets of Lawyers Colony in Agra by a local resident.

For the untrained eye, it is notoriously hard to tell one Labrador from another. This became evident on Saturday morning, when morning-walkers spotted a dog resembling Kalu in Delhis Pitampura locality. Having read about the dogs disappearance in the newspapers, they sent a photo of the dog to the Katherias via Whatsapp.

Katheria mistakenly believed that the canine was indeed Kalu. Our missing dog has been found. He might have been taken away by someone, and left in Delhi, he said then.

However, that wasnt the end of the story. The same afternoon, the New Agra police claimed to have found the missing dog near Bijlighar Crossing. The personnel at the outpost here found a black Labrador with a red collar. It had been bitten by local dogs. The MPs family was informed, said Dharmendra Singh, in-charge of the New Agra police station.

Katherias family members immediately rushed to the Bijlighar Crossing outpost, only to be met with disappointment. It wasnt the dog in question.

Lady luck finally smiled on the now-distraught Katherias when Ravi Pratap, a resident of Lawyers Colony in Agra, said he had found a Labrador roaming around the area and taken it home. Soon Katherias spokesperson confirmed that the missing dog had been found. He said Kalu was immediately identified by Katherias other dog, Bhoora.

Dr Mridula Katheria, the BJP leaders wife, thanked the police, mediapersons and well-wishers for helping them recover Kalu. She also sent the injured Labrador found in Bijlighar to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

In her complaint lodged with superintendent of police (city) Sudheel Dhule the previous day, Dr Mridula said the black Labrador had been missing since August 9. She said if the Uttar Pradesh police could look for state cabinet minister Azam Khans buffaloes, they could also search for her beloved Kalu.

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For the first time in the decades since the Congress lost the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, the grand old party has climbed down from its lofty political perch to the level of the streetsliterally.

But that is a distinction its city president Sanjay Nirupam, considered an outsider by many blue-blooded Congress leaders of Mumbai, wears proudly on his sleeve. Nirupam has been holding an audit of potholes on the citys roads30,000, he claims against the corporations admission to about 2,000holding padyatras in the rain, looking at the terrible quality of water supply to the citys denizens and, of course, the sewers and garbage that piles up causing environmental hazards as well as health risks to the people.

The Congress has never fought municipal elections purely on civic issues. Usually, past campaigns have been polarised politically on issues around community, religious and immigration. But now Nirupam, himself an immigrant who defeated the formidable Marathi manoos Ram Naik of the BJP (now the governor of Uttar Pradesh) in 2009 to gain one term in the Lok Sabha, is battling the odds to unite the people on issues that affect every citizen of whatever community.

Nirupam has one advantage: the support of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. The Gandhis have never concerned themselves with municipal elections anywhere, but Rahul gave Nirupam a thumbs-up in January this year by forgiving an inadvertent faux pas. That was when Congress Darshan, a party mouthpiece edited by Nirupam raised questions over the Kashmir policy of iconic Jawaharlal Nehru. Rahul also walked the streets of Dharavi, Asias largest slum, to give the Congress civic campaign a leg-up. He returned two months later to wade through garbage at the Deonar dump, which had caught fire twice in the course of a few weeks and resulted in a pall of smoke across the city for days on end.

Senior Congress leaders have complained that Nirupam has reduced the Mumbai Congress to the municipality. But that is precisely where it will remain until next February. After that, the Mumbai Congress will venture out towards the rest of Maharashtra and India, Nirupam told the Hindustan Times, unabashed by that criticism.

His plan seems to have found acceptance by the party leadership. Rahul called a meeting of all the citys stalwarts in Delhi last week to read them the riot act  shape up or ship out, unite and fight together to win the BMC polls this time. Letters, too, have gone out to these leaders. And, although, at one level, the Mumbai Congress is preparing for a street fight, at another, it is treating this municipal election as no less than a Lok Sabha poll.

The plans are big: to create various committees, like campaign committee, manifesto committee et al with each charge given to each one of the former Mumbai MPsMilind Deora, Priya Dutt, Gurudas Kamat and Eknath Gaikwadwho lost in 2014.

I have understood my problem, Nirupam says. There are many leaders here who let me be and stand aloof. I need to pull them in and mesh them together so that we get a good chance at breaking the Shiv Senas stranglehold on the city.

For the first time in years, the BJP and the Sena are bitter enemies standing opposite each other, he notes. We must not lose that advantage. We must stand as one force against them.

Nirupam, 52, is also aware of his handicapthat he is an outsider. To both the party and the city. The only criticism against me is that I came to the Congress from the Shiv Sena, and that I am a Bihari. But those issues should not be held against me, he says. There are others from the Sena in the Congress. Also, the

Mumbai Congress presidents post has always been held by non-Maharashtrians. Bar one or two Maharashtrians since Independence, this job by and large has gone to migrants from other states.

It is true. But, today that becomes a major issue in view of an intense polarisation between Maharashtrians and Gujaratis. They are neatly divided between the Shiv Sena and the BJP respectively.

The BJP has tried to develop Ashish Shelar, its Mumbai president, as a Marathi face of the party for the BMC elections to get over its overtly Gujarati image. The Congress has none such who can take on the Sena measure for measure. It does not even have a Gujarati face of repute. The situation gets more complicated with the new entrant, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-e-Muslimeen, making a bid for the Dalit and Muslim votes in the Congress strongholds.

But, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant says there is a certain amount of disenchantment in all these communities with all the parties: the Sena, the BJP, the AIMIM and the Republican Party of India (numerous factions). That gives us the hope that at least half these voters who were ours before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls might look towards us again in some small measure to help give us a push towards the BMC, he notes. But it depends on how much the other parties polarise the issue on community and religious lines.

Political polarisation by other parties has always proved troublesome for the Congress. The party, given its avowed man-for-all-seasons kind of ideology, has never been able to match up to their divisive campaigns.

Nirupam, therefore, is in no doubt that at least this season the Mumbai Congress will steer clear of those issues. Instead, roti, kapda, makaan, bijli, sadak and paani will be the Congress themes for 2017. A 24-hour purified water supply, electricity at reasonable rates and potholes that do not open up for at least 20 years after they are filled, he says. Then, affordable housing to slum-dwellers and middle classes, jobs and sustained employment for all. The detailed plans will be drawn up shortly.

The infrastructure for all these begins from the streets. The street fight, then, is what the Congress is gearing up for this election season.

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The cost of the Maharashtra governments ambitious Shivaji memorial project in the Arabian sea off Mumbai coast is ballooning and is likely to be in the range of Rs2,700 crore to Rs3,500 crore, according to sources.

Wary of the rising cost, the government is now considering different ways to reduce it. The government has decided to kickstart the project at the earliest and split it in two phases to keep a check on its cost.

In the recent meeting of the high-power committee headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, he approved the concept design of the project submitted by M/s Egis India and Design Associates, the project management consultant for the memorial. During the presentation, the committee was also apprised that the cost of the equestrian Shivaji statue and the surrounding wall to be built to stabilise the force of the water will cost around Rs2,700 crore. Other features, including a library, museum, theatre, jetties will cost another Rs500-800 crore, taking the cost up to Rs3,500 crore.

The committee expressed concern over the rising cost of the project owing to the delay and the various types of the studies it involved.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government aiming to complete the project before the 2019 assembly elections, it has now decided to split the project into two phases. The first phase with the statue, pedestal and the common amenities will be completed by December 2018. The Bhoomipujan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take place in the first or second week of October this year. The quick implementation of the project will help us in containing the rising cost, said Vinayak Mete, chairman of the implementation committee and supervising committee for the project.

Fadnavis has also asked the state administration to tap the possibilities of tax exemptions on the material imported for the statue, so as to reduce the cost. It will be difficult for the cash-strapped government to raise Rs2,700 crore in just two years. Minute studies of various aspects, some of the new requirements that come up, gradually lead to the rise in the cost, which was just Rs500 crore in 2008-09. The government may also think of public participation in terms of raising funds from organisations and corporate houses,  an official from the public works department said.

Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is part of the committee, however, said that the finances would not be constraint as the government has many ways to raise the funds.

Funding can not be the problem for this iconic project. I have at least 50 sources to raise funds. For instance, even if the state employees decide to donate their salary for 7 days or we use the interest on the MMRDA deposits, it can fund the project, he added.
Since the onset of monsoon, the state has been getting good rainfall, with some regions like Nashik even facing floods from the Godavari River. (HT Photo)

After four dry years, Maharashtra may not have to battle drought this time around, with good rain increasing the water stock in many of the states major dams and reservoirs.

Figures from the state water resources department show the total water stock in all dams stands at 73% .

At Jayakwadi, the biggest irrigation project in Marathwada - hit worst by the drought - the water stock went up to 61% for the first time in the five years. Last year, this figure was 6%. Jayakwadi supplies drinking water to four cities, industrial clusters and more than 500 villages in Marathwada.

Since the onset of monsoon, the state has been getting good rainfall, with some regions like Nashik even facing floods from the Godavari River. Four reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai  Modaksagar, Tansa, Vihar and Tulsi - has also filled up sufficiently.

The state administration is now hoping Jayakwadi reaches full capacity after eight long years. In the last five years, Jayakwadi has not received this much water. The situation has improved because of good rains. We are now hoping to see Jayakwadi reach its full capacity after 2008, divisional commissioner Aurangabad Umakant Dangat told HT.

Marathwada battled severe drought for the fourth consecutive year in 2015-16. The region was facing unprecedented water crisis, adding to the farmers woes. The incessant rains, however, has changed the situation.

In Beed district, only five villages now need water from 21 tankers. Tankers deployed to supply drinking water in the state has reduced to 137, according to data from the state relief and rehabilitation department. Until June 20, around 4,982 villages in the state had no source of water and were being fed water through 6,130 tankers, the most in the recent years.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) on Friday signed an agreement for signalling and telecom technology on the 30 km Noida-Greater Noida link to be ready by the end of 2017.

The contract that has a budget of approximately 290 crore was signed by H S Anand, director (Rolling Stock) DMRC, and senior representatives of DMRC and NMRC at the Delhi Metro headquarters in Metro Bhawan.

As per the agreement signed on Friday, the consortium of contractors will provide wireless communication based train contact (CBTC) system and all telecommunication systems for display and CCTV cameras, among other facilities. The technology will be provided for all the 21 stations and the depot on the 30 km Noida-Greater Noida project, Santosh Yadav, managing director of NMRC, said.

Around 50 per cent of the work on the link is over and the link is likely to be opened by the end of 2017 as per schedule, NMRC officials said.

The NMRC have also recently signed an agreement with the DMRC as per which the DMRC will be assisting NMRC in their operations & maintenance on Noida-Greater Noida link.

The DMRC will be providing such assistance till the NMRC develops the expertise to take over the operations and maintenance, Yadav said.

Read more: Centre govt to fund 30-km Noida-Greater Noida metro line

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Joseph Schooling idolised Michael Phelps while he was growing up. He even got a chance to meet him as a starstruck 13-year-old.

Who knew during the chance encounter in 2008 that Schooling would one day grow up to beat the most decorated Olympian in history?

Schooling, 21, won in an Olympic record time of 50.39 seconds. The Singaporean was 0.75 seconds ahead from the trio of Phelps, South Africas Chad Le Clos and Hungarys Laszlo Cseh, who all finished with identical time of to finish in silver medal position.

Phelps, 31, could win his 23rd gold in the 4x100m medley relay on Saturday.

Schooling won the 100-metre butterfly on Friday night, snapping Phelps streak of four straight gold medals to open the Rio Games. Phelps finished in a three-way tie for second place.

Even before the gold, Schooling was already being celebrated in his native Singapore. Schooling beat Phelps in his semfinal heat on Thursday night, a victory that caused people back home to hail their native son as an Olympic hero.

Now that Schooling is bringing Singapore the nations first Olympic gold medal, the celebration figures to get much, much bigger.

Joseph Schooling with Michael Phelps in this 2008 photo released by the Schooling family. (REUTERS Photo)

Earlier, Schooling was the fastest qualifier for the mens 100 metres butterfly final on Friday, while Phelps also secured a spot with the fifth-fastest time.

Schooling clocked 50.83 seconds, while South Africas Chad Le Clos had the second fast time of 51.43 on Thursday.

Phelps, who cut short his participation in the IM medal ceremony to race off the pool deck and get ready for the butterfly semi-finals, touched in 51.58 seconds.

The 31-year-old American had to storm home in the second length having turned in last place at the 50m mark.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar put his foot down on prohibition on Saturday, and asked police officers who are unable to strictly enforce the anti-liquor law to resign.

Kumar said some station house officers had expressed their unwillingness to continue heading police stations to avoid being held responsible for dereliction of duty for deficient implementation of provisions of the prohibition law.

The CMs response to the officers request was blunt: If you cant do your job, you are free to step down or even consider quitting service.

He was speaking at a function organised under the banner of Kushwaha Rajnaitik Chetna Manch to felicitate newly elected panchayat representatives.

Read | Fined for flouting liquor ban, Bihars villagers say law draconian, unfair

Total prohibition, a key promise during Kumars election campaign, came into effect in Bihar retroactively from April 1.

People have voted me to office to deliver on my promises. I am committed to enforce the ban on liquor strictly. If those entrusted with the task are found to be slack or guilty of misuse of the provisions of prohibition, they will be penalised and tried for their misdemeanour, he said.

His remarks came in response to the Bihar Police Associations (BPA) protest against the suspension of 11 SHOs over their failure to check illegal liquor trade. The BPA had issued an ultimatum to withdraw the suspension, stating that about 250 SHOs had expressed their unwillingness to continue on their post.

Taking on his detractors head on, Kumar said no amount of canard about draconian provisions being spread by vested interests would deter him from his commitment to ensure proper implementation of the social initiative.

Read | Jawan caught with 22 rum bottles on train in Bihar, sent to judicial custody

First they talked about the number of bottles, then about fixation of responsibility and arrest of village headman (as per a 1915 law). When these were clarified, they have started talking about arrest of women owner of house, where liquor bottle is recovered, he said.

But you should come up with suggestions. I am open to it. I have appreciated a suggestion for having a blood test done to identify who consumed alcohol in case of recovery of bottles, he said. Laws are open to amendments, even the Indian Constitution has been amended 122 times.

Rubbishing the charge that he was too focussed on prohibition, Kumar said he has chosen to engage in a direct dialogue with the peoples representatives (panchayati raj functionaries) more often to clear misgivings, apprise them with the steps taken and also seek their active participation in the implementation of prohibition.

The social and economic impact of the move would silence detractors, as it did those who criticised and ridiculed his decision to provide 50% reservation for women in PRIs in 2006, he said.

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Police have arrested two youths for allegedly throwing acid on a minor girl in Jalalabad, a subdivision of Fazilka district, on Friday evening.

Vicky, 22, of Jalalabad, allegedly used to stalk a 17-year-old girl, a student of BA-1. She had objected to his advances and also complained about him to her family, following which he had assured not to trouble her. But on Friday, when the girl was returning home after a tuition class, Vicky and his friend Sagar, allegedly threw acid on her. She received burns on her back and was admitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot.

Police have registered a case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) of the Indian Penal Code against the accused.

Also read | Acid attack: Neither court verdict nor time can heal our wounds
Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced that Ahmedgarh will be given the grade of sub-division in the next cabinet meeting which will be held in the coming 15 days.

The deputy CM was in town on Friday to inaugurate the sewa kendra and to lay the foundation stone of various other development projects.

Badal said Shiromani Akali Dal had taken development to the next level in the state. He said Punjab was the only state in the nation which was running numerous welfare schemes for its residents.

Apart from inaugurating a sewa kendra, Badal laid the foundation stone of the new grain market which will be constructed for Rs 50 crore and also laid the foundation stone of basic development work including sewarage of the city which will be carried out by spending Rs 21.5 crore.

Addressing the gathering at the old grain market, Badal said soon Ahmedgarh will become a sub-division after which development work will be carried out faster.

However, this was the first visit of a prominent leader in Ahmedgarh in the nine-year rule of the SAD-BJP government.

He said 332 sewa kendras in urban cities have started working from Friday and 3,000 more such service points in different villages will start working from next month.

He said next month he will hold sangat darshans in Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh where they will distribute grants worth Rs 10 crore.
Residents of the holy city are upset over the garbage woes following which, people of a few colonies have pledged and joined hands with an NGO Eco Amritsar to come up with Zero Garbage Colonies on the 70th Independence Day.

Although, the ambitious and awaited solid waste management project is to be inaugurated by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on August 14, residents have resolved to make their own contribution to the cause.

The Zero Garbage Colonies project has started at Paradise Greens and Palm Grove colonies on the airport road which is also being backed municipal corporation (MC) commissioner Sonali Giri as she provided dustbins to the volunteers.

In the next phase, the NGO plans to assign a team of ragpickers to collect the solid waste and organic waste from the houses.

Speaking to HT about the mission, Gunbir Singh, chairman of the NGO, said, The residents of the colonies have provided us a space of about 50-square-yard in which we will dig six pits and the garbage collected from the houses would be processed and composted in the pits within the colonies. This organic waste will supply manure for the green belt in the colonies.

He added, We would also be applying the vermicomposting method in which when the pits are fully filled, a proper mud layering would be done with banana leaves so that the moisture can be retained for the earthworms to work on the garbage. This will prevent foul smell emanating in the area.

The volunteer residents told HT that they decided to initiate such a project as they were not sure of the effective implementation of the upcoming solid waste management project. Mona Mehra, coordinator of the project, said, People of this holy city have suffered a lot due to the unresolved garbage problem. Garbage heaps are lying all over the city portraying a shameful sight.

Hence we decided to own up our responsibilities and stop depending on the authorities. I am sure this model will be adopted by other-colony residents also.

Explaining the working of the group, Mehra said, I will be coordinating with other area representatives. It will be a well-delegated process where the funds would be collected from every house to pay to the garbage collectors. The NGO provides us with the know-how and other basic facilities required.

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After defeating Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley during the Lok Sabha elections in Amritsar, Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh has returned to his bastion and applied for the party ticket for the upcoming assembly polls from his traditional seat: Patiala (urban).

His wife, Preneet Kaur, won the seat after bypolls in 2014, after Capt vacated it following his win in Amritsar.

Also, to promote one family, one ticket, neither his wife nor son Raninder Singh, who contested the last elections from Samana, has applied for a party ticket from any constituency. Capts brother Malwinder Singh, too, will not be contesting the elections. The state Congress chief has completed all formalities like any other ticket aspirant, and I have submitted his application at the PPCC office, said Capts close aide MP Singh. He confirmed that no one else from the royal family has applied for a ticket.

Capt has submitted a list of 340 Congress workers, along with photocopies of their identity cards and phone numbers, to fulfil the PPCC criterion of each aspirant showing two voters per booth. He has won the seat thrice: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.

WILL GIVE UP LOK SABHA POST

Capt Amarinder Singh said once the party announces him the chief ministerial candidate, he will relinquish the post of Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha, if the high command agrees to it. The Congress is set to launch an extensive campaign for the assembly polls, and I have to devote more time in Punjab, he said.

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EU urges Russia, Ukraine to avoid escalation of conflict  conversation of Mogherini and Klimkin

The European Union (EU) continues to be unwavering in their support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and said that any actions that could lead to a further escalation of the conflict must be avoided by all sides.

According to a statement of the European Union External Action, High Representative and Vice-President Federica Mogherini spoke with Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin about the escalation in tensions between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

"The European Union condemns and does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. We continue to be unwavering in our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine," Mogherini said.

She said that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is the only possible solution.

"This includes eastern Ukraine, where we urge all parties to fully engage in the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements."

"The European Union and its Member States will continuously assess the situation, including at the level of the Political and Security Committee next Wednesday," Mogherini said.

Klimkin also informed about the phone call with Mogherini.

"Had a good chat by phone with @FedericaMog [Federica Mogherini] yesterday. Full commitment to the EU non-recognition for Crimea. #CrimeaIsUkraine," he wrote on his Twitter page on Saturday.
With a person from Uttar Pradesh complaining against Gau Raksha Dal, Punjab, volunteers, police are preparing grounds for the arrest of the outfits state president Satish Kumar and his associates, already booked for assault and extorting money from cow traders.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said, We have applied for the copy of the statement of the victim and after corroborating the allegations, a case will be made. The SSP said with the victims coming on record, the case has become strong and they will soon take the action against the accused.

On Thursday, a victim from Uttar Pradesh (UP) recorded his statement against Satish and his aides before the judicial magistrate. The victim also stated that besides beating him brutally, the vigilantes assaulted him sexually.

MORE PLAINTS EXPECTED

Another victim has reportedly agreed to lodge a complaint against the Gau Raksha Dal with regard to an incident couple of years ago. As another victim wanted to depose against the outfit volunteers. He is a truck driver, said a cop.

He also said some other victims were also in touch with the police, but they were concerned about their security.

Police on Sunday booked the chief of a cow protection group and at least 20 others in Rajpura for allegedly beating up truck drivers transporting cows after PM Narendra Modi lashed out at self-styled cow protectors.

Read: Modi now using cow for votes of butchers: Booked gau rakshak leader
Education minister Daljit Singh Cheema appealed to people to be aware and react strongly against leaders and parties who were misleading them on Punjabs drug problem at a gathering during the inauguration of a service centre in Sirhind on Friday.

Cheema quoted the results of dope tests conducted during the constable recruitment by the Punjab police across the state to claim that the state was drug-free. Less than 2% of aspirants tested positive and that too happened due to the intake of a certain type of medicine for illness, he said.

Claiming that Shiromani Akali Dal was the best party, the education minister said the party had made maximum sacrifices for state. Cheema said Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singhs statements on Satluj-Yamuna Link were highly unacceptable though inspite being aware that former prime minister Indira Gandhi had started the issue.

We were jailed during the Kapuri morcha after Indira Gandhi started SYL there and again during the Emergency, he said, adding, our government has worked hard to maintain peace in Punjab during the last nine years.

Cheema also attacked the Aam Aadmi Party on their SYL stance and alleged that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was two-faced on the issue.

He has changed his statements on SYL which proves that he is not concerned about Punjab, he added.

Cheema further claimed that Punjab was the only state in the nation to establish 2,147 service centres. He said 322 centres including seven of Fatehgarh Sahib district were operational Friday onward.
The much-awaited ruling of the Punjab and Haryana high court, setting aside appointment of chief parliamentary secretaries (CPSes) in Punjab, deals a blow to the Parkash Singh Badal governments politics of patronage. It has also laid bare the illegality that successive governments of the state have cleverly committed in violation of the Constitution.

The timing is significant, barely six months before the assembly polls are due. Already, the SAD-BJP government has been pulling out all stops to park politicians and powerful people in different boards, corporations and commissions by amending rules and increasing the number of posts. As the ruling says that neither the governor nor the legislature has competence or legislative sanction to frame rules on appointment and services of CPSes, this closes any door to appoint CPSes in future too via the state assembly.

The Badal government not only parked 24 MLAs as CPSes, but there are about two-dozen non-elected people given status of minister or CPS  an illegality in light of this verdict.

The ruling, sources said, will be challenged in the Supreme Court, though advocate general (AG) Ashok Aggarwal only said, The government will decide the next course of action.

Read: AAP has compulsions to keep mum on CPS issue

IMAGE CRISIS

With the assembly elections due early next year, the poll code of conduct is likely to come into force by December, so the ruling will not hurt the SAD-BJP much in this term. But these CPSes will have to bear the stigma of being sacked by the court  adding to a crisis of bad image that this government has been battling in view of 10 years of incumbency.

The ruling brings under the spotlight how the government devised a roundabout way of bypassing the Constitutional mandate. The 91st constitutional amendment of 2004 caps the size of the council of ministers at 15% of the House strength at both central and state level. Punjab assembly has 117 members and there are already 18 ministers, including the chief minister. CPS post was a means to placate those unable to get a slot. Of the 18 CPSes sacked immediately, 15 are from the SAD and three from BJP. This judgment will also have a bearing on the fate of six other CPSes  four of the SAD and two of BJP who were appointed this year. The high court is hearing a case on that too.

Read: Heres the complete list

WHO STARTED IT?

Every CM wants to keep his flock together. These appointments fly in the face of the constitutional amendment. You are giving them pays and perks of minister without calling them minister. This is unfortunate, a former Punjab chief secretary said. More significant was the questionable practice of files being routed through them. They are attached with ministers but in some cases the ministers had refused to share the files. The logic here is that these CPSes do not take any constitutional oath of secrecy.

All political parties are sailing in the same boat on the issue. Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh was quick to blame the government for having failed to follow the procedure. But it was the last Congress government (2002-07) led by Amarinder that set the tradition of appointing CPSes in spite of the Constitutional amendment. By a May 2006 notification, it framed the Punjab Parliamentary Secretaries and Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (Terms and Conditions of Appointment) Rules 2006. Technically, an MLA cannot hold another office of profit, but in 2006 the Vidhan Sabha took the CPS post out of the ambit of that law.

Haryana also has CPSes, while in Himachal Pradesh such parliamentary secretaries were appointed by changing the law after a court quashing.

The money part of it

Financially, in Punjab the emoluments to CPSes are only a bit higher than those to usual MLAs

They get added Rs 1.5cr a year as discretionary grant for constituency development

CPS salary per month is Rs 40,000, while usual MLA gets Rs 25,000.

CPSes got sumptuary allowance (Rs 5,000), compensatory allowance (Rs 5,000); constituency, secretarial, postal allowance (Rs 25,000)

Other perks take the pay close to Rs 1.5 lakh/month, while an MLA gets around Rs 1 lakh on these counts

Real catch is in the daily and mileage allowances (private vehicle used for official purpose) at Rs 15 per km. Their income tax too is paid by the government, while they also get a hefty house rent allowance (Rs 50,000 a month) or government house.

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In an embarrassment to Punjab vigilance bureau (VB), senior government officials and local mafia booked for plundering the Sutlej basin in Jodhewal village of Ludhiana district got interim bail from a court. The case will come up for hearing on August 20.

The VB registered a first information report (FIR) on July 18 this year against deputy director of industries Vishav Bandhu, block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) Rana Pratap Singh, a retired mining officer, and two panchayat secretaries, besides Ludhiana-based mining contractor Prashant Joshi and two Jodhewal residents.

As the VB failed to make any arrest, the deputy director, BDPO, two panchayat secretaries and two residents of Jodhewal village got interim bail in the first week of August. The mining contractor is absconding.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Mandeep Singh, an investigation officer in the case, told HT that the VB conducted raids at many places, but could not find anyone. He said the VB came to know about the interim bail through a court notice for August 20. We will seek permission from the court to arrest them, the DSP said.

The accused procured the bail after their names appeared in a news report, he said, when asked the reason for the VBs inaction and the eventual courts interim stay orders on their arrest.

The charges against the said officials related to corrupt practices and facilitating the mafia in plundering about 50 acres of the Sutlej river basin.

The FIR names only eight officers, though the special investigation team (SIT) had named more, including a few from the revenue and power departments. The FIR was based on the SIT report that mentioned forgery and misuse of the land-revenue record by everyone from patwari to tehsildar. The vigilance bureau omitted the relevant sections as well as the names of these officials.

When contacted, SSP (VB, economic offenses wing), Ludhiana, Rupinder Singh said: They have just got an interim bail. The bureau will oppose it 20, when the case will come up for hearing in the court of additional sessions judge, Ludhiana, Jaspinder Singh.

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Security was heightened in the city in view of the Independence Day celebrations, as seven companies including two of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were put on job to keep the city safe.

As crime has been on a high in Punjab, the city police are taking no chances to make arrangements for the Independence Day function in which deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal will hoist the Tricolour.

Talking to HT, Amritsar Police commissioner Amar Singh Chahal said, We are taking no chances and an extra vigil is being maintained in the city. We have set-up nakas on the bypass, nakas in the city and also the checking of key areas is being done.

The commissioner also said that security will be given to the people who could be possible targets and the patrolling around sensitive areas such area Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Durgiana Mandir, bus stand and all main bazaars will be enhanced.

Apart from sealing the outer ring of Amritsar, police has put up special nakas and are also making surprise checks at key locations like the railway station and bus stand.

To ensure that no untoward incident takes place, the police will also install CCTV cameras at sensitive locations, including the venue of the function.

Two companies of the RAF, five companies of the PA and two companies IRB (Indian Reserve Battalion) have been deputed in the city. Other than this, 300 police personnel will be coming from other districts to secure the city.

Two-wheeler riders asked not to cover faces

In an order, the police commissioner also said that two-wheeler riders will not be allowed to cover faces.

It has been seen that various crimes are committed by antisocial elements by covering faces. So keeping in mind the sensitivity, we have banned it.

We will educate people and also warn them but if still they do not stop covering faces, we can register a case also, he said.

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A shopkeeper (30) set himself ablaze at Subhash Nagar here on Saturday after trying to burn a mother of three, his former employee, for declining his marriage proposal. Neighbours moved both to Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), where the woman, Jahanvi (33), was discharged after first aid and the man, Vinay Kumar, was reported to have 70% burns. His condition remains critical.

Also read | Acid attack on 17-yr-old girl in Jalalabad: Stalker, his friend arrested

Vinay sells water purifiers at Gautam Nagar and Jahanvi of Subhash Nagar was his employee until she quit seven months ago, said Basti Jodhewal station house officer (SHO) inspector Ashok Kumar. Vinay was in one-sided love with Jahanvi and had proposed her many times. This is what forced Jahanvi to leave the job.

On Saturday, Vinay went to her house to tell her again to accept him and divorce her husband. When she refused, he sprinkled petrol on her from a bottle and tried to burn her. He poured the leftover fuel on himself and set self ablaze. Their screams brought the neighbours out and they doused the flames.

The SHO said police would take appropriate action after recording the statement of both. It is Ludhianas second similar case in four days. On August 9, a man, Gurbachan Verma, kidnapped the son (6) of a Millar Ganj woman who had spurned him. On August 11, police arrested him and rescued the child.
The family of a 6-year-old girl of Mundian Khurd area has alleged that their daughter was molested by her tuition teachers husband on August 10.

The girls father said that when they approached the police with a complaint next day, the police forced them to arrive at a settlement and took no action against the accused.

He alleged that on August 10, the tuition teachers husband molested the girl at his house. The girl narrated the entire incident to her mother after which they went to file a complaint at Mundian Kalan police post. But instead of taking action, the police started forcing them to arrive at a compromise.

When contacted, assistant sub-inspector Balbir Singh, incharge at police post Mundian Kalan, said the family did come to them with a complaint, but they went back themselves stating that the process of settlement is going on between them.

He added that the police will register a case when the family files the complaint.
Ludhiana, which now wears a vibrant look thanks to the grafitti painted across the city, will appreciate the work done by the artists on Independence Day by honouring seven artists on the occasion.

When the graffiti project began, there was only one artist associated with it but now the number of artists has increased to seven. These artists have been working hard to get the graffiti capital tag for Ludhiana.

Presently, 25-year-old Shivam Pahwa is working on the side walls of the bridge near the bus stand in Model Town while the wall towards KMall is complete.

Artist Jasveer Mahi is working on graffiti at the Lodhi Club underpass and Samrala chowk. Aarti Bhalla, another artist, is working on grafitti at the Lodhi Club underpass and two pillars at Pakhowal road.

Artist Suraj has taken charge of the Honda Traffic Park, Dholewal chowk and the side wall of Sidhwan canal.

Two more artists, William and Kewal Krishan, who are new to the project, are working on graffiti on Gill chowk bridge and two pillars at Pakhowal Road.

The Ludhiana MC has allocated more sites for graffiti including Shivpuri chowk, Partap chowk, Dhandhari flyover pillars, two pillars under the elevated road near Raikhy Cinema Chowk, some pillars near the railway station under the elevated road, Lakkar bridge pillars and two pillars on Pakhowal Road under the bridge.

Beautification work at Aarti Chowk, Samrala chowk and Mini Fountain chowk has already kicked off. We will honour these artists to encourage them for the work they have been doing. We hope that they continue with more designs across the city, commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said.
Denying rift between the Punjab Congress leaders, Asha Kumari, state affairs incharge in the party, ruled out infighting for assembly election ticket and said on Friday that all workers would support official candidates in 2017.

She was here to meet district-level party workers and hold separate meetings with rural and urban units. The meetings went on for more than two hours, during which she redressed their grievances and planned for ticket distribution.

This is a good thing for the Congress that its workers are confident, said Asha Kumari. Ticket will go to deserving and winnable candidates. Accusing the Akali-BJP government of shielding drug traders, she said that if the Congress came to power, it would re-open the case against former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jagdish Singh Bhola, businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal, former Akali leader Maninder Singh Aulakh Bittu, and former head constables Dharamvir Singh and Sandeep Singh in a 1-kg heroin haul case.

She made a faux pas by counting 10 Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the district, but when a party leader pointed it out, she corrected herself immediately and said there was only nine seats. She had a closed-door meeting with Congress leaders at the house of party leader Dr Navjot Dahiya.
A day after Punjab and Haryana high court quashed the appointment of 18 chief parliamentary secretaries (CPSes) in the SAD-BJP government of Punjab, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday said the government will appeal against the orders in Supreme Court.

I have not read the complete order but I talked with advocate general to challenge the order in Supreme Court, said Badal, adding that he would not comment on the ruling.

The CM was in Jalandhar for his sangat darshan (public contact) programme at Bhatnura Lubana village in Adampur assembly segment.

Read: HT Analysis: HC verdict a blow to Badal regime and the politics of patronage

He said he will go to Chandigarh in the evening and discuss the issue with all those concerned.

When asked whether the government will go to high court against the acquittal of former DSP and drug accused Jagdish Singh Bhola and others in 1-kg heroin recovery case by local court on Thursday, Badal said all such developments will be discussed as he had been in Jalandhar since Friday morning.

Read: Badals should remove ministers too: Dr Sidhus jibe after CPS removal by court
Russian troops in the zone of responsibility of 7th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade (Debaltseve) of the 2nd Army Corp of the armed forces of the Russian Federation (Luhansk) on Saturday plan to blow up one of their positions to accuse Ukrainian Armed Forces in violating Minsk Agreements, the Main Directorate of Defense Intelligence has reported.

"On August 12, in the zone of responsibility of 7th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade (Debaltseve) of the 2nd Army Corp of the armed forces of the Russian Federation (Luhansk) preparations for blowing up one of own frontline positions near Nyzhne Lozove were finished. They plan to blow up the position on August 13 in the presence of correspondents of Russian LifeNews TV as evidence of groundless use of large caliber artillery by the ATO forces," Defense Intelligence wrote on its Facebook page on Saturday.
A statement by a cop on the presence of terrorists at Tharial village near here triggered panic in areas along the on the Punjab-J&K border on Saturday.

Pathankot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rakesh Kaushal alerted his juniors and a thorough search was carried out in the village. It was learnt that two persons from the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh had come in the village on Friday night and were mistaken as terrorists.

As the area has large number of military establishments, residents first approached the army, which started the search operation. The police also joined the army. Meanwhile, Shahpur Kandi station house officer Kuldip Sharma hit the panic button and gave a statement to a news channel about the presence of militants or terrorists in the area.

The SSP dismissed the reports as rumours. He has also ordered a departmental inquiry against the SHO as he is not authorised to speak to the media without permission from higher authorities.
Five days after he was admitted to Hero DMC Heart Institute, state vice-president of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Brig Jagdish Gagneja (retd) was diagnosed with fever on Friday. Dr GS Wander, chief cardiologist and head of research at DMC Heart Institute, said Gagneja was slightly better but still critical and on ventilator. He said the fever could be due to the inflammation and infection.

Gagneja was shifted to DMC here from Patel Hospital in Jalandhar on August 7, a day after two unidentified motorcycle-borne men shot at him there.

SHANTA KUMAR VISITS

Senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar, who visited Gagneja at the hospital, said the attack on the RSS leader was a dangerous trend in poll-bound Punjab. Attack on a non-controversial person ahead of the elections is a very serious matter and shows that some external forces are trying to disturb the peace. I am sure police will solve the case, he said.
Indias tier II and III cities are on the verge of a major change. Active deployment of Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) is less than a year in the future, and greater transparency and corporate governance will be required of developers in these cities too. This will help established developers operating there to attract private equity funding.

Many of these cities are already working towards tackling existing challenges like poor infrastructure and connectivity as also the lack of skilled manpower and IT-friendly policies. By the year 2020, 25 out of every 100 IT professionals will hail from these cities.

Office rentals in Delhi and Mumbai are anything between four to ten times higher than in tier II, III cities, and housing is two to three times more expensive. However, there are advantages beyond the huge differential in wage costs and cost arbitrage. For example, the attrition rate in tier II cities is slightly more than 11% compared to about 35% in the tier-I cities because of the more limited opportunities and the increasing preference to work in hometowns.

Work in progress

Tier-II, III cities currently lack in IT infrastructure, hospitality options and international connectivity (only a dozen have international flight connectivity, and only five have major sea ports). Barely 10 out of every 100 IT professionals currently emerge from these cities, and about 40% of the talent migrates to tier-I cities in search of better opportunities and career growth.

However, this scenario will change by 2020-22 as the Central Governments flagship programmes like the Smart Cities mission, Digital India, Skill India, Housing for All by 2022 bear fruit. Moreover, more IT-friendly policies will see some of these cities pull rapidly ahead.

By 2020, 45% of Indian engineering graduates are expected to come from these cities, with two out of five engineering colleges will be based there along with eight out of the nine upcoming IITs and nine upcoming NITs.

Indias economic outlook is now very favourable, and the country is poised for stronger growth in the coming years. It will all boil down to which of these cities manage to become more attractive for IT/ ITeS companies as well as start-ups. Developing a pull-factor to make such companies migrate from their current favourites  Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad  will dictate the level of success with which Indias tier-II, III unfold to their full potential.

The author is head  marketing, JLL India & Sri Lanka.
Section 4(5) of the UP Apartment (Promotion of Construction, Ownership and Maintenance) Act 2010 requires a builder to get a completion certificates from the states housing authority within two years from the date of a sale agreement it (builder) has signed with the first buyer in the project. This provision of the Act has been violated by builders, allege 20 homebuyers in Noida whose apartments have been delayed by over four years. They had filed a case against illegal revision of original project plans and deliberate possession delay.

The UP Apartment Act calls for penalising builders not getting completion certificates within the stipulated time. A fine is to be paid, but interestingly, the Act is silent on the quantum of punishment for violations. The court, therefore, referred the case of the 20 homebuyers to the state government, asking it to frame rules on how this violation should be dealt with.

Officials in the UP government, who do not wish to be named, say they are not aware of any rules on compensation paid to buyers for delays and the quantum of punishment for violations. This is because the state is in the process of framing rules under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016, which is expected to include provisions for compensation and punishment.

Interestingly, none of the projects in UP have been handed over within 24 months of the builder receiving the completion certificate. Curiously, no rules specify how builders are to be penalised in such cases.

The Allahabad High Court (HC) in March this year directed a Noida builder to speed up a project delayed by over four years. It also asked the state government for issuance of guidelines for the implementation of the provisions of Section 4 (5) as it (state government) has power under Section 27 to issue directions for the efficient administration of the Act to the competent authorities.

The 20 homebuyers had in their writ petition to the HC said that Noida Authority has acted contrary to the statue in allowing the promoter to delay the project for over four years whereas the public policy mandates completion of project within a period of 24 months, thereby frustrating the intent of the legislation.

Section 4 (5) of the UP Apartment Act states that an apartment may be transferred by the promoter to any person only after obtaining the completion certificate from the prescribed sanctioning authority concerned as per building byelaws. The completion certificate shall be obtained by the promoter from prescribed authority within the period of two years from the date of the sale agreement.

According to S K Pal, Supreme Court lawyer, the UP Apartment Act already has some stringent provisions with regard to any delay in completion of the project. However, it has nothing to say on the quantum of the punishment and compensation which have been clearly provided for in RERA.

There are two orders from the Allahabad HC. In the first, the matter was referred back to the Noida Authority to decide on the compensation to be given to buyers and in the second, the builder was directed to complete the project. The state government was asked to formulate guidelines on the quantum of punishment and the compensation that may be required to be given to the homebuyers.

Under RERA the builder will pay a compensation equal to what the buyer pays to him for delay in payment of the house. A builder can also be imprisoned for delays or pay 10% of the total project cost as penalty. Section 18 of RERA states that if the promoter fails to complete or is unable to give possession of an apartment, plot or building on the due date specified in the sale agreement he shall be liable to return the amount received by him for the property or pay compensation. Section 59 of RERA also defines the punishment that is required to be levied. If any promoter contravenes the provisions of section 3, he shall be liable to a penalty which may extend up to ten per cent of the estimated cost of the real estate project as determined by the Authority. If a promoter does not comply with the orders or continues to violate the provisions, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to three years or with fine which may extend up to a further 10%of the estimated cost of the project, or with both.

According to Sudip Mullick from Khaitan & Co, various states have different provisions as to when an instrument of sale of a unit is to be registered. In some cases, we have seen considerable amount of money is taken without any registered instrument. RERA requires that the promoter necessarily enter into registered instrument with an allottee if collection is more than 10% of the total cost of the apartment.

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A judge has overturned the conviction of Brendan Dassey, who was found guilty of helping his uncle, Steven Avery, kill a woman in a case profiled in the hit Netflix series Making a Murderer.

Dasseys case burst into the publics consciousness with the popularity of the Making a Murderer series that debuted in December. The filmmakers cast doubt on the legal process used to convict Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery in the death of Teresa Halbach, and their work sparked national interest and conjecture. Authorities involved in the case have called the 10-hour series biased, while the filmmakers have stood by their work.

US Magistrate William Duffin found that investigators coerced a confession using deceptive tactics.

Brendan Dassey is pictured in this undated booking photo obtained by Reuters January 29, 2016. (REUTERS)

In his ruling on Friday, Duffin ordered that Brendan Dassey freed within 90 days unless prosecutors decide to retry him. The state Department of Justice, which handled the case, declined to comment Friday. The state could also appeal Duffins ruling.

Read: Netflixs Making a Murderer review -This show can save lives

Dassey confessed to helping his uncle Steven Avery carry out the rape and killing of Teresa Halbach. His attorneys argued that his constitutional rights were violated throughout the investigation.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
If you havent heard a lot about what Hillary Clinton thinks of a string of controversial comments by Donald Trump that have generated round-the-clock coverage on cable news broadcasts, there is a reason  its by design.

Since becoming the Democratic nominee last month, Clinton has been touring toy manufacturers, visiting tie makers and dropping in on public health clinics, where if she mentions Trump at all, it is usually to contrast their policies.

Her swift condemnation at a Wednesday campaign rally of Trumps remark that gun rights activists could stop her from nominating liberal US Supreme Court justices was a rare instance where she has directly engaged her Republican rival in the 2016 race for the White House.

Aides say Clintons strategy is simple: let Trump be Trump.

Trump has suffered a series of missteps over the past two weeks that go beyond his remarks on gun rights activists, which he later accused the media of deliberately misinterpreting.

He has tangled with party leaders, clashed with the parents of a fallen Muslim American Army captain and this week accused Clinton, a former secretary of state, and President Barack Obama of founding the Islamic State militant group. On Friday, he said he was just being sarcastic when he made that remark.

Read: They dont get sarcasm: Trump blames others for Obama-IS verbal misstep

In this June 10, 2016, file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, joined by, from left, Washington City Council member Jack Evans, Uprising Muffin Company owner Donnie Simpson, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., pause during a stop at the store in Washington. (AP)

There is an adage in politics: Dont get in the way of a train wreck, said Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, a top campaign aide to presidential candidates Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

Clintons advisers say they see little benefit in her going toe-to-toe with Trump over every personal accusation, generating sound bites that would dominate cable news broadcasts. Rather, they are happy for him to be embroiled in controversy while Clinton focuses on policy.

Trumps campaign declined to comment for this story, but the New York real estate developer has accused the national media of bias towards Clinton. He re-posted a supporters Tweet on Friday that said the corrupt media was deliberately exaggerating his remarks to favour his Democratic opponent.

Trump has slipped in opinion polls, and worried Republican Party leaders have urged him to stop making off-the-cuff inflammatory statements that generate blanket, often negative, media coverage and distract from efforts to highlight what they see as Clintons many shortcomings.

US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton gestures as she speaks during a rally at Lincoln High School in Des Moines, Iowa August 10, 2016. (REUTERS)

Sucking out the oxygen

Hes sucking all the oxygen out of the room to his own detriment, said Republican strategist and Trump supporter Ford OConnell. Its not enough to dominate media coverage, he needs to win it, OConnell said.

Trump has boasted that the news coverage he generates means he does not have to spend as much on campaign ads, but political veterans say he is squandering the attention and missing opportunities to win over undecided voters.

For example, Trump gave an economic speech on Monday that was meant to help his campaign regain momentum, but it was quickly eclipsed by the fallout over his remarks on gun rights activists.

Clinton, meanwhile, has been busy courting local media in must-win states. Her national press pool, which seldom gets to question the candidate, often waits as she conducts interviews with local news outlets.

She has granted few recent interviews to national outlets and rarely holds press conferences, a strategy her critics say is calculated to avoid questions about her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state, and the relationship between her familys global charity, the Clinton Foundation, and the State Department.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tours Futuramic Tool & Engineering before giving a speech there on the US economy on August 11, 2016 in Warren, Michigan. (AFP)

Clinton, who has said she is one of the most transparent presidential candidates in history, has acknowledged her use of the private email server was a mistake but said she properly handled all classified information. She has denied any improper links between the foundation and the State Department.

In interviews with local outlets, Clinton is more likely to face questions about job creation, public health and raising wages - all parts of her platform that she is keen to discuss.

In Florida, a crucial battleground state, Republican lobbyist Gus Corbella says the contrast between the local coverage of Clintons campaign stops there and Trumps events has been stark.

Clintons campaign seems to have the more disciplined approach, Corbella said. The rollout that day is on a specific event shes attending, a message shes trying to deliver. Whereas on the Trump side, its what crazy thing did he say today and the response to that.

After Clintons visit last week to a tie maker in Colorado, the lead story on the front page of the Denver Post was Clinton pledges millions of jobs. Trump also featured on the front page, but in a smaller story about damage control in his troubled campaign.
Donald Trump hasnt quite asked the dead to vote for him, but hes nearly there.

I joke a lot as I say if youre sick, if you just got the worse prognosis that a doctor can give you, if youre lying in bed and you just know youre not going to make it -- you have to get up on November 8th and you have to vote, he said Thursday.

At least nine times in the speech to evangelical leaders in key swing state Florida, the brash 70-year-old billionaire -- sometimes speaking in an uncharacteristically low voice -- called on them to ensure their parishioners cast their ballots for him.

The Republican presidential candidate is a bit worried about his chances in November against Hillary Clinton, and hes not exactly hiding it.

And his team is struggling to transform his winning primary campaign model into an unbeatable national election machine.

During the Republican primaries, the Manhattan real-estate mogul and former reality television star ignored the experts and the pundits who told him to be more presidential, to stop insulting his rival and to prepare his speeches.

To everyones surprise, Trumps iconoclastic strategy worked. He was the last man standing, and won the Republican Partys nomination.

Attendees pray before Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday. (AFP)

But since officially becoming the partys standard-bearer, at the urging of his aides, he has given more policy-driven speeches using a teleprompter.

But part of him visibly chafes at the constraints, and hes quick to go off-script -- and off-message, as evidenced by some of his near-daily missteps in recent weeks: over Russia, the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in action, on guns and Hillary Clinton, and on the Islamic State group and President Barack Obama.

They would like to see it be a little bit different, a little more modified. I dont like to modify. But thats what Ive done. Well see where it takes me, he told Time magazine on Tuesday.

Floating from one plan to the next, Trump remains incapable of outlining his campaign strategy. When he is asked to do so, he says he relies on his instincts. He stages rallies in seemingly random locations, sometimes in states that are unwinnable.

The crowds were getting are tremendous. So I dont know what that indicates. But its got to indicate something good, he said Tuesday.

Well find out on November 8.

Time running out

Trump has a handful of stock campaign pledges: to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, curb immigration, destroy the Islamic State group and bring industrial jobs back to America.

But winning a presidential election historically requires more than just catchy slogans.

Clintons campaign team has designed a strategy that centres on consolidating support among black and Hispanic voters for the former secretary of state and first lady, and on winning over white working-class voters in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio, which could be the key to victory.

The strategy hinges on a strong grassroots game, with local paid and volunteer campaign workers on the ground.

It also requires a massive communications budget.

According to ABC News, the Democrats campaign and her main super PAC (political action committee) have spent nearly $93 million on television ads against just $11 million spent by outside groups backing Trump.

Trump holds up a sign during a campaign rally on Friday (AP)

The Republicans official campaign committee has so far spent nothing on television ads -- practically unheard of in modern campaigns.

Trump is acting as if he is still in the more welcoming world of the Republican primaries, in which 31 million people voted. In 2012, nearly 130 million people voted in the November presidential election.

So far, Trumps expected appeal to middle-class, middle-of-the-road voters has not materialized, according to opinion polls.

Preferences are substantially baked by this point in time. Theres not much cooking time left, said Christopher Wlezien, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin.

Trumps unpredictability, seen as an advantage in terms of a possible campaign rebound in September, can be a good thing and a bad thing, right? But its not clear its been a good thing in the last two weeks, Wlezien told AFP.

Clinton in command

Not only has Trump dropped off in the national polls (48% for Clinton against 40% for Trump, according to HuffPost Pollster), but he is also in danger in the so-called swing states that has often been key to Republican wins.

A new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News show him trailing Clinton in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.

Hillary Clinton with supporters at Futuramic Tool & Engineering in Warren, Michigan on Thursday/ (Reuters )

The US presidential election is an indirect one -- voters in each state technically pick a slate of party electors -- not one of the candidates -- when they cast their ballots. The winner needs a majority of the 538 votes in the Electoral College, or 270.

Experts for the specialised political newsletter Sabatos Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia are predicting that Clinton will win easily, with 347 electoral votes against 191 for Trump.

Trump is behind, and he may not have many ways to catch up, said Kyle Kondik, the newsletters managing editor.

Faced with the prospect of defeat, Trump so far seems oddly detached.

If at the end of 90 days I fall short... even though Im supposed to have a lot of good ideas, its OK. I go back to a very good way of life, he told CNBC.

Its either going to work or Im going to, you know, Im going to have a very, very nice long vacation.
A 36-year-old Sikh man was shot dead by a masked gunman during an armed robbery at a convenience store in the US.

Amanjeet Singh Toor was shot dead early on Monday during the robbery at the store in Arizona where he worked. The assailant then chased the other employees out of the store before returning to grab a bag, the police said.

The police, along with Toors family are seeking publics help to find the attacker. The shooter has been described wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, face mask and red gloves.

Toor had immigrated from India six years ago and his wife Kamaldeep Kaur had recently joined him in Phoenix from India, a report in AZCentral, an Arizona news site, said.

This was a very hard loss for us. He was a role model for most of us, Toors cousin Micky Gill said at Phoenix police headquarters.

About 2,500-3,000 Sikh families live in the Phoenix metro area.

The incident again raised concerns over the safety of Sikh-Americans who have been targeted, in the years since the 9/11 attacks, in a slew of hate crimes because of their articles of faith, the beard and turban.

Rana Singh Sodhi, a Sikh and community activist, spoke on behalf of Toors family, calling for the community to come together to find the perpetrator.

He handed over the money, but was still shot. It begs the question (of racism), Sodhi said in the report.

We are new immigrants in this area, but we request the community come out and help get this person behind bars, he said.

Sodhis brother was killed in a hate crime in Mesa just four days after the September 11, 2001, terror attack on the World Trade Center. Fifteen years later and we are still not treated right, Sodhi said. They come into our stores, give us the finger and shout, go back to your country. This is a common thing for us. Any terrorist attack that happens, we get affected every year. Our lives have not been the same since 9/11, Sodhi said.
Yemeni officials and aid workers said an airstrike on a school purportedly carried out by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen has killed at least 10 children and wounded dozens more.

The Islamic school said in a statement that the Saturday strike in Saada, deep in the Houthis northern heartland, was part of raids that have resumed against the rebels after peace talks collapsed earlier this month.

Aid group Doctors Without Borders condemned the attack on social media, saying that all 10 killed and 28 injured were between eight and 15 years old. The school has released some of the names of those killed.

The conflict in Yemen pits the internationally recognized government backed by the Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite rebels, who captured the capital in September 2014.
The UK Home Office has said the visa application of sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was refused because it did not meet the requirements of Britains immigration rules.

The 70-year-old Khan said on Friday he was shocked and appalled that his application for the visa to perform at a festival in London had been rejected.

Khan, who has been a regular fixture in Britains cultural calendar since the 1970s, was scheduled to perform during the Darbar festival at the Southbank Centre on September 17 and 18.

A Home Office spokesperson told Hindustan Times: All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, and applicants must provide evidence to show they meet the requirements of the immigration rules. On this occasion we were not satisfied that Mr Khan met the requirements of his visa.

No more details were provided. The government department is responsible for immigration and counter-terrorism, among other areas.

But senior Labour MP Keith Vaz, who is also the chairman of the influential Home Affairs Committee of parliament, said he was astonished at the refusal and had asked the Home Office for an explanation and reversal of the refusal.

The Southbank Centre said it was working to resolve the issue to ensure that Khan could perform on schedule.

According to the programme, he will reflect on his 50-year career during a candid conversation accompanied by his wife, Subhalakshmi Barua Khan.

A Southbank Centre spokesperson said: It is extremely unfortunate that Amjad Ali Khan has been refused a short-term visa to come and perform at Southbank Centre, which we understand is due to a recent change in the visas guidelines.

We are working closely to try to rectify this situation and are hopeful that he will be able to perform on 17 September at the Royal Festival Hall as planned. Amjad Ali Khan is one of many international artists that Southbank Centre in partnership with the Darbar Festival prides itself on bringing to London.

There are reports that the recent changes had made securing a UK visa a more complex and onerous task. Seeking easier and cheaper visa facilities for Indians, the Royal Commonwealth Society recently called for Britain extending a visa pilot project underway in China to India.

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Ukraine's State Border Service and OSCE have jointly drafted a step-by-step plan to return control over the border with Russia if Minsk agreements are fulfilled, Head of the State Border Service Viktor Nazarenko has said.

"There is a plan. We do not hide that it exists. This is our goal to return control over the border. Ukraine does not control 409.3 kilometers of the state border," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Nazarenko said that this is the idea of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. There is a possibility of involving the OSCE police mission and gradually under Minsk agreements to restore control over the section of the border with Russia that is not under control now.

He expressed hope that the Minsk process this year would help to be closer to the issue of restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity.
The Indian-American community has donated $60,000 to family members of five police officers who were fatally shot by snipers who targeted them during rallies in Dallas to protest against the fatal shooting of two black men by police.

A cheque of $60,000 was recently presented to the Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings and executive assistant to Dallas Police Chief David Pughes, by a group of Indian-American community leaders led by AK Mago, founding chair of the US India Chamber of Commerce in Dallas.

We appreciate the protection you give us. We wanted to recognise what you do for us every day, Mago was quoted as saying by the local Dallas Morning News. This is more than generous. I have such respect for the Indian community, Rawling said.

A note left behind attached to a police cruiser at a makeshift memorial in front of the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department sits surrounded by law enforcement badges. (AP Photo)

About half of the amount came from US India Chamber and its members.

Other groups, such as the Dallas Indian Lions Club, DFW Hindu Temple, the DFW Gujarati Samaj, the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple, the Jain Society of North Texas and the India Association of North Texas, donated about $5,000 each, the daily said.

On July 7, a sniper ambushed and fired upon a group of police officers in Dallas, killing five officers and injuring nine others.
The former husband of a British-Pakistani woman who was strangled to death in Pakistan last month confessed on Saturday that he had strangled her to death because she had married against the wishes of her family.

According to local police reports, Samia Shahids ex-husband Mohammad Shakeel confessed to the police that he strangled Shahid to death with her own dupatta. The confession came after Shakeel and Shahids father were arrested by police and presented in court.

Police official Aqeel Abbas, who is the investigating officer in the case, told local media that Shakeel, who was on pre-arrest bail, was arrested with Shahids father, Muhammad Shahid, after a local court did not extend bail. Abbas said both men would remain in custody for four days in Jhelum.

Shahid, 28, from Bradford, was killed while on a visit to her family in Jhelum last month. In his complaint to police, her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazim, a Shia, said he believed his wife was killed because her family, which is Sunni, disapproved of their marriage as the two belonged to different sects. Muhammad Shahid had denied the charge and said his daughter died of natural causes.

At a press conference last week, Kazim insisted the death was an honour killing and presented a copy of a post-mortem report which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, suggesting she was strangled.

Police said the latest forensic report had confirmed Samia died an unnatural death. The forensic report has been received by a three-member special investigation committee set up by chief minister of Punjab and according to it Samia Shahids death occurred due to asphyxia, Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh, the chief investigator, said.
The Islamic State group said Friday it was behind a roadside bomb that injured 13 in the Pakistani city of Quetta, the SITE Intelligence Group said, days after a major attack in the city killed 73.

The latest explosion on a bridge in the southwestern city on Thursday injured four police personnel and nine passers-by, in an attack apparently targeting a judge.

SITE reported that the IS group claimed the attack on its Telegram channel, al-Bayan Radio and Twitter.

The attack came just days after a suicide bombing at a hospital on Monday also claimed by the IS group killed 73 people, most of them senior lawyers gathered to mourn a colleague gunned down earlier in the day.

Quetta is the capital of the mineral-rich province of Balochistan, which is plagued by roiling insurgencies, hit by regular militant attacks and run by political leaders accused of corruption.

Lawyers are among the only people shining a spotlight on the provinces many problems and have come under frequent attack.

Mondays bombing was also claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban and analysts have been unclear on whose claim was more credible.

Islamic State jihadists have been struggling to gain a foothold in Pakistan, facing competition from well-established extremist groups such as the Pakistani Taliban.
The Islamic State has freed hundreds of civilians used by the jihadists as human shields while retreating in northern Syria, US-backed forces and a monitor said on Saturday.

A source from the Syrian Democratic Forces, which pushed IS out of the city of Manbij this week with the aid of US-led air strikes, told AFP that some of the civilians were able to escape while others were freed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, said that several hundred of the civilians taken were no longer held by IS.

A civilian carries a child as he walks with others after they were evacuated by the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters from an Islamic State-controlled neighbourhood of Manbij. (REUTERS)

The SDF, an Arab-Kurdish alliance, launched an assault in May on Manbij, on a key jihadist supply route between the Turkish border and ISs de facto Syrian capital Raqqa.

IS fighters seized around 2,000 civilians as they fled Manbij on Friday, using them as protection against air strikes en route to the jihadist-held town of Jarabulus, on the Turkish-Syrian border.

Among the civilians taken by IS there were people used as human shields but also many who chose voluntarily to leave the town due to fear of reprisals by the SDF, observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Women carry newborn babies while reacting after they were evacuated by the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters from Manbij. (REUTERS)

The jihadists, who have suffered a string of losses in Syria and Iraq, have often staged mass abductions when they come under pressure to relinquish territory they hold.

IS has also booby-trapped cars and carried out suicide bombings to slow advances by their opponents.

According to the observatory, 437 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed in the battle for Manbij and surrounding territory. Around 300 SDF fighters died, along with more than 1,000 jihadists, it said.
The Islamic State groups loss of the northern Syrian town of Manbij to US-backed fighters marks the latest in a string of defeats for the extremists across their self-styled caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

The strategic town, which lies on a supply route between the Turkish border and the de facto IS capital, Raqqa, fell to the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces on Friday after more than two months of heavy fighting and US-led airstrikes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the fighting claimed more than 1,700 lives, including more than 400 civilians.

The IS still controls large areas of Syria as well as Iraqs second largest city, Mosul. It has also claimed major terrorist attacks in recent months, including the Orlando shooting, the Nice truck attack, and a Baghdad bombing that killed some 300 people.

But Lt Gen Sean MacFarland, the top US commander for the fight against the IS, said this week that some 45,000 IS militants have been removed from the battlefield, reducing the groups total numbers to as few as 15,000.

Here is a look at the IS groups recent territorial setbacks:

Fallujah

Iraqi forces captured Fallujah in late June after a five-week offensive. Fallujah is just an hours drive west of Baghdad, and in early 2014 became the first Iraqi city to fall to IS. The Sunni city was an insurgent stronghold following the 2003 US-led invasion, and more than 100 American soldiers were killed in house-by-house fighting there in 2004.

Palmyra

Syrian government forces aided by Russian airstrikes drove IS out of Palmyra, an eastern oasis town known for its stunning Roman-era ruins, in March. During their 10-month reign, the extremists destroyed 2,000-year-old temples and other monuments in the towns Unesco world heritage site, once one of Syrias main tourist attractions. The extremists view such ancient ruins as monuments to idolatry.

Ramadi

Iraq declared the capital of its western Anbar province fully liberated in February after months of fighting. As in Fallujah, Iraqi forces laid siege to the city and then gradually pushed in with the aid of heavy US airstrikes. The battle to recapture Ramadi destroyed much of the city, and most of its residents have yet to return home.

Shaddadeh

The SDF captured some 2,400 square kilometers of territory from IS in northern Syria in February alone, including the strategic town of Shaddadeh, on the main road linking Raqqa and Mosul. The strip of territory along the Turkish border had been used to bring in supplies and foreign fighters.

Sinjar

Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish forces pushed IS out of Sinjar, west of Mosul, in November 2015 with the help of a U.S.-led air campaign. When IS overran the town in 2014, the extremists killed and enslaved thousands of members of Iraqs Yazidi religious minority. The recapture of the town severed a major supply route between IS-ruled territories in Iraq and Syria.

Tal Abyad

Syrian Kurdish forces captured the northern Syrian town of Tal Abyad in July 2015, handing the extremist group its biggest loss in Syria since the establishment of its self-proclaimed caliphate the year before. The loss of Tal Abyad severed the most direct supply route from the Turkish border to Raqqa, forcing IS to rely on a narrow belt of territory further west, including Manbij.

Sirte

The Libyan city of Sirte, seized by a powerful IS affiliate last year, was once seen as a fallback option for the extremist group if it were ever defeated in Iraq and Syria. But Libyan forces launched an offensive to retake Sirte in June, and earlier this week captured a number of strategic locations with the aid of US airstrikes. Officials say the city is now 70% liberated.
Italian authorities on Friday ordered the expulsion of a Tunisian national suspected of planning an attack at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, according to media reports.

Bilel Chiahoui, 26, was arrested on Thursday after posting messages on social media praising those behind the jihadist attacks in Europe and saying he would attack the Tuscan citys famous monument, a huge tourist attraction.

His expulsion order was signed by a judge Friday according to a police report, which said there was evidence the Tunisian sympathised with jihadist extremism and IS, a reference to the Islamic State group.

The police statement did not provide details on the target of the suspected attack.

There has been mounting concern about the possibility of Italy being hit by lone wolf terror attacks of the kind seen in neighbouring France and Belgium.

Recent weeks have seen a string of suspected Islamists expelled from the country on the order of interior minister Angelino Alfano.
A man set a train carriage in Switzerland on fire using a flammable liquid and stabbed passengers, injuring six people, including a six-year-old child, police said on Saturday.

The man, a 27-year-old Swiss citizen, carried out the attack on a train travelling in Switzerlands far east, along its border with Liechtenstein, and was also injured, regional police in Saint Gallen said in a statement.

Police said the attack had taken place at around 2:20 pm (local time) near the Salez station on a train running between Buchs and Sennwald and that some of the injuries were serious.

According to the information we have for the time being, the 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid ... (which) caught fire, police said, adding that the man was also armed with at least one knife.

Seven people including the suspected attacker were admitted to various hospitals with burn and stab wounds, the statement said.

Contacted by AFP, police said the motive for the attack was unknown.

The victims included two men aged 17 and 50, and three women aged 17, 34 and 43. Dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack, the police statement said.

A massive contingent of rescue workers rushed to the scene, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters.

The Salez station remains closed, and police said replacement buses had been set up.

Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack.

Police said the train had suffered damages upwards of 100,000 Swiss francs (USD 103,000).
A police officer in the US state of New Mexico died after being shot by a passenger in a car he had pulled over, the latest deadly incident involving law enforcement in the country.

Three suspects were taken into custody on Friday after the incident happened at a traffic stop in the town of Hatch.

Officials said the trio was allegedly responsible for shooting the officer and for shooting another man during a carjacking, triggering a massive manhunt and high-speed chase.

The condition of the hijacked car driver was unknown.

During the traffic stop, a passenger who was in that vehicle reportedly exited the vehicle and she fired shots at the officer, Dona Ana County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson told reporters.

Another officer who witnessed the shooting then chased the vehicle, with speeds exceeding 160 kmph, but was unable to catch up, Jameson said.

The incident at the rest stop triggered a multiple-jurisdiction manhunt. We had assistance from just about every police agency in this county, including air assistance from border patrol.

Ultimately, officers deflated the hijacked vehicles tires with devices known as stop sticks, according to Jameson. The driver was suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh and was taken to hospital.

The two other suspects were arrested later in the evening.

Several police officers have been targeted and shot to death in recent weeks amid nationwide outcry about the deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police.

Last month, five officers were shot dead in Dallas, Texas by a black extremist as they were protecting a peaceful march against police brutality.
The leader of Islamic States branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a US drone strike on July 26, a Pentagon spokesperson said on Friday after the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan announced the news to Reuters.

The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan is a blow to efforts by Islamic State - also known as ISIS or Daesh - to expand from its heartlands in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan, already crowded with jihadist movements including the Taliban and al Qaeda.

It is the second US killing of a prominent militant in the region in months. In May, a US drone killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a strike in Pakistan.

Despite that, Afghanistans 15-year-old war grinds on with no clear victory in sight. Taliban fighters have been threatening at least two provincial capitals this summer, in Helmand and Kunduz, and a US government report said Afghan forces have lost 5% of territory this year.

In terms of its own territory, Islamic State has been largely confined to a handful of districts in Afghanistans Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, where IS militants - mostly defectors from the Taliban - are blamed for raiding villages and government outposts.

Still, worries that Islamic State might be expanding its operational reach heightened this week when the group took credit for an attack on a Pakistani hospital that killed at least 74 people in the southwestern city of Quetta. A Pakistani Taliban faction also claimed responsibility.

A few weeks earlier, Islamic State claimed an attack on a rally in Kabul that killed more than 80 people.

Bitter rivals

Khan has been reported dead before. But a claim by Afghan intelligence agents last year that he had been killed was never confirmed.

On Friday, however, Afghan ambassador Omar Zakhilwal told Reuters he had seen confirmation from Afghan security forces.

I can confirm that ISIS Khurasan (Afghanistan and Pakistan) leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a US drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistans Nangharhar province, he said.

Pentagon spokesperson Gordon Trowbridge confirmed Khans death, and said in a statement that the air strike took place during joint operations by US and Afghan special operations forces against IS in the southern part of Nangarhar province. Trowbridge said the airstrike was in Achin district, as opposed to Kot district.

Khan - a long-time commander with the Pakistani Taliban - pledged allegiance in October 2014 to Islamic States leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Talibans various factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as their al Qaeda allies are bitter rivals of Islamic States al-Baghdadi. The Taliban reject al-Baghdadi as leader of an envisioned worldwide caliphate.

In Afghanistan, Taliban and Islamic State fighters have battled over territory in Nangarhar, though both have recently been more busy defending against US and Afghan assaults.

Between January and early August, American warplanes conducted nearly 140 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Afghanistan, according to the US military.

Afghan forces, backed by the American military, killed an estimated 300 Islamic State fighters in an operation mounted two weeks ago, the top US and Nato commander in Afghanistan said on Wednesday, calling it a severe blow to the group.
Protesters have taken to the streets in the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region, a separate administrative unit in the northernmost administrative territory of Pakistan, against a crackdown by Pakistani security forces that saw incarceration of over 500 young Gilgit residents.

Angry protesters said the young men were imprisoned for demanding political rights and asking the Pakistani Army to leave Gilgits soil.

WATCH: Protest in Pak occupied Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan and demanding release of activist Baba Janhttps://t.co/KuIFEVDZsS  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Raising anti-Pakistan slogans, angry protesters took to the streets in Gilgit town, Astore, Diamer and Hunza of the the Gilgit- Baltistan region, which is only Shia-dominated area in Sunni-dominated Pakistan.

The political crackdown and arrests in Gilgit were made against people protesting against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which they said would only benefit China and Pakistans Punjabi traders.

The youth of Gilgit are not being involved in any manner with the CPEC and those who are protesting are being harshly dealt with, said the protesters.

Over 500 young Gilgitis have been jailed, including Gilgits top political activist Baba Jan, which saw increasing mass street-based movement for his release.

Protesters alleged that Pakistan is perpetrating massive human rights abuses to crush the political aspirations of the people of Gilgit.
Head of Ukraine's State Border Service Viktor Nazarenko has said that it is likely that the authority in autumn would scrap conscription.

"Wages were raised for border guards and this resulted in the increase in the number of contract servicemen. It is likely that we would scrap conscription this autumn," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He recalled that this year the border service resumed conscription and around 4,000 servicemen enrolled. This was done, as there were no other options to increase the number of servicemen aiming at not allowing the worsening of the readiness of own divisions.
Expressing concern over the August 8 suicide bombing at the Civil Hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, European Parliament member Alberto Cirio has said it is time Islamabad is held accountable for its misdirected policies, perpetuated over the years, and is pressured into allowing international scrutiny of the pathetic plight of the indigenous population in Balochistan.

In article that he has written for eptoday.com, Cirio states that the suicide bombing in Quetta should be seen as another wakeup call for the international community to take notice of a situation created due to years of concerted government use of extremist groups as proxies against political activists, journalists and intellectuals.

The stark choice now before the Pakistan government is either to move against all jihadi groups active on its soil, or be willing to face a blow back from those protected from such action, like that witnessed in Quetta, he writes.

The European Parliament member warns that the situation in Balochistan is bound to worsen and the establishment will continue to look for scapegoats to explain its own misdeeds, usually pegging all blame on imaginary external conspiracies.

The local population is already facing the brunt of terrorism, the brutal violation of human rights, the lengthing shadow of extremist Islamic groups enjoying state patronage, and poverty despite being a resource rich province, he adds.

Cirio also threw light on the fact that the Pakistani Army, which has a sizeable presence in Balochistan, was quick to state that the attack was an attempt to undermine the security of the province and target the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-faceted project allowing China access to Gwadar Port in Baluchistan from its western province of Xinjiang.

The CPEC has generated major resentment in Balochistan, and the Gwadar Port project is perceived as merely facilitating further exploitation of the area, he said.

Underscoring that incidents of violence have become a way of life in Balochistan, Cirio said there were 306 incidents last year of violence, which included what were categorised as terrorist attacks, operational attacks by the security forces and armed clashes between security forces and sectarian groups.

More than 550 people died in these incidents, a majority of which took place in Quetta, Dera Bugti, Kech and Gwadar, he added.

The European Parliament member said Balochistan, a natural resource- rich province, has posed challenges for the Pakistani Government since 1947, with the Baloch nationalist movement demanding independence from Pakistan.

Successive Pakistani establishments have preferred to counter secular Baloch nationalist movements by using extremist Sunni groups with roots in Punjab. Years of myopic and ultimately self-destructive policies have resulted in a lethal mix of militant groups operating in Balochistan, predominantly at the behest of the establishment, he said.

Global terrorist networks have found natural allies among Sunni sectarian militant networks. The Afghan Taliban has also found sanctuary here since 2002. This has given rise to a complex security situation, often beyond the control of the very establishment that created it. The National Action Plan, formulated to counter militancy and religious extremism, has been implemented selectively to target the Baloch nationalists and their sympathisers, even while allowing terrorist and sectarian groups, many of them officially banned, to expand, he added.

He maintained that the Pakistan government continues to promote extremist groups in Balochistan, and after the massive earthquake in the Awaran region in September 2013, it denied access to international humanitarian organisations and journalists, but allowed extremist charity groups like the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (a front of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa) and the Al Khair (a front of the Jaish-e-Mohammad) to take charge of the resettlement work. These organisations, that are merely proxies of these terrorist groups, continue to have a strong-hold in the province.

Cirio said that the links between security agencies and extremist groups have also resulted in the rise of criminal syndicates, thereby further exacerbating the security situation.

He said that the Frontier Corps (FC), the lead security agency in Balochistan, has been regularly accused of involvement in smuggling and corruption. This year six senior officers, including a Lt. General who headed the FC from 2010 to 2013, were dismissed from service for corruption in Balochistan, signalling the deep roots of this nexus.

Meanwhile the systematic hard hitting policy of the Pak government against the Baloch nationalist groups has resulted in the targeting of not only genuine political activists, but also the ordinary Baloch. The number of cases of enforced disappearances, torture, and targeted killings continue to increase by leaps and bounds.

The province has become virtually a no-go area for journalists, and killing of rights activists who raise uncomfortable questions, is common.

The near total information black-out by the Pak government of the situation in Balochistan, amounts to a systematic abuse of human rights and reflects total contempt for all international human rights laws.
Its the medias fault. Thats out of context. Never said it in the first place.

Donald Trumps claim on Friday that he was merely being sarcastic in accusing President Barack Obama of establishing a terrorist group was his latest attempt to blame others for the uproar over what he says. Its an instinct that Trumps opponents say a president cant possess. Some Republicans seem to have the same concern.

This time, it followed two days of critical headlines and Democratic outrage over Trumps claim that Obama was the founder of the Islamic State group. As Trump repeated the claim more than a dozen times, interviewers sought to ensure Trump wasnt being misconstrued. Surely, they offered, he meant Obamas policies had enabled the extremist groups rise.

No, I meant hes the founder of ISIS. I do, Trump said, using one acronym for the group.

Then an about-face Friday. THEY DONT GET SARCASM? he tweeted.

Or was he being sarcastic about the sarcasm? Hours later, he told a rally in Pennsylvania he was obviously being sarcastic  but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you.

That it took Trump two days to walk back his widely debunked remark  and then walk back the walk-back  was worrying for Republicans who see such missteps as playing to Democrat Hillary Clintons advantage. Equally worrying for some was the fact that he again would not take responsibility for his words.

Spectators cheer as Donald Trump works the crowd following the Republican presidential candidate's rally at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pa. (AP)

Read: Why Trump is wrong in calling Obama the founder of Islamic State

Ryan Williams, a Republican strategist who advised Mitt Romneys 2012 campaign, said theres a common-sense playbook for dealing with political slip-ups: Stop the bleeding and put it behind you by apologizing.

Thats what normal candidates do, he went on. However, normal candidates dont careen from one self-inflicted wound to another on an hourly basis.

It was only two days earlier that Trump blamed the media for making much ado about nothing after he suggested during a rally that gun rights enthusiasts might find a way to stop Clinton if elected.

Clinton, whose lead over Trump has widened in recent polls of the most competitive states, has seized on those and other eyebrow-raising comments to portray the reality TV star as lacking the temperament to run the nation  Trump has his own argument for why shes unfit to do so. Shes hammered him for avoiding accountability for his actions.

To that end, Clintons campaign on Friday intensified pressure on Trump to release his tax returns, while disclosing her 2015 filings and a decade of returns from her running mate. The filing shows that the Clintons earned $10.6 million and paid a federal tax rate of 34.2% last year.

Trump has refused to make his filings public, saying theyre under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and hell release them only once that review is complete. All major US presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns.

Minutes after releasing her returns, Clinton tweeted that its possible Trump paid no tax at all.

Trump worked to profit on the fuss over his Islamic State remark. In an email to supporters asking them to donate, Trump accused the liberal media of telling outrageous lies about me.

Supporters cheer for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Altoona. (AP)

Read: Obama founder of Islamic State, Hillary co-founder: Trump

Its no surprise that the media are Trumps go-to scapegoat. Just 6 percent of Americans said they have a great deal of confidence in the media in a Media Insight Project poll earlier this year.

Almost never does Trump admit error. One exception came this month when he acknowledged a video he said showed a plane carrying US cash to Iran was actually a plane carrying US hostages who were being released.

Most of the time, Trump casts blame elsewhere:

STAR OF DAVID: In July, Trumps campaign tweeted an anti-Clinton message that seemed to show the Star of David atop a pile of cash, raising questions about anti-Semitism. When Clintons campaign cried foul, Trump blamed her for trying to divert attention from the dishonest behaviour of herself and her husband. Also, the media.

PAGING MOSCOW: Last month Trump caused a stir in a news conference by saying Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails missing from Clinton. Even some Republicans questioned whether he was encouraging a foreign government to interfere in the election. Trumps response later? Of course, Im being sarcastic.

CRIMEA RIVER: Heads spun in the foreign policy world when Trump said this month that Russia wouldnt enter Ukraine, seemingly unaware it already had. When an interviewer pointed out Russia had annexed Crimea, Trump said he meant Russia wouldnt dare go farther if he were president. He insisted hed said nothing incorrect.

ABOUT SADDAM: In July, Trump said former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was so good at killing terrorists. He also suggested the Mideast would be more stable were Saddam still in power. He took offence that his comments were interpreted as praise for Saddam.

(Associated Press writers Lisa Lerer, Jill Colvin and Jonathan Lemire and AP Polling Director Emily Swanson contributed to this report)
Thousands of Venezuelans were welcomed to Colombia by a military band early on Saturday morning as the two countries borders were officially reopened after being closed by Venezuela a year ago.

Some people had travelled across Venezuela to queue overnight hoping to cross to buy food and other basics that are in short supply in Venezuela, which is steeped in an economic crisis.

I came with my family to do some shopping because we cant find anything to eat, said Wilmary Salcedo, a 17-year-old engineering student who had travelled some 500 miles from the central city of Maracay hoping for rice, sugar and cooking oil.

Venezuelas stores lack the most basic foods and medicines. Queues of hundreds and even thousands of people are common, and riots and looting are a daily occurrence.

Venezuelas President Maduro abruptly closed the border last August hoping, he said, to protect his country from smugglers and paramilitaries. Critics saw the action as a stunt to shift attention from worsening domestic problems.

Maduro announced the reopening on Thursday, alongside his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos.

Were interested in a new beginning in economic and commercial relations with all of Colombias productive sectors, Maduro said on Thursday. Santos said it would be a gradual reopening.

Five border crossings will be open to pedestrians during the day from 6 am to 9 pm. A representative from Colombias foreign ministry said 5,000 people had crossed in the first two hours.

The border has for years been a hotbed of smuggling of everything from price-controlled toothpaste and pasta to illegal drugs and weapons. Maduro blamed Colombians, among others, for the countrys crisis and the closure strained relations between the South American neighbours.

Many people continued to cross the border over the past year using dirt paths, shallow river crossings and by paying officials.
BEIJING: China is a preparing a welcome befitting a head of government for Aung San Suu Kyi, democracy icon and Myanmars first state counsellor, when she reaches Beijing next week.

During her four-day visit beginning on August 17, Suu Kyi will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, reports said. Since becoming Myanmars first state counsellor after the new government was formed in March, this will be the third country that Suu Kyi is visiting, after Laos and Thailand.

She was in China last year as leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in a high-profile visit. Suu Kyi is also Myanmars foreign minister and is considered key to the gradual transformation of her country as it opens up to the world.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported that during the visit, which comes about a month ahead of her trip to the US, economic cooperation will be at the top of the agenda.

Myanmars released a long-awaited but vague economic policy paper last month, pledging support for agriculture, industry and infrastructure development. But there were few details on how it will boost the nations economy, the report said.

According to state-controlled tabloid Global Times, Suu Kyi has calibrated her stance on China over the years.

Suu Kyi used to be the most intense critic of the Myanmese junta, and she also raised objections to Chinese investment projects during that time. But since she was elected as a member of the House of Representatives, Suu Kyi has started to recalibrate her policy, stating on many occasions that she expects an improvement in Myanmar-China relations. In media interviews, Suu Kyi also expressed her expectation for a visit to China in an official capacity, the newspaper said in a comment piece.
HUA HIN, THAILAND: Tourists huddled in their hotel rooms and ducked inside buildings after bombs, one after another, exploded in at least five areas of Thailand, including popular beach cities, killing at least four people and wounding dozens more.

The security in the bar told me to get back into the bar and they just shut down the shutters and made sure everyone was at the back of the bar and after about ... a 10 minute or so wait, there was a second bang, tourist Shane Brett told Australian Broadcasting Corp. from his hotel room in Hua Hin on Friday, the morning after the Thursday night blasts.

Those attacks killed a street vendor and wounded 21 other people in the beach city about 200 kilometers south-west of Bangkok. Another pair of bombs exploded Friday morning in Hua Hin, killing one person and wounding three. Official at hospitals that treated victims of both blasts said some are from countries including Germany, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands.

Bombs also went off on Phukets Loma Beach in southern Thailand and the southern provinces of Trang, Surat Thani and Phang Nga.

One person was killed in the Trang blast, which occurred Thursday, and another was killed in the Surat Thani attack on Friday morning.

Police said it was too soon to say who was behind the attacks, but added that they had have ruled out international terrorism or a long-running insurgency in the countrys Islamic south.

Phuket in particular is frequented by millions of European, Chinese and Thai tourists each year who come to swim in the warm, azure sea, party at the open air night clubs and explore tropical rainforests. The other towns hit are less prominent international destinations but still popular among Thais and many foreigners.

Even as police searched for suspects and fears of more bombs continued, locals said the explosions will be a blow to tourism, a critical source of income. Governments, including the US, Germany, Australia and Britain advised their citizens travelling in Thailand to take precautions.

Henrik Buuz, 62, of Denmark sipped beer in a Hua Hin hotel lobby Friday. He said that while he might not have taken security seriously in the past, he no longer felt safe in the sunny beach town where streets were remarkably quiet for the beginning of a threeday holiday.

No, no, no, no. Now we dont think its funny anymore, said Buuz. Tourism suffered a temporary setback after a bomb blast ripped through a Bangkok shrine nearly a year ago, killing 20 people, mostly visitors from other Asian countries.

This ruins business. Hotels, restaurants, tours, we were already suffering, but this, its going to ruin our lives, said Hua Hin Adventure Tours guide Natsupa Dechapanya. Natsupa raced Thursday from hotel to hotel visiting clients and warning them not to go outside, especially where people gather. She was also fielding cancellation calls, although she was staying away from her office, opposite a clock tower where Fridays bombs went off.

Im scared, she said. This is the first time this has happened in Hua Hin. We think of this as a safe town, but now everyone is fearful. We feel like were not safe.

She said because the explosions happened hours apart, many  including herself  are worried about whether the attacks are over. And she said tension on city streets is palpable.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistans top counter-terrorism agency has issued two alerts warning about possible terror attacks by two Taliban suicide bombers at the Wagah and Ganda Singh borders with India around Independence Day. The alerts, sent by the National Counter-Terrorism Authority in a letter, asked the Punjab director general of Pakistan Rangers, the home department and the Punjab police chief to take high preventive measures to protect the public as well as security personnel. Following the alerts, Punjab police enhanced patrolling, launched a crackdown in border areas and arrested more than 50 people.

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LONDON : Britain may be home of the mother of parliaments but the countrys democratic foundations are being undermined by electoral fraud in communities of Pakistani and Bangladeshi-origin, a strongly-worded government report said on Friday.

Commissioned by former premier David Cameron in the wake of electoral fraud in the London borough of Tower Hamlets in 2015, the report by Eric Pickles, former communities secretary, called for unprecedented reforms to counter malpractices in the communities.

Politically correct over-sensitivities about ethnicity and religion are responsible for state institutions turning a blind eye to such electoral fraud, the report said, detailing several instances in which courts had convicted people between 2005 and 2015.

Evidence was presented of pressure being put on vulnerable members of some ethnic minority communities, particularly women and young people, to vote according to the will of the elders, especially in communities of Pakistani and Bangladeshi background, the report said.

In Tower Hamlets, with a large population of Bangladeshi origin, sitting mayor Lutfur Rahman was removed from office in April 2015 and his election declared void after he was found guilty of electoral fraud.

Pickles said: Last years court ruling in Tower Hamlets was a wake-up call that state bodies need to do far more to stamp out corruption and restore public confidence. It was local residents who lost out from the crooked politicians who bullied them and wasted their money.

The report mentioned evidence of people in the two communities facing intimidation and threats of burning in hell, or that they were not a good Muslim if they did not vote for preferred candidates.

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A woman of dark mystery appeared at William Mumlers Boston studio in 1871 to have her photograph taken. Attired in mourning, she gave the well-known photographer a false name and kept her faced concealed behind a black veil. I requested her to be seated, went into my darkroom and coated a plate, Mumler said four years later in his autobiography. When I came out I found her seated with her veil still over her face. I asked if she intended to have her picture taken with her veil. She replied, When you are ready, I will remove it.  She was used to dealing with mediums and knew how to prevent their tricks. Her dead husband had appeared to her at a seance while she was in Boston , and now she wanted her picture with him. Mumler would later claim that he did not recognize her until the negative had been developed, which revealed Mary Todd Lincoln embraced by the ghost of Abraham Lincoln.

Shattered by her husbands assassination and the loss of three of her four sons, dead before their 18th birthdays, Mary Lincoln cleaved to spiritualism, the belief that spirits of the dead can be contacted through mediums. She must have been satisfied, even consoled by the image, but to the objective eye, this photograph of Mary Lincoln is a touching, if sadly preposterous, fake. Nonetheless, it was Mumlers most famous portrait.

Mumler began his career in Boston peddling his expertise as a medium for taking spirit photographs, part of the growing phenomenon of spiritual manifestations introduced in 1848 by the Fox sisters of Hydesville, N.Y. Their seances, with attendant spirit rappings and table tippings, caused a sensation that had spread across the country. Boston, combining traditions of intellectual dissent with enthusiasm for transcendental philosophies, became a quasi-capital for the movement, and was attracting spiritualists from all over to the mysterious world of the higher plane. Coming as it did with the new era of scientific technologythe camera and photography, as well as electricity and the telegraphpeople were seeing and hearing the unexplainable.

America in the 1860s was a mournful country, immersed in civil war and disease. Death leeched into everything: the filthy water, the consumptive air, the blood-soaked battlefields of the South. Cameramen such as Mathew Brady were on the battlefields, too, recording sadness and loss in black and white. Heartbroken survivors, desperate for tokens of enduring life, clutched at any straw of hope. And a spirit photograph was that straw painted to a fine, bright shine.

William Mumlers spirit photographs stand out as one of the grand hoaxes of the period. His misguided craftthe pretended ability to capture the shadows of the dead on photographic negativesputs him in the same Barnums circus arena as the other tricksters, hucksters and confidence men of mid-19th-century America. Over nearly three decades, Mumlers occult artistry made him wealthy and famous, and, as is the destiny of these affairs, it nearly destroyed him.

Like many hoaxes, the story of spirit photography begins with an accident and a joke. In 1861 Mumler was a 29-year-old jewelry engraver living in Boston who enjoyed experimenting with the nascent science of photography. In his autobiography, The Personal Experiences of William H. Mumler in Spirit Photography , Mumler explained that one day, while developing a self-portrait, he noticed the mysterious form of a young girl on the negative. Mumler printed this curiosity and showed it around to friends, telling them it looked like a dead cousin. Being of a jovial disposition, always ready for a joke, Mumler said, he decided to jest with a spiritualist friend and pretend that his picture was a genuine impression from the world beyond. The friend fell for the gag. Soon cartes de visite of Mumler and his spirit extra circulated through the city, while news that the first spirit photograph had been taken appeared in The Banner of Light and other spiritualist newspapers. The spirit cousin in all likelihood was no more than the residue of an earlier negative made with the same plate, but it quickly ripened into a revelation, with Mumler, the mischievous jeweler, heralded as the oracle of the camera.

Mumler soon went into the photography business full time and opened his first studio on Washington Street in Boston. His wife, Hannah, or an assistant greeted his clients on arrival, and after some preliminary chitchat, when the clients oftenand helpfullydiscussed the spirits they wished to appear, they went in for the sitting. Hannah had a reputation as a clairvoyant, and she often commented about the spirits that surrounded her husbands clients. For Mumlers part, he was as passive as a vacuum tube, he explained, that glows when an electrical current is run through ita force he then channeled into the camera. It was as simple as that.

His fees were extravagant. At the height of his success, Mumler charged $10 for a dozen photographs, or five times the going rate, with no guarantee that any spirit extras would appear. Often they did not, and clients had to make repeated trips to Mumlers studio before they were blessed with a presence. The spirits, Mumler explained by way of justifying his price, did not like the throng.

Bostons other photographers were less enchanted with Mumler the medium. James Black, famous for his aerial views of the city, assumed Mumler cheated, and he thought he knew how. Black bet Mumler $50 that he could catch him at it. He examined Mumlers camera, plate and processing system, and even went into the darkroom with him. In his autobiography, Mumler described Blacks astounding disbelief when a ghostlike image emerged on the negative. Mr. B., watching with wonderstricken eyesexclaimed, My God! Is it possible?

The technical question of how Mumlers pictures were made was the subject of great speculation. In an 1863 essay for Atlantic Monthly , Oliver Wendell Holmes, himself an avid photographer, not only gave step-by-step instructions on how to obtain a double exposure (An appropriate background for these pictures is a view of the asylum for feeble-minded personsand possibly, if the penitentiary could be introduced, the hint would be salutary), but also contemplated the popularity of Mumlers pictures.

Mrs. Brown, for instance, has lost her infant, and wishes to have its spirit-portrait taken, Holmes wrote. It is enough for the poor mother, whose eyes are blinded with tears, that she sees a print of drapery like an infants dress, and a rounded something, like a foggy dumpling, which will stand for a face.

Holmes, a Bostonian and an intimate of Black, almost certainly had Mumlers dubious shapes in mind when he penned those lines. While many of Mumlers spirits indeed fail the foggy dumpling test, they are in general less theatrical than the sheet-draped stage spooks that haunt most 19th-century spirit pictures. Instead the apparitions in a Mumler photograph have human features, silky gestures and misty, entwining formsup to the point where they melt away. They are spirits, not ghosts, and in that gentle difference lay the secret of Mumlers success. Mumler depicted what spiritualists believedthat the afterlife was a paradise, a summerland with its own schools, farms and intimate relationships, exalted and deathless. The spirits in a Mumler picture are just peopleif now more radiantright down to their coiffure, their flowers, their clinginess and their clothes.

Business in Boston fell off for Mumler, however, as his apparitions were called hoaxes. There had been censure, too. Even prominent spiritualists had been stunned to discover that some of Mumlers photographic spirits were in fact people still very much alive. Letters to newspapers in Boston publicized these double-exposures, and Mumlers reputation suffered. The spirit photographer confessed nothing, but with business going bad, it was time for him to get out of town.

Mumler relocated to New York in 1868 and found work in one of the many photographic studios clustered on Broadway. It is now some eight years since I commenced to take these remarkable pictures, and thousandsbear testimony to the truthful likeness of their spirit friends they have received through my mediumistic power, Mumler rhapsodized in a promotional pamphlet. What joy to the troubled heart! What balm to the aching breast!To know that our friends who have passed away can return and give us unmistakeable evidence of a life hereafter.

Mumler applied a lot of balm. By early 1869, he was the best-known practitioner of spirit photography in New York. He had taken roughly 500 photographs and bought a studio at 630 Broadway. It was there that he photographed a Wall Street financier named Charles Livermore.

Livermore, himself a spiritualist, had been sent by the New York Sun as part of a team of investigators preparing a report on the photographer. Looking for the trick, he sat as still as a statue before the camera lens while Mumler counted off the seconds on his watch. With a flourish, Mumler replaced the lens cap and delicately retrieved the glass negative. In his dark closet, he floated the negative in a toxic bath to develop and fix the image.

Livermore observed as his features slivered in black traces through the white collodion that waxed the negative. Then, wondrously, another form etched into the glass, this one behind him, embracing him. He had been skeptical at first, but now, as he watched Mumlers every move, he believed. Out of the emptiness, his dead wife returned to him. Her spirit seized him. Here, for all the critics and the skeptics, was the picture, here was the proof.

On March 16, 1869, another gentleman entered No. 630 Broadway. He introduced himself as William Bowditch and asked Mumler for a portrait with a dead relative. When he paid for his photograph but failed to see the spirit promised him, Bowditch pulled off his own act of revelation: He was, in fact, Joseph Tooker, New York City marshal, working undercoverthe sharp end of an elaborate police sting being run against Mumler, courtesy of the office of the mayor, A. Oakey Hall.

Earlier in the month, a science editor at World newspaper had approached Mayor Hall with complaints against Mumler made by members of the Photographic Section of the American Institute of the City of New York (PSAI), a society of reputable photographers dedicated to advancing the science of photography. Seeking to keep the medium truthful, and realizing the mediums power, the society had expressed outrage against Mumler and demanded action.

Tookers men arrested Mumler on April 12 for swindling credulous persons by what he called spirit photographs, and, in a cruel stroke of irony for the worlds first spirit photographer, Mumler was incarcerated in New Yorks most infamous prison: the Tombs.

Spiritualism in Court, A Stupendous Fraud, The Alleged Spirit Photograph Swindlethe New York papers swarmed over the news of Mumlers arrest, their sensational headlines blaring like trumpets. The intensity of the interest manifested by the public in this case has perhaps never been surpassed in reference to any criminal investigation in this city, exclaimed the New York Daily Tribune . On April 21, Judge Joseph Dowling opened the Court of Special Sessions, the police court for the Tombs, with a preliminary hearing into Mumlers case. He would listen to counsel for both sides, weigh up the evidence and, if the facts warranted, put the case to the grand jury.

No members of the public displayed greater interest in the trial than the many spiritualists who filled the courtroom in support of Mumler. Newspapers had a field day describing their odd demeanor and appearances. The New York Times jibed that the women, worn down in their study of ethereal essences, and the men with sickly sentimental eyes, and cavernous, lantern-jawed physiognomies, seemed to fill the room with a cold and clammy atmosphere. For the press, as for the prosecution, William Mumler would be only a symbol of the trials real accused: the modern spiritualist movement.

As the spectators settled into their places, prosecutor Elbridge T. Gerry rose and opened the trial by calling Marshal Tooker to the stand. Tooker deftly related his experience purchasing spirit photographs from Mumler, and then, apparently satisfied that Tookers statement was definitive for the purposes of an indictment, Gerry rested for the prosecution.

Mumler had assembled a crack defense team for the hearing, led by an aggressive lawyer named John D. Townsend. The first witnesses Townsend called were photographers, all of whom had keenly scrutinized Mumler at work in his studio without detecting any chicanery. Townsend then summoned to the stand a parade of Mumlers clients. One by one, these heart-sore people testified in defense of their oracle, clutching their spirit photographs, which were shown to the courtroom and entered into evidence.

Charles Livermore testified that it was indeed his wife in his photographs, an identification with which all of his friends agreed. I went there with my eyes open, as a skeptic, Livermore said. He had tried to outwit Mumler: He made an appointment for a sitting on a Tuesday, but went on Monday, to disconcert him. [I] suddenly changed my position so as to defeat any arrangement he might have made.I was on the lookout all the while. The two pictures of Livermore and his ghost wife appeared in the May 8, 1869, edition of Harpers Weekly , which covered the trial and ran nine engravings of Mumlers photos on its frontpage.

Judge John Edmonds, a former justice of the New York Supreme Court, astonished the assembled by testifying that not only could he see the dead, but he also often conversed with them during trials, when they assisted with his decisions. He told the court that he was satisfied with his pictures, as the spirits were charmingly pretty.

Perhaps the most heart-rending testimonial came from Luthera Reeves, who identified the spirit in her picture as a son she had lost. Her boy, she explained, had suffered from the same curvature of the spine as the spirit. It must be him.

With these witnesses, Townsend opened a gaping sinkhole at the prosecutions feet: How could Mumler be accused of cheating people who clearly claimed to see their loved ones in his pictures?

Realizing now that the prosecution had rested too soon and could not rely solely on Tookers testimony to prove Mumler a fraud, prosecutor Gerry reopened his case. Gerry summoned his own battery of photographers, each of whom laboriously explained how using double exposures, costumed confederates, trick lenses and other arcane, but purely mechanical, devices, Mumler created his apparitions.

A transparent lie on its face, declared one photographer, examining Charles Livermores picture, explaining how Livermore cast a shadow in one direction, while his wifes spirit shadow slanted in the other, an affect which could only be achieved with two different light sources. The images must have been made separately. It was either a double exposure or a manipulated negative. And why should an ethereal vapor cast a shadow anyway?

Phineas Taylor P.T. Bar-num was called as a witness for the prosecution and was his own greatest exhibition. As the countrys leading wizard of sham and spectacle, his appearance in the courtroom was a showstopper. A sort of expert on the artful deceptions popularly known as humbugs, Barnum had recently published an expose on spiritualism, excoriating its leading adherents as blasphemous mountebanks and impostors. In this same book, Barnum described his purchase some years before of spirit photographs, which he displayed in his museum. Now Barnum testified that the man he had purchased those pictures from was none other than William Mumler. In letters they exchanged, Barnum claimed, Mumler had essentially confessed his pictures were fakes. Alas, Barnum said, the letters were lost when his museum burned down in 1865.

Defense attorney Townsends cross-examination of Barnum was character assassination leavened with bursts of pure farce. He is a man who smells of fraud in the very nostrils of the people of New York, Townsend said. When Barnum could not produce any of the letters he had purportedly received from Mumler, Townsend accused Barnum of lying. He also declared that Barnum, the purveyor of such dubious curiosities as the Feejee mermaid and the woolly horse, was an even greater humbugger than simple William Mumler. Barnum responded testily that he did not display anything that did not give people their moneys worth four times over.

As the trial twisted its way through this catacomb of fantasy and despair, Mumler remained a calm and fathomless presence in the courtroom, with a face which one would scarcely be able to believe in at first sight. On May 3, the photographer rose for the first time to address the court. Again, he confessed nothing: I positively assert that in taking the pictures, I have never used any trick or device, or availed myself of any deception or fraud.

When Mumler finished, Townsend and Gerry stepped forward to give their closing remarks. Townsend spoke first, rousing himself for two hours of powerful and highly finished argument. Men like these would have hung Galileo, had he lived in their day, Townsend thundered, oratorically thumping the prosecution and its witnesses.

Gerry swatted back with a lengthened dissertation that roved through hallucinations, Biblical phantoms, the heathenish nature of spiritualism and the nine methods of faking spirits. There is no positive proof whatever of any spiritual agency, in Mumlers photographs, Gerry exclaimed. Only evidence that certain persons believe it exists.

And then, without much further ado, Judge Dowling announced his decision with a verdict fogged in ambiguity. The judge shared Gerrys belief that Mumler was crooked, pronouncing himself morally convinced, that Mumler had practiced fraud and deception. And then he set the photographer free. Prosecutor Gerry had not pinpointed Mumlers trickery and, therefore, had not made his case.

It was a decision that satisfied neither party. Did Judge Dowling take the easy way out with this mixed decision? Or did he take a deeper view and conclude that in matters of belief there are degrees of reality and degrees of truth, and it was not in his power to decide upon them? In any event, Mumler was released, and his comrades in the movement of the new light rejoiced that their martyr had escaped the bonds of the Tombs.

Even though Mumler had garnered a certain amount of fame from the case, he left New York immediately after the trial. He had accumulated thousands of dollars worth of legal fees and decided to return to Boston, where he opened another studio, this time in diminished circumstances in his mother-in-laws home at 170 W. Springfield St.

He continued his strange profession there, photographing believers such as Mary Todd Lincoln and providing them with dubious jewels of consolation. Mumler understood that this belief is its own fact, its own vision. That insight, beyond whatever devices he employed in the dark room, was the most cunning tool in his trick-bag of deceptions. Mumlers Lincoln image is his most reproduced photograph, and it is believed to be the last one taken of Mary before her death in 1882. Yet the former first ladys patronage was no mark of improvement in Mumlers fortunes. He died in 1884 holding patents on a number of brilliant photographic techniques, including Mumlers Process, which allowed publishers to directly reproduce photographic illustrations in newspapers, books and so forth. Indeed, his skill as a photographer rivaled his talents as a con artist, but he was somehow still poor. In spite of it all, he maintained to the end that he was only a humble instrument for the revelation of a beautiful truth. Should there be any doubt, Mumler destroyed all of his negatives shortly before he died.

William Mumlers photographs may be products of pure hoaxing, but the question of whether technology is capable of catching phantoms is still relevant. In 2003 a security camera at Hampton Court Palace, just west of London, picked up the image of a robed figure opening and closing a fire door. The enormous press generated by the event suggests the deeply enduring charm of the supernatural. Even in the modern era, an age of computer manipulation and air brushing, there remains a willingness to believe not only in the world beyond but also in the power of the cameras prophetic eye to reveal it.
You may never meet your 400-year-old forefather, or anyone who sailed to your world in the Mayflower. But if you'd like to meet someone or something that lived then, you can try out the Greenland shark, a deep-sea creature that can survive for 400 years---the longest-lived vertebrate on Earth.

Scientists examined 28 female Greenland sharks, finding that the oldest of the species survived to live upto 272 and 512 years. She seemed to be almost 390 years when she was taken in by a research vessel. The next longest-lived vertebrate is aged 200 years---the bowhead whale.

But none of the other long-living animals are a match for the Greenland shark. Amazingly, though they are the oldest, they are also the least studied mammals on earth. They survive in the "cold, deep waters" of the North Atlantic. These scavengers are very slow-growing, and have been caught for their liver oil.

Still, although the earth has been the habitat of the Greenland sharks for a long time, we do not know enough about their population size, distribution, and ecology. They are dubbed as "data deficient" by Norway's conservation Red List.

"I think in general, people have overlooked the Greenland shark as this deep sea animal is of no ecological or economic importance," lead study author Julius Nielsen said. "There's never been a scientific interest. The story told to us by the Greenland shark adds another notch in the longevity scale."

This PhD student of the University of Copenhagen became fascinated by the Greenland sharks about five years back. Once his scientific vessel caught a shark, he said: "It was an amazing experience, seeing such a big animal," he said. "I started investigating what was known about the shark, and was really surprised by how little information there was."

He discovered that the shark's growth rate was "incredibly slow"---just a centimeter every year. He also found that the sharks could not grow "hard, calcified tissues that deposit in growth layers", so they did not age.

The age was discovered with radiocarbon dating of their eyelids, which are "transparent cells filled with inert, crystallized proteins." These layers of glassy cells collect on the eyelids during the shark's life. "It's basically a dead tissue," Neilsen said.

Armed with a method, Nielsen and his collaborators acquired tissue samples from 28 individual sharks caught as bycatch during the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources' annual fish surveys between 2010 and 2013. Peeling back layers of cells to access the oldest tissue, the researchers measured the abundance of carbon-14 isotopes to determine age.

Nielsen's team saw that the oldest tissue samples did not show the carbon-14 signature of nuclear weapons of the 1960s. Hence, it is clear that the sharks were more than 50 years old. "We could see right from the beginning that we were dealing with something extreme," Nielsen said.

Most of these sharks had lived through the 19th or early 20th century. A precise age could not be obtained for the largest two sharks, yet their age seemed to date back quite a lot. They seemed to be 335  75 years, and 392  120 years .

"The main point is that the Greenland shark is at least 272 years old, and therefore the oldest vertebrate in the world," Neilsen said. "I think this must be the first time in human history that a person has done an age determination, ended up with a range of 240 years, and still called it a success."

"This article highlights just how little science still knows about the life histories of these and other magnificent creatures," said Kevin Perrott, a scientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. "It also underlines how easy it would be to remain forever ignorant and lose this resource because of climate change and environmental damage. We run the risk of forever losing the opportunity to study organisms with insight into humanity's most pressing medical challenge, the aging process."

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Niku, the newly discovered large chunk of ice orbiting the Sun in a weird orbit is the latest find in the solar system that has astronomers excited.

If you're wondering what about this object with a Pokemonish name is exciting to astronomers, the answer is nothing really! But the path it takes around the sun is what has astronomers training their scopes at it. Niku is said to be inclined in a manner unlike any other planet, far beyond Neptune and is swinging around the sun backward.

This rather odd orbit of the icy object, estimated around to measure 120 miles in diameter, has earned its name Niku - Chinese for rebel. Researchers who discovered the object using the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System in Hawaii also noticed that its inclination is changing. The inclination of the object with respect to a hypothetical plane of the solar system is around 110 degrees. The Earth is at 0 degrees.

Astronomers are excited for this find threw up the possibility of a mystery planet 9, ten times more massive than Earth. The odd orbit of Niku, suggested it may have been knocked off by a larger object. For now Niku is beyond the influence of any such mystery planet for it is said to be far, far away.

The buzz around Niku however refuses to quieten. Along with the rebel object, researchers also spotted at least five other objects behaving in odd ways. Though such behavior remains beyond explanation for now, astronomers are certain of mysterious happenings in the far reaches of our solar system.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Ukrainian State Border Service has reinforced its reserves and is ready for any developments on the border with Crimea, Ukrainian State Border Service chief Viktor Nazarenko said.

"I think that the new wave of Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine and its people is seen in Crimea. You know that this is temporarily occupied territory and we pass only Ukrainian citizens or foreign citizens with relevant permits from the Migration Service through this line. Mainly Ukrainian citizens travel," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

The situation "remains quite complicated, but it is under the Ukrainian side's control," Nazarenko said. "After the recent conference hosted by the Ukrainian president, we have updated the duties of our units, and we have updated the way of our interaction with the Ukrainian armed forces and other law enforcement agencies; after all, we are a segment of the state's general defense system," he said.

Ukrainian border guards have mobilized their reserves, including heavy weapons, and are continuing this work, Nazarenko said. "We have also done other job both with the local population and our personnel to improve our combat capability in this area. I want to assure you and the citizens of Ukraine that we are prepared for any developments, and these developments could be very nonstandard for us," he said.

Commenting on Russia's accusation that Ukraine allegedly shelled Crimea, Nazarenko said that there was no shelling from Ukraine's mainland, it is for sure.

He said that this provocation has concrete goals  to raise confrontation on this territory.
We heard the gunshots and we turned around and saw somebody get shot and fall to the ground, Derrell told the Daily News. But we didnt realize who it was at the time. I realize its my brother on the floor, he continued. I run to try and help him out and then a couple people in the areacalled the cops for us.

Terrell was rushed to the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, where he was soon pronounced dead. His father, George Henry, was unable to make it to the hospital in time. They hadnt said it yet, he said. But when I looked at my son, I knew.

The police have not discovered a motive for the shooting. George Henry feels that his sons were at the wrong place at the wrong time. He recalls watching his two sons leave for the party earlier that night and his wife saying to him, Look at those two beautiful sons I gave you.

Joey Badass responded to the tragic news earlier today on Instagram. No words, he wrote. Just a heavy heart. RIP to my cousin Terrell Henry smh. He ended his post by writing, Through all the positivity theres always a negativetruly devastated.
Houston lawyer Jerry Guerinot said he no longer represents people accused of capital murder after four decades of posting a perfect record.

None of his nearly three dozen capital murder clients was found innocent.

Some opponents of capital punishment label him the worst lawyer in the United States. Guerinot shrugs off the criticism, which he says comes from taking notorious cases.

"My theory is if they are the sorriest of the worst or the very worst, I got 'em," Guerinot, 71, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Somebody's got to defend  'defend' is the wrong word  represent these people."

Guerinot has represented gang members, serial killers and sociopaths accused of heinous crimes.

He works from Houston, in Harris County, which has sent more people to death row than any other U.S. county and all but two states since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. So, Guerinot got a lot of business.

Too much business to properly represent the accused, according to Jim Marcus, co-director of the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas.

He points to 1996, when jurors over a seven-month period convicted people in four separate Guerinot cases. Three of those clients have been executed. Marcus now represents the fourth, Anthony Medina, who he contends in appeals received virtually no defense from Guerinot, including little trial preparation and inadequate questioning of witnesses.

"It is unthinkable that a defense attorney would try four separate death penalty cases to verdict in the space of seven months," said Marcus.

Guerinot said he was not the lead attorney on some of those cases, that extensive preparation was made earlier on two of them and that he spent considerable time on Medina's case before trial. He acknowledged the perception of trying to rush cases to get a paycheck, "but that's not what happened."

Over his career, court records show 21 Guerinot clients received the death penalty. Ten have been executed. Two had their sentences commuted to life when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that those under 18 at the time of the crime could not be executed. One case is awaiting retrial on the punishment. Prosecutors dropped the charges in another case.

Thirteen other Guerinot clients are serving life sentences, either because a plea agreement or lesser charge was negotiated, jurors couldn't agree unanimously on the death penalty or prosecutors didn't seek it.

"You never hear about the ones we pleaded down to murder or aggravated robbery or when the jury came back (with a life sentence)," Guerinot said.

This fall, courts are reviewing cases involving two former Guerinot clients. While his performance isn't the central issue, they raise questions about whether they received fair trials. The highest profile case involves Linda Carty, the only British woman on death row in the United States.

"I hate to say that man's name," Carty said in a 2010 prison interview with the AP. "I wouldn't be here if I had better counsel."

She was convicted in 2002 of orchestrating her 20-year-old neighbor's slaying and abducting the woman's infant. Carty denied involvement. Three men convicted as accomplices received long prison terms. Carty got death.

Her current lawyers believe she deserves a new trial, arguing prosecutors improperly withheld evidence from the defense team Guerinot led.

Carty told the AP that Guerinot didn't meet with her until a month before the trial  and never sought legal help from the British consulate.

Guerinot says Carty refused to meet him for four months and, even though she is from St. Kitts when it was part of the British Virgin Islands, she never told him she was a citizen of Britain, where the death penalty is outlawed.

"She got the death penalty because it was a terrible crime," Guerinot says.

At a June court hearing, Guerinot testified his defense efforts were hampered by Carty and other uncooperative witnesses. Final submissions from lawyers are due Aug. 29 and the judge will make a recommendation to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court.

Guerinot was top assistant to the lead defense lawyer in the second case. Duane Buck was condemned following his 1997 conviction for a double slaying in Houston. The U.S. Supreme Court is to hear arguments Oct. 5 regarding testimony from a psychologist called by the defense who said under cross examination that black people were more likely to commit violence.

Kathryn Kase, executive director of the Texas Defender Service, a legal group that represents Buck and other death row prisoners in appeals, said the defense should have tried to stop the testimony because it was offensive and the man on trial was black.

"It's that they also never objected to the prosecution's questions or arguments about the evidence that skin color, race, makes someone more likely to be dangerous in the future," she said.

Guerinot believes he got numerous appointments over the years because of his capital case experience, which began in the early 1970s as an assistant prosecutor, and his frequent presence at the courthouse once he went into private practice.

"It's very hard to look at a judge who says, 'I need you to take on this case,' and say: 'I won't do it,'" he said.

In 2001, Texas passed a law that attorneys for indigent people be selected from a list of those deemed qualified through training and experience.

Guerinot said he hasn't retired but he is tired of being pilloried over capital murder cases and won't take them anymore.

"I'm there to ensure they get a fair shake," Guerinot said. "And, by God, there ain't one of them that didn't."
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The Facebook message from the Spring teenager could not have been more blunt.

"I'd like to join ISIS. Can you help me?"

The message from Asher Khan and other missives, photos and online sessions are now at the center of the federal terrorism case against him, according to court filings in his criminal case.

It's one of a growing number of terrorism cases in which evidence from social media is key.

"There is evidence to be found there," said Chuck Joyner, a retired FBI agent who is a security consultant and trains law enforcement. "It is certainly driving cases, even traditional, basic criminal cases where you get out and pound the pavement  Almost all criminal investigations have some sort of electronic component now because of social media."

Court filings indicate authorities have compiled a trove of social media communications about the alleged secret life of Khan, who faces a September trial before U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes on charges he sought to join the Islamic State terrorist group.

Khan, now 21 and a student at the University of Houston, is accused of six counts of conspiring to provide material support to a known terrorist organization, attempting to provide support and conspiring to commit murder abroad. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The expected courtroom focus on social media was described in a letter recently sent by the Department of Justice to Khan's Houston lawyer to notify him of expert witnesses who could be called during trial. The witnesses have delved into Facebook messenger sessions, photos and the efforts by ISIS to go online to recruit foreign fighters, according to the court filings.Khan's lawyer, Thomas Berg, however, said the young man ultimately went online to try to convince a fellow Texan not to join the terrorist mayhem.

"He was a 19-year-old kid who had a stupid idea, didn't follow through with it and came home," Berg said.

Investigators contend that Khan, a U.S. citizen, traveled from Australia to Turkey in February 2014 as part of a plan to join up with ISIS in Syria. But once he got to Turkey, Khan allegedly had a change of heart. Rather than crossing the border into Syria and meeting up with ISIS, he remained at the airport in Istanbul and flew back to his family in Spring.

He was supposed to rendezvous in Turkey with Sixto Garcia, of McAllen, who authorities said went on to join ISIS and was killed in fighting later that year.

Khan, meanwhile, quietly resumed work at a mosque school, delivered pizza and enrolled in the fall of 2015 at UH.

The FBI arrested him a year after his return, and he's been conditionally free on bail ever since.

Reason for return

Exactly why Khan returned home is a point of contention.

Federal authorities say the family was part of a ruse in which they told him his mother was seriously ill and asked him to come home. Berg said the FBI would have never known about Khan if his father hadn't contacted them and expressed concerns for his son's welfare.

No matter the details, Berg said, it will be tough for his client to get a fair trial.

"We live in a climate of fear," he said. "The politics running up to the elections are going to focus on fear.  Just an accusation is tantamount to conviction in many people's minds."

The FBI contends it first learned of Khan in October 2014 while agents were investigating Garcia's Facebook page, which allegedly included several photos of Garcia dressed in camouflage with an AK-47 rifle.

It also allegedly contained messages in which Khan, Garcia and others talked about going to Syria to support ISIS. The message seeking help about joining ISIS was posted Jan. 12, 2014, officials said.

Tech experts to testify

According to court documents, an FBI computer scientist will testify in Khan's trial about the IP addresses assigned to Facebook sessions, Internet connectivity, and Syrian and Turkish communications systems.

A lecturer at Johns Hopkins University will focus on how the group recruits foreign fighters online and how it emerged to be a terrorist threat to the United States.

An FBI computer forensics examiner will discuss what was found on hard drives and cellular phones seized in the case.

And a Defense Intelligence Agency analyst will focus on photographs recovered from social media that purportedly show Mohamed Zuhbi, an alleged ISIS recruiter who remains a fugitive in the case, and Garcia, the fellow Texan who was killed.

Facebook declined to comment specifically on the Khan's case or other prosecutions.

"Facebook has zero tolerance for terrorists, terror propaganda, or the praising of terror activity, and we work aggressively to remove it from our platform as soon as we become aware of it," a Facebook spokesman said. "We also have well-established processes for responding to law enforcement requests, and continue to be responsive to these requests in accordance with existing law."

Snared by the internet

The case reflects a growing use of social media by authorities to prosecute U.S. citizens suspected of trying to aid terrorists.

Over the past two years, the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces have made arrests in at least 19 states, including four cases in Spring, Houston, Dallas and Austin.

A Mississippi woman snared by her social media use was sentenced to 12 years in prison earlier this month for her 2015 attempt to travel to join ISIS.

And a Washington, D.C., policeman was charged with trying to assist ISIS operatives in a case that also pulls in social media postings, as well as text messages and email, according to court documents.

Question over statute

Stephen Vladeck, a University of Texas School of Law professor, said he believes Khan could get a fair trial in Houston but that the larger question is whether the so-called material support statute under which Khan is being prosecuted is fair.

"If the government's goal is to incapacitate someone who might be doing something bad in the future, we don't usually let them do that," Vladeck said. "Under the material support statute, we don't have to show that you will do something bad in the future, but that you are already running with the wrong crowd."

Vladeck said that he understands those who contend the statute is overly broad and brings a hefty penalty for even the most minimal acts.

"In the old days, we might have thought you have to do things to break the law, but in the context of material support, you really don't have to do much," he said. "If you were trying to show the guy was planning to blow up a federal building, you would need evidence: he had a map of the federal building or bought some explosives. The material support statute makes it a crime to merely be affiliated with these groups."
Nick Anderson

Donald Trump continues to send mixed messages regarding what he meant when he said that Obama was the "founder" of ISIS. On Hugh Hewitt's radio show, he insisted that he meant it literally. Then he said he meant it sarcastically. Now he says, "but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you. " or a guy who supposedly "tells it like it is," he certainly seems to have trouble telling it like it is" (never mind that he doesn't understand the definition of sarcasm).

Of course, all this is nonsense, because any real appraisal of where ISIS came from would lay the blame with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and the other architects of the Iraq War. There's a legitimate argument about whether Obama acted quickly enough to counter the ISIS threat in Iraq (he didn't). But without the idiotic invasion of Iraq, ISIS would not exist. Click the gallery below to see many more cartoons by Nick Anderson.
Smiley N. Pool/MBR

Our nation and our state have been rocked by multiple shootings of civilians and police officers that are so appalling and heartbreaking that we all search for answers and look for blame. Still, I was surprised when I received a handful of calls to my Senate office blaming me and my colleagues in the Texas Legislature for the deaths of the Dallas police officers. After these senseless killings, there has been a great deal of attention focused on open carry laws in Texas. Unfortunately, inaccuracies about the law and the facts are being articulated in the press and in social media.

The Second Amendment clearly gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms. In fact, with various restrictions (or in some cases none at all), 45 states allow some form of open carry. House Bill 910, passed last session, took the existing law regarding carrying a concealed handgun and allowed those same license holders to carry openly in a belt or shoulder holster. But the new legislation had nothing to do with the criminal acts that led to the death of those brave officers. It did nothing to change Texas laws surrounding the open carry of long guns, the type of weapon that killed the Dallas officers and was seized from some rally participants.
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Ukraine's Defense Ministry denies information appeared in Russian mass media that officers of Defense Intelligence of Defense Ministry of Ukraine are implicated in preparations of so-called Crimean 'terrorist attacks.'

"As for some statements of Russian intelligence services. The Defense Ministry informs that Defense Intelligence has never had 37th Battalion of the 56th Brigade. Persons mentioned in reports are not officers of Defense Intelligence of Defense Ministry of Ukraine," the ministry said in a posting on its website on Saturday.

With reference to a source with Russian special services, Russian media on Friday reported the composition of a sabotage group that Federal Security Service (FSB) officials uncovered near the village of Suvorovo close to Armiansk in the early hours of August 7. These reports claimed that the group's actions were coordinated by Capt. Volodymyr Serdiuk, the chief of intelligence at the 37th Battalion of the 56th Brigade of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate. The group also included Lt. Oleksiy Sandul, an intelligence platoon leader of the 37th Battalion, Oleh Dmytrenko, a Main Intelligence Directorate officer acting under the call-sign Lys (Fox), intelligence officer Oleksandr Kyrylov, and Oleh Moskvitin.

The FSB reported on August 10 that it had allegedly prevented terrorist attacks plotted by Ukrainian intelligence services in Crimea. It reported that Russian special services, backed by other security units, prevented several sabotage groups from entering Crimea from Ukrainian territory in the early hours of August 7 and 8. A Russian military serviceman and an FSB officer were reported killed in the armed clashes.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate and National Security and Defense Council denied reports about Ukrainian 'spies.'
A B.C. restaurant is no longer serving a cocktail named after a notorious Canadian serial killer after receiving a complaint last month.

Rebecca Brass, a counsellor to families of missing and murdered women at Women Against Violence Against Women, was out for lunch at Wings in Surrey, B.C. when she noticed a "Willie Pickton" on the menu.

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Brass told HuffPost Canada she was "shocked" to see the name.

Robert "Willie" Pickton was convicted of killing six women in 2007. However, the remains or DNA of 33 women were found on his property in Port Coquitlam.

He once told an undercover police officer that he killed 49 women but wanted to make it an even 50, according to Maclean's.

Pickton is currently serving a life sentence in jail. Some of the women he was convicted of killing were indigenous, and there are many more indigenous women among his other alleged victims.

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"I don't know if shock's the word because, with the huge injustice to the families of the missing and murdered women, with the national inquiry just being announced, it goes to show that this is indicative of a broader cultural issue and desensitization to violence," she told The Huffington Post B.C.

"If staff and management think that this kind of material can be printed, and be selling them, it just goes to show that this is a culture of violence that we live in."

Brass wrote to Wings' head office on July 24, saying she found it "extremely insulting" that the restaurant was "profiting off of families' tragedies by having a shooter named after ... a serial killer."

Two days later, the company responded and asked that staff at the Surrey location "reply to them as soon as possible."

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General manager Netty Chan wrote back to Brass and apologized for the "inappropriate name." Wings removed the drink and Chan said she was "extremely sorry that we had dropped the ball on checking our material."

"The list was created by our past management and definitely doesn't represent what we stand for. But that's not an excuse and I can assure you that we will be more on top of our printed material," she said.

Brass wasn't satisfied with the company's response.

"I felt like they were passing the blame because they said it was past management that printed the material," she said.

"Businesses, just like the rest of us, need to be held accountable for perpetuating violence against women. I felt like they were not taking accountability for the material that was printed."

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A more appropriate apology would have "included some recognition of the significance of the harm and also acknowledge that they want to make their restaurant and their community safe for indigenous women and families."

The list was drawn up by a previous manager and not approved by Wings head office, a company spokeswoman told HuffPost B.C.

"We are very much so involved with the community, it's one of the things we are known for and we are deeply sorry for any harm this may have caused to our community," she said.

"We take complete responsibility for this situation and have already taken immediate action to rectify this isolated incident. We deeply sympathize with the victims and this shot does not reflect the company's belief or views in any way."

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With files from the Canadian Press

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Image: Peaceful protesters and journalists were subjected to excessive force by Armenian police on July 29, 2016. Author: Human Rights Watch

The 31 armed men who took over a police station in Armenia's capital of Yerevan on July 17 made two demands that got widespread news coverage.

After the 20 men who were still in the station on July 31 surrendered, the group made another appeal to the public.

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This time it wasn't a demand. It was a entreaty that they embrace what they felt was another important political objective. That objective was for Armenia to stop being a Russian colony and become independent in fact as well as in name.

One of the group's demands when it seized the police station was that the government release the man they considered their leader -- Jirair Sefilian, head of the Founding Parliament fringe political party. Authorities had arrested Sefilian in mid-June on a charge of plotting a coup.

The other demand of the occupying group known as the Daredevils of Sassoun was that President Serzh Sargsyan resign.

The government wore down the Daredevils during the siege, cutting off their water, food, electricity and cellphone service, and wounding several of them with sniper fire.

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Hardening authorities' determination not to compromise was the fact that two police officers died during the occupation. One was shot during the initial takeover and the second by sniper fire halfway through the siege.

The Daredevils are now going through the justice process. They face long prison terms, but they are still defiant, maintaining that they are not common criminals but prisoners of war.

A longtime political activist decided on the very day that the Daredevils surrendered to try to increase public awareness of their contention that Armenia needs to stop being a Russian vassal.

Tigran Khzmalyan stood in front of a small group of Daredevils sympathizers outside Yerevan's Opera House to read an online post the Daredevils had made.

"Today all the processes in our country are governed from outside," he quoted the Daredevils as saying. "I am speaking about Russia."

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"We want the people, and the international community, to realize that this is a national liberation movement against Russian colonialism," the Daredevils said.

Although the Daredevils represent a political fringe group, many Armenians believe as the Daredevils do that their country needs to cast off its Russian shackles.

Russia owns the country's electrical system and supplies it with most of its gas, making Armenia beholden to the Kremlin for its energy needs. The Russian electricity company's decision to raise electricity rates 17 percent last summer led to tens of thousands of people protesting nationwide.

Many Armenians also resent Russian President Vladimir Putin bullying Sargsyan into dropping Armenia's plan to join the European Union and instead joining the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Community. Sargsyan's about-face in the fall of 2013 was greeted with demonstrations in Armenia, and additional street protests when Putin visited the country later that year and in 2014.

Many Armenian intellectuals and young people in particular resented Putin's interference in Armenia's effort to shape a better economic future by looking toward Europe.

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There is also growing resentment about what many Armenians see as Russia's interference in the Nagorno-Karabakh situation.

Putin has been personally trying to mediate a settlement of the longstanding dispute, which flared into open warfare in April of this year.

The ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh fought a war with Azerbaijan over the enclave from 1988 until 1994. Both sides continue to claim that the area is theirs, with flare-ups in fighting punctuating their claims.

Putin has said publicly that the two sides need to reach a compromise on the issue.

Armenians, who of course back their ethnic brethren in Nagorno-Karabakh, are afraid that Putin will demand, as one term of compromise, that the enclave cede some of its land to Azerbaijan.

Many of the Daredevils of Sassoun fought in the Nagorno-Karabakh War between 1998 and 1994, as did Sefilian, so they are dead-set against a settlement involving loss of land.

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Many Armenians also resent the fact that in recent years Russia has been selling arms to both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Russia has justified sales to both sides as an attempt at maintaining balance in the region.

It has also said that if it weren't selling arms to the Azerbaijanis, somebody else would be. The gist of that cynical message: Why should we give up profits that we don't have to give up?

No polls on Armenian public sentiment about Russia have been taken for at least two years, as far as I know.

So there are no figures to confirm the anecdotal evidence I'm seeing that indicates more Armenians are becoming tired of being a Russian colony.

Thousands of protesters turned out to support the Daredevils of Sassoun during the police-station siege, indicating that the group had succeeded in galvanizing opposition to the government that went way beyond the membership in the tiny Founding Parliament Party.

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Will their movement also stoke a broader effort for Armenia to get out from under Russia's thumb?

I wouldn't bet against it.


Mural of Kukulkan in a hotel lobby on the Riviera Maya. Photo by Bob Schulman.

The name "Kukulkan" pops up a lot around Mexico's super-resort at Cancun, the nearby Riviera Maya and the rest of what was once the Mayan empire, all the way down to Honduras. You see it on Cancun's main boulevard signs, on a magnificent pyramid in the inland ruins of Chichen Itza, on restaurants, bars and even grocery stores. Who (or what) was Kukulkan? The answer is simple (but probably not very helpful): Kukulkan is the Mayan version of Quetzalcuatl.

So who (or what) was Quetzalcuatl? One version of who he (or it) was comes from Hollywood. In the 1982 movie "Q: The Winged Serpent," he's an ancient Aztec flying snake god who somehow managed to build a nest in the art-deco spire of the Chrysler Building in New York. From there, he swooped down to the streets now and then to gobble up hapless New Yorkers -- until cops David Carradine, Richard Roundtree and a SWAT team gunned the beast down. The film grossed a whopping $255,000.)



Kukulkan Boulevard stretches the length of the Cancun resort area. Photo courtesy of the Mexico Tourism Board.

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In Mexico, a popular legend of Quetzalcuatl (pronounced ketz-ahl-qwa-til) goes this way: Thousands of years ago, he was a god who took human form to become king of the Toltec empire in the central region of the country. Under his wings, the Toltecs became masters of the arts, farming, medicine, metallurgy and science. Their capital at Tula (about two hours north of Mexico City) was described by author Gary Jennings as "an immense city of golden turquoise-laden palaces, where meat, maize and honeyed sweets were plentiful as earth and air."

Among the largest and most elaborate pyramids in Tula was the five-tiered Temple of Quetzalcuatl. Unlike the scary beast portrayed in the "Q" movie, legends say he was a good god, beloved by his people. But he was too good (for instance, he hardly ever required human sacrifices), so his less liberal priests conspired to get rid of him. One day, they tricked him into doing something that today would be described as, er, inappropriate.

After that, he left town - perhaps around 1000 A.D. -- to ship out across the eastern sea to repent. Toltec legends say he told his people he'd eventually come back, and that he'd be on "a large raft manned by fair-skinned, bearded sailors."

A Layover in Chichen Itza?

Fast-forward a century or so. The Toltec empire has collapsed, but its culture has survived elsewhere in Mexico. Some 800 miles east of Tula, for example, a flying snake god-king named Kukulkan has ascended the throne of the Mayan empire at its sprawling city of Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula.

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Pyramid of Kukulkan towers over Chichen Itza. Photo by Bob Schulman.

Could Quetzalcuatl have taken a side-trip on his way to the eastern sea to turn into Kukulkan? Did he spark the Mayan advances in the likes of art, science and astronomy over the years until the empire's collapse in the 1400s?

Meanwhile, back in central Mexico, the legend of Quetzalcuatl carried over to the Aztecs, the Toltecs' successors. For centuries, they awaited the fabled serpent's return from his atonement voyage on the big raft. (There was a false alarm in 1519, when Hernan Cortes and his 11 galleons manned by "fair-skinned, bearded sailors" came ashore at Veracruz on a date close to Quetzalcuatl's birthday - but that was to launch the conquest of Mexico.)

So was Quetzalquatl forgiven for his indiscretion? Or is he still at sea atoning for it? Other than having a bunch of things and places named after his Kukulkan (also spelled Kukulcan) personae, about the only thing anyone's heard about the Toltec god-king in the last half-century was his appearance in a forgettable movie.
One Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two were wounded in action in Donbas in the past 24 hours, Oleksandr Motuzianyk, presidential administration spokesman on issues relating to the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) conducted by the Kyiv authorities in eastern Ukraine, has said.

"In the past 24 hours due to hostilities in Donbas one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two were wounded," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday.
by Eric Reeves

Darfuris arrested for meeting with U.S. special envoy for the Sudan Donald Booth--all of them civil society representatives of displaced persons in Darfur--are paying a heavy price for their forthrightness. Belatedly, in a Statement from the Office of Press relations, the Obama administration yesterday declared publicly its recognition of the crisis created by Ambassador Booth's interviews with courageous Darfuris witnesses to the recent horrors generated by Khartoum's massive and continuing assault on Jebel Marra (Central Darfur):

The United States is gravely concerned about the Sudanese government's ongoing detention of at least 15 Darfuri individuals, including one Sudanese national employee of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The detentions followed a visit by Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth to Sudan's North and Central Darfur states as well as internally displaced persons (IDP) camps at Sortoni and Nertiti in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur from July 26 - 28, 2016. Many others who were not detained were nonetheless questioned by security officials about the nature of their contact with the Special Envoy. The United States immediately expressed its concern about the reported detentions to senior Sudanese officials, and we call on the Government of Sudan to immediately release all of those detained. (August 12, 2016) (Notably, the Statement came not from the State Department of the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sudans--ER)

That the arrests began on July 31 and have continued since should be clear evidence of Khartoum's contempt for privately conveyed U.S. "expressions of concerns." Whether this public statement will work to free those who remain detained is an open question.

From July 26 to 28, the Obama administration special envoy for the Sudans, Donald Booth, made three stops in Darfur, including one with representatives of displaced persons camps in Nierteti in Central Darfur. Many of these people are victims of the Khartoum regime's continuing military onslaught against the African tribal populations of the Jebel Marra massif, the defining geologic and geographic feature of Central Darfur, as well as abutting states (North Darfur, South Darfur, and West Darfur). Those who met with Booth were well aware that they were being watched by Khartoum's security services and informants; despite the risks, however, they courageously chose to speak the truth about the extreme violence and deprivation that defines their lives--and those of millions of other Darfuris.

Three days after Booth left Darfur, the arrests began; to date, according to Radio Dabanga (our only consistently reliable source of information about conditions in Darfur), fifteen have been arrested, but more are being sought. Two have been released, but for the other thirteen the future is likely grim: According to Shafee Abdallah [coordinator of the Central Darfur camps for the displaced], the remaining detainees must be in "an extremely difficult situation as their relatives, lawyers, and representatives of human rights department of UNAMID have not been allowed to visit them" (Radio Dabanga | August 7, 2016, Nierteti, Central Darfur | https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/four-more-displaced-who-met-us-envoy-held-in-central-darfur). (This fact is not noted in the Press Statement.)

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Despite the fact that these arrests were clearly in retaliation for speaking honestly with the Obama administration's special envoy, as of August 13, 2016 Ambassador Booth himself has made no public statement about the plight of those arrested or demanded their release. Again, the Press Statement of yesterday came from the Obama administration's Office of Press Relations, although it was certainly drafted by Booth's office.

Booth certainly knew that surveillance by both the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), as well as Khartoum's ruthless Military Intelligence, would be total. Nothing would be confidential, and those who spoke were putting themselves at enormous risk. In short, Booth knew that he was creating this situation of high risk, evidently calculating that speaking directly with Darfuris would give him more credibility in confronting Khartoum over current realities in Darfur, and that Khartoum would not dare retaliate so blatantly in the wake of a visit by a senior Obama administration official.

The calculation was painfully misconceived, particularly since Booth would learn little that is not already well known to the U.S. State Department, by virtue of confidential briefings from human rights investigators and those with contacts on the ground in Darfur, as well as from (likely minimal) U.S. satellite reconnaissance. Many of Darfur's realities were revealed in a key human rights report by Human Rights Watch from September of last year ("Men with no mercy" | https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/sudan0915_insert_lowres_with_cover.pdf), which offers a detailed account of the brutality and broad powers of Khartoum's present militia force of choice, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), particularly in Central Darfur, where the arrests occurred.

To be sure, there is very little public news reporting, except by Radio Dabanga; human rights groups find it extraordinarily difficult to obtain information about the situation on the ground (although the two reports from Human Rights Watch in 2015 demonstrate just how much can be achieved using Darfuris contacts on the ground and by conducting interviews with victims when it is safe to do so). But it is the Obama administration itself, which officially "de-coupled" Darfur from major U.S. Sudan policy concerns in 2010, that is responsible for much of Darfur's invisibility, and hence the obduracy and contemptuous attitudes toward administration efforts at re-establishing Darfur as a focus of any real or sustained concern.

In accounting for Darfur's invisibility, there is of course much blame to apportion--between the European Union, the African Union, the UN, as well as the U.S. While the region was once the center of concerted news and human rights reporting and civil advocacy, occasioning unctuous statements by various world leaders (including candidate and President Obama), it is now almost entirely ignored by these actors except in the form of incompetent diplomatic exercises let by Thabo Mbeki, head of the African Union's absurdly named "African Union High-level Implementation Panel" (see "Diplomatic Incoherence: Thabo Mbeki's Gift to the People of Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile," August 5, 2016 | http://wp.me/p45rOG-1V).

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Darfur's invisibility occurs not because the genocidal destruction has been halted; indeed, the past four years have seen a shocking rise in ethnically targeted killings, rapes, and violent land expropriation, even as those displaced by the violence find themselves in camps increasingly insecure and under-served by a dwindling humanitarian capacity. (See two lengthy overviews of the primary patterns of violence, one of accelerating violent expropriation of African farmlands, another on the continuing use of rape as a weapon of war, focusing on the targeting of African girls and young women.)

http://sudanreeves.org/2011/11/15/%E2%80%9Cthe-obama-administration-%E2%80%98de-couples%E2%80%99-darfur-from-key-negotiating-issue%E2%80%9D http://sudanreeves.org/2016/02/17/changing-the-demography-violent-expropriation-and-destruction-of-farmlands-in-darfur-november-2014-november-2015

But it was American civil society advocacy and human rights organizations that were most active in putting genocide in Darfur inescapably before the world's attention; and it was candidate Obama who declared when it was politically useful to do so that...

"When you see a genocide in Rwanda, Bosnia or in Darfur, that is a stain on all of us, a stain on our souls. We can't say 'never again' and then allow it to happen again, and as a president of the United States I don't intend to abandon people or turn a blind eye to slaughter." (video clip at | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEd583-fA8M#t=15/)

Those words ring even more hollow as human "slaughter" continues throughout Darfur nine years after candidate Obama made this statement. Khartoum has now largely succeeded in its genocidal counter-insurgency war, which from the start has focused on the destruction of the African tribal groups perceived as supporting the rebel forces. Beginning with the second term of the Obama administration there has been a dramatic increase in the level of violence--"slaughter"--and a further attenuation of humanitarian resources. The UN estimates that more than 3,000 African villages were destroyed in 2014 alone, this in addition to the many thousands of villages that had been destroyed in earlier years--and those destroyed subsequently. The effectiveness of the Rapid Support Forces has been decisive, and militarily Khartoum has now largely prevailed in Darfur, despite continuing fighting.

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The costs of Khartoum's "victory"? Some 500,000 dead; many tens of thousands of girls and women raped; more than 3 million people displaced from their homes (some 300,000 living tenuous lives as refugees in eastern Chad). There has been what appears to be a permanent, wholesale loss of African farmlands to Arab pastoralists, many not from Darfur but Chad, Niger, and other countries to the east of Darfur.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/un-3-300-villages-destroyed-sudan-fighting-early-171904311.html?ref=gs http://sudanreeves.org/2010/08/07/quantifying-genocide-darfur-mortality-update-august-6-2010 http://sudanreeves.org/2016/03/06/continuing-mass-rape-of-girls-in-darfur-the-most-heinous-crime-generates-no-international-outrage-january-2016 http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA%20Sudan%20Weekly%20Humanitarian%20Bulletin_0.pdf http://sudanreeves.org/2016/08/09/how-many-refugees-in-chad-august-2016

The most notorious leader of the Arab militias used early in the genocide (the Janjaweed) is Musa Hilal. In August 2004 he made explicit Khartoum's genocidal ambitions:

The ultimate objective in Darfur is spelled out in an August 2004 directive from [Janjaweed paramount leader Musa] Hilal's headquarters: "change the demography" of Darfur and "empty it of African tribes." Confirming the control of [Khartoum's] Military Intelligence over the Darfur file, the directive is addressed to no fewer than three intelligence services--the Intelligence and Security Department, Military Intelligence and National Security, and the ultra-secret "Constructive Security," or Amn al Ijabi. (Julie Flint and Alex de Waal, Darfur: A Short History of a Long War, Zed Books, 2005)

What Khartoum is saying to the U.S. by way of arresting those who gave some account of this "change in demography" to the senior Obama administration diplomat working on Darfur is clear: "We have changed the demography; any efforts by you to reverse this success will be met with contempt and brutality."

********************************

Concerns Regarding Detention of Darfuris by Government of Sudan Authorities

Press StatementElizabeth TrudeauDirector, Office of Press RelationsWashington, DC

August 12, 2016________________________________________

The United States is gravely concerned about the Sudanese government's ongoing detention of at least 15 Darfuri individuals, including one Sudanese national employee of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The detentions followed a visit by Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth to Sudan's North and Central Darfur states as well as internally displaced persons (IDP) camps at Sortoni and Nertiti in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur from July 26-28, 2016. Many others who were not detained were nonetheless questioned by security officials about the nature of their contact with the Special Envoy.

The United States immediately expressed its concern about the reported detentions to senior Sudanese officials, and we call on the Government of Sudan to immediately release all of those detained. These actions are particularly unfortunate as they undercut the Government of Sudan initially granting permission for the Special Envoy's fact-finding visit and allowing him to travel to areas and speak with individuals of his choosing. Such firsthand knowledge is important to shaping future U.S. engagement with the Government of Sudan and opposition groups and leaders regarding Darfur.

As Sudan seeks to pursue an inclusive national political dialogue, the Sudanese people need to be free to voice their opinions. The United States urges the Government of Sudan to respect its citizens' rights to freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, including by the press, as these are vital elements for an environment conducive to an inclusive national dialogue for which all continue to work.
By, Siraj Hashmi

Cameron Kerr, a medically retired Army Lieutenant living in Alexandria, Virginia, decided he had had enough of the Republican nominee's antics after he accepted a Purple Heart medal from a supporter during a campaign stop he made in Ashburn, a town only 45 minutes away from Kerr, on August 2nd.

Trump brought the Purple Heart recipient on stage at his rally, saying, "I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier."

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Kerr didn't care about the supporter giving Trump his Purple Heart award, believing he had every right to do what he wants with it. But after hearing Trump's comments, he was shocked; this isn't an award anybody wants.

"It's just absurd," said Kerr. "He's totally trivializing something that people have to literally bleed and/or die to earn."

After all, Kerr is speaking from personal experience. He was deployed as an Army officer under the 101st Airborne division in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he stepped on an IED while helping an Afghan soldier that led to the amputation of his lower left leg in February 2011.

So, instead of venting his frustrations on social media, Kerr used his self-described "dark humor" to bring light into darkness.

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He started a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign called "Help Trump Get a Purple Heart" to raise money to pay for a possible trip if Donald Trump chose to accept the challenge where he could go to the conflict zone of his choosing and earn a Purple Heart because, as Kerr puts it, "you're never too old to follow your dreams."

Although he realizes that Trump wouldn't take him up on this challenge, he instead decided to donate all proceeds to help Syrians and refugees through the International Rescue Committee, the Syrian American Medical Society, and Refugees Welcome.

After a few shares on Facebook and Twitter, news publications caught wind of the story and it began to go viral. In just a little over a week, Kerr had raised over $63,000 from over 2,600 donors, surpassing his original $5,000 goal by over 1,200 percent.

When asked why he chose to donate the money to Syrian refugees, Kerr responded by saying, "[it's] a good cause that he would vehemently oppose."

Trump had called for the ban on all Muslims from entering the country, with a particular focus on Syrian refugees, after the terrorist attack in San Bernardino in late 2015.

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Due to the success of his GoFundMe campaign, Kerr created the Facebook page called "Donald Trump's Metaphorical Swear Jar". Through Trump's hatred and ignorance, the Swear Jar will help him inadvertently raise money for the targets of his attacks.
The people of Madagascar head to the polls this week to select a new president. The outcome will be a critical test for both the region's progression towards democracy and the international community's resolve.



If you know absolutely nothing about Madagascar's politics, you're certainly not alone. Most Americans are familiar with the cuddly cartoon lemurs from the family films. Few people know the less playful Madagascar reality. Its cast includes brutal military coups, predatory politicians, locusts, heavily armed cattle rustlers terrorizing and killing helpless villagers, and even bubonic plague.



Madagascar's history over the last five years is more unbelievable than cartoon fiction. In 2009, a 34-year-old radio disc jockey Andry Rajoelina drew upon support from the army to topple the incumbent president, Marc Ravalomanana -- a man who grew up selling yogurt off a cart in the capital before building a dairy empire and eventually winning the presidency.

Because of the coup, Madagascar became an international pariah. Expelled from the African Union and isolated diplomatically, international aid dried up. Overnight, 40 percent of an already thin budget vanished. One of the world's poorest countries is now significantly poorer.

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The election this Friday -- the first since the coup -- is a big opportunity for Madagascar and the international community. For Malagasies, it is an opportunity to elect a new leader at a time of unprecedented crisis. For the international community, it is a chance to showcase a firm commitment to democracy and make clear that coup governments and sham elections will not be tolerated. Sadly, it is likely that both opportunities will be missed.

If that happens, crisis and tragedy may follow. Since the coup, Madagascar's government has withered to a much smaller group of self-interested regime insiders, even compared to the ridiculously low standards of African politics. The economy, which was growing rapidly before the coup, has stagnated since. Four million people face food shortages because locust swarms have devoured staple crops and the government is powerless to help. Cattle rustler militias known as dahalo have killed dozens of villagers in the process of stealing tens of thousands of humped cows (zebus). And to add farce to tragedy, there is currently an outbreak of bubonic plague -- the medieval Black Death has literally returned to modern Madagascar.

Any of these problems individually could be catastrophic, even in a country with an effective government with a strong bureaucracy. Yet Madagascar lacks good governance, and all of these calamities are hitting the island at once. If, somehow, Malagasies weather these storms, cyclone season is just around the corner.

Madagascar needs effective political leaders now, but they are unlikely to arise from this election. Neither the incumbent (Rajoelina) nor the toppled former president (Ravalomanana) are on the ballot, but they are represented by proxy candidates who seem to be cut from the same self-interested cloth.

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Should we care about Madagascar and its election? Or, should we dismiss Madagascar as an exotic island far away, with problems that are not ours?

Dismissing Madagascar as irrelevant would be a mistake.

Power-hungry politicians in fragile democracies pay attention to elections elsewhere. When electoral manipulation is rewarded, they do not miss the lesson. Alternatively, when sham elections are condemned, they learn a different lesson.

The election in Madagascar is a test of the international community's commitment to democracy. There is a strong possibility that the international community will fail this test. International mediators are eager to take credit for four years of diplomatic wrangling paving the way to elections. They will be prone to rubber-stamping a bad election simply to claim victory and save face. Others may follow suit, to resume disbursing backlogged foreign aid that has been earmarked for Madagascar but shelved since 2009. If a bad election is praised as a good one, democracy across the region will suffer.

Moreover, if Madagascar lurches straight back into a crisis or a coup after elections, the humanitarian break point may approach quickly. The international community will be forced to choose between costly emergency aid or watch a large swath of the Malagasy population starve to death.

Finally, political volatility in Madagascar threatens the world's premier biodiversity hotspot. Most of Madagascar's 200,000 native species (including its famous lemurs) exist only there. The ongoing political chaos has allowed lawless habitat destruction. Even dozens of endangered lemur species are being hunted for food by starving Malagasies. The world may lose countless species to extinction, with key impacts on scientific research.

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On Friday, Malagasies will supposedly choose who will lead them through these turbulent times. Because that choice is likely to be little more than an electoral farce, the international community will also have to make a choice. Will they turn a blind eye to electoral manipulation and rampant "irregularities" while congratulating themselves in diplomatic circles for steering Madagascar back to democracy? Or will they send a message that governments that come to power by breaking the key rules of democracy do not get rewarded with aid and diplomatic recognition?
By Patrick Furey, Mayor of Torrance, and John Mirisch

This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Business Journal on July 5, 2016, with the subhead:

State Senator must revive proposal to drive back city of LA's outsized representation on Metro's board..

NOT surprisingly, SB 1472, a bill by state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) to reform the governance structure of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has come under attack from a very powerful special interest group. In this case, that group happens to be the city of Los Angeles.

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The heated opposition from Los Angeles caused Mendoza to withdraw the bill recently, but he should not be deterred. As he suggested he would do, Mendoza should bring the bill back with some needed tweaks, because it addresses the important issue of disproportionate representation on the Metro board and is a much needed step in the right direction. With some modification to ensure local control, the bill deserves the Legislature's full support and governor's signature - that is, if they truly believe in the principle of "one person, one vote."

The city of Los Angeles, with some 37 percent of the county's population, has outsized influence on the Metro board and it has never been shy to use that disproportionate influence. The L.A. mayor controls a bloc of four board seats, while the 87 smaller cities in the county, including Long Beach with almost a half-million residents, collectively share four seats. The county supervisors, who represent the entire county, including the city of Los Angeles, also sit on the Metro board.

Mendoza's bill proposes adding board members to balance the representation, including a dedicated seat for Long Beach. It also proposes allowing the Legislature to appoint two members.

If the Legislature proposes appoints members, they should be nonvoting. Being strong supporters of local control, all additional voting members should be picked locally, with Los Angeles and Long Beach selecting their own members, and the other 86 cities choosing their representatives through the Los Angeles County City Selection Committee. Leaving out the supervisors, who represent everyone, the city of Los Angeles should end up with around 37 percent of the seats on the board, which would correspond to its proportion of the county's population.

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In what was the political version of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face, the special interests opposing the Mendoza bill threatened that its passage could endanger a $120 billion regressive transit sales tax the Metro board has planned for the November ballot.

That might actually have been a good thing.

The tax, as proposed, is not forward-thinking - with no dedicated funding for developing technologies such as autonomous vehicles - nor does it even try to address equitable transportation funding. For example, the expenditure plan includes an unnecessary $9.8 billion tunnel through the Sepulveda Pass, while rail transit in the South Bay is ignored for at least another 10 to 15 years, despite the fact that Metro has the right-of-way from the present end of the Green Line to Torrance and the fact that Torrance is constructing a Regional Transit Center immediately adjacent to that same right-of-way.

Regional cooperation

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has often spoken of regional cooperation, but for that to mean anything at all, it needs to be based on mutual cooperation. If the city really wants to stop being the 800-pound gorilla, it needs to be prepared to share the decision-making power proportionally, especially when it comes to such important regional issues as transportation.

The Metro board seems less concerned with increasing mobility and more concerned with passing taxes and spending money - and not always in equitable ways. Because of the lack of proportional representation, in many cases Metro is not doing a very good job of serving the needs of its constituents.

Democracy works. And local control, when spread evenly and fairly, is the best form of democracy.

The sales tax proposal which will be before the county's voters this November is a forever tax, and forever is a long, long time. With such vast sums of public money at stake, equitable representation is a must.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Russian President Vladimir Putin

On Tuesday, August 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to St. Petersburg for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. That Erdogan would travel outside of Turkey, less than two weeks after an attempted coup, speaks reams about his hold on power. That his first overseas trip would be to Russia speaks equally clearly about the message he wants to send to Europe and the United States.

Two days later, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, a close political ally of Erdogan, invited Russia to "fight against the terrorist group together, so that we can clear it out as soon as possible." Considering the difficulties that Washington had in getting Turkish support for its military campaign against the Islamic State or the fact that, to date, the overwhelming majority of Turkish military strikes in Syria were directed against Kurdish forces, a de facto Russian ally, and not those of Islamic State, the statement by Turkey's Foreign Minister was extraordinary.

This is a remarkable turnaround from the breakdown in Turkish-Russian relations that occurred when a Turkish F-16 fighter shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet on November 24, 2015. As late as February 12, 2016, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was warning that an intervention in Syria by Turkish ground forces could precipitate "a Third World War." Six months later, the two countries are ostensibly discussing a joint operation.

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Is this the beginning of a fundamental realignment in Turkish foreign policy or is Ankara just flirting with Moscow? It's a little bit of both, but for now, more of the later than the former.

At the end of World War II, Turkey found itself confronting a powerful Soviet state. Soviet military forces dominated the Black Sea and were encamped along its borders in the Caucasus and the Balkans. The Danube basin, its traditional commercial link to Europe, was dominated, as far as Vienna, by the Soviet organized, Warsaw Pact alliance.

To the south, Syria and Iraq quickly evolved into Soviet client states, complete with Soviet military advisors and the latest armaments. Virtually surrounded by the Soviet Union and its clients, Turkey had little choice but to align itself with the West. NATO and American bilateral security guarantees solved its security dilemma, while access to Europe's commercial and labor markets provided an outlet for its industry and surplus labor.

All that changed with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. No longer threatened by Soviet military power, although still dependent on access to Europe's economy, Turkey no longer felt the need to march obediently in lockstep with Washington.

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Syrian refugee camp on the Turkish border, 50 miles north of Aleppo

In the meantime, a deeper, more fundamental change was occurring in Turkish society. Turkey's traditional, Western-oriented, secularized, military and commercial elites were steadily losing political power to the more socially conservative, traditionally Islamic voters of rural Anatolia. Those voters were sufficient to bring Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power in 2002, and to keep them there to this day.

Looking to the future, Turkey's geopolitical realities auger against a long-term orientation toward Russia. The Kremlin's desire to dominate the Black Sea is not in Turkey's strategic interest. Neither, for that matter, is the Kremlin's desire to expand, along with its Iranian ally, Russia's influence in the Middle East.

More importantly, Turkey's own desire to expand its influence among the Turkic peoples that inhabit the central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan poses a significant challenge to the Kremlin's desire to maintain its influence in that region and, more importantly, to exert a degree of control over the regions hydrocarbon wealth and especially the pipelines that move it to markets in Europe.

Turkey's historical competition with Iran for influence in the Middle East will also be difficult to reconcile with a pro-Russian alignment. As is the fact that, at least officially, Turkey seems determined to replace the Assad government in Damascus, an Iranian client. Of late, Ankara has been softening, somewhat, its opposition to the Assad regime, but it has stopped well short of indicating that it could live with its continuation.

Erdogan has already accused the European Union (EU) and the United States of supporting the attempted coup. Turkish media has widely asserted that the CIA organized it, a view shared by a majority of Turkish citizens. Turkey has also demanded the extradition of former AKP supporter Fethullah Gulen, who it claims helped mastermind the coup, from the United States.

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Ankara's flirtation with Moscow is a not so subtle message to the EU and to the U.S. that Turkey has options outside of its traditional pro-Western alignment, and that the lack of support from its traditional allies, will cause Turkey to look for friends elsewhere.

Russian Sukhoi fighter-bomber on a mission over Syria

For Russia, a Turkish rapprochement at a time when Ankara is estranged from many of its NATO allies allows Moscow to sow dissension within the military alliance at a time when many of its members are uncertain of the organization's long term purpose or continuing role.

Moreover, Erdogan has been very clear with the EU that Turkish support for controlling the flood of refugees into Europe is tied to Turkish access to the common market and especially unhindered access for Turkish citizens to Europe's labor market.

The prospect of large scale Turkish migration into the EU has become a very contentious issue, one which the Euro-Skeptic parties have been quick to seize on. It may also have been a factor in the surprising victory of Brexit supporters.

Russia has been equally clear that its support for curbing the refugee flood into Europe is tied to the elimination, or at least, the reduction of the economic sanctions imposed on Russia following its seizure of the Crimea.

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Issues that create divisions with the EU ultimately work to the Kremlin's advantage as they make it harder to maintain a common front on the imposition of sanctions and make it more likely that one or more countries within the EU may unilaterally drop the sanctions altogether.

The US does not need Turkey to conduct its war against the Islamic State, but access to the giant American air base at Incirlik is important both as a staging ground for coalition air operations and for supplying the various Syrian rebel groups. Moreover, Turkish support in securing the borders with Syria and controlling the flow of jihadists into the Islamic State as well as the smuggling out of oil and antiquities is also essential.

Moscow has very cleverly played the situation in Syria and now Turkey as well to gather up diplomatic chips that it can bargain with to achieve its primary objectives in Europe: the elimination of the sanctions and stopping the eastward expansion of NATO. By allowing the Kremlin a broader diplomatic space in which to operate, the White House risks seeing its policy options being boxed in. In an all too familiar pattern, the initiative is clearly in the hands of Moscow's offense while Washington continues to play a belated defense.
December 5th, 2013, was one of the most memorable days at TEDWomen -- and everywhere else in the world, too. The world lost one of its great leaders, Nelson Mandela, and I will never forget the way we heard the news at the TEDWomen gathering in San Francisco.

A young South African, Boyd Varty, was scheduled to give his TEDTalk that day, and as he came backstage to get miked, the news came through on our phones and computers: Mandela had died. I knew that Boyd and his family were close to him. Mandela had visited the Varty family's game preserve, Londolozi, on one of his first retreats after being released from his long prison term.

I saw the tears well up as Boyd absorbed the sad news. I suggested that we rearrange the schedule so could he take a break and deliver his TEDTalk later in the day. But he assured me he was ready to go, and asked if he could mention the news to the audience. Of course, I said yes. Who better than someone who knew him personally to share this tragic news of the passing of the great South African leader admired by the world for leading his country from the violent policies of apartheid through truth and reconciliation trials to the vibrant country that it is today?

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Boyd stepped on stage into the red TED circle and, his voice shaking, told the audience the news. I was quite worried that he wouldn't be able to deliver the TEDTalk he had prepared to give, but he did brilliantly. In fact, his talk, which was posted immediately on TED.com, has been viewed more than 1.5 million times since.

Boyd shared childhood memories of Mandela's visits to Londolozi, connecting the values he observed in Mandela to the values that are the foundation of his own life's work protecting the natural resources of his homeland. One of South Africa's greatest resources is its natural environment and the big animals that are endangered by hunting and poaching. Boyd and his family are committed to preserving these great resources so that generations to come can visit Africa and witness the majesty of its animals in the wild.

Boyd spoke about growing up in the Bush and the lessons he learned from tracking the animals there -- lessons he recounts in his book, "Restoring Eden," and lessons he is now applying to some exciting new work. We met recently for coffee at one of my favorite places in the world, Londolozi game preserve in the Sabi Sands -- coincidentally on Mandela Day -- to talk about the responses to his TEDTalk and to get an update on what's he up to now.

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Boyd says he gets emails and comments every day about his TEDTalk, and he noticed a theme emerging: an emotional connection people from all over the world were making with his stories about animals and tracking. So he decided to explore how his skills as a highly trained ranger and wildlife tracker might be applied to life tracking.

In his new "Track Your Life" retreats, he guides small groups of men on a "shared endeavor in the wild" to teach them "the ancient and powerful art of animal tracking."

He's already led a few of these workshops with men of all ages from diverse backgrounds and will be coming to the US with more soon.

Tracking a lion through the bush in Sabi Sands might seem a long way from tracking one's life and career, but I'm sure that many men -- and perhaps he will offer the course to women soon, too -- will want to follow Boyd Varty on this special kind of "learning journey."

I'm certainly not predicting that this year's TEDWomen will have such a moment as the one that Boyd Varty shared with us that day, but I can predict that this year's lineup will yield ideas and TEDTalks that will shift perspectives for those present and the millions more who view them on TED.com.

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A few main theater passes are still available for TEDWomen 2016, to be held October 26-28 in San Francisco. Find out more about TEDWomen 2016: It's About Time.
Taken as whole, with exceptions, the American people have the strangest attitude toward the Congress. Our national legislature spends nearly a quarter of our income and affects us one way or another every day of the year. Yet too many people withdraw in disgust instead of making Congress accountable to them. Warren Buffett once said, "It's time for 535 of America's citizens to remember what they owe to the 318 million who employ them."

People have a low regard for Capitol Hill. Polls show less than 20 percent of people approve of what Congress does and does not do. In April a poll registered a 14 percent approval rate. People know that Congress takes a lot of days off -- all with pay. Senators and Representatives work over 100 fewer days than average Americans do. Specifically, members were in session 157 days in 2015 and 135 in 2014. This year the House is scheduled to be in session for only 111 days, with the August recess alone stretching nearly six weeks.

People also know that these politicians feather their own nests. At a minimum, members of Congress receive a $174,000 annual salary, plus a great pension, health and life insurance, assorted deductions and expenses. These are benefits that many Americans can only dream of getting.

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Even when Senators and Representatives are in Washington, Congressional leaders expect them to spend about 20 to 30 hours per week dialing for campaign dollars -- for their re-election and for their Party's coffers. Asking for money in or from their office is illegal, so members of Congress trot out daily, on your nickel, to "call centers" in nearby office buildings.

Congressman David Jolly (R-Florida) was told at his party headquarters that he was expected to raise $18,000 per day as his "first responsibility."

When not dialing for dollars, members of Congress go to fundraising parties at fancy restaurants or the homes of wealthy donors.

We've all heard a popular refrain from folks back home reacting to their absentee lawmakers. "It's good they're not in Congress making government bigger, increasing taxes and causing mischief." The lawmakers, on their part, argue that time away from Congress is time with their constituents back home.

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There is some useful truth to this claim, even though that time is also used to raise campaign money and schmooze with political backers and allies. Contact with the voters is becoming impersonal -- over the internet instead of the diminishing public town meeting and its eye-to-eye contact.

But let's be serious. Your Senators and Representatives have a job description. It is to move the country forward for the people by wisely enacting tax laws, spending programs, evaluating the president's nominees, empowering voters with clean elections, upholding their Constitutional duties, such as making foreign and military policy, and overseeing the sprawling executive branch, exposing waste, corruption, recklessness and obeisance to the powers-that-be by not fairly enforcing the laws of the land.

The Congressional oversight function requires logging hours and hours of public committee hearings scrutinizing the performance of federal agencies and departments on behalf of the people. Congressional staffers need to be investigating or following leads sent to them by citizens or government whistleblowers regarding the federal bureaucracy.

Members of Congress do not have time for this responsibility when they are spending so much of their workday asking for money and implying agreement with the demands of the "monied interests," to use Thomas Jefferson's phrase.

This is why Congressman Jolly introduced the "Stop Act," which would ban all federally-elected officials from directly soliciting donations. Members of Congress can attend fund-raisers but others would have to ask for the money. No more direct telephone calls to the "fat cats" for checks. So far he only has nine co-sponsors for his bill.

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Congressman Jolly says this is not "campaign finance reform," it is "Congressional reform," adding "members of Congress spend too much time raising money and not enough time doing their job. Get back to work. And do your job."

Hey, America! No more withdrawal cynicism. Shaping up or shipping out your members of Congress can be our great national civic hobby! There are plenty of opportunities for improvement and it could be lots of fun. Don't forget there are only 535 of them and they put their shoes on every day like we do!
Thank You,

Mr. Trump

Steven R. Rothman Guest Columnist

August 13, 2016-

The Star Ledger

Thank you, Mr. Trump.

I served in Congress for 16 years and often wondered about many of my Republican friends there.

Despite their personal warmth, I wondered if their strident assertions against government handouts and failures, childlike Democrats, voter fraud and a liberal-caused culture of victims weren't just overstated and hypocritical, but destructive to America.

You see, while they were beating their chests about the government's perceived misfeasance, Republican majorities in both houses of Congress continued giving more tax cuts to the wealthiest, failing to enact tax reform, refusing to invest in America's crumbling infrastructure and blaming the "others" in our society.

I couldn't understand the basis on which they pursued their policies -- which they said were driven by The People. After all, the vast majority of Americans support tax reform, comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship, investment in our neglected transportation network and a more tolerant, welcoming attitude to our newest Americans. They know that in-person voter fraud is virtually non-existent in America.

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I thought that eventually Republicans would move in the direction of the American People on these issues.

They didn't.

Then you came along, Mr. Trump.

At first you had the support of many of my Republican and Independent friends, albeit after their first choices had been eliminated in the Republican primary. They just couldn't vote for Hillary Clinton.

They let slide your "crooked Hillary" remarks. They looked past your having called Barack Obama a non-native. They even closed their eyes and ears to the coarse, vulgar nature of your lifestyle.

They ignored your history of draft dodging -- even when you had the gall to say that Sen. John McCain wasn't a hero.

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They were startled by your call to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and to ban all people who observe the Muslim faith from entering our country. But they just held their breath.

Then, you crossed a most fundamental line, one too many times.

You revealed, in a way that few thoughtful people could ignore anymore, your truly callous, cruel, bigoted, selfish,dangerously ignorant and un-American self.

Ironically enough, it was due to your attack on immigrant Muslim parents, Khizr and Ghazala Khan.

Yes, it was your attack on the Gold Star Khan parents, who are ever-grieving the loss of their heroic son, U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who died defending our country. This turned out to be the tipping point for so many Republicans and Independents.

The reason is simple: My Republican and Independent friends' shared reverence for our Constitution was, in the end, too powerful.

Its guarantee of an individual's freedom from persecution because of their religion, political beliefs, statements, or personal associations, as well as the implicit requirement of tolerance toward those not like each of us, is what makes America truly exceptional.

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It is our reliance on that covenant, as well as the willingness of so many of our brave servicemen and women to die defending it, that allows Americans the wish to be so productive, to play by the rules and to share the results of their efforts for themselves and the general welfare.

That is why we live in America, the most-desired destination for people who love freedom.

As I expressed when our country elected Obama: Having him as president would not only change the way the world sees America, but how Americans see each other. He, Michelle, Sasha and Malia, have started that process.

So too, in an ironic twist of fate, your freedom-denying bigotry expressed against so many Americans, including the courageous and articulate Khan parents, have given the magnificent and splendidly diverse, hardworking and America-loving people here a reason to begin to look upon each other no longer with fear and suspicion, but with courtesy, tolerance and gratitude.

Now, thanks to you Mr. Trump, so many more Americans understand that voting for you would be the corruption and ultimate destruction of all the hopes and values that our Founders wished for us.

Regrettably, most Republican members of Congress are still endorsing you.


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Trucking is a huge business for the transport economy. Being a trucker puts you in a position where you're able to thrill people with the timely delivery of goods but also puts you in a position where greater caution, professionalism, and consideration is expected from you.

While the idea of being a trucker might sound very simple, hitting the highway and cruising your way into cash is not just all it takes to be a trucker. There are alarming statistics that point to the critical state of trucking in America alone. For instance, according to a 2012 report from the US department of Transportation (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), 3,921 people were killed and 104,000 people injured by large trucks.

Given the rate at which accidents involving large trucks could take lives and cost thousands of dollars, drivers are particularly tasked with the responsibility of taking important safety measures and precautions. Following are three safety measures every truck driver should always consider.

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Stay up on Weather Report

Weather is a significant player in your driving experience and the safety of other road users. Most road accidents that are linked to bad weather could have been avoided if drivers were well-informed on weather report before hitting the road.

As a truck driver, staying up on the latest weather report in your area and the weather report of your destination will not only help you prepare adequately for the worst driving conditions but may also be saving your life and that of other road users.

A good place to start for drivers in the UK is the Met Office website. US residents and drivers can use the website of the National Weather Office.



Always Stay Alert

This should go without saying. However, a handful of drivers who have learned to rely on the precision of their vehicles often finds it comforting to dose off on the wheel once in a while. While advancement in technology is making our transport system a lot smarter, most deathly accidents that occur on highways are always a result of a split-second's lapse in judgment.

Keeping your life safe requires that you always stay alerted while manning a truck. There is no other route to this. Jimmy Doan, a Houston truck accident lawyer who has handled several truck accident related cases says staying alerted is crucial to staying safe on the highway for truckers. In a statement, he said, "most of the accidents involving guilty truck drivers were usually as a result of drivers slacking off while driving."

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It is always recommended that truck drivers put work on hold whenever fatigue and tiredness set in. This will enable them to recuperate and they can safely continue their job once they are well rested.



Avoid Tailgating Other Drivers

A truck is a very large vehicle and being tailgated by one can be a very scary experience for other road users, especially for drivers of smaller vehicles.

It's common to find yourself behind a slow driver while you're desperate to make a quick delivery. Alerting the rather slow driver to give way at the next possible opportunity they have is a better choice. While the legal stance of governments on tailgating is yet to be fully known, the UK government in 2013 was considering making the act a legal offense.
Cuba's former President Fidel Castro attends a gala for his 90th birthday at the 'Karl Marx' theater in Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016.(Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate via AP)

Turn on the radio and the announcer reads a brief headline: "Fidel Castro, the great builder." The man goes on to explain that the most important works of the country have come from this head that for decades has been covered by an olive-green cap. Weary of this personality cult, I decided to watch television, but on the main channel a lawyer was detailing the legal legacy of the "Maximum Leader" and at the end of the program they announced a documentary about the "Invincible Guerrilla."

For weeks, we Cubans have lived under a veritable bombardment of references to Fidel Castro, which has increased in proportion to the closeness of the date of his 90th birthday, on August 13. There is no shame nor nuance in this avalanche of images and epithets.

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This whole excess of tributes and reminders is, undoubtedly, a desperate attempt to save the former Cuban president from oblivion, to pull him out of the zone of media abandonment in which he has fallen since announcing his departure from power a decade ago.

We have left the man born in the eastern town of Biran in 1926 in the past, condemning him to the 20th century, burying him alive.

Children now in elementary school have never seen the once loquacious orator speak for hours at a public event. Farmers have breathed a sigh of relief on not having to receive constant recommendations from the "Farmer in Chief" and even housewives are thankful that he does not appear at a congress of the Federation of Cuban Women to teach them how to use a pressure cooker.

The official propaganda machine understands that people often appeal to short-term memory as a way of protecting themselves. For many young people, Fidel Castro is already as remote, for my mother in her day, as the dictator Gerardo Machado, a man who so adversely marked the life of my grandmother's generation.

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Followers of the figure of Fidel Castro are taking advantage of the celebrations for his nine decades of life to try to erect a statue of immortality in the heart of the nation. They deify him, forgive him his systematic errors and convert him into the most visible head of a creed. The new religion takes as its premises stubbornness, intolerance for differences and a visceral hatred -- almost like a personal battle -- against the United States.

The detractors of "El," as many Cubans simply call him, are preparing the arguments to dismantle his myth. They await the moment when the history books no longer equate him with Jose Marti but offer a stark, cold and objective analysis of his career. They are the ones who dream of the post-Castro era, of the end of Fidelismo and of the diatribe that will fall on his controversial figure.

Most, however, simply turn the page and shrug their shoulders in a sign of disgust when they hear his name. They are the ones who, right now, turn off the TV and focus on a daily existence that negates every word Fidel Castro ever said in his incendiary speeches, in those times when he planned to build a "Utopia" and turn us into "New Men."

Tired of his omnipresence, they are the ones who will deal the final blow to the myth. And they will do it without hullabaloo or heroic acts. They will simply stop talking to their children about him, there will be no photos in the rooms of their homes showing him with a rifle and epaulettes, they will not confer on their grandchildren the five letters of his name.

The celebration for the 90th birthday of Fidel Castro is, in reality, his farewell: as excessive and exhausting as was his political life.

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Ukraine is waiting for decision from the Netherlands regarding the completion of ratification of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement in the context of the outcome of the nonbinding referendum in the country, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said.

"Now the ball is on the field of our Dutch partners. They are to find a way to settle the issue. I hope that internal policy would not affect this decision," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Klimkin expressed hope that the decision would be found soon.

He also said that an option for settling the issue could be a declaration from the Netherlands presented jointly with the ratification document.

It was reported earlier that 61% of voters in the Netherlands voted against the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, in a consultative referendum on April 6, 2016.
Kris Kobach death penalty ad uses footage of Tiger Woods DUI arrest

A new ad from Kris Kobach featured footage of golf star Tiger Woods being arrested with the language "no capital punishment for cop killers."
The City Council voted to ask PEDA to hold a public meeting.

Pittsfield Council Wants Public Forum On Walmart Proposal

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The City Council wants a chance to ask the proponents of a new Walmart at the William Stanley Business Park some questions.

However, the council needs another organization to host a discussion to avoid legal conflicts. So, the councilors agreed to ask the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority to host one with the developer Waterstone Realty in the City Council chambers.

"I really think this is going to be such a huge, huge discussion and impact that we need to be clear looking forward about what we are looking to get and to do," Councilor at Large Melissa Mazzeo said.

Mazzeo had petitioned the council to hold a discussion. But the council will be the granting authority of a special permit and already needs to hold a public hearing. That determination to grant to deny a special permit must be based on the public hearing's findings and not another source. Should the council approve or deny the permit based on what is heard at a different hearing, then it opens up a legal loophole to appeal the decision.

"Our decision when it gets to us will be a hearing regarding the special permit for a shopping center over 100,000 square feet," Council President Peter Marchetti said, voicing his concern that hosting a separate meeting could jeopardize the legal ruling on whatever decision the council makes.

Another issue with hosting such an event is that currently there is no proposal. Waterstone Realty has been given the go-ahead to pursue permitting for the new shopping center on the park but hasn't submitted any applications as of yet. The plan will have to go through multiple layers of approvals before reaching the council.

"To me the opening salvo is that first proposal. That's when it all starts," Council Vice President John Krol said. "Let's keep this out of the council's realm until it is our time."

Mazzeo, however, doesn't want to wait. She said the developer has held an open house and has been campaigning for public support. She said by the time it gets before the council, the majority of the public will have already made up their minds on the project  opinions that could be based on misinformation or with unanswered questions, she said.

"I feel we are allowing them to discuss everything out in the public with everybody and get everybody on board," she said. "I feel like at that point if there has been misinformation, too many people have listened to it and have formed their opinion already."

Mazzeo has gone on record opposing the project and says she has a number of questions the developer has not answered.

A similar session was held in 2013 when Waterstone had started pursuit of what was then a project for an unnamed retailer. Waterstone has returned with essentially the same proposal as then, only this time naming the company. The plan is for a $30 million construction of a new 190,000 square-foot Walmart Supercenter on a 16.5-acre parcel known as the "teens."

The forum in 2013 drew a large crowd with an estimated two-thirds opposing the use of retail at the business park. Despite not having a formal proposal before city officials, Mazzeo said the plans have already been crafted so there is no reason why the company couldn't discuss it now.

"They know exactly what they are doing and we are all waiting for the information. The sooner we get it, the better informed we are going to be," she said.

Meanwhile, Councilors Lisa Tully and Kevin Morandi, representing Wards 1 and 2, have already planned a community meeting with the developer on Sept. 19 at Morningside School. Tully said while the meeting is being put on by the two wards, it is open to the everybody.

"We want to hear the pros and cons," Morandi said, adding that the two may be looking to hold another meeting with representatives from communities that have had a bad experience with the retail giant.

Related Recent Walmart Stories: Older Stories:



2013
The Planning Board has decided on a regular schedule to hear reports from its members on ongoing projects.

Williamstown Planners Define Housing Issue for Consultants

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Planning Board is moving forward on its objective of opening up housing options in the Village Beautiful.

Earlier this month, the panel developed a narrative outlining its concerns to submit to two Eastern Massachusetts consultants who hope to work with the town.

The Massachusetts Housing Partnership wants to hire Boston's CoUrbanize and Brookline's Civic Moxie to work with the town on potential zoning bylaw changes to address housing needs in the 21st century.

At Tuesdays Planning Board meeting, Community Development Director Andrew Groff told the panel that MHP is developing the contracts with the consultants. He warned the planners that they may need to schedule a special meeting next month if there are any questions back from MHP or the consultants.

The 215-word narrative drafted by the board lays out its concerns in broad terms.

It opens by mentioning the population decline in Berkshire County and asserts that both nationally and statewide people are "looking away from traditional models of housing."

"Trends show that folks are looking at smaller places to live, different and more efficient ways of living, and how to leave a smaller footprint," the Planning Board writes.

As evidence of this trend, the board cites the success of the Cable Mills apartments on Water Street, where more than than two-thirds of the units were occupied within three months of the ribbon cutting.

The board told the consultants that it wants to make sure the town's zoning bylaws meet the needs of the "next generation of workers, employers, families and seniors."

At a meeting last month, Groff told the board that the consultants will help the town's planners collect input from the community and use that data to help craft bylaw changes that can be brought to town meeting.

"With the cooperation of our friends and neighbors, the board hopes that the town can institute some forward thinking and unique zoning changes to respond to broader changes that are occurring, all while protecting what makes Williamstown a unique community," the Planning Board's narrative reads.

In other business on Tuesday, the Planning Board discussed a regular schedule to hear reports from its members on various planning projects  ranging from agriculture to parking  that each has agreed to tackle this year.

On the parking front, Groff told the board that Town Hall has not been fielding the same number of complaints this summer as it did in 2015  either from Williams Colleges construction project near the Village Business District or the Clark Art Institute, where last summer's wildly successful Van Gogh exhibit led to consistent use of South Street for on-street parking.

"We havent seen any major [construction-related] issues, and it seems like the colleges logistics plan is working quite well," Groff said. "We have had a couple of minor complaints, but theyve been handled immediately."

The Clark, meanwhile, has been trying to more actively manage its parking demands by focusing on when it schedules special events and where its employees park, Groff said.
Former Philippine president, two Chinese open door for dialogue on South China Sea

Former Philippine president Fidel Ramos speaks to journalists on Friday during a trip to Hong Kong. The five-day visit was aimed at helping rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea. [Photo/Agencies]

Former Philippine president Fidel Ramos said on Friday that he and his Chinese "old friends" looked forward to starting formal discussions, after bilateral ties were jeopardized by an arbitration case over the South China Sea dispute.

Ramos met in Hong Kong with Fu Ying, foreign affairs chief of China's top legislature, and Wu Shicun, president of China's National Institute of South China Seas Studies, a think tank, according to a statement released after the talks.

The statement, signed by Ramos, Fu and Wu, described the meeting as one between "old friends" and said it had taken place "in a friendly atmosphere".

"The informal discussions focused on the need to engage in further talks to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions to pave the way for overall cooperation for the benefit of both their peoples and the region," the statement said.

The China-Philippines relationship was hurt by an arbitration case unilaterally initiated by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

Manila wants formal discussions with Beijing "at the appropriate time" to explore pathways to peace and cooperation, the statement added.

Speaking near the end of a trip that he earlier described as "ice-breaking", Ramos told reporters in Hong Kong that the three had not discussed territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but had talked about fishing rights.

"It's not really a breakthrough, in a sense that there is no ice here in Hong Kong to break, but the fish we eat ... are cooked in delicious recipes," said Ramos, who also had earlier referred to his visit as a fishing expedition.

Ramos said he hoped that a second round of discussions would take place soon, adding that the venue for further talks had not been decided yet.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, commenting on Ramos' visit, said on Friday that Beijing hopes such communications could "help restore China-Philippines dialogue and improve bilateral relations".

On Wednesday, Hua also said in a statement that "China sticks to an open attitude toward all means of contact between China and the Philippines, and welcomes Mr Ramos to China".

Ramos, 88, started a five-day trip to Hong Kong on Monday. Bilateral relations were good when he was president from 1992 to 1998.

Li Hak-yin, a lecturer at the Department of Government and Public Administration of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, said this is a particularly critical moment for China and the Philippines as they approach negotiations on the South China Sea disputes.

Ramos was in Hong Kong to send a message to the Chinese government of his country's willingness to start negotiations, Li said.

Li Guoqiang, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, said that China would like to see positive signals sent by the new Philippine government.

"Through the visit of Ramos, the Philippines is expected to hear China's voice and understand Beijing's concerns over South China Sea issues, to improve bilateral ties," he said.

Related:

Commentary: China, Philippines should join hands to rekindle bilateral ties

Mutual trust between China and the Philippines has weakened since the latter unilaterally filed for arbitration over the South China Sea issue. But since Duterte took office at the end of June, he has said on several occasions that he hopes to resume talks and forge improved bilateral relations.
Hadrosaur fossil: It is the most complete of all those unearthed in Inner Mongolia in 20 years.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A rare well-preserved hadrosaur fossil has been unearthed in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and is expected to be of huge value for research into how the species evolved, Chinese archaeologists said.

More than 90 percent of the bones of the animal were intact, including the head, cervical vertebrae, limbs and a complete tail-bone. It is the most complete dinosaur fossil unearthed in Inner Mongolia in 20 years.

The fossil was first dis-covered in 2012 in Urad Back Banner, in the north-west part of the region. Excavation started in June 2013.

More than 300 fossil bone fragments were excavated at the site, weighing 1 metric ton altogether, said Tan Lin, an engineer at the Longhao Geological Institute of Paleontology in Inner Mongolia.
President Barack Obama on International Youth Day

Washington, DC - "Today, on International Youth Day, we celebrate the potential and power of young people to shape the future of our increasingly interconnected world. With over half of the global population under the age of 30, young generations will find the solutions to some of our toughest global challenges.

"The United States is committed to providing opportunity for young people to ensure they are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also change agents today. Whether it is ensuring boys and girls have equal access to education, building skills to strengthen youth leadership in civil society, business and academia, or providing a young entrepreneur with the capital and network to grow a start-up, we are investing in the potential of the next generation. Through our Young Leaders Initiatives, nearly half a million young people are working together to learn from one another and effect change in their communities.

"Youth are often the voices at the forefront of advocating for societies to advance and improve, whether on issues of human rights, technology, climate change, or healthcare. From the activist in Nigeria fighting for disability rights, to the human rights advocate in Egypt defending the fundamental freedoms of all Egyptians to speech, assembly, and association, and the Paraguayan manufacturing low cost prosthetics, young people see a world of endless possibility and are not waiting to take action to do what is right.

"Today, we commemorate the energetic spirit of young people worldwide and their ability to improve the future of humanity."
Vice President Joe Bidens Call With President Poroshenko of Ukraine

Washington, DC - Vice President Biden spoke today with President Poroshenko of Ukraine. The two leaders discussed recent tensions on the Crimean Peninsula, which is occupied by Russian forces in contravention of international law. The Vice President urged President Poroshenko to do his part to avoid escalating tensions.

The Vice President noted that we have urged the Russian side to do the same. Both leaders reiterated their strong support for political and diplomatic means to restore Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, in particular through full implementation of the Minsk Agreements. The leaders also reviewed recent progress towards fulfilling IMF conditions for disbursing the next tranche of financial assistance, and agreed on the importance of recent Ukrainian efforts to continue critical anti-corruption reforms.
WATCH: This Restaurant in Pune Are Run by Speech and Hearing Impaired People
Joseph Schooling of Singapore celebrates after the men's 100m butterfly final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 12, 2016. Joseph Schooling won the gold medal. (Xinhua/Qi Heng)

Joseph Schooling sensationally upset Michael Phelps in the 100m butterfly on Friday to seize Singapore's first ever Olympic gold medal, at the Rio Games.

The 21-year-old Asian champion denied Phelps a fourth straight victory in the event, leading from start to finish to win in an Olympic record of 50.39sec.

Phelps, sixth at the turn, couldn't do enough coming home, but he had plenty of company on the second step of the podium as his longtime rival Laszlo Cseh of Hungary and South African Chad le Clos both matched his time of 51.14sec in an astonishing three-way tie for silver.

"It's wild," said Phelps. "Chad and I have had some races over the last four years and Laszlo and I - I can't even remember when I first raced him... so it's kind of special and a decent way to finish my last individual race."

The tie with Phelps was the closest Cseh has come to the US star in Olympic competition. In three prior Games the Hungarian had claimed five medals, all silver or bronze in races won by Phelps.

Phelps's rivalry with Le Close blossomed more recently, at the 2012 London Games where the South African beat Phelps in the 200m butterfly only to fall to him in the 100m fly.

Victory in Friday's fly would have given Phelps a 14th individual Olympic title, but Schooling was too strong.

He punched the water and bellowed as Phelps swam over to congratulate him.

"He said 'good job, that was a great race'," Schooling said. "I told him to go four more years and he said 'No way.'

"Hopefully he changes his mind. That was fun. I like racing Michael."

Phelps, 31, insists he won't be back for a sixth Olympics. But after winning four golds so far in Rio -- in the 4x100m free and 4x200m free relays, the 200m butterfly and the 200m individual medley -- he'll have a shot at one more -- it would be his 23rd -- on Saturday in the 4x100m medley relay.

Schooling, meanwhile, was absorbing the enormity of his first.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm full of emotions now," he said. "I don't know what to believe, whether I actually did it or I'm still preparing my race."
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It was the news that Daniel Craig was to star in 20-part television drama Purity that seemed to intensify the rumours that he was to step down as James Bond.

Previous to that, Craig - who has starred in four 007 films, the most recent outing being Spectre - told Time Out that he would rather 'slash his wrists' than don the tux on another occasion.

While Craig's publicists - quick to avert the rumours - suggested at the time that Purity would not rule him out of playing Bond in any future instalments, the CEO of US network Showtime, David Nevins, has confirmed that very notion at the Television Critics Association.

The women who could play Bond Show all 21 1 /21 The women who could play Bond The women who could play Bond Olivia Colman Getty The women who could play Bond Carey Mulligan 2015 Slaven Vlasic The women who could play Bond Emily Blunt 2016 Getty Images The women who could play Bond Felicity Jones 2014 Getty Images The women who could play Bond Gemma Arterton 2014 David M. Benett The women who could play Bond Gillian Anderson Getty Images The women who could play Bond Gugu Mbatha-Raw 2014 Gabriel Olsen The women who could play Bond Hayley Atwell Getty Images The women who could play Bond Imogen Poots GC Images The women who could play Bond Kate Beckinsale 2010 Getty Images The women who could play Bond Kate Winslet 2015 Getty Images The women who could play Bond Keeley Hawes 2014 Danny Martindale The women who could play Bond Michelle Dockery WireImage The women who could play Bond Naomie Harris UK Press via Getty Images The women who could play Bond Olivia Colman 2015 Getty Images The women who could play Bond Rachel Weisz WireImage The women who could play Bond Rebecca Hall FilmMagic The women who could play Bond Rosamund Pike UK Press via Getty Images The women who could play Bond Sienna Miller WireImage The women who could play Bond Thandie Newton 2015 Jon Kopaloff The women who could play Bond Vicky McClure 2015 Getty Images

Nevins stated: "It depends when they do the next James Bond movie, but I don't think it precludes him is the answer.

"[Purity] will largely be completed during the course of 2017, depending how long they're willing to wait and shoot the next Bond. There might be some breaks somewhere, but [production] will be fairly continuous."

It has previously been confirmed that the next Bond film wouldn't be showing in cinemas until at least 2018. With Sam Mendes having jumped ship, it seems we could even be waiting until 2019 for another instalment.

Should Craig decide to step down, actors primed to take over include Tom Hiddleston, Aidan Turner and James Norton.

Purity is based on the novel by Jonathan Franzen and tells the tale of a young woman raised in unusual circumstances in North Carolina.
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The 15 countries with the worst reputation in the world have been announced by the Reputation Insitute in its annual RepTrak index.

Rankings are based on a number of key drivers, including tolerance, safety, standard of living and attractiveness to tourists. The overall marks are given out of 100.

The list is dominated by African and Middle Eastern countries, though Europe and South America also make appearances.

Common themes in the rankings are intolerance, religious extremism, and poor foreign relations.

Keep scrolling to see the 15 countries with the worst reputations in the world:

15. Egypt

(iStock (iStock)

Egypt is the most populated country in North Africa and one of the most politically fraught, with liberals and Muslim Brotherhood voters alike opposed to the current government. This has given Egypt an dangerous reputation, and tourists have been warned to stay away.

14. Romania

Romania has been a member of the EU since 2007, but with the chance for free movement there has been something of an exodus from the country. Over two million people estimated to have moved to other parts of Europe since then which, unfairly or not, hasn't helped its reputation.

13. China

Though there's no doubting China's economic strength and the value of its export industry, its reputation on human rights and high standards of living for every citizen has yet to catch up.

12. Turkey

President Erdogan praised Donald Trump's actions, saying he treats media critics in the same way (Getty)

President Erdogan recently survived an attempted military coup, but it looks like the country's civil liberties have suffered as thousands of academics, journalists and public sector workers were immediately arrested in the aftermath. There is also talk of bringing the death penalty back.

11. Colombia

Colombia is a beautiful country, but drug-related crime is still crippling its reputation. The nation is one of the world's biggest producers and exporters of cocaine, and the government has to send patrols all over the jungle to hunt for illegal makeshift factories.

10. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan was the last Soviet republic to become independent in 1991, and its oil reserves have made it a fast-growing economy. But its relatively desolate landscape means it's not high on most tourist's wish-list.

9. Nicaragua

(AFP/Getty Images (AFP/Getty Images)

Nicaragua's active volcanoes make it popular with adventurous travellers, but this central American country still falls short in the progressive department: abortions are illegal without exception. Droughts also plague Nicaragua which is a problem for tourism.

8. Angola

Angola has one of the fastest growing economies in the world thanks to vast mineral supplies, but poverty and political corruption still run rife in the aftermath of a decades-long civil war, and extreme droughts put many off visiting.

7. Algeria

Another North African nation ravaged by civil war, today Algeria suffers from a lack of political transparency: the government of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is routinely criticised for media censorship and intimidating behaviour towards opponents.

6. Russia

A nation that needs no introduction, Russia has considerable homophobia issues which some say are encouraged by the government. Putin's foreign policy, particularly concerning Syria, also makes people wary and harms the country's reputation.

5. Nigeria

Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa thanks to rich reserves of oil, but religious tolerance in the country leaves a lot to be desired and has led to the rise of the terrorist group Boko Haram. Nigeria's reputation was further harmed by an Ebola outbreak.

4. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is one of the world's biggest suppliers of oil but that wealth is highly concentrated to Saudi royal family, who are the face of the country for most outsiders. Gender rights there still have a long way to go too, with women still not allowed to drive, though they have at least been able to vote since 2015.

3. Pakistan

The Malala initiative has been launched alongside the documentary film He Named Me Malala (Getty Images)

Sadly Pakistan is seen by many as a hotbed for religious extremism, and this has affected tourism accordingly. Although there is burgeoning feminist movement lead by the likes of Malala Yousafzai, women still endure subordination for the time being.

2. Iran

Iran was a comparatively liberal place in the 1970s, but after the Islamic Revolution its reputation diminished as a more authoritarian government took power, civil unrest became the norm, and relations with the US and Israel collapsed. The 2013 election of President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, may help build bridges.

1. Iraq

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the most high-profile war zones of the last 20 years is also the country with the worst reputation. The US and UK-led Iraq War began in 2003 and is still technically ongoing. Bagdad endures suicide bombings almost daily and religious insurgencies seem to have no end in sight. Do not book a holiday here anytime soon.

Read more:

 This chart is easy to interpret: It says we're screwed

 How Uber became the world's most valuable startup

 These 4 things could trigger the next crisis in Europe

Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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As Deliveroo courier drivers strike for the third day running over proposals that could see them earn barely half the National Living Wage, the Government appears to have waded into the dispute with criticism of the food delivery company.

Of the company's 3,000 cyclists and moped riders who deliver food parcels around London, 280 have been offered a trial which would reduce their hourly pay to as little as 3.75 during quieter periods - but with a pay guarantee should they receive less on the new payment model.

And now the Department for Business has responded to the proposal, which is set to begin on Wednesday, by saying workers "have a right" to the NLW.

Any change to that basic rate of pay could not be "simply opted out of" but would need to go through a formal court process before being reduced, said the Government.

The stance would appear to add to the criticism leveled against Deliveroo from unions and the public about its treatment of its "independently contracted" staff.

A spokesperson for the Department of Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS) said signing a "type of contract" was not justification enough for not paying the NLW).

"The Government is determined to build an economy that works for all  that includes ensuring everyone gets a decent wage," said a statement from the BEIS.

"An individuals employment status is determined by the reality of the working relationship and not the type of contract they have signed. Individuals cannot opt out of the rights they are owed, nor can an employer decide not to afford individuals those rights.

"Employers cannot simply opt out of the NLW by defining their staff as self-employed.

Deliveroo workers will take the company to court, said the IWGB, if it imposes the new contract (PA)

Deliveroo drivers took to the streets of central London on Thursday in the first day of strikes which protest against changes to their pay and conditions.

An email sent around to all the workers with the company has told them they will be paid 3.75 per delivery instead of an hourly rate of 7 plus 1 per delivery for certain times of the day where deliveries are less popular. Couriers have pointed out that they are still waiting around in quiet periods should any jobs come through.

The hourly rate already sees many of them earn less than the NLW  currently set at 7.20 for those aged over 25  once travel expenses are accounted for, and distinctly less than the London Living Wage of 9.40, couriers have said.

Deliveroo, which has raised $275m (212m) from angel investors this month, has said it will enforce the pay terms from next week and claimed that couriers had responded positively in early trials. But a union which sprang up in 2015 to represent independently contracted couriers such as at Deliveroo and Uber has said workers were in fact reacting positively to having the obligation to always work two weekend evenings removed.

Couriers had reportedly complained about being contractually obliged to always work weekend evenings, thereby allowing Deliveroo to say workers were happier with "piece rate" wages that were more flexible, said the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB).

A striking Deliveroo worker protests against 'slavery' on their moped as the company seeks to impose a new contract (IWGB)

Margaret Dewhurst, chair of careers and logistics at IWGB, said the attempt to change a fixed hourly rate to a differing piece rate was intended to hold drivers at "arms length" from the company and ensure they still could not access basic workers' rights such as the NLW and holiday pay.

"This new contract will help them more easily exploit people," she told The Independent. In terms of actual work, a piece rate is more advantageous to a company, because it means you can divvy up all the work and not treat people as proper employees.

"They're basically saying that in quieter period the average amount of time drivers are working is 15 minutes in an hour. But you're still there to provide a service for the other 45 minutes. It's total bull***. It's very frustrating talking to the management at Deliveroo."

She added that senior staff within Deliveroo had defended the practice by saying its workers were all "entrepreneurs". IWGB has said the majority are students, poorer workers, migrants and people supporting families.

Deliveroo told The Independent: This is not a wide-scale change and nothing is set in stone at this stage. The trial is taking place across five areas in London. The new payment model is based on payment per delivery, with riders receiving 3.75 per delivery. We have conducted similar trials in carefully selected areas that are busy enough to support this model and have seen riders earning as much as 15-18 per hour over a lunchtime.

This model also gives riders more flexibility, which we know is important to our riders. In our rider surveys, 60 per cent said that flexibility was the most important feature of the job and 85 per cent told us they see Deliveroo as a way to earn supplementary income or do short-term flexible work.

Listening to our riders is incredibly important to us. Were calling everyone in the London trial to get their feedback and answer any questions they might have, and were hosting drop-in sessions at our London office. This was always built into the process from the beginning.

We absolutely respect their right to disagree with us. There have been no negative repercussions for any rider that voices criticism or participates in a protest about this  and that will always be the case.

The National Living Wage of 7.20 for everyone aged over 25 years old  hailed as the new minimum wage  was announced by then Chancellor George Osborne in April this year. Yet nearly 200 employers have been recently named and shamed for failing to pay that minimum wage to their workers.

Meanwhile, Deliveroo has picked up $275m of investment in a boost that makes the food delivery group one of Europe's best-funded start-ups.

Deliveroo workers said they will fight the contract in court if it goes ahead. The IWGB said court tribunals against City Sprint, Addison Lee, E-Courier and Excel are also being considered by workers over allegedly similar practices.
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The lawyer who defended Steven Avery and was one of the key figures in the Netflix series Making a Murderer says he is relieved and gratified by a judge's decision to overturn Brendan Dasseys conviction for murder.

Dassey, 26, could walk free from prison in 90 days if prosecutors decide against appealing the ruling delivered by a federal judge in Milwaukee on Friday.

Averys wrongful conviction for rape and attempted murder, exoneration, decision to sue the state and subsequent arrest and conviction for the murder of missing photographer Theresa Halbach was the subject of the popular Making a Murderer documentary.

His nephew Dassey was also convicted of the killing and sentenced to 41 years in prison. In his ruling, Judge William Duffin found his confession was involuntary and obtained by investigators making false promises to Dassey.

Brendan Dassey being escorted out of a Manitowoc County Circuit courtroom in Wisconsin in 2006 (AP)

Dasseys confession became one of the focuses of Making a Murderer. Dassey, who was 16 when Ms Halbach died, was a vulnerable teenager and the way in which his confession was extracted proved highly controversial.

In 2007, he was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault, and mutilation of a corpse by a jury in Wisconsin and told he could not apply for parole until 2048. He was 17 at the time of sentencing.

Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Show all 14 1 /14 Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 House of Cards - Season Four - 4 March Last time we were in Frank Underwoods White House things werent looking to great for the President, his first Lady having just walked out on him. What will happen next in the critically acclaimed show is anyones guess. Netflix Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Daredevil - Season Two - 18 March Back in Hells Kitchen things were seemingly getting better. Kingpin is in prison and the crime syndicates should have dispersed - for the meantime at least. Unfortunately for Matt Murdoch, theres a new anti-hero in town: The Punisher. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Flaked - 11 March According to Netflix, Flaked is set in the insular world of Venice, California. It follows the serio-comic story of a self-appointed 'guru' who falls for the object of his best friends fascination. Soon the tangled web of half-truths and semi-b******* that underpins his all-important image and sobriety begins to unravel. Arnett plays Chip, a man doing his honest best to stay one step ahead of his own lies. Netflix Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Season Two - 15 April Following the story of 29-year-old Kimmy Schmidt on her journey through New York, season two is set to start right where the last left us. The Tina Fey created sitcom has already been renewed for a third season, so you know this one has to be good. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 The Ranch - 1 April A comedy starring Ashton Kutcher. Based on a failed semi-pro footballer who returns home to a Colorado ranch. It also has some of the producers from Two and a Half Men behind it, which just happens to be one of the most successful shows of all time. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Marseille - 5 May Netflixs first French language original is a tale of power, corruption and redemption. Sounding like it could very well be the next Narcos. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Grace and Frankie - Season Two - 6 May The tale of a retired cosmetics mogul and a hippie art teacher living together was a hit across the world, especially in the US. Starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, the show has already been renewed for a third season. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Orange is the New Black - Season Four - 17 June Another Netflix powerhouse, Orange is the New Black will see us returning to Litchfield Penitentiary. Prepare for more Piper, Alex and Red come June. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Stranger Things - 15 July Eight-episode series starring Winona Ryder that follows a small community as they look for a young boy who has seemingly vanished. It all sounds quite scary. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 The Get Down - August 12th "Told through the lives and music of a ragtag crew of South Bronx teens, The Get Down is a mythic saga of the transformation of 1970s New York City. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, this is sure to be as stylish as anything hes done before. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 The Crown - Spring Starring Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, the period drama reveals the political rivalries and romance behind Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the 2nd half of the 20th century." Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Luke Cage - Fall 2016 First appearing alongside Jessica Jones in her Netflix series, Luke Cage will pic up the pieces, seeing Cage come to terms with his super-strength and impenetrable skin. It is unknown whether Kathryn. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 Narcos - Season 2 - Fall 2016 Its back. The Netflix series hyped to match Breaking Bad was an astounding success around the world, apparently watched more than Game of Thrones. Well find out what happens to Pablo Escabar now he doesnt have the protection of all his men. Netflix Inc. Netflix originals to look forward to in 2016 A Series of Unfortunate Events - Fall 2016 Netflix is set to revisit the much-loved childrens novel, putting Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf in a show that looks so much creepier than the 2004 film. Not much else is known - i.e. casting - but Lemony Snicket is on board as executive producer, so get excited.

Dean Strang, Averys lawyer during his trial, said Dasseys statements were wholly unreliable and flatly wrong on essential details. He told The Huffington Post: Our federal courts are often the last protectors of our liberties and justice. We are thankful and proud that a federal court fulfilled its fundamental role for Brendan Dassey today. In doing so, this federal court served all Americans.

 Making A Murderer- Where are they now?

Averys appeal is now being led by Kathleen Zellner, a renowned defence lawyer from Texas who is known for successfully appealing the convictions of 17 men.

The state will now decide whether to retry Dassey. If they decide against a retrial, he will be released. Netflix has confirmed a second series of Making a Murderer is being produced.
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A veteran-cigar maker has celebrated Fidel Castros 90th birthday by rolling what is believed to be the worlds longest cigar.

At 90m long, it took Cuban cigar roller, Jose Castelar, 10 days to make and he hopes to gain his sixth Guinness record from the feat.

I havent smoked in many years, Mr Castelar told USA Today. But our present to him is our joint effort to commemorate his birthday, because we know that he does not smoke anymore.

Workers help Cuban cigar roller Jose "Cueto" Castelar Hand roll a 90m cigar (AP)

Workers help Cuban cigar roller Jose "Cueto" Castelar, not pictured, hand roll a 90-meter cigar in Havana (AP)

Cuba has put on a number of events this month to honour the retired "El Comandante" who spearheaded its 1959 revolution and built a Communist-run state on the doorstep of the United States.

Thousands celebrated the birthday in a giant street party along Havanas Malecon boulevard by dancing to Latin beats through the night from Friday to Saturday, with a live band bursting into Happy Birthday at midnight.

Mr Castro thanked Cubans for their tributes on Saturday in a long column carried by state-run media in which the iconic leftist revolutionary also lambasted the US.

"I want to express my most profound gratitude for the shows of respect, the greetings and gifts I have received the days, which give me the strength to reciprocate through ideas," Mr Castro wrote in the opinion piece.

Mr Castro, who handed power to his younger brother Raul in 2008 due to poor health also wrote about his youth in the eastern village of Biran and about his father who died before the revolution.

Castro went on to lambast Barack Obama, over his speech in May when he visited Hiroshima - the site of the world's first atomic bombing at the end of World War Two.

Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Rex Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba Rex Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban president Fidel Castro looking at a rifle during a visit in North Vietnam during the Vietnam war Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban President Fidel Castro in Matanzas, Cuba, on the 46th anniversary of the assault on the Moncada Barracks by Castro's rebels. The attack marked the beginning of the Cuban revolution, which eventually propelled Castro to power Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro with his first wife Mirta and his son Fidelito Rex Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro at his 'Guerrilla Man of Time' book launch in Havana, Cuba Rex Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro Rex Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban President Fidel Castro delivers a speech attacking media organizations and groups opposed to his government in the wake of rumours of his death Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro playing Basketball Rex Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Watched by Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro takes a photograph of Moscow during his first visit to Russia Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban president Fidel Castro attends a protest against the US embargo of Cuba Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro and Osvaldo Dorticos Torrado talking to Cuban medical staff who are going to Peru to help with the aftermath of an earthquake Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro relaxing at a sugar plantation near Havana, surrounded by children Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban President Fidel Castro presides over a massive May Day demonstration at Havana's Plaza de la Revolucion (Revolution Square Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban leader Fidel Castro is presented with an invitation to the New York Press Photographer's Ball, in New York City Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro, Prime Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary government and first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, and Ernesto Guevara known as Che, minister of Industry in Havana, Cuba Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban President Fidel Castro waves to participants of the traditional May Day parade attended by thousands of people in Havana's Plaza of the Revolution Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro with Argentine guerrilla leader Ernesto Che Guevara Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Pope Benedict XVI meets with former Cuban President Fidel Castro at the Vatican embassy in Havana, Cuba Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro and Soviet politician Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev in Moscow Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Iraqi vice-president Saddam Hussein, stands with Cuban President Fidel Castro and Defense minister General Raul Castro in Havana, during his visit to Cuba Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro Rex Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Cuban President Fidel Castro listens to Pope John Paul II as they walk on the tarmac of the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro with Chavez in Cuba Getty Images Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro greets Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe in Havana Getty Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Fidel Castro with Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 2000. The two friends first met in 1959 AFP/Getty Images Fidel Castro: Life in pictures Mandela salutes the crowd alongside Fidel Castro in Matanzas Getty

"He lacked the words to ask for forgiveness for the killings of hundreds of thousands of people," Mr Castro wrote.

Many Cubans feel Mr Castro is no longer in step with the times. Considered more pragmatic, the younger Castro is credited with implementing a detente with the US after a half century of frozen confrontation, introducing market-style reforms to invigorate the state-dominated economy and increasing personal freedoms, such as the right to travel abroad.

Mr Castro has lent these policies only lukewarm support in public.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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He was born in Birmingham but Kenny Baker became famous across the galaxies.

The man who began his life working as a circus clown - he was 3ft 8in tall - became a household name in 1977 when he starred as R2-D2 in the first Star Wars film, a role he would reprise five more times. On Saturday, it was revealed that the 81-year-old had died after becoming ill with cancer.

His death was confirmed by his niece, Abigail Shield.

Over the course of several decades, Baker established himself as one half of cinemas most unlikely, robotic double acts, playing alongside Anthony Daniels C-3PO. They bantered and bleeped in Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and a further three films that were set as prequels.

On Saturday, as tributes poured into the man who also starred in The Elephant Man, Time Bandits and Flash Gordon, he was remembered as a kind and funny man. Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, described him as a "lifelong loyal friend".

Baker's nephew and carer for the last nine years of his life, Drew Myerscough, told the Independent his death was a "huge loss" and described Baker as a "grounded guy who wasn't affected by success at all."

"He was forthright, he didn't sugarcoat anything, you knew exactly where you stood with him. I admired that trait," said Mr Myerscough.

"He was recognised wherever we went, and people were really respectful towards him. He gave people the time of day and never brushed them off  he always spoke to thm politely, because he understood how important it was for his fans."

 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Trailer 2

Baker, who would appear at Star Wars fan conventions across the world, once told the BBC that his favourite role was actually that of Fidgit in 1981s Time Bandits.

The director Terry Gilliams such a nutcase, hes so enthusiastic, you can't help enjoy it. It was just a fun film to make, he said.

And yet the father-of-two who lived in Preston and outlived his wife Eileen, will be best remembered for his Star Wars roles.

Despite his celebrity, he once revealed that the films were not easy going. Indeed, he said that his relationship with Daniels was often testy.

He once branded him the rudest man Ive ever met.

Baker was was not involved in the latest movies in the Star War series and the role of R2-D2 will be played by British actor Jimmy Vee in the next film due for release in 2017. Yet he was invited to the premier of the 2015 production Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Mr Myerscough said for the last three years he'd been looking after baker "physically, mentally and emotionally."

"His wish was to be kept at home, and we did keep him at home  can't ask for more than that really," he said.

"I'm 48 and he was 81, but that didn't affect our friendship in the slightest. We were a bit like Lou and Andy from Little Britain: I used to push him round in a wheelchair, he'd be giving me instructions, and I wouldn't take a blind bit of notice.

"We would be bickering constantly and to outsiders, it might have looked like we were falling out, but we weren't."

Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Show all 45 1 /45 Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art Star Wars: The Force Awakens ILM concept art

Mr Myerscough said saw his role as a carer as a repayment for all his uncle had given him before he fell ill.

"When he was well, 20-odd years ago, I went around the world with him, I went to premiers and to meet the Queen with him," he said.

"All I've done is not a noble thing, I've just repaid him. We had good times and I gave him my time to make sure he was happy to his end, and he was.

"I was with him when he died, in his sleep, and I'm thankful that he didn't die alone."
Spotlight: Moscow threatens to sever ties with Kiev amid escalating tensions

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (Xinhua file photo)

Russia may be forced to sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine if there are no other options available, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday amid the recent escalating tensions between Moscow and Kiev.

"I would not want that to happen, but if there is no other option left to impact the situation, the president could make such a decision," he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been escalating as Russian President Vladimir Putinon Wednesday accused Kiev of plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea and vowed to take additional measures to ensure the safety of the infrastructure and citizens there.

Russia has arrested a group of suspected saboteurs, two of whom admitted that they had plotted bomb attacks in Crimea upon the assignment given by the Ukrainian military intelligence service, the Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing a video footage obtained from the Russian Federal Security Bureau (FSB).

Interfax also quoted an unnamed source with Russian special services saying that one person had been arrested and several more detained, and that they had started providing testimony confirming Kiev's involvement in the terror scheme.

Ukraine has yet responded to the video footage. It was not clear when the arrests were made.

On Wednesday, the FSB said the country had prevented a series of terrorist attacks in Crimea orchestrated by the Ukraine military intelligence service, in which two Russian servicemen were killed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday "the people who seized power in Kiev ... have switched to terror tactics instead of searching for ways for a peaceful settlement," calling Ukraine's actions "criminal."

However, the Ukrainian side has denied such claims.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkosaid, "Russian accusations towards Ukraine of terrorism in occupied Crimea sound as preposterous and cynical as the statements of the Russian leadership about the absence of the Russian troops in Donbass (region of Ukraine)."

Crimea, which was previously part of Ukraine, was incorporated into Russia in 2014 following a referendum, which was recognized by Moscow but rejected by Ukraine and Western powers.

Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov said the claims were "hysterical and false," and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry termed the allegations as Moscow's attempt to justify its re-deployment and actions in the region.

Ukraine will ask the UN Security Council to hold an urgent meeting if tensions continue to rise over Russia's accusations, Ukraine's Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko on Wednesday told reporters at UN headquarters.

RISING TENSIONS

Both sides have enhanced military readiness on the border, while the United Statesurged the two sides to avoid escalating tensions.

Poroshenko said on Thursday that he has ordered the country's defense and law enforcement agencies to put their units near Crimea and in eastern Ukraine on high alert.

Later Thursday, Ukrainian State Border Service's Spokesman Oleg Slobodyan said that Ukraine's frontier guards have already started enhancing the combat readiness of their units near Crimea and in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions.

In Russia, an anti-aircraft missile regiment based in Crimea has received a new S-400 Triumf air defense missile system, by far Russia's most advanced surface-to-air missile system, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

The S-400 Triumf is capable of hitting an airborne target at a distance of up to 400 km with medium- and long-range missiles. The regiment will take part in a strategic command-and-staff military drill after preparations are completed, the press service of Russia's Southern Military District said.

U.S. Vice President Joe Bidenspoke by phone on Friday with Poroshenko and urged him "to do his part" to avoid ratcheting up tensions with Russia, according to the White House.

Biden noted that the United States has urged the Russian side to do the same, the White House said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Ben Hodges, the commander of the U.S. Army in Europe urged Russia to allow observers, including Western journalists, to attend the upcoming military drill.

Ruslan Bortnik, head of the Ukrainian Institute of Analysis and Management of Policy, said the escalation in Crimea due to terrorist reports go against both Ukrainian and Russian interests, but help radicals and warmongers, which are not welcome by both sides.

He did not exclude possibility of foreign forces instigating trouble in Crimea.

Alexey Pushkov, chairman of the State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, believed that the West should impose pressure on Kiev to avoid a collapse of the Minsk agreements aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, adding Putin's warning is not only directed at Ukraine, but also at the West and the United States.

Still, analysts believed that the current situation is unlikely to evolve into a large scale military conflict.
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The Pope has made a surprise visit to women once forced into sex work, where he blessed them and told them to stay strong.

The 20 women, all of whom had escaped forced prostitution, received Pope Francis during an unannounced visit to their apartment in Rome.

The visit forms part of the pontiff's "Fridays of Mercy" in which he focuses on communities that have undergone suffering.

Seven Nigerian, six Romanian, and four Albanian women told him how they had been trafficked into Italy by pimps who then forced them to have sex with multiple customers a day.

Three others came from Italy, Tunisia and the Ukraine. Some of the women, who were in their late 20s and early 30s, had children on their knees.

The Vatican said they had "suffered serious physical abuse" and now lived under the protection of a Catholic charity which houses them in an apartment in Italy's capital, according to the BBC.

Speaking to the formerly trafficked women at their apartment, Pope Francis urged them to be strong.

Trafficking vulnerable women, many of whom are seeking to provide for families back at home, is a major criminal industry in Italy.

In 2015, 5,633 young women arrived in Italy from Nigeria alone  a leap from 1,500 the year previously. The United Nations International Organisation or Migration estimates that 80 per cent of these Nigerian women will have been victims of trafficking.

The number of routes that women are trafficked across northern Africa and eastern Europe indicates a network of criminal organisations are involved, migrant rights campaign group Tampep has said.

Since the recession, the women have earned lower rates for traffickers and as such are being made to work longer hours to make up the shortfall for the pimps.

Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Live and let live.' GETTY IMAGES Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Proceed calmly" in life' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Be giving of yourself to others' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Even though many parents work long hours, they must set aside time to play with their children' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Sunday is for family' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Respect and take care of nature' OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Stop being negative' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: Respect others' beliefs' AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness Pope Francis: 'Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive' FP/Getty Images Pope Francis gives life advice: in pictures Pope Francis' guide to happiness AFP/Getty Images

Aiding and abetting prostitution is illegal in Italy, but the exchange of sexual services for money is not. Such a legal framework is common across Europe.

The only countries to have outlawed the actual purchase of sex are Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland and France.

Meanwhile, an interim report from the Commons' Home Affairs Select Committee about sex work in the UK came to the conclusion this year that decriminalisation of prostitution was the best way to protect sex workers.

Controversy erupted in Italy in April last year when certain areas and streets were made prostitute-free after the sight of women walking the streets became so common in some districts that communities protested.

Men were set to be fined up to about 380 if they were caught with a sex worker in those areas.

Catholic organisations argued at the time that the plan legitimised the exploitation of women because it did not apply everywhere.
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Jeremy Corbyn has said the UK should follow Finland's example in developing a "science-led" industrial strategy.

The Labour leader and his rival for the job, Owen Smith, were asked a series of questions by the Scientists for Labour campaign group.

Mr Corbyn claimed many decisions taken by the current Government "appeared to fly in the face of that evidence, not least on the issue of climate change".

And he argued the UK should learn from Finnish policies in the 1990s that showed "how an economy can turn itself round with a science-led industrial strategy".

"Finland's example of the Science and Technology Policy Committee, drawing in scientists, businesses, unions and others in civil society in the development of a high-technology industrial strategy has been exemplary in this respect," he said.

Finland's GDP growth rate was falling in the early 1990s, but rose sharply during the decade.

The full questions and answers are below:

Scientists for Labour: What do you see as the main challenges facing UK science and technology as a result of Brexit? What will you do to support this sector across the entire country, rather than just in London and the South East?

Mr Corbyn: There are a series of major challenges facing UK science and technology (S&T) as a result of Brexit. There are, most immediately, the threatened loss of S&T funding from a range of EU sources, including capital and infrastructure funding; there are the collaborations between scientists and researchers that the EU has fostered for decades; and there is the potential threat to freedom of movement that could seriously damage the ability of scientists themselves to develop the international collaborations that are essential to the conduct of research in the modern world.

To answer this, I think government needs to do two things. First, any threatened loss of funding needs to be guaranteed in the interim period, particularly whilst negotiations are underway. This is the only way to ensure that existing programmes are funded and the uncertainties reduced. Second, we should work with science trade unions and other stakeholders to ensure the security and growth of the sector in the face of difficult challenges ahead, including involvement in negotiations where needed.

The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Show all 11 1 /11 The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He called Hezbollah and Hamas friends True. In a speech made to the Stop the War Coalition in 2009, Mr Corbyn called representatives from both groups friends after inviting them to Parliament. He later told Channel 4 he wanted both groups, who have factions designated as international terror organisations, to be part of the debate for the Middle East peace process. I use (the word friends) in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk, he added. Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. Reuters The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a tragedy Partly false. David Cameron used this as a line of attack at the Conservative Party conference but appears to have left out all context from Mr Corbyns original remarks. In an 2011 interview on Iranian television, the then-backbencher said the fact the al-Qaeda leader was not put on trial was the tragedy, continuing: The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is haunted by the legacy of his evil great-great-grandfather False. A Daily Express expose revealed that the Labour leaders ancestor, James Sargent, was the despotic master of a Victorian workhouse. Addressing the report at the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he had never heard of him before, adding: I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not doing the decent thing and going back in time and having a chat with him about his appalling behaviour. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn raised a motion about pigeon bombs in Parliament This one is true. On 21 May 2004, Mr Corbyn raised an early day motion entitled pigeon bombs, proposing that the House register being appalled but barely surprised that MI5 reportedly proposed to load pigeons with explosives as a weapon. The motion continued: The House believes that humans represent the most obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal species ever to inhabit the planet and looks forward to the day when the inevitable asteroid slams into the earth and wipes them out thus giving nature the opportunity to start again. It was not carried. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He rides a Communist bicycle False. A report in The Times referred to Mr Corbyn, known for his cycling, riding a Chairman Mao-style bicycle earlier this year. Less thorough journalists might have referred to it as just a bicycle, but no, so we have to conclude that whenever we see somebody on a bicycle from now on, there goes another supporter of Chairman Mao, he later joked. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn 'Jeremy Corbyn will appoint a special minister for Jews' False so far. The Sun report in December was allegedly based on a rumour passed to the paper by a Daily Express columnist who has written pieces critical of the Labour leader in the past. The minister did not materialise in his shadow cabinet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn wishes Britain would abolish its Army False. Another gem from The Sun took comments made at a Hiroshima remembrance parade in August 2012 where Mr Corbyn supported Costa Ricas move to abolish it armed forces. Wouldnt it be wonderful if every politician around the worldabolished the army and took pride in the fact that they dont have an army, he added. The caveat that every politician must take the step suggests Mr Corbyn does not support UK disarmament just yet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn stole sandwiches meant for veterans False. The Guido Fawkes blog claimed that the Labour leader took sandwiches meant for veterans at at Battle of Britain memorial service in September but a photo later emerged showing him being handed one by Costa volunteers, who later confirmed they were given to all guests. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He missed the induction into the Queens privy council True. After much speculation about Mr Corbyns republican views and willingness to bow to the monarch, his office confirmed that he did not attend the official induction to the privy council because of a prior engagement, but did not rule out joining the body. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing the national anthem. Partly true. The Labour leader was filmed standing in silence as God Save the Queen was sung at a Battle of Britain remembrance service but will reportedly sing it in future. Mr Corbyn was elusive on the issue in an interview, saying he would show memorials respect in the proper way, but sources said he would sing the anthem at future occasions. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cheese True. The group lists its purpose as the following: To increase awareness of issues surrounding the dairy industry and focus on economic issues affecting the dairy industry and producers.

Supporting science and scientific research across the whole country is a central part of my policy pledges to rebuild and transform Britain. Particularly in the light of the Brexit vote, it is clear that too many of our communities have been left behind. Yet there is huge potential out there in Britain's heritage of scientific research and in its ongoing world-class research. That exists across the country, like in the north-east's life science specialism. We should be building on that heritage, rather than putting it at risk as the Tories' 1bn real-terms funding cuts have done.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has already spoken of the need to drive UK science funding up to three per cent of GDP, increasing government funding for research as part of that with a commitment to longer-term real funding increases, just as the US, China and Germany are doing. Labour's previous 10-year framework for science funding provided a good framework for secure and stable funding; but alongside this, I've highlighted the creation of new institutions, like the US's ARPA-E energy research institute that provide space for blue skies research.

I want to see the UK implementing an active industrial strategy, focusing on new, science-led sectors like renewable energy and healthcare, that can provide the high-paid, high-skilled jobs of the future. Finland in the 1990s provided an example of how an economy can turn itself round with a science-led industrial strategy, drawing on scientists, employers, and wider civil society. I'd back this up with a new 250bn National Investment Bank and a network of regional development banks, able to unlock the potential of our regions and nations, providing the long-term, patient investment for high-potential projects that our financial system otherwise leaves behind.

Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Show all 12 1 /12 Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn's reshuffle Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn and the Syria bombing vote Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn asks questions from the public at PMQs, meanwhile backbenchers plot to oust him Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn is unavailable to attend the Privy Council Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Conference rejects Corbyns call to debate Trident Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn At Labour conference Corbyn and McDonnell press for a Robin Hood tax Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyns hopes for a new politics look optimistic in the face of a media barrage Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn enters Labour leadership race

Successive governments have promised support for evidence-based policy making, but have failed to deliver. How will you ensure that you are well-informed when making policy decisions, given that the current civil service infrastructure does not seem to allow for this?

The role of government chief scientists has been critical in starting to win the battle for robust, evidence-based policymaking  even if many of the decisions taken by this current government have appeared to fly in the face of that evidence, not least on the issue of climate change. I want to see science brought into the heart of policymaking: in the development of a modern industrial strategy; in informing public policy in all aspects; and, not least, in informing the public and improving scientific education.

Where would you rank climate change in terms of the current risks to the country, and how would you act to mitigate both its causes and effects? Should nuclear power have a greater role in doing this?

Climate change is the biggest single challenge facing not only this country but the whole of humanity. Action to mitigate its causes and effects should be an essential part of how a modern government acts. We need to get on track with meeting our obligations under the Climate Change Act. At the international level, I think we have to take our fair share to meet the goals of the Paris agreement.

Britain could be a world-leader in action on climate change, and in developing the low-carbon economy that is the best way to secure jobs and living standards into the future. So we will accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, and drive the expansion of the green industries and jobs of the future, using our National Investment Bank to invest in public and community-owned renewable energy. We will deliver clean energy and curb energy bill rises for households. We will defend and extend the environmental protections gained from the EU.

The deal at Hinkley Point has brought the UK's energy and climate change policy into sharp focus. I've been particularly concerned that a major national asset is being handed over to developers and producers from overseas. This is not a sensible or democratic way to develop a national energy strategy, and when the costs involved to consumers, especially big producers, are so astronomically high, the economics of the deal make little sense. We'll be monitoring the situation closely to make sure the jobs the community has been promised are delivered; that users and taxpayers get a fair deal; and that the UK's overriding commitments to meeting climate change goals are on target.

The NHS currently spends hundreds of millions of pounds funding alternative and homeopathic medicine. Would this policy continue under your Labour government?

I don't support the NHS spending taxpayers money on medicine where it is not backed up by clear, scientific evidence as to its effectiveness.

Genetically modified (GM) crops offer the opportunity to drastically increase global food yields, but have not seen substantial uptake in this country. Would you support their greater use within the UK?

This question gets us to the central issue of evidence-based policymaking. There are fundamental questions at stake about the ability of humanity to feed itself, but, equally, we must recognise the public concerns that have been raised around GM crops. I would want to see well-informed, widespread public debate on this and other scientific issues. On issues of intense public controversy like this it is only with public consent that progress can be made  that's what a democratic society should be about. I will fight for improved scientific education in schools, and have been concerned by efforts to undermine or remove key parts of the science national curriculum like removing climate change education.

During the last leadership contest, both the leader and deputy leader promised to have a cabinet-level minster for science. This did not happen. Will you commit to having a cabinet-level shadow minister for science?

Science certainly deserves more prominence than the current government is giving it, with both the closure of a dedicated climate change department and the disappearance of science into the expanded business department. This does require the creation of a Cabinet-level minister with a clear responsibility for science. However, I think science and scientific evidence should be present in every part of government policymaking, cutting across the different departments.

The government chief scientists already do a good job of making sure this happens, but I would like to see scientific expertise brought into making critical economic decisions, particularly in the development of an active industrial strategy. Finland's example of the Science and Technology Policy Committee, drawing in scientists, businesses, unions and others in civil society in the development of a high-technology industrial strategy has been exemplary in this respect.
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Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of showing no interest in science by the chair of campaign group Scientists for Labour, which is now considering taking the unusual step of balloting its members in order to nominate a candidate in the leadership election.

Ahead of the party vote, the group sent six questions to Mr Corbyn and his rival Owen Smith designed to find out where they stood on the current issues in science, particularly the prospect of leaving the European Union.

The scientific community was left reeling by Brexit referendum vote, as freedom of movement has allowed academics and students from the EU to come to Britain and UK science has done disproportionately well in winning EU research grants.

Even the pro-Brexit Scientists for Britain group has insisted the UK will still have access to EU research grants after leaving, suggesting it would be Armageddon for British science if this did not happen.

However there are fears that the most anti-EU Conservative MPs will be able to force all ties with the bloc to be severed.

Given this background, the chair of Scientists for Labour, John Unsworth, said it was important the Labour's leadership got science.

Corbyn himself has shown no interest in science. [John] McDonnell has, but very much at the economic level. At the science level there has been very little interest, he said, stressing he was speaking in a personal capacity.

He said he and other members of Scientists for Labour's executive committee had felt Mr Smith's statement on science was very impressive.

"To me, the big different between the two is Jeremy's is much more woolly and imprecise and skirts some of the more difficult issues more lightly," he said.

Mr Unsworth also criticised Mr Corbyn for failing to create a shadow science minister  an idea he had supported during last year's Labour leadership contest and again in his replies to the group's questions.

However a source within Scientist for Labour claimed most of the group's committee were supporters of Mr Smith and made their mind up in opposition to Jeremy's leadership well before the leadership challenge happened.

Personally, I am very impressed by Jeremy's dedication to science. He was, in fact, the first candidate to raise science as an issue when he committed to provide jobs for the future by boosting science spending, the insider added.

And a source close to the Labour leader said: The idea that Jeremy doesn't care about science is absolute nonsense.

He noted that the patrons of Scientists for Labour were Gordon Brown, a champion of New Labour, and Lord Sainsbury, who was nominated to become a member of the House of Lords by Tony Blair and then became science minister in Government a year later.

In his response to the questions from Scientists for Labour, Mr Smith said the subject was central to the success of any advanced economy; pledged to boost investment in the green economy, saying climate change must be treated very seriously; and criticised NHS spending on homeopathy and other alternative therapies that have not been proved scientifically.

He also warned that Brexit would be extremely damaging to UK science and pledged to work to prevent right-wing Leavers negotiating a right-wing deal that would sever most or all ties with EU if he was elected Labour leader.

Mr Unsworth said: We dont know Owen very well to be honest. Hes relatively new to us. We were very impressed with the quality of the replies he gave to us on a variety of issues.

The one thats perturbing us most is the impact of Brexit. His comments around the importance of the EU to science and the importance of getting any Brexit settlement right for science are really important.

Recommended Read more Hawking leads top UK scientists in major Brexit intervention

In his statement, Mr Corbyn said Brexit was presenting the UK with a series of major challenges; suggested the UK should learn from Finlands science-led economic drive in the 1990s; talked about increasing UK science funding up to three per cent of GDP; and said it was essential to trying to minimise the effects of climate change.

He also said science certainly deserves more prominence than the current government is giving it, with both the closure of a dedicated climate change department and the disappearance of science into the expanded business department.

This does require the creation of a Cabinet-level minister with a clear responsibility for science, Mr Corbyn said.

Yvonne Fovargue quit as shadow minister for consumer affairs and science  during the mass resignations of shadow ministers in June and has not been replaced.

She was not a Shadow Cabinet member. The current science minister, Jo Johnson, is not a member of Theresa May's Cabinet.

Mr Unsworth said Mr Corbyn had made similar comments about having a science minister in his Shadow Cabinet but that was something he did not deliver on.

The science shadow, prior to the mass resignations, was a lady who was relatively junior and had dual responsibility with consumer affairs. It was really ridiculously over-loaded," Mr Unsworth said.

However he added that shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Labour MP Seema Malhotra, who was shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, both seemed pretty pro science.

 Theresa May says she has an 'open mind' over Brexit negotiations

Mr Unsworth said Scientists for Labour, which had told both candidates it was not planning to vote for a preferred candidate for Labour leader, would now consider whether to formally nominate Mr Smith or Mr Corbyn.

We dont normally nominate as an organisation, partly because we feel it is imperative we ballot all our members and were not really happy to do that until we have got two science statements [from the candidates], Mr Unsworth said.

We dont particularly want to ballot members on their general political views. Its their attitudes towards science which would dictate any nomination.

Id consult with the EC [executive committee] to do that. We havent normally done it because it takes too long. Its just a possibility.
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The body of a 14-year-old boy who went missing while swimming in the sea with his friend has been found five days later.

Yahye Omar Mohamed was discovered lifeless on a beach in north Wales and his body was identified by family members.

His friend, Waseem Muflahi, was still missing and emergency and rescue services were continuing to look for the 15-year-old in the area.

Andy McGregor, a police inspector with North Wales Police, said: "Yahye was identified by family members and our thoughts are very much with them at this time.

"They are being supported by specialist Family Liaison Officers and we hope you can respect the family's privacy at this very difficult time."

Yahye, from Birmingham, was reported missing while on a trip with his friend Waseem to the holiday resort of Barmouth on 7 August.

The pair had travelled to the beauty spot as part of a cohort of around 500 people from Birmingham's Yemeni and Somali communities.

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His body was discovered on the Sunny Sands beach in Gwynedd at 11.35am on Friday. The death is not being treated as suspicious and the coroner has been informed.

An extensive air, land and sea search coordinated by the UK Coastguard was called off on 9 August pending further information, but a more limited search for Waseem was continuing.

Additional reporting from agencies
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Transport for London has announced it will waive the 2 hire charge for its popular Santander Cycles this weekend to mark the bikes sixth anniversary in the capital.

Inspired by a similar cycle hire scheme in Paris, the red bicycles  which used to be blue  were introduced to Londons streets by then mayor of London Boris Johnson in 2010, earning them the nickname Boris bikes.

On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August, tourists and Londoners can unlock one of the bulky rides from any docking station in the city for free by using the code FREE2016.

They will then be able to go anywhere on the bike in the first 30 minutes without a charge, as usual.

But day-trippers should be warned that while they can make as many separate free 30-minute journeys in 24 hours as they like, any extra minutes after the first half hour will be charged to the card they used to take out the bike.

The bicycles have been sponsored by British bank Santander, owned by the Spanish Santander group, since April 2015. Before that they were sponsored by Barclays.

Which electric bike would suit you? Show all 3 1 /3 Which electric bike would suit you? Which electric bike would suit you? CONVENTIONAL For a normal riding experience with occasional assistance, Cytronex secretes the neat little motor in the bottle holder of a range of conventional racing and hybrid bikes. A small NiMH water-bottle battery gives modest hill-climbing and range of only 20 miles, but it should work for a decade or so. Prices from 1,345. cytronex.com Which electric bike would suit you? COMMUTER Think BMW - the German-made Kalkhoff has been a best buy for a decade. These machines are well equipped for daily commuting, with powerful lights and full weather equipment. Assistance comes from Kalkhoff's hill-crunching crank-drive and a choice of big, reliable lithium-ion batteries. Range is up to 50 miles, with prices from 1,695. 50cycles.com Which electric bike would suit you? FOLDER The Nano is based on the iconic Brompton. There are three lithium-ion battery options, housed in the front pannier, which clips on and off. Range is from 10 to 40 miles, depending on the battery. Prices from 680 (as a DIY kit for an existing Brompton) to 1,800 for a complete bike, depending on spec. nanoelectricbikes.co.uk

More than 52 million journeys have been made on the bicycles since they were launched in London, where there are now more than 785 docking stations.

In June, a similar city bike rental scheme started in Milton Keynes, also sponsored by Santander.

And Liverpool, Oxford, and Sheffield are among the towns with their own bicycle hire schemes, most of which are run by the company Hourbike, which has been providing them since 2007.
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A zoo has been criticised by a campaign group for staging an adults-only "Big Night Out" event aimed at stag and hen dos amid claims it made animals "highly stressed".

The Independent has been passed undercover video footage of two lions pacing back and forth rapidly for several minutes during the Friday night party at Bristol Zoo, where there was alcohol and loud music from a live band.

Such behaviour is believed by many vets to be a classic sign of stress, but the zoo categorically dismissed this, saying the lions were taking an interest in the event and the pacing seen in the footage was in anticipation of seeing [their zoo keepers] and not as a result of sound levels.

The event, which charged 15 a head for 1,400 people, was billed by the zoo beforehand as perfect for birthdays, stag and hen parties and where animal welfare would not be compromised.

It ran until 10.30pm and featured bars, a live band, a silent disco at which some dancers sang loudly while wearing headphones, and gave access to the boundaries of secure animal enclosures where revellers were allowed to take pints of lager and cans of Jack Daniel's mixers.

Alcohol-fuelled events were scrapped by London Zoo last year after a series of revelations about the behaviour of revellers in 2014, including a man pouring beer over a tiger, another man stripping off and trying to jump into the penguin enclosure, and a drunken woman reportedly trying to enter the lions den.

At Bristol, the live band and dance floor were in the zoos grounds but away from the main animal enclosures.

Comments left on the zoos Facebook page in the days after the event suggested the noise could be heard by residents in the Bristol area two miles away.

A poster for Bristol Zoo's Big Night Out party event

The event took place on 29 July and was covertly filmed by an investigator from the Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS), which campaigns to ban animals being kept in zoos. The investigator mingled with partygoers around the zoos grounds and with the exception of a couple of boisterous voices they were found to be generally well behaved and respectful when near the animals.

However, the investigator was alarmed by the relentless pacing up and down of the two large lions. When she asked a zoo staff member for an explanation, she was told: Because there is so much going on that is unusual for them. Obviously normally there's not music, normally there's not people here at 10 o'clock at night, it does stress them out a bit... it can be a trigger to stress.

Bristol Zoo said the staff member was not a qualified keeper, but declined to specify what experience she had or even what job she was carrying out.

A spokeswoman said: Our two male lions were monitored throughout the evening by our qualified animal keepers.

The lions were hand-reared by our keepers after being abandoned by their mother at 13 days old. As such, these keepers became their mother figures' and they still have that association. The pacing seen in the footage was in anticipation of seeing someone they knew and not as a result of sound levels.

They also had access to their quiet, off-show dens but chose to spend their time in the main paddock. We cordoned off this area to keep guests away from the glass to minimise any additional disturbance out of normal operating hours. They spent a large part of the remainder of the evening resting or sleeping.

We strictly monitor noise levels throughout the event to ensure they do not exceed levels set by the local authority and that are comfortable for our animals and guests.

British zoos put on alert over rising threat of rhino rustlers Show all 2 1 /2 British zoos put on alert over rising threat of rhino rustlers British zoos put on alert over rising threat of rhino rustlers Pg-8-rhino2-afp.jpg AFP British zoos put on alert over rising threat of rhino rustlers Pg-8-rhino-ap.jpg AP

Approximately 1,400 people attended the event. We had a strong staff and security presence on site to monitor guests, which meant we were able to allow food and drink into areas where it is usually prohibited.

The Big Night Out, which has been held at the zoo over the last three years has been a huge success. Most importantly, our guests have consistently shown a huge amount of respect for the zoo and our animals, which makes us feel proud of Bristol, the people who like to enjoy the zoo and the events we put on.

But Marc Bekoff, former professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado in the US and a patron of CAPS, said: These lions are clearly highly stressed. They are pacing back and forth and extremely vigilant. If they behaved like this every day I'd imagine they'd suffer from severe psychological problems from this level of stress.

Nicola O'Brien, campaign director at CAPS, said: This is not the first time we and others have documented the negative impacts of these night time events on animals yet zoos continue to run these events.

The only way to prevent this happening again is to end them once and for all. If zoos really care about animal welfare, they will stop organising these events.
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Usually, the aisles of Sainsburys on Hackney Road in east London on a Saturday evening are filled with shoppers quickly grabbing dinner and bottles of booze for the weekend. But on 13 August the store was packed with dozens of activists kissing in protest after a same-sex couple had been escorted from the premises for holding hands.

A security guard at the supermarket forced Thomas Rees, 32, and his boyfriend Joshua Bradwell, 25, to leave on 8 August after a customer complained about them touching inappropriately.

Sainsburys apologised and offered the couple a 10 voucher to spend in store, but activists said that the gesture doesnt cut it and urged protesters to gather for a mass kiss-in.

Mr Rees told The Independent at the "Big Gay Kiss-in" that he and Mr Bradwell were initially uncertain about attending the protest but were blown away by the unreal response.

"I feel amazing, elated, overjoyed and I cant stop smiling. Its undone everything," he said.

"It realigns our faith in our community. We felt let down, but to see this turnout is incredible," added Mr Bradwell.

Protesters, who blared "Kiss Kiss" by Holly Valance from a portable speaker in the store, cheered when Mr Rees and Mr Bradwell joined the crowd to kick-off the event at 6.30pm. Cars driving past the supermarket beeped their horns in support.

Josh Bradwell (L) and Thomas Rees embrace outside the Sainsbury's where they were told to leave for holding hands (Kashmira Gander)

Inside the store, kissing couples lined the aisles while others cheered and waved rainbow flags. Some, including a drag-queen towering in leather heels, danced in the shop window.

"The more we [LGBT people] hold hands, kiss, and show affection in public the more healthy we will be as a society. People are only shocked because they have never seen two men together before. That's how shock happens, it comes from fear," said Mr Rees.

Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander Big Gay Kiss protest - In pictures Kashmira Gander

Mr Bradwell added that he was shocked that he was discriminated against in the cosmopolitan capital.

"This protest is adding fuel to a fire of conversation that people are people and love is love and humans are humans," he said.

Asked how they would react if they were to encounter the woman who complained, Mr Rees said he would simply give her a hug. The couple, who had never attended a protest before, said they felt inspired to become involved in LGBT activism.

Thomas Rees and Joshua Bradwell kiss inside the store days after they were told to leave for holding hands. (Kashmira Gander)

They added that they hope Sainsburys will better train their staff to avoid such incidents in the future.

Rodent DeCay, the drag queen who had danced in the supermarket window, told The Independent: We are here, we are queer and we won't go away."

The protest was a symbol of LGBT people demanding to be seen, said the 22-year-old.

Discrimination and hate crimes against the LGBT community have come to the fore recently after 49 people were killed and 53 were injured at a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It was the largest mass shooting in US history.

Joshua Hubbard, a 25-year-old dancer, moved to London from Manchester four months ago partly in the hope of escaping homophobic abuse. "To move to London and find out that something like that happened was disappointing. I want to feel free. It's sometimes difficult to show your identity how you want to when you are faced with hatred," he said.

"With the Orlando shooting this year it is so important to go and support your community because who else is going to?"

Michael Segalov, a journalist at the culture magazine Huck, organised the Big Gay Kiss on Facebook. He had previously set up a similar event at a Sainsburys store in Brighton where hundreds of protesters had gathered after two women complained that a security guard called them disgusting for kissing.

A spokesperson from Sainsburys commented prior to the protest: We have apologised to Thomas and Josh for their unfair treatment earlier in the week and we understand why people want to come together to highlight this issue. We hope Saturday's event provides an opportunity for the community to show their support at what we hope will be an enjoyable event.
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Jeremy Corbyn this weekend told a rally in Milton Keynes that the Labour Partys 500,000 strong membership can sweep the party to power at the next general election. He spoke in the wake of the Court of Appeal decision that 130,000 of the partys newest members will not be allowed to vote in the forthcoming leadership election.

That decision has likely lessened Mr Corbyns chances of winning  but he remains the strong favourite. He claims his partys new members are full of energy and ideas and will be a major part of his plans in government. But Labour is 14 points behind the Conservatives in the polls, at 28 per cent compared to 42 per cent  a figure that would demolish the party at the next election. His leadership opponent Owen Smith said that Labour may disappear overnight without change

The Court of Appeal ruling overturns the High Court victory for five Labour Party members who called for the 130,000 newcomers to be allowed to vote in the leadership election. Previously, Labours central body, the National Executive Committee, declared they were not. The five say they may take the decision to the Supreme Court. Mr Corbyns supporters took less than 24 hours to raise the 30,000 legal bill the five members had to foot. Mr Corbyn told his Milton Keynes audience that those excluded from voting could still help Labour into government.

Using our mass membership we can organise within communities and communicate with voters in a more effective way than ever before, he said. With over half a million members, Labour can be at the heart of every community in Britain and win the next general election.

That movement contains new energy, new ideas and it's a major part of our plan for government.

Mr Smith said political parties take a long, long time to rise, but history tells us they can disappear very, very quickly  they can disappear overnight.

And right now it feels to me as though we are needed as never before, he said.

Mr Smith has vowed that, should he win, he will fight to keep the UK within the European Union. But he has also made much of Labours need to regain favour in crucial marginal areas like Nuneaton and Kingswood. Both these areas voted for Brexit.

The morning after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Mr Corbyn, who had campaigned for Remain, called for Article 50 to be triggered straight away. Mr Smith said Labour must hold the Government to account throughout its Brexit negotiations, but accepted it will not deliver what its architects promised.

It will not be a simple set of trade deals, it will not be an end to immigration, it will not be more money for public services  none of those things will come to pass, he said.

And at the end of this we should have the courage to say to the British people, if it isn't what you wanted then we would put it back to you  either as a second referendum or at a general election.
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Labour MPs trying to oust Jeremy Corbyn were given a ray of hope when the Appeal Court ruled that 130,000 new members will not be allowed to vote in the partys leadership election.

Mr Corbyn attacked the decision by three judges as wrong both legally and democratically as the unprecedented dispute between him and Labour HQ reached new levels of bitterness. The court backed Labours decision to exclude the new members.

John McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor and chair of Mr Corbyns leadership campaign, said: I just find it shaming for a democratic party like ours, with a tradition over a century of campaigning for democracy throughout our society. We are now undermining the democracy of our own party. They used a grubby little device.

Most of the barred members were thought likely to vote for Mr Corbyn rather than his challenger Owen Smith. However, some of the 130,000 disenfranchised members may get a vote because they also paid 25 to become registered supporters.

Mr Corbyn is still expected to win re-election next month. But the Appeal Court ruling means Mr Smith might run him closer, and it could encourage some waverers to back the challenger if they think the result is still in doubt.

The judges upheld an appeal by Labour against the High Courts ruling that people who joined the party between January and July should get a vote in the contest. The High Court ruled against the controversial cut-off date decided by Labours governing body, its national executive committee (NEC).

The five Labour members who challenged the courts original ruling must pay 30,000 towards the NECs 60,000 costs within 28 days. Permission to appeal to the Supreme Court was denied. An application to the highest court could still be made, but a Corbyn ally told The Independent this was unlikely.

The Appeal Court verdict was a victory for Iain McNichol, Labours general secretary, who led the appeal and Tom Watson, the partys deputy leader, who backed it. Left-wingers had warned their positions would become untenable if they lost the costly appeal. Any immediate threat to them has receded  although Mr Corbyn could use his new muscle following elections to the NEC to try to sack Mr McNichol at a later stage as his allies try to strengthen their grip on the party. Mr Watson, who was elected by Labour members, is in a stronger position.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyns leadership campaign said it was the wrong decision - both legally and democratically because it would disenfranchise members told when joining the party that they would have a vote in any leadership election.

The Corbyn camp said: Crucial to the outcome today was the introduction of a new argument by the Labour Party HQs lawyers, who invoked an obscure clause in the Labour Party rules which could be read as giving the NEC the right to ignore all of the rules laid out for leadership elections. In other words, this is a make it up as you go along rule. We do not think that making it up as you go along is a reasonable way to conduct democracy in our party.

The Rev Edward Leir, one of the five disenfranchised members who took legal action, told journalists the judgement was highly disappointing. Mr Leir, who revealed he had campaigned for David Cameron in the 2010 election but had been won over by Mr Corbyn, added: The case was always about fairness and inclusion, which was won in the High Court on Monday, with clear and firm judgement.I am very grateful for everyone, including the 2,000 donors, who have supported our fight over this matter so far. A crowdfunding page set up to cover the costs of the members legal fees had received over 36,000 in donations from members of the public.

Mr Smith said the Appeal Court decision would change his approach. He added: I'm meeting people who joined the Labour Party to renew the Labour Party, some of those people initially might have supported Jeremy, but increasingly I think I am persuading them we need a new generation of Labour men and women to carry the flag forward for us, to get us ready for power once more.

Announcing the Court of Appeal's decision on Friday, Lord Justice Beatson, sitting with Lady Justice Macur and Lord Justice Sales, said: On the correct interpretation of the party rules, the NEC has the power to set the criteria for members to be eligible to vote in the leadership election in the way that it did.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters 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. 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Labour had argued that the partys governing body, rather than the courts, are the ultimate arbiter of the rule book. Lawyers for the five - the Rev Leir, Christine Evangelou, Hannah Fordham, Chris Granger and FM, an unnamed teenage member - argued that the NEC had no power under the rules to retrospectively freeze a full member's ability to vote in leadership elections.

Paddy Lillis, who chairs the NEC, said the party welcomed the decision to exclude the new members from voting in the forthcoming contest. The party has said consistently throughout this process that we would defend vigorously the decisions of the NEC, he said.

Before the courts decision, the Corbyn camp played down the prospects of victory for the five members. I wouldnt be surprised if it didnt go our way. Its a coin toss, one ally said.
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Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has pledged to prevent "right-wing Leavers" forcing through an extreme Brexit deal that damages the UK's economy and scientific research if he is elected party leader.

Mr Smith and Jeremy Corbyn, who he is standing against for party leader, were asked a series of questions by the Scientists for Labour campaign group.

Asked about the challenges posed by the prospect of Britain leaving the European Union, Mr Smith it was "extremely damaging to UK science", partly because of the beneficial effects of free movement of people and the single market  both of which some Leave campaigners oppose.

The UK could potentially negotiate a deal in which it leaves the EU but stays part of the single market and maintains free movement.

"As leader I would lead a strong and competent opposition to prevent right-wing Leavers negotiating a right-wing deal," Mr Smith said.

"It is also why I have committed to a second referendum or general election on the terms of Brexit  the people should have the final say on whether they are happy with the Tory deal."

The full questions and answers are below:

Scientists for Labour: What do you see as the main challenges facing UK science and technology as a result of Brexit? What will you do to support this sector across the entire country, rather than just in London and the South East?

Mr Smith: Brexit is extremely damaging to UK science. Free movement and the single market have been positive for UK science. EU programmes such as Horizon 2020, Erasmus and other programmes, and infrastructure funds coming from budget heads like the European Regional Development Fund, are associated with many of our science investments. These are not simply economic considerations but are fundamental to the way in which modern science is undertaken. The government have thus far failed to properly calculate how much that is [let] alone set out a strategy for the future. That is why as Leader I would lead a strong and competent opposition to prevent right-wing Leavers negotiating a right-wing deal. It is also why I have committed to a second referendum or general election on the terms of Brexit  the people should have the final say on whether they are happy with the Tory deal.

However science and technology faces a longer term problem that has carried on throughout successive governments. R&D spending as a percentage of GDP is below the EU average and around half the internationally recognised ambition of 3% of GDP. As part of my 200bn British New Deal, 40bn will be invested in the new industries of the future, and as part of that we will invest 15bn into the Green Investment Bank.

On the second part of your question, I have argued at many meetings during this campaign that we need a strategy that embraces the whole of the UK, partly because of the moral case that demands greater equality across our Nations, but also because it is absurd to disregard the talent pool outside of London and the South East. Countries that have established regional economic policies with mechanisms to engage with scientists and engineers have been able to weather the storm of global economic downturns better than us and we should learn from them. I would want to work with the science community not just in central government but also see them engaged at a regional level to explore how we can maximise the use of the skills we have and to develop the next generation. As an example, we have heard a lot of rhetoric about the Northern Powerhouse but little is happening on the ground. I have pledged that 50bn of the British New Deal will be invested in the North of England.

Successive governments have promised support for evidence-based policy making, but have failed to deliver. How will you ensure that you are well-informed when making policy decisions, given that the current civil service infrastructure does not seem to allow for this?

I sympathise with the question when one looks at the way in which Owen Paterson developed policy based evidence, but there are some good news stories! Since Harold Wilson appointed Solly Zuckerman in 1964 as the very first government chief scientist, there have been steps in the right direction. The network of departmental chief scientists is now well established and the scientific input into policy making is far better than it was. It is at its best when there is a strong science minister (I will come back to that in answer to q6) and a strong GCSA. One of the things I would like to explore with scientists and engineers is whether we can create a better way of drawing in all the expertise that exists. The system for dealing with science advice in emergencies that was radically changed by John Beddington provides a model of what we might consider  not just in emergencies but routinely.

Where would you rank climate change in terms of the current risks to the country, and how would you act to mitigate both its causes and effects? Should nuclear power have a greater role in doing this?

The first duty of a government is to protect its people. Climate change must be treated very seriously and we need to be mindful of our global responsibilities as well as risks to our country. I would start by saying we should be proud of the work Labour did in this area we were last in government. The whole of this debate creates both problems and opportunities for any advanced nation. There is a huge amount of work being undertaken on fuel efficiency, low carbon and zero carbon technologies where the UK has a lot to offer.

The Government is on the path to privatizing the Green Investment Bank, a decision that is wrong for the green economy, and wrong for Britain. Under my leadership, it would be in Government hands. So far the bank has committed 2.7bn to the UKs green economy generating transactions of 11bn. But to achieve our legally binding environment targets we require an investment of 330bn in the UKs green economy by 2020 - investment to date is less than half that. So under my leadership, I would capitalise the bank with a massive injection of 15bn over the next five years.

We have increasing power demands which we cannot meet without a mixed portfolio of energy sources, including nuclear. We should be getting on with Hinkley Point, not least because there are thousands and thousands of jobs depending on this project. Prevarication and weakness from the government is jeopardising those jobs.

The NHS currently spends hundreds of millions of pounds funding alternative and homeopathic medicine. Would this policy continue under your Labour government?

I dont think public money should be used to pay for treatments that arent proven to be clinically effective. These matters should be made by clinicians, and based on evidence of what works.

Genetically Modified (GM) crops offer the opportunity to drastically increase global food yields, but have not seen substantial uptake in this country. Would you support their greater use within the UK?

It is hard to envisage feeding a world with 9 or 10 billion people without using novel forms of food production. However I recognise the concerns about genetic modification. In authorising the properly regulated use of any technology, government should proactively address public concerns. I would want to see independent organisations like Sense About Science playing a key role in communicating issues like this in a balanced way.

During the last leadership contest, both the leader and deputy leader promised to have a cabinet-level minster for science. This did not happen. Will you commit to having a cabinet-level shadow minister for science?

The Minister for Science needs to reach well beyond the current role within the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. There are hugely complex science policy issues that need addressing in almost all departments and in the same way in which the GCSA seeks to bring together science issues by co-ordinating the work of the departmental chief scientists, there is a case for that to happen at a political level. Some recent politicians are acknowledged as being excellent advocates for science without being formal members of the Cabinet. I am open to persuasion as to whether we need to make the post a cabinet appointment, but it is vital that we have a substantial figure in that role who provides the leadership and drive that is necessary.

He was also asked to submitted a short statement setting out his "vision for science and technology" under a Labour Government:

Science is central to the success of any advanced economy as well as being vital to help feed the world and address the challenges of climate change. Britains science and technology is world-beating. Think of our history as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and workshop of the world. From the steam engine to graphene we have revolutionised the world.

But our world-beating science and technology is under threat. In the short term Brexit poses a profound threat to investment and collaboration. I will lead a strong and competent Opposition to fight against right-wing Brexiteers negotiating a right-wing Brexit deal. It is also why I have committed to a second referendum or general election on the terms of Brexit  the people should have the final say on whether they are happy with the Tory deal.

Over the long term we have failed to invest enough in research and development, and we have allowed our manufacturing strength to wither. Less is invested in research, and fewer people make things. Our economy has hollowed out and we have failed to look to the future. So as part of the 200bn British New Deal, 40bn will be invested in the new industries of the future, and as part of that we will invest 15bn into the Green Investment Bank. I want our country to discover, to invent, to make things, and to sell them abroad. I want us to lead the world again.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to set out my views on some key science topics with you. There is much more I could say and as leader I would want to ensure that the machinery exist to enable us to explore those issues much further in the interests of the people we seek to represent.
A truck transfers containers at Qingdao port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 8, 2016.(Xinhua/Yu Fangping)

China's top economic planner has pledged more efforts to support the green sector after the country fulfilled its energy-saving targets and saw the environment improve in the first half of this year.

A national plan will be drafted on the development of energy-saving and environmentally friendly industries for the 2016-2020 period, according to a latest statement from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The government will encourage more qualified companies to issue green bonds, the NDRC said.

It will also consider setting up a fund to support the green industry and attract private investment.

Tax breaks will continue for firms using energy-saving and environmentally friendly equipment, the NDRC noted.

It said China made headway in energy saving and environmental protection in the first six months, with the energy consumption per 10,000 yuan (1,500 U.S. dollars) of GDPdropping 5.2 percent year on year, exceeding the annual target of 3.4 percent.

The country also saw lower emissions of major pollutants, with the density of PM2.5, a type of particulate matter that causes hazardous smog, falling 9.3 percent year on year.

In the first half, 338 cities saw the number of days with good air quality reach 76.7 percent of all days in the period, up from 72.7 percent a year earlier, NDRC figures showed.
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The Government has moved to safeguard billions of pounds of EU funding for universities, business, farmers and run-down areas after Brexit.

Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, tried to allay fears that thousands of organisations which rely on EU funds could be left high and dry when the UK leaves the EU. His pledge covers about 4.6bn a year from the Common Agricultural Policy, regional and social funds for poor regions and about 1.5bn a year for business and universities, including scientific and medical research.

While the Treasury guarantee will be welcomed by the groups affected, it lasts only until 2020. There could be a scramble for funding after that unless the guarantee is extended.

The pledge highlights the costs of the Brexit despite highly contested claims by Leave campaigners during the referendum that quitting the EU would save 350m a week 18.2bn a year.

The underwriting will also worsen the public finances, which face a hit from the economic slowdown expected after the Brexit vote. Theresa May has already abandoned George Osbornes plan to run a budget surplus by 2020 and Mr Hammond is expected to announce a hike in borrowing in his Autumn Statement in November or December.

Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: It is complete brass neck from the Treasury to try and spin that matching the funding that businesses, scientists and farmers currently receive from Europe is somehow a benefit.

What happens after 2020? Where is the extra 350m a week for the NHS that the Leave campaign promised? There must also now be assurances that this money will cover everything that is currently done and not become a way for ministers to pick and choose pet projects in the face of an increasingly turbulent post-referendum economy.

However, the Treasury hopes its guarantees will improve growth prospects by allowing projects to boost economic development that might have been shelved to go ahead.

All structural and investment fund projects signed before the Autumn Statement will be fully funded, even when they continue after Brexit, which could happen in 2019. The Treasury will consider funding schemes agreed after the statement and while the UK remains in the EU.

Mr Hammond said universities and businesses should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while the UK remains a member. The Treasury will continue to finance them after Brexit. Existing farm support payments will be safeguarded until 2020 as part of the transition to a new UK system.

The Chancellor said: The UK will continue to have the all of the rights, obligations and benefits that membership brings, including receiving European funding, up until the point we leave the EU. We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive.

He added: The Government will match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, who play a vital role in our country. We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we use the opportunities that departure presents to determine our own priorities.

The headaches facing the Government over Brexit were also illustrated when Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, withdrew a statement which implied that the UK would leave the European single market. Mr Fox, who campaigned for Leave and is believed to want a hard Brexit, appeared to jump the gun on how a new trading relationship with the EU might work.

Mrs May, who is on holiday in Switzerland, has insisted that all options are open and has not yet worked out her negotiating goals.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters 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

Mr Foxs department said: While the outcome of future negotiations cant be predicted, nothing changes until the UK has exited from the European single market. This wont happen until at least two years after the UK has invoked Article 50, which formally withdraws the UK from the EU. Even then exporters will only be affected if the UK exits the European single market as well as the EU. Until then: goods and people will continue to move freely between the UK and other EU member states; the UK is still considered part of the EU when trading with countries that have a trade deal with the EU.

It added: If the UK does exit the European single market, it will be governed by World Trade Organization (WTO) rules until any new trade deals are negotiated.

The statement later disappeared from the Department for International Trades website. A spokeswoman said that it had been published in error.
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Lesotho is experiencing food insecurity as a result of drought despite being the site of the second largest dam in Africa, because water is being exported to its neighbour South Africa.

An estimated 680,000 people  more than a quarter of the total population  are in need of emergency food and assistance, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Crops are failing in the landlocked region because of erratic rainfall linked to the El Nino weather system, which has plunged swathes or eastern and southern Africa into drought. But farmers say that if they could irrigate crops with water from the vast Katse Dam they could increase their yield.

I am very angry about that water, because it could benefit us, we could use it to water the crops when there is a drought. But that's not happening, Mohlakoane Molise, a 65-year-old farmer, told AFP.

Mr Molises total annual harvest for 2016 filled just two large sacks, in place of the usual dozen. According WFP, the 2016 harvest for Lesotho's primary crop maize is less than a third of what it was last year.

While depleted, the Katse Dam is still at more than half its normal water level, meaning that many farmers are watching their crops shrivel and die against the backdrop of an expansive lake.

The level today is about 63.4 percent, which is quite low, Tatuku Maseatile, Katse acting branch manager for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, told AFP. [But] we are still able to meet our annual targets in terms of both [electricity] generation and water transfer.

When the Katse Dam was built in the nineties, Lesotho was dubbed the Water Castle for South Africa, which surrounds it on all sides. It was negotiated that the dam would supply Lesotho with hydroelectricity, and the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg in South Africa with water.

But Lesothian farmers said they have struggled to make a living since their land was flooded.

There were fields around the river before the dam was built, and there were trees, but they are covered by water, said Mr Molise.

Since the dam is here, it's difficult to get water. The crops are very poor, even the grazing land. It's like a desert.

Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats Show all 13 1 /13 Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504302.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504312.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504308.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504310.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504309.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504304.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504305.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504313.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504307.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504301.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504303.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504306.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children Mozambique: Adapting to climate change with goats 504311.bin Marcos Villalta/Save the Children

The tiny nation is now forced to import food from South Africa, which has also been affected by El Nino, reducing crop yield and pushing prices up by 60 per cent in the past year.

From September, we'll have nothing left and we'll struggle to buy maize from the shop, said Mr Molise.

According to the United Nations, 40 million people across southern Africa risk enduring malnutrition by next year's harvest.
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Donald Trump has said the only way he can lose to his rival Hillary Clinton in the state of Pennsylvania is if the vote is rigged against him.

With the election three months away, a recent Quinnipiac poll indicated Mr Trump is trailing to Ms Clinton in Pennsylvania by 52 per cent to 42 per cent.

But, speaking at a rally in the state, Mr Trump said: We're going to watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people don't come in and vote five times.

If you do that, we're not going to lose. The only way we can lose, in my opinion, and I really mean this, Pennsylvania, is if cheating goes on. I really believe it.

I looked over Pennsylvania and Im studying it. And we have some great people here. Some great leaders here of the Republican Party, and theyre very concerned about that, and thats the way we can lose the state, and we have to call up law enforcement, and we have to have the sheriffs and the police chiefs and everybody watching.

A Republican win in Pennsylvania would be a major feat for Mr Trump. The last win for the party in a presidential election in the state came in 1988 for George H W Bush.

But Mr Trump is confident he can beat Ms Clinton in the state, which has a large base of the working class voters his campaign has targeted.

If we get cheated out of this election, if we get cheated out of a win in Pennsylvania, which is such a vital state, especially when I know whats happening here, folks, I know ... She cant beat whats happening here," he added.

Pennsylvania does not require voters to produce photo identification in order to vote after a judge struck down the requirement in 2014, something Mr Trump has pounced on as a means by which vote rigging could occur.

He urged his supporters to make sure that its 100 per cent fine, because without voter identification  which is shocking, shocking that you dont have it ..."

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

Mr Trump has repeatedly said the November election will be rigged.

At an Ohio rally at the beginning of the month he told supporters: Im afraid the elections gonna be rigged. I have to be honest.
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A former CIA operative and Republican policy advisor has said he is running as an independent candidate in the US presidential election because Donald Trump needs to be stopped.

Evan McMullin launched his campaign for the White House on Monday amid deep anxiety within the Republican Party over its outspoken nominee.

The chief policy director of the House Republican Conference, Mr McMullin is an outspoken critic of Mr Trump and backed by an anti-Trump group.

Recommended Read more Dump Trump drafts former CIA man for independent White House run

Speaking on Friday, Mr McMullin said the business mogul was unfit to be president and he hoped his bid would give people another option.

We need to stop Donald Trump, we need to come to a consensus that he simply cannot be the president of the United States and lets look for a another option and I hope to be that other option, Mr McMillan told ITV News.

Asked if he had any concerns about potentially aiding Democrat nominee Hillary Clintons presidential bid by splitting the Republican vote, he said: [Mr Trumps] already losing.

Hes losing because of his own lack of ability to compete with Hilary Clinton who isnt a strong candidate; in fact, I think shes one of the weakest the Democrats have put forth in some decades.

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

There has been growing criticism of Mr Trump and his tumultuous public performances from members of both the Democrat and Republican parties.

On Friday, it was revealed that Republican senators and congressmen are so concerned Mr Trump could undermine their chances of being re-elected, more than 70 have signed an open letter to the Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, urging him to stop funding Mr Trumps campaign and shift contributions to Senate and House races.

Last week, a group of 50 Republican national security officials spoke out against Mr Trump and said his ascent to the White House could threaten the nations safety.

Mr McMullin, 40, who has never held elective office, has been drafted by a group called Better for America, led by Republican consultant Rick Wilson and Florida-based pollster and operative Joel Searby, who had been trying for months to find a suitable candidate to make an independent run.

He has already missed the deadline to be named on the ballot paper in 33 states, but can still run in 17 if he garners enough support. In three of these states  Iowa, Arizona and Virginia  polls indicate an independent candidate could have a significant influence.



Mr Trump is currently languishing in the polls. An average of polls collated by Real Clear Politics currently places Mr Trump up to 10 points behind Ms Clinton.
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On January 16, President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency in the Michigan city of Flint, to deal with a water crisis which saw tens of thousands of people potentially exposed to dangerous levels of lead in their public water supply.

Over the seven months since, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has reportedly provided more than 20 million litres of bottled water and some 50,000 water filters to residents of the troubled city, for which the federal government split the costs 75-25 with the state.

The federal emergency declaration was originally set to expire in April, until Michigans Republican Governor Rick Snyder begged for an extension. This Sunday, 14 August, it will finally lapse for good.

In pictures: Flint water crisis Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Flint water crisis In pictures: Flint water crisis Anthony Fordham picks up bottled water from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to deliver to a school after elevated lead levels were found in the city's water in Flint Reuters In pictures: Flint water crisis Michigan National Guard Staff Sergeant William Phillips (L) assists a Flint resident with bottled water at a fire station in Flint Reuters In pictures: Flint water crisis Flint residents Arthur Woodson, left, and Tony Palladino Jr. protest the arrival of Flint native and filmmaker Michael Moore as Moore accuses Gov.Rick Snyder of poisoning Flint water during a rally outside of city hall in Flint AP In pictures: Flint water crisis Flint residents pick up bottled water and water filters at a fire station in Flint. Michigan National Guard members were set to arrive in Flint to join door-to-door efforts to distribute bottled water and other supplies to residents coping with the city's crisis over lead-contaminated drinking water Reuters In pictures: Flint water crisis Soldiers from the Michigan Army National Guard Flint prepare to give Flint residents bottled water at a fire station in Flint Getty Images In pictures: Flint water crisis Justin Roberson (L), age 6, of Flint, Michigan and Mychal Adams, age 1, of Flint wait on a stack of bottled water at a rally where the Rev. Jesse Jackson was speaking about about the water crises at the Heavenly Host Baptist Church in Flint Getty Images In pictures: Flint water crisis A man sits next to a stack of bottled water at the Heavenly Host Baptist Church in Flint 2016 Getty Images In pictures: Flint water crisis The top of a water tower is seen at the Flint Water Plant. President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Michigan and ordered federal aid to be used to help state and local response efforts to an area affected by contaminated water Reuters In pictures: Flint water crisis Rosie Wright, center, rallies with the crowd over Flint's water crisis in Ann Arbor, Michigan AP In pictures: Flint water crisis Rick Catherman participates in a rally around Flint's water crisis in Ann Arbor, Michigan AP

Does that mean the crisis is over?

Hardly. It just means that after this weekend, the state will have to pick up the whole tab for the ongoing supply of uncontaminated drinking water. But Karen Weaver, who was elected Mayor of Flint last November, has reassured residents that they will still receive the free bottled water, filters and home water testing kits they have come to rely on.

I want to assure residents of Flint that the city, along with our federal and state partners, will continue efforts to support Flints recovery after the federal declaration ends on 14 August, Weaver said this week.

Recommended Read more Six million in US drinking water with high levels of toxic chemicals

Fema has insisted it will not provide another round of aid, but that doesnt mean federal support for Flint is drying up. The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has also been supplying extra medical services to the long-suffering city.

We remain as dedicated today to the Flint communitys recovery as we were when President Obama declared an emergency in January, DHHS assistant secretary Nicole Lurie said in a statement. The many programs, services, resources, and benefits now available in Flint will continue for months and in some cases for years to come.

So can you drink the tap water in Flint yet?

Best not. Specialists from Virginia Tech University sampled drinking water from 160 homes in Flint last summer and again this July, and found that the levels of led in the supply had fallen by more than half and, in some places, by up to 80 per cent.

The tests were funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and led by Professor Marc Edwards, an expert on lead exposure, who said at a press conference this week that things were dramatically better than in 2015, calling it the beginning of the end of the public health disaster in Flint.

However, the test samples came from a random grouping of homes, not necessarily those in the highest risk areas, meaning the results are not yet sufficient to qualify Flints drinking water supply as officially safe under EPA rules.

Flints water system has gone from the worst-monitored to the best monitored in the nation, and our data shows that water quality is significantly moving in the right direction, said Bob Kaplan, an EPA spokesman. But we wont be at the finish line until testing can confirm that Flint residents are receiving safe, clean drinking water.

Remind me how this mess got started.

In 2014, Darnell Earley, an emergency city manager sent to rescue Flint from bankruptcy had the bright idea to save municipal cash by drawing the citys drinking water supply not from the nearby Detroit water system, which originates in Lake Huron, but from the Flint River. The same Flint River that has had sewage, road salt, factory chemicals and other waste dumped in it for decades.

That water was already so toxic that it began to corrode the old lead pipes in the citys plumbing system, leaching lead directly into the supply. State officials also failed to add special chemicals designed to prevent pipe erosion. Earley and then-mayor Dayne Walling nonetheless continued to tell suspicious residents that their foul-tasting new water was fit to drink.

An estimated 8,000 children were among those thought to have been exposed to lead poisoning. The city saw an outbreak of Legionnaires disease thought to be connected to the water. In January 2015, the city admitted the presence of dangerous chemicals in the water and the issue turned into a full-blown controversy.

Last October the city switched back to the Detroit water system, but thats not enough: the lead from the already corroded pipes is still leaching into the water.

What happens next?

Whatever happens next, it wont happen overnight. Years of serious investment are required to upgrade and monitor Flints water supply infrastructure. The city has already started replacing its thousands of lead pipes, a process expected to cost tens of millions of dollars.

And its not just Flint. A report by USA Today found high concentrations of lead in almost 2,000 water systems across all 50 US states.

According to Edwards, the Virginia Tech expert, It might very well, across the country, take 100 years before we get all the lead plumbing out.

Is anyone going to be prosecuted over the crisis?

At least nine people are already facing criminal charges for misconduct during the water crisis, including former employees of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Michigan Department of Health and a former Flint city water plant operator.

There are also several individual and class action lawsuits in the works, targeting  among others  Earley, Walling and Snyder.
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An imam and his assistant have been killed after a gunman opened fire close to a New York mosque. Local residents claimed it was a targeted shooting and reports said police were investigating it as a possible hate crime.

The New York Daily News said that gunshots rang out at around 2pm on Saturday near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in Ozone Park, Queens, leaving both victims lying on the ground in their own blood, just a block from the mosque. The identities of the two victims were not immediately made public but the imam, Maulana Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were fatally injured, police later said.

People being shot in the head in broad daylight is unheard of, said Millat Uddin, a 25-year resident of the neighborhood.

Killing people brutally, like theyre an animal. We need justice ... It seems like somebody has taken the law into their own hand.

Tiffany Phillips, a spokeswoman for the New York Police Department, confirmed that two men in their 50s were shot on a street in the Ozone Park section of Queens.

One of them was killed and the second was gravely wounded, but Ms Phillips declined to provide any more information about their identities. Police have yet to identify a suspect and the motive was still unknown, she told Reuters. Later, it was reported that the second man had also sucumbed to his injuries.

Donna Jag, 49, heard the shots and thought they were a car backfiring until she left her house to find a huge crowd of distraught people on the street.

It was chaos, she told the News. I was nervous. The neighborhood is quiet, but now, its kind of scary, right at my doorstep in broad daylight.

The neighborhood is a mix of residences and businesses, but people of different faiths have long gotten along peacefully, she said.

We have Hindus and Muslims here, and we have no problems. This is really, really shocking, she said.

Police said they were investigating whether the incident, initially reported as a robbery, was a hate crime. On Saturday evening, the gunman was still at large.
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In another piece of historical revision from Donald Trumps campaign, his spokeswoman has claimed that President Barack Obama was responsible for the invasion of Afghanistan.

Spokeswoman Katrina Pierson said on Saturday that Afghanistan was Obamas war. In truth, the US and UK led the invasion of the country in October 2001 at the direction of President George W Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Ms Pierson, who is Mr Trumps national spokeswoman, was talking on CNN about Mr Trumps shifting views on whether or not Mr Obama was the founder of Isis - a claim he made earlier this week.

If you want to go way back, we can look at the troop surge. And after 2007, Al-Qaeda was essentially in ashes, she said.

It was Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton who then destroyed the entire rollout by wanting to pull out early, announcing their plan, ignoring intelligence.

She said: Remember, we werent even in Afghanistan by this time. Barack Obama went into Afghanistan creating another problem. It was Hillary Clinton in Libya which was also a reckless decision to create that vacuum. They armed the rebels and theyre even funding them now.

 The Clinton campaign speculates why Trump has not released his taxes

Her interviewer sough to clarify the comment. So youre saying Barack Obama took the country into Afghanistan post-2009. Is that what you're saying? Ms Pierson was asked.

She replied: What I'm saying is - the policies of Barack Obama and Hillary ClintonThat was Obamas war, yes.

The comments come days after Mr Trump claimed that Mr Obama was the founder of Isis.

In many respects, you know, they honour President Obama, Mr Trump told a crowd in Florida on Wednesday night. Hes the founder of Isis. Hes the founder of Isis. Hes the founder. He founded Isis.

The next day he agains attacked the media and said that he been sarcastic when he made the remark and was surprised the media had not understood this. Mr Trump has previously said that he was being sarcastic when he suggested Russia should hack into Hillary Clintons email.


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The ex-husband of a British woman who was the victim of an alleged 'honour killing' in Pakistan has admitted strangling her to death, police have said.

Samia Shahid, a 28-year-old beautician from Bradford, died while visiting relatives in her ancestral village in the northern Punjab region of the country.

Her family said she had a heart attack, but her husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam believes she was murdered in a so-called 'honour killing' because the family did not approve of her marriage to him.

Ms Shahid's former husband Choudhry Shakeel was arrested today along with her father on suspicion of murder  and Mr Shakeel has since confessed he drugged and strangled his ex-wife, according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

Deputy Inspector General Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh, the investigating officer in the case, told Reuters Mr Shakeel and Ms Shahid's father, Choudhry Shahid, had appeared in court in Pakistan.

The court has sent them to police custody for physical remand of four days, Mr Bakhsh said. Once facts are established, we would be in a better position to say if it is an honour killing or a murder as revenge.

The case has attracted attention because it came days after the high-profile 'honour killing' of outspoken social media star Qandeel Baloch, dubbed 'the Kim Kardashian of Pakistan'.

Ms Baloch's brother has been arrested in relation to her death.

 'Honour killing' confession

Mr Kazam said last month he believed his wife Ms Shahid had been poisoned and then strangled. He said they had both received death threats from her family in the past.

The couple married in Leeds in 2014 after Ms Shahid left her first husband, a cousin from Pakistan, to be with him despite her familys disapproval.

Recommended Read more Pakistani girl burned alive in honour killing for helping friend elope

According to The News newspaper in Pakistan, a forensic report has confirmed that she was murdered.

It said the report stated clearly that her death had been caused due to suffocation, as she was stopped from breathing.

Mr Kazam claimed there was a 7.5in bruise on his wifes neck and he had seen a copy of a post-mortem report.

He said the 28-year-old had moved to live in Dubai with him last year but had made trips to UK to talk to her parents about her relationship.

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

She visited Pakistan after she was told her father was ill, he added.

Mr Kazam said she was healthy and he did not believe her death could have been due to natural causes.

Some 500 women are killed every year in Pakistan by relatives who feel their family has been shamed by a daughter or sister socialising with men, eloping or otherwise infringing conservative demands on women's modesty.
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Iceland's radical Pirate Party, calling for a 35-hour working week, direct democracy and total drug decriminalisation, has a strong likelihood of forming the country's next government, according to polls, which the party has dominated since last year.

The anti-establishment party, founded by a group of activists, poets and hackers in 2012, won three of 63 seats in Iceland's parliament, the Alingi, at the last election in April 2013.

Support for the party has grown to such an extent some analysts are now confident the party could return to the Alingi with between 18 and 20 MPs giving them a favourable number of seats to help form the next government, Iceland Monitor reports.

In June, the Social Science Research Institute of the University of Iceland found the party was the largest in the country, leading polls at 29.9 per cent, with the centre-right Independence Party, which forms part of Iceland's coalition government with the Progressive Party, at 22.7 per cent.

Their lead has narrowed since, but political scientists are still predicting they could win up to 25 per cent of the vote.

Birgitta Jonsdottir, a former Wikileaks spokeswoman and founding Pirate Party MP, told the Guardian: Its gradually dawning on us, whats happening.

Its strange and very exciting. But we are well prepared now. This is about change driven not by fear but by courage and hope. We are popular, not populist.

World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Show all 15 1 /15 World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Petro Poroshenko President of Ukraine World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Ayad Allawi Allawi Iraqs Vice-President between 2014 and 2015, and the countrys interim prime minister from 2004 to 2005 World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud King of Saudi Arabia World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan President of the United Arab Emirates, Emir of Abu Dhabi World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Sigmundur Davi Gunnlaugsson Prime Minister of Iceland World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Sergey Roldugin Close friend of Vladimir Putin World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Emir of Qatar 1995-2013 World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Li Xiaolin Daughter of Li Peng, the former Premier of China (The current vice-president of state-owned power company China Datang Gorporation and former CEO of China Power International Development, she has been nicknamed Chinas Power Queen World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Rami Makhlouf Cousin of Bashar Assad, the President of Syria World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Hafez Makhlouf Cousin of Bashar Assad, the President of Syria World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Clive Khulubuse Zuma Nephew of Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Maryam Nawaz Sharif Safdar Daughter of Nawaz Sharif, prime minister of Pakistan World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Hasan Nawaz Sharif Son of Nawaz Sharif, prime minister of Pakistan World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Hussain Nawaz Sharif Son of Nawaz Sharif, prime minister of Pakistan World leaders linked to 'Panama Papers' Alaa Mubarak The eldest son of ousted former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Read more here

She said the party is prepared to form a coalition government with any partner that will pledge to its agenda of "fundamental system change". The Independence Party has said it will not subscribe to this.

"We will be doing things differently," Ms Jonsdottir added.

Icelands general election had been scheduled to take place in April 2017, however following political unrest over PM Sigmundur David Gunnlaugssons connections to the Panama Papers it is now due to take place in October, with 29th being the likely date.

Mr Gunnlaugsson temporarily stepped down from his role as Prime Minister in April and has been replaced by Sigmundur Ingi Johannsson, formally the countrys agriculture and fisheries minister.

The Pirate Party were polling at up to 43 per cent in the days following the leak, while Mr Gunnlaugsson's Progressives, the dominant party in the current coalition, slumped to single digits.

Pirate Party leader in Iceland Birgitta Jonsdottir (AFP/ Getty)

Eva Heida Onnudottir, a political scientist at the University of Iceland said she could very easily see the party winning 20 to 25 per cent of the vote.

The radical party told the Reykjavik Grapevine last year, the group wants to see banks completely separate their investment and commercial arms. They have also advocated a new form of direct democracy to build bridges between the general public and those they trust to serve them.

The Pirate Party is also calling for asylum for US whistle-blower Edward Snowden and are encouraging young people to vote via Pokemon Go; investigating the idea of turning polling stations into Pokestops, the Grapevine reports.
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Ecstatic Syrian civilians have been shaving off their beards, burning their burqas, smoking and dancing in the streets after being freed from Isis.

The jubilant celebrations were seen in the Syrian city of Manbij on Friday, where militants have been driven out after months of fighting by US-backed rebel groups.

Families ran through rubble-strewn streets, past the ruins of buildings destroyed in air strikes, carrying their babies and belongings.

Men jubilantly had their beards cut off as women ripped off their veils and set them on fire in an act of rebellion after years living under Isis' brutal interpretation of Sharia law.

Read more

One middle aged man broke down in tears of relief and joy, while female fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC) shared emotional hugs with civilians.

Others jumped up and down in celebration and danced, with relatives and friends running into each others arms.

One elderly woman was seen savouring a cigarette  an act banned under Isis and punished by flogging and even death in some of its territories.

In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Show all 11 1 /11 In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Women and children celebrating after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A man cuts the beard of a civilian who was freed from Isis by the SDF in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Women carry newborn babies while running after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman freed from Isis hugs an SDF fighter in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman adding her veil to a pile of niqabs burning in Manbij, Syria, after being freed from Isis on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Children celebrating on top of a lorry after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A man and child freed from Isis by the SDF in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman carrying her children walks towards SDF fighters after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman and child freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij An SDF fighter kisses a crying man who was freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Hundreds of civilians freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters

The joyful scenes were a welcome departure from months of siege, air strikes and battles to re-take the city, which was overrun by Isis after the group ousted local rebels in January 2014.

Like other territories in the so-called Islamic State, it was the scene of brutal repression, massacres and gruesome executions including one described by a female British jihadist, Khadijah Dare.

Isis forces women to wear the burqa, which covers the entire body apart from the eyes, as part of its interpretation of Sharia law and has also made beards obligatory for men in some strongholds.

The Manbij offensive was a key priority of the US-led coalition and the city is now expected to facilitate an advance on Isiss de-facto Syrian capital of Raqqa, which lies 80 miles away.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 13

Trend:

Armenias armed forces have 11 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Aug. 13.

The Armenian army was using large-caliber machine guns.

The Armenian armed forces stationed in the Barekamavan village of Noyemberyan district, Berkaber and Vozashen villages of the Ijevan district, Chinari village of the Berd district of Armenia opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions located in the Kokhanebi village of the Tovuz district, Gizilhajili and Gaymagli villages, and on nameless heights of the Gazakh district.

Positions of the Azerbaijani army also underwent fire from the Armenian positions located near the Garakhanbeyli village of the Fizuli district and the Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district.

Moreover, Azerbaijani positions also underwent fire from the Armenian positions located on nameless heights of the Goranboy district.

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.
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Conjoined twins born in one of the most violent areas of Syria have been evacuated for life-saving surgery.

Baby brothers Moaz and Nawaz were born in 23 July in eastern Ghouta, a rebel-controlled area on the outskirts of Damascus that has seen vicious fighting, air strikes and chemical attacks.

Doctors at Zahra hospital feared the boys, who are joined at the chest with protruding intestines, would not survive without urgent surgery they were unable to provide.

In a letter on behalf of the Syrian American Medical Society, Dr Mohamad Katoub wrote that the hospital was undersupplied and running out of options after four years under a brutal siege.

Conjoined twins Moaz and Nawaz being evacuated from Ghouta to Damascus by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent on 12 August (SARC)

The case of these miracle babies tells the tragic story about access to healthcare in Syria, he said.

These parents have entrusted their children's case to us. We must not let them down.

Dr Katoub called for the twins and their mother to be evacuated immediately so the possibility of surgically separating them can be explored.

With help from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN health agency, and Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), the appeal was a success.

Teams from the SARCs Douma branch posted pictures online of the little boys wrapped in a blue blanket being put in an ambulance to make the journey from rebel to regime-controlled territory on Friday.

Conjoined twins Moaz and Nawaz being evacuated from Ghouta to Damascus by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent on 12 August (SARC)

Elizabeth Hoff, WHO's representative in Syria, said Moaz and Nawaz had been safely transferred to the Damascus Childrens Hospital in the capital, which is predominantly under the control of Prsident Bashar al-Assads forces.

We have been negotiating for medical evacuation for some days now, she told Reuters.

WHO said the boys are the first of at least 20 patients who need urgent medical transfers from areas including the divided city of Aleppo, where hundreds of thousands of people are trapped by continuing fighting under a hail of air strikes.

WHO is calling for a pause for medical evacuations which are critical to make sure seriously wounded have the right to obtain health care and also people with chronic diseases needing regular care, Ms Hoff said.

The organisation has a list of 16 critical medical cases in the town of Madaya, which is besieged by regime forces, and two adults in Foua and Kefraya  an area of Idlib province surrounded by rebel fighters.

Among those in Madaya is Ghina Ahmad Wadi, a 10-year-old girl who was shot by a sniper earlier this month while on her way to buy medicine for her mother.

 UN pushes for pause in fighting as battle for Aleppo ramps up

Amnesty International said the wound to her thigh had severed a nerve and caused a complex bone fracture, leaving her in excruciating pain.

But Syrian authorities have so far denied requests to evacuate her to a hospital in Damascus or Lebanon where she can receive the treatment she needs.

Ghina's cousin, Fadah Jassan, who lives in the UK, called for help from the British Government.

If the UK government can help my niece, then Id beg them to do so, she said.

I know Ghinas just one among many thousands of children in Syria whore going through things they shouldnt have to, but she can be helped relatively easily and we need to do all we can to make that happen.

WHO has not yet received permission to evacuate any of the patients, who include several young children.

Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them Show all 13 1 /13 Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office Syrian children hold Pokemon Go pictures in the hope people will find them and save them RFS Media Office

Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, said: The UN is ready to evacuate them. They are in a desperate urgent medical emergency. Why on earth should this not be possible?

"This should not be waiting for the Aleppo ceasefire or overall ceasefire, this should and can be done before it's too late."

In Foua, the Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham can just by a decision of a minute allow the UN to evacuate them and bring them to a medical facility where they could be saved", he added.

"These are not numbers, these are people who are waiting for a medical evacuation in what has become a medieval approach to a conflict."

For Aleppo, the UN said it was discussing workable humanitarian pause in fighting with Russia, Assads main ally, and that a three-hour daily ceasefire proposed by Moscow was not enough
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More than 2,000 civilians held captive by Isis as human shields have been freed after militants were driven out of a key stronghold in Syria.

Colonel Chris Garver, a spokesperson for the US-led coalition, hailed the capture of Manbij as a strategic loss for the so-called Islamic State.

Jubilant scenes greeted the end of weeks of battles as men, women and children poured into streets now controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian Arab Coalition (SAC).

A man cuts the beard of a civilian who was freed from Isis by the SDF in Manbij on 12 August (Reuters)

Families ran through rubble-strewn streets, past the ruins of buildings destroyed in air strikes, carrying their babies and belongings.

A trickle of people became a flow of hundreds of civilians, followed by dozens of cars, lorries and vans packed with families finally freed from Isis.

Kurdish television showed men jubilantly having their beards cut off as women ripped off their veils and set them on fire.

Isis forces women to wear the burqa, which covers the entire body apart from the eyes, as part of its interpretation of Sharia law and has also made beards obligatory for men in some strongholds.

One middle aged man broke down in tears of relief and joy, while female SDF fighters and civilians shared emotional hugs.

In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Show all 11 1 /11 In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Women and children celebrating after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A man cuts the beard of a civilian who was freed from Isis by the SDF in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Women carry newborn babies while running after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman freed from Isis hugs an SDF fighter in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman adding her veil to a pile of niqabs burning in Manbij, Syria, after being freed from Isis on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Children celebrating on top of a lorry after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A man and child freed from Isis by the SDF in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman carrying her children walks towards SDF fighters after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman and child freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij An SDF fighter kisses a crying man who was freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Hundreds of civilians freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters

Others jumped up and down in celebration and danced, with relatives and friends running into each others arms.

The joyful scenes were a welcome departure from months of siege, air strikes and battles to re-take the city, which was overrun by Isis after the group ousted local rebels in January 2014.

Like other territories in the so-called Islamic State, it was the scene of brutal repression, massacres and gruesome executions including one described by a female British jihadist, Khadijah Dare.

The predominantly Kurdish rebels, backed by the US-led coalition, have been fighting towards Manbij for more than two months under the cover of international air strikes.

A spokesman for the SDF said rebels had taken over the city after the last Isis militants fled on Friday.

SDF fighters in Manbij (AFP/Getty)

Nasser Haj Mansour said Manbij was under full control," adding that search operations would continue try find any extremists who might be hiding in preparation for an ambush.

Recommended Read more British man killed fighting with Kurdish forces against Isis in Syria

The alliance of Arab and Kurdish rebels had driven most Isis fighters out of the city by last week but a remaining band of jihadists continued to resist, capturing the 2,000 civilians as they withdrew from a suburb and driving droving them north in a convoy of hundreds of vehicles.

Sharfan Darwish, from the SDF-allied Manbij military council told Reuters: While withdrawing from a district of Manbij, Daesh [Isis] jihadis abducted around 2,000 civilians from al-Sirb neighbourhood.

They used these civilians as human shields as they withdrew to Jarabulus, thus preventing us from targeting them.

It was unclear under what conditions the civilians were freed, although the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an agreement was made between the SDF and Isis using local mediators.

The group said it had seen a letter from SDF forces threatening to push further into Isis territory if militants did not agree to free the captured civilians in exchange for Isis prisoners.

 Syrian women burn burkas to celebrate liberation from Isis

More than 1,000 Isis fighters were killed in the offensive, according to the Observatory, as well as around 300 SDF fighters who were met by booby traps and IEDs littering their path into the city.

Monitors recorded the deaths of at least 437 civilians, including 105 children, during the operation from 31 May to 12 August.

The Observatory said 200 of those were killed in air strikes by the US-led coalition, several of which are under investigation, while others died in both Isis and SDF shooting, shelling and bombing.

The Manbij offensive became a key priority of the US-led coalition amid pressure to stop the funding and propaganda material inspiring a wave of international terror attacks.

The city was also used as a hub for the lucrative trade of looted artefacts and other Isis exports, due to the citys location near the Turkish border and on an intersection of major roads.

Manbij is expected to facilitate an advance on Isiss de-facto Syrian capital of Raqqa, which lies 80 miles away.
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Everyone knows by now that there has been a coup against Jeremy Corbyn. Labour MPs, who didnt want him as leader in the first place, have organised and schemed and briefed to get rid of him. And it looks as if they will fail.

This is, however, one of those Corbyn facts that is different from a normal fact. The Corbyn leadership campaign has set up a Corbyn facts website devoted to checking claims about its candidate that it thinks are unfair.

It says that the reason Labour is currently not doing well in the polls is that the party is very publicly divided, which is the fault of Corbyns opponents. Before the recent attempt to remove Jeremy, we were neck and neck in the polls.

The second half of that statement is misleading. Of the 75 polls between Corbyns election as leader and the tabling of of a motion of no confidence in him the day after the EU referendum, only 15 showed Labour within three points of the Conservatives, and only three showed Labour ahead, by one, three and three points.

The idea that Corbyn is the victim of an organised attempt to remove him is misleading too. There has been a disorganised attempt to remove him. Trying to organise even two Labour MPs to do something together is not easy. Someone who has tried told me this week that they are essentially sole traders.

Corbyns people think that the waves of resignations from Labours front bench were planned, to put pressure on him to step down voluntarily. But it was Hilary Benns sacking as shadow Foreign Secretary that triggered what Corbyns supporters call a coup. Of course, it takes two sides to make a civil war. Margaret Hodge, the MP for Barking, had already tabled a motion of no confidence, and Benn was sacked because he told Corbyn that he had no confidence in him.

But Labour MPs are, to change metaphors, like fish swimming about randomly until threatened, when they form shoals by instinct and move in groups. They were so shocked by the EU referendum result, and so angry about Corbyns patently unenthusiastic campaign to keep us in the EU, that John Cryer, the chair of the parliamentary party, felt he couldnt stop Hodge tabling her unprecedented motion.

Two days later, several shadow ministers were so cross about Benns sacking that they resigned  some of them told colleagues what they were doing but mostly they acted as individuals. The reason they resigned in several groups over the following weeks was not because they were co-ordinating their efforts to put pressure on Corbyn but because each one had a different breaking-point.

Many of them tried to see Corbyn to discuss their worries and either couldnt see him or werent reassured when they did  such as when Owen Smith asked if he were prepared to split the party, and John McDonnell, Corbyns bad cop, shrugged and said, If thats what it takes.

Going further back, the cause of the conflict was the election of a party leader so out of sympathy with Labour MPs. Again, responsibility on both sides. Labour members and supporters knew what Labour MPs thought of Corbyn when they voted for him: they naively expected MPs to change the views of their lifetimes and to offer Corbyn the loyal service which he had never offered them.

 Owen Smith accuses Jeremy Corbyn of being 10 out of 10 for leaving the European Union

Many MPs say, and I believe them, that they tried to make it work. They didnt give it very long, but they didnt need to: 10 months was enough. Others didnt try: they said they couldnt work with Corbyn and I believe them too, and I dont blame them. Corbyns views have been so far outside the mainstream of the party for so long  since the pacifist George Lansbury was leader in 1935  that no one could have expected them to.

Many of those who voted for Corbyn werent aware of the details of his views or of his likely level of competence. They wanted a new politics and thought that someone unfashionable enough to want to nationalise everything must be authentic. A lot of them have been disappointed, but they havent exactly been won over by Owen Smith as the alternative.

So Corbyn will probably win again next month. Fridays Appeal Court judgment wont make that much difference, although we can guess that the motive of the rule preventing people voting unless they have been members for six months was to reduce Corbyns support. (The rule was passed by the temporary anti-Corbyn majority on Labours National Executive after the leader himself left the meeting to attend a rally celebrating the earlier vote to put his name on the ballot paper.)

What matters is that the Corbyn flood is already abating. The ballot of the GMB union announced on Wednesday was Noah day for Blairites. The result, 60 per cent for Owen Smith and 40 per cent for Corbyn, was the dove returning to the ark in the evening with an olive leaf. It means that the waters are going down and that centrist Labour life is returning.

So the party is unlikely to split. If Corbyn is still there, he will be challenged again next year. He shouldnt complain: he was always in favour of annual leadership elections.

Eventually he will go. There may be a general election next year  if you were Theresa May, why wouldnt you? as Tom Watson asked  in which case Corbyn will go after that. Or there may not be an election until 2020, in which case he will probably go before then. Some time after that, Labour might win again.

It will be too late for many of todays MPs. I cannot see into their minds, but I guess that a lot of them will leave politics whenever the next election comes. It cannot be much fun being a Labour MP. They went into politics because they believed in it (and because they wanted to be Prime Minister), but most of them would be unable to say truthfully at the next election, whenever it is, that they think Corbyn should be Prime Minister. People may have a low opinion of politicians, but dissembling for a living is no ones idea of a good time.

Meanwhile you have to put up with being called a traitor and a red Tory. Why would you carry on, especially  given the deep strain of misogyny in online abuse  if you are a woman? The only thing that keeps them from giving up is the knowledge that this would be precisely what Corbyn and his close supporters want them to do.

This isnt a coup, its a cry for help. And that is a fact.
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In his 1791 Report on Manufactures Alexander Hamilton, one of Americas founding fathers, made it clear that the new United States government was prepared to break the laws of other countries to appropriate their industrial know-how.

And it was a successful project. In 1810 a Boston merchant named Francis Cabot Lowell travelled to Glasgow and memorised the mechanics of the impressive new textile machines he saw in operation. A few years later Lowell successfully brought the industrial revolution to America. They named a city in Massachusetts after him.

The most remarkable case of industrial espionage in American history, is how Lowells illicit knowledge transfer is described by Professor Peter Andreas of Brown University in the US.

But the Americans are less keen on such intellectual piracy now theyre on the receiving end. Its unlikely the Chinese will name a city after Allen Ho. But thats probably because Ho got caught, rather than because Beijing disapproves of what he (allegedly) did.

 Trump keeps asking about nuclear weapons to foreign policy advisors

Ho is being prosecuted by the US Justice Department, accused of stealing US nuclear technology secrets on behalf of the China General Nuclear Power (CGN) company.

He is alleged to have tapped up six nuclear experts in the US to funnel information to CGN with the alleged aim of speeding up the development of reactor technology in China.

China has the budget to spend. They want to bypass the research stage and go directly to the final design and manufacturing phase, Ho is quoted as writing in a 2009 email.

Michael Steinbach of the FBI says Ho was acting as an agent of a foreign government and suggests his activity could have resulted in significant damage to our national security.

The words nuclear and national security and agent of a foreign government make for some sexy headlines. But its important to stress that the subject of the Ho case is civil nuclear power, not military weapons. Like it or not, Beijing already has the atom bomb.

Recommended Read more Donald Trump is an economic threat to America

The fact that the Ho case has grabbed attention here in the UK is unsurprising. CGN is lined up to fund a third of the new Hinkley Point reactor in Somerset, and the company also hopes to develop another new plant at Bradwell in Essex.

Theresa May last month paused giving the go-ahead to the Hinkley Point deal and her new chief of staff, Nick Timothy, has previously raised national security concerns about Chinese involvement in our nuclear infrastructure.

The US indictment stresses that CGN is a state-owned company and answers to Beijings State Council. To anyone who knows anything about the Chinese economy, the fact that a nuclear power company has close links to the Beijing government is as startling as the revelation that pandas occasionally defecate in bamboo groves.

Recommended Read more Eurozone GDP growth rate halves in second quarter

Such links riddle Chinas big banks, many of its steel companies, its ship builders, and even telecom firms and property companies. At least 30 per cent of the Chinese economy is reckoned to be directly or indirectly in the hands of state-owned enterprises. Some estimates put it as high as 50 per cent.

Chinese firms have the trappings of economic independence: stock market listings, brands and glossy advertising campaigns. To the unwitting non-local they can appear like any other private company in the West. But behind the scenes the state is dominant.

Assuming there is something in the case against Ho, how should our own government respond? Some have already called on Theresa May to pull the plug on the Hinkley deal and to follow the example of the Australian government which this week blocked Chinese investors from buying the countrys largest electricity network on national security grounds.

Recommended Read more The important economic questions to ask this summer

There are good reasons for Downing Street to reconsider the Hinkley deal, not least the exorbitant cost the electricity purchasing deal signed by the Coalition would likely impose on UK households over the next 40 or so years. But to tear up the agreement on the basis of the Ho charges would seem like an overreaction.

The idea that the Chinese state will install computer programmes to shut down UK nuclear energy supplies in future, as Nick Timothy suggested might happen in a blog for Conservative Home last year, seems like something out of a Fu Manchu thriller. As Lord Mandelson has said, it would be commercial global suicide for China to sabotage its own investment in this way.

One shouldnt underestimate the brutishness, or even incompetence, of the Chinese Communist Party. But at the same time its worth considering this from the perspective of Beijing.

One doesnt need to reach for conspiracy theories to explain why China is keen to invest abroad. Thanks to the unbalanced way it has run its economy, the Chinese state has amassed huge piles of foreign currency reserves. These reserves have fallen in recent years but they are still worth an extraordinary $3.2 trillion (thats equivalent to 30 per cent of Chinas entire GDP).

These reserves are sitting largely in US government debt earning next to nothing in interest. Beijing wants to get a decent (if unspectacular) return on this cash by investing in, among other things, foreign states energy infrastructure.

Beijing also genuinely wants to move up the value chain by developing a niche in nuclear engineering for export. Chinas fear of falling into the middle income trap (where states tend to grow very fast and reach a certain level of prosperity before stagnating) is palpable.

There is little doubt that Beijing steals Western intellectual property. But this is for commercial advantage and economic catch-up, not world domination. And China is hardly the first rising power to do this. Remember Lowell.

The irony is that the Chinese could be purloining know-how from the Americans to help us keep the lights on here in the UK because our own governments have failed to invest enough in developing our domestic nuclear construction capability. Call it payback for that Glasgow textile machine.

Ben Chu is the author of Chinese Whispers: Why Everything Youve Heard About China is Wrong
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There are few bigger celebrities in India than Shah Rukh Khan. Even at the age of 50, he remains a dominant force in Bollywood and not immune to a little self indulgence and narcissism.

But the actor responded with remarkable patience and grace after he was stopped at US customs this week  an experience that has now befallen the movie star on three occasions.

There was no explanation from US Customs and Border Protection as to why the star of Om Shanti Om, Chak de! India and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge should been stopped at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday.

I fully understand and respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks, he said on Twitter.

The US, keen to build a strategic and economic partnership with India, and home to a large population of immigrants from the subcontinent, immediately flew into damage control.

The US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, rapidly said on social media: Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesnt happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US.

Yet this is not the first time Mr Khan, or other high profile Indians, have endured painful experiences at US immigration.

In November 2011, Washington apologised after former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam was frisked at a New York airport. A year earlier, Indias ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, was pulled from a security line and searched by a security agent in Mississippi.

The same month, another Indian diplomat, Hardeep Puri, was asked to remove his turban at an airport in Houston, Texas. When he refused to, on religious grounds, he was detained in a holding room.

All of the incidents, along with 2013 arrest and strip searching of another Indian diplomat in New York, caused deep anguish within India, and highlighted a sharp cultural disconnect. Indians, used to a culture of VIP and VVIP celebrity, could not understand how Americans could be so tone deaf and offensive. At Indian airports there are 32 categories of passenger  ranging from local official to foreign ambassador  who are not required to go through security whatsoever.

As a result, every incident was taken as an insult to the entire country, whether intended or unintended. It was inconceivable, Indians pointed out, that a major Hollywood star, or US official, would encounter such treatment on arrival in Delhi, Bombay or Bangalore.

Already, a right wing religious party based in the Indian city of Bombay has seized on Mr Khans treatment.

This has been a common occurrence with Shah Rukh at most big US airports. Still, this tolerant actor goes to the US repeatedly, only to get insulted, said an editorial in the newspaper of the Shiv Sena party.

He should have returned, displaying patriotic credentials, and telling the US that I wont step into your country if you are going to insult me in this manner.

American officials, by contrast, sought to fall back every time on the robotic response that rules are rules and that they apply equally to everyone. And as news broke of Mr Khan's latest hold-up, Nisha Biswal, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, sought to suggest that nothing was amiss.

Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk  even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening, she said.

Yet, the experience of Mr Khan, who is Muslim, ought to force the US to ask more penetrating questions of itself.

 Shah Rukh Khan interview

With no small irony, when he was first detained, at Newark International Airport, in 2009, Mr Khan was in the US to promote his film My Name is Khan, which details the racial profiling of Muslims after the 11 September attacks.

In 2012, he was held in White Plains, New York, on his way to address students at Yale. Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America, Mr Khan, who is estimated to have a net worth of $600m (464m), told them.

As Mr Khan pointed out in 2013 when he wrote about his experiences at US airports, everybody is not treated equally. The incidents involving so many Muslims  visitors and citizens alike  being hauled aside for additional questioning or being asked to get off planes because they unnerve other passengers, suggests racial profiling by the security forces remains alive and well in the US 15 years after the Al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington.

Just this week, a Muslim woman sued the Chicago Police Department after being detained and strip searched as they mistook her for a potential lone terrorist because of her headscarf and backpack.

In 2013, the Bollywood star wrote about his experience and about the stereotypes he encounters as a Muslim with the last name of Khan, including his security run-ins at American airports.

I became so sick of being mistaken for some crazed terrorist who coincidentally carries the same last name as mine that I made a film, subtly titled My Name is Khan (and I am not a terrorist) to prove a point, he said.

I wonder, at times, whether the same treatment is given to everyone whose last name just happens to be McVeigh (as in Timothy)??

The US security services have a terribly difficult job. There are constant alerts and threats they are forced to respond to. Their actions have life or death consequences. At the same time, the ratcheting up of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric by the likes of Donald Trump does not help create a situation in which the issue can be dealt with calmly, dispassionately or humanely.

India, the US, and Shah Rukh Khan, will all get over this latest incident. But it should be a cause for contemplation and thought. Not a quick tweet.
Two cities in China have unveiled a package of measures designed to stem a surge in property prices, as more local politicians are gearing up to cool overheating house markets.

Nanjing, Jiangsu's provincial capital, and Suzhou, a regional manufacturing base that's a 30-minute train ride from Shanghai, will raise deposit requirements for some buyers of second homes to 50pc, the two city governments said in statements on official microblogs.

Mortgage deposit thresholds were 45pc in Nanjing and 40pc in Suzhou. Rules for both cities will take effect from August 12.

Tightening measures have spread from larger hubs such as Shanghai and Shenzhen as local officials tackle overheating that followed stimulus rolled out from November of 2014.

The cities of Xiamen, in Fujian province, and Hefei, in Anhui, have already acted.
Shares in insurance group FBD soared as much as 12pc yesterday as investors bet that the company's fortunes have shifted out of reverse.

The company posted a first-half, pre-tax loss of 5.3m, which was much better than had been anticipated by analysts. Davy Stockbrokers had pencilled in a 10.2m loss for the period.

The performance was helped by benign weather, lower expenses, and a lower number of motor injury claims.

The shares also soared as FBD slashed its combined operating ratio - a key measure of its profitability - from 167pc at the end of June 2015 to 101pc at the end of last June.

A figure above 100 means an insurer is paying out more in claims than it's getting in premiums.

Chief executive Fiona Muldoon said she expects the ratio to fall below 100pc during the final quarter of 2016, and that the company will be profitable again by 2017.

Including a 1.6m profit booked from the sale of its 70pc share in Passage East Ferry in May, FBD reported a 3.1m loss in the first six months of 2016.

That compared to an 84.3m loss it made in the first half of 2015, when it boosted its prior year claims reserves by 88m.

The group - which has undergone a radical restructuring under Ms Muldoon's leadership - said its gross written premium in the period fell by 4m, or 2pc, to 180.8m.

The figure included a 6.3m increase in premiums generated from direct operations, and a 10.3m decline in the amount of business that was written through brokers.

The group has increased its premiums, with its motor premiums having jumped 18.7pc since last summer.

Across its book, insurance premiums have risen by an average of 27pc since 2014.

Ms Muldoon, the former head of banking and insurance supervision at the Central Bank, took over at FBD in 2015 after initially joining that year as its chief financial officer. She has exited FBD's non-core activities and also raised 70m in backing for the firm from Canada's Fairfax Financial.

Ms Muldoon said that the huge premium increases across the motor insurance sector need to be tackled, with a different system for accessing the courts when claims are being made. She has also called on the Injuries Board to be given more statutory powers.

FBD also insisted that transferring liability for failed insurers such as Setanta to the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) is going to result in higher premiums for drivers and other insurance customers.

"I think the costs are going to be passed onto commuters, farmers and small businesses until we all meaningful get serious about this," Ms Muldoon told the Irish Independent. "You can either have high awards and compensation, or you can have cheap insurance for everybody."
What is the price of a view of Paris's best-known monuments? France's Socialist government will tell you. For all Saint-Germain-des-Pres' charm, long gone are the days when a tiny 11 square-metre furnished studio flat commanded 656 in monthly rent.

Real-estate agency Inter Immobilier last month had to explain to the new owner of the left-bank apartment that he could charge a maximum of 550 a month because of new Parisian rent caps that are now set to be rolled out across France.

"Landlords are feeling very frustrated," Jacques Boucher, manager of real-estate agency Pierre de Paris in the 15th arrondissement said. "Regulation imposed on what is supposed to be a free market is upsetting business plans."

With a presidential election eight months away, the Socialist administration of Francois Hollande is encouraging tenants to ensure the laws are applied in Paris and extending them beyond the capital, a move that executives warn is discouraging investment and risks hampering growth.

The caps introduced in Paris last year apply to all leases signed after August 2015. Landlords can't charge more for a previously unrented unit and have to cut rent to the legal level for new tenants in cases where an outgoing one was paying more. Rents below the new limits have to remain unchanged following rules implemented in 2012 in several cities suffering from home shortages.

The only possibility left for increasing rent is an annual update bound by a legal index that was flat in the second quarter.

"Investors will once again flee in light of this political announcement," Jean-Francois Buet, president of Fnaim, the national federation of real-estate professionals, said after the government announced in June that the rules will be applied to suburbs of Paris as well as cities such as Lille and Grenoble by the end of 2018. Of the 6.3m privately rented homes in France, 4pc are owned by institutional investors, down from 14pc in 1990. A chronic shortage of urban housing fuelled rent increases over the past decade, meaning that tenants are spending more and the politicians have taken up their cause.

Tenants spend now about 31pc of their income on housing, up from 25pc in 2002, according to national statistics office Insee.

"The Paris investment market will suffer in relation to London, Madrid and other large European cities where there are no rent caps in place," said Patricio Palomar, Madrid-based director of alternative investments at CBRE Group Inc.

Since last year, rents in Paris are capped between 45.5 and 20.3 per square metre. The exact limit depends on the location, size and characteristics of the home and building.

Broker Isambert said the prospect of legal action prompted one of its clients to slash the rent for a nine square-metre studio flat in the exclusive 16th arrondissement to 350 a month from the 450 paid by the outgoing tenant.

Olap, the government agency that collects rental data, downplays such concerns. "The new rules simply prevent landlords from taking advantage of the housing shortage, they won't lead to an overall decline in rents," Olap director Genevieve Prandi said. "The caps were fixed above the most commonly observed levels of rent so as to follow the market, not overturn it."

Overall, leases signed 2015 in the capital saw the pace of rent increases halve to 1pc. That compares with annual gains varying between 6 and 12pc between 2000 to 2013, Olap data show.

Even so, executives say the restrictions risk a knock-on effect on the broader French economy, which is still lagging neighbours such as Germany and Spain in terms of growth. Pierre Andre de Chalendar, chief executive officer of construction materials manufacturer Cie de Saint-Gobain, warns that landlords may scale back investment. Meanwhile, Paris-based real-estate investment company Gecina, which held residential assets worth about 2.67bn on June 30, reported that its rental income rose a meagre 0.2pc on a comparable basis in the first half.

"This regulation does limit the increase in rental values," Gecina ceo Philippe Depoux said. "It prevents us from reaching the higher levels which we could consider."

Government agency Adil de Paris, which provides information on housing, this year dealt with 4,000 inquiries from landlords and tenants on rent controls, including 300 on the legal process to contest an amount. The law allows for overcharging only if a home boasts extraordinary features, leading one estate agency to advise an owner to overcharge by 15pc for a 19 square-metre flat close by Trocadero esplanade, given the size of the balcony and its electric shutters.

Still, such decisions are risky. A government-appointed committee this year examined about 70 complaints lodged by tenants. While the hearings are private, documents obtained by Bloomberg News show it consistently ordered landlords to apply the caps. Refusals to comply leave landlords subject to trial in court.

Recently, the government has started encouraging tenants in Paris to check their rents by promoting a website to "test rent" which enables consumers to check whether they are paying too much.

"This is a political move in the run up to next year's general election," said Michel Mouillart, an economics professor at Paris Ouest university.

"While the steps contain rents at investors' expense, they're not dealing with the root of the problem - which is home shortages." (Bloomberg)
Brendan Dassey, 16, is escorted out of a Manitowoc County Circuit courtroom in Manitowoc, Wis. A federal court in Wisconsin on Friday overturned the conviction of Dassey, a man found guilty of helping his uncle kill Teresa Halbach in a case profiled in the Netflix documentary "Making a Murderer."

The young man who featured in the hit Netflix series Making a Murderer has secured a crucial legal victory after his conviction was overturned. If prosecutors do not appeal the decision, he will be freed from prison within 90 days.

Brendan Dassey, 26, a vulnerable young man, had been jailed for 41 years after being convicted of the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach.

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He and his uncle, Steven Avery, who was also convicted of the killing, became the subject of public outrage after the documentary suggested they had been framed, with the police coercing confessions out of Mr Dassey and allegedly planting evidence to snare Mr Avery.

The show also highlighted how Mr Dassey's lawyer failed to properly defend his client.

Mr Dassey, who was aged seventeen-and-a-half at the time of his 2007 conviction for the 2005 killing, was told at his trial that he could not apply for parole until 2048.

But a federal judge in Milwaukee on Friday overturned the conviction, and also criticised the lawyer who was portrayed in the documentary as someone who had performed badly, and even colluded with prosecutors.

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According to the judge, Mr Dasseys confession was obtained by investigators who gave the teenager false promises. The rulling said that investigators repeatedly claimed to already know what happened on October 31 and assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about.

The judge said that this, along with Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, meant the confession was involuntary.

Especially when the investigators promises, assurances, and threats of negative consequences are assessed in conjunction with Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, lack of experience in dealing with the police, the absence of a parent, and other relevant personal characteristics, the free will of a reasonable person in Dasseys position would have been overborne, said federal judge William Duffin.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice, which was handling the case, did not immediately return a message seeking comment, according to the Associated Press. The federal ruling comes after Mr Dasseys appeal was rejected by state courts. The case's original prosecutor, Ken Kratz, who had defended the case after the series was broadcast, could not be contacted.

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At the teenagers trial in Dane County, Wisconsin, the jury deliberated for four hours, finding Dassey guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault, and mutilation of a corpse.

The 10-part series followed Averys 1985 wrongful conviction for rape and attempted murder, which landed him in prison for 18 years until he was exonerated. After his release in 2003, he sued the local authorities for $30m in damages.

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It was at that point that he was accused of murdering Ms Halbach, a photographer who had photographed his car for Auto Trader magazine.

The series covered the controversy surrounding both arrests and subsequent convictions.

Fridays ruling said the state has 90 days to appeal the federal order or else Mr Dassey must be released from prison. He is currently being held at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.

Avery was tried and convicted separately in the killing. He is seeking a fresh trial and has secured the help of a leading defence lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, who is working with the Midwest Innocence Project.

On Friday, Ms Zellner said in a statement that Avery was thrilled to hear of the ruling for his nephew. We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well, Ms Zellner said.

Earlier this year, she said on Twitter she had obtained a new DNA sample that she believed was crucial to Avery's case.

She also used social media to attack the prosecutor, Mr Kratz, who led the prosecution of both Mr Dassey and his uncle.
The lawyer who defended Steven Avery and was one of the key figures in the Netflix series Making a Murderer says he is relieved and gratified by a judge's decision to overturn Brendan Dasseys conviction for murder.

Dassey, 26, could walk free from prison in 90 days if prosecutors decide against appealing the ruling delivered by a federal judge in Milwaukee on Friday.

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Averys wrongful conviction for rape and attempted murder, exoneration, decision to sue the state and subsequent arrest and conviction for the murder of missing photographer Theresa Halbach was the subject of the popular Making a Murderer documentary.

His nephew Dassey was also convicted of the killing and sentenced to 41 years in prison. In his ruling, Judge William Duffin found his confession was involuntary and obtained by investigators making false promises to Dassey.

Dasseys confession became one of the focuses of Making a Murderer. Dassey, who was 16 when Ms Halbach died, was a vulnerable teenager and the way in which his confession was extracted proved highly controversial.

In 2007, he was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault, and mutilation of a corpse by a jury in Wisconsin and told he could not apply for parole until 2048. He was 17 at the time of sentencing.

Dean Strang, Averys lawyer during his trial, said Dasseys statements were wholly unreliable and flatly wrong on essential details. He told The Huffington Post: Our federal courts are often the last protectors of our liberties and justice. We are thankful and proud that a federal court fulfilled its fundamental role for Brendan Dassey today. In doing so, this federal court served all Americans.

Averys appeal is now being led by Kathleen Zellner, a renowned defence lawyer from Texas who is known for successfully appealing the convictions of 17 men.

The state will now decide whether to retry Dassey. If they decide against a retrial, he will be released. Netflix has confirmed a second series of Making a Murderer is being produced
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 13

Trend:

An Armenian citizen, who tried to cross into the territory of Azerbaijan, has been detained, the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons of the country told Trend Aug. 13.

Azerbaijani servicemen detained Armenian citizen Agetsyan Henrik Sayerbekovich Aug. 7 when he tried to cross into Azerbaijan from the Sadarak direction of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (NAR), according to the state commission.

The commission notified the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about the incident.
An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the massive development on a 197-hectare site owned by State forestry company Coillte, despite some objections Photo: PA

Apple's 850m data centre is not now expected to open for business until early 2019 due to delays caused by the planning process.

The tech giant has been given permission to build the 24,500-square-metre facility near Athenry in Co Galway. It will take up to 28 months to complete and will be delivered two years later than expected.

The company joins Google, Microsoft and Amazon, which have already built data centres here. The centre will help run online services including the iTunes store, App store and Siri.

An Bord Pleanala granted permission for the massive development on a 197-hectare site owned by State forestry company Coillte, despite some objections. Coillte refused to state how much the land was sold for, while Apple could not be reached for comment.

Among the reasons why the project was approved included the "projected demand" for data storage in the future, coupled with the "economic and operational rationale for the clustering of data storage capacity on one site," the board said.

It also noted the difficulties in identifying suitable sites required for the massive developments, which must be linked to the national grid. An electricity sub-station was also approved.

OPW Minister Sean Canney said the permission was "fantastic" news for Galway.

"The Atlantic economic corridor is a vision for balanced development of the country, and this makes a statement about the west of Ireland," he said.

Independent TD Noel Grealish said he had been "assured" by Apple executives that building work would commence shortly. The Galway Chamber said it would provide a welcome boost to the local economy.

The plans were approved by Galway County Council in September last year, but appealed to the board following a number of objections. Among the concerns included flooding fears, energy usage, environmental and climate change impact and wildlife issues. The decision can be appealed to the High Court, but only on a point of law.

In its decision, the board said the development would not have a "significant effect" on protected nature sites, and that the effects of the proposal had been properly addressed.

"The proposed development would, therefore, be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area," it said in its decision.

The data centre will be powered by renewable energy, but 18 diesel generators will be available in the event of a power shortage. Work on the electricity sub-station will take place while the centre is under construction.

The decision is subject to 20 conditions, including a reduction in the number of car parking spaces, and plans for an amenity walkway, open to the public, must also be agreed with the local authority.

Up to 300 people will be employed during construction, and 150 after.
This week Ian Bailey took the unprecedented step of writing to the Director of Public Prosecutions, imploring her to put him on trial for the murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The highly unusual move was not an admission of guilt. Far from it, the Manchester-born ex-journalist, who became a suspect after reporting on the killing, says it may be the only way he can prove his innocence once and for all.

Faced with the prospect of a renewed effort by authorities in France to extradite him over the December 1996 murder, Bailey said he believed his only chance of a fair trial was in Ireland. But the reality of the situation is that DPP Claire Loftus is never going to agree to do this as it would violate some of the core principles of her office.

The most fundamental of these is that where evidence is not sufficiently strong to justify prosecuting, then no prosecution should occur.

A comprehensive analysis by the DPP's office long ago concluded a prosecution was not warranted based on the evidence gathered by gardai.

Ms Loftus is also duty-bound to operate free of any extraneous influences or pressures. This would seem to preclude her from considering Bailey's request.

So it would appear Bailey is left with two choices - go to France and face trial or continue to resist extradition attempts.

Neither is particularly appealing to Bailey.

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Despite the guarantee under French law that he would enjoy the presumption of innocence and a jury trial, Bailey does not believe he would get fair treatment.

But the second option would render Bailey a virtual prisoner in Ireland, unable to travel abroad for fear of being arrested under a European arrest warrant.

Almost 20 years after the brutal murder of Sophie in the laneway outside her West Cork holiday home, the campaign by her family to have someone brought to justice remains as strong as ever. It is a testament to their stubbornness that things have got to this stage.

The family is well connected in the worlds of politics and film and openly acknowledges that high-profile figures exerted pressure on their behalf.

Sophie's late husband, film producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, was a close friend of former French president Jacques Chirac. Other backers of their campaign have included Gilles Jacob, the one-time president of the Cannes Film Festival and former French justice minister Jacques Toubon.

The pressure exerted helped prompt the launching of a French probe in 2008, under a law that allows for the investigation of the murders of French nationals abroad. By that stage the DPP had ruled out charges.

Amid ongoing diplomatic pressure, the then justice minister Dermot Ahern agreed to allow the Paris magistrate Patrick Gachon access the Garda murder file.

Bailey's paranoia about the intentions of French authorities is understandable. After all, on the face of things, they appear to be operating with the same information as the DPP, while having to meet the same burden of proof in their criminal courts.

There is no indication that any new DNA or physical evidence has been found linking Bailey to the murder.

So apart from fresh rounds of interviews conducted with the same people who were interviewed as part of the garda investigation, one wonders what further evidence may have emerged.

Yet something has prompted Mr Gachon's successor, Nathalie Turquey, to take a view of the evidence that is entirely contrary to that of the DPP.

On July 13 a second European arrest warrant was issued for Bailey, on the basis of her investigation. Two weeks later she delivered an indictment order to start a criminal case before the Cour d'Assises, the French court most similar to our Central Criminal Court.

A first extradition attempt failed in 2012 when the Supreme Court ruled Bailey could not be sent to France simply for questioning.

But the circumstances are different now, as Bailey is facing a charge.

If he does end up on trial in Paris, Bailey will encounter a court system which has some similarities with Ireland, but major differences too.

As in Ireland, he would be entitled to a jury trial and a defence team. He would be considered innocent at the outset of the trial and the onus would be on prosecutors to prove the case against him.

However, unlike here, three judges would be appointed to arbitrate between the prosecution and the defence. These judges would also form part of a nine-person jury, with the remaining members drawn from the public. A two-thirds majority would be needed for a conviction.

Another difference is that a victim's family can be legally represented in court and can ask questions of witnesses.

Should Bailey not be extradited to France, there is a very real prospect that a trial would be conducted in absentia.

In those circumstances there would be no jury and the evidence would simply be presented to the judges.

Alan Spillaert, a lawyer advising Ms Toscan du Plantier's family, said trials in absentia are uncommon, but have occurred before. He believes a conviction would lead to a third extradition request being issued.

Bailey, for his part, believes the French are cherry-picking facts to suit their case and ignoring aspects of the murder file that don't suit them. A reading of the DPP critique of the evidence in the case would appear to support this view.

Indeed, it is difficult to see how Ms Turquey can justify a prosecution unless she had uncovered new and compelling evidence.

The DPP document highlighted 15 separate issues that undermined any potential case against Bailey.

These included the lack of forensic evidence and the fact Bailey voluntarily provided fingerprints and a blood specimen, behaviour described as "objectively indicative of innocence".

The report found that Bailey's explanation that scratches on his body occurred when he was cutting branches on a tree and killing turkeys was "plausible".

Warnings issued by gardai that Bailey posed a danger to the community created a climate where witnesses became suggestible, the report said. Many of the same witnesses referred to were interviewed by the French.
Scene of rescue in Glendalough, Co Wicklow. Picture: Philip Grant

A paramedic descends to the scene in Glendalough, Co Wicklow. Picture: Philip Grant

Fellow climbers held the injured climber in Glendalough, Co Wicklow. Picture: Philip Grant

Paramedics help the injured woman in Glendalough, Co Wicklow. Picture: Philip Grant

This is the moment a rock climber was airlifted to safety after suffering a back injury in Co Wicklow on Saturday afternoon.

The Irish Coast Guard were alerted to the incident in Glendalough shortly before 1.30pm. It is understood that the woman fell while rock climbing in the area.

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Volunteers from Dublin-Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and Glen of Imaal Mountain Rescue Team provided the initial response at the casualty site.

Mountain Rescue personnel assisted in the climber's treatment and packaged her into a stretcher.

Emergency service workers were unable to access the location with vehicles so the helicopter Rescue 116 was dispatched from Dublin airport to attend the scene.

Photos, taken by reader Philip Grant, show fellow climbers directing the chopper into the remote area. Later paramedics were able to descend to the patient. She was moved to a stretcher before being winched into the helicopter.

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The injured woman was airlifted to Beaumont Hospital where she was being treated on Saturday night.

A short time later the Waterford Coast Guard Rescue 117 helicopter was called to a separate incident in Dungarvan after a female cyclist suffered injuries.

The helicopter located the 65-year-old woman and was able to direct the ambulance on the ground to the remote area.

She was brought by ambulance to hospital.

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The condition of both patients was unknown.
The Northern Ireland Prison Service has confirmed the death in custody of a 30 year old prisoner at Maghaberry Prison.

A 30-year-old prisoner has died at Maghaberry Prison.

The Northern Ireland Prison Service has confirmed the death in custody of a 30 year old prisoner at Maghaberry Prison.

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The Prisoner Ombudsman have launched investigations into the death.

Prison Service director general Sue McAllister said: I extend my sympathy and that of the Northern Ireland Prison Service to the family of the prisoner who has died.

"This is a tragedy and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

The Prison Service said that "while investigations are ongoing it would be inappropriate to provide any further comment".
Roisin Peden is comforted by mother-in-law Sandra as she speaks on UTV

The heartbroken bride of Jonathan Peden, who died in a freak accident at work, said she had been left "broken" after losing her husband just weeks after their wedding.

Roisin Peden said she can't believe her husband of five weeks was dead, adding that their wedding day was the happiest day of their lives.

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Jonathan (33), known as Johnny, died at work in Little Electrical Engineering in Lurgan, where he was a buyer.

On Thursday morning Roisin dropped her husband off to work, as she did every morning, and kissed him goodbye.

Just hours later police arrived at her door and broke the devastating news that her husband had passed away.

"It just hit me, I knew what they were going to say and I just didn't want to hear it. I just couldn't believe it," Roisin told UTV.

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"I thought maybe they had made a mistake, that it just wasn't happening. It is just so unreal, I can't believe it.

"I feel broken. I wish somebody would wake me up.

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"I just can't believe I'm not going to be able to hug him again or see him smiling, he's just gone.

"He honestly was such a genuine, caring, great person. It's so sad that it was all so short."

Roisin described how Jonathan enjoyed working at the Lurgan company, where he was firm friends with his colleagues.

Speaking about the moment the got engaged, she said: "He said: 'I'm the happiest man alive, I can't believe that you want to marry me'. I said: 'Why would I not want to marry you?' He said: 'Well, why me?' And I said: 'Because you are you'."

The grieving newlywed said the pair had "just gelled" and were deeply in love.

"He was so good to me, he was so caring and did everything for me, nothing was too much trouble. He loved looking after me and I loved looking after him," she said.

"He was such a good person and he had to go so soon."

His mother Sandra said her son had texted her the night before the accident to tell her he loved her.

"I'm just completely heartbroken, he was just the best son anybody could ask for, he was just so good, and he had so many friends, it's unbelievable," she told UTV.

"It's terrible, it's just trying to come to terms with it. You just want him back again.

"People used to say will Johnny ever marry, and I said there's somebody out there for Jonathan, and that wee fella died happy. His whole life had changed. I never saw a young fella so happy in all my life, he was just so, so happy.

"He loved her so much. We all love her."

Hundreds of tributes have flooded social media following Jonathan's death, with many friends describing him as a "gentleman".

His funeral will take place on Monday at Donaghcloney Elim Church.
The release of a man who shot a father to death near his home after just five years in prison has been criticised by a group that supports victims of crime.

Aidan O'Kane (50) died after being shot once in January 2008 after a row with a group of local youths who had been hanging around his home on Shelmalier Road.

Conor Duffy was just 16 when he borrowed a gun and shot O'Kane in a laneway.

His trial was held in 2011 and he was sentenced to seven years for manslaughter after being acquitted of murder.

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Now aged 24, he was released from jail last month.

But his release after serving five years has been criticised by AdVic chairman John Whelan.

Deterrent

AdVIC is a not-for-profit group formed in 2005 to ensure that the rights of families of homicide victims are not ignored within the criminal justice system, and to bring about a fairer, more balanced system for such families.

"Anyone who points a loaded gun at someone, pulls the trigger and kills them should be prepared to spend a very long time in prison, but in this instance it shows that you can walk free after five years. What sort of deterrent is that?," he asked.

"This is something that is traumatic for families of the victim, and it shows what little value the justice system puts on human life.

"We live in a society where the justice system doesn't care about the victim in my opinion."

Mr Whelan said there is no way to be sure that Duffy is now rehabilitated after such a short period in prison - and that sentences should be stricter.

"At the end of the day, we don't know [if he's rehabilitated]," he said.

"I don't think the system is robust enough - any violent crime should carry stronger sentences," he added.

Aidan O'Kane was shot after the last in a series of altercations with youths in the East Wall area, and later died in hospital.

He had been living on Shelmalier Road for 10 months with his son, Dylan (25), and a friend.

In a victim impact statement Aidan's brother Barry O'Kane described how the victim had befriended local youths and was always willing to share his knowledge and love of mechanics, electronics and computers with them.

Before the shooting he had been approached by community workers to consider taking part in a scheme to teach local youths about motorbike mechanics and he was excited about the prospect.

Mr O'Kane said his brother had great patience and never had a bad word to say about anyone.

The trial heard that Duffy was among a number of youths in the area when Mr O'Kane's house was attacked with eggs.

Mr O'Kane had later come out of the house wearing a balaclava and some youths wrongly believed a baton he was carrying was a gun.

Duffy said he had previously been threatened by Mr O'Kane, who believed he had stolen his bike.

On the night he killed Mr O'Kane, he said he believed had a gun.

Victim

He said wanted to frighten Mr O'Kane and got a gun himself but he claimed he never meant to kill him and was aiming for his leg when he shot.

Duffy's release comes as the widower of another innocent murder victim has hit out at his wife's killer being released after serving 20 years in jail.

Ray Quinn's wife Joyce was killed in 1996 by Kenneth O'Reilly, who is due out next year.

Mr Quinn told the Herald that in Ireland a life sentence does not mean life.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the creation of joint-stock companies as part of the comprehensive measures carried out in the country for transition to the market economy, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

A total of 242 joint-stock companies were registered in the country as of Jan.1, 2016, or 17 companies more than in 2014, according to the statistical reports.

Only 34 of 2,209 privatized facilities were converted into joint-stock companies as a result of the measures for denationalization and privatization of state property between 1994 and 2014.

The Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported that Turkmen emrasy joint-stock company for rendering satellite communication services can serve as a bright example.

State institutions are holders of the whole block of shares of this joint-stock company.

Hazarbalyk is one of the joint-stock companies created as a result of merger of private and public capital in Turkmenistans Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

The complex, created for breeding sturgeons, commercial fish and their industrial processing, was built by private entrepreneurs and operates in Turkmenistans Balkan province.

The modernized industrial complex Abadanhaly is an open joint-stock company which specializes in production of high-quality carpets and rugs.

The following laws in Turkmenistan serve as the legal basis for the activities for creating and operation of joint-stock companies: the law On joint-stock companies, On Securities Market, On Investment Activities and On Foreign Investments.

Turkmenistan uses three methods of creating joint-stock companies: 1) creation of a new joint-stock company; 2) reorganization of a legal entity; 3) taking measures for privatization of the state property.
Working parents are being hit hard with a "summer premium" for childcare.

This can be as high as an extra 640 a month for parents who are both working and have two children in creche.

The parents are forced into paying more because summer holidays mean school-going children are in creches for longer each day during the long break.

Many children, where both parents work outside the home, end up in child-minding facilities for nine to 10 hours a day, rather than five hours a day during the school term.

Parents say they are being hammered and the National Women's Council said the Government is doing nothing about it.

And parents have to pay for childcare places during the summer even when they are away on holidays, as the place has been booked and has to be paid for.

The "summer premium" cost affects working couples with primary school children.

But it also hits working couples with pre-school children, as the State's Early Children Care and Education scheme (ECCE) only applies during term time.

The ECCE covers the cost of three hours each day of childcare, but only during term time.

The Irish Independent carried out a survey of 12 creches across Ireland from August 9 to 11 to inquire about their prices during term time and during the summer holidays.

Nine of the 12 creches contacted charged a "summer premium" for full-time childcare. Giraffe, one of the largest childcare providers in the Dublin region, charges over 80 a week extra for children to attend full-time during the summer.

Read More: Analysis: School holidays should be fun - but extra cost puts a major dampener on them

Just Kids Creche in Louth also charged an additional 75 per week for full-time childcare for school-going children.

Of the 12 that provided details, Little Harvard, Park Academy Childcare and Lifestyle Community Creche in Louth kept their prices the same throughout the whole year.

Orla O'Connor of the National Women's Council said families in which both parents work find summer hugely expensive and difficult to manage.

To avoid children having to be in creches and child-minding full-time for the summer, many parents were using a combination of summer camps, asking grandparents to mind children and paying childminders. She said the Programme for Government suggested schools be used for child-minding outside of school hours, but this has not been implemented yet.

"There are two big issues - the cost, and out-of-school hours not being put in place. Nothing is being done by the Government about this.

"We get a lot of calls from women saying, 'My God, what are we meant to do?'

"Summer is an extremely difficult period for parents," Ms O'Connor said.

Laura Erskine, of MummyPages.ie, an online community of mothers, said working parents were being hammered during the summer.

"If you are working you have to use camps, but you have to find before-camp care and after-camp care, but it is expensive."

Read More: 'I have to pull back from work - juggling it all is hard'

The free pre-school places, under the ECCE scheme, do not operate in the summer, she said.

"The Government has dangled the carrot of subsidised childcare at source for working parents, similar to the way the ECCE model works. Yet, like many election promises, we have yet to see any action, leaving Ireland with the most expensive childcare bill in Europe."

The boss of Early Childhood Ireland, an organisation that represents 3,500 creches, pre-school and after-school facilities, said parents were being hit hard in summer.

Teresa Heeney said parents of school-going children were typically asked to pay an additional 80 a week per child.

This works out at 640 a month for a family of two school-going children. The summer childcare premium is close to 1,000 for working couples with three children.

Ms Heeney said: "There is the absence of a strategy to address the need for comprehensive early education. There is a huge issue around affordability for parents."

She said parents of school-going children pay between 180 and 200 a week during term time, with higher prices in Dublin.

"It is very challenging for parents during the summer in terms of childcare and also because of the affordability issue," Ms Heeney said.

A spokeswoman for Children's Minister Katherine Zappone said work on the affordable childcare scheme is expected to be in place by autumn 2017.

"It is envisaged that this single scheme will provide a new simplified subsidy programme, available through both community/not-for-profit and private childcare providers, which will provide wrap-around childcare support for parents, including during after-school and school holiday times."

The spokeswoman said the programme will also provide a platform for future investment to make childcare more affordable. From next month, children will be eligible for a free year of pre-school at age three, and to remain in pre-school until primary school.
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and two firearms recovered after a major garda operation in the capital.

Gardai confirmed that a search operation commenced at approximately 9.30am today following reports of a disturbance at a house in Kilmainham involving a youth with a firearm.

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The youth had left the scene on arrival of gardai. There were no reported injuries in the incident.

A garda spokesman said: "During search operation involving local Garda Units, Emergency Response Unit, Garda Dog Unit and Air Support Unit, two firearms (ballistic examination pending) were recovered.

"A male aged in his teens was later arrested in the Inchicore area."

Gardai investigated earlier reports that shots had been fired at a home in the Labre Park area of Bluebell. They have since established that this was not the case.

He was detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939 at Kevin Street Garda Station but was later released.

Enquiries are on going.
Asked once by a reporter what advice he would give to young entrepreneurs keen to emulate his success, Gerald Grosvenor, the 6th Duke of Westminster, wryly replied: "Make sure they have an ancestor who was a very close friend of William the Conqueror."

The third-richest man in Britain - who amassed a 10.4bn fortune before his death last Tuesday at the age of 64 - was clearly an individual endowed with a keen sense of perspective on the concept of inherited wealth.

The Grosvenor family traces its wealth back to the lucky moment when a French ancestor who had helped William the Conqueror invade Britain in 1066 was handed the whole of Cheshire as a reward.

Further south, the jewel in the crown was some 77 hectares of prime real estate in London's Mayfair and Belgravia, thanks to the purchase by his ancestors in 1677 of 500 acres of "swamp, pasture and orchards".

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Amongst the Grosvenor assets are 39,000 hectares in Scotland and 13,000 hectares in Spain, as well as huge swathes of land across the globe.

At present, the business holds property on five continents and reports more than $15bn (14.2bn) in assets under management, according to Forbes.

Until recently, the Duke even counted a large stake in the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin as part of his property empire, having been one of the original developers of the controversial site, which ended up being the subject of a planning tribunal.

But money never interested him and he suffered depression as a result of his gilded burden, once explaining: "I can't sell it, it doesn't belong to me."

The Duke was a close friend of Britain's royals, particularly Prince Charles - despite a scandal in 2007, when the 'News of the World' reported that Gerald was a customer of a high-end escort service in New York.

He found titles "embarrassing" and was simply called 'Gerald' all his life.

His lack of 'notions' sat squarely with his relatively humble upbringing in rural Northern Ireland, where, for the first 15 years of his life, he assumed that he would grow up to become a beef farmer like his father.

Brought up in Ely Lodge, on one of the 365 tiny islands on Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh, his early years had been an "idyllic" existence, he told the BBC's 'Desert Island Discs' in 1995 in a rare radio interview.

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There had once been a family castle but it fell into such a state of disrepair that it had to be demolished in 1870. After that, the Grosvenors lived in the relatively modest converted stable block.

"I had a wonderful childhood in Northern Ireland," said Gerald, outlining the 52 miles of lakes, the 365 islands and a peaceful existence consisting of two sisters and his parents.

Enniskillen, the nearest town, was six or seven miles away.

"Popping down to the corner shop to buy sweets was a bit of a safari," he said.

"It was a wonderful foundation for life. I am a country person by birth and inclination.

"I would have been happy and content to live there all my life. I knew what I wanted to be; I wanted to farm and take it all rather gently, I thought."

The duke was taken to boarding school in England when he was seven, where his "broad Ulster accent" was forced out of him by teasing. He left school with scant academic achievements.

At 15, all his expectations changed when his uncle died without an heir and Gerald's father inherited the title - and all it entailed.

On hearing the news, Gerald's first instinct was to "run for the door, slam it and keep running.

"I was brought up in Ulster, where you were treated purely on your own merits," he explained to 'Desert Island Discs'.

"You were treated because of who you are and I was called Gerald all my life."

One of the songs he chose on the programme was the theme to 'Harry's Game' by Clannad - which he selected because "it is full of tragedy and it is the only theme that I think encompasses the tragedy of Ireland so brilliantly. And, of course, the book and film had a tragic ending of great misunderstanding - and that is the story of Ulster."

In 1970, he joined the UK's Territorial Army as a trooper and this military training, together with his staunchly loyalist background, made him a severe critic of the IRA.

A letter written by Gerald in July 1972 to the then British prime minister Edward Heath, outlines his rage over secret talks between the IRA and the British government.

"I told you many months ago that (anarchists) and the IRA have only one object in view and that is the reunification of Ireland at any price, by any means and that is what it is all about," he wrote, adding that he was "frankly dreading" his monthly visit to Northern Ireland "because I shall have to face my friends".

His advice to Heath was to first "destroy the gunmen", saying: "There can be no reconciliation of the communities while they dominate."

He advised Heath to saturate no-go areas with troops - "not just a battalion at a time but a brigade - standing room only," believing it would result in less casualties.

Nevertheless, he struck a note of wisdom when he concluded that no government could impose reconciliation. The only hope was peace which "will ultimately lead to a state of mind wherein both sides will tolerate each other," he said.
Drug smuggler Michaella McCollum has arrived back in Ireland after being released from prison in Peru earlier this year.

The 23-year-old arrived into Dublin airport last night on a flight from London. She left South America on Friday night after posting a picture on Instagram prior to boarding her flight home.

Pictures posted online show the smuggler walking through Dublin airport last night.

She refused to answer questions from reporters as she carried a number of large suitcases.

McCollum and Scottish woman Melissa Reid were arrested in August 2013 at Lima Airport with 11KG of cocaine hidden in food packets.

Ms McCollum was released on parole in March this year after serving less than half her six-year, eight-month sentence.

BREAKING: Convicted drugs smuggler Michaella McCollum has arrived back in Ireland #PeruTwo pic.twitter.com/8fzuNK9eel  Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) August 13, 2016

In an interview with RTE shortly after her release she admitted her decision to take part in smuggling was a moment of madness.

She said: I made a decision in a moment of madness.Im not a bad person.. I want to demonstrate that Im a good person.

I potentially could have hurt a lot of people. I potentially could have filled Europe full of a lot of drugs, she said.

She had been staying in Peru awaiting a judicial hearing to decide when she could return home.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Michaella McCollum and Scotswoman Melissa Reid stand as they are questioned by police in Lima airport in 2013 Michaella McCollum Connolly during an interview with RTE / Facebook

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Melissa Reid arrived back to Scotland in June.
A wife who launched an online appeal to raise funds for pioneering treatment to fight her husband's brain tumour has reached the 237,000 target in less than four days.

Natasha Carey issued a heartfelt plea for help on Tuesday to give her husband Kevin a fighting chance of beating cancer through costly immunotherapy.

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The response was remarkable and by early Saturday the total had been reached, with donations continuing to flood in.

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Mr Carey, 35, was given just three months to live in July after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy failed to halt the growth of the aggressive tumour.

After last month's bleak prognosis, the engineer from the village of Portglenone, Co Antrim underwent further specialist neurosurgery in London.

The operation removed the bulk of the tumour, but a malignant rump remains and he has been told the only real option left is a cutting-edge immunotherapy procedure.

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The treatment is only available privately in London and will cost the couple 205,000 (237,000).

Mrs Carey said she was amazed at the public's reaction.

"We are completely overwhelmed, and cannot believe 205,000 has been raised in three days," she said.

"This is so heart warming. It goes to show the true heart, soul, compassion, and kindness of people.

"We are beyond grateful. The support, love, generosity and encouragement Kevin and I have received is indescribable.

"Thank you all for believing in Kevin, and standing with him to fight this. Kevin has a tough fight ahead of him, and has to face the immunotherapy treatment, but now, he is not alone, he has the strength of so many wonderful people carrying him on in his fight."

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Mrs Carey said any additional money raised would be donated to brain tumour research.

For more information about the fundraising effort visit gofundme.com/KevinCarey
A hacker claims to have used a mobile phone app to fake a QR code, gaining free entry to an airport business lounge.

Przemek Jaroszewski, head of Polands Computer Emergency Response Team, used his expertise and a simple program to create a new entry ticket after his membership was mistakenly rejected by a Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul, he says.

The frequent flier then used the app on his Android phone to access a number of other airport lounges, though none he did not already have valid access to already.

Jaroszewski, who presented his findings to a security conference in Las Vegas at the weekend, said he did not use the fake QR codes to attempt to board a plane as he would be likely stopped by more thorough checks at the departure gate.

Nevertheless, he did made a video showing how easy it was to create the fake codes, telling Wired: Literally, it takes 10 seconds to create a boarding pass and it doesnt even have to look legit because youre not in contact with any humans.

He created the fake boarding passes under the name Bartholomew Simpson.

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Over the course of his experiments, the computer expert found that the code did not need to contain many passenger details, only the flight number, and that it was possible to enter even the most exclusive airport lounges using the technology.

The hacker is yet to attempt the trick outside of Europe and believes that American security would be tighter, and pointed out that he has not used the codes to do anything illegal. However, he did share the technology website that he once sent a code to a friend to use.

Jaroszewski also used his codes to show a boarding pass required when purchasing duty-free shopping, though after a small, peaceful consumer revolt last year it is now understood that UK passengers are not obliged to show their boarding passes when buying goods in airports.

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Despite giving a speech on the issue, Jaroszewski will not be releasing the code-creating software  something another computer expert did in 2006, warranting the attention of the FBI. After claims that Christopher Soghoians work posed a national security risk, the FBI raided his home, though neither the agency or the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) brought any charges.

Jaroszewski's revelations raise concerns about the quality of airport security that relies on computer scanners, but Chris Goater, a spokesperson for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said a forged bar code boarding pass will not entitle the person carrying it with any right to travel, nor will it create any confusion with an airlines system where the official information is stored.

Additionally, airlines have their own processes and rules allowing passengers into their lounges, he said.

Turkish Airlines has not responded to a request for comment.

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Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
It is not clear what item on the KFC menu Li was attempting to recreate Credit: KFC

Aturtle - not the one hidden in the KFC burger. Photo: Deposit

A man has been caught attempting to smuggle his pet turtle through airport security by disguising it as a KFC burger.

The man, who has been identified only by his surname, Li, was at Chinas Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport ahead of a China Southern Airlines flight to Beijing when staff spotted on the X-ray scanner some odd protrusions from a fast food wrapper, according to Chinas Guangzhou Daily newspaper.

Li, motivated by a desire not to be separated from his pet, he told officials, had hidden the turtle in a sesame seed buns and packaged it in KFC paper.

Theres no turtle in there, just a hamburger, Li reportedly told airport staff, according to the newspaper, after initially refusing a bag search.

Theres nothing special to see inside, he added.

The turtle was eventually freed and Li was told the animal was not allowed on the plane. He agreed to leave his beloved turtle with a friend so that he could still make the flight.

Expand Close It is not clear what item on the KFC menu Li was attempting to recreate Credit: KFC / Facebook

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Some users on Chinese social media website Weibo were moved by Lis warm relationship with his pet, while others chastised him for submitting a turtle to an X-ray machine.

This is by no means the first time someone has attempted to take a prohibited animal on a plane using unusual methods.

An American in 2008 managed to sneak a rhesus monkey through customs, flying from Thailand to the US, by hiding the animal up her blouse and pretending she was pregnant. The woman was later caught after bragging about her exploits.

In another incident an Australian man was caught with two live pigeons stuffed down his pants while attempting to fly from Dubai to Melbourne.

A Thai smuggler, meanwhile, once attempted to fool customs officials into believing that the three-month tiger cub she drugged and put in her luggage was actually a cuddly toy. Her plan was foiled when the tiger began to stir and was noticed by check-in staff.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Bishop of Derry Edward Daly, who died this week, was one of the IRA's toughest critics, condemning its gunmen from the pulpit as "followers of the gospel of Satan".

From a humble curate to one of the most influential prelates in recent church history, Edward Daly remained a grounded and compassionate man. When he published his autobiography in 2000, there were no airs and graces. It was fittingly called: "Mister, Are you a Priest?"

His life in the cauldron of the Troubles gave him unique insight into its complexities. From the day he first came to help a dying teenager by attempting to shepherd him through the carnage of Bloody Sunday, waving the blood-soaked hanky embroidered for him by his mother, Edward Daly became one of the leading voices of the church in Ireland. His faith could hardly have endured a sterner test than the slaughter he witnessed that day.

A lesser man might have turned cynical, but Bloody Sunday merely served to convince Bishop Daly that violence in pursuit of political goals could never be justified. It was his conviction that the dead had been unarmed and were cut down in cold blood that gave added weight to demands for an impartial inquiry.

In his own view it was his association with Bloody Sunday that catapulted him to being the city's bishop two years later. News footage of his attempt to save Jackie Duddy resonated across the world.

He said it "changed my life completely. I lost my anonymity. I was the priest with the handkerchief, and that was it. It was dreadful, dreadful."

He received threats over the years from Loyalists and Republicans alike, and became constantly afraid of meeting people who would be angry with him. His stooped figure, handkerchief in hand, was immortalised in a mural on the side of a house, painted by the Bogside Artists in 1997. He was a forceful witness at the Widgery inquiry soon after the event, and was shocked when it exonerated troops from the Parachute Regiment, concluding that they had come under attack from gunmen and bombers. His verdict was damning: "It was the second atrocity."

When Tony Blair in 1998 set up a second inquiry under Lord Saville, Dr Daly again said the anti-internment demonstrators had posed no threat to the army. Yet he also testified to having seen an IRA gunman fire three times at soldiers who apparently did not spot him. "This didn't make me the most popular person in town," he said.

When Saville reported in 2010, placing the blame squarely on the troops, Dr Daly hailed "a good day for truth and justice - we've waited all these years." Saying the process of forgiving could now begin, he particularly welcomed David Cameron's "powerful statement" underpinning the findings.

On Bloody Sunday, Daly, a curate at St Eugene's Cathedral, had gone out to reassure old folk as disorder broke out close to the march. Demonstrators began running away; Saracen armoured cars appeared and firing began. It was then that he saw 17-year-old Jackie Duddy shot in the back.

Pinned down by gunfire, Daly gave Jackie the last rites and tried to stem the blood. Another young man danced past shouting hysterically: "Shoot me, shoot me."

"Then a soldier stepped out, went down on one knee, took aim and fired at him. He was hit in the leg and, fortunately, survived. It was the one occasion in my lifetime when I witnessed one human being deliberately shoot another."

On his way home, Daly was stopped by an Army patrol.

"I showed them my hands, which were completely covered in blood. I asked what on earth possessed them to do what they did. After I got back, the enormity of what I had just witnessed crashed in on me. I wept profusely."

For Daly, it was "the day I lost any romantic notions or ambivalence I may have had about the morality of the use of arms as a means of resolving our political problems."

But others drew a different conclusion. "Countless young people were motivated to become involved in armed struggle and, as a direct result, joined the Provisional IRA. I am not at all sure how I would have reacted, had I been a teenager."

He later used the authority of his office to condemn terrorism and urge the authorities to abandon counter-productive security policies. Internment had, he observed, brought "the replacement of men suspected of violence with a new, younger and evidently more irresponsible breed of extremist."

He worked tirelessly across the sectarian divide for peace, and played a part in securing the IRA ceasefire of 1975. He invited prayers in his church for British soldiers, and told Americans that dollars sent to the paramilitaries were "helping to inflict further suffering and continued injustice".

He was also instrumental in attempting to end the dispute over IRA prisoners' demand for "political" status that culminated in the hunger strike of 1981 in which Bobby Sands and nine others died.

Daly visited IRA prisoners and pressed for improvements in their treatment, but was cautious over pursuing claims that they were innocent. His decision to campaign for the release of the Birmingham Six was thus significant.

Edward Kevin Daly was born in 1933 at Belleek, Co Fermanagh. He boarded at St Columb's College in Derry, then studied for the priesthood at the Irish College in Rome. His first curacy was at Castlederg, Co Tyrone, then in 1962 he was appointed to St Eugene's.

Horrified by conditions in the Bogside, Daly raised morale by putting on amateur theatricals.

In 1973 he moved to Dublin as religious adviser to RTE, "a very important escape for me". He became a regular participant in religious and current affairs broadcasts. In 1980 Dr Daly accused the killers of a soldier home on compassionate leave after the stillbirth of his child of "an inhuman and criminal act of the lowest order". And when two years later two soldiers were shot close to his cathedral, Daly put out leaflets urging Catholics to turn the killers in. In 1986 he angered the IRA by telling Catholics who condoned terrorism they had effectively excommunicated themselves.

Suffering a stroke in February 1993, Daly retired as bishop that autumn; thereafter he worked as chaplain to a hospice. Just before his stroke, he reopened contacts with Sinn Fein on prospects for ending the violence.

The Most Reverend Edward Daly, born December 5, 1933, died August 8, 2016
Zoe Conroy and John McIntyre will be joined by Damien Mullane for their afternoon concert in the Heritage Centre, Carlingford, this Sunday at 4pm.

They previously collaborated with the Cork born musician on his debut album '13'. Brought up in London to Irish parents, Damien was very active in the traditional music scene there, and has won numerous All-Ireland titles on both accordion and melodeon. He began his professional career as the accordionist in the legendary Frankie Gavin's band De Dannan.

'Playing Irish traditional music is what I love to do and the real joy comes from the spontaneous musical energy created between a group of performers - particularly when there is a musical respect between all,' he says,

Since then Damien has toured extensively, performing as far afield as China, Japan,

Australia, New Zealand, India and the U.S in some of the worlds most prestigious venues including Slane Castle, The Electric Picnic and Glastonbury. He has performed for numerous high profile figures including US current President Barack Obama end ex President Bill Clinton, Prince

Albert of Monaco and former Irish president Mary Robinson.

He is also a member of the Young Irelanders and Project West with some of the country's rising traditional performers.
The annual Mass for former members of the Joe McEntee St. Joseph's Boys Club will be held in St. Malachy's Church on Monday, August 22nd, after which there will be tea and a chat.

The club, which met in clubrooms in Anne Street was one of the best and most popular in Dundalk in the 1950's and 1960's and was headed by Joe McEntee from Dublin Street who was an idol for young people in the town at the time.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 13

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The Caspian Environmental Service, a division of the Turkmen State Committee for Environmental Protection and Land Resources, held a monitoring of water and coast in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

The content of harmful impurities is within the permissible limits in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea, according to the newspaper.

The Caspian Environmental Service periodically conducts environmental audits of foreign and domestic companies, enterprises engaged in maritime transportations, production of oil and natural gas, geophysical and geological research, as well as transportation of energy resources.

Ecologists confirm that the chemicals content and parameters of sea water around the Avaza (a Caspian resort) depend on seasonal and other conditions, and, in general, are stable and safe, said the newspaper.
Dancers Sasha Savchenko and Hannah Kelly gave an impressive demonstration at the South Beach Pavilion in Greystones recently.

The teenagers, both aged 13, were at the centre of a fundraising event to raise money to send them to the Dancing German Open this week. Funds raised will go towards expenses such as accommodation and travel.

Sasha is from Greystones, while Hannah is from Dublin.

Guests to their event got a delicious buffet style Indian dinner prepared by Milas kitchen and were treated to some wonderful dancing performances. TV3 were there to record the event as part of a documentary they are making.

There was a raffle with fantastic prizes.

Both dancers go to Dublin's Xquisite Dance School. They recently returned from the DanceSport training camp in Austria where they made final preparations for the competition.
A celebration of the life of publican Oliver Hughes took place last Wednesday at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham last Thursday afternoon.

Oliver died suddenly at his north-Dublin home the previous Sunday, following a suspected heart-attack. The Glasnevin man founded the Porterhouse in Bray with his cousin Liam LaHarte in 1989.

More than 300 people attended the ceremony in Dublin, along with his wife Helen and their children Holly (21) and Elliot (24), as well as many friends and family members.

Brian Kennedy performed the iconic Frank Sinatra song 'My Way', while the services also included 'Purple Rain' by Prince and 'Come Together' by The Beatles. The Porterhouse businesses were all closed on the day as a mark of respect to Oliver, who has been widely described as 'a gentleman'.

'A remarkable life such as Oliver's is one that could only be celebrated owing to his charisma, passion and amazing character,' said the Porterhouse in a statement. Oliver was a criminal barrister before going into business with Liam.

Together the men established a group of bars and business which today include Lillie's Bordello, Porterhouse Brewery and the Dingle Whiskey Distillery as well as Porterhouse London, Porterhouse Temple Bar, Porterhouse Central and the Whitworth Dining and Bar in Glasnevin.
A Bray woman battling cancer for the second time is raising money for alternative therapies including cannabis oil.

Grace Vickers was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 when she was 34 weeks pregnant and her own mother had been diagnosed.

She recovered using both alternative treatments and mainstream medical care.

Recently Grace received the bad news that she once again has cancer and has spent the past week in hospital.

Her friend Myrna Verdon set up a GoFundMe page to help Grace which achieved over half of its 10,000 target within days.

'Grace is a big believer in complementary treatments,' said Myrna. 'She is a trained acupuncturist and knows the importance of combined care to help alleviate side effects from treatments and cancer prevention.

'Unfortunately this can be a costly route.'

The treatment approach will include tetrahydrocannabinol extracts, herbal medicine, acupuncture and a healthy mindset.

As well as initial treatments, Grace needs to follow up with maintenance protocols to keep tumours at bay.

Speaking from St Vincent's Hospital before being released for the weekend, Grace explained that she thought originally in 2014 that she had a blocked milk duct due to her pregnancy.

'They weren't taking any chances,' said Grace. She said that there is a cancer-causing BC gene in her family.

'I had clear scans then started getting pain in my lower back in the last three months.'

Grace went to an osteopath and tried yoga and other remedies, however the pain became unbearable.

'It turned out to be a tumour on my spine. It got into my hip bones and spread to my liver.'

While she has had emergency radiotherapy, doctors are mapping out a treatment plan for Grace.

'I did it all before and I have an alternative health background,' said Grace. 'I know how much the alternative treatments can diminish the tumour markers and get tumours shrinking and reversing.'

She didn't expect Myrna or anyone to set up a fundraising page, nor for the word to spread so quickly. 'It's all been so overwhelming. I can't believe it, it's crazy' said Grace.

She said that the plan is to 'get everything working at once and give my body the best fighting chance.'

The Ardmore Wood native lives in Dargle Crescent with her partner and their daughter.

'Everyone is up and down,' said Grace, on how her family members are in the wake of the diagnosis.

Myrna explained that Grace is her daughter's second cousin. The two women have both shared information online about the treatments involved.

She said that the response to the campaign has been amazing. 'I'm not surprised that it's successful because Grace is a great person. I didn't expect so much so quick,' said Myrna. 'She's a great woman and so knowledgeable about all of this. She's done it before, she can do it again.'

To find out more, go to gofundme.com and search for Grace Vickers.
The first Wicklow Film Festival will take place at Mermaid Arts Centre from August 26 until August 28.

This boutique festival's focus is the power of film to consider themes of acceptance and solidarity, justice and power, racism, homelessness and the environment through films old and new.

At the end of the summer, when film options are just a little slim on the ground the organisers say they are excited to present a diverse range of screenings selected by Wicklow Artist, Brigid O'Brien.

'My parents went to the cinema every week. On returning my mother would "do" the film, tragedy, passion, pouting and shrugs, all the accents and body language to tell the story,' said Brigid.

'Later on I married an actor. He also loved to "do" the film. Sometimes he was in the film. I love the democracy of the cinema. You need a ticket, nothing else. Now, turn off your phone... the film is starting.'

All screenings will take place at Mermaid Arts Centre and will include post-screening discussions with invited speakers.

The festival is a part of Mermaid's mission to promote the arts for all and their belief that through film, theatre, song, storytelling and more we can find meaning and broaden our minds.

'With the glamour of the film industry it's easy to be distracted and forget the intense power of film,' said Niamh O'Donnell, artistic director at Mermaid. 'Film holds the possibility not just to transport us to other worlds but also to have an intensely transformative effect. Almost all of us have seen a film that fundamentally changed and altered our outlook and opinions. Films tell us a story, but it can be those stories that shed light on issues, narrate history, expose injustices and initiate social change.'

The festival will open with a screening of VIVA by Wicklow's own Paddy Breathnach, a touching film which looks at masculinity and acceptance with a post-screening talk by Paddy himself.

The festival will also feature screenings of films including; The Square, an immersive account of the revolutionary turmoil of Tahrir Square, and Atlantic, a softly gripping documentary exploring the impact of large companies on fishing communities across Ireland, Canada and Norway.

The festival closes with Cathy Come Home on Sunday, August 28, at 2 p.m., a searing drama from 1966 which became the catalyst to a conversation surrounding the issue of homelessness. Not many films bring about social change or action, so this story about a young mother who becomes homeless is something quite special. A searing drama It caused a massive scandal when it was first shown on BBC in the 60s.

12 Angry Men will be shown on Friday, August 26 at 2 p.m. This is one of the all-time great theatrical releases, focusing on a jury's deliberations in a capital murder case where a guilty verdict means an automatic death sentence. To Kill A Mockingbird will be shown on Saturday, August 27, at 12 midday. In 1930's Alabama, a small-town lawyer takes on the case of a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman in an atmosphere of hostility and racial prejudice. 'Babe' will be shown on Sunday, August 28 at 11 a.m. Babe, a pig raised by sheepdogs, learns to herd sheep with a little help from Farmer Hoggett.

Tickets are priced from 5 to 8. Tickets and a programme of events, including a quiz, are available from www.mermaidartscentre.ie.
Wicklow's mountain rescue teams were involved in three separate call-outs the weekend before last, including an incident where a man injured himself after a fall while walking his dog.

On the Saturday at 3.45pm, the gardai tasked Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and the Glen of Imaal Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team to come to the assistance of a woman who took a fall while walking through the Miners' Village in Glendalough.

She sustained some minor injuries through the fall.

A mountain rescue vehicle was dispatched to her location where her injuries were assessed, after which she was transported back to her car.

On the previous day, Friday, the two teams came to the aid of a young woman who had been out walking the Wicklow Way with friends. At around midday she reached a point where she couldn't travel any further due to a pre-existing medical condition.

A mountain rescue vehicle was dispatched to collect and transport her to a waiting HSE ambulance. Once assessed by the ambulance crew, she was advised not to continue her walk, and was then able to return home.

Rescue crews were back into action on the Sunday when a man walking his dog on Little Sugarloaf fell near the summit at 8.15 p.m. and injured his lower leg.

Medics treated his injury and he was packaged into a stretcher for evacuation from the hill. He was eventually transferred to a waiting ambulance, while his dog was handed over to a friend.

On the August bank holiday Monday, two women became disorientated while descending Lugnaquilla in poor weather conditions at 1.36pm Mountain rescue were unable to use Sarloc to locate their position. However, rescue personnel were able to narrow down possible locations where they may be. They were finally found by a hill search party in the military range.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Aug. 13

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Uzbekistans Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov received the credentials of George Kasoulides, who was appointed extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Cyprus to Uzbekistan with residence in Moscow, said the press service of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, Kamilov and Kasoulides discussed the bilateral cooperation, including the cooperation within the EU, the UN and other international institutions.

The sides noted their mutual interest in further development of relations in various fields, intensification of international contacts and exchanges between business circles of Uzbekistan and Cyprus.
The Julianstown & District Community Association will host an event during the coming National Heritage Week, titled "Go Wild in the Woods".

This event will be held on Sunday 28th August from 2.30pm in the community woodland at Whitecross in Julianstown. Local children will recite some Woodland Poetry, while Community Historian Brendan Matthews will present a short talk on the life & times of the renowned local Gaelic Leaguer, Poet & Writer, Thomas O'Brien, who was from Sarsfieldstown in Julianstown and wrote under the pen name of 'Clontarf'.

O'Brien died in November 1906 at the young age of 54 years and is buried in Moorechurch Cemetery. There will also be a Commemoration Stone unveiled to his memory within the beautiful Whitecross woodland on the day.

Following this Commemoration Tribute, there will be a variety of family fun-day activities including children and parents activity and quiz sheets, local bird and tree identification challenges, bug hunting, bark rubbing, find a feather, making a bug and hedgehog hotels, wildflower seed bombs and making bird feeding fat-balls.

We plan to finish the event with a community picnic on the green, so don't forget to pack your picnic basket! There is a nominal donation charge of 2 per person or 5 per family on the day. This Heritage Week Project has received funding from the Heritage Council of Ireland and Meath County Council. Great day out for all the family and supporting Irish Heritage.
Elvis Impersonator Anthony Bradley will be joined by the Ardee Concert Band and the Maynooth and SpeakUp SingOut (SUSO) Gospel Choirs for a special tribute to the 'King of Rock and Roll' on Saturday August 20th.

They will be performing new and original arrangements by composer and Musical Director of Ardee Concert Band; Brendan Breslin in the Main Auditorium of the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

This show will feature well known Elvis classics such as Suspicious Minds, Burning Love, The Last Farewell and How Great Thou Art carefully chosen, written and arranged by Mr Breslin for orchestra and choir.

A show not to be missed; Tickets are now available for the Concert at 25 through the National Concert Hall's Website or on the following link: https://www.nch.ie/Online/Elvis-20Aug16.

Ardee Concert Band are supported by Music Network's Music Capital Scheme, funded by The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Music Network is funded by The Arts Council
Capt. W. P. Boylan was quite a character. Commodore of the B&I fleet at one stage, he also served as captain of the M V. Leinster.

A native of Drogheda, he had served on all the company's vessels and became master in 1936.

He was decorated by the British Government for his service on Atlantic convoys during the Second World War. He had many exciting adventures at the time. In a U-boat attack 350 miles off Tory Island, his ship was sunk and he had to swim for a couple of hours before being picked up by a destroyer.

He was in charge of the company's vessel, Innisfallen, when she was sunk off New Brighton in 1940. There were 150 passengers aboard and all survived. Four crew members were lost.

He died back in the 1960s.
Fr Jim Donleavy to play his part in a first mass at the Magdalene Tower in 450 years

The Dominican priest who will play a central role in the first mass at the famed Magdalene Tower in some 450 years has said he feels honoured to be performing such a role.

Fr Jim Donleavy, the face of the Save the Dominican campaign, says the mass, on Saturday, August 27 (3pm) will be a nostalgic and fitting tribute to those who worked there in the past.

'This mass will be for a lot of things, but also for the fellows who served here,' he stated. He made particular reference to the discovery of graves in a new car park a short distance away recently.

'There are priests who are buried here and worked here and we will be asking that the Dominicans now stay here.

'We have a devotion to the Magdalene Tower and and I feel a little inadequate to be given the honour, but it will be a great day.'

The mass will coincide with a chapter of the Dominicans that may decide if the order will be closing its doors in Drogheda or not.

A proposal was made a couple of years ago to close the church of St Magdalen but since then a campaign has been launched to save it.

The mass will also see a balloon release with 476 to be released into the sky, one for every year since the closure of the abbey at Sunday's Gate, around 1540.

Numbers on the day of the mass will be restricted due to the size of the area around the tower but a number of passes are available and a draw will be made for them at a later stage.

Those interested in attending should contact the Dominican Mass Office on Dominic Street and leave their name and contact details. The draw will take place in advance of the mass.
The 50 young people from the Diocese of Meath who travelled to the World Youth Day celebrations in Krakow, Poland enjoyed the best two weeks of their lives.

They travelled across Europe and met up with three million other young people.

At the final Mass, Pope Francis announced that the next International World Youth Day will take place in Panama in 2019.

With eyes set on Panama, Jane Hodgkinson (27), a primary school teacher from Mornington, reflected on her recent experience: "Having experienced World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011 I had an idea of what to expect but you can never prepare yourself fully for the incredible life changing experience that World Youth Day is. Standing as one with millions of young Catholics and celebrating faith through friendship and fun is something I will remember forever".

On their travels the Irish pilgrims also visited Ghent, Belgium where they celebrated Mass in St Bavo's Cathedral, where St Oliver Plunkett, a patron saint of the diocese, was consecrated a bishop in 1669. En route home they stayed at the Louven Institute for Ireland.
There is plenty happening in Bunclody library this August.

Throughout the month there will be an exhibition of works from the Art Bank which showcases works by a lot of local artists.

On Wednesday at 2.30pm and at 3.45pm there will be art workshops with Mandy for children aged between 6 and 9 years and 9 and 12 years respectively.

On Thursday at 7pm there will be a talk of Historic Graveyards - Our Hidden Heritage with Emmet Stafford. The talk will focus on the folk-art of memorial stones and what they say about us. Emmet will also talk about the heritage and history of Ireland's graveyards paying particular attention to those in Co Wexford.

On Saturday at 2.30pm there will be Computing and Coding for kids while on Wednesday, August 17 at 11am there will be a reading and creative workshop for children aged between 8 and 12 years with Caroline Busher.

On Thursday, August 18 at 7pm Grainne Doran, Archivist with Wexford Co Council, will present a talk on 'Keeping in the family - the collective effort of the men and women in Co Wexford in 1916'. This talk will focus on the involvement of three families in the cause for Irish freedom as well as the participation by individuals from the Bunclody area and the surrounding district.

On Saturday, August 20 at 2.30pm there will be a 1960s movie for adults which sees an unlikely foursome getting together for a business venture!

As part of Heritage Week Bunclody library is hosting two workshops for children on Monday, August 22. These workshops are being held in association with the School of Archaeology and will see the children make a Neolithic clay pot and a medieval purse.

On Thursday, August 25 at 7pm Neale Rooney will give a talk on the Battle of the Somme while on Saturday, August 27 at 2.30pm Philip Quirke will give a workshop on writing poetry.

Booking is essential for all events on 053 9375466.

For a full listing of events see Bunclody Library's Facebook page or log onto www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/Library/WhatsOn/.
A Boolavogue teen has graduated from Foroige's International Leadership programme.

James Delaney who hails from Ballyorley, Boolavogue took part in the Foroige Leadership for Life Conference in NUI Maynooth which was attended by over 250 young people from across Ireland, the USA, Saudi Arabia and India.

James who is a member of the Boolavogue Forogie Club enjoyed inspirational lectures from RTE broadcaster Joe Duffy, fitness guru Pat Divilly and Senator Joan Freeman who founded Pieta House during the week long conference.

The programme also included workshops on team building, critical thinking, communication skills and peer discussions on matters of global importance.

Foroige Chief Executive Sean Campbell said: 'Leadership is a singular ability which is vastly important in the modern world and can be learned. It begins with leading oneself.

'Great leadership is grounded in respect and the ability to inspire.' The delegates received certificates of achievement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 13

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans petrochemical export to Europe is facing problems due to banking problems, Fariborz Karimaei, deputy head of Iranian Association of Petrochemical Industry Corporation, said.

Some eight months pass from removal of international sanctions, but banking problems are not fully settled, Karimaei said, Mehr news agency reported Aug. 13.

He referred to lack of cooperation from European banks as main obstacle ahead of Iranian petrochemical products export to Europe.

All Iranian petrochemical products have obtained necessary certificates form the EU, including REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals), he said, adding that shipping and insurance problems have been resolved as well.

REACH addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment.

Karimaei further said Iran has a potential to export 2-2.5 million tons of petrochemical products to the European countries per annum, which is equal to 10 to 13 percent of Irans petrochemical output.

Earlier, Karimaei said Irans attempts to regain the lost share in the European countries petrochemical markets will not be so easy.

Iran rapidly lost its 12.5 percent export share in the EU petrochemical market due to sanctions, meanwhile the figure has revived only to 0.5 percent following the removal of sanctions in January, Karimaei said last June.

The process will not be that easy and years will be needed for Iran to return to the point left under the sanctions, he said.

He further said Iran and the Saudi company Sabic are competing over the European petrochemical market.

Irans petrochemical output capacity currently stands at 61 million tons. The Islamic Republic hopes to bring this capacity to 120 million tons by 2020 and 180 million tons by 2025.

Petrochemical plants in Iran had to operate below the actual production capacity due to the shortage of natural gas as feedstock, old production units, and the sanctions, which caused a decline in exports.
It's good to be bad in David Ayer's action-packed fantasy based on the anarchic DC Comics super-villains of the same name.

With its macabre humour and 15 certificate, Suicide Squad hopes to ride the slipstream of Deadpool, which gleefully stuck up two fingers to the convention of family-friendly comic book romps. Alas, Ayer's film isn't as dark or twisted as it pretends to be, and the fragmented script suffers from a chronic paucity of character development and coherent plotting.

When bubble gum-blowing anti-heroine Harley Quinn, played with wide-eyed lunacy by Margot Robbie, first demonstrates her capacity for mindless violence, a fellow misfit coos, 'That is just a whole lot of pretty and a whole lot of crazy.'

It's an apt summation of the neon-lit carnival with its whirling digital effects, slow-motion action sequences and a perfunctory supporting cast, who aren't afforded backstories and are therefore dispensable when a token sacrifice is required.

Ambitious US government agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) fears the arrival of another meta-human like Superman. She proposes the formation of a government sanctioned crew of incarcerated criminals with the skill set to carry out covert missions with limited chance of success. The Suicide Squad, as they become known, have micro-bombs implanted in their necks, which can be detonated if they defy orders or stray from the mission brief.

'In a world of flying men and monsters, this is the only way to protect our country,' Waller assures her superiors.

Her hand-picked, sadistic oddballs include Harley Quinn (Robbie), expert marksman Floyd Lawton (Will Smith) aka Deadshot, diamond thief Digger Harkness (Jai Courtney) aka Boomerang, flame-conjuring gang member Chato Santana (Jay Hernandez) aka El Diablo, disfigured cannibal Waylan Jones (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) aka Killer Croc, and expert climber Christopher Weiss (Adam Beach) aka Slipknot.

A possessed archaeologist called June Moone (Cara Delevingne) also serves Waller as part of the murky master plan.

Decorated military officer Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) takes charge of the squad, flanked by Lieutenant GQ Edwards (Scott Eastwood) and his personal bodyguard, swordswoman Tatsu Yamashiro (Karen Fukuhara). Meanwhile, masked vigilante Batman (Ben Affleck) swoops over Gotham and super-villain the Joker (Jared Leto) plots a blood-spattered reunion with girlfriend Harley.

As a first date with these characters, Suicide Squad delivers a lot of slap and not much tickle. Bombastic action sequences are stylish, but none linger in the memory after the end credits, which include a compulsory scene of teasing intrigue that nods to next summer's first outing of the Justice League.

Smith, Robbie and Kinnaman suck up most of the oxygen with their sinewy subplots, leaving almost no room for co-stars to breathe.

Leto's embodiment of an iconic arch-villain remains in the shadow of Heath Ledger, while Davis makes limited impact as a ruthless woman of tattered moral fibre.
A Swords man who works as RTE's chief news editor, has penned a new book about James Joyce and how Galway influenced a writer that has become synonymous with Dublin.

Ray Burke lives in Swords but is originally form the city of the tribes and it's his native city's influence on James Joyce that is at the centre of his new book, 'Joyce County: Galway and James Joyce'. 'My wife is from Galway city', James Joyce told a London literary agent in 1918 when his writings began to attract international attention after over a decade of exile and relentless struggle. From the moment he met Nora Barnacle, his wife and muse, Joyce weaved tales of her native city and county into his writings, making Galway second only to Dublin as a wellspring in his major works.

Written in accessible style for the general reader rather than the Joycean specialist, this is the first comprehensive examination of Galway's importance in Joyce's life and work. It contains much new information on Joyce and Lady Gregory, and Oliver St John Gogarty two people with strong Galway connections.

It also contains the first full account of an incident in Galway Bay in 1858 that is mentioned twice in Ulysses and the first publication of a Joyce Poem about Galway in his own handwriting. Nora is central to almost everything Joyce wrote; Galway is central to knowing Nora. Joyce himself visited Galway twice, and he wrote memorably about the city's history in two lengthy articles for an Italian newspaper. Galway is key to Joyce's greatest short story, 'The Dead' and a Galwegian haunts the second half of Ulysses.
Four talented Fingal lads are set to rock the music scene with their new band Revolution Remains.

The lads - Anto Giles, JP Murray, Mike Canning and Nick Peris, who all have a passion for music, established the band to provide more live music options for audiences in the Fingal area and further afield.

'You can't beat live music,' said Anto, who is from Swords. 'We want to encourage people in the Fingal area to come out to pubs and venues where live music is being played as there is so much unexplored talent out there.'

The lads, who are all in their early 40s, have a vision to perform at some of the local festivals next year including the Swords Festival and the Malahide Festival where live music performances has become predominant in recent years.

The band started out with just Anto and JP who have performed together for numerous years as Revolution.'Then Mike and Nick joined and so the Revolution Remains,' said Anto. The current four-piece of Anto on drums, JP on lead guitar, Mike on rhythm guitar and lead vocals and Nick on bass guitar, was formed nearly two years ago but they are only now starting to become predominant on the music scene.

Revolution Remains was officially launched in February at The Lord Mayor's pub in Swords and they describe themselves as a rock band covering all genres of rock music from the 60s to the Noughties, with some alternative rock thrown in for good measure. They also put pen to paper and write their own songs. Anto said a lot of bands are 'afraid to play rock music' but their band isn't one of these.

'We are trying to stick to our niche of rock music and have people let their hair down,' he said, adding that their influences are rock, metal, punk, grunge, alternative metal and stoner rock. We do though tailor our music to the crowd and drop some of the heavier songs if the crowd is a bit older. But we would love people to come along to our gigs and see what we are all about, especially if they traditionally haven't been interested in rock music,' said Anto.

'Since our launch gig, things have been progressing very nicely,' he said. 'We were asked to perform at Joe May's in Skerries and have been back to the Lord Mayor's a few times and we are currently working on some audio-visual productions.'

The lads have also carved out a niche for themselves in Fingal sailing clubs after they were invited to perform recently at the Skerries Mermaids Regatta event.

'That gig went down so well that we were invited to perform at the Dublin Bay Mermaids Regatta at Howth Sailing Club on August 6th,' said Anto. The Salty Dog in Skerries, a venue for live music, has also invited them to perform on Saturday, August 27 with further dates to be confirmed in September. Check their Facebook page Revolution Remains to keep up to date with their future gigs.
The issue of puppy farms continues to make news headlines. Last month, a man was fined 4000 for the illegal export of 88 puppies, seized at Dublin Port in February 2015. And just last week, fourteen puppies were seized by Gardai after being found in metal containers in the boot of a car. The dogs did not have access to water or fresh air, and had no valid documentation. They were seized because of alleged cruelty, with DSPCA reporting that this was the fourth seizure of its type in the last three weeks. And who knows how many pups are leaving the country illegally without being detected by the authorities?

In recent years, there has been a tightening up of the laws controlling the export of puppies to the UK. All dogs now require a pet passport signed by a veterinary surgeon, they must be microchipped and registered with an approved database, and they need appropriate vaccinations, including rabies. Furthermore, dogs being exported to be rehomed or resold need a certified health check prior to departure, to confirm fitness to travel. If people break these rules, they leave themselves liable to penalties including a fine of up to 250,000 and/or a five year prison sentence.

These laws are very specific and fair: they are designed to ensure the welfare and safety of puppies. Even animal welfare group that rescue stray dogs in Ireland have to comply with the laws if they are transferring animals to the UK for rehoming. Yet some puppy farmers - who are in the business to earn as much cash as possible - blatantly ignore the laws. It probably costs over 100 per puppy to comply with the legislation: for 88 puppies, that makes over 8800. When you compare this cost to the 4000 fine, you can see why some unscrupulous dealers are tempted to cut corners.

Ireland used to be known as the "puppy farm capital of Europe", and in response, the government brought in legislation to control the mass breeding of dogs. The Dog Breeding Establishment 2010 introduced minimal standards for any premises that houses six or more breeding bitches, with compulsory inspections and licensing by local authorities to ensure compliance. The legislation has not stopped puppy farming: there are currently 73 registered puppy farms, producing around 30000 puppies per year. While some animal welfare groups feel that any production of puppies in a "farm" environment is wrong, the laws at least insist that the welfare of the animals is safeguarded as far as possible in the circumstances.

The challenge for puppy farmers is that Ireland is a small market, and as well as the officially registered breeders, there are probably another 70000 puppies being produced by smaller breeding outfits (if there are less than six breeding bitches, the law does not apply) and by illegal puppy farms (it can be difficult to know what, exactly, happens behind the closed doors of rural premises). This means that there's a total of around 100000 puppies produced every year in this country, which is far too many for our own needs. At current levels of production, export to the UK is inevitable, and that's why puppies are being smuggled out.

The UK market also attracts puppies from Eastern Europe, where there are less controls than in Ireland. While the Irish puppies tend to be breeds like Yorkshire Terriers and "white fluffy dogs" (such as Bichon Frise), most of the pups from the east are "designer breeds", with Pugs, Dachshunds, English and French Bulldogs making up 82 per cent of those smuggled into the UK. It's likely that some of these dogs are also making their way in to Ireland.

The market for puppy-farmed dogs is driven entirely by the puppy-buying public, and as well as legislation, the best way to control the issue is for the public (that means you) to stop buying them. There are some clear clues that a pup is likely to be from a puppy farm:

1. If you are being pressured to come and look at/buy a puppy within the next 24 hours. Responsible breeders would want to meet you several times before letting you take one of their pups

2. If the seller can offer you multiple breeds and dog types.

3. If the seller refuses to allow you to meet the litter "Mum" and ideally, the "Dad". Excuses such as "she's out for a walk" or "she died in labour" should ring alarm bells,

4. If you are asked to meet a breeder in a lay-by, or if a breeder offering to deliver the puppy to your house.

Some may ask: "what's wrong with a puppy farmed dog?" The main issue is that to be successful long term pets, dogs need to be well socialised during a critical time frame. It's vital that between three and twelve weeks of age, a puppy needs to encounter a wide variety of people, situations and other animals. If a pup is kept in social isolation during this period, there can be lifelong consequences, including nervousness, fear and aggression. This is the reason why many people believe that puppy farming is always wrong, even when done in compliance with the law.

I have said before that my preference for most people is to choose a rescue dog, but if you are determined to get a pedigree puppy, remember to do everything possible to avoid a puppy-farmed dog.
A resident of Tara Winthrop Nursing Home in Swords, Patricia Kelly celebrated reaching 100 years old recently, while managing to hold onto a spirit and independence that has lasted her a century.

Surrounded by friends and residents of the home, Patricia enjoyed every minute of her centenary celebrations, according to her best friend Marcella McHugh from Swords.

'Patricia is still a very independent lady,' said Marcella.

Born and reared in Aughrim Street in Dublin, Patricia worked in the Civil Service civil for most of her working life, and worked as a volunteer nurse during the war as well as helping with the harvest during the 1920s and 1930s.

Marcella and Patricia met through Marcella's mother Kathleen with whom Patricia became best friends with until her death in 1978 - and the family friendship continued with Patricia and Marcella remaining friends ever since.

A talented artist, Patricia took up painting when she retired as a civil servant and sold her paintings for 17 years from the railings at Merrion Square.

'She painted everything from birds, seascapes, landscapes and old houses,' said Marcella. 'She'd do it all in her own little quiet way and she sold an awful lot of her paintings which were in a price range within reach of the ordinary person.'

A well-travelled woman, Patricia travelled the world on cruises and spent time teaching English in Denmark.

And eight years ago, at the age of 92, Patricia wrote her first book entitled 'Memories in Afterglow' which contained stories that were influenced by numerous events such as Patricia's time spent working as a voluntary nurse during the war, the 43 years she spend working in the Civil Service and her time in Denmark.

'She's a remarkable woman,' said Marcella. 'And still continues her writing and sketching to this day.'

These days, Patricia does that writing and sketching at the Tara Winthrop home in Swords where she is very well looked after.

The nursing home in Swords was also the venue for Patricia's 100th birthday where she was surrounded by family and friends and staff at Tara Winthrop who helped the 100-year-old resident celebrate in fine style and share out some beautiful birthday cake for everyone to enjoy.

The Fingal Independent's cameras were there to capture this joyous occasion and Patricia was more than happy to pose for photographs and enjoyed the occasion thoroughly.

The century-old woman managed to summon the breath to blow out her birthday candles although mercifully, there was not 100 of them to blow out.

Patricia celebrates her own centenary as the nation celebrates the centenary of the Easter 1916 Rising and over those 100 years, she has witnessed two World Wars and seen her own country become an independent republic. It is and continues to be an extraordinary life that Patricia has led and here's to her 101st birthday, next year.
The couple of Balbriggan legends that are Tom and Breege O'Neill are the subject of a short film you can view on Youtube, made at Colaiste Dhulaigh by Brian Baneham and Thomas Andrews and focusing on life in Balbriggan as blind couple and the lifeline that a guide dog can provide.

Called after one of the couple's guide dog's, 'Gatsby', the film focuses on Tom and Breege O'Neill, are a well-known and a much respected couple in the Balbriggan area.

They are both very active members of the community and have raised millions for the Irish Guide Dogs for the blind.

One of the filmmakers, Brian Baneham said: 'Down the years I have observed with admiration Tom and Breege and their respective guide dogs, Gatsby and Eunice, as they navigate the streets in our town to go shopping, visit friends or to use public transport.

'What makes this unique partnership between a vision impaired person and these wonderful dogs work and how much does having a guide mean to a blind person?

'These were questions I attempted to explore in a short documentary.'

Talking about his own background and how he became involved in the project, Brian said: 'I'm a film student in Colaiste Dhulaigh, Coolock and as a project for our graduate year we were assigned to produce a three-minute documentary. I felt it was great opportunity to highlight the synergy and relationship of a guide dog and its owner in a short film.

'I was delighted Tom agreed to participate on the project and we began our research earlier this year. We decided to focus our film on the relationship Tom has with his guide dog Gatsby and how the pair have bonded to create this unique partnership that has given him freedom, mobility and independence. Two of my colleagues, Luke E. Ryan and Thomas Andrews helped me with the filming which we shot in one day in Balbriggan. We attempted to get a sense of the communication between a dog and owner and feature some of the potential dangers they have to negotiate daily. Both Tom and Gatsby were a joy to work with and it was an absolute pleasure to witness the warmth and camaraderie they have developed together. The shoot was very successful and I believe we captured some very special moments between the two; not only as a working unit but as a man with his family pet too.'

He concluded: 'I think the film reached our objectives - to inform and engage an audience and to give a sense of the importance guide dogs are in the lives of people without sight. It is a thoroughly fascinating topic to have captured on film and has been a worthwhile and memorable experience.' The Balbriggan\North County Dublin branch of irish Guide Dogs for the Blind can be contacted on guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com
A high-powered Chinese delegation is visiting Fingal looking for investment opportunities in the county and two sites near Swords could hold the answer, according to a former county councillor with family connections to China, who will welcome the delegation to Fingal this week.

The 10-investor strong group from China built a massive 2,300 acre business park in their home country and are now looking for investment opportunities in this region.

They will be welcomed by Deputy Mayor Eithne Loftus, Councillor Kieran Dennison Chairman of the Economic & Development Special Policy Committee and Fingal Officials as Fingal strengthens ties with China, a relationship that has been developing over several years now.

One of the councillors who helped develop that relationship in the early days was former councillor, Tom O'Leary who will meet the delegation again this week and believes the visit is an exciting opportunity for the region.

Mr O'Leary said: 'Obviously this group have major connections in business, funding and project development including a one of China's largest State Owned real estate companies. The delegation may explore the possibility of doing business in Fingal.

'The IDA has a suitable land bank near Swords that would be perfect for an international marketing park said Tom O'Leary. daa (Dublin Airport Authority) also have a key land bank at a super location suitable to attract Hi Tech Sales and Marketing offices from successful companies in China, who would employ Irish national and others. The Dublin Enterprise Zone in Blanchardstown also has potential for this project.'

This high level business group are led by Mr Chen Shahoe from the Department of Commerce Fujian, The Chamber of Import & Export Fujian, and The Fujian Huiyuan International Exhibition Co Ltd. The visit to Fingal by the Chinese business delegation was organised by Tom O'Leary former Fingal Councillor and Mrs Suling O'Leary, of the Dublin Public Affairs Consultants.
Tehran, Iran, August 13

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran has lifted a ban on tours to Turkey that was instated following the failed military coup of mid-July that sought to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicraft, and Tourism Organization said the decision to lift the ban followed assurance that peace has returned to Turkey and Iranian tourists will no more be threatened by the heated circumstances that followed the coup attempt, the organizations public relations reported August 13.

Turkeys tourism sector went into a freeze in the days following the coup.

After the coup, Iran and Turkey turned on a new page in diplomatic relations, culminated in Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarifs August 12 visit to Ankara where the sides reaffirmed their friendship.
An umbrella organisation has been formed to represent local interests and concerns in Fingal over the impact on the quality of life in the area due to the expansion of Dublin Airport.

The organisation, Fingal Organised Residents United Movement, is gaining prominence through its Facebook page, where the concerns and interests of local residents are being expressed as one voice. According to David Kelly, Treasurer of Portmarnock Community Association and administrator of the organisation's Facebook page, the Forum was originally set up in 2003 consisting of Portmarnock, Rivervalley and Ridgewood residents but lay dormant for several years until it was resurrected last week.

'We've recently resurrected it and expanded it to a number of other residents associations to join together as one voice rather than having individual residents associations doing bits and pieces,' said David.

The Forum insists on the retention of Conditions 3 and 5 imposed by An Bord Pleanala and agreed by DAA in 2007 on the mode of operation of the new runway. Condition 3 prohibits the use of the North Runway for landings and take-offs between the hours of 11pm and 7am and Condition 5 states that, on completion of the construction of the new runway, the average number of night time aircraft movements should not exceed 65 per night between 11pm and 7am. The daa is asking for those same conditions to be overturned, calling them 'severely restrictive' and saying that if they are enforced, it will 'stymie' the growth of Dublin Airport.

A poll asking people if they agree that the DAA should adhere to both conditions conducted on the organisation's Facebook page has shown 91% of those surveyed agree both conditions should be kept.

'We are also calling for a wholly independent competent authority to be established to comply with and ensure compliance with EU Regulation 598/14 which is a balanced approach used by airports for noise contours,' said David. Our main issue is that the DAA is doing this themselves and it won't be independent.'

He also said the Forum is to keep residents abreast on meetings with the DAA, the Irish Aviation Authority and others: 'We are still in the dark as to who will be affected by the new runway as under aviation safety rules, when the two are running in joint operation mode, on take-off planes have to diverge by 15 degrees so that totally changes the noise contour maps,' he said. Some parts of Malahide and Swords could be more affected if the planes take off west/east and the DAA said they won't have those noise contour maps produced until October or November.'
In response to a successful 'Trading Online Voucher' Information session held in the Carnegie Court Hotel in Swords, thirteen Fingal businesses were successful in their application for Trading Online Vouchers, receiving a combined payment of 27,450.

The goal of the scheme is to enable small businesses to embrace the digital economy and increase sales, exports and ultimately jobs. Under the scheme, vouchers of up to 2,500 will be available to small businesses who demonstrate that they have a credible plan to get their business trading online.

Head of Fingal Local Enterprise Office, Oisin Geoghegan, urged any businesses that are serious about selling online to attend the next Trading Online Voucher information session in September.

He said: 'We have approved 26 Online Voucher applications in 2016 totalling 57,450. This scheme has been a huge help to many small businesses in the region looking to progress into the digital economy.'

A report by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment showed that small businesses which have participated in the 'Trading Online Voucher' Scheme experienced an 85% boost in customer inquiries and a 21% average increase in sales, 70% predicted a jobs-dividend of almost 15%.

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid highlighted the importance of investing in web technology: 'Web technology has dramatically altered shopping patterns over the past few years resulting in an upsurge in online shopping.

'This continuing upsurge offers local businesses the opportunity to reach new customers and increase sales. It is vital that we provide the right support mechanisms to enable small businesses to compete in this arena.'

Further information about the Trading Online Voucher scheme is available through the Fingal LEO website: www.localenterprise.ie/Fingal.
The renowned Irish band Frankie Gavin and De Dannan will play an intimate concert at St John's Theatre, Listowel, next Friday night, August 19.

Frankie Gavin is famous for playing with the Rolling Stones, Stephane Grappelli and even a few American Presidents, and is regarded as the fastest fiddle player in the world.

Frankie Gavin and De Dannan bring something different and unique to their audiences. Their choice of material, their arrangements and their style of playing combine powerfully to set the traditional music they inherited in a wider historical and cultural setting.

Tickets for the Listowel gig are currently available from St John's theatre on 068 22566.

The band's latest recordings, the live CD Jigs and Jazz II and their 2014 single which pairs Handel's Arrival of the Queen of Sheba with Paul McCartney's Calico Skies are perfect illustrations of the fusion of sounds and influences you will hear if you go to one of the band's gigs.

It is this special blend which enables Frankie Gavin and De Dannan to thrill audiences wherever they perform - from US presidential occasions at the White House, to Aras an Uachtarain for President Micheal D. Higgins, and from Beijing concert halls to the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Verona. And all this without losing contact with their roots: many of the band's home gigs take place in hotels, arts centres and traditional music festivals across Ireland.

By any standard, theirs is a remarkable achievement made possible by the breadth of vision of Frankie Gavin himself and by the commitment and musical skills of each member of the band.
Exactly 100 years to the day of his execution Roger Casement was again to the forefront of local thought in two moving commemorations held just a short hop from where he landed in Banna.

Ballyheigue hosted the largest of the two events, involving a full military colour party in parade to the statue of the patriot in the village green.

And at the site of Casement's capture, now called Casement's Fort, an Antrim man with strong links to the patriot planted a sapling seeded from the very same Sycamore Casement was fond of writing under.

In Ballyheigue, one of the organisers Micheal O hAllmhurain said all were delighted with Wednesday's event.

That event saw a colour party of the Twelfth Battalion of the Reserve Defence Forces leading a parade to the Casement statue where a new plaque and Proclamation inscription were unveiled on its base by Sean Seosamh O Conchubhair.

"We wanted to provide a short biography of Casement on the statue to inform visitors about the man. That inscription was written by Ballyheigue native historian Bryan MacMahon and was crafted by Maurice Roche," Micheal said.

Teddy Healy laid a wreath at the statue on behalf of the community, with Tralee man Tom Kennedy playing the last post.

With the rain falling, the large gathering proceeded to the Community Centre where Casement's great-grand-niece from Australia, Margaret Farrington Curtis, read the words inscribed on the plaque.

Kerry Museum curator Helen O'Carroll delivered a riveting talk on Casement's trial there too, touching on the locals who were called to give evidence in it, before the Causeway Drama Group performed a dramatised version of the patriot's story among a host of other poignant performances in music.
Devastated by news of the shock closure of the fish-processing business Kenmare Select, the tourist town is now hoping against hope that another fish processing outfit might step into the breach and save the jobs.

Staff were informed last Wednesday that the plant would close with owners the Benoit family citing a slump in salmon prices and other market pressures as behind the shocking news.

Up to 20 full-time jobs and 20 seasonal positions are lost with the closure of the award-winning business, which supplies smoked salmon to high end customers across Europe.

Local Fine Gael County Councillor Patrick Connor Scarteen said the town was devastated in a move that will leave Kenmare even more dependant on the tourism industry.

"It's a big blow to a small town like ours, especially when we don't have much manufacturing jobs," Cllr Connor Scarteen told The Kerryman.

"We are already very dependant on tourism and this will leave us even more dependant now on the industry."

The councillor said he and party colleague, Kerry Deputy Brendan Griffin are to contact Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor with a view towards addressing whatever fears might now exist among newly-redundant staff.

"It's devastating news for Kenmare, but especially for the workers of course. These are highly-skilled workers so we would be hopeful that some other fish-processing business might get involved in an effort to save the jobs," he added.
Irish Water says it has no plans to provide a sewerage scheme for Caherdaniel Village in the foreseeable future.

Despite requests from Kerry County Council (KCC) seeking to have the Caherdaniel scheme included in Irish Water's 25 year plan it has not been included in the water authority's long term plan.

Caherdaniel's absence from the Irish Water plan was revealed after Fianna Fail Councillor Michael Cahill tabled a motion seeking an update on the scheme.

Cllr Cahill said a proper sewerage scheme is vital as for many years raw sewage has been entering the stream in Caherdaniel village and flowing onwards to the Blue Flag beach at Derrynane.

In their reply to Cllr Cahill's motion management at KCC - who operate Kerry's water and sewerage infrastructure for Irish Water - said its "strong submission" seeking provision of a sewerage scheme in Caherdaniel had been rejected by Irish Water officials.

The water authority told the council that at present "it does not have a funding stream for such projects."

KCC said that "Accordingly Irish Water has no plans to provide a sewerage scheme for Caherdaniel village in the foreseeable future."

Locals in Caherdaniel have been seeking a sewerage scheme for decades. The project was allocated State funding of 8.5 million in 2005 and it was due to be built in 2010. However, work never commenced.
Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Managing Director of National Iranian Oil Company Ali Kardor said on Saturday that the NIOC is ready to entrust projects for development of the small and mid-sized oil and gas fields to qualified Iranian companies under certain conditions, IRNA reported.

Kardor said that general framework of the new oil contracts have been adopted by government and after certain procedures and preparatory works, the drafts will be enforced.

He said that the company will cede the projects to the group of companies that have necessary requirements for the E&P companies.

He said that the companies can be active in the small and mid-sized fields as main operator benefiting from services of the international companies that enjoy foreign capital and technology.

He said that activity in the upstream sector of the oil industry will be possible using capital, technology and management and access to each of those will not be so easy but needing risk taking.

He said that if Iranian companies were successful to meet the standards, the NIOC will be ready to sign development contracts with the domestic company.
Brendan Riney MBE winner of the respected Kerry Association London Person of the Year award for 2016

A London-based civil engineering contractor who left his native Kenmare for the UK at just 13 years of age has won the Kerry Association London Person of the Year award for 2016.

Brendan Riney MBE, who has over 30 years experience in business, was selected by the Kerry Association London's Person of the Year sub-committee in recognition of the charity work he undertakes in the greater London area.

Mr Riney is the Managing Director of JB Riney & Co Ltd, a renowned civil engineering contractor which has become one of London's leading and most respected construction companies.

He joins some of London's most illustrious Kerry people, like the late John Murphy and current KAL chairman Danny O'Sullivan who have employed countless Kerry people in their respective civil engineering firms over the years, as Kerry Person of the Year.

In October 2012, Mr Riney was presented with the Member of the most excellent order of the British Empire award from Prince Charles to honour his work setting up Mudchute City Farm, in Pier Street on the Isle of Dogs.

On hearing of his award this week, Mr Riney said he was overwhelmed to receive such an honour.

"This is a tremendous honour and I am very pleased to be the 2016 Kerry Person of the Year.

"I am very proud of my Kerry background especially my roots in Kenmare. I will do my best in my role as Kerry Person and very much look forward to an exciting year ahead."

Mr Riney, who travelled to London in 1947, left his native Kenmare at the young age of 13.

His father was born and raised in Templenoe and his mother was from Cork.

Mr Riney will accept the prestigious award at the Annual Kerry Association Dinner & Dance at the Clayton Crown hotel, Cricklewood on October 21

He will be joined by his wife Anne, his daughters and son .

The following night, Kerry Association chairman Danny O'Sullivan will host his now renowned charity fundraiser in aid of St Joseph's nursing home in Killorglin at the parish church hall in Dollis Hill, North London.
Wexford Home Preserves has won a coveted three stars, gold award for their Simply Better Handmade Irish Blackcurrant Preserve made by them especially for Dunnes Stores.

The small family business - which is based in New Ross - was awarded nine stars in total, receiving one star gold award each for their Irish Raspberry Jam, Three Fruit Marmalade, No Added Sugar Irish Raspberry Jam, No Added Sugar Three Fruit Marmalade, Simply Better Handmade Irish Raspberry Jam and Simply Better Handmade Three Fruit Marmalade.

They are among a number of Wexford food producers to triumph at the awards which are bestowed each year on the very best food and drink products from more than 10,000 entries. Only the world's best producers are deemed worthy of the highest three star gold accolade. This year only 14 were selected from all Irish entries. Laura and Tom Sinnott and the team said they are over the moon at receiving this huge recognition.

They commented: 'This award is for our whole team here who all work so hard and make this company such a joy to be a part of. It is also for our growers. We stick to sourcing all possible ingredients from local suppliers. We have great faith in them - in the quality of their fruit and in their professionalism in supply - and they do not let us down.'

The company make their preserves by hand, using traditional artisan methods.

Great Taste Awards judges described Wexford Home Preserves blackcurrant jam as 'food for the gods,' adding that 'the blackcurrant flavour would smack you in the face'.

This month the Top 50 Foods will be announced at an awards ceremony in London.

Wexford Home Preserves recently won 'Best in County' at the prestigious Blas na hEireann awards and are this year's winners of Food Producer of the Year in Wexford, as well as winning at the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards.

Other Wexford winners include Naturally Cordial, Zaeire Artisan Chocolates, Baldy & Doyle, O'Neills Dry Cure Bacon Company and WILD About and Wexford Home Preserves. Fancy Fungi Mushrooms were awarded a two star gold award for their Forest Mix and a two star gold award for their shiitake mushrooms, O'Neills Dry Cure Bacon Co. were awarded two stars for their Dry Cure Back Rashers, Wild About got two stars for their Raspberry Chilli Chutney and Naturally Cordial got two stars for their Lemon and Raspberry cordial.

Mr Jeffares Blackcurrants won two stars for their Irish Blackcurrants Cordial with No Added Sugar, Staffords Bakery won numerous awards and Carrigbyrne Farmhouse also had success.
A group of around 70 people from Newfoundland will be visiting Enniscorthy and New Ross next week.

The group are visiting four counties as part of the 11th Ireland Newfoundland Festival. They will be welcomed by host communities and families for three days and nights successively in New Ross, Thomastown, County Kilkenny and Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary.

While in New Ross the group will enjoy various activities including visiting the Dunbrody Visitor Centre, the Kennedy Homestead and will attend a concert at St Michael's Theatre in New Ross. They will be afforded a New Ross Municipal District Chairman's reception.

The group will attend a re-enactment of 1916 events in Enniscorthy on Tuesday, August 23, the 1798 Centre and Vinegar Hill. They will also be afforded a reception by Enniscorthy Municipal District Council.

The Enniscorthy committee under Chairman Tom Boland and ably assisted by Niall Wall, Cathy Keane, Richie Cotter and Maria Nolan, along with Enniscorthy Municipal District Council and Enniscorthy Historic Re-enactment Society, have a full programme of events planned for Tuesday, August 23, beginning when they arrive at the Promenade at 10 a.m. They will attend the Patriot Flagpole at Abbey Square where the tricolour will be raised, the Proclamation read and both national anthems Irish and Canadian will be sung. The group will visit the Athenaeum, the town's Norman castle, the 1798 Centre and Vinegar Hill.
Competing in the strongest woman competition in New Ross Town Park last Sunday was Rita Martin

The strongest women in County Wexford gathered in Pearse Park, New Ross, on a day of strength sapping heat on Sunday to compete for the title of Barrowside Strongest Woman.

A huge crowd attended the inaugural event, which saw women perform amazing feats of strength. Nine women competed to win the Trish Porter Trophy which is dedicated to New Ross woman Trish Porter (nee Cullen) who passed away in 2009.

Trish was a hero to all Irish strength fans winning Ireland's and Britain's strongest woman competitions and also Ms Ireland. New Ross woman Aideen Furlong lifted the Trish Porter Trophy which was presented by Trish's eldest son Ryan Porter.

The girls sweated it out through five gruelling events - including pulling an Audi A5 - to see who would take the title.

Festival organiser strongman Nicky Whelan said: 'All the girls put on a massive performance and what a display of strength, endurance, power and determination.'

He said all proceeds from the competition will be donated to New Ross River Search and Rescue. The Barrowside Strongest Woman will be an annual event and next year the judges will be looking for Ireland's Strongest Woman. Mr Whelan thanked Dean Doyle for helping the women prepare for the competition. He said: 'To the crowd, the crew, the sponsors and all athletes, this wouldn't have happened with you.'
So the hallowed halls of the National Seminary Maynooth are, in fact, dens of hormonal young men seeking companionship and love.

Surprise, surprise. The Catholic Church has tried to shape the sexual mores of this country's people for hundreds of years. I have clear recollections - as recent as the bank holiday weekend - of my father recalling the proselytising and pontificating of men of the cloth on the pulpit, getting all hot and bothered as they told the poor souls in the congregation about how they'll go to hell for sins of the flesh.

Today we live in less prehistoric times and yet the church is still clinging to its dogma.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin's decision to transfer three seminarians to Rome smacks of other transfer decisions made by the Irish Catholic Church down through the years. For men of faith who avouch believing while not seeing, it seems strange that they so often believe that shunting the trouble makers out of sight will get rid of the 'problem.'

From what I gather some seminarians were using the gay dating website Grindr and there was some homosexual activity in the college. I have friends who are gay and can clearly recall how difficult it was for them to come out. The country still treats gay people as second class citizens and that is wrong.

Dr Martin came under fire for his decision to shift the students involved over to Rome, a city once known for its bacchanalian partying and loose morals. Fr Brendan Hoban said the National Seminary could be extremely damaged by the move after Dr Martin said he does not believe the seminary is the right environment for men to study to become priests. The Archbishop said he made his decision to send the Dublin seminarians at Maynooth to study at the Irish College in Rome because he was 'somewhat unhappy' about a growing atmosphere in Maynooth.

'I felt that the quarrelsome attitude of that kind was not the healthiest place for my students to be,' he said.

Fr Hoban said he found the decision remarkable given that Dr Martin has said that students should be prepared [for the priesthood] in their own culture. 'It seems extraordinary that attention is being given to moving deck chairs on the Titanic rather than getting to the issues that are important.'

And the issues are a lack of priests, young priests in particular. Sounding a note of calm realism in a sea of over-excitement, Fr Hoban added that the reality is that in a seminary there would always be a mixture of heterosexual and gay candidates. 'There will be, from time-to-time, incidents that maybe people would prefer that didn't happen. But they do happen, human nature being what it is.'

There is a clash between generations with many of our parents adopting an almost condescending attitude to this generation for turning its back on the church and all it espouses even while they, themselves, are conflicted about it. Choice was not something our parent's generation had. They had stoicism and prayer. Times have changed and there is no escaping that. For the church to survive priests must be allowed to marry and have children. We cannot go back to the days of frustrated men spitefully shaping children's lives. Is that good for anyone? We need to embrace choice and let people be who they are.

Sending students off to Rome on the basis of anonymous claims of misbehaviour is not the answer. Realism is.
Global experts are set to discuss a broad range of topics at the Kennedy Summer School including the hot topic of the US presidential race.

Delivering the keynote address will be former Governor of Maryland and Democratic presidential contender, Martin O'Malley.

The summer school takes place in New Ross on Thursday, September 8 to Sunday, September 10. At the keynote address O'Malley will be joined by An Tanaiste and Minister for Justice Francis Fitzgerald.

In late July O'Malley appeared on stage in Wells Fargo and delivered his views on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at the Democratic convention. O'Malley, who ended his presidential campaign in February after finishing third in Iowa, said Democrat Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, were 'as tough as they come' and then turned to Trump.

'I say to hell with Trump's American nightmare. We believe in the American dream,' O'Malley said.

'Anger never fed a hungry child, did it? Anger never protected a family's home or sent a kid to college. Anger never built a great republic.'

O'Malley, 53, has largely avoided public appearances and interviews since dropping out of the presidential contest, but he will take to the podium in New Ross on Friday, September 9, at 7.30 p.m.

The annual Kennedy Summer School is set to host a number of expert discussions. One, in particular, will focus on the US presidency and politics, under the banner 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'. Joining the debates at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 10, will be Dr Robert M. Mauro Director of the Irish Institute, Boston College, Dr Richard Aldous, Ronan King, programme director of a cutting-edge Advanced Transitions Programme at Dublin City University and Eugene Meyer Chair, Bard College, New York. The Kennedy Summer School and Festival is run in association with the John F. Kennedy Trust New Ross and with Wexford County Council.

For further details and tickets for the 2016 events see kennedysummerschool.ie or call St. Michael's Theatre on 051 421255.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 13

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran will completely receive the S-300 air defense system from Russia by the end of 2016, Mohammad Javad Jamali, an Iranian MP said.

Jamali, who is a member of parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Russia has fulfilled its commitments regarding the issue, Fars news agency reported Aug. 13.

Commenting on Iranian lawsuit against Russia over the non-delivery of S-300 air defense system, Jamali said that most likely there will be no need for that, given that Russia carries out its commitments.

The $800-million Moscow-Tehran contract to deliver Russian S-300 system to Iran was signed in 2007. It was suspended after the adoption of the UN Security Councils sanctions on Iran in mid-2010.

In 2011, Iran sued Russia in the Geneva Arbitration Court after Moscow suspended the contract.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted the S-300 delivery ban in April 2015, shortly after the six world powers and Iran reached a framework agreement over Tehrans disputed nuclear program.

Russia has delivered a half of the air defense system to Iran under the existing contract.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Jamali said that a complete and correct implementation of contract to supply the S-300 systems to Iran will help boost mutual ties and cooperation with Russia in all areas.

The two countries are moving towards a strategic partnership, he added.
The Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran has not ruled out sending a local seminarian for training to St Patrick's Seminary in Maynooth.

In a statement to The Sligo Champion, Bishop Doran said: "As it happens, the Diocese of Elphin does not currently have any seminarian in Maynooth. When making a decision as to where a candidate would be sent for seminary formation, the bishop is guided by the particular formation needs and personal aptitudes of the individual concerned." Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said there were "strange goings-on there".

Bishop Doran joins the majority of the 26 Catholic diocesan bishops who have indicated they will continue to send seminarians to Maynooth and not to Rome.
The economic pressure and the power of public opinion that is generated by a wide-scale international boycott of Israeli goods is immense, a member of the Israeli Parliament, Aida Touma-Suleiman, told a public meeting in Sligo at the weekend.

The parliamentarian, a member of the left wing political coalition Hadash, said: "In 2005, almost 200 Palestinian unions and other civic groups issued a unified call for help to the international community, a call for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). It was a year after Israel's separation wall had been ruled illegal by the UN. Today, the Israeli government continues to violate this and countless other UN resolutions.

"The Palestinian Arab population in Israel suffers discrimination across all aspects of life. Many laws clearly segregate Arab people as second class citizens, including severely restricting where they can buy or rent property, their political rights, and access to fair judicial process. The BDS boycott campaign goods offers non-violent tactic towards helping achieve an end to Israeli oppression. It is both a moral and effective means to help achieve a just and peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

"By supporting the BDS campaign and by boycotting Israeli goods, you will avoid supporting the oppression of Palestinians and pressure the Israeli government into obeying international laws." she said

Cllr Declan Bree who presided at the meeting said "Most consumers do not realise the extent of the penetration of Israeli goods in to Europe, and in particular the Irish market. One of the reasons for hosting this event is to draw awareness to this and to encourage people to support the campaign by boycotting 'made in Israel' products."
No other county is having to put up with its library closing for extended periods of time in the summer, according to Councillor Declan.

He made the remarks after the announcement that Ballymote library is set to close for three weeks.

The announcement that the management of the County Council is closing down Ballymote Community Library for three weeks in August/September is clearly a matter of significant concern, Cllr. Bree told the "The Sligo Champion".

"Last month we witnessed a similar situation with Tubbercurry Library. Where else but in Sligo would we witness such a scenario?" asked Cllr Bree.

"The Librarian and the library staff have worked well beyond the call of duty over recent years so as to ensure that the library doors remained open, but it is clear that their appeals for adequate resources have not been successful.

"To my knowledge no other county in Ireland has to tolerate such closures.

"Last year the IMPACT Trade Union highlighted the fact that the library service in Sligo was suffering from lack of investment and the union also pointed out that Council management had failed to ensure appropriate staffing levels over a long period of time.

"In a debate in Seanad Eireann last month regarding the library service, the Minister of State Mr Damien English, in a response to Senator Victor Boylan, said that any closure of libraries in County Sligo was not the result of the changes the Department was introducing. The Minister said it was a Council decision.

"Libraries in rural Ireland have today become a focal point for community activity. The library service plays a significant role in community life. In addition to what would have been the traditional role of the library, namely, book lending, local libraries such as Ballymote, now provide numerous educational supports, community facilities, study spaces and cultural supports.

"The ongoing closure of our libraries further undermines public confidence in the local government service in Sligo." said Cllr Bree.
Representatives of County Wicklow Volunteer Centre will visit a local library on a number of dates this month and next to meet volunteers as well as voluntary and community groups from the area.

The centre will be at Ballywaltrim Library from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the following Thursdays: August 11 and 18 and September 1 and 8. People can feel free to stop by for a chat or make an appointment at 01 2022244.
The expansion of Wicklow Mountains National Park after the purchase by the State of 2,000 hectares will make it one of the biggest national parks in Europe.

The 2,000 hectares in the Dublin Mountains, known as the Featherbeds, will be purchased by the National Parks and Wildlife Service from the National Asset Management Agency and added to the 20,483 hectares already covered by the Wicklow Mountains National Park.

The large parcel of land runs from Kippure to Glenasmole valley and takes in two reservoirs. It also includes a large part of a special conservation area, with peaty slopes and a mixture of trees and shrubs.

The expansion could have huge tourism potential for the whole of County Wicklow.

The most visited area of Wicklow Mountains National Park is the scenic Glendalough Valley and Deputy Pat Casey, who owns the Glendalough Hotel, says the purchase of the additional 2,000 hectares should reap huge benefits for the local tourism industry.

'The area also has huge tourist potential and the capacity to attract significant tourist numbers if it is developed sensitively. As a person involved in tourism and outdoor recreation all my life, I am acutely aware of how important this land is as an amenity; to local people and visitors alike, due its vast expanse, seclusion and unspoiled habitat.

'I am relieved that the Department has seized the opportunity to expand the Wicklow Mountains National Park into some of the picturesque lands known as the Featherbeds. Such an initiative has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the wider locality and region.'

Deputy John Brady described the purchase as 'positive news' for those living nearby who were concerned that these lands would be sold to a private entity, possible for development.

'I had called on Minister Michael Ring and the Government to purchase these lands from NAMA to ensure that they would be held by the State and to secure the extension of Wicklow National Park. This purchase will mean that Wicklow National Park will become one of the largest national parks in Europe. This purchase also provides a unique opportunity for further tourism potential in the area.'

Deputy Andrew Doyle also welcomed the planned extension.

'This is really good news for everyone in Wicklow and surrounding counties, and all those who love to visit this beautiful part of the country. The purchase means that a large area of the mountains will now be protected for us all to enjoy for generations to come.'

Now Deputy Casey wants careful walking trail development and a marketing campaign to maximise the potential the national park has, particularly in taking advantage of outdoor recreation pursuits such as hill waking and hiking.
Polish waitress Marta Herda was moved to Laurel House in the Dochas Women's Prison last week.

Herda (29) was convicted of murdering Hungarian Csaba Orsos who drowned after she drove a car at high speed through the crash barrier at South Quay, Arklow on March 26, 2013.

Herda spent her first weekend behind bar in the prison's committal unit before being moved to Laurel House last Monday.

Sources said that after arriving in the lodge Herda was greeted by Ireland's most infamous female murderer Scissor Sister Charlotte Mulhall. A source told the Sunday World that 'Charlotte rules the roost among the inmates in the Laurel Lodge'.

'She talks to all the new inmates who go in there and basically tells them what's on and what's not. If Marta has any sense she'll go along with that because Charlotte has a mean streak when people don't play ball.'

It is understood that Marta Herda and her legal team are currently in the process of preparing an appeal against her conviction for the murder of Csaba Orsos.

Csaba's brother, Zoltan Sandor, said they feared Herda would get away with her crime.

'My mother is very satisfied that Marta Herda was found guilty of Csaba's murder, he said. We were worried as a family that she might be found not guilty, or serve a shorter sentence for manslaughter, but we are happy with the way it turned out.'
Tehran, Iran, Aug. 13

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has turned down a proposal to stay politically inactive if released from house arrest, said Mohammad Reza Bahonar, secretary general of the Followers of the Line of Imam and Leadership and a long-term ex-parliamentarian.

The best situation to be continued now is house arrest. If a court wants to try these men officially and according to the countrys law, their verdicts will be heavy maybe harmful to reformists and these men themselves, Bahonar told ILNA news agency Aug. 13.

You cannot find a person acting against a state and remain free Sometimes they say we want to live our lives and not bother. But there are some who want to get out and start a campaign. It is clear that in such cases the state will not allow them to do that, the former MP further stated.

After Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president of Iran for the second term in 2009, Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi protested the decision, which later resulted in massive protests across Iran, particularly in Tehran. Many people were arrested. The two have been under house arrest since 2011.
Hillary Clinton should have realised she would be judged by a different set of rules, her husband said

Bill Clinton has said it was a mistake for his wife Hillary to maintain a personal email server even though her predecessors and her successor at the US State Department did the same.

The former US president said Mrs Clinton should have known that there would be a different set of rules applied to her if she ran for the White House.

Mr Clinton defended the Democratic presidential nominee during a question-and-answer session at a Las Vegas forum organised by the Asian American Journalists Association and APIA Vote.

He said it did not occur to diplomats sending the emails at the time that they should be concerned with records classification.

Mr Clinton also said the email server should not be a cause for distrust and that people in the national security community would not endorse his wife's candidacy if it was.

Meanwhile Republican rival Donald Trump said the only way he could lose in Pennsylvania is if there was cheating.

The billionaire property tyvoon told a rally in Altoona that he planned to watch certain parts of Pennsylvania closely on election day in November.

He noted that he has had huge turnout for rallies in the state as evidence of what he says is overwhelming support.

But Mr Trump said he wanted to ensure that Mrs Clinton's supporters did not vote multiple times, citing concerns about voter fraud.

He also claimed the National Security Agency had Mrs Clinton's missing emails and suggested that the agency release them publicly.

The NSA has never said that it has Mrs Clinton's emails and Mr Trump appears to be referring generally to the widespread assumption that it has information about millions of people.

Mrs Clinton's legal team turned over more than 30,000 emails from her server to the State Department last March, but only after deleting another 30,000 messages that the legal team deemed private and personal. The FBI has reconstructed some of the missing emails.

AP
Lured by the false promise of an Islamic utopia and an adoring husband, scores of British women and girls fled to join Isis, but as military operations against the group intensify they are now trapped with zero chance of escaping alive.

At least one British recruit, 17-year-old Kadiza Sultana, is understood to have been killed in air strikes and the outlook for her two friends is bleak as Isis enemies advance on its ever-diminishing territories in Syria.

Expand Close Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, America Abase, 15, schoolgirls at Bethnal Green Academy in east London, fled to Syria in 2015 (Metropolitan Police/EPA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, America Abase, 15, schoolgirls at Bethnal Green Academy in east London, fled to Syria in 2015 (Metropolitan Police/EPA)

Her family said she quickly became disillusioned with life under the so-called Islamic State after arriving with Amira Abase and Shamima Begum early last year. The three friends fled from their homes in east London in the Easter holidays, sparking an international police search and emotional appeals from their families for them to return home.

But the trio swiftly reached Isis de-facto capital of Raqqa and were married to militants to take the role of dutiful wives and mothers proscribed by the groups ideology. They were just three among at least 56 young women and girls known to have travelled from the UK to join Isis in Syria in 2015 alone.

Tasnime Akunjee, a solicitor for all three families, told The Independent Shamima and Amira were still alive. He told how Kadiza had become desperate to escape the group by late last year, discussing plans with her family but giving up hope when an Austrian jihadi bride was publicly beaten to death after being caught trying to flee.

I dont have a good feeling, I feel scared, she told her sister in a phone call in November. How am I going to get out? Less than five months later she was reportedly killed in a Russian air strike.

Expand Close Aqsa Mahmood and another woman in Syria in a picture tweeted in 2014. (Twitter) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Aqsa Mahmood and another woman in Syria in a picture tweeted in 2014. (Twitter)

For me personally the hope is that if there is anything that can be salvaged from this tragic situation it is that people will take it as a warning, Mr Akunjee said. Unfortunately we are in this Playstation generation where people play war games and dont take it seriously. But Syria is a war zone and people do get killed  my advice to anyone still out there would be to get out as fast as you can.

But experts warn that it is almost impossible for women to leave Isis, with its interpretation of Sharia law meaning they cannot leave the house without a male guardian. While Turkey has closed its border along Isis territory, the terrorist group itself has launched a brutal crackdown on defectors, publicly executing anyone accused of trying to flee or attempting to smuggle people away.

Sara Khan, the co-founder of the counter-extremism Inspire group, told The Independent the chance of jihadi brides returning to the UK was zero once they are inside the groups territory. They quickly become disillusioned and realise that its not the utopia that its made out to be, she added. The reality is that for women and girls its incredibly difficult to leave Isis because of the control the group exerts on their movements.

The role of women is strictly limited to that of mother and wife, with occasional exceptions for designated tasks as Sharia police and nurses. They are immediately married off to Isis fighters, being handed to a new husband upon the firsts death if they are lucky, or passed around as a sexual present if not. Clothing infractions are met with flogging, a lack of meekness with beating, alleged adultery or blasphemy with death.

Nikita Malik, a senior researcher from the Quilliam Foundation, told The Independent the violent reality is far from the rosy depiction given by Isis propaganda. Dabiq, Isis English language propaganda magazine, has contained several articles addressed to our sisters presenting life in its territories as a warped feminist ideal for Muslim woman free of the pressures of Western conformity.

Its more based in philosophy, about what it is to be a good person, a good wife, a good mother, Ms Malik explained. There is a sense of female empowerment, building the caliphate and being part of a sisterhood. She said that many of the girls joining Isis may come from conservative Muslim communities where they expect an arranged marriage and feel they are asserting themselves by fleeing to Syria.

There are even rumours of a specialist dating website where budding jihadi brides can select a husband, Ms Malik said: They view it as a romantic adventure, a journey where they have more of a choice and they are making an active decision to leave.

Researchers for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue said that like their male counterparts, female Isis recruits often share feelings of isolation and conflicting identity, a sense of Muslim persecution and idealistic goals of a utopian caliphate where they can belong.

Isis' targeting of women is rare among terror groups, who normally aim to radicalise male fighters, but is crucial to its project to build a functioning "Islamic State" with successive generations moulded to its ideology.

In its annual report on terrorism in the European Union, Europol said that while the number of foreign citizens joining Isis was decreasing, women made up an increasingly significant percentage.

An increasing proportion of women have travelled from some EU member states  for example from the UK, Belgium and, more markedly, the Netherlands, the security agency said. Women may also seek to radicalise others, take part in on and offline recruitment, and actively finance and facilitate terrorist groups and departure to them.

That role is fostered by Isis, which allows foreign women internet access on the understanding they will use it contact sisters at home. They only escape they get is online and they are given that access to have the opportunity to go and chat with other British women and radicalise them, Ms Khan said.

Aqsa Mahmood, a former Scottish university student, has been put under international sanctions for her role as an online recruiter, with other female jihadists including Khadijah Dare and Sally-Anne Jones have called for terror attacks on social media and called on other women to follow them to Syria.

But increase in surveillance and counter-terror initiatives since the groups lightning advance in 2014 has made it far more difficult for European recruits to swell Isis' ranks in Syria and Iraq.

With waning success on the battlefield and the loss of key strongholds, Isis has turned its attention from domestic operations to international terrorism  a change reflected in its messages to vulnerable young targets. If you look at what Daesh propaganda is saying they are not encouraging people to travel anymore  instead they are encouraging attacks in the UK, Ms Khan said. We have seen communications where that is very much a concernthey need to be prevented from believing the propaganda, from believing the UK is their enemy.
People with the APOE4 gene are up to 12 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease

A cheap blood test which can identify people who are at high risk of developing Alzheimers disease in just three hours, has been developed by scientists.

People carrying the APOE4 genetic mutation are up to 12 times more likely to develop dementia in later life, making them ideal candidates for early intervention to prevent the disease.

Expand Close The biochip developed by Randox Laboratories / Facebook

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However current DNA testing is expensive and can take days for results to come back.

The new 30 test, developed by London-based biotech company Randox Laboaratories uses a biochip  a type of lab on a chip  to quickly analyse genetic material in the blood and look for mutant genes.

Tests have shown that it is 100 per cent accurate, meaning there is no chance of a false positive, or the chip missing a high-risk patient.

The biochip is likely to be used for research purposes in the first instance but could later become part of widespread screening for Alzheimers disease. The company said several major healthcare providers had already expressed interest.

Dr Emma Harte, a research and development scientists at Randox Laboratories, said: This type of testing is important in our quest to understand and diagnose Alzheimer's and empower patients to understand risks, consider medication, and even make early lifestyle changes.

"Pairing this test with medical and family history for risk of Alzheimer's disease has the real potential to advance personalised medicine.

This fast, accurate testing will allow doctors and patients to make more informed choices earlier to potentially slow the possible progress of Alzheimer's."

Drugs which halt the development of Alzheimers are currently undergoing clinical trials and are likely to be available within a decade.

Until then, people who are at risk of dementia are generally encouraged to exercise more, give up smoking, keep their brain sharp with puzzles and eat healthily to lower their chance of disease.

Currently screening for the Alzheimers mutation involves complex molecular testing which has to take place in a specialists labs. In those tests the DNA has to be extracted from the blood and then there is significant waiting time involved in the Polymerase Chain Reaction. The Randox biochip simply analyses protein in the blood  one process rather than several.

Dr Maria Zellner, from the Institute of Physiology at the Medical University of Vienna, which confirmed the accuracy of the test said: The test is a real breakthrough in the area of Alzheimers research.

Early Alzheimers diagnosis is fundamental for the patient and their loved ones to actively manage the disease, and to enable clinical intervention.

It is also critical to the development of new pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimers disease which are more likely to be beneficial if the disease is identified at a very early stage.

Dementia charities also said the test would be useful for recruiting large numbers of people for studies which could speed up finding a cure for the disease.

Dr David Reynolds, Chief Scientific Officer of Alzheimers Research UK, said: As a persons APOE status can influence their Alzheimers risk, knowing it can help identify people to recruit to certain research studies and provide useful information for researchers studying the disease in large numbers of people.

Dr Clare Walton, Research Manager at Alzheimers Society, added : We already have accurate ways to test for the Alzheimers disease risk gene APOE4 but these are often costly and take time  this new technique can give results in just three hours.

Knowing whether a person has the APOE4 gene is becoming increasingly important for dementia research studies so this new tool has the potential to speed up the search for suitable research participants.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Sweden's minister for higher education has resigned after being caught drink-driving.

Aida Hadzialic told a news conference on Saturday that she was stopped on Thursday evening by police in the southern Swedish city of Malmo with a blood-alcohol level of .02 after having two glasses of wine.

She faces a sentence of up to six months in prison.

The 29-year-old told Prime Minister Stefan Lofven about "my life's biggest mistake" and decided to step down.

Born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ms Hadzialic became Sweden's first Muslim minister when she joined Lofven's government in 2014. She came to Sweden at the age of five.
Vladimir Putin will let Ivanov stay on the Security Council. Picture Credit: Associated Press

President Vladimir Putin has demoted one of his closest allies in a rare and dramatic shake-up of Russia's top leadership.

Sergei Ivanov, Mr Putin's chief of staff, was relieved of his duties in a televised meeting in the Kremlin yesterday.

Mr Ivanov will retain his seat on the Security Council, a consultative body of military and intelligence chiefs that advises Mr Putin.

"We have worked for many years together with great success," Mr Putin told his long-serving ally. "I understand your wish to take on work in other areas. I very much hope that you use your knowledge and experience for effective work in your new role," he said.

"Thank you for your high assessment of my work over the past 17 years," Mr Ivanov replied, referring to his service in government since Mr Putin came to power in 1999.

Mr Ivanov added that his four years and eight months as head of the presidential administration made him the longest-serving Kremlin chief of staff since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Mr Putin appointed Anton Vaino, a little-known deputy chief of the presidential administration, as Mr Ivanov's successor. He said Mr Ivanov had personally recommended Mr Vaino as a replacement.

Mr Ivanov has known Mr Putin since the two served together in the KGB, and he has served in a succession of top Kremlin posts. He was defence minister between 2001 and 2007, and was a first deputy prime minister during Dmitry Medvedev's presidency from 2008 to 2012. Mr Putin at the time was prime minister. Mr Putin appointed him chief of staff on his return to the Kremlin in 2012.

His new role as Mr Putin's special envoy on conservation, environment and transport will be seen by Kremlinologists as an unequivocal demotion.

A career intelligence officer, Mr Ivanov was considered one of the most powerful individuals in the country after Mr Putin himself and has frequently been identified as a likely successor.

He was widely seen as a leader of a hawkish, anti-Western camp of former intelligence officers who have come to dominate Kremlin policymaking in recent years.

Mr Ivanov is believed to be one of a small clique that made the decision to annex Crimea in 2014.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 13

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Aug. 13 amnestied or commuted the sentences handed down to a number of Iranian prisoners, leader's official website reported.

Khamenei agreed to pardon or reduce the sentences of 705 inmates convicted by various Iranian courts on the occasion of the birthday of the eighth Shia Imam, Ali al-Ridha.

The head of Iran's judiciary Sadiq Amoli Larijani appealed to the Supreme Leader with a letter in which he asked for pardon and reduced sentences of some convicts of military, civil and revolutionary courts.

The supreme leader signed a relevant decree. Iran's Constitution grants him the right to pardon or reduce the sentences of convicts upon the recommendation of the judiciary chief.

Amnesties and reduced prison terms are granted mainly on occasions marking religious and national festivals in Iran.
The San Francisco Superior Court judge has given Chahal time to appeal against her ruling

Gurbaksh Chahal, pictured in April at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco (San Francisco Chronicle/AP)

A Silicon Valley internet mogul who sold his start-up business for 300 million dollars (233m) at 25 and appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show as a highly eligible bachelor has been sentenced to a year in jail for violating his probation in a domestic violence case.

But Gurbaksh Chahal, 34, will not immediately begin serving the sentence because San Francisco Superior Court judge Tracie Brown cited questions about the evidence while giving him time to appeal against her ruling.

Judge Brown determined last month that Chahal had violated the probation ordered after he pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanour charges of battery and domestic violence battery.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage from his San Francisco penthouse showed him punching and kicking his girlfriend more than 100 times and trying to smother her with a pillow.

Chahal entered his plea to the reduced charges after the woman stopped co-operating with authorities and a judge said the video could not be used as evidence because it had been obtained improperly .

He was accused of violating his probation by kicking another girlfriend, who also did not co-operate with prosecutors.

Chahal said both women had cheated on him, according to prosecutors.

Chahal's lawyer James Lassart said in court on Friday that his client was denied his right to question the woman during his probation revocation hearing when she failed to attend the proceedings.

"In this instance, the constitution requires that my client be allowed to confront his accuser," Mr Lassart said.

Judge Brown allowed the penthouse video to be admitted as evidence in the probation hearing and she reviewed it privately before issuing her ruling last month.

Mr Lassart said the judge should not consider the video in her sentencing because it had previously been ruled inadmissible.

The footage has not been played in court or made public.

Assistant district attorney O'Bryan Kenney called for a sentence of 18 months, saying Chahal had shown no remorse and committed a second act of violence just months after his domestic violence conviction.

"He clearly didn't get the message," Mr Kenney told the judge.

Chahal made 300 million dollars in 2007 when he sold his digital advertising company to Yahoo. A year later, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in a segment that highlighted his success and promoted him as a highly eligible bachelor.

Chahal's legal woes extend beyond the criminal case. Two former employees have sued him for discrimination, painting him as a bullying boss who thought little of women.

Patricia Glaser, the lawyer representing Chahal in the lawsuits, did not return messages seeking comment and an email to Chahal's online advertising technology company, Gravity4, was not returned.

Faced with the initial domestic violence charges, Chahal got help from powerful former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown and the former chief financial officer for the state of California Steve Westly, according to one of the lawsuits and emails between Mr Westly and Chahal reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Mr Westly, who was on the board of a company Chahal founded, suggested the businessman reach out to Mr Brown, according to a 2015 lawsuit by Yousef Khraibut, a former Gravity4 employee.

Chahal told Mr Khraibut that he paid Mr Brown a 250,000-dollar retainer to exert pressure on the district attorney to dismiss the charges, saying Mr Brown had the "juice" to make them disappear, the lawsuit said.

Mr Brown did not return a message left at his law office.

He said in a radio interview last September that he was asked to put together a legal team to defend Chahal but did nothing unethical and returned most of the money.

Mr Westly, whose name has been mentioned as a possible governorship candidate in 2018, said he did not comment on ongoing legal cases but added that domestic violence in any form was inexcusable.

In court documents, Chahal said Mr Khraibut was sacked for not doing his work and was seeking publicity.

AP
Aida Hadzialic was caught drink-driving on Thursday evening by police in the southern Swedish city of Malmo

Sweden's minister for higher education has resigned after being caught drink-driving.

Aida Hadzialic told a news conference on Saturday that she was stopped on Thursday evening by police in the southern Swedish city of Malmo with a blood-alcohol level of .02 after having two glasses of wine.

She faces a sentence of up to six months in prison.

The 29-year-old told Prime Minister Stefan Lofven about "my life's biggest mistake" and decided to step down.

Born in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ms Hadzialic became Sweden's first Muslim minister when she joined Lofven's government in 2014. She came to Sweden at the age of five.

AP
Thais and tourists have headed warily into the main part of a big holiday weekend as authorities hunted for suspects and a motive behind a series of blasts that struck resort towns across the south in some of the worst violence since a military coup two years ago.

Police said at least four people were killed and dozens wounded, including 11 foreigners.

It was not clear who was behind the attacks on Thursday and Friday - the birthday of Thailand's Queen Sirikit - which followed a successful referendum held last weekend on a new constitution that critics say will bolster the military's power for years to come. But the violence appeared aimed at undermining the country's tourism industry, which provides vital income to the government.

One small bomb exploded on a beach in Patong on the island of Phuket and four others rattled the seaside resort city of Hua Hin, prompting businesses to shut their doors, streets to empty and anxious tourists to huddle inside their hotels.

Police said firebombs also triggered blazes at markets and shops in six places, including Phuket, Trang, Surat Thani, Phang Nga and a souvenir shop in the tourist town of Ao Nang, Krabi, a seaside province known for its stunning limestone cliffs.

On Saturday, General Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, said "we hope we may have some suspects today or tomorrow". He did not elaborate, but said police were gathering evidence and international militant groups were not believed to be behind the attacks.

Foreign governments, including Britain and the United States, issued warned travellers to use caution and avoid affected areas.

In a televised address prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the attacks "struck at the hearts of all Thai people".

Colonel Krisana Patanacharoen of the Royal Thai Police said it was "too early to conclude" who was behind the attacks. But he said the bombings followed "a similar pattern used in the southern parts of the country" - a reference to a low-level uprising in the country's Islamic south that has ground on for more than a decade and killed more than 5,000 people.

Southern militants fighting for greater autonomy have carried out sophisticated, co-ordinated attacks before, but most have hit three provinces in the far south that were not among those targeted this week.

The violence occurred just ahead of the first anniversary of the August 17 bombing of Bangkok's Erawan Shrine, which left 20 dead and injured more than 120 others.

Thai authorities said that bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities were disrupted by a crackdown, but analysts suspect it might have been the work of Uighur separatists angry that Thailand forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China.

The latest troubles began on Thursday afternoon when a bomb exploded in the southern province of Trang - an area full of beautiful beaches and tourist islands - killing one person and injuring six.

On Thursday night, attackers in Hua Hin hid bombs on a busy street filled with bars and restaurants. One Thai woman was killed and about 20 people were wounded, 11 of them foreigners.

Police said four of the injured tourists were from Germany, two from Italy and one from Austria. The Netherlands said four of its citizens were also wounded.

"No political aim justifies violence and attacks on innocent people," German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

The bombs were hidden inside two pot plants and were detonated by remote control about half an hour apart, said General Sithichai Srisopacharoenrath, the police superintendent in Hua Hin. He said a Samsung mobile phone had been recovered that they believed was used to detonate at least one of the bombs.

Separate blasts were reported elsewhere in the south on Friday morning. One exploded on popular Loma Beach in Phuket city's Patong district, injuring one person. Two more detonated half an hour apart in front of two police stations in Surat Thani, killing one and wounding three. And two bombs exploded outside a market in Phang Nga, damaging two vehicles but causing no casualties.

In Hua Hin, 51-year-old Italian Andrea Tazzioli said he "saw light, white light" after the second of Thursday night's explosions, and immediately felt pain in his shoulder "like big fire".

Speaking later at a hospital, he said he fell down and saw people "screaming, the glass broken, table broken, confusion".

Tour guide Niels Seeberg came across the first blast site earlier in the night and thought it might be a gas explosion so he and his friends continued to a venue where a live band was playing.

"We were standing at the very back of the bar and watching the music. Suddenly there was a big blast, a very big blast, and I could feel the pressure on my eardrums," he said.

"The music stopped, everything stopped, everyone froze."

Soon the bar filled with panicked people running from the blast site, some smeared in blood.

"They didn't scream. They were more like numb," he said. "People were shocked, they couldn't say anything."

Thailand has been plagued by political violence, including several bombings, since the populist billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 military coup after demonstrations accused him of corruption, abuse of power and insulting King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Mr Thaksin's removal set off sometimes bloody battles for power between his supporters and opponents, who include the military. The government of his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who became prime minister in 2011, was toppled in the country's last coup in 2014.

On Sunday Thai voters approved a referendum on a new constitution that is supposed to lead to an election next year. But critics say it is undemocratic and is fashioned to keep the military in control for at least five more years even if a free election is held.

AP
The US surgeon general says 25% of Puerto Rico will be infected with the mosquito-borne virus by the end of the year (AP)

The US government has declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico amid a Zika virus epidemic.

The declaration allows the US Department of Health and Human Services to award grants, access emergency funds and temporarily appoint staff where needed.

"This administration is committed to meeting the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico with the necessary urgency," said department secretary Sylvia Burwell, who travelled to the US territory in late April to evaluate its response to the spread of the virus.

The announcement came hours after Puerto Rico reported 1,914 new cases in the past week, a total of 10,690 since the first one was reported in December.

The mosquito-borne virus has infected 1,035 pregnant women, which is a concern to authorities because Zika has been tied to a severe birth defect known as microcephaly. More than 100 pregnant women infected with Zika in Puerto Rico who have given birth have had healthy babies, officials said.

Puerto Rico reported the first microcephaly case acquired on US soil in May, involving a dead foetus that a woman turned over to health authorities. Since then no microcephaly cases have been reported, but officials say it is only a matter of time.

Puerto Rico governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he had asked government officials to declare a public health emergency and thanked them for their support.

"Zika poses a hidden threat to future generations of Puerto Ricans and I feel the responsibility to do everything in my power to fight the spread of it," he said.

Mr Garcia recently authorized the use of Bti, an organic larvicide, to fight the spread of Zika after rejecting aerial spraying with the insecticide naled as proposed by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Puerto Rico health secretary Ana Rius said 90 people have been admitted to hospital because of Zika. Officials also say 30 people have been diagnosed with a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre that has been linked to Zika.

Health authorities say they believe the number of Zika cases is much higher because eight of 10 people show no symptoms and many do not go to the doctor.

The emergency was declared one day after the US surgeon general visited Puerto Rico and said he expected 25% of Puerto Rico's nearly 3.5 million people would be infected with Zika by the end of the year.

AP
The leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a U.S. drone strike on July 26, a Pentagon spokesman said.

The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan is a blow to efforts by Islamic State - also known as ISIS or Daesh - to expand from its heartlands in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan, already crowded with jihadist movements including the Taliban and al Qaeda.

It is the second U.S. killing of a prominent militant in the region in months. In May, a U.S. drone killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a strike in Pakistan.

Despite that, Afghanistan's 15-year-old war grinds on with no clear victory in sight. Taliban fighters have been threatening at least two provincial capitals this summer, in Helmand and Kunduz, and a U.S. government report said Afghan forces have lost 5 percent of territory this year.

In terms of its own territory, Islamic State has been largely confined to a handful of districts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, where IS militants - mostly defectors from the Taliban - are blamed for raiding villages and government outposts.

Still, worries that Islamic State might be expanding its operational reach heightened this week when the group took credit for an attack on a Pakistani hospital that killed at least 74 people in the southwestern city of Quetta. A Pakistani Taliban faction also claimed responsibility.

A few weeks earlier, Islamic State claimed an attack on a rally in Kabul that killed more than 80 people.

Khan has been reported dead before. But a claim by Afghan intelligence agents last year that he had been killed was never confirmed.

On Friday, however, Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal told Reuters he had seen confirmation from Afghan security forces.

"I can confirm that ISIS Khurasan (Afghanistan and Pakistan) leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a U.S. drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province," he said.

Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge confirmed Khan's death, and said in a statement that the air strike took place during joint operations by U.S. and Afghan special operations forces against IS in the southern part of Nangarhar province. Trowbridge said the airstrike was in Achin district, as opposed to Kot district.

Khan - a longtime commander with the Pakistani Taliban - pledged allegiance in October 2014 to Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Taliban's various factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as their al Qaeda allies are bitter rivals of Islamic State's al-Baghdadi. The Taliban reject al-Baghdadi as leader of an envisioned worldwide caliphate.

In Afghanistan, Taliban and Islamic State fighters have battled over territory in Nangarhar, though both have recently been more busy defending against U.S. and Afghan assaults.

Between January and early August, American warplanes conducted nearly 140 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military.

Afghan forces, backed by the American military, killed an estimated 300 Islamic State fighters in an operation mounted two weeks ago, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan said on Wednesday, calling it a severe blow to the group.
On a day Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a US airport, Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan expressed shock after a UK visa was denied to him.

US diplomats quickly apologized after SRK tweeted that he had been detained - apparently over his Muslim identity - yet again at an airport in the US. After the apologies, the actor said he respects protocol but being stopped at the airport was "a tad inconvenient". "I fully understand and respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks," Shah Rukh posted on Friday morning. The actor flew into Los Angeles for personal reasons, a source close to the actor said.

The sarod maestro was more livid. "Shocked & appalled. UK visa rejected," he tweeted on Friday. Amjad Ali Khan said he was scheduled to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in London in September. He said the rejection was "extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love and peace". Amjad Ali Khan said he had been performing almost every year in the United Kingdom since the early 1970s. "Upset to have my visa rejected."

US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal tweeted: "Sorry for the hassle at the airport - even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening!" In response, Shah Rukh tweeted: "No hassle ma'am. Respect the protocol, not expecting to be above it. Appreciate your graciousness, it's just inconvenient."

The US ambassador to India, Richard Verma, also apologized to the superstar. "Sorry for the trouble at LAX ... We are working to ensure it doesn't happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US," Verma tweeted. To him, Shah Rukh wrote: "No trouble sir, respect the protocol and not expecting to be above it. It's just a tad inconvenient. Thanks for your concern."

The actor, whose millions of fans are spread across the world and is one of the highest paid actors of Hindi cinema, kept himself entertained during the detention. "The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons," he posted.

This is not the first time Shah Rukh was detained at a US airport. In 2012, he was detained at New York for two hours when he had arrived to visit Yale University, where he was honoured as a Chubb Fellow. In 2009, he was stopped at the Newark Airport, New Jersey, and was released after two hours at the intervention of the Indian consulate in New York. Back then, he had said he was "really hassled at the American Airport because of my name being Khan. "I felt angry and humiliated... It is a Muslim name and I think the name is common on their checklist."


Region Energy company employees, who demand their unpaid salaries for four months, on Aug. 13 welcomed Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan to Vanadzor city with respective signs, News.am reported.

In Lori Province of Armenia, they asked Abrahamyan to help them receive their four-month wages from back in 2011. The prime minister, in turn, promised to discuss this matter with the provincial governor.

In 2011, Region Energy company was liquidated and put under the management of Vanadzor Khimprom chemical plant, which was also liquidated later.
How does one make a rooftop bar in London stand out from the rest? I mean, the sun, booze and the view are great but how does one make sure that people keep talking about it? Make it a naked bar? Yes! That's it! And now London has its own naked rooftop bar for those who like to lose all their inhibitions BEFORE getting completely wasted.

thisisinsider.com

A first of its kind, a new naked rooftop bar has opened up right in front of the Big Ben, and to keep things entertaining, this 60-feet high bar has a sunbathing area, trampolines, and even a swingball just in case, you know, Miley Cyrus ever wishes to come in like a wrecking ball.

Warning: Graphic content. Viewer discretion advised.
1. Salman Khan took along Iulia Vantur to meet the Dalai Lama!

#EXCLUSIVE - @beingsalmankhan & @vanturiulia meet #DalaiLama #together #salmankhan #iuliavantur #SalmanIulia A photo posted by Bombay Times (@bombaytimes) on Aug 13, 2016 at 1:57am PDT

Salman is still shooting for the movie in Ladakh, but it looks like he took out some time to meet none other than the Dalai Lama himself! But what's caught our fancy is the fact that he took along his rumoured girlfriend Iulia Vantur for the meeting.

2. Ranveer Singh shared his pictures from his Switzerland vacation.

Ranveer is currently vacationing in Switzerland with his buddies, and he's been sharing back-to-back pictures and videos from there. And looking at them, it seriously seems like he's having the time of his life. Check them out!

3. Katrina Kaif shared an adorable video with her Dream Team squad.

Katrina recently took to her new Facebook account to share another adorable video from the flight, 30,000 feet above in the air! You can see Katrina having a ton of fun with Parineeti, Alia, Sidharth and Aditya on the flight!

4. The foreign ministry had to intervene to secure Shah Rukh Khan's release from detention.

The foreign ministry had to intervene to ensure Shah Rukh's quick release from detention at Los Angeles airport, government sources said. Taking up the issue with top US diplomats both in Delhi and in Washington, the government asked the US to ensure that Khan, one of the most recognisable faces in the world, was not subjected to such humiliating extra screening.

5. Hrithik Roshan opened up about quitting smoking and living a smoke-free life.

During a recent interview, Hrithik Roshan opened up about his smoking and talked about how cigarettes are the biggest evil ever to be manufactured.
Protests on the streets of La Paz turned violent on Friday, as angry miners pushed against a police line in their advance towards government headquarters, Guardian reported.

This is the ninth day the miners have been protesting against what they believe is a lack of development in the Potosi region. They want President Evo Morales to fulfil a promise to develop the area.

Hector Alias Copa, the leader for mine workers in the area said Potosi wanted industrialisation and more sources of work, but that the government did not understand their needs.

Marching towards Plaza Murillo - the main square housing the President Palace and National Congress of Bolivia - protesters threw dynamite and police officers retaliated with tear gas.

There were also reports of rocks being thrown at the protesters by police. Local media say four people were injured in the violence, and ten people arrested. Potosi is a rural area of the country known for its mining resources. It is also one of the highest cities in the world. But miners feel they are lagging behind the rest of the country.
moviesplus

You might already know that Shah Rukh Khan was detained yesterday at Los Angeles airport in US, and he even took to Twitter to express his displeasure over the matter. In fact, this was the third time that Shah Rukh was detained at a US airport, after being detained in 2009 at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, and in 2012 at New York airport. But still, SRK handled the situation in the most chill manner and shared on Twitter that he even managed to catch some Pokemons while at it!

I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

A little later after Shah Rukh's tweets, Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, U.S. Department of State apologised to him on Twitter. Even US ambassador to India, Rich Verma apologised.

 Nisha Biswal (@NishaBiswal) August 12, 2016

Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesnt happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US.  Rich Verma (@USAmbIndia) August 12, 2016

Shah Rukh also responded saying that there's no need to apologise, and it looked like everything was hunky dory.

No hassle mam.Respect the protocol,not expecting to b above it. Appreciate ur graciousness, its just inconvenient. https://t.co/7QFatghuuu  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

No trouble sir, respect the protocol & not expecting 2 b above it. Its just a tad inconvenient. Thx for ur concern. https://t.co/zQspvxnXsl  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

What we didn't know was the fact that the Foreign Ministry had to intervene to secure SRK's release from detention! Yes!

The foreign ministry had to intervene to ensure Shah Rukh's quick release from detention at Los Angeles airport, government sources said. Taking up the issue with top US diplomats both in Delhi and in Washington, the government asked the US to ensure that Khan, one of the most recognisable faces in the world, was not subjected to such humiliating extra screening. Official sources said members of Khan's entourage contacted foreign ministry officials soon after he was asked to step aside by immigration authorities for further screening.

"The matter was taken up with the US embassy here and also with the state department by the Indian embassy in Washington, DC. This helped in his quick release,'' an official source said.

Khan remained at the airport for close to 2 hours.
Pakistan's anti-terror court handed over 2008 Mumbai terror attack suspect Sufiyan Zafar to the Federal Investigative Agency for three-day custody here on Friday for questioning. Zafar, from central Punjab, is accused of facilitating funds and equipment transfers to Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab and his associates.

AFP

Zafar was on the run for the last seven years and was arrested a day after Union home minister Rajnath Singh demanded the "strongest action" against perpetrators of the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks at a SAARC ministerial conference in Islamabad this month.

The six-year long investigations into 2008 Mumbai attacks, which claimed over 160 lives when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists carried out coordinated shootings and bombings in multiple sites in India's financial capital, has not seen any major headway with trials of the suspects coming to a standstill five months ago.

BCCL

However, last month, the Islamabad high court allowed the examination of Al-Fauz, a boat used by the suspects to reach India for carrying out the attack, sparking hopes for a faster judgment. Public prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar had filed a plea for the boat inspection, which was earlier rejected by the anti-terrorism court.

Following the order, the anti-terrorism court judge Sohail Ikram constituted a judicial commission to visit Karachi to inspect the boat and record statements of the witnesses. The commission will submit its report in the court within a week.

BCCL

The key suspect in the case, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, went underground following his release on bail from jail a year ago. The bail pleas for other six suspects, Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Hamad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jameel Riaz, Jamil Ahmed and Younis Anjum were rejected several times in the past.
A minor girl, who was gang-raped near Bulandshahr last month, has moved the Supreme Court demanding that FIRs be registered against Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Azam Khan and the erring police officials.

i.ndtvimg

In her petition, the victim also demanded the transfer of this case to New Delhi, a court-monitored probe and security and rehabilitation for her family.

The gang-rape incident had taken place when six members of a Noida-based family were travelling to Shahjahanpur in western UP. At the national highway passing through Bulandshahr, their car was stopped by criminals who dragged the 13-year-old girl and her mother out and raped them in a field nearby.

After the gang-rape incident, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan kicked up a controversy with his insensitive remarks suggesting that this gang-rape could be a political conspiracy against the Uttar Pradesh government.

BCCL

In a snub to the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad high court on Friday ordered a CBI inquiry into the case observing that it was "not satisfied" with the police investigation so far.

The high court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the July 29 incident, also said it intended to "monitor the investigation into the case".

BCCL

"We are not satisfied, neither with the way the investigation appears to be taking place nor with the material that has been placed on record," the court said and directed the state government to produce the FIR lodged in connection with the crime, the rape victims' medical reports and statements of witnesses by the next date of hearing on August 17.

The court also expressed dissatisfaction with details of the social background, criminal records and political affiliations - if any - which had been provided in the status report as per its earlier order, dated August 8, which was the first date of hearing on the matter.

Significantly, the court had made it clear at the outset that it intended to "monitor the investigation into the case" and not dispose of the matter which is being heard as a Public Interest Litigation, titled "In the matter of rape of mother and daughter at NH 91".
Although India has put a ban on ivory trade, recent raids suggest that there has been a resurgence in the illegal poaching of elephants. If things continue the way they are, elephants might become a thing of the past in India. What has put the wildlife control agencies and the NGOs in shock is that the poaching is being carried out for the 'domestic ivory market'. The tusks used to be exported to China, Japan and Thailand (countries with a high demand for 'raw and finished' tusk products), but now there seems to be a market for such products developing in the country itself.

4.bp.blogspot.com

Talking to Mail Today, a senior MoEF official confirms, "At least four major raids had been conducted in the past 6-8 months in several states, including Maharashtra and Kerala, which yielded about 13 kg of the contraband. These were based on the information provided by Umesh Aggarwal."

nwlindia.com

Umesh Aggarwal was a businessman based in Laxmi Nagar, East Delhi who was arrested by the Kerala Forest Department in October of 2015. 487 kilos of ivory which is approximately worth 12 crores in the black market was seized from him. Since then, he's been helping officials arrest others responsible for poaching in the country. Based on his tips, as many as 90 poachers have been arrested.

nationalgeographic.com

It is known that the Chinese and the Japanese use these tusks to make figures of Buddha and other deities. What is scary is that this is now being made in India for Indian customers. Experts believe it's the high profile bureaucrats, ministers, politicians, royal families and other celebrities who are to be blamed for the rise of the illegal, as it's only them who can afford such a product.

Reuters

Elephants are generally shot dead for their tusks which can be as long as 10 feet in length. As many as 85 elephants have been poached for ivory in the last 3 years, confirms the Minister for Environment and Forests, with the maximum number of cases coming in from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Elephants fall under the list of "most endangered animals", and are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Killing or taking its ivory is punishable with 3 years in prison and Rs 50,000 fine. Currently, there are only 30,000 tuskers left in the wild and if things continue the way they are, Google might become the only option for our children to see what an elephant looks like. Sad.
Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) against human rights abuses and crackdown by the Pakistani security forces.

TOI

Over 500 youth, including Gilgit's top political activist Baba Jan, have been taken into custody by the Pakistani security forces. Angry protesters said these young men were imprisoned for demanding political rights and asking the Pakistani army to leave Gilgit's soil.

They said the political crackdown and arrests in Gilgit were made against people protesting against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which they said would only benefit China and Pakistan's Punjabi traders.

WATCH: Protest in Pak occupied Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan and demanding release of activist Baba Janhttps://t.co/KuIFEVDZsS  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Raising "anti-Pakistan" slogans, angry protesters took to the streets in Gilgit town, Astore, Diamer and Hunza of the Gilgit- Baltistan region, which is only Shia-dominated area in Sunni-dominated Pakistan.

ANI

Who is Baba Jan?

Comrade Baba Jan is a high profile political activist in Gilgit Baltistan. Jan, who led the local movement seeking compensation from government after the 2010 landslide in the region, was arrested in September 2011 under the Anti-Terrorism Act. In June this year he was sentenced to 40 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 rupees.

Twitter

The Asian Commission on Human Rights (AHRC) had expressed concern over the verdict and said the trail was not fair.

"The date of the verdict raises suspicions regarding its fairness and impartiality. Baba Jan was a candidate in the by-election, scheduled for May 28, 2016, to the Legislative Assembly of Gilgit-Baltistan in the Hunza-6 district."

Background of Gilgit Baltistan

In 1947, following the partition, the region remained independent as part of Kashmir until the invasion by Pakistan, which led to then Kashmir's ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, seeking Indian help and subsequent accession. After being occupied by Pakistan it was referred to as 'Northern Areas'.

It was renamed Gilgit Baltistan in 2009 by Pakistan which announced a semi-autonomy there. Even though Pakistan considers PoK and Gilgit as two, India has always maintained that Gilgit is a part of the undivided Jammu and Kashmir.

The role of China

One of the prime reasons of discontent among the people of Gilgit against Pakistan is the growing presence of China there. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which the two countries signed in 2013 and the biggest infrastructure project in Pakistan, passes through Gilgit before it enters China.

Valuetalk

Beijing has also deployed a huge contingent of its army in the region despite the objection from locals. Activist Senge Hasnan Sering, the director of the Gilgit Baltistan National Congress, believes the number of Chinese troops in the region could be a lot more than 11,000.
As promised, this is the second of our three dispatches from Attari in Punjab on the India-Pakistan border.

Indiatimes

I join a crowd of about 500 people, moderately delirious with patriotism, when the Beating Retreat ceremony at the Attari border started. There were flags, patriotic songs, chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, but the patriotism was extremely short-lived. It was replaced by complete awe.

Leading the BSF contingent in the drill (you'll have seen a video on the Frontlines homepage) were two well-turned out women marching aggressively in tandem till the India Gate. They then raise their black leather boots high up in the air and bring them crashing down with a loud clang. There is thunderous applause, the audience is ecstatic.

But they mean business, their Pakistan counterparts follow them up in the drill.

Two hours later, we meet sub-inspector Pallavi Verma. She is the commander of a platoon of 37 Mahila Praharis tasked with guarding our borders. She joined the BSF in 2013 and says the proudest moment for her is when a parent comes up to her at the drill or near the border and says they want their daughter to be like her.

It's a very simple emotion - there is no psuedo intellectual babble, no feminist spiel, just pure simple truth and nationalism and inspiration. Her first posting is on the border. Ask her if the pressure of serving on the border gets to her and she nods in disagreement (this is her first on-camera interview so she's a little nervous). She shouldn't be - Abhishek and I both assure her after the interview, she smiles, she already knows it herself.

As we've made our way from one border outpost to another, a strangely happy surprise becomes clear - there are brave men protecting the border on the Western Frontlines but there is a bunch of equally passionate women who're doing it. And they aren't relegated to being in non-combat roles. They train with the men, they serve with the men and participate equally in duties from serving in Hot Interception Teams which are created to battle infiltrators. They are also positioned on observation towers along the border and also rotate night patrol duties with the men.

This is an essential distinction because the Indian Army, which does deploy women in forward positions, has still shied away from it. The Indian Air Force inducted its first batch of women fighter pilots earlier this year. But ladies of the Border Security Forces have been serving on the borders from Attari to Koteshwar in the West to Tripura-Bangladesh border as way back as 2009.

At another outpost, we meet Gurpreet Kaur. She passed out of BSF's training institute in 2008. She belongs to a batch of women BSF Praharis who were the first to be inducted into the force. She's the first girl in her family to join the forces and the first one in her village. She serves along-side a colleague who too passed out with her in 2008. They both have been posted to the border since 2009. Their duties involve everything from boat patrols to foot patrols even in inclement weather. Gurpreet doesn't get bored on the border, she likes the pride that comes from putting on her uniform. Does she get bored? Not really, she likes Dance India Dance, and she liked dancing when she was little.

I ask her if she ever feels strange serving in platoons which are essentially men. She smiles, "I feel safer here at the border, than I do at home." That says a lot about the country and the times we live in, doesn't it?

NOTE: We're working hard to put up action as it happens on the frontlines, but there might be some cases in which the action isn't as live as it happens. Please forgive us for that and know that it isn't for the lack of trying. Things you and I take for granted, like high speed internet, are a little slow here.
The Supreme Court has allowed the sale of diesel cars and SUVs with engine capacity of 2,000cc or more in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) on payment of 1% ex-showroom cost as environment levy.

BCCL

The SC also asked the Central Pollution Control Board to open an account in public sector banks to receive green levy from big diesel car and SUV makers .

BCCL

"The transport authority would register a big diesel car or SUV only if receipt of payment of green levy is shown," the SC said.

The apex court said it will also decide whether the rate of green levy on big diesel cars be more than 1% of ex-showroom cost of the vehicle.

On the issue of whether smaller diesel cars too should be brought under the purview of payment of environment protection charge, the apex court said that it would decide later about it.

BCCL

The Supreme Court was hearing the plea of luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz which has offered to pay 1 per cent environment cess in a bid to overcome the ban on registration of vehicles with engine capacity of 2000 cc or more in Delhi and NCR.

BCCL

On July 4, the court had reserved its verdict on pleas seeking modification of its order banning registration of diesel- run SUVs and high-end cars with engine capacity of 2000 CC and above in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR), indicating that such vehicles may be allowed to be registered again on payment of one per cent of ex-showroom price as green cess.
Kundan Singh (98), the personal valet of Netaji Subash Chander Bose breathed his last on Monday. A resident of Bahadurgarh, a small town in Haryana located on Delhi North-West border, Kundan Singh didn't acquire much fame like many others who claimed to be Netaji's very own. But he was one of those who believed in the conjectures that Netaji was alive till the mid-1970s and went to Dehradun in search of his ideal.

Maninder Dabas/IndiaTimes

In the last few years if his life, Singh couldn't understand most of the things going on around him. But a slight mention of Netaji would make him rise like a phoenix and he would be narrating the tales of the Indian National Army, and Netaji Subash Chander Bose in particular. Kundan Singh was one of the few lucky ones who saw, lived and learnt from Netaji's life when he served as a personal valet to Netaji Subash himself, during a brief period of more than a year, in Singapore.

"We will always remember him as a freedom fighter and would want the government to remember him like that as well. We grew up while listening to the tales of Netaji and INA from my uncle. And till last days of his life, he remembered Netaji as his ideal. Though neither the Centre nor the state government ever came forward to reward him for his services to the nation while he was alive, I would request the government to name a road after him so that he always remain alive in memories of the people," Dilbag Singh, nephew of late Kundan Singh told Indiatimes.

Dilbag Singh also told IndiaTimes that none of the representatives of the state government came to his last rites except for the SDM of Bahadurgarh who gave Rs 5100 from the side of the government to cremate him.

Bose, the prodigal son of the Indian freedom struggle, is believed to be mistaken by history and, of course, forsaken by destiny. But Kundan Singh doesnt believe he died in that crash on August 18th 1945 in Taiwan.

He couldnt have died. Netaji didnt die. He was the master of disguise and mischief. Dont you remember his escape from Calcutta as a Pathan in 1940? Habib ur Rahman Khan, his fellow commander who flew with him that day later came out with his watch as the evidence of his death, but none of us bought it, shouted Kundan Singh when IndiaTimes spoke to him in August 2016.

Here is the inspiring story of Kundan Singh, the man who lived with Netaji as a shadow in his INA days in Singapore during World War-II

How Kundan met Netaji Subash

Kundan Singh joined the British Indian Army on November 10, 1940, and was straightway thrown to the frontiers of World War-II in Singapore to face the menacing Japanese. In September, 1942, when Singapore fell before the Japanese led by first INA Commander Mohan Singh under the Malayan campaign, Kundan Singh, along with almost 50 thousand soldiers, was taken as a Prisoners of War (POW).

Many of them joined INA and in 1943, Singh was one of the lucky ones who got a chance to become one of the personals bodyguards of Netaji himself. Throughout his life, he never kept bodyguards when he was out. We only remained with him in headquarters, earlier in Singapore and later in Rangoon. Working in INA was a dream come true because there was no discrimination as it was in the British Indian Army I was first inducted in, had added Singh who claims that in British Indian Army, Indian soldiers were discriminated against.

Kundan had explained discrimination

Singh further says that in the British Indian Army, a white soldier with a similar rank to his used to get Rs 34 as salary whereas the Indian soldiers used to get half of it. Apart from less salary, discrimination was prevalent at every step, including living conditions, food and even at the war front. According to Kundan, the British used to keep Indian soldiers at the front lines while facing the enemy whereas a British sepoy with a similar rank was to remain safe behind the wall of Indian soldiers. He also regrets that after the end of the World War, he along with several other soldiers were once again repatriated to the British Indian Army.

How Bose used to live

zeenews

Kundan Singh explains that Bose was an extremely disciplined and focused person. During his stay at the INA headquarters in Singapore and Rangoon, he used to be very cordial with fellow soldiers. "He was very focused about the cause of Indian Freedom from the British and he didn't want to let the opportunity of WW-II slip by as the British had gone weaker and it was difficult for them to maintain their rule in India. Bose wouldn't trust anybody and would go alone everywhere," adds Kundan.

Bose had immense respect for Gandhi and Nehru

Bose always had a conflict of opinion with other senior Congress leaders like Gandhi and Nehru and that was the reason he left and created the Forward Block. Some theories say that India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, did fuel the conspiracy theory of his death and even got his family spied on. But Netaji didn't have any grudges. Kundan Singh says that Bose had great respect for both Nehru and Gandhi and had forged battalions in the names of these leaders in the INA.

Bose had created Gandhi and Nehru battalions in the INA and had great respect for the leaders. He used to tell inspiring stories about the two leaders to motivate troops," adds Kundan.

Kundan Singh further laments that Netaji might have had a conflict of opinion with Congress leaders, but they always took it as a conflict of Interest. Which is why top Congress leaders fabricated the tale of his death with the help of his commanders like Shahnawaz Khan and Habib ur Rahman, to cash in on the sympathy of the masses. In exchange, they defended their case in the famous Red Fort trials, accused Singh who believes that Bose didnt die and lived on for many years in Dehradoon and surrounding areas as a sadhu.

Habib ur Rahman later joined the Pakistan Armed forces after partition and played an important role in annexing half of Kashmir in 1947-48.



When Kundan went to Dehradoon in search of Bose

Maninder Dabas/IndiaTimes

After retiring in 1946, I lived in my village but never believed the conspiracy theories of Boses death. Later in the 1950s, I, along with many of my friends, went to different asharams in Dehradoon where we heard of his presence. But we never found him. Yet the management of those ashrams was very similar to that of the small compound he used to acquire in INA. And it always cemented the rumour of Bose being alive, added Singh who believes that Bose was never a stooge of the Japanese and was only concerned about the freedom of India from the British empire.

When the Government had asked Kundan about the treasury of INA in 1978

After Emergency was over, the Moraji Desai government in 1978 had formed a report about Netaji and the treasury of the INA. Kundan Singh was quoted in the report. An 18-page secret note, prepared for the Morarji Desai government in 1978, quotes Kundan Singh as saying that the treasure was in four steel cases which contained articles of jewellery commonly worn by Indian women, chains of ladies watches, necklaces, bangles, bracelets, earrings, pounds and guineas and some gold wires."

Maninder Dabas/IndiaTimes

It also included a gold cigarette case gifted to him by Adolf Hitler. These boxes were checked before Netaji departed from Bangkok to Saigon. A leader of the Indian Independence League in Bangkok, Pandit Raghunath Sharma had said that Netaji took with him gold and valuables worth over Rs 1 crore. There was clearly much more of the treasure than the two leather suitcases burnt in the airplane crash.



Netaji had approached the Soviets

After the fall of Germany, it was evident that Japan would be defeated eventually. Therefore, Bose tried to approach the victorious Soviets to support the INA against the British. But unfortunately, he never reached Moscow and his plane crashed in Taiwan. Bose always knew that INA wont be able to liberate India own its own; but he believed that with the help of Japan, it could weaken the British to such an extent that they wouldn't be able to keep a hold on India for long, said Singh.

Kundan Singh also accused the first government of Independent India of confiscating the gold reserves worth seven crores donated by the Indian diaspora in Burma and people in India to INA.

Where do we hear more tales of Bose?

Kundan, like most of his INA Sepoy friends, will probably rest in peace in a few years to come, and with him the glorious first-hand tales of Bose and his INA.

Maninder Dabas/IndiaTimes

Although now I am unable to stand properly, I wish to salute Bose for one last time when I depart this life. I wish this country has such leaders in future, but I know my wish is unlikely to come true, signs off Singh.

Nothing lasts forever, not even the relics. Kundan Singh was one of the few men who could enlighten us about the otherwise mysterious life of Netaji Subash Chander Bose. But with him gone, many of the tales about Bose and his heroics which have deliberately been sidelined till now forever remain caged in oblivion.

But may the soul of the great man rest in peace.
Fourteen judges and prosecutors were remanded into custody late Friday for alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), accused of a recent deadly coup attempt, Anadolu reported.

The 14 suspects out of 45 detained judges and prosecutors were remanded by a court in Istanbul while 14 others were released under judicial control, according to judicial sources who spoke to Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity, due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The remaining 17 suspects are being interrogated, sources added.

Ankara has repeatedly said the July 15 coup attempt was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen and his FETO group.

Gulen is also accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish government through the infiltration of state institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.

Approximately 13,000 members of the military, police, judiciary, as well as civil servants, have been so far detained and 6,000 remanded to custody for alleged links to the terrorist group.

Tens of thousands of suspected Gulenists have been removed from their posts.
Ukraines October Surprise





 may be coming in September



By Justin Raimondo

August 12, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Antiwar " - When a Russian FSB agent and a Russian soldier were killed by a team of Ukrainian saboteurs, and one of the captured Ukrainians was shown on Russian media in handcuffs, US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt tweeted

US government has seen nothing so far that corroborates Russians allegations of a Crimea incursion & Ukraine has strongly refuted them.

Apparently two dead Russians dont count for much in Pyatts book: perhaps Putin personally killed them, and the whole thing is a set up.

And how has Ukraine strongly refuted this accusation? According to the Ukrainian authorities, the captured would-be saboteur, one Yevgeny Panov, was kidnapped from his home town in Zaporizhia  a distance of some 200 miles  by the Russians and transported to Crimea. The Ukrainian police have solemnly announced that "We are taking all necessary measures to promptly, fully and impartially investigate all circumstances of this crime. One has to admire the ability of the Ukrainian authorities to utter the most portentous absurdities with the perfect aplomb of a used car dealer, but of course their skills dont even begin to approach Pyatts. The ambassador followed up his tweet with another that stated:

Russia has a record of frequently levying false accusations at Ukraine to deflect attention from its own illegal actions.

Speaking of deflection, the lobbying group for NATO, the Atlantic Council, has a long account of the incident here, notable for its obscurantism. However, after going on about various confusing narratives  including speculation that the saboteurs may be Russian deserters, or even that they may not exist at all  the pretense of objectivity forces the Atlanticists to admit, after several paragraphs of blowing smoke, that, yes,

Because of the arrest of Panov, it has become clear that the Armyansk incident was not invented by the FSB, as many have claimed online, though details provided are difficult to verify.

Well, thats progress, at any rate: acknowledging reality. And of course the details are difficult to verify, since Western news accounts are heavily colored, like this NPR piece which doesnt mention that the Russians captured several of the saboteurs, and doesnt mention Panov, but wonders why the Russians waited three days to report the incident. This Bloomberg account has not one detail about the incident: instead, we are treated to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkos denials that anything at all took place, analysis by an expert that no one trusts anybody else, calculations on the sinking of the Ukrainian currency, and warnings about how Putin supposedly has a habit of launching military operations in the midst of the Olympic games. This Associated Press dispatch, published in the New York Times, is similarly bereft of details, and gets the number of Russian casualties wrong: they claim only one Russian died. The rest is analysis by various experts, claiming that the whole thing is a diversion  oddly, the same line peddled by Ambassador Pyatt  to which are added the authors own description of Putins reaction as menacing. The BBC helpfully adds that, while Panov may have been a volunteer fighter, he was more recently associated with a charitable organization.

Since when do members of charitable organizations wear camouflage while sneaking over heavily-guarded borders in the dead of night?

So theres an effective embargo on reliable news from this dark corner of the battlefield between East and West. Yet its possible, if we glean facts from disparate sources, to outline how the incident unfolded. CNN, after shilly-shallying for four or five paragraphs  reporting Poroshenkos denials and Ukrainian military measures to counteract a long-touted and entirely mythical Russian invasion  finally coughs up some facts, citing Tass:

The report said Russian forces spotted the saboteurs and while attempting to detain them, found 20 improvised explosive devices containing more than 40 kilograms of TNT equivalent, ammunition, fuses, antipersonnel and magnetic bombs, grenades and the Ukrainian armed forces standard special weapons. It said two Russian servicemen were killed in ensuing clashes.

According to the Russian daily Kommersant, the Ukrainian incursion occurred on August 7, when Russian intelligence detected the entry of a group of seven armed men in an inflatable boat who passed through the Gulf of Perekop from Ukraine, entering Crimean territory near the town of Armyansk. The men were wearing Soviet-style camouflage uniforms, apparently trying to give the impression that they were Russian troops. They were intercepted and a shootout followed, in which several on both sides were wounded and one Russian FSB agent was killed. A second confrontation occurred when, the next day, Russian forces identified one of the saboteurs and followed him into an ambush: Ukrainian military positioned on the border opened fire and a second group crossed the border as the FSB personnel pursued their quarry. One Russian soldier was killed in the ensuing exchange.

At least two of the infiltrators were killed, and of those in the first group five were captured: a total of ten people have been detained, including Panov. Some had Russian passports and the majority are residents of Crimea. Kommersant also said those captured admitted they were engaged in sabotage, acting under orders from Ukrainian intelligence; their objective was to plant bombs at tourist sites and incite panic, effectively destroying Crimeas lucrative tourist industry, although they denied wanting to kill anyone.

Oh, of course not!

Tass is reporting that Panov has not only confessed that the operation was carried out under the direction of the Ukrainian secret service, but he has identified some of them by name. His taped statement was broadcast over the Rossiya24 news channel.

Now we have Newsweek reporting the preposterous Ukrainian spin on this botched incursion: it was really a shootout involving Russian federal security agents (FSB) and Russian armed forces on the Crimean regional border! Yes, the Russians were shooting at themselves. Ukrainian propaganda usually borders on the fantastic, but this marks a new level of crudity even for them.

So why should we care about this showdown at the Ukrainian corral, anyway?

Its important because the Ukrainians  like the rest of the world  have been watching the US presidential campaign, and they dont like what they see. Donald Trump, while disdaining to get involved in Ukraines feud with the Kremlin, is asking Wouldnt it be good if we could get along with Russia? This has provoked the Ukrainians into paroxysms of spittle-flecked hysteria. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton is openly accusing Donald Trump of being a Russian agent: former CIA chief Mike Morrell, in the process of endorsing her, said Trump is an unwitting agent of the FSB. And the mainstream media, which is brazenly campaigning on Clintons behalf, has been playing the Trump-is-a-Russian-stooge card for all its worth.

In short, the leaders of Ukraine hate Trump, have continually denounced him, and are openly rooting for a Clinton victory in November: by launching a terrorist attack on Crimea, and before that trying to assassinate the President of the rebellious Luhansk Republic in eastern Ukraine  they put a bomb under his car, seriously injuring him  they hope to provoke Putin into taking military action. And voila!, we have an October surprise  with Hillary taking a hard-line anti-Russian stance, and Trump put in the position of seeming to defend Russian aggression.

Its a perfect set up, for both the Ukrainians  who have been chafing at President Obamas refusal to provide them with deadly arms  and for Hillary, whose McCarthyite campaign against Trump has taken on all the trappings of a cold war fear-fest of the sort we havent seen since the 1950s.

This is the price we pay as a global empire, with our noses stuck in the internal affairs of practically every nation on earth: our clients continually plot and scheme to insert themselves into our internal affairs, including our elections. Intervention is a two-way street.

Russia has lost two servicemen: Putin isnt going to let this go. And neither are the Ukrainian coup leaders, who came to power by overthrowing the elected President and have a very tenuous hold on power. They need perpetual war scares to keep the populace diverted from their pathetic economic plight and the growing repression exercised by the regime. And certainly Hillary Clinton is ready, willing, and able to use a looming Ukrainian crisis to claw her way to the White House  even if she has to risk a nuclear showdown with the Russians. After all, whats the mere prospect of World War III compared to the supreme importance of installing the First Woman President in the Oval Office?

Justin Raimondo is the editorial director of Antiwar.com, and a senior fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute. He is a contributing editor at The American Conservative, and writes a monthly column for Chronicles. He is the author of Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement [Center for Libertarian Studies, 1993; Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2000], and An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard [Prometheus Books, 2000].

Paul Craig Roberts US is Completely Busted, Non Delivery of Gold Crash the System

See also -

Russian tanks have been spotted on the northern Crimea border: Russian tanks have been spotted on the northern Crimea border which has sparked fears that an invasion led by President Vladimir Putin is imminent.

Ukraine Crimea: Russia sends new air defence missiles : The S-400 Triumph missile systems were earmarked for troops in Crimea last month, Russian media said at the time. Moscow also announced exercises in Crimea next week to simulate an attack by weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Mike Morells Kill-Russians Advice





Washingtons foreign policy hot shots are flexing their rhetorical, warmongering muscles to impress Hillary Clinton, including ex-CIA acting director Morell who calls for killing Russians and Iranians



By Ray McGovern

August 12, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Consortium News " - Perhaps former CIA acting director Michael Morells shamefully provocative rhetoric toward Russia and Iran will prove too unhinged even for Hillary Clinton. It appears equally likely that it will succeed in earning him a senior job in a possible Clinton administration, so it behooves us to have a closer look at Morells record.

My initial reaction of disbelief and anger was the same as that of my VIPS colleague, Larry Johnson, and the points Larry made about Morells behavior in the Benghazi caper, Iran, Syria, needlessly baiting nuclear-armed Russia, and how to put a scare into Bashar al-Assad give ample support to Larrys characterization of Morells comments as reckless and vapid. What follows is an attempt to round out the picture on the ambitious 57-year-old Morell.

I suppose we need to start with Morell telling PBS/CBS interviewer Charlie Rose on Aug. 8 that he (Morell) wanted to make the Iranians pay a price in Syria.  make the Russians pay a price in Syria.

Rose: We make them pay the price by killing Russians?

Morell: Yeah.

Rose: And killing Iranians?

Morell: Yes  You dont tell the world about it.  But you make sure they know it in Moscow and Tehran.

You might ask what excellent adventure earned Morell his latest appearance with Charlie Rose? It was a highly unusual Aug. 5 New York Times op-ed titled I ran the C.I.A. Now Im Endorsing Hillary Clinton.

Peabody award winner Rose  having made no secret of how much he admires the glib, smooth-talking Morell  performed true to form. Indeed, he has interviewed him every other month, on average, over the past two years, while Morell has been a national security analyst for CBS.

This interview, though, is a must for those interested in gauging the caliber of bureaucrats who have bubbled to the top of the CIA since the disastrous tenure of George Tenet (sorry, the interview goes on and on for 46 minutes).

A Heavy Duty

Such interviews are a burden for unreconstructed, fact-based analysts of the old school. In a word, they are required to watch them, just as they must plow through the turgid prose of tell-it-all memoirs. But due diligence can sometimes harvest an occasional grain of wheat among the chaff.

For example, George W. Bushs memoir, Decision Points, included a passage the former president seems to have written himself. Was Bush relieved to learn, just 15 months before he left office, the high-confidence, unanimous judgment of the U.S. intelligence community that Iran had stopped working on a nuclear weapon in 2003 and had not resumed work on such weapons? No way!

In his memoir, he complains bitterly that this judgment in that key 2007 National Intelligence Estimate tied my hands on the military side.  After the NIE, how could I possibly explain using the military to destroy the nuclear facilities of a country the intelligence community said had no active nuclear weapons program? No, I am not making this up. He wrote that.

In another sometimes inadvertently revealing memoir, At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA, CIA Director George Tenet described Michael Morell, whom he picked to be CIAs briefer of President George W. Bush, in these terms: Wiry, youthful looking, and extremely bright, Mike speaks in staccato-like bursts that get to the bottom line very quickly. He and George Bush hit it off almost immediately. Mike was the perfect guy for us to have by the commander-in-chiefs side.

Wonder what Morell was telling Bush about those weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the alleged ties between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. Was Morell winking at Bush the same way Tenet winked at the head of British intelligence on July 20, 2002, telling him that the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy of invading Iraq?

High on Morell

Not surprisingly, Tenet speaks well of his protege and former executive assistant Morell. But he also reveals that Morell coordinated the CIA review of Secretary of State Colin Powells infamous Feb. 5, 2003 speech to the United Nations  a dubious distinction if there ever was one.

So Morell reviewed the intelligence that went into Powells thoroughly deceptive account of the Iraqi threat! Powell later called that dramatic speech, which wowed Washingtons media and foreign policy elites and was used to browbeat the few remaining dissenters into silence, a blot on his record.

In Morells own memoir, The Great War of Our Time, Morell apologized to former Secretary of State Powell for the bogus CIA intelligence that found its way into Powells address. Morell told CBS: I thought it important to do so because  he went out there and made this case, and we were wrong.

It is sad to have to remind folks almost 14 years later that the intelligence was not mistaken; it was fraudulent from the get-go. Announcing on June 5, 2008, the bipartisan conclusions from a five-year study by the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller described the intelligence conjured up to justify war on Iraq as uncorroborated, contradicted, or even non-existent.

It strains credulity beyond the breaking point to think that Michael Morell was unaware of the fraudulent nature of the WMD propaganda campaign. Yet, like all too many others, he kept quiet and got promoted.

Out of Harms Way

For services rendered, Tenet rescued Morell from the center of the storm, so to speak, sending him to a plum posting in London, leaving the hapless Stu Cohen holding the bag. Cohen had been acting director of the National Intelligence Council and nominal manager of the infamous Oct. 1, 2002 National Intelligence Estimate warning about Iraqs [non-existent] WMD.

Cohen made a valiant attempt to defend the indefensible in late November 2003, and was still holding out some hope that WMD would be found. He noted, however, If we eventually are proved wrong  that is, that there were no weapons of mass destruction and the WMD programs were dormant or abandoned  the American people will be told the truth  And then Stu disappeared into the woodwork.

In October 2003, the 1,200-member Iraq Survey Group commissioned by Tenet to find those elusive WMD in Iraq had already reported that six months of intensive work had turned up no chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. By then, the U.S.-sponsored search for WMD had already cost $300 million, with the final bill expected to top $1 billion.

In Morells The Great War of Our Time, he writes, In the summer of 2003 I became CIAs senior focal point for liaison with the analytic community in the United Kingdom. He notes that one of the dominant issues, until he left the U.K. in early 2006, was Iraq, namely our failure to find weapons of mass destruction. (It was a PR problem; Prime Minister Tony Blair and Morells opposite numbers in British intelligence were fully complicit in the dodgy-dossier type of intelligence.)

When the storm subsided, Morell came back from London to bigger and better things. He was appointed the CIAs first associate deputy director from 2006 to 2008, and then director for intelligence until moving up to become CIAs deputy director (and twice acting director) from 2010 until 2013.

Reading his book and watching him respond to those softball pitches from Charlie Rose on Monday, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that glibness, vacuousness and ambition can get you to the very top of U.S. intelligence in the Twenty-first Century  and can also make you a devoted fan of whoever is likely to be the next President.

 Wisdom on China

For those who did not make it to the very end in watching the most recent Michael-and-Charlie show, here is an example of what Morell and Rose both seem to consider trenchant analysis. Addressing the issue of U.S. relations with China, Morell described the following as a main negative:

We both have large militaries in the same place on the planet, the Pacific. What does that mean? It means you have to plan for war against each other, and we both do; it means you have to equip yourself with weapons systems for war against each other, which both of us do; and it means you have to exercise those forces for war against each other, and both of us do. And both sides see all of three of those things. That leads to a natural tension and pulls you apart. 

Those who got to the end of Morells book had already been able to assimilate that wisdom on page 325:

The negative side [regarding relations with China] includes the fact that  each country needs to prepare for war against each other (because our militaries are in close proximity to each other). Each plans for such a war, each trains for it, and each must equip its forces with the modern weaponry to fight it [leading] to tension in the relationship. 

Well, Morell is at least consistent. More telling, this gibberish is music to the ears of those whom Pope Francis, speaking to Congress last September, referred to as the blood-drenched arms traders. Morell seems to be counting on his deep insights being music to the ears of Hillary Clinton, as well.

As for Morells claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin is somehow controlling Donald Trump, well, even Charlie Rose had stomach problems with that and with Morells explanation. In the Times op-ed, Morell wrote: In the intelligence business, we would say that Mr. Putin had recruited Mr. Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation.

Let the bizarre-ness of that claim sink in, since it is professionally impossible to recruit an agent who is unwitting of being an agent, since an agent is someone who follows instructions from a control officer.

However, since Morell apparently has no evidence that Trump was recruited, which would make the Republican presidential nominee essentially a traitor, he throws in the caveat unwitting. Such an ugly charge is on par with Trumps recent hyperbolic claim that President Obama was the founder of ISIS.

Looking back at Morells record, it was not hard to see all this coming, as Morell rose higher and higher in a system that rewards deserving sycophants. I addressed this five years ago in an article titled Rise of Another CIA Yes Man. That piece elicited many interesting comments from senior intelligence officers who knew Morell personally; some of those comments are tucked into the end of the article.
Hilary Clinton  History Repeats Itself? By Andre Vltchek August 13, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - Once upon a time, there was a man called James Buchanan. He was a Democrat, a Secretary of State and then the President of the United States. A good friend of mine, a historian, told me about him. Buchanan was the last U.S. President who previously served as Secretary of State. He was a Pennsylvania native, and he took his place in the Oval Office in 1857. Now, more than 150 years later, Hilary Clinton may be about to follow in his footsteps. And some footsteps they were! Before serving as Secretary of State (in the administration of President James K. Polk), James Buchanan was a Senator, elected as a Democrat, same as Ms. Clinton. While heading the State Department, the future President did some nasty, really nasty things, like provoking a war with Mexico and defining Washingtons colonialist policy towards Cuba and the Caribbean basin. Elected President at a time of growing animosity between the industrial anti-slavery North and agrarian pro-slavery South, he was unable to calm the passions of the opposing sides and to find a political solution to the crises. He committed some of the most outrageous errors, and to this day is remembered as one of the worst leaders in American history, being held responsible for the Civil War, which started just a few months after he retired. Before stepping down as a President, Buchanans only suggestion for averting the disaster was issuing an explanatory amendment reaffirming the constitutionality of slavery in the states, the fugitive slave laws, and popular sovereignty in the territories. The National Intelligencer, then a leading opposition newspaper, published a biting, sarcastic piece about Buchanans adventurism and expansionism: We must retrench the extravagant list of magnificent schemes which received the sanction of the Executive  the great Napoleon himself, with all the resources of an empire at his sole command, never ventured the simultaneous accomplishments of so many daring projects. The acquisition of Cuba  ; the construction of a Pacific Railroad  ; a Mexican protectorate, the international preponderance in Central America, in spite of all the powers of Europe; the submission of distant South American states;  the enlargement of the Navy; a largely increased standing Army  what government on earth could possibly meet all the exigencies of such a flood of innovations? Sounds familiar? Hillary Clinton, also a former Senator for the Democratic Party, also used her time at the State Department in the most effective way: she initiated a war in Libya, provoked a devastating civil war in Syria and masterminded coup in Honduras, while provoking and antagonizing left wing governments in virtually all parts of Latin America. Running for President of the United States at a time of growing social tension and what is often described as popular outrage, Ms. Clinton, just like Mr. Buchanan, is now offering absolutely no new, progressive and effective solutions or reforms that could prevent the situation from slipping into a shattering social disaster. She is fighting for the status quo, and in the process eliminating her political opponents in the most Machiavellian fashion. Many now predict that if Hillary Clinton is elected, her reign may lead into a real tragedy similar to the one that occurred in the United States a little over 150 years ago. Unlike James Buchanan, she also sits on a pile of nuclear weapons, while doing her absolute best to antagonize and provoke two powerful and independent-minded nations: China and Russia. Her policies could easily lead to the most destructive international conflict, or even a series of conflicts. But it does not seem to distress her. She is on her ego trip, and on a crusade! While history judges Mr. Buchanan simply as an inept, bigoted and trigger-happy imperialist and supremacist, Ms. Clinton also shares all those characteristics of her predecessor, but with her own unique touch: she is also in possession of those grotesque and deadly qualities of Dr. Strangelove. * Human beings are not as complex as we often think they are, and history tends to repeat itself. Both of this years US Presidential candidates have, undoubtedly, their doubles in the not so distant past. While Donald Trumps ones lived in the 20th Century in Germany and Italy, Hilary Clinton had a homegrown predecessor; a man who was defending slavery and the status quo and who, most importantly, turned the United States into an aggressive imperialist and neo-colonialist power. Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. His latest books are:  Exposing Lies Of The Empire  and  Fighting Against Western Imperialism .Discussion with Noam Chomsky: On Western Terrorism . Point of No Return is his critically acclaimed political novel. Oceania  a book on Western imperialism in the South Pacific. His provocative book about Indonesia:  Indonesia  The Archipelago of Fear . Andre is making films for teleSUR and Press TV. After living for many years in Latin America and Oceania, Vltchek presently resides and works in East Asia and the Middle East. He can be reached through his website or his Twitter .
Political Correctness Demands Diversity In Everything But Thought By William Blum August 13, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - For 50 years Ive been painstakingly cataloguing the brutal militarism and human-rights violations of US foreign policy, building up in the process a very loyal audience. To my great surprise, when I recently wrote about the brutal militarism and human-rights violations of the Islamic State, I received more criticism from my readers than Ive gotten for anything Ive ever written. Dozens of them asked to be removed from my mailing list, as many as Id normally get in a full year. Others were convinced that it couldnt actually be me who was the author of such words, that I must have been hacked. Some wondered whether my recent illness had affected my mind. Literally! And almost all of the Internet magazines which regularly print me did not do so with this article. Now why should this be? My crime was being politically incorrect. The Islamic State, you see, is composed of Muslims, and the United States and its Western allies have bombed many Muslim countries in the recent past killing thousands of Muslims and causing widespread horror. Therefore, whatever ISIS and its allies do is revenge, simple revenge, and should not be condemned by anyone calling himself a progressive; least of all should violence be carried out against these poor aggrieved jihadists. Moreover, inasmuch as ISIS is the offspring of religion, this adds to my political incorrectness: Im attacking religion, God forgive me. Totally irrelevant to my critics is the fact that the religious teachings of ISIS embrace murderous jihad and the heavenly rewards for suicide bombings and martyrdom. This, they insist, is not the real Islam, a religion of peace and scholarly pursuits. Well, one can argue, Naziism was not the real Germany of Goethe and Schiller, of Bach and Brahms. Fortunately, that didnt keep the world from destroying the Third Reich. We should also consider this: From the 1950s to the 1980s the United States carried out atrocities against Latin America, including numerous bombings, without the natives ever resorting to the repulsive uncivilized kind of retaliation as employed by ISIS. Latin American leftists took their revenge out on concrete representatives of the American empire: diplomatic, military and corporate targets, not markets, theatres, nightclubs, hospitals, restaurants or churches. The ISIS victims have included many Muslims, perhaps even some friends of the terrorists, for all they knew or cared. It doesnt matter to my critics that in my writing I have regularly given clear recognition to the crimes against humanity carried out by the West against the Islamic world. I am still not allowed to criticize the armed forces of Islam, for all of the above stated reasons plus the claim that the United States created ISIS. Regarding this last argument: Its certainly true that US foreign policy played an indispensable role in the rise of ISIS. Without Washingtons overthrow of secular governments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and  now in process  Syria, there would today be no ISIS. Its also true that many American weapons, intentionally and unintentionally, have wound up in the hands of terrorist groups. But the word created implies intention, that the United States wanted to purposely and consciously bring to life the Frankenstein monster that we know and love as ISIS. So, you wonder, how do we rid the world of the Islamic State? Im afraid it may already be too late. The barn door is wide open and all the horses have escaped. Its not easy for an old anti-imperialist like myself, but I support Western military and economic power to crush the unspeakable evil of ISIS. The West has actually made good progress with seriously hampering ISIS oil sales and financial transactions. As a result, it appears that ISIS may well be running out of money, with defections of unpaid soldiers increasing. The West should also forget about regime change in Syria and join forces with Russia against the terrorists. And my readers, and many like them, have to learn to stop turning the other cheek when someone yelling Allahu Akbar drives a machete into their skull. William Blum is an author, historian, and U.S. foreign policy critic. He is the author of Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II and Rogue State: A Guide to the Worlds Only Superpower, among others.
Blums Straw Men



By Kim Petersen August 13, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Dissident Voice " - Back on 6 July 2016, anti-imperialist Bill Blum wrote an otherwise excellent article with the exception of one paragraph that detracted from its overall message. I responded to that paragraph in an article. Blum affirmed that these were indeed his views in a second article. Now he has written a third article persevering on his thesis, albeit in a logically unsound piece. Blum claims his crime was being politically incorrect. I demur. The reason that I dissented was because Blum was painting a diverse grouping as a monolith. He was, in effect, branding the entirety of Islam and Muslims with the violent radicalism of the Islamic State. Yet, if Blums postulate holds for Islam, then he should apply his critism equally to the violence of Christianity, Judaism, or other religions wherein violence arises; for example, the Buddhist Sri Lankan violence against Tamils. Blum does not do this even though he self-identifies as a Jew and lives in a predominantly Christian nation. So Blum erected a straw man for himself to knock down: the fallacious straw man of political incorrectness. Blums next straw man was to write about Muslim countries in the recent past killing thousands of Muslims and causing widespread horror. Therefore, whatever ISIS and its allies do is revenge, simple revenge, and should not be condemned by anyone calling himself a progressive Comment : Blum apparently is painting progressives as a monolith. It is the logical fallacy of guilt by association. Blum does not acknowledge diversity among members of a grouping. I do not know of any person(s) that referred to the actions of ISIS as revenge. Blum does not provide any substantiation. And why confine his comments to the recent past? In response to Blum I had earlier asked: If Islam is the motivating source for terrorism, then how does Blum explain that there was not any act of so-called jihadist terrorism in the period 1945-1967 (from the end of WWII until the Israeli war against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan)? Does Blum hypothesize a timer within Islam set to wreak violence in the recent times? Blum : Moreover, inasmuch as ISIS is the offspring of religion, this adds to my political incorrectness: Im attacking religion, God forgive me. Comment : Again Blum provides no substantiation for what he writes. He seems to be fabricating an anonymous persons argument to oppose. This epitomizes straw man argumentation. To be clear, as a free speech advocate  within certain bounds, such as public safety  people should be free to criticize, argue, comment, and opine on any topics, including religion. And, with all due respect, Blum is wrong. ISIS is not the offspring of religion; ISIS is the offspring of US and western violence. Blum continues : Totally irrelevant to my critics is the fact that the religious teachings of ISIS embrace murderous jihad and the heavenly rewards for suicide bombings and martyrdom. This, they insist, is not the real Islam, a religion of peace and scholarly pursuits. Well, one can argue, Naziism was not the real Germany of Goethe and Schiller, of Bach and Brahms. Fortunately, that didnt keep the world from destroying the Third Reich. Comment : It is implied by Blum that the Quran teaches murderous jihad and the heavenly rewards for suicide bombings and martyrdom, but he cites nothing in the Quran to support his claim. By choosing what constitutes Islam, he casts himself in the role of an expert on Islam. And when he draws the analogy of Naziism not being the real Germany of Goethe and Schiller, of Bach and Brahms, well it is hard to discern where he is going with the analogy. If one infers from his stance toward Islam, it would seem he implies that Naziism guides Teutons. It ignores the many, albeit a minority, of Germans who opposed Nazism (see The German Opposition by Michael Thomsett, 1977). Germans are not a monolith. Nonetheless, this represents a shift by Blum. Previously he wrote: Its the teachings of Islam that inspire the Islamic terrorists to carry out jihad and suicide bombings. Now Islam is replaced by ISIS. Nevertheless, ISIS claims to be following the teachings of Islam. To be clear, first, I am not a critic of Blum, but I am critical of his disjointed depiction of Islam and Muslims as constituting a homogeneous entity. Second, it is not the religious teachings of Islam or ISIS that this writer focuses on. What is important is the different interpretations people derive from Islam and how people act out their faith to such words and their interpretation. I object to Blums lumping all Muslims in one boat of violent jihadism. Third, most of all I object to Blums shifting the focus of blame from the instigator of the violence to the violence of resistance. I asked previously, However, in the absence of imperialist evil wreaked against them, would these people professing to be Muslims have been inspired/manipulated into violent reprisals? Blum does not deign to answer. Instead he conjures straw men. It is far easier to debunk ones own creations. Blum : We should also consider this: From the 1950s to the 1980s the United States carried out atrocities against Latin America, including numerous bombings, without the natives ever resorting to the repulsive uncivilized kind of retaliation as employed by ISIS. Comment : natives? Is that how the peoples of the lower western hemisphere are referred to? resorting to the repulsive uncivilized kind of retaliation What one deduces from this statement is that Blum acknowledges that the violence of Muslims was in response to a preceding act against them. Unmentioned by Blum here is what the preceding act was. Was it the partitioning of the Arab world? Was it handing over Arab territory to Europeans living on another continent? Was it the dropping of two 900-kilo GBU-27 laser-guided bombs on the Amiriyah shelter that incinerated 408 civilians inside? Was it callously writing off the lives of a half-million Iraqi children? Was it the war of aggression against Iraq and the genocide carried out? Are not these acts carried out by western agents repulsive? Are these western acts not inciting a repulsive uncivilized kind of aggression? Blum downplays the origins of ISIS which many call a creation of the United States. Conclusively, the US has been supporting al Qaeda and ISIS in Libya and Syria. (source 1 and source 2 ) If the American Dr Frankenstein gave life to ISIS who bears the ultimate responsibility for the violence of ISIS: the creation or the creator? Blum : It doesnt matter to my critics that in my writing I have regularly given clear recognition to the crimes against humanity carried out by the West against the Islamic world. I am still not allowed to criticize the armed forces of Islam, for all of the above stated reasons plus the claim that the United States created ISIS. Comment : This is a red herring. What does Blum mean it doesnt matter that he recognized western crimes? It is clearly acknowledged that Blum has written on this. ISIS, independent of how it was spawned, is despised by the writer as well. However, this is separate from Blums criticism of Islam as a whole. Blum : Its certainly true that US foreign policy played an indispensable role in the rise of ISIS. Without Washingtons overthrow of secular governments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and  now in process  Syria, there would today be no ISIS. Its also true that many American weapons, intentionally and unintentionally, have wound up in the hands of terrorist groups. But the word created implies intention, that the United States wanted to purposely and consciously bring to life the Frankenstein monster that we know and love as ISIS. Comment : Blum does concede that US foreign policy played an indispensable role in the rise of ISIS, and then he tries to buttress his stance by quibbling on the meaning of created. This is further distraction by Blum, and it has no bearing on his demonizing the religion of Islam. The demon is western militarism and imposition of imperialism on peoples living outside the US (and this does not mean to diminish the genocide wreaked against the Original Peoples of Turtle Island by the American colonialists). Blum : I support Western military and economic power to crush the unspeakable evil of ISIS. Comment : What is the US then, a speakable evil? Blum might better consider which is the greater evil. The insouciance of US elitists to aggression, genocide, and killing stands in clear contradiction to what the Quran preaches or even what Osama bin Laden espoused. Blum : And my readers, and many like them, have to learn to stop turning the other cheek when someone yelling Allahu Akbar drives a machete into their skull. Comment : Blums final sentence is pathetic. It does not address why a person may be motivated/driven to attack someone else, presumably a westerner. Blum focuses blame and criticism in the wrong place. As to where the blame and focus of criticism belongs, I had written: [I]t is plain wrongheaded to criticize Islam  and Islam exclusively among religions  for spurring terrorism. To gain understanding, it is crucial to put terrorism and violence in proper context since terrorism against the West did not arise out of a vacuum. Neither does the Quran instruct Muslims to attack friendly nations. So-called jihadist terrorism is in response to the far greater preceding terrorism and unremitting oppression from the Christian West and the Jewish Israel. By way of simple analogy, if someone punches you in the face without reason, and you punch that person back, yes, you used violence, but who deserves greater condemnation: the initiator of violence or you who responded to the violence with violence? Or should you and the initiator of violence be equally condemned? And if you had turned the other cheek to the person who first punched you, what lesson would that impart? Would the perpetrator be deterred from punching you again? And Blum wants the US to militarily clean up its mess!? How will the people traumatized by American aggression, plunder, and war crimes react to that? I submit that the victims of American violence would do much better if the US butted out and let these people recover as they see best for their circumstances. Instead, the US should be brought to stand in the docket, let justice take its course  and where sentenced, be appropriately punished for its crimes of aggression and other war crimes. Moreover, the US must pay full reparations to its victims. Kim Petersen is a former co-editor of Dissident Voice. He can be reached at: kimohp@gmail.com. Twitter: @kimpetersen
Yes, the System Is Rigged By Patrick J. Buchanan August 13, 2016 " Information Clearing House " -Im afraid the election is going to be rigged, Donald Trump told voters in Ohio and Sean Hannity on Fox News. And that hit a nerve. Dangerous, toxic, came the recoil from the media. Trump is threatening to delegitimize the election results of 2016. Well, if that is what Trump is trying to do, he has no small point. For consider what 2016 promised and what it appears about to deliver. This longest of election cycles has rightly been called the Year of the Outsider. It was a year that saw a mighty surge of economic populism and patriotism, a year when a 74-year-old Socialist senator set primaries ablaze with mammoth crowds that dwarfed those of Hillary Clinton. It was the year that a non-politician, Donald Trump, swept Republican primaries in an historic turnout, with his nearest rival an ostracized maverick in his own Republican caucus, Senator Ted Cruz. More than a dozen Republican rivals, described as the strongest GOP field since 1980, were sent packing. This was the year Americans rose up to pull down the establishment in a peaceful storming of the American Bastille. But if it ends with a Clintonite restoration and a ratification of the same old Beltway policies, would that not suggest there is something fraudulent about American democracy, something rotten in the state? If 2016 taught us anything, it is that if the establishments hegemony is imperiled, it will come together in ferocious solidarity  for the preservation of their perks, privileges and power. All the elements of that establishment  corporate, cultural, political, media  are today issuing an ultimatum to Middle America: Trump is unacceptable. Instructions are going out to Republican leaders that either they dump Trump, or they will cease to be seen as morally fit partners in power. It testifies to the character of Republican elites that some are seeking ways to carry out these instructions, though this would mean invalidating and aborting the democratic process that produced Trump. But what is a repudiated establishment doing issuing orders to anyone? Why is it not Middle America issuing the demands, rather than the other way around? Specifically, the Republican electorate should tell its discredited and rejected ruling class: If we cannot get rid of you at the ballot box, then tell us how, peacefully and democratically, we can be rid of you? You want Trump out? How do we get you out? The Czechs had their Prague Spring. The Tunisians and Egyptians their Arab Spring. When do we have our American Spring? The Brits had their Brexit, and declared independence of an arrogant superstate in Brussels. How do we liberate ourselves from a Beltway superstate that is more powerful and resistant to democratic change? Our CIA, NGOs and National Endowment for Democracy all beaver away for regime change in faraway lands whose rulers displease us. How do we effect regime change here at home? Donald Trumps success, despite the near-universal hostility of the media, even much of the conservative media, was due in large part to the publics response to the issues he raised. He called for sending illegal immigrants back home, for securing Americas borders, for no amnesty. He called for an America First foreign policy to keep us out of wars that have done little but bleed and bankrupt us. He called for an economic policy where the Americanism of the people replaces the globalism of the transnational elites and their K Street lobbyists and congressional water carriers. He denounced NAFTA, and the trade deals and trade deficits with China, and called for rejection of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. By campaigns end, he had won the argument on trade, as Hillary Clinton was agreeing on TPP and confessing to second thoughts on NAFTA. But if TPP is revived at the insistence of the oligarchs of Wall Street, the Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce  backed by conscript editorial writers for newspapers that rely on ad dollars  what do elections really mean anymore? And if, as the polls show we might, we get Clinton  and TPP, and amnesty, and endless migrations of Third World peoples who consume more tax dollars than they generate, and who will soon swamp the Republicans coalition  what was 2016 all about? Would this really be what a majority of Americans voted for in this most exciting of presidential races? Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable, said John F. Kennedy. The 1960s and early 1970s were a time of social revolution in America, and President Nixon, by ending the draft and ending the Vietnam war, presided over what one columnist called the cooling of America. But if Hillary Clinton takes power, and continues America on her present course, which a majority of Americans rejected in the primaries, there is going to a bad moon rising. And the new protesters in the streets will not be overprivileged children from Ivy League campuses. Patrick Buchanan has been a senior advisor to three Presidents, twice a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and the nominee of the Reform Party in 2000.
Israels Stolen Babies Remains the States Darkest Secret By Jonathan Cook August 13, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - It is Israels darkest secret  or so argues one Israeli journalist  in a country whose short history is replete with dark episodes. Last month Tzachi Hanegbi, minister for national security, became the first government official to admit that hundreds of babies had been stolen from their mothers in the years immediately following Israels creation in 1948. In truth, the number is more likely to be in the thousands. For nearly seven decades, successive governments  and three public inquiries  denied there had been any wrongdoing. They concluded that almost all the missing babies had died, victims of a chaotic time when Israel was absorbing tens of thousands of new Jewish immigrants. But as more and more families came forward  lately aided by social media  to reveal their suffering, the official story sounded increasingly implausible. Although many mothers were told their babies had died during or shortly after delivery, they were never shown a body or grave, and no death certificate was ever issued. Others had their babies snatched from their arms by nurses who berated them for having more children than they could properly care for. According to campaigners, as many as 8,000 babies were seized from their families in the states first years and either sold or handed over to childless Jewish couples in Israel and abroad. To many, it sounds suspiciously like child trafficking. A few of the children have been reunited with their biological families, but the vast majority are simply unaware they were ever taken. Strict Israeli privacy laws mean it is near-impossible for them to see official files that might reveal their clandestine adoption. Did Israeli hospitals and welfare organisations act on their own or connive with state bodies? It is unclear. But it is hard to imagine such mass abductions could have occurred without officials at the very least turning a blind eye. Testimonies indicate that lawmakers, health ministry staff, and senior judges knew of these practices at the time. And the decision to place all documents relating to the children under lock untl 2071 hints at a cover-up. Mr Hanegbi, who was given the task of re-examining the classified material by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been evasive on the question of official involvement. We may never know, he has said. By now, Israels critics are mostly inured to the well-known litany of atrocities associated with the states founding. Not least, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their homeland in 1948 to make way for Israel and its new Jewish immigrants. The story of the stolen babies, however, offers the shock of the unexpected. These crimes were committed not against Palestinians but other Jews. The parents whose babies were abducted had arrived in the new state lured by promises that they would find in Israel a permanent sanctuary from persecution. But the kidnapping of the children and the mass expulsion of Palestinians at much the same time are not unrelated events. In fact, the babies scandal sheds light not only on Israels past but on its present. The stolen babies were not randomly seized. A very specific group was targeted: Jews who had just immigrated from the Middle East. Most were from Yemen, with others from Iraq, Morocco and Tunisia. The Arabness of these Jews was viewed as a direct threat to the Jewish states survival, and one almost as serious as the presence of Palestinians. Israel set about de-Arabising these Middle Eastern Jews with the same steely determination with which it had just driven out most of the areas Palestinians. Like most of Israels founding generation, David Ben Gurion, the first prime minister, was from Eastern Europe. He accepted the racist, colonial notions dominant in Europe. He regarded European Jews as a civilised people coming to a primitive, barbarous region. But the early European Zionists were not simply colonists. They were unlike the British in India, for example, who were interested chiefly in subduing the natives and exploiting their resources. If Britain found taming the Indians too onerous, as it eventually did, it could pack up and leave. That was never a possibility for Ben Gurion and his followers. They were coming not only to defeat the indigenous people, but to replace them. They were going to build their Jewish state on the ruins of Arab society in Palestine. Scholars label such enterprises  those intending to create a permanent homeland on another peoples land  as settler colonialism. Famously, European settlers took over the lands of North America, Australia and South Africa. The Israeli historian Ilan Pappe has observed that settler colonial movements are distinguished from ordinary colonialism by what he terms the logic of elimination that propels them. Such groups have to adopt strategies of extreme violence towards the indigenous population. They may commit genocide, as happened to the Native American peoples and to the Australian Aborigines. If genocide is not possible, they may instead forcefully impose segregation based on racial criteria, as happened in apartheid South Africa. Or they may commit large-scale ethnic cleansing, as Israel did in 1948. They may adopt more than one strategy. Ben Gurion needed not only to destroy Palestinian society, but to ensure that Arabness did not creep into his new Jewish state through the back door. The large numbers of Arab Jews who arrived in the first decade were needed in his demographic war against the Palestinians and as a labour force, but they posed a danger too. Ben Gurion feared that, whatever their religion, they might corrupt his Jewish state culturally by importing what he called the spirit of the Levant. Adult Jews from the region, he believed, could not be schooled out of their primitiveness. But the Zionist leadership hoped the next generation  their offspring  could. They would be reformed through education and the cultivation of a loathing for everything Arab. The task would be made easier still if they were first detached from their biological families. Israeli campaigners seeking justice for the families of the stolen babies point out that the forcible transfer of children from one ethnic group to another satisfies the United Nations definition of genocide. Certainly, the theft of the Arab Jewish children and their reallocation to European Jews chimed neatly with settler colonialisms logic of elimination. Such abductions were not unique to Israel. Australia and Canada, for example, seized babies from their surviving native populations in a bid to civilise them. The re-education of Israels Arab Jews has been largely a success. Mr Netanyahus virulently anti-Palestinian Likud party draws heavily on this groups backing. In fact, it was only because he dares not alienate such supporters that Mr Netanyahu agreed to a fresh examination of the evidence concerning the stolen babies. But if there is a lesson to be drawn from the governments partial admission about the abductions, it is not that Mr Netanyahu and Israels European elite are now ready to change their ways. Rather, it should alert Israels Arab Jews to the fact that they face the same enemy as the Palestinians: a European Jewish establishment that remains resolutely resistant to the idea of living in peace and respect with either Arabs or the region. Jonathan Cook is a Nazareth- based journalist and winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism
The Nigerian Police on Friday shut at least twelve houses in Ilasamaja area of Lagos State after discovering illegal oil wells built by landlords to bunker diesel from pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Officials of the police, led by the Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni; Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA and others were at the scene on Friday evening and sealed off the houses while residents have fled to avoid arrest.

General Manager, LASEMA, Michael Akindele said the agency received a distress call via the 767 toll-free line on Friday about diesel theft around Ibadan and Abeokuta Street, Ilasamaja area of Lagos.

Investigation by the Emergency Rescue Team, ERT of LASEMA at the scene of the incident revealed that over 10 houses were said to have diesel in their well, Akindele said.

Further probing into the incident revealed that it is a case of bunkering as eyewitness gave reports of trucks coming in at night to load diesel. However, the source of the diesel is still unknown. There was no loss of lives; the area has been assessed to be a site of potential disaster. There was swift and prompt action by the agency and its stakeholders.

According to Akindele, the affected area had been cordoned off, while occupants of the affected houses were asked to vacate immediately to avoid any disaster.

Investigation revealed that illegal oil bunkering usually take place in the area around 12 midnight. The illegal business is said to have been going on in the last two years.

State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde said the government discovered 12 shallow wells with the presence of diesel oil in them where diesel were being pumped out and sold to unsuspecting members of the public.

He said a combined team led by the Commissioner of Police, Owoseni visited the area and carried out thorough inspection and discovered the presence of 12 oil wells.

Ayorinde said samples of the oil had been taken for test to determine the nature of the substance, adding that for safety, the affected wells had been sealed off.

The commissioner disclosed that a few landlord had been taken advantage of the situation to sell diesel products to the public.

He said affected residents would be relocated by the government, while calling on residents to always give useful information to the government whenever such things occur.

Also speaking the Commissioner of Police confirmed the arrest of three suspects in the operation, adding that a fire tanker has been stationed in the event of any fire incident.

The men of the Lagos State Police Command in the area who were on routine patrol said they saw a woman around 12 midnight with keg of diesel and when an attempt was made for her to be accosted, she fled, a development which alerted the police of something fishy.

The police immediately pursued the woman and accosted her, after which she eventually took them to number 12, Abeokuta Street, off Ilasamaja, one of the houses housing the illegal oil wells.

Upon getting to the said house, those inside shut the door and prevented the police from gaining entrance.

The officers thereafter left the scene with the arrested woman, and they later came back disguising as potential buyers of diesel, while those inside opened the door.

It was at that point that the illegal oil well was discovered at the house, after which about ten more wells were discovered in other houses in the streets..
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State has issued a disclaimer to aspirants obtaining their governorship nomination and expression of interest forms from the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction, saying they are doing so at their own risk.

The Sheriff faction and Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the PDP are both selling the forms to the aspirants ahead of the August 22 governorship primary, with each claiming to be the authentic leadership of the party.

Six aspirants have so far expressed their interest in seeking the governorship ticket on the platform of the PDP, among them former Justice Commissioner, Eyitayo Jegede; former Environment Commissioner, Sola Ebiseni; and former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Bamiduro Dada.

Three of them, until recently, served in Governor Olusegun Mimikos cabinet but had to resign to pursue their ambitions.

Other aspirants include business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim; Niran Sule and Saka Lawal.

While Messrs. Jegede and Lawal obtained forms from the Makarfi caretaker committee, Messrs Ibrahim, Sule, Ebiseni, and Dada, obtained theirs from the Sheriff faction.

But the PDP secretariat in Akure, the state capital, on Friday, warned those picking the forms from the Sheriff faction that the same fate that befell those that toed the same path in Edo State, is awaiting them.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in a list of governorship and deputy governorship candidates it released earlier this week for the September 10 polls in Edo State, snubbed the winner of the Sheriff conducted primaries, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, opting instead for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who was put forward by the Makarfi committee as the PDP candidate.

The Ondo PDP said it was gearing up for the primary election, discountenancing the obstacles being placed by the Sheriff faction.

The Publicity Secretary of the party, Banji Okunomo, boasted that aspirants who took their forms from the Makarfi faction were sure to end up as the authentic participants in the primary election.

What happened in Edo, where INEC recognised the Makarfi faction is also going to happen here, Mr. Okunomo, said.

We do not have factions in Ondo State PDP because there is only one executive committee elected without controversy in the state.

Whoever has gone ahead to obtain forms from Sheriff is doing that at his own peril.

He also noted that the delegates who would vote at the election were those chosen by the exercise conducted by the already established structure.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 13

By Orkhan Guluzade  Trend:

Europe didnt keep its promise to cancel the visa regime for Turkish citizens, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview with German RTL TV channel, Anadolu Agency reports.

Erdogan said that if Europe doesnt keep its word, Turkey wont accept Syrian refugees from the European Union.

Earlier, European Commissions President Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU may introduce visa-free regime for Turkey in the autumn of 2016, but in case if Ankara fulfills all the requirements.

Turkey expected Europe to support it during the last military coup attempt, Erdogan said. European countries should have sent at least one representative to Turkey for support, as it was done after the terrorist attack in France.

Commenting on the decision of Germanys Constitutional Court to ban his televised address to a rally in Cologne, Erdogan said he doesnt respect this decision of the court.

Germanys highest court on July 31 upheld a ruling that banned Erdogan from addressing a rally via a video call to protest the July 15 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.

Erdogan had said 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.

He declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20.

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Youths from Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State where former President Goodluck Jonathan hails from, Saturday, warned against associating the former president with the activities of the notorious militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, had last weekend claimed that Jonathan, alongside some other prominent politicians from the South-south, were sponsoring the NDA, a claim the former president and his co-accused, denied in separate statements.

Rising from their meeting in Ogbia, the youth wing of the famous Ogbia Brotherhood defended Jonathan saying it was unthinkable that he would contemplate violence against anybody especially against Nigeria, a country it said the former president loves so much.

The National President, Ogbia Brotherhood Youth Wing (OBYW), Dr. Laguo Gilbert, insisted that Jonathan has no avenging traits, describing him as a man of peace and father of modern democracy in Africa.

Gilbert said: History has it that even from his youth, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been a humble peace-lover who values good and quality education. This is why with such great thoughts he was able to grow to this current political position not minding his background.

Moreover, Dr. Jonathans political activities from deputy governor to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were in line with his true thoughts and characters which anchor on of peace, integrity and drive for quality education. Truly, this has been demonstrated in last 2015 general election.

The OBYW president further said it was senseless and stupid to think that Jonathan, who saved Nigeria from bloodshed by willingly handing over to the opposition after he lost the 2015 presidential election, would think of sponsoring a violent group against the same country.

This is why, the Ogbia Brotherhood youths wonder why detractors and enemies of progress would at this time come up with falsehood to intentionally deceive the public and discredit the former president, he said.

Gilbert said while in various offices as a political leader, Jonathan recorded tremendous contributions towards nations building, and has remained consistent in that position as a former president.

He said: Therefore, it is totally unreasonable for any group to intentionally drag this famous name to the mud. We the Ogbia Brotherhood Youths have discovered that the recent publication is not just senseless and baseless but also lacks merit and extremely unreasonable. It does not reflects the true character of Dr. Jonathan.

We the Ogbia people are equally affected negatively by the activities of the militant groups in the Niger Delta just as every other Nigerian. We have been on the same page with other good Nigerians to finding lasting solutions to resolve this menace. Therefore, will not allow unreasonable utterances against the name of Dr. Jonathan.

The Ogbia Brotherhood youths and the entire good people of Ogbia Kingdom condemn and reject these good-for nothing-elements and their wicked attitude. We warn that this must stop. Time for elections are far gone and what is required now is reasonable contribution towards moving Nigeria forward.

We appeal to the general public to continually disregard these disgruntled elements capable of inciting negative impacts in society as their view remains senseless and selfish.

Ogbia is known for peace and will at all-time demonstrate peaceful coexistence. We encourage all well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with the government in making a better Nigeria.
Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has issued seven days ultimatum to individuals or groups with illegal firearms to surrender them to the appropriate authority in the state.

He issued the ultimatum in a state broadcast on Saturday in Minna, the state capital.

Gov. Bello spoke on the recent clash between security operatives comprising soldiers and airmen and suspected gunrunners and armed bandits in some communities in Bosso Local Government Area of the state.

At least 11 security operatives were killed and one soldier still missing while eight of the attackers were said to have been killed and 57 others arrested as a result of the clash.

According to him, the state will no longer accommodate individual or groups in possession of firearms and will not be a safe haven for criminals.

Bello decried the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in rural communities, invasion of some villages by cattle rustlers, kidnappers, bandits and armed robbers.

We must rise now to fight this menace, and to achieve this task successfully, we must pay attention to what happens in our homes, villages and communities.

We must make security of our environment our business by reporting any suspicious movement or activities around us to security agencies.

The sad and emerging violent culture in our various communities is not a true reflection of of who we are or what we stand for, and belief in as a people.

We cannot at this crucial point in our development as a state allow minor differences that can be mutually discussed and resolved to bring us to daggers drawn at one another, he said.

He also used the opportunity to reiterate the ban on motorcycle operations from 7 p.m.to 6 a.m in the state capital and major cities, adding that he had ordered a stop and search operation in the state.

Bello, however, called on the security agencies to exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

He urged them to intensify efforts to sustain inter-agency intelligence gathering for peaceful co-existence.

He commended Alhaji Umar Faruk, Emir of Minna, for ensuring return of normalcy to the affected communities.

The governor assured that relief materials would be povided to the affected families of the injured and displaced persons. (NAN)
Governor Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State, has urged national leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to sacrifice their personal interest in order for peace to reign in the party.

He made the call on Friday at the PDP North-East Zonal Caucus meeting in Abuja.

According to the Gombe governor, now is the best time to sacrifice personal interest in order for the party to move forward.

In the past, so many things have remained issues of great concern.

Now is the time to make sacrifice for all of us on old or new things that come our ways as a duty to the party.

Everybody is weeping and crying at the same time.

If anybody expects any other person to call him to his wing, we may not get to our destination, because the wing may not be too strong.

It is the wing of sacrifice that is strong enough to take us to the right destination, Dankwambo said.

The governor, however, urged PDP leaders from the North-East Zone to be careful in reaching a decision on national offices of the party zoned to the zone.

We must avoid decisions that will further divide our members or bring more problems to our party.

We should respect the views of our stakeholders and take decisions that will unite us, he stressed.

Speaking at the meeting, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State expressed the zones interest in the office of the National Secretary of the PDP.

According to him, this is one of the ways to easily resolve the protracted crisis in the party.

Gov. Ishaku also expressed optimism that the leadership crisis rocking the party would soon be resolved.
In China, a man was mistaken as a patient and received surgery to remove haemorrhoids at a hospital while he was waiting for his wife to give birth.

At Hunnan Hospital in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, the surgery room for pregnant women having cesarean sections is close to a smaller one for haemorrhoid patients.

The man surnamed Wang said he waited anxiously for about 40 minutes outside the surgery room before a doctor beckoned him in and ordered him to take off his pants.

The doctor said briefly, just do what you are told when the 29-year-old man asked for a reason.

Wang said he feared to be laughed at if he asked further so he lied down on the bed.

During his surgery, Wang said he heard the cries of his newborn baby, then felt a pain in his bottom after leaving the bed.

Wang called his experience unbelievable and demanded an explanation from the hospital.

The hospital later said it was a mistake and promised to pay 5,000 yuan ($750) in compensation, adding that Wang really did have haemorrhoids.

A legal affairs officer working for the hospital said Wang should be partly responsible for the wrong surgery because he is an adult.

He still needs rest from the unexpected surgery but is happy both his wife and child are in sound condition.

Wang said his only regret is that he cant currently take care of his wife.
Ahead of the September 10, 2016 governorship election in Edo State, Chairman of the Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee for Edo, Chief Eduwu Ekhator, yesterday raised the alarm over a planned invasion of the state by the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) to instigate violence.

The NDPVF is a disbanded Niger Delta militant group founded by Mujahid Dokubo Asari.

In a terse statement he issued in Benin City, the state capital to mark the International Youth Day, which was on Friday, August 12, Chief Ekhator described the plot as evil, ungodly and comprehensively unpatriotic.

He commended security agencies and other persons who were able to uncover the plot and appealed to politicians to exercise restraint.

I want to say that political growth and democratic consolidation are the products of rich ideas and civilized interplay of social forces and not the blood of innocent citizens.

I also want to charge the youths to see themselves as nucleus and catalyst for national development, and I urge every youth to rise above being used as tool for destruction and destabilisation in the country, he said.
Immediate past governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, has described as criminal, claims that he has endorsed one Deji Adeyanju as his candidate for the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in its August 17 national convention scheduled for Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Mr. Adeyanju, the current PDP Director of New Media, picked his nomination form in Abuja on Monday to contest for the position of publicity secretary of the opposition party.

There were speculations that the aspirant was the candidate of the former Kogi State governor, an allegation he denied on Saturday.

According to Wada, Kogi State PDP stakeholders have not yet said anything regarding any endorsement plans on anyone, even though we are going to come together and select the best candidate with the required performing skills for the position.

The former governor made his position known in a statement issued in Abuja by his Personal Assistant, Ibrahim Abdulkarim Wada.

The statement read: My attention has been drawn to a publication in Vanguard Newspapers claiming that I, Idris Wada endorsed Deji Adeyanju for the office of the National Publicity Secretary of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is indeed a situation I call unfortunate because that is not coming from me. As the leader of the party in Kogi state, it is my duty to see to it that we build a wall that can stand the test of time, and not moulding on a cracked wall.

I want to first of all state clearly here that at no point did I ever endorse any one for such a highly esteemed office, knowing the gravity of what it takes to operate from such an office. I wouldnt have made such a monumental mistake knowing the kind of impression such will breed up.

The above claim that I endorsed Deji Adeyanju, is rather unfortunate because our polity is becoming more intimidating where candidates decide to use the powers at their disposals to scare others off the race, but it is not supposed to be so.

As for Alhaji Ibrahim Idris (Ibro), the two-time Governor of Kogi State, he has never meet Deji Adeyanju for once and it is practically impossible for him to endorse a candidate he has never met.

The Kogi State stakeholders have not yet said anything regarding any endorsement plans on anyone, even though we are going to come together and select the best candidate with the required performing skills for the position. But for now we are yet to do that.

I call on all the contestants to please conduct themselves and avoid venturing into ways which are against the ethics of democracy because using someones name to gain favour without such a persons consent is a crime, not only to that person but even before the eyes of the law.

As I speak to you right now, even the two former governors of Kogi state whose names were mentioned as part of the endorsement have also denied the said involvement in the endorsement saga, and have warned also that until the entire Kogites sits, there will be no presentation or rather endorsement of any candidate.

I am a man of repute and always belief that whatever is worth doing should be done well. Politics is devoid of sarcasm and forgery. We Kogites will not give too or part of evil intentions as far as the restructuring and building of PDP is concerned.

I, Captain Idris Wada, therefore disassociate myself and the working body of Kogi state PDP from the said claim of endorsing Deji Adeyanju or anyone for now as screening of candidates has not yet been conducted. So there cannot be anything of such until we meet as a body and as a family which we are. Then we can come up with the best candidates to handle the image making office of our party, PDP.

Lastly, I want to also call on all party faithfuls to embrace peace for the interest of the party. Let us not see this formation of the incoming National Working Committee (NWC) as a do or die affair. I believe that we are all fighting to arrive at the same point even though we are using different ways. But lets be moderate and always allow the spirit of sportsmanship to play a major role.
The Federal Government has mobilised Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), the contractor handling the dualisation of the Benin/Ehor section of the Benin/Auchi/Okene highway, back to site.

It would be recalled that the Goodluck Jonathan administration awarded contract for the dualisation of the highway from Benin to Lokoja, to four different construction companies.

The companies  Messers Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Nig. Ltd, RCC Nig. Ltd, Bulletin Construction Nig. Ltd and Gitto Construzoioni Genralli Nig. Ltd  were awarded contract for four lots/sections namely Benin-Ehor, Ehor-Irrua, Irrua-Auchi, and Auchi-Lokoja.

The RCC, which started the dualisation work on the highway in 2012, moved out of site late 2014 over non-availability of funds from the government.

Confirming the development in an interview with journalists on Saturday in Benin City, the Edo State capital, the Federal Controller of Works, Denis Orji, said the mobilisation of RCC back to site has seen more than 300 workers that were laid off after they closed site in 2014, reabsorbed.

Mr. Orji said the first task before the construction company was to see that the potholes and failed sections of the highway are made motorable again.

Though their schedule is between Benin/Ehor section of the road, but they are to ensure that the section up to Iruekpen is passable by carrying out maintenance work.

If you go through the road as we speak, you will see that the company have done a lot of work on the area they are maintaining, what is left for them majorly is to put bitumen.

You will see that they have moved equipment back to site, but by next week, you will see more of the equipment, he said.
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to develop the South-eastern part of the country, especially the road infrastructure in the region, which it likened to some of the roads in the insurgency-ravaged North-east.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir David Lawal, who made this known at the one year anniversary and empowerment programme organised by Hon Ossy Prestige, said President Muhammadu Buhari was working tirelessly to deliver a new country and dilapidated roads in the South East zone would soon receive attention.

Hon. Prestige is the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) member representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives.

The SGF, who was chairman on the occasion of the one year anniversary of the lawmaker, which held last month but details only just emerged yesterday, decried the poor road network in the region.

Lawal, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to the President, Mr. Gideon Samani, said that We have noted the problems of this area as presented by the traditional rulers. During my trip from Owerri, we have seen how terrible the roads are. It is like if you are part of the IDPs in the North East zone.

You know in the budget, we have provided money for fixing some of the roads, creating employment for the youths, including money for skill acquisition. Already, we are employing about 10,000 policemen.

We have budgeted money for the less privileged. Mr. President is looking for men and women who will team up with him to rebuild the nation and make it great again.

He wants people who will team up with him to fight corruption. Mr. President is trying his best to do away with corruption. Our President is also in the assignment of recovering stolen money.

While commending Hon. Prestige for his sterling performance in the past one year as a lawmaker as well as commitment to the welfare of his constituents through the provision of empowerment items, the SGF urged him to defect to the governing All Progressive Congress (APC), to identify with the change agenda of the federal government.

He also pleaded with the people of the South East to give President Buhari support in his quest to develop the area in particular and the country at large.

Earlier, Mr. Prestige promised to continue to do his best to uplift the lives of his constituents, adding that within one year, he has instituted free health care, legal issues as well as road maintenance system for the constituency.

Among the empowerment items distributed at the event include tricycles, sewing machines, motorcycles, bags of rice and generators.
More than hundreds of people have been displaced in Jakusko town of Yobe State as heavy rain continues to fall for days destroying farmlands and foodstuffs in the process.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajara Lawan, who visited the affected areas sympathized with the people as she described the incident as disastrous and pathetic.

She therefore, called on the government to urgently help the victims by providing succour to alleviate their sufferings

The affected residents also pleaded for urgent assistance from the government and other non-governmental organisations, calling for response to their crucial needs.

Meanwhile, the acting Field Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Yobe State, Nahuta Abubakar, while on an assessment tour to the area has given assurance to the victims that the agency will provide assistance soon.
The Nigerian Navy authorities at NNS DELTA, Warri, on Saturday, said two middle-aged men suspected to be involved in the attacks on Chevron facilities in Delta State, have been arrested.

The Commander of the Naval Base in Delta State, Commander Joseph Dzunve, told journalists that the suspects were apprehended in Sapele area of the state following a tip-off.

Dzunve said the attacks on the oil facilities located in Warri North local Government area were carried out between May and July this year.

Today, I am pleased to inform you that after persistent efforts, the NNS DELTA, being part of the maritime component of the Operation Delta Safe, has arrested two suspects responsible for the attack on Chevron facilities, the NNS commander was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as saying on Saturday.

They were deeply involved in various forms of crimes, including pipeline vandalism and sea robberies along the waterways in Warri North.

The two apprehended suspects are not the only ones involved in the attacks on the oil facilities in Warri North. Others who are still at large will soon be apprehended, Mr. Dzunve stated.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 13

By Orkhan Guluzade  Trend:

The US Vice President Joe Biden will visit Turkey, Haberturk newspaper quoted Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim as saying Aug. 13.

However, the visits date was not reported.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the US Secretary of State John Kerry is slated to visit Turkey on Aug. 24.

Previously, Turkish authorities sent two requests to the US for extradition of Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of organizing the July 15 military coup attempt in Turkey.

An Istanbul court ordered on Aug. 4 to arrest Fethullah Gulen.

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 had said 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.

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The apex body of Igbo youths, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for the release of 19 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who were detained in Aba Prisons since February, this year.

The IPOB members were arrested by soldiers in Aba, Abia State by soldiers of the 144 Battalion, Asa, Ukwa West Local Government of the state following a clash during a prayer session at National High School along Port Harcourt road.

The detainees, comprising six females and 13 males, were released by a Magistrate Court in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on Thursday on the following a directive by Mr. Malami that they be released.

In a statement signed by the chairman of states chairmen, Mazi Alex Okemiri on Friday, the OYC also praised Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State for facilitating the IPOB members release.

The statement reads in part: We hereby salute Mr. President, the Attorney General of the Federation and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state for facilitating the release of the pro-Biafran activists arrested and detained during their prayer session at Aba some months ago.

This commendable action will go a long way to douse the tension and bad blood generated by their detention. We equally urge Mr President to release other MASSOB and IPOB detainees including the leader of IPOB Nnamdi Kanu.

This will pave the way for dialogue, which remains the only way to solve the agitation. We commend Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for the role he also played in the release. He has endeared himself to Ndigbo for pursuing the reduction of tension in the South East.

The OYC also called on various groups in the South-east to stop creating unnecessary tension in Abia State in the wake of the controversial removal of Gov. Ikpeazu by a federal high court sitting in Abuja.

The warning is sequel to a media interview by one? Igwekala Leo Ugomaduefule, the National President of a group known as Ndigbo Bu- Otu, where he asked the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu to resign.

Abia, a state in Igbo land should not be a testing ground for lawlessness. Nigeria is not a banana republic and the South-East should not be used for such experiment.

We are amazed that a group suddenly emerged and started talking about the Abia stalemate. There are other issues affecting Ndigbo such as the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, need for restructuring and true federalism but this faceless group never talked about it.

The OYC is warning this group to desist from stoking ember of confusion in Igbo land. We have already declared the self-styled members of the above group persona-non-grata and we expect the general public to treat them as such.

It further urged the feuding parties in the Abia governorship tussle to utilize all the legal avenues available to them, stressing any attempt to forcefully remove Governor Okezie Ikpeazu will be vehemently resisted by Ndigbo.

Our advice to Uche Ogah is to toe that path of peace and stop allowing outsiders to use him in creating a situation of confusion in Igbo land. What we are experiencing right now cannot happen elsewhere and for that we say unequivocal no to it.
In Cottonwood Heights, Salt Lake County, Utah, US, bank employees in a break room heard shots and voices demanding money Wednesday, they quickly and quietly called 911.

Believing it was an active shooting scene and robbery, several Cottonwood Heights police officers armed with rifles responded.

But they didnt find what they expected.

Instead of a bank robbery, officers eventually discovered that a bank robbery scene was being filmed at a business next to the real bank.

But no one had told the real bank employees or the real police about the movie shoot.

The incident began Wednesday morning when officers received a report of a violent bank robbery in progress.

The bank tellers are in the break room, and all of a sudden they hear loud bangs and, Everybody get down! Get on the ground! This is a robbery! Put all the money into the bag! So they huddle in a corner and call 911, said Cottonwood Heights Police Lt. Ryan Shosted.

At least eight officers arrived at the scene.

We had officers with long guns set up, we had a containment set up, Shosted said.

Police also started calling tellers inside the bank who were still working.

After about five minutes, Shosted said officers realised everything wasnt as it originally seemed. They then realised that a movie was being filmed next door.

Shosted said the incident is a great reminder of why police need to be notified about such activities that could potentially cause confusion or suspicion. In this case, he said it was fortunate that no one was hurt or placed in handcuffs.

We dont want to put anybody in more danger than we need to, but everybody that leaves that bank as were arriving is potentially an armed bad guy, he said.

Shosted said his department has also experienced an increase in the number of calls reporting suspicious behavior because of people playing Pokemon Go.

Even Pokemon Go players, he said, should notify businesses about what theyre up to if they plan on hanging out at a location for a while.
The head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis has already established a reputation for himself as a bit of a liberal. He is popularly called the Pope of the Poor for his concern for the welfare about the downtrodden in the society.

On Friday, Pope Francis made a surprise visit to 20 former prostitutes who reside in a safe house in Rome. He spoke to the women who had been trafficked to Europe and forced into a life of prostitution before their rescue by a Catholic charity.

Pope Francis advised them to be strong as they chart new paths in their lives after being rescued from what he termed a crime against humanity

7 of the women he spoke to were Nigerians and were among a diverse that included four Albanians and six Romanians. He spoke to the women for an hour as part of what the Vatican calls Fridays of mercy and the Popes action once again spotlights the dangers of human trafficking.

The women had been rescued from their pimps and are being given shelter and protection at an apartment run by a Catholic charity in Italys capital.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Benin has launched a new slogan change the change in their quest to beat the ruling All Progressive Party APC in the state in the forthcoming governorship elections. Nigerians of course had differing reactions to the new slogan. Take a look at some of the reactions!

PDP now shouting CHANGE THE CHANCE.

APC will reply with, CHANGE THE CHANGE THAT WANTS TO CHANGE THE CHANGE. Mad country   Jesse (@Jaicci) August 13, 2016

CHANGE THE CHANGE You had better change the change, when the Change you voted for comes with Chains  |Inspired| (@ogogoc) August 13, 2016

When the CHANGE is not working as planned then we

CHANGE THE CHANGE, APC is confused no idea again  ZENXY DARREL (@ZENXYD) August 12, 2016

PDP new sloganCHANGE THE CHANGE is pathetic, these politicians have run out of idea, now playing the survival gameShame!  Simon Wada (@simonwada) August 12, 2016

PDP ruined this nation for 16yrs & a bag of rice was sold N8000. Now APC change makes it N19000, can we CHANGE THE CHANGE?  Mazi C.Okeke (@nobex5) August 13, 2016
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said religion is very important in building a peaceful and virile nation.

He made the assertion while declaring open the Annual Delegates Conference of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), in Benin City, the state capital on Saturday.

According to Oshiomhole, religious gatherings were important in building a peaceful and just society, whose citizens and leaders would be guided by the fear of God.

The governor said this would ensure that policy choices were guided by how they impact on the people.

While stressing the need for people to be judged by their actions and not their religious persuasion, Mr. Oshiomhole called on the media to always draw a distinction between religion and criminality. (NAN)
Elephants usually have their tusks grow upwards, but a rare pygmy elephant with tusks growing downwards instead, making it look like a sabre-toothed tiger, has been found according to a wildlife official.

The unusual-looking animal was found by a team of wildlife experts at a palm oil plantation in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island on Thursday.

It is very rare, said Sabah Wildlife Departments assistant director Sen Nathan. Were not exactly sure why the tusks are like that but it could be a congenital defect or maybe because of inbreeding.

Nathan also said that a similar elephant was caught on camera a few years ago and in 2015 in Sabah.

The wildlife department plans to send the animal to an elephant sanctuary in Sabah on Saturday until a suitable area in the wild is found where it could be released with a tracking device attached.

The tusks resemble the prehistoric sabre-tooth tiger, but of course, they are not related, said Andrew Sebastian, co-founder of the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia.

It could make wildlife watching in Sabah more interesting.

But Sebastian warned that the rare elephants reversed tusks might create some problems when it comes to jostling with other elephants.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has assured Nigerians that the hardship they are currently experiencing will be the last one they will ever go through.

He hinged his confidence on the hard work being put in by President Muhammadu Buhari and his team to ensure that Nigeria is no longer over-reliant on oil.

A crash in crude oil prices from over a $100/barrel some few years ago to a 13-year low of below $30 in February 2016, saw Nigerias oil-dependent economy shrink, with the country entering technical recession and being leap-frogged by South Africa as Africas largest economy.

The development served as a wake-up call for Nigeria, which had paid lip-service to diversifying its economy.

This much was reaffirmed by Mr. Odigie-Oyegun yesterday as he said many states can no longer meet their financial and other obligations because of the unexpected collapse in the price of crude oil.

Speaking at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja during a brief event organized to mark his 77th birthday by his colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC), the former Edo State Governor said God brought President Buhari and APC at the critical and tough time when the economy had collapsed to tackle the challenges and take critical decisions that would help revive Nigeria.

This is the last economic challenge this nation will face, and Mr. President and the APC are determined to ensure Nigerias is no longer a mono-economy. He is laying solid foundation to ensure all resources that God endowed this nation are beneficial, he assured.
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, has blamed problems in the society on traditional rulers, urging them (monarchs) to pacify God to show mercy on the nation so as to enthrone peace and tranquility on the land.

Speaking at his palace in Iwo, Osun State on Friday, the first class monarch said God mandated him to tell all the traditional rulers in the country to seek divine intervention and intercede for their subjects to earn His blessings.

Oba Akanbi insisted that the misfortune currently being experienced in the country including the economic recession, insecurity and poverty, were the consequence of the failure of the traditional rulers to play their role as mediator between their subjects and God.

The Oluwo, who did not exempt himself, traced societal problems to the traditional ruling class, saying until they changed their way of life and do the needful, the problems would persist.

According to him, we the traditional rulers are the problem of the society. We must depart from our ungodly ways, shun practices that tend to anger God and seek His blessing for the nation.

Im not just saying this on my own. Its a message that God asked me to deliver to the traditional ruler and if they listen and accede, this nation would not experience tribulation anymore, the monarch said.

Oba Akanbi also lamented that most traditional rulers do not know their rightful place and charged them to assert themselves and live up to expectation, so as to liberate the nation.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has appeared to have backtracked on his allegation that President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton founded the Islamic State group.

Trump insists he was just being sarcastic and accused media of misconstruing what he said.

SEE: Trump Claims Obama Is Islamic State Groups Founder

This time he blamed US broadcaster CNN.

Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) the founder of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DONT GET SARCASM?, Trump wrote in a tweet.

Trump later attacked the media, and then said that IS gained in strength while Clinton was secretary of state.

Trump first made the accusation Wednesday at a rally in Florida, and repeated it in interviews the following day.

He appeared to be mimicking the argument that the US troops withdrawal from Iraq under Obama with Clinton serving as secretary of state created a vacuum that allowed the Islamic State group to emerge and flourish in Iraq and Syria.

He also said he considered Clinton his Democratic rival for the presidency to be the co-founder of the Islamic State group.

The Clinton team responded Thursday by calling the assertion outlandish.

Anyone willing to sink so low, so often should never be allowed to serve as our commander-in-chief, Clinton wrote in a tweet.

SEE ALSO: Trump Calls Hillary The Devil, Says Election Could Be Rigged
US officials have disclosed that a leader of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, Hafiz Saeed Khan, died in a US drone strike last month. Hafiz Saeed Khan was thought to be the leader of IS in Pakistan and Afghanistan and is thought to have died in a drone attack in Afghanistans eastern province of Nangarhar on July 26.

Some of his allies and associates were also reportedly killed in the airstrike.

A Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said; Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against US and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar,

The airstrike came just days after one of the deadliest attacks in Afganistan which left 80 people dead and which was claimed by IS.
The Chief Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul has written a letter to U.S. authorities demanding the detention of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) leader Fethullah Gulen, Anadolu reported.

The Turkish Ministry of Justice will forward to US officials, the sources said.

The letter stated that the coup attempt was carried out with the instructions of US-based preacher Fetullah Gulen, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

The letter also mentioned that Gulen was facing such charges as "attempting to eliminate the government of Republic of Turkey and prevent it from functioning", "attempting to assassinate the president" and "attempting to demolish the Turkish parliament with the aim of preventing it from functioning".

Ankara has repeatedly said the July 15 coup attempt was organized by followers of Gulen and his FETO group.

Turkey has said Gulen is the mastermind behind a failed coup attempt last month that martyred 240 people and injured nearly 2,200 others.

Turkey has since requested Gulens extradition from the US.

The US, however, said it is still reviewing the request's formality.

Gulen is also accused of leading 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.
Fresh facts have emerged as to why operatives of the State Security Services barred the member representing Yagba East/West Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Sunday Karim, from traveling out of the country on Thursday.

The lawmaker was barred from boarding an Air France flight bound for the United States of America by the SSS operatives, who also confiscated his passport while trying to clear immigration at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Mr. Karim, who fumed at the discovery that the SSS action was based on a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said Nigeria had become a lawless country.

Confirming that it alerted the SSS to prevent the lawmaker from embarking on any trip outside the country, the anti-graft agency said Karim is wanted for his alleged links to the arms procurement scandal.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said on Friday that security agents decided to move against the Kogi lawmaker at the airport because he had been elusive for weeks.

Weve been looking for him since then but we couldnt find him, Mr. Uwujaren said. So we had to put his name on the watch list.

The EFCC spokesman said Mr. Karim became a person of interest because he allegedly received up to N200 million through a company linked to him.

The firm, Atlantic Drilling Fluids, allegedly received the funds from Sylvan MacNamara, a company linked to the sons of a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, the EFCC said.

Sylvan MacNamara itself has featured prominently in investigations by the anti-graft agency as it was the company used by Mr. Obanikoro to receive about N4.7billion from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, to prosecute the 2014 governorship election of Ekiti State.

Mr. Uwujaren said Mr. Karim reported at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Friday afternoon, and was later allowed to go on the condition that he would return on Monday for further interrogations.
President Barack Obama might just go down in history as the coolest President ever! Obama shared his summer playlist and its as interesting as youd expect!

Americas number one man definitely has taste!
Cattle Market Fades on Friday Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Live cattle futures ended the weeks last trade day down by 35 cents to $1.02 with soon to expire October down the most. Cash trade picked up later in the week with some Friday catch up sales mostly... LEV22 : 150.375s (-0.68%) LEZ22 : 153.000s (-0.28%) LEG23 : 156.325s (-0.33%) GFX22 : 177.875s (-0.14%) GFF23 : 180.375s (-0.04%)

Hogs Rebound into Weekend Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Lean hog futures ended the Friday round with 32 to 97 cent gains to fade the triple digit losses from Thursday. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price was $90.54 in the PM update, down by $1.15. The... HEZ22 : 86.100s (+1.15%) HEJ23 : 92.700s (+0.62%) KMZ22 : 96.125s (+0.37%)

Cotton Falls Triple Digits Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT December cotton ended the day locked limit lower on the 3c loss. The March contract worked back off the limit for the bell, but still went home down by 274 points. For the week, Dec cotton closed 702 points... CTZ22 : 72.11s (-3.99%) CTH23 : 72.07s (-3.66%) CTK23 : 72.30s (-2.99%)

Loss for Friday Wheat Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Wheat futures faded on Friday with the front month contracts going home 6 1/4 to 9 1/4 cents lower in SRW. For the December contract that completed the week with a 21 1/2 cent loss. KC futures closed down... ZWZ22 : 829-2s (-1.10%) ZWH23 : 849-0s (-1.05%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.6281 (-1.18%) KEZ22 : 925-0s (-0.78%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.8324 (-0.81%) MWZ22 : 945-0s (-0.58%)

Corn Closes Red on Friday Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Front month corn futures settled the Friday session with fractional to 1 1/2 cent losses. The December contract saw a tight 7 1/2 cent range from -6 cents to +1 1/2 cents on the day. It was also down for... ZCZ22 : 680-6s (-0.22%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.7193 (-0.15%) ZCH23 : 686-6s (-0.15%) ZCK23 : 686-2s (unch)

Soy Futures Close Mixed on Higher Beans and Meal Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Soybean futures ended the day with the deferred contracts above the $14/bu mark on 5 1/2 to 8 cent gains. November contracts stayed 12 cents under the mark but closed near the top end of the 20 cent range... ZSX22 : 1387-6s (+0.40%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.4825 (+0.51%) ZSF23 : 1400-2s (+0.48%) ZSH23 : 1409-0s (+0.50%)

Grain Spreads: Corn Strangle Walsh Trading - Fri Oct 28, 3:32PM CDT Wedge Formation Intact
Heather Cox has been named USAA's first chief technology and digital officer (CTDO), a newly created position for the former head of Citigroups Citi FinTech unit

Cox will report to CEO Stuart Parker, leading a team that includes information technology, digital strategy & operations, and experience design. The move was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Our members deserve world-class experiences whenever and however they interact with USAA, said Parker, in a statement released by USAA. Heathers appointment reinforces our service commitment in fast-moving areas like digital, technology and user experience. Shes the right leader to take us where were going.

USAA is known for innovating and delivering an excellent member experience for the military community. I cant wait to join the team, Cox said in the statement.

Known for her digital innovation, Cox was named one of five 2015 Digital Bankers of the Year by INN's sister brand Bank Technology News for her efforts to help Citi adopt a modern attitude toward technology amid mounting regulatory and risk obstacles. Cox was also honored as one of American Banker's "Women to Watch" in 2011 and 2013.

Prior to her role at Citigroup, which she took over last October, Cox served as their firms chief client-experience, digital and marketing officer for the global consumer bank. Before Citi, Cox was head of card operations at Capital One.
Ties with the United States will be impacted if the US does not respond favorably to Turkey's extradition request for Fethullah Gulen, the country's foreign minister said Saturday, Anadol reported.

Ankara has said Gulen is the mastermind behind a failed coup attempt of July 15 that martyred 240 people and injured around 2,200 others.

"If the US does not respond Turkey's extradition request for Gulen, who is head of the FETO organization and has been living in US, this will inevitably affect the bilateral relations of the two countries," Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with Japanese news agency Kyodo.

Ankara has repeatedly said the July 15 coup attempt was organized by followers of Gulen and his FETO group. Turkey has since requested Gulens extradition from the US.

The US, however, said it is still reviewing the request's formality.

Gulen is also accused of leading 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.


A United Nations agency said on Thursday it would help Iraq to tackle endemic graft that is eroding its economy and institutions as Baghdad struggles to defeat Islamic State militants.



The U.N. Development Program will recruit international investigators to mentor and train Iraqi government auditors tasked with corruption investigations, it said in a statement released after a signing ceremony with the Iraqi government.



Oil-rich Iraq ranks 161st out of 168 nations in Transparency International's Corruption Index.



Thirteen years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, the country still suffers a shortage of electricity, water, schools and hospitals, while existing facilities and infrastructure suffer widespread neglect.



Health Minister Adila Hamoud offered to resign on Wednesday after 13 premature babies were killed in a fire at a hospital in Baghdad, amid accusations of negligence and lack of maintenance at government healthcare facilities.



Graft has exacerbated the effects on the economy of a sharp decline in oil revenue caused by falling crude prices and the costs of fighting Islamic State, which has controlled large parts of northern and western Iraq since 2014.



| Soruce: Reuters |
Iraq makes agreement with Shell, Lukoil and BP to restart stalled investment in oil fields the firms are developing. Projects were in halt for more than a year, but with the fresh agreements the halted projects are expected to be started.



The agreements, reached in July and August, effectively delay to the second half of the year projects that the three companies had planned to carry out in the first half, which had been suspended because of low oil prices. As a result of the investment, Iraq's crude output should increase by 250,000-350,000 barrels per day next year, the Iraqi officials said. The country now produces about 4.6 million bpd, most of it from the southern region.



Iraq is OPEC's second biggest producer after Saudi Arabia, and the increase in its output, alongside that of Iran, could aggravate the global oil glut and complicate discussions between OPEC and non-OPEC producers on output limits to prop up prices.



According to documents seen by Reuters, all three firms agreed to spend in the second half of 2016 roughly half the budgets they proposed for 2015. BP agreed to spend $1.8 billion this year at the Rumaila field it operates. It had initially agreed to spend $3.5 billion last year, which it later revised down to $2.5 billion. Shell agreed to spend $742 million after proposing $1.5 billion last year. Lukoil would spend $1.08 billion, compared to $2.1 billion it had proposed last year.



Basim Abdul Kareem, the deputy chairman of South Oil Co., said, Many vital projects that foreign firms were forced to halt due to lower oil prices will be brought online after the recent budget cuts agreements."



He also stated, "The companies now should have the needed budgets to implement these projects."



Oil companies helping Iraq develop its massive oil fields have to clear their spending with the government each year. They are then repaid with income from Iraq's exports of crude oil produced from existing fields.



The arrangement worked smoothly when oil prices were above $100 a barrel but since crude has collapsed to about $40 a barrel, Iraq has been struggling to find enough oil to repay the companies for their investment.



Iraq relies on oil for nearly all its revenues and is spending heavily to fight Islamic State in its northern and western provinces. With its finances stretched, Iraq asked foreign oil companies last year to spend less than proposed, and all but cut off investment entirely for the first half of this year to the major projects.



Another South Oil Company official said, "The agreed investment budgets are covering almost the rest of 2016 and its obviously a win-win deal."



He also mentioned, "The companies will be able to resume work on many delayed projects that will help to raise Iraqs production in early 2017."



"We are talking about at least 250,000 to 350,000 additional barrels a day in early 2017," he added. The Iraqi oil ministry in February said the budget for foreign oil company development costs had been revised down to just over $9 billion in 2016, while the companies estimated their cost at $23 billion, following complex negotiations.



Among OPEC members, Iraq's supply raised the most last year and output reached a record 4.775 million barrels per day in January 2016. Iran also intends to boost supply after a deal to lift sanctions imposed over its nuclear program, making it more difficult for OPEC to agree production limits.



| Soruce: Reuters | By S.Seal
A new batch of F-16 fighting Falcon aircraft has been received by Iraqi Air Force from the US. This fresh arrival of new aircraft will help the country to fight against the violent militant group ISIS.



The Iraq Ministry of Defense stated, The third batch of F-16 fighter jets were received by Iraq recently, and they will enter in the battles to liberate Mosul city from ISIS grip.



Spokesperson for Ministry of Defense for Iraq, brigadier general Tahseen Ibrahim spokesman also confirmed the arrival of new jets in the country. The aircraft delivered in the first two batches are being used to conduct strikes against jihadist militants across the country.



Iraq ordered 18 F-16s in 2011 followed by the order for 18 more in 2012, bringing the total number of jets to be acquired to 36. The Lockheed Martin-built F-16 is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney F-100-GE-129 turbofan engine.



Earlier this year, Iraq requested $2bn worth sale of weapons and munitions for the F-16 fighter jets from the US. Iraq requested for 20 joint helmet mounting cueing systems, 24 AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, 150 AGM-65D Maverick missiles, 14,120 500lb general purpose bombs, 2,400 2,000lb general purpose bombs, more than 8,000 laser-guided bomb (LGB) tail kits and 8,500 FMU-152 fuses.



Additional items are 250 LGB Paveway II tail kits to be combined with 2,000lb warheads for MK-82 and / or BLU-117 to build GBU-10 guided bombs.



| Soruce: Airforce Technology |
In the United States there has never been a woman president.

Its not because we have never had a qualified candidate, its because we live in a male dominated world where the rules as well as the rewards favor men.

For a woman to succeed in a forum where men have conspired - for centuries - to marginalize or silence her is a thing to marvel at, especially if its never been done before.

So I dont Hillary Clintons adversaries have ever given her nearly enough credit, and as a matter of fact I dont think many of her supporters have either.

When youre in a game where the rules pointedly work against you and you still succeed, your victory is twice itself.

But in Hillarys case the victory is actually ten times itself: after a hard-fought campaign she has secured a historic nomination for president of the United States - and very soon she may well be the first female commander in chief.

By now her critics have spent so many years fighting her that they have forgotten how to acknowledge her courage and determination. Thats their most enduring political mistake.

For decades they have consistently underestimated her and for decades they have been stunned when she eludes every one of their carefully laid traps.

Meanwhile women, like gay people and like black people and anyone who has been put to the side by the traditional power dynamic, see her rise as an act of sheer brilliance.

They plainly see her grit and resilience. And if you dont know how much it means to them then you may not know what hit you on November 8.

Read more: Irish priest pictured waving bloodstained-handkerchief on Bloody Sunday dies aged 82

We havent really seen much written about the history that Hilary has made because the truth is we have all been riveted by the dumpster fire that is Donald Trumps campaign (if campaign is what you could call the thing hes currently running).

In July, Trump actually asked the Russians to find Hillarys emails. But they have apparently gone one better, last night they revealed the phone numbers and password of all the Democratic members of Congress.

Clearly the Russians want Trump to become president of the United States even more than the Republican Party.

This was the week when Trump claimed Obama and Hillary were the founders of ISIS, then walked it back.

This was the week he asked so-called 2nd Amendment advocates to consider stopping her if political efforts to failed, then walked it back.

This was the week he told his supporters the election would be rigged, and has not walked it back yet.

Recall that the last time Hillary was subjected to white hot political rhetoric was in 1994 when Republicans called her health care reform plans a Communist takeover.

On the advice of her security detail she reluctantly agreed for the first time to wear a bulletproof vest.

Now thanks to Trumps breathtaking irresponsibility that moment may have returned. America has a terrible history of gun violence in politics and so calling for 2nd Amendment people to stop Hillary is reckless in the extreme.

Observers say her new reliance on boxy suits could well be to hide her bullet proof vests. If thats true - and we have ample reason to imagine it is - then this bizarre election cycle really has become be the most odious in living memory.

Michael Hayden, the former Director of the CIA and the NSA, appeared on CNN this week to address Trumps shocking remark and he stated that if any private citizen had spoken the same words theyd be under investigation and in the back of a police wagon.

Michael Hayden on Trump: Youre not just responsible for what you say. You are responsible for what people hear. https://t.co/ayMW3e7c1l  The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) August 9, 2016

Meanwhile Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti Davis called Trump's 2nd Amendment comment 'horrifying. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, called the comment distasteful, disturbing, dangerous.

And William Kennedy Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith said it was with a real sense of sadness and revulsion that we listened to Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, as he referred to the options available to Second Amendment people, a remark widely, and we believe correctly, interpreted as a thinly veiled reference or joke about the possibility of political assassination.

The lessons of American history didnt stop Trump or make him reconsider, so for the time being we hope that Hillary is taking every precaution to ensure her own safety.
Gardai have arrested a teenager in Dublin after reports of a disturbance at a house involving a gun.

Officers recovered two firearms this morning after searching for the youth who had escaped the scene before they had arrived.

The manhunt started at around 9.30am this morning following reports of a disturbance at a house in Kilmainham.

There were no reported injuries.

The Emergency Response Unit, Garda Dog Unit and Air Support Unit, were involved in the subsequent search in which the firearms were recovered.

A man in his teens was later arrested in the Inchicore area, and is being held under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939 at Kevin Street Garda Station.
A total of 297 prosecutors and judges are being sought by Turkish authorities for alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), accused of being responsible for the recent deadly coup attempt, Anadolu reported.

The sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said the number included 257 prosecutors and judges, 32 members of the Supreme Court as well as eight members of the Council of State, the country's highest administrative court.

Ankara has said Gulen is the mastermind behind the failed coup attempt of July 15 that martyred 240 people and injured around 2,200 others.

Gulen is also accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish government through the infiltration of state institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.

Approximately 13,000 members of the military, police, judiciary, as well as civil servants, have been so far detained and 6,000 remanded in custody for alleged links to the terrorist group.

Tens of thousands of suspected Gulenists have been removed from their posts.
The financial services and roadside assistance firms after tax profits fell 8.8% in the year despite an increase in turnover to 51.4m.

AA Irelands revenue was boosted by more people taking out membership with 128,300 customers now signed up in total.

Similarly, breakdown service volumes were 4.9% higher than 2015 levels.

Its road services division recorded revenue of 26.7m, while its insurance business turned over 24.2m.

Other income amounted to 463,000. The companys profits were hit by a one-time exceptional administrative expense of 0.9m.

The deficit in AA Irelands defined benefit scheme shrunk considerably from 21.8m to 14.2m.

Private equity fund Carlyle Cardinal Ireland completed the acquisition of AAs Irish business earlier this year in a 156.6m deal.

The fund is comprised of Carlyle Cardinal Ireland, backed by the Irish State, and Carlyle Global Financial Services.

AA Ireland will continue to operate under its own brand and has signalled its intent to use the proceeds of the all-cash deal to pay down debt.

The company employed 441 staff members at the end of January with associated staff costs totalling 18.69m.

Restructuring and redundancy costs came to 865,000.

AA Ireland, which has traditionally provided motor and car insurance, recently announced its entry into the Irish life assurance market.
Meanwhile, separate eurozone-wide figures showed the blocs economy grew 0.3% in the quarter, or 1.6% annual pace, and showed the eurozone was already slowing ahead of the UKs shock June 23 vote.

The official data showed that a burst of activity at the start of the year was fleeting and more stimulus may still be required.
The latest Central Bank survey showed the average rate Irish banks charge new customers for all types of floating rate mortgages stood at 3.22% in June.

The rate rises to 3.56% when the large amount of so-called renegotiated or restructured home loans are excluded.

The mortgage rate in the Republic compares with an average 1.81% banks charge new business customers across the eurozone.

In Ireland, mortgage rates for new customers, including renegotiated loans, has fallen by a meagre 9 basis points in the past 12 months. The decline stands at 30 basis points once renegotiated loans are excluded.

Rates for variable rate mortgages fell 53 basis points to an average of 3.60%. Fixed rates for one to three years fell here by 26 basis points.

On deposits, the rates banks pay customers for their savings have shrunk in Ireland and the eurozone. However, banks here pay savers 0.13%, compared with an average rate of 0.58% across the whole of the eurozone.

Most Irish lenders this year have encouraged borrowers to switch to fixed rate mortgages from standard variable rates.

Irish banks also say that around half of all mortgage borrowers here pay tacker mortgage rates of around 1% or less.

Critics, however, say some banks persist in charging existing borrowers higher rates than those offered to new customers.

The reductions in the ECB rates have been passed onto depositors, but mortgage holders have not benefited to any significant degree, said Brendan Burgess of the Fair Mortgage Rates Campaign.

Rachel McGovern, chief operations officer at the industry group Professional Insurance Brokers Association, urged banks to offer good long-term rates of up to 20 years.

The figures show two thirds of all new mortgages issued in the year to June were standard variable rate arrangements points to a lack of proper long-term fixed rates in the market and shows how out-of-step Ireland is with its European counterparts, she said.

The Central Bank said that banks sold new mortgage agreements of 417m in June and 4.5bn over the past year.

The new business excludes renegotiated mortgage arrangements struck between customers and banks.

There was 300m worth of home loans renegotiated in June.

The average rate paid by homeowners for their renegotiated mortgages stands at 3.03%, the figures show.
The land comprises a three-acre farm to be divided equally among three prospective individual tenants or couples.

The south-facing smallholding is a short stroll from the coast on the rugged Beara Peninsula. On offer is an opportunity to become self-sufficient and the chance to construct a small eco-dwelling exempt from planning permission.

Running the smallholding has become too arduous for the landowner, who arrived from Britain 30 years ago. He renovated the farmhouse, which he describes as dry, warm, and comfortable with a wood-burning stove, running water, and electricity.

I want to encourage people to live and be self-sufficient in rural Ireland, he said. I want to give people the opportunity to prove that it can be done.

Tenants are encouraged to build an eco-house, such as a cob house, eco-dome, or tiny house to gain practical experience and to farm the land in a sustainable way.

The idea is that people do their own thing on their piece of land, including constructing their own eco-dwelling or whatever they fancy and they farm the land according to organic, permaculture, bio dynamic principles, he said.

The land is divided in three so that each couple or individual has their own independence but they can work together when required. Its not a commune, he noted.

It takes a lot of work to cultivate one acre, the altruistic landowner has warned.

While young professionals struggle to meet spiralling rents in city centres around the country, the depopulation of rural Ireland is a concern for the landowner.

He believes there is an over- reliance on traditional building methods that is adding to the countrys housing crisis. Global financial uncertainty and rising energy costs are also an issue, he said.

The world is on the point of major change: We are going to be faced with a totally new world. Thats why its important to be self-sufficient, he said.

He is offering his farm as a start point for those who have little hope of obtaining a mortgage.

You can buy an acre of land around here for between 2,000 and 3,000 but the problem arises with planning permission, he said. Anything with a structure on it becomes far more expensive and out of reach, financially, for many of those seeking to live an off-grid life.

The nominal rent will be agreed according to the tenants investment in the small-holding and no money will exchange hands, according to the landowners mission statement.

A nominal rent will be agreed according to the tenants level of investment.

The offer, circulated on social media in Ireland and Britain, has prompted hundreds of inquiries. The landowner points out that the reality of living on a thinly-populated wind-blown peninsula will test the stamina of future tenants.

They need to be able to finance themselves for around 18 months while they get their small holding up and running, said the landowner. It takes a lot of work to cultivate one acre. Its damn hard work, the winters are harsh and theres no public transport.

Once he finds the right people, the landowner plans to draw up contracts with prospective tenants. He is considering handing over the farmhouse and land to a trust in the long run.

Im quite prepared to turn the place over to a trust so people have continuity, he said. I dont mind giving the place away but dont want to throw it away.

Contact ecogrow1964@gmail.com to inquire about the property
Bia Food was set up as a hub to take unwanted food from major supermarket chains and distribute them to various charities around Munster.

Some full-time workers are employed in the depot, but a lot of the work is also done by a dedicated team of volunteers.

Trevor Keating, who is full-time manager at the centre, said when deliveries come in they contact the various charities telling them what they have and then take an order for delivery.

We know where everything is going all the time because we can track it all on a computer system, said Trevor.

We get food from Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, and Musgraves on a very regular basis. We also get a container load every month from Kelloggs. Fyffes also give us a pallet of bananas every week. A meat factory, which doesnt want to be named, also gives us microwavable meals regularly.

During the past two years, Bia Food has taken delivery of 810,000 tonnes of food which would otherwise have been buried in landfills.

Brendan Dempsey, a well-known senior figure with the Society of Vincent de Paul in Cork, is also a volunteer worker at Bia Foods.

We are always looking for more food donors, especially factories, said Brendan. It would be far better to give food to us than dump it. It costs 150 a tonne to bury in landfill.

Companies mainly make deliveries to the Bia Food warehouse in Little Island in the mornings.

We can call on up to 16 volunteers to come in and help sort the food, which is then delivered to a large number of charities all over Munster who in turn pass them on to people in need, Brendan said.

To date, Bia Food has been responsible for delivering 2,000,014 meals to to almost 100 charities operating in the province. Brendan said that in the coming months they expect to handle even more food.

What is being donated by the various companies is totally fit for human consumption. In some cases it might be that its approaching its sell by date. In other cases it may be slightly under the correct weight.

We pass the food onto charities such as Cork Penny Dinners, Simon, Vincent de Paul, Barnardos, drugs and alcohol treatment facilities etc, Brendan said.

Bia Food charges the charities a nominal sum if they want the food delivered to them rather than the charity picking it up from Little Island.

That is just to pay for the petrol and to cover other running costs at the site.

We have a large deep-freeze which costs us 50 a day to run, Brendan noted.

Food from Little Island is sent to Vincent de Paul in Blackpool where volunteers make up food hampers.

On a normal week, wed distribute up to 700 of them to needy families, Brendan said.
The Siptu drivers voted 95% in favour of action over a pay dispute at the company. The drivers, who are members of the National Bus and Rail Union, have already said nothing short of strikes will be enough if the impasse continues.

Yesterday, Siptu said there was the very real prospect of 24-hour and 48-hour stoppages and perhaps an indefinite strike at Dublin Bus.

This result [of the ballot] demonstrates the determination of members to bring this pay dispute to a fair conclusion, said the unions divisional organiser, Owen Reidy.

Drivers and other workers at the company have not had a pay increase for eight years, have suffered reductions in earnings over the recessionary period, and have been through three comprehensive restructurings during that time.

The company returned to profitability in November 2014 and, over recent years, passenger numbers and revenue have increased accordingly. It is now past time for the pay of Dublin Bus workers to increase.

He said the union was prepared to engage with management on issues of productivity in addition to a general wage round agreement.

We would urge Dublin Bus to return to the bargaining table immediately to reach a new agreement, he said. We intend to meet with our members next week to discuss and plan a sustained campaign of action in order to reach a satisfactory outcome.

All unions at the company submitted a pay claim of 15% over three years commencing from January 2016. They also agreed to seek a retrospective pay increase in lieu of the 6% from a previous national pay agreement that was deferred.

Siptu said improvements such as maintaining the link between pay and pensions and making shift pay reckonable for pension purposes in line with sister company, Irish Rail, are also being sought.

A Labour Court recommendation of 8.25% over three years has been rejected by staff.

The unions are unhappy that the courts figure is below that which was recommended for Luas workers earlier this year.

Last night, the company issued a statement, in which it said: Dublin Bus is extremely disappointed with the rejection of the Labour Court recommendation issued on July 19 by the majority of our employees.

Dublin Bus has noted the outcome of the ballots and is available to engage with the trade unions with a view to seeking a way forward.

We strongly urge employees not to engage in any action that will have a negative impact on our customers and the finances of the company.

It is likely the positions taken by the unions at Dublin Bus could affect the talks process due to resume with Bus Eireann next month, with similar action potentially on the cards there.
To be honest, I was very inactive on it in the last year, said the 34-year-old Northern Ireland-born actor during a round of interviews for two upcoming films, Anthropoid and The 9th Life Of Louis Drax.

To delete my Instagram ... I had to email my publicist to get the password. Twitter I used to have a bit of fun with back in the day but I think Ive tweeted twice in the last year.

On the reality of living life out loud on social media, he said: The more public interest in you, the more horrible people become. People start to say disgusting things about your family, about your children. Whats the point?

On the Fifty Shades front, which includes back-to-back filming of the steamy trilogys last two instalments, Dornan is enjoying the prospect of life post-Christian Grey.

Its satisfying to put an end to any job I think, and to do two back to back, I think theres an element of relief that the work is done and youre happy with it, he said.

He said his wife Amelia Warner spent some time on the Fifty Shades sets: Yeah, a couple of times on choice days. There were some days where it probably doesnt make a lot of sense for her to be hanging around.

The franchises second movie, Fifty Shades Darker, is due out in February. The third, Fifty Shades Freed, is scheduled for February 2018.

Dornan was tight-lipped about season three of popular BBC series The Fall, which is set in Belfast and has him playing Paul Spector, a bereavement counsellor, married man, and unassuming father of two by day and stalker and killer of women by night:

You can expect the unexpected. Theres quite remarkable turns in the third season that I really genuinely think people wont see coming that are hugely exciting.

The series co-stars Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson, the London detective sent to crack the case. You know, that job changed my life, Dornan said of the series. Theyre like family to me and Im forever grateful for it to be a part of my life and, you know, I would play that character to my dying days if I had the opportunity.

Does that include a fourth season?

I dont know anything about that, he smiled.
Gary Davis, aged 27, of Johnstown Court, Kilpedder, Co Wicklow, is wanted for trial by US authorities on charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit computer hacking and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

On a detailed judgment yesterday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott ruled that Mr Davis be surrendered to the US. The judge rejected all grounds of Mr Daviss opposition to the request, including that his Constitutional rights and rights under the European Convention on Human Rights would be breached.

After the verdict, Mr Davis embraced friends and family in the court. He was remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison and can apply for bail in the event an appeal being lodged.

Mr Davis, who claims he suffers from depression and a form of autism known as Aspergers Syndrome, had opposed the request. Among his points of objection, he says that, if extradited, he will be detained in an inhuman and degrading manner. If convicted in the US, Mr Davis could receive a life sentence.

In his judgment Mr Justice McDermott said the central issue in the case was the objections to the request based on Mr Daviss health. The evidence before the court, the judge said, did not establish the high threshold of ill health and risk to life required to justify a refusal to extradite him. He said it was not the law that a person suffering from health conditions can not be imprisoned in Ireland or extradited to another country simply because imprisonment would give rise to changes in environment or disturbance in routine or removal from family.

Persons suffering from Aspergers can be tried and sentenced for a criminal offence in Ireland and the courts have imposed sentences on elderly persons, young people with serious psychological or addiction problems, and people who are otherwise ill.

Judge McDermott said he was not satisfied that there were substantial grounds for believing that Davis would be exposed to inhuman and degrading treatment while in the US prison system.

The court was satisfied that the US authorities would act to protect Mr Daviss mental and physical well-being and take appropriate steps to address any symptoms of depression and anxiety. He would be accommodated as a person with AS within the prison system.

In his ruling, the judge noted the concerns expressed by Mr Davis about conditions at the facility in New York City, known as the Metropolitan Correctional Centre (MCC), where he is likely to be held following his extradition.

Mr Davis claimed that, because of his medical condition, his mental health would deteriorate and his life would be at risk if he were to be held in isolation at a special housing unit within the MCC. The judge expressed his concern that Mr Davis is not in receipt of any ongoing medical provision or treatment for depression and that he had failed to engage with people who could provide therapy.

The Silk Road, which was shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2013, was an underground website that hosted a sprawling black market bazaar on the internet.

Mr Davis is accused of acting as a site administrator on the Silk Road website using the name Libertas. It was launched in 2011. It was created and run by American Ross William Ulbricht under the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts. Ulbricht was charged and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. The site offered anonymity to users, where trades were conducted in the online currency bitcoins.

US authorities claim that, between June 2013 and October 2013, Mr Davis was an administrator of the website and had an explicit knowledge of the items for sale on the website.

The drugs available included heroin, LSD, cocaine, and amphetamines.
While 965 people had to pay for repairs themselves because the leak was at their home, 595 had leaks fixed for free because they were found in the pipes leading to the house.

The Irish Water-completed repairs showed that it resulted in a saving of 4.1m litres of water a day, compared to those completed by customers which saved 1.7m litres.

The scheme, launched last year, identified some 75,974 properties throughout the country which had leaks  9,434 were found in Cork.

Irish Water has been able to standardise ways of calculating leaks using around 850,000 connections.

The national metering programme estimates that 48% of drinking water is being lost in Cork county and 52% in Cork City.

In May 2014, the Government announced funding of 51m for a scheme to address water leakage on pipework within a customers property boundary under a first fix scheme.

Irish Waters water conservation strategy specialist, Kate Gannon, said the 9,434 households in Cork with a potential leak on their property would have been notified by letter.

Leakage of water from the network is a serious problem on a national scale, and that is reflected here in Cork. Lost water is estimated at 47% nationally, said Ms Gannon.

I am urging any customers who have received a letter, or who may be aware of a leak within their property boundary outside of their home to get in touch with Irish Water.

Ms Gannon said that almost 30,000 customers have already contacted Irish Water to avail of a free leak investigation, including 3,811 in Cork.
A Nigerian woman who was brought to jail after she lashed out at gardai in what was described as a ploy to avoid her imminent deportation has lost a legal challenge into the legality of her detention.

Mr Justice Bernard Barton said the woman, a failed asylum seeker who cannot be identified, claimed her arrest by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) to be deported had been illegal and therefore, her detention in prison was unlawful. She had issued proceedings under Article 40 of the Constitution.

Judge Barton said the womans daughter, who has always lived in Ireland and was due to go back to Nigeria with her, has been placed into the care of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, on foot of a court order, while the mother is being detained.

Members of the GNIB had arrested the woman on foot of a deportation order issued against her almost 10 years ago.

The State had argued the daughter had not been arrested and had been in the care of her mother at all times until the woman was brought to prison.

Judge Barton said the gardai had been concerned for the health and welfare of the daughter as with the mother being in jail, she would not be in her care. They had contacted the agency in accordance with the law and the child had been handed over to a social worker.

Through her mother, the daughter had also initiated proceedings under Article 40 of the Constitution. She claimed that although she had not been arrested by the GNIB members, she had needed to follow her mother to the airport and had therefore been detained.

The woman claimed four officers came to her place of residence to give effect to the deportation order and entered her house with the help of a security guard who had a key.

She had been shocked to see the gardai in her house but had cooperated with them and arrangements had been made to bring her and her daughter to the airport.

The woman claimed that only the arresting officer had the right to enter her house and the presence of the three other members rendered her arrest illegal.

The State had argued the three officers were present to assist, if needed, the arresting garda. It denied the arrest had been unlawful.

Judge Barton said the woman had cooperated until minutes before she was due to board the plane.

She had then refused to get onand had started shouting and screaming and had lashed out at gardai with her hands and feet before lying on the floor.

Gardai told the court the woman was informed she would be detained in prison pending the deportation proceedings, while her daughter would be placed into care.

Judge Barton found the arrest of the mother at her home was lawful and her actions at the airport had led to her incarceration. He also found the daughter had been in her mothers care at all times until she was brought to prison.
Hillary Clinton is very vocal with her criticism on China's cybersecurity laws. (Photo : Getty Images)

A letter was sent to Premier Li Keqiang from 46 international business groups in the sectors of spanning finance, information technology, insurance, and manufacturing. The letter aimed to convince Beijing to change its laws on cybersecurity.



Representatives of the signed business groups are from Asia, Australia, the United States, Mexico and Europe.



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China's draft security law has just concluded its second reading. The law will be enacted after the third, and the international community is imploring the China to revise the law's provisions.



In the letter, the groups stated, "'Trade-inhibiting security reviews' for information and communications, technology products, and services under the rules may weaken security and constitute technical barriers to trade under the World Trade Organization."



Business groups are concerned that when China's cyber security laws are passed, foreign companies will not be able to compete in the market.



They added, "The current drafts if implemented, would weaken security and separate China from the global digital economy."



The new cyber laws prohibit foreign tech companies like Google to enter the Chinese market. The government said that this was "needed to ensure security against growing threats such as terrorism."



Aside from increasing trade restrictions on foreign investment, the new law will also increase powers of the Chinese government to access or block information that it deemed threatening or illegal.



U.S. Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton attacked China for unfair play with its international partners and is abusing companies to get information.



She said, "China is trying to hack into everything that doesn't move in America--stealing commercial secrets, blueprints from defense contractors, stealing huge amounts of government information, all looking for an advantage."



The business groups are lobbying for consideration from China and hope that this will push for negotiations at the G20 Summit in China next month.


The Young Offenders, a hilarious tale of two northside rascals heading to West Cork in search of a discarded bale of cocaine, has already been receiving lavish praise in advance of its upcoming release.

Footts creation has been described by RTE Radio One and Late Late Show presenter Ryan Tubridy as the best Irish film Ive seen ages and it has also won the best Irish film award at the recent Galway Film Fleadh.

Its been fantastic so far, said Foott, 39, from Monks-town, Co Cork, who revealed that the idea for the film came from a combination of the infamous Dunlough Bay cocaine seizure in 2007, and a bike trip he undertook many years ago.

Peter Foott: The story of the young lads and the issues they face is also universal. Picture: Larry Cummins

I knew people with farmland down around Three Castles Head, and wed hear all these stories about people coming down looking for this legendary lost bale of cocaine. Id also done a bike trip to West Cork with a friend of mine, and while there was no cocaine involved, we did end up getting lost, crashing the bikes, arguing... a lot of the type of stuff that ended up in the film.

Several locations around the city and county are showcased in The Young Offenders, including Schull; the area around Shandon; and the English Market. OConnells fish stall even opened especially on Sunday mornings to facilitate the shoot last year.

Young Cork actors Alex Murphy and Chris Walley make their feature debut in the film, while Footts own wife, Hilary Rose, also appears, and is a familiar face from The Fear, the comedy show he directs on RTE.

Foott wrote much of the dialogue for the film, and was nicely restrained in his use of Corkisms. For instance, it all sounds and feels very authentic, but the word langer pops up just once.

We were very conscious when we were writing it not to go over the top on some of the words that might be associated with Cork people. When that happens it can come across as if youre trying too hard. The Cork accent is so naturally funny, and people just have a clever use of words. Its more about turns of phrase and capturing the personality of people in how the language is used, said the former pupil of Ashton and St Johns College.

Foott is confident the film can appeal to people beyond the county bounds. Weve been getting great feedback so far and were also hoping to place the film in a few overseas festivals. The story of the young lads and the issues they face is also universal enough to have a much broader appeal, he said.
The Fine Gael minister confirmed he is open to the possible move in response to criticism of his five-point plan to address the countrys chronic waiting list crisis.

Earlier in the week, Mr Harris announced the new five-point system based on the return of the National Treatment Purchase Fund along with new inspections of hospitals from department officials, extra funding and the creation of reform lead roles in facilities to ensure plans are implemented.

Mr Harris said the moves will help lower the massive 530,000 people currently on hospital waiting lists and that he wants to see a 50% reduction in the 7,000 people waiting more than 18 months for in-patient care by the year end.

Despite Mr Harriss insistence that the new plan should be seen in the wider context of health service reform, his proposals were criticised by doctor and nurse representative groups, and opposition parties.

The latter group included a counter-proposal midweek from Sinn Fein health spokeswoman Louise OReilly to put in place a single national waiting list system that would replace individual facility lists and see patients sent to hospitals based on space rather than geographical proximity.

Responding to the opposition suggestion at a media event at Loughlinstown Hospital in Co Dublin yesterday, Mr Harris said he was not opposed to such a move.

While saying a number of other plans need to be discussed, he indicated he wanted to seriously consider the Sinn Fein proposal and to find out what it will entail in terms of funding and actual reductions in waiting list rates.

I actually think Louise OReilly made a very constructive proposal this week, he said. Its something I want to look at and seriously consider.

I share the view that there has to be a better system for waiting lists, a better way of measuring waiting lists, and there has to be better data in terms of who is waiting, how long they are waiting for, how many hospitals have they been referred to, what are their needs.

So, I actually think Deputy OReillys proposal is very constructive and I look forward to discussing it with her.

Mr Harris previously stated all political parties must work together to solve Irelands health crisis through an agreed 10-year plan for the system which is being devised in part by a cross-party Dail committee on the future of the service.

He also said he is as inpatient as any healthcare professional I have heard in the media wanting to see improvements after coming in for significant criticism over the plan.

However, despite the comments, Mr Harris said he is absolutely unapologetic in wanting to put in place a structure for sustained improvements and stressed his proposal is not a big bang solution as it must be seen in the context of wider reforms as no one-step way to solve the crisis exists.
Up to 34 specially designed apartments are about to be made available to those over the age of 55, so that older council tenants who would like to downsize from an existing larger council owned property can do so.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has completed the construction of the apartments at the Rochestown House complex in Sallynoggin which was first built in the 1970s.

News of the almost completed apartments comes as the countrys decades-old local authority housing waiting list rules are to be overhauled in an effort to ensure all properties are occupied.

The numbers on social housing waiting lists has climbed to just under 14,000 while nearly 2,000 offers of accommodation were turned down.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney is to overhaul current policy where people are offered properties based on eligibility and need. Instead, new rules will let prospective tenants express a preference for properties.

The minister is planning to make it mandatory for local authorities to advertise vacant properties online. The responsibility for locating a home would be on those on the waiting list, moving the onus away from a local authority.

Construction of the apartments in the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown area is the second phase in a three-part scheme which is introducing a significant number of housing units specially designed for elderly residents. The first phase was completed and opened in 2014.

Council Cathaoirleach Cormac Devlin said the fact that theyve been renovated to such a high energy standard which is passive, meaning that the building is often considered to be the ultimate low-energy, and that theyve modern communal facilities such as cafeteria and washing facilities makes them unique in the modern era.

The Rochestown House development is a superb example of a local authority developing housing to meet current and future demand. The 34 deluxe one bedroom apartments are specially designed for older council tenants who would like to downsize from an existing larger council owned property.

The apartments at Rochestown House are finished to a very high standard, are more energy efficient than most council properties and are strategically situated just a few minutes walk from the many shops and amenities in the Sallynoggin area.

The cathaoirleach pointed out that single bedroom housing list represents just over half of the 5,733 families currently awaiting accommodation.

He added: As residents transition into these more efficient smaller units they will free up larger properties for families.

The proposed rent will be on income. Rents can range from 24/35 per week upwards. Our senior list begins at the age of 55 in DLR, so maybe some might still be working but they will be eligible for social housing obviously.

The average purchase price for a three bed house in DLR is 459,000  the highest of the three other Council areas in Dublin with Dublin City costing 330,638, 292,306 in Fingal and 277,000 in South Dublin.

However, the population of 206,000 equates to approximately 16% of the population of the Dublin Metropolitan Area.

The Private and Public Housing Supply Report from the local authority shows that 3,300 private and social houses need to be built each year until 2022  almost 250 more each year than the peak housing output in 2007.
According to Middlesex County civil court records, Cavan native Ms Brady McCarthy was served with the lawsuit on July 8 but did not file an appearance, answer, or issue any other responsive pleading.

A damages hearing is expected to be held later this year, said Martha Coakley, an attorney representing Sameer Sabir and Nada Siddiqui, the parents of Rehma Sabir, who was a year old when she died in Ms Brady McCarthys care in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in January 2013.

Ms Brady McCarthy, who repeatedly denied harming the child, was indicted on murder charges three years ago in a case that received global attention, but the charges were dropped last year and she was deported back to Ireland from the US, where she had been living illegally.

Rehmas parents claimed in the civil lawsuit filed in Middlesex Superior Court in Massachusetts that the baby died due to Ms Brady McCarthys negligent, malicious, willful, wonton, reckless and/or grossly negligent acts.

Prosecutors claimed that bruises to Rehmas head, damage to her eyes, brain swelling, and other forensic evidence showed that she was killed by blunt trauma to the head and violent shaking. However, Ms Brady McCarthys defence team offered alternative causes for the infants death, such as an uncommon bleeding disorder or an immune deficiency issue.

After her acquital, Ms Brady McCarthy raised the possibility of suing prosecutors and the doctor who claimed Rehma died from blunt force head trauma after being violently shaken.

Taking the civil case, Rehmas parents told the Boston Globe newspaper their main motivation in filing their lawsuit is to make sure Ms Brady McCarthy does not make money off the childs death. They said this was only legal way to do so.

Sameer and I want to emphasise that our purpose in filing this suit is to prevent Aisling McCarthy from profiting from our daughters death, said Ms Siddiqui.

For the parents who cant bring Rehma back, they want to set the record straight, said Ms Coakley

When the case was filed last winter, one of Ms Brady McCarthys criminal attorneys, Melinda Thompson, said Rehmas parents were compounding the tragedy of their childs death by filing this lawsuit. She said that their medical evidence showed Rehma may have had pre-existing medical issues contributing to her death and that Ms Brady McCarthy deserves to try to rebuild her life in Ireland.

According to lawyers familiar with wrongful death cases in the US, if Ms Brady McCarthy remains unresponsive to the civil case, Rehmas parents will be able to argue unopposed for some type of judgment against her.
So who invented whiskey? Ireland or Scotland?

Of course strictly speaking it was the Arabs, but there was a time in the 19th and early 20th century when Irish whiskey was the gold standard and sold for a premium over all other whiskeys.

Fast forward a few dozen years from its heyday and through a combination of bad luck and bad decisions Irish whiskey almost disappeared.

We could blame Father Matthew, the invention of the continuous Coffey still (ironically by an Irishman), prohibition, taxation, and we could even blame Eamon DeValera.

Peter Mulryans new book The Whiskeys of Ireland is an entertaining romp through the history of Irish whiskey, explaining exactly how we got where we are today.

Sadly, this is not always a happy tale, and while it has the making of a happy ending, only time will tell.

This book is just a photograph, a moment in time, says Mulryan.

As well as the history of whiskey Mulryan attempts to pick through the bullshit as he would put it and focuses solely on distilleries that are actually in production.

I had to draw a line somewhere, things are changing so fast, there are so many new whiskies, and so many of them are not real but just marketing and blarney, he says.

In 1779 there were 1,228 legal distilleries in Ireland and while this figure dropped to a couple of hundred following tighter excise laws.

Of course the others didnt disappear, they simply moved underground.

In the early 19th century it is thought there were 800 illegal stills on the Inishowen peninsula alone making poitin.

The late 19th century were the golden years according to Mulryan but the events of the first 50 years of the 20th century brought the industry to a virtual standstill.

By the 1980s there were two distilleries  Midleton and Bushmills.

Now in 2016 there are about a dozen working distilleries in Ireland with a possible 30 or so to come if all those dreams (and crowdfunding plans) become reality.

It is great to see so much activity but you must remember that around 80% of the growth in Irish whiskey is Jameson. Yes, there are dozens of brands out there but they are almost all being made with bought-in whiskey from John Teeling, he says.

John Teeling set up the Cooley distillery in the late 1980s and as well as the old brands he recreated such as Locks and Tyrconnell he made much of his money by making own-brand whiskey and supplying small start-ups such as Slane Castle (now owned by Brown Forman of Jack Daniel fame).

In the 2000s a number of developments occurred and it became difficult to keep up.

Diageo bought Bushmills from IDL, West Cork Distillers was founded in Union Hall in 2003, William Grant bought Tullamore Dew, Midleton spent 200m on expansion and Oliver Hughes set up the Dingle Distillery (these last three occurred in 2010).

Sadly, Oliver Hughes died suddenly just a couple of weeks ago just a few months after his first whiskey was created.

He was a visionary, an inspiration, and the setting up of Dingle in 2010 recession Ireland was remarkable. Where he led, others followed, says Mulryan.

John Teeling in Cooley meanwhile, knew his brands were not strong enough to go international so he sold to Jim Beam in late 2011 (which was in turn sold to Japanese drinks group Suntory a few years later).

Suddenly, small whiskey brands which had relied on the Cooley Distillery for their whiskey had to either set up their own distillery or close down.

Teeling of course couldnt resist the whiskey bug for long and bought up much of the surplus whiskey Diageo wanted to offload after they swapped Bushmills for a Don Julio Tequila (Bushmills is now owned by Jose Cuervo, keep up at the back!).

John Teeling built the Great Northern Distillery in the old Harp Brewery in Louth which is designed to supply bulk whiskey to the new batch of small brands on the make.

Meanwhile, Teelings sons set up Dublins first new distillery in a century in the Liberties in Dublin.

A recent visit to Dublin duty free was an eyeopener for me as there were at least a dozen brands on display that I had never heard of despite my interest in the subject.

Not one of them was from a distillery, but were, I suspect, created with stock purchased from Teelings.

I see no problem with releasing a whiskey to build a brand until your own whiskey becomes available but some are just pretending they are distilleries, Mulryan says.

The labels on some of these whiskeys are intentionally opaque and the bigger the lie the easier it is to pull off, especially as a few samples to a few lazy social media influencers can get you a lot of attention, he says.

Gin is the other distilling renaissance that is happening now along with whiskey and there are gins out there being made with essences rather than being distilled and yet they are claiming they are using 100% Irish botanicals. This will also come back and bite us on the arse and nobody seems to care, he says.

Speaking of gin, one noticeable absence from the book is Mulryans own Blackwater Distillery which he started 18 months ago in Cappoquin, Co Waterford.

Blackwater Gin No. 5 has won numerous awards as has new Juniper Cask-aged gin.

By my own rules I couldnt mention us, we wont begin making whiskey until next year, we are currently working on a business expansion scheme and the pot stills are ordered (from Italy)  and partly paid for! he says.

It is great that the multinationals are here but every industry needs a mix of small and big producers, we are operating on an uneven playing pitch compared to the UK.

For example it is illegal to sell direct unless you spend 60,000 on a pub licence and set up a separate company.

The law on distilling dates back to 1880 when Victoria was on the throne and before women could vote, but of course politicians hate making decisions and despite all their bandwagon jumping, their lack of action does not augur well for the future and it is the boutique quality producers that will disappear first, he says.

The Whiskeys of Ireland is published by OBrien.
Nakuru is a lakeside city in Kenyas Rift Valley, a destination for safari tourists and part of the Great Rift, the tectonic seam that gave birth to humanity and will one day rend Africa in two. Kenyans often refer to the valley simply as the Rift, a nod not just to the millions of years of volcanic tumult that produced its magnificent landscape but also to the centuries of tribal warfare it has seen.

In December 2007, Eric, a day labourer now in his late 20s, who asked to be identified only by his first name, was living on the outskirts of Nakuru with his wife and young daughters, in one of the shanty neighbourhoods tourists dont see. That month, Kenya held an election. It was to be only the second truly open contest in the countrys history, but typically for Kenyan politics, it was cleaving along tribal lines. The incumbent, a conservative bureaucrat named Mwai Kibaki, was a member of the Kikuyu, Kenyas predominant tribe. His challenger, Raila Odinga, Kenyas foremost liberal provocateur, was a Luo, who historically were the Kikuyus main rival for power. Odinga had assembled a broad ethnic coalition, capitalising on resentment of the Kikuyu.

Nakuru was majority Kikuyu but had a sizable population of other tribes. As the election approached, Eric, a Luo, became anxious listening to his Kikuyu friends, who insisted Kibaki be returned to office at any cost. The Kikuyu had liberated Kenya from colonialism, they insisted, and the country was rightfully theirs. Other tribespeople were demanding the president be forced from power.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo (C) and other members of the International Criminial Courts Office of the Prosecutor listen during the hearing of three Kenyans, Uhuru Kenyatta, Francis Muthaura, and Mohammed Hussein Ali (unseen) at the International Criminal Court. Kenyatta, 49, and two other top ruling Party of National Unity (PNU) officials were facing a hearing to determine if they should be prosecuted for the violent aftermath of Kenyas polls.

We were just agreeing with what they were saying, Eric told me, when I spoke with him recently. We were afraid that if we did not, it would come to fighting. After Kibaki was declared the winner, death squads led by members of the Kalenjin tribe loyal to Odingas coalition set to massacring Kikuyu throughout the Rift Valley. Then men with a Kikuyu criminal gang, called Mungiki, began retaliating. Soon word came that the gang had arrived in Nakuru. They came to revenge, Eric heard. By day they set up roadblocks, where they stopped civilians and murdered and raped them in plain view; by night they assailed homes.

Eric took his family to a displaced-persons camp next to the police station, but there was no food, so they left. He was asleep one night in early January when he heard voices outside his home. He got under his bed. A group of men entered and told him to come out.

Im Kikuyu, Eric said instinctively.

They demanded to see his identification. He said hed left it at work. They spoke in the Kikuyu language to him, to see if Eric could answer. He knew only a few words. Asha, he kept saying: No.

One of the men found Erics ID. His family name is clearly Luo. The intruders began beating him. One asked if he was circumcised. (Circumcision is a Kikuyu tradition and point of pride.) Eric cried that he was. They tore his pants off.

You lie! they yelled.

I pleaded with them, Eric told me. ?Leave my life, please. In Gods name. They could not hear that. They went ahead with their plan. A man forcibly circumcised him with a machete. Then they hacked at Erics arm and head until he lost consciousness.

The violence spread across the country. Though Kenya is among the most developed places in Africa, for two months, death and torture were meted out with machete, club and knife. People were dismembered, gang-raped, burned alive in homes and churches. Many men were, like Eric, forcibly circumcised. Kenya was brought to the brink of civil war. The official number of dead was between 1,100 and 1,200 by the end of February 2008, when international envoys brokered a truce, though Kenyan investigators say the real figure is probably much higher. Roughly half a million people were displaced; many never returned home. It was the worst crisis Kenya had faced since its fight for independence a half-century earlier.

In 2010, the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Hague-based tribunal created in 1998 to try the worst atrocities on earth  war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide  announced plans to charge six Kenyans for orchestrating the postelection violence. The most important suspect was Uhuru Kenyatta; the son of Kenyas first president, Jomo Kenyatta, he was considered by many Kikuyu to be their natural leader.

The courts chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, sought to charge Kenyatta with five counts of crimes against humanity, for inciting murder, rape, forcible transfer of people, persecution and other inhumane acts. During his tenure at the ICC, which ended in 2012, Moreno-Ocampo examined atrocities in a dozen countries and brought cases in seven. But the Kenyatta case has come to define the court and, many would say, has permanently discredited it. Moreno-Ocampo accused Kenyatta of bribing the Mungiki to kill innocent Kenyans, but he also believed Kenyattas crimes emerged from a tradition of impunity in Africa, one that would continue unless he stepped in. He saw prosecuting Kenyatta as a way to change not just a country but an entire continent and, in some small measure, the world. These were not just crimes against innocent Kenyans, Moreno-Ocampo said at the time. They were crimes against humanity as a whole. Kenyatta, now Kenyas president, not only denied the charges against him but also called the ICC the toy of declining imperial powers. Its a view other African leaders increasingly claim to share. Today Kenyatta is leading a push at the African Union to abandon the court. In April, an African Union committee considered a plan to demand that heads of state be immune from ICC prosecution, among other potentially crippling measures. At a summit conference next month in Rwanda, it will continue a discussion about collectively withdrawing from the court. With all but one of its open cases related to crimes in Africa, this would almost certainly relegate the ICC to permanent irrelevance.

Last October, I met Moreno-Ocampo at the InterContinental Hotel in Vienna to discuss the Kenyatta case. I found him in the lobby bar, slouched low in an ornate settee, in jeans and a black long-sleeve collarless shirt. Except for the MacBook Air propped in his lap, he looked like a detective in a 1960s French movie: mussed gray hair, bristling eyebrows, rakish trimmed beard. When I phoned to arrange the meeting, we (mostly he) talked for more than an hour. He was ingratiating, telling me, Youre doing a very important story. But in Vienna he was at first circumspect  hed received word from colleagues that I was asking questions. He didnt stand but extended a reluctant hand from the settee, nodded and smiled knowingly, as though wed already met.

A man watches on TV Kenyas president Uhuru Kenyatta appearing in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to appeal for the crimes against humanity case against him to be dropped for lack of evidence

He soon relaxed, and we talked for most of the rest of the day. As our conversation grew more candid, he sank further into the settee, eventually almost lying down, his feet on a cushion. At one point Moreno-Ocampo, who is 64, took hold of his laptop and summoned YouTube. He pulled up a clip from a Kenyan comedy programme called The XYZ Show, which lampoons figures in the news with puppets.

Have you ever seen this? he asked me. Moreno-Ocampo was a running character, and the real man adored the show. He turned up the volume, unconcerned about the other patrons looking over in annoyance, and laughed loudly. Brilliant! he said. Great. Moreno-Ocampo explained that argument was his birthright. His youth in Argentina was punctuated by coups that divided his family. He went to law school because my country was a mess, he said. In 1976, a military junta, claiming Argentina was in the grip of a Communist insurgency, took control. The junta, which killed, kidnapped or tortured more than 20,000 Argentines, counted among its members one of his uncles. After it was ousted, its leaders were put on trial. In 1984, Moreno-Ocampo, then in his early 30s, was made deputy prosecutor. (He indicted his uncle.) His performance in court established his reputation, though some Argentines were put off. Miriam Lewin, a journalist who was tortured and later testified, told me that while Moreno-Ocampo appreciated the momentousness of the trials, his idealism was undone by his arrogance. Many survivors didnt want to come forward and talk because they were afraid for their lives, she said. He didnt seem to understand that.

The junta leaders received stiff sentences, but in 1990 they were pardoned by a new president. I was furious, Moreno-Ocampo told me. The trials were not just about the crimes. It was a way to change the country. Notions of human rights that transcend borders originate in antiquity, but the first international war-crimes tribunal, historians believe, did not take place until the 15th century. The first large and truly successful one was not until almost 500 years later, at Nuremberg. After the Cold War, human rights became a centerpiece of Western foreign policy, at least nominally, and in the 1990s, the United Nations Security Council set up criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Sierra Leone, Cambodia and Lebanon followed. In June 1998, diplomats from 160 countries gathered in Rome to discuss a permanent international criminal court.

African diplomats were particularly intent. On top of the genocide in Rwanda, the 1990s had brought civil wars or campaigns of systematised violence to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Somalia, Algeria, Burundi, Niger, Ivory Coast and Chad. Atrocities were committed by officials who also controlled their countries justice systems. For its Western proponents, an international criminal court was largely a matter of conscience. For Africans, it was a way to fight impunity. We wanted ways of enforcing good government in Africa, Betty Murungi, a lawyer in the Kenyan delegation in Rome, told me.

When the court was formed, it was, one observer wrote, an international epiphany. It was also, it seemed, a great moment for Africa. Senegal was the first country to ratify the courts founding treaty, the Rome Statute. Archbishop Desmond Tutu called the ICC Africas court. Today, 34 of the courts 124 member states are African, the largest contingent after Europes.

In 2003, after the ICC received the 60 ratifications it needed to begin work, Moreno-Ocampo was appointed chief prosecutor and moved into the courts offices in a white metallic tower in The Hague. Member states had the ability to refer atrocities within their borders if they felt they could not handle investigations, as well as to refer them in other member states. The Security Council could refer investigations anywhere. And Moreno-Ocampo had the power to open investigations without any referral, if he could show an atrocity had been committed and wasnt being redressed.

In one of his first speeches in The Hague, Moreno-Ocampo announced he was monitoring the violence in Congo and invited its government to make a referral. The Congolese president did so several months later. Then the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, approached Moreno-Ocampo. Joseph Kony, whose Lords Resistance Army had torn apart northern Uganda, had proved uncatchable. Perhaps the ICC might force him out of the bush? Moreno-Ocampo began investigations in both countries. He was pleased: His first two inquiries addressed major atrocities in Africa, the continent that most concerned him and human rights advocates, and each had begun by invitation.

Children play among the rubbish in Kibera, Nairobi. About two million people live here in 12 ft by 12 ft shacks, built with mud and concrete walls, tin roofs, and dirt or concrete floors.

For Uhuru Kenyatta, rule was a birthright. His father, Jomo Kenyatta, was imprisoned by the British colonial government during the fight for independence. After Jomo was freed and elected president of an independent Kenya in 1964, however, his revolutionary impulses didnt persist. He stocked the government and businesses with family members and fellow Kikuyu and operated with little concern for the niceties of law, the historian Charles Hornsby writes, trave;ling with his inner circle from residence to residence like a medieval monarch. Jomos portrait still adorns every denomination of paper money in Kenya, and his family is believed to be the countrys largest landholder.

After graduating from Amherst College in Massachusetts, Uhuru showed little interest in politics before 1997, when, in his mid-30s, he stood for Parliament and lost. In 2002, he ran for the presidency, on the strength of his name, and lost again. The man who beat him, Mwai Kibaki, had been a close friend of Jomo Kenyattas. Kibaki took Uhuru under his wing, later putting him in the cabinet and, it was clear, grooming him as his successor.

To many Kenyans, Uhuru  whose personal fortune, most of it presumably inherited, has been estimated at a half-billion dollars  embodies their countrys inequity. More than a quarter of Kenyans live on less than two dollars a day, according to World Bank estimates. So taken for granted are corruption and impunity that the countrys official and criminal classes are often indistinguishable.

Kenyattas rise coincided with the rise of Mungiki, the group Moreno-Ocampo would later accuse him of conspiring with in the postelection violence. Started as a tribal revivalist movement, Mungiki grew into a militaristic political fraternity and then into a criminal gang. Around the time Mungiki fought to take over the

lucrative private bus lines that are the main form of transport in Kenya, in the early 2000s, the gang staged a massacre in northern Nairobi that left severed heads scattered in the streets.

By then, Mungiki was being described as a state within a state, with up to two million members, according to reports. They swore an oath of loyalty to the Kikuyu tribe and the Mungiki leader, a charismatic, ruthless man known as Maina Njenga. According to the ICC, new recruits were told they would be killed if they violated the oath or left the organisation. When clashes broke out between Kikuyu and other tribes, Njenga dispatched his men to fight.

He also persuaded politicians to take the Mungiki oath. Paul Muite, a member of parliament at the time and now a lawyer who represents Njenga and other members of Mungiki, which is still active, told me that almost every Kikuyu politician of consequence he knew during that era took the oath. For Njenga, it was a way of collecting power, Muite says. According to Muite and a former lieutenant of Njengas, with whom I spoke, one of the politicians who took the oath, before becoming president, was Kibaki.

Some Mungiki members, including Njenga, supported Kenyattas 2002 presidential campaign. Kenyatta denounced the group and would later tell Moreno-Ocampo in court that I have always publicly condemned and stated that I have no association whatsoever with Mungiki. Njengas former lieutenant, however, described to me a series of meetings he attended with Kenyatta and Njenga in 2002, saying that Kenyatta was friendly with Mungiki. But, he added, Kenyatta didnt like or trust Njenga.

In the 2007 election, Kenyatta did not run, instead supporting Kibaki in his race against Raila Odinga. By the close of election day, two days after Christmas, the vote was too close to call. The count was delayed. The tally centre in Nairobi was mysteriously broken into. Then on December 30, the government suddenly announced Kibaki had won. He was hurriedly sworn in, and a media blackout was imposed. Odinga instructed his followers to protest. By New Years Day, Kikuyu were being slaughtered. Mungiki began striking back in January.

The government did little to stop the postelection violence, but afterward, it set up a commission of inquiry. Known as the Waki Commission, it issued a 529-page report in October 2008. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, an autonomous government agency, published a comparably exhaustive report. Each was damning. Officials in Odingas party had planned violence months in advance, while envoys of President Kibaki met with Mungiki to plan retaliatory attacks. Security agents and the police had conspired with the gang. There were no good guys, a Waki commissioner, Pascal Kambale, told me. There were only bad guys. Moreno-Ocampo, who monitored the violence as it was happening, travelled to Nairobi to speak with Kibaki. He encouraged Kibaki to refer Kenya to the ICC, as Congo and Uganda had made referrals. Government capacity wasnt the problem, Moreno-Ocampo knew. Kenya was capable of trying the suspects. The problem was as it had been in Argentina: The government was the criminal. And not only the government. The National Commission on Human Rights report listed more than 200 suspected inciters and funders of the violence, including presidential cabinet members, legislators, businessmen, shopkeepers, farmers. In a moment of collective insanity, Kenyan society had turned on itself.

Still, Moreno-Ocampo continued to press Kenyan officials to begin prosecutions. In 2009, the Kenyan Parliament voted against a tribunal  unsurprisingly, as the Parliament itself was full of suspects  and Moreno-Ocampo requested that the ICC judges allow him to open an investigation. They did. It was the first time he invoked his power to seek charges on his own authority, without a referral.

The challenges were considerable, he knew. It was one thing to investigate militias at the invitation of a government, but quite another to investigate a government. Yet Moreno-Ocampo felt this was what the ICC had been created for  to fight impunity. This is a different kind of case, he told The Times in 2010. This isnt about militias. Its about politicians and political parties. Its about investigating leadership. Polls showed a majority of Kenyans approved of the ICCs intervention. An editorial in The Nation, Kenyas main daily newspaper, said, No one has ever come as close as [Moreno-Ocampo] to slaying the dragon of impunity in Kenya.

The ICCs preliminary examination in Kenya was based largely on the work of the Kenyan commissions. Each had heard testimony that Kenyatta was at meetings with Mungiki. The Waki report didnt name Kenyatta, but the National Commission on Human Rights report did, saying that he reportedly attended meetings to plan for retaliatory violence by the Kikuyus and contributed funds. Kenyatta was considered by many Kikuyu, including many Mungiki, to be their leader, and was understood to be the richest man in the country. If anyone had the motivation and funds to back an ethnic war, Moreno-Ocampos investigators reasoned, it was Kenyatta.

Moreno-Ocampo had by now built important cases in Uganda, Congo, Central African Republic and Sudan. The worlds prosecutor, as he was dubbed, seemed to be everywhere: magazine spreads, cable news, Davos. His critics complained that he thrust himself into the limelight, and they had a point  he allowed four different feature documentary crews access to The Hague  but even they couldnt deny that he put the court on the map.

By the time the preliminary examination in Kenya began, however, the other cases had stalled. Only one trial, that of the Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga, was underway. The courts lack of political and prosecutorial powers were partly to blame. The United States, China and Russia had refused to join it. George W. Bush openly tried to cripple it by, among other things, demanding immunity for Americans. And Moreno-Ocampo had none of the prosecutorial resources  subpoenas, surveillance, policing  available to his domestic counterparts. Alex Whiting, a onetime federal prosecutor in Boston who became Moreno-Ocampos prosecutions coordinator, told me the Kenyatta case was like trying to prosecute an organized-crime case without the tools the Department of Justice uses to prosecute organized crime  though, for this reason, Moreno-Ocampos temperament was an asset. You have to have a big ego, because you dont have much else. But Moreno-Ocampo himself may have been the greatest obstacle to the courts success, members of his staff told me. They didnt question his devotion  he often worked seven days a week, closely managing every case  but increasingly they questioned his judgment, which seemed always caught between that ego and his idealism. He inspired fierce admiration and dislike, sometimes in the same people. One attorney, who resigned because he couldnt stand Moreno-Ocampo, nevertheless lauded the prosecutors commitment. Another, whom Moreno-Ocampo reduced to tears in meetings, defended him to me adamantly. When the journal World Affairs published a critical profile of Moreno-Ocampo, one former staff member attacked another in the online comments section.

In Vienna, I heard Moreno-Ocampo express remorse only twice. Once was when I asked about the atmosphere in The Hague. It was a mess, he acknowledged. I fought with all of my guys, because I was involved in everything. Thats the problem: All of us were totally emotionally involved. If not, youre not there.

A larger problem was his vision of the courts mission. He believed in the pre-emptive power of prosecution  the shadow of the court, as he liked to call it. In his inaugural address in The Hague, Moreno-Ocampo said the courts success would be measured not by how many cases it tried but by how few. One investigator I spoke with said Moreno-Ocampo seemed to see the ICC not as a forensic body so much as a naming and shaming organisation, like Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International. And while it was true that the courts small budget limited the size of his investigations, he was, some say, already more interested in prominence than evidence. A former court attorney told me: He would see the leader of a state and say: There must be evidence out there. Go get it for me.? The investigation in Congo began calamitously. Bernard Lavigne, formerly a French domestic prosecutor, became Moreno-Ocampos first lead investigator in Congo. We accumulated a lot of information about one militia, Lavigne told me. Then suddenly, because of a political decision by Luis or his political committee, we were obliged to change our planning and our investigative work and concentrate on a new target. It was completely crazy. ... We put in danger a lot of people. The case Moreno-Ocampo brought against Lubanga, for recruiting child soldiers, barely scratched the surface of the conflict, Paul Seils, the first director of Moreno-Ocampos preliminary-examination unit, says. Moreno-Ocampo removed the lead attorney weeks before the trial commenced and clashed with the presiding justice, who accused him of trying to undermine the judiciary and pervert the Rome Statute.

In conversation, Moreno-Ocampo has a habit of ignoring criticism. Its unclear if this is confidence or evasion. When I asked him about the censure, he described that judge as brilliant and great. After the United Nations Security Council referred the atrocities in Darfur to the ICC in 2005, the court charged President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan with crimes against humanity, war crimes and, later, genocide. The judges issued an arrest warrant. There is little question Bashir is guilty of the first two charges. He could be guilty of genocide too, but the courts investigation was not the best proof of it. An attorney involved told me the prosecutors office did little independent work: Investigators never went to Darfur. When I brought this up, Moreno-Ocampo said: Sometimes some of the lawyers are not going to understand the case. Im sorry for them. Bashir was not popular in Africa, but he was the first head of state the court charged. This made other leaders, especially those accused of atrocities, nervous. It also vexed African Union diplomats who were trying to broker a peace in Darfur. (Muammar el-Qaddafi, whom the court would later charge with war crimes in Libya, was at the time the African Unions chairman.) In 2008, the African Union passed a resolution that said charging African heads of state was an affront to the sovereignty and integrity of the continent. Bashir called the ICC a colonial court. Self-serving though his position was, it caught on. Complaints about the ICCs Africa bias piled up.

Unbowed, Moreno-Ocampo pushed on in Kenya. In December 2010, he announced the suspects he wanted to charge. For the first wave of postelection violence, he named the chairman of Odingas party and Joshua Arap Sang, a radio host who had broadcast anti-Kikuyu hate speech. A member of Parliament, William Ruto, was accused of being the ringleader. For the second wave, committed by Mungiki and the police, he named Kibakis cabinet secretary, Francis Muthaura; the commissioner of police, Gen. Mohammed Hussein Ali; and Kenyatta.

Before announcing the suspects, Moreno-Ocampo met with Kenyans including investigators and lawyers at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi. The lawyers approved of his desire to combat impunity and prevent political violence during the next election in Kenya. But they warned him that Kenya wasnt Sudan or Congo. Its politicians were just as ruthless but more sophisticated. The suspects would try to kill the cases and discredit the ICC So would President Kibakis government. Kenyatta, elevated to deputy prime minister after the postelection violence, was his protege. Theyre going to fight back very, very hard, James Gondi, a Kenyan lawyer who had interned at the ICC, told Moreno-Ocampo. But the prosecutor seemed unconcerned. He pointed out that hed put away generals in Argentina.

Later, some questioned whether Kenyatta was as culpable as the case against him claimed. George Kegoro, the Waki Commission secretary, told me that when Kenyatta was questioned by the commission, he saw himself as a peacemaker. Pascal Kambale, the Waki commissioner, said that irrespective of Kenyattas involvement, Mungiki was going to do what they did. In the ICC system at the time, the prosecutors office collected enough evidence for the court to hold pretrial hearings, in which the judges would decide whether there were sufficient grounds to confirm the charges. If they did, the cases proceeded. This gave defendants ample time to destroy evidence and interfere with witnesses, a recurring problem.

By the time Moreno-Ocampos team got moving in Kenya, more than two years had elapsed since the postelection violence. Their investigation, which would go on for over four years, was far more rigorous than those in Congo or Sudan. They interviewed hundreds of victims and suspected perpetrators. But many witnesses who had opened up to the Kenyan commissions were no longer willing to speak.

Faced with a dwindling pool of evidence, Moreno-Ocampos team approached General Alis attorney with a possible offer: If Ali testified against Kenyatta and Muthaura, the charges against him might be dismissed. The Kenyan commissions had gathered strong evidence against Ali, but circumstances had changed. The attorney general had forbidden the police to speak to the ICC. According to Kenyan investigators with whom I spoke, other police officers who were involved in the violence had been killed. Ali turned down the offer. The judges didnt confirm the charges against him. The prosecutors office later withdrew the cases against Muthaura and Odingas party chairman.

There was one group willing to help the court: Mungiki. Many gang members were gone  killed or forcibly disappeared in an apparent cleanup operation, the prosecution claimed  but some were still alive and willing to testify. Especially crucial were three confidential Mungiki linkage witnesses. One claimed he saw Kenyatta at meetings where attacks were planned; another, that he was told of these meetings, though he wasnt present; and a third, that he met with Kenyatta beforehand to discuss violence.

The case hinged on these men. But some people in the prosecutors office worried about their reliability. Kenyattas attorney claimed in court that the first two witnesses tried to extort him in exchange for information that could aid the defense, and when he refused, threatened him. He showed little evidence of the claim, but neither did the prosecution dispute it. (It strikes me as entirely plausible, Benjamin Gumpert, an ICC lawyer who worked on the Kenyatta case, told me.) Kenyans who knew the third witness, meanwhile, not only doubted his account but also questioned whether he was in Mungiki. Maina Njengas former lieutenant says the witness was never in the gang. There were arguments in The Hague over whether to use him. The former court attorney told me it appeared the man would say anything to get into the courts protection programme. But the case against Kenyatta was too thin to sacrifice him.

Moreno-Ocampo admitted to me that the evidence against Kenyatta was not as strong as he would have liked. But all he had to do for the moment was get through the pretrial hearings. After that, more evidence could be found. And he had a card up his sleeve: Maina Njenga.

Moreno-Ocampos team had considered charging the Mungiki leader. Instead, they had turned him. When Njenga was questioned by Kenyan investigators, he pleaded ignorance. But to the ICC investigators, he came clean. He detailed the structure of his organization and its role in the violence. Njenga claimed to his lawyer, Paul Muite, that he had personally administered the Mungiki oath of loyalty to Kenyatta, though whether Njenga told this to ICC investigators is unclear. Njenga was very forthright, Muite told me, and he later agreed to testify in The Hague.

Moreno-Ocampo cross-examined Kenyatta on September 29, 2011. Kenyatta had travelled to The Hague with supporters, who filled the public gallery of the windowless blond-wood courtroom. Kenyatta was not required to attend the hearings, nor to testify, and some Kenyans had encouraged him to skip them in order to spite Moreno-Ocampo. But he had a good reason to go: He intended to run for president, and he would use the trial as a campaign set piece, styling himself as a patriotic victim who had taken the fall for his sinister political opponents and been attacked by arrogant foreigners.

At first Moreno-Ocampo had been popular in Kenya. Once the charges were announced, however, tribal ranks closed. The defendants stoked fears of ethnic persecution. Privately, proxies did worse. People would come in knocking on the door at night and say, We know that your son is with the ICC,? Phakiso Mochochoko, who ran witness protection for the ICC, told me. ?Were going to burn down your house tomorrow.? Witnesses and court personnel were exposed. The courts Kenyan outreach coordinator received death threats. One victims attorney in the Kenyatta case left the country for his safety. Mochochoko says, We have never had a case with this level of threats, directed not only at witnesses but anyone perceived to be witnesses, or perceived to be cooperating. But some of the indignation was genuine. There was a gulf of understanding between the court and Kenya, one Moreno-Ocampo, whose political guile was undercut by his political tone-deafness, never quite grasped. The courts very mission involves trying atrocities that stem from cultural conflicts whose nuances its lawyers and judges, from their remove in The Hague, cant hope to fully appreciate. Im not at all sure that international courts really are set up to understand the realities of the conditions theyre investigating, Paul Seils, of Moreno-Ocampos preliminary-examination unit, told me.

Many Kenyans didnt see why so few should stand trial for a social upheaval caused by so many. They thought the defendants were guilty and were proud of them for it. Kikuyu believed Kenyatta had protected them in a tribal war. Non-Kikuyu felt the same of William Ruto. And the Kenyatta case in particular had unsettling reverberations. Kenyattas father had been tried by the British for leading Mau Mau freedom fighters, most of them Kikuyu, whose rebellion in the 1950s precipitated Kenyas independence. (Mungiki traces its origin to these guerrillas.) The court had no sound evidence against the elder Kenyatta, who denied any connection to Mau Mau. He was convicted anyway. Now his son was facing eerily similar accusations. For many Kenyans, the trial felt like a return to colonialism. Indeed, after the ICC defendants were named, they came to be known in Kenya as the Ocampo Six, a reference to the Kapenguria Six, the group of suspects that included Jomo Kenyatta.

Uhuru Kenyatta knew he could portray his trial as a heroic struggle  but only if he upstaged Moreno-Ocampo in the cross-examination, which was being broadcast live on Kenyan television.

For his own part, Moreno-Ocampo had debated whether to question Kenyatta himself. He had never interrogated a witness in the Hague courtroom. He decided to go ahead only days before the hearing. I could not delegate, he told me: The case was too important. His preparations were bafflingly scant. When I asked how long he took to learn about Mungiki, the crux of the case, Moreno-Ocampo replied breezily: Me? Two hours. His staff was worried but knew protest was pointless.

As Moreno-Ocampo rose to begin the questioning, Kenyattas face stiffened. The prosecutor hadnt been speaking long, however, when his team, next to him in the prosecution box, sensed something was wrong. Their boss was uncharacteristically awkward and hesitant. His queries were aimless. Kenyatta fended him off at every turn. He blamed Raila Odinga for the postelection violence and wedged in righteous speeches. Ultimately, violence does not help any particular situation, whether you are aggrieved or not, he said.

Some members of Moreno-Ocampos team grew nervous. One member put his hands to his face; another shifted in her chair. This is just embarrassing, one thought. At one point Moreno-Ocampo, seeming desperate for the defendants help, asked: So you have no information about the violence in detail? Fifteen minutes in, Kenyatta, cottoning to Moreno-Ocampos lack of preparation, relaxed in the stand. After Moreno-Ocampo asked a particularly ill phrased question, a wry smirk overtook the defendants face. Looking at the judges, he said, coolly, I think the prosecutor does not understand our system. Today, if you want to win an election in Africa, you just have to have the West bash you. Moreno-Ocampo gained his footing halfway through the 45-minute session, when he asked about the cash payments Kenyatta had reportedly made to Mungiki. Kenyatta scoffed, but then overstepped, saying: I wish I did have that amount of money. Moreno-Ocampo knew this was preposterous: Kenyatta is among the wealthiest men in Africa. He had an opening. Can you describe to the court the amount of your patrimony? Moreno-Ocampo asked.

Kenyatta chuckled and looked at the judges. I did not understand what he has just asked, he said.

Moreno-Ocampo, flustered, repeated the question: Can you describe to the court the entirety of your patrimony? How much money you have? The presiding judge frowned and told Moreno-Ocampo to move on.

When I asked Moreno-Ocampo about the cross-examination in Vienna, he responded tersely. I took my decision, and I know why I did it, he said. I dont think it was a big difference. He commended Kenyattas performance, calling him courageous and great. He never confronted Kenyatta with Maina Njengas statements. When I asked why, Moreno-Ocampo told me it would have been irresponsible. I didnt think I should expose Maina Njenga, he said. I cannot protect him. There had already been multiple attempts on Njengas life. Many followers had been killed, as had his wife. It was clear that powerful people wanted him dead.

Though the charges against Kenyatta were confirmed, he had shown himself to be the defender of Kenya, its rightful president. Older Kenyans were reminded of the commanding performance his father gave in a courtroom a half-century earlier. He officially declared his candidacy after returning from The Hague. A campaign spokesman said Kenyatta was anointed by God to lead the people. A Nation editorial said he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the postelection violence.

The ICC chief prosecutors term is nine years, and in 2012 Moreno-Ocampo left the court. For me, it was an honor and a pleasure to serve the Kenyan people, he said in his final news conference. The Kenya cases were important to him personally, to do justice for the past and to be sure that the next elections are peaceful. The presidential election in March 2013 pitted Kenyatta against Raila Odinga. It was peaceful. Kenyatta won, with William Ruto as his running mate. It was assumed that they detested each other  Ruto, a member of the Kalenjin tribe, was formerly a close ally of Odingas and faced almost identical charges at The Hague as Kenyatta, only for ordering the deaths of Kenyattas tribesmen. But in running together, they had an unbeatable, if hugely cynical, message: hatred for the ICC and, by extension, the West. Kenyatta didnt have some grand electoral strategy, a campaign adviser to Kenyattas party, Peter Kagwanja, told me. Today, if you want to win an election in Africa, you just have to have the West bash you. Kenyatta invited President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda to speak at his inauguration. Nine years earlier, Museveni asked the ICC to prosecute the Lords Resistance Army, and the prosecutors office had built its best cases against Joseph Kony and his deputies. (One of them, Dominic Ongwen, is currently awaiting trial in The Hague.) But in his speech, Museveni, who was marking his 28th year in power, congratulated Kenyan voters for rejecting the blackmail of the ICC, which the West used to install leaders of their choice in Africa and eliminate the ones they do not like. Kenyatta and Rutos alliance surprised Moreno-Ocampo. He knew they were smart, but I never suspected they were so smart to create the ticket. Once they won, the Kenya cases disintegrated. It had emerged that in 2009, the third key witness against Kenyatta, who claimed to have discussed violence with him personally, had been tracked down by two Kenyan men in California. They recorded a video in which he went back on his testimony. After the election, the prosecutors office dropped him. Several months later, the first two witnesses withdrew from the case. According to the prosecution, all three men were bribed. Paul Muite, who represents the first two witnesses, told me he believes this is true. There are now witness-interference cases pending at The Hague against three Kenyans. Muite added that even if they were paid off, the witnesses can never return to Kenya. Once the government knows youre a witness, you have literally signed your death warrant, he said.

When countries join the ICC, they agree to submit their highest officials, even their presidents, to prosecution if the occasion arises. The Kenyan government showed early on it had no intention of meeting this obligation. At the United Nations, its diplomats lobbied, unsuccessfully, to have the cases suspended. The Kenyan Parliament voted to abdicate the court. Requests for information went unanswered. The attorney general refused to turn over phone, land and asset records of Kenyattas. One man who was investigated (though not charged) by the ICC for trying to expose witnesses, Dennis Itumbi, now works in Kenyattas office. (Kenyattas office did not respond to requests for comment for this article.)

In December 2014, the ICC withdrew the charges against Kenyatta. A news release blamed unreliable witnesses and the Kenyan governments obstruction. In response, Kenyatta tweeted: As they say, one case down, two more to go. In April of this year, the cases against Ruto and Sang were vacated.

The Kenyatta case could technically be reinitiated, but its difficult to see that happening. The prosecution tried to recruit new Mungiki witnesses but couldnt. People who had tried to help the court, like George Kegoro, the Waki Commission secretary, no longer trust it. Kegoro told me Moreno-Ocampo never seemed to appreciate the chances he and other Kenyans took. They put a lot of people at risk, he said. Living as I do here, the best thing is to keep off someone like Ocampo. Moreno-Ocampo now divides his time between Buenos Aires and New York, where he practices at the firm Getnick & Getnick. After a decade in the spotlight, he has disappeared from view. Today it is hard to find anyone working in international justice to speak well of him. He rushed into something in the belief it would give him publicity and credibility, Cherif Bassiouni, an international lawyer and one of the drafters of the Rome Statute, told me of the Kenyatta case. Instead he created a now almost impossible situation which has discredited the court. Even at The Hague, I found few people willing to defend Moreno-Ocampo. Theres perhaps a risk, the trial attorney Benjamin Gumpert said, when you are concentrating first and foremost on the message a case is going to send, that more technical considerations, like are we actually going to convict this person, may feel more subsidiary. Moreno-Ocampo says he did everything he could to convict Kenyatta, but he didnt dispute Gumperts characterization. The message a case sends, the shadow of the court  that was the goal. The problem with courts, Moreno-Ocampo told me, is they believe the trials are the most important things. No. The most important thing is the prevention of crime. He had set out to prevent future political violence in Kenya, and in this sense at least, the Kenyatta case was a success. The suspect became president. But there was no violence in the elections. Kenyatta doesnt look at it that way. In a speech to the African Union after his inauguration, he said, The West sees no irony in preaching justice to a people they have disenfranchised, exploited, taxed and brutalized. His efforts to banish the ICC from Africa are backed by a growing list of African leaders. Among the most vocal, aside from Museveni, are the presidents of Zimbabwe and Rwanda, and, of course, Omar al-Bashir. That all of these men have been accused of atrocities of their own is not coincidental. But even President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, which was once the courts main advocate in Africa, has joined the chorus.

What Kenyatta did not mention in his speech is that four of the courts 18 judges are African, as is almost a fifth of its staff. Moreno-Ocampos successor as chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is Gambian and has been trying to mend the courts relationship with the African Union. In The Hague, I asked her if she was troubled that almost all her cases concern Africa.

No, Bensouda replied. I am an African, and a proud African for that matter. I love my continent dearly. But I cannot sit here and tell you that Im not concerned about the trouble that my continent is in for the past I dont know how many years. Im very troubled by that. In Vienna, I told Moreno-Ocampo about Eric, the man attacked by Mungiki in his home. The day after the attack, Eric woke up in a Nakuru hospital to find that half of his left arm had been amputated. His head was slashed. His wife explained that, while he was being tortured, she and their daughters hid in a cupboard in the bedroom. Police officers rushed to their home and took the family to the hospital, where they lived for weeks, because it was too dangerous to leave.

They traveled across the country to the home of Erics mother, who still supports them. Eric cant find work. Hoping for some compensation, he joined the case against Kenyatta. I asked him what he thought when he learned the case had been withdrawn. I have not seen any justice, he said.

The second time I saw Moreno-Ocampo express remorse was when I told him this.

Its awful, he said, his face dropping. I remember a lady in [Kenya] who, the only hope for her was us. And now I imagine how bad she felt. That I feel badly about. The former lieutenant of Njengas, like many Kenyans Ive spoken with, says he regrets the violence but believes it was necessary. The Kikuyu, his tribe, faced a massacre, he is convinced.

The last time we met, I asked if he thought Kenyatta was guilty of the ICC charges. He recounted a meeting he attended in January 2008, in the midst of the postelection violence, where Kenyatta was the chief guest and Mungiki were present. In the meeting, Kenyatta was careful never to mention violence explicitly nor the gang by name. But he collected cash donations. I asked the former lieutenant if it was possible Kenyatta did not understand violence was being planned.

No, he said, it is not possible. I asked again.

No, he repeated. With capital letters.

James Verini is a writer based in Africa.
Insulation levels are up in Ireland, delivering building envelopes that now hold the heat so much better.

In the case of certified Passive and Passive Plus housing (where more energy is produced than is used), traditional heating systems are already all but redundant.

But for the standard Irish renovation, extension or new build, these improvements dont automatically mean significantly smaller or even fewer radiators.

New standards, better systems

The business of quickly heating up a room remains the same, and its this cold-start reactivity, where radiators beat under-floor-heating (UFH) hands down.

Improvements to Part L of the regulations means less expense to heat up your system with the modern efficient combi-boiler in gas or oil, and shorter running times, as the house walls, roof, floors and windows hold the heat.

Outrageous with luxury, the Makura radiators feature removable cushions filled with cherry stones which both retain and radiate heat. Take them down off the wall for a snuggle on a cold winters night. 2,436.50, www.theradiatorcentre.com

Heating, cooking and just inhabiting the house with our warm bodies adds to the overall temperature.

With 300mm of attic insulation, less cold-bridging in new builds, and the beginning of the end of cold masonry walls with inadequate cavity fill  we are winning.

Output

When buying a radiator, you or your heating engineer will calculate the British Thermal Units (BTUs) or watts required to warm the space.

There are online calculators to help you do this, entering the dimensions of the room and the number and size of windows.

The number that comes out will relate directly to the BTUs given with models of radiator either singly or in multiples.

Whether you go for a vertical or horizontal design in radiators, its the BTUs that should guide your final choice.

Newer technologies on the Irish market  including geothermal and air source heat pumps  require lower temperatures over longer periods.

If you are mixing up UFH and radiators, this can influence radiator sizing. Get specialist advice, and dont assume your existing over-sized traditional radiators will manage the final equation.

Finessing with a pro

A professional will help you choose the correct heat output, especially where passive heat gain and heat-producing appliances are on the go.

For example, a south-facing kitchen in a reasonably new home, may require a less energetic radiator to be comfortable, and will certainly be coaxed down with a TVR, or zone controls most of the year.

The material that the radiator is made of counts too, but we are talking about split degrees of perceptible difference here.

Italian Metacrylic radiators from Caleido feature an efficient steel panel overlaid in a range of striking acrylic designs. Available in a range of BTU/watt choices and seven colour options. From 2,384 at www.theradiatorcentre.com

Cast iron is heavy and takes longer to heat up, but once hot, it will radiate heat back to the room for some time.

An aluminium radiator will heat swiftly, convecting heat efficiently into the room (radiators primarily convect rather than radiate heat), but will cool just as quickly.

For fully-restored cast iron, school house originals from about 280 plus VAT, try Wilsons Yard, Hillsborough (online at www.wilsonsyard.com )

The hot spot

We no longer rely on draughty windows to rip convected heat around a room.

Still, radiator placement remains a headache, evicting most standing furniture. Consider every slab of space, including pillars of wall by a door.

Todays horizontals are not the grinning fuglies of 30 years ago, cloaked in shame in a timber cabinet. They offer masses of choice in terms of looks and colour and textured finish.

Gentler rounded designs in pale colours, and low relief without deep shadowing (matt or pearl white on white walls), really become all but invisible over time.

Include wall-hungry horizontals in the overall design of the space from the start, slotting them beneath built-in storage and into already redundant walls space below windows.

Our collective memory almost expects a radiator in that otherwise bald territory.

In the bathroom, radiator towel rails remain big news with extra magnetic hanging bars and hooks now entering the market.

Many designs are offered with bars horizontal or vertical. Play around with width-to-height ratios within a suitable BTU range.

Artful dodgers

In terms of styling, the greatest impact from a practical and aesthetic point of view has been the vertical radiator in panels, bars and ladders.

Delivering the same BTU potential, tall verticals shaven to depths of as little as 23mm can take up a third of those walls compared to standard rads.

Styled as anything from Art Deco cast-iron to bold Italian creepers, there really is something for everyone.

But if their lofty confidence still makes you wince, try that modernity in the bathroom or kitchen.

Whatever the toasty description from the maker or supplier, designer radiators are not artworks, they are water-filled heating boxes (isnt everything designed?).

If youre determined on a brand name, wall dandy in creeping boughs, trellis and even upholstery, prices can top 3,000.

Still todays bold eccentric could prove tomorrows visual static, one you cant easily pluck off the wall like a painting and easily replace.

Save those four figures for an appreciating piece of Irish art or jump the Brexit shark and lose your mind at outlets like the Radiator Centre in Islington, London, who are online at www.theradiatorcentre.com

A far safer bet is to go for more dilute, broad strokes in styling  industrial, antique, contemporary sleek  something that will still warm up to changes of decor in a decade.

For low-temperature systems, consider beautiful real wood radiators that not only look great in toffee coloured timbers but are safer and softer-edged for hurtling small children.

Available in Ash, Maple, Transversal Beech, Steamed Beech, Beech White, Spruce, Siberian Larch, Birch, Oak. From 990.

My moneys on the Eskimo range of tubular bundle rads inspired by 1950s aircraft styling at the Radiator Shop, from 870, both from www.theradiatorshop.ie

Understanding dual fuel rads

There are places and there are seasons where a standard radiator dependent on a boiler, is simply not convenient or smart.

Stripped down in the bathroom, many of us like a shroud of heat, even in mid-summer, and this is where the dual-fuel radiator can be well worth a little more investment.

In winter, you can run the radiator along with the others, but when needing a rapid response, an electric element takes over, letting it perform as a standalone space heater.

With a quality dual-fuel you can also choose from a range of outputs from say 600 to 1,000 watts, great for drying out multiple towels in a ladder-style unit.

This versatility will add about 15% to 20% to the price, plus the extra installation by f your registered plumbing and electrical contractors.

Look out for continuous tube- style radiators of both varieties for the bathroom, which coiled up, or across the wall, offer an alternative to the standard Italian-style ladder.
It was St Patricks Day 2015 and I was with family and friends at Skibbereens parade. I had just started working as series producer on RTE Ones Creedons Wild Atlantic Way so I had made some skirmishes along the West Cork/Kerry coast in search of new stories and experiences for the TV series.

The Wild Atlantic Way road sign, with its distinctive wave logo, was a relatively new feature along the coastline.

But that day, watching the floats go by, I noticed that nearly every single one  from local school kids to businesses  carried the Wild Atlantic Way logo with pride.

It was then I realised this remarkable concept had been truly embraced by the people who would benefit from it most.

Because the success of Failte Irelands Wild Atlantic Way isnt an accident.

Its been a good few years in the planning and a large part of that has been regular meetings and consultations with the communities up and down the west coast.

So now, as tourists traverse along this spectacular sea route, all of the people they meet, from the cafe owner to the tour guide, right down to the local they stop to ask directions, have bought into and feel they are part of the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Wild Atlantic Way is the longest defined coastal route in the world, coming in at just over 2,500km. Full of secrets and meanderings, its a truly magical and, for some, spiritual place.

But I believe the concept of the Wild Atlantic Way has reinvented the west coast of Ireland and made us stop and realise just what we have on our doorstep.

Were all familiar with the stories of German and Dutch nationals coming to the West of Ireland back in the 1970s to discover a hidden paradise far away from the industrial, polluted continent.

B

ack then, many of us scoffed at them and wondered why they wanted to swap sophisticated urban living for what many of us still perceived as a rural backwater.

Cromwells cry, To Hell or to Connaught was still in our minds as the west conjured up images of horses and traps and thatched cottages with no running water or electricity.

Ironically, this perception of a place where time has stood still has now become one of the Wild Atlantic Ways biggest selling points.

The difference of course is that tourists can escape into its wild natural beauty while enjoying the highest standards of food and accommodation.

Because as well as realising the value of our unspoilt landscape and ocean, weve also come to appreciate the incredible food that comes from it, from grass-fed beef to the freshest line caught fish to home grown fruit and vegetables.

This re-evaluation of the west has also extended to our relationship with the Atlantic Ocean. For an island nation, weve been notorious for turning our backs on the sea.

For centuries, the Atlantic spelled hardship and foreboding. But technology has completely transformed this.

New advances in wetsuits allow water enthusiasts to take to the sea in summer or winter and enjoy hours of spills and thrills without having to endure the blue lips and chattering teeth of our childhood.

So the west has become a Cold Water Paradise, attracting some of the best surfers in the world to Donegal, Clare, and Kerry.

But you dont have to be a hi-tech

surfer to enjoy the ocean. One of the lovely delights I experienced were Kilkees Pollock Holes in Clare.

At low tide every day, you can access natural swimming pools which have been eroded into the black rock.

Underneath the clear Atlantic water, you can access a little microcosm of the ocean, with beautiful coral and fish species.

You dont need big oxygen tanks and high tech diving gear. Just grab a good snorkel and dive away to escape to another world.

Ill never forget my two childrens excitement and enthusiasm as we joined a group of locals on a warm summers evening, feeling the warm rock beneath our feet as we all dived in.

Unlike TV crews, not many of us will take the time to travel the whole of the Wild Atlantic Way.

So Failte Ireland has divided the route into six regions and they truly reflect the changing landscape of our western seaboard.

The Haven coast features the inlets and tiny coves of Kinsale and Bantry Bay and the exotic Gulf Stream.

The South West features the five great rocky peninsulas of Cork and Kerry. This is truly next stop Manhattan territory.

Hard land, warm heart is the catch phrase for the Cliff Coast which runs from north Kerry to Clare and up to Galway.

The Atlantic skims around the huge beaches of the Bay Coast. Dont forget, Connemara means inlets of the seas as Gaeilge and this region  which goes up to the magnificent and wild Erris Beo in Mayo  is described as a salty, fresh air playground.

The Surf Coast runs from Erris through Sligos beautiful Yeats country and up to Donegal. It gets its name from the Wild Atlantic Ways two most famous surf spots  Bundoran and Mullaghmore Head.

In fact it was the Britton family from Donegal who brought back surfboards from California in 1966 and put Ireland on the surfing map.

Finally the Northern Headlands is described as untouched and virtually unexplored. Wonder at the marvel that is Sliabh Liag, Europes highest sea cliffs.

And dont waste your money heading to Scandinavia to experience the Northern Lights because the skies of Donegal regularly feature the purples, pinks, and greens of the Aurora Borealis.

For many, including those German and Dutch nationals who arrived here all those years ago, the west has become a sanctuary and a refuge, a place where you can reinvent yourself.

Throughout our trip up the coast, we met many people who were drawn here for peace and contemplation.

So we sat with film star Jeremy Irons in his pink castle on West Corks Roaring Water Bay and heard how one of the biggest appeals for him is that its a long, long way from anywhere.

He described the West of Ireland as gold dust and urged us to mind it carefully.

At Macalla farm on Mayos Clare Island we met Ciara Cullen, an American woman and her family who live an idyllic existence running yoga and mindfulness courses.

On Lough Hyne, we embarked on a moonlit kayak with Atlantic Sea Kayakings Jim Kennedy, who makes his livelihood on this beautiful stretch of water.

Sitting, listening to the lapping water and watching the glow of the moon on the lake, Jim confessed to enjoying the best office in the world.

But sometimes it takes someone from the outside to make us realise what we have.

Like Dubliner Julie Ormonde who came to Kerrys Skellig peninsula over 20 years ago with her four children as part of the Rural Settlement Scheme.

One starry winters night, her youngest son headed out to get some turf for the fire and called his family out to witness the night sky.

That heralded the start of a one-woman campaign for Julie as she realised the jewel on which they were sitting.

Her tenacity and hard work paid off and the Skellig peninsula is now recognised as the best place in the whole of the Northern Hemisphere to witness the sky at night, having been awarded Gold Tier Status by the International Dark Sky Association in 2014.

I joined her and a group of star gazers on Bolus Head on a cold Easter night. We watched until the light left the sky and it became truly dark, so dark you couldnt see your hand in front of you.

And the night sky came alive in front of us. Stars, hundreds of stars, shining with a light and intensity Ive never seen before.

That night, Julie made the lovely observation that when she brings families out to witness this celestial wonder, grandparents become as excited as their grandchildren.

And that cant be obtained from a screen or a movie, she maintains.

And for me, thats the real beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way. Its a chance to truly connect with nature and the landscape and allows all of us to become children again, experiencing what it means to try things for the first time, and all of the joy that brings.
Nissan brought several BladeGlider vehicles, developed from concept cars first shown at the Tokyo Auto Show in 2013, to the Olympic Games in Rio. Carlos Ghosn, Nissans president and chief executive  and himself also a Brazilian  said: Nissan believes enthusiasts should look forward to a zero-emission future and BladeGlider is a perfect demonstration of that. Its the electric vehicle for car-lovers.The demonstration models feature an advanced chassis configuration with a narrow front track and wider rear track for optimum aerodynamic efficiency and handling stability.It has high-waisted, rear-hinged dihedral doors and the open roof is reinforced with an integrated roll-over protection structure. The company claims this provides the exhilaration of an open-topped race car with the safety of a coupe.

Power is 100% electric and the maximum speed of the demonstration models is in excess of 190km/h, with 0-100km/h taking less than five seconds. The rear-wheel drive system is provided by two 130kW electric motors - one for each wheel. Power is supplied by a five module lithium-ion 220kW battery.
At least four people were killed and dozens wounded, including 11 foreigners.

It was not clear who was behind the attacks, which followed a referendum last weekend on a new constitution that critics say will bolster the militarys power.

The attacks occurred south of Bangkok and several of the blasts  including one on Loma beach in the tourist town of Phuket and four in the seaside resort city of Hua Hin  appeared designed to strike the tourism industry .

Police said fire bombs triggered blazes at markets and shops in six places, including Phuket, Trang, Surat Thani Phang Nga, and a souvenir shop in the tourist town of Ao Nang, Krabi.

Thailands economy has sagged since the military seized power in a 2014 coup, but tourism has remained one of the few bright spots, with visitors rising to 30m last year and more than 14m having visited by May this year, according to official figures.

Police said four of the injured tourists were from Germany, two from Italy, and one from Austria. The Netherlands said four of its citizens were wounded.

Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the government was doing the best it could to provide security to the country. We have to band together and stay strong.

Police ruled out links to international terrorism.

Royal Thai Police Colonel Krisana Patanacharoen said it was too early to conclude who was behind the attacks, but he said the bombings followed a similar pattern used in the southern parts of the country  a reference to a low-level insurgency in the Islamic south that has ground on for more than a decade and killed more than 5,000 people.

Southern militants fighting for greater autonomy have carried out sophisticated, co-ordinated attacks before, but most have targeted three provinces in the far south.

The most devastating explosions occurred in Hua Hin, on a busy street filled with bars and restaurants. One Thai woman was killed and about 20 people were wounded, half of them foreigners, police Lieutenant Chaiyot Tisawong said.

General Sithichai Srisopacharoenrath, the superintendent of police in Hua Hin, said the bombs were hidden inside potted plants and set off by remote control, half an hour apart.

Separate blasts were reported elsewhere in the south. One exploded on Phuket citys popular Loma beach, injuring one person. Two more detonated in front of two police stations half an hour apart in Surat Thani, killing one and wounding three.

Two bombs exploded outside a market in Phang Na . no-one was injured.
Chinese Regulator Says Alibaba Needs to Step Up Fight Against Fake Goods

Jack Ma's Alibaba has been accused of selling fake goods. (Photo : Getty Images)

In a rare public remark, China's industry regulator called out e-commerce and online shopping giant Alibaba to intensify the crackdown against counterfeited goods.



State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) head Zhang Mao said in an interview that he has already told Alibaba's founder and CEO Jack Ma that he needs to take full responsibility on the issue of fake goods proliferating in its online market, The Wall Street Journal reported.



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"I've repeatedly told Jack Ma that he is not in the land of outlaws," Zhang remarked.



Zhang's comments hark back to the earlier statements made by his office regarding the matter. In Jan. 2015, the SAIC released a white paper accusing Alibaba of failing to take down fake merchandise that is being sold on its shopping sites.



According to Zhang, Ma countered the paper, saying that it did not have enough data to prove that fake goods are prevalent in Alibaba's shops. However, Zhang stressed that it was still a major indicator that the company has failed to deliver on the promise to deal with counterfeited products.



In its defense, the company accused the SAIC of misconduct and threatened to file a formal complaint. The two parties eventually came to an agreement, with the paper being taken down, Zhang revealed. For its part, Alibaba has reportedly intensified its own campaign against fake goods.



Meanwhile, a United States court has partially dismissed a lawsuit filed by several major brands, including Gucci and Ives Saint-Laurent, against Alibaba for allegedly promoting the sales of pirated goods.



The court's decision ruled that there was not enough evidence to support the allegations that Alibaba and 14 other companies conspired to sell fake goods through it, News Talk reported.



In a statement, Alibaba welcomed the decision, saying that it has always been committed to stopping the sale of such products on its site.


The ban on so-called burkinis comes as France remains on edge after Islamic extremist attacks on Nice and on a Catholic church in north-west France.

Cannes mayor David Lisnard issued an ordinance in late July forbidding beachwear that does not respect good morals and secularism.

It said swimwear manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create risks of trouble to public order.

A city official said the measure could apply to burkini-style swimsuits. Violators risk a 38 fine.

The mayor calls the burkini the uniform of extremist Islamism, not of the Muslim religion.

In an interview in Nice-Matin newspaper, he said the measure could also apply to saris worn by Indian bathers, because they could hamper rescuers efforts to save them in an emergency.

The ban is the latest of measures seen as singling out Islam, Frances second-biggest religion, in the name of official secularism.

Last week, the mayor of a town near Marseille banned a swimming day for women at a local park, citing a risk to public order because swimmers were required to cover up from chest to knee.

The association Smile 13 organised the event, asking swimmers to respect the Islamic notion of awra, a reference to parts of the body to be hidden.

French law forbids face-covering veils anywhere in public, and headscarves in public schools.

Proponents say the laws preserve secular values and protect women from religious oppression, but critics say they have deepened the religious divide.
At a rally, the under-fire Republican presidential candidate said Mr Obama was the founder of Isis, repeating the claim in two subsequent interviews.

However, in a Twitter message criticising CNNs coverage, he said the network had reported his claim so seriously. Mr Trump tweeted: THEY DONT GET SARCASM?

His initial comments were seen as accusing Mr Obama of creating conditions that allowed IS to thrive but, when asked about that on Thursday, he seemed to go further, telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt: No, I meant that hes the founder of Isis, I do.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has acknowledged that his presidential campaign faces challenges and could ultimately fall short.

It was a rare show of humility as the boastful billionaire strayed from his signature bravado in the battleground state of Florida.

He told a gathering of evangelical ministers he is having a tremendous problem in Utah.

The same day, the reality show star acknowledged that his lack of political correctness could cost him the election if Americans reject his blunt approach.

Were having a problem, Mr Trump told the ministers, adding that the next president could get to nominate up to five High Court justices. It could cost us the Supreme Court.

After trouncing 16 challengers in the Republican primary, Mr Trump is encountering worrying signs as his campaign moves into the general election.

Democrat Hillary Clintons lead over him in national polls has widened in recent days, while a growing number of fellow Republicans have declared they will not support their own partys nominee.

Donald Trump was literally not being sarcastic about President Obama and ISIS https://t.co/RnqWCLvVMB pic.twitter.com/rjBS59efYJ  CNN (@CNN) August 12, 2016

Mr Trumps exercise in self-awareness is a marked departure from his usual tenor on the campaign trail, where, for months at rallies, he would tick through poll numbers showing him winning.

Were going to win so big, he told a roaring crowd at the Republican National Convention a month ago.

Asked how he planned to reverse her advantage, Mr Trump said he would do the same thing Im doing right now.

Even while working to restore confidence in his campaign, Mr Trump appeared to court fresh controversy when he said late on Thursday that he was open to trying Americans suspected of terrorism at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba.

Asked about US citizens, he said he did not like that Mr Obama and others wanted to try them in traditional courts rather than military commissions at Guantanamo Bay.
The number of people who suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage  the most lethal stroke  tallied with a decline in smoking numbers.

Between 1998 and 2012, the number of people who smoked plunged 30% among 15- to 64-year-olds in the country.

During this time, cases of the killer stroke fell 45% among women under 50 and 38% among men under 50, and by 16% among women over 50 and 26% among men over 50.

Scientists could not establish whether the change in smoking habits caused the drop, but it was highly likely Finnish tobacco policies played a role.

A British charity said the findings were a wake-up call to smokers. Finland has slashed smoking numbers through a series of public health campaigns and legislative action against the sale of tobacco and its use in public.

Jaakko Kaprio, of the University of Helsinki, said the findings, which were published in the journal, Neurology, said: It is extraordinary for the incidence of any cardiovascular disease to decrease so rapidly at the population level in such a short time.

Even though we cannot demonstrate a direct causation in nationwide studies, it is highly likely that the national tobacco policies in Finland have contributed to the decline in the incidence of this type of severe brain haemorrhage.

British health charity Ash said the findings should motivate smokers to quit.

Chief executive Deborah Arnott said: The Finnish study is a wake-up call to smokers.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gulatieri said 13-day-old Kathleen Bridget Steele was pronounced dead at St Petersburg General Hospital.

However, investigators believe she died earlier, inside the van where her mother, Kathleen Steele, had left the children for 38 minutes while at a phone repair shop.

It was one of the worst things Ive ever seen, the sheriff said.

Investigators say Steele went into the mobile phone store at 1.50pm last Monday.

The six-year-old boy told investigators that the baby started fussing and he tried to calm her.

But deputies said the boy later used a doll to show how he slammed the infants head into the minivans ceiling, dropping her on the floor, flipping her over, and pummelling her.

The baby was beaten and traumatised, the sheriff said. There was gross swelling in her face. Her skull was cracked in numerous places.
Burma This Week in Parliament (August 8-12)

The Irrawaddy keeps you up to date on the week that was in the national legislature.

Monday August 8

In the Lower House, lawmaker Kyaw Htay representing Leshi Township in the Naga Self-Administered Zone requested that government establish accommodation nationwide for education staff at basic education schools in rural areas who face financial constraints, with priority given to less developed parts of the country. The house approved discussion of the proposal.

Lawmaker Hla Moe presenting Aungmyaythazan Township in the city of Mandalay urged the government to adopt a program to evaluate the educational qualifications of basic education students. The house approved debate on the issue.

In the Upper House, lawmakers debated a proposal from Kyaw Htwe of Rangoon Division Constituency-8 that called on the Union government to develop a comprehensive plan to address annual flooding in the Irrawaddy Delta and coastal areas during the rainy season [June to October], as well as drinking water scarcity across Burma during the hot season [March to May].

Tuesday August 9

In the Lower House, lawmakers debated a proposal from Than Win, representing Rangoons North Okkalapa Township, which urged the government to take decisive steps to root out entrenched corruption in Burma.

The Union Parliament promulgated an anti-graft law in August 2013 and established an anti-corruption commission in March 2014, which has been widely criticized as ineffective.

Lawmakers in the Lower House agreed to donate a days stipend of 20,000 kyats (US$17) to aid flood relief across the country.

In the Upper House, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Tun Win said, in response to the proposal by lawmaker Kyaw Htwe, that a total of 94 reservoirs for drinking water across eight divisions and states would be re-dug, and that a total of 2,097 water supply projects are planned in 298 townships across Burma for the 2016-17 fiscal year. He said the ministry would continue to dredge rivers, creeks and drains to alleviate flooding in the Irrawaddy Delta. The Upper House put the proposal on record.

In a session of the Union Parliament, Deputy Minister for National Planning and Finance Maung Maung Win explained the circumstances surrounding a proposed US$100 million loan from the World Bank. The speaker invited lawmakers to register to debate over accepting the loan.

The Union speaker informed lawmakers of the nomination by President Htin Kyaw of Bo Bo Nge, a member of the National League for Democracys economic team, to the board of directors of Burmas Central Bank. He asked any lawmakers who objected to the nomination to register for debate.

Wednesday August 10

In the Lower House, 32 lawmakers continued to debate Than Wins proposal on the elimination of corruption. Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission Mya Win said a change in attitude was required both from those officials who received bribes and members of the public who gave bribes. The parliament approved the proposal and the speaker ordered the Bill Committee to review Burmas anti-graft law.

In the Upper House, Kyaw Ni Naing of Shan State Constituency-11 enquired about the Union Peace Conferenceor 21st Century Panglong Conferencescheduled for later this month. Minister Kyaw Tint Swe of the State Counselors Office replied that they expected around 700 representatives drawn from the government, the Burma Army, ethnic armed groups and political parties, among other stakeholders. He said the agenda would be settled at a meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee.

Education Minister Myo Thein Gyi replied to the question raised on Monday about staff-quarters for teachers, saying that 10.156 billion kyats (US$8.57 million) was allocated for the construction of teaching staff-quarters during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscal years, with priority given to remote areas.

The chairman of the Union Civil Service Board submitted a draft law to the Upper House to amend the current civil service law. The house approved it for debate.

Thursday August 11

In the Lower House, lawmaker Tin Htwe of Pegus Waw Township proposed that the government concentrate on modernizing farming methods, stating that increases in yield per acre would help alleviate rural poverty. He cited continued low rice production as an area of concern. The Lower House approved discussion of his proposal.

In the Upper House, lawmakers debated a draft senior citizens law and a draft territorial sea and maritime zones law. Military lawmaker Major Aung Kyaw Phyo stressed the urgency of establishing a firm territorial sea boundary between Burma and Bangladesh, in accordance with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and of reaching a bilateral code of conduct on exploiting resources located near the boundary line.

According to census data released in 2014, there were around 5 million elderly persons aged 60 or over in Burmaalmost 10 percent of the national population.

Upper House lawmakers agreed to donate a days stipend of 20,000 to aid flood relief across the country.

Minister for Education Myo Thein Gyi proposed a draft science, technology and innovation law for debate in the Upper House, which the house duly approved.

Friday, August 12

The Union Parliament approved the appointment of Bo Bo Nge, a member of the National League for Democracys economic team, to the Central Banks board of directors. No lawmakers had raised any objections, and no debate took place.

Lawmakers started debating President Htin Kyaws proposal of accepting a US$100 million loan from the World Bank in order to implement projects under the Myanmar Monetary Sector Development Plan. Discussions will continue next week.
Economy The Irrawaddy Business Roundup (August 13, 2016)

UMFCCI hosts arbitration workshops; responsible business initiative submits UN report; World Bank provides a US$100 million loan; DICA proposes legislation to attract foreign investors; Rangoon food delivery service expands.

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to Promote Arbitration Law

The ICC International Court of Arbitration will host workshops on arbitrationa technique for solving disputes outside of courtsfor young lawyers during the third week of August. A seminar for the public will also be held.

Burmas new Arbitration Law, passed in January 2016, provides for the enforcement of Burmese arbitration decisions in other countries, and vice versa, the events organizers said, adding that this paves the way for the development of a meaningful arbitration industry in Burma.

At the two-day workshop, leading practitioners will provide training focusing on the practical aspects of international arbitration and on the ICC Rules of Arbitration. The event will take place on August 18 and 19 at the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industrys (UMFCCI) head office in Lanmadaw Township, Rangoon. Participation is by invitation only. Due to the complexity of the content, the workshop is not considered suitable for absolute beginners.

The public seminar will be held at the same location on Saturday, August 20, and is open to everyone, including lawyers, academics and members of the business community, subject to prior registration.

Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business Submits First Report to UN

One of Burmas primary sustainable business initiatives, the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB), announced this week that it had submitted its first Communication on Engagement (CoE)a biannual report on the progress of the MCRBs activitiesto the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), of which it has been a member since 2014.

MCRB director, Vicky Bowman, said in an August 11 press release that compiling the CoE prompted us to reflect on whether the way we deliver [our work] programme respects the environment and human rights.

In the statement, Bowman added that in the workshops MCRB has convened, waste management remains a top participant concern.

This is true, whether were talking with faculty in Yadanabon University, or fishermen in Ngapali, she said.

UNGC members must demonstrate a commitment to ten principles of human rights, fair labor, environmental sustainability and anti-corruption measures. In Burma, there are currently 352 members of the UNGC: 343 business members and nine non-business members, including the MCRB. There are over 22,000 members globally.

World Bank to Provide No-Interest US$100 Million Loan to Burma

Government employees salaries will not increase despite plans to take on a US$100 million loan from the World Bank, The Irrawaddy reported on Tuesday. The loan is aimed at reducing a state deficit by separating salaries from the budget.

In Tuesdays Union Parliament session, Maung Maung Win, deputy minister of National Planning and Finance, confirmed that the World Banks International Development Association would provide Burma with a $100 million loan interest-free for 38 years starting in 2017.

Its a no-interest loan, but the service fees per year will be 0.75 percent of the total loan amount, he said. Of this, $75 million is designated to go to the Ministry of Planning and Finance and $25 million is earmarked for Burmas Central Bank.

In accordance with a plan for development set out to develop Burmas financial sector, $60 million of the funds allocated for the finance and planning ministry will be used to provide monthly pay and allowances for civil servants. Other smaller sums are designated toward helping reform state-owned banks, developing microfinance, insurance and monetary systems in the country, and staff capacity building within the ministry.

Burma Plans to Ease Restrictions on Foreign Investors

The Nikkei Asian Review reported on Friday that Burma appears set to pass a series of bills designed to ease restrictions on foreign capital in order to attract investment from abroad.

The legislation created by the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) must be submitted to the central government. By the end of 2016, Burmas Parliament will likely approve the new measures, said Aung Naing Oo, the director general of DICA.

Current laws in Burma designate a company as foreign if any of its stock shares are owned by a non-Burmese citizen, leading to significant restrictions. Newly proposed rules would consider a company as foreign only if 35 percent of its stock is owned by non-Burmese shareholders.

Rangoon-Based Food Delivery Service Expands to Mandalay and Naypyidaw

Yangon Door2Door, a food delivery service in the commercial capital of Rangoon, will open branches in Mandalay and Naypidaw this month, Deal Street Asia reported earlier in August.

The company was founded in 2012 by an Egyptian national, Shady Ramadan, who saw a business opportunity in the lack of food delivery available in the city. Yangon Door2Door utilizes a staff of 40 and a fleet of 27 bicycles and one car to bring food to customers.

Six months before the expansion of Yangon Door2Door was announced, BOD Tech, a local online company, gained a 50 percent equity investment in the delivery service.
Interview Dateline Irrawaddy: We Wanted to Challenge the Things that Other Women Couldnt Do

Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni discusses the role of women journalists in Burmas changing media landscape with VOAs Eaint Khine Oo and Eleven Medias Swe Mar Thein Lwin.

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, well discuss the role of women reporters and the challenges facing them in Burmas new media landscape brought about by the democratization process. Daw Eaint Khine Oo of VOA [Voice of America] Burmese Edition and Daw Swe Mar Thein Lwin of Eleven Media will join me for the discussion. Im Irrawaddy Burmese editor Ye Ni.

We are seeing more women journalists in the newly revitalized media industry, thanks to democratization. Looking back, the industry grew in the post-war and pre-independence periods, paving the way for inspiring women journalists like Dagon Khin Khin Lay, Journal Kyaw Ma Ma Lay and Ludu Daw Ahmar. Then, the press almost collapsed under the military regime. Today, in the post-military regime or democratization period, the press has revived and we see many women journalists, like you two. Ma Eaint Khine Oo, what role do Burmese women journalists currently play in the media industry compared to their foreign counterparts?

Eaint Khine Oo: First of all, I would like to go back to when I first joined the press. I started my journalism career after September 2007. At that time, it was quite rare for women to choose a career in journalism but there were a certain number of women journalists. When I told my family that I wanted to be a journalist, they didnt know what that was. Because I had been fond of reading since I was young, they let me pursue itthinking it was a job that involved literature.

So, I became a reporter. We faced the same difficulties as our male colleaguesit was difficult to find sources or chase political stories. We could only report business news. Many [women] journalists joined the press after September 2007 and the number gradually increased over the years. Most of them worked hard. Once we became journalists, we wanted to challenge the things that other women couldnt dolike going home late at night or traveling far away to reportand we have done that.

Compared to our foreign counterparts, in terms of long-distance travel, we are still left behind. Some editors do not want to send women journalists away, and they use their sex and safety concerns as excuses. It is partly because publishers do not provide proper funding. For example, when there are ethnic summits outside Rangoon, women journalists want to go. But we are not permitted to go, on the basis that it is not appropriate for women to go into regions controlled by armed groups. We are behind in that regard. I want management to choose reporters based on their knowledge of the region and the issues, not because of their sex. They should think about how they can provide security for the reporters.

YN: I agree with you. But recently Burmas press has taken great pride in female journalist Esther Htusan winning a joint Pulitzer Prize. It is difficult for male journalists to win that prize, and her victory brings great pride to Burmese women journalists and shows that they are not falling behind. Most of the leaders in Burmas media industry are men, and there are times when women are not favored or even provided equal opportunity. Ma Swe Mar, you recently covered the Mai Ja Yang Ethnic Summit in Kachin State. What difficulties did you face and was management worried about your safety when sending you there?

Swe Mar Thein Lwin: You said that the media industry is mainly led by men and therefore women are given less opportunity. But opportunities do not need to be given. Everyone should have them, regardless of their sex. We do not want to be favored by male editors because we are women. It should be natural. If a male reporter can report, so can we. Why not? We are the same. But as journalists, we need to be mindful of our personal safety.

Regarding my Mai Ja Yang trip, the town is in Kachin State and is controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). It was a long distance to travel. It was a 24-hour drive from Rangoon to Myitkyina, and then another day from Myitkyina to Mai Ja Yang. Management may think that it is risky to send a woman journalist on travel that includes overnight stays. There has been a custom in our news agency that male journalists are usually dispatched for such trips. Women journalists have covered press conferences about ceasefires and the peace process in Rangoon. I told management that rather than cover these events from Rangoon, we wanted to go and see what was happening in northern Shan, Kachin and Karen states. We need to know what is happening on the ground and find out if stakeholders are doing what they are preaching. I always demanded to attend the events in ethnic regions. The management chose male journalists and male cameramen for the Mai Ja Yang trip. So, I convinced management that I could do the reporting and I would take responsibility for myself. I explained why a reporter like me needed to go there. They approved within minutes. It was the first time that our media outlet [Eleven Media] sent a woman journalist on a long-distance assignment.

YN: Usually these trips are arduous and male editors take that into consideration when sending reporters to conflict or war zones. Women are traditionally regarded as the weaker sex in our society and there is concern that they may get sick or face other dangers while away. We generally prefer male journalists for such tiring trips. Now, women journalists are keen to go to conflict areas. We have no doubt about their capacity, but they are physically weaker than men. Ma Eaint Khine Oo, you have worked as an editor. What advice do you have for women journalists who travel to conflict areas?

EKO: I would like to point out three things. First, Esther Htusan went abroad for her investigative story about enslaved fishery workers. I do not know her editors. But her editors did not consider her sex; they just considered her ability and her safety. And her efforts were honored, which brings us great pride.

Likewise, we have a lot of investigative journalism to do regarding labor issues in our country. As the government becomes more transparent, we need to do more investigative journalism. When I was still a reporter, I went to Karen States Hpa-an to cover an election. I had lived there before. At that time, clashes were going on in Myawaddy but I went there because I was familiar with the region. I went around to the polling stations by motorbike. I could do it because I knew the region. It had nothing to do with my sex. At the same time, I maintained contact with my editor for my safety.

After I became an editor, I had both male and female reporters working under me. I sent a female reporter to cover [sectarian conflicts in] Meiktila. In another case when we heard about sectarian conflict in a township in Pegu Division, it was already 6 p.m. I didnt send the male reporter to Pegu. It was not because of his sex, but because of safety concerns. We could not afford to arrange a car for him and he had to take the bus. The place was under curfew and he had to sleep wherever he arrived, which was not safe for him. I would have the same considerations for women journalists under similar circumstances. What is important is the safety of reporters. My view is that we should consider safety, but not base it on gender.

YN: Thank you for your contributions. Last week, over 100 women journalists gathered and shared their experiences. It is important that we respect the dignity and safety of women journalists when reviving the media landscape of Burma. Thanks for watching!
Many models strive for fame like Giselle Bundchen. (Photo : Getty Images)

Bruno Di Angelis Souza Sandes, a Brazilian model, first came to Shanghai in 2006 for work. He admitted that he was only a beginner then and didn't even know how to pose.



"I got so many jobs during that trip, including editorials and fashion shows, and my first catalog. I didn't even know how to pose for it because I had never worked for a clothing brand before," he said. "That work trip gave me so many experiences. It was a big break for me. I got a deep feeling for China since then."



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He left China to do modelling work in Mexico, Spain, and Italy. He decided to go back because he thought that he will grow and learn more in China than in any other country.



He returned three years ago and has not left the country since. He said that he likes working in the country because he always has projects to do especially luxury brands like Giorgio Armani have offices in China.



Jacqueline Jacques, another Brazilian model, agrees with Bruno. She came in the country in 2012.



"The types of jobs in China are more diversified and more challenging. For me, I grew a lot more here than in my seven years modeling experience back in Brazil," the female model said.



Because of the number of models now in China, the competition for jobs is getting fiercer. Bruno admitted that he often loses jobs to less experienced models because they charge half the price.



Max Liu, founder, and CEO of Fun Models said that Brazilian models are in demand in China because of the color of their skin and innate Latin American features, which is fitting to the current fashion trends.



He said, "As more Chinese young people like sport and fitness, they also like models that are more fit and healthy. That's a new trend in China, so Brazilian models are more welcomed here because their image is more in line with the new beauty standard."


Saturday, August 13th, 2016 (7:25 am) - Score 827

After a nail biting few weeks of uncertainty the UK Governments Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has finally pledged to protect and in some cases underwrite broadband infrastructure projects that are in the process of receiving or bidding for additional state aid funding from the EU.

Concerns were raised last month (here) after it emerged that a number of projects and organisations in the United Kingdom were finding it hard to secure investment from the 3bn European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), partly because the Government appeared to have put a pause on payments. The same source has also been used by a large number of rural broadband schemes, particularly in Cornwall.

Admittedly the number and scale of active or planned ERDF supported broadband projects in the UK has diminished significantly over the past couple of years, although there are still a few seeking funding worth many millions of pounds from that pot and until recently it had been expected that these would not be affected until after the UK leaves (predicted for around 2019/20).

The good news is that the Government has today offered to end uncertainty and guarantee funding from the EU for all structural and investment fund projects (including agri-environment schemes) through a series of assurances, even when these projects continue a little beyond the UKs departure from the EU.

Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: The UK will continue to have all of the rights, obligations and benefits that membership brings, including receiving European funding, up until the point we leave the EU. We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive. That is why I am confirming that structural and investment funds projects signed before the Autumn Statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave. The government will also match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, which play a vital role in our country. We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we use the opportunities that departure presents to determine our own priorities.

However the big caveat is that related deals must be signed before the 2016 Autumn Statement (usually November or December), which doesnt give schemes that are still bidding for investment from the EU much time to get their bids finalised. This is perhaps a way of controlling what the Government may be asked to underwrite via UK funding, so that it doesnt continue too far beyond 2020 (the UK isnt expected to formally leave the EU until around 2019/20).

The structural and investment subject to these assurances include: * The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development  CAP Pillar 2 * The European Social Fund * The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund * The European Regional Development Fund including European Territorial Cooperation

The Treasury also said it would put in place arrangements for assessing whether to guarantee funding for specific structural and investment fund projects that might be signed after the Autumn Statement; further details on that will surface over the next couple of months. Check out the Official Letter on this commitment.
Netflix new series Stranger Things is an amazing big hit and everyone loves it. In fact, TechTimes discussed that 16 days following its debut, 8.2 million people were recorded to have watched the thrilling show. We got great reasons to believe why it outpaced Daredevil and Making a Murderer.

1. Winona Ryder Is Back

Lets admit it. We missed Winona Ryder tremendously and putting her back in the screens is one fantastic decision the Stranger Things producers did. Her affectionate frenzied portrayal as a single mother in the said show is relatable as she willingly crosses all dangers just to find her missing son.

2. It Relives Childhood Memories

CNN described the show mimicking Steven Spielberg signature style of kids riding their bikes versus the government and Stephen Kings trademark scary monsters. You see, our childhood is entertaining and fun.

3. The 80s Soundtrack Is Scary

Thrillist stated that Netflix hit shows official soundtrack consists of two volumes that features Kyle Dixon and Michael Steins eerie electronic songs of 1980's that will send you goose bumps while keeping your eyes glued to scary scenes of Stranger Things.

4. The Media Loves Writing About It

Of course, part of the credits go to the media, who endlessly shares their thoughts and reveals interesting items about the show repeatedly. Adding to this is the power of content writing being passed to online blogs and videos. We are followers and believers of what we hear and see in all types of media, right?

5. It Mirrors Current Political Clash

The launch of Stranger Things is a perfect timing aligned with the noisy and terrifying world of the 2016 US presidential elections. Where darkness prevails, there ghosts live and just like the series characters, we are joining the battle towards a better nation for our familys future. Makes sense huh.
The Sony Xperia X Performance revives its Beta program for the pre-release version of Android 7.0 Nougat.

In an attempt to regain its status as one of the strongest forces of the smartphone industry, it is timely that Sony will bring back the Beta program from its silence and inactivity last month, this time in a refined state, just as Android 7.0 Nougats arrival is nearing.

The International Business Times reported that in the past, the Beta Program was only available to the Xperia Z3, Z5 and other Z ranges. But now, it is going to be initially released on the Xperia X Performance before being rolled out to other Xperia X handsets.

However, not everyone is privileged to test the Android Nougat for the Xperia X Performance as the Xperia Beta program app is only available on European countries, according to Phone Arena. Xperia X Performance users in the Netherlands, Finland, Demark, Italy, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Latvia, Iceland and Portugal would be the lucky users who would get to test drive the latest Android OS.

In the same report, it is noted that one should not expect outstanding performance nor advanced Android Nougat features since the mobile OS' capabilities are limited on the beta rollout. Aside from the great advantage of the said program allowing Xperia X Performance phones to test drive Android Nougat, it will also bridge communications between the devices developers and users.

In this way, whatever challenges or problems that users would encounter during the process, Sony would be able to address them and enhance the commercial version of Android Nougat as soon as it is officially released.

Sonys latest flagship boasts a 5-inch 1080p display, a 23-megapixel camera, Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB of RAM and dual front-facing speakers.

Xperia fans are hoping that the new beta program, along with the Xperia X Performance and Android Nougat teamup, will make an amazing team in delivering an exemplary show in the world of mobile technology.


There have been new updates and unending speculations that there will be a new Super Saiyan form introduced on the following episodes of "Dragon Ball Super."

"Dragon Ball Super" is now one of the action-packed Japanese animated series to date that has gotten a worldwide audience. There have been updates on the upcoming "Dragon Ball Super" episode 55 where the Omni-King asked to see Son Goku.

According to The Courier Daily, Son Goku has no idea why the Omni-King has summoned him and this had him worried. He has been following the orders of the Omni-King for a while now and he has no idea why he would want to see him right about now.

There have been speculations and theories that Omni-King may not be happy with the actions of Son Goku, which triggered his summon of the latter. Son Goku, however knows that he could never afford to displeasure the Omni-King since this could start a war between the two, if Goku fails to follow his orders.

Son Goku has no idea how he could have displeasured Omni-King at any point and this has had him worried. During the last episode of "Dragon Ball Super," Vegeta wanted Trunks and Son Goku to defeat black Goku, but it could not be possible if Trunks doesn't have enough training. He has to turn into a Super Saiyan and he has to be trained very well to turn into one.

Speaking of Black Goku, there have also been reports that he will be transforming into a different Saiyan color. According to Kotaku, he will be possibly be transforming into Super Saiyan Pink, called the Super Saiyan Rose in the Japanese TV anime listing.

There has also been a leaked official artwork of Black Goku turning into a Super Saiyan Rose form, which has added to the speculations that this will be happening soon on the anime series.
One of the longest-running shows in television today, "Criminal Minds," has just suffered a loss of one of the characters in the series. Actor Thomas Gibson, who plays the role of Aaron Hotchner, has just been fired from the series.

It has recently been announced in a joint statement by ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios that actor Thomas Gibson has been fired from "Criminal Minds." According to BBC, Gibson was fired due to a physical alteration on the set while they were shooting for the series.

Reports claim that Gibson kicked the producer on set during a disagreement that ultimately led to a physical attack. The alteration occurred last month in Los Angeles, but the announcement of the decision has recently been announced.

In an official statement made by the network, it said that the creative details on how the character will exit the show will be announced later on, as reported by People. The statement made was short and precise, clear about what has been indicated.

Thomas Gibson of "Criminal Minds" also made an apology to the public about what had happened, not denying anything about the issue that has happened. He said that there were creative differences and disagreements that occurred on set, and he regrets it all ever happened.

There have been reports that this is not the first time the actor has been engaged in a physical alteration on set of Criminal Minds. Thomas Gibson has allegedly been involved in another physical incident with a member of the staff of the show a few years back, but the issue was not addressed.

The past incident could have also been a basis for the decision that was made in the present time, to prevent the incident from happening again in the future. Fans are now in dismay at the loss of one of the most notable and most beloved characters on the show. After all, "Criminal Minds" will not be the same without Gibson.
TIBCO invited media and analysts to a briefing with its US-based chief executive Murray Rode and Erich Gerber, general manager of Asia Pacific and Japan, for an update on its market and products. Additionally ASXs chief information officer Tim Thurman gave an enthusiastic overview of its involvement with TIBCO.

It was my first exposure to Palo Alto-based TIBCO, so please take this article as a primer for enterprises that may need its reasonably unique integration, analytics, and events processing software.

It all began in 1985 out of a technology incubator producing the Teknekron Information Bus (TIB) to transfer data between different software systems, computers, and operating systems. It was pretty revolutionary in those days to be able to link disparate software systems, mainframes, and desktops. The fledgling company got its first huge break integrating market data such as stock quotes, news, and other financial information and eventually digitised Wall Street.

TIBCO (the information bus company) was floated in 1997 and counted SAP, IBM, Oracle, Yahoo!, and Microsoft among its customers. Most of the worlds 25 top airlines use it. It allows them to merge and use data from all over and push it to the Web via a browser. Fast forward to the end of 2014 when it was acquired by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners and Rode became chief executive. The rest of the article is paraphrased.

Many major Australian enterprise companies in finance, superannuation, telco, utilities, mining, government, and the Australian Stock Exchange use TIBCO. Gerber announced the companys intention to invest further in Australia.

Its value proposition is to take businesses to their digital destinations by interconnecting everything in real time and providing augmented intelligence for everyone, from business users to data scientists. This combination delivers faster answers, better decisions, and smarter actions.

Data has become crucial to leverage to establish competitive differentiation. Cloud computing has become yet another platform there in an increasing demand within companies to interconnect and integrate everything to unlock hidden data value.

Customer service and business processes are based on real-time coordination of people, devices, and data that are not necessarily owned by the enterprise. In todays data-driven world, organisations need to connect their assets with their customers and their ecosystem more than ever. Its bus is now more a blend of API (application program interface) management and BPM (business process management) all in real-time.

TIBCOs bus is now called its Fast Data Platform and it allows it to interrogate the data as well allowing the enterprise to unlock relationships and dependencies that they did not know existed. Its analytics suit helps grow customer bases, provide new services, make contextual offers, and extends to data security.

Rode sees a large part of the future in integrating data from IoT and its ability to recognise patterns in-flight by using more machine learning and augmented intelligence. It is ideal to provide this at the edge where the majority of IoT innovation needs to be done to reduce the flood of data that could be sent back to servers.

Thurman said the ASX was an aficionado. He said the ASX scope made it one of the largest of its type and described its journey over the past few years to eliminate separate silos and knock out several legacy systems. Very few exchanges do what we do.

He said TIBCO had made it easy to standardise hundreds of APIs, and enable the ASX to start to use the data and monetise it. ASX has a mountain of disparate data, but it was hard to do much with it. When you look at a technical document of our platform, it is like a spider web of data just going everywhere. Our goal is to standardise that so we can house that data, and eventually take it from one point." Its aim is to use TIBCO to build a data strategy and be more proactive and predictive."

ASX uses the TIBCO Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) to provide the interface between each of its core business services. The API-based architecture allows ASX to streamline data flows without having to alter its underlying systems. "Many of our existing systems are proprietary, and data is not handled in a standard way. ESB provides us with a robust solution on which systems can communicate much more efficiently."

Thurman said that the ASX, like many enterprises, had lots of older, legacy hardware and software. "Part of the challenge is we have a lot of platforms that are very old and very stable, but part of the problem is it doesn't allow you to innovate quickly enough. Over the next 3-5 years it would need to be replaced and TIBCO is key to that.

ASX has some projects underway, and the majority of those involve integration with the TIBCO ESB platform. "Already, several core services are linked to the bus, and it has become the backbone of our entire IT infrastructure. It underpins our core operations and ensures we can provide first-class customer service. Our technology transformation strategy continues, and we look forward to working with TIBCO throughout this process."
Didi Chuxing buys out Uber China. (Photo : Getty Images)

Didi Chuxing co-founder and chief executive Cheng Wei becomes the fastest growing business mogul in China after his company finally defeated the cab-hailing platform giant Uber, bringing the Chinese company's value to $35 billion.



As home to several business geniuses like Cheng of Didi, it is no wonder that China is considered as the world's second largest economy next to the United States.



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In fact, Chinese start-up businesses like Didi Chixung are gradually becoming giants in their own markets and it is making onlookers curious as to how the people driving these companies made it to the top.



Uber Acquisition



Last week, China's taxi-hailing service has officially won the Chinese market after Uber let Didi take care of its $7 billion market capitalization for Uber China per a USA Today report.



According to a July report, Bloomberg said that Uber's decision will allow the company to exert more effort in expanding in other nations like India.



Meanwhile, Quartz explained that the mere fact that Uber has already given up on bringing the Western app to the highly domestic country is not a good idea especially if the businesses are not willing to "turn Chinese."



Because of that, Didi has kicked Uber out of the country as a deal between the Western company and Asian firm was closed early in August.



Who is Cheng Wei?



Onlookers are curious as to exactly how that happened and Reuters is highlighting a single person who made the dominance of the Chinese cab-hailing service a reality.



According to the outlet, the success of Didi in overcoming Uber has something to do with the leadership style and business ethics that its chief executive officer Cheng Wei upholds.



The 34-year-old self-made billionaire currently has $1 billion net worth which he earned on his own based on his Forbes profile.



His colleagues also know him to be a person who has "a cool head, a keen strategic eye, and a lack of ego," per Reuters.



These characteristics, as well as a little bit of luck, were all instrumental to his success in defeating Uber and becoming the fastest growing CEOs in the world, GGV Capital Managing Partner Hans Tung explained.



"From the outside, you'd say this guy is really lucky, but on the flip side, he knows who the right people to know are and who to have good relationships with, and how to get them to work with him. It's a very unique personality trait," Tung explained.






Linux kernel developer Christoph Hellwig has lost his case against virtualisation company VMware, which he had sued in March 2015 for violation of version 2 of the GNU General Public Licence.

The verdict was issued in the Hamburg District Court on 7 August.

Hellwig, who is the maintainer of the kernel's SCSI sub-system, has said he would appeal. "I'm disappointed that the court didn't even consider the actual case of reusing the Linux code written by me, and I hope the Court of Appeal will investigate this central aspect of the lawsuit," he said in a statement.

The case claimed that VMware had been using Hellwig's code right from 2007 and not releasing source code as required. The Linux kernel, which is released under the GNU GPL version 2, stipulates that anyone who distributes it has to provide source code for the same.

In its rulingthe court said that Hellwig had failed to prove which specific lines of code VMware had used, from among those over which he claimed ownership.

The case was unusual in that the question of using proprietary code with the Linux kernel did not come under examination. Rather, the VMware case revolved around the allegation that the company had used a module which was released under GPLv2 with its own proprietary kernel, known as vmkernel. The central question was whether this made the module a derivative work.

The Linux kernel itself does contain proprietary blobs but as long as these do not fit the definition of derivative works, the GPLv2 is not violated, and the code for the blob in question is not covered by the licence.

Hellwig had the financial backing of the Software Freedom Conservancy, a New York-based non-profit that helps to promote, improve, develop, and defend free and open source projects.

According to statements made by the SFC at the time of filing the case, it claimed it discovered in 2011 that VMware had failed to provide or offer any source code for the version of BusyBox included in VMware's ESXi products, an enterprise-class, type-1 hypervisor.

BusyBox combines several stripped down Unix tools in a single executable.

The SFC and VMware discussed the issue in the early months of 2012, but nothing came of the talks. Hellwig became part of the SFC's GPL Compliance for Linux Developers later that year and joined others in analysing the ESXi products.

Both the Conservancy and Hellwig claimed that VMware had combined copyrighted Linux code, licensed under the GPLv2, with their own proprietary code called "vmkernel" and distributed the entire combined work without providing or offering complete, corresponding source code.

But the court did not agree. It did not allow expert testimony while making its decision.

In a statement, the SFC pointed out that the German civil legal system was not based on precedent and the decision would not create a legally binding precedent.

"Reading the ruling, it's clear that VMware brought considerable resources to make every possible argument for dismissal," Karen Sandler, SFC executive director, said. "Christoph and Conservancy have a fraction of the resources for our enforcement efforts than VMware has at its disposal."

There have been fallouts from the case; in December last year, the SFC was forced to issue an appeal for funds, with the organisation saying a drop in donations had become noticeable after VMware was sued. And in January, the Linux Foundation came under scrutiny when it changed its rules to make it impossible for community representatives to be elected to its board, a change that was also tied to the VMware case.

BusyBox has figured in more than one case of GPL enforcement. Back in 2007, the two principal developers of the utility won a GPL violation suit against a company known as Monsoon Multimedia.

In 2008, a similar case against a company known as Super Micro Computer was settled out of court. And in 2010, a case against Westinghouse Digital Electronics, which was shipping BusyBox to several consumer electronics companies, was decided in court in favour of the BusyBox developers.
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Mainly sunny. High 84F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Soldiers of the PLA's chemical-defence unit detect toxic substances at the Tianjin blast site in Binhai New Area on Aug. 24, 2015. (Photo : Getty Images)

China commemorates the death of nearly 200 people following blasts from a chemical warehouse in Tianjin a year ago today as the country mourns yet another set of victims in a similar but more recent incident.



Now, it seems as though the country has yet to learn the lesson of the incident as it witnesses yet another catastrophic explosion that has taken innocent lives and threatens the environment as well.



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Tianjin Chemical Explosion



On August 12, 2015, the people China and the world were shocked to find a quickly rising death toll from explosions involving a chemical plant in the port city of Tianjin.



According to a September 2015 report from The Guardian, the death toll has risen to as much as 173 as the final wave of search and rescue operations concludes.



According to the Xinhua News Agency, authorities found out that the Tianjin chemical plant had been unlawfully storing flammable chemicals particularly "alcohol materials."



Since then, environmentalists have repeatedly called for more actions from China's policy makers in order to prevent a similar catastrophe from happening again.



"Even though temporarily, we've seen a process of much greater tightening of regulations, what is needed are comprehensive and effective restraints," Greenpeace chemicals expert Cheng Qian told Reuters.



While the Chinese government had repeatedly assured that the explosion poses no risk to the environment, they also confirmed that they are implementing stricter regulations on chemical plants in the country.



Hubei Explosion



Now, a year after the incident as China still grieves, yet another incident of the same kind killed more than 20 people in the central province of Hubei while another 5 were reportedly injured, according to People's Daily.



According to the Radio Times, this year's explosion which occurred happened in another chemical power plant in central China.



But this time, the incident involved a chemical plant located in Dangyang in the Hubei province where 21 people were reportedly killed while five have been injured in the blast. Three of the injured were found to be in critical condition.



Rescuers are still working to locate other possible victims.



Initial reports cited by the South China Morning Post indicate that the explosion was due to a broken high pressure steam tube in the plant which is owned by the Madian Gangue Power Generation.



The explosion occurred at around 3:20 pm on Thursday, a day prior to the country's commemoration of the first anniversary of the Tianjin explosion.






China's work safety regulations questioned as another chemical plant explodes. (Photo : Getty Images)

More than 20 people were reportedly killed and five others were injured in a destructive explosion in a coal-powered power plant in the central province of Hubei in China.



A report from China Daily revealed that a power plant operated by the Dangyang Madian Gangue Electricity Supply Co. has exploded, killing at least 21 people in the process.



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Initial investigations indicate that the blast which occurred around 3:20 pm was caused by a broken high-pressure steam pipes, the State Administration of Work Safety said in a statement cited by the outlet.



State Administration of Work Safety Head Yang Huanning has already ordered rescuers to help in the search for possible victims and survivors as well as in probing the cause of the blast.



The incident comes a day before the country commemorates the first anniversary of the Tianjin chemical plant explosion which killed almost 200 people in 2015.



Because of this, several media outlets like Al Jazeera recalled a previous statement from an official who noted a possibility of mismanagement issue in local power plants where the explosions occurred.



"In February an official report said the explosions were the result of a culture of mismanagement at the warehouse where the chemicals were stored as well as lax oversight by regulators," said Al Jazeera's Adrian Brown who was reporting from Tianjin at the time.



The outlet further noted that a total of 25 people some of whom are state workers are still under investigation for the catastrophic blast in Tianjin for illegally storing hazardous chemicals in the destroyed plant.



According to the State Administration of Work Safety, the country recorded a total of 28,115 work safety accidents between July and June.



More than 16,000 victims were either killed or severely injured during these incidents, bringing to question the effectiveness of the country's work safety regulations and regulating body.


FREDERICKSBURG  Six people died in a fiery plane crash at Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County on Friday afternoon.

At about 12:30 p.m., the plane attempted to land, but aborted that attempt and tried to ascend again before banking to the left and crashing in a tree line near the CSX train tracks, where it immediately caught fire, according to the Virginia State Police.

Six bodies were recovered from the burnt wreckage of the plane, according to State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller. The remains will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for positive identification. Authorities said they will not identify the victims until all next of kin are notified. All six are from out-of-state.

Local, state and federal authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

Following the crash, smoke and emergency vehicles were visible from the runway. Passengers on nearby trains posted photos of the fire on social media.

Shari Acree, 35, a passenger on the Amtrak Carolinian from Washington, D.C., to Raleigh, N.C., on Friday afternoon, saw the wreckage.

First, I saw white smoke, then the crash itself. The plane was completely decimated and there was still some flame coming from it, said Acree, a Maryland resident whose train had just left the Fredericksburg station when it began slowing down and then stopped.

The train stopped for about 20 minutes, she said.

As of Friday evening, police were still trying to determine where the plane was coming from and its destination. Police were unable to confirm the exact number of passengers in the twin engine plane.

Fridays crash happened exactly three years after the last crash at the airport.

On Aug. 12, 2013, a 33-year-old pilot made an emergency landing near Shannon Airport. Jerome Matthew Orlando was not injured in the incident.

In July 2013, Edwin G. Hassel, 22, died in a crash at Shannon Airport. An investigation concluded that Hassel intentionally crashed the Cessna 172M he had rented.

In September 2012, a father and son died in a plane crash near Shannon Airport. Stafford County residents John Morton Jr., 48, and his 13-year-old son, Kyle, died in the crash.
The yuan is now appreciating due to the central bank's reforms. (Photo : Getty Images)

The people's currency rose by 275 points that makes it 6.6255 against the U.S. dollar according to the Chinese Foreign Exchange System on Thursday. This is the largest increase of the yuan in months.



The exchange rate reform that took effect on Aug. 11, 2015, made the currency depreciate because the basis of the rate was based on a basket rate of currencies.



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For the first time, the said reforms are producing positive results.



Tan Xiaofen, vice director of the International Finance Research Center at the Beijing-based Central University of Finance and Economics, said that the deviation from the market trading price raised questions on transparency.



He said, "Previously, the spot rate set by the central bank deviated from the market trading price, which raises questions over transparency and authority."



Liu Dongliang, a senior analyst at China Merchants Bank, said that the Chinese government now is learning how to manage the yuan more effectively.



"The new method is anchored to market demand, and will contribute to the stability of the yuan in the long run," he said. "The shift in exchange rate shows that the past 10 years of the yuan's unilateral surge in the exchange market has ended, and the reform has made the currency exchange rate more flexible."



Liu also said that the previous fluctuations with the yuan caused panic with foreign traders but they eventually adjusted to the trend.



The stability of the yuan will eventually bring back consumer confidence, which will likely increase international and domestic spending.



Foreign exchange transactions went down as low as 47 percent from April to May. Total transactions were only $12.5 billion.



The central bank, in its efforts to make the yuan stronger, will now consider market forces in calculating the exchange rate.



Tan observed, "It is likely that the exchange rate reform will further develop, and that the yuan will go up and down, but on a relatively stable level."


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By Baher Kamal | (Inter Press Service) |  

ROME, (IPS)  Two-thirds of the African continent is already desert or dry-lands. But while this vast extension of the second largest continent on Earth after Asia is vital for agriculture and food production, nearly three-fourths of it is estimated to be degraded to varying degrees.

This shocking diagnosis illustrating the current situation of this continent of over 30 million km, home to 1,2 billion human beings living in 54 countries, comes from the top world body dealing with desertification.

In fact, in its report Addressing desertification, land degradation and drought in Africa, the Bonn-based UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) explains that the continent is affected by frequent and severe droughts, which have been particularly severe in recent years in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.

Poverty and difficult socio-economic conditions are widespread, and as a result many people are dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods, it says.

On this, another UN agency has once more warned, With only a few weeks before land preparation begins for the next main cropping season, some 23 million people in Southern Africa urgently need support to produce enough food to feed themselves and thus avoid being dependent on humanitarian assistance until mid 2018.

The Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on 28 July alerted against what it called race against time in drought-ravaged Southern Africa to ensure 23 million people receive farming support. As little as just 109 million dollars are urgently required for the provision of seeds and other agricultural inputs and services.

Two billion hectares of land are badly degraded as a result of desertification. Credit: Bigstock/IPS

Two billion hectares of land are badly degraded as a result of desertification. Credit: Bigstock/IPS

FAO reports that its prepared response plan aims to ensure that seeds, fertilisers, tools, and other inputs and services, including livestock support, are provided to smallholder farmers, agro-pastoralists and pastoralists to cope with the devastating impact of an El Nino-induced drought in the region.

Farmers must be able to plant by October and failure to do so will result in another reduced harvest in March 2017, severely affecting food and nutrition security and livelihoods in the region.

Desperate Situation

Africas near, medium-term future looks any thing but brightby 2020, between 75 and 250 million people in Africa are projected to be exposed to increased water stress due to climate change. Also by 2020, in some African countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50 per cent.

The continent is affected by frequent and severe droughts, which have been particularly severe in recent years in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel  UNCCD

The situation is so dire that the African Union (AU) along with the UNCCD and other partners, have organised the Africa Drought Conference in Windhoek, Namibia.

The conference, which is expected to bring together around 700 participants, on August 15-19 will focus on ways to halt and continue to prevent the rapid advance of the desert in the continent. Specifically, participants will concentrate their attention on mitigating the impacts of droughts and the development of national drought policies.

This event comes at an opportune time, as East and Southern Africa suffer from the worst recorded drought in the past 50 years, induced by El Nino.

Namibia appears as one of the most appropriate venues for such an event for several reasons, one of them being the fact that it was ranked 51 out of 120 countries by the 2014 Global Hunger Index, which measures the levels of hunger in the worlds countries.

While Namibia has improved, this ranking still indicates a serious food problem, says the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Critical water shortages are impacting harvests and the livestock industry in the agricultural sector, which sustains about 70 per cent of the Namibian population.

Continued episodes of drought threaten to unravel the gains made in poverty alleviation, and thus drought is an issue that needs collective response. In 2015 drought reduced Namibias national crop yields to 46 per cent below the sixteen-year average, and as a result, around 370,316 people are estimated to be vulnerable to Hunger in Namibia, UNDP reports.

Here, the three top UN agencies dealing with foodFAO, the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), informed in their joint World Report on The State of Food Insecurity 2015, that 42.7 per cent of Namibian population was undernourished.

Looking beyond Namibias borders, humanitarian and development bodies estimate that over 52 million people are food insecure in East and Southern African Countries, and that number could increase. Alarmingly four of the 15 South African Development Community member states have already declared national drought disaster with 2 additional countries having declared partial emergencies.

Namibian Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, reminded Water resources play a defining role in economic development between and across sectors. Investment in water security is not only a matter of protecting society from specific water risks; it is an investment in enabling economic growth.

This desperate situation pushed FAO to talk about a race against time in drought-ravaged Southern Africa to ensure 23 million people receive farming support. Widespread crop failure has exacerbated chronic malnutrition in the region.

With only a few weeks before land preparation begins for the next main cropping season, some 23 million people in Southern Africa urgently need support to produce enough food to feed themselves and thus avoid being dependent on humanitarian assistance until mid 2018, FAO on 28 July said.

Worst Drought in 35 Years

Two consecutive seasons of droughts, including the worst in 35 years that occurred this year, have particularly hit vulnerable families in rural areas, as prices of maize and other staple foods have risen, it added.

The result is that almost 40 million people in the region are expected to face food insecurity by the peak of the coming lean season in early 2017. All countries in Southern Africa are affected.

On this, David Phiri, FAOs Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, warned, The high levels of unemployment and sluggish economies, means that the main way people are able to access food is through what they themselves produce. Assisting them to do this will provide lifesaving support in a region where at least 70 per cent of people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.

FAO project in Mauritania is a text book case on halting desertification in Africa. Photo: FAO

FAO project in Mauritania is a text book case on halting desertification in Africa. Photo: FAO

Moreover, widespread crop failure has exacerbated chronic malnutrition in the region. More than 640,000 drought-related livestock deaths have been reported in Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe alone due to lack of pasture, lack of water and disease outbreaks.

FAO urges investments that equip communities with the ability to produce drought-tolerant seed and fodder, along with climate-smart agriculture technologies like conservation agriculture. The aim is to enable rural families to build resilience and prepare for future shocks, especially that more challenges are still to come.

El Ninos counter-phenomenon, La Nina, is likely to occur later this year and while it could bring good rains that are positive for agriculture, measures must be taken to mitigate the risk of floods which could destroy standing crops and threaten livestock, including making them more vulnerable to disease.

Via Inter Press Service

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Related video added by Juan Cole:

CCTV Africa:  Experts warn drought conditions in southern Africa may intensify due to looming La Nina
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |

AP is reporting that Lieutenant General Sean MacFarland maintains that the number of ISIL fighters in Syria and Iraq is in steep decline, having fallen to as little as 15,000, down from 25,000 at the organizations height.

In Iraq the organization has lost Tikrit, Beiji, Mt. Sinjar, Sinjar, Diyala, Ramadi and Falluja among other cities. In Syria it lost northern al-Raqqa, was pushed out of al-Hasaka, lost Palmyra.

It has lost funding through the bombing or capture of its oil refineries.

The joint Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces backed by US special forces and US and allied air forces has consolidated its control over the key city of Manbij in northern Syria. Nairoz Kobani, spokeswoman for the Women Units of the leftist Kurdish YPG, says that the remaining 150 fighters are fleeing toward Turkey and have taken some 2,000 persons hostage. She said that those fleeing north are mostly foreign fighters from Russia, the Caucasus and North Africa. Local Syrian Daesh fighters just threw down their weapons and melded into the refugee flow pretending to be civilians.

Without Manbij, Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) will find it more difficult to import weapons and foreign fighters to al-Raqqa. Other routes still open to it, such as Jarabulus, are also under pressure and could be the next target of the Syrian Democratic Forces. It is much further to import foreign munitions.

Daesh as a territorial power is coming to a slow end; Daesh as a source of terrorism still has a good long run.

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Related video:

Euronews:  Assaults and air strikes in northern Syria
Amnesty International said Thursday that a suspected chlorine gas attack in Aleppo could amount to a war crime [press release]. The BBC reported [BBC report] Thursday that the Syrian government is suspected of using a chlorine gas attack in Aleppo, killing several and injuring many more. It is believed that the chlorine was dropped in a barrel bomb and global bodys experts have been confirmed to be investigating the matter. According to the UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura, if the reports of the chlorine bomb are true, it is a war crime, and she emphasized the need to address [the problem] immediately. In response, Russia announced they would cease fire for several hours on Thursday in order to allow aid. However, witnesses in Aleppo claim there was no ceasefire. Chlorine gas results in severe respiratory issues, including asphyxiation, and is also very harmful to the eyes and skin.

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 Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] reported [JURIST report] cluster bombs have been targeted at civilians and rebels in Northern Syria. 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].
The New Jersey Second Amendment Society [advocacy website] filed [complaint, PDF] a lawsuit on behalf of a New Jersey man, Mark Cheesman, against the states Attorney General [official website] in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey [official website] on Thursday alleging the states stun gun ban is unconstitutional. The complaint relies upon the Supreme Courts ruling in Caetano v. Massachusetts [SCOTUSblog backgrounder] where the court held that prohibiting the possession of stun guns contradicts earlier Supreme Court rulings. Cheesman had tried to obtain a taser on Wednesday, but the company refused to sell to him due to the citys ban. This lawsuit follows a similar lawsuit [WP report] challenging the stun gun ban in Washington DC.

Gun control [JURIST backgrounder] and the Second Amendment continue to be controversial topics across the US. In May the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the Second Amendment protects the right to buy and sell guns [JURIST report]. In January US President Barack Obama announced executive actions on gun control [JURIST report]. In November an appellate court in Wisconsin ruled that a state law that prohibits possession of certain knives [JURIST report] violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Four South Carolina students and a non-profit filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] in the US District Court for the District of South Carolina [official website] Thursday challenging the states Disturbing Schools Law [text, PDF]. The plaintiffs are challenging the law, which makes it illegal to disturb in any way or in any place the students or teachers or act in an obnoxious manner, arguing that the statute is unconstitutionally broad and its enforcement is arbitrary and discriminatory, primarily against African American students. Three of the four students were African Americans. One of the students, 18-year-old Niya Kennedy, was filmed being thrown to the ground, dragged and arrested for violating this statute, leading to the officers arrest and bringing the issue to a national stage. Violating the statute results in a misdemeanor charge with the potential for a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail.

This lawsuit addresses the school-to-prison pipeline wherein students, primarily minorities, are taken out of schools and put into prison, making them more likely to end up in prison in the future. In August of last year, two children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other special needs were handcuffed [ACLU backgrounder] with their arms behind their backs for behavior related to their disabilities. Both children were minoritiesone Latino and one African American. Another African American student, 15-year-old Kyle Thompson, got into a playful tug-of-war over a note with his teacher, but handed the note over once he realized it was not playful. Michigan, where Thompson lives, has a zero-tolerance policy and so Kyle was handcuffed, put on house arrest, and expelled [MSNBC report] from all state public schools for a year. Statistics also show that African Americans are harmed by this school-to-prison pipeline at a rate three times greater than white students, despite African American students making up only 16 percent of all those enrolled at public schools.
US Shanghai Consulate Has No Official Word Yet on Weibo Post Seeking VPN Provider

A U.S. embassy official promotes the new visa app to Chinese students in Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images)

The U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai has not issued an official word on the post seeking virtual private network (VPN) suppliers, which appeared on its official Weibo account on Wednesday, Aug. 10, the Global Times reported.



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Many Net users were surprised at the post, which was removed within an hour after it was posted.



"The U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai is looking for stable VPNs with special line services. Eligible suppliers with qualifications are welcome to provide proposals and price quotes to us," reads the post, which also included a link to 'job opportunities' at the consulate.



The consulate has not issued any official comment on the post, a staff member of the U.S. Consulate told Global Times, although the post was deleted immediately.



The advertisement also shocked some Web users, who did not expect to see it. "I saw Yankees hiding in the corner of a socialist country and trembling," a user named cj said in his Tweeter account.



Since foreign websites and online services are blocked in China, many foreign embassies have found a way to connect to these sites, according to an unnamed Chinese employee of an embassy.



While embassies use VPNs, some also use satellite Internet access, the employee said, as he pointed out to the satellite dishes on top of the U.S. embassy building.



The employee added that embassies often use their special servers instead of private VPNs to connect to the Net and maintain secrecy or security of their connections.



In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese users have started to find other ways to connect to the Internet. One way is by using mirror websites or VPNs to connect past the Great Firewall.



Twitter said in July that it has an estimated 10 million active users in China.



The figure shows that it is not that challenging, especially for young users, to log in to overseas social media by using VPNs, analysts said.


Naked School Teacher (Photo : CEN)

A day does not go by in China without wives confronting the mistress of their husbands by beating and stripping naked the other woman in public. Videos of those public-shaming rites inevitable end up in social media sites such as Weibo and become viral.



In a reversal of roles for both the aggressor and victim, Daily Mail reported that on Tuesday, in Wei County, Hebei Province, the parents of a high school girl beat and stripped naked a male teacher. The tutor from Weixian Number 1 Middle School had an affair with the teen daughter of the angry Chinese parents.



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The reason the parents drastically reacted is claims by former students of the male teacher that he also sexually assaulted the girl, besides having a love affair with the student, according to Peoples Daily Online. The shaming was done publicly, based on crowd noise heard in the video which has become viral.



School staff confirmed the man in the video is a teacher from the school named Li, a faculty member for several years. Some netizens, who claimed they were former students of the teacher, said he often touched female students inappropriately and invited them into his office.



Police confirmed the existence of the video and added they are still investigating the public-shaming incident. A Wei Public Security Bureau said that on Tuesday that found a naked man, apparently a suspect in a crime, along the north outer ring road injured, so they brought the man to the hospital.



Besides being naked, the man had bruises around his legs and shoulders, according to South China Morning Post. Other netizens claim the teacher was framed by student whom Li kicked out of the school.






W  Two Worlds stars Lee Jong-Suk and Han Hyo-Joo. (Photo : YouTube/Jewis Game)

MBC just revealed which scene gained the highest ratings in the on-going drama, "W - Two Worlds," starring Lee Jong Suk and Han Hyo-Joo. The show's seventh episode, which aired on Aug. 10, Wednesday, was recorded as the top-rating scene.



The seventh episode of "W - Two Worlds," which showed the marriage announcement of Kang Chul (Lee Jong Suk) and Oh Yeon-Joo (Han Hyo-Joo), accumulated a national TV rating of 17.3 percent, Soompi reported. The number was good enough, making "W" episode 7 the highest rated scene so far.



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In the previous episode, Kang Chul (Lee) and Oh Yeon-Joo (Han) confronted their feelings for each other with a passionate kiss. The former's legal counselor, Son Hyun-Suk (Cha Kwang-Soo), suddenly entered the picture, telling the latter that she and Kang Chul had officially registered their marriage in the United States in 2015.



Lawyer Son Hyun-Suk then explained drily that their main issue is that Oh Yeon-Joo cannot verify her identity nor explain why she ran away after saving Kang Chul's life. However, if they make her his secret wife, it apparently gives her an identity and a reason on why she refused to testify.



Despite this year's Rio Olympic games, "W - Two Worlds" episode 7 managed to maintain its strong rating performance in Wednesdays-Thursdays blocks. This week's episode of "W - Worlds" once again surpassed KBS 2TV's "Uncontrollably Fond," starring Kim Woo-Bin and Bae Suzy.



"Uncontrollably Fond," who also decided to air its regular broadcast scheduled, received 8.1 percent ratings, which is 0.5 percent boost from the previous episode. The drama's 12th episode, which aired on Aug. 11, Thursday, accumulated a national TV rating of 9.9 percent.



Meanwhile, an official from MBC officially confirmed that the next episode for "W - Two Worlds" have been re-scheduled to hit the airwaves on Aug. 17, Naver News reported. The official explained, "Today's broadcast schedule is women's archery with North Korea vs. South Korea, as well as a fencing team event. Therefore, 'W' is planned for postponement."



Check out the latest episode of MBC's "W" below:






NORTH PLATTE  University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and the Nebraska Water Balance Alliance will host a cropping and irrigation management field day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23 at the West Central Research and Extension Center near North Platte.

Extension educators and specialists will discuss water management practices, regulatory issues and legislative initiatives, plus specific topics such as crop rotations, tillage systems, reducing input costs, leveraging water resources and grazing cover crops.

More than 30 commercial vendors will provide product demonstrations.

Field sites previews in the afternoon will look at research in fields and labs, and include such topics as water sensor comparisons, sorghum weed control, nitrogen sensors and managing corn rootworm.

Registrations are needed by Friday for the free event. To register or see a detailed program brochure, visit the website at http://go.unl.edu/vp73.
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The train stands near the station after a man attacked other passengers aboard the train at Salez, Switzerland, on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. Police in Switzerland say a Swiss man set a fire and stabbed people on a train in the country's northeast, wounding six people some seriously, and injuring himself. (Gian Ehrenzeller / Keystone via AP)
Microencephaly is one of the major risks for newborns with Zika-infected mothers. (Photo : Twitter)

Scientists in the United States have reportedly discovered two proteins in the Zika virus that are believed to be directly linked to the onset of microencephaly in newborns.



In the study published in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell, researchers from the University of Southern California said that they have identified two specific proteins, dubbed NS4A and NS4B, in the Zika virus' makeup that trigger the disease, the Global Times reported.



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Researchers have found out that the two proteins interfere with the functions of a cellular signaling pathway known as "Akt-mTOR," which eventually impairs proper cell development in the brain. The disruption of the pathway also triggers abnormal autophagy regulation, resulting in the virus propagating further and causing the brain to lose significant numbers of neurons.



Microencephaly is a medical condition characterized by abnormal brain development, resulting in a smaller than usual head. The condition's connection to Zika was suspected early in the latter's outbreak in 2015 but was only recently confirmed.



The team observed the action of the two proteins by examining three separate strains of Zika introduced in human neural stem cells.



According to Zhen Zhao, one of the study's co-authors and assistant professor at USC, their discovery will help in the prevention and treatment of microencephaly in babies born from Zika-infected mothers. However, Zhao said that they still have a long way to go to better understand the link between the two proteins and the disease.



He noted that not all infected pregnant mothers eventually give birth to babies with microencephaly.



However, microencephaly might not be the only thing that pregnant mothers have to worry about for their unborn children. Researchers at the Barao de Lucena Hospital in Recife, Brazil have discovered that fetuses carried by Zika-infected mothers might also be at risk for arthrogryposis, the Huffington Post reported.



Arthrogryposis is a condition resulting in the malformation of the joints, hindering normal flexion and extension. The disease was previously believed to be rare, affecting only one in every 3000 children. This is also the first time that it was linked to a maternal viral infection.



However, study leader Vanessa van der Linden noted that the sample size they used is relatively small. As such, more research is needed to be done to firmly establish the link, she added.


Gaming-friendly Xiaomi Redmi 4 will impress all users (Photo : YouTube/Xiaomi)

After the release of well-accepted Xiaomi Redmi 3 and its sub-units in 2015, a database of Chinese benchmarking website Geekbench revealed that an upcoming successor for the unit, named Xiaomi Redmi 4, will be slated for release and will run an impressive Snapdragon 625 chip.



Geekbench shows that the Redmi 4 stacked a single-core score of 929 and multi-core score of 4751, surpassing the specs of its predecessors Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3, GSMArena reported.



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As per Mobipicker, the device consists of eight Cortex-A53 cores equipped at 2GHz, coupled with an impressive Adreno 506 GPU, perfect for gaming. As an addition, the device supports LTE Cat 7 connectivity as an upgrade from Cat 4, backed by 3GB of RAM and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with MIUI8.



Aside for the aforementioned specs that put the device ahead of other Redmi's, Redmi 4 displays other features such as 5-inch IPS LCD Display, 1920 x 1080 resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octacore Adreno 506 GPU, and a 4100mAh battery capacity with Quick Charge feature.



Meanwhile, the device is expected at a price of CNY 699 (approximately Rs. 7,000), Gadget360 reported.



Looking at the features, the Redmi 4 will put up a good competition against other high-end handsets through its affordability and decent specifications. Rumor has it that the Redmi 4 will be announced on Aug. 25.



Apart from the release of Xiaomi Redmi 4, the Chinese database website tipped a launch of Xiaomi Mi Note 2 on the same month of Redmi 4's release. The device maybe launched in two variants priced at CNY 2,499 (approximately Rs. 25,000) for the 6GB of RAM and 64GB storage model, and a 128GB storage model priced at CNY 2,799 (approximately Rs. 28,000). Some of the innards of the Mi Note 2 claimed by the tipster include Amoled display, Snapdragon 821 SoC, 3600mAh battery, metal body, and fingerprint scanner.


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A recent research paper from the University of Virginia may pound the final nail into the coffin of the long-standing medical dogma which rigidly labels diseases as organic or psychiatric. UVA researchers have discovered a complex network of lymphatic vessels which service the brain, prompting a serious update of the concept of a highly selective blood-brain barrier.

When asked about methods to study the immune response of the brain and CNS, UVA Department of Neuroscience Professor Jonathan Kipinis explained, Now we can approach this mechanistically  because the brain is like every other tissue connected to the peripheral immune system though meningeal lymphatic vessels.

For a geek like me, this is very exciting news. A review of the paper on ScienceAlert explores the papers ramifications:

The discovery could not only prompt a rewrite of the textbooks, it might also lead to a new understanding of how our immune system influences our brain and our behavior. But the discovery made headlines again last week when the team showed that the immune system could actually be controlling our social behavior through these vessels.

The researchers and reviewers of this paper assert that the immune system exerts effects on the brain. Please allow me to daydream and make a leap with much larger possible implications  what if the reverse is also true? How much more exciting is the notion that the brain influences the function of the immune system?

After nearly four decades on this Earth and a decade and a half in clinical medicine, I am absolutely certain that the brain influences the health of the body, and the body influences the health of the brain. Every health problem is an organic one. Every health problem is a psychiatric one.

What if the dopamine and endorphins released after a challenging exercise session are making you even healthier than we thought? What if the serotonin and dopamine released while you eat a meal lovingly prepared by a family member are exerting beneficial effects on your immune system? Maybe Grandmas homemade chicken soup actually does have healing powers! What if the serotonin released when you perform an act of kindness makes you more likely to fight off infections? What if the dopamine and oxytocin released during satisfying sex with someone you love helps your immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells? What if the oxytocin released during breastfeeding serves an evolutionary function to stimulate antibody production, in turn promoting moms and babys health? What if these happy hormones promote immune function?

Couldnt this discovery (and my creative daydreaming) help explain why happy people are generally healthier, and why depression can bring physical illness? I know it is a chicken or the egg debate. Maybe happy people are healthy because they are happy. Maybe healthy people are happy because they are healthy. Maybe it is some of both.

I fully understand that research in immunotherapy and immunomodulating pharmaceuticals stand to make lots of people lots of money. I expect that, for this reason, most of the research communitys focus will be on the ways the immune system influences neurologic disease. But I sure hope there are some researchers willing to explore the opposite, because it could truly revolutionize our understanding of the mind-body connection, and the role of the brain in illness and wellness. What if the most incredible and powerful drugs in the world arent made in factories and labs, but in our own minds and bodies?

When Descartes dissected the brain and found the pineal gland in 1649, he claimed to have found the seat of the soul. Subsequent and modern anatomists and scientists have dismissed his assertion as quaint but absurd. Perhaps he wasnt guilty of faulty science or reasoning after all. Maybe the problem is modern sciences difficulty defining the soul itself. Maybe we are about to do just that.

Keith Pochick is an emergency physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Best Foreclosure Sites for Finding Properties

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Aug 12 (Reuters) - Boeing Co's BA.N KC-46A refueling plane has been approved for production, with work underway for the first two low-rate initial production lots to be awarded in the next 30 days, the U.S. Air Force said on Friday,

"The KC-46 program has made significant strides in moving the Air Force toward the modernization needed in our strategic tanker fleet," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a statement announcing the approval,

The Air Force added it would soon award Boeing contracts for the first two batches, 19 aircraft in total, with a pre-negotiated combined value of $2.8 billion,

Last month the KC-46 refueled an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in flight, passing the final test needed to begin initial low-rate production. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1A50FO The Air Force said in June that it was seeking compensation from Boeing for delays in the program. Boeing already has taken $1.3 billion in pretax charges for cost overruns,

Boeing expects to deliver a first batch of 18 tankers in January 2018 instead of August 2017,

"Production approval is an important, positive step for the program, and the Boeing/Air Force team has worked extremely hard to get to this point," Boeing spokeswoman Caroline Hutcheson said,

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)
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By Barbara McMichael

Family Tree  Susan Wiggs

William Morrow  368 pp.  $25.99

Bainbridge Island has its share of #1 New York Times best-selling authors, but can anyone top BI resident Susan Wiggs, who has written more than 50 books and sold millions upon millions of copies in the process? She's back at it with "Family Tree," the first book to come out of her new association with publisher William Morrow.

This novel focuses on the producer of "The Key Ingredient," a popular, California-based cooking show on TV. Vermont-born Annie Rush is the brains behind the camera  it was her concept to begin with. Her husband, Martin Harlow, is the charismatic on-screen chef and co-host.

Regular spats are inevitable when spouses work so closely together, but when Annie discovers she is pregnant, she is overjoyed. She rushes to her husband's trailer on-set to tell him the good news  and discovers Martin in flagrante delicto with his on-screen sidekick.

Blindsided, she careens away from the vivid scene, only to be caught up in an accident just moments later  a scissors-lift on the set fails and a scaffold collapses on top of her.

When she comes to, it is in a rehab facility one year later, and she is back in Vermont. The medical team overseeing her recovery counsels her family not to overwhelm Annie with all that has happened since she went into a coma, but to let her recuperate at her own pace.

Martin is nowhere around, but Annie's mother, brother, and sister-in-law are there to help. Annie's dad is there, too, which seems strange, because he had deserted the family several years ago.

And a few friends from high school drop by, including handsome Fletcher Wyndham. Annie remembers that he had been her high school sweetheart  he still sparks an uncanny effect on her  but she can't remember what had caused them to break apart.

Annie undergoes grueling physical therapy and continues to recover her memories. She learns that after the accident, as soon as it became clear that her recovery was in doubt, Martin divorced her, shipped her back to her family in Vermont, and carried on with both the show and his co-star.

Eventually, Annie also remembers that she had been pregnant, and she succumbs to fresh grief when she realizes that the accident that befell her also ended her pregnancy.

Wiggs tells the story of "Family Tree" in Now and Then chapters, as well as from the points of view not only of Annie, but also of Fletcher and occasionally of Annie's mom. This is an effective way of sharing the characters' unvoiced fears and motivations with the readers, but the whipsawing plot line does become wearisome.

As the lead character, Annie is a strong-willed, hardworking dreamer  complicated but likable. Her male counterparts are less well-drawn: Fletcher is one of those too-good-to-be-true packages, and Martin is a charming snake.

Nonetheless, Wiggs knows how to create a story that has dimension. Annie has to grapple with issues of identity, ambition, family ties and romance. "Family Tree" has good roots.
Kyla Baesler, right, helps a family pick out school supplies from a table at the Back to School Brigade event in Silverdale Friday. (Christian Vosler / Kitsap Sun)

By Christian Vosler, christian.vosler@kitsapsun.com

SILVERDALE  For some families of service members, the month before school starts can be a difficult time. With spouses on deployment, single parents are left to help kids prepare for school.

To help ease this strain, Operation Homefront distributed more than 300 backpacks filled with schools supplies Friday at its annual Back to School Brigade event at St. Antony's Episcopal Church in Silverdale.

Back to School Brigade offered backpacks pre-stuffed with the basics, according to Operation Homefront project manager April Franklin. Donated school supplies arrayed on long tables allowed kids to augment their backpacks.

"It's wonderful," Franklin said. "You get to interact with the families and see the smiles on their faces."

Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit that assists military families with financial matters. They've distributed 30,000 backpacks nationwide already this year, according to a news release.

Amber Smith volunteered for the Back to School Brigade this year. Smith, who has two kids and nine years of Navy service, will be deploying to Japan this month. She said military families sacrifice a lot without receiving much recognition. Events like these help military families save money and time.

"It's instrumental to keeping us afloat," Smith said.

Alysa Schnepf's husband is a sailor on the submarine USS Louisiana. She said the Brigade saves her time and money on school supplies, and also makes it into a fun event for her kids who would otherwise complain about back to school shopping.

"We very rarely have to pick up anything else after (attending Back to School Brigade)," she said.

Here are some other back-to-school events happening in the coming days:

Bremerton Back to School Fair & Fun Run

When: 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 16

Where: Mountain View Middle School, 2400 Perry Ave, Bremerton

Bremerton Food Line Back to School Event

When: noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 18

Where: Bremerton Foodline, 1600 12th St., Bremerton

South Kitsap School District Back to School Celebration

When: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 20

Where: Marcus Whitman Junior High, 1887 Madrona Dr SE, Port Orchard

Free School Supplies and BBQ Lunch in Bremerton

When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 20

Where: The River NW Church, 1500 Riddell Road, Bremerton

"Ready to Ride" School Bus Safety Event in Central Kitsap

When: 5-7 p.m. Aug. 30

Where: CKSD Transportation building, 10170 Frontier Place NW, Silverdale
Coleman Dock will be a busy place on Saturday  perhaps busier than any other day all year. (KITSAP SUN FILE)

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By Ed Friedrich of the Kitsap Sun

SEATTLE  Washington State Ferries' busiest travel day is nearly always a mid-summer Saturday, possibly the one coming up.

One only has to go back a year to find an exception, when it fell on a Friday. But there should be an asterisk beside it. The day was July 3, which most people had off from work, so it functioned like a Saturday. A total of 105,336 riders boarded the boats that day.

It edged the 105,275 riders who rode on July 18, 104,410 on Aug. 1 and 103,907 on Aug. 8  all Saturdays.

Along with annual ridership, the number of people traveling on the busiest day also has been growing. In 2014, customers peaked at around 104,430 on July 26 and 103,870 on Aug. 9  both Saturdays. The top day for 2013 was Saturday, Aug. 17, with 102,291.

Ferry ridership jumps about 50 percent during the summer when tourists flood the region, said WSF spokesman Ian Sterling.

"That speaks to the popularity of the ferry system being the top destination of tourists," he said. "It's a pretty awesome resource to have here in Washington state to see our beautiful scenery that the rest of the world doesn't have."

An improving economy, cheaper gas, reservations that guarantee passage and sunshine also make the ferries look more attractive.

One might say it's no surprise that Saturdays are the busiest travel days of the week. Fridays and Sundays have the longest wait times, however. They're just not as steady.

People on Saturdays are moving around throughout the day, Sterling said. "You see the waits when everybody is trying to leave town at the same time on Friday and everybody wants to come back on Sunday afternoon," he said. "On Saturday the demand is more spread out."

Full boats are good for WSF to buy fuel and pay workers, but not so much for drivers trying to get across Puget Sound. Summer wait times can reach three hours on Friday evenings in Edmonds and Sundays in Kingston, with lesser waits around the rest of the system.

How do people deal with the waits? Many say they travel during off-peak hours or avoid ferries altogether.

"In the past 10 years, I can count the number of times I have traveled to Seattle via a Washington state ferry on one hand," said Alan Hansen of Bremerton. "I simply drive around, regardless of the time of year."

Others accept the delays and try to use the time productively. Cathleen Mason Coleman of Silverdale said her daughter has commuted to Renton all summer for an internship.

"She sleeps on the 6:20 ferry on the way over," Coleman said. "She takes the Bainbridge or the Bremerton back and has listened to over 130 hours of books online from the Kitsap Regional Library."

Ryan Davies says he doesn't let the wait bother him, either. He keeps real-time tabs on the boats via WSF's "Vessel Watch" page.

"If the ferry is more than 15 minutes late, I know I can stop for a beer after work and still make it," he said. "I have lots of friends that also commute that I can catch up with, so it's no big deal. I could be stuck in bad traffic on a bus just the same."

Danielle St. Amand-Butler of Bremerton schedules her son's doctor's visits around busy boats.

"I only make the appointments for morning times so I can rush out and make sure I get a boat back before the 3 (p.m.)-and-after sailings, which can be a pain in the butt since you don't always get your option of appointments at Children's (Hospital)," she said. "One year we got a medical waiver to be able to skip the line and board the next boat regardless."

One way to get ahead of the crowd is by riding a motorcycle.

"You can usually get ahead of all the other vehicles, there are cheaper fares and typically you don't have to wait or miss a sailing," said Deborah McFadden of Port Orchard.
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LAS VEGAS  Nevada, which calls itself the "Battle Born State," actually was born prematurely because of Republicans' anxiety. Now, 152 years later, it again is a subject of their anxiety.

Entering 1864, Abraham Lincoln and his party were intensely, and reasonably, in doubt about his re-election. So, scrambling for every electorate vote, Republicans decided to conjure three from thin air  thin desert air. They began the process of admitting Nevada to the union, even though the 1860 census said its population was 6,857, far short of the 60,000 ostensibly required for statehood. Nine days before the election, the Republican-controlled Congress made Nevada a state (although Gen. Sherman's Sept. 2 capture of Atlanta probably guaranteed Lincoln's victory).

On election night 2016, the nation's attention might be focused on Nevada, where Republicans have their most promising, and probably their only realistic, chance to capture a Democratic Senate seat. Harry Reid, Senate minority leader, is retiring, and Republicans' hopes of retaining their majority might depend on Joe Heck replacing Reid.

He is a strong candidate for his party, as his opponent is for hers. Catherine Cortez Masto is a former two-term state attorney general who won re-election even against the 2010 anti-Democratic wave. She would be the Senate's first Latina.

Heck, an emergency room physician and a brigadier general in the Army Reserve, is a third-term congressman from the Las Vegas metropolitan area, where 75 percent of Nevada voters live. His district, where he defeated his 2014 Democratic opponent by 24.6 points, is 19 percent Hispanic and 16 percent Asian-American.

The state's non-Hispanic white population was 79 percent in 1990 and is now 54 percent. There are about 70,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, down from 90,000 in 2012, when Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney here by 67,806 votes. According to the Almanac of American Politics, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and from 2000 to 2007, before the economy cratered. Since 1990, the population of Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, has quadrupled to 286,000, the size of Cincinnati. Heck says many people come to Nevada, which has no income tax, in flight from Democratic governance in contiguous California  but some come with, and retain, Democratic attitudes

Only 24 percent of Nevadans were born in the state, the lowest percentage of any state, which is one reason Nevada was devastated by the subprime mortgage crisis, which left 62 percent of Nevada homeowners "underwater"  owing more on the mortgages than their homes were worth. Today, only 24 percent are, but Cortez Masto is picking at the scab of the post-2008 trauma with ads accusing Heck of putting the "big banks before Nevada families," partly because he has received contributions from the financial industry.

Today, there are 54 Republican senators, seven of whom are in difficult re-election races. If Hillary Clinton becomes president, Vice President Tim Kaine will vote with Democrats to organize a 50-50 Senate. Republicans, needing 51 seats for control, must have a net loss of no more than three.

If, in October, Clinton seems headed for the presidency, Heck may need to convince many Nevadans who are tepidly for Clinton to vote strategically  supporting him so a Republican Senate can restrain her. Reid is determined to keep his seat Democratic, but Heck says that in 2014 Reid's celebrated turnout machine was "an utter disaster."

In 1908, the Silver State (another Nevada nickname, a legacy of the long-since-depleted Comstock Lode) voted for a third and final time for the Democrat's presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan, who favored free coinage of silver. Since then, only once (in 1976, when it favored President Gerald Ford) has Nevada not supported a winner. Which is another reason the nation will be watching Nevada late on Nov. 8.

George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
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"Without a border, we just don't have a country," Donald Trump says repeatedly. For him, the biggest threats to American sovereignty are three-dimensional items that cross our borders, such as unwanted imports and undocumented immigrants.

He's wrong. The biggest threats to American sovereignty are invisible digital dollars wired into U.S. election campaigns from abroad.

Yet Trump seems to welcome foreign influence over our democracy.

Sovereignty is mainly about a government's capacity to govern. A government not fully accountable to its citizens won't pass laws that benefit and protect those citizens  not just laws about trade and immigration but about national security, the environment, labor standards, the economy and all else.

To state it another way: Without a functioning democracy, we just don't have a country.

Trump's recent public request that hackers connected to the Russian government sabotage his opponent, Hillary Clinton, is the tip of a Trumpian iceberg of foreign influence. He's also been actively soliciting campaign funds from officials of foreign governments  in countries such United Kingdom, Iceland and Australia.

According to The Hill, Terri Butler, a member of the Australian parliament, was surprised to receive fundraising solicitations from Trump at her official government email address, asking her to make a "generous contribution" to the Trump campaign.

Bob Blackman, a member of Britain's House of Commons who has also received fundraising requests from the Trump campaign, says, "I did not sign up, these are sent unsolicited."

Peter Bottomley of the U.K. Parliament has received three such solicitations. "Neither (Trump's) sons nor anyone else has answered my questions about how they acquired my email nor why they were asking for financial support that I suppose to be illegal for (Trump) to accept," he told The Hill.

Katrin Jakobsdottir, chair of Left-Green Movement, a democratic socialist party in Iceland, told The Washington Post has "no idea" how she got on Trump's fundraising list.

Someone should let Trump know it's illegal for candidates for federal office to solicit foreign money, regardless of whether the donations ever materialize. In addition, foreign individuals, corporations and governments are barred from either giving money directly to U.S. candidates or spending on advertising to influence U.S. elections.

Why hasn't Trump been held accountable? Because the Federal Election Commission, charged with enforcing the law, is gridlocked by its Republican appointees.

So we're left with a presidential candidate screaming about threats to American sovereignty from trade and immigration while simultaneously urging officials of foreign governments to compromise American sovereignty.

The hypocrisy doesn't end there. Leading Trump supporters such as Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, are quick to blame global American corporations for disregarding American borders.

"There just seems to be this view, particularly in much of our business community  they've already transitioned to a transnational status," Sessions says. "They just see the world differently. Borders are just impediments to them."

Yes, but the only way Americans have a fighting chance of getting trade deals that are in our interest  or, for that matter, any other kind of legislation that helps the vast majority of citizens  is by restricting the flow of global corporate money into American politics.

Yet Sessions is one of the staunchest defenders of the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling, which held that corporations are people under the First Amendment and can therefore contribute to election campaigns. (He's even favorably compared Citizens United v. FEC to Brown v. Board of Education.)

Not incidentally, the Citizens United decision opened a back door for global corporations to influence American elections.

Just last week The Intercept reported on two Chinese citizens living in Singapore who own a U.S.-based firm called American Pacific International Capital, on whose board Neil Bush (Jeb's brother) serves. Last year, the corporation donated $1.3 million to the Jeb Bush super PAC.

There's reason to believe a lot more foreign money is being funneled into American election campaigns, either through tax-exempt entities that don't have to reveal the identities of their donors, or via super PACs. So far in the 2016 election there's been a surge of contributions to super PACs by so-called "ghost corporations" whose ownership remains unknown.

The underlying problem is even larger, because almost all large, publicly-traded American companies have some foreign ownership. The Treasury Department estimates that about a quarter of the total market value of public U.S. corporations is owned by foreign nationals.

So whenever these corporations make campaign donations, they in effect funnel some of their foreign shareholders' assets into American politics.

That wouldn't matter so much if these global corporations cared about America. But they don't. They care only about their global bottom lines. As an Apple executive told The New York Times in 2012, "We don't have an obligation to solve America's problems."

Donald Trump is right to worry about American sovereignty. But the real threat to our sovereignty isn't imports or immigrants. It's global money influencing our politics.

Protecting our democracy requires two steps that Trump and his leading supporters oppose: First, enforce our laws against soliciting or receiving foreign money in our election campaigns. Second, reverse the Citizens United decision.

Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies.
Stuff reports:

An Indian man who was jailed for raping a 14-year-old girl will not be deported because life in his home country would be too hard.

Oh diddums. I imagine life for the girl he raped is pretty tough also.

In 2003 he arrived in New Zealand with his mother and siblings at the age of nine.

The tribunals decision says that shortly after the family was granted residence, when the man was 14, he raped a girl in an area of bush behind their local temple.

The mans mother and the girls father agreed not to report the matter to police as long as the rapist left for India immediately and never returned.

After arriving back in his birth country the man lived with an uncle, the tribunal decision said. The mans name was not given by the tribunal.

But the house was crowded and he was soon kicked out, dependent on his mother to provide money for food and accommodation while he struggled with the heat and food poisoning.

Not being able to read or write Punjabi he could not find work and nine months later he came back to New Zealand.

The victims family found out and reported the matter to police, the tribunal decision said.

In 2013 he was found guilty of rape and sentenced to three-and-a-half years jail.

He was released on parole a little more than a year later, describing his experience in prison as frightening.
Paula Bennett announced:

New Zealanders are benefiting from the Governments continued focus on front-line services and restraint of bureaucracy, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

The latest report of the public sector cap shows a decrease of 190 to 35,917 full-time equivalent positions in the core public service compared to the previous year.

Currently set at 36,475 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions within core government administrative roles, the cap was introduced in 2008 and reset at the present lower level in 2012.

Overall, numbers are 559 under the present cap and 2,942 below the original 2008 cap.

Back office numbers blew out to by 10,000 to over 45,000 under the previous Government, while families and businesses carried the cost with little to show for it, says Mrs Bennett.
Tracy Watkins writes:

As if national politics wasnt brutal enough, Andrew Little has turned the Wellington mayoral campaign even uglier by verbally attacking a high profile candidate. Little has drawn a new battle line in the mayoral campaign by claiming one of the front runners, Nick Leggett, is a right wing candidate, backed by right wing funding. He also claimed Leggetts campaign manager was a leading identity in the ACT party, which Leggett rejects, as he does the right wing label. None of this would be particularly extraordinary except Leggett is the long time Porirua mayor and a former Labour Party member who only resigned the party when he entered the mayoralty campaign in opposition to its official candidate, Justin Lester.

And if you look at Leggetts resign in Porirua, it could hardly be called right wing. He has a left wing Council which he generally governed well with, and his opposition tended to come from the right.

Littles assault on Leggett as a right winger is revealing on two counts; it tells us the extent to which party politics is taking over local body elections. And it is an insight into the resurgence of Labours age old battle between the left and right factions of the party. Helen Clark kept the factions united by being careful with her favours; Littles approach hints at a purge, rather than a leader prepared to make allowances to keep the partys right wing under the roof of the one broad church.

Damn the Judean Peoples Front!

So what sparked Littles assault on Leggett? The Labour leader found out a member of his caucus, Napier MP Stuart Nash, was due to share a stage with the Wellington mayoral hopeful at an Auckland pub opening.

How terrible.

I have awful news from Andrew. Last night at the Backbencher there were numerous Labour MPs having a drink at the Saunders Unsworth function. And shock horror, there were some right wingers there also.

If Littles intention in taking on Leggett was to give Lester a leg up it could just as likely backfire. It exposes the extent to which national politics has crept into local body elections, something that may not sit well with all voters. It also rips the scab open on Labours left right divide. And given the partys brutal history on that front  think back to the Lange, Douglas years  he might regret going there.

If Leggett wins, how will Little work with him having attacked him like this?

But as Watkins suggests, being attacked by Little may help Leggett in Wellington.

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By Faye Jones, Chapter16.org

After being mistaken for dead by a flight attendant, Richard Lazar is greeted at the airport by Vance Allerby, a college student who is also the president of Lazar's fan club  a club with presently one member. On the drive to the college, Vance wants to talk about writing and share his own manuscript. Richard wants to find a bar.

Later in the alcohol-soaked evening it dawns on him that he's hurt Vance by dismissing his own writing, so he can't say no when the young man asks to be his driver for the rest of his tour. In his debut novel, "The Grand Tour," former Knoxvillian Adam O' Fallon Price sends the world's most dysfunctional writer and his greatest (and only) fan on a book tour that is both heartbreaking and hilarious.

Richard Lazar has published a few forgettable novels when he receives the remarkable news that his latest book, a memoir about his time in Vietnam, has become a success. There have been very few successes in Richard's life. Besides the mostly unread novels, his failures include two bad marriages, an adult daughter who barely speaks to him, and an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Meanwhile, Vance has his own problems. His father deserted the family, and his depressive mother stays in bed for weeks at a time. He has dropped out of college, a loner buried in books. The two are a match made in dysfunctional hell.

Things go wrong and then keep going wrong. They can't find a hotel. The car breaks down. Richard won't stop drinking. Encounters with family members are beyond depressing. At every stop in the tour it seems they have hit bottom, with nowhere to go but up. But Price doesn't let his characters off so easily; they must play out the version of the world they've created.

While this novel is dark, there's a great deal of humor in it as well, a wit that springs primarily from the jaded world view of Richard Lazar. When Vance's car breaks down, Price writes, "Richard waved at a passing car, which accelerated. But after three more tries, someone with a sufficient shred of conscience, or else nowhere important to be, pulled over. A very fat man  fatter than Richard, an increasingly rare and gratifying occurrence  got out and stood by his car." In California, "The next motel they encountered was a dreary cluster of rundown standalone huts called Famous Ray's. Richard assumed the name was in honor of a locally famous murderer who had done his best work on the premises." When they finally find a place to camp, Richard says, "This is the kind of place where people get murdered, you know. I'm not saying it's not beautiful. It's just a good murderin' spot. No decent murderer could resist killing someone here."

In addition to the sections written from Vance's and Richard's points of view, the novel also includes excerpts from Richard's Vietnam memoir, which work as a counterpoint to Richard's bad behavior by demonstrating what a good writer he is: "I wonder if the following realization is universal to everyone who's just killed someone: that you are now, and always will be, a killer. It is a very clear line, and once you've crossed it, there's no going back. You can't unkill someone, no matter how much you'd like to, and you can't unkiller yourself. For the rest of your life, you have the honor of being in the select group of human beings who have ended another human being's life."

Price offers no easy solutions to his characters' problems and skillfully plays with narrative expectations  readers looking for tear-filled reconciliations and surrogate fathers will be disappointed. The punishments dealt out to Vance, whose only sin is to be a lonely kid from a dysfunctional home, seem especially sad. But Price realizes something that most of us would like to forget: the world is not fair, decent people suffer, and repentance is sometimes simply not in the cards.

But, as he also reminds us, even in such a world there can still be hope.

For more local book coverage, visit http://chapter16.org/, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.

FICTION

The Grand Tour by Adam O'Fallon Price (Doubleday, 320 pages, $26.95)

DISCUSSION

Who: Adam O'Fallon Price

Where: Union Ave. Books

When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17
Photos by Clayton Hensley/Special to the News Sentinel Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Hollywild Animal Park introduces people to many "show biz" animals.

By Clayton Hensley, Special to the News Sentinel

Sprawled out along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Spartanburg, S.C., has witnessed a number of revolutionary periods in American history. In the heart of the city, a granite column rises high above Main Street. Atop it, a nine-foot-tall likeness of Gen. Daniel Morgan stands tall with his sword drawn and his hand raised and ready for battle. Morgan and a group of Patriots defeated the British at the Battle of Cowpens about 20 miles northeast, an event that was a turning point of the Revolutionary War. The monument at Morgan Square is a great place to begin wandering through the Spartanburg area.

Spartanburg businesses often pay homage to the days when the city was a hub for the railroads. Signs around town welcome folks to "The Hub City." You'll find the Hub City Bookshop, an independent bookstore that's a big draw for readers and writers. The Hub City Farmers Market offers fresh area produce, and lines form at Hub City Scoops where ice cream helps cool you down during the hot South Carolina summer. Last, but not least, an extensive network of trails in the city has made Spartanburg a hub for cyclists.

The downtown area continues to evolve, thanks in part to a city-sponsored contest that resulted in new businesses sprouting on Main Street and beyond. One of those is the Local Hiker. Sitting in the shadow of Denny's world headquarters (the city's tallest building), this small shop provides a big selection of quality gear and supplies as well as firsthand knowledge of the countless opportunities for hiking in the Upcountry. Haute Mama Maternity shop and Motte & Sons Bootlegging Company are other contest winners doing business downtown.

These new additions join businesses like the Imagination Station toy store, a place where creative energy flows and people looking for unique toys are sure to find something they like. From Irish dishes to Wild Wings, there are abundant choices when it comes to pleasing your palate, and soon, a new $20 million hotel will join the businesses locating downtown.

WEAVING THROUGH THE PAST

In the mid-1800s, Spartanburg and Spartanburg County found itself in the middle of a manufacturing revolution. Textile mills started springing up, forever changing life in this part of the state. Many of the mills are gone now, but there are plenty of reminders of this important chapter of history.

A large white horse perched on the pier of an old bridge stands as a reminder of Pacolet's rich history in the textile industry. The stallion was a symbol used on Pacolet Cloth products produced by this company southeast of Spartanburg. Today, the old mill offices serve as a town hall and a history museum. The building features a terra cotta roof and a concrete pergola with a staircase winding down the hill toward the Old Cloth Room and Warehouse. It is the biggest piece of the mill complex still standing. This historic district is also home to 200 textile mill-era homes and a large amphitheater overlooking the Pacolet River.

The Revolutionary War and the textile revolution cross paths in the town of Glendale. An old iron bridge crosses over falls on a river a few hundred feet from where a mighty mill once stood. Fire destroyed the mill in 2004, but its prestigious tower still rises high above the town. Its arched windows, fading brick and the simple words "Glendale Mills" painted in white immediately take you back to a time when hundreds of workers cranked out goods like shoes made for Confederate soldiers.

Across the river a historical marker tells the story of the time the American Revolution came to what is now Glendale. In 1780, the King's Army and Patriot forces confronted one another at the Iron Works that preceded the textile mill. Patriot forces retreated and British forces returned to their camp, but a British loyalist ended up destroying the Iron Works in 1781.

PLANTATION LIFE

Images of plantations in South Carolina conjure up stately antebellum mansions, trees draped with Spanish moss and a life of luxury. Walnut Grove paints a different kind of picture. Charles Moore established the plantation as part of a land grant from the King of England in the 1760s. He and his wife Mary lived there for 40 years, raising 10 children, including a son who became the area's first doctor and a daughter who served as a scout for Gen. Daniel Morgan during the Battle of Cowpens.

Today, the local Historical Society preserves the grounds and tells its story. The main home sits a few yards away from a major route leading from South Carolina's Low Country to what was then called the "Backcountry."

The main home sits atop stone pillars. Its beige clapboard siding and burgundy shutters work to hide its true age. However, on the front porch, a small pane of glass reveals the log cabin frame underneath. Inside the home, ceilings are low, the rooms quite small and the furnishings modest. Guides at the plantation explain all that visitors see and help them understand this family's role in South Carolina and American history.

THE SCENIC SIDE

With seven thousand acres of forests, lakes and streams, Croft State Park provides a great place to get away from the hectic pace of life. Standing beside Lake Craig, visitors gaze out to unspoiled tree lines clinging to the shores. Circles form on the water as fish and a few turtles make their way to the surface. Canoes, kayaks and fishing boats with trolling motors are the only ones allowed on the lake, so its serene setting always remains intact.

The stillness of the lake is only part of the natural wonder of Croft State Park. There are more than a dozen miles of trails for both hikers and horseback riders. Fairforest Creek flows through the park too, providing ample opportunities to cool down in the rushing water. There's even a footbridge across the creek taking hikers even deeper into the forest.

It's hard to believe that 70 years ago, the noise level coming from this area could be deafening. During World War II, the area served as a U.S. military training facility. Over the course of several years, tens of thousands of troops trained at Camp Croft, which was also used to house hundreds of German P.O.W.s.

DRIVE ON THE WILD SIDE

California has Hollywood, but the Spartanburg area has Hollywild. Part safari and part zoo, this is where animals like "Tank" the white rhinoceros hang out. You may have seen him in a Land Rover commercial. Then there's Chewy, a male lion Walt Disney artists used as a model for the character "Scar" in "The Lion King." There are bears, cougars, leopards and Siberian tigers, all of which have been in commercials and/or movies. Hollywild calls these show biz animals their celebrity "Zooperstars."

Tucked away in a farming community, this sprawling attraction is a non-profit organization that's been around for more than 40 years. One of the big attractions is the safari ride where guests board old school buses and head out onto the "plain" to get up close to (and feed) deer, water buffalo, American buffalo, zebra, emu and much more. After the ride, there's plenty of time to check out the daily creature feature, peacocks proudly displaying their plumes, and dozens more animals from all around the world.
Knox County Republicans continue to look for a campaign headquarters location, although a key supporter for presidential nominee Donald Trump had said in May the plan was to have a place after the national GOP convention was held.

Buddy Burkhardt, Knox County GOP chairman, said Friday he had hoped to have something by now. He said former Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison, a Trump delegate at the July 18-21 convention, was the "loudest" about finding space and had not yet found anything, either.

Burkhardt said the delay has nothing to do with any local opposition to Trump.

"We're frugal. We're poor. We're broke," he said. "It is difficult to get short-term office space."

Burkhardt said he would prefer space be donated.

R. Larry Smith, a former county commissioner looking at seeking another commission office in two years, owns the 640 North building at I-640 and Broadway. Knox Republicans were there for years rent-free except for paying some utility costs, he said. Usually in years when presidential and governor's races were held, other locations were used in addition to that space, Smith said.

Then a location in the Bearden area was used by Knox Republicans, but now it's closed. Smith said he has vacant space if the party is interested.

Burkhardt said he had been covered up at work in the technical support office of the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

"I haven't spent the time needed to ferret out all the possibilities available to us," Burkhardt said.

He said Hutchison spends a lot of time in South Carolina.

"It's a bad time but not a disaster," Burkhardt said.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's local supporters are on the second floor of the Knox County Democratic Party headquarters, 311 Morgan St., with various activities underway or planned.

Elizabeth Rowland, strategy and coordination captain for Hillary for Knoxville, said Democrats have a phone bank on Sundays and are scheduled at community events over the weekend. Tyler Yount, state director for the Clinton campaign, will be in Knoxville on Tuesday for a training session, she said.

An open house at the headquarters is planned for 2-5 p.m. Aug. 27, she said.

LUNCHEON SPEAKER: Lisa Quigley, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, speaks at noon today to the Democratic Women of Knoxville's Women of Faith luncheon at the Foundry. She is expected to talk about women in politics in Tennessee and the Clinton campaign.
Tippany Patrick, left, and Sam England help a fellow student move in at the University of Tennessee on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. (CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL)

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By MJ Slaby of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Roughly 3,000 students, as well their families and friends, will arrive on campus Saturday to move into dorms at the University of Tennessee before the start of the fall semester.

Early move-in started last Monday and was throughout the week, but Saturday is the biggest day for students to arrive to their on-campus housing.

About 7,100 students are expected to live on campus this fall.

Dorms open at 8 a.m. Saturday, according to UT.

Volunteers from both the university and the community will be there to help students unload their vehicles. UT staff can also answer any questions, according to a UT news release.

Classes start Wednesday for the fall semester.

The large number of students moving in will cause some on-campus traffic changes for the day.

According to UT, Andy Holt Avenue will be closed to through traffic from Volunteer Boulevard to Pat Head Summitt Street, which will be southbound-only from Andy Holt to Volunteer avenues.

Twentieth Street will also be closed.

University officials recommend avoiding Andy Holt Avenue and streets around it if possible on move-in day.

Also on campus, the section of Volunteer Boulevard from Pat Head Summitt Street to Todd Helton Drive that was recently closed for a streetscape improvement project reopened on Friday.

Not far from that stretch of road is the new UT parking garage on Volunteer Boulevard.

It opened Monday and has more than 1,000 spaces on six levels. About 800 parking spots are designated for commuter students and 200 are for faculty and staff.

Until the attached Stokely Family Residence Hall is complete, the only entrance to the garage is on Pat Head Summitt Street.

Stokely Family Residence Hall is expected to open in January 2017.

New this year is White Hall on the west side of campus. Its sister building, Orange Hall, will open later in the semester, and students who move into Humes Hall this weekend will relocate to the new Orange Hall. Humes will then be demolished and a new dining facility will be built on the site, said Frank Cuevas, executive director of university housing.

Orange and White halls are part of an ongoing UT plan to improve residence halls on the west side of campus. Students in Reese Hall will move into the new dorm right before the spring semester starts, Cuevas said.

And construction for the Cumberland Avenue corridor project near campus continues.

Cumberland is open, but is down to one lane in each direction between 22nd and 16th streets.

According to UT, campus should be accessed by taking Neyland Drive to Joe Johnson Drive or Lake Loudoun Boulevard.

For students moving in, Welcome Week activities begin this weekend and include traditions like Sunday's Torch Night, which serves as a formal welcome to incoming students.
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East Tennessee State University invites mothers with teenage daughters to participate in a project that aims to improve the way people talk about teen health.

Health Chat is a private Facebook community that shares health information and resources about physical activity, nutrition, bullying, cancer prevention, vaccinations, mental health, tobacco, drug use and more, according to a news release from ETSU.

"We've been testing this program with local moms over the past six months, and we are now ready for moms to enroll," said Dr. Katie Baker, assistant professor in the ETSU College of Public Health. "The moms who have been a part of this program so far have really enjoyed it, calling it a 'one-stop shop' for information on teen health.

"They found it especially beneficial in helping them start conversations with their daughters about these topics. And for us, that's the bottom line, to improve mother-daughter communication so that we may also improve health."

To join Health Chat, a person must be a Tennessee resident, have a daughter between the ages of 14 and 17, and have or be willing to create a Facebook account.

Participants will be asked to complete three brief surveys with their daughters, and they will be compensated for their time, according to the release.

Health Chat is sponsored by ETSU in conjunction with the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Klein Buendel Inc. The program is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute and supported by the Tennessee Coordinated School Health Program.

For more information, visit www.TNhealthchat.org, email healthchat@etsu.edu or call 423-439-4788.
SHARE Stephen Allsop, Harvard/MIT MD/Ph.D. candidate, will be the featured guest for the 2016 TENSE Summit and the inaugural Gala on Saturday.

By News Sentinel Staff

KNOXVILLE  The University of Tennessee will play host to a summit Saturday for teens aimed at breaking down stereotypes surrounding minority and low-income students.

The fifth annual TENSE Summit  which stands for Teaching to Eliminate Negative Stereotypes through Education  will include workshops about issues surrounding minority communities, according to organizers.

Stephen Allsop, a medical school graduate of Harvard and Ph.D. graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology who plans to be a neurosurgeon, will be the keynote speaker.

"The TENSE approach is unique in its embrace of the current culture," said founder A.J. Donaldson, an East Knoxville native, said in a statement. "We understand that to begin to close the cultural gap, we must first establish effective communication and rapport with the target population."

The event kicks off at 8:30 a.m. at the Haslam Business Building and will conclude with a gala to support scholarships for Knoxville students pursuing higher education at the Relix Variety Theatre.

Last year's summit drew more than 200 participants.

To find out more about the summit, visit http://tensesummit.org.
By Don Jacobs of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Few drivers know of the safety features embedded in the pavement along the stretch of Interstate 40 in downtown Knoxville where six people have died in wrong-way crashes since 2013.

Reflective markers that guide drivers on rain-slicked black asphalt appear white when illuminated by headlights by those traveling in the correct direction. For the wrong-way driver, the roadway becomes a line of red dots.

The Tennessee driver's manual noted since 2005 the reflective safety feature recommended by the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Bill Miller, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Safety, which issues and revokes drivers' licenses, did not respond to questions about whether new drivers are educated about the feature.

Officials in the Knoxville area, designated Region 1, made a concerted effort in 2014 to prevent the wrong-way crashes that killed four people the prior year.

"The Wrong Way Project" in Region 1 launched a program that March to install wrong-way reflective pavement markers at interstate ramps. The program involved adding arrows formed by the reflective markers to alert drivers headed in the wrong direction. Records provided by Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Nagi show $106,255 spent to add 336 of the reflective arrows to ramps across East Tennessee. The program also added red strips to the poles bearing the 'Wrong Way' and 'Do Not Enter' signs at ramps.

"This has been established as our new standard in an effort to prevent wrong-way crashes," the TDOT document states.

Nagi said two styles of reflective markers are installed on state routes. In areas with little snow, a reflective marker costing about $5 each is glued to the pavement. For areas with substantial snowfall, a metal-encased reflective marker deemed a snowplowable marker, costing $15-$20 each, is embedded in the pavement.

But there doesn't appear to have been any kind of educational program aimed at drivers to raise awareness of the reflective markings added after 2014.

One group that has been explaining the reflective markers on state roads is AAA-The Auto Club Group. Stephanie Milani, Tennessee spokesman for the group, said for years the AAA Roadwise Driver program presented monthly at senior citizen centers in Knox County has covered the reflective markers.

"Tennessee is in the top 10 percent in the nation for crashes involving wrong-way drivers," Milani said Friday. "Our instructors do point out the markers in this course.

"We tell them when they see red, that means to stop and figure out quickly what the situation is."

Seniors completing the course can get a reduction in their insurance costs, she said.

"They know there's reflectors in the road, but when you tell them the reflectors are red on the other side, that's an 'ah-ha!' moment for most drivers," Milani said. "It's definitely new information."

The auto club in December completed a statewide survey that found "nearly four out of five Tennesseans were concerned about wrong-way driving in their area," she said. "One in three residents see wrong-way drivers three or more times a years."

Not only were respondents concerned about interstate wrong-way drivers, but they also noted issues with confused drivers on downtown streets because of the prevalence of one-way roads.

"If there is a good thing about going the wrong way downtown, you're not going at high speeds," Milani said.

Overall, the survey emphasized the "need for education about wrong-way crashes," she said. The auto group is developing potential low-cost enhancements to improve conditions at interstate ramps to present to state officials for review.

"Education goes a long way and, of course, not being intoxicated is important, also," Milani said.

Of the top 10 states for wrong-way crashes, based on federal data, Texas has the highest number of cases, followed by California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arizona. More than 350 people nationwide die each year in such crashes, statistics show.

The issue of wrong-way drivers in 2012-13 was the focus of a National Transportation Safety Board study that reviewed 10 wrong-way fatal crashes across the nation and all fatal crashes from 2004-09. The study concluded fewer than 3 percent of fatal crashes annually were caused by wrong-way drivers, but a wrong-way crash was 27 times more likely to result in death than other wrecks.

Of the available reports, about 60 percent of all fatal crashes involved intoxicated drivers, according to the study.

The study results are borne out by the five crashes on the downtown stretch of I-40 in Knoxville that have claimed six lives since 2013. Officials documented intoxication in three crashes and were unable to obtain blood samples in two, but suspected driver impairment.

Nine percent of wrong-way drivers had been previously convicted of drunken driving within three years of the wreck, as opposed to 3.2 percent of a control group, the study noted.

That prompted the NTSB to recommend states mandate ignition control locks on drivers convicted of drunken driving. Tennessee has not adopted such a law.

While most drivers involved in wrong-way crashes were between the ages of 20 and 50, more drivers older than 70 were killed in wrong-way crashes than in right-way crashes, the study found. For drivers older than 80, the study found 119 drivers killed in wrong-way crashes, as opposed to four killed in crashes while headed in the right direction from 2004-09.

The study also concluded interstate ramps for entrance and exit located near each other were more conducive to wrong-way driving.
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President Harry Truman said that as a young man he felt torn between a career as a politician or a piano player in a whorehouse, as he could see little difference between the two. Truman was an unusually honest politician.

Very often our elected leaders prefer legislating morality to practicing it. Our state Legislature, so quick to condemn and defund the student-led "Sex Week" at the University of Tennessee, has been remarkably silent about the conduct of one of its own members.

The state attorney general reports that there were 22 allegations of sexual harassment against state Rep. Jeremy Durham who, although ousted by voters in his Williamson County district, will receive a lifetime of taxpayer benefits, pension and health care, thanks to legislative inaction. If only our state's flagship university could experience such deference.

A young woman who grew up in my church became a lobbyist in Nashville. When I asked her about her job she surprised me by saying, "It's like being at a very bad frat party."

One reason sexuality education on a university campus is a good thing is that it can help a young person navigate the potential hazards of a frat party and/or a career with the Legislature.

Full disclosure: My daughter is on the steering committee of Sexual Empowerment at Tennessee (SEAT), which organizes Sex Week and is dedicated to fostering comprehensive and academically informed conversations about human sexuality.

My daughter's curiosity about this subject may have been increased by a tour of the West Wing of the White House we took together when she was only 14 years old.

Being in the Oval Office was amazing. I was very excited about this opportunity for a unique civics lesson. At some point our guide informed us that he had been an intern during the Clinton era and served with Monica Lewinsky. I immediately began to worry that my daughter might learn great deal more White House history than I had bargained for. Fortunately, our church has a comprehensive sexuality education program for teens, so she was prepared.

Soon there might be another Clinton in the White House. Of course, if Donald Trump wins we will have the man who penned these words for his autobiography: "If I told the real stories of my experiences with women, often seemingly very happily married and important women, this book would be a guaranteed best-seller."

I am not sure why we expect our university students to remain silent about sex when our politicians are so forthcoming.

Trump has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in Tennessee, been endorsed by most major leaders and is expected to carry our state in the general election. If only our young, idealistic and responsible college students could receive such meaningful support from their own elected leaders.

This year a legislator who once tried to persuade his mistress to have an abortion won his party's primary on a pro-life platform and is expected to win in the general election. Other legislators who remained silent in the face of a colleague's egregious sexual harassment may sail back into office as well.

However, if anyone loses this election they can take comfort in the fact that the latest jobs report shows a stronger economy. There are many opportunities out there in the private sector, especially for those who can play piano.

Chris Buice is pastor of Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville.
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Do you remember a bully from grade school, throwing his (or her) weight around, pushing or striking others, calling them names, being egotistical and being a know-it-all? Donald Trump's childish behavior is very similar.

He makes up nicknames that include crooked Hillary Clinton, lyin' Ted Cruz, little Marco Rubio, low-energy Jeb Bush, crazy Bernie Sanders and goofy Elizabeth Warren.

He says he is the only one with the ability to fix America.

He said he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin a friend after talking to him, then doesn't recall ever meeting him.

He attacked Ghazala Khan for not saying anything during her appearance at the Democratic National Convention, suggesting that she was not allowed to speak because of her religion. Then he turned around and said her husband, Khizr Khan, "viciously attacked" him by asking if Trump had ever read the Constitution and said he hadn't made any real sacrifices.

He wants to deport all illegal immigrants, build a wall to prevent them from re-entering the United States, and block all Muslims from entering the country.

He denigrates any woman who challenges or disagrees with him.

Do you honestly think he could comport himself as a trustworthy gentleman when meeting foreign dignitaries?

Chuck Flammang, Sevierville
By Choi Sung-jin



Until the mid-1990s, female college students graduated from their schools in four years, and most male students in seven, including their three years of military service.



Now, staying in school for five or six years is common for women students and it takes 10 years for some men to leave school, as they take off from school for one to three years for various reasons. There is one ultimate reason, however, for their prolonged stay at school: difficulties in landing jobs, especially decent ones.



According to a recent employment survey by Statistics Korea, out of the total number of college graduates as of May 30, 1,307,000, or 44.6 percent, had taken leaves of absence, up 8.3 percentage points from 36.3 percent in May 2007 when the national statistical agency began to collect related data.



As for their reasons, 26.9 percent of those who took time off from school cited landing jobs and preparation for qualifying exams, an increase of 12.3 percentage points from 14.6 percent 2007, hitting the highest level ever. Among others, 15.1 percent did so to learn foreign languages or accumulate experience through working as interns, up 5.1 percentage points from 10.0 percent 2007.



These college graduates had put off their graduation while preparing to get jobs because students can enjoy more benefits than graduates in landing jobs, the report said.



Those who took a scholastic hiatus to earn tuition or living costs accounted for 11.4 percent, down 1.5 percentage points from nine years ago, and the share of students who temporarily left their studies to join the army also dropped from 74.5 percent to 68.6 percent, over the cited period.



Even if they landed jobs by taking time off from university, fewer students found their jobs satisfactory than students did in the past.



When these young people quit their first jobs, their average period of continuous service remained at 15 months, down three months from 18 months, which was the average in 2004.



Asked why they quit, 48.6 percent -- a number sharply higher than the 39.4 percent in 2004 -- said they were dissatisfied with working conditions, including their salaries and working hours. That means nearly one in two young workers resigned from their first jobs because of working conditions that fell short of their expectations.



More than one in 10 workers, or 10.7 percent, resigned because their jobs were temporary or seasonal or because their contract period expired, with the portion more than double the 5.3 percent in 2004.



On the other hand, the number of young workers who resigned for personal reasons, including health, marriage and child care, plunged from 22.3 percent to 13.5 percent, and those who did so because their majors, technical knowledge and aptitudes did not match with their jobs also dropped from 8.7 percent to 8.0 percent.



"Because of the increasingly tougher job market, many college graduates start at small and midsize companies but quit early after finding the working conditions are different from what they wanted," said Byeon Ji-sung, a staff member at Job Korea, a job-seeking portal. "Such phenomenon will deepen unless the government comes up with a policy to narrow the wage gap between large and smaller businesses."




By Andrew Hammond



Washington and Seoul are making final preparations for their annual joint military drills in South Korea later this month. The forthcoming events, which have been widely condemned by the North Korean regime, come at a time of escalating tension in the region following Pyongyang's decision last week to test fire a missile into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time.



The stand-off, in which North Korea has threatened a "vicious" showdown if the military drills proceed, is only the latest example of international political strain in 2016. In the last month alone there has been a failed military coup in Turkey; US missile strikes against so-called Islamic State (IS) militants in Libya; and a spate of significant terrorist attacks in Europe.



What this, collectively, underscores are the warnings that geopolitical risks are currently at their highest level since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. For instance, a recent research report from Citi asserts that the world is facing the "most fluid global political environment in decades", while John Drzik, president of Marsh Global Risk and Specialities, has asserted that "events such as Europe's refugee crisis and terrorist attacks have raised global political instability to its highest level since the Cold War".



The multiple challenges confronting the US-led international order include not just the nuclear diplomacy on the Korean peninsula, and the threat from international terrorism, including IS. Other geopolitical fault lines include the continuing instability in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan; Russia's annexation of Crimea, and the fact that Washington's relations with Moscow are perhaps now more strained than at any time since the collapse of Soviet Communism; and the fact that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process appears moribund, despite recent Egyptian efforts to rejuvenate it.



This landscape underlines that many of the most optimistic hopes and expectations of how the post-Cold War world might look have also been dashed. For instance, the vision of a universal order of liberal, capitalist, democratic states living in peace and contentment -- as painted by Francis Fukuyama and others -- has been replaced by a reality in which authoritarian states such as Russia appear to many to be in the ascendancy, so-called Islamic terrorism remains a significant international concern a decade and a half after 9/11, and several unstable countries, including North Korea have acquired nuclear weaponry.



Some critics of the Obama administration, including Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, see this international picture as being the result of weak leadership in Washington over the last seven and a half years. However, the expectations sometimes placed upon the Obama team from its most trenchant critics are often unrealistically high.



To be sure, just as at the end of the Cold War, the United States remains the most powerful country in the world -- certainly in a military sense. It can still project and deploy overwhelming force relative to any probable enemy. However, Washington is not, to use a term of art in international relations, an all-powerful hegemonic power. And this core fact has been demonstrated repeatedly throughout the post-Cold War period, from Somalia in 1993, Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, and also most recently in Ukraine and Syria.



Trump and other unalloyed critics of the Obama administration also often fail to acknowledge that, while 2016 may be a year of high political uncertainty, the current international landscape also contains multiple areas of opportunity for greater stability.



One example is last year's nuclear deal with Iran and six world powers -- the United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The deal opens up the possibility of a wider warming in ties between Tehran and the West, and also enhancing global nuclear security.



A lasting nuclear settlement with Iran will constitute an important win for long-standing efforts to combat nuclear non-proliferation. And this at a crucial time when, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, over 40 countries have expressed interest in joining the club' of 30 states with nuclear energy.



Another positive is the global climate change deal agreed in Paris last year. While the agreement is by no means perfect, it represents a welcome shot in the arm for attempts to tackle global warming and, crucially, a new post-Kyoto framework has been put in place.



Moreover, the once-every-five-years review framework means that countries can toughen their response to climate change in the future, especially if the political and public will to tackle the problem increases with time. So, Paris is a potentially very important stepping stone and what is now needed are well informed lawmakers from across the political spectrum to help ensure effective implementation and hold governments to account so that it truly delivers.



Meanwhile, the rise of China, which has now surpassed the United States as the world's largest economy on purchasing parity terms, is one of the biggest game changers in global affairs since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This development has potential to be either a growing source of tension with Washington or develop into a fruitful partnership.



Growing bilateral cooperation is possible if the two powers can increasingly cooperate on soft issues like climate change, and find effective ways of resolving harder power disagreements between them, including over territorial claims in the South China Sea. By contrast, bilateral rivalry is possible if Beijing's military power continues to grow rapidly and the country embraces a more assertive foreign policy stance toward its neighbours in Asia.



Taken overall, while 2016 has so far been a year of heightened political strains, there are also opportunities for greater stability too. Going forward, the success of Washington in helping manage the complexity of global affairs will increasingly depend upon cooperation of others, both competitors and allies. A key uncertainty here is the direction of bilateral relations with China which could be a force for greater global tension, or deeper strategic partnership.



Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS (the Centre for International Affairs, Diplomacy and Strategy) at the London School of Economics.




North Korea has been revising the rules of exempting people from the compulsory military service in a bid to address manpower shortages in the military, the U.S.-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) said Friday.



Citing a North Korean source in North Hamgyong Province, the RFA said only childs, and children of plantation workers and mining laborers had been previously exempted from military service, with them being required to work at their parents' workplaces.



"But the revised rules stipulate that anyone aged in their mid-30s or younger who is not subject to military service is now required to join the Army," the source was quoted as saying.



According to the source, the new rules have also applied to young people who are working at firms or married after being exempted from military service.



The source also told the RFA that the North's military manpower body has been indiscriminately sending notices to people to undergo medical tests as the body is looking to recruit those who pass to make up for a drop in available manpower for conscription. The source added that North Korean residents are criticizing the military authorities for its random drive to recruit draftees, which is seen as a tactic to secure construction workers rather than combat soldiers.



The North's birthrate began to fall and its public food rationing system virtually collapsed after a massive famine swept through the country in the mid-1990s, leading to a sharp fall in the youth population for military service in the 2010s. (Yonhap)




Current EU president Slovakia beefed up security at several airports Friday following an unspecified threatening message, the interior ministry said, as Bratislava prepares for a major EU summit next month.

"Based on the threat, we have increased security measures at international airports in Bratislava, Poprad and Kosice," Interior Ministry spokesman Ivan Netik told AFP Friday, but refused to provide further details on character of the message.

"The National Safety and Analysis Center is currently analysing the information we received," Netik added.

The EU's 27 heads of state or government will meet September 16 in the capital Bratislava for an informal summit to chart the bloc's future without Britain after its voters decided to leave in a June referendum.

Slovakia, a eurozone member of 5.4 million currently holds the EU's rotating half-year presidency until January.

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The embattled lecturer at the Department of Languages and Linguistics of the Osun State University, Ikire Campus, Dr. Olabode Ojoniyi, has accused one of the lecturers of the university, who was recently dismissed for an alleged misconduct, as the person who allegedly contracted the 400 level female student to blackmail him.

The female student, who secretly recorded sexual activities involving her and Ojoniyi recently released the video, which has been generating reactions.

But Punch gathered from some students of the university that Ojoniyi, on Friday, posted an open letter on the platform of the Great Linguistics Whatsapp Group, where he accused the female lecturer and the Provost, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, as the architects of his problem.



The embattled lecturer, in the letter entitled, Open letter to Nigerians and the whole world on the alleged UNIOSUN lecturer in sex scandal video also accused Professors Alebiosu O. C and Akintayo D. I of UNIOSUN of connivance with his sworn enemies.

The letter read, I am Olabode Wale OJONIYI, the man in the eyes of the storm of Femi Makindes UNIOSUN lecturer in sex scandal video published in The Punch of 11th August, 2016.

While I have instructed my Lawyers to take appropriate legal steps on the said report in The Punch of yesterday, 11th August, 2016, I am using this medium to inform Nigerians and the whole world that I am ready for an open live television media investigation of the said allegation against me provided that the said lady in the report, Ikwe Ejiro Mercy, will be invited and present.

I am here pleading with well-meaning Nigerians and any reputable television media organisation to quickly organise and call for this open media investigation panel on this case. I sincerely look forward to this open panel. Thank you.

Ojoniyi said he had contacted his lawyers to institute a legal action against Punch on the story, saying he was ready for a live interview by any television station on the matter.

When contacted whether he wrote the letter, Ojoniyi refused to pick calls put across to his telephone line by Punch and the chats sent to him via whatsApp were marked read but the lecturer refused to reply the questions raised.

Meanwhile, one of the lecturers accused by the embattled lecturer, Prof. Alebiosu, when contacted on the telephone by our Punch, said Ojoniyi was making spurious allegations to exonerate himself.

Alebiosu, who was the chairman of the Staff Disciplinary Panel set up by the university to investigate allegations of unlawful adjusting of students marks by some lecturers, said his panel set free the female lecturer because eight persons had the password to the computer from where the marks were adjusted and it would be wrong to pin it down on her.

He explained that after that, another evidence was brought against Dr. Amao and she was eventually sacked due to the fresh evidence against her.

He added that Prof. Ogen brought the sex video before the panel as an evidence against Ojoniyi.

Alebiosu said Ojoniyi admitted that he was the one in the video and he was advised to go and make peace with those in his department because he (Ojoniyi) was at war with virtually everybody.

Alebiosu said, Prof Ogen, who is now the chief executive of the Adeyemi College of Education came to testify and showed the video that has unfortunately gone viral as a testimony against Ojoniyi.

My panel was investigating allegation of mark adjustment and we reported the new evidence to the management and advised him to go and make peace with those in his department. He confirmed he was the one in the video.

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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Oyegun has said his party never knew things were this bad with Nigeria when they were campaigning.

Oyegun said this at a surprise 77th birthday party held for him by staff of the APC National Secretariat yesterday in Abuja.

It has been tough times for the nation. When we were campaigning and it is necessary to continue to hammer on this part, we were not in government. We knew things were very bad, but we did not know they were as bad as we eventually found them and the revelations that come out everyday continue to buttress that fact. Continue



Nobody ever expected the price of crude to collapse in the way it has done and one can only repeat what Mr. President said a few days ago.

That is for being a nation that had an excess crude account, today because of the collapse of the price of crude, a lot of states of this country do not have enough resources to meet their basic functions, responsibilities.

That we would never again depend on a single crop whether it is oil, whether it is solid minerals, whether it is agriculture.

The president is laying a single foundation, very solid foundation, for the take-off of this nation such that all the resources that God has endowed this nation with, whether it is in solid minerals that it is plentiful, whether it is in agriculture, we can grow virtually anything in this nation of ours we have been blessed with rich soil.

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Egyptian leftist political activists Mahinour El-Masry and Youssef Shaaban were released after serving 15 months in prison for "storming" an Alexandria police station in 2013.

El-Masry, a human rights lawyer and Shaaban, a journalist were released Saturday afternoon.

They were sentenced along with eight other defendants to 20 years in prison in February 2015, on charges of "protesting without authorisation", "storming" Alexandria's Raml police station, "damaging property" and "injuring policemen" in March 2013.

In a retrial in May 2015, Mahinour El-Masry and two other defendants including Shaaban were sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Well-known activist El-Masry served four months of a six-month sentence in 2014 in a different case for charges of "illegal protesting" during the Khaled Said murder retrial in December 2013.

During her four months in jail, before the sentence was suspended, El-Masry was awarded the 2014 Ludovic Trarieux Award for her contributions to the defence of human rights.

Taher Mokhtar, a physician who is a member of the Doctors Syndicate's freedoms' committee, was released on Thursday after over six months in detention, along with his two roommates. All three were arrested in January for allegedly inciting protests for the fifth anniversary of the 25 January revolution. Investigations into the case are continuing.

NGOs and human rights organisations had called for the release of Mokhtar and his housemates, highlighting his long advocacy for human rights and for prisoners' access to medical assistance.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated on Saturday that Egypt is facing major economic challenges, saying authorities and citizens must work together and embrace reforms to overcome such dire conditions.

We need to cooperate together, as a nation, to face the current difficult economic conditions, El-Sisi told Egyptians during the inauguration of a petrochemical complex in Alexandria.

In the televised speech, El-Sisi talked about coming economic reforms, including reforms of subsidies.

His statement comes a few days after Egypt and the IMF reached an initial deal for a $12 billion fund facility over three years, expected to be approved by the fund's executive board as well as the country's parliament in the coming weeks.

The Egyptian economy in the course of 60 years, El-Sisi said, has been hit with several blows due to wars, including the 1956 war, the Yemen war, the1967 war, and the 1973 war.

What also added fuel to fire, El-Sisi said, is the perennial terrorism that repeatedly took a toll on tourism. Moreover, an increase in state salaries had led to an EGP 600 billion increase in domestic debt throughout the past four years, he added.

According to El-Sisi, salaries rose from EGP 80 billion before the 2011 revolution to EGP 228 billion yearly after it, raising domestic debt from EGP 800 billion to 2.3 trillion pounds, or a rate of 97 percent of GDP.

He added that 900,000 people have been appointed in the public sector, even though the sector doesn't need such so many employees.

El-Sisi said that the first attempt to introduce economic reforms was in 1977, during the presidency of Anwar El-Sadat, who introduced austerity measures, including the removal of subsidies on basic goods.

The country then witnessed large-scale popular protests, known as the bread intifiada, leading the government to retreat on the measures.

Succeeding governments were afraid to enforce such measures, El-Sisi said, stressing that he will do whatever necessary to improve the economy.

"All tough decisions that many hesitated over long years [...] to take, I will not hesitate for a second to take," he said to applause.

He added that whatever procedures the government would undergo, they would always keep an eye on the humble citizen.

Subsidy reform

As pointed out in several speeches, El-Sisi said the subsidies would be rationed to go to those who are worthy, without giving much further detail.

He said that the government would inform people about the procedures that would be taken in a press conference, just like the hike in electricity prices last week.

El-Sisi defended the new tariffs for household consumers as a part of the governments plan to phase out energy subsidies, justifying that the simple increase in tariffs of household brackets would save the state budget EGP 20 billion.

This is not the first time this month that the Egyptian president has discussed economic reforms.

Earlier in August, he said that unneeded and indiscriminate subsidies affect the state's budget.

According to El-Sisi, the government is currently working on preparing a system to ensure that subsidies are only granted to those who deserve it.

The government plans to slash its total subsidy bill in the new budget by 14 percent in the current 2016-2017 fiscal year, but has refrained from specifying when and by how much fuel prices would rise.

El-Sisi also discussed the ticket prices of the Cairo metro, saying that the last price increase was twelve years ago.

Egypt has repeatedly said it would raise the price of metro tickets to offset annual losses, but has not yet followed through.

A one-way ticket of any distance costs EGP 1. However, the real cost for the metro ticket is more than EGP 10, El-Sisi said on Saturday.

New housing, cities by 2018

During the speech, El-Sisi shed light on accomplishments that he said have been made in the past two years, promising more achievements through a completion of several projects by mid-2018, the end of his first presidential term.

El-Sisi said that 70,000 km of roads and highways will be completed by the end of the period.

He also discussed government housing, saying that by mid-2018 four to five million Egyptians would live in 800,000 to 1,000,000 residential units provided by the government.

El-Sisi also said that 2018 would be the end of unsafe informal settlements, promising housing for an additional 850,000 to 1 million Egyptians in a separate project of 150,000 residential units.

Both housing projects will cost the country EGP 180 billion.

He added that by mid-2018, the government would be done with planning and executing a number of new cities, including four new cities in Upper Egypt.

He also discussed water treatments projects, the completion of new metro lines, and development in Sinai - all to be complete by 2018.

The goal was to handle responsibility and we should handle it together, El-Sisi told Egyptians by the end of the speech, before addressing Egyptian women and asking them to cut down on costs that could be a burden on Egypts economy in their households.

El-Sisi also said that by mid-2018, Egypt will have embarked heavily on water desalination, saying 10 million cubic metres of waste water coming from sewer systems, agricultural irrigation and industrial facilities will be recycled.

Another one million cubic metres from the Rea Sea water will be desalinated. he said. The target is to add to provide 3.5 billion cubic metres of water per year, El-Sisi said.

Egyptian officials and experts have long worried that Ethiopia's under-construction Grand Renaissance Dam will diminish the country's 55 billion cubic metre-share of Nile water, although El-Sisi, who has visited Ethiopia and addressed the country's parliament, has told citizens "not to worry" about the project's impact.

*The official exchange rate for $1 = EGP 8.78

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The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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PRESS RELEASE

Bandars Role Highlighted in New 9/11 Media Coverage

Aug. 12, 2016 (EIRNS)The role of former Saudi Ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar "Bush" bin-Sultan, has stood out as one of the most startling revelations contained in the redacted 28-page chapter from the original Joint Congressional Inquiry, released on July 15. CNN last week featured "Prince and the 28 pages: Indirect 9/11 link to Saudi royal revealed," which included a flow chart going from Bandar, through two Saudi intelligence officers directly to the two lead West Coast hijackers. The CNN story kicked off with the early 2002 raid in Pakistan, in which Abu Zubaydah was captured. The leading Al Qaeda commander had in his phone book the unlisted number of the security company managing Bandars Aspen, Col. estate. Another number was the private phone of a security guard at the Saudi embassy in Washington.

The CNN story recounted Bandars funding of Osama Bassnan, a Saudi intelligence agent with known ties to Al Qaeda, whose wife received more than $50,000 from Bandar and his wife, Princess Haifa during the period that Bassnan and Omar Al-Bayoumi were providing critical logistical support to two of the 9/11 hijackers, Hazmi and Mihdhar. While former CIA agent Bruce Reidel told CNN that Bandar was so close to President George W. Bush that he could not imagine him willfully supporting terrorist attacks like 9/11, Sen. Bob Graham told CNN that he is demanding the release of all of the FBI and CIA investigative files on the 28 pages released to the public. And that is just the start.

The Center for Security Policy, a neoconservative think tank headed by Frank Gaffney has also released its own 25-page report, summarizing and evaluating the 28 page chapter from the Joint Inquiry, and it makes a strong case for further investigation into the Saudi role in promoting jihadist terrorism.

The London Independent also published a lengthy story last week, focusing on Bandar, and singling out the Colorado security firm ties to Zubaydah as significant new evidence. The Independent quoted Sen. Graham that the Zubayda-Colorado security firm link was "one of the most stunning parts of the investigation," and he insists that lead, among many others, must be pursued today.
PRESS RELEASE

China-Philippines Prepare for Formal Talks on Cooperation

Aug. 12, 2016 (EIRNS)Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos has finished his five day visit to Hongkong after meeting with Fu Ying, Vice Minister of the Foreign Ministry, and chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Peoples Congress. They co-signed a statement which said that their

"informal discussions focused on the need to engage in further talks to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions to pave the way for overall cooperation."

Global Times added that the statement said that China welcomes Ramos visiting Beijing at some point as the special envoy of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, and that they had discussed the possibility of cooperation in various sectors including fishing, ocean conservation, anti-drug and anti-smuggling efforts, as well as trade and tourism. Ramos also met with Wu Shichun, president of Chinas National Institute of South China Seas Studies.

"China hopes such exchange could help resume dialogue and improve bilateral ties between China and the Philippines," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement on Friday.

No date for the formal talks have been announced.

Turkey going to Russia, the Philippines going to Chinahow is a neo-con President supposed to start a world war these days?
Egypt's foreign minister criticised on Saturday statements by his Turkish counterpart on improving relations between the two nations for containing "unacceptable conditions."

In an official statement published by Egypts foreign ministry on Facebook, Shoukry said that although Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's statements had positive indicators that point to a Turkish wish for a restoration of relations with Egypt, his statements still hold a lot of contradictions.

The terms that the foreign minister is putting forward suggest that Turkey and its officials are guardians of the Egyptian people and (Egyptians) should follow them, Shoukrys statement read, adding that such conditions were unacceptable and would "cause wonder."

On Wednesday, Cavusoglu was asked by journalists if there has been positive developments in relations with Cairo, following speculations of reconciliation possibilities in July following three years of strained ties.

He responded by saying that his country aims is to make more friends, through a policy of "not causing problems, but resolving them, according to Turkey's Anadolu Agency.

He added, however, that although Turkey and Egypt could go back to the old days in relations, it still will not happen soon.

"We want to develop our relations with Egypt. We did not want our relations to sour but there was a souring in relations after the coup attempt," Cavusoglu said.

"Egypts security is facing serious threats and its economy is going through a serious crisis," added the minister. "If there were no country aid today, the whole country would collapse. We don't want that kind of an Egypt, we want a great Egypt."

On Saturday, Shoukry snapped back, saying that although he has asserted on several occasions Egypts pride in the history of Egyptian-Turkish relations, it was still not acceptable that the Turkish foreign minister makes improving relations condition on an Egyptian embrace of a Turkish vision of the ongoing political developments in the country or accepting the redundancy in rating social and economic status, including his negative comments on Egypts judicial system.

Shoukry added that a talk about boosting bilateral ties on an international level involve a respect of declarations between countries, including non-interference in domestic affairs.

Shoukry elaborated that although Turkish officials have repeatedly made offensive remarks about the Egyptian people and their choices, responsible Egyptian circles have refrained from taking any irresponsible actions over this eccentric rhetoric that would negatively affect Turkish interests, in comparison with a Turkish government persistence to undergo procedures that affect the Egyptian people.

Relations between Turkey and Egypt have been strained since the 2013 ouster of Egypts Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Erdogan's AKP government. Erdogan has repeatedly slammed Morsi's removal as an "unacceptable coup."

Cairo has repeatedly accused Ankara of "interference" in its domestic affairs and supporting Islamist militants who carry out terrorist attacks in Egypt.

Turkey provides a safe haven for leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood group, which has been banned in Egypt.

Ankara also allows TV stations run by sympathisers of the Brotherhood who criticise the government of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to broadcast out of Turkey.

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PRESS RELEASE

Russia Responds to Ukraines Crime Against the Russian State with Military Maneuvers, Warning of Break in Diplomatic Ties

Aug. 12, 2016 (EIRNS)Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev today told the press in Sochi that the foiled Ukrainian attacks on Crimea "is undoubtedly a crime committed against the Russian state and the people of Russia living on one of its territories," which was sanctioned by "a country close to" Ukraine. Asked by Interfax if Russia was contemplating breaking diplomatic relations with Ukraine, Medvedev responded:

"I would not like this to end this way. However, if there is no other option to influence the situation, the president can probably make such a decision."

He pointedly added:

"As for the break-off of our diplomatic relations, you know, history saw all kinds of things. I will recall that after the well-known events, our diplomatic relations with Georgia were cut off,"

a reference to 2008 when Russia militarily rebuffed Georgias armed attacks.

Also in response to the Ukraine developments, Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting of the Russian Security Council yesterday, to review "scenarios for counter-terrorism security measures along the land border, offshore and in Crimean air space," the Kremlin reported. Shortly thereafter, the Russian Navy announced war games by its Black Sea fleet beginning Aug. 15, deploying its two newest ships armed with Kalibr cruise missiles to the eastern Mediterranean. Tass reported that the Black Sea Fleet ships will conduct "artillery and missile firing practice in conditions approximating real combat operations." At the same time, Russia will conduct drills with two armored trains on Aug. 15, for the first time in 15 years. These will be held near Volgograd in south Russia. Tass reports: "They will practice missions to protect and defend recovered railway bridges across water obstacles from a notional enemys reconnaissance and subversion groups."

Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry announced today that it will conduct exercises in Crimea and the Volgograd region Aug. 16-19, to simulate an attack by weapons of mass destruction (WMD). According to BBC, the Defense Ministry announced that

"radioactive, biological and chemical defense troops will be deployed in the maneuvers, which will involve the use of Solntsepyok rocket systems in Volgograd, as well as an artificial smoke screen to block any surveillance."

The Defense Ministry also announced and that the new S-400 Triumph air defense missile system had been delivered to Crimea, as had been scheduled a month ago (before the current round of tension with Ukraine); and that an additional 40 aircraft would be sent to Russias Southern Military District this year.

"Its pretty clear whats happening," Lyndon LaRouche commented today. Putin has put together an operation which is taking over policy throughout the entire area, extending into East Asia. This is not a local operation, LaRouche emphasized. All of the threats and operations against Putin by the British Empire and Obama, have been a failure; they are the bomb that doesnt go off. Putin has delivered a shock to all of them, and their reaction has been to try to muster support against him. They cannot allow their people to be intimidated by what Putin is doing, and so they will respond by trying to kill somebody, or otherwise escalate the confrontation, LaRouche stated.
Byhalia, Mississippi Play Review  A True American Drama

Steppenwolf Theater presents The New Colony and Definition Theatre Companys hit drama, Byhalia, Mississippi. It is the winner of three 2016 Jeff Awards and returns this summer to Chicago. It features the full original cast (July 22  August 21, 2016) as part of Steppenwolfs new 1700 Theatre, at 1700 North Halsted Street.

This searing new American drama by The New Colony Co-Artistic Director, Evan Linder, directed by Definition Theatres Founding Artistic Director, Tyrone Phillips, enjoyed two sold-out extensions during its world premiere last winter at The Den Theatre currently features the full original cast: Jeffery Owen Freelon Jr., Kiki Layne, Evan Linder, Liz Sharpe and Cecelia Wingate.

Byhalia was recently honored with three 2016 non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards including Best New Work (Evan Linder), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Cecelia Wingate) and Best Scenic Design (John Wilson). The production was also nominated for Best Play, Best Director (Tyrone Phillips) and Best Actress in a Principal Role (Liz Sharpe).

The play is performed in the 1700 Definition Theatre, a small, casual, intimate setting for such a powerful play. I found the drama to ring true. It was a reminder of all of the racial tensions in our society today.

Byhalia is part comedy, part drama and tells the story of a married couple, Jim and Laurel Parker (Evan Linder and Liz Sharpe). They are about to have a baby and are proud white trash. When Laurel finally gives birth to her child, the couple is faced with a major life challenge when they discover the baby is black. This challenge, as well as the couples personal decisions, set into motion fateful turmoil in a small town, where haunting racial memories of the past come to the present. Linder gives a solid performance as Laurels husband and Sharpe is spectacular as Laurel. She struggles throughout the play with self-reflection on her life and mistakes, in conflict with not caring what anyone thinks of her lifestyle choices.

The play begins with Laurel begging her opinionated, hovering mother, Celeste (Cecelia Wingate) to go back home to Jackson, to give birth to her overdue baby. They seem to have the mother-daughter relationship where they are constantly bickering, but then changes to a rather heartbreaking rapport between the two. Their bond exposes a very realistic image of a dysfunctional family, with good intentions but complicated lives. Wingates performance as Laurels mother adds just the right touch as a domineering parent, who at the same time, tries to show her daughter how she is addicted to selfish behavior, and does not care about the consequences of her actions, or how they affect the people around her.

I was especially impressed with fellow cast mates Jeffrey Owen Freelon Jr. (Karl) and Kiki (Ayesha). Freelon Jr. is Karl, Jims best friend since their school days. He offers the interpretation of a good friend who is loyal to the end, always putting up with being the loyal black sidekick of his white buddy. Jim does various things during the play that have Karl start to question just how much of a friend he really is after all. One such scene is when Jim, in shock upon learning his baby is black and not white, automatically accuses Karl of being the father.

I also felt that Kiki Layne, gave a very strong, real, and emotional performance as Ayesha, the estranged wife of the man that Laurel conceives her child with. You could see the disgrace and shame she and her children were going through on her face when she confronted Laurel about the affair between her and her husband.

Another interesting, yet effective approach, was not revealing Ayesha's husband at all in the play-you never seem him onstage. I would compare it to the famous drama Waiting for Godot: Everyone talks about him, but do we ever actually see him? It adds a bit of a haunting aspect to the play.

In addition to wonderful acting, the set design also blew me away with its simplicity and authenticity. On a small stage, you see a small, decrepit wooden hut with rocks and grass. This leads up to the hut and the audience is given a view of the inside, which consists of a living room with mismatched furniture and a kitchen with patchy linoleum. You also hear sound effects such as the baby crying in its bedroom, and a car motor starting; you then hear the car driving away into the distance.

Something I also found interesting about Celeste: I brought my friend with me (who grew up in the south), and Celestes character reminded her of an old childhood friend: an opinionated, overbearing, and very large southern woman. It always amazes me the way we can connect emotionally and psychologically when we see a good drama; it makes us reflect on our own lives and who we are as people. That is what a good drama is capable of and Byhalia, Mississippi accomplishes this with flying colors.

Photos: Evan Hanover (*Entrance of Steppenwolf Theatre by Jennifer Lunz)



Location: Steppenwolfs 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. Chicago

Regular run: Thursday, July 28  Sunday, August 21, 2016

Curtain times: Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm

Saturdays at 2:30 & 8 pm

Sundays at 2:30 pm.

Tickets: $30 - $35. Discounts available for groups of 10+.

Tickets are available at the Steppenwolf website or by calling (312) 335-1650.
A Santa Monica consumer group is criticizing Gov. Jerry Brown for his ties to utilities and other companies that rely on fossil fuels, linking almost $10 million in contributions from 26 oil, gas and power companies to decisions by Brown administration officials that directly benefited the donors.

The governors office says political contributions have not influenced his policies, and his environmental record speaks for itself. Allies said the report by Consumer Watchdog misses the point of Browns record, although some advocates said the study raises troubling questions.

Many of the political donations examined came within days or weeks of key policy decisions, the report said.

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In one case, Southern California Edison gave $130,000 to the state Democratic Party on the same day that then-Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey took an undisclosed meeting with an Edison executive in Warsaw, setting in motion a $4.7-billion deal for closure of the failed San Onofre nuclear plant, charging customers 70% of the damage.

Peevey, a former Edison executive who stepped down as commission president in December 2014, is at the center of an ongoing criminal investigation by the state attorney generals office into backroom deal-making between regulators and utility executives.

In response to the Consumer Watchdog report, Brown spokesman Evan Westrup said: The governors leadership on climate is unmatched. These claims are downright cuckoo.

Westrup cited a host of Brown policies and decisions since the governor was elected in 2010 that were aimed at protecting the environment.

Among other things, Brown committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels. He also pushed to generate half the states electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and to get 1.5 million zero-emission cars on California roads by 2025.

The states three largest electricity monopolies  Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric parent Sempra Energy  gave almost $6 million of the $9.8 million in contributions identified by Consumer Watchdog.

Sempra Energy officials said they strongly disagreed with the premise of the report. The company considers working with policymakers to be an important and necessary part of the business, they said.

More than $4.4 million of that total was given to the Democratic Party between 2011 and 2014, a time when two of Browns top aides worked for the political party. State Democratic Party leaders subsequently contributed $4.7 million to Browns campaign, the report said.

The evidence points to Brown and his operatives using the Democratic Party as a political slush fund to receive contributions in amounts greater than permitted to his candidate committee, and masking money from unpopular energy entities, the report said.

The groups report looked at a limited slice of campaign contributions to support its conclusions, leaving out two significant factors.

For one thing, utilities and oil companies also give to Republicans in large amounts. And green interests also support Brown and the Democrats.

Sempra Energy gave $115,000 to the California Democratic Party and $115,000 to the California Republican Party and the state Republican Leadership Fund in 2015.

In the last six months of 2015, Pacific Gas & Electric donated $305,000 to the state Democratic Party and almost $200,000 to its Republican counterpart.

Edison International, parent company of Southern California Edison, gave $200,000 to the California Republican Party on May 10, on top of the $85,200 it has given since last August. The company donated $320,000 to the state Democratic Party over the same period.

University of California professor Daniel Kammen said the Consumer Watchdog findings missed the point. He said the Brown administration turned the idea of climate-friendly economic growth into a reality and created the most progressive renewable-power standard on the planet.

Overall, I do think that this [report] really gets the message quite wrong, said Kammen, who runs a renewable power lab at UC Berkeley. Gov. Brown has been a very important leader who has accomplished a tremendous amount in the clean energy transition.

Former San Diego City Councilwoman Donna Frye, who cut her political teeth as an activist fighting ocean pollution and other contaminants, said the report shows that Brown may be more interested in supporting donors than promoting ecology.

The report raised serious concerns about whether the governor was as concerned about helping the environment as he was about helping his friends, Frye said.

Under Brown, the report said, state regulators approved more than $130 billion in rate hikes for customers of the three largest investor-owned utilities in California  Edison, SDG&E and PG&E. Sempras stock price has more than doubled since Brown was elected, it added.

The report also noted that several top Brown administration officials previously worked for PG&E and that his sister, former California State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, serves on the Sempra Energy board of directors.

Consumer Watchdog said it spent four months sifting through previously released records, news reports and other public documents to compile the 44-page study.

Jeff McDonald writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Built for late Corvette racing icon Jim Jeffords, this modern estate in the Southridge area of Palm Springs evokes the prow of naval ship with its bowed design.

The boat-like appearance is furthered in the living room, where three walls of floor-to-ceiling glass form a bridge for taking in sweeping desert landscapes and mountain views.

The details

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Location: 2212 Southridge Drive, Palm Springs, 92264

Asking price: $1.95 million

Year built: 1992

Designer: Michael P. Johnson

House size: 3,906 square feet, four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms

Lot size: 0.49 acres

Features: Walls of floor-to-ceiling glass; wood and marble finishes; 24-foot ceilings; living room with a fireplace; den/office; wet bar; lofted master suite with retractable skylight and private deck; paver patio; infinity-edge swimming pool

About the area: In June, 38 single-family homes sold in the 92264 ZIP Code at a median price of $651,000, according to CoreLogic. That was a 17.3% increase in price with over the same period a year ago.

Agents: John Nelson and Cat Moe, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, (760) 774-8687

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.

neal.leitereg@latimes.com

Twitter: @NJLeitereg
Venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar made a bold promise two years ago as he sought funding for his new Los Angeles company, Hyperloop Technologies Inc.

He would put $40 million of his fortune into the high-tech transportation start-up as soon as Uber Technologies or other companies in which he had invested went public.



For the record: An earlier version of this article included Airbnb among the companies in which Shervin Pishevar held investments when he committed some of his fortune to Hyperloop Technologies Inc. He invested in Airbnb after making this pledge.

At that point, Pishevar and colleagues had only an idea to sell: Their take on entrepreneur Elon Musks concept of blasting passengers across vast distances inside low-friction tubes. But Pishevars pledge energized investors, who went on to give $10 million to Hyperloop One  and later $90 million more.

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With the financing, investors showed their faith in Pishevar, the co-founder, initial funder and executive chairman. Now the question is whether they trusted him too much.

A lawsuit last month alleged that Pishevar used Hyperloop Technologies to pad his own venture fund and give family and friends jobs. The plaintiffs say engineering efforts took a back seat to marketing. And an internal dispute about how much authority employees should have over management culminated with Pishevars brother, the companys general counsel, leaving a rope tied like a noose at a colleagues desk.

The company calls the claims exaggerated and false, describing them as a last-ditch effort by a gang of four former high-ranking but underperforming employees who lodged a failed internal mutiny and want their jobs back. Its seeking $250 million from them in a countersuit.

The discord, which included the exit of co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Brogan BamBrogan, produced weeks of angst inside the firm. Though many shareholders and business partners say Hyperloop One remains on track, even investors and collaborators acknowledge something went amiss.

I invested in a company that brought some of the smartest people together to do something amazing, said Martin Ringlein, venture partner at investment firm NextGen and chief executive of ticketing software company Nvite. I strongly believe the smartest people in the room will continue to make the best decisions moving forward; I just hope that those are the ones still in the room.

Start-up financing experts say investors may deserve some blame. Depending on how the allegations shake out, Hyperloop One could become the latest illustration of what can happen when investors enable a permissive atmosphere, one that allows businesses to lean too far into a Silicon Valley culture that values rapid development over corporate norms.

We may have become too lax in terms of the decision-making process, said Ken Sawyer, managing director at Saints Capital, which purchases start-up shares but does not hold stakes in Hyperloop One. Now that weve seen another case that could  and thats could  be evidence of tilting too far, you have to ask, Are quick, fast decisions, getting stuff done, being rewarded over proper governance and direction?

Are quick, fast decisions, getting stuff done, being rewarded over proper governance and direction?  Ken Sawyer, managing director at Saints Capital,

The lawsuit could have ramifications. Academics say legal issues, poor governance and a dominant shareholder can hurt a companys valuation. Partners may be scared away too.

We dont want to taint our project with their project, said Richard Mueller, chief operating officer of Grid Logistics, a Los Angeles start-up seeking to build an underground train to move cargo across the Southland. It is partnering with Hyperloop One and Aecom on a joint research venture Arcturan Sustainable Cargo, but the personalities they have involved and the lawsuits they have going back and forth, I am concerned, Mueller said.

In court papers, Hyperloop One says it is in a race to develop the new transport medium. At least one other major U.S. company is publicly pursuing the same vision.

To win, Hyperloop One has moved rapidly, approaching 200 employees within two years and building out expansive offices and fabrication facilities in Los Angeles and Nevada.

But the lawsuit calls into question decisions along the way. Was hiring Pishevars brother, a veteran criminal defense attorney, as corporate counsel a shrewd, low-cost move or an act of nepotism? Was bringing in a board members investment-banker brother to handle fundraising a way to keep things close to the vest or a friendly bone thrown his companys way? Were tours and parties at the office held to attract investors or to stoke Pishevars ego?

Hiring family members and doing business with friends invites scrutiny, but they are shortcuts used by start-ups seeking to minimize formalities and move fast.

The accusations are nowhere as egregious as other recent cases in tech. The blood-testing start-up Theranos overstated its capabilities, potentially endangering peoples health. And Zenefits, which provides services for managing employee healthcare benefits, encouraged employees to cheat their way through state licensing exams.

But to Sawyer, the Hyperloop One situation now presents a great reminder, even if the actions were done appropriately, that  good governance does have value and we as venture investors need to find balance between scrutinizing decisions and giving blanket green lights.

Venture capitalists generally stay away from day-to-day operations, though oversight and guidance is expected if not an implicit part of a deal.

That type of mentorship becomes more difficult as more foreign investors fund faraway start-ups.

Believed to be among the companys largest financiers is Caspian VC, an entity launched by Russian oil and port logistics billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov. Caspian recently helped Pishevar get facetime with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hyperloop One a deal with Moscow to explore constructing a system there.

The support is great. But the firms investment would have been unusual a decade ago when venture capitalists refused to support companies they couldnt bike to, said Matt Crowley, an Encino attorney who advises start-ups. The rule of thumb has expanded to a Southwest Airlines flight away, he said, but folks coming out of China and Russia, youd have to wonder how engaged they were on a month-to-month basis about what was going on on the ground.

Anna Fang, chief executive at well-funded Chinese backer ZhenFund, said her firm did proper due diligence before investing in Hyperloop One and stays in touch regularly by phone, email and WeChat. Caspian didnt respond to requests to comment.

Another issue across the industry has been funding rounds that dole out small stakes to many investors, with none feeling in control. At least one Hyperloop One investor described falling into that situation.

We have such a tiny investment that I dont think anyone here stays in real touch with them, said Vinod Khosla, managing partner at Khosla Ventures, which has invested in rocket, clean energy and biotechnology companies.

Hyperloop One came together in an unusual way. The idea was made popular by Musk, the auto-and-rockets entrepreneur, whose imprimatur gave it instant credibility to investors. But Musk isnt involved in any company pursuing it. Pishevar  a working VC, not an engineer  ran with the concept, handpicking BamBrogan to lead technical work.

BamBrogan hired on colleagues from his decade-plus at Musks rocket company SpaceX, and their collective pedigree likely boosted investors confidence. Pishevars investment pledge and outsized role also would helped mitigate risk among investors debating whether to get in. Pishevar was one of them, and he seemed highly committed to the project.

Its possible they trusted him as a steward, Crowley said.

Stakeholders say disputes arise even at start-ups that have a more traditional start in a dorm room or tech incubator.

It is not extremely uncommon to see fast-growing, high-profile start-ups facing disagreements amongst the management team and over the long-term vision of the company, said ZhenFund spokesperson Tara Zhang.

Though a co-founder such as BamBrogan leaving a company isnt unusual nor anywhere close to a sign of doom, that 10 high-ranking employees joined BamBrogan as signatories on an internal letter of grievances should give pause, two investors not involved with Hyperloop One said.

If 11 employees of any portfolio companies write a letter to management, thats a problem, Sawyer said. Thats a big issue. You take that super seriously as a board and as an investor group.

If 11 employees of any portfolio companies write a letter to management, thats a problem.  Ken Sawyer, managing director at Saints Capital

For now, bullishness pervades. A couple of investors issued statements to The Times via email after Hyperloop One advised them to comment for this story.

One of them, Howard Milstein, a Hyperloop One investor and real estate and banking mogul, said through a spokesperson, No one ever said this was going to be easy.

Oliver Pietz, executive director for the Americas for Deutsche Bahn Engineering & Consulting, said he hopes to continue collaboration with Hyperloop One despite the issues.

Several investors declined to comment, including Pishevar, Eniac Ventures, GE Ventures, fashion model Amber Arbucci and Tinder dating app co-founder Justin Mateen.

Hyperloop One wrote in a statement that investors belief in our team and technology have enabled us to remain focused on the task at hand: reinventing transportation.

paresh.dave@latimes.com

Twitter: @peard33

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Every life has its dramas. Be it the death of a parent, worries about paying the rent, fights with a spouse or the anxieties of adolescence, when something is happening to you it feels monumental no matter how it may size up for anyone else.

New York-based filmmaker Ira Sachs works in that space, the intimate, personal moments of the everyday that nevertheless make up the most emotional, overwhelming moments of life.



For the record: An earlier version of this article referred to the film Leave the Lights On. The title of the movie is Keep the Lights On.

Just dont call them small.

I guess to me it feels precise, said Sachs in a recent interview in Los Angeles. It feels present to these characters, so when it works for an audience, the effect is not small. Its quite large.

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In his new film Little Men, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and is now playing in Los Angeles, two families collide.

Brian (Greg Kinnear) has moved with his wife and teenage son into his late fathers modest two-story Brooklyn building that he now shares ownership of with his sister. They could make a lot more money from the downstairs shop if they could only evict Leonor (Paulina Garcia), a single mother who runs a struggling dress shop in the space with below-market rent.

Making matters more complicated, Brian and Leonors misfit sons  played by talented newcomers Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri -- become fast friends and decide to stop talking to their parents until the business strife is settled.

Little Men, which co-stars Jennifer Ehle, Talia Balsam and Alfred Molina, is the third film Sachs has co-written with Mauricio Zacharias, after 2012s Keep the Lights On and 2014s Love Is Strange. Sachs won the grand jury prize at Sundance in 2005 for his second feature, Forty Shades of Blue.

Its not an autobiographical film, but its the city and the experiences that I know.  Ira Sachs on Little Men

Keep the Lights On was deeply rooted in a relationship from Sachs own life, the tale of a tortured, toxic love affair, while Love Is Strange was inspired by family members. Though Little Men is based on bits and pieces from its writers own experiences, it is less rooted in real incidents.

Its not an autobiographical film, but its the city and the experiences that I know, said Sachs. Everyone is really just trying to figure out how to get by. And losing sometimes. And this film is a personal view of that.

A number of reviews have nevertheless grouped Little Men with Keep the Lights On and Love Is Strange as a continuing examination of New York City in transition.

Id say its an ongoing story about intimate relationships and family and home, said Sachs. And thats been going on for longer than three films, thats like 25 years of being interested in how people get close and how they hold onto what they have. And thats challenging.

The deceptive simplicity of Sachs storytelling belies its true depths. He mentions two films by the Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu, 1932s I Was Born But and 1959s Good Morning, along with the writings of Henry James, as specifically giving him, as he puts it, the permission to explore lives in such specific detail.

For Kinnear, it was that richness of the story, how the script wove together the characters and their conflicts, that initially appealed to him. Then once he saw more of Sachs previous films and the performances he got from actors, particularly Molina and John Lithgow in Love Is Strange, the actor was in.

It struck me as a script that had found five really interesting stories to tell. It felt like there was a real thing happening there for that family, Kinnear said.

Originally I think the film was called Silent Treatment and the fact those boys are on strike against their parents, that was just a great idea, he added. But when that idea is hatched in the story, it is the most missable, little, dismissive moment. And thats how it would happen.

Michael Barbieri, left, and Theo Taplitz from Little Men, " in the L.A. Times photo and video studio at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 25. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

The part of the feisty dressmaker downstairs was written expressly for Chilean actress Paulina Garcia after Sachs and Zacharias had seen her in the 2013 film Gloria. The two young boys however were another matter. Working with casting director Avy Kaufman, who Sachs called a kid whisperer for her work on filling roles in films such as The Sixth Sense, The Ice Storm and Life of Pi, the production found Taplitz in Los Angeles and Barbieri in New York.

In part because of expectations from the involvement in gay culture found in Keep the Lights On and Love Is Strange, there is an almost subliminal expectation that there will a gay story line in Sachs new film as well. And while the two teenage boys  sensitive, artistic outsiders  seem in some way attracted to one another, it is never spoken of nor acted upon.

I think specifically that was my experience of relationships at that time. They were romantic but innocent. Passionate, but they were not physical. So to me that is personal in that way, said Sachs of the ambiguity. Also those kids, particularly Theo, who is maybe the character Im more similar to, I couldnt project a future onto him as a person, as a kid, in terms of sexuality. It felt artificial and imposed. So I prefer to keep those questions more neutral.

Sachs and Zacharias are currently working on the script for a Montgomery Clift biopic set to star Matt Bomer for HBO. And it was recently announced they would be adapting the just-released novel Christodora by Tim Murphy into a limited series for Sachs to direct with Beasts of No Nation filmmaker Cary Fukunaga producing.

Sachs also recently received what was billed as a mid-career retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, including all six of his feature films. He actually re-watched a few of his older movies for the first time in years when they screened during the series, serving as a reminder of the big leaps he has made in his life and work as a filmmaker.

It feels affirming, he said of the tribute. It was so not a given that I would have a sustainable career. Between my first and my second film was nine years, between my third and fourth films was five years. Its like figuring out that the apparatus to make it possible was struggle. So this feels like a payoff in a way for that struggle.

Mark.Olsen@latimes.com

Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus

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An enormously successful comedian, actor and author who has opened for the pope, Jim Gaffigan is also the star of TV Lands The Jim Gaffigan Show, in which he plays a less enormously successful version of himself: a middle-aged, lazily observant Catholic comic living in lower Manhattan with his large family. The series second season concludes Sunday, Aug. 21.

Gaffigan, who writes the show with wife Jeannie Gaffigan (played onscreen by Ashley Williams), is rightfully proud of it. But he worries a little that the adjectives you would use to describe me  comedian, clean, five kids, likes food, Catholic  all those things are possibly the most unsexy descriptions, things that would make a lot of people go, No thank you. But the show is not that. In fact, its a smart, dry and delightful mix of old-fashioned dopey-dad sitcom and meta-fictional experimental comedy, studded with guest shots and cameos that this season included Jerry Seinfeld, Will Ferrell, Tig Notaro, John Mulaney and New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan (as a bartender).

I wanted every story to have an impact, Gaffigan, 50, told me recently in the midst of his Fully Dressed tour. I wanted it to say something a little more than Jim loses a pair of shoes. 

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We were backstage at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, where the Orange County Fair was in progress, and the comic would shortly play to a full house.

Is there a difference between a fair audience and other crowds?

I think its all kind of the same, unless theres an age restriction, like in some casinos that you have to be 21 or sometimes 18. Its usually a cross section, but sometimes youll do a show and youll look out there and itll be 15-year-olds, and sometimes youll look out there and itll be 60-year-olds and 30-year-olds. If you get, like, 4,000 people, its like, all, everyone.

But the good thing about larger venues is that you know people are paying to see you. Its not as if someones going, All right, Ill spend 30 bucks and see what this guys like. They know. Theyre making the investment of time and money.

Do you go out under the assumption that there might be a 9-year-old child in the crowd, or do you not worry about that?

I dont really worry about that. I think the young kids are more of an issue for the audience  like, if you do a corporate event, people will be laughing but theyll keep an eye on the CEO. And so if people are laughing  not that I get too, you know, nasty or anything like that  but theyll keep an eye on the 9-year-old. If they cant see the 9-year-old, they dont care.

But Im amazed when there are 12-year-olds that are like, I really like your stuff. They just have a different sophistication than we did. They grew up with this. If youre a kid interested in stand-up, you can become an expert by the time youre 11.

You can see a lot of it online.

You can see all of it. And that whole clean thing, it wasnt this calculation of like, Ill be clean. Its just kind of how it comes out. Like is it really necessary to curse if youre talking about muffins? How angry are you? I mean, I curse in everyday life.

Were you interested in comedy as an 11-year-old?

I think I was. I moved in fifth grade, and comedy was a pretty instrumental tool for me to add an adjective to white. So it was the funny white guy, the funny pale kid. I remember just doing bad elephant jokes. And then among my family, where Im the youngest, I became less of a nuisance among my siblings because I could do an impression of my dad. I was less just a threat for competition for food because I was someone who could do an impression of the tyrant we lived with.

You play your dad in a couple of episodes this season. Is that a good impression?

Its a good impression. Its exaggerated. I mean, hes the pre-Phil Donahue dad. He was definitely gruff, but it was the era of children should be seen, not heard. You had kids for a lawn crew. Kids were kind of a nuisance. Its not the dad of today. Im sure he never changed a diaper. And he never felt any guilt about it.

Its interesting because we wrote a book, my wife and I, Dad Is Fat, and we wrote about my dad. And I sent the initial version of the essay to my brother, and he was like, What the hell, Jimmy? And I was like, What? And hes like, This is just mean. But its point of view, right? Its from the childs point of view.

When did you start writing with your wife?

I guess about 14, 15 years ago. She was running an inner-city theater program, and I had met her a couple of days before and saw her directing 100 eighth-graders with the help of a friend or two, and I was pretty impressed. But I was very reluctant to  I mean, I know some comedians that get so successful they just hire writers, but its a very personal thing. Even when another comedian will give you a line, youre usually like, Yeah, thats not going to work.

I knew I was dating her because I thought she was funny, but I didnt imagine that we would be this writing team that would write books and eventually episodes of shows. Initially, it was bouncing around a joke or two, and then her saying, I really have a problem with this joke  it doesnt work, its not clear. So some of it was directing, but I think when we were writing the books, thats when it really kind of reached its peaks. In the television show, we have battles, but we can really kind of figure it out.

Has working with her changed your comedy at all, opened you up to new things?

I think it did open me up. I think I became less intrigued with the notion of shock. I mean, comedy is about surprises; its about two unrelated ideas and stuff like that, but shock, I think, became less important of a currency. So there would be jokes, and shed be like, Do you have to say that? Cant you think of something better than that. And Im like, Whats wrong with that? And she goes, Its disgusting. And Id be like, All right, I could say this. She goes, Im still offended by that, but you know what  its better written.

In my first special, I had these jokes about being Catholic, and she was like, You should do those, and I was like, No, cause people will think that Im like a religious freak. But those were my insecurities surrounding it.

She describes herself as having a PhD in Jim Gaffigan; some of it is a sensibility and point of view  that you can disagree over  and then theres just great observations shell come up with that can find their way in there.

One episode this year, The Trial  in which youre thrown into Social Outrage Jail and found guilty of being a dumb, ignorant, stupid, white guy  is based on the overwhelmingly negative reaction to an actual tweet of yours from 2013: Ladies I hope getting your nails done feels good because not a single man notices you got them done.

There are moments where youre like, Oh, I dont want to be famous; I dont want to be under the microscope at all. I enjoy the fact that people like my stuff, but Im certainly not a flamethrower. But comedians do have a tendency to be flamethrowers, to say outlandish things. Still, I wanted that episode to be less about the crime and more about the punishment. Its like, were all reasonable here; we dont want to be sexist or homophobic, but if we step into it, we can go, Hey, sorry, my bad, and people should say, OK. But every now and then, people are like, No.

In the episode The List, after not making a list of the 100 best comics in New York, you go deep into Queens and the depths of alternative comedy. Do you feel commonality with 20-year-olds, that they get you? Or is there a new kind of comedy thats funny in a different way from what you do?

What I love about stand-up, and Im going to eventually contradict myself, is that its a meritocracy. You either do it and youre good at it and the crowd responds and they come and see you, or you dont. There might be flashes in the pan that are big for about a year, but in the end, it is a meritocracy.

There are kind of these waves. When I started in stand-up, there were maybe 80 comedians in New York City  maybe. And everyone knew everyone. And now its grown exponentially. So theres times I go into clubs, and Im a comedian, and I dont know any of the comedians. And thats very strange. And there are references that are just lost on some people. The age thing, its weird because I think in your 20s, everyones all the same age, it seems like; and your 30s and 40s, its all the same. But it reaches a point where its like, Oh, wait a minute, Ive been doing this for 25 years.

I did a benefit with Ricky Gervais, and I got offstage, and he goes, Oh, youre just out there doing jokes. I go, Yeah. Thats what I do. Thats what all of us do. In the end, its the Borscht Belt show in the Catskills. Its either funny or its not, you do the job or you dont.

------------

The Jim Gaffigan Show

Where: TV Land

When: 10 and 10:30 p.m. Sunday

Rating: TV-PG-L (may be unsuitable for young children with an advisory for coarse language)
An internet search of Tom Hiddlestons name, unsurprisingly, yields a surplus of news headlines: whether its his recent indoctrination to the world of Instagram or fodder about his relationship status with a certain pop star.

And then theres the piece de resistance: Soon after nabbing an Emmy nomination for his role as a luxury hotel manager-turned-undercover spy in The Night Manager, the 35-year-old British star took home a more rump-conscious accolade for the role.

He was named 2016 Rear of the Year for a racy sex scene featured in the six-part series  not out of left field considering his behind has earned the Twitter hashtag #Hiddlesbum. He follows in the ranks of Harry Potters Daniel Radcliffe, who was the 2015 recipient.

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I didnt know it was going to be on the bucket list until it happened, Hiddleston quipped in the Envelopes video studio earlier this week. Im just happy it happened. Im happy that thats something that has come into my life in a way that I didnt expect. Sometimes the universe hands you something on a plate that you didnt expect and, for me, it was the Rear of the Year award.

 Tom Hiddleston discusses his Emmy-nominated performance in AMCs spy thriller The Night Manager -- and whether he could make the sacrifices his character made.

All kidding aside, Hiddlestons turn in the cat-and-mouse thriller adapted from John le Carre's 1993 novel was much more than a tush-fest.

The most-read Entertainment stories this hour 

Hiddleston stars in the series that aired stateside on AMC as Jonathan Pine, a British soldier-turned-hotelier who is recruited to help take down an international arms dealer (played by Hugh Laurie). Along the way, the undercover hero assumes multiple identities  something Hiddleston says he discussed a lot with series director Susanne Bier.

The whole story could be read as a discussion on identity, Hiddleston said. The fascinating thing about Pine is  at the beginning, he is a shell of a human. Hes a shell of a man. Hes hiding. He was of military service in Iraq as a British soldier, and hes now of service in other ways as a night manager. Hes hiding behind a uniform and, in that regard, the uniform protects him from having to reveal his identity.

For more on what Hiddleston had to say about his work on The Night Manager  or to get his response to how Robert Downey Jr. welcomed him to Instagram check out the video below.

yvonne.villarreal@latimes.com

Twitter: @villarrealy
From inside one of Australias secretive offshore camps for refugees and asylum seekers, a young Iranian woman told stories of the desperation surrounding her.

A 5-year-old boy was struck in the face with a stone thrown by a guard. A woman was raped. A girl was forced to swallow laundry detergent. Two refugees set themselves on fire, one burning to death.

My feeling is numb, said the Iranian woman, a refugee who arrived in 2013. We are stuck here and nobody hears us. Nobody cares.

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From her camp on the remote island of Nauru, she communicated with The Times late at night through an encrypted messaging application on a cellphone.

Over the last year, Australia spent $847 million on the offshore detention of around 1,200 refugees and asylum seekers, including dozens of children held indefinitely with no hope of ever calling the country home.

It pays for the camps and associated costs on Nauru, the worlds smallest island state, as well as on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. More than 80% of the captives have refugee status.

In recent months, they have been allowed to live outside the fenced compounds  as roughly 800 now do, according to the United Nations  but there is no way for them to leave the islands.

The Australian government says its policy of denying legal residence to the migrants deters people from risking their lives on a perilous sea voyage. If you come to Australia illegally by boat, there is no way you will ever make Australia home, an Australian army chief warned in a 2014 video aired online and on television in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

But human rights groups, a former detention center director and others who worked in the camps said the policy and the deplorable conditions in the camps were harming some of the worlds most vulnerable people.

Anna Neistat, an Amnesty International human rights researcher who has reported extensively from repressive countries and war zones, said she was shocked by the secrecy, cruelty and relentless annihilation of hope and dignity.

I have never seen anything like what Australia managed to achieve in this policy, she said. This level of cover-up is really stunning. The thing that made this situation so difficult to process is that this is not a war zone. Its not a repressive regime cracking down on political opponents. These are people who fled some of the worst violence elsewhere, yet these abuses are happening to them.

An investigation by Amnesty and Human Rights Watch published last week found that Australia purposefully inflicted suffering on refugees and asylum seekers in what appears to be a deliberate policy to deter further asylum seekers from arriving in the country by boat.

In May, the U.N. High Commission for Refugees said that prolonged detention on the islands was immensely harmful and called for refugees and asylum seekers to be moved and treated humanely.

The first refugee to set himself on fire, a 23-year-old Iranian named Omid Masoumali, did so on April 27 in the presence of U.N. officials. Friends recorded video on their cellphones.

We are tired of this, we are tired, Masoumali shouts in the video. You torment us too much. What more should we do? We are desperate. For three years, you are harassing us. I swear to God. Three years. You ruined our lives.

Then he sets himself alight, spinning as the flames engulf him.

Video taken hours later shows him pacing in Naurus basic hospital, screaming in pain.

Eventually Masoumali was flown to a hospital in Brisbane. But that was after more than 26 hours, according to a friends wife speaking on video. He was already unconscious. He died April 29.

Three days later, Hodan Yasin, a 21-year-old Somali refugee, set herself on fire and suffered critical injuries. She was flown to Brisbane and survived.

Australias immigration minister, Peter Dutton, acknowledged to a Sydney radio station Thursday that refugees were harming themselves. Some people have even gone to the extent of self-harming and people have self-immolated in an effort to get to Australia, he said.

But he also accused some refugees of making false accusations in recent comments to the media and said that both major political parties in Australia supported the offshore solution.

Greg Lake, a former director of the Nauru camp and a similar facility on Christmas Island, has been highly critical of the policy and the camp conditions.

The policy of deterrence is all about constructing an environment thats worse than the thing people are fleeing from, he told the Australian Christian newspaper Eternity in June. So you have to make the situation for people in detention somehow worse than Syria under [Islamic State] is.

If you take away peoples hope, what do they have left but things like self-harm? he said.

Last year Australia made it a criminal offense punishable by two years in jail for an entrusted person  such as a doctor, teacher or contractor  to disclose abuses at its two offshore camps. Aid workers and contractors were forced to sign confidentiality agreements.

But a group of teachers and medical staff signed an open letter saying they would continue to report abuses. One of those teachers was Tracey Donehue, who worked on Nauru for Save the Children for 18 months until November last year.

 A scene from the documentary Chasing Asylum, directed by Eva Orner, that explores Australias offshore detention policies.

She authored some of the roughly 2,000 reports of abuse that were disclosed by the Guardian newspaper this week. They detailed sexual assault, child abuse and self-harm at the Nauru camp.

In an interview with The Times, Donehue described the camp as a militarized, fenced, prison-like institution. She saw children who had cut or burned themselves in despair.

A 16-year-old girl in my class sewed her lips together, as did two other students in the school, she said. Id see cuts on my students arms, or burns.

Another 16-year old girl drank bleach, while a 13-year-old would spend part of each day curled in a fetal position and sobbing in the back of Donehues classroom. Another was humiliated by being forced to use the toilet in front of a guard.

I feel like I am drowning in air, Donehue said a former student told her recently from the camp. I will never leave here.

Donehue said she knew of many unreported cases of sexual assault because victims feared their attackers.

The system was calculated cruelty and broke her faith in the idea Australia was essentially a good country, Donehue said. I watched souls break, and we were powerless to help in any meaningful way.

The Iranian refugee who spoke to The Times arrived by sea from Indonesia, a voyage that still gives her nightmares, she said.

It was a dangerous and dark time in my life, she said. It was an old boat and very small boat, and the water pump was broken, but we were lucky because it happened near Christmas Island.

At first, she was overjoyed to reach Australia, she said. But she has been detained for the last three years in the Nauru Island camp.

My soul is not alive, she said. Im  broken. My heart.

She spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared trouble from Australian immigration authorities, she said.

I saw a lot of things and I realized there is not justice here, she said in halting English. Some of [the] underage drank washing powder and some have lots of pills and some of them cut their hands. One of the boys was 5 years old.

We are tired because of being tired, she said. We cant sleep without sleeping tablet. All have memory problems.

Though she is now allowed to leave the camp and venture onto the rest of the island, she said, she has rarely done so since being accosted and groped by three men at a bus stop.

I was scared, she said. Because of that I dont go out too much.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT

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There are some things you just cant experience in a classroom. But you can learn them in a simulated firefight with insurgents trying to kidnap someone under your protection.

Let me give you some advice, Rick Sweeney told students taking his high-threat security class. Dont go to a white SUV. Theyre all booby-trapped. If you go to a white one, you will die. Youll kill your client.

Moments later, a loud bang and a high-pitched whistle cut through the air.

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Guys, guys, we got mortars coming in, Sweeney yelled.

The next several minutes were a flurry of loud blank gunshots, victims covered in fake blood and booming explosions as the students tried to save their client.

The simulated attack at the Carlsbad Safety Training Center was one of the last assignments for students in the high-threat protection course offered through MiraCosta Colleges Community Education Department.

Students come from across the country to earn a High Threat Protection Specialist certificate, which can lead to lucrative but dangerous careers.

The program  one of only three of its kind in the country, according to a schools administrator  readies students for some of the most dangerous scenarios imaginable. Some graduates work overseas to protect State Department officials, nonprofit workers and business people under threats from terrorists and kidnappers.

One of our students who went over as a medic for the State Department is making $680 a day, Sweeney said. The average is $120,000 a year.

Most of the students did not study beyond high school, and about 85% are former military members using the G.I. Bill to cover the $11,975 cost of the course  which consists of a six-day trauma medical program, an eight-day section on protection of celebrities and corporate executives, and the 19-day high-threat protection segment.

Many of the lessons are taught at MiraCosta Colleges Technology Career Institute. The course also includes some road trips, including a visit to Los Angeles, where students work with actors playing high-profile celebrities who are picked up from an airport and taken to restaurants or actual red-carpet events.

That trip is to learn the logistics of tracking flights and navigating the city where students are most likely to work if hired for celebrity security.

To prepare for kidnappers, terrorists and other severe threats, the class uses the four-acre Carlsbad Safety Training Center.

The session began with Sweeney dropping off two students outside a brick building and telling them to extract a client. They found themselves under a mortar attack even before they reached the client, who was frantic and wounded.

Following instructions from an off-site command center, the students escorted the client across a courtyard, passing an exploding SUV while under fire from a sniper. They found brief shelter in a room where another man was severely bleeding from a leg wound, but then were instructed to make their way to another building.

After exchanging gunfire with another sniper, the men entered the building to find enemies and innocents  learning the difference is part of their training  while making their way up several flights in hopes of finding a helicopter to take them to safety.

That plan was aborted, and they made their way to another building while engaging in yet another firefight.

In their final test, the students were placed in a dark room and told to escape plastic and metal handcuffs. They said afterward that their classroom training left them well-prepared for the simulated scenario.

It felt natural, said Ryan Jarvis, who came from Virginia to take the course. When youre put in a hostile, stressful environment, sometimes things just come together for you.

Jarvis has served in the Navy for 12 years, including seven in military law enforcement. As he prepares to leave the service, he said, he found overseas security appealing because of the people with whom he would work.

Its the kind of community I want to be involved with, he said. The people you work in those types of environments, they have your back.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Warth writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Islamic State group has freed hundreds of civilians used by the militants as human shields while retreating in northern Syrian, US-backed forces and a monitor said Saturday.

A source from the Syrian Democratic Forces, which pushed IS group from the city of Manbij this week with the aid of US-led air strikes, told AFP that some civilians taken by the militants as they fled were able to escape while "others were freed".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor confirmed the account.

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A stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in the heart of Los Angeles will go car-free Sunday to host the 18th CicLAvia.

Thousands of walkers, bikers, skateboarders  and, thanks to a new component of the event, runners  are expected to show up for the free festival along a 3.5-mile route between Koreatown and downtown. Festivities get underway at 9 a.m. and will run until 4 p.m.

The route, which is much shorter than the 10-mile course held in Southeast L.A. in May, returns to Wilshire Boulevard for a third time since the inaugural event in the fall of 2010. Wilshire will be closed to traffic from Figueroa Street to Western Avenue.

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CicLAvia executive director Romel Pascual said its a favorite of event planners because the route highlights one of the citys most iconic thoroughfares.

You can stand in the middle of Wilshire Boulevard and look down the street and literally see and feel the history of L.A., he said. You can also see how L.A. has evolved over time.

Pascual encouraged attendees to mosey along the route at a slow pace, leaving time to drop in at businesses along the way, enjoy music or stop at a few of the 56 Pokestops nearby. People can travel in either direction along the route and can join in at any point.

This is one of the more walkable CicLAvias, Pascual said.

CicLAvia, which is based off the open streets festivals in Bogota, Colombia, known as ciclovias  Spanish for bikeways  is meant to promote a cleaner environment, celebrate the people and streets of L.A. and encourage physical activity.

About 50% of people surveyed at past events said if they hadnt attended CicLAvia, Pascual said, theyd likely have stayed at home on their couches.

It gives them the excuse to get up and be active, he said.

marisa.gerber@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber

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8:54 a.m.: This story has been updated with information about the CicLAvia route.
Lawyers representing the mother of a 14-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police in Boyle Heights are calling on the LAPD to release all videos, photographs and other evidence of the shooting.

Demands that authorities release evidence in the death of Jesse Romero -- who reportedly shot at Hollenbeck Division gang officers before he was killed  comes as community leaders implored the city Friday to spend more money on youth programs.

We are very saddened by the loss of yet another young life in Boyle Heights. A tragedy such as the death of 14-year-old Jesse as well as the drive-by shooting of a 10-year old girl cannot be ignored anymore and we just cant stand on the sidelines and not do anything, said Lou Calanche, executive director of Legacy LA, a community-based nonprofit.

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We are asking the city of Los Angeles to prioritize positive youth development resources in our city, he said.

Romero was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon after he fled from police officers who suspected him of writing gang-style graffiti in the area.

For the third day in a row since the shooting, demonstrators gathered at a makeshift shrine near the corner of Breed Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue on Friday afternoon. Among them were attorneys hired by Romeros mother, Teresa Dominguez, who called on the LAPD to release footage from the body cameras that the officers were wearing.

The attorneys said there are conflicting accounts about what took place and that the videos would shed light on what happened.

Antonio Rodriguez, one of the two attorneys, said one witness told police that Romero fired at the officers, while another witness said the boy had tossed the handgun over a fence.

These cases are usually decided on facts and the LAPD has been very aggressive at promoting the facts as they see them favorable to their own officers in justifying the shooting, said Jorge Gonzalez, the other attorney.

The two men displayed a photo taken by a witness that shows the bloody body of Romero on the sidewalk and officers standing behind a black gate, where a nearby object lies on the ground, reflecting sunlight. The lawyers say the object is the gun Romero threw.

Gonzalez said the photo was provided to the family who provided it to him and his colleague. He said the picture is evidence with the version that doesnt favor the LAPD.

He said the only way to know for sure is for the LAPD to release the videotape images from the body cameras.

Let the public figure out if this was a wrongful shooting or a justifiable shooting, Gonzalez said. We want transparency.

The attorneys say they plan to file a claim and lawsuit against the city within three months. They say they still have witnesses they must find.

Romero, who would have turned 15 on Aug. 24, was enrolled in Soledad Enrichment Actions gang program that works with high-risk teens. Police have not said publicly if Romero was involved in gang activity.

LAPD Deputy Chief Robert Arcos said that one civilian witness told police the boy fired the gun in the direction of police officers. The gun is being tested by investigators.

Given the circumstances of the shooting, 23 nonprofit organizations in Boyle Heights say they want the city of Los Angeles to create a special department for more youth programs.

At an earlier gathering Friday, some 30 activists held a news conference in a pocket park opposite the Hollenbeck station.

We cant continue to see youth lives as disposable, Calanche said. Given that the city spends 70 times more on police than it does on youth, it is critical that as a city we view increased investment in positive youth development programs as a critical public safety strategy.

The group said major cities such as New York, Boston and San Francisco have created youth development departments that are funded by city revenues.

According to the group, Los Angeles invested only $35 million in city-wide youth programs for the fiscal year 2015-16, compared with New York Citys $536-million investment.

Everyone says that youth are the future, but the city of L.A. doesnt invest in us or our future, said Araceli Rodriguez, 17, a youth leader at Legacy LA.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

richard.winton@latimes.com

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For decades, two forces  steady and powerful as the tides  have collided on the California coast.

The desire to build, and the desire to conserve.

The Monterey Bay town of Sand City, population roughly 300, offers the perfect case study.

Developer Ed Ghandour has tried for more than 20 years to get clearance for a 368-unit hotel and condo development on a beachfront sand dune he owns. But the Monterey Bay Shores eco-resort, as he calls it, has been blocked by regulatory hurdles and opposition from environmentalists.

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The delays have cost him tens of millions of dollars, and he has scaled his plans back more than once, Ghandour said. Now hes done compromising and negotiating with naysayers.

I am determined to build this project and I anticipate going to grading in the fall, Ghandour told me. We are pursuing this aggressively.

I respect his gumption and understand his frustration, but I also suspect that there may be good reasons the California Coastal Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the threat of a lawsuit all stand in his way.

For weeks now Ive been telling you the coastal development game is rigged in favor of wealthy developers who hire lawyers and consultants, meet privately with coastal commissioners, sue if they dont get their way, and often prevail.

I stand by that, but its only fair to let you hear the perspective of someone who owns coastal property and has an urge to build.

Ghandour agrees that the system is fixed. But as he sees it, its developers who are at a disadvantage.

Its rigged in a number of ways, he said.

We had planned to meet at the site, but Ghandours wife took ill, so we talked by phone.

Environmentalists, Ghandour argued, are the ones with undue influence on Coastal Commission staffers, who review permit applications and make recommendations for or against projects.

The result, he said, is staff reports that lack a scientific basis and do not uphold the Coastal Act, but in fact are written to undermine or deny a project.

1 / 121 A woman takes a break from riding her horse on Imperial Beach, one of only a few places along the coast where horses are allowed. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 121 Palm fronds reveal a surfer, a couple and children taking in sunset at Windansea Beach in La Jolla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 121 The tide splashes up on the beach at sunset on a warm summer evening at Windansea Beach in La Jolla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 121 Backdropped by San Diegos skyline, former Sen. James Mills, 89, stands at his Coronado apartment with the bike he rode from Sacramento to San Diego in 1972 to promote Proposition 20, which created the Coastal Commission and led to the Coastal Act. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 121 Children camping at Campland on the Bay paddle around on body boards in the warm waters of San Diegos Mission Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 121 A view from the Torrey Pines Gliderport cliffs, overlooking Blacks Beach and Torrey Pines State Beach in La Jolla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 121 A California sea lions basks in the evening sunlight while resting on a rock in the La Jolla Marine Reserve, one of 11 California marine protected areas (MPAs). (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 121 A bod surfer is upended amid the crashing shorebreak at Windansea Beach in La Jolla. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 121 A surfer heads in by a fire pit, hammock and palapa at dusk at San Onofre State Beach in San Clemente. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 121 Mila Renieri and Diego Merli of Milan, Italy, play on a homemade teeter-totter at San Onofre State Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 121 A no beach access sign is posted at Dan Blocker Beach scenic viewpoint. The beach is one of several in Malibu that dont allow public access. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 121 RV campers have an ocean view, just across from Pacific Coast Highway at the Malibu Beach RV Park in Malibu. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 121 A kayaker checks out the clear waters of Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 121 A snorkeler swims around a reef/ rock formation at Crescent Bay, Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 121 A snorkeler looks for fish at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 121 Garibaldi, the California state fish, swim and feed on rocks at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 121 Small fish swim at the reef at Crescent Bay in Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 121 A surfer rides a wave at sunset at Old Mans surf break at San Onofre State Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 121 A bodyboarder rides a wave at Crescent Bay, Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 121 Anders Hamborg rides a wave before his shift working as a Huntington Beach city lifeguard on a warm summer day in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 121 A view of the beach through a telescope at Pacific City, a new 31-acre mixed use development in Huntington Beach, also known as Surf City U.S.A. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 121 The site of the proposed Banning Ranch development now before the Calif. Coastal Commission. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 121 The tide rolls in at twilight at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) nuclear power plant located on the border of San Diego County and San Clemente. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 121 A view of the AES Huntington Beach Generating Station, where an ocean water intake pipe is located that uses a technique of once-through cooling that is harmful to marine life scheduled to be phased out by 2020. The California Coastal Commission is holding a hearing on the proposed Poseidon Huntington beach Desalination project September 7/8. Poseidon would operate next to the AES power plant and use its ocean water intake pipe. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 121 A dolphin leaps out of the water with a view of south Laguna Beach in the background on Aug. 12, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 121 A pod of dolphins leaps out of the water with a view of south Laguna Beach in the background on Aug. 12, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 121 The Spirit of Dana Point, a traditionally built replica of a 1770s privateer schooner used during the American Revolution, takes a sunset cruise past The Headlands, center, and The Strand at Headlands development, left, in Dana Point. The Coastal Commission approved the 121-acre development known as The Strand at Headlands in 2004, but only after a decades-long fight between conservationists and the developer. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 121 The orange glow of the setting sun shines through palm trees on a warm summer evening in Heisler Park, Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 121 Beach combers enjoy a warm summer evening exploring the ocean and coastline of Main Beach, Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 121 Couples enjoy a sunset on a warm summer evening in Heisler Park, Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 121 Beach combers are silhouetted by the skys glow while exploring the rocks at sunset on a warm summer evening in Heisler Park, Laguna Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 121 Children run along the beach at twilight near the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 121 The sun sets over the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 121 Kayakers take a scenic cruise in Monterey Bay on a summer day in Monterey. In the background, sand dunes line the coast where the proposed hotel and condominium Monterey Bay Shores development in Sand City. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 121 Isabella, 9, and Holden, 7, roast marshmallows over a beach fire with their parents, Steve and Amy Knuff of Aliso Viejo at twilight at Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 121 Incoming tide rolls onto the beach at twilight at Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 121 A photographer captures the sunset over the ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 121 The Point Vicente Lighthouse illuminates the landscape at twilight in Rancho Palos Verdes. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 121 A person climbs up the giant Point Mugu Sand Dune, across from Thornhill Broome Beach State Park in Ventura County. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 121 Taylor Geer and Marissa Acosta of Thousand Oaks relax on top of the giant Point Mugu Sand Dune, across from Thornhill Broome Beach State Park in Ventura County. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 121 Kids play on a stand-up-paddleboard at Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 121 Vivienne Lee, 7, of Thousand Oaks, jumps across rocks under the arches of a rock formation while watching the tide roll in at twilight at El Matador State Beach in Malibu. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 121 Keenan Yoo watches the waves crash at twilight at El Matador State Beach in Malibu. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 121 A tidal inlet reflects the surrounding landscape as a couple walk with their dog at twilight along Arroyo Burro Beach County Park in Santa Barbara. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 121 A Blue Heron flies over the Naples State Marine Conservation Area. Phil McKenna, president of the Gaviota Coast Conservancy, says the portion down-coast of Point Conception contains approximately 50% of its remaining rural coastline. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 121 A man fishes in the ocean at sunset at Arroyo Burro Beach County Park in Santa Barbara. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 121 A deer takes a break from grazing to look out over the meadow in Cambria. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 121 A man walking his dog is viewed underneath a Cypress tree canopy over the beach boardwalk along Moonstone Beach in Cambria. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 121 A surfer rides a wave near a rock formation in Morro Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 121 The sun, filtered by forest fire ash and fog, goes down at the Morro Bay Marina, with a view of Morro Rock and sailboats. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 121 Surfers walk down the beach after surfing in front of Morro Rock. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 121 A windmill lines an undeveloped stretch of coast along Cayucos Estero Bay with Morro Rock visible in the background. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 121 A child bundled up in a thick wetsuit, cap and life jacket, skips to the waters edge with an adult taking them body boarding in Morro Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 121 A child toting sand toys heads across the sand dunes at Morro Bay State Park in Morro Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 121 The tide fills in between jagged rock and cliff formations at Montana de Oro State Beach in Los Osos. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 121 The tide fills in between jagged rock and cliff formations at Montana de Oro State Beach in Los Osos. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 121 Elephant Seals battle one another on the beach rookery at Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve, San Simeon. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 121 A scenic view of the setting sun shining through the fog along the Big Sur coastline. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 121 A scenic view of a waterfall spilling onto the beach at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur coastline. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 121 A scenic view of an iconic California coastline gem, the Bixby Bridge, Big Sur. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 121 Tourists sit together at a lookout point while exploring the Big Sur coastline. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 121 A scenic view taken from Rocky Point, looking out over the Big Sur coastline. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 121 Elephant Seals gather on the beach rookery at Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve, San Simeon. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 121 Kayakers take a scenic cruise on Monterey Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 121 A scenic view of Garrapata State Park in Carmel-by-the-Sea. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 121 A view of Carmel Sunset Beach on a summer day. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 121 A child climbs a dune on the site of a proposed, nearly 400-unit hotel and condominium development in Sand City. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 68 / 121 A Western snowy plover, a threatened species protected under the Endangered Species Act, stands amid critical habitat at the site of the proposed Monterey Bay Shores condo and hotel development in Sand City. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 121 Amid fog, Mark Massara, a decades-long coastal steward, surfs in front of Shark Tooth Rock at Martins Beach, where an access gate remains locked despite a judges order to landowner Vinod Khosla to to open the private gate and allow public access to the beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 121 Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez revisits Santa Cruz, where he surfed as a boy. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 121 Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez surfs in Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 121 The sun illuminates the incoming tide as a child plays in the water near Twin Lakes State Beach in Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 121 A harbor seal lets out a yawn while relaxing on the rocks at Pigeon Point Light Station near Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 121 A sailor heads out to sea from Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 121 A mural on a beach cottage wall at Martins Beach, where an access gate remains locked despite a judges order to landowner Vinod Khosla to to open the private gate and allow public access to the beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 121 The sun sets as a crew team glides through the water near Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 77 / 121 A tourist takes in the coastline scenery at Pigeon Point Light Station near Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 78 / 121 A view of the scenic Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park in Pescadero. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 79 / 121 Sailboats and stand-up-paddle boarders share the water off Lighthouse Point in Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 80 / 121 Ash from a nearby forest fire creates a yellow-hued sky at sunset at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 121 A view of one of Californias most beloved coastal gems: the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 82 / 121 An egret searches for breakfast on a foggy morning at Bolinas Lagoon Nature Preserve in Stinson Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 83 / 121 A family walks across the beach amid the fog at Dunes Beach in Half Moon Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 84 / 121 A man checking the surf is silhouetted by evening sunshine reflecting off the ocean amid fog at Dunes Beach in Half Moon Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 85 / 121 Harbor Seals relax in the mud at low tide on a foggy morning at Bolinas Lagoon Nature Preserve in Stinson Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 86 / 121 A crab crawls through the mud at low tide at Bolinas Lagoon Nature Preserve in Stinson Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 87 / 121 White pelicans and sea gulls perch on a sand bar in Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 88 / 121 Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, left, gets a kayak tour through the eel grass from Amy Trainer, right, deputy director California Coastal Protection Network. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 89 / 121 A coyote hunts for food along the shore in Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 90 / 121 Tom Baty, a local environmentalist, has a collection of Japanese glass fishing floats he found on the beach over the years. They are used to hold up fishing nets. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 91 / 121 Tom Baty has been involved in the fight to close the oyster farm on Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 92 / 121 A harbor seal checks out kayakers in Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 93 / 121 Steve Lopez, left, gets a kayak tour from Amy Trainer, in white kayak, Brett Miller and Cicely Muldoon. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 94 / 121 Remnants of oyster racks are part of a restoration project to remove 470 tons of marine debris and 5 miles of oyster racks in Drakes Estero (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 95 / 121 Amy Trainer, deputy director California Coastal Protection Network, kayaks past oyster racks in Drakes Estero. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 96 / 121 Amy Trainer, deputy director California Coastal Protection Network, kayaks past oyster racks in Drakes Estero. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 97 / 121 The tide pools at the scenic Shell Beach in Sea Ranch, Calif. Sea Ranch rallied a generation of coastal stewards demanding public access to the rugged and scenic beauty on the Sonoma County coast. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 98 / 121 A view of flowers overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Bodega Head, Bodega Bay. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 99 / 121 A blue heron perches on a branch at The Hole in Bodega Head that was meant to hold a nuclear power plant. Photo taken at Bodega Head, Bodega Bay, Calif. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 100 / 121 A view of the rugged beauty of the Sonoma County coast. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 101 / 121 Couples take a scenic walk on the beach in Crescent City. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 102 / 121 The rocky coastline of Shelter Cove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 103 / 121 Fog partially obscures the high cliffs of the Lost Coast, where early conservation activists fought development in Shelter Cove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 104 / 121 A woman watches the tide roll in on Black Sands Beach in Shelter Cove along the Lost Coast. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 105 / 121 A woman walks along Black Sands Beach in Shelter Cove. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 106 / 121 An evening view of the Mendocino County coastline in Northern California. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 107 / 121 A full moon rises at dusk over the protected Ma-lel Dunes in Arcata, which contain eight distinct habitats. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 108 / 121 Sunset illuminates Battery Point Lighthouse and sea stacks in Crescent City on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 109 / 121 A surfer heads out at sunset to catch a wave near a sea stack in Crescent City on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 110 / 121 Flowers overlooking Enderts Beach near Crescent City on July 19, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 111 / 121 The Battery Point Lighthouse illuminates the night sky near sea stacks in Crescent City on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 112 / 121 A couple walks along the beach at Pelican Bay State Beach after crossing the California border from Oregon on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 113 / 121 Empty half-acre lots and paved roads are now part of the Lake Earl Wildlife Area on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 114 / 121 A blue heron lands on a tree branch amid the rich habitat of the south Lake Earl Wildlife Area, which was formerly private Bliss Ranch and is now public land near Crescent City on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 115 / 121 Water ripples among reeds in the near-empty half-acre lots and paved roads that are now part of the Lake Earl Wildlife Area. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 116 / 121 Sunset illuminates sea stacks and the coastline at False Klamath Cove in Redwood National Park near Crescent City on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 117 / 121 The sun sets behind trees at False Klamath Cove in Redwood National Park near Crescent City on July 18, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 118 / 121 A view of the Smith River National Recreation Area in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park on July 19, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 119 / 121 Times columnist Steve Lopez, right, kayaks with Grant Werschkull, left, co-executive director of the Smith River Alliance, on the Smith River National Recreation Area in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park on July 19, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 120 / 121 An elk grazes in the meadow at sunset in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park on July 19, 2016. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 121 / 121 Patterns formed by the wind and bird footprints in the sand at the Ma-lel Dunes North, which contains eight different habitats, in Arcata on July 19, 2016. The dunes are highlighted as a victory for the coast after a years-long fight by conservationists to keep off-highway vehicles off the unique sand dunes. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Ghandour is not the first developer  or homeowner, for that matter -- who has been exasperated by a cumbersome permit application process that can drag on for years in bureaucratic purgatory or in court. Hes all the more agitated because in his mind, hes not planning an architectural abomination. He says his creation will be a paragon of green, sustainable design, with living roofs, recycled water and state-of-the-art energy-conservation features. To be fair to him, the coast is littered with projects nowhere near as attractive or eco-minded as what he wants to build.

Earth, water, air, light, energy, environment and the human experience, said Ghandour, doing his own PR as he ticked off the considerations built into his blueprints. And hes going to allow public access to what is currently private property.

Besides all that, he claimed, hell be restoring a site damaged by years of sand mining that left a giant pit in the dune. To hear Ghandour tell it, the Coastal Commission and other government agencies ought to be congratulating him.

As Ghandour notes, development is allowed under the Local Coastal Plan approved by the Coastal Commission, and he has prevailed in court on more than one occasion when someone tried to block him from moving forward.

A court agreed with his assessment that there was no environmentally sensitive habitat on the site, although when it comes to nature, such conditions can and do change. And even the Coastal Commission, after two denials, has given him approval to proceed if he meets certain conditions.

So what stands in Ghandours way?

A couple of things, said Dan Carl, Coastal Commission deputy director. First, he said, Ghandour will have to pay roughly $500,000 for road improvements near the site.

But the big obstacle involves a tiny bird.

The western snowy plover nests on the property and is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Ghandours resort would result in the harassment, harm, injury and mortality of western snowy plovers on and adjacent to the project site, the Center for Biological Diversity wrote on July 27 in threatening a lawsuit to prevent construction.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent an April 1 letter to the Coastal Commission arguing that Ghandours project could cause problems for Smiths blue butterflies and would likely result in the take of the western snowy plover and  render the area unsuitable for the species.

The agency said he needed to apply for an incidental take permit and offer a habitat conservation plan.

Ghandour insists there is no environmentally sensitive habitat on his property. As for snowy plovers, he said they exist in far greater numbers at nearby beaches. Even so, he said, hes offered a habitat protection plan and met his obligations.

The people who are paid to look out for our states wildlife disagree.

As Ive traveled south from Oregon on the 40th anniversary of the Coastal Act that regulates development, Ive met with botanists, ecologists and coastal stewards, and I have a greater appreciation of the toll development takes on fragile ecosystems.

I believe more strongly than ever in erring on the side of protecting what was here before humans dreamed up eco-resorts. And though I get as fed up as the next guy with tangles of red tape, I have trouble accepting that 368 units of hotel rooms and condos, built next to a marine sanctuary, can deliver a net gain to a sand dune environment or to Californians who wont be able to afford a room or a condo at Ghandours resort. In the end, this may be a good project in a bad location.

Twice now Ive visited the beach where Ghandour wants to build, each time with Blake Matheson of the Monterey Audubon Society.

On both visits, we saw snowy plovers scurrying about -- little white snowball puffs, as Matheson described them.

Ghandour isnt going to kill off all plovers, Matheson said, just as you cant wipe out a species if you shoot a few black rhinos in Kenya.

But he doesnt get to decide, said Matheson. The federal government gets to decide. All he has to do is sit down with the federal government and say, OK, guys, what do you want me to do so I can get my incidental take permit?

No thanks, says Ghandour, insisting he will be a good steward.

Id like to believe that he would be. But I say hes got a little more convincing to do before he brings in the bulldozers and takes away another slice of the vanishing coast.

steve.lopez@latimes.com

steve.lopez@latimes.com | Follow on Twitter: @LATstevelopez

Weigh in at @JerryBrownGov #SaveYourCoast and (916 445-2841) or email governor@governor.ca.gov.

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Operators of a Costa Mesa medical marijuana dispensary that was raided by police in January have sued the city and its Police Department, alleging that officers had no right to force their way into the Harbor Boulevard storefront.

The lawsuit, filed this week in Orange County Superior Court, claims that Costa Mesa police never presented a warrant during or after the search, in which they arrested employees and confiscated marijuana products.

According to attorney Matthew Pappas, who is representing the dispensary, Costa Mesa Collective, the city has refused to provide a list of the items the officers seized.

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Its just been quite frustrating, Pappas said.

Although medical marijuana is legal in California, Costa Mesa bars dispensaries from operating within its borders.

City spokesman Tony Dodero said police did have a warrant to inspect the dispensary, which was operating in the 2000 block of Harbor Boulevard.

Ive seen it, Dodero said. I have a copy of it.

During an interview in February shortly after the raid, Dodero said police arrested five of the dispensarys employees. He also said officers found two large safes containing $6,000 cash and various marijuana products.

None of that property has been returned to the dispensary operators, though nobody arrested has been charged with a crime, according to the lawsuit.

The suit seeks return of the property or compensation for it.

Surveillance video provided by Pappas shows officers breaking through the dispensarys door on Jan. 27 and ordering a group of people to lie on the ground.

Pappas said police disabled security cameras that they could find, but a hidden recording system captured them questioning medical marijuana patients and unloading items from display cases.

Pappas showed portions of the recordings to the Daily Pilot.

Pappas alleges that even if police had a warrant to inspect the business, officers violated his clients rights.

He contends the raid was used as a backdoor mechanism to shut down the dispensary.

The lawsuit draws a distinction between a criminal search warrant and a warrant to inspect for health and safety violations.

If police used an inspection warrant to justify the raid, they had a duty to notify the dispensary 24 hours in advance and shouldnt have forced their way in, according to the lawsuit.

What they would normally do with any other business ... they go in and they dont have guns drawn, Pappas said.

Despite the citys assurances, Pappas said he doubts the warrant exists. More than six months after the raid, he said he still hasnt seen a copy of it.

Pappas has accused Costa Mesa of wrongdoing before.

In the days after the raid, Pappas said the storefront wasnt a dispensary but rather a Native American church authorized to use cannabis and other controlled substances in its ceremonies.

On Friday, Pappas backed away from that claim, saying the dispensary had planned to transition into a church but never made the conversion.

Pappas said he no longer represents the religious practitioners, known as the Oklevueha Native American Church.

jeremiah.dobruck@latimes.com

Dobruck writes for Times Community News.

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A federal judge in Wisconsin on Friday overturned the conviction of a man found guilty of helping his uncle kill a woman in a case profiled in the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer, ruling that investigators used deceptive tactics in obtaining a confession.

U.S. Magistrate William Duffin overturned Brendan Dasseys conviction and ordered him freed within 90 days unless prosecutors decide to retry him.

Duffin said in Fridays ruling that investigators made false promises to Dassey by assuring him he had nothing to worry about.

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These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dasseys confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments (of the U.S. Constitution), Duffin wrote. The ruling comes after Dasseys appeal was rejected by state courts.

Dassey confessed to helping his uncle Steven Avery carry out the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach, but attorneys argued that his constitutional rights were violated throughout the investigation.

Dassey was 16 when Halbach was killed in 2005 after she went to the Avery family auto salvage yard to photograph some vehicles.

Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide. Both Avery and Dassey are serving life sentences.

Dasseys case burst into the publics consciousness with the popularity of the Making a Murderer series that debuted in December.

Attorneys for Dassey did not immediately return messages seeking comment. A spokesman said the Wisconsin Department of Justice was reviewing the ruling and had no immediate comment.

Kathleen Zellner, an attorney for Avery, said in a statement that Avery was thrilled to hear of the ruling for his nephew. Avery is pursuing his own appeal.

We know when an unbiased court reviews all of the new evidence we have, Steven will have his conviction overturned as well, Zellner said.

Joe Friedberg, a defense attorney in Minnesota who was not involved in the case but is familiar with it and participated in a forum on it with Averys first defense attorney, said he doesnt believe the decision will have any bearing on Averys case.

The kids confession was not entered into evidence against Avery, and I dont think it impacted Averys trial at all, Friedberg said.

The filmmakers behind Making a Murderer cast doubt on the legal process used to convict Avery and Dassey, and their work has sparked national interest and conjecture. Armchair investigators have flooded Twitter and online message boards, and key players in the case have appeared on national news and talk shows.

Authorities involved in the case have called the 10-hour series biased, while the filmmakers have stood by their work.

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A New Mexico police officer was gunned down during a traffic stop and a motorist was shot during a rest stop carjacking before authorities were able to chase down three suspects and take them into custody, Dona Ana County law enforcement officials say.

The officer was making a traffic stop Friday afternoon in the village of Hatch, about 40 miles northwest of Las Cruces, when a passenger got out of the vehicle and started firing, Dona Ana County sheriffs spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said in a news release.

The suspects drove south on Interstate 25 at speeds up to 100 mph, then stopped at a rest stop near Radium Springs, where one of them carjacked a parked Chevrolet Cruze. Jameson said that cars owner also was shot.

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Sheriffs deputies spotted the Cruze, pursued it and were able to slow it down with stop sticks; the suspect crashed the vehicle into a pile of wood and briefly barricaded himself in the car before surrendering to sheriffs deputies, Jameson said. The suspect had a gunshot wound to the right thigh, she said.

Meanwhile, deputies tracked down the other two suspects in Rincon after being alerted by a passerby of two men acting suspicious in the area, the sheriffs spokeswoman said.

Hatch Officer Jose Chavez, 33, who had been shot in the neck, died at University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, authorities say. Chavez had been with the Hatch police for two years.

The motorist shot in the carjacking also was taken to the hospital; his condition wasnt immediately available.

Authorities didnt identify the three suspects or the injured motorist.

The Chillicothe Gazette in Ohio reported Saturday that James D. Nelson II and Jesse D. Hanes have been taken into custody in New Mexico on warrants in the July 25 shooting death of an Ohio man, and are believed to be involved in the New Mexico officers killing.

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As the floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibsons two-story home, she hacked away on a hole near the roof, desperately trying to get to safety.

She used a saw, a screwdriver and her feet, knocking her way through wood, vinyl and sheetrock.

I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough, the 115-pound woman said. I would saw for a while. Id kick at it for a while.

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Eventually, Gibson made it out of her Tangipahoa Parish home with her dogs, and they were all rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat. It was one of thousands of rescues after a deluge dropped more than a foot of rain on parts of Louisiana, submerging roads, cars and homes.

At least three people were killed.

In another dramatic moment, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car that was almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB-TV. The woman, who is not initially visible on camera, yells from inside the car: Oh my God, Im drowning.

One of the rescuers, David Phung, jumps into the brown water and pulls the woman to safety. She pleads with Phung to get her dog, but he cant find it. After several seconds, Phung takes a deep breath, goes underwater and resurfaces  with the small dog.

Both the woman and dog appeared to be OK.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods unprecedented and historic. He and his family were forced to leave the governors mansion when chest-high water filled the basement and electricity to the building had to be cut off.

Thats never happened before, said the governor, whose family relocated to a state police facility in the Baton Rouge area.

During an aerial tour, an Associated Press reporter saw homes in parts of rural Tangipahoa Parish that looked like little islands among flooded fields. Farmland was covered and streets descended into impassable pools of water.

This is an ongoing event. Were still in response mode, Edwards said, urging residents to heed warnings to evacuate and be prepared for a disaster that could last for several days.

Earlier in the day, Edwards said more than 1,000 people had been rescued. That number appeared to at least double by the end of the day, when Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said 2,000 people in his parish alone had been rescued, and more people still awaited help.

We havent been rescuing people. Weve been rescuing subdivisions, he said. It has not stopped at all today.

Beginning Friday, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisiana, and several more inches fell on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The system is expected to turn to the north Sunday, and portions of central and northern Louisiana could see heavy rain into next week.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency for several counties in his state as it also battled the heavy rainfall.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents said they had to be rescued by boats or wade though waist-deep, snake-infested water to reach dry ground. Dozens of people awoke Saturday morning on cots at a makeshift Red Cross shelter only a few blocks from their flooded homes and cars.

John Mitchell, 23, said he swam to safety with his pit bull after police officers in a boat picked up his 20-year-old girlfriend, her 1-year-old daughter and Mitchells father.

This is the worst its been, ever, Mitchell said. We tried to wait it out, but we had to get out.

Mitchell fears he lost their trailer home and his car, which was flooded up to the seats. A bag of clothes was all he had time to save as the water levels rapidly rose.

People are keeping it together better than I thought they would, he said of the roughly 60 people who stayed at the Red Cross shelter.

Shanita Angrum, 32, said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized floodwaters had trapped her family in their home. A police officer carried her 6-year-old daughter, Khoie, on his back while she and her husband waded behind them for what felt like forever.

Snakes were everywhere, she said. The whole time I was just praying for God to make sure me and my family were OK.

The body of a woman from Amite City was recovered Saturday from the Tickfaw River, according to Michael Martin, chief of operations for the St. Helena Parish Sheriffs Office.

The woman and her husband and mother-in-law were driving on a state highway Friday when their car was swept off the road. The two survivors clung to a tree for hours before they were rescued Saturday, Martin said.

A man died Friday after slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary, said East Baton Rouge Parish sheriffs spokesman Casey Rayborn Hicks, who identified the victim as 68-year-old William Mayfield.

The body of 54-year-old Samuel Muse was found in St. Helena Parish, where crews pulled him from a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10, authorities said.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing. Edwards said some were expected to crest more than 4 feet above previous records and officials were not sure how widespread the damage would be.

In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches of rain. One weather observer reported more than 17 inches in Livingston, according to the National Weather Service.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, La., was already at the highest level ever recorded.

In southwest Mississippi, Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued near Gloster, which had more than 14 inches of rain.

Hansford, 62, said waters from Beaver Creek, which is normally more than 400 feet away from his house, rose quickly overnight. He said another stepson who lives nearby alerted him.

We woke up and the water kept on coming, Hansford said. It came up to my waist.

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UPDATES:

5:10 p.m.: This article was updated with an increased death toll and quotes from eyewitnesses.

1:57 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published at 8:55 a.m.
Worn-out rivet fasteners on a Ferris wheel are being blamed for an overturned gondola at an eastern Tennessee fair that earlier this week sent three girls plummeting more than 30 feet to the ground.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced late Friday that it had renewed permits for the rides owner, Family Attractions Amusement, to resume operations at other fairs around the state. But the Ferris wheel is excluded from the permit.

Inspectors hired by the company and the Greene County Fair found that rivets had worn out on the bottom of the tub carrying the girls, allowing a trim piece to come loose and get lodged in the frame of the wheel and tipping the gondola over.

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Ride NOT safe to operate at time of inspection, Frank Guenthner, an inspector hired by ride owner Family Attractions Amusement, wrote in his report.

The Ferris wheel, which inspectors said was correctly assembled at the site, is being sent back to the manufacturer for repair.

Tennessee does not conduct its own inspections of fair or amusement park rides, instead relying on third-party inspectors. The company was allowed to operate in the state based on an inspection made in Indiana in June.

Briley Rae Reynolds, 6, suffered a traumatic brain injury in the fall on Monday, and her 10-year-old sister, Kayla, broke her arm. Kayla and an unidentified 16-year-old were released from the hospital, but Briley Rae remained in critical condition.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, told reporters earlier Friday that it was too soon to say what the state might do to avoid future injuries on rides.

I dont know that right now I have a policy shift of what should happen differently, he said.

Its not the first time Family Attractions Amusement rides have hurt riders.

At the 2013 North Carolina State Fair, five people were injured when an Italian-made ride called the Vortex unexpectedly restarted as they were trying to get off the ride, flinging them through the air and down to the steel deck below. Investigators determined that a safety mechanism had been disabled by ride operators, including the son of company owners Dominic and Ruby Macaroni.

Joshua Macaroni earlier this year entered an Alford plea  a concession that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt  on a felony charge of obstruction of justice. He was sentenced in February to five to 15 months in prison, though the judge suspended that to a month in jail. He also was ordered pay a $22,500 fine.

The Greeneville Sun has reported that Greene County Fair Board officials decided to go through with a five-year contract with Family Attractions despite the North Carolina incident, citing the companys previous safety record in Tennessee and the owners claims that they were not involved with the Vortex ride.

Their rides were not inspected when they were assembled in Tennessee.

Family Attractions Amusement already had taken down its rides in Greeneville the day before the states decision to allow most of the rides to resume.

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Bill Clinton defends Hillary Clintons honor

Former President Bill Clinton gave an impassioned defense of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons trustworthiness on Friday, pointing to her support from prominent GOP national security experts.

Its inconceivable all these prominent national security people who were active in other administrations, including Republicans, would have endorsed her if they did not trust her, he said in response to a question about his wifes email scandal. Im just telling you, there are people who spent their lifetime advancing national security who believe shes the only person left you can trust with it.

Clinton was referring to a letter that was released this week and signed by 50 top officials who worked in prior Republican White Houses. The signers questioned GOP nominee Donald Trumps fitness for office and said he would make the nation less safe. Several also endorsed her, including former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, former national security advisor Brent Scowcroft and veteran diplomat John Negroponte.

The former president made the remarks in response to a question at a presidential forum hosted by the Asian American Journalists Assn. and Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote.

Asian Americans are among the nations fastest-growing voting blocs and overwhelmingly vote Democratic. Political experts said at a panel earlier in the day that the communitys votes could make the difference for Clinton in November in crucial states such as Virginia.

As he urged Asian Americans to participate in the election, Clinton marveled at how unusual this contest has become.

I never dreamed when this election started that by this point I would do anything more than argue whos got the best trade plan, the best investment plan, he said. Instead, this is about what kind of country were going to be, about whether you and everyone else who lives here can feel at home in America.

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein also addressed the groups, as did Utah Atty. Gen. Sean Reyes, who spoke on behalf of Trump.
To learn what most endangers national parks, on the occasion this month of the National Park Services 100th birthday, look no farther than Mojave National Preserve, a vast swath of exquisite desert panoramas halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. These days, national parks struggle with all sorts of urgent threats, such as climate change and deteriorating services and infrastructure as a result of underfunding, but Mojaves biggest menace isnt whats happening inside the preserve, its what increasingly surrounds it.

Three industrial-scale solar farms adjacent to the preserve are already in operation, the Interior Department has approved a fourth, and a wind farm proposal is getting serious consideration. One of the solar farms, Ivanpah, made news recently for frying birds and setting itself on fire.

Soda Mountain, the solar project approved for construction on Bureau of Land Management land next to the Mojave preserve, would be the largest industrial site within 100 miles. It would isolate and possibly doom a portion of the deserts depleted population of bighorn sheep, and like the other energy projects, it would be visible from the preserve. By generating enough renewable electricity for 86,000 homes, the project would address one environmental problem, climate change, while creating others: It would show that an energy project can be renewable without being green.

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Whats most puzzling about the Interior Departments approval of Soda Mountain is that its siting is unnecessary  the departments own Renewable Energy Conservation Plan has identified hundreds of thousands of acres of land elsewhere in Southern California appropriate for renewable energy projects such as Soda Mountain. Energy developers usually line up customers before they launch a project of Soda Mountains scale, but Bechtel, the giant engineering company that owns the project, hasnt found buyers for its electricity. The company assumed that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power would be its main customer, but DWP bowed out a year ago on the grounds that the project was environmentally destructive (the electricitys high cost may have been a more telling reason).

Without DWPs involvement, Bechtel probably has lost access to the utilitys existing transmission lines, and will have to build new, environmentally damaging ones to send the electricity elsewhere. That means the environmental impact statement Bechtel submitted to win the Interior Departments approval is out-of-date and may have to be revised. But none of this has scuttled the plan.

The park assault represented by Soda Mountain is far from unique. Many of the Park Services 412 properties are experiencing destructive forms of adjacent development that threaten their ecological systems and cultural integrity  the attributes that make them worth protecting in the first place.

Probably 80% of my job is dealing with the constant stream of activities that corporations want to do on the borders of national parks, outside the jurisdiction of the Park Service, that fundamentally threaten the parks, Mark Wenzler, senior vice president of conservation programs at the National Parks Conservation Assn., told me.

Energy projects can be relocated, national parks cant.

The threat strikes directly at the mission assigned to the service by the 1916 legislation that created it: to leave parks scenery and wildlife unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. The obvious villains are the corporate interests behind mines, dams, pipelines, oil and gas drilling facilities, solar and wind farms, electric transmission lines, housing tracts and shopping malls, but government agencies also bear responsibility. Much of this development occurs on public land, and it requires the agencies approval. While the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service typically oppose industrial-scale development projects on park borders, their position is often ignored by the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation, which have been more interested in fulfilling President Obamas ambitious energy goals.

Other agencies generally dont have an awful lot of sympathy for the park services position, Mike Soukup, the National Park Services former chief scientist, told me. They say, Our jurisdiction goes from this point to this point, and we can do whatever we need to do. 

National parks were once thought of as unchanging, postcard-ready vignettes of natural beauty, whose management chiefly required shepherding visitors through them. But like all other living things, parks respond to their surroundings. For the first six or seven decades after the Park Service was established, many parks flourished in the absence of nearby development, reinforcing the notion that they require minimal care.

But now industrial development and science have caught up to them. Biologists studying islands discovered that isolation weakens ecosystems: the smaller the island, the fewer species it supports. As development surrounds the parks, they become more and more like islands. Their ecosystems usually extend far beyond their boundaries, and even distant alterations to those systems can reduce the number of species inside the parks. In addition, migratory animals that pass through the parks need access to the entire length of their trails, no matter how far the trails extend from the parks. Helping parks thrive thus means limiting destruction throughout their ecosystems and establishing wildlife corridors for migratory animals. The advent of climate change and the stress it places on ecosystems makes fostering of the parks ecological resilience all the more important.

The parks historical and cultural holdings are similarly at risk. For example, since 2013, the Army Corps of Engineers has been considering a proposal by Dominion Virginia Power, a subsidiary of the nations fourth-largest utility, to build a 17-mile transmission line across the James River and as close as 3.5 miles to Colonial National Historic Park, where Jamestown, the continents first permanent English settlement, was established. Some of the towers would be nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty, and they would be equipped with flashing red lights visible from the park.

The pressure at the park gates has intensified in the last decade, as the United States has conducted a massive expansion of its energy industries. Yet energy projects can be relocated, national parks cant. Projects such as Soda Mountain and the James River towers ought to be routinely rejected. Whats at stake isnt just the Park Services admirable 100-year-old mission, but something bigger: the crucial but dwindling capacity of natural beauty to enlighten and set us free.

Jacques Leslie is a former Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and author of Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.
Turkey wants to buy more natural gas from Iran and has discussed pricing issues, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday, adding that Ankara and Tehran should resolve a dispute on gas prices without arbitration.

Cavusoglu made the comment at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif in Ankara. Zarif is on an official visit to Turkey.

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Marc Gafni, an ex-rabbi who lives in Northern California, has been accused of a multitude of sins, including sexual abuse of a 13-year-old (he admitted there was sexual contact, but said she was 14 going on 35), affairs with students and plagiarism. He now makes his living as a New Age teacher of integral wisdom and offers seminars on total-body orgasms. Earlier this year, he was repudiated by hundreds of rabbis and other spiritual leaders in an online petition covered by the national media.

But one friend stood by him. In recent years, John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods, has appeared publicly with Gafni and given to Gafnis nonprofit. Loyalty and the presumption of innocence are important values to me, Mackey said in June, so I will not join those who are condemning him.

In response, Gafnis detractors have gone after Whole Foods. I refuse to support any company that openly backs a pedophile, Nikki DuBose, the model turned mental-health advocate, wrote in an article for the Huffington Post. And though there is no organized boycott yet, activists held small protests in May at Whole Foods stores in New York and Los Angeles. Whom John Mackey supports is public, Rabbi David Ingber told Tablet magazine. Its part of the brand of Whole Foods, and we as consumers have a responsibility to speak out.

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Mackeys support for Gafni is inexcusable. But is that cause for a boycott? Its a timely question, because boycotts are everywhere these days. In the last few years, I have been asked to boycott the University of Illinois, Chick-fil-A, Wendys, the states of North Carolina and Indiana, and Israel. Those boycotts were organized by liberals, but the right is trigger-happy too. Conservatives went after JCPenney because it ran an ad featuring a male couple with children, and Target because it announced that transgender individuals could use whichever bathroom they chose at its stores. EthicalConsumer.org lists dozens of ongoing boycotts: against Air France, Bacardi, Ben & Jerrys, China and plenty more before we even get to the letter D.

Boycotts have upsides. Sometimes, a coordinated effort to persuade people not to pay for a particular service helps achieve a just result. The Montgomery bus lines were pushed near insolvency by the boycott of 1955 to 1956. Other times, economic pressure is less important than the attention a boycott brings: Most people never thought about apartheid until a worldwide boycott effort in the 1980s made South Africa a pariah.

And even when they dont seem to get results, boycotts may forge communities. The boycott supporting the Delano grape strike in California, which lasted from 1965 to 1970, not only resulted in a significant victory for labor but helped create a sense of solidarity among Latino farm workers.

Yet boycotts are crude instruments. They have unintended victims: namely, the workers who have no responsibility for policy but are adversely affected if a company loses business.

Boycotts are also selective. The call by some activists to boycott Israel for its treatment of Palestinians (the BDS movement, for Boycott, Divest and Sanction) has led critics to ask why the boycotters are relatively uninterested in the nations neighbors, like Iran, which executes gays, and Saudi Arabia, which executes gays, imprisons cross-dressers and doesnt allow women to drive.

Boycotts are becoming modes of identity, less about the boycotted and more about the boycotter.

Of course, all activism is selective, and it has to begin somewhere. But its problematic that boycotts can only punch so high up  a boycott of the United States is absurd on its face. By contrast, Cubans were immiserated for decades by our embargo  an embargo is a forced boycott  which never did drive out the Communists. In 1990, boycotts of Korean grocers operating in two African American neighborhoods in New York City took on decidedly racist overtones.

Some boycotts involve sacrifice on the part of the consumer, but many dont. In the age of Amazon, Orbitz and ecommerce, we have so many purchasing options that eliminating one or two doesnt entail hardship.

For that reason, boycotts are becoming modes of identity, less about the boycotted and more about the boycotter. I am the kind of person who doesnt shop at Wal-Mart because of its anti-union policies. But I know that Wal-Mart couldnt care less. As the Christian blogger Jake Meador writes, In the absence of real dependence upon one another, commerce has ceased to be a matter of sustaining ones material life and the life of ones neighborhood and has, instead, become a method for self invention.

Its already the case that conservatives have their stores, liberals have theirsWal-Mart shoppers and Whole Foods shoppers dont bump into each other much. Boycotts worsen this problem and alienate us ever more from our fellow citizens. What happens when a polarized country falls in love with the boycott? Whole states become off-limits because of legislatures bathroom politics.

I dont have a master theory for when to boycott and when to refrain. But at the very least, we should get back to basics.

Its creepy that Whole Foods CEO John Mackey (who did not return my calls) is a friend of Marc Gafnis, but its a stretch to say that Whole Foods supports sexual abuse. Anyone who wants to boycott the company can easily find a better reason  say, its unscientific claims about what their products can do.

In general, we should focus on the actions of the companies themselves, not the people who run them. And if we prioritize indisputable social ills  like the mistreatment of workers, bad science or the destruction of the environment  we can elevate a valuable tactic now diminished by overuse

Mark Oppenheimer is filling in for Doyle McManus. He is a contributing writer to Opinion.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
In remarks with strong racial overtones, Donald Trump told a mainly white rural crowd in Pennsylvania on Friday that vote fraud could cheat him out of victory and vowed to dispatch police who support him to monitor polls in certain parts of the state.

Were going to have unbelievable turnout, but we dont want to see people voting five times, folks, the Republican presidential nominee said at a rally in Altoona, Pa.

After months of racially charged violence between Trump supporters and protesters at his rallies, the comments raised the specter of confrontations on election day in precincts with many minority voters.

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Trump, who previously suggested the Nov. 8 election would be rigged for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, said hed heard some stories about certain parts of the state, and we have to be very careful.

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Maybe you should go down and volunteer or do something, Trump told the audience, bemoaning Pennsylvanias lack of voter identification requirements.

We have a lot of law enforcement people working that day, he said. Were hiring a lot of people. Were putting a lot of law enforcement  were going to watch Pennsylvania, go down to certain areas and watch and study, and make sure other people dont come in and vote five times.

Trumps remarks came two weeks after a federal appeals court struck down a voter ID law in North Carolina, another presidential battleground state. The law targeted African Americans with almost surgical precision in an effort to suppress the black vote, the court found.

A week earlier, a federal appeals court ruled that a voter ID law in Texas violated the Voting Rights Act, threatening to depress turnout of black and Latino voters.

 An examination of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trumps convention acceptance speeches and how they line up on several key issues. Full coverage at latimes.com/conventions.

For years, Republican governors and state lawmakers have enacted voter ID laws that they say are needed to stop fraud. Democrats and civil rights groups have challenged the laws in court, arguing that there is scant evidence of fraud and that the real purpose is to block minority voters from casting ballots.

Pennsylvanias voter ID law, which was struck down in court in 2014, was one of the most fiercely contested in the 2012 presidential election. Mike Turzai, a state House GOP leader at the time, said publicly that he expected the law to ensure Republican Mitt Romney would win Pennsylvania. Romney lost the state.

Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the New York University School of Laws Brennan Center for Justice, called Trumps comments very disturbing and harmful.

That kind of rhetoric can be used to keep lots of legitimate people from voting, she said. This has happened a lot through our history, and its been happening a lot lately.

She said Trumps call for law enforcement to police balloting locations  beyond the scope of routine election administration  was a red flag for potential election day trouble and risked reviving the kind of voter intimidation tactics that were a hallmark of the Jim Crow era.

Trump told supporters at the rally that the only way he could lose Pennsylvania would be if cheating occurs in certain sections of the state.

We have some great people here, some great leaders here, of the Republican Party, and theyre very concerned about that, and thats the way we could lose the state, he said.

We have to call up law enforcement, and we have to have the sheriffs, and the police chiefs, and everybody watching, he said. Because if we get cheated out of this election, if we get cheated out of a win in Pennsylvania, which is such a vital state, especially when I know whats happening here, folks. I know it  she cant beat whats happening here.

Recent polls have found Trump lagging Clinton by an average of 9 percentage points in Pennsylvania. A survey last month by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News found Trump winning zero percent of the states black vote.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

Twitter: @finneganLAT

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The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority will soon have a new leader at the helm.

Frank R. Miller accepted an offer by TBI Airport Management, Inc., the authoritys management firm, to become the new executive director of the local airport, replacing longtime employee Dan Feger, according to a statement issued by the authority on Wednesday.

The authority will decide whether to affirm TBIs vote during its meeting on Aug. 15. Should board members vote to make Miller the new executive director, he will take on the chief role starting Sept. 6.

Miller has been involved in the aviation industry for 33 years, with more than half his career being spent in leadership positions.

He recently served six years at the aviation director for the San Antonio Airport System, overseeing the operations of the San Antonio International Airport and Stinson Municipal Airport, according to the authority.

Prior to his position in Texas, Miller spent 22 years in Florida as Pensacola Regional Airports airport director.

Miller was also an airport manager for the Walker Field Airport Authority in Grand Junction, Colo. and an airport manager for Juneau, Alaska.

Franks wealth of experience and aviation knowledge is important for the direction of this airport, said authority President Bill Wiggins in the statement.

The authority has been searching for a new executive director since April after Feger announced that he would be retiring May 1, 2018, when he will be turning 65 years old and capping off a 30-year career at Hollywood Burbank Airport.

Feger started his career at the airfield in 1988 as an airport engineer and became executive director in 2008.

Should the authority board decide to make Miller the new executive director, Feger will become director of development services. In that role, Feger will assist Miller with the day-to-day operations until he leaves in 2018.

--

Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio
Burbank artists, organizations and businesses will meet from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Community Services Building, 150 N. Third St., to plan the upcoming Burbank Cultural Concert and Arts Festival to be held on Sept. 24 at the recently renovated Johnny Carson Park.

The event will be sponsored by the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission.

At the meeting, attendees will also hear updates about what happening in the arts throughout the city and will have an opportunity to share ideas and network with others involved in the arts.
An Arizona developer who paid for a multimillion-dollar home in Newport Beach, lavish vacations and other extravagant expenses using money he swindled from investors has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to federal authorities.

Judge Susan Bolton of U.S. District Court in Arizona sentenced John Keith Hoover, 64, on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of bankruptcy fraud.

Hoovers wife, Deborah, 64, was sentenced Tuesday to one year of home confinement followed by five years of supervised release after being convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud, according to the U.S. attorneys office in Arizona.

Beginning in 1997, John Hoover used his profession as a homebuilder in Fort Mohave, Ariz., to lure investors to bogus real estate deals, according to his guilty plea. Court documents show Hoover took in more than $20 million that way.

Hoover told investors their money would go to specific real estate developments and then diverted the money for his own personal use, the U.S. attorneys office said in a statement.

Hoover persuaded some victims to liquidate life insurance policies, mutual funds and Social Security benefits so they could invest, prosecutors said.

This investment fraud was particularly reprehensible because it targeted a number of widows and other friends of the defendants who trusted the defendants investment and legal advice, U.S. Attorney John Leonardo said in a statement.

Hoover put some of his victims money in high-risk housing ventures and used other funds on himself and his family, according to prosecutors.

He admitted to disguising junkets to Hawaii, China and Europe as business trips, according to prosecutors. He also paid for luxuries such as an apartment in Paris, jewelry, artwork and a $200,000 Bentley.

But the flow of cash eventually stopped, so Hoover and his wife filed for bankruptcy protection in 2011, according to court documents.

When federal agents arrested Hoover, they discovered that the couple had hidden assets from the bankruptcy court, prosecutors said.

According to his plea deal, Hoover has agreed to pay up to $42 million in restitution.
Doris McKently spent her career teaching students in Glendale schools. Long since retired from the district, the 96-year-old still enjoys teaching children about one of Glendales most historic locations, the Catalina Verdugo Adobe.

From McKentlys home next door to the adobe, she keeps a watchful eye on the historic property that belonged to her family for years.

The adobe is believed to have been built around 1828 by Teodoro Verdugo, the grandson of Jose Maria Verdugo, according to the Days of the Verdugos Heritage Assn.

There, under an oak tree in 1847, Mexican Gen. Andres Pico and Army Lt. Col. John C. Fremont discussed plans to bring an end to the Mexican-American War.

Under that big oak, supposedly they shook hands and made their plans for peace, McKently said.

The signing of the treaty occurred days later, paving the way for Californias statehood in 1850.

The oak tree no longer stands  it succumbed to a natural death in 1987  but its legacy of peace endures.

McKentlys father, Ernest Bashor, purchased the adobe from developer F.P. Newport in the 1940s.

Mr. Newport was glad to sell it to my father. He knew it would be used wisely, she said.

The Bashor family used the adobe as a retreat from their home in Silver Lake, where McKently was raised. At the adobe, she helped her parents plant corn, boysenberries and redwood trees that still stand tall.

The property remained in McKentlys family until 1989, when the city of Glendale purchased the 1.3-acre site.

These days, Verdugo Woodlands Elementary students who walk to the adobe from their school for a field trip, are joyfully greeted by McKently, who sends them off to complete a scavenger hunt, including tallying how many wagon wheels they can find on the property.

She is grateful the area remains open to the public every day until dusk.

The adobe itself opens on occasion for guided group tours, given by members of the Days of the Verdugos Heritage Assn.

I think it really has been a blessing, she said of the site, on a recent afternoon, as she sat perched on a bench near where the old oak tree once stood.

She often observes many people visit the site to pray, walk their dogs and take in quiet time.

It was meant to be a place of peace and happiness, she said.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
Crouched behind walls in this village outside the capital of Helmand province, Afghan special forces soldiers have been dug in for more than a week, trying to stave off an advance by Taliban insurgents.

In some of the most intense fighting in recent months, Afghan soldiers and police  backed by U.S. airstrikes  have battled insurgents in four districts of Helmand, the heart of Afghanistans opium production and a longtime haven for the Taliban.

Nearly a year after the Taliban briefly overran the northern city of Kunduz, the fighting outside Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, is the latest threat to the Afghan governments control of a strategic part of the country.

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Afghan and U.S.-led international forces eventually wrested Kunduz back from the insurgents. Helmand, site of some of the greatest casualties suffered by U.S. and British forces over the past 15 years, represents a greater prize because of its poppy crop, the Talibans biggest source of revenue.

Afghan military officials said that soldiers and police this week pushed back about 200 Taliban fighters from the outskirts of the city and defused 20 roadside bombs planted by the insurgents. The fighting has forced thousands of Afghan families to flee their homes and overwhelmed the few hospitals equipped to treat heavy casualties in Lashkar Gah, a city of about 300,000 people.

U.S. warplanes, part of the U.S.-led NATO mission that is supporting Afghan forces, have conducted approximately 30 airstrikes in Helmand since July 29, officials said.

A spokesman for the NATO coalition, Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, described the situation as contested. But in a visit to Helmand over the weekend, senior Afghan security officials said they were confident that Lashkar Gah would not fall.

The Taliban onslaught in Helmand has raged for several months as Afghan forces have struggled with defections, poor leadership and a lack of equipment. Along with recent gains in northern Afghanistan, the Taliban now are believed to control more territory than at any point since the 2001 U.S.-led military invasion of Afghanistan.

The Taliban offensive in Helmand gained ground nearly two weeks ago when police forces abandoned most of their 27 checkpoints here in Nad Ali district, northwest of Lashkar Gah, said Col. Nematullah Khalil, commander of an Afghan army brigade in Helmand.

Officials were investigating why the police left their posts without fighting; some suspect that they may have been paid off by the Taliban.

There have been some problems and irregularities among security forces, but we have been working hard to eliminate and prosecute those violating rules, said Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahman, deputy interior minister.

With the Taliban close to capturing the district center in Nad Ali, police, army commandos and intelligence units arrived to repel the insurgents. By Saturday, Taliban fighters were still holed up in parts of Chah-e-Anjeer, less than 10 miles northwest of Lashkar Gah, and remained in control of several outlying districts in the province of some 1.1 million people.

Visiting Helmand over the weekend, the deputy Afghan army chief, Gen. Murad Ali Murad, acknowledged a lack of fighting abilities among the soldiers and police. But he added that the army was struggling to train new recruits and resupply forces in the field quickly enough because of ongoing hostilities.

Fighting in Afghanistan typically picks up pace in the warmer months, and a provincial security official said the ranks of the Taliban in Helmand swelled to 4,000 this summer. The militants move freely across the provinces unsecured, 130-mile border with Pakistan to treat wounded fighters and resupply their forces.

The Taliban are well-equipped with snipers, night-vision binoculars and heavy artillery, said the provincial official, who requested anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak to the media.

The governor of Helmand, Hayatullah Hayat, said more than 200 insurgents had been killed over the past two weeks, while Afghan forces suffered 15 deaths and had 35 soldiers and police injured.

The governors office said more than 1,800 families had fled their homes in three districts surrounding Lashkar Gah over the past two weeks. The medical charity Doctors Without Borders said this week that sick and injured people were struggling to reach the citys Boost Hospital, a 300-bed facility that it operates in partnership with the Afghan health ministry.

Patients report that blocked roads and Afghan security checkpoints have delayed them from reaching the hospital, the largest health facility in the area.

The intensification and proximity of fighting is clearly limiting access to the hospital, Guilhem Molinie, Doctors Without Borders country director in Afghanistan, said in a statement.

This week, a 15-year-old girl from Nawa district, just a few miles southwest of Lashkar Gah, was brought to Boost Hospital after suffering from meningitis for more than a week. Normally curable with antibiotics, the infection can be fatal if untreated. The girl arrived at the hospital in a coma and died within 24 hours, doctors said.

Doctors also are concerned because the child malnutrition ward is treating only 25 children, significantly fewer than normal for this time of year.

When we see empty beds, its always worrying, especially in the pediatric wards, said Erland Gronningen, a doctor at the hospital.

We know these children are sick, and normally the beds are full. An empty bed in the pediatric ward is like the face of war.

A hospital in Lashkar Gah operated by Emergency, an Italian medical charity, has admitted 180 victims of the fighting in recent days, said medical coordinator Vesna Nestorovic.

Shah Mohammad, 60, a farmer in Chah-e-Anjeer, was admitted this week with shrapnel injuries to his hand, leg and shoulder. He was hurt when Afghan forces launched a counter-offensive to drive the Taliban out of the village, home to a few hundred families.

When mortars started raining down, one hit my room and injured me, Mohammad said in the hospital. I shouted and asked for help from the Taliban, but they left me alone.

It wasnt until the morning after the battle that villagers were able to bring him to the hospital. Many families have sought shelter at private homes in Lashkar Gah.

Shirin Jan, 40, left Chah-e-Anjeer three days ago with about 20 family members after her husband, an army soldier, was taken hostage by the Taliban at his checkpoint. On Saturday, she gathered with other displaced people at the provincial office for refugees, pleading for help.

We cant return home because Taliban planted many roadside bombs, she said. We have nothing to eat, even for todays dinner.

Faizy is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Bengali reported from Tehran.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia
Police in Switzerland say a man set a fire and stabbed people on a train in the countrys northeast, wounding six people as well as himself.

The incident happened at 2:20 p.m. Saturday as the train neared the station in Salez, near the border with Liechtenstein, police said.



For the record: An earlier version of this article inaccurately referred to two knife attacks on trains in Germany during the month of July. There was one.

The 27-year-old Swiss suspect had at least one knife and poured out a flammable liquid, which caught fire, police said.

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Police spokesman Bruno Metzger said the assailant poured the liquid on a woman, and that it appeared to have caught fire when it came into contact with oxygen.

Police said the wounded include a 6-year-old child, three women aged 17, 34 and 43, and two men aged 17 and 50. Some of the injuries were said to be serious.

Police were investigating the attackers motive. Switzerlands 20 Minuten newspaper reported on its website that police did not believe the incident was terrorist-related.

In addition to a large police presence, the local fire department responded along with three rescue helicopters, two emergency doctors, three ambulances and railroad authorities.

A preliminary estimate said that the train suffered $103,000 in damage.

In July, a teenage refugee from Afghanistan armed with an ax and knife attacked four tourists on a German train, then stabbed a woman as he fled from the train. All survived. Police shot and killed the attacker.

Last September, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on a high-speed Amsterdam-Paris train, but he was overpowered by two young American soldiers and their companion.

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I feel scared, British teen said after defection to Islamic State. Now, reports say shes dead

UPDATES:

1:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

This article was originally published at 11 a.m.
U.S.-backed fighters have seized a key Islamic State stronghold in northern Syria after two months of heavy fighting and freed hundreds of civilians the extremists had used as human shields, Syrian Kurdish officials and an opposition activist group said Saturday.

Nasser Haj Mansour, of the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces told the Associated Press that the town of Manbij is under full control, adding that operations are ongoing to search for any Islamic State militants who might have stayed behind.

The Syrian forces launched their offensive in late May to capture Manbij under the cover of U.S.-led airstrikes. The town lies on a key supply route between the Turkish border and the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State groups self-styled caliphate.

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Amateur videos posted online showed that shortly after Syrian fighters captured the town late Friday, scores of residents celebrated in the streets. Some men were seen clipping their beards with scissors, while women were able to uncover their faces. Islamic State imposes a harsh and extreme version of Islam on the territory under its control, including a mandatory dress code.

May God destroy them. They slaughtered us, a young man shouted in a Manbij square. May they not live for a minute.

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to Associated Press reporting of events.

In a photo posted online by Kurdish activists, a young woman defiantly uncovered her face while smoking a cigarette and flashing a victory sign.

Under the extremists reign, women had to wear long black cloaks that covered all but their eyes, while all adult men were forced to grow beards. Smoking was banned.

Haj Mansour said some Islamic State fighters were captured in the town, while others fled to nearby villages.

Military operations will continue until these villages are clean, Haj Mansour said.

Sherfan Darwish, another Syria Democratic Forces official in Manbij, also confirmed that the town is under the full control of his fighters.

The capture of Manbij is the biggest defeat for the extremist group in Syria since July 2015, when Islamic State lost the town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that with the capture of Manbij, hundreds of civilians that Islamic State used as human shields are now free.

For weeks, Syrian fighters have been advancing slowly in the town and nearby villages. The fighting and the airstrikes have killed 450 people, according to the Observatory.

Islamic State has suffered major defeats over the past months in Syria and Iraq, where the military recaptured the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in the western Anbar province. However, Islamic State still controls large parts of Syria as well as Iraqs second largest city, Mosul.

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An elderly Texas woman has been found guilty of illegally transporting two Mexican women into the U.S., then forcing them to work without pay for several years.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Olga Sandra Murra kept control of the two women by conning them into believing "they would go to hell if they did not obey her."

As part of her scheme, she also proclaimed herself the "voice of God on earth" and forced each of the victims to listen to her religious rants as she passed judgment on their meaning as they cleaned houses for her.

Threatened with Deportation

Also known to Tarrant County Sheriff officials as Olga Capon-Meneses, prosecutors added "Murra threatened at least one of the women that if she disobeyed her she would contact immigration and the woman would be buried in a field with other illegal aliens."

Convicted by a federal jury on two counts of forced labor and two counts of harboring an illegal alien, Murra now faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each forced labor count and up to 10 years on each harboring count.

Sentencing is slated for Nov. 28. Murra has already also been slapped with a $250,000 fine.

During the week-long trial, prosecutors revealed the two women were forced to clean three to four houses per day up to seven days a week. They also cleaned Murra's residence and prepared meals for her.

Murra Took all Money

All of the money earned by the two victims was turned over to Murra and the women were forced to sleep on a bedroom floor, prohibited from talking to other residents at the home, and at times forced to reqquire permission to use the bathroom.

As a form of punishment, the women were forced to sleep in the backyard, garage, or laundry room and given only bread and water

Back in early 2000, Murra forced at least one of the women into taking an additional job at McDonald's and later Wal-Mart with false documents . In both instances, she took all of the money earned by the woman for herself.
Istanbul chief prosecutor's office sent a letter to the U.S. authorities asking for the detention of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by the Turkish government for orchestrating last month's failed coup, CNN Turk television reported.

Turkey's Justice Ministry passed on the letter, which cited Gulen as the mastermind of the July 15 abortive putsch and accused him of ten different charges including attempting to overthrow the government, to the United States, CNN Turk said.

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US Vice President Joe Biden is expected to visit Turkey later this month, the Turkish prime minister said Saturday, as relations between the two countries are strained over Ankara's demand to extradite an exiled cleric blamed for the July 15 coup attempt.

"The American vice president is expected... to come to Turkey, on August 24 with the American delegation," Binali Yildirim told a group of journalists, according to the website of TV channel CNN Turk.

If confirmed, the Biden visit would mark the first time a top Western leader has visited Turkey since the attempted putsch by a rogue faction within the military to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Yildirim's comments came after Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Friday that Turkey had received "positive signals" from Washington regarding its extradition demand.

Ankara wants the return of Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of being responsible for orchestrating the coup alongside his movement.

Gulen denies the accusations, and the US has asked Turkey to provide evidence which Ankara claims it has done sending several documents.

But the prime minister appeared Saturday to rule out any compromise on the demand for Gulen to face trial in Turkey.

"Improving our relations with the United States depends on the extradition of Gulen, and on that issue there is no room for negotiation," Yildirim said, according to CNN Turk.

Earlier reports had said US Secretary of State John Kerry planned to visit Turkey on August 24. But now the prime minister said Kerry would come in October.

Washington however has not confirmed these visits.

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Sweden's youngest ever cabinet minister, who came to the country as a refugee from Bosnia, announced her resignation on Saturday after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

Aida Hadzialic, 29, minister for secondary and adult education, revealed that she had been stopped by police in the southern city of Malmo and tests showed she had an alcohol level of 0.2 grammes per litre of blood -- just the level considered an offence in Sweden.

"That was the biggest mistake of my life... I will take responsibility. I announce my intention to resign from my ministerial post," an emotional Hadzialic told a press conference at government headquarters in Stockholm.

"I understand that a lot of people are disappointed in me. And I am angry with myself, and certainly I deeply regret it," added the young politician seen as the future of the Social Democrat party.

Hadzialic was born in Bosnia and immigrated to Sweden at the age of five, in 1992, with her parents fleeing the war in the Balkans.

She became involved in the Social Democrats youth movement in high school and went on to be elected a municipal councillor at age 23.

Then in 2014 at 27 she became the youngest ever government minister in Sweden's history.

She is not the only politician to have to drop out since Sweden's political left returned to power two years ago.

Deputy premier and environment minister Asa Romson from the Green party resigned in May after a series of gaffes, the last being to describe the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States as "the accidents of September 11".

Housing minister Mehmet Kaplan, of Turkish origin, had to step down in April after comparing Israelis to the Nazis, and Mona Sahlin, the national coordinator for protecting democracy against violent extremism, was forced to resign in May after media revealed that she had made false income declarations for her bodyguard to help him obtain bank loans.

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Mercedes-Benz trademarks series of EQ model names, possibly to create EV sub-brand

Aug 13, 2016, 5:01pm ET

The sub-brand could be set up to rival BMW\'s \"i\" models.

Mercedes-Benz has trademarked a series of model names centered around the letters "EQ," possibly preparing for an alternative energy sub-brand.

In June, it was reported in German media that Mercedes was considering an all-EV sub-brand in the vein of BMW's "i" models. Now, Autocar has discovered that the company trademarked the following in the UK: EQA, EQC, EQE, EQG and EQS, EQ Inside, EQ Boost, Generation EQ and Generation MEQ. In addition, the term "Telligent" has also been trademarked.

The report theorizes that these names could be used for either a sub-brand of alternative energy vehicles, most likely electric, or plug-in hybrids, to take on Tesla and BMW's i models.

When asked for comment by Motoring, a Mercedes-Benz senior PR manager in Australia acknowledged that there was "some truth [to the report], but we will be concentrating our electric strategy on trucks, vans and cars."

It's expected that this new sub-brand will debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show in October.

Images by Ben Hsu.
Close Act Theater, a Dutch troupe known for eclectic and outlandish performances, has brought the Saurus performance to Musikfest once again.

The performance consists of three 18-foot-tall dinosaur puppets controlled by actors to walk and thrash about Main Street.

The creatures even "attack" audience members by repeatedly opening and closing the mouthpieces on them.

They present a tale that the Saurus was the largest creature to ever walk the Earth and has returned to the 21st century.

The same company also brought a new act this year called STX, which featured black-clad drummers on stilts.

There is one remaining day of Saurus performances, Sunday, with shows at 4, 6, and 8 p.m.

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The house really isn't for sale.

An Allentown home seen early in Jon Bon Jovi's new music video "This House is Not For Sale" actually had its closing Aug. 2, according to the realtor.

"I'm shocked they chose that street, that house" for the video, Re/Max agent Eric Rothenberger said Saturday, one day after the New Jersey rocker's latest single debuted.

And it wasn't the only Lehigh Valley location used. The video -- with the repeated refrain "I'm coming home" -- features Bon Jovi driving an old Chevy through the old Bethlehem Steel site and standing in the historic St. Michael's cemetery, both in South Side Bethlehem.

Bethlehem's director of community and economic development, Alicia Miller Karner, told The Morning Call that she found out about Bon Jovi's visit in June after the fact.

He stopped for a bite June 8 at Cafe the Lodge, according to the sandwich shop's Facebook page.

Cafe the Lodge had a surprise visit today from Jon Bon Jovi! We had a brief minute to chat about supported employment... Posted by Cafe the Lodge on Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Rothenberger said he got a call Saturday morning from his home inspector telling him one of his listings, including his sign, was in the video. The S. 6th Street home is about 5.5 miles from the SteelStacks complex in Bethlehem.

"I think it's amazing," Rothernberger said, adding that he notified the sellers on Saturday as well.

The album "This House Is Not For Sale" is scheduled for release Oct. 21.

It is Bon Jovi's return to Island Records after a long relationship with Mercury Records that ended contentiously in 2015.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
When it came time for a Lehigh County jury to decide who stabbed Cheryl Silvonek -- her 14-year-old daughter or the girl's soldier boyfriend -- the jury picked the soldier.

Caleb Barnes, 22, was convicted Friday of all the charges against him -- first-degree murder, conspiracy, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence-- in the March 15, 2015, killing of Cheryl Silvonek outside her Upper Macungie Township home.

Barnes' sentencing is slated for Sept. 19, where he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole on the murder charge. Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff Dimmig said there is interest from Cheryl Silvonek's family to speak at the hearing.

Barnes showed no emotion after the verdict was read. He was shackled and taken before Judge Maria Dantos to set the sentencing date. The judge asked if Barnes had anything to say. He said he didn't, and then the judge told the sheriff deputies, "Take him."

The judge did lift the gag order that has been in place in the case. Barnes' attorneys and his parents declined to comment after the verdict; his mother was crying as she left the courtroom.

David Silvonek, Cheryl's husband and Jamie's father, declined to comment also. After the verdict he shook the hand of Upper Macungie Township Police Chief Edgardo Colon in the courtroom.

Cheryl's mother, Peggy Lynn, sobbed as the guilty verdicts were read.

The jury deliberated for about three hours, before submitting a question asking for the definitions of first- and third-degree murder. Of the jury, Dimmig said they looked at all the evidence and "they followed their common sense."

It is Dimmig's second murder conviction from trial, third total including Jamie Silvonek's guilty plea.

The verdict Friday night capped off a four-day trial for Barnes where jurors heard from Barnes and his co-defendant, and former girlfriend, Jamie Silvonek.

The 15-year-old Silvonek, dressed in a beige prison jumpsuit and shackles with her long blonde hair around her face, admitted wanting her mother dead and pushing Barnes to do it, but she repeatedly denied wielding the knife.

"Jamie Silvonek is a liar," defense attorney Richard Webster said in his closing statement, noting that prosecutors did not call the girl as a witness. "The commonwealth didn't want to risk dealing with her lies...she lied to everybody she came in contact with, even strangers."

Later on Webster asked the jury, "Why would you believe anything that came out of her mouth."

Asked why he didn't call the girl as his own witness, Dimmig said, "I felt the commonwealth had proved the case on the evidence we had. We felt confident in that."

Barnes, in a suit and tie, testified he wasn't even in the car when the murder occurred. Barnes said in the cold, early morning of March 15, 2015, he went to sleep in his Camaro parked outside the Silvoneks' house and that Jamie Silvonek fatally stabbed her mother.

That followed Barnes' account of waking up to a blood-covered Jamie Silvonek, who he said admitted stabbing her mother. The girl said her mother went crazy.

Dimmig said the testimony was "nonsense," and called on jurors to think about Barnes' recorded calls and visits from jail.

"Just look at what his own mother told him on that call. 'Tell the truth, Caleb. Tell the truth.' The truth convicts him. He cannot tell the truth...the truth is he stabbed and killed Cheryl Silvonek," Dimmig said.

Dimmig displayed a timeline, starting with the couple's courtship, to when their relationship was discovered by the victim, to the pair's text messages plotting Cheryl Silvonek's murder.

When Barnes sent a text message to Jamie Silvonek that they wouldn't take her mother's car "because that leaves us as suspects," "You only use that word in one context," Dimmig said.

On the witness stand, Jamie Silvonek admitted her role in the murder.

"I owned up to the fact that I, I wanted it to happen. I pushed Caleb to do so and afterward I helped with the clean-up," Silvonek said of her previous guilty plea statements. "I'm going to say the same thing now."

Silvonek, though, specifically denied any role in the stabbing of her mother.

Dimmig ended his closing argument with a violent re-enactment of Cheryl Silvonek's murder, which he says was at the hands of Barnes. David Silvonek and her mother were sitting in the front row of the courtroom for the closing arguments. Both appeared emotionally shaken as Dimmig described the killing.

"He attacks her with this knife, according to the plan," Dimmig said, later adding Barnes takes the knife, "pushes it in and buries, and buries it, and buries it" in Cheryl Silvonek's neck.

"The truth is the problem here, for Mr. Barnes," Dimmig said, urging the jury to "assign accountability and responsibility for the death of Cheryl Silvonek."

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The killing of the Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan has dealt a major blow to the militants, but despite a US-backed scorched earth offensive the regional franchise is far from over, observers said Saturday.

Hafiz Saeed was killed in a US airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province last month, the Pentagon announced Friday, as Afghan forces mount an operation against the militants after they claimed the deadliest attack in Kabul for 15 years.

The death of Saeed, the second prominent militant to be killed in a US regional strike in recent months, is a setback to the group's efforts to expand beyond its heartland of Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The killing of IS group leader Hafiz Saeed in a US airstrike is a major blow to the group, which will struggle to make gains without a strong leadership," Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir told AFP.

"But the IS group threat in the region is still far from over."

The group claimed twin bombings last month that tore through crowds of minority Shia Hazaras protesters in Kabul, killing 80 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001.

The devastating attack in the capital represented a major escalation for IS group, which so far has largely been confined to its stronghold in Nangarhar province, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings.

But officials denied that it marked a turning point for IS group in Afghanistan, saying the group has been under heavy pressure from both US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

The US military says the group's nascent presence in Afghanistan has dwindled, with fighters largely confined to two or three districts in Nangarhar from around nine in January.

But despite the offensive, residents of Nangarhar say the group is still maintaining its reign of tyranny in the region.

"The offensive is going on and the government says they are winning," a tribal leader in Hiska Mina, one of the worst-hit districts in Nangarhar, told AFP.

"But Daesh fights every night, and the insecurities have increased, not decreased," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS group.

Local tribal leaders say the Taliban, a stronger group than IS, has forged an informal alliance with the militants after a year of fierce rivalry in order to effectively combat government forces.

"The Daesh and Taliban have stopped fighting each other and are both fighting the government," said Malek Haseeb, a tribal leader in Kot, a mountainous district from where IS militants were last month flushed out by government troops.

An army commander in Nangarhar confirmed the informal insurgent alliance but the Taliban have strongly denied joining hands with IS group.

The Taliban have publicly sought to appear as a bulwark against IS's reign of brutality and as a legitimate group waging an Islamic war.

The NATO-led coalition estimates there are around 1,500 IS militants in Afghanistan -- mostly disaffected Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, as well as Uzbek militants and local residents of Nangarhar.

The group has so far not announced a successor to Saeed.

Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of IS group-linked cadres in Nangarhar, close to the Pakistani border.

News of his death comes after former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in another US drone strike inside Pakistan in May.

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THE establishment of a new production and digital skills academy in the city is the first phase in the creation of a digital hub in Limerick.

Following the councils 2.25m purchase of the former biblical centre on Dominic Street  backed by State funds  an academy is to be established to feed into the raft of opportunities in the film industry that will be created by Troy Studios locating in Castletroy.

Innovate Limerick, the councils investment arm that was crucial to getting the Troy deal over the line, is leading the way on the creation of the academy and digital hub. Innovate will itself relocate to the facility, where upskilling and training specific to the film industry will be on offer, with 20% of places to be set aside for people from regeneration areas. There will also be hot desking space for start-up businesses.

Mike Cantwell of Innovate said the academy, which is hoped to be open by December or January at the latest, is phase one of the establishment of a more substantial digital hub in Limerick.

To me, this is step one of a larger project, which is, that whole quarter, we want to try and get a presence there. The Intreo offices are across the road and we are being very accessible to those people who are maybe unemployed or coming from regeneration areas, he said.

So the assistance will be accessible to them. But equally so, the buildings that are adjacent to the biblical centre, which we have bought, we would have an eye on those with a view to extending the whole development as a kind of digital hub.

Mr Cantwell said the intention would be to have an annual basis, between the various different things - Limerick for IT and ourselves - 150-200 people doing courses there.

The objective is to have an all-Irish trained crew working at Troy by 2020 and the project is a collaborative one between the studio, the council, film industry leaders, education training bodies and third level institutions.

The academy is a location for a number of functions; one of them will be to act as a training house, said Mr Cantwell.

As well as providing training, we will also be using as a sort of a soft landing spot for people looking to establish businesses and the services around that also.

Fianna Fail councillor and Innovate board member James Collins said the development showed that the leap of faith in the council's special purpose vehicle was a worthwhile one with these projects coming to fruition.

I think it is important that this city centre, he said. We are hoping that this will kick off more of a digital space, but also that it will have some spin off companies that would be interested in coming to Limerick. We want these kinds of people to be living in Limerick as well to regenerate the area.
LIMERICKs Augustinian Community has secured conditional planning permission to provide student accommodation in the heart of the city.

The former St Augustines school at Augustinian Lane is to be converted into a student complex which will house six young men.

The church will be looking to recruit students attending one of Limericks third-level colleges to form a new branch of the religious community, known as the Ostia brotherhood.

While the first batch of students  expected to move in 12 months from now  will be drawn from two Augustinian secondary schools in Co Wexford, in subsequent years, any young man who is an active member of an Augustinian Church may apply.

Fr Noel Hession is the member of the order leading the initiative.

The old school will get a lot of refurbishment he said previously.

The entrance door will be moved to the centre for fire safety reasons, while the windows will be replaced.

There will be a kitchen, a sitting room, and a prayer facility with all bedrooms en-suite.

An outdoor communal area will also be used.

Limerick City and County Council gave the development planning permission subject to ten conditions.

These include a stipulation the apartments will be used for students only, the courtyard areas must be landscaped, with all works on the building supervised on an ongoing basis by a conservation architect.

Bicycle parking must also be made available on site, local authority planners stipulated.
SIX months after it was set up, CCRT, the Community Crisis Response Team is looking for new volunteers to help in the work of responding in person to those who are suicidal and in distress in west Limerick.

CCRT runs a helpline from 5pm each night until 6am but also provides a face-to-face service, with pairs of volunteers willing to travel to meet the person in distress and stay with them until they are safe. The key principles of the service are connect, listen and put the safe plan in place.

It is an extremely rewarding experience, CCRTs Caitriona MacMahon explains. But it is also demanding.

New volunteers must be over 21 and must have completed SafeTalk and ASIST training. According to Ms McMahon, a lot of people have this training. It is just about encouraging them to come forward, she said. But training will also be given.

Volunteers must also have a clean driving licence and must be prepared to undergo, and pass, garda vetting.

Volunteers must also be prepared to take on one shift per fortnight. CCRT began with just four vollunteers but having more people on board will mean the workload can be shared, Ms McMahon explained and will also open the way to developing the service in other communities.

We are looking for people in the West Limerick area or who are prepared to cover the west Limerick area, she said.

Travel expenses for call outs will be paid, thanks to fund-raising efforts by many committed people in different communities.

If you think this is for you, or if you are interested in finding out more, you can call the information line on 085 1221981.or email ccrtlimerick@gmail.com

You can also go to the website www.ccrtireland.ie
AN EXCITING travelling exhibition that outlines archaeological research in the Ballyhoura Hills area is nearing its final stop.

It was launched in Kilmallock Library, is currently on display in the Tea Rooms at Doneraile Wildlife Park, and then it will move to Kilfinane Library where it will be open to the public to see from Tuesday, August 16 to Tuesday, August 30.

Entitled Farmers, Friars and Frontiers: the archaeology of the Ballyhoura Hills, the exhibition focuses on Bronze Age farmers, Iron Age frontiers and the medieval friars. It reflects the research projects carried out in the area by The Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year

Our celebrations focus on engaging with the communities throughout Ireland that hosted our projects over the years and also by advocating the intrinsic value of our rich heritage of archaeology and history to modern Irish society.

This initiative links with the Discovery Programmes current strategy of enabling people to become the custodians of their own landscapes and of creating a vibrant community of scholars to interpret these landscapes, said a spokesperson.

The Ballyhoura Hills project was one of the first undertaken by the programme and aimed to identify new archaeological sites of Bronze and Iron Age date  4,500 to 2,400 years ago.

It also set out to test a number of new survey methods in Irish archaeology and to determine how they could best be used together. The Monastic Ireland project also carried out research on medieval monasteries in the region and that projects research on Kilmallock Dominican Priory is another strand in the exhibition.

Farmers, Friars and Frontiers - organised with the assistance of Ballyhoura  aims to communicate the results of this research in an accessible and engaging manner and create local awareness of the regions archaeological heritage.

For example, after the launch in Kilmallock Library in July it was followed by a well-attended walking tour of the priory.

See for yourself examples of what is all around us in Doneraile and Kilfinane before the exhibition ends.
Torrential rains causing flooding in parts of the southern United States have killed at least three people, US media reported Saturday, as millions of Americans on the East Coast sweat through soaring temperatures and stifling humidity.

Flooding in parts of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi shut down many roads on Friday, prompting numerous rescues and cutting off at least one town as an area of low pressure slowly moved west along the Gulf Coast.

Rivers and streams were out of their banks on Friday, the National Weather Service said.

The floods killed at least three people on Friday, local media reported. Among them, a man in the Louisiana town of Zachary, near the capital Baton Rouge, drowned trying to escape flood waters, local television station WAFB reported.

"We were walking out and he slipped and fell," his roommate Vernon Drummond told the station. "He went under the water. We tried to save him, but we couldn't."

The area recorded 10 to 15 inches (25.4 to 38.1 cm) of rain, David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told AFP. Another 10 inches were expected in parts of Louisiana over the next two days.

"Even for them it's very unusual," Roth said.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and planned to hold a news conference Saturday morning after meeting with emergency officials.

"We are in constant contact with local officials and first responders, and assistance is already on the move to affected parishes," he said in a press release.

Layton Ricks, president of Livingston parish in the Baton Rouge area, told reporters that "we're experiencing one of the worst storm events we've ever had, with flash flooding."

He said roads that had never flooded were under water, and that the backlog of people waiting to be rescued was as long as 150, even after more than a thousand rescue operations had been carried out so far.

The National Weather Service warned of "significant flash flooding" through the weekend as the weather pattern moves north.

"A low- to mid-level cyclone over the Lower Mississippi Valley will slowly begin to lift northward into the Middle Mississippi Valley by Sunday evening into Monday," it said.

Entergy Louisiana said more than 7,500 customers were without power Friday night.

On the East Coast, meanwhile, residents are spending the weekend hot under the collar amid excessive weather warnings in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

The combination of heat and humidity would make it feel as hot as 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) in those cities.

Temperatures would stay in the mid 90s from Friday through Sunday, with the humidity pushing heat index values higher in New York and Philadelphia, home to around 10 million people combined, meteorologists said.

The authorities warned of heat-related health problems, especially for the elderly and those with chronic health problems, and for people who work outdoors.

Americans were advised to stay inside and use air conditioning where possible, check on vulnerable friends and neighbors, drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, and not leave children or pets unattended in vehicles.

Overall, the heat wave stretched from southwest Ohio to western Virginia and Washington, and north through Philadelphia, New York and Boston, the National Weather Service's Roth said.

Forecasters predicted possible record highs in spots stretching from Maryland's Ocean City to Connecticut on Saturday, before the heat fades Sunday and Monday.

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Apr 27, 2021, 5 PM

By Michael Baadke

Lucy Stone, a pioneering womens rights advocate of the 19th century, was born Aug. 13, 1818, near West Brookfield, Mass. A 50 definitive stamp honoring her was issued exactly 150 years later, on Aug. 13, 1968, as part of the Prominent Americans series (Scott 1293).

Stone studied at Oberlin Collegiate Institute, now Oberlin College in Ohio, and began speaking out publicly about womens rights in 1847.

Lucy Stones lecturing and writing career in the interest of the legal rights of women spanned nearly a half century, the U.S. Post Office Department noted when the stamp honoring her was issued. She was also active in the anti-slavery and temperance movements.

Stone was the editor of the weekly Womens Journal, and helped to bring about the first National Womans Rights Convention, in 1850.

Stone retained her maiden name when she married Henry Browne Blackwell (1825-1909). Their daughter, Alice Stone Blackwell (1857-1950) was also an active proponent for womens rights.

Lucy Stone died Oct. 19, 1893.
How Judaica is represented on stamps of the world: Topics on Stamps

May 1, 2021, 6 AM

A stamp from Antigua and Barbuda shows Walt Disneys Goofy as a printer and a stamp-on-stamp design of a 1959 Israeli stamp.

Stars of David are included in the design of this 25 Christmas stamp issued Nov. 27, 1967, by Australia.

Canada issued a stamp in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.

A pane of 10 stamps issued by Venezuela in 1998 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the state of Israel. A menorah, the Ten Commandments and the Torah are pictured.

East Germany issued a series of semipostal stamps in the 1960s remembering sportsmen who were victims of the Nazis. Mountaineer Kurt Schlosser is shown on this 25-pfennig+10pf stamp and the se-tenant label.

Stamps show the oldest still-existing synagogues in the United States (Scott 2017) and Barbados (711).

Stamps honor Austrian writer and politician Otto Bauer (Austria Scott 1186); St. Teresa of Avila, whose grandmother was believed to be Jewish (France 1846); and Marilyn Monroe, who converted to Judaism (Peoples Republic of Congo C107).

These two stamps from Argentina pay tribute to Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of lives during the Holocaust, and show the Holocaust mural at the Cathedral of Buenos Aires.

By Gary S. Goodman

The Jewish religion, history and culture are all recorded in miniature on stamps, especially those issued by Israel.

Numerous stamps from Israel commemorate festivals. For example, a 2.50-shekel stamp was issued Oct. 22, 1996, in celebration of Hanukkah, the festival of lights (Scott 1289).

This stamp picturing lit candles is noteworthy for two reasons. It was Israels first self-adhesive stamp, and it was the countrys first joint issue with the United States. The 32 U.S. stamp shares the same design (Scott 3118).

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The U.S. Postal Service used the design again on 33, 34 and 37 stamps (Scott 33520, 3547, 3672) and has since issued other Hanukkah stamps with different designs.

Synagogues

The Bible, the Holocaust, synagogues and Jewish life have all appeared on Israeli stamps over the years. These subjects in addition to others honoring Jews and their religion have appeared on stamps from many other countries as well.

For example, India issued a stamp Dec. 15, 1968, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Cochin synagogue (Scott 478).

Touro synagogue, the oldest existing synagogue building in the United States, is honored on a U.S. 20 stamp issued Aug. 22, 1982 (Scott 2017). Located in Newport, R.I., this synagogue was dedicated in 1763.

The Bridgetown, Barbados, synagogue is even older, dating back to 1654. It was partially destroyed by fire in 1831 and re-dedicated in 1833. Barbados issued four stamps Oct. 7, 1987 (Scott 710-713) honoring a more recent restoration.

Several European countries have featured their synagogues on stamps, including the Vienna City synagogue on a 1976 stamp of Austria (Scott 1050); Brussels Great Synagogue on a 1978 semipostal of Belgium (B973); and a Sofia synagogue on a 1988 stamp marking the 500th anniversary of the settlement of Jews in Bulgaria (3671).

France issued a stamp in 1988 depicting the synagogue on the Rue De La Victoire in Paris (Scott 2100), Hungary issued a semipostal stamp in 1947 showing Dohany synagogue in Budapest (Scott B198B), and Poland shows Tykocin synagogue on a 1984 stamp (2662). Other countries that have issued stamps depicting synagogues include Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Countries

The 300th anniversary of the Danish Jewish community was commemorated in 1984 on a stamp from Denmark (Scott 766). The design depicts a familiar Friday night scene of a woman lighting the Sabbath candles and the table set for Sabbath with a cup of wine and loaves of bread covered with the challah cloth.

Armenia has issued some interesting Judaica-related stamps. A souvenir sheet issued in 1992 depicts Mount Ararat, the site where Noahs ark is believed to have come to rest, and a rainbow (Scott 431). This souvenir sheet is scarce because only a small quantity was produced.

The following year, Armenia issued a souvenir sheet reproducing a painting of Noahs descent from Mount Ararat by Ivan (Hovhannes) Aivazovsky (Scott 458).

In 1995, a souvenir sheet simply showing Mount Ararat was issued by Armenia (Scott 520).

Both Australia and Argentina have issued their share of Judaica-related stamps.

A 1965 stamp from Australia marks the 100th birth anniversary of General Sir John Monash, a military hero and a Zionist.

A stamp in the 1970 set commemorating the 200th anniversary of Capt. James Cooks exploration of the eastern coast of Australia is based on a painting by Emmanuel Philip Fox, an Australian Jew (Scott 479).

A 1967 Australian Christmas stamp includes Stars of David in its design (Scott 430), and a 1983 Christmas stamp was designed by 11-year-old Jewish student Justine Jacobi (884). The latter stamp shows Santa Claus and his reindeer flying over a beach.

The 1 Religion stamp (Scott 1053) in Australias 1988 Living Together series depicts a church, mosque and a synagogue with a Star of David.

In 1989, Argentina issued stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of Jewish immigration and settlement to Argentina (Scott 1660-1662), and in 1998 issued a stamp showing numerous Stars of David for Israels 50th anniversary (2013).

This was followed by two other Judaica-related stamps in 1998: a commemorative honoring Raoul Wallenberg (Scott 2026) and a stamp showing a mural dedicated to victims of the Holocaust and also including an inscription in Hebrew (2037).

The Holocaust

In addition to the stamp from Argentina, Wallenberg, the humanitarian who saved 100,000 Jews from the Nazis, has appeared on stamps from other countries, including the United States (Scott 3135) and his native Sweden (1643 and 2693).

Guyana commemorated Wallenberg by oveprinting a limited edition of 300 sets of its Flowers issue.

Many countries have remembered the Holocaust on their stamps. For instance, Albania issued two Holocaust stamps in 1999 (Scott 2599-2560), and Canada marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust on a commemorative issued in 1995 (1590).

East Germany, too, has issued stamps connected to the Holocaust. Several semipostals were issued to raise money for the building and maintaining of memorials at former concentration camps.

Prisoners of these camps and victims of the Nazis are pictured on semipostal stamps from the 1950s and 1960s, including a series that began in 1963 depicting sportsmen (Scott B98-B102, B106-B110).

The Holocaust is summed up simply in the design of a 1982 San Marino Refugee semipostal stamp that shows a young person behind barbed wire (Scott B39).

People

Many well-known people of Jewish heritage have been commemorated on stamps.

Among these are Austrian writer and politician Otto Bauer, who appeared on an Austrian stamp in 1981 to honor the 100th anniversary of his birth (Scott 1186).

In 1991, Austria issued a stamp honoring Jewish-born Bruno Kreisky (1527), who served as chancellor from 1970-83.

In 1982, France and Vatican City issued stamps depicting St. Teresa of Avila (France Scott 1846, Vatican City 710-712). It is said that she had a Jewish grandmother.

Marilyn Monroe also could be included in a Judaica collection as she converted to Judaism when she married playwright Arthur Miller. In addition to being honored by a stamp in the U.S. Legends of Hollywood series (Scott 2967), she has been featured on stamps of many other countries. Peoples Republic of Congo included her on a stamp in its 1971 Cinema Retrospective set (C107).

Space

Space also has its Judaica connections. In 1969, Romania issued a stamp to commemorate the link-up of Soyuz capsules. Soyuz 5 was manned by Boris Volynov, a Jewish Russian cosmonaut.

Unfortunately tragedies in space have also been commemorated. Hungary in 1986 issued a souvenir sheet titled In Memoriam for the Challenger explosion (Scott 2971). Among the those killed was Jewish astronaut Judith Resnik.

Following the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, Hungary issued another souvenir sheet (Scott 3837). This time among those lost was Ilan Ramon, a Jewish astronaut from Israel.

Other countries, too, have issued stamps relating to these space disasters. Micronesia and other postal administrations showed the crew of Columbia on panes of seven se-tenant stamps (Micronesia Scott 540).

Scarce and unusual

There are some scarce Judaica stamps to be found. One of these is the unissued stamp in the 1987 Bible Society of South Africa set (Scott 702-704), which was pictured in the Stamp Market Tips column in the July 11 Linns.

This stamp is inscribed the word of God in Koine Greek and Hebrew. Due to objections by Jewish religious leaders that the name of God would be dishonored by being postmarked or possibly thrown in the bin, the stamp was withdrawn from sale before it was issued, and all the stamps were recalled. However, isolated examples are known to have been sold to the public, and some used examples also have been reported. However, they are very scarce.

In the early 1990s, Bangladesh had a stamp produced to commemorate Palestinian freedom fighters, but the inscription in Arabic had the word terrorist instead of freedom fighter. Despite being withdrawn from sale, examples of the stamp exist, and some reportedly were sold at a local post office.

Even unusual issues can appear in a Judaica collection, such as one stamp in a 1989 Disney set from Antigua and Barbuda promoting stamp collecting. This stamp (Scott 1238) depicts Goofy as a printer and also includes a stamp-on-stamp design of a 1959 Israeli stamp (150).

Venezuela

The Judaica theme can be summed up in one issue, and that is the 1998 panes of 10 from Venezuela commemorating the 50th anniversary of the state of Israel (Scott 1599). The stamps picture Judaica-related themes and symbols, including a menorah (a seven-branched candlestick), Moses and the Ten Commandments, David and his harp, a rabbi blowing the shofar (a rams horn), David Ben Gurion, the Knesset, and Theodor Herzl.

The stamps mentioned in this article by no means represent a complete Judaica collection, but hopefully they provide an insight as to what can be found when collecting this topic.

Gary S. Goodman has been collecting stamps for more than 35 years and specializing in Judaica for more than 20 years.

In December 2005, he formed the Judaica Thematic Society specializing in Judaica-themed stamps from around the world, excluding Israel. For information about the society, e-mail Goodman, judaicathematicsociety@talktalk.net.
Six people, including three teenagers, were killed on Friday when a small private plane plowed into a line of trees at the end of a runway after an aborted landing at an airport in northern Virginia, state police said on Saturday.

The twin-engine aircraft, identified as a 1969-model Beech 95-B55, crashed at the edge of Shannon Airport outside Fredericksburg, about 55 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.

The plane touched down halfway along the runway, pulled up and executed a maneuver known as a "go-round," but the engines appeared to stall as the pilot tried to turn and climb, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement.

"The plane banked left, crashed in the trees and immediately caught fire," Geller said. She put the time of crash at 12:24 p.m. (1624 GMT).

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the state police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Representatives of the NTSB and the FAA could not be reached on Saturday.

Six bodies were recovered from the wreckage including the remains of the pilot, William Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Indiana, and the plane's owner, Robert D. Ross, 73, of Louisville, Kentucky.

he four other passengers were identified as Lisa Borenstein, 52; Luke Borenstein, 19; and Emma Borenstein, 15, all of Shelbyville, Indiana; and Maren Timmermann, 15, of Berlin, Germany.

The flight departed from Louisville on Friday morning en route to Shannon with an initial stop in Shelbyville, state police said.

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A new "superlens" is so powerful that it could help researchers zero in on germs that were too small for microscopes to spot until now, according to a new study.

For centuries, microscopes have helped scientists make major discoveries, such as proving the existence of microbes. However, the physical laws governing light restrict conventional lenses in an important way: They can only focus on items that are no smaller than half the wavelength of the light that is used to see these objects. This means that regular lenses in traditional optical microscopes are limited to examining items that are about 200 nanometers (or billionths of a meter) in size and above  about the size of the smallest known bacteria.

In the past decade or so, researchers have developed so-called "superlenses" that have broken this size limit. However, until now, scientists have had trouble fabricating a superlens that had the right materials and structure to work with visible light. [Magnificent Microphotography: 50 Tiny Wonders]

The new superlens consists of millions of spherical beads of titanium dioxide. Each bead, which is only 15 nanometers wide, is applied onto the material that the researcher wants to view. Similar titanium-dioxide nanoparticles are now often found in sunscreen products and white paint.

The size, shape and material that make up these particles, and their position relative to each other, help them work together to act like a lens, magnifying features that have previously been invisible to normal lenses.

"Each sphere bends the light to a high magnitude and splits the light beam, creating millions of individual beams of light," study co-author Zengbo Wang, a physicist at Bangor University in Wales, said in a statement. "It is these tiny light beams which enable us to view previously unseen details."

All in all, this superlens can increase the magnification of existing microscopes by a factor of about five. In experiments, the scientists could produce sharp images of items that are 45 nanometers in size.

"Our superlens can be used to visualize live viruses or germs that were previously invisible," Wang told Live Science. "This would allow researchers to study, for example, the interaction of medicines with live viruses in real time."

The researchers noted that one major advantage of their superlens is that titanium dioxide is cheap and readily available. Another is that the superlens could be applied to whatever the person wants to view, which means that a scientist would not have to buy a new microscope.

Future work will focus on "how to make this technique find solid, practical applications," study co-author Limin Wu, a materials scientist at Fudan University in China, told Live Science. Another direction for research is to increase the resolution further by using even smaller nanoparticles, Wang said.

The scientists detailed their findings online today (Aug. 12) in the journal Science Advances.

Original article on Live Science.
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Columnists Press Releases
The US military announced yesterday that it killed Hafiz Saeed Khan, the Islamic States emir for Khorasan province, in an airstrike in Afghanistans eastern province of Nangarhar three weeks ago. The announcement confirms a report earlier this week by the commander for Afghan Army forces in Nangarhar, who stated that Khan was killed during an operation in Nangarhars Achin district.

The US military press release noted that Khan was killed in an airstrike in Nangarhar on July 26. The strike was part of a joint operation by US and Afghan Special Operations Forces which specifically targeted the Islamic State Khorasan province during the month of July.

Khan led the Islamic States Khorasan province, which is comprised of fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan, since the group was officially formed in January 2015. Before defecting to the Islamic State in 2014, Khan served as a mid-level commander in the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan for the Arakzai tribal agency. He and a number of disaffected Pakistani and Afghan Taliban commanders formed Khorasan province and swore allegiance to Islamic State emir Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. [See LWJ report, Discord dissolves Pakistani Taliban coalition.]

Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against US and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar, the US military stated in its press release announcing his death.

Khan and his followers were so violent in Nangarhar that he even alienated Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who served as an unofficial spokesman for Khorasan province. Dost, who enthusiastically joined the Islamic State, later abandoned the group after accusing Khorasan province of conducting acts of wanton violence against civilians in his home province of Nangarhar.

The US military described Nangarhar province as a hotbed for ISIL-Khorasan activity since the summer of 2015. They claimed that Khans death and the operation in Nangarhar will hurt the groups operations in Afghanistan.

ISIL-K uses the area to train, equip, disseminate and control fighter pipelines, providing ISIL-K commanders throughout Afghanistan with a continuous supply of enemy fighters from this province, the military said. Khans death affects ISIL-K recruiting efforts and will disrupt ISIL-Ks operations in Afghanistan and the region.

Since the US military began targeting the Islamic States leadership in Afghanistan in 2014, it has killed its emir, deputy emir (Mullah Abdul Rauf Khadim), mufti or senior religious scholar (Jalaluddin), and spokesman (Shahidullah Shahid).

However, it appears unlikely the removal of key leadership has impacted the Islamic States operations.

If the Khorasan province becomes isolated and weakened in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it will be more likely due to the fact that the group alienates other jihadist organizations. Since it was founded, Khorasan province declared war on the Afghan Taliban, and was defeated in Farah, Helmand, and Nangarhar. Even the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which shares some of the Islamic States more radical views on the use of violence against civilians, has denounced the Islamic States false caliphate. The Turkistan Islamic Party, another al Qaeda and Taliban ally, have also criticized the Islamic States illegitimate caliphate.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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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.
The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has banned Chinese trawlers from fishing in North Korean waters citing failed negotiations with the reclusive country. The move amounts to another sanction against North Korea from its sole ally, because it has been earning substantial sums from permitting Chinese trawlers to fish in its waters.

Negotiations between the China Distant Water Fishery Association and the North Korea Common Fishery Association collapsed at the end of June, according to China's state-run Global Times.

The ministry on June 28 issued orders to municipal and provincial governments across the country prohibiting trawlers from fishing in North Korean waters in the East Sea. On its website on Monday, the ministry warned violations will be prosecuted under criminal laws against illegal border crossing and smuggling.

North Korea has been earning millions of dollars every year from Chinese fishing boats. A 2004 agreement between China and North Korea allowed Chinese trawlers to fish in North Korean waters for certain annual fees. The number of boats steadily grew to more than 1,400 last year.

But North Korea recently demanded the sole rights to supply fuel for Chinese fishing boats, which effectively ended the agreement, according to the Chinese authorities.

The ministry argued that the condition would seriously compromise operations and safety of Chinese fishing boats.

The very public announcement of these differences shows how much bilateral relations have chilled in the wake of North Korea's latest nuclear test. A source in Beijing said, "China has also been stricter this year in applying rules for North Korean immigrant workers and customs. It shows China is no longer willing to accept unreasonable demands from Pyongyang."
The apps recommend potential partners at random based on distance, appearance, education and even religion. Christian Date, for example, promises chaste encounters by requiring users to input their church, pastor, date of baptism, volunteer activities and favorite Bible passage.

There are more than 200 Korean-language hookup apps available on Google Play, and millions of people use them. One called Amanda, short for "I don't meet just anyone" in Korean, has accumulated 1 million users all by itself.

Users are drawn by the discreet nature of the enterprise. One 24-year-old university student said, "I'd like to meet a graduate from a top university and I feel awkward asking my friends to set me up with someone like that. Some blind-dating apps display the academic information of other applicants, so I can just pick one."

The low cost of the apps also makes them preferable to expensive matchmakers for those looking for serious relationships. Most dating apps are free to sign up and charge only a small amount per match.

Some are free for all, others discriminate. Sky People is free for women, but men can only sign up if they went to prestigious universities or are lawyers, doctors or work for major conglomerates, which has to be certified.

Amanda, meanwhile, practices a dubious form of mob justice by requiring photos to be rated by other users before an applicant can join.

There are also concerns that users are vulnerable to criminals of one kind or another due to the weak ID verification. In June, a 31-year-old man was arrested on charges of defrauding seven women of W310 million after posing as a wealthy businessman on dating apps (US$1=W1,105). In fact he was an old lag with a rap sheet as long as his arm.
Danish shipping conglomerate A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S has reported a plunge in profits in the second quarter in the face of tough market conditions.

Maersk's quarterly net profit dropped 89 per cent to $118m compared with a year earlier. However, it stuck to a profit forecast of an underlying profit for 2016 significantly below last years $3.1 billion.

The company maintained its outlook for an underlying profit for the full year significantly below last year's $3.1 billion.

Soren Skou, head of Maersk Line called the results unsatisfactory. Cost reductions and operational optimisations . . . made a significant contribution to mitigating the impact of the negative market conditions, Skou said in a statement.

Skou said that despite the loss he expected Maersk to hit its goal in the second quarter of having a profit margin 5 percentage points above that of its average rival, indicating the lossmaking state of much of the industry.

The company lost money in its shipping division, Maersk Line, but said that unit costs per 40-foot container fell to $1,911 in the quarter from $2,246 a year earlier. Signs of greater efficiency show the company is likely to perform better in coming quarters, according to analysts.

Global container demand grew 2% year-over-year, but the global container fleet grew 6% during the same period, Maersk said. Freight rates declined across all trades, by the most in North America and West Central Asia, but trade in Africa, Oceania and Europe was also notably lower, it said.

A record number of around 150 container vessels are expected to be scrapped in 2016 but it will not be enough for an industry battling over capacity, low demand and falling rates, consultancy firm Drewry said in July. Imbalance between demand and supply is expected to persist in coming years.

According to a Reuter's report, the group is fighting to remain the worlds leading container shipping carrier as a wave of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in Asia, creates new challengers.

Maersk is not alone in struggling with the industry downturn. German container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said on Wednesday it dropped to a first-half operating loss of 39.7 million as disappointing freight rates hurt its business.
Japan searched Friday for eight Chinese crewmembers missing after their fishing boat collided with a cargo ship off disputed islands in the East China Sea, government officials said.

The Japan Coast Guard's search came one day after six other crewmembers were rescued. Their boat apparently sank after colliding with a Greek-flagged ship Thursday off the Japan-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims.

The collision occurred as hundreds of Chinese fishing boats have been swarming around the islands since early August with the start of the mackerel season.

Up to 15 Chinese coast guard vessels -- four times the usual number -- were also in the area. The increase prompted Japan to lodge a protest several times a day for a week.

Officials said some of the Chinese ships left following the accident, and the Chinese side thanked Japan for its rescue efforts.

Relations between Japan and China have long been strained also over how to develop undersea gas deposits in the area, as well as by their wartime history, a sensitive topic during the summer because of end-of-the-war anniversaries.

Japanese media reports say the recent escalation in China's activity around the disputed islands may be seen as a warning against planned visits by members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which honors war criminals among the war dead, for the Aug. 15 anniversary to mark the end of World War II.
China has been pressing ahead with its One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative  comprised of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road (pictured)  which was launched in 2015. Alibra Shipping Research is taking a look on China's plans.

The ambitious scheme will build pipelines, ports and roads in areas home to about 65% of the worlds population and will affect about 25% of all the goods and services the world moves.

The OBOR initiative aims to generate foreign demand to keep Chinas excess steel mills, cement plants and construction companies in business, and therefore preserve jobs at home.

The hope is that Chinas second wave of infrastructural built-out  this time, outside of its own borders  will lead to another wave of high Chinese exports and imports of raw materials. The importance of this is highlighted by China's weak trade data for July, which saw lower-than-expected export and import growth at -4.4% and -12.5% respectively.

But is it realistic to expect that demand generated by Chinas OBOR projects will absorb its excess industrial capacity?

In the case of steel production, Chinas mills can currently turn out some 1.1bn tonnes of steel per annum.

Yet even with economic stimulus from the government, domestic demand is unlikely to exceed 700m tonnes this year. That means China must build enough roads, ports and pipelines across Asia to use up the extra 300m tonnes of steel capacity.

This seems unlikely, considering the World Steel Association forecasts steel demand in the European Union, the worlds largest economy, to be just 150m tonnes in 2016.

Investment has so far been free-flowing. New financing institutions have been established, but the combined funds are still small compared to the $2tr to $3tr that needs to be financed per year.

This means China simply cannot afford to rush into infrastructural projects, create white elephants and waste money  the businesses have got to be economically viable.

To achieve this, China needs to engage local workers and institutions in order to run its new port and railway businesses efficiently.

The fact that China has so much excess industrial capacity and so many bankrupt facilities (were thinking shipyards!) may suggest that running its new businesses efficiently will be crucial if OBOR is to be a success.
A national workshop promoting the treaty covering dumping of wastes at sea, the London Protocol, was held in Antananarivo, Madagascar (11-12 August).

The workshop, the first of its kind held in the country, is raising awareness of the regulatory framework provided by the Protocol. It is thereby supporting Madagascar in protecting its marine environment from the dumping of wastes and other matter at sea.

The London Protocol, which this year commemorates its twentieth anniversary, has 47 contracting States to-date and is the subject of increasing interest among many countries in Africa and Asia.

The event is hosted by the Ports, Maritime and Rivers Agency of Madagascar (APMF) with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Edward Kleverlaan has represented International Maritime Organization (IMO) .
Vivek Bhatia (38) will become the new CEO of thyssenkrupp Asia Pacific effective October 1, 2016.

He succeeds Dr. Stefan Schmitt (40), who will move to thyssenkrupp AG as Head of Human Resources Strategy effective October 1.

Vivek Bhatia has been Head of Strategy, Markets and Development at the Regional Headquarters in Singapore since May 2014, prior to which, as part of the Boston Consulting Group for several years, he advised industrial businesses on their strategy and operations, in markets across the world and as part of Engineers India Ltd. gained extensive experience in the Oil & Gas Industry.

The Asia Pacific region includes several important growth markets for thyssenkrupp: large, comparatively well-established economies such as Australia and Japan, but also a large number of markets of varying sizes offering dynamic growth such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

thyssenkrupp generated sales of 2.0 billion with customers in the region in the past 2014/15 fiscal year and employs more than 4,100 people there.

The shipyard of ThyssenKrupp is an expert in the design and construction of non-nuclear submarines than ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems with its Operating Unit Submarines (Kiel).

The Operating Unit partners the German Navy and has also delivered submarines for coastal and blue water deployment to the navies of 19 other countries.
Rebirth of a Nation

Regular readers of this publication will be familiar with my frequent comments that all countries have a shelf-life  that they experience a slow rise, typified by a strong work ethic and a free-market philosophy, which results in a highly productive country. That productivity later results in a high level of sympathy for the disadvantaged, which political leaders turn into a justification for government largesse. That, in turn, results in a population that grows complacent and, eventually apathetic, culminating in a decline into totalitarianism.

This pattern has existed for thousands of years. Sometimes, the process is a slow one, as in ancient Rome; sometimes, it can take place over mere decades.

In commenting on the EU, US, Canada, etc., Ive often described my view that these jurisdictions are in the latter stages, just prior to totalitarianism. In making this comment, I offer the reminder that, at any time in history, there are countries at every stage of development. For those who think internationally, the goal is to exit from a country if its in the death throes of complacency/apathy and to seek another home thats in its ascendancy.

On rare occasion, we witness a country thats right at the birth stage, or possibly the rebirth stage. At present, we have an excellent example in Cuba, a country thats been famously in the totalitarian stage for over half a century, due to a collectivist political regime.

Of course, collectivism always ends at some point, as it destroys initiative. Eventually, initiative reaches such a low point that the lack of productivity is insufficient to sustain the system itself. The system literally goes broke and the country is ready for a reset.

Economic collapse in Cuba began over 25 years ago, when the USSR folded and Cuba no longer received three times the value of their sugar from the Russians. Since then, a feeble attempt has been made to promote tourism, but, as everything was owned by the collectivist government, the country was rife with inefficiency and physical decay, making it unattractive to tourists. Finally, the government realised it had reached the end  they could no longer guarantee jobs to all their citizens, so they allowed some of them to create their own businesses. The first were the paladares  home restaurants. This came as a result of an existing proliferation of black-market restaurants that the Cuban people created themselves. Since they contributed heavily to the economy and the government was failing to prevent them in any case, they were legalized in 1995. (They pay a monthly fee to the government.)

Paladares were pretty tatty affairs initially. They were in dilapidated buildings, with no menus and poor food. But, in 2010, government relaxed its restrictions further. The paladares then took off. Today, Cubans operate everything from hamburger stands to chi-chi theme restaurants with interesting menus, good service and excellent food. (English is now spoken in most paladares.)

The government still runs most of its own restaurants, but theyre losing popularity, as the staff are unmotivated, the premises in poor repair and the food is uninspired. Its only a question of time before theyre offered to the cuentapropistas, who are running paladares successfully.

Next came the casas particulares (privately run apartments for daily rental), in 1997. (The owner pays an annual fee per room to the government.) Like the paladares, at first they were shabby, but in the spirit of free enterprise, the owners continually reinvested their profits into the apartments and many are now an odd mix of modernity and Cuban kitsch.

Then it became legal to own transportation-for-hire. Although recent prosperity has allowed the government to import fleets of Hyundai sedans, painted uniformly in yellow with black checks, tourists prefer to ride in almendrones - 1950s cars that are now taxis. For decades, these relics have been deteriorating, but, their use continued as long as they could be kept operable.

However, with the opportunity for private operation of a taxi service, Cubans have revitalized the old cars as taxis, reinvesting their profits into their vehicles, restoring them with fancy new paint jobs, replacement interiors and even re-chroming the bumpers. Many tourists today will only travel in almendrones.

The government has done its best to limit these developments, whilst endorsing them, as they are a clear affront to the official policy of collectivism. Periodically, they threaten to punish those who make too much money, creating economic inequality. As recently as 2005, Fidel Castro spoke fervently that the rise of free-market entrepreneurs was counter to his revolution and that, The abuses will end In this battle against vice, nobody will be spared. Either we will defeat all these deviations and make our revolution strong, or we die.

Trouble is, the writing is on the wall. Collectivism left the Cuban people in dire poverty and only free enterprise has made improvements possible. The Castros therefore have had a terrible dilemma: how to continue to support the concept of collectivism, whilst living off the reality of the free market. (Taxes and fees levied on entrepreneurs are now filling government coffers as never before, making major civic improvements possible for the first time.)

A decade or more ago, the government began to restore the buildings on the more historical plazas, like those in the image above, in la Plaza Vieja. (After decades of neglect, all of historic Havana was in bad repair.) But, soon, they realized that, any section of Habana Vieja that they restored would attract more cuentapropistas and the government would soon receive more income as a result. Soon, the government was trying to play catch-up, restoring as many blocks as possible.

In past years, a street might be torn up for repairs and take months to be repaired. Today, the old broken tarmac in a street is removed, the plumbing lines refitted, the old cobblestones reinstated and the street is even swept  sometimes all within a week. Everywhere in Habana Vieja, there are blocks being restored. Every restored block means more tourism revenue for the entrepreneurs, who in turn are providing the government with the greatest income theyve had in decades.

And, of course, tourists, who might have come as a curiosity in previous decades, are flocking to Havana, as the amenities are now at a more acceptable level. Most are English speaking  Britons, Canadians and Americans (with or without government permission.)

To accommodate the influx of tourists, the government has built a second, more modern airport terminal, complete with tourist shops and cafes. Also new: credit cards, even American ones, are now taken.

Officially, some 1.1 million Cubans are employed in private enterprise, either full- or part-time, but the real number is certainly larger than that. At this point, theres no turning back. Theyve gotten their teeth into the free market and are creating new businesses daily. For its part, government is receiving ever-increasing revenue from businesses and cannot return, even if they wished to.

Most importantly, the rebirth of Cuba is bottom-up. The free market is driving the economy. Like any country with an ineffectual, inefficient government, regulatory laws are few and most are not followed, allowing the people of Cuba more freedom to run their businesses and lives as they see fit, unlike their neighbours to the north, where regulation stifles free enterprise and ambition.

US president Obama has recently paid a visit to Cuba  the first by an American president in some 90 years. He made speeches to the Cuban people that hes prepared to let up on the punishment the US has doled out over the last half-century, by easing the US embargo. In doing so, he stated that he intends to make it possible for Cubans to enjoy a better life. For Cubans who have heard his proclamations, its too little, too late. Cuba is already on a roll and wont be turning back. Both the population and the government are headed for a free-market future.

To be sure, the retired Fidel Castro is not pleased, trying to describe the new freedoms as a revised form of communism, rather than admit that communism is a dead duck walking. But, for most everyone else, Cuba is in essence emerging as a new country.

For fifty years, Cubans feared that, when the Castros were gone, the Miami Cubans would return, taking over the country and returning it to the dreaded Batista days. This is now far less likely. Certainly, Cubans have no individual wealth and own little in the way of property, but what they do have is the determination of a new nation. The wealth will come.

Presently, the government still owns the utility companies, the large hotels, etc. These will be the last to open up to private enterprise, but it will come in time, as will increased investment from overseas. Hopefully, these will be partnerships with the Cuban people, assuring that the people will be along for the ride and not sidelined by large overseas corporations.

Were witnessing the birth of a new Cuba. In future years, it will be both an investment opportunity and a home for those who choose to increase their opportunities through internationalization.

Jeff Thomas

www.SWPcayman.com

jeff.thomas1066@gmail.com

By Jeff Thomas, Feature Writer for Doug Caseys International Man and Strategic Wealth Preservation

 2016 Copyright Jeff Thomas - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Gold And Silver  Panic Precious Metals Selling By Elite Overt

The Military Industrial Complex [MIC], economic war, and massive amounts of newly created debt, year after year after year, have the common purpose of protecting the Federal Reserve fiat Ponzi scheme to preserve the failing dollar as the worlds reserve currency. Except for phony accounting, all banks are failing, massively underfunded and totally insolvent. Everything possible is being done to prop up these banks to keep the illusion of financial stability alive, even resorting to stealing from depositors.

Why anyone maintains fiat money in a bank is a mystery defying fiscal self-responsibility. All retirement accounts, at least in the United States, will be subject to government confiscation replacing everyones investments with worthless government bonds. After all, who more than the federal government can better manage your own funds?!

All local police forces are being militarized. There are even rumors that the UN wants to have all police under their foreign umbrella of control. If that ever happens, it will be proof positive that the end game is in its final stages.

If the elites are so focused on preserving their fiat Ponzi scheme and so intent on wrecking the gold and silver markets, you can be 100% assured that acquiring both or either metal is the smartest move one can make to escape the certainty of the Western world financial calamity that is destined to follow. It did not happen, as expected by so many, in 2013. It did not happen in 2014, 2015, and 2016 is nearing the end of the 3rd Qtr, the latter half of 2016 viewed by many, again, as to when the monetary system will fall apart, or begin to fall apart.

The lesson to be learned is to never underestimate the ability of those in control to remain in control, even to the extent of wrecking the entire financial system, destroying the middle class, and now destroying vestiges of national sovereignty.

Politicians are disconnected from the local populations they purport to serve. The masses of people are disconnected from the reality of recognizing how destructive the elites are. It is more of the latter that enables the former to endure in power. Brazil is a perfect example of how corrupt are the forces to remove a legitimately elected president, mostly because the US wanted to get red of Dilma Rousseff, and replace her with compliant political puppets, just like in the US and EU.

Owning productive land is desirable. Having sufficient supplies of food and water is a necessity. Guns and ammunition are essential. Look at how the federal government is arming as many agencies as possible with automatic weapons and billions of rounds of ammunition. Against whom would those weapons be used? Look in the mirror for the obvious answer.

Keep buying as much gold and silver as possible, and we continue to prefer silver over gold, for now. The unknown When will things fall apart and PMs rally? remains unknown. For sure, we are closer with each passing month, but the staying power of the globalists over the masses has been amply proven. Is 2016 [4th Qtr], going to be a time triggering event? It appears not, but anything can happen.

Better a year too soon than a day too late. Stay vigilant in being prepared.

Even with 36,000 contracts being dumped on the market, the downside was visibly limited in effect. [We accuse the BIS, the central bank for all central banks, as being the selling culprit because what other entity has that kind of financial capacity to try to disrupt the gold market, for there can be no other logical purpose in the attempts to manipulate the price of gold?]

A retest of the 1300 area remains a possibility. To the question of When? and will the end of 2016 be the timing trigger, the charts do not appear to support that expectation.

This does not mean a massive move cannot tale place between now and year-end.

All one can do is be prepared for the inevitable without being dissuaded from the blatant elite manipulation with lessening effect on the market. Previously, the massive amount of contracts dumped onto the market occurred when price was in a down trend. Right now, the weekly trend is up, and it takes greater effort to change a trend. A one day dumping of 36,000 contracts may have impacted the daily chart, but it has not altered the up trend in the weekly.

Even though the daily chart is more sensitive than the weekly, the impact of the sale of 36,000 contracts has not altered the trend even on this time frame. The trend is labored, but it continues to work higher.

The vertical heavy line depicts the rally from the November 2015 to the last swing high in order to put the last six-week corrective activity into context. The correction has been relatively weak. It may not be over, and if the elites have any say it will continue, if not down, then at least sideways. Patience is the obvious watchword.

The bane of all traders, irrespective of their intent, as in short-term or longer term, is a sideways moving market. Odds favor an eventual breakout to the upside, but a push for a retest just under the 19.20 area, first, is a possibility, and it would not do anything to alter the current structure of the chart.

By Michael Noonan

http://edgetraderplus.com

Michael Noonan, mn@edgetraderplus.com, is a Chicago-based trader with over 30 years in the business. His sole approach to analysis is derived from developing market pattern behavior, found in the form of Price, Volume, and Time, and it is generated from the best source possible, the market itself.

 2016 Copyright Michael Noonan - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

Michael Noonan Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




SPRINGFIELD -- Doctors of the future won't begin Baystate Health's new medical school until August of 2017.

But Baystate's doctors of the present will soon -- probably in the next few weeks, and definitely before September -- start combing through 600 or more applications, said Dr. Andrew W. Artenstein, regional executive dean of the University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate and chief physician executive and chief academic officer for Baystate Health.

Their task will be to find 125 prospective students -- many of them now just starting their senior years in college, some already college graduates -- to bring in for a long series of interviews with ethics-testing hypothetical questions.

If prospective students do well on those interviews and have the grades, the standardized test scores and essays showing they want to become the sort doctors Baystate wants to educate, they may get a chance to be part of Baystate's first medical school class of 25 students.

But that's if those qualified students choose Baystate and its Population-Based Urban and Rural Community Health, or PURCH program. They very easily might get other offers from other schools and choose to go elsewhere.

Dr. Kevin Hinchey

"This is our first season," said Dr. Kevin Hinchey, associate dean, interim chair and associate professor of the Department of Medicine at UMMS-Baystate and the chief education officer and interim chairman of medicine at Baystate Health. "We really don't know what is going to happen."

So far in the process, Baystate has been relying on the University of Massachusetts Medical School admissions apparatus in Worcester to get he word out. Doctors from Baystate won't start going around to colleges and universities stumping for interest among pre-med and biology undergrads until late in this upcoming academic year.

"The one thing about applicants to medical school, they really want to go to medical school," Artenstein said. "They have every incentive to apply with us."

Dr. Michael F. Collins, chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said a high number of extremely qualified people wish to go into medicine. The number of medical school applicants sets a new record each year, and UMass is no exception. Interest is also high in the Baystate program, despite it being in its first year.

"The early signs are that we are going to have a bumper crop of applicants and be very successful," he said. "We are riding a wave of heavy interest."

Collins said it surprises most laypeople that the number of medical school applicants who come directly from their undergraduate degrees -- that is college seniors applying to start med school the following fall -- is small. Most applicants spend a year or two after college working in a laboratory or as a member of the Peace Corps or a similar organization. They gain real-world experience and maturity while also prepping for medical careers. This makes them very sophisticated about what they want in a medical school.

"I would say they are very savvy consumers," he said.

UMass and Baystate announced the med school plan in June of 2015. A cooperative program between the state university and Springfield's dominant health care provider, it is touted as a way of attracting more doctors to Western Massachusetts while taking advantage of Baystate's size and diversity of offices in urban Springfield and smaller communities like Greenfield, Ware, Palmer and Westfield, where Baystate has other facilities.

Dr. Michael Collins

Population-based health care takes a public and community approach to treating disease and to preventing it. In Baystate's words, the institution wants doctors "interested in healing not only patients, but health care itself."

"It's where health care is going," Hinchey said.

Collins described the difference by using the example of diabetes. Under the current but disappearing model, doctors dealing with diabetes concern themselves with the conditions diabetics face: kidney failure, infections in the extremities, eye problems, heart disease.

With population health, doctors also look at a given population and how to prevent diabetes in that population using research-tested means. That means weight loss. That means exercise. That means cutting back on sugary foods.

"The idea is that there is going to be a focus on the care of a community, the population," Collins said.

So doctors will be judge based on the health of a population, not per procedure.

"The catchphase right now is that there is a transition going on in health care from volume to value," he said. "It used to be we would focus on the number of foot operations for diabetics. The number of eye procedures. Now we are going to say success occurs when a patient doesn't need any of those things."

Hinchey said the opportunity to learn in both a rural and an urban setting is unique to Baystate. The emergency room at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield will expose students to all the ills of urban America every day, he said.

"And if they go to work at our Baystate Franklin facility, they will learn what it is like to practice in a more rural environment, where there aren't as many specialists right down the hall and they have to rely on themselves a little more," he said.

One goal of the program is to entice students to practice medicine in Western Massachusetts, Artenstein said. After four years studying here, it is hoped, they will have established ties to the region.

Dr. Andrew Artenstein

And that starts with making sure the medical school experience at Baystate is a good one, Hinchey said.

"The main thing about a medical school is that students feel they are in an environment where they feel supported," Hinchey said. "We plan to do that. We really care about how well our students do and what kind of doctors they become."

Collins said Baystate's faculty will be able to recruit the medical school students into local medical practices.

"You will have a leg up on somebody else," he said.

That might take the form of recruiting a medical student into a residency program at Baystate or at some other Massachusetts hospital.

Or recruiting might take the form of planting seeds and making it more likely a student will return to Western Massachusetts to practice medicine after doing a residency elsewhere.

"A student might say, 'I did my undergrad at Holy Cross, I went to med school at UMass and Baystate. I want to see what practice is like in another part of the country for my residency.' But then when it comes time to establish a practice, they want to come home," Collins said.

For their first two years of medical school, the students will spend most of their time at UMass in Worcester. That is where, Hinchey said, they will take most of their classes including gross anatomy in a cadaver laboratory.

"It really doesn't make sense to replicate all of that here," Artenstein said. "You need an economy of scale."

But Baystate's medical school students will be grouped together in a learning community when they are in Worcester. And all 25 of them will spend one day a week, every Thursday, in Springfield learning from Baystate practitioners.

"That is where we'll do our practical training," Artenstein said. "Things like how to interview a patient and ascertain the information you need."

Hinchey said that as medical school progresses, students spend less time in the classroom or the lab and more time in hospitals and clinics with patients. In years three and four of the four-year program, the students will spend most if not all their time at Baystate.

It will be different, Collins said, than the experience the remainder of the UMass Medical School class will have. Those students will go to any number of UMass-affiliated hospitals, including UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, for that third year and rotate around the state for their fourth year.

Baystate will build some classroom and study space, with a food-service area, for the medical students so they have a home base in Springfield.

To date, the majority of the expense associated with UMMS-Baystate has been in the form of time spent by faculty and staff in launching the new medical school, Baystate offices said.

The health systems new budget includes $2 million to build out the medical school space inside an existing building at 3601 Main St. in Springfield.

Baystate will build some classroom and study space, with a food-service area, for the medical students so they have a home base in Springfield.

Baystate Medical Center will be the physical "home" for UMMS-Baystate in Springfield. Combined, these investments at this stage of the school's development will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Baystate will continue hosting medical school students from Tufts for short periods of time, Hinchey said. The difference there being that those students will come and go, but the UMass students will have a four-year relationship with Baystate.
Kenny Baker

Kenny Baker, who portrayed R2-D2 in the first Star Wars movie, signs autographs at Star Wars Celebration IV at the Los Angeles Convention Center on May 26, 2007.

(AP file photo)

Kenny Baker, who starred as the robotic R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" films, has died. He was 81.

The British actor's niece confirmed his passing on Saturday after a lengthy illness to the BBC.

After starring in the original "Star Wars" film in 1977, the 3-foot, 8-inch actor went on to appear in the sequels, "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," as well as the prequel trilogy.

His other screen credits included "The Elephant Man," "Time Bandits ," "Willow" "Amadeus" and "Labyrinth."

The father of two, Baker was predeceased by his wife of 23 years, Eileen, in 1993.

Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the film franchise, paid tribute to the actor on Twitter: "Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination He WAS the droid I was looking for!"

Other colleagues also paid tribute to Baker.

Rest in Peace @starwars legend #KennyBaker - whose name I learned at age 7 because he brought #R2D2 to life. Feels like losing family...  KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) August 13, 2016

You left your legendary marks #KennyBaker #rip to a lovely gent and a fantastic legacy. @starwars  Dominic Monaghan. (@DomsWildThings) August 13, 2016

#RIP #KennyBaker. Sad to say goodbye to a small man with a huge heart & personality. He paved the way for short actors of a generation. x  Warwick Davis (@WarwickADavis) August 13, 2016
LA 0820 montague 2.jpg

The Rev. Barbara Turner Delisle, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Montague, is seen here in the church's new outdoor labyrinth.

(DIANNE B. LYONS PHOTO)

By DIANNE B. LYONS

Special to The Republican

MONTAGUE - "Don't call it a maze,'" Peter Moretti was admonished as he worked on a hot July day, constructing the new labyrinth in the side yard of the First Congregational Church of Montague.

"People from the church keep coming by," Moretti said, "saying, 'No, mazes are meant to confuse people.'"

The "maze" in question is a seven-circuit labyrinth of classical design, consisting of brick pavers outlining grass pathways.

Moretti and his son, Bryant Moretti, of Moretti & Sons Landscaping, were hired to remove the sod and place the pavers. "We do a lot of brickwork, patios," said Peter Moretti, "never a labyrinth."

Though it was their first, it took the Morettis less than two days to complete the project, using a power edger to cut the sod, stripping out the sod with a flat shovel and placing each one of the 986 bricks by hand.

Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one path in to the center and one path out.

"There's no way you can get lost," said Janet Andrews, chair of deacons and a member of the committee that approved the project. "You just follow the openings, and then you arrive in the middle, and then from the middle you go back out again and literally retrace the whole pathway."

The creation of the new labyrinth was made possible by a sabbatical grant awarded to the church's pastor, the Rev. Barbara Turner Delisle, late last year by the Christian Theological Seminary in its role of administering the Lilly Endowment National Clergy Renewal Program.

The Rev. Barbara Turner Delisle and friends walked the labyrinth in celebration of its completion. They include Stone Dresser, Kip Dresser, Shealyn Garvin, Una Garvin, Mallory Garvin and Sherril Willis. Church members will provide guided tours of the project during Montague Old Home Days on Aug. 20.

The Lilly Grant, as it is commonly called, permitted Delisle to travel to numerous sacred sites in Europe during her three-month sabbatical to explore the Divine Feminine and primitive images of Mary in the form of the Black Madonna.

A significant portion of the grant is designated for renewal activities within the pastor's home church during and after the pastor's absence. The sabbatical grant team, consisting of four church members along with Delisle, agreed that construction of an outdoor labyrinth, accessible to church members and the public alike, would be a fitting sabbatical project.

"As we tried to hone in on a theme that would guide both me as a minister and the church members during our three months apart, we felt the metaphor of traveling along a sacred path that leads to nowhere and everywhere at the same time was very fitting," said Delisle. "One of the team members was particularly caught by using the idea of a labyrinth."

"Labyrinths have been in existence for many hundreds, if not thousands, of years," said Delisle. "The labyrinth at the Chartres Cathedral in France - one of the sites I visited while on sabbatical - is one of the oldest Christian labyrinths in existence. It is dated to the 13th century and still in use today. Some say these labyrinths found in Christian churches were designed to imitate the long and tortuous path pilgrims follow to get to the sacred sites."

Members of the Montague church were already quite familiar with the labyrinth concept, as one was painted on the floor of their Fellowship Hall several years ago at the urging of a parishioner. "When walking that, as with walking this (new) one," said Delisle, "I personally have felt the movement of the water that runs under this land, right under our church."

Which may be part of the reasoning behind hiring Prue Berry, a landscape designer and labyrinth dowser from Rowe. Berry said dowsing is not just about finding water: "I have dowsed for land energy, and for questions about what might serve someone. Dowsing can be done to find things, too, like a lost watch, or the most auspicious place to put a building on a particular piece of land."

"I love that we were able to find such a wonderful woman, an official labyrinth dowser, to guide us in creating our own labyrinth. There is something very right about asking the Earth if it would like such a thing placed on it. Our earth gave a resounding yes," said Delisle.

Andrews explained the process. "(Berry) came originally to dowse whether or not the labyrinth wanted to be here in the first place, and yes, the little rods went wide open. She said the energy here is through the roof, astronomically unbelievable."

While many labyrinths are constructed using a pattern and precise measurements, Berry's dowsing technique led to a labyrinth with irregular paths - some wide, some more narrow - with a small tree in the middle of one path, and the remnants of an old dry well in another.

"Beautiful, sweet energy is everywhere, and the First Church of Montague is no exception," said Berry. "This labyrinth was practically begging to be found in the place it showed itself. This is borne out by the enthusiasm of the people who have been walking the path ever since."

Both church members and the public are welcome to walk the labyrinth.

"Unfortunately, many people today feel uncomfortable entering a church sanctuary or are just not drawn to becoming a member of a church. But there is still the hunger for some sort of spiritual connection," said Delisle. "The labyrinth can provide others the opportunity to center themselves at any time of day, on their own terms, no commitment necessary."

While anyone is welcome to walk the labyrinth at any time, day or night, special guided walks are scheduled for Aug. 20 as part of the Montague Old Home Days festival, held this year from Aug. 19 through 21.

The annual festival, sponsored by the First Congregational Church, 4 North St., also includes a road race, parade, musicians, dance troupes, craft show, tag sale, quilt show and raffle, food, children's games, and more.

For more information, contact the church by calling (413) 367-9467.
WAKEFIELD

 A 76-year-old man was seriously injured after he drove his pickup truck onto MBTA tracks in Wakefield, and was struck by a commuter train Thursday.

WBZ-TV and the Boston Herald

reported that officials said the crossing gates had been lowered at the time of the crash. The driver steered his truck around the gates and onto the tracks where the train smashed into the vehicle, pushing in down the tracks for a considerable distance.

The driver was airlifted to a Boston hospital where he remains in serious condition.

MBTA officials said the train was traveling at 29 miles per hour at the time of the crash. The train speed limit on that stretch of track is 30 miles per hour.

Police said no one on board the train was injured.

The train left from Haverhill and was headed to North Station in Boston.
BOSTON - With Boston Mayor Marty Walsh running late to a Saturday event with William Shatner, the legendary "Star Trek" captain, was forced to vamp about the New England Patriots, Gisele Bundchen and throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park the night before.



While sitting on stage in front of the large crowd of Boston Comic Con attendees and referring to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz as "Big Papa," Shatner kept looking over to the side of the stage to see if the mayor had arrived.



When he got the signal that Walsh was in the room, Shatner quipped, "The mayor's here? F--k him."

Shatner then chuckled as the crowd responded with a roar of laughter.

Shatner razzed Walsh for his tardiness, noting the development boom underway in Boston and saying a new building went up while everybody was waiting on the mayor.



After the mayor read the proclamation saying it was William Shatner Day in the city of Boston and posed for pictures with him, Shatner quickly exited the room, leaving behind some angry fans who had expected a question-and-answer session with him.



A Comic Con staffer attempted to placate the irate attendees, saying there had been a miscommunication about whether Shatner would be staying in the room after he received the proclamation.



The staffer added that Shatner would be at the convention throughout the day.

Walsh said Shatner is his favorite "Star Trek" captain. "it's this guy," he said.

"I liked him in 'Boston Legal,' too," Walsh said, referencing the legal television drama starring Shatner and actor James Spader.

The convention runs through Sunday, Aug. 14, at the Seaport World Trade Center.
WESTFIELD - A special occasion, called "the mother of all change of command ceremonies," brought the director of the U.S. Air National Guard to Barnes Air National Guard Base on Saturday.

Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice was on-hand for six changes and assumptions of command for the 104th Fighter Wing, a notably high number for one event. Saturday's ceremony was also a chance to recognize the recipients of several prestigious awards.

Rice called the 104th "one of the best fighter wings that we have, out of 90, across the country."

"This is what I use to set my standard," said Rice. "The world is a very dangerous place out there. ... The 104th Fighter Wing is the pointy end of making a difference across the world."

The changes of command are as follows:

Brig. Gen. Sean Collins relinquished command of the 104th Medical Group to Lt. Col. Gary Archambault

Lt. Col. David Halasikun relinquished command of the 131st Fighter Squadron to Lt. Col. Jeffrey Beckel

Lt. Col. Jared Conaboy assumed command of Operations Support Flight

Lt. Col. Steven Reynolds relinquished command of the Security Forces to Maj. Vincent Heitman

Maj. Dean Lambert assumed command of Force Support Squadron

Lt. Col. Michael Dibrindisi relinquished command of the maintenance squadron to Maj. Keith Tatlock and accepted Command of the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Lt. Col. Pete Carr

The new commanders have proven they have "the temperament, drive and leadership skills to lead at what I believe is the most important level of the Air Force: inside of a fighter wing," said Col. James J. Keefe, Commander of the 104th Fighter Wing.

"This will most likely be, for all of you, the most challenging but rewarding assignment of your careers, and I have the utmost confidence that you'll be successful and will take this Wing to the next level of greatness," said Keefe.

The Wing's Air Control Alert unit was recognized as the best in the nation for 2015. The unit's superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. Robert Roy, accepted the award.

"It is a true Wing mission. There are a lot of players that contribute to this every day," said Roy. "There are a lot of other people who have said, terrorists have one chance to get it right, and we have to get it right all the time, so we truly take that to our hearts."

Other awards given Saturday included the Legion of Merit, presented to Col. Edward J. Gunning Jr.; the 2015 Air Force North Air Control Alert Maintainer of the Year, presented to Staff Sgt. Trevor Tompkins; and the Massachusetts Air National Guard Non-Commissioned Officer of 2016, presented to Staff Sgt. Shane Coakley, who deployed to Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom Sentinel.
HOLYOKE -- Eight young ladies will compete in the 14th annual Miss Polonia Pageant recognizing Polish American women on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Pilsudski Park, 200 County Road, a press release said Friday.

The pageant is for women between the ages of 18 and 25 who receive cash scholarships. Natalie Wolanski, last year's pageant winner, received a trip to Poland.

The press release was issued by Victor N. Anop, a lawyer from Chicopee, who said it was issued on behalf of the local Miss Polonia Pageant Committee.

The pageant is organized by the Polish National Alliance Lodge 525 under the leadership of Lodge 525 president Dorothy Wolanski and the Polish American Congress of Western Massachusetts under the leadership of president Joseph M. Kos.

Admission is $15 a person.

The application deadline for pageant contestants was Aug. 7.

Polish and American food and refreshments will be available during the event, the press release said.

For more information contact Irena Gadecki at 413-594-5890, the press release said.
HARTFORD

 A Charlton man was arrested by

Connecticut State Police

Thursday on charges he caused the death of a Woodstock motorcyclist nearly a year ago, acording to a statement by police.

Omar Velez, 21, of 18 Ten Schoolhouse Road in Charlton was arraigned in Danielson Superior Court Friday on charges of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, failure to obey a stop sign and possession of marijuana.

According to investigators, State Police troopers were called to the intersection of Dresser Hill Road and Route 197 in Thompson the night of September 9, 2015 for a motor vehicle crash. Motorcyclist Penny Ann Woodbury of Woodstock, Connecticut was killed in the crash. Police now say Velez was the operator of the second vehicle.

An arrest warrant was issued for Velez Thursday, and he turned himself into police later that day.

His case has been continued to September 19.
police lights 5 via cc.jpg

CONCORD, N.H.  A 51-year-old Easthampton man has pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing guns he built in Massachusetts and brought to New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice announced this week.

Raymond L. Blackmer, III, was arrested and charged with one federal count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in November 2015 after Easthampton police reportedly learned he was planning to travel to New Hampshire with one or more firearms.

Police had developed information that Blackmer had allegedly assembled the firearms in his workshop from component parts he bought online, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Officers surveilling Blackmer reportedly watched him leave his Easthampton home with the firearms and drive across the Massachusetts border into Winchester, N.H., where law enforcement stopped him to execute a previously obtained federal search warrant, DOJ said.

Police reportedly found two AR-15 style rifles, rifle sites and a loaded magazine in the trunk of the vehicle, federal officials said. A search of Blackmer's workshop yielded nine additional firearms in various states of assembly, including five that were completed.

According to DOJ, Blackmer admitted at the time of the traffic stop that he had previously been convicted of felonies on at least five prior occasions.

By pleading guilty, he will be recommended a total incarceration term of 70 months, officials said. Blackmer is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 22.
"What does that mean for a rural community?" asks Mary Hendrickson, a rural sociologist at the University of Missouri, who says theres a ripple effect. "How are you going to sell insurance if those people arent there? How are you going to have a bank if those people arent there? How are you going to have a grocery store?"

Kristofor Husted

Full Story: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/11/488837960/how-rural-farming-communities-are-fighting-economic-decline?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
On 15 September 2021, the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) launched a bidding exercise for the Supply, Testing and Commissioning of Anti-Pollution Equipment (Contract MPA 524/2021) through Open International Bidding Method on the e-Procurement system.

On 4th April 2022, bidders were notified of the particulars of the selected bidder and challenges were received from the following bidders:-

DESMI Ro-Clean on 07 and 08 April 2022

Potential Engineering on 08 April 2022

Atics Ltd on 08 April 2022

Replies to Challenges to DESMI Ro-Clean, Potential Engineering and Atics Ltd were issued on 14 April 2022 by the MPA, following which Potential Engineering did not pursue further with its challenge. However, Applications for Review were filed by Desmi Ro-Clean and Atics Ltd at the Independent Review Panel on 20 April 2022.

Both Applications for Review were set aside by the Independent Review Panel as per Decisions No. 09/22 and No 12/22 dated 17 and 19 May 2022 respectively.

The contract for the Supply, Testing and Commissioning of Anti-Pollution Equipment for the MPA has been awarded to FTM (Mauritius) Ltd on 25 May 2022.

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Belle operation pour ApexAfrica Capital Limited, filiale du groupe AXYS operant au Kenya. La compagnie vient en effet dannoncer un plan de fusion avec AIB Capital Limited, une entreprise kenyane specialisee dans diverses operations financieres.

Dans le cadre de cet accord, ces deux entites opereront ensemble en tant que joint-venture, sous reserve de la realisation des conditions suspensives.

 Nous sommes ravis a lidee de joindre nos forces a celles dAIB. Cette operation nous permettra, en outre, de lancer la seconde phase de notre developpement et de renforcer notre presence au Kenya. De plus, au-dela de laccord financier, cest une fusion de savoir -faire, de valeurs humaines et dobjectifs dexcellence communs pour nos clients et nos equipes., explique Louis Lallia, directeur executif dApexAfrica Capital Limited, qui fait partie dAXYS, groupe mauricien de services financiers qui a acquis ApexAfrica en 2015.

La nouvelle entite nee de cette fusion, vise a simposer comme un incontournable du marche dans le domaine du courtage en valeurs mobilieres, des produits et services derives, du negoce dobligations, de la recherche et du conseil en finance dentreprise.

Sur le plan numerique, elle compte asseoir son statut de leader inconteste de linnovation, grace aux avancees passees des deux compagnies dans ce domaine. Ces dernieres ont a leur actif des marques etablies telles que AIB DigiTrader: la premiere plateforme de negociation au Kenya a automatiser entierement le processus de negociation.

Lentite beneficiera dinvestissements soutenus dans les reseaux et les technologies futures et disruptives. Cette strategie numerique permettra une amelioration constante de la gamme et de la qualite des produits et des offres de services, offrant ainsi une plus grande inclusion financiere et plus de commodite aux clients actuels et futurs.

 Cette perspective dalliance rejouis toute lequipe de AIB Capital ; elle permettra de renforcer nos capacites grace a la consolidation du capital et de creer des solutions de services denvergure. Nos clients beneficieront egalement dune solide gestion des relations et de lexcellence combinee du service client , declare Paul Mwai, PDG dAIB Capital Limited.

La joint-venture fera partie du groupe AXYS et offrira ainsi de nouvelles et plus grandes opportunites de developpement, de croissance et davancement aux membres des equipes. Les conseils dadministration des deux compagnies partagent la conviction qua lissue de la fusion, la nouvelle entite sera bien placee pour jouer un role preponderant, non seulement dans le secteur financier Kenyan, mais aussi dans la region toute entiere et au-dela. Les deux compagnies continueront doperer independamment jusqua lapprobation de la fusion par les autorites regulatrices kenyanes.

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"Our work provides a new perspective on cancer outcomes disparities in the United States, laying the groundwork for future research to assess the effect of the Affordable Care Act on cancer outcomes across states," said Dr. Chahoud.Dr. Chahoud and colleagues extracted gross domestic product (GDP) and health expenditure per capita from the 2009 Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), respectively. Using data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the investigators retrieved breast, colorectal, and all-cancer age-adjusted rates and computed mortality/incidence (M/I) ratios for each population. In addition to the association between GDP and lower M/I, the data showed a rift between northern and southern states in all three patient populations, with patients in southern states faring worse."Our study highlights regional disparities in terms of financial and cancer outcomes, indicating a potential inefficient allocation of resources in the efforts against cancer," said Dr. Chahoud.According to the study, the only cancer type in which high health care spending led to lower M/I was breast cancer. The authors suggest that this finding potentially indicates the effectiveness of screening mechanisms, navigator programs, and advocacy organizations, among other initiatives at the state level.However, in one of a pair of complementary point/counterpoint editorials in the same issue, Melissa A. Simon, MD, MPH, and colleagues from Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and Rush University, warn against allowing the data to guide-or misguide-policy makers in states that have high health expenditures to cap or decrease spending for certain health issues."Increased spending does not necessarily improve the quality of care, but capping or cutting spending on health care does not necessarily solve problems either," Dr. Simon noted.Dr. Simon and colleagues' editorial further notes that the data in this study predate the Affordable Care Act and describes the need for further study and analysis to inform the "the complicated interplay of wealth, health expenditures, and their relationship to cancer screening."In the counterpoint, Dr. Chahoud and colleagues agree on that need. "The goal of our study is not to misguide policy makers; instead, it is to highlight a problem of disparity and to fuel the discussion at the national level," responded Dr. Chahoud. "We are not recommending the capping of health care spending. Instead, we are advocating for smart spending because complementing financial resources with other community-based and low-cost preventive measures is critical, especially in prevalent cancers, such as breast and colorectal."Source: Newswise
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"Among the estimated 1.5 million people who died from TB in 2015, about 200,000 cases involved multidrug-resistant TB and 400,000 were HIV co-infected. However, it is not clear exactly how much of an effect HIV has had on drug resistance in the most common form of TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)."To explore the impact of HIV co-infection on Mtb drug resistance, Eldholm and his team analysed the genomes of 252 TB isolates from patients belonging to the largest outbreak of multidrug-resistant TB in South America to date.The isolates were collected from patients with known HIV status from the mid-1990s until 2009. The team used the genomes to create a time-labelled phylogenic tree, a diagram showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among the mutations within the sampled patients. They then applied a new mathematical model optimized for TB to reconstruct how the disease spread among individuals. Finally, they combined the results of both methods to estimate the length of the TB latent period - the time from infection to infectiousness - and identify the patients in who TB strains evolved drug-resistance mutations."We saw no significant differences in the rate at which mutations occur in the genomes of strains in HIV-positive and negative patients. This suggests that drug resistance is not more likely to evolve in HIV-positive patients," says co-corresponding author Francois Balloux, Professor of Computational Systems Biology at University College London.While the team's reconstruction of disease transmission among individuals did not reveal a significant impact of HIV co-infection on the ability of patients to transmit TB, their estimates of TB latency confirm that HIV co-infection accelerates the development of active TB."HIV prevents some cells from doing their job in the immune system, meaning the body is unable to fight off a large number of infections," Eldholm explains."The disease therefore provides TB with a pool of susceptible hosts, amplifying the rate of co-infection. Indeed, for this reason, HIV patients at a major hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, played a central role in fueling South America's largest multidrug-resistant TB epidemic in the early 1990s," he adds.Source: Eurekalert
Serious tensions arose this week in Russian-Ukrainian relations. On August 7, 2016, the Russian security service FSB reported that it had thwarted a terror attack in the Crimean Peninsula. According to the FSB, two groups of Ukrainian agents infiltrated into Crimean territory with the aim of launching terror attacks at tourist sites, to disrupt the "social-political situation" ahead of upcoming elections. According to the reports, in two separate shooting incidents between FSB officers and alleged terrorists, an FSB officer and a Russian paratrooper were killed, and others were wounded. Two infiltrators were also reportedly killed. The FSB reported that the alleged terrorists had in their possession high explosives, firearms, grenades, and more. During the interception, the Ukrainian side reportedly fired artillery rounds from Ukrainian territory into Crimea. The FSB is accusing the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and Intelligence Directorate in the attacks. The newspaper Kommersant, citing a source close to the investigation, reported that the infiltrators planned small-scale attacks on tourist infrastructure with no intention to kill people or assassinate Crimean government figures. In an official statement quoted by Kommersant, the FSB announced that it had uncovered additional Ukrainian clandestine intelligence networks in Crimea, that included Ukrainian and Russian citizens.[1] According to other sources, such as the Russian government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta the infiltrators had planned to detonate IEDs on the Simferopol-Yalta highway as local and federal officials passed through.[2] The Russian news agency Interfax reported that the main targets of the attacks might have included critical civilian infrastructure.[3] According to the Ukrainian Border Guard, the Russian side has been reinforcing its military presence along the Crimea-Ukraine border since August 7, including deploying additional troops prior to the Caucasus 2016 military exercise scheduled for September 5-10.[4] Meanwhile, following a special meeting of the Ukrainian Security Council, Ukraine announced a state of high military alert along its borders with Crimea and in the Donbass region; a state of high military alert means that Ukrainian troops are ready for immediate combat.[5]

On August 11, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) discussed the growing Ukraine-Russia tensions in a closed-door meeting. Prior to the meeting, which was convened at the request of Ukraine, Russia's permanent UN representative Vitaly Churkin said that he was surprised that Ukraine had approached the UNSC with this issue: "It was a clear act of sabotage and terror. That's why I'm surprised that they (Ukraine) are raising this issue before the UNSC. Don't engage in sabotage and terrorism - that's my advice for my Ukrainian colleague."[6] Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey R. Pyatt stressed that Ukraine is not involved in any act of terrorism, tweeting: "The US government did not see any proof of the Russian accusations regarding 'invasion of Crimea,' Ukraine confidently denies that. This is not the first false allegation made by Russia in order to divert opinion from its own unlawful actions."[7]



Russian security forces (Source: Kommersant.ru, August 11, 2016)

Putin: "It Is Now Clear To All That The Authorities In Kiev Today Are... Resorting To Terror"

Russian President Vladimir Putin said, during a press conference with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, that under the circumstances he sees no sense in having another meeting of the so-called Normandy Four group, which comprises Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany, to resolve the Ukrainian crisis in the near future. He said: "Judging by the situation, those who seized power in Kiev back then and still hold it now are not seeking the sort of compromise solutions I spoke of with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process, and instead of working towards a peaceful solution have decided to turn to terror." He added that in his view Ukraine had resorted to terror and thus has no intention of resolving the situation: "I would like to appeal to our American and European partners too. I think it is now clear to all that the authorities in Kiev today are not looking for a solution to the problem through negotiations, but are resorting to terror." Putin took the West to task for failing to exert pressure on Ukraine: "This attempt to provoke a flare-up of violence and spark a conflict is nothing but than a desire to divert public opinion at home from those who seized power in Kiev and who continue to hold it and to rob their own people in order to remain in power as long as they can and create conditions for continuing to rob their people. This was an act committed by low and base means, and it is a very dangerous game. Most important of all, those who support the current authorities in Kiev must decide just want they want. Do they want their clients to continue carrying out provocations of this kind, or do they want to genuinely reach a peaceful settlement? If they do want this, and I very much hope they do, it is time to finally take some real steps to put the needed pressure on the current authorities in Kiev."[8]

Senator Sergey Zekov, representing Crimea in the Russian Federation Council, said regarding Putin's decision to cancel the upcoming Normandy Four meeting: "This is an absolutely logical step. Ukraine has for a long time merely utilized this format in order to postpone the decisions and do whatever it wants. I do not rule out the possibility that other countries utilize this platform in order to serve their own interests."

Russian Foreign Ministry's Statement: "Attempts To Destabilize The Situation In Russian Crimea Are Doomed To Fail'

In an official statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was constantly touting the "unconditional support from the U.S., NATO, and the European Union" in his "fight to return annexed Crimea." The Foreign Ministry added: "The West's willingness to play along with this rhetoric undoubtedly played a role in the Ukrainian leadership's criminal decision to attempt an armed provocation in Russian Crimea. If the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces was involved in these decisions, he will have driven the final nail in the coffin of the peace process. If these decisions were taken without his knowledge, then it is even worse. Kiev's inaction in the face of growing militaristic rhetoric and violent acts planned and executed by so-called volunteer battalions and other extremists is cause for grave concern. We hope that Western capitals will draw the appropriate conclusions. Attempts to destabilize the situation in Russian Crimea are doomed to fail. Russia unconditionally guarantees Crimea's stability and security. Kiev and its foreign backers should know that any harm to Russia or the deaths of Russian personnel will not go unanswered." (See Appendix.)

Senator Konstantin Kosachev, chair of the Federation Council's International Affairs Committee, commented: "It becomes increasingly obvious - Ukraine consistently wagers on violent scenarios in order to rupture any political processes set up under the Minsk agreements and thus destabilizes the situation. A very great deal depends on the political fairness and objectivity of France, Germany, and other Western states, who must stop playing political games and start helping peaceful settlement in northeast Ukraine. For that to happen, consistent and tough pressure should be exerted against Ukraine's government, and not against Russia's."[9]

Ukraine Officially Denies Russia's Allegations; Poroshenko: "We Would Never, Ever Use Terror To De-Occupy Crimea"

Ukraine has officially denied the allegations, including the report that its Defense Ministry and Intelligence Directorate planned the attack and that one of the individuals arrested works for the Defense Ministry. On August 10, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko issued a special statement on the issue: "The Russian accusations that Ukraine launched terror attacks in the occupied Crimea are equally cynical and insane, as are its claims that there are no Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. These fantasies pursue the only goal: a pretext for more military threats against Ukraine. Ukraine resolutely condemns terrorism in all its forms and shapes. We would never, ever use terror to de-occupy Crimea. Russia provides money and arms to support terrorism in Ukraine. It became a state-led policy on the occupied areas of Crimea and eastern Ukraine that resembles the Soviet Great Terror. Russia will fail to undermine Ukraine's reputation on the international arena and press for lifting sanctions with such provocative acts."[10]

Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgia's former president and governor of the Ukrainian Odessa region, said: "The FSB version - that official organ of lies. They count on the Western weakness, since the West is inclined to adopt the middle position. In Russia there is no truth, they think they can convert every lie into a truth, which is what they are doing, that's why it is not serious to try to comment on this."[11]

Ukrainian Col. Aleksander Motuzyanik, a spokesman for the presidential administration for Anti-Terror Operations in Eastern Ukraine, also commented on the issue, stating: "Ukraine did not commit any military provocation in that region; no Intelligence directorate operative has been arrested in Crimea." He added: "The Kremlin-issued statements are intended to discredit Ukraine and to bring about the collapse of the Minsk agreements as well as to escalate the conflict in the Eastern Ukraine."[12]

Ukrainian General Staff spokesman Vladislav Seleznev also denied that any military unit was involved in the incident.[13]

Crimean Officials' Reactions: Crimean PM Accused U.S. State Department Of Planning The Attack On Crimea

Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksenov said that the alleged terrorists should be executed: "I think we should do to them exactly the same thing that farmers do to crows who plunder the crops. They [the farmers] kill them and hang their bodies along the borders, in order to teach others a lesson - so that they [the perpetrators] know that no one is allowed to threaten the life of the civilians and the military and that there will be an appropriate reaction."[14]

Moreover, in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV, Aksenov accused the U.S. State Department of planning the attack on Crimea: "You see what path they [the Ukrainian authorities] have chosen - the path of terror; [this is] the same path they have practiced on their own citizens and now are trying to export abroad. But I'm sure it's not their own actions and messages - the State Department stands behind them, since Ukrainian authorities do not have the guts to do this on their own."[15]

Crimean authorities have called for excluding Ukraine from the UN and OSCE. Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea Ruslan Balbek said: "We call on all civilized countries to adopt a common position and not only condemn the Ukrainian authorities but immediately exclude Ukraine from the UN and OSCE since those organizations are called upon to provide world security rather than resort to aggression against a civilian population, which is exactly what the Ukrainian authorities are doing."[16]

APPENDIX - STATEMENT BY RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY (Mid.ru, August 11, 2016)

"Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has disrupted a plot to carry out terrorist attacks in the Republic of Crimea. The attacks, planned by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Chief Intelligence Directorate, targeted critical infrastructure and facilities in Crimea. Russia's intelligence services take the view that these planned acts of sabotage and terrorism were intended to destabilize the socio-political situation in the region in the run-up to federal and regional elections.

"A group of saboteurs were apprehended near the town of Armyansk on the night of August 6. An FSB officer was shot and killed in the process of apprehending the terrorists. Explosive devices with a total charge of more than 40 kilograms of TNT, munitions, grenades, land mines and other weapons were found at the scene. Ukrainian Defense Ministry special units made two further attempts to infiltrate Crimean territory in the early hours of August 8, but the groups of saboteurs and terrorists were intercepted by the FSB and other Russian forces. These attempts to infiltrate Crimea took place under cover from armored equipment and massive fire by Ukrainian armed forces from inside Ukrainian territory. One Russian Defense Ministry serviceman was killed as a result.

"Russia has now taken action to dismantle the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Chief Intelligence Directorate's network of agents in Crimea and have detained Ukrainian and Russian citizens who aided in the preparation of these terrorist attacks. The detained individuals include Yevgeny Panov and Andrey Zakhtey. All of them have admitted their involvement and are giving a confession.

"We have repeatedly brought to our partners' attention that the current authorities in Kiev have no real interest in searching for a peaceful solution to the problems in Ukraine, are not ready to compromise, and intend to resolve issues that arise through the use of force, including terrorism now.

"The attempts to enter Crimea unlawfully, the recent attempt on the life of Head of the Lugansk People's Republic Igor Plotnitsky, the constant firing along the line of contact in Donbass, and the actions of radical nationalists and so-called 'activists' from around Ukraine that go beyond the bounds of any lawful framework are a vivid illustration of the state of affairs in Ukraine today. The numerous provocations, efforts to portray Moscow as the enemy, and the deliberate cultivation of anti-Russian sentiments are an attempt by the Ukrainian government to distract the public from the country's own troubles and the problems affecting the majority of people in Ukraine. We see a deliberate effort to divert public attention from the actions and responsibility of those in power and their inability to carry out long overdue reforms and conduct an honest investigation into the murders of journalists and human rights activists and the crimes committed in 2014 during the Maidan protests, in Odessa, Mariupol, and other cities.

"Ukraine's government makes loud declarations in a bid to deny what is evident and pass responsibility for its own actions to others, even the UN Security Council - anything to avoid taking meaningful steps to normalize the situation.

"We call on our partners, whose efforts play a large part in keeping the current regime in Kiev in power, to show common sense and finally get their Ukrainian wards to end their constant provocations and fulfill their obligations in accordance with Minsk Agreements on a political settlement in Ukraine.

"Mr. Poroshenko constantly touts the 'unconditional support from the U.S., NATO, and the European Union" in his "fight to return annexed Crimea.' The West's willingness to play along with this rhetoric undoubtedly played a role in the Ukrainian leadership's criminal decision to attempt an armed provocation in Russian Crimea. If the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces was involved in these decisions, he will have driven the final nail in the coffin of the peace process. If these decisions were taken without his knowing, then it is even worse. Kiev's inaction in the face of growing militaristic rhetoric and violent acts planned and executed by so-called volunteer battalions and other extremists is cause for grave concern.

"We hope that Western capitals will draw the appropriate conclusions.

"Attempts to destabilize the situation in Russian Crimea are doomed to fail. Russia unconditionally guarantees Crimea's stability and security.

"Kiev and its foreign backers should know that any harm to Russia or the deaths of Russian personnel will not go unanswered.

"As President Vladimir Putin noted on August 10, given the current situation and until we see real positive steps from Kiev, like renouncing terror and provocations, it makes little sense to hold Normandy format meetings, like the Beijing meeting in early September requested by Mr. Poroshenko recently.

"Once again, we call on our partners to use their influence with Kiev to dissuade the government from taking any dangerous steps that could have grave consequences. Playing with fire is dangerous."



Endnotes:
The Dormition of the Mother of God is being celebrated in brilliance this year, as well, by Greeks in every corner of the world.



Pontian Greeks everywhere, sustaining the ancient traditions of the Akrites, venerate the Virgin Mary at Mount Vermio, where, following the uprooting and the genocide, the sacred icon of Panagia Sumela is treasured.



Together with my warm wishes ahead of the great feast, I would like to convey the hope that next year we Pontic Greeks will be able to celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God at Sumela Monastery, when the work on the restoration of the Monastery will have been completed.
UPPER THUMB  Campaign finance records show Paul Mitchell spent millions of dollars to defeat his four opponents in the Aug. 2 primary election. Now, hes the Republican candidate for the 10th District U.S. House of Representative seat.

That seat represents Huron, Lapeer, St. Clair and Sanilac counties, as well as portions of Macomb County.

Mitchells campaign spending totaled $2.5 million between January 2015 and July 13, 2016, according records from the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Thats $2.22 million more than his closest opponent spent.

Mitchell got 30,144 votes, or 38 percent of votes cast, according to the Michigan Secretary of State website. That means he spent about $83 per vote received, as of July 13.

The deadline for candidates to report what they spent after July 13 isnt until Oct. 15, according to an FEC spokesperson the Tribune talked to Friday.

Mitchells closest primary opponent was state Sen. Phil Pavlov of St. Clair, who received 22,019 votes, or 28 percent. He spent $280,510 on the election in the same time period, or $12.74 per vote received.

Contributions to Mitchells campaign totaled $542,099, according to the FEC. Loans totaled $2.5 million, and cash on hand was $547,429.

Pavlovs contributions were $333,092, with $30,000 in loans. His ending cash on hand was $83,083.

Pavlov was the victor in Huron County, but Mitchell garnered more votes in Sanilac County and the other southern areas of the district to come away with the win on primary election night.

Mitchell now will face Democrat Frank Accavitti Jr., a Grosse Pointe Shores resident who ran in the primary unopposed and spent $1,358.

Accavitti is not intimidated by the deep pockets of his Republican opponent.

I believe in the people of the 10th Congressional District, and they realize that you cannot buy a seat in the U.S. Congress, Accavitti told the Tribune recently.

He said his race with Mitchell has Biblical connotations, and can be compared to David vs. Goliath.

All I can do is try to spend what resources I do have  try to spend them smarter, and target the message so it gets to the right people in the right places.

He said he has lots and lots of volunteers and friends throughout the 10th District.

You can still win an election with shoe leather instead of cash, he said.

Mitchell, who filed to run as a Lapeer County resident, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

The remaining votes received and money spent on the primary were as follows, according to the Michigan Secretary of State and FEC:

 Alan Sanborn of Richmond: 12,639 votes, or 16 percent, and $56,701 spent from April 1 to July 13 ($4.49 per vote).

 Anthony Forlini of Harrison Township: 7,885 votes, or 10 percent, and $89,753 spent from Jan. 1 to July 13 ($11.38 per vote).

 David VanAssche of Macomb County: 6,689 votes, or 8 percent, and $231,451 spent from April 1 to July 13 ($34.60 per vote) .

Mitchell and Accavitti are seeking the seat held by U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, a Harrison Township Republican who is not seeking reelection.

Mitchell, 59, is a former CEO of a vocational school company. He previously ran for election in the 2014 4th Congressional District Republican primary, but lost to John Moolenaar of Midland.

Accavitti previously served in the Michigan Legislature.

The general election is set for Nov. 8.
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.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford pushed back Friday at critics who think there are too many people like him -- generals and admirals -- taking up space in a downsizing military.

"No, right now it is not my sense that we have too many general officers," Dunford said in a wide-ranging interview with Breaking Defense.

Proposals in Congress to cut the number of general and flag officers are part of what's holding up passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.

The White House recently cited a plan by Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to cut the number of generals and admirals by 25 percent as one reason for a threatened veto.

Dunford appeared open to working out a compromise with McCain and others on the size of the general officer corps in coming years, while maintaining that the current number of generals and admirals was not excessive.

"We're still working with both the Senate Armed Services and House Armed Services Committees to come up with a proposal that meets their requirements for reform, right-sizes the force to include our general officer population, and at the same time allows us to maintain military effectiveness," Dunford said in the interview.

"So we're going to go back and look at this issue, and work with Senator McCain and others to make sure we get it right," Dunford said of the dispute over how many generals and admirals the military actually needs, which dates back to World War II.

For that war, there were about 2,000 generals and admirals overseeing 12.2 million military personnel by 1945, according to the National World War II Museum. Now there are more than 900 generals and admirals for an active-duty force of about 1.3 million.

As of June this year, there were 418 one stars, 315 two stars, 136 three stars, and 37 four-star active generals and admirals -- or a total of 906, according to Pentagon personnel statistics.

In May, the Senate Armed Services Committee charged that the military was becoming top heavy with high-ranking officers and proposed cutting 222 of the 886 generals and admirals, or about 25 percent.

The committee recommended that the number of four-star billets be reduced from the authorized 41 to 27. Under the proposal, four-star officers would be limited to the chairman, vice chairman and other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including the head of the National Guard Bureau.

Four-star rank under the committee's proposal would also go to combatant commanders; the commander of U.S. Forces-Korea; one additional billet the president could nominate as a four-star joint command (such as the current mission in Afghanistan); and three four-star billets each for the Army, Navy and Air Force, to be filled as they choose.

"Over the past 30 years, the end-strength of the joint force has decreased 38 percent, but the ratio of four-star officers to the overall force has increased by 65 percent," the committee said.

"Especially at a time of constrained defense budgets, the military services must right-size their officer corps and shift as many personnel as possible from staff functions to operational and other vital roles."

Defense secretaries in both Republican and Democratic administrations periodically call for reducing the ranks of the general officer corps, but their efforts have had minimal impact.

In 2011, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates put out a memo calling in part for "efficiencies that impact 140 of the Department's 952 general and flag officer positions," but nearly 900 remain in a smaller military.

In addition, the military keeps creating four-star billets out of what had traditionally been three-star commands. In 2013, the Defense Department turned U.S. Army Pacific, or USARPAC, into a four-star command from a three-star command for Gen. Vincent Brooks, now commander of U.S. Forces-Korea.

The issue of how many generals and admirals the military needs will have to be addressed as budgets and the overall size of the force continue to shrink, said Lawrence Korb, a former assistant secretary of defense for personnel during the Reagan administration.

"We all know that overhead costs are eating us alive," said Korb, a military analyst at the Center for American Progress. "The idea that a colonel can't do the job of a one-star really doesn't make a great deal of sense."

As for the four-star billets, "it's not just a question of cutting the number -- it's a question of all the support they get" in aides, drivers and the like, Korb said.

"What McCain is trying to do is cut the overhead and this is one way to start, because once you do this, it has a ripple effect."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

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SUPERIOR TWP., MI - Police are looking for a man missing from an assisted living facility.

Steven Joseph O'Conner, 58, was last seen on Friday, Aug. 12, leaving Fairfax Manor, 1900 N. Prospect Road, near Geddes Road, north of Ypsilanti, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.

O'Conner is 5 foot 11 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue scrub pants.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's office metro dispatch at 734-994-2911.
YPSILANTI, MI - Washtenaw County's Spanish speaking population may not be as large as what one finds down the freeway in Detroit or Chicago, but it's active, strong, and resourceful.

Evidence of that lies in La Radio Raza Latina, airing on Ypsilanti's AM 1700. It's the state's only Spanish-language news and issues radio program, say the show's hosts.

The program was developed in early 2015 by Martha Valadez and several other Latino Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor community members. They noticed that while there were resources available to Spanish speaking immigrants - documented and undocumented - the area lacked any platforms to communicate on a broader level. Valadez learned about the availability of airwaves at AM 1700, which she knew could be a powerful tool.

She approached City Council Member Brian Robb, who runs the station, and he offered up several hours and creative freedom as long as nothing violated FCC rules.

"Having autonomy to run your own radio program and broadcast around issues that are cared about, and to have the opportunity to bring that information to the immigrant community at no cost in a way that's community based and not controlled by any agenda - that is exciting," said Valadez, who has since moved to California.

The first La Radio Raza was broadcast in June 2015, and its one to two hour programs have aired bi-weekly on Saturdays since then. Around 100 regular listeners tune in each week, and the program is also a podcast and available for download on itunes. Its organizers describe the show as southeast Michigan's only issues oriented, Spanish-language program. While there are other Spanish speaking programs in the state, they are mostly music shows.

A core of volunteers and Latino community members run and host La Radio Raza Latina, and there is no set content or agenda.

Erika Murcia is one of the program's hosts and a University of Michigan student who moved here from El Salvador last year when her husband was accepted to U-M. She said the programs cover a broad range of topics. There's news from Mexico, Guatemala and other central American countries, as well as analysis of how local issues impacts immigrants.

For example, when the Flint water crisis first hit, undocumented people were afraid to get water from government sources because they didn't have proper identification. La Radio Raza Latina covered that issue before others picked up the story.

It also offers information about services and opportunities for documented and undocumented immigrants, like how to obtain an identification card. When a Latino community member recently faced deportation, others called the station and offered on advice on where to seek help and representation. And there's some music mixed in to break up the discussion.

"We try to discuss things that have consequence on social justice, immigration policy, things that are changing their lives, specifically in Michigan, and how changes in politics affect the immigrant community," Murcia said.

Valadez described the program as "kind of like a bridge for people who don't speak the language" and said La Radio Raza Latina's "local-global aspect is very powerful."

"I think it's important to have a way of communicating issues with urgency. This is really useful for raising awareness around sort of urgent or crisis issues - a community member being detained or deported, for example," Valadez said.

It also provides some familiarity and a sense of belonging to a community in which that kind of security is in short supply.

Juan Zamorano-Gonzalez moved to Ypsilanti from Mexico 16 years ago and has been a deejay on the program for around a year. He recalls the difficulties adjusting to life here as tasks like taking a trip to the pharmacy were challenging.

"We want to make sure people know they aren't alone," he said.

Murcia also said that's perhaps the program's most important role.

"They need to know that there are other people who care about them, that they're not alone - that's very important," Murcia said. "We are trying to bring the topics that, especially for undocumented immigrants, are very hard to talk about. They live in a very hard situation, and we want to make them feel that they're not alone, that they can do things even though they don't have documentation."
BANGOR TWP, MI -- Bay County officials were hoping to have a new boardwalk at the Bay City State Recreation Area to the shoreline of Saginaw Bay by the start of this summer, but a beach grooming violation has put those plans on hold.

George Lauinger, unit manager of the Bay City state park, said there was a beach grooming violation by a volunteer that occurred on Thursday, May 26. Lauinger said the state park self-reported the violation to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"This is one of those things that if we didn't self-report it, it would be the end of the world when it comes to doing anything meaningful with the shoreline," Lauinger said.

As a result of the violation, the Army Corp of Engineers is holding off on making a final decision on the boardwalk application until they finish an investigation into the violation, Lauinger said.

Lauinger declined to comment on specifics of the violation, other than saying it happened on a 670-foot stretch of shoreline near where the boardwalk is proposed.

A map of the shoreline at the Bay City State Park Recreation Area.

A boardwalk proposal has been in the works for about four years. In 2013, the Bay County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to pursue grant dollars for a boardwalk about 500 feet long. Because the water in the bay as risen, the application is for a slightly shorter boardwalk.

Once a permit is approved to install a boardwalk, volunteers could start grooming and maintaining a 670-foot section of beach. Lauinger said the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has started a connectivity study that should connect existing park trails to the new boardwalk.

Friends of the Bay City State Park Recreation Area have groomed 1,200 feet of sandy beach farther north on the state park shore for years.

Laura Ogar, Bay County's director of environmental affairs and community development, said the beach-grooming violation is due to "unfair" land use restrictions on that section of beach.

"Beach grooming occurs at nearly every public beach around the nation," she said. "There may have been some beach grooming activity, but why should that be a violation?"

This week, Bay County officials sent a letter to Gov. Rick Snyder asking him to lift the land-use restrictions on more than 2,300 feet of preserved shoreline that were put into place in 2002.

The letter says the restrictions put into place are in "direct conflict with the original terms and intent of the donation for the Great Lakes shoreline property, made by the city of Bay City to the Michigan Park's Commission for use as a public bathing beach and outdoor recreation site."

The letter was signed by Bay County Executive Thomas Hickner, Bay City Mayor Kathleen Newsham, Bay City Manager Rick Finn, Bay Area Chamber Chief Executive Officer Ryan Carley, Bay Area Community Foundation President Eileen Curtis and Great Lakes Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Annette Rummel.
This year, Chinese manufacturing has seen great progress made in structural adjustment and industrial upgrading.

Manufacturing industries have achieved many results in the course of transition, said Xu Zhaoyuan, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.

However, the steel industry requires more efforts to cut excess capacity, and strict standards and fees collection system must be developed to this end, Xu added.

To enhance quality and efficiency, the State Council officially launched a campaign to boost the consumer goods industry in quality and brands, and listed setting up investment funds to promote high-end manufacturing as its main task.

Industrial policy has also seen great changes from political involvement to indirect supporting funds, which helped enterprises operate in a transparent environment, Xu added.

Investment in equipment manufacturing industries has increased rapidly, and the drop in investment in manufacturing as a whole is a normal phenomenon and a good sign for structural upgrading, said Chen Bin, vice-chairman of the China Machinery Industry Federation.

Fruitful results have also been seen in promoting smart, green and service-oriented development of the manufacturing industry. Different types of enterprises should choose different modes of development.

Pushed by technologies, smart manufacturing has continued to grow to higher levels in recent years, and many enterprises have researched and adopted their own results, Chen said.

Traditional manufacturers have been continuing transformation to be more service-oriented, gradually becoming the main support for economic growth. Subordinate machinery industries began carrying out service-oriented production, and formed complete service chains.

China is stepping forward to medium and high manufacturing, but it is a long journey, said Xu Zhaoyuan. We should develop medium and high manufacturing while stepping up upgrading traditional manufacturing, in a bid to foster a complete manufacturing system, Xu added.
Gospel songstress Gifty Osei has been elected the new treasurer of the Greater Accra regional branch of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).

She joins five other musicians who were elected at the regional polls on Wednesday at the union's head office in Accra.

The other newly-elected executives are Ras Caleb Appiah Levi, Chairman; Elizabeth Kakra Tagoe, Vice Chairperson; Bright Appiah Quaye, aka Joe Wizzy, Organiser; Alex Odoi, Welfare Officer and Mildred Mac-Hansen, aka Sheege Styla, as Secretary.

Swearing in the newly elected executives, the 1st Vice President of MUSIGA, Bessa Simons, called on the new executives to provide effective leadership for the branch, while ensuring that the union addresses the welfare needs of the members.

The 2nd Vice President, Rev Dr Thomas Yawson, advised the new executives to be servant-leaders in all they do to make the region an example worthy of emulation by other regions.

On his part, the outgoing Chairman, Nana Kwaku Duah, aka Tic Tac, told the members to be united and maintain the right protocols in all their dealings.

The new Chairman, Ras Caleb Appiah Levi, assured the members of a listening leadership which would work hand-in-hand with them to improve their welfare as musicians and ensure that the membership in the region grows.

So far, MUSIGA has held elections in all the regions apart from the Ashanti Region where it was called off and has been rescheduled.
In this years government work report, Premier Li Keqiang put forward the craftsmanship concept in manufacturing for the first time, and stressed efforts to diversify the varieties of products, increase quality and create more brands.

This year, he promoted Made-in-China products on many occasions, offering suggestions to upgrade the manufacturing industry and holding high expectations for its development.

Manufacturing has to become smarter, relying on technology such as the internet, cloud computing and big data.

On June 28

Premier Li made the remarks during a session with business executives at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin.

The Made in China 2025 strategy and Internet Plus are inseparable, as we must upgrade the manufacturing industry and boost intelligent manufacturing, said the Premier.

I would like to advertise Chinese bicycles, and Im willing to support the intelligent upgrading of the Made in China strategy.

On June 26

Premier Li said this while visiting a Flying Pigeon bicycle experience store in Tianjin on June 26. He lifted a super intelligent bicycle handmade from carbon fiber, then took it for a test ride at the store, which features 100-year-old brands.

Premier Li encouraged the enterprise to create a century-old brand, carrying forward the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, while pursuing the spirit of craftsmanship and always striving for the best.

Quality revolution of Made in China will depend on the craftsmans spirit and craft innovation, and the key is consumer-oriented development.

On May 23

Premier Li made the remarks when he was invited to be a booster for a heavy truck produced at a plant of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle in Shiyan city of Hubei province.

The Premier said he is not only fueling for Dongfeng, but also for all Made-in-China products. And companies should upgrade Made-in-China products through gradually satisfying consumers increasing needs.

We must win a tough battle in improving the manufacturing sector, and adopt advanced standards to upgrade Chinas manufacturing industries.

On April 6

The Premier said this at a State Council executive meeting, which approved a plan to standardize and improve the equipment manufacturing industry.

Forging advanced manufacturing industries with high standards is an important part of structural reforms, especially supply-side reform, which helps improve supply, expand demand, and promote medium-to-high end manufacturing industry, said the Premier.

He also said that efforts should be made to boost consumers confidence in Made-in-China products and promote the international competitiveness of manufacturing industries by improving their quality and efficiency.

We will intensify efforts to promote the integrated development of Made in China 2025 and the Internet Plus action plan, and build national platforms for innovation in manufacturing.

On March 5

Premier Li said while delivering the government work report this year.

He also said that efforts must be made to improve product and service supply, and focus on three aspects that include upgrades in manufacturing.

Turning a homely woman into a fair lady represents the integration of Made in China 2025 and the internet.

On Feb 2

Premier Li said while visiting Kocel Machinery Co in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The company, founded in 1966, used to be a State-owned foundry enterprise. However, after reorganization, it has made a revolutionary breakthrough in 3D-printing. The Premier praised its efforts in innovation, saying it will lead the transformation of growth engines.
Ghanaian hip hop super star,Guru ,has paid tribute to the departed Ghanaian model and Video Vixen,Belinda Asiamah.

The model and Video vixen, Belinda Asiamah,who according to sources died after complaining of severe stomach ache on Friday afternoon,worked with Guru on countless occasions.

She was quite popular for her role in the Boys Abre music video of Guru and Obrafours Pimpinaa music video.

Guru,in a sorrowful manner posted a picture of Belinda on his instagram page and wrote, R.I.P Belinda,She featured in Boys Abre video,May God keep her safe

The demise of Belinda Asiamah,who is signed onto Exopa Modelling agency, has also come as a shock to several models, photographers and designers who worked closely with her.

Date for her final funeral rites yet to be decided by her family.




U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson; United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana Mission Director, Andrew Karas; and other U.S. government officials visited a fishing community in Elmina today. During the visit, they toured the Central and Western Fishmongers Improvement Association School and processing facility; and met with fisherfolk, anti-child labor and trafficking advocates, and former child laborers. USAID works with this and other fishing communities in Ghana to reduce child labor and trafficking.

The U.S. government, through USAID, is working with the Fisheries Commission and the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Protection to develop a strategy to decrease child labor in the fisheries sector. The work also increases awareness about the realities and dangers of child labor and trafficking through a targeted communications campaign. This campaign consists of events, rural drama performances, films, journalist trainings, radio programs, media outreach, and community outreach by anti-child labor and trafficking advocates and celebrity Anti-Child Labor and Trafficking Ambassador Adjetey Anang. In addition, USAID works with communities to increase incomes by promoting more responsible fishing practices, in order to rebuild dwindling fish stocks.

The U.S. Government 2016 Trafficking in Persons report, which was released by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in June, classified Ghana as a Tier 2 Watch List country for the second year in a row. This means that the Ghana government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking in persons. Under U.S. law, any country ranked Tier 2 Watch List for two consecutive years must be ranked Tier 3 in the third year unless it shows sufficient progress to warrant a Tier 2 or Tier 1 ranking. If Ghana is downgraded to Tier 3 in 2017, it may become subject to restrictions on U.S. development aid. The United States currently provides more than $140 million per year in development aid to Ghana.

We are committed to partnering with the government of Ghana and communities to eliminate modern-day child slavery, said USAID Mission Director Karas. I am confident that if we all work together, we can reduce child labor and trafficking in the long term.
Minister for the Middle East and Africa, Tobias Ellwood, visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on 8-10 August 2016. This was his first visit to the country during which he took the opportunity to reiterate the UKs commitment to the DRC and its people.

In a series of meetings, including with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice, Mr Ellwood pressed the DRC government to make more progress towards holding timely elections. The Minister also met with opposition figures, and emphasised the importance of elections to the DRCs continuing development.

The Minister presented the British Congolese Business Group to the DRC government and learnt first-hand about the opportunities for investment in DRC and some of the current constraints on doing business. He also spoke with staff from the UNs Stabilization Mission in the DRC in order to discuss the support the UK is providing to the DRC.

Speaking at the end of the two-day visit Mr Ellwood said:

I am delighted to have visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo so soon after my appointment as Minister for Africa. The UK Government is committed to our relationship with the DRC, and committed to working for a brighter future for its people. Our half-a-billion dollar annual assistance package is an expression of that support. I want to strengthen our friendship further in order to enhance security, boost development, and grow commerce.

As part of that commitment and friendship the UK is ready to support the election process, but the primary responsibility for elections rests with the DRC government. Timely elections, peaceful transfers of power and accountable, democratic institutions will offer certainty and opportunity to both the Congolese people and to international businesses. The world is ready to invest in the DRC, in its people and its economy; it is up to the government to create the right environment to make that happen.
The Russian military has announced the delivery of new air defence missiles to Crimea, in a move scheduled before the latest tension with Ukraine.

The S-400 Triumph missile systems were earmarked for troops in Crimea last month, Russian media said at the time.

Moscow also announced exercises in Crimea next week to simulate an attack by weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, said this week it had foiled a Ukrainian sabotage mission.

It accused the Ukrainian government in Kiev of trying to send saboteurs into Crimea and reported the deaths of a soldier and a secret police officer in an operation to foil the alleged plot.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow might be forced to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine if the crisis worsened.

Denying the accusations, Ukraine placed its troops on alert along its de facto border with Crimea, and along its front line with Russian-backed rebels holding parts of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east.

A column of Ukrainian tanks could be seen rolling towards Crimea on Friday. Syrian air defence

A statement by Russias Southern Military District, which incorporates Crimea, said the missiles had been received by an air defence regiment in Crimea.

According to the statement, quoted by Russian news agencies, the missiles were successfully tested on the Kapustin Yar test range in southern Russia.

Russias Interfax news agency says the missiles are designed to hit airborne targets at a range of up to 400km (249 miles) and ballistic missiles at a range of up to 60km, flying at speeds of up to 4.8km per second.

The missiles are being installed in Crimea to protect Russias Hmeimim air base in Syria among other things, it adds.

Last November, Russia deployed S-400s at Hmeimim , after Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 bomber.

The Russian defence ministry announced (in Russian) exercises in Crimea and the Volgograd region for 16-19 August to simulate the effect of an enemy attack using WMD.

Radioactive, biological and chemical defence troops will be deployed in the manoeuvres, which will involve the use of Solntsepyok rocket systems in Volgograd, as well as an artificial smoke screen to block any surveillance.

Separately, the ministry said (in Russian) it would be sending an additional 40 aircraft to the Southern Military District this year. Concern and outrage

Ukraines envoy to the UN asked Russia on Thursday to prove its allegations, and said some 40,000 Russian troops were massed on the Crimea-Ukraine border.

His Russian counterpart told the UN Security Council of Moscows concern and outrage at the alleged incursions.

Russian state TV broadcast an apparent confession by a man named as Yevhen Panov, saying he was part of a Ukrainian defence ministry force sent into Crimea to carry out acts of sabotage.

He said the group also included officers of Ukraines military intelligence.

Reports in Ukraine say Mr Panov is a former volunteer fighter who has more recently been associated with a charitable organisation called Heroes of Ukraine.

Crimea was annexed by Russia after a majority of its mostly ethnic Russian population voted to secede in an unrecognised referendum on self-determination.

The annexation was relatively bloodless, in sharp contrast to the ferocious fighting which followed in Donetsk and Luhansk.

-bbc
CARACAS, Venezuela, ACCRA, Aug. 12 - (UPI/GNA) - Nearly a year since it was closed, the Colombian-Venezuelan border is expected to partially reopen Saturday after the countries' leaders held a meeting.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday said the border will be opened daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. In the first phase of the process, only pedestrians will be allowed to cross five checkpoints along the border.

Maduro said improvements in bilateral relations and in border security helped the leaders reach the decision to reopen the border. The border will be reopened fully after the countries reach separate agreements on security, trade and energy.

The Colombian and Venezuelan border was partially closed last August and later completely closed by Maduro last year after three Venezuelan soldiers and a civilian were injured in an attack by suspected smugglers in Venezuela's San Antonio del Tachira border town in the state of TAchira.

Colombia and Venezuela's 1,400-mile border is porous and highly unregulated. It's was often used by smugglers to purchase heavily subsidized goods in Venezuela to resell in Colombia for a profit. Amid an economic crisis in Venezuela in which basic goods can not be found on store shelves, tens of thousands of Venezuelans traveled to Colombia to buy basic goods during a temporary opening of the border on recent weekends.

"With government of Venezuela, we agreed to open border gradually. The commitment is to ensure order and control," Santos said in a statement. GNA
12.08.2016 LISTEN

WASHINGTON, ACCRA, Aug. 12, (UPI/GNA) - A day after twice stating President Barack Obama was the founder of the terrorist group the Islamic State, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump implied on Twitter the comment was just a joke.

Trump tweeted, blaming CNN for blowing the comments, which also included calling Hillary Clinton the "most valuable player," out of proportion.

"Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?".

Trump made the remark during two campaign swings in Florida. In the first, he made a point of emphasizing Obama's middle name, Hussein.

He said Obama was the founder and Clinton the co-founder of the group, though the founder of the Islamic State was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Trump has previously backtracked on controversial comments by implying he was only joking. After saying he hoped Russia would hack Hillary Clinton's emails and release their findings, Trump was challenged about whether he was actually calling for a foreign government to commit espionage against the United States in an effort to influence an election.

Trump said in that instance as well that he was being sarcastic.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) is struggling to find a solid social media campaign to sell the Party and its flagbearer going into the 2016 December general elections.

The party has adopted various techniques and strategics that have not yielded the positive results any social media strategist will want for their client.

Some of the strategies has been adopting a Live Facebook broadcast of their flagbearers campaign tour on his facebook page , sharing Videos that portrays pressuring challenges Ghanaians face like the difficulty in using the NHIS Card to secure health care, the prevailing economic challenges which led them to create a Toilet Roll advert, numerous infograms on the increasing cost of living among a host of several others.

This however has created an advantage for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) who many experts believe are doing very well on Social Media and constantly making nonsense of the various strategies of the NPP. The NDC as a party alone has numerous unofficial social media strategies being deployed by various active social media accounts like the Green Book, Go Ghana Campaign, the Student For Mahama Campaign, Celebrity endorsement etc.

The NDCs Transforming Ghana Account on Social Media is arguably one of the best social media technique that has ever been used in a political campaign in Ghana and on the African Continent. The account mirrors the day to day activities of the President and structured to be the Partys Communication Machinery on Social media providing facts, figures, pictures, videos, audios of the NDCs achievements in the past four years.

Running alongside the active social media drive is the greenbookghana website which brings to life all the progressive projects being embarked on by the ruling government.

Aided by an effective social media strategy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the Greenbookghana campaign for instance is an ideal one for any political party.

For once many strategist thought the NPP had found a cure to the rampaging social media antics of the NDC when they launched the Hope Campaign only for a member of the Hope Campaign team, Kwaku Quarshie to say that the NPP can not claim ownership of the Hope Campaign since its not for them.

Speaking on Joy Fms Super Morning Show on Friday August 12, 2016 Kwaku Quarshie said The whole thing just went out of control but we are not an NPP group. We are non-partisan. We dont mention names, party leaders names; we are basically throwing the idea to Ghanaians. We were not talking about anybody in particular. We are an issues-based movement and these are issues that affect Ghanaians. We are saying that think through before you vote. If we were NPP we would have put NPPs name on the video,

By: Kwame Anshong
Deputy Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister, Sampson Ahi, has rubbished the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addos promise, to craft an 11th region out of the Western Region, should he emerge winner in the December polls.

I take it to be a political gimmick, and Nana Akufo-Addo is going round, when he goes to hear that people need these particular amenities, he says when come I will do it for you. It is one of those things, he said on Eyewitness News.

Speaking at Juaboso as part of his five-day visit of the region, Nana Addo explained that government will follow all the constitutional provisions to get this new region as he argued that such a move would facilitate development in the northern part of the region.

But Mr. Ahi, whos the MP for Bodi in the Western Region, explained that Nana Addo was only pandering to people in the northern part of the region who had similar discussions.

I am saying that becausewhat is being discussed in that northern part of the Western Region is the need for a region to be created out of the Western region.

I am sure when he got to Sefwi, some people told him that what is needed by the people is the need to create a region so Nana Akufo-Addo took it. If he had thought of it before going to that part of the Western Region, he should have made the statement immediately he entered Sefwi, he said.

Mr. Ahi further explained that meeting the constitutional requirements would not be as simple as Nana Addo had communicated.

He noted that, Constitutionally, before you can create a region out of an existing region, you will need the support of all the eligible people registered to vote. When they vote, 50 percent have to vote and out of that 50 percent, 80 percent must vote yes.

Mr. Ahi also indicated that, such a move would not garner the support of some key groups in the region.

If you start by that premise that because the resources come from that part of the region and that is why you are going to create region for them, you will not get the support of the Nzemas, the Ahantas, the Wassa and so on.

Buttressing his point that the promise was merely a political talk, he said the NPP had made similar promises to the people of the Volta Region and the Brong Ahafo Region, but failed to deliver on it in their eight years in office.

NDC govt is already working on creating that new region

After criticizing the promise however, Mr. Ahi also noted that it was not a new proposal, and that the people of the northern part of the Western Region, are already working on forwarding a proposal to central government for the creation of the new region.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
AN ACUTE Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortage has hit Tema, Ashaiman and other parts of the country.

Most gas stations have been inundated with taxis, the drivers of who are desperate to have fuel for their vehicles.

As a result, the drivers in the Tema metropolis who use gas for their operations, virtually cannot render accounts to the owners of the vehicles.

Yesterday at Ashaiman, gas users who thronged the filling stations had to go home with empty cylinders.

At Star, Kaynses, Engel, Ashaiman Fitter-Line, Stop Oil and Trinity Oil filling stations, signs of 'No Gas' were boldly displayed at the entrances while others which had the supply witnessed long queues.

The attendants of the above-mentioned gas filling stations told this paper that their outfits had run out of stock for some time now and were optimistic that the stations would receive supplies later next week.

The situation was not different at the Ashaiman Sika-Boat LPG Station at Community 22, Alive Gas Filling Station at Afariwaa and Truth Gas at Lebanon at the time of visit, with no attendant to speak to.

The shortage was already biting hard at taxi drivers and food vendors who depend on the product to operate their businesses.

Most residents who use gas told this paper, We have no gas for cooking.

In Accra and its suburbs, almost all the gas filling stations displayed No Gas.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema
Last week featured a worrying news item about doctorate degrees bestowed strangely upon important personalities in the Ghanaian society by unaccredited universities.

Ordinarily, such a news item would not raise eyebrows were the degrees given to persons whose names do not ring a bell. Not so, however, when the recipients are top personalities such as the man in charge of law enforcement personnel in the country and the clergy.

Even surprising is the fact that the National Accreditation Board (NAB) warned the chief constable not to receive the doctorate degree because it was a worthless offer. He ignored the good counsel and proceeded to the US to receive what has become an unnecessary albatross around his neck. Today when his name is mentioned, cynics remember the worthless honour.

We have learnt that his predecessor listened to the counsel of NAB and turned down the so-called doctorate degree.

Persons who hold important positions in state institutions are role models to the young generations: their images and words in the media serving as motivation to these young fellows.

When therefore they act negatively knowingly, they confuse such persons who wonder whether they were wrong in looking up to them as their role models.

Apart from performing their statutory duties, such persons as the IGP and others should avoid actions which could impact negatively on their reputation.

Turning to NAB, we ask that they do more regarding the proliferation of degrees which are worthless and so create a widespread reduction in the deference of academic and honorary qualifications.

If we do not watch it and take the necessary action, we would earn notoriety for going after unrecognized and undeserved qualifications as a people.

The appetite for doctorate degrees by pastors and founders of churches is overwhelming; most men of God who have established their own churches hold doctorates. With the belated insight given by NAB, there is no doubt that when the floodlights are turned on these qualifications, the outcome would be amazing.

Shouldn't that be? We think it should be because such deceitful persons should be exposed so people can take their own decisions about them.

Society should be rid of charlatans who present deceitful images of themselves as a means of winning more people to their side.

The proliferation of quack medical doctors of late has a certain correlation with the fake doctorate degree syndrome: both are festering because of a lax system of inspecting qualifications.

NAB needs the necessary resources to do its work. We are glad that it has opened our eyes about the worthless doctorates.

If the phenomenon of fake doctorates continues, we would advise that the naming-and-shaming mechanism be applied.

The repercussions of learning that the man of God leading the church one attends holds a doctorate bestowed by either a non-existent university or an unaccredited one, can turn away many members of the congregation. Deceit and divinity are incompatible.
A 76-year-old woman has been killed by a learner driver at Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

The learner driver, Zainab Shaibu, believed to be the mother of Alhassan Suhuyini, parliamentary candidate of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Tamale South Constituency of the Northern Region, was said to be driving a BMW salon car registered GR 8711-15, with an 'L' (learner) plate.

Reports indicated that two motorbikes which were parked by the roadside were crushed by the vehicle before it finally knocked down the aged woman; and some eyewitnesses wondered whether she knew how to drive or she was just learning how to do it.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that deceased (name yet unknown) came out of a mosque at the Changli area in Tamale to cross the road back home when she was knocked down.

The situation caused vehicular traffic and some relatives of Suhuyini purportedly prevented people from taking shots of the scene.

The police were informed about the accident and they came to tow the vehicle to the police station and a report of the incident was subsequently made by the family of the deceased.

An eyewitness, Mohammed, told DAILY GUIDE that they all came out of the mosque and when they were crossing the road the old lady was knocked down.

The driver, who is suspected to be a learner, knocked down two motorbikes before she got to the woman; so we don't know if she was still learning how to drive or what because on the car you can see the learning symbol, another eyewitness said.

According to him, the old lady was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and around 3:30 pm she passed on.

He indicated that some people believed to be from Suhuyini's family, visited the facility.

The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Office, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, who narrated the incident to DAILY GUIDE, said Zainab Shaibu (driver) was driving from the Choggo area to the town centre and when she got to the junction near Bonzli Rural Bank, lost control of the vehicle and ran into some motorbikes.

According to him, one of the motorbikes she ran into knocked down the woman, who was crossing the road and she was rushed to the hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead.

ASP Tetteh indicated that out of shock Zainab Shaibu was also sent to the hospital for treatment.

We will take her statement when she comes back from the hospital. Meanwhile, the accident vehicle has been towed to the Tamale central MTTD, he said at the time of filing this report.

He stated that the matter was under investigation.

FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale
The standard bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has described as unfortunate comments purportedly made by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Collins Dauda, to the effect that the NPP would discriminate against Muslims when the party is voted for in the December elections.

Alhaji Collins Dauda was reported to have cautioned Muslims in the country against voting for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP. He was alleged to have said that the NPP expelled Muslims from Ghana through the Aliens Compliance Order.

Collins Dauda was said to have made that statement in an address to National Democratic Congress (NDC) Zongo caucus at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

Addressing the people of Adabokrom in the Bia East constituency of the Western Region, Nana Akufo-Addo debunked the assertion and described it as untrue.

The NPP leader is in the Western Region for a five-day visit.

According to Nana Addo, such comments from the minister would not in any way help the progress of the country but would rather divide the people.

How can NPP discriminate against Muslims when my running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is a Muslim and the late Aliu Mahama, who was a vice president in the previous NPP regime, also a Muslim? In fact, we in NPP love Muslims. he stressed.

He stated, We are all Ghanaians  whether you are a Kusasi, Frafra, Dagomba, Ashanti, Akyem, Nzema or Krobo. If things go on well in the country all Ghanaians will benefit.

He indicated that it was incumbent on the NDC to tell Ghanaians what they would do for the electorate rather than making statements that have the tendency to divide the people.

Nana Addo pointed out that the bad policies of the NDC and mismanagement of the economy had impoverished Ghanaians and appealed to the people to try the NPP this time round.

He reiterated that the NPP has men and women with proven ability who would use their expertise and economic prowess to reverse the present state of the economy.

Alan Kojo Kyerematen, a leading member of the NPP, noted that the party has the capacity to fix the deteriorated economy if voted into power.

He said the NPP, under President John Agyekum Kufuor, was able to bring the nation to a middle-income status within eight years.

He was full of hope that the enthusiasm and zeal exhibited by the supporters in the region were an indication that the NPP would win massively in the December elections.

He said however, that recapturing power from the NDC would not be an easy task and called for hard work and commitment to win the elections to liberate Ghanaians from the current hardships.

He appealed to the supporters to intensify their house-to-house campaign.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Bia East
The National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammi Awuku, on Thursday organized an evidence-based public forum for disappointed youth from various sectors of the economy to tell the frustrations they were going through under President Mahama's government.

Ranging from disappointed trainee teachers, nurses, hair dressers, head potters [kayayei], taxi drivers, scrap dealers, spare parts dealers and a host of others, they took turns to narrate the hardships they had been going through.

They therefore joined calls for a change in government whiles stressing the need for their fellow Ghanaian youth to rise up for change by voting against President Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) on December 7, 2016 when the country goes to the polls to elect a leader for the next four years.

The event, which took place at the Kokomba market in Accra, was modeled after what President Mahama himself called 'evidence-based' presentation when he delivered the State of the Nation Address early this year. In the cause of the delivery, he lined up some Ghanaians from various sectors to tell how his governance was impacting positively on their lives.



Untold Hardships

Speaker after speaker at yesterday's youth forum related the untold hardships they were going through as a result of what they described the 'bad leadership, corruption and governance' that was being witnessed in the country under the leadership of President Mahama, who claims to be 'changing lives and transforming Ghana.'

The forum was part of activities to mark the International Youth Day, which fell on August 12, 2016 under the theme, 'The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production.

This year's event is about achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a focus on the leading role of young people in ensuring poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development through sustainable consumption and production.

After listening to the various frustrations expressed by the teeming youth, the NPP youth leader could not but conclude, Judging from the mood of the country now, we are certain that Ghana's youth are no longer interested in the propaganda, rhetoric and lies.



Awuku's Assurance

Mr Sammi Awuku underscored, We don't want to hear broken promises anymore. We know what is really happening. Luckily, we can tell the difference between truth and lies and a 'goat and a cow.' We want to hear from people really talking about their problems, the problems that have been created by a government that doesn't understand their needs and doesn't care about what happens to them.

He assured the teeming Ghanaian youth that when voted into power, The NPP's first priority is to create jobs, real decent paying jobs that will give young people the better living conditions they deserve. We will do that through our 'One District, One Factory' policy  creating local industrial parks in every district in the country and working with the private sector to open factories so that instead of exporting raw materials for low prices, and importing finished goods for high prices. We will employ the youth of our nation in producing our own finished goods that we can both sell here in Ghana and export.

In the case of the graduates who had spent years studying to gain qualifications, he noted, We will give tax relief to those employers who hire them  so that there will be the jobs available for them when they leave school  because we cannot afford as a country for our most qualified people to leave Ghana and take their energy and talent to other countries in order to find work.

Apart from that, he also revealed, We will also scrap the new taxes on private universities that John Mahama has introduced  this is a tax on knowledge. Not only does it deny the opportunity of a university education to many young people by raising the level of tuition fees, it penalizes those families who are already struggling to make ends meet, and who have sacrificed so much to ensure that their children receive the best education that they can.



Restoration Of Allowances

As a result of corruption and mismanagement, he indicated, The NDC has run out of the money to fund so many of the services that the NPP government of John Kufuor left behind, citing the nurses and teacher training allowances which the government has cancelled. We will restore it to ensure that those young people training to join these vital public services no longer have to worry how they are going to survive from day to day as they study and train, Sammi Awuku assured.

Another NPP policy scrapped by the NDC  which we will restore  is free Metro transport for school children. Perhaps for the big men from the NDC, transport fares are peanuts for them to think about  but not for young parents struggling to make ends meet because for them every cedi counts.

To him therefore, Ghana deserves better than four more years of failure, corruption and incompetence. The youth of Ghana deserve better than another term of John Mahama and the NDC, he said with a charge in tow, That's why on December 7th you shouldn't just hope for a better Ghana; you should vote for one  vote for change; vote for Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP.

Present were former National Youth Organiser of the party and NPP parliamentary candidate for Lawra, Anthony Abayifa Karbo; the two Deputy Youth Organisers, Dominic Eduah and Salam Mustafah; Nasara Coordinator, Kamal Deen; the party's parliamentary candidate for Odododiodioo and Asante Akim North, Nii Lantey Bannerman and Andy Appiah Kubi respectively and a host of others.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Hotels and guest houses in the Central Region have begun cashing in heavily on the upcoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign launch scheduled to come off in that region on Sunday, August 14, 2016.

Barely 24 hours to the Congress, Citi Business News checks reveal that, almost, if not all hotel rooms; from standard to suites, have been fully booked by party officials, ministers, MMDCEs, parliamentary candidates and supporters in the Cape Coast area.

The development has also led to some party faithfuls booking accommodation outside Cape Coast in areas like Saltpond, Mankessim and Takoradi in the Western Region.

The supervisor of Cape Coast Hotel, Barbara Boateng, who spoke to Citi Business News also said the rates have not been an issue for those who want accommodation.

All our rooms have been booked purposely for the NDCs campaign launch. We have about 35 rooms here at the Cape Coast hotel and all of them have been fully booked, she stated.

Barbara Boateng added that, the rooms have been booked for between 2 to 5 days from Friday to Sunday with others extending to Monday.

The NDC is billed to hold the launch of the 2016 election campaign and also outdoor the party's Presidential candidate, President John Dramani Mahama and his running mate, Paa Kwasi Amissah Arthur, the Vice President.

The event will also see the formal outdoor of the campaign team and its leaders to manage the affairs of the party for the 2016 elections in December.

The event comes off in the midst of concerns on the temporal lifting of a ban on drumming and noise making in Cape Coast and its surroundings, ahead of the Oguaa Fetu festival by the chiefs of the traditional area.

The NDCs coloursgreen, red, black and whitehave emerged strongly in the city in recent days as the partys paraphernalia could be seen almost everywhere.



By: Norvan Acquah  Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
Leaving a place of abode to sojourn in another state either as a result of ejection, unfavourable circumstances or a personal decision does not come easy even when the right process has been followed.

A change in environment comes with its consequent challenges for both the sojourner and his or her friends and family. Adjusting to new cultural environment, learning a new language, acquiring new friends and being governed by a whole new set of laws is not easy for any individual from the beginning.

However, these challenges notwithstanding, scores of people still leave the shores of Ghana illegally every day to other countries in search for new opportunities and better livelihoods for themselves and their families.

These migrants use various means to reach their destinations by committing thousands of Ghana cedis and risking their lives through perilous routes as the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.

While some survive the journey to the other side and live their dream, others don't and some return to share their experiences.

Socio-economic context of migration

Ghanaian migration has increasingly become extra-regional, since the decline of Nigeria as a major destination for Ghanaian migrants in the 1980s.

Although the majority of Ghanaian migrants (71%) still live within West Africa, a growing proportion is migrating to a diverse range of countries outside the region.

According to the 2008 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Estimates, Ghanaian migrants can be found in more than 33 countries around the world.

After West African countries, the most important countries of destination for Ghanaian emigrants are the United States (7.3%) and the United Kingdom (5.9%) with an estimated 1.5 million to 3 million Ghanaians sojourning in other countries.

As more young people enter Ghana's labour market than ever before, the pressure to migrate may increase, unless employment opportunities for young labour market entrants improve.

Ghana's labour force is expected to grow faster than its population over the next decade. While Ghana's annual population growth rate  one of the lowest in the sub-region  is projected to remain at 2.2 percent, its labour force is estimated to increase yearly by 2.9 percent for the next 15 years (GSS, 2005b).

Although the economy has grown steadily over the past few years, from 5.2 percent in 2003 to 6.3 percent in 2007, labour-intensive sectors such as manufacturing have been growing more slowly and are, therefore, unable to absorb the expanding labour force.

According to 2000 census data, unemployment especially affects the young and those with no schooling (49%).

In light of these trends, skilled emigration is likely to remain an important policy concern, unless work conditions and employment opportunities for the highly skilled improve.

Lack of career development and poor working conditions seem to be important motivations for the highly skilled to migrate, especially for those in the medical professions.

Klugah's Story

Thirty-seven-year-old Michael Kwame Klugah is a classic example of a former migrant who embarked on a voyage to Europe in search for a better life but was unsuccessful.

In 1999 after unsuccessful job applications, Michael decided to clear his savings of GH400, 000 and set out to Europe without the knowledge of his parents and with no proper travelling document.

I was convinced by a certain Korean that I could become very rich if I travelled to Europe. So after that I became eager to travel outside the country, he said.

So on July 15, 1999, Klugah left Ghana going through Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and then Mauritania, travelling by road towards Morocco from where he had hoped to enter Spain 'illegally' in his desperate search for a better life.

However, that was not meant to be as Klugah had his money finishing along the way, precisely when he got to Mauritania where he said he was 'robbed' by some French-speaking 'connection-men'  persons who helped travellers of his kind along the way but were notorious of stealing from travellers who could not speak French.

Klugah could not continue the trip from Mauritania because he had no money, so he made his way to the capital, Nouakchott, where he spent the next three years of his life working menial jobs to raise enough funds to enable him to continue his trip to the Moroccan town of Tagine, where he was supposed to cross over to Ceuta, an Island in Spain.

I had to stay in Mauritania from 1999 to 2002, trying to raise money to continue my journey, Klugah told DAILY GUIDE.

After three years of hardwork, Klugah said he and other African nationals in similar situation were able to gather the money needed for the trip and came across another 'connection-man' who told them that they could get to the Moroccan town of Tagine in a week's time.

With the excitement and forgetting about what the first connection-man did to him, he committed his savings to the journey and did what the 'helper' had asked of him.

At the gathering point, he said, the connection-man told us that we should get two gallons of water. So we got two gallons of water and then we mixed each of the gallons with packets of paracetamol and so because the water becomes bitter you can't take much and also the little you took along the way will serve as a medicine, Klugah said.

A week into the journey, they realised that the trip was meant to last for 72-days and not seven days as they had been told.

He continued So I confronted the man and said but you told us that it is only one week but now we've walked for two weeks and we still don't know where we are going.

It was there that we got to know that we need to walk for about 72 days to get to where we were going but by then the man had taken our monies. Some paid $ 500; the cheapest was $ 300. So we had no option.

The journey soon became more difficult when the food supplies they had started running out.

But the most difficult aspect of this journey was you know there were fifteen ladies amongst us and anytime they go through their menstrual cycles, there was no water for them to clean the blood so they developed infection and also became weak from the lack of food and water which led to their death.

He said a Ghanaian colleague he met in Mauritania whom he named only as Asamoah died from thirst after his water got finished.

I had water with me but could not give Asamoah to drink because I knew I might run out of water so I watched him die crying for water, he said.

He recounted that after walking for days in the snake and scorpion-infested desert, they reached the Tagine, where they were expected to enter Ceuta, the 'promise land.'

Deportation

However, he lamented that in the process of entering Ceuta, they were arrested by Spanish border guards and handed over to Moroccan authorities.

There, he said, they were sent back to Mauritania and the Mauritanian authorities further deported them to Senegal.

He said he had to hustle his way back to Mauritania to search for some money before coming back to Ghana in 2004, with nothing to show from his voyage.

It was when I came back that I realised I had spent six years of my life seeking something I was unlikely to have, he mentioned.

Klugah believes his live could have been much better if he had stayed in Ghana and invested his saving into a business.

New Beginning

Klugah started all over again going back to school to acquire his master's and gaining employment as an interpreter at the Judicial Service of Ghana.

I am in my final year at the African University College of Communications studying Development Studies, he said.

In 2005, he registered his organisation called Association of Distress Migrants and Deportees (ADMD) to raise awareness about illegal migration.

In 2006, ADMD began operations and Klugah said he had travelled extensively around the world precisely in countries like Malaysia and Cyprus to campaign against illegal migration.

For him, the zeal to travel is like a disease for many Ghanaians, urging travellers to learn to travel legally.

He called for the setting up of a rehabilitation centre to counsel the illegal migrants as they come back to Ghana, since most of them get depressed thinking about the time and resources they have lost.

Some returnees have landed in prison upon their return to Ghana because there is no rehabilitation centre to counsel them as they come.

Policy framework governing migration

Although Ghana does not have an explicit migration policy, it has introduced several initiatives to deal with specific migration issues. Nevertheless, these initiatives often remain uncoordinated; they are sponsored by various donors and implemented by different ministries.

The recent creation of a National Migration Bureau (NMB) interministerial team/steering committee, later renamed Migration Unit (MU), under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior, is an important step towards addressing these issues.

In order to facilitate updates to the Migration Profile, the timeliness, processing, and analysis of migration data need to be improved. Most migration data is census data that is usually collected every 10 years and, therefore, often outdated.

While GIS collects a wealth of administrative data on entries, departures, and registration, the lack of data disaggregated by sex, age and other relevant characteristics makes meaningful analysis difficult. The government also has no accurate data on Ghanaians abroad and irregular migration.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri & Melvin Turlue
It was very instructive to observe how quickly the owners of Monte Radio absolved themselves from the hideous contempt of court which recently earned prison sentences for three panellists who took part in a programme aired by the station.

They all expressed their disgust at the sentiments expressed by the panellists against the Supreme Court, and indicated that had they known in advance that the Montie Trio were going to make such outrageous statements, the owners would not have allowed them to do so!

Which raises the question: what made them offer employment to the producer who put the programme on the air? Who appointed the host of the programme? `Who was listening to the programme, as it went on the air live, to monitor it and ensure that if it strayed into illegal areas  such as of libel, contempt of court or obscenity-- the discussion would be terminated?

That is what a radio station manned by good professionals would do. For microphones can have an intoxicating effect on human beings. It happens to politicians on podiums. It happens to evangelists in pulpits: who would have believed, for instance, that a well-respected prophet would taunt his congregation with the statement that the perfume he wore was more expensive than the monthly wages 0f some of them?

Of course, the possession of money  which enables people to buy microphones and install them at radio stations  does not guarantee that the purchasers of the microphones would have enough wisdom to consult professionals before setting up their radio stations. They would, of course, rely on engineers to select and install the transmitters and other equipment; accountants to keep an eye on the advertising revenue and balance it against the wages of the station's employees. But when it comes to the producers and the journalists who decide what news items to broadcast and what topics should be discussed and by whom, political associates, nephews and nieces, friends and paramours, can be counted upon to fill the majority of the posts.

We didn't know they would behave like that! the owners protest. As if saying that one didn't know a baby could crawl towards an open fire would be enough to excuse one for exposing the child to the possibility of being burned alive.

I intend, in this article, to illustrate how easy it is to ignore all journalistic ethics and principles, as well as ordinary common sense, in offering what is alleged to be news to radio listeners. It is important to note, at the outset, that radio listeners often include print journalists, who use the radio as a lazy way of filling their own pages.

The story is taken from a report reprinted from Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9fm by Ghanaweb on 11 August 2016:

QUOTE:

I Make GH10,000 Each Time I Have sex with a Virgin - Ritualist Confesses

By Stephen Zoure

The desire of Forty-Six (46) year old businessman Stephen Nortey, to become rich overnight has led him into sleeping with virgins as directed by his spiritual father, in order to keep his wealth increasing.

Nortey who hails from the New Juaben Municipality in the Eastern Region, claims that ... a spiritualist who resides in Nankese... initiated him into sleeping with virgins.....

He claims he uses a special handkerchief given to him by his spiritual father ... to wipe off the blood that comes out of virgin girls after sleeping with them, and later drop (sic) it in a pot which is meant to produce money after he goes through some incantations. I make a whopping amount of ten thousand Ghana cedis (GH10,000.00) anytime I have sex with a virgin, he disclosed on Koforidua-based Bryte FM.

The businessman lures his victims with gifts and when they become unconscious, he makes a snake given to him by the fetish priest enter their private parts if he desires foreign currency and can make up to $50,000 in a day. On how he is able to get his target ladies, he said I smell of money and that speaks for me. I have been doing this for the past twelve years and have so far used about thirty young virgins. UNQUOTE

There are many internal contradictions in this story which should make any alert news editors, sub-editors and editors wary of accepting its truthfulness and passing it on to listeners/readers. To begin with, how does Mr Nortey ascertain that the virgin he has selected is in possession of C10,000 (or in the case of foreign currency, $50,000)? In any case, how does he know that a young lady is a virgin or not  before he has slept with her?

Try and unpick the rest of the illogical aspects of the story yourself. Ask, for instance: Why did the fetish priest give Nortey the power to extort money only from virgins? What have virgins done to annoy the fetish priest? Where does Nortey normally keep the snake? What does he feed it on? Has the snake ever bitten one of the virgins?

In fact, you will find, as you deconstruct it, that the entire Nortey story is phooey! Yet it made its way, through two radio stations, to Ghanaweb, which is the main website used by many Ghanaians (especially those abroad) to obtain news about their country, to say nothing of foreigners who want to learn more about Ghana.

Now, if Ghanaian journalists continue in this way to peddle ignorance, superstition and pornography as news, they will inevitably arouse the ire of the thought police who exist  usually secretly  everywhere in the world, and there will be calls for journalists to be licensed and their output censored before publication.

The sad thing is that journalists may find, when such calls are made by those who are opposed to free speech and freedom of thought, that they have alienated so many people in the society with their stupid publications in the past that their defenders will be extremely few in number.

www.cameronduodu.com
Two men who use taxi cabs to rob unsuspecting passengers in Kumasi and towns in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region of their money and possessions have been sentenced to a total of 100 years' imprisonment.

A trader, Akwasi Frimpong aka Alhassan, 38, and his accomplice, Isaac Boateng, aka Okay, cabbie, 31, were convicted of conspiracy to rob and robbery by the Bekwai Circuit Court.

They were sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment in hard labour on each count.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

After an eight-month trial, the court, presided over by Fredrick Nawura, found the duo guilty for robbing people of their cash, laptops and mobile phones worth thousands of Ghana Cedis and subjecting them to torture.

The convicts, on September 17, 2015, used their nefarious ways to rob a young woman that work with Agricare Company Limited in Kumasi of her belongings.

The prosecutor, Detective Inspector Stephen Ofori, told the court that the woman, who was on her way back home from work on that day, was attacked by the gang when she boarded their taxi cab at Santasi Roundabout.

According to him, the complainant, who was travelling from Tanso towards Atonsu, a suburb of Kumasi, boarded a Toyota Corolla cab.

He narrated that another man in the person of Frank Osei also boarded the taxi immediately after the complainant, but alighted at Yegola Junction which is about 200 metres away from the Santasi Roundabout.

D/Inspector Ofori said the convicts used the Kumasi Abattoir bypass on reaching Asokwa.

The criminal gang attacked and robbed the complainant of her Asus X200 laptop valued GH3,000, one Nokia X2 GH200 worth GH350, a wristwatch valued GH200 and GH200 cash.

The prosecutor asserted that the convicts who were ruthless petrified the lady before robbing her of money and possessions.

They later dumped her in a gutter in front of the Bomplex Timber Company at Ahinsan, another Kumasi suburb and bolted.

The complainant reported the incident to the police at the Asokwa Divisional Command.

On December 15, 2015, while going about her normal business, the complainant spotted the convicts at the Asokwa Magistrate Court and alerted the police who arrested them.

They were later arraigned before the Bekwai Circuit Court on the charges.

From Ernest Kofi Adu, Bekwai
Peter Osei-Adjei

13.08.2016 LISTEN

Fellow Ghanaians, it is important we get this clear and right! I'm not an Attorney or claim to know more about Ghana's constitution and laws. However, common sense tells me there's something wrong with the trial process of the Montie 3 idiots currently languishing in jail wrongfully! We all know that the Supreme Court judges and all other judges are supposed to be impartial, right? It also means there is no room for any kind of partiality what so ever in criminal court trials! If this is true, then:

1. How on earth can the very judges whose lives have been threatened act as the "police, the attorney general, prosecutors, witnesses etc., etc. and claim it to be impartial trial or judgement? How can that be possible? Perhaps I do not understand the word impartiality! and would appreciate someone to explain it to me.

2. When these Montie 3 idiots made those threats to the lives of the supreme court judges, where were the law enforcement agencies; the attorney general, the police chief (IGP) and the BNI boss? What did they do about it? Didn't they find any clear and obvious criminality in their comments considering the fact that this not the first time that judges in Ghana have been brutally murdered in cold blood by "cold ruthless monsters during the early years of the AFRC era or the so called revolution led by former president J.J Rawlings in (1982); which is an extension of the same party in control of affairs in Ghana today? Where were they? I mean the security guys who are supposed to defend and protect the Supreme Court judges?

3. I'm aware contempt charges are also criminal charges. Yes! I do get that! However, don't you think these 3 idiots should have been arrested immediately after their stupid and crazy comments and prosecuted by the regular courts of law other than the Supreme Court contempt trial? Come of folks!!! Let's be real! This is not even contempt case at all. It is a clear case of terroristic threats!

Here's the deal: I think the Supreme Court judges felt betrayed by the law enforcement agencies whose duty among others; is to defend and protect them. As a result of their failure and poor performance of duty, the judges had no choice other than; to take the law into their own hands and did what they have to do to defend and protect themselves. Please, let's be reminded of the fact that there's a precedent when it comes to the cold killings of Supreme Court judges in Ghana! And I do perfectly understand their point. Unfortunately, "Anger and Revenge" is not LAW! Where are the attorneys in this? Is anger or revenge a law? Of course, not! In this particular case, the attitude is: If you do me, I do you! Unfortunately, we cannot continue on that wrong, revenge and anger path!

The point is that, these 3 idiots (regardless of their crime) did not get a fair trial, period! In my opinion, most Ghanaians are reacting emotionally instead of thinking through rationally! I believe in the principle that: two wrongs don't add up to make to one write!!!!! There is no way Ghana can go on the path of using anger and revenge as a payback of wrong doing! Never! Some of us will NEVER, EVER ACCEPT that nonsense, and must pause till it probably comes back to us!

Going Forward:

As a matter of urgency, the president of Ghana must restore LAW and ORDER which is missing in Ghana at the moment!

In other words, President John D. Mahama MUST use article 72 of Ghana's constitution and pardon those 3 idiots currently in jail wrongfully ASAP! Ghana's constitution says that,even suspected murderers are entitled to free and fair trial! There is nobody in Ghana who is above the law! In my opinion the security forces failed to act because of the fact that the "Montie 3" idiots are foot soldiers of the ruling NDC party! That's WRONG! If the leaders of our law enforcement agencies can't do their job without "fear or favor", then they have no place to be there! They must find another job! Period!

Mr. President, if you do free these three idiots using article 72 of our constitution, and on the grounds that justice was not done, and fire those incompetent leaders of the law enforcement agencies: who are the Attorney General, the IGP and the confused BNI chief or boss, it will send a clear and resounding signal that nobody is above the law in Ghana.And that JUSTICE MUST ALWAYS BE DONE! Our goal to to enforce law and order in Ghana, and it must start form the top. BTW, Mr. President, please, disregard the corrupt and toothless council of state members! They have lost credibility among Ghanaians! "Tweaaaaaaa! Apuuuuu tooooo!"

Mr. President, please invoke article 72 of Ghana's constitution and free "those Montie 3 fools", who are at the same time did not have fair trial! Ignore those reacting emotionally, and restore law and order! That's what matters!!!!!

Thank you!

Peter Osei-Adjei

DFW, TX

(214) 870-9398
The call to pardon Montie Fm contemnors, charged for criminal contempt by Ghanas Supreme Court has reached a creaking climax. The suspense is heavy! Who wins the struggle - pardon or no pardon? The very people from whom the clemency power emanates now split into grant it vs dont to the Montie 3 and, the President is now a man in dilemma.

Keep them in jail, says the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), whilst Research and Advocacy Platform (RAP) petitions, free them from jail. These two roads diverge into a yellow wood and bent undergrowth  perhaps, the dangerous minefield, Mr Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Editor- in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide says (Myjoyonline.com July 30, 2016). Could the President choose the grassy route  dont pardon them - the one Robert Frost says wanted wear- the less travelled? or the trodden path  pardon them? Well, just hold on!

It was the eve of a martyr day, a heavy moment for the judiciary as they meditate the incomprehensible end of three high court judges and an army officer, killed and burnt alive. The programme was Pampaso which Mr Salifu Maase (2nd Contemnor) was hosting and empanelled Alistair Nelson (3rd Contemnor) and Godwin Ako Gunn (4th Contemnor) with the owners of the Montie FM being the 1st Contemnors. According to Justice Sophia, they accused the court of favouring the plaintiff in a suit number J1/14/2016 (Abu Ramadan & Anor v Electoral Commission & Anor) while exhibiting bias against the Electoral Commission. They blamed the court of being highly motivated to favouring the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the impending 2016 elections. Then they went uphill - threatened to deal with the judges if they deliver judgement that dissatisfy them in the motion mentioned above. They then climaxed their infamy reminding the judges of the June 30, 1982 murdering of the three justices whose death occasioned the Martyr Day. It means that similar fate could befall them on condition that they give satisfactory verdict as they desired.

So the verdict struck like thunder and lightning, inflicting unprecedented judicial wounds on the contemnors - four months imprisonment with 10,000 Ghana cedis each and in default spend an additional one month in the gallows. The judges stretched their whip to the owners of the station, Network Broadcasting Company and Zee Zee who were fined 30,000 Ghana Cedis each. Perhaps the court sees that the sanity or insanity of an organisation comes from the head for which they were held accountable. It also suggests they endorse what the contemnors did. The ruling was also therapeutic as the court instituted a policy surveillance that compelled owners of the station to submit acceptable policy befitting peaceful broadcast.

This is the punishment described as harsh by a section of the political elites mostly the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) whilst others hailed it as an appropriate punishment for the mischief of Montie fm 3 who are reported to have gained notoriety of maligning those who oppose the governing NDC. What is the right way? For the first time in Ghana, the condemnation of the Montie 3 cuts across the political divide  including the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The NDC and its empathisers whilst condemning the actions of the Montie contemnors recognised that they must be punished but rather shocked by the judgement as they perceived the judicial rod as too hard and harsh. In effect, they are craving for a reprieve which they found in article 72 of the 1992 Constitution.

However, to Prof Kofi Kumado, the President doesnt have such power. The equilibrium between law and morality is an elusive business in jurisprudence and the threat or beauty, if you like, of no one person has all the answers, occasions sometimes eccentric interpretations in law that traverse even the discarded tit for tat morality. It makes the law a static voodoo image like one in my Hadota village that has eyes but cannot see, has ears but cannot hear and nose but cannot smell old stinks, all in its vengeful and static pursuit of justice. So when Prof. Kofi Kumado, a law tutor of heavenly repute plunged into my stomach, the jargon, punishment for inchoate offences is the same as for the substantive offences, (Daily Graphic Aug. 5 2016), as he was taught at the Law Faculty of the University of Ghana, Legon, my heart sunk. I congratulated lawyer Ayikwo Otoo, whose Gbeshie pleas saved our well-loved Sir John (Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie), former General Secretary of NPP. Sir John would have been in his grave by now by Prof Kumados ancient understanding of the law; if you kill a person, the punishment is death; if you threaten to kill a person, the punishment on conviction for the threat is also death. The same will apply to a threat to kill a judge. So, Montie 3 must receive death penalty. Thank God! Before my good friend Sir John faces his gunners, if the jury convicts him to death, or the Montie 3, the president has to disapprove or do otherwise. In fact, I know the president, he is my friend. I had once a historical handshake with him when he was the Vice President of the republic and I was then a parliamentary correspondent of Ghana news Agency (GNA). He is very intelligent, he will never sign the death warrant of these gentlemen who were plagued by Gbeshie and Kpo Kpo Gbli Gbli, respectively should the court tow Prof Kumados gospel of the law. I wonder if this could amount to interference in the affairs of the judiciary. However, I have a deep seated conviction he would rather pardon them  turn the death punishment for threatening a judge to life and when they fail to open their mouth too wide in prison, they could gain their freedom on a republic day.

The mercy prerogative is a republic day ritual. Is it to de-crowd the prisons or the criminals really need mercy? A year ago, it reprieved 900 prisoners - murderers, perhaps drug barons, terrorists, gun-runners. This year, 870 grave offenders gained their freedom. If murderers are shown mercy, why not contemnors, asked Dr. Arthur Kennedy, former presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He believes John Mahama will not hurt the law if he does so. Perhaps, it will be a cure to the emerging judicial tyranny, which the Wood Court has insatiable appetite for. In the last 4 years, the Wood Court has engaged in more criminal contempt trials than the Abban, Wiredu and Acquah (AWA) Courts did in their combined 12 years (Ghanaweb Monday August 8, 2016). According Stephen Kweku Asare, a United States based law Professor, the Montie 3 trial failed fairness and appellate procedure. The judges amassed all powers  prosecutorial, investigative, jury  name them, and crushed these first time damagers, though on their own pleas, apologies and tearful remorse.

Count one first, then step to two, says one Ewe proverb. Those clamouring for pardon have not yet exhausted the review gateway under Article 133 of the 1992 Constitution. They know but are a bit constrained because affliction twice strike is an insult to rationality, may be. Never! If the all-powerful Supreme Court may have to review its decisions subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by its own rules, then stretching the hands of the president to article 72 of the 1992 Ghana constitution could be a better choice. Given that the president is willing to grant the request for whatever reason, the Counsel of State cannot stand in his way.

Who says this pardon-hunt is lawless manoeuvres? Nana Oye Lithur, Gender, Children and Social Protection, Minister and her NDC mates could be flogged for procedural deficiency but not on the permissibility of the law. They cannot be nation wreckers as the moderator of the Presbyterian church of Ghana, Rev. Prof Emmanuel Martey, has suggested (StarFMonline.com Aug. 2, 2016). If Kpo Kpo Gbli Gbli spiritual attack pleas could not wean the courts heart of the disgust as did Gbeshie in 2013, then resorting to constitutional technicality may do, be it fair or foul.

So, neither funeral threats of Mr Sam Okudzeto (Classfmonline 2016), nor the political death coercion of Abdul Malik Kweku Baako (kasapafmonline.com Aug.3, 2016) can ever deter the dead goat. Politicians love power, unbridle thirst for power, of course, but if for some strange reasons, the president hates power at least for the next four years, then he could pardon the Montie 3, after all, no dead goat ever fear even a three edged sword, if one ever existed. If the NDC could lose the next elections because President Mahama is crumbled by party pressure and pardon the Montie 3, then NPP must lead that crusade because they could gain from it. However, their voice is the toughest Montie gang should take punishment as men- Usular Owusu Ekufful, MP, Ablekuma West. Guys, just predict this outcome - if the Montie 3 were NPP affiliated! Could the Nana Oye sign that petition? May be in the next world.

It is unprincipled to obey a law or not obey based on its consequences. The instinct for law adherence and truth whether it favours or not is a universal command all Ghanaians must accept and practice devoid of status, colour, tribe or place of origin and political affiliation.

So, can the President pardon offenders including contemnors? Yes! the constitution allows it. What does the rule say when one is not content of any ruling? Seek appeal or jump the appeal border? The best most principled option that can stand the test of time is for the Counsel of State to advise the President to ask the petitioners to seek review first and if that fails and it is still morally right and legally necessary to pardon the Montie 3, then Mr President go ahead. Can these procedures be applied as a universal law  YES!
13.08.2016 LISTEN

Education is the transformation of the whole person through imparting a clear sense of moral rights and duties. It is the bedrock upon which every country thrives. Education is a human right and it is the most important agenda second to none in the world!

Presently, Ghanas education is highly geared towards examination a system which does not engage students fully. As a result, we turn out graduates who cannot deliver the kind of higher level critical thinking needed to address the countrys developmental issues. There is simply no correlation between what is taught at school and what is demanded at work giving rise to graduates becoming more of an economic liability than an asset to the country. To assuage this situation, we need to provide quality education through a well-packaged curriculum and adequate quality teachers who are capable of putting the curriculum through with passion.

We should take a second look at what constitutes the curriculum at all levels of our education and come out with a realistic, comprehensive but feasible one (curriculum) that will meet both the immediate and long-term needs of the country. Planners of our curriculum must focus on problem-solving education rather than the accumulation of facts or the performance of procedures. We must shift from a regimen of rote learning designed to enable students to pass exams to an education designed to encourage real learning and active engagement of the students.

Likewise, we ought to pay close attention to the teacher, on whom implementation of the curriculum is dependent. There is the need to invest heavily in teacher preparation/ development which should be done within the framework of a comprehensive, ongoing, and consistent Teacher Training Programme, and also ensure better conditions of service for teachers.

We also have to promote career education and enhance counselling and monitoring in schools. Classes should be regularly videotaped to allow experienced teachers to mentor less experienced ones and to identify ineffective teachers and provide them with intensive training.

Development means quality education; and quality education means, inter alia, quality curriculum plus quality teaching. Expanding access to education or making education free and compulsory is no guarantee for quality education. Access to affordable quality education is what is critical to the successful development of our beloved country.

By Samuel Adefioye, Winneba
On the occasion of the International Youth Day which is marked globally on 12th August each year, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) wishes to reiterate its age-long call on government and the relevant stakeholders to pay particular attention to the myriad of challenges confronting the youth of the country of late.

This day (International Youth Day) is one, set up by the United Nations (UN) ostensibly, to create global awareness about matters of youth development and more importantly, to challenge governments of Member States to see as priority, the germane concerns of its youthful population and tackle same with the necessary alacrity.

This year, the celebration is anchored on the theme, International Youth Day and The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production.

Our call has been necessitated by the fact that students form a significant majority of the youth of this country and as the embodiment of the students of Ghana, we deem it highly imperative to add our voice to this global call and also bring to the fore, some of the major concerns confronting the youth of our country today. We are doing this with the hope that government, civil society organizations and indeed, all the relevant stakeholders in the enterprise of youth development would take these issues seriously and effectively play their part in ensuring that the youth of our country, who undoubtedly, represent the hope and future of Ghana, are properly attended to under the circumstances for the love of God and country.

It is important to note that, poverty especially among the youth can effectively be reduced if the nation considers seriously accessible affordable and quality higher education.

Accessible and affordable higher education is one of the key challenges facing the youth of Ghana and therefore Ghana.

Today, unemployment, is the number one challenge confronting the youth of this country. In fact, the figures (scarcely accurate as they are) are very scary and must be seen, as a threat to national security. We may consider driving our focus to the hundreds of thousands of youth in the labour market, who are desperately looking for jobs but cant find any.

The narrative is same or even worse when it comes to graduate unemployment in the country. Annually, the over 70,000 graduates that are churned out from our tertiary educational institutions find it extremely difficult and almost impossible to secure the needed jobs or gainful employment. Desperation has become their lot regrettably. Government efforts , unfortunately, is not enough to redress these challenges and this development, we find, very worrying to say the least.

As if that is not enough, the government has also put a net freeze on public sector employment, which essentially means that the nations graduates cannot easily get enrolled in the public sector of the economy because government is not employing except under some exceptional circumstances.

NUGS is thus, calling on government to reconsider this policy especially because the private sector alone, can't absorb the huge number of graduates. In fact, the private sector, is heavily challenged with the astronomical taxes slapped on their profits as well as general economic problems at stake.

We have however noticed with delight, a novelty introduced by government in 2014 under The Youth Enterprise Support (YES) with 10 billion seed capital to provide entrepreneurial support to the youth, who are able to demonstrate such qualities. Government should pay particular attention to this policy and make it more efficacious to support as many youth as possible.

Equally, government should deepen its engagement with the youth in key decision making and formulation of policies.

In furtherance of this, we wish to call on all Political Parties to clearly come out with their policies on education and for the youth of Ghana.

Come out with YOUR MANIFESTO , let's interrogate it and be informed to make informed decisions.

Also, Political parties leaders and communicators should be engaged in discussions that are derived from their policies than the usual unnecessary insults on one another that do not by any means add any value to our democracy and Nation at large.

We, the students and youth of Ghana are demanding for more opportunity to develop ourselves, an opportunity to work for our country and ultimately, an opportunity to contribute our quota to national growth and development.

NUGS is hopeful that government and indeed all the relevant stakeholders in youth development , would take a cue from the legitimate concerns so identified and enact pragmatic policies to redress same for our county, Ghana.

To our colleagues students and youth of Ghana, we wish to admonish you to be creative, patriotic and ready to take advantage of all available opportunities.

Also, let us season our speeches and guard against anything untoward as we approach another general election for Ghana.

In conclusion, we are drawing the attention of Government on access to education, employment issues and youth engagement in decision making.

Thank you.

SIGNED

PAA-QUECY ADU

NUGS President
Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary- General for West Africa and the Sahel, as head of a high-level joint mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) to Ghana has cautioned political parties to avoid vitriolic speeches which have the propensity of destroying the general elections.

He noted that the mission acknowledges the genuine risk of electoral violence and pleaded with representatives of all stakeholders to play their part in erasing or mitigating misunderstandings which has the potential to tarnish the conduct of the peaceful nature of our electoral process.

According to him, the mission has also obtained an expression of commitment from the political parties to sign a Code of Conduct to avoid vitriolic hate speeches ahead of the December 7 elections.

Dr. Ibn Chambas strongly urges politicians to avoid inflammatory rhetoric in their declarations which can incite violence and instead focus on issues-based campaigning.

He indicated that the signing of this agreement similar to the 2012 Kumasi Peace Declaration to be coordinated by the National Peace Council would cement their commitment to peace before, during and after the elections.

Dr. Ibn Chambas added that this exercise would signal to the population their intention to cooperate for the protection of democracy, the respect for human rights and the cultivation of peace.

According to him, this impression came up after the mission held consultations with the Chief Justice, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Minister of Interior in the presence of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Electoral Commission, senior leadership of political parties, the National Peace Council, religious leaders, Civil Society Organisations and the media.

Dr. Ibn Chambas posited that the mission also received assurances of the officials in-charge of public safety and security that the right to information and the freedom of expression will be guaranteed during the elections including the use of social media.

They specifically reiterated their resolute intention to protect lives and property, to continue to ensure the security of the candidates and to dismantle the vigilante groups associated with political parties, he stated.

He added that the mission noted with satisfaction that the stakeholders were able to use legal channels to address their concerns regarding the voters register as a result of which there is general consensus on a register that can be used for the elections.

Dr. Ibn Chambas said in that regard the mission noted the positive reforms being implemented by the Electoral Commission to further strengthen the electoral process.

She added that this will further enhance the ability of the Commission to conduct transparent and fair elections, meeting good practices in the sub-region.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra, the mission expresses the hope that all political parties will invest in civil education of the population particularly the importance of increased participation of women and the youth in the electoral process.

He concluded that the principal objective of the joint mission is to contribute to sustaining democratic governance in Ghana.

According to him, the December 7 elections will be the last elections in West Africa for 2016 and it is expected that Ghana will uphold the excellent record of peaceful and credible polls we have witnessed across the sub-region in 2015 and so far in 2016.
13.08.2016 LISTEN

Address by Mr. Daniel Sam, National Project Officer: Policy, Migration and Development, International Organization for Migration, Ghana, at the PANOS  ACILA capacity building workshop on migration issues for investigative journalists, 5th August, 2016, at the Ghana International Press Centre, Accra, Ghana

Madam Chair, Dr. Delali M. Badasu;

Honourable Minister, Mr. Prosper D.K. Bani, Minister of the Interior;

Representatives from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the German

Embassy in Accra;

Representatives from the Media;

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen;

It is a great honour to be here at the ACILA-PANOS Capacity Building Workshop on Migration

for Journalists. As you are all aware, the global migration and refugees crisis has reached a critical peak the world has not seen since World War II. In todays societies, migration is often perceived as a threat to stability, prosperity and identity. It is timely to create a platform to further dialogue with media professionals on the issue of migration. Identifying challenges and best practices in the coverage of migration will help provide opportunities to counter misrepresentation and misinformation of migrants that encourages mistrust and leads to a social malaise between newcomers and host communities.

What is clear is that we need coordinated, unified action across multiple sectors. What role do media makers, journalists, and creatives have to play in addressing the crisis? Reportingon migration: How is the media shaping the migration stories?

The migration-refugee crisis has raised the question of journalists commitment and responsibility. How to cover most-often touchy subjects? How to interview migrants? How to be objective while showing empathy and respect? How to counter stereotypes? Does themedia today have a greater interest in and a better understanding of migration issues thanever before? How often do we report on the migration and development initiatives- especially diaspora contributions to development?

The answers to these questions are not easy. While there are bad practices which may show aggressive approach towards migrants and refugees, there are also good practices that should be highlighted and shared in order to improve the professional standard in covering migration and refugees.

MIGRATION GOVERNANCE

Migration is inevitable, necessary and desirable -- if well-governed. Good migration governance: Integrates migration in major policy fields, development frameworks ensuring coherence, effectiveness and credibility. We require public and political support through evidence-based policy and partnerships.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM)s view is that a migration system promotes migration and human mobility that benefits migrants and society when it: (a) adheres to international standards and fulfills migrants rights; (b) formulates policy using evidence and a whole-of-government approach; (c) engages with partners to address migration and related issues; as it seeks to (d) advance the socioeconomic well-being of migrants and society; (e) effectively address the mobility dimensions of crises; (f) ensure that migration takes place in a safe, orderly and dignified manner.

IOM and migration issues are now more visible in the media than ever before. Some IOM programmes such as counter-trafficking - helping women and children who have fallen prey to organized crime networks - naturally attract more media attention than capacity building or labour migration. The general public is increasingly viewing migration as something that directly impacts on their own lives and they look to the media for information.

MIGRATION POLICIES

IOM provides advice and support to governments and partners, with the overall aim to develop effective national, regional and global migration policies and strategies. IOM strives to establish internal and external coherence with regard to its approach to migration governance as a whole  including, but not limited to, protection and humanitarian policy  as it relates to migration and development. Recently, IOM supported the Government of Ghana, with the IOM Development Fund (IDF) to develop and launch a National Migration Policy- that will assist the government to manage its internal, intra-regional and international migration challenges. This policy was launched on 5 April 2016 at the Accra International Conference Centre by the Hon. Prosper D. Bani, Minister for the Interior.

PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS

Public information campaigns are crucial components in efforts to manage migration. In Ghana, since 2007, IOM has partnered with government institutions like the Ghana Immigration Service, the Information Services Department and organizations experienced in mass-media campaigns to conduct public / mass media campaigns to promote safe migration.

Under the EU-funded Ghana Integrated Migration Management Approach (GIMMA) project- a Migration Information Centre has been built in Sunyani to serve as a Resource Centre for potential migrants seeking information.

HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS

The international community increasingly recognizes that all migrants, irrespective of migration status, are entitled to have their human rights protected and fulfilled. Migrants rights have been the focus of the High-level Dialogue on Migration and Development, UN based frameworks, and other processes, including the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and Regional Consultative Processes on migration (RCP). Additionally, through its global information campaign, IOM advocates for a more favourable, inclusive and balanced attitude towards migrants. Further, there is the need to examine the rights of migrants and seek information from right sources, especially regarding the type of abuse which migrants are subjected to and redress.

Let me take this opportunity to inform you that, on Sept 19, 2016 the UN General Assembly will host a high-level summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach.

This is the first time the General Assembly has called for a summit at the Heads of State and Government level on large movements of refugees and migrants and it is a historic opportunity to come up with a blueprint for a better international response. It is a watershed moment to strengthen governance of international migration and a unique opportunity for creating a more responsible and predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants.

MIGRATION IN AGENDA 2030

Migration is incorporated in the SDGs  the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Direct reference to migration is made in target 10.7, to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies, which appears under Goal 10 to reduce inequality within and among countries. This particular target establishes important impetus for governments to adopt the highroad migration policies to promote dignified, orderly and safe migration for the benefit of all. Other migration-related targets call for eradicating forced labour and human trafficking, promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers, including for migrant workers, reducing the costs of migrant remittances and significantly reducing the number of people affected by disasters.

MIGRATION AND GENDER

IOMs commitment to gender dates back to 1995. In recent years, the Organization has joined the UN System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, a system-wide accountability framework designed to accelerate progress towards gender equality and the empowerment of women. IOM is also reinforcing its policies and practices in all its Field operations to prevent and address gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) against women, girls, men and boys.

MIGRATION LAW

IOM has special expertise in the area of international migration law which contributes to advocacy for and compliance with international and regional standards. So you could draw support from that angle for more effectiveness, notably though training and capacity-building activities, legislation review and research on migration law. This takes place yearly in San Remo in Italy.

Since part of the key objectives of this workshop is to equip journalists (you) with the knowledge and skills needed to provide accurate and reliable information on migration issues to engender informed civil society discourse and the rights of migrants, it is our hope that this will materialize to promote balanced representation in reporting and also more journalists developing the interest in covering migration-related issues.

As the media is increasingly looking to IOM as the source of that information and expertise, as far as migration is concerned, the Organization is raising the visibility of its programmes and networking with the local media, as far as possible to strengthen our reputation for knowledge, transparency, and professionalism.

We wish to acknowledge the good work of the organizers and wish you fruitful workshop, looking forward to viable outcomes for follow-ups on the migration discourse.
13.08.2016 LISTEN

Case of the Atwima Nwabiagya Abuakwa-Nkawie stretch of the Kumasi-Bibiani highway

Does democracy reduce corruption? The answer may not be obvious. From the perspective of a political scientist not as a journalist there is a debatable conflictual on the one hand and consensual analysis with respect to the proper comprehension of the nexus between the Ghana highway authority and the Ghana police service.

The African polity has been stereotyped for a loner period as a monolithic place bedeviled with conflicts, poverty and hunger, corruption and other unpleasant situations. Its quite obvious that these unhealthy stereotypic characterization are conspicuous since the epoch of decolonization. In a critical sense massive immorality in public services has caused Africas developmental retrogression as debated among several scholars. Due to this a new paradigm, thus restoration of constitutional democracy would help eradicate all sorts of corrupt practices and help promote sustained socio economic developmement.So in 1992, Ghana made an attempt for the fourth time to embrace constitutional rule. This projects that there is a constitution that stipulates clearly the various clear cut provisions and procedures that provide directives as to how the nation is supposed to be managed. This also means that all things should be done in accordance with the constitution as the fundamental law of the land.

This article makes issues clear with respect to the fact there has been an institutionalized de-facto procedure or duty that has been added to the MTTU, department of the Ghana police service. This article makes an investigative analysis in to this dimension. Due to this, the first phase of this article identifies and brings to light the nature and duty of the MTTU. The second phase captures briefly the Ghana highway authority and its toll booth establishment. This phase will be very relevant as to identify whether there has been a delegation of some functions of the Ghana high way authority to the MTTU.The third and final face of this article establishes a nexus between the operation of toll booth in the country and the MTTU as the Atwima Nwabiagya Abuakwa-Nkawie stretch of the Bibiani highway is brought in context. We finally draw conclusions to the brief opinion.

THE MTTU DIVISION UNDER THE GHANA POLICE SERVICE:

Brief overview

Article 200 and chapter fifteen of the 1992 fourth republican constitution makes provision for the establishment of the Ghana police service. The vice president, the minister responsible for the internal affairs and the inspector general of police are the top hierarchical structure who are responsible for the general wellbeing of the police service., more importantly the IGP is responsible for the operational control, and the administration of the police service.

The MTTU as an acronym stands for motor traffic and transport unit. The MTTU is a division under the Ghana police service. It was formally known as the Ghana police traffic unit (GPTU), which was responsible for all road safety issues in the country. The unit was established and became part of the police service as far back as 1952. The modus operandi (mode of operation) of the MTTU differs from that of other divisions in the Ghana police service. The MTTU personnel wear white tops and caps. More importantly, the MTTU performs several functions that are very relevant to the nation Ghana. Some of these functions are;

*educates the public about the accident precautions.

*train personnel to arrest offending drivers.

*undertake a very strong coalition with stakeholders such as national road safety commission(NRSC) and driver vehicle and licensing authority (DVLA) to help reduce carnage on our roads

*controls traffic and enforces regulation

Some of the department under the MTTU are traffic, accident investigation, and training and education unit.

With respect to functional duties of the MTTU the above enumeration is clear on the duties of the division.

GHANA HIGHWAY AUTHORITY AND TOLL BOOTH ESTABLISHMENT: brief overview

The Ghana highway authority was established as a body corporate by GHA decree 1974(NRDC 298). This was repealed by the GHA act 1997(act 540) which was charged with their responsibility to ensure the total administration control and development and maintenance of the countrys trunk roads road network.

The Ghana highway authority has several departments but with respect to this article the maintenance department is a convenient approach. The major aspect this department embrace is road maintenance. Due to this as part of the total financial support of road maintenance, the establishment of TOLL BOOTHS becomes expedient. Even though the consolidated fund and other development partners provide financial support for road infrastructure and maintenance, toll management in the country provide massive and a very large portion of the road fund that are used for road maintenance.

The TOLL BOOTHs in this article are the various checkpoints (stationary) where road users (vehicles) halt and pay an amount of money to the attendants at these established chekpoints.The amounts of money collected are plugged by the governments as revenue to be used for road management.

The attendants who are responsible for the money collection are civilians who have been employed by the government and thus have the authority to undertake the collection of money on roads. This implies that there are no other entities or government agency to collect money on roads.

CONSTRUCTING A NEXUS BETWEEN MTTU AND GHA: alternative MTTU toll booth attendants on the Abuakwa-nkawie stretch on the Kumasi Bibiani highway (critical and illegal establishment)

Both the MTTU and the GHA have a relational function. They both ensure transportation is in a healthy state. As the former ensures that vehicles are in good shape the latter collects revenue for the government to be used to maintained road networks. Apart from this the MTTU is not charged with the responsibility of taking money from road users but the Ghana highway authority with its toll booth establishment rather are responsible for the collection of money from road users.

A question that can be raised is that, has the Ghana highway authority delegated some of their powers to the MTTU???????? The answer is a big NO. So therefore why do the MTTU officers take money from road users????

The MTTU officers who operate on the above mentioned highway have turned their position and function into business of money making. These MTTU officers take money from drivers in the above mention highway and thus neglected their responsibility.

What is so disheartening is that young recruits are experts in such unhealthy activity. I wonder if they are trained in that manner.

The Ghana police service who fights crime and other illegal activities are wallowing in such filth. The credibility of the service nowadays has very low as people lay invectives and abusive languages and sometimes curses on police officers. The deputy Ashanti regional police commander ACP Ampofo Duku opined that the MTTU is the most corrupt division in the Ghana police service. (Ghana web 25 April 2016.

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

There is corruption and other unhealthy activities among the MTTU of the Ghana police service. These officers have established an institutionalized de-facto alternative toll checkpoints as they collect money from road users and neglect their duty. On the 8th of august I witnessed this scene as the police offer who surprisingly was a lady bargaining and arguing with a driver whose vehicle insurance had expired and had no license on the Abuakwa Nkawie stretch of the Kumasi Bibiani highway. Finally the driver paid her off. What is wrong with police service? The Ghana highway authority should explained to the people of Ghana if there has been delegation of some its powers to the MTTU with respect to the collection of money at the police checkpoints.

The Atwima Nwabiagya Abuakwa-Nkawie stretch of the Kumasi Bibiani highway MTTU officers are engaging other activities that should be the work of toll booth attendants employed by the Ghana highway authority. This article is an exposure of the unhealthy activities undertaken by these MTTU officers on the highway. There is massive corruption on the highway.

Ghana and Africa at large suffers developmental retrogression and stagnation due to massive corrupt practices such as the MTTU officers avoiding their responsibilities and turning their appointments into business of money making.

There should be immediate review of the various activities by the superiors of the MTTU in order to hold these bad nuts culpable and deal with them accordingly..

Is it because of the economic hardships that have caused negligence of duty and thus embrace highway corruption? Whats then is the difference between an armed robber who stops car violently and extorts monies from passengers and a well-trained MTTU police officer who stops vehicles and takes money from drivers????

The Abuakwa-Nkawie stretch of the Bibiani highway has been turned into toll booth checkpoint by the MTTU.

The MTTU officers on this highway are very corrupt. Once again this article is an exposure to alert the police service superiors to take immediate action with respect to this corrupt activity which is contradictory to the code of conduct of the Ghana police service.

ISAAC OWUSU NSIAH (KNUST)

[email protected]

0501357211
The Oguaa Traditional Council in the Central Region has rejected claims they were bribed by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), to lift an immature ban on drumming and noise making ahead of their annual Fetu Afahye festival to allow the party host its campaign launch in Cape Coast.

Tufuohene of the Oguaa Tradiational area, and a member of the Fetu Afahye planning committee, Nana Kwame Adu, bemoaned that It's unfortunate for somebody to allege that money has changed hands, people have been bribed and things like that. Do they have evidence empirically?

NDC has scheduled to launch their campaign at the Cape Coast stadium on Sunday.

The Traditional Council on Friday lifted the ban though the deadline for its lifting was not due; a situation some residents of Cape Coast are angry about .

A resident who spoke to Citi News said: It's so sad and very disappointing. It is very clear that they have taken that stance because of NDC which is uncalled for. It has made a joke of our festival. If they need the drum for political parties then there should not be any ban on drumming. The authorities have disappointed the entire Cape Coast people.

But speaking to Richard Dela Sky on Eyewitness News, Nana Adu said the NDC approached them with explanations which they found reasonable for the lifting of the ban.

This year's planning committee for the Oguaa Fetu Afahye was made up of five chiefs and others making up the sixteen member committee. We were there when we received a petition from the NDC asking to launch their campaign at the Cape Coast Stadium. I don't know whether they were aware of the ban, but when we read through we realized that it didn't have the authority of the Traditional Council. We sat on it and realized that indeed the day they were seeking to launch their campaign falls within the ban.

We informed them that they could not be allowed to host the launch because it falls within the ban. They came again, they requested to meet the larger council and gave some reasons including history which showed that some of these bans have been lifted before in the past. They quoted PANEFEST in 1992 so when they brought our attention to the history aspect, we asked for time to consult other stakeholders, he explained.

Nana Adu said they later put the issue before the Asafoma, Supiis, Queen mothers and the fetish priests to go and divine and they came back confirming to the council in the absence of the NDC people that indeed there has been precedence.

They told us that if the NDC can perform about four rites, the ban could be lifted because one week had passed over the ban. They NDC agreed to perform the rites and in consultation with the fetish priest they brought out the entire requirement for the rites, the Tufuohene added.

'Cape Coast gods are reasonable'

The Central Regional Secretary of the NDC, Sampson Ahianyo, had earlier lauded the lifting of the ban saying Cape Coast gods are reasonable.

We are living with traditionalists and our gods don't behave like witches and wizards, they are very reasonable. If you are really an African, you will agree with me that sometimes if there is something that is to be done in a particular area and the time is not right, you can go and pacify the gods, you consult the fetish priests to pray and ask for pacification, the gods will allow you to whatever you want.

The NDC did not do that, it is in the wisdom of the chiefs, the Okomfos and Asafo companies in Cape Coast who through their own wisdom had to consult, we proposed and they consulted, and the gods agreed. The NDC does not dictate to the chiefs of Cape Coast, he added.



By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has indicated that it will launch its manifesto three weeks after Sundays campaign launch.

The entire NDC is expected to converge on the Cape Coast stadium in the Central Region, to launch its campaign and also outdoor its Presidential nominee.

But questions have been asked about why the party is not using the same platform to make its manifesto public withe barely four months to the polls in December.

Some critics from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have gone as far as alleging that, the NDC is only delaying its manifesto launch in a bid to incorporate some of the NPP's policies and programmes ahead of the election.

But one of the partys communicators, Solomon Nkansah, has refuted these claims in a Citi News interview where he asserted that the party was only following a plan of activities.

We are not delaying. We are following a planned programme, in a matter of three weeks from our launch, unless anything drastic happens, the NDC is launching its manifesto, Mr. Nkansah revealed.

Why we always launch our campaign before the manifesto is that we always want to act to galvanize or energize the party and excite it then proceed to launch our manifesto, he explained.

President John Mahama is expected to be outdoored as the NDCs flagbearer in Cape Coast

Mr. Nkansah said he would have revealed the party manifesto to Citi News but for the absence of the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.

The NPP themselves who are not ready, they want to make Ghanaians believe that it is rather the NDC who are not ready It is unfortunate that the General Secretary is not here. I would have walked you to his office and shown you a copy, a bundle, large packed bundles of our manifesto.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
With the poor WASSCE 2016 results rekindling the debate over whether the erstwhile four year high school system was better than the current three, the Vice President of the National Association of Graduate teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Karbonu says such arguments are baseless.

We are beginning the issue on this parochial argument of four years, three years. It is totally a misplaced argument, The NAGRAT Vice President stated on The Big Issue.

Mr. Karbonu instead indicated that the problem Ghana's education system is confronted with stemmed from the basic school. The foundation is absolutely faulty.

If somebody does not get the proper knowledge in English language from the basic level, you can even move to the PHD level, when you talk, there will be deficiencies in your presentation, he explained.

Mr. Karbonu also bemoaned the fact the discussion had also been spliced with political rhetoric. According to him, The statistics that we have is totally different from the tangent that we have discussed this issue and once again, we have also jaundiced this discussion with parochial political interests.

Results have always been bad

Mr. Karbonu questioned the recent debate over the recent WASSCE results as superficial as he noted that the results in external examination had always been abysmal.

Stretching back to the days of the O-level and A-level, we have always performed abysmally at our school set level, he maintained.

So for results to be released in a particular year and for people to begin talking about it as if Armageddon is all of a sudden befalling us has jaundiced the discussion.

Furthermore the performance in core subjects such as science, English language and mathematics have always been abysmal, Mr. Karbonu stated, and this years WASSCE results would appear to back that.

A total of 274,262 candidates participated in the 2016 examinations and according to WAEC, a total of 125,065 students obtained A1 to C6 in English Language, which is 53.19%, 59,725 (25.40%) obtained D7-E8 whilst 46,595 (19.82%) had F9.

For Mathematics, 77,108 (32.83%) obtained A1-C6; 65,007 (27.68%) obtained D7-E8 whilst 89,477 (38.10%) had F9 and about 113,933 students obtained A1-C6 in Integrated Science which is 48.48%, 75,938 (32.32%) obtained D7-E8 whilst 42,519 (18.09%) had F9.

As a nation, we always talk about the fact that we need to revisit our attitude towards these core subjects; core math, English language and the science. Our performance has always been below par. Mr. Karbonu stated.

Calls for return to 4-yr SHS needless  Mahama

Amid calls for a return to the four-year Senior High School system following the release of the recent West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, President John Dramani Mahama has jumped to the defense of the current system.

According to him, the call for a return to 4yr SHS is uncalled for  as statistics show that students have performed better in the 3-year system.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary nominee for the Ningo Prampram Constituency, Sam George, has accused his New Patriotic Party (NNP) challenger of indulging in character assassination instead of debating real issues.

He accuses Sylvester Tetteh of attacking his personality in his campaign; a move Sam George said does not augur well for the development of the community.

I can state on authority that the NPP candidate who is the lead contender clearly has no message and so he's engaging in politicking of character assassination and rumor mongering and all he is doing is jumping from one place to the other and creating quarrels between me and some chiefs; but you see when I meet the people, and I am told what the NPP candidate has said about me, I ask if anyone of them can beat their chest and say Sam George has disrespected them before and they say no.

According to Sam George, the NPP candidate who happens to be his cousin is making the same mistakes that led to the defeat of long serving ET Mensah in the NDC primary in the constituency.

He is making the same mistakes that the respectable honorable ET Mensah made in the primary where the campaign becomes about Sam George but when I meet the people I don't talk about the other candidate; I mean if I come and tell them about how bad the NPP candidate is, it doesn't fix the roads nor connect water or bring a hospital.''

Sylvester Tetteh's response

The NPP Parliamentary nominee has described as baseless allegations of character assassination by Sam George.

He said he is unfazed by the allegations but is rather working on his four thematic areas for the constituency which includes education, agriculture, health, sanitation and youth empowerment.

For me, I have been very focused on my campaign and my message is clear and my people know the message I took to the elections the last time; the issues are still prevailing in my constituency and this is what I am concerning myself with; I don't have time to waste on discussing him (Sam George) and people should disregard that because he is seeking unnecessary attention.

He said his main focus has seen him organize career guidance fairs for Prampram Secondary School and Ningo students who finished the recent WASSCE.

On boosting the economic situation of the constituency, the NPP Nominee said he will construct a market to serve as a trading hub for the fishermen and farmers.

Similar ideas?

It seems both the NDC parliamentary nominee, Sam George and the NPP Candidate, Sylvester Tetteh ,may have similar areas that they will focus on should either win the race in the December polls.

For the NDC's Sam George, his main contender has plagiarized his two-point agenda of employment and education. He intends to embark on mechanized agriculture and focus on cassava; the kind that is used in the alcoholic beverage industry.

On education, he stated that 80percent of his common fund when elected MP will be channeled into an educational trust fund that will be focused on building infrastructure, scholarships and grants to brilliant but needy students, whiles ensuring the welfare of the teachers is looked at.

He told Citi News a 6-unit classroom block is currently being constructed at New Dawhenya at a cost of 350,000 cedis to serve surrounding communities. Other communities such as Menya and Kone Kablu are getting a 6-unit classroom block estimated at 350,000 and 180,000 cedis respectively.

On his thematic areas, Sylvester Tetteh said he has a program which will ensure that every community has ICT and library to propel education in the community.

He also intends to set up an Educational and Youth Empowerment Trust Fund to help brilliant but needy students and also help to put some infrastructure in terms of ICT and libraries across the constituency, and also help to improve teachers bungalow and living conditions of the teachers.

Funding

When asked where the funds would be coming from for the projects mentioned, Sam George said he planned and saved towards the projects.

I have friends who believe in my vision and support what I am doing, most of the resources are not mine; take for instance one of the graders (he is currently resurfacing some roads in the constituency) was given to me by a friend for 21 days, another person gave me his grader for half the price of hiring; so I am cashing in on the goodwill that I have built over the years.''

Meanwhile, the NDC parliamentary nominee is on a 21-day house to house campaign in the Ningo Prampram community to gunner more support in the round up to the elections in December.



By: Lorrencia Nkrumah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
By Dennis Peprah, GNA

Sunyani, Aug. 13, GNA - Mr Thomas Boateng Appiagyei, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, has urged political parties to make every effort to ensure a peaceful election on December 7 and beyond.

He said a peaceful election could be achieved if political candidates, supporters and agents are circumspect and guard against any acts that might threaten or compromise national peace.

Mr Appiagyei gave the advice when he delivered a welcoming address at the opening session of the society's annual general meeting in Sunyani on the theme: "Pharmacy Practice-Improving Patient Safety Outcomes."

He emphasised that Ghana had earned the enviable recognition of a model for democracy in the Sub-Saharan Africa because of its six consecutive peaceful general election.

Mr Appiagyei said it is therefore necessary for Ghanaians to jealously protect the prevailing peace, since that recognition is critical to attract trade and foreign direct investments into the country.

He called on the Electoral Commission to "lay down the electoral rules clearly and enforce it strictly to ensure that both winning and losing parties and candidates are left with no doubts".

"We have a history of very close electoral results and this calls for strong electoral systems and rules to ensure clarity and consistency," Mr Appiagyei added.

He asked the citizenry to endeavour to stand against and openly condemn any form of political and tribal form of polarisation, and eschew all dangerous "infections" of disunity, complaints, excuses and blames.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Aug. 13, GNA - Ahead of Ghana's December 7, general election, a joint high-level mission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) has ended a three-day meeting in Accra.

The Mission comprised senior officials from the three institutions: Marcel Alain de Souza, the President of the ECOWAS Commission and Mrs Halima Ahmed, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.

The rest were Aisha Laraba Abdullahi, the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs and Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Dr Ibn Chambas noted that the principal objective of the joint mission was to contribute in sustaining democratic governance in Ghana.

Dr Ibn Chambas said the Mission sought to reiterate the strong support of the international community for peaceful, transparent, and credible elections, develop an understanding of the perspectives of Ghanaian stakeholders on key issues and development ahead of the polls.

The rest are to assess the risks of election-related violence and urge for a peaceful electoral process, to explore options to further support dialogue and consensus by stakeholders on critical issues, as well as gather agreement on all sides for the organisation of a peaceful summit, which culminates in the signing of a Peace Accord as a reaffirmation of the peace consensus.

He said, in the course of the mission, consultations were held with the Chief Justice, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Minister of the Interior, in the presence of the Inspector General of Police, senior leadership of political parties, the Electoral Commission, the National Peace Council, religious leaders, civil society organisations and media associations.

He said the joint Mission obtained an expression of commitment from the political parties to sign a Code of Conduct ahead of the December elections; which is similar to the 2012 Kumasi Declaration.

Dr Ibn Chambas explained that signing the agreement would cement their commitment to peace, before, during and after the elections.

He said, this would send a good signal to Ghanaians about their intention to protect the nation's democracy, their respect for human rights and the cultivation of peace.

He said the Mission was satisfied that the stakeholders were able to use legal channels to address their concerns regarding the voters register; as a result there was a general consensus that could be used for the general election.

He said as the official campaign is being launched, the Mission expresses the hope that all political parties would invest in the civic education of the population.

He said in particular, the Mission noted the importance of increased participation of women and youth in the electoral process.

Dr Ibn Chambas stated that the Mission advises politicians to avoid inflammatory rhetoric in their declarations, which could incite violence, and instead, focus on issues-based campaigning.

He said the joint Mission was proof of the international community's solidarity with Ghana, a country with a strong and rich democratic heritage.

'The ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN are optimistic that through the efforts of all, Ghana will solidify its democratic credentials and consolidate its well-earned status as a model for credible elections and democratic governance," he said.

GNA
13.08.2016 LISTEN

Kamgbunli (W/R), Aug. 13, GNA - The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has been awarded as the Champion of Nzemaland Development awards, among nine other outstanding people of the area.

The rest of the awardees are the Second Lady, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, Immediate Past Chairman of the National Media Commission, Mr Kabral Blay Amihere, who received the Media Development Award, the CEO of Ghana Gas and Dr George Adjah-Sipa Yankey, who received the State Enterprises Leadership Award.

Others are the CEO of Franklin Company, Mr Frank Buah, the Paramount Chief of Nsein Awulae Adjavi Kwame 11, received the Traditional Leadership Award, a former Minister of Education, Mr Lee Ocran was also awarded as well as the Founder of Manye Academy; Professor Kakari Noku.

Others include, the Ellembelle District Director of Health Services, Mrs Elizabeth Corney, the CEO of KARELA Group of Companies, Mr David Cobbinah Brigidi, Ellembelle District Chief Executive, Mr Daniel Eshun, Former for Nzema-East Municipal Chief Executive Mr James Cobbinah and the Ellembelle District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of P Stella Sedormey were also awarded.

The maiden Nzemaland Development award was on the theme: "Recognising Our Own As We Sustain The Nzemaland Development Agenda."

It was organised by the Nzema Manle Council in conjunction with the Historic Nzema Project at a ceremony at Kamgbunli in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

Guest Speaker for the occasion, General Augustine Peter Blay (Rtd), Ghana's Ambassador to La Cote D'Ivoire expressed gratitude to the organisers of the event.

He asked Nzemas to come together to foster peace and unity to propel the development of the area irrespective of their political differences.

He called for peace before, during and after the 2016 general election.

Receiving the ultimate award, Mr Kofi Buah who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum, expressed gratitude to Nzemaland for the recognition.

He said the award has reinvigorated his spirit to initiate more developmental projects and social interventions to better the standard of living of people in the area.

He called on Nzemas to come together and rally behind him in his quest to bring more development to the area.

Mr Kofi Buah said: "Politics must reach an advanced stage such that acrimony, and divisive tendencies do not characterise our political discourse but see ourselves as one people with a common destiny".

GNA
13.08.2016 LISTEN

By Sampson Adu-Poku, GNA

Kumasi, Aug 13, GNA - The Bank of Ghana (BOG) has expressed discomfort over continued poor handling of the cedi notes - the local currency, something Dr. Johnson Asiama, the Second Deputy Governor, says is a huge bother.

He said people should recognize that 'it costs a lot of money to print and replace the dirty and torn notes'.

That was why everybody must accept to handle them properly - they should not be squeezed.

He was speaking after an-hour-and-a-half walk in Kumasi by workers of the Central Bank to send a message to the public about the need to ensure that the notes were kept clean.

Dr. Asiama indicated that holding clean notes tended to give confidence in the currency, saying, nobody 'wants to have dirty notes'.

He spoke of the bank's determination to intensify the public education campaign to aid the people to do the right thing.

The staff, he said, would sustain their visits to the markets, churches and other public places to bring the much needed change.

Mr. Bernard Otabil, Director of Communications of the Bank, responding to concerns about the activities of illegal micro-finance companies, said steps had been taken to rein them in.

He said the BOG, as a regulatory body, was eager to make sure that there was sanity in the financial sector and underlined that 'everybody must be ethnically guided in things that they do'.

He rallied the media to support the BOG effort at protecting people from being swindled by fraudsters by refusing to run advertisements for unlicensed microfinance companies.

He asked that they went the extra mile to check from the list of licensed microfinance companies posted at the Central Bank's website, adding that, all should find space to assist stop fraudsters out there from having their way.

The other highpoint of the walk was the promotion of the physical fitness of the workers - to keep them healthy and reduce medical bills.

GNA
Agona Swedru (C/R), Aug. 13, GNA - The Catholic 'A' Junior High School at Agona Swedru, has been crowned as the best 2015 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results over all JHS both private and Public schools in Central Region.

Theophilus Addo- Zutah, Headmaster of the School made this known when he addressed a thanksgiving service at St Anthony Peudua Catholic Church at Agona Swedru.

He said the school also won the most improved School Award in 2015 BECE results in the Region.

The Headmaster said the School also placed third best in Mathematics in the exams and declared the overall best kindergarten school in both Public and Private schools.

The thanksgiving service was organised by the Church in honour of the teachers of the school and 2015 BECE Candidates for producing quality results.

The Headmaster said the four prestigious awards were given to the School at the 2015 National Best Teacher Awards held in Tamale in the Northern Region.

He appealed to the Agona West Municipal Assembly, NGO's, corporate bodies and government to offer more funds towards the School's development.

Mr Addo-Zutah said the Assembly has approved the construction of three -classroom block in honour of the best BECE award winner in the region.

Reverend Father Felix Acquah-Gyan, Parish Priest of the Church, commended the teachers for their hardwork and tireless efforts that had chalked out the great success for the School.

He said the Church Management has plans to honour the teachers for their meritorious and selfless services rendered that had brought about quality teaching and learning at the School.

He said the Church would also honour Mr Addo- Zutah for exhibiting unprecedented management skills.

GNA
13.08.2016 LISTEN

Gomoa Afransi (C/R), Aug, 13 GNA - Six fishing communities have taken delivery of 285 outboard motors as part of the government's effort to boost fishing activities in the Central Region and improve the living conditions of fishermen.

Gomoa East received 50, Cape Coast 50, Ekumfi 50, Mfantseman 38, Effutu 37 and Elmina 50.

Ms Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, debunked claims that President John Dramani Mahama, has neglected fishermen.

She said although the outboard motors are selling at GHa 13,000, government has absorbed GHa 6, 000 of the cost.

The Minister announced that the government has completed plans to initiate a free insurance scheme for one million fishermen throughout the county to make their lives prosperous.

Ms Ayittey said free text books, pens, pencils, uniforms and other educational materials have been earmarked to support children of fishmongers in the coastal areas.

She said the move is to halt the decision of some mothers who due to financial difficulties send their children especially, the girls to Yeji and other fishing communities to undertake child-labour.

The Minister stated that it is constitutional right for every child to have access to quality education to enable him or her to become responsible adult future.

Mr Jonamoah Moses Jehu-Appiah, Gomoa East District Chief, thanked the President for coming out with the policy to boost fishing at Nyanyano, Fetteh and Dompoase to reduce poverty.

He said the provision of the fishing gear would reduce the outmoded fishing activities in the industry and create more jobs and wealth for the people in the coastal belt.

He commended the government for the regularly supply of prix mix fuel in the three fishing communities that had reduced complaints emanated from fishermen in the district.

Mr Jehu- Appiah said provision of the fishing gear is in line with the President's agenda of transforming Ghana and making life better for average Ghanaians.

More than 300 trays were also distributed to fishmongers to use them to carry their wares and fresh fish to the marketing centres.

GNA
13.08.2016 LISTEN

By Dominic Adoboli, GNA

Ave-Afiadenyigbe (V/R), Aug. 13, GNA - A Vocational Institute solely financed by the Akatsi North District Assembly to provide job skills training for the youth, has been inaugurated at Ave-Afiadenyigba in the Volta Region.

It is housed in a five-room rehabilitated school block, built by the Roman Catholic Church for a similar project, but abandoned nearly three decades ago.

Mr James Gunu, District Chief Executive (DCE), who inaugurated the facility and its 14-member interim board, blamed the current unemployment challenges of the country on the neglect of Technical-Vocational Education (TVET) by the country.

He said TVET is the only means to empower the youth to generate income for themselves and the country as a whole.

He observed that the strong value attached to TVET by advanced and emerging economic giants such as China, was high among reasons for the economic buoyancy and huge employment avenues for the youth of that country.

Mr Gunu said cellular phone and vehicle manufacturing for example, are being manufactured by skilled persons and therefore welcomed the upgrading of polytechnics into technical universities.

He said the Ave-Afiadenyigba-Gborhohome road linking the Ave-Afiadenyigba Vocational School, would soon be fixed.

He announced that training equipment, including an industrial sewing machine, has been acquired ahead of the take-off of lessons in September.

Mr Gunu said a tri-cycle motorbike for the school's interim transportation needs, has been provided by the Assembly.

He said the school, for a start, would run a three-year subsidised Proficiency Training Programme.

He said Master Craftsmanship Training and short courses for artisans to upgrade their skills in Electricals, Dressmaking and Catering would also be brought on board.

The DCE, asked the board to be innovative to grow the school.

He urged chiefs, the board, management and the people to provide adequate protection for the tools and equipment of the school to ensure that they are not stolen.

Madam Barbara Yeboah, the District Social Welfare and Community Development officer, also a member of the board, is interim head of the school.

Togbi Breku Brafo V, a chief of Ave-Afiadenyigba, said the school represents significant development to uplift education in the area.

In a related development, the DCE donated eight sewing machines and hair dryers from the Lordina Mahama Foundation to tailors and hairdressers.

GNA
By Kodjo Adams, GNA

Accra, Aug. 13, GNA - The media has been urged to promote responsible, objective and issue-oriented election reporting and desist from disseminating inflammatory language, distorted information and hate speech.

Government was also tasked to protect citizens' freedom of expression through different platforms, including the social media to ensure effective election security and that the professional integrity of the security agencies and their plans should not be compromised by political actors.

These were recommendations by the joint delegation of the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute pre-election assessment mission to the country.

Mr Johnnie Carson, former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs said the purpose of the mission, is to support the country's ability to deliver credible and peaceful elections in 2016.

The recommendations were based on the meetings with stakeholders including the Electoral Commission (EU), political party leaders, presidential candidates, civil society groups, women leaders, statesmen, election security officials and representatives of the international community.

The delegation noted that a concern among Ghanaians over the spread of misinformation and the use of inflammatory language and hate speech in the media escalates tensions and distracts from the policy issues, which are important to citizens.

The delegation recommended that the EC continue to enhance transparency and confidence in the electoral process by expanding and intensifying its engagement through active consultation with stakeholders.

It urged the EC and political parties to utilise the Inter-Party Advisory Committee as a platform for active consultations and dialogue and should disseminate the committee's decisions widely.

'Political parties should also reaffirm their commitment to peaceful polls as reflected in the Ada CommuniquA of May 2016, reject electoral violence in all forms and disassociate themselves from all ' vigilante groups' and their activities', it added.

The delegation suggested that the political parties and the EC should take active measures to increase the participation of women in political discourse.

It applauded the country's distinction as a beacon of democratic development in Africa, which include success in conducting multiple national polls since it return to civilian rule and the emergence of the fourth Republic in 1992.

The delegation called on Ghanaian leaders across the political spectrum, heads of institutions, civic leaders, the media and the religious bodies to see the upcoming December 7 polls as a historic moment to further consolidate peace and democracy and preserve the highest interest of the country.

The delegation includes Mike Avwenayeri Igini, former Resident Electoral Commissioner for Nigeria's Cross River and Edo States, Ms Oby Ezekwesili, Senior Advisor, Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative and Mr Gabrielle Bardall, Scholar and Democracy Assistance Specialist for the Trudeau Foundation.

The rest are Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director for Central and West Africa, NDI; and John Tomaszewski, Regional Director for Africa, IRI.

The NDI is a non-profit, nonpartisan organisation working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

The IRI is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation dedicated to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide.

IRI enables political parties to become more issue-based and responsive, helps citizens to participate in government planning, and works to increase the role of marginalized groups in the political process.

GNA
Accra, Aug. 13, GNA - The Ministry of Trade and Industry has inaugurated an 11-member Portland Cement Monitoring Committee to help enforce industrial regulations.

The members include Mr Dawarnoba Baeka, Chief Director Ministry of Trade, as Chairman; Mr Papa Kow-Bartel, Acting Director Industrial Development Ministry of Trade; Mr Samuel D. K. Amegayibor, Executive Secretary, Ghana Real Estate Developers Association and the Reverend Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director, GHACEM representing the Association of Ghana Industries.

The rest are: Yahuza Mohammed Gomda Director, Ministry of Environment Science, Technology and Innovation; Mrs Josephine Gyimah Akwafo, Port Monitoring Manager, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority; and Mr Frederick A. Ghartey, Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Design and Monitoring Ghana Revenue Authority.

Others are: Mr. Alpha Abdullah Shaban, Secretary Ghana Union of Traders Association; Mr Prince I. K Arthur, Acting Director of Inspectorate Division Ghana Standards Authority; Mr Nandagopal Venkatesh, Vice Chairman, Cement Manufacturers' Association of Ghana and Ms Emelda Tsorhey, Industrial Promotion Officer/Tariff Advisory Board, Ministry of Trade would serve as Secretary to the Committee.

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the Trade Minister administered the Oath of Office and Oath of Secrecy to the Committee members and charge them to be diligent and relentless to ensure that healthy industrial environment.

He expressed concern that in spite of the fact the country could boast of four major local cement companies, whilst two other companies have completed feasibility and ready start full operations by the end of the year the country still imports cement.

Dr Spio-Garbrah noted that government is taking actions to protect the cement industries in Ghana from collapsing in view of competition.

On the mandate of the Committee, the Trade Minister said it would verify the actual capacity of cement manufacturing companies in Ghana; set up an Appeals Committee, create enabling environment for local importers to venture into manufacturing.

He gave the assurance that government agencies in areas outside of their jurisdiction - the Ghana Standards Authority and Ghana Revenue Authority are ready to offer technical support.

The Committee would also focus on Pricing of Portland cement, analysis quantities of Portland cement to be imported for commercial purposes and local production of Portland cement, and report to the Trade Minister, at least once in every three months on matters in relating to the restriction on the import of Portland cement.

GNA
By D.I. Laary, GNA

Accra, Aug. 13, GNA - The President of Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), has expressed the movement's concerns over perpetual breaches of Ghana's disability law (Act 715), and faulted government of being the number one violator.

Mr Yaw Ofori Debra said the law which was passed in 2006 to defend rights of persons with disability (PWDs) and improve their living conditions, has seen its provisions being abused consistently by entities, with government being 'the number one violator.'

Speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Act on: '10 years of PWDs Act: its impact in on lives of PWDs,' he said, such abuses have rendered members helpless in the society since repercussion of non-compliance was 'negative and extensive.'

He said it has impeded members' access to economic, education, healthcare and employment opportunities, and taken away their privileges to participate in national decision-making process.

According to Section 60 of the law 'the owner or occupier of a place to which the public has access shall provide appropriate facilities that make the place accessible to and available for use by a PWD.'

Parliament passed the groundbreaking law on June 23, 2006, and received presidential assent on August 9 the same year, to promote and protect rights of PWDs and ensure their effective participation in society.

Disability Movements led by GFD expressed dissatisfaction at its operation and impact on lives of members, fetching them onto the streets in a procession to petition President John Dramani Mahama.

The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Dela Sowah received the petition on behalf of government, pledging President Mahama's commitment to look into their concerns.

The transitional provision - Section 60 of Act 715 - also known as the 10-year moratorium, provides that 'the owner or occupier of an existing building to which the public has access shall within 10 years of the commencement of this Act make that building accessible to and available for use by a PWD'.

But the Federation said, in July it inspected 29 public buildings - comprising courts, ministries, departments, agencies, schools, hospitals and district assembly offices.

The areas audited included the environment, pathways, passage, handrails, toilet facilities, with doors, elevators, and the height of desks of receptionists.

The exercise was meant to determine whether occupiers or owners had modified the structures as required by law.

'All the buildings audited were found to be inaccessible to PWDs. The fact remains that the finding is a true national picture of noncompliance with the 10-year moratorium,' Mr Debra said.

A visit to mosques, churches, corporate institutions, train stations and lorry parks and ministries, remain closed to PWDs, he added.

He said government ignored the law and defied the repeated warnings of PWDs following the construction of the N1 road without accessibility components which has marooned them.

The road has six foot bridges but no single ramp to enable PWDs cross to attend school, clinic, learn a trade, work or participate in social events.

'This is violation of the rights of PWDs. the matter has been in court for the past three years while PWDs are restricted from participating in economic, political, and cultural lives in the communities along the N1 road.'

He said many polling stations are unreachable to voters with disability while 'mobility of PWDs is equally impeded by open gutters, erection of bill boards, electricity and telephone poles on pavements'.

'People also park cars on the pavement for sale, all these violate the Act, yet those with the mandate to enforce compliance with provisions of the Act pretend not know about these,' Mr Debra said.

He said government 200 community day senior high schools also lack accessibility features as 'the powers that be ignored our request to ensure that the designs include appropriate accessibility features'.

He cited such schools inaugurated in Nyanoh in the Eastern Region, Otuam in the Central Region, Krachi Nchumuru, Nkwanta, and Nzem as examples.

'Students with disability cannot access education from these schools on equal basis with their colleagues without disabilities. This compels many to doubt the sincerity of government in implementing the inclusive education policy it has rolled out.'

Mr Debra said it is sad that people with hearing impairment are losing their lives, spend days at hospitals without treatment and when treated, it is on trial-and-error basis, due to communication barriers.

'A deaf lady lost her husband who was also deaf due to a communication barrier. There was no sign language interpreter to facilitate communication between the doctor and the nurses and the deaf lady whose husband was in coma.'

Mr Debra said inaccessible transportation system and work places have been cited as reasons why employers shy away from recruiting qualified PWDs, but regrettably, metro mass transit buses are not accessible.

'Buses imported by the Bus Rapid Transit have facility for only one wheelchair user at a time but they are yet to be piloted in Accra only.

'Provision for reserve seats and parking places is not being enforced, PWDs continue to suffer unemployment and daily mobility challenges, for they mostly have to hire taxis at high cost in order to move from one place to another.'

He consoled members that all is not lost as 'minimal positive impact of Act 715 in their lives is a fact that they could assert their rights and pursue legal action in court on violations of their rights.

GNA
After close to 50 years of existence, the Mampong Demonstration School for the Deaf also known as DEMODEAF, now feeds on the benevolence of individuals and corporate institutions.

The school, which has always been the first point of call for deaf and dumb children also serves as a second home for over 400 students, some of who are also blind, epileptic and asthmatic.

One would think that for such a special school, facilities there would be adequate and up to standard, but that is sadly not the case.

The school lacks basic amenities like computers, a library and adequate dormitories to house the students.

Over one hundred girls are housed in only six dormitories while the boys, who number more than three hundred, occupy just eight of these dormitories.

Originally, these dormitories were made to house four double beds in a room, but currently more than nine beds have been placed in these dormitories. The situation according to authorities at the school, has even led to students sleeping in pairs as bedbugs continue to invade these dormitories.

Abandoned dormitory expansion project

According to school authorities, there is an ongoing dormitory project by GETfund to ease the congestion there.

The project, which was started some nine years ago, has halted due to the non-availability of funds.

The headmistress, Trudy Segbefia, told Citi News we can't even remember the last time the contractor came here. We have complained about the completion of this project for almost a decade but till now, it looks like it has totally been abandoned. Sometimes the education authorities come here and make several promises but when they leave we hear nothing.

The structure, which has been built to some level, is showing signs of cracks due to neglect.

Mrs Segbefia fears the building could totally collapse if works do not continue to complete it immediately.

I am sure when completed we can move the boys here so we can have more rooms available, but this building has been here for long and whenever it rains the water hits it and gradually most parts begin to fall off. I am scared that if nothing is done, it will just collapse completely and we'll lose everything.

Feeding Grants

For students in this school, a paltry sum of GhC3.30p is what feeds each student on daily basis.

Unfortunately, these monies are not released on time. Teachers here often go out to solicit for funds from benevolent individuals, institutions and donors in order to run the school.

One of the teachers who gave her name as Karen, says government has taken the feeding grants and payment of the teachers' salaries but in most cases these monies do not come on time. The feeding grants are sometimes released only once in a term and you wonder how we feed these students. In most cases, we have to seek help from individuals and the public to come and donate to the school before we can even get to feed these children she said.

Academics

For the lack of teaching aids and proper teaching materials, teachers at the Mampong Demonstration School for the Deaf (DEMODEAF) find it difficult to teach these students.

For such a special school, the basic mode of communication for these deaf and dumb students is only through sign language.

However, the facilities there do not make effective teaching and learning possible. Teachers complain about the difficulty of grooming these students to sit the same exam with their counterparts in other regular schools.

The Junior High School head, Albert Nsia, says the curriculum is not properly constituted to suit these children with special needs. Imagine when you're teaching chemistry or even any subject in science and you have to explain these chemicals to these students who cannot hear you. It is very difficult and once we do not have any teaching aids, we just have to find a way to make them imagine something. Sometimes you test them and you notice some have understood but others don't just get it.

Abandoned Computer Lab

Even though the school has a computer lab, there are only chairs and tables but no single computer. This means that students lose out on studying ICT unlike their counterparts in regular schools.

Some people donated the chairs and tables and there's another company that wants to donate the computers but they want us to do the wiring and fix the air conditioning for the room before they can donate. For now we do not have money to do all that so until then, we just have to use any means possible to teach the ICT subject says Karen an ICT teacher.

Once this facility is not available, Karen told Citi News that she normally draws the computer on the board to enable her explain to the students.

She says some people donated a projector and so sometimes we go out to get a computer then I come and try to explain the subject to the students. It is difficult and in fact, sometimes even making them imagine something is a big issue. The question is, what are they imagining when they can't even hear you?

How do all these challenges impact on the students?

Just like all regular schools, these students are made to write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

School authorities say it is unfair for students in specials schools to have the same curriculum as those in other schools because of the challenges they face. However, that is not the only thing that needs to change.

Hubert, another teacher in the school told Citi News the performance of these students is often not encouraging.

He says in most cases, their way of answering questions does not conform to the standards of examiners. However teachers who teach them always have a way of understanding them.

Hubert believes special examiners and examinations must be adopted by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to address this challenge.

Government needs to do more

Scenes from this school suggests education authorities have adopted a lackadaisical approach to dealing with the literacy of the country's deaf and dumb who number over 260,000.

When contacted by Citi News, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Dan Osam Mwin, said the ministry has taken note of some abandoned projects and is working with GETfund to get contractors on the projects changed so the dormitories can be completed.



By: Farida Shaibu/citifmonline.com/Ghana
13.08.2016 LISTEN

By Bajin D. Pobia, GNA

Wa, Aug. 13, GNA - The Ghana Health Service and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Project has utilised the Community Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system to improve maternal and neonatal health services in the Upper West Region.

Antenatal care had increased to 60 per cent, skilled delivery to 70 per cent and postpartum/postnatal care (PNC) improved to 75 per cent, Dr Winfred Ofosu, Acting Regional Director of Health Service, has said.

Dr Ofosu described the improvement of maternal and neo-natal health status as a super goal.

He said the overall project goal is to strengthen the implementation of CHPS where access to primary health care is limited.

He made this known at a the final Dissemination Forum held in Wa to share some good practices noticed through the project for the improvement of maternal and neo-natal health services utilising CHPS system in the region.

'The Project for Improvement of Maternal and Neonatal Health Services, utilising CHPS system in the region,' is a technical co-operation project funded by JICA and implemented from September 2010 to September 2016, with the provision of 66 health centres.

'The first phase of the project was implemented from 2006 to 2010 to strengthen the implementation of CHPS and it supported the functioning and enhancement of CHPS, providing quality training to Community Health Officers, who are important human resource for CHPS, carrying out system strengthening, development of materials and building a CHPS monitoring system,' he said.

Dr Ofosu said the second phase also started in 2011with the aim of strengthening maternal and neonatal health within the framework of CHPS implementation would end next month.

The pillars for the project strategy includes: community sensitisation on maternal and neonatal health using CHPS, capacity strengthening of health personnel in health centres and CHPS, strengthening facilitative supervision, referral system and maternal and neonatal death audit.

Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Regional Minister expressed gratitude to JICA and Japan for the provision of 64 CHPS and installing equipment in all of them.

The CHPS implementation status in the region, has population coverage of 55.01 per cent and currently, 19 CHPS compounds are under construction, which is quite commendable, he said.

Alhaji Sulemana explained that the successes chalked out under the project are many and most of them centred around community involvement in the fight against maternal and child mortality.

'Mothers in the region now take the lead in improving maternal and neonatal health with the support of their husbands which was not the case in the past,' he said.

He appealed to municipal and district assemblies in the region to learn from the project and continue with the fight until 'we get zero maternal and neonatal deaths in the region'.

Alhaji Sulemana noted that even though the project has ended, the region is looking forward for more collaboration in other areas with JICA and expressed the hope that the good relationship between the people of Japan and Ghana would continue to be strengthened.

He appealed to JICA to consider partnering the Regional Inter-agency Coordinating Committee on Sanitation, in the fight against open defecation and other environmental health issues to prevent diseases.

GNA
13.08.2016 LISTEN

By Dennis Peprah, GNA

Sunyani, Aug. 13, GNA - Mr Alex Segbefia, the Minister of Health on Wednesday asked pharmacists to provide optimum medication therapy for all Ghanaians, as the government works out modalities to improve on their condition of service.

He said patients' safety is key, and non-negotiable in any formal healthcare system, hence the need for pharmacists care.

The Health Minister made the request at the opening session of the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), underway in Sunyani.

It is on the theme: "Pharmacy practice-improving patient safety outcomes."

Mr Segbefia said as the ministry works to ensure that quality healthcare is accessible and affordable for every Ghanaian, patient safety is critical foundation upon, which quality healthcare is built and pharmacists must ensure that.

He observed that stakeholders have a role to play to facilitate quality healthcare delivery and pharmacists have highest potential to prevent needless deaths at various health facilities.

Mr Segbefia gave the assurance that government would resource and strengthen the pharmacy council and the Food and Drug Authority to position them in a better place for quality service delivery.

Mr Thomas Boateng Appiagyei, the President of the PSGH, noted that challenges in the single spine salary structure and condition of service of pharmacists in the government hospitals remain a "huge blot on our collective welfare as a profession".

"Motivation is now low, confidence is being eroded and the countless adjournments and confusion is grave danger for industrial harmony, patients care and pharmaceutical care in our hospitals," he added.

Mr Appiagyei expressed regret about the increasing cases of administrative injustice and penal measures against some colleagues in some public health institutions.

He said the society acknowledges efforts by the government at re-examining the National Health Insurance Scheme for sustainability, equity, accountability and efficiency.

According to him, the scheme represents a huge relief for the majority of Ghanaians and everybody must support the government and the National Health Insurance Authority to ensure the scheme's continous survival and sustainability.

GNA
13.08.2016 LISTEN

Accra, Aug. 13, GNA - Kennedy Uzoka has assumed as the Group Managing Director (GMD) and CEO of pan-African banking group, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc.

This follows the retirement of Phillips Oduoza as Group Managing Director and CEO of UBA Plc on July 31, after completing two terms of three years each.

A statement signed by Kathrine Woode, Head of Marketing and Communication, UBA and copied to the Ghana News Agency said Mr Uzoka, the new GMD/CEO of UBA Plc, was until his appointment, the Deputy Managing Director, a position he has held in the last six years, working closely with the former GMD/CEO.

It said his appointment as the new GMD is seen as a testimony to the strength of the bank's succession planning process.

'Kennedy Uzoka's is not only very hard working, but he is also a man of impeccable integrity. He is passionate and committed to UBA. The board is confident that he will take the bank to the next level,' said Tony Elumelu, Chairman, UBA Plc.

The statement said Mr Kennedy Uzoka comes well prepared for his new position. He has been leading the transformation agenda of the Bank, after returning from completing the Advanced Management Programme of Harvard Business School.

Uzoka has more than two and a half decades of experience in commercial banking, strategy and business transformation.

Prior to his sabbatical at Harvard, Uzoka served as Deputy Managing Director, UBA Group and was also the CEO of UBA Africa, responsible for the Group's operations in 18 countries across Africa as well as business in New York and London.

'Uzoka brings an extremely strong skill set and a breadth of financial services experience that will help the bank execute the next phase of its growth strategy,' said Elumelu.

It said speaking to staff in a video podcast after resuming on August 1, the new GMD/CEO, Uzoka who described UBA as a strong, recognisable and trusted brand across Africa, promised to build a bank based on a strong foundation of customer service.

'We will stay close to our customers and do everything possible to serve them properly. Our customers will be the beginning, the middle and the end of our strategy" he stated.

UBA Plc is one of Africa's leading banking groups with operations in 19 African countries and offices in three global financial centres: London, Paris and New York.

It is a publicly quoted company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and has a well diversified shareholder base. For more information visit www.ubagroups.com

UBA Ghana pioneered the entry of a new generation of foreign banks into the country in January 2005.

The presence of UBA in the banking industry in Ghana over the last 10 years has galvanised banking onto a higher performance level; where competition and innovation in responding to the needs of the customer have become the driving force of the industry.

UBA's world class customer driven innovations have earned it the confidence of the Ghanaian public; as it continues to provide banking services to a wide variety of customers.

GNA

Caption: Kennedy Uzoka
There are some places that win my heart as soon as I set foot on the land. The look and feel of the area awakens something deep inside, and I find myself feeling like Ive come home to a place that I never knew existed. For me, Belize was one of those countries and thanks to the Carnival Cruise Altun Ha Mayan Site and River Wallace Excursion, I had the opportunity to experience the some of the beauty and history of the country up close and personal. The excursion lasted about six hours and by the end, I knew Id be coming back to see more of the country some day.

Our adventure started before the excursion even began, as we enjoyed a boat ride from the cruise ship to the port in Belize City. Belize doesnt have a dock for cruise ships, so we enjoyed the extra fun of being able to speed away from our ship towards the shore, enjoying the fresh air and splashes of water as we did. Once we reached the port, we met up with our excursion leader, a fun and friendly woman named Simone. She herded our group towards another boat and we hopped on board to enjoy a cruise down the River Wallace.

The river cruise has ample opportunity to enjoy both the countryside and the wildlife of Belize. Of course, theres never a guarantee that the animals in the area will cooperate, but the cruise offered us the chance to potentially see howler monkeys, parrots and more. While the monkeys stayed hidden, I was intrigued to see some huge iguanas with bright orange colouring. Simone explained that the orange colour meant that it was mating season for the animals. We also had the thrill of seeing sleeping bats under a bridge startled into flight when our captain surprised them with a light spritz of water.

The animals were fascinating, but I found the people even more so. Seeing how friendly the citizens of Belize were as we boated past had me longing to be a part of that countryside. The homes ranged from simple huts to elaborate mansions, but every person we passed smiled, waved and called hello as we cruised down the river.

We ended our tour at the Black Orchid Resort and had a delicious lunch of bamboo chicken, rice and beans cooked in coconut milk and fried plantain. We knew that Belize was famed for mangoes, so Benjamin was a little disappointed that there werent any available during lunch. After I took a few minutes to explore the beautiful and relaxing resort, I took him on a walk to see if we could find a mango tree. When one of the employees noticed me and asked what I was doing, he led us to a beautiful tree on the outskirts of the property and found the perfect mango for us to enjoy. The mans kindness warmed my heart as much as Benjamins smile when he took that first bite.

Then it was time to hop on our bus and take a ride to the Altun Ha Excavation Site. On the one-hour ride, Simone told us a bit about the history of Belize. We learned that Britain and Spain had both claimed the country as theirs, with the British finally fighting back the Spanish to create the only English-speaking country in the Caribbean. We learned about the countrys cashew trees and how the nut actually grows as a tiny seed pod at the bottom of a cashew fruit. And we learned about the countrys national tree, the mahogany tree.

After that, we had the chance to explore the stunning buildings left by the Mayans 3000 years ago. One of the things I loved most about this spot was that we actually had the chance to climb to the top of many of the buildings and look down on the area that the Mayans once used as a trading center and temple. The climb itself was a workout, but both boys handled it without a complaint and at the end of our exploration, we even climbed a final set of stairs that took us to the top of a building not yet excavated. Thinking about the tremendous amount of work and technology that went into creating the structures was enough to take my breath away.

When we left the ruins, we had just enough time to sample a bit of the countrys famous cashew and blackberry wines before hopping on the bus to head back to our port. As we pulled away from the dock to leave Belize, I knew that it would be a country I visited again one day. And Id learned so much about what made the country so amazing thanks to our Carnival Cruise excursion.

Sometimes it can be hard to decide whether its best to purchase an excursion at a cruise port or just explore the country independently. In my opinion, this excursion in particular was the ideal way to go beyond the surface of the country and delve into its history, culture and personality. As Simone would say, visiting this gorgeous Caribbean country is sure to be an un-Belize-able experience!
In two of the states a both carried twice by President Barack Obama a the Democratic nominee leads by double-digit margins.

Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump in four more battleground states, according to new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls.

In two of the states  both carried twice by President Barack Obama  the Democratic nominee leads by double-digit margins.

In Colorado, Clinton leads by 46 percent to 32 percent, widening the 8 percentage point lead she held before the two parties' political conventions.

In Virginia, the former secretary of state leads the real estate magnate by 46 percent to 33 percent, widening her 9 point pre-convention lead. Clinton strengthened her position in the state by selecting Virginia Sen.Tim Kaine as her running mate.

In North Carolina, an increasingly diverse state that Obama carried in 2008 but lost in 2012, Clinton leads by 48 percent to 39 percent, widening her 6-point pre-convention lead.

And in Florida  a critical swing state in recent elections  Clinton leads by 44 percent to 39 percent. That represents a narrowing of the 7-point lead she held before the two conventions.

All four telephone surveys were conducted Aug. 4-10. The margin of error for the Colorado, Florida and Virginia surveys is 3.3 percentage points; for North Carolina, it is 3.2 points.
business GST a boon for biz & consumer alike, says IKEA CEO Hyderabad store to open by next year end; have already bought land to open shop in Mumbai, says IKEA CEO, Juvencio Maeztu.
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A shortage of qualified teachers impacted a recent local school board decision on three special education hires at schools within Morgan Hill Unified School District.

The board of education unanimously approved district leaderships request to hire a trio of non-certificated instructors with experience in the field who are in the process of working toward adequate credentials.

We are in a teacher shortage, explained Human Resources director Fawn Myers as she introduced the items from the Aug. 2 agenda.

Citing statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, Myers told the board that the number of college students enrolling in teacher credentialing programs has declined sharply from just over 700,000 in 2010 to less than 500,000 in 2014 nationwide. For the current year, she said the interest still does not meet the demand.

Even with that, MHUSD was able to hire about 50 new teachers for the 2016-17 school year, as announced earlier at the same meeting.

With a Provisional Internship Permit, which must be board approved and then issued through the California Commission of Teacher Credentialing, Amanda Vuniwai will teach special ed at Los Paseos Elementary School; Nathan Padilla at Live Oak High School; and Sarina Santiago at Nordstrom Elementary School.

Vuniwai and Padilla were substitute teachers at MHUSD and taught in the districts summer school special education program this summer. Santiago has been working as a paraeducator in the district since November 2015. All three have entered credentialing programs and will have experienced mentor teachers helping them throughout the school year.

Throughout California, provisional, short term and intern permits are being issued to fill immediate staff needs and now are comprised of one-third of all credentials being issued, Myers continued. Thats staggering.

At the Aug. 16 meeting, the district is requesting board approval for two more PIPs, for Raven Jackson to teach special education at Barrett Elementary School and for Adam Olmos-Crawley to teach science at Martin Murphy Middle School. Both candidates also were substitutes with the district who taught in summer school.

To help support these teachers, MHUSD also instituted a tuition reimbursement program for those candidates for current employees who already have a bachelors degree and are interested in teaching and enrolling in a credentialing program, said Myers, noting that all three hires were eligible.

The district posted four special education vacancies on the online teacher job site, edjoin.org, as well as on the districts website and Facebook page to attract certificated teachers to no avail.

Qualified applicants have not applied, Myers explained. It is difficult to hire qualified teachers this late in the school year in a high need credential area such as special education.
The state carrier and its employees had been at loggerheads with each other over a slew of issues, including the perpetual delay in disseminating salaries.
We were not bribed to drop ...
Groveland, CA  The CHP reports both drivers were arrested after a crash on Highway 120 one for leaving the scene the other for DUI.

The wreck happened just before midnight on Thursday along Highway 120 near Ferretti Road. The CHP reports that Jeffery Bedel, 43, from Indiana was driving a 2016 Hyundai Sonata westbound on Highway 120 when he made a left turn in front of Jeffery Cooper, 26, of Groveland riding a 1976 Yamaha motorcycle. Cooper was not able to stop and was ejected from his bike onto the hood of the Sonata. Bedel left the scene but was followed to a nearby hotel by a witness who escorted him back to the scene. Officer Steve Griefer states explains, During questioning, it was determined that Cooper was driving his motorcycle over the legal limit and he was taken into custody for drinking and driving. Bedel was driving a vehicle that had been reported as stolen out of San Francisco from a car rental. Bedel was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and hit and run.

Griefer noted the irony of the accident stating, Very rarely is the person who is operating a motor vehicle under the influence not found at fault for the traffic collision. However, we have a good eye-witness that says the Hyundai turned in front of the motorcycle.

Cooper complained of pain to lower extremities but refused treatment. He paid his $5,000 bail and was released from the Tuolumne County Jail on Friday. Bedel remains in jail on $10,000 bail. Griefer notes that he was very tight lipped about the stolen vehicle, stating, When I asked Bedel about the stolen vehicle he made no comment either acknowledging of disavowing whether he knew the vehicle was stolen.
The family of a boy whose remains were identified at the Dozier School for Boys are a step closer to closure after he was given a proper burial Saturday in Daytona Beach.

Funeral held for boy who attended infamous Dozier School in 1950s

Former reform school is thought to be site of physical, sexual abuse

Dozens of sets of human remains have been found near the school



Investigators from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement identified Billy Jackson as well as 13 others and returned their remains to families after dozens of unmarked graves were found near the Marianna reform school thought to be where boys were physically and sexually abused.

A niece of Jackson, who attended Dozier in the early 1950s, said Saturday's service, brought her uncle home. The family, she said, still isn't at peace.

At least now we feel like we have some sense of closure," Ida Cummings said. "We feel that weve completed the mission of bringing him home and (bringing him) where he wanted to be."

Official reports from the FDLE say Jackson died of a kidney infection, but his family believes there is still more to uncover.

Until those that are responsible for the deaths of those children come forward, there will never be complete closure," Cummings said.

Several students at the now-shuttered school sent their condolences to the Jackson family.

Cummings said the support of others is a great help, but that their unwavering faith is what helps them cope most of all.

You have to rest in the assurance that there is a mighty God that sits high, so we rest with assurance that God knows and will take care of everything, she said.

The University of South Florida also investigated the school. In January, they released a report that said university researchers had found a total of 51 unmarked graves. They continue to work to recover remains at the school.

Since the release of that report by USF officials, Sen. Bill Nelson has called for a federal investigation into the deaths at Dozier.



'Until those that are responsible for the deaths of those children (at Dozier) come forward, there will never be complete closure,' said Billy Jackson's niece, Ida Cummings.
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Sharon Marzouk confronted what looked like a bad scene out of a porn film last Friday at her Menlo Park home where she was renting a bedroom to an Airbnb guest.

When Marzouk walked through the door, she says she found water trickling through the ceiling as the bathtub in the upstairs bathroom was flooding the second floor and pouring into the first.

Marzouk was hit with more surprises inside the bedroom of the Airbnb guest who she claims accidentally forgot to turn off the faucet: a large box of Magnum condoms, a vibrator, a bag full of used tissues, a few pairs of killer high heels, and a hand-written list of "pics" that included items such as "masturbating vid," "bent over green Abercrombie," and "blue and white skirt vibrator."

Marzouk says the guest told her she was a real estate agent after confirming the booking, but when she stepped inside that room last week, she realized this was probably a lie.

"I don't know what she was doing exactly," Marzouk, who started a company providing tech-oriented educational tools to children called TechyKids, said. "I can only make my own conclusions based on what I saw. I believe that she was creating some sort of media at my house. You can make your own conclusions based on the evidence I put out there."

The evidence to which she refers are a series of photos of the scene she included in a Facebook post dated Aug. 6 recounting the incident and shared above.

The flooding resulted in what Marzouk estimates is more than $10,000 in damage to her home, and now she's sharing the experience with media and through social media as she hopes Airbnb will cover the cost of repairs and her time spent dealing with the mess as well as change its systems to better protect hosts.

Marzouk isn't seeking retribution from the guest, whose name she and Airbnb aren't revealing, because she believes Airbnb's systems are to blame for putting her in this fiasco.

On Facebook, Marzouk criticizes Airbnb's "complex" process that requires hosts to dig for a "hidden" box that must be clicked to ensure they rent only to guests who've gone through a verification process, which includes providing a digital copy of a government-issued ID and links to social pages revealing information such as a guest's profession.

Marzouk assumed Airbnb verifies all guests, and didn't know she needed to take an extra step to select this setting. As a result, her account was set at Airbnb's default, which allows you to confirm guests who haven't gone through the Verified ID process.

"If I had known that Airbnb hadn't done the proper verification, I would have verified [the guest's] place of work," Marzouk says. "People don't know about Airbnb's hidden settings that you have to click through and find. They never give anyone a warning. There are no red flags. You even have to do an extra click to find out what Verified ID is."

She adds: "In my opinion, this isn't accidental design. They should do their do diligence and make sure they're connecting people safely."

According to Airbnb, this was a unique situation among the more than 100 million hosts who've used the service and had positive experiences.

"We have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior and have removed this guest from our platform," an Airbnb spokesperson wrote in a statement. "We are working to support this host under our $1 million host guarantee."

Marzouk says she has spoken with an Airbnb claims agent about covering the cost of damage, and her concerns are under management review. But in addition to money, Marzouk wants to see Airbnb make information about its Verified ID process more visible on the site.

In an email statement, Airbnb shared that the company has safeguards in place to prevent troublesome hosts and guests.

"For United States residents, we run host and guest information through several public databases to check if there are matches with certain felony convictions, sex offender registrations,

or significant misdemeanors," a spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also pointed out that Airbnb allows hosts to use the Verified ID process, but didn't comment on how prominent that feature is on the company's website.
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A 2-year-old boy who fell from a third-story window in Foster City on Thursday has died, officials said Friday.

The toddler was looking through an open window at his familys apartment complex Thursday morning and tumbled through the screen, said Capt.Tracy Avelar, a Foster City police spokeswoman. He was walking through a hallway with his mother moments before the fall.
It's not surprising that Christie Brinkley's 1891 Hamptons mansion Tower Hill is in perfect shape, considering that her ex-husband, renowned architect Peter Cook, gave it a thorough renovation when he lived there.

Cook managed to preserve the integrity of the home's original design. Its centerpiece, a 100-year-old observation tower, is also the namesake of this 20-acre Bridgehampton, New York property, according to Top Ten Real Estate Deals.
BRIDGEPORT  In the fall semester of 2014, high school student Fabian Francis was wanted on murder charges that officials say were gang-related.

Instead of fleeing or fighting, Francis contacted a fellow student, who went to an adult he recognized: School Resource Officer Jonathan Forestier.

SROs are police officers in every sense except they are stationed on and between school grounds. They have the same training as police, carry a gun and have powers of arrest.

This (student) sees me at dismissal every day, said Forestier, recalling the Francis arrest. The student felt comfortable talking and informed me that (Francis) was willing to turn himself in.

Five minutes later, the two met at Lakeview Cemetery.

No chase, no shootout, no big scene.

This Friday, Forestier was laid off, along with four other SROs, nearly half of this special police unit that specializes in keeping schoolchildren safe.

He cleaned out his locker. He returned his duty belt. He attended his final roll call.

Forestiers fate was sealed last week when negotiations between the city and the school board broke down.

Each side has blamed the other, and no one is willing to foot the bill to keep these employees as SROs.

One thing is indisputable: SROs are more expensive to train, equip and keep on staff than security guards.

This round of layoffs came as no surprise to Steve Nelson, a former SRO who left his post this year after serving since 1982.

I could see my worthiness was no longer needed, so it was time for me to retire, he said.

His position was not replaced. Neither were those of five other officers who were let go a few years back.

School board member Maria Pereira, who voted for the most recent round of cuts, does not believe that layoffs will hurt security. She also believes the officers did too much for the city on the schools dime.

If they (the school district) so concerned about security, why are the SROs doing domestic violence calls, car accidents? she said. They spend so much of their time not even on Bridgeport public school property.

Police officials dismiss those accusations.

Thats a complete fabrication, said Lt. Paul Grech, who oversees SROs.

Next week, Grechs command will be reduced from 11 officers to six.

Three of those officers will change uniforms and take school security guard positions. That means their training, knowledge and faces will stay in front of students.

They wont make arrests or carry a gun.

Thats concerning to Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez, who points to the Francis arrest as an example of community policing and crime reduction.

It just defused a whole situation, Perez said. You have to remember that you had other kids, other gang members looking for Fabian to get him back. They were going to kill him.

Perez blames the Board of Education for the cuts, and said that if he were a parent of a child in the Bridgeport school system hed be livid.

I think it was totally irresponsible for the Board of Education to lay off these officers (and) theyre playing with the safety of our children, he said. They interacted with the kids, the kids knew them, and they did a tremendous job.

At the same time, the city has not forced a solution of its own, such as hiring additional SROs on their own budget. Perez says his hands are tied, due to a low number of officers, and the fact that SROs are in a separate union.

Whatever the case, Bridgeport schools will lose a dedicated police officer who focused on kids. The repercussions could be unpredictable.

For example, Forestier started the Jr. Emergency Responders Program, which enlisted student leaders to help with school safety, such as ushering younger students from the street when they were dropped off by their parents.

At a time when national controversies rage over police-community relations, Forestiers program was putting kids in contact with officers every day. Its the kind of thing that builds trust, and diffuses tensions, according to one of Forestiers former responders.

Im not really afraid of police officers, said James Gilliard, 15, who participated in the program in seventh and eighth grade. I learned that not all of them are bad.

He also had fun, and made enduring friendships with fellow participants. He and Forestier are still in touch.

The future of the program is uncertain.

Were going to try (to keep it going) but obviously (Forestier) is the founder, said Grech. Hes got the institutional knowledge.

Forestier did not answer questions regarding his opinion on the controversy and the nature of the layoffs. But pointed out that a misunderstanding of SROs by residents may have colored the debate.

People in the public are assuming that an (SRO) is like a truancy officer, he said.

As for the consequences of those and other assumptions, parents will face them in the fall.

Grech laments the loss of the outgoing SROs, and the downgrade of those being bumped. But despite having to spread his officers on thin patrols between Bridgeport schools, he is cautiously optimistic.

At the end of the day, we will secure and keep schools safe, he said.
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In his 1976 book "Blood and Money," Tommy Thompson soundly captured the spirit of Houston in the '60s and '70s. As new buildings popped up like mushrooms and the city doubled in size, the oil-rich elite bought enormous diamonds, owned lions as pets, flew their poodles to Paris first-class. Amid a booming oil industry and startling wealth, he wrote, "Houston was an adolescent and acted accordingly."

Thompson's true crime story, which explores the mysterious deaths of a socialite and her doctor husband, may be the closest we've ever come to "the great Houston book," says David Theis, author of "Literary Houston": "Blood and Money" has oil and medicine, wealth and danger. But still, it doesn't fully capture this teeming, diverse city - not the way it is today. The writer hasn't yet come along who can capture all of Houston on the page.

That's not for lack of trying. Houston still might be more interested in action than in reflection - after all, it's a city of striving and innovation. But in the past four decades, it has evolved into a city that nurtures writers, celebrates reading and takes literature seriously.

Larry McMurtry is neither a native nor a permanent resident of the city, but "Houston was more or less my Paris, or such Paris as I had," he has written. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Lonesome Dove" earned a master's degree at Rice University in 1960, then taught creative writing there for a good portion of the '60s. McMurtry spent about 17 years here and set a trilogy of books in the city that ended with "Terms of Endearment."

McMurtry may be the most famous, but he's just part of Houston's literary legacy; plenty of writers have called Houston home. And in the past four decades, as Houston's literary scene began to develop, even more have been drawn here.

The transformation started in the late 1970s, when poets Cynthia Macdonald and Stanley Plumly founded the creative writing program at the University of Houston and recruited Donald Barthelme to teach. Barthelme, a short story writer and novelist, grew up in Houston and attended the university. He left Texas for teaching jobs in Boston and New York and along the way won the National Book Award (for a children's book) and a PEN/Faulkner award for fiction.

More Information Local literature Some of the best-known and most recent books set in Houston: "Terms of Endearment" by Larry McMurtry (1975): The final book in McMurtry's "Houston trilogy" was adapted into a film starring Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine. "Blood and Money" by Tommy Thompson (1976): True crime book explores the mysterious death of a Houston socialite. "Towelhead" by Alicia Erian (2005): At the beginning of the first Gulf War, a Lebanese-American teen confronts the racism of her classmates and her own confusion. "Black Water Rising" and "Pleasantville" by Attica Locke (2009, 2015): These two thrillers are both set in the Houston area. Locke is a Houston native and a writer and producer of the Fox show "Empire." "Friendswood" by Rene Steinke (2014): In this novel based on a true story, an industrial leak makes residents of surburban Houston sick. "The After Party" by Anton DiSclafani (2016): Set in River Oaks in the 1950s, this novel explores the high-society lives of Houston's new oil-money elite. "A Wife of Noble Character" by Yvonne Georgina Puig (2016): This update of Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth" is set in 21st-century Houston. Novelist Donald Barthelme Novelist Daniel Stern Poet Gwendolyn Zepeda Poet Tony Hoagland Poet Edward Hirsch Writer Chitra Divakaruni See More Collapse

Barthelme's return to Houston brought in other high-profile writers to teach in the fledgling program, including essayist Phillip Lopate, novelist Rosellen Brown and poet Edward Hirsch.

Mary Gaitskill taught in the program, too, as did Daniel Stern, Mark Doty, Philip Levine and Claudia Rankine. By the late 1990s, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Houston's writing program second in the nation, just behind Iowa. It's still highly ranked and still counts prominent writers among its faculty, including Chitra Divakaruni, Antonya Nelson, Mat Johnson and poet Tony Hoagland.

As the University of Houston's writing program grew, literary nonprofits sprang up to nurture the city's writers and readers.

When Inprint launched in 1980, it was closely tied to the university, says Rich Levy, the organization's executive director; in fact, UH faculty members helped get its annual reading series off the ground. To big-name authors, an invitation to Houston from a fledgling nonprofit might be a hard sell, he said, but "Don (Barthelme) and Phillip (Lopate) could pick up the phone and call their friends and put together an amazing reading series.  The reading series was first-rate from Day One."

In its 36 seasons, Inprint's Margarett Root Brown Reading Series has brought eight Nobel Prize winners, 60 Pulitzer winners and 55 National Book Award winners to read in Houston. This year's schedule includes novelists Ann Patchett, Jonathan Safran Foer and Annie Proulx.

Theis, who's lived in Houston since the mid-'80s, has watched the city become a destination for touring writers. "I was (visiting) Seattle in the early '90s," he recalls, "and saw that Salman Rushdie was in town, and I thought, 'Oh, he'll never come to Houston.' And now he comes to Houston every couple of years." In fact, Inprint brought the "Satanic Verses" author to town just last fall.

Literary nonprofits are nurturing the city's own writers, too. Inprint offers fellowships to University of Houston writing students, helping bring top talent here. The organization also offers workshops to teachers and seniors, essayists and fiction writers. The nonprofit Writers in the Schools, meanwhile, offers workshops and programming to help 36,000 kids and teens stretch their creativity and build their writing skills.

"It helps build a community of writers and readers," Levy said. "There's a nice ecosystem that's grown up here."

Literary events are now scattered across the city's calendar. The Houston Poetry Fest enlivens downtown for a few days each October, and the city's independent bookstores bring in authors every night of the week. Since 2013, the Houston mayor has appointed a poet laureate to do outreach projects, stirring up interest in the written and spoken word.

When Theis assembled "Literary Houston" a few years ago, he says, he figured Houston "must be the least written-about (city) of anywhere in the world." But even that is changing. In recent years, he says, plenty of good stories have been set amid Houston's bayous and buildings, crowded highways and tree-lined streets.

Houston native James Lee Burke has set his upcoming 37th novel, "The Jealous Kind," in 1950s Houston. Houston native Attica Locke's first novel, 2010 "Black Water Rising," is a thriller set in 1981 Houston; last year's "Pleasantville" is set in the African-American subdivision local developers built after World War II. And Anton DiSclafani set her new novel, "The After Party," in the "Blood and Money" world of 1950s River Oaks. DiSclafani has never even lived in Houston, but she says the city's oil-boom wealth and outsized glamour captured her imagination.

Today, the city's most high-profile writer may be Justin Cronin. Cronin came to Houston 13 years ago with a couple of modest novels under his belt, and while teaching at Rice he sketched out the story that would become his blockbuster "Passage" trilogy. The vampire story sprawls across centuries, but bits of Houston's streets and skyline pop up in Cronin's post-apocalyptic scenes.

With so much new fiction set in the city - and so many writers at work - perhaps it's just a matter of time before the great Houston novel appears.

Thompson's classic "Blood and Money" captures the sense of possibility that still hangs in the air: the feeling that anything can happen here.

" 'Why did you move to Houston?' asked a reporter of a new resident in 1955," Thompson writes. The man - a New York transplant - replied: "Because it is a place that is still wide open."
NORWALK - A dispute Friday morning over a moving truck blocking a woman's parking spot led to three arrests.

Police were dispatched to the housing project at 16 School St. on a report of a large crowd gathering. When officers arrived, they reported getting contradictory stories as to how the son of a woman moving out of the project responded when the woman whose spot was blocked asked him to move the truck.

Police gave this account of what each side said occurred next:

The woman whose spot was blocked, Diana Morris-Scott, said the man, Aaron Jobe, responded, "Too bad, you'll have to wait."

Morris-Scott said she then turned her back to Jobe, at which time he punched her in the face.

Jobe told officers he advised Morris-Scott she would have to wait a moment while he got his father, who would move the truck.

He said Morris-Scott then called him a "crack head," and when he responded, "What did you call me?," she punched him.

Jobe said his mother, Kathryn Jobe, then asked Morris-Scott why she punched her son, at which time Morris-Scott punched her in the face.

Aaron Jobe said he then pushed Morris-Scott to the ground.

A witness observed Morris-Scott punch Aaron Jobe in the face, police said.

Paramedics treated all three at the scene for minor injuries, according to police.

Morris-Scott, 36, of School Street, Arron Jobe, 23, of Philo Street, and Kathryn Jobe, 53, of School Street were charged with second-degree breach of peace.

Morris-Scott was additionally charged with third-degree assault.

Aaron Jobe also was charged with third-degree assault as well as third-degree criminal mischief.

All three were released on promises to appear in court.
Washington

In nearly eight years in office, President Barack Obama has sought to reshape the nation with a sweeping assertion of executive authority and a canon of regulations that has inserted the U.S. government more deeply into American life.

Once a presidential candidate with deep misgivings about executive power, the Democrat will leave the White House as one of the most prolific authors of major regulations in presidential history.

Blocked for most of his presidency by a Republican Congress, Obama has sought to act however he could. In the process, he created the kind of government neither he nor the Republicans wanted  one that depended on bureaucratic bulldozing rather than legislative transparency. But once Obama got the taste for it, he pursued his executive power without apology, and in ways that will shape the presidency for decades to come.

The Obama administration in its first seven years finalized 560 major regulations  those classified by the Congressional Budget Office as having particularly significant economic or social impacts.

The administration's regulatory legacy has become an issue in the campaign to replace Obama, as Donald Trump has sharply criticized regulatory overreach and promised to undo many of the new rules. But executive power has expanded steadily under both Republican and Democratic presidents in recent decades, and both Trump and Hillary Clinton have promised to act in the service of their own goals.

The new rules built on the legislative victories Obama won during his first two years in office. Those laws  the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank Act and the $800 billion economic stimulus package  transformed the nation's health care system, curbed the ambitions of the big banks and injected financial support into a creaky economy. But as Republicans increased their control of Capitol Hill, Obama's deep frustration with congressional opposition led to a new approach: He gradually embraced a president's power to act unilaterally.

Kate Hanni, an advocate from Napa, California, for the rights of airline passengers, had tried for years to persuade the government to address a series of incidents in which flight delays left passengers trapped for hours on planes that had already left the gate, often in cabins with stinking toilets, weak air-conditioning and no food. The Bush administration put Hanni on a task force consisting mostly of airline executives, which concluded in the fall of 2008  over her forceful and repeated objections  that the public was best served by allowing the airlines to make their own decisions.

Weeks after the task force released its report, Hanni was invited to Washington in December 2008 to meet with Robert S. Rivkin, the head of Obama's transportation transition team. Democrats in Congress had introduced legislation to address the issue, but Rivkin asked Hanni if she would support new regulations instead. She would back anything enforceable, Hanni said. "Right answer," he replied.

Over the course of the next nine months, Rivkin and his team of career regulators at the Department of Transportation developed rules prohibiting planes loaded with passengers from sitting on the tarmac for more than three hours.

In May 2009, Rahm Emanuel, Obama's first chief of staff, raised concerns about Janice Langbehn, a social worker featured in The New York Times who was barred from visiting her hospitalized same-sex partner.

Passing legislation to address the problem was unlikely, Emanuel knew, given entrenched ideological opposition and the White House's focus on overhauling the health insurance system. But Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the newly created Office of Health Reform, suggested an alternative: The administration had the power to impose conditions on hospitals that got federal Medicare funding.

A year later, the president directed the Department of Health and Human Services to develop regulations requiring hospitals to extend visitation rights to same-sex partners. A focus on similar issues produced more than 100 executive actions and regulatory changes intended to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, particularly after the Supreme Court in 2013 struck down the federal law that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

A White House push to pass a sweeping climate change bill in 2009 failed in Congress, but almost from the outset, some of Obama's aides were working on a Plan B. Cass R. Sunstein, Obama's choice to lead the White House office that oversees rule-making, and Michael Greenstone, the first head of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, created a task force to put a dollar figure on the cost of carbon emissions.

The government does not try to quantify all the benefits of proposed regulations. When it came to environmental regulations, analysts often assigned a dollar figure to just one kind of damage  emissions of "small particles"  and then stacked up the costs of the proposal against the benefits of fewer particles.

Quantifying a second kind of damage, from carbon emissions, would broaden the assessed benefits of new regulations  potentially justifying new and stronger restrictions. In 2010, the administration issued a report that estimated the economic impact of global warming, including agricultural disruptions, increased flooding and health problems. It pegged the cost of carbon emissions at $21 per ton. An updated assessment in 2013 raised the price tag to $33.

When the administration announced stricter standards for automobile fuel efficiency in 2011, it cited the reduction in carbon emissions as a key benefit. Those benefits have since been cited in several dozen new regulations, including the hotly debated 2015 rule seeking to restrict emissions from new power plants.

In 2013, Obama's team briefly hoped his re-election victory would lead to legislative progress, but Republicans blocked gun control measures and an immigration overhaul, and partisan gridlock shut down the government for 15 days that October.

In January 2014, a frustrated president stood before Congress and declared "a year of action"  with or without the help of the Republicans arrayed before him.

Obama announced an executive order raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour for several hundred thousand cooks, janitors and other federal contract workers. In subsequent orders, each resulting in a new regulation, the president required contractors to let their workers take paid sick days and banned discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers. He also increased workplace protections for all workers at businesses that held federal contracts  an umbrella covering roughly 29 million workers.

"What the president was ultimately doing was holding up the United States government as a model employer," said Joseph Geevarghese, director of Good Jobs Nation, a union-backed advocacy group that pressed the administration to embrace its regulatory power. "And it created a ripple effect. Within months of the president acting, you had private CEOs  Ikea, Gap, Disney, airlines  saying they, too, were going to boost minimum pay."

With the president's blessing, the EPA also became more aggressive. The agency asserted federal authority to protect thousands of waterways and wetlands, proposed to cap carbon emissions at new and existing power plants, raised emissions standards for trucks and airplanes, and called for new limits on methane, mercury and ozone.
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NOTE: This version of the story correctly identifies the baby's age.

A baby was found dead Friday afternoon in a vehicle after being left there for several hours in the parking lot of a Walmart in Helotes in a possible heat-related death, the Helotes Police Department confirmed Friday.

HPD Capt. Anthony Burgess said the 6-month-old boy was discovered when the father, a Wal-Mart employee who reported to work at 6:15 a.m., went to his vehicle in the employee parking area.

Temperatures in Helotes around the time of the discovery was in the low 100s.

RELATED: 10 charged in synthetic marijuana ring in Austin

Witnesses flagged down two officers in a cul-de-sac down the street at about the same time 911 calls began coming in from others at about 3:12 p.m, Burgess said.

Officers saw the father was visibly upset as he was leaning over the infant, who firefighters confirmed was deceased.

The father told investigators he was supposed to have taken his son to day care before work.

RELATED: Mexican Mafia member pleads guilty in cop's killing

Burgess said the father was cooperative until he locked up, possibly from shock, and was taken to a nearby hospital because of chest pains.

jbeltran@express-news.net
Lawyers for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl want his Feb. 6 trial canceled and the general who ordered his court martial replaced, saying the commander burned more than 100 letters for and against their client sent by the public and didnt bother to read defense arguments before ordering the trial.

Bergdahl, 30, of Hailey, Idaho, held prisoner by the Taliban for nearly five years after abandoning a remote Army outpost in Afghanistan, is set for trial at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. He faces up to life in prison.
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An investigation into the death of an infant who was left in a hot car in a Walmart parking lot in Helotes continued Saturday as officials released the identity of the young boy.

The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office identified the child as 6-month-old Dillon Martinez, son of Trinidad Martinez, who is an employee of the Helotes store.

The father was supposed to drop the child off at day care before he began work at 6:15 a.m. on Friday.

RELATED: Baby found dead in vehicle at Helotes parking lot

When the father returned to the car in the afternoon, when temperatures reached the low 100s, he found the infant dead.

Helotes police continued interviewing store employees on Saturday.

This is a very active investigation, said Helotes police Capt. Anthony Burgess. There are no charges filed, but that is not saying there will not be any.

We have to look at every angle  we dont want to jump to any conclusions, Burgess said.

The Medical Examiner has yet to rule on a cause of death.

RELATED: Woman accused of fatally stabbing nephew released from jail

Firefighters and police responded to the scene on Friday after the child was found in the car. They confirmed the infant was deceased.

The father was distraught but cooperative with authorities until he complained of chest pains and was taken to an area hospital for observation.

gmartin@express-news.net
People in Texas were stunned by the murder of 18-year-old Haruka Weiser in April as she was walking back to her dorm at the University of Texas at Austin. Perhaps even more stunning is the suspect in the case: Meechaiel Criner, a 17-year-old runaway from a foster placement in Killeen.

Criner was seen hanging around a convenience store in Georgetown. Store employees were concerned enough to tell an off-duty policeman, who noticed blisters on the boys feet but did not inquire further or obtain his last name. Instead, the officer drove him into Austin, where Criner wandered the city for 10 days.

Then, on April 3, Criner encountered Weiser on campus. After allegedly sexually assaulting and killing her, he was found by Austin police lighting a fire in a campus building. He was taken to a shelter, where he was later arrested, having been identified from security camera video. He is innocent until proven guilty, but it is clear that the health care system lost track of him.

One of his former teachers was quoted as saying that he was abused as a child and abused within the Texas foster care system.

I had extensive conversations with him on an almost daily basis and he wrote about his past in some assignments in my class, the teacher said. Everyone is going to want to hang Mick, but he is mentally ill and he wasnt being treated.

This is not an Austin problem. It could easily happen here. Bexar County faces its own crisis in caring for those with severe mental illness. The great danger is that these types of situations will become the new normal  whether they are individual tragedies or mass casualties like Sandy Hook  and the toll of untreated mental illness will grow even greater.

While cases such as Weisers get media attention, those with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence. The question is, do we regard untreated mental illness as just a part of modern life  is there nothing odd about allowing thousands of severely disoriented, confused and psychotic individuals to wander our communities and sleep in the streets?

How did we come to this sorry state?

In 1841, school teacher Dorothea Dix visited the East Cambridge, Massachusetts jail, where she witnessed the terrible living conditions of incarcerated people with mental illness. Dix lobbied lawmakers and courts for better treatments; her efforts led to the establishment of 110 psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. by 1880.

Texas opened the Austin State Hospital in 1858 and the San Antonio State Hospital in 1889. SASHs census ranged between 3,500 and 4,000 in the 1950s. Today it is fewer than 300. The development of antipsychotic medication in the 1950s led to dramatic reductions in symptoms for many people with psychotic disorders, which in turn led to optimism that most could be treated successfully in the community.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act to develop local mental health centers with the hope of getting patients back in their communities and out of state institutions. But this act was never fully funded. Today, those leaving psychiatric hospitals do not get the follow-up care they need.

Every psychiatric hospital in Bexar County has scores of patients who are committed to an inpatient stay because they are a danger to themselves or others. They are stabilized and discharged, only to deteriorate again.

In the 1990s, many of these people ended up being arrested for minor offenses and placed in the Bexar County Jail  up to 750 with serious mental illnesses on any given day.

In 2002, a jail diversion program was launched. Police officers are now trained to recognize signs of mental illness. Rather than arrest the individual, he or she may be taken to a treatment program or a hospital emergency department.

Since its inception, Bexar Countys program has diverted thousands of people with mental illness away from jail, saving money and winning national recognition. The problem is that, increasingly, there are no places to divert the person once dropped off at a local emergency department.

There has also been an increase in arrests of those with mental illness for more serious charges; these individuals are taken to jail. If, however, they are found incompetent to stand trial, they must be transferred to what is called a forensic bed in one of the state hospitals. They remain there until they regain competency, which in some cases can take years.

In May, SASH was required by the Department of State Health Services to convert 32 of its regular longer-term psychiatric beds to forensic status  meaning these beds are no longer available to patients in Bexar County.

The Center for Health Care Services, or CHCS, our local community mental health authority, operates both a crisis center and a sobering unit west of downtown near Haven for Hope. However, only those who are medically clear and not agitated can go there.

Those with the most severe symptoms are taken to local emergency departments  particularly University Hospital, which receives, on average, 180 per month, a number that has grown by 50 percent in the past year. University Hospital has 10 semiprivate rooms, or 20 beds, for those with acute psychiatric symptoms needing inpatient stabilization. Some cannot be paired with another patient in a room, reducing available beds even further.

Many wrongly believe University Hospital has a psychiatric emergency department or can offer an easy entry into the state hospital. This is not the case. A typical patient is released when calm or must wait until a bed is available in a psychiatric inpatient unit.

What is to be done?

Break the cycle

The cycle of admission, stabilization, poor outpatient follow-up and deterioration must be broken.

As a pilot program funded by the Methodist Health Ministries and a special Medicaid program, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio set up a Transitional Care Clinic for seriously mentally ill patients who are discharged from psychiatric hospitals or diverted from emergency departments.

Here, patients can get refills of their medication, help from social workers and counseling. Since opening, the clinic has served more than 3,500 people and saved roughly $2.5 million by diverting patients from emergency departments, and another $9 million in preventable readmissions.

We need more programs that close the gap between the hospital and outpatient care.

Provide more assistance

Case managers need to be able to go to the persons home, pick them up for appointments, and help them take medication or attend needed counseling, especially for treatment of drug use. In general, about half of those with serious mental illness do not keep their follow-up appointments.

Increase inpatient beds

Bexar County has only 20 public beds at University Hospital and a handful of beds at private hospitals that can be contracted for by CHCS. Harris County has a 300-bed psychiatric center funded by state and county funds, and is now requesting an additional 300 beds from the Legislature.

Bexar Countys estimated need, in addition to long-term beds at SASH, is a 100- to 200-bed psychiatric hospital.

The cost of not making these investments will be far greater than any of us wish to bear. Had the mental health system been functioning as it should in Austin last April, it is likely that Haruka Weiser would still be alive. Had Meechaiel Criner been treated earlier, he might have had a chance at a better life.

Perhaps we have come to see the plight of those with serious mental illness as something that does not affect us. They do not sleep on streets outside our homes; they are easily ignored as they panhandle on the freeway; perhaps we even laugh at their behavior when we pass them on the street.

Weisers death is a warning  what happened to her could happen to any of us or our family members. By providing the services those suffering from mental illness need, we not only prevent their suffering and death, but we may save our own lives.
A decade ago, methamphetamine was a major problem in Texas and across the nation because of the availability of ephedrine and other cold medicines used to make the drug.

After these cold medicines were regulated in 2005-06, meth production decreased and indicators of use and misuse dropped.

But now a new methamphetamine epidemic is quietly rising in the Southern and Western states, all while headlines and lawmakers focus on the increasing number of deaths due to heroin and prescription pain pills.

I should know  Ive studied patterns of substance abuse for more than 40 years.

In Texas, this new methamphetamine epidemic appears intertwined with increases in yet another problem: sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

What has happened is a new precursor, phenyl-2-propanone, or P2P, which is used by Mexican drug cartels to make methamphetamine. When made with P2P, meth is much more potent and can produce greater intoxication and enhanced dependence.

And the problem is getting worse.

In 2015, 91 percent of methamphetamine tested in forensic laboratories in the U.S. was made with P2P from Mexico. Because of the demand in the U.S., the kilogram amount seized at the Mexican border increased 37 percent between 2010 and 2015.

Last year, the Dallas and Houston divisions of the Drug Enforcement Administration ranked methamphetamine among the top two drug threats in their areas, similar to Atlanta and Los Angeles.

More available methamphetamine means more misuse and overdoses. In Texas, the number of people being admitted to treatment programs has doubled, as has the number of calls to poison centers specifically due to meth overdose.

Methamphetamine has become the major drug problem in areas of Texas that previously were dominated by heroin, even more so than back in the mid-2000s.

The methamphetamine epidemic in the Lone Star State is also going hand in hand with another troubling trend: increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, particularly among young men who have sex with men.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study shows that the proportion of men who have sex with men and use meth has gone up in the last five years  in Dallas, for instance, it has increased from 9 percent to 45 percent. And we know that men who have sex with men are becoming an increasing proportion of reported HIV cases in Texas  70 percent, which is as high as rates in 1987, after a low of 47 percent in 1999.

Is there a link between these two trends?

The problem seems to be that meth use in this population encourages risky or unprotected sex. Texas HIV outreach workers have reported that methamphetamine use, particularly crystal meth, is spiking among young men who meet male partners through global-positioning-system-based apps such as Grindr, Scruff and Jackd.

We need to confront these intertwined epidemics of methamphetamine and HIV immediately.

Although behavioral treatments have shown usefulness in improving treatment adherence for individuals with meth dependence, there are no medications approved to treat methamphetamine craving and dependence.

There still is no cure for AIDS, but there is at least one drug, a pre-exposure prophylaxis, that, if taken exactly as prescribed, can prevent infection by the HIV virus. Studies have shown the risk of HIV infection is lower if the pill is taken daily, safe-sex practices are used, and condoms are used during any kind of sex.

The solution is education and advocacy.

Users of methamphetamine and those engaging in risky sex must understand the dangers in which they are placing themselves and their friends. We all need to remember the lessons that those who survived the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s learned the hard way. Through regular use of condoms and medication compliance  that is, taking the pre-exposure prophylaxis drug daily  we can prevent another AIDS epidemic.
Its funny how coincidences work.

In 2010, as much as $7 million was dropped on the deck of the Maran Centaurus, an oil tanker captured by Somali pirates, and the brigands happened to free the crew.

In 1997, Walter Kwok, the son of an extravagantly wealthy Chinese businessman, was found alive in a wooden box after  oddly enough  the gangster holding him was paid $77 million.

In 1974, Marxist guerrillas in Argentina who had kidnapped Exxon employee Victor Samuelson unaccountably decided to release him upon receipt of more than $14 million.

To the list of these random, hard-to-fathom events must be added yet another bizarre coincidence: Last January, Tehran released four American prisoners just as the Obama administration sent $400 million in cash gift-wrapped for the regime.

This, at least, is the administrations cover story. Of course, no one would deny that all the earlier examples involved direct payments for the freedom of captives, but the administration wants plausible (or implausible) deniability. It insists it was the beneficiary of lucky timing with Iran. The weird confluence of cash payment and prisoner release can be called dumb luck, or a diplomatic opening, or another achievement of the indefatigable John Kerry  anything but the ransom for hostages it obviously is.

At the most basic level, if the U.S. government were paying ransom to Iran, this is what it would look like: A cargo plane stuffed with wooden pallets of $400 million in foreign currency, obtained by the U.S. government from the central banks of the Netherlands and Switzerland, landing in an airport in Tehran reportedly the same day the hostages were released. The director Michael Bay couldnt ask for better material.

To be sure, the money wasnt an explicit ransom. That would be too obvious. It was part of a $1.7 billion settlement of a long-standing dispute over an abortive Iranian arms purchase dating from before the fall of the shah. The administration maintains that the negotiations over the decades-old arms-deal dispute and over the American hostages had nothing to do with one another  they were handled by different U.S. negotiating teams.

But both teams worked for the same government, with the same goal of forging an opening to Iran and the same awareness of Iranian demands. According to the Wall Street Journal, which broke the details of the flight of cash to Tehran in a blockbuster report, U.S. officials acknowledge that Iranian negotiators on the prisoner exchange said they wanted the cash to show they had gained something tangible.

Something tangible is commonly known as a ransom, which is what the Iranian press has called it, in yet another example of the Iranians being more forthright about their dealings with the U.S. government than representatives of the U.S. government are. A commander of the Revolutionary Guards commented, not unreasonably, that taking this much money back was in return for the release of the American spies.

In a follow-up report, the Wall Street Journal noted that senior Justice Department officials objected to flying the cash to Tehran on grounds, in the words of one source, that the Iranians probably did consider it a ransom payment. And why not? Somali outlaws, Marxist guerrillas and hostage-takers going back to the pirates on the Aegean Sea who seized Julius Caesar and demanded 50 talents of silver for his freedom have always considered such payments ransom. They feel no need to resort to euphemism or to try to fool people about what they are doing.

In contrast, the Obama administration wants both to downplay the Iranian regimes crimes and evade the truth about how it responded. Although by its standards the ransom payment was deft negotiation  at least it got something for it. But Tehran now knows that hostage-taking pays lucrative rewards. The Iranians have taken three more hostages. They are clearly hoping for another coincidence.

comments.lowry@nationalreview.com
The Higher Education Coordinating Board set a high bar in 2000 when it embarked on a 15-year mission to reduce the achievement disparities within the state and bring Texas to national parity in higher education.

Closing the Gaps: The Texas Higher Education Plan was launched with great fanfare at the beginning of the millennium. Surprisingly little public attention was given to the final 32-page report on the plan released late last month.

The decade-and-a-half-long project focusing on student participation and success, and increasing university and college programs and research fell short of some its objectives. But it was by no means a failure. The state made great strides in many areas and even surpassed its goals in others.

The state did not meet its college student enrollment goals, but colleges and universities came within 25,000 students of target enrollment. That is significant considering the goal was to increase enrollment during the 15-year period by 630,000 students.

And significantly, graduation rates are exceeding expectations. In 2015, 258,795 bachelors degrees, associate degrees and certificates were earned  exceeding the states goal by more than 143,000.

But measuring success requires more than merely looking at column totals.

Hispanic enrollment has increased every year since 2000, but it fell short of the target. A look at the degrees awarded shows Hispanic students earned nearly 30 percent of all bachelors degrees awarded by public colleges in 2015, compared to 18.5 percent in 2000.

White student enrollment also fell short of goals, but the report notes that while the college rate of white students has declined, their persistence rates are improving.

African-Americans were the only one of the three major groups to meet enrollment goals. Despite a decline in African-American student enrollment during the last three years, the group met the goals due to tremendous enrollment growth in prior years.

Under the Closing the Gaps plan, each college and university was supposed to identify one program to develop for national recognition. They all accomplished that.

The schools, however, were not as successful in growing their share of federal science and engineering research dollars. Yet the institutions managed to exceed the research expenditures goals set in Closing the Gaps by more than $1 billion through grants, contracts, for-profit and nonprofit sources, and institutional funding.

We can choose to dwell on the shortcomings or focus on the positive  and build on them. The job of closing the achievement gaps in higher education is far from over.

More students need to seek some sort of postsecondary education to succeed in todays job market. Persistence rates also need to increase. The six-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time students entering college in 2009 was 32.5 percent.

The work of the last 15 years has laid a solid launching pad for the states next major higher education goal of increasing the number of young adults with a postsecondary degree or certificate.

Like the Closing the Gaps plan, the 60x30Tx plan has lofty goals. The aim is to have 60 percent of Texans between 25 and 34 earn a postsecondary degree or certificate by the year 2030. At present, only 38 percent of Texans in that age bracket have completed an education program beyond high school.

There have been many unforeseen obstacles in the journey toward Closing the Gaps. State budget crises resulted in significant funding cuts for higher education. College students and their families bear the brunt of those belt-tightening measures in the form of higher tuition rates that followed the deregulation of tuition. Compounding the problem was a reduction in need-based financial aid by state lawmakers.

Sure, things could have worked out differently under other circumstances, but there is no time to dwell on what could have been.

We must take from the lessons learned and move on. Our economic future is riding on the academic success of Texas students.
Its an epic disaster

For all of you still befuddled why anyone in his right mind would vote for Donald Trump, I may have some insight for you.

Who has been in charge of our country since 1776? White, Christian men. As minority numbers grow, with our first African-American president and the possibility of our first female president, the old vanguard is in panic mode. Trump promises to reduce immigrants by building walls and closing borders.

Better yet, blame those immigrants for Americas woes. Trump has created a bandwagon of epic proportions. Epic enough to get himself nominated by the GOP as its presidential candidate. Its as he said: I can shoot someone and still not lose support.

I believe he is correct in that assumption. That is what makes all of this so very dangerous.

Steve Ochoa

Its common sense

Donald Trump desires a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S.  just until we can figure out who wants to come here and follow our rules, and who wants to come here to kill us.

Where I was born and raised, small-town America, thats called common sense.

And it also follows that in instituting such a temporary ban, Trump is, in a sense, honoring the fallen American Muslim soldier who died for us and our way of life, and his grieving parents.

Why? Because if we prevent radicalized Muslims from entering the U.S., then peace-loving Muslims (such as the young heros parents) are being protected from radicalized Muslims who would like to kill the Kahns  as they already did their son.

Mary Lil Chappell

Trump redux

The Republican establishment better be careful about trying to control or run off Donald Trump. Theyll end up alienating at least half their voters and losing yet again, and whether they do or not, they may well ensure that another Trump arises, one they may hate and fear even more.

David C. Morrow, Corpus Christi

Waiting for apology

I am amazed at the vitriol spouted by the media and parts of the Republican establishment, especially the New York Republican establishment, at Ted Cruz for his speech at the Republican National Convention.

Now let me be clear. I intend to vote for Donald Trump. The alternative is utterly unthinkable. Nevertheless, the junior senator from Texas is being excoriated because he said, Dont stay home in November, stand and speak and vote your conscience. Immediately, led by the New York delegation, the booing started.

Exactly what was wrong with his statement? Many say it is because he failed to endorse Trump.

For my part, I would have done the same thing if Trump had tweeted and made the remarks about my father and wife that he made about Sen. Cruzs father and his wife, Heidi. I suspect that if Trump had called Cruz and apologized, this never would have happened.

But Trump has yet to do so.

William F. Malec, Fredericksburg

River of no return?

A political Zika virus has infected the GOP, and no amount of spinning will develop a vaccine in time to cure the affected voting areas. Ironically, the Trump-borne virus has produced a GOP more united than ever, and thus, no need for any intervention.

Donald Trump voters are not heading up the Potomac River to Washington D.C.; they are heading down the River Nile.

Jesse Lewis Howell

Hillarys secrets

When you go to the polls in November, remember this: Hillary Clinton put the need to protect her own secrets above the need to protect the national security secrets of the United States of America. What else do you need to know? Nothing else.

Letitia Snook

Many words, 1 vote

President Barack Obama, at the recent Democratic National Convention, spent a lot of time explaining to the public why he was going to cast his one vote for Hillary Clinton.

Wayne E. Vandeventer

Whos the villain?

Re: Commissioners apology is the right move, Gilbert Garcia, Aug. 5:

I love the way Garcia can sugarcoat the stupidity of what Kevin Wolff did, even throwing in a subliminal message of Its OK to vote for him again.

But, oh, my God, shame on District Attorney Nico LaHood for refusing to recuse himself from this case. The man has said nothing negative with regard to this situation, which Wolff brought upon himself, and yet somehow Garcia tries to paint LaHood as the villain.

Mario A. Gamboa, Universal City

Laid-back Tim

I agree with everything that your letter writers have written about Tim Duncan. The only thing that I might add is that Tim stayed the full four years at Wake Forest University and earned a college degree. Maybe that will explain his laid-back approach to some of the issues that others might have dealt with in a different way.

Good luck in the future, Tim.

Manuel Vera Jr.

Tipping point

Re: Development regulations cost consumers, Scott Farrimond, Other Views, Aug. 1:

Mr. Farrimond is like most people who advocate businesses that affect the environment. He complains that new regulations will increase the cost of building homes and businesses, regulations necessary for protecting that environment. What he and others forget is that if we keep damaging our ecosystem, it will soon go away.

What will we do when the Edwards Aquifer dries up or becomes too contaminated to use? He, like climate change deniers, does not understand that we are approaching a tipping point for which there is no fix known to man to save our environment.

Of course, those regulations will be paid by the purchaser of the building. One way to build houses that are more affordable, of course, is for builders to make less money on each building they construct.

Charlene Kaiser, Pipe Creek
The leader of the Islamic State branch that operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a U.S. air strike last month in eastern Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Friday. It was the U.S. militarys second killing of an anti-American Islamist militant leader in the region in the past three months.

The attack of the Islamic State branch leader, Hafiz Saeed Khan, was part of an operation by U.S. and Afghan forces in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan and is regarded as a hotbed of jihadi groups, Gordon Trowbridge, a deputy spokesman at the Defense Department, said in a statement.
1 Kashmir violence: Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Saturday extended a strict curfew to most parts of the restive region as separatist leaders called for weekend protests against Indian rule. Despite the curfew, protests erupted at several places in Srinagar, and police and soldiers fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to stop rock-throwing protesters. At least 10 people, including six police officers, were injured across the region. Kashmir has been under a security lockdown and curfew since the killing of a popular rebel commander on July 8 sparked some of the largest protests against Indian rule in recent years.

2 Yemen fighting: An air strike Saturday on a school purportedly carried out by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels killed at least 10 children and wounded dozens more, Yemeni officials and aid workers said. The Islamic school said in a statement that the strike in Saada, deep in the Houthis northern heartland, was part of raids that have resumed against the rebels after peace talks collapsed earlier this month. Aid group Doctors Without Borders condemned the attack, saying that all ten killed and 28 injured were between eight and 15 years old.
Last weekend my family held our twenty-ninth annual family gathering at Clear Lake, in Manitobas Riding Mountain National Park. Our first gathering at this location took place in 1988 to celebrate my parents fortieth wedding anniversary. We enjoyed it so much we decided to do it again the next year, and have gathered at the same place every year since then. While my parents are no longer with us the group has doubled in size from 13 to 26 members.

As we spend time in the park I am reminded of my fathers stories from his time as a Conscientious Objector (CO). Mennonites, and other faith groups, have often been exempt from military service based on their religious convictions. This was the case in Russia and also in Canada.

During the Second World War COs were given the opportunity to serve their country through various forms of alternative service. The areas in which they worked included construction of national parks, forestry services, and healthcare. They were typically given room and board, some of which was quite Spartan, and an allowance of $25.00 per month. The balance of their wages went to the Red Cross.

There were several initiatives in Riding Mountain National Park. A decision had been made to build a detention camp in the park for German prisoners of war. Firewood was in demand at the time and this camp was built to produce firewood from trees that remained after forest fires. Conscientious Objectors participated in the construction of the Whitewater Camp on Whitewater Lake, northwest of Clear Lake and Wasagaming.

Road and dam construction was also a part of the contribution of the COs. A dam was built at Whirlpool Lake just northeast of Clear Lake.

My father spent a relatively brief time in Riding Mountain National Park. From there he was sent to the Campbell River area on Vancouver Island to plant trees, fight forest fires and cut down snags, the trees that remained standing after a forest fire.

While many COs chose, because of their belief system, not to enlist in the military, they did make significant contributions to Canada during a time of war. Consider the impact our national parks have had, not only on tourists but also on the Canadian economy. Consider the value of the millions of trees planted in reforestation programs during that time. It is important to appreciate all the contributions made to our country, especially during the time of distress that war brings. To me, Clear Lake represents a tribute to the courageous men who stood firm on their convictions but still found ways to serve their country.
Lambert here: I like numbers. Arent troop levels the sort of numbers we should have? Especially in an election year?

By Sarah Lazare, a staff writer for AlterNet. A former staff writer for Common Dreams, she coedited the book About Face: Military Resisters Turn Against War. Originally published at Alternet.

It has been more than two years and 14,000 coalition bombings since President Barack Obama launched his open-ended war against ISIL under the dubious authority of a 15-year-old law authorizing military attacks. As the mission creeps to Libya, where military officials say there is no end point in sight, the Pentagon is refusing to disclose how many U.S. troops are currently deployed to Iraq and Syria.

The military does reveal the force management level, or full-time troops deployed to Iraq and Syria. According to a June 2016 statement from the White House, The Force Management Level for U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq currently is 4,087. The Force Management Level for U.S. Armed Forces in Syria is 300.

Yet, journalist Kristina Wong reported Thursday for the Hill that a Central Command spokesman acknowledged that some troops that temporarily deploy arent countedand this number could be far higher.

According to Wongs reporting, defense officials are making the conscious choice not to reveal the final tally of U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. Theres been a decision made not to release that number, spokesperson Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters in March. The number that we release is our force management level I dont have a reason for not releasing this number other than its the orders that Im under.

Since Warren made that statement, the Hills repeated requests for exact numbers have been rejected.

Any final tally of U.S. forces would have to include the droves of U.S. contractors in Iraq and Syria, exact number unknown. The Pentagon revealed in late July that Six3 Intelligence Solutionswhich is now owned by CACI Internationalwon a windfall $10 million no-bid contract from the Army for intelligence services in Syria. As Kate Brannen noted in the Daily Beast, details are scant, with the military refusing to disclose the most basic information about how many contractors will be deployed and what they will do.

CACI International faced global condemnation for its role in torturing and dehumanizing people held captive at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

According to Wongs calculations, the total amount of troops and Defense Department personnel involved in the [ISIL] fight could be anywhere from to 8,252 to 10,152. This is well above the FML estimates officially provided by military officials.

The Obama administration is refusing to disclose other key information about the military campaign, including the numbers of civilians who are dying at the hands of U.S.-led forces. The Pentagons public estimates of civilians killed and wounded in its attacks fall well below the calculations of witnesses and journalists. According to the journalistic organization Air Wars, which monitors international bombings, a minimum of 1,568 civilians have been killed by the U.S.-led coalitions war on ISIL.

Raed Jarrar, government relations manager for the American Friends Service Committee, told AlterNet that rather than attempting to obfuscate the number of U.S. troops in the Middle East, the Obama administration should deliver on its promises and withdraw all troops from Iraq and Syria. Having U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria is not something we should be proud of.
United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga., is the latest bank to focus on baby boomers, but not in the business that most people relate to that generation.

Most talk about banking baby boomers has centered on wealth management as that generation ages and starts looking to transfer wealth to their children.

Another growing area of business, however, centers on senior care, and that is where United is making its move. After a lengthy pursuit, the $10.4 billion-asset company hired a four-person team from Community & Southern Bank in Atlanta that specializes in financing senior care facilities. (C&S wa sold last month to Bank of the Ozarks for $800 million.)

United had been eyeing the senior care market for two years, said Charles Chamberlain, the company's director of corporate banking. "We've been seeing the growth in the [senior care] space in our markets," he said.

"We kept seeing opportunities, but we wanted the skill set and support set to really do it right, and not in a haphazard way," Chamberlain added.

About 90% of all senior living units were occupied at June 30, according to data from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, a nonprofit based in Annapolis, Md. Rents are up 3.2% in the past 12 months, while inventory has increased by 2.3%.

The C&S team, led by Jennifer Lawley, has been able to tap into those positive trends, originating more than $400 million of senior-care-related loans last year. Since joining United, the team has booked $80 million in loans, with another $50 million to $70 million "in various stages of negotiations," Lawley said.

"We've been able to build a robust pipeline in a very short period of time," Lawley said. "Most of that was driven by past relationships."

Lawley's team kept popping up in discussions United conducted as it looked to recruit lenders. "Certain names kept recurringand it became obvious this team was very highly regarded," Chamberlain said. "We stuck to our guns and eventually got them."

The new United team lends to a wide range of senior-care providers, including assisted-living and memory care facilities, nursing homes and post-acute-care rehabilitation centers across the Southeast.

United, meanwhile, isn't the only bank to dive into the senior-care business.

The $1.9 trillion-asset Wells Fargo made a similar move last year, establishing a specialty business group focused on financing senior housing facilities. Business has ramped up significantly since the formation of Wells Fargo Senior Housing Finance; originations last year more than doubled those in 2014.

This year is showing even more improvement, said Mark Cotsakis, the group's leader, though he declined to discuss specific figures. "Based on transactions closed and in closing, we will see continued origination growth in 2016," he said.

Wells Fargo Senior Housing Finance focuses on private-pay, rental independent living, assisted living and memory care facilities. "We have specifically been successful at financing larger transactions with industry-proven operators, many of whom team with private equity or REIT capital partners," Cotsakis said.

So far, credit quality seems to be holding up well for loans tied to senior care.

"I like to think the loans we do perform better" than those for other loan categories, said Dennis Rowlen, a lender on the new United team. "We've never had any past-dues or any of the loans turn sour."

Rowlen's experience with asset quality is "very common within the sector," Chuck Harry, chief of research and analytics at National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, said. "Statistics measuring delinquency rates give a strong indication of how solid these loans are compared to other categories."

Beyond sterling credit quality, a decision to focus on senior lending may receive a boost from simple demographics. In 2012, the 80-and-older population was 11.6 million, according to the Census Bureau. Those numbers are only going to get bigger; that demographic is forecast to nearly triple by 2050.

"Industry projections suggest annual demand over the next decade growing to three to five times the current industry output," Cotsakis said.

The supply of senior housing units should keep pace with demand in the immediate future, Harry said, adding that there are indications of "increased demand" in the future.

At United, adding the new team is just one of several efforts under way to expand into specialized lending. Under former TD Bank executive Richard Bradshaw, who was hired in 2014, United has also expanded its Small Business Administration lending.

Specialized lending at United has "grown very successfully and very rapidly," Chamberlain said, adding that the company was mulling adding new business lines such as equipment financing and affordable housing.
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Obama to blame for allowing fracking in national forests and parklands

(NaturalNews) America's national forests and parklands are historic treasures, and something we all cherish as publicly-owned and managed green spaces to be enjoyed by all. But they're under attack by the oil and gas industries, which would like nothing more than to exploit these pristine areas for private gain  and in some areas of the country, this is already starting to happen.In Southeastern Ohio, for instance, Wayne National Forest is about to get "fracked" (hydraulic fracturing for natural gas), unless citizens stand up and stop the two people in charge of allowing it: Regional Forester Kathleen Atkinson (414-297-3765) and Forest Supervisor Tony Scardina (740-753-0880). Citizens are rising up in protest because they recognize that the precious biodiversity of this beautiful forest is at risk.Or how about the George Washington National Forest in Virginia? Forest management authorities there recently announced that they will allow a shocking 1.1 million acres of this pristine and historic green space to be fracked by private corporations  this, after a much-anticipated forest management plan was expected to include a, not an allowance.The official blog of the American Forests had this to say about the decision, which puts more than 40 different species of trees and 2,000 species of shrubs and herbaceous plants at risk of extinction:"The Forest Service's decision to allow fracking is counter to their mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. While American Forests agrees with the multi-use mandate for our national forests , not all activities are good for our nation's forests. Energy and mineral exploration does not sustain the health, diversity or the productivity of our forests. It threatens them."A similar, if not more aggressive, sentiment is present all the way over in South Africa, where the one-of-a-kind Karoo Desert is at risk of exploitation and destruction by Shell Natural Gas. This particular region is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, replete with more unique varieties of succulent plants, reptiles, and insects than anywhere else on earth.Shell wants to drill for gas using high-pressure, high-volume, heavy-industrial drilling and fracking methods like those being used in the U.S. that are contaminating drinking water supplies and polluting the natural environment, including pristine water supplies, with chemicals and methane gas. All of these things destroy plants and animals, and could, in the case of the Karoo Desert, result in their forever elimination and extinction  which is why petitioners are seeking to bar Shell Natural Gas from ever setting foot in the area."Individuals in the Karoo rely on [their pristine] water for daily household use, and to keep their small agricultural businesses going," writes Sara Stavile for ForceChange.com. "Water is the most precious resource in the area for plants and animals alike. Why should water resources be destroyed in order to fuel humanity's addiction for unsustainable energy?"In case you're wondering why one of the most destructive industrial practices of the modern age is now being allowed in our most pristine forests and parklands, look no further than the Obama White House. The Obama-overseen federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has concluded through a supposed "Environmental Assessment" (EA) that the effects of fracking on the quality of the human environment "are not expected to be significant or controversial." So that's that, apparently.So it's up to citizens and grassroots activism at this point to put a stop to the destruction of our natural environment, and especially our most precious collective resources: our national forests and parklands. Citizens also need to grab their own health and future by the bullhorns and take precautionary measures like filtering their own clean drinking water, using advanced water purification methods like those present in the Berkey gravity-fed water filtration system
(NaturalNews) The government of Colorado has so far managed to quash efforts to halt the spread of fracking in that state, but come November, residents will finally have the chance to overpower the will of politicians and Big Oil and Gas.(Article by Lauren McCauley, republished from Commondreams.org Petitioners on Monday submitted more than 200,000 signatures backing two separate initiatives to amend the Colorado constitution, specifically in regards to the controversial drilling method."This is a good day for Colorado, and it's a good day for democracy," said Lauren Petrie, Rocky Mountain Region director of Food and Water Watch. "These initiatives will give communities political tools to fend off the oil and gas industry's effort to convert our neighborhoods to industrial sites. This is a significant moment in the national movement to stem the tide of fracking and natural gas."Initiative 78 would establish a 2,500-foot buffer zone protecting homes, hospitals and schools, as well as sensitive areas like playgrounds and drinking water sources, from new oil and gas development. This expands the current mandate of a 500-foot setback from homes and, according to Coloradans Resisting Extreme Energy Development (CREED), is based upon health studies that show increased risks within a half mile of fracked wells and the perimeters of real-life explosion, evacuation, and burn zones.Colorado regulators say that, if passed, Initiative 78 could effectively halt new oil and gas exploration and production in as much of 90 percent of the state.Initiative 75 would establish local government control of oil and gas development, authorizing local municipalities "to pass a broad range of more protective regulations, prohibitions, limits or moratoriums on oil and gas developmentor not," according to the grassroots group.This measure challenges a May ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court which said that state law overrides local fracking bans.Various moratoriums or anti-fracking measures bans have been passed by the communities of Lafeyette, Boulder, Fort Collins, Broomfield, El Paso County, and Longmontthough many of these efforts were quashed by the Supreme Court ruling. Campaigners are hopeful that the initiatives would lay the foundation for many more.Colorado's Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper, an infamous proponent of fracking , has voiced his strong disapproval of the ordinances.The signature deadline was met Monday despite the fact that the citizen volunteers faced harassment and, as Common Dreams previously reported , a massive, industry-funded opposition campaign which included deceptive television ads telling citizens to "decline to sign" the ballot petitions. Reporting by the Colorado Independent revealed the campaign to be "part of an orchestrated, multi-year effort by both Colorado-based and national energy giants. One of their front groups is Protect Colorado, which funded the petition-gatherer-of-doom TV ad and is actively seeking to thwart citizens from qualifying the two measures for the ballot.""Industry has been gearing up for this fight for five years," Dan Grossman, Rocky Mountain regional director for the Environmental Defense Fund, told ThinkProgress. "This was kind of the pre-fight, the undercard... If either of these make it onto the ballot, we're going to see a cage match -- an all-out war."And the stakes are high. As the New York Times put it , should either measure pass, "it would represent the most serious political effort yet" to stop fracking in the U.S..The Colorado Secretary of State's Office now has 30 days to authenticate the signatures before they make the ballot. The announcement is expected to be made by September 7.Read more at: Commondreams.org
Is a government agency behind all of this?

Homeless person says the same thing

(NaturalNews) It is a story that seems too horrific to be true, but a popular Alabama talk show host who is investigating it says there may be something to it: Homeless people are being victimized by a government agency that is removing them from city streets all over the country and depriving them of their organs.In an interview with Dave Hodges of The Common Sense Show , Josh Coy, himself a host on, the largest station in Alabama covering a four-state region, said that the story begins with laws that are spreading around the country forbidding anyone from feeding homeless people.Elected officials began implementing such local ordinances as a way to discourage the homeless from settling in their cities, which they feel would hurt business growth and upset residents. But it seems there is something more sinister going on.Coy says that as he began looking into the story, he discovered that homeless people were "literally disappearing" overnight in some cities, as in, they were there one day, gone the next  and no one knew why or where the missing person had gone. But he said few others were asking questions about the strange disappearances because of what he says is a cultural bias against homeless people.Coy noted that most Americans seem to have a misconception about the homeless  that they are sans homes because they are drunks or substance abusers, which is one of the main reasons few questions were being asked when a homeless person vanished. But that's not true, he said; the majority of homeless are veterans and others who simply got down on their luck due to job losses and the bad economy. That's also why, he said, the numbers of homeless have been increasing."So that's what led me down the path" to pursue the story, Coy said.As he began investigating, the Alabama talk radio host says he discovered that literally thousands of people over the past five years or so had gone missing, but that the "story surrounding their disappearance(s) is the creepiest part."Coy said that as he dug, he began to find what he believes is a common denominator in the disappearances: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.The agency, Coy said, has been working under the radar to set up random "soup kitchens" and other areas to feed homeless people , even when it contravenes local ordinances prohibiting such activity. The day after the feeding location is set up, strange unmarked vans show up with people wearing blue jumpsuits who talk with the homeless, and the next thing anyone knows, some of them go missing.While Coy said the people were wearing unmarked jumpsuits, he said they were of a type that FEMA workers generally wear.Hodges, the interviewer, noted that there could be a couple of things going on. One that he suggested was that the homeless may be abducted and then taken to facilities where some of their organs are harvested, like China has done with scores of its prisoners . Hodges also said it is possible that the homeless are being taken to existing FEMA camps where they are used for internment training purposes for government personnel.On that latter point, Coy agreed, stating that Hodges' theory on that was a prevailing one.For his part, Hodges referenced a U.S. Army field training manual: paragraph "N" of FM 3-39.4 , dated February 2010 and titled, "Internment and Resettlement Operations." That manual, he said, is the blueprint for how U.S. Army and other personnel would take in massive amounts of civilians and then either keep them as prisoners or move them to other locations.Both believe that such camps  and the homeless in them  may also be part of U.S. training of foreign troops who would eventually be placed in charge of them.search online for "homeless people disappearing" turned up a slew of stories in the alternative media, most of them reiterating the theory Coy and Hodges made about the FEMA camps.But there was also this: An archived Reddit post from about a year ago, allegedly written by a homeless person, who said definitely that the homelessListen to the entire Hodges and Coy interview here
Manatees have been endangered in the Caribbean for over a hundred years, but now efforts are being undertaken to get them back in their waters. The Singapore Zoo recently released two young manatees to the island region as part of a repopulation project for the endangered sea cows led by the Guadeloupe National Park.

According to a report from Phys.org, Kat and Junior were both born and bred in the Singapore Zoo but are reportedly doing fine even after they took a trip of about 34 hours and settled in their new home. They were released at the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, which is a 15,000-hectare protected area.

"The first signs are positive," one of their caretakers of the sea cows informed reporters. "They are starting to interact with their carers and to feed and keep hydrated."

The gentle pair was chosen because of their close bond with each other and they've already reached sexual maturity, a report from VOA News revealed. Their ages aren't far apart with Kai being born on October 8, 2009, and Junior on February 2, 2010.

The successful arrival of Kai and Junior comes after a decade of efforts to repopulate the Caribbean with manatees. It was originally expected that Brazil will be sending the animals back in 2014, but the transfer did not push through. Eventually, the hope came from Singapore Zoo.

"We never thought we'd have to go that far for them," Herve Magnin, head of the heritage department at Guadeloupe National Park, said in a report from Phys Org.

It won't be just these two creatures in the Caribbean though. In the next five years, 13 other manatees will be joining Kai and Junior in Guadaloupe. Ten of the sea cows scheduled to arrive are female and any offspring of the group are going to be released into the wild.

The West Indian manatee has been extinct in Guadaloupe for about a hundred years because of hunting, the VOA News revealed. The animal is also listed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
A giant, nearly 100-pound tree branch collapsed and fell on top of a mother watching her two children play in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood Friday afternoon.

The woman, 36, is now in critical condition with a serious head injury, according to police. She had been in the area near Washington Square Park at Columbus Avenue and Filbert Street, watching her children play nearby, when the tree branch came crashing down nearly 60 feet and landed on her head.

"It's devastating beyond words," said Aaron Peskin, a San Francisco City Supervisor. "Obviously our concern now is for this mom."

Police say the 9 and 5-year-old children saw the branch fall.

"When we arrived, the victim was in and out of consciousness," said David Lazar of the San Francisco Police Department. "We were able to get her assistance quickly, and off to the hospital she went."

The victim's children are now with their father as she struggles to recover at San Francisco General Hospital.

Peskin and othe city officials met at the park to consider the safety of the Canary Island Pine Tree, a tree that has "performed well" in San Francisco parks in the past, according to a statement.

That particular pine was last assessed in 2010 and found to be healthy, according to Elton Pon, and outreach and communications manager for San Francisco.

Pon said in an email that the department has conducted 14 tree assessments at the park over the last 10 years, and added that crews would be out next week to check to see if conditions have changed at the park.
The Sikh community in Union City is reeling after a man allegedly defiled a Guru Granth Sahib, a book that contains religious scriptures and is considered holy by the group.

In the presence of Sikhs, who gathered at Contempo Park around 7 p.m. Thursday, the still unidentified man ripped the book to shreds, police said. He did not threaten the onlookers, and simply walked to his car and drove away after destroying the book.

"We didn't say anything to anybody," Trilok Kumar said, clearly feeling exasperated. "Why they do that to us...I know it's a crime. For us, it's a crime."ll

No one knew the man or made note of his cars license plate number after what police called a disgusting and dishonorable act.

Legally, however, the police department, although encouraging a feeling of safety and solidarity in Union City, said its hands are tied because the First Amendment protects peoples right to free speech.

Meanwhile, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Pleasanton) issued a statement decrying the incident. He accused the perpetrator of seeking to foment strife within our community.

This act was hateful and wrong, but we must reject this invitation to be divided, Swalwell said.

As a member of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, Swalwell noted that Sikhs have contributed to Union City for 130-plus years.

We must ensure all faiths and cultures are respected, he stressed. We wont tolerate religious hatred; we will stand together."

Union City Police concurred with the congressman, although she says prosecuting the suspect would be a bit tricky.

"He really didn't break any laws in the United States," said Spokesperson Lisa Graetz. "It might be repugnant and offensive, but he didn't break any laws. He had the first amendment right to do what he did."

Police would like to speak to the man and are requesting people with information about the incident to call (510) 675-5207 or email tips@unioncity.org.
When "Rosie" fans get all dolled up for the rally in Richmond this weekend, they'll don her iconic polka dot bandana and red knee socks to faithfully reproduce the image from posters and magazines.

Each wanna-be Rosie also must wear blue coveralls or a dark blue work shirt and jeans, and black or brown work shoes to be counted toward breaking a record for most people dressed like Rosie the Riveter. The Richmond rally has adopted stricter rules to compete with a similar event outside Detroit.

The Michigan Rosies stepped up the competition last year by bringing together more than 2,000 people dressed like Rosie at an former bomber plant.

Park rangers at the Rosie the Riveter-WWII Home Front National Historical Park and officials at the Rosie the Riveter Foundation hope attendance this year wins the title from the Guinness World Records.

The real "Rosies," the women who took jobs that traditionally went to men during World War II, wore whatever they had to to get the job done. During World War II, clothing and shoes were in short supply.

Marian Wynn, 90, of Fairfield, who worked as a pipe welder in the Kaiser shipyards, wore a heavy leather jacket, men's pants, men's work boots and a hood when she worked. Underneath, She wore lipstick and curled her hair so it would look good after work.

"We wore the leathers over our regular clothes and pants. We wanted to look good when we went home after work," she said. "It was just natural to try to look as good as you could. I was 18."

Her friend and fellow Rosie, Kay Morrison, 93, said her clothes were practical, in men's pants, because women's pants hadn't come out yet.

"We were doing a job for our country and that was the important thing," Morrison said. "We were Roosevelt's secret weapon."

Morrison said wrestling the long, heavy cable that provided power to her welder wasn't too hard. She had been working since she was 14 in Chico, picking peaches.

Both women say they wish they had saved more clothing and mementos from when they worked in the shipyard. They didn't realize at the time how the shift of women into the workforce would set off other societal changes, how Americans' new-found mobility would set off dramatic population shifts, and how the wartime economy and the boom that followed would shape their lives. Both left their jobs, married and had children after the war.

Neither Morrison or Wynn remember exactly when they first saw a drawing of Rosie, but they both came to see themselves, and feel proud about their contribution to the war effort and to challenging preconceptions about what women could do at work.

Just like the real Rosies, contemporary Rosies who are dressing up in 1940s attire for a day have a lot of freedom to accessorize and express themselves. Men can dress up too. But Guinness will only count humans toward the record.

Courtney Cummings wore Native American beads on top of her work shirt to honor her heritage and how the war effort brought so many Americans from different backgrounds together. Her 8-year-old daughter, Malina Angel Marvilla, pinned her bandana back to show off her blue hair.

Lead Ranger Elizabeth Tucker plans to wear her Park Service uniform and ranger hat, because she'll be on duty on Saturday. But got a polka dot manicure to celebrate the day.

The gift shop sells "Rosie kits," red socks and the regulation bandana. But that doesn't help with the age-old challenge of how to look cute in baggy coveralls.

Renilie Casborn, 29, of Fairfield, dropped by the NPS gift shop to buy a T-shirt with featuring an African-American welder Rosie with a no-nonsense look on her face. She wears protective clothing at her job at the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo.

"I dress up like Rosie every day at work. I wear coveralls and boots - that's my uniform," she said. But at the rally, "when I add the scarf and the socks, and stand out there like last year with all those other women, it's fun."

Women who aren't used to work-wear, should realize that "coveralls aren't for women. If they fit us up here, they're big down here. And vice versa," she said. "Last year I wore a belt."

Ranger Jessica Sloan said she has become an expert at tying bandanas and securing them with bobby pins.

Morrison laughed at the contemporary Rosies fussing with bobby pins to hold their bandanas in place. In the 40s, she explained, the bandanas were made of stretchy fabric. On top of the "do-rag" of that day, she wore a protective beanie and a welding hood.

Rosie got her name first from a popular big band song in 1942, then from a Normal Rockwell magazine cover. During the war years, she won hearts for her hard work in aircraft factories. Later, on a propaganda poster, under the words "We Can Do It!" she became a heroine of women's rights and a symbol of the societal change that the war brought. Now she has captured the imagination of marketers, and her image graces lunchboxes, coffee mugs and T-shirts.
A toddler found dead inside a duffel bag carried by a Southern California couple trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border into Tijuana was drowned, a San Diego Deputy District Attorney said Friday.

Deputy DA Kurt Mechals said the girl, who was approximately two years old, died from a "residential-type drowning." An autopsy determined the tot also showed signs of malnutrition, dehydration and trauma, Mechals said.

The prosecutor said the investigation is ongoing and he could not release any further details on the toddler's death. He said investigators have theories on the motive but that information is not being released at this time.

On Friday, the couple accused in this case  Johnny Lewis Hartley, 39, and Mercy Maria Becerra, 43, both of Whittier, California  were arraigned side-by-side in a downtown San Diego courtroom.

Each defendant faces one count of first-degree murder in the death of the little girl, as outlined in this complaint filed in court Friday.

If convicted, Mechals said they each face 25 years to life in prison.

Standing next to one another with their heads hung low, both Hartley and Becerra pleaded not guilty. A public defender was appointed for both suspects. A judge set bail at $2 million for each of the suspects.

Mechals said the drowning of the tot happened in Whittier.

Investigators are still trying to determine the relationship of the suspects to the victim, Mechals said. Hartley and Becerra are not the child's parents, but the parents also live in Whittier and know the suspects.

The San Diego Police Department said Hartley and Becerra were arrested at the pedestrian border crossing at the San Ysidro port of entry Tuesday around 12 p.m. after they attempted to cross into Mexico.

SDPD Lt. Ray Valentin said the duo was stopped by Mexican authorities and sent to a secondary inspection point.

Hartley was carrying a duffel bag. When officials scanned his bag in an X-ray machine, they discovered the body of the little girl inside the bag, police said.

At that point, Valentin said Becerra tried to run away from authorities, but was quickly apprehended and taken into custody. Hartley was also arrested. They were deported back to the U.S. side of the border and turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The SDPDs Homicide Unit arrived at the port of entry and took custody of Hartley and Becerra, booking them into jail in San Diego on suspicion of child cruelty and first-degree murder.

After interviewing the suspects, Valentin said SDPD Homicide Unit detectives determined that whatever happened to the little girl occurred in Whittier, which is about 127 miles north of Tijuana.

SDPD detectives are working closely with detectives of the Whittier Police Department on the case.

Mechals said there is still much work to be done. At the suspects' arraignment on Friday, the prosecutor said details were still being developed, including whether the toddler's death was premeditated.

"There are a lot of moving parts," Mechals said of the case.

On Thursday, Valentin told NBC 7 it appears someone drove Hartley and Becerra to San Diego, possibly dropping them off at the pedestrian border crossing. He also said there was no missing person report filed on the toddler out of Whittier.

At this point, Mechals said there are no indications of additional arrests in this case. The name of the toddler has not yet been released. For now, court documents refer to the child as "Jane Doe."

According to the complaint against the suspects, Hartley has a prior conviction on his record from June 23, 2010, out of Orange, California.

An Instragram account for Becerra confirmed by NBC 4 Los Angeles earlier this week said the suspect is a mother of nine. The social media account has since been deleted.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Hartley and Becerra are due back in court on Aug. 18 for a status conference. Their preliminary hearing is set to begin Aug. 25.
A new law requiring all students in California to be vaccinated will be the subject of a legal challenge Friday afternoon in San Diego. It is a time sensitive hearing, as students head back to school over the next few weeks.

Senate Bill 277 went into effect July 1, repealing the state's personal belief exemption, which had allowed students to opt out of getting vaccinated.

Now, only children who have been immunized for diseases such as measles and whooping cough can be admitted to public schools, unless they have underlying medical conditions.

Its so punitive to take away the classroom education of a child. So it's just wrong, said Rebecca Estepp. She blames what she calls a vaccine injury for her son's autism.

Estepp represents a group called Education4All, which is asking a federal judge to delay the new law's enforcement until all legal challenges are resolved.

All were asking for is the court to go back to the law previously in effect, said Kim Mack Rosenberg, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys.

Mack Rosenberg says the new law is affecting the fundamental right under the Constitution to get a classroom based education with peers.

What the state is proposing is very radical. They are proposing barring thousands of children from classrooms permanently, she said.

In its response, the State wrote: A state's exercise of its police powers in protecting the public from communicable diseases is rationally based.

Meanwhile, proponents of vaccines welcome the more restrictive law.

I would say parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, they are choosing to be home schooled, said parent Shawn Vandriver.

But vaccine opponents say that is a punitive choice because many parents cannot afford to home school their children and that the law will impact 33,000 children who are not fully vaccinated.

This is a very small percentage, but to each child, their inability to access the classroom-based education they are guaranteed is a tremendous and lifelong burden, said Mack Rosenberg.

In a statement, the California Department of Education wrote: The department can't comment on ongoing litigation, but Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson strongly supports vaccination. It's the law in California, and it's the right thing to do for public health. Early reports indicate school districts are doing a great job of reminding parents that they need to submit vaccination records for students entering kindergarten and 7th grade."
A cat that was shot with a pellet gun and later found struggling for life has sparked an animal cruelty investigation in Contra Costa County, with animal rights activists and the pets owner rallying to bring the shooter to justice.

Terry Eubanks says she found her cat, Phoenix, dripping blood and barely able to move outside her Walnut Creek home Tuesday evening. The cat, who survived what appears to be a pellet gun blast to the eye, was rushed to an emergency veterinarian.

It was a bloody mess, Eubanks told NBC Bay Area. Although the doctors were able to remove a small pellet that had lodged in the eye area and save Pheonixs life, they were unable to save her eye. Another pellet, lodged in the animals jaw, has yet to be removed.

When Eubanks returned home, she received another unwelcome surprise. Pellets littered the ground outside her home.

Underneath my daughters bedroom window, which is very disturbing, she said.

She says that when she tried to report the latest incident to Contra Costa County Animal Services, the man she spoke with wasnt responsive.

He said, well, we are not CSI, she told NBC Bay Area. I said that as a public school teacher, I fully understand limited resources. I just wanted a number so that if anyone had any ideas, they could phone them.

NBC Bay Area contacted Contra Costa Animal Services, and they said the agency is now committed to investigating the incident.

For Eubanks, that has done little to assuage fears.

It seems like whoever it is intentionally shot a pet, she said.
There may be an end in sight in the Santa Clara County Superior Court workers strike that has plagued court services for more than a week.

On Friday afternoon, leaders of the Superior Court Professional Employees Association told its striking members that a tentative agreement has been reached with court management.

"If these clerks could come back to court starting this week, that would be wonderful for all of our members," said Max Zarzana, Government Attorneys Assoc. President.

The announcement at the picket line at the North First Street courthouse drew a cheer from clerks and other workers.

The proposal will be voted on at a special membership ratification meeting scheduled for Sunday.

Officials tell NBC Bay Area the key issue of a pay raise during the contract's second year has been addressed under the new proposal.

Court management had essentially offered a 9.5 percent raise in the first year, but no raise in the second year. A source told NBC Bay Area that the new offer will be for 18-months and move up the timetable of the first raise.

The union had rejected the offer saying it didn't make up for going eight years without a pay bump.

"It was really a dogged determination from both sides to get these folks back to work and start serving the public again," explained Tom Saggau, a union spokesperson.

The tentative agreement came unexpectedly after outside mediation started and then collapsed Thursday.

Sources say the new agreement resulted from so-called direct talks that started shortly after mediation failed.

NBC Bay Area broke the story last week when the union decided to walk out on Aug. 3

During the strike, many attorneys and citizens told NBC Bay Area about long delays in traffic court as well as stalled court cases.

View the tentative agreement here.
A two-year-old boy accidentally fell out of a window on the third floor of a Foster City building Thursday and died from the severity of his injuries later that night, police said.

"It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the passing of yesterdays fall victim," Foster City police Capt. Tracy Avelar said in a statement Friday. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and community."

Firefighters were dispatched at 8:19 a.m. to the Water's Edge apartment complex at 1200 E. Hillsdale Blvd on a report of the fall, San Mateo-Foster City-Belmont Fire Battalion Chief Chuck Goodwin said.

The child and his mother were walking in the hallway when she looked out of a window that although open was covered by a screen. The boy leaned against the screen, but it popped out, police said.

He fell three stories and landed on the ground below, according to police.

While a medical helicopter was en route, medics treated the child at the scene. They then turned over the boy to medical helicopter nurses and he was flown to Stanford Hospital.

Neighbors said Thursday that news of the fall had distressed them, and they were praying for the family.

Foster City police said Thursday that the investigation is ongoing, but so far, neither the parents nor the property owner have been held responsible for whats being called a freak accident.

A spokesperson for the apartment complex sent out a statement saying officials' thoughts and prayers are with the family, but did not comment on whether the windows will be closed in the future.
U.S.-backed fighters have liberated the Syrian town of Manbij from ISIS, observers and Syrian-Kurdish officials said Saturday.

Specifics of the operation and the status of thousands of residents in the town were not immediately clear, NBC News reported.

The northern town "is under full control" of rebels, Nasser Haj Mansour of the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) told the Associated Press.

He said search operations are still underway to find extremists who might be hiding in the town.

"Thank God. We are happy. Thank God we got rid of [ISIS]. May God hold them to account!" an unidentified woman in the town shouted, according to video footage obtained by Reuters.
During a 2014 interview with Stephen Colbert, Rep. Tammy Duckworth said she would be fine with a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

If the wall makes somebody happy and its not  then fine, Duckworth said at the time. But as long as we have comprehensive immigration reform.

The border wall has been a divisive topic throughout the current presidential election cycle. Republican nominee Donald Trump has drawn sharp criticism for his plan to build a large wall to bolster security on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Duckworth campaign said the congresswoman was discussing her support for a 2013 immigration reform bill that passed the Senate in 2013. The bill, which hasn't been acted on in the House of Representatives, would give undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship and construct 700 miles of border fencing between the U.S. and Mexico.

Duckworth spokesman Matt McGrath claimed the congresswomans comments were taken out of context from the rest of the interview.

Im still trying to figure out what the Kirk campaign is claiming here, and disappointed in their selective editing, which excludes Colberts plan for a flaming moat with fire-proof alligators, McGrath said in a statement. Maybe they didnt get the joke."

Additionally, Democratic Party of Illinois spokesman Sean Savett told NBC 5's Ward Room that the congresswoman's statement isnt inconsistent because every comprehensive immigration reform bill contains an accompanying bump in border enforcement.

McGrath noted that Duckworth has been a champion of comprehensive reform since 2006, while her opponent, Sen. Mark Kirk, has previously opposed such efforts.

Tammy Duckworth has been a consistent supporter of comprehensive immigration reform, which includes both a path to citizenship and enhanced border security, McGrath said. Republican Kirk, on the other hand, has been all over map on immigration, opposed the DREAM Act when it had a real chance to become law, and only now appears to be doing whats politically expedient.

Illinois deserves better, McGrath added.

According to the Daily Herald, Kirk voted against the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act in 2010 alongside 40 other senators.

The senator also voted to filibuster the comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013, siding with hardline conservatives like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.

Kirk ultimately voted in support of the bill after an amendment was added allocating $30 billion for border enforcement. The bill, which includes the DREAM Act, passed the Senate in June of 2013, but hasnt been acted on in the House of Representatives.

The Kirk campaign responded Friday, calling the Duckworth attacks false.

Duckworths claim that Senator Kirk opposed the DREAM Act is verifiably and demonstrably false and her attack is reckless and completely unfounded, Kirk spokesman Kevin Artl said in a statement. The DREAM Act was incorporated into the 2013 bipartisan immigration reform bill supported by Senator Kirk.

In fact, Democratic Cong. Bill Foster praised the DREAM Act provisions in the legislation Kirk supported, Artl added.

Kirk discussed the need for comprehensive immigration reform during a roundtable Wednesday alongside Rep. Bob Dold, the Illinois Observer reported.

Meanwhile, Rep. Luis Gutierrez published a blog post on Duckworth's Medium page that same day. The congressman criticized Kirk's stances and lauded Duckworth as a politician "fighting for immigration reform."
Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed an automatic voter registration bill Friday, noting that the bill needs changes to comply with federal law and prevent against voter fraud.

Under the legislation, people could automatically register to vote by seeking out state services, like getting a new or updated drivers license. The measure was slated to go into effect in January of 2018.

I strongly support efforts to encourage greater voter participation in our democracy and share the goals of this legislation, Rauner said in a statement. Unfortunately, as currently drafted, the bill would inadvertently open the door to voter fraud and run afoul of federal election law."

"We will continue working with the legislature and key stakeholders on language that meets our shared goals while complying with federal law and preventing voter fraud.

The bill was sent to Rauner in June after passing both Houses of the General Assembly before the end of the spring legislative session. The bill garnered strong, bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

In his veto message to fellow lawmakers, the governor recognized the bills worthy but ambitious goal, but voiced serious concern about implementation. Rauner noted that the Illinois State Board of Elections, Secretary of State and others have raised similar concerns.

Rauner claimed there were unadressed problems with the bill, for which there are workable solutions. He said more needs to be done to protect against voter fraud and comply with federal law, which requires applicants to sign an application or attest to meeting the qualifications to vote.

The consequences could be injurious to our election system, Rauner wrote.

In his veto message, Rauner also noted that the Illinois State Board of Elections must be given "adequate time and resources to implement the bills provisions. The governor claimed no funding has been provided to the already inundated ISBE to carry out the bills work.

Meanwhile, Sen. Kimberly Lightford, one of the bills co-sponsors expressed concern for minority voters.

Minority groups throughout our history have fought for the right to vote, and we should be continuing that legacy of promoting participation in our democracy, Lightford said in a statement. I will remain in support of this measure and hope to see it come to fruition in the near future.

Sen. Don Harmon, who also co-sponsored the bill, voiced disappointment in Rauners decision.

Automatic registration is a natural and logical extension of our already successful efforts to modernize and simplify the voting process in Illinois, Sen. Don Harmon, one of the bills sponsors, said in a statement. I am disappointed in the governors veto, and I will continue to be a champion for commonsense measures like automatic voter registration.

Cook County Clerk David Orr also voiced disappointment, claiming Rauners veto condemned 700,000 hard working Illinoisans to another unnecessary interaction with government.

Automatic voter registration is a proven good government measure that would have significantly helped modernize and streamline the states voter registration rolls, while taking the registration burden off the backs of Illinois voters, Orr said in a statement.

Additionally, iVote, a national organization dedicated to expanding access to voting, slammed Rauner Friday for taking "a step back from making voting more modern, secure, and cost-efficient in the state of Illinois."

"We are also disappointed that he passed on this opportunity to prove things can still get done in a bipartisan way in Springfield," a release from the group said.
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Republican State Sen. Matt Murphy announced his resignation from the Illinois General Assembly Friday. Murphy, who has been a close ally to Gov. Bruce Rauner, is leaving to become a contract lobbyist, the Chicago Tribune reports. He is expected to tenure his resignation Monday.

In an open letter published on his website, Murphy thanked his constituents and fellow lawmakers.

I have particularly enjoyed getting to know and befriend people from every corner of our state, from both chambers and parties, Murphy wrote. I wish more people outside of the legislative process could see how well we get along personally, even when we disagree vehemently on policy, and also how many legislators really do care about our state and constituents.

Murphy was elected to the state Senate in 2006 and ultimately became a GOP party leader, serving as the ranking Republican on the Senate Executive Committee. Murphy lost a bid to become the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2010. He was running alongside former GOP Chairman Andy McKenna.

Murphy specifically thanked fellow Senate Republicans in his letter Friday.

To my Senate Republican colleagues and our incredible staff, thank you for your acceptance of me, your friendship, and your passion for seeing Illinois reach its vast potential, Murphy wrote. I will miss being one of you more than I hope I ever let you see.

I especially want to thank Leader Christine Radogno for your friendship and the trust you always put in me.

The state senators resignation comes just weeks after Republican state Rep. Ron Sandack stepped down, citing cyber security issues" after abruptly taking down his social media accounts.
But who will catch the unsubs now?

Thomas Gibson, who played Special Agent Aaron Hotchner on the CBS program "Criminal Minds," has been handed his walking papers following an onset skirmish with one of the show's writers.

"Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds. Creative details for how the character's exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date," producers ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios said in a statement according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Gibson, who's been a member the show's cast since the outset in 2005, was initially facing a two-episode suspension following the altercation with writer and co-executive producer Virgil Williams, where he allegedly kicked him in the leg.

"I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last 12 years," Gibson said in a statement on Friday. "I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won't be possible now. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have."

The 54-year-old Gibson had previously starred in the sitcom "Dharma & Greg" and the hospital drama series "Chicago Hope."

Gibson's firing is the latest cast upheaval for the program. Last season was also the last for series regular Shemar Moore.
Two Muslim-American women who reported being physically assaulted and harassed on a Chicago neighborhood sidewalk Thursday, blame the political climate created by Donald Trump for the attack.

Suzanne Damra says the woman followed her and her mother as they walked to their car just after daybreak Thursday, in the 1600 block of West Howard St. in Rogers Park, spitting at them and hurling anti-Islamic insults. The two women were wearing a hijab, the traditional Muslim head covering.

Cellphone video captured by one of the victims from inside the car shows the alleged assailant trying to open the car's doors. The woman can be heard saying You're ISIS [EXPLETIVE]. You're ISIS [EXPLETIVE].

The woman then appears to try to break the car's side view mirror. Damra said it was at least the fifth time she and her mother had been accosted by the woman.

Her mother, meanwhile, can be heard in the video blaming the woman's bigotry on the Republican presidential candidate, who has called for a ban on Muslims seeking to immigrate to the United States.

"That's what you get from Donald Trump!" she screams as the suspect walks away. "Encouraging crazy people."

In an interview with NBC5, Damras mother Siham Zahdam said she believes Trumps rhetoric had emboldened people with anti-Islamic sentiments.

People copy what he is saying, she said. And they think he is going to make the white people more powerful.

Damra tells NBC5 that she was more upset by the lack of empthay of two bystanders, who she said witnessed the incident and did not intervene, then the attack itself.

There were two very young men, I dont think they were more than 21 or 22, she said. They were laughing, they high-fived her, and said, 'yeah, they are ISIS.'

Chicago Police said they are investigating the incident as a simple assault. But Chicagos Council on American-Islamic Relations called for both state and federal authorities to make a more aggressive inquiry.

Its very clearly a hate crime, said CAIR spokesman Hoda Katebi. To file this as a simple assault is not at all close to what it actually is.

A Chicago Police spokesman acknowledged that police know who the alleged assailant is, but said investigators are waiting for the two women to swear out a formal complaint.
A federal judge in Milwaukee has overturned the conviction of Brendan Dassey, the young man whose case was one of two documented in the Netflix series Making a Murderer."

Judge William E. Duffin found that investigators repeatedly made false promises to Dassey, who was 16 years old and a slow learner, in extracting a confession, which Dassey's legal team had maintained was coerced. The judge found that confession was involuntary in a 91-page decision handed down Friday.

Dasseys case was one of two followed in the popular Making a Murderer series, which depicts the story of Dasseys uncle, Steven Avery. Dassey and Avery were sentenced to life for the 2005 murder of 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach.

Dassey's attorney, Steve Drizin with Northwestern Universitys Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth, confirmed the news Friday.

"I am just beyond excited," Drizin said. "I had to pick myself up off the floor."

Duffin ordered Dassey be set free unless the state initiates a retrial proceeding in 90 days.

That, or an appeal of the decision, would put Dassey's release on hold, Drizin said. He and the legal team would then seek to have him released on bond.

"A lot's going to depend on what the state does here," he said.

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The Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth legal team, based in Chicago, first took Dasseys case to federal court in Wisconsin in 2014 in hopes that he would be granted a writ of Habeas corpus, which would have forced the government to examine his case and rule whether he has been imprisoned illegally.

Dassey was arrested at the age of 16 in connection with case, but his attorneys maintained his confession was coerced.

Avery, a Wisconsin man who was imprisoned for 18 years for sexual assault before DNA evidence exonerated him in 2003, was accused of Halbach's murder as he was suing Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, the former district attorney and the county sheriff for wrongful imprisonment, seeking $36 million in damages.

Most recently, the show's filmmakers said a juror from Avery's murder trial claims he was not proven guilty, but the juror had voted to convict him out of fear for his/her personal safety. The two filmmakers have not yet contacted other jurors to independently verify the claim, they said. NBC News has not independently verified the allegation with any jurors.

Steven Drizin, a clinical professor at Northwestern University School of Law who is among the attorneys representing Dassey, said his team of lawyers from the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern, and Wisconsin attorney Robert Dvorak, have spent years on the case.

Drizin said the team investigated Dasseys case for two years before filing an appeal in 2010. The appeal was ultimately denied by a state appellate court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

The habeas petition was filed in federal court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin in 2014.

Were hopeful is what I would say, Drizin said at the time. The deeper you go into this system, whether its in the state court system or the federal court system, the harder it is to win. Weve won cases in federal court before and were hoping that this is another one that well win.

Drizin said the petition focused largely on Dasseys original public defender, Len Kachinsky, who was ultimately removed from the case.

A lot of our appeal has to do with the actions that Brendans original attorney Len Kachinsky took, which demonstrated his disloyalty to Brendan and his willingness to work with the prosecution to try to get Brendan to plead guilty and testify against Steven Avery, Drizin said.

He also maintains that Dasseys confession was coerced by [investigators] feeding him facts.

To me, this case is a classic example of how not to interrogate juvenile suspects and the tactics that were used during Brendans interrogation are a recipe for false confessions, he said.

In a brief filed last year, the state argued Dassey failed to show that the appeals courts decision was unreasonable.

[Investigators] merely stated, in calm tones, that they already knew what happened and allowed Dassey to confess that he had raped Halbach, and was involved in her murder, the brief reads. Dasseys confession was not coerced, and the state courts decision on Dasseys voluntariness claim did not involve an unreasonable application of clearly established Federal law.

Former Calamut County District Attorney Ken Kratz, who prosecuted Dassey and Avery, recently told People magazine that he has "a great bit of sympathy" for Dassey, who he said "never would have been involved in this except for his uncle."

Dassey would have been out sooner if he had taken a plea bargain, Kratz said.

Drizin said while Making a Murderer has put Dasseys case in the national spotlight, he didn't believe it would have an impact on the judges decision.

I dont think that the Netflix movie is going to influence a federal judge, but at the same time, judges are human beings and the Netflix film has created a context for Brendans case that didnt exist at the time of his trial or his appeals, he said.
Two people were attacked in Logan Square in the past few weeks and the victims, who say they believe the two incidents are connected, want others to be extra careful as police investigate.

Surveillance video captured Levi Frerichs as he ran away from his alleged attacker. He said he was walking his dog in the 2600 Block of North Spaulding around 2:30 a.m. on July 30 when he was accosted and beaten by six people.

I tried to run and they surrounded me again, started hitting me, Frerichs told NBC 5. I dropped my dogs leash and the bag that I was carrying and one of the girls threatened to steal my dog.

Frerichs suffered a black eye and injuries to his head and jaw. He said he believes part of the motive was hate.

They were asking me if I was scared, calling me derogatory gay slang, Frerichs said. They were saying are you scared [expletive]? You better be scared you [expletive], just terrible things.

On Tuesday, there was another attack.

Logan Square resident Jean Godfrey was walking her dog in the 2600 block of West Bloomingdale along the 606 trail around 10 p.m. when she said a girl approached her and threw a sucker-punch.

She started to threaten me again, Godfrey said. She threatened to punch me in the face again and steal my dog.

Godfrey viewed the video of Frerichs being chased and says she believes she was struck by one of the people seen in the video.

I thought immediately that was the same person who had hit me, I recognized her, Godfrey said.

Other Logan Square residents are concerned about the violence, too.

Once the sun goes down I definitely dont feel good, even walking my dog, just because all of the things that Ive heard, said Julie Kabrud.

Ive never had any issues but when I hear these stories it makes me be a little more aware of my surroundings, Raymond Manasia said.

Chicago Police are investigating both incidents but have not determined whether or not they are linked.

In both instances, they didnt try to steal anything. Godfrey said. I had a purse on me, a phone  there was no effort to steal anything and they threatened both of usto steal our dogsand it seemed a random act of violence in both cases.
Two hours before tanks hit the streets of Istanbul in a failed coup attempt in which hundreds of people were killed across Turkey, US law student Kate Akkaya boarded a flight from Istanbul to Paris to visit a friend.

If I had any idea there could have been a coup attempt, I would have left much sooner, Akkaya said.

Akkaya, a Chicago native who grew up in New Jersey, had spent six months in Turkey for a study abroad program. Akkayas five-year-old son, Gabriel, had left Turkey with his father the previous day.

It was a little too close for comfort, Akkaya said.

Akkaya landed in Paris and received a flurry of messages from concerned friends and family members.

The first few messages were from a security firm thats contracted by the university to take care of those of us abroad, Akkaya said. They said are you ready to shelter in place? Thats not a question Ive ever asked myself before.

Originally, Akkaya planned to spend the weekend in Paris. She was due back in Istanbul a few days later to catch a flight to Boston, via Frankfurt.

My family started saying, youre not going back to Istanbul, are you? Akkaya recalled.

The failed coup resulted in thousands of arrests in Turkey. Meantime, the US government prohibited airline carriers from flying into the US from Turkey either directly or via a third country. While some airlines resumed service, the US government was urging travelers to work with their airlines to find alternate routes.

Akkaya stayed in Paris.

She had no laptop. No birth certificate. And only one change of clothes.

Akkaya said she tried contacting her airline carrier, Lufthansa, to change her upcoming flight. However, she said the calls would drop. So Akkaya contacted her cousin, Jim Kaboski, to see if he could help.

I used to travel a lot and have a lot of status with airlines, plus, I think, the fact that I was in the US, she said something about it was really expensive trying to be on hold on a cell phone in Europe, Kaboski said.

Kaboski contacted Lufthansa and asked if his cousin could board the second segment of her scheduled flight in Frankfurt to avoid having to re-enter Istanbul.

They said she could pick up the flight in Frankfurt, but it was going to be $3600, and I said, you got to be kidding me, Kaboski said.

Kaboski relayed the information to Akkaya, who cancelled her Lufthansa flight.

I dont understand why youd have to pay for something like that when I already booked it, Akkaya said.

Fortunately, Kaboski had enough mileage points on another carrier to fly his cousin to Boston.

To be honest, if I would have had to spend the $3600 and that was the only option, thats what I would have done, Kaboski said. Theres no way she was going back to Turkey.

Akkaya said she asked for a refund from Lufthansa and was not given a clear answer.

Kaboski later contacted NBC 5 Responds about his cousins situation with Lufthansa. While the airline declined to comment about the $3600 price to modify Akkayas flight, it issued her a $741.28 refund for the original roundtrip ticket.

Its just unbelievable that it really has to go this far for them to pay attention to that, Akkaya said. It shouldnt be this complicated.
The New Haven police chief has been asked to resign, a union source tell NBC Connecticut, but a city spokesman denies the claim.

Mayor Toni Harper and New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman met on Friday morning, city spokesman Laurence Grotheer said. He said that Esserman has not resigned and the mayor did not ask the police chief to resign.

Union source told NBC Connecticut that the cheif was asked to resign on Friday in the meeting with the mayor.

In July, Esserman agreed to take a 15-day paid leave of absence after members of the city's police union overwhelmingly voted to say they had no confidence in him, according to the mayor's office.

Earlier this year, Esserman allegedly berated a waitress at a New Haven restaurant , an employee told NBC Connecticut. The accusations of the incident surfaced during his paid absence.

It was the second time the mayor punished the chief since he was appointed to the top job in the police department. In 2014, he was reprimanded after a confrontation with an usher at Yale Bowl.

Assistant Chief Anthony Campbell has been acting chief during Esserman's absence.
Connecticut state police have arrested three people in connection with an armed robbery at the rest stop off Interstate 84 in Willington.

Walter Kirksey, 19, of Birmingham, Ala., Benjamin Cooper, 27, of Birmingham, Ala., and Karanda Clemons, 23, of Roxbury, Mass. all face charges related to the incident.

Police said two male suspects, later identified as Kirksey and Cooper, allegedly robbed a victim at the eastbound rest stop between exits 69 and 70. The victim reported that one of the suspects pointed a handgun at the victims head and the second suspect sprayed the victim with pepper spray. The victim said the suspect fled in a dark-colored SUV.

Troopers located a dark green Jeep Liberty on I-84 east near exit 74. The lone occupant, later identified as Clemons, was arrested when police saw items reported stolen from the victims in plain view in the vehicle.

Meanwhile Massachusetts state troopers found Kirksey and Cooper on foot just east of the Connecticut state line looking for a gas station. Police said the two men agreed to return to their vehicle where they were arrested by Connecticut state police.

Kirksey faces charges including robbery, larceny, reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm without a permit, commission of a felony with a firearms and threatening.

Cooper faces charges including robbery, larceny, assault, possession of a firearm without a permit, and weapons in a motor vehicle.

Clemons was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit larceny, and tampering with evidence.

Each was held on a $250,000 bond and scheduled to appear in Rockville court on Aug. 15.
John Soucy drove a concrete truck for the Joseph J. Mottes Company of Stafford for nearly a decade.

He is one of several former employees from the 1970s, 80s and 90s who said the company's regular practices had a direct impact on the quality of the concrete used for residential foundations.

"They didn't want to throw anything away, so if a mixer came back with a yard or two of concrete on it, they would just load on top of it," said Soucy

Frank Willis drove a mixer for Mottes for 8 years.

He said he'd often make seven deliveries or more in a day, and that the company added water all day long to keep the older concrete from hardening in the truck.

"If you got three yards on and they put seven yards on top of you, do a foundation or whatever, that concrete is junk, just junk. Mottes was making 100 percent profit off of leftover concrete, so they wouldn't have you get rid of it," said Willis.

Willis went on to work for at least two other Connecticut concrete operations.

"Most companies tell you throw it away. Mottes, they'd just keep adding to it all day long," said Willis.

We spoke with two other longtime J.J. Mottes employees who chose not to appear on camera. They echoed the same details about the company's daily operation.

Over the past year, hundreds of homeowners across Hartford, Tolland and Windham Counties have discovered they have crumbling foundations. Every one who's either spoken to NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters or has filed a complaint with the state, that knows the source of the concrete, said it's from J.J. Mottes.

Since the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters brought the problem to light last summer, Mottes officials have repeatedly placed the blame on the foundation installers for adding too much water to make the concrete easier to work with. We reached out to company spokesman John Patton again this week and he sent this statement:

"In the 15 years since we took over the management of the Joseph J. Mottes company, we have adhered to rigorous standards set forth by the American Concrete Institute and the State of Connecticut. We continue to cooperate with the ongoing state investigation so that homeowners can get the answers and real solutions they deserve. One thing that is clear to us is the extensive media and governmental scrutiny has led to another issue arising - in addition to homes affected by damage, there are now large numbers of homeowners and potential home buyers who do not have problems but are being told they will."

Preliminary results from the state's investigation show an iron sulfide mineral called pyrrhotite is present in each of the crumbling foundations. Pyrrhotite oxidizes or rusts when exposed to air and water which causes the foundation to deteriorate.

Contractors said the problem cannot be fixed, forcing homeowners to replace the entire foundation at a cost of 100 thousand dollars and up. Insurers have denied most of the claims.

Colin Lobo, Vice-President of the National Redi-Mix Concrete Association, said traditional tests will not detect pyrrhotite in the stone aggregate, but the presence of the mineral isn't catastrophic in and of itself.

"Water is the problem that causes or deteriorates the quality of the concrete," said Lobo. "The weaker you make the concrete, the more water, the more access the mineral has to oxygen and water."

These days, John Soucy works as an installer, and is now replacing foundations he poured himself years ago. We asked him why as a Mottes driver, he continued to use the old concrete, if he knew it was wrong.

"I never agreed with it, but had I said anything at that point, I wouldn't have had a job," he said.

All the former company employees we interviewed agree on one more thing, in light of their experience working for Mottes, they believe many more foundations will fail.

"How many homes do you think in this part of Connecticut will be impacted by the crumbling foundation problem? I'd be afraid to guess. You think it's hundreds? Thousands. Thousands? Thousands."

The Attorney General's office responded to our investigation saying that the state vetted extensive testimony about the use of excess water and that even if they could prove that excess water was added, there's no way to determine who added it, and at which point in the process.

The Joseph J. Mottes Company has agreed to temporarily stop using stone aggregate from Becker's Quarry in Willington for residential foundations, while the state investigates. To date, 301 homeowners have filed complaints with Department Consumer Protection, but we should get a better idea of the scope of the problem when the State Insurance Department releases data collected from the insurance companies about how many crumbling foundation claims have been filed.
British actor Kenny Baker, who starred as one of science fictions most iconic robots, R2-D2, has died after battling a long illness. He was 81 years old.

The 3-foot-8-inch actor was found dead Saturday morning by one of his nephews at his home in northwest England, his niece Abigail Shield told the Guardian, which first reported news of his death. [[238430011, C]]

"When he was a child, he was told that he probably wouldnt survive through puberty, being a little person in those times, they didnt have a very good life expectancy," Shield's said. "He did extremely well in his life. He was very ill for the last few years so we had been expecting it."

Baker and Shield's father, Ian, grew up in Birmingham, England. [[290537031, C]]

Baker's agent Jonny Mans confirmed his death, saying "Kenny was truly a great friend, one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet and a fabulous and talented performer."

Mans said the two met in the 1960s as club entertainers and worked together before going on to become his agent. [[362159781, C]]

He became a household name in 1977 when he first played the role of R2-D2 in the first "Star Wars" film. He went on to appear with Anthony Daniels' C-3PO character in "Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," as well as the three prequels.

Movie studio 20th Century Fox posted a photograph of C-3PO standing next to Baker's "Star Wars" character, writing: "Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2D2." [[390081071, C]]

The actor also appeared in "Flash Gordon," "Labyrinth" and "Time Bandits."

"He had a very long and fulfilled life. He brought lots of happiness to people and well be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world. Were all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime, Shield said.
A teenager has drowned after going swimming Friday at Lewisville Lake in Little Elm, officials say.

His body was recovered at about 9:25 p.m. about 30 yards off shore.

First responders from Lewisville and Little Elm, and Texas Game Wardens assisted in the search and recovery.

The victim's identity has not been released.
Hundreds wearing white marched Saturday to the site where a mother and her daughter were shot and killed in front of their home last weekend.

"The whole thing is tragic. The husband, yards away, had to witness," Nathan Wallace, who attended the vigil, said.

Carina Mancera, 26, and Jennabel Anaya, 4, were shot last Saturday while walking across the street to their apartment. Mancera was pronounced dead at the scene, and Anaya died from her injuries at the hospital, police said.

The LB Love Your Community Walk, organized by EPIC Strong, took place at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Children held signs that read: "Don't shoot me" and "Never shoot kids."

"It means a lot to us," Gustavo Mancera, the victims' cousin, said.

Jennabel's father and Carina's partner, Luis Anaya, lead the walk.

As part of the event, people lit white candles to show "peace and harmony," and walk "hand-in-hand" with neighbors and friends on Locust Avenue from 12th Street to 9th Street to honor their lives.

The event also hoped to bring the community together against violence in Long Beach.

"Together lets declare that we refuse to be the forgotten, ignored, and avoided part of Long Beach where violence and death is normalized," read the Facebook event page. It added, "...let us join together in solidarity to support this family and pledge to make a commitment to bettering our neighborhood."

Authorities have not been able to determine who was responsible for the shooting.

Police announced a $40,000 reward Friday for information that leads to the arrest of the gunman.

"We as a community are better than this. Somebody out there knows something, somebody out there has information," said Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna.

A GoFundMe was established for the families affected by the loss. It had raised $37,720 as of Saturday around noon. Donations for the family will be accepted at the walk Saturday night also.
Miami Police is searching for a trio of violent robbers who helped themselves to loads of cigarette cartons at a Pharmacy in Miami.

The incident occurred at a Walgreen Pharmacy located located at 3655 South Dixie Highway in late July.

According to detectives, a man and two women walked behind the stores cashier counter and began to place cigarette boxes and cartons inside the purse one of the female suspects was carrying.

When the store clerk told them that it was prohibited, they became enraged and began throwing items at him and in the tussle, one of the women bit the store clerk in the finger in an attempt to get away. The store manager went to aid her employee, but was also shoved and later punched in the face by one of the women suspects.

All three robbers ran out of the store with the unpaid items.

Police say the three suspects jumped into a silver, 4-door 2015-2016 Nissan Maxima.

The suspects are described as following:

Subject #1: 30 year old medium built black woman, approximately 58  59 tall, long hair, last seen wearing a white shirt with grey stripes and camouflage pants.

Subject #2: 30 year old slim built full-bearded black man, approximately 6 tall, medium high top hair style, last seen wearing a blue uniform shirt (unknown company) and khaki long shorts.

Subject #3: 30 year old heavy-set black woman, approximately 55  57 tall, long hair in ponytail, last seen wearing a purple shirt with purple leggings.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami Police Department.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told faith leaders in Orlando on Friday that they must love LGBT people and accept them into the church, even if the pastors stay firm in their belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

Rubio delivered his address the day after protesters condemned his plans to speak to the group, saying many of the speakers at the Pastors & Pews conference have been notoriously anti-gay.

But Rubio urged the gathering to drop their judgments of the LGBT community.

"To love our neighbors we must abandon a spirit of judgment. Do not judge, or you will be judged," Rubio said. "Abandoning judgment and loving our LGBT neighbors is not a betrayal of what the Bible teaches, it is a fulfillment of it. Jesus showed us how to do this. Jesus showed us that we do not have to endorse what people do in order to accept them for who they are: children of a loving and merciful God."

Rubio, who is seeking re-election after a failed presidential run, said American history is marred by the discrimination and rejection of gays and lesbians and that it was not long ago that slurs were an acceptable part of speech.

"We must recognize that many have experienced, sometimes, severe condemnation and judgment from some Christians. They have heard some say that the reason God will bring condemnation on America is because of them, as if somehow God was willing to put up with adultery and gluttony and greed and pride, but now this is the last straw," Rubio said.

His remarks came two months to the day after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub just miles from the conference. Rubio told the group he attended a prayer service for the victims and spoke to gays and lesbians afterward. He said some told him it was the first time they'd entered a church in years and others said it was their first experience with Christianity. He told the pastors that LGBT people should be welcomed into churches.

"Many in that community deeply desire to come to Christ, but they do not because they fear they will be shunned and rejected by some," Rubio said. "If any of us, myself included, in any way, have ever made anyone feel that Christianity wants nothing to do with them, then I believe deeply that we have failed deeply to represent our Lord Jesus Christ, who time and again went out of his way to reach out to the marginalized and to the forgotten of his time."

The speech wasn't warmly received by Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida, a group fighting discrimination against LGBT people.

"These words ring hollow from a man who has made the world less safe for LGBT and our families. He has opposed basic legal protections and today he shared a stage with people who have dehumanized us," she said in an email. "We do not need thoughts and prayers when he could act right now to secure legal protections and support common sense gun laws that keep weapons of mass murder out of the hands of hate fueled madmen."

Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy, who is running for Rubio's seat, criticized Rubio for even appearing at the event, which Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke at Thursday.

"For Florida's senator to stand alongside these homophobic leaders and his bigoted candidate for President is a disgrace," Murphy said in a statement emailed by a campaign spokeswoman.
Miami-Dade Police have arrested a 75-year-old man for his alleged connection to the 1977 murder of a Coral Gables nurse.

Allen Bregman was arrested and taken into custody on Aug. 4 in Macon County, North Carolina and handed over to Miami-Dade County authorities Friday. Bregman faces charges for the murder of 23-year-old Debra Clark, who was an I.C.U. nurse at Coral Gables Hospital.

According to the police report, on Aug. 6, 1977, officers were dispatched to check on the welfare of Clark. Upon arriving to Clark's apartment, located on the 4700 block of Southwest 67th Avenue, police say they discovered Clark's body suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the chest and a blunt force trauma to her head. Clark was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bregman became a possible suspect in the murder when it was learned that he was involved in a romantic affair with Clark and filed an insurance claim under her name, police said.

Earlier this year, detectives took DNA and fingerprint samples from Bregman. The fingerprints matched those found on an ashtray near Clarks bed, which is believed to have been used in the murder.

Authorities say the DNA was also found to be consistent with evidence.

"That doesn't concern us at all because Mr. Bregman was the owner of the apartment which the young woman lived and he visited frequently. He had a relationship with this young woman at the time and the presence of his hair in his apartment does not come as a surprise to us whatsoever," Bregman's attorney, Barry Wax, said. "I'm confident that when we go through the discovery process and develop a defense for him that he will be exonerated of these charges."

Bregman is being extradited to Miami-Dade to face a murder charge. He's expected to go before a South Florida judge on Monday.
Authorities are searching for a woman who pulled out a gun during a road rage incident in Gainesville.

According to police, the victim said he was driving the night of August 5 when a large black pick up truck occupied by several people cut him off. The victim then honked his horn causing the suspects to start yelling at him and they threw a can of beer into his vehicle.

The victim then pulled over at a Chevron gas station where he was followed by the truck. The driver, 30-year-old Jacob Sylvester, and an unidentified male passenger exited the truck and attacked the victim, police said.

During the confrontation, a female passenger exited the truck with a pistol and began pointing it at the victim. She was quickly pushed away by Sylvester who wrestled the gun out of her hand and pushed her back in the truck, police said.

As the suspects prepared to leave, the victim tried to take a photograph of the vehicle with his phone. Sylvester and the other male exited the truck again and began to strike the victim and strip the phone out of his hand. Sylvester briefly took the victims phone, but just tossed it before fleeing, police said.

Sylvester was identified and later arrested at his home. Sylvester would not identify the other passengers, according to police.

Anyone with information is asked to call Gainesville Police Department at 352-393-7619.
What to Know The leader of a mosque in Queens and his associate were shot and killed after leaving their place of worship

Police said no evidence of a hate crime had been uncovered during a preliminary investigation

No arrest has been made

The leader of a mosque in Queens and his associate were shot and killed Saturday afternoon while strolling home from their place of worship.

Each was shot in the head at point-blank range in what local Muslim leaders area calling a hate crime.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his assistant imam, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were rushed to a local hospital, but died from their gunshot wounds.

Investigators hadn't established a motive for the shootings, said NYPD Deputy Inspector Hank Sautner during a news conference.

"There's nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," he said.

The shootings occurred at about 1: 50 p.m. about two blocks from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood. The mosque serves a community of Bangladeshi immigrants.

Akonjee and Uddin, both dressed in Islamic attire, were approached from behind and shot by a lone gunman, wearing a dark polo shirt and short pants, police said.

Witnesses told police they saw the armed assailant flee.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations quickly condemned the shootings.

"The perpetrator of these senseless killings must be swiftly apprehended and face the full force of the law," said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher. "We ask anyone with information about this attack to contact appropriate law enforcement authorities."

Mayor Bill de Blasio dispatched his senior liaison with the Muslim community to the scene, said Eric Phillips, the mayor's press secretary.

"While it is too early to tell what led to these murders, it is certain that the NYPD will stop at nothing to ensure justice is served," he said.

More than 100 people attending a rally at the shooting site Saturday night chanted "We want justice!" Many said they want the shootings to be treated as a hate crime.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that it's two of the main officials in the mosque," said Mahfuza Haque, a friend of the imam's family.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article listed an incorrect age for Thara Uddin. He is 64.
A man died and four others were injured after a powerful thunderstorm hit a park in the Hudson Valley.

Tim Massie, a senior vice president at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, told NBC 4 New York a 50-year-old man died around 1 a.m. Saturday.

At about 4 p.m. Friday, Poughkeepsie first responders received a 911 call for a lightning strike in Mansion Square Park, Mayor Rob Rolison told NBC 4 New York.

"The first arriving officers, who were on the scene literally in about two minutes, had five victims in distress," Rolison told NBC 4 New York. He said at the time three of the people had life-threatening injuries.

Rolison said the victims appeared to be near a bench under a large tree in the center of the park.

"In the event that a storm is moving in, these are places that you just can't be," Rolison said.

Patty White said her brother Franklyn Mekeel, 46, was one of the victims sitting on the benches. He was rendered unconscious by the lightning strike.

"I saw the police tape and I got worried because I know he comes here once in awhile," she told NBC4 New York at the park.

"Supposedly his heart stopped for 30 seconds. They did CPR and they got him back, he's stable, but now they have to do some kind of procedure to get him better," she said.

The incident happened two days after a man and woman were found dead in a western New York cemetery where they were struck by lightning.

A series of strong storms are moving through the Hudson Valley and eastern New York to New England.
Pablo Escobar is once again a wanted man.

Authorities say a man whose name happens to be the same as the infamous Colombian drug lord allegedly snatched a 4-year-old girls gold chain in Queens on Friday.

Police say the girl was standing in Won Won Laundromat in Astoria around 7:15 p.m. when the suspect robbed the girl.

Witnesses identified the suspect as 22-year-old Pablo Escobar, according to police. He was described as 5'6" tall, 160 pounds, with long brown hair and brown eyes. Police also say he is known to frequent Ravenswood, Queensbridge, and Dutch Kills Park.

Police released surveillance video of the incident, as well as a mug shot of Pablo Escobar from his most recent arrest on Friday, July 22, 2016, for intent to fraud.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
Ethiopias Etenesh Diro has advanced to the final in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase after having run the last half mile of the semifinal with only one shoe.

After reviewing video of the race, the Jury of Appeal advanced Diro to the final, following protests from the Ethiopian team, according to The Associated Press.

Diro was leading her heat in the qualification race when her right shoe got loose.

The 25-year-old struggled to put it back on after colliding with some of the others on the track.

After trying to put it back on, Diro finally yanked it off and threw it onto the field. Taking a few steps, she ripped off her sock and continued, completing the last leg of the race with just one shoe.

Diro managed to catch up to some of the runners, but finished in 7th place in her heat, clocking in at 9:34.70. That time originally knocked her out of the final.

[Rio2016] Olympians Show Off Their Patriotic, Celebratory Nail Polish in Rio

The Ethopian team appealed and Diro was advanced to the final. Sara Louise Treacy of Ireland and Aisha Praught of Jamaica will also run in the final race after appeals from their countries' teams.

In a true show of sportsmanship, the other athletes rushed over to comfort Diro after the race.

Diro caught the attention of social media during the semifinal, with people cheering on her determination.

https://twitter.com/anniepinyyz/status/764466483372158976

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A convicted road rage murderer was killed Wednesday after getting into an altercation with a driver in a separate traffic incident, Florida officials said.

Gary Lynn Durham, 40, who served 11 years behind bars for killing a man in a 2001 road rage dispute, got into the confrontation with motorist Robert Padgett, 42, at about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday in Plant City, Florida, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. Padgett was not arrested and no charges have been filed while authorities investigate the incident.

According to police records, Durham was arrested and charged with manslaughter in November 2001 after following a driver who he exchanged words with while behind the wheel. Durham approached Timothy Gibbs, 48, in a parking lot and punched him so hard it left him brain dead. Gibbs later died in a hospital.

Gibbs' widow Nancy told NBC affiliate WFLA after hearing of Durham's death, ""I know it's not the Christian thing to say, but this is poetic justice."
The National Guard was dispatched Friday to rescue dozens of Louisiana residents from flooded homes after the state was soaked overnight by up to eight inches of rain.

The National Weather Service declared a flash flooding emergency in north central Louisiana and in parts of neighboring Mississippi as well, and NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins warned the situation is likely to "get worse."

"On radar, this storm looks like the equivalent of a tropical depression or tropical storm and is sitting right over Louisiana, and will threaten the state with heavy rain right into Saturday," Karens said.

Hardest hit was St. Helena Parish, where the tiny town of Greensburg was completely surrounded by water. Officials were nervously watching the water rise in the Tickfaw River, which has already reached a record flood stage of 13.33 feet at Liverpool, the Weather Channel reported.
There is no "viable evidence" that former Serra High Principal, Vincent Mays, earned a legitimate PhD as he claimed, according to a report from the San Diego Unified School District released Friday.

According to the report from the districts Quality Assurance Office, the investigation did not find viable evidence that Mr. Mays earned a legitimate PhD degree as he alleges. While Mr. Mays argued that he has not benefited financially from having a PhD, based on testimony from Mr. (Ralph) Uebel, the degree gave him an advantage over other applicants who did not this credential.

Ralph Uebel is one of three teachers who first questioned the legitimacy of Mays PhD. He and two other Serra High teachers filed a complaint with the district in May. The three were also interviewed as part of the district's investigation.

According to Mays resume found online, he claims his Ph.D. is in Administration and Supervision from Stamford Hill University.

NBC 7 Investigates first reported on this story in May. The story found a website for Stamford Hill University that said the school was based in Florida. The Florida Department of Education said that university is not licensed and never has been. A search of the states business licensing website found no records, past or present. A search of the U.S. Department of Education website also found no records.

Online there were claims that Stamford Hill University could be based in the United Kingdom. A spokesperson from the U.Ks Higher Education Governance told NBC 7 Investigates, a university with the name Stamford Hill has never existed.

The district came to the same conclusion. According to the report from the district, the investigation did not find conclusive and verifiable evidence that Stamford Hill University in London has existed as an accredited and academically recognized legitimate institution.

In its conclusion, the report states, Mays may not have benefited financially from claiming to have the PhD but based on the testimony from Mr. Uebel, the degree gave him an advantage over other applicants who did not have this credential.

NBC 7 Investigates reached out to Mays via email but has not immediately heard back. Mays has declined to comment on previous stories reported.

Mays last day as principal at Serra High was Friday. He is moving to a new position at the districts central office as a "principal on special assignment." He will be focusing on equity with the San Diego district, according to Jennifer Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for SDUSD.

Neither Rodriguez nor Mays would say whether the new position was a result of the report's findings. Mays was earning a salary of $143,612 as a principal and will make the same in his new position.

The district often shifts principals to other assignments in order to utilize his/her unique set of skills and expertise in particular areas, Rodriguez said in an email. This is the case with Vincent Mays. Many have held the title of principal and principal on assignment. No principal on assignment has worked specifically on areas of equity.

The district interviewed Mays as part of the investigation. In the report, the investigator notes, at the beginning of the interview Mr. Mays started sweating profusely and asked if I had any water. When I told him that I did not, he became upset, stood up and stated in an angry tone, This is ridiculous, I cant believe you dont have any water

During the interview, according to the report, Mays said he learned about Stamford from a brochure he received from a friend. He said the school was a correspondence school in London, and that the entire program was completed through mailed correspondence.

Every quarter they sent me the assignments by mail, Mays told the district's investigator. I completed them and send them back by mail. They sent me my grades at the end of each quarter and after 4 years they conferred me with a degree.

According to the report, he said he did not receive any feedback from the professors and used a P.O. Box for the address. He did not have the exact address or any specific names of contacts he would communicate with because, it was 16 years ago.

During the interview Mays said he did not have any record of his work, did not complete a dissertation, but did complete a research paper. When asked if he had a copy of his research, he said, No, I dont. Do you keep records from 16 years ago?

According to the report, during the interview Mays said he used money orders to pay for the school and it cost him less than $10,000. He said he paid the money orders to the school, not a person, and does not have any information or record from Stamford because he was going through a personal issues that I dont wish to talk about, you are lucky that I have a copy of my diploma and transcripts.

In the interview Mays said he made copies of his diploma and transcripts and attached the original diploma to a wooden plaque and put lacquer over it to protect it. The plaque was damaged by the sun, he said.

According to the report, a transcript embossed with Stamford Hills seal was produced to investigators during the interview.

Of note, the investigator comments in the report, the writing on the seal is not distinguishable. Later in the report, the investigator notes, The transcript does not bear a validating seal or authenticating stamp typically found in legitimate transcripts...The diploma produced by Mr. Mays appears to have been altered.

Click here to read the complete report, including transcript of the interview with Mays.

Mays Bachelor of Arts degree from Seton Hall and Masters of Arts degree from Montclair State University were confirmed by the institutions, according to the report.

The report was forwarded to the executive director of the districts Human Resources Division on June 20. According to Rodriguez, the district is not taking any further action at this time and the matter has been closed.
Next time youre looking to go on a little getaway, you may want to set your sights on San Diegos backcountry.One group believes some local rural communities should be considered travel destinations.

The Ramona Chamber of Commerce is leading an initiative to bring more tourists to rural San Diego  including Ramona, Valley Center, Alpine, Borrego Springs and Julian  through an entity called the Back Country Coalition.

We want to make this a unique experience that you can experience for a weekend or a getaway. There are several things that these communities offer, Joe Stupar, executive director of the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, told NBC 7.

Instead of competing for visitors and tourism dollars, the five communities would work together to promote the unique features in their own community and also cross-promote events.

The coalition would also be able to apply for additional tourism grants.

So far, Stupar said Borrego Springs and Julian have committed to joining the coalition.

Mary Gordon, executive director of the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce, told NBC 7 the Back Country Coalition is a "wonderful idea," and expects the chamber board to make a decision on joining within 30 days.

On the [State Route] 67, we're the gateway to the backcountry in the North County," explained Stupar. "Down south is Alpine. They're the gateway to the south, into the backcountry."

Mary Rynearson, executive director of the Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce, said theyre committed to joining the coalition, and are waiting for final approval from the board during a meeting set for Aug. 24.

Ramona is spearheading the initiative because of its growing wine industry.

In 2010, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors revised the wine ordinance, making it easier and cheaper for smaller farmers to open a boutique winery.

There are now more than 30 wineries in Ramona. Most of them opened after 2010.

Audrey Cassidy opened Barrel One tasting room in April 2015. All of the wine she sells is produced with organic grapes grown on her property.

Ramona residents Gerry and Hazel Griffiths have lived in the rural community for 16 years and like seeing the growth.

"I think it's really good," said Hazel. "It's giving work to all the locals."

They also enjoy setting out on a day of wine tasting in their own neighborhood, including at Barrel One.

"We're going to up Julian highway here and get as far as we dare," said Gerry. "Fortunately, we have a designated driver."

Last month, county supervisors updated the wine ordinance.

A staffer with Supervisor Dianne Jacob's office said the updates cleared up gray areas, to further encourage the growth of boutique wineries.

Among the changes: requiring a certain amount of locally-grown grapes to be used in wines produced in San Diego, and allowing smaller venues to hold events.

Stupar said most of the people who opened boutique wineries in Ramona aren't making a living from it yet  keeping the small-town vibe.

"It's an intimate setting, he explained. Owners are passionate about it. It's not corporate driven.

Cassidy said she's looking at her winery as a long-term investment. She and her husband, Tom, got started in the business gradually.

Initially, they planted merlot grapes as part of their landscape. A local winery asked to buy their grapes, and eventually the couple decided to produce their own wine.

He (Tom) loves his farming and really enjoys the whole process of planting the vineyard and watching the grapes grow, she told NBC 7.

Cassidy said she's not concerned about too many new wineries starting up.

Our infrastructure here in Ramona is limited, she said. So I think based on that, we can only grow at a certain rate. I don't see tour buses coming down the street, yet.
It took the combined efforts of firefighters and animal services to rescue a dog stuck inside a storm drain in Solana Beach on Friday.

Pictures posted on the Facebook page of the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services shows the rescue of little Bella.

According to the post, a resident called the Department of Animal Services after hearing the cries of a dog stuck inside a storm drain.

The Solana Beach Fire Department and the Solana Beach Public Works Department worked with animal services to rescue the dog.

A video posted on the Facebook page shows Solana Beach Firefighter Ryan Pester pulling Bella out of the storm drain.

At this time, the dogs condition is unknown.
A former district contractor, who recently won a $7.3 million settlement against the Sweetwater Union High School District, now wants a seat on the board.

Hector Romero was a whistle-blower and witness in the District Attorney's sweeping public corruption case against South Bay school officials that spanned three school districts.

The 2014 criminal case resulted in 20 guilty pleas to felony and misdemeanor crimes, including bribery and conspiracy.

Prior to the indictments, a series of news stories focused on a "pay-to-play" culture in which businesses were awarded voter-approved bond money worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Earlier this summer, Romero settled his civil suit with the district for a $7.3 million award to his company. The lawsuit made similar accusations against the district as the criminal prosecution.

The lawsuit, litigated for about 5 years, alleged the district breached a construction contract with Romero's company, HAR Construction, Inc.

HAR accused the district and then-trustees of "intentionally interfering" with the contract "for personal reasons," according to court records.

For example, Romero claimed former trustee Pearl Quinones interfered because Romero supported her opponent in her unsuccessful 2010 bid for state assembly

The HAR lawsuit claimed the district and trustees purposely cut off resources necessary for construction because Romero's gift-giving wasn't rising to the level of expensive gifts, dinners and favors that the larger construction firms were providing to district officials.

In court records, Romero admitted to providing some gifts to the district officials, but said because of his construction business' smaller size, he could not compete with the larger construction firms ablity to provide lavish meals and other favors to school leaders.

The school district terminated the contract because of the "company's failure to execute work in an efficient manner to stay on schedule," according to a statement.

DA Bonnie Dumanis' criminal prosecution alleged South Bay school officials accepted, for example, stays the Biltmore Hotel, Rose Bowl tickets, an Albus Dumbledore costume for Halloween, and tickets to see "Jersey Boys" from contractors who had work or were seeking work with the district.

Romero pulled papers Friday, the filing deadline, to run for a seat on the Sweetwater school board. Two seats are up for re-election after being filled mid-term amid the resignation of prosecuted trustees.

In 2011, the County of San Diego terminated a contract with Chula Vista-based HAR Construction to rebuild the Lincoln Acres library.

The county said HAR "failed to supply an adequately skilled work crew and proper materials in line with its contract," while Romero alleged the county interfered with his work, in a manner similar to Sweetwater, after he refused to pay $50,000 in fees to San Diego Gas & Electric Co.
The D.C. Jail inmate who died last month as the District struggled to cool the sweltering lockup suffered a heart attack, according to a report from the medical examiner.

The city insists the heat inside the D.C. Jail was not linked to the death of 70-year-old inmate Lester Irby.

Attorneys with the Washington Lawyers Committee, who've been critical of the operations of the D.C. Jail, said the cause of death raises new questions about whether heat was a contributing factor.

Inmates have been moved from warmer parts of the facility and now are allowed to wear cooler clothing and sandals. Lawyers representing some inmates asked the agency to provide more overnight access to water cups, too.

Inmates told News4's Mark Segraves temperatures inside the building that houses more than 1,200 people hit the 90s during a heat wave.

Irby was a published author with a "heart of gold," according to his daughter Felicia Haigler said. A story of his was included in the popular 2005 book D.C. Noir, a collection of stories "detailing the seedy underside of the nation's capital," edited by mystery author George Pelecanos.

Irby was a prolific, inspired writer who could not make a go of it outside jail walls, his daughter said. He repeatedly was imprisoned in jails and prisons across the country, she said.
A third body has been found after an explosion sparked a major fire at an apartment complex in Silver Spring, Maryland, police say.

Montgomery County police say the third body was discovered Friday afternoon.

On Thursday, two people were found dead in the rubble at the Flower Branch Apartments on the 8700 block of Arliss Street. Those victims still have not been identified.

Police said the bodies have been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsies and possible identification.

Montgomery County Assistant Police Chief Russ Hamill said Friday that the condition of the bodies made it impossible to determine their age or sex.

Hamill declined to say at a news conference how many people may still be unaccounted for in the explosion, which happened late Wednesday night.

Friends and family members at the site of the explosion told News4 five people are still missing, including two children:

David Morales, 8 or 9 years old

Fernando Hernandez, 3 or 4 years old

Saul Paniagua, 67

Augusto Jimenez, 60

Auxiliadora "Maria" Castellon, 53

Family of Augusto Jimenez and Auxiliadora Castellon

Jimenez and his wife Castellon lived on the first floor of the apartment. Their family fears the couple was killed in the explosion.

The county's acting fire chief, David Steckel, said Friday that the recovery process has been slow because of how badly the building was damaged.

``The building still presents as a collapse hazard, which is a dangerous situation for the personnel,'' Steckel said. ``The movement of debris itself presents a challenge. Every time you move something, it has the possibility to impinge the integrity of the structure so we have to be careful and methodical.''

Steckel said 50 fire and rescue personnel were working on the recovery efforts.

Another factor slowing the investigation, police said, is trying to determine exactly who lived in the complex, and who was there at the time of the explosion. In some cases, more people may have lived in a specific apartment than were listed on the official records.

Hamill said Friday that investigators have accounted for about 110 people residing in the building, and he said they are still asking family and friends to contact them ``until we can account for everyone who is in the building.''

Erick Jimenez, who spent Thursday looking for his father, Caesar Jimenez, was losing hope Friday as his father continued to be unaccounted for.

``We've called everyone, but we don't have any positive answer,'' he said.

Witnesses described the explosion like a bomb going off, and people more than a mile away reported their homes shaking. Debris was scattered over 100 yards, including a door blown across a two-lane road and parking lot, and clothes hanging from a tree like Christmas decorations.

In a 911 call released Friday, when a dispatcher asks the caller the street number of the building on fire, the caller responds, ``There's no number on it now. The whole apartment is on fire, from bottom to top. It blew up. Everything's collapsed.''

On Friday, authorities were still working to determine the cause of the blast. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had roughly 30 people working the investigation, assisting local authorities.

No cause has been identified, but residents reported smelling gas prior to the explosion. Officials responded to calls for a potential gas leak at the complex last month.

Among those injured were three firefighters who were treated and released Thursday. Officials described heroic efforts to save people trapped in the fire.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Dan Ogren said Friday that the bodies from the two confirmed deaths have been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsies and identification.

In all, 34 people, including the three firefighters, were taken to hospitals for treatment. Hospital officials said most of those were released later in the day.

Nine hours after the explosion, firefighters on a ladder truck were still using a hose to put out the last of the fire and smoke still was rising from the building.

Firefighters found people on upper floors who needed help, Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein said at a briefing. They used ladders to rescue them.

``People were dropping children and jumping out of other windows,'' Goldstein said. ``Everybody was getting out of the building as rapidly as possible.''

Initially, fire officials said they were looking for five to seven people who were unaccounted for. Police later said they don't have a firm number.

The Red Cross was working with families to determine their needs. While Montgomery County is one of the nation's wealthiest communities, the neighborhoods inside the Capital Beltway in this section of Silver Spring are working-class areas, home to large numbers of Central American immigrants.

Paul Carden, regional disaster director for the American Red Cross, said Friday that 60 families will likely need extended assistance. Roughly 100 people a night have stayed at a Red Cross shelter established at a nearby community center.
A former police captain is behind bars for a second time this summer after police believe he solicited minors for sex online.

Fairfax County Police said 53-year-old Joseph Patrick Gamerl, of Fairfax, Virginia, had been arrested in June on charges he inappropriately touched a 10-year-old girl and exposed himself.

According to search warrants obtained by News4, Gamerl was then fired from his contractor job for the Department of Justice Office of Diversion Control.

In a routine screening of his work laptop, the Office of Professional Responsibility found a child pornography image, according to documents.

"Our detectives were able to obtain more evidence, especially electronic evidence that showed that there's more victims out there, possibly with ties to the Loudoun County or Prince William County areas," said Fairfax County Police Officer Monica Meeks.

Gamerl used to be a police captain in North Miami Beach before moving to Fairfax, Virginia.

Authorities said anyone who may have information about Gamerl's contact with any children should call police.
A former Fairfax County, Virginia, police public information officer has been sentenced to six months in prison for possessing child pornography.

William Bud Walker was arrested and charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography in April 2015.

Detectives tracked the server of an account that depicted child pornography to Walkers address in Fairfax. Walker was fired in reaction to the investigation.

Later that month, he was released on a $15,000 bond.

On May 23, 2016, Walker plead guilty to possession of child pornography.

Walker will have two years of supervised probation after his sentence and must register as a sex offender.
Wedding bells are in Adrienne Bailon's future.

"The Real" co-Host revealed she is engaged to her boyfriend, Israel Houghton, on Instagram.

The 32-year-old showed off photos of her ring in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris with the caption, "You. Me. Oui."

The couple first went public with their relationship in April of this year. They defended their status after a slew of criticism over the fact that Houghton had announced his divorce from Meleasa Houghton just one month prior to being seen on vacation with Bailon for the first time, E! News reports.

Houghton addressed the criticism in a lengthy statement on Instagram following the engagement.

[NATL] Celebrity Hookups: David Foster, Katharine McPhee Marry

Celeb Couples in Love!

"I've seen her attacked. Lied about, wrongfully accused, mocked. Laughed at, and misunderstood. But I've also seen the shining example of the eagle she is that rises above the cacophony of the noise of ignorants," he wrote I'm learning from her example. She loves Jesus. She loves her family. She loves people. Even the ones that don't love her back."

He added, "I pray God give me that same grace in my life. I've taken a giant leap of faith in asking her to share life with me forever and to give me a shot at getting it right this time... She has graciously granted my request... She said yes. Thanks Be To God. Thank you @adriennebailon for graciously loving me."

Houghton was married to Meleasa for more than 20 years.

Bailon was previously engaged to Lenny Santiago, however, the two called off their engagement and announced their split back in September 2015.

Stars' Blingtastic Engagement Rings
National Guard soldiers and other officials in boats and helicopters plucked more than 1,000 people from their homes and cars as "unprecedented, historic" flooding swamped Louisiana, the governor said Saturday, warning that the slow-moving storm would dump even more rain and cause further problems.

At least two people were killed when swift-moving water quickly inundated roads. Searches were underway for missing people.

During an aerial tour, an Associated Press reporter saw homes in parts of rural Tangipahoa Parish that looked little islands among flooded fields. Farmland was covered and streets descended into impassable pools of water.

"This is an ongoing event. We're still in response mode," Gov. John Bel Edwards said, urging residents to heed warnings to evacuate and not rely on their past experiences because the state has never seen flooding like this before.

Beginning Friday, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisiana and an additional 4 to 6 inches was possible Saturday afternoon, National Weather forecaster Donald Jones said.

Mississippi and Alabama were also struggling with heavy rainfall.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents said they had to be rescued by boats or wade though waist-deep, snake-infested water to reach dry ground. Dozens of them awoke Saturday morning on cots at a makeshift Red Cross shelter only a few blocks from their flooded homes and cars.

John Mitchell, 23, said he swam to safety with his pit bull after police officers in a boat picked up his 20-year-old girlfriend, her 1 year-old daughter and Mitchell's father.

"This is the worst it's been, ever," Mitchell said. "We tried to wait it out, but we had to get out."

Mitchell fears he lost their trailer home and his car, which was flooded up to the seats. A bag of clothes was all he had time to save as the water levels rapidly rose.

"People are keeping it together better than I thought they would," he said of the roughly 60 people who stayed at the Red Cross shelter.

Shanita Angrum, 32, said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized flood waters had trapped her family in their home. A police officer carried her 6-year-old daughter, Khoie, on his back while she and her husband waded behind them for what "felt like forever."

"Snakes were everywhere," she said. "The whole time I was just praying for God to make sure me and my family were OK."

Angrum said her family probably lost most of their possessions, including two cars and the new school clothes she purchased for her daughter.

"We got to start all over," she said.

The storm system was drifting slowly west from southeast Louisiana to an area along the central Gulf coast.

The governor declared a state of emergency Friday, and the flooding even forced him and his family out of the Governor's Mansion, where chest-high water had filled the basement and electricity to the building had to be cut off.

"That's never happened before," he said.

The governor and his family relocated to a state police facility in the Baton Rouge area.

One man died Friday after slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary, said East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's spokesman Casey Rayborn Hicks, who identified the victim as 68-year-old William Mayfield.

A second victim, 54-year-old Samuel Muse, was found in St. Helena Parish, where crews pulled his body from a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10, authorities said.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing. The governor said some were expected to crest more than 4 feet above previous records and officials were not sure just how widespread the damage would be.

LSU canceled its football fan day amid the floods.

In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches of rain. One weather observer reported more than 17 inches of rainfall in Livingston, according to the National Weather Service.

The Comite River near Baton Rouge and Amite River near Denham Springs, both in Louisiana, were predicted to set record crests over the weekend.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded.

In southwest Mississippi, Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued near Gloster, which had more than 14 inches of rain.

Hansford, 62, said waters from Beaver Creek, which is normally more than 400 feet away from his house, rose quickly overnight. He said another stepson who lives nearby alerted him.

"We woke up and the water kept on coming," Hansford said. "It came up to my waist." His wife told Hansford that it's the highest she's seen the creek in the 48 years she's lived there.

In the small town of Crosby, Mississippi, the flooding affected nearly all of the 342 people who live there, said Wilkinson County Emergency Management Director Thomas Tolliver Jr. Some people were able to leave on their own, but others had to be recused.

Tolliver said Saturday the water has started to recede and those living in Crosby will be allowed back in by Sunday to assess the damage.
A woman was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition after she was bitten by an alligator in the Florida Everglades near Coral Springs Friday evening.

Rescue workers responded after the woman was bitten in a remote area of Willard's Fishing Camp, about a mile and a half west of Coral Springs, around 6:30 p.m.

Officials said they received a 911 call about a woman who had her hand bitten off by a gator.

The woman was airlifted to Broward North Hospital in Pompano Beach, where she was in critical condition.

Officials said the woman dropped a can in the water and when she reached for it she was bitten. She was with a group of seven or eight people.

"Several people that were there and witnessed this kept her from going in the water when the alligator bit her, they apparently tried to keep her from going into the water so she remained on the dock and did not fall in the water at all," Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said.

The woman's name wasn't released but officials said she is 49 years old and from central Florida.

This is a developing story; check back with NBC 6 for updates.
A young girl nearly drowned in a Boston pool Friday before a woman jumped in to rescue her.

If not for the quick work of lifeguards and a good Samaritan, the 7-year-old may not have survived.

The child got into trouble and went under in the deepest part of the pool. The water there is 4.5 feet deep.

Lifeguards and the Good Samaritan acted quickly, pulled her out and revived her. She was taken to Boston Children's Hospital. The Department of Conservation & Recreation, which runs the pool, released a statement that reads, in part, "We commend our lifeguards on duty at DCR's Olsen Pool in Hyde Park for their quick actions today. As part of a team, they worked together calmly and efficiently to manage a crisis situation that resulted in the saving of a young child."

Massachusetts State Police are investigating. The child's condition was not immediately clear.
A Plymouth, Massachusetts man has been indicted Friday on child pornography charges, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced.

Authorities said 24-year-old Eric R. Watson possessed and disseminated more than 1,100 images of child pornography on his computer.

Police got a search warrant on March 31 and seized his home computer, a Motorola 3G Smartphone and an iPad. Watson was arrested at his home the same day.

He will arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court later.

A Plymouth, Massachusetts man has been indicted Friday on child pornography charges, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced.

Authorities said 24-year-old Eric R. Watson possessed and disseminated more than 1,100 images of child pornography on his computer.

Police got a search warrant on March 31 and seized his home computer, a Motorola 3G Smartphone and an iPad. Watson was arrested at his home the same day.

He will be arraigned in Plymouth Superior Court later.
A Massachusetts native who survived the Orlando nightclub shooting took his first steps Friday since getting shot in the leg in the June tragedy that claimed 49 lives.

Angel Colon, of Framingham, posted a video to his Facebook page, showing the 26-year-old taking his first steps "all by myself." [[390070771, C]]

"Ahhhh Took my first Steps all by Myself!!!!!! SO HAPPY!!! #OrlandoStrong #AngelStrong #LoveIsLove," he wrote.

Colon was critically injured when the gunman, identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, opened fire at the gay nightclub Pulse near downtown Orlando on June 12. Mateen, who died in a shootout with police pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group during a call with police dispatchers during a three-hour standoff.

The massacre is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. [[383392001, C]]
Police suspect that a bullet was fired at or in the direction of emergency medical personnel after hearing a gun shot and loud crack pass over their heads early Saturday morning, in the parking lot of the Triangle Credit Union located at 257 Elm St. in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Officials report that police were in the parking lot along with American Medical Response Emergency Personnel to transport an intoxicated subject to a hospital when they head the gun shot.

The gun shot appeared to have come from the wooded area behind AL Prime Gas at 276 Elm Street.

Police established a large perimeter and searched the area to no avail. No injuries were reported.

If anyone has any information leading to the identification of the suspects, please contact the Manchester Police Detective Unit at (603) 792-5500 or Manchester Crimeline at (603) 624-4040.
The life of slain jogger Vanessa Marcotte will be remembered and celebrated this week in Massachusetts.

The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, August 16 at 10 a.m. at Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoonsnoc Rd., Fitchburg, with a Mass celebrated in Our Lady of the Lake Church at 1400 Main St., Leominster.

Burial will follow in Woodside Cemetary located at Narrows Rd. in Westminster.

Calling hours will be held in the funeral home on Monday, August 15 from 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Vanessa's memory to Harlem Grown, 118 W. 134th St., New York, NY 10030, or Tutoring Plus of Cambridge, Inc., 225 Windsor St., Cambridge, MA 02139, or to the Matt Light Foundation for Crohn's Disease.
Van Don - Mong Cai Highway project still hot topic of debate

VietNamNet Bridge - The Quang Ninh Peoples Committee, getting impatient about the slow pace of the Van Don  Mong Cai Highway project, has asked the Prime Minister to assign the provincial authorities to act as the authorized agency for the project.

The Quang Ninh provincial authorities still insist on the importance of the project, saying that the highway would play a very important role in the development of the economy in the region and in Vietnam.



The Van Don  Mong Cai project, to be developed with a VND7 trillion loan from China, remains a hot topic of debate.Le Thanh Van, member of the National Assemblys Finance Committee, said it was necessary to be cautious when borrowing money from China to develop the highway.The Cat Linh  Ha Dong elevated railway shows that when doing business with China, we will take losses if we aren't skeptical, he said.At first, they (China) suggested developing the railway project at a low cost, but later tried every possible way to raise the investment capital, he said, emphasizing that he personally does not agree about the Van Don  Mong Cai project.Meanwhile, Pham Chi Lan, a renowned economist, said: As a taxpayer, I object to the plan to borrow money from China to develop the Van Don  Mong Cai project.Is there any other country which have so many problematic projects in Vietnam like China? she asked.Too many projects related to China have shown serious problems. They have low quality, prolonged implementation and are very expensive though the initial investment capital is low.Meanwhile, Do Thien Anh Tuan, a lecturer at the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program (FETP), showed doubts about the efficiency of the project.I still cannot see the financial and technical plans which prove the efficiency of the project, he said.Noting that the Ministry of Transport has said that no other investor, except China, has shown the interest in the project, Tuan said that it was necessary to learn more about this.Promoting reform and developing economy in developing countries like Vietnam is the priority of the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Tuan believes that if the Van Don  Mong Cai project can bring economic efficiency, WB and ADB will fund the project.The fact that they (WB and ADB) do not intend to fund the project can show doubts about the projects economic feasibility, he commented.

The Quang Ninh provincial authorities still insist on the importance of the project, saying that the highway would play a very important role in the development of the economy in the region and in Vietnam.

Tuan said that if still implementing the project, it is Quang Ninh provincial authorities, not the Ministry of Transport, which must come forward to borrow and pay debts.Those, who eat cake have to pay, he commented.

Luong Bang




St Mary's Church leads prayers for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

A Greenham church took part in a worldwide candle-lit vigil recently in support of a British-Iranian woman who remains in prison without charge in Tehran.

Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, aged 37, who has connections to West Berkshire, was seized by security forces in the Iranian capital as she waited for a flight home with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella in April.

No formal charges have been made and she is reportedly now in solitary confinement and under investigation for issues relating to national security.

A petition demanding she be release, set up by her husband, has since garnered nearly 800,000 signatures.

In June, churches across the country including at Greenham and in central London, held a candle-lit vigil for Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

The vigil was held on the same week as Laylat al-Qadr, a day in Ramadan on which it is believed that prayers will be answered.

Her husband Richard attended St Marys Church, Greenham, last month to thank the vicar, the Rev David McLeod, for taking part in the vigil and for the churches prayers and support.

Newbury MP Richard Benyon has since tabled written parliamentary questions to the Foreign Secretary asking if Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe is receiving full consular access and legal advice.

He said: I am keen to support Nazanins friends in West Berkshire in this campaign.

The improving relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Prime Ministers recent intervention in this case offers the best hope for some time that a resolution may be found.
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Black children and young adults are about half as likely as their white counterparts to get mental health care despite having similar rates of mental health problems, according to a study published today [Friday, Aug. 12] in the International Journal of Health Services. Hispanic youth also get only half as much mental health care as whites.

The study used data on children under 18 and young adults 18-34 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey covering all 50 states for the years 2006-2012. It found that minorities received much less of virtually all types of mental health care, including visits to psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists, as well as substance abuse counseling and mental health counseling by pediatricians and other doctors.

The research was led by Dr. Lyndonna Marrast, who was a fellow at Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance when she initiated the study. Marrast is currently assistant professor of medicine at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine in New York. The study's co-authors are Drs. Steffie Woolhandler and David Himmelstein, professors at the City University of New York at Hunter College and lecturers at Harvard Medical School.

Their findings include the following:

Black and Latino children made, respectively, 37 percent and 49 percent fewer visits to psychiatrists, and 47 percent and 58 percent fewer visits to any mental health professional, than white children.

Black children's low use of services was not due to lesser need. Black and white children had similar rates of mental health problems, and similar rates of severe episodes that resulted in psychiatric hospitalization or emergency visits.

Hispanic parents reported less mental health impairment among their children, but analyses that controlled for this lesser need for care continued to show underuse compared to non-Hispanic whites.

Racial/ethnic disparities were even larger among young adults. Whites received about three times more outpatient mental health services than blacks and Hispanics in this age group. The substance abuse counseling rate for black young adults was strikingly low, about one-seventh that for whites.

While poor children and young adults had lower rates of care, differences in income and insurance did not account for the racial/ethnic disparities in care.

Among children, girls got less mental health care than boys. The gender difference was reversed among young adults, with women having more visits.

Groups at highest risk for incarceration - black and Hispanic young men - had particularly low mental health visit rates. According to Department of Justice data, at least half of inmates suffer from mental illness, most of which had been untreated when they were arrested.

The authors write: "The under-provision of mental health care for minority children contrasts starkly with the high frequency of punitive sanctions that their behaviors elicit. Black children suffer excessive rates of school discipline such as suspensions and expulsions starting at preschool ages. Minority teens also have disproportionate contact with the juvenile justice system, with higher arrest rates for nonviolent, low-level offenses such as drug possession, as well as for non-criminal misbehaviors such as truancy and curfew violations. Youthful transgressions that might result in referral for treatment among non-minority children more often incur criminal sanctions for minorities."

The authors also observe that minorities' very low substance abuse treatment rates contrast with their high rates of arrest for substance abuse.

Dr. Marrast commented: "It has become increasingly clear that minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and underrepresented in the receipt of mental health care. We need to look closely at how equitably our health care institutions are serving all segments of society."

According to Dr. Woolhandler: "Minority kids don't get help when they're in trouble. Instead they get expelled or jailed. But punishing people for mental illness or addiction is both inhumane and ineffective. The lack of care for minority youth is the real crime."

Drs. Woolhandler and Himmelstein co-founded Physicians for a National Health Program, a nonprofit group that advocates for universal, comprehensive health coverage through a single-payer plan. PNHP played no role in financing or otherwise supporting the study.
The Tamil Nadu government has offered about 400 acres of land for KIA Motors, a part of Seoul-based automobile manufacturer Hyundai Motors, Industries Minister M C Sampath said. Noting that KIA Motors has been scouting for locations for setting up a factory, Sampath said the government offered about 400 acres of land and was hopeful that the automobile maker would set up the manufacturing unit in the state."After visiting Tamil Nadu, they asked us about 400 acres of land, and we have offered about 390 acres. I am hopeful that they will set up a factory in Tamil Nadu," he told the State Assembly. KIA Motors retails several models, Sportage, Optima, Cadenza, Soul, globally and has manufacturing facilities in Seoul, Mexico.The proposal comes after reports that said  Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat have all been wooing Kia, according to two other people with knowledge of the matter. One of the two, an official with the Andhra Pradesh administration, said the state - which neighbours Tamil Nadu, home of Hyundai's existing plants near Chennai - is the frontrunner.The proposed factory is expected to start production in 2019 and might eventually make 300,000 Kia vehicles a year.
New Delhi: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj during which India's bid for membership of the NSG is understood to have figured among other regional and bilateral issues.



Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October.



"Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, along with a photograph of the meeting of the two foreign ministers.



Wang had arrived in Goa on Friday on a three-day visit to India. He had met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and discussed about preparations for the BRICS summit.



China had stalled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the ground that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
New Delhi: India raised with China its blocking of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar's banning by the UN as well as Beijing's opposition to India's NSG membership bid for which the two sides agreed to have a meeting soon between their top disarmament officials.



External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during their talks, also decided to put in place a new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries to discuss various aspects of bilateral ties which have witnessed strain in the recent past.



Swaraj also conveyed to Wang, India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during the three-hour-long discussion including over lunch.



They reviewed the situation on the border and discussed further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility.



Earlier in the day, Wang also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a number of issues were discussed during the 20-minute-long meeting.



"Lengthy discussion were held on India's NSG membership. Swaraj outlined importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21. India offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that the DGs of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon," official sources said.



China had scuttled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), evoking a strong reaction from India.



India had said China was the only country that put a road block to its NSG membership. Swaraj also raised the issue of China blocking India's efforts to get JeM chief Azhar, mastermind of the Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks, banned by the UN.



"China's technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UNSC 1267 Committee was also taken up. China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism," the sources said.



They said the situation on the border was also reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility were discussed. "A new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries agreed to discuss ties," the sources said.


A 24-year-old Islamic State of Iraq and Syria(ISIS) suspect was taken into custody on Saturday by Kannur Police.



The suspect named Haneef has been linked to 12 people who left Kerala allegedly to join ISIS.







Mumbai Police has also rushed to Kannur to question the arrested IS suspect.



There has been a strong link between preachers in Mumbai and 21 youths who went missing from Kerala.



According to Police, Haneef, a cleric is believed to have brainwashed 21 youths who left Kerala along with their family to join ISIS.
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Srinagar: Curfew remained in force for the 36th consecutive day in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag on Saturday to thwart the plan of the separatist leaders to stage a two-day sit-in in the city. There have been sporadic incidents of violence during protest marches in the valley on Saturday.



Separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are under house arrest and Yasin Malik has also been detained over their bandh call on civilian killings during protests against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July.



The separatist camp had asked the people to hold a "referendum" march at Lal Chowk on Saturday and Sunday.



An injured youth, identified as Suhail Ahmad, succumbed to injuries in a hospital overnight, taking the death toll to 57 since violence gripped the valley on July 9.



The youth was injured when a mob attacked the vehicle of an additional district magistrate at Lethpora in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway last week.







The security guard of the magistrate had fired to disperse the mob killing one person on the spot while Suhail Ahmad had sustained a bullet injury in the head.



Both call facilities and mobile Internet services remained suspended in the valley on Saturday.



Internet facility on mobile phones was suspended on July 9, a day after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, in a gunfight with security forces.



Call facilities were, however, available on post paid mobile phones provided by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).



Separatists have issued a fresh protest calendar extended the ongoing shutdown till August 18.


Suspected terrorists on Friday shot dead a policeman and a civilian in Kulgam district in south Kashmir. The incident took place around 8.30 pm when a group of suspected terrorists opened fire on policeman Manzoor Ahmed at Chanser in Kulgam district.
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India, MoS PMO Jitendra Singh launched a Tiranga Yatra in Jammu & Kashmir's Samba district on Saturday and termed it as India's new freedom fight to release PoK, adding that the yatra will culminate when the Indian tricolour will be hoisted in the Muzzafarabad region of the disputed territory.



Singh said that the tiranga yatra, beginning from border district of Kathua is especially important in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to everyone to work towards liberating Kashmir from illegal Pakistan occupation and ensure that it is part of Indian union again.







Earlier, massive protests erupted in PoK's Gilgit area against Pakistan even as activists even as Baloch activists thanked Prime Minister Modi for raising the issue of PoK and Balochistan.



Spokesperson for Baloch National Movement Hammal Haider said that PM Modi should take action like former PM Indira Gandhi's 1971 bid and termed Pakistan as a failed state.



Protesters took to streets against human rights abuses and crackdown by the Pakistani security forces after which over 500 youth including political activists were taken into custody.



Raising anti-Pakistan slogans, the angry protestors claim that young men were imprisoned for demanding political rights and for asking the Pakistani Army to leave Gilgit.




The woods are lovely, dark and deep , But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep... #serenity

A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 5:58am PDT
My UK visa rejected. Extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love & peace @HCI_London @MEAIndia @UKinIndia @SushmaSwaraj  Amjad Ali Khan (@AAKSarod) August 12, 2016

Performing almost every year in #UK since the early 70s. Upset to have my visa rejected @HCI_London @MEAIndia @UKinIndia @SushmaSwaraj  Amjad Ali Khan (@AAKSarod) August 12, 2016

I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

: On a day Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a US airport, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan expressed shock after a UK visa was denied to him.US diplomats quickly apologized after SRK tweeted that he had been detained - apparently over his Muslim identity - yet again at an airport in the US.After the apologies, the actor said he respects protocol but being stopped at the airport was "a tad inconvenient".The sarod maestro was more livid. "Shocked & appalled. UK visa rejected," he tweeted on Friday.Amjad Ali Khan said he was scheduled to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in London in September. He said the rejection was "extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love and peace".Amjad Ali Khan said he had been performing almost every year in the United Kingdom since the early 1970s. "Upset to have my visa rejected."Shah Rukh Khan said: "I fully understand and respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks," Shah Rukh posted on Friday morning.The actor flew into Los Angeles for personal reasons, a source close to the actor said.US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal tweeted: "Sorry for the hassle at the airport - even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening!"In response, Shah Rukh tweeted: "No hassle ma'am. Respect the protocol, not expecting to be above it. Appreciate your graciousness, it's just inconvenient."The US ambassador to India, Richard Verma, also apologized to the superstar."Sorry for the trouble at LAX ... We are working to ensure it doesn't happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US," Verma tweeted.To him, Shah Rukh wrote: "No trouble sir, respect the protocol and not expecting to be above it. It's just a tad inconvenient. Thanks for your concern."The actor, whose millions of fans are spread across the world and is one of the highest paid actors of Hindi cinema, kept himself entertained during the detention."The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons," he posted.This is not the first time Shah Rukh was detained at a US airport.In 2012, he was detained at New York for two hours when he had arrived to visit Yale University, where he was honoured as a Chubb Fellow.In 2009, he was stopped at the Newark Airport, New Jersey, and was released after two hours at the intervention of the Indian consulate in New York.Back then, he had said he was "really hassled at the American Airport because of my name being Khan."I felt angry and humiliated... It is a Muslim name and I think the name is common on their checklist."
Astonished that @AAKSarod has been refused a UK visa. Have asked the UK Home Office for an explanation and reversal of the decision.  Keith Vaz MP (@Keith4Leicester) August 12, 2016

Amjad Ali Khan, who was scheduled to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in London, expressed shock over the rejection of his UK visa.He said the rejection was "extremely sad for artists who are spreading the message of love and peace".While reacting to Sarod maestro's visa denial, Keith Vaz, Chairman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee and Britain's Indian MP took to twitter to express his 'astonishment'.In his tweet, he stated, "Astonished that @AAKSarod has been refused a UK visa. Have asked the UK Home Office for an explanation and reversal of the decision".In an official statement, he has also said that such actions can damage the relations between UK and Britain. "I hope that this sorry state of affairs can be brought to a swift conclusion. I look forward to seeing Mr Khan in the UK", he added.Amjad Ali Khan is an Indian classical musician who plays the sarod. Acclaimed internationally, he was honoured with Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, in 2001.
Rio de Janeiro: India shooter Gurpreet Singh on Saturday failed to make the final of men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol after finishing seventh in the qualification round at the Rio Games here on Saturday.

Top six in men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol qualify for the final round.

Gurpreet, who was placed 10th at the end of first qualifying phase with 289 points, collected a total of 292 points today for a total of 581, including 24x, to miss the finals by a whisker. His one bad round of 90 on Friday has cost him a place in the final of the event.
Jammu: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Friday called for "moral, political and financial" support to the "freedom movement" in PoK.



"Provide moral, political and financial support to the freedom movement in PoK," BJP state spokesperson Brigadier Anil Gupta said.



He welcomed Modi's remarks that PoK is a part of Jammu and Kashmir and the process of dialogue must be initiated with expatriates all over the world from the region.



Gupta claimed that since the announcement of the results of the recently held "rigged" elections, the slogan of 'azadi' (freedom) has been reverberating in PoK and widespread protests going on in all the major towns such as Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Chinari and Kotli.



"The protests are spontaneous and an expression of disgust and anger over the atrocities committed by the federal government and the Pakistani army. In fact, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, also part of Jammu and Kashmir, too have revolted against exploitation and repression by Pakistan," he said, adding that the residents of these regions have also expressed their anger over the "massive" presence of Chinese people there.



"Since PoK, including Gilgit-Baltistan, is part of Jammu and Kashmir, India is well within its right to provide moral, political and financial support to the people there to help them in their just struggle for freedom from Pakistan which has been illegally occupying these areas since 1948," said Gupta.



He also welcomed the statement of the Prime Minister that Pakistan needs to be exposed globally by highlighting its atrocities in PoK and Balochistan and claimed that by stating that talks will be held with all the stakeholders on Kashmir, Modi has allayed the fears of the people of Jammu and Ladakh.
Hyderabad: Congress leader Yadagiri was on Saturday shot at in Bowenbally area of Hyderabad.



The severely-injured local Congress leader is out of danger but is undergoing treatment at a city hospital.



Eyewitnesses say that a man riding a bike in a black jacket opened fire on him. More than 6 rounds of bullets were fired on him.







Police have initiated a probe into the attack but are suspecting it to be a case of personal rivalry.



Yadagiri is a former member of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.




New York: Twitter Inc denied on Thursday rumours that the social media messaging service will be shutting down in 2017, denouncing the claim as groundless.



"There is absolutely no truth to the claims whatsoever," a spokesman for Twitter said in an emailed response to a Reuters request for comment.



Social media started buzzing with the hashtag #SaveTwitter early on Thursday, with more than 100,000 tweets mentioning the hashtag by early afternoon. It was unclear how the rumour started although some tweets said it originated from a Twitter user who complained about online bullying and Twitter's poor handling of such abuses.



Twitter has been criticized for not doing enough to police abusive behaviour on the messaging service, and has struggled to find the right balance between free expression and blocking violent or hateful speech.



Last month, Twitter permanently suspended a number of user accounts for harassment, including that of Breitbart tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos, vowing to redouble efforts to thwart abusive behaviour and block repeat offenders from the social media site.



Twitter shares rose 3.6 percent to $19.73 at mid-afternoon.
Two juveniles from the Lynchburg Juvenile Detention Center are missing.

Thursday afternoon, the Lynchburg Police Department was dispatched to assist Lynchburg Juvenile Detention Center employees in finding three missing juveniles. The group was at Riverside Park as a part of the detention centers court-ordered Post-Dispositional Program when the juveniles fled from staff.

One of the three was found and it was determined she had not been trying to leave. The other two, 17-year old males, have not been located at this time.

Both juveniles originally were placed with the Detention Center on non-violent felony offenses.

Anyone with information regarding the location of the juveniles is asked to call Detective A. O. Kittrell, (434) 455-6170, or Crime Stoppers, 1-888-798-5900, visit the Central Virginia Crime Stoppers website at www.cvcrimestoppers.org to enter a web tip, or text CVCS plus the message to 274637.

Emma Schkloven
TEARS OF JOY

The 37-year-old Trinidad and Tobago champion, who is competing in her fourth Olympic Games, was seeking to become the first female Olympic medallist from the twin-island republic. The final was slated to begin last night at nine oclock (TT time).

According to the competition rules, competitors who attained the qualification standard of 18.40 metres or at least, the top 12 finishers in the preliminary round advanced to the final. Borel was the eighth best in the prelims with an effort of 18.20 metres, which she achieved with her third and final throw. Her first throw reached 16.94 metres while her second landed at 17.78 metres.

The veteran TT athlete saved her best for last, as she crossed the 18-metre barrier to book her place in last nights decider. In a live televised interview yesterday morning on ESPN Caribbean, following the preliminary round phase, Borel was only informed she had sealed a berth in the final by interviewer Felix Sanchez.

Ironically, the 38-year-old American- born Sanchez represented the Dominican Republic (where his parents were born) with international distinction, claiming gold in the 400-metre hurdles at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece as well as the 2012 Games in London, England.

Asked how it felt to reach the final  the first TT athlete to do so at Rio  a tearful Borel replied, great, it feels amazing. Im so happy because I just want to represent my country. I want to make my family proud and my country proud and Im just so happy. I thank God because Lord knows I wasnt alone today. Im so happy. At the 2004 Athens Games, Borel finished 10th with a best throw of 18.35 metres. She acknowledged, I didnt make the final in Beijing and I didnt make the final in London. At the 2008 Beijing Games, she was 17th overall in the preliminary stage with an effort of 17.96 metres while, at London, she initially placed 13th (only the top 12 made the final then) with a throw of 18.36 metres.

But she was promoted to 12th after Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus was stripped of her gold medal, by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), after testing positive for the anabolic agent metenolone.

Ive worked for four years just to make this final. And Im just so happy! In a video blog which she posted hours later, Borel commented, I want to say thanks to everyone who supported me (yesterday) morning. We made it to the final! Im really super excited. Im about to go to sleep, rest up for (last) night. Cleo for Rio, throw Cleo throw. Thanks everyone, love you all. Valerie Adams of New Zealand, who is vying for her third straight shot put Olympic gold medal, had the best throw in the prelims  19.74 metres with her first effort.

The other participants in last nights final were Christina Schwanitz (Germany), Michelle Carter (United States), Raven Saunders (United States), Gong Lijiao (China), Anita Marton (Hungary), Geisa Arcanjo (Brazil), Natalia Duco (Chile), Auriole Dongmo (Cameroon), Alena Abramchuk and Aliona Dubitskaya (both from Belarus).

Alvin Daniel, who represented TT at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, extended his congratulations to Borel.

Its always good to know that we have a Trinbagonian in a final, especially something like the Olympics.

This is the big stage, he said.

When you narrow it down to the eight best in the world and youre among that, it means you have to be up there. Trinidad and Tobago is a very small country and to see the kind of performance were putting out there on the world stage...I think its excellent.
Case file on fighting officers sent to DPP

The investigation was carried out by Inspector Anderson Parriman and the file submitted to Assistant Commissioner of Police Richardson who then passed it on to the DPP.

The two constables assigned to the charge room at the Besson Street Police Station were captured fighting each other.

CCTV footage from cameras at the charge room were handed over to the investigator and police officers who witnessed the incident were interviewed.

It is reported that at about 10 am on the day in question, the female officers who have between ten to 13 years service began arguing as they both wanted to use the station diary, to write reports, at the same time.

The argument escalated and the two women began struggling with each other.

One of the officers was captured in uniform while the other who is also a uniformed officer but is exempted from wearing police uniform, was also seen struggling with her colleague.

Newsday understands that when the investigation was completed, the file was handed over to Senior Superintendent Jacob of the Port-of-Spain Division who then passed it on to Assistant Commissioner of Police John Richardson. Sources revealed for one of the recommendations in the file is for mediation to be introduced
TOFCO workers protest

Earlier this year she intervened in an issue and we were satisfied so we want to meet with her again, said Clive Charles, a TOFCO welder and a member of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU).

Yesterday, workers began protesting from as early as 5 am and Charles has promised to keep up the demonstration until they meet with Baptiste-Primus.
Like a Girl TT Youth Ambassadors

Justine Low, Chelsea Ramjit and Selisa Jessamy, stood out for their empowering stories and are expected to share their inspirational experiences and advice with other young women later this year as they visit schools and conduct motivational seminars.

Justine Low, who garnered an impressive 32 percent of votes is a 25-year-old Branding and Events Coordinator and one of the ambassadors, shared her story of suffering third degree burns across most of her body, from a childhood accident.

Low said that despite warnings from doctors, she has gone on to live a full life. She adds that her physical disfigurement has not hindered her success and encouraged other young women not to let their differences discourage them from going on to achieve their goals.

When I was eight months old, my air-condition caught fire and I suffered third degree burns on over 80% of my body.

I lost my left index finger and all of my hair.

Growing up I was constantly stared at and was often asked how I deal with things like this.

Being a part of the Like A Girl TT initiative means that I can share my story and help people understand that we dont need to bring someone down mentally or physically to feel better about themselves.

Being chosen as an Always Like A Girl Ambassador means that I can encourage young girls and women to help each other, encourage each other and to empower each other. Fellow ambassador, 22-year-old Chelsea Ramjit, a student and Drama teacher, urged her peers not to be defined by traditional gender roles and expressed her desire to motivate other young women, who may be experiencing hardship in their lives. Ramjit, who was recently awarded the coveted Derek Walcott Bursary for Creative and Festival Arts also said that despite losing both her mother and grandmother, she remains dedicated to helping others and adding her own unique brand to everything she does.

Tobago native 21-year-old Selisa Jessamy, delivered a moving address in which she recalled the death of her older brother and her transition to adulthood
(Newser)  An eastern Tennessee sheriff's Facebook post celebrating Easter has made a group of atheists $15,000 richer, the AP reports. News organizations report that Bradley County reached a settlement Thursday with the American Atheists organization over Sheriff Eric Watson's post on the department's Facebook page over Easter. The atheist group and an unidentified resident said Watson violated their First Amendment rights by posting, in reference to Jesus, the message "He is risen" and deleting detractors' comments.

The American Atheists said in a news release that Bradley County will pay $15,000 in damages and $26,000 in legal fees. The group also says the sheriff's office has agreed to not promote any religious belief. In a statement, Watson denied violating the plaintiffs' rights. He says the settlement was a business decision made by the county. (Read more Facebook stories.)
(Newser)  The government is definitely not secretly spraying chemicals from planes for nefarious purposes, according to a study whose authors admit that they are unlikely to persuade conspiracy theorists that "chemtrails" do not exist. Researchers from Carnegie Science, University of California Irvine, and the nonprofit organization Near Zero spoke to dozens of top atmospheric scientists and found that 76 out of 77 had seen no evidence whatsoever of any secret chemical spraying, Mashable reports. A 77th reported encountering high levels of atmospheric barium in a remote area with standard 'low' soil barium. according to the study, which was published in Environmental Research Letters.

The researchers say the trails left by aircraft are ordinary condensation trailscontrailsthough those trails may be lasting longer than they used to because of climate change, and there are more of them than there used to be because of the growth of air travel. They say they carried out the study to have something on the record to refute the "chemtrails" theories that one survey found were believed by more than 15% of Americans. "I felt it was important to definitively show what real experts in contrails and aerosols think," researcher Ken Calderia from Carnegie Science says in a press release. "We might not convince die-hard believers that their beloved secret spraying program is just a paranoid fantasy, but hopefully their friends will accept the facts." (Read more conspiracy theories stories.)
(Newser)  In Sebastian, Florida, pizza delivery is not a right, it is a privilege reserved for people whose name is not Randy Riddle. A judge banned Riddle from ordering pizza as a bail condition after the 49-year-old was accused of harassing numerous pizza restaurants, TCPalm reports. During a three-week reign of terror, Riddle allegedly used several phone numbers to order pizzas that he refused to pay for, send pizzas to fake addresses, and tell restaurants that their pizza was disgusting. Riddlewho already has a conviction for making harassing phone callsalso allegedly bombarded police, city hall, and health authorities with pizza-related phone calls. (This woman called 911 over a half-hamburger pizza.)
(Newser)  More rain Saturday was expected to swamp already soggy ground across Louisiana and other parts of the Gulf Coast where at least two people died and dozens had to be rescued from waist-high water surrounding their homes. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency as rescue workers in the southeastern part of the state braced for more precipitation, the AP reports. Edwards had been in Colorado for a policy meeting of the Democratic Governors Association but left early to return to the state because of the storm, a spokesman says. Flooding has even affected the Louisiana Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge, which has a flooded basement. The governor's family has been relocated until the situation is resolved, reports WAFB.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi are overflowing their banks and threatening widespread flooding after extreme rainfall that began late Thursday, the National Weather Service says. Meteorologist Mike Shields, with the service's Slidell, Louisiana office, says a flash-flood watch will remain in effect through Sunday. "Potentially, additional heavy rain from 4 to 8 inches can be expected west of Interstate 55 and lesser amounts east of there as the system continues moving further west," he says. Mike Steele, a spokesman for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says requests are coming in for high-water vehicles, boats, and sandbags. (Read more Louisiana stories.)
(Newser)  The man behind everyone's favorite droid is dead at the age of 81. The Guardian reports British actor Kenny Baker was found dead Saturday morning following a long illness. Baker played R2-D2 across six Star Wars films covering a span of 28 years, starting with A New Hope in 1977 and ending with Revenge of the Sith in 2005. The 3-foot-8-inch-tall actor, who was told he probably wouldn't live past puberty, also appeared in The Goonies, Flash Gordon, and more. "He brought lots of happiness to people, and well be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world," his niece says. Lung problems had forced Baker into a wheelchair in recent years, and he was too sick to travel to Los Angeles for the premiere of The Force Awakens last year. (Read more obituary stories.)
(Newser)  Authorities say a Swiss man set a fire and stabbed people on a train in Switzerland, wounding six people as well as himself. The AP reports the incident happened early Saturday afternoon as the train neared a station in Salez. Police say the 27-year-old suspect had at least one knife and poured out a flammable liquid, which caught fire. The wounded include a 6-year-old child. Police gave no immediate information on the attacker's possible motive. (Read more Switzerland stories.)
#Justice Party Former Justice Party leader Lee Jeong-mi elected for 2nd term Lee Jeong-mi, a former chief of the minor progressive Justice Party (JP), was elected Friday for a second term to lead a major reform of the party reeling from recent election rout...

#KBO Heroes reach Korean Series after eliminating Twins in KBO postseason For the first time in three years, the Kiwoom Heroes will be playing in the South Korean baseball championship series. Former big leaguer Yasiel Puig homered and knocked in two ...
Rio de Janeiro:

The mens doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy suffers a straight game loss to Chinas Chai Biao and Hong Wei in the second match of Group D to draw curtains on Indias badminton doubles campaign at the Rio Olympics on Friday.

Playing in their first Olympics, the World No. 21 lost 13-21 15-21 to Biao and Wei, ranked fifth in the world in a 35-minute battle.Manu and Sumeeth, who had lost to Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan yesterday in their opening Group D match, will next take on Japans Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa, ranked 8th in the world.

The Japanese combo has already sealed its place in the knockout stage after winning both their matches. The winner of the match between Indonesian and Chinese pair tomorrow will qualify for the knockout.

Earlier, the experienced pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa were eliminated from womens doubles event after losing their second successive group A clash.

In a rollercoaster game against the Dutch team of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek, Jwala and Ashwini went down 16-21 21-16 17-21 in a 48-minute clash.

Lying second from bottom in the group standings, Jwala and Ashwini will have just pride to play for when they take on Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Indonesia in their final group clash.The Indonesians are also winless and are lying bottom of the heap.

In mens doubles, the Indian pair fought hard from the start but failed to tame the Chinese who managed to hold a eight-point game advantage and pocketed the opening game after Manu hit long.

In the second game, Manu and Sumeeth started on a positive note and marched ahead to a 3-0 lead but Biao and Wei came back to enter the break with a slender 11-9 lead.

After the interval, the Chinese continued to move ahead and opened up a 17-12 lead at one stage. Manu and Sumeeth tried to bridge the gap but they soon reached match point at 20-15 and sealed the issue when Sumeeth hit the net.

Jwala and Ashwini, who were distinctly uncoordinated in their opening loss to Japan, gave a better account of themselves in todays match but failed to go for the kill.

The opening game was lost in merely 19 minutes but far from being bogged down, Jwala and Ashwini fought back to grab the second with the former being particularly impressive with her strokeplay close to the net.

However, the momentum gained in that game could not take them past the finishing line as Muskens and Piek bounced back to clinch the match.

Ashwini proved to be the weak link in the decider and Muskens and Piek did not miss any opportunity to attack her on the back court.
Islamabad:

A senior military commander of Pakistan's army today accused India of launching an 'unconventional war' against Pakistan by supporting militant groups.

Lt-Gen Aamer Riaz, Commander Army's Southern Command based in Quetta, made the remarks while talking to reporters.

"The arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav, a RAW agent, from Balochistan is an indication that India has mounted an unconventional war on us... India wants to spread chaos and anarchy in Pakistan," he claimed.

Pakistan said the alleged Indian spy was arrested in March. In a video, he had confessed planning to carry out subversive activities in Balochistan and Karachi.

General Riaz said people opposed to progress of Pakistan were hatching conspiracies.

"Conspiracies are being hatched against Pakistan and foreign elements are aiding local militants to fuel unrest in the country," he said.

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New Delhi:

Sri Lanka today signed a new deal to replace a controversial agreement with a Chinese company building a new city within Colombo to remove its freehold rights over reclaimed land after India voiced concerns over the agreement.



The Sri Lankan government said the Chinese investor would be granted new land on a 99-year lease instead of the freehold in the original deal entered into when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Colombo in 2014.



The tripartite agreement has many features that are beneficial to Sri Lanka that was lacking in the 2014 agreement that is now being replaced, the government said in a statement. For its part, the state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) said it was cooperating with the new Sri Lankan government and confirmed entering fresh agreements over the USD 1.4 billion investment.



The Sri Lankan government had put the project on hold pending a review of all the big-ticket agreements signed under the previous administration of Mahinda Rajapakse.



The entire project has also been renamed Colombo International Financial City instead of the original title of Port City given to the reclamation of 269 hectares of land just next to the main Colombo harbour.



CCCC said it expected the project to create 83,000 new jobs and help Sri Lanka attract another USD 13 billion in direct foreign investment to develop infrastructure within the reclaimed land.



Last week, Sri Lanka formally said it was withdrawing permission for CCCC to buy the freehold to 20 hectares of land being reclaimed after neighbouring India objected and said there must be a new agreement signed.



India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbour, government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters at the time. We have amended the agreement. There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease.



Former president Rajapakse relied heavily on Chinese investment to rebuild the countrys infrastructure after the end of the islands decades-long ethnic war in May 2009, a move which some say alienated India. The Chinese-funded port was also controversial among environmentalists.



Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a string of pearls strategy to counter the rise of rival India and secure its own economic interests.



China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways and ports under Rajapakse, who is under investigation over allegations of corruption during his decade in power.

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New Delhi :

After rising for the first time in 18 months in June, exports shrank again in July, contracting 6.84 per cent due to decline in shipments of engineering goods and petroleum products. Gold imports, which till recently was a matter of concern for the government, more than halved to USD 1.08 billion in the month.

Merchandise exports totalled USD 21.69 billion in July as against USD 23.28 billion in the same month last year.

Declining exports as well as in imports narrowed the trade deficit in July to USD 7.76 billion as against USD 13.09 billion in the year-ago period.

Exports have been falling since December 2014 due to weak global demand and slide in oil prices.

As per the data released by Commerce and Industry Ministry, imports in July were at USD 29.45 billion, down 19.03 per cent from USD 36.37 billion in the same month a year ago.

Gold imports dropped over 64 per cent to USD 1.08 billion, from USD 2.97 billion in July 2015.

Import of the precious metal has been declining sharply due to measures like higher customs duty and gold schemes. Gold used to be the second most imported item in the country after petroleum.

Government data revealed that imports of petroleum, crude and related products were down 28 per cent in July, while that of coal, coke and briquettes shrunk by about 7 per cent.

Cumulative value of merchandise exports for April-July 2016-17 was USD 87 billion as against USD 90.27 billion last year, a decline of 3.62 per cent.

Overall imports in the four month period of the fiscal stood at USD 113.99 billion, down 16.33 per cent year-on-year.

Trade deficit for April-July was estimated at USD 27 billion, lower than USD 46 billion in the corresponding period last fiscal.

The decline in exports reflects the contraction in global trade and leading exporting countries like China also witnessed similar declines, FIEO President S C Ralhan said.

The decline in exports of engineering goods, leather and textiles is a major concern as these are employment intensive sectors of exports, he said.

The net export of services during April-June was USD 16.2 billion, marginally lower than USD 16.49 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year.

Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for April-July is estimated at USD 10.8 billion, which is 63.38 per cent lower from USD 29.5 billion year-on-year.

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New Delhi:

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps campaign has said that the American public wants to see the thousands of emails deleted by his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to keep authorities from untangling a corrupt scheme and not her tax returns released by her.



Hillary Clinton has turned over the only records nobody wants to see from her. The American public wants to see the 33,000 emails she deleted to obstruct an FBI investigation, Jason Miller, senior communication advisor of the Trump Campaign said.



The Trump campaign statement came hours after Clinton released the latest tax returns of her and her husband Bill Clinton. According to the returns, in 2015, the Clintons paid an effective federal income tax rate of 34.2 per cent and an effective state and local income tax rate of nine per cent for a combined federal, state, and local effective tax rate of 43.2 per cent.



Trump, the Republican presidential nominee has not released his tax returns. Trump has said that his returns are currently being audited and he would release his returns after it is completed. The Clinton campaign yesterday challenged Trump to release his tax returns.



In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns. He has failed to provide the public with the most basic financial information disclosed by every major candidate in the last 40 years. What is he trying to hide? said Hillary for America communications director Jennifer Palmieri.



The Trump campaign was quick to respond by challenging Clinton on the 33,000 emails of hers as the Secretary of State that has been deleted.



We want to see the Clinton Foundation records showing how the Clintons sold our uranium to Russia, ripped off Haiti and cut deals with oppressive regimes around the world. We want to see the pay-for-play emails that Clintons Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, refuses to turn over, Miller said.



We want to see the transcripts of the secret Wall Street speeches Clinton was paid USD 10,000 dollars-a-minute to give. We want to see the records the night of Benghazi that explain why Secretary Clinton didnt send in reinforcements as soon as the attack had begun, he said.



Miller alleged that Clinton is at the center of an international corruption scandal that reveals her use of government authority and influence for personal gain.



The records we need to see are those being hidden, deleted, obstructed and stashed away by Hillary Clinton to keep authorities from untangling this corrupt scheme that reaches into the worlds shady corridors of power, he said.

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New Delhi:

Latest research suggests that ancient Venus may have been habitable. The research, by NASA, reveals that the planet had a shallow liquid-water ocean and cooler surface temperatures for up to 2 billion years of its early history.



The findings were obtained with a computer model of the planets ancient climate, similar to the type used to predict future climate change on Earth. The research appears in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. These results show ancient Venus may have been a very different place than it is today, said Michael Way, a researcher at NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.



Venus today has a carbon dioxide atmosphere 90 times as thick as Earths. There is almost no water vapour. Temperatures reach 462 degrees Celsius at its surface, researchers said.



Scientists long have theorised that Venus formed out of ingredients similar to Earths, but followed a different evolutionary path. Measurements by NASAs Pioneer mission to Venus in the 1980s first suggested Venus originally may have had an ocean.



However, since Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth and receives far more sunlight, the planets ocean evaporated, water-vapour molecules were broken apart by ultraviolet radiation, and hydrogen escaped to space.



With no water left on the surface, carbon dioxide built up in the atmosphere, leading to a so-called runaway greenhouse effect that created present conditions.



Until recently, it was assumed that a thick atmosphere like that of modern Venus was required for the planet to have todays slow rotation rate. However, newer research has shown that a thin atmosphere like that of modern Earth could have produced the same result. That means an ancient Venus with an Earth-like atmosphere could have had the same rotation rate it has today.



The GISS team postulated ancient Venus had more dry land overall than Earth, especially in the tropics. That limits the amount of water evaporated from the oceans and, as a result, the greenhouse effect by water vapour.



This type of surface appears ideal for making a planet habitable; there seems to have been enough water to support abundant life, with sufficient land to reduce the planets sensitivity to changes from incoming sunlight.



Researchers simulated conditions of a hypothetical early Venus with an atmosphere similar to Earths, a day as long as Venus current day, and a shallow ocean consistent with early data from the Pioneer spacecraft. 'Venus' slow spin exposes its dayside to the Sun for almost two months at a time, co-author and fellow GISS scientist Anthony Del Genio said.



This warms the surface and produces rain that creates a thick layer of clouds, which acts like an umbrella to shield the surface from much of the solar heating, Del Genio said. The result is mean climate temperatures that are actually a few degrees cooler than Earths today, he said.

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New Delhi:

The CAG in its report on Union Territories has pointed out irregularities in accounts and poor financial management resulting in loss of crores of rupees to the exchequers.

The Comptroller Auditor General carried out the audit of five UTs sans legislative assemblies - Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, for the year 2014-15.

"Failure of the Drawing and Disbursing officer to periodically reconcile the accounts and furnish the bank reconciliation statements to the Pay and Accounts Office, as required under the Civil Accounts Manual, resulted in embezzlement of Rs 51.42 lakh," the CAG said referring to Andaman & Nicobar Islands administration.

Similarly in the case of Lakshadweep, the government auditor said, the UT administration parked Rs 11.23 to 41.64 crore outside government accounts resulting in the loss of interest of Rs 8.16 crore.

The Chandigarh's police department operated accounts by bypassing the constitutional provisions. As the IG, Chandigarh police, has been operating savings accounts in public and private sector banks into which the revenues, like application fees collected for recruitment, were deposited, it added.

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New Delhi :

Saddled with rising bad loans, five public sector banks, including Bank of India, Dena Bank, and Central Bank of India have posted a combined loss of Rs 2,564 crore for the first quarter ended June.

Meanwhile, the country's largest lender SBI witnessed a 78 per cent drop in consolidated profit to Rs 1,046 crore against Rs 4,714 crore profit in the same quarter a year ago.

Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) too reported 61 per cent decline in net profit at Rs 100.69 crore as against Rs 257.84 crore in the corresponding April-June quarter of 2015-16. Leading the pack, Bank of India reported a loss of Rs 741.3 crore as provisions for bad loans nearly doubled.

Provisions and contingencies nearly doubled to Rs 277 crore as against Rs 151 crore in the year-ago period. As on June 30, the bank's gross non-performing assets (NPAs) increased to 13.38 per cent of advances as against 6.80 per cent in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.

BOI was followed by Central Bank of India registering a net loss of Rs 600 crore as against a net profit of Rs 203.6 crore in the April-June quarter of last fiscal.

Provision for bad loans witnessed over two-fold rise to Rs 1,543.65 crore as against Rs 580.75 crore in the year-ago period.

Bank of Maharashtra posted loss of Rs 397.40 crore for April-June as its provisions almost doubled to Rs 842.50 crore for the quarter, from Rs 483.91 crore a year earlier. At the same time, Dena Bank had to book a loss of Rs 279.35 crore.

The gross NPAs of the Dena Bank nearly doubled to 11.88 per cent, as against 6.20 per cent a year ago. In value terms, they were Rs 9,636.32 crore versus Rs 4,840.70 crore respectively.

Allahabad Bank reported a loss of Rs 564.9 crore for the first quarter due to two-fold jump in provision and contingencies to Rs 1330.7 crore from Rs 854.7 crore in the year-ago period.
New Delhi:

Tata steel has expanded its dengue preventive measures to nearby areas in Odishas jajpur district to prevent occurrence of Dengue.



Apart from display of banners on dengue awareness in the plant site and periphery villages, the company is also distributing leaflets illustrating Preventive Measures in Odia and Hindi among local people and employees among other measures.

Further, to boost awareness on precautions against dengue, the Company has put out communication messages through hoarding boards in locations like Duburi, Danagadi, Jajpur Road, Panikoili and Chadeidhara, a company release said.

Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS) has undertaken fogging in villages adjacent to Tata Steel plant in Kalinganagar like Raya, Nuagaon, Duburi, Chandia, Gobarghati, Dholapathar, Sansailo, Sansailo colony, Namduburi, Musakhia, Hatimunda, Golagaon, Baragadia, Belahuri and Mirgichera. It is being expanded to more villages in the area.
New Delhi:

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has alleged that Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has "taken away" the powers of CM and ministers to appoint even their peons and clerks by issuing an order, the move that comes days after High Court stamped the primacy of the LG in administration of Delhi.

The Lt Governor's office has clarified that the order is in only restricted to the transfer and postings of IAS, DANICS officers and said that Civil Services Board has been constituted by the LG to ensure "transparency" in bureaucratic reshuffle.

The Deputy CM has also requested Jung not to transfer government's two top officials - PWD Secretary Sarvagya Srivastava and Health Secretary Tarun Seem - as they are looking after government's ambitious projects including setting up of mohalla clinics and construction of new school buildings.

"After the LG's order, elected Chief Minister and ministers don't have power to appoint their peons and clerks.

"There is no confusion after the High Court which states that services come under the LG. In today's meeting, I have requested not to remove PWD and Health Secretaries as both officers are engaged in projects like mohalla clinics and construction of new school buildings," Sisodia told reporters here.

In his order dated on August 9, Jung said," All services matters, including transfers/postings of IAS/DANICS officers, with the recommendations of Civil Services Board in case of IAS officers, will be placed through Chief Secretary, Delhi directly before Lt Governor for his consideration and orders."

Sisodia said that mohalla clinics and schools are the best initiatives that they have been undertaking and hence requested LG to let them work.

"Even if we have to beg or request LG, we would do it but we would not let the work stop for the benefit of the national capital. Delhi government has initiated the process of appointing professionals as secretaries which motivated people in these departments," he also said.

"Chief Ministers has also directed all ministers to work even for 48 hours but people's works should not be affected. It doesn't matter if we have been deprived of all powers, we will still continue to work," Sisodia further said.

Rejecting the Deputy's CM claim that ministers don't have power to appoint peons and clerks, the LG office clarified that the Lt Governor constituted 'Civil Services Board' A on August 9 to look into transfers and postings of IAS and (Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services) officers.

"The order to constitute Civil Services Board to be headed by Chief Secretary was also endorsed by the Deputy CM in the August 9 meeting with LG. There is no mention in the order that ministers don't have power to appoint their peons and clerks," an official from the LG office said.
Mumbai:

This has been quite a mystery that when the most popular Suparstar of India will get married. now following the recent speculations about his marriage going round meanlwhile father salim khan made a surprising remarks about his marriage.

He makes this statement about salman's marriage that even god has no idea when his beloved son is going to married. It is quite a surprising remark knowing that it was recent reports about salman is going to get married with the alledged girlfreind Lulia Venture

Salim Khan is busy with his new radio show.The 80-year-old veteran scriptwriter, who is often questioned about his son's wedding, took to Twitter to announce that he will be hosting a radio show, but asked his followers to not grill him about the "Sultan" actor's marriage.

You may ask me any question except 'When is Salman getting married' - even God doesn't know. @KiranKotrial@SohailKhan @BeingSalmanKhan," Salim tweeted.

The Sholay writer will host the programme titled The 70mm Show which will air every Saturday and Sunday. There were reports that Salman is planning to get hitched in November.





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New Delhi:

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with his counterpart Sushma Swaraj during which Indias bid for membership of the NSG is understood to have figured among other regional and bilateral issues.

Wang and Swaraj also discussed issues relating to annual BRICS summit which will be hosted by India in Goa in October.

Discussing issues of mutual importance. EAM @SushmaSwaraj meets with her counterpart Chinese FM Wang Yi in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, along with a photograph of the meeting of the two foreign ministers.

Wang had arrived in Goa yesterday on a three-day visit to India. He had met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and discussed about preparations for the BRICS summit.

The Chinese Foreign Minister arrived here last night. He called on Modi first and then held talks with Swaraj. China had stalled Indias bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the ground that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

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New Delhi:

On the eve of Independence Day, President of India Pranab Mukherjee will address the country tomorrow.

This year India celebrates its 70th year of independence from colonial rule.



The address will be broadcast from 1900 hrs. on the entire national network of All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in English followed by Hindi versions.A



The information was published on the governmentas official website.A



Furthermore, broadcast of the address in English and Hindi on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan.A



AIR will broadcast regional language versions from 2000 hrs. onwards on its respective regional networks.

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New Delhi:

Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti has taken a jibe at Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan after he was detained shortly at Los Angeles Airport.

When asked about what she had today on Shahrukhs detention, Bharti said that there would one good thing about it, that they will start liking India.

Shah Rukh was detained for third time in seven years at Los Angeles airport on Thursday evening in United States.

Khan was stopped by the US immigration officials at the airport and he expressed his disappointment on Twitter.

Later US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma also offered appology to Shah Rukh Khan over the detention incident.

While SRK also proved his humbleness by stating that he respects the protocol and nobody is above it.

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New Delhi:

President Pranab Mukherjees daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee took to social media to express her anguish over a man who sent her vulgar messages.



Sharmistha, on Saturday, exposed the man who she alleged sent her dirty sexual messages on Facebook.



She posted the screenshot of his facebook profile along with the messages he sent to her.



The Congress leader said she chose to raise her voice as she thought silence would encourage him to find other victims.

"This pervert Partha Mandal is sending me dirty sexual messages. My 1st reaction was to ignore & block him. But then I thought the silence wud encourage him to find other victims. Just blocking & reporting is not enough. I strongly feel such ppl shd be publicly exposed & humiliated. I'm posting screenshots of his profile & messages he sent me. I'm also tagging him. Pls share this post & tag this rat as a msg that these pervert acts will not be taken lightly," (sic) she wrote on her timeline.

Check her post below:

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Rampur:

Latching on to the detention of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at a US airport, UP Minister Azam Khan has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama over the condition of Muslims.

Modiji is not permitting us to lead a peaceful life here and in America, PMs friend Barack Obama would not allow us to live, Khan told reporters here yesterday evening. We (Muslims) are a disturbed lot and dont know where to go, he added.

The SP leader used the lyrics of a popular Hindi movie song samjhega kaun yaha, dard bhare dil ki zuban/Jaye toh jaye kahan to stress his point.

On the attack on BJP leader Brijpal Teotia in Ghaziabad, the Samajwadi Party leader said the use of bullet cannot be justified even if it is used for a right cause.

He said the law and order in the state was on the right track and the police administration was taking prompt action against criminals.

If crimes are committed, prompt action is taken and criminals are put behind the bars. The law and order condition in the state was on the right track, the Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister said.

Asked about the BSP legislators joining BJP, he said, Many politicians see more opportunities to mint money in the ruling BJP.

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New Delhi:

The 14-year-old girl who was gang-raped near a highway in Bulandshahr of UP has now moved the Supreme Court seeking police complaint against minister Azam Khan for his outrageous comments.

The incident happened on July 29 when the girl was going to a funeral along with her family when armed men stopped their car, tied and beat up the men and gang-raped the girl and her 35-year-old mother for almost three hours.

Earlier when a group of BJP leaders headed to Ghaziabad to meet the family, Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan bizarrely suggested an opposition conspiracy.

We need to investigate whether this is a conspiracy by opponents who want to defame the government, said Azam Khan.

For votes, people can stoop to any level. There can be a Muzaffarnagar, a Shamli and Kairana...why not this? For power, politicians can murder people, trigger riots, kill innocent people, so the truth has to be found out, he added.

To which BJP replied, If you have an ounce of humanity, then try and catch the accused. The party also demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident. The victim has also demanded a CBI probe into the matter and alleged that police officials were helping the accused.

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New Delhi:

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks against cow vigilantes, saying by dubbing them as anti-social he had insulted them and demanding that the government talk to them.

VHP international working president Pravin Togadia said that Modis directive to states to create dossiers of cow vigilantes amounts to racial profiling of Hindus as they are the ones who give their lives for protecting the animal.

Expressing utmost dissatisfaction and agony over Prime Ministers remarks, he also questioned as to why the head of the country has given a clean chit to cow butchers and victimised cow protectors, who have been his avid supporters and helped him getting elected.

Rather than appreciating efforts of Hindus to save cows and initiating a sincere dialogue with these simple, non-fancy gau-rakshaks, Modi had termed 80 per cent of them as anti-social, he said.

That was an insult not only of Mother cow but also of Hindus and all those who gave their lives for protecting cows, he told reporters.

In a strong rebuke to cow vigilantes, some of whom flogged dalits in his home state Gujarat, Modi had last week said that he felt enraged at such anti-social elements who indulged in crimes by the night and masqueraded as cow protectors during the day.

He also asked Modi to prove his allegation that 80 per cent of gau rakshaks indulged in anti-social activities.

Togadia also said that the head of the nation asking all states to create dossiers of cow protectors means racial profiling of a particular community, namely Hindus, because it is Hindus who give their own lives to protect cows.

Special dossiers are made of the terrorists, serial rapists. Here, the dossiers are being made of Hindu gau rakshaks but not of cow killers, he said.

The VHP leader assured the law-abiding gau rakshaks of all help, including taking care of their families, if they were targeted by state governments due to the racially-motivated advisory by the central government.

He demanded the Prime Minister immediately bring a national law against butchering, trafficking of cows, business of beef and cow progeny. He also demanded that PMO announce a 24-hour gau rakshak helpline soon after the passage of this law.

Togadia sought an immediate and complete ban on beef exports, claiming it has increased by 44 per cent over the past four years. He said the meat which is exported is not of cows that have died from eating plastic but those butchered.

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New Delhi :

The Islamic State terror group has claimed responsibility of attack roadside bomb attack in Quetta city in Pakistans Balochistan province on social media. In roadside bomb attack 17 people were injured.

But a senior police official said the IS claim could be another attempt to gain attention as they are struggling for a foothold in Pakistan where militant outfits like the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda have deeper roots in the tribal region and in urban areas.

Security officials have said in the past that the IS does not have a credible presence in Pakistan where several militant outfits operate.

The roadside bombing on Wednesday left 17 people including four police officials accompanying a judge injured. But the judge escaped unhurt.

The IS has also claimed responsibility for carrying out a suicide bombing at the Civil Hospital in Quetta on Monday in which around 73 people were killed mostly lawyers and scores others were injured.

But the IS claim came soon after the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar a faction of the Pakistani Taliban had said it had carried out the suicide attack.

The troubled Balochistan province rich in minerals and natural resources has been hit hard by sectarian violence, terrorist attacks, and separatists who claim there is corruption in the provincial government

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New Delhi:

Asking for justice from UP government, a 15-year-old girl from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh has written a letter to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in blood demanding action against her mother's killer. Her mother was allegedly burnt alive by her in-laws on June 14.

Latika claimed in her letter that her mother was burnt alive on June 14 because she could not bear a son.

She also alleged that the matter was taken to police but no action was taken against her father and in-laws. Police investigation is going on into the matter.

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New Delhi:

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation on the Independence Day, Congress today wondered as to what was the use of making promises from the ramparts of the Red Fort if they are not being implemented. My only suggestion to the Prime Minister is that he should speak the truth and give only those assurances which he can fulfill, party spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters.

Wondering as to what happened to the Prime Ministers promise to not tolerate communalism, he claimed that in this year alone there have been 2,078 communal incidents in which 38 persons have been killed and 903 injured.

What is the value of the Prime Ministers promises from the ramparts of the Red Fort. He has not fulfilled his promises either in part or in full, Sibal contended.

He said the Prime Minister had in one of his addresses implied he would bring an end to violence against women but, the sad reality can be seen on the news everyday.

A BJP MLC from Bihar molested someone on a moving train, and the PM is silent. There are allegations against BJP members like Harak Singh Rawat. But, PM Modi is silent on this issue, he said, adding Madhya Pradesh has the highest incidence of violence against women, and the PM has not spoken about it.

He said if Modi calls himself the nations watchman, then he shall have to take the responsibility of these atrocities.

Replying to a question on the unrest in Kashmir, Sibal played down the Prime Ministers reference to PoK being part of Jammu amd Kashmir saying the Parliament had passed a resolution on Feb 22, 1981 insisting PoK was part of Jammu and Kashmir and therefore it is not a new thing.

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New Delhi:

Virtually turning down Pakistans proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K, India on Saturday made it clear that it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations and at this time it included stoppage of Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.

"India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali."

Incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He was replying to a question on a statement by Prime Ministers Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at a press briefing yesterday that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on Jammu & Kashmir for which the Pakistan Foreign Secretary would be writing to his Indian counterpart.

Our Foreign Secretary would formally be writing to his counterpart in this regard, Aziz had said as he briefed the media about the Pakistans Envoys Conference held on August 1 -3 to deliberate on major foreign policy challenges of Pakistan and make recommendations.

At a separate event, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Threat of terrorism dominates global concerns today. It is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross border manifestation.

Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard. At the international level we are also putting the spotlight on early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, she said.

Virtually turning down Pakistans proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K, India today made it clear that it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations and at this time it included stoppage of Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.

India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali.

Incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He was replying to a question on a statement by Prime Ministers Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at a press briefing yesterday that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on Jammu & Kashmir for which the Pakistan Foreign Secretary would be writing to his Indian counterpart.

Our Foreign Secretary would formally be writing to his counterpart in this regard, Aziz had said as he briefed the media about the Pakistans Envoys Conference held on August 1 -3 to deliberate on major foreign policy challenges of Pakistan and make recommendations.

At a separate event, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

Threat of terrorism dominates global concerns today. It is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross border manifestation.

Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard. At the international level we are also putting the spotlight on early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, she said.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The water level in Yamuna has breached the warning level due to discharge of water from a barrage in Haryana, prompting the Delhi government to deploy disaster and flood management teams.

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said due to the water level nearing the danger mark, few people had to be shifted from north Delhis Burari.

Water level increasing in Yamuna. Nearing danger mark. No need to panic. Team on alert. Few people evacuated from Burari. Disaster management and flood department teams on night duty. Announcements done, he tweeted.

Mishra said water may recede after 3 AM and that the government has five district teams on standby. The warning level for Yamuna is 204 m and the danger level 204.83 m. The highest water level of 207.49 m in Yamuna was recorded in 1978.
Geneva:

A man set a train carriage in Switzerland on fire using a flammable liquid and stabbed passengers today, injuring six people, including a six-year-old child, police said.

The man, a 27-year-old Swiss citizen, carried out the attack on a train travelling in Switzerlands far east, along its border with Liechtenstein, and was also injured, regional police in Saint Gallen said in a statement.

Police said the attack had taken place at around 2:20 pm (local time) near the Salez station on a train running between Buchs and Sennwald and that some of the injuries were serious.

According to the information we have for the time being, the 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid ... (which) caught fire, police said, adding that the man was also armed with at least one knife.

Seven people including the suspected attacker were admitted to various hospitals with burn and stab wounds, the statement said. Contacted by AFP, police said the motive for the attack was unknown.

The victims included two men aged 17 and 50, and three women aged 17, 34 and 43. Dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack, the police statement said.

A massive contingent of rescue workers rushed to the scene, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters.

The Salez station remains closed, and police said replacement buses had been set up. Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack. Police said the train had suffered damages upwards of 100,000 Swiss francs (USD 103,000).

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Throughout the 1980's, Africa lost almost half of its elephant population. By the end of decade, countries from around the world agreed on a global ban on the ivory trade.

As demand for ivory in Asia continues to surge (take a look at the results of this NatGeo survey that evaluates who buys ivory and why), an increasing number of countries are seeking to capitalize on the opportunity. Among them are Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa, all of which have already filed petitions to revoke the international ivory trade ban, thus allowing them to resume the sale of such a priced and scarce resource.

Roughly 30,000 elephants are killed every year by poachers, an unsustainable number that doesnt take into account the incredible violence and even terrorist funding behind the illegal ivory trade, National Geographics Bryan Christy explained.

Probably baring this figure in mind, Rowan Martin, Zimbabwes representative to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which decides which species to protect and how, said the ivory ban has been a total failure, especially since the CITES never established the framework for selling ivory it had promised to create.

Of course, Martin has been opposing to the ban for more than a quarter of a century.

Activists in the West say wildlife belongs to everybody. The hell it does! It belongs to the people on whose land it occurs. The people who pay for it, he argued, adding that the countries where the animals live should be entitled to the decision on trade.

One way or another, both Zimbabwe and Namibia are arguing their elephant populations are large enough to resume the ivory trade.

See more from Benzinga

 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - Aug 12, 2016) - Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited (TSX VENTURE: XOP) (LSE: COPL)

TSX-V: XOP

Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited

Reports Second Quarter 2016 Results and Stock Options Grant

Calgary, Canada, August 12, 2016 - Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited ("COPL" or the "Company") (XOP:TSX-V) & (COPL:LSE), an international oil and gas exploration and development company focused on offshore West Africa, announces its second quarter results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016.

In the second quarter of 2016, the Company continued to identify, evaluate and pursue exploration and development opportunities in Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and other West African countries. The Company is focused on offshore opportunities that its seasoned technical team has strength in evaluating and developing.

Arthur Millholland, President & CEO, commented:

"The Company's strategy is to grow our international oil and gas business offshore sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere in the world by farming into, and/or acquiring interests in, exploration, unappraised and/or undeveloped assets as well as in producing assets using the expertise and experience of our senior management team.

COPL's short-term operations will focus on working with ExxonMobil to progress the activities on the future drill locations in Liberia and working towards successfully concluding a variety of new opportunities available to the Company in sub-Saharan Africa."

The Interim Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the second quarter can be viewed on the Company's website at www.canoverseas.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the COPL listing.

The Company also wishes to announce its Board of Directors also approved the granting of 4,400,000 Share Options of the Company effective August 11, 2016. The Share Options were granted under the Company's Share Option plan at a price of $0.115 per share.

Click on the associated PDF to view the full announcement.

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/9984G_1-2016-8-11.pdf
Was it when the gobs of peanut butter were smeared around the top of the glass or when the five mini Hershey chocolate bars were smooshed into said gobs? It could have been when the scoops of chocolate ice cream and large dollop of peanut butter got all frothy in the milkshake maker. Maybe it happened when a half-dozen Reeses peanut butter cups and a skewer of deliciously charred marshmallows were plopped into a mound of whipped cream.

Its hard to say at what point the line of decadence was crossed when it comes to the new Chocolate Peanut Butter milkshake being churned up at Johnny Utahs this summer. Its one of about a half-dozen mega milkshakes that use all sorts of tasty accoutrements, including slices of cherry pie, blueberry muffins, crushed cookies and bacon, to pack on flavor and, undoubtedly, the pounds. Calories are about the farthest thing from the mind when slurping up the cool concoction that can go into hyperdrive with a shot of liquor.

Summertime is a great time for ice cream, so I thought why not do milkshakes, says chef Cory Rizzolo, who heads the kitchen at the Norwalk restaurant specializing in barbecue and Southwestern cuisine. But they have been done before, so we needed to find a way to make ours better than anyone elses. So I decided that meant shoving as much as possible in and about the glass as I could do. Gravity is my biggest opponent at this point.

Rizzolo, who confessed a soft spot for Dairy Queen Blizzard Treats and 7-Eleven Slurpees, says a trip to the grocery store earlier this year with his district manager was the start of his sky-high aspirations. We spent about $300 on candy, he says. I am not sure what people in the store were thinking. But we decided to just throw a whole bunch of things together and see what worked.

It may seem somewhat incongruous that an ice cream shop treat has made its way into a country bar, but it works (just dont drink one, then head on over to the restaurants mechanical bull). Rizzolo says he defers to the bartenders when it comes to spiking the treats. With a choice of about 30 flavors of vodka and ample liqueurs, such as Kahlua and Frangelico, there are plenty of combinations. The virgin shakes go for $10, with an extra $5 for alcohol.

Were kind of making this up as we go, says Rizzolo, who lives in Stamford and is always thinking up new flavor combinations, such as pistachio or mango jalapeno. I once had a corn milkshake and I was surprised, because it was good. You know, we are getting into corn season around here, so maybe Ill do that here.

These local mash-ups are riding a wave of over-the-top milkshake mania. Places such as New York Citys Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer have become perhaps more known for their outrageous milkshakes, which became red-hot with frequent appearances on online photo-sharing sites and social media. The United Kingdom is enjoying the freakshake craze imported from Australia. These mega-calorie treats feature slices of cake, doughnuts, popcorn, pretzels, pastry and gobs and gobs of syrup and sauces shoved into glasses and Mason jars.

When Rizzolo hears of such things, his eyes widen a bit. He has his own dreams of over-the-top combinations. One that is near and dear to his heart comes from a youthful craving while growing up in Chicago.

Theres a hot dog stand in Chicago called Portillos, and it has a chocolate cake shake. It is a chocolate shake that literally has a piece of chocolate cake shoved into it, he says. Its super rich, but, whatever, its delicious and amazing. Ive been working to make one that is similar. It will probably be able to double as lunch and supper for some people.

chennessy@hearstmedia.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessy
DANBURY  A legal fight that has been fought for years over the states formula for funding public schools is finally in the hands of a judge.

A coalition of Connecticut cities has long argued state aid should be redistributed more heavily from wealthy towns to poorer communities and urban areas.

But even if the court agrees, relief will still have to come through a messy political process and against the backdrop of a state budget crisis.

Advocates who have been following the school aid trial expressed hope last week that public pressure would lead to political reform. But they noted there were significant barriers.

In the next legislative session, the state is facing a $1.5 billion budget deficit, said Jeffrey Villar, executive director of the Connecticut Council for Educational Reform, a New Haven-based nonprofit. So do we expect the Legislature to increase education spending? I dont see that happening.

At the same time, the cost of inaction is too high, Villar said.

It took us a decade to get to this point, and our kids cant wait another decade for relief, he said. Every kid gets one shot at a school year, and then its gone.

While the judicial system certainly plays a role, regardless of the cases outcome, Connecticuts school finance challenges will not be solved unless the General Assembly takes action, said Michael Morton, communications manager for the Connecticut School Finance Project, an organization that has documented examples of the states neediest students not getting a fair shot at college and careers because of substantial disparities in per-pupil spending.

A ruling in the case may not come until December.

But the non-jury trial that ended last week could have an impact before winter, if heightened public awareness puts pressure on candidates in the November election to make school finance reform part of their campaigns.

Regardless of the outcome of the case, our state has to find a way to distribute education dollars according to the urgent needs of our public schools with a formula that is transparent and fair, said Jennifer Alexander, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, one of the advocacy groups that has been following the trial for the last seven months. This case is attempting to pressure political leaders to solve the problem.

Few cities have as much to gain by school finance reform as Danbury  a founding member of the alliance that sued the state  and in many ways, it is the face of what is at stake.

Danbury is Connecticuts fastest-growing city. More than 40 languages are spoken in its schools. The city is building a $50 million expansion to its high school  already the states largest  and it is buying temporary classrooms to accommodate enrollment growth that has jumped 5 percent at some of its elementary schools.

Despite the higher costs of educating children who come to class poorer, more diverse, and in greater numbers than whiter and wealthier districts where enrollment is dropping, state education aid is flat.

The result is Danbury spends less than $13,000 to educate one student. Thats below Connecticuts per-student spending average of $15,400, and far below the $26,000 spent to school one student at Region 12  a mostly-white suburban district where enrollment is shrinking.

Danbury and its allies argue Connecticuts school aid system is unconstitutional because it does not provide for equal education.

I think we will win, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said after the trials closing arguments in state Superior Court in Hartford last week. I think this will end up in the Supreme Court, and I think the Legislature will be directed to work out a solution.

State Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher is considering the argument by the alliance co-founded by Boughton and other municipal leaders in 2004 that Connecticuts education finance system is inadequate and inequitable.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who was one of the alliances founding members 11 years ago when he was Stamfords mayor, is now in the position of defending the state. An attorney for the state said during closing arguments last week that needy school districts such as Danbury have actually been favored by the states funding system, collecting $500 million in state aid over the last five years.

Underfunded kids

Although the legal fight over state education aid is more than a decade old, the plight of urban school districts has not been prominent in recent years.

The reason: It is easy to get lost in the convoluted formulas the state follows to award education dollars to municipalities, observers said.

But while the argument is over the disparity between affluent districts and those with larger populations of students who require more resources to educate, the story has always been about kids.

That was clear from the start of the trial in late January, when Bridgeport Interim Superintendent of Schools Fran Rabinowitz took the stand and said, I pray every morning that the boilers in some of the schools turn on.

It was Danbury Superintendent Sal Pascarellas turn to take the stand in February, when he was asked during cross-examination whether Danbury succeeded in meeting the needs of some of its students, in spite of being underfunded.

My answer was the kids came out with a solid education, but I cannot guarantee the sustainability of anything I have given them, Pascarella said last week, recalling his testimony. My answer was we cannot maintain or deliver anything consistently.

The state went on to argue in the trial Connecticut is obliged by law to provide a minimally adequate level of education, which it has done.

Pascarella scoffed.

Thats like rearranging chairs on the Titanic, Pascarella said. If you define what is adequate for Danbury and what is adequate for Darien, Ill take what is adequate for Darien.

The state also argued in closing statements last week Boughton and his allies had failed to show anyone was injured by the state.

There has not been one moment of individual harm to one plaintiff, said Joseph Rubin, an associate attorney general, during closing arguments on Tuesday. Virtually all of these schools had students who succeeded.

Boughton disagreed.

I would say there are thousands of kids across the state who did not get the education they should have because of inequitable funding, Boughton said.

rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342
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In the next few weeks, residents of Ridgefields first age-restricted housing complex, a 54-unit mix of town homes and condos on Sunset Lane will begin moving in.

Only a handful of the units, reserved for those over age 55, are finished, but developer Martin Handshy said the demand  even the ones that are still under construction  is overwhelming. Of the 54 units that will eventually occupy the 10-acre property, 51 are already under contract, Handshy said.

I never thought Id see it in my lifetime, he said. Its just amazing. At one point, we had a list of close to 260 people that expressed serious interest here. The demand for this type of housing is quite large.

But with nearly every town in the Danbury area in the midst of a demographic shift in which the share of residents reaching retirement age is in increasing, the appeal of trading in larger homes for affordable, elderly-friendly units might not be so surprising.

According to 2014 U.S. Census estimates, the percentage of residents over age 60 in Ridgefield has increased from 17.5 percent in 2010 to 20.4 percent in 2014, the most recent data available.

That jump of nearly 3 percent is modest compared to some other towns in the area.

Census data from 2000 showed the percentage of residents over age 65 at about 10 percent in many Danbury area towns, but in most of those, the percentage has jumped considerably. The towns that have shown the most significant gains in senior population are Redding, which has more than doubled from 10.1 percent in 2000 to 20.3 percent in 2014 and Newtown, in which seniors comprised 8.7 percent of the population in 2000 compared to 14.5 percent in 2014.

Similar increases are seen in Brookfield, New Fairfield and New Milford.

The trend mirrors what is happening across Connecticut, said Margaret Gerundo-Murkette, a program manager with the state Department on Aging.

People want to age in place and stay in the community that theyre in, Gerundo-Murkette said. As towns, were looking at how can we become more liveable and more accessible to older folks who want to move-in or stay there, how liveable is it?

Housing, running the gamut from age-restricted facilities such as the one in Ridgefield, and assisted living facilities, is just one of the factors seniors look at when choosing where to live, Gerundo-Murkette said.

Other criteria includes access to transportation, proximity to family, and the availability of social programs, she said.

The challenges associated with changing demographics have caught the eye of many senior advocates and elected officials, who are grappling with new demands on infrastructure for the aging population, but also seeking to draw millennials into town.

Carolyn Haglund, the director of New Milfords Senior Center, said empty nesters and retirees are more and more likely to try and age in place, preferring to spend their retirement in the towns theyve called home for decades.

This, she said, has meant a corresponding increase in the popularity of the center, which offers transportation, meals and other programming.

The crush of people using the center has spurred a plan to expand the facility, more than doubling the size of its multipurpose room.

We are expanding our senior center and thats a well needed expansion, Haglund said. Were in line with most of the towns. Probably about 20 percent of our population is 60 and over and that will certainly be increasing in the next few years.

The expansion of the senior center, which is in part paid for by a state grant, is just one example of an increasing strain on municipal infrastructure associated with aging populations.

As the towns residents grow older, said Ridgefield Fire Chief Kevin Tappe, EMS calls have soared. As part of his 2015 strategic planning report for the fire department, which also staffs the towns ambulances, Tappe found that Ridgefields population is increasing at a rate of about 1 percent each year. Within that, he said, the senior population is increasing by about 3 percent per year.

Right now (seniors) are 16 percent of our overall population, Tappe said. They account for almost 60 percent of EMS calls. Seniors are the ones using the ambulance most often.

Over time, he said, the call volume could reach a point where the town would have to staff more ambulances or even build satellite EMS stations closer to areas that have the highest call volumes, such as senior living facilities.

The situation in Brookfield is similar, said First Selectman Steve Dunn. But, he said, with many seniors living on fixed income, it is often difficult for towns to balance the need for more emergency services with limiting tax increases.

When we do things like increase taxes, it affects them much more than others who can get raises or a new job and earn more income," Dunn said. If we get more over-65 housing, it will be an expense. I imagine it will get to the point that we will have to add an ambulance and add staff.

Dunn said he welcomes more senior living facilities, but at the same time said it is vital that the town attract younger residents as well.

To do that, he said, the town is seeking to revitalize its Four Corners neighborhood with streetscape improvements designed to create a walkable downtown. Dunn and other Brookfield officials say the effort will draw retail and apartment developments geared toward young professionals.

We want to get younger couples that have one or two children to move in, Dunn said. If we can get a younger population to move in by renting, a lot of them will go to buy (houses) and will buy in Brookfield . . . its a stepping stone.

awolff@newstimes.com; 203-731-3333; @awolffster
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RIDGEFIELD  Scores of fans dressed in the garb of their favorite comic book, movie and TV characters flooded the library Saturday for Ridgecon, a much smaller version of the world-renown comic book festival event known as Comic-Con.

Children, teenagers and adults paraded through the facility, many dressed as superheros or characters from Star Wars or Harry Potter.

We planned activities to appeal to everyone from the Disney princess freaks to the Downton Abbey cast, said Mary Rindfleisch, the librarys assistant director. Its all about stories. All of these characters have stories.

Throughout the day, attendees explored the library on two separate scavenger hunts, one a search for Horcruxes, which is part of the Harry Potter series, and another for various superheros hidden throughout the library, such as Captain America, Batman and Aquaman.

Other activities included face painting, building LED Harry Potter wands, taking photos, and a light saber demonstration.

Sarah Isaac, a self-described huge fan girl, volunteered to help take photos and help kids build the wands, which involved using straws, LED batteries and, of course, unicorn feathers or dragon heart string.

This is awesome, said Isaac, 14. Its great for a bunch of little kids who have the ability to experience their first con before going to a bigger con.

Kevin Busby, 12, said it was exciting to attend an event so close to home.

Ive always been a really big fan of Comic-Con, Busby said. Im a huge super nerd and I thought this would be a funny little thing to do.

The event kicked off Friday night with an adult-themed event. Last year, Rindfleisch said, a similar event was held, but it was geared more toward superheros.

She said Ridgecon helps to draw people of all ages into the library, which was rebuilt two years ago.

Its a continual part of our mission to introduce new people to the library and emphasize that this is a community gathering space as well as a source for books, she said. We wanted to get something that would attract a lot of families.

Suzanne Busby said the library has succeeded in offering programming for residents of all ages.

I think they meet the needs of everyone in this community, she said. You walk in and see seniors reading newspapers and magazines and you walk in and see this, then they have teen section and its great.

Dressed as Lara Croft, the heroine of the Tomb Raider movies, Sarah Blumrich said Ridgecon is a great way to provide a fun activity for its younger residents.

I think our town is very small and not a lot that goes on, Blumrich said. Its nice to have something that caters to teenagers instead of to older people.

awolff@newstimes.com; 203-731-3333; @awolffster
NEW YORK, NY and HYDERABAD, INDIA--(Marketwired - Aug 12, 2016) - CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, today announced the expansion of its activities in India with a new office opening in Hyderabad. This expansion will support CGS's growing list of global clients.

Known as one of the premier technology destinations in India, Hyderabad offers CGS a direct link to the country's IT ecosystem. The new world-class office, which nearly doubles the company's capacity in the region, supports CGS's worldwide growth by adding new product lines for software development and support.

"We are delighted that CGS India has shown remarkable growth over the last many years, and is moving into its new facility. Hyderabad's prowess in information technology is now renowned the world over, and we see more and more marquee names choosing this city over others to set up their units here," said Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary to the Government of Telangana for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications. "CGS too is a marquee company serving the fashion/apparel vertical, and its significant presence in Hyderabad is a matter of pride for us. The Government of Telangana reiterates its commitment to fully support the growth of CGS India and have a long-lasting partnership with it."

"We have been operating in Hyderabad for more than a decade and, with our continued employee growth, this new facility offers us more than added space -- it brings us in close proximity to the heart of the high-tech city area," said Jithendra "Jithu" Rao Battu, country manager, CGS India. "We are expecting to leverage the domestic talent pool and grow our team multi-fold in the next 12 to 18 months to support our global growth."

The CGS Hyderabad team offers Application Development & Maintenance (ADM) and Software Quality Assurance (SQA) services for the BlueCherry suite of software solutions. The CGS India office also provides around-the-clock Remote Infrastructure Management Services to clients that host CGS solutions via the CGS private cloud or delivered through our Remote Monitoring and Management offering.

"With over 30 years of experience in delivering best-in-class applications, CGS prides itself on building strong client relationships by providing world-class services," said Phil Friedman, president and CEO, CGS. "We hire the best and the brightest software engineers who perform challenging and interesting software development using state-of-the-art tools and methodologies."

About CGS

For over 30 years, CGS has enabled global enterprises, regional companies and government agencies to drive breakthrough performance through business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services. CGS is wholly focused on creating comprehensive solutions that meet clients' complex, multi-dimensional needs and support clients' most fundamental business activities. Headquartered in New York City, CGS has offices across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. For more information, please visit www.cgsinc.com and follow us on Twitter at @CGSinc and @BlueCherryCGS and on Facebook.
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STAMFORD  A city representative running for state office in November called on Friday for higher mandatory sentences for people caught illegally carrying guns in the state.

Wearing a black suit with a drop of perspiration running down his temple, Rep. Steve Kolenberg, a Republican, appeared with supporters outside state Superior Court in Stamford at noon on steamy Friday to express his concern about the shootings and shots-fired calls that have been rocking Stamford and especially the West Side for the past few months.

Kolenberg, 23, represents Stamfords Turn of River district and will try in November to unseat state Rep. Caroline Simmons in the 144th District, said he was disgusted with the gun violence that has caused more than 20 incidents since March.

Complaining that the safety of the city is slipping away Kolenberg said, The reason why this is happening is that there are too many illegal guns on the street here in Stamford.

Despite outreach efforts by Stamford Police Chief Jonathan Fontneau and his department to get the guns off the street, Kolenberg said new tools are needed to stop people from carrying them.

We cant control the supply of weapons coming into the city, but we can control the demand, said Kolenberg, calling upon the state legislature to boost the mandatory minimum sentence for felons found in possession of firearms to five years in jail. The problem is in Connecticut our mandatory minimums are too low. They are about 24 months in prison if you get caught with a firearm.

Kolenbergs gathering in front of the courthouse came two days after a roundtable discussion about community policing was held at the Government Center with Fontneau, Simmons, Mayor David Martin and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

There is no community that isnt vulnerable to gun violence because guns are now everywhere," Blumenthal said Wednesday.

Kolenberg said that, too often, prosecutors and defense attorneys negotiate pleas for these kinds of defendants, who only spend about six months in jail after they are caught with a gun.

But Howard Ehring, the courthouses second lead public defender, said Kolenberg did not have his facts straight.

No, a states attorney will not reduce a gun charge. That does not happen here in Stamford and I dont think it happens across the state, said Ehring, who has worked in the city public defenders office for decades. The last thing a states attorney or a judge wants to do is put their heads on a chopping block when they decline to prosecute a gun charge and a short time later the same defendant is found with a gun and they are shooting or threatening people.

Ehring said that virtually every criminal defense attorney, many judges and even some states attorneys would frown on such a mandatory minimum being put on gun possession cases.

Judges have sat on the bench for a number of years and each case has to be looked at separately, each defendant has to be looked at separately, he said.

Josh Fedeli, chairman of Stamfords Democratic City Committee, questioned Kolenbergs position on gun control and that of his party.

The first step in curbing gun violence in our community is to get guns off our streets and out of the hands of those who would do harm with them, Fedeli said in an emailed statement. But in the era of the NRA, enacting legislation toward this goal has been a fight. It is a fight that local Democrats, both in our State Legislature and in Congress, have been fighting for years. Its unfortunate the same cannot be said for our Republican colleagues here in Stamford. Its time to do the real work to protect our citizens at this critical moment for Stamford. If Mr. Kohlenberg is serious about this issue, is he prepared to reject his local party's position, and those of the Republican standard bearer, Donald Trump? The voters in the 144th District deserve to know.

Recently retired police officer Paul Longo, who was at the courthouse for Kolenbergs press conference, said he supported higher mandatory minimums for illegal gun possession convictions.

I think it is a solid proposal at the state level, Longo said. The problem is we have had 22 shots fired incidents since March and that is a public safety crisis.

jnickerson@scni.com;
Britain will spend more than 800million funding next-generation military technology including tiny dragonfly drones for gathering intelligence and laser weapons to eliminate missiles.

Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, will today announce an innovation unit which will encourage individuals and companies to pitch ideas to a panel of experts. The best ideas will be fast-tracked with the support of an 800million fund over the next decade.

Projects which will be funded include a micro-drone with tiny flapping wings inspired by the biology of a dragon fly, which could have a huge impact on operations in urban environments.

It weighs less than two pound coins, is less than five inches long and will be able to fly at speeds of up to 45mph. The drone, which has been developed by a company called Animal Dynamics in Oxford, will be equipped with a camera and a microphone enabling it to carry out covert surveillance.

The unit will also fund new Quantum Gravimeter which is being developed with the University of Birmingham to survey underground structures.

Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said: This new approach will help to keep Britain safe while supporting our economy, with our brightest brains keeping us ahead of our adversaries.

Backed by a defence budget that will rise every year until the end of the decade, it will ensure that the UK maintains its military advantage in an increasingly dangerous world.

The Gravity Sensing team from the University of Birmingham has made successful outdoor measurements with their quantum gravimeter for the first time. The quantum gravimeter, designed and built in the labs at Birmingham, represents a significant step forward in developing robust quantum technologies for use in real-world environments. The technique of gravity mapping is already used by civil engineers for carrying out surveys  such as on brownfield sites  and detecting underground features. The Gravity Imager is intended to provide higher sensitivity and reliability for such applications, while also drastically reducing measurement time through enhancing the robustness to external noise sources. These first outdoor measurements of gravity represent a step along the way to starting full field trials.

The iSense project aims to bring the latest developments in ultracold atom science to practical applications by developing the technology that will turn laboratory-based instrumentation into portable and robust instruments and sensors. One most attractive application of such instruments would be to create a very compact, highly sensitive gravimeter, which is one long term goal of the Project.

The vision behind this project is to unleash the power of high-precision quantum sensors in a wide range of science and technology applications. In terms of fundamental science a precise force sensor based on the proposed technology would be designed and fabricated enabling a crucial step forward in detailed investigations of the Casimir force, or a search for deviations from Newtonian gravity. It would also be a tool for space missions, where compact, low power, ultra-high precision investigation of the local space-time manifold is required, or indeed where a distributed network of such sensors would be appropriate. The absence of local gravitational noise has the potential to achieve significantly higher sensitivity. All these scientific applications would provide extremely sensitive fundamental tests of our current theoretical framework in physics where small deviations from theory would be revolutionary.

Gravity sensors are already used in geodesy (e.g. ocean circulation, water balances, Antarctic ice levels, magma flows, etc), in the exploration of resources (location of scarce minerals, oil fields, etc) and archaeology (non-destructive mapping of sites and location of intact caverns). The improvements in precision and robustness offered by the quantum force sensor targeted in this proposal would not only make these applications more routine but offer completely new possibilities, e.g. the location and extraction of fragmented oil bubbles in current oil fields (potentially increasing the fraction of oil captured from todays typical 40%). Other applications include the temporal supervision of carbon storage sites and monitoring of ground water, snow and soil moisture to improve climate models and our understanding of the global ecosystem.

In the longer term we anticipate novel communications paradigms (e.g. ultra wide band network timing) using a quantum-based position-time grid that would not require GPS, and exceed its accuracy by orders of magnitude. Further applications would become apparent as the technology develops, e.g. atom-based quantum information technology including computing and secure communications for a range of purposes including global trade exchange.

The technological breakthrough of transferring and adapting ICT into laser systems for cold atom preparation and control is the key essential and challenging step towards achieving these long term visions, as all rely on precise control of coherent, laser-generated photon fields and precision pulses. Laser systems based on integrated optics would not only be significantly more compact than standard laser technology but would also offer superior stability, adaptability and control, which will be crucial for precision measurements as well as quantum gate operations.

Gravimeter on a chip

The University of Glasgow have built a gravimeter on a chip that could offer a simple, compact and low-cost way of measuring gravity. The chip uses a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that is similar to that used in accelerometers, which are ubiquitous in smartphones. However, the new device is about 1000 times more sensitive to accelerations than the devices found in consumer electronics.

The device has a sensitivity that is about ten times worse than the best commercial devices. According to the team, the device is still sensitive enough to detect a tunnel of cross-sectional area 2 m2 at a depth of 2 meters, and could be used to find an oil reservoir with a volume of 50 cubic meters at a depth of 150 meters.

The team is now working with a geological-survey company to develop a portable gravimeter that can be tested in the field. While the current design only measures acceleration in one direction, the physicists plan to create a device that works in 3D.

The team says that it could be produced for a 1000th of the normal $100,000 cost (so $100).
British actor Kenny Baker, who starred as R2-D2 in six Star Wars films, has died aged 81 after a long illness, his niece has confirmed.

Baker made his name as the robot in the first Star Wars film in 1977 alongside Anthony Danielss C-3PO character.

Star Wars creator George Lucas paid tribute to a real gentleman and Mark Hamill  Luke Skywalker in the films  said he had lost a lifelong friend.

Born in Birmingham, Bakers other films include Time Bandits and Flash Gordon.

After starring in the original Star Wars film he went on to appear in the sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and the three prequels between 1999 and 2005.

Baker was a consultant on the last Star Wars production  The Force Awakens  but British actor Jimmy Vee was already lined up to take on the role of R2-D2 in the next film, due for release in 2017.
John Oyegun, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says his party did not know the enormity of the countrys economic ...

John Oyegun, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says his party did not know the enormity of the countrys economic woes before taking over power in 2015.Speaking at a surprise 77th birthday party held for him by staff of the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Friday, Oyegun said God blessed Nigeria with President Muhammadu Buhari, who is ready to take the challenge of fixing the economy.It has been tough times for the nation. When we were campaigning and it is necessary to continue to hammer on this part, we were not in government, he said.We knew things were very bad, but we did not know they were as bad as we eventually found them and the revelations that come out everyday continue to buttress that fact.He lamented that due to the collapse of crude oil price, many states in the country could not pay salaries because of the heavy reliance on crude earnings.Nobody ever expected the price of crude to collapse in the way it has done and one can only repeat what Mr. President said a few days ago.That is for being a nation that had an excess crude account, today because of the collapse of the price of crude, a lot of states of this country do not have enough resources to meet their basic functions, responsibilities.He said that though the country is going through hard times, there is hope due to the determination of Buhari and the party.That we would never again depend on a single crop whether it is oil, whether it is solid minerals, whether it is agriculture, he added.The president is laying a single foundation, very solid foundation, for the take-off of this nation such that all the resources that God has endowed this nation with, whether it is in solid minerals that it is plentiful, whether it is in agriculture, we can grow virtually anything in this nation of ours we have been blessed with rich soil.The Nigeria of tomorrow would be a Nigeria that produces, the Nigeria of tomorrow would be a Nigeria that can give employment to its youth.The Nigeria of the tomorrow would be a nation that would provide plentiful opportunities for its people that is the Nigeria Buhari is presently constructing.He appealed to staff of the party and journalists to see ourselves as participants in this struggle, saying: We should all see the present deprivation as the sacrifices to ensure the greatness of this nation.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of bribing Nnamdi Kanus lawyers to sabotage him.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of bribing Nnamdi Kanus lawyers to sabotage him.The IPOB leaders lawyers had denounced the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) which had given his release from prison as a condition for peace to return in the Niger Delta region.But in a statement on Friday, Emma Nmezu and Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya, spokespersons of the secessionist group, said that the Niger Delta militants and IPOB were fighting for the same cause.They alleged that Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Kanus lawyer had been bribed to sabotage their leader, hence they announced the sacking of the entire team of lawyers representing Kanu.Following the press conference earlier today by our legal team, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Worldwide has been reliably and incontrovertibly informed that some of the utterances of their defence lawyers were made without consultation. These utterances border on negotiations and some were against the Niger Delta Avengers, they said.As a result of this unsolicited and unguarded utterances, the defence team has been sacked and will be replaced. The IPOB leader wishes to state categorically that the only thing we are open to is negotiations that will lead to modalities and processes to restore Biafra and avert further hardships on the people of Nigeria who have been under bondage since his kidnapping and illegal detention.The Niger Delta Avengers arose because of the inherent injustice in Nigeria as manifested in the disregard to the rule of law when Buhari refused to obey court order to unconditionally release our leader, Nnamdi Kanu.We spoke the mind of our leader when we stated for record purposes that IPOB and Niger Delta Avengers share the same ideology of freedom for Biafra.Anybody publicly dissociating IPOB from Niger Delta Avengers is a mortal enemy of IPOB family worldwide under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu. Let it be known that as long as Buhari and Daura continue to tamper with Nnamdi Kanus defence team through bribery, inducements and intimidation, IPOB will keep on changing the team.For the records, the press conference by the now-sacked legal team was about bringing to public knowledge the foolishness of the Department of State Services (DSS) in bringing treasonable felony charges against our leader and the lack of evidence thereof.The press conference was never about negotiations because should negotiations start, IPOB will notify the world about it. Right now, we are not negotiating and will not negotiate until existing court orders ordering the release of Nnamdi Kanu are obeyed.In the interim, Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor will continue to act as lead counsel until other counsels are appointed who will not sell their souls to the devil. Biafra or death.
Godwin Obaseki, Edo state gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, today failed to show up for the scheduled debate.

Godwin Obaseki, Edo state gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, today failed to show up for the scheduled debate.Obaseki sent the Director of his campaign, Osakue Aiyemekpen to debate on his behalf. Other gubernatorial candidates are present at the debate which is currently holding at Benson Idahosa University at Ugbor Road, Benin City.
Cuban Fidel Castro birthday cigar world record

Former Cuban leader and longtime US foe Fidel Castro turned 90 on Saturday, some 58 years after he and fellow revolutionaries seized control of the island in 1958.

While the elder Castro did not make a public appearance for the occasion, and the government now run by his 85-year-old brother, Raul, did not put on any special events, Cubans did make an effort to honor the firebrand who has for so long defied threats to his life and plots against him.

Cuban tobacconist Jose Castelar and a team of assistants worked 12 hours a day for 10 days to roll a cigar 90 meters, or about 295 feet, long. "It is 90 meters long, to commemorate 90 years of our comandante," Castelar told AFP.

Castro himself hasn't smoked since the 1980s. "I haven't lit up a cigar for several months now," he said in an interview in late 1985. "I reached the conclusion long ago that the one last sacrifice I must make for (Cuban) public health is to stop smoking. I haven't really missed it that much."

Fidel Castro birthday Cuba 90 meter long cigar

"He hasn't smoked for years, but the gift we are offering him is the hard work that we have done to commemorate his birthday," said Castelar, whose team rolled the cigar, which had the same width as an ordinary one, on long tables in an old colonial fort that overlooks Havana's harbor.

The legacy of the longtime Cuban leader, accused by many of brutally suppressing dissent, is mixed.

"Fidel is everything. He is sport, he is culture. He is rebellion. If Cubans are rebels, it is thanks to Fidel," Manuel Bravo, a 48-year-old glazier, told AFP.

"I will remember him as a dictator," Martha Beatriz Roque, 71, an anti-Castro dissident who was one of 75 opponents jailed in the "black spring" of 2003, said to AFP. "He is the man of 'E's: egomaniacal, egotistical, egocentric. I don't know whether I will be able to wish him a happy birthday."

Story continues

Castro, who formally handed power over to Raul in 2008 after an intestinal illness and subsequent botched surgeries put his life in danger, has not only avoided the dangers of tobacco. The revolutionary leader also survived more than 600 attempts on his life, according to Cuban officials, though that number can't be confirmed.

Those assassination attempts include efforts by the US mafia, which was forced out of the island's lucrative hotel and gambling trades by Castro's revolution, as well as US government attempts to enlist people close to the Cuban leader in plots to kill him.

In a letter titled "The Birthday" published on Cuban state-run media on Saturday, Castro again demonstrated his defiance of the threats that accumulated against him, saying, "I almost laughed at the Machiavellian plans of the United States' presidents."

And while Raul has reopened relations with the US over the past two years, Fidel did not shy from criticism of Barack Obama, the first US president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

Cuba's former president Fidel Castro attends the closing ceremony of the seventh Cuban Communist Party (PCC) congress in Havana, Cuba, in this handout received April 19, 2016. Omara Garcia/Courtesy of AIN/Handout via REUTERS

"I think it lacked stature, the discourse of the president of the United States when he visited Japan, and he lacked the words to excuse for the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima, despite having known the effects of the bomb. It was equally criminal the attack on Nagasaki, a city that the owners of life chose at random," Castro wrote in his birthday letter.

Castro's criticism for the US leader doesn't mean he's shut out the world, however.

He reportedly got a congratulatory call from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is reportedly on the island to greet him.

For many in the region, the elder Castro has long represented resistance to the overbearing presence of the US, a perception bolstered by his ability to survive repeated attempts on his life.

While it's unclear how changing attitudes in Latin America, especially after Cuba's opening to the US, will affect how he is remembered, Castro himself has no doubts about what is ahead for him.

"Soon I'll be like all the rest," he said. "Everyone's turn comes."

NOW WATCH: How to tell if your Cuban cigars are real or fake





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The traditional ruler of Nri Kingdom, Anambra State, His Majesty, Eze Obidiegwu Onyensoh (Nri Enwelana) has given insight into his kingdom...

The traditional ruler of Nri Kingdom, Anambra State, His Majesty, Eze Obidiegwu Onyensoh (Nri Enwelana) has given insight into his kingdom and shared some rather shocking norms and traditions behind ascending the throne.Onyensoh, who is the 26th Eze Nri in the kingdom, said he symbolically died and was buried for three days before he was crowned king, adding that the method of ascending the throne is not by election, but by divinity.In an interview with the Punch, His Majesty, on how he ascended the throne, said In this kingdom, for you to be an Eze Nri, you also have to die. The candidate for the Eze Nri must die symbolically, and after three days, the person will wake up. During the persons death, he takes a new body and when he wakes up, he must shine like a star.What I am telling you may sound like exaggeration but I tell you, it is the truth! The candidate must die! When the candidate dies, he will be buried in a shallow grave for three days; his body will be buried, but his head will be left outside the grave. During that period, he will undergo a transformation; pass through a stage, from human being to spirit, after which he will wake up and his body will be adorned with white chalk (Nzu) and he will shine like a star. From there, he will leave his fathers compound.He will not leave through the door. It is presumed that he has grown above passing through the door. They had to put a ladder for me to climb over the fence and I landed outside and I left my fathers compound. This happened like 28 years ago.While you are in the grave, you are being mourned by your family and the entire village will be in festive mood, eating and dancing every day. After that traditional mourning, when you wake up again, you take a new body and you are now a spirit. So when you have taken a new body, you go to a confluence river. The nearest to our community is the Ezu River, which is in Aguleri. At that confluence, they employ divers, who go down deep into the sea to scoop clay, which would be used to mould a pot. The Eze will drink from it and we call that pot, Udueze.After the Eze has drank from it, the pot would be seen as a very precious pot because the clay used in moulding it was got from the depth of the sea, from a confluence of two rivers. When the divers go in there, they would want to test your agility and spirituality as an Eze. If the diver does not come out, well, that is it! But if the diver comes out with the clay that would be used in moulding the pot, then you are Eze (king).Around our place here, we have two confluence rivers where an Eze Nri could be taken. There is Lokoja and there is Aguleri. Since Lokoja is far from us, we have to go to Aguleri, that is Ezu na Omambala, Abanaba.From there, you will visit all communities that are descendants of the Nri Kingdom and then you go home triumphantly as a king. Then you embark on another visit to Umueri clan, which contains 118 settlements. You have to visit as many as you can, and they will know that a new Eze Nri has emerged. After then, the clans will now return the visit to Eze Nri, where the Eze Nri will settle in his Obi (domain) and receive them. During that period, the Eze Nri will stay in a hut that is akin to half room, and will return to the spirit world for eight days, before he will now become a human being again.While he is in that spiritual state, he does not receive visitors because he is still a spirit. But after the two market weeks of eight days, he could receive visitors. But before then, no one sees him, he is served food from underneath the door; no one is permitted to see him physically. When he leaves the Obi after eight days, he moves to his palace, which at that time, must not be a zinc building but would be built by a certain leaf, called Uma, which is usually broad. That is where he would stay for two years before his palace would be changed.Also, we have a kind of system that when a traditional ruler passes on, we have to stay seven years without a king. Those seven years will give the people time to know which person would occupy the throne. They would look for signs and signals.One section of the community produces, and then another does. There are three villages here. So the lot fell on my village to produce the traditional ruler and my village needed someone who would occupy the seat. In 1987, while I was in Port Harcourt, my people invited me home and I came, only to be told that the position of Eze Nri had shifted, and that I was likely going to be the person to occupy the throne. Our method to determine who would become the king is not through election; it is divine.We would have to perform what we call Afa (divination). The gods would have to say who it would be. Whoever the gods appoint for that position cannot refuse it. The gods were consulted and the lot fell on me. I could not believe it. I was like, how can a poor man be the traditional ruler? I was a young man and I had nothing. I had just returned from the US and was looking for a way to earn a living. Let me also say that before you become a candidate for Eze, you must have taken all the titles.I had not taken any title then, so I had to start taking all the titles one after the other. I finalised it by taking the Ozo title. When that ended, I took a higher one  the Oba title. The long and short of it is that there are so many titles one has to take to become Eze Nri. You have to visit all the shrines in this community and all the ancestral homes. We are the descendants of Eri. All the Eri communities and all the shrines in the communities had to be alerted of the emergence of a new Eze Nri. It took us about three years to take all the titles, Onyensoh added.
Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, on Saturday said the media misconstrued his statement regarding the crisis rocki...

Dogara said he was quoted out of context when he addressed journalists at the presidential villa after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, and also after a meeting with civil society groups in Abuja.In a statement issued on his behalf by Turaki Hassan, his spokesman, Dogara said he never presented himself as being above the law.Unfortunately the media reported him as saying that padding was not a crime. This tended to insinuate that the Hon speaker admitted there was budget padding but that this did not constitute a crime, the statement read.There could be nothing further from the truth. The Hon Speakers assertion was and remains that nothing untoward had been done by the house and indeed the national assembly with respect to the 2016 budget.In the second instance, while responding to questions at the Civil Society Dialogue at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja on Thursday 12th August, Rt. Hon Dogara made reference to Sections 3, 24 and 30 of the legislative houses (Powers and Privileges ) Act to buttress the point that the legislature while carrying out its constitutional responsibilities is protected by law.He did not say or mean that he is above the laws of the land or that he is shielded by the law or has immunity for any infractions of the law.Dogara should not be portrayed as insensitive or arrogant as this is contrary to his true nature of humility and humaneness that has endeared him to his colleagues and Nigerians.Jibrin, former chairman of the house appropriation committee, had alleged that Dogara and 12 others padded the budget through unnecessary insertions, an allegation that the lawmakers denied.In Saturdays statement, the speaker insisted that no kobo was lost in the budget saga.He said having observed the damage Jibrins misrepresentations and lies was inflicting on the country, he decided to offer some explanations.Dogara had initially adopted silence as his response, but having observed the grievous damage Hon Jibrins extensive misrepresentations and lies was inflicting on the country and distracting our common and urgent resolve to tackle our distressed economy and security challenges, he opted to offer some explanations on the issues as continuous silence may have amounted to insensitivity, admission or arrogance, the statement read.No kobo belonging to Nigeria has been misappropriated, stolen or lost in this budget saga. There was no act of corruption by during and after the preparation of the 2016 budget.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by detained Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday disowned the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger ...

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by detained Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday disowned the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), both of which have been linking their own agitations to Kanus incarceration.It said it has no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship with MEND and NDA.Kanu, speaking though his lawyers in Abuja, also expressed his willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government.The lawyers, Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Amoebi Nzelu said that Kanu is prepared to accept a political solution in line with his belief that he is a political prisoner of conscience.Kanu and two of his associates  Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi (a field maintenance engineer with MTN)  are currently being held in Kuje prison, Abuja, following their arraigment before a Federal High Court in Abuja.They were arraigned in January of this year on a six-count charge of treasonable felony, running an unlawful organisation, plotting to level war against the country, illegal possession of firearms and unlawful importation of a transmitter to run their illegal radio station  Radio Biafra.They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.However, Ejiofor and Nzelu told reporters yesterday that their client was not opposed to talks with the government.They spoke against the backdrop of report that the Federal Government had directed the release of some members of the group arrested in February this year during a protest rally.They said:Nnamdi Kanu is not averse to political solution in resolving his present politically orchestrated ordeal.He welcomes genuine political solution to this case. Nnamdi Kanu has people of proven integrity and impeccable character that will negotiate on his behalf, based on his demands when communication on this effect is established, Ejiofor said.On the claims that MEND was negotiating on behalf of Kanu and IPOB, the lawyer said, In the past few days, the media was awash with news on negotiation going on between the Federal Government and members of MEND, where our clients name (Nnamdi Kanu) conspicuously featured.It is on that note that we wish to inform the general public that Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship with members of MEND.As such, MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or IPOB in any purported negotiation going on between MEND and the Federal Government.The general public is accordingly advised to ignore, discountenance and disregard the falsehood been peddled by MEND, said Mr. Ejiofor.Responding to a question on whether Kanu would abandon his campaign for an independent state of Biafra in exchange for freedom, Nzelu said that his client would not jettison the agitation even if he was released.He also said that Kanu has no ties with the Avengers.It is not easy to drop an ideology. IPOB is bigger than Nnamdi Kanu. Self-determination is as a result of marginalisation, he said.The Niger Delta Avengers have, however, denied ever negotiating with the Federal Government on behalf of Kanu, adding that they have only made calls to the government for his release. In a chat with The Nation, a spokesperson of the group said:  Avengers have never negotiated with the FG on behalf of Kanu. We have only called for his unconditional release and also asked the Federal Government to come out clear about the negotiation.We are fighting for restructuring of the country in a honourable way. The vision of Avengers and IPOB is to have a nation of theirs . This is totally different from what MEND stands for. MEND has no right to negotiate with the government on Kanus behalf because they dont share the same vision with them.
Popular Nigerian Economists, Pat Utomi during an interview session said he no longer has any words of advice for President Muhammadu Buhar...

Popular Nigerian Economists, Pat Utomi during an interview session said he no longer has any words of advice for President Muhammadu Buhari because he has ''given up on advising people''.Utomi made the disclosure when asked how Buhari should handle the economic crisis in the country. He said, ''I dont know what he should do. I have given up on advising people. I just want to become a farmer and see if I can produce something.''On the scandal that trailed the 2016 budget, Utomi said, ''They took out the people who used to make budget and then they didnt have anybody who has the capacity to make it, so the budget was a mess. Change is not about taking everybody out like that.In fact, part of my worry was that the people that we needed to retain were removed so fast. Look, this is part of the damage that the military did to Nigeria.A consistent unchanging public service that will change direction with some political leadership change is always better for the system because we need institutional memory. No organisation, whether its a business or government, can fare well if it lacks institutional memory  what the Germans call veta shuuen.
As he sat on the chair last Monday evening, Prince Ugochukwu brought out a white handkerchief from his pocket with his right hand, wiping ...

As he sat on the chair last Monday evening, Prince Ugochukwu brought out a white handkerchief from his pocket with his right hand, wiping off the small tear drops that clouded his red eyes.If he had known, he wouldnt have accepted his friends invitation to visit him in Switzerland. Ugochukwu said he would have stayed back in Madrid, Spain, where he worked and lived. He would have renewed his residence visa in Spain and become a citizen.Of course, that was his dream that has now been cut short brutally.He had planned to spend just three days in Switzerland but that journey quickly turned out to be a nightmare, leading to his eventual deportation to Nigeria.He said he had visited Switzerland back in 2014 without any problem. But his second trip to the country was the beginning of his sad experience. They declared him an illegal immigrant.The 35-year-old Ebonyi State indigene had been living and working in Madrid, Spain, since 2003. He visited Nigeria in September 2015 and left the Murtala Mohammed Airport happy and feeling great, only to return to the country like a destitute.Ugochukwu cried briefly when he first met our correspondent, but he composed himself and told a story that left many questions than answers.On September 9, few days after I got back to Spain, I bought a ticket with Swiss Air to visit my friend in Switzerland. We are close and I was free at work. So, I decided to go and spend three days with him. I left Madrid and arrived in Geneva, Switzerland later in the night of that day. On getting to the Geneva Airport, the immigration officials there checked my documents, he said.But after checking all his documents, the officials said he would not be allowed into the country.He said, I asked them what the reason was because I had all my documents intact. I have a residence visa in Spain and by European laws, I am permitted to visit any other European country and stay for three months, not to work, but to visit.I told them I was not coming to work, but to visit a friend for just three days. Meanwhile, I had an appointment to go for the renewal of my residence visa on October 5 because the one I was holding would expire on September 26, so I had planned not to stay for more than three days with my friend in Switzerland.They said I had to go back to Spain. After much effort trying to explain, I stopped arguing with them. I asked them how soon they would allow me to go back to Spain and they said as soon as possible. I believed them  only to see them packing my luggage and collecting my Spanish residence visa. I also had my Nigerian passport, which would expire in January 2017. They collected everything; the documents, my tablet and phone and wristwatch. They made an entry for all of them and asked me to acknowledge them by signing, which I did. Then they asked me to wait.But later that night, rather than put him back on a flight to Spain, Ugochukwu said they transported him from Geneva Airport to a location in the city which he didnt know. That night, he said they locked him in a confinement that had no windows.He continued, I was kept in there for three days without committing any criminal offence. I didnt know why they did that to me. They didnt allow me to communicate with anybody. I didnt know when it was night or when it was day. On the third day, they brought me out and asked me to come and see one lady in an office.She was explaining something to me, but she was speaking in French. I told them I didnt understand French and demanded they should bring someone who could speak English or Spanish which I understand.So they brought an old man who explained to me that they were setting me free on that day and that I was going back to Spain. The man told me that they said I shouldnt come back to their country till December 17. I was at least happy. They asked me to sign a statement to that effect and I did so. After signing the paper, I asked them how soon I was going to be taken to the airport and they said a vehicle would be coming to pick me up later.The vehicle indeed came, only to carry him to another detention facility in a place called Sion. In that place, another suffering began for him.But Ugochukwu did not imagine what would happen later.He said he spent two months and three weeks in that facility without any explanation.He said, I had no access to lawyer and no medical facility. I was there when my Spanish residence visa expired. All through the period, I kept asking them when I was going back to Spain. I told them I was working in Spain and I had two kids and dependants. You couldnt just keep me here, I told them. They refused to listen. When I was there, my health condition started deteriorating because of the poor water they gave me. There were rashes all over my body. The pain was severe. At nights, I couldnt sleep because I was feverish. I complained to them and demanded they should take money from my wallet and buy me bottled water. I also demanded they should take me to the hospital. All these fell on their deaf ears.They said they were going to talk to their director; they were just lying. Instead of taking me to the hospital, they gave me paracetamol tablets which I took for one month and 10 days. I requested that they should allow me see the Nigerian Consulate in Geneva because I just couldnt understand my situation. They didnt take me to the consulate. I was kept in that confinement till November 19.Around 1am on November 29, 2015, Saturday PUNCH learnt that while he was sleeping, four hefty men with masks entered his room. Before he could know what was happening, they had pinned him on the floor and handcuffed him.Ugochukwu said the unknown men sprayed some kind of gas on him, which made him lose consciousness. By the time he regained consciousness, he found himself inside an aircraft, his hands and legs tied to the seat with chains.He said, I looked around and saw other passengers. They were not chained like me. A security official sat beside me. I asked him where he was taking me to. He said we were going to Nigeria. I remember the plane got to Italy first, and from there it landed in Greece. As passengers were disembarking from the plane, others were embarking. I was the only one who couldnt move. Then we got to Nigeria. Before we landed, the security man removed my chains and when we got to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, I demanded to speak to Nigerian immigration officials. I was taken to an immigration officer who was the head of the department there. I told him I was not an illegal immigrant as the people who brought me back claimed. I told him I had been living in Spain since 2003 and I even had permanent residence visa, which I had been using for 10 years. If I had renewed it on October 5, I would have become a citizen of the country.I told him I worked in a factory which produces carts used at shopping malls. I had also worked at construction sites, bakeries and others. I asked the immigration officer to ask the man who brought me to release my documents and other items. He said I should wait and that he would get back to me. I waited, only for him to tell me I should come back two days later, on a Monday. When I got there, I was given my documents, only to realise my Spanish visa, my bank card and hospital card were not included. The immigration officer said that was all they gave him.Since then, Ugochukwu had been traumatised, brought back to Nigeria empty, and has been enduring the shame any other person who were in his shoes would have felt. All his efforts to seek redress to his unjust treatment have not yielded any fruit.I went to the departure hall at the airport to meet some officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I explained everything to them and they asked me to produce copies of all necessary papers, including the ticket I bought to go to Switzerland. They said they would look into it for me. They have yet to do that up till now, he said, showing the said documents to our correspondent.He said, Since January 2016, my children have not been going to school. I have no money. I am stranded in my own country. I had to relocate my family to my village in Ebonyi State. I have been squatting with friends in Lagos and its not easy. If I had renewed my visa, my family would have been able to join me in Spain. I wasnt married when I first got the residence visa, but on expiration of the former visa and application for a new one, I would have indicated I am married and they would join me. But look at what has happened to me.Right now, I walk around like a lunatic, which Im not. Everything I have  my money and other things  is in Spain. I have gone to the Spanish Consulate in Lagos. I presented all my documents for verification, but their argument is that they wouldnt be able to do anything for me because they were not the one who brought me back to Nigeria, but Switzerland. They said they dont have any hand in this matter. Why should Switzerland do this to me? I am a confused man right now.In 2014, I lost my job and went to Switzerland to solicit for social benefits, which is not a crime. After five months of application, they denied me, saying that I could only apply for that in Spain where I came from. I didnt argue with them. I left the country. I didnt fight with anyone and I have never been a terrorist suspect.It was the second time of visiting the country and they did this to me. I want them to tell me what my offence is. My life has turned upside down. Since December 2015, I dont have any means of income and I have not been feeding my family. Why should I be treated this way? I have not been able to overcome this shock.Meanwhile, a human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Evans Ufeli, who has taken up Ugochukwus case, said it was wrong for the Swiss authorities to have detained his client without any explanation to him.He said, This level of human right violation is gravely repulsive. This horrific case must not go forgotten. There is no country in the world where a legal immigrant will be wrongfully detained for up to two months without being charged to court or allowed access to a lawyer.This is a case of gross infringement of our clients fundamental right and we hereby call on all the relevant authorities through this medium  the Presidency, the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Immigration Service and Switzerland High Commission in Nigeria to come to the rescue of this young man whose apartment is still in Spain but cannot return because the Swiss immigration authorities are still with his Spanish residence permit and vital travel documents.The Swiss government through its High Commission in Nigeria should issue a re-entry visa to our client forthwith, to enable him to find his way back to his abode in Spain. The Swiss citizens in Nigeria are not treated this way here. We cannot allow the kind of abuse to go unchecked in our land. Our client deserves some level of dignity as a human being.When contacted on Friday, an official of the Switzerland Embassy in Abuja, Andreas Jolanda, told our correspondent on the phone that Ugochukwus case would be investigated.The spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Ekpedeme King, said something might be fishyabout Ugochukwus story, and promising to look into the matter.It might be that his documents are irregular or an illegal immigration issue, he said.
Governors, leaders and other members of the Peoples Democratic Party have resolved to snub the factional National Chairman of the party,...

Governors, leaders and other members of the Peoples Democratic Party have resolved to snub the factional National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, as they resolved to go ahead with the partys national convention.The convention holds in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, August 17.The decision of the governors followed their inability and that of the Board of Trustees to pacify Sheriff to support the holding of the convention as scheduled.The BoT and the governors had tried in vain to reconcile the Sheriff group with the partys mainstream.Indications that the peace moves had failed emerged at the meeting of the PDP Northern Leaders Forum where both Prof. Jerry Gana and Senator Ibrahim Mantu, told the delegates that the convention would hold as planned.Both men said that the party had concluded all plans to host the event, and that nothing will stop it.Gana is the chairman of the BoT Reconciliation Committee that had met with the Sheriff faction on a number of occasions.The former minister of information is also the co-convener of the Northern Leaders Forum.Mantu, a former Deputy President of the Senate, is also a member of the BoT Reconciliation Committee.The meeting of the PDP Northern Leaders Forum, where both men spoke, was called to discuss issues relating to the planned convention and how the general interest of the northern region will be protected at the event.Apart from amending some aspects of its constitution, the convention will also be used to elect new national officers for the former ruling party.In order not to be caught unaware, the northern leaders meeting set up a special screening committee to look at the qualifications of all aspirants to various offices convention, and recommend to the region, aspirants to be adopted for the various offices.Sheriff and members of his group had given many demands before they said the convention could hold.Apart from insisting that the convention be postponed, the faction also asked that the venue be changed from Port-Harcourt to Abuja and that the chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Governor Nyesom Wike, be removed.
The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on economic matters, deployed to the Vice-President office, Ayodele Adu, has di...





The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on economic matters, deployed to the Vice-President office, Ayodele Adu, has died in an Indian hospital on Friday.The Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, confirmed the death of the Presidential aide in a condolence message issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Olayinka Oyebode.Fayemi, who expressed shock and sadness, described Adus death as a personal loss to him and a major loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nigeria in general.The minister stated that the deceased, who served as a board member of the Fountain Company Limited of the Ekiti state government when he was governor of the state, was a man of courage, character and conviction.He was a distinguished Nigerian, an honourable Ekiti man, who through hard work and determination worked his way to the top of his professional calling and left marks of excellence on every assignment he undertook, Fayemi was quoted as saying. He was a man of courage, character and conviction, who had a great passion for the Ekiti Project. It is indeed a painful loss. We shall surely miss him.He prayed that Almighty God would grant him eternal rest and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no official confirmation of the death of the presidential aide from the office of the vice-president as of the time of filing this .
Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Saturday said religion is very important in building a peaceful and virile nation. Oshiomhole...

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Saturday said religion is very important in building a peaceful and virile nation.Oshiomhole said this while declaring open the Annual Delegates Conference of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), in Benin City, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.He said religious gatherings were important in building a peaceful and just society, whose citizens and leaders would be guided by the fear of God.The governor said this would ensure that policy choices were guided by how they impact on the people.Oshiomhole added that people should be judged by their actions and not their religious persuasion.He called on the media to always draw a distinction between religion and criminality.
The apex body of the Ijaw nation, the Ijaw National Congress, INC, has declared that it can resolve cases of militancy in the region withi...

The apex body of the Ijaw nation, the Ijaw National Congress, INC, has declared that it can resolve cases of militancy in the region within 30 days if the Federal Government ceases hostilities in the area.Speaking yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the National President of the congress, Chief Charles Harry said the area had lost enough youths owing to the use of military force in the Niger Delta.We ask for peace to return to the region; shooting and bombings can be resolved in 30 days.If the Federal Government is willing and sincere, we ask for 30 days. Peace can return to the Niger Delta in 24 hours if the right thing is done; if there is truth, faithfulness. Negotiations take time but armistice can be done in 24 hours, Harry said.
Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and members of the partys Board of Trustees, BoT, have appealed to embattled factional Na...

Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and members of the partys Board of Trustees, BoT, have appealed to embattled factional National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff to allow the partys August 17 National Convention to hold.The governors who met with the former Borno State governor at Gombe Governors Lodge in Abuja on Friday, appealed to him to withdraw all his court cases against the party.The governors who me with Sheriff include, Ekiti State Governors, Ayodele Fayose, Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe).However, Sheriff gave the governors condition for which he will yield to their demand.According to Sheriff, Wike must not head the partys National Convention Planning Committee, the convention must be brought to Abuja and that he must be allowed to head the party that would conduct the convention, Punch reports.The embattled factional Chairman also insisted that the Sen Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee be disbanded immediately and people be appointed into the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party.Commenting on the meeting, the report quoted one of the governors as saying, Sheriff is not ready for peace with the conditions he set. We may have to move on and leave him with his conditions because we have to continue with our preparations for the convention. We cant be dragged out again.
ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR and NOVI, MICHIGAN--(Marketwired - Aug 12, 2016) -

Fortis Inc. ("Fortis") (FTS.TO) and ITC Holdings Corp. ("ITC") (ITC) announced today the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended ("HSR Act") in respect of Fortis' proposed acquisition of ITC. The waiting period under the HSR Act expired on August 10, 2016.

"Expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act is seen as continued progress toward the completion of the transaction," said Barry Perry, President and CEO of Fortis. "We remain on track to close the deal by the end of the year."

Fortis and ITC Shareholders approved the acquisition in votes held on May 5 and June 22, 2016, respectively. The approval required from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States was received on July 8, 2016. The closing of the acquisition of ITC is subject to receipt of certain other regulatory authorizations, including State approvals.

About Fortis

Fortis is a leader in the North American electric and gas utility business, with total assets of approximately CAD$29 billion and fiscal 2015 revenue of CAD$6.7 billion. The Corporation's asset mix is approximately 94% regulated (69% electric, 25% gas), with the remaining 6% comprised of non-regulated energy infrastructure. The Corporation's regulated utilities serve more than 3 million customers across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Fortis shares are listed on the TSX and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com, www.sedar.com, or www.sec.gov.

About ITC

ITC is the largest independent electric transmission company in the United States. Based in Novi, Michigan, ITC invests in the electric transmission grid to improve reliability, expand access to markets, allow new generating resources to interconnect to its transmission systems and lower the overall cost of delivered energy. Through its regulated operating subsidiaries ITCTransmission, Michigan Electric Transmission Company, ITC Midwest and ITC Great Plains, ITC owns and operates high-voltage transmission facilities in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, serving a combined peak load exceeding 26,000 megawatts along approximately 15,700 circuit miles of transmission line. ITC's grid development focus includes growth through regulated infrastructure investment as well as domestic and international expansion through merchant and other commercial development opportunities. Additional information can be accessed at www.itc-holdings.com or www.sec.gov.

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Fortis and ITC include forward-looking statements in this press release within the meaning of applicable securities laws including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements included in this press release reflect expectations of Fortis and/or ITC management regarding future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "anticipates", "believes", "budgets", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "intends", "may", "might", "plans", "projects", "schedule", "should", "target", "will", "would" and the negative of these terms and other similar terminology or expressions have been used to identify the forward-looking statements, which include, without limitation: statements related to the acquisition of ITC, the expected timing, and conditions precedent to the closing of the acquisition, including regulatory approvals.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Certain material factors or assumptions have been applied in drawing the conclusions contained in the forward-looking statements. These factors or assumptions are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally, including those identified from time to time in the forward-looking statements. Such risk factors or assumptions include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the ability to obtain regulatory approvals in connection with the acquisition and the timing and terms thereof, risks relating to failure to complete the acquisition and the timing thereof and the risk that conditions to the acquisition may not be satisfied, and risks relating to the potential decline in the Fortis share price negatively impacting the value of the consideration offered to ITC shareholders. Fortis and ITC caution readers that a number of factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these risks or factors, reference should be made to the continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time by Fortis or ITC with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Fortis and ITC disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Fortis filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a registration statement on Form F-4 including a proxy statement of ITC and a prospectus of Fortis, and other documents in connection with the acquisition by Fortis of ITC, which was declared effective by the SEC on May 16, 2016. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement, definitive proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Fortis and/or ITC has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the acquisition. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF FORTIS AND ITC ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER FILINGS THAT MAY BE MADE WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACQUISITION WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACQUISITION. The registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus containing the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed by Fortis and/or ITC with the SEC are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, on Fortis' website at www.fortisinc.com or by contacting Fortis' Investor Relations department. Copies of the document filed with the SEC by ITC can also be obtained free of charge from ITC upon written request to ITC at ITC, Investor Relations, 27175 Energy Way, Novi, MI 48377. You may also read and copy any reports, statements and other information filed by Fortis and ITC with the SEC at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at (800) 732-0330 or visit the SEC's website for further information on its public reference room. This communication 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 appropriate registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law.
COLLINGSWOOD -- Several bouquets and one melted candle still remained Friday outside the Quick Stop Deli in memory of Seema Singh, 42, who helped her husband run the shop for years before authorities say was stabbed to death by him July 19.

Nitin "Pal" Singh, 46, of Pennsville, was charged with her murder and remains jailed, but his father has reopened the deli at the corner of W. Collings and Richey avenues.

Sitting behind the deli counter Friday, he declined to give his name, but said his son is innocent and maintains that someone else killed Seema Singh.

"He didn't do it," he said of Nitin Singh, 46. "Somebody else was there."

He did not elaborate and declined to say who is now caring for the couple's three children, but Pennsville police Chief Allen J. Cummings said they are staying with a Pennsville family whom they know. He said he recently saw two of the three children, aged 16, 6 and 5, and they seemed to be doing well.

Authorities said that the children were sleeping in the 144 North Broadway home when their father stabbed their mother more than 30 times early July 19. He called 911 around 5:30 a.m. asking for help because his wife wasn't breathing, according to a recording released to NJ Advance Media.

Police said they found her dead on the floor of the kitchen with Nitin Singh standing above her, his clothes, hands and arms bloodied. The children were led out a side door so they would not see what Cummings described as a "very horrific scene."

Cummings said at the time that the Singhs' families came to the United States a few days after being informed of Seema Singh's death. They met with the chief and then visited Nitin Singh at the Salem County Correctional Facility in Mannington Township where he is being held on $1 million cash bail.

Asked Friday how the family was dealing with the tragedy, Singh's father shook his head and said, "What can I do? The whole family is destroyed."

He said he is confident that his son is innocent because neither Nitin Singh -- nor anyone in his family -- has ever done anything like this.

Authorities said they had never been called to the residence for any type of domestic disturbance and a tenant of the Singhs, George Hemple, said he never heard any raised voices or arguing from his landlord's dwelling. New Jersey Superior Court records show no previous criminal convictions for Nitin Singh.

Regulars stopping at the Collingswood deli the day after the killing to pay their respects to Seema Singh said she and Nitin Singh were usually friendly and cheerful. But at a vigil the previous evening, several told the Courier-Post that Nitin Singh had seemed depressed and distracted over the last year.

He was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree aggravated assault, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and fourth-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

A spokeswoman for the Salem Superior Court said the court has received no indication that Nitin Singh has private counsel, so a public defender will likely be appointed at his next court date Aug. 25.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
MONTCLAIR -- Jazz isn't dead.

Despite full parking lots and excessive heat, thousands made the trek to the Montclair Jazz Festival Saturday.

Adults sipped craft beer (North Coast Brewing brought in Brother Thelonious - a Belgian ale named for Thelonious Monk), and children experimented with rhythm on bongo drums. Grammy-winning bassist Christian McBride, before taking the stage, read a children's book to a tent full of fledgling jazz aficionados, most under the age of 10.

The festival, now in its seventh year, has grown quite a bit. It's run by Melissa Walker, founder of Jazz House Kids. Over the course of almost nine hours, 13 acts took the stage, bringing styles of jazz that ranged from big band to vocal ensembles, and included tributes to Prince and David Bowie. The entire event, including parking and shuttles, was completely free.

Margarethe Laurenzi, vice chair of the board of Jazz House Kids, got involved after her son attended the music camp seven years ago. At the end of the camp, nearly 300 people gathered to enjoy the commencement of the program. Last year, about 8,000 came to the Montclair Jazz Festival.

"It's all about family and the community and living legends," Laurenzi said. "We're passing that on to younger generations."

The festival took up the entirety of Montclair's Nishuane Park. Sponsors and vendors peppered the park, offering trucks full of water bottles and CDs.

Guitarist Benjamin Samuelson, 17, said that one of the biggest misconceptions about jazz is that it services a small market, and that it doesn't appeal to young people.

"You think it's a small world, but this program is proof (that it's more widespread)," he said, referring to the amount of young people involved in Jazz House Kids.

Mistress of Ceremonies S. Epatha Merkerson, known for roles on "Chicago Med" and "Law and Order," said the festival is something she looks forward to all year.

"I'm a big fan of the music," she said. "And I'm a bigger fan of Melissa Walker and Christian McBride."

When her 89-year-old mother came to the festival last year, she was amazed that young people were playing the music she had grown up with.

"It was huge for her," Merkerson said.

For headliner Christian McBride, the entire day was a "joy."

Before he went on stage, he hung out with other musicians in his trailer, and was extremely excited about his set.

"Put your dancing shoes on," he said.

Kate Mishkin may be reached at kmishkin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KateMishkin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWFIELD --Police are searching for a man who robbed the Exxon Gas Station on Harding Highway at gunpoint Friday night.

The white male walked into the store with a handgun and demanded money from an employee working there, police said He also hit the employee with a tire iron and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The victim was brought to Inspira Hospital in Vineland with minor injuries.

Police officers from Monroe Township, Franklin Township, Newfield and the New Jersey State Police assisted at the scene.

Rebecca Forand may be reached at rforand@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @RebeccaForand.Find NJ.com on Facebook.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The elite of Thoroughbred Racing gathered inside the Humphrey Finney Sales Pavilion to honor another class of greats on Friday, Aug. 12.

A host of racing fans braved the heat to stand outside to take in the ceremonies and pay homage to their idols.

Two of the greatest fillies ever to wear horse shoes were inducted.

Barbara Banke of Stonestreet Farm accepted the bronze plaque in honor of Rachel Alexandra.

Here are the highlights of Rachel Alexandra's career on the track and in the breeding shed.

Bay filly by Medaglia d'Oro from the Roar mare Lotta Kim bred by Dolphus Morrison.

Campaigned by Morrison and Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke's Stonestreet Stable.

Trained by Hal Wiggins and Steve Asmussen (Hall of Fame Class of 2016).

Ridden by Calvin Borel and Brian Hernandez, Jr.

Racing Record, 2008 - 2010: 19 starts, 13 wins, 5 seconds. $3.506 million purse earnings.

Major victories: Undefeated at age 3 winning the Kentucky Oaks (20-1/4 lengths), Preakness (vs colts), Mother Goose (19-1/4 lengths), Haskell (vs colts) and Woodward (vs colts) and receiving the Eclipse Awards as 3-year-old Filly Champion and Horse of the Year.

Progeny: Colt Jess's Dream is a winner. Filly Rachel's Valentina is a Grade 1 winner.

Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss accepted the plaque honoring Zenyatta, a dark bay filly by Street Cry from the Kris S mare Vertigineux.

Trainer: John Shirreffs.

Riders: Mike Smith (Hall of Fame Class of 2003) and David Flores.

Racing Record 2007 - 2010: 20 starts, 19 wins, 1 second. $7.304 million in purse earnings.

Major accomplishments include 2010 Horse of the Year, four Eclipse Awards, 13 Grade 1 wins, first filly or mare to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. Won the Lady's Secret Stakes, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes and the Vanity Handicap three times each.

Steve Rushing, his former agent, presented the plaque to Jockey Ramon Dominguez.

Born: Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 24, 1976.

Racing Career: 1996 - 2013.

Racing Record: 4985 wins from 21,267 rides for a win percentage of 23.44%.

Awards: Eclipse as Rider-of-the-Year, 2010, 2011 and 2012. George Woolf Memorial, 2012. Isaac Murphy Memorial, 2004.

Titles: Won 20 leading rider trophies among Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga meetings.

Set a Saratoga record with 68 wins in 2012, the same year he tied the record for six wins on a single card at the Spa.

Rode the winners of 160 graded stakes. Ranked 17th in wins and 32-nd in earnings at the time of retirement.

Julie (Mrs. Steve) Asmussen presented the award to trainer Steve Asmussen.

Born: Gettysburg, S.D., Nov.18, 1965.

Racing Record through the time of his confirmation to the Hall: 35,135 starts. 7,318 wins, Purse earnings of $243.2 million.

Eclipse Awards as Trainer-of-the-Year: 2008 and 2009.

Ranks second in all time career wins and fourth in career earnings...Trained Hall of Fame horses Curlin and Rachel Alexandra...Set a record for races won (650) in 2009...Ranked in the top ten in wins and earnings every year starting in 2000...Among his 190 grade stakes wins are five Breeders' Cups and two Preakness Stakes.

Michael Veitch, chairman of the Hall of Fame's Historic Review committee, lead off the historic segment of the program accepting the award for the racehorse of yesteryear Tom Ochiltree.

The bay colt was foaled in 1872. His racing career spanned 1875 -1877 during which time he won 21 races from 33 starts and the princely sum of $41,455.

At one point in his career, owner John F. Chamberlain sold the colt to George L. Lorillard for $5,000. Some reports say that number may have been $7,500.

Frank Oakes, the son-in-law of jockey Wayne D. Wright accepted the plaque. The Rexburg, Idaho native (Born 1916) rode from 1931 to 1949.

During that time, he went postward on 9,764 mounts and went to the winner's circle 1,492 times.

Wright, who had a penchant for winning stakes races, lead all North American jockeys in earnings twice and finished in the top 15 eight times overall.

He rode Shut Out to win the 1942 Kentucky Derby, Polynesian to win the 1945 Preakness and Peace Chance to win the 1934 Belmont.

Dell Hancock accepted the plaque for her father, the late Arthur B. (Bull) Hancock, Jr., the master of the legendary Claiborne Farm. The third generation horseman was born in Bourbon County, Ky. on what is now part of Claiborne in January 1910.

After receiving a degree from Princeton and service in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Bull Hancock succeeded his father at Claiborne and continued the farm's success as won of the world's great Thoroughbred establishmnts.

During his tenure, Claiborne bred 112 stakes winners and topped North American breeders in earnings in 1958, 1959, 1968 and 1969.

Thirty-two champions bore the Claiborne seal including Hall of Fame members Kelso, Buckpasser, Nashua, Forego, Bold Ruler, Round Table, Gamely, Neji and Riva Ridge.

Starting in 1955, a Claiborne stallion was on top of the general sire list every year through 1980. Those sires were Nasrullah (5 years), Princequillo (2), Ambiorix (1) and the the legendary Bold Ruler for seven consecutive years.

Bull Hancock's service to the sport he cherished was evident through his service to the American Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the Keeneland Association, Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Racing Commission, the Grayson Foundation and the Thoroughbred Breeders of Kentucky.

Townsend Bancroft accepted the plaque for his great-grandfather, William Woodward, Sr.

Woodward is best remembered for being a leading breeder and owner as well as 20-years serving the Jockey Club as its chairman.

His red and white silks went to the winner's circle after the Kentucky Derby three times, the Preakness twice and the Belmont Stakes five times.

His Gallant Fox, Omaha, Granville, Nashua and Johnstown are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He bred American champions Gallant Fox, Faireno, Happy Gal, Omaha, Granville, Vagrancy and Nashua as well as four champions in Europe.

In the modern era, Woodward is best remembered for the racing prowess of the mighty Nashua.

In 1954, at age 2, the colt won the Futurity, Monmouth's Hopeful and the Grand Union Stakes. At 3, he put trophies into the Woodward case from the Preakness, Belmont, Florida Derby, Arlington Classic, the Wood Memorial, Dwyer and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

He also won the historic match race with Swaps. Those victories earned him the Horse-of-the-Year title and a place in the Hall of Fame.

For current equestrian news see Horse News or check out the online version of the print edition.

Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com

To subscribe to the print edition call 908-237-7310.

For advertising e-mail mchapman@N.J.advancemedia.com. Find Horse News on Facebook
The teenage driver in a Connecticut crash that killed a Bayonne motorcyclist last year has been sentenced to pay $180 in fines for two motor vehicle violations, according to a court official.

On May 17, 2015, Kathryn Hausherr, 17, was driving a SUV south on a highway east of New Haven, Conn. when she collided head-on with motorcyclist Karen S. Minutella, 47, of Bayonne, authorities said.

Following a lengthy crash investigation, Hausherr turned herself in to authorities on March 17 on an arrest warrant for negligent homicide, assault, failure to drive in a proper lane, operating an unregistered vehicle and violation of passenger restrictions, News 8 reported.

The charges were later downgraded and the Killingworth, Conn. teen pleaded no contest to failure to drive in a proper lane and violation of passenger restrictions, according to Justin Carey, administrative clerk with the Superior Court Clerk's Office for Connecticut's Geographical Area Nine.

Hausherr had two 16-year-olds in her 2008 Honda Pilot at the time of the crash, which violates passenger restrictions for 16- and 17-year-old drivers in Connecticut, News 8 reported.

Police told the news channel that no one in the SUV was injured in the incident.

Carey said the teen was ordered to pay $90 in fines for each of her violations in Superior Court in Middletown on Monday.

No other conditions were specified as part of her sentencing, he said.

Asked if The Jersey Journal could speak to the prosecutor in the case, the Connecticut attorney's office for Geographical Area Nine said prosecutors do not speak to the press as a general policy.

John "Kenny" Healey, the fiance of the Bayonne woman killed in the crash, was riding with her, along with a group of motorcyclists that day. He was also ejected from his motorcycle but survived his life-threatening injuries.

At Monday's sentencing, he told Hausherr that he has forgiven her and later posted the statement he made on Facebook.

"I am not only a victim but I am also a father. Forgiving you is one of the many steps in my journey to healing," he said, before going on to describe the physical and emotional devastation of the crash.

Healey said simple activities like walking or playing with his children have become more difficult and that he has had to undergo dialysis treatments three times a week for his failing kidneys.

The part of him that will never heal is his heart, he said.

"Karen Minutella was not only my fiancee, she was first and foremost a mother and grandmother. We were planning on getting married in June 2015 and now that moment will cease to exist," Healey said.

Minutella is survived by two daughters, a son and two grandchildren, her friend Tiffany Pawlowski of the Bayonne Elks Lodge 434 told The Jersey Journal in the tragedy's aftermath.

Hausherr couldn't immediately be reached for comment yesterday.
Circuses may soon no longer be welcome in Jersey City, with the City Council next week expected to take action on a bill that would ban performances of wild and exotic animals.

If formally adopted, Jersey City would become one of a host of public entities nationwide that have passed laws aimed at circuses. Bergen County now forbids wild and exotic animal shows on county property. Rhode Island last month became the first state in the nation to ban the use of a tool used by circuses to train elephants.

The proposed law appears to be the first in New Jersey that would restrict the use of wild and exotic animals on private property.

Mayor Steve Fulop made his thoughts known in April when he took The Jersey Journal to task for promoting a circus that was visiting Bayonne.

"I hate these circuses. They shouldn't be accepted in Hudson County at all,'' he tweeted, adding they have a record of abuse and that people shouldn't attend.

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the circus visiting Bayonne prompted the new legislation to "prohibit cruel treatment of animals.

"We are following Bergen County and in order to expand forward, the first and important step is setting an example in our home city," Morrill said.

The law would not be limited to circuses: it would ban trade shows, petting zoos, carnivals, parades and more in which animals are required to perform tricks, fight or give rides.

Stephen Payne, spokesman for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's circus, described the bill as "political grandstanding" on Fulop's part. Payne said he's not aware of any circuses visiting Jersey City.

If they did, he said, they would be subject to current state and federal laws protecting animals. When Ringling Brothers travels to Newark, Payne added, they get frequent surprise inspections.

"We're proud of our animal care," he said.

The Humane Society of the United States is on Fulop's side here. Debbie Leahy, manager of captive wildlife protection for the animal rights group, said there are two chief problems with the use of animals in circuses.

Circuses lead to prolonged confinement for animals with little veterinary care and there is often abusive training behind the scenes, according to Leahy.

"Animals don't want to do these tricks," she said. "They are afraid not to."

The Humane Society credits anti-circus bills around the country with convincing Ringling Brothers to announce it would phase out all elephant acts by 2018.

The council meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St.
PENNINGTON -- Hundreds of hot but happy butterfly lovers descended on the grounds of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association to attend the 16th Annual Watershed Butterfly Festival.

The day-long event, "Celebrating the Swallowtail," was held in honor of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, which was named the official butterfly of New Jersey earlier this year.

For many, the stroll through the Kate Gorrie Butterfly House was the highlight of the day as a variety of butterfly species fluttered through the air. Other activities included a parade, nature walks, music, crafts, and spin-art.

Attendees this year were invited to try for a Guinness World Record for the most people wearing butterfly wings.

Robert Sciarrino may be reached at bsciarrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SciarrinoRobert. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- City police officers talked an suicidal man from the ledge of a bridge over Route 1 Friday evening, officials said.

The incident, which began at about 5:30 p.m., caused police to shut down traffic onto the highway on a stretch just north of Perry Street and south of North Olden Avenue, police said.

The fire department also responded to the incident and located the man on a former railroad bridge, officials said.

Eventually, police officers that speak Spanish talked the man out of jumping. He was taken by ambulance to a city hospital for examination.

The closures exacerbated the evening commuter rush and caused long lines of cars seeking detours in the area.

By 7 p.m. police officers were starting to allow traffic back onto the highway.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
LAKEWOOD -- A fugitive who was one of the top 12 most wanted criminals in Puerto Rico was arrested in Lakewood on Wednesday, authorities announced on Friday.

Members of the New York and New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force in Trenton arrested Ezequiel Manners at a warehouse in Lakewood, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshal's Office.

Manners was an employee at the warehouse where he worked under a fake name, authorities said.

He was wanted by authorities in Puerto Rico for first-degree homicide and weapons charges. Manners is also a suspect in two unrelated homicides in Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Marshal's Office.

Manners was arrested and will be transported back to Puerto Rico.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Like so many others I underestimated D.J. Trump.

I was dead sure there was no way on God's green earth he could screw up his presidential campaign and the Republican Party any more than he has already screwed them up. Little I knew.

But as he proved with his recent hint to the country's gun groupies that they may have the only solution to a Hillary Clinton presidency, there's no limit to the man's capacity for reckless rhetoric.

Hillary Clinton, he said, falsely, wants to do away with the Second Amendment guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms. "If Hillary Clinton gets to pick her judges," he warned, "nothing you can do folks - although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is. I don't know."

To any reasonable person, his comment sounds alarmingly like an invitation to assassination or something close - and certainly not anything that should come from the mouth of a candidate for leader of the Free World.

Trump insists that's not what he meant; the press has misconstrued his meaning, he's insists. It's what he always insists - his regular rejoinder to the usual backlash to his latest rhetorical outrage.

Not content with the unfavorable fallout from his wink-and-nod to the gun crazies, D.J. has now unmasked President Obama as - would you believe - "the founder of ISIS." I wouldn't lie; that's what he said.

What are voters to make of the man? Is it that despite his years as a public figure he has no grasp of the meaning of words or of how they can affect events and perceptions?

Is he merely careless? Or doesn't he give a damn about the consequences of his off-the-cuff comments so long as he gets his daily dose of media attention? Or maybe he's just stupid as a stump, considering the long-term damage he's inflicting on the Trump brand, the key to the family fortune and future?

Hard to know. But they're all lousy options to ponder for a potential president.

Trump's latest rhetorical boo-boos are enough of a burden for him and his ticket. But they come on top of a year of such mistakes, including insults and innuendoes against Mexicans, Muslims and immigrants in general, as well as women and veterans, among others.

Veterans tend to vote Republican but D. J. has made it tough for them with his ridicule of Sen. John McCain's heroism as a POW in Vietnam and his attack on a Muslim couple at the Democratic convention whose son, an Army Captain, died in Afghanistan protecting his men.

"I like people who weren't captured," Trump said of McCain.

The GOP was already in trouble with Hispanics but Trump compounded the problem two ways. For beginners, he demeaned Mexican immigrants categorically as "rapists and murderers" and called for the building of a wall across our southern borders to keep out all Hispanics.

As if that wasn't enough, he attacked a federal judge overseeing a trial of his ersatz university as "biased" because he's Mexican. Actually, the jurist, an American of Mexican heritage, was born in Indiana. Picky, picky, picky, as Trump might complain.

He has called women all sorts of names and stooped to vulgarity in a clash with Megan Kelly, a Fox TV anchor.

His insinuation that he'd not necessarily support a NATO nation under attack, as required by the alliance, has Vladimir Putin, who's eyeing more Russian gains in Eastern Europe, over the moon. That helped inspire 50 foreign policy experts who worked for Republican presidents to announce they can't vote for The Donald and to denounce him in the strongest terms.

The group, including Gen. Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA and the National Security Council, said this of Trump: "We are convinced that in the Oval Office he would be the most reckless president in American history."

They really know how to hurt a guy.

There's lots more where the above came from. Donald, as Democrats see him, is the gift that keeps on giving.

But if Trump can be justifiably criticized, what about those who voted him the nomination and now support him, warts and all? They're the ones truly responsible for this wreck of a marriage.

A divorce from Donald seems in order, if only to protect down-ballot Republicans. Like most divorces, it would be painful and costly. But that's what the GOP gets for dancing with the Donald.

More John Farmer columns



John Farmer may be reached at jfarmer@starledger.com. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
So on Monday Newark Mayor Ras Baraka publicly announced what everyone has known for months.

Baraka said he will do all he can to help Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, his urban government partner, become governor of New Jersey. Now all we have to do is wait for Fulop to publicly declare his obvious candidacy.

Baraka's declaration for the Jersey City mayor in the governor's election triggered some chicken-without-a-head reactions. Pure panic. As soon as the Newark mayor stopped talking, the state's most powerful insurance broker, George Norcross, ordered a statewide meeting of Democratic Party leaders -- a war council, sans those whose fealty are suspect.

I guess state Democratic Party Chairman John Currie didn't read the column where I noted that New Jersey Democratic leaders are more interested in next year's gubernatorial contest than the present presidential race. Currie told Politickernj.com that the state Dems should be concentrating on the present election cycle. Then, Currie mentioned his true concern, mainly calling out how any meeting without key chairmen, Bergen's Lou Stellato, Hudson's Vinnie Prieto, who is also the Assembly Speaker, and Currie himself, of Passaic, is counterproductive. You gotta believe he's only pretending not to know that those being excluded by Norcross are considered Fulop-backers.

Does anyone see the humor in all this? Norcross, aka South Jersey, is behind the teacher's union's best friend, Senate President Steve Sweeney, as the Dem candidate for governor, and big George has Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, who is also chairman of the Essex Democrats, on the Sweeney bandwagon. So why the concern over the Baraka announcement? Well, it could be that besides being loyal to Fulop, who backed him when everyone else ignored the would-be Newark mayor, Baraka is expected to make it clear next year -- when DiVincenzo may seek re-election or some other office -- who the real boss of Essex County is.

Essex County is key in the Democratic Party June battle, and the divide is not only between Sweeney and Fulop supporters. Sen. Ron Rice likes to say Fulop has a "plantation mentality," when it comes to the Jersey City mayor's relationship with certain 31st District assembly members tied to state Sen. Sandra Cunningham. The comedy is over the fact that Cunningham has been in the Sweeney camp, and Rice has been aligned with state Sen. Richard Codey and the third most often named gubernatorial and declared candidate, Phil Murphy, a millionaire and former ambassador to Germany who says he feels the pain of the middle class.

What all this means is that it is likely that Fulop will run on an off-the-line Essex County Democratic primary at the top of a ticket put together by the Newark mayor. With Fulop at the top, the big question is: What line will Cunningham find herself on in next year's Hudson County Democratic primary? Who will be the off-the-line and on-the-line Assembly candidates in the 31st District? Questions and more questions for us to consider.

Another odd part of this play is Norcross' call to the big "Apalachin"-like summit is being answered by Union County Democratic leaders, including Union County Democratic Chairman Jerry Green. So it begs the question, what is the relevancy of state Sen. Ray Lesniak's announced gubernatorial bid if his chairman answers the clarion call of the guy who prefers someone else for governor?

YOU GOT MAIL

Fulop has been the subject this week of email among Gov. Christie and several of his staffers. The Jersey Journal's Terrence McDonald covers the email that discussed the effort to get Fulop's endorsement for Christie during the governor's re-election effort in 2013. What those messages reveal is that Christie's people didn't think much of Fulop, and they were right when they thought it would be difficult getting his seal of approval.

In fact, the Downtown councilman, back then, was described as "quite the snake." Well, Snake Plissken was smart enough to get Christie to the newly elected mayor's inauguration. Obviously someone in Fulop's circle must have convinced Christie's gang that an endorsement may be possible - obviously a lie.

Either way, court brief documents supposedly show (page 5 in link) that Christie claims to have cancelled the meetings with Fulop (after failing to endorse him) because the governor didn't want to strain his relationship with Sweeney. What I don't understand is how Christie knew Fulop would be Sweeney's gubernatorial rival, way back then?

Insider Note: Stay cool today, readers. I'm still waiting to hear from Murphy and Plissken these days.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Agustin C. Torres' columns appear in The Jersey Journal every Saturday.
Cara Condodina library donation

Cara Condodina prepares a shipment of books for the African Library Project. (courtesy photo)

WATCHUNG - Thanks to Cara Condodina, libraries in Africa will be filled with educational books for children to enjoy for years to come.

The Westfield resident and incoming junior at Mount Saint Mary Academy in recently made possible the establishment of three libraries in rural Africa as part of the African Library Project, according to a news release. The non-profit organization develops libraries throughout the continent through volunteers in the United States that organize book drives.

Motivated by the story of a 16-year-old girl in Lesotho, Africa, who had little inspiration to learn and do well in school, Condodina was thrilled to discover that the youngster's perspective changed after her school received a new library from the project.

Condodina explained that the African Library Project calls upon volunteers to collect 1,000 gently used children's books and to raise $500 to pay for shipping-related expenses. Each volunteer is matched with a partner in Africa that will receive the books from their drive. After the books arrive at a warehouse in Africa and are distributed by volunteers in the area, a new library is developed.

"Around December 2015, I was looking for some small service work to do for the holiday season," explained Condodina. "My sisters and I had always loved to read and a club at school was holding a book drive, so I decided that having my own book drive would be a good idea."

Soon after, Condodina held a book drive at the Mount for Moving Star School in Ghana - her first library project -- to set up a primary/junior high school library consisting of preschool through sixth grade level books.

"Ghana has one of the highest school attendance rates in Africa, with 82 percent of school-aged children in school," she said. "However, this means that about half a million children are still not in school, primarily because of a lack of resources. By sending books and teaching resources to school in Ghana, we are helping to further increase the amount of children that will receive an education.

"From there, the potential and opportunities for that child are much greater."

The Pulane Methodist Primary School in Lesotho was Condodina's second library project, benefitting the small country which she described as "very underdeveloped due to low industrial projection and little natural resources.

To date, her efforts have helped established three libraries, since she has collected over 3,000 books.

"The true reward of this project is not just knowing that I completed a task that many doubted I could, but that in the process I may have bettered the lives of children in Africa," Condodina said. "Compared to past personal accomplishments, doing these projects has meant more because I have accomplished things for more than just myself.

"And while I am giving to the schools in Africa, I feel that I am also receiving in the way of knowing the impact of my work."
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
Today

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 67F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers after midnight. Low 67F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 76F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
Today

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 76F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
header3 stranger things 80s movies

Netflix has a hit on its hands.

Stranger Things, its latest original series, has far outpaced other Netflix originals in viewership. In the first 16 days, 8.2 million people watched the science-fiction drama, putting it far ahead of hits like "House of Cards," "Daredevil," and "Jessica Jones."

And while the series draws on a compelling plot, solid acting, and exceptional cinematography to make a sale to viewers, it would be difficult to ignore the magic that holds it all together: a nostalgia for earlier days.

The show, set in a rural Indiana town during the 1980s, transports viewers to another period in American history.

An era apparently void of the complexities of modern life.

There are no smartphones or video games. Instead, children in the show are seen navigating the small town on bicycles, playing board games, and getting into innocent mischief. Law enforcement holds the respect of the community and the nuclear family is alive and well.

Its a period of time many Americans recall fondly in their memories  and, according to Republican strategists who spoke to Business Insider, its the same nostalgia thats also fueling some of Donald Trumps popularity with supporters.

Arguably we were winning under [President Ronald] Reagan. We won the Cold War. We were a superpower in the '80s. The economy was booming, said John Thomas, a Republican strategist and president of Thomas Partners Strategies. So I think that's what a lot of people want to go back to.

The other interesting thing was we were more homogeneous in the 1980s as a culture, Thomas added, saying the nation has become divided on several issues that run deep through society.

Indeed, in the past several years America has undergone radical transformation.

The Black Lives Matter movement has stirred discussion on racial inequality. The Supreme Court has legalized gay marriage, and for the first time in US history a major political party has nominated a woman for president.

Story continues

[Trump] wants to go back to a simpler time where some of these thorny issues that are difficult" are not at the forefront of American politics, said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist and president of the Potomac Strategy Group. "The gender issues, the racial issues, the sexuality issues  at the end of the day he wants to focus on immigration, the economy, and trade."

Mackowiak noted that many adults who had a positive experience growing up want to return to those days  something he sees in Trump.

He did like the world that existed when he was a kid, Mackowiak said. And a lot of us are based on our childhood. If we had a happy childhood, we sometimes want to recreate it. And so I think for the most part, I think he would in his own mind would like to take us back to a simple world where right and wrong were very clear.

For his part, Trump hasnt hid his desire to take Americans back to earlier days. His entire campaign is based on the premise of making America great again  something that Thomas noted is strange.

Every election is about moving forward, he said, pointing out the anomaly with Trump in the 2016 campaign cycle.

But perhaps a sizable portion of the country doesnt want to move forward, and that's why Trump got nominated. They want to go back to a past they remember fondly.

And it's that glowing view of the older days that provides the magic in "Stranger Things" the callback to a more simple time.

NOW WATCH: Trump rips a protester in Pennsylvania: 'Your mother is voting for Trump'





More From Business Insider


pena nieto and wife

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto's family has again come under scrutiny for its property dealings, this time for the first lady's use of a luxury property in Florida owned by a businessman with ties to the first family.

According to a report by The Guardian, Angelica Rivera, the president's wife, has been using two units in Ocean Tower One, a gated community in Key Biscayne.

One of the units was purchased by Rivera in 2005, but the other is owned by Grupo Pierdant, a Mexican firm.

Pierdant has let Rivera use its unit in the building, "in effect allowing them to be managed as a single unit," The Guardian notes, adding that the apartments share the same phone number and that a woman who answered the phone said packages could be sent to either address. "It's the same," the woman said.

In early 2014, Pierdant paid the property tax for its unit as well as for the unit owned by Rivera, which accrued a tax bill of $29,703, according to The Guardian.

Ocean Tower One Miami Florida

Ricardo Pierdant, the company's founder who has numerous business dealings in the US and Mexico, quickly hung up when The Guardian called him about the property, but he told Univision that he had lent the apartment to Rivera "several times" and that it was "totally false" that he had paid property taxes for the apartment that she owned.

Pena Nieto's spokesman called The Guardian's report false and said that the suggestion Grupo Pierdant could bid on government contracts was "speculation"

This is not the first appearance of impropriety in the first family's property dealings or in its relationships with current or potential government contractors.

This particular case has reminded many of the "Casa Blanca" scandal of late 2014, which emerged after it was revealed that Rivera was buying a seven-bedroom mansion in an upscale Mexico City neighborhood from Grupo Higa, another large government contractor.

Story continues

Mexico Enrique Pena Nieto Casa Blanca

The first lady returned the property, and an investigation cleared the president of wrongdoing  though many Mexicans scoffed at that finding, as the investigation was led by a friend of the president and the Mexican finance minister.

The links between Pena Nieto and Grupo Higa, which is led by a longtime friend of the president, are extensive. A New York Times report in August last year found that the firm had gotten more than 80 government contracts and received $2.8 billion in state money.

A Reuters investigation last year also suggested that Pena Nieto had misrepresented how he had acquired several properties on tax documents.

"Our elites (political, religious, business, intellectual) simply refuse to understand the concept of conflict of interest," Rodolfo Soriano, a sociologist in Mexico City, tweeted after Pena Nieto was cleared of wrongdoing in August last year.

New lows

The scandals that have developed around Pena Nieto's business and property dealings have undercut his efforts to position himself as a reformer and likely remind many of the deep networks of corruption and influence-peddling that existed when his party, the PRI, ran Mexico as a de facto one-party state for most of the 20th century.

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto sits during a meeting with lawyers in Mexico City November 21, 2014. REUTERS/Tomas Bravo

The controversies, along with anemic economic growth and growing violence, have damaged Pena Nieto's standing with the public.

His approval ratings have steadily declined for much of the last two years, hitting a record low of 23% in a poll released by Mexican newspaper Reforma this week, down 7 points since April.

It is the lowest approval rating for a Mexican president since the latter half of the 1990s, and 60% of respondents said security in Mexico had worsened, while about 70% said poverty and violence had gone up over the last year.

Reforma's poll also found that 55% of those surveyed thought corruption in the federal government had gotten worse  up from 40% who said the same in April.

Editor's note: The original Guardian report suggested that Pierdant's potential bidding on a Mexican government contract raised the possibility of a conflict of interest. However, on September 16, 2016, The Guardian acknowledged that neither Pierdant nor his companies had gotten any government contracts nor bid on them and took down its report. This post has been edited to reflect that correction.

NOW WATCH: There's a terrifying reason people are warned to stay inside at 5:45 p.m. in parts of Mexico





More From Business Insider


Shares of NVIDIA Corp. NVDA went up more than 2% in after-hours trading yesterday, after the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter fiscal 2017 results. Also, an encouraging third quarter revenue guidance positively impacted the share price.



The company posted earnings (including stock-based compensation but excluding other one-time items) of 44 cents per share for the quarter, up on a year-over-year basis. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at 37 cents.



Revenues



Revenues not only increased 23.9% year over year to $1.428 billion but also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.355 billion. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to better-than-expected growth across all the platforms, that is, GPUs gaming platform, Professional Visualization, datacenter and Tegra automotive platforms.



Revenues from the GPU business increased 25% year over year to $1.2 billion, driven by strength in GeForce GPUs and Gaming revenues. Revenues from Gaming GPU increased 18% on a year-over-year basis. Revenues from datacenter (including Tesla and Grid) came in at $151 million, up more than 50% on a year-over-year basis.



Tegra processor revenues on the other hand increased 30% from the year-ago quarter and came in at $166 million, primarily due to better-than-expected growth in Tegra development services and automotive. Automotive revenues for the quarter came in at $119 million, up 68% year over year.



Moving to Professional Visualization, revenues from Quadro increased 22% year over year and came in at $214 million. The increase was mainly due to strong demand in real-time rendering tools and mobile workstations.



Margins



NVIDIAs adjusted gross margin (including stock-based compensation but excluding other one-time items) expanded 155 basis points (bps) from the year-ago quarter to 57.8%. In dollar terms, gross profit came in at $826 million, up 27.3% from the year-ago quarter, primarily due to strength in GeForce GPU gaming platform and a higher revenue base.



Adjusted operating expenses increased 7.9% from the year-ago quarter to $502 million, as the company continued to invest in sales, general and administrative activities and higher research and development expenses. As a percentage of revenues, operating expenses however decreased 518 bps from the year-ago quarter to 35.2%.



NVIDIAs adjusted operating margin was up 673 bps from the year-ago quarter to 22.7%, reflecting growth in its GeForce GTX GPU business and lower operating expenses as a percentage of revenues. In dollar terms, adjusted operating income increased from $184 million to $324 million.



NVIDIAs adjusted net income for the quarter came in at $264.7 million compared with $143 million reported in the year-ago quarter.



Balance Sheet & Cash Flow



NVIDIA exited the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $4.88 billion compared with $4.75 billion in the previous quarter. Free cash flow in the quarter came in at $151 million, while cash flow from operations was $184 million. NVIDIAs total debt (including current portion) was $1.43 billion.



During the first half of fiscal 2017, the company repurchased shares worth $509 million and paid a cash dividend of $124 million. NVIDIA also announced a quarterly dividend of 11.5 cents per share (payable on Sep 16, 2016).



Guidance



For the third quarter of fiscal 2017, NVIDIA expects revenues of approximately $1.68 billion (+/-2%). The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.446 billion.



Non-GAAP gross margin is expected to be 58% (+/-50 bps). Non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $465 million. Capital expenditures are expected to be roughly in the range of $35 million to $45 million. Non-GAAP tax rate is expected to be 21% (+/-1%).



Story continues

NVIDIA CORP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

NVIDIA CORP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | NVIDIA CORP Quote

Our Take



NVIDIA posted better-than-expected second-quarter fiscal 2017 results and provided an encouraging third-quarter revenue guidance. Also, revenues increased year over year, primarily due to growth across all its four platforms.



Furthermore, we believe that NVIDIAs innovative product pipeline and strength in gaming and high-end notebook GPUs keep it well positioned. We also believe that the higher adoption of NVIDIAs Tegra processors could act as a catalyst, going forward.



Nonetheless, competition from the likes of Intel INTC and QUALCOMM Inc. QCOM remains a near-term headwind.



NVIDIA has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



Investors may also consider Facebook, Inc. FB from the tech space, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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GARY  A new online portal the Indiana secretary of states office launched in April provides a one-stop source for businesses of all sizes to register and maintain registration of their enterprises.

Connie Lawson, Indiana secretary of state, gave an overview of that new data system during her keynote speech at Fridays third annual Northwest Indiana Business Conference at the Majestic Star Casino & Hotel.

The daylong conference was a networking event to assist minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses. It also provided educational workshops on how to start a business, accessing capital, strategic certification and other topics for the approximately 150 attendees.

Called INBiz, the new online site is administered by the secretary of states business services division and replaces the states old legacy system used for years, Lawson told those gathered in the Majestic Star Hotels Lakeshore Ballroom. All business account information was transferred to INBiz.

It is a safe and secure registration tool, she said. It promotes success and invites new businesses and entrepreneurs into the market.

The home page at https://www.inbiz.in.gov/ allows visitors to do business searches without registering for an account. About 51,000 people have accessed the site to date according to Google Analytics, Lawson said.

Once registered on the site, new and existing business owners can connect with Indiana Workforce Development and the Indiana Department of Revenue.

By the end of this month, the online portal also will allow those businesses registered to connect with the Department of Professional Licensing, Lawson said.

Another feature going live on Aug. 22 is the dashboard or what Lawson said she likes to call the briefcase.

This new feature will provide important messages for business owners about forms that are due, recent payments and issue fraud alerts, Lawson said. The My Saved Filings allows users to save and come back to their work.

What is unique about this INBiz system, if you need to upload documents you can do that, she said.

It costs $30 paid biannually to keep business information current, which now also includes not-for-profit agencies, Lawson said. Theres a $1 charge for each piece of information changed on the site once established.
U.S. Steel laid off 38 union workers at Gary Works on Friday, but the union will fight it, said Mike Millsap, United Steelworkers District 7 director.

Steelworkers said the laid off maintenance staff were escorted out of the sprawling mill in Gary, U.S. Steels largest and the biggest integrated mill in the United States.

U.S. Steel spokesman Sarah Cassella declined to comment.

Its just the latest round of layoffs at the troubled steelmaker, which lost $1.5 billion last year and has failed to turn a profit in five of the last six years. U.S. Steel laid off about a quarter of its salaried workforce  roughly 750 managers, supervisors and other white-collar workers  in April.

U.S. Steel laid off more than 1,000 workers in Northwest Indiana  both union and salaried  last year.

Fridays layoffs came after Chicago-based consulting firm McKinsey & Co. concluded Gary Works had too many maintenance employees and recommended layoffs to cut costs, Millsap said.

Under the contract, they can only lay off workers under certain conditions, he said. We believe these maintenance people are needed. Weve got a process, and were going to fight them on this.

U.S. Steel and McKinsey & Co. want to rely more on outside contractors, an idea the union opposes because of safety concerns, Millsap said.

They dont just repair equipment, he said. They do a lot of maintenance and work on safety issues. They do a lot of preventative safety. A lot of things wont get done if we reduce this staff.

USW Local Union 1014 President Rodney D. Lewis Sr., who represents the Gary Works steelworkers, recently posted an open letter on Facebook criticizing U.S. Steel for paying too much for consultants while freezing managers pensions and fostering low morale.

So here we sit. The butcher that initially put his arms around the hog offering a helping hand is preparing a meal, he wrote. All indicators are showing us that pork is now on the menu. I hope youre happy. I certainly am not.

Millsap said the union would first try to talk to U.S. Steel management and then appeal the layoffs to an independent arbiter.
GARY  A man told police he was an innocent bystander when he was shot in the buttocks Tuesday.

Police were dispatched about 12:30 a.m. in the area of Ind. 20 and Clay Street in reference to a man being shot.

The victim told police two people were in an altercation when they starting shooting at each other. The man said he not involved, but was shot at while walking near the Save at Save gas station.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Sgt. Dan Callahan at (219) 881-1210.
PORTAGE  The Portage Community Historical Society will host a speaker on the history of the Northwest Indiana steel industry and its impact on art and culture during its next meeting.

Tamara Brown will present the program at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Hickory Hollow Room at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road.

Brown is Director of Government Affairs of Schagrin Associates, an international trade law and government relations firm in Washington, D.C. She is also a supporter of the arts, including folk art and customs representing the broad ethnic traditions of Northwest Indiana.
LAPORTE  LaPorte County sheriffs deputies reportedly used a beanbag projectile to get a suicidal man to drop a box cutter early Friday.

Around 12:40 a.m., deputies were dispatched to the area of Johnson Road and County Road 625 West after a person called 911 threatening to harm himself.

Authorities were able to trace the mans cellular phone to the Johnson Road location. When deputies arrived, they found a man walking on 625 West, north of Johnson Road. The area is about halfway between LaPorte and Michigan City, according to the sheriffs office.

The person was described as a 24-year-old man from the Fish Lake area of LaPorte County. According to the sheriffs office, he was alternating between holding a box cutter to his neck and wrists. He reportedly was highly agitated and asked deputies to shoot him.

Deputies attempted to talk to the man to calm him down, but that only appeared to make him more agitated, according to officials.

The sheriffs office said because deputies feared for the mans safety and their own, they decided to deploy a beanbag round that hit the man in the left side of his torso just above his waist. The beanbag reportedly caused the man to drop the box cutter. He was secured and evaluated at the scene by a LaPorte County Emergency Medical Service paramedic.

According to sheriffs officers, the only injury the man received was to the left torso area. The man reportedly claimed to have consumed a half-gallon of vodka and a portable breath test indicated blood alcohol content of .21 percent.

The man was take to Franciscan St. Anthony Health for a mental health evaluation. The incident is being reviewed by a shooting review board convened by the sheriff per department rules and regulations.
HUA HIN, Thailand  Attackers struck a series of tourist resort towns across southern Thailand with homemade explosives and firebombs in some of the worst violence to hit the country since a military coup two years ago. Police said at least four people were killed and dozens wounded, including 11 foreigners.

It was not clear who was behind the attacks Thursday and Friday, which followed a successful referendum held last weekend on a new constitution that critics say will bolster the militarys power for years to come.

But the violence appeared aimed at undermining the countrys tourism industry, which provides vital income to the government. One small bomb exploded on a beach in Patong on the island of Phuket and four others rattled the seaside resort city of Hua Hin, prompting businesses to shut their doors, streets to empty and anxious tourists to huddle inside their hotels.

Police said firebombs also triggered blazes at markets and shops in six places, including Phuket, Trang, Surat Thani, Phang Nga and a souvenir shop in the tourist town of Ao Nang, Krabi, a seaside province known for its stunning limestone cliffs.

Thailands economy has sagged since the military seized power in a 2014 coup. But tourism has remained one of the few bright spots, with visitors rising to 30 million in 2015 and more than 14 million having visited by May 2016, according to official figures.

Foreign governments, including the United States, issued warnings urging travelers to use caution and avoid affected areas.

In a televised address late Friday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the attacks struck at the hearts of all Thai people.

He said it was unclear who carried them out and that the government would do its best to investigate. Police said earlier they were investigating all leads, but had ruled out links to international militant groups.

Royal Thai Police Col. Krisana Patanacharoen also said it was too early to conclude who was behind the attacks. But he said the bombings followed a similar pattern used in the southern parts of the country  a reference to a low-level insurgency in the countrys Islamic south that has ground on for more than a decade and killed more than 5,000 people.

Southern militants fighting for greater autonomy have carried out sophisticated, coordinated attacks before, but most have hit three provinces in the far south that were not among those targeted this week.

The violence occurred just ahead of the first anniversary of the Aug. 17 bombing of Bangkoks Erawan Shrine, which left 20 dead and injured more than 120 others. Thai authorities said that bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities were disrupted by a crackdown, but analysts suspect it might have been the work of Uighur separatists angry that Thailand forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China.

The latest troubles began Thursday afternoon, when a bomb exploded in the southern province of Trang  an area full of beautiful beaches and tourist islands  killing one person and injuring six, according to police.

Then on Thursday night, attackers in Hua Hin hid bombs on a busy street filled with bars and restaurants. One Thai woman was killed and about 20 people were wounded, 11 of them foreigners.

Police said four of the injured tourists were from Germany, two from Italy and one from Austria. The Netherlands said four of its citizens were also wounded. No political aim justifies violence and attacks on innocent people, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement.

The bombs were hidden inside two potted plants and were detonated by remote control about half an hour apart, said Gen. Sithichai Srisopacharoenrath, the superintendent of police in Hua Hin. He said a Samsung cellphone had been recovered that they believe was used to detonate at least one of the bombs.

On Friday, debris and ball bearings could be seen strewn across the road as police investigated the scene. The blast damaged a pair of phone booths and shattered the window of a nearby Starbucks.

Many shops in the city center closed afterward and normally bustling streets were empty, for good reason: Hua Hin was hit by another two bombs that exploded in quick succession Friday morning near a clock tower, killing one person and wounding four more.

Also Friday morning, separate blasts were reported elsewhere in the south. One exploded on popular Loma Beach in Phuket citys Patong district, injuring one person. Two more detonated half an hour apart in front of two police stations in Surat Thani, killing one and wounding three. And two bombs exploded outside a market in Phang Nga, damaging two vehicles but causing no casualties.

In Hua Hin, 51-year-old Italian Andrea Tazzioli said he saw light, white light after the second of Thursday nights explosions, and that he immediately felt pain in his shoulder like big fire.

Speaking later at a hospital, he said he fell down and saw people screaming, the glass broken, table broken, confusion.

Tour guide Niels Seeberg had come across the first blast site earlier in the night, and thought it might be a gas explosion. So he and his friends continued on to a venue where a live band was playing.

We were standing at the very back of the bar and watching the music. Suddenly there was a big blast, a very big blast, and I could feel the pressure on my eardrums, he said.

The music stopped, everything stopped, everyone froze, he added.

Soon the bar filled with panicked people running from the blast site, some smeared in blood.

They didnt scream. They were more like numb, he said. People were shocked, they couldnt say anything.

Thailand has been plagued by political violence, including several bombings, since the populist billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 military coup after demonstrations accused him of corruption, abuse of power and insulting King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thaksins ouster set off sometimes-bloody battles for power between his supporters and opponents, who include the military. The government of his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who became prime minister in 2011, was toppled in the countrys last coup in 2014.

On Sunday, Thai voters approved a referendum on a new constitution that is supposed to lead to an election next year. Critics say it is undemocratic and is fashioned to keep the military in control for at least five more years even if a free election is held.

Fridays blast took place on the birthday of Thailands Queen Sirikit. The junta has repeatedly said that defending the monarchy is a top priority, and the army and its allies are keen to ensure a smooth succession for Bhumibol, who is the worlds longest reigning monarch.
MOSCOW  President Vladimir Putin on Friday abruptly replaced his longtime chief of staff with a low-profile younger aide, the latest in a series of moves by the Russian leader to rid himself of members of his old guard.

Analysts see the dismissal of the 63-year old Sergei Ivanov as a reflection of Putins increasing weariness with his close lieutenants who had known him even before his ascent to the presidency. The Russian leader now seems inclined to promote new, younger members of the Kremlin administration who fully owe their careers to him.

The elevation of 44-year-old Anton Vayno, one of Ivanovs former deputies, doesnt necessarily portend any shift of Kremlin policy, which has invariably been shaped by Putin himself throughout his 16-year rule.

Ivanov met Putin in the 1970s, when they were both young KGB officers. Unlike Putin, whose KGB career reached its peak with a stint in East Germany in the late 1980s, Ivanov served several stints in Western countries  coveted postings which were considered much more prestigious.

After Putin won his first presidential term in 2000, Ivanov became his defense minister. When Putin had to move into the prime ministers seat in 2008 due to term limits, Ivanov had been considered his likely successor, but Putin chose Dmitry Medvedev as his placeholder for the following four years.

Some Kremlin insiders believed that Ivanov then ruined his presidential chances with a premature celebration of what he apparently had seen as the already secured nomination, something which had put Putin on his guard.

When Medvedev obediently stepped down after one term to allow Putin reclaim the presidency in 2012, Ivanov was named the Kremlin chief of staff, a job with broad authority. Ivanov, however, has been somewhat eclipsed by his deputy Vyacheslav Volodin, who has been the chief architect of the Kremlins domestic policies.

In tightly choreographed footage broadcast Friday by Russian state television, Putin thanked Ivanov for his work and said he was ready to meet Ivanovs request for another job  the presidential adviser for the environment and transportation.

Im happy with how you handle tasks, Putin said. I remember well our agreement that you had asked me not to keep you as chief of the presidential administration for more than four years and that is why I understand your desire to choose another line of work.

Putin kept Ivanovs seat on the presidential Security Council, a small consolation prize for his sharp downgrade.

Ivanov then praised Vayno as fully fit to replace him.

Vayno, a grandson of Estonias communist leader during the Soviet times, served as a diplomat before becoming a Kremlin aide. He has been involved with daily bureaucratic routine and kept a low profile, a stark contrast with Ivanov, a fluent English speaker who enjoyed the international limelight.

Social media users on Friday posted photos of Vayno at previous Kremlin events, including one where he was carrying an umbrella for Putin.

Stanislav Belkovsky, a political consultant who once advised the Kremlin, said Putin prefers younger people who were never his peers and who see him as the countrys supreme authority.

Psychologically, its more comfortable for Putin these days to deal with the people, who always thought of him as the great leader and cannot recall the times when Putin was not great leader yet, Belkovsky said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

Ivanov is the latest casualty in Putins campaign to rid himself of long-serving members of his entourage.

In the past year, Russian Railways chief Vladimir Yakunin, anti-narcotics czar Viktor Ivanov and Kremlin security chief Yevgeny Murov have all lost their jobs. All are men in their 60s, and all long-time acquaintances of the president.

Another longtime associate, Andrei Belyaninov, who knew Putin since the times they both were KGB officers in East Germany, lost his job of the customs chief last month after investigators searched his home and founds hundreds of thousand dollars stashed in shoe boxes.

Among the new appointees to senior government jobs are former officers of the Kremlin security guard and stolid clerks who hadnt been known to the public.

The presidents circle has become narrower, and he picks up people whom he personally knows and deals with on a permanent basis, Igor Bunin, the head of the Center for Political Technologies, a Moscow-based independent think-tank, said on TV Rain. They are steadfastly faithful to him.

The 63-year-old Putin also may want to avoid projecting the image of an aging leader, said Moscow-based analyst Alexei Makarkin.

He said Putin was sure to remember the times when the Soviet Union was ruled by increasingly feeble Leonid Brezhnev and his asthenic Politburo associates in their 70s and 80s.

He wants to revive his team with the people he can fully trust and who are always near him, and thats why the sources for new hires are his security detail and the presidential office, Makarkin said.
An overnight shooting in Brooklyn has left a John Jay College student dead.



Police say 22-year-old Terrell Henry was walking out of a deli at Covert Street and Wilson Avenue in Bushwick just before 1 a.m. Friday when he was shot by an unknown man in the torso.

He was taken to Wyckoff Hospital, where he later died.

Deli worker Denny Rodriguez described the scene.



"I see a guy in front of him, so when the guy is walking up the block, I didn't pay no attention," Rodriguez said. "I heard some shots go off, three shots, bang, bang."

Henry's father, George Henry, says he had just returned from a party with his twin brother and a childhood friend.



"Terrell was such a good son. Wanted to be FBI," George Henry said. "Never missed school, never missed his job. From one to the other."

Henry was in his fourth year of school at John Jay and had dreamed of one day going into law enforcement as an FBI agent.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
Police are asking for your help identifying a hit-and-run bus driver they sat struck two people in Brooklyn on Friday, killing one of them.

Investigators said that around 5 p.m. the bus seen in the video above struck a 47-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman as they crossed Flatbush Avenue between Avenues U and V in Mill Basin.

The driver then turned onto Avenue V and fled the scene, according to the police report.

The victims were taken to a local hospital with severe head trauma and internal injuries. The man later succumbed to his injuries.

One local store owner said it is a dangerous intersection.

"This is death boulevard out here. This is really, really bad, this area. People fly through here doing 60-70 miles an hour like it's a highway. It's crazy, they need to do something.

But you just can't just blame the cars, because you got people crossing here that should not be crossing."

Police said the woman who was struck remains in critical condition.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com
The family of a bodega worker shot and killed in the Bronx is questioning the circumstances surrounding his death.



Wali Camara died early Tuesday morning after after investigators say a man grabbed a police officer's gun and began shooting.

It happened outside a bodega in Bedford Park.

Efrain Guzman was being escorted out of the store after an argument when he allegedly grabbed the gun.

Police say he hit Camara before an officer returned fire and hit Guzman twice.



"This family wants justice, and they want Efrain Guzman, the person responsible for this killing, held criminally accountable," said Sanford Rubenstein, attorney for the victim's family. "There are questions they need answers to. Why wasn't Efrain Guzman handcuffed before police pulled him out of the deli?"



Camara's family is trying to get emergency visas for his son and brother to come to the U.S. and bring his body back to his native Mali.



Meanwhile, Guzman is being charged with murder and attempted murder of a police officer, among other charges.




A worker at an oil field owned by Bashneft, Bashkortostan, Russia, in this January 28, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/Files

By Devika Krishna Kumar

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices were up about 1 percent on Friday, on track for their biggest weekly gains since May, after a short covering rally was triggered by comments from Saudi Arabia's oil minister in the previous session about possible action to help stabilize the market.

The market, however, pared some gains after data showed U.S. oil drillers added rigs for a seventh straight week, the longest recovery in the rig count in over two years. They added 17 rigs, the biggest increase since December.

Brent crude futures were 56 cents higher at $46.60 at barrel by 1:16 p.m. ET (1716 GMT) after touching a more than three-week high of $46.99 earlier.

U.S. crude rose 66 cents to $44.15 after touching its highest level since July 22 at $44.57 per barrel.

Brent crude is up about 5 percent on the week, on track for its biggest weekly gain since May while U.S. crude is 5.5 percent higher, on track for its biggest week since April.

Crude soared nearly 5 percent on Thursday after Saudi Arabia's energy minister said that oil producers would discuss potential action to stabilize oil prices during a meeting next month in Algeria.

The news spurred short covering, traders and brokers said, even though the likelihood of any deal being agreed upon remained slim.

"Although we regard such an agreement, let alone its implementation, as unrealistic, it is dampening fears of a continuation of the OPEC price war," Commerzbank said in a note.

Oil prices have recovered since U.S. crude fell below $40 last week, but are still more than 12 percent below their last peak in June, as brimming storage tanks and production that exceeds consumption weighs on markets.

"Despite the recent bounce in prices, we continue to believe that the oil market remains in oversold territory," RBC Capital Markets analysts said in a research note.

"As such, the price path forward will likely remain choppy and non-linear since price moves can and will often be exacerbated in either direction."

Story continues

Iran slashed its September official selling price for light crude to Asia by $1.30 a barrel, the latest sign that exporters are willing to accept discounts in return for market share.

Traders said a drop of 8.1 percent in China's oil output in July, to a five-year low of 16.72 million tonnes, also lifted prices because it would mean Asia's biggest economy has to import more crude.

"As both a consumer and a refiner of oil  the country's refineries processed 2.5 percent more crude oil than last year in July  China is thus contributing to the tightening of the oil market," Commerzbank said.

(Additional reporting by Julia Payne in London, Henning Gloystein; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Marguerita Choy)
Governor Andrew Cuomo recently lashed out publicly at State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli over his criticism of the governor's economic development programs. The comptroller answered some of the governor's attacks in an exclusive interview with Zack Fink.

Although New Yorkers have come to expect harsh words from Governor Andrew Cuomo directed at Mayor Bill de Blasio, it's unusual for the governor to publicly spar with his fellow statewide elected Democrat, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who spoke with us exclusively about the governor's attacks.

"I've been around for a bit. I tend not to take things too personally," DiNapoli said.



It all started when Cuomo was asked to respond to an Albany hearing where state legislators examined the effectiveness of Cuomo's major economic development programs, including the entreprenneurial Start-Up New York and the "Buffalo Billion" in Western New York.



During that hearing, legislators pointed to audits from DiNapoli that questioned whether the state was getting enough return on its investment.

"Yeah, I think he is dead wrong, and he should educate himself in the area," Cuomo said.



DiNapoli's audit questioned the state spending more than $50 million in advertising on Start-Up New York, even though so far it's only produced 400 jobs in two years.



"What you are getting in an audit is that person's opinion. So, for an assemblyman to now critique ecnomic development programs in upstate New York. What did you do? What bills did you vote on? And how did you let this situation develop?"



DiNapoli used to serve in the Assembly.



"Well, you know, it's been about almost a decade since I've been in the State Legislature. Very proud to have my neighbors elect me 11 times to that position. I think it's pretty clear that instead, the people of the State of New York have put me in this office, and I'm very proud of my past service," he said. "But the audit is the audit. And I think people should be focused not on attacking the comptroller. We should focus on attacking the problems we have identified."



DiNapoli also shot down speculation in the media that he may run against Cuomo for governor in 2018, which some believe rankled Cuomo.



"I'm very happy as state comptroller. I'm too busy with my audits to talk about anything else," he said.



Critics say Cuomo is particularly sensitive these days about his economic development programs since the Buffalo Billion is currently under federal investigation by the U.S. attorney.


The counterattack against resurgent polio in Africa will be rapid, logistically difficult and potentially dangerous, involving millions of doses of vaccine, thousands of vaccinators and the health ministries and militaries of five countries, experts from the World Health Organization and other groups say.

Stopping the disease in Africa is crucial to the high-stakes effort to eradicate it from the world, a campaign that has been pressed for almost 30 years and has consumed billions of dollars.

After two years with no cases in Africa, experts were elated at the imminent taste of victory on the continent, considered the toughest front in the fight against infectious diseases. Those hopes were dashed this week when two new cases were discovered. Now Nigeria rejoins Pakistan and Afghanistan on the list of countries where the disease has not been completely eliminated.

To contain the virus before it spreads out of Borno State in Nigeria, where both paralyzed children were found last month, a first round of vaccinations will begin as early as next week. Five more rounds will take place over the coming months in ever-widening circles that ultimately encompass the entire Lake Chad basin in Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.
The police said that they were investigating what led to the shooting, saying they did not know whether it was related to a botched robbery, a dispute or anything tied to their religion or race. Theres nothing in the preliminary investigation that would indicate that they were targeted by their faith, said Henry Sautner, a deputy inspector in the New York Police Department.

A law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the active investigation, said that the crime did not fit any existing pattern and cautioned that the motive was still wide open. What it does seem is that it was planned, to some extent, the official said. It looks more like a targeted shooting than anything else.

Detectives have not found video footage of the shooting itself, nor have they located an eyewitness, the official said.

Image Alauddin Akonjee

That video shows the gunman following the two victims. There is no question that he was targeting them, the official said. But its hard to say why.

One snippet of video shows the victims walking, with the suspected gunman following deliberately behind, the official said. Then, they go out of the frame of the camera. Around 15 seconds later, another video shows the same man running back, alone, after the shooting, the official said.

Unfortunately, because we dont have yet good video coverage of the actual shooting, its hard to say what transpired, the official said. Witnesses said they heard several shots. They saw the guy running with the gun in his hand. No one has said they heard the gunman speak during the shooting.
ALBANY  State environmental officials took action on Friday to hold the federal Defense Department accountable for water contamination in Newburgh, N.Y., saying that firefighting foam containing a dangerous chemical, used at a local military base, polluted the citys water supply.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation declared Stewart Air National Guard Base, home to the 105th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard, a state Superfund site.

According to the state agency, the base for years used a type of foam for aircraft emergencies and training purposes that contained PFOS, or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, which has been linked to cancer and other medical problems. The chemical  no longer used at the site  then polluted a tributary leading to Lake Washington, the primary source of Newburghs drinking water, the department said.

State officials began to focus on the problem in Newburgh earlier this year, after another water scare shook Hoosick Falls, N.Y., a village near the Vermont-New York border, about 30 miles northeast of Albany.
Supporters of a saner marijuana policy scored a small victory this week when the Obama administration said it would authorize more institutions to grow marijuana for medical research. But the government passed up an opportunity to make a more significant change.

The Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday turned down two petitions  one from the governors of Rhode Island and Washington and the other from a resident of New Mexico  requesting that marijuana be removed from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act. Drugs on that list, which include heroin and LSD, are deemed to have no medical use; possession is illegal under federal law, and researchers have to jump through many hoops to obtain permission to study them and obtain samples to study. Having marijuana on that list is deeply misguided since many scientists and President Obama have said that it is no more dangerous than alcohol.

Over the years, Congress and attorneys general have deferred to the expertise of the D.E.A., which is the part of the Justice Department that enforces the nations drug laws. So the D.E.A. has amassed extensive control over drug policy making. It determines who gets to grow marijuana for research and which scholars are allowed to study it, for example. It has strongly resisted efforts by scientists, state officials and federal lawmakers to reclassify marijuana by rejecting or refusing to acknowledge evidence that marijuana is not nearly as harmful as federal law treats it.

Since 1968, the University of Mississippi has been the only institution allowed to grow the plant for research. This has severely limited availability. The D.E.A. now says that because researchers are increasingly interested in studying marijuana, it will permit more universities to grow the cannabis plant and supply it to researchers who have been approved to conduct studies on it. This should make it easier for researchers to obtain varieties of marijuana with varying concentrations of different compounds.
Voters in Thailand on Sunday approved a new Constitution that vests extraordinary powers in the military and treats electoral politics like a dangerous game that requires close supervision by the countrys generals. That outcome was hardly surprising. The Thai military, which took control of the country in 2014 in a coup, stifled debate about the Constitution by harassing journalists and charging critics with sedition.

The new charter mandates a voting system designed to leave the military firmly in charge by preventing any political party from winning a majority in the lower house of Parliament. A related ballot measure, which also passed, gives the armed forces the authority to appoint all 250 members of the Senate. This means that parliamentary elections scheduled for next year can only produce a weak and fragmented legislature, leaving Thailands increasingly repressive generals at the controls while creating the illusion that military rule has ended.

I am sad and regret that the country is stepping backward by accepting a Constitution that may look democratic but really isnt truly democratic, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was ousted two years ago, said in a statement.

Thailands deep political polarization  which has pitted rural and urban factions against each other for years  has often erupted in street clashes and kept previous prime ministers in survival mode for long stretches. Some Thais welcomed the coup in May 2014, seeing it as a chance to restore order, improve the economy and clear the deck of a political class many in the country regarded as pervasively corrupt.
Louis M. Herman, whose seminal research demonstrated that dolphins could understand and respond to language transmitted by sound and visual signals, and whose research survived the criminal release of two trained dolphins by disgruntled former employees, died on Aug. 3 in Honolulu. He was 86.

The cause was bile duct cancer, his daughter, Elia Yvette Kamalei Herman, said.

Early in his career, Dr. Herman, a New York City native, made the shift from a behavioral psychologist studying decision-making to an expert in animal language and oceanography.

More than two decades of experiments at his Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in Honolulu proved that dolphins were the cognitive cousins of chimpanzees. By one measure, arguably, the dolphins were more advanced.

In contrast to the learning process that seems required for chimpanzees, the dolphins at our laboratory proved capable of understanding gestural language instructions given through television images of people the very first time they were exposed to television, according to the Dolphin Institute, which Dr. Herman co-founded in Honolulu with Adam Pack in 1993 to support research and conservation.
Under current law, the Defense Department provides such treatment, including in vitro fertilization, to injured service members through a special insurance program. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have long sought to extend those benefits to veterans  hundreds of whom have suffered injuries to their reproductive organs in Iraq and Afghanistan  who receive care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In April, House and Senate committees passed appropriations bills that would allocate money for assisted reproductive technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Though both measures stalled over unrelated partisan spending fights, Congress is likely to take up the issue again in the fall, when spending provisions are likely to dominate the floors of both chambers.

Critics of Mr. Harriss amendment, which two Republicans joined Democrats in trying to scuttle, say it could threaten not only the treatment proposal for veterans but also the existing program for service members who receive reproductive services at six military treatment facilities. As of last month, 24 seriously ill or injured active-duty service members had used those services.

The critics say the amendment is problematic because patients undergoing in vitro treatments often create more embryos than they may need or use. Frozen eggs are sometimes thawed and implanted if the first treatment attempt fails. But other eggs, viable or not, do not always survive the treatment process, and can be destroyed.

If Mr. Harriss prohibition takes effect, patients would probably be forced to implant all the embryos at once, which can be dangerous, or lose the ability to control what happens to any unused embryos.
Donald J. Trump said this week that he was fine with prosecuting American citizens accused of terrorism offenses before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, rather than a civilian court on domestic soil.

Mr. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, made his remarks as an off-the-cuff response to an interviewers question. But if Mr. Trump were elected and followed through on his impulse, the move would face legal, political and practical obstacles, specialists said.

During an interview on Thursday with The Miami Herald, a reporter brought up Mr. Trumps earlier vow to keep the Guantanamo wartime prison open and load it up with some bad dudes. President Obama, by contrast, is pushing to close it and has refused to bring new captives there.

Would you try to get the military commissions, the trial court there, to try U.S. citizens? the reporter asked.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Zika is now here in the continental US. Theres a several block area in north Miami where we have confirmed mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus. This is what we expected. Based on what we know now, it appears that that transmission occurred in early July and after that point the local health department did aggressive mosquito control in that area. We dont have a crystal ball, but I do know that over the coming weeks and months we are very likely to see isolated cases of mosquito-borne Zika. Thats why we say to particularly pregnant women anywhere in the US that you should be using mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and staying indoors to avoid mosquito bites where the Aedes aegypti mosquito is present. So men whose partners are pregnant also need to take precaution. So, if a man travels to another country where Zika is spreading he should use a condom until the end of his partners pregnancy.
LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - One of two men claiming the chairmanship of Libya's $67 billion sovereign wealth fund, Hassan Bouhadi, has tendered his resignation, his spokesman said on Friday.

Libya's political infighting made it too difficult to conduct business, Bouhadi said in his resignation letter, seen by Reuters.

In October 2014, Bouhadi was appointed head of the fund, the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), by authorities in eastern Libya. They had moved to the east to set up a parliament and government after rival factions took control of institutions in the capital, Tripoli.

The appointment put him at odds with AbdulMagid Breish, who was appointed chairman in June 2013 before the split but stepped aside a year later, then claimed to have been reinstated following a decision by the Libyan Court of Appeal.

Breish was not immediately available for comment on Friday.

The dispute has mirrored the split nature of the government following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Libya's new U.N.-backed unity government, the Government of National Accord (GNA), is struggling to impose its authority on the country since it took charge in March.

GNA Prime Minister Fayez Seraj has faced opposition to unifying split institutions such as the central bank and the LIA from hardline factions in the House of Representatives based in the east.

The LIA is also involved in two law suits against investment banks Goldman Sachs and Societe Generale, seeking to claw back over $3 billion lost in trades carried out under the Gaddafi regime.

Over a third of the fund's assets remain frozen under sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council in 2011 to prevent money being spirited out of the country.

Libya's two national oil companies reached an agreement in early July to unite, however.

(Reporting by Claire Milhench and Ahmad Ghaddar; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
The leader of the Islamic State branch that operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in an American airstrike on July 26 in eastern Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Friday. It was the United States militarys second killing of an anti-American Islamist militant leader in the region in the past three months.

In a statement, Gordon Trowbridge, a deputy spokesman at the Defense Department, said the targeting of the Islamic State branch leader, Hafiz Saeed Khan, was part of an operation by American and Afghan forces in Nangarhar Province, which borders Pakistan and is regarded as a hotbed of jihadist groups.

Mr. Khan, a former member of the Pakistani Taliban, had been the commander of the Islamic State in the Khorasan, an ancient name for the region that includes Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mr. Trowbridges statement said Mr. Khan had been known to directly participate in attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar.
Ten years or so ago, as the actor Alec Baldwin remembers it, the gallery owner Mary Boone sent him an invitation to a show of work by the painter Ross Bleckner, an artist whom she represented and he had befriended.

The card featured a reproduction of Mr. Bleckners Sea and Mirror, a work from 1996, when the artist was at the height of his popularity.

So began Mr. Baldwins love affair with the painting  an infatuation that has ended with Mr. Baldwin, who occupies a central role in New Yorks cultural life, now pitted in a bitter dispute with two formidable players in the citys rarefied world of art and money  Ms. Boone, a prominent art dealer, and Mr. Bleckner, one of her notable talents.

This has, to say the least, become awkward.

For years, Mr. Baldwin said he carried the image of Sea and Mirror in his shoulder bag, alongside a picture of one of his daughters and his father. In 2010, he asked Ms. Boone to find the collector who owned it and pry it away.
To the Editor:

The article Life on the Precipice in Puerto Rico (Aug. 7) by Mary Williams Walsh reminds me of the A.S.P.C.A. animal cruelty ads currently running on TV. One almost gets to think that every dog and cat in America is a victim of animal cruelty.

Similarly, Ms. Walshs article shows the face of some of Puerto Ricos most obscure communities, such as a remodeled schoolhouse now used as a barn. I assure you that is one of a kind. (My old school is fine and dandy, still graduating many National Honor Society students and sending them to Yale, Harvard, Columbia and M.I.T., among others.)

The issue of our public debt is a tragedy. However, may I point out, Washingtons recently approved debt-relief legislation calls for no bailout for the island. Puerto Ricans are going to pay the full debt to the bondholders. All we needed were the tools to restructure the terms of payment.

What does Ms. Walsh want? To embarrass Puerto Ricans? Publicize the ugliest side of our islands face? If that was it, I suppose she accomplished it. But I assure you, the other side is quite the opposite and actually quite beautiful. Come visit. You will see.
Lets get this out of the way up front: An African City, the steamy Ghanaian web series about five young women looking for love in Accra, is an unabashed rip-off of Sex and the City. There are the ubiquitous five-inch strappy sandals, the scene-stealing dresses made of Fanti fabric and the bevy of men who hop in and out of the beds of Nana Yaa, Makena, Zainab and Sade. The women are as free and liberal about sex as their American HBO foremothers, with the exception of the fifth character, Ngozi, who is such a Charlotte.

The women fit perfectly into Carrie- or Miranda-type boxes. Nana Yaa, the main character, is a radio journalist who ponders existential dating questions in voice-overs throughout the show. Zainab and Makena both function as a Miranda  fiercely independent and all about their business. Ngozi is the church girl who works for a nongovernmental organization and purses her lips at too much talk about the male anatomy. And Sade is Samantha, with condoms spilling from the designer handbags that her rich, married boyfriend buys for her. The women spend an enormous amount of time sipping cocktails in dimly lit restaurants as they chat about rolling power outages, good condom etiquette and men who expect them to leave their jobs and make fufu all day.

But the shows creator, Nicole Amarteifio, who moved from Ghana to New York and then back again, is also presenting an unseen side of culture on a continent that is usually depicted with footage of war, famine and poverty. There is none of that here. Instead, An African City struts into the lives of well-off African women. Makena is an Oxford-trained lawyer, and Sade graduated from Harvard Business School. Zainab sits atop a growing shea butter empire, and Nana Yaas father is the countrys minister of energy. Through the five women, An African City explores what it means to be a westernized young woman readjusting to the culture and surroundings of her home continent.
Dr. Maguire, 59, and her husband, 74, have disagreed over politics before, but never like this. During the 2012 presidential campaign, they had two signs planted side by side on their front lawn in Belmont, Mass.: one for her choice, Barack Obama, and the other for his, Mitt Romney.

Politics were very low on the list of priorities when we met, said Dr. Stossel, whose political ideology made a rightward turn in the 1980s, bringing him more in line with his brother, John Stossel, who hosts Stossel on the Fox Business Network. Therapists say you have the best relationships when you are clearly separate people. And I like to think that we are emotionally centered, so that we can have a major disagreement about something and its not a big problem.

The couple avoided discussing the campaign into the summer, and Dr. Maguire, who said she will vote for Hillary Clinton, fell under the impression that her husband would no longer be supporting Mr. Trump. But in an interview on July 28, Dr. Stossel restated his support for the Republican nominee.

Im reasonably convinced that Hillary is handcuffed to the economic progressive populism that has totally taken over the Democratic Party, a.k.a., socialism, said Dr. Stossel, a visiting scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. I think that if she gets power and the party gets power, there is a good likelihood that the agendas of that movement will be enacted. To me, that counters what I consider to be what brings us prosperity, which is entrepreneurship.

When asked about Mr. Trumps talk of building a wall along the United States-Mexico border and banning Muslim immigrants, Dr. Stossel said: I think it is very unlikely that he can pull any of that stuff off. It seems improbable to me, because he still has to work in the constraints of what I hope will be a checks and balances system. Frankly, I dont think he is going to have to make good on a lot of these crazy promises.
Margaret Zuccarini, 74, is a publisher at Springer Publishing.

Q. What is your role at Springer?

A. My full title is publisher, nursing. We also have publishers for the social science, medical and journal divisions. At another publishing company I might be called vice president or senior editor. I also act as an acquisitions editor and look for books that nursing professionals would need. Our headquarters are in New York, but I work remotely from Reno, Nev., and travel to New York monthly.

What is your background?

I got a bachelors of science in nursing at the University of Michigan in 1965. Among other things, I worked as a public health nurse in Appalachia, as a critical care nurse in North Carolina and as an E.R. nurse in Maryland.

How did you enter this field?

I wondered what else I could do with my experience besides clinical nursing. I had edited my husbands Ph.D. dissertation and really enjoyed it. I met an editor in a yoga class who worked for the publisher of a nursing journal, and I got a job there as clinical editor in the books division. A few years ago I moved to Lippincott as executive acquisitions editor for nursing, and eight years ago I moved to Springer.

How are you involved in bringing a book to market?

In addition to searching for qualified authors, I work with production to design the books layout and with marketing to ensure that the books title is easily found in an internet search. Also, we decide on the back-cover copy, ad copy and cover to ensure theyre directed to our target audience. I interact with the sales team, and I join others at our exhibit booth at conferences. The editor often is the face of the company.
On campuses around the country, a debate over Israel and the B.D.S. movement.

To the Editor: Re The Middle East Conflict on Campus (Education Life, Aug. 7):

As an educator and university president, I see a profound contradiction between the boycott, divestment and sanctions, or B.D.S., movement and the mission of higher education. B.D.S. paints in deceptively broad strokes an issue that is deeply complex. It condemns the entire nation of Israel and shuns all of its considerable human and material capital, including academics, regardless of political orientation, and technology, regardless of positive utility. The effects of this movement are far-reaching. Disturbing evidence shows that it has become a convenient excuse to delegitimize or malign Jewish identity on several college campuses, and Jewish students have become targets of anti-Semitic slurs, graffiti and hate speech by fellow students and, in some shocking incidents, by faculty members.

This trend must be confronted. One of our primary jobs as educators is to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. To do so, colleges and universities must think and act seriously about cultivating and promoting civility on our campuses and make clear that free, meaningful expression can survive only in an environment where there are appropriate rules of engagement. It will not tamp down the crucial exchange of ideas. It will make this exchange more dignified, more meaningful and even more productive. Free speech for all has to ensure safe speech for all.

RICHARD M. JOEL

New York

The writer is president of Yeshiva University.

To the Editor: When I arrived at Tufts in 2011, I thought that Tufts Hillel would be my home away from home, the place where I would continue developing my Jewish identity and learn to frame my peace and justice studies major and love for social justice in a Jewish context. Instead it was the place where a member of my own community called me an anti-Semite. Students for Justice in Palestine became my home away from home, a place where I could embody the Jewish values of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and fight the injustices that Israel commits every day in my name as a Jew. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a Jewish-Muslim conflict, but rather an anticolonial struggle for the Palestinian people. As Jews we must continue to stand by our Jewish values and not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt (Exodus 23:9).

JULIA MASON WEDGLE

Cambridge, Mass.

To the Editor: It was heartwarming to read about the Visions of Peace initiative at Tufts. The effort mirrors similar grass-roots movements in Israel and the West Bank, led by Palestinians and by Israelis  including members of bereaved families who lost loved ones and ex-combatants  who together advocate for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Nothing could stand in starker contrast to organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, which, rather than building bridges, seek to deny Jewish American students the right to proclaim their identity on their own terms and attempt to dictate to them what they are allowed to eat (apparently not falafel), what performances they are allowed to attend and what voices they are allowed to hear on campus. Such organizations fueled the type of violent atmosphere in which thugs felt entitled to spray-paint swastikas on a Jewish frat house at University of California, Davis last year. Does anyone truly believe that trying to intimidate and silence those they disagree with can be a path to justice or peace?
From the start, China refused to participate in the tribunal proceedings and has since refused to accept the ruling, while showing its defiance in numerous ways. Last week, Chinas Supreme Court said that people caught fishing in Chinese waters could be jailed for up to a year, while the defense minister warned that China should prepare for a peoples war at sea to protect national sovereignty.

Meanwhile, new satellite photos showed that China has reinforced aircraft hangars in the Spratly Islands so as to absorb an airstrike, thus contradicting President Xi Jinpings 2015 assurance that his government would not militarize the islets. China has also conducted air patrols over disputed areas, announced that it would hold war games with Russia and interfered in waters customarily used by Filipino fishermen.

China is not alone in engaging in risky maneuvers. On Wednesday Reuters reported that Vietnam had recently stationed new mobile rocket launchers on five bases in the Spratly Islands.

Fortunately, none of the claimants, which also include the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia, have tried to take the sort of action that could cause a full-blown crisis, such as Chinas threat to declare an air defense zone over the sea and to insist that all planes obtain permission before crossing through it.

The Obama administration has played an important restraining role. It has also demonstrated resolve in defending Americas commitment to freedom of navigation by sending warships into the South China Sea, close to some of the disputed lands. Although the Philippines new president, Rodrigo Duterte, has sent mixed messages about how he plans to handle China, his decision to send one of his predecessors, Fidel Ramos, to hold exploratory talks with the Chinese could help advance a peaceful solution.
Weve spent the last 15 years fighting bullying in schools, and the example set by the Trump campaign has broken down the doors, and a tidal wave of bullying has come through, said Maureen Costello of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The center issued a report documenting how Trumps venom has poisoned schools across the country. It quoted a North Carolina teacher as saying she has Latino students who carry their birth certificates and Social Security cards to school because they are afraid they will be deported. Another teacher reported that a fifth grader told a Muslim student that he was supporting Donald Trump because he was going to kill all of the Muslims if he became president!

Here in the Forest Grove area, west of Portland, students of Mexican heritage at four high schools  most of them born in the United States  described to me how some local whites take cues from Trump.

They say, Were going to deport your ass, said Melina McGlothen, 17, whose mother is Mexican. I dont want to say I hate them, but I hate their stupidity.

Ana Sally Gonzalez, 17, said a school club had put up posters criticizing racism, and they were then marred by graffiti such as Go back where you came from and Trump 2016.

The tension reflects deep resentment among some white working-class families. They are angry at immigrants who have taken over some jobs, at the way communities they cherish are changing demographically and linguistically, and at what they perceive as a stifling political correctness that leaves whites accused of racism when they speak up.

Many of my old Oregon farm-town friends are strong Trump supporters, and they will completely disagree with this column. Their headline would be, Big Media Suffocates Real Americans With Political Correctness.
The disastrous Supreme Court ruling that crippled the Voting Rights Act three years ago has emboldened aggressive new attempts at voter suppression by local officials in jurisdictions that have been freed from federal oversight.

In Sparta, Ga., last year, white election officials decided to systematically question the registrations of more than 180 voters, mostly African-Americans, by dispatching sheriffs deputies to flag them down. These voters were served with courtesy summonses ordering them to appear in person to prove their residence to officials or lose their voting rights.

In an echo of the Jim Crow South, the black voters described how they were suddenly approached by a uniformed police officer challenging their right to vote. I was kind of nervous, one of the voters told Michael Wines of The Times. I didnt know what to do. Local officials said the goal was to guard against voter fraud. This false excuse has been used to impose numerous voter suppression rules this election year  a threat that research has repeatedly shown is not a problem in American elections.
WASHINGTON  The Guantanamo Bay prison may soon reach a milestone. The Obama administration appears close to resettling the remaining detainees recommended for transfer, some of whom have been stranded on that list for years. That prospect raises a question: What more, if anything, should the United States do to help them, and hundreds of other people who were previously released after being detained without charges for years, most of whom are not suspected of engaging in new militant activities?

Some advocates for detainees dream of apologies and reparations, but that seems politically unrealistic; the Supreme Court upheld indefinite detention as lawful, the war against Al Qaeda and its progeny continues, and many Republican lawmakers have come to oppose releasing any more low-level detainees in the Obama era. But all sides can agree that it is in the national interest that ex-detainees reintegrate into society. One step to ease that path would be to make public more information about what the government thinks they actually did  and did not do.

The government has an archive of secret reports by a six-agency task force that reviewed the cases of the 242 detainees who remained at the prison when President Obama took office in 2009. The panel recommended transferring about 150 of those men, and officials familiar with its work say it called into question whether most had committed terrorist activities in a meaningful sense. The Times and I recently filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking to make those reports public, but the administration could disclose them voluntarily.

There is a precedent for disclosing information from those reports: In 2014, the State Department sent a letter to Uruguay about six detainees being resettled there. It said there was no information that the above mentioned individuals were involved in conducting or facilitating terrorist activities against the United States or its partners or allies. Officials told me that line derived from the task force reports.
This summer, as last, Dylan Hernandez, 17, noticed a theme on the social media accounts of fellow students at his private Catholic high school in Flint, Mich.

An awfully large percentage of my friends  skewing towards the affluent  are taking mission trips to Central America and Africa, he wrote to me in a recent email. He knows this from pictures they post on Snapchat and Instagram, typically showing one of them with some poor brown child aged 2 to 6 on their knee, he explained. The captions tend to say something along the lines of, This cutie made it so hard to leave.

But leave they do, after as little as a week of helping to repair some villages crumbling school or library, to return to their comfortable homes and quite possibly write a college-application essay about how transformed they are.

It rubs me the wrong way, Hernandez told me, explaining that while many of his friends are well intentioned, some seem not to notice poverty until an exotic trip comes with it. He himself has done extensive, sustained volunteer work at the Flint Y.M.C.A., where, he said, the children he tutors and plays with would love it if these same peers came around and merely talked to them.
Mike: Yeah, Im pretty sure Facebook took two minutes to find a fix to that.

Farhad: Finally, Snapchat put out a racist picture filter  again. This week the photo-messaging app unveiled a feature that lets you turn your face into that of an anime character. At least, that was what it said it intended. What it ended up with was yellowface  a filter that turns your face into a crude racial caricature of Asian people. This is bad enough on its own, but its made worse by the fact that it isnt the first time this happened. Snapchat released a blackface filter in April.

The company has taken the filter down, but whats the deal? Should we read something more into the fact that the company has recently put out two obviously overtly racist products?

Mike: So its pretty mind-boggling that both of these things got through the organization and into the app. It brings up a few questions.

What do the ranks of the organization look like in order to make something like this O.K. in the eyes of at least a number of people in the company? Questions of diversity obviously spring to mind  which Snapchat has never really addressed or divulged numbers on publicly  and I imagine a more diverse staff might have at least caused some people to question their choices in putting these filters out.

If there were indeed people inside of Snapchat that found these filters objectionable  and I certainly hope there were  what does the organization structure look like and how does it function in a way that allows these decisions to go unchecked and ultimately carried out? Are those people who would object able to make their voices heard internally? And if not, why not?

I doubt well get a ton of transparency from Snapchat on the issue, since theyre quite a secretive company anyway.

Farhad: katie zhu, a Chinese-American engineer and product manager who works at Medium (and who prefers that her name be rendered in lowercase), published a really insightful post on this incident. She urged people to delete Snapchat.
Most people dont think data management is sexy, says Jared Auerbach, owner of Reds Best, a seafood distributor in Boston. Most dont associate it with fishing, either. But Mr. Auerbach and a few other seafood entrepreneurs are using technology to lift the curtain on the murky details surrounding where and how fish are caught in American waters.

Beyond Maine lobster, Maryland crabs and Gulf shrimp, fish has been largely ignored by foodies obsessing over the provenance of their meals, even though seafood travels a complex path. Until recently, diners werent asking many questions about where it came from, which meant restaurants and retailers didnt feel a need to provide the information.

Much of whats sold has been seen as just a packaged, nondescript fish fillet with no skin, says Beth Lowell, who works in the seafood-fraud prevention department at Oceana, an international ocean conservation advocacy group. Seafood has been behind the curve on both traceability and transparency.

Whats worse is that many people have no idea what theyre eating even when they think they do. In a recent Oceana investigation of seafood fraud, the organization bought fish sold at restaurants, seafood markets, sushi places and grocery stores, and ran DNA tests. It discovered that 33 percent of the fish was mislabeled per federal guidelines. Fish labeled snapper and tuna were the least likely to be what their purveyors claimed they were.
WASHINGTON  Harry Wu, who spent 19 years in Chinese labor camps, was a familiar figure on Capitol Hill, delivering searing broadsides against Chinas authoritarian government that drew admiration from American politicians condemning the countrys human rights abuses.

His close relationship with lawmakers helped Mr. Wu secure a $17 million grant from Yahoo in 2007 to aid families of persecuted dissidents, when the tech giant was facing withering criticism for assisting the Chinese authorities in identifying activists who had used the companys email service.

But by the time Mr. Wu, 79, died in April, his legacy had become tarnished. He provided just $1.2 million to dissidents families, while spending more than $13 million of the Yahoo money to operate his own foundation, which runs a website and a small museum, according to financial disclosures, court documents and interviews with former employees, foundation board members and human rights advocates.

American politicians think of Harry Wu as a hero, but the truth is he is an immoral person who betrayed the very people he was supposed to be helping, said Wang Jing, 47, the wife of a dissident.
PHOENIX  The invitations to the border mayors meeting landed in inboxes in the United States and Mexico in English and in Spanish, standard for any type of official communication about binational events.

One of the guests, Mayor Ken Taylor of Huachuca City, Ariz., was incensed.

I will NOT attend a function that is sent to me in Spanish/Mexican, Mr. Taylor replied in an email to the invitation sent by John F. Cook, his former counterpart in El Paso and the executive director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association.

One nation means one language, Mr. Taylor continued, and I am insulted by the division caused by language.

In an interview on Saturday, Mr. Cook said that he was flabbergasted by the reply, but that I didnt want to pick a fight. So, in a response to Mr. Taylor, he wrote, The purpose of the Border Mayors Association is to speak with one voice in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City about issues that impact our communities, not to speak in one language. My humble apologies if I ruffled your feathers.
In keeping with Colorados independent streak, about 21 percent said they were not planning to vote for either candidate or were undecided  a group to which Mr. Coffman appealed when he also refused to support Mrs. Clinton.

Mr. Coffman will have to do more than just retain the favor he has gained in his increasingly Democratic district, Mr. Wasserman said, because more Democrats turn out to vote in presidential election years.

And this year he is grappling with another factor: a very credible and talented opponent, Mr. Wasserman said.

That opponent, Morgan Carroll, a Democrat who served as president of the State Senate, listened intently on Aug. 6 as a couple of dozen Latino activists and voters enumerated their concerns at her campaign office as they munched on pan dulce, a Latin American pastry, and doughnuts. Grievances included a fractured education system, a flawed criminal justice system and a broken immigration system. She jotted down notes with a purple gel pen, letting her guests steer the conversation but slipping in to offer her position or a brief interpretation of the congressional landscape.

Ms. Carroll, who grew up in Colorado and has represented parts of the district in the state legislature since 2005, is a self-described policy nerd, dropping to a whisper as she confesses that. Ms. Carroll has read every bill she has ever voted on, she said, and a few she has not, such as the entire Affordable Care Act, she said  twice.

In the legislature, Ms. Carroll sponsored legislation requiring universal background checks for firearms sales after the 2012 movie theater shooting in Aurora that left 12 dead and scores injured. Her bill became law in 2013.
COLUMBUS, Ind.  Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, suggested Saturday that he might release his tax returns before Election Day, even as his running mate has shown no inclination of doing the same.

Breaking with campaign custom, the Republican presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump, has refused to release his returns. On Friday, the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, made public their own 2015 returns, while pointedly noting that Mr. Trump had not.

On Saturday morning, at a campaign stop in his hometown, Columbus, Ind., Mr. Pence ignored questions from reporters about whether he would release his returns. But in an interview with Rita Cosby of WABC Radio that aired on Saturday, he hinted, though he did not promise, that his returns could become public.

When my forms are filed and when my tax returns are released its going to be a quick read, Rita, Mr. Pence said.
The Obama White House has issued hundreds of major regulations in an effort to reshape aspects of American life. Here are some of the most important:

CLEAN POWER PLAN Last year, the Obama administration completed rules requiring the nations existing power plants to cut, by 2030, emissions of greenhouse gases by 32 percent from 2005 levels. The rules were a central piece of the presidents global effort to confront climate change. But a fierce legal challenge has stalled the rules, which are headed to a test in the Supreme Court.

FUEL EFFICIENCY STANDARDS In the summer of 2012, the administration finished rules to require cars and light trucks to get, on average, nearly 55 miles per gallon by 2025. Critics called the rules costly and unnecessary, but President Obama said they would reduce oil consumption by a total of 12 billion barrels by 2025. The regulations survived a legal challenge.
The sheriffs department of Cook County, Ill., runs a program in which inmates are trained in demolition and have in three years torn down 110 blighted houses. Sheriff Tom Dart said in an interview that the project took time, in part, because of safety measures like asbestos removal, which is carried out by private contractors. We have to do this thing right because otherwise its a disaster waiting to happen, he said.

As it came together in the spring of 2015, the plan in Pine Bluff was to move forward with 600 demolitions. Giving the funding constraints, the project would have little more than two years and $830,000 to get this done, or as much of it as possible. Even with low-cost labor, it was a very tight squeeze.

Officials with Pine Bluff and Mulligan Road approached the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality looking for ways to bring down expenses, particularly the high cost of required asbestos remediation.

They began looking at a 2008 state guideline that granted some leeway for isolated demolitions of abandoned buildings. At the time of its adoption, state and federal memos warned explicitly against carrying out large projects in a piecemeal fashion just to qualify. But this time, officials agreed that a 600-house project could fit, if the demolitions were scattered strategically around the city.

No asbestos surveys would be done and no asbestos removed; the presence of asbestos in the buildings would simply be presumed. As a show of good faith, the city agreed to send a fire truck around to wet the debris and keep down the dust.

Last fall, about 30 inmates who had agreed to be the first participants in the program began arriving at a secured complex of brick duplexes on the edge of the city. For a few hours over two or three days, they watched safety videos while an instructor, according to those interviewed, nodded off to sleep in the back. The videos spent just a few minutes on demolition procedures, said one participant; other videos concerned safety measures on factory floors or in steel working. No certification was given.
ALEXANDRA, South Africa  During apartheid, the government wielded the police like a club, using them to keep black South Africans in check and brutally extinguish any dissent.

In impoverished black townships like Alexandra, the enmity between the police and black South Africans was so bad in the mid-1980s that residents chased away black police officers who lived in the township by burning down their family homes.

But with the end of apartheid in 1994, change came quickly. The local police force here got its first black commander. Now, all but a handful of the Alexandra police stations officers are black, and many live in the community. Police stations are no longer redoubts with gates and guards who restrict entry.

Now when people want to come in, they just come in anytime, said Col. Nhluvuko Zondi, who became a police officer in 1987 and the stations first black female commander last year.
JAKARTA, Indonesia  Sixteen years ago, Zulfiqar Ali left his native Pakistan for Indonesia in search of a new life. Last month, that life was on the verge of ending in front of a firing squad.

Mr. Ali has been on Indonesias death row since 2005, after he was convicted of heroin trafficking. A government-ordered inquiry later found that he was probably innocent. Still, in July, he was one of 14 convicts, most of them foreigners, who were taken to the prison island of Nusakambangan off Javas southern coast to be put to death.

Minutes before they were to be executed, on July 29, Mr. Ali and nine other convicts were given a reprieve, for reasons the government has yet to explain. But four were shot dead as scheduled, including a Nigerian who supporters say was framed. And Mr. Ali, like the rest who were spared, remains condemned.

More than a year after Indonesia drew international censure by putting to death 12 foreigners convicted of drug crimes, the country has resumed a war on narcotics by way of executions  and has again put a spotlight on its profoundly flawed justice system.
The bottlenecks have overwhelmed many of the camps, especially on the Greek islands, where migrants arriving after the March 20 deal are supposed to be held until being deported to Turkey. That program has stalled because of legal challenges and because Greece must process each asylum application first. So far, 468 of the more than 10,000 people who have arrived since the deal took effect have been returned. Turkish monitors assigned to assist were fired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey after the coup attempt against him.

One result is that on Lesbos, the main landing point for dinghies arriving from Turkey, the Moria refugee camp is brimming with Syrians, Afghans, Eritreans, Pakistanis, Kurds and others who landed after the accord. While the camp is organized by the Greek military and police, and filled with humanitarian aid workers, it has grown increasingly overcrowded amid a backlog of asylum claims and bids to enter the European Union relocation program.

As in Nea Kavala, migrants in Moria had no clue about their status.

We just wait and we dont know what to do, said Abdullah Jalali, 40, an Afghan who had been stuck for five months.

His family was crammed with 30 other people, including 11 babies, into a tiny container shelter. Nearby, Pakistani migrants lived outside beneath tarps held up with metal parking barriers  dark cages in the baking sun.

Mr. Erdogan has set off further alarms by hinting that the European Union deal could collapse by October should Europe fail to uphold a part of the bargain to grant Turkish citizens visa-free travel to Europe. The situation is critical enough that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece met with his cabinet on Thursday in Athens to discuss how to handle a renewed migrant surge.

For those who had been languishing in Greece even before the deal, Europes political tug of war threatens to make a precarious situation worse. Those who have money are continuing to turn to smugglers for passage to Germany or the Nordic countries. Some Syrians who fled violence for a haven in Europe have decided to return rather than face an indefinite stay in the camps.
The second miracle finally happened in Brazil, and this time it was a man, Marcilio. He had a bacterial infection in the brain which had caused multiple abscesses  and he developed hydrocephaly. His wife started praying a novena, nine days of prayer, to Mother Teresa, and she asked her family members to do the same. On Dec. 9, at 2 in the morning, Marcilio had excruciating pain in the head, and went into a coma. He was just near death. The doctor finally gets him in the operating room, hoping to drain the water, but couldnt do it the way he had planned, so he left the operating room at about 6:10 p.m. to find a doctor who could do it another way. When he returned to the operating room  unsuccessful in his attempt  he discovers that Marcilio is awake, in no pain, and he says, What am I doing here? Two brain scans were taken, one on Dec. 9 and one on Dec. 13, and all the different surgeons look at the two scans, and they say you cant go from here to there. The doctor even told Marcilios brother that he had 30 patients with hydrocephaly like this and 29 died. Only Marcilio survived.

Mother Teresa has her critics. They have accused her of running facilities that offered substandard care, and of cozying up to dictators like Enver Hoxha in Albania and Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti. Did the sainthood process examine these allegations?

Oh, yes. In fact, Christopher Hitchens was called as a witness, in Washington. When we were preparing the actual case, myself and the people helping watched his movie Hells Angel and read his book Missionary Position. We have to take them seriously. But some of it is just mistaken information. Mother never took any money from Duvalier. And in the movie, Hitchens presented Mother going to the tomb of Enver Hoxha, the dictator. What was she doing there? The facts are that she had asked to see the tomb of her mother and sister, and government escorts took her without telling her to Hoxhas tomb. Then she says, now can I go to the tomb of my mother and sister? The Albanian translator, who also gave her testimony, said, We in Albania know that any foreign visitor was taken to the tomb of Enver Hoxha. That was part of the protocol.

In India, there is some resentment that Mother Teresa made Calcutta synonymous with poverty.

Its not like Mother tried to focus on the poverty of Calcutta. Thats just where she started. Interesting that after India, the country that has the next largest number of houses run by the Missionaries of Charity is the U.S. She kept saying that the greatest poverty in the world today is to be unloved, unwanted and uncared for, and thats a harder and more difficult poverty to reach.

Mother Teresas private letters and writings, which were published in a book that you edited in 2007 on the 10th anniversary of her death, revealed that she suffered for decades from an excruciating anxiety that God had abandoned her. Is that kind of spiritual suffering a prerequisite for sainthood, or an obstacle?

In the Positio  thats the Latin for the written case examining how Mother Teresa lived her Christian life  we had a special chapter on the darkness because it was a very distinctive feature. We had to examine it in light of the mystical tradition. It wasnt surprising that she had it because other saints have had it. What was really more surprising is that it was so long, almost 50 years. To live like that is heroic. An immature person would have been crushed by such an experience. She was suffering that loneliness, that sense of being unloved, unwanted in her relationship with Jesus, but in solidarity with and identified with others who were in some way living that sense of loneliness and being unloved.

It must be satisfying for you to see her declared a saint.

Its been 17 years, since 1999. That will be nice to be standing there on Sunday morning. The canonization rite itself is before Mass begins. The prefect in charge of the Congregation for Saints does the official requesting, and Im standing next to him. Thankfully, I dont have to open my mouth.
As Mr. Bialowitz and his family arrived with other Jews, they were asked if any had professions. Symcha said, truthfully, that he was a pharmacist, and, untruthfully, that his brother was his assistant. That saved their lives. Separated on the spot from their relatives, who were doomed, they were put to work as slave laborers, performing tasks that included collecting the clothing and valuables of their dead brethren.

Some months afterward, on Oct. 14, 1943, the Jewish workers carried out an escape plan, enticing guards to relax their vigilance by offering up a hoard of salvaged leather jackets and boots. Several SS officers were killed with knives and hatchets that the prisoners had secreted away, and about 300 fled through the gates of the camp. Nearly all were recaptured, but the Bialowitz brothers were among the 50 or so who were not. Symcha died at 102 in 2014 in Israel.

Shortly after the escape, the Nazis began to dismantle the Sobibor camp, one of three (along with Treblinka and Belzec) built for the explicit purpose of killing under the auspices of Operation Reinhard, the Nazi code name for the extermination of Jews. The history of the place was so well concealed that the underground remains of the gas chambers were not unearthed until 2014, news of which Mr. Bialowitz said was the best moment of my life.

The Germans tried to do everything they could to hide their crime, he told the German news website Spiegel Online. But now archaeologists have discovered the gas chambers. Sobibor will become better known, and it will serve as an educational center for future generations. This is a victory  not only for us as survivors, but also for the whole mankind.
SANA, Yemen  Airstrikes carried out by warplanes from a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia killed at least 19 people, mostly children, on Saturday in a residential area and a school in northern Yemen, witnesses and hospital officials said.

One bombardment in the village of Birken in the Razih District, near Yemens northern border with Saudi Arabia, struck the home of Ali Okri, a school principal, killing his wife and four of their children.

Then, in what has become known in the war here as a double tap, a second airstrike killed four more of Mr. Okris relatives as rescuers were trying to free them from the rubble.

In the Haydan District, another northern area, airstrikes on Saturday hit a school, killing 10 students and wounding 28 others, an official at a nearby hospital said.
CAIRO  American military drones monitored Islamic State militants loading up hundreds of cars, buses and trucks with fighters and civilians and fleeing the city of Manbij, Syria, on Friday, as Syrian rebels advanced and the extremists lost yet another stronghold.

On Wednesday, the Libyan city of Surt, held by the Islamic State for more than a year, also fell to pro-government militiamen, and the militants lost the headquarters from which they had ruled more than 150 miles of Libyan coastline.

The two new victories against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, could have a significant effect on the groups efforts to penetrate the West.

Manbij is the site of one of just two crossings to Turkey from Syria, and its fall will probably deprive the extremists of that route. The other major crossing, al-Rai, is often under attack by anti-Islamic State factions. The route between Manbij and Jarabulus, Syria, has been used by foreign jihadists to join the Islamic State in Syria, or to leave again for European destinations. Manbij is also the largest city the group has lost in Syria.
Aug 12 (Reuters) - Bankrupt solar company SunEdison Inc on Friday joined its "yieldcos" in delaying earnings report for the second-quarter ended June 30.

SunEdison is yet to file its 2015 annual repot, as well as its first-quarter report, after the company identified "material weaknesses" in its financial reporting, primarily related to problems with a newly implemented IT system.

The company said the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing also contributed to the delay. (http://bit.ly/2bc2XLL)

Once the fastest-growing U.S. renewable energy developer, SunEdison filed for bankruptcy in April.

TerraForm Power Inc and TerraForm Global Inc , the company's "yieldcos", said on Wednesday they would delay filing their second-quarter earnings reports.

"Yieldcos" are publicly traded units that hold renewable energy assets, including those bought from the parent company.

(Reporting by Arathy S Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
RIO DE JANEIRO  Ethiopias Almaz Ayana smashed a more than two-decade old world record en route to winning the Olympic 10,000-meter title and track and fields first gold medal on an overcast Friday morning at Olympic Stadium.

Ayanas 29-minute, 17.45-second victory was simply one of the greatest performances in womens track and field history, knocking more than 14 seconds off the world record set by Chinas Wang Junxia in 1993.

Getting to this point is a dream come true, Ayana, 24, said. I never thought that this would happen and Im so in awe.

Ayana wasnt alone in her disbelief.

Before the field of 37 runners stepped up to the starting line Friday morning, a woman had broken the 30-minute threshold for the 10,000 only five times. Four did it Friday in Rio, yet no one was close Ayana.

Kenyas Vivian Cheruiyot just missed breaking the world record, finishing in 29:32.53 for the silver medal but still finished nearly 100 meters behind Ayana.

Ethiopias Tirunesh Dibaba won the 10,000 at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, also winning the 5,000 gold medal in Beijing. Friday she ran a personal best of 29:42.58, more than a dozen seconds under her old Olympic record, for the bronze medal, but lost sight of her younger countryman when Ayana bolted into the lead in the 6th kilometer.

Ethiopias Alice Nawowuna, who led through the first 5,000 before Ayana smashed the race wide open, was also under the old Olympic record at 29:53.51.

Molly Huddle broke the American record, finishing in 30:13.17, one of nine national records set Friday.

I am really very happy that Almaz came first because a new champion is coming, a new cheetah, a new heroine is coming, Dibaba said.

Not everyone, however, shared Dibabas joy.

I do not believe that she is 100 percent. It is too easy for her, Swedens Sarah Lahti told reporters for the Expressen paper after the race. One cannot see a facial expression, and she just runs on while others struggle for life behind her.

I cannot say that she is not clean, but there is little doubt.

Adding to the doubts is the Wangs record has long been widely considered the result of doping.

She broke the world record by a clear 15 seconds which is about 100m, Sonia OSullivan, Irelands 2000 Olympic 5,000 silver medalist, told RTE, an Irish television network, referring to Ayana.

Thats a world record that many people would have questioned for a long time, 23 years ago set by the Chinese. Im not jumping out of my seat because you question it as well yourself, how can you do that? It is 23 years later. Is it 23 years of knowing more training, being better athletes? How do you have an athlete that can break the world record so easily like that? She didnt look very tired afterward.

Things that you thought were impossible, were out of reach and would never be broken and then all of a sudden they are broken by the length of a straight. You do have to question it a little bit.

And the question came up during Ayanas post-race news conference.

My doping is my training, my doping is Jesus, Ayana said. Otherwise, nothing. I am crystal clean.

Contact the writer: sreid@ocregister.com
A bill to streamline court challenges to mega-developments on environmental grounds passed the California Senate on Thursday, sending the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown for signature.

The bill, SB 734, extends for two years an existing measure to shorten challenges under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. Without the extension, the measure would sunset in January.

Under the 2011 measure, dubbed AB 900, projects winning the governors certification get priority over other cases if challenged in court. Such lawsuits go straight to appellate courts, which would have 270 days to resolve the dispute.

To be eligible, a project must cost at least $100 million, must pay construction workers prevailing wage rates, and not increase greenhouse gases.

Six projects have been certified under AB 900, including a new Golden State Warriors arena in San Francisco, Apples new headquarters in Cupertino, and the Qualcomm Stadium reconstruction in San Diego.

Passage comes as debate is heating up over efforts to reform the 46-year-old environmental law, sparked in part by Browns own plan to bypass local CEQA review for developments containing affordable housing.

CEQA requires that environmental impacts of developments be identified and mitigated. But developers, business leaders and economists have complained that frivolous lawsuits have hampered construction, contributing to high housing costs.

The goal of CEQA was never to shut down and stop a project, said Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), the new measures author. Developments that meet CEQAs stringent guidelines, she added, should not be quashed due to delays.

But opponents say the extension is unwarranted because the original law was meant to spur jobs when unemployment topped 12 percent. Californias unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in June.

It has nothing to do with the original reason the legislation was put together, said Jill Stewart, campaign director for the slow-growth Coalition to Preserve LA, which opposed the extension. Stewart also questioned whether the state Legislature has the authority to tell the courts how to handle their business.

This is nothing but a greed measure, she said.

Galgiani said joblessness still is near double digits in the Central Valley.

We still need it for jobs, she said.

Galgiana said four Los Angeles projects already have been identified as potential future recipients of AB 900 protections.

They include a central park project in Hollywood built atop the 101 freeway between Hollywood and Santa Monica boulevards, a nine-building condo-hotel-retail project in Hollywood and residential-commercial development near Dodger Stadium in Echo Park.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7734 or jcollins@ocregister.com
PICO RIVERA  A 16-year-old girl used her last words after being stabbed in her Los Angeles-area home to scream the name of the ex-boyfriend she broke up with two weeks ago, helping make him a suspect in her death Friday, according to the lieutenant in charge of the investigation.

The girls screams woke her mother up and roused neighbors from sleep just after 3 a.m. in the quiet neighborhood in Pico Rivera, about 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Lt. Eddie Hernandez said.

Elena Moore had been stabbed at least once in the chest, and she collapsed and died in front of her mother a short time after yelling the name Rory.

She was yelling and screaming his name. Its horrible, Hernandez said. Can you imagine waking up to the screams of your daughter at 3:15 in the morning and this happens? Its unthinkable.

Investigators were searching for Elenas 17-year-old former boyfriend, Rory Murga.

Evidence found at the crime scene tied Rory to the home, Hernandez said.

Two photographs of Murga were released after investigators searched for him for 12 hours. One showed him with short green hair, and the other one pictured him with longer black hair with a section of bangs dyed light brown.

A kitchen knife believed to be the weapon used in the attack was recovered inside the home, Hernandez said.

It was unclear whether Elena let her killer into the home or whether the attacker broke in, he said, adding that damage found to the back door could have happened in the past.

The stabbing happened downstairs, and Elena was able to run upstairs to her mother before collapsing, Hernandez said.

Elena, also was known as Lily, and Rory dated for a year until she ended the relationship two weeks ago, he said.

Elenas Facebook page showed that she began a relationship with Rory last September, but there are few other signs of their connection.

Kara Wilson, a 15-year-old Palm Bay, Florida, girl who said she was online friends with Elena, said Elena never mentioned a boyfriend and that shes in shock over her death.

At first I didnt believe it happened to her so I tried to call her, Kara said. She didnt answer.

She said Elena stood out among all her friends because she never posted anything negative on Facebook and even defended those who were being subjected to bullying.

She was always sticking up for people, Kara said. She was the sweetest.

Elenas home was encircled Friday afternoon with crime-scene tape, and sheriffs investigators were seen taking bloodhounds inside to help them search for the killer. The middle-class block of homes is just down the street from a church and several schools.

Twenty-year-old Jasmine Gonzalez, who lives nearby, often saw Elena and Rory walking together in the neighborhood.

It was always just them two, she said, adding that her grandfather woke to the girls screams, as well. Its a shock to everybody.

Another neighbor, 60-year-old David Arias, saw the couple hanging out in front of his house from time to time.

They seemed happy and lovey dovey, he said. Always hugging and kissing.
KIBBUTZ SDE BOKER, Israel  The rare, intimate and reflective interview with Israels founding prime minister was filmed nearly 50 years ago, but it never aired.

David Ben-Gurion, at 82 and five years out of office, spoke in the six-hour interview of state-building and the biblical prophets that guided him; the security imperative of his young nation and Israels quest for spiritual and moral superiority; his battle with lower back pain and his interest in Buddhism.

It was April 1968, and The Old Man, as Ben-Gurion was nicknamed for much of his life, had been largely abandoned by his own political proteges. Paula, his rather brusque and devoted wife, had died that January, leaving him in near isolation in his chosen retirement home in Sde Boker, a remote communal village in the Negev desert.

The most important thing which I learned, I learned by living here, he said. I want to live in a place when I know that my friends, and myself, we did it. Everything. Its our creation.

He sat for two hours a day, over three consecutive days, and spoke in English. He wore a turtleneck sweater, his casual uniform for cooler days. When the interviewer said he was ready to wrap up the final session, Ben-Gurion protested that they still had 10 minutes to go.

But The reels of silent footage and the soundtrack languished for decades in separate archives. Excerpts from the recently rediscovered conversation form the core of a new documentary, Ben-Gurion, Epilogue., in which the Zionist luminary offers a raw, contemplative self-analysis of his lifes work.

Asked if he feared for his country, he replied, Oh, I always feared. I always. Not just now. Though it was 20 years after Israels founding, he said that he feared the state does not yet exist. Its a beginning only.

Interwoven with other footage from the period  of meetings with foreign leaders, a speech in Israels parliament, birthday celebrations  the film is, in part, a wistful ode to a lost generation of leaders who viewed simplicity as a virtue even as they strove for giant goals.

There is an absence of leadership with those values and that vision, said Yariv Mozer, the Israeli writer, director and producer of the movie, which premiered last month at the Jerusalem Film Festival. The film, and the recent book by Avi Shilon on which it is based, Mozer added, reflect the interest of some young Israelis to turn back to our history, to our past, in order to find answers for today and maybe for the future.

Ben-Gurions matter-of-fact voice from the grave resonates hauntingly, with its mix of pragmatism and philosophical prescriptions bordering on the prophetic. He described the prophet Jeremiah as one of the greatest because, he said, I have the feeling that what he was saying is true.

He understood politics more than the kings, Ben-Gurion said. But he was unpopular.

Mozer and Shilon pointed to the former prime ministers pronouncements at the time that in return for a true peace, he would give up the territories that Israel conquered in the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, except for the Golan Heights, Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Hebron. He saw no contradiction in believing that Israel had the right to all the land, but could also concede some of it.

He thought that the most important thing was to live in the Middle East in peace with our neighbors, Shilon said. He said that Israel can win a lot of wars and the Arabs can lose a lot of wars, but that Israel would not be able to stand one defeat; that one lost war would be the end of Israel. Shilon added, The problem with Ben-Gurion was that people stopped listening to him.

Yariv Mozer, the Israeli writer, director and producer of the movie, and Yael Perlov, the editor and co-producer of the documentary, uncovered the lost interview almost by chance, in the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive in Jerusalem. There, while working to restore an old and unsuccessful feature film about Ben-Gurion by Perlovs late father, David Perlov, they tripped across the silent film reels. It took six months to find the soundtrack, which they did in the Ben-Gurion Archives in the Negev.

The interview had actually been conducted as background research for the Perlov film. The former prime minister had chosen the interviewer, Clinton Bailey, who was then a recent immigrant from the United States.

Bailey had been befriended by the Ben-Gurions after Paula invited him in for tea one day when he was wandering near their home in Tel Aviv. Ben-Gurion helped Bailey secure a teaching job at the academy he had established at Sde Boker, and Bailey would sometimes join the aging politician on his brisk walks around the kibbutz.

Bailey went on to become an eminent scholar of Bedouin culture  and mostly forgot about the 1968 interview. Recalling the period, Bailey said the simplicity of the Ben-Gurions cabin at Sde Boker was a statement, adding:  I dont think Ben-Gurion wanted the perks of power.

At Ben-Gurions request, the cabin has been preserved and is open to the public. A trickle of Israeli families on school break and foreign tourists passed through on a recent sunbaked weekday.

The man who helped create the modern state of Israel insisted, in his sunset years, on being treated like any other member of the Sde Boker collective and ate lunch in the cramped communal dining room.

In our kibbutz I told them my name is David, he said in the interview with Bailey. Not Ben-Gurion. So every morning I came to see what David has to do, and I went to do the work. This is what our prophets said, to serve as an example to other people.

(Kibbutz residents who were there at the time said they gave him the easier jobs, like tending to the lambs and measuring precipitation.)

Archival footage shows Ben-Gurion dedicating the arrival in Sde Boker of the radiotelephone, which he called a dubious blessing. In another clip, Moshe Feldenkrais, the mind-body clinician, described how he persuaded Ben-Gurion to perform a circuslike physical feat to bring him more in tune with his body, which resulted in Ben-Gurions famously photographed headstands.

Ben-Gurion died in 1973, and was buried in a simple grave next to Paulas on the edge of a stunning desert canyon. His will stipulated no eulogies or gun salute. The tombstone is inscribed only with his name and the dates of his birth, death and immigration to the country.

Settling the Negev, in his mind, was imperative for the young states future. It was also a place where he could champion his ideals.

We wanted to create a new life, not the life that exists, he said of the Zionist pioneers. I believed that we had a right to this country. Not taking away from others, but recreating it.

He had made tough choices along the way, like refusing to allow the return of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war over Israels creation, and placing Israels Arab citizens under military rule.

Ben-Gurion believed the states mission was to fulfill the biblical concept of an am segulah, an exemplary nation of higher virtues, treasured by God. Asked in 1968 if Israel was carrying out that mission, he replied: Not yet.
Great investing opportunities exist everywhere in the stock market. But how do you find them?

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Fortune Brands Home & Security operates in 4 segments including cabinets, plumbing, doors and security. Sales rose by 12% in the second quarter. It saw gains in all of its segments, with cabinet sales soaring 17% as the housing market remains hot.

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Fortune Brands shares have also seen tremendous gains in the last 5 years. Could the returns be beating Facebook?

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Both advocates and opponents of Californias marijuana legalization measure are claiming victory after a judge determined Friday that they each made misleading statements in arguments to be included in official ballot pamphlets for the Nov. 8 election.

Pro- and anti- Proposition 64 groups sued each other last week in Sacramento County Superior Court, challenging comments submitted to the Secretary of State concerning how the initiative might affect pot advertising and minors, among other things.

Opponents were ordered to tweak all six statements objected to by the Yes on 64 team, while proponents were instructed to change four of the six arguments challenged by the No on 64 campaign.

Judge Shelleyanne Chang softened but didnt eliminate a key claim by opponents that the measure opens the door for marijuana ads on TV. Proponents dispute that, arguing federal regulations prevent such ads on television. And Chang will let that defense stand.

She also upheld Yes on 64 arguments that the measure includes strict regulations on delivery services and ads that might appeal particularly to children. But she agreed with the No on 64 camp that theres not yet definitive evidence that teen use and impaired driving go down in states where marijuana is legal.

Today, the opponents of Proposition 64 found out the hard way that the same old, tired anti-marijuana propaganda doesnt fly in court any more than it does with voters, said Jason Kinney, spokesman for the legalization campaign.

Wayne Johnson, spokesman for the opposition, countered that the ruling today was clear. Marijuana ads could be on broadcast television if Prop 64 passes  ads that could be seen by children.

The ruling came one day after opponents celebrated news that the federal government would continue to classify marijuana as a top-tier narcotic. Meanwhile, advocates touted a new poll from Probolsky Research in Newport Beach that puts voter support for legalization at 61.8 percent.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.comTwitter: @JournoBrooke
VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis has met 20 women from six countries who have been freed from prostitution as part of his Holy Year of Mercy activities focusing on communities that have experienced suffering.

The Vatican said the meeting Friday was a call to combat human trafficking, which the pope has defined as an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ.

The Vatican said all of the women, whose average age was around 30, had suffered great physical violence and live under protection. They were from Romania, Albania, Nigeria, Tunisia, Italy and Ukraine.

The pope has dedicated Fridays throughout the Holy Year to the suffering, including visiting Syrian refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos and praying silently at the Auschwitz-Birkenau former Nazi death camp.
HATCH, N.M.  An Ohio fugitive wanted in a murder has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a New Mexico police officer on Friday.

Dona Ana County Sheriffs spokeswoman Kelly Jameson says that 36-year-old Jesse Hanes is suspected of gunning down Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop Friday.

Hanes fled and is suspected of carjacking a man at a rest stop before shooting him in the stomach. The mans condition is unknown.

Authorities say the deadly confrontation began when Chavez pulled over Hanes, who was driving a luxury car with two passengers, in the village of Hatch, about 40 miles northwest of Las Cruces. A fellow officer who arrived to assist Chavez said he saw him holding paperwork and reaching for his service weapon before he was shot and fell to the ground.

Hanes then fled on Interstate 25 at speeds up to 100 miles per hour before stopping at a rest stop and carjacking a man, authorities said.

Sheriffs deputies spotted Hanes in the stolen vehicle and pursued, slowing it down by deflating the tires. The suspect crashed the vehicle into a pile of wood and briefly barricaded himself in the car before surrendering to sheriffs deputies, Jameson said. The suspect had a gunshot wound to the right thigh which appeared to be self-inflicted, she said.

The two passengers who had been with Hanes also were arrested.

Chavez, who was shot in the neck, died at University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. He had been an officer with the department for two years.

Jameson said she doesnt know why Chavez initiated the stop.

Hanes was wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man just outside Chillicothe, about 60 miles south of Columbus.

A bulletin sent out three days later by the Ross County Sheriffs Office in Ohio said both Hanes and another suspect, James Nelson, were believed to have fled the state and were armed and extremely dangerous. It warned that the two men have a violent criminal history.

Hanes was 16 and living in Columbus when he pleaded guilty in 1995 to involuntary manslaughter and other charges. He was sentenced to prison and released at 32. He went to prison again in 2014 after pleading guilty to robbery and was released in April 2015.

Nelson, who also goes by JD, has a string of drug-related convictions in central Ohio dating back to the mid-1990s.

The Chillicothe Gazette in Ohio reported Saturday that Nelson was also taken into custody in New Mexico on warrants in the July 25 shooting death of an Ohio man.

However, the Dona Ana County authorities have yet to identify the two people arrested with Hanes.

Hanes remains hospitalized and has not been booked. The FBI is assisting in the investigation, and authorities plan to hold a press conference Saturday.




Longtime Huntington Beach Councilman Dave Sullivan became the second incumbent to announce that he will not seek re-election on the November ballot.

Sullivan had until Friday to turn in his election forms. Several hours after the deadline, when City Clerk Robin Estanislau released the list of candidates without Sullivans name, he released an e-mail saying he was not seeking re-election.

The e-mail read in part, Its now time to retire.

Sullivan was not available for further comment Friday night.

The decision came as a surprise to many. Jill Hardy, the lone remaining incumbent on the ballot, did not know about Sullivans decision until she saw the announcement online.

I will miss his voice and his vote on the council, Hardy said, particularly on issues of high-density and development.

Mayor Jim Katapodis, who early on said he would not run after accepting a job in Sacramento, was also stunned.

I was a little shocked, Katapodis said. Im sure he had his reasons. You never know with Dave, he plays his cards close to the vest.

The longest serving active councilman with 16 years in several stints, Sullivan was mayor in 1996 and 2006 and as mayor pro tem would have taken the gavel had he been elected to a fifth term.

Sullivan also said in his announcement that he was offering his endorsement to Lyn Semeta, a planning commissioner running for the council.

In his e-mail, Sullivan said he was proud of council accomplishments, especially the fights to preserve open space and efforts to stop building more high-density massive apartments destroying the character of our beautiful city.

When Sullivan ran for office, one of his major goals was to put the brakes on high-density housing.

As you know, the effort to stop more high-density building was opposed by special interests and won by a razor-thin margin, he wrote.

Although he did not mention it in his e-mail, Sullivan was also extremely happy to see the new Senior Center in Central Park come to realization while he was in office. It was another of Sullivans pet projects, which was completed after years of litigation.

Sullivans decision leaves 13 candidates running for the two open seats. New candidates for office received a five-day extension from the Friday deadline to file for the ballot.

The election is Nov. 8.
SANTA ANA  At a young age, Jason Paul Torres had to become a father figure to his two younger brothers.

His father died of cancer when Torres was 20. He stepped in and kept alive the family tradition of reading the Bible on Christmas Day  something his dad used to do. Torres took his youngest brother go-carting and ensured that his kid brother had the best costumes for Halloween.

Jason was always a role model and a hero to me, said his youngest brother, Joe Torres.

On Aug. 7, the Torres family again lost a father figure when Jason Torres of Costa Mesa was stabbed to death outside a Santa Ana convenience store by what police describe as an acquaintance. He was 40 years old and leaves behind a wife and eight children.

Details surrounding the altercation are hazy, but police arrested Logan James Cunningham, 27, of Long Beach in connection with the killing. Cunningham, however, has been released from jail pending further investigation.

Family members remember Jason Torres as an adoring father of five girls and three boys, ages 1 to 14, who painted his kids faces. Torres loved the outdoors, enjoyed camping and was an active member at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa for nearly a decade.

He was a hands-on dad, said Torres mother, Linda Torres. He would cook breakfast, get them off to school, pack lunches. Kids were first and foremost in his life.

Torres wife, Amber, who has lupus, stayed home with the kids.

She is devastated, Linda Torres said. Shes trying to hold it together. We all are. She has a supportive family behind her and church support behind her.

Just after 9 p.m. Aug. 7, Torres stopped by the Circle K at 710 E. Dyer Road to pick up cigarettes while his wife and a friend went to Walmart to pick up diapers, Linda Torres said.

The trio were supposed to rendezvous at the convenience store. Instead, when his wife and friend returned, they were greeted by police, Linda Torres said. What happened in those intervening moments remains a mystery to his family.

Were all trying to put the pieces together, Linda Torres said.

The family has experienced a run of misfortune recently. Torres had recently lost his job as a carpenter and handyman and his children stayed with their maternal grandparents. Torres oldest son was supposed to have open-heart surgery today to correct a congenital heart defect, but the surgery has been postponed.

Family members have created two GoFundMe fundraising pages to cover funeral expenses and financial care for the children in their fathers absence.

Torres will be buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park Mortuary alongside his father and near a childhood friend.

These are people whose lives were cut short, said childhood friend Jeff Mocny. Its just hard.

Contact the writer: lawilliams@scng.com
SAN FRANCISCO  Critics and a state lawmaker say they want more explanations on whos paying for a proposed $16 billion water project backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, after a leading California water district said Browns administration was offering government funding to finish the planning for the two giant water tunnels.

Critics said the government funding described by the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District on Thursday could run counter to longstanding state assurances that various local water districts, not California itself, would pay for Browns vision of digging twin 35-mile-long tunnels to carry water from the Sacramento River south, mainly for Central and Southern California. The $248 million in preliminary spending for the tunnels, which have yet to win regulatory approval, already is the topic of an ongoing federal audit. On Wednesday, state lawmakers ordered a state audit of the tunnels-spending as well.

On Thursday, state spokeswoman Nancy Vogel said that despite the account of the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District, no money from the states general fund would be used to finish the current planning phase of the twin tunnels. However, opponents of the tunnels and a taxpayer group were critical Thursday, and Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, one of the state lawmakers behind this weeks audit order, asked the state Thursday for clarification.

Its a shell game, said David Wolfe, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Associations legislative director. I think it comes back to the audit (request) yesterday: There are way more questions here than there are answers.

The tunnels project is endorsed by Brown and by some politically influential water districts and water customers in Central and Southern California. Supporters say the tunnels would benefit the environment and offer Californians a more secure water supply. Opponents say they fear the state will use the tunnels to divert too much water from the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay, harming Northern California and further endangering native species there.

Metropolitan and other water districts slated to get water from the tunnels have yet to commit to paying for them, out of uncertainty whether the massive spending would really bring them enough water to make the cost worthwhile. The same water districts also announced this year they would not pay to complete the current preliminary work on the tunnels unless the project first won regulatory approval.

On Thursday, a monthly report published by the Los Angeles-based water district on the tunnels project said, the state has indicated that any additional funding needs to complete the planning phase will be provided by state or federal sources.

After all that local water districts had spent on the project, including $63 million from his water district, This is to be expected that the state would use government money to close out planning, said Bob Muir, spokesman for Metropolitan Water District.

Vogel said the state intended to pull money to finish the tunnels planning from user fees for an existing water network, the State Water Project.

Tunnel opponents point to a measure state lawmakers passed in 2009 that they say bars the state from spending money on the tunnels until the water agencies that would benefit commit to paying for them.

Project contractors pledged to pay for this project and theyve used financial gimmicks to get around this obligation, said Patricia Schifferle, an environmental consultant and longtime opponent of the proposed tunnels.
SANTA ANA  An Orange man who shot at a police officer during a psychotic episode was sentenced Friday to 15 years and four months in prison.

Orange County Superior Court Judge David A. Hoffer during a Santa Ana court hearing on Friday afternoon said he weighed the seriousness of the crime committed by Taylor Evan Williams while taking into account his mental health.

Williams, who was found guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter and two felony assault charges, faced eight to 24 years behind bars.

Prior to the sentencing, Williams parents apologized for their sons actions and pleaded with the judge not to sentence him to the maximum time in prison. Since their son was an adult, his parents said, they werent fully aware that he had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

If an example has to be made of my son, I hope it is a compassionate example for those who suffer from this disease, said Marvin Williams, Taylors father.

Officer Maurice King, who narrowly missed being struck by the gunshots fired by Williams, told the judge that the 25-year-old still is a danger to the community.

Taylor showed us that evening that he has no regard for life when he tried to murder me and himself, the officer said.

King responded to the Williams family home shortly before 9:30 p.m. Nov. 21 after Taylors parents reported a disturbance.

After a family member let the officer in, Taylor Williams retreated to his room and shut his door.

The officer asked Williams to open the door. Williams responded by pointing a semi-automatic firearm at the officer.

The officer backed away as Williams fired several gunshots through the door at chest level. Williams then fired a gunshot into his head, which his attorney indicated bounced off his skull and into the ceiling.

The officer was not struck. Williams survived his injuries. While searching Williams room, police found several firearms, ammunition and bulletproof vests.

Judge Hoffer praised King for his actions the night of the shooting.

Had the officer acted differently, Taylor could have lost his life that day, the judge said. I think he acted with restraint.

Hoffer said he sympathized with Williams parents.

The judge criticized laws involving the medical records of adults with mental illness, which prevent family members from being informed of their condition.

The parents were not allowed to know everything going on with Taylor and they should have been, Hoffer said.

Prosecutors were hoping to convict Williams of attempted murder, which would have resulted in a life sentence. Jurors opted to convict him of the lesser charge.

Contact the writer: semery@ocregister.com
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For the fourth time in eight years, Leo LaSalle has something alien growing in his belly.

This tumor, like the other ones, is spreading tentacles around his internal organs. Because its benign, the sticky mass will probably spare LaSalles life. But it will grow to at least 20 pounds before a surgeon is able to remove it, and this one will probably cost him one of his kidneys.

His doctor told the Department of Veterans Affairs that the retired Air Force master sergeants bizarre and aggressive tumors are most likely caused by LaSalles exposure to the toxic herbicide Agent Orange at Danang Air Base during a 1967 tour there.

I have no cancer in my family background, said LaSalle, 73, of Papillion. I agree  it has to be Agent Orange.

The doctors opinion, though, didnt convince a VA hearing officer in Lincoln. In February, she turned down LaSalles claim for increased disability pay because of his tumors.

Its been kind of an uphill battle, he said.

LaSalles battle is a small part of the larger struggle by Vietnam veterans to win compensation for diseases they believe are linked to Agent Orange but are not yet recognized by the VA.

Veterans whose diseases are officially presumed to be connected to Agent Orange may collect up to about $3,200 per month in disability benefits  plus a pension for a surviving spouse if the veteran dies. About 7,400 Nebraska and Iowa veterans already receive disability payments connected to Agent Orange exposure, and about 1,500 spouses receive survivors benefits.

But vets whose diseases dont make the list may spend years fighting the VA. Some just give up.

Agent Orange was the most common of a class of chemical defoliants sprayed widely across South Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to obliterate jungle and crops. It was produced by combining two commercial herbicides, but the mixing process produced a toxic byproduct called dioxin. After animal studies linked dioxin to birth defects, Agent Orange was banned in the early 1970s, but not before millions of American troops were potentially exposed.

At first, veterans had to present strong evidence that their individual illnesses were linked to Agent Orange  an exceedingly high bar. The Vietnam Veterans of America was formed in part to push for expanded research into Agent Orange-related diseases and to make it easier for Vietnam veterans to be compensated.

In 1991, Congress passed a law allowing the VA to declare certain diseases to be presumptively connected to Agent Orange exposure  meaning that any Vietnam veteran who served on the ground and has one of those diseases is eligible for benefits.

The law also stipulated that scientific evidence was required to place diseases on the list.

So every other year, a national Institute of Medicine committee reviews research and issues a report assessing the likelihood that various diseases are connected to Agent Orange, based upon the most up-to-date epidemiological research. The VA uses that report in deciding whether to expand the list.

Currently, there are a number of disease groups or conditions that automatically qualify Vietnam veterans for disability if they set foot in South Vietnam between 1962 and 1975. They include diabetes, heart disease and various cancers such as Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Many other health problems that are not on the list  such as brain cancer, pancreatic cancer or kidney disease  lack enough scientific evidence to prove or disprove a connection to Agent Orange, and researchers fear they may never be able to get a definitive answer because so much time has passed since veterans were exposed.

Advocacy groups and individual veterans, however, continue to push for more research and additional coverage, and the VA is weighing some possible additions to the list based on the latest Institute of Medicine report. The March report said bladder cancer, hypertension, hypothyroidism and Parkinson-like diseases now have limited or suggestive evidence of an association.

A VA decision on adding some or all of those diseases is expected by August, said Dr. Ralph Erickson, the VAs chief consultant for post-deployment health services.

If the VA adds those diseases, that would be a small bit of good news for Larry Hammitt of Minden, Iowa. He was diagnosed with stage 2 bladder cancer earlier this year after discovering blood in his urine.

Hammitt, 68, grew up on a farm in Logan, Iowa, and was drafted into the Army as an infantryman in March 1968.

The Army quickly shipped Hammitt  who was married, with an infant son  to Bien Hoa Air Base to join a pool of recruits who would become replacements for soldiers who had been killed or wounded or who had returned home.

He wound up with the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, in the northern part of South Vietnam, walking through the jungle on extended search-and-destroy missions. He could see the effects of Agent Orange on the landscape.

When youre walking in the jungle and its all dead, you know something happened, Hammitt said.

Though many men he served with died in the war, Hammitt came home without being wounded. He left the Army in 1970. His daughter, Jenny, was born a year later with a congenital hip defect. She was in a full-body cast for six months and wore leg braces for several years.

There were a lot of veterans having kids with birth defects, said Jill Hammitt, Larrys wife.

It was always in the back of my mind, even back then, that it might have been something I was exposed to, Larry Hammitt said.

He worked construction for several years, then earned a civil engineering degree at Iowa Western Community College and spent 30 years with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Hammitt visited the VA years ago for an Agent Orange exam, but he never developed any of the conditions until doctors discovered a 1-inch tumor on his bladder this spring.

You go off (to war), and 40-something years later, you dont expect something to happen, he said.

Three rounds of chemotherapy since May have cost Hammitt most of his energy and all of his hair. Hell start his fourth  and final  round Wednesday, and later will have his bladder and prostate removed. Fortunately, the cancer hasnt spread.

Otherwise, its a death sentence, he said.

Marc McCabe, a VVA veteran services officer in St. Petersburg, Florida, believes the VA should add bladder cancer and other diseases to its presumptive list. He says the link to Agent Orange is clear enough.

He wonders, for example, why prostate cancer already is covered while kidney and bladder cancer are not, although the three organs are closely connected.

Theres all these little catch-alls that the VA uses to deny, said McCabe, who has been helping veterans with compensation claims for years.

Other cancers such as Leo LaSalles tumors, which apparently are a form of sarcoma, are so rare, researchers hardly know how to study them.

The doctor said he has never seen (benign) tumors that keep coming back and coming back, said Betsy LaSalle, Leos wife of 24 years.

Leo LaSalle grew up in Massachusetts and joined the Air Force seven days after graduating from high school in 1961. He spent 26 years in the military, much of it on KC-135 refueling tankers.

During his tour in Vietnam, he fixed heavy equipment from his units headquarters at Danang. The air base was one of the operations centers for Operation Ranch Hand, the Air Forces Agent Orange mission.

Id go out on the flight line. These C-123 (cargo planes) would go by, dripping that crap out, LaSalle recalled. I was quite aware of it.

He retired in 1987 after a tour at Offutt Air Force Base and worked at security jobs in Omaha. He met Betsy, his second wife, while working at Westroads Mall.

LaSalles health has slid since 2008, when surgeons discovered the first tumor during heart-bypass surgery. The mucinous 24-pound mass had attached itself to a large vein at the back of his heart, pushing a kidney and intestines aside.

It looked like I was having triplets, LaSalle said.

The tumor recurred two years later. It grew to 21 pounds and wrapped tentacles around nerves that run to his right leg, leaving it permanently numb from his waist to the middle of his shin.

The third benign tumor, in 2014, nearly killed him. It perforated his small intestine, leaking E. coli into his belly and giving him septic shock. His kidneys shut down, and most of his bowel had to be removed. He was in and out of the hospital for months.

It was a real fiasco, LaSalle said.

Now, with a fourth tumor growing, his mobility is limited. He needs a cane to get around. Doctors are waiting until September to operate so he can gain the strength hell need to withstand another surgery.

Betsy had to quit her job to care for Leo. They prepared a thick file of evidence regarding his service in Vietnam before their VA claim hearing. They hoped that their doctors letter suggesting the link to his military service would convince the hearing officer, but his 60 percent disability rating was left unchanged.

The LaSalles arent sure what more they can do to prove their case.

If theres a link, they need to find out, LaSalle said. I dont know if Im the only one having these oddball tumors.

Dr. Kenneth Ramos, who has been chairman of the Institute of Medicine review committee since 2012, said additional research is needed. But even then, the links often arent clear.

So much time has passed, he said, that its hard to tell whether a veteran is suffering from a disease that was triggered by Agent Orange or some other unknown environmental agent that he has encountered in the past 40-plus years.

Dioxin isnt something that only veterans get exposed to, Ramos said. Youre talking 40-year gaps between experience and measurement.

Even so, Ramos thinks the VA should give veterans the benefit of some doubt.

We have to assume responsibility, Ramos said. Speaking for myself  if we make a mistake, we have to make a mistake on the side of veterans. I think thats the right thing to do.

Ramos said the military should implement a regimen of medical tests for new recruits so future researchers can measure before and after levels of substances such as dioxin.

Its too late to do that for Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange, and for more recent veterans who were exposed to environmental hazards such as oil well fires during the Persian Gulf War or burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But such a protocol would help veterans and researchers following future conflicts.

Its probably time to be forward-thinking, rather than backward, Ramos said. What were doing now is not so much for us. Its for the next generation coming.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1186, steve.liewer@owh.com

* * *

Agent Orange connections

The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes a number of conditions or categories of diseases linked to exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Veterans who were exposed are awarded benefits and medical care if they have these diseases.

The VA bases its decisions on research reviewed every two years by a committee of the national Institute of Medicine, which categorizes the diseases according to the strength of the connection to Agent Orange.

In the case of five diseases, the latest committee concluded in March that the evidence is sufficient to conclude there is a positive association. They are soft-tissue sarcoma, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chloracne.

The committee found limited or suggestive evidence of a link to Agent Orange for laryngeal cancer, cancer of the lung, bronchus or trachea, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, AL amyloidosis, early onset peripheral neuropathy, Parkinsons disease, porphyria cutanea tarda, ischemic heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

More Agent Orange coverage
Everyone wants a perfect wedding, but it doesnt always go as planned.

Alice Norris has seen just about everything as a wedding coordinator at Christ Community Church, a big west Omaha congregation.

Bridesmaids trip, unity candles dont light, groomsmen get woozy, grandpas cant find the church, photographers run late, ring bearers get stage fright, corsages fall apart, microphones dont work.

The good part for the wedding couple, Norris says, is that those hitches usually go unnoticed by the crowd.

Ninety percent of those things guests dont even know about, she said. In the end, we have a really good time.

And even though wedding bumps might rattle the bride and groom at the time, usually the troubles become a funny story and part of the couples lore.

So take a walk down the wedding story aisle with us:

***

Tom and Kaleigh Petekavich

It seemed like a great idea to Tom and Kaleigh Petekavich: an outdoor wedding along the banks of the Elkhorn River west of Omaha.

Everything started perfectly for the Omaha couples July 2013 ceremony.

The five bridesmaids looked beautiful holding their bouquets.

Problem was, the flowers also looked great to a swarm of flying insects.

Pastor Mark Ashton had just started his sermon when Kaleigh heard her maid of honor making noises. At first Kaleigh thought her friend was crying because she was caught up in the emotions of the ceremony.

But the maid of honor was actually kind of squealing, because the bugs were swarming around her.

The pests looked like some sort of beetle and were also zipping around the faces and flowers of the other bridesmaids in an insect aerial attack.

The bridesmaids tried acting like there wasnt a problem.

But they quickly had to defend themselves and began swatting the bridal invaders. Friends

and family began calling out, Put down the flowers.

The bridesmaids started giggling.

Tom and Kaleigh just rolled with it and flashed smiles.

Ashton fast-forwarded through his sermon as the bugs continued their invasion.

As Tom and Kaleigh spoke their vows, one of the uninvited guests got tangled in her veil, and her new husband plucked it out.

Ashton improvised and said something like, Look, Kaleigh, Toms helping you already.

That drew laughter, and everyone relaxed.

Tom and Kaleigh knew outdoor weddings can be unpredictable, so they werent completely surprised that nature threw them a curve ball.

The insect offensive, they say, made their wedding even more memorable, even more special.

So you can bet that whenever they tell their bridal story, theres always a part about the wedding crashers.

***

Chris Wengert and Katie Cunningham

The bridegrooms father was the first to notice that something was wrong.

Dan Wengerts son Chris was getting married to Katie Cunningham at Omahas Countryside Church.

The Omaha couples July 2012 ceremony was nearing the part where the groom takes the ring from the best man and slips it on the brides finger.

Dad was sitting in the front pew. His other son, Matt, the best man, was standing on the altar with the wedding party.

Suddenly the best man turned his head toward his dad and made eye contact.

The best man had just reached into his pocket and discovered a problem that Hollywood has had plenty of fun with: no ring.

Chris, the groom, heard a rustling sound next to him and could tell something was wrong. The best man leaned over to his brother and whispered: I dont have the ring.

Chris was already a little nervous and thought to himself, This is not what I need.

Chris and his bride began hearing murmuring from the crowd as people noticed something was up.

But Chris dad went to work fixing the problem. Dad quickly figured out the mostly likely place to find the ring was the room where the groomsmen had gotten ready for the wedding.

Dad made eye contact with a relative near the altar who was the wedding photographer and jerked his head backward, trying to signal to the photographer that the ring might be in that room.

The photographer had taken pictures in the room, understood the signal and quickly walked there and discovered a happy sight  the ring sitting on a table.

Knowing he had to buy some time, dad had made a stretch time motion with his hands to Pastor Eric Elnes, who began stalling.

A few moments later, the photographer stepped to the altar and handed the ring to the best man, and in a smooth transition, the pastor said, ... aaaand heres the ring.

The crowd chuckled. Chris relaxed and he and Katie smiled.

The rest of the ceremony went just fine and The Case of the Missing Ring has become a favorite tale for Chris and Katie.

***

Jacqueline and Michael Pearson

The clock was ticking toward the start of Jacqueline and Michael Pearsons August 2012 wedding.

But an important guest was missing. Wheres grandpa?

Jacquelines grandfather was running late to the Plattsmouth couples wedding at a club at Offutt Air Force Base.

The wedding was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., and when grandpa still hadnt arrived by the start time, Jacqueline and Michael decided to delay until he showed up.

Jacquelines brother announced to the 150 guests that the couple were waiting for grandpa, and folks chatted to pass the time. Some people even got up and walked around.

Jacqueline kept looking at the clock. Still no grandpa.

Finally, after an hour had passed, Jacqueline decided they were going to have to start without him. Just as she was about to walk down the aisle, he arrived. (Grandpa was late because the relative giving him a ride had to return home to get something.)

A relieved Jacqueline heard the opening notes of the familiar Wedding March music and began walking down the aisle.

But then the music stopped. Then it started. Then it stopped. Then it started.

The bride thought, Am I having a nightmare?

The CD was skipping as she walked toward Michael.

At first she was embarrassed, but then her attitude changed.

It was her day, she thought. Who cares? She was going to enjoy her wedding no matter what happened.

There was one more wedding wrinkle.

The best man dropped the rings, and then the maid of honor dropped her bouquet.

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

Jacqueline and Michael smiled and laughed right along.

She now says that even though her wedding had a few bumps, she and Michael still had a wonderful day.

Its all those little things, she said, that make it memorable.

***

Brandon and Stacey Fiscus

Everyone loves ice cream cake. You get cool ice cream and tasty cake in every bite.

But you might think twice about ordering it for an outdoor wedding reception on a hot summer day.

Brandon and Stacey Fiscus discovered that during their July 2005 wedding reception at a park in Fremont.

It was steamy that day.

When the cake arrived at the reception, it looked great, Brandon says.

Within 5 minutes, though, the big meltdown began.

Guests hadnt finished their lunch yet, but Brandon and Stacey decided they needed to serve the cake fast.

The servers gave guests extra large pieces just so they could use up all the cake before it melted away.

Guests ate the cake with forks, but Brandon says spoons and bowls might have worked better.

Even at the time, Brandon and Stacey laughed about the soupy treat.

They had gotten married the day before, and that all went fine. The outdoor reception with grilled burgers was meant to be a casual picnic, so melty cake kind of fit right in.

They still laugh about the disappearing dessert and commemorate it every year on the anniversary of the reception in just the right way: They share an ice cream cake.

They have kids now, and they like the story and really like the cake.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1122, michael.oconnor@owh.com
U.S. retail sales were unchanged in July from June, a sign that consumers were cautious after three months of solid gains. Americans spent less at clothing shops, sporting goods stores and electronics and appliance outlets, the Commerce Department said Friday. Spending at grocery stores fell by the most in more than five years. Those declines were offset by big increases in auto sales and online and catalog sales.

Producer prices go on a slide

U.S. producer prices last month registered the biggest drop since September, pulled down by tumbling energy, clothing and food prices. The Labor Department said Friday that its producer price index, which measures cost pressures before they reach the consumer, slid 0.4 percent in July. It was the biggest drop since a 0.5 percent fall last September.

Business inventories rise

U.S. businesses increased their inventories modestly in June, as retailers continued to stock up. But factories reduced stockpiles for the 12th straight month. The Commerce Department said overall business inventories rose 0.2 percent in June, the same as in May. Business sales shot up 1.2 percent in June, the biggest jump since February 2013. But manufacturers cut inventories by 0.1 percent from May and by 3.7 percent from June 2015.

Penneys pares loss

J.C. Penney Inc. on Friday reported a smaller loss in the second quarter as the department store operators sales improved, fueled by such moves as bringing back appliances and refreshing stores. Penneys reported a loss of $56 million, or 18 cents per share, in the quarter, compared with a loss of $117 million, or 38 cents per share, a year ago.
Omaha is on the short list of U.S. cities where Google is planning to install and test experimental high-speed wireless Internet technology.

If the Silicon Valley tech giants recent appeal to a federal regulator is successful, Omaha would be a proving ground for what could be a less-expensive component of labor- and capital-intensive fiber service.

In an Aug. 5 request to the Federal Communications Commission, Google asked for permission to use public airwaves in a series of radio experiments involving wireless transmitters that broadcast a high-speed Internet signal over radio waves. It requested access for a period of 24 months.

That temporary, two-year window muddies whether Google would make a bid to establish itself here and compete with incumbents in the Omaha market, where Cox Communications and CenturyLink already are at work expanding existing fiber service. Google officials did not return messages on Friday.

Brad Moline, president of Imperial, Nebraska-based ALLO Communications, said Friday that the telecommunications provider that serves western Nebraska communities including Ogallala, Scottsbluff and North Platte is preparing to launch new fiber service to customers in Lincoln in the next few days.

But that infrastructure is buried underground and then routed directly to customers homes. The Google technology could eliminate that last step of connecting to a users home, thereby saving significant time and money, Moline said.

We would adapt (wireless) uses where appropriate, Moline said of the experimental technology that Google wants to test in Omaha.

A Google spokesman confirmed to the Business Insider website, which first reported on the FCC filing, that the tech giant was testing equipment on radio frequencies that were opened up to the public in April 2015.

As Google senior policy counsel Staci Pies explained on Googles public policy blog at that time: Users of the (newly available) spectrum might, for instance, deploy small cell networks that can carry heavy loads of data in high-traffic areas  such as crowded stadiums  or offer fixed wireless broadband services in rural areas.

The small cells are easy to deploy and dont require huge infrastructure, like cellphone towers.

The implications of that relative ease and ubiquitous broadband access go far beyond weekend Netflix binges and late-night gaming sessions.

In a community where high-growth companies are going to thrive, high-speed Internet is not a luxury, its a necessity, said David Arnold, managing director of Omaha startup accelerator Straight Shot. It can be the difference between a company getting a project done on time or being able to deliver on a sale.

Omaha is one of 12 cities listed in the FCC application as locations slated for initial testing. Others include Mountain View and Palo Alto, California; San Francisco; Boulder, Colorado; Kansas City, Kansas; and Provo, Utah.

Later testing would be conducted in 12 other cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Des Moines.

Theres no question that Omaha has an appetite for super-fast Internet: CenturyLink in May 2013 launched its first high-speed fiber network pilot here, and Rachel Woodman, market development manager for CenturyLink, said the company continues to look for opportunities to expand its fiber reach in Omaha.

Cox spokeswoman Beth Weiss said the demand for high-speed connections is such that suppliers are having a hard time keeping Internet providers stocked with equipment. She also said the kind of next-generation technology that Google wants to test here could help Cox achieve its goal of delivering gigabit-speed Internet access to all of Omaha by the end of 2017.
James Cotton said he wasnt aiming at Trevor Bares stomach when he fired the shot from the single-barrel shotgun.

Instead, he was aiming for Bares legs, Cotton said while testifying in Douglas County District Court on Friday afternoon.

I was not aiming to kill the kid, Cotton said.

Cotton, 61, is charged with first-degree murder and three other felonies in connection with the Aug. 7, 2015, shooting death of Bare, 24, during a confrontation at a house at 4301 Marcy St.

The trial, which began with jury selection Aug. 8, will resume with closing arguments Monday morning before the jury begins deliberating.

Cotton took the stand Friday after listening to evidence and testimony against him all week. He was eager to tell his side of the story and had to be reminded several times to just answer the questions being asked.

Cotton said he knew Bare. The two had lived together at one point before Cotton asked Bare to move out. After that, the relationship soured.

I didnt think it was that bad, but I guess it was to him, Cotton said.

In a lengthy retelling of the events of that night, Cotton said that the shotgun was brought to the house by Travis Labno, a witness who previously testified.

As a verbal argument escalated, Bare was completely red in the face, spitting and yelling, holding a fence post and running toward him when he fired the shot, Cotton said.

After the shooting, Cotton said that he left the house and decided he had to get rid of the gun when he heard sirens. He placed the gun in some foliage hoping that no children would find it, he said.

Prosecutor Chad Brown questioned that explanation. And at times the two men had a testy exchange.

Whos on trial here? Brown asked at one point.

Apparently, I am, Cotton said.

Brown also asked Cotton if he was claiming self-defense.

I strongly feel I shot in self-defense, Cotton said.

The case has been marked by drama with Cottons defense.

Earlier this week, Cotton agreed to go forward with the trial even though Travis Penn, his attorney, had been scrutinized for hiring a potential witness in Cottons case as a receptionist.

On Thursday, Labno showed up unexpectedly to testify after being unreachable for much of the week. And on Friday, several witnesses who were supposed to testify did not show up. Instead, depositions they had given earlier were read into the record.

While the jury was not present on Friday, Penn also mentioned that he offered to pay $150 to one of the witnesses who did not show up. The judge and Brown both told Penn he could not pay the witness to show up.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1192, emily.nitcher@owh.com
Each month, this space is dedicated to a library resource or service available free with your Omaha Public Library card.

As children head back to school, the Omaha Public Library wants to help. Join us at your neighborhood library for a variety of events to help celebrate the end of summer and the start of the new school year.

Several locations will offer story times, crafts and parties, and the Abrahams and Millard Libraries will host home-school resource events to share the wealth of information available to all library cardholders.

Whether heading back to school or preparing for the next step in academic or professional pursuits, the library offers Learning Express. The Learning Express Library can be found at omahalibrary.org in the Resource Center under the Online Learning category. Equipped with a library card and PIN, create an account and select a learning center that most aptly suits your educational and career goals. Options available include resources for elementary, middle and high school students, as well as tools for job seekers and professionals.

Using Learning Express, gain access to practice exams for everything from ACT, SAT and AP exams to tests designed for specific occupations such as civil service, culinary arts and real estate. Tutorials are available in a variety of subjects  reading, writing, speaking and math  to name a few. Theres an entire section of the database dedicated to Spanish-speakers to help with topics that may be relevant to individuals who do not speak English as their first language.

At whatever stage of learning individuals find themselves, the library strives to connect them with access to the tools they need to continue.

Whether through books and journals or online databases and live tutors, the library makes educational, personal and professional growth a priority. Go online to omahalibrary.org to explore how the library can help students at all stages of life.
Winter's just around the corner, and if there's anything that's certain about a Nebraska winter, it's that nothing is certain. This winter will be no different, forecasters say.
Back to school: Howard Kennedy Elementary held a back-to-school cookout Monday at the school. Staff were introduced to parents, students and the community at 5:40 p.m. The event officially kicked off the 2016-17 school year and gave parents and students an opportunity to learn about the changes taking place at the school.

School Enrollment Fair: The Omaha school district is holding its annual School Enrollment Fair from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 19 at the Teacher Administrative Building, 3215 Cuming St., in the school board room on the second floor. Families who are enrolling a student for the first time should bring a legal birth certificate, current immunization records and a verification of address. Families may also take this opportunity to update their home address if they moved during the summer, or if they would like to request their child be transferred to another building.

Helping hands: Kellom Elementary staff volunteered at the Siena-Francis House, 1131 N. 18th St., on Wednesday. Staff helped serve food, stocked shelves and performed other tasks as needed.

March-a-Thon: The Millard West High School Marching Band will hold its eight annual March-a-Thon on Aug. 20. The full band marches and plays parade songs along a 10K route through the Millard West attendance area. Houses along the route have the opportunity to pay a fee for the band to stop and play a personalized lawn concert, which includes a choice of one to two songs. All proceeds from the March-a-Thon benefit the band. Some of the 15 song choices have been Happy Birthday, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Final Countdown, Were Not Gonna Take It and the Millard West fight song. The public is encouraged to come along the route to enjoy the bands music. A map of this years March-a-Thon route is posted on the Millard West band website, mwwildcatband.org.
The Iowa Board of Regents voted unanimously on Thursday to reject an adjudicators decision that an Iowa School for the Deaf teacher was unjustly fired.

The regents held no discussion on the matter prior to the vote during Thursdays meeting, which lasted about five minutes.

Neil Barrick, an adjudicator with the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board, wrote in an Aug. 2 decision that teacher Tina Murdoch was fired without just cause.

The board voted to fire Murdoch in March. Another teacher, Tricia Tighe, was also fired after a new principal determined they were not meeting state standards, according to Barrick. A decision by the Public Employment Relations Board has not been reached yet on Tighes case.

According to Barricks documents, the adjudicator found the decision was based on opinion, not achievement scores or objective measures.

Just cause cannot include reasons which are arbitrary, unfair, or generated out of some petty vendetta, Barrick said in his report.

Tighe was hired by the school in 2000 and earned a salary of $66,148 in her final year. Murdoch was hired in 1990 and earned a salary of $60,575 before her dismissal. Both teachers were under contract for 189 days, the full 2015-16 school year. Iowa Code allows for teachers to have their contracts terminated midyear only for just cause.

The regents did not say why they terminated Murdochs and Tighes contracts during the Thursday meeting, and the schools superintendent, Steve Gettel, declined to comment on a personnel matter.
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP)  The city with Iowas highest African-American population has settled lawsuits against white police officers who roughed up three black residents, including a 13-year-old girl who was handcuffed after yelling at a passing officer to slow down.

Videos obtained by the Associated Press in two of the cases show questionable uses of force by Waterloo officers at a time when interactions between police and minority residents across the country are being scrutinized after several high-profile deaths of blacks at the hands of police.

In one, Officer Mark Nissen slams 17-year-old Malcolm Anderson face-first into a concrete sidewalk outside a hospital and leaves him handcuffed and injured on the ground.

In another, Nissen points his stun gun at a crowd of black residents before using it to shock 31-year-old Justin Jones, who had been helping police break up an early morning party outside his home.

In a third case outlined in court records, Officer Timothy Everett took the 13-year-old girl to the ground and handcuffed her after she refused to give him her last name. Everett initiated the encounter after the girl yelled slow down after he sped by in his patrol car, pulling a U-turn to confront her about the comment.

The incidents occurred between 2013 and 2015, prompting lawsuits that were settled last month, according to court records.

The settlements follow a $2.5 million payment that the citys insurer agreed to in January with the family of a 22-year-old black man who was fatally shot by a white officer in 2012.

Sixteen percent of Waterloos 68,000 residents are African-American, but just two of the citys 124 police officers are black, which can make for tense relations.

Waterloos insurer has agreed to pay $170,000 to settle the Jones and Anderson cases.

Attorney Tom Frerichs, who represented all three plaintiffs, said he could only comment on two cases filed by Jones, who will receive $70,000 to settle the 2013 stun gun incident and a separate wrongful arrest in 2015. The other two cases include confidentiality agreements.

The Jones cases reflect a serious and nearly complete lack of any meaningful disciplinary policy within the Waterloo Police Department, Frerichs said, calling it a recipe for disaster.

In each case, charges that were filed against the suspects were later found to be meritless and were dismissed. Yet internal affairs investigations justified the uses of force and found no violations of policy or law.

Handcuffing juveniles is illegal in Iowa under most circumstances. But the department backed Everetts treatment of the 13-year-old, claiming that the force was justified because she tried to flee.

Police Chief Daniel Trelka said officers made honest mistakes due to deficient training. He said officers have been instructed to stop arresting people who wont give their names, a practice that is illegal absent additional criminal activity.

Trelka said he remains confident in the policing abilities of Nissen, who has been sued four times since 2012 over his use of force. It just happens hes one of our most active officers, the chief said.

Anderson, who was 17 when he was injured by Nissen outside Allen Memorial Hospital in 2014, will receive a $100,000 settlement.
The mother of a murder victim, parents who lost their son to suicide and a Marine wounded in battle are coming together to inspire high school students to persevere.

The fourth annual American Spirit Summit will be at the Ralston Arena on Sept. 2 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The annual event hosts speakers who have overcome adversity.

Mark Adler, superintendent of Ralston Public Schools, and his wife, Joni, will speak about their son Reid. Reid committed suicide in January after being cyberbullied. The Adlers will challenge students to stand up for each other and not allow bullying or inappropriate treatment, according to a press release.

Teri Roberts daughter, Andrea Kruger, was murdered in Omaha in 2013. Fifteen months later, Roberts body shut down from an infection. She was in a coma for 12 days and lost her hands and feet to gangrene.

The third speaker will be Sgt. Major Brad Kasal, an Iowa native who lost 60 percent of his blood in the battle of Fallujah.

Kasal is a Navy Cross Recipient for his heroism in Iraq in 2004.

The American Spirit Summit is presented by Patriotic Productions and is hosted by Ralston High School.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1304, reece.ristau@owh.com
Dave Roker spent a year as an infantryman in Vietnams Mekong Delta, frequently wading hip-deep through marshes next to jungles that had been doused with the herbicide Agent Orange.

For nine years, the Air Force sprayed herbicides across the countryside to kill the jungle canopy and deny the enemy a place to hide.

We kind of liked it because it cleared the foliage, said Roker, of Norfolk, Nebraska. We didnt know it was bad for us.

Agent Orange has left a half-century legacy of health problems  including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and immune diseases  for the U.S. service members and the Vietnamese villagers who were exposed to it in the 1960s.

At the annual Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Reunion on Friday in Omaha, Roker and his wife, Peg, attended a session called Faces of Agent Orange, about the possible health impacts of the dioxin-laden chemical on the children and grandchildren of veterans. Such links have been suspected for decades but never proven.

Led by Maynard Kaderlik, Agent Orange chairman for the Vietnam Veterans of America, the workshops purpose is to allow veterans to tell their stories. About 100 people attended Fridays session.

The VVA is lobbying for legislation, currently stalled in Congress, that would require the VA to study next-generation health impacts caused by service members military exposures.

Were going to keep fighting, or were going to die trying, Kaderlik said.

The Rokers were looking for answers about their son Adams chronic health problems.

Five years after Daves return from Vietnam, Adam, now 42, was born with a cleft palate. As an infant he developed a rare metabolic disorder that led to severe seizures and permanent developmental disabilities. Recently, he was diagnosed with autism.

It was just one thing after another, Peg Roker said.

A series of Omaha World-Herald stories in June describing health problems possibly linked to Agent Orange in children of Vietnam veterans hit home.

We said, Oh my gosh, theyre talking about Adam!  Peg Roker said.

Shelley Smith of Friend, Nebraska, read the same stories and wondered if husband Richards wartime exposure to Agent Orange might be linked to the long string of health problems in her family.

My husband was always suspicious because he came down with Type 1 diabetes at age 38, Shelley Smith said.

Her daughter, Jessica Svehla, now 30, was born without a uterus and with only one kidney. Another daughter, Amanda McAlevy, 32, of Plattsmouth was born with a misshapen uterus that made it hard for her to conceive and carry a child.

Son Adam, now 19, developed a softball-size tumor in his chest six years ago. Granddaughter Alexis McAlevy, now 2, has severe pulmonary hypertension and suffered heart failure when she was 8 months old.

We dont know what causes any of this, Amanda McAlevy said, as her daughter played on the floor. Were intrigued by Agent Orange, because we keep ruling out other things.

The VA compensates the children of female Vietnam veterans for a long list of birth defects, but the only disorder scientifically linked to the children of male veterans is spina bifida.

Kaderlik urged veterans to file claims with the VA for their childrens diseases, anyway. If a future link is proven, he said, it will be easier for them to collect back payments.

Some veterans said it was both surprising and comforting to know that other families were going through the same thing.

Im glad to know were not the only ones with problems, Dave Roker said.

The Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Reunion continues today at the Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel and Convention Center, 3321 S. 72nd St. A second Faces of Agent Orange seminar is scheduled for 9 a.m. Other sessions include Art as Therapy for PTSD, as well as presentations about the POW/MIA identification laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base and the new Omaha National Cemetery.

About 450 people have registered for convention, said Jaime Obrecht, who serves on the reunions board of directors. Walk-ins are welcome. More information is available at vetsreunion.com.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1186, steve.liewer@owh.com
A couple who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to attempt to illegally obtain wildlife say they should have known better in dealing with a firm tied to Nebraska's largest known case of poaching.
Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, director of the Armys Capabilities Integration Center, offered a sobering warning this year about important investments the Russian military has made to boost its capabilities.

The Russians have superior artillery firepower, better combat vehicles and have learned sophisticated use of UAVs (drones) for tactical effect,  the Defense One news service reported, summing up McMasters conclusions. The Russian military also has built an ambitious and formidable electronic warfare capability.

Robert H. Scales, a retired Army major general and former commandant of the U.S. Army War College, made similar points in a recent opinion essay in the Washington Post.

New Russian firepower systems now outrange ours by a third or more, Scales wrote. They have improved on our steel-rain technology by developing a new generation of bomblet munitions that are filled with thermobaric explosives. These munitions generate an intense blast wave of exploding gases that are far more lethal than conventional explosives.

These developments raise security concerns in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, where Russia has been unapologetically provocative of late.

Its true that our military as a whole retains superiority to Russias. Air power is a key example. Another is the quality of our troops compared with Russias situation, where the military relies heavily on conscripts serving only a year.

The strategic reality, though, is that NATOs eastern front is militarily vulnerable at present, given Russian capabilities and actions. Our current ability to deter Vladimir Putins erratic government is short of what it needs to be.

The irresponsible rhetoric from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, casting doubt on the U.S. commitment to NATO, has sent precisely the wrong signal to our European allies.

The ingredients for effective deterrence are diplomatic solidarity among NATO members combined with a strengthening of the alliances military punch in Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military is right to make focused investments in technologies and training, from artillery to electronic warfare, to bolster our capabilities.

Just as the Russians have made smart investments in military specialties, so should we.

Our goal isnt war in Europe. Its deterrence.
Karnataka to survey all Arabic schools to check if on same page as state board

Judiciary vs Govt: Set aside egos, resolve issues, Justice Hegde says

Bengaluru

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Aug 13: The confrontation between the judiciary and the government is once again out in the open. On Friday, Chief Justice of India T S Thakur pulled up the government twice, first for not filing an affidavit and again within hours for not clearing the appointments of High Court judges.

The two pillars of democracy have been on a war path ever since the Supreme Court struck down the National Judicial Appointments Act as unconstitutional.

SC slams govt: You criticize courts for pending cases, but you don't even file an affidavit

The SC directed the government to come up with a memorandum of procedure (MoP) to ensure transparency in appointment of judges. However, both the judiciary and the government are stuck in a loop, with contentious issues cropping up as neither party seems willing to come to an agreement.

"It looks like a clasn of egos to me" says Justice Santhosh Hegde, former judge of the Supreme Court of India.

Speaking to OneIndia, Justice Hegde said the two sides should stop exchanging curt letters and instead sit across the table and talk.

Are you trying to bring judiciary to a halt, CJI asks Modi govt

Stop exchanging letters

"It is not a question of who wins and who loses. It is about the larger interest of litigants and the institution", Justice Hegde said. "Judiciary is one institution that people had faith in. If the judiciary-government confrontation continues, there will be further delays in the disposal of justice. That will erode that faith in the institution of judiciary," Hegde added.

Timely judicial appointments is the need of the hour, the former Karnataka Lok Ayukta said, pointing out that already cases drag on in courts for as long as 14 years. There are already some four million cases pending in courts across the country.

Judges appointment: It's now war between Chief Justice Thakur and Modi govt!

"Egos must be set aside. The confrontation since the striking down of the NJAC Act must be resolved", he urged.

Reduce appellate courts

Pointing out an important issue, Justice Hegde suggested that a two-court system -- the trial court and the High Court -- system should be brought in and the number of appellate courts cut down to ensure speedy justice and disposal of cases, while the Supreme Court should deal primarily with matters of

Constitutional significance.

"Why should there be so many appellate courts? There should be a two-court system -- the trial court and the High Court. The Supreme Court should only deal with larger issues and hear matters relating to the Constitution, interpretation of the statute, matters of national security, death sentences and criminal cases where sentences of more than seven years are awarded", Justice Hegde said.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Saturday, August 13, 2016, 13:03 [IST]
AFSPA in parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland extended for 6 months from today

PM Modi likely to visit Arunachal on Oct 30 to inaugurate greenfield airport

Anaemia continues to plague Arunachal Pradesh

India

oi-PTI

Itanagar, Aug 13: The prevalence of anaemia continues to be a big challenge in Arunachal Pradesh according to the India Health Report which shows that 63.9 percent of children under five years of age and 56.7 percent of women aged between 15-49 years are anaemic in the state.

Anaemia prevalence among pregnant women is even higher at 61.8 percent and during pregnancy only 27.7 percent of women are reported consuming 100 IFA supplementation.

This was informed by Meghalaya's Additional Chief Secretary Yeshi Tsering during a state level consultation on accelerating progress towards good nutrition for all in Shillong on August 9.

"However, there has been a major decline in prevalence of stunting among children under-five years in Arunachal Pradesh," an official release quoting him said today.

The state has achieved the largest decline in child stunting rate among other states during the period between National Family Health Survey-3, 2005-06 and Rapid Survey on Children conducted during 2013-14, he said.

PTI
'Coronavirus vaccine may never be found': Boris Johnson warns of 'worst-case scenario'

Farmers' protest internal issue of India, for it to resolve: British govt

How did British colonise hot countries? Netizens ask as Britain faces extreme heat

British Minister Priti Patel calls on PM Modi

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Aug 13: British Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday.

"A morning for diplomacy. After Chinese FM, UK Secy of State for Intrnational Development @patelforwitham calls on PM," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a visit to India, called on Modi.

Patel, who arrived here on Friday in her role as a cabinet minister in the new British government of Prime Minister Theresa May, also held meetings with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu.

She said that Britain was deepening its economic partnership with India to deliver long-term progress.

With Naidu, she discussed ways of how Britain can share its skills and expertise to drive forward India's vision for new smart cities and boost opportunities for new businesses.

UK's Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel called on the Prime Minister. @patel4witham pic.twitter.com/ouy6u7dLlj  PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 13, 2016

A morning for Diplomacy.

After Chinese FM, UK Secy of State for International Development @patel4witham calls on PM pic.twitter.com/zN4dTEVfqF  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 13, 2016

IANS


Gopuja at all Karnataka Temples today: Govt explains how it should be done

ISIS module from Kerala could spill into Karnataka, warns IB

India

oi-Vicky

Bengaluru, Aug 13: Intelligence Bureau officials are keeping a close watch on the Karnataka-Kerala border in the wake of an increased ISIS related activity. The Kerala police while investigating an ISIS related case had found that a large number of those who went missing were from Kasargod which borders Karnataka.

IB officials have told police officials to keep a watch on the activities of such elements and have also warned that the same could spill into Karwar and Mangaluru. Karnataka Home Minister, Dr G Parameshwar too said that directions were issued to maintain heightened vigil ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

Spill over into Karnataka

IB officials warn that with activity relating to the ISIS being reported from Kasargod, there are a lot of chances of it spilling into neighbouring Karnataka state. Modules of the ISIS which have been flourishing in Kerala are likely to find its way into Karnataka as well, officials say.

Karnataka is not new to the ISIS menace. During a nation wide crack down undertaken by the National Investigation Agency in the month of December 2015, several people owing allegiance to the ISIS had been arrested.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that Karnataka has been a state vulnerable to radicalisation. The problem relating to the ISIS is growing with each passing day and its members would look to expand into the entire nation.

Moreover Karnataka and Kerala have found a common link where activities of terror are concerned. In fact it was a Kerala module headed by T Nasir that carried out the Bengaluru serial blasts, officials point out.

OneIndia News
20-year-old elephant dies after being hit by train in Kerala

Five youth get one-month jail for ticketless travel and creating nuisance

Woman, her two children mowed down by train; Suicide not ruled out

PM to flag off South India's first 'Vande Bharat Express' on Nov 11

Loot attempt thwarted on Chennai Express in UP

India

oi-PTI

Saharanpur, Aug 13: A gang of armed robbers tried to loot passengers of the Chennai Express between Nagwal and Tapri area here, an attempt thwarted by GRP jawans who opened fire at them.

Several rounds of fire were exchanged between the robbers and GRP personnel last night on board the Chandigarh- Madurai Chennai Express, triggering panic among passengers.

"A dozen armed miscreants pulled the emergency chainon the Chennai Express last night and started looting passengers. Soon GRP jawans arrived on the scene," GRP area in-charge Brajpal Singh said.

Some robbers were already present inside the train and few more joined them after the emergency chain was pulled to stop the train.

The team of GRP jawans from Meerut, Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar areas present on the train quickly rushed to the scene to stop the robbers.

PTI
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

Mumbai: Two-and-a-half year girl raped, youth held

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Aug 13: A two-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth in suburban Vikhroli here, police said today.

The incident took place around 11 last night and the 25-year-old accused was arrested in this connection this morning, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Pradhan said.

"The accused, who was familiar with the girl, took her to an isolated location in Parksite area in Vikhroli and sexually assaulted her there," the officer said.

Maharashtra: One arrested for raping 5-year-old girl, torturing sibling

As soon the case came to light in the early hours today, Parksite police arrested the accused, he said. Another senior police officer of Parksite police station said, the child was rushed to nearby Rajawadi Hospital.

"Although her condition was initially stated to be critical, she is now stable and responding to medicine. She is undergoing treatment."

The accused has been booked under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), Pradhan said.

The victim's medical examination is underway as she has received some minor injuries in the incident, he added.

PTI
100% electrification of households likely to be completed by year end

What power ministry said on the coal stock position in India

Fact check: Did Power Ministry issue offer letter to applicants for the post of Grade-1 Assistant Engineer?

Power Minister Piyush Goyal, family pledge to donate organs

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 13: Power, Coal and Mines Minister Piyush Goyal and his family have pledged to donate organs, Health Minister J P Nadda said today. "Congratulations and thanks to my friend Piyush Goyal for taking pledge of organ donation with family.

His decision will surely motivate others," Nadda tweeted. The Health Minister's tweet was retweeted by Goyal.

To mark the National Organ Donation Day today, BSF and CRPF personnel also pledged to donate their organs. The government is taking various steps to simplify organ donation rules and procedures. Besides, the Health Ministry has launched the National Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Registry.

According to government data, India needs around 2 lakh kidney donations every year. But only 7,000-8,000 requirements are met. Over 2.5 lakh people in the country require organ transplantation in a year, but less than 10 per cent get timely help.

PTI
Assam hikes DA of home guards from Rs 300 to Rs 767

Ghazwa-e-Hind in Assam: NIA roped in as Islamists plan destruction of India

Miya Museum sealed two days after opening in Assam

Two killed in terror attack in Assam

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Guwahati, Aug 13: Two people were killed and five injured on Friday when militants opened fire in a village in Assam's Tinsukia district, police said.

The attack is suspected to have been carried out by the anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Assam Police chief Mukesh Sahay told IANS.

Four to five gunmen entered Philobari village and opened indiscriminate fire on the unsuspecting villagers, he said.

"Our operations are on to catch the killers," Sahay said.

IANS


UP CM meets Bulandshahr sisters who wrote letter in blood

India

oi-PTI

Lucknow, Aug 13: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today met two sisters from Bulandshahr who had written a letter in blood to him after failing to get justice in the murder of their mother.

The Chief Minister extended a financial assistance of Rs five lakh each to Latika (15) and her sister Tanya (11), and a job to their maternal uncle to ensure their upbringing, an official spokesman said here.

He directed Principal Secretary (Home) Debashish Panda and DGP Javeed Ahmad to ensure that the sisters get justice. On June 14, the siblings' mother, Anu Bansal, was allegedly burnt alive in front of them by her in-laws because she "failed to give them a son".

Two months after her mother's death, a desperate Latika wrote the letter in her blood to Yadav in the hope that it would prompt him to act.

PTI
UP hospital which administered mosambi juice to patient faces bulldozer heat

UP: Man films wife committing suicide, does nothing to stop her

UP: 5, including a child, killed and 5 seriously hurt as car hits electric pole

Azam Khan disqualified as UP MLA after conviction in hate speech

UP CM meets Bulandshahr sisters wrote him in blood seeking justice

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Lucknow, Aug 13: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday met a minor girl from Bulandshahr , who wrote him in blood seeking justice for her mother.

This move came after a copy of Latika's letter was put up on Twitter and it went viral.

UPCM met with Bansal family and assured that government will provide both the girls Rs5 lakh for their education.

He also assured that that govt will ensure fair prosecution in their mother's case and deliver justice to them.

The 15 year old Latika Bansal wrote CM in blood, seeking justice for her mother who was burnt alive allegedly by her in-laws because she "failed to give them a son" in June this year.

The sisters alleged that police failed to arrest any other accused name din FIR other than their father Manoj Bansal.

According to them, they were thrown out of their house as their mother failed to deliver a son.

#UPCM @yadavakhilesh also assured that @UPGovt will ensure fair prosecution in their mother's case & deliver justice pic.twitter.com/Xdivwxky1l  CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) August 13, 2016

#UPCM @yadavakhilesh met with Bansal family & assured @UPGovt will provide both the girls Rs5 lakh for education. pic.twitter.com/nMhHOP0mE5  CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) August 13, 2016

Bulandshahr: 15 yr old Latika Bansal writes to UP CM in blood, seeks justice for her mother who was burnt alive pic.twitter.com/7xHzS6bWRl  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 13, 2016

OneIndia News
Are you awake?: EAM Jaishankar recalls when he got a call from PM Modi at midnight

Afghan Taliban releases Pak chopper crew

International

oi-PTI

Islamabad, Aug 13: Six crew members of a Pakistani Mi-17 helicopter, taken hostage by the Afghan Taliban after their chopper crash-landed in Afghanistan, today arrived in Islamabad following their release, officials said.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the crew of Punjab government helicopter has been recovered and arrived in Islamabad today. "The crew was released in an inter-tribe exchange on the Pakistan-Afghan border in FATA," he said, adding that they were further transported from FATA to Islamabad by a chopper.

The crew included five Pakistani nationals and a Russian technician. However, earlier reports indicated that seven persons were onboard the aircraft. The MI-17 transport helicopter was on its way to Russia for maintenance when it crash landed on August 4 in a Taliban controlled area of Logar province. The rebels made the crew members as hostages.

An official said that local tribal elders were tasked to release the captives and after successful negotiation, the Taliban released the crew. "All crew members were handed over to Pakistani in Kurram tribal region," an official said.

PTI
Pak committing atrocities against people in PoK, will have to bear consequences: Rajnath Singh

Why is 'Mr. Bean controversy trending on Twitter after Zimbabwe beat Pakistan?

As protesters chant 'quit Gilgit', Pak army cracks down, arrests 500

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

The Pakistani army on Saturday arrested more than 500 young men in Gilgit-Baltistan who had come on to the streets protesting against the Pakistani army and asking them to vacate the occupation of the region. Gilgit-Baltistan borders Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, both territories under illegal Pakistani occupation and rule since 1948. [Pak's withdrawal from Gilgit-Baltistan will help resolve Kashmir issue: US]

According to news agency ANI, protesters said 500 young men had been imprisoned for asking the Pakistani army to quit Gilgit.

Raising 'anti-Pakistan' slogans, angry protesters came out in Gilgit town, Astore, Diamer and Hunza of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, the only Shia-dominated area in Sunni-dominated Pakistan.

The protests were also against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which protesters said would only benefit China and Pakistan's Punjabi traders.

The youth of Gilgit are not being involved in any manner with the CPEC and those who are protesting are being harshly dealt with, said the protesters.

Over 500 young Gilgitis have been jailed, including Gilgit's top political activist Baba Jan, as a mass street-based movement gained ground for his release.

Protesters alleged that Pakistan is perpetrating massive human rights abuses to crush the political aspirations of the people of Gilgit.

The Pakistan government has signed a $46 billion deal on a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through Gilgit, which activists and separatists in the region see as a design by the two neighbours to exploit the resources in the occupied territory.

The corridor is part of China's ambitious 21st century Silk Road initiative to reach Central Asia.

The Chinese government is making huge investments in the vast but sparsely populated Gilgit-Baltistan area, bisected by the Karakoram highway, which leads from the plains of north Pakistan to China.

The protests came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan areas are an integral part of India and said Pakistan must be exposed for its atrocities in these regions, which must be liberated from Islamabad's rule.

Gilgit-Baltistan is part of the erstwhile kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has separated Gilgit-Baltistan from the areas occupied by it in Kashmir and designated it as a separate administrative territory.

The landlocked region borders the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan to the northwest, China's Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the northeast, Kashmir to the south and southeast, and Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province to the west.

(With Agency Inputs)
Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro turns 90

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Havana, Aug 13: Revolutionary Cuban leader Fidel Castro turned 90 on Saturday (Aug 13) and he reached the milestone in a country which resembled little the one he had ruled once with authority.

Castro, perhaps the last remaining icons of modern history, is both loved as a hero and loathed as a dictator but could never be ignored. The man, who had led the historic Bay of Bigs victory over a US-backed paramilitary group in April 1961, defied as many as 10 American presidents during his 48-year rule. [Roller breaks Guinness Record with 90m cigar, dedicates to Fidel Castro]

In 1962, the world had came to the brink of another major war when the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union came face to face over deployment of latter's ballistic missiles in Castro's Cuba.

However, all that is history now since his stepping down as the head of the state, Cuba has corrected its course and has grown a closeness with the US, a country which had enforced blockade against it for several decades. Early this year, even American President Barack Obama visited Cuba---the first occupant of the White House to do so in 88 years---a time frame which is similar to Castro's age.

Castro rose to prominence in the late 1950s when he led a rebel force to defeat US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista and succeeded in doing so. While the rebel leader and his colleague Che Guevara fired the imagination of their supporters, Castro's communist ideology and harsh dealing of rivals found him an enemy among the Western powers.

But things are not the same anymore in the island nation in the Caribbeans. No public events have been organised to mark the frail leader's birthday and even there was no word from the man himself, who spends a reclusive life.

It is said today that Castro survived 600 attempts on his life, though it is difficult to confirm it.

But people, both his friends and enemies, are aware of the living history that Castro is and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was expected to visit the legend on his birthday, said an AFP report.

A birthday visit by Cuba's top regional ally, socialist President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, has not been ruled out.

State-run newspapers in Cuba have been publishing articles and pictures about Castro in the build-up to the occasion and concerts have also been held.

Castro was born as Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz in Cuba's Biran in 1926. His father was a migrant from Spain. He served as Cuba's prime minister between 1959 and 1976 and then as its president between 1976 and 2008. He had retired from public life in 2006 due to failing health and officially transferred the presidency to his brother Raul two years later.

Raul, also a octagenarian, opened up the country's economy and foreign relations and mended its democratic relations with the US---something which was unthinkable in the days of his elder brother.

Oneindia News
What does the US actually want in Syria?

US-backed forces take control of Syrian city after remaining IS fighters leave

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Beirut, Aug 13: US-backed forces took full control of Manbij, the northern Syrian city near the Turkish border, after the remaining Islamic State (IS) fighters left, a spokesperson for the group said on Friday (August 12), according to Reuters.

The fighters, who had been holed up in the city, had been using civilians as human shields to thwart the challenge.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) freed over 2,000 civilian hostages who were held by the terrorists, Manbij Military Council---an ally of the SDF---said, according to Reuters.

The council's Sharfan Darwish said the city was under their complete control and they were carried out "sweeping operations". He, however, added that terrorist sleeper cells still posed a threat in Manbij.

The SDF, backed by a US-led coalition, launched its offensive in May and it aims to remove the IS from areas which it controls along the border with Turkey.

Oneindia News
At UNSC, US calls on world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats

US: Cop shot dead by passenger after he pulls over car

International

oi-PTI

Los Angeles, Aug 13: A police officer in the US state of New Mexico died after being shot by a passenger in a car he had pulled over, the latest deadly incident involving law enforcement in the country.

Three suspects were taken into custody yesterday after the 3:41 PM local time traffic stop in the town of Hatch.

Officials said the trio was allegedly responsible for shooting the officer and for shooting another man during a carjacking, triggering a massive manhunt and high-speed chase.

The condition of the hijacked car driver was unknown.

"During the traffic stop, a passenger who was in that vehicle reportedly exited the vehicle and she fired shots at the officer," Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson told reporters.

Another officer who witnessed the shooting then chased the vehicle, with speeds exceeding 160 kmph, but "was unable to catch up," Jameson said.

"The incident at the rest stop triggered a multiple-jurisdiction manhunt. We had assistance from just about every police agency in this county, including air assistance from border patrol."

Ultimately, officers deflated the hijacked vehicle's tires with devices known as "stop sticks," according to Jameson. The driver was suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh and was taken to hospital.

The two other suspects were arrested later in the evening.

Several police officers have been targeted and shot to death in recent weeks amid nationwide outcry about the deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police.

Last month, five officers were shot dead in Dallas, Texas by a black extremist as they were protecting a peaceful march against police brutality.

AFP

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Story first published: Saturday, August 13, 2016, 14:37 [IST]
US: Terminally-ill woman holds party before ending her life

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

San Diego (USA), Aug 13: Last month, she invited her closest friends and relatives to a two-day weekend party on July 23-24, telling them that there had never been a similar situation in the past and it required "emotional stamina, centerednes and openeness".

And she had put one condition: Nobody would cry in front of her.

Betsy Davis, the 41-year-old artist suffering from ALS and Lou Gehrig's disease, called the gathering to bid adieu to her close friends and near ones since the Californian was set to embrace death by taking a drug under the state's new doctor-assisted law for those who are terminally ill, said an AP report.

"For me and everyone who was invited, it was very challenging to consider, but there was no question that we would be there for her," said Niels Alpert, AP quoted a cinematographer from New York City as saying.

More than 30 people came to the gathering which was held at a picturesque town of Ojai in southern California from New York, Chicago and across California.

Besides the cocktails and pizzas from Betsy's favourite local joint, the occasion also saw sscreening of The Dance of Reality---one of her favourite movies based in the life of a Chilean film maker. Balloons labelled "Happy Rebirthday" were also put up on the occasion.

As the weekend drew to a close, Betsy's friends gradually left and she was taken out to a hillside canopy bed where she took the life-ending drug prescribed by her doctor.

A life truly lived ended.

Oneindia News
BJP MP scolds official for cleaning Yamuna with 'poisonous chemical' ahead of Chhath

Keep prices under control: Ram Vilas Paswan to sugar mills

New Delhi

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Aug 13: Asking sugar mills to keep prices under control, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Saturday said the government is keeping a close watch and will take necessary action if rates rise from the current level.

He said there is adequate availability of sweetener in the country and the prices should not rise further from the current level.

"We are keeping a close eye on sugar prices. If prices rise further, the government will take necessary measures," Paswan told reporters here.

"I appeal to all sugar mills to keep sugar prices stable," he said.

Sugar prices are currently ruling at near Rs 42 per kg in the retail market of the national capital.

Paswan said the government had taken various measures to support sugar industry in clearing cane arrears that crossed Rs 20,000 crore last year.

For the current 2015-16 marketing year, sugar mills owed Rs 5,368 crore to cane farmers at the end of last month.

Paswan further said the liquidity position of sugar mills has now improved and cane arrears have reduced significantly on the back of increase in sugar prices.

The government recently imposed 20 per cent export duty to curb overseas shipments in view of fall in production in the current 2015-16 marketing year (October-September) and projection of further decline in the next year.

As per Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) data, the country's sugar output is estimated to fall to 25.1 million tonnes in the 2015-16 marketing year ending September, from 28.3 million tonne in the previous year.

The Association has projected that production could fall by over 7 per cent to 23.26 million tonnes in 2016-17 starting October on a likely drop in sugarcane output due to poor rains in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Despite estimated fall in next years sugar output, ISMA has said there would be sufficient stock to meet the demand.

"With an estimated opening balance of 7.1 million tonnes and estimated production of 23.26 million tonnes, the sugar availability during the 12 months of next season will be 30.36 million tonnes, enough to meet the domestic sugar consumption requirement of 26 million tonnes in 2016-17," ISMA had said.

PTI

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Story first published: Saturday, August 13, 2016, 12:23 [IST]
Narendra Modi turns the heat on Pak, says PoK belongs to India

New Delhi

oi-Vicky

With Pakistan continuing to remain hostile to India despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's peace initiatives, the mood in Delhi has changed as the latest bout of unrest in Kashmir has dragged on for more than a month now, with Pakistani propaganda adding fuel to the fire.

Jammu & Kashmir, PoK and Ladakh are part of India, says PM Modi at all-party meet

This change in mood, and perhaps India's methods henceforth with Pakistan, was clearly visible at the all-party meet on Kashmir on Friday, with the prime minister going on the offensive, even saying that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir is an integral part of India and must be liberated from Pakistan.

This is not a new Indian position. In 1994, Parliament passed a unanimous resolution to this effect. But it was necessary to reiterate it at the highest levels at a time when Pakistan has stepped up its propaganda war against India, trying to corner New Delhi on alleged atrocities in Jammu & Kashmir.

Expose Pakistan

Modi, who has been closely watching developments in J&K, was upset by the Pakistani narrative and is beginning to think 'enough is enough', peace initiatives are not going to change Islamabad-Rawalpindi's behaviour and therefore it's time to pay Pakistan in the same coin, sources close to the prime minister told OneIndia.

India will begin to play a card that it has so far desisted from playing. And that is to collect and publicise data on Pakistani atrocities in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. Not a day passes

without the Pakistan army and terrorists committing atrocities in the region, a senior government official said. Pakistan alleges abuses by India in J&K, while suppressing

all reporting of its own atrocities on the people of PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan.

WATCH: Protest in Pak occupied Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan and demanding release of activist Baba Janhttps://t.co/KuIFEVDZsS  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

Even so, as protests against Pakistani rule grow in PoK, especially in the Gilgit-Baltistan region -- on Saturday morning, the Pakistani army arrested some 500 young men who were shouting 'Quit Gilgit' slogans -- Pakistan is finding it hard to hide its atrocities from the world.

The External Affairs Ministry, along with other agencies, will make a report on human rights violations, rigged elections and disappearance of people who raise their voice against the Pakistani establishment and make it public for the international community to see.

Government forcing businesses in #GilgitBaltistan 2 hoist #Pakistani flag, celebrate #August14

What happened 2 claims of GB locals love PAK?  Senge Hasnan Sering (@SengeHSering) August 12, 2016

We appreciate the statement of PM of India. Worlds largest democracy n being a responsible neighbor, India shd intervene in Balochistan.  Brahumdagh Bugti (@BBugti) August 12, 2016

Pakistani forces intensified barbaric military operation in Dera Bugti. 19 Baloch civilians have been killed since yesterday. #Balochistan  Brahumdagh Bugti (@BBugti) August 12, 2016

Liberation of PoK

India will also begin to focus on liberating the region from Pakistan, sources said. As Jitendra Singh, minister of state in the PMO said on Saturday, "Ek azaadi ki ladai abhi baaki hain. Our brothers in PoK have to be freed". India could begin by mobilising the people of PoK who are currently living abroad to help liberate the region from Pakistani control.
India is celebrating its 70th Independence day and its time to look back and see what cost us to get this freedom. Great sacrifices by great freedom fighters that we will never forget and will always be thankful to them for giving us the free India of our dreams. To mark the occasion lets look back to top 15 inspirational slogans given by freedom fighters that we should never forget. Watch out here.
Amercian legendary swimmer Michael Phelps has announced that he is ready to retire. He has cleared that he is not eyeing on 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo and this is going to be his last Olympics. The star swimmer had quit after London 2012 only to reverse that decision in 2014.
This shocking video of militants from Pakistan has surfaced and Intelligence Bureau officials say that it was shot in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. In the video u will hear them using Burhan as their surname. They shout out their names while adding Burhan as their surname. Burhan Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was gunned down by security forces on July 8. There are 12 armed men in the video who are seen raising anti India slogans.
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Franklin Lamb, Qalamoun Mountains, Syria

Reports continue nearly daily of yet more damage to our archeological treasure here in Syria. A few examples include the recent ISIS destruction at Tal Ajaja, one of Syria's most important Assyrian-era sites. "More than 40 percent of Tal Ajaja was destroyed or ravaged by IS recently", according to Khaled Ahmo, the Director of the Antiquities in Hasakeh.

[Photo: Tal Ajaja, Syria's DGAM]

This year at Tal Ajaja, ISIS discovered previously unknown millennia-old statues and cuneiform tablets, which they promptly sold while destroying others until they were driven out of Tal Ajaja six months ago by Kurdish fighters and into Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province. Local citizens have reported to this observer that fragments of broken artifacts are strewn throughout the desecrated area and large holes dug by looters pockmark the area.'

Under the direction of the Syria's Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM), most of the known treasures of Tal Ajaja, discovered in the 19th century, had long been removed and placed in safe places. Between 2014 and 2015, Syria' DGAM moved some 300,000 objects and thousands of manuscripts from across Syria into safe storage, including many in Damascus. But the jihadists, as well as local looters, dug up artifacts that archeologists had not yet uncovered, destroying or trafficking priceless pieces. According to DGAM's Maamoun Abdel Karim, "In two or three months, ISIS wiped out what would have required 50 years of archeological excavations."

More recent damage was done last month, (7/13/2016), to the National Museum of Aleppo by militia fired missiles. The Museum sustained lesser damage in 2014, also from missiles fired from east Aleppo. This time, parts of the Museum's roof have been destroyed and there is also major structural damage to the Museum's exterior doors, the offices of employee & Museum curators, destruction of generators, as well as parts of the Museum's outer fence.

A third major recent loss, also in Aleppo, occurred this past May at the Syrian monastery dedicated to St Simeon Stylites (from the Greek word for pillar, "style") where the 5th century monk inaugurated the practice of religious hermits living on top of pillars in contemplation and prayer. St Simeon, a serious recluse, is said to have spent 47 years in prayer perched on various pillars. The main one of which has now been completely destroyed while the facade of the Monastery now has a huge hole blown into it. The original pillar on which St Simeon lived, which had been preserved on a pedestal in the sanctuary of the church, has been toppled. For many centuries, St. Simeon Monastery has been a main tourist attraction and was added to UNESCO's protective World Heritage List in June of 2011 just after the start of the Syrian conflict. Ever since it has been under the control of various pro and anti-government factions.

In addition to the tragic damage at St Simeon, during mid-July 2016, an inspection field visit in the Hasaka region by DGAM documented yet more damage by ISIS in the area to the south of the city of Hasaka on the eastern bank of Lake Dam hill. In the western and northern areas tunnels approximately twenty meters long were dug by ISIS and their project resulted in the destruction of artifacts from the 7th century BC Babylonian period. Also gutted are irreplaceable buildings dating to the Assyrian period of the second century BC.

Other examples of recent damage at Syrian archaeological sites include the Shinsharain Jabal Zawiya, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site (Dead Cities) which was hit by an airstrike around the time that a mortar exploded on the Sham Moon restaurant in the Christian quarter of Bab Touma in the Old City of Damascus. Recent damage has also been inflicted on the Byzantine site of Qalaat Semaan, Aleppo Governorate, as well as two mosques in al-Bara, Idlib Governorate. Recently damage was sustained at al-Iman Mosque in Quriyah, Deir ez Zor Governorate and a mosque and Sufi tomb in Manbij, Aleppo Governorate. An airstrike has damaged al-Foqani Mosque in Hbit, Idlib Governorate and last month five mosques in Aleppo Governorate were damaged. In addition it has been reported that the al-Kabir Mosque in Urum al-Kubra has recently been damaged by shelling from east Aleppo and also at the Byzantine site of Qalaat Semaan, Aleppo Governorate, as well as at two mosques in al-Bara, Idlib Governorate. Also recently damaged is al-Iman Mosque in Quriyah, Deir ez Zor Governorate. Just this past month three more mosques in Aleppo, as well as St. Demetrius Church sustained war damage.

On and on Syria's heritage bleeds along with her people.

As tragic as the growing list of damage to our cultural heritage sites which cannot be gainsaid is, this observer has witnessed again this past week stunning villager-initiated restoration work here in Syria. This time perhaps in the least likely area of Syria I might have thought to even consider, and have not previously visited during nearly three years traveling around Syria and examining damage at cultural heritage sites.

The Qalamoun mountains are a key strategic area for both rebel supplies and the movement of weapons into Lebanon. Frankly, it's an area I had not thought to even consider during my research on this subject and my stumbling on it happened by chance. The Qalamoun area saw fierce fighting from mid-November 2013, with air strikes on the village of Qara in an attempt by the Syrian Army to cut rebel supply lines to Damascus from Lebanon. It essentially ended in late April, 2014 when rebels in Zabadani surrendered and the Syrian Army and its allies occupied the town, thus taking the last rebel stronghold in the Qalamoun region up to the Lebanese border. A major strategic victory for the Syrian government and her allies.

The critical battles in the ancient Qalamoun mountain area included the villages of Yabroud, al-Jarajir, northwest of Yabroud, Qamieh, al-Kornish areas surrounding Yabroud , An-Nabk , Rima, Deir Attiyeh, Sahel, the al-Arid road, Al-Sarkha Jibbeh and Jbaadin as well as Maaloula among other villages.

Our cultural heritage sustained damage in each of these Qalamoun area villages to varying degrees. But what this observer deems truly remarkable, while not widely known, is how the local citizenry, ignoring religion and sectarianism or whether one side on another caused the damage to Mosques or Churches or other sites, responded once the fighting stopped. Without recrimination villagers took the initiative and in a spectacular fashion have now largely restored these damaged sites.

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Reprinted from The National

It is Israel's darkest secret -- or so argues one Israeli journalist -- in a country whose short history is replete with dark episodes.

Last month Tzachi Hanegbi, minister for national security, became the first government official to admit that hundreds of babies had been stolen from their mothers in the years immediately following Israel's creation in 1948. In truth, the number is more likely to be in the thousands.

For nearly seven decades, successive governments -- and three public inquiries -- denied there had been any wrongdoing. They concluded that almost all the missing babies had died, victims of a chaotic time when Israel was absorbing tens of thousands of new Jewish immigrants.

But as more and more families came forward -- lately aided by social media -- to reveal their suffering, the official story sounded increasingly implausible.

Although many mothers were told their babies had died during or shortly after delivery, they were never shown a body or grave, and no death certificate was ever issued. Others had their babies snatched from their arms by nurses who berated them for having more children than they could properly care for.

According to campaigners, as many as 8,000 babies were seized from their families in the state's first years and either sold or handed over to childless Jewish couples in Israel and abroad. To many, it sounds suspiciously like child trafficking.

A few of the children have been reunited with their biological families, but the vast majority are simply unaware they were ever taken. Strict Israeli privacy laws mean it is near-impossible for them to see official files that might reveal their clandestine adoption.

Did Israeli hospitals and welfare organizations act on their own or connive with state bodies? It is unclear. But it is hard to imagine such mass abductions could have occurred without officials at the very least turning a blind eye.

Testimonies indicate that lawmakers, health ministry staff, and senior judges knew of these practices at the time. And the decision to place all documents relating to the children under lock until 2071 hints at a cover-up.

Mr Hanegbi, who was given the task of re-examining the classified material by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been evasive on the question of official involvement. "We may never know," he has said.

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Hillary Clinton - Caricature

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I've been very disappointed to learn that folks I've respected for being radical and even progressive have come out to support Hillary Clinton. I am disappointed because they have fallen away from, diverged from my world view. This feeds my paranoia about being demoralized into giving up and just trying to live out my life in peace and harmony with my neighbors. Why should I be concerned about US and NATO efforts of empire building? Destabilization and destruction of Middle Eastern states, transfer of arms from Libya to Turkish terrorists and Al Nustra formerly Al Qaeda of Iraq, the transfer of Libyan central bank reserves to France and the subsequent disintegration of the notion to create an alternative currency for African countries, (Who the hell did he think he was anyway?) or with the continuing support of the 1/10 percent's media psyops to misinform the public about the US and NATO role in the creation maintenance of ISIS and other terrorists groups trying to break apart Syria so the Saudis and their friends can build an oil pipeline to Europe to break Russia's hold, or the encirclement of not Russia through eastern Europe and the Central Asian "stans", but the hubris of thinking that the US is powerful enough to threaten the Chinese as well has suffered a temporary setback with the failed Turkish coup having driven Erdogan into Putin's arms and talks of a second pipeline to include Iran, Iraq (yes "our" broken down Iraq), and Syrah"oops. It is an incredible state of affairs and of course main stream will not write about it, but I expected my learned intellectual radical models to be more informed -- How in the world could they support someone who laughs about killing the leader of another country? Romania seeking NATO admission extradites Guccifer to the US where he "suicides" in prison. Assange admits that Seth a staffer from the DNC who was "wantonly" gunned down in DC was a source of leaked DNC voice and electronic mail. This is very messy and very silly

All this talk of how to decide who to vote for depending on whether or not one lives in a swing state is really a bunch of horse sh*t. What's moral about voting for Hillary regardless of what state one lives in? This is part of the continuing saga of being divided and conquered. If you want change, you don't get it by voting for someone that no matter what they promise, isn't going to do a god damn thing about what they promised you, except what they promise now is the opposite of what they promise their masters before, which is: the nuclear option is on the table, Assad isn't any help at all so he has to go, Putin is arrogant, so we will put missiles in Poland by 2018 and possibly Romania and spend $33 Billion a year paying our friends to rip-off the public good with nuclear weapon upgrades over 30 years"what? Thank god all of us will be in dead radioactive half life decay before that happens the TPP is the gold standard but I don't support it now, Black men are super predators, but thank you Jesus! The Blacks sure do like us Clintons, even though the Reverend Wright is a terrorist; fracking is good and big deal that the GSA "suggests" that those red fracking bastards in Texas might have to stop fracking, because it is causing earthquakes; as a supporter of Monsanto's Franken food and its efforts to corner the world's seeds, and contribute to the deaths of hundreds of farmers tricked into using their seeds in India, while the national legislature declares that states have no right to require that providers of food for consumption inform the purchaser of what is in the food, say what?? -- Vote for Hillary? At this point all of the proxies for the major candidates are sorting through how much of an edge they can get away with if they need to rig the machines without there being too much furor just like they have done the past. Ok, so a word about Trump"how about toast? He is a stalking horse and not up to doing the 1/10's bidding. Hillary on the other hand has auditioned and is well trained to continue the hubris work of American Empire building in the second era of the Age of Reagan.
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Officer Kevin Carlson said he was prepared for the worst when he saw Bodhi Phelps rummaging through his pockets after he and another Gresham police officer chased the domestic violence suspect into a dimly lit cul-de-sac before dawn on May 24.

Phelps pulled out a knife for each hand, Carlson testified to a Multnomah County Grand Jury two weeks later. The officer said Phelps was repeatedly told to drop the weapons but that he couldn't remember whether it was him or his colleague, Officer Gavin Sasser, or both, who'd said it.

The two officers had responded minutes earlier to reports of Phelps attacking his girlfriend and forcing her into a car near the 18900 block of Southeast Grant Street after 3 a.m. Sasser reached Phelps first, but the 22-year-old ignored commands to stop and fled. Carlson joined the chase soon after.

Carlson testified that he initially thought the chase would end with him tackling Phelps and arresting him. Instead, Phelps ran at Carlson and both officers fired their 9mm pistols six times. He was struck 11 times and died at the scene.

There wasn't much time to think, Carlson said, because Phelps was 10 to 15 feet away from him and closing fast when they fired. Deadly force was the only alternative because pepper spray took seconds to set in and take effect, and Tasers often fail and are difficult to aim, the officer said.

"I have never had a successful Taser deployment," said Carlson, 25. "It's not a tool that you use in a rapidly evolving situation, when you have 10 to 15 feet to save your life."

The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office Friday released nearly 400 pages of grand jury transcripts in the May 24 shooting. Both officers were determined to be justified in their use of deadly force.

By the time authorities took the girlfriend to the hospital, her eyes were starting to swell and bruise from an apparent attack, a Gresham detective testified.

Phelps died with an uncapped needle, syringe, tubular antenna, a Tide stain removing pen and a small drug baggy in his pockets, according to Clifford Nelson, an Oregon state deputy medical examiner. Bullets hit Phelps' thumb, wrist, abdomen, hip, chest and other areas.

The bullet that likely killed him went through his heart, lung and other areas, Nelson testified.

Sasser, 29, testified that he pushed Phelps as he was chasing him with the intent of causing a fall, but Phelps only stumbled. Had he fallen, Sasser said, it would have allowed him time to deploy pepper spray or a Taser.

Afterward, Sasser testified, Phelps threatened to stab him, according to the transcripts. He said he had previously told Phelps to stop and that he was under arrest, but he wouldn't listen. Sasser said he only saw Phelps holding one knife.

After Phelps was shot, they radioed for medical assistance, Sasser said. He said he and Carlson had first aid training, but he couldn't find the source of Phelps' bleeding on his chest and couldn't save him.

"I didn't see any breathing," Sasser testified. "There was nothing more that I could have done with him."

Phelps' girlfriend, Courtney Sherrell, said she met Phelps in 2011 while they both were undergoing drug abuse treatment. She said they both were addicted to heroin and that Phelps had used meth, heroin and Xanax the day before he died.

The couple were living out of her Ford Focus at the time and had been arguing off and on throughout the day and early that morning. At one point, Phelps got upset, slashed one of the car's tires and jumped on the hood of her car, Sherrell testified.

She couldn't recall many details from the morning Phelps was shot and didn't remember statements she made to police that he had previously threatened to break her jaw and often threatened suicide. She described Phelps as "a bright person" and cheerful, but admitted that he had attacked her in the past.

Sherrell said she didn't remember why she called 911 that morning.

"I was scared, I was scared," she said. "I don't know exactly what's going on in my mind."

Before the officers arrived, she said that they had been arguing about driving on a main roadway for fear of being pulled over by police and them finding drugs inside.

Sherrell said she remembered telling Bodhi to run when she saw police officers arriving and assumed he ran because he didn't want to detox in jail.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
Homelessness and affordable housing remain the city's most volatile issues, and Wednesday's council debate was suitably electric.

Why Terminal 1? Sixty million what? Who died and deeded Homer Williams the microphone? Commissioner Nick Fish asked the tough questions, most of which have the same answer:

In the dog days of Charlie Hales, there's a dramatic void in leadership.

Lo and behold, someone finally stepped up to fill it.

As City Hall wanders hither and yon on camping, tent cities, and policing the Springwater Corridor, Fish framed things well:

"We've lost control. The public doesn't know what we're doing. The average person in the community is confused as to our plan to confront homelessness, because it keeps shifting."

The council is overmatched, conceded Commissioner Steve Novick as he voted to approve the 400-bed temporary shelter on the Northwest riverfront.

If you have a better idea - a game plan to overhaul Wapato Jail, perhaps, or an in with the Blazers at Memorial Coliseum - the city will buy you coffee. In the meantime, Novick said, "We're not in a position to look a gift horse in the mouth."

Said horse is Williams, a polarizing figure in town because he tends to make things happen. Earlier this year, Williams toured Haven for Hope, San Antonio's extensive campus for the homeless.

Because he knows the difficulty of finding shelter in Multnomah County, Williams was impressed by its scale, medical services and critical care: "The place is safe and secure. It keeps out the predators, the pimps, the drug dealers."

Williams and partner Dike Dame immediately began lobbying the mayor and Dan Saltzman, who oversees the Housing Bureau, to approve a similar shelter at Terminal 1, a 14-acre parcel of industrial land owned by the Bureau of Environmental Services.

Williams returned to San Antonio with Deborah Kafoury, the Multnomah County chair, who has recently christened 465 new shelter beds in five locations, including a former East Portland strip club.

And he aggressively took command of an argument that has overwhelmed the mayor, frustrated voters, and offered little sanctuary or certainty for the homeless.

"I think Homer came in and cast a spell," Fish said. "Because he said the magic words - 'I'll raise private money' - people want to give him the chance to do that."

Williams wasn't feeling the magic 20 hours after the council vote. "More like the dog who caught the car," he said at his Pearl District office.

He still maintains he can raise $60 million from a restless, anxious business community to make permanent the temporary shelter.

"The trick isn't building it," says Williams, who says he can open the dormitory doors at Oregon Trail of Hope for less than $250,000. "It's how you operate it over a period of time. The heavy lifting is the long-term commitments."

And for those who share Commissioner Amanda Fritz's concern over the "warehousing" of the homeless, Williams continues to argue this is the future of affordable housing, in Portland and beyond.

To meet the demands of millennials and graying Baby Boomers, Williams says, "We can't build enough apartments. We're going to have tens of millions who can't live on Social Security and can't afford to rent a place.

"We're going to need to build dormitories, I believe, for seniors. They'll have shared showers and bathrooms. It's not going to be good."

Fish contends Terminal 1 is a real-estate deal, not a housing proposal, and Williams doesn't disagree. The city can't afford what he wants to do with private funds, little of which has been nailed down.

"If I look at this as a real-estate project, it starts with the land," he says. "Then you come up with what you're going to build, and cost it out. There are many similarities with what we do in our normal business."

What's increasingly normal in Portland - shack towns, mental-health emergencies, and running trails where Hood-to-Coast relay teams fear to tread - inspired Williams to act, and the council to get out of his way.

Yes, major segments of the homeless community have no interest in a riverfront bunkhouse. But the ones who do show up at night will be that much closer to essential services in the morning.

Says Kafoury, "If the City Council wants us to look at Terminal 1 as a potential homeless shelter, then we will work to make sure it fits within our budget and the strategy to move people off the streets and into permanent housing."

A lot of questions, and potential lawsuits, remain. Bob Ames, a major Pearl District developer, called Wednesday's vote "bizarre.

"We're changing the rules on a lot of property in the city. There's a willingness to step around the law. A lot of people are feeling that way now."

Not a voting majority on City Council, apparently. They're happy to let Homer lead. That may prove inspiring ... or sufficiently threatening for someone to come up with a better idea.

-- Steve Duin

stephen.b.duin@gmail.com
HOT BUTTON Election 2016: Time for another Hot Button question -- a chance for readers to weigh in on pressing issues. We'll ask a new and specific question each week and promptly publish a representative sample of readers' answers.

Today's question: What would a Hillary Clinton presidency mean for Oregon?

Deadline for responses: 3 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 16.

Email to letters@oregonian.com. (Feel free to comment below -- we encourage it! -- but posted comments will not be considered for publication in our Hot Button letters section.)

Limit responses to 250 words. Letters must contain the author's name, address and contact information. Selected letters will be published this Wednesday, Aug. 17.

Ready, set, write.
1records.jpg

Rebecca Woolington, a reporter for The Oregonian and OregonLive, looks over records she got from Washington County law enforcement agencies regarding the treatment of a woman died alone on the floor of the Washington County jail. Proposed changes to Oregon's open records law would require the state to more carefully track its many exemptions to the general requirement for openness.

(Dave Killen/Staff)

It shouldn't require superhuman tenacity, legal expertise or deep pockets to be able to review how school districts, state environmental regulators or other governmental agencies handle the public's business. But in Oregon, where legislators routinely shield agencies from disclosure requirements and where agencies demand as much as $1 million to retrieve data for the public, those seeking to scrutinize government workings have needed to summon all three.

That's not likely to change much, even with the recent release of proposed public records reforms by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

Rosenblum's draft amendments provide some worthwhile ideas, but the proposal avoids tackling some of the biggest problems facing those seeking public information. The draft amendments to the public disclosure law leave unlimited the fees that agencies can charge for fulfilling requests. The reforms lack any built-in consequences for public bodies that take excessive amounts of time to respond. Agencies can continue citing any one of the more than 400 exemptions that shield public records from public scrutiny.

In short: Oregon's cagey relationship with the public continues.

Still, the proposal offers a foundation upon which Rosenblum and her task force of public officials, journalists, citizen advocates and others can and should build more aggressive reforms. True government accountability and transparency depend on it.

Oregonian editorials

reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom.

are Helen Jung, Mark Katches, Steve Moss and Len Reed.

To respond to this editorial:

Post your comment below, submit a

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or write a

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If you have questions about

the opinion section,

contact Len Reed, interim editorial and commentary editor,

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or 503-294-7667.

First, the positives.

The proposed changes give shape to a law that currently measures compliance with fuzzy standards of whether an agency responded "as soon as practicable and without unreasonable delay." Rosenblum's proposal calls for specifying that public bodies acknowledge a request within five business days and fulfill them within 10, except for schools that are not in session. It also calls for producing an exhaustive catalogue that lists the exemptions legislators have authorized over the years. And a new statement of purpose makes clear that the default mode for government should be to make records accessible to the public -- with narrowly construed exceptions.

But the fixes are largely symbolic and won't resolve many of the conflicts that citizens and media members reported to the task force, such as the $1,042,450.20 estimate Portland Police cited to fulfill a request from The Oregonian/OregonLive's Carli Brosseau for information from the bureau's evidence database, or the $750 that the Department of Environmental Quality wanted to charge The Oregonian/OregonLive's Rob Davis to search and produce emails with a few keywords.

For many citizens who don't have the resources or desire to spend such money, $750 might as well as be $1 million. This is how a government thwarts citizen scrutiny.

With no consequences in the proposed legislation, it's unclear whether the fixes would have prevented one of the most egregious public-records runarounds recently. In December 2014, Anne Marie Gurney with the Freedom Foundation requested from the Department of Human Services the names and contact information for home health care workers to alert them of their rights regarding paying fees to unions. Although the information was public, the agency stalled and put Gurney off for four months -- long enough for the Legislature to pass a law exempting that information from public disclosure laws. Gov. Kate Brown signed the bill, despite knowing there was an unfilled request for the information, Brown acknowledged earlier this year.

Fortunately, there's still time to strengthen the proposed reforms. Veteran Oregonian/OregonLive investigative reporter Les Zaitz, who serves on the task force for the Oregon Territory Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, plans to raise the issue of fees at an Aug. 31 meeting. And Michael Kron, the attorney general's special counsel who is heading up the public records task force, said Rosenblum wants to continue convening the group to tackle fees and streamlining exemptions, even if those issues don't get addressed in the 2017 session. Separately, Brown's office is developing a proposal for a public records advocate to handle disputes.

These are promising steps. But as Zaitz noted, there needs to be a change in mentality as well as a change in law. Public officials need to get away from this misconception that they own public records and that citizens gain access only by their good grace, he said, adding "this is about citizens watching what their government is doing."

Rosenblum, Brown and legislators need to show with their actions that that's an outcome they genuinely want to support.

- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
Vienna, Austria vs. Portland: While I believe that we in Portland should be open to our visitors' insights, some of Marlene Nowotny's comments seem a bit uninformed. I have never heard Portland, Oregon, compared to Vienna, Austria. Vienna is a beautiful city, the capital of its nation. Portland is, comparatively, a new city, experiencing a boom and all the growing pains that go with it. While I share Nowotny's concern for our homeless citizens, her observations and solutions are simplistic at best and, at worst, biased and condescending.

I would invite Nowotny to spend more than one day in Portland before passing judgment. We're not perfect, but there's more to Portland than parking structures and microbreweries.

Mary Jane Williams

Northeast Portland

*

Vienna, Austria vs. Portland: Clearly Marlene Nowotny is insufficiently familiar with Portland's public transportation to make a fair comparison with Vienna's, and she is in no position to judge the use of cars and parking structures here.

For two years, I lived in Vienna and used all forms of its public transportation. Given the size difference between the two cities, Portland compares well. Since Vienna's population is about three times that of Portland, citing Vienna's 29 street car lines as superior needs qualification, at the very least. Where cars are concerned, I found Viennese drivers to be the most aggressive I've ever seen. They drive as fast as possible, and if a street is blocked they will take to the sidewalk, even a narrow sidewalk in the inner city. As a pedestrian there, I myself was seriously injured (fractured pelvis) by a speeding car.

Finally, it is just like the Viennese to be telling us what we should or should not be doing, in this case with our parking structures and our homeless population. Nowotny seems unaware of the major steps underway to house Portland's homeless.

Living in Vienna, I came to resent Viennese presumptuousness. Now it is here, come to Portland -- and even published.

C. D. Harris

Southeast Portland
Updated at 5:09 p.m.

A wildfire that police say was sparked by a homeless man destroyed three houses in southern Josephine County.

Firefighters retracing the path of the Redwood Highway Fire near Selma on Saturday discovered the homes and a handful of charred outbuildings along Deer Creek Road, said Oregon Department of Forestry spokesman Brian Ballou. No residents were injured, he said in a written statement.

Marcus A. Yeoman

A Selma-area transient arrested and jailed on an unrelated charge quickly became a person of interest in the fire inquiry, Oregon State Police Capt. Bill Fugate said in a news release. Arson investigators believe Marcus A. Yeoman, 35, built a campfire that sparked the blaze and cited him for reckless burning, the police spokesman said.

The investigation is ongoing, Fugate said.

Ballou said the 50-acre fire is now nearly 90 percent contained.

People who live along Deer Creek Road east of Selma remain under an evacuation notice and can find help in Cave Junction at the United Methodist Church, 200 W. Watkins St.

-- Molly Young

myoung@oregonian.com

503-412-7056

@mollykyoung
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As part of Michigan College Access Networks (MCAN) Reach Higher Program, more than $500,000 will be awarded to 100 high schools across the state.

Area schools receiving grants include Coleman, Bullock Creek, ACEA, Meridan, Bay City Central and Bay City Western. Schools will each receive $5,000 grants to help students pursue postsecondary education. Reach Higher grants are geared toward creating a college-going culture inside high schools to increase the number of students furthering their education.
Children, aged four to 14 from across Midland County, will participate in a walk-a-thon to raise money for the Salvation Armys SHARE summer day camp program on Friday, Aug. 19.

On Friday, Aug. 19, children enrolled in the Salvation Army Corps of Midlands SHARE summer day camp program will participate in a walk-a-thon at four separate locations in Midland County.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department.

Wednesday, Aug. 10

10:10 p.m.  An estranged husband in Lee Township had questions regarding property and a pending divorce.

10:35 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Midland Township residence for a report of a domestic assault involving a 14-year-old Midland Township boy and his 42-year-old father. The father sustained minor injuries. The 14-year-old was lodged at the Midland County Juvenile Care Center on domestic assault and destruction of property charges.

Thursday, Aug. 11

12:29 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Greendale Township residence for a suspicious situation. A Greendale Township female, 79, advised that she heard a suspicious noise on her back porch. The deputy checked the residence and surrounding area and was unable to locate anyone.

1:55 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Homer Township residence to investigate a Homer Township female, 54, who no longer wanted a male, 33, at her house. The male, his 29-year-old girlfriend, and their child were given a ride to a different residence to stay.

2:31 a.m.  Lincoln Township deputies responded to a reported altercation in the parking lot of a Lincoln Township gas station. All parties left prior to our arrival. The caller was the business manager.

8:38 a.m.  The sheriffs department received a referral from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding an alleged CSC. This complaint had already been assigned to Michigan State Police due to jurisdictional issues. The alleged victim lives in Hope Township. It was learned that the sexual activity was consensual, and both parties were of legal age of consent.

10:28 a.m.  A Gladwin male, 30, was arrested for DWLS during a traffic stop in Ingersoll Township. The male was transported to the Midland County Jail without incident.

10:43 a.m.  Deputies checked the well being of a 29-year-old Homer Township female after a resident called concerned about her welfare. She claimed that she was fine and did not need assistance.

11:14 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to the area of South 9 Mile Road near M-20 for the report of a be on the lookout for a possible intoxicated driver. The deputy was unable to find the driver.

1:55 a.m.  Two Lee Township females, 26 and 19, reported that a Midland male, 24, was contacting them and following them. The 19-year-old female has been staying at the 26-year-old females house which is the reason the male has been in the area. The 19-year-old female recently broke up with the male. Contact is to be made with the male.

2:19 p.m.  A deputy completed a salvage inspection at a Greendale Township business.

2:39 p.m.  A Merrill male, 74, reported he was threatened by a Lincoln Township male, 72. The threats occurred at a Lee Township business over a female. The 74-year-old male wanted the incident documented in case of further problems.

4:19 p.m.  Police investigated a case of retail fraud in the 6800 block of Eastman Avenue.

4:53 p.m.  Police investigated a suspicious situation in the 5800 block of Leeway Drive.

5:11 p.m.  Police responded to a traffic hazard on Tucker Street near West Wheeler Street.

6:20 p.m.  A Larkin Township caller wished to document a verbal argument with his mother. The caller is disabled and receiving money from the state. His mother is the payee on his accounts. He further explained that he lied to her stating that he needed money for gas but he was actually going to buy a television for video games. After discussing the matter with the caller he did not wish for his mother to be contacted.

6:36 p.m.  Police responded to a suspicious situation in the 5900 block of Sturgeon Avenue.

6:41 p.m.  Police investigated a dog in a car in the 2800 block of Ashman Street.

7:03 p.m.  Police responded to a suspicious situation in the 100 block of North Saginaw Road.

7:13 p.m.  Police responded to a suspicious situation in the 3200 block of Birchfield Drive.

7:18 p.m.  Deputies responded to a verbal argument at a Sanford residence between an intoxicated Sanford male, 24, and his live-in girlfriend, 39. There was no assault. The female chose to leave the residence to let things cool down.

7:40 p.m.  A report of an intoxicated male in the roadway was made in Jerome Township. Deputies were unable to locate the male.

8:45 p.m.  Police investigated a suspicious situation in the 4900 block of North Saginaw Road.

8:52 p.m.  Police responded to a verbal argument in the 5200 block Of Hedgewood Drive.

9:24 p.m.  Deputies responded to a private property boat crash in Mills Township. A DNR boat crash form was completed and submitted.

10:09 p.m.  A deputy was sent to a Larkin Township home for a suspicious situation involving a neighbor. The complainant had questions about his neighbor and the deputy answered them.

10:45 p.m.  Police investigated a suspicious situation in the area of Isabella Street and Laughton Drive.
Question: Its lush, delicious, homegrown tomato time. There are no statistics on how many BLTs we consume here but this is the time of year when nothing may be better than a BLT, a little salt, maybe a little pepper. Why might a BLT also remind you of Salem, a town of 7,500 along U.S. 51 in south central Illinois?

Answer: Salem is where in the early 1930s a man, Max Crosset, created a wonderful sandwich spread  egg yolk, a little oil, a bit of vinegar, a pinch of mustard seed, some other spices. Neighbors loved it. He had a cafe in downtown Salem so he began serving it there, too. Someone said to Max, "You should sell this and make a fortune!" So he did and sold it for $300 to a Chicago company, Kraft, that went national and called it Miracle Whip. In the near century since, Kraft has probably made more than $300 million on Miracle Whip.
NORMAL  Normal residents will soon have a second option for cable TV service, pending city council approval.

Evansville, Ind.-based MetroNet, plans to begin building infrastructure to offer TV, phone and fiber-optic internet service in Normal as soon as the town approves a TV franchise agreement, said City Manager Mark Peterson on Friday.

The council will consider that agreement and host a public hearing on MetroNet's plan at 7 p.m. Monday on the fourth floor of Uptown Station, 11 Uptown Circle.

MetroNet, which provides similar services to about a dozen markets in Indiana, is currently building infrastructure in Bloomington. The Bloomington City Council approved a franchise agreement April 26.

"With local franchise approval and all factors involving deployment in line, I anticipate the first live customer to light up late fall or early December," said Kathy Scheller, a business development manager for MetroNet.

During Monday's public hearing, Normal will "consider the public need for the additional cable television franchise, the capacity of public rights-of-way to accommodate (it), the potential disruption to existing users of public rights-of-way, the long-term economic impact of the additional cable television system (and) any other relevant factors," according to a memo from Normal Corporation Counsel Brian Day.

Under its agreement with the town, MetroNet would receive permission to "install equipment in the public rights-of-way and easements, subject to permitting requirements" over the next decade, Day wrote.

In exchange, the company agrees to "pay the town (five percent) of the gross revenue received from the operation of its cable services" and provide service to nearby government buildings and schools, among other requirements.

The town's only current cable TV provider, Comcast, received a 15-year franchise agreement in 2003. That agreement includes a similar percentage of revenue going to the town, Peterson said.
Its certainly not uncommon for a machinery technician to save the day during harvest season, but it is rare for one to literally save a farmers life.
BLOOMINGTON  Building community resources for mental illness, recruiting minority police officers and gun control were among topics discussed among U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, law enforcement and civil rights leaders Friday.

We discussed training law enforcement officials so they can recognize mental illness, deal with it effectively and know when there is a danger and when there is not a danger, said Durbin, a Springfield Democrat.

The meeting was held at police department headquarters in Bloomington.

Durbin said the state's lack of mental health resources needs to be addressed, but was impressed with local efforts.

In regards to gun control, Durbin said the topic should be important to everyone, gun owner or not.

Many of our members of law enforcement today are being out-gunned by the people on the street, said Durbin, who is the Senate's minority whip. The weapons theyre carrying are more deadly and more threatening than the weapons being carried by law enforcement.

The group discussed how to keep guns out of the hands of those who could be a threat.

Convicted felons, people who have a history of mental instability, straw purchasers and people on the terrorist watch list; those are things of which most every American agrees should disqualify you from buying a gun, said Durbin.

Mayor Tari Renner said discussion included the changing role of police officers.

Sometimes you have to not only be a law enforcement officer, but also a social worker and a parent. We have to understand the nature of that job has changed, said Renner.

Quincy Cummings, president of the Bloomington-Normal NAACP, said he appreciated the senator's attention to Twin City concerns.

I am calling for the community to be a thought partner as we develop and repair that relationship with law enforcement, said Cummings. Law enforcement can change, but if the community is not receptive in helping forge what that change should be, we will remain behind.

Durbin encouraged the community to take advantage of open dialogue with city officials.

When theres an opportunity to come out and listen and express your own point of view, whether its a community meeting or town meeting, do it. This is important, he said. Establish and support a dialogue in the community where people can express themselves honestly and hear the other side, even if its a painful experience listening to another point of view. That is essential.
Tears are falling from Janet Whitworths eyes. Its the first time, shes telling me as we sit in her empty restaurant, that shes been forced to ponder what it will be like to plate that last portion of lasagna or serve a final veal scaloppini.

Beningos, her beloved everything-made-from-scratch Bloomington restaurant, is closing this weekend the right way, she says.

The right way involved announcing her retirement last month, giving her staff six weeks to find other jobs and her loyal patrons a month to dine at Beningos once, twice, maybe seven times more. No sudden closing for Beningos.

Beningos has had a family feeling for all of its 46 years, and Janet has been there for all of them. Her grandfather, Joe Beningo, an immigrant from Sicily, launched the west-side neighborhood restaurant, then sold it to Janet, her husband, Denny, and her parents.

Its family to the employees. Dawn Price has been a Beningos waitress for 35 years. Shes one of 31 current employees  half of them full time. All but one have stayed until the end, and even hes come in on his day off from a new job to help out.

And its family to customers  comfort food theyve grown up on, connected to traditions and important events. Its the couple whove dined at Beningos every Sunday and every Wednesday night for 40 years. Its Chicago residents who drove to Bloomington for one last eggplant parmesan. Its regulars, there for what they hope isnt the last time, spontaneously standing to toast Janet. Its where we held our daughters wedding rehearsal dinner.

I get all the glory, Janet is saying. Her husband arrived at 4 a.m. to start the sauces. He and their son Jeff are used to long hours linked to the restaurant business. But since the announcement, business has quadrupled, forcing them to add extra hours to the usual 12-hour shifts and receive grocery shipments six times a week, instead of three.

My husband and my son, Jeff, have let me have my dream job, says Janet, looking younger than her 70 years. I love it. I wish I was 30 and I could start all over. But Ive asked my family to sacrifice enough. Its time to let them go home.

The phone has been ringing pretty regularly since we sat down for our interview. Up to 500 calls a day, she says, people pleading for a reservation in the 153-seat restaurant. Janet feels bad when longtime customers cant get a table.

People are coming in here, eating, and then taking six dinners home, she tells me. Six and seven orders of meatballs! The other night she announced to the dining room: People, you cant freeze my lasagna.

Five years ago, Janet thought she had buyers for the restaurant, but they backed out when they saw how much work is involved. She still hopes to find a new owner for the business itself, its name and recipes  even if its located elsewhere.

The building, at Mason and Chestnut streets, is in a gritty part of town, rather hard to find. Its for sale, too, but she thinks renovation costs will preclude it from remaining a restaurant. Still, she hopes a new use can be found for it. Theres interest. I will do everything in my power to give these people an opportunity to buy this building and keep something here, she says, believing it will help stabilize the neighborhood.

My memories are here, she says. But all good things come to an end. This is over. Janet is laughing now. When I close the door to this restaurant, it will open another door to enjoy my five grandchildren and my husband, and Ill finally be able to go to every damn party Im invited to.

The phone is ringing again. Maybe this wasnt the best way to close this restaurant. But I wanted to do it the right way.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a bill that would automatically register eligible Illinois residents to vote when they obtain or renew a drivers license or state identification card.

In a veto message Friday, Rauner offered a series of recommended changes that he said would earn his signature.

He said the bill, "as currently drafted ... would inadvertently open the door to voter fraud and run afoul of federal election law.

Rauner vowed to continue working with supporters to craft a version that meets our shared goals while complying with federal law and preventing voter fraud.

Proponents of the bill, including sponsor Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, say it would remove barriers to the ballot box and at the same time save money for state and local governments by streamlining the registration process.

Manar and other supporters vowed to continue working to implement automatic voter registration.

Eligible residents can currently choose to register to vote or update their registration at drivers license facilities operated by the Secretary of States office, but the bill would make registration automatic unless someone opts out. Each persons information would be sent to the Illinois State Board of Elections for verification and then to local election authorities, who would handle the actual registration.

But in his veto message, Rauner said the bill does not plainly and clearly describe the process that supporters say would be used to ensure the integrity of the states voter rolls.

Rauner argued the State Board of Elections might not have access to the citizenship information it needed to weed out those who are ineligible to vote. The responsibility should be handled by an agency with access to citizenship records before a voters registration is processed, he said.

The governor also recommended a series of other changes, including giving the elections board more time to implement the new system and requiring the Secretary of States office to verify that people who already are registered wish to update their address information.

The General Assembly passed the bill with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities in both chambers, and lawmakers could attempt to override Rauner when they return to Springfield in November for their fall veto session.

Whats uncertain is whether the Republicans who initially supported the bill will break with Rauner to support an override.

One of those supporters was Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, who said he needs to study Rauners proposed changes before casting judgment.

I think the perspective hes provided here is useful, said Barickman, adding that the governor and supporters of the bill clearly share the goal of creating a more efficient voter registration system.

California, Oregon, West Virginia and Vermont already have implemented automatic registration.
Mothers, especially actresses and those who had a nice physique prior to pregnancy, are expected to slim down almost immediately after giving birth for a number of reasons. While this way of thinking may seem to be the norm, a lot of people disagree with it. One of the people who disagree with this is the actress Blake Lively.

Lively is regarded as one of Hollywood's most beautiful people not only due to her looks but also because of her enviable physique. However, she is now expecting her second child with husband Ryan Reynolds, resulting in her feeling pressure from a number of people to quickly regain her physique quickly after her second child is born. Reports said that Blake Lively will take a slow and steady approach to shedding her post-pregnancy pounds the second time around.

Blake Lively "claims that new mothers shouldn't be expected to slim down so soon after pregnancy, because giving birth to new life is a 'miracle'," says an article on Stuff.co.nz. "You don't need to be Victoria's Secret ready right away because you just did the most incredible miracle that life has to offer," Lively said. "I mean, you gave birth to a human being! So I would really like to see that celebrated," she added.

She joins "Les Miserables" star Anne Hathaway in combating body shaming among new mothers. The latter posted a powerful photo on the social media site Instagram with a caption reading, "There is no shame in gaining weight during pregnancy (or ever). There is no shame if it takes longer than you think it will to lose the weight (if you want to lose it at all)." More mothers should take note of this stand, as it is unhealthy and quite dangerous to shed post-pregnancy weight so quickly after giving birth.
As the summer months come to an end, back-to-school season is fast approaching and for most kids, they look forward to being surrounded by familiar hallways and friends. For military families, the transition back to school can be fraught with inconsistency, stress, and even anxiety.

The first day of school can introduce varying challenges for military children. Whether they are starting at a new school because of another relocation, or dealing with the stress of a deployed parent missing their first day of school, the dynamic within the military home can be in constant flux. With these obstacles surrounding the start of a new academic year, it becomes more difficult for a military child to find stability and security.

While many civilian children may have the luxury of reading with both parents, military children often find themselves with only one available storyteller. Learning to read is a critical part of a child's education. And even with hours of class time dedicated to literacy today, it is still essential for children to practice their reading skills by reading in the comfort of their homes.



So, what happens when one parent is absent during such an important time of literacy development? Enter United Through Reading.

United Through Reading is a non-profit organization that connects military families through recorded bedtime stories which allow deployed family members to be a part of the learning process through reading aloud. The program is an ideal reading solution for military parents dealing with any type of separation -- from a yearlong deployment, to a two week training separation.

UTR records deployed, or separated, service members reading stories to their children back home. The books and videos, featuring recorded stories, are then sent to their eager children and spouses back home. The UTR program is designed to ease the stress and anxiety associated with deployment and separation in military families, and provide both comfort and security for military kids by reassuring them their far-away parent is safe and thinking of them.

To date, nearly 2 million military parents, spouses, and children have benefited from UTR. Surveyed program participants report: Strengthened bonds between children and deployed family members; A tangible source of comfort that can support children during stressful times like returning to school; and Stimulated motivation to learn, along with consistency for parents and children alike when academics may become repetitive or challenging due to relocation or deployment anxiety stress.

When reading is integrated with the joys of seeing a deployed parent or loved one, children learn to love an activity they may have once struggled with. Being able to share this experience together can help build early emergent literacy and language skills, a love for books and reading, and a stronger bond between the military child and parent throughout the deployment or separation.



For more than 27 years, United Through Reading has provided a way for military parents and their children to read together and stay connected, even when they are thousands of miles apart. The program sparks an interest in reading and learning that can last a lifetime, and will certainly help during a tough adjustment, and back-to-school season for a military family.
Baltimore, Md. (Aug. 3, 2016) - Millennials are now the largest living generation in the country. One of the most studied and analyzed generations, millennials are now becoming parents. According to a Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research report published in 2015, 43 percent of children age 0-17 had Millennial parents in 2014, and this figure is expected to exceed 50 percent in 2016. A new independent survey of U.S. households, supported byConnections Education, found that millennials are supportive of alternative approaches to education, with three-fourths of millennial parents (77 percent) saying a DIY approach to education, in which learners craft a path to graduation that best fits their needs, is a good idea.

"The millennial generation flipped the workplace on its head, and all signs point to them breaking the status quo for education as well," said Steven Guttentag, president and co-founder of Connections Education. "Compared to older generations, this generation of parents has more experience in education options beyond brick and mortar schools, such as online courses and blended learning. As a result, we're finding they're more open to and supportive of different education options."

The vast majority of Americans, 76 percent, feel that K-12 public school students should be able to choose tuition-free online learning options to meet a student's learning needs, according to the survey, and nearly all millennial parents (92 percent) are of the opinion that students should be able to choose tuition-free online learning options.

Across all generations, exposure to online learning has a significant impact on whether someone views public online schools favorably, and unsurprisingly, the survey found that millennial respondents-the generation that came of age with the internet-have the highest exposure to online coursework. 55 percent of millennials and 48 percent of millennial parents have taken an online course, compared to 45 and 25 percent of Gen X and Baby Boomer non-parents and 41 and 31 percent of Gen X and Baby Boomer parents, respectively. Millennial parents (35 percent) are most likely to have or know someone with a child who is enrolled in online public school. A majority of millennial parents (51 percent) think that high school students should be required to take at least one online course, and are more likely to be of the opinion that the option to take all courses online should be available.

"We live in a technologically advanced world and our kids need to be savvy with computers, and everything my daughter does through her schooling can carry her into college and beyond," said Rozanna Eckstein, a millennial parent of an online school student. "Everything is in your hand now, so the more advanced she can get, the more advanced she'll be for her future and, ultimately, prepared for a successful path into adulthood. I believe online school gives her that. Everything is structured to what I feel is the future, and the future is technology."

Beyond being supportive of online learning options, 8-in-10 millennial parents agree that online schools have the potential to personalize education. Also, those who have taken (or are taking) online coursework and those who express support for tuition-free online learning are much more likely to agree that online options offer more personalization. This reinforces the idea that exposure to online learning positively impacts attitudes toward online learning.

"Not every child learns the same. That's the great thing about online school, and I think people are starting to realize that," said Michael Tobeck, a millennial parent based in Oregon.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The results are based on a nationwide online survey of U.S. adults that was fielded by ORC International in April 2016. In total, 1,020 respondents took part in the survey, with an associated margin of error of +/- 3.07%. All results were analyzed using key demographic and attitudinal breaks, including age/generation by children in the household, gender, level of education, income and exposure to online learning. The data presented in this report have been statistically balanced to ensure that the results are in line with overall U.S. population figures for age, gender and ethnicity.

About Connections Education

Connections Education is a leading provider of high-quality, highly accountable virtual education solutions for students in grades K-12. Founded in 2001, the company's Connections Academy delivers individualized learning to students by supporting tuition-free virtual public schools. In the 2015-2016 school year, Connections Academy supported 30 virtual public schools in 26 states-serving more than 65,000 students. Connections Education offers a fully online private school for students worldwide and delivers blended (combination of online and on-site) learning in select states via tuition-free, public, Nexus Academy schools. The Connections Learning by Pearson division meets the needs of schools, school districts, and other institutions with a full range of digital learning solutions for grades K-12 including: online courses, a program for homebound students, a digital learning platform, and private and public online schools. Connections Education is based in Baltimore, Maryland and was named a 2015 and 2014 "Top Workplace" by the Baltimore Sun and a 2013 "Best Place to Work" by Baltimore magazine. Connections Education is part of the global learning company Pearson.
The Weeknd's recent big donation is music to the ears of its recipients. The Ethiopian musician has donated a generous amount to the University of Toronto and Black Lives Matter Network consecutively.

Tha Fader was the first to report The Weeknd's $50,000-donation to start the Ethiopic Studies program of the University of Toronto, which was followed by his $250,00 contribution to the Black Lives Matter Network which also holds one of its offices in Toronto. As per The Guardian, The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye hails from Ethiopia whose parents moved to Toronto.

Now that the Ethiopian musician is making money, he wants to give back to his hometown by helping groups empowering minorities. According to Mic, The Weeknd donated money for the Ethiopian program of the University of Toronto in order to share "the brilliant and ancient history of Ethiopia."

As per the donation to Black Lives Matter Network, it seemingly came as a response to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The Weeknd first expressed his support of the campaign through a tweet message saying, "Enough is enough. It's time to stand up for this. We can either sit and watch, or do something about it. The time is now. #blacklivematter"

Meanwhile, Jay Z and other artists associated with the streaming service, Tidal donated $1.5 million to the Black Lives Matter Network (via Mic). Drake also condemned the killings, posting on Instagram with a caption, "It's impossible to ignore that the relationship between black and brown communities and law of enforcement remains as strained as it was decades ago. No one begins their life as a hashtag. Yet the trend of being reduced to one continues."

If you were The Weeknd, woud you be willing to donate a big sum of your money to your chosen advocacies? Sound off your thoughts in the Comments section below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
Every now and then, Walmart does focus group discussions, and this week, the supermarket invited over 20 women, all of whom are moms, to talk about who will be the next President of the United States. The moms, who are from Columbus, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona, had different opinions but they all agreed in one thing: Trump won't win against Clinton.

Five out of the twenty moms actually said they would vote for Trump. However, for them and the other fifteen moms that Walmart convened for the discussion, media's tone of coverage and Trump's language might cost him the Presidency.

Politico reports about the event that was sponsored by Walmart and organized by Republican pollster, Neil Newhouse, in partnership with a Democrat, Margie Omero. It was done through a video conference wherein only the first names of the mom participants were known.

As per Yahoo News!, "Walmart moms" make an estimate 14 to 17 percent of the electorate in the coming Presidential elections on November. They are described by pollsters as women who have children under 18 years old and with an average household income. They are, of course, usual customers of Walmart.

Generally, the "Walmart moms" are dismayed with the election race so far, with the candidates themselves, and have not decided yet who to vote and/or settled with a candidate because he/she is the lesser evil. Some said they would be supporting other Presidential candidates from smaller parties such as Gary Johnson from the Libertarian party.

As per Yahoo! News, the Walmart moms regard Clinton as an untrustworthy candidate who lacked warmth and heart. Meanwhile, Trump is an immature candidate who has a big mouth and short temper that they won't vote despite his entrepreneurial success.

According to Women's E-News, if the Presidential candidates want to win the mom vote, they should focus on education. A study shows, majority of moms, regardless of their party affiliation, would vote for the President that would make college more affordable, guarantee fair ground of academic success, improve school facilities and programs and make high quality early childhood education more accessible.

Ultimately, these are moms who want the best for their children and their families. As per Yahoo! News, they care less about the presidential race but more about how the candidates would help improve their living conditions.

Do you think that the mom vote is significant and should be one of the top targets of the Presidential candidates? Sound off your thoughts in the Comments section and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.


New MacBook Pro 2016 release date rumors are claiming that a September 2017 launch is highly unlikely. However, some unnamed sources have surfaced to claim that Apple is proceeding with some major overhauls for their flagship computer.

According to Bloomberg, some people who know what's been going on with the MacBook Pro 2016, have confirmed that the new computer will be thinner than its predecessors. Debunking previous rumors that the new Pro won't sport the rumored OLED function keys, the sources confirmed that it is in fact underway.

Apart from the aforementioned upgrades, the MacBook Pro 2016 insiders also claimed that the new Apple computer will have a more powerful and efficient graphics processors suitable for experts who rely heavily on their computers. These rumored upgrades will reportedly try to save Apple's declining computer sales.

Meanwhile, Christian Post noted that a Fall MacBook Pro 2016 release date could be in place. It was previously rumored that a launch alongside the new iPhone 7 could be expected, but recent reports have started to doubt if this is possible.

As University Herald noted, there have been select retailers in the U.S. that have been giving huge discounts on older models of the MacBook Pro. This has spurred Apple users to believe that the Pro 2016 release date is imminent.

Do you think these latest upgrades will really make it to the MacBook Pro 2016 release? Could a Fall release date be really underway? Sound off below!

Stay tuned for more MacBook Pro 2016 release date updates and leaks here!
In line with the recent shutdown of KickassTorrents (KAT), new reports are suggesting that other torrent downloading sites could follow suit. As some sources noted, The Pirate Bay (TPB) and Extra Torrent are both under the watchful eye of authorities and could possibly shut down next.

As it was previously reported, Torrentz.eu has also closed shop following the recent KAT conundrum. This made fans worry about the potential end of The Pirate Bay (TPB) and Extra Torrent.

Torrentz.eu officially closed all searches for torrent downloads last August 6, 2016. "Torrentz was a free, fast, and powerful meta-search engine combining results from dozens of search engines. Torrentz will always love you. Farewell," the site's parting words read as posted on their website. The torrent site ran for a good 13 years.

Now, all eyes are on the next moves of The Pirate Bay (TPB) and Extra Torrent. It's highly likely that these two last websites standing could follow suit and close down operations to escape any legal battles.

The Pirate Bay (TPB) is not new to battling law suits. The site has been a hot target eve since and has even caused the arrest of its owner. The site continues to be operational, however, after mirror websites were created, Christian Times reported.

As for Artem Vaulin, owner of KickassTorrents (KAT), reports have confirmed that he has sought help from American tech attorney and computer scientist, Ira Rothken. Some of Rothken's immediate actions involved a request that his client not be interviewed, and for the American government to liaise with their Polish counterparts, Vine Report noted.

Stay tuned for more The Pirate Bay (TPB), Extra Torrent and KickassTorrents shutdown updates here!
There's no official word yet from Discovery Channel on whether "Alaskan Bush People" is returning for Season 6. But while waiting for the renewal or cancellation news, the rumor mill is busy with other issues. Most recently, it has been revealed that the Brown kids are receiving salaries that are way below what "Teen Mom 2" stars are earning that they should probably ask for a raise.

The children of the Brown family starring in the reality TV series "Alaskan Bush People" are earning at around $40,000 to $60,000, while their father, Billy, has a salary of around $500,000, Blasting News reported. In comparison, the stars of the hit MTV reality show "Teen Mom 2" are getting paid around $100,000 per season. With the Brown brood maturing and the boys becoming reality TV heartthrobs, they should probably ask for an increase.

But maybe the show's authenticity is a factor why they are paid like that? There were several reports that the show is actually scripted. Instead of living in the bush in a house they claimed they built with their own hands, the Brown family is reportedly often staying in a hotel. The locals said that once they are done filming their scenes in the bush, the family retreats in Icy Strait Inn in Hoonah.

Meanwhile, the publication also reported that the locals said the Browns are back in Hoonah, Alaska, and are shooting for the next season of "Alaskan Bush People." While it has not yet been confirmed, should there be a Season 6, the Brown family might not be complete. Earlier reports revealed that two members were convicted for stealing thousands of dollars in Alaskan oil revenue. The silence about the show's fate could just work better for "Alaskan Bush People," which is reportedly one of the highest rated cable television shows, as fans keep the words buzzing on social media and so the anticipation for the show.
Developments in the story in "General Hospital" suggest that Anthony Geary might return as Luke Spencer. Meanwhile, Anthony Montgomery has been diagnosed with torn meniscus and multiple ligament sprains. Will he abandon his role as Andre Maddox in Port Charles?

Anthony Geary has already retired, but there's a possibility that he might pop up in Port Charles. Spoilers from Celeb Dirty Laundry tease that the DNA test results will be out soon and Lulu Spencer (Emme Rylan) will be stunned to know that the DNA matches her father's. She might think that this suggests Luke Spencer is indeed dead, but then it only tells that the jewelry has Luke's DNA and not a solid proof of his demise.

"General Hospital" spoilers tease that Luke Spencer could be alive and that he will be back in the fall, just as the same time the Nikkolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher) is going to appear again. Lulu will return from the Cassadine island with a determination to find the truth about her father's death. She will bring a bone from the skeleton she found and perhaps she will get the closure she needs.

In another "General Hospital" casting news, Anthony Montgomery, who plays Andre Maddox, has revealed that he is not leaving the daytime soap. According to Soaps.com, the 45-year-old actor is healing and confirmed that he would remain in Port Charles for the unforeseeable future. Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith is set to be back as Brick, Sonny's associate. He is expected to appear on Thursday, Aug. 18.

Elsewhere in "General Hospital," spoilers via CDL reveal that Sam Morgan (Kelly Monaco) will finally tell Jason Morgan (Billy Miller) that she is pregnant with his baby. However, they will be waiting for scary baby news in relation to the final malaria test she had. The baby is still at risk of being affected by the disease. Could this be what the co-head writers Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman were pertaining to when they said JaSam will face some trials soon?

Watch that unfold on "General Hospital," which airs every weekday at 2 p.m. on ABC.
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When a Muslim urges the violent overthrow of the United States we call that terrorism. When an American Muslim does it, we call that treason.

When a grumpy old white male Trump supporter does it, Trumpkins call it patriotism, but in fact it is still treason. And if it finds violent expression, it is still terrorism.

News flash to Trumpkins: Your Dear Leader is trailing in the polls fair and square and he will lose fair and square. He already knows it, which is why he is telling his mob of knuckledragging mouthbreathers the election is rigged so they will reject the results of the election as a conspiracy when they lose. This is toxic to our Constitutional order. You will lose. Too bad. Grow up. And if you take up arms against your country in a fit of adolescent pique you will be rightly and properly crushed for your treason.


Lucy Stone was born in West Brookfield, Massachusetts on this day in 1818.

She would grow up to become one of the leading lights of the American suffrage movement and a leader for human rights in our culture.

As a child she chaffed under her arbitrary treatment for being a girl. And as she looked at how her mother was treated, she realized the future was not going to be good. Brilliant, she studied diligently on her own, but saw that she needed more formal education. As soon as she could she began teaching, saving her earnings for university tuition. In 1843, with enough money for her first years tuition, Lucy was able to matriculate at Oberlin College, the first school to admit both women and African Americans.

While at Oberlin she attended a lecture by the revivalist Charles Finney on the trinity. Lucy was pretty much on the spot converted to unitarianism. Probably not the revivalists goal in that lecture. While no longer a trinitarian she wouldnt formally change from her childhood Congregationalism until she was formally excommunicated in 1851, not for that heresy, but for her vocal and persistent call for abolition. From that point on Lucy found a more congenial spiritual home among the Unitarians.

Back to her Oberlin years, she saw that she was earning about half of what male students were for the various jobs available, and organized a strike. She began to find a taste for public speaking. Lucy and her younger classmate Antoinette Brown organized a womens debating club. The skills honed there would prove invaluable in future years for both women.

She threw herself into the abolitionist movement, and her first formal employment after college was working for Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. While quickly emerging as a leader of the movement, her unwillingness to disconnect her visceral sense of the injustices against women from the injustices against enslaved people made her controversial even among her co-workers. Allow me to cite Barack Obama on such things, she was quite comfortable walking and chewing gum at the same time. Others were not. In fact she and Frederick Douglass fell apart over the issue, not reconciling for years. Although eventually they did.

Lucy declared she would never be ruled by a man. And so she vowed never to marry, as it meant losing whatever few rights women had to her spouse. However, Lucy was won over by the persistent courting of Henry Browne Blackwell, fervent abolitionist, a co-founder of the Republican party (back when it was the progressive party, mind you), ardent feminist, and, incidentally whose brother married her old friend and ally (and first woman to be ordained a minister) Antoinette Brown, now Blackwell. Together they wrote a manifesto of womens rights, set up a legal arrangement where she retrained her property rights, and entered into a lifetime relationship. They would have a single daughter together.

After the civil war she turned her attention full to seeking the franchise for women. She joined with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B Anthony, Antoinette Brown Blackwell, and others to form the American Equal Rights Association. As the fifteenth amendment was pushed forward the Association was split by those who supported it and those who felt betrayed women were not included. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony formed a womens only National Woman Suffrage Association, while Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe formed the gender inclusive American Woman Suffrage Association. The split would persist for two decades, until finally the two organizations reconciled.

She died on the 18th of October, 1893. She was seventy-five.

The 19th amendment was not passed for another twenty-seven years. But, when it did, it had Lucy Stones fingerprints all over it.

It is a wonderment to me she isnt as well known as most of her contemporaries in the fight. The Wikipedia article on her suggests that because the first major history of the movement was written while the split between the two principal suffrage organizations was still raw, and by an adherent of the other group, she wasnt given the attention she deserved. And that book, A History of Woman Suffrage became the standard reference for early writers on the subject.

In recent years the omission has been corrected. Lucy Stone is one of the greats.

She deserves to be remembered.

And celebrated.
Patna: The leader of the opposition in Bihar Assembly Dr. Prem Kumar on Friday mocked the 'born-again prohibition evangelist' Nitish Kumar saying where was the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi when as the Chief Minister of Bihar, Kumar was opening liquor shops at each nook and cranny of the state between 2005 and 2015.

Referring to Kumar's recent utterance on his ongoing attempt to justify his decision to impose prohibition in Bihar where he quoted Gandhi as having said that if he could be a dictator for one day only, he would have permanently banned consumption of alcoholic drinks from India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader questioned his motive asking why the Chief Minister never remembered this quote from Gandhi when he was encouraging opening of roadside liquor shops across the state during the first and second term of his government.

"Nitish Kumar is being hypocritical and he knows it. It is surprising he never recalled this quote from Mahatma Gandhi during his first two terms. He has erroneously made prohibition a prestige issue for him and that is why he is running around trying to justify his decision that is wrong in so many ways," the leader of the opposition said.

Accusing the Chief Minister of borrowing a page from the Taliban playbook, the BJP leader said that it was due to the draconian nature of the new law that was forcing policemen all over the state to resign from their jobs since it would be they who will end up in jail for having not able to enforce the new laws.

Prem Kumar said there was a clear split within the Grand Alliance over the prohibition issue as evident by the recent tirade of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh who also called the new law 'too tough' to be practical while also demanding immediate recall of it in its current form.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister is on record saying he would rather be dead than withdraw prohibition from Bihar.
Members of Operation Stand Down RI display the military-themed gift bag that they helped design with Care Packages from Home Owner Susan McClure. The bags can be shipped to military personnel serving both at home and abroad. Pictured, from left, are Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dave Rothermel, of Johnston; OSDRI Intern Jessica Dailey, of Richmond; Sgt. George R. Luttge, of East Providence; Care Packages from Home Owner Susan McClure, of Westport, Mass.; and OSDRI Director of Development Dee DeQuattro, of Johnston.
Iran's Foreign Minister Boosts Ties During Ankara Visit

08/13/16

Source: VOA

ISTANBUL - The foreign ministers of Turkey and Iran agreed Friday to boost trade relations and pledged greater cooperation on resolving the Syria crisis despite their differences on the issue.



Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, welcomes Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif at the foreign ministry in Ankara, Aug. 12, 2016. (photo by

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency

At a joint news conference, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed his country's support to Turkey over last month's failed coup attempt by military officers that left more than 270 people dead.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quick to heap praise and thanks on his Iranian counterpart. Cavusolgu stressed how important Zarif's support was during the July 15 takeover attempt.

"During the coup night, I did not sleep until morning nor did my friend Javad Zarif. He was the foreign minister I talked to most, calling me five times during the night," Cavusoglu said.

Lack of Western solidarity

Turkey has complained of a lack of solidarity from Western allies who have raised concerns over Turkey's massive crackdown on alleged supporters of a movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara accuses Gulen of orchestrating the plot to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ankara, complaining of a slow Western response, also is infuriated by growing criticism in Washington and Europe over its ongoing crackdown against alleged coup plotters. More than 35,000 people have been detained, of which nearly 18,000 have been arrested.

Tehran's support of Ankara is predicted to have positive consequences.

"It's very important for us," declared Ayse Sozen Usluer, Erdogan's chief international adviser. "Whoever gave support to democracy in Turkey and democratic regime in Turkey is very important for us and we will always remember that."

During his Ankara visit, Zarif also met with Erdogan.

Deepening a divide?

Political columnist Semih Idiz of Turkey's Cumhuriyet newspaper predicts that Tehran's support during the failed coup will facilitate ongoing efforts to improve relations as well as drive Turkey away from its allies.

"Yet even before the coup, we saw a move to these improved relations," he said. "And of course Iran was one the first countries to come and condemn the coup. Of course, it tried to change the situation to its own advantage by saying Saudi Arabia and Qatar were not so keen in condemning the coup against Erdogan."

Turkey's friends, Iran's rivals

Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both rivals of Iran, have in the last few years become among Ankara's strongest regional allies. Their relationships are strengthened by a shared support of rebel forces fighting the Syrian regime, which is strongly backed by Tehran.

But Usluer played down differences over Syria with Tehran.

"We don't have serious problems between Iran and Turkey," he said. "We have various cooperative areas in the region. We only have different foreign policy approaches in the region. That's why from time to time we stand on different sides. But these are not serious problems [that] will affect Turkish Iranian relations in the region."

During Zarif's Friday visit to Ankara, the two countries committed to deepening economic cooperation, particularly in the field of energy. Ankara is striving to become a bridge for Iranian gas to European markets.

"There will be a deepening of relations with Iran, no matter what, in economic ties," predicted International relations expert Soli Ozel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University.

But he warned age-old rivalries would remain.

"Iran's hegemonic aspirations, no matter who runs Turkey, are going to be a thorn in the side of the Turkish government. So as usual we will both compete and cooperate," Ozel said.

Zarif's visit follows Erdogan's visit this week to Moscow, in which both sides agreed to work together more closely in resolving the Syrian civil war and fighting Islamic State militants.
Its difficult enough for marketers to stay on top of the latest data about consumers, but reaching the right people in the B2B world presents a whole host of new challenges.

On Friday, Oracle unveiled what it calls the largest marketplace of audience data targeted specifically at brands that sell to other businesses using programmatic and data-driven B2B marketing techniques.

The new offering from Oracle Data Cloud includes more than 400 million business users and one million addressable U.S. companies, the company said. Factored into that mix are proprietary insights from Oracle BlueKai, Datalogix, and AddThis as well as data from Oracle partners Bombora, Dun & Bradstreet, FullContact, Gravy Analytics, HG Data, Infogroup, PlaceIQ, and TransUnion. Predictive analytics from Leadspace are included as well.

The data derives mostly from the U.S., but some international B2B segments are available, Oracle said.

B2B marketers can now take advantage of more than 700 enhanced Oracle B2B audience segments, as well as a robust B2B audience marketplace boasting more than 4,000 pre-built audiences from partners, Oracle said.

The offering aims to help marketers align digital expenditures with campaign objectives and sales outreach, providing a regular flow of relevant and qualified leads from target accounts.

The move is likely in part a result of Oracles $1.2 billion investment in Datalogix in late 2014, said Jim Wheaton, principal and cofounder with Wheaton Group.

Datalogix is one of four major cross-vertical data co-ops that focus on the acquisition, integration, and ongoing management of massive quantities of data about American consumers and businesses, Wheaton said via email. The others include Abacus, I-Behavior, and Wiland.

Oracle has long targeted the B2B market with sales tools designed to help organizations identify new opportunities, and its been very useful for targeting and territory planning, said Denis Pombriant, managing principal at Beagle Research Group.

This marketing data provides the same kind of opportunity, and I expect there might be software add-ons to sell with it, Pombriant said. Either way, having a massive, up-to-date data source should be a boon to many companies.

Of course, not all data is created equally. In B2B marketing, its important to understand the company being targeted using data such as its SIC code and number of employees, but the bigger challenge lies on a different level, said John Coe, cofounder and president of B2BMarketing.com.

The issue that bedevils us is who in the company are involved in the decision to buy our product, he said.

Keeping track of that kind of detail can be trickier than it is on the consumer level because theres no easy way to track employees as they move across positions and companies, Coe said.

When consumers move, they file a change of address, he said. With professionals, theres nothing like that.

In larger companies, more than 20 people may be involved in a technology-purchasing decision, Coe said. The quandary is figuring out who are the key people, and are they accurately portrayed by your data?

There are numerous sources of such data today, Coe said, but they vary widely in terms of their accuracy. You have to know the ins and outs and strengths and weaknesses of various data sources, he said. What Id ask them is what kind of priorities do you give what lists? If one company is on two different lists, which data gets preference?

Ultimately, its up to marketers to choose the right data providers. You dont sell to companies, you sell to people, he said. The proof is in the pudding, so if youre thinking about using a new data source, check it out  take a sample of say 100 records and try to verify them.
Traditionally, one way to beat the heat and breathe easier on a bad air day is to ascend to the cool, clear climes of the mountains.

Not this weekend, and not early next week.

High temperatures of 100 degrees are forecast for the lower levels of the Southern California mountains through Tuesday as the region endures one of its smokiest, smoggiest periods in years.

Inland high temperatures will climb to 103-108 on Monday and Tuesday before a reprieve of a few degrees. Coastal-city temperatures will peak in the mid-80s through Tuesday, and cities a bit farther from the shore will see highs in the mid-90s, the National Weather Service said.

But theres almost nowhere to hide from the smog, which will particularly affect the very young, the very old and those with breathing difficulties.

As of Thursday, the region had weathered 93 days this year that failed to meet the federal health standard for lung-searing ozone, a hallmark pollutant of summer smog.

Thats 27 more days with unhealthful air than last year. Its the worst summer air quality since 2009, regulators say, and area hospitals report a spike in patients with breathing problems.

Air quality officials advise people with respiratory or cardiac conditions to avoid strenuous activities and to stay indoors when ozone peaks during the midday hours. They also urge people to sign up for air pollution alerts at aqmd.gov/airalerts.

Meaghan Ellis, chief of community health and nursing services with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, urged people to drink more water than usual and not wait until thirst takes over in order to prevent heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

You shouldnt drink alcohol or other liquids that contain high amounts of sugar because that will deplete your water, she said.

Its important to stay in an air-conditioned building. The United Way, which can be reached by dialing 211, can help you find a cooling center.

And absolutely do not leave infants or children in a parked car, even if its in the shade, Ellis said.

SMOKE AND FIRE

The Pilot fire burning in the San Bernardino National Forest has prompted smoke advisories to be issued for the central San Bernardino Mountains, downwind from the fire, the Victor Valley, Barstow and surrounding communities. Residents are urged to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in those areas.

The threat of serious brush fires will be elevated by the lower humidity, the Weather Service said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is prepared for the worst.

Two so-called superscooper airplanes will be on standby beginning Monday at Van Nuys Airport. The airplanes, each with water capacity of more than 1,500 gallons, can swoop in on a lake, fill up and then zoom off to fires.

Staff Writer David Danelski contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9569 or brokos@scng.com
Hemet police arrested a man Friday suspected of leading them on a chase in a stolen car.

Police say they went to a trailer park in the 500 block of North Gilbert Street about 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 12, after receiving a report about a black Chevy Tahoe with no license plates that looked like it was stolen.

When officers got there, a man saw them and got into the SUV, police said. The suspect started driving out of the park, almost ramming a police vehicle along the way. The officer in the vehicle was able to swerve out of the way, according to the news release.

The suspect fled south on Tahquitz Street, crossed over to Florida Avenue and then into a parking lot. He got out of the car and ran into an auto parts store in the 700 block of W. Florida Ave., police said.

Officers surrounded the store before entering and arresting the man. Police said he fought the officers as they tried to take him into custody.

Philip Adam Moreno was arrested on suspicion of felony evading, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, resisting arrest, and violation of his parole, according to a Hemet police news release.

He was booked into Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to police, the SUV had been stolen out of Santa Ana on Aug. 3 and there was an arrest warrant out for Moreno because of a parole violation.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@scng.com or @AlexDGroves
Bell, Stockton, San Bernardino. And Beaumont.

An inglorious list of California cities tainted by the stain of financial issues or bankruptcy.

As the first three have worked out many of their issues, it is now Beaumonts turn to take steps to fix its budget in the aftermath of a scandal that saw seven former city officials arrested on felony charges in a sweeping corruption probe.

But it wont be easy.

This has been going on a long time; its going to take awhile to recover from this, consultant Michael Busch told the City Council on Thursday during a workshop with members of the citys Economic Development and Standing Finance committees.

The budget deficit had reached $8 million before the city started working to fix the hole. Beaumont was surviving by borrowing money from funds not meant for daily operations and was not saving money for emergencies, said Busch, CEO of Urban Futures, which was hired to delve into the citys books.

The city since has cut the deficit to $7.5 million. But according to numbers from the city, Beaumonts reserves could be under $200,000 by the end of fiscal 2017.

Busch said the depths of Beaumonts financial issues may have been deeper than anyone expected.

This is worse than Stockton, considering your general fund is only $28 (million), $29 million, Busch said.

That is on top of the money the city may owe for failing to pay Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fees for years. The city may be on the hook for nearly $60 million after losing a lawsuit over the issue with the Western Riverside Council of Governments.

Stockton, a city of 300,000, is the largest city in California to file for bankruptcy, which it did in 2012. Busch said a lot of issues that plagued Stockton and San Bernardino, which filed for bankruptcy in 2012, are the same ones faced by Beaumont  and a lot of the solutions are similar, too.

One possibility to fix the budget would be to ask voters to agree to increase taxes, something other Inland cities are doing for things ranging from enhancing operations to increasing public safety.

But Beaumont leaders agree theres no way residents will agree to pay more taxes until they have confidence in the city government, something lacking amid the scandal.

Going out (for a tax) right now would be disastrous, said Bob Deis, a former city manager of Stockton and consultant with Busch.

City Treasurer Nancy Carroll said officials must explore every revenue option before asking residents for more money, a concept Deis echoed.

You dont go to the tax arena until you can tell the community youve tried everything, he said.

Busch said it could be eight years before the city is financially straight.

We started to look at opportunities to stop the bleeding and look forward to the city living within its means, he said.

Deis said none of the solutions  ranging from tax increases to higher fees and possible outsourcing of some city work  will be easy. Ninety-five percent of this stuff is going to be controversial in some aspect, he said.

Mayor Mike Lara said it was good to get positive feedback about how to get the city back on track.

It was really encouraging to hear from the citizens on these committees, he said. Trust is a big issue for this community. Weve got to develop that trust. I dont think its insurmountable.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 or cshultz@scng.com
Another major for-profit college system appears to be in trouble.

ITT Technical Institute, which operates 130 campuses in 38 states, including sites in San Bernardino, San Dimas and Corona, is struggling in the aftermath of demands by the Department of Education.

The federal agency has come down hard on a number of for-profit schools in recent years, demanding that they cease misleading recruitment practices and the misreporting of graduation and success rates. Those moves have resulted in major players dropping out of the business. Last year, Corinthian Colleges, which had 28 campuses, including Everest Colleges in San Bernardino and Ontario, shut down after it was fined $30 million by the Department of Education.

In addition to the regulatory pressure, enrollment at for-profit colleges reportedly has dropped nearly 50 percent in the past six years. That has put a strain on the finances of many schools. ITTs accreditor recently raised concerns about the companys financial health, in part because it has been placed on heightened cash monitoring by the Education Department.

In June, the department sent ITT officials a letter requiring them to increase their surety on file  a reserve that guarantees the company can cover its debts  from $80 million to $124 million.

In a letter to shareholders on June 30, ITT announced it was cutting back on its recruiting budget, and it expected the move to result in a decline in enrollment at its campuses.

In an email, company spokeswoman Nicole Elam said current students should not be concerned.

Enrolled students are not affected by the announcement and continue to be served, Elam wrote. Were meeting student needs. Our intentions are to continue doing that as we move forward.

Elam said that the lower enrollment is a projection by the company and that she doesnt expect students who wish to attend will be turned away.

MENINGITIS ON CAMPUS

Although vaccinations are available, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases said meningitis continues to be a threat, particularly to college students.

With college classes beginning soon, the agency is launching an educational campaign to help protect students on college campuses. Because students often spend time in close quarters, they can be especially susceptible to the spread of the disease.

Meningitis is spread through air droplets and direct contact with an infected person, such as sharing a drink or kissing. It is not spread through casual contact, such as a handshake. One in 10 people who gets the disease dies from it. Those who survive can have brain or kidney damage or end up having to have limbs amputated.

Vaccinations for four strains of the disease have been available for some time. But a vaccination for meningitis B became available only last year.

More information on the disease is available at nfid.org/idinfo/meningococcal.

SPEAKING OUT

A Los Angeles woman who graduated from Pomona College before going on to Harvard Law School is one of two women who has started a social media campaign to speak out on how some universities handle sexual assault cases.

Kamilah Willingham was featured in the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, which focused on rape on college campuses. Willingham said Harvard University mishandled her case. The man she accused of raping her initially was found guilty of sexual assault. That finding was overturned.

Willingham and Wagatwe Wanjuki, a woman who says she was raped while a student at Tufts University, both publicly burned items of clothing bearing their universitys names and posted video of the acts on their Facebook page, Survivors Eradicating Rape Culture.

Their campaign is titled #JustSaySorry.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9595 or mmuckenfuss@scng.com
The City Council will suspend its summer hiatus to hold a special meeting Tuesday, August 16, to consider taking action on proposed changes to the citys elections.

Representatives with Claremont-based National Demographics Corp. are expected to present information to the council and public about how to establish a district-based election system, including methods for drawing district boundary lines. The council plans to consider a resolution establishing criteria for the line-drawing process, with the goal of adopting the final boundaries in time for the citys November 2018 election.

The district-based system, if approved, would replace the citys current practice of electing its officials at large, with no regard to geography and demographics.

In July, the city received a letter from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund threatening to sue if Redlands did not change to a district-based election system. The council approved a contract with National Demographics a few days after receiving the letter, though it already had been looking into making the change.

Mayor Paul Foster said Thursday that the councils meeting next week was necessary due to an issue the group must deliberate in closed session.

Since we were meeting anyway we decided to take a few of the miscellaneous issues that we had available to address, he said.

The most significant issue at this time, Foster added, probably is the question of district-based elections.

We dont want to do anything to slow that process down, he added. We want to keep it moving forward.

The City Council in May directed city staff to seek a consultant to assist the city in addressing possible violations of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 and change to a district-based election system. At that time, the city was not under threat of litigation.

The act attempts to enhance the ability of members of race, color or language minority groups to elect candidates of their choice by challenging a government agencys at-large election system. Many California cities  including Highland, Hemet and Wildomar  have been forced to change to a district-based system after being sued for violating the act.

New state legislation allows cities with populations under 100,000, such as Redlands, to convert to a district-based system through an ordinance adopted by a city council.

In Redlands, the process of switching election systems is expected to involve multiple opportunities for the public to weigh in on the drawing of district boundaries, according to a city news release.

Under a district-based voting system, as outlined by state and federal law, the city would be split into five equally populated districts. Each council member would then be required to live within the district he or she represents, and would be elected only by voters of that district.

Council members elected under the current at-large system would serve out the remainder of their existing terms before they would be subject to the district election requirements, according to the city news release.

As the process moves forward, online tools will be available to help residents draw boundaries for council consideration, along with the requirements for balanced districts. For more information go to www.cityofredlands.org/By-District-Voting.

The council will meet for closed session at 5 p.m. Tuesday, followed by public session at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 35 Cajon St.

Contact the writer: news@pressenterprise.com
Editors Note: Southern California Groups sister publications in the San Francisco Bay Area produced this report, the latest installment in their series investigating doctors use of powerful anti-psychotic drugs to control the behavior of the states foster children. The complete series can be found here: extras.mercurynews.com/druggedkids/index.html



For years, few questioned how doctors treated the emotional trauma of Californias abused and neglected children  and nobody monitored how often they handed out psychiatric drugs that can turn fragile childhoods into battles with obesity and bouts of stupor.

Now, a Digital First Media investigation into the prescribing habits of the states foster care doctors reveals for the first time how a fraction of doctors has been fueling the rampant medicating of Californias most vulnerable kids.

A mere 10 percent of the states highest prescribers were responsible for about 50 percent of the time when a foster child received an antipsychotic, the riskiest class of psychiatric drugs with some of the most harmful side effects. The startling numbers are revealed as part of a new analysis of Medi-Cal pharmacy data, which the news organization obtained through a public records request.

RELATED: Which Inland facilities heavily rely on anti-psychotic drugs?

These same doctors often relied on risky, unproven combinations of the drugs, a practice widely rejected by medical associations and other states.

In San Bernardino County, one psychiatrist prescribed antipsychotics to 328 foster children  85 percent of the patients to whom he gave a psychiatric drug in the five years the investigation examined. And when one antipsychotic didnt work  or wasnt enough  Dr. Warris Walayat routinely prescribed another.

Many of the highest prescribers stand out for other practices that raise questions about their judgment or objectivity: A psychiatrist who oversees treatment at a Riverside County group home for troubled children is a self-proclaimed spokesperson for pharmaceutical companies. A doctor training psychiatry residents at a San Diego childrens center once prescribed an antipsychotic to an out-of-control kindergartner. And a veteran Visalia child psychiatrist touts a drug approved to treat mania and schizophrenia as an effective sleep aid.

The findings come as state lawmakers this month consider stepping up scrutiny of foster care prescribers  one of the final pieces of sweeping reforms in response to a 2014 Digital First Media investigation Drugging Our Kids. The series found nearly 1 in 4 adolescents in California foster care received psychotropic medication, often to control their behavior  not address the serious mental illnesses the drugs were approved to treat.

In the cases of seven of Californias highest prescribers, the state has been put on notice before  all were identified in 2010 as part of a ranking U.S. senators nationwide hunt for doctors prescribing mental health drugs at astonishingly high rates. But no action was taken; in fact, the state has never disciplined a doctor for excessive prescribing to foster children.

Rochelle Trochtenberg, a once-heavily medicated foster youth who now serves as California ombudsperson for foster care, called the reluctance to even monitor prescribers a failure of staggering proportions.

What I see in these numbers is: We dont really treat, we use chemical restraints. We drug, said Trochtenberg, who said doctors blithely prescribed multiple meds rather than help her recover from the deep pain and trauma of childhood abuse.

Medications are so overused  and so significantly  that its outrageous theres such a lack of leadership in holding doctors accountable, and holding the system accountable.

The findings

The prescription data, obtained from Medi-Cal benefit claims after more than a year of negotiations with state officials under the California Public Records Act, are limited. They omit dosage levels and diagnoses, which would reveal just how many of these drugs were prescribed for uses not approved by the FDA, a common and legal but sometimes controversial practice known as off-label prescribing. Nevertheless, the data reveal how the states most prolific prescribers helped sustain a drug-dependent system.

To identify outlying prescribers, Digital First Media reporters consulted 17 child psychiatrists and academic researchers across the country, ultimately focusing on the most extreme forms of prescribing found in the database: Physicians who gave their young patients multiple antipsychotics, or three or more drugs at once. The risks of administering multiple drugs to children, especially to their developing brains, have not been well documented. But the side effects of even one antipsychotic  excessive weight gain, diabetes, extreme lethargy and tremors  can be debilitating.

The data, covering the period from July 2009 to July 2014, show:

 A select group of doctors used the riskiest drugs as regular treatment and often in dangerous combinations  despite widespread concern over the use of antipsychotics on children, more than 100 doctors prescribed the drugs to at least 75 percent of their patients who received a psychiatric drug  more than double the average rate.

 And 56 prescribers gave two or more antipsychotics for more than 60 days to at least 11 of their patients. Dr. Cynthia Hunt, a Merced psychiatrist, was the most prolific, resorting to the lengthy regimen for 50 of her young patients, an astounding 7 percent of the foster children statewide who received a similar treatment plan. Pasadena psychiatrist Dr. Eliot Moon accounted for another 6 percent of the dual prescribing, according to the data.

 This is definitely an outlier practice group, said Chris Bellonci, a longtime child psychiatrist and researcher at Tufts University School of Medicine, widely known for his studies of the use of psychotropic drugs in foster care. You can see what happens if all we have is a prescription pad. Well use it, and in these cases, perhaps, abuse it.

 Affiliations of many high prescribers raise questions about objectivity  an intensive review of the backgrounds and affiliations of 25 of the highest prescribers revealed seven conduct research for drug companies that manufacture and market psychotropics; 14 have worked in an outmoded residential group home industry that relies on sedation to maintain order among the troubled youth it shelters; and eight are spreading their treatment approaches by teaching the next generation of psychiatrists in medical schools.

 Prescribing by nonphysicians may be violating state law  physicians are the only professionals who can receive authorization from the juvenile court to prescribe psychiatric drugs to foster children, but more than 600 nurse practitioners and physician assistants have prescribed the medications to thousands of patients, an apparent violation of state law that has gone wholly unnoticed.

While state officials suggest nurse practitioners have legal authority to prescribe under the supervision of a physician, judges and childrens advocates say the court authorization process does not, and was never intended to, account for that.

Retired Los Angeles Juvenile Court Judge Terry Friedman, the architect of that law, condemned the alarming degree of noncompliance as an example of the lax oversight tolerated for years. Everything just sort of falls between the cracks because theres been no serious enforcement of this law.

Efforts to rein in prescribers

Psychiatrists who treat foster youth describe their urgent needs, suicide attempts, aggressive acts toward caregivers, and the depths of their grief and depression. Many doctors say medication is often the safest and most effective way to help a child in a crisis.

Its kind of like if someone comes into the emergency room and is bleeding from an artery on their wrist, you dont do marital therapy on them  you stop the bleeding, said Dr. Michael Barnett, a psychiatrist who treats foster youth at two Visalia group homes and one of the states highest prescribers of antipsychotics to foster youth.

Eighty-five of the 104 foster youth to whom he prescribed a psychotropic drug received antipsychotics, the data show, and half were prescribed two or more for over a month. While the news organization reached out to more than two dozen of the highest prescribers, Barnett was one of only three who agreed to be interviewed. He said he wasnt surprised to land high on the list because he prescribes low doses of the antipsychotic Seroquel as a sleep aid.

Whether the child is agitated because of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, withdrawal off drugs, or agitated because theyre in a group home, a lot of times its difficult to tease out why theyre breaking things or punching holes in the wall, Barnett said. But Im going to stop that behavior as quickly as I can to protect the child, so I will use any medication that I think will help with that.

However, as long-term treatments go, psychiatric drugs can be a blunt instrument, failing to address the source of a childs pain and leaving scars that may last years, even a lifetime.

Tisha Ortiz, a 23-year-old former foster youth now attending CSU East Bay, has testified repeatedly before the Legislature about the impact of being heavily medicated throughout her childhood as she grew up in residential group homes.

An examination of her foster care health records, which she shared with reporters, revealed the names of psychiatrists who were among the states highest prescribers of aggressive combinations of medication.

Among them was Riverside County psychiatrist Dr. Michael Ilas, who prescribed Ortiz four medications at once when she was 15, including lithium, used for bipolar patients; trazodone, used to treat major depressive disorder in adults but not approved for pediatric use; and the antipsychotics Abilify and Geodon. Ilas, who resorted to multiple antipsychotics for his foster care patients more than three times as often as the average doctor, declined to comment.

The combinations of these drugs left Ortiz so zoned out I couldnt understand what was going on around me, she said. Although she played softball and kickboxed, her weight ballooned. Her face and legs twitched, and in high school, she slept through first and second periods, failing her favorite class.

When she saw psychiatrists, they were all about upping or adding on more medication, and not about what was really going on with my mental health, said Ortiz, who first entered foster care at age 4 and suffered flashbacks from sexual and physical abuse. You really cant treat trauma with just medications. It doesnt help a child heal.

Ortizs testimony has helped propel legislation moving through Sacramento that would identify doctors who prescribe psychotropic drugs inappropriately. State Sen. Mike McGuires Senate Bill 1174  which faces key votes in both the Assembly and Senate this month  would for the first time establish routine monitoring of prescribers and alert the state medical board about individual physicians whose patterns warrant an investigation.

Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a series of bills to hold the states judges, social workers, public health nurses and care providers more accountable for protecting foster children from inappropriate medications.

But efforts to rein in prescribers ran head on into the powerful doctors lobby, delaying critical pieces of the legislative reform package. And the opposition this year has not wavered.

Lobbyists for California psychiatrists fiercely defend their doctors treatment of foster children. They note that doctors already must undergo a newly mandated review process that state data suggest is reducing the use of antipsychotics and curbing questionable prescriptions. They also argue against identifying outlier doctors to the medical board, stating in testimony before the Legislature that the proposed law would single out doctors who work in juvenile halls, group homes or psychiatric inpatient units, and may have a much higher prescription rate to children than a prescribing physician who provides services to the general population.

Dr. Allan McDonald is one of those doctors. The veteran Los Angeles County child psychiatrist was among the highest prescribers of multiple antipsychotics and said he welcomes the scrutiny. Doctors  and their patients  will only benefit from more feedback and review from peers, he said.

We tend to operate in isolation, said McDonald, 78, who still sees foster children at two group homes. He said he was surprised to learn he prescribed multiple antipsychotics to 76 foster children during the period reviewed, acknowledging, The general rule among child psychiatrists is not to do that.

There are explanations, he said. Sometimes a child is on two antipsychotics for a short period while a doctor switches drugs (the news organizations analysis suggested that was the case with about 60 percent of the children who received dual antipsychotics from McDonald). Other times, the list of medications can grow if doctors feel its necessary to try new combinations to help a child who is not improving.

But McDonald, who has treated some of the Los Angeles areas toughest-to-reach children over nearly five decades, said he believes the state has its share of doctors who overprescribe without thoroughly evaluating a child.

They are not working smart enough, not collecting enough reliable information, to support a diagnosis, McDonald said.

It is probably a sign that doctors are feeling desperate  you dont know what to do, youre throwing everything at it.

Where are the high prescribers?

Many of the highest prescribers of psychiatric drugs to the states foster children can be found in the Inland Empire. Here, child psychiatrists can spend hours on the road, driving from far-flung medical offices to residential group homes in Riverside and San Bernardino counties that house tough-to-place foster youth.

Digital First Medias analysis showed the region was home to 14 of the states highest prescribers  a group of 56 doctors who gave two or more antipsychotics to at least 20 children representing at least one-third of their foster care patients who received a psych drug. Thirteen doctors from this high-prescribing group treated children in the Central Valley, and nine practiced in Los Angeles.

In contrast, only six doctors from this group worked in the nine-county Bay Area, two in San Jose.

It isnt clear whats behind pockets of high prescribers, or whether doctors who choose to prescribe regularly influence colleagues to do the same.

Another factor that could be driving doctors to rely on medications: too many patients, too little time. For example, with a rate of four child psychiatrists for every 100,000 children, San Bernardino County is well below the statewide average of 11. In Santa Clara County, there are nearly 20 per 100,000 children.

But the news groups investigation found one more potential  and highly concerning  driver for some of this regions high prescribing: Many of these doctors are affiliated with clinical research firms that conduct paid trials for pharmaceutical companies interested in boosting sales of their drugs.

Perhaps the most notable example was a group of doctors who, until recently, did business as Shanti Clinical Trials in an unremarkable medical office building, 2 miles west of Loma Linda University Medical Center.

Two of the highest prescribers of psych drugs in the California foster care system, Dr. Warris Walayat and Dr. Salvador Lasala, are listed as investigators at Shanti, which ran medication trials for childhood depression, attention deficits and bipolar disorder, among other research sponsored by some of the biggest names in the pharmaceutical industry.

Walayat, who has offices listed throughout San Bernardino County and was a staff psychiatrist with the Riverside County Mental Health Department, was the state foster care systems most frequent prescriber of both antipsychotics and the mood stabilizers lithium and Depakote.

None of the Shanti clinicians responded to repeated interview requests by phone, email or certified mail. And a visit in May to the clinics address in the town of Colton found the office had been taken over by a new psychiatrist.

Two other psychiatrists who worked at Shanti showed up in the news organizations data analysis, including Dr. Gurmeet Multani, who prescribed psych drugs to 196 foster children in less than two years. In 2010, he surrendered his medical license after being accused of having sex with five adult patients as well as the wife of a man he was treating for depression. The California Medical Board also accused him of writing prescriptions for drug addicts and people who were not his patients. He was found to have falsified his patient records in a failed attempt to deter investigators, state records show.

Multani also came under fire that same year when the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly found serious noncompliance issues in a drug trial he was conducting, including the underreporting of adverse events in patients. The drug, which combined antidepressant and antipsychotic medications, was being tested on children ages 10 to 17.

Leemon McHenry, a consultant who researches cases against drug companies that have misrepresented their scientific findings, described the role of high-prescribing pharma researchers  particularly those treating foster children  as extremely problematic.

Given the vulnerability of this particular patient population, he said, we owe it to them to have less conflicted investigators.

Questionable conflicts

Of all the juxtapositions of interests and influence, one raised the deepest concerns: the presence of doctors with drug company connections at group homes. Foster children in those homes are often the most emotionally damaged and difficult to manage, so the temptation to medicate them is strong  even without the potential intrusion of other interests.

Dr. Eliot Moon, who treats foster children at Hillsides, a residential group home in Pasadena, also runs clinical trials sponsored by 13 pharmaceutical companies out of a storefront in Wildomar.

Moon received more than $670,000 in 2013 and 2014 alone from drug companies to conduct his research. And Medi-Cal pharmacy records show he was the second-highest prescriber of multiple antipsychotics, using the combination on 46 foster children for more than 60 days in the five-year period examined.

Repeated interview requests to Moon by phone, email, certified letter and visits to his offices were not answered.

Moons dual role as a prescriber and paid researcher is not unique. About 80 miles to the south, Dr. Harinder Grewal oversees care for troubled youth experiencing psychological, social, emotional and behavioral problems at the Oak Grove Center in Murrieta. The group homes website also describes her as a spokesperson for pharmaceutical companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

The states data show Grewal prescribed an antipsychotic to 115 foster children during the examined period; 26 percent of them received multiple antipsychotics for more than 60 days. From 2010 to 2013, she received $471,665 for drug company research, according to company disclosures compiled by the news outlet ProPublica.

An identified high prescriber of Seroquel  the brand name for the antipsychotic quetiapine  Grewal is also listed as one of the investigators in a 2013 study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology that found the drug generally safe and well tolerated in youth. Sponsored by the drugs manufacturer, AstraZeneca, the study listed two of its four authors as drug company employees.

Seroquel is narrowly approved for older children and teens diagnosed with rare pediatric instances of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But doctors often prescribe the medication off-label to treat children for everything from aggression to attention deficits.

In 2010, AstraZeneca settled a federal lawsuit by paying $520 million to resolve the U.S. Department of Justices accusation that the company illegally marketed Seroquel to child and adolescent physicians and doctors treating the elderly. Discovery in the legal case revealed questionable science behind the Seroquel promotional campaign, including internal documents describing the cherry-picking of data, and unfavorable scientific findings that were buried.

Grewal didnt respond to repeated inquiries from a reporter about her work. But managers at both Oak Grove and Hillsides said no foster kids in their care have been involved in clinical drug trials.

Hillsides CEO Joseph Costa declined to discuss Moon, one of his centers five treating psychiatrists. But Costa posted a lengthy statement on the centers website. I am proud of our healthcare team who give their dedication, specialized care, and heart to the children and youth we serve, Costa said in the statement. Likewise, I am proud of our children and youth who are resilient, hopeful, inspirational, and courageous. Together, we have always acted in the best interest of our children and youth. This is evident by the results of the monitoring conducted by Community Care Licensing and the numerous DCFS and Department of Mental Health audits. We are compliant with standards and regulations that govern our services.

That assurance was of little comfort to foster children advocates who reviewed the news organizations findings.

The prevalence of industry-funded, high-prescribing doctors at group homes may be the most troubling discovery, said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group. Are doctors blind to a prescribing bias created by their financial ties to the drug companies? Or have group homes become testing grounds for some of the drug industrys most lucrative products? Either possibility is chilling.

The prescribing debate

There is no dispute that many foster children have significant mental health needs, having been wrenched from abusive and neglectful parents, and then suffering the trauma of losing their families, no matter how troubled. But a fierce debate continues among psychiatrists about what medications are safe and appropriate to treat childhood trauma.

Absent scientific evidence or research, prescribing often falls on a clinicians preference and personal experience. And those who most frequently opt for nonapproved drugs say they believe they are doing the right thing for kids.

If I see a 4-year-old and several other doctors have seen this child, and theyre in the hospital because of out-of-control aggression, I may go ahead and prescribe medication even though it is not recommended, said McDonald, the Los Angeles-area psychiatrist. I would start with an anti-anxiety medicine, and if it does not work, then I would look to an antipsychotic like Risperdal.  If somebody called me up or wrote me a letter questioning my decision, I would explain the situation.

Barnett, the Visalia group home psychiatrist, said he has successfully treated a lot of children with two  and even three  antipsychotics at once, which he describes as an effective sleep aid and augmentation to antidepressants, and safer than mood stabilizers and other medications that can become addictive.

I know its not approved by the FDA or recommended and all that stuff, Barnett added. But he said the second antipsychotic can have a booster effect, enhancing the first drug.

I cannot understand what is unsafe about two antipsychotics, he said.

However, the simultaneous use of two antipsychotics is widely rejected by medical professional groups and in many states. Citing significant risks, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states there is no clear evidence to support the use of more than one antipsychotic in either adults or youths.

County mental health departments in the Bay Area and Los Angeles discourage the use of two antipsychotics, as do the states of Illinois, Washington, Indiana, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

If a child is on two antipsychotics for more than four weeks, its negligence, said Thomas Tarshis, an adjunct assistant professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and treating psychiatrist on the adolescent inpatient unit at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in San Mateo.

The news organizations review suggested that many doctors are finding another way. More than 2,600 prescribers gave no more than one mental health drug to their patients, often stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Several psychiatrists did not prescribe a single antipsychotic, even those treating children in residential facilities.

Stuart Bair, of Sunnyvale, was one of them. With more than 40 years experience, Bair said psychiatric medication does nothing to address traumatic childhoods.

In general, they are worse than the benefit, Bair said, and do not deal with the pervasive underlying problems that these children have suffered.

One 16-year-old boy Bair treated in a group home recently was on so much Seroquel for an unspecified mood disorder that he was overweight, could barely keep his eyes open and slurred his speech. He sat slumped in a chair most days, barely moving. Over a months time, Bair tapered him off the drug and watched him come back to life, becoming a lively and talkative boy who cried and embraced Bair when the psychiatrist moved on to a new job.

On two different occasions, Trochtenberg, the ombudsperson, received prescriptions for two antipsychotics when she was in foster care. Never, she said, did she feel that her doctors were especially cautious about the medications. Her clearest memory is a sudden reaction to a mix of Haldol and Trilafon when she was 18 that sent her to the emergency room. Suffering from what she was told was a common side effect known as tardive dyskinesia, her fingers seized up and became rigid, then her hands, arms and legs froze.

I literally didnt have the ability to move my body, she recalled. I was terrified. I had no idea what was happening to me, and of course when I found out it was related to the medication, I wanted to stop it all.

Whats been done?

In the legislative push for more scrutiny on doctors, McGuire, the Democratic state senator, is quick to point out that the California Medical Board received more than 8,000 complaints about doctors during the 2014-15 fiscal year. None of the reports, though, appear to have been made on behalf of a foster child.

No ones looking out for them, McGuire said.

Seven of the high prescribers in the foster care data also turned up in 2010-12 as part of a broader U.S. Senate Finance Committee inquiry headed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, into the runaway costs and prescribing of painkillers and mental health drugs on the taxpayers dime.

It appears that identifying those doctors is all officials did. Instead of cracking down on them, the state Department of Health Care Services cautioned Grassley in a letter not to misinterpret the data and jump to conclusions.

Walayat, Lasala, Barnett and Grewal all appeared on that list, among Medi-Cals top prescribers of an antipsychotic.

Reforms to prescribing practices in the foster care system only took shape years later after the Digital First Media series Drugging Our Kids spotlighted the problem.

The same day the series on this subject launched in August 2014, the state medical board answered a lawmakers call to investigate high-prescribing doctors. But that one-time inquiry has produced no results to date.

One reform affecting doctors has taken hold: In October 2014, California began requiring doctors to provide far more medical justification to prescribe antipsychotics to foster children and receive authorization from state pharmacists to do so. There are signs that the requirement is leading to fewer requests to prescribe the drugs amid hundreds of denials of unnecessary prescriptions. And statistics suggest the overall number of foster children on psychiatric drugs may be dropping as well. Data compiled by the UC Berkeleys Center for Social Services Research show 12 percent of the states foster kids were on a psychiatric drug in the first quarter of 2015  a 1.5 percentage point decline from 2012.

But McGuire feels a more targeted approach is still needed. His SB 1174 stipulates that repeated acts of clearly excessive prescribing, furnishing or administering psychotropic medications to a minor without a good faith prior examination of the patient and medical reason should become priority cases for investigation and prosecution. Doctors would be selected for review based on quarterly reports on prescribers.

In the most extreme cases, the states attorney general would file a challenge to a physicians medical license. How lawmakers will define the most risky practices is still under debate, but the targets include medicating young children, or using adult doses and combining multiple meds, such as multiple antipsychotics.

Physicians are known in the state Capitol as one of the toughest professional groups to regulate. Their lobbies are well-funded and their members are particularly resistant to anyone challenging their discretion. As to foster care prescribing, they say the state has already done enough.

I think doctors have been getting the message that the practice of giving antipsychotic medications to foster children is at times problematic and will be subject to careful scrutiny, said Dr. Saul Wasserman, a San Jose child and adolescent psychiatrist who co-chairs the government affairs committee of the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, a doctors group that opposes McGuires bill.

Nonetheless, McGuires bill is moving forward. In May it passed the Senate on a 35-3 vote but has been amended in the Assembly. The bill and two others with similar goals, which originated in the Senate, are heading to a vote by the full Assembly.

Senate Bill 253, by Sen. Bill Monning, D-Monterey, would strengthen the juvenile courts process for authorizing psychotropic medication use by foster children. And Senate Bill 1291, by Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, would require better transparency and tracking of mental health services for foster kids in every California county.

If a bill makes it through both chambers, it heads to Gov. Brown, who can veto or sign the legislation.

One opponent of SB 1174, Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, echoed many of the lobbyists sentiments, saying that increased accountability would result in fewer doctors willing to treat foster youth.

We have to be very careful we dont get into a situation where were actually discouraging the few willing to take care of this population from deciding that they have even more reasons not to, said Pan, a pediatrician.

But McGuire countered that rather than doctors being under fire, those being punished now are the foster youth.

From Trochtenbergs unique view as a once-heavily medicated foster youth who now serves as the ombudsperson for 63,000 children in Californias foster care system, it is clear: Something more must be done.

These are kids that are hurting  these are children who have been through what we know war veterans have been through, Trochtenberg said. But where is the accountability? The person who has the authority to write a prescription is where we need accountability.

We still dont have that.

News researcher Leigh Poitinger and Staff Writer Kaitlyn Landgraf contributed to this report.
Les Fountain has a distinctive voice thats hard to define.

His grandmother, Karen Robertson, and I are both trying to come up with something to describe it.

A broken cat, blurts out the incoming senior at Murrieta Valley High School.

We all break up, which happens a lot around Fountain.

Hes got an infectious spirit that defies all odds, especially the kind you face when one is diagnosed with brain cancer at age 4.

That was Fountain, whos been through enough surgeries (five), radiation and chemotherapy to use up many of the nine lives of that cat he referenced.

Yet for some reason he keeps smiling, keeps laughing, keeps enjoying life. Go figure.

Im a miracle of God, he says. Had brain cancer and Im not dead.

Robertson couldnt agree more, noting that Fountain made a lot of friends with similar cancers when he was first diagnosed  and many of them are no longer here.

He deals with several handicaps, but he is alive and a constant blessing to us, she wrote in a letter to her friends promoting a comedy show fun-raiser for pediatric brain tumor research. Robertson will emcee the event that includes Anita Milner, a local senior comic.

Robertson says she started raising money for research shortly after Fountain was first diagnosed because children dont have deep pockets to support this effort.

Despite his illness, hes had some thrills. Make-A-Wish Foundation paid for a week-long visit to theme parks in Florida when he was nine. And he has parents, Jason (Robertsons son) and Cecillia Fountain, and a grandmother who obviously care for him immensely.

Fountain proudly announces hes in regular education classes at Murrieta Valley.

He has an individual education plan which entitles him to modifications and extra help if he needs it, notes Robertson, a retired Murrieta school teacher and administrator.

He has a lot of stuff in there, she says, speaking of his brain. Getting it out is the challenge.

His memory isnt what it should be, his speech is slowed, he drifts when he walks, and one hip is higher than the other. The lower back of his head is bald because of the radiation.

Hes been taking growth hormones since he was four because of all the treatments. Hes 5-foot-9, wears a size 12 shoe, and has giant hands that dwarf mine when we compare them. Plus he can bend his fingers and thumbs all kinds of ways.

If only he could make a career out of it.

When asked what he wants to do after finishing high school, Fountain says he doesnt know.

His grandmother adds, Thats the question. What will he do for his future?

Poignantly, Fountain acknowledges the shortcomings the illness has left him with.

I do feel somehow less smart than other kids at school, he says, but quickly regroups. Every one of us is different. Im doing my best and everybody else is doing their best.

His best inspires like no other.

Contact the writer: carllove4@yahoo.com
Like ice cream, hearts may melt at the news that the Inland Valley is once again without a Farrells Ice Cream Parlour  for the second time.

The Rancho Cucamonga eatery, the site of countless birthday parties, closed last week after five years of operation. That location was part of a revival of the venerable brand, which in its heyday had a freestanding restaurant at Montclair Plaza from 1969 to 1987.

A for-lease sign is outside the Rancho Cucamonga Farrells (10742 Foothill Blvd.) and the restaurant signs have been painted over. A notice on the front door directs would-be customers to Farrells in Riverside, Brea and Buena Park.

Thank you to our amazing guests for their years of loyalty, the notice reads.

Now theres a new generation of Farrells fans who can wax nostalgic.

This is the third Farrells to go under this year. The same day ours closed, Sacramentos did too, and Mission Viejos closed in January, indications the chain has headaches beyond eating ice cream too fast.

Rancho Cucamongas opened in 2011 in a former Romanos Macaroni Grill, renovated to be reminiscent of a vintage ice cream parlor. The menu included lunch and dinner items, with ice cream the specialty.

The old favorites were back, including the Pigs Trough  a double banana split, served in a metal trough  and the Zoo, 30 scoops of ice cream with toppings and delivered by two servers amid hoopla.

I ate there once early on, with two adults who remembered the old Farrells, and we thought the food was fine. However, the frequent sirens, drums and general noise level did not make me eager to return. If I were 8, I might have loved it  or, possibly, been frightened.

Recent reviews on Yelp were brutal as they described staff shortages, long waits, cold food, a dirty appearance, indifferent service and even a lack of air conditioning.

Customer Tameka Williams wrote on Yelp that she had to send a banana split back, twice, because there was no banana. In a credit to her patience, she waited for the correct version rather than split.

On the restaurants Facebook page, Steve Slavik wrote in February: Worst service of any Farrells I have been to. Go to Riverside or Brea.  I get better service at the VA Hospital if that can paint a picture of how bad this service is.

As the saying goes, nostalgia aint what it used to be.

In a statement forwarded by the chains director of marketing, Farrells said the location was closed with deep sadness  after being unable to come to agreements with the property owners and original investor of the location. Conversations with these landlords and investor were ongoing, but no agreement could be reached, thus forcing us to close by the end of the day Sunday, July 31.

Its fitting that their last day was a Sundae, I mean, Sunday.

Farrells thanked the staff and management, all of the guests that were patrons of this location for celebrating their life events with us, and City Hall for its support. The chain would hope to someday return.

If they do, well probably hear them coming.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misindentifed the name of the department Farook worked for.

When a federal judge put a hold on more than $280,000 in life insurance benefits that San Bernardino mass-slaying terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook designated for his mother, several readers wondered why there were any payments at all.

How could there be any benefits when the insured person died during a shootout with law enforcement officers after committing the Dec. 2 attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino that left 14 people dead and 22 wounded?

The prime beneficiary is Farooks mother, Rafia Farook. The insurance company contends she knew of the attack. She has not been charged.

Does it matter if she knew? I mean they were committing a horrendous crime where they killed alot of people plus killed by police. Would not the policy be null and void at that point, it would not matter who the beneficiary is? asked reader Kevin Coghlan under a version of the story ran in the San Bernardino County Sun.

But it appears beneficiaries can collect, if the policy did not explicitly exclude payment because of criminal acts, a legal expert said.

Farook and wife Tashfeen Malik died a few hours after the massacre in a shootout with law enforcement officers.

All but one of the fatalities worked for the San Bernardino County Public Health Department, but not all of them were inspectors like Farook. They died at a holiday gathering and training session in a rented room at the center.

Farook had taken out the $275,000 in two insurance policies as part of his employee benefits with the county.

But now the money, which has grown with interest, is bound up in court, in a kind of escrow until issues over who gets it are resolved.

There are at least two actions in the dispute.

 The U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles says the insurance benefits are subject to civil forefeiture, as assets derived from a federal crime of terrorism, according to a May 31 complaint. It has said the money should go to the families of victims and the survivors.

That is the matter Riverside federal court Judge Jesus G. Bernal acted on last week, agreeing the government has shown probable cause that the now $280,756.17, being held by the U.S. District Court Clerk, is subject to forefeiture.

Bernal said in his ruling that challenges can be filed to the governments forfeiture.

 Minnesota Life filed on June 8 a complaint in interpleader an action brought by a third party in this case the insurance company  when two other parties are disputing a payment. The filing said the government had requested the action.

The insurance companys action names all three parties who claim the benefits: Rafia Farook, contingent insurance beneficiary Saira Khan (the daughter of Rafia Farook and Syed Rizwan Farooks sister), and the United States.

But along with declaring that the dispute can only be resolved with the assistance of the Court, the insurance company added that it believed Rafia Farook had material knowledge of, and/or participated in, the planning of the terrorist attack executed by her son, Farook.

During a search of Farooks and Maliks home following the shootings, FBI agents seized bomb-making materials and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Rafia Farook lived with the couple in their Redlands condo, along with their then-six-month-old daughter. She filed a claim for the insurance benefits in April.

Minnesota Life is therefore uncertain as to whether it is obligated to pay a death benefit to a beneficiary who had material knowledge of, and/or participated in, the planning of the terrorist attack executed by Syed Rizwan Farook.

Rafia Farook has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the mass shooting, and the allegations in the civil action have not been resolved.

Why Are There Payments At All?

In California, for life insurance policy coverage, there is an exclusion for criminal acts, said attorney Samuel Bruchey, who specializes in insurance litigation with the Beverly Hills law firm of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley.

If a claim is filed under a policy after the insured died while committing a felony, there would be no coverage under the policy and the insurance company would have no obligation to pay, Bruchey said in a telephone interview on Thursday.

But, he added, while the exclusion cause is common in California, it is not ubiquitous.

Without access to Farooks policies, Bruchey declined to speculate whether such a clause was absent.

But court papers by Minnesota Life do say the benefit under the policies has become due and owing and admits that the death benefit payable under the Policies is $275,000.

And the cases are being litigated over where the payments should go, not whether they should be made. The company signed checks over to the clerks office in early June.

Attorneys for Minnesota Life did not respond to an email seeking comment.

What Needs Sorted Out?

There are several things going on, and several things that are contradictory, said David T. Russell, the director for the Center for Risk and Insurance, and professor of insurance and finance at Cal State University Northridge.

What they are saying is, Here is the money, your honor. The insured did die, and we owe somebody.

Russell said the issue is determining who that somebody is.

The sister, the mother, the victims  it is not clear whose money this is, Russell said.

But under the law and terms of life insurance contracts, Minnesota Life is obligated to make a quick payment to avoid being sued for bad faith. In this case, the money went to the court clerk for holding, Russell said.

With all parties agreeing this week, Bernal has stayed action on the insurance company case until early October, and asked for an update before then on the status of that case and the one filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office to seize the insurance money.

Writer Gail Wesson contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: rdeatley@scng.com or 951-368-9573
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Michael Phelps is used to being in a league of his own.

So it was strange to see him, after what he insists was his final individual race as an Olympian, crowding onto a medal stand with two other swimmers.

And it wasnt even the top step.

In a changing of the guard that left him totally at peace, Phelps was beaten Friday by a 21-year-old who grew up idolizing the most decorated athlete in Olympic history. Joseph Schooling of Singapore built a big lead in the 100-meter butterfly and easily held off one of Phelps patented comebacks, leaving him at 22 gold medals with one race, a relay, left to go.

And that will be his final event, Phelps insisted.

No more comebacks.

Im not going four more years and Im standing by that, he said. Ive been able to do everything Ive ever put my mind to in the sport and after 24 years in the sport, Im happy with how things finished.

While Phelps wasnt all that persuasive when he first retired after the 2012 London Games  and, indeed, he began eyeing a return to swimming about a year later  the big hug for Schooling and the huge smile when it was done told a different story this time.

Hes a father now, to 3-month-old Boomer. Hell soon be marrying his fiancee, Nicole Johnson.

Hes ready to move on, and this time he really seems to mean it.

Im happy, Phelps said. Im ready to spend some time with Boomer and Nicole and watch the little dude grow.

This being Phelps, he had to do something out of the ordinary, even in defeat.

He was part of the first three-way tie for silver in Olympic swimming history, joined on the next-highest step by longtime foes Chad le Clos of South Africa and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary. They all touched in 51.14 seconds, which was actually faster than Phelps gold medal-winning time in 2012.

They clasped hands and stepped up together.

Then they all looked up to Schooling, receiving the gold for his blistering time of 50.39.

It hasnt really sunk in yet, Schooling said. I dont know what to believe, like, whether I actually did it or Im still preparing for my race.

What made it even more special: Schooling still has a picture that he took with Phelps when the U.S. team trained in Singapore before the 2008 Olympics, the games where Phelps won a record eight gold medals in the pinnacle of his career.

Thats pretty crazy, what happens in eight years, said Schooling, who attends the University of Texas. Im just honored and privileged to have the chance to race alongside him.

With four gold medals at these games and 22 for his career, Phelps has an opportunity to pick up one more before he leaves Rio. Hell need some help from his teammates to do it  he leads off with the butterfly leg of the 400 medley relay on the final night of swimming Saturday.

While Phelps loss left the crowd in shock, Katie Ledecky got them on their feet again with another dominating performance, handily breaking the world record in the 800 freestyle.

And two other Americans won gold, too.

Anthony Ervin capped a remarkable personal journey with a gold in the 50 freestyle  16 years after he won his first individual gold in the same event at the Sydney Games. And Maya DiRado knocked off the Iron Lady in the 200 backstroke, pulling off a furious rally on the final lap to beat Katinka Hosszu. Bronze went to Canadas Hilary Caldwell.

Ledecky became the first woman since Debbie Meyer to sweep the three longer freestyle events at the same Olympics. Meyer took the 200, 400 and 800 at the 1968 Mexico Games, and Ledecky matched that performance with a couple of world records as well.

Ledecky was merely racing the clock as she powered away from the field to touch in 8 minutes, 4.79 seconds, eclipsing the mark of 8:06.68 that she set at a grand prix meet in Texas back in January.

Then, Ledecky played the waiting game, hanging on the rope for a while to let the rest of the field finish.

Jazz Karlin finally touched in 8:16.17 to claim the silver, just ahead of Hungarys Boglarka Kapas grabbing the bronze in 8:16.37.

Some 23 seconds after Ledecky touched the wall, the last of the eight finalists chugged to the end of the grueling race.

Ledecky was barely breathing hard.

I hit all my goals right on the nose this week, she said.

Ledecky also became only the third American woman to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, following fellow swimmers Amy Van Dyken and Missy Franklin.

While Ledecky, at 19, is the youngest member of the U.S. team, Ervin is the oldest at 35.

In the blink of an eye, Ervin went from one end of the pool to the other in a furious dash, edging the defending Olympic champion, Florent Manaudou of France, by a mere hundredth of a second. Another American, Nathan Adrian, took the bronze.

Ervin won his first gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, tying teammate Gary Hall Jr. for the top spot. Then, Ervin walked away from swimming, skipping the next two Olympics while he embarked on a journey to find his purpose in life.

Turns out, it was swimming all along.

Ervin returned to make the American team in 2012, but failed to win a medal in London. Now, improbably, hes back on the top of the podium again.

DiRados upset denied Hosszu a fourth gold in Rio, and capped off a remarkable one-and-done Olympics for the American.

Shes already got a job lined up in Atlanta after the Olympics and made it clear she would be retiring no matter the results. She certainly has nothing to complain about after winning two golds, a silver and a bronze.

This whole day has been kind of crazy because its all of these little last things that Ive gotten to do, like my last warmup with the girls at the training pool, DiRado said. I tried to keep it all under control, but theres been a lot of tears these last 24 hours.
The Riverside County Sheriffs Department is looking for a man who has not been seen since July 15 and is seeking the publics help in locating him, officials said.

Robert Velasquez went to the Greyhound bus station in Temecula and bought a bus ticket to go see his relatives in San Francisco, according to a Sheriffs news release.

His relatives did not know he was coming to visit them, officials say.

Velasquez was supposed to transfer to a second bus in San Bernardino and a third bus in Los Angeles before getting to San Francisco to see his relatives, the release says.

Sheriffs officials say its not known whether Velsquez was able to transfer at all the different stops. They say his family hasnt heard from him since the day he bought the ticket.

The release says Velasquez suffered a brain injury that caused him to become disoriented and confused when he is new environments, according to the release.

Velasquez likes to go to Indian Gaming Casinos and has traveled to Las Vegas.

Sheriffs officials are asking anyone with information about Velasquez and where he is to contact Southwest station investigators at 951-696-3000 or their local law enforcement.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@pressenterprise.com or @AlexDGroves on Twitter.
Disease control officials fear high numbers of Californians could be infected with mosquito-borne West Nile virus for the third straight year after activity has spiked in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties and the Central Valley.

While Riverside and San Bernardino counties have escaped similar increases so far, the Inland region is facing a renewed threat from St. Louis encephalitis after the disease was found in both counties following long absences.

Mosquito abatement officials are urging people to protect themselves by preventing bites and removing outdoor standing water, especially now when summer monsoonal rains create breeding sites and unleash peak mosquito season.

The agencies also are stepping up efforts to kill the mosquitoes that spread West Nile after the numbers of infected dead birds, mosquitoes and sentinel chickens are rising higher than this time last year in parts of Southern California and the Central Valley.

There is the potential for many more West Nile human cases this year, said Dr. Vicki Kramer, chief of the California Department of Public Healths Vector-Borne Disease Section.

Most infected people have no symptoms, which can include fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Those most at risk for serious neurological illness from the virus are the elderly and very young, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems.

On Aug. 5, State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith reported Californias first death from the disease this year. An elderly person died recently in Sacramento County, which leads the state with 344 dead birds and 340 mosquito samples found with West Nile. Samples usually range from 10 to 50 mosquitoes, but some programs, like San Bernardino Countys, will turn in even one insect.

The number of people infected with West Nile statewide was 10 as of Aug. 5  roughly half the 22 people who were found with the disease this time last year.

However, the number of dead wild birds sent in to the state  834  has more than doubled since the same time in 2015. And nearly 510 more infected mosquito sampleswere turned in statewide compared to early August last year.

This years elevated activity comes after California was hit with a record 53 West Nile deaths in 2015  a number that dwarfed such deaths in every other state last year and far surpassed those reported in California in any previous year.

The 860 Californians infected with West Nile last year also outpaced the diseases impact elsewhere in the country.

Riverside and San Bernardino counties are seeing lower numbers of infected birds and mosquitoes so far. Thats a good sign, said San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services Mosquito and Vector Control Program Manager Jason Phillippe, adding the county hasnt found any infected dead birds this year.

But of course, we want people to remain vigilant because that could change at any time. We dont want people to let their guard down, Phillippe said.

Orange County and especially Los Angeles County have significantly more infected birds and mosquitoes than last year. Los Angeles County also has far more infected sentinel chickens.

Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District officials are concerned at the activity level. Spokesman Levy Sun said thats because the risk of people getting sick from West Nile is at a near-five-year high.

This year is trending to be another peak for the virus, he said. It sort of has been simmering in the background really quietly. Now its starting to boil over.

The Inland region usually sees higher West Nile-carrying mosquito numbers in September or October, Riverside County Department of Environmental Health Program Chief Dottie Merki said.

Larviciding is done regularly. Ultra-low volume pesticide has been sprayed or fogged to kill pockets of West Nile-carrying mosquitoes in such places as Eastvale, Corona, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Thermal, and, last Monday, at Hemet Model Masters Airfield and Mystic Field in Nuevo, said Merki and Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District Vector Ecologist Michelle Brown.

Treatment will kill any mosquitoes in that area. The Culex mosquito species that carry West Nile are more rural. They prefer breeding in larger water bodies and feeding on wild birds and chickens, unlike the Aedes species, which can carry Zika and prefer living around homes and feeding on humans, Merki said.

A new concern has surfaced in Riverside and San Bernardino counties after St. Louis encephalitis has cropped back up.

Two infected chickens in Needles, reported Aug. 8, are the first sign of the virus in San Bernardino County since 1997. After the virus showed up last year in the Coachella Valley for the first time in a decade, via five mosquito samples, 26 samples have been found in 2016.

Migrating birds may be bringing the disease here, or it may have been here undetected, said Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District interim Laboratory Manager Jennifer Henke.

Mosquito specialists will watch how West Nile virus interacts with St. Louis encephalitis. They dont want residents to get sick from either one, Henke said.

It takes just one bite for somebody to get sick, she said.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9444 or shurt@scng.com
Pen Trust Ghana Limited, a wholly Ghanaian owned Corporate Trustee Company has held an Annual General Meeting (AGM) the first of its kind in Accra. The company is licensed by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).



The AGM gave reports on the performance of the schemes to scheme members and updated them on latest happenings in the Pensions industry.



Although not very much a regular feature as per the new Pensions act of 2008, ACT 766, Pen Trust used the occasion to educate contributors and other prospective ones that the forum was the right and the best way for Pen Trust to account for its stewardship.



For us this is the surest way of building confidence in our contributors, the General Manager of PenTrust, Mrs Victoria Armah disclosed.



PenTrust currently manages two Master Trust Schemes-The Pen Trust Tier 2 Master Trust Scheme and the PenTrust Tier 3 Provident Fund Scheme.



Until 2010 when the new Pensions Law became fully operational, the Pen Trust Tier 2 Master Trust scheme was being handled by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).



We started the Tier 2 Master Trust Scheme on September 9th 2013 with one client. Within a spate of three years the Scheme has grown to 883 institutions with 13,769 employees as at 31st December 2015 Mrs. Armah further disclosed.



Total contributions received from the scheme from inception to 31st December 2015 amount to GH 4,715,027.65 with Net Asset Value of GH 5,563,904.44. The scheme made a total return of GHC 915,304.92 as at the same end of 2015, representing 25.35%



As at 31st December last year, Mrs. Armah noted We received a total of GH 3,801.36 as funds ported into our scheme from other trustees on behalf of some new members and we also ported out paid total benefits of GH 1,015.81.



The scheme paid a total of GH GH106,404.09 as management fees to all stakeholders namely, the Trustee, the Fund Manager, Fund Custodians and the Regulator.



The PenTrust Tier 3 Master Trust scheme is a voluntary Pension scheme which is funded by the employee, employer or both and allows for up to 16.5% in tax waivers.



The scheme started operations on 24th Sept, 2013 with just a client. Unlike the Tier 2 however, the Tier 3 has recorded low patronage mainly because the regime is voluntary. The total number of companies in the scheme as at the end of last year was nine (9) with 346 employees



Total member contributions received from inception to 31st December 2015 amount to GH 1,333,191.61 with a Net Asset Value of GH  1,458,887.70 as at the same period. As at December 31st 2015, the scheme had made a total return of GH 206,524.79 and that represents 22.51%



On porting, total porting received as at 31st December 2015 was GH 501,835.72; whereas total porting out paid as at 31st December 2015 was GH 72,162.65



Total management fees paid to all stakeholders from inception to the end of December 2015 was GH24,934.23



Contributors were also briefed on current industry updates; topical among them was work done on members contributions in the Temporary Fund Account [TPFA] which is currently with Bank of Ghana and the National Pension and Regulatory Authority and the requirements of the new amended Pensions law, ACT 883.



The Temporary Pension Fund Account was opened by the NPRA at the Bank of Ghana to keep in custody Tier 2 payments made to SSNIT from January 2010 when the law became operational until such time that companies appointed Trustees.



Members were briefed on how Pen Trust has submitted to the regulator, data for a total of 554 employers representing 10,164 employees for validation and subsequent transfer of funds on behalf of scheme members representing first batch of (Full name..)TPFA requests put in by PenTrust and covers the period from September 2013 till June 2015.



On ACT 883, members were informed that The National Pensions Act 766, has been amended to Act 883 (2015). The amendment requires that the total 18.5% contributions of all employees who were 50 years and above as at the year 2010 should be paid to SSNIT.



Pen Trust is therefore working to transfer the Second Tier contributions of such employees back to SSNIT and required from employers to also start paying the contributions of affected employees directly to SSNIT.



PenTrust also used the opportunity to launch its Master Trust Voluntary Tier 3 scheme and to educate members on the benefits of a voluntary pensions plan. The General Manager encouraged employers to enrol their employees on the Tier 3 scheme as a key tool to retain their best talents.



PenTrust has presence in all the ten regions and major districts of Ghana, thus members came from all the various locations to participate in the maiden AGM.

Source: 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.

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The announcement of a $1 increment in the allowance for peace-keeping officers, bringing the total allowance to $31 per day, is said to have been greeted with disdain by some soldiers.



According to an online portal, Pulse.com.gh, some officers of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have expressed anger with President John Mahamas decision.



Ghanaian troops on peacekeeping receive $30 a day. This means they will now take $31 a day.



But the website claims, some angry soldiers feel insulted by the $1 increment.



"He [Mahama] is telling us that he has adjusted the thing to us. It is an insult to us. The thing is 30 dollars a day. The feeling is anger amongst us. He shouldnt have even brought it up in the first place. The army is not permitted to go on demonstration. They are pushing people to rebel That is the discussion we are having here, Pulse reported citing an anonymous source.



The GAF, has however, sought to clarify the "misconception and negative comments" especially on social media in respect of the increment of peacekeeping allowances



Director of Public relations of the GAF, Colonel Aggrey-Quashie, in a statement issued Friday, said "the negative comments therefore being circulated intended to downplay the efforts in promoting troops welfare by government is in bad state and does not augur for the cohesion of the Ghana Armed Forces."



Read below the GAF's statement on the peacekeeping allowance





Misconception About Increment In Peacekeeping Allowance





The attention of the Ghana Armed Forces has been drawn to misconception and negative comments especially on social media in respect of the increment of peacekeeping allowances by $31.00 per month as announced by the President at an all ranks durbar in Burma Camp on Thursday 11 August 2016.



It must be noted that the monthly rate per soldier as paid by the United Nations since July 2014 had been pegged at $1,332.00 out of which $900.00 each was paid to the soldiers on a monthly basis with the remainder expended on pre-operational training activities which includes feeding, clothing, medicals and other logistics and ancillary services.



With effect from July 2016 the United Nations increased the monthly rate by $32.00 (approx.$1.06 per day) hence the decision by government to accordingly increase the monthly allowances to troops by $31.00 per month (approx $1.00 per day). Invariably the increment by the United Nations has all been passed to the troops.



It is therefore unfortunate, the negative comments being circulated in a cross section of the media and on social media aimed at creating disaffection in respect of an otherwise genuine concern to promote troops welfare.



The Ghana Armed Forces acknowledges that peacekeeping allowances for troops have from time immemorial been increased by government in accordance with United Nations periodic increments. In this particular case, the $32.00 increment by the UN has virtually been passed on to troops.



The negative comments therefore being circulated intended to downplay the efforts in promoting troops welfare by government is in bad state and does not augur for the cohesion of the Ghana Armed Forces.



E AGGREY-QUASHIE

Colonel





Director Public Relations

Source: 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.

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The Presidential Candidate of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, has given the strongest assurance that his government will revolutionize Ghanas agriculture, if hes elected President in the December 7 poll.



According to him, his administration will injected the needed resources into the sector to ensure massive yields and returns to the farmer.



The lawyer cum politician while addressing party supporters during a campaign in Donkorkrom, said his government would make Afram Plains the countrys food basket.



He noted that irrigation facilities will be constructed while farmers supplied with equipment and also expose them to new technologies to increase food crop production.



Mr Greenstreet said the living conditions of Ghanaians continue to remain poor even in the midst of huge natural resources the country has been blessed with, blaming the lack of strong and good leadership to efficiently manage these resources.



I promise you that CPP will make good use of these resources to make Ghana a better place.



He urged Ghanaians to vote for the him and the CPP to experience massive economic development which will alleviate the harsh economic condition the citizenry are reeling under.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP] has finally condemned the disparaging Sex-For-Job comment by its leading member and MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong as unfortunate and regrettable.



The partys Communications Director, Nana Akomea, noted that the lawmaker has been asked to apologize to the Electoral Commission chairperson for his disparaging comments.



Speaking on JOY FMs Newsfile  Nana Akomea said The party has engaged him [Mr Agyapong] in the matter and the party has urged him to do the honourable thing.



The outspoken MP, while addressing some NPP supporters in Kumasi, accused the EC Chair Charlotte Osei of trading sex for her current position.



His comment has generated many cacophonies over the past weeks with some leading female politicians and gender activists among others calling on parliament to penalize him.



The NPP also came under pressure to speak against what Kennedy said  and also force him to retract his remarks.



The Assin Central MP, a couple of days ago, acknowledged his comments were in bad taste but accused the media of embellishment.



But contributing to a panel discussion Saturday, Nana Akomea indicated that the NPP equally reprimanded the MP contrary to earlier held perception that the opposition party backed him.



There is no doubt this comment against women is terribly unfortunate, he added.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Brendan Dassey, one of the subjects of the Netflix documentary series Making A Murderer, has had his homicide conviction overturned by a judge, and will be free within 90 days, unless prosecutors appeal the decision.

Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery were sentenced to life in prison in relation to the 2005 killing of photographer Theresa Halbach, who had come to take photos of car bodies on their rural scrapyard property.

The Netflix series, which aired last year, renewed public interest in the pair and their treatment at the hands of law enforcement, and many devoted fans came to the conclusion that they were wrongly convicted for the killing.

In his order overturning the conviction, Judge William Duffin issued a strong rebuke to the police who investigated the crime, as well as public defender Leonard Kachinsky, who represented the then 16-year-old Dassey.

Duffin said that Kachinskys conduct while acting as an advocate for Dassey was indefensible, and said that police acted improperly when extracting a confession from the boy. His order read, in part:

The investigators  assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about. These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dasseys confession involuntary.

Avery remains in prison, although there is ongoing public pressure to pardon him and launch an investigation into corrupt officials at the Manitowoc County and Calumet County Sherriffs offices.

Source: ABC News.
Blind items about the inner workings of Hollywood are juicy as all hell, but the goss-hungry public has to contend with the fact it could be literally anyone ragging on the film industrys major players.

While Gracie Law from yesterdays viral attack on Warner Bros could just be some miffed DC fan, only one person can speak as Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. And thats Patty Jenkins.

Responding to the letters claim Wonder Woman is another mess that is sure to join Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad as critical fuck-ups, Jenkins took to Twitter to clear the air for her invisible jet around the entire issue.

If her take on the letter is anything to go by, the film itself is probably gonna be ferocious.

Woah, just saw this press about WW having problems. Are they serious? This is some made up bs right here. Made up! Produce a source, anyone.  Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 12, 2016

You cant because its entirely false. Dont believe the hype people. Someones trying to spread some serious misinfo.  Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 12, 2016

Isnt until you are intimately involved in these things that you realize how totally false these rumors can. Let me reassure you  Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 12, 2016

Zero about the movie we are making has been called a mess by anyone in the know. Fact.  Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 12, 2016

Real lasso of truth, time, will reveal that letter to be false soon enough. But lame something so transparent in its agenda gets traction.  Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) August 12, 2016

Elsewhere, DC mega-producer Zack Snyder  who was chastised in the letter for delivering more [opportunities] to get more people laid off  has kept mum on the situation.

Instead, hes teased fans with a world in which Jason Momoas Aquaman vanquishes foes with nothing but tasty riffs:

Whether that pre-release fan appeasement is akin to Jenkins & Co. supposedly trying to hide behind the great trailer for Wonder Woman is yet to be seen.

Source: Variety / Patty Jenkins / Twitter.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube.
The beginning of the end of World War II came on Aug. 15, 1945, (it was Aug. 14 here) when Japan surrendered to the Allies just days after the United States dropped atomic bombs three days apart on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

As World War II was entering its sixth year, Nazi Germany had surrendered in May but the Japanese refused to accept the terms of surrender.

The United States called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces in the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945. Failure to comply would result in "prompt and utter destruction," according to history.com.

A uranium atomic bomb called "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. The "Fat Man" plutonium bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9.

MORE: Photos of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On Aug. 15, Japan surrendered to the Allies.

When the surrender was announced, celebrations erupted around the world - and in Harrisburg.

On Sept. 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was held in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri.

President Truman declared Sept. 2 as the official Victory over Japan or V-J Day - in 1945. It was a federal holiday until 1975 when it was abolished by the federal government. Rhode Island continues to be the only state where it is still a legal holiday - observed on the second Monday in August.
NORRISTOWN -- Two words brought an abrupt end to the criminal proceedings against Kathleen Kane on Friday.

Defense rests.

Few court observers expected the attorney general to take the stand in her own defense, but no one predicted that her team of lawyers wouldn't call any. After four days of prosecution witnesses, many in the courtroom were girding themselves for a possible weekend session.

Instead, Kane's attorneys made a motion to dismiss the case after Montgomery County prosecutors wrapped up their case. When that failed, the proceedings wrapped up in short succession

"Most people would've looked at this case and figured it was a 3-week jury trial," said David Zellis, a former Bucks County prosecutor who sat in on the proceedings Friday. "You'd expect jury selection to take much longer than it did, the day might be shorter than it has been and the cross-examination might be more extensive than it was."

Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy was consistently checking in with the jury to see if they were alert and comfortable, scheduling regular breaks and keeping the reporters covering the trial in check. Still, for jurors, every day--except Friday--lasted eight hours and, sometimes, quite a bit longer.

Monday will see both sides make their closing arguments and, depending on the jury's deliberations, a verdict could bring closure to the saga of Kathleen Kane.

The prosecution will likely reiterate the revenge narrative of its opening statement: Kane ran afoul of the law in her quest to get back at former AG's office prosecutors who were causing her strife; and that J. Whyatt Mondesire, the former Philadelphia NAACP president at the heart of the alleged leak was collateral damage.

For the defense, however, the argument will be simple.

"There was no credible evidence you could conclude she did anything criminal and those who said she did told inconsistent stories. I assume that's the argument that they'll make," said Walter Cohen, a longtime prosecutor and former acting attorney general.

That was the argument Kane's attorneys made in attempting to dismiss the case outright, with the defense citing former Kane first deputy Adrian King's assertion that another prosecution witness, the political consultant Josh Morrow, tried to frame him. They didn't mention the second half of King's allegation, made in response to cross-examination by Kane's attorney Seth Farber: that Kane had worked with Morrow to frame him.

At the time, Farber appeared surprised by King's response.

Despite the legal truism that attorneys should never ask a question they don't already know the answer to, Zellis said surprises happen all the time. That's especially true, he said, during a trial as fast-paced as Kane's.

"You don't have the time in the evening because you go so long during the day," he said. "Those hickups happen."

James Swetz, a past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said the defense team's hand may have been forced by the last-minute immunity granted to Morrow in exchange for his testimony on Thursday.

"The day before that made her defense," he said. "If she took the stand she'd essentially have to say, 'he's a liar.'"

And that, of course, could have opened Kane to a brutal cross-examination.

Furthermore, Swetz said, testifying may have exposed the attorney general to additional perjury counts if prosecutors were able to prove she was making false statements.

Demchick-Alloy already explained to jurors that they should not consider a defendant's refusal to testify as sign of guilt, but Swetz said that's still a difficult ask.

"It's difficult for a jury to understand," he said. "And, when a high-profile public official becomes a criminal defendant, that's a difficult hurdle for a jury to get over."

Kane's lawyers had indicated during the lead-up to the trial that they planned to pursue a defense that she was the victim of "selective and vindictive prosecution" due, in part, to her uncovering of a chain of offensive and pornographic emails involving top state officials. The judge, however, barred them from presenting evidence from those emails.

In the absence of that strategy, which may or may not have proven convincing, many legal observers believed Kane had little else to fall back on.

Zellis noted that a number of the exhibits that the prosecution showed jurors on Thursday will likely stay with jurors.

"Some of the words that came out of her own mouth: 'If I get taken out of here in handcuffs, what do you think will be the last thing I do?'" He said. "Who talks like that?"

Unlike Zellis, Swetz said he wouldn't read too much into the speed with which the trial has progressed.

"Sometimes prosecutors over-try their case. When you do that, you risk boring the jury," he said. "And, with the defense, less is always more."

But Cohen said he still would have liked to hear Kane's explanation for the events of the last two years.

"If there were any way she could've testified, I think it would have been helpful," he said. "I guess they determined it would be harmful."

Of course, Cohen said, the defense team's argument will be that the prosecution mounted such a poor case that they didn't need her to testify.

After closing arguments, both sides will be at the mercy of 12 jurors.

Zellis said the truncated jury selection means they probably don't know much about the backgrounds of those jurors or their potential biases.

"If I were the prosecutor, that's what I'd be obsessing over," he said, because at least some of the people who voted for Kane in 2012 are likely still committed to her.

Swetz said he wouldn't necessarily read anything into the swift voir dire.

"In Pennsylvania, you ask a jury various things that might prejudice them against or in favor of a particular defendant," he said. "If they say there's nothing, they are going to be available for jury selection."
ALTOONA -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continued to hammer away at his rival Friday night at a campaign appearance in Altoona.

Speaking before a crowded auditorium -- the largest crowd in the history of the Blair County Convention Center -- Trump told supporters that the Clintons' legacy was one of lost manufacturing jobs across America -- jobs which were outsourced to Mexico following the signing of the NAFTA agreement by former President Bill Clinton.

"We have lots of things we're going to be working on. But [a big one] is going to [be bringing] our companies back," he said. "We're going to put your jobs back. ... we are not going to let your jobs leave folks. ...we're going to bring so much back. We're going to make our country great again. We're going to make American great again."

Trump said he would renegotiate international trade agreements and lower taxes for companies and individuals -- something his opponent, Democrat candidate Hilary Clinton, wouldn't or couldn't do.

Clinton, Trump said, can't renegotiate trade deals "because her donors won't allow it." He also said that Clinton would raise taxes and increase regulations on businesses. "She wants to raise your taxes, raise your regulations, and we are going to do such a massive decrease in regulation so your small business can thrive and grow," he said.

"Hilary ... she yesterday proposed one of the biggest tax increases in history," Trump said. "We're the highest taxed nation in the world folks ... and she wants to tax us some more."

The theme of jobs was one Trump returned to again and again throughout the evening. At one point during his speech he introduced the owners of the McLanahan Corp., a nearly 200-year-old manufacturing company headquartered in nearby Hollidaysburg. Trump had toured the plant earlier in the day.

Mike McLanahan, the company's chairman, said the last eight years "have been the toughest in existence" for the company, and "it's come to having to layoff friends and families that have worked for us for generations."

McLanahan blamed President Barack Obama and government regulation for many of the company's woes. "We stand behind Donald Trump as a solid business man. We support him in everything he is doing to change what is happening in Washington and this country," he said.

Trump's visit to Altoona was his second stop in Pennsylvania Friday. Earlier in the day he had made a campaign stop in Erie and he told supports he would continue to appear in the state in the run-up to the general election.

Pennsylvania is a key battleground state -- which Trump acknowledged Friday. Winning Pennsylvania, however, may be an uphill battle for Trump, as recent polling has indicated Clinton has a sizeable lead among likely voters.

Trump didn't acknowledge those polls Friday. Instead, he predicted he would win the state, unless he was cheated at the voting booth.

"Certain sections of the state -- they cheat," Trump said. He said the defeat of Bernie Sanders by Clinton was evidence that the "system was rigged." Trump also said that without a voter ID law, it would be up to his supporters to ensure the election was fair.

"Don't just vote on the 8th, but go around and look and watch other polling places and make sure it is 100 percent fine," he said.

Trump also hit on the themes which have become central to his campaign -- security, immigration, repealing Obamacare and the need to prevent Clinton from becoming president and having the power to nominate Supreme Court justices.

The next president, Trump said, could have the opportunity to name at least three new justices to the bench.

"If it's Hilary you're going to have super left-leaning judges. You're going to have a country that is destroyed, probably for 75 years," Trump said.

"We have to take care of our vets. We have a massive problem with education. We have to end Common Core and we have to bring education back. We have to repeal and replace Obamacare. We have to save our second amendment," Trump said.

He concluded his remarks on familiar ground, reiterating that he would build a wall between U.S. and Mexico and make Mexico pay for it, that he would "knock the hell out of ISIS", and that "we're not going to let our companies go. We're going to win and win. We're going to win so much, that the people in this room are going to call up their congressman and say; 'mister congressman, we can't stand it anymore, we're winning too much.'"
Are short-term rentals pushing out long-term residents?

As the cost of living continues to climb, long-term residents face limited housing stock and higher rents. Meanwhile, the questions remains  how much more tension can the Michigan affordable housing
NOTICE...



Hey folks...I'm really getting perturbed by others on YouTube using our upright canine investigations. It's coming to the point where I'm thinking about curtailing posting any information on these sightings. You folks can help by reporting to me, any person using our information and case references. If someone wants to use the information, they must contact me directly. I will take action against those who steal intellectual information without permission. Thanks...Lon

DEVON (Web Desk)  A fisherman got an exciting surprise in his catch earlier this week when he found a 2-pound lobster in his trap, the color of a sapphire. According to experts his catch is an extreme rarity, occurring in about one in two million.Wayne Nickerson, owner and captain of FV Windsong in Plymouth, was the lucky fisherman who has been fishing for lobster for over 35 years, ABC reported.The lobster went to a nice cool tank so he wouldnt die. He is fine. healthy and happy, Jan said in a comment on her Facebook photo.Lobsters caught of the Atlantic coast dont usually come this bright. Normally they are a murky, greeny-brown until they are boiled into an orangey-pink. This color is a more familiar for lobster diners from Ocean City, Maryland to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.According to the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine, only an estimated one in 2 million lobsters is blue. But its executive director, Rob Byer, admits that is merely a guess.********************The agency inadvertently sold a bag that once housed the first sample of lunar material ever collected to an Illinois woman.The bag was taken to the moon by the Apollo 11 spacecraft in July 1969 and contains, according to a government station, lunar material embedded in its fabric. Emblazoned with the words Lunar Sample Return, the bag was used by astronauts to take moon rocks back to Earth.But as CollectSpace.com reports, the bag has had a checkered past since then. In 2003, it was found among the effects of Max Ary, the former president of the Kansas Cosmosphere, who was convicted of stealing and selling space artifacts from the museum. In 2005, Ary was indicted on charges of stealing over 400 space-related items on loan from NASA and other institutions. Hegeman explains that the bag was initially forfeited by Ary to pay for his restitution costs. But due to an error in NASAs system, the bag was confused with another space bag from a later lunar landing, and was then accidentally sold to an Illinois woman for just $995 at auction.Once NASA realized the mix up, the agency did not hand over the priceless bag. But Nancy Lee Carlson, who purchased it at auction, claims it is rightfully hers and filed a lawsuit. NASA responded with its own lawsuit against Ary in an attempt to regain the bag.In a statement, the government told Hegeman that the bag is a rare artifact, if not a national treasure.This isnt the first time NASA has come across contentious, precious bags from lunar missions past. In 2015, Neil Armstrongs widow, Carol Held Knight, found a white bag filled with space artifacts that flew with him to the moon inside a closet. The astronaut had apparently stowed them there before his death. That story had a happy endingKnight donated them to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where they are being preserved for the public.It may take a few lawsuits to get there, but perhaps NASAs whoops moment can turn into a happy ending for the bag, which carries a small but priceless piece of space history.**********BATAVIA, N.Y. ( WKBW ) - Two people were found dead Wednesday in a Batavia cemetery, victims of an apparent lightning strike.Police were called around 3:30pm Wednesday to the Batavia Cemetery on Harvester Avenue, where two bodies had been discovered."The storm blew through probably 3:30 in the morning and they were found 3:30 in the afternoon," said City of Batavia Police Department Detective Sergeant Todd Crossett.Investigators, with the help of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, determined the lightning strike had occurred in the area where the pair were found.An autopsy determined the victims, identified as 34-year-old Richard Garlock and 32-year-old Jenea Macleod, had been struck by lightning as the victims had injuries consistent with a lightning strike.Police say this is rare to see."This is the first time I have ever dealt with somebody struck by lightning," said City of Batavia Police Department Detective Eric Hill. "I know for the rest of the bureau, they haven't experienced it either."Detective Hill adds there was drug paraphernalia in the scene but no indication it was used."This doesn't seem to be related to any overdose at all at this point," said Detective Hill. "We're not certain of that but we'll have more information when toxicology comes back."Those results could take 60 to 90 days.**********A sudden and intense period of solar flare activity almost triggered a nuclear apocalypse back in 1967.During the Cold War, the world narrowly avoided an all-out nuclear war on more than one occasion.One such incident took place on May 23rd, 1967 when US military radar systems designed to detect incoming Soviet missiles suddenly started to experience widespread disruption.Believing that this was a prelude to an all-out attack by the Soviet Union, US authorities took the decision to prepare their own planes, each brimming with nuclear missiles, for mass deployment.Before any missiles could be launched however the order came in to stand down. It turned out that, far from being a sign of imminent attack, the radar disruption was actually the result of a solar storm."This is what we would characterize as a really near miss," said researcher Delores Knipp."The aircraft did not launch - were pretty certain of that. Was war imminent? What we know is that decisions were being made on the tens of minutes to hours basis, and that information got to the right place at the right time to prevent a disaster." Read more at Solar flares almost started a nuclear war **********
The SCOC is a sick, sick construct.



Led by that that 60s era radical feminist, Chief Justice Bev MacLaughlin, of massive moral and intellectual mediocrity, along with a like minded cohort, they've barged into redefining Canadian Society in their own image.



Something they do not have the mandate for, but have usurped from the people of Canada through their elected representatives, BECAUSE, the Parliament is too gutless to impose the Not Withstanding Clause, the one safeguard left to it to prevent a Judicial Tyranny.



It should be used here to prevent the Culture of Death from making further inroads into Canadian society. It will disassemble the country if it is allowed to prevail.



A Charter of Rights and Freedoms is an ANATHEMA to a Parliamentary system, which does not have the checks and balances to control it. In its form as judicial instrument it has divided the country along lines polemical lines.



In its current format, without a clear statement that it forms a statement of values, SUBJECT to the good of the community as a whole, and without a codicil that all individual rights encompass a commensurate responsibility to that community as determined by Parliament and the people of Canada.. it is like loose cannon on a shipdeck, splintering and destroying everything in its path on the ship of state.



It has moved relentlessly to destroy all sense community responsibility, trumped by the most trivial and destructive notion of 'right' to self gratification (as with the destruction of marriage into an irresponsible absurdity... through homosexual 'unions').



It is Pierre Trudeau's most massive blunder.. and totally undermined his legacy. If the country is going to survive it must repatriate its Constituion from a gang of judicial tyrants to the people of Canada.
FMD Racing are having a great season so far - under the watchful eye of the whole team, their on-track performances are getting better with every race. I had the opportunity to follow Kaos Seagrave & Joe Parfitt on their first transatlantic trip to downhill racing's mecca: Mont Sainte Anne, Canada. All filmed on GoPro - enjoy! @TransitionBikeCompany / @foxracingshox / @schwalbe
Top 4 Underrated Places for Good Food in Malaysia

When it comes to food, Malaysia is one of the best places to visit in Asia or in the world. Malaysia might not have its own Michelin Food Guide like its neighbour Singapore but the local food is listed by many popular websites in the world.

The local food in Malaysia is unique as the country is multi-racial and multi-culture. You can find local Malay food, Chinese food, Indian food, Peranakan food and many others. Even the Chinese food you can find in Malaysia is unique and different from the rest of Chinese cuisines in the world.

Penang had been listed by CNN as one of the Asias 10 greatest street food cities while Ipoh took the 5th place as Best in Asia for 2016.

While Ipoh and Penang strive as one of the top cities in Asia, there are a number of underrated towns in the country offering good food that many are not aware off. The underrated towns for good food in Malaysia are Taiping, Kuching, Johor Bahru and Kuantan.

1.Taiping

Taiping is one of the most beautiful towns in Malaysia. Located in the state of Perak, the town has the first train station and prison in the country built by the British. The sleepy town is more popular with its mirror-like lake as well as the quiet Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hill).

The local you can find in Taiping is different than Ipoh even though both towns are only one hour apart. You can find local delicacy like chicken rice, cendol, rojak, spring rolls, seafood and more. Thus, the thing about Taiping is the food prices are still low compare to other towns in Peninsula Malaysia. The town is a small town so you can even walk from one place to another.

Make sure you do not miss the Taiping Night Safari Zoo by the lake as well as the scenic view of the town on top of the Larut Hill.

2.Kuching

Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak and it is also known as the cat city (the meaning of Kuching in Malay). The city is blessed with many good local food which is only available in this place. Some of the recommended local food includes kolo mee (dry noodle), Kampua noodle, Foochow Kompia (a localised bagel), seafood and Bilin (wild vegetable). You can find most of these popular local food in the city centre.

With the popularity of cafes, Kuching is now blessed with many good coffee places too. You can also find many hipster cafe in the city. Now who said Kuching has no good food?

2.Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is the capital city of state Johor. The city is just next to Singapore and a popular weekend getaway for Singaporeans. You can find many Singaporeans shopping and looking for good food in Johor Bahru.

There are not many people know that the city is blessed with some of the best hawker food in the country. The southern city of Peninsula offers a different variety of street food than the other states and that makes it a unique food haven.

Some of the most try food in Johor Bahru includes mee rebus, oyster omelette, seafood, beef noodles, bakuteh, ikan bakar (grilled fish) and many more

4.Kuantan

Pahang is the largest state in Peninsula Malaysia and popular with its national park and rainforest. Kuantan is their capital city and it offers more than just a beach city. You can find many local good food in this largest city of East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

Food like curry noodle, satay, chicken rice, cendol, nasi lemak and cendol are some of the popular food in Kuantan. You can also find dried seafood in the city and the salted fish is highly recommended.

When it comes to hotel booking in Kuantan, we recommend Traveloka. Traveloka is one of the top travel search engine websites and app for cheap flights and hotel booking. Why take the hassle to find many travel websites when Traveloka shows you the best out there? Stay in Kuantan cheaper and better by just click here to book your hotel Kuantan now.

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
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For two weeks running Friday Fox Follies reported on separate Sean Hannity freak outs complaining his words were quoted accurately. It wasnt pretty. Nor are his sycophantasies of becoming Press Secretary in a Trump White House. Hannitys fawning is so bad even the Wall Street Journal  Rupert Murdochs own paper  compared him to Al Sharpton in Sean Hannitys Veneration of Ignorance. Man, thats gotta hurt.

That was Hannity Humiliation #1.

Number 2? Because it was Too good to check: Sean Hannitys tale of a Trump rescue. SPOILER ALERT: Wash. Post Fact Checker Debunks Bogus Story Touted By Hannity About Trump Helping Gulf War Troops.

Do I hear three? Yes, I do. Sean Hannity is Melting Down Already Because He Knows Hell be to Blame For Hillary Winning, which is why an Angry Hannity Goes After Republicans Sabotaging Trump  And Hes Naming Names and why Sean Hannity accuses GOP crybabies opposing Trump of paving the way for Clinton win: WATCH:

https://youtu.be/Pp_znoDXquE

Anything else? Oh, yes! Sean Hannity refuses to let Trump move on, launches investigation into Gold Star parent Khizr Khan and then Hannity Mainstreams a Very Silly Response to Trumps Bad Poll Numbers. Thats #4 and #5. Then Watch As Sean Hannity Fails To Convince Doctors That Hillary Clinton Suffers From Seizures and In prime time, Sean Hannity carries out a Clinton medical investigation.

Little had been advanced by the panel [on the two previous days], but on Wednesday, Hannity invited Siegel back and added New Jersey neurologist Fiona Gupta. He played back the clips that had been circulated the most by online conspiracy theorists, including two videos of Clinton coughing (Those coughing fits go on for a long period of time) and one of her making an exaggerated bobble-head motion when reporters ask her questions in a scrum. That last one is so odd to me, Hannity said. Its just so hard to speculate based on snippets, said Gupta. But watch this video, said Hannity, playing back the bobble-head clip. It almost seems seizure-esque to me.

Is it any wonder real journalists call Hannity a hack, other than the alliteration?

MURDER ON THE HILLARY EXPRESS: This week, digging deep into the Conservative Conspiracy Catalogue, Fox, Right-Wing Media Run With Conspiracy Linking Clinton To Murdered DNC Staffer. While hes not the only one: Foxs Eric Bolling Floats Conspiracy Theory That Murdered DNC Staffer Was A Hit.

How soon before this is all linked to Whitewater and Vince Foster? OH! Wait!!!

DIVING DEEP ONTO THE FOX HOLE: This new rubric will showcase thought provoking articles about the Fox News Channel:

Will Megyn Kelly Stay at Fox News? Why Shes a Litmus Test for Network Talent (Guest Column) , in which Andrew Tindall says:

FNC has spent so much time differentiating itself from all other mainstream networks and boasting that it has a radically different journalistic agenda and ideology (fair and balanced) that it is not clear Kellys star power (she reportedly already makes $10 million a year) would translate seamlessly. Can she fit in at a network she has disavowed with her implicit endorsement of Ailes proposition that it is unfair and imbalanced in comparison to Fox? It is likely Kelly had thought it through before she made her allegations of sexual harassment against Ailes. She must have known her claim to internal investigators would eventually be made public, so she was delivering the coup de grace that would topple Ailes and transform the management structure at FNC. Her decision makes sense if she already had locked in an opportunity to leave and saw no downside to burning bridges. Equally, it makes sense as an internal power grab; with Ailes supplanted, she increases her chances of leapfrogging his acolytes Sean Hannity and, in particular, archrival Bill OReilly, to become the networks true star.

It will be interesting to follow Kellys career now and which way she jumps at contract time.

Also worth reading is: Exclusive: Inside the Fox News Bunker at Vanity Fair [& Balanced?].

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FFF predicted a drip, drip, drip. Its turning into a flood, but you wouldnt know it by watching Fox. As of yesterday Here Are The Women Publicly Accusing Roger Ailes Of Sexual Harassment. Meanwhile theres a Report: Multiple Women Taped Conversations With Roger Ailes

New reports suggest the atmosphere at Fox News under Roger Ailes was more Nixonian * than previously thought  though none of it should really come as a surprise since Ailes got his start in politics working for our most paranoid president. On Monday, Vanity Fair reported that the settlement in Gretchen Carlsons sexual-harassment lawsuit against Ailes may reach eight figures due to the existence of audio tapes recorded by multiple women in conversation with Ailes, two people familiar with the tapes said. The magazine did not elaborate on what the tapes might contain, but with multiple women now claiming that they too were sexually harassed by the former CEO, we have an idea.

Even the Wall Street Journal  Murdochs own paper  says 21st Century Fox Anticipates Settlements in Roger Ailes Harassment Probe. Other Ailes Allegations:

Roger Ailes Sexually Harassed Me.

I Thought I Was The First and Last

Ex-GMA Producer Shelley Ross Claims

She Was Sexually Harrassed by Roger Ailes

Anita Hill Calls on Fox News to Take Back

Roger Ailes $40M Severance Package

Fox CEO Roger Ailes Once Threatened To Beat

The S*** Out Of Reporter Gabriel Sherman

Roger Ailes Used Fox News Budget to Finance

Black Room Campaigns Against His Enemies

Roger Ailes alleged use of Fox

funds raises liability questions

After Ailes: Friends of Roger exodus

expected at embattled Fox News

Harassment Crisis Builds at Fox News, Despite Its Swift Response reveals bigger problems in the corporate culture:

Of particular issue is a $3.15 million settlement that Laurie Luhn, a former booker at the network, said she received in 2011. In an interview with New York magazine, Ms. Luhn said that Mr. Ailes forced her into a yearslong sexual relationship. Executives at 21st Century Fox have said they were only made aware of the settlement recently. On Wednesday, when asked to clarify exactly when it learned of it, the company declined to respond. One would hope that a $3 million settlement for sexual harassment would flow up the line to somebody in corporate management, said Kirk O. Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. At least today, that kind of settlement should come to the attention of the audit committee of the board.

How soon before the shareholders revolt?

* Headly Westerfield loves nothing more than using the latest headlines to remind readers of all his posts on Watergate in the Not Now Silly Newsroom, including this one in which Roger Ailes uses James Rosen to cover up Richard Nixons treason.
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After several weeks of polls show Donald Trump falling behind not just in swing states, but also in typically red states, the Republican nominee is taking his campaign to  Connecticut.

Yes, Trump is heading to Connecticut on Saturday, where he hopes to shore up support in a state that hasnt voted for a Republican since 1988 and isnt on anybodys list of key battleground states this year.

There hasnt been much polling out of the Constitution State, but the few surveys that have come out show Clinton leading Trump comfortably there. In 2012, Barack Obama won the state by 17 points.

As Politico reported today:

Its a move that is flummoxing and infuriating Republicans who believe Trump should be spending time and resources in winnable states, not in a place that few consider to be competitive.

At this point, Florida looks in trouble, North Carolina looks in trouble, they dont even know who their people are in Ohio, said Charlie Harper, a prominent conservative writer who runs a think tank in Georgia, where Trump is sliding in the polls. He can go have lunch in Connecticut and be home for supper, but the map is changing rapidly in the opposite direction. Hillary Clinton is not going to move in to defend Connecticut just because Trump went there.

Its unlikely shell need to, given the strong Democratic bent of the state, which has a Democratic governor, an entirely Democratic congressional delegation and voted for Obama by 18 percentage points in 2012. Former GOP Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut has also recently endorsed her over Trump.

Trumps decision to waste time and money on a state he will lose in November is leaving many Republicans in disbelief.

No one in the world thinks he has a shot in Connecticut, said former Romney strategist Stuart Stevens, according to the same Politico report. I mean, hes not going to win any state within that media market.

On Saturday, The New York Times reported that Trump has bragged to advisers about being able to read polls better than the political experts.

Its probably safe to say that Trumps pointless trip to Connecticut  as states like Georgia and South Carolina slip from his grasp  disproves that claim.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

Many Americans may be under the misguided belief that establishment Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are solidly behind Donald J. Trump for president due to his extremism, bigotry, misogyny and overall disgust at anyone not white. However true that may be, and it is true according to the past eight years of Republican legislative efforts and opposition to equal rights for all Americans, Nobel prize-winning economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman thinks hes figured out why the leadership of the GOP is staying with Trump despite he appears to be taking the Republican Party straight to the proverbial Hell. That after-death excursion to Hades is something that is not happening, but more on that in another article.

In Mr. Krugmans column on Friday, he wasted a few of his 800-plus word allotment to express what many Americans already know about the GOP standard bearer. Paul Krugman called Donald Trump an ignorant, wildly dishonest, erratic, immature, bullying egomaniac. He forgot racist, misogynist and bigot, but railing on Trump was not the subject of his column; explaining why top-level Republicans still support Trump was. Apparently the still firm support from the GOP leadership after the disgusting second amendment remedy remark prompted Krugman to weigh in on the Republicans who dont care about shunning racism, preserving democracy and freedom of religion, oravoiding nuclear war because they still stand behind Trump.

Krugman reminds readers that all of the GOPs proposals are con jobs, and that they only want to cut taxes for the rich, and that a Hillary Clinton victory will make their tax-cutting frenzy impossible. Krugman even came up with a magic number, thirty-four, thats driving the Republican leaderships support for Trump.

Thirty-four (percent) is the Congressional Budget Offices estimate for the federal tax rate enjoyed by the richest one-percent of income earners in 2013. That rate is a result of President Obama and Democrats Herculean battle to finally let the Bush tax cuts on the highest income expire from their previously low 28 percent. Every American, including the ultra-wealthy, still kept their Bush tax cuts up to about half-a-million dollars in income. Obviously, a Clinton victory will put a stake in the GOPs heart and plan to slash taxes on the uber-rich as is their disastrous wont, but a Trump presidency will mean that Republicans can cut, if not eliminate, taxes on the rich permanently as remuneration to the Koch brothers for spending tens-of-millions to preserve control of Congress and state legislatures.

In fact, Krugman railed on the long lusted-after Republican dream of eliminating a tax that affects a minuscule percentage of the population; those with an estate valued at about $11 million. The average net worth of a middle class American is roughly $300 thousand, and that is only if they own their home outright; few American homeowners, by percentage, actually dont have to pay off a mortgage. The 50 percent of the working population living in poverty due to slave-wages likely have no net worth whatsoever.

The point of Krugman railing on the estate tax elimination is that it will only serve the needs of the very richest Americans, and why Republicans are despicable for supporting a hate-monger like Trump. They know Trump will be a rubber-stamp presidency of any tax elimination proposal for Americans in Trumps income category. As Krugman put it, no American should be the least bit astonished that the Republican leadership and conservative punditry support Trumps morally bankrupt and inherently racist agenda, or in Krugmans words made a Devils bargain with Trump because he promises to implement their entire agenda.

It is curious that Mr. Krugman is just now expressing what many Americans knew as Trumps Republican rivals fell during the primary, and especially after he won the GOP nomination. Perhaps it was the second amendment remedy comment that incited Krugmans assault on the likes of Ryan and McConnell. Look, if leading Republicans supported Trump after he questioned the integrity of a highly-respected Hispanic judge because, as this column noted in early June, Donald Trump agreed with Ryan that Social Security has to go, then it can hardly be shocking that theyre with him after a Second Amendment remedy statement.

Some of the GOP leaders, and most of the base, may feign disgust over some of Trumps remarks, either made on the stump or during interviews, but they agree in principle on everything Donald Trump represents because Republicans created the base that gave him the nomination. However, Mr. Krugman is right to rail on the Republican leadership because they supported Trump throughout each and every one of his stunningly outrageous statements.

Republicans are never going to change or alter their agenda of serving solely for the good of the richest Americans. That is not any kind of revelation because it is and has been the very foundation of conservatism since Ronald Reagans disastrous tax-cutting atrocity. Where Mr. Krugman accurately explained what is really different about the Republican movement with a bigoted fascist leading the Party was his remark that,

All that has happened this year is a move of those white nationalists from part of the supporting cast to a starring role.

Truer words Krugman could not have uttered, and sadly, the preponderance of the bigoted white nationalists would suffer the same as the rest of the non-white, non-rich and non-Christian population under a Trump presidency and they all know it. But like the Republican leadership, theyll put up with a world of economic badness and needless wars if they think their particular agenda is implemented, whether it is founded on enriching the already filthy rich or purging the nation of non-white non-Christians. It is, no matter how one appraises it, a bunch of malcontents making a Devils bargain for wealth or white supremacy no matter the cost in human terms or the existential threat to the continued existence of the United States.
You know this is true. No doubt. You could have been on the Montreal team in 1976. Gone to Barcelona in 92. You could have made the squad that went down under in 2000 to Sydney. You just were never discovered, were you?

Yeah. You could have been an Olympian.

Trouble is, you claim, they didnt announce the tryouts. Never saw the notice, you say? If you just would have known, you woulda been there with stars and stripes all over your britches.

Admittedly, an additional consideration centers upon the inclusion of the event most conducive to your particular skill. For instance, look at the 2016 schedule. You might have made the platform in one of these events.

How about synchronized diving? Dont have to run. Dont have to jump or throw. All you need is a partner who can jump into the pool like you do. Duet Cannonball. Thats your event.

Hopefully, the judges like the primitive approach.

Are you a workout guru? Then compete in rhythmic gymnastics. Its all about the beat - bending every ligament, tendon and sinew in time. The modern day version of twist and shout (in pain).

Not for you? How about the 20K walk? Wait, thats about...twelve...miles.

Here you go. Badminton. I always called, and spelled it, bad mitten. And we referred to it as a birdie, not a shuttlecock. Keeping score was fruitless because I typically served the birdie into the net or over the fence so the tally was always some high number to nothing. Maybe you were better at badminton? Sure. Prove it in 2020.

On the practical side - and considering your semi-permanent position of sitting in a recliner most of the day - perhaps you could compete in Foil, Individual. Its all about the parry and thrust. As an additional benefit, competitors wear those mesh masks which make it impossible to determine how old you are. A young, spry, over fifty year old like yourself might just slip into the finals undetected. Of course, your opponent could be Chucky or Edward Scissorhands, but come on, buck up. Its the Olympics.

Perhaps, for you, its all about horses. Equestrian. You just ride and the horse does the work. Jumping. Trotting. Cantering. Stopping. Turning. Hold the reins and wear a spiffy outfit. Ah, yes. This is your event.

Except Old Paint went to the glue factory in 08. Darn!

Ahha! Hope springs. A new event for 2020 in Tokyo. Synchronized storytelling.
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A hurricane of controversy has surrounded Donald Trumps deteriorating campaign this week after his suggestion that Second Amendment people assassinate Hillary Clinton and, more recently, his claim that President Obama is the founder of ISIS.

While Trump has since walked back the ISIS comments as sarcasm, he still claims he was not that sarcastic about the horrific charges he asserted against the sitting President of the United States.

It appears that the Obama-led military isnt at all fazed by Trumps ridiculous, fact-free remark.

Just yesterday, the Pentagon announced that Hafiz Saeed Khan, the leader of ISIS in Afghanistan and Pakistan, was killed in a U.S. strike last month.

According to a statement by Pentagon official Gordon Trowbridge:

Khan was known to directly participate in attacks against U.S. and coalition forces, and the actions of his network terrorized Afghans, especially in Nangarhar.

Nangarhar province has been a hotbed for ISIL-Khorasan activity since the summer of 2015. ISIL-K uses the area to train, equip, disseminate and control fighter pipelines, providing ISIL-K commanders throughout Afghanistan with a continuous supply of enemy fighters from this province.

Khans death affects ISIL-K recruiting efforts and will disrupt ISIL-Ks operations in Afghanistan and the region.

As the Guardian noted, The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan  confirmed by a US defence official on Friday night  is a blow to efforts by Isis to expand its control from its Middle East territory into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The removal of this senior ISIS leader is good news in the continued fight against the brutal terror organization, and its also more proof that Trumps attacks on President Obamas patriotism and determination to stop terrorism are completely baseless.

Not only did this president authorize the killing of Obama bin Laden  something George W. Bush failed to do in the seven years following the Sept. 11 attacks  but ISIS leaders across the Middle East have routinely been the target of successful airstrikes in the Obama years.

According to the military, the United States has carried out almost 140 airstrikes against ISIS in Afghanistan over the past eight months alone. A U.S.-backed operation two weeks ago also took out hundreds of ISIS fighters in the country  a huge setback for the terror group.

In Iraq, one senior U.S. official said in late June that ISIS has lost nearly 50 percent of its territory in the country and is down to as few as 18,000 fighters  a major drop from the 33,000 that made up the terror organization in 2014.

While the threat of terrorism is still very real, the continued allegations that Barack Obama is somehow sympathetic to terrorists, to the point of being called an ISIS founder or MVP, have no basis in any existing reality.

Donald Trump and the Republicans who aid and abet his dangerous campaign can continue to launch unfounded attacks on Obama all they want, but the current commander-in-chief is likely too busy carrying out attacks on American enemies to notice.
FORBES, Minn.  After a year of layoffs and mine closures in northeast Minnesota that occurred while the U.S. steel industry grappled with a historic downturn, the Iron Range celebrated a piece of good news Thursday.

Gov. Mark Dayton and other state leaders were on hand as Cliffs Natural Resources broke ground on a $65 million expansion at its United Taconite plant in Forbes.

The upgrades will allow Cliffs to produce a new specialty iron ore pellet it calls the "Mustang" pellet, which will supply North America's largest steel blast furnace at the Indiana Harbor facility outside Chicago, operated by the steelmaker Arcelor Mittal.

In May, Cliffs announced a new 10-year supply contract with Arcelor Mittal. The new pellet, which will begin production in March 2017, replaces a pellet produced at the Empire Mine in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which Cliffs closed earlier this month when the mine ran out of ore.

"With our Mustang pellet contract, our future looks a lot brighter than it did a year ago," said United Steelworkers Local 6860 union president Brian Zarn. "We're going to have a wider market, we're going to have a more versatile and valuable pellet, so that's all we can ask for."

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Cliffs brought back all of United Taconite's roughly 450 employees this week. The mine in Eveleth and pellet plant in Forbes had been shut down for about a year, as U.S. steelmakers  the customers who purchase Cliffs' iron ore pellets to make steel--struggled against a tide of imported, illegally subsidized steel.

At one time nearly 2,000 mineworkers were laid off on the Iron Range, when three of the six big taconite mines were idled and several smaller facilities were also shut down.

The U.S. has since slapped tariffs on much of the imported steel, and Cliffs has rebounded. It reopened its Northshore Mining facility in Babbitt and Silver Bay earlier this year. But nearly 1,000 workers elsewhere on the Range remain unemployed.

Still, Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves said the groundbreaking on the new pellet project signals a new chapter for the company on the Iron Range that will allow families to have fifth- and sixth-generation mineworkers.

"We'll continue to create jobs in this area, for another generation, and another generation," he said. "The steel's not going away. Your iron ore, your pellets, are the best in the world."

Goncalves also reiterated his intention to take control of the stalled Essar Steel mine site on the Iron Range, and eventually not only open a taconite mine there but also build a direct reduced iron facility that could supply the growing electric arc furnace segment of the steelmaking industry.

Essar's state-owned mineral leases have expired, and Gov. Dayton said the state has initiated legal action through the Attorney General's Office to extricate those leases from Essar's bankruptcy proceedings.

Dayton said the investments at United Taconite, combined with the possibility of opening the Essar Steel site and the ongoing permitting of the PolyMet copper-nickel mine, signal "a resurgence of jobs and economic opportunity on the Iron Range, as you make everybody want to stay here and bring your kids back here and stay here for a couple more generations."
As parents prepare their rising freshmen for life at college, many are leaving out a crucial piece of information: how to build credit.

The college years are the best time to begin the process. After graduation, adults with no credit history have a harder time renting apartments, obtaining car loans or, eventually, mortgages.

Nowadays, getting approved for a first credit card can be the toughest part. Back when many of today's parents were in college, issuers lined up on campus to enroll students for starter cards. Since then, changes to federal law have sharply restricted students' credit access, making so-called student cards an option for fewer and fewer students.

Even so, there still are plenty of ways parents of college-age children can help them along.

Challenges after college

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Failing to help kids establish credit is "kind of a parenting error," said Lisa Heffernan, a mother of three in Westchester County, N.Y., who writes a blog for parents of young adults. "You don't realize it until after your kids graduate college."

For Heffernan, that realization came recently when her middle son was turned down for an apartment after graduation. He'd landed a good job and had the paystubs to prove it, but he hadn't been working long enough to file a tax return, and he had no credit history at all. Landlords commonly check prospective tenants' credit for signs they might not pay their rent on time.

But it isn't too late for Heffernan to help her youngest get a card and build credit while he's still in college.

"This is a chance for me to teach him some good finance habits," she said.

The myth of student credit cards

Most major credit card issuers offer a student credit card. Some provide perks for good grades or on-time payments or higher rewards rates for spending at student-friendly businesses, such as restaurants and movie theaters.

The catch is that student credit cards essentially have the same requirements as regular credit cards: The federal Credit Card Act of 2009 mandates you must be 21 or have a full-time income to get approved. The tightened rules mean most college students can't qualify for student cards on their own.

Some students qualify by showing they earn sufficient income. Vicki Kipfmueller's son, Spencer, applied for his own student card while working at a restaurant the summer after he graduated from high school. He was approved with an initial credit limit of $300. A year later, his credit limit has been raised to $1,000 because he has handled the card responsibly. He uses it to buy groceries.

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On-time payments are the single biggest element of a consumer's credit score. To make sure Spencer stayed on top of his, Kipfmueller, an insurance agent in the Milwaukee area, helped him set up automatic payments from his bank account. "We really stressed that one late payment or missed payment, and you could totally wipe out any of the good that we're trying to do here," Kipfmueller said.

How parents can help

Even if your children can't qualify for their own credit cards, you still can give them a head start in building credit.

1. Make them authorized users:Parents with good credit can add their teenage children to an existing account as authorized users. The child will receive a card with his or her name on it, but the parent still will be responsible for the bill. Making teenagers authorized users is like giving them a set of credit training wheels, and it can help them establish a credit history.

2. Co-sign:When a parent co-signs on a student's account, both of their names are on it, and they're jointly responsible for the bills. Not all issuers allow co-signers.

3. Find them a secured credit card:These cards require a security deposit, usually equal to the total credit limit. They're often easier to get because the deposit reduces risk to the issuer. Similar to other credit cards, they have age and income restrictions, but if your son or daughter is nearing the end of college or already has graduated, one of these might be a good option.

4.Suggest a debit card:Debit cards don't help build credit, but if your student needs the convenience of paying with plastic, they can do the trick.

Passing down good credit habits to your kids is important. These practices will help them get favorable terms on their first leases, insurance policies and loans.

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"We do so much to try to help our kids," Kipfmueller said. "I think that it's important that you do try to give them this good foundation of financial responsibility -- and a good credit score."
Steve Farrell, a financial adviser for Rochester's Waddell & Reed office, has been named to the company's "Circle of Champions."

The Overland Park, Kan.-based firm looks at the investments, insurance and financial planning sales generated by each of its advisers and then names the top ones to its "Circle of Champions."

This year, Waddell & Reed chose 600 out of its more 1,800 financial advisers to be part of the Circle of Champions. Farrell, who joined Waddell & Reed in 1992, has been named to the "Circle" 22 times in his career.
75th Anniversary

Lee and Shirley Graham will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on August 16. They are long-time residents of Rochester. These years have been filled with joyous memories with family and friends.

They are blessed with three children: Diane, Sue, and Jerry, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A family gathering will be held at Madonna Towers on August 13 to celebrate this wonderful event along with Lees 98th birthday on August 12.
TOKYO  Everyone's surprised that "Pokemon Go" is getting people out from behind their screens and out of the house. But Japanese animated creations have a much longer tradition of sending people on real-world adventures, although in a very different way.

The settings of Japanese anime series are often closely based on real locations. Places like shrines and train stations featured in these cartoons are often hunted down by fans on visits called seichijunrei, which translates as "holy land pilgrimage." Local governments and businesses sometimes even promote the connections to well-known places, decorating train stations with characters or selling souvenirs at shrines.

But there's a more challenging version of the pursuit: a subculture of hobbyists who hunt for everyday streetscapes, shops and train stations reproduced in these cartoons in exquisite detail. Called butaitanbou, which translates as "scene hunting," it's not as simple as it might sound.

Town and neighborhood names are often unmentioned or even changed in shows, so that's the first thing to figure out. Then, it's not just about identifying a big landmark, but finding specific, often very mundane places.

Imagine that your own local dry cleaner and playground were featured in a cartoon and someone from out of town had to find them.

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"Butaitanbou implies that the hunter is doing his or her own location identification," says Michael Vito, an American who often visits Japan for anime tourism and who is one of the few English speakers who writes about the hobby. "To do butaitanbou is to be a pioneer of sorts."

Match game

Photos are taken of sites exactly as they appear in the show. "Butaitanbou generally requires composing and cropping photographs to precisely match the way they appear in the art," says Vito. The photos are then displayed next to corresponding screenshots in blog posts.

An easy place to experience seichijunrei is Kanda Shrine. It's a short walk from the fan mecca of Akihabara, where anime fans typically go on their first trip to Tokyo. A central setting for the anime "Love Live! School Idol Project," the shrine has capitalized on this connection with various items for sale. Prayer plaques, which you'll see at other shrines illustrated with seasonal motifs or religious imagery, here have illustrations of characters. And fans don't settle for just that: Many add their own drawings to the blank side where people write their prayers.

Of course a location like that is so easy to find that it lacks the thrill of discovery. Vito says serious butaitanbou fans of that series visited the Akihabara locations mainly for the sake of completeness. What sparked more enthusiasm was an episode in the second season where characters take a spur-of-the-moment train trip to the shore town of Odawara in Kanagawa prefecture. "The trip to Odawara requires a much higher commitment and confers greater bragging rights," he says.

Ordinary attractions

Japan's other tourist capital, Kyoto, offers an example of how a very ordinary place can become an attraction. Demachi Masugata Shotengai is a traditional shopping street where locals go to the fishmonger, produce vendor or pharmacy, or eat at a neighborhood restaurant. But it's also the model for the shopping street that was the setting for "Tamako Market." Three years after the series ended, fans still visit a fish shop there. A notebook is left outside for visitors to sign; they've filled 11 notebooks already.

These notebooks are commonly installed near some significant location where fans can get a local to take custody of them. "The custodian and site are often a commercial business, like a cafe or shop, but shrines and other historic sites and even countryside train stations are known to lend a hand," says Vito. Voice actors and animators sometimes visit and leave an entry, and these pages get marked for visitors to find.

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Even fantasy series are often set in precise real locations. Kyoto is also the setting for "Uchoten Kazoku" (released in English as "The Eccentric Family"), about a family of mythological shape-shifting animals called tanuki. Their fantastic escapades are set in real Kyoto locations, and fans may visit the shrine where they lived in their animal form and a billiard parlor they frequented when disguised as humans. One episode included a surreal fantasy trip on a car from the Eizan Electric Railway, which in real life regularly does tie-ins with anime series, and at one point used the characters on signs reminding riders to watch the closing doors.

Despite the rise in overseas visitors to Japan and increased access to translated anime online, English-language material about visiting anime locations is scarce. One place to start is Vito's blog, http://likeafishinwater.com/ , where he writes about current series and reports on discoveries from butaitanbou pioneers. Another blog, by Mike Hattsu  http://mikehattsu.blogspot.com/  includes maps for locations he's visited, along with screenshots and photos. If you want to try to delve into Japanese language blogs, Vito recommends starting with the Butaitanbou Archive, http://legwork.g.hatena.ne.jp/ . You can usually find the Japanese name of a series in its English Wikipedia entry, which you can paste into the search box.
MINNEAPOLIS  The family of a black man fatally shot by a suburban Minneapolis police officer is seeking a federal investigation into his July death, according to a letter provided to The Associated Press on Thursday.

An attorney for Philando Castile's family asked the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an independent investigation, saying the family believes criminal charges should be filed and that Castile was racially profiled. In the letter dated Aug. 2, attorney Glenda Hatchett tells U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch that "we do not believe that local law enforcement authorities will provide a fair and impartial review."

A DOJ spokesman was working Thursday to confirm that the agency received the letter. A spokeswoman for Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger confirmed Thursday that his office had received the letter but declined further comment.

Castile, a 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker, was shot during a traffic stop by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez, after Castile informed the officer he had a gun and a permit to carry it. Castile's girlfriend said she and Castile were told they were pulled over for a broken tail light, and that Castile was reaching for his wallet when he was shot.

The gruesome aftermath of the shooting was streamed live on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend. It shows Castile, his shirt soaked with blood, slumped over next to her in the driver's seat.

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Yanez's attorney has said Yanez was reacting to the presence of a gun, and that one of the reasons Castile was pulled over was because Yanez thought he looked like "a possible match" for a suspect in a recent armed robbery nearby.

Hatchett wrote that crime scene evidence confirms the car's tail lights were intact and that the family believes Castile was profiled.

"Officer Yanez's excessive use of force and fatal shooting of Mr. Castile was unjustified and warrants criminal prosecution," Hatchett wrote.

The state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating Castile's shooting. Agency spokeswoman Jill Oliveira declined to confirm the detail about the tail lights, saying she couldn't talk about specifics while the investigation is ongoing. The local prosecutor has said he will make a charging decision, with the help of an outside attorney, once the investigation is complete.

Shortly after the July 6 shooting, the Department of Justice said it was monitoring the investigation and would provide assistance as needed. Jeff Van Nest, a local FBI spokesman, said that statement hasn't changed and declined further comment Thursday.

A federal investigation would examine whether Yanez intentionally violated Castile's civil rights, which is a high legal standard because an accident, bad judgment or simple negligence is not enough to bring federal charges. Earlier this year, federal authorities declined to bring charges against two Minnesota officers involved in the November fatal shooting of another black man, Jamar Clark, saying there was not enough evidence.
The arrest Sunday of a Rochester woman may have stopped a rash of thefts of checks from mailboxes but not before she racked up 11 felony charges in cases dating back to last summer.

Melissa Jill King, 32, made her initial appearance on a few of the cases Thursday in Olmsted County District Court, where she's been charged with five counts of check forgery, two counts of financial transaction card fraud, two counts of identity theft, one count of possession of stolen check and one count of aid and abet theft of a motor vehicle, all felonies.

She's also been charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of check forgery, two gross misdemeanor counts of possession of stolen check and one count of gross misdemeanor financial transaction card fraud, as well as one misdemeanor count of possessing stolen checks.

King also is known as Melissa Dexter, Melissa Green and Melissa Kunkel.

She remains in custody in lieu of $20,000 conditional bail and is due back in court Sept. 2.

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Following her arrest, King said she could provide information on "who was having 'them' steal mail," according to one of the multiple criminal complaints filed against her.

The documents outline a path of alleged theft and forgery, beginning in July 2015 with the theft of a Kwik Trip debit card from a man in Wabasha County. Investigators learned the card had been used 23 times at seven different stores in Rochester in four days.

The purchases on the stolen card totaled $1,981.79.

King was identified as the person making the transactions, the complaint says; she was charged July 1, 2016, and made her first appearance Wednesday.

In February, a woman told Rochester police her credit card and ID had been stolen from an apartment where she'd stayed. King reportedly was at the apartment during the time the cards went missing, so the woman called her to ask if she'd picked them up by accident. King denied having them.

The same day, three charges totaling $45.02 were made to the credit card; the investigator reviewed surveillance video from the three businesses and again recognized King as the person using the card, the complaint says.

In March, Rochester police received a report of a pickup stolen from a Rochester hotel; a checkbook was inside the truck.

According to that complaint, a $450 check had been written, payable to King, endorsed by another woman. King allegedly admitted she'd paid the woman $40 for cashing the check for her.

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Less than two weeks later, King and a man led law enforcement from Goodhue and Olmsted counties on a vehicle chase. A search of the vehicle they were in turned up several checks in the seat pocket behind the front seat. According to court documents, the checks were in the names of two 25-year-olds.

Checks in King's possession at the time of that arrest were in the name of a 77-year-old woman; the checks and her car had been reported stolen.

King appeared in Olmsted County District Court for both cases on June 28 and was released on her own recognizance.

In the meantime, however, she allegedly used a credit card that had been reported stolen May 30 from a mailbox in southwest Rochester.

Surveillance video later revealed King using the card May 29 at two Rochester businesses, court documents say, making purchases totaling $812.77.

Also in late May, another report of stolen checks came in to the Rochester Police Department.

During a traffic stop on June 1, King was arrested on an outstanding warrant. During a search of the car, officers found a check in that victim's name made out to "Sally" for $271.88, as well as a driver's license application in the name of the most recently reported victim, the reports say.

The investigators also found membership cards to two Rochester businesses in the name of the victim but with King's picture on them. When officers contacted the victim, she said she'd ordered a box of replacement checks and still was waiting for them in the mail.

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An employee of the bank that sent the checks told investigators six of them had been stolen and cashed throughout Olmsted County. The total loss was $1,390.07. Other checks that were written on the victim's account  but hadn't cleared the bank yet  totaled $2,344.41.

Surveillance video from the transaction sites showed King passing checks as payment, court documents say.

On June 6, a resident of northwest Rochester reported four checks had been fraudulently charged to her bank account; the missing checks had been stolen from her mailbox.

Officers obtained video footage from the businesses, the complaint says, and saw King conducting the transactions, offering checks. The total loss was $151.40.

Finally, on Aug. 2, a man reported checks bearing his name had been stolen from his mailbox sometime July 26  that day, though, a bank employee called and said a man had cashed a $400 check from the victim's account July 27.

The next day, a woman had tried to cash a $400 check from the victim's account. The teller found the circumstances suspicious; the woman fled when the teller questioned her. In her rush to leave, though, the woman left behind two forms of ID with the name Siobhan Marie McKee.

Still photos and Social Security number information from the bank identified the man who'd cashed the check as Brandon Allen Pfeifer, 20.

The investigator learned five more checks from the victim's account were written at Kwik Trip stores in Rochester. Surveillance video determined King passed four checks totaling $330.39; McKee is identified as writing one check for $20, the complaint says.

Another check was written on the male victim's account, this one for $74 on July 28 at a grocery store. A driver's license number written on the top of the check came back to a woman who said she'd applied for a new driver's license but never received it.

Video from the store revealed the person who made the transaction was King, the report says.

The final check drawn on the man's account was written July 31 at a local drug store in the amount of $88.21. Once again, it was King who allegedly passed the fraudulent check.

The recent spate of thefts from mailboxes included many cases of prescription drugs being stolen. None of the cases involving King mention drugs.
Man charged with killing neighbor in lawn mower dispute

MINNEAPOLIS  Prosecutors in Hennepin County say a dispute over a lawn mower led to a fatal shooting.

Sixty-one-year-old Edward Holzinger, of Minneapolis, is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his neighbor. Holzinger is expected to make his first appearance Friday. Prosecutors are asking for $1 million bail.

According to the criminal complaint, Holzinger shot his neighbor, 47-year-old Bruce Brown, Tuesday night because they had been feuding over a lawn mower.

Authorities say Holzinger shot Brown while standing on his front porch, placed the handgun on a living room chair and went outside to wait for police.  Associated Press

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Judge approves request to sell some Prince properties

MINNEAPOLIS  A judge in Minnesota has given the administrator of Prince's estate approval to sell some properties belonging to the late recording artist.

Prince's home and recording complex, Paisley Park, is not on the list of properties Bremer Trust wants to liquidate.

Most of the properties, including homes, vacant lots and buildings, are in Prince's hometown of Chanhassen. They include a commercial building estimated to be worth $22 million and a 156-acre piece of land on the shores of Lakes Ann and Lucy valued at nearly $14 million.

Carver County Judge Kevin Eide Thursday gave the trust permission to list six properties for sale this month. Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/2aHoFYn ) reports Eide says estate administrators must submit another affidavit before listing the remaining eight parcels.

Prince died in April at age 57 of a drug overdose.  Associated Press

Michigan authorities search for missing boater

WINONA  Authorities near Detroit are searching for a 30-year-old Minnesota man who is missing in Lake St. Clair.

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The Macomb County Sheriff's Office says Craig Michael Moir of Winona was on a boat with three others near the mouth of the Clinton River late Thursday when he and another person went swimming. The department says the boat drifted away and the other swimmer made it back, but Moir didn't.

The U.S. Coast Guard was notified about 12:15 a.m. today and started searching.  Associated Press

Judge awards $3.5 in sexual orientation case

OWATONNA  A judge in Steele County has awarded $3.5 million to a man who said he was fired from the family banking business because he's gay.

The attorney for Stephen Habberstad says it could be one of the largest payouts in Minnesota to a single person for sexual orientation discrimination.

Steele County Judge Joseph Bueltel recently ruled Habberstad's family discriminated against him, retaliated after he filed a lawsuit and breached its fiduciary duty. Relatives claimed Habberstad was fired for business reasons.

Family members own a piece of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Blooming Prairie and Citizens State Bank of Hayfield. Their holding company is Country Bankers.

The 61-year-old Habberstad says he always knew he was gay, but kept his sexual orientation to himself until he was in his 50s.  Associated Press

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Red Lake man found dead in jail

BEMIDJI  A Red Lake man has been found dead in his cell at the Beltrami County Jail.

The sheriff's office says jail officials were called to Tony Edward May's cell early Thursday by a cellmate. The 26-year-old May was unresponsive and could not be revived.

Additional details on the circumstances of his death were not released.

Sheriff Phil Hodapp said his office asked an outside agency to investigate. He says the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has taken the lead, and an autopsy was being conducted by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office.  Associated Press
ST. PAUL  Minnesota's two licensed medical marijuana manufacturers each posted millions of dollars in losses in their first full year of operations, according to financial documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Minnesota Medical Solutions posted a $3 million loss in 2015, a period that included the rush to build up facilities, grow and cultivate medicine and the first six months of legal medical marijuana sales. The company also said it lost more than $542,000 in 2014.

Meanwhile, LeafLine Labs lost roughly $2.2 million in 2015. Their audit does not include information from 2014. The AP obtained copies of the documents through an open records request.

The heavy losses illustrate the financial difficulty of running a medical marijuana business in Minnesota's tightly regulated structure and confirm some fears among patient advocates that the restrictive program can't survive long-term. Minnesota's program is only open to patients with 10 severe conditions, and using the plant form is banned. Intractable pain, a qualifying condition that supporters think will greatly broaden the customer base, was only recently added.

Between start-up costs associated with growing facilities and dispensary openings, the high costs of processing the plants into pill and vapor forms and the layers of required laboratory testing, manufacturers expected a rough go in the first years. Coupled with lackluster enrollment  fewer than 900 patients had signed up within the first six months of sales  Minnesota Medical chief executive Kyle Kingsley called 2015 "an unusual year, and future years won't be like that."

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"In year one, we needed to strike a balance between minimizing expenses and building a company that would be financially sustainable over the long haul," he said in a statement.

Minnesota's Legislature in 2014 approved one of the most restrictive medical marijuana laws in the country. Minnesota Medical Solutions, or MinnMed, and LeafLine Labs were chosen as the state's two sole manufacturers later that year, and legal medical marijuana sales began in July 2015.

Minnesota Medical Solutions raised more than $16 million in capital to weather the high start-up costs. Publicly available financing documents show LeafLine Labs had also raised a similar amount and announced plans earlier this year to raise another $20 million.

Despite the high prices of medicine  monthly costs can quickly exceed $1,000 for some patients  the documents show that Minnesota Medical Solutions made just 65 cents for every $1 it spent to produce the marijuana pills, oils and vapors. In its audit, the company noted the high production costs and discounts offered to first-time patients to explain the loss.

Patient advocates had expected both companies to post heavy losses in the first years, blaming the bevy of restrictions for high production costs. Patrick McClellan, who lobbied lawmakers for years so he could treat severe muscle spasms with medical marijuana, was surprised MinnMed didn't lost even more money.

"It's not sustainable. I think the program itself was designed to fail," McClellan said. "I think anybody who didn't know this was kidding themselves."

Kinglsey has said he hopes that the recent expansion of the program to include patients suffering intractable pain will boost the program. Nearly 500 pain patients signed up in the first month it was allowed, and subsequent registrations have brought patient count above 2,300.

"We've never seen our patient count grow faster than it has this month, so we are feeling cautiously optimistic about our future," Kingsley said.

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But McClellan doubted whether that expansion would be enough for manufacturers to cut prices for patients. For him and others, the only solution is to loosen the program's restrictions by opening the door to more conditions and relaxing the ban on using the raw plant. State officials and lawmakers have shown little interest in making drastic changes to the law.

"I can't see that happening any time in the future unless if major changes are made to this law," he said. "The only other option is that these companies are going to go out of business."
LAKE CITY  From the Total Look of Lake City , manager Linda Hyberger watches traffic on U.S. 61 as it moves through downtown, and can see where her customers can easily park in front of her beauty salon.

She fears a plan to turn the four-lane into a three-lane  two lanes for traffic with a center turn lane  will remove some or all of that parking, and she's dead-set against that change. Parking is the major thing, she said.

"There is no other parking. (My customers) will have to walk way too far," she said.

Another problem is the intersection of U.S. 61 and U.S. 63, a few hundred feet from her shop.

"It's difficult with the two highways meeting at the corner," she said. "With semis, it's hard enough to make the turn anyway. (A three-lane) will make it harder yet."

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Because of those issues, her business has a clipboard where people can sign a petition against the change. It reads, in part, "We want to save the driveways of residents who live on Lakeshore Drive, along with saving parking spots for our local customers who shop locally." It also cites congestion with just two lanes.

The petition is expected to be given to the Lake City City Council on Monday night. The council could vote on which option to choose when the Minnesota Department of Transportation does a major mill and overlay project from Kellogg to north of Lake City in a few years.

Not all businesses agree on how to divide the highway, and it has becoming an issue that is dividing the community.

City Administrator Mark Sievert said the local chamber of commerce, economic development authority, Destination Lake City and the tourism bureau have all sent letters in support of the three-lane option.

One business owner firmly in the three-lane side is Mary Jane Rasmussen, an owner of the Lake Pepin Pearl Button Co . who is also on the November ballot for the city council. She believes the present four lanes are bad for safety and business.

"It (the three-lane) will slow down traffic," she said. "The speed and safety are the biggest issues." Drivers speed up to get through the city and don't look for pedestrians, she said.

The downtown might lose a few parking spaces but there is plenty of parking elsewhere, she said. The three-lane plan should also help with safety and pedestrian/bike traffic and the plan would make it easier to build a recreational trail to Hok-Si-La , a city-owned park north of town.

Right now, people seem to be racing through the city to get to Red Wing or Wabasha, but a three-lane would give them time to see Lake City businesses, she said.

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Rasmussen went with a group of Lake City leaders to Albert Lea, which changed a major highway from a four-lane into a three-lane, and it has worked very well, she said. Installing poles with flags and flowers, "they made it much more inviting," she said.

Mike Schoenfelder, MnDOT district planning director, said the department is looking at 2019 to do the mill and overlay, a procedure in which the surface is ground off and a new surface put on. When MnDOT goes through a city, it tries to see if there are other needs that can be met, such as new sewer or water lines, at the same time the paving work is done, he said.

The construction budget for the mill and overlay is $14.2 million, he said. "Depending on what reconstruction would happen, MnDOT would contribute up to an additional $5 million from a municipal agreements program. This program is the same that allowed Red Wing to reconstruct Highway 61 through its downtown," he said.

Right now, "we are just looking for direction from the community on how we are going to proceed," he said.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation's plans to reconstruct U.S. Highway 61 through Lake City presents an opportunity to reconfigure the four-lane highway.

Some hope to make it a three-lane road with a turning lane in the center. Others hope to leave it as it is. The issue has divided the town.

Here are the arguments for and against making the highway three lanes:

PRO SIDE

Safety

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When cities have gone from four to three lanes, crashes have been reduced and the road still carries the same amount of traffic as a four-lane, said Mark Schoenfelder, Minnesota Department of Transportation district planning director. With "bump outs" that are built into the road, it's easier to cross a highway because the distance curb to curb isn't as great, he said.

"There is no (safety) advantage to four lanes now," Schoenfelder said.

Because it's a four-lane now, people want to race through, making it less safe, said Greg Schreck, who owns two downtown antique stores and is on the city council. A problem is that if one driver stops for a pedestrian, a driver in the other lane might not see that person and keep on driving, he said.

"People are racing to get through Lake City" because of the four lanes without turn lanes, he said. The three lanes "calm traffic, that's what we need."

"It's dangerous, there's no question," Schreck said. "It's just a matter of time before somebody is going to get wiped out."

The plan may also call for adding three pedestrian crossings further north, he said. The only safe places in Lake City to cross U.S. 61 now are at the two stoplights in the downtown.

Traffic congestion

A MnDOT study states: "According to forecast volumes, Highway 61 has no roadway sections that are anticipated to experience capacity constraints and do not exceed the capacity threshold of a three-lane highway." Right now, its busiest stretch gets about 9,700 vehicles a day, the study said.

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In a four-lane without turn lanes, drivers have to slow or stop for turning traffic, Schoenfelder said. But the three-lane has one lane where drivers can move through with fewer interruptions, he said.

Cost

The present estimate is that making the highway into a three-lane would cost an extra $6.2 million, including new sidewalks, storm and sewer lines and trees, Schreck said. He believes the city can get some grants to cover some of those costs.

Parking

"We are going to have parking," Schreck said. "There is plenty of parking in Lake City." The city might lose some spots on the highway, but there are other places. Also, some owners park in front of their stores all day, so maybe it's time for the city to enforce two-hour restrictions, he said.

In the current configuration, traffic passes near the parking lane, so people are afraid getting out of their vehicles on the traffic side, Schreck said. At three lanes, there's more space between parking spots and traffic, he said.

Good for business

Schreck said Lake City's downtown is suffering now with empty storefronts. Part of that, he sad, is because the highway is not inviting to people to stop.

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Mary Jane Rasmussen, a downtown business owner and candidate for the city council, believes the three-lane will make U.S. 61 look less like an invitation to race through and more of an invitation to stop in and see what the city has to offer.

The petition

Schreck takes issue with the petition seeking signatures at several businesses, saying it asks if people want to keep the four-lane or go to two lanes. If that was the issue, he said he would agree. But it's a three-lane model with the middle turning lane, and that makes a huge difference, he said.

The Albert Lea model

Schreck went on a tour of South Broadway in Albert Lea and was hugely impressed. It's a state highway but also a major thoroughfare and business district. The road was reconfigured from four lanes to three lanes within the past few years and it's worked beautifully, he said.

Compared with four years ago, the lodging taxes in the city are up 38 percent and there has been a 70-percent increase in pedestrian use, he said. There have been no problems with traffic and "it has revitalized that area."

Randy Kehr, executive director of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, also praised the project. MnDOT was going to do a mill-and-overlay project there; traffic counts were similar to Lake City's, under 10,000 a day, he said.

With the four-lane, "it was very risky to turn there," he said.

At first, business people hesitated because of "the usual things that revolve around change," he said. But they kept all the parking, added a bike lane, have a buffer between traffic and parking and are making it easier to back into traffic.

Two businesses, a Domino's Pizza and a bike shop, moved there specifically because of the change, Kehr said. It's easier and safer to get out of vehicle parked along Broadway, he said.

The road had been averaging about 13 accidents a year, but in the first nine months of this year had only three, Kehr said. "This is definitely a more livable than a year ago," he said.

---

CON

Safety

"There have been very very few accidents" in the current road configuration, said Tom Heffernan, owner of Tom Heffernan Ford that is on U.S. 61 on the north side of the business district. Heffernen is the leader of the petition. He refers to the new idea as a "two-lane" highway, not a three-lane because only two lanes would move traffic through the city.

"We have very few people crossing this road" or going downtown, he said. With four lanes, drivers can still go around you in the other lane, he said.

The highway was expanded from two lanes to four lanes in 1955 and it was a good idea, he said. "What you have now is traffic twice as much as 1955 and trucks are bigger," he said. Red Wing did a major upgrade of U.S. 61 through the city and it kept four lanes, he said. If the three-lane idea is so great, why didn't Red Wing switch to three lanes, he said.

Another problem with the reconfiguration plan is many people live along the highway and have to back out. "There is no way those people are going to back out of their garages," he said.

Also, Heffernan has wreckers or semis with cars that need to back into his business, and he doesn't believe that would work with the two lanes. "There is no way that would work," he said.

The MnDOT study looked at three key intersections from 2010 through 2014. "The crash rates were compared to statewide system average crash rates for similar intersections as well as the critical crash rates for each intersection. At all three study intersections, the crash rate and critical crash rate (are) below the statewide averages for similar facilities."

"We have got to figure out something with the state of Minnesota" to improve pedestrian crossings, said Mary Lou Waltman, a member of the city council.

Traffic congestion

Those who say a two-lane highway can move as much as a four-lane "have got to be nuts," he said. He sees the amount of traffic going past daily and said traffic would be backed up under the new idea. Trucks stopping to unload groceries or other items at stores can now park and unload because there's another lane, he said.

Heffernan fears that in case of a fire or medical emergency, traffic would be so backed up that emergency vehicles couldn't get through.

If traffic gets too congested, Hefernan fears drivers would move up one street and drive through Lake City on High Street. High Street then would then be congested  and it's a residential street.

Cost

No one has determined how the city will pay for new sewer and water lines that the city needs, Heffernan said.

Waltman said the project discussion is "a lot about how we are going to pay for this." Everywhere she goes, she gets questions about the plan, and few people seem to be for it, she said.

Good for business

Parking would be harder to find if the road is reconfigured, Waltman said.

"The people are angry, they just don't want to lose their four lanes," she said. It's only a small number of people who are pushing the idea.

If there's a problem with parking, maybe it's time to get police to enforce restrictions so more people can park, she said.

Heffernan doesn't think slowing traffic will prompt more people to check out Lake City businesses: He doesn't believe they'll think, "I'm going too slow now, maybe I should stop and buy something," he said.

The petition

Heffernan defended his use of "two lanes" instead of "three lanes" in the petition because there are only two lanes for traffic. He hopes to be able to give the city council petitions with about 1,500 signatures out of about 5,000 people in the city.

He has also offered people a chance to sign one in favor of the two-lane, but few have taken him up on that offer.

The Albert Lea model

Heffernan also went along on the tour of Albert Lea and thinks what that city came up with is great  but only great for Albert Lea.

South Broadway is a state highway and not a major way for people to get through the area; for that, they used two interstates, he said.

On the way back on the tour, they stopped in Stewartville, which has four lanes of traffic and it works there, he said.

Greg House, owner of Stewartville's House Chevrolet, said the town had two lanes before but changed to four lanes many years ago. There is plenty of off-street parking, he said, and they have never had a problem with safety. For the most part, drivers adhere to the speed limits, he said.

House is adamant that the town needs four lanes because there has been talk of a bypass, "and that would kill the city," he said.
An exclusive catering agreement might, or might not, offer new efficiencies and increased revenues at the Mayo Civic Center, but the center's governing board has elected to not study that option.

The Mayo Civic Center Commission on Wednesday voted to retract a request for information it had sent out to vendors. The request asked for informal proposals to combine the center's concession and catering business with a single provider.

The request riled at least one caterer who does business at the civic center  Joe Powers, who operates Canadian Honker Catering and Pinnacle Catering. In 2015, Powers captured 94 percent of the $1.7 million in gross catering business at the civic center.

The vote to retract the request came after one commission member  Michael Smith, director of operations at Titan Hospitality  gave a vociferous opposition to the request, raising his voice, at times pounding his hand on the boardroom table, calling for the resignation of a fellow board member and threatening his own resignation.

The request for information was initiated by a food and beverage subcommittee of the Mayo Civic Center Commission and approved by the full commission in a July meeting .

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'It was glossed over'

Smith accused the subcommittee members of "camouflaging" the request and said he had no knowledge the commission had reviewed or approved it.

"It was glossed over. Because you know what? Had that come up, I would have fallen off my chair, probably, and sustained a heart attack at the same time because there was no reason to bring this up. It was a dead issue," Smith said.

The commission, in July, was in the process of renewing its contract for concessions services with its vendor, Lancer Hospitality.

The commission agreed to issue a request for proposals for concessions services. It issued a separate request for information on potentially combining concessions services and catering services with an exclusive vendor.

"We're talking about the exploration of price differentials. It was merely for the purpose of gathering information," said Jerrie Hayes, a commission member who chaired the subcommittee.

Powers penned a letter to commission members after hearing about the request for information on exclusive catering services. He expressed frustration with the short time period to respond and with the proposed starting date for a new vendor  Jan. 1.

"What really shocks me is I was not even spoken to about what was going on," Powers wrote.

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Powers is chairman of the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau executive board. Smith also sits on the executive board as past chairman. The RCVB is responsible for sales and booking at Mayo Civic Center.

The request for information was "offensive to me, my company and also to my employees," Powers wrote.

Smith also took offense to the request for information, he said.

"What you guys did on your committee, what you did was you offended a primary caterer in this city. That's what you accomplished. And I take offense to it," Smith said.

Smith also said he had heard of "disparaging remarks" against Powers at the commission's food and beverage subcommittee. He recommended Hayes resign her commission seat if that were true.

Smith continued: "If I don't get some sort of reconciliation for this matter, I will be off this board immediately. And I will not go quietly."

An exclusive catering agreement could have operational benefits for a facility such as Mayo Civic Center, said Brad Jones, Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director, at the Wednesday commission meeting. The RCVB sales team and clients prefer an open catering policy, Jones said.

Hayes said the subcommittee wanted the request for information to consider any potential benefits to operations or revenue at the civic center.

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"Our obligation was to gather information and bring it to you all (the commission) to make the decision. That was it," she said Wednesday.

Two companies responded to the request for information: Lancer Hospitality, of Mendota Heights, and Levy Restaurants, of Chicago.

The information provided by the companies was not reviewed by commission members and is not available for public review, according to deputy city attorney Dave Goslee, because the commission voted to retract the request.

"They elected to retract that request for information. So what we're going to do is we're going to send the material back to the companies that sent it in. We're treating it as if nothing happened, as if we had never requested it in the first place. We're just going to give it back to them," Goslee told the Post-Bulletin.

Civic center has five signature caterers

The commission previously had discussed catering and whether to pursue an exclusive catering agreement. It instead created a list of standards for "signature caterers." Caterers pay a commission to Mayo Civic Center to operate in the facility.

The center has five signature caterers available to clients. One caterer, Powers, through Canadian Honker and Pinnacle, received 94 percent of business at the center in 2015, said Donna Drews, Mayo Civic Center executive director. The gross amount of catering provided in 2015 was $1,691,639, Drews said.

Two of the five signature caterers recorded zero business with the civic center last year.

To discuss an exclusive catering agreement would be detrimental to the RCVB and caterers, Jones said.

"We're trying to forge relationships with these signature caterers as business partners and marketing them and allowing them access to business," Jones said. "The longer we draw this out and it continues to be talked about, I think it hampers that relationship."
WASECA  A teenager who planned to attack his Minnesota school in 2014 said he made "a very bad decision" to stockpile bomb-making materials and wishes he hadn't done it.

In his first interview since his arrest two years ago, John LaDue told the Waseca County News that he is trying to get on with his life, taking welding classes and hoping to become a pipefitter. He was released from probation last month and has been living at his parents' home in Waseca since May.

"It was, of course, ridiculous and unpleasant," LaDue said in a story published Friday, and added: "If I had my options to do it over, I would not have it happen."

LaDue, now 19, pleaded guilty last fall to one count of possessing an explosive device and agreed to up to 10 years of probation to keep a felony off his record. But he recently decided to accept the felony conviction in exchange for being relieved of probation conditions that he said were burdensome, including daily check-ins, weekly mental health appointments, monthly appointments with a psychiatrist and other conditions.

LaDue was 17 when he was arrested in April 2014 after he was found with bomb-making materials and detailed plans to kill his family, then carry out an attack at his school.

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Mental health experts had testified that LaDue was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and a fixation on violence. A separate evaluation before he was allowed to return to his parents' found he suffered from depression, not autism, and was a low risk.

LaDue told the Waseca County News that he had decided to stop seeking professional help.

"Every therapist I've met has been a very agreeable person," LaDue said. "I don't doubt their credentials at all, but I think they're wrong. I think I know what's in my best interests."

LaDue said he doesn't go out much, but has run into some former teachers in the community and said he was greeted cordially. But he said he's "not trying to win the hearts of everyone."

"I don't really know people here, so I don't give a crap whether they like me or not," he said.

LaDue wrote in a letter accompanying the interview that his actions came from "a skewed desire for greatness."

"I thought that being great meant to be a ruler, a conqueror, someone who is above others in ability," he wrote. "My obsession on this compelled me to be violent, as I wanted to dominate others and be a conqueror in essence.

"However, my thinking has changed over time."

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LaDue's father, David, told the newspaper his son had "matured a lot" and that the family was "doing great." He didn't respond to a text message from The Associated Press.
WINONA  After 150 years of faith, tradition and family, one church will celebrate a milestone by traveling into the past.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church , located in the Wilson Township, was started in 1866 with the congregation first meeting in the home of Nickolaus Wenk in Wiscoy Valley, with a pastor traveling from Winona to hold the service. Named "Evangelische Lutheranische Dreifatigkeits Kirche," the services were held for German immigrants who lived in the area.

After being founded, the church continued to grow, moving into a small wooden building in 1870, and into a new building in 1914, which is still being used today.

To celebrate the congregation's milestone, there will be a special service on Sunday to commemorate the church's rich history. Pastor Steve Oldre, once a member of the church, will be a guest speaker at the Sunday service.

Following the service there will be a meal for those attending and a cemetery walk during and following the meal. The cemetery walk, called "Voices of the Past," will feature re-enactors portraying members of the congregation and those involved in the church throughout the past 150 years, including Wenk and Pastor Philipp Von Rohr, the church's first pastor. This walk through the past will allow people to discover what the community was like when the church was founded.

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Roberta Warnken, a member of the congregation, said that what makes "Voices of the Past" so unique is that many of the re-enactors are the relatives of those they are portraying.

"It's quite interesting," Warnken said. "I think people will enjoy it."

The service will start at 10 a.m. and will be followed by a meal and "Voices from the Past" at the church's location off County Road 12 in Winona.
MINNEAPOLIS  Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura says he plans to take his defamation fight against the estate of slain Navy SEAL Chris Kyle to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In June, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out a $1.8 million verdict awarded to Ventura against Kyle, the author of "American Sniper." An appeals court recently denied Ventura's request for a rehearing.

Ventura, a former SEAL, took issue with Kyle's claim in his autobiography that he punched Ventura at a California bar in 2006 for making offensive comments about the SEALs. Kyle's autobiography was the basis for a 2014 film.

In an interview with the Star Tribune this week, Ventura said he and his attorney plan to take the case to the Supreme Court and face a second trial.
United Way of Olmsted County promotes volunteerism in Southeastern Minnesota through our Get Connected online tool. Get Connected is made available to nonprofit agencies in our region to post volunteer opportunities. This tool allows individuals to view these volunteer opportunities. Go to volunteer.uwolmsted.org for more information or call 507-287-2004.

WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT WRAPPING

You will be wrapping gifts for us to sell as "White Elephant" mystery gifts at the ReStore. All supplies are provided. We will sell White Elephant gifts starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, through Saturday, Dec. 22. Email volmgr@rahh.org or call 507-252-0849 for more information or to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

CHRISTMAS PREPARATION VOLUNTEERS

You'd be amazed at all the prep work that needs to happen in order to make the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign possible each year. Everything from painting and oiling red kettles and red kettle stands to fixing red kettle top signs. We're looking for a group of volunteers willing to get their Christmas spirit on early and help us prep the kettles for bell ringing season. Email Rebecca_Snapp@usc.SalvationArmy.org or call 507-288-3663 for more information or to volunteer with Rochester Salvation Army.

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JOIN THE JOURNEY VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers participate in our various events throughout the year including but not limited to our annual walk, Pink Out at Deer Creek Speedway, walking parade routes, and community education tables at community events such as expos, community connect, etc. Email info@jointhejourney.us or call 507-206-3212 for more information or to volunteer with Join The Journey.

STEM MENTORING

Volunteers are needed to work with members in grades 2-5. You will work with our staff on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Email tmundy@bgclubroch.org or call 507-287-2300 for more information or to volunteer with Boys & Girls Club of Rochester.

MAILING ASSISTANT

Mailing assistants are needed to help with mailings. This position requires attention to detail and ability to sit and do repetitive motion for up to two hours. Our busiest time of the year is August through November. A commitment of two to four hours weekly or more is needed through November. Email krisb@uwolmsted.org or call 507-287-2004 for more information or to volunteer with United Way of Olmsted County.
Rochester Public Schools recently approved its five-year budget forecast, but there's still uncertainty about if, or when, the district might see budget cuts.

There's a number of scenarios, according to district projections, but it looks like cuts will come sooner than originally anticipated. During the buildup to a 10-year, $9.6 million referendum, the district promised to build up its budget reserve in order to stave off budget cuts. But the district has put away less money than planned.

For the district, that means a projected budget shortfall during the 2017-18 or 2018-19 school year. The only way to avoid that is if the school board utilizes the maximum amount of money it can levy under its authority  this would provide the district an additional $155 per students, for a possible total of $1,416.

The district says that despite levying more money, voters will pay less than expected on their taxes because of an expanding tax base in the area.

Assistant Superintendent Brenda Lewis wouldn't speculate on what will happen after the 2019-20 school year, but she said the district does budget forecasts five years at a time with "a number of unknowns," including enrollment and state funding.

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School Board Chairman Gary Smith wouldn't speculate either, adding, "there are too many moving parts at this point."

"What the forecast shows," Smith said, "is to get the amount of money (we need) we're going to need to have to levy more than originally anticipated, but that does not equate to more taxes."

The budget breakdown:

What is the district's reserve fund?

The district's reserve fund is essentially its savings account. RPS is required to keep at least a 6 percent reserve balance, as mandated by board policy, from the general fund. That equates to about $13.3 million , a little more than the mandated 6 percent because the general fund budget is about $211 million.

What did the district say during the referendum that it would do with the reserve?

The district promised during the referendum it would build up its savings account with referendum money to avoid impending budget cuts in the 2019-20 school year, which were set to happen even with the additional voter-approved funds.

"With this finding, RPS would avoid budget cuts until the 2019-20 school year," according to the RPS operating referendum flier distributed by the district. It was well advertised that the district would avoid cuts through the 2019-20 school year .

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But the district's latest projections show it's putting away a lot less money than promised  about $5.7million less.

Why isn't RPS putting away as much money?

The district said there are a number of reasons behind this, including accounting errors and unforeseen expenses, like a 7.44 percent raise for teachers when RPS budgeted for a 6 percent increase. Below is the complete breakdown of the $2.3 million discrepancy:

 $400,000 accounting error, a credit to teacher salaries that was forgotten until mid-winter.

 $600,000 additional for teacher salaries because the contract settlement was for a 7.44 percent increase, rather than 6 percent.

 $200,000 for additional FICA/Medicare/TRA/Work Comp costs associated with higher salaries.

 $300,000 for special education costs, related to teacher contract settlement and "hot-spot" staffing.

 $300,000 for extra health and dental costs for new employees who open enrolled after October 31, 2015.

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 $300,000 for maintenance overtime and subs to cover staff on medical leave and vacant positions.

 $200,000 because the district budgeted to receive more special education from the state.

The district also hired 52.9 more FTEs worth of teachers in areas with growing enrollment and special areas  this is 46.6 more FTEs than projected.

So what will that mean for the district?

The answer is budget cuts, and likely a year or two sooner than leaders originally thought.

With financial forecasting models, the district has created four scenarios, the best of which puts budget cuts two years out, the worst projects budget cuts next year.

The district is proposing the school board use its authority to levy more money without voter approval. School district officials held off immediately following the referendum because levying the additional money would have meant a fatter tax than the $15.28 per month widely advertised by RPS for taxpayer living in a $200,000 home.

What's the breakdown per student, by funding source?

The district could get up to $1,415.23 per student for the 2016-17 school year, but it under-levied and went with $1,260.82 because going over that amount would mean more money than was advertised to voters during the referendum.

+ $836.82 = voter approved

+ $424.00 = local optional

+ $155.41 = board approved*

*the additional amount of money, per student, the school board could approve

What does this mean for my tax bill?

About $8 dollars less if you own a $200,000 home.

Because the tax base has expanded, Assistant Superintendent Brenda Lewis said, even with the additional levy, taxpayers will actually see reductions on their individual property tax bills  for a $200,000 home, from $168 per year, to $140 per year. Lewis said that if the additional money in the board's power is levied, it will put that bill at about $160 per year.
In the wake of an unexpected federal appeals court decision, a Texas federal judge on Wednesday eased the restrictions of the state's onerous voter identification law for this year's election.

But despite Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos' acceptance of the compromise 2016 plan worked out by the state, the Justice Department and minority rights groups  and despite several other favorable decisions affecting Texas and other states  the battle against Republican efforts to tighten voting laws is hardly over.

In Texas, the 2016 plan will allow someone without a photo ID to vote by signing an affidavit that he or she is a U.S. citizen and presenting proof of residence, such as a paycheck, bank statement or utility bill. But it won't keep state officials from pressing to preserve the 2011 law requiring photo ID, including appealing the 5th Circuit's ruling against it to the Supreme Court.

And don't underestimate the resilience of groups backing tighter voting curbs in the name of preventing largely non-existent voter fraud. Court decisions throwing out restrictive measures in North Carolina and Ohio are being challenged in an effort to limit their impact in those two battleground states.

At the same time, Republican nominee Donald Trump added a potentially explosive new issue in one of his typically inflammatory-but-uniformed statements, raising the prospect of an election "rigged" by widespread voter fraud.

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In what many saw as a possible excuse if he loses in November, Trump told The Washington Post, "If the election is rigged, I would not be surprised." He cited "the voter ID situation," adding, "We may have people vote 10 times." And on Tuesday, he praised the North Carolina voter ID law that courts have rejected.

Though he provided no evidence, Trump will soon be able to cite a forthcoming book by the president of the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton, which alleges Justice Department efforts to block voting curbs could instead trigger widespread voter fraud.

This counter-attack comes as federal courts are showing increasing resistance to the post-2008 GOP-led effort to curb voting in the name of preventing fraud, despite the slim evidence that fraud is a serious problem.

In recent weeks, separate rulings by two appeals courts  the 5th Circuit dominated by conservative judges and the 4th Circuit controlled by liberals rejected the strict voter ID laws passed by Texas and North Carolina, confounding expectations of contrary verdicts requiring a Supreme Court resolution.

That may yet happen, though the death of Justice Antonin Scalia has left the court split 4-4 on many issues and unable to provide much legal guidance.

But the Supreme Court split may change next year, presuming the next president wins Senate confirmation of a justice to fill the court's vacant ninth seat. A Hillary Clinton nominee could provide a majority to overturn the 2008 decision legalizing state voter ID laws, a decision whose recent skeptics include the appeals court judge whose decision the high court upheld.

In the North Carolina case, a 4th Circuit panel ruled out both the state's voter ID law and other restrictions that reduced early voting days and limited the kinds of documents voters could use to identify themselves. And it rejected an appeal by the state that would have prevented the decision from taking effect this year. On Monday, a GOP-controlled Board of Elections in Greensboro shelved a plan that would have made voting harder for college students and black residents.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, where a federal judge blocked the Republican Secretary of State's efforts to shorten early voting time, Judicial Watch went to court to challenge the assertion that the limit would disproportionately burden African-Americans.

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Elsewhere, federal judges have eased restrictions in voter ID laws in Wisconsin and North Dakota and blocked an effort to require evidence of citizenship for voting in Kansas. The Wisconsin judge said he would have thrown out the state's law entirely, except for the 2008 Supreme Court decision.

It will take some time for these various cases to be resolved, both legislatively and in the courts. Texas GOP officials make clear they do not regard the matter as over.

But Richard Hasen, an expert on voting law and a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine, expressed optimism in The New York Times: "We are nearing the end of an era of increasingly restrictive voting rules imposed just about exclusively by Republican legislators and election officials over the objections of Democrats and voting rights groups."

Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News.
A few days ago, CNN reported that the FBI asked to investigate the Clinton Foundation earlier this year, but the Department of Justice said it did not have enough evidence to open a formal probe. I wrote about this report here.

But now, the Daily Caller is saying that several investigations of the Clinton Foundation have been launched, including one led by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Civil Frauds Unit that will focus on Clinton Foundation in New York. The Daily Callers Richard Pollock identifies his source as a former senior law enforcement official.

According to Pollocks report, Bhararas investigatation will be supported by various U.S. Attorneys Offices. This, he says, is a major departure from other centralized FBI investigations.

As I suggested in my post about DOJs reported refusal to authorize an investigation earlier in the year, much has been

learned since. Thus, whatever validity DOJs view about the evidence against Clinton Foundation may have had then (and I dont think it had any), there is good reason to revisit the matter now.

What are the practical consequences of the Clinton Foundation being under investigation now, assuming that it is? It strikes me that the investigation, which almost certainly involves complicated transactions, isnt likely to be completed before Election Day. Nor, even if it is, will the DOJ likely reach a decision to prosecute before then.

Once Clinton is inaugurated in January (assuming she wins), her Justice Department isnt at all likely to charge her Foundation with criminal conduct. In the old days, an independent counsel might well have been appointed and given responsibility over the matter. But I dont see that happening now, especially in a Hillary Clinton administration given the Clintons experience with Ken Starr.

Theres a period of more than two months between Election Day and Inauguration Day. But even if investigators were able to wrap things up during this period, Id be shocked if the Justice Department brought charges against the president-elect or her Foundation.

I say this even though Bharara has a reputation, seemingly well earned, as a fearless prosecutor. Its one thing fearlessly to investigate and/or prosecute powerful local and state officials. Its another to prosecute the U.S. president.

Readers will probably recall hearing about James Comeys well earned reputation for fearlessness and straight shooting. In the end, he declined to pursue a case against Hillary that would have been firmly rooted in the facts (as Comey presented them) and the statutory language.

Anyway, Bharara cant prosecute the Clinton Foundation without DOJ approval. It seems unrealistic to imagine he could get it.
Popular Kannywood actor, Adam Zango, has denied speculations circulating in the Hausa film industry that he was involved in gay activities with some of his colleagues in the industry.

Mr. Zango denied this on a Desmims Television talk show in Kaduna on Thursday.

I am here to tell the whole world that I am not gay and I do not participate in any gay activities within and outside the Kannywood industry, he said.

The actor, who was dressed in black polo tracksuit and a fez cap, subsequently removed his cap and placed the Holy Quran on his head and swore that he had never been part of gay activities in his life.

Kannywood had, in recent times, come under attack from Muslim clerics and residents of especially Kano and Kaduna, with some accusing entertainers of sodomy.

One cleric, Sani Abdu, told PREMIUM TIMES in Kaduna that he received information that actors and actresses were engaging in gay activities but that no one had ever been caught.

In order to protect the community and alert the Hausa film community, we keep cautioning them on that and you can see that they are coming out to say they do not do this or that, meaning something fishy could be happening somewhere, Mr. Abdu said.

He called on the film industry regulator to also investigate the unholy relationships that might be going on among players in the industry.

Mustapha Naburaska, another popular Kannywood actor, also announced on his Instagram wall that he was not gay and had never been one.

He also promised to expose those he knew were involved in the act.

I want to tell the public that we know who are making this false accusation about us and soon we shall release some recordings that will exposed them, Mr. Naburaska said.

Another actor, Baban Chinedu, just like Mr. Zango, also recently placed the Quran on his head, swearing that he had never engaged in gay activities.
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority(NSIA) on Friday established a partnership with Old Mutual Investment Group (OMIG) of South Africa to co-invest $700 million in real estates and agriculture development projects.

The NSIA, which is managing Nigerias sovereign wealth fund, said at the agreement signing ceremony in Abuja that $500 million would go into real estates, while $200 million would be for agriculture development .

The partnership would be established as a private investment holding company, jointly owned between NSIA and Old Mutual Property (OMP), with each party committed to an initial funding of $50 million, and opportunity to increase capital to $100 million each.

The Managing Director/CEO of NSIA, Uche Orji, said third party investors would be sought to offer them opportunity to access high yield retail and commercial real estates investments in Nigeria, leveraging NSIAs market presence, with an experienced co-sponsor real estates team.

The OMP has been involved in real estates, landmark shopping centres, industrial parks and major office blocks development in Africa for over 40 years, with estimated assets under management (AUM) of $1.3 billion as at April 2015.

NSIAs investment would be made through its wholly owned subsidiary, NSIA Property Investment Company Limited (NPIC), while OMPs investment would be through its subsidiaries.

On agriculture, Mr. Orji said the Nigerian investment agencys commitment would be $25 million, with matching capital of about $50 million from OMIG, and additional capital of about $150 million expected from third party investors, raising the final funding to $200 million.

He said the agriculture investment will be managed in conjunction with OMIG subsidiary, UFF African Agri Investment (UFF), and would focus on primary production, processing, and logistics, as an important social investment component, in rural development, food security, import substitution, and other areas within the sector beneficial to Nigerians.

UFF is a specialist advisor in agriculture investments in Africa, providing expertise in both production (farmland) and investment within the sector.

Mr. Orji said there was significant level of interest for both funds, ensuring that getting the fund size would not be a challenge.

The new investment is significant, considering NSIA three pillars to execute its infrastructure strategy, namely investing directly into projects, creating co-investment funds to mobilize third party capital, and bring expertise into areas the agency does not have enough, particularly in agriculture and real estates, and creating enabling institutions that would help drive investments in infrastructure, he said.

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun,described the agreement signing ceremony as the beginning of a journey to mobilize funds for real estate and agriculture.

Government, she said, had the intention of diversifying the countrys economy, which requires investment in the countrys infrastructure.

Lack of infrastructure is the real reason the country has not grown the way it should have. Although government was committing to raising about N1.8 trillion of capital investment in the 2016 budget, it was not enough to take care of the problem. This must be supplemented with private capital, she said.

OMIG CEO, Diane Radley, said the partnership with NSIA was a critical step in the development of its commercial real estate and agriculture strategies in Africa.

As the largest manager of real assets in Africa, we believe in the opportunities in agricultural and real estate investment across the African continent. Our dealings with agriculture as an asset class has shown that it has already gained huge momentum globally, but is still in its infancy in Africa. This presents a significant investment opportunity for both local and international investors, Mrs. Radley said.
The Lagos State Government on Friday said it shut 12 houses in Abeokuta and Ibadan Streets in Ilasamaja area of the state over discovery of shallow oil wells built by landlords to steal diesel from pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

The States Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, said this while briefing newsmen at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

Mr. Ayorinde said the oil wells were built for the purpose of illegally scooping diesel and selling same to members of the public.

He said some of the affected landlords built pumping machine and boreholes to perpetrate the crime on a large scale.

Mr. Ayorinde said the step to shut the wells and cordon off the area was taken by government to forestall loss of lives and property as a result of the looming danger.

Mr. Ayorinde said a combined team from the police command, the Ministry of Environment, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Lagos State Fire Service and Sole Administrator of Isolo Local Council Development Area carried out a thorough inspection of the entire area and discovered nothing less than 12 of the illegal oil wells.

He said initial investigation revealed that a few of the landlords where the wells were located were taking advantage of the situation by commercialising the dangerous act.

He said that samples of the substance had been taken for immediate investigation in order to determine the true nature of the substance as well as the root cause of this unsual occurrence.

He said the state government was working with the NNPC for further investigation.

Mr. Ayorinde said for the safety of residents, especially on Abeokuta and Ibadan Streets, the affected well had been sealed off.

He said that government would also work with those who were likely to be displaced as a result of the development.

The Lagos State Government wishes to use this opportunity to remind Lagosians and the residents of these areas in particular to assist the police with useful information, the commissioner said.

We also urge them to always volunteer information before any potentially dangerous situation degenerates to public hazard.

The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, confirmed the arrest of three suspects in the operation, adding that a fire tanker had been stationed in the event of any fire incident.

The men of the Lagos State Police Command in the area who were on routine patrol said they saw a woman around 12 midnight with keg of diesel and when an attempt was made for her to be accosted, she fled, a development which alerted the police of something fishy, Mr. Owoseni said.

The police immediately pursued the woman and accosted her, after which she eventually took them to number 12, Abeokuta Street, off Ilasamaja, one of the houses housing the illegal oil wells.

He said that upon getting to the said house, those inside shut the door and prevented the police from gaining entrance.

The officers thereafter left the scene with the arrested woman, and they later came back disguising as potential buyers of diesel, while those inside opened the door.

It was at that point that the illegal oil well was discovered at the house, after which about 10 more wells were discovered in other houses in Abeokuta and Ibadan streets, Mr. Ayorinde said.
The new management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has uncovered fraud totalling N11.23 billion at the agency, officials familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The officials said the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman, and her executive directors have since their assumption of duties on July 18 been poring through the books of the maritime agency.

So far, this newspaper learnt, a series of transactions suspected to be fraudulent and amounting to N11.23billion have been uncovered.

Of the amount, $24.1million (N7.47billion at N310 per dollar) was traced to Heritage Bank, the successor bank to the defunct Societe Generale Bank owned by the Saraki family.

Insiders said the funds were collected by the bank as revenue for NPA, but that the financial house, in collusion with some officials of the maritime agency, failed to move it into NPAs Treasury Single Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

They were hiding the money there, and earning interests, one official said.

The former management of the agency also failed to disclose the funds in the handover note passed to the Ms. Bala Usman-led team, our sources said.

Another six million Euros (N2.09billion at N348 to a dollar) were found concealed in two banks  First Bank of Nigeria and First City Monument Bank, our sources said.

Yet another $5.4million (N1.67billion at N310 to a dollar) belonging to the NPA was moved to TSA accounts in the CBN different from those belonging to the maritime agency, insiders say.

It remains unclear what the new NPA management is doing to recover the funds, but our sources said Ms. Bala Usman already contacted Heritage Bank, First Bank and FCMB directing them to release the agencys funds in their custody.

Heritage Banks officials were quoted to have claimed that releasing the funds might lead to the collapse of their bank.

When contacted, the NPA managing director confirmed that her team had been receiving briefings and looking into the books of the agency in the past weeks.

She said some revenue leakages and hidden funds had been located but that she was not ready to provide details because the minister supervising the authority had not been briefed.

PREMIUM TIMES became aware of the fraud in the NPA hours after Ms. Bala Usman indicated that her management would audit funds sunk into dredging projects.

Ms. Bala Usman made the disclosure to journalists at the end of her tour of Calabar port, which many stakeholders suggested should be dredged to accommodate bigger ocean-going vessels.

According to her, there is need to look at some of the funds expended on capital and maintenance dredging.

She said that funds used for such dredging projects in the past should not be that high.

Its good time for us to compare capital dredging and maintenance dredging, the News Agency of NIgeria quoted the managing director as saying.
A total of 9,269 Nigerian pilgrims have landed in Saudi Arabia out of the expected figure of 59, 647 visa application acquired so far for this years Hajj.

The summary of the airlift of pilgrims as at Friday afternoon showed that airlift operations commenced in seven departure centres  Lagos, Ilorin, Kaduna, Abuja, Sokoto, Birnin-Kebbi and Katsina while kano, Yola, Bauchi, Gombe, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt and Enugu departure centres commenced operation later in on Friday.

Information from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) shows that over 47,000 visas were issued while about 8000 applications were still being awaited.

Meanwhile, reports from Medina indicates that Nigerian pilgrims were lodged in Markaziyah -a highbrow neighborhood closest to the Grand mosque.

Nigerian Pilgrims are usually lodged in hotels far from the Prophets Mosque making access to the Mosque for the five daily prayers difficult for aged pilgrims.

The inaugural flight for the 2016 Hajj was flagged off on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwwal, at the Sultan Abubakar 111 Airport, Sokoto.
A former Deputy Editor of ThisDay Newspapers, Kola Ologbondiyan, and a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bode Ojomu, have joined the race for the position of the national publicity secretary of the party.

Both Messrs. Ologbondiyan and Ojomu announced their intention to vie for the position on Friday.

The national convention of the party holds on August 17 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The position of the national publicity secretary was zoned to the north central zone, comprising Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue States.

Mr. Ologbondiyan, who hails from Kogi State, was the special adviser on media and publicity to former Senate President, David Mark, between 2007 and 2015.

He grew through the ranks in his professional and political callings. He was Group Political Editor of Thisday Newspapers and as a correspondent, covered several high profile political beats including the Presidency, National Assembly, State Government Houses and political parties.

Mr. Ojomu, from Kwara State, was President of the University of Ibadan Students Union and later deputy spokesperson of the PDP when Audu Ogbeh and Ahmadu Ali presided over the then ruling party.

A statement by the Kola Ologbondiyan Campaign organisation on Friday said with his professional expertise and wealth of political experience, Mr. Ologbondiyans entrance into the race has raised the bar for the contest for the specialized position which requires high-level cognate professional proficiency.

It said if elected, Mr. Ologbondiyan would bring his vast knowledge, goodwill and contacts in both the media and political circles.

The statement said the aspirant, who has picked the nomination form, had been a loyal and active participant in PDP activities and contested the partys House of Representatives primaries in 2011.

He has since remained active in propagating the positive image of the PDP at all levels of participation, it said.

On his part, Mr. Ojomu said he would bring his wealth of experience as a former deputy national publicity secretary to bear, if elected.

I have the experience; I know the party very well having served as deputy spokesman and I know what to bring to do in collaboration with my colleagues in the national working committee to turn the fortunes of the party around, Mr. Ojomu said.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration would not forget the role young Nigerians played in the historic election that brought him to power.

This government belongs to you, President Buhari said on Friday in a message he sent to Nigerian youths to commemorate the International Youth Day.

Mr. Buhari, who described the youths as being the strength and future of the country, said his administration was committed to improving the quality of lives of young Nigerians, and also creating opportunities for them to achieve their dreams and ambitions.

We are mindful of the fact that Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world. Those young people are immensely energetic and talented, consistently blazing the trail in the arts, sports, business and technology. We are proud of what you have done and what you are able to do.

We have launched a number of initiatives targeted at expanding the economic opportunities available to young Nigerians.

N-Power, our job creation scheme, for which applications are ongoing, will employ 500,000 of you in agriculture, education, healthcare and technology.

The Aso Villa Demo Day will soon bring 30 of the most innovative young Nigerians to the State House to showcase their talent in providing technology-based solutions to some of our most challenging problems.

The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), part of our N500 billion Social Investment Programme, will provide soft loans to thousands of young entrepreneurs across the country. These are just some of the many initiatives we have designed and are implementing for you.

Many Nigerians were of late becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Buhari administration because of economic hardship in the country.
The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on economic matters, deployed to the Vice-President office, Ayodele Adu, has died in an Indian hospital on Friday.

The Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, confirmed the death of the Presidential aide in a condolence message issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Olayinka Oyebode.

Mr. Fayemi, who expressed shock and sadness, described Adus death as a personal loss to him and a major loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Nigeria in general.

The minister stated that the deceased, who served as a board member of the Fountain Company Limited of the Ekiti state government when he was governor of the state, was a man of courage, character and conviction.

He was a distinguished Nigerian, an honourable Ekiti man, who through hard work and determination worked his way to the top of his professional calling and left marks of excellence on every assignment he undertook, Fayemi was quoted as saying.

He was a man of courage, character and conviction, who had a great passion for the Ekiti Project. It is indeed a painful loss.

We shall surely miss him.

He prayed that Almighty God would grant him eternal rest and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no official confirmation of the death of the presidential aide from the office of the vice-president as of the time of filing this report. (NAN).
The Acting General Officer Commanding of the Nigerian Armys 7th Division, Victor Izegwu, has cautioned operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) undergoing training on weapon handling and proficiency to use minimal amount of ammunition while shooting to kill any identified enemy of the state.

He said the essence of military marksmanship was not to use multiple rounds of ammunition to kill a single target.

Always ensure that only one bullet goes to the enemy that it is aimed at,, he said. Mr. Izegwu, a brigadier general, said. We dont want you to use 20 rounds in killing a suspect or somebody who is tampering with our national assets.

Mr. Izegwu spoke at the graduation ceremony of select 93 operatives of the NSCDC after completing a two-week refresher training on weapons handling offered them by soldiers of the Nigerian Army.

The training is being carried out nationwide following a federal governments directive that the NSCDC should begin to carry arms like other paramilitary sister services. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, according to the GOC, had okayed a training opportunity for the civil police nationwide.

The GOC said the training was aimed at ensuring that the NSCDC operatives were prepared for a post Boko Haram insurgency as they would soon be deployed to areas liberated by the Nigerian soldiers, as well as to protect personnel currently carrying out oil prospecting in the northeast.

This training is the representation of the directives of the Chief of Army Staff from the army headquarters to the division that we should enhance capacity of security agencies in the state especially as we are drawing down on our counterinsurgency in the state to prepare them for their constitutional responsibility effectively, the GOC 7 Division.

I can assure you that this weapon proficiency training will enhance the trainees capacity and build on the professionalism which the civil defence corp require to carry out their role effectively in the state.

I am equally glad that this training is aimed at enhancing the output of of the civil defender especially coming at a time the president has given the directives that the lake Chad region should be exploited for oil reserve and other natural resources that will enhance the economy of the country.

It is timely that we have organised this training because one of the jobs of the civil defenders of our great nation is to police the pipelines and also provide security for oil exploration activities.

You are now better equipped with the proficiency in weapons handling as you have demonstrated for us to see this morning. And I am quite sure that all the task that comes your way, you are going to discharge them with minimum casualty on your side and also you are going to use the lessons you have drawn from this course to ensure that only one bullet goes to the enemy that it is aimed at.

The NSCDC officers demonstrated their proficiency by dismantling and coupling of weapons like AK47, MG3 and Nationale Fabrique (NF).

The Commandant of the NSCDC in Borno state, Abdullahi Ibrahim, added that the training was routine and also aimed at increasing the personnels proficiency, especially now that the Boko Haram insurgents have been wiped out of the most captured areas.

Now that we want to move to liberated areas, there is need for our personnels to be trained in weapon handling, Mr. Ibrahim said.
A housewife, Fatimoh Olanrewaju, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly breaking the arms and legs of her five-year old stepson, Iyanu Olanrewaju.

The boy is currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, after he was admitted on Thursday.

The suspect, now in custody of the Anti-Human Trafficking Department of the police command, was said to have committed the crime at Onihale village, along old Abeokuta-Lagos expressway

The biological mother of the victim reportedly divorced his father about two years ago, and the boy had been living with his stepmother and father.

Residents of the community told PREMIUM TIMES that Mrs. Olanrewaju had been maltreating the boy even though neighbours had repeatedly cautioned her.

However, Mrs. Olanrewajus recent attack on the boy which resulted in the fracture of his arms and legs stirred the anger of the residents who immediately invited the police.

The victim was initially taken to the General Hospital at Ifo, but the management had to transfer him to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, as a result of the high degree of injuries.

When PREMIUM TIMES correspondent visited Iyanu at the hospital, he was still in pains, with bruises on his face and his hands bound with POP.

His father, Idowu Olanrewaju, expressed amazement at his wifes brutality on the child.

Mt. Olanrewaju, a butcher, appealed for financial assistance from the public to enable him settle the boys hospital bills.

However, the Child Network Protection, has offered to pay the medical bills of the patient.

The State Coordinator, Peju Osoba, said the victim, who is gradually responding to treatment, would still need financial support, pointing out that he might be spending months on admission considering his present condition.

She said Mr. Olanrewaju is poor, and could not afford the medical bills,adding that the little financial support from the network would be inadequate to see the child through the period of the treatment.

Up till now, the financial aspect of the support has been borne majorly by CPN, Ms. Osoba said. By Monday, we would have exhausted what we have. We need some clothes, money for food and for drugs and treatment for the child.

There are indications that the child may have to stay for about one month. Please come over to Macedonia and help us, she added.

CNP released its account number 1140023556 with Skye Bank for individuals and corporate bodies who would want to support the boys welfare.

When contacted, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, as well as the arrest of the suspect.

Mr. Oyeyemi told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspect was in the custody of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Department of the command on the order of the Commissioner of Police.

The story is true and the stepmother has been arrested on Thursday and currently in our custody at Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Department, he said.

According to him, the suspect is still being interrogated and would be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
Caffeine and a drug used to regulate blood sugar levels for people with Type 2 diabetes are some of the most common unregulated contaminants in Iowas public drinking water, an IowaWatch investigation revealed.

The presence of these contaminants is so minuscule water consumers take in minimal amounts. But federal officials are concerned about them because the risks of chronic ingestion of these contaminants are unclear, the result of a lack of research to determine potential health risks for humans.

Prescription drugs and caffeine contaminate rivers and streams treated to become drinking water. Many of these contaminants affect the human endocrine system, which produces hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development.

Chemicals that affect the endocrine system exist in nature, but show up prominently in man-made products such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, detergents and cosmetics that people dump down a drain. These compounds commonly are referred to as emerging contaminants.

Iowa is in a water quality crisis, Des Moines Water Works communication coordinator Laura Sarcone said. She cited that facilitys increased use of an expensive nitrogen removal process and a record number of impaired waters as determined by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as well as a growing concern about the impact of emerging contaminants.

Some of the cities in Iowa most likely to be exposed to emerging contaminants include Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Iowa City and Keokuk. All use a high proportion of surface water, making them more susceptible to pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals than cities that rely more on underground aquifers for drinking water.

A new national study conducted by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed data from the third round of unregulated contaminant monitoring and concluded that millions of Americans may be drinking water with unsafe levels of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances. The contaminants come from industrial sites, military bases with firefighting training and wastewater treatment plants.

A little less than half of Iowas residents get drinking water from systems that use surface water or a combination of surface and groundwater. They are among the nine of 10 Iowans who use public water systems, with the remainder using private well services.

Eight percent of Iowas public water systems use surface water, sometimes mixed with water from other sources, but are in the most heavily populated areas.

Everything we use has the potential to become an environmental contaminant, Dana Kolpin, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said. We use it, we excrete it, we wash it down the drain.

Caffeine ends up in water from a number of sources, not limited to coffee and soft drinks. Soap, shampoo and even pantyhose can be caffeinated and its this level of dependence on caffeine that makes it such a prevalent contaminant.

So many potential contaminants to monitor from an array of sources exist that trying to understand each one can be overwhelming for researchers and treatment facilities.

Tim Wilkey, superintendent of the Iowa City wastewater treatment plant, said pharmaceuticals and caffeine can pass through the treatment process but only at minute levels. Treated water from Iowa Citys plant washes into the Iowa River, which feeds into the Mississippi River and continues downstream.

Some wastewater and drinking water treatment plants use a treatment process called activated carbon, which is effective in preventing emerging contaminants from permeating drinking water supplies.

According to findings from the 2013 Survey of Iowa Groundwater, the highest level of acetaminophen found in one sample was 826 ng/L (parts per trillion).

For perspective, it would take almost 200,000 cups of untreated well water to equal the dose of acetaminophen recommended for infants, the report said.

The Environmental Protection Agency does not require removal of emerging contaminants from drinking water, but created a program to monitor and collect data for contaminants.

Measures to clean up Iowas waterways garnered attention in the last state legislative session. One proposal involved allocating funds from the states sales tax for water quality measures, but opponents argued the move would hinder public school construction and improvement projects, which currently receive that funding. Four bills failed in the Legislature, but Gov. Terry Branstad said it doesnt mean they are dead forever.

When you have something that is big and bold and is a big change and expensive, its not unusual that it might take more than one session, Branstad said in an interview with IowaWatch. But theres a clear understanding that theres a need for a long-term reliable source for funding for water quality.

None of the failed measures targeted emerging contaminants, but improving Iowas water quality needs a solution, according to many conservation groups as well as members of the state legislature. One of the failed bills would have directed funds toward improving more than 700 impaired waters in the state. A proposal to raise taxes garnered hesitation from both Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature.

Branstad told a crowd in Storm Lake on Aug. 2 that he stands by his plan to split state sales tax funding between school improvements and water quality projects with the deadline of 2029. The next day in Anamosa he said neither the Iowa House nor Senate could support a tax increase in order to fund water quality projects.

Instead of focusing on wastewater and drinking water treatment down the line, Kolpin said people should focus on the source: reducing what he viewed as overuse of caffeine and adjusting the way doctors prescribe medications.

Kolpin said future research into these contaminants will be important, especially given what scientists know about their effects on aquatic life.

People arent having massive effects but there could be some chronic level multi-generational thing that we just dont know is happening yet, he said. In my mind there is good news, but its cautionary news.
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Source :

Udiapur. Sony MAX2, the evergreen Hindi movie channel from Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) unveiled its latest campaign to refresh the channels brand ethos KuchFilmoKaJaduKabhi Kam NahiHota with its new tagline YaadRahega. This campaign is a rejuvenation of the brands promise of enriching the lives of todays viewers with the inspiring values and refreshing pure content of iconic films.The two short TVCs highlightthe magic of these unforgettable moviesand the impact that these films have on peoples lives even today. It showcases how peoplesavor ageless cinema by celebrating simple yet beautiful moments in their life. The first TVC shows a family get-together where a young couple celebrates their marriage anniversary and the speech-impaired wife beautifully enacts the all-time romantic number,PehlaNasha for her anxious husband and surprises him. The second TVC celebrates the strength of a long-enduring relationship, wherein an old couple shares a light moment with their grandchildren when they are asked about their love affair in their younger days. These TVCs engrave MAX2srefreshed positioning in the minds of its viewers and help the audience develop an instant connect.The channel has also strengthened its content library with classic ground-breaking movies like Julie, EkDujeKeLiye, KhattaMeetha, Gharonda, KasmeVaade, Aap Ki Kasam and many more such to live up to its promise of enriching the lives of todays viewers.Comments: Vaishali Sharma, Senior VP Marketing and Communications, Sony MAX and MAX2:Being the leader in its space, MAX2 as a brand has grown and built a strong viewership base for itself. With the new campaign tagline, YaadRahegawe aim at strengthening our brand promise by appreciating the magic of iconic cinema.The two TVCsindisputably bring forth the nostalgia of good timelessmovies and how they still have the power to impact our present life. With amore robust library in place,its a perfect time for us to refresh our brand imagery. Conceptualized by DDB Mudra the campaign launcheson 10th August. The channel is engaging in a massive television plan across all genres for over 4 weeks. The marketing plan also includes print and adigital campaign spread over the next 1 month.
FOREST CITY  Forest City has a sculpture, but city officials are not sure where to place it.

The Forest City Council has asked the citys Parks and Recreation Department and board for help in determining where a sculpture donated by C. Hugh Pettersen, who died in 2014, should be placed.

Pettersen, the son of former United Methodist Church minister Clarence Pettersen, grew up in Forest City and was involved in art and music throughout his life.

City Council member Dan Davis said a lawyer representing Pettersens estate recently contacted him about the status of the sculpture. The city has owned the sculpture since at least January 2015.

A Jan. 28, 2015, story in the Summit said the sculpture was going to be placed in the new Clark Park on Clark Street, but that plan changed.

Mac Tilberg, who was city administrator/clerk, said in that story the city was seeking input from the public and the Winnebago Historical Society on where to place the sculpture. The sculpture has moving parts that rotate in the wind.

Its an abstract piece of art to represent a tree with its bows moving in the wind, Davis said at a Forest City Council meeting earlier this month.

Davis said it was suggested the sculpture be placed in Pammel Park near the flag pole at the pond area, a high-visibility area.

Council member Brad Buffington said a playground is near that location.

Council member Ron Holland said he liked Forest City Economic Development Director Beth Bilyeus idea to locate the sculpture at the planned fine arts center.

Davis said the architect for the fine arts center, a joint project of the city, Forest City Schools and Waldorf University, may think the sculpture doesnt fit with the buildings design.

The sculpture shouldnt conflict with nearby architecture, Davis said.

Pettersen made other donations to the Forest City community, and also left part of his estate for the preservation of Trinity Lutheran Church. The Winnebago Historical Society is in the process of acquiring the oldest church in Winnebago County to use for a variety of events.

Pettersen also donated a scholarship established with the Forest City Education Foundation, and donated a baby grand piano to the United Methodist Church in Forest City.
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.




CLEAR LAKE  Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and gay rights advocate Zach Wahls spoke Friday night at the Iowa Wing Ding, the Democrats annual fundraiser at the Surf Ballroom.

Griimes, 37, is the youngest female secretary of state in the nation. She recently spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Wahls, 25, of Iowa City, is author of My Two Moms, which is about his experience growing up with lesbian parents.

He became nationally known after testifying in support of marriage equality before the Iowa House Judiciary Committee in 2011. A video of his testimony went viral and got millions of views.

Other speakers at the Wing Ding included former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, seeking to unseat U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley; and Kim Weaver, who is running against U.S. Rep. Steve King.

President Barack Obama is the recipient of Wing Dings annual Beacon Award for outstanding service but was not on hand to accept it.
TSX:ORV

#11-2016

TORONTO, Aug. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX:ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") is pleased to announce that, further to the Company's press release dated July 27, 2016, it has closed the US$12.5 million copper concentrates and gold dore prepayment agreement (the "Facility") with Samsung C&T U.K. Ltd. ("Samsung C&T"). The Company has drawn down the first installment under the Facility of US$8 million.

The Company expects to use the proceeds of the Facility to fund planned development and infrastructure investments at its El Valle Mine in Asturias, Spain and working capital requirements for the short-term re-start of Carles Mine, located in close proximity to El Valle Mine.

Orvana will sell copper concentrate from its Don Mario Mine and gold dore from its El Valle Mine to Samsung C&T, as agreed under the terms of the Facility. The first shipment of copper concentrate to Samsung C&T will occur this month, while the first shipment of gold dore is expected to occur in October 2016.

About Orvana

Orvana is a multi-mine gold and copper producer. Orvana's operating assets consist of the producing gold-copper-silver El Valle mine in northern Spain, and the producing gold-copper-silver Don Mario mine in Bolivia. Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com).

Cautionary Statements - Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this information constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, potentials, future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "believes", "expects", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "are projected to" be taken or achieved) are not statements of historical fact, but are forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things, Orvana's ability to achieve improvement in free cash flow; the potential to extend the mine life of El Valle and Don Mario beyond their current life-of-mine estimates; Orvana's ability to optimize its assets to deliver shareholder value; the Company's ability to optimize productivity at Don Mario and El Valle; estimates of future production, operating costs and capital expenditures; mineral resource and reserve estimates; statements and information regarding future feasibility studies and their results; future transactions; future metal prices; the ability to achieve additional growth and geographic diversification; future financial performance, including the ability to increase cash flow and profits; future financing requirements; and mine development plans.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The estimates and assumptions of the Company contained or incorporated by reference in this information, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, the various assumptions set forth herein and in Orvana's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and Annual Information Form in respect of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year (the "Company Disclosures") or as otherwise expressly incorporated herein by reference as well as: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at El Valle and Don Mario being consistent with the Company's current expectations; political developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; certain price assumptions for gold, copper and silver; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; and labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Orvana's current expectations.

A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include fluctuations in the price of gold, silver and copper; the need to recalculate estimates of resources based on actual production experience; the failure to achieve production estimates; variations in the grade of ore mined; variations in the cost of operations; the availability of qualified personnel; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; the Company's ability to use cyanide in its mining operations; risks generally associated with mineral exploration and development, including the Company's ability to continue to operate the El Valle and/or Don Mario and/or ability to resume operations at the Carles Mine; the Company's ability to acquire and develop mineral properties and to successfully integrate such acquisitions; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; the Company's ability to obtain financing when required on terms that are acceptable to the Company; challenges to the Company's interests in its property and mineral rights; current, pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments or changes in political, social or economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; general economic conditions worldwide; and the risks identified in the Company's Disclosures under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties". This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company's Disclosures for a description of additional risk factors.

Any forward-looking statements made in this information with respect to the anticipated development and exploration of the Company's mineral projects are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements made in this information are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future operating activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

For further information: Jeff Hillis, Chief Financial Officer , T +1 (416) 369-6275, E jhillis@orvana.com; Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer, T +1 (416) 369-6275, E jjobin@orvana.com

Related Links

http://www.orvana.com



SOURCE Orvana Minerals Corp.
RESTON, Va., Aug. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Constellis, a leading provider of operational support and risk management services, announced today that it has entered into a binding agreement for a management-led buyout of Constellis by a consortium of investors. This consortium will be headed by affiliates of certain funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "Apollo"), and will include Jason DeYonker (the Chief Executive Officer of Constellis), Dean Bosacki (the President of Constellis) and certain other members of management. It is expected that the consortium of investors also will include Forte Capital, Manhattan Partners and a group of existing co-investors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The transaction is conditioned on customary regulatory reviews and approvals and is expected to close prior to the end of the third quarter. Holders of more than a majority of Constellis's 9.750% Senior Secured Notes have committed to consent to a waiver of the change in control put provisions of such notes, which will allow them to remain outstanding after the transaction.

"This management-led buyout positions us for continued growth as we look to further diversify our service offering and expand into new markets and geographies," said Mr. DeYonker. "Our current management team will remain unchanged and will continue to execute our strategic plan. This new partnership with an expanded group of well-respected sponsors will enable us to steepen our growth curve and broaden our strategic vision."

This press release includes forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside the control of the Company. Therefore, actual results may differ materially and adversely, in terms of quantum and timing, from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason except as may be required by law.

About Constellis

Constellis is a leading provider of operational support and risk management services to government and commercial clients worldwide. From security, crisis response and training to logistics, life support, and technology services, we help our clients achieve and sustain success, no matter where they are in the world. With more than 8,000 personnel, we leverage our operational excellence, comprehensive expertise, world-class facilities and global network of partners to quickly deliver tailored, cost-effective and innovative services to our clients. Constellis represents client interests around the world; operating in more than 25 countries with regional offices in Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Constellis' U.S. government division is headquartered in Reston, Virginia while our commercial operations are based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. For more information, visit www.constellis.com.

About Forte Capital

Forte Capital Advisors combines private equity with experienced and active management in the investments in which it participates. In addition to a select portfolio of investments, Forte provides transaction and financial advisory services to growing middle market companies. The Forte team has over 40 years' experience managing companies which range from start-up phase to large multi-national operations

About Manhattan Partners

Manhattan Partners is comprised of a team of private equity professionals, entrepreneurs and operators investing in compelling growth and special situation transactions. Manhattan Partners has global experience across private equity, corporate finance, M&A, entrepreneurship, and operations. The team considers themselves to be entrepreneurs as well as investors, with an expectation to be intensely engaged in the management and growth of each portfolio company.

About Apollo

Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Bethesda, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $186 billion as of June 30, 2016 in private equity, credit and real estate funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, visit www.agm.com.

SOURCE Constellis
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SKAL International USA strongly condemns the recent terror attacks around the globe. On behalf of the entire SKAL International USA community, representing 2200 executives in the travel and tourism industry, SKAL USA conveys its condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of the victims and to the Thai people and to all the people of the world who have been victimized by the recent terror attacks.

"Too many people all over the world have been the target of senseless and cowardly terrorist attacks for weeks now. Too many innocent people have been killed and maimed in the name of some misguided belief that terror can effect change. Terror strengthens the resolve of all decent, freedom loving peoples. Only by standing shoulder to shoulder we will defeat the evil that is terrorism.

"We will always promote and support global Travel and Tourism as we believe Tourism is fatal to prejudice and small mindedness," said SKAL International USA President, John Mavros.

CONTACT: Burcin Turkkan

1-404-5477409

[email protected]

SOURCE SKAL International USA
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
Srinagar, Aug 8 : Three BSF troopers and a guerrilla were killed on Monday in a gun battle near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, military sources said.

Five other security personnel were injured in the fighting in Machil sector, an official told IANS. "A terrorist was killed in the operation."

The injured included three Border Security Force (BSF) troopers and two soldiers.
CLEAR LAKE | The First Congregational, United Methodist, and Galilean Lutheran churches are planning to hold joint worship on Aug. 21 in Molly MacGowan Park.

Fellowship coffee will begin at 9:30 a.m. with worship starting at 10 a.m. The speaker will be Rev. Harlan Seri of the Congregational Church.

Burgers, hot dogs and homemade ice cream will be served following the service.

Worshipers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and lawn and board games.

Offerings will be taken. A blessing for teachers and students will be part of the service.
Imphal, Aug 9 : A brief timeline of Irom Sharmila Chanu, who ended her 16-year long fast against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) on Tuesday.

November 2, 2000: Assam Rifles personnel gun down 10 people, including a teenage student who was a 1988 Bravery Award winner, at Malom near Imphal.

November 4, 2000: Sharmila, then 28, begins her indefinite fast in protest against the killings, demands withdrawal of AFSPA that gives sweeping powers to armed forces.

November 8, 2000: Sharmila arrested by police on charges of attempt to commit suicide under Section 309 of IPC. She has since been released and arrested several times as the maximum punishment under this Section is one year imprisonment.

Technically, she in the custody of Imphal's Sajiwa Central Jail but kept at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, where a team of doctors, nurses and policewomen ensure she gets her injections of nutrients through the nasal tube.

October 2, 2006: Sharmila goes to Raj Ghat, New Delhi, to pay floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Goes to Jantar Mantar for a protest demonstration where she is joined by human rights activists, students and others.

October 6, 2006: She is re-arrested by the Delhi Police for attempting suicide and taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Sharmila writes to the Prime Minister, the President, and the Home Minister.

February 24, 2010: Sharmila gets the Mayilamma Award for the year 2009. Mayilamma Foundation secretary M.N. Giri and great grandson-in-law of Mahatma Gandhi, Yogendra S. Parikh, present the award to Sharmila at her hospital ward.

March 2011: Desmond Coutinho, 48, a British citizen of Indian origin, meets Sharmila in hospital. Sharmila and Coutinho had been exchanging letters since 2009. Sharmila says he loves her.

October 2011: All India Trinamool Congress' Manipur unit announces support to Sharmila and calls on party chief Mamata Banerjee to help repeal the AFSPA.

July 26, 2016: Sharmila announces she would end her fast, join electoral politics and get married.

August 9, 2016: Sharmila ends her 16-year-long hunger strike, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Quit India movement.
Patna, Aug 9 : Angry over the suspension of 11 SHOs on charges of failing to enforce the liquor ban, the Bihar Police Association has warned of mass leave by its members if the suspension of these officers was not revoked by August 28.

"If the suspension is not revoked by August 28, around 21,000 officers ranging from Assistant Sub-Inspectors to Inspectors will go on a week-long mass leave," Bihar Police Association president Mritunjay Kumar Singh said.

He said nearly 250 Station House Officers have already informed their respective Superintendents of Police about their unwillingness to continue in their posts.

"We have called a BPA meeting on August 28 in which its all district presidents and others will attend to decide our future course of action," he said.

Singh said when he met Bihar Director General of Police P.K. Thakur, he advised the BPA leaders to ask the 11 SHOs suspended last week to submit applications through their respective SPs for revocation of their suspension from service.

The DGP assured that police authorities will look into the case, the BPA leader said.

Additional Director General of police (Headquarters) Sunil Kumar said the 11 SHOs were suspended after it was found that they had failed to check manufacture and sale of illicit liquor in areas under their jurisdiction.

"Despite the liquor ban in force in Bihar since April 1, these SHOs did not take steps to crack down on the manufacture of illicit liquor in their areas."

Kumar said the suspended SHOs would not be made police station incharge for the next 10 years.

Besides, six trainee police constables were also suspended in Banka district for offences related to violation of the prohibition law.

As many as 4,707 people have been arrested in four months and 3,719 FIRs lodged in connection with the liquor ban.
Kolkata, Aug 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be speaking against the cow vigilantes, but an outfit in Bengal is all set to publish a comprehensive report on cow census in September.

Claiming to be backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Cow Development Cell has been carrying out the census in all the 20 districts of the state for the past few weeks.

"Prime Minister Modi has criticised gau rakshaks (cow protectors), and we are not concerned whether that criticism is right or wrong because we are not cow protectors. It's the job of the government and the administration to protect the cows," the Cell's state head Subrata Gupta said.

"Our organisation is for the development of cows and we are carrying out the census to ascertain the status of this national asset in our state," he added.

Amid rising incidents of cow vigilantism, Modi has strongly condemned the self-styled cow protectors, saying most of them were anti-social elements masquerading as cow protectors.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too had warned against carrying out the cow census in her state.

Gupta, however, appears determined to carry on the task.

"We will publish the detailed report of the census on September 15," he said, adding that the organisation has no plans to send the report to any political party or the government.
Kabul, Aug 11 : At least four persons were killed and three others injured in firing which followed a suicide bombing in Afghanistan's Herat province on Thursday, police said.

"A terrorist detonated his explosives-laden vehicle next to a national army base in Shindand district which, followed by gunshots, has so far claimed four lives and injured three others," Xinhua news agency quoted police spokesman Sayed Ahmad Mohammadi as saying.

The firefight between the attackers and the security forces continued, the official said.

On Wednesday, hundreds of Taliban militants launched a massive offensive in the country's Baghlan province, storming its Dahna-e-Ghori district where two Taliban militants were killed and several others injured in the fighting between the militants and government forces.
Washington, Aug 13 : US Vice President Joe Biden has urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko "do his part to avoid escalating tensions" with Russia in the Crimean peninsula, the White House said.

Speaking over phone, Biden on Friday assured Poroshenko that the US had urged Russia to do the same, EFE news reported.

"Both leaders reiterated their strong support for political and diplomatic means to restore Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the statement.

It also said Crimea was "occupied" by Russia "in contravention of international law".

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukrainian military intelligence units had tried to infiltrate into Crimea on two sabotage missions against critical infrastructure in the peninsula.

Poroshenko, for his part, ordered on Thursday troops on maximum alert along the line separating them and the rebel forces in Crimea, and claimed the Russian accusations were a pretext for launching fresh military threats.

Biden and Poroshenko also reviewed Ukraine's "recent progress" in complying with the International Monetary Fund's conditions for the next credit tranche.
CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has termed the policy of maintaining equal distance from all political formations adopted by the Kerala Congress (Mani) [KC(M)] following their exit from the United Democratic Front as illogical.

He made the comment in an article carried by the CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani.

In the article published Friday, the senior Marxist leader gave the clearest indication yet that the doors of the LDF are open to the KC(M).

Once again welcoming the KC(M) decision to part ways with the shipwreck that is UDF, the CPI(M) leader goes on to assert that the party would take political advantage of the dissensions and revolts within the UDF, adding that the CPI(M) would adopt the necessary tactics and positions towards this end.

The KC(M) decision to leave the UDF was most welcome but the policy of equidistance from all three fronts (LDF, UDF, and BJP-led NDA) was contrary to logic, the article says.

The article also elaborated on the comment Kodiyeri made the other day that the LDF saw the crisis in the UDF as an opportunity to expand the fronts base.

The LDF and CPI-M led by the proletariat is yet to achieve cement the support of the majority in the State, the article says.

Except on a few rare occasions, the front has failed to garner more than 50 per cent of the votes in an election, Kodiyeri writes, calling for the party and the front to initiate efforts to rectify this.

Instead of forging opportunistic alliances with parties breaking away from the opposite camp, the CPI(M) was primarily focusing on exploiting the dissidence in the rival camps to lure their ordinary workers to the party, Kodiyeri wrote.

In the article, Kodiyeri once again dwelt upon the need to thwart any attempt by the NDA to make political dividends from the crisis in the UDF.

Even though the UDF is on the verge of disintegration, the LDF and UDF are the two major powers in the States bipolar polity, the article says.

Acknowledging that the BJP managed to achieve a place in the States politics by sending a representative to the assembly, Kodiyeri cautions his partymen to be on alert to pre-empt any possibility of the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP being a beneficiary of the disintegration of the UDF.

There must be vigilance to prevent parties falling out with the UDF from hitching their wagons to the NDA fold, Kodiyeri wrote.
New Delhi : The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has given its guarded approval to Narendra Modi's criticism of the cow vigilantes.

Notwithstanding the caveat that Modi should not have said that 80 per cent of the "gau rakshaks" were fake, the endorsement marks a giant leap forward for the Hindu supremacist organisation since its note of consent can be interpreted as the sanctioning of a "pseudo-secular" position vis-a-vis the holy cow.

Indeed, this is exactly how one of its affiliates, the more virulent Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has seen it, for it has said that Modi will pay for his stance in 2019.

Another saffron outfit, which is not a part of the Sangh parivar, the Hindu Mahasabha, has accused Modi of becoming a "carbon copy" of the Congress.

How the fratricidal bickering pans out over the weeks and months will be a matter of interest to the Bharatiya Janata Party's friends and foes.

But two aspects of this development involving the vigilantes are clear. The most crucial is that the BJP hasn't faced a threat of this magnitude earlier. Moreover, the danger is from within and not from the opposition although the latter will gleefully watch the BJP's discomfiture.

If the BJP did not suffer a serious rupture after the Babri masjid demolition, it may do so now because Modi is taking a position which runs counter to one of the saffron camp's basic tenets such as reverence for the cow.

By calling the gau rakshaks anti-social, Modi has touched a raw nerve where the parivar is concerned. Little wonder that the VHP's vice-president in Uttar Pradesh, Sunil Parashar, has said that "Modi's statement is an insult to all those who have sacrificed their lives for cow protection".

If Modi adheres to this line, it can lead to a major shake-up of the parivar's ideology, moving it into the 21st century from its medieval moorings.

As the Hindu Mahasabha has said, Modi has "gone back on everything from Ram temple to abrogating Article 370 and is now turning his back on cows".

Since the Mahasabha, which is on the fringe of the Hindu right, does not have to follow the politically convenient line of the RSS, it can afford to be more blunt.

It has long been felt by some in the saffron brotherhood that the BJP can model itself on the Christian Democratic parties of Europe, which are right-wing and conservative, but not fascistic.

It is the element of fascism in the BJP, with its animosity towards the Muslims and Brahminical disdain towards the Dalits, which kept it on the sidelines of Indian politics till the 1990s.

It would have remained there but for the precipitous decline of the Congress and some of the latter's foolish pro-Muslim steps like negating the Supreme Court verdict on alimony for Muslim women.

Although the BJP's rise has been facilitated by the Congress's fall, there is apparently a realisation in the BJP that despite its current dominance at the national level, the pursuit of a strident pro-Hindu agenda is not feasible in a multicultural country.

So the party first clamped down on the ghar wapsi and love jehad campaigns and is now targeting the gau rakshaks.

Although a primary motivation for the criticism of the latter may be a desire to woo the Dalits before the UP elections since several members of the community were flogged by the vigilantes in Gujarat, that objective does not detract from the BJP's green signal for punishing the law-breakers.

However, it is also true that the saffron camp was not unduly perturbed when a Muslim was lynched in a village near Delhi on the suspicion of eating beef -- RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called it a minor incident -- and two Muslim cowherds were killed in Jharkhand. Even then, the latest show of outrage over the rampaging vigilantes will be widely welcomed.

At the same time, the disapproval voiced by the RSS of the lawlessness of the gau rakshaks may be a temporary instance of censure. It is difficult to believe that the Nagpur patriarchs will disown their cherished philosophy of Hindu rashtra, where the cow is the national animal, because of the BJP's electoral compulsions.

As it is, several affiliates of the RSS like the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) have been voicing their grievances about Modi's pro-market policies, based on globalisation which militates against the concept of self-reliance.

While the SJM is opposing foreign investment, the BMS is against the Goods and Services Tax, saying that it favours the rich at the expense of the poor.

It is not only on the issue of gau rakshaks, therefore, that Modi is having to contend with dissenting voices from inside the saffron camp. He is also up against both the orthodoxy of pro-Hindu elements and the insularity of the Parivar's economists and labour leaders.

He can however take heart from the fact that large sections of the population are with him on the matter of freeing India from backward-looking religiosity and embracing a globalised economy.

(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@gmail.com)
Washington, Aug 13 : A hacker group has released more details of Democratic Party House members including personal cell phone numbers and private email addresses, a media report said on Saturday.

The group that identifies itself as 'Guccifer 2.0' claimed responsibility for posting the data on Friday night on their WordPress blog, CNN reported.

In the trove of information released, 'Guccifer 2.0' also uploaded files to the blog post that contained contact information of staff members and campaign aides along with login information to subscription services used by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), including Washington newspapers.

"As previously noted, the DCCC has been the target of a cyber security incident, and we are cooperating with federal law enforcement in their ongoing investigation," DCCC Press Secretary Meredith Kelly said in a statement late Friday.

"We are aware of reports that documents claimed to be from our network have been released and are investigating their authenticity," CNN quoted Kelly as saying.

According to cyber experts, there was no way to verify the identity of the individual or group known as Guccifer 2.0.

The name is a reference to a Romanian hacker who pleaded guilty to hacking several prominent politicians and figures, including former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, who went online by Guccifer, CNN reported citing the experts as saying.

Last month, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign along with other Democratic Party organisations was hacked as part of a larger cyber attack. It followed two data breaches involving the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the DNCC.
Houston, Aug 13 : Actors Parineeti Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan along with filmmaker Karan Johar are on a mission to spread Bollywood fever in the US starting from Houston.

The Dream Team concert by the stars started here with a bang on Friday.

While the actors were flying to the city in the US, Katrina tweeted a video featuring the whole team prepping for the concert with full gusto. At the end of the video, all could be seen dancing to the song "Kala chashma" from the actress' forthcoming film "Baar Baar Dekho".

A few hours before his performance, Varun shared an image of himself, flaunting his abs.

"The calm before the storm. Dream Team. First time ever," he captioned the image on Instagram and Twitter.

Karan also shared his excitement and posted: "Hey Houston. The Dream Team has landed and is all ready to kill it on stage tonight."

The stars will also perform in Oakland, Orlando, Hoffman Estates, Inglewood and Newark.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi here on Saturday and discussed "issues of mutual importance".

The two sides then held delegation-level talks, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Earlier, Wang called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Wang was among the first foreign ministers to be welcomed in India after the Modi government took office in May 2014.
WINNEBAGO COUNTY  It would be an education center by geography alone.

Winnebago County Conservation officials are planning an educational center thats roughly in the middle of the county, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and Iowa Highway 9.

The conservation agency owns about 3 1/2 acres at the site.

County Conservation Director Robert Schwartz told the board of supervisors at a recent meeting that the center would be used to teach children and adults about nature and science.

The Winnebago County Conservation Friends foundation is spearheading the project, Schwartz said. The foundation will seek grants and donations to help pay for the project.

Schwartz said the foundation and conservation were not seeking money from the county supervisors.

The conservation department has been using the office building at Thorpe Park, about 5 miles west of Forest City. The building has about 1,500 square feet when the main floor and loft footage are included.

The Thorpe Park building only has room for small events, Schwartz said. The routes to Thorpe Park include gravel roads, and the area is not large enough for buses to turn around, he said.

The site at the intersection of Iowa Highway 9 and U.S. Highway 69 is large enough for buses, is on a paved road, near the center of the county, is sufficient for a large building and is surrounded by natural features ideal for study, Schwartz said.

Thorpe Park is a great spot, conservation foundation member Brad Huntington said. But the small building is not large enough for education and is not even big enough to house all the existing animal displays the conservation department has.

We dont have room for displays, Huntington said. It will be nice to have a place for the small animal displays.

Schwartz said conservation officials are considering a company that has models of structures it can adapt to Winnebago Countys needs.

The company provides the shell and the county secures the finishing work, Schwartz said.

The building would cost an estimated $650,000 to $700,000 to complete, he said.

Rae Yost is the editor of the Forest City Summit, another Lee Enterprises newspaper.
New Delhi : Speeding up financial inclusion, toilets in every school, reducing LPG subsidy and electrification of villages were some of the key promises made by Modi during his second Independence Day Speech on August 15, 2015. FactChecker reviewed the implementation of the key announcements he made, as we did previously for his 2014 speech.

1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: More than 228 million bank accounts opened as on August 3, 2016, an increase of 31 per cent from 174 million in 2015 -- 24 per cent of these accounts had no money, a reduction of 22 per cent from 2015. The balance in the accounts increased 85 per cent over one year, from Rs 22,033 crore to Rs 40,795 crore.

The previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had opened more than 50 million "no-frills" accounts -- as they called them -- for the poor over five years, but most were never used, IndiaSpend reported in October 2014.

2. Swacch Vidyalaya Abhiyan: Claim of 100 per cent separate toilets for boys & girls in all schools not true

Random checks across seven states revealed widespread infirmities, such as:

Many schools, from urban New Delhi to backward, often remote, areas, did not have toilets. The specific claim that every school now has separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools was not true.

Existing toilets in schools -- either already built or new -- do not have water or are not maintained, making them useless.

Newly built toilets could not be used because in the rush to build them, no drainage was constructed.

The campaign aimed at constructing 417,000 toilets in 262,000 schools, or 1.5 toilets per school. One or two toilets per school is not quite enough.

Educating children in using toilets has proved to be as important as building them. The construction of toilets has been so rushed that various stakeholders do not appear to have had time to understand the importance of the mission and implement it in full measure.

3. Give it Up: 10.4 million have given up LPG subsidy voluntarily, 1.76 million women get free gas connections

4. LPG subsidy saving 10 per cent of claim made by govt: Rs 2,000 crore not Rs 20,000 crore, says auditor The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) also found systemic problems with cash transfers -- called Pahal -- of LPG subsidy, including diversion of domestic subsidy for commercial use and commercial LPG being used in homes.

The subsidy discrepancy mostly stems from a fall in the global price of LPG imported, the CAG report said.

5. Electricity to villages: Govt says 98.1 per cent electrified, but electricity supply suspect What happened: As many as 587,569 of 597,464 villages (98.1%) in India were "electrified" as on June 30, 2016, which means only 9,895 do not have electricity, according to a recent report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

A village being declared "electrified" does not mean a household will get electricity, FactChecker reported in November 2015.

"The first threshold for electrification should be at least 50 per centof homes in a coverage area (i.e., the majority)," according to Rahul Tongia, Fellow at Brookings Institution, and Advisor to the Smart Grid Task Force of the central government.

Actual electricity is important -- and that there should be no power cuts-to achieve meaningful electrification, Tongia wrote in this column in The Hindu on October 7, 2014.

An investigation of rural electrification data by The Hindu found that the number of villages said to be electrified in the last year is exaggerated.

6. Social security: 127 million people enrolled for three major programmes

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) has been given to 2.7 million, Prime Minister's Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) to 94.5 million and Prime Minister's Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) to 29.7 million citizens as on June 14 2016, according to official data.

More recent data tabled in the parliament indicates that 3.04 million Indians have registered under APY as on July 20, 2016.

7. Rural India: Agriculture budget increased by 44 per cent -- from Rs 24,909 crore ($4 billion) in 2015-16 to Rs 35,984 crore ($5 billion) in 2016-17, to address growing distress in rural areas from successive monsoon failures -- and several rural programmes launched

But, 5 per cent of farmers still control 32 per cent of India's farmland and a "large" farmer in India has 45 times more land than a "marginal" farmer, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

The land that can be farmed has marginally declined, from 182.5 million hectares in 2008-09 to 182 million hectares in 2012-13, mainly for non-agricultural purposes, such as urbanisation, roads, industries and housing, according to data tabled in parliament.

8. One Rank One Pension for service personnel: Approved, but protests continue Modi approved the OROP proposal in April 2016. It will cost the government an additional Rs 7,488 in annual pensions and Rs 10,925 crore in arrears.

As many as 1.6 million pensioners were paid their first pensions through the OROP programme; Rs 2,861 crore was spent until March 31, 2016. Certain issues and anomalies have been raised by servicemen, which a government panel is considering.

(13.08.2016 - In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform, of which FactChecker is a part. Devanik Saha is a freelance journalist. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)

Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston
Patna, Aug 13 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday warned police officials that action would be initiated against them for failing to enforce the liquor ban in the state.

"I have committed to enforce liquor ban and there is no compromise on it. Nobody is above the law, action would be initiated against all if found negligence to enforce liquor ban," Nitish Kumar said at a function of elected rural bodies members here.

"SHOs have threatened to leave their positions, no problem, leave the post and even resign from the service but law will remain to enforce liquor ban."

The Chief Minister's remarks came in response to the Bihar Police Association (BPA) that had protested against suspension of 11 SHOs last week and issued an ultimatum to the Bihar police headquarters to withdraw the suspension of the SHOs and threatened to launch an agitation.

The 11 SHOs were suspended after it was found that they failed to check and control manufacture of banned liquor in their jurisdiction.

The BPA said nearly 250 SHOs of various police stations in Bihar have expressed their unwillingness to continue on the post in protest against the suspension of the 11 SHOs.

"I was voted to power by the people to run the government, liquor ban has been imposed, now there is no chance of any slackness to implement it," Nitish Kumar said.

Additional Director General of Police, headquarter, Sunil Kumar said 4,707 people were arrested during the last four months and 3,719 FIRs lodged in connection with the flouting of the liquor ban.
Gurgaon, Aug 13 : Hindi and Hebrew are the most spoken languages in Silicon Valley, thus any India-Israel collaboration can create a vibrant ecosystem that will help start-ups to mushroom and thrive the world over, Israel's Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon said.

"Start-ups constitute one of the pillars in further strengthening India-Israel relations," Carmon told IANS, while announcing the Indian winners who will participate at this year's Start Tel Aviv -- a global event that brings to one platform entrepreneurs from across the world.

Quoting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the ambassador said that in the Silicon Valley, considered the global capital for start-ups, Hindi and Hebrew are heard more than English.

On the USA's East Coast, Indians and Israelis already dominate the diamond business.

"If the people from India and Israel dominate the start-up space in Silicon Valley, why can't they meet more often in New Delhi or Tel Aviv? I think start-ups provide great opportunities for people of both the countries who share common goals and aspirations," he added.

"Proud of their history and tradition, India and Israel are two countries with a large population of young people, eager and curious to grasp the future," the ambassador said.

"Let's do it together."

Ambassador Carmon said the initiative in start-ups was just one of the pillars identified to push India-Israel relations. He identified the others as agriculture, water ecosystem, defence, homeland security, education and academia.

XLPAT Lab co-founder Komal Talwar and Advenio's Mausumi Acharyya were picked as the winners of the "Start Tel Aviv - India Finals" competition. They will join founders from 22 other countries for an intense, five-day start-up experience in Tel Aviv from September 25 to 29 this year.

"It is for the first time that the competition is focusing on women. We want to bring the women entrepreneurs to the front of the stage to take their rightful place in the start-up world," said Ditza Froim, Minister-Counsellor for Public Diplomacy at the Israeli Embassy.

Talwar's XLPAT boasts of patent and technology coverage of over 120 countries which allows users thorough and exhaustive patent searches within minutes and also generate claim charts.

Focussing in the field of computer aided diagnosis, Acharyya's Advenio is developing a software to analyse hundreds of medical images to help doctors arrive at quick decisions about a medical problems.

Start Tel Aviv is organised to help promising early-stage start-ups to meet and establish relationships with potential customers, partners and high-profile industry leaders.

(Gokul Bhagabati can be reached at gokul.b@ians.in)
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also discussed "issues of mutual importance" with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here.

"A morning for neighbourly engagement," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted after Wang called on Modi.

He later met Sushma Swaraj, after which the Indian and Chinese sides went into delegation-level talks.

Wang on Friday met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and reviewed the logistics and security arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the state in October for the BRICS summit.

Wang was among the first foreign ministers to be welcomed in India after the Modi government took office in May 2014.
Mumbai, Aug 13 : Six short films featuring Bollywood actresses including Shabana Azmi, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut and talking about various issues affecting women will be screened at Inox properties across the country.

INOX Leisure, a multiplex chain, is providing a platform to Women in Film and Television (WIFT) to assist in creation of awareness about the need for empowerment of Indian women to assist them in their struggle for independence.

This will be done through exclusive screenings of a series of six short films starring Shabana, Priyanka, Kangana, Dia Mirza, Shriya Saran and Rituparna Sengupta at Inox properties in India.

The films will feature the actresses talking about various issues affecting women like dowry, sexual harassment, female foeticide, teach a girl child, child marriage and domestic violence.

As a part of the initiative, starting August 15, the multiplex will screen a series of six films, each of a duration of 40 seconds, across all its multiplexes for one month.

Ishita Jain, wife of Siddharth Jain, Director, INOX Leisure Ltd., said in a statement: "Utilising the powerful medium of film, we want to contribute towards enhancing the quality of life and economic well-being of the local populace in general, women and children in specific. We share the WIFT philosophy of empowering women in our industry to achieve their potential by providing them with opportunities to grow.

"We are happy to present these films at our multiplexes and hope that our network across the country will assist in delivering the message about empowerment of women across the nation."

Petrina D'Rozario, Founder Director, WIFT India, said: "As filmmakers, our craft can construct or destruct. We have used our craft and the medium of film to talk about some issues that plague our nation. No other medium has such a wide appeal and ability to hold the audience's attention. We hope we can leave behind a residue of thought that gender violence needs to stop."
Mumbai, Aug 13 : A court on Saturday sent five doctors, including the CEO of L.H. Hirandanani Hospital, to judicial custody till August 26 in an illegal kidney sale and transplant racket here.

The five -- the hospital's CEO Sujit Chatterjee, Medical Director Anurag Naik, Prakash Shetty, Mukesh Shah and Mukesh Shetye -- were produced before the court after their three-day police custody ended on Saturday.

Public Prosecutor Sudhir Sapkal told the court that the police investigation were complete and they did not require the custody of the accused for further investigation.

Accordingly, the magistrate ordered the five accused -- arrested on August 9 -- to be remanded in judicial custody till August 26.

Police said they had scrutinised the bank account details and call records of the accused-arrested medicos and were trying to probe how long they had been in contact with each other and with another accused, Brijkishore Jaiswal, the Surat businessman who was the intended recipient of a kidney transplant last month.

Seeking bail for one of the accused, Prakash Shetty, his lawyer Abad Ponda said it must be granted immediately as his wife had delivered twins on Saturday morning and produced a certificate to the effect.

The court declined to take up the bail plea and directed the lawyer to move it on a regular hearing day and asked police to be prepared with its reply on August 16.

Earlier on Friday, the Dindoshi Sessions Court rejected the anticipatory bail application of two other medicos from the L.H. Hiranandani Hospital -- Suwin Shetty and Veena Salekar.

Police, who are probing more suspicious transplants pertaining to the case, have already hinted that more arrests from the hospital were likely.

Stunned by the revelations, the Hiranandani Hospital on Thursday appointed an external firm Ernst & Young to audit all kidney transplant cases carried out in the hospital in the past one year.

The lid was blown off the racket on July 14 when social worker Suresh Gupta, some political activists and members of a trade union stopped a kidney transplant operation midway since the donor and the recipient were allegedly found to be a fake couple -- 'husband' Brijkishore Jaiswal and 'wife' Shobha Thakur.

Since then, a total of 14 persons have been arrested in connection with the racket at the reputed 12-year-old suburban private hospital with 240 beds.

Following the expose, the Maharashtra Directorate of Health Services set up a committee of medical experts, which found irregularities related to at least four kidney transplant cases.

Based on the committee's report, the police arrested the five medicos, sending shockwaves in the medical fraternity.
Kolkata, Aug 13 : In a big haul, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Saturday nabbed 12 persons, including a woman, and seized gold worth over Rs 18 crore from the city.

Acting on a tip-off, DRI officials raided a guest house in the city's Burrabazar area where the accused, mostly from Manipur and Mizoram, had checked in.

They had assembled in the city to sell off the precious metal to city-based traders.

The sleuths seized over 58 kg of gold biscuits and bars which was smuggled into the country from Myanmar. The value of the gold has been ascertained to be Rs 18.33 crore.

All the accused were presented before a city court that remanded them to judicial custody till August 24.
Jammu, Aug 13 : At least 11 pilgrims were injured, three of them critically, in an explosion on Saturday in Poonch district of Jammu region.

A senior police officer told IANS in winter capital Jammu that 11 yatris of Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra were injured in an explosion near the shrine.

"It was a crude bomb explosion. Three of the injured reportedly sustained serious injuries. All the injured have been shifted to a hospital."
New Delhi, Aug 13 : VHP leader Praveen Togadia on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments against cow vigilantes and said the government should have instead talked to them.

"It is agonizing that despite knowing the story of butchering of cows and cow progeny, rather than making efforts to protect cows, which is revered mother to all Hindus, the head of the nation has put cow protectors' lives in danger at the hands of cow butchers," Togadia told the media.

He said the central government should have initiated a "meaningful dialogue" with organisations and people engaged in cow protection.

"The basic issue is to save cows... You are ready to talk with an enemy like Pakistan, you are ready to talk to Kashmiris who attack police and the army, but you do not want to talk to those who are protecting cows," Togadia said.

"The laws to protect cows are not effectively implemented by state governments. So Hindus had to take to the streets to protect cows. You must at least talk to them.

"If you ask, I can gather every person involved in this work (cow protection) from every tehsil.

"You (prime minister) and Hindus of this country could have ensured that no cow is killed," he said.

"When the head of the nation is saying that 80 percent cow protectors are fake, the VHP requests the Prime Minister to disclose the basis of the data he used to demean cow protecting Hindus," Togadia said.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : After China blocked India's bid for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the two countries had a "lengthy discussion" on the issue in a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Saturday "Lengthy discussion on India's NSG membership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said while briefing the media after the three-hour-long talks.

"The External Affairs Minister outlined the importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21 (Conference of Parties climate summit held in Paris last year)," he said.

Swarup said that India offered to discuss any technical issues China might have and it was agreed that the Directors General of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon.

At the NSG plenary held in Seoul in June this year, China blocked India's bid for membership on the ground that a country joining the 48-member group should be a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Saturday's talks also focused on other bilateral issues, regional and global developments and India's preparations to host the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit this year.

According to Swarup, overall, the discussions were positive, constructive and held in an open spirit.

He said progress in bilateral ties was reviewed, as also challenges on some recent issues.

"Positive assessment of expanding investments, more infrastructure cooperation, easier visas, greater tourism and expanded cultural, academic and civil society interactions," the spokesperson said.

The issue of China vetoing India's bid to put Pathankot airbase attack mastermind and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar on the UN terror list also came up for discussion.

Swarup said that China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

Sushma Swaraj also conveyed to Wang India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

"The situation on the border was reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility were discussed," Swarup said.

It was also agreed to set up a new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries to discuss ties.

Regional and international issues including the implications of Britain's exit from the European Union, the situation in Korean Peninsula, UN Security Council reforms and forthcoming G20, East Asia and BRICS summits were also on the agenda.

"South China Sea was not brought up by China," Swarup said.

An international arbitration tribunal in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague ruled on July 12 that China violated the Philippines' rights in the South China Sea, one of the busiest commercial shipping routes in the world.

The court accused China of interfering with the Philippines' fishing and petroleum exploration, building artificial islands in the waters and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.

The tribunal held that fishermen from the Philippines had traditional fishing rights in Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and that China had interfered with these rights by restricting their access.

The court held that Chinese law enforcement vessels unlawfully created a serious risk of collision when they physically obstructed Philippine vessels in the region.

China is locked in disputes over the Spratly and Paracel groups of islands in the South China Sea with other countries of the region.
Kolkata, Aug 13 : Amid a host of opposition leaders switching allegiance to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Left Front on Saturday accused the West Bengal's ruling party of seeking to establish "autocracy" in the state.

"Why are they so afraid of the Opposition? They want to wipe out every sign of opposition in the state. Trinamool is destroying democracy and seeking to establish autocracy," Left Front chairman Biman Bose said.

Pointing fingers at Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, Bose said despite bagging 211 of the 294 assembly seats, Trinamool's hunger for power was "insatiable".

"Her (Banerjee) party leaders are going around with bags of money shopping representatives of other parties," said Bose.

The veteran Marxist leader's comments come in the wake of the TMC taking over control of several opposition-controlled civic bodies after the Congress and the Left members joined the ruling party.

Earlier in July, Communist Party of India-Marxist legislator Dipali Biswas from Malda's Gazole constituency, and Congress' Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya, representing Bankura's Bishnupur, defected to the Trinamool Congress.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday fighting the global scourge of terrorism is a central part of India's diplomatic engagements.

"Among the issues that dominate global concerns today is the threat of terrorism," Sushma Swaraj said while releasing a book, "The Modi Doctrine: New Paradigms in India's Foreign Policy" here.

"As you all know, it is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross-border manifestation," she said.

She stated that dialogue with sponsors and supporters of terrorism cannot caried on without being linked to action against terrorism.

"In fact, we have insisted that addressing the terrorism challenge is central to engagement," she said.

"At the international level, we are also putting the spotlight on early conclusion of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism," she stated.

"Equally important, we have made counter-terrorism cooperation a key element in many of our bilateral interactions. I can share with you that this is having its impact."

Sushma Swaraj also highlighted the government's "Neighbourhood First" diplomatic initiative.

"The very first diplomatic move made by the government was on its inauguration day, by inviting leaders of neighbouring nations to join us on that occasion," she said.

"The underlying thought has since expanded into a 'Neighbourhood First' policy that stresses cooperation, connectivity and greater people to people contacts.

"By visiting virtually all our neighbours himself - many of them after a long gap - Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has articulated a strong message of regional prosperity that resonates with the masses."

Sushma Swaraj said that comprehending recent shifts in the nature of international politics was essential to framing policies and choices.

"The global order has not just become more multi-polar. In fact, there is an overall loosening of relationships and even countries that are formal allies are now hedging," she said.

She said that remaining passive to international developments was no longer an option, adding that Ind'a's interests and prestige have been well served by thi" "more energetic engageme"t".

Stating that it was not enough that India was heard or seen in different parts of the world, she said" "Our capabilities in technology, education or industry can make a difference to the growth of others... You can see this reflected in growing lines of credit, more grants and technical assistance, as well as in major development projects abroa"."

Sushma Swaraj also said that it was also worthwhile to examine the foreign policy of demographic dividends.

"

"And as education, skills and employment progress, we can truly be a human resources super pow"r." she stated. "

"Already, there is an Indian diaspora that wields considerable influence in many nati"ns."

According to Sushma Swaraj, projecting cultural identity and national branding were integral elements of enhancing global standing. "

"India is actually particularly blessed because more than many others, our cultural heritage and traditions have an international relev"nce," she said."

"This is a reservoir of goodwill that has not been utilised as effectively as it could have been in the "ast."

Visiting British Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel, who is of Indian orgin, said that the Indian diaspora was well reflected in Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy"

"UK has one of the largest Indian diaspora in the West with 1.5 million pe"ple," she said, adding Modi was truly a global Prime Minister.

"The Modi Doctrine: New Paradigms in 'ndia's Foreign P"licy" is edited by Anirban Ganguly, Director of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, Vijay Chauthaiwale, in charge of department of foreign affairs in the BJP, and Uttam Kumar Sinha, a Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

It contains essays by a host national and international columnists, commentators and diplomats.

Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston
Jammu, Aug 13 : At least 11 pilgrims were injured, three of them critically, in a granade blast on Saturday in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

A senior police officer told IANS that "11 yatris of Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra were injured near the shrine, when three men hurled a granade."

He said, "two suspects were nabbed while they were escaping in a vehicle, but a third suspect was still at the large".

All the injured have been shifted to a hospital.
Geneva, Aug 14 : A man attacked and injured at least six people on a train near the northern Swiss city of St Gallen on Saturday, local media and police source said.

The 27-year-old man was thought to have used a knife and set flammable liquid on fire, injuring at least one of the passengers severely, Xinhua quoted Swiss News Agency as saying.

The Swiss public radio SRF reported that at least six people were injured, including a 17-year-old and a 50-year-old man, three women aged 17, 34 and 43 and a six-year-old child. The attacker was apparently injured as well.

A local police statement said the attack took place at around 2:20 p.m. local time and dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack.

The attacker is a Swiss citizen, according to the police statement.

A local police spokesperson also told the press that the injured passengers, with both stab and burn wounds, had been taken to hospital. The motivation for the attack is still unclear.
Mexico City, Aug 14 : The former judicial director of Mexico's federal Altiplano prison, Leonor Garcia, has been exonerated of responsibility for the escape of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in July 2015.

In a statement on Saturday, Mexico's prosecutor general said the 3rd District Court had lifted charged faced by the former prison executive, Xinhua reported.

Garcia, along with 19 other prison executives and security officials, had been facing charges since September for either aiding and abetting Guzman in his escape or for criminal negligence.

Garcia was also released from a federal prison in the western state of Nayarit.

The leader of the Sinaloa cartel escaped the prison in the central State of Mexico on July 11, 2015, through a massive tunnel dug by his associates from a building outside the prison right into his cell.

However, the prosecutor-general's office stated that evidence against Garcia would continue to be examined and that she remained a person of interest in the case.

Among those arrested after Guzman's escape are Valentin Cardenas, the former general director of Altiplano and Celina Oseguera, the former national coordinator of federal prisons.

Guzman was recaptured by the army on January 8 in Sinaloa and is currently being held in a northern prison along the US border, awaiting a potential extradition to the US.
Implementing ISO 13485:2016

GlobalCompliancePanel, a prominent brand of NetZealous LLC, a leading provider of regulatory compliance trainings for a wide range of regulated industries, will organize a two-day seminar in Boston, MA on September 15 and 16, 2016 on the topic, "Implementing ISO 13485:2016". Dan O'Leary, President of Ombu Enterprises, LLC will be the Director at this NetZealous seminar.

This seminar will offer a deep analysis of the ways of implementing the new ISO 13485:2016 standard, whose final version is now available for companies to start implementing. Since there are major changes from the earlier version of this standard; a detailed understanding of this modified version is necessary for professionals who are required to implement them in their work. The new regulation is quite complex, and for many companies, the implementation period is quite short, depending on the expiry date of their current certificate.

More details of the seminar can be had from

http://www.globalcompliancepanel.com/control/globalseminars/~product_id=900592SEMINAR?channel=mailer&camp=seminar&AdGroup=PRWeb_PR_AUG12_2016_SEO

This seminar will discuss this and other aspects of the new ISO 13485:2016 standard in detail. The Director of this seminar, Dan O'Leary, who has spent over three decades in various quality, operations, and program management in regulated industries; will offer practical implementation advice and suggestions to participants.

Satisha Naraharimurthy, Founder and CEO of NetZealous, said: "With the major changes being suggested by the new ISO 13485:2016 guideline; it is imperative for companies that need to implement it to have complete clarity on how to implement it. We are glad to be supplying this vital knowledge to the industries that need to transition to the new requirements".

This seminar comes at a very important time for the regulated industries, as the new 2016 guideline from the ISO is about to get ready and start getting implemented. Coming as it does at this critical juncture; this seminar will go a long way in helping regulatory professionals get the ropes of this new standard, said Shahanshah Manzoor, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of NetZealous.

Liju Mathew, Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer at NetZealous is confident that this NetZealous seminar will tremendously help regulatory professionals who have to implement the new ISO 13485:2016 standard. "Many organizations find the new regulation complicated, which is why we organized this seminar from such a senior professional in the regulated industry to impart a thorough learning and clarification of this topic", he said.

About the Director:

Dan O'Leary is the President of Ombu Enterprises, LLC. Dan has more than 30 years' experience in Quality, Operations and Program Management in regulated industries including aviation, defense, medical devices, and clinical labs.

Contact information:

Call: 1-800-447-9407;

Visit: http://www.netzealous.com/
GOintegro Logo LatAm HR VPs have prioritized employer branding to retain their top employees. Now they are starting to leverage this asset to attract qualified talent", says German Dyzenchauz, GOintegro CEO & Cofounder.

GOintegro, Latin Americas leading employee engagement technology company, has published its Second Latin American Employer Branding Survey results, which show the adoption of Employer Branding best practices is growing among Latin American companies.

Regionally, 41% out of more than 500 surveyed companies have a formal Employer Branding strategy in place. Adoption is highest among organizations with 2,500 or more employees - above 60%.

On an encouraging note, 40% of the companies that dont currently manage their Employer Branding plan to catch up before year-end or during next year, which means more than 60% of Latin American companies will implement initiatives to improve employer branding by the end of 2017.

Another key insight from the survey results shows LatAm firms use Employer Branding mainly as a tool to retain top talent, rather than attracting adequate candidates in the near future, despite talent shortages reported by CEOs and HR VPs in numerous reports around the globe.

Latin American HR VPs have definitely risen up to the challenge posed by employees increasing mobility and demand for a better experience in the workplace, by prioritizing employer branding to retain their best talent. Now they are starting to leverage this asset to attract qualified talent in the immediate and near future, says German Dyzenchauz, GOintegro CEO & Cofounder.

More than 500 companies operating in a variety of sectors - such as manufacturing, banking, technology and retail, among others - participated in the survey, which was carried out in May-July of 2016 and focuses on the key trends and best practices shaping employer branding management in the region.

Key findings include:



More than 60% of firms with more than 2,500 employees have an employer branding strategy.

Companies that actively manage their employer branding implement employee training and growth programs (63%), improve health benefits (56%), listen to employees (55%) and prioritize internal communications (48%).

The focus on talent retention becomes clear when analyzing the KPIs LatAm companies use to measure the effectiveness of their employer branding efforts: workplace climate surveys (55%), turnover rate (53%) and employee engagement surveys (27%). Attraction indicators such as time-to-fill show up in fourth place (26%)

Argentina is the regional leader in Employer Branding management: 55% of the countrys firms plan to launch related initiatives by the end of 2017.

Regionally, it is encouraging to see 40% of the companies that dont manage their employer branding plan to adopt this practice before year-end, or during 2017.

Effectively managing employer branding to leverage an attractive company image, based on employee engagement and advocacy, is absolutely key to successfully manage talent in todays business climate. GOintegros survey results shine light on the main trends and best practices shaping employer branding in the region, in addition to the individual realities of key local markets such as Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. We are certain this material will add a new layer of value and knowledge for HR VPs looking to boost their talent management efforts and strategies, adds Dyzenchauz.

-------------------------------------

About GOintegro

GOintegro is Latin Americas leading employee engagement technology company, used daily by more than 400 corporate clients, representing over 1 million people, as their main tool for driving employee engagement.

Offering a single platform with applications to manage company benefits, employee recognition programs and HR information, GOintegro is the main hub for social internal communications.

Covering all of Latin America with 140 employees in 7 countries, GOintegro helps companies like CITI, Deloitte, General Motors, IBM, McDonalds and Walmart strengthen the positive impact of their corporate culture. To find out more, visit GOintegro.com.

For more information please contact:

Jose Guerra

Chief Marketing Officer, GOintegro

Cell Phone: +56 9 6616 8188

Email: jose.guerra(at)gointegro(dot)com
Detail from Milton Glasers cover art for Dick Gregorys album Frankenstein, 1971 The kinds of systemic violence against black men that has been so dramatically visible in the last few years is fueled by a culture in which white people continue to think of black men as monsters.

Two hundred years ago this summer, the 18-year-old writer Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her husband-to-be, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, stood on the shores of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, with their friends poet Lord Byron and physician John William Polidori and dared one another to invent an original ghost story.

That legendary contest became the basis of Wollstonecraft Godwins novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, which is as resonant today as it was when it was first published in 1818.

Today, the Frankenstein metaphor is still tragically relevant, said Elizabeth Young in a recent interview for the college. Young, the Carl M. and Elsie A. Small Professor of English at Mount Holyoke College, studies American literature and culture.

The kinds of systemic violence against black men that has been so dramatically visible in the last few years is fueled by a culture in which white people continue to think of black men as monsters.

Most recently, the Frankenstein metaphor has been applied to Donald Trump. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid invoked the image, along with others. This is a way of saying that the Republican Party, rather than distancing itself from Trump, needs to acknowledge that it is responsible for creating the conditions in which Trump flourished and ran amok, said Young.

Read the whole interview here.
VIENNA, Va., Aug. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Favor TechConsulting, LLC (FTC)  a leading provider of IT solutions to the federal government  announced that it has been awarded the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) multiple award Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation (T4NG) Task Order titled Benefits Delivery Program Management and Technical Support Services. On this 30-month $8.29 million award, the FTC team will support and assist the VA OI&T Benefits Delivery PMO, specifically Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) and the Compensation and Pension Record Interchange (CAPRI). The FTC Team will fulfill services including: IT program/project management, strategic planning and analysis support, configuration management, risk management, defect management, schedule management, meeting administration and logistics support, acquisition and fiscal management support, and technical support.



We look forward to providing program management and technical support for the fast-paced and constantly evolving VBMS and CAPRI development programs, said Christopher Kim, FTC Director of Capture. Our efforts will help the VA mitigate performance risks, improve service levels, and streamline future integration efforts.

About Favor TechConsulting, LLC

FTC is a CMMI-SVC Level 3 appraised, CVE-verified SDVOSB, EDWOSB, and certified 8(a) small disadvantaged business. FTC currently supports the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DoD), Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Intelligence Community (IC). FTC takes a customer-centric approach in leveraging industry-recognized best practices in information management and technology to ensure delivery of cost-effective, quality driven solutions.

For more information about FTC please visit http://www.ftc-llc.com
There are many ways to show pride in Indonesia on Independence Day: flag raising ceremonies, neighborhood competitions, screening of historical films, a.s.o. But how do Indonesians living outside celebrate Independence Day? By making longer calls to their families and friends back home, thanks to the promotion launched by TeleponIndonesia.com: up to 55% off to call Indonesia.

The offer is valid only on Independence Day, which is August 17th. So, instead of 4.5 /min, the standard rate for calling mobiles and landlines or 2.5 /min; instead of the standard rate for calling Jakarta, customers will pay only 2/min regardless of the number dialed.

TeleponIndonesia.com offers a wide variety of calling options, to match customers needs and behaviours. Customers can place their calls from:



any phone, through the use of local or toll free access numbers;

any computer, through the Web Call application;

any smartphone, as TeleponIndonesia.com offers a free app, for both iOS and Android devices, called KeepCalling.

Beside Voice Credit, TeleponIndonesia.com also offers Mobile Recharge, a service through which customers can recharge mobile phones anywhere in the world. The process is fast and secure and the credit reaches its destination instantly. The mobile operators available for recharges to Indonesia are Telkomsel, Indosat, Axis, Ceria, Smartfren, Esia Bakrie Telecom, Three, and XL Axiata.

The mission of TeleponIndonesia.com is to bring people together, no matter the distance, because no distance is too long if people stay connected. Thats why all the services the website offers are a great solution for keeping a close relationship with everyone still living back home in Indonesia. This is mainly due to:



the customer-focused approach, based on safe and easy to use services

the frequent special offers: bonuses on international top ups or discounts on international calls

the great Customer Service available 24/7.

About TeleponIndonesia.com:

TeleponIndonesia.com is an interactive website designed by KeepCalling, a global telecommunications company registered in 2002 in USA. Presently, KeepCalling provides its services to hundreds of thousands of consumers and businesses, with a focus on customer satisfaction. KeepCalling has been listed by Inc 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the USA for 5 consecutive years. In 2015 the company registered a revenue increase of over 200% from 2011 to 2014.
Team Germany took its 13th Olympic Dressage team gold today at Deodoro Olympic Park. L to R - Isabell Werth, Dorothee Schneider, Sonke Rothenberger and Kristina Broring-Sprehe. (Richard Juillart/FEI) todays performance was near the optimum, I dont think it will be easy to repeat it - this was a day of days!, said Isabel Werth.

Like re-booting to re-establish a connection, Germany clinched team Dressage gold in considerable style at the Olympic Equestrian Park in Deodoro today. Germany has now won eight of the last nine Olympic team Dressage contests - with only Great Britain spoiling the party on home soil in 2012 - and todays result brings the Germans overall tally to 13 sets of Olympic team golds.

Already looking like the ones to beat after topping yesterdays Grand Prix, they stamped their au-thority all over todays deciding Grand Prix Special with a team total of 81.936. Great Britain had to settle for silver with 78.595 while Team USA, posting 76.667, fended off the Netherlands for bronze. It was a tough day for the Dutch who lost out on a podium placing by a margin of just 1.15 percentage points. And with last-to-go German team member, Isabell Werth (47), posting the high-est score of the day - 83.711 - with the fabulous mare Weihegold and pinning Britains 2012 double-champions Charlotte Dujardin (31) and Valegro into second place in the individual standings, the stage is set for a fascinating battle for the individual title in Mondays Freestyle.

This was Werths sixth Olympic gold medal, her first two collected in Barcelona (ESP) in 1992 where she claimed team gold and individual silver. And she has now matched the record set by the Netherlands Anky van Grunsven with nine Olympic medals in total. If she picks up another on Monday she will hold a whole new record.

Sonke Rothenbergers pathfinding ride for Germany with Cosmo was only good enough for 10th place at the end of a day on which many riders exceeded even their own expectations. The judges were unrelenting however in punishing mistakes and, already reduced to a team of three, Dutch chances of overtaking the Americans slipped away when Edward Gal and Voice posted 73.655. I wanted to take some risks, but there were too many mistakes he admitted afterwards. Going in the latter stages of competition the Americans knew what they had to do, but it came down to the final rider to ensure the bronze, and Laura Graves and Verdades really nailed it with a personal-best score of 80.644.

In silver medal spot as the day began, the British felt the pressure, but Carl Hester wasnt prepared to take any monkey-business from his naughty gelding, Nip Tuck, who lost marks with silly spook-ing in yesterdays test. There was no way he was going to do that again today! he said today after posting 76.485. And even though Dujardins performance wasnt quite what she wanted due to a mistake in the first half-pass which cost her dearly, she still earned a massive 82.983.

But Dorothee Schneider and Showtime had already scored 82.619, and world number one Kristina Broring-Sprehe and Desperados were only a little short of that with 81.401, so when Werth threw down 83.711 after a magical and confident test with the lovely mare Weihegold the German win was in the bag. Werth knew she had produced something extra-special, todays performance was near the optimum, I dont think it will be easy to repeat it - this was a day of days!, she said.

Result here https://www.rio2016.com/en/equestrian-schedule-and-results

-end-
Tim McLees, Territory Manager, Novik, presents Duane Steinroeder of BrightView Distribution with Novik's Dealer of the Year Award. We are very pleased to award BrightView with the Novik Dealer of the Year Award. Their support of the NovikShake product line and value that Duane and his team bring to their customers is outstanding.--Ralph Bruno, President, Novik.

Novik, the premier brand featuring shake, stone and related products that replicate the natural beauty of wood and stone, awarded Duane Steinroeder, the President of BrightView Distribution with the 2016 Dealer of the Year award. Based in Farmingdale, NY, Steinroeder supplies Novik's RS8 Shakes to building pros and has had zero complaints on any of NovikShakes installations. The award is based on annual volume and overall marketing support of the Novik product line.

The NovikShake RS8 is the most popular of the NovikShake family. With authentic detail, it is a light-weight, single course 8' panel with features that simplify installations and provide a lasting traditional look to any structure. It creates less waste on side walls and gables, is impervious to moisture so perfect for ground contact and requires no painting or caulking.

Since 2007, Noviks distributor BrightView, has been a proud supplier of Novik and other superior quality residential exterior products to construction professionals throughout the greater Long Island area, along with being the largest independent distributor in the nation. Brightview is committed to providing contractors with outstanding service and quality. All of their products are purchased directly from manufacturers which makes it possible to deliver the best values.

We are very pleased to award BrightView with the Novik Dealer of the Year Award, said Ralph Bruno, President, Novik. Their support of the NovikShake product line and value that Duane and his team bring to their customers is outstanding.

NovikShakes RS8 is also available in StainNatural, with six natural colors featuring a semi-transparent wood stain that enhances the wood-grain texture. The StainNatural technology is the only one in the industry to offer a true wood stain on a polymer shake.

About Novik

Novik is the premier brand featuring NovikShake, NovikStone and related products that completely reinvent luxury for your home. These products replicate the natural beauty and texture of wood and stone materials that are in demand for todays designs. With easy installation, low maintenance and exceptional performance, Novik products are a perfect fit for builders, contractors, facility managers and consumers who take pride in the aesthetic appearance of their home or building. For more information, visit http://www.novik.com.

About BrightView

BrightView Distribution was established in 2007 by Duane Vincent Steinroeder, and we have continued to grow and prosper since then through all of the changes in the economy. We have successfully outgrown our original location, and we continue to expand by consistently offering great value, excellent service, and complete flexibility when were dealing with the needs of our clients. Our products are purchased directly from the manufacturers, which allows to sell them at the best value to you. http://www.brightviewdistribution.com
When Deirdre Bair called Nan Talese, her editor, to say she wanted to write a biography of Al Capone, the response was not encouraging: Youre a literary biographer, and hes a gangster! Taleses reaction was understandable: Bair has cranked out five award-winning biographiesSamuel Beckett (1978), for which she won the 1981 National Book Award for Paperback Biography; Simone de Beauvoir (1991); Anais Nin (1995); Jung (2003); and Saul Steinberg (2012). Simone de Beauvoir and Jung were finalists for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; her biographies of Beauvoir, Nin, and Steinberg were chosen by the New York Times as Best Books of the Year; and Jung won a Gradiva Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis.

Nevertheless, Bair was already on the Capone trail. It all started, she says, with a call from her friend Jane Denning, current president of the Womens National Book Association and professor at the Pace University Masters in Publishing program. According to Bair, her brother, an attorney, had a client named Capone who was curious about his ancestryhe had heard that his father or one of his fathers brothers could have been the illegitimate son of Al Capone. Bair adds, They thought the best way to track that would be to find someone to write a bookand could I help her find someone? I asked her what kind of book they wanted: ghostwritten, or as told to? So she put me in touch with him.

At the time, Bair was not familiar with Al Capone beyond the stories that made him legendary, such as the Valentines Day Massacre. After a conference call with some Capones in Chicago and an in-person meeting with about 30 of them, Bair realized they didnt know anything about their history. So I did some research, but I found so much contradictory information that the next thing I knew, I was calling Jane and saying, Dont look any furtherIll do it! 

Talese ultimately relented, and the biography, Al Capone: His Life, Legacy, and Legend, pubs in October. In it, Bair presents a cultural study of the Brooklyn-born son of poor Italian immigrant parents, a man who became Chicagos mob boss and American historys most notorious gangster. Bair had the complete cooperation of Capones family, who granted her exclusive access to their personal stories and documentsbut only on one condition: that she never reveal their names. I do not like to use anonymous sources, but I had to do it for this book; they didnt want people to know where they live or what they do. Well tell you everything, they said, but you cannot use our names. I would meet Branch A, who didnt know the children of their uncles. Theyd become so deeply hidden and private that I became the facilitator to put them in touch with each other! Its amazingthe fourth generation thinks, That was my ancestorhow cool! while their parents and grandparents are ashamed. All Capones brothers except Ralph had changed their names.

In Prohibition-era Chicago, Capone headed a multimillion-dollar gambling, alcohol-bootlegging, and prostitution operation known as the Outfit, whose long-running war with rival gangs resulted in 1929s infamous Valentines Day Massacre. Yet Capone was never arrested for any of that criminal activity; the only charge brought against him was federal income tax evasion, for which, in 1931, he was sentenced to an 11-year term in Alcatraz. By the time he was released, six and a half years later, Prohibition was over, the country was well into the Great Depression, and Capone was dying from neurosyphilis. He lived his final years in Miami with his family.

Intrigued that Alphonse Capone is still a part of everyday conversation, Bair wrote an article in April for the Daily Beast titled How Did Al Capone Become the New Hitler? in which she commented that what is surprising are the frequent references that align the flamboyant Trump and some of the other candidates with Al Capone [as opposed to Hitler and other political figures], the legendary gangster who has been dead since 1947.

It took Bair only four years to write Capone, as compared with six or seven years for the previous biographies she had written, mainly because there were so few written records. They didnt exchange letters. There were no diaries. Only his wife, Mae, kept lettersbut in her last years, she burned them. There were no Italian documents. But I was able to pinpoint information from New York City due to the census records. And I am trained in investigative journalism, so I did a great deal of newspaper research in the Chicago newspapers. At the time, there were about 10 or 12 newspapers there, with multiple editions. When you have all that space to fill, sometimes you make it up! I compared all the articles and found that if 10 reporters covered something, there were 10 different versions! So in a lot of instances, I relied on family memory.

Another Capone complexity that Bair discovered was that he wasnt only a vicious, cold-blooded killer; he was really a loving father, and totally in love with his wife while having one mistress after another. And he was only 25 when he took over the running of the Outfit, and his crime reign was six years at the most.

Al Capone was a first-generation Italian-American, and Bair herself is fourth-generation, so she identifies with him in this regard. My father was Italian-American; my mothers family was from Hungary. Both sides of my family came before Ellis Island was set up. My great-grandmother came as a widow and brought her three sons and daughter; one of the three sons was my grandfather, and he determined that his children would be educated. My brother and sister and I identify with our Italian heritage, and the culture in our household was, we saw education as the way to move forward in life. Privately, I consider it a tragedy that Al Capone didnt have the opportunity to succeed in a legitimate business, because he was brilliant. At the time, [the attitude in New York City] was, as one official put it, We need to keep bringing these Italians in, because the Irish wont do our dirty work anymore. So there were not many opportunities for Capone at the time.

As a result, the path taken by Capone and other immigrants of the era was highly entrepreneurial; Bair was fascinated to learn that the Harvard Business School, in one of its courses on managerial capitalism, used as a case study the Outfit and how Al Capone ran it.

After each book is finished, Bair has said that she suffers from postpartum depression, which is eased only by having an idea of the next project. In this case, shes working on what she calls a kind of writers memoir: I knew Simone de Beauvoir and Samuel Beckett while I wrote their biographies, so this will be a book about the writing of the book. Ill talk about all those encounters and how I interpreted them, as they happened to me. I think enough time has passed.

As for how her biographies are received, Bair notes, I strive for as much objectivity as I can. I try to keep myself out of it. Some reviewers have said, The wonderful thing is, you have no idea what she thinks of the person, and others were upset at me for that very reason. But thats what Im going for. I think the book that needed to be written about Al Capone was not a retelling of the public life, but a story of the private life. Eighty years after his death, this is the story that should be told.
CUDAHY, Wis., Aug. 12, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patrick Cudahy, The Home of Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Flavor, has been providing quality bacon, ham, and sausage since 1888. Patrick Cudahy continued the tradition of Patrick Cudahy Day at the Wisconsin State Fair this year by sponsoring a delicious new addition, the Bakin Divine Bacon Desserts recipe contest on Friday at Central Park in West Allis, Wis.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/947a6a7d-176b-4cd8-9b85-e7bb5ca2993e

The dessert recipe contest, new for 2016, included two rounds of judging based on creativity and originality, taste and presentation. The first round took place July 27 at the Horticulture, Craft & Culinary Pavilion at Wisconsin State Fair Park. The four finalists presented their recipes during Fridays final round at the Wisconsin State Fair.

The finalists each displayed Patrick Cudahy bacon recipes in fair-themed desserts. The winner, Cindy Paul, takes home Patrick Cudahy Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon for a year, and a $250 cash prize. Each finalist also received a cash prize. Paul delivered a dish with the unmistakable flavor and quality of Patrick Cudahy bacon. Move Over Pretzels, Here Comes Patrick Cudahy Bacon are apple-wood smoked bacon strips, basted in maple syrup and drizzled with dried cranberries, crusted almonds and pretzels. Patrick Cudahy fans can easily enjoy the winning recipe at home by visiting www.facebook.com/patrickcudahymeats beginning next week.

This was an excellent experience, I was just so happy to be here and certainly never expected to win the dessert recipe contest, said Cindy Paul, first-time winner. I really enjoyed being able to use my imagination when creating Move Over Pretzels, Here Comes Patrick Cudahy Bacon, and the best part is Ill have Patrick Cudahy Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon for one year!

Cooking demonstrations, live music, giveaways, and a celebrity cooking competition also highlighted a day full of bacon-loving excitement. Teams were instructed to create three recipes using Patrick Cudahy Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon, meats and cheeses. Lindsey Slater and Sally Severson from WISH-TV won the Patrick Cudahy celebrity cooking competition and received FREE Bacon and Ham for a year. The duo will donate their winnings to charity.

"Patrick Cudahy Day has been a tremendous success," said Bud Matthews, Senior Vice President, Patrick Cudahy. "Through our partnership with the Wisconsin State Fair, we've been able to offer our fans and Wisconsin neighbors one-of-a-kind experiences. We're delighted to see everyone have such a wonderful time at the fair."

Patrick Cudahy is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Patrick Cudahy

For more than 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.


Readers Respond

Our Soapbox column for the August 8 issue, by author Allison Winn Scotch, was a piece about trying traditional and self-publishing avenues for her books. Finally, for her sixth book, she published with Amazon. Our readers were generally very enthusiastic about her trajectory and her working with the e-tailing giant.

For what its worth, I want to raise my hand in support of your decision to publish with Amazon. Whatever negative thing that can be said about the behemoth in Seattle, it is nothing if not democratic, unlike too many other branches of our industry. Books are displayed not by which publisher pays the most to make that happen, or by which bookseller prefers this book over that. They are not displayed by famous novelists versus debut novelists, but by sales, the common (and in my opinion equalizing) denominator for a retail outlet.Patricia V. Davis

Allison, youve been an inspiration to me.... Watching your trajectory has helped me stick with it. Thanks so much for giving back to the writing community by sharing your journey.Jenny Leo

From the Newsletters

Tip Sheet

Michael Honig, author of the brilliant satirical novel The Senility of Vladimir P (Pegasus), picks the best satires.

Childrens Bookshelf

John Briggs, president of Holiday House, has sold his independent childrens publishing house to a new company formed by growth equity investment firm Trustbridge Partners.

Religion Bookline

Lysa TerKeurst digs deep into the anxiety, fear, and self-doubt that surround rejection.

Booklife Report

How to price a self-published e-book.

Global Rights Report

The Italian Pokemon Go book

taking Europe by storm.

Must-Reads

Sign up for our newest newsletter to get the weeks publishing highlights emailed to you every Sunday morning.

Blogs

ShelfTalker

The strange disappearance of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and how to explain it to a 10-year-old bookstore customer.

Podcasts

Week Ahead

PW senior writer Andrew Richard Albanese on the debut of New York Public Librarys SimplyE app, and what it means for the future of library e-book lending.

More to Come

What does the future hold for childrens graphic novels? Publishers discuss the possibilities in a panel organized by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and moderated by PW senior editor Calvin Reid.

PW Radio

Author Ed Yong discusses his new book, I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life (Ecco). Then PW contributing editor Clare Swanson explores how regional cookbook authors become national celebrities.

Lincoln in the Bardo (Random House), the first novel by acclaimed short story writer George Saunders, was the most-read review on PWs website last week.
Casts Sign for New Series at SMP

P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (House of Night series) sold a new YA fantasy series called the Dysasters to Monique Patterson at St. Martins Press. The world rights deal was negotiated by Meredith Bernstein, who has an eponymous shingle. SMP said the books bring together ancient and modern mythology. The first two titles in the series will be released as hardcovers in 2018.

Duval Takes Time to Lyrical

For Lyrical Press, Kensingtons digital-first imprint, Tara Gavin took world English rights to two novels by Chloe Duval. The author is French-Canadian, and the first book in the agreement, Le temps vole will be released by Kensington as an e-book called Stolen Time, in June 2017. The book, which marks the first commercial fiction title acquired by Lyrical, is about a romance novelist who is deeply moved by a mysterious letter she receives. The note recounts a decades-old love affair and inspires the author to try to reunite the lovers it depicts. Le temps vole was originally published by Editions Bragelonne in France last year.

FSG Experiences Tucholkes Mercies

In a two-book North American rights acquisition, Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux bought April Tucholkes The Boneless Mercies. The novel, by the author of Wink Poppy Midnight (Dial, April), was sold by Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media. Volpebilled the book as a feminist reimagining of Beowulf. In it, she said, four mercenary girls chase glory and honor by battling a monster thats been terrorizing a nearby earldom.

Dugoni Re-ups at Thomas & Mercer

Robert Dugoni signed a new four-book deal with his current publisher, Thomas & Mercer. Meg Ruley at Jane Rotrosen brokered the six-figure world English rights agreement with Gracie Doyle. (As part of the deal, Amazon Publishing controls Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish rights, while the author retains all other translation rights.) Two of the four books in the deal will be new titles in the authors bestselling series featuring Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite.

Melville House Shoots for Stars with Heller

Ryan Harrington at Melville House took world rights to Jason Hellers Strange Stars. Jennifer Jackson at Donald Maass Literary brokered the agreement for Heller, a journalist and author of the 2012 novel, Taft 2012 (Quirk). Jackson said the nonfiction work illuminates the massive influence that science fiction had on popular music during the 1970s boom of both; it will link the work of musicians such as David Bowie and Rush to the writing of Philip K. Dick and the pop culture phenomenon of Star Wars. A publication date for the book has not been set.

Briefs

In a deal for U.S. and U.K. rights, Arthur Klebanoff at Rosetta Books bought Alan M. Dershowitzs Electile Dysfunction. The book, which is set for a September 2016 release, was sold by Karen Gantz at Karen Gantz Literary Management. Gantz said the book will offer a perspective on how weve arrived at this point in the political process and settled for candidates who dont [excite] many voters.

Correction: An earlier version of this story did not note that April Tucholke's deal at FSG is a two-book one. Additionally, an earlier version of this story said Jason Heller won a Hugo for his novel Taft 2012. He did not. He won a Hugo for his editorial work on the magazine Clarkesworld.
Do You Believe in Magic?

Turns out Hamlet was right: this week, at least, the plays the thing. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Part 1 and 2, the script for the sold-out West End stage production, sold 2.55 million print units, making it the #1 book in the country this week by far. How far? It sold more than twice as many print copies as the next 99 books sold together.

As we noted last week, prerelease anticipation fueled sales for the first seven novels in the series, and the trend continues. Print unit sales of the 1999 paperback edition of the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, are up 58% over last week; its the #10 book in the country overall. Over in Childrens Frontlist Fiction, the 2015 illustrated edition of that book, with art by Jim Kay, is up 117% over last week, checking in at #2.

(See all of this week's bestselling books.)

Tracking Sales

Colson Whiteheads new novel, The Underground Railroad, debuts at #3 on our Hardcover Fiction list. It was originally scheduled for a September 13 release, but Doubleday moved up the publication to August 2, to coincide with Oprah Winfrey tapping it as her latest book club pick. The novel had already been generating good prepublication buzz, but its likely the Oprah nod didnt hurt, either.

First-Week Print Unit Sales: Colson Whiteheads Most Recent Novels

Apex Hides the Hurt (2006) 505 Sag Harbor (2009) 2,286 Zone One (2011) 4,425 The Underground Railroad (2016) 17,547

Election Countdown

Radio host Glenn Beck isnt known for mincing words, and the subtitle of his new book, Liars, is no exception: How Progressives Exploit Our Fears for Power and Control. It debuts this week at #8 in the country overall and tops our Hardcover Nonfiction list. Elsewhere in nonfiction, The Making of Donald Trump by David Cay Johnston, at #19, is based three decades of the Pulitzer Prizewinning reporters work. One notch below, Whistlestop by John Dickerson takes the long view: in it, the Face the Nation moderator and Slate columnist goes beyond the six presidential cycles hes covered to look at elections dating to the earliest days of the United States.

Over on our Trade Paperback list, Yuge! 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump by Garry Trudeau, is at #24. It pubbed July 5, but this is its debut week on our list; the anthologys print unit sales are up 94% over last week, representing its best week yet.

New & Notable

Bullseye

James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

#1 Hardcover Fiction, #3 overall

The new Michael Bennett thriller joins two others on our list: Alert, which is at #7 in its second week on our mass market, and Chase, a BookShots story that debuts on our Trade Paperback list this week at #6.

Sweet Tomorrows

Debbie Macomber

#2 Hardcover Fiction, #6 overall

The fifth and final novel in Macombers Rose Harbor series sold 5,000 more print copies in its first week than the previous book did. That title, Silver Linings, has been on our Mass Market list since it pubbed five weeks ago and is at #11 this week.

Top 10 Overall

Rank Title Author Imprint Units 1 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts 1 and 2 Rowling/Tiffany/Thorne Scholastic/Levine 2,555,271 2 The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins Riverhead 47,906 3 Bullseye Patterson/Ledwidge Little, Brown 35,126 4 Rogue Lawyer John Grisham Dell 32,808 5 See Me Nicholas Sparks Grand Central 26,398 6 Sweet Tomorrows Debbie Macomber Ballantine 24,974 7 After You Jojo Moyes Penguin 23,658 8 Liars Glenn Beck Threshold 21,300 9 Hillarys America Dinesh DSouza Regnery 20,092 10 Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone J.K. Rowling Scholastic/Levine 19,959

All unit sales per Nielsen BookScan except where noted.
Publishers have long relied on local book club selections to boost sales. But for indie booksellers, book clubs importance to the bottom line has been mixed in recent years, particularly with the rise of e-books. Now that sales of print books have rebounded, some booksellers are finding that catering to book clubs helps sales improve even further.

Book clubs continue to be popular. In a 2015 report on the ubiquity of book clubs, the New York Times estimated that five million Americans belong to one or more. People want to socialize over their reading, said Lisa Baudoin of Books & Company in Oconomowoc, Wisc. Like many booksellers, she has built strong relationships with book clubs in her community.

Books & Company regularly hosts three in-store book clubs for adults, and it supplies books to 40 other clubs that register with the store to get a 15% discount. Twice a year, the bookstore throws a party with wine and appetizers for its club members. During the event, publishers reps usually present a total of between 10 and 15 new and upcoming releases as potential book club picks.

Left Bank Books in St. Louis sponsors eight in-store book clubs and provides a 20% discount to another 36 external groups. It holds a biannual Reading Group Appreciation event. This really direct and personal way of interacting with customers who may not be standing at your counter is very valuable, co-owner Kris Kleindienst said. Its a great way to build awareness and loyalty.

Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, N.C., goes a step further: it throws a two-day Book Bash twice a year. Last falls event drew almost 300 people. The store hosts a dozen book clubs, as well as another 50 registered clubs. While booksellers take turns introducing a total of 16 to 20 titles at the Book Bash, primarily in paperback, the morning crowd snacks on coffee and donuts. The store serves wine and cheese during the evening program. The titles we present tend to sell for quite a while afterwards, general manager Sarah Goddin said. Some book groups huddle together and select their books right then and there. Book group orders receive a 21% discount.

Nicole Sullivans desire for a comfortable venue where she could talk about books and sip wine with her own book club inspired her to launch the BookBar in Denver three years ago. The store, which features a simple menu of appetizers, desserts, and beverages, has been so successful that it added an additional 800 sq. ft. last fall. Not only does the BookBar provide a 20% discount to any customer buying five or more copies of a title, but it also gives a 10% discount on bottles of wine to book clubs. On average, five book groups meet there each day. Once a month, the store hosts a Book Social, which Sullivan described as a book club with no strings attached. People can mingle over free wine and talk about buzz books.

At Subtext in St. Paul, Minn., book club sales are so important that the store maintains separate bookshelves for two different groups: Books & Bars, an open book club that meets at a nearby bar and is moderated by Minnesota Public Radios Jeff Kamin, and a private group, whose members together buy 20 copies of each book that the moderator selects. In addition, Subtext hosts one in-house club and two outside the store, at a brewpub and at a fitness facility.

Cindy Dach, co-owner of Changing Hands in Phoenix, said that the First Draft Book Club has helped raise the bookstores profile and works beautifully. The book club is moderated by Arizona Republic reporter Barbara Van Denburgh, who picks hardcovers and paperbacks for its monthly reads. Customers receive a 20% discount for hardcover and 10% for paperback. First Draft attracts about 80 people each month, down from 200 at the inaugural meeting in June 2015; the newspapers regular features on Van Denburghs picks have expanded the stores customer base.

Although a number of the booksellers interviewed observed that in recent years theyve seen sales to book clubs decline as more members download e-books, others report that those losses are countered by some club members buying hardcovers. Approximately half of the stores queried have found that more and more, book club members are seeking out hardcover editions of buzz fiction such as H Is for Hawk and All the Light We Cannot See, as well as timely nonfiction such as Ta-Nehisi Coatess Between the World and Me. Generally speaking, paperbacks are still the preferred format, but in the last few years I see a lot less resistance to hardcovers as groups just dont want to wait for the year or more for a paperback, said Holly Myers, at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle.

Book clubs are important, but as Lisa Gozashti, co-owner of Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, Mass., noted, author events have a much greater potential for sales. We just had Chuck Palahniuk at our store and sold 400 books, she said. Booksmith hosts two in-store adult book clubs and one childrens book club, which Gozashti views more as a community service.

At Left Bank, Kleindienst said that sales to book clubs account for only a single digit of total sales. What matters more, she continued, is the notion that a bookstore is a safe harbor, that third place where you can freely talk about ideas and books.

According to Ann Berlin of the Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore, which hosts quarterly parties for its approximately 60 external book clubs, a lot of [book club members] are regular customers, and theyre ordering backlist. She added, Whats important to us is our relationship with our customers. We give people what they want, when they want it.
Since the graphic novel boom began over a decade ago, many well-known authors have dabbled in writing comicsor adapting their works to comics. Recently authors Margaret Atwood, Chuck Palahniuk, and William Gibson have all written (or announced) original comics projects in the hope of gaining new fansand sales.

Atwood is both writing and drawing a story for the upcoming anthology The Secret Loves of Geek Girls, but her first ongoing comics project is Angel Catbird, the start to a proposed trilogy about a man who becomes a cat-bird hybrid superhero who protects wildlife. The book is drawn by artist Johnnie Christmas and will be released by Dark Horse in September.

Gibson and his friend actor Michael St. John Smith are cowriting Archangel, which debuted in May as a serialized comic from IDW. Drawn by Butch Guice, its a time-traveling tale of Nazi flying saucers, featuring many ofthe recurring themes in Gibsons work.

These novelists are moving to comics to present original concepts and ideas with literary underpinnings, a move that shows how the barriers between the literary and comics worlds have disappeared. Its also a way to interact with readers in the intense and personal way that comics offer. Both Atwood and Gibson attended the recent San Diego Comic-Con, and Atwood was one of the stars of the event, wearing cat ears and analyzing Marvels Punisher character on panels.

Atwood is a long time comics dabbler; in the 1970s she drew a comic strip called Kanadian Kulture Komic under a male-sounding pseudonym, and shes drawn cartoons about her book tours for her website and illustrated a childrens book. She said her past experience writing scripts and screenplays helped with transitioning to comics, but freelance editor Hope Nicholson, Dark Horse editor Daniel Chabon (brother of Michael) and Christmas helped teach her some of the tricks of the comics trade, like page-turns. There has to be a cliff-hanger. Charles Dickens knew what he was doing, Atwood said.

Interviewed at Comic-Con, she recalled her earliest efforts to draw comics, with her brother. His were superheroes; mine were flying rabbits and a flying cat with wings. Atwood has long harbored the idea for Angel Catbird but thought her artistic skills werent up to drawing it. The idea lay dormant until she met Nicholson, who recruited her into The Secret Loves of Geek Girls and connected her with Dark Horse.

Like Atwood, Gibson read comics as a kid, and daydreamed about being a cartoonist, but didnt have the artistic chops. Moreover, he avoided getting into comics partly because his children were so enamored with the medium. (Claire, his daughter, went on to become the coauthor of From Under Mountains, a graphic novel published by Image.) Although hed read works by Robert Crumb and Alan Moore, he wasnt immersed in the comics world. I was glad it was there, but I was doing words in a row, and they were doing something else.

Archangel started out as an idea that he and actor Smith had pitched to a German TV producer, but a story about Nazi flying saucers wasnt quite what the producer was looking for. There was revulsion when it was mentioned. It was a hard no, Gibson laughed, recalling the story in IDWs booth at Comic-Con. The idea kicked around for a while, until he was approached by IDW for something, and they were immediately extremely enthusiastic.

Even though his books Neuromancer and The Difference Engine have inspired dozens of comics, Gibson has long been a holdout for the comics medium. He says he never felt superior [to it], but I felt like I didnt want to crowd my kids culture. This is my first trip to Comic-Con, and Claires been here five or six times. Readers response to Archangel has been enthusiastic thus far, and Gibson is pondering developing something that could only be a comic.

Palahniuk released Fight Club 2, the sequel to his acclaimed novel Fight Club, in comics form last year, with art by Cameron Stewart. Originally released as a 10-issue monthly periodical, the collected edition of Fight Club 2 was published in hardcover and trade paperback by Dark Horse in June. Palahniuk said a third book, Fight Club 3, is in the planning stages.

Fight Club 2 is a direct sequel to the novel and finds the unnamed narratornow called Sebastianmarried to Marla. Palahniuk was inspired to turn to comics after a dinner party with comics writers. Here they were, promising to teach me a new form of storytelling, and offering me entre to the fun-filled world of comics and conventions, Palahniuk wrote in an email to PW. After 20 years of home-alone novel writing, I wouldve agreed to rob a bank just for the company. Although he had been approached to write comics when Fight Club originally appeared, learning a new medium didnt seem as attractive then.

Making Fight Club 2 presented a learning curve, as it often does for writers who switch from prose to the scripting format of comics. Palahniuk credits editor Scott Allie and artist Stewart with helping him adapt his ideas. Though Palahniuk was at first reluctant to try comics, he seems hooked now. If Id had a clear career path to comics years ago, I wouldnt have hesitated to write them, he wrote. There is an embryonic Fight Club 3, but Ive set it aside while I hunt for some really bold ideas to add. In Fight Club 3, I want to overwhelm my readers.
After gradually introducing U.K. food writer Diana Henrys cookbooks to the U.S. market, Octopus Publishings imprint Mitchell Beazley sent Henry on her first U.S. author tour for 2015s A Bird in the Hand, her ninth book. Social media has undoubtedly been a great help here, says Denise Bates, Octopuss group publishing director. Diana became a Twitter mavenher follower count is currently nearly 19,000and was able to further build up her U.S. following prior to arriving in person.

The cookbook took home the 2016 James Beard Award in the single-subject category, and with a solid and expanding U.S. following, Bates says, Henry will embark on her second American tour this fall to promote Simple, which goes on sale September 6. Her increasing success has also allowed us to double back and reissue her earlier books in the U.S. for the new legion of fans coming to her work.

At other houses, the method for breaking new authors is a bit different. Emilia Terragni, Phaidons cookbook publisher, says that instead of looking for authors with an established platform, the company aims to sign up the food worlds rising stars on the ground floor. If the authors are not known in the U.S., or outside of their country, our book is the perfect means to spread the word, Terragni says. We start our relationship with each author to build his or her presence internationally, and early.

She cites 2010s Noma by Danish chef Rene Redzepi, which has sold more than 22,000 print copies per Nielsen BookScan, as an early example of Phaidon nurturing a nascent cookbook author. Other successes include 2012s Faviken by Magnus Nilsson of Sweden, which has sold more than 14,000 print copies per BookScan, and Massimo Botturas Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef, which, per BookScan, has sold almost 7,000 print copies since its 2014 release.

Another international author who has made a splash stateside is Yotam Ottolenghi, the celebrated London-based chef famous for putting vegetarian cuisine front and center. Ottolenghi made his U.S. debut with Plenty, released by Chronicle Books in 2011. The cookbook has now sold more than 302,000 print copies, according to BookScan, and Ottolenghi has gone on to write four more bestselling cookbooks (published with Ten Speed).

Foodies here, both in the media and some home cooks, were already fans of his columns for the U.K.s Guardian newspaper and would make the pilgrimage to Ottolenghi delis on visits to London, says Chronicle publisher Christine Carswell. So we knew there was a core group whod be excited about the book being available in the U.S.

Chronicle brought Ottolenghi over twice to promote the book because of that very human connection, Carswell adds. People were passionate about Yotams food. It helps to have the same things youre looking for in an American authorcharm, graciousness, and a willingness to promote the book in every channel.

Return to the main feature.
When the history of women began to receive focused attention in the 1970, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of a handful of female Americans who were well known to both historians and the general public. Despite the evidence that she had been important in social reform circles before her husband was elected President and that she continued to advocate different causes than he did, she held a place in the public imagination largely because she was the wife of a particularly influential President. Her own activities were seen as preparing the way for her husbands election or as a complement to his programs. Even Joseph Lashs two volumes of Sympathetic biography, Eleanor and Franklin (1971) and Eleanor: The Years Alone (1972), reflected this assumption.



Lashs biography revealed a complicated woman who sought through political activity both to flee inner misery and to promote causes in which she passionately believed. However, she still appeared to be an idiosyncratic figure, somehow self-generated not amenable to any generalized explanation. She emerged from the biography as a mother to the entire nation, or as a busybody, but hardly as a social type, a figure comprehensible in terms of broader social developments. But more recent work on the feminism of the post-suffrage years (following 1920) allows us to see Roosevelt in a different light and to bring her life into a more richly detailed context. Lois Scharfs Eleanor Roosevelt, written in 1987, depicts a generation of privileged women, born in the late nineteenth century and maturing in the twentieth, who made the transition from old patterns of female association to new ones. Their views and their lives were full of contradictions . They maintained female social networks but began to integrate women into mainstream politics; they demanded equal treatment but also argued that womens maternal responsibilities made them both wards and representatives of the public interest. Thanks to Scharf and others, Roosevelts activitiesfor example, her support both for labor laws protecting women and for appointments of women to high public officehave become intelligible in terms of this social context rather than as the idiosyncratic career of a famous mans wife.

Show Spoiler A

1. The passage as a whole is primarily concerned with which of the following?

Show Spoiler C

2. Which of the following studies would proceed in a way most similar to the way in which, according to the passage. Scharf's book interprets Eleanor Roosevelt's career?

Show Spoiler E

3. The author cites which of the following as evidence against the public view of Eleanor Roosevelt held in the 1970s?

Show Spoiler B

4. The author indicates that, according to Scharfs biography, which of the following was NOT characteristic of feminists of Eleanor Roosevelts generation?

Show Spoiler E

5. The author mentions which of the following as one of the contradictions ( highlighted ) evident in the lives of the women discussed in the third paragraph?

Show Spoiler C

6. The author credits which of the following for making possible the current understanding of Eleanor Roosevelt's career?

(A) Changes in the way in which Eleanor Roosevelts life is understood(B) Social changes that made possible the role played by Eleanor Roosevelt in social reform(C) Changes in the ways in which historians have viewed the lives of American women(D) Social changes that resulted from the activities of Eleanor Roosevelt(E) Changes in the social roles that American women have played(A) An exploration of the activities of a wealthy social reformer in terms of the ideals held by the reformer(B) A history of the leaders of a political party which explained how the conflicting aims of its individual leaders thwarted and diverted the activities of each leader(C) An account of the legislative career of a conservative senator which showed his goals to have been derived from a national conservative movement of which the senator was a part(D) A biography of a famous athlete which explained her high level of motivation in terms of the kind of family in which she grew up(E) A history of the individuals who led the movement to end slavery in the United States which attributed the movement's success to the efforts of those exceptional individuals(A) She had been born into a wealthy family.(B) Her political career predated the adoption of womens suffrage.(C) She continued her career in politics even after her husbands death.(D) She was one of a few female historical figures who were well known to historians by the 1970s.(E) Her activism predated her husbands presidency and her projects differed from his.(A) Their lives were full of contradictions(B) Their policies identified them as idiosyncratic.(C) They were from privileged backgrounds.(D) They held that women had unique responsibilities.(E) They made a transition from old patterns of an association to new ones.A) They pursued political aims for personal motives.B) They were idiosyncratic individuals who can nevertheless be seen as social types.C) They came from wealthy families but sought to remedy the problems of the poor.D) They demanded equal treatment for women but justified the privileges of wealth.E) They maintained female social networks but promoted women's participation in mainstream politics.A) The work of historians in the 1970sB) Accounts written by feminists in the 1920sC) Recent studies of feminists of her generationD) Official records of her husband's presidencyE) The discovery of the writings of her associates
SILVIS -- A "heroic" list of activities will be featured in the 15th Annual Silvis Moonlight Festival and Parade Aug. 27.

"Honoring Our Heroes" will be this year's theme, parade and festival director Pamela Finch-Allensworth said.

Parade grand marshal will be Silvis resident Mike Johnson, a Vietnam veteran credited with growing geraniums to adorn a Hero Street display showing photos and brief biographies of Silvis natives killed in action -- Pfc. Frank Sandoval, Pfc. Joseph Sandoval, Sgt. Tony Pompa, Staff Sgt. Claro Soliz and Pfc.'s Peter Masias, Joe Gomez and Johnny Munos.

Mr. Johnson, of Silvis, had spent five years watering and tending the geraniums so they would be blooming for Memorial and Veterans Day activities. All but one of the plants were reported stolen earlier this year. Citizens responded, though, by replacing the stolen plants.

Lighted parade entries make the event "the only one of its kind in the Quad-Cities," Ms. Finch-Allensworth said. The parade begins at dusk, about 8 p.m. or so, she said.

Pre-parade activities run throughout the day, beginning at 8 a.m. with a Silvis 5K Home Run, at Schadt Park at 4th Avenue and 12th Street.

The festival will be held from 2 to 10 p.m., featuring a Silvis Moonlight Cruisers car show and craft and food vendors at 2 p.m. The Cruisers will run to 6 p.m.

A free Kids Zone will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. It will feature an obstacle course bounce house, Miller Petting Zoo animals and Laura the clown making balloon art.

New this year will be free face-painters and a Silvis Fire Department-sponsored "Explore a Truck" display. Patriot Guard riders will lead a similar program, Ms. Finch-Allensworth said.

Other activities will include a "Kid Crew" dance team demonstration from 6 to 7 p.m., crowning of the Zinnia Princess at 7 p.m. and live music featuring the band Crossroads until 7 p.m.

Speaking of a "cross" roads, coincidentally, one of this year's new sponsors is a newly formed Christ United Methodist/Silvis United Methodist Church partnership. Silvis Main Street remains as the festival's major sponsor.

Shuttle parking will be available from two locations. Shuttles from the Silvis Wal-Mart to Pro Build, next to Anchor Lumber, will run from 3:30 to 10 p.m. and from the old John Deere Foundary to 9th St., from 5 to 10 p.m. For information or directions, visit silvismainstreet.org.

Planning the parade and festival has been a blast, Ms. Finch-Allensworth said. "It's been a real learning experience," but her experience arranging events for her large family made it a bit easier, and the military theme makes it even more memorable.
MOLINE -- Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts will be opening a new store this fall in the former Hancock Fabrics at 3911 16th St.

A grand-opening date has not been set, according to a news release from Hudson, Ohio-based Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts. The company has about 850 locations in 49 states, including a store in Davenport at 902 W. Kimberly Road.

Former employees of Hancock Fabrics might be making a comeback as well.

"In everything we do, our goal is to serve our loyal customers, Jill Soltau, president and chief executive officer of Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, stated in the release. It is that passion that led us to reach out to former Hancock employees regarding opportunities with Jo-Ann. Through opening this new location, were thrilled to become a member of the Moline community and continue traditions while inspiring creativity with the help of team members who share the same passion.

Crafts and fabrics will not be the only offerings at the new store. Instructors will be available to teach a wide variety of classes for both adults and children. Classes will include cake decorating, quilting, knitting and crocheting.

In addition, the store will feature finished products such as home decor, storage items, jewelry, books, and children's activities.

For more information, a website about the Moline location has been set up at yournewjoann.com/moline.
The Rock Island Police Department's new monthly community meetings begin Wednesday.

These meetings are designed to provide the public with information about the department and to share crime data, according to a police news release. The goal is to look at crime prevention strategies, to improve services, and to strengthen ties between Rock Island residents and their police force.

The first meeting will focus on crime trends officers are seeing and services the department can provide to the public, police said. Future meetings with feature other topics.

The meeting Wednesday and those that follow will begin at 6 p.m. in the police department community room, 1212 5th Ave. Each is expected to last about one hour.

Details about future meetings will be made available on the police department's Facebook page. People can also find out more by calling 309-732-2677.
GENESEO  The exact number of blessings shared at Good Samartian Village, 704 S. Illinois St., Geneseo, are uncountable.

But it's been 45 years worth.

Village residents, staff and the public will celebrate the anniversary 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 20 with a free pork sandwich lunch and tours of Good Samaritans new rehab gym and remodeled suites, apartments and cottages. There also will be face painting, a petting zoo and a bounce house, as well as a dunk tank benefiting the Geneseo High School Life Skills Class.

Dunk tank volunteers include Kyle Bess at 10 a.m.; Renee Trunk, 10:30; Tony Hernandez, 11:30 a.m.; Larry Johnsen Jr., noon; and Bob Pettit, 12:30 p.m.

Jane Scherer, community relations director at Good Samaritan, said the GHS Life Skills students volunteer at Good Samaritan two times each week during the school year.

"We want to give something back to them," he said. "Many of them have developed special relationships with our residents.

Mrs. Scherer said there have been two other fundraisers for the Life Skills class.

We really appreciate the time they spend with us and we want to give something back to them, she said. The blessings Good Samaritan Village residents receive from the students and from the community are priceless.

Good Samaritan was founded in 1971 at its present location, a quiet residential area in the middle of Geneseo. The idea for the original 72-bed Good Samaritan Nursing Home originated with the Rev. Philip Larson, then pastor at First Lutheran Church, Geneseo, who knew of the national Good Samaritan Society effort to serve older people and those in need.

Seeing a need in this area, he formed a committee through his involvement in the Geneseo Ministerial Association., Mrs. Scherer said. The Geneseo Nursing Home Committee, comprised of area church representatives, helped raise $110,000 of the estimated $600,000 total needed.

Once the national Good Samaritan Society recognized the communitys commitment, they added the additional funds to purchase 6.5 acres of land on South Illinois Street and start building a new home for the older population who needed some assistance, she said. Now, 45 years later, we celebrate the continued community support.

Numerous additions have been completed through its 45-year history, with the campus expanding to more than just nursing home care. A north end addition of eight apartments was built in 1973. Further construction was done on the south end of the building in 1980-1981.

The campus now includes options such as rehabilitation, cottages and apartments.

"We also have added at-home care services and out-patient therapy, Mrs. Scherer said. All of the additions and changes have come in response to the needs of the community and have increased Good Samaritans usefulness and efficiency.

"What was true 40 years ago when Good Samaritan Society came to Geneseo is still true today," she said. "Geneseo Village is a place to continue lifelong hobbies, explore new interests, renew old friendships and build new ones.

"One of the things I especially enjoy about my work is the Christian support we have for our residents and for each other, she said. I believe, as many people do, that God gives us certain gifts and allows us to use them to serve others. It is very fulfilling to help residents feel loved, valued and at peace. In doing that daily, I feel like I am exactly where God wants me to be.

Mrs. Scherer said the residents' blessings from the community are "countless," including encouraging words from visiting clergy and visits by who visit regularly and give hope and peace to the visits from church members, family and friends.

"I love to see an Ipad out on a residents lap, with a family member showing them pictures or videos of grandkids," she said. "Note cards from children in classrooms and treats from youth groups inspire this generation, who know their legacy of sharing is still strong. Songs from children come throughout the year.

Volunteers from local churches also provide church services on Sunday afternoons, with devotion time held daily and prayers offered before meals.

Gods blessings continue, Mrs. Scherer said.
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Bienvenida

Estimados amigos,



Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.



Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.



Gonzalo Raffo de Lavalle



Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

Friedrich Nietzsche



Quien conoce su ignorancia revela la mas profunda sabiduria. Quien ignora su ignorancia vive en la mas profunda ilusion.

Lao Tse



There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin



You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

Warren Buffett



No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca.

FOZ



Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt.

J.P. Morgan



Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos.

Proverbio Chino



Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

Helenio Herrera



History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

Karl Marx



If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

Sun Tzu



We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.

Paulo Coelho
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!
Major Lazer have taken their second ever #1 with Cold Water ft. Justin Bieber & M, moving up from #2 on its third week in the chart.

Its followed by a new peak for Shawn Mendes Treat You Better at #2 from #4 and a new peak for Imanys Dont Be So Shy at #3 from #5. Calvin Harris This Is What You Came For drops to #4 after nine weeks interrupted at #1.

Drakes moment in the Top 3 with Too Good was short lived, now falling to #5 from #3. Little MixsHair ft. Sean Paul remains steadfast at #6 for another week while Charlie Puth re-enters the Top 10 at #7 from #13.

Drakes One Dance sees a small move back up to #8 from #9. Usher breaks into the Top 10 at #9 from #12 with Crash and The Veronicas fall to #10 from #8 with In My Blood.

Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MO

Cold Water

(MAD/WMA)

Shawn Mendes

Treat You Better

(UMA)

Imany

Dont Be So Shy (Filatov & Karas Remix)

(MOS/UMA)

Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna

This Is What You Came For

(SME)

Drake

Too Good

(UMA)

Little Mix ft. Sean Paul

Hair

(SME)

Charlie Puth

We Dont Talk Anymore

(WMA)

Drake ft. Wiz Kid & Kyla

One Dance

(UMA)

Usher

Crash

(SME)

The Veronicas

In My Blood

SME

Click here to view all this weeks charts, including our HOT 100 national airplay (by genre and state), iTunes, Spotify, Shazam, ARIA, AIR & AMRAP.
Friday September 30th is International Podcast Day and all things pod will be celebrated at OzPod 2016: the Australian Podcast Conference.

Held at the ABC at Ultimo in Sydney, itll be a day for the podcast, media, advertising and broadcast industries to escape the studio or office and meet with peers to discuss all the things that matter in the podcast world  distribution, recording, marketing, collaborating, revenue, talent development and delivery.

Some of Australias most successful podcasts and networks including: the ABCs Conversations Richard Fidler, KIIS 101.1s Meshel Laurie, Mamamias Monique Bowley and Jon Tjhia from Melbournes Wheeler Centre and Paper Radio podcast, as well as a range of sessions designed to shine a light on the growing sector of audio on demand.

Panel sessions will offer a detailed analysis of current Australian podcast audiences, approaches to measurement, audience acquisition and retention, how traditional media are incorporating podcasting into their broadcast offer, plus future business models and commercialisation.

The conference will provide an unequalled opportunity for the Australian audio industry to work together to share best practice and insights on podcasting from an Australian and international perspective.

HOW TO GET TICKETS:

Registrations close 5pm Monday 29 August. The OzPod 2016: the Australian Podcast Conference.event is free, but places are strictly limited. You can register f by completing our registration form HERE.

.
Why Democracy Requires Trusted Experts

.





PARIS  Last month, I wrote a commentary asking why voters in the United Kingdom supported leaving the European Union, defying the overwhelming weight of expert opinion warning of the major economic costs of Brexit. I observed that many voters in the UK and elsewhere are angry at economic experts. They say that the experts failed to foresee the financial crisis of 2008, put efficiency first in their policy advice, and blindly assumed that the losers from their policy prescriptions could be compensated in some unspecified way. I argued that experts should be humbler and more attentive to distributional issues.

The piece elicited far more comments from readers than any of my others. Their reactions mostly confirm the anger I had noted. They regard economists and other experts as isolated from and indifferent to the concerns of ordinary people; driven by an agenda that does not coincide with that of citizens; often blatantly wrong, and therefore incompetent; biased in favor of, or simply captured by, big business and the financial industry; and naive  failing to see that politicians select analyses that suit their ends and disregard the rest. Experts, said some, are also guilty of fracturing society by segmenting the debate into myriad narrow, specialized discussions.

Remarkably, I also received comments from professionals in the natural sciences who said that citizens growing distrust of experts was pervasive in their disciplines, too. Scientific views in fields like energy, climate, genetics, and medicine face widespread popular rejection. In the United States, for example, a Pew Research survey found that 67% of adults think that scientists lack a clear understanding about the health effects of genetically modified organisms.

Mistrust of GMOs is even higher in Europe. Whereas overall support for science remains strong, many citizens believe that it is manipulated by special interests, and on some issues, the common view departs from the established evidence.

This divide between experts and citizens is a serious cause for concern. Representative democracy is based not only on universal suffrage, but also on reason. Ideally, deliberations and votes result in rational decisions that use the current state of knowledge to deliver policies that advance citizens wellbeing. This requires a process in which experts  whose competence and honesty are trusted  inform decision-makers of the available options for meeting voters stated preferences. Citizens are unlikely to be satisfied if they believe that experts are imposing their own agenda, or are captured by special interests. Distrust of experts fuels distrust of democratically elected governments, if not of democracy itself.

Why is there such a divide between experts and society? Every country has had its own series of high-profile public health or safety scandals. Experts have been guilty of sloppiness and conflicts of interest. Hard-won reputations have been quickly lost.

But critics often fail to recognize that science involves more  and more stringent  scrutiny than, say, business or government. It is actually the standard-bearer of good practices concerning the validation of analyses and the discussion of policy proposals. Errors regularly occur in academia, but they are more swiftly and systematically corrected than in other fields.

The collective nature of scientific validation also provides guarantees against capture by special interests.

The problem may, in fact, be deeper than the common grievances against experts suggest. A few decades ago, it was widely assumed that progress in mass education would gradually bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and popular belief, thereby contributing to a more serene and more rational democracy.

The evidence is that it has not. As Gerald Bronner, a French sociologist, has convincingly shown, education neither increases trust in science nor diminishes the attraction of beliefs or theories that scientists regard as utter nonsense. On the contrary, more educated citizens often resent being told by experts what science regards as truth. Having had access to knowledge, they feel empowered enough to criticize the cognoscenti and develop views of their own.

Climate change  which the scientific community overwhelmingly regards it as a major threat  is a case in point. According to a 2015 Pew Research survey, the three countries where concern is the weakest are the US, Australia, and Canada, whereas the three in which it is the strongest are Brazil, Peru, and Burkina Faso. Yet average years of schooling are 12.5 for the first group and six for the second. Evidently, education alone is not the reason for this difference in perception.

If the problem is here to stay, we had better do more to address it. First, we need more discipline on the part of the community of experts. The intellectual discipline that characterizes research is often lacking in policy discussions. Humility, rigorous procedures, the prevention of conflicts of interest, an ability to acknowledge mistakes and, yes, punishment of fraudulent behavior are needed to regain the citizens trust.

Second, there is a case for revising curricula to equip future citizens with the intellectual tools they will need to distinguish between fact and fiction. Society has everything to gain from citizens whose minds are both less suspicious and more critical.

Finally, we need better venues for dialogue and informed debate. Serious magazines, general-interest journals, and newspapers traditionally filled the space between the ether of peer-reviewed journals and the deep sea of hoaxes; yet they all struggle to survive the digital revolution. Other venues, perhaps new institutions, are needed to fill that space. What is clear is that democracy cannot thrive if it is left empty.
While Americans are distracted by an increasingly chaotic presidential campaign, half a world away, Russian troops are massing along the border of Ukraine again suggesting the possibility of a new escalation of the violence that has raged there since Moscow's invasion of Crimea in 2014.
Today Fidel Castro marks his 90th birthday. He was severely ill a decade ago, but has survived several complicated intestinal surgeries and the degeneration typical of such an advanced age, including some cerebral deficits.

His older brother Ramon, whom Fidel resembled a great deal physically, died last February at the age of 91. For the past three years at least, he was affected by an increasing senile dementia.

In any case, what's important is to elucidate what Fidel's role is in today's Cuba. After all, Fidel has been the only caudillo of the revolution; he managed to create the only communist state in Latin America that has endured and clung to Marxism-Leninism after the disappearance of the Soviet Union and all its European satellites.

I believe that it is important to understand that facet of his personality. Fidel Castro is a person who's incapable of changing course. Either because he believed blindly in Marxism-Leninism, or because his psychological rigidity barred him from assuming another point of view, or because he thought that any change would make him lose power, the fact is that Castro kept the single party and the control of the important means of production in the hands of the Cuban state.

Still echoing in one's memory is his oft-repeated cry of battle in days past: The island will first sink into the sea before we abandon Marxism-Leninism.

Furthermore, after the disappearance of the Soviet Union, Fidel picked up the remains of the Communist and anti-Western world cultivated by Moscow and, together with former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, used them to build the Sao Paulo Forum. The objective was to continue to struggle against the United States, against the market economy and, in the final analysis, against the West.

To his struggle Castro managed to recruit Hugo Chavez and, with the Venezuelan leader's petrodollars at hand, developed the strategy of 21st-Century Socialism and the ALBA, to oppose any integration that wasn't socialist, in the worst sense of the word.

In the summer of 2006, Fidel Castro fell gravely ill; he had to abdicate and surrender the baton of command to his brother Raul.

What did Raul do? He reiterated Fidel Castro's pattern of behavior and committed himself to continuing with the Communist model imposed by his brother. At the time he said that he would consult with Fidel on all the important issues that came to his desk -- he has -- and made it clear that he wasn't coming to power to surrender the revolution but to strengthen it.

Within that spirit, the emergence of minimal private entrepreneurship and a timid opening that in no way endangers the core of the Communist system is a strategy for the survival of his regime.

The same can be said for the thaw with the United States announced in December 2014. Fidel was consulted and gave his approval, but with clear assurances that the Communist model would remain in effect.

For that reason, it is naive to expect that U.S. investments (if they ever materialize), the arrival of flocks of American tourists, and the end of the embargo will produce the democratization of Cuba.

Fidel and Raul have decided that, from the thaw with the United States, they will accept only what benefits them and reject anything that weakens their regime.

They continue to beat up the opposition. They continue to support Chavismo. They continue to be allies with Iran and North Korea. They continue to strengthen ties with Syria. They continue to harm Israel every time they can. They continue to back the FARC in Colombia and the 5 percent of Puerto Ricans who seek independence from the United States.

To Fidel and Raul, the opening of relations with the United States is not the starting point of a democratic change but the rectification of a new Washington that has to learn to coexist with a hostile neighbor who negatively affects the interests of Americans.

At 90, in the darkness of old age, Fidel remains the same as ever; so does Raul at 85. An old parrot can't learn new tricks, the Venezuelans say. They're right.
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Maspeth residents gathered yesterday to protest the city's decision to turn a Holiday Inn Express in the neighborhood into a homeless shelter, a move that elicited a strong negative response from the community at an event with the Department of Homeless Services Commissioner earlier this week.

About 25 protesters gathered near Maurice Ave & Borden Avenuejust around the corner from the proposed shelter site at 59-40 55th Roadand held up signs for passing motorists decrying the shelter. DHS has proposed the site house 110 beds for homeless families, and says there are 243 homeless individuals whose last known addresses were in Maspeth, countering claims from the community that the city would bus in homeless families from other neighborhoods.

Still, protesters are incensed, and at an event with DHS Commissioner Steven Banks on Thursday, many vehemently opposed the proposal. A video shows Banks claiming someone was "yelling at me in the front row saying, 'They [the proposed shelter residents] should go back to East New York,"you can see the video below:

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams addressed the comments in a statement:

I am troubled by the sentiments shared by a number of individuals at a public meeting that discussed a proposal for an adult family homeless shelter in Queens. Homelessness comes from every corner of our city. We cannot accept any attempt to pit New Yorker against New Yorker, no matter how passionate we may feel about the quality of life issues in our communities. The select few who call out for homeless people to go back to East New York, especially in the context of a gathering regarding a newly proposed facility and not a re-siting from that neighborhood, are raising a concerning specter of bias that must be addressed, be it on the basis of race, socioeconomic status, or any other factor. Few understand and value public safety more than I do, as a 22-year veteran of the New York City Police Department. Additionally, I have felt firsthand the pain and uncertainty of a family struggling to keep a roof over its head, and I know the power that simple kindness and empathy has for the hundreds of thousands of our neighbors battling to make ends meet every day. The issues surrounding homelessness are difficult ones, issues that require a critical balance be struck. However, we cannot strike each other down in the process of addressing these issues.

A Queens blog claims the event attendees were misquoted, citing a video that shows a resident shouting, "This is not East New York," and not go "back to East New York." It is unclear whether Banks misquoted him or that the aforementioned quote was not caught on video, but still, the anger is palpable:

Residents say they're concerned about what the effect the homeless shelter, which is located near a playground, would have on crime and quality of life in the neighborhood. An online petition opposing the shelter had over 2,000 supporters as of this afternoon.
While many students were away during the summer studying abroad, interning or otherwise, a few amendments were made and changes were proposed to state and local law and university policy which could have an affect on students when they return to the University of Georgia campus.
FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, photo "cupping" marks are seen on the shoulders of United States' Michael Phelps as he celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 200-meter butterfly during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. U.S. olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps made the world aware of cupping by showing his marked muscular shoulders before diving into the pool at the Rio games recently, but cupping, and a similar treatment known as coining, have been practiced in East Asia for centuries. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

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By SOPHENG CHEANG, Associated Press

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  I sported those purple round welts on my body long before Michael Phelps was born. OK, so Phelps made the world aware of cupping by showing his marked muscular shoulders before diving into the pool at the Rio games.

But cupping, and a similar treatment known as coining, has been practiced in East Asia for centuries. I grew up with them. My mother made sure of that.

Phelps, the 31-year-old U.S. swimming star, was seen with purple circles dotting his shoulder and back before his first race at the Olympics. The circles were caused by the ancient Chinese treatment, in which he is a great believer.

It involves pressing glass or plastic cups to the area of discomfort and either applying heat or suction to create a vacuum. The suction causes the large hickey-like marks.

Another similar treatment is coining. The principle is the same: press a large metal disc with an attached handle on the area of discomfort. While cupping is virtually unknown in the rest of the world  and dismissed by doctors educated in Western medicine as hocus pocus  it is commonplace in China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar as a cure for ailments as varied as fever, tuberculosis, rheumatism and muscular pain.

___

Associated Press reporter Sopheng Cheang, who grew up in Cambodia, narrates his lifelong experience with coining and cupping.

___

I remember, some 40 years ago (I am 46), when I fell sick, my mother always did coining on me. She would rub coconut oil on my skin and then push the coin all over, leaving rows of welts. It scared me. I would cry and sometimes run away. But my mother would say: "Be patient! It will take only a few minutes to complete and it will hurt just a little bit, like an ant bite."

So I would let her, and it usually helped.

In my generation, most people did coining when they had fever including my relatives, siblings and neighbor. Cupping became popular later.

Now when I have a fever, flu, headache or other problems I go to a neighborhood "cupping spa" and get both done. Not that I don't trust medicines. But I also believe in cupping and coining. Got it done just last month for my fever, which wasn't coming down with medicines and injections. One session of cupping and the fever was gone.

The procedure was done in a well-illuminated room with one small bed and a wall fan. I took off my shirt and lay down on my stomach so the practitioner could work on my back, first by rubbing oil and then using the coin. After 15 minutes or so, she told me to turn over and so she could work on my chest. The same procedure was followed with cups as I dozed off.

But there's a rule to coining and cupping  no alcohol or bath for three hours before and five hours after the treatment.

It is popular in the countryside because it is cheap and most Cambodians are poor, and not every village has hospitals or clinics. Ironic, since health spas in the U.S. charge a few hundred dollars for the service. Here we pay the equivalent of $3 for an hour-long session.

Even Prime Minister Hun Sen has touted the benefits of coining and cupping. He has told journalists that his wife Bun Rany does it on him when he is sick.

In ancient times, cupping was used to get rid of blood and pus when treating skin abscess, but it has been expanded to treat tuberculosis and rheumatism. Because cupping was widely used in Chinese folklore culture, the technique was inherited by modern Chinese practitioners. It is established as an official therapeutic practice in hospitals all over China.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health says on its website that cupping "is considered generally safe for healthy people when performed by a trained health professional." While saying the placebo effect may account for some claimed health benefits, it also cites recent research that found it may be an effective short-term treatment for chronic neck and lower-back pain.

I ran into Sok Pheakdkey, a 39-year-old driver at a local construction company, at a cupping clinic where he had undergone treatment for fever.

"Now I feel I am fully recovered. Do you see the sweat coming from my head and back? That means the fever is gone," he said. He said the medicines he bought from a pharmacy brought his fever down, but only for a while.

"I don't mean to say that I don't trust medicines. But in my experience the best way to treat these illnesses is coining and cupping. My body seems to be addicted to this type of treatment even though it hurts," he said.

The Cambodian Health Ministry does not advocate cupping, and warns that it could be a health risk.

Health Ministry spokesman Ly Sovann told me that the practice is not known to cure any illnesses, and in fact can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or heart problems. Still, the practice is not banned in the country because it is almost a way of life for Cambodians, he said.

"My advice is that Cambodia people should start changing their habit. They should consult physicians or doctors first if their illness is something related to high blood pressure and heart attack. Then after they talk with the doctor, of course they can do coining or cupping if they prefer," he said.
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By Alayna Shulman of the Redding Record Searchlight

More changes are underway at local high schools after the latest round of administrative musical chairs in the area.

Kyle Turner, former associate superintendent of instructional services for the Shasta Union High School District, has taken over as principal of Shasta Lake's Central Valley High School.

Meanwhile, one of Shasta High School's now-former assistant principals, Leo Perez, has moved up to fill the principal spot, while Foothill High School in Palo Cedro now has former Mount Shasta teacher and Southern California assistant principal Steve Abbott at the helm.

Turner, who announced his resignation from Shasta Union in the spring before having another job lined up, said he wanted to work with kids again.

That's a stance he noted again on Friday.

"This opportunity was a great fit as directly impacting students was something missing from my career in recent years," he said in an email. "Central Valley and Gateway have remarkable programs for kids at every grade so I'm looking forward to continuing that progress."

Turner initially said he was considering a move to the Sacramento area, but said Friday that his son's entering high school was a large part of the reason his family decided to stay in Shasta County.

Abbott, on the other hand, has roots in the North State  17 years teaching in Mount Shasta  but most recently served as an assistant principal for Coronado High School in the San Diego area.

"So this is part of my lifelong back-and-forth form north to south," he said.

Abbott said he has family in Redding and still owns a home in Mount Shasta, so those connections were a big part of the equation of deciding to return.

"I inherited a really smooth-running system, which will afford me the opportunity to support curriculum and instruction," Abbott said. "So because the school is just sort of clicking along well in those mechanical ways, I will spend a lot of time in classrooms and hopefully just partner with and support teachers to just see where we can go and what they would like to do more of or what they would like to do better."

He takes over for Principal Steve Bartow, who recently retired.

Perez confirmed via email that he has been assistant principal at Shasta for 10 years but did not respond to a message seeking further comment. He takes over for Milan Woollard, who moved to the district office to fill Turner's position.

The latest spate of staffing changes comes after two Enterprise High School administrators left their positions earlier this year, leading Central Valley's now-former principal, Ryan Johnson, to take over as Enterprise principal.
Jenny Espino/Record Searchlight This area shows where a homeless woman says she discovered a homeless man minutes before he died on Thursday.

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By Jenny Espino of the Redding Record Searchlight

Update: 10:00 p.m., Sunday

Redding Police say the are investigating the death of a male who emergency personnel were called to assist Thursday near the south side of the Shasta County Veterans Hall.

Police withheld the victim's age and identity pending notification of family.

In a statement tonight, Sgt. Todd Cogle said first responders had been called at 2:46 p.m. to the area of 1647 Yuba St. because it appeared the victim was having seizures.

Medics rushed the victim to Mercy Medical Center. Despite the medical care, the victim did not survive, Cogle said.

He said the police department was contacted because of the circumstances of the victim's death. Detectives conducted an investigation into the death on Friday.

Cogle said officers talked to many witnesses and collected evidence near the area where the victim was found.

A cause into his death has yet to be determined and an autopsy is scheduled in the upcoming days.

The police department asks anyone with information about the case to call 225-4200.

Original story

A homeless man apparently died Thursday behind the Shasta County Veterans Hall.

The circumstances surrounding the man's death next to a parking lot facing Placer Street are not known, but those who knew of him said they have heard he was beaten to death.

"Being on the streets, that could be any of us," said Laurie Thurn, who was passing the area with another homeless woman Thursday afternoon when they discovered the man.

He appeared to be gasping for air, she said. So they flagged other people who were on Yuba Street to call for help. Meanwhile, she said she turned to him, "Just hang on, just hang on. They're coming."

The Redding Police Department did not immediately return a call on Friday seeking information about the possible case, and a message to the Shasta County Coroner's Office was not returned.

Friday on Yuba Street, the death of "Dan" was on the mouth of many.

A group of four staying next to the U.S. Post Office said Dan was in his mid-50s. They said he drank, had recently been released from the hospital and didn't bother anyone.

Some thought  because there was a bottle next to the body  that he had been drinking and succumbed to heat exhaustion.

But they said police officers returned and cordoned off the area. Through word of mouth on the streets, they said they heard that a police officer had said Dan had bruises on his solar plexus and had been beaten to death.

"The streets are rough," one of the men said.
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By Jim Schultz of the Redding Record Searchlight

The 54-year-old climber who died Thursday in a 450-foot fall on Mt. Shasta was identified Friday by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office as James Martin Sieleman of Iowa.

A hometown was not identified.

Sheriff's officials reported Friday that Sieleman's 16-year-old-son, who was not identified, called 911 around 9:30 a.m., to report his father had fallen from the top of Red Banks, which is at the approximate 12,820-foot elevation.

The teen later told search and rescue personnel that his father was climbing the mountain when he fell 150 yards down a steep, rugged, ice-covered slope and that he appeared to be immobilized.

Search and rescue workers, who were sent to the Bunny Flat trail head, requested the assistance of rescue helicopters from the California Highway Patrol and the California

Army National Guard.

The CHP helicopter, the first to arrive, attempted rescues with a hoist, but strong and gusty winds prevented it from successfully carrying out those efforts.

A short time later, the National Guard helicopter arrived and launched another rescue mission to try to save the injured hiker, sheriff's personnel said.

The crew was able to reach the man and take him off the mountain, but he was pronounced dead by the on-board medic.

The man's body was flown to Mercy Medical Center in Mount Shasta where family members were waiting.

The helicopter returned to the mountain and picked up the man's son at the 12,000-foot elevation and flew him to the hospital to be reunited with his family.

Despite the man's death, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey praised those involved in the efforts to try to save his life.

"This mission was a hazardous, life-saving effort that was accomplished by several federal, state and local agencies," he said in a news release. "This incident illustrates the dedication, training readiness, team work, and valor that is so often exhibited by federal, state, and local air crews, search and rescue personnel, rescue climbers and others willing to risk their lives to save others."

He also said the incident highlights the fact that changing conditions on Mt. Shasta, especially at higher elevations, often hamper climbers and rescue personnel.

Last month, a 75-year-old Auburn man died after he fell at the mountain's 10,000-foot elevation.
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By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight

Red jackets and berets could soon be a familiar sight in Redding.

The Guardian Angels, a nearly 40-year-old volunteer patrol and public safety outreach group, are taking the first steps to establish a presence in Redding.

They're also recruiting and one of the organization's leaders in Stockton is coming to Redding on Saturday.

"Right now I'm just really impressed with the support that's coming through with Redding," said Sean Rodgers, western regional director the nonprofit group.

The Guardian Angels started in New York in 1979 when founder Curtis Sliwa formed a group to initially help clean neighborhoods, according to the organization.

A group of volunteers then began riding subways between select midtown stops, acting as deterrent and helping detain those trying to commit crimes against others.

Since its founding, he group courted controversy with arrests of members in New York and Sliwa in the 1990s admitted to faking some crimes to gain publicity. The Guardian Angels, however, has also spread across 21 states and Washington, D.C., in addition to nearly 50 other chapters in 15 other countries.

Rodgers will hit Library Park downtown on Saturday at 11 a.m. to speak with prospective volunteers. He's whittled down to a group of a few dozen from the nearly 200 who've joined a Facebook group about bringing the Angels to Redding.

The push to bring the Angels to Redding seems to have started earlier this month in the Take Back Redding Facebook group. Rodgers said he's heard from several people in that group, which has more than 5,400 members.

Those wishing to join safety patrols must go through a 90-day probationary period that involves self-defense training and familiarity with the organization's rules and procedures. The group also does mentoring and youth activities, in addition to aiding in the search for missing people.

"Our main focus is people knowing that we're not going to be this vigilante group that's going to run people out of town," Rodgers said.

Rodgers is also planning a town hall meeting for September to offer more information and answer questions. He spent much of the week contacting Redding officials to inform them of his intentions.

"I don't want people to think we're being called in because law enforcement is not doing their job," Rodgers said.

Redding Police Chief Rob Paoletti, who came from Stockton just before the Angels established themselves, said this week he wasn't familiar with the group and wanted to learn more about it before commenting. He plans to speak with Rodgers next week, he said.

Stockton police did not return several messages seeking comment, though Rodgers said his group has been commended by a Stockton mayor and member of the California Legislature.

Those interested in the group can visit guardianangels.org or the Facebook group Volunteer Redding Guardian Angels for more information.
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By Jenny Espino of the Redding Record Searchlight

Dignity Health, Redding's second largest employer, will cement its plans for a $50 million wellness campus on Tuesday, when city officials decide whether to approve a land deal north of Henderson Open Space.

The tentative purchase and sale agreement, the subject of negotiations between Dignity and city officials for nearly a year, offers the hospital company four parcels and the portion of a fifth at the southwest corner of East Cypress and Hartnell avenues for $641,162, based on fair market values.

But because most of the deal takes in redevelopment land, the city's net gain from the sale will be reduced to about $180,062.

As part of the agreement, Dignity, the parent company of Mercy Medical Center, also would pay at least $101,000 in improvements on the open space and provide up to a $350,000 cover to the city if it loses a state boating grant.

"Dignity Health has gone out of its way to be more than fair," City Manager Kurt Starman said, noting how the company had agreed to pay the higher of two appraisals done on the property as well as meeting the supplemental conditions for the open space. "For the City Council and the community, the value is that (this agreement) will enable it to proceed with the project."

The 120,000- to 140,000-square-foot campus and 200-car parking lot are proposed on 12.5 acres. This includes private land owned by Sandy and Jeri Campbell of Campbell properties.

Mark Korth, Dignity Health North State president, called the step a big deal for the community.

"This is a win-win," he said, noting that there will be coordination with the open space. "It supports our mission to improve the health and wellness of the community."

Groundbreaking is now projected at the earliest in 2018, with the campus creating up to 180 jobs when all phases are complete.

"It will bring jobs and opportunity to our community. I'm definitely for it," Mayor Missy McArthur said.

The deal for public land will be voted on twice by the council  once, acting as the Successor Agency, which is disposing the property held by the Redevelopment Agency. The California Supreme Court in 2011 upheld Gov. Jerry Brown's elimination of redevelopment agencies.

Proceeds from the $530,000 sale of the four parcels will largely benefit the state, Starman said. Of that amount, the state will kick back to Redding about 13 percent, or $68,900.

Vice Mayor Brent Weaver, also a supporter of the land deal, talked about the project's job creation potential.

"I'm not losing sight of the services that are going to be provided to the community," he said.

Acknowledging the debate stirred between open space advocates and project supporters last fall, he was hopeful the community was ready to come together because compromises were reached.

"It's an attractive project with the way it ties in to the open space," he said.

Under the tentative agreement's main provisions:

Dignity pays $530,000 for the four parcels from the city's Successor and $111,162 to acquire 1.82 acres from the city's 2.8-acre parcel, which is closer to the Sacramento River.

Dignity agrees to pay up to $350,000 for improvements to the open space if the city is unable to get a one-year extension on the boating grant.

Dignity and the city split the cost to relocate parking for a boat ramp, estimated at $42,000.

Dignity pays at least $80,000 on improvements in the open space area or the city, after 10 years, can buy back the piece of land it is selling for $1.

The city retains ownership of a piece of the parcel right behind the former Raley's in the event someone can move the Dobrowsky House from downtown. The McConnell Foundation had expressed interest in relocating the Craftsman but had to walk away after estimates priced the move at more than $600,000.

The city and Successor Agency each pay a portion of a 3 percent commission to real estate broker Chris Haedrich.

If you go

What: Redding City Council meeting

When: 6 p.m., Tuesday

Where: Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave.

About the meeting: The council considers awarding the contract for the update to the Downtown Redding Specific Plan, holds a public hearing related to rules for mobile medical services like the HOPE van and the citys land deal with Dignity Health.

If you go

What: Redding City Council meeting

When: 6 p.m., Tuesday

Where: Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave.

About the meeting: The council considers awarding the contract for the update to the Downtown Redding Specific Plan, holds a public hearing related to rules for mobile medical services like the HOPE van and the citys land deal with Dignity Health.
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It started with a simple gesture.

Find a few strangers, sit down at a common table and talk about some of the most uncomfortable topics that have divided us for decades. Race, power, politics.

Most of us don't talk about these things with our own family  let alone with people we don't know. But that's what's missing in these volatile times.

We talk at each other. We talk past each other. But rarely do we talk to each other.

The Beer Summit was established to make that happen.

Back in the summer of 2009, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested by Boston police for being mistaken as an intruder  breaking into his own house. To keep things from exploding, President Obama (who was a friend of Gates) invited the professor and the arresting officer to join him and Vice President Joe Biden at the White House for an afternoon chat over beers.

Following that, Global Citizen established Philadelphia's first beer summit. It invited folks from throughout the region to gather at a local watering hole, share a few suds and talk about those issues like racism that continue to keep communities apart.

I had the privilege of being at the first beer summit and have been at every one since. I've even served as a moderator at a session or two. Now, several years later, these settings are more meaningful than they've ever been.

With the growing list of victims from police shootings, attacks on police, and arguments over which lives matter, our conversations are confrontations. We start at the shouting stage and escalate beyond yelling. Regardless of which side of the argument, reasonable and calm dialogue can't make it above the din.

But, to be honest, we're really not talking at all. Instead, we find ourselves defensive and on edge  making snap judgments in our interactions that too often result in violence.

At the most recent beer summit, held last week, about 100 people from throughout the area gathered to work at the fine art of conversation. To hone that skill, the summit featured an exercise in which two individuals stood face to face with one another.

For each difference between them, they were instructed to take a step back from each other.

One was white. The other black.

Step back.

One was male, the other female.

Step back.

By the end of the exercise, there were enough differences on the surface alone to put a room's length of distance between the two.

But then, the dialogue began.

It turns out that both grew up in the same neighborhood. They had connections in the same schools. Their children shared common experiences. And for each thing they found in common, they were instructed to take a step toward each other. The more they talked, the closer they became  in proximity and in relationship.

In the comfortable confines of the summit, these facilitated encounters are easy to make happen. The hard work comes when we step outside.

Out there, we're full of un-likeminded people. Having been fed a lifetime of stereotypes that reinforce our differences and keep our divisiveness intact, we're full of distrust. But no one ever said finding common ground was going to be easy. That's why we have to hone our skills in looking deeper than what we see on the surface.

Sometimes it can take something as basic as a bottle of beer to bring people who might not otherwise have the occasion to sit down with one another to do so in the spirit of understanding and fellowship. At the end, it's simply an invitation extended that begins and ends with a willingness to take the first step.

From there, bridges can be built that can last a lifetime.

David W. Brown is the visiting assistant professor of instruction in the School of Media and Communication at Temple University. He wrote this for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Readers may email him at David.brown0001@temple.edu
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When people experience forest and brush fires, they naturally give credit to the fire personnel on the engines who they might encounter close-in and personally while their homes and neighborhoods are being protected.

Indeed, these firefighters deserve the credit, cheers and accolades they're constantly receiving. There are many other first responding firefighters who hardly ever get the same appreciation they deserve.

They're not generally in the big, shiny fire engines that the public relates to, as the firefighters who saved their homes and neighborhood from being destroyed. I've observed many brush and forest fires over the years since moving here. Whatever the cause, man-made or otherwise, air attack is normally on scene and rotating above the fire area in minutes. These pilots and the small planes they fly are invaluable to any fire they oversee.

Between these pilots and the ground incident commander, the entire incident is managed like a fine-oiled machine. I've listened to many incidents on the radio and observing fires that have been close to my home. These pilots will normally sit and rotate at 3,500 feet, and with the incident commander, bring together all the ground and air support they initially believe it will take to put the fire out and return conditions to normal.

All our thanks should be extended to these pilots and their ground support crews as they are also considered first responders who are unseen but invaluable assets. The air tanker drivers along with the helicopter pilots and their crews are indispensable to the overall success of any forest or brush fire incident. These pilots fly at treetop levels, around and between high voltage towers and lines, to deliver their retardant with the precision of a surgeon with a scalpel. They risk their lives with every run at these altitudes and speeds, with the winds and conditions generated by Mother Nature and the fire itself. Without these firefighters, many incidents would consume many more acres and homes. They deserve our deepest appreciation and thanks. Their ground support personnel are vital to the speed and delivery of the right mixtures and levels of retardant agents. Thanks to those firefighters back at the airport where the tankers return to get their fuel and refill.

All of the above are hardly ever seen and most aren't even in uniform that you'd recognize as a firefighter, but they are and should never be forgotten as vital to a successful operation.

Two more groups of firefighters who seldom get their due respect and thanks are the transport drivers and the Suger Pine firefighters. The transport, or dozer operators, are fantastic folks who get up close and work in dangerous environments where most others would fear to go. They cut lines with their dozers in rocky, very dangerous and hilly terrain. In many cases these conditions have cost the lives or injures from fast -moving fires and rollovers in unfamiliar terrain. Once again, they're the behind-the-scenes, indispensable forgotten firefighters who are seldom recognized.

Last but not least are the Sugar Pine support firefighters who bust their backs cutting lines around these fires, sometimes in terrain that a goat couldn't manage. They are from honor camps around the North State. They work under direct supervision of Cal Fire and take care of a lot of the "grunt" work that has to be done but get little or no thanks for the long hours and backbreaking work they perform. They patrol entire fire areas, way after most responders have left for other assignments. They overhaul and pick up many of the hose lines left by engine companies. They also deserve far more thanks then they get. I understand it helps with their debt to the community but still they do what isn't glamorous and without all the glory. All of the above deserve our deepest appreciation and never forget all first responders aren't in shiny red or yellow trucks.

Don Farrell lives in Redding.
Alibaba is playing a big role in helping to train the senior management of the upcoming Paytm Payment Bank

With its business maturing on home ground, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding is planning a major entry into India and might place a chunk of bets on mobile wallet giant Paytm, its biggest investment in this country.

During an earnings call for its June quarter results, the company gave an official indication of its Indian plan.

Alibaba believes mobile and payments would be an important strategic asset for it in India. According to a transcript of the earnings call, available on the seekingalpha.com portal, Joseph C Tsai, executive vice-chairman, said: "The other emerging market is in India, where we have decided to play some very strategically located assets in that market. We invested jointly with Ant Financial into a company called Paytm, largest mobile wallet company in India. We think mobiles and payment are going to be important strategic assets for us in that market.

Alibaba is playing a big role in helping to train the senior management of the upcoming Paytm Payment Bank.

Alibaba Group is the largest shareholder of One97 Communications, with investments amounting to $680 million in the Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led company.

The senior management of Paytm is honing its skills in running a payments bank at MYbank, run by Ant Financial Services Group, financial affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding.

Alibabas UCWeb has also evolved from a mobile browser to a mobile media asset, offering mobile search and news feeds to about 420 million monthly active users in June. International expansion is robust.

The company in its June quarter results announcements said UCWeb is the number one independent browser in India and Indonesia and one of the worlds top three mobile browsers, according to StatCounter.

So, I think we're very well strategically positioned in these emerging markets and that's the start of our international activity, added Tsai.

Photograph: Chance Chan/Reuters
A Bharatiya Janata Party supporter died when party workers clashed with police while protesting the arrest of five persons on charges of cow smuggling in Narhi area in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.

While the protesters alleged that the worker died in police firing, police have denied the charge.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and cases have been registered against BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari, 35 named and 300 unnamed accused under various sections of IPC and six persons have been arrested.

Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Jha said the MLA and his supporters sat on dharna before Narhi police station and clashed with police last night in protest against the arrest and pelted stones when authorities tried to evict them.

Police then lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the irate crowd, he said.

District BJP chief Binod Dubey alleged that police used batons and opened fire at the party workers leading to the death of Vinod Rai and injury to 50 others.

However, Jha refuted the charge saying the worker did not die in firing as police did not open fire and said the reason behind his death would be known only after getting postmortem report.

Though the SP said the MLA was absconding, Dubey claimed that he was seriously injured in the police action and was undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Photograph: PTI Photo
The mother-daughter duo, gang raped recently near a highway in Bulandshahar, has moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the case to Delhi besides registration of FIR against UP minister Azam Khan for his offensive remarks as well as the erring policemen.

The brutal incident had happened on the night of July 29 when a group of highway robbers stopped the car of a Noida-based family and sexually assaulted the woman and her daughter after dragging them out of the vehicle which had four other occupants.

The Allahabad high court recently ordered CBI probe into the incident besides deciding to monitor the investigation.

In the plea filed in the Supreme through lawyer Kislay Pandey, the woman's husband has sought an order for "transfer the trial of the present case to Delhi from Bulandshahar in the interest of justice".

Unhappy over the probe by Uttar Pradesh police, the petitioner has said the investigation be conducted by "some other competent agency".

Referring to alleged controversial remark of Azam Khan, UP Minister for Urban Development, that there was a "political conspiracy" in gang rape, the plea said that an FIR be registered against him as the statement "substantially outrageous" the "modesty" the victims and their family.

The plea has also sought "appropriate damages" for the victims besides a direction that the state and others, including the DGP, be stopped from infringing fundamental right to life of the victims.

"Direct the respondents (State Home Secretary, Khan, DGP and SSP of Bulandshahr) to pay the appropriate damages to the petitioner as per the Law," the plea said.

It also alleged that police did come for help despite victims making several distress calls on helpline number.

"The victim dialed 100 number after the incident to seek help from the police but it did not help at all," it said, adding "Direct registration of an FIR against erring police officials for disobeying directions of law in the present case."

The plea said, "Azam Khan, Minister for Urban Development of UP called a press conference and publicly insulted the petitioner by terming the entire incident as a political conspiracy only and nothing else and thereby caused various acts and deeds being substantially outrageous to the modesty of the petitioner."

It said that six members of the family were travelling from Noida to Shahjahanpur on national highway-91 when they were waylaid, assaulted and robbed.

The offenders, who were hiding behind the bushes, emerged and took the family at gunpoint and forced the father of the victim to take the vehicle off the road, it said.

The mother-daughter duo were ravished barely 100 meters away from the police post, it said, adding that the offenders snatched cash to the tune of Rs 36,000 and some jewellery from the victims.
Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro revived old enmities with the United States as he celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday, skewering Havana's Cold War foe for its repeated attempts on his life.

Castro, who retired from public life in 2006 due to ill health and appointed his brother Raul in his place, criticized US President Barack Obama for failing to explicitly apologize during his historic visit to Japan in May for Washington's decision to drop the atomic bomb.

"The US president's speech in Japan lacked the words to apologize for the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima, even though they (the United States) knew the effects of the bomb," the ex-leader said in an article published by official media.

(In his speech, Obama did decry the resort to war and called for a world without nuclear weapons.)

Castro condemned as "equally criminal" the bombing of Nagasaki three days later on August 9, 1945.

"That's why you have to stress the need to preserve peace and that no power has the right to kill millions of people," Castro said.

Castro recalled his own youth and confrontation with the United States while he headed the communist island.

"I almost laughed at the Machiavellian plans of US presidents," Castro said in the article published late on Friday.

According to Cuban intelligence services, Castro faced 634 plots between 1958 and 2000. Several of those have been substantiated by US officials; some reportedly involved slipping poisoned or explosive cigars to the cigar-loving Cuban leader.

Castro's brother Raul restored diplomatic relations with Washington last year.

Castro warned in his article about the risks of global overpopulation, calling it "the greatest threat in the history of mankind."

He singled out China and Russia as "great powers that cannot be subjected to threats of deploying nuclear weapons."

Castro was last seen in public on April 19 at the close of the Cuban Communist Party Congress.

Dressed in a blue tracksuit and speaking in a trembling voice, he seemed to say goodbye.

"Soon I'll be like all the rest," he said. "Everyone's turn comes."

After Barack Obama visited Cuba in March, Fidel Castro recalled the island's long enmity with the US, including Washington's backing for the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in 1961.

His bitterness over that botched CIA plot played a part in pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis the following year.

The Soviet Union agreed to his request to send ballistic missiles to Cuba, and removed them only after a tense standoff with the United States.

IMAGE: Fidel Castro, left, beside his brother, Cuban President Raul Castro, in Havana. Photograph: Ismael Francisco/Reuters
Suspected militants hurled a grenade on Saturday evening in a market in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving 11 people injured, one of them critical.

IMAGE: Ambulances rushed to the spot in the city market place where a grenade exploded. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

A grenade was thrown in market place in the Poonch city on Saturday evening, Divisional Commissioner (Jammu zone) Pawan Kotwal said.

In the blast, 11 people were injured, one of them critically, he said. While 7 of the injured are locals, 4 others are outsiders.

IMAGE: 11 people were injured in the attack. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

Police and other security forces, who were on alert due to the Buddha Amarnath yatra in the border district, have cordoned off the area and launched search operation.

Further details are awaited, he said.

The incident has taken place close of Dashnami Akhara in the city.
The Islamic State terror group on Saturday claimed responsibility for the roadside bomb attack in Quetta city in Pakistan's Balochistan province that injured 17 people.

The IS claimed the attack on social media and Twitter.

But a senior police official said the IS claim could be another attempt to gain attention as they are struggling for a foothold in Pakistan where militant outfits like the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda have deeper roots in the tribal region and in urban areas.

Security officials have said in the past that the IS does not have a credible presence in Pakistan where several militant outfits operate.

The roadside bombing on Wednesday left 17 people including four police officials accompanying a judge injured. But the judge escaped unhurt.

The IS has also claimed responsibility for carrying out a suicide bombing at the Civil Hospital in Quetta on Monday in which around 73 people were killed mostly lawyers and scores others were injured.

But the IS claim came soon after the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar a faction of the Pakistani Taliban had said it had carried out the suicide attack.

The troubled Balochistan province rich in minerals and natural resources has been hit hard by sectarian violence, terrorist attacks, and separatists who claim there is corruption in the provincial government.

IMAGE: Security officials gather at the site of a bomb explosion in Quetta. Photograph: Naseer Ahmed/Reuters
The Indian position has never been correctly articulated by successive governments, says security expert Ajay Sahni.

Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong assertion at the all-party meeting on the atrocities being carried out on the people of Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by Pakistan, security expert Ajay Sahni on Saturday said the statement squarely puts Islamabad on the mat.

Speaking to ANI, Sahni said the statement coming from the Prime Minister itself, is important, both for international discourse and domestic discourse.

"It is for the first time at this level that we have had a very clear statement on what is essentially the Indian constitutional position and essentially the position that should have been articulated by the Indian State, even in view of the UN Council Resolution," he said.

"It is very important that the Prime Minister has chosen himself to put up a statement and I think it will have two crucial consequences; one, it will result in a better informed national-international community because the world has always accepted the Pakistani position that has always been very aggressively articulated," he added.

The security expert insisted that the Indian position has never been correctly articulated by successive governments.

"The second thing is even within Kashmir, people are not adequately aware of the actual history and the actual legal and constitutional position of PoK. Consequently, I think the statement is important, both for international discourse and domestic discourse on the subject and it very squarely puts Pakistan on the mat which is important because it has never been done before," he said.

"The time has come to expose Pakistan's brutalities on the people of Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," said Prime Minister Modi on Friday as the government launched a fresh offensive against Islamabad for igniting the latest unrest in Kashmir.

"When we talk about Jammu and Kashmir, then we should talk about four regions -- Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," he said.

Addressing the media after the all-party meeting, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "I have assured all the political parties that every suggestion, which they have put forward to bring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir would be taken into consideration."

Singh quoted the Prime Minister as saying that the time has come for Pakistan to answer the world on atrocities against the people in Balochistan and the PoK.

During the four-hour-long meeting, which comes in the wake of continued unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani on July 8, some of the opposition parties also asked the government to take a few immediate confidence-building measures like putting an end to the use of pellet guns and relaxing AFSPA in some parts of the valley.

Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with thousands injured and more than 50 killed during protests against Wani's killing.
As India celebrates its 70th Independence day, Rediff.com pays homage to millions who laid down their lives for the country's freedom.

Scroll down to see some unforgettable moments of the independence movement.

All photographs Courtesy: Photo Division & National Archives

In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi and his 78 assistants embarked on the historic 'Dandi Yatra', the 25-day march on foot to break the salt law. The march was the first act in an even-larger campaign of civil disobedience or satyagraha that Gandhi waged against British rule in India.





Udham Singh (2nd from left) being taken away after the assassination of Michael O'Dwyer who was responsible for the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre. On March 13, 1940, O'Dwyer was scheduled to speak at a joint meeting of the East India Association and the Central Asian Society at Caxton Hall. Singh concealed his revolver in his jacket pocket, entered the hall, and found an open seat. As the meeting concluded, Singh shot O'Dwyer twice as he moved towards the speaking platform, killing him immediately.

On 8 April 1929, revolutionaries Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb into the corridors of the Constituent Assembly to show their discontent and frustration against the British government's decision to enact the Trade Disputes Bill and the Public Safety Bill. The revolutionaries surrendered themselves. On June 12, 1929 they were sentenced to Penal transportation for the bombing, having defended the case themselves.

The Quit India movement was launched on August 9, 1942. On August 8, 1942, the All India Congress Committee formally adopted in Bombay a resolution calling on the British to 'Quit India'. The next day, national leaders, including Gandhi, were arrested. From August 9, a spontaneous civil disobedience movement in response to Gandhi's call for immediate independence spread all over the country.

Isolated incidents of violence broke out around the country, but the British acted quickly and arrested thousands of people and kept them in jail till 1945. Apart from filling up jails with rebellious leaders, the British also went ahead and abolished civil rights, freedom of speech and freedom of press.

It was because of the Quit India movement that the British realized that they would not be able to govern India successfully in the long run and began to think of ways they could exit the country in a peaceful and dignified manner. The failure of the Cripps Mission, which the British Government sent to have a dialogue with Indian political parties seeking their support in the war that Britain was waging in Europe, acted as a catalyst to the Quit India Movement.

Although most demonstrations had been suppressed by 1944, upon his release in 1944 Gandhi continued his resistance and went on a 21-day fast. By the end of the Second World War, Britain's place in the world had changed dramatically and the demand for independence could no longer be ignored.





A German-made Mauser pistol used by freedom fighters during the Kakori Train Robbery The Kakori train robbery took place on August 9, 1925, in Uttar Pradesh on a train towards Lucknow that was carrying passengers from central UP. Armed revolutionaries of the Hindustan Republican Association, including Ramprasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan and Chandrashekar Azad, overpowered the train driver and guards and managed to seize the box containing the money (Rs 8,000) being transported from the railway guards carriage near Kakori to the government treasury in Lucknow.

Kamla Devi Chattopadhyay and Sarojini Naidu at the Shimla Conference in July, 1945. At the Shimla conference, then Viceroy Archibald Wavell invited leaders of all political parties in India with a view to arrive an agreement of the Wavell plan for Indian self-government. It reached a potential agreement for the self rule in India that provided separate representation to Muslims, and reduced majority powers for both communities in their majority regions. The conference broke down on the insistence of Mohammad Ali Jinnah that his party, the Muslim League, should have an exclusive right to nominate Muslim members of the Viceroy's Executive Council. This was something which the Congress could not concede without repudiating its national composition.

The Cabinet Mission was aimed at seeking an agreement on the constitutional issue with political leaders. Provision was made for three groups of provinces to possess their separate constitutions. The Cabinet Mission also proposed the formation of a Union of India, comprising both the British India and the Princely States. An interim government was to remain in office till a new government was elected on the basis of the new Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly. Both the Muslim League and the Congress accepted the plan. In the elections held in July 1946, the Congress secured 205 out of 214 General seats. The Muslim League got 73 out of 78 Muslim seats. An interim government was formed under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru on September 2, 1946.

Warrant officer Ireland, the caretaker of the Residency in Lucknow, hauling down the British Union Jack at 8pm on August 13, 1947. The flag had been there since 1857.

Lord Mountbatten swearing in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of Free India at the ceremony held on August 15, 1947. It was here that Nehru delivered his landmark address "Tryst with Destiny".

British troops departing for the UK were given a very warm send off in Mumbai as well. Mountbatten estimates that there were "several hundreds of thousands" in reception with chants of "England Zindabad" and "Jai England" for, what was till the previous day, a colonial army of occupation. This photograph was taken at the Bombay Docks.

Jawaharlal Nehru, Edwina Mountbatten and Lord Mountbatten watch as the British flag is lowered and the Tricolour unfurled on August 15, 1947. When Lord Mountbatten was asked why he chose August 15 as the day to hand over power to Indians, he replied: "The date I chose came out of the blue. I chose it in reply to a question. I was determined to show I was the master of the whole event. When they asked: had I set a date, I knew it had to be soon. I hadnt worked it out exactly then -- I thought it had to be about August or September and then I went to the 15th of August. Why? Because it was the second anniversary of Japans surrender."

Lord Mountbatten addressing the Independence Day session of the Constituent Assembly on August 15, 1947. Seated at his right is Dr Rajendra Prasad, President of the assembly. Nehru chose 15 other members for his cabinet. Vallabhbhai Patel served as the first deputy Prime Minister until his death on December 15, 1950. Lord Mountbatten, and later C Rajagopalachari served as Governor-General until January 26, 1950, when Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first President of India,

Massive crowds thronged Delhi on August 15 for the ceremonies relating to the transfer of power. The people hailed Gandhi and Nehru, as would be expected, but also, puzzlingly, cheered on Mountbatten as well.
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was detained at an American airport, should have displayed his patriotic credentials and returned to India after suffering another "insult" in the US, which would have been a "slap on the face of America," Shiv Sena said on Saturday.

Reacting to Khan's detention at a US airport, for the third time in seven years, Sena said despite this "common occurrence," the "tolerant actor" goes to the US repeatedly.

"This has been a common occurrence with Shah Rukh at most big US airports. Still, this tolerant actor goes to the US repeatedly, only to get insulted," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

"He should have returned, displaying patriotic credentials, and telling the US that 'I won't step into your country if you are going to insult me in this manner,' the Sena said.

"Had he done so, it would have been a slap on the face of America. The US views every Muslim as a terrorist," the Sena said.

The Bollywood actor was detained briefly at the Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, after which he expressed disappointment on social media.

"I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks," (sic) the actor tweeted.

In April 2012, he was detained at the White Plains airport near New York for over two hours and, in 2009, at the Newark Airport in New Jersey for nearly two hours.

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma apologised to Shah Rukh Khan for his detention at Los Angeles airport and said the US was working to ensure that it does not happen again.

The Sena also suggested that the Khans, a reference to other Bollywood bigs with that surname, should give direction to the 'misguided" youth of Kashmir who are on rampage.

"The Khans of Bollywood should take to Twitter to 'show direction' to misguided youth in Kashmir who are on a rampage," the Sena said.

The editorial also referred to last November's incident when Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said that his wife Kiran Rao wondered whether they should move out of India, as she feared for the safety of their children in a climate of "insecurity".

That was the time when the issue of "rising intolerance" in India was being hotly debated, and when several artists and authors returned government awards to protest "intolerance".
Barring clashes at some places, situation was by and large peaceful on Saturday in Kashmir where separatists had planned to take out processions, to prevent which curfew was in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town.

Meanwhile, broadband internet services were suspended across Kashmir, except some areas housing government offices and residences of officials, while mobile internet services remained suspended in the valley for the 36th consecutive day.

About half a dozen incidents of stone-pelting were reported from different parts of the valley, a police spokesman said.

The policemen were injured in a clash with stone-pelting protesters at Ashtingoo in Bandipora district of north Kashmir, the spokesman said, adding one of the injured was shifted to Delhi for advance treatment.

The clashes were also witnessed at Kanoosa, Aloosa and Kemah villages in Bandipora during the day but there was no report of any casualty, he said.

The spokesman said clashes between stone-pelting mobs and security forces also took place at Zampa Kadal in interior Srinagar and Palhallan in Pattan area of Baramulla district.

Barring these clashes, the situation remained by and large peaceful across the valley, the spokesman added.

Earlier, the authorities had imposed curfew in entire Srinagar district to foil the plans of separatists to march to the historic Lal Chowk and stage a sit-in for two days.

Curfew also remained in force in Anantnag town, the epicentre of the current unrest.

Separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, both of whom are under house arrest, tried to take out processions from their residences to Lal Chowk but police thwarted their attempts.

In the first instance, Mirwaiz, the chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference, came out from his Nigeen residence located on the outskirts of Srinagar this afternoon.

He was immediately detained by the police and taken to Nigeen police station, officials said.

Separately, Geelani, who heads hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference, also tried to take out a march from his Hyderpora residence on Srinagar-Airport road.

However, the police stopped the octogenarian leader, following which he along with his supporters staged a sit-in on the link road, officials said.

The sit-in lasted for over half-an-hour and ended peacefully, the officials said.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the ongoing unrest went up to 56 as a youth, Suhail Ahmad Wani, who was injured last week in firing by a policeman, succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Srinagar on Saturday, an official said.

Wani had suffered a bullet injury in the head on August 2 at Lethpora in Pulwama district on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Normal life remained affected in the Valley for the 36th consecutive day due to the curbs imposed by the authorities and separatist-sponsored strike against the killing of civilians in the security forces action.

Schools, colleges, business establishments, petrol pumps and private offices remained closed while public transport remained off the roads.

The attendance in government offices and banks was also thin, the official said.

While mobile internet remained suspended, the broadband services were also snapped on Saturday around 4.30 pm without any reason being assigned for it.

The broadband services were restored after half an hour in some areas of the city like Bemina, Lal Chowk and Sonawar where most of the government offices and official residences of government officials are located.

A BSNL official, on the condition of anonymity, said the the state-run telecom operator was directed by the authorities to pull the plug on the services till August 15.

The mobile internet services were snapped across Kashmir last month as a precautionary measure to prevent rumour mongering following violent clashes in the wake of killing of Hibzul Mujahideen commander Burhan on July 8 in an encounter with security forces.

Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
Mayor Costin provides council district update & talks about other city projects

A town hall was held at Martinsville City Hall Thursday evening where residents were encouraged to attend and discuss their concerns or questions with Martinsville Mayor Kenny Costin.
Jon Mark Hogg warned the chamber luncheon crowd they were about to be bored. 'I tried to talk (interim chamber president) Peggy (Arnold) out of this, but she wanted it anyway.'

His presentation, however, was an eye-opener for any businesses that have employees paid on management salaries that are overtime-exempt. Under new rules set to take effect in less than four months, the salary threshold for such employees will more than double, and employers, he said, are faced with the prospect of increasing those workers' salaries, reclassifying them as hourly employees and paying overtime, or keeping them on 40-hour weeks and hiring additional workers to fill the remaining hours.

'It's boring unless you get a call from the Wages and Hours Division (of the Department of Labor),' he said.

Violations of wage and hour laws can result in fines, orders to pay back wages and 'liquidated damages,' which can be double the wage payment ordered, civil litigation or criminal prosecution, or some combination of those penalties.

Hogg, a San Angelo lawyer specializing in labor law, was speaking to about 300 people at the monthly luncheon meeting of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce in the McNease Convention Center on Tuesday.

He explained that the law being updated was the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, passed during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, which included regulations that are now taken for granted  minimum wage, overtime provisions and prohibitions against child labor.

The new rules update Department of Labor regulations that have been in place since 2004. The current wage threshold for FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) exemption from the overtime rule is $455 a week, or $23,660 a year; under the new rule effective Dec. 1, it will be $913 a week, or $47,476 a year.

The amendment has been in the works since 2014 under an initiative from the White House, which noted that the old exemption threshold for management overtime exemption delivered a wage lower than the poverty level for a single-income family of four while allowing unlimited unpaid overtime. The new rule, unlike previous iterations of the FLSA, includes a provision for adjustment every three years.

According to a White House analysis, the new rule is expected to affect about 370,000 workers in Texas, or slightly less than 3 percent of the civilian labor force in the state. The analysis projected that 35 percent of workers who are FLSA-exempt as management personnel will be affected by the rule.

Exempt employees  those who are paid a fixed salary without regard to hours worked  fall under several descriptions in the law, Hogg said. They include executive, professional, administrative and computer workers, all of which have to include specific elements in their jobs, called 'duty tests.'

Hogg said the abrupt magnitude of the increase 'has caused a lot of consternation among employer groups.'

'So, you ask, 'What can I do?' ' Hogg said. 'Well, you can pay them more, that's the easiest thing.'

But that might be too much of a financial crunch for some businesses, and taking exempt employees into hourly status and paying them overtime could be equally expensive, he said. 'You could also restructure it into more jobs, and I think that's what the Department of Labor intended,' he said.

His tip was to consult the Society of Human Resources Management website  shrm.org  for more information.

Hogg practices law with Jackson Walker LLP in San Angelo, with specialties in labor and employment law, litigation, constitutional and public law. He also served as a San Angelo City Council member from 2006-10, representing Single Member District 5.

New president

The chamber also welcomed its new president, Dan Koenig, who started his job Monday.

'I look forward to helping your businesses and San Angelo grow,' Koenig said. 'It's only been a few short days, but San Angelo really does feel like home. You have a solid and strong chamber, and it's an honor to be here.'

Koenig was chosen for president from among several applicants during a monthslong search process. He held previous chamber leadership positions in Overland Park, Kansas; Bellevue, Nebraska; and Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Chamber board chair Jamie Akin thanked Peggy Arnold for her months of work as interim president following the sudden death of the former president, Phil Neighbors, in February. Arnold got a standing ovation from the crowd.
HOUSTON  Mexican-born Maria Dawood grew up Catholic, but the church never fit her heart.

Her questions about its teachings brought only certitudes. Rituals grew meaningless. Even the stylish attire of female worshippers annoyed her.

The Houston Chronicle reports spiritual but doctrinally untethered, Dawood's life centered on a search for God.

In Houston, Dawood sampled Pentecostalism. Then a Muslim friend loaned her his Spanish-language Quran. From the Islamic holy book's opening lines, Dawood knew she had found a religious home.

'I couldn't stop,' she said. 'I continued reading. Once I finished, I started again. Every time I read it I found something new. This is what I had been looking for.'

Dawood's conversion came almost 40 years ago, a time when resources for Houston's Spanish-speaking Muslims were few.

Now, with the opening this year of Centro Islamico, Texas'  and possibly the nation's  only Spanish-language mosque, the city is poised to become a center of Hispanic Muslim teaching.

Located in a bank building on Houston's far southwest side, the mosque is a project of Islam in Spanish, a producer of religious educational materials. Founded 15 years ago, the nonprofit has spawned similar organizations in Dallas, California and New Jersey.

In its first months, Centro Islamico welcomed 28 new converts to Islam, said Alex Gutierrez, Islam in Spanish's development and operations director. 'They were all Latinos  families, single mothers, couples with children. We've had 10-year-old sisters; we've witnessed a grandmother accepting Islam.'

Gutierrez, himself a former Catholic, estimated as many as 1,000 Hispanic Muslims live in the Houston area. Nationally, by some estimates, as many as 300,000 Latinos follow Prophet Muhammad's teachings.

To date, Islamic inroads into the U.S. Hispanic population have been small.

Fifty-five percent of Hispanics are Catholics, Pew Research Center reports. Slightly more than 1 in 5 are Protestants; only 1 percent adhere to non-Christian religions.

Still, demographic trends may foretell Islam's growth.

Latinos now comprise almost 40 percent of the population in Texas and 20 percent in the U.S. Pew reports that almost 1 in 4 identify themselves as former Catholics. By the second half of the century, Islam is projected to become the world's dominant religion.

Islam in Spanish was created to supply Spanish-language religious materials for a new wave of converts.

In its early years, it issued more than 500 audio books and 250 videos, most of which were aired on public access television. More recently, it has directed attention to the internet.

Sunday classes are streamed live, offering a worship option to Muslims unable to travel to the Houston mosque.

'We reach viewers in Brazil, Spain, Argentina,' Gutierrez said. 'We've had people tune in from Germany and Paris. We're open to anybody, any Latinos anywhere in the world who are open to Islam.'

In December, the nonprofit will host the nation's first Latino Muslim convention as part of the 2016 Texas Dawah Convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Each conversion is unique, but Dawood's path to Islam is familiar to many Hispanic Muslims.

Like Dawood, Nahela Morales, 40, was born in Mexico to a Catholic family.

'As far back as I can remember, I was always looking for God,' she said. But when she sought religious guidance from the most devout member of her family, her grandmother, she simply was admonished to 'always believe.'

'By my mid-20s, that wasn't good enough,' said Morales, who today is 'brand ambassador' for Islam in Spanish.

Morales attended Mormon, Baptist and Jehovah's Witness services. She talked religion with a Jewish friend. In 2001, she moved to New York City. When terrorist-piloted airplanes slammed into the World Trade Center, she, with millions of other Americans, was enraged.

Then she bought a Quran to better understand Islam. What she found was surprising.

'When I came across Islam, I was encouraged to ask questions. All my questions were answered,' she said. 'I got a Bible to compare with the Quran. When I found that Islam didn't disregard Jesus, that was a big deal with me. Islam doesn't disregard any of the messengers and prophets  there's room for Adam, Noah, Jesus and finally the Prophet Muhammad, peace be to them all.'
(Via TimesRecordNews.com)

The question of whether a federal judge will release the state of Texas and other plaintiffs from U.S. guidance on transgender bathroom rules is still up in the air after a hearing Friday in Fort Worth.

Austin Nimocks, the lead attorney for plaintiffs in the case, told Judge Reed C. OConnor that a ruling on an injunction against the federal government has to come before public school begins in Texas this month.

We cant have one soon enough, he said.

Still, the judge gave no ruling Friday in the case, saying he was still working on it.

The Texas Attorney Generals Office, joined by about a dozen other conservative states, filed for the injunction after the U.S. departments of Education and Justice issued guidance to school districts directing them to make bathrooms accessible to transgender students based on their gender identity.

The guidance appeared to imply that non-compliant school districts would be at risk of losing federal funding.

The Texas AGs Office filed a lawsuit against the federal government almost immediately. It charged that the Obama administration skirted statutory rules of lawmaking by issuing the guidance, and that school districts would be put under undue stress in reaching compliance. One key plaintiff in the case is Harrold Independent School District in Wilbarger County.

The defendants, which include the U.S. departments of Education and Justice, retorted by saying they never threatened to stop funding schools that dont make bathroom accommodations for transgender students.

That point  whether the school districts are in imminent danger of losing significant federal funds  was the focus of Fridays hearing. In a new development, an attorney representing the U.S. government argued that non-compliant districts are not currently being penalized, though they might be in the future.

Benjamin Berwick, the attorney representing the U.S. government in the case, said school districts would not be at risk of losing funding until the time that enforcement action is taken against them. Therefore, he said, an injunction against the federal guidance should not be granted.

He also argued that the federal government merely informed school districts about its interpretation of Title IX discrimination law  it never forced local officials to reexamine its rest room policies, Berwick said.

It appears that Judge OConnor did not fully buy the argument. He grilled the attorney for the better part of an hour during the hearing, asking at one point if Berwick actually believed schools administrators wouldnt feel compelled to change their policies after receiving the federal guidance.

Did you not expect schools and employers to look at their policies and consider, Maybe we should change our policies? OConnor asked.

As of Friday, no concrete deadline has been set for the injunction ruling.

Advocates on both sides on the issue swarmed to Fort Worth Friday to attend the hearing, chief among them Amber and Adam Briggle and their transgender son MG.

She said in an interview inside the citys federal courthouse that they wanted to put a face on the issue of transgender access to bathrooms in public schools. Her son MG is an 8-year-old third-grader in the Denton Independent School District.

Still, hes going great at school, Amber Briggle said of MG, who was born biologically as a girl. He looked like a boy when he started school. Then we noticed some disciplinary problems and he wasnt himself. So I admitted it to myself.

Amber Briggle said the source of her sons disciplinary problems was the result of not using the bathroom at school. He was scared to use the wrong bathroom at school.

He said he had been holding it in, Amber Briggle said. He didnt know where to do, and as a little first-grader he didnt know where to go.

The family made an agreement with the school district  an agreement they decline to expound upon  for their son to use the bathroom comfortably. MG does not use a bathroom separate from other students, as separate is never equal, Amber Briggle said.

After Fridays hearing, the Briggle family, including 4-year-old daughter Lulu, ran to a nearby playground. MG climbed a tree, plucked a magnolia leaf and handed it to his younger sister.

I think its important to say MG was not born into the wrong body, Amber Briggle said. His body is perfect. Hes perfect.
BRECKENRIDGE  History buffs are in for a twofer at the Swenson Memorial Museum. The newly opened second floor doubles what you get when you step through the doors of this former bank.

'We have so much memorabilia. Originally, when it was the bank, there were attorneys' offices up here,' said Pat Dudley Green, who leads tours at the museum. 'We've kept two of them, and then made a doll room; there's a doctor's office, an old bedroom with vintage clothing  and other different rooms.'

The Swenson museum originally was known as the First National Bank. After that business moved across the street, the museum opened on Independence Day 1976. As with similar museums across the Big Country, the artifacts within come mostly from the community. They are a reflection of the many interests and lives of a community's members.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor is a journey back through time. A long hallway stretches the length of the building, frosted glass covers doors, windows and transoms. It looks like something out of a movie from the 1930s, and I expected Sam Spade or perhaps Indiana Jones to step out of one of the doors.

It's also a little warm up there. Although the main floor of the museum is comfortably air-conditioned, upstairs they cool it the old-fashion way.

'Lights and fans, that's about all we have,' Green said as we walked from room to room.

'This is the Club Room,' she said, opening a door. Within were plaques, photographs and keepsakes from a wide range of civic clubs from the city's history.

'We had the Elks, the Lions, the riding club, the square dance club,' she recited, counting them off with her fingers. 'At one time in the boom days, Breckenridge had 30,000 people from the 1920s to the 1930s.'

On one wall rests a photograph signed by Jacqueline Kennedy, wishing her best to the Breckenridge Boys Choir, which sang for the Kennedys.

Pictures cover another wall in the next room as well. They show ranks of schoolchildren sitting for their class picture.

'During the boom days, every little community had their own school,' Green said. 'From Caddo to Necessity, Gunsight to Post Oak.'

An odd experience for me was walking into the re-created attorney's office. I wasn't surprised by the stackable book cases  my dad had those in his office when he was an attorney, and I learned after he died they were quite common.

No, it was the small sofa with wooden armrests that struck me as eerie. When I was 7, I recall Dad buying an old, small hideaway-bed sofa that looked just like it. He'd gotten it reupholstered, so it couldn't fold out anymore, but it looked just like this one. Yeah, a little strange but neatly familiar, too.

Farther down the hall, a sunlit room sparkled with five different colors of Depression-era glass dishes. Green, pink, blue, amber and white plates stacked nicely on display. My camera bag dangling off my shoulder made me a little nervous, my mind was conjuring 50 different ways for me to trip over my big feet and create a disaster.

Entering the beauty shop was a relief; nothing to break in there. Inside was one of those electric curling machines with the wiggly wires that dangle from a helmet, vaguely appearing to be some kind of torture device.

'The beauty shop's got the original permanent-maker,' Green said with a laugh. 'You got a permanent in first grade and it lasted you until sixth grade.'

Frank Pellizzari's re-created shoe shop was interesting, if for no other reason than how the sunlight slanted through the window to illuminate his wooden shoe forms. Pellizzari was well-known as a scoutmaster and that part of his community life is celebrated with photographs and Scouting memorabilia.

The doctor's office had a diploma for a man named Frank Payne. No, not the local DJ, though maybe they're related? You go back far enough and we all are, I suppose.

But if you've come this far looking for a joke about a doctor named Payne, just keep walking. My dentist was named Joe Sharp and when he retired, I mourned. Finding a good dentist ranks right up there with discovering the right person to cut your hair each quarter.

Yes, my mind has been known to wander during these things.

'They started remodeling two years ago, the lady who was the director became ill and could not come back,' Green said, snapping my attention back to present.

'So the board of directors took over, and through their leadership, and with volunteers coming in when they could, it's taken two years to get this second story ready.'

It would have opened earlier but vandals broke in during late April and discharged fire extinguishers in each room. Ding-dang hooligans, karma will get you if the law don't.

The museum, located at 116 W. Walker St., is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Give yourself a few hours to see it all.

I mean, where else can you find a display labeled 'Bathrooms of the Past'?

At the head of the stairs, pictures mounted on a wall display different outhouses around the country. Thomas Jefferson's hexagonal brick affair is represented, as is something completely at the other end of the spectrum in Eolian. That facility appeared to only be held together by cobwebs and memories.

'This was one of the first indoor potties,' Green said, directing my attention to what appeared to be a wooden cabinet and bench.

She pointed to the boxlike back.

'You had dirt back here,' she continued, then lifted the lid to point at a lever. 'When you used the potty, you pulled this handle and it covered it up with dirt until you could haul it outside. That way you didn't have to go out in the middle of the night if it was raining, cold, or whatever.'

Just when I thought there was nothing left to learn in the world.
Is it just me, or does everyone with any kind of tie to education have an opinion on standardized testing?

From students actually taking the test to parents watching them agonize while studying, and from teachers trying desperately to prepare their charges to policymakers setting the standards the tests must meet, everyone has a say.

Now it's my turn (sort of): There needs to be some minor changes to how Texas tests its more than 5.2 million public school students.

Like many people, I feel testing has its place. Even standardized testing. I don't side in favor of those who choose to opt out, where parents have their children sit in school during testing days but not participate.

When testing's done right, it provides educators a real measure how their students are performing each year. Skipping that cheats the entire system of valuable data.

I'm not the only one who feels this way. Education Commissioner Mike Morath expressed similar views while in Abilene on Thursday to take in Abilene ISD's convocation and to participate in a panel at an economic summit at the Civic Center.

'We do know it gives an accurate portrayal of the academic (ability) students have,' Morath said of the much-maligned STAAR. 'And we also know it's based around a set of standards, meaning the results you get from any school around the state are entirely consistent. That actually is a pretty meaningful piece of information.'

Morath used an example that makes quite a bit of sense to me, while also highlighting another aspect of testing that works for me.

He said a scenario has two separate English teachers asking their students to read a passage and provide proof of reading comprehension.

One, he said, asks students to read a passage and provide seven facts found in the text. The second, he said, asks the students to identify main ideas, provide three points of persuasion and describe overall themes of the passage.

'Which of the two of those seventh-grade writing assignments is going to push the cognitive capacity of a young person?' Morath asked. 'What the assessment framework allows us is the ability to calibrate the quality of education that occurs in all of our schools.'

But Morath also pointed out the culture of these tests seems to encourage stress and panic among more than just a handful of students. And here is where testing needs to back off the gas pedal a little, in my opinion.

In Texas, the STAAR come with high stakes, meaning the students taking them need to pass them to earn promotion to the next grade. For fifth- and eighth-grade students, this is true. And as such, this is where testing fails its purpose. It's time to get away from these standards-based exams determining who goes forward and who doesn't.

Growing up, granted it was in a different state with different ideals, I remember taking standardized tests. They served to let teachers know how I and my classmates compared to other students. But it was the teacher who decided, ultimately, whether I was ready for the next grade. It's time to give that power back to educators, who spend 170-plus days with these children.

Let them use the test data to inform a decision, but not to enforce it. It's time to trust our teachers again.

'What you get with these external assessments is a sense of calibration across the system,' Morath said concluding his STAAR comments Thursday. 'The question is whether that calibration is valuable. I think the evidence has shown that calibration has been a force in public education, but you can't let it become an all-consuming force.'

Twitter: @TimothyChippARN
Teacher Debbie Letz acknowledged having mixed feelings about a new Bonham Elementary School being built and the old one being reduced to a pile of rubble and twisted metal.

After all, Letz has taught music at Bonham for 29 years. Any feelings of regret, however, were fleeting.

'It's been wonderful,' Letz said as she set up her music room, which now has space to set up instruments in the front of the room without having to rearrange the seats.

The Abilene Independent School District is opening new Bonham and Johnston Elementary schools on the sites of the original buildings, while Lee Elementary has undergone a major renovation that changed the entryway to the school. The projects are part of the district's $87.7 million bond package passed by voters in 2013.

According to teachers at Bonham and Johnston, the final products are a resounding success.

'It's so good,' said Jennifer Mansker, a third-grade teacher at Johnston about the new facility. 'I think our moods are all better.'

Mansker said Johnston principal Roger Thomas had kept the faculty updated on the progress of the project and that teachers had input with the architect.

Nothing in the new building came as a surprise to Mansker, but she said she still was a little overwhelmed by how well it turned out.

'It's so cool,' she said, referring to the way classrooms in each grade are clustered around a library. Each grade level also has an outside 'classroom.'

Mansker's daughter Abbie will be a third-grader at Johnston this year  though not in her mother's class  but Mansker said Abbie's original response to the idea of getting a new school was not altogether positive.

'She cried,' Mansker said. 'But when she came in here for the first time a couple of weeks ago, she was excited. I hope all the kids are excited and they'll take pride in the school.'

Tiffany Loftin, a kindergarten teacher at Bonham, could sympathize with Abbie. Loftin attended Bonham for first through fifth grade. She said the new school is nothing but a positive experience.

Loftin said her students could monitor the progress of the new school during the past school year.

'I tried to keep it exciting,' she said. 'The kids would come out and see things being built. They would say, 'They put the windows in.''

This marks the second time Loftin has taught at a new school in the Abilene ISD. Previously, she was part of the original staff at Martinez Elementary, which was a brand-new school, not just a new building.

'I love the colors,' Loftin said of the new Bonham Elementary. 'Martinez had a lot of neutral colors. We're not afraid of color at Bonham.'

Indeed, bright red is a dominant color in the building, even in the library and classrooms. Loftin said she believes students will respond positively to the bright colors.

Even teachers who are new to the campuses were excited about the new buildings.

Kelly Roberts, a kindergarten teacher at Johnston, is new to the district, although she was a middle school teacher in Coppell 20 years ago before leaving to raise her children. She then taught in private schools before moving to Abilene in October. She said she served as a substitute teacher several times last year at Johnston.

'It's so exciting,' she said of the new facility. 'You get to be the first one to take it for a test-drive.'

Johnston now faces North 14th Street instead of North 12th, and Roberts acknowledged that she has caught herself trying to enter the school from what is now the rear of the campus.

'I've done that a few times,' she said. 'We're going to have to all be patient with each other for a while.'

Bonham also has shifted its entrance, which no longer faces South Eighth Street. In fact, the school now has a new address, 717 Buccaneer Drive. Additionally, the classrooms no longer open to the outside.

Construction at Bonham incorporated a wing that was built a few years ago, said Joe Humphrey, construction coordinator for the AISD.

Work at Lee is a little more involved because a big part of the school remains intact, Humphrey said.

'That's probably the least-understood construction,' Humphrey said. 'We added 15 new classrooms, a new administration office and a fitness room. Lee has never had its own gym.'

Lee students have used the Boys & Girls Club near the campus for a gym, he said, noting that all of the elementary schools now have internal gyms or a covered walkway to their gym.

The cost of the new elementary schools accounts for about $32.5 million of the total bond package, with the cost of Johnston coming in at about $15 million, Bonham at $10.5 million and Lee at $7 million.

Humphrey said the last major project, a new campus at Long Elementary, is scheduled to be completed in 2017, bringing all of the projects under completion in a period of about 42 months.

Incidentally, opening two new campuses and a major renovation is a year may be ambitious, but it isn't nearly as difficult as opening four new elementary schools and a new middle school as the district did in 1990, Humphrey said.

'This is like falling off a log,' he said.
A man labeled by peers as 'dean of American choral conductors' died Aug. 7 in Pennsylvania, and the reverberations were felt all the way to Abilene and beyond.

Robert Page, 89, died in Pittsburgh, and his life was chronicled in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Some people associated with Abilene Christian University know him equally well. Page was born and raised in Abilene and is an ACU graduate.

Ray McGlothlin, also 89, grew up with Page and they both sang in musical groups at Abilene High School, Highland Church of Christ, and ACU. McGlothlin recalled that Page was the eighth of 10 children in his family. 'They called him Page 8,' McGlothlin recalled, still finding humor in the nickname.

Even as a youngster, Page displayed extraordinary talent, McGlothlin said, and it wasn't a surprise to anyone that Page achieved the positions and honors that he did.

'He deserved every accolade that he could get,' McGlothlin said.

The Post-Gazette article, written by Elizabeth Bloom and Andrew Druckenbrod, noted some of Page's achievements. He was named conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra Choir in 1971. Four years later he won a Grammy Award with the choir for a recording of 'Carmina Burana.' After 18 years with the Cleveland choir, Page was named director of the Mendelssohn Choir in Pittsburgh, a post he held until 2005.

Much of Page's professional life was spent with the Mendelssohn Choir and on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. But he had a wide-ranging reputation, including working with the Philadelphia Orchestra when it was directed by Eugene Ormandy. His choruses appeared on more than 40 recordings, and he frequently was asked to premiere works by contemporary composers.

Page's love of choral music led him to co-found Chorus America in 1977, serving as president from 1990 to 1993. In 1998, Page was named Pennsylvania's artist of the year.

Darryl Tippens, university distinguished scholar at ACU, was provost of Pepperdine University, a Church of Christ university in California, for 13 years before returning to ACU in 2014. While at Pepperdine, he teamed with N. Lincoln Hanks, professor of fine arts, to host Ascending Voice II, a choral festival and symposium. Page was invited to direct the festival choir, which consisted of five collegiate choirs.

Hanks recalled in an email the impression that Page made on students and faculty.

'He was funny, endearing, yet very firm, making sure the students understood the seriousness of the art they were about to make,' Hanks wrote. 'He was a lovely man, and our time with him at Pepperdine was a blessing.'

Aurelio Porfiri, honorary master and organist for the Church of Santa Maria dell'Orto in Rome, also participated in the Ascending Voice festival. He wrote in an email that he remembered Page as a 'decent, humble, and good-hearted man.'

Page didn't need to boast of his achievements, 'because his career, his knowledge, and his charisma spoke for him,' Porfiri wrote.

In addition to his main jobs in Pennsylvania, Page also conducted major orchestras in Minnesota, Houston and Dallas and in Europe.

The article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted the current executive director of the Mendelssohn Choir, Mary Ann Lapinski, who noted Page's level of success and fame.

'Let's face it,' she said in the Post-Gazette article,'the man was a giant.'
Taking a break between high school and university  a gap year  has been trending in recent years. Prince William famously took a gap year to travel and volunteer for worthy causes. More recently, Malia Obama decided to postpone entering university for a year.

The gap year offers an opportunity to make a transition between two stages of a young life  taking a break from formal education and substituting the informal learning from travel and work in the so-called real world.

A few decades back, when it was not quite as common as it is today, I took my gap year. Actually, I took two. An honors student, I certainly was academically prepared to go straight to college. However, I felt I needed a break. Also, unlike many teenagers, I had no work experience. I was not sure what I wanted to do with this seemingly endless road of life, and thus took time off to work in a large corporation and do a bit of travel.

In many ways, it was a rational transition from classes to this environment. This corporate world required some of the same qualities as school, including persistence, punctuality, and math, reading, and social skills. I also spent most of the first half-year taking training and classes, aptitude tests, and learning from others.

As I look back now, I realize that I learned many valuable lessons from that experience.

First, I learned enough about myself to begin to sort out what I wanted to do. I realized I was not suited to a business career. I was good at the work I did, but I could not envision spending a lifetime of days in that environment. I wanted to use my mind and creativity more, and to make a difference in the world. I wanted to have control over what, where and how I did my life's work, not be so stifled by bureaucratic rules.

Second, it was during my gap years that I began to travel and to learn I could go anywhere. Of course, I had traveled with my family before this, but during my gap years I planned trips and traveled by myself or with a friend.

I planned a couple of trips to California, taking in the counter culture of San Francisco and the celebrity glow of LA. This was the start of my lifelong love of the Golden State.

A trip with co-workers to Las Vegas left me with an impression of how lives can take the wrong path. Being underage (and thus barred from casinos) and totally uninterested in the main activities the city is known for, I spent much of my time there observing people as well as attending concerts and shows. I found the city to be as sad as it was glamorous  a place where people found themselves stranded due to bad choices they had made.

From these trips, I realized that I wanted to travel more throughout the world. I also learned that travel itself was not enough; that being happy with what one was doing 52 weeks a year was central to a happy life.

I learned about hierarchies and, perhaps ironically, the importance of education. The people with higher-level positions, which usually required more education, were clearly treated with more deference. It was also easy to see that college afforded better opportunities in general for more interesting and autonomous work.

It was also in my gap years that I learned the reality of women's inequality in work and society. Even as a child, I had questioned the limitations placed on women. But as a worker myself, I learned about the daily reality of being treated differently as a woman. For example, although I had scored far higher on a computer aptitude/IT training program test than the young man who sat next to me in my department, he was called into the training class well before I was. Indeed, my gap years were over and I left for college before being called up for that program.

Perhaps most important, I learned that human potential must not be wasted; that each of us must strive to do the most with his time and talents; that it was up to each of us to take the initiative rather than wait for someone else to recognize one's strengths and talents. I could not wait around for someone to invite me into a certain life. I had to make that life myself.

Thus, by the end of my gap years, I had an appreciation of the university experience and what a difference it could make in my life. As my second summer of work drew to a close, I gave notice and entered college, eager to embrace the experience, do my best, and make up for lost time.

I pushed through my undergraduate degree in two years and nine months, my gap years behind me but informing my path ahead.

Email Rebecca S. Fahrlander at rfahrlander@unomaha.edu. She wrote this for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Doug Offermann, Abilene

There is nothing amusing about the lawsuit filed by the family returning from Qatar. The whole timing of the lawsuit is likely a coordinated attempt to play havoc with conservative views during an election year and for that reason should be dismissed as frivolous. You can judge by how quickly the suit will be paraded through the courts and mentioned in the news.

Tolerance is tolerance, but the accusation that harm was done is a false notion for a culture that is under assault and was and perhaps still is one of reasonable assimilation.

Editor's note: The family of Ahmed "Clock Boy" Mohamed has filed a lawsuit against his former school district in Texas, alleging his civil rights were violated, and they were forced to leave the United States for Qatar.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko "to do his part to avoid escalating tensions" with Russia over Crimea, the White House said.

Biden and Poroshenko in a phone call on August 12 discussed the recent tensions over the occupation of the peninsula by Russian forces, which the White House said was "in contravention of international law."

While Biden asked Poroshenko to show restraint, the White House said he had also asked the Russian side to do the same.

"Both leaders reiterated their strong support for political and diplomatic means to restore Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, in particular through full implementation of the Minsk agreements," which laid down a path toward peace between Ukraine, Russia, and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Biden and Poroshenko also discussed Ukraine's progress in fulfilling conditions laid down by the International Monetary Fund, which still has not resumed lending to the embattled nation.

They agreed Ukraine's anticorruption efforts would be important to secure further loans, the White House said.

With reporting by Reuters
American actor Robert De Niro has opened the Sarajevo film festival, which honored the star with a lifetime achievement award.

De Niro, 72, received the festival's Heart Of Sarajevo award on August 12 before 3,000 people at an open-air viewing of Taxi Driver, a 1976 film directed by Martin Scorsese in which he played a mentally disturbed cab driver.

Over 200 films will be screened in the 22nd year of the festival, which runs until August 20 in the Bosnian capital.

Created as an "act of resistance" during the 1992-95 siege of Sarajevo, the event regularly attracts big names. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Juliette Binoche, and Jeremy Irons are among those who attended.

The festival "was born during a dark and dangerous time to counter the butchering of war with a celebration of art and humanity," De Niro said.

British director Stephen Frears was also due to receive a Heart Of Sarajevo for his "extraordinary contribution" to the art of cinematography.

Eight feature films will meanwhile compete for the best film prize due to be awarded by a jury led by Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
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Russian energy giant Gazprom and its European partners have withdrawn their application for merger approval in Poland, but they insist that their Nord Stream 2 pipeline project remains alive.

Gazprom, Anglo-Dutch group Shell, Austrian OMV, and German Uniper and Wintershall plan to build a pipeline under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine to deliver natural gas directly to Germany from Russia.

Ukraine has strongly objected to the project, and Germany's participation in such a joint venture with Russia's controversial gas monopoly has also drawn criticism.

In July, Poland's antitrust authority said that it opposed a planned merger, as it could lead to unfair competition while unduly strengthening Gazprom, which already plays a "leading role" in gas delivery to Central Europe.

The Nord Stream partners said they withdrew their merger plans on August 12 in light of the regulator's objections.

"This decision does not affect implementation of the project, which continues as planned," they said in a statement.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS
The events in mid-July in Turkey, events Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called an attempted coup, have had implications on Turkey's relations with many countries. Erdogan blames Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in self-exile in the United States, for being the mastermind behind the alleged plot to overthrow his government.

After the Turkish government reestablished itself in power and started rounding up suspected participants and leaders, Ankara called on countries where Gulen-sponsored schools had opened to close down those schools. Among the countries the Turkish government called on to shut down these "Gulen schools" were Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Ankara's partners in the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States.

But the governments of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan did not comply.

To look at the reasons these two countries declined to acquiesce to Ankara's call, and review the difference of opinion among the Central Asian states as regards the Gulen schools, RFE/RL's communications office arranged a Majlis, a panel discussion.

Moderating the talk was RFE/RL Media Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir. From Bishkek, Emil Joroev, professor at the American University of Central Asia, joined the discussion. Alan DeYoung from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, who taught in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and has authored many works on education issues in Kyrgyzstan, also participated. And I naturally threw in a few comments from the studio in Prague.

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev rather quickly defused the problem with Turkey by making a visit to Ankara to meet with President Erdogan. Nazarbaev did not agree to close down the Gulen schools in Kazakhstan, but he did promise to carefully scrutinize those running the schools and those teaching in them. Joroev said Nazarbaev explained to Erdogan that Kazakhstan does "take the warnings of the Turkish government seriously and that if there is any confirmed reason for taking some serious actions against these schools that Kazakhstan stands ready to do that."

Ankara urged Kyrgyzstan to close the Gulen schools also, warning they were dangerous, but Bishkek flatly rejected doing so.

Joroev said that shouldn't have been a surprise. "These 20 or so schools related to Gulen are really some of the most high-performing, highly regarded schools in the country, which are currently educating many thousands of children," he said.

DeYoung pointed out the schools have filled an important need for many in Kyrgyzstan. "The Gulen schools came and actually created schools in places where there used to be schools that weren't doing so well anymore...they provided opportunities and they provided resources, they provided classrooms with electricity."

Both Joroev and DeYoung agreed the Gulen schools appear to be providing students with a quality education. Joroev also pointed out that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the majority Muslim Central Asian states became independent, there were many questions about what form of Islam was best suited to their countries.

"I think Kazakhstan and especially Kyrgyzstan did not have a settled policy of exactly what sort of Islam we are going to teach, and in that regard I think the Gulen version of Islam, which is open to science, [a] modernizing version of Islam, sounded like an acceptable option," Joroev said.

The Majlis participants noted that is not the view in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, or Turkmenistan.

Gulen's ideas of Islam are inspired by the life and work of Sufi scholar Said Nursi (Nurchi). Tashkent was the first to believe there was a danger in the works of Nursi. In August 1997, Uzbek President Islam Karimov recalled all students studying at Nursi schools in Turkey. Nursi teachings are banned in Uzbekistan and people have been sentenced to prison for being members of the group.

Tajikistan closed the last of its Gulen schools in 2015, though that could be explained as part of a wider campaign against Islamic groups in Tajikistan that are not totally subservient to the government.

Turkmenistan, where the group is also referred to as "Nurchilar," closed the sole Gulen-linked school operating in the country at the start of August.

"It's likely the moral teachings of the movement which alarmed officials in each of those republics," DeYoung said.

Joroev said that in Kyrgyzstan, when the Gulen schools started to appear in the 1990s "there were lots of rumors about how these schools tend to indoctrinate and brainwash the kids." He said in Kyrgyzstan's case, the performance of students in those schools and lack of evidence of ulterior motives had persuaded many in the country that the Gulen schools pose no threat.

Of course, there are still doubts. "That's possibly the most important question these days, exactly what is the ultimate objective of the movement that we associate with Gulen," Joroev said.

DeYoung said the Gulen schools were a topic of conversation when he had been in Central Asia previously. "I've talked to people about how school leaders or university rectors are trained and the answer has always been 'well, they're not trained, they're just volunteers who come along.'"

For some, lack of clarity on points such as the training of teachers fuels distrust of Gulen schools.

The panelists agreed the Gulen schools that still function in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan would be well advised to show complete transparency about their organization and curriculum to help allay concerns. But it's unclear how far the schools would be willing to go or how much the authorities in those two countries would need to know to be assured there is no ill-intent.

The Majlis discussed these issues in greater detail and looked at other aspects of Gulen schools and Central Asians' attitudes toward the organization.

You can listen to the Majlis in its entirety here:





NOTE: This was our first time doing the Majlis from Washington and Prague. There were some technical issues during the recording of the broadcast, which we expect to clear up soon. We apologize for those occasional moments when the audio broadcast breaks up
Egyptian-Canadian actor Omar Sharif Jr. says he is convinced he will return to his native Egypt one day, despite receiving a torrent of abuse and death threats since coming out as a homosexual in 2012.

But amid a crackdown on sexual minorities in Egypt, the actor says it won't be anytime soon.

"I don't know, once the plane landed, if I wouldn't be arrested for inciting debauchery. I don't necessarily want to test my luck just yet, but eventually I will. I will go home," he said in an interview with RFE/RL.

Homosexuality is not technically illegal in Egypt, but has long been suppressed using debauchery, prostitution, or pornography charges.

Sharif Jr., grandson and namesake of the Hollywood screen legend who starred in films such as Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, is himself an accomplished actor who has been living in self-imposed exile since outing himself as both gay and half-Jewish in 2012.

He said the abuse for being gay has been far greater than that for having a Jewish mother, and that it took him by surprise.

"I thought it would be less newsworthy. We had such problems in Egypt: an economic crisis, a security crisis.... But when there are such big issues, sometimes people are looking for a distraction," said Sharif Jr., 32.

This was during the time of Egypt's Islamist President Muhammad Morsi.

Morsi was ousted by then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013, but human rights groups have reported an increase in arrests and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people since then.

"Silence feels like the safest option," for many LGBT in Egypt, said Sharif Jr., adding that six months ago a number of his friends were arrested at a house party in Cairo.

"These were all from fairly educated families, some with ties to government. That did not stop them getting arrested," he noted.

They were later released, but Sharif Jr. said many people wanted to leave -- and turn to him for advice he is unable to provide.

"I feel helpless," he said. "I don't know how to help."

Nevertheless, Sharif Jr. said that change in Egypt and the wider Arab world was "inevitable."

He cited the response to an appearance he made on an Arabic satellite TV chat show for young people, which he said was "50-50, maybe even a little bit better" as proof that attitudes are changing.

"Millions tuned in live, and millions more afterwards. It was syndicated to many different news outlets," he said.

Sharif Jr. praised efforts by the United States to promote LGBT rights worldwide, in particular a decision by Hilary Clinton when she was secretary of state to task U.S. embassies with filing reports on the issue.

"If nothing else, it told countries that someone was watching, someone was listening. That might not be our voice, but if it can be our eyes and ears elevate the level of dialogue within the country around these issues, that's a great step," he said.

Sharif Jr. has been increasingly active in LGBT advocacy in recent years, and spoke to RFE/RL while in Prague for a gay-pride rally.

He said the Czech Republic could set an example to "less tolerant" societies in Eastern Europe and Russia, insisting that homophobia was a global issue.

"I moved to the U.S., which is my safe haven, and to know that there have been 15 transgender murders in America this year, to know that there was a stabbing on the New York City subway just two days ago in an apparent hate crime, it shows that homophobia is not an Arab or Islamic issue."
Pakistan says that all six crew members of a Pakistani government helicopter taken hostage after it crash-landed in Afghanistan's volatile east have returned to Islamabad following their release by the Taliban.

A senior Pakistani official told AFP that the six crew members -- five Pakistanis and a Russian navigator -- were "safe and in good health" a day after they were reported handed over by the militia.

Russia's presidential envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said the Russian navigator, Sergei Sevastyanov, will be sent home in the next few days.

News agencies had originally reported the number of the helicopter's crew members as seven people.

The helicopter made an emergency landing on August 4 in Afghanistan's Logar Province while on its way to Russia via Uzbekistan for maintenance. Militants then set the Mi-17 transport helicopter on fire and took the crew to a Taliban-controlled area.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP
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."
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U.S. electricity consumers could end up paying more than $2.5 billion for nuclear plants that never get built.

Utilities including Richmond-based Dominion Resources Inc., Duke Energy Corp. and NextEra Energy Inc. are being allowed by regulators to charge $1.7 billion for reactors that exist only on paper, according to company disclosures and regulatory filings.

Dominion and Duke could seek approval to have ratepayers pony up at least an additional $839 million, the filings show.

The practice comes as power-plant operators are increasingly turning to cheaper natural gas and carbon-free renewables as their fuels of choice.

The growth of these alternatives is sparking a backlash from consumers and environmentalists who are challenging the need for more nuclear power in arguments that have spilled into courtrooms, regulatory proceedings and legislative agendas.

Anything that hasnt gotten off the ground yet isnt getting built, said Greg Gordon, a utility analyst at Evercore ISI, a New York-based investment advisory firm. There is no economic rationale for it.

Only two of 18 nuclear projects proposed since 2007 are under construction. Those units, being built by Southern Co. in Georgia and Scana Corp. in South Carolina, are billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule.

In the meantime, the price of natural gas has dropped 38 percent since 2010. Its now used to generate more than a third of the nations power, up from 24 percent six years ago.

Utilities that are moving forward with their nuclear plans say they want to preserve the option to build if market or regulatory conditions change. Nuclear power offers around-the-clock, carbon-free electricity that becomes more valuable if federal rules limiting greenhouse gases take hold, the utilities say.

One way to mitigate these risks is to spend money now, so that you have a license to build a nuclear plant if and when you need to, said Richard Myers, vice president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry trade group.

Critics of policies that allow utilities to bill for planned reactors say theyre likely unneeded, and the practice shifts upfront financial risks from shareholders to customers.

The rich get richer and the ratepayers get poorer, said Mark Cooper, a research fellow at Vermont Law School who submitted testimony in July opposing Dominions planned reactor in Virginia on behalf of the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council.

***

Money collected from ratepayers so far has gone for items including federal licensing, permitting, land purchases, financing and equipment. Nuclear developers have sunk at least $1.2 billion of their own cash into proposals where they arent allowed or wont ask to recover expenses from consumers, the disclosures and filings show.

At least seven states, including Florida, allow utilities to collect nuclear licensing and planning costs from customers before construction begins.

In Virginia and Florida, utilities are seeing increased scrutiny of their plans. The Virginia attorney general has raised concerns about the rising expense of Dominions proposed new reactor at its North Anna facility, estimating the total cost at $19 billion.

If Dominion proceeds on this ruinous path, it will extract $6 billion to $12 billion in needlessly higher energy bills, said Irene Leech, president of the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council.

***

In May, Dominion faced a shareholder resolution that would have required the company to analyze the financial risks of not getting regulatory approval for the new reactor. The proposal didnt pass.

Dominion intends to spend $647 million to get a federal nuclear license next year and $302 million of that has already been collected from ratepayers.

Weve done a lot of work for licensing North Anna 3, which is prudent and valuable to our customers to maintain a diverse, carbon-free baseload source of electricity, said Richard Zuercher, a Dominion spokesman.

In Florida, multiple efforts in the state legislature to repeal a law that allows advanced collection of nuclear costs have failed.

I just never thought nuclear power plants made sense, said Florida State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, a Democrat, who has proposed bills to overturn the advance fee collection law.
The first visible signs of progress that will end with a new Dominion Resources Inc. tower downtown were loads of sand dumped onto Seventh Street on Friday evening.

Sand shielded the asphalt from the 98-ton excavator, a sort of crane with shears on the tip of its arm, made for chomping through the parking deck at Seventh and East Cary streets.

By the start of 2019, Dominion will have a new 20-story tower overlooking the James River right next to its One James River Plaza.

But before that can be built, the parking deck and office spaces at the Richmond Plaza at 111 S. Sixth St. must come down. A demolition crew planned to work through Friday night and into today, then part of Sunday, to make room for the next stage of what will be a four-month process.

Were going to work the entire evening to get the equipment inside of the footprint of the building, said Todd Donaldson, executive vice president with Hourigan Construction, the company overseeing the project.

Seventh Street and one lane of East Cary Street will remain closed today and most of Sunday on the block of the demolition. More closures may be necessary in coming weeks so that large trucks can come in and haul away debris.

Once the demolition equipment does not need to be in the street, a wrecking ball will join the lineup to knock down the rest of the building and parking deck, which Dominion bought five years ago for $5.5 million.

The new tower will start with a hole 65 feet deep to bury four levels of a parking deck, Donaldson said. The first floor of the deck will include retail space, topped by another level of parking. And the top of the deck will be landscaped with greenery and a walking trail.

The tower will face the river and stand 413 feet tall, making it the second-tallest building downtown.

Dominion originally planned to use the Richmond Plaza site as a parking deck to relieve a shortage of spaces for the 1,060 employees at One James River Plaza. But with the office tower approaching 40 years old, plans shifted to make something more of the new property than just parking.

Once the new tower is finished, Dominion will decide whether to gut and renovate the 40-year-old One James River Plaza or to tear it down and build another new tower.

The potential second tower would be 16 stories tall with an auditorium and 850,000 square feet of space.
Hopewell police have identified the city's first homicide victim of 2016 as Edward Shawne Rogers Jr., 26, of the 1100 block of Delaware Avenue.

At 6:03 a.m. on Friday, police responded to a report of a male lying in a field near the intersection of Elm Street and Westover Avenue. Officers found Rogers, who had been fatally shot.

The Hopewell police are continuing to investigate the homicide and are asking anyone with information to contact detective Mark Polumbo at (804) 541-2284 or call Hopewell/Prince George Crime Solvers at 541-2202. Residents can also text in an anonymous tip by adding 274637 to your contacts list and text "igotcha" along with their message.
During the next few months we will hear a lot of discussion about faith and values during the presidential campaign and I hope we will all pause and reflect upon exactly what we mean. How many of us can articulate our own faith and values in concrete terms? What do we look for?

I usually begin with the famous Biblical quotation from Matthew: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

What are these fruits? St. Paul says in Galatians: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance St. James says it this way: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

To be a good tree, we should nurture these fruits in our own lives and within our communities. But this doesnt mean that we should all think alike, have the same outlook, interests or personality. After all, there are many different fruits in the world of nature. We are not called the United States because we are all the same. During my military career I lived in Delaware, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, Alaska, California and Nebraska. I grew up in Maine and went to college in New York and Pennsylvania. I came to appreciate our differences. We would not be a strong or a great country without those differences being embraced and accepted.

Our democratic process was designed to achieve unity of purpose despite our differences but not complete agreement -- that is uniformity, not unity. A 60 percent majority in an election is called a landslide! A two-thirds majority is very rare in our legislatures. The American political process has a long history of bringing forth good fruits, and as a result we have remained united and achieved prosperity undreamed of by our ancestors. This tree is beginning to produce the bitter fruit of disunity, distrust, and even demonization however.

According to Matthew, corrupting influences are responsible. If there is any problem in our political system, we must admit it begins with us. Bahais see three evils corroding the pillars of our society. America is immersed in a sea of materialism, a prey to one of the most virulent and long-standing forms of racial prejudice, and notorious for its political corruption. Let me briefly elaborate.

A Psychology Today blog by Prof. Howell in March 2014 noted: The belief that material possessions improve individuals personal and social well-being permeates America. However, contrary to this belief, multiple studies show that materialists, compared to nonmaterialists, have lower social and personal well-being. In the view of the U.S. Human Rights Network, a network of scores of U.S. civil rights and human rights organizations, Discrimination permeates all aspects of life in the United States, and extends to all communities of color. Political corruption is well documented in campaign finance, lobbying, and voter suppression activities. According to a CBS news poll in May 2015, 85 percent of Americans say we need to either completely rebuild or make fundamental changes to the campaign finance system.

Our teachings say: The only division that is real is this: There are heavenly men and earthly men; self-sacrificing servants of humanity in the love of the Most High, bringing harmony and unity, teaching peace and goodwill to men. On the other hand there are those selfish men, haters of their brethren, in whose hearts prejudice has replaced loving kindness, and whose influence breeds discord and strife. When asked to vote, we would do well to choose the heavenly over the earthly based on the fruits we can observe in their actions and words. As an example of how the election process can be a source of unity, I offer this.

The Bahai Faith has no clergy and is administered by elected representatives at the local level, such as the city of Helena, regional level, national level in over 180 countries, and international level at the Bahai World Center in Haifa, Israel. All elections are carried out in an atmosphere of prayer and reflection. There is no nomination process and all members of the community are eligible to elect or be elected.

Voters are instructed to consider without the least trace of passion and prejudice, and irrespective of any material consideration, the names of only those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.

There are many details, but the overall process is straight forward and aims toward universal participation. We consider it a sacred duty and an honor to participate. This model is established throughout the world. We believe it is capable of producing institutions freed from partisan politics, special interests, and corrupt influences. These institutions will be able to dispense real justice, free humanity from oppression, and release the potential of mankind. The end result will be the Kingdom of God on earth.

There is a short video on YouTube entitled Bahai Election Process by BahaiNationalCenter that features video of the election process in action. We welcome you to investigate for yourself.

Clifford Stevens is a retired Air Force meteorologist and solar observatory operator. He is also retired from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality where he specialized in air quality and database management. He recently moved to Helena with his wife. He is chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Helena.
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FREDERICKSBURG  Six people died in a fiery plane crash at Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County on Friday afternoon.

At about 12:30 p.m., the plane attempted to land, but aborted that attempt and tried to ascend again before banking to the left and crashing in a tree line near the CSX train tracks, where it immediately caught fire, according to the Virginia State Police.

Six bodies were recovered from the burnt wreckage of the plane, according to State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller. The remains will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for positive identification. Authorities said they will not identify the victims until all next of kin are notified. All six are from out of state.

Local, state and federal authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

Following the crash, smoke and emergency vehicles were visible from the runway. Passengers on nearby trains posted photos of the fire on social media.

Shari Acree, 35, a passenger on the Amtrak Carolinian from Washington, D.C., to Raleigh, N.C., on Friday afternoon, saw the wreckage.

First, I saw white smoke, then the crash itself. The plane was completely decimated and there was still some flame coming from it, said Acree, a Maryland resident whose train had just left the Fredericksburg station when it began slowing down and then stopped.

The train stopped for about 20 minutes, she said.

As of Friday evening, police were still trying to determine where the plane was coming from and its destination. Police were unable to confirm the exact number of passengers in the twin engine plane.

Fridays crash happened exactly three years after the last crash at the airport.

On Aug. 12, 2013, a 33-year-old pilot made an emergency landing near Shannon Airport. Jerome Matthew Orlando was not injured in the incident.

In July 2013, Edwin G Hassel, 22, died in a crash at Shannon Airport. An investigation concluded that Hassel intentionally crashed the Cessna 172M he had rented.

In September 2012, a father and son died in a plane crash near Shannon Airport. Stafford County residents John Morton Jr., 48, and his 13-year-old son, Kyle, died in the crash.
Virginia State Police have identified the six victims of Friday's fatal plane crash in Spotsylvania County.

The victims have been identified as:

Pilot:

 William C. Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Ind.

Passengers:

 Robert D. Ross, 73, of Louisville, Ky. (owner of the plane)

 Lisa K. Borinstein, 52, of Shelbyville, Ind.

 Luke J. Borinstein, 19, of Shelbyville, Ind.

 Emma R. Borinstein, 15, of Shelbyville, Ind.

 Maren Timmermann, 15, of Berlin, Germany

In a news release, Virginia State Police Spokeswoman Corrine Geller said a 1969 Beech 95-B55 twin-engine, fixed-wing aircraft was trying to land at Shannon Airport near Fredericksburg. The plane touched down midway down the runway and then executed a 'go-around.' While attempting to turn and climb, the aircraft appeared to stall, crash in trees on the airport property and immediately caught on fire.

Geller said the plane left Louisville, Ky., on Friday morning, stopped in Shelbyville, Ind., and then headed to Fredericksburg.

State Police were assisted at the crash site by the Spotsylvania County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management; Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department; Chancellor Volunteer Fire Department; National Park Service; and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the state police, National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

(This is a breaking news update. An earlier story appears below.)

Six people were killed when a plane crashed and caught fire as it was trying to land at an airport outside Fredericksburg on Friday.

The crash of the small, private aircraft near Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m., according to Virginia State Police.

A total of six bodies have now been recovered from the burnt wreckage of the plane, state police spokeswoman Corinne N. Geller wrote in a statement late Friday. She added that all the victims are from outside Virginia.

Police still were working to determine where the flight originated.

The aircraft was attempting to land when it pulled back up after reaching the end of the runway, state police said. The plane went past railroad tracks at the end of the airports property, then banked left and struck a tree line. The plane immediately caught fire when it crashed into the trees.

The victims remains will be taken to the medical examiners office in Richmond for identification. Geller expected that their identities would be released today.

The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, National Park Service and local fire agencies are helping with the investigation, Geller said.

Shortly after the crash, smoke was visible and emergency vehicles were on the train tracks at the end of the runway. Passengers on nearby trains posted photos of the fire on social media.

Shari Acree, 35, was a passenger on the Amtrak Carolinian from Washington to Raleigh, N.C., on Friday afternoon. Her train had just left the Fredericksburg station when it began slowing down and then stopped. She said she could see the end of the airport runway with lots of emergency response vehicles.

It was obvious something had gone wrong with a plane at the airport, she wrote in an email. The train stopped for about 20 minutes, she said. When the train started moving again, Acree could see the crash site.

First, I saw white smoke, then the crash itself. The plane was completely decimated and there was still some flame coming from it, said Acree, a Maryland resident.

Exactly three years ago, on Aug. 12, 2013, a 33-year-old pilot had an emergency landing near Shannon Airport. Jerome Matthew Orlando was not injured in the incident.

In July 2013, Edwin G. Hassel, 22, died in a crash at Shannon. An investigation concluded that Hassel intentionally crashed the Cessna 172M he had rented.

In September 2012, a father and son died in a plane crash near the airport. Stafford County residents John Morton Jr., 48, and his 13-year-old son, Kyle, died in the crash.

The airport has an average of 85 flights per day, mostly local general aviation. Ninety-one aircraft are based there, most of them single-engine.
Letters 10-28-22 Thanks, Stacey Dear Editor: I would like to recognize Stacey Amato for the tireless work she has done in our community. She responded to every call I have ever made to her office with results....

Letters 10-21-22 Keep Up The Fight For QueensLink Dear Editor: Thanks for your coverage of the Rally for Rails held on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk on Sunday, Oct. 9. It was gratifying to see all the elected...
Aug. 11

At 2:36 p.m., an officer responded to a reported theft from a motor vehicle in the 1700 block of Harrison that occurred approximately 2 weeks earlier.

At 4:53 p.m., an officer investigated a reported fraud in the 1500 block of Cole Avene.

At 6:25 p.m., officers made contact in the 1800 block of Last Chance Gulch with a 24-year-old male from Helena. He was arrested for two outstanding warrants.

At 6:37 p.m., officers responded to the 1500 block of Cannon to conduct a welfare check on a female who it was reported may have been assaulted. At the conclusion of the investigation, a 29-year-old male from Helena was arrested for aggravated assault; partner family member assault, 2nd offense; and sexual intercourse without consent.

At 6:37 p.m., officers investigated a reported domestic disturbance in 3200 block of Highway 12 East. At the conclusion of the investigation, a 32-year-old male from Helena was arrested for partner family member assault, 1st offense.

At 11:19 p.m., an officer investigated criminal mischief to playground equipment in the 1200 block of Last Chance Gulch.

Aug. 12

At 1:43 a.m., officers responded to conduct a welfare check on a female at Breckenridge and Gem. At the conclusion of the incident, a 22-year-old Helena resident was arrested for assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstructing a police officer.
Beachwear manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create the risk of disturbances to public order, says the official document. The ban could also include saris worn by Indian women because the long cloth could make it difficult for rescuers in case of an emergency. France is home to about 5 million Muslims and the country banned burqas and niqabs, full veils for the face, in 2010. We live in a common public space, there are rules to follow, Mayor David Lisnard said now. The mayor of the nearby town of Villeneuve-Loubet, also in the Alpes-Maritimes area, has also introduced a burkini ban. The ban is considered a violation of the most elementary principles of law by the Human Rights League and the Collective Action Against Islamophobia in France, which are expected to initiate a legal action against.
Canadian stocks pulled back Friday, ending another positive week on a somewhat downbeat note.

Modest gains among energy stocks could not offset significant weakness among miners and care stocks.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index dropped 48.61 points, or 0.33 percent, to 14,747.45, moving away from recent yearly highs.

Sept. WTI oil settled at $44.49/bbl on Nymex, up $1, or 2.3%. WTI oil futures gained 6.4% for the week.

Drug maker Valeant (VRX.TO) was able to steady after big losses yesterday were brought on by news that US authorities are investigating an allegations of impropriaty as a criminal matter.

Amaya (AYA.TO AYA.O) says discussions with some suitors about a possible takeover offer have progressed.

The online gambling company beat analysts' second-quarter profit and revenue expectations. Still, shares were down 1.4 percent.

Grocery chain (MRU.TO) says its net profit was up eight percent from last year to $176.5 million or 72 cents per share. The stock dropped 4.1 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
A deep water recovery specialist has located the body of the Clancy man who sank while trying to stunt ride a motorcycle across the surface of Canyon Ferry Reservoir last month.

Gene Ralston of Idaho found the body of 19-year-old Blake Becker and his modified motorcycle Friday at the bottom of the reservoir near Cemetery Island, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said.

Earlier today, he found a target on his sonar, sent down a robotic camera and it is Blakes bike and him, Dutton said.

Local officials suspected the mans body was in the area, Dutton said, but this part of the reservoir was extremely difficult for them to search.

A recovery crew plans to retrieve the body Saturday.

Its bittersweet. Its very rewarding to be able to help the family, but sad that they have to relive his death, Dutton said.

Local officials began searching for Becker shortly after he disappeared into the lake July 23. Ralston was brought in after local crews were unable to find him.

Becker had completed the stunt at least once previously.

My safety message is, no matter your age, think about safety, and sometimes a day of hesitation may help you live a long and healthy life, Dutton said.
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Divers from the Flathead County Sheriffs Office successfully recovered the body of 19-year-old Blake Becker of Clancy and his motorcycle from Canyon Ferry Reservoir Saturday.

The divers were called in because of their experience working in depths of more than 120 feet, said Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton, adding that the crew did an efficient and excellent job in visibilities of about eight inches. Becker and his motorcycle were located after nearly three weeks of searching approximately half a mile east of Cemetery Island and in 124 feet of water.

The location was farther east than witnesses had reported and where crews were searching, Dutton said.

Deep water search specialist Gene Ralston of Idaho successfully located Becker on Friday. Crews returned Saturday morning for the recovery.

The recovery team initially attempted to use a remote-operated vehicle with a robotic arm to secure the bike  an effort that proved futile because of the poor visibility, Dutton said. The divers were then dispatched, and they raised Becker's body and the motorcycle to using float bags.

Becker was carrying a buoy with paracord attached to the bike. In the event of an engine malfunction, he planned to allow the bike to sink and then return with a boat to recover it.

During an apparent mishap as he attempted to cross Canyon Ferry the night of July 23, it appears Becker became tangled in the paracord as his bike sank. His body was still tangled in the cord when discovered by the recovery team, Dutton said.

Becker was wearing a GoPro camera, and authorities plan to review the footage in an attempt to determine what happened, he said. An autopsy will be performed Monday following standard procedure, Dutton added.

Friends of Becker launched a Gofundme website to help raise money for the search. Dutton said he would meet with the family to discuss pay for Ralston, and the county would pick up any leftover expenses.

Kims Marina donated dock space and a campsite for Ralston, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks also assisted in the efforts, Dutton said.

Blake is back with his mom and dad and sister, and this also brings an end to it for all the rescuers, he said. It wasnt a live rescue, but we are glad we were able to bring him back to his family.
HAMILTON  Fifteen years ago the volunteer manager of the Stevensville Airport drew up a set of plans for changes he believed were needed to make the facility safer.

The men and women who fly in and out of Stevensville took a look and agreed that Don Mezvics plan made sense.

With that in hand, they began to set aside whatever funding they could from user and business fees and other sources of revenue.

Those funds they squirreled away were finally enough this year to become the match needed to acquire a large grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to do some of the upgrades that Mezvic considered and more.

Starting on Aug. 1, the construction company Knife River began tearing apart the old runway and moving the dirt that will be needed to widen the main runway by 15 feet and build a new parallel taxiway that potentially could saves lives someday.

Stevensville Airport Manager Craig Thomas has been flying his airplane out of the Stevensville Airport since the late 1970s.

In the early days, Thomas remembers an airport in disrepair, including a runway in very poor condition.

Back then, the few people who used the airport as their main base banded together and began to charge themselves fees to pay for needed upgrades.

The money they set aside paid the match for a federal grant totaling $1,999,142.

All of the local funding came from people who use the airport, Thomas said.

None of this money came from some little old lady living in a trailer eating cat food so she can pay her taxes to pay for our toys, Thomas said. It all came from those people who use the airport.

On Friday morning, Thomas was at the airport to take a look at the progress of the construction project.

Weve been blessed here to get Knife River to do the work, Thomas said. The jobs superintendent is Cory Callison. I told his boss that Ive been on 40 jobs over the last six years and that this guy should be on a video on how to run a safety meeting. Hes just excellent.

The crew from Billings is ahead of schedule.

Its really coming together well, said Stevensville Mayor Jim Crews. All the milling is done. The old runway is gone. And they are getting quite a big of grading work completed too.

Since the airport is closed during construction, Crews said there will be a lot of appreciative people if the construction company is able to get the job done early.

Thomas said the construction company and the projects engineer has worked with the board to find ways to save money on the project.

The engineer and contractor have exercised a couple of options that has saved us some money, Thomas said. Theyve both come up with suggestions on ways to make the project more economical.

The project calls for replacing the 26-year-old, 60-foot-wide main runway with one thats 75 feet wide.

The runways life expectancy was 20 years, Thomas said. It is six years past that.

In order to make the airport that operates without a control tower safer, a short ramp that allowed pilots to enter the main runway at its midway point was removed.

Before the change, Thomas said it was possible that a pilot could have rolled onto the main runway as another aircraft was landing or taking off.

Its a safety issue, he said.

A parallel taxiway is being constructed next to the main runway. As a result, pilots will enter the runway from one end or the other. That should alleviate danger of a collision.

The projects engineer is Tyler Reed of Morrison-Maierle.

Safety was a driver in nearly all of the upgrades occurring at the airport, including widening the runway by 15 feet, Reed said. The new runway isnt designed to allow larger aircraft to land in Stevensville.

Were really just catching up on what the government requires for the aircraft that already use the airport, Reed said. The parallel taxiway will reduce the amount of time that aircraft are on the active runway.

The upgrades to the airport include new lighting that can be turned on by a pilot keying a microphone, as well as a system that will help pilots landing at night determine if they're coming at the right angle. A weather observation system is also being installed that will offer pilots and anyone else with an Internet connection current weather updates from the airport.

The project must be completed by November.

According to a 2008 Montana Department of Transportation study, the airport back then was home to nine aviation-related tenants that supported over 30 employees with a payroll of about $867,000.

Today, Thomas said he believes 52 airplanes are housed at the airport.

Weve seen gradual steady growth at the airport, Thomas said. We expect that trend will continue.
Here in Auckland where you come once in a while to unwind, dare the muse to smash open the box of dreams and pretend all is well, almost every night now Ive been dreaming of the Berlin Wall.

In the dream, Im driving along Apias Beach Road heading westward, past the Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Office Complex as its lording with such inimitable invincibility over the western end of Apias now infamous Beach Road, and right there running inland is a formidable-looking concrete barricade that intrinsically reminds of the Berlin Wall.

Believe it or not, it all began sometime ago when Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi announced he was evicting the residents of Sogi just next door to the Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Building, and relocate them to a place out there in the bush called Falelauniu.

Incidentally, Falelauniu is the word for a simple hut which roof is draped with coconut fronds to protect its occupants from the rain and sun, and now the question that Im sure youre aching to ask, is: What has a lousy hut got to do with this tyke dreaming about the Berlin Wall?

Let me tell you.

It keeps reminding him that the Concrete Wall that is now standing between the Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Monument and the village of Sogi, looks almost exactly the same as the Berlin Wall that once stood between the German Sector in West Berlin, and the Russian Sector in East Berlin.

But then the Berlin Wall had been torn down, so how did he know what it looked like?

Because he was there, and now that this standoff between Tuilaepa and the Sogi residents has come along, hes aware that this is one memory-arousing story that will just not go away.

Back in the early eighties, the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Samoa, the late William Keil, invited the writer to visit West Germany; it was during that trip that he went on a guided tour of the Berlin Wall.

At the time, as an aftermath of the Second World War, Germany was split into four zones that were now being occupyed separately by forces belonging to the Americans, British, French and Russian.

As for the City of Berlin, which lay deep within the Russian sector, it too was divided except it was into two parts, with a wall running through it so that West Berlin was in the German sector, and East Berlin was in the Russian sector.

The story is that at first, Berliners were permitted to move freely between sectors but by 1960, around a thousand East Berliners a day were voting with their feet, by moving to the West.

That was when a far more serious confrontation took place.

On 13 August 1961, the East German government surrounded the western sectors of Berlin with barbed wire, cutting them off from the outside world.

And then the notorious reinforced concrete wall came.

It was installed across the East Berlin City center so that any movement across the border was impossible.

Reveals Wikipedia: This Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart, as it was called in the East, was not of course intended to keep fascists out, but to keep the good citizens of the workers state in.

And then when Ronald Reagan became the President of the United States of America, he made an emphatic move; he called for the Berlin Wall to be torn down.

He made that clear during a visit to West Berlin in 1982 where, in his tear down this wall address, he said: Id like to ask the Soviet leaders one question. Why is the wall there?

Four years later, 25 years after the wall had been constructed, and in response to the West German newspaper, Bild-Zeitung, asking when he thought the wall could be torn down, Reagan said: I call upon those responsible to dismantle it today.

On the day before Reagans 1987 visit, 50,000 people had demonstrated against the presence of the American president in Berlin. During the visit itself, wide swaths of Berlin were shut off hermetically from the event to suppress further anti-Reagan protests, Wikipedia says.

President and Mrs. Reagan were taken to the Reichstag, where they viewed the wall from a balcony, and when Reagan delivered his speech at the Brandenburg Gate, it was in front of two panes of bulletproof glass.

Among the spectators were West German president Richard von Weizsacker, Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and West Berlin mayor, Eberhard Diepgen.

Reagan, addressing his audience, said:

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace.

There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.

Reagan also called for an end to the arms race with his reference to the Soviets SS-20 nuclear weapons, and for the possibility not merely of limiting the growth of arms, but of eliminating, for the first time, an entire class of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth.

And then addressing General Secretary Gorbachev directly, he asked:

If you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.

Reagan then said: Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Later on in his speech, President Reagan told his audience: As I looked out a moment ago from the Reichstag, that embodiment of German unity, I noticed words crudely spray-painted upon the wall, perhaps by a young Berliner.

(They say) This wall will fall. Beliefs become reality.

Reagan also said: Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth.

This wall cannot withstand freedom.

Anyway, that was in Germany some 29 years ago.

In the end, and in response to President Reagans request, the Berlin Wall fell; it was torn down.

And since it was man-made, it could not withstand faith or the truth; indeed, it could not withstand freedom.

What about the standoff between the residents of that tiny village at Mulinuu called Sogi, and Prime Minster Tuilaepa, who is also the leader of what is considered the most powerful political party in the Commonwealth of Nations today, the Human Rights Protection Party?

What happens when a people are evicted from the land of their birth so that their freedom to choose, which is also their basic human right, is taken forcibly away from them by their government?

How can they maintain their faith in the truth, and be reassured that their freedom is always there to guide and be depended on?

Today, the wall  or standoff if you will - on the western end of Apias Beach Road, with Prime Minister Tuilaepa on one side, and the residents of Sogi on the other side, is synonymous with the Berlin War that President Reagan had ordered 29 years to be torn down.

And so, as were standing here listening, Reagan is saying out loud for the entire world to hear: I call upon those responsible to dismantle it today.

He is also saying: Prime Minister Tuilaepa sailele Malielegaoi, let the people of Sogi live on the land on which they were born. Be a man. Be a leader. Tear this wall and this silly standoff down!

Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless.
Dear Editor,

Its interesting to read the discussion on here about the challenges in Samoa.

If I might add, Samoas situation, in comparison to these world players, is curable and still manageable.

Curable in that most of Samoas problems causing suffering are man-made, and can be healed with proper local treatment. Manageable in the sense we dont have much compared. We are a small country with a common language and racial identity.

Our size, population, location, our resources, and an intense common ideology as Samoans, begs the question of why, aisea lava ua faapenei ai le le faamaoni, le le alofa o le Samoa i le Samoa?

In other words, with political will, courage and love of country, our leaders can easily kick out Satan and say to China, A.D.B, and who everthanks but no thanks.

Samoa can govern its own affairs, live within its means and still be a willing contributing member of the world community. That is what independence is about.

Money is only a means to an end. Samoa has all we need. Plenty to eat; drink and be merry. No need for our leaders to fia big shots on the world stage when the home front is a mess, makuai gugulu le koakele o le akuguu.

A.S. Pau
Fathers Day is an opportunity to remind the men of Samoa  fathers especially  that Jesus Christ is the truth, the life and the answer to all our problems.

That was the message from Faatoia Methodist youth concert on Friday to celebrate Fathers Day.

Held at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, families, friends and special guests enjoyed an evening of dancing, singing and meaningful biblical messages.

The President of the Churchs Youth Group, Leiataua Eteuati Eteuati, said the evening was to honour the fathers and their contribution to society.

It was also an opportunity to reach out to families who might be struggling with many social ills in the community today.

Personally, Leiataua believes one of the contributing factors to todays problems is that children have too much freedom.

In Samoa, there are no rights of a child, they should listen and do what they are told to do and not to answer back, said Leiataua.

Our culture and Christian beliefs tell us that children should respect their parents no matter what. From what we are seeing today, that bond is fading, and we are trying to revive that.

Leiataua referenced Biblical proverb, Aoao le tama e tusa ma ona ala, aua a matua e le toe tea ese ai lava.

Leiataua acknowledged everyone who made Friday night possible.

I want to extend a special thanks to Sua and Pauga Associates, Samoa Stationery and Books, Toa Gas, Youth for Christ, Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Charity Asora, S.B.E.C., Bank South Pacific as well as families and friends.

Lastly, happy Fathers day to all the fathers of Samoa.
Fathers day today is unlikely to be a very happy one for a family at Tauese.

Thats because they are trying to come to terms with the loss of everything they had when a fire ripped through their home yesterday afternoon, destroying all their belongings.

It was not possible to get an official comment from the Fire and Emergency Services Authority.

But Pio Moli, who was inside the house with his mother told the Sunday Samoan that the fire started from the back of their house.

I was watching television at the time while my 50 year old mother was sleeping, he said.

All I remember is that I heard some loud bangs from the back of the house in one of the bathrooms but I didnt pay attention to those noises.

Then all of a sudden, I looked at the back and saw the fire spreading from the roof and thats when I ran and woke up my mother who was asleep.

Mr. Moli said they were not able to save much. The fire was spreading so quickly, I think weve lost everything.

Mr. Moli added that their house is not far from the Fire Station and he feels that their response could have been faster.

My mother called them and told them that our house was on fire here at Tauese next to them, he said.

We rang them three times and thats when they showed up.

Its a bit sad because this has happened before fathers day so its a sad fathers day for our family but we are thankful that only the material things were lost but nobody got hurt.
Think a minuteDuring World War II, an uneducated man who lived out in the hills brought this letter to the city to hand deliver it to the United States Army. Since he could not read or write, his wife had written it for him. The letter said this: Dear United States Army: My husband asked me to write a recommendation that he supports his family. He cannot read. Please take him. He aint no good to me. He aint done nothing but make trouble and drink beer since I married him 8 years ago. And I got to feed his 7 kids. Maybe you can get him to carry a gun. Hes good at huttin squirrels and eatin. Take him. I need his food and bed for the kids. Dont tell him I said this, just take him. Well, I suppose its safe to say that husbands ignorance was not bliss! What he didnt know did hurt him!

A story is told of a thief in ancient times who stole a very valuable coat. The coat was made of the finest materials, including buttons of pure silver and gold. When he returned to his friends after selling the coat in the market, they asked him how much money hed got for the coat. He answered, A hundred pieces of silver. His friends were shocked and upset. They said: You only got a hundred pieces of silver for that rare, valuable coat! The thief looked surprised and asked: Why? Is there a number higher than 100? You see, if you dont know theres more, you wont ever get it. Theres so much in life for us to enjoy, just waiting for us to get it. If all youre used to eating is bread and water, then you dont know you could be eating steak and lobster!

Theres one person who can show you everything there is to be enjoyed in life. Naturally, that is the one who created life. Jesus Christ came to show us what it means to be fully human and fully alive, so we can live our lives to the fullest! He also knows the dangers that can trick and trap us. Hell protect you from the pain you and your family will have if you dont live your Makers way that He designed for your happiness. So why not ask Jesus to forgive you for living your own way, and ask Him to take charge and start showing you how to live His satisfying way? Its the only way you wont miss out on every exciting, good thing He has planned for your life. Just Think a Minute
BILLINGS -- Thomas Craig Pfeifle, 19, of Rapid City, S.D., was still in critical condition Wednesday after falling at least 20 feet on Granite Peak earlier this week.

Pfeifle was rescued by helicopter Monday afternoon after falling near the summit of the 12,808-foot peak. He was taken to a hospital in Billings before being transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said Pfeifle remains in the intensive care unit.

Granite Peak is the highest point in Montana.

George Crain, 57, from Highland, Utah, was climbing Granite Peak on Monday with his son-in-law when they came across Pfeifle a few minutes after it happened.

"Thomas' jaw was badly dislocated, and the side of his face was badly gashed," Crain said.

One of the people in the group Pfeifle was with told Crain the teenager had been descending the mountain in a section dubbed the "Ramp" by the peak's climbers.

"It's a really steep section on the face of the mountain, stretching probably 600 to 700 feet, with a decent amount of obstacles," Crain said. "We were told that he fell probably 20 feet and then tumbled down the rocks until he came to a rest."

Crain said he offered his cellphone to the group of climbers, but that one of Pfeifle's friends was already speaking with emergency services from his cellphone. A man from Colorado also offered his satellite phone to the group.

By the time rescue crews arrived, Pfeifle's breathing was "raspy" and had a gurgle to it, Crain said. He watched a helicopter lower a paramedic onto a safe spot on the peak and scramble over to Pfeifle.

Pfeifle was strapped onto a special board before he and the paramedic were hooked up to the helicopter and lifted up in a "spiderweb of straps," Crain said.

Emergency call

A call came through Sweet Grass County at about 11 a.m. Monday from one of Pfeifle's climbing partners requesting rescue, Park County Undersheriff Clay Herbst said Tuesday.

Pfeifle was climbing with at least four others, and one of them was able to get cellphone service for the first emergency call, Herbst said.

The climbers borrowed a satellite phone from another climbing group to stay in contact with authorities throughout the rescue, Herbst said.

Rocky Mountain Rotors Co-owner Mark Taylor said his company, based out of Belgrade, was involved in the rescue of Pfeifle on Monday afternoon.

He was rescued by a Gallatin County high-angle rescue team and flown by helicopter to a separate landing zone near Sky Top Lakes. A medical helicopter from Bozeman then landed to provide medical treatment before he was flown to Billings.

Pfeifle is the son of South Dakota Seventh Circuit Court judges Craig Pfeifle and Jane Wipf Pfeifle.
A few week ago, 10 year old Tejas, his two older brothers and his parents came to visit Ambergris Caye. Tejas was armed with his new awesome camera (Canon SX60) and a serious love of animals.

Here he is with Elsie.

We had just under a week to try to wow these guys with Belizewe went on the CSI: Night Crocodile Tour (loved), we went to the Belize Zoo (and watched the big cats being fed), we went to Cayo Frances Farm & Fly for fishing, lobster hunting and paddle boarding and they went snorkeling at Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley. All great things that they loved.

In the end, you find that Belize does most of the work for you.

Here is a picture, I took, of Tejas with his family on the sandbar on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye.

Here are the photos and captions that Tejas sent me when I asked for his favorites. What really stood out on his visit

These photos are of Elsie (Three- legged cow-dog) , Lance Koaladon (a tiny Crocodile) , and the animals at Belize Zoo

Elsie looking REALLY tired 

Elsie posing and looking happy (like always)

Lance Koaladon! (he isnt very scary, but he tries to be)  These pictures were taken on the ACES crocodile tour

After the crocodiles, we went to The Belize Zoo. Here are the pictures of the Jaguars, Carlos the Puma, Monkeys, The Tapir, The toucan, and the Coatimundis.

The jaguar is begging for more chicken.

Carlos also has his eyes on the chicken. Close-ups of the monkeys. I never knew the toucans had blue on their beaks. Coatimundis are like baby anteaters with straight noses And Tapirs are one of my 50 new favorite animals.

After taking 16 GB of pictures and video, I went back to California and looked through all of my pictures.

There you go. For some Belize is the sea vistasor flowersor restaurants or street lifeTejas saw Belize for her awesome animals.

So, from me, a quick list of fun things to do with kids when you are visiting Belize.

Snorkeling: Kids as young as 4 can paddle around and look through their masks and see FISH! They love it. Younger kids can certainly go on the trip. At Shark Ray Alley, the sharks and rays come right up to the boat. They love it. Fishing: Fishing from the docks is very popular here in Belize and kids love it! Kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding: Whether with a parent or alone, this is always good time. Playing on the Beach: Crabs, tiny fish, snails, shellskids can spend hours in the shallow WARM water justexploring. Hermit crab racing is always good times. The Belize Zoo: Its always called the zoo that is for non-zoo people. See the amazing native animals of BeA lize up close. At 41, I LOVE IT THERE. Crocodile Tour: Head out with crocodile Chris and watch him catch and tag a croc. He also knows SO MUCH and youll end up becoming a bit of a crocodilian expert. Movie Night and Ice Cream at the Truck Stop: Wednesday night is movie night. Watch the sunset and pull up a chair to this outdoor theater. (Check their facebook page for the movie listing that week.) They also have some of the finest ice cream around and ALWAYS with kid friendly flavors like Reeses Pieces or Oreo. Deeelish. Painting Class with Melody: Melody is the mother of 2 and a fantastic artist. Give her a call or stop by her shop and set up a paint class. Its perfect when you want to stay out of the sunor on a rainy day, PLUS, youll exit with a fantastic souvenir. Check her out at Belizean Melody or her website: PaintNSplash.

9. Maya Sites: Exploring and climbing Mayan sites like Xunantunich and Lamanai are definitely on the list. Especially for those who are interested in history.

For those who actually HAVE kids, please let me know what you do when you visit. Tejas and his family were not ready to leaveI need to expand my list for next time.
When I started getting calls from debt collectors more than 10 years ago, I assured them repeatedly that they had the wrong guy.

The Steve Rosen they were looking for, who had past-due student loans and credit card debts and was behind on child support payments, had a different middle name and lived at various times in Virginia and Ohio and who knows where else.

But the calls kept coming to me -- including one in the evening just a few months ago. This despite promises from the collection agent that my name and contact information would be purged from their files. I think my request to have my name cleared was simply tossed in the trash instead.

I was even blind-sided a few years ago when a county sheriff's deputy knocked on my front door. He was prepared to serve me with court documents compelling me to pay up. My kids, who saw it all, thought I'd be heading to debtor's prison.

Last week, I got some vindication for all those years of irritating phone calls and other hassles from being wrongly targeted by debt collectors. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a summary of proposed new rules intended to rein in some of the most aggressive tactics practiced by debt collectors.

It marks the first boost in federal regulatory oversight of the debt collection industry in about four decades, according to The New York Times.

About 70 million consumers have past-due debts that have been handed over to the more than 6,000 collection agencies nationwide, the federal consumer agency said. Student loan debtors just happen to be one of the fastest-growing markets for collection companies -- with nearly 8 million borrowers in default with a combined balance of $110 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The consumer agency initially is focusing on rules tied to so-called third-party debt collectors -- like the ones who've contacted me on behalf of creditors.

Among the proposed reforms:

Collection companies would have to "scrub" their files and substantiate the debt before contacting consumers. That means having correct information, including the correct full name of the consumer.

Collectors would be limited to six communication attempts per week to reach the consumer. Rules would also make it easier for borrowers to limit calls while they are at work, during certain hours, or on a particular phone line.

Collectors would be required in initial notifications to include the consumer's federal rights and more specific information about the type of debt in default.

If a consumer disputes the validity of the debt, collectors would have to stop repayment efforts until documentation is checked.

Consumers also have responsibilities to understand their rights when contacted by debt collectors, to ask questions when pressured to pay debt they're not familiar with and to seek help from low or no-cost credit counseling services to work through loan repayment overloads.

There is much not to like about the debt collection business. Hopefully, these reforms will end much of the most abusive collection practices. I, for one, am hoping for no more phone calls and no more visits by a county sheriff.
A team of scientists has described a new strikingly-colored species in the snake genus Geophis from the mountains of the Sierra Zongolica in west-central Veracruz and the Sierra de Quimixtlan in central-east Puebla, Mexico.

Geophis is a genus of colubrid snakes in the subfamily Xenodontinae, commonly referred to as earth snakes.

With 49 recognized species, it is one of the most diverse genera of snakes in the Western Hemisphere.

Its geographic range extends from southwestern Chihuahua and southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, south and east through central and southern Mexico (except for the Yucatan Peninsula) and Central America to northern and western Colombia.

These burrowing snakes are seldom encountered and, consequently, have been poorly studied.

Furthermore, several species have restricted distribution, making them particularly vulnerable to extinction.

The description of the new species of Geophis, named G. lorancai, was published in the journal ZooKeys.

According to the authors, this species belongs to the G. dubius group.

Most of these snakes have notably small geographic ranges and sometimes are only found in one type of vegetation, they said.

This makes them particularly vulnerable to the destruction of their habitat. It is important to know them before it gets too late.

Genetic data and careful anatomical examination have been vital to understand the real diversity within the G. dubius group.

These snakes are remarkably similar to each other and it has been only through molecular analyses and rigorous specimen examination that we have come close to understand how diverse they are, the scientists said.

The region in which the species is found has not been thoroughly explored yet. Therefore, it seems likely that it could yield future discoveries.

Additionally, the work made by the team suggests the existence of other undescribed species of Geophis.

Our analyses suggest that this group is more diverse than previously thought, the authors said.

They have proven to be an exciting model to understand the patterns of biological richness in the Mexican mountains.

_____

Canseco-Marquez L. et al. 2016. A new species of earth snake (Dipsadidae, Geophis) from Mexico. ZooKeys 610: 131-145; doi: 10.3897/zookeys.610.8605
It was not a long time ago when NASA monopolizes the space industry. It was because of the works of different scientists and engineers through the years that your chance of exploring beyond Earth is not once in a blue moon anymore.

Since space exploration is a very lucrative field, usually government funded space organizations like NASA and European Space Agency are the only institutions capable of conducting researches in the outer space. Until then, Twinkle Mission proved that space exploration is not about the big funding, but about big passion in discovery. Twinkle Mission is a project led by scientists and researchers from the University College London that aims to research about exoplanets orbiting other stars outside our solar system. The major difference about this space exploration is that the Twinkle Mission costs just a small fraction as compared to a NASA funded space explorations. Most of the fund for this project are public and privately sourced.

Minimal cost in space exploration, how is this possible? The key is to this is to work "smarter". As stated in their official website, Twinkle Mission uses new instruments that were crafted by the collaboration of resident UCL engineers and scientists. They developed an instrument to study an exoplanet from a distance through analyzing the light (visible to infrared spectrum) emitted from a distant star.

Since different molecules have a distinct light absorbance, UCL scientists claims that through this patterns they could detect several organic and inorganic substances present in the exoplanet. The scientists also confirmed that data gathered by Twinkle is capable of identifying if there are indications of life in an exoplanet since it has high sensitivity in detecting several precursors of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.

Twinkle Mission will be launched by 2019. Further preparations for the launch is expected to be finished by the end of this year. This project opens a bright future for space exploration that is fueled more with passion rather than with money.
Researchers named the green shark aged 400 years old as the longest living vertebrate on Earth. Its age was known using a radiocarbon dating.

The study was printed in the journal Science. It was led by researchers from the University of Copenhagen, according to BBC News.

Julius Nielsen , the lead author of the study and the marine biologist from the University of Copenhagen said that they had their expectations that they were dealing with an unusual animal, but he thinks everyone doing this research was very surprised to learn the sharks were as old as they were. He added that he encountered the sharks here for the first time and was fascinated that so little were known about such large sharks.

He stated that the shark's biology was mostly a mystery. He cited the example, their age was unknown but expected to be great. He further said that the extremely slow growth rates of these sharks---less than a centimeter per year---indicated they must live for many years.

The team used a radiocarbon dating to track the chronology of the eye lens. The nucleus of eye lens consists of the inert proteins. The carbon-dating of these proteins can identify how long ago the shark was born. The researchers then radiocarbon dating the eyes of 28 female sharks that were gathered in Greenland in between 2010 and 2013, according to ArsTechnica.

The results of the survey showed that the two largest sharks measure a little more than 16 feet, 2 inches and 16 feet, 5 inches were about 335 and 392 years old. It also indicated with further analysis that the lifespan of Greenland sharks was at least 400 years. Their sexual maturity could reach the age of 150, according to CNN.

The Greenland shark is also referred to as grey shark or gurry shark. It is closely related to the Pacific and southern sleeper sharks that can be found in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. It is among the biggest extant species of shark, which can grow to 6.4 m (21 feet) and 1,000 kg (2,200 lb.) up to 7.3 m (24 ft.) and over 1,400 kg (3,100 lb.).
The increase in the number of people affected by the opioid epidemic has been causing worry to health officials. Now, officials have another reason to be alarmed since it was revealed that the epidemic is increasingly affecting newborn babies. The most commonly abused opioids include prescription painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and Fentanyl. Illicit opioids like Heroin are also in the list.

The CDC team said better addiction-prevention efforts "are needed to reduce inappropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids" to curb this increase in what's medically known as "neonatal abstinence syndrome." USA Today reported that babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), and experience withdrawal at birth. They often experience vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, feeding difficulties and even respiratory distress at times.

According to healthday.com, NAS is the most common effect of opioid exposure. The increase in the incidence of NAS follows the ongoing heroin epidemic and the rise in the supply of prescription opioids. While other forms of maternal drug addiction can cause the syndrome, it is "most often attributed to in utero opioid exposure," said the team led by Jean Ko, of the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

For the study, the team collected and used data from 28 states under the supervision of the CDC. It was revealed that the number of babies born dependent on drugs increased to 300 percent between 1999 and 2013, from 1.5 cases every 1,000 births in 1999 to 6 cases per 1,000 by 2013. It was also found that there are several states who have been suffering from this crisis. The study also revealed that the state of Hawaii has the lowest number of NAS cases (0.05 cases per 1,000). However, three states, Maine, Vermont and West Virginia were found to have more than 30 cases of NAS every 1,000 by 2013.

West Virginia was the worst off: By 2013, that state's hospitals diagnosed the syndrome in more than 33 babies for every 1,000 delivered, the CDC report found. The study authors also found that in 2012 alone, "Medicaid programs were financially responsible for approximately 80 percent of the estimated $1.5 billion in [abstinence syndrome-] related annual hospital charges" nationwide.

Ko's team believe that preventing women of childbearing age to from getting hooked on opioid is key. Upi.com said that since most of the people who are hooked on the drugs suffered from addiction after seeking treatment for chronic pain, doctors should "consider non-opioid (drug) therapy" first.

Also, the possible effect of opioids on pregnancy should be discusses with women to consider before prescribing the medications. And once the prescription is given, women should receive only the "lowest effective dose" to control the chances of becoming addicted, the researchers said.
It seems the highly anticipated Microsoft Surface Pro 5, which is scheduled to get a release date soon, will give a tough fight to Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro 2016 in terms of specs and features. Apple MacBook Pro 2016 is rumored to get released in September.

If recent reports are to be believed the much rumored Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will get the best combination of new hardware and software. The next Surface Pro is expected to get Intel's latest Kaby Lake processing chip which is likely to get an early 2017 release. Use of Intel's latest Kaby Lake chip is expected to double the efficiency of the hybrid laptop as well as improve its performance and battery life. In fact, according to Apple Insider, Intel has already begun shipping its latest chip to manufacturers for use in devices.

Another feature which will make the upcoming laptop-tablet hybrid stand out from its competitors is the 4K Ultra HD display. It is rumored that the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will get rolled out in 2K and 4K display models.

It is to be noted that the poor battery performance and stylus issues of the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, which was released last year, made it quite unpopular among tech enthusiasts. So, the software giant would definitely want to gain back users' confidence by making sure that the next gen Pro device ends up getting the best specs and features.

Recent reports suggest the upcoming Surface Pro will come preloaded with Windows 10 Professional Redstone 2 operating system. The Windows 10 update is rumored to get rolled out by spring next year with a host of brand-new features and enhancements, reported GameNGuide. Among other specs, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is expected to feature 16 GB of RAM, a 16MP rear camera, an 8MP front camera, a USB 3.1 Type-C port and Thunderbolt 3. As far as pricing is concerned, the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is expected to cost $899 for the Core i5 variant, $999 for the Intel Core i7 variant, and $1,599 for the i7 Extreme variant.

Stay tuned to SWR for more updates on Microsoft Surface Pro 5 release date, specs and pricing details.
From the most used search engine to dominating smartphone operating system, Google really has a big appetite in providing every bit of our digital needs. So it is no surprise that Google created a division that is dedicated to provide ultra-fast internet to your home -- it's called Google Fiber.

This service is currently limited to certain states, but permissions on testing the service in several locations across the country is ongoing. Google's new filling for testing to 24 more locations was approved by the Federal Communications Commission. This authorization from FCC allows Google to conduct testing in the following key locations in the following states: California, Colorado, Kansas, Omaha, Nebraska, North Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

Currently, Google Fiber can be enjoyed in Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Provo, Utah and Kansas City, Kansas. Google, together with parent company Alphabet, aims to broadcast wireless broadband internet connection on a nationwide scale.

Google Fiber intends to deliver a similar bandwidth experience with fiber optics but wirelessly. This can be achieved through the combination of Google Fiber's resources and Webpass' existing high-speed wireless technology after its acquisition last summer. Google claims that media consumption like watching high definition movies and streaming music using Google Fiber will be seamless. Google could also upgrade existing Google services if they could provide a high bandwidth to their consumers.

The testing will be noncommercial and participants of the location based testing will come from a pool of Google employees, local contractors and trusted unpaid volunteer homes.

Google envisions to revolutionize your internet experience by converting every city into a "Fiber City" that could keep up with the high demand for speed of every home and business in the United States. However,Google did not mention in their announcements any plans to expand their internet services overseas.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Though Tiffany Thomas for years has dabbled with the idea of opening an art studio, she is likely to tell you TthomasArts Studio was a happenstance.

I wanted something that was my own, said the 31-year-old artist from Effingham. I just kind of waited around for a while and then finally the opportunity came up."

Now, after more than a year of planning and renovating, her studio on North Dargan Street is open for business. Inside the doors of the pristine shop, Tiffany sells her ceramic work, jewelry and paintings. But she also teaches classes and hosts private clay-making parties.

Tiffanys path to art was not clear cut. She studied drafting at Florence-Darlington Technical College before making the switch to Francis Marion University where she learned to love ceramics.

I fell in love with ceramics because it was just tactile  just the feel of it and how you can create different things with your hands, she said.

It quickly became an obsession for the artist, who spent a majority of her time at school creating in the studio. Once she had a handle on ceramics, Tiffany began taking painting classes, too. She graduated from FMU with a concentration in painting and ceramics.

Her work is experimental; instead of smooth surfaces, her clay mugs and bowls often have texture. Tiffany said she obtains this dimension by chiseling into the pieces with a pick. It can be a time-consuming process, she said, but its also a lot of fun.

On Fridays at the studio Tiffany collaborates with her 18-year-old sister, Thomasena, who owns FairyCakesSC, a local cupcake business.

Thomasena recently graduated from South Florence High School, where she sold her homemade treats every Friday. She now uses TthomasArts Studio as her Friday selling location.

The exposure benefits both of the young entrepreneurs. Plus, Thomasena said, both businesses were heavily influenced by growing up in a large family on a farm in Effingham.

Everything I learned from my childhood, I used it for my business. And Tiffany, she used it for hers, she said.

Each "FairyCakes Friday" features a special theme. Next week, the theme will be heavily influenced by a sense of nostalgia. Though she is still debating flavors, Thomasena said, she is highly considering an apple-inspired cupcake since its the first week of school.

TthomasArts Studio, 167 N. Dargan St., is open in the evenings generally from 6 to 8:30 p.m. when Tiffany leaves her job at the Florence County Library. A fall opening celebration will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30. The event is free and open to all.

Thomasena sells cupcakes every Friday from noon to 6 p.m. When she soon begins taking classes at Florence-Darlington Technical College, she will hire student employees or family members to take over Friday sales.

Those interested in viewing Tiffany's work, participating in a workshop or organizing a party at the studio can visit www.tthomasarts.com or email tthomasarts@gmail.com or like TthomasArts on Facebook. To keep up with the weekly cupcake pop-up shop, like FairyCakesSC on Facebook or visit www.fairycakessc.com.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Wilson High School will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Sunday with a program in the school auditorium.

There will be a ribbon cutting with speakers from the state and city level including current and former principals, staff, students and clergy members.

Bryant Moses, president of the Wilson High School alumni association, said the event will be a community affair. It is open to the public, not just Wilson High School students and graduates.

This is a historical event, he said. Theres no other school in the surrounding area that can celebrate 150 years as a high school.

Named for Josh Wilson, a black postmaster from Florence, Wilson High School was the school for black students during segreation.

Now, there are approximately 1,300 enrolled students. It's the only high school in the Florence area to offer the International Baccalaureate program.

In addition to Sundays celebratory program, the school will host a variety of anniversary-related initiatives.

What were going to do this year to celebrate the 150 years, were going to have 150 people donate blood, Moses said.

Each graduating class is encouraged to donate $150 to the school to be used toward 150 children. Other alumni will donate 150 hours of service.

The anniversary program begins at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free and open to all. Donations for the school will be accepted at the event.
CHICAGO  In the battle of Midwestern burger chains, Culvers and Steak n Shake both have their devotees.

But Steak n Shake scored a decisive victory in a Chicago federal courtroom last week when a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Culvers over a butcher-themed TV commercial was dismissed.

We disagree with it but we accept it, Steve Anderson, vice president and general counsel of Wisconsin-based Culver Franchising System, said Friday.

The spots both feature a butcher in a white uniform touting three well-marbled cuts of beef formed into patties that are flattened and seared on a grill, then stacked on a bun and topped with cheese.

Culvers first aired its Butcher-Quality Beef ad in April 2015. Seven months later, Steak n Shakes own butcher-shop commercial hit the airwaves, leading to the lawsuit in January.

A judge dismissed a lawsuit by Culvers complaining this Steak n Shake ad mirrored a Culvers ad.

In his ruling, Judge Gary Feinerman decided that Culvers did not have a legitimate beef over the alleged copyright infringement.

Pressing down on patties with a spatula and flipping them while they cook is standard grilling practice; adding cheese to a burger is not a stroke of originality; and it is common parlance to describe beef as marbled, Feinerman wrote.

As for copying the theme, Feinerman was unmoved by Culvers claims, drolly observing it was hardly original for an ad to describe the quality of meat or feature a butcher.

The butchers function as stock characters  both don a white butcher coat and, unsurprisingly, work in a butcher shop, he wrote.

Anderson said Culvers disagrees that the two ads are not similar. In fact, he said they filed the suit after customers and franchisees noticed the similarity and brought it to the companys attention. While he understands such an interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, he invites side-by-side comparisons of the spots.

If you put a bunch of people in a room and show them the ad, some would say theyre similar and some would say theyre not similar, Anderson said. We certainly think theyre similar.

An attorney in the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins, which represented Steak n Shake in the Culvers lawsuit, declined to comment on the decision Friday.

Culvers has until Aug. 26 to file an amended complaint. Anderson said Culvers is considering its options but will probably not refile.
Thumbs up to Camp RAE. The founders and board members of this wonderful nonprofit decided Monday to dissolve the organization that provided a monthlong summer therapy camp for children with special needs. We and others were disappointed when we heard this news, but we respect and support the people who made this difficult decision, and we understand and appreciate the reason. That reason primarily was the overwhelming effort that it takes to provide the services. Particularly we want to hug Deana Strickland, Camp RAEs founder. She and Paige Alexander started the organization in 2009. In 2015, they received well-deserved Marion Medallions from Francis Marion University and the Morning News because they were making a difference in their community. Camp RAE is named after Stricklands twins, Ransome and Allie. The E is for Evelyn, who is the daughter of Stricklands friend Allison King. Ransome and Evelyn are special-needs children. People who start nonprofits have big hearts. The time and energy that it takes to keep a good thing going can wear people out. There should be no shame in stepping away. But our hope is that new leaders will step forward and form a new organization and the show will go on. Already some parents of campers sound interested in keeping a good thing going. We wish them well.

Thumbs up to teachers. Administrators and staff and students, too, but mostly to teachers. Summer vacation is over. Where did the time go? Most schools open their doors Monday. Teachers already have been hard at work. The work they do in educating our children is hard. The pay is low. We marvel at their enthusiasm and passion. We wish them well going into the 2016-17 school year. Wed like to share the message that South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman shared Thursday with Timmonsville teachers. Spearman said teachers need to do more than lecture. First, theyve got to know that you love them and theyve got to know you're here for them, Spearman said. I know you understand that. If you cant reach their hearts, you cant reach their brain. Youve got to believe in them and show them opportunities they didnt even know are out there. What you are involved with is the most wonderful occupation in the world. We couldnt agree more.

Thumbs up to parents, particularly those who will be sending a child off to school for the first time. Its hard to let go, but it also is an exciting time. We know parents will be taking lots of photos. If they will share them with the Morning News, we will share them others. Email the photos to news@scnow.com and include names, grades and schools in your captions. We hope to get enough photos for a photo gallery at scnow.com and a picture page in print.

Thumbs up to HopeHealth, which has celebrated National Health Center Week. Wed like to celebrate the Florences community health center, and community health centers everywhere, for the role they play in providing health care for all, particularly those who cant afford big bills. HopeHealth held a community cook-out Tuesday in Timmonsville. On Thursday, it hosted a legislative reception. HopeHealth CEO Carl Humphries asked guests what it means to be a community health center, and then he answered his own question. He said HopeHealth treats anybody that walks through the door regardless of their station in life or ability to pay. So we have wealthy customers; people who can choose to go anywhere they want for health care, they have great insurance; business owners, lawyers, doctors and so forth, Humphries said. But we also have folks who come to us without insurance, and they are able to receive services from us on a sliding fee scale. Terry Alexander, a state representative from Florence, calls HopeHealth a safety net for a lot of people in this community. Hes right. HopeHealth has been promoting an advocacy campaign called Be the Voice to enlist the support of community members for health centers. Federal funding has enjoyed bipartisan support for the past 50 years, but the final vote for the Fiscal Year 2017 Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations bill that contains health center funding requests has yet to pass the House. Your voice could make a difference by letting legislators know how important access to quality care is in the Pee Dee.

Thumbs up to Tonita Perry, who has organized a Voter Education Symposium that will be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 8 at the Poynor School Auditorium in downtown Florence. She pictures the program as a much-needed civics lesson. Francis Marion Universitys David White and Morris Colleges Jacob Butler Jr. will serve on a panel during the first half of the symposium. Representatives of the South Carolina Republican Party and the South Carolina Democratic Party will serve on a panel during the second half of the program. The Morning News will play a supporting role. Read more about this symposium in your Sunday edition.

Thumbs up, thumbs down is a regular feature of the Morning News and appears each Saturday on our Opinion page. We seek nominations for both good and bad deeds from our readers. Send nominations to us by email at letters@florencenews.com. Be sure use the word thumb in the subject and include a contact number. Thumbs can also be mailed to us c/o The Morning News, 310 S. Dargan St., Florence, S.C., 29506.
The League of Women Voters, along with all of our fellow Americans, celebrates the historic event of a woman receiving the presidential nomination of a major political party.

It has always been a goal of the League of Women Voters to enable women to have an equal role in our nations political processes. It may have taken nearly 100 years since the first step of women receiving the right to vote, but that cant diminish the historic significance of this moment and this achievement.

During this history-making election season, the Florence League of Women Voters invites you to become a member in 2016-17.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan nationwide organization of women and men founded in 1920 after the passage of the 19th Amendment with local Leagues all over the United States. Its purpose is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government. Key goals of the LWV are: protecting voters, educating and engaging voters, reforming money in politics and defending the environment.

The Florence League will host a Movie Night at the Florence County Library on Aug. 25 celebrating Womens Equality Day, beginning at 5:45 p.m. Sept. 21 will be a candidates forum. Meetings are free and open to the public. Membership applications will be available. We hope to see you there!

KAREN HERBERT

First vice president

Florence
The Kingdom of Morocco recently petitioned to rejoin the African Union, more than 30 years after it left the group over territorial disputes. Morocco is actually the only country on the continent to ever break from the organization, yet it has remained both relatively peaceful and economically healthy.

How has Morocco navigated the regional chaos of recent years? Trace Dominguez has the lowdown in today's Seeker Daily dispatch.

First, some statistics: At around 172,000 square miles, Morocco is roughly the size of California. It's also the only African nation to have shorelines on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. (Double Secret Bonus Fact: Spain and France are the only European nations to border both bodies of water.) More than half Morocco's 33 million residents live in cities, like the famed and exotic metropolises of Casablanca, Marrakesh and Tangier.

RELATED: Explore Morocco's Blue City

Over the past 40 years, Morocco has expanded and diversified to a remarkable degree. Development has accelerated even further in the last decade -- since 2004, the nation's GDP has doubled to more than $100 billion. This is largely due to the privatization of certain economic sectors formerly run by the government.

Major industries include textiles and mining, but tourism is on the rise as well, accounting for about 12 percent of the country's GDP. The government is investing heavily in this area, banking on the nation's reputation as a relatively safe destination in northern Africa.

Morocco's strong military plays a central role there, keeping the country largely free from terrorism when compared to neighbors like Libya and Mali. Morocco has the third largest army in northern Africa with around 350,000 personnel. The army has been active in various peacekeeping missions in recent years and the country maintains close ties with both the European Union and the Islamic world.

Aside from lingering territorial disputes with its neighbor Algeria, Morocco has managed to remain stable, peaceful and economically powerful. While technically a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary legislature, Morocco is still considered an authoritarian regime, placing 100th out of 115 countries in 2015 according to international watchdog group Global Democracy Ranking.

-- Glenn McDonald

Learn More:

BBC: Morocco asks to rejoin African Union after 32 years



Britannica: Morocco



Al Jazeera: Morocco's teachers battle urban-rural education divide



Morocco World News: Morocco Ranks Among Nations with Most Gender Inequality


As explored on this episode, Morocco and Algeria have an enduring, tense rivalry, rooted in colonialism. Algeria was technically a French colony and Morocco was a

protectorate state, which entitled it to French military protection. As French control of the region waned, Morocco attempted to claim territory that it said was part of the country before French occupation. Morocco's invasion into Algeria in 1963 began the Sand War, which killed hundreds of people and defined the two countries' bitter relationship.

While violence between Morocco and Algeria may have subsided for now, both countries are pouring a great deal of money into defense. According to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Institute (Sipri), Algeria and Morocco imported the most military arms in 2014. Respectively, Algerian and Moroccan sales accounted for 30 percent and 26 percent of all African weapons imports. Russia sold most of the weapons coming into Algeria while France was the biggest supplier for Morocco. The amount of weapons France sold to Morocco was large enough to make it the second-largest arms dealer in all of Africa, according to The Guardian. Experts who monitor events in the region agree that the longstanding rivalry between Morocco and Algeria plays a major role in the trend.

Learn More:

Algeria (1992-present)

http://faculty.virginia.edu/j.sw/uploads/research/Schulhofer-Wohl%202007%20Algeria.pdf

"The Algerian civil war that began in 1992 has gained notoriety for several reasons. "



Western Sahara Profile

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14115273

"A mainly desert territory in north-west Africa, Western Sahara is the subject of a decades-long dispute between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front."



2015 UNHCR country operations profile - Algeria

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e485e16.html

"The absence of a national asylum law and functioning body to adjudicate asylum requests in Algeria prompts UNHCR to carry out refugee status determination."



Algeria and Morocco: Open that Border

http://www.economist.com/node/16219845

"Moroccans call the vast and arid region along their border with Algeria 'the Oriental'."
Press Release

August 12, 2016 De Lima wants to stop 'black sand' mining Cognizant of the deleterious impact of black sand mining not only on the environment, but also its harmful effects on people, Sen. Leila M. de Lima has filed a bill banning the extraction of magnetite, commonly known as black sand. De Lima filed Senate Bill No. 960 as she noted how some mining companies are taking undue advantage of the absence of a law that directly prohibits black sand mining as long as they could secure dredging permits for their operations. "The alarming adverse effect of exploration and extraction of black sand on the environment and human life, and despite government efforts to curb illegal activities, black sand mining has been proliferating in different parts of the country," she said. "At dahil sa black sand mining kumokonti ang huli ng ating mga mangingisda, at ang mga komunidad sa tabing-dagat ay nakakaranas ng pagguho ng lupa at pagbaha. Darami pa ang magdurusa kung hindi natin ito ipagbabawal," she added. In filing Senate Bill No. 960, De Lima noted reports that some unscrupulous mining operators, mostly foreign nationals, are conniving with some local government officials to operate despite opposition from the residents of the affected areas. "A lot of mining firms conduct black sand mining under the cover of dredging permits. Safeguards must be put in place to prevent this abuse of dredging permits," she said. When she was justice secretary, an inter-agency group led by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted raids on illegal black sand mining operations, as a result of which, complaints were filed against individuals, including Chinese nationals. The neophyte senator also expressed concern over the plight of people living near the mining sites where they suffer illnesses, their houses destroyed, and their livelihood compromised. "Erosion has been noted in areas near black sand mining operations. Communities are slowly crumbling because of magnetite mining. In communities within these mining operations, there have been cases of severe eye infections and hernia. Farmers and fisherfolk now yield smaller harvests and catch," she said. Under her proposed measure, mining firms will be required to dispose dredge materials in government-controlled landfills to prevent black sand from being passed off as waste. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau will also have to check on the presence of black sand before dredging permits can be issued to miners. Any person or firm found guilty of black sand mining may be jailed for six to 12 years and fined from P1 to 10 million, according to the bill. De Lima said she believes her proposed measure is an effective step toward ridding one form of environmental plunder with stiff penalty and heavy fines. "Through the passage of this bill, not only are we able to penalize those who plunder our natural resources, the government will be able to properly regulate mining and other related activities," she said.
Press Release

August 12, 2016 Hontiveros expresses alarm over HIV-AIDS

incidence among youth Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros challenged young people today to help overturn the HIV-AIDS epidemic. In an International Youth Day forum by Unilab Foundation's Ideas Positive, the Senator expressed alarm over the rising incidence of HIV-AIDS, especially among young people. "Young people are currently at the losing end of the HIV-AIDS epidemic. In the Philippines, newly diagnosed HIV cases increased by 230% from 2011 to 2015, mostly among young people, according to the DOH. In Metro Manila, there have been 303 new cases just last May this year", Hontiveros told 150 young people from all over the country gathered in the forum. "What is also troubling is that 3 out of 5 young Filipinos think that they are immune to HIV. To set the record straight, wala pa pong available immunization laban sa HIV", she added in her speech. As her legislative agenda, the Akbayan Senator filed Senate Bill #376 or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Bill, which seeks introduce a legal framework on HIV that incorporates lessons from the current HIV response and introduces newer evidence-based, human rights-informed, and gender transformative strategies to prevent and treat the epidemic. Hontiveros, the new Chairperson of the Committee on Health and Demography in the Senate, also expressed interest in partnering with youth health advocates to combat HIV-AIDS. "The role of young people and your ideas is to inspire the government. We have a lot to learn from you, believe me", she expressed. She committed that her office is open to new ideas. "In a world full of PokemonGO, let me be your Pokemon-stay. In the words of millennials today, 'G tayo, mga bes'", she humored.
Bam set to probe status of Martial Law education in schools

Senator Bam Aquino has filed a resolution calling for an inquiry to determine the status of education on Martial Law in basic and tertiary education.

"Sa dami ng maling impormasyon na kumakalat sa Internet, kailangan nating malaman kung paano tinuturo ng Martial Law sa ating kabataan at siguraduhin na ang katotohanan ang nananaig sa ating mga paaralan," said Sen. Bam in his Senate Resolution No. 29.

Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress, stressed that the younger generations must be made aware of the horrors of Martial Law, considered as the darkest years in Philippine history.

"Napansin natin na mukhang nagkaroon na ng pagbabago sa kasaysayan. Ang Martial Law ay sinasabing golden years ng Pilipinas, na malayung-malayo sa katotohanan," Sen. Bam stressed.

"Nakakalungkot ang pangyayaring ito dahil tila kinalimutan na ang mga nagsakripisyo ng buhay noong panahon ng diktarudya," he added.

According to historical records, 3,257 were killed, while an estimated 35,000 were tortured, and 70,000 incarcerated during the Martial Law rule, which ran from 1972 to 1981.

Aside from the rampant human rights violation during that time, an estimated $10 billion in government money was stolen, according to Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) records.
Press Release

August 13, 2016 Emergency powers must cover flooding in NCR streets In a megapolis that gets 144 days of rain in a year which turn 3,845 hectares flood-prone, any traffic plan authorized by emergency powers must include projects that will prevent monstrous gridlocks during rainy days. This was suggested by Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto who stressed that it is not enough to build or widen new roads to ease traffic in Metro Manila, "existing roads must be made flood-proof too." Government agencies have identified 85 flood-prone areas in the National Capital Region (NCR), some of which cover portions of major roads, including five intersections in EDSA. Recto said the average 32-kilometer per hour crawl of cars during good weather in NCR roads further slows down during rainy days, "or even at the slightest drizzle." "So yung P2.6 billion a day economic losses to traffic ay kung maaraw lang. Di hamak na mas malaki, abot ng P3 bilyon, kung maulan as the resulting longer commute time or absences cuts worker productivity," Recto said. Recto urged Malacanang to pump more funds into flood control projects "so that light downpours will no longer be a major inconvenience to 14.5 million NCR residents." He said Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was only given P504 million this year to repair and construct 66 flood and drainage structures, citing a Budget department briefer, "the proverbial drop in a bucket of needs." Despite its meager funds, the MMDA has been given a performance target "of creating a system in which floodwaters fully subside within 25 minutes in some areas." Recto said Metro Manila's "abundant annual rainfall of 81 inches plus the fact that many of its areas are sinking" should be factored in to the transportation blueprint that Malacanang plans to implement once President Duterte is granted emergency powers by Congress. "Kung dahil ito sa nagbabagong panahon, then such a plan must be climate smart, too," Recto said. In the previous Congress, Recto sought a probe into the status of the P351-billion overall master plan on flood management in NCR which is, by far, "the most ambitious and expensive flood control program ever crafted by the national government." Twenty-two years in the making, the plan was approved in late 2012 and Recto is reiterating his calls for "consistent congressional oversight to measure its progress." The long-term plan, the senator said, would cover the infrastructure needs of 11 flood-prone areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces and, if funded regularly, would see completion by 2035. Recto urged government to look "into doable things and not just big-ticket items in solving flooding in the capital region. "There's a study which shows that 40 percent of the 273 esteros, creeks and tributaries in the NCR are gone, buried under road networks and houses built on top of them. Paano ba ito mare-recover?" he asked. Another scheme to prevent waterways from being clogged with trash is to enroll families living near them under the Conditional Cash Transfer program in exchange for serving as Bantay Esteros, Recto said. Recto said Malacanang should also support moves that would allow Road User's Tax collections to be used to buy canal dredging equipment, "and suction pumps that can be installed in flood-prone intersections or underpasses." "In fact, they should look into this fund as a major financing source for projects that will be carried out pursuant to the exercise of emergency presidential powers granted to solve the transportation crisis," Recto said. The Road User's Tax, or officially the Motor Vehicle User's Charge, refers to car registration fees. This year, collections are expected to climb to P14.4 billion from last year's projected P13 billion. Last month, Recto introduced bills which would allow MVUC collections to be spent for mass transit and some road safety activities. "NCR car owners deserve to benefit from innovative spending of the fees they pay," Recto stressed. Twenty seven percent or 2.31 million out of the 8.7 million motor vehicles ply NCR's 2,403 kilometers of public roads.
DECATUR  When a sexual assault occurs, the victim is likely suffering the most traumatic experience of her life.

Soon after the crime, her mind might be reeling as to whether to report it to the police, especially if the offender is a relative or close acquaintance.

With that in mind, sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) try to comfort the victims, while not adding any undue stress. They help collect evidence for possible prosecution, which must be done in a timely manner to be of any value, without forcing the victim to make a decision on her involvement in the criminal case at that time.

The point of a SANE is to be the first person to help them to get their power back, said Libby Kapper, SANE coordinator and one of the first nurses trained when the program was implemented six years ago.

When a victim arrives at the emergency room of Decatur Memorial Hospital as a result of a sexual assault, she will be in contact with a nurse trained to meet her needs. In most cases, one of the five SANE nurses is on duty. Otherwise, there is one on call who will arrive quickly. Two more nurses are about to begin training to bring the contingent up to seven examiners.

We are mandated reporters so we have to call law enforcement, but the patients don't have to speak with law enforcement, Kapper said.

It is important for victims to allow the trained nurses to complete a forensic examination in a timely fashion, even if they are uncertain about their decision regarding prosecution. The sooner they are examined, the more likely that important evidence will be available for a possible arrest and conviction.

It's best to collect evidence within 72 hours, Kapper said, adding there are some cases in which viable physical evidence can be collected from a victim within one week.

To ensure that the patient is in control of the use of the evidence, she must sign a form giving consent for the evidence to be released to law enforcement for processing. If the patient is uncertain, she is allowed to consider it for a short time.

The evidence is so time-sensitive, they have two weeks to decide whether to give the evidence to the police, Kapper said.

There are sexual assault cases, especially involving children, which are reported and successfully prosecuted months and even years after the incident, while relying on other evidence. But evidence gathered soon after the incident often determines the difference between a conviction or acquittal.

When a victim enters the emergency room, the first priority is always the patient's medical needs.

That puts pressure on the SANE nurses to work quickly and efficiently, in conjunction with doctors and other nurses who are treating the patient for physical injuries.

About half of the victims who present themselves for treatment at DMH are children 12 and younger.

When children arrive, the nurses call for help from the Decatur Police Department, Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Their medical needs are addressed, but they are referred to other hospitals where child sexual assault victims are examined, including Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. At DMH, nurses only perform sexual assault examinations on victims 13 and older.

On the children, we do an external exam, to make sure there are no life-threatening injuries, Kapper said.

SANE examiners are trained in conducting forensic interviews with victims, in addition to their primary responsibility of conducting physical examinations. They receive instruction in various aspects of law enforcement, including investigations, trials and crime laboratory procedures.

We have to ask them questions leading to evidence to be found on their bodies, Kapper said.

The nurse examiners perform some of the examinations on women that are normally restricted to physicians. They also take photographs, which are obviously of a sensitive nature.

We keep those very secure, Kapper said.

When a victim arrives, she is brought back to a private evaluation room after her injuries are diagnosed as not life-threatening. About 90 percent of adult sexual assault victims seen at DMH are female. About 50 sexual assault victims are seen there each year.

The examiners work closely with the physicians if there are medical problems, such as traumatic injuries suffered in connection with assaults.

SANE is concerned only with the sexual assault exam, said Kapper, who works as an emergency room nurse in addition to performing her SANE duties. The physician has to be seen for the injuries. If there's anything that's medical, we get them involved right away.

When treating each victim, an examiner uses a sexual assault evidence collection kit, commonly known by its shorter name. In Illinois, they are assembled and distributed by the Illinois State Police.

The kit, contained in a box roughly the size of a small postal priority shipping carton, has bags and instruments for collecting evidence as well as a consent/release form and step-by-step instructions with check-off boxes.

It contains a white debris sheet, a large drop cloth on which a patient undresses to collect debris such as leaves, grass clippings, dirt, anything that might corroborate her story on where the incident occurred. There are large bags for clothing, which may later provide DNA evidence when examined at a crime lab.

We try to take as much clothing as we can, Kapper said. Growing Strong brings in clean, new clothing.

Swabs are taken from various bodily locations, as well as unique areas such as bite marks and stains. There are envelopes designated to receive hair combings and scrapings from fingernails.

We have black light capability, Kapper said, adding that unlike portrayals on some TV crime shows, bodily fluids become visible without the use of specialized spray products.

Kate Kurtz, head of the Macon County State's Attorney's Office sex crimes unit, said SANE nurses are beneficial for the victims because they know how to collect evidence in a sensitive manner.

They are especially trained to be with them the whole time, Kurtz said. Having to go through the sexual assault is so intimidating and invasive.

The examiners, who are sometimes called to testify at trials, often provide valuable evidence leading to successful investigations and convictions.

They go above and beyond, Kurtz said. They know the importance of collecting evidence such as DNA because they know how important it is for law enforcement and prosecution.
Police in Union City have asked the public for help in tracking down a man who interrupted a meeting of Sikh elders at a park and desecrated a holy book in front of them.

The incident happened Tuesday night at Contempo Park in Union City when the man walked up to the group and began tearing apart the Guru Granth Sahib, a book of Sikh scriptures. He was chased by outraged onlookers, got into a car and drove away.

While our legal options are limited to the facts, our intent is to do all we can to promote a feeling of safety and solidarity to our entire Union City community, an official from the Union City Police Department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident.

No witnesses got the license plate number of the man's car or recognized him, officials said.

He was described as being of Indian descent, and witnesses reported that he spoke Punjabi, the predominant language among Sikhs.

Police officials said they want to speak with the man about the incident as a matter of due diligence and to confirm there are no other aspects of the incident about which we are unaware.

But a former director of the popular Sikh Gurdwara temple in Fremont would like the authorities to do more.

This was a direct attack on our religious identity, said Harjeet Singh, a member of the temple.

He said more police action is needed, specifically in the form of an assault case against the man who, Singh said, physically attacked a member of the temple who confronted him at the park after he tore up the scriptures.

Singh said the incident likely stems from violence against Sikhs that has recently taken place in India.

We have seen a sharp spike in the northern state of India, Singh said. We dont know whether it was the same vested group.

The incident would make more sense if it was from someone of another ethnicity, Singh said.

There were five or six Sikhs in the park at the time the man tore up the holy scriptures, Singh said. Two were in their 40s with the rest in their 60s.

Union City is home to the largest Sikh population in the Bay Area. Contempo Park is a popular spot for that population, with many people gathering there in the evening, Singh said.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Pleasanton, issued a statement Friday in response to the incident.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The person ... sought to foment strife within our community. This act was hateful and wrong, but we must reject this invitation to be divided, Swalwell said. We wont tolerate religious hatred; we will stand together.

Despite the act outraging the Sikh community in Union City, police officials said in terms of legality, no laws were broken and that their approach to handling the situation must be consistent with both the facts and the law.

While we understand the man's behavior may be considered disrespectful or repugnant, or even a violation of the laws of other nations, we also recognize that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution allows for free speech and free expression, police officials wrote in their Facebook post.

Singh said the community would submit a formal request to the Police Department to see what next steps would be taken to make the community once again feel comfortable and safe in the area.

Officials asked anyone with additional information about the incident to call them at (510) 675-5207 or email the information to tips@unioncity.org.

Kevin Schultz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kschultz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kevinedschultz
When Virgin America was founded in 2007, the Burlingame company worked hard to pitch itself as the unofficial airline of Silicon Valley.

Richard Branson, the British billionaire entrepreneur, was among its original backers. The aircraft featured a sleek design, power outlets and high-speed Internet, so business travelers could get some work done while flying to other tech hotspots like Denver and Los Angeles.

It was very easy to tell that we were the preferred airline (for Silicon Valley) because we were the only ones at the time who had fleet-wide Wi-Fi, CEO David Cush told me this year. That was the big differentiator we had early. The Silicon Valley population not only likes the product but the fact that we dont sit back, and keep pushing the envelope with new innovations.

Virgin America has since agreed to be bought by Alaska Airlines. But Cushs strategy to tie its brand to Silicon Valley may survive intact.

Alaska Airlines, based in Seattle, has recently started nonstop flights connecting San Jose to Los Angeles, New York and San Diego. The company said the New York route in particular was highly requested by Silicon Valley business and leisure travelers. After the acquisition, Alaska might even keep the Virgin America name, given its close ties to Silicon Valley.

The merger is not yet officially complete, spokeswoman Ann Zaninovich said in an email. Until that point, we are operating as two separate airlines. A decision has not been made about the brand.

Other air-travel companies are also eager to court the regions high fliers. JetSuite, an Irvine private-jet company, will introduce its tech charter service from San Jose to Los Angeles on Monday. It will presumably compete with Surf Air, a membership airline that also offers daily service between the two cities. JetBlue has gotten creative too: In addition to regular San Jose flights, the airline this year established a venture capital unit in Redwood City.

The rush to Silicon Valley is not surprising. The tech industry and the regional economy continue to thrive, which means more demand for airline service, especially short-haul and regional business travel between various tech hubs. The regions tech companies spend more than $1 billion per year on travel, according to the local chapter of the Global Business Travel Association.

Its where the high-revenue passengers are, said Michael Boyd, president of Boyd Group International consulting firm. There is a lot of high-tech travel, and for airlines, business travel is the name of the game. Silicon Valley is a destination unto itself. You name the airline and business model, and its there.

JetSuite CEO Alex Wilcox said some business passengers were already paying the company $5,000 each way for super-premium charter service. To attract a broader group of business and leisure travelers, JetSuite decided to offer the San Jose to Los Angeles route starting at $129 one way.

Compared to other parts of the country, California is booming, Wilcox said. We want the business traveler who needs to buy a ticket at the last minute.

Trips of up to 500 miles, such as those within California, account for more than a third of all flights in the United States, according to a report by the Brookings Institution in Washington. Three of the busiest routes originate from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

JetSuite specifically chose San Jose because the location offers better weather, fewer flights and potentially not as many delays compared with San Francisco International Airport, Wilcox said.

But San Jose is growing rapidly, too. Last year, 4.81 million passengers boarded planes at San Jose, a 19 percent jump from 2010, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration.

JetSuite certainly is not immune to delays. The Chronicle was supposed to take photos of a JetSuite flight arriving in San Jose from Bozeman, Mont., on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

We eventually gave up after the airline pushed the arrival time to 9:45.

Thomas Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: tlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByTomLee
Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle

Acting San Francisco Police Chief Toney Chaplin said publicly Thursday that he wants to take on the role permanently.

Id love to get the job, the interim chief told reporters outside Calvary Presbyterian Church on Fillmore Street. Chaplin met with leaders of San Francisco Interfaith council at the cathedral to discuss police reforms and community relations.
SHELBYVILLE - A 13-year-old girls death earlier this summer was caused by her asthma, rather than injuries suffered in a fight, a Shelby County coroners jury ruled Thursday.

The jury decided Alexis Faith Williams died early June 17 of natural causes, after being taken to Shelby Memorial Hospital by friends while having an asthma attack.

Williams and at least two other girls were involved in a fight at Shelbyvilles Forest Park earlier that night, an altercation captured on cellphone video and the social media site Snapchat.

It is a dark video and hard to see, Shelbyville police officer Paul Bennett said. Witness from each side gave different stories.

Bennett said the video shows Williams having her hair pulled and being punched in the head by a 16-year-old girl while Williams is on top of another girl.

He said the video also shows Williams and others getting into cars and leaving the park. Witnesses said Williams was having trouble breathing, may have asked to be taken to the hospital and then lost consciousness.

An autopsy showed no external or internal injuries. Shelby County Coroner Brian Green said stress, agitation and excessive physical activity can make an asthma attack worse.

Did the altercation bring on the attack? We cant say, he said.

The death was investigated by the Shelbyville Police Department and the Illinois State Police.

In addition, the Shelby County Sheriffs Office is investigating postings on Williams funeral home tribute page and Facebook page and some text messages.

Shelby County State's Attorney Gina Vonderheide said her office was waiting for reports from all the investigating agencies before deciding whether any charges will be filed related to Williams death.
June Osterberg was one of those activist San Franciscans who fought hard to defend her vision of the city she loved. She was particularly passionate about North Beach and the waterfront, which she believed were the best parts of the city.

Until a few months before her death on Aug. 1 at the age of 87, Ms. Osterberg made a point of attending every public meeting of the city Port Commission or other government body concerned with planning or development.

She was part roving reporter, part neighborhood historian and activist, said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who was Ms. Osterbergs friend for years. She cared about everything that made North Beach so special.

Ms. Osterbergs other love was the waterfront. She believed that the waterfront belonged to each and every citizen of San Francisco and California, and not to city bureaucrats and developers, said Jon Golinger, another friend and activist.

Ms. Osterberg not only reported on various public meetings  It was amazing. She was always there, said Kathleen Dooley, another friend  but she also took an active role in protesting developments that did not meet her standards. She was involved in campaigns to oppose a parking garage in Washington Square 40 years ago, and in building luxury apartments on the waterfront more recently.

It was hard for her to accept the changes that have come over the city, Dooley said.

Ms. Osterberg was a gregarious person. She liked talking to people, and she liked writing, Golinger said.

She did it all with a gleam in her eye, Peskin said.

I think she knew everybody in North Beach, Dooley said. And everybody knew her.

She lived at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Filbert Street in the heart of North Beach and loved to drive around the city in a small red Triumph with personalized license plates that described her: PLUCKY.

She was born in LaMoure, N.D., on June 8, 1929, and adopted San Francisco as her home after a visit to the city in 1952 just after her graduation from the University of North Dakota. She had been the editor of the campus newspaper and planned a career in journalism.

She had a brief career as a reporter at the San Francisco Examiner, then became a freelance journalist and editor mostly on the citys neighborhood newspapers. She wrote for the North Beach Journal, the North Beach Beat and the Barbary Coast Record, mostly covering the waterfront. She did some freelance editing, too, including work on actor Sterling Haydens autobiography, Wanderer.

She also took up the bohemian lifestyle, mostly in the old Montgomery Block, a haven for artists, writers and musicians that was demolished to make way for the Transamerica Pyramid.

She was a political activist as well, the first treasurer of the District Three Democratic Club.

She was an old-time lefty, Dooley said. Her politics were to the left of San Franciscos progressive wing.

Ms. Osterberg was married briefly, and had a long relationship with Robert Chamberlain of San Francisco, whom she called the love of her life.

She was diagnosed with cancer late in the summer and died in an assisted living center. She is survived by nieces and nephews in North Dakota. Plans for a wake are pending.

Last year she received an excellence in journalism award from the University of North Dakota. Toward the end of her life, she was asked what she would like on her tombstone.

June A. Osterberg, she said. And under that, Reporter.

Carl Nolte is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @CarlnolteSF
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It's a modern-day horror story that has grabbed international attention since The Chronicle reported it last week. A man used Airbnb to rent a Palm Springs vacation condo, stopped paying, refused to leave and threatened to sue the owner.

The "Airbnb squatter" case's connection to the emerging sharing economy struck a nerve, said condo owner Cory Tschogl.

"I think the story also may play on people's fears, concepts of ownership, property rights, tenants' rights in California, personal ethics and the list goes on," she said.

Now this sharing economy saga has another chapter: The man and his brother - whom Tschogl identified as her "Airbnb squatters" - raised some $40,000 on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter for a video game that never materialized, leaving scores of angry donors in their wake.

The Airbnb and Kickstarter situations underscore the tenuous nature of safeguards in emerging peer-to-peer markets, in which people trust Internet strangers based on reviews by other Internet strangers.

Maksym Pashanin and Denys Pashanin are the principals behind Kilobite Inc., which took to Kickstarter in November to promise a June delivery of a zombie game called "Confederate Express," but has produced only a demo.

Instead, Kilobite recently launched a new Kickstarter campaign, seeking $25,000 for another game called "Knuckle Club." Maksym Pashanin apologized to increasingly irate backers in Kickstarter comments. "We are working tirelessly every single day to make the deadlines," he wrote.

Outraged Kickstarter backers are saying they were duped and want their money back - but they're probably out of luck. Kickstarter offers no guarantees that the creative projects funded on the site will come to fruition.

Maksym Pashanin and Kilobite did not respond to e-mail requests for comment, and his cell number does not accept messages.

Meanwhile, Tschogl, a San Francisco rehabilitation therapist for blind and low-vision people, is facing thousands of dollars in legal expenses and an eviction process of up to six months.

"It's wait and see at this point," Tschogl said in an e-mail Friday. "These guys are pros and know how to hide out."

Tenants' protection

The brothers, who rented the one-bedroom unit in late May for 44 days but paid for just a month, gained tenants' protections under California law after occupying the unit for 30 days.

Maksym Pashanin sent Tschogl texts threatening to press charges against her for blackmail, negligence and malicious misconduct, including his claims that the tap water hurt his expensive espresso machine and exacerbated his brother's ulcer, she said, providing copies of the messages.

Tschogl told The Chronicle that the brothers are the renters and provided a copy of Maksym's Airbnb "verified ID" profile, in which he appears identical to the Maksym Pashanin shown in a YouTube video promoting the Kilobite game. The Airbnb profile describes him as a video game animator from Austin, Texas.

A process server was unable to deliver an eviction notice to him because the man who answered the condo door - clothed in a hoodie and scarf - said he was Maksym's brother, said Tschogl.

Public records show that Kilobite Inc. was incorporated in Navarre, Fla., last Aug. 13, with Maksym and Denys Pashanin as principals. The company was incorporated in Austin on Dec. 11, with Denys listed as its registered agent and Maksym as director.

Legal experts said the brothers' evident knack for exploiting loopholes at Airbnb and Kickstarter reflects the Wild West nature of new marketplaces.

"Like any nascent market, the sharing economy is going to generate a flurry of new laws from regulators as well as through civil litigation," said Charley Moore, CEO of San Francisco's Rocket Lawyer. "Businesses like Airbnb, Uber and Kickstarter fall between the gaps of regulations and push the envelope on what is allowed."

Seen as donations

For instance, Kickstarter funds are donations, and thus lack the legal protections accorded to investments, he said.

"Backers have trouble saying they were defrauded; they weren't expecting anything other than psychic rewards" and some minor "rewards" such as naming a character.

The legal climate is similarly unsettled for Airbnb.

"This is a gray area where laws haven't caught up to Airbnb," said Ontario (San Bernardino County) attorney C. Mario Jaramillo of Access Law Group. "Being a homeowner is very different from being an innkeeper. (A landlord) cannot circumvent unlawful detainer and eviction laws in California. But laws protect traditional hoteliers and innkeepers; if people don't pay, they can call the police and have them kicked out for trespassing."

Airbnb, which initially lagged in responding to Tschogl's requests for assistance, has now taken a second look at her situation and the entire subject of long-term guests.

"Officials from our team have contacted this host and she has been paid the full cost of the reservation, and we're working with her to provide additional legal support as we move forward," said Airbnb spokesman Nick Papas, who did not specify whether the payment is for just the 44-day reservation or the continuing stay. "We're also reviewing our procedures and making changes to our platform to give hosts more information about long-term reservations."

Kickstarter policy

At Kickstarter, spokesman Justin Kazmark said its "Trust & Safety" pages outline how it protects the system's long-term integrity, but did not respond to requests for comments on whether the 2,386 people who put up $39,739 for "Confederate Express" could get any money back for a game that doesn't exist.

"Kickstarter doesn't evaluate a project's claims, resolve disputes, or offer refunds - backers decide what's worth funding and what's not," the guidelines say.

Tschogl, who has found the whole case "extremely stressful" and is bemused by the media attention, has some advice for other Airbnb hosts.

"Do your own formal background check and credit check in multiple states if necessary to ensure a potential guest is not a vexatious litigant," she said.
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Southwest Airlines recently celebrated its new uniforms and revamped aircraft interior during an in-flight fashion show.

The new uniform collection, with splashes of blue and pops of red, is a continuation of Southwest's heart branding introduced in September 2014. All employees will begin wearing them in mid-June.

The last complete uniform redesign was in 1996. This time, employees helped design and test the uniforms.

RELATED: Southwest outage, canceled flights cost an estimated $54M

"Our energetic employees are the heart of our airline, and they were the perfect choice to design and develop our new look," Sonya Lacore, vice president of cabin services and executive sponsor of the uniform redesign project, said in a news release.

Inside the carrier's new Boeing 737-800 jets, new blue seats provide "additional space and comfort with more leg room," Southwest said. The planes have adjustable headrests, enhanced back and seat comfort and more room to hold personal belongings.

Southwest has three 737-800 aircraft with the new interiors flying in the system. The carrier plans to have 28 by year's end.
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Former colleagues of a line chef at a Michelin-starred Union Square restaurant who was found dead at a downtown San Francisco shopping mall created a fundraising page on Friday to support his family.

The body of Frank Galicia  a member of a 12-person kitchen crew at Sons & Daughters restaurant  was found in an emergency-exit stairwell at Westfield San Francisco Centre around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday. He was 28.

Teague Moriarty, co-owner of the restaurant, created a GoFundMe page Friday, which had raised raised $670 of its $5,000 goal as of 9 p.m. Friday. The post said donation money will go directly toward the family.

Galicias Los Angeles-based family is temporarily staying in the Bay Area for the investigation, according to the donation page.

Co-owner Matt McNamara said Galicia originally came from Los Angeles, adding he was deeply passionate about food on and off the job.

He really cared about what he did every day, McNamara said Thursday. This is a real loss to the chef community.

Officials said the death was ruled a homicide, though they would not elaborate on the circumstances, disclose a possible motive or say if any suspects were detained.

Investigators were reviewing security video and interviewing people who were near the Jessie Street alleyway next to Bloomingdales when Galicias body was discovered.

More for you Chef found slain at SFs Westfield mall worked at posh restaurant

McNamara said Galicia had a very gentle aura about him and would not have been in a situation like this.

Both owners said the restaurant would contact grief counselors to meet with their staff.

Anyone with information about Galicias death is asked to call San Francisco police at (415) 575-4444.

Chronicle staff writer Evan Sernoffsky contributed to this report.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
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A 23-year-old Oakland man was arrested after police said he rammed a car carrying his ex-girlfriend and their 3-year-old son in Antioch on Thursday, injuring both of them.

Joshua Dillard was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, child endangerment and domestic violence after injuring both victims in the crash, police said. The mother and childs conditions were not released.
HATCH, N.M.  An Ohio fugitive wanted for murder has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a New Mexico police officer while a second man who was his passenger is being held on a warrant.

Jesse Hanes, 38, is suspected of gunning down Hatch police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, during a traffic stop Friday, Dona Ana County Sheriffs spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said.

In the car with Hanes was 36-year-old James Nelson, who is also wanted in Ohio on suspicion of murder. Nelson is being held on a fugitive warrant. A third man in the car was a hitchhiker who is being treated as a witness and wont be charged, Jameson said.

Authorities say the confrontation began in the village of Hatch, about 40 miles northwest of Las Cruces, when Chavez pulled over Hanes, who was driving a luxury car with Nelson and the hitchhiker as passengers. A fellow officer who arrived to assist Chavez said he saw him holding paperwork and reaching for his service weapon before he was shot and fell to the ground.

Hanes then fled on Interstate 25 at speeds up to 100 mph before stopping at a rest stop, authorities said. He carjacked a 36-year-old man, shooting him in the stomach after the man refused to accompany him, police said. That man has not been identified but is in stable condition at a hospital, Jameson said.

Hanes fled after shooting the man, but sheriffs deputies were able to stop him by using a tire-deflating device. The suspect briefly barricaded himself in the car before surrendering to deputies, Jameson said. The suspect had a gunshot wound to the right thigh which appeared to be self-inflicted, she said.

Nelson and the hitchhiker were found about 7 miles away near Rincon.

Chavez, who was shot in the neck, died at a hospital in El Paso, Texas. He had been an officer with the department for two years.

Hanes and Nelson are wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man outside Chillicothe.
1 Random shootings: A 26-year-old man has been arrested after five people were injured early Saturday in Joplin, Mo., in apparently random roadway shootings, police said. A driver first fired shots at a church van that was stopped at a traffic light. Three adults in the van were injured, and two were hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening. The suspect is also accused of shooting at a pickup truck and injuring two adults. The driver was hospitalized, while the passenger was released. Officers pursued the man, who surrendered and is being held pending formal charges.

2 Plane crash: Six people were killed when their small plane crashed Friday at the edge of a northern Virginia airport. State Police said the plane took off from Louisville, Ky., and stopped in Indiana before continuing on to Virginia. The plane crashed into trees and caught fire after aborting its landing at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg. The victims were identified Saturday as pilot William Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Ind.; plane owner Robert Ross, 73 of Louisville, Ky.; passenger Lisa Borinstein, 52, and her two children, 19-year-old Luke Borinstein and 15-year-old Emma Borinstein, of Shelbyville, Ind.; and 15-year-old Maren Timmermann, an exchange student from Berlin. The crash is under investigation.
DECATUR  On the first day of classes Aug. 22, Millikin University will have two dozen new faculty members, a new dean and five new academic majors.

But the biggest elephant in the room will remain the construction in the heart of campus on the $27 million University Commons at Staley Library, set to open one year from now as Millikin's new student center/library.

We are actually working extra, in the evenings and on weekends, to get ahead, said Ruby James, vice president of finance and business affairs. The building will likely be ready in early July, then we need to move in and get settled.

The ongoing construction, plus last year's demolition of two residence halls, have made dramatic changes to campus parking options.

James said the lot in front of current project is closed, for example, and the former parking lot northeast of Richards Treat University Center and west of Oakland Avenue will become a thorough fare.

Visitors are asked to park near Westminster Presbyterian Church west of campus, use the three lots behind Dolson Hall and in front of the power plant east of Oakland Avenue or go south of there behind West Towne Square at Oakland and West Wood Street.

Chris Ballard, director of public safety, said the latter parking lot typically has more than 100 spaces available during the day. It's underutilized and is a short walk from the core campus, he said.

As for University Commons, the university's Capital Program Manager Brad Owens said the current work is centered on reinforcing existing steel supports of the gutted building before adding new ones to support an addition to the front.

He expects to have walls up and roof on, with openings covered in plastic, before winter sets in.

There's no option for us to stop work, Owens said. We're about to have a lot more subcontractors come on, and the (closed parking lot) will become quite the hub of activity.

A new approach for deliveries to the future University Commons, between Kirkland Fine Arts Center and the Leighty-Tabor Science Center, will remain under construction and vehicular traffic prohibited as classes begin, but Owens said he hopes to have the sidewalk open.

In conjunction with the construction on University Commons, Provost Jeff Aper has appointed a planning group looking at how to best intersect curricular and co-curricular leadership programming at Millikin in anticipation of the new Doug and Diane Oberhelman Center for Leadership Performance to be located just inside the main entrance.

Aper is also welcoming twice the usual number of new faculty members after a wave of retirements and after welcoming Najiba Benabess as the new dean of the Tabor School of Business on July 1.

She replaces professor Mark Munoz, who served as interim dean after Susan Kruml left in November for another job.

Most recently director of the School of Business and Management at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., Benabess is originally from Morocco and earned her master's degree at Western Illinois University at Macomb and her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

Both degrees are in economics.

Economics impact our daily lives and shape the world around us, Benabess said. I like economics because it intersects with many other disciplines, including law, social science, psychology, education, computer science and political science and international studies.

She added that she hopes to strengthen the Tabor School of Business by enhancing the educational experience and further developing the faculty.

As for new academic majors, three are the School of Education and designed to produce the kind of educators that are in demand.

They are early childhood developmental therapy, instructional development and Spanish education (the latter pending approval from the Illinois State Board of Education).

Associate professor Christie Magoulias, the school's director, said Millikin is the only college downstate offering the coursework to become a developmental therapist for young children and their families and that the instructional development major is for students who would like to work for organizations other than schools, such as a YMCA, Boys & Girls Club or children's museum.

As for Spanish education, the school is hoping to get Spanish majors to consider graduating from Millikin with more job options.

Foreign language education and English as a second language instruction has been a high need area in Illinois since the 1990s, Magoulias said.

The other new majors are environmental studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and arts technology in the College of Fine Arts.

For the Decatur School District, a new theater production class will also offer dual credit for the first time to students at Eisenhower and MacArthur high schools.

In other construction news, James said work will begin around Sept. 1 on a $2 million Workman Family Softball Field on the southwest corner of West Eldorado Street and North Oakland Avenue.

The money for the project was provided by university Trustee Gary Workman and his wife, Judy, and it is expected to be complete by the start of the Big Blue softball season in March.
BATON ROUGE, La.  As the floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibsons two-story home, she hacked away at a hole near the roof, desperately trying to get to safety.

She used a saw, a screwdriver and her feet, knocking her way through wood, vinyl and sheet rock.

I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough, the slightly-built, 115-pound woman said. I would saw for a while. Id kick at it for a while.

Eventually, Gibson made it out of her Tangipahoa Parish home with her dogs, and they were all rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat. It was one of thousands of rescues after a deluge dropped more than a foot of rain on parts of Louisiana, submerging roads, cars and homes.

At least three people were killed across the state.

In another dramatic moment, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car that was almost completely submerged, according to video by WAFB. The woman, who is not initially visible on camera, yells from inside the car: Oh my god, Im drowning.

One of the rescuers, David Phung, jumps into the brown water and pulls the woman to safety. She pleads with Phung to get her dog, but he cant find it. After several seconds, Phung takes a deep breath, goes underwater and resurfaces  with the small dog.

Both the woman and dog appeared to be OK.

Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods unprecedented and historic. He and his family were even forced to leave the Governors Mansion when chest-high water filled the basement and electricity was shut off.

Rivers and their tributaries swelled and bulged beyond their banks.

During an aerial tour, an Associated Press reporter saw homes in parts of rural Tangipahoa Parish that looked like little islands among flooded fields.

In the Livingston Parish city of Denham Springs, a suburb of Baton Rouge, entire shopping centers were inundated, only roofs of cars peeking above the water. And in many places, the water was still rising, with days expected before rivers crest.

This is an ongoing event. Were still in response mode, Edwards said, urging residents to heed warnings to evacuate and be prepared for a disaster that could last for several days.

Earlier in the day, Edwards said more than 1,000 people had been rescued. That number appeared to at least double by the end of the day, when Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said 2,000 people in his parish alone had been rescued, and more people still await help.
The company that supplies fingerprint-identification systems to the FBI, the Defense Department and drivers-license agencies in most U.S. states is based in France and describes its technology as French in origin.

But in a lawsuit newly unsealed in federal court in San Jose, plaintiffs identified as two former company executives say the technology was actually developed by a Russian firm, is used by Russias security agency, and could be sabotaged in the event of a crisis.

It is conceivable, the suit said, that the software contains a back door that would enable the Russian government to override fingerprint identification devices in such strategic places (as) the Pentagon, the CIA, the NSA (National Security Agency) and other secure areas, and gain unauthorized entry.

A confidential, 25-year agreement between the French and Russian companies, signed in 2008, includes a declaration by the Russian firm, Papillon ZAO, that its software does not contain any undisclosed back door or other disabling mechanism. But the lawsuit said the declaration has not been independently verified, by either the French firm or any government agency.

That might not matter for routine uses of fingerprint-identification technology, like issuing replacement drivers licenses. But federal agencies also use the technology for more sensitive purposes, like allowing only people with clearances and a matching print on file to gain access to secure areas. Such protections could be bypassed if the technology were hacked.

The national security implications are significant, attorney Daniel Bartley of Campbell said in the lawsuit.

The suit said the French firm, Morpho, and its parent company, Safran Group, also based in France, made surreptitious sales of more than $1 billion in Russian technology to federal, state and local governments in the United States between 2009 and 2015.

Morphos website describes the company as the acknowledged expert in identification systems, and says it supplies technology to the FBI, the Defense and State departments, the Transportation Security Administration, and more than half of all state and local government agencies in the United States.

Bartley described his two clients as whistle-blowers and very credible. One, Philippe Desbois, is a former chief executive officer of Morphos Russian affiliate and was Safrans financial representative in Russia until mid-2014, the suit said. It said the second plaintiff, Vincent Hascoet, was deputy director of an affiliated company, PowerJet, in Moscow from July 2012 through May 2014, and was fired after complaining of corruption. Both are French citizens who live in Russia.

Their suit says Morpho and Safran defrauded the U.S. government and the state of California by falsely claiming their technology as French rather than Russian, violating antitrust laws and presenting false claims for payment. It invokes laws allowing private citizens to collect a portion of any resulting damages, and seeks court orders making the companies ineligible for contracts with the U.S. or the state. It was filed in San Jose because Morpho has an office there.

The allegations havent won any public support from the federal or state governments. Bartley said he presented his evidence to the U.S. Justice Department and the California attorney generals office in a private meeting in July 2015, and both agencies declined to intervene in the case. Bartley also said the federal and state governments, and the governments of many U.S. allies, continue to use Morpho products.

In a statement denouncing the suit, Safran Groups U.S. affiliate said the government agencies exercised due diligence in deciding not to intervene.

The suit contains inflammatory and baseless allegations and lacks merit, Safran U.S. said Thursday. As the leader of the biometric industry for over 42 years, we take the defense of our reputation and security matters about products and solutions very seriously. We are confident that we will successfully defend the case.

Bartley called the statement evasive because it did not address the central claim that the technology in Safran and Morpho products is actually Russian. The attorney, who has filed many such suits for different clients, said the federal government seldom chooses to intervene, but hes puzzled by officials apparently calm response to these allegations.

Its hard for me to understand why something like this wouldnt have resulted in swift action and alarm bells going off in Washington, Bartley said.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the suit.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
DECATUR  Having escaped the traditional role for women in her homeland of Tajikistan, which includes submitting to an arranged marriage, Mehrangez Rahwatova is starting a new life at Millikin University.

The 20-year-old arrived in June with plans to take science and business classes and encourage her peers to step out of the box other people are trying to put them in.

Rahwatova said she broke free, despite fears that mounted mounted every time parents of a son came to her folks to ask for her hand.

I was really scared because I couldn't imagine living the way my parents wanted, she said. I said to them, I will either go (or die). 

Fortunately, Rahwatova had not only gotten a taste of Western living four years earlier attending Konawaena High School in Hawaii as part of the U.S. State Department's Future Leader Exchange program, she'd also built a powerful ally in her host mother, Pamela Wang.

Wang raised the funds and jumped through the bureaucratic hoops to bring Rahwatova back to Hawaii in January and enroll her in community college after her parents pressured her to leave an economics education program in Tajikistan, a mountainous central Asian country bordered by China and Afghanistan.

While there, an English professor Tanya Dean pointed her toward Millikin, a school that had more to offer without being too big.

My community college was new and there weren't any clubs or a wide range of classes, she said. I really wanted to come to the mainland and experience the middle of the United States without getting lost.

Rahwatova jumped into campus life at Millikin last month as as part of the Long-Vanderburg Scholarship Program's five-day leadership academy for first-year students.

The scholars program provides historically under-represented honors students interested in social justice the chance to enroll at Millikin. The Caterpillar Inc. Foundation has been a primary supporter.

Rahwatova said hearing the story of Caring Black Men impressed her, she hopes she can find someone in the community like founder Jeffrey Perkins to mentor her.

She said she has already fallen in love with Decatur and appreciates the faster pace and greater cultural diversity than what she experienced in Hawaii.

In Tajikistan, she said the few women working outside the home are teachers, nurses and market people, and even they can only be found in the bigger cities.

In the United States, the field is wide open.

There are so many goals, Rahwatova said. Because I have been so much supported, I really want to help others achieve their full potential. I am interested in entrepreneurship and owning a consulting business of my own.

She's not waiting for graduation, however, and wants to start a club on campus for would-be trailblazers like herself and give a voice to people who feel they have none.

Rahwatova recalls a childhood of sewing with her stepmother, milking cows by hand and helping out at home; yet still being seen by her parents as a financial burden unless she were married.

It made me want to show them I can be better than a son, she said.
Brennan Linsley/Associated Press

Language in the voter information guide for and against an initiative to legalize marijuana use in California will undergo a few revisions, in response to court rulings Friday that found both sides of the issue making some questionable claims in their arguments.

Both supporters and opponents of Proposition 64 on the November ballot had filed lawsuits in Sacramento County Superior Court this month claiming that the other side had overstated certain arguments.
WASHINGTON  When Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife shot 14 people to death in San Bernardino, Calif., in December, law enforcement agents raced to track down one of their best leads: the guns used in the attack.

Within hours, they had identified Enrique Marquez Jr., Farooks neighbor, who provided background on the couple and was later indicted on terrorism and firearms charges.

Yet despite the urgency of the gun trace, and hundreds of similar searches conducted every day, it was a decidedly low-tech affair behind the scenes.

Rather than using supercomputers and government databases, gun traces today are still done in largely the same way they were in the 1970s, often relying on paper files, microfilm, telephone calls and shoe leather.

This is much harder than the average person thinks it should be, said Neil Troppman, a manager at the Justice Department center that runs the traces.

At an office in Martinsburg, W.Va., the departments Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives combs through nearly 1,200 requests a day from law enforcement agencies nationwide seeking to trace guns to their first retail sales.

Its important to know where the gun was first sold, Troppman said. That is a very good clue for law enforcement.

The work would be far easier for the ATFs staff of 50 employees and 300 contractors if there were a national electronic database of gun owners and sales. But the National Rifle Association and other gun advocates have opposed that.

A trace starts with a request from a law enforcement agency. An analyst next enters the guns serial number into a privately operated database maintained by about 40 large firearms makers or wholesalers. They voluntarily set it up after being unable individually to keep up with the flood of requests. Though companies own the database, federal officials have access to search serial numbers to learn the name of the retailer that received the weapon.

If the gun-maker is not part of the database, federal officials must call the manufacturer to learn where the gun was distributed.

The analyst next calls the wholesaler or retailer, which is obligated under a 1968 law to keep records of each weapon it receives and who bought it.

In addition to a ledger of their sales, retailers must have gun-buyers fill out a federal form, known as 4473, which includes their name, address, phone number, physical description and other personal information, including criminal record, citizenship and drug use. They must also disclose whether they are purchasing the weapon for themselves or someone else. Such information is forwarded to the investigating agency that requested it.

We get this first purchaser and figure out where he sold it or who he gave it to, said ATF Agent Dave Scott, chief of the bureaus firearms tracing branch. Now they have another person to talk to.

The job is more complicated when the dealer has gone out of business.

By law, defunct retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers are required to ship their records to the ATF. And truckloads arrive at the center each day  so much that the 140,000-square-foot centers floor buckled under the weight a few years ago.

Now the ATF keeps only 10,000 boxes in the center. The rest are stored outside in a row of nine rented trailers.

And the boxes keep coming. Since January, the agency has received about 2 million 44firearms transaction forms and ledgers a month, up 67 percent from last year.

We are not really sure why we have seen this increase, Troppman said.

The newly arrived records are sorted and cataloged before being digitized on four large sized scanners that churn through about 400,000 records a day. The forms and ledgers are uploaded into an ATF database of nearly 250 million firearms records from defunct vendors.

That total soon will increase to 800 million when the agency finishes digitally converting its collection of records on microfilm. For decades, the ATF had converted paper records to microfilm to reduce storage costs and to make searching records easier.

Its not a database in the true sense of the word  the ATF calls it a repository. Because it is precluded by law from creating a database or registry of gun owners or firearm transactions, the ATF is required to scan the records in such a way that they cant be queried or turned into searchable files.

In essence, the agency has created a virtual filing cabinet that must be combed much the same way an analyst would flip through a real one, rather than punching in serial numbers to find records.

And since firearms dealers are not required to use standardized sales ledgers, those records arrive in all sorts of formats. They might come on floppy disks, hard drives, large pieces of paper and index cards. They are not always in the best shape. Analysts routinely process moldy, torn or even singed paperwork.

Nat Avella, a supervisory firearms tracing specialist, has been chasing guns for 23 years. He traced the guns tied to Timothy J. McVeigh, who was responsible for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and those used by the two teenagers who killed 13 people and wounded 20 more at Colorados Columbine High School in 1999.

His analysts helped determine that the assault rifles used in the San Bernardino terrorist attack in December had been purchased at Los Angeles-area sporting goods stores. They also worked on the recent killings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La.

One recent trace led to the discovery of a murder victim. The mans stolen gun was found at a crime scene and, armed with ATFs trace information, police found his body at home when they went to check out the lead.

We see so many a day, Avella said. It is satisfying when you trace a gun to somebody else, and you know they can maybe find more suspects or provide a lead.
RIO DE JANEIRO  Maya DiRado had been on the edge of tears all day Friday, so much so that she ordered everyone within range to quiet down and give her space as she prepared for her final individual swim of the Olympics, the 200-meter backstroke.

In the final 20 meters of the race, that emotion was channeled into energy, and energy produced victory. DiRado, the former NCAA champion for Stanford, tracked down Katinka Hosszu of Hungary in the final lap and won her first individual gold medal to go with a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle relay, silver in the 400-meter individual medley and bronze in the 200 IM.
NEW YORK  One judge ruled the DNA evidence was scientifically sound. Another, just miles away, tossed it out as unreliable.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a bill that would automatically register eligible Illinois residents to vote when they obtain or renew a drivers license or state identification card.

But in a veto message Friday, the first-term Republican offered a series of recommended changes that he said would earn his signature.

I strongly support efforts to encourage greater voter participation in our democracy and share the goals of this legislation, Rauner said Friday. Unfortunately, as currently drafted, the bill would inadvertently open the door to voter fraud and run afoul of federal election law.

Rauner vowed to continue working with supporters to craft a version that meets our shared goals while complying with federal law and preventing voter fraud.

Proponents of the bill, including sponsor state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, say it would remove barriers to the ballot box and at the same time save money for the state and local governments by streamlining the registration process.

Eligible residents can currently choose to register to vote or update their registration at drivers license facilities operated by the secretary of states office, but the bill would make registration automatic unless someone opts out. Each persons information would be sent to the Illinois State Board of Elections for verification and then to local election authorities, who would handle the actual registration.

But in his veto message, Rauner said the bill lawmakers approved does not plainly and clearly describe the process that supporters say would be used to ensure the integrity of the states voter rolls.

Rauner argued that the Illinois State Board of Elections might not have access to the citizenship information it would need to weed out those who are ineligible to vote. The responsibility should be handled by an agency with access to citizenship records before a voters registration is processed, he said.

The governor also recommended a series of other changes, including giving the elections board more time to implement the new system and requiring the secretary of states office to verify that people who are already registered wish to update their address information.

The General Assembly passed the bill with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities in both chambers, and lawmakers could attempt to override Rauner when they return to Springfield in November for their fall veto session.

Automatic voter registration was one of the few issues that brought Democrats and Republicans together in both houses of the legislature this spring, Manar said. I am disappointed the governor chose to veto this very good, very important measure.

He and other supporters vowed to continue working to implement automatic voter registration.

Whats uncertain is whether the Republicans who initially supported the bill will break with Rauner to support an override.

One of those supporters was state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, who said he needs to study Rauners proposed changes before casting judgment.

I think the perspective hes provided here is useful, Barickman said, adding that the governor and supporters of the bill clearly share the goal of creating a more efficient voter registration system, which would be good for democracy and  for taxpayers, who want to see our government operate more efficiently.

Other Republicans who voted in favor of the bill include state Sens. Chapin Rose of Mahomet and Neil Anderson of Rock Island and state Rep. Terri Bryant of Murphysboro.

California, Oregon, West Virginia and Vermont have already implemented automatic registration.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  Six years ago, Aimee Fogg traveled to Belgium to learn about her great-uncle's death in World War II. Today, she has a new appreciation for life  and a growing collection of adopted relatives.

The men and women she now considers family share one thing in common: a loved one buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Homburg, Belgium.

By the end of the war, it was the largest temporary American cemetery in Europe. Many of the 17,000 soldiers have been returned to the United States for burial, but nearly 8,000 remain.

Fogg, who lives in Gilford, N.H., has collected stories and photos about the 40 New Hampshire men and the 25 from Vermont buried at Henri-Chapelle and published them in a pair of books. She's now documenting the accounts of 54 soldiers from Maine. She started off thinking she'd be satisfied with five stories, but as she gained momentum, she was inspired to continue.

"It would be really easy for me to stop, but it's just as easy to keep going, now that I've got a rhythm and system," she said.

That system includes ordering "Individual Deceased Personnel Files" for each man, which can take two years to be delivered. In the meantime, she scours enlistment records in the National Archives and genealogy sites, and then contacts town libraries, historical societies and other organizations. Finally, she reaches out to friends and family members of the fallen soldiers.

"I like to know them. I like to know the person behind the name," she said. "My poor husband can't keep track of all these families. I've gained many, many grandmothers, aunts, and uncles."

Sometimes, her research turns up distressing information  in one case, a soldier's widow was later charged with killing their 2-year-old son. But she sticks to the positive.

"There are a lot of family secrets that come out when I'm working on these stories, but I tell family members I'm not interested in those kinds of details ... I'm not looking to open up old wounds  this project is a celebration of life."

Fogg does many interviews by phone, but one woman in Vermont was adamant that they meet in person, so she and her family made the several-hour-long drive. The woman, whose brother is buried at Henri-Chapelle, was waiting in the driveway.

"She opened the passenger side door and she gave me a hug," Fogg said. "As she was hugging me, she said, 'I've been waiting 70 years for you.'"

Claudette Bayko, of Somersworth, New Hampshire, grew up knowing that her uncle, David Gilbert, was killed in World War II and buried in Belgium, but not much else. In 2009, she sent a wreath to be placed at the cross marking his grave. In 2011, she got a call from her city's historical society saying Fogg was trying to reach her.

With help from a cousin who remembered Gilbert, Bayko and Fogg pieced together his past, including that he had dropped out of high school 10 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor to follow two older brothers into the Army. Because he never graduated, Gilbert's name isn't listed on a war memorial at Somersworth High School, and that always bothered Bayko.

So she is grateful that he is included in Fogg's book.

"I have two grandsons that now know that their great-great-uncle was our family hero," she said. "And Aimee is my heroine for resurrecting David."
In its sixth annual summer program, the Armenian Higher Education Initiative (AHEI)  in cooperation with the American University of Armenia and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation  undertook an intensive examination of the concept of homo sovieticus and how this idea can be approached from a wide variety of angles.

The program brought together 20 exceptional graduate students in the fields of anthropology, sociology, ethnography, philology, oriental studies, Middle Eastern studies, international law, and history, and they represented universities in Armenia, the US, Russia, and India.

The program also brought together leading experts in a similar range of fields, and seminar and lecture topics included the fundamentals of archival research, migration in the Soviet period, gender movement and policy throughout the Soviet period, Yerevan city planning and its reflection of Soviet ideology, the role of the church during the Soviet period, and other related aspects of Soviet- and post-Soviet life. Participants met with researchers at the National Archives, and they had the opportunity to view and discuss Tigran Paskevichyans documentary film on the post-World War II repatriation movement and subsequent Stalinist repression with the films creator. In addition, participants met with Hazel Antaramian Hofman, the daughter of post-war repatriates, who shared her family experience with the group and provided invaluable insight into the harsh reality experienced by repatriating families during this period.

Participants will spend the upcoming months conducting group research projects, the topics for which were discussed in formal presentation sessions at the end of the program. Groups will investigate such topics as the role of repatriates in de-conditioning Soviet practices; public practices and the ideologies that influenced those practices; the reality versus official rhetoric of Stalinist purges; and how neighboring countries, including Turkey, were represented in Soviet Armenian textbooks from the 1930s to the 1970s.

The AHEI continues to both build upon its existing programs, and also develop new partnerships in its effort to bring exceptional higher education programs to leading Armenian scholars worldwide.
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Typically, toucans don't show up at breakfast unless it's on a box of Froot Loops.

Croaking like frogs, the four of them are eyeing my huevos rancheros from the branch of a vine-entangled tree beside the hotel balcony that also is a favorite hangout for a yard-long, lime-green iguana.

Ninety-three miles away, rainbow parrotfish wait for snorkelers while bobbing around a world-class coral reef. A 30-minute drive from there, spider monkeys shriek from a jungle eternally trying to cover the ninth century ruins of a square-mile Mayan city.

A country as diverse as any of its neighbors  and that you can drive across in 90 minutes  tiny Belize might be the easiest sampler for Central American first-timers. Add on that English is the primary language, the convenient location just south of Mexico, the good roads and a handful of excellent little airlines on which to hopscotch around, and the metaphor starts to seem obvious.

Within a short visit, I planned to spend one day prowling remote Mayan ruins and the next exploring Central America's biggest cave system, then pop over to the turquoise coastline dotted with hundreds of sandy islands perched atop the Mesoamerican Reef  a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's second-largest barrier reef after Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

With luck, I'd still have time to sprawl on the beach, and dive or snorkel with rays, manatees and sharks  preferably ones not as hungry as the toucans.

The slideshow above provides a full recap of my stay in Belize, as well as various tips and facts regarding the locations I visited.

Margo Pfeiff is a Montreal freelance writer. Email: travel@sfchronicle.com
BEIRUT  On the streets of Manbij, men rallied to protest the Islamic State group and women walked with their faces uncovered for the first time in over two-and-a-half years, hours after the militant group was pushed out of the northern Syrian city.

U.S.-backed fighters seized the key Islamic State stronghold late Friday after two months of heavy fighting that killed more than 1000 people and displaced thousands more. The fighters also freed hundreds of civilians the extremists had used as human shields, Syrian Kurdish officials and an opposition activist group said.

The capture of Manbij is the biggest defeat for the extremist group in Syria since July 2015, when they lost the town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey. The capture of Tal Abyad deprived the militant group of a direct route to bring in new foreign militants and supplies.

Manbij is important because it lies on a key supply route between the Turkish border and the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State groups self-styled caliphate.

Manbij had been under the groups control since January 2014, when the extremists evicted other Syrian militants from the town.

The Islamic State groups loss of Manbij comes two months after they lost the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

Nasser Haj Mansour, of the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces, said the town of Manbij is under full control, adding that operations are ongoing to search for any militants who might have stayed behind. The SDF launched its offensive in late May to capture Manbij, and was supported by U.S.-led air strikes.

Amateur videos posted online showed that shortly after SDF fighters captured the town late Friday, scores of residents celebrated in the streets. A man was filmed trimming his own beard with scissors, and then moving to clip the beard of another. Women were able to uncover their faces.

Islamic State imposes a harsh and extreme version of Islam on the territory under its control, including a mandatory dress code.

May God destroy them. They slaughtered us, a young man shouted in a Manbij square. May they not live for a minute.

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to Associated Press reporting of events.
BANGKOK  Police worked to identify suspects Saturday in a series of bombing and arson attacks that struck several tourist towns, killing four people and wounding dozens, including 11 foreigners.

The attacks, which hit Thursday and Friday, came days after a referendum was held in which Thais approved a new constitution that critics say will bolster the power of the military, which has ruled the country since a May 2014 coup. Thai authorities have suggested there were political motives behind the violence, but named no specific suspects. No one has claimed responsibility for any of the 11 bombings.

We hope we may have some suspects today or tomorrow, Police Gen. Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, said Saturday. He did not elaborate, but said that police were gathering evidence and that international militant groups were not believed to be behind the attacks.

The violence appeared aimed at dealing a blow to Thailands tourism industry, which brings in crucial income to the government.

One small bomb exploded on a beach in the popular Patong area of Phuket island, and four others rattled the seaside resort city of Hua Hin, prompting businesses to shut their doors, streets to empty and anxious tourists to huddle inside their hotels. The wounded foreigners included nationals of Austria, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The four who were killed were Thais.

The fatalities came from bombs in Hua Hin, 120 miles south of Bangkok, and the cities of Surat Thani and Trang, farther south. All of the affected destinations  which also included Phang Nga and Krabi, as well as Phuket  are popular with foreign and Thai tourists.

Pongsapat said the perpetrators are believed to be still inside the country.

Voice TV and other media outlets reported that police in Nakhon Si Thammarat had arrested a 67-year-old man who is suspected of being responsible for a fire at a supermarket in the southern city that the authorities had listed in the series of attacks. Police said they found evidence at his home and in electronic devices they had confiscated from him that he was involved in an active political movement against the government. But they did not explicitly link him to the other attacks.

Foreign governments, including the United States, issued warnings urging travelers to use caution and avoid affected areas. Many tourists on Saturday were resuming their vacations while being watchful for any sign of trouble.

While police and other officials have suggested opponents of the military government may have been behind the attacks, they also have acknowledged signs that Muslim separatists from the countrys south could have had a hand in the violence.

Royal Thai Police Col. Krisana Patanacharoen said the bombings followed a similar pattern used in the southern parts of the country  a reference to a low-level insurgency in the largely Islamic south.
Armenias Ministry of Culture will allocate 100.8 million AMD ($212,000) to a NGO run by the son of an advisor to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

The money is to go to the Support Classical Music NGO in order to organize a holiday commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Armenias independence no September 21.

Sergey Smbatyan is the president of the NGO. Sergeys father is Armen Smbatyan, an adviser to President Sargsyan.

For comparative purposes, it should be noted that in 2016 the government allocated 64.8 million AMD to the Ministry of Culture for supporting the publication of literature, including the works of young writers, childrens and diasporan literature, and translations.
ISTANBUL  Turkish authorities have prepared an official request for the temporary arrest of United States-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen over his alleged involvement in the coup attempt on July 15, Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency said Saturday.

The request by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutors office claims it has determined the coup was staged on orders by Gulen and asks that he be arrested prior to the submission of a formal extradition request. The petition has been submitted to Turkeys Justice Ministry for it to be relayed to U.S. authorities, Anadolu said.
Film: "Rustom"; Director: Tinu Suresh Desai; Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ileana D'Cruz and Esha Gupta and Arjan Bajwa; Rating:***

A picture-perfect Naval officer, highly decorated, principled, patriotic and deeply in love with his wife, comes ashore quicker than expected and catches his wife cheating with his best friend.

Since the husband is played by the remarkably evolved Akshay Kumar, we are mercifully spared the hysterical aftermath of an inherently melodramatic crime of passion that shook and stirred Mumbai's beau monde in the year 1959.

That was the celebrated K.M. Nanavati case, known to change the way we look at the laws regarding crimes of passion.

"Rustom" plucks the core of the crime, unplugs the theme of infidelity from its original context and plays deviously around with the facts to create a semi-fiction 'what-if' scenario where the characters hurl towards what the film's writers would like to think of as an unexpectedly shocking ending.

It's like watching a true-life crime story from Shyam Benegal, done in Walt Disney studios. The passion and drama feels real, thanks to a solid sincere central performance. But the manner in which the story unfolds suggests that no harm can come to this world of fragile, blemished but unbreakable Utopia.

The director, who last visited London in the year 1920 in London 1920, takes to Mumbai in 1959 with a ferocious fulsomeness. There is a cardboard voluptuousness about the sets, including the courtroom where most of the drama in the second-half unfolds.

The accents are exaggerated and excitable, and the make-up is lush, accented ripe and crimson, as though to highlight the theme's deep-rooted affinity to Alfred Hitchcock and Brian de Palma's film noire .

Desai tackles the tender and powerful moments in the plot with all the skill at his disposal. Many of the potentially powerful moments suffer from the want of respite. The pace is breathy and anxious.

The idea is to grab the restless audiences' attention without inundating them in periodicity. The plot is therefore pulled forward with an urgent tug where we are led to believe that there is more to this crime against infidelity than meets the eye.

By the time the shock end bounces into the stylised courtroom (more akin to B.R. Chopra's "Kanoon" than Subhash Kapoor's "Jolly LLB"), we are not left with much room to absorb the enormity of the 'revelation'

The makers of "Rustom" were right. This is not the Nanavati case that shook Mumbai in 1959. The 1963 film "Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke" was much closer in spirit to the real crime. And the bewitching Leela Naidu as the unfaithful wife...ummm... killed it.

Ileana D'Cruz as the wife is distressfully apologetic and sniveling. Why must her infidelity be seen as an accidental slip and why she be the hand-wringing lip-biting penitent wife who worships her husband for being such a pillar of strength during times of marital adversity?

If only the script had the guts to say that what we all know -- that women with absentee husbands do stray from the marital fold -- this film could have been a powerful voice for a spouseless wife's sexual needs the way Aruna Raje's "Rihaee" was so many years ago.

Instead in "Rustom", Ileana is shrill and repentant like Reena Roy in "Bezubaan" after photographer Naseeruddin Shah seduced and blackmailed her.

It is all the randy philanderer Arjan Bajwa's fault, you see. Why oh why did he seduce the wife?

Some of the supporting roles such Bajwa's philanderer, Esha Gupta as his vengeful sister, Pavan Malhotra as the investigating police officer and Kumud Mishra as Russy Karanjia-modelled tabloid editor, throw forward interesting possibilities but remain shadowy figures meant to contour the heroic dimensions of the main protagonist.

"Rustom" is unmistakably a vehicle to showcase Akshay Kumar's power to portray spiritual transparency during times of stressful betrayal and deception. He does so with a sincerity that is at times heartbreaking and at other times reassuring.

After "Airlift", this is one more performance from Akshay that proves he can hold the camera without making overt attempts to get our attention.

Most of the second-half of "Rustom" is a courtroom drama with Akshay fighting his own case. Indicative of the film's battle ahead.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On a street lined with blue ribbons and American flags -- at a time when blue ribbons aren't just blue ribbons, and American flags aren't just American flags -- a lawn ornament as big as a billboard greets honking cars.

The giant "T" sign, as Staten Islanders and the rest of the country know by now, is artist Scott Lobaido's tribute to GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. It sits on Sam Pirozzolo's Castleton Corners lawn, bigger, huger than ever.

For months, it was just another one of Pirozzolo's colorful decorations -- his Castleton Corners neighbors love his Christmas displays, they said on a 90 degree day that felt like 103. They appreciated his political signs in the past, too.

Then one night, the T was burned down. Days later, Lobaido built a larger T. Protesters came. Supporters came. Trump called. And now, the street corner is in the crosshairs of the most divisive campaign season in recent history, fueled by the ugliness and anonymity of social media but waged on Staten Island's own front lawn.

"My concern is that all of this horribleness is on my street," said one neighbor who preferred to not use her name out of safety concerns. "I'm afraid. And I can't believe how bad it's gotten."

Up the block, Willie Peterson sat shirtless on his porch, watching the traffic on Manor Road and trying to cool off with a soda. He said Pirozzolo can do whatever he wants -- both candidates are full of crap anyway, he said.

"But this is one of the craziest elections I've ever seen, and I'm 60 years old; I've seen a lot of elections," Peterson said. "And it's never come to a neighborhood like this before."

'WE'VE LOST CIVILITY'

As it stands, the sign is too big: It violates the city Buildings Department's height restrictions for residential properties, a spokesman said Friday. An inspector was on site Thursday, and the department will soon determine what enforcement action is warranted.

"I know my rights," Lobaido said. "Been doing this for 25 years. The T will be up till the election. I will take it to court again if I must."

The sign's existence transcends Donald Trump, its owner said.

"It's about being allowed to subtly express support for the candidate without fear," Pirozzolo said. "Help other people express their first amendment rights without getting punched in the face or getting eggs thrown at them."

Pirozzolo watched his sign get burned down though, and has experienced protesting in front of his house -- between calls of support from neighbors and fans across the country, whom he thanked.

The response has walked a fine line between civil free speech and the kind of free speech that gets ugly. Here's what the scene looked like from one protester's view.

Pirozzolo, like many of his neighbors, said the fire changed his view of the election, though it reaffirmed what he's always thought of liberals.

"I think we've lost civility in this country," he said. "And the reason we've lost it is that if you look at what happens with participation trophies, safe spaces on college campuses -- we've coddled our youth into thinking there's no losing. They can do whatever they want, and if they do something wrong, it's okay just don't do it next time."

As we spoke, Pirozzolo heard a commotion outside his house: "Right now, there's some moron in a black van with a Hillary Clinton sign, beeping his horn blocking traffic, playing music," he said.

Both he and the driver were safe in the anonymity this election's climate affords us: Pirozzolo, behind his "T," and some moron, behind his car. Except when Pirozzolo went outside, he found the man behind the wheel was a friend of his, who he flagged down to speak with.

"I just told him, 'you gotta be careful, don't do anything stupid' and we shook hands. He's welcome to do whatever just ask long as he stays safe."

FINDING COMMON GROUND

In the fight over who's voting for the better candidate, the superior Facebook comment, the bigger "T," there are some who say they'd like to see things turn the other way.

Sara Signorelli, an artist and educator, sought to reach the same kind of discourse Pirozzolo found with his passing motorist. She lives a couple blocks away from Pirozzolo, in a house that faces increasingly infuriating traffic problems.

"We've reached a boiling point here. It's not a nice place any more," she said as she watched her young daughter play in their living room.

"I walk by that sign with my daughter, and all I can see is 'Hang that b****' [a refrain from Trump rallies of Hillary Clinton]."

She said she wouldn't be opposed to putting an "H" on her lawn, since she doesn't believe Clinton inspires the same kind of violence as Trump. But her decision to publicly protest the sign was more about Lobaido's response than the candidates themselves, she said.

"He did it without even thinking about safety measures, or maybe making a statement to neighbors, or even waiting 24 hours for the police to finish their investigation," Signorelli said.

Lobaido said safety shouldn't be a concern: "There will be a series of high-end cameras installed, watching every angle and the community is doing watches."

"I didn't think of running it by anyone," he added. "Passion sometimes takes over every other thought. Plus, Sam's wife and kids were persistent about putting it back up. I had not heard one of the 140 neighbors at the unveiling mention any concern."

Still, Signorelli is hoping to find some common ground with the people she disagrees with politically. After Lobaido erected the replacement "T," she had a long conversation with him, artist-to-artist, about his work, Donald Trump and the response to the fire.

Here's the full interview:

WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?

Miles away from Manor Road, in the Stapleton Houses, a mural with fresh paint colors an otherwise drab surrounding. In the mural, fists hold up flowers. They represent an unofficial motto among the residents: "Guns down, fists up." If you're going to disagree with someone -- politically or otherwise -- at least do it face-to-face, the young artists explained.

The same could be said of the huge "T." Pirozzolo and others have seen what happens when anonymity is removed, and hands are shaken. But with the ugliness of this political season, will that make any difference?

When asked what could be done to stop the nastiness of the war waging on his front lawn -- if there's any way to resolve political differences in a more civil way -- Pirozzolo answered swiftly:

"Elect Donald Trump."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A pedestrian was injured after being hit by a motorcycle in Stapleton Friday afternoon, according to an FDNY spokesman.

At approximately 3:54 p.m., emergency units arrived to the corner of Targee Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, where a male suffered minor injuries after being hit by a motorcycle, according to the spokesman.

One individual on scene, who was friends with the victim and witnessed the crash, identified the man as Nelson Rodriguez, 50, of Stapleton.

The witness, who preferred to remain anonymous, said Rodriguez was standing near the sidewalk along Vanderbilt Avenue when the motorcycle made contact with him.

"He was just standing there and this guy on the motorcycle came flying by and shot him right up into the air," said the witness. "Then the guy just took off."

The victim was transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze, with minor injuries, the spokesman said.

The witness described the alleged motorist to authorities as a white male with a black and silver motor bike.

It is unclear at this time if the driver of the vehicle has been apprehended by police.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Zhong Yi Wu, who lives in Brooklyn, travels to Staten Island six days a week to his stand in the Staten Island Mall, where he sits in his chair with his charcoal and canvas, drawing.

His creations are from images he sees in photographs.

"Every day I just wake up and and draw pictures," said the artist, who has been creating his artwork at the mall for over two decades.

Wu said most people bring wedding pictures or baby pictures for him to draw. Personal photos he draws can cost up to $600.

On a recent summer day, Wu worked on a drawing of Citi Field, home to the New York Mets.

The artist said it would take him at least two weeks to complete the picture of Citi Field. Watch the video above to check out his work in progress.

Wu's stand holds several works of art, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe and sketches and paintings of famous New York City attractions -- such as Times Square and the Staten Island Ferry.

The 60-year-old artist has been drawing for 50 years, and first came to the United States from Shanghai in 1987 to study fine arts in San Francisco.

Just a year later, he left San Francisco to study fine arts in New York. In 1995, he opened his stand in the Staten Island Mall, where he continues to draw.

He has completed almost 400 portraits and almost 100 New York landscapes since he opened his stand at the mall.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In the span of a week, three young Staten Islanders tragically took their lives, including the heartbreaking suicide of a 13-year-old West Brighton boy who says he was bullied.

On Thursday, Daniel Fitzpatrick hanged himself in the attic of his Davis Avenue home, his family told the Daily News. Daniel's older sister found him dead around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the report said.

Last month, Daniel reportedly penned a letter detailing his struggles with bullying at the Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Brooklyn.

In the letter, he says he was injured after he was forced to defend himself when a couple of kids picked a fight.

"I ended up fighting .... and got a fractured pinkie," Daniel wrote.

Even after the scuffle, the kids, one a former friend, kept bullying him, and the school ignored his complaints, the teen wrote.

"They didn't do ANYTHING!" he said in the letter.

One teacher, he wrote, was kind to him, but even she couldn't stop the abuse.

"She was the nicest teacher," Danny wrote. "She understood and did something but it didn't last."

"I wanted to get out. I begged and pleaded -- eventually I did. I failed -- I failed but I didn't care I was out that's all that matters."

The night before Daniel's death, a 38-year-old woman took her life.

Aracelis Abreu Leung was found unconscious at 7:42 p.m. in the back seat of a Buick SUV parked in the rear parking lot at 66 Old Town Road in Dongan Hills, according to a law enforcement source.

Her husband made the gruesome discovery, police said.

Authorities found suicide notes in the back of the car and a compressed tank of nitrogen, prompting a hazmat response, police said.

She was pronounced dead at Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze.

According to her obituary, Leung was a graphic designer for kids' and babies' clothing.

"She was a very loving person, always looking out and taking care of others," the obituary said.

On Monday, the body of Joshua Milinazzo, of Bulls Head, was found floating in Raritan Bay off New Jersey by a fisherman at about 10:30 a.m., according to Sgt. Gregory Willliams of the New Jersey State Police.

The 27-year-old father jumped off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Aug. 4, Williams said.

Portions of the bridge were closed that day after authorities found an abandoned vehicle on the Brooklyn-bound side of the span. There was a note left in the front seat, according to an NYPD spokesman.

According to the MTA, the disabled vehicle was found at 4:30 a.m. after an unconfirmed report of a jumper. At about 5:44 a.m., the car was removed and taken into custody by the NYPD's 68th Precinct.

Milinazzo was reported missing from his Bulls Head home that same day, according to an NYPD source.

"Josh was an amazing father, son and brother who served in the US Navy," according to a GoFundMe page set up on behalf of his family.

This is not the first time Staten Island has seen a rash of suicides in a short span.

In early 2015, Laura Fasano, a 37-year-old from Mariners Harbor, died after jumping off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge a week before a 54-year-old Concord woman, Linda Afriyie, leaped in front of subway train in Manhattan, cops said.

A third woman, 34, who was not identified by police, suffered non-fatal injuries when she jumped from the fourth-floor window of her apartment building in St. George two weeks prior to those incidents.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for ages 10-34 and fourth for ages 35-54 in 2014.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The father of the 13-year-old West Brighton boy who committed suicide posted an emotional video where he calls the kids who bullied his son "monsters."

"They're monsters.. disgusting little monsters," Daniel Fitzpatrick says in the nearly 20 minute Facebook video. "I hope the memory of what you've done to my son is burned in your brain for the rest of your life and you suffer as much as he has suffered."

"Danny was a kind, gentle, little soul," he said. "He didn't have a mean bone in his body."

On Thursday, the younger Daniel Fitzpatrick hanged himself in the attic of his Davis Avenue home, his family told the Daily News. Daniel's older sister found him dead around 5:30 p.m., the report said.

In a letter penned last month, Daniel detailed his struggle with bullying at the Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Brooklyn.

In the letter, he says he was injured after he was forced to defend himself when a couple of kids picked a fight.

"I ended up fighting .... and got a fractured pinkie," Daniel wrote.

Even after the scuffle, the kids, one a former friend, kept bullying him, and the school ignored his complaints, the teen wrote.

"They didn't do ANYTHING!" he said in the letter.

In the video, Fitzpatrick says he took his son to see the principal, and was told by school officials "He'll be fine"..." He's in counseling"... "You have to try harder Danny"... "Children can be horrible creatures," the dad says in the tearful video.

The teen was in counseling and seeing the school's guidance counselor regularly, according to a spokeswoman for the Brooklyn Archdiocese.

His complaints, she said, were not ignored and the staff feels they did everything they could to help him.

"Every teacher and principal are heartbroken over this," the spokeswoman said. "They loved and cared about Daniel."

In a letter sent to parents at Holy Angels Catholic Academy, the principal, Rosemarie McGoldrick, said bullying incidents are treated "thoughtfully and thoroughly."

"I continue to pray for Daniel and for his family as they cope with this unimaginable loss," McGoldrick says in the letter.

However, Daniel's dad wishes the parents of the kids who tormented his son never have to feel what he's feeling, and says he can't hold his son, but they get to hold their children every day and every night.

"I'm heartbroken," he says in the video. "I'm wearing his shoes so I know what it's like, so I can at least try to feel what he felt."

"I miss my son," he continued. "I just want to hear him say 'good morning dad' one more time and I can say 'good morning, I love you,' which would I say every day."

A GoFundMe page has been set up in Daniel's memory, seeking to give him "a proper memorial, as well as shine a bright light on the bullying that killed him."
Update: The defendant is a volunteer for Janine Materna, who is challenging Castorina in September's primary. Click here for more.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 55-year-old Port Richmond woman faces harassment and stalking charges after she was arrested for allegedly sending a series of bizarre packages to South Shore Assemblyman Ronald Castorina Jr.

Marylynn Cellamare, a Lexington Avenue resident, was arrested Friday night.

The incidents began around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, when Castorina, a Republican, received three FedEx envelopes at two different personal addresses, sent by Cellamare, containing a white sheet of paper with the word "greetings," according to allegations in the criminal complaint.



The letters were mailed from Post Office branch at 364 Port Richmond Ave. a day prior and had a return address with the defendant's name on it, authorities allege.

At noon that same day, Castorina received a notice from FedEx at a personal address regarding a package waiting at the company's office at 2400 Richmond Terrace. That package also contained a white sheet of paper with the word "greetings" on it, police said.

And on Friday, Cellamare was inside her home when she dialed the assemblyman and continuously stated "Mr. Castorina, Mr. Castorina, hello," police allege.

The suspect allegedly admitted to police sending the packages, but told authorities "I don't recall calling the assemblyman, but I might have," the complaint states.

She was charged with second-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree stalking.

She was arraigned on Saturday and released on her own recognizance.

An order of protection was issued barring her from contacting Castorina.

In an interview with the Advance on Friday, the assemblyman told the Advance the letters were sent to his home in Richmond Valley, his vacation home on the New Jersey Shore, and his parents' address.

"It caused my mom and dad a lot of grief and fear and concern," Castorina said.

"I don't believe anybody in public service should have to deal with this. It's a very scary time for my family and I," he said.

Castorina upset Democrats in June when he referred to abortion as "African-American genocide," pointing to the high rate of abortion among black women.

As he spoke, many Assembly members rose to ask him to yield the floor, but he repeatedly answered, "Respectfully, no." Several minutes later, a few dozen lawmakers got up and walked out.

Last week, Castorina stood with Councilman Joe Borelli and police officers to discuss a "Blue Lives Matter" bill he is sponsoring that would make assaulting a police officer a hate crime.

But he told the Advance on Friday that he is certain the threats are unrelated.
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North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey is likely to attract the attention of the AFL's match review panel this week, after making contact with Sam Mitchell that might be considered too high.

If found guilty he risks suspension, which could hardly come at a worse time for North Melbourne.

Brent Harvey leads off the defeated Kangaroos, but will there be a sequel at the match review panel? Credit:Getty Images

The once ladder leaders have fallen down the rankings to eighth spot and now face the possibility of being replaced in the top eight by a late-blooming St Kilda.

With just two games to go, North face two high-quality teams in Sydney and GWS.
Australian businessman Dick Smith has won the battle of the patriotic spreads with a court ruling in favour of his OzEmite brand in a long-running trademark dispute with family-owned brand AussieMite.

But the makers of AussieMite have vowed to take their fight all the way to the High Court, claiming Mr Smith has used his money and clout to "crush" them.

Illustration: Matt Golding

Ozemite versus Aussiemite.

The Federal Court on Friday gave Mr Smith the green light to continue selling his OzEmite-branded yeast extract spread, overturning a ruling last year by Intellectual Property Australia.
The angry men of the Fox News lineup might be its powerbrokers, but it was clear to everyone that she was the station's future. That day conflicting reports broke that Ailes was already out, swaying beneath a golden parachute worth $US40 million ($52 million). The reports were denied. Fox News founder and CEO Roger Ailes has been accused of sexual harrassment. Credit:Getty Images Finally on July 21 Rupert Murdoch, the 21st Century Fox founder and executive co-chairman, issued a statement saying: "To ensure continuity of all that is best about Fox News and what it stands for, I will take over as chairman and acting CEO." Since then more claims have been levelled against Ailes. Between 20 and 30 women are thought to have spoken with the law firm conducting 21st Century Fox's internal investigation, and Sherman himself says he has interviewed more than 20. Fox News star Megyn Kelly says Ailes harrassed her 10 years ago. Credit:Chris Carlson

"And I am just one reporter," he told Fairfax Media. He believes in the end up to 100 women might come forward. The allegations that have been made public  some of which echo those Sherman first revealed in a 2014 book about Ailes  follow a similar pattern. Ailes offers young female recruits advancement and pay rises in return for sex, it is alleged. One woman, Laurie Luhn, a former talent booker for Fox News who began working with Ailes at his media consulting company in 1990, broke a non-disclosure agreement to describe to Sherman what she considers to be two decades of sexual harassment and psychological torture, ending with a Fox News payout. Gretchen Carlson's sexual harassment lawsuit has prompted other women to come forward. Credit:AP News that Ailes had resigned broke when much of the Republican Party and the media that covers it were gathered in Cleveland for the GOP convention, and it left people stunned. Ailes was more than a powerful media executive and ally to the Republican cause. He was the man who had shaped the modern Republican Party. His career began in television in the 1960s when he rose to be a young executive producer on a variety show. In 1967 he left to become the TV adviser to one of the show's guests, then presidential candidate Richard Nixon.

In the years that followed he combined Nixon's ruthlessness, populism and paranoia with his own genius for television production. In 1996 Murdoch had him found Fox News. Murdoch's biographer, Michael Wolff, told Fairfax Media that more than any other executive in the Murdoch empire, Ailes demanded and was given free rein to run his fiefdom. While other Murdoch media entities around the world pursued a conservative line, none was as populist, dogmatic and strident as Fox News. Ailes' genius, says Wolff, was his "mind meld" with a certain type of American  generally older, white and exurban  people who viewed themselves as among the "silent majority". (It is no coincidence that this was a Nixonian term.) Fox News hosts are typically brash and angry older men  like two of its current stars, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity  or smart and beautiful younger women. The women, under Ailes' direction, wear heavy make-up and bright short dresses and skirts. They generally sit cross-legged before the camera or behind glass desks.

While the channel appalled liberal and centrist critics it has been a stunning success. In 2002, the year it championed George W. Bush's return to office, it overtook CNN as the dominant cable news channel and it has remained in that position ever since. It now, says Sherman, generates about $US1 billion in profits to 21st Century Fox, or about 25 per cent of the company's overall profit. By 2010 the former George W. Bush speechwriter David Frum, a critic of the station, conceded that while the Republican Party once thought Fox worked for it, it now realised the GOP worked for Fox. Ailes v Lachlan and James Ailes' capacity to generate this staggering flow of cash and political might to Murdoch and 21st Century Fox explains the free hand he was given, but it also helps explain his rapid undoing at the hands of Lachlan and James Murdoch. In his book on Ailes and Fox News, titled in full The Loudest Voice in the Room, How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox - and Divided a Country, Sherman relates how Ailes humiliated Lachlan as a young executive in 2005. The younger Murdoch was shaping his career within the organisation when the two butted heads over operational issues. Rather than backing down to Lachlan, Ailes strengthened his backchannel relationship with Rupert, who in the end sided with him, Sherman writes. Lachlan resigned and returned to Australia. Ailes filled the vacuum he left and even took over his office.

He boasted to another visiting executive, "Do you know whose chair I am sitting in? I am sitting in Lachlan Murdoch's chair." What are you going to do with all that power, came the response. "We'll see where it goes." James had a similarly poor relationship with Ailes, and publicly clashed with him over Fox News' stance on climate change. Fox's opinion anchors have long railed against climate science and arguably shaped the current Republican orthodoxy of denial. According to Sherman the relationship was so poor that when James became embroiled in the phone-hacking scandal that engulfed Murdoch's British newspaper interests, Ailes gloated to other executives.

The potential impacts of the scandal are hard to exaggerate. Sherman believes in simple monetary terms, payouts to victims of the alleged harassment could run to hundreds of millions of dollars. A figure now under discussion for one victim alone is about $US20 million. That James and Lachlan were able to counsel their father to so quickly abandon Ailes after the lawsuit was filed demonstrates that the younger Murdochs are more assertive in the organisation now than ever before, says Sherman. But the messages are mixed. By taking over as interim chief executive in Ailes' absence, Murdoch is signalling to his sons that he is not yet ready to cede control to them, says Sherman. They will be judged in part, he says, on how they handle their father too. According to Sherman, Fox News insiders have told him there are fears that this scandal could pose a far more significant threat to the 21st Century Fox empire not just because of the possibility of criminal allegations to come, but because it threatens a far more valuable asset. The newspapers brought down by the phone-hacking scandal contributed prestige and power to the organisation, but not significant revenue. He says it is not inconceivable that James Murdoch, whose experience lies in the digital realm, would consider selling Fox News. The broader cultural impacts are unknowable but likely huge. Earlier this month Lachlan Murdoch told investors that Fox's "unique and important voice" would be protected, but Wolff says he does not buy it.
KW: The term density in reference to the urban density of our city and suburbs is often presented either as a perfect solution that will remediate all the evils of urban sprawl while serving to revitalise and renew our city, or as a horror future where we are increasingly surrounded by soulless high rise buildings. Neither extreme really does justice to the complexities of density and city making, with debates about density and how it might improve a city, or not, often missing many of the nuances of urban planning and city development.

TT: The urban density debate is often seen as divisive and in black or white terms. Are there any simple solutions?

KW: For a start, density is only one measure of a city's built environment and can result in quite different figures depending on how it is calculated (for example are we referring to population density, dwelling density or site density). Increasing density does not automatically result in a better urban environment. Other considerations such as how a building is designed, its location in relation to public transport, employment, schools, shops and open space, accessible and well-designed public spaces are all factors that contribute to a better and more liveable urban environment.

TT: So, like most things in life, the more you look into the debate the more complex it becomes?

KW: Unfortunately so. All these matters and more need to be taken into account when planning for cities and highlight the complexity and multiplicity of factors that influence built environment outcomes. Continued public and professional debate around the desirable attributes of our future cities and how to achieve healthy, vibrant and liveable cities are a welcome aspect of public discourse. However, there also needs to be an improved understanding of different built environment measures, as well as the trade-offs and need to balance a range of different community and political interests that contribute to creating a city that represents community values and aspirations.

TT: But in the Canberra context, I believe you think there may be a case for increased density?

KW: Indeed, density if designed and executed well, can contribute to a range of benefits including improved access to jobs and services, greater transport choice including better access to active transport and public transport and the opportunity for more vibrant public spaces that enhance our community, creating interest and activity.
Over the past few decades the siren song of savings from outsourcing has dashed billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the rocks of reality. But of course, a stripped down public service that sees the minister as their main "customer" often lacks the institutional memory to recall failures past, the confidence to remind new ministers of such lessons, or both. Take the history of IT outsourcing for example. Back in 1997, the then finance minister John Fahey declared that all major IT systems should be outsourced to the private sector in order to improve quality and save money. Sound familiar? According to the subsequent report into the expensive outsourcing shemozzle by the Australian National Audit Office, there were significant problems with "the cost and timeliness of the program, the methodology used to calculate savings, the timing and extent of budget cuts in anticipation of savings, the management of security and privacy issues, the management of the relationship with the strategic adviser, and service delivery disruption". But other than that, it was a "great idea". The kind of innovative, big picture, new thinking that one becomes a minister to pursue. Who cares if it was poorly implemented, the public sector unions hated it and the private consulting companies loved it. Win win. The first recommendation of the ANAO report was "consideration of the advantages to the Commonwealth of having a specific agency assigned responsibility for the conduct and co-ordination of market surveillance and analysis to support and inform strategic planning by agencies for the re-tendering of outsourcing agreements following completion of the initial implementation of the IT Initiative". Wouldn't that have come in handy when the ABS was outsourcing its first ever census? Twenty years later the public is rightly outraged over the ABS's conduct of the first "e-census". And 20 years later it was another Coalition government that decided to save money by running the census online and outsource the task of doing so. No doubt a sacrificial lamb will be found, and the odds of them being a minister are as low as the impending inquiry's terms of references considering whether outsourcing and efficiency dividends might be the "root cause" of Tuesday night's debacle.

There is no doubt that the ABS did a poor job of communicating with the Australian people about the significance of its changes to this year's census. But, and I am sure my friends in the quantitative sciences will forgive me this generalisation, are we really surprised that a large group of the best statisticians in the country are somewhat lacking in PR and communication skills? Neoliberalism has so debased our expectations of the public service that we now take for granted that an underfunded statistical agency struggling with implementing an enormous challenge for which it is poorly equipped should have spent more taxpayer money on PR advisers and less money on IT and statisticians. We are now so accustomed to taxpayer money being spent on pumping out a minister's spin that many seem to think that the ABS should have been spending less of its inadequate resources on IT and statisticians and more on comms advisers. What do the hundreds of taxpayer-funded ministerial staffers do again? Australia is one of the richest countries in the world, but we insist that agencies like the ABS, the Australian Electoral Commission, child protection services, mental health services and Centrelink all operate on the smell of an oily rag. We are told that "new systems" mean that we can "do more with less", but what we aren't told is that we no longer invest in the capacity to cope with anything unexpected. Stretched departments often simply hope that nothing unexpected happens. But, as the children who die as we systematically fail to fund child protection services show, hope is not a strategy. The simple facts are that our failure to invest adequately in the public sector has left large parts of our economy and society quite vulnerable and that the "private sector efficiencies" we were promised have become a major cost burden. For decades we have been told that outsourcing and privatisation would lead to efficiencies that would mean we have more money to provide more services. And for decades we have been told that we need to grow the economy before we can "afford" to treat the elderly with dignity and the disabled with respect. Well, GDP had doubled in the last 20 years and we have outsourced and privatised more thoroughly than most countries ... so when will the quality of our public services start to improve?
Calls for more humane treatment of refugees on Nauru somewhat miss the essential point. Detention on Nauru is designed to dehumanise and to be inhumane. That is why this detention is conducted behind closed doors and at arms' length in a public-private partnership on foreign soil. The Nauru regime is designed to coerce the refugees to choose to go somewhere else, even back to the country from which they fled. That is precisely what the government is trying to achieve.

We might then discover the truth. We might even find out about his extraordinary allegation that "people have self-immolated in an effort to get to Australia"  presumably for burial.

If Minister Dutton believes that some of the incident reports from immigration detention centres are trivial and/or false (" Refugees accused of false abuse complaints ", August 12) may I be so bold as to offer a simple solution: transparency of information - allow press scrutiny of the centres (currently denied) and remove the threat of jail for centre staff who speak out.

However the government knows that coercion, both physical and psychologically, is never a good look whether it is done deliberately or just allowed to happen. That is why they do not want whistleblowers blowing whistles. From Peter Dutton's perspective, the less we know the better and the less we listen the less we will know. That is why Peter Dutton will continue his denial, and when that doesn't work he will have to shoot the messenger.

Mark Porter New Lambton

Does Peter Dutton ever think before he speaks? Following his "joke" about low lying Pacific Islands being swamped by rising sea levels, and his comment that "illiterate and innumerate" refugees could take Australian jobs, comes his statement that more than 2000 incident reports of abuse among asylum seekers on Nauru are false, and that "some people have self-immolated in an effort to get to Australia". Where there's smoke, there's fire; the sheer number of allegations must say something. The self-immolation comment is a disgrace, and is unworthy of a government minister.

Alan Marel North Curl Curl

It wasn't too many years ago when allegations of sexual abuse by the clergy was dismissed by prominent people and even politicians as being untrue and even laughable. We now have the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton making light of any abuse suffered by children in detention centres. How long will it take for Australians to demand a full investigation into the allegations of abuse suffered by asylum seekers at all our detention centres here and overseas.
Since January 1957 - a time when the average male wage was about 18 pounds ($36) a week - the Australian Government had thought it a sensible idea to levy a fat licence charge of 5 pounds (rising to 6 pounds in 1964) on citizens who wished to watch TV in their own homes. There was another 2 pounds 15 shillings for those who wanted to listen to their own radio. The Post Master General insisted this was serious, warning in newspaper advertisements that house-to-house searches were imminent - and if you were found without a licence, you would be fined up to 50 pounds. It made an evening of TV viewing a bit more thrilling. Just about everyone dodged the licence fee and thus became an outlaw. My grandparents, otherwise law-abiding people, took succour in the belief no Post Master General would send an inspection team out to their remote farm house. But now the census wanted to know if they had a television hunkering in their drawing room.

Census night was taken very seriously those days, and had been since World War II ended and a new Australia began to emerge. No census had been taken for 13 years from 1933 to 1947. The war had got in the way. Post-war, Australia began growing and changing fast, and it was made clear that the census was at the heart of planning for it all. The Commonwealth Statistician, a brilliant young fellow named Roland Wilson, took to radio to explain to Australians, in a series of lectures, how to fill in the census form and why it was important. He persuaded print media - particularly popular women's magazines - to promote the census through informative and entertaining feature stories. Australians caught the bug, and kept it.

How many people lived in the nation? It was just 7.5 million in 1947, and the census count has been a matter of fascination ever since. How many Australians were employed in "economic activity". How did they live? The 1947 census, at a time of big housing shortages, was all about housing. The census wanted to know not only how many dwellings there were, but how old your house was, did your place have flowing water and was there a flush toilet? Australians figured this was the way to build a nation: find out how it ticked, what it lacked ... and design national and local policy around facts. Fill in your census, and you were taking part in civilisation. But then the buggers wanted to trick you into revealing if you had a TV. Would the statistician cross-check with the PMG to see if you had a licence, and hit you with a fine?

Rebellion was openly discussed over the weekend roast everywhere ... until radio and newspaper stories began reassuring citizens that personal information collected was so confidential even the prime minister couldn't see it, let alone the post master general. I never knew if this persuaded the grandparents to reveal the existence of their HMV Hallmark. But the figures suggest the public relations strategy worked pretty well: in 1966, of Australia's total 2,681,725 households, a solid 2,154,321 admitted to owning a TV. Still, there was another flap about privacy in 1971, and in 1976 the Bureau of Statistics was to learn again that many people remained suspicious about why their names were required. New census questions about income, vehicle licences, welfare benefits received and even holidays stirred up controversy to the point an ABS study recommended a big budget was needed for a publicity campaign to calm fears, according to a 2011 paper by Beth Wright, a PhD student at the Australian National University on the history of the census. But the new Fraser Government cut spending for the 1976 census, including the planned publicity campaign.

The result: an estimated "undercount" of Australia's population higher than any previous census - people had plain boycotted the whole thing, leading to a review by the Law Reform Commission. All these years later, we have the 2016 census debacle. Setting aside the computer crash or whatever it was, the ABS had clearly forgotten its lesson from half a century ago. Australians take their census seriously. If the bureau wouldn't clearly explain its reasons for retaining names and allowed itself to look arrogant and tricky, rebellion would be assured. The grandparents could have told them.
Detention centre operator Serco wants to move into NSW public housing, and is lobbying to bring a controversial business model trialled on asylum seekers in Britain to Sydney.

Serco needs to plug the revenue hole left as the federal government closes down immigration detention centres, once its biggest Australian money-spinner.

Public housing apartment blocks at Waterloo.

The Baird government will start transferring the management of public housing to community housing providers next year, and is expected to call for tenders in October.

A third of NSW public housing will be transferred to non-government organisations over four years, in tranches of about 1000 homes.
About a third of Sydney houses with backyard pools on the market failed to comply with new NSW regulations requiring pools to be registered, and for sales contracts to include a certificate of compliance or non-compliance with rules designed to reduce injuries and drownings.

Although pool registrations have risen 10 per cent since the rules were introduced on April 29, homeowners who haven't registered their pools may be identified by an eye in the sky. Many councils plan to use satellite imagery, as well as development applications, to spot unregistered pools, the NSW Minister for Local Government Paul Toole told Fairfax Media.

According to a survey by property specialists Aitken Lawyers of 60 properties with pools for sale on Domain, which is owned by Fairfax Media, more than a third of homes with pools were in breach of the new rules. It compared listings with government records on the Swimming Pool Register and reviewed sales contracts. A similar search for homes with pools on other property websites had similar results.

Some contracts included outdated clauses that were wrongly thought to indemnify both parties.
A 15-year-old boy has died after a serious car crash at Batemans Bay on Friday night.

The boy was one of four teenage occupants of a car that left the road, rolled and hit a tree on Rotary Drive, about 6.30pm on Friday, August 12.

A 15-year-old boy sustained life threatening injuries after a serious car crash at Batemans Bay.

Initial reports suggest no ambulance was called to the scene. Instead, police believe a relative took the occupants of the vehicle to Batemans Bay Hospital after being notified of the crash.

The 15-year-old boy from Lake Illawarra was transferred to the Canberra Hospital with life threatening injuries, and died about 3.30pm on Saturday.
An ABC police reporter with a has been detained by police who accused him of being "off his chops" on a dangerous drug.

"If we hadn't hung onto you mate you'd float off into f---ing outer space," one cop says in a video the Brisbane journalist uploaded to Twitter on Saturday, labelling the incident "unbelievable".

But experienced emergency services reporter Josh Bavas said he only had a when two officers detained him outside Bunnings at Oxley, in Brisbane's south-west.

The Queensland Police Service released a statement at 4.30pm, saying senior officers would investigate the officers' behaviour and confirming Mr Bavas didn't have any drugs on him.
The man who allegedly punched a bus driver six times in the face at Red Hill, has been refused bail in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday.

Christopher Mevelle Cutting, 37, from Spring Hill is accused of assaulting the bus driver on Friday after asking for a fare to be waived.

Cutting allegedly assaulted a 70-year-old bus driver at Red Hill on Friday, during a failed robbery.

The driver suffered lacerations and was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Cutting did not fight the armed robbery charge, but argued "the bus driver was hassling me".
Science solves crimes. That's one message to emerge from the Australian Museum Science Festival this month.

With fewer than 4000 tigers left in the wild, the fight against illegal bone and skin trade has never been more important.

Will Farrar, aged nine, with Ellie Farrar, 12, examining a Sumatran Tiger. Credit:Steven Siewert

Rebecca Johnson is the director of the museum's Research Institute. She recently visited the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, to present a talk on the museum's tiger bone data and view its collection of bones.

The Australian Museum has developed a 3D-scanning method that will help enforcement agencies in Asia accurately identify tiger bones. Many poachers try to pass off lion and other bone as tiger bone, so it is difficult to keep track of the trade.
It should have been toddlers and toys, rather than federal police, inside the modest house in Melbourne's western suburbs.

But last December, after investigators spent months analysing claims submitted for child care rebates linked to a Point Cook family and their friends, it was cops, not kids, swarming inside the suburban family day care operation.

Family day care has been rorted.

The federal police, working alongside state and federal welfare and education bureaucrats, had uncovered a suspected systemic rort that was as simple as it was profitable.

The federal government provides subsidies to fund child day care centres in people's homes. Subsidies are also available for grandparents who provide a similar service.
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.
An elderly man has been flown to hospital in a critical condition after a fire tore through his caravan on the Mornington Peninsula.

Police believe a gas explosion caused the fire at Sundowner Willows Caravan Park in Rosebud West about 11.15am on Saturday.

The woman suffered critical injuries in the crash on the Princes Highway. Credit:Wayne Taylor

A neighbour heard the explosion and rushed to pull the 74-year-old to safety.

Emergency services attended and the man was flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
More than 600 million people live in conflict-affected countries, such as Somalia. Credit:AP But it's not just that the world is consumed by conflict, by natural disasters. There has always been conflict, there are always disasters. What worries Swiss-born Daccord is that he senses a withdrawal, a vacancy at the top. A Syrian refugee hangs clothes to dry on a barbed-wire fence at a refugee camp in Islahiye, Turkey. Credit:Lefteris Pitarakis/AP "What makes everybody so worried is you feel  there is a gap at the global governance level," he says. "Who's in charge of that? Where do you address yourself, you know?

"I'm not naive, I don't feel that before it was easy, that somebody would take care of that. But there was a sense that some part of the world you would have some stability in terms of leadership, you would have an understanding, you would have maybe some country to be in a position to understand to convey this message at the level of [the United Nations] Security Council. The Red Cross increased its budget by 50 per cent in four years to meet the growing demand from displaced people. Credit:Dan Kitwood The WFP has seen a dramatic flip in the nature of its emergencies. Most of its programs used to be disaster-related. But now 80% of their large emergency responses are conflict related. World Food Program chief Ethrarin Cousin "Today at the top leadership [level] there is a sense of 'My God, we don't know how to handle that'. And maybe there is this sense for all of us, 'my God it's difficult but nobody knows anymore how to handle it'." He cautiously agrees that state leaders are responding to something within: a rise of nationalism, a withdrawal from internationalism, manifesting in Brexit, in Trump, in France's Front Nationale and Greece's Syriza, among many others.

The migrant crisis has created hotspots in Europe, central America and south-east Asia. Credit:AP In part he puts it down to the global economy. "Despite what the market is telling us, the reality for most of the people around the world is the situation has not improved since [the] 2008 [crisis]," Daccord says. "If you are middle income, lower income, the reality is your life has become more difficult, from Europe to Africa, Asia, whatever. Conflict rather than natural disaster is increasingly behind the need for refugee camps like this one near the Greek-Macedonia border. Credit:Dan Kitwood "Tomorrow doesn't look 'cool' in terms of economic and social opportunity. And that's what we reflect, that's what we hear, that's why people are coming back somewhat to what they know: 'my community, my own interests, my border'.

"It's easier to come back to something which gives a sense 'at least I know what is happening in my community'." Migrants in Slovenia head towards a registration camp, with reports predicting the number of displaced people globally will only rise. Credit:Sergey Ponomarev There is not a complete rejection of the global community, he points out. The world has become very small and culturally international. From Seattle to Sudan, children are now "interested in the same people, the same stars, the same brands". "People are watching the same things, feeling the same things." In Mogadishu, in a country that recently had "zero infrastructure", he says, "old ladies are playing on the market with mobile phones".

"There is this sense, which is very global. We are not back to tribalism." But globalisation is not all smartphones and Kardashians. It should also be states coming together to solve problems. Daccord laments a "very inward-looking" Europe that has squandered a decade in which it should have been a world leader in humanitarian work. He complains that, worldwide, "the big discussions have been about the financial crisis and about the security crisis. And that's not enough". "I don't feel any appetite at the country level to be able to discuss really key questions."

And many of the key questions can't be dealt with by countries acting alone, he points out. There is the migrant crisis, for example. Europe "is starting to understand that its containment strategy is gone". And there are other migrant hotspots across the globe  in central America, in south-east Asia. "What we are really lacking right now is political will at the international level If you want to solve the migration crisis it can't be solved at the country level. "If it's at the country level then what do you do? You build borders, because you don't know how to do anything else. If you want to solve it, it needs to be at the global level. It's a very complicated solution and the problem is I don't feel we are living in a time where we have the space to develop consensus. Consensus has no traction these days." Daccord doesn't think much of Australia's policy on migrants, though he adds that the Danes and Malaysians are just as bad. "What I find amazing is to believe that by detaining people and closing the border you will manage a migration crisis," he says.

"If detention is used as a tool to manage migration, and it is in a lot of countries, it's bound to be a real problem you should treat the people with dignity. If you start not to do that, if you start to treat them badly almost on purpose to try to give a message 'please don't come to my country', I think there is a real risk that you spiral negatively over time. "I would push as much as possible for Australia to [ask itself] 'do you think your policy allows people to be treated humanely?'. That's the question the government should be able to answer." As another example of a failure of internationalism, he presents Ukraine  a simmering internal conflict where the Red Cross is almost single-handedly providing aid in the east of the country, propping up the health system, trying to defend the rights of prisoners on both sides of the ceasefire line. "I'm worried that Ukraine is completely falling out of the interest of the international community," Daccord says. "As a humanitarian [organisation] we have some limits and most of these questions should be resolved politically. But if there is not pressure or help from the international community I think it will be extremely difficult to solve. "If you look at the broader perspective, Ukraine is just one among other situations where you see the international community has a lot of difficulties to establish a minimum of convergence to deal with conflicts. We see Ukraine as being one among other conflicts where the international community can't find solutions."

Syria is another of the world's biggest challenges right now. The question we should be asking, says Daccord, is what do we do collectively to allow Syrians to stay in Syria? Once you look at it this way, the scale of the problem begins to reveal itself, he says. The sanitation and water systems for example  if they break and stay broken, millions more will leave. "We have to have a different type of collaboration (in Syria)," Daccord says. "Between states and organisations." It's not just in the practical work of the Red Cross that Daccord feels an absence. He says they are "completely confounded", for example, in the process of building new international law and new norms. This might sound like the esoteric talk of an international lawyer, until Daccord explains that it's about dealing with new threats to peace and morality. For example? "Tomorrow in the field you will have robots that will be able to decide if you are an enemy or not, and they will decide that without any human intervention how do we govern that, how does the law [of war] apply?"

So, who decides such things? "Normally what happened before in the diplomatic process [was] you bring the states together and it would take between five to 10 years to arrive to a conclusion. That's the normal process. "But today that that doesn't work any more. There is such a gap between the problems and building response collectively that it doesn't work. Not just in the humanitarian world. It doesn't happen. "There is a sense that there is no governance, nobody in charge." Daccord is not alone in his fears. In April six of the United States' biggest humanitarian organisations issued a joint plea for international action, in a report that warned of "a dramatic increase in protracted conflict and displacement, combined with an ever-increasing number of natural disasters [which have] resulted in widespread human suffering, loss of dignity, dashed hopes and death".

The organisations, which included CARE, International rescue, Oxfam, Save the Children and the World Food Program, presented a doomsday scenario. "Preserving and enhancing the gains civilisation has made over the past few centuries is at serious risk," the report said, It's not just about money  though money is needed. The size of the global humanitarian appeals coordinated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs more than doubled from 2008 ($US7.1 billion) to 2015 ($US18.7 billion). World Food Programme chief Ethrarin Cousin told Fairfax Media last year that "donors have never been more generous"  and new donors such as Saudi Arabia and Korea significantly increased their contributions to the WFP. "Unfortunately the needs are running at an unprecedented level of increase across the entire global community," she said.

The WFP has seen a dramatic flip in the nature of its emergencies. Most of its programs used to be disaster-related. But now 80 per cent of its large emergency responses are conflict related, Cousin said. The trouble is, aid doesn't end war. "If conflict is what is driving you and you don't have political solutions to the conflict, it requires us to continue to provide support." Her "ongoing plea", she said, was "that the world not turn away from those in need even if they can't see it. We live on a small planet and we are all responsible". AT RISK While displacement has been on the rise, the total number of refugees repatriating has been declining. The 126,000 who did go home in 2015 were the lowest number in more than 30 years.

The length of displacement today is an average of 17 years.

By 2030, two-thirds of the world's poor are expected to live in states classified as fragile.

Research has shown every dollar invested in preparedness and risk reduction generates between $US3 and $US5 ($3.90 and $6.50) in savings
Berlin: The head of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) says Berlin should send rejected asylum seekers and illegal immigrants to islands outside Europe and turn its refugee office into an emigration bureau.

The influx of over one million migrants last year fueled support for the AfD, which now has seats in eight of Germany's 16 state assemblies and is expected to make a strong showing in state votes next month in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Head of the Alternative for Germany, Frauke Petry, says Berlin should send rejected asylum seekers and illegal immigrants to islands outside Europe. Credit:AP

Party leader Frauke Petry made the suggestions in an interview with the Bild newspaper published on Saturday.

"Illegal migrants and asylum seekers whose applications are rejected will be accommodated on the two islands outside Europe that are protected by the United Nations," Petry added, without naming the two islands she had in mind.
Istanbul: Turkey's prime minister said on Saturday that Ankara could not compromise with the United States over its request for the extradition of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen which it blames for orchestrating last month's attempted coup.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim made his comments to a group of Turkish journalists who quoted him as saying that US Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on August 24.

US Secretary of State John Kerry would also visit Turkey some time in October, he said.

"The main element improving our relations with the US is the extradition of Gulen, where there is no room for negotiation," Yildirim was quoted as saying by CNN Turk's general manager, who was among journalists attending the briefing from Yildirim.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The former Acting Director of IND August Emmanuel launched two court cases against the Minister of Justice Edison Kirindongo.

SMN News has been reliably informed that Emmanuel who had a Landsbesluit to hold the position as Acting Director of IND when Udo Aron was the Director felt that the moment Aron was suspended for smuggling in a female national of the Dominican Republic to St. Maarten on May 5th, 2016 he was supposed to take over Aron position pending the outcome of the investigation.

According to information provided to SMN News, the acting directors are not permitted to sign certain documents and as such, the Minister of Justice had to appoint someone who could have signed those documents. It is understood that Emmanuel felt that those signing powers including the salaries that Aron was getting had to go to him since he was the Acting Director.

SMN News learnt that Emmanuel is not in agreement that the Minister chose to appoint former Acting Chief Commissioner of Police Richard Panneflec to the position and even refused to work along with Panneflec.

SMN News learnt that Emmanuel even tried to force the Minister to give him the position and also start paying him extra monies for the job since that is also mentioned in the LB. it is also alleged that Emmanuel told the Minister to clear the matter up because he will not accept or agree with the Minister of Justice decision. Because of the disagreement SMN News learnt that the Minister of Justice was forced to revoke the LB Emmanuel was holding as Acting Director of IND and ever since then, he reported sick but has challenged the Ministers decision in two separate court cases.

On Wednesday, Aron was handed a letter while in court informing him that he was officially fired. At the time Aron was in court because he too challenged the Minister for suspending him when it became known that he brought in a female from the Dominican Republic to St. Maarten with a visa waiver.

SMN News learned that the only person that can grant anyone a visa waiver is the Minister of Justice himself and not the head of IND. However, Aron has been signing visa waivers for a long time that he himself said that he signed over 600 visa waivers for people therefore, the Minister had no right to suspend him for the one he signed for the woman he brought in on May 5th 2016 for vacation.

At this current moment, there is no full-time Director or Acting Director of IND since the current Acting Director Richard Panneflec has postulated himself as a candidate to contest the September 2016 parliamentary election and as such he is entitled to days off to conduct his campaign.

However, SMN News learnt that Panneflec did not leave the department stranded knowing there is no acting director.

It is not clear if the Minister of Justice will now appoint Panneflec as the Director IND now that Aron has been fired.
Simpson Bay:--- At present, the works at Kimsha Parking lot has continued. The project paused in order to lay electrical cables for the lighting of the parking lot. The plans were also adjusted temporarily until the case with the Dive Shop is finalized.

The parking lot will consist of 175 parking spaces of which 6 are designated for the disabled. The parking lot will be completely lit and constructed from concrete.

The parking lot is meant to alleviate the parking situation in Simpson Bay where it is extremely busy due to a number of restaurants and other establishments that are situated on the strip. The construction of the parking lot is part of the beautification plans to upgrade the infrastructure of the Cole Bay and Simpson Bay strip.

At the Moment the public tender Design and Build, upgrading of Cole Bay  Simpson Bay is being advertised. The Minister would like to encourage all qualifying companies to take part in this upcoming bid. The tender date is August 19th, 2016 at 10:00AM. For further information about the tender procedure and the project contact the Ministry of VROMI, Department of New Project Development and Planning, tel. 542-4289, Project Manager Bako Maynard and/or Department Head New Projects Development and Planning, ing. Kurt Ruan. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and/or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
8-year sentence for a man accused of falsely obtaining title to properties at foreclosure auction sales.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office obtained a conviction and eight-year sentence today for a man accused of falsely obtaining title to properties at auction.

Lamar Adams, 46, pleaded guilty to one count each of grand theft, identity theft, and procuring and offering a false and forged instrument. LA Superior Court Judge Dorothy Reyes immediately sentenced him to eight years and four months in prison.

Adams used fake cashier checks to 'buy' homes and other property at auctions in Los Angeles County. Using this empty money, he would manage to obtain title and then apply for and receive loans or refunds. He was able to garner $500,000 using this fraudulent scheme.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department Real Estate Fraud Section of the Commercial Crimes Division. Deputy District Attorney Daniel Kinney of the Real Estate Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower, who has stopped making payments to the lender, by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan.

Formally, a mortgage lender (mortgagee), or other lienholder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower (mortgagor)'s equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law (after following a specific statutory procedure).

Usually a lender obtains a security interest from a borrower who mortgages or pledges an asset like a house to secure the loan. If the borrower defaults and the lender tries to repossess the property, courts of equity can grant the borrower the equitable right of redemption if the borrower repays the debt. While this equitable right exists, it is a cloud on title and the lender cannot be sure that they can successfully repossess the property.[3] Therefore, through the process of foreclosure, the lender seeks to foreclose (in plain English, immediately terminate) the equitable right of redemption and take both legal and equitable title to the property in fee simple.

Other lien holders can also foreclose the owner's right of redemption for other debts, such as for overdue taxes, unpaid contractors' bills or overdue homeowners' association dues or assessments.

Homes depicted in these photos were not necessarily sold at foreclosure, nor involved in the other events of this story.

The foreclosure process as applied to residential mortgage loans is a bank or other secured creditor selling or repossessing a parcel of real property after the owner has failed to comply with an agreement between the lender and borrower called a "mortgage" or "deed of trust." Commonly, the violation of the mortgage is a default in payment of a promissory note, secured by a lien on the property. When the process is complete, the lender can sell the property and keep the proceeds to pay off its mortgage and any legal costs, and it is typically said that "the lender has foreclosed its mortgage or lien." If the promissory note was made with a recourse clause then if the sale does not bring enough to pay the existing balance of principal and fees the mortgagee can file a claim for a deficiency judgment. In many states in the United States, items included to calculate the amount of a deficiency judgment include the loan principal, accrued interest and attorney fees less the amount the lender bid at the foreclosure sale.
After two-year absence, paralyzed children in Nigeria

Millions of doses of vaccine will be given to children in the region.

After two years with no reported cases, experts had hoped that the disease was gone from the African continent forever. Now, Nigeria joins Afghanistan and Pakistan on the short list of countries where polio is still actively infecting children.

Despite difficult and dangerous social and geographic circumstances, the World Health Organization and other involved groups say efforts to contain the virus will be swift and aggressive. Millions of doses of vaccine, thousands of vaccinators, and the health ministries and militaries of five different countries will be involved in the process.

Vaccinations will begin as soon as next week, starting in the two Borno state villages where paralyzed children have been found, and spreading in ever widening circles to include Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.

Authorities believe that the virus may have been circulating in the area for some time. Only about one in 200 cases produces paralysis. Sick and disabled children may have been overlooked or lost in the panicky political climate. Until very recently, threats by Boko Haram have made Borno too dangerous for the vaccination teams to travel. The vicious Islamic fundamentalist militia has murdered and kidnapped hundreds. Due to the violence, thousands of Kunari people have been displaced and living in refugee camps.

A mobile population is hard to reach, and this particular vaccine requires at least three doses over three or more weeks to be effective.

Now, after a prolonged effort by the Nigerian Army in cooperation with neighboring militaries, most villages in the area can be reached, at lest intermittently, and the population is returning home. It is believed that there are at least 200,000 unvaccinated children under 5 in the areas that have been altogether off limits for several years, and countless more in the surrounding areas that may not have been vaccinated.

The region is also regularly crossed by the nomadic Fulani people and their cattle. The Fulani rarely visit health clinics, so medic teams try to reach them by travelling to cattle markets or tribal festivals, or by accompanying the veterinarians who tend to the care of the herds.

In addition to the polio vaccinations, the medical teams encourage visits to temporary "health camps" by offering prenatal care, vitamins, food, and shots for other diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, and measles.

Containment of this outbreak is expected to be easier than the last big outbreak which was in the conservative northwest part of the country, and much easier than the ongoing struggles for containment in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In those places rumors persist, some spread by religious leaders, that the vaccination will sterilize girls, or that it contains pork or the AIDS virus.

Polio often leads to paralysis in the legs.

This distrust of western medicine has hindered the decades-long effort to eradicate the disease. Since 1988, the world incidence of polio has been reduced by 99%, but holdout areas in the Middle East and Africa have prevented its complete disappearance.

Rotary International has led the eradication charge, along with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and, more recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Nigeria's Rotary International polio committee is helping to coordinate the current campaign. They report that in Borno both religious leaders and average residents accept the vaccine.

The new cases were discovered after the virus was detected in sewage samples. This strain was last seen in Chad, where many of the Nigerian families traveled as refugees, so it likely came to Borno with a returning family.
A plausible scenario of Libertarian success, puts the 2016 election into the House of Representatives

Is former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johsnon, the Moses who will lead us out of the wilderness of Trump or Clinton in 2016?

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have duked it out for so long in the national consciousness, that they have entered our subconscious. It's an open secret that no one is excited with our choices, except perhaps fans of The Apprentice ("You're fired.")

The Great Excommunicator will probably continue stumbling along, saying stuff that outrages the press and offends the groups that compose the Democratic party. Meanwhile, Clinton will continue to stumble along, with questions about her role in the Obama administration (not everybody loves you, Barry). She will also stumble while walking up stairs, causing legitimate questions about her health.

The former First Lady is probably just too frail to be President, but that's the subject of another article. The point is, the American public are by and large really, really tired of both candidates and looking for alternatives. That's why polls show record unpopularity rankings for both candidates.

In order to put the election into the House of Representatives, we have to assume that the Libertarians will win at least some entire states. This is because the US Presidential Election is really 50 separate elections, with the winner taking all the Electors for the ... wait for it ... Electoral College.

The United States Electoral College is the only current example of a system in which an executive president is indirectly elected, with electors representing the 50 states and the federal district.

Each state has a number of electors equal to its Congressional representation (in both houses), with the non-state District of Columbia receiving three electors and other non-state territories having no electors. The electors generally cast their votes for the winner of the popular vote in their respective states. However, there are several states where this is not required by law. In the United States, 270 electoral votes are currently required to win the presidential election.

What happens if no presidential candidate gets 270 Electoral votes?

If no candidate receives a majority of Electoral votes, the House of Representatives elects the President from the 3 Presidential candidates who received the most Electoral votes. Each state delegation has one vote. The Senate would elect the Vice President from the 2 Vice Presidential candidates with the most Electoral votes. Each Senator would cast one vote for Vice President. If the House of Representatives fails to elect a President by Inauguration Day, the Vice-President Elect serves as acting President until the deadlock is resolved in the House. This from a US Government website, http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html#no270

So can Gary Johnson win entire states? Many election watchers think so. Politico thinks so: The rise of Gary Johnson is the latest plot twist in the most unpredictable presidential election in decades. Almost accidentally, the candidate has become 2016's last bearer of a whole set of modern conservative ideals, from free trade to entitlement reform; some top Republicans wary of Trump have already declared for him and many more are leaning toward doing so.

At the same time, Johnson's anti-war foreign policy and liberal stances on social issues have resonated among Bernie Sanders stragglers. And lastly, his message of bipartisanship-or, rather, tripartisanship-is attracting independents frustrated with an increasingly dysfunctional two-party system. To capitalize on this perfect storm, Johnson's campaign has a game plan, a clearly targeted set of states to nail down that-if all the chips fall their way-could upend the election and, in their vision, land Johnson and Weld in the White House.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/08/gary-johnson-profile-2016-libertarian-third-party-214162#ixzz4HB5xlojO

So Gary Johnson's plan is to poll 15% and take part in the debates against Clinton and Trump. Ok then. Which states could he turn? Johnson claims to be polling 12 to 16% in some states. Johnson, and his campaign manager Ron Neilson, figure the Libertarian cannot outspend the major party candidates in large states such as Ohio, California, Texas, New York; nor in swing states like Florida Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Instead, Johnson could outspend Trump and Clinton in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and the Dakotas; states considered firmly Republican. As for blue States, the Libertarians could outspend Clinton and Trump in New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and possibly Oregon. Need we remind you that Marijuana is legal in these states, and Johnson has actually run a pot distribution company? That should play in Peoria, Denver, Little Rock, Portland, and other pot capitols. But I digress.

"Their battleground states," Nielson says of Clinton and Trump, "are not our battleground states."

So there you have it. Johnson polls his way into the debates with Trump and Clinton. The public increasingly turns to the former Republican governor of New Mexico and his running mate, the former Republican Gov. of Mass, Bill Weld. He wins entire states. Don't they have to vote for one of the top 3 candidates as president?

Yes, on the first few ballots. The constitution frees them to vote for anyone on subsequent ballots, and "Mr. Clean" Paul Ryan, has managed to have himself elected Speaker of the House. Ryan will represent a more palatable alternative than Clinton, Trump or Johnson as they try to break the impasse.

How many times has the Vice President been chosen by the U.S. Senate?

Red and blue states in 2012. In 2016, Libertarians will focus on small states mostly in the West, such asUtah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Oregon

Once. In the Presidential election of 1836, the election for Vice President was decided in the Senate. Martin Van Buren's running mate, Richard M. Johnson, fell one vote short of a majority in the Electoral College. Vice Presidential candidates Francis Granger and Johnson had a "run-off" in the Senate under the 12th Amendment, where Johnson was elected 33 votes to 17. http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html#no270

Update: Kirk Hilliard writes: "You appear to be conflating our Constitution's Twelfth Amendment with the RNC delegate binding rules. Per the 12th Amendment, the house chooses only from the three top delegate winners (Ms. Clinton, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Trump in your scenario). The selection does not open up after a certain number of ballots, but if the House fails to elect a President, then the Vice President-elect becomes acting President. (Here, the 12th Amendment is modified slightly by the 20th Amendment.)

The Vice President-elect in your scenario would be chosen by the Senate from the top two candidates, and only if they fail to chose a Vice President would the Speaker of the House (newly chosen or reaffirmed, as you pointed out) become the President."
In 1982 the wild population was down to just 22 individuals; Nesting pairs in Path of Fire

A fire that began on August 31 with an illegal campfire is within eight miles of 3 nests with young California condor hatchlings. The months-old young are not yet able to fly and could not escape the flames on their own.

The Soberanes fire has roared through nearly 70,000 acres of wildland, destroying 57 residences and 11 outbuildings.

Biologists report that none of the condors living in the area has yet been killed by the fire, but one of the feeding stations where they leave dead animals for the birds has been destroyed.

The fire is moving south across coastal Monterey County toward the remote sections of the Los Padres National Forest where the condors nest. This is also the location of a "condor sanctuary" site with pens, trailers and a cabin that scientists use when they release condors that have been hatched in zoos.

Biologists have spent 30 years painstakingly nurturing the California condor back from the brink of extinction. They are America's largest land bird, with a wing span reaching up to 9 feet. Due to habitat loss, hunting and lead poisoning, the majestic birds' population had dropped to just 22 nationwide by 1982. In a desperate gamble to save the birds, federal biologists captured all the remaining wild condors in 1987 and began a breeding program in zoos. The birds' young have been gradually released back into the wild.

There are now 82 condors living free in the Big Sur area.

Kelly Sorenson is the executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society, a nonprofit group that helps lead condor recovery efforts in Big Sur. He told Paul Rogers at the Mercury News that biologists are hoping they won't need to go in and rescue the young birds from the nests. The chicks are 3- to 4-months-old and won't be able to fly on their own for another two or three months

"At this point it wouldn't make sense to pull the chicks out of the nests because we'd have to figure out how to raise them," Sorenson said. "We might do it as a last resort. We are going to be watching day by day."

The chicks are still being fed by their parents.

Adult condors regularly travel up to 100 miles in a day, so they would likely just leave area until the fire was out and the other plants and animals returned. Two adults did disappear in the 2008 Basin Complex Fire that burned 162,818 acres in Big Sur. Their transmitters were never found, leading researchers to believe they may have been overcome by smoke or flames.

In that same blaze, fire burned all around a redwood tree where one condor chick was still in a nest. That bird survived. Nicknamed Phoenix, it is still flying today as an adult along the Big Sur coast.

Experts say that despite the current fire risk, lead poisoning remains the main threat of condor deaths. Condors are scavengers and they eat deer, wild pigs, ground squirrels and other animals that hunters or ranchers may have shot, ingesting lead fragments from the ammunition.

In 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law banning all lead ammunition in hunting in California beginning in 2019. Since then, Sorenson's group has handed out $100,000 in non-lead ammunition to ranchers and hunters around the Big Sur-Pinnacles area. That, he said, has resulted in a decline in lead poisoning deaths in recent years.

Last year was a milestone in the recovery effort. For the first time, in three decades, more condors were born in the wild, 14, than died in the wild, 12.

Joseph Brandt, Pacific Southwest Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 30-day old California condor chick

As of Dec. 31, 2015, there were 435 California condors living in the world. Of those, 268 live in the wild, and 167 live in captivity in places where they are bred and hatched, including the San Diego Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Oregon Zoo and World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho.

For hikers and tourists interested in seeing the magnificent birds, the Big Sur fires have not yet caused more condors to move inland.

"We're definitely getting smokier air. But in terms of the birds behavior we're not seeing any changes," said Rachel Wolstenholme, condor program manager at Pinnacles National Park. "Some days there might be 40 here, and some days there might be zero. On most days you have a 50-50 chance of seeing a condor."

You can help California Condors by donating to one of the Condor breeding or protection programs. To find out more, go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service condor page at

http://www.fws.gov/cno/es/calcondor/CondorResources.cfm
Claim: A Toronto lawyer demonstrating the safety of window panes in a skyscraper plunged through a window to his death. Rating: About this rating True

It isn't often we have occasion to employ the term "accidental self-defenestration" in an article, but that phrase certainly applies to the case of Garry Hoy, a 38-year-old lawyer with the Toronto law firm of Holden Day Wilson, who on 9 July 1993 plunged to his death from the 24th floor of the Toronto-Dominion Bank Tower building at TD Centre in front of several horrified witnesses:

Police said a lawyer demonstrating the safety of windows in a downtown Toronto skyscraper crashed through a pane with his shoulder and plunged 24 floors to his death. A police spokesman said Garry Hoy fell into the courtyard of the Toronto Dominion Bank Tower early Friday evening as he was explaining the strength of the building's windows to visiting law students. Hoy previously had conducted demonstrations of window strength according to police reports. Peter Lauwers, managing partner of the firm Holden Day Wilson, told the Toronto Sun newspaper that Hoy was "one of the best and brightest" members of the 200-man association.

For motivations that remain unclear to this day Hoy had apparently developed a fondness for showing off the tensile strength of office building windows (and/or demonstrating his fearless trust in that aspect of building design) by running and hurling himself at window panes in front of onlookers, who would watch a stunt that always ended with Hoy's bouncing off of the window panes, leaving both glass and lawyer unharmed. On a fateful day in 1993, however, Hoy attempted his feat in front of a group of prospective legal apprentices with disastrous results: Apparently the first attempt came off as usual with Hoy harmlessly rebounding off the window, but when Hoy threw himself against the pane a second time, it popped out of its frame and sent Hoy fatally tumbling 24 stories to the courtyard below.

The firm's spokesperson said Hoy "... was testing the strength of the window. There was a lot of joking about how the window wouldn't open maybe on a hot day ... Apparently, it was the second attempt [at testing the window] that one of them popped out and he went through." As well, a Toronto police officer reported that Hoy "... was showing his knowledge of the tensile strength of window glass and presumably the glass gave way. I know the frame and the blinds are still there."

As the Torontoist reported of the incident years later:

We can never know what motivated Hoy: a desire to prove the robustness of modern construction techniques, whimsey, or just simply showing off. We do know that his early demise could have been avoided had he left the testing to the experts. Or consulted with structural engineer Bob Greer, who later told the Toronto Star "I don't know of any building code in the world that would allow a 160-pound man to run up against a glass and withstand it."

Sadly, Hoy's tragic accident led not only to his own demise but was also a contributing factor in the closure a few years later of the firm that had employed him:

[Prior to 2007], the biggest law firm to shut down was Toronto-based Holden Day Wilson LLP in 1996. Holden Day at its peak had 90 lawyers after a merger in 1990, but the firm was devastated in 1993 by a fatal accident involving popular partner, Garry Hoy, who playfully took a run at a window during a reception at the Toronto-Dominion Centre. In front of dozens of lawyers, the window gave way and Mr. Hoy fell to his death 24 floors below. The combined challenge of recovering from Mr. Hoy's death and holding together a newly merged firm proved too great for Holden Day's partners. By 1996, more than 30 partners had left the firm, and Holden Day closed its doors amid controversy about unpaid bills and compensation.

Our advice is to apply the same rule to architecture as you do to computers: Don't ever bet your life on windows not crashing.
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The annual Perseid meteor shower peaked this week, but four daredevils were not to be outdone by the spectacular sky show. As meteors streaked across the night sky, the men jumped out of an airplane wearing LED wingsuits, transforming themselves, in essence, into shooting stars.

The stunt, sponsored by energy drink maker Red Bull, was timed to pay tribute to the Perseids, which are also known as the "tears of St. Lawrence," the skydivers said in a statement.

What's more, the men  Joakim Sommer from Norway, Armando del Rey from Spain, and Marco Waltenspiel and Georg Lettner, both from Austria  did the jump in one of the best areas in the Northern Hemisphere for astronomical observations: over La Palma in the Canary Islands, located off the northwestern coast of Africa. [8 Craziest Skydives of All Time]

The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year when Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind from the Comet Swift-Tuttle. These cosmic objects streak across Earth's atmosphere, leaving ephemeral burning trails of light.

This year's show has been particularly dazzling, with some skywatchers reporting up to 200 meteors per hour on Thursday night and Friday morning (Aug. 11 and 12) when the Perseids peaked, according to NASA. The four additional "shooting stars" over the Canary Islands didn't burn up like most meteors. Instead, the four daredevils jumped from an altitude of 1.1 miles (1.8 kilometers) out of an airplane above the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, home of the world's biggest optic telescope, the Gran Telescopio.

Moreover, the jumpers pulled off the 105-mph (170 km/h) freefall in total darkness, using only the light from their LED wingsuits and the stars around them to guide the way.

A long-exposure shot showing the wingsuit jumpers in their bright LED suits zooming across the night sky. (Image credit: Daniel Lopez Red Bull Content Pool)

The experience has been amazing," Sommer said in a statement. "It literally felt like I was in a video game. I was in this black tunnel, and there was nothing else besides all those billions of stars in my face. It was a really unique visual, because you could really feel the speed, but you have no other surroundings. You are just in pitch black; it is like you are out there in the outer space. It's crazy. It was literally crazy."

Photographers captured the stunt for prosperity with videos and pictures. Several long-exposure photos show the wingsuit jumpers streaking across the dark sky with stars in the background."

The jump above La Palma, also known as "La Isla Bonita," happened from a T21 aircraft, courtesy of the Air Force, the Canarian Institute of Astrophysics and La Palma City Hall.

The jumpers also paid their respects to firefighters battling a massive blaze that hit La Palma this past month. It's likely that the fire was started by a German tourist who was burning used toilet paper in a national park, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Original article on Live Science.
MADISON - Blow, Gabriel Blow. Beloved father, musician, and teacher, Doster Robert "Doc" De Haven Jr., passed to heaven on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, after a courageous battle with cancer. His rendition of "Basin Street Blues" accompanied him and his loving family on his final procession at Agrace HospiceCare in the early morning hours.

Doc was the first child of Edith Viola (Heath) and Doster Robert "Doc" De Haven Sr., born on June 20, 1931, in Madison, Wis. He attended Central High School, and graduated from the UW-Madison in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. He served as a first sergeant in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1953 in the 512th Air Force Band in Oklahoma. In August of 1955, Doc met the love of his life, Shirley "Lea" (Wesenberg). Their marriage of 60 years began only a few months after their first date.

Doc's passions were music and family, and he excelled at both. His career in music spanned more than four decades, beginning with the creation of the Doc De Haven Combo in 1955. Performing Dixieland and Jazz standards Doc and his band consistently filled venues with their great music and adoring jazz fans at the Pirate Ship, the Union South and Memorial Union of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Edgewater and Concourse Hotels, country clubs near and far, and countless Midwest area jazz festivals. They produced multiple albums, and played for generations of weddings and receptions. Doc actively participated in the Madison area music scene by performing with other musicians and mentoring up-and-coming artists. He created the Doc De Haven Booking Agency that Lea managed as secretary, accountant, and president. He was a member of the Madison Municipal City Band and the Madison Jazz Society. He was honored in 1990 as the Isthmus Jazz Personality of the Year, named in 2001 by Madison Magazine as one of the Legends of Madison, and given a lifetime achievement in 2014 by MAMA (the Madison Area Music Awards).

Doc extended his legacy as a music educator. Doc taught music and band at Monona Grove High School for 32 years. His mentorship continued beyond high school as he taught private lessons for students entering state and national competitions many years after he retired from the academic world. He inspired new generations to love and pursue music in their lives.

To continue to support new talent, in 1981 Doc worked with the Erle Smith family to establish the Erle Smith-Doc De Haven Music Clinic Scholarship Fund to support middle school and high school students attending this long-standing summer music camp at the UW-Madison, and to honor his dear friend and band mate, Erle Smith. In 2011, Doc and Lea established the 'Doc and Lea De Haven Music Excellence Award' at the UW-Madison School of Music, to support undergraduate music performance majors, with preference given to those studying trumpet and/or jazz.

The passion Doc had for music was matched only by the love and joy he shared with his family. Doc loved his wife and children, adored his grandchildren and cherished his great-grandchildren. He fostered, mentored and inspired his children, nephews and grandchildren to create bands of their own from The Third Generation to A Touch of Class. Daughter Kelly and son-in-law David (Cooper) developed successful careers in the music industry, and grandson John De Haven is pursuing his own music career. Doc eagerly gave his grandchildren and great-grandchildren piano lessons, and cheered on all of their interests and activities. Doc was the last one to go to bed and the first one to rise, waking his kids each morning with a song and demonstrating his "latest jig" (which annoyed them to no end). They also remember his favorite quote on their family trips across country in a station wagon - a few minutes into each destination stop; "OK, the bus is leaving"  Forever on the go, he would remind us that, "The Old Double D was the Coolest of the Cool." There was never a dull moment. Doc and Lea created a home filled with love, music, and mayhem.

Doc is survived by his wife; children, Brad (Julie), Kelly (David Cooper), Burt, Darcy (Rich Beld), Stacy (Rich Darrow), Nina (Jeff Gaby); grandchildren, Amber Ostrom, John De Haven, Spencer De Haven, Jacob De Haven, Kiley De Haven, Connor De Haven, Mattie De Haven, Skye Cooper, Austin Gaby, Zachary (Alyssa) Wallace, Justin Wallace, Rainey (Justin) Oliver, Bryan Wallace; great-grandchildren, Azure Shaw, Sienna Shaw, Jhett Jordan, Rylee Wallace, Madison Wallace, Missy Oliver; sisters, Joyce Pickarts and Ardith (John) Thomas; brother-in-law, Ken Wesenberg; sister-in-law, Joyce (Dale) Boness; Donna Lavick-Wesenberg; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Stephen Craig Wallace from a previous marriage; brothers-in-law, Ray (Joyce) Pickarts and Gary (Jean) Smith; sisters-in-law Jean Smith, and Jan (Ken) Wesenberg; daughter-in-law, Norma De Haven; and nephews, Tony Wesenberg and Eric Thomas.

Visitation will be held at GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH, 5701 Raymond Road, Madison, Wis., from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, with a musical service immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored to have your support of a donation to The Doc and Lea De Haven Music Excellence Award, through the UW Foundation, Fund No. 12617236; the Erle Smith-Doc De Haven Music Clinic Scholarship, Fund No. 1262798; Good Shepherd Lutheran Church; or to Agrace HospiceCare, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, Wis. Please share your memories at www.CressFuneralService.com.
The Arkansas State students, who went missing after going on a hike, have been found alive and well. On Thursday, three students from the Arkansas State University, an American, 25-year-old Casey Sherwood, and two Japanese exchange students  Daiki Itoh, 19, and 18-year-old Daisuke Takagi  set out for a spelunking trip.

The trio was eager to explore Blowing Cave hidden away in Cushman, Arkansas and at some point during their little hike; they got lost. Almost 24 hours after she noticed that Sherwood did not come back home, his wife reported him and his friends missing.

The Independence County Sheriffs Department and Independence County Office of Emergency Management rushed to the cave to search for the trio.

As authorities were searching for the students, Mr. Sherwoods father spoke to local media saying that two of his sons had previously gotten lost inside a cave years ago, but they found their way home, so he was optimistic.

After hours of searching, the three pals were found near Cushman, 110 miles north of Little Rock, covered in heavy mud. The students, who were injured, said that they lost their way about 30 minutes from the entrance to Blowing Cave.

A photo posted on the universitys Facebook page showed two of the students covered in mud smiling and being treated by first responders after the rescue. Sherwood said:

I felt a little bit of panic when I realized we were lost but decided to stay in place. The three us would regularly shout for help or whistle so rescuers could find us, and stayed close together to keep warm.

He added:

What we would do is we would sit back to back to back in a little triangle keeping ourselves warm and huddling ourselves up inside of our shirts and breathing hot air into us.So that kept us going the whole time.

Acting Arkansas State University Chancellor Lynita Cooksey said in a statement:

On behalf of all the faculty, students and staff of Arkansas State, I want to thank the rescue teams of Independence County and all the volunteers who came forward to assist. We are so grateful for their hard work in locating Daiki, Daisuke, and Casey.

Shane Broadway, vice president of university relations for the University system, added:

They appeared to be fine. I think more tired than anything.

The community has welcomed the good news.
Dakhla (occupied territories), August 13, 2016 (SPS) Saharawi citizen, Mohamed Fadel Ould Hnane, aged 27, was killed by a Moroccan settler in the occupied city of Dakhla.

The Saharawi citizen was brutally stabbed after having been splashed with a corrosive acid by the Moroccan settler.

This new murder adds to a series of crimes committed by the Moroccan settlers in occupied Western Sahara who act under the influence of hatred inculcated by the colonial policy of the Moroccan administration by condemning Sahrawi citizens without going through courts and without involving Moroccan forces of repression.

In the occupied city of Laayoune, another Sahrawi citizen, Mohamed Lamine Haidala was murdered by settlers on February 8, 2015, and buried without the consent of his family who demanded conducting an autopsy. (SPS)

062/090/TRA
In what is quickly turning into the hottest debate to hit the Marquette neighborhood since the Willy Street Co-op pushed to install a driveway onto Jenifer Street five years ago, residents and business owners are sharply divided over whether to permanently shift city bus routes from Jenifer to Williamson streets.

With much of Jenifer Street impassable this summer due to road construction, five Metro Transit bus lines have been temporarily rerouted to Williamson Street. The change, which began in May and runs through November, affected bus lines 3, 4, 7, 10 and 38, which now make three stops on each side of Williamson Street between Blount and Baldwin streets.

Metro Transit and city officials are now weighing whether to make the change permanent. Some Jenifer Street residents like the idea of getting the buses and their noise off their street. But Williamson Street businesses are alarmed at the potential loss of street parking that permanent bus stops would bring. Others fear the move would add to the congestion on what has become a major East Side thoroughfare.

This is making it almost impossible for customers traveling by car to stop and shop, said Hatch Art House owner Tammy Schreiter, who has started a campaign with other businesses on Williamson Street to oppose the change. If we dont get our parking back, our businesses are going to fail.

Discussion about permanently moving the bus routes is still in the very early stages, said Chuck Kamp, Metro Transit general manager. The bus company and 6th District Ald. Marsha Rummel are forming focus groups to explore what effect the change might have on traffic and other aspects of life on the densely populated commercial and residential area.

Metro staff and members of the TPC (Traffic and Parking Commission) are very aware that there are a lot of opinions and stakeholders involved with this subject, said Mick Rusch, Metro Transit marketing and customer services manager. And we would like to stress that this is not a study or process that will happen overnight.

Jeane Ross said her business, Willy Street Treasure Shop, 1370 Williamson St., hasnt been directly affected by the change, as buses ran along that stretch of Williamson Street even before the construction on Jenifer Street. But she said she feared making the change permanent would ultimately hurt businesses on the street.

Even when Im going down the block to drop something off, theres nowhere to park, Ross said.

Rummel said that she understands business owners concerns but noted that parking spaces would open up one block away on Jenifer Street if the buses are rerouted.

Sarah Hangebrauck said she and her family come from Sun Prairie often to eat at restaurants on Williamson Street. She said she hasnt noticed any problems since the bus lines were rerouted, noting that her family usually parks on side streets anyway.

Public transit  first streetcars, later buses  has run on Jenifer Street since at least the 1920s, according to Wisconsin State Journal archives.

People knew what they were getting when they moved to Jeny, Ross said about the buses. People knew what they were getting when they opened a business on Willy. Now thats going to change?

Since the bus lines were moved, Rummel requested a city study of potential new bus routes in the area, including the impact on businesses and route speed. With the construction of new housing north of Williamson Street, many residents may benefit from the bus route remaining closer to them, she said.

It occurred to me that things have changed in the neighborhood, and maybe we should take a look, Rummel said.

Just as in 2011, when the Willy Street Co-op won a battle with Jenifer Street residents to put in a driveway to its parking lot on the street, much of the discussion has centered around the impact on traffic on Williamson Street. Opponents say the street is already congested, and adding buses and their frequent stops to the mix would only make matters worse.

I dont think Willy Street needs more traffic, said Cory Fey, a Jenifer Street resident. Its already packed.

While some Jenifer Street residents said they werent bothered by the noise the buses made, the massive repairs on the street have been a constant headache this summer. Several blocks of Jenifer Street and portions of Paterson, Brearly and Few streets have been torn up as crews replace storm and sanitary sewers, water mains, curbs, gutters, pavement and sidewalks.

Thi Le lives on Jenifer Street and said she wants the bus route to go back to her street when construction is done.

Theres less traffic and it runs smoother, Le said while waiting for a bus at a temporary stop at Williamson and Baldwin streets. And it stops right in front of my house.

At Mother Fools cafe on Williamson Street, business has gone down noticeably in the months since the bus was rerouted, employee Chris Joutras said. But Joutras wasnt sure if that was because of the bus stop taking up parking spaces or the construction on Jenifer Street.

From a business standpoint, I can see why they would want (the bus routes) on Jeny Street, Joutras said. If I didnt work here, it would make more sense on Willy Street. Its more well-known.

State Journal reporter Logan Wroge contributed to this report.
A n independent brewer has launched a virtual reality experience to be served alongside its beers, for customers in London bars to feel like theyre at the beach.

Innis & Gunns new virtual reality experience will allow drinkers to see and hear sounds of the beach, in hopes in enhancing the taste of the beer.

Brewhouse Kitchen bars in Highbury and Islington will be participating in the virtual reality beer experience throughout August.

Virtual reality film producer Adam Rae told the Standard: We wanted to create a virtual reality experience that can push the boundaries of what beer can be.

This was achieved by taking an artistic, abstract approach to creating VR to go alongside the beer.

This way we were able to play with the way ones surroundings could affect the way the beer tastes based on how your personal experiences of similar settings conjure up different memories, smells and feelings.
C helsea has long been one of Londons fanciest areas to live in, and in this pricey postcode youre never far from a world-class restaurant, an exciting little boutique or a smart cocktail den where you could easily spend your entire paycheck in one night.

But Chelsea wasnt always fast supercars, glossy blowdries and double-barrelled surnames by the dozen, and this collection of photographs shows some of its most famous streets in a previous life, long before the East End stole its crown as the creative quarter of the capital.

It might be surprising to Londoners of today, but The Kings Road and its surrounding streets have long had a reputation as a centre of innovation, and during the 19th century, the area became something of a Victorian artists colony.

Some of the earliest photographs in this gallery show daily life in south east London, from an early match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in 1913 to a rather rickety-looking Stamford Bridge stadium in 1920.

In the Sixties, Chelsea was the most fashionable place to live in the world. Swinging London was in full force, and on a Saturday, Sloane Square would be lined with trendy young people picking up the latest mod fashions in Chelsea Girl and Jean Junction.

But perhaps the most innovative thing of all to come out of Chelsea during this period, is the potato vending machine pictured in this gallery. Locals could pitch up at any time of the day or night and buy a bag of potatoes for just 6 pence.

(Moore/Fox Photos/Getty Images) / Getty Images

During the punk era in the late Seventies, the Kings Road was to change again, and the street was lined with one-of-a-kind boutiques selling outrageous fashion to punks. Most notably, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLarens eponymous Sex boutique, which kept West Londoners in leather, safety pins and taboo t-shirts.

Later, Sloane Rangers would move into the neighbourhood, their Hermes scarves and strings of pearls overtaking punk as the central look of Chelsea in the Eighties.

Sloanes, and their distinctive welly-wearing style has since been synonymous with the area, and these days youre more likely to see a designer handbag hanging off the arms of Chelseas fashionable young set, rather than a studded leather jacket.

From the artists of the Victorian era to the punks and rockers of the Seventies these photographs will take you on a journey of Chelsea life through the years.

Click through our gallery above to take a tour of this ever-evolving west London district, and compare it to the Chelsea we know today, with our comprehensive area guide.

Follow us on Twitter: @eslifeandstyle
A father-of-five died after being attacked at a pub in a picturesque village in Londons commuter belt.

Dean Haverley, 48, was reportedly stabbed to death at the historic pub in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, last night. He died after being taken to hospital following the attack at about midnight.

Thames Valley Police said a murder inquiry had been launched after the death of Mr Haverley, who lived locally, and his next-of-kin had been informed.

His brother Craig wrote on Facebook today: "My little brother dean taken to early xxxxx. R.I.P. My best friend and little brother xxxx".

He added: "My thoughts go out to Kelly and the children. God bless and if we can help in anyway please don't hesitate to ask love craig and family xx".

Dougie Mcclean, Mr Haverley's son, wrote on Facebook: "RIP Dad. Let's get this geezer caught."

Police were called to The George Inn, Burnham, after an assaul / Google Streetview

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Steel, who is leading the inquiry, described the assault at The George Inn, which happened at about midnight on Friday, as an isolated incident.

The officer said: "We are conducting a thorough investigation to find out what happened inside the public house last night.

"My appeal is to anyone who was in The George Inn around midnight who witnessed the assault or has any information regarding the incident to contact police immediately.

"A scenewatch will remain in place at the public house and there will be police activity in the area. If you have any concerns please don't hesitate to approach one of our officers or PCSOs."

Anyone with information to assist the inquiry is urged to contact police on 101.

Mr Steel added: "If you have information about the incident but don't want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."


A woman known as the lynchpin of a Nigerian organised crime group has been jailed for 22 years for tricking and trafficking young woman from Africa into Europe to work in the sex trade.

Franca Asemota, 38, was arrested in Benin City, Nigeria, in March last year following an operation co-ordinated by the National Crime Agency, working in partnership with the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crime Commission, and was extradited back to the UK in January.

Asemota's gang targeted teenage girls in remote Nigerian villages, some of whom had never left before left the area where they grew up, telling them that education and work in industries such as hairdressing awaited them in Europe.

The girls would stay with her before leaving, and in interviews with specialist officers from the NCAs Vulnerable Persons Team many of the girls told how they referred to her as Auntie Franca.

However, once the girls were on their way to the airport they were told that they would be working as prostitutes and were threatened with physical violence if they tried to raise the alarm.

Most of the girls were under 18, and traffickers were said to have used witchcraft to terrify their victims so they would not talk to police.

Asemota travelled with the girls on flights from Lagos, Nigeria, to Heathrow, from where the girls would be trafficked to France.

The victims remained airside during the transit at Heathrow so were not subject to UK passport checks.

However, the trafficking operation was stopped when French Authorities identified the girls travelling with false documents on arrival in France.

When they were then returned to the UK, Border Force officers carried out further investigations and the case was quickly referred to Immigration Enforcement criminal investigations.

Five of Asemotas victims gave evidence against her during the trial.

One of them was tracked down to France by Immigration Enforcement and NCA investigators and rescued from prostitution in Montpellier.

Following a four week trial at Isleworth Crown Court Asemota was found guilty of conspiracy to traffic for sexual exploitation and assisting unlawful immigration.

She stood accused of accompanying about 40 victims on eight separate flights into Heathrow between 2011 and 2012.

Asemota was handed down the 22 year jail term at the same court on Thursday.

Martin French, head of the NCAs UK Human Trafficking Centre, said: Franca Asemota and her criminal network took advantage of these vulnerable young women in some of the worst ways possible.

Jailed: Asemota was extradited to the UK to face trial

They promised them a better life but in reality treated them as nothing more than a commodity to be sold into slavery.

Asemota thought she could evade arrest by fleeing Europe and hiding in Nigeria. But the NCAs partnerships give us global reach and mean international borders are no barrier to justice.

This conviction is the result of many years of dogged investigation and co-operation between the NCA, Home Office Immigration Enforcement and our law enforcement colleagues both at home and overseas.

David Fairclough, from the Immigration Enforcement crime team, added: Asemota was the lynchpin of a trafficking ring who targeted vulnerable young women in Nigeria, promising them a brighter future working in Europe.

But it soon became clear that this was far from the truth. The victims, some as young as 13, were told they would be sold into prostitution. Asemota travelled with the girls in order to threaten them and keep them in line.

Trafficking is a despicable crime, as this case shows. We work closely with our law enforcement colleagues internationally to identify the criminal gangs responsible and put them before the courts.

Two other men involved in the trafficking network have already been convicted.

Odosa Usiobaifu, of Enfield, and David Osawaru, of Benin City, were sentenced to 14 years and nine years respectively in 2013.
A serial robber who climbed into a lone womans car as she pulled away from traffic lights at night has been jailed.

Simon Boswell, from Gillingham, opened the door of the victims car as she sat at a red light in the town in May.

The 34-year-old opened the door of the car and snatched at the womans bag just before 10pm.

As he tried to wrestle it away from her, the lights turned green and Boswell climbed into the car as the woman sped off, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

The woman eventually pulled over and ordered Boswell to get out.

He fled with the bag which contained her purse and a tablet computer.

Three days letter Boswell struck again in the forecourt of a petrol station, where he jumped a man and stole his wallet which contained 40 in cash.

His second victim was treated in hospital for cuts and bruises.

Boswell, of Winchester Way, admitted two counts of robbery at the same court and was jailed for three years and four months on Friday.

Detective Constable Ian Mather, from Kent Police, branded Boswell an opportunistic thief who needs no invitation to take items that do not belong to him.

He added that the man was equally at home robbing a man on a petrol forecourt as he is climbing into a womans car while she is driving alone at night.
A man has been arrested after a woman was stabbed to death at a home in south-east London last night.

The 44-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene after police found her with stab wounds in Somertrees Avenue, Lee.

Officers had been called at about 11.20pm to reports of an assault, Scotland Yard said.

The victims next of kin are yet to be informed and a post-mortem investigation was due to take place this afternoon.

A Met Police spokesman said: A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder - he remains in custody.

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Officers from the Homicide and Major Crime Command investigate.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 0208 721 4005, the police non-emergency line 101 or anonymously on Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.
MINNEAPOLIS  When Jeff Lundquist took his first Uber ride, he was wary as the Honda pulled up.

It was unkempt and smelly. He spied a baby seat in the back. He had no idea whose car he was entering or how good the driver was.

But the convenience of calling a ride with just a few taps on the phone on the popular ride-hailing app appealed to him. That gave Lundquist an idea: Why not take the convenience of Uber to the luxurious and professional world of limousines?

So he made an app to do just that. Lundquist recruited two full-time programmers who developed the app for his web-based real estate company, Homegevity. He used his existing office space and his own money to fund the development phase. And in March, Call Limo was born.

Call Limo offers rides on demand from a fleet made up exclusively of limos, town cars and high-end SUVs at a price similar to Uber. It hopes to carve out a piece of a market largely dominated by Uber and spread its foothold beyond the Twin Cities. Lundquist said hes expecting the first outside investment in the app to scale the operation.

Were taking people who are already going out, that are used to Uber, and giving them the ability to have luxury for not much more, Lundquist said.

Like Uber, Call Limo riders can place a pin on the map where they want to be picked up. The app uses Google Maps for drivers to find customers and avoid traffic-heavy streets. Customers are charged by the minute, not by the mile. And unlike Uber, riders are free of a surge charge in busy areas.

Uber already offers a similar luxury ride service through Uber Black, but Call Limo seeks to distinguish itself by only taking on commercially licensed limo drivers. At the core of Lundquists plan is selling the experience of being chauffeured by a professional with fewer hassles.

The old standards of renting a limo was I need to call ahead and rent for a minimum of two hours, Lundquist said. Im trying to break that mold.

Right now, the biggest challenge is raising awareness for the app. So far, Call Limo has relied on word-of-mouth and web-based marketing. Lundquist tracks eventgoers via Facebooks Graph API, which allows developers to tap data from the social network and market directly to potential customers. For example, if someone clicks Going on a Facebook event page for the Lion King musical, Lundquist can post a customized message in the persons newsfeed soliciting a limo ride to the event.

Call Limo also uses search engine optimization to snag web traffic. Lundquist said he designed 150 websites for 150 airports around the country. Through SEO, these websites pop up toward the top of search results, Lundquist said, and each website redirects to Call Limos website.

Call Limo currently has 30 independent limo drivers and limo companies. Its selection ranges from eight- to 15-seat limos, Lincoln Town Cars to GMC Denalis. Lundquist recruited many of the drivers himself, and others joined after hearing about the app through other drivers.

Using apps like Call Limo and Uber Black looks to be a good way for limo drivers to make money while waiting for reservations to trickle in, said Noam Kaufmann, owner of One Great Limousine Service in Minneapolis.
A man is fighting for his life in hospital after he was attacked in Enfield in the early hours of this morning.

Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at half past midnight on Friday to the Enfield Lock area.

Emergency services raced to the scene and found a man lying unconscious in Green Street, at its junction with Hertford Road.

Police said the 34-year-old had been the victim of a serious assault.

The man was taken to an east London hospital with serious head injuries, where he remains in a critical condition.

Police said his injuries are being treated as life threatening.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing to establish how the man came to be injured.

"Detectives from Enfield CID are investigating."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police in Enfield on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
P olice have said they are treating the death of a man whose body was found in Hyde Park as murder.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command launched an investigation after police were called to the west London park at about 5.50am on Friday.

A member of the public said they had found an injured man in the park, and when officers attended they found a body.

Police said enquiries are continuing to establish the man's identity and inform his next of kin.

Hyde Park corner cordoned off after body found

A post-mortem examination held earlier today at Westminster Mortuary was unable to determine a cause of death, but it showed that the man had been the victim of an assault.

Witnesses said the body was found clothed lying on the floor with a bag nearby, close to a public toilet block.

Police cordons were put in place at the scene, which is near to Speakers' Corner, and close to a mosaic commemorating The Reformers' Tree.

Police said no arrests had been made and enquiries were ongoing.

Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious or has information that may assist the investigation is asked to call police via 101, or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


T he police watchdog has launched an investigation into the arrest of a young black man who was pinned to the floor by officers who placed a hood over his head at London Bridge station.

IK Aihie, 20, was detained by British Transport Police at the station last month after he allegedly became aggressive towards officers.

Police say he threatened to spit at them while he was being held so they placed the spit guard over his head.

Footage filmed by commuter Ayda Mosharraf shows Aihie screaming in pain as police officers hold him to the ground and force a full face spit hood over his head.

His girlfriend, Jessica McConkey, claimed the couple were having an argument when police arrested her partner.

Aihie was held in a cell overnight in Islington and released the next day after accepting a caution for a public order offence.

Pinned down: A still from the dramatic video

The couple made a complaint to BTP and claimed excessive force had been used during the arrest.

They also said officers had ignored Aihie when he repeatedly asked what he was being arrested for until he arrived at the police station.

On Friday, watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed it had received a referral from the force and had opened an independent investigation, the Guardian reported.

Aihie, who has met with IPCC investigators, told the paper: I hope there will now be a thorough investigation and I would ask any witnesses to my arrest to please contact the IPCC.

His solicitor, Shamik Dutta, of Bhatt Murphy, said: It is imperative that all relevant evidence in this case is preserved without delay to ensure a robust inquiry into the officers conduct.

Ordeal: The young man was placed in a spit hood

Aihie previously said he felt he had been treated like a dog by the police.

McConkey said she believed that officers assumed Aihie had stolen her phone, leading each of them to accuse police of racism over the incident.
A London mother who was rescued from her flooded home while in labour is unable to return more than three months after the deluge.

Thousands of gallons of water poured on to the south-west London street where Briar Coles lived with her fiance and young daughter in the early hours of April 23.

Neighbours were forced to flee their homes amid the drama but Ms Coles had gone into labour just hours earlier so had to be rescued by boat. She gave birth to healthy baby girl Andreya a short while later.

But more than three months on, the physiotherapist and her young family remain squeezed into her fiances mothers three-bed home round the corner from their flat in Cecil Close, Chessington.

Happy family: Briar Coles, 32, with daughter Ariana and newborn Andreya days after her birth / Briar Coles

Despite floodwaters having receded months ago, the family continue to wait for vital works to be completed on the property.

Husband-to-be Barry Pitts sleeps on a mattress in the lounge at mum Hilary's, while newborn Andreya, 16 weeks, kips with Ms Coles and Ariana, two, gets her own room.

Ms Coles, 32, said the family were extremely grateful to Hilary Pitts for her hospitality but beginning to buckle under the strain of being without their own home.

Proud dad: Barry Pitts with his newborn daughter / Briar Coles

Its been really hard, Ms Coles said. Weve lost that whole excitement of moving back home with your baby, weve lost those special moments.

Its very difficult to be a family when youre dont have your own home.

We cant feel completely comfortable and relaxed. The past three months have been so draining.

Every day up until recently Ive been constantly on the phone trying to make progress with this.

When I had Ariana I was completely focused on her.

Rescue: Ms Coles was towed from her flooded home by boat while in labour / Briar Coles

But that wasnt possible this time around because Ive been fighting this battle

Its just constantly draining arguing when were arguing for things were entitled to.

Some 40 homes were affected by the flooding, caused by a burst Thames Water main, but Ms Coless family home, which they own, was among the worst affected.

A spokesman for their insurers AXA said: We understand that going through an insurance claim can be a stressful time and that Mr Pitts and Miss Coles are keen to return home.

We are working hard to ensure that the necessary work on homes affected by the burst water main is carried out effectively and without undue delay.

As well as the home of Mr Pitts and Ms Coles we insure a number of other flats in the same block under a joint owner occupier policy. As many of these properties were also affected by flooding, the restoration work has taken longer than it would for a single property.

We have paid Mr Pitts and Miss Coles contents insurance claim and will work to get them back home as soon as possible.

Thames Water said: Were very sorry for the disruption to this family.

Flooding is an awful experience and with a new baby we can only imagine how tough the last few months have been.

We understand the couple initially dealt with their own insurance company however were now in discussions with them about items not covered by their own policy.

Well do all we can to help.
N icola Sturgeon has welcome a proposal which could allow Scotland to retain its membership of the EU as England and Wales withdraw.

Denmark-based academic Ulrik Pram Gad has suggested the UK could seek inspiration from Greenland, which withdrew from the EEC in 1985 while the rest of the Kingdom of Denmark remained.

Mr Gad said in an article for the London School of Economics that England and Wales could do a "reverse Greenland" by seeking a territorial exemption from the continuing UK member state, allowing Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar to retain their EU membership.

Ms Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, has pledged to explore all options to keep Scotland in the EU after its citizens voted overwhelmingly to Remain.

Writing on Twitter, she said: "Interesting piece by a Denmark based academic - Could a 'reverse Greenland' arrangement keep Scotland in the EU?"

The "reverse Greenland" option was suggested by other academics in the days following the Brexit vote.

Theresa May described some of the suggestions to keep Scotland in the EU as "fanciful" in her first visit to Scotland after being appointed Prime Minister, and senior Cabinet ministers have said the whole of the UK will leave the EU.

Gogglebox Brexit episode trailer

Mr Gad said: "The Brexit referendum results in England and Wales contrasted sharply with those in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Gibraltar.

"Taking these differences into account - and combining them with prospects of Scottish independence, renewed troubles in Northern Ireland, and potentially severe isolation in Gibraltar - the UK could refrain from activating Article 50.

"Instead, negotiations could aim at a territorial exemption of England and Wales from UK membership.

"The UK would still be a member state - voting rights reasonably reduced to match the population of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Anti-Brexit 'March for Europe' protest 1 /13 Anti-Brexit 'March for Europe' protest Organiser estimated up to 30,000 people attended the central London rally PA Thousands parade through the streets of the capital for the anti-Brexit march PA Pro-EU protesters painted their faces in the colours of the union's flag PA Demonstrators held placards expressing their support for the European Union PA Some placards were more imaginative than others PA Bob Geldof was among famous faces to address demonstrators at Parliament Square PA Lib Dem leader Tim Farron also addressed crowds during the rally Getty The route from Hyde Park to Westminster passed major London landmarks including Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square Getty/AFP Demonstrators attached an EU balloon to the statue of Winston Churchill outside Parliament PA Some demonstrators had digs at the politicians behind the UK's Leave campaign, including now Tory leadership hopeful Michael Gove PA

"The question of who would represent this member state, on what mandate, and following what procedures of coordination would have to be solved within the UK.

"Possibly, the role of Scottish ministers and bureaucrats from Northern Ireland would have to be central.

"The 'reverse Greenland' arrangement sketched above might solve the issue for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, but it would, of course, leave another problem on the table: namely the relationship England and Wales would have with the EU and the single market.

"Inspiration for this relationship would have to be found elsewhere as there is little guidance that can be offered by the Greenland case.

"But while the EU might appear to be a rigid legal community, the political processes that generate EU agreements are based chiefly on pragmatism.

"There is therefore scope to create unique arrangements and the formalities of the process will hardly act as an obstacle in achieving this.

"Greenland's experience illustrates that it can be necessary to play games with a state's formal sovereignty in order to uphold it. Copenhagen seems to have learned that lesson - now the question is whether London will too."


T he body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled out of the sea in north Wales following a week-long manhunt for two teenagers.

Yahye Omar Mohamed disappeared after going swimming in the sea off Barmouth last Saturday.

Police and the coastguard discovered the body in the water at Sunny Sands beach yesterday morning and today confirmed it was the missing teen.

Yahyes Waseem Al-Muflehi, 15, is still missing.

Both boys are reportedly from Birmingham and believed to have been on a trip with the city's Yemeni Community Association when they disappeared.

Inspector Andy McGregor, from North Wales Police, said: Yesterday evening Yahye was identified by family members and our thoughts are very much with them at this time.

They are being supported by specialist Family Liaison Officers and we hope you can respect the familys privacy at this very difficult time

The death is not being treated as suspicious and HM Coroner for North West Wales Mr Dewi Pritchard-Jones has been notified.
T wycross Zoo has chosen to mark World Orangutan Day in a rather unusual way - by offering free entry to all redheads.

World Orangutan Day will be celebrated internationally on Friday, and aims to highlight the dangers that the red-haired apes face in the wild, including loss of habitat as forests are turned into palm oil plantations.

To raise awareness of the apes' plight, on Friday the Leicestershire zoo will be letting anyone with red hair in for free.

However, it has warned that the offer only applies to people who have naturally red hair or dyed hair, and anyone who turns up wearing a wig will be asked to pay the entry fee.

Threatened: the zoo has four of its own orangutans / Tycross Zoo

Visitors the zoo will have the chance to look in on Twyross' own four ginger orangutans - 27-year-old male Batu, 22-year-old female Maliku, their daugther Molly, 5, who was born at the zoo, and Kibriah, 39, who is Maliku's mother.

A spokesman for the zoo said: "On Friday, August 19 we will be letting anyone with red hair in for free  male, female, adult, child, strawberry blonde, auburn, fiery red, natural or dyed  it doesnt matter.

Runners streak naked through ZSL London Zoo for tigers

"As long as you have red hair you can enjoy a free day out at Twycross Zoo.

"Our staff in the ticket booths will be issued with our special Twycross Zoo red headed colour scale too just to make sure."
A man has died after being hit by four cars as he "walked along" the M66 motorway.

Manchester Police said the man had been walking along lanes of the motorway near Bury when he was hit head-on by an Audi A5 in the early hours of this morning.

He was then hit by three more cars and pronounced dead at the scene.

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and remains in police custody.

Sergeant Helen Hallworth, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "We believe we have identified this man and we have now spoken to his next of kin.

"However, we still need witnesses who may have seen this man walking up the motorway to contact us as a matter of urgency.

"As ever, any dashcam footage would be gratefully received, but at this stage any information from eyewitnesses would greatly help us with our investigation into this man's tragic death."

Police are asking anyone with information to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


A student who told an MP to "get in the sea" faced an investigation from her university after the politician said it was a "threat to kill".

Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire complained to Bristol University after receiving the message on Twitter.

The university then launched an investigation into the tweet, sent in July. Student Verity Phillips, who also tweeted messages of support to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, later sent a written apology to the Bristol West MP., the Bristol Post reported.

Responding to a Tweet, Ms Debbonaire wrote: "This person has just told me to drown - I believe that is a threat to kill."

She said she expected the university to "deal with this", adding: "I have never heard [the phrase]," she wrote. "My friend Jo Cox was killed doing our job. It's not funny to me. I expect @BristolUni to deal with this".

Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox was killed after being shot and stabbed in her Yorkshire constituency in June.

A Bristol University spokesman told the Bristol Post: ""As soon as we became aware of the tweet, we contacted Thangam's office to discuss the matter and apologise for the distress caused.

"We expect the highest standards of behaviour from our students, whether on University premises or elsewhere.

"As such we have written to the student in accordance with the University's disciplinary procedures to explain that we considered the tweet unacceptable and to remind them of their responsibilities when using social media.

"The student has since written to Thangam to apologise personally for her actions."
A man has reportedly launched an attack on board a Swiss train, injuring passengers with fire and a knife.

At least six people, including a six-year-old child were left seriously hurt after the man struck in a carriage while the train travelled in the north east of the country, along the border with Liechtenstein.

The attack happened at 2.20pm local time (1.20pm UK time), near Salez in St Gallen Canton, as the train travelled between Buchs and Sennwald.

Police in St Gallen canton said the 27-year-old suspect had at least one knife and poured out a flammable liquid, which caught fire.

Police say the wounded included a six-year-old child, three women aged 17, 34 and 43, and two men aged 17 and 50.

Some of the injuries were said to be serious but there were no further details immediately.

In addition to a large police presence, the local fire department responded along with three rescue helicopters, two emergency doctors, three ambulances and railway authorities.

A preliminary estimate says that the train suffered 80,000 in damage.

Aftermath: The train stands at the station following an attack onboard / EPA/GIAN EHRENZELLER

The alleged attacker, a 27-year-old Swiss citizen, was also injured when the train was set alight.

The injured, including the alleged attacker, have been rushed to hospital.

In a statement, St Gallen Police said: "According to current information a 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid.

"He was also armed with at least one knife. The liquid caught fire."

Police were investigating the attacker's motive.

Damage: Workers clean a platform after the attack / EUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Switzerland's 20 Minuten newspaper reported on its website that police did not believe the incident was terrorist-related.

In July, a refugee from Afghanistan attacked four tourists on a German train, then stabbed a woman as he fled from the train. All survived. Police shot and killed the attacker.

Later in the same month, a teenager armed with an axe and knife attacked passengers on another train in Germany, injuring a score of people. He too was shot and killed by police as he tried to escape from the train.

Last September, a heavily armed gunman opened fire on a high-speed Amsterdam-Paris train, but he was overpowered by two young American soldiers and their companion.
While some farmers in other cities may be seeing a decline in the profitability of farmers markets because visitors would rather socialize than shop, Madison area markets are generally thriving.

According to REAP Food Groups 2016 Farm Fresh Atlas, there are 27 self-reported farmers markets in Dane County six more than in 2012.

Those 27 markets embrace a slightly different atmosphere from one another for both vendors and patrons.

For example, the Dane County Farmers Market, which is the countrys largest producer-only farmers market and draws up to 20,000 visitors on a typical Saturday, can be a destination for tourists and has been central for many shoppers since its inception in 1972.

You see some folks that are there really, really bright and early that are ladened with big bags full of things they are purchasing, said DCFM market manager Sarah Elliott. They dont want to be there at 11 oclock when everyone else is visiting.

Elliott said that its wonderful that the market is the kind of event that people travel all the way from Chicago to attend  her phone rings off the hook on Fridays with inquiries from Chicago about the market.

The way (DCFM) encircles the Capitol is so lovely and its so Madison, Elliott said. I had heard of it before I moved here...it was definitely one of the first things I wanted to do when I moved to Wisconsin.

Despite the popularity of the Saturday DCFM, some vendors rely on other markets to sustain their business because of an increase in people who go to the market because its hip and a decrease in actual buyers, a problem noted in both a recent Missoulian article as well as an article from the Washington Post.

Jeff Ford of Cress Spring Bakery, who has attended the DCFM for 26 years, said that the Saturday market peaked for him sometime in the last decade and his profits have declined in the last five years, so he now attends both DCFM and the Westside Community Market.

Ford also said that the number of people who attend DCFM who walk around carrying just a baked good and a coffee is alarming.

Josh Engel of Driftless Organics has been attending the market since 1993 and said that he has noticed the number of tourists increasing in the last decade or so, but their continued success is thanks to their regular customers.

We have a lot of fans, though, that come every week with a good majority of them coming real early to try to beat the crowds and get things before they sell out, Engel said.

Tony Hook of Hooks Cheese Co. also acknowledged regular customers who buy his products week after week, but said that his sales for the first 20 years at DCFM grew and they have now stayed even with a peak from three years ago.

Cindy Fricke of Cherokee Bison Farms, who attended every Saturday DCFM for 22 years until 2014 and now attends less frequently, said that the increased number of other markets has lessened the need for people to go out to the larger market for their shopping.

In the past 10 years or so, smaller markets have popped up in nearly every community and every other street corner, she said. While these smaller markets do not offer near the selection (nor ambiance) that one can find at the DCFM, they do offer a good variety of fresh produce and meats, and are easier and quicker for shoppers to get to.

Although vendors sometimes encounter difficulty with a smaller number of grocery buyers at DCFM, it is still a highly successful, unique and prosperous market, Fricke said. It boasts the absolute best variety of products you will find anywhere in the state on a Saturday.

You simply will not find a more beautiful setting for a market and we are so very fortunate to be allowed to host this market on the Capitol Square, she said. market

But a big event like the summertime DCFM may not be for everyone, which makes the presence of other markets crucial.

In a 2015 survey by UW-Madison Department of Consumer Science professor Lydia Zepeda and doctoral candidate Kathryn A. Carroll, 34 percent of surveyed shoppers at the summer market cited the markets congestion as a reason for not buying more products.

Less crowded in winter

Picking up groceries is easier at the less-crowded DCFMs winter markets, which Joe and Ruby Cabibbo frequent with their Italian baked goods in tow.

The Cabibbos dont work the DCFM at the apex of tourist season, so there is no problem with the buyers versus the tourists, and their overall sales continue to rise.

Its our full suite of markets that makes us who we are, said Elliott, the market manager. People are always amazed at what you can get in the winter in Wisconsin.

There isnt the kind of selection at the winter DCFM as there is in the summer, but the dedicated patrons who trek to the markets still have access to between 40 and 50 vendors.

In the survey by Zepeda and Carroll, patrons at the early winter market said they purchased products a little over 98 percent of the time, which is a slight increase from 95 percent at summer markets.

For Westside Community Market manager Benjamin Zimmerman, maintaining the identity of a buyers market is important for WCM.

What we hear from our customers most is that the WCM is a buyers market, said Zimmerman. They say when they have visitors coming to town, they take them Downtown to see the event of the DCFM, but when they need to do their weekly shopping, they come over to the WCM.

WCM does on occasion offer activities, kids events, cooking demonstrations, live music or information tables, but the special events are there to improve the experience for the customers, he said.

The Hilldale Farmers Market, on the other hand, incorporates live music nearly every Saturday to enhance the experience for shoppers, some of whom have been coming to the market weekly since it began in 1974.

Though there has been an influx of markets in recent years, Hilldale market manager Lisa Lewis said that a saturation of markets is controlled mostly by the vendors themselves, because if they arent making money, theyll leave.

Lewis said that markets like the newly established Monroe Street Farmers Market are good for their neighborhoods and people love being able to walk to the market.

According to Jeannette LeZaks, a Monroe Street Farmers Market board member, the 2-year-old market has become a community gathering space and go-to place for many to get produce, food and other locally produced products.

Monroe Street also offers music nearly every week as well as arts and crafts or activities for kids.

And the Sun Prairie Farmers Market, which is healthy and growing, supports the idea that the farmers market can be a social event as well as a resource for fresh produce and goods, according to former Sun Prairie BID board member Mike Cunningham.

There are people who come there because its a place to be, he said. They meet their friends for coffee or a crepe. It just feels good.
E xtraordinary pictures show men having their beards cut off and women burning niqabs after the Syrian city of Manbij was liberated from Islamic State.

A woman is shown smoking a cigarette in defiance of the toppled Islamist regime which had controlled the city in one of the images.

The stronghold, in northern Syria, fell to allied Arab and Kurdish fighters who freed more then 2,000 hostages in recent days.

Human rights groups said the hostages had been used as "human shields" by the terror group, whose fighters have been driven from the city, close to the Turkish border, in the past two months.

A woman sets fire to a niqab in Manbij / Reuters

Speaking to news agency Reuters, a resident of Manbij told of the place he had seen people beheaded by IS.

"For anything or using the excuse that he did not believe [in God], they put him and cut his head off," he said.

A woman lifts her veil after IS were toppled / Reuters

"It is all injustice."

Other residents were seen screaming with happiness after the regime was toppled, with one shouting: "I feel joy and [it is like a] dream I am dreaming.

"I cannot believe it, I cannot believe it. Things I saw no one saw."

Liberating: A man cuts off another man's beard in Manbij / Reuters

Thanking the US-backed fighters who liberated the city, another woman said: "You are our children, you are our heroes, you are the blood of our hearts, you are our eyes. Go out, Daesh [a reference to the Arabic name for IS]!"

IS has used humans as shields in an effort to deter air strikes.

Allied forces against IS began an assault on Manbij on May 31. More than 78,000 people there have been displaced from the city, which is considered strategically important due to its location on the supply route from the de facto capital of the so-called Islamic State, Raqqa, and the Turkish border.

More than 290,000 people have died in the conflict in Syria since March 2011.
Two of the harness racing worlds top drivers, Aaron Merriman of the USA and Dexter Dunn from New Zealand, both found their own pots of gold on Day 1 of the Ladbrokes Vincent Delaney Memorial Weekend at Portmarnock Raceway in Ireland on Saturday (August 13).

Merriman, the worlds top dash winning driver in 2015 and the current world leader this season, had to wait until the last race on the program to get his first victory outside of North America.

The win came in the 11th race Free-For-All Pace sponsored by PJI Engineering and Lee Edwards, a bulky nine-horse field where only four horses can have their nose on the starting gate. Merriman was in post nine, thus starting from the third tier for the one-mile race.

I really wanted to get a win today, Merriman said, and it may have taken until the last race, but man is this awesome. My horse was a little aggressive and once we had clearance I just let him do it.

Driving the six-year-old Somebeachsomewhere stallion, Sepia Sands, for owner/trainer Geoff Dunne, Merriman was able to swing wide of the field after the opening quarter-mile and then came first-over, clearing to the lead at the half-mile. From there, they were home free, coasting to the wire four lengths up on the field. Their time of 1:58.1 was not only the fastest mile of the day on Portmarnocks half-mile oval, but a lifetime mark for Sepia Sands.

Im loving it here, Merriman added. I have never been on this type of track before and might have been a bit nervous at the start of the day, but after a couple of races I was into the swing of things. The people here are so friendly and outgoing, coming up to me just to say hello and welcome me to Ireland. Its all awesome!

There were four elimination divisions Saturday for the 5th annual Ladbrokes Vincent Delaney Memorial for two-year-old pacers -- two divisions for fillies and two for colts. The first two finishers from each division plus the fastest six other horses from either division, return and race on Sunday in their respective finals for colts and fillies.

It was in the two filly divisions where Dexter Dunn rose to the occasion, winning one division and finishing third in the other, thus now having to choose between the two fillies to drive Sunday in the final.

The first division (sixth race) saw the unbeaten Rhyds Mystique and driver Vicky Gill post their fifth straight victory with a five-length wire-to-wire romp in 2:02.1, the fastest of all four elimination divisions. In doing so, Rhyds Mystique also posted a lifetime mark for trainer John Gill (Vickys dad) and owner Victoria Elvin of the UK. Second in the mile was Greenhillbebatable (Mick Lord) with Newtown Amber (Dexter Dunn) third, and also making the final was Shes Royal (Billy Roche).

Then in the second division (seventh race), Dunn came first-over with IB Coyote (by Dark Bay), cleared to the lead at the half-mile and then went on to win by one length in 2:04.9. It was Dunns second winner on the day. IB Coyote is trained by Tadhy Murphy and is owned by Bill Donoan and the IB Stables. Second was Jennifer Camden (Aaron Merriman), third went to Crosshill Ace (William Greenhorn) and also making it to the final was Theladieslovejim (Andrew Cairns) in fourth.

The first colt division was the third race where Share A Smile (Hugh Menzies) went right to the early lead from post two with Frankie Camden (Rock Laidler) right on their back through easy opening fractions as the favourite, Tyrion Hanover (Richard Haythornthwaite), made an early bobble around the opening quarter-mile. But then surging to come back into contention, Tyrion Hanover and Haythornthwaite came sweeping three-wide before the final turn, and flying on the far outside near the fans fence, collared the race leaders and blew by them to win by three lengths in 2:03.2. It was the second win this year and a lifetime mark for Tyrion Hanover, a gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere, who is trained by Samboy Howard and owned by John James Howard Sr. Frankie Camden was second with Share A Smile third and also making it to the final Sunday was Dragons Den (John Richardson) and Rodney Camden.

In the fourth race, second colt division, Benny Camden and driver Alan Richardson were seemly trapped in the two-hole early in the mile behind pacesetter Talavary Motivator (John Richardson) and All Good Hanover (Andrew Cairns), who was first-over early, but then went off-stride. Picking up the chase first-over at the half-mile and locking Benny Camden in once again was Harrison Camden (M. Loughran), but after the three-quarters in 1:34, Richardson was able to find clearance with Benny Camden, swing to the outside and gun down Rhyds Rival (Billy Roche) to win by one length in 2:04.2. Harrison Camden held game for third place to make it to the final. A son of Pro Bono Best, Benny Camden is trained by Richardson and owned by the Kavanagh and Forari Stables.

Sundays action-packed program not only features the finals of the Ladbrokes Vincent Delaney Memorial for colts, but also the inaugural VDM filly final that is being sponsored by Adam Bowdens Diamond Creek Farm from the USA, the Oakwood Stud Derby for three-year-olds at 1-1/2 miles, the Paul Murtagh, Sr. Memorial for four-year-olds, the RocknRoll Heaven/Pet Rock Irish-American FFA Pace that is sponsored by Joe Bellino, and the Elvin-Delaney French LeTrot FFA.

(With files from Vincent Delaney Memorial Weekend)
CHICAGO  The election of Barack Obama was a unique moment in the long and complicated history of race relations in America. A huge symbolic barrier had collapsed. Never before was there so much optimism about escaping the grim clutches of the past. We had made a new start that would lead to new heights.

Hope was infectious. Most whites voted against Obama, but on the eve of his inauguration, 55 percent of whites, as well as 75 percent of blacks, thought his presidency would improve race relations. The profound symbolism of a black man in the nations highest office could hardly be overstated.

Even in polls taken earlier this year, a majority of African-Americans said that a solution to the countrys racial problems would never be found, CNN reported shortly after the election. Now blacks and whites agree that racial tensions may end. One African-American told CNN, Ive seen this country vindicate itself.

When urban crime declined significantly in Obamas first term, some experts attributed it to the psychological impact of his election. Urban blacks had a new confidence, wrote Ohio State University historian Randolph Roth, and their greater trust in the political process and their positive feelings about the new president led to lower rates of urban violence.

That was then. This is now: Fox News star Bill OReilly, whose show has had the highest ratings in cable news for over a decade, responded to Michelle Obamas speech noting that the White House was built with slave labor by saying those slaves were well-fed and had decent lodgings. When that comment drew criticism, OReilly accused critics of lies and deception and propaganda.

Two things were of note there: that a mainstream white commentator would suggest things werent so bad for 18th-century slaves and that when he was upbraided for that suggestion, he would claim mistreatment. But the uproar was a vivid reminder that whites and blacks, as groups, still have incompatible perceptions.

When some whites hear of well-fed slaves, they heed the adjective. Blacks hear only the noun. When some whites hear references to slavery, they take it as an aggressive personal affront, not a simple recognition of history.

The racial climate, which looked so promising in 2008, has deteriorated. A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found 69 percent of Americans describing race relations as bad  three times the figure in 2009. Three-quarters of blacks have a positive view of the Black Lives Matter movement, but only one-third of whites do.

Having an African-American in the White House made race an inescapable part of discussions that once could skate over it. Obamas position also has threatened the security of whites who tend to regard blacks negatively. To have the nation led by one of them rather than one of us has been deeply unsettling.

When a black president laments racial injustice, it carries a sting that such comments lacked when delivered by a white one. When Obama expressed sorrow over the killing of Trayvon Martin, a Fox News contributor said he was inciting racial violence.

Any show of black dissatisfaction with the status quo evinces fury among some people of European descent. The Democratic convention segment featuring Mothers of the Movement  black women who have lost children to gun violence or in encounters with police  provoked the conservative National Review to denounce the Democrats as anti-white, even though their national ticket features two whites.

Such sentiments existed before Obama arrived, and they can be inflamed by events unconnected to him  such as black protests and riots after the killings of Michael Brown and other unarmed African-Americans.

Even Obamas departure may not soothe this white group. The nations shift away from a white majority is not going to stop when the next president takes office. Black Lives Matter will not fold its tent. The disturbing videos that appear when police kill or brutalize African-Americans will keep coming as long as the incidents occur.

If Hillary Clinton becomes president, white anxiety may subside. But the impatience of blacks, deprived of the solace of Obama, may only grow. If Donald Trump becomes president, he will sow triumphalism among resentful whites and a sense of betrayal among blacks. The repercussions are incalculable.

Maybe one day well escape the clutches of our racial past. But the day that seemed close at hand eight years ago looks impossibly distant today.
Ive spent many hours during the past year visiting public lands in the Wildcat Hills, plodding in on foot, carrying about 20 pounds of camera, lenses and other gear and learning more about western Nebraskas back country.

When I got a recent invitation to experience the Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area on horseback, I jumped at the chance. You cant get a lot of wildland travel done in a day on foot. Ive seen plenty of sixty-something guys in the saddle, and they make it seem like a practical and stylish way to cover more ground.

On the other hand, most of them have been riding all of their lives. My last memory of riding a horse is only a couple of decades younger than I am. I cant remember exactly when it was or who I was with. It was probably at a stable operation near the beach in western Oregon that peddled rides on a lumbering herd of saddle horses. As we were getting started, the cowboy in charge got mad at his own horse and slapped it with his hat  I remember that part only because he stuttered when he swore.

The steed I drew didnt require or encourage much steering or spurring. It plodded along behind the others, acknowledging my presence by turning its head a few times to nip at my shin. After we reached the turnaround where the sand turned to rock, it seemed to get inspired. Along with the rest of the herd, it picked up the pace, swerving from its homebound path only to trot me toward an occasional low-hanging branch. I had to respect its sense of humor.

Other than that, most of my experience with horses has been as an observer of rodeos. That reminded me that climbing onto a horses back doesnt always end well, and that it can be a long way to the ground from a saddle  especially if youre upside down. I pondered that Saturday night as I drifted off to sleep, wondering what Id talked myself into.

The invitation came from Starr Lehl. She enjoys my stories about outdoor recreation and suggested that I join her and some friends on a ride. I met her years ago while she was a Gering City Council member and mayor. Since leaving office, she served the past three Nebraska governors as a western Nebraska representative. Shes also been a cable TV manager and business consultant for the state Department of Economic Development.

For this ride, we were joined by Pam Joern, who works for the University of Nebraska Extension Service. She and Starr are both members of the local Historic Saddle Club. Sometimes, theyre joined by as many as a dozen other riders.

When its hot, we go real early in day, Starr said. I try to go every weekend. We send out a Facebook blast and people just show up.

They make good use of lands managed by Platte River Basin Environments or Nebraska Game and Parks, including Buffalo Creek, Cedar Canyon and the Murphy Ranch. They see more than the average visitor, since they cover more ground and the horses dont seem to bother the wildlife as much as hikers do. Theyve encountered lots of deer and an occasional elk. On one trip they startled a cow moose that rose up out of a creek bottom.

For this trip I got Kaboodle, a quarter horse mare. I left my heavy gear at home and took along a lighter point-and-shoot camera, working out the settings I expected to use before climbing aboard.

I remembered more about riding than I thought I would. I decided to let Kaboodle make most of the decisions  no Rawhide-style slapping or yelling. Once we got going, I relaxed into the rhythm of her gait, resisting the urge to grip the saddle horn. I patted her on the neck a lot and gave her gentle nudges with the rein and my knees. We got along just fine.

The 4,300-acre Buffalo Creek tract extends southward from Scotts Bluff County into Banner County. With Starrs two dogs and Pams pup, we started at the parking area at the end of County Road 25 and rode westward past a pond that once held bass and trout, alongside the canyon where the creek runs when its full. Theres also another parking area along Wrights Gap Road that serves the eastern part of the tract.

During drought years the creek dried up, the fish died off and the pond nowadays is nearly filled in with reeds. The remains of a cabin lie near the southern edge of the dam. Rumor has it that the remnants of a Prohibition-era still lie hidden somewhere in the ravines. We rode in for about three miles, stopping at a windmill that proved that you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink. The dogs plunged into the tank and wallowed around, but the horses were eager to keep moving.

We stayed in the saddle for the duration of the three-hour ride, although Starr sometimes dismounts to pick up garbage dropped by thoughtless hikers.

Its one of my pet peeves, she said. Im always picking up litter and carrying it out.

I avoided falling off and wouldnt mind trying it again. Ive often thought that somebody could make some money offering trail rides. They say few people who own horses are in it for the money.

Starr grew up near a stable north of Scottsbluff, where shed show up and look for opportunities to ride.

I was probably 10 when I got my first horse. When I got married my husband had a house and furniture. I had a horse. Thats what I brought to the marriage, she said with a laugh.

These days she owns five.

Theyre like potato chips, she said. You cant have just one.
I have learned the hard way not to put my personal life on the Internet. But suffice it to say that, God willing, things should be pretty much back to norm...

2 weeks ago
A young physician ushered the three siblings into a consultation room at Mercy Hospital St. Louis.

Their mother, Althlee Williams, 89, had fallen into a coma. Her eyes were shut. She couldnt speak. A machine pumped her lungs.

It was time, the doctor told them. They should let their mother die.

For months, they had watched her suffer through rashes and bedsores, heart stoppages and breathing problems. Her weight fluctuated by 100 pounds. Williams two daughters agonized, but seemed ready. Their brother, Clayton Williams Jr., refused.

Dont take her off.  Do whatever you can, he said, before bolting out of the room.

Such wrenching dilemmas test not only family bonds and the frontiers of medicine, but the nations tolerance for runaway health care costs. In the final six months of her life, Williams care totaled about $1.2 million, according to billing records provided by the family.

With the fate of the national health care overhaul now in the hands of the Supreme Court, many experts agree that the ethical and financial dynamics of dying should remain at the center of the national health debate. Yet few politicians, bureaucrats, insurers and doctors dare even to discuss it. And no one seems to have a clue as to how our society can afford to pay national health costs that approached $2.6 trillion in 2010  a tenfold increase since 1980, according to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

With more elderly people coming, as the baby boomers come into Medicare, its only going to get worse, said Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.

End-of-life care issues go far deeper than money. Even two years after their mothers death, Williams children remain troubled by concerns that all that care did little but prolong her suffering. Beyond political and financial pressures, their mothers case lays bare the ethical complexities of the question that so many families must ultimately face.

For months, the three siblings had rearranged their work and family schedules to help their mother navigate a maze of hospitalizations, blood transfusions, drugs, side effects, infections and dialysis. They looked after her in shifts, with Vivian Ransburg taking most of the day, her sister taking over in the late afternoon, and her brother staying in his mothers room through every night.

They winced with frustration when nurses pricked her fingers to test her blood sugar, and watched her slowly lose her mind to Alzheimers. When she couldnt swallow pureed food, they allowed doctors to install a surgically implanted feeding tube in her stomach. When her breathing grew short four months before she died, they agreed to put her on a respirator.

Their mothers health only got worse during the repeated hospitalizations, and she often suffered despite extraordinary measures to comfort and save her.

It was not a comfortable or peaceful death, said Williams younger daughter, former speech pathologist Teresa Rice Scurlock of University City. It was just prolonged.

A BOTTOMLESS PIT

Cost never appeared to enter into the decisions about Williams care; the hospital billed Medicare and a supplemental insurance plan.

When the elderly can survive only with aggressive measures, the incentives for all involved tilt toward treatment, regardless of cost. Family members naturally want loved ones to live. Physicians and hospitals get paid well for providing extensive medical treatment  and face legal liability for denying care, even if the patient has scant survival prospects. Insurance companies likewise fear being vilified and sued for denied care, and can preserve profit margins by passing along the costs to employers and their workers. And the Medicare program ultimately reports to Congress, which has shown no willingness to wade into the political deadly arena of near-death care  or curbing federal health entitlements at all.

While steep, Williams health care tab is hardly unique in an era of rapidly advancing medical technology that hospitals increasingly apply to prolong life.

A million bucks for an extended (hospital) stay, sadly, is not out of the norm, said Samuel Steinberg, a hospital consultant based in Florida. Several weeks in intensive care could be a million bucks.

The bad news is that Medicare is essentially a bottomless pit, he said. The hospital can keep admitting her and testing her as long as they choose.

The Supreme Courts expected decision this month on the constitutionality of President Barack Obamas health reform law will no doubt affect the cost and delivery of medical care. But regardless of how justices rule, the volatile issues surrounding end-of-life care for the elderly will remain largely unaddressed.

National politicians dropped this hot potato in 2009 after a series of rancorous debates sparked a backlash against government rationing of health care and the establishment of death panels, as Republicans called them, to manage care for the elderly. Democrats dropped efforts to control end-of-life care costs because it threatened to kill the package entirely.

The nation lacks the political will to tackle this issue in part because seniors are such a strong lobbying force. So politicians are unlikely to act until the baby boomers, inevitably, overrun the Medicare system and create a medical cost crisis, Caplan said.

Doctors and hospitals are trained to provide costly medical treatments, even though it may add only a few weeks to a patients life. Traditionally, their financial success has been closely linked to aggressive medicine and applied technology, from respirators and interferon therapy to dialysis.

But ballooning health care costs are demanding a growing percentage of the nations resources  threatening the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund. About 25 percent of all Medicare spending goes to pay for the care of patients in their last year of life, according to a 2011 study by the Dartmouth Atlas Project.

In fiscal year 2010, the St. Louis division of Mercy Health, which provided care to Williams, reported $158.8 million in Medicare revenue, according to the nonprofit institutions tax filing. That amount comprised about 17 percent of its annual operating revenue, excluding investment income.

Citing a federal patient privacy law, Mercy Health declined to discuss Williams case. Mercy officials also chose not to be interviewed in general about end-of-life care, but issued a written statement.

Mercy encourages all patients to discuss their end-of-life wishes with their family and loved ones and then convey those wishes to their physician, it states. In cases where there may be a lack of direction or unanimity among patient, family members and health care team, there is always an ethics resource available to facilitate discussion to help reach consensus.

Caplan and other experts say that the problem of spiraling health costs for the elderly is systemic and cultural, cutting to the core of the nations attitudes toward health entitlements and the essence of life itself. While some bioethicists support the rationing of costly end-of-life care, others caution that health care should never be denied solely on age, condition or even the odds that a patient may soon die.

We have kind of a religious belief that medicine can save us, no matter what, and that in America, technology makes death an option, not a certainty, Caplan said. Everyone in the abstract can agree that were spending too much on people who are dying, particularly elderly people. But when it comes to your grandmother  people dont want to say, I gave up on my mom. 

IS THIS GOING TO HELP?

Althlee Williams was a strong woman with a bright smile.

Williams, a 5-foot-2 former typist at Missouri Printing Co., had high blood pressure, mid-stage Alzheimers and glaucoma. Still, she remained active and in good spirits. Williams family was planning for her 90th birthday.

All that changed on March 9, 2009, when Williams, feeling disoriented and nauseous, was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospitals cardiac coronary unit. Doctors gave her medicine to lower her blood pressure, but it dropped too low and she lost consciousness, Ransburg said.

Nurses called a code blue and took Williams to the emergency room, where they revived her 15 minutes later.

She was never the same again, said Ransburg, noting that, after her mothers initial 3-day stay in the hospital, she could no longer dress herself.

During her final six months, Williams was home for only 10 days. She bounced back and forth between Mercy Hospital and area rehabilitation hospitals and nursing homes. She spent 22 days in an intensive care ward.

I wish I had never taken her to the hospital the first time, Ransburg said. Im going to have this nagging question all my life: Should I have just given her more time that first day to see if she would get better on her own?

In late March, Williams began a series of blood transfusions. In early April, she started taking food through a stomach tube. Doctors hooked her to a respirator soon after.

Once they gave her all this medication, it brought her down and made her sick, Clayton Williams Jr. said. Everything started shutting down.

She contracted pneumonia and was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a rare allergic reaction that caused her skin to burn and peel. Her hair fell out in clumps. She had terrible bed sores. Her complexion darkened.

The son ached watching his mother each night, confused and suffering, helpless. He recalled that his mother kept asking, What now? Is this going to help?

Williams hospital and nursing home bills from March 2009 until her death six months later totaled $1.16 million, even though she did not undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, a transplant or experimental treatments. Her medical care, in essence, was routine  only the volumes were exceptional.

That sum does not include the separate invoices of a dozen specialists, including heart, pulmonary and cardiovascular doctors, ophthalmologists, gastroenterologists, a nephrologist, a plastic surgeon and an infectious disease doctor. Those doctors bills are likely to have totaled tens of thousands of dollars.

The plastic surgeon told the nurses how to wrap her from head to toe, Ransburg said. She looked like a mummy, and they had to put gloves on her so she wouldnt scratch.

Then another doctor came in and told Ransburg, She doesnt need to be wrapped like that. Lets take it off and let the air get to her.

Itemized bills for the costs of Williams repeated hospitalizations and nursing home stays include about $285,000 in drugs. But her physicians seemed uncertain whether the severe rash and blisters all over her body were symptoms of an infection or an allergic reaction to medicine.

Williams Alzheimers, ironically, proved to be a blessing. She often couldnt remember the pain she had endured the day before. And yet at one point, perhaps instinctively, she started pulling her black-and-blue fingers away from nurses trying to prick them for yet another sugar test.

WHATEVER IT TAKES

Conversations about extending medical treatment to the dying often start late, and the familys default response is often, yes, do whatever it takes, as Williams son said in a moment of despair.

We could make tremendous gains if we communicated better with patients and did what they want, said Frank Ingari, president of Essence Healthcare Inc., an insurer based in Maryland Heights. Its not just the money, its the suffering. Sometimes life extension is no favor to whom its extended.

Under federal law, hospitals have the duty to ask patients whether they have a living will prescribing their medical wishes, and if not, whether they need assistance in preparing one. But even when patients have such wills  and they often dont  the documents can be vague, and theyre often ignored by hospitals. They may not even be made available to doctors. And family members, often in panic, can demand more treatment, overriding the will.

Just as doctors may defer to relatives demanding more care, overwhelmed relatives often defer to health care professionals.

They would tell us, Weve got to do this, weve got to do that. They justified everything they did, Ransburg said. So we didnt have much choice but to go along with it.

On Aug. 26, 2009, Williams heart stopped beating while she was undergoing dialysis at Dubuis Hospital in Chesterfield. Once she was resuscitated, one of her doctors asked Ransburg if her mother should be put back on a respirator. Yes, the family decided.

Are you sure? the doctor asked Ransburg, seeming to suggest a different path.

Williams was taken back to Mercy Hospital but remained in a coma.

Because of Williams Alzheimers, the hospital relied on her children to make the tough decisions. Ransburg and her sister had medical and financial powers of attorney regarding her mothers care. But Clayton, their younger brother, weighed heavily into the discussions.

The Mercy doctors voiced concern. They laid out options. The sisters seemed more prepared for their mothers death than was their brother, who continued to argue that all measures be taken to save her, Ransburg said.

My brother wouldnt let her go, and wouldnt let us quit, Ransburg said. Mother had told us she didnt want all this, but we had to live with him after she was gone.

After he bolted from the room, insisting on keeping his mother alive, the doctor sat Clayton Williams Jr. down alone.

 You have to let her go,  he recalled the doctor telling him.  If she was my mother, I would let her go now. 

The three siblings finally agreed. Ransburg and Scurlock left the hospital. Their brother stayed for several hours, until their mother died at 1:27 a.m. Aug. 27, 2009.

He remains unsure, even two years later, if he made the right call.
John Patrick Shanleys Doubt has had three incarnations: as a Pulitzer- and Tony-winning 2004 play; as an Oscar-nominated 2008 film; and as a critically praised opera, which had its world premiere in 2013.

The operatic version will have its second-ever staged production and St. Louis premiere next weekend, as the third of Union Avenue Operas 2016 productions. Soprano Christine Brewer, the creator of the central role of Sister Aloysius, leads a cast otherwise new to the opera.

Im getting it back in my memory and in my voice, she says. I find that music thats modern and new takes me a little longer to learn initially, but it comes back more easily.

UAO artistic director Scott Schoonover, who will conduct, says he asked Brewer if there was something shed be interested in performing with the company. She suggested Doubt, in which she starred at the world premiere at Minnesota Opera. Its a beautiful piece, he says. Im surprised that it hasnt been picked up by anyone else yet.

Turning Doubt into an opera was the idea of composer Douglas J. Cuomo. I am always looking around for topics I think are suitable for opera, he says. I thought it would make a great one, because it has all of what Im looking for  conflict, drama, beautiful language  and it seemed that there were some beautiful arias built in already.

Cuomo contacted Shanley, who liked the idea and agreed to write the libretto. Minnesota Opera came aboard as the commissioner, although with a short deadline of just 15 months from signing the contract to opening night. It concentrated the mind, as they say, observes Cuomo, dryly.

The plot remains the same. Its set in a Roman Catholic parochial school in the Bronx in 1964. The conservative Sister Aloysius, principal of the school, becomes suspicious of Father Flynn when she learns that he had a private meeting with Donald Miller, the schools first African-American student. She shares her concerns of sexual misconduct with Sister James, a younger, naive nun, and confronts Father Flynn, who denies it.

Sister Aloysius meets with the boys mother but is rebuffed. Mrs. Miller tells her that Donald is bullied by both the other students and his father; she just wants him to finish eighth grade and go to high school. Father Flynns guilt or innocence is left undetermined.

The opera, Cuomo says, takes elements from both play and movie. The play has four characters; the movie opens it up. Members of the ensemble play parishioners, other nuns and priests. Theres also a childrens chorus. According to Brewer, there are moments of humor and some outstanding moments for the students.

Tonal differences

The project came with its challenges, according to Cuomo, from getting it done in a relatively short time to transforming the short back-and-forth dialogue, this sort of verbal fencing, into arias and other operatic forms. That was a challenge musically, he says, how to present that so that it didnt seem too flat, so that it had more dramatic value musically and wasnt just exposition.

As for the music, Brewer says, Doug Cuomo is a jazz guy from New York, and he really incorporates a lot of that New York jazz sound in the score. It sounds like the 50s. I dont know how to explain it, but itll throw you back to that era.

Cuomo calls the operas sonic world certainly not atonal. Its not really neoromantic, either. Its tonally based. Im always thinking about the audience when Im writing my music. Im not always concerned about maximum accessibility, but Im always concerned about how the audience is going to respond to it when Im writing.

Cuomo says he wrote in different styles for different characters. Sister Aloysius writing is a little more spiky than melodic at times. These are not profound differences  its all woven out of the same musical cloth  but hers is more spiky because her personality is more edgy.

Father Flynns role came with special requirements of its own, says Cuomo: You cant really know what hes thinking. Ideally, you want different people in the audience to have a different sense of whether Father Flynn is guilty or not, because of what (they) bring to it. It cant be neutral; there has to be some inkling that he might not be telling the truth.

Brewer describes the music Cuomo has written for Father Flynns sermons as really beautiful. The music adds another layer of emotion to the piece that for me, anyway, goes straight to the heart. (She notes that Shanley told the cast on the first day of rehearsal that he didnt care whether the priest was innocent or not.)

She calls her own music more angular than that of the other roles. Theres one scene where Im not in the same key or the same meter as the orchestra.

Her big confrontation scene with Father Flynn is written as a tango. Its bloody hard, Brewer says. It is very clever; it shows how shes trying to seduce him to say something, so Sister James will hear it. Its a spider web.

The cast includes baritone Wes Mason as Father Flynn, mezzo-soprano Elise Quagliata as Sister James and Melody Wilson as Mrs. Miller.

Tim Ocel will direct UAOs production. The stage is small, and the staging will be simpler than it was in Minnesota, Brewer says. The opera company uses the nave of Union Avenue Christian Church as its theater, and well use that to emphasize the ecclesiastical aspects of the story. Her role in the opera is a long one: Even when Im not in a scene actively, Im there, Im overhearing whats being said.

Brewer says she always loves the process of putting any piece together  especially when its an opera. I love working with Tim. He gives me the opportunity to try things.

Shes approaching the character a little differently this time around, she says: I went a little over the top too soon in Minnesota.

Sister Aloysius has a few lines that lead you to believe that she has experienced this once before, in a different school, in a different church. Shes hypervigilant.

But while the principal is strict and conservative, Brewer believes, the characters intentions are pure. Im trying to play her so that it all comes from a place of love.
Despite a career rich in acquaintance with characters and cultures, I cannot remember ever meeting anyone who is Amish. And thats a shame, because the simplicity of their lives is intriguing. Not tempting to me, mind you, but intriguing.

Most live on farms and keep within their communities. They choose horses and buggies over cars, and eschew connections with the outside world, such as power lines.

I have often wondered how they decided where along the spectrum of human evolution to live. They didnt go so far back as to sleep in caves and wear animal skins. Yet they also dont use zippers, which have been around for more than a century.

So are they in 1850? Maybe 1900? A quick internet search suggests that I am looking at this in a common  but wrongheaded  way. They have chosen to forsake certain modern technologies, which is not the same as picking a point in time.

That makes sense. Their customs define the time frame, not the other way around. So its not that theyre trying to return to some particular lost moment in Americas past. To a large degree, their now is also their past.

But Americans in general always seem nostalgic for better times. And this year, its been elevated to a political battle cry: Make America great again!

But was there a really great moment? Or era? A time when things were great for all Americans at the same time?

We all know that part of the better times is an illusion. One of my favorite early TV programs was a weekly morality play called Father Knows Best. In just 30 minutes, some family dilemma between doing the easy thing and doing the right thing would be neatly settled with nary a loose thread.

In real life, father actor Robert Young suffered from depression and alcoholism, and daughter actress Lauren Chapin was being abused at home. Such were everyday challenges 55 years ago. Just like now.

I burned out a few teenage neurons trying to reconcile actor John Waynes unflinching support of the Vietnam War in the movie The Green Berets with the unflinching despair of CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite in explaining the stalemate the war had become. America was a great place for the war-making industries, but not so much for draft-age men.

How about America before the Emancipation Proclamation, when the white majority was allowed to make slaves of the black minority? Good times? Maybe if you were a plantation owner. Not so much if you were kidnapped from Africa.

Black men were given the right to vote as far back as 1870, although not always allowed to use it. And what does it say about America that it took women 50 years beyond that to catch up  144 years after the Declaration of Independence?

Womens suffrage came with the 19th Amendment, by the way, effective in 1920. It also was the effective year of the 18th Amendment, which gave us Prohibition. Imagine, voting women and no booze. There were a lot of happy Americans that year, and a lot of unhappy Americans.

One big symbol of the nations early greatness is right here in St. Louis: the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River. Its an engineering marvel that many said could not be built. Yet its been on the job since 1874.

That was two years before Gen. George Custer and his troops were massacred at Little Big Horn. I wonder if Custer used the bridge to go west? No matter, the battle reminds me that I grew up rooting for the cavalry in the movies, without a second thought about just who was taking whose land.

In World War I, a mighty America sent the doughboys to help European allies push back the Germans. But cowardly zealots sometimes turned violent against German-Americans back at home. In the nations extreme case, a drunken mob in my hometown of Collinsville hanged Robert Prager in cold blood for not seeming patriotic enough.

It was surely a great America that led the world to victory in World War II. But it was a despicable America that in effect imprisoned tens of thousands of residents of Japanese descent, more than half of them U.S. citizens, for no good reason.

A lesson learned? Nope. In the 1950s, red-baiting Sen. Joe McCarthy helped lead an anti-Communist fervor that ruined the lives of more innocent Americans.

In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon, the victim of his own intoxication with power, may have been saved from prison by a pre-emptive pardon from his successor.

On and on it goes.

I can say with certainty that America has been very good to me. And for all its complicated flaws and failures, I think America is indeed great  and could be made even greater.

But, Make American great again? When, exactly, was that?
EAST ST. LOUIS  A Nigerian who exploited hundreds of U.S. women online by promising romance while looting their finances ended up face to face with one of them in federal court here Friday.

Did you think it was fun doing this to us? Do you have a heart? asked a woman identified in court only as Jane Doe No. 6. Olayinka Ilumsa Sunmola, 33, shackled and wearing a jail jumpsuit, did not answer.

The initial part of his sentencing hearing, which will resume in several weeks, provided the first chance for a victim to impress U.S. District Judge David Herndon firsthand with the scams impact. Officials said dozens of the victims live in Missouri and Illinois.

Prosecutors, who said Sunmola bankrupted some and drove at least one to the brink of suicide, are asking a prison term of 27 years to more than 33 years. They argued for extra time because of his unusually heinous, cruel, brutal, and degrading behavior.

Sometimes, officials said, Sunmola persuaded victims to send sexually explicit photos, then blackmailed them for money on a threat to share the images with their relatives. In one case, he shared the pictures even after being paid.

Jane Doe 6 was a recently divorced single mother when she met Sunmola over the internet. She is partially disabled and a survivor of an abusive relationship.

She said she was drawn in by his claim of being a U.S. Army major stationed in South Africa, whose wife died in an auto accident and whose daughter was left with neighbors while he was overseas. She said he told her they were soul mates and would soon be together.

This was his typical approach, prosecutors said. He and his ilk would join online dating sites, pretend to be in the military or businessmen, and tailor their profiles to their victims desires.

Such criminals often pretend to be widowed, to show that they can love again, according to testimony by Monica T. Whitty, a professor at the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom, who has studied romance scams.

The scammers used pictures of men in uniform they found online, sometimes on memorial sites for those who died. The crooks used emails, instant messages, flowers, candy and other gifts to woo their targets.

Some victims bought or picked out wedding gowns, or began using the fake last name Sunmola had adopted.

Once he had gained their confidence and love, he began systematically destroying them, prosecutors said in a court document.

Sunmola soon began concocting small emergencies that required cash: his credit card wasnt accepted overseas or he needed money to pay for food or lodging. The requests grew until the victims financial assets were drained  or they finally caught on, prosecutors said.

In Illinois, a woman from Bond County bought electronics and shipped them to Sunmola, reshipped items he had bought using stolen credit card information and took out cash advances on a credit card, Sunmolas indictment claims. She later filed for bankruptcy, with debts of at least $98,000.

The women who were not too ashamed to talk to investigators said that they collectively lost between $730,000 and $1 million, prosecutors wrote. He used the money for lavish parties, two Range Rover vehicles, four properties in South Africa and a $363,000 home in Nigeria.

Sunmola also ran a scam involving stolen credit card numbers, an investigation by the South African Police Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service showed.

His victims were unaware that credit cards and checks he sent to them were bogus, and that gifts of electronics were fraudulently purchased. Sometimes victims would be tricked a second time, when contacted by fake foreign investigators who claimed to have seized gifts the women sent to Sunmola and demanding thousands of dollars in customs payments to send them back.

Sunmola, of Lagos, Nigeria, was indicted in 2013 and arrested in August 2014 by Scotland Yard as he was about to fly from London to South Africa, where he was living at the time. He was found with four cellphones, two laptop computers, two iPads, an iPod and 5,255 British pounds, court records show.

Two days into his trial in March, Sunmola pleaded guilty to eight felonies, including mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, and interstate extortion.

Several of Sunmolas victims, including Jane Doe 6, also fell victim to what Whitty and prosecutors call sexual abuse. He convinced them to send nude pictures or perform sexual acts by webcam and used them for blackmail.

A Georgia woman was so devastated that her family put her on suicide watch, officials said. She lost her managerial job, was nearly prosecuted for cashing Sunmolas bogus checks and now cleans toilets for a living.

In reference to Jane Doe 6 in a sentencing memo, prosecutors wrote, Sunmola told her that by the time he was done with her, she would want to kill herself. They said she told them, And he was basically right.

Whitty testified that there had to be a motivation other than money, suggesting that only a psychopath would enjoy exploiting and mocking the women even after taking all their money. The professor also said that more than one victim suffered severe psychological harm.

One victim said on a video played in court that, Every payday I get mad, because I know I dont have enough to go around.

Said another: I just wanted somebody to love.
ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis man was charged Friday in connection with the fatal shooting of man outside a St. Louis funeral home on Monday.

Torrian Wallace, 26, of Hanley Hills, was charged with murder and armed criminal action in the death of George Calmese Jr., 39, of St. Louis.

Calmese was attending the funeral of his cousin Thelma Calmese at Reliable Funeral Home, 3958 Washington Avenue, on Monday when a family child-custody squabble turned into a deadly shooting.

When another man at the funeral walked out of the funeral home with his 5-year-old daughter, one of Thelma Calmese's three surviving children, Calmese intervened.

The argument turned into a physical fight. Wallace and another man pulled guns on Calmese, fatally shooting him and wounding his teenage son in the leg.

Police on Tuesday were holding another suspect, 32.

A St. Louis Circuit Court judge set a $500,000 cash-only bond for Wallace.
ST. LOUIS  La Salle Middle School began 16 years ago on the top floor of a sandwich shop. It grew into a Catholic school that became known for catapulting children from high-poverty backgrounds to selective high schools throughout the region.

The school soon moved to a building on the eastern edge of the Ville neighborhood, which had room for 75 students. But in recent years, its board members wanted to reach more children. So they began the process of converting the Catholic school into a public charter school so they could access a flow of state funds needed to hire more teachers.

On Friday, parents and students gathered for dinner at the renovated building that will hold the newest incarnation of La Salle  a school where adolescents no longer attend Friday Mass, but where they still receive a rigorous education and optional after-school religious instruction.

This week, Walter Dunlap, a sixth-grader, walked through the cafeteria in the renovated building that once held Central Catholic School, at North Jefferson Avenue and Carr Street. Its windows looked onto the empty lot where St. Bridget of Erin was demolished in March for La Salles expansion. Next fall, an arts and activity center, courtyard and outdoor classroom are expected to fill the space.

Walter explored the new library and the classrooms on the second floor. Teachers greeted parents and students. In the math room, the teacher had a bubble machine.

This is a child who didnt like school starting in preschool, said Walters mother, Hermelia Thorps, who enrolled him at La Salle last year. Hes actually excited to go to school. He can tell me verbatim what he does everyday.

Adding grades

Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that operate independently of the school district. About 10,500 children in St. Louis attended them last year.

The expected increase in their enrollment this fall has mostly to do with existing schools adding grade levels and moving into larger buildings. The Biome School, Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls, and St. Louis College Prep are among those adding grade levels.

Lafayette Preparatory Academy has moved to a larger, permanent location near the park in Lafayette Square. The elementary school is adding fifth grade. School leaders expect to expand on the site so they can serve children through eighth grade.

EAGLE College Prep is opening a third elementary school at 2900 South Grand Avenue.

For several years, leaders of La Salle Middle School went back and forth with the school district and private owners trying to secure a larger space.

Multiple deals for vacant school buildings fell through. Last fall, the school bought the land at Jefferson Avenue and Carr Street from a private developer. The church demolition prompted an outcry from historic preservationists.

But at the ribbon cutting last week, there was no mention of the struggle to get to this point.

We began this charter school journey with a mission. To serve more kids, said Demetrius Grooms, chairman of La Salles school board. With all the challenges facing these kids, Im proud to be here today.

About 100 students are expected to start the school year on Tuesday. The new building gives the school room for 300.

On Thursday, Mayor Francis Slay was among the dignitaries at a ribbon cutting that made the schools new building official.

Its really important we as adults do everything we can to make sure all our children get access to a quality education, said Slay, who has encouraged more charter schools to open in the city.

Slay later criticized the St. Louis Public Schools for continuing a legal motion that asks a federal judge to enforce the 1999 Desegregation Settlement Agreement.

If the district prevails, charter schools could lose funding that district officials argue is intended solely for district programs created to alleviate the harmful effects of racial segregation in schools.

Varying results

In recent years, the performance of charter schools has improved. So has the performance of St. Louis Public Schools. Last year, gains reported in the districts neighborhood schools were so significant that the school system experienced its best performance in more than a decade, as measured by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

In charter schools as well as district schools, the success of students varies widely from building to building.

At La Salle, 98 percent of students who have finished the school have graduated high school, according to school leaders. Eighty-six percent of those high school graduates are attending or have finished college.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, said an overwhelming number of children in St. Louis see violence before they graduate high school.

In order for us to change those dynamics we have to be extremely supportive of whats happening here today, she said inside the cafeteria.

She and Slay stood beside Erik Shannon, who finished eighth grade at La Salle in 2013 and is about to begin his senior year at De Smet Jesuit High School. Before Erik cut the ribbon, he told the group gathered in the cafeteria that he owes his high school success to his middle school teachers who challenged him to write better, think deeper and work harder.

When he entered La Salle as a fifth-grader, I realized I had to grow not only mentally, but spiritually and emotionally, he said.

Erik is in the midst of applying to colleges and universities. He plans to become a chemical engineer.
CENTREVILLE  Five firefighters were injured Friday while battling a heavy fire in a mobile home in Centreville, Illinois.

Four of the firefighters overheated but were treated and released, according to Sharon Davis, assistant chief of the Camp Jackson Fire Department.

One firefighter suffered an electrical shock and remains in a nearby hospital in stable condition.

The family that lived in the home were away during the fire, Davis said.

The crew arrived to the scene on 5712 Baker Avenue shortly after 4:30 p.m. A heavy fire had spread throughout the double-wide mobile home and a car in a nearby driveway.

Firefighters called for backup because of the fire's size and strength, Davis said. It took fire crews more than three hours to put out the fire.

Two firefighters were overcome by heat and treated at the scene. Two others were treated at a nearby hospital and released.

Friday's high temperatures and humidity added to the fire's heat, Davis said. She said it's not common for five officers to be injured fighting one fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
UPDATED at 10:15 p.m. with Illinois State Fair closing and updated outage count

ST. LOUIS  The Illinois State Fair cancelled Friday night's premier concert after heavy storms hit the area and flooded nearby roads.

The State Fair announced it was cancelling a performance by Pat Benatar and Melissa Etheridge after closing fairground gates and advising attendees to take shelter in one of the many shelters located on the grounds.

Thunderstorms also moved through the St. Louis area Friday night.

Severe weather was responsible for more than 5,000 outages in St. Louis and St. Louis County, according to Ameren Missouri. Parts of St. Charles County and Jefferson County also experienced outages.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central Missouri and parts of southwestern Illinois on Friday as heavy rainfall moved through the St. Louis area.

Forecasters said flash floods were possible in Calhoun County and Greene County in southwestern Illinois until about 10 p.m.
42 Injured In Railing Collapse At Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa Live Nation Concert, Venue Reopens Next Day

The collapse of a railing at a Live Nation produced Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa concert in New Jersey injured at least 42 people, at least 1 critically. But despite the tragedy, the next day's show was held as planned.





_______________________________

A railing collapse at a concert headlined by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ injured at least 42 people, authorities said.

The collapse occurred just before 10:30 p.m. when one of the railings on a platform in front of the stage snapped, according to Camden County police. It is unclear at this time what caused it to break.

The injured fans, many of whom had piled on top of each other, were taken to area hospitals, police said. Some fans fell 10 feet onto a concrete walkway below.

According to Camden County Police spokesman Dan Keashen, one person was in serious but stable condition after suffering from an upper-body injury. The injured person was taken to Cooper University Hospital.

Other injuries included broken bones, according to authorities.

The artists were escorted off the stage after the collapse, and organizers halted the concert about 20 minutes after the railing collapse.

Snoop Dog or Wiz Khalifa was on the secondary stage at the venue at the time of the collapse and was gesturing people to move toward the stage on the lawn and when fans rushed toward the railing, it snapped and collapsed, according to Keashen.

An I Love the '90s concert featuring Salt NPepa, Vanilla Ice and others was held on Saturday night as planned.

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ST. LOUIS  A recently published study by Washington University researchers signals disparities among the citys playgrounds.

The study, headed by the School of Medicines Cassandra Arroyo-Johnson, scored city playgrounds based on construction and maintenance criteria, assigning each an overall score between 0 and 100.

Among 68 city-run playgrounds, 22 received a low ranking, or a score below 70. Of those, 16 are in the northern half of the city, the study says, which has a predominantly black population.

The researchers conducted their playground measurements from March to June 2015, and their results were published last month in the Journal of Urban Health. Officials in the parks division say the study doesnt reflect playground improvements made within the past year.

In 2014, the city released a plan to reduce obesity by 5 percent by 2018. The plan does not include child obesity estimates but does acknowledge external influences on health  aspects such as economic stability, access to health care and built environments, including playgrounds.

When you have playgrounds that are well-developed, what you have is a place that not only fosters (childrens) social development, but their cognitive development, Arroyo-Johnson said.

While the point-in-time study highlights disparities in playground safety, Dan Skillman, St. Louis parks commissioner, said it ignored recent playground renovations.

In 2014, the city passed a $26 million bond measure to fund park improvements. The parks division is in the third year of making those improvements.

The plan included renovating or installing new playgrounds in 22 city parks, which Skillman says the study overlooks. For example, through a donation from BJC Healthcare, the parks division plans to install a new playground at Tandy Park, the studys third-lowest-ranked park with a score of 42.

But some say the issue lies in day-to-day playground upkeep, rather than occasional renovations or new installations.

Alderman Antonio French, 21st Ward, said a private company installed a new playground in OFallon Park, at Florissant Avenue and Interstate 70, within his two terms in office. Yet, French said, the city has done little to maintain it.

Things get fixed only if an alderman requests it, French said.

Residents have complained to French about vandalism, broken fences and high grass near playgrounds. Before rubber surfacing was installed at OFallon Parks playground, French said, used needles and broken glass could be found in the gravel.

Skillman said the parks division received maintenance requests from aldermen, residents and the Citizens Service Bureau. When requests are received, an employee inspects the playground, and repairs follow.

The parks division also conducts annual playground surveys but lacks the staff and funding to conduct city-wide inspections more frequently, Skillman said.

Residents are better eyes and ears for us, because theyre out there every day, Skillman said.

Funding tough

for smaller parks

Regional parks, such as Forest Park and Tower Grove, have dedicated dollars, while smaller parks draw funding from a collective budget. Funding for those often gets left to the aldermen.

If an alderman or private donor funds 25 percent of a project, the parks division will contribute the remaining amount, Skillman said. But playgrounds are often difficult for aldermen to prioritize, out of the $300,000 they have for their ward each year.

Twenty-five thousand dollars is not easy for me to part with, but its a lot easier when Im not dealing with crumbling infrastructure and higher crime, said Alderman Christine Ingrassia, 6th Ward.

Ingrassia said the department was pretty responsive to reported repairs in her ward. If the parks division doesnt make the repair, she allocates the money.

Larger parks also have the benefit of private organizations, such as Forest Park Forever. Not only can they organize more volunteer opportunities, but they also have staff members to spearhead campaigns to bring in private donations.

French said that although the city encouraged neighborhoods to form similar organizations for their parks, it was often easier said than done, and put the responsibility on communities with fewer resources.

The parks division itself has an adopt-a-park program, though it and other volunteer opportunities are not heavily publicized. Skillman said the department had a brochure but no information on the city website about the program.

Arroyo-Johnson would like to do a follow-up study but says its a matter of gaining funding. She and other researchers also plan to hold focus groups in the neighborhoods in coming months to hear from residents.

If we create community spaces that are safe and health-promoted, we can also build up the community these children grow up in, she said.
Pro-rail campaigner Fraser Pithie. Photo: Mark Williamson.

THE reinstatement of the rail line between Stratford-upon-Avon and Honeybourne appears to have hit the buffers again  despite claims that it could pump 18million into the local economy.

The national and local transport authorities have this week insisted it is the others responsibility to kick-start the long talked about project.

Those opposing views come amid growing momentum in moves to get the line reopen with the volume of houses being built in the Long Marston area and its inclusion back in February in Great Western Railways plan to improve the North Cotswold Line, which currently terminates at Honeybourne.

Even the government planning inspector who oversaw the finalising of Stratford District Councils Core Strategy, Peter Drew, wrote in his final report: It would appear to provide a long-term solution to the towns traffic congestion.

The stance of the Department for Transport (DfT) is that the case to rebuild the line needs to be supported and promoted by the local authorities affected for it to be put on any national strategic plan.

But in a correspondence with one of the lead pro-reinstatement campaigners this week, a senior DfT manager said proposed improvements to the line and services between Worcester and Oxford would provide what he described as a significant uplift in value to any case to reopen the railway between Stratford and Honeybourne.

Worcestershire County Council is openly supportive of the line being reinstated, but Warwickshire County Council on the other hand has this week reiterated that it considers it the responsibility of the DfT to take the lead.

The council also acts as the transport advisor to the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which has government funds for transport schemes, but refused a bid by Stratford District Council for 500,000 to part-fund a fresh feasibility study, known as a GRIP4, because of an administrative error in the application. Network Rail, which is responsible for maintaining the countrys rail network, also appears to have washed its hands of a decision on the project.

Last year a spokesman told the Herald that the possibility of the eight-mile stretch being reinstated would be considered as part of the West Midlands and Chilterns Route Study. However, a draft version of that study was published last week, with no mention of it.

Network Rail said in a statement this week that the study was designed to identify ways to increase capacity on lines currently in operation, rather than to consider new ones.

The apparent reluctance of any of the transport authorities to take the lead has been slammed by a leading rail campaigner.

Fraser Pithie is a member of the lobby group SWO, which is championing calls for the Stratford line to be reinstated, and secretary of the Shakespeare Line Promotion Group.

He said: Let me be clear, I am not requesting at this stage unreserved support for reopening the railway line.

The responsibilities of local authorities and LEPs relate to maintaining or enhancing the amenity arising from the quality of life for residents, together with the need for a sustainable local economy and economic growth through the provision of services and infrastructure.

Stratford still only welcomes six per cent of its visitors by rail, and if we could get that up to the national average of 12 per cent that would equate to 300,000 extra visitors and as much as 18million into the local economy.

Why wouldnt the county council and LEP want to consider that?

A spokesman for Warwickshire County Council said: The council anticipates that the business case for the scheme would need to be predicated on network-wide benefits and would be led by DofT Rail and/or Network Rail.

The council will consider taking a view on the proposal once a business case to demonstrate the costs and viability of reopening the line and operating train services has been produced by the promoters including proposals to develop, fund and deliver the scheme.
By Jibran Ahmad and Yeganeh Torbati

PESHAWAR, Pakistan/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a U.S. drone strike on July 26, a Pentagon spokesman said on Friday after the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan announced the news to Reuters.

The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan is a blow to efforts by Islamic State - also known as ISIS or Daesh - to expand from its heartlands in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan, already crowded with jihadist movements including the Taliban and al Qaeda.

It is the second U.S. killing of a prominent militant in the region in months. In May, a U.S. drone killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a strike in Pakistan.

Despite that, Afghanistan's 15-year-old war grinds on with no clear victory in sight. Taliban fighters have been threatening at least two provincial capitals this summer, in Helmand and Kunduz, and a U.S. government report said Afghan forces have lost 5 percent of territory this year.

In terms of its own territory, Islamic State has been largely confined to a handful of districts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, where IS militants - mostly defectors from the Taliban - are blamed for raiding villages and government outposts.

Still, worries that Islamic State might be expanding its operational reach heightened this week when the group took credit for an attack on a Pakistani hospital that killed at least 74 people in the southwestern city of Quetta. A Pakistani Taliban faction also claimed responsibility.

A few weeks earlier, Islamic State claimed an attack on a rally in Kabul that killed more than 80 people.

BITTER RIVALS

Khan has been reported dead before. But a claim by Afghan intelligence agents last year that he had been killed was never confirmed.

On Friday, however, Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal told Reuters he had seen confirmation from Afghan security forces.

"I can confirm that ISIS Khurasan (Afghanistan and Pakistan) leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a U.S. drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province," he said.

Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge confirmed Khan's death, and said in a statement that the air strike took place during joint operations by U.S. and Afghan special operations forces against IS in the southern part of Nangarhar province. Trowbridge said the airstrike was in Achin district, as opposed to Kot district.

Khan - a longtime commander with the Pakistani Taliban - pledged allegiance in October 2014 to Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Taliban's various factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as their al Qaeda allies are bitter rivals of Islamic State's al-Baghdadi. The Taliban reject al-Baghdadi as leader of an envisioned worldwide caliphate.

In Afghanistan, Taliban and Islamic State fighters have battled over territory in Nangarhar, though both have recently been more busy defending against U.S. and Afghan assaults.

Between January and early August, American warplanes conducted nearly 140 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military.

Afghan forces, backed by the American military, killed an estimated 300 Islamic State fighters in an operation mounted two weeks ago, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said on Wednesday, calling it a severe blow to the group.

(Additional reporting by Josh Smith in Kabul and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Leslie Adler)
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) August 13, 2016

There are many ways to show pride in Indonesia on Independence Day: flag raising ceremonies, neighborhood competitions, screening of historical films, a.s.o. But how do Indonesians living outside celebrate Independence Day? By making longer calls to their families and friends back home, thanks to the promotion launched by TeleponIndonesia.com: up to 55% off to call Indonesia.

The offer is valid only on Independence Day, which is August 17th. So, instead of 4.5 /min, the standard rate for calling mobiles and landlines or 2.5 /min; instead of the standard rate for calling Jakarta, customers will pay only 2/min regardless of the number dialed.

TeleponIndonesia.com offers a wide variety of calling options, to match customers' needs and behaviours. Customers can place their calls from:



any phone, through the use of local or toll free access numbers;

any computer, through the Web Call application;

any smartphone, as TeleponIndonesia.com offers a free app, for both iOS and Android devices, called KeepCalling.

the customer-focused approach, based on safe and easy to use services

the frequent special offers: bonuses on international top ups or discounts on international calls

the great Customer Service available 24/7.

TeleponIndonesia.com also offers Mobile Recharge, a service through which customers can recharge mobile phones anywhere in the world. The process is fast and secure and the credit reaches its destination instantly. The mobile operators available for recharges to Indonesia are Telkomsel, Indosat, Axis, Ceria, Smartfren, Esia Bakrie Telecom, Three, and XL Axiata. The mission of TeleponIndonesia.com is to bring people together, no matter the distance, because no distance is too long if people stay connected. That's why all the services the website offers are a great solution for keeping a close relationship with everyone still living back home in Indonesia. This is mainly due to:

About TeleponIndonesia.com:

TeleponIndonesia.com is an interactive website designed by KeepCalling, a global telecommunications company registered in 2002 in USA. Presently, KeepCalling provides its services to hundreds of thousands of consumers and businesses, with a focus on customer satisfaction. KeepCalling has been listed by Inc 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the USA for 5 consecutive years. In 2015 the company registered a revenue increase of over 200% from 2011 to 2014.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/08/prweb13612838.htm
The logo of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia is seen at the PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) branch office in Jakarta, Indonesia, June 16, 2016. Picture taken June 16, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta

By Eveline Danubrata and Cindy Silviana

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's leading state-controlled telecoms operator may be forced to share a key part of its network with smaller rivals, government officials told Reuters, under a landmark proposal to liberalize a $14 billion telecoms sector and speed up the roll-out of broadband coverage over the next three years.

While there is already competition on the densely populated main island of Java, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (Telkom) has long dominated elsewhere, resulting in high rural rates, which can be double those in big cities.

"If we continue building fixed and mobile broadband with our current model, we will be short of at least $15 billion (to expand the network)," said Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara.

"The strategy has to be to build in a more efficient way, which is to allow active sharing," he said, referring to sharing electronic equipment including spectrum, or frequency.

Telecoms operators scrap for what little spectrum is available at auctions as they try to meet surging demand for data in a nation of 250 million people where a young, Internet-savvy demographic is among the world's biggest users of social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Indonesia's total market for fixed and mobile services grew 14.5 percent to nearly 188 trillion rupiah ($14.3 billion) last year, according to IDC, an information technology research firm.

Smaller telcos have clamored for spectrum-sharing, but the government of President Joko Widodo has so far been reluctant to change policy as this is seen as a sensitive area linked to national security.

Telkom is also one of the biggest revenue contributors among nearly 120 state-owned enterprises (SOEs), paying the government 32 trillion rupiah ($2.4 billion) including dividends and taxes last year. (http://bit.ly/2bax9Uz)

It competes with PT XL Axiata Tbk and PT Indosat Tbk, which are majority-owned by Malaysia's Axiata Group Bhd and Qatar's Ooredoo OSC, respectively.

The impetus for change has intensified as Widodo, elected two years ago, set an ambitious target to extend connectivity across the sprawling archipelago by 2019.

"Spectrum-sharing will drive the momentum around Indonesia's broadband plan and also drive healthy competition," said Janice Chong, Singapore-based director of corporates at Fitch Ratings. "It will create a more level playing field, especially outside Java where the incumbent has an up to 80 percent market share."

PROFITABLE GROWTH

Widodo has this year opened up dozens of business sectors to foreign investors and launched a major tax amnesty scheme aimed at bringing home billions of dollars stashed by Indonesians abroad.

Easing rules in the telecoms sector, proposed by the communications minister, would continue Widodo's recent streak of liberalization.

It would also come as operators look to expand into under-penetrated regions such as Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, where demand for connectivity is expected to grow faster than on Java.

Smaller operators, though, are put off by the high costs of building the network to connect thousands of islands and the limited availability of the rights to use frequency.

"We need profitable growth outside Java to survive. What will bring a lot of efficiency is if we split the costs," said XL Axiata CEO Dian Siswarini. "Network sharing becomes a must."

XL Axiata delivered a negative return on equity of 0.2 percent last year, compared with a positive 20.6 percent return at Telkom, according to company presentations.

Siswarini warned that XL Axiata's shareholders could sell out if the situation doesn't improve, potentially triggering industry consolidation and a Telkom "monopoly".

DEADLOCK

Government officials said the ministry of economic affairs had been brought in to coordinate policy and break a lengthy deadlock between the SOE ministry and the communications ministry.

The SOE ministry has now agreed to a regulatory revision as long as operators are "reasonably compensated" for their past investment in networks through "fair and clear calculations", the economic affairs ministry said in an Aug. 8 statement.

It's unclear, though, when the new regulations will be implemented as the state secretariat - a presidential support body - has asked for the legal draft to be reworked to take into account the SOE ministry's request, said Bambang Adi Winarso, an official at the economic affairs ministry.

If the regulations are passed, the communications minister says he has to approve the future pricing mechanism for network sharing. But Telkom wants pricing to be based on a business agreement between telecoms operators as "it is not the domain of the government," director Honesti Basyir told Reuters.

"If we're obligated to share, doesn't it mean we have to sacrifice our long-term interests? That's not fair for us."

($1 = 13,118.00 rupiah)

(Reporting by Eveline Danubrata and Cindy Silviana in Jakarta; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)
An Islamic State flag is seen in this picture illustration taken February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

DOHA (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Friday it had prevented three Saudi women and seven children from traveling through Lebanon to join the conflict in neighboring Syria, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

The three sisters and their children were detained by Lebanese authorities in Beirut and flown back to Saudi Arabia on Thursday after the husband of one of the women told police they planned to join the war, SPA quoted an interior ministry spokesman as saying.

Police said the husband, who was the father of three of the children, had tipped them off on Monday that his wife had left and was a "takfiri", a term Saudi authorities use for Islamist militants. The children were aged between one and 10 years old, the statement added.

The Saudi public has grown increasingly angry at bloody images broadcast of Syria's violence and the government has sought to stop its citizens from joining what some of them see as a holy war against the Syrian government.

Islamists in Saudi, who follow a puritanical version of Sunni Islam, denounce President Bashar al-Assad and his regime as infidels because of their roots in the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.

Riyadh has backed the rebels battling Assad while being mindful of the blowback it previously suffered after radicalized Saudi nationals returned home from foreign conflicts ready to wage war on their own government.

Many of the foreign fighters flocking to Syria to join groups like the Islamic State are Arabs from the Middle East and Africa, although militants have attracted fighters from across different countries ranging from Norway to Uzbekistan.

A former British spy chief said in December that Syria had become the pre-eminent global incubator for a new generation of militants after Islamist groups there more than doubled their recruitment of foreign fighters to as many as 31,000 over the past 18 months.

(Reporting by Tom Finn; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
A customer is reflected in a screen showing the schedule times of United at Newark International airport in New Jersey , November 15, 2012. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File photo

By Jeffrey Dastin

(Reuters) - United Continental Holdings Inc said on Friday it has scored labor deals with its flight attendants and its mechanics, whose relations with the airline were strained in recent years as the parties struggled to conclude contract talks.

Flight attendants at the airline voted to approve a contract that will hike their wages between 18 percent and 31 percent in September, their union said on Friday. Some 53 percent of those who voted backed the deal.

Separately, negotiators from the airline and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a labor deal in the last round of U.S. mediated talks on schedule, the parties said in a joint statement on Friday. They said they must finalize the contract language before it becomes a so-called "tentative agreement" that the carrier's 9,000 mechanics can vote to ratify or reject.

Both announcements mark major steps toward integrating United and Continental, which merged in 2010, and reducing flight cancellations.

Maintenance technicians from United have yet to mix their operations with those from Continental. The same holds true for flight attendants.

With their new contract, United and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said they now expect the flight attendant groups to combine within 12 to 18 months. That agreement was reached in June, also under the guidance of the U.S. National Mediation Board, following months of protests by the workers and years of talks.

In addition to pay raises, the contract provides better healthcare and job protection for the company's 25,000 flight attendants, the union said.

Both labor deals represented a victory for Chief Executive Oscar Munoz, who took over the helm in September and has sought harmony with workers for the No. 3 U.S. airline by passenger traffic.

United shares edged down 0.3 percent to close at $47.10.

"The contract provides immediate economic gains, sets a new industry standard and ensures flight attendants can achieve the benefits of a fully integrated airline," Sara Nelson, AFA-CWA's international president, said in a statement.

More than 90 percent of eligible flight attendants voted, the union said.

Flight crew protested furloughs by the airline after the merger. But starting in 2014, United offered voluntary buyouts that more than 2,500 employees have accepted.

United and Continental crews had been staffing separate flights since the merger. When a flight on a pre-merger United plane was short-staffed, pre-merger Continental employees could not be brought in, and vice versa, sometimes leading to cancellations.

United ranked lowest among U.S. and Canadian rivals in 2016 for customer satisfaction, according to a J.D. Power study.

"What this means is hopefully a much more reliable United, a much more on-time United and hopefully also a more pleasant United for its customers to fly," said Henry Harteveldt, founder of the travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group.

Munoz said in a statement he was helping "turn the page and write a new chapter in our approach to labor and management relations at United," alluding to deals he helped secure for pilots, gate agents and baggage handlers.

In February, United's mechanics rejected a contract offer, and their union said it would seek approval from U.S. regulators to strike.

(Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing Will Dunham and Richard Chang)
Govt. locks horns with popular room tariff By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

The government remains determined to go ahead with the popular call for a removal of the state enforced minimum room rates on Colombo city hotels in the face of growing opposition. Tourism Minister John Amaratunga told the Business Times on Friday that they are going ahead with a decision to abandon minimum rooms from next year, and would not give in to a handful of people who dont want to part with it. The minister believes this would help to overcome issues like the thriving informal sector that were involved in the tourism business without paying any taxes which is currently booming as a result of the minimum rate structure.

He pointed out that this and several other reasons compelled authorities to take this decision and explained that this rate was introduced at a time when they were faced with difficult times. Asked for his comments, John Keells Deputy Chairman Ajith Gunawardena said that fixing prices as a government policy is unhealthy and should not be done and is unsustainable. He pointed out that price controls either way  minimum or maximum  should only be done for macro national interests for limited periods of time until certain corrections are made. If not it will create distortions in the economy, it opens up areas for abuse, for manipulation and most importantly it misallocation resources.

Price controls distort and restrict our vision. They misrepresent reality, Mr. Gunawardena explained in a note to the paper. A view point that is being propagated that the minimum rate structure had attracted large investments into the hotel sector is misinformation. It is wrong, he said adding that We have the largest single investment in the industry taking place as we speak and I can assure you it was not conceptualised around price controls. In any event this is not a nationwide control. Its only limited to a few hotels in the City of Colombo. Negambo which is a stones throw away with the highway is not covered by this and has seen new investments.

And for some odd reason Mount Lavinia is also not covered by the minimum rate, he noted. Mr. Gunawardena said there has been significant investment in hotels taking place all over the country and none of these investors is calling for the expansion of the minimum rate net to their areas. They continue to allocate resources on marketing, branding, positioning and allow market forces to determine the rates. Its a tough game but then thats the real world, he explained. Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Devendra Senaratne said that the minimum rates go against normal economic practices of doing business and pointed out that state intervention in private business was not fair.

He explained that due to the minimum rate there was an absence of doing real marketing and hoteliers were not enthusiastic to add value to the different hotels. In this respect, Mr. Senaratne observed that Colombo was not being marketed since prices were too high and the MICE segment was almost non-existent due to places like Thailand and Malaysia becoming more attractive. However, Mt. Lavinia Hotel Chairman Sanath Ukwatte told the Business Times on Friday that room rates in the city would revert to US$40-50 if the minimum rates were removed whereas even the four stars were charging around US$90 plus taxes.

Due to this removal the staff would be severely affected since the service charge would also come down by about 15 per cent due to a reduction in the room rates adding that in Sri Lanka middlemen were manipulating. Mr. Ukwatte queried whether Sri Lanka should allow the country to earn less foreign exchange and staff to earn less or bring in discipline into our price structure and the staff to earn more. He noted that while the airline crews have been offered special rates at US$60 a similar package could have been worked out for the MICE segment as well. In fact, he pointed out that since leisure travellers were not inclined to stay in Colombo except for about one or two nights due to the available infrastructure facilities they would be able to get to the resorts.

Since minimum rates only applies to Colombo and suburbs and I would like the authorities to consult the association of stakeholders and get their views before embarking on such a mission, Mr. Ukwatte said proposing the establishment of an independent set of audit firm that will do random check on hotels if they are sticking to the minimum. City Hotels MD Gamini Matthew said removal of minimum rates would affect the small hotels in a big way and lead to a price war resulting in these establishments having to sell rooms by the hour. Kingsbury Hotels Board Member Denesh De Silva also believes the minimum pricing is essential and noted that The Kingsbury brand would get affected by its removal. In fact, he echoed previous sentiments that the profitability, service charges and ability to maintain quality service standards would become an issue.
Indian officials due in Colombo for ETCA talks By Jayampathy Jayasinghe View(s): View(s):

A high powered delegation from India is due to arrive in Sri Lanka within the next few weeks to look into the proposed economic and technology co-operation agreement (ETCA) with India and also look at investment and services opportunities available in the country. This was stated by the Deputy High Commissioner for India to Sri Lanka Arindam Bagchi at the Sri Lanka PLAST 2016 Expo held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) last week. He said 75 companies from India were taking part at the fair. We want to strengthen the economic partnership with Sri Lanka which has had a robust relationship with India for over thousand of years. Over the years exports from both countries have increased tremendously.

He said, We must look beyond exports to other areas such as investment and services provided by both countries. India has invested over a billion dollars in Sri Lanka and more Indian companies are expected to set up businesses in Sri Lanka in the future. Likewise a number of Sri Lanka companies such as Damro, Brandix and MAS holdings and others who have set up businesses in India are doing extremely well. Referring to the Colombo Port, he said it was a major trans-shipment hub for 70 per cent of the Indian shipment of goods. He said although many Sri Lankans have complained that India is not a place for investments it will soon become a reality for doing business in India when new laws are legislated.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, the Chief Guest, said that with declining oil prices rubber based products have become cheaper and will become attractive products in the consumer market. He said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken the initiative to improve the rubber sector and the Government is currently engaged in a survey countrywide on rubber manufacturing that will be completed at the end of the year. Referring to a shortage of skilled personnel in rubber manufacture, he said several Sri Lankans from the state rubber sector will be sent to the Kerala University in India to upgrade their knowledge on rubber and plastic technology.
Text and Photo by Viraj Senewiratne To play the lead role in a success story is indeed the stuff that dreams are made of. To reach the zenith in your chosen discipline and keep your feet firmly planted on terra firma is indeed a quality as rare as a ray of sunshine on a winters day. Perseverance, tenacity, intuition and skill are vital ingredients of the bitter sweet cup of success. These traits Lakmini Wijesundera possesses in plenty. The youngest child of eminent parents, the late Prof. Stanley Wijesundera the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo and the late Anoja Wijesundera, the elder sister of the late Upali Wijewardene. She received her education at C.M.S. Ladies College. Colombo 7. On completing her A Levels she took wing to the UK for higher studies. There she attended the University College London, University of London for her Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Electronic engineering. As a little girl, an innate sense of curiosity made her explore closely all things electronic. This resulted in many a dismantled microphone, hair dryer or computer at home. Therefore, it was no surprise that Lakmini graduated with a Masters degree in Communication and Signal Processing engineering from Imperial College, University of London. Upon her arrival in Sri Lanka, she commenced her professional career as engineer IT in the Ceylinco Group. Thereafter, she joined Lanka Bell as manager, IT. After a near 5-year stint, being the free spirit that she is, she decided to venture out on her own. Her first attempt at going it alone, ended in abject failure, with the bursting of the Dot Com bubble. Her second attempt was setting up a software company called Atlantis One. This project too was short lived. Lakmini was now at the receiving end of many a hard punch life was to throw at her. The cruellest being the death of her beloved father, who was mercilessly gunned down during a dark period in Sri Lankas history. At the time all upright men and women who voiced an opinion and had the courage to stand by their convictions were summarily despatched by extremist forces, professing to secure a place in the sun for the down trodden masses. Standing a mere 5-foot nothing in her stockings, Lakmini makes up in grit for what she lacks in inches. The diminutive L.Cite (former Ladies College girl) carried on undaunted. She is a believer in the proverb, actions speak louder than words. In 2006, together with her friend Sanje Widyaratne, she embarked on creating IronOne Technologies, a software solution company from the ashes of Atlantis One. The tender years of IronOne were very spartan to say the least, the garage of her mothers home being office. It is said: mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and grow she did. In 10 years of honest toil, Lakmini had driven her company and herself to the very top of the pile, of the software solution business. Backed by an enthusiastic young team, IronOne is a locally as well as an internationally recognised and respected organization now. The year 2016 has been a particularly auspicious one for the IT whiz-kid. She struck a purple patch mid-year, winning Gold at the Women in Management Awards. Her crowning glory however, happened last week. She all but swept the board at the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Ceremony, winning Gold in three categories. The blood, sweat and tears were worthwhile after all. She bagged the coveted Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Gold Award. Receiving the plum of the evening from none less that the President of the land himself. Lakmini is also on the Board of Give 2 Lanka. This is a not-for-profit guarantee company registered under the Company Registration Act. The objective of it being to provide a platform for other institutions to raise funds for deserving causes but also, to nurture the practice of giving amongst Sri Lankans to provide greater opportunities for the poor. She does not neglect her spiritual fulfillment or duties either, in spite of the hectic pace she keeps. She often participates in the activities of a preferred temple  genuinely concerned for the Buddha Sasana and its well being; contributing her mite unostentatiously. She remembers her dearly departed parents unfailingly every year with an alms-giving for the Sangha, relatives and friends. Despite her high profile lineage, she is one of the most down-to-earth, helpful, unassuming people youd ever want to meet. She loves her private space and would rather spend her free time at home in the company of her two Labrador Retrievers; the vocals of old blue-eyes Frank Sinatra satiating her love of music. Not for her the froth and bubble, glamour and glitz of the superficial world of the socialite; nor the bra-burning rabble-rousing world of the feminist. This then, is the story of a lass who refused to take no for an answer.
Janashakthi reports strong growth in 1H 2016 View(s):

Janashakthi Insurance PLC (Janashakthi) posted a consolidated post tax profit (PAT) of Rs. 630 million for the six months ended 30th June 2016, surging by 198 per cent from PAT in the same 2015 period. Consolidated Gross Written Premium (GWP) grew by 34 per cent to Rs. 6.5 billion with the companys Non-Life segment leading the charge with 41 per cent growth in GWP while its Life segment grew by 11 per cent, according to a media release issued by the company. During the period under review, claims valued at an estimated Rs. 4.6 billion were made to Janashakthi as a result of the devastation caused by the severe floods and landslides in Sri Lanka in May. As an insurer committed to fulfilling its duties towards the nation, Janashakthi continued to deliver on its commitments in a responsible and speedy manner during this critical hour of need, the release said.

We recorded steady top line growth, led by the Non-Life segment, and an impressive growth in the bottom line despite a marked rise in claims which resulted from the recent floods. This is yet another testament to the companys sound financial fundamentals and prudent and farsighted reinsurance arrangements, as well as our steadfast resolve to honour our commitment to policyholders, said Prakash Schaffter, Managing Director of Janashakthi Insurance PLC. Janashakthi maintained healthy Capital Adequacy Ratios (CAR) for both Life and Non-Life businesses, following the introduction of the Risk Based Capital (RBC) model which replaced the Solvency based regime from 1 January 2016.
Telecom Minister pledges to provide digital classrooms for students By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankan students will soon get an opportunity to study in modern digital class rooms under the governments ambitious IT initiative of harnessing high-tech digital technology to leapfrog into a tech-savvy world, Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Minister Harin Fernando revealed this week. 100 digital classrooms will be set up in schools especially in rural areas providing iPads for students while keeping some of the positive elements of the traditional classroom intact, he told reporters on the sidelines of Sri Lankas first ever broadband forum in Colombo.

The ministry is planning to launch a pilot project in several government schools, to initially experiment this initiative and then expand it island-wide, he disclosed. The government will be able to save millions of money spent on text books every year if the project is successful, he said. Teachers and students are to be provided with a new platform eliminating the limitations of the traditional classroom, in which learning and teaching confined to boring and stressful environment paving the way for a better understanding and dissemination of knowledge.

Minister Fernanado noted that his aim is to provide favourable conditions in the classroom, in which students can learn effectively, and teachers can disseminate knowledge on par with the learning style of the objectives of present day schools. Referring to governments efforts towards improving the broadband facilities in the island, he noted that Googles link up with the Sri Lankan government to deliver broadband Internet countrywide which was halted due to a spectrum issue will soon resume.

The minister said that the authorities found it difficult to provide 700 MHz band for Googles Loon as it is currently occupied by broadcasters. But the digitalisation of televising in Sri Lanka will clear this obstacle, he said. The pilot venture of Google Project Loon, which aims to provide cheap or free Wi-Fi to people in remote rural areas via a fleet of huge helium-filled balloons floating way up in the stratosphere will be re launched with the arrival of balloons from Brazil before the end of this year, the minister disclosed.

He said that Sri Lankan citizens will have free Wi-Fi/Internet access at 150 more selected public locations island-wide within the next two months increasing the total number of Wi-Fi locations to 400, as the two telecom providers Dialog and SLT will enter into an agreement to share the network shortly. Wang Shunli, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Sri Lanka noted that his company has been supporting the countrys telecommunication sector and celebrates 10 years of operation in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankas fixed-broadband penetration compared to a broad basket of South and Southeast Asian countries is relatively high, ranking 5 out of 10 countries according to a study by Ovum, an international research institute. However, Sri Lanka trails leading markets such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, where both digital subscriber line and fibre-to- the-home (FTTH) penetration rates are far higher.
Turkish Airlines and Garuda interested in SriLankan Airlines By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

Four airlines  Turkish Airlines, Hainan  Chinas largest privately-owned air transport firm, Japans ANA and Indonesias Garuda Airlines  have shown interest in crisis-hit SriLankan Airlines which is looking for a partner, official source said. They also said BNP Paribas and KPMG appointed as transaction advisors in Sri Lankan Airlines quest to find a strategic partner have tapped a number of foreign airlines in creating an appetite towards a partnership with the debt-ridden national carrier. The two agencies solicited certain parties by discussing with certain airlines in their data base/airlines that they work with, a top official close to the restructuring of the national carrier told the Business Times.

He added that as both parties have international presence, they tapped these airlines to send in their Expressions of Interest (EOI). They did their own solicitations and some were successful, he said. NSB Fund Management (NSBFM), a unit of state-run National Saving Bank (NSB) and the lead managers to airlines restructuring drive, said that while therere eight EOI confirmed for the national carrier, two more are being finalised.NSB Chairman Asvin de Silva told the Business Times that a project management team under NSBFM has already received eight EOI and two are still being worked out.

The EOI timeline for the reorientation of SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka has been extended by a week until August 31, as the appetite for the EOI was encouraging, he said. We extended the EOI closing date till end of this month. By about end of September well be collecting the EOIs. Once we go through them, we aim to shortlist the EOI and call the shortlisted parties to submit proposals, he said adding after this they will get these parties to carry out a due diligence on the airline.
VAT ruling victory for good governance View(s):

The Supreme Court this week issued a ruling on the VAT case, decreeing that the due process was not followed and hence, the imposition of the tax  already in place  cannot be proceeded with. There was no notice however on the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) website or otherwise informing the public of the court decision, which should have been done like earlier when the IRD posted a notice dated July 12 which announced the suspension of the VAT tax pending a determination of the court. The ruling not only creates a precedent but also triggers a lot of alarm bells since on many previous instances, mostly by the previous regime, where taxes were imposed without the mandatory authorization of parliament but formalised later with the retrospective effect clause.

This is no fault of the courts which was asked to adjudicate on a legal point raised by petitioner  Wimal Weerawansa as to whether the VAT amendment can be imposed without the required bill being submitted to the legislature. After hearing the submissions, the court ruled that it is a nullity (meaning not legally binding) as set out in the due process which requires that all monies or taxes for state spending must be approved by parliament. Disappointed government ministers took the position that it was unfair to criticise the state over a process that has been followed for many years  ie. imposing taxes without prior approval of parliament. In a practice widely resorted to during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, the Finance Ministry imposed taxes and only thereafter presented the bills to parliament.

Though it was not the due process, no one in the then opposition (United National Party) chose to challenge this position in court the way Weerawansa did and, succeeded. On the other hand the counter argument could be that parliament (particularly opposition) was clashing with the judiciary headed by chief justice Mohan Peiris and that there was a feeling that justice would not me meted out if taxes were challenged. However the argument that if-they-did-it, we-should-also-be-allowed-to-do-it doesnt hold water as two wrongs dont make it right and the court has given a clear ruling which in future bars any taxes being imposed without parliamentary approval. Though the new Maithripala-Ranil administration hoped to get away as they did last year in implementing taxes and submitting the bills thereafter, there were other reasons that led to the delay in the bills being presented to parliament.

Among them were disagreements in the Treasury which has been split into two sections  the old guard and a new team working directly under Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake  and also the fear that the bills would get defeated by a majority vote. While these were concerns, no one  least of all the minister, prime minister or president  would have imagined the VAT bill being challenged based on due process. When the matter came up last month, court ordered the suspension of the tax (which had been increased to 15 per cent from 11 per cent since May 2 and was being imposed) until the case was completed or parliament followed the due process. The government was then planning to discuss the second reading of the bill on August 11 but the court decision conveyed to the Parliamentary speaker on Tuesday stalled the process.

What has surprised tax experts is that the government didnt use another section of the VAT law to formalize the tax without immediate recourse to parliament. A 2003 amendment to the VAT Act shows that the minister could made order changing the rates and  shall be in operation immediately upon the Minister, affixing his signature (to the order) and that such order shall as soon as convenient be published in the Gazette and that every such order shall as soon as convenient thereafter be approved by a Resolution of Parliament. The finance minister is also on record saying at a media briefing soon after the court suspended the VAT increase that he would use the above law but that never happened.

On the other the authorities may have been reluctant to resort to this regressive piece of legislation in an environment of good governance and transparency, and cannot be faulted for that. But resorting to a blind leading the blind practice of dumping taxes on the population sans the due process has brought greater headaches  foremost being the struggle to collect much needed revenue. There is little doubt the government needs money, desperately too for, among other matters, to settle off old debts mounting to billions of rupees. Borrowing has rapidly increased to pay off loans while tax revenue is not coming in.

Even if a new VAT bill is quickly presented to parliament, whether it would command the support of the government from both parties is uncertain. The chaotic state of affairs in the tax collection and implementation process is also a reflection of often ad-hoc decision making and behaviour trends that have nullified much of the good by the administration. Two examples being the Central Bank Bond saga which forced the exit of Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran (not seeking a second term) but the latter waiting in the wings for a new appointment and accompanying the Prime Minister on recent foreign tours, while the coal scam examined by a committee has been accused of whitewashing the deal with a report saying there was a saving instead of a corrupt deal.

The joint opposition is overjoyed by the Supreme Court verdict on VAT and has threatened to use the courts to stultify or delay other proposed bills. It is ironic. Opposition parties or even litigants in the last regime were reluctant to seek redress from courts as there were serious doubts about getting a fair judgment whereas the ruling party went to court for they were assured of a decision in their favour. Today the opposition is happy that the judiciary is independent and its recent decisions prove that. An independent judiciary  thats saying a lot for this government which the current opposition must be thankful for.
A shameful rejection of a collective mea culpa View(s):

The raucous commotion in Parliament this week with the passing of the Office of Missing Persons Bill without a vote is reflective of our utterly degenerate political culture. Even now, there is no clear idea of the numbers mustered on the floor to ensure the passage of this enormously significant legislation.

No politician can profess innocence

Sri Lankas disappeared number in their thousands. These unfortunates are not confined to one ethnicity. Indeed, the fate of the missing is the most powerful common factor uniting the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims down the ages. Many years ago, before unscrupulous politicians co-opted the Mothers Front of the South and the North, this was the one civil rights mass movement which had the potential to force the political command to come to a reckoning as to what happened to their sons and daughters.

So let us be quite clear on this. No political leader in this country, President or Prime Minister can wash his or her hands, Pontius Pilate fashion, and proclaim I am innocent of that blood.

Consequently this was a Bill that demanded the most rigorous solemnity and scrutiny. It called for a collectively profound moment of mea culpa. Instead, we had ugly political point scoring by the Rajapaksa-led Joint Opposition and a Bill rushed through by the Government in an unfortunately indecent hurry.

A legal issue of concern

In the parliamentary melee, some amendments were passed to the OMP Bill on the floor of the House though there is little certainty as to their precise content. Reportedly, the changes include amendments to Clause 11, Clause 12 (f) and Clause 21 of the Bill.

These amendments relate respectively to the OMPs entering into agreements with any person or organization, the prescribing of parliament approved guidelines on visits to places of detention as well as advance notifications therein to the Inspector General of Police as well as a stipulation that funds raised by the OMP must be channeled through the External Resources Department.

But a major legal issue remains if the OMP Bills exclusion of the Right to Information Act, No 12 of 2016 (the RTI Act) has passed through Parliament without amendment. As observed in these column spaces previously, clause 15 of the Bill had stated that the RTI Act will not apply in regard to matters communicated to every member servant, officer and consultant of the OMP in confidence.

Differences between the laws

Recent arguments advanced by government advocates to justify this exclusion have been spurious at best. One particular defence was that certain laws such as the Monetary Law already provide an exception to RTI and that therefore this clause in the OMP Bill is nothing to be perturbed about.

But there are fundamental problems with this argument. The Monetary Law predates and therefore, as a matter of broad principle, has to yield to the RTI Act. This is very clear in terms of Section 4 of the RTI Act which states that the RTI law shall prevail in the event of any inconsistency between that law and such other written law. Essentially, the only exclusions in respect of all past laws without exception are the specific and limited exceptions contained in the RTI Act itself.

Granted, at certain points, exceptions detailed in the Monetary Law may overlap with the RTI exceptions such as in relation to requests for the premature release of information pertaining to exchange rates or the regulation of banking or credit. But that is quite a different matter from arguing that the Monetary Law itself prescribes an exception to RTI. This is simply incorrect in terms of the law.

Lacunae in not defining in confidence

In any event, unlike the Monetary Law, the OMP Bill comes after the RTI Act. Therefore Section 4 of the RTI Act conferring a primary status on that law as against other written law does not apply. In consequence therefore, the information shut out by the OMP Bill is not governed by the limited exceptions of the RTI Act. Nor is it subject to the overriding principle of disclosure in the public interest under Section 5(4) of the RTI Act.

The main reason for Section 5(4) was Sri Lankas outdated colonial official secrecy laws which were unacceptably vague in their definitions of what precisely constitutes an official secret. That same vagueness characterizes the applicable provisions of the OMP Bill where the RTI Act is shut out. The RTI does not apply where information is received in confidence. Yet nowhere is the term in confidence duly explained or interpreted in the Bill despite the fact that this term occurs at several points elsewhere as well. Most particularly, in Clause 12(c)(v), a variant of this same term applies in relation to a vital investigative power vested in the OMP; namely its authority to establish a process to accept information on the condition of confidentiality.

As a result, there is a disturbingly open ended discretion given to the Office of the OMP, its members and so on to categorise virtually any information received by it/them as information received in confidence or information accepted on the basis of confidentiality. One can only hope that the committee stage amendments addressed this lacuna.

Need for more certainty

In principle, the singular importance of protecting the confidentiality of persons who give information re the missing is self evident. However the question is whether specifying a statutory exclusionary clause with undefined terms is the best way to go about ensuring this?

The problem is not merely that the OMP Bill comes so soon after the RTI Act and (literally) where the ink has scarcely dried on the law itself. That contradiction by itself is incongruous enough.

And once, (even with the most laudable of intentions), a statutory exclusion is applied regarding RTI, there is nothing to stop future laws or amendments to enacted laws providing even more unacceptable exclusions. For instance, an argument may exist that an equally persuasive rationale exists for an RTI exclusion regarding the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act, No. 4 of 2015.

Certainly if this exclusionary clause has been retained through the rowdy passage of the OMP Bill in the House, it is unfortunate. If the RTI Act is not to lose its essential value, this is a slippery precedent that must be speedily discarded.
Huge projects on launch pad, but Govt. stuck in VAT trap for daily revenue View(s):

Agreement with Chinese company for international financial centre while Japan offers to build Monorail and Light Rail Transport

Costly mistake results in Supreme Court throwing out VAT Bill, acute embarrassment for UNP

By Our Political Editor

The Governments controversial Value Added Tax (VAT) increase was mired in a further controversy this week.

The Supreme Court determined that the VAT Amendment draft Bill was placed in Parliament violating the mandatory procedure laid down in the Constitution. It is a Minister who should introduce Bills or Motions in respect of fiscal matters, the court said, noting that they are approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. In this instance, to put it plainly, the draft Bill did not bear a tag to say it has been approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Yet, in reality it has gone before the ministers who approved it, argued Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament. In fact, a memorandum from him to the Cabinet of Ministers, seen by the Sunday Times, makes reference to an April 4 special ministerial meeting where it was decided to increase the VAT. The memo is headlined Submission of Value Added Tax Amendment Bill for the Approval of Parliament. Enclosing the draft Bill, the memo notes that it was drafted by the Legal Draftsman which was referred to the Attorney General by letter dated 20.06.2016 has communicated that the draft bill is not inconsistent with the Constitution, it said. Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers is sought for the VAT bill before it is presented in Parliament. However, the draft Bill that was gazetted and placed before Parliament still did not mention the fact that it was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. That was a costly mistake.

The SC determination made clear that it did not examine the constitutionality of the draft Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill per se. It had only referred to the procedural irregularities in presenting the Bill in Parliament, the first time ever it has done so. It was unclear to the Supreme Court whether the bill was, as required by the Constitution, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

For the United National Party (UNP) segment of the Government, the ruling, to say the least, is an acute embarrassment. The UNP is gifted with some of the best legal brains in the country. This is in addition to the state legal apparatus. To slip up over a simple issue such as this is a scathing indictment. Not when an enhanced VAT was imposed at the behest of the International Monetary Fund (IFM). The next tranche of an Extended Fund Facility from the IMF hinges on how soon it could be implemented. So are foreign banks through whom syndicated loans have been raised on the basis of assurances of enhanced revenue and thus a repayment capability. Of course, in respect of promises made to the IMF, no past Government had stuck to targets. For the current administration it would be a blessing of sorts to say it could not act because of the SC ruling.

Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya read out the SCs latest determination on Tuesday. Earlier, in July the SC had issued an interim order to suspend the enhanced VAT and NBT (Nation Building Tax). It put off further hearings until December 9.

The SC determination said that .that after the draft legislation was prepared by the Legal Draftsman it was decided to send the said legislation to Parliament after obtaining the approval of the Attorney General. No evidence was placed before the Court to establish that the Bill was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers or authorised by the Cabinet before it was introduced in Parliament as provided in Article 152 of the Constitution. The Hansard of 8th July 2016, makes it clear that the Hon. Minister of Finance who introduced the Bill to Parliament, did not signify the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers as required by Standing Order of Parliament, before introducing the Bill. Provisions regulating the imposition, assessment and collection of taxes are to be given strict construction as they impose financial burden on the taxpayer. We are therefore of the view that the provisions contained in Article 152 of the Constitution have to be strictly complied with as it relates to public revenue. 

Ministers met on Tuesday for the weekly ministerial session. Even before they heard the news officially, they appeared aware of the determination. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had placed a cabinet memorandum where he adduced reasons to strongly assert Parliaments supremacy vis-a-vis the judiciary. He cited an instance where one time Speaker, the late Anura Bandaranaike, had ruled on the supremacy of Parliament.

That was in relation to a conflict between the Judiciary and Parliament over an interim order given by the then Supreme Court preventing Parliament from entertaining an impeachment motion against the then Chief Justice Sarath Silva. Speaker Bandaranaike, in a 25-page ruling said that Parliament was not bound by such an interim order and as it was finally responsible to the people, it was supreme. He said that his ruling would prevent an unending conflict between the Judiciary and Parliament.

That seemed a suggestion that the Government should go ahead with the draft bill notwithstanding what the SC has said. There was a detailed discussion and also a suggestion to re-introduce the bill with fresh amendments. The Premier appeared conscious that fresh legislation to introduce changes to VAT would entail delays. The draft Bill has to be gazetted and time given to allow for public representation. That would take at least three or more weeks. At the end, in the wake of little support from ministers, Wickremesinghe sought to withdraw his memorandum and the ministers chose not to proceed with it. The final outcome was to present fresh revenue proposals after consultations with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the other main partner in the National Unity Government. Informal talks are now under way, but Wickremesinghes return from China is awaited before the two sides tackle the serious nitty-gritties.

This is while making plans for a broader set of revenue proposals in the Governments budget in November. The Government wants to broaden the tax base. It is here that the UNP, which is keen to rush through proposals, is facing another major stumbling block. Its main partner, the SLFP, is strongly opposed to some main features in the VAT. One in particular is the threshold of one million rupees on retail traders, a figure that would work out to Rs, 33,300 a day. Some SLFP ministers and even parliamentarians are strongly opposed to the move. They sought a change in this provision amidst mounting reports that they would otherwise absent themselves during voting time. Even President Sirisena had to intervene this week to place on hold a countrywide shutdown of retail outlets when the Government planned a debate. In such a situation, leave alone mustering a two thirds vote to bulldoze the passage of the Bill ignoring the SC ruling, the amendments could not have been passed with support from the SLFP. The SLFPs Special Assignments Minister Sarath Amunugama declared at a news conference that a team named by the Central Committee was now studying new measures for incorporation in the amendments. That makes clear that the SLFP wants new changes.

The complaint against long delays in implementing revenue proposals has come from Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. He circulated among his ministerial colleagues a list of 23 cases filed over different budget proposals, most of them relating to matters coming under the Department of Excise. In another note, he has said, that the VAT was first introduced on August 1, 2002. It had been a two band rate at first  Standard 20 per cent and Concessionary rate 10 per cent. In 2004, Karunanayake notes that the rate was 15 per cent whilst the following year (2005) it changed to a three tier system  Luxury rate 18 per cent, Standard Rate 15 per cent and Basic Rate five per cent.

In 2009, it was changed to a single rate of 12 per cent until 2014 and in 2015 it was placed at 11 per cent. It is only thereafter that the increase to 15 per cent came, he points out, The threshold for registration of VAT, Karunanayake pointed out had varied in the past year, he told the Sunday Times. On Tuesday, Karunanayake told Parliament that the VAT Bill had been introduced in Parliament after the correct procedures were followed.

According to the Finance Minister, from 2002 to 2009 it had been Rs. 500,000 per quarter or Rs 1.8 million. In 2009 it changed to Rs. 650,000 per quarter or Rs 2.5 million a year. In 2013 the amount was Rs. 3 million a quarter or Rs. 12 million a year while in 2015 the amount was increased to Rs 3,375 million a quarter or Rs. 15 million a year. The threshold for 2016 was Rs. 3 million a quarter or Rs. 12 million a year with effect from May 2, 2016, he said.

At Tuesdays ministerial meeting, taxing tobacco based items also became the subject of a lengthy discussion. Minister Rajitha Senaratne had sought a further increase in taxation  a move that met with counter proposals by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. The latter said that an enhanced tax imposed at once would mean a loss of major revenue. He said that any increase should be phased over a period of time. Countering the argument was Minister Senaratne who argued that continued use of tobacco led to different diseases and caused heavy expenditure on medical bills. Reports with the Health Ministry, Senaratne said, showed that a large amount of money was being spent on medicine. A further discussion on the matter is to follow.

Revenue collection, no doubt, is affected by the delays involved in the increase in VAT rates. Yet, the move has not deterred the Government from embarking on a number of proposals, some of which are ambitious. One such case is to ease congestion in the City of Colombo and suburbs. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Matters recently met a delegation from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The delegation expressed Japans interest to improve Sri Lankas urban transport system through the provision of step Yen loan. The available options and a comparison of Monorail and Light Rail Transport (LRT) were explained through a presentation by the Japanese side. The visitors explained that the Feasibility Study of the Monorail project has been completed and this project is the most appropriate solution in considering the delivery time, cost and availability of Yen loan for the Monorail Project.

They also explained that a complete feasibility study should be undertaken before taking a decision on implementing the LRT system and the Japanese delegation has agreed to conduct a feasibility study on implementing the LRT system if the Government of Sri Lanka is interested. The minutes of the meeting note that after a careful study it was decided to recommend to the Cabinet to accept the Light Metro Light Railway option within a period of four years. Feasibility studies are to be completed within one year with the assistance of JICA (Japan International Co-operation Agency). It was also decided to consider the land acquisition costs as well as costs of the project as it covers urban areas.

Another is the setting up of a joint company between the state and the private sector for a domestic airline. The contours of this project are not clear but the plans are to operate flights to different domestic airports that are being improved at Government expense. This is while Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera has sought the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers to provide duty free vehicles to those serving in Sri Lanka diplomatic missions at the completion of their service. Such importation of vehicles has been allowed since December 1963, he has told his ministerial colleagues. He has pointed out that those in the Foreign Service, officers from the Department of Labour to foreign missions, those from the Department of Commerce and the Foreign Employment Bureau had availed themselves of this opportunity.

The Foreign Minister has noted that at present those serving in diplomatic missions overseas were compelled to use private transport to attend to engagements. Another matter which has engaged the attention of the Cabinet of Ministers in the past many weeks is the Colombo Port City Project. On Friday three parties  the Project Company (CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt.), the Ministry of Megapolis and the Urban Development Authority (UDA)  signed a tripartite agreement. This in effect has given the legal nod for the Chinese company together with its local counterparts to begin work.

A clause in the tripartite agreement where the Project Company was to be given an additional extent of two hectares, arguably in lieu of compensation, has been withdrawn. This was after the Chinese company heeded a request made by President Maithripala Sirisena. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe told his ministerial colleagues in his memorandum titled Port City Development Project  Commercial Issues that upon signing the Tripartite Agreement, the Project Company commences discussions with the GOSL to evaluate the feasibility of setting up the Colombo International Financial Centre (CIFC) in the land area reclaimed first. Such discussions should also focus on the feasibility and viability of necessary infrastructure for the CIFC being built by the Project Company or any associated company no sooner it is technically feasible to build on reclaimed land on mutually acceptable terms. This is clearly a misnomer to identify the project as CFIC and not the Colombo Port City Project.

One area where amendments to the Tripartite Agreement would be changed, according to Premier Wickremesinghe, is regarding the proposed Estate Management Company (EMC), which is to be 100 % owned by the Government of Sri Lanka, to manage, maintain and repair the common areas of the Port City by collecting management charges from investors on marketable lands. The Premier points out that However, until such time the EMC is self-sustainable, the GOSL would have to inject funds for the operation of the EMC. In order to ease the GOSLs obligation to fund such a venture, at the request of the Committee, the Project Company has agreed to consider establishing and operating the EMC in partnership with GOSL or any statutory entity nominated by GOSL. The Secretary, Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development should continue discussion with the Project Company on establishing such partnerships where the EMC would have the necessary funding and authorisation from the CMC (Colombo Municipal Council), the Western Province Provincial Council and other relevant statutory agencies to carry out its envisaged functions. When an arrangement acceptable to GOSL, as well as the Project Company is reached, necessary amendments could be made to the Tripartite Agreement.

The Tripartite Agreement requires the Government to obtain the required permits, including the EIA, during the development phase of the project. A failure could result in compensation to the Project Company. The Attorney General had earlier recommended that obtaining reports be made the responsibility of the Project Company. The Company, however, has refused on the grounds that risk allocation between the two Parties had already been negotiated and agreed. Hence, the Project Company has agreed that it would assist the Government with documentation and funding required for obtaining the permits. The company has made clear it should not be exposed to any risk and the responsibility be placed on the GOSL/Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development.

The land reclaimed an extent of about 269 hectares  will be declared as Development Area under the Urban Development Act. Since the reclamation comes within the Colombo Port area, rights of access to the Water Area and the South Port breakwater can only be given by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. It has been agreed that since the SLPA is not a party to the Agreement, the Secretary to the Megapolis and Western Development and his counterpart in the Ministry of Ports and Shipping shall identify areas requiring SLPA co-operation and evolve a suitable mechanism to formulate such cooperation arrangements with the Project Company. An internal mechanism is to be worked out to compensate the SLPA for expenses it may incur to comply with contractual obligations of the GOSL.

Premier Wickremesinghe left on Friday night for a four-day visit to China. During the visit, he is to study some of the development projects and banking institutions among other matters. Also making a visit to China is Megapolis Minister Champika Ranawaka.

On the one hand, the Government is continuing to lose considerable revenue that was to accrue from the VAT increase. That has left a number of questions unanswered to Sri Lankan consumers. While some of the tax they paid cannot be reclaimed, there are areas where they could. This includes the telecom sector where the VAT was introduced. What the Government needs most is more funds if it is to keep to its targets. With the SLFP stalwarts determined to make changes in the VAT proposals, time has become an important factor. The longer they are unable to agree, the longer the economic woes of the Government will remain. Thus, the public who look for quick results would be in for more disappointment. After all, the grandiose plans will take years to bear fruit. Will the people show patience? That is the dilemma facing the Government.

US Air Force strengthens historic American ties with Jaffna

By Atul Keshap,

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka

The first American missionaries arrived in Jaffna in 1813, when the Rev. Samuel Newell founded the first American schools in Thellipalai. Those schools were the first of hundreds of schools and medical centres that provided for the people of northern Sri Lanka. Continuing this deep connection between our two nations, this week Jaffna is welcoming the U.S. Air Forces Operation Pacific Angel, which will renovate schools and provide medical services for nearby communities. I am pleased to be visiting Jaffna this week, to participate in Pacific Angel and to meet with political leaders, civil society, the media and many others. The United States is committed to the future of all of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankas presidential election of January 2015 marked a historic shift in the countrys political direction and made possible a new relationship with the United States. Sri Lankan voters elected a new government built upon the pledge of good governance and national reconciliation and rejected an increasingly authoritarian rule by a government determined to erode democratic institutions. The Sri Lankan government has taken many important steps towards a brighter political and economic future, as well as improving relations among Sri Lankas diverse population. Recognising this, the United States and the international community are increasing our engagement in Sri Lanka. Most of you have noticed the increasing number of American visitors coming to Sri Lanka, a reflection of the promise by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the United States will stand with you as you build a stronger democracy and a future that is marked by peace and prosperity after so many years of suffering and hardship. These visits highlight the full spectrum of U.S. support to bolster Sri Lankas international relations, economic growth, development assistance, and military professionalism. We all remember the horrors of the past, the violence of three decades and the anti-democratic governments.

Compare that situation to today. Civil society groups are flowering and members are key advisors in governmental task forces and decision making. Journalists no longer worry about abductions. New hotels, businesses, and cafes are opening in Jaffna and elsewhere. And the Sri Lanka parliaments recent passage of the Office of Missing Persons bill is an important milestone to protecting the rights and interest of missing people and their families. Operation Pacific Angel will work with the Sri Lankan Air Force in Jaffna to provide equipment and renovations requested by the local community. This is just one of many visits and programmes undertaken by the U.S. government as part of our commitment to walk by your side, strengthening relationships at all levels and with all of Sri Lankas diverse communities. With the democratic transformation, widespread international support has come roaring back because we all share the same vision as the Sri Lankan people: that Sri Lanka can be a shining example for peace, reconciliation, democracy, and prosperity in an increasingly troubled world.
Let us start investing in Tree Banks again! View(s):

Once Chennai was like a desert city. Today it is a beautiful city full of trees. The beach was dirty. Today it is clean, well swept daily and full of tourists. We have many a story such as Andare the Court Jester and even the Alibaba and Forty thieves but the message is clear, we do not know where we are heading!

When I visited Chennai and saw the slogan Tree Bank, it was a taxi driver who explained its meaning. Reverend Sir, banks can go bankrupt and collapse. They can become unprofitable. You can never say. But if we grow trees, they will be secure and lasting. So in this country people are keenly investing in trees.

When I came back, I placed Tree Banks advertisements in the newspapers. Many companies helped me and published the advertisements free. This happened in the 1980s during the time of President J. R. Jayewardene. We did not stop at advertising but went to Kurunegala looking for forest areas with Mahogany and Teak trees. We helped the villagers and with their help, gathered and collected many valuable plants and seeds.

The small trees we planted around the Beira Lake are full grown now. We were assisted by Gangaramaya Technical College students to collect plants and seeds. When some businessmen observed our work, they bought up land and started growing trees and sold the trees to those who were interested. We are not sure whether some know this history. But the results were frightening. Companies who sold these trees became bankrupt. Some who invested in this Tree Bank concept lost their money. But we did not stop our mission.

There is a large property at Urumutta in Akuressa. This was a large rubber plantation under the British and came under the Bhadrawathi Fernando Fund later. Since this land belongs to a Gangaramaya devotee, we have planted thousands rubber, tea, coconut, mahogany, teak, tamarind, arecanut and vanilla trees on this land. These trees, including Tea and cinnamon, grow naturally without any chemical fertilizer. Similar plantations could be seen in Kurunegala Ambakote Shakerlie Estate, Nugadanda Estate in Ingiriya, and in Suriyawewa, Weeraketiya and Galboda.

At Urumutta there are many roads going up to Rajjurubandara Devale, with another route having a pathway with more than 800 steps. In addition, there is a motorable road to reach the Devale in just two minutes. Many devotees come to this famous Devale on Poya days and during the weekends. The Vihara has been carved out of a 40-ton rock with an eight-ton statue of Lord Buddha.

There are trees such as mahogany and teak around the parks and the Beira Lake in Colombo. These were planted by the Municipal Council on our guidance. There were no mahogany trees in Kataragama earlier. Today, Kataragamas Gangaramaya Rest is surrounded by mahogany and teak trees. We also gave some coconut saplings and they are bearing fruit now.

Sri Lankas Timber depots are selling foreign timber. Coconut rafters are expensive. We cut trees but do not plant new trees. In the 1970s especially, the Government took over private estates, but could not protect these lands. Trees were cut down and the state plantation bodies went bankrupt. Today, Canada is a success story in planting trees. It is the same with Malaysia and Indonesia. Dubai, which is mostly desert, is growing more trees than Sri Lanka. There is no better country in the world for planting than ours. But we are importing food, timber, roof sheets and even needles and thread. We need underground springs for our wells to have water. But underground water is slowly decreasing. Who will save us? We are running short of even sand and cement.

We do not have enough hardworking people who will save our country from the debt crisis. There are too many lazy people around and too many sick people. Too many accidents. Little or nothing can be done without money.

We get into debt when weddings and funerals come our way. We spend far too much. As for weddings, I believe it is okay to have some enjoyments, but it needs to be done in a moderate way. We need to promote the concept of First the home and then the village. President Ranasinghe Premadasa started the Urban Development Authority. It has vast powers. But it is more interested in taking over land than development. If we develop our fields, get new types of paddy planted and export the crop, we could develop. The pungent chillie costs Rs. 500 a kilo. We import Jasmine flowers from India. We must grow what we can and export what we can to earn a profit.

We are proud to have helped in reestablishing indigenous education at the time it went into decay. Buddhist student monks received scholarships. Under our advice, Minister Lalith Athulathmudali inaugurated degree courses, and the salaries of those with indigenous course degrees were increased. Todays university students may not be aware of this.

Today it is Samurdhi. Then it was Janasaviya started with the help of Gangaramaya. We are told there are now 2.5 million applicants for Samurdhi aid. People are becoming poorer. At that time we helped in getting the midday meal for children and the cultivation at village level. During the war against terrorists, the National Hospitals accident ward was in a state of disrepair. Our Technical College students helped renovate it.

On august 8, the President presented the Pradeepa Pooja Certificate to me. Another 47 graduates of Vidyodaya received this certificate. I do my duty with commitment and integrity. During the time of Minister Loku Bandara, I was nominated for the highest degree, but I did not accept it.

All temples, religious organisations, and capable retired persons must get together and take steps to develop the country. This will help the younger generation and take our country to prosperity. This is my wish for our beloved country.
OMP Bill bypasses JO lost in its own floor show View(s):

By Chandani Kirinde- Lobby Correspondent

Thus far, members of the Joint Opposition (JO) group have managed to grab more than their fair share of attention, mainly due to their boisterous behaviour within Parliament, than for their role in enriching the legislative business. However, this week they got bogged down in a situation they themselves created by attempting to sabotage Government attempts to enact an important piece of legislation.

This miscalculation by the JO helped the Government to rush through the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Bill, with amendments, in less than an hour, from what was to have been nearly 13 hours of debate and discussion on a Bill that enables the creation of a seven-member permanent Commission to assist families of missing persons.

JO members who came to the Chamber on Thursday wearing black arm bands and satakayas, to show their disapproval of the Bill, initially, raised objection on the grounds they needed more time to debate it. The Government agreed to a full days debate on Thursday and half-a-day on Friday, but the JO was not agreeable to this arrangement and chose disruption over debate, walking to the Well of the House, shouting slogans and likely hoping Speaker Karu Jayasuirya would buckle under pressure and adjourn the House.

But it was obvious this time around, the Government was not going to allow the JO to usurp proceedings like they have done many times in the past year and hence, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera got on his feet and introduced the Bill to the House, amidst the din created by the protesting lawmakers. Much of his speech was inaudible to those inside the Chamber, but surrounded by Government MPs, he made it through his speech. He was followed by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran and JVP MP Bimal Ratnayaka, both of whom extended their support to the Bill.

The Speaker urged JO MPs to return to their seats, if they wanted to take part in the debate, but his repeated requests were of no avail and thereafter, Leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella moved that the question be put to the House, that the Bill be passed.

Hence, amidst chaotic scenes, the Bill was read the second time, amendments were moved and the Bill put to the House for the third reading and approved. Calls by UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa, that a vote be taken with a division by name went ignored and soon after the vote, the House was adjourned.

The course of events on Thursday shows that JO MPs were not serious about debating the Bill in the first place. If they were, the MPs had plenty to tell the country exactly why they are opposed to the Bill, and could have put pressure on the Government to move necessary amendments to it. By acting irrationally and behaving in Parliament as they did at Liptons Circus, they denied both themselves, as well as the public of the country, an opportunity to learn more about a new piece of legislation, around which controversy has been charted largely thanks to the views expressed on it by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He fired the first salvo against it, soon after it was tabled in the House in mid-July, by issuing a statement saying, Every member who votes for it (OMP Bill) will be held responsible by the people for betraying the country and the armed forces.

It is possible, the JO group wanted the debate on the Bill delayed till mid-August, as it was initially scheduled to be taken up then. So that, the former President, who is away in South Korea, would have returned to the country by then. If that was the case, there was room to discuss the matter in a civil manner and get it postponed. However, by underestimating the Governments ability to push through legislation, the JO got bogged down in a situation they created for themselves.

Soon after the House adjourned, both Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and JO MPs held back-to-back press conferences to explain each others stance. Mr. Samaraweera said the JOs behaviour has shown the whole country, who the real traitors are, and condemned the thuggery and political opportunism of the group.

JO Leader MP Dinesh Gunawardena said the Bill was passed ignoring due process and said, a future JO-led government would ensure that the OMP law is repealed. In the absence of a real opposition in this Parliament, the JO does have a significant role to play in exposing the Government when it blunders. but opposing Parliamentary business for the sake of opposing will not serve any purpose.

The Government, for its part, took advantage of a situation created by the JO, to push through the OMP Bill but, it is not a good precedent to set because, in the absence of review of enacted legislation, all discussion and debate on a Bill has to be done in a comprehensive manner, prior to its approval by Parliament.

There is little doubt there are many misconceptions in society, particularly in the South, about the OMP Bill, with the widely held view being it is meant to meet the demands of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the western allies of the Government, and would apply only to those who are missing in the north and east. The Government, for its part, has not done enough to educate the masses, that the mandate of the OMP which covers missing persons, notwithstanding any time period in which such person disappeared, and applies to the entirety of the country, and would give redress to families of those disappeared in connection with political unrest or civil disturbances in areas outside the north and east.

Minister Samaraweera explained to the House that the findings of the OMP will not give rise to any criminal or civil liability, as alleged repeatedly by JO members, and acknowledged that more than 5,000 security forces personnel are among person documented as missing.

For now, the Government can pat itself on the back that it has taken the first step to fulfilling the commitments undertaken under the UNHRC resolution adopted in September last year. However, while fulfilling international obligations, the Government has to do more to fill the trust deficit that exists between it and large segments of society, particularly on the issue of how it goes about handling war crimes, HR violations related issues.
Taking Basils side against all odds View(s):

My dear SB,

I thought I must write to you because you are in the news again  this time, saying that you saw nothing wrong in what Basil had done during the elections when he allegedly bought some pipes with his ministrys money and distributed them for election work.

SB, I do admire your ability to change your beliefs from time to time to suit your needs. You have gone from blue to green and then blue again and now you seem to be changing sides from Maithri to Mahinda maama once again. And all that time, you have somehow managed to be in the news!

Why, we can even remember the days when you were Satellites blue eyed boy. You formed a good team together when she came to power in the early nineties. She promoted you over and above party seniors as the secretary of the Blue party when that old faithful servant, Dharmasiri passed away.

The rest, as they say, is history. Your partnership with Satellite didnt last long, possibly because both of you spoke first and then thought about what you said later. A year after you became the secretary of the Blues, you decamped to the Greens. Now, it seems like all secretaries of the Blues do this!

With you in the Green camp, they were a different and formidable outfit. They created a post for you calling you a national organiser, whatever that meant. It didnt take long, in fact only a few months, for you to mastermind a Greens victory over your old party  and the Greens were in power again.

Satellite though still bore a grudge against you. So, even though the Green Man wanted to appoint you as a minister, Satellite refused to swear you in. When you were ultimately sworn in by her after a long delay, that picture told a thousand words  with both of you staring daggers at each other.

As a Green Minister you overstepped your mark and said you wont respect the dogs verdicts of a certain court. You were charged with contempt of court and the chap in charge of that court sent you to prison. But, looking back at what this chap has said and done since then, you may have been right!

While you were languishing in a prison cell, many things changed in Paradise. Satellite had to leave the stage a year earlier than she would have liked to  again, thanks to the same man who sent you to jail and Mahinda maama had rather unexpectedly become the boss, beating the Green Man.

Mahinda maama probably saw your value in the years ahead because he used the powers that he had to pardon you and get you released from jail. And you did return the favour by dumping the Greens and joining him a few years later, helping him to win the next round of elections, for a second term.

When Mahinda maama decided to run for a third time, you were very much with him supporting him all the way against the surprise choice for the common candidate, Maithri. We thought that made sense because Satellite was with him  and after all, your enemys friend is your enemy as well.

That was the time you showed us that you had lost nothing of your gift of the gab, despite being sent to prison for it. Why, it was you who said that when Mahinda maama won, Satellite should be stripped naked and made to run along the streets like someone who was mentally unsound!

In fact, that may have alienated quite a few voters away from Mahinda maama who lost the election anyway. This is where your genius comes into play. Knowing which way the tide was turning, you quickly switched sides yet again and joined Maithris camp which now held the reins of power.

You chose wisely. By the time the Blues lost the general election and you lost your seat, you had made yourself so indispensable to Maithri that he went back on his promise of yahapaalanaya and reappointed defeated Blue candidates through the National List  and you were among the chosen few.

In recent months, you have been singing Maithris praises and blaming Mahinda maama and Basil for all that is wrong in Paradise. That is why we are puzzled by your sudden defence of Basil and wondering whether you are jumping again. Anyway, SB, with friends like you, who needs enemies?

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: SB, I know you dont like to talk about the Olympics and Olympic medals, but this being Olympic season, I must ask you, can you get political high jumps included at the Olympic Games? Then there will be a good fight for Gold, Silver and Bronze between you, Thonda and Rauff  and Sri Lanka will always have a medal at the Olympic Games!
VAT is the cause of their discontent View(s):

What on earth is going on in this miracle of Asia? From the day the Finance Minister and other UNP whiz-kids in the cabinet tried to increase the Value- Added Tax from 11 per cent to 15 per cent, the exercise seemed jinxed. Not too long ago Ravi Karunanayake tried to up the VAT by administrative fiat. That attempt came a cropper. The judiciary ruled that imposing new taxes or raising them cannot be done administratively. That was a matter for parliament and the legislature must approve any such changes. If not it was a violation of the countrys constitution.

How the government panjandrums some of whom have spent years vegetating as elected representatives of the people, missed this basic legislative requirement adds a funny tale to the comic goings-on in what is called  at least by those who rule over an increasingly embittered populace- the government of good governance (GGG), if another coinage might be permitted to describe the Government of National Unity (GNU) or National Unity Government (NUG) among other abbreviations.

One would have expected this major mistake to be corrected and the VAT increase presented to parliament. Indeed it was done. A Bill was presented to parliament. So everything should have been smooth sailing down the Diyawanna Oya from then on and the VAT hike would become a fait accompli ending all the confusion and the unscrupulous exploitation of this confusion that preceded it.

Well that is what common sense would have expected the brains trust in charge of economic affairs in the country to do. Instead of sailing peacefully down the nearby oya, this boatload of parliamentary brains runs into a storm with no one seemingly at the wheel.

Once more it is the Supreme Court that stirred up a storm declaring the most recent attempt to legitimize the VAT increase as a nullity since the proper procedures had not been followed in presenting the Bill to parliament.

There is no need to repeat the Supreme Court ruling as The Hon. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has already done so in parliament and the public have probably read it in the media. It is hoped, of course, that at least hereafter the governments worthies would read the rule books, if one might put it plainly, if they have not done so already, and follow the procedures.

But the VAT story has more sides to it than an octagon. VAT is the cause of discontent made gloriously farcical by bungling politicians if one might adapt the words of the Bard. Why so much effort is being put into raising the VAT limit and broadening the base of the Nation Building Tax (NBT) is clear enough. The government does not generate enough revenue to meet its expenses. So it is confronted with a fiscal deficit that has to be bridged, if possible, by increasing VAT and other taxes resulting in additional burdens on household budgets.

The easiest way of collecting more revenue is by way of VAT, so economists and others more learned in the subject tell us. Whether that is straight from the economic gospel or not, it is the poor consumer already saddled with increasing living costs who pays the price.

One reason why the Joint Opposition (JO) launched its pada yaathra which would have entailed a 72-mile walk if the police had not truncated it by a couple of miles through a court order prohibiting the walk from starting from the Kandy municipal limits, was because of the growing public dissatisfaction over the increased VAT, the resultant confusion and who should be paying it.

Never mind whether the final rally in Colombo attracted a mere 20,000 people as the SLFP general secretary Duminda Dissanayake said on television or a couple millions as told to the public by Geetha Kumarasinghe or any other astronomical figure trotted out by pada yaathrayas, if one might call them that, to boost its importance and their egos.

Viewed from here it would seem that the pada yaathra (though some preferred the comfort of their duty-free vehicles) was able to muster support from some sections of the public not necessarily supportive of or even sympathetic to, what critics call a publicity stunt, is because of uncertainty and the tug-of-war over economic policy and implementation that leaves the public and the private sector wondering about the future.

It might be recalled that the 2016 budget, the very first by the National Unity Government was chopped and changed after the cabinet had approved it before being presented to parliament. President Sirisena thought some of the proposals were unacceptable because it imposed more burdens on the people.

Why the differences were not settled before the budget was presented remains a mystery. But what it did show was that if cohabitation between the SLFP and the UNP was beginning to appear so early in this marriage of convenience then life will prove to be more fractious later.

This is precisely what it is turning out to be. More recently, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes nominee as Governor of the Central Bank Arjuna Mahendran found that his post was not extended by President Sirisena who found opposition to Mahendrans continued presence amid allegations of bond scam, coming from within his own party.

If one might adapt the saying in the book Imitation of Christ, Wickremesinghe proposes, Sirisena disposes. Yet given Sri Lankas penchant for revolving-door politics Mahendran re-enters as an adviser in the Prime Ministers office and so imposed on the public which has to pay for his upkeep.

While other differences in policy between the two principal parties in the coalition are evident, what is galling is that this cash-strapped government ready to inflict tax hikes on an already exasperated people, seems to think nothing of its own financial profligacy.

It would be readily admitted that the Mahinda Rajapaksa government was extremely liberal with state funds. The abuse and misuse of state resources and the money wasted on and by state institutions such as SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka is just one example of the wastefulness practiced by those responsible for administering these institutions.

Those round Rajapaksa had no qualms about drawing on state funds for activities that brought no benefit to the country.

The yahapalanaya government came to power promising to eliminate such waste in public resources and be open and accountable in what it would do. The public believed such pledges would be carried out and voted for it.

One of the first acts of this government was to implement a salary increase for public servants. I dare say those on fixed wages such as public servants do deserve to be better looked after. But if a country is faced with declining revenues and its public debt is turning out to be unbearable then one would expect a prudent government to manage spending within its means.

The annual cost to the exchequer of the salary increase would be US$ 1 billion or more annually, according to one who had done his arithmetic. Let us say that the salary increase is justified, though we know that there are officials who make money on the side by means fair or foul- mostly foul as the public is well aware.

But what is the justification for doling out duty-free vehicle permits to parliamentarians especially when the leaders of this government are aware that it is facing a severe fiscal deficit?

Not only are they being provided with another round of duty-free vehicle permits but the value of the vehicles they could import have also been increased. Senior public servants are also being provided with a duty free facility. Now doctors employed by the state are demanding new vehicles every five years. Some of them hardly travel except perhaps to private hospitals and nursing homes where they stuff their pockets with unconscionable fees extracted from desperate patients. Now they are trying to hold the government to ransom but actually hurting the public.

Knowing only too well that the state was facing a financial crisis blaming the previous government for much of it, did this administration not put out a feeler to increase hugely the daily payment to MPs for attending parliament or some similar proposal?

It is incredible that any thoughtful person could propose such an insane idea unless it was a political move to win over the support of MPs from either side of the chamber. Why should MPs be paid an additional allowance for attending parliament when the purpose of their being elected is to attend parliament?

Look at the rents being paid to private individuals for leasing out property to house ministries and government offices. The most glaring case is that of the Ministry of Agriculture which has leased a building for five years at a cost running into billions of rupees. Two years rent in advance has been paid but the building remains unoccupied since April, some reports says, adding that the monthly rental is Rs 21 million.

Moreover a recent news report said that Agriculture Minister and secretary of the SLFP had submitted a cabinet proposal seeking Rs.403 million to renovate and refurbish the new premises for his ministry.

MP Dissanayake also revealed that the monthly cost to maintain a minister- and deputy and state ministers  is Rs 50 million.

If these reports are true  and I have not seen any contradiction of them  this government does not seem to face any revenue deficit judging by the lavish spending spree. So why do we need this increase in VAT and the broadening of the NBT base?

The problem is that the government has run to the IMF for an Extended Fund Facility and this international lending institution has granted US$ 1.5 billion. But it demands its pound of flesh. One of the key conditions it imposed on Sri Lanka is that it increases its revenue collection in order to meet its debt-servicing and expenditure needs. That is why the UNP is pushing ahead with the 4 per cent increase in VAT despite the protests from multiple quarters.

Speaking at a provincial meeting some months back President Sirisena said that he will not allow officials to burden people with more taxes and he will send home any economists who advance such unacceptable proposals.

Economists at home might duck for cover before they feel the stingray on their backs  metaphorically speaking  as President Sirisena once promised to do to some organizers of a concert which he thought undermined our ancient culture.

But there is little he could do to economists in the IMF. He does not pay their salaries but he and his UNP colleagues sure need their funds. That is also why our leaders are running back to China having, soon after the defeat of Rajapaksa, virtually turned their backs on Beijing and embraced the West.
20 thematic conversation sat Cinnamon Colombo scope 2016 View(s):

The fourth edition of Cinnamon Colomboscope, presented by EUNIC Sri Lanka together with Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, will host a series of thematic conversations between artists and experts in the art and technology fields. The festival this year is titled Testing Grounds: Art and Digital Cultures in South Asia and Europe and will be held from August 25 to September 1 at the former General Post Office (GPO) in Fort, Colombo.

Art, culture and technology experts will engage in a series of conversations under sub-themes Kaleidoscopia, Under the Cloud and Deep Sensing.

Cinnamon Colomboscope changes shape with a new curator each year, and is a contemporary multidisciplinary arts festival that takes place in Sri Lankas capital Colombo. Testing Grounds was conceived by German curator, Susanne Jaschko, an expert in the field of media arts. This year, the festival will provide testing grounds for a new liaison between contemporary arts and digital technology in Sri Lanka.

Testing Grounds has been curated under three sub-themes that offer different perspectives of how society and contemporary art is responding to the shift towards digital technology in Sri Lanka and the region. Under the Cloud is the second sub-theme that will address the de-territorialisation and re-territorialisation of communications technology and Deep Sensing, will explore how the developments in the informational environment and new digital technologies offer new ways of sensing.

The festival will see the participation of over 50 Sri Lankan and international artists, of whom several, in addition to presenting their works at the exhibition, will engage in a series of thematic conversations.

Urs Staheli, Professor of Sociology at the University Of Hamburg, Germany will present Disconnecting: New Forms of Privacy in the Network Society and investigate how privacy can be rethought through the experimentation of new techniques.

This conversation takes place on Saturday, 27 August from 12 noon to 1.00 pm at the GPO.

Networked Life: Dont Worry, Everything Is Under Control will explore our relationships with the Network, and how we can maintain a level of privacy and protection over our lives and our information. This conversation is curated and moderated by Sam de Silva, an expert in culture, media and technology, who will speak on this topic with Fieke Jansen, Project Lead of Politics of Data at Tactical Technology Collective (Germany); Bobby Soriano, Programme Advisor for Tactical Technology Collective and Sujit Christy, an information security adoption evangelist and a security and compliance professional. It will take place on Saturday, August 27 from 2.00 to 3.30 pm at the GPO.

Also curated and moderated by Sam de Silva is Fuzzy Power: Navigating the Dark Side of Tech, which looks at how access to powerful communications tools, mobile devices and software platforms has resulted in new ways of harassment in amplifying hate and violence. Hans Billimoria of the Grassrooted Trust and journalists Dilrukshi Handunetti and Nalaka Gunawardena will explore how we can engage and negotiate with a new power that uses digital technologies to target individuals and groups. This conversation will take place on Saturday, August 27 from 4.00 to 5.00 pm at the GPO.

The programme also includes conversations by Jocelyn Robert, Josephine Bosma, Subha Wijesiriwardena, Tobias Revell, Sanjana Hattotuwa, MuniraMutaher, Yudhanjaya Wijeyaratne, Shihar Aneez and Dr. Susanne Jaschko. In addition, the festival will feature an exhibition, a film programme, audio-visual performances, workshops and an online exhibition. Visit the official festival website (www.cinnamoncolomboscope.com) for the schedule and list of artists and speakers.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is the title sponsor of Cinnamon Colomboscope 2016 and the event is organised by EUNIC Sri Lanka comprising of the British Council, Goethe-Institut and Alliance Francaise de Kotte. The festival is supported by the John Keells Foundation, Cinnamon Life, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, MBC/MTV, iFilm Sri Lanka, Debug, Embassy of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Turkish, German Embassy and the Universite Laval.
En Route to give us those popular hits View(s):

Jazz band En Route are getting ready for their next concert , the Great American Song Book to be held on September 3 at the British School auditorium in Colombo.

En Route perform a weekly gig at the Cinnamon Grand lobby and if you chance to be there on a Friday night, you will no doubt be familiar with their unique sound. This concert is a direct result of the many requests they receive when they perform  so expect popular standards like Strangers in the Night, New York, New York, Almost like being in Love, I wish you love etc.

Vocalist/saxophonist Gananath Dasanayaka has been an ardent fan of Frank Sinatra and the big band swing type music. He counts Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and Nat King Cole as his favourites from childhood and not surprisingly the bands first concert held in December 2015 was a sellout tribute to Ole Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra.

En Route comprises Gananath, pianist Debbie Arnolda, bassist Maxi Pietersz, drummer Niroshan de Silva and Ramesh Nonis.

Tickets are priced at Rs, 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000. Contact Niroshan 0714867699 or Gananath on 07772248500.
Johnny Depp Vacations in Ibiza View(s):

Johnny Depp is taking a Spanish siesta ahead of his next court date in his ongoing divorce from Amber Heard, Yahoo New reported.

The actor was spotted arriving in Ibiza, Spain, via private jet over the weekend, and sources say he is currently renting a villa on the island. On Saturday, he was photographed smiling while boarding a yacht. He wore aviators with a loose poncho and jeans, while sporting a new haircut and mustache.

Meanwhile, Heard returned to Los Angeles from London  where shes working on her new film, Justice League  for her scheduled deposition last Saturday.

But a source says Heards deposition was never taken, though she was willing to give it. Although Amber was ready, willing and able to go forward with her deposition, it was not taken by Johnnys attorneys, the source says. She waited for 10 hours and at no time did Amber ever refuse to start the deposition. There was nothing preventing Johnnys counsel from commencing the deposition during that time.

The source did not clarify what happened during that time, but lawyer Steve Mindel, who is not affiliated with the case, says that the parties may be working on a private settlement or planning other legal maneuvers before the deposition.
Real cinema needs real people: Suranga By Susitha R. Fernando Illegal filmmaking and searching for realism through real people View(s): View(s):

Young Sri Lankan filmmaker Suranga Deshapriya Katugampala whose maiden film, For a Son (Puthekuta) was screened at the 52nd Pesaro International Film Festival 2016 last month says that to him cinema is making film with real people and real life events. Having been brought up and studied in Italy and now based in Verona, Suranga a university lecturer on cinema in Italy by profession ventures on an artistic journey to capture the social and cultural dilemma and alienation and isolation faced by Sri Lankan and others migrants who live in the Europe. Having lived most of his life in Europe, Suranga explains the social, psychological problems created specially for the second generation of migrants whom he represents and their connection to immigration and terrorism.

Q : What is your background and how was your entrance to cinema?

A: I went to Italy when I was ten years. I did my higher education on Information technology in Italy. At present I teach cinema at a university in Italy.

The film I made was not just my story it was the story of many in Italy. My parents used to say that they came to Italy by land. But this is not a story of me and my family. In the 1990s many went to Italy over land illegally. There was a collaboration of a mafia system starting from Sri Lankan to Italy and many other countries down the borders. This is still happening in Europe and this is still happening in Sri Lanka and people are still trying to go to Australia illegally.

It still happens as people are trying to escape from their own countries, for economical reasons, may be there is a war or there is a situation impossible for them to live

Q : What is the effect if Immigration which is the subject matter of your film?

A: The effect is that there is a big cultural gap between the first generation and the second generation. This has become a major social issue. The first generation is still dreaming to come back to their home countries. They say we dont want to belong to an European country and we want to go back to our own country.

In my view there is a need to protect the original wisdom of countries we belong to. Of course we have to speak the language of the country we are living in and also integration is important but not totally.

Within this lies a big problem which is related to terrorism. Let us think about the terrorism in Europe. The threat is coming from the people who are living in Europe. This is a big issue. This is not a terrorism that is coming from other countries or elsewhere. The terrorism is coming from second generation immigrants living in Europe that speak European languages and follow European culture.

In this sense there is a kind of depression within the family members of immigrants. Let us just think about a Sri Lankan family. Eating from hand at home is our culture and a habit but eating from hand outside home is a problem. This is a simple example. There is a culture at home which is not accepted outside your home.

Q : What was the response you got at the Pesaro film Festival?

At the festival there was a view that our film was more authentic than some films made by some Italians or others.

We can say there is an identity crisis. It is not a culture of Indian and Sri Laka. But there is a big gap. The first generation is dreaming of coming back one day. It is sadly funny. The first generation think that in two years they can go back home. They have built big houses and dreaming houses. But when they come to Sri Lanka they live in an alienation because ordinary people have ordinary houses and those working abroad have big houses. There is a gap again, your roots are different. There is a set of people who do not belong here nor there.

This is the character of Kaushalya, a mother who cannot decide where to go and a mother who cannot understand what to do and who doesnt know her destiny.

Q : Why did you select Kaushalya Fernando for this role?

A: I selected Kaushalya because when I was in Italy I followed Sri Lankan cinema and Sri Lankan directors and new generation cinema and I was looking for an actress who could go deeply inside a character specially I like realism and I dont want too many dialogues. I did not want actors who byheart dialogues and I needed an actress who has the talent and passion to go inside a character and who had a passion to help a new director. And in Kaushalya I felt she was one of the actresses who wanted to help the new generation of directors. Her philosophy is to belive in new directors.

Q : So you didnt find difficult in working with Kaushalya?

No no. Absolutely no. She wanted to listen to what I had to say. I had worked with other Sri Lankan actresses earlier. I came here 2012 to make a web series. I belnnged to the internet generation I dont believe in teledramas. Years ago I tried to create a web TV in Sri Lanka. I tried to create a television drama. They had so many attitudes. They thought they were actresses and I was a young boy. But Kaushalya was different to them because she had a deep understating of why I was doing this film.

Q : What would be the next step of the film?

I dont know when I will be able to release the film. May be this year or next year. I want to discuss the film as soon as screen to the people. I want to bring the story to the people that this information. I like to stop the immigration and convey the message that going to Europe is not salvation. May be that could be an economic salvation may be you can have a big house. The essential way of living is not salvation. Interesting thing is that there are many Sri Lankan young directors . There is a new breed.

I think that the new generation of directors has to also focuse on these directors. There is Sri Lanka in Europe, there is Sri Lanka in Italy you cannot anymore say that Sri Lanka is only in Sri Lanka. It is a strange situation. May be

Q: Kaushalya was the only professional actress in this film and the rest are ordinary people. Why did you do that?

In the process of making the film I wanted to in this movie Kaushalya was the only professional actress. All the other people were normal people living their normal lives. This was my direction method. I did so to have some kind of realism. In the film you can see there is an old lady in a house. There is another open street festival. We close the camera and hide it to capture the realism. The funny thing is that we captures even comments of Italian people What are these black people doing here with a camera?.

We had to capture the realism so that we can expose the reality.

Q : What have you got to say about your film?

A: This is kind an illegal film of a kind. Because Kaushalya, Channa and three others came to Europe with tourist visas. Not with working visa because it was not permitted. When I went to the Italian embassy in Colombo last to year to expalain that I was doing a film and I needed these people the response I got was Oh no you are trying to smuggle people. How much you are asking from them. Kaushalya and Channa have a big life here. Why do they want to go there.

In another instance Kaushlya had to ride a motorbike but she did not have licence to ride it in Italy. And we had no permit to shoot on some public roads.

Though an illegally made film, the best thing is this was a community film as Sri Lankan community in Italy gave full support including food, lodging and transport . When the Sri Lankan living in Italy came to know that Kaushalya and other Sri Lankan artistes were in Italy they were so enthusiastic to keep treating them well.

Q : What is your next step?

My next plan is to make another film in the same way in Sri Lanka. To make a film with real people, I need true actors. I need to do a film in Polonnaruwa. Lets say that sometimes cinema can go on without big actors and actresses. Real cinema needs real people. So Im trying to make two more projects in this mannerworking with a few professionals while most parts it is with non-professionals.
Solidarity Guitar Concert for Rohan Silva View(s):

Rohan Silva, one of the few pedal steel guitarists from Sri Lanka, had met with a motor accident recently and is lying at the hospital bed.

The Guitar Association of Sri Lanka is organising a concert Solidarity Guitar Concert on the 20th August at Russian Centre, Colombo 7, from 6.00pm onwards to raise funds for his immediate medical requirements.

Some of the leading guitarists in Sri Lankan music scene will perform at this Solidarity Guitar Concert. Amaranath Ranatunge, Andrew Obesekara, Upula Madushanka, Mohomed Iqbal with Gayathri and many will feature in this concert.

Starting with the bands Cosmic Rays and Deflection Rohan was involved in the music field since early seventies. He has been a recording artiste to late Stanley Peiries, Rohana Weerasinghe and late Clarence. He studied at Thurstan College, Colombo.

Rohan is an ardent supporter of the Guitar Festival. Unfortunately he was knocked down by a motor bicycle and broke his left arm and leg recently. He needs immediate medical attention.

Tickets are available at Russian Centre and Sarasvi Book Shop in Nugegoda.
Armed guards on trains to prevent attacks View(s):

By Kasun Warakapitiya

Armed Railway guards were deployed on the Jaffna-bound train yesterday after a series of attacks including Fridays tragedy where a passenger was killed when he was hit by a bottle thrown at the Vavuniya-bound train.

Railways General Manger B.A.P Ariyaratna said yesterday that the Railways took this decision after a series of attacks, including an incident where a train passenger, an education officer, was killed when he was hit by a bottle which was thrown at the train.

Mr. Ariyaratna said that from Friday, the Railways had deployed two armed Railway guards on each long-distance train. He said the Railways believed an organised gang was behind these attacks and the main targets were long-distance trains.

The Railways security division and the Police are carrying out investigations to arrest the suspect who threw the bottle at the Vavuniya-bound train at Orugodawatte.

Railways Security Chief Anura Premaratne said that after the war ended more people were using trains to travel to the North and this was a big loss to private transport operators. He said the Defence Ministry had given the Railways security the authority to use weapons for the safety of travellers and self-defence.
Asia-Pacific CJs seek separation of powers and judiciarys independence View(s):

The Asia Pacific regions Chief Justices yesterday adopted a Colombo Declaration calling for a sufficient degree of separation of powers between the judiciary, legislature and the executive and urged a possible amplification of the Beijing Statement on Principles of the Independence of the Judiciary in the LAWASIA region.

Meeting on the sidelines of the LAWASIA Golden Jubilee conference at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, the Chief Justices said the Rule of Law required a sufficient degree of separation of powers within a constitutional framework. This, they said, would ensure that the judiciary which interpreted and applied the law was independent of the legislature which made the law and the executive which implemented the law.

In this background, we re-iterate the view that the constitution and laws of a country should ensure and guarantee true and effective independence of the judiciary, the Colombo Declaration states.

The Rule of Law encompasses ensuring the supremacy of the law and the application of the law equally to all who are similarly circumstanced; ensuring all persons have equal and Sapugaskanda upgrade project suspended; alternative at Htota unobstructed access to the system of justice; ensuring the impartiality and integrity of the system of justice; ensuring the protection of human rights for all in conformity with the law and the principles set out in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights; ensuring the implementation of the law facilitates development in an equitable and sustainable manner with transparency and accountability; and the several other factors which will collectively establish the true Rule of Law, the Colombo Declaration states.

In amplifying the Beijing Statement on the Principles of the Independence of the Judiciary in the LAWASIA region, the Colombo Declaration states that this is required in the light of subsequent social, economic, political and global developments and challenges which affect the maintenance and protection of the independence of the judiciary.

The signatories to the Colombo Declaration are Justice Virginia Bell (Australia). Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha (Bangladesh), Judge H.E. Zhonglin (China), Justice Robert J. Torres ((Guam), Justice Madan Bhimarao Lokur (India), Justice Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif (Malaysia), Justice Abdullah Saeed ((Maldives), Justice Tha Htay (Myanmar), Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana ( Nepal), Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali (Pakistan), Justice Sir Salamo Injia ( Papua New Guinea), Justice K. Sripavan (Sri Lanka), Justice Veerapol Tungsuwan (Thailand) and Justice Deolindo dos Santos (Timor-Leste).

(Full text of the Colombo Declaration)
Australia lists Tamil Eelam in census View(s):

High Commissioner acts fast to get it pulled out, but questions over how and why it happened

By Namini Wijedasa

Angry protests from Sri Lankans domiciled in Australia and the High Commission there forced the withdrawal of Australias Bureau of Statistics (ABS), giving an option, particularly to those of Tamil origin, to declare whether they are from Tamil Eelam when responding to a query on their country of birth. This is for a national census now under way.

The Government agency has taken the step despite Canberra placing a ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Once the details of the survey appeared on the ABS website, Sri Lankans of different nationalities bombarded the High Commission with e-mails and telephone calls seeking an immediate removal of the offending reference.

In Canberra, Sri Lankas High Commission received a barrage of telephone calls and emails on August 6-7 drawing attention to the inclusion of Tamil Eelam on the ABS website for the ongoing 2016 national census. It was given the same code as Sri Lanka and Ceylon. This meant that Australians of Sri Lankan origin participating in the census were offered the option of selecting Tamil Eelam as the country of birth.

The High Commission swung into action on August 9, which was the first working day after the matter was drawn to its attention. An official protest was lodged with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and also with the Head of ABS. It is learnt that High Commissioner S. Skandakumar spoke directly with the ABS and followed up with a letter.

In the letter, Mr. Skandakumar asked the Head of ABS to inquire into how Tamil Eelam made an entry into its website when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was listed in Australia as a terrorist entity, under Australian regulations promulgated to give effect to UN Security Council Resolution 1373. It was underscored that the name appearing on an official website was unacceptable.

DFAT was particularly concerned about the development and assured the High Commission that Tamil Eelam would be removed from the ABS website by August 9. It is learnt that DFAT officials

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maintained constant contact with the Sri Lankan High Commission until the change was made. It was done, as promised, around 2.30 pm on August 9. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner has also requested a meeting between Mr. Skandakumar and the Head of ABS. It is not clear whether it would be granted as the census goes on till September 23. The ABS is also receiving much criticism as its website was hacked into on the night of August 9. Authoritative sources said the Sri Lankan Government was trying to determine the nature of the campaign that had led to Tamil Eelam making its way into the ABS website. Sri Lankans who complained to the High Commission in this regard are being encouraged to write to the Australian Government and their local Members of Parliament voicing protest.

It is suspected that pro-LTTE lobbyists had been working on the stunt for a long time. Its not the sort of thing you can do overnight and they must have finally managed to influence someone inside who went and included this, either in ignorance without proper checking, or maliciously, a senior diplomatic source said, on condition of anonymity.
Confusion over who keeps VAT charges By Chrishanthi Christopher View(s): View(s):

The Supreme Courts ruling to suspend the value added tax (VAT) introduced by the government in May has caused confusion among businesses and consumers with questions being asked about the money raised so far by the tax.

The VAT was introduced through newspaper advertisements by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) that said 4 per cent increase in VAT would be imposed on all businesses to bring VAT to 15 per cent, with no exemptions any longer for the health and telecom sectors.

Consequently, private hospitals and telecom sectors slapped on a massive 15 per cent increase on bills from May 2 to August 9.

With the court ruling that the VAT was illegal in the way it was introduced, consumers ask whether the monies taken from them would be refunded. Many patients have had hospital bills running into several lakhs, if not millions.

While some businesses said the monies collected for VAT have been remitted to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) others said that they are awaiting a directive from the IRD for action.

A top official from the IRD said there has been no directive from the Finance Ministry on a future course of action.

The official said in the meantime businesses should not be confused over VAT charges as the original 11 per cent VAT prevails. The prevailing law stands  the Nation Building Tax (NBT) of 2 per cent and VAT of 11 per cent stands, the official said.

The Director-General of Fiscal Policy in the Finance Ministry, A.K. Seneviratne, maintained the Supreme Court had ruled the extra VAT charge to be invalid only because it had not received parliamentary approval. There is no need to refund money. Businesses are only collecting agents, he said.

Meanwhile, small businesses and food outlets, which had increased the price of products immediately after May 2 are continuing business as usual

The Bakery Owners Association, which increased cake and pastry products from Rs. 5-10 denied increasing prices. We never increased the prices in the first place, the associations President, N.K. Jayawardena, said. Other food outlets are also continuing to sell takeaways and rice packets at post-May 2 prices.

Hotels and restaurants, however, said that they had reverted to an 11 per cent VAT. City Hoteliers Association Chairman M. Shanthikumar said the association was seeking advice from its auditors on the 4 per cent VAT increase already collected.

Dialog Axiata, the largest private mobile network provider in Sri Lanka, said it had stopped charging VAT from customers from July 11 and was awaiting a directive from the IRD. We will comply with the IRD directive, company spokesman Darshana Abayasingha said.

Telecom General Manager, Praba Ambegoda too said Telecom had stopped taking VAT from customers from July 11. We have not received any instruction from the IRD. The department has to give a directive, he said.

Private Hospitals Association (PHA) General Secretary, Wijeya Ransi said it had directed all private hospitals to stop imposing VAT on patients. The VAT collected from May 2 to July 11 has already been sent to the IRD, he said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe said last week that the interim order of the Supreme Court suspending the implementation of the recent VAT revision was no bar to revenue collection.

He said the legislative process in passing the bill in parliament would soon be completed and the revised (4 per cent more) VAT rates would still be applicable from May 2.

VAT Bill sans Cabinet approval ignores due procedure: Apex Court The much discussed Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill which was to have been debated and passed in Parliament this week, was shot down by the Supreme Court (SC). According to the SC, the Constitutionally prescribed process of obtaining Cabinet approval before presenting a Bill, had not been followed by the Finance Minister in relation to this Bill. The SC Bench comprising Chief Justice K. Sripavan, Justices Priyasath Dep P.C. and Upaly Abeyrathna, in its determination sent to Speaker Karu Jayasuirya said that, Combined effect of Article 152, read with Standing Order 133, makes it abundantly clear that, prior to the presentation of a Bill in Parliament, it is mandatory that the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers on such Bill is obtained. If the Bill is presented to the Cabinet, it may or may not signify its approval. It may even approve the Bill subject to certain amendments. These procedural safeguards are the handmaids of equal justice and guarantee equal protection of law to the citizens of the country, the SC said. It added that, the Hansard of July 8, 2016 makes it clear that the Minister of Finance who introduced the Bill, did not signify Cabinet approval. Provisions relating to the imposition, assessment and collection of taxes are to be given strict construction, as they impose financial burdens on the taxpayer, and therefore, the related provisions have to be strictly complied with, as it relates to public revenue, the Court said.
Independence of the judiciary has been restored: President at LAWASIA View(s):

President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday insisted, the independence of Sri Lankas judiciary has been restored and must stay that way, as the international community including the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is closely watching its development .

I understand there are many who complain that the present Government hasnt done much since it took office but, I can assure you, we are on the right path, though many things have yet to be done, he said.

He was speaking as the Chief Guest at the 29th Golden Jubilee Conference of LAWASIA held in Colombo for the third time .

President Sirisena stressed that, to create a just society, the rule of law and independence of the judiciary are a must in a democracy. Since passing the 19th Amendment, significant powers of the Executive Presidency have been reduced, with nine independent Commissions created as checks and balances of good governance.

Many religious philosophies practised in Sri Lanka, including Buddhism, teaches us how to lead a peaceful life in a just and equal society. Those spiritual values are important in the context of Human Rights (HR) and Fundamental Rights (FR), in order to create a truly democratic country, the President said.

The four-day 29th LAWASIA Conference marking the 50th jubilee of the organisations formation in 1966, was attended by lawyers, judges, legal academics and all stakeholders in the legal sector. It offers insights to current issues in a range of areas, as diverse as banking and finance, family law, employment law, HR, environmental law, energy law and taxation law among others.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who was a participant at all previous LAWASIA conferences held in Sri Lanka since 1993, noted, The country is in the process of reconciliation, and the truth seeking process has to be achieved from among all the challenges from many quarters, to resurrect this country as a nation.

We are in the process of Constitution making and are also experimenting with new aspects of the rule of law, as a conducive environment has been created. One among such is the special financial city in Colombo, that comes under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court outside of the Colombo Municipal Council. A committee headed by a former Attorney General has been appointed to draft the new legislation in this respect also, he said.

Premier Wickremesinghe also said the Sri Lanka Parliamentary system is currently switching away from the Westminster system, to a more European Parliamentary system, with the introduction of the Parliament Oversight Committee, which will strengthen Parliamentary democracy.

Our Government had discussions with the South African government on setting up a unique Sri Lankan model of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There wont be any witch hunt against any individual, as happened in the last government, where our former military commander was stripped of his military honours and sent to jail, Premier Wickremesinghe said.

He also pointed out that some of the laws currently in practice are relatively old and need to be replaced with adequate laws, which separate committees are studying and drafting. The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), similar to the one introduced in the United Kingdom in 1970, would be replaced, as there are no such threats coming from within the country, but from outside the country. The new law will have measures to tackle these kinds of new threats,

Chief Justice K. Sripavan as Guest of Honour said in retrospection of LAWASIA as a professional body, it has been successfully networking its networks to promote protecting HR and maintain the rule of law in the region, as it celebrates its golden jumble this year.

I have studied the progress of this organisation since its inception. I am happy to note that LAWASIA established itself as a respectable organisation and has great influence in promoting independent and strong judiciaries in the Asia and Pacific region, he said.

Calling the independent judiciary system as the hallmark of democratic polity, Justice Sripavan said, Law is an instrument of society whose objective is the dispensation of justice.

Law is the finest achievement of human civilisation. Without the law, society is bound to be in disarray and the lack of it would lead to chaos. It has provided a rational framework within the human capacity to conduct the greatest good for the greatest number, he said, while noting the challenges faced by the world due to the rapid changing social and political order of the world.

Chairman, LAWASIA Organising Committee, Upul Jayasuriya while condemning the recent assassination of the President of the Quetta Bar Association in Pakistan following a terrorist attack, noted, This horrific incident brings a truth home to us in a chilling and brutal manner.

We can resist and triumph over these threats only if the legal profession in each country, throughout our region and internationally stand united and strong and give unstinting support to our brothers and sisters in the profession. LAWASIA has always led this effort and I know it will continue to do so, he said, while explaining the difficulties faced by the citizens of this country, during the previous regime.

Remembering the most turbulent period of the Bar in Sri Lanka, he said, The entire legal community of LAWASIA, its President Prashant Kumar, former President Isomi Zuzuki and President-Elect Chris Leong, were at the forefront with the Bar Association in that struggle.

He also recalled the instance when the idea of holding a similar conference in Sri Lanka was mooted in 2013, The executive committee of LAWASIA rightly declined the offer, considering the situation as it existed then. The subsequent decision by LAWASIA to hold the Golden Jubilee in Sri Lanka in 2016, is an apt honour and a telling recognition of the journey Sri Lanka has chosen to embark upon, since the new Government took office.

The legal fraternity in Sri Lanka and all the other professions led the change to establish the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and true democracy. It is a triumph for the values that we stood for.

We never rested until sanity was restored. Today, we look back with pride at our role in the restoration of those values, because we did not do nothing. We did every thing, Mr. Jayasuriya said.
Indian trawlers wont be released, but talks to resume View(s):

Sri Lanka has rejected a fresh request from India to release 129 Indian fishing trawlers seized by the Navy for poaching  but has agreed to resume fresh talks between the fishermen associations of the two countries. A formal reply to the request has been sent in response to two requests from the Indian External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi. They were conveyed through diplomatic channels to the Foreign Affairs Ministry which sought the Fisheries Ministrys opinion on the matter.

We have agreed to initiate fishermen level talks taking into consideration the bilateral ties between the two countries even though such talks in the past have ended up in a deadlock, a senior Fisheries Ministry official said. Since last year, 129 Indian fishing vessels have been seized by Sri Lanka Navy with assistance from the Coast Guard when they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters. Indian fishermen have been detained pending legal action while fishing vessels and equipment have been confiscated.

Following a meeting chaired by the Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera to discuss the issue of illegal bottom trawling by Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters, it was decided to resume talks between fishermen associations of the two countries.

The meeting was attended by all the relevant stakeholders including parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran (TNA), Nihal Galappaththi (JVP), Provincial Fisheries Ministers and representatives from the Navy.

A selected group of fishermen representing rural and Cooperative fishermen federations in the North and the South will have talks prior to Minister Amarweeras visit to Indian on September 5. Minister Amaraweera told the meeting he would take up the issue of bottom trawling with the Indian authorities and brief them on the impact it had on Sri Lankas marine resources.

A study done by the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), a research institute arm of the Fisheries Ministry, found bottom trawling carried out by Indian fishermen on Sri Lankan waters has devastated the sea line turning it to another Dead Sea.

This trawling method devours marine species, sea weeds, corals and reefs working as spawning beds for fish breeding. Some 3000 Indian fishing trawlers enter Sri Lankan waters three days a week for poaching.
Probe into students sitting A-L in 16 districts By Damith Wickremasekara and Hiran Priyankara Opportunist outsiders displacing local talent vying for uni spots View(s): View(s):

The Examinations Department has opened an investigation in 16 districts where they suspect students from other areas are sitting the GCE (Advanced Level) examination in order to obtain easier university entrance.

Education Officers have been sent to the 16 districts, where lower entry grades for university entrance apply, to ascertain whether students had fraudulently registered in schools there to gain the benefit of the lower Z-score, Commissioner-General of Examinations W.M.N.J. Pushpakumara said.

The investigation was launched after it was revealed that more than 50 students who sat the exam from schools in the Nuwara Eliya and Puttalam districts had done so illegally, having come in from other districts.

Mr Pushpakumara said under the Examinations Act action could be taken against the students and if they had fraudulently gained entry to university their registration could be cancelled.

The erring students would be assessed for university entrance at the Z-score level of their home districts.

News about the fraud emerged from a teacher whose child is sitting the Advanced Level exam at the Janadhipathi Vidyalaya at Nattandiya in the Puttalam district.

The teacher visited the examination centre to wish the child. She saw some other unknown students at the centre, prompting her to contact another teacher on duty to find out from where they had come, an officer explained.

It was then revealed that about 22 students from various districts such as Galle, Matara, Gampaha, Colombo and Kurunegala had gained admission to sit the exam through a school in Nattandiya, Kottaramulla Al-Hira Maha Vidyalaya, violating the exam rules.

The students had been certified by the principal of that school who had said they had been following science subjects at Kottaramulla Al-Hira Maha Vidyalaya although this school had never had science classes nor even a science laboratory.

Later, under the direction of the Wayamba Province Education Minister Sandya Rajapakse and the provinces Director of Education, H.D. Thilakaratne, the Wennappuwa and Chilaw Zonal

Education Officers opened inquiries into the matter.

The issue has angered parents of children sitting the A-Level exam.

This is a great misfortune for us who live in a district with few facilities, one parent, Rohan Dinu, said. We went through many difficulties to give an education to our children but people have parachuted in to take away advantages from our children.

An inquiry should be held to find out which education authorities gave approval to issue science admissions to this school, which has no science facilities, another parent, Gamini Wijetunge, said. Only 35-40 students in the Puttalam District gain admission to university and we will get even fewer places when outsiders intrude.

Last week, more than 30 students registered to sit the exams from St Xaviers College in Nuwara Eliya were found to have come from outside the district. The principal of the school has been interdicted.

Some of these students were staying in hotels while sitting the exam as they had no residence in the district, the State Minister of Education V. Radhakrishnan, who represents the Nuwara Eliya district in parliament, said.
SAITM issue: Deans denounce SBs denigrating remarks View(s):

Deans of Sri Lankas eight state medical faculties have taken strong umbrage over a claim by Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S. B. Dissanayake that the facilities at some of the medical faculties are lower than that of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).

We, the undersigned, are dismayed and disappointed about the detrimental remarks made recently by Mr. S.B. Dissanayake, former Minister of Higher Education, comparing the medical faculties of state universities with that of SAITM, the Deans said in a joint statement.

Mr. Dissanayake who was the minister when degree-awarding status was granted to SAITM, waded into the controversy at a media conference on Tuesday where he said SAITM had better facilities than those at Rajarata, Batticaloa and Jaffna universities.

Apprentice-type clinical training is the most important part of medical undergraduate training and all state medical faculties under the University Grants Commission (UGC) are able to provide this at a very high level, the eight deans have stated in a joint statement issued on Friday, rejecting the denigrating remarks made by Mr. Dissanayake on state medical faculties in this country.

The statement was signed by Prof. Jennifer Perera, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo; Prof. Vajira Weerasinghe, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya; Prof. Sarath Lekamwasam, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna; Dr. S. Raviraj, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna; Prof. Nilanthi de Silva, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya; Prof. Surangi Yasawardena, Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayawardanapura; Dr. A. Arulpragasam, Acting Dean, Faculty of Healthcare Sciences, Eastern University of Sri Lanka; and Prof. Sisira Siribaddana, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.

Three weeks ago, the eight deans examined the SAITM controversy and made recommendations  including the suspension of new admissions to SAITM until issues are sorted out  to the Ministry of Higher Education.

The report to the ministry said admissions should not be allowed to resume until SAITM has obtained the compliance certificate from the Sri Lanka Medical Council.
Sapugaskanda upgrade project suspended; alternative at Htota View(s):

By Damith Wickremasekara

A US$ 2 billion project to upgrade the Sapugaskanda oil refinery has been shelved, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said.

Petroleum Resources Development Minister Chandima Weerakkody had submitted the proposal prepared by experts to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management. Mr. Karunanayake told the Sunday Times the proposal was turned down as fundraising measures were not viable and a more viable one would be submitted later.

The Petroleum Ministry had proposed the formation of a limited company, as a fully owned subsidiary of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, to raise the required funds. Mr. Weerakkody said the proposal was put forward in a manner it could be carried out without a sovereign or Treasury guarantee.

We were confident that the required funds could be raised for the project and there would be sufficient space to expand the Sapugaskanda refinery, he said. The Petroleum Minister said he was told that there were better proposals received by Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema.

According to an official of this ministry, one of the proposals under consideration is the setting up of a refinery in Hambantota with Chinese investment to refine 100,000 barrels a day. He said, however, the main objective of the proposed Hambantota refinery was to re-export the refined oil.
Ancient Parakarma Samudraya bund being lost to bricks and roads View(s):

Researcher calls for measures to protect archaeologically important great reservoir and artefacts connected to it

By Wasantha Ramanayake

The ancient Parakrama Samudrayas bund which lies outside the boundaries of the present tank is being destroyed by villagers without knowing its archaeological value, a study carried out by a young researcher shows.

Indika Manawadu, a self-thought researcher and explorer, whose work has won appreciation from the Archaeologists community, said the ancient bund was found outside the archeological reserve of the ancient city. But it had been destroyed in places such as Bendiweva , Jayawickrama Junction and Unagala Vehera beyond the northern most end of the ancient Samudraya due to lack of proper laws to protect them.

Mr. Manawadu presented his research on the Ancient Parakrama Samudraya, the marvel of Sri Lankas early irrigation engineering, at the National Archeology Symposium 2013. It is said that his research rewrote the history of the ancient Samudraya because he proved that the ancient reservoir was nearly thrice the size of the present Parakrma Samudraya. But, much of the area is being used today as paddy fields.

The villagers encroached on the ancient bund to expand their paddy fields, Mr. Manawadu said, adding that in many villages, soil from the bund is used for brick-making, road filling and other purposes.

Houses have come up atop the bund from Bendiwewa to Ethumalpitiya, a nearly one-kilometre long stretch, while in villages such as Bhu Wewa, Kalahagala and Swarnapaligama, soli is removed from the ancient bund to make bricks.

He lamented that people hardly understand the archeological value of the ancient bunds. They did not know they were removing parts of the ancient Samudraya. Some think it is just a bund, an obstacle or a source of soil, he said stressing the need for campaigns to educate the villagers.

He said King Parakrama Bahu the great built several pillars with inscriptions on the bunds. The Ethmalpitiya Wewa Pillar inscriptions, which were read and recorded, identified the Ethmalpitiya Wewa as part of the Parakrama Samudraya, but the pillar is now missing. The Nika Wewa Pillar with similar inscriptions was broken into three pieces.

The young researcher, expressing fears that a similar fate was awaiting the Nika Wewa pit valve and sluice, which has been partially damaged by treasure hunters, said the vandalism simply highlighted the urgent need to protect the archaeologically important landmarks before it was too late.

He said thhere should be seven sluices in the Samudraya, according to Mahawamsa, but two were yet to be discovered.

What I saw 15 years ago was the overgrown tall bund, but today I see a row of houses or some cultivation, or just a flat land. Perhaps, tomorrow I wouldnt see a bund at all, he said.

His interpretation

According to Mr. Manawadu, King Parakramabahu called his great work a Samudraya not only because it was by far the largest reservoir ever to have been built by man, but also it had retained water to its full capacity throughout the year, just like a Samudraya,as water was not released for agriculture.

This is his concept of Samudraya as opposed to the traditional concept of Wapi or Wewa, which released great amount of water during the dry period for agriculture, he said.

Mr. Manawadu said that English colonial engineers who studied the Parakrama Samudraya were surprised not to find features typical of traditional tanks. Records show that they measured the length of the bund and it was found to be 12.5 km long, too long to be a bund of an ordinary tank. They also looked for the sluices that should be able to take water out from the bottom of the great Samudraya as it was necessary to take maximum amount of water for cultivation during long droughts in dry zone. They did find the sluices but they were built on higher up on bund just to take water out on the spill level. There were no mud sluices either. However, they did not question why. They constructed three new sluices to get water for irrigation when the tank was restored in 1942.

The breach of the bund closer to a place called Eramudu wewa  these were fairly new names used by villagers  in 1958 saw the construction of a new spillway, which had not been originally there, though it was a traditional feature of other ancient tank. However, with renovation, the Samudraya received the typical features of the Anuradhpura-era tanks, which were mainly used for cultivation.

The excavation and restoration went on in the Polonnaruwa ancient city, but it was not clear how much work had been done in respect of the Parakrama Samudraya for decades. According some sources, Martha Pricott Fernando restored the ancient valve pit of the present Buwewa section of the ancient Parakrama Samudraya.

There is hardly any new knowledge, apart from what had already been revealed by the likes of H.C.P. Bell, Senarath Paranavithana and R.L. Brohier. Although it is by far the largest tank built by the ancient kings, it remained a tank just like hundreds of others without much of archeological interest, until Mr. Manawadu dug into its buried history.

Mr. Manawadu developed his concepts of the Parakrama Samudra  or the sea of Parakrama Bahu the Great  after 15 years of research with great courage against the torrents of established beliefs. He challenged the established views that the Great Samudraya was built to make the country self-sufficient in rice and that the country earned the legendary title of the Granary of Asia, as it had exported rice to other countries.

His concept of the Samudraya is that it comprised seven sections which made a 24 km-long massive water body created especially for the defence of the city. The water had been used for city beautification and to raise water bed and for navigation.

To prove his assertion, Mr. Manawadu showed the similarities among the old valve pits and sluices in the present Parakrama Samudraya and that of Bhu Wewa and Nika Wewa. He also pointed out the pillar inscription found in Ethumal Wewa bund which proved that it was part of the same Samudraya.

He said the Ethumalpitiya portion belonging to the old Samudraya is the only part that still serves as a tank or weva and the rest was paddy fields. Ehumalpitiya is located north of the present Samudraya and had no old sluices. But there was pillar inscription that proclaimed it is a part of the Samudraya. Unfortunately it was missing, he lamented. He said that the Ethumalpitiya Wewa was connected to the Samudraya by a canal of less than one kilometre long.

The next section of the ancient Samudraya was Nika Weva which was proved by the pillar bearing similar royal inscriptions stating that the bund belonged to the Parakrama Samudraya, he said. Although it was broken into three pieces, this pillar is vital evidence to say that the Nika wewa is also part of the same grand Samudraya. Its ancient sluice was lost to the jungle to be vandalized by treasure hunters. These two ruins are of tremendous evidence to prove that Nika Wewa section also belonged to the great reservoir.

The Unagalawehera is the northern most section of the reservoirs ancient bund and it is the most threatened.

Potential world heritage site

The ancient Prakrama Samudraya meets all the requirements to be declared as a world heritage site. The Institute of Tourist Guide Lecturers passed a unanimous resolution to urge the UNESCO to declare the ancient Samudraya as a world heritage site. The institutes president, Indika Vithanage, said a team had already studied Mr. Manawadu research paper and conducted more field research.  Meanwhile, the Archeology Department is to declare the ancient bunds as monuments in a bid to conserve them.

Archeology Director General Senerath Dissanayake said the department, in the next two months, would gazette the announcement declaring the 800-year-old bunds of the ancient Parakrama Samudraya as archeological monuments.

Acknowledging that the findings of researcher Manawadu were correct, Dr. Dissanayake said they were being studied by a team before the gazette announcement.
Special blessing for SLs new UK HC View(s):

Sri Lankas new High Commissioner to the UK Amari Wijewardene commenced her duties by participating in a special blessings ceremony at the London Buddhist Vihara in Chiswick, The Vihara was established by the Anagarika Dharmapala in 1926 and is the oldest Buddhist temple in the UK.

By Neville de Silva in London

Sri Lankas new High Commissioner Amari Wijewardene last Monday visited the London Buddhist Vihara, the pre-eminent place of Buddhist worship in Britain, to receive blessings before assuming duties.

Ms. Wijewardene was accompanied by Deputy High Commissioner Sugeeshwara Gunaratna and Minister Counsellor Manoj Warnapala, to the Vihara where she offered flowers and baskets of fruit and spent over three hours, participating in an alms giving at the invitation of the Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, head monk of the Vihara and the Chief Sangha Nayake of Great Britain.

In his anusasana, Ven Seelawimala Thera gave a brief history of the London Vihara which was founded by the Anagarika Dharmapala 90 years ago. The Venerable monk mentioned the close links between the London Vihara and the High Commission and the assistance extended by the mission in the early days when there were few Buddhist families in London.

A long-standing tradition is that the High Commissioner, whatever his or her religion, offers dana to the monks at the Vihara on the 1st of each month.

Ms. Wijewardene, the chief dayaka of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, is a devout Buddhist and has sponsored aloka pooja at several well-known Buddhist viharas and devales including the Kelani Raja Maha Vihara, Dambadeniya Raja Maha Vihara, Kiriwehera Kataragama Devale and the Maha Saman Devale in Ratnapura. She is well known in Sri Lanka for her numerous philanthropic activities.

Later in the week she visited the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre in Kinsbury where the head monk the Most. Ven Galayaye Piyadassi Thera blessed the new chief of mission. She also visited the Hindu Kovil in Wembley and would be visiting other places of worship in the coming weeks, sources said.

Last week Ms. Wijewardene called over at the Protocol Division of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to hand over her credentials. As head of mission of a Commonwealth country she is allowed to function even though she has not ceremonially presented credentials to the Queen.

With the British parliament in recess for the summer it will be some time before Ms. Wijewardene is able to meet the new Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and interact with parliamentarians including the president of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sri Lanka.

Even though the newly built and yet unoccupied residence of the High Commissioner is available Amari Wijewardene is now lodged in a hotel as the British High Commission in Colombo and the Visa Office in Chennai have been delaying the issue of a visa to her domestic aide who has been languishing in Sri Lanka for several weeks as a result.
The New Zealand Surfing Team have climbed up to eighth at the INS ISA World Surfing Games with three days remaining at the event being held at Jaco Beach Costa Rica.

Day five performances yesterday, were highlighted by Ella Williams continuing her run in the main event of the Womens Division while Mount Maunganuis Matt Hewitt and Billy Stairmand hammered home two progressions in the Mens Repechage.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai visit to the region has been a fruitful one with the leader wanting to emulate how local and central authorities work along side each other says the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

The Prime Minister accompanied by the Vanuatu Minister for Agriculture Matai Seremaia, New Zealand High Commissioner to Vanuata Georgina Roberts, and a delegation of other officials from Vanuatu and New Zealand were in the Councils Tauranga office yesterday.
Janet Peters, a Tauranga registered psychologist and policy adviser, is throwing her hat in the ring for a seat on the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.



In announcing her intention to contest the upcoming board election, Janet says she feels excited by the prospect of further serving her community and helping to shape the future of local health services.
This redevelopment will include new buildings as well as building upgrades, and will provide the kura with fantastic new facilities, says Hekia.

The redevelopment will see:

the conversion of existing buildings to create new facilities for senior students, including flexible learning spaces; a remote learning suite; and specialist science, art, design and technology workshops

the construction of four brand new learning spaces for junior students, which will replace a number of old, relocatable classrooms

a new gymnasium.

The new facilities for senior students are especially exciting, says Hekia.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Taumarere achieved wharekura status in 2010, enabling it to cater for year nine to 13 students. The redevelopment will provide students in the wharekura with inspiring learning spaces that encourage them to excel in their chosen areas of study.

The remote learning suite is an important addition because it will allow students to connect with teachers based off-site and in other parts of New Zealand via video-conferencing.

This is a great way to enable students to access specialist learning, regardless of where they are based.

Nikki says teachers, students and the local community will welcome todays announcement, which marks a significant chapter in the kuras evolution.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Taumarere has gone through several changes during its 21 year history, she says.

After starting out as a registered private school, it became a kura for year one to eight students in 1995, before achieving wharekura status in 2010.

In 2009, the kura suffered a significant setback when a fire affected several buildings.

There is currently a mix of new, old and temporary buildings, which reflect these different stages and events in the kuras history.

The redevelopment is about building facilities which represent the kuras focus and needs in 2016, and which also set it up for the future.

The gymnasium, for instance, will be designed to enable it to be extended, and the teaching spaces will allow for roll growth from the current roll of 112 to a capacity of 130 students.

When I have visited Northland, I have been hugely impressed by the passion and potential of their young people. Its great to be able to ensure that another education facility in the region can provide more modern and innovative learning environments.

The $6.9 million investment in Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Taumarere comes on top of:

$19 million announced earlier this year to provide a new site and buildings for Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Tonga o Hokianga, and a total of 16 new classrooms at Whangarei Girls High School, Parua Bay School and Bay of Islands International Academy

$14 million announced in 2015 for the redevelopment of Northland College, and $6 million to increase capacity at Hora Hora School.

Over $50 million has been committed to upgrade schools and add capacity in Northland between 2008 and 2015, on top of the money normally provided to schools to maintain their property.

In total, this Government has committed around $5 billion to school property, significantly more than any previous government, says Ms Kaye.

Project design work on the Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Taumarere redevelopment is now underway, with construction of the new facilities scheduled to be finished in late 2017.



Source: Education Ministers office.
Motherhood has put smoking into perspective for one first-time mum who is encouraging other pregnant woman to quit.

Amy Paki, who gave birth to a baby girl Marewa on August 1, says the experience of pregnancy and motherhood has been life changing.

I look at her and think why would I want to smoke? says the 32-year-old whos been smoking since the age of 18. This is my first baby and it puts things into perspective.

Since the birth of her daughter Amy has encouraged other members of her family to ditch the cigarettes, as well as laying down the law  no-one is allowed to smoke around baby Marewa.

Amy has been using one of six carbon monoxide monitors purchased by the Bay of Plenty District Health Boards maternity department.

The machines give pregnant smokers an immediate reading of their carbon monoxide levels and what those levels mean for the health of their unborn child. They work in the same way as a breathalyzer, with the mum-to-be delivering a long, slow breath into it.

Staff then use the reading to establish the womans smoking dependence and plan the best treatment for her.

BOPDHB Midwife Natasha Rawiri says Amys response is not uncommon  one expectant mum burst into tears the first time she used one of the monitors.

The reading wasnt exceptionally high but it was enough to make her stop and think, she says.

A lot of the comments we get are that having the figures staring you in the face, physically seeing them and knowing what that means, really makes it sink in.

Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to growth restriction, hypoxia, foetal death, foetal brain damage, SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) and pre-term birth.

Natasha explains smoking lowers the levels of oxygen in your blood and for pregnant women that means their babies are not getting the oxygen they need, which can have a range of impacts depending on the level.

The use of nicotine replacement therapy is often recommended for pregnant women who are unable to stop smoking on their own, she adds.

We would encourage any pregnant woman who smokes to use the machine, said Natasha. It spells out where you are and where you should be.

For advice on giving up smoking call Quitline on 0800 778 778.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A judge has given the owners of the former Syracuse Savings Bank building 72 hours to relocate tenants who moved into its newly built apartments that city officials say lack a proper fire alarm system.

State Supreme Court Judge James Tormey issued the order Friday at the city's request "due to the failure of the owners to properly install appropriate fire alarm systems and a failure to obtain a certificate of occupancy," said Alexander Marion, a spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Miner.

Owners Anthony Fiorito and John Funiciello did not immediately respond to messages left on their voicemails by syracuse.com Friday afternoon.

City officials said they discovered about a week ago that the owners had allowed tenants to move into about six of the 21 apartments at One Clinton Square Apartments even though the city has not issued a certificate of occupancy for the apartments. Officials said they are not sure how many people are occupying the apartments since more than one person could be living in each.

Last weekend, the city began stationing firefighters, at the owners' expense, on a 24-hour watch inside the building to allow the tenants who had already moved in to continue their occupancy while the owners installed a proper fire alarm system and the city determined the apartments were fit to live in, Marion said. But after reassessing that approach at the end of the week, the city came to the conclusion that it was not feasible to continue stationing firefighters in the building and decided to seek a court order requiring the owners to relocate the tenants, he said.

Tormey's order authorizes the city to continue to station firefighters inside the building, at the owners' expense, until the tenants have moved out.

The city's codes department has refused to issue a certificate of occupancy for the apartments because there is not interconnection between the fire alarm system on the residential floors and the rest of the building.

For example, if there was a fire on the third floor, occupants of floors 4 through 6 would not be notified by the alarm system, according to a court affidavit filed by Ken Towsley, the director of the city's Division of Code Enforcement.

In an interview last week with syracuse.com, Funiciello, president of JF Real Estate, said the fire alarm system installed in the building meets state requirements and was initially approved by the city. He said the city later decided to require a system that went "above and beyond" the state code. He said he hoped to have a system that meets the city's requirements installed by the end of the month.

Fiorito and Funiciello have built 21 upscale apartments on the top three floors of the six-story building, which overlooks Clinton Square.

The bottom three floors of the building still contain offices leased by the Bank of America, which operates a branch office on the first floor. The judge's order expelling tenants does not apply to the bank, but he did order that the bank give firefighters conducting the fire watch "full access" to its offices, including the teller area and private offices.

Built in 1875 at 100 N. Salina St. for the Syracuse Savings Bank, the building is one of the oldest in the city.

City officials haven't said how they learned that some of the apartments were occupied, but lights can be seen nightly in approximately six of the apartments.

Court Order One Clinton Square Apartments

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Fifteen people escaped from a burning home Saturday morning on Syracuse's South side.

The Syracuse Fire Department rushed to 120 W. Beard Ave. just before 10 a.m. after a fire was reported. When firefighters arrived, they found a "heavy fire," said First Deputy Chief Kent Young.

The 15 people who live in the residence escaped the burning home, Young said. Two residents suffered minor injuries and were transported to a hospital, he said.

All of the animals that lived in the home got out safely, Young said.

Some of the residents who escaped watched from a grassy side yard as firefighters worked to put out the fire burning their home. Many of the residents were barefoot and still wearing pajamas. Two dogs stood with the residents, while one man held a cage containing a ferret.

Two women comforted a woman who cried as she gazed at the home. A sobbing boy hurtled into a woman's arms, calming down as the woman rubbed his back and held his face.

Firefighters put out the fire in 2 minutes or less, Young said. Smoke curled off of charred window frames as firefighters placed fans inside the home's windows and doused hot spots with water.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Young said. The home sustained "significant damage," he said.

Firefighters battled the fire on a brutally hot and humid morning.

Just before 10 a.m., it was 85 degrees in Syracuse with a heat index of 93 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Volunteers with the American Red Cross of Central New York handed out cold drinks and wet towels to firefighters. Neighbors living across the street from 120 W. Beard Ave. brought a pitcher of lemonade to residents as they spoke with firefighters and Red Cross volunteers.

In addition to firefighters, the Syracuse Police Department and American Medical Response responded to the fire.
AUBURN, N.Y. -- Three employees at the Cayuga County Centers for Children are facing misdemeanor child-endangerment charges for allegedly restraining, lying on top of and dragging a 13-year-old child in their care, according to state prosecutors tasked with protecting child welfare.

The three employees -- Dustin Dacey, 25, Michael Heckstall, 36, and Nicholas Guariglia, 30 -- are accused pulling the child out of a chair onto the ground, lying on the child and restraining the child for 25 minutes, according to a news release from the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs.

The employees are further accused of dragging the child by the arms and legs into the child's room and then later lying about their actions in center documents, prosecutors said. The incident occurred earlier this year, but no more specifics were given in the news release.

Dacey and Heckstall, both of Auburn, are charged with misdemeanor child endangerment, two counts of unlawful imprisonment, harassment and one count of falsifying business records, prosecutors said.

Guariglia, also of Auburn, is being charged with misdemeanor child endangerment and harassment, prosecutors said. Their mugshots were not immediately available.
Wellesley Island State Park.JPG

Wellesley Island State Park is open year round and offers swimming, boating, camping, fishing and a lot of other activities.

(NYS Office of Parks, Recreation)

A Jefferson County judge Friday sentenced a former New York State Parks employee to five years probation and ordered him to repay nearly $61,000 he stole in marina fees from Wellesley Island State Park in the Thousand Islands.

David Gosier, 51, of Route 181, Lafargeville, is a former employee of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. He pleaded guilty in June to third-degree grand larceny, and first-degree falsifying business records, both felonies. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor official misconduct.

Jefferson County Judge Kim H. Martusewicz ordered Gosier to pay the state $60,792.93 in restitution and to serve five years probation.

New York state parks employee charged with stealing more than $62,000 in marina fees

Gosier had worked for the parks office since 1983 and became a full-time employee in 2006 responsible for dock fees and boat rentals at the Wellesley State Park Marina. The marina has 46 seasonal boat slips available for rent, several slips available for transient rental, and small power boats available for rent on a daily or weekly basis.



The transient slips generally rent for $19 and $28 for an overnight stay. Seasonal rentals were based on the size of boat with the minimum being $800. Motor boats rented for $50 to $75 per day, depending on their size.



The investigation found Gosier routinely accepted payment for the dock and boat rentals by cash or personal checks made out directly to him. Transactions were recorded on triplicate forms and on numerous occasions Gosier falsely reduced the length of the rental periods on the copies sent to park offices so that they would indicate less revenue than he actually collected.

The investigation determined Gosier stole nearly $62,000 in fees that should have gone to the state between May 2012 and August 2015.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A teen told police he was repeatedly stabbed Friday night while trying to break up a fight on Syracuse's South Side.

The Syracuse Police Department was dispatched to the 100 block of Amherst Avenue around 10:30 p.m. after a stabbing was reported, said Sgt. Richard Helterline. While officers were responding to the scene, they learned the person wounded in the stabbing had arrived at Upstate University Hospital in a private vehicle, he said.

The victim, 18, had been stabbed in the the back of his head and his upper back. His injuries are not considered life-threatening, Helterline said.

He told police he was trying to stop a fight when he was stabbed, Helterline said. An investigation revealed there was a large fight near the 100 block of Amherst Avenue before police were called, he said.

The victim did not have any suspect information, Helterline said.

Police asked anyone with information about the stabbing to call (315) 442-5222 or submit tips through the SPD Tips app.
Donald Trump

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, in Erie, Pa.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

By JOSH LEDERMAN, Associated Press

ERIE, Pa. -- It's the media's fault. That's out of context. Never said it in the first place.



Donald Trump's claim Friday that he was merely being "sarcastic" in accusing President Barack Obama of establishing a terrorist group was his latest attempt to blame others for the uproar over what he says. It's an instinct that Trump's opponents say a president can't possess. Some Republicans seem to have the same concern.



This time, it followed two days of critical headlines and Democratic outrage over Trump's claim that Obama was the "founder" of the Islamic State group. As Trump repeated the claim more than a dozen times, interviewers sought to ensure Trump wasn't being misconstrued. Surely, they offered, he meant Obama's policies had enabled the extremist group's rise.



"No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS. I do," Trump said, using one acronym for the group. (His remark comes at 15:26 of the interview .)



Then an about-face Friday. "THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?" he tweeted.

Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016

Or was he being sarcastic about the sarcasm? Hours later, he told a rally in Pennsylvania he was "obviously being sarcastic -- but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you."

That it took Trump two days to walk back his widely debunked remark -- and then walk back the walk-back -- was worrying for Republicans who see such missteps as playing to Democrat Hillary Clinton's advantage. Equally worrying for some was the fact that he again would not take responsibility for his words.

Ryan Williams, a Republican strategist who advised Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign, said there's a common-sense playbook for dealing with political slip-ups: "Stop the bleeding and put it behind you by apologizing.

"That's what normal candidates do," he went on. "However, normal candidates don't careen from one self-inflicted wound to another on an hourly basis."

It was only two days earlier that Trump blamed the media for making much ado about nothing after he suggested during a rally that gun rights enthusiasts might find a way to stop Clinton if elected.

Clinton, whose lead over Trump has widened in recent polls of the most competitive states, has seized on those and other eyebrow-raising comments to portray the reality TV star as lacking the temperament to run the nation -- Trump has his own argument for why she's unfit to do so. She's hammered him for avoiding accountability for his actions.

To that end, Clinton's campaign on Friday intensified pressure on Trump to release his tax returns, while disclosing her 2015 filings and a decade of returns from her running mate. The filing shows that the Clintons earned $10.6 million and paid a federal tax rate of 34.2 percent last year.

Trump has refused to make his filings public, saying they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and he'll release them only once that review is complete. All major U.S. presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns.

Minutes after releasing her returns, Clinton tweeted that it's possible Trump paid no tax at all.

Trump worked to profit on the fuss over his Islamic State remark. In an email to supporters asking them to donate, Trump accused the "liberal media" of telling "outrageous lies about me."

It's no surprise that the media are Trump's go-to scapegoat. Just 6 percent of Americans said they have a great deal of confidence in the media in a Media Insight Project poll earlier this year.

Almost never does Trump admit error. One exception came this month when he acknowledged a video he said showed a plane carrying U.S. cash to Iran was actually a plane carrying U.S. hostages who were being released.



Most of the time, Trump casts blame elsewhere:



STAR OF DAVID: In July, Trump's campaign tweeted an anti-Clinton message that seemed to show the Star of David atop a pile of cash, raising questions about anti-Semitism. When Clinton's campaign cried foul, Trump blamed her for trying to "divert attention from the dishonest behavior of herself and her husband." Also, the media.



PAGING MOSCOW: Last month Trump caused a stir in a news conference by saying "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails" missing from Clinton. Even some Republicans questioned whether he was encouraging a foreign government to interfere in the election. Trump's response later? "Of course, I'm being sarcastic."



CRIMEA RIVER: Heads spun in the foreign policy world when Trump said this month that Russia wouldn't enter Ukraine, seemingly unaware it already had. When an interviewer pointed out Russia had annexed Crimea, Trump said he meant Russia wouldn't dare go farther if he were president. He insisted he'd said nothing incorrect.



ABOUT SADDAM: In July, Trump said former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was "so good" at killing terrorists. He also suggested the Mideast would be more stable were Saddam still in power. He took offense that his comments were interpreted as praise for Saddam.
paladino.jpg

Carl Paladino, the Republican nominee for New York governor in 2010, is shown at a fundraiser that year at the Holiday Inn in Salina.

(Mike Greenlar / The Post-Standard)

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Donald Trump's New York surrogate Carl P. Paladino continued the attacks on Khizr Khan on Friday, saying the father of a slain U.S. soldier does not deserve the title of a Gold Star parent.

Paladino also suggested Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton may be hiding a health problem.



Khan and his wife, Ghazala, appeared onstage at the Democratic National Convention that nominated Clinton. He condemned Republican presidential nominee Trump's plan for banning Muslim immigration and questioned his knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. Their son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, was killed in the Iraq War in 2004 and awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.



"We've got an unindicted felon as his opponent and you're talking about Khan, about him making a remark about this man," Paladino, the co-chair of Trump's New York campaign, told interviewer Connell McShane on the radio show "Imus in the Morning."



"All right, I don't care if he's a Gold Star parent. He certainly doesn't deserve that title, OK, if he's as anti-American as he's illustrated in his speeches and in his discussion. I mean, if he's a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or supporting, you know, the ISIS-type of attitude against America, there's no reason for Donald Trump to have to honor this man."



In his speech, Khan, a lawyer, described himself as a patriotic American Muslim with undivided loyalty to the country and deep respect for democracy.

New York GOP leader responds to Paladino: No, Obama is not a Muslim



Paladino also continued conspiracy talk about Clinton's health, suggesting she is hiding a problem and saying she is "devious" if that is true.



"If you sit there and just dissect Donald Trump, you may feel that way," said Paladino, in response to a question about whether Trump should stay the course as far as the tone of his campaign is concerned, considering his poll numbers have declined.



"But if you're really looking at what's been exposed about Hillary and Hillary's demeanor. I mean, just look at the deviousness, if it is true about her health problems. I mean, how devious can a woman possibly be?" he said. "And not telling the American people that she's got some sickness, she's definitely impaired."



Clinton's doctor released a letter last July that reviewed her medical history and described her health as "excellent."
When Bundchen was at the top of supermodel fame, in Miami Beach

When Gisele Bundchen was at the height of her supermodel fame, she visited the Victoria's Secret store in Miami Beach with other supermodels.
Florida U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy speaks during a news conference Oct. 14, 2015, in Tallahassee. (AP FILE PHOTO)

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By Ledyard King, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON  Voters hoping to see Florida's Senate candidates face off in a debate prior to the Aug. 30 primaries are going to be disappointed.

The two front-runners  Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democrat Rep. Patrick Murphy  don't seem interested in giving opponents a chance to confront them on a televised stage.

Murphy, who represents the Treasure Coast, last week pulled out of a scheduled debate with his chief Democratic rival, Orlando congressman Alan Grayson, based on reports that Grayson's ex-wife had accused him of abusing her while they were married. Murphy said Grayson's "words and actions have disqualified him from public service."

Grayson has denied the allegations. His campaign manager, Michael Ceraso, said Murphy simply found a convenient excuse and was "exploiting this very personal family struggle for his own political gain."

Meanwhile, GOP businessman Carlos Beruff has slammed Rubio as a "debate-ducking coward" for not agreeing to meet him on stage. Beruff even dredged up a public letter Rubio, then a Senate candidate, wrote in 2009 urging front-runner Charlie Crist to debate him.

The Rubio campaign's response? Beruff's a desperate hypocrite.

A couple of weeks before Rubio announced on June 22 that he would run for re-election after all, Beruff, then the front-runner in the GOP field, skipped a forum with other GOP senate candidates in Boca Raton.

"Is it important for you to debate your Republican challengers?" Alan Cohn with ABC 7 in Sarasota asked Beruff at the time.

"When there's somebody worth debating," the businessman responded. "At this point, I don't think there is any."

The lack of primary debates isn't all that unusual, according to University of South Florida political scientist Susan MacManus.

"It's a calculated risk to avoid debates," she said.

A debate-free primary season means less ammunition for Rubio, Murphy and super PACs to use in attack ads, because it means fewer gotcha moments and awkward responses to keep replaying, MacManus said.

But it also makes the two front-runners look like they're ducking opportunities to hold them accountable.

Not debating may help Murphy and Rubio win their nominations, but it will leave a bad taste in voters' mouths, she said.

WHY RUBIO'S NOT RUNNING FROM TRUMP

Those puzzled by Sen. Marco Rubio's decision not to stray too far from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump need only look at the Quinnipiac University polls that came out this past week.

While Trump appears to be slipping in other battleground states, he's neck-and-neck with Democrat Hillary Clinton in Florida. A second poll found Rubio in a statistical tie with Patrick Murphy, the Democratic congressman many expect will win the Aug. 30 Democratic primary for the right to face Rubio in November.

Rubio still must face businessman Carlos Beruff in the GOP primary, but polls have him in command of that race.

Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said Rubio is struggling to "escape the Trump effect."

But Trump's strength in the Sunshine State, reflected in his even split with Clinton among independent voters, suggests Rubio has to be careful not to create too much space between himself and the real estate mogul. And remember, Trump clobbered Rubio by nearly 19 percentage points in Florida's presidential primary in March.

Rubio is supporting Trump, but said he has no plans to campaign with him in Florida. The senator has expressed unhappiness with some of Trump's recent controversial statements, but hasn't gone out of his way to bash him.

Beruff, a Manatee County developer squarely in Trump's camp, has said Rubio's stance is sowing division among Republicans that could prove harmful to the GOP's hopes of retaking the White House.

ONE BUSH HOLDING NOSE, BACKING TRUMP

Former Gov. Jeb Bush has made his disdain for Donald Trump very clear, publicly stating he won't vote for the Republican presidential nominee in the fall.

His son, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, has reached a different conclusion: He's supporting the real estate mogul. Last weekend, he urged Republicans to get behind Trump to stop Hillary Clinton.

"From Team Bush, it's a bitter pill to swallow, but you know what? You get back up and you help the man that won, and you make sure that we stop Hillary Clinton," George P. Bush told state GOP activists, according to video obtained by the Texas Tribune.

Other prominent members of the Bush family, including former presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush, have declined to back Trump.

George P. Bush's decision isn't that surprising. He is chairman of the Texas GOP's campaign efforts, and down-ballot Republicans could suffer if their top cheerleader didn't back the presidential nominee.

More directly, the 40-year-old Bush is just beginning his political career. Refusing to back Trump could have had long-term ramifications for his future.

Contact Ledyard King at lking@gannett.com; Twitter: @ledgeking
Samsung has received criticism in the past for being slow in updating its smartphones to the latest version of the Android mobile operating system. For the upcoming flagship Galaxy Note 7, though, it seems the company will try to do better.

The president of Samsung's mobile communications division, Koh Dong-jin, said in a press conference that the company will be releasing an operating system update for the Galaxy Note 7 to take the smartphone to Android 7.0 Nougat in two to three months.

"It is very important for us to offer up-to-date information with the new OS, but what's more crucial is to build a stable and seamless platform for users," said Koh, as reported by the Korea Times. He noted that Samsung will not be sacrificing quality with the faster release of the new Android operating system, as the company will be carrying out enough beta testing before releasing the update.

If Koh's promise pushes through, an Android 7.0 update for the Galaxy Note 7 within three months of the device's release would be a new speed record for the company. However, it should be noted that unlocked models will likely be getting the update faster, as they are not subject to approval from carriers compared with the carrier-linked devices in the United States.

Koh said the decision to fasttrack the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Galaxy Note 7 was due to customer feedback, but the intricacies of carrier testing in the United States would likely lead to a delay in the arrival of the operating system upgrade. Carriers have to test such updates, as they each have different versions of the same smartphone, and the update process could add months to the timeframe of the Android 7.0 Nougat upgrade.

Nevertheless, Koh's promise on getting the operating system update faster for the Galaxy Note 7 can be considered a major selling point for the smartphone. Even if the upgrade is delayed in the United States due to carrier testing, it would still be much faster compared with what Samsung users have been accustomed to.

The Galaxy Note 7 being upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat will give it an even better fighting chance against Apple's iPhone 7 Plus, which is expected to be launched by September or October. Customers who are in the market for a premium flagship smartphone can check out our quick comparison between the two devices to decide whether to purchase the Galaxy Note 7 when it launches this month or wait for the release of the iPhone 7 Plus.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Samsung Galaxy A8 2016 has surfaced yet again on a benchmarking site, hinting that the release of the Android-powered smartphone could be near.

The Galaxy A8 (2016) with the model number SM-A810F is a refresh of the 5.7-inch Galaxy A8 SM-A800F model which was released in 2015. Now, the SM-A810F has been spotted on Geekbench, giving a peek into the upcoming Samsung handset's specs.

This is not the first time the Galaxy A8 (2016) has been benchmarked. Earlier in July, the Samsung smartphone popped up on GFXBench, another benchmarking site that offered a detailed insight into its features and specs.

The current Geekbench listing was uploaded on Aug. 8 and reveals that the SM-A810F will house the powerful Exynos 7420 processor, which is the same chipset deployed by the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 lineup.

This is Samsung's own ARM-based SoC. The Exynos 7420 is an octa-core processor, which clocks at 1.5 GHz. The Galaxy A8 2016 is also anticipated to tout 3 GB of RAM per the benchmark listing.

Moreover, the listing also reveals that the Samsung handset, which found favor in Asia, will come with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box.

The handset was also run through the benchmark site several times, producing multi-core and single-core scores of 4709 and 1466, respectively.

While the Geekbench listing does not divulge any other details, the GFXBench test revealed that the SM-A810  as opposed to the SM-A810F model number from Geekbench  handset from Samsung will boast a 5.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The device was said to house Mali-T760 MP8 GPU and 5-finger gesture support. The Samsung handset was also said to pack in 16-megapixel and 5-megapixel primary and secondary cameras, respectively.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 2016 was also listed as having 32 GB of on-board storage and offer support for NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The Galaxy A8 2016 was also listed as offering support for additional features such as a light sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer and a proximity sensor.

SamMobile reveals that the Galaxy A8 2016 has also received Bluetooth certification, which suggests that the release is round the corner.

"The Bluetooth certification is merely an indicator that all of the necessary processes are being completed before this handset is launched, this is normally taken as an indication of a launch that's just around the corner," notes the publication.

The midrange handset's exact release date and pricing are not yet known, but it could possibly debut at the IFA 2016 in September.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Microsoft has revealed that it will pull the plug on the Skype app for Window Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 in early 2017.

In July, the company announced ending support for the Skype app for Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 starting in October. At the time, Microsoft did not disclose when the app will be completely killed off for these devices, merely revealing that it will implement changes "over the coming months."

On Aug. 12, in an update on the support page for Skype, Microsoft finally shared the deadline for the support being "killed off."

Come early 2017, nearly 80 percent of Windows Phone users  specifically those on Windows Phone and Windows Phone 8.1  will be left in the lurch and forced to bid adieu to the Skype app when Microsoft obliterates support.

However, users of Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 powered devices will still be able to use Skype on their handsets, but with "limitations" through early 2017. This will also be applicable for users of Android 4.0.2 (or below) and Windows RT devices.

"While support will no longer be available from October 2016, the Skype app on Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 will continue to work (possibly with some limitations) until early 2017, when we finish moving Skype calling to the cloud," notes the support page.

Interestingly, the company has not shed any light on these "limitations" but one can take consolation in the fact that the app will continue to work for the next couple of months.

For those wondering why Microsoft is killing off support for Skype for select OSs, it is because the Redmond-based company is in the process of shifting the service (which is currently on P2P) to the cloud. The shift to a more modern infrastructure will allow the company to offer users an enhanced experience on all gadgets. Microsoft has revealed that the move will help it improve several Skype features such as quality of calls, video messaging, file sharing and the service's dependability.

The decision for this shift, as Tech Times has previously reported, was prompted by the fact that the P2P system had more issues, when compared to a cloud-based service.

While the news that Microsoft is ending support for older apps in "early 2017" will disappoint Skype users on the affected operating systems, one could take consolation in the fact that this time Windows could possibly overlap with the release of the company's rumored new hardware for smartphones.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The next-generation Samsung Gear S3 is all but confirmed to arrive at IFA 2016 next month, as the company is already teasing the gadget in its invite for the event.

Not too long ago, the Samsung Gear S3 was tipped to debut at IFA in September, rocking a sleek rotary bezel just like its Gear S2 predecessor. Fast forward to the present date and it seems like those rumors were spot on, with Samsung gearing up to unveil the device at IFA.

While Samsung has offered no official statement regarding its IFA plans for next month, the company has started sending invites to the event, and its invitation is a clear teaser for the Gear S3.

In a not-so-subtle hint, watch hands are all over the invitation for Samsung's Sept. 1 IFA event, clearly indicating that the company's next smart timepiece will debut in less than three weeks from now.

Considering that the Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic made their debut at IFA 2015 in Berlin, it doesn't really come as a big surprise that the new Gear S3 will take advantage of the same annual event to make its grand entrance onto the wearable scene.

In the same way Samsung introduced two variants of the smartwatch last year, we're also expecting to see a Gear S3 and Gear S3 Classic breaking cover at the event this year. Aside from these two models, a Gear S3 by de Grisogono could arrive as a luxurious variant made in collaboration with Swiss jeweler de Grisogono. The luxury version could debut at the World Watch and Jewelry Show in March 2017.

Leaving the luxury edition aside, the "regular" Samsung Gear S3 is expected to include an array of sensors such as a barometer, altimeter, speedometer, and an integrated GPS. The smartwatch should also rock various notable upgrades over its predecessor, improving on virtually every aspect. Design-wise, however, it should retain the same overall form factor and rotating bezel functionality.

The Gear S3 is also expected to run Samsung's own Tizen OS, just like the Gear S2 before it, which may be disappointing for some. While Samsung did try to make its wearable OS as functional and useful as it could, critics still found the software more of a hit-and-miss, falling short in terms of application support compared to Android Wear.

It remains to be seen whether Samsung has managed to refine its Tizen OS to deliver a better experience with the Gear S3, but we'll soon find out. We'll keep a close eye on all IFA 2016 developments and keep you up to date on the latest news, so stay tuned.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An analysis of Donald Trump's tweets suggests that differnt people write them. Trump writes the aggressive tweets.

Twitter has become an important part of political campaigns in the recent years. Politicians use the micro-blogging platform for many purposes, whether to take a dig at rivals or wish good luck to the Olympics teams.

Tweets from Donald Trump  the Republican Party Presidential candidate for 2016 elections  have been scrutinized, especially during his presidential campaign, mainly due to frequent misspellings. Trump's tweets misspelled several cities in the U.S., including Phoenix, Oklahoma City and more. He even misspelled Barack Obama's name twice.

Data experts who have been analyzing Trump's Twitter posts suggest that his tweets were written from an iPhone as well as a Samsung Galaxy handset.

Campaign staff members are said to be tweeting on behalf of Trump from an iPhone, while the American billionaire businessman is believed to write his own tweets from his Android smartphone.

David Robinson, a data scientist at Stack Overflow, suggests that the angrier tweets from Trump's official Twitter handle @realDonaldTrump, were sent from an Android device. However, some not-so-angry tweets related to campaign strategy and events are posted via an iPhone.

Reports point that members of the Republican nominee's campaign staff are known to use iPhones. On the other hand, Trump uses a Samsung Galaxy instead.

Robinson's analysis notes that tweets posted by Donald Trump from the two devices have different tones and styles.

"Since other people had noticed this phenomenon before, I did expect to find that the accounts showed different behaviors," says Robinson. "But I was surprised how dramatic the difference was."

Robinson downloaded more than 1,000 Donald Trump tweets and ran them through a language parser and found conclusive results.

"My analysis ... concludes that the Android and iPhone tweets are clearly from different people, posting during different times of day and using hashtags, links and retweets in distinct ways. What's more, we can see that the Android tweets are angrier and more negative, while the iPhone tweets tend to be benign announcements and pictures," added Robinson.

The data expert also found that the tweets sent from the Android device had about 40 percent to 80 percent more negative words than the tweets sent via the iPhone.

Trump has said that he sometimes dictates his tweets to his staffers, which means that the words could be Trump's but he did not type them. It is also possible that Trump has handed over his Twitter account entirely and different people are writing his tweets.

Photo: Gage Skidmore | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The week started off with PMO mobile app being launched on Android developed by a group of six engineering students who had won a contest last year, organized by MyGov Portal. Then, Google celebrated Rio Olympics with a fruit doodle, Apple iPhone 7 was leaked in a video on a YouTube channel, and Microsoft hinted about two major Windows 10 updates to be rolled out next year. Along with this, Google shocked the whole of Internet by removing Palestine from the map!

It wasn't just this! This week, we also saw, as usual, a number of exciting launches, like, New Le 2 variant by LeEco, Vibe C2 Power by Lenovo, Cinemax 3 by Zen Mobile, Smart LED TVs by Micromax, Smart Shirt by Arrow, HD LED TVs by Kodak, M3E by Meizu and Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in India.

On the other hand, we listed out a number of deals and offers on the occasion of Independence Day, and 10 Indian apps that have actually been downloaded more than a million times, while celebrating Indias Digital Diversity. We also listed out some of the iconic mobiles that gave Indians freedom.

Rumours, exclusive stories, reviews, and a number of launches; a lot happened this week. However, if you had missed out any of our stories, do not worry. Here's a chance, as usual, to go back and review some of the exciting stuff:

10 Desi Apps With Over A Million Downloads

Apps have made our lives so much easier. India is one of the fastest growing markets for app developers. The recent years have seen huge advances in the world of apps. Theyve moved from a being fun element on a smartphone to being a useful and indispensable. Right from ordering daily needs like groceries, booking bus tickets, and even dating, Indian apps have nailed them all.

Read The Full Story Here

Celebrating Indias Digital Diversity

Seventy years ago millions across the country broke into a euphoric celebration as they heard the voice of Poornam Vishwanathan announce the news of Indian Independence on All India Radio. 70 years later, a 24 year old girl is staring at her computer screen trying to fathom the emotions of those millions who heard the news of their freedom through a radio. News of freedom over a radio and writing a feature on freedom on a computer - we have come a long way. It set us thinking the significance of radio back in those days, the technology used then and now this country is a formidable force in the world of technology.

Read The Full Story Here

Iconic Mobiles That Gave Indians Freedom

While we often complain about promotional calls, unwanted social media posts and silly WhatsApp forwards, a few generations back, folks had some real problems. Sending a word out was a daunting task, which was largely dependent on runners and scanty networks of post offices. Things started becoming efficient as India got its first electric telegraph (Taar) line between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour in 1850. Soon, the network expanded into other cities such as Peshawar, Agra, Bombay, Madras, and Bangalore. By 1854, the service was opened to the lesser mortals.

Read The Full Story Here

New Video Leak Shows Apple iPhone 7

Apple iPhone 7 has already topped the rumour mill with a number of leaks and tips spilling out almost every day. Recently, we came across @Evleaks tweeting about the iPhone 7 being launched in September, this year. Considering that, with just a month away for it's launch, there a new leak video that boasts the iPhone 7 in all glory. The video has been uploaded on a YouTube channel -- Bshop Kuwa.

Read The Full Story Here

HTC 10 Gets World's First USB Type C Headphones

While USB Type C audio is making rounds, JBL has announced the availability of its headphones, dubbed the Reflect Aware C. If you remember, the headphones were announced back in April, alongide the HTC 10 smartphone. JBL Reflect Aware C is claimed as being the world's first USB Type C earphones that come with a USB-C standard connector and work with only a few smartphones that currently have said 'good-bye' to the 3.5 mm audio port.

Read The Full Story Here

New Rumoured Macbook Pro To Launch Soon

Remember we had earlier written five reasons why you should actually postpone buying a Macbook? Well, it seems like the clock is ticking... and if you still haven't purchased one, you can... pretty soon! Yes! the new rumoured Macbook Pro with retina display, Touch ID sensor and OLED mini screen is coming soon.

Read The Full Story Here

Will Apple Launch An All Glass iPhone?

With Apple sales dipping worldwide and the launch its iPhone 7 due this september, fresh reports suggest that fans could soon expect an all glass iPhone. Japanese website Nikkei has reported that Foxconn Technology Group is developing a glass casing for Apple as the part of the smartphone redesign. The revamped design, as per reports, is set to be unveiled only next year and Apple is determined to boost its dipping sales and fight off competition from rivals like Samsung and Huawei. Foxconn Technology has reportedly been working on the all glass feature since last year.

Read The Full Story Here

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Arrives In India

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been launched in India at INR 59,900 and the company has announced that pre-bookings will begin from August 22 and at a special price of INR 1,990 customers can purchase the new Gear VR headset with the flagship phablet. Samsung Gear VR if bought separately would cost you INR 7,290. The Korean tech giant launched Samsung Galaxy Note 7 globally on August 2, and became the first Samsung smartphone to feature an Iris scanner, which is one of the key features of the device.

Read The Full Story Here

Microsoft Hints At Two Major Windows 10 Updates In 2017

Just when Microsoft announced the roll out of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, it seems that the tech giant is looking forward to bring two major updates next year. According to a recent post on NDTV Gadgets 360, the company wrote in a blog, "Windows 10, version 1607 is our third Windows 10 feature update released. Based on feedback from organisations moving to Windows 10, this will be our last feature update for 2016, with two additional feature updates expected in 2017."

Read The Full Story Here

A Phone With 8 GB RAM And 40 MP Camera In The Making?

While we are still not sure about a phone with 8 GB RAM and 40 MP camera in the making, a recent unveil has definitely increased expectations! The recent launch of MediaTek Helio X30 SoC allows us to easily dream of some spectacular features in smartphones coming in the future. Some of them are 8 GB RAM and 40 MP camera. According to a recent announcement by MediaTek, the new deca-core processor is claimed to be capable of supporting upto 8 GB RAM. Probably it's about time to forget the 4 GB RAM. Technology is for sure growing faster!

Read The Full Story Here

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The arrival of 91 Venezuelan citizens from Ecuador as part of the Return to the Homeland Plan was announced today by Foreign Minister Carlos Faria. | Read More
A vehicle carries a woman in a box around Hanoi on August 11 to advertise a new phone. Photo credit: Tuoi Tre

Authorities in Hanoi on Friday fined mobile phone retailer The Gioi Di Dong VND6 million (US$274) for parading a model in a glass box on the street as part of a new promotional campaign.

A pickup truck drove the glass box with the female model inside around Hanoi Thursday, the woman showing off a new Samsung phone.

The vehicle, with the companys logo, was followed by a group of human billboards driving motorbikes.

To Van Dong, director of Hanois culture department said the company did not ask for permission to launch this campaign.

Particularly the act of putting a model in a glass box is very offensive and does not suit local culture, Dong told Tuoi Tre.

Although the glass box is a new touch, The Gioi Di Dong, one of Vietnams biggest retailers of mobile devices, is well-known for grand public stunts, usually with many people driving around to promote new products.
Tran Van Them, who was just cleared of a murder conviction, at his house in Bac Ninh Province. Photo: Thuy Hang

The lawyer of a man who has recently been cleared of a murder conviction says his client is seeking more than VND12 billion, or nearly US$550,000, in compensation for 43 years fighting the case.

Nguyen Van Hoa, representing the 80-year-old Tran Van Them in the northern province of Bac Ninh, said the money is to recompense for psychological damage, Thems ordeal to fight for justice, and his loss of income, especially during the long incarceration period of five and a half years.

Weve reached the number based on the governments compensation rules, Hoa said, as cited by news website Zing.

In July 1970, Them and his cousin traveled to Vinh Phuc Province on a business trip when the latter was found dead with head injuries in a vacant tent along the road where they had stopped for the night.

Them said they had been robbed, but local authorities insisted he was the prime suspect and detained him.

He was convicted of murder in 1973 and sentenced to death. The Supreme People's Court upheld the conviction a year later.

But in 1975 a teenage boy from Vinh Phuc, who had been staying at an education camp, owned up to the killing. The Supreme Court ordered a fresh investigation and Thems release.

Them has, over the years, filed multiple pleas to clear his name, but it has taken until now, when he is very weak and can only walk with assistance, for his vindication.

He received a public apology from the supreme court at a district government office in Bac Ninh on Thursday, two days after the court officially admitted that it had wrongfully convicted him.

"I've been waiting for this day for so long," Them said.

Locals said he has seemed healthier and more cheerful since the apology.

Tran Thi Xuan, his 59-year-old daughter, said the whole family could not sleep the night before the apology.

Now my dad no longer has to go to bed every night with a headache, she said.

Last year, Vietnam's highest court awarded VND 7.2 billion ($360,000) to a man who had served 10 years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction.
Senior central officials flew in from Hanoi Thursday for a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss solutions to easing the overload on Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Even before landing, many of them faced the problem they needed to urgently fix in the southern metros airport.

The Vietnam Airlines chairman [Pham Ngoc Minh] and Central Aviation Authority of Vietnam director [Lai Xuan Thanh] had to fly around for more than 30 minutes because of the overloaded airport, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, who chaired the meeting, said.

Thanh said Tan Son Nhat Airport is extremely overloaded, handling more than 15.7 million passengers in the first half of this year.

At the current pace, the number of passengers will reach over 31 million this year while the terminal is designed to serve only 25 million.

Tan Son Nhat is overloaded in the air, at the terminal and in the surrounding streets. The primary reason is overloading at the terminal.

The airport has 51 parking bays for aircraft while the current demand is for 80.

Sometimes, aircraft have to be parked on the runway due to the overloading, causing nine others to wait in the air to land, Thanh said.

Expansion plan

Dung said Long Thanh Airport in neighboring Dong Nai Province, meant to replace Tan Son Nhat Airport, would have its first stage ready only in 2025.

By then the number of passengers at Tan Son Nhat Airport is likely to reach 50 million a year, and maintaining security would be a big challenge, he said.

Thanh said the Ministry of Defense would hand over 21 hectares of land to expand the airport.

We are studying construction of more terminals with the entrance from Cong Hoa Street to ease the overload on Truong Son Street. The airport can serve up to 40 million passengers a year with a new terminal and entrance.

Dang Tuan Tu, director of Tan Son Nhat Airport, proposed limiting personal vehicles on Truong Son to ease traffic.

Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the city Transport Department, proposed building more overpasses.

Deputy Prime Minister Dung agreed with the plan to build a new terminal and entrance, and instructed the transport and defense ministries to draft a detailed plan and find an investor.

The plan to expand the airport has to be facilitated. I will push relevant ministries on this with at least two or three calls a week.

In 2015 Tan Son Nhat airport served 26.5 million passengers traveling by more than 181,000 flights, an 18 percent increase from the previous year.
Ava Lemoine's photo documenting the annual migration of white pelicans to south Louisiana was judged the winner of the photography portion of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association's annual Youth Journalism Contest. The 11-year-old, seventh-grader at St. Aloysius Catholic in Baton Rouge is a multi-year winner in the contest. She and eight other young photographers and writers in Senior Essay and Junior Essay categories were honored Saturday night during the LOWA's annual banquet in Shreveport.
Instead of spending her birthday celebrating with cake, Ashyrinona Noel turned 9 years old escaping flood waters with her family.

At about 3 and half feet tall, the water that surged into her home in Central came up to her waist.

She and her family members rushed to put their belongings in suitcases and into garbage bags. Her brother Peter, 14, put their kittens Sassy and Snowflake into a kennel and they left their home to wait at a nearby church that also eventually saw flood waters late Saturday afternoon.

Central was one of the many areas that saw historically devastating flooding this weekend. About a half mile of Hooper Road and the surrounding neighborhood was submerged by several feet of water on Saturday, but that was one of only several areas where rescue missions were carried out.

Law enforcement officials and volunteers with boats showed up to help bring stranded residents to safety at the corner of Hooper Road and Mickens Road where they were carted off to shelters.

"We tried to wait out," said Ashyrinona's grandmother Anna, who said the family of six has lived there for about 6 years. "The gentleman a few houses down from us told us we were high and dry and safe, but all of sudden it just started rising and it didn't stop."

Shannon Darrow and Cody Jarreau from Erwinville said they were just watching the news Saturday morning when they saw the flooding. So they took Darrow's fishing boat out to Central to volunteer.

"I haven't seen anything like this since Katrina," Jarreau said.

In total there were about four volunteer boats and four law enforcement boats gliding back and forth through the flooded areas rescuing trapped families. At at least one house on Hooper Road, the water almost reached the roof

Central Mayor Jr. Shelton said flood waters have touched just about every neighborhood in the rural city in the northern part of the parish, and hundreds of people are still waiting to be rescued.

"We have the National Guard in here and our fire department doing rescues," he said. "Our biggest problem is maneuvering to get to people's homes. We can't get to people's homes. It's a slow process. We're taking calls left and right."

The school system donated at least five buses to pick people up and bring them to shelters.

Shelton, who has lived in Central for 38 years, said he's never seen anything like the flooding from this weekend.

"This is a flood of epic proportions. This makes the flood of 1983 a mere distant memory," he said. "When we talk about floods now, we'll talk about the great flood of 2016. everything else pales in comparison.

Another issue is that residents were given a false sense of safety when the rain slowed down early Saturday afternoon.

"The river is still rising and folks who thought they were OK and in the clear are in trouble now," he said.

Shelton said there will be another curfew in place tonight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Central High School opened as shelter at 1 p.m. Starkey Academy and Life Tabernacle Church are also serving as shelters in the area.

Zoar Baptist Church is also open but at capacity.

Bellingrath Hills, Tanglewood Subdivision, Central Woods, Jackson Place and Jackson Park are some of the hardest hit areas, Shelton said.

"I'm going to be honest, and this is not to sound sensational," he said. "Every neighborhood is touched by this."
More than 100 people were removed from their homes by boat Saturday after the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office ordered a mandatory evacuation of much of the Audubon Terrace subdivision off Siegen Lane, near St. George Catholic Church.

Homes along two streets at the back of the subdivision, Mint and Buttercup, were particularly hard hit as Ward Creek overflowed its banks and sent water flooding into many of them.

The St. George Fire Department coordinated the evacuation effort, aided by neighbors and volunteers who used own boats and canoes to get residents to dry ground. Friends and family came to pick up those affected.

Jessica Golden Cooper and her husband, Keith, had been brought out by boat with their three dogs and a cat, Jessica said, standing on the carport of a neighbor's home located on high ground.

The streets in the neighborhood were flooded yesterday but her husband was able to get home from work at about 4:30 p.m. Friday, Jessica said.

"Last night, it was looking better" and it seemed the water was receding, she said.

"This morning we woke up and it was all the way up to the door."

She said a sheriff's deputy came by about 7 a.m. and told the couple about the mandatory evacuation.

The couple grabbed dog food and cat food -- "they have their own suitcase," Jessica Cooper said -- and clothes and medicine.

She said water was a few inches from the flood when they left.

"We really want to say thank you to all the volunteers who came out, Jessica Cooper said. The neighbors have been awesome."

She said flood insurance is required for homeowners in the subdivision.

Dricilla Broussard of Prairieville had spent Friday night with her elderly parents, Hubert and Emma Depland, at their home in St. George subdivision. On Saturday morning, the three had been taken out of the home by boat and Broussard was shepherding them to a waiting car to leave the neighborhood.

"They're Katrina victims," Broussard said sadly of her parents. "They lost everything."

"I don't think it will be quite as bad" this time, she added.

The evacuation finished up at about 10:30 a.m.

"As many people as want to have been evacuated out," said James Newman, St. George Fire Department district fire chief. "There are still some people who want to hold out."

"We had lots of volunteers, lots of good Samaritans" helping with the evacuation, Newman said.

Robert Hall and his wife Patricia Oliver, whose carport many of those rescued took shelter under while they waited for rides, have lived in the neighborhood for 20 years.

"I've never seen it like this," Hall said. "I feel for my neighbors."

Trenton Allen had left the neighborhood with his family Friday night, before the call for an evacuation, but returned with his canoe to rescue several residents after he got calls early Saturday morning about conditions in the subdivision.

"I basically went door to door" working with the Fire Department, Allen said.

Bill Gibson, the St. George homeowners association president, said the subdivision had seen high water in 2001 with Hurricane Allison, but "not to this point."

"This is about 6 inches higher than what it was in Allison," Gibson said.

Others living in south Baton Rouge said they don't recall seeing water this high in their neighborhoods since Hurricane Betsy back in 1965.

Kimberly Kamal, 29, on Thomas Delpit Drive said in her whole life shes never seen water like she's seeing in their neighborhood but said her mother remembers having to be rescued from the house by boat during flooding from Hurricane Betsy.

The flooding started Friday night and by Saturday, people were being walked or pushed in vehicles out of the flood waters while neighbors pulled together to help.

Watching the water just feet away from her car, Kamal said, we need to think do we need to make arrangements to leave or not.

John McClendon, who said he lives off of Siegen Lane, was among the good Samaritans and volunteers helping people out in the south Baton Rouge neighborhood. He drove his four-wheeler out of the water pushing another four-wheeler that had stalled when its driver Karisa Jones of Tennessee Street was trying to leave.

I came out to help out as much as I can, McClendon said.

Jones said he came to help, and I appreciate it, as McClendon reattached her four-wheelers chain and drained some water out of the machine before they were on their way.

Standing with other neighbors outside a nearby store, Richard Hamilton Jr., 26, said he helped his dad get out of their flooded house and found a dry home for his dog and her puppy, but wasnt sure where he was going to stay now.

Its in every room. It just started coming through the front door, Hamilton said. Although the water was draining at first, eventually the water started rising and just kept going.
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With his family having been evacuated because of flooding, Gov. John Bel Edwards met with law enforcement and emergency officials Saturday before asking south Louisiana residents to stay off the roads until the severe weather situation has passed.

This is a major disaster. It is an ongoing event, Edwards said.

Heavy rains  more than a foot in some areas  have flooded highways and neighborhoods around Baton Rouge and into the Florida parishes. Rainfall is expected to continue through Sunday in this area. The sluggish storm system is expected to move over the western and northern parts of the state in the next few days.

Areas that had never seen water before are being flooded now, taxing first responders who are being tasked with rescuing homeowners and drivers.

The Governors Mansion has chest-high water in the basement, flooding the security operations. Edwards said the electricity has been turned off in the mansion and his family has evacuated to a State Police compound in the northern part of East Baton Rouge Parish.

Edwards personal home in the Tangipahoa Parish community of Roseland has been spared, though much of the area around Amite is under water.

Gov. John Bel Edwards returning from Colorado to Louisiana amid severe weather Gov. John Bel Edwards is returning to Louisiana this afternoon as the state continues to be 

Edwards cut short a visit to a national governors conference to return to Louisiana. Edwards declared a state of emergency through Sept. 10.

He met with law enforcement and emergency officials before addressing the media Saturday at the state Office of Homeland Security Unified Command Group at the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, better known as GOHSEP.

Another press conference is scheduled for Sunday morning.

Edwards is traveling Tangipahoa, St. Helena, and Livingston parishes Saturday afternoon to meet with local emergency response officials.

Officials are expecting rivers to crest four feet above the record levels of the 1983 floods. High water also has backed up into creeks and bayous, spreading water onto roads.

About 100 roads are closed, including Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge between Bluebonnet and Highland Road and on parts of Interstate 55 near Amite, but that highway could reopen soon, said Shawn Wilson, secretary of the state Department of Transportation and Development.

Louisiana State Police Major Doug Cain said water was lapping onto Interstate 12 near Denham Springs and troopers also are concerned about high water on the I-10 west of Baton Rouge. He said drivers are being detoured into a web of roads snaking around the high water.

Click here for the latest information on road closures, available through DOTDs website.

State Sen. Bodi White, whose district includes much of the eastern parts of East Baton Rouge Parish and parts of heavily hit Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes, showed photos water rising by the minute in the backyard of his Central home about a mile from the Comite River.

People in my neighborhood, really all over the district, werent flooded in 1983, said White, who also is running for mayor-president.

Please dont rely on your experiences in the past, Edwards said.

First responders are being taxed rescuing people who should have evacuated but didnt, he said. The other stresses for search and rescue personnel are drivers who are being stuck in water on the road.

Well over a thousand people have been rescued as have about 100 pets, he said.

Two deaths have been confirmed by law enforcement, Edwards said. One was a man evacuating from his mobile home in East Baton Rouge Parish slipped in rushing waters and drowned. A St. Helena Parish man was killed when his truck was swept off the road.

Additional fatalities and injuries are possible as searches are underway at this hour, Edwards said.

The states fiscal situation is precarious right now, but Edwards said state government is paying whatever is necessary. State officials are collecting the costs and once the emergency has passed, the state will file for help from the federal government, he said.

Eighteen parishes have declared emergencies and three others are preparing the paperwork, he said.

A thousand National Guardsmen are working. About 1,200 to 1,250 soldiers are expected to be on duty by the end of the day.

Shelters have opened in more than a dozen locations.
An African-American law enforcement officer said at a recent town hall meeting that he lives outside of East Baton Rouge Parish, but considers himself a great peacekeeper in Baton Rouge.

Speaking at the event sponsored by the East Baton Rouge Parish Council on Aging, the young officer said he lives in another parish because his family could not afford financially to live in the city.

A high-ranking African-American law enforcement officer said he doesnt have a problem with police officers living outside of East Baton Rouge Parish. He just wants good, well-trained officers, who he will personally make sure treats the community correctly.

Several others at the event disagreed, saying officers living in or near the communities where they work will garner trust from the residents and the officers would have a better grasp of the neighborhoods they patrol.

Also, it was suggested that restricting the residency would probably mean more minority officers being hired in Baton Rouge, a majority-black city where the police force that is majority-white.

Those comments are the latest in the response to an issue before the Metropolitan Council on whether Baton Rouge city police officers should be required to live in Baton Rouge, or at least the parish. This argument resurfaced after Alton Sterling, an African-American, was shot to death during a scuffle with two white city police officers.

The feeling among residency proponents is that officers would be less likely to fear or harbor negative or racist attitudes toward people in communities where they live. Opponents contend that racism or improper police conduct does not come with a Zip code or a street address.

The argument for police officers to live in the city where they patrol has rumbled across the country for decades. There is not a mountain of evidence that the restriction has a long track record of success.

+18 Time runs out on BPRD residency vote; Metro Council pledges reworked ordinance The Metro Council let the clock run out Wednesday on a major proposed change to the Baton Ro

But actual community policing, supporters contend, where police officers familiarize themselves with the area they patrol, has its benefits. If the two police officers in the Sterling shooting were familiar with the area, they would have known that Sterling was a fixture outside the Triple S store selling CDs, and that situation could have been diffused without gun play.

Police leaders in Baton Rouge and across the country have argued that restricting residential requirements of its officers would have a negative effect on officer recruitment.

There is also a suggestion that police officers dont want to live near people they have arrested and/or have caused to be jailed or sent to prison.

If the city really wants to bring more officers into the city, there must be financial incentives. Here are some ideas.

Offer the new class of officers coming into the police department 15 to 20 percent higher starting salary to live in the city. They would also get a $2,000 bonus once hired and living in the city.

For instance, if starting salary for a police officer is $30,000 per year, the officer that lives in the parish would earn $36,000 per year, with the standard benefits.

If they move outside of the parish within five years, they would lose the 20 percent higher salary, and the higher salary would not be computed in their city-parish retirement benefits.

If they stay in the parish at least 10 years, they can keep the 20 percent higher salary and all percentage salary increases that have come with it.

Also, officers who live in the city must be first in line for extra duty (extra pay) assignments. The police union would probably hate all of this, saying it discriminates against officers who choose to live somewhere else. However, I think police departments pay college-educated recruits more than those who are not.

If any of this flies in the face of city-parish guidelines, then the Metro Council can change it or send it to voters to make the switch.

And, dont forget that better training of officers, improved psychological testing of officers, better disciplining of bad behavior by police officers and participating in community policing are the basics for all.

Where can we find the money? Well, we can put in the same effort that we're using to get tens of millions dollars for a tram allow folks to hoot and holler from LSU to downtown and back.

Or, we can do nothing and see where it goes.

Email Edward Pratt, a south Louisiana freelance writer, at epratt1972@yahoo.com.
An Aug. 2, 2013 booking photo provided by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office shows Emma Raine. Opening statements began Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, in Emma Raine's second-degree murder trial in New Orleans in the 2006 death of her second husband, Ernest Smith. Her third husband, James Raine, 37, was shot to death at the couple's Pearl River County, Mississippi, home in 2011. (Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office via AP)
Tam Thanh Ta is accused of killing the captain of his Biloxi-based shrimp boat. (PPSO)
The Australian Medical Association has backed a call by a Canberra GP to protect neighbours of public housing tenants from secondhand smoke.

Dr Stephen Moulding's call for action came after many patients at his Narrabundah clinic, private and public residents, complained about the dangerous smoke from adjoining public tenants entering their homes.

Dr Stephen Moulding, a GP for 40 years, has many patients who complain about second-hand smoke from public housing tenants on small blocks. Credit:Jamila Toderas

"My view is not to be saying we've got to be banning smoking in public housing, but there must be some compromise where residents who have got objections can be protected and also children when they're involuntarily exposed," he said.

One of his patients told Fairfax Media the doors and windows in her two-storey duplex, including to her 9-year-old son's bedroom, had to stay constantly closed due to a public tenant who smoked in the front yard less than two metres away.
Then-independent MP Bob Katter at the "Don't meddle with marriage" rally in Canberra in 2011, where he supported cause by auctioning his hat. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen And after spending a third of his year here for 23 years, the feeling is mutual."I really do find it unfriendly, [people] don't smile and laugh at each other and if you crack a joke people look at you like you're a Martian," he said. "I find it a very soulless place, everything is franchised and corporatised." In perhaps the ultimate snub, for the past five years he has spent his nights across the border at the self-described "affordable", 3.5-star Comfort Inn International Airport hotel in Queanbeyan, also favoured by Andrew Wilkie. "I have got to say that Queanbeyan is more personable; if you say hello to a person they smile."

It's a little different when it comes to food, with his favourite eating spot Kingston Italian restaurant La Dolce Vita. He also praises the nearby Thai Cornar, which he credits with the best tom yum goong soup in Australia. When it comes to rugby league, the Raiders also get the thumbs-up. But the man with the big hat from the land traditionally known for big farms and mines has moved little on stances that put him well to the right of the Canberra public. It's 27 years since Mr Katter famously said there were no homosexuals in north Queensland (one of his younger brothers, Carl, is gay, as was the Liberal National Party candidate in Kennedy this year). He said he had been confronted twice in Canberra about his position, but retains the view the nation-leading push by the ACT government to pass marriage equality laws reflects a cloistered city. "Coming from an area where we lost probably 100,000 jobs in the collapse of coal mining and metal markets, our poor old cattlemen doing away with themselves at one every two weeks, and here they are running around and want the right to get married," he said.

"It gives you an impression that they've got nothing better to do with their time, they don't have to worry about their job, their house being foreclosed on, about being kicked off their bloody farm." Despite at least four years of consistent federal public service cuts, Mr Katter said Canberra was a protected species on jobs, although he acknowledged it was a "tough" decision whether to send the staff of the pesticides and vet medicines authority to Armidale, as the Coalition has promised. He admitted public servants were condemned by politicians without their full skills being used or tested. "The problem lies equally with the politicians. The number of times I've spoken to a public servant in the last 18 months you could count on the fingers of one hand," he said. "In the last Parliament I was back in the electorate working on things every available second I had, but some of that time would have been much better put interfacing with public servants and at the very least have them understand that all agriculture in this country is dying, and when [deputy Prime Minister Barnaby] Joyce runs around saying it's not he is deadly wrong."
Geoffrey Rush was among the stars of hit Australian film Shine who visited Canberra on Saturday to celebrate 20 years of the film's release.

The biographical film, released in 1996, is based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who also visited Canberra for the festivities.

David Helfgott and Geoffrey Rush at the National Film and Sound Archive to celebrate 20 years since the release of Shine. Credit:Rohan Thomson

The National Film and Sound Archive hosted a screening on Saturday night, attended by notable guests including Mr Rush, screenwriter and director Scott Hicks, and Mr and Mrs Helfgott.

Mr Rush said his trips to Canberra always left a mark on him, more so for why he was here rather than the city itself.
A Canberra couple are thousands of dollars out of pocket due to what they describe as an "admin bungle" by the ACT government with Mr Fluffy demolition dates.

Ric and Christine Baker surrendered their Curtin home on June 30 under advice from the ACT Asbestos Taskforce that this would allow it to be bulldozed before December 2016.

Christine and Ric Baker: "If they don't demolish this until July next year that's $550 a week we have lost." Credit:Karleen Minney

However after moving out to a temporary rental property, the couple were told via email their demolition had been rescheduled and may not be completed until July 2017.

"We have not been kept in the loop," Mrs Baker said.
Damages for pain and suffering were available to those who could show a "whole person impairment" of more than 10 per cent.

"This will really hurt people, people will basically be left to rely on family and if they are not be able to work, Centrelink," she said.

Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers partner Diana Farah said the significant reduction of lump sum payments for pain and suffering and removal of compensation for voluntary care of the injured by family would unfairly force people on to government welfare.

Canberra drivers injured on NSW roads could miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars from the change to a partial no-fault accident compensation model, a leading lawyer said.

The accident law expert said many clients who were not "10 per cent" now received significant compensation and had serious injuries which left them unable to work. She was aware of one example where a man who was assessed as 17 per cent impairment and received $275,000 would receive about $43,000 under the new compulsory third party insurance model, expected to be made law for a July 2017 start.

The changes are highly relevant for Canberra residents, with ACT registered vehicles having the highest percentage of interstate travel of all Australian jurisdictions (22 per cent), and 86 per cent of this being in NSW.

The risk of fatality or injury for ACT vehicles or drivers/riders was about three to five times greater on NSW roads than within the ACT on a kilometres travelled basis, a report by ARRB said last year.

The NSW government has said the change to a "hybrid" CTP insurance scheme would lead to lower premiums for drivers  with savings estimated at $80-$100 per year  and faster claims resolutions.

For all injuries not classed as serious there would be no need to prove fault, removing work for lawyers, with defined benefits set by law covering loss of earnings and medical expenses for up to five years, and professional attendant care help for everyday tasks for up to two years. Ms Farah slammed the proposed capping of the earnings compensation at about $1500 per week, down from almost $4000 per week.
Restricting the sale of retail products in community pharmacies is one reform mooted for the sector set to be discussed in a forum on Monday.

The panel leading a review into pharmacy regulation and remuneration will continue its national consultation tour with a public forum in Canberra.

Professor Stephen King leads the federal government's Review of Pharmacy Remuneration and Regulation. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

Led by the Productivity Commission's Dr Stephen King, the panel has produced a discussion paper raising possible reforms to the industry.

The paper has examined the potential conflicts of interest pharmacists face in "up-selling" unnecessary products due to the disparity between revenue from prescription medication and over-the-counter products.
The teachers' union will seek assurances from the ACT Education Minister after figures showed a doubling in reported physical violence by public school students against school staff in the past four years.

There were 264 reported incidents of physical violence against teachers or school leaders in ACT public schools last year alone, a one-year rise of 26 per cent.

The Australian Education Union's Glenn Fowler said he did not know if students "have become more naughty" or if the major rise was due to the improved reporting. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

Australian Education Union ACT secretary Glenn Fowler said the figures were "stark" and showed occupational violence needed to be looked at, with no level of violence acceptable.

"While public schools are statistically very safe places to be, we cannot be complacent, and we cannot see the unacceptable as acceptable," he said.
And perhaps it is such a tipping point. Perhaps some of what is going on is the closing of a chapter of social, economic and political history. If so, it's a period book-ended by two seminal tomes. The first, The End of History and the Last Man, published in 1992 by US political scientist Francis Fukuyama, suggested Western liberal democracy would prove permanently hegemonic. The battle of political systems and ideas was pretty much all over, he reckoned. The second, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, published in 2013 by French economist Thomas Piketty, essentially suggested the persistent inequality in wealth in Europe and the US is a result, funnily enough, of wealth begetting wealth.

The rise of China alone is sufficient to show history has undermined Fukuyama. The future will show whether Piketty pointing out that socially sustainable economic progress requires that people be given a fair suck of the sauce bottle will help lead to advances in public policy.

But meanwhile, and speaking of that metaphoric sauce bottle once rhetorically embraced so convincingly by Kevin Rudd, the United Nations provides us with a source for optimism, a blues antidote, or at least a partial one. Rudd's stark-naked ambition to lead the UN has been rudely stymied, so he's written a list of 10 things that should be done to fix the global organisation. Organisations can always be improved, so his prescription probably has some merit, but there's already good reason to appreciate the UN  and to feel at least a little less despondent and marginally more resilient.

A wonderful way of thinking about resilience is given by Hugh van Cuylenburg, a former teacher and founding director of The Resilience Project, an organisation that helps young people be mentally healthy. He argues that resilience and happiness are largely based on three things: gratefulness (valuing what you have, rather than lamenting what you do not have); mindfulness (focusing on the moment, rather than regretting the past or being anxious about the future), and; empathy (putting yourself in the other's position).

With that lovely reduction in mind, consider the following changes, a lot of which reflect work associated with the UN's Millennium Development Goals, a project launched in 2000 that has mobilised nations in one of the greatest anti-poverty pushes ever seen. Charts and an expanded discussion of the list can be found on the site of Vox News, part of a suite of cutting edge titles produced by Vox Media, while the latest update from the UN on it all is readily available online.
Growth in industries requiring skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics has seen much attention on the need to encourage more women to pursue education in STEM fields.

The government is making a substantial investment in programs designed to attract and retain women in STEM careers, including scholarships and an investment in a new National Career Education Strategy.

Only one in 10 nurses is male, and this trend looks to set to continue based on student enrolments. Credit:Nicole Emanuel

It is right that this is viewed as a national priority: we have a shortage of skilled STEM workers and the lack of women in STEM threatens our capacity for innovation, which is enhanced by different perspectives and access to the best talent.

But while we recognise the need to attract more women into skilled technical roles, we are not doing anything to encourage men into female-dominated industries and jobs. In fact, between 1995 and 2015, ABS statistics show we have actually seen a decline in the proportion of men in Australia's two female-dominated industries of health care and social assistance, and education and training.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's casual dismissal, with a generalised slur, of 2000 reports of abuse of asylum seekers on Nauru demonstrates his despicable attitude to those under his care. If he seriously believes his claim not to tolerate child abuse, the only person he is fooling is himself. Chris Young, Surrey Hills Desperate people resort to desperate acts So Peter Dutton now accuses asylum seekers of "self-immolating" to get into Australia. Since when was self-immolation a crime? If this personification of the government's attitude to the dispossessed and desperate were not so appalling it would be, at best, stupid. Are we to assume that people will set themselves on fire for a free pass to Australia. Duh, they must be fairly desperate, Mr Dutton. April von Moger, Glen Iris

The simple way to confirm cases of abuse If the government has nothing to hide, it will appoint an independent commissioner and allow him or her to visit Nauru to substantiate the veracity of the allegations of abuse. Corrado Tavella, Rosslyn Park, SA Call me woman As a 17-year-old young woman attempting to navigate a fundamentally patriarchal society, I was appalled by Jessi Klein's article about how women are either "poodles" or "wolves" (Sunday Life, 7/8). I would like to think that, as a society, we are gaining more understanding of the fluid, non-conforming nature of gender, and accepting that women need not be defined by the social construct of femininity.

However, Klein's misogynistic opinion makes me question how far we have progressed. Seemingly harmless "humour" like this fosters a damaging sexist mentality, making it difficult for young women to grow up in a world where we are treated equally and with respect. So, am I a poodle or a wolf? I am a woman who will not be categorised by shallow, derogatory terms. Emilia Meirelles, Malvern It only costs $7 The dire situation of homelessness and destitution is evident on our streets today. Many of us are appalled, yet we walk by these human huddles not knowing what we can personally do. Well, there is something: buy a Big Issue magazine. By spending $7, half of which is kept by the vendor, we are supporting someone to help him or herself, thus reducing the risk of homelessness and its attendant problems. The Big Issue is an effective initiative and an excellent read. Those few dollars can make a huge difference to someone. Erica Kurec, Tecoma

Sharing our homes Where I live, almost two thirds of homes sit empty for more than two thirds of the year. Perhaps a solution to the problem of homelessness would be for an agency to link selected homeless people with holiday home owners. The homeless person could live, rent-free, for eight months or so in return for maintaining the home and keeping it secure. Of course, not all homeless people would be suitable. But it could help those who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own to get on their feet again. David King, St Leonards The forgotten heroes Meg Paul talks about how "National Homeless week passed with a whimper overtaken by the Olympic hype" (Sunday Age, 7/8). The Olympics creates "heroes", but sadly these are outweighed by the number of underprivileged people, towards whom there is a general apathy.

John Wolstenholme, Balnarring Check your caps As a former state medallist in pursuit racing in the 1990s, I am intrigued at the apparent lack of hydrodynamics offered by Australian swimmers' caps at the Olympics. Madeline Groves, who came second in the 200metre butterfly, exemplified this. Her cap was full of wrinkles. This would have contributed to slowing her down, as her head repeatedly ploughed through the water between strokes. Winner Mireia Belmonte Garcia's cap was less wrinkled and, theoretically, generated less turbulence. If Madeline had put her hair up in a braid or worn a better fitting cap, she could have won this race. For all the effort in training, it seems a terrible shame not to be as hydrodynamically efficient as possible. But well done, Madeline. We are very proud of your effort. Anthony Barnes, Narre Warren

Role of schools ... Melbourne Grammar School alumnus Julian Burnside is right to condemn a society-wide trend where young males disrespect females ("School boot camp scandal", Sunday Age, 7/8). However, he is wrong when he says "it is a bit unfair to blame the school". The recent sexist transgressions at boys-only private schools in Melbourne and Sydney should give rise to the question as to why these taxpayer-assisted institutions exist in 2016. Their raison d'etre is surely to insulate boys from malign social influences and inculcate responsibility and empathy. Or so their glossy prospectuses would have us believe. The reality appears closer to the 19th century "muscular Christianity" and anti-"feminisation" ethos which led to their foundation. Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza ... and of parents

As a parent of a girl and two boys, I wish to share my sadness and frustration about the latest single-sex, private school scandal. I do not hold the school responsible. Regardless of the money it costs to educate a boy in such a school, it is the parents' responsibility to set moral codes. My boys have been brought up to respect the opposite sex. What have the private school parents taught their sons? Jennifer Del Prete, Pascoe Vale South A dangerous man Many Americans support Donald Trump because they are sick of political correctness. They should be told that lack of respect for others leads to anger, unrest, violence and more. John Groom, Bentleigh

Australia Card mark II? The Hawke Labor government proposed in 1985 to introduce the Australia Card. It was opposed strongly by the then opposition, and Labor finally abandoned it in 1987. The 2016 census data collection, retention and proposed usage is reminiscent of the original aim of the card as a tool against tax avoidance, and health and social security fraud. Is it another attempt to resurrect the Australia Card? In a different guise, of course. Helena Kilingerova, Vermont Let me tell you ... What is all the fuss about the questions on the census? There was not one that I would not talk about to the person next to me on the tram. (Not that I would bore him or her with it.)

John Mosig, Kew Dubious methodology The census debacle demonstrates why we cannot consider having online voting in elections. Highly paid public servants and consultants seem unable to deliver a robust system. The census has been a deplorable waste of taxpayers' dollars. Its methodology is also questionable. We live in a highly mobile society, so endeavouring to question people for one day only is outdated. One noticeable flaw is the non-inclusion of people who are overseas. Does the Australian Bureau of Statistics have any idea, for example, of the number who have escaped to the European summer? They will not be included in the census. It is time for a new approach to checking Australian demographics. Trish Young, Hampton

The hidden love Re "No sex please, we're gay and Christian" (Sunday Age, 7/8). There is evidence that Jesus was gay, especially in the Greek text of the gospels, the original language in which they were written. Koine Greek was the common language of Israel of the time and the culture was highly Hellenised. Homosexuality was accepted in ancient Greek culture. Evidence for Jesus being gay includes his close relationship with his disciples, the disciple he especially loved (who reclined on his bosom at the Last Supper, which was probably held seated on the floor), the kiss of Judas when Christ was betrayed, and the famous words to his disciples, "Love one another as I have loved you." He was also close to his mother, which is the case with many homosexuals. Paul Knobel, Canberra, ACT Supporting all children Canberra's infamous "boy in a cage" scandal is now being investigated by the United Nations. I have a child with high functioning autism who, fortunately, did not have challenging behaviours and who completed primary and secondary school with the support of aides. I have also worked as an aide at a school for a child with challenging behaviour. A metal cage is not the way to treat any child. The problem is that mainstream schools and teachers are being asked to deal with children who require expert assistance in the right setting. Most schools are not equipped to deal with this. Please fund training for support staff and provide appropriate settings for these children and these incidents will not occur.

Julie Ljiljak, Burwood East A subtle difference One Nation's first NSW senator, Brian Burston, has never been a "University of Newcastle lecturer" (Sunday Age, 7/8). According to his LinkedIn page, he was a part-time teacher at Newcastle College of TAFE, 2009-12. Was the mention of lecturer at a university an attempt to imply that Mr Burston's opinions and One Nation's platform have an intellectual rigor which they do not possess? Joslin Guest, Camberwell Loss of competition
"But what does that mean? No one really knows. I think he wants to create a political force and the starting point is the Tea Party-type potential in Australia. The big question is whether it's something that could ultimately split from the Liberal Party. That's the great fear. For someone who really wants to roll their sleeves up and try to harness that untapped conservative force, you don't actually have to do too much to do it, and the Liberal Party itself certainly isn't doing it." Malcolm Turnbull's government's has a wafer-thin one-seat majority in the lower house. Credit:James Brickwood Another senior Liberal source told Fairfax: "Time, effort and energy are going into it and there are some very confidential conversations that are happening at a federal level, with people discussing whether to embrace what Cory and others are putting together." This source says while there is growing recognition of the need to match the kind of activist network that GetUp! has achieved on the left of politics, there is confusion and disquiet over Bernardi's initiative. Preference whisperer Glenn Druery says the timing "would be perfect for a split". Credit:Andrew Meares

"Do we bring him into the tent or does he want to run his own race? And do you decouple it from the Liberal Party, or try and keep it under the Liberal brand? That's the critical question." Bernardi has made no secret of the fact that his Australian Conservatives are in large part a response to the July 2 election result, which he has branded a "disaster". Pauline Hanson's resurgent One Nation has bagged four Senate seats. Credit:AAP I kind of love fighting ... Yeah, in a metaphorical sense I love the battle as much as anything else. Senator Bernardi told journalist Sally Neighbour in 2011 Pauline Hanson's resurgent One Nation has bagged four Senate seats. And "over 1.7 million votes were cast for right-of-centre or conservative parties rather than the Liberal Party", he wrote in his July 6 blog post.

"From my perspective, that was the Liberal base expressing their unhappiness with past events ... The clear mission now is to bring people together for the good of the country. That is going to take the formalisation of a broad conservative movement," Bernardi said. So far his chosen battlegrounds are, as they have been in the past, overwhelmingly on social issues: pushing back against same-sex marriage, the Safe Schools program, and Islam's interface with the West. Bernardi will be stoking the fires of conservative resistance on all these fronts. In a blog post two weeks ago, he called on the government to rethink accepting extra 12,000 refugees from Iraq and Syria, and renewed his call for a ban on the burqa. Bernardi has twice left the Liberal frontbench: sacked by Malcolm Turnbull in 2009 for "disparaging" fellow South Australian Liberal Christopher Pyne, and resigning from the shadow ministry in 2012 after the furore over his linking same-sex marriage and bestiality. But as he told journalist Sally Neighbour in 2011: "I kind of love fighting ... Yeah, in a metaphorical sense I love the battle as much as anything else." It's not the first time there has been open speculation about whether he might leave the Liberal tent. He quashed it in June 2014, when he addressed the National Press Club in Canberra. Last December he declared, again: "I think people want to make the Liberals work." As recently as two days after the election, he was telling ABC's 7.30 that "what is best for the Australian people is a strong, cohesive and sound Liberal Party".

Still the subterranean talk of a possible splintering of conservatives from the main body of the party continues, driven by the shock of the election result and a deep sense of grievance among the religious right and their fellow conservatives who argue - as Abbott did on ABC's Four Corners this week - that the Liberal Party is being hollowed out by factionalism and careerism. ABC election analyst Antony Green says "there is clearly room in the Australian political spectrum for a party to the right of the Liberals, a right-wing version of the Greens" which could have a "serious impact in the Senate". And preference whisperer Glenn Druery - the man behind the stunning success of micro-parties in the Senate in 2013 - thinks a splinter conservative party "could potentially, if they're clever, pick up a Senate seat in every state and some lower house seats". "Certainly some of the drift to Hanson by the conservative right is because they see the Liberal Party has walked away from them," Druery adds. He points to the government's wafer-thin one-seat majority in the lower house: "As in life, so in politics - timing is everything, and with the numbers as they are now, the timing would be perfect for a split." A splinter party "would effectively be holding a conservative gun at the Liberal Party's head [because] the party would be obliged to accommodate their views on many issues".

Much as Bernardi appears to relish his semi-renegade status, he's an organiser as much as a "bomb thrower", concedes one party colleague. In 2009 he set up the Conservative Leadership Foundation, to nurture promising young right-wingers and promote "the development in each person of the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope and charity." His latest brainchild, the Australian Conservatives, is billed as an "initiative" of the CLF, and both organisations appear to be headquartered at premises at 28 King William Street in the suburb of Kent Town, in his home town of Adelaide. Company and property records show the building, now named CLF House, was bought for a million dollars in February last year by Twenty-Eight KW Pty Ltd, a company owned by Bernardi and his wife, Sinead. As of last month, it carries a substantial mortgage of $750,000. Bernardi declined to answer questions about the ownership and acquisition of the property, including whether his company was receiving rent from any party. "The Senator has asked me to tell you that the only relevant information you need to know is that he has fully complied with his parliamentary obligations," a spokeswoman said. Asked specifically if any money from the Australian Conservatives was going towards funding the building, she replied: "Your questions are not related to the Senator's parliamentary responsibilities and he has no intention of discussing any non-parliamentary matters with you." Loading
Hanging for a retail fix this weekend? We have you covered.

Sales round-up

If the lines on the opening day were anything to go by, the Seed warehouse sale is attracting huge numbers.

Baby and kids' wear starts at $10, with nothing over $50. Be prepared to queue and load up the parking meter, the Stonnington grey ghosts are ruthless.
Montessori schools have moved to distance themselves from controversial political party One Nation after it emerged that the party's Queensland senator, Malcolm Roberts, was involved at a senior level for many years with the private school group in Queensland and internationally.

The newly elected senator, a climate change denier who argues global warming is a socialist conspiracy of the United Nations and a cabal of international bankers, was the chairman of the Brisbane Montessori School in Fig Tree from 1999-2003.

On his professional CV he also touts a personal invitation from Timothy Seldin, chairman of the Montessori Foundation, to join the International Montessori Council's global advisory board, on which he served for eight years from 2000.

The senator, a former coalmine manager, is advocating for a royal commission into climate science as well as a review of the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO's climate change "positions", and wants compensation for residents suffering from what he calls Wind Turbine Syndrome.
"He, as a she, at first asked for relatively modest selfies, such as the young girl in her bra.That was the bait. He purposely did not target obviously attractive girls for this reason, figuring the flattery would work. Then came his switch. The demands escalated rapidly. "He would threaten to expose that image to the girls' school or to their parents," says Stafford, demanding the girls send more explicit images. In many cases, she says, he was able to easily find out where they lived or went to school through social media because the victims had not enabled privacy controls on their pages. Then he would demand that contact between the two moved over to email. This was because he wanted a high volume of pictures and videos sent to him. It also meant that if he didn't already have personal details of his victims he could get them from the emailed images through metadata  such as GPS coordinates  embedded in them. Social media sites in general strip metadata. The female names he used were Chantelle, Jasmine, Christine and Jazzy Sparks.

He amassed 1480 photographs and 41 videos. Some of the victims were in the US and UK; the rest were in Victoria, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Queensland. In person, Watson was an unappealing figure. As part of his defence he had lawyers claim he was bullied at school for having an unusually large head. The garage he lived in was squalid. Towards the end of his three-year spree, Watson had cajoled a 14-year-old girl from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to send him pornographic material. By now he was making specific demands of his victims  what to wear, what to do (which could involve masturbation scenarios with objects, or stripping) and where to do it (usually in their bedroom in front of a mirror). He always insisted the girls looked happy and often requested what one judge described as "classic pornographic poses". The 14-year-old had a little sister, he found out. She was 10. He threatened to go public with the images unless she joined in, and she did, for a while. But it scared her, and because she was just that little bit younger, she was able to tell her mother, who took them to police. The sisters handed over the email address they were sending the images to, and also the fake profile Watson was using.

Stafford tracked both, and Watson was arrested in his garage and his devices  a desktop PC and his two smartphones  were seized. But it wasn't just two victims. It looked like more than 100. The problem now was to find victims and get them to make statements against Watson. Most didn't want to. Once they did begin to talk to more victims, it became clear that Watson was using material from existing victims to lure new ones into his web. Lawyer Andrew Sprague from the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions said Stafford started using signs. "Say he knows his next victim is a 'Karen' and he's already got images of a 'Melissa', he asks Melissa to holda sign telling Karen she is sexy. That would be very convincing for the girls." He says his criminality was very calculated. "He would continue on with a person for six months. The most he went on with one person was 18 months. He would come in and out of their life saying 'I'm back, I want you doing this or that.' They are begging him to stop. But his dialogue back to them was horrendous. He was so relentless." Two victims attempted suicide; one in Queensland and one in the United States. Sprague says the law over digital photographs, internet pornography and children on the internet was still evolving, but the internet and social media was a "new playground" for paedophiles.
An extraordinary battle over a $200 million family fortune has spilled over in court after a spurned wife discovered that her husband bought an apartment for his mistress using family funds.

The unseemly battle has seen the Family Court reject the wife's demand for a $20,000 monthly allowance for living expenses as "excessive" while a judge hit out at the husband's "parsimonious" approach to allowing the wife access to money.

The couple has split up after amassing a $200 million family fortune.

The husband and wife, dubbed Mr Hong and Ms Cao by the Court, have amassed an eye-watering family fortune that consists of at least $27 million in assets in Australia mostly tied up in family companies and trusts.

Ms Cao, 60, and Mr Hong, 54, both migrated to Australia in the 1980s and married in 1996 and have three adult children.
Before he had kids, David Feeney would only find himself in a restaurant at 6pm if a long lunch segued into dinner. Now the Haberfield dad and his wife, Lesley Healy, regularly go out early to dinner with their daughters, Maeve, 5, and Elsa, 4.

They eat out locally, often surrounded by other families with young children. By striking before the dinner rush they get to enjoy a restaurant meal and still get home before the kids' bedtime.

David Feeney, wife Lesley Healy and their girls Elsa and Maeve, at La Disfida restaurant in Haberfield, are part of the trend towards dining out early. Credit:Brook Mitchell

"You want to get them fed before the chaos of 7 o'clock hits," Mr Feeney said. "There's an unspoken agreement [with the restaurant] that you come at six and you're gone by 7.30."

The percentage of Australians dining in the 5-6pm timeslot has jumped by 35 per cent in the past two years, according to a new industry analysis by restaurant reservation website Dimmi.
Uber drivers have been pinged $2 million in less than four months but the Queensland government looks likely to miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in fine revenue.

More than $700,000 in fines to Uber drivers from the latest enforcement spree had already flowed into state coffers by the time Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced plans on Thursday to legalise the service.

Queensland Taxi Council is continuing to pressure the state government over legalization of Uber. Credit:Michelle Smith

But it's understood the government won't hunt down the remainder of the fines issued for illegally providing a taxi service, leaving a shortfall of more than $1.2 million from the $2,014,380 total.

The latest figures come as the government defends a $100 million assistance package for the taxi industry from attacks on both sides.
Crown training scheme for retrenched workers a 'rort'

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"Bastard, slut-lover, c---, pimp."

Clad in a crumpled blue saree and with a butcher's knife in one hand, Richa Chadha's foul-mouthed character Nagma Khatoon is far from a coy and demure Bollywood heroine.

The role, in the much-acclaimed 2012 Gangs of Wasseypur, won the actor the prestigious Filmfare's Critics' Award in India.

Chadha, who is in Australia as part of the 2016 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, says she is the changing face of the world's largest movie industry.
A man has died after his car hit a tree at Vasey in the state's west on Saturday.

Paramedics were called to Natimuk-Hamilton Road just after 1.30pm.

A fatality in Vasey, west Victoria, on Saturday August 13 brings Victoria's road toll to 185 so far this year. Credit:Paul Rovere

Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the man, believed to be in his 60s, was found dead at the scene.

His death brings the state's road toll to 185, 27 more than for this time last year.


National parks such as Wilsons Promontory, the Grampians and Point Nepean should be opened up for more private development to boost the number of people visiting regional Victoria, according to the state's new tourism boss.

A month after being appointed by the Andrews government to oversee the biggest shake-up of the tourism economy in decades, Visit Victoria chief executive Peter Bingeman has called for more hotels, restaurants or nature-based activities to be built in some of the state's most fiercely protected destinations.

Feel the serenity: would a walk in the Grampians be better with a gluhwein or gelati? Credit:Parks Victoria

"There has to be a compromise along the way that allows for very logical, sustainable investment," Mr Bingeman told The Sunday Age, in his first interview since taking on the inaugural role.

"There's no doubt that what we term 'big nature' is a core opportunity for us to drive visitation  not just Melburnians, but also international... We've got some amazing national parks and if we could offer some levels of accommodation that may entice other people to go, it just means more people will enjoy it."
In his 36 years as director of Track Youth Theatre, Ed Bailey was often thanked by parents for bringing shy children out of their shells.

Actor Stephen Curry's parents never had to do this.

Film star Stephen Curry, right, at rehearsals with his old theatre company, Track Youth Theatre in Glen Iris, with its founder, Ed Bailey. Credit:Jason South

In 1984, natural show-off Curry was eight years old, and impatient because the Track entry age was nine.

And so, during the final applause for the Track musical Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Curry leapt on stage from the audience and improvised a comic routine.
Crime rates have got so bad in Caroline Springs, the locals say, that they've taken to calling it "Criminal Springs".

More than 300 residents of the western fringe suburb rallied at the town centre's recreation reserve on Saturday, according to police estimates, to protest against the car jackings and home invasions that are blighting their "beautiful suburb".

Locals rallied in Caroline Springs for more police. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Restaurant owner Richa Walia told the crowds how she and her family were terrorised by a home invasion in the early hours of the morning on July 16.

"They were all of African appearance. They jumped the side fence and came around and smashed a really big rock into a side glass door," Ms Walia said.
A 19-year-old North Bendigo woman has been charged after her mother's best friend was found dead on the side of a highway in central Victoria.

Police believe Tracey Kemp, 45, from Kennington, may have been on the phone to her boyfriend when she was struck by a car about 1am Sunday.

Social media tributes from family and friends of Ms Kemp have remembered her as "a beautiful soul".
Dhaka: A Bangladesh court allowed police on Saturday to continue holding two men in connection with an attack last month claimed by Islamic State that killed 20 hostages at an upscale cafe in the capital, Dhaka police said.

Police told the court they needed more time to interrogate Hasnat Karim, a dual British and Bangladeshi national, and Tahmid Hasib Khan, a student at Toronto University, in connection with the assault on July 1. The families of both men say they are innocent.

Their cases have been marked by confusion. When the two men were remanded in custody earlier this month, police official Masudur Rahman told reporters they had been arrested "from two different places".

But their families say Karim and Khan were dining, separately, with family and friends when gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery. Karim, a 47-year-old engineer, was said to be at the cafe to celebrate his daughter's 13th birthday.
Moscow: President Vladimir Putin has demoted the Kremlin's chief of staff in a dramatic shake-up of Russia's leadership.

Sergei Ivanov, a former KGB officer, was abruptly removed from the post and made special presidential envoy for conservation, environment and transport.

In a televised meeting on Friday, Mr Putin told him: "We have worked for many years together with great success." Mr Ivanov replied: "Thank you for your high assessment of my work over the past 17 years," referring to his service in government since Mr Putin first became prime minister in 1999.

Mr Ivanov added that his four years and eight months as head of the presidential administration made him the longest serving Kremlin chief of staff since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Mr Putin appointed Mr Ivanov's little known deputy, Anton Vaino, as his successor. The reasons for his removal are unclear. Russia's official explanation was that he asked to be moved because he had been too long in the role.
Dubai: At least 10 children were killed and 21 injured in northern Yemen on Saturday, aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said, in what the country's dominant Houthi group said was a Saudi-led air strike on a school.

The tragedy occurred as Yemen's parliament convened for the first time in almost two years, in a move that bolsters the Houthi movement and challenges the Saudi-backed exiled government.

Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, carry the coffin of a fellow Houthi who was killed during fighting against Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in Marib province in May. Credit:AP

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition had no comment on the attack. Saudi Arabia and its allies have launched thousands of air strikes against the Houthis since they drove the internationally recognised government into exile in March 2015.

"@MSF received today 21 injured & 10 deaths in Haydan #Saada. All were under 15 years old," the medical aid group said on its official Twitter account.
Bangkok: Australia has warned its citizens in Thailand to avoid crowded places after a series of co-ordinated bombings hit popular tourist destinations in the country's south.

Thai authorities have revealed that two small bombs were defused at Patong Beach on the island of Phuket on Wednesday.

Two other bombs then exploded in the Patong area on Friday morning, as part of a series of blasts.

Only one person was injured.
Price for Elio Motors Ultra High Mileage/Ultra Low-Cost Vehicle at Historic Level +VIDEO

Summary: Elio Motors the start-up vehicle manufacturer planning to launch a three-wheel vehicle that will get up to 84 mpg, today announced it is establishing a vehicle purchase base price of $7,300* for its non-refundable reservation holders until the company reaches 65,000 total reservations. "We are on the path to launching an extraordinary vehicle, as well, but are setting an even more aggressive and affordable price, and doing so in a way that will create American jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, be better for the environment and strengthen American manufacturing." Establishing a base price will allow the company's non-refundable reservation holders to lock in their purchase price until the company reaches 65,000 total reservations.

PHOENIX - August 12, 2016: Elio Motors the start-up vehicle manufacturer planning to launch a three-wheel vehicle that will get up to 84 mpg, today announced it is establishing a vehicle purchase base price of $7,300* for its non-refundable reservation holders until the company reaches 65,000 total reservations.

Elio Motors aims to disrupt the American transportation industry with its low-cost, highly fuel efficient vehicle, much like Volkswagen did with the Beetle in 1968. The Beetle's $1,699 sticker price from 1968 is $11,767.92 in 2016 dollars.

"Volkswagen entered the market in 1968 with an extraordinary vehicle at an incredible price and shook up the industry," said Elio Motors Founder and CEO, Paul Elio. "We are on the path to launching an extraordinary vehicle, as well, but are setting an even more aggressive and affordable price, and doing so in a way that will create American jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, be better for the environment and strengthen American manufacturing."

Establishing a base price will allow the company's non-refundable reservation holders to lock in their purchase price until the company reaches 65,000 total reservations. It also allows Elio Motors to accept binding purchase commitments from non-refundable reservation holders.

Revised guidelines recently published by the Department of Energy (DOE) in June 2016 now specify that start-up companies need to further demonstrate market acceptance through firm sales commitments. "We have developed more than $350 million in pre-production sales with over 56,000 reservations, with the vast majority being non-refundable," said Elio.

Because Elio Motors has applied for a $185 million Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan from the DOE, the company is now seeking the necessary binding purchase commitments to meet the recent change in loan criteria. As an extra incentive for the non-refundable reservation holders, the company will lock in the vehicle price at an even lower $7,000* base price for those that make a binding commitment to purchase within the first 65,000 reservations.

"We applaud the DOE's recent ATVM guidelines, as it raises the bar for companies like Elio Motors," Elio said. "Anything that makes us work harder to strengthen our company is ultimately going to be good for our future customers, our team members, our shareholders and the communities where we build, sell and service the Elio."

Over the past several months, Elio Motors' progress toward production has been accelerating. Among milestones that the company has achieved recently:

Raising nearly $17 million through a Regulation A+ stock offering

through a Regulation A+ stock offering Publicly listing its stock on the OTCQX;

Raised over $20 million in rewards crowdfunding selling place in line reservations

in rewards crowdfunding selling place in line reservations Launching its innovative new ePlus mass personalization system, and

Unveiling the E1A, the first in a series of engineering vehicles utilized for final testing and validation purposes.

"We have always taken extraordinary positive measures to do whatever it takes to move our company forward, utilizing policies such as Regulation A+, or loan programs such as the ATVM," Elio said. "Both of these tools have been put in place through government and private sector collaboration. The legislators who have put these programs in motion are creating an atmosphere where innovative companies can flourish and move our economy forward."

Elio Motors offers reservations of $100, $250, $500 and $1,000. There are two types of reservations -- non-refundable and refundable. As an added incentive for non-refundable reservations, a limited time 25 percent bonus on their reservation will be applied to the purchase of their Elio. For example, if someone puts $1,000 down today, they will receive an additional $250 toward their Elio at the time of purchase. Currently, the company has over 56,000 reservations total.

About Elio Motors

Founded by car enthusiast Paul Elio in 2009, Elio Motors Inc. represents a revolutionary approach to manufacturing an ultra-high-mileage vehicle. The three-wheel Elio is engineered to attain a highway mileage rating of up to 84 mpg while providing the comfort of amenities such as power windows, power door lock, cruise control and air conditioning accompanied by the safety of multiple air bags and an aerodynamic, enclosed vehicle body. Elio's first manufacturing site will be in Shreveport, La.

*MSRP for non-refundable reservations only and applies only until non-refundable and refundable reservations total 65,000. Total current reservations can be seen at: https://www.eliomotors.com/. MSRP excludes destination/delivery charges, taxes, title, registration, and options/installation.
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Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi...
This week, news that a former University of Colorado student will not spend time in prison despite being convicted of sexually assaulting an intoxicated woman seemed to echo the Brock Turner case at Stanford.

On the surface, it seemed like another white, privileged college kid with an all-American name had gotten off easy: convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, Turner was sentenced to six months in jail.

The Turner case dominated the news cycle in early June, particularly after the victims powerful, graphic impact statementoriginally published in BuzzFeed after Turners sentencingwent viral. CNNs Ashleigh Banfield choked back tears while reading the entire statement aloud on broadcast television.

Congress set aside a full hour during which 19 membersRepublican and Democrat, male and femaletook turns reading the victims letter to her assailant. Judge Aaron Persky was widely and loudly condemned for Turners six month jail sentence by everyone from Vice President Joe Biden to Channing Tatum and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY).

Despite its similarities, the Boulder case has notyet at leastgarnered the same volume of headlines and outraged national attention.

In May, a jury found 22-year-old Austin Wilkerson guilty on one count of sexual assault of a helpless victima felony crime that carries up to a 12-year prison sentenceand one count of unlawful sexual contact.

Though Turner was convicted on three felony charges including intent to rape, Wilkersons crime was similar to Turners in that hed digitally penetrated the victim, a freshman at the university, while she was incapacitated by alcohol.

Prosecutors argued that he isolated and raped the half-conscious victim. District Judge Patrick Butler sentenced Wilkerson to two years in a jail work-release program, plus a minimum of 20 years probation uniquely for sex offenders.

Unlike Turner, who maintained that the incident was consensual after a jury found him guilty, Wilkerson confessed that he digitally and orally penetrated the woman while he wasnt getting much of a response from her.

Unlike Turner, who blamed party culture at Stanford for circumstances that led to the assault, Wilkerson apologized for his crime before he was sentenced. I sexually assaulted [the victim] No words I can say could ever take away from the pain and fear that I have caused. Nothing I say can make it better, but I am so sorry.

But Wilkerson changed his story on several occasions before admitting wrongdoing. At trial, he initially claimed the victim, now 21, wasnt intoxicated and had participated passionately in their encounter in March 2014. Hed previously told a university investigator that he made repeated advances on the victim, but that she rebuffed him each time, and that he was pissed off and called the victim a fucking bitch, according to court documents.

A pre-sentence report recommended that Wilkerson get probation rather than jail time, but prosecutors sought a prison sentence.

This defendant raped a helpless young woman after duping the people around her into believing he was going to care for her, tried to cover up his crime, and then repeatedly lied about what he did, including under oath, they wrote to the judge before his decision.

Wilkersons roommate had seen him give the victim water and take both her pulse and temperature, according to court documents. After he assaulted the victim, he texted her friend who then thanked him for caring for the victim, prosecutors wrote.

The Probation Department recommended no prison time for Wilkerson based on his ultimate show of remorse, citing his impressive acceptance of responsibility, but prosecutors had requested four to 20 years in prison. Deputy District Attorney Lisa Saccomano argued that Wilkerson displayed a pattern of highly deceptive, manipulative behavior.

Reached by The Daily Beast on Friday, the district attorneys office said they were not giving further interviews at this time. Wilkersons attorney, Michael Cohen, did not return a request for comment.

It was a five-day display of arrogance, entitlement, privilege and blatant disregard for the role of law, Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Gatz said during a pre-sentence report. This defendant on the witness stand admitted he is willing to lie to gain an advantage to himself.

Judge Butler conceded that he, too, was troubled by Wilkersons testimony.

I do have some concerns over, as I would describe it as, ways he tried to play the system, Butler said in court.

The judge also said he had struggled, to be frank, with the idea of Do I put him in prison?

He noted that under Colorado law, Wilkerson wouldnt have been released until he was deemed fit, which means that even a very short prison sentence could become a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

Mr. Wilkerson deserves to be punished, but I think we all need to find out whether he truly can or cannot be rehabilitated.

Here, too, Judge Butler echoed Judge Aaron Persky, whose lenient sentence inspired a recall election campaign to unseat him.

In most of these cases, you do not have things that are present in the Turner case, Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor and family friend of Turners victim who is leading the recall campaign, told The Daily Beast. You dont have three felony convictions by a jury. You do not have DNA evidence. You dont have the perpetrator apprehended at the scene with an erection in his pants.

This guy is guilty in a hundred different ways. If [six months in jail] is the sentence for a case like that, what hope do we have of obtaining anything like it in a host of other cases which have less overwhelming evidentiary scenarios?

When asked the Turner case received more national attention than the Wilkerson case, Dauber cited the particular power of the victims statement in the Stanford case, which she called a both literary and personal accomplishment.

So many women heard themselves and their stories in her story, Dauber wrote in an email.

In addition, the fact that he was a recruited athlete at the top university in the U.S. if not the world, that it happened in public, that there were eyewitnesses and DNA evidencethe whole package just made the outrage that much greater when all those facts were treated with such solicitude by the judge. It was the perfect storm.

As of Friday afternoon, an online petition calling for Judge Butler to lose his job had garnered 18,087 signaturesup from 8,300 earlier in the day. Similar to what happened in the Brock Turner case, Judge Butler decided that Austins future was more important than his victims, the petition reads. For this unjust sentencing, we demand that Judge Butler be removed from the bench in Colorado. District judges are appointed by the governors office and cannot be unseated in a recall election, the Daily Camera reported.

The victim in the Wilkerson case has released her impact statement in full to the public, detailing her emotional and psychological damage from both the assault and the process of reporting it to university officials.

When Im not having nightmares of rape, retaliation, or retrial that goes awry, Im having panic attacks, she said, remarking that she now suffers from persistent anxiety and depression. About a month after the assault, I tried to kill myself because of the impact of the sexual assault. Some days I cant even get out of bed, let alone do four readings, projects, and study for tests But worst of all is the victim-blaming.

She asked the court to have as much mercy for the rapist as he did for me the night of the sexual assault, which was none.

Still, she said that the whole ordeal of trying to bring her assailant to justice had been therapeutic, and that other brave survivors eerily familiar stories have inspired me to share my story that rape isnt always a stranger in the bushes.
ATHENS  In a neighborhood of shuttered shops and crumbling 19th century buildings less than a mile from the Acropolis, someone has scrawled a graffito on the side of a downtown building here: No Public Toilets, Mr. Mayor! Most of the nearby graffitithe words Sold Out beneath a drooping-eyed beggar, the advice Kill Them All in blocky red letterssimmers with rage or despair. But this message to the mayor is unique in its multi-sensory assault. Just beneath it on the sidewalk is a three-dimensional illustration of the lack of public toilets: a heap of human shit.

This squalid little tableau on Aristophanes Street, named for the great comic playwright of classical Athens, is one of many visible signs of urban disintegration surrounding Omonoia square. Whole blocks appear largely abandoned, the streets strewn with trash and the buildings sprayed with ugly, hate-poisoned graffiti. Metal grates and deadbolts secure the few remaining businesses, but commerce and legal habitation have essentially vanished in some areas. On a recent weekday afternoon two men on Aristophanes Street rummaged through an overflowing dumpster for glass bottles. A man sat behind them on the sidewalk, guiding a needle into a vein on his arm.

There is a certain historical irony to the fact that Omonoia is the epicenter of Athens civic deterioration. A key term in Aristotles Politics, Omonoia means together-minded and is often translated as concord, or even more loosely as political friendship. Its a force that binds the citizens of a city together through shared values that promote human flourishing. Athens, like many cities around the world, conspicuously fails to manifest this Aristotelian ideal, coming much closer to the state of class warfare that Platos Socrates describes in the Republic. If distribution of wealth is too unequal, Socrates says, what is ostensibly a single city will in fact be two cities at war with one another, that of the rich and that of the poor.

Aristophanes, with his love of jokes about sex and farts, might seem to be the ancient author least likely to offer insight into the relations between wealth, ethics, and political unity. Yet his play Wealth, first produced in 388 B.C. when he was nearly 60, is a comic meditation on precisely these themes. After the devastation of the Peloponnesian War and the Corinthian War, Athens was a fallen power, its political sway and economic might greatly reduced. The parallel to contemporary Greece was seemingly strong enough to motivate this summers production of the play at outdoor theaters from Epidaurus to Olympia. In some of these adaptations, the character playing the goddess Poverty was costumed to suggest the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a strong proponent of the austerity measures that have been alternately criticized for hobbling the Greek economy and praised for limiting the Greek governments riotous and wasteful spending.

The title character of Aristophaness play is the god Wealth, a wrinkled, bald, and toothless old man, unwashed and hunched with age. But his most important feature is blindness, which leads him to indiscriminately visit the good and bad alike. Thus many corrupt and wicked people become rich, while many virtuous and good ones remain poor. The play begins, in short, with the world as we know ita place where people like Donald Trump can thrive. But after chancing upon Wealth, an old farmer takes the god to the healing sanctuary of Asclepius in order to cure his blindness. With his sight restored, Wealth can now bestow his blessings on the deserving. The play appears to end with the correction of a basic moral flaw in the worldin the future virtuous people will finally enjoy prosperity as their just reward.

But a disquieting possibility disturbs this fairytale ending: what if wealth actually corrodes the virtue it is supposed to reward? This argument is advanced by the goddess Poverty, who claims that without her motivating presence people wouldnt produce anything. Every craftsman feels that he is my slave, she says, I sit beside him, compelling him by sheer need to seek a way of earning a livelihood. Without her, tailors, brick makers, shipbuilders, cobblers, and tanners will all cease working. Worst yet, slaves wont be able to fill the labor vacuum because there will be no slaves. Anyone who might consider selling a slave will already have enough money and thus lack the incentive to do so. To those who want to reward good people with wealth, Poverty responds that they are good only because they lack it.

Work ethic is not the only virtue that Poverty says Wealth will destroy. I give you better men than wealth ever can, better in body and better in mind, she says. He gives you all sorts of cripples: gout here, potbellies there, dropsy in the calves, obesity beyond all bounds, while I give you lean, wiry, wasp-like men, deadly to their enemies. In short, Wealth makes fat and cowardly invalids.

In such radical form, her argument is not hard to counter. Extreme poverty, as one character observes, produces suffering and misery, not virtue. It also drives men to thieving and burglary. Povertys reply is one of the plays most fascinating passages. She accepts the legitimacy of these points, but distinguishes between poverty and pauperism. The man who walks in my ways never has suffered and never will suffer the privations you speak of. You were talking about a pauper, who has absolutely nothing to live on. Poverty is quite different. It means living a thrifty life, sticking to your job, not having anything to spare, but not having to go short either. In todays terms, shes essentially arguing for the necessity of a robust middle class.

Since the Greek economy nearly imploded last year, analysis of the collapse has clustered around two explanations. One account, filtered to varying degrees through the language of economics, stresses some essential Mediterranean languor deep in the Greek soul. This aversion to work, apparently unshared by the virtuous countries of northern Europe, made the crisis both inevitable and deserved. Austerity is thus a necessary incentive to stimulate Greek productivity. The argument has a strong affinity to the claim of Aristophaness goddess Povertythat she inspires virtue and diligence in those she touches.

The second account paints Greece as an innocent, hard-working victim of German and European predation and claims the crisis is just the latest chapter in a long story of strong countries extracting wealth from weaker ones. Austerity unfairly punishes the just and deserving. This argument shares the yearning of Aristophaness characters who restore sight to the god Wealth. If the world was fair, the poor, virtuous Greeks would be rewarded with wealth.

But what exactly does a virtuous person do with wealth? To hoard it or flaunt it risks compromising the very goodness that wealth rewards. Lest we miss the implied conclusion, Aristophanes makes things perfectly obvious in a scene featuring a character simply named Good Man. Good Man promptly gives away his money to friends who need it.

Theres an enduring paradox at the heart of this play that remains deeply relevant: those who deserve wealth by definition tend not to care much about having it. And those who have it risk becoming the sort of people who dont deserve it. Whether the figures debating these issues are the allegorical gods of an ancient drama, the political leaders of Greece and Germany, or the presidential candidates of modern American politics, Aristophaness wise comedy illuminates both the dangers of wealth without virtue and the promise of a middle class that is neither corrupted by excess nor pained by indigence.
In the 15 years since he first published his account of being Princess Dianas bodyguard, Diana; Closely Guarded Secret, former royal protection squad police officer Ken Wharfe, Princess Dianas bodyguard, has been called many things.

A traitor, a sell-out, and a disgrace to the uniform are among the more printable of the assorted insults levelled at him.

And now, with the republication of his memoirwhich offers an on-the-spot account of Dianas tumultuous life as Princess of Walesto mark the 25th anniversary of Dianas death, those allegations that he penned nothing more than a spectacular posthumous betrayal of Dianas trust are being aired again.

In the book he writes in exhaustive detail about Dianas love affairs, especially her relationship with James Hewitt. William and Harry were known to be disgusted by the torrent of revelations the book contained.

And they are unlikely to be delighted to see those coals being raked over again.

But Wharfe, speaking to The Daily Beast by phone from his London home, is, not surprisingly, unrepentant, and claims he was doing Dianas legacy a service with his tell-all tale.

I think one has to look at the reasons as to why I wrote the book in the first place, he says. I wrote it following Dianas death when there was a huge campaign from the spin doctors working within St. Jamess Palace for the Prince of Wales to effectively airbrush Diana out of history and make way for Camilla.

There were suggestions and allegations from people within the Prince of Waless camp, they were going public on television and radio saying that Diana was damaged, she was paranoideven friends of the queen were saying she was damaged goods.

And I was thinking, Well hang on a minute, this wasnt the woman that I was working for.

Wharfes argumentthat there was a whispering campaign that Diana was mentally illis completely true. It was the only topic of conversation in aristocratic drawing rooms for about five years either side of her death.

It was also, as Wharfe makes clear, a gross slander.

Of course she wasnt mentally ill, he explodes when I ask the question, That was one of the many reasons I put pen to paper, because Im thinking, Well hang on a minute, theres someone out there is trying to do this woman down serious big time, because she wasnt damaged goods.

What she was, was incredibly unhappy. If she was mentally ill she would not have been able to continue with her work which was relentless.

I mean people talk about the hard work of the royals. Yes, the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and indeed the Prince of Wales, they do work hard. But, you know, its not a difficult job what they do. But what Diana did, that was. She put so much more into her work; it wasnt just a courteous thrust of an arm and, Hello, what are you doing next? She was engaging with people and that is why she became so popular because people identified with Diana as a person.

Diana was breaking new ground in modernizing the royal family by moving it into the 21st century. They didnt like that. But after she died, within a very short period of time the royal family thought, Hang on a minute, maybe we lost something here.

Who would have thought back then that the queen herself would have taken part in a James Bond spoof to land in the Olympic stadium?

Who would have thought that the Prince of Wales would have gone and read the weather forecast on the BBC News? If Diana had done that they would have said, Oh shes seeking attention again.

Stillhow did it feel to be labelled a traitor by those two young princes he once worked so tirelessly to protect, William and Harry?

No member of the royal family ever contacted me to say they were pissed off. One or two police officers through the media threatened to halt the book and deny me of my pension and whatever. Of course none of these things ever happened. Its annoying but I dealt with it, and dealt with the critics. It wasnt a pleasant experience, but if you write something like this you have to be prepared to stand up and answer questions.

I dont think I let the service down. All I did was write a memoir. The whole point of a memoir is that you have to write it as it was, and sometimes thats not always what people want to hear.

Wharfe argues that his book is an important part of the Diana database.

I was very chuffed when David Starkey, the renowned historian, went on air and said, I dont know what all the fuss is about. Here you have somebody that was actually working with her, this is actually what history is made of because that person can say he was actually there.

Wharfe writes with a curious mixture of affection and contempt about Dianas most famous boyfriend, James Hewitt. He cant quite hide his distaste for his lack of gentlemanly behavior after the affair, but the reader is also keenly aware that Wharfe believed the affair was important to keeping Diana happy and sane and able to carry on.

When he was in the relationship with Diana they wouldnt meet every other day. The relationship was spread over nearly a two-year period, with a day together occasionally, once a month or once every three to four weeks.

It was very important to Diana because she was very unhappy in her relationship with Charles.

Was Charles and Camillas affair the primary cause of Dianas misery?

100 percent. When Diana came into this relationship, she was told Camilla was still a friend of the Prince of Wales. Now, Diana, like most people, would have, thought, Well, OK, its all over now and its nice that they are friends.

But the fact is that Camilla never went out of the relationship. And Diana wasnt prepared to live with that.

She wasnt the sort of wife who thought it was OK for the Prince of Wales to have mistresses. She didnt want that, she wasnt prepared to do that but unfortunately the prince wasnt prepared to relinquish Camilla. It destroyed the relationship. The separation and subsequent divorce was as a result of his affair and relationship with another woman. It was that simple. Thats why it ended.

I defy anybody in a similar situation after a period of time not to have an affair. It was never my role to moralize on what Diana should or shouldnt do. I was only concerned with her safety.

But did he like Hewitt?

I didnt dislike him at all. Why would I dislike him? It was important to like him because he was quite important to me. I needed him to tell me things, things that perhaps that Diana forgot to tell me.

Such as what?

Well, you know, if they were planning to meet sometime in the future, it was helpful for me to know rather than me find it out second handor not find out about it at all until the last minute. At least I could formulate and provide a protection package then.

To be fair to Hewitt, he did keep his mouth shut, and very rarely if at all were we ever papped by any photographers. That was always an anxiety for Diana. But the security was never compromisedand throughout my time actually working with her the security was never compromised.

Although Wharfe writes in his book about how Diana was grievously wounded by bogus claims that Hewitt was Harrys father, Hewitt himself has been encouraging such speculation in recent years through his collaboration with playwright Jon Conway.

I saw the play. It was a good piece of theater but it was full of untruths. I mean Hewitt is entitled to say, I might have been Harrys father but he isnt. He wasnt there at the right time, the facts dont add up.

Wharfe doesnt directly say that Hewitt may have taken to titillating the public with loose allegations for financial gain and attention, but he comes pretty close: He went through a pretty rough time following his departure from the army. Ive no particular grudge against him and I really dont want to make any comment about what he does now.

Wharfe is adamant that claims that Diana was murdered as part of a conspiracy are nonsense.

My views are very clear on this. Its a subject that Ive researched, I speak about, I was a witness at the coroners inquest here in London and was cross-examined for most of the day about it.

My belief is that Diana died in a tragic car accident that could and should have been avoided. Its not difficult for me to sayI dont want to personally blame Trevor Rees-Jones who was the bodyguard on the night, or his colleague Kes Wingfield, but they were responsible for her safety that night and they failed.

They failed because they allowed a drunken man, Henri Paul, a man with no security experience at all apart from guarding property at a hotel, to drive a vehicle whilst under the influence of drink. They allowed him to drive, they allowed him to go via a rear exit door which led to the fatal mistake to try and outrun the paparazzi, because all that does is actually excite them.

They failed to inform the police, they failed to ask the police for assistance, they failed to contact the British Embassy in Paris to ask for assistance.

They failed because they didnt make her wear a seatbelt. What else do I need to say? There was no conspiracy. You know, how the hell can you conspire to kill somebody at 80 miles an hour by hitting a concrete pillar in the Alma tunnel?

He rejects conspiracy theories that have suggested the royal family itself was somehow implicated in her death.

There wasnt one member of the royal family that was in any way pleased about her death. Of course they werent. Conspiracy theories abound but the point is, there were two inquests into this, one in France, one in the United Kingdom. They resolved it without question. There was no conspiracy.

There was a huge amount of sadness, from her ex-husband, from every single member of the royal family because, you know, nobody ever expected this.
On the evening of August 30, 1994, a young drug addict broke down the rear door of a home in central Detroit. Back then, during the peak of the Great American Crime Wave, such a story was depressingly familiar. Crime was so ubiquitous, such burglaries rarely made the headlines, even when they turned violent. This crime, however, was different.

The elderly widow who lived in the house discovered a drunk who claimed to have chased an intruder away. He demanded a tip. She went upstairs for her pocketbook and gave him three dollars. He followed her, demanding more. When she refused, he hit her. I tried to defend myself and grabbed his shirt, she later recalled. Even at 81 years of age, I felt it was my right to defend myself. Hitting her again and shaking her violently, he threatened worse. Terrified, she gave him $53.

The crime generated outrage because when the intruder Joseph Skipper entered, he recognized his victim. Hey, arent you Rosa Parks? Skipper asked. The civil rights legend answered yes, but it didnt help. After the crime, it took 50 minutes before the police arrived. The street justice, however, was swift. All of the thugs on the Westside went looking for him, one friend recalled, and they beat the hell out of him.

As the black community erupted in recriminations, debating whether Skippers crime reflected a values crisis among African-American youth, an unlikely benefactor stepped in. According to Parks biographer Douglas Brinkley, General Motors quietly helped her pay for a high-rise condo at Riverfront Towers in Detroit. She said that GM didn't do so for publicity purposes. Just a good deed, Brinkley reports.

This happy ending to a terrible 1990s episode united two icons of 1950s America, reflecting the kind of all-American decency we no longer associate with corporations  yet need today. In the 1950s, General Motors was the quintessential American corporation, epitomized by the misquoted expression whats good for GM is good for America. GM executives were the ultimate Men in Gray Flannel Suits, middle managers for whom doing their jobs was profitable and patriotic. GM autoworkers were the shock troops of Americas great post-World War II achievement, establishing the worlds first mass middle class civilization. Americas consensus culture united the bosses, the bossed, their wives, and their kids. Americas Republic of Something stood for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, providing a social script propping up consensus institutions including the family, the school, the church. Even when deviating from the script, most derived comfort from the certainties and shared goals.

Alas, racism, sexism, and other bigotries provided some of the glue that connected this Republic of Something and some of the fuel that ran it. In 1955, Rosa Parks, was a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, often victimized by these American pathologies. One December afternoon, she refused to yield her seat to a white man and move to the colored area in the back of the bus, as three other blacks sitting next to her had just done. Years later, rejecting the part of the legend that she was old and tired, she emphasized, I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

Rosa Parks act of defiance triggered a revolution. The resulting 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott by blacks who refused to ride in the back of the bus anymore, resulted in a Supreme Court ruling invalidating the citys Jim Crow segregation laws, nearly bankrupted the bus company before the city surrendered, and produced a new leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. Parks lost her job at the Montgomery Fair Department store, and soon moved with her husband Raymond to Detroit. This granddaughter of slaves would be lionized by the US Congress as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. She became the first woman to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol when she died.

On the thirtieth anniversary of her great stand, Rosa Parks would say: At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. I certainly wouldn't change anything in my fight for freedom. Not everything changed, of course. When her biographer Doug Brinkley contacted the bus driver from that day, seeking an interview, James F. Blake cursed him in a racist rage.

Nevertheless, Rosa Parks represents the glorious Republic of Everything that emerged, a country more open, more welcoming, more pluralistic, less racist, less sexist than Parks would ever have dared imagine. Tragically, amid all the blessed changes, America also lost something. Too many modern Americans languish in a Republic of Nothing, a place that lost its soul. Millions of Americans live lives of violence, drift, anger, alienation. General Motors is more often deemed an evil corporate predator than a bulwark of the American dream  and too often earns the contempt. Many GM workers have lost their jobs to robots or foreigners, and many still working the assembly line find their cost of living has outpaced their salaries  even with husbands and wives working.

During this presidential campaign, the nominees should be articulating a vision of their Republic of Something, defining a new American consensus, rooted in the best of the past while applying the newly acquired wisdom of the present to forge an exciting future. But as the new American nihilist, a demagogue who contradicts himself mid-riff, Donald Trump represents a different dimension of the Republic of Nothing, rallying the alienated, indulging their anger, hoping to divide and conquer rather than inspire and heal. And, too frequently, Hillary Clinton, an heiress to Rosa Parks greatness, is so busy playing to the Republic of Everything, stoking her coalition of different identity groups, she fails to forge one nation out of many.

Perhaps learning about that one, unsung, gesture, that one good deed, from the big but not so bad GM to the little lady who made a great revolution, can remind us of the great promise that is America, and our joint challenge to welcome an array of individual and group voices, expressing themselves to the fullest, while harmonizing them all into a powerful national chorus that brings out our liberal democratic best, not our worst.
Your correspondent Mr. Nale made a business trip last week to Acton, California, to interview a pig. Your other correspondent is not as young as he used to be and stayed homemissing not only the pig but a goat, two friendly cows, one cow that was not friendly, a lisping turkey called Madeline, and a couple of hundred other animals, give or take, each with a story to tell. Some of them have fallen out of trucks on the highway, some have been mutilated, some abandoned. Terrible stories.

The good news is we promise not to make you listen to 200 of them today.

What we are here about today is retirement.

In particular, the retirement of Jon Stewart, who was not long ago the host of a brilliant TV program. Or so says Mr. Nale, who posits Stewart may have offered us the best late-night television ever. As mentioned, your other correspondent isnt as young as he used to be and Jon Stewart came on after his bedtime.

In any case, retirement. In the animal kingdom, retirement usually means somebody younger comes along and eats you. From what I have seen of the movie business, its the same thing. Jon Stewart, though? He is too youngwhat is he thinking?

Here is a story about retirement. For the last 30 or 40 years of his working life, a man named Larry McMullen wrote a newspaper column for the Philadelphia Daily News. Larry was from South Philadelphia, and the best match of a newspaper columnist to a city I ever saw. He wrote five days a week (and later four and then three), burning it at both ends, you could saymost big papers these days only ask for one a weekand somehow toward the end of all the years, he lost track of how much it meant: how much he meant to the paper, to the city itself, and how much the column meant to him.

Meanwhile, the big squeeze was underway everywhere in the businesspapers going under, cutting staff, cutting size, cutting the news holeand to meet stock-market expectations, papers all over the country were paying employees to quit. Buyouts, aimed in particular at the old timers making the most money.

Without going into his reasons, he allowed himself to be bought out. For something less than a years salary and a year or so of health-care insurance, etc., he gave up the best job a newspaperperson can have, with nothing particularly in mind to take its place. But celebrity or not, as soon as you dont matter as much to the people around you, you dont matter as much to yourself.

McMullen saw his mistake and tried to un-retire his way back onto Page 2, but for reasons I will never understand the paper wouldnt deal. Maybe up in the corporate offices they were afraid of setting a precedent. So Larry looked around for some decent-paying freelance writing jobs, but his talent was specific in many ways to Philadelphia, and specific to newspapers, and you probably had to already know something about the place and the people to understand how good his stuff was. And even if that hadnt been the case, jobs worth doing (financially) were hard to come by, and went to big-time magazine writers on contracts anyway. So Larry looked around for some not-so-worth-doing-financially jobs, and there werent any of those around either. All his dead-on insights into the city didnt mean a thing.

In the end he stumbled on to a local magazine. The way he explained it to me was that a couple of well-heeled Philadelphians had decided it might be exciting to publish a slick-paper magazine, and didnt have any words to put inside it. They said they wanted Larrys wordswhich he found flattering, even if it was not much money. A hundred dollars now and then, when he used to make 15 or 20 times that for the same amount of work.

So Larry wrote for the well-off Philadelphians, and sometimes allowed them to use old columns that had run in the newspaper years earlier. It turned out, though, that the well-off Philadelphians were on a budget, and the new publishers began to hedge on even the little paymentssometimes a hundred dollars, and other times nothing at all.

Nothing, that is, except a promise, and the promise was to publish a collection of McMullens columns. The job hed walked away from at the Daily News was suddenly more important to him than hed known when he was doing it. He asked me to write a foreword for the collection, which turned out not to be as hard as Id thought. The way you do that, if anybody ever asks you, is you sit down and write what you wish somebody would write about you.

Before that, though, I warned him it was hard times in the book business, and getting a collection of local columns published by a real publishing houseno matter how good the columns werewas impossible.

Larry believed he had it covered. All the stuff hed done for little pay and no pay, it was all in exchange for publishing his collection. Larry missed the newspaper work, but at the time we talked about the collection what he missed most was being the guy who did the work. He said he wanted the collection, So at least my grandchildren will know I was somebody once. It was a handshake deal, and you probably already see it coming.

I did, and didnt push the conversation one inch farther. I wrote the foreword. Larry had already gone through thousands of columnsdozens and dozens of hoursand culled his stuff to maybe a hundred pieces, and one of the saddest phone calls I ever got came a month later, when he called to apologize for wasting my time. The well-heeled folk said there had been a misunderstanding. Their understanding was that Larry had been doing all that work for the prestige of appearing in the pages of an empty little magazine nobody ever heard of. And that, as they say, is that, except to mention that McMullen and I shared an office for years, and he was much smarter than this incident makes him sound and he was inside-out honest.

In the end, I made a few calls to publishers, to agentsthe only chance he had was with one of the local college presses, but they were in the same mess as the rest of the publishing world, and while I never talked to an editor who didnt admire the columns, as a practical matter of business, the answer was always no.

So Larry died, but before that happened he at least came around to seeing that he didnt need a collection of columns to show anybody anything. For 30 or 35 yearsthe last two-thirds of his working life or sohe was the best newspaper columnist in the fourth-biggest city in America. A 30-year dialogue with the people he knew best and understood. That was who Larry McMullen was and what he did. His only problem was he quit while he could still do the work, and he was good enough at it that nothing else he could do afterward had a chance of meeting that high standard.

Which is the long way around, I know, of getting back to Jon Stewart and your younger correspondents business trip to Acton, where Farm Sanctuary Animal Acres sits on a plot of desert, one of four such retreats in the country. This is the work Stewart and his wife, Tracy, mean to do now that hes through with regular television.

Admittedly its a strange fit, the television star and broken animals, but it also makes a kind of sense:

Jimmy the pig, turned over to the shelter by a homeless man who said he couldnt take care of him anymore.

A cow named Bruno who fell off a truck on I-14 near Palmdale, just about ruining his legs; his companion Paolo, who bears foot-long scars from a coyote attack and whose previous owner had closed the wounds with duct tape.

Maria, who escaped from a goat farm where, as a milking goat, she was kept barefoot and pregnant, and as a matter of business, her newborns were slaughtered as they came out. Goats, it turns out, are attached to their offspring, and mourn their deaths as deeply as humans.

The place is run, in the words of your correspondent, by a steer with large horns and balls halfway to the ground. Also by a woman called Breezy, who smiles when the correspondent suggests making friends with what we, back in the home office, are going to say is a bull. Everything else out here is friendly, observes your correspondent, but now that he thinks it over, something in the way the animal watches tells him not to make friends. The cows name is Mr. Ed, and he does in fact watch until Mr. Nale is back in his truck and headed up the road.

For a sweeter ending, we visit Madeline, once a factory turkey. She lisps, but then factory turkeys are always clipped, meaning the tips of their beaks and sometimes their toes are cut off, to prevent fights.

Yes, you might be thinking, shes only a turkey, but Madelines pawing the ground, cant wait to visit.

Breezy sits down on the dirt floor of the pen, and the turkey climbs into her lap. It comes to your reporter that Jon Stewart would also look comfortable with a turkey in his lap. One of her wings comes up and around, and if she is not hugging the woman, it is something very close, pushing up into her chest, making excited noises that you probably dont know can come out of a turkey and then she quiets and settles into a kind of rapture, and she purrs.

So maybe Jon Stewart knows what hes doing.

Maybe the key to retirement is as simple as a better class of pig.
I am going into the very bowels of the Confederacy, wrote William Tecumseh Sherman early in 1864 to his superiors in the Union command, and will leave a trail that will be recognized fifty years hence. It seemed at the time a rather over-the-top pronouncement from the Civil Wars most quotable and strategically sophisticated general.

Yet in hindsight, its clear that Uncle Billy had understated the impact of his deep incision into the enemys heartland. Even today, the trail of terror and destruction wrought by his army in Georgia and the Carolinas remains indelibly fixed in the collective consciousness of the American South. And the strategic rationale behind Shermans famous march continues to be a subject of intense study and controversy among historians, as a torrent of biographies over the last thirty or so years attests.

For the first two years of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln and the Union command made a sharp distinction between their armys treatment of Confederate combatants and Southern civilians. The former were to be attacked with the utmost violence, and if necessary, annihilated; the latter treated with restraint and respect. As the war ground on into its third year with casualties mounting at a ghastly rate and no Union victory on the horizon, it was Shermannot Ulysses S. Grant or Lincolnwho most forcefully called into question the viability of that policy, and put forward a devastatingly effective alternative.
Court weighs future of Iowa's 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban

Lawyers argued in court on Friday over whether Iowa should reinstate a 2018 law banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy.
NORWALK  Heres good news for students who need help paying for college. This week, Norwalk Community College received $1,113,585 in funding from the Connecticut Office of Higher Education for scholarship grants awarded by the Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Program (RWSP). The money is available now for eligible students. NCC fall classes begin Monday, Aug. 29.

This is a terrific opportunity for students who want to attend NCC, said NCC President David L. Levinson, Ph.D. If financial concerns have been holding you back from registering, this scholarship could open the door. And scholarships are like free money  you dont have to pay them back.
In her roles as mother, teacher, and poet, Anne Bradstreet emerged as a chief voice of a remarkable generation that exercised lasting influence over the American colonies and later over the American Republic.

In June 1630, an eighteen-year-old woman aboard a ship called the Arbella listened with her shipmates to a series of sermons by John Winthrop that would eventually be published under the title, A Model of Christian Charity. Though we might be tempted to think of her almost as a child, Anne Bradstreet had already been married for two years at that point, and her formal schooling exceeded that of all but the most highly educated people today. Her initial reaction to life in the New World was one of skepticism. Like most of her fellow Massachusetts Bay colonists, she left a rather comfortable life in Britain to carve a new community out of a veritable wilderness. With time, however, Bradstreet warmed to her new life in the colony and became a significant voice for the Puritan outlook, both in the colonies and back in Britain.

Anne Bradstreet was the first female poet of note in the New World and the first woman to be published in both the colonies and Britain. Her position as a woman from a significant family back in the motherland but also close to the colonial leadership both by birth and by marriage makes her a unique spokesperson for the colonial Puritan perspective that eventually helped shape the growth of the American Republic. Bradstreets work offers a forthright and illuminating entree into the colonial expression of the Puritan mind, as distinct from its Old World manifestation.

The colonial precursors to the American Founding are numerous of course, but two colonies in particular did much to define the early American experience: Virginia and Massachusetts Bay. The two were initially quite different enterprises. The original Virginia charter refers to the first inhabitants as consisting of certain Knights, Gentlemen, Merchants, and other Adventurers. Contrast that with the staid middle-class families, including many wives and children, who made up the first waves of immigrants to Massachusetts Bay. Likewise, the Adventurers who founded Virginia did so with the unabashed intention of getting rich. The Virginia Company was most certainly operated for profit. The Puritans of Massachusetts Bay, on the other hand, sought to build a community where they could exercise their religion and worship God in the manner of their choosing without what they perceived to be the corrupting influence of the Old World surrounding them. The two colonial outlooks coexisted for a time, but in the course of American history, the families and communities of New England came to displace the Adventurers and stockholders of the Virginia Company.

The Puritan mind was, of course, not without its contradictions. Nor should the Puritans of the American colonies be equated with their Puritan cousins who remained behind in Britain. By definition, both groups wanted to purify the Church, but by choosing emigration abroad over political and social reform at home, the colonial Puritans set themselves on a much different path than that of their co-religionists back home. For example, while both groups were strongly anti-Catholic, the American Puritans were generally supportive of Charles I throughout the English Civil War, chiefly because they perceived Charles as having afforded them the latitude they needed to govern their colonies in a righteous manner without undue influence from the Crown or Parliament.

Contradictions aside, Bradstreet helps us identify four distinct principles that were dear to the Puritan colonists and which came to have a significant influence on the development of the American Republic. These are the notion of covenant, the balance between individual and community, the identity of a chosen people, and an abiding sense of optimism. Each of these, in turn, is worthy of a brief review.

The Covenant

Perhaps the single most important political and social concept in all of Puritan theology is that of the covenant. Modern readers often conflate the notion of covenant with the more widely understood notion of contract. A contract is a legal document between two or more parties that defines a quid-pro-quo exchange between them. For example, Party A might enter into a contract with Party B to mow his grass each week for fifty dollars. The two parties negotiate a price, terms of service, and other details and then bind themselves to the contract. The contract is legally enforceable should one party violate the terms.

A covenant is quite different. The covenant is a biblical concept and many examples can be found on the pages of Scripture. All covenants have certain common characteristics. First, a covenant is always made between God and people, as opposed to a contract which is made simply between people. Next, the terms of a covenant are non-negotiable. Whereas the parties to a contract typically collaborate on mutually acceptable terms, the terms of a covenant are dictated by God Himself and are not subject to amendment. Finally, a covenant is permanent, in many cases extending beyond the lifetimes of the initial generation of subscribers. Whereas a contract ordinarily concludes when the relevant parties have fulfilled their obligations to one another, a covenant has no earthly expiration date.

To further illustrate this principle, consider an example from the Old Testament. God famously enters into a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17. In declaring this covenant, the Lord issues the terms to Abraham: I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourning. For their own part, Abraham and his descendants (none of whom were even born yet) are to worship God and circumcise their children as a sign. And of course, several times throughout the chapter, God calls this Abrahamic covenant an everlasting covenant, an indication of its permanency.

Even those unfamiliar with the Scriptures, however, may nevertheless recognize another biblically-based covenant that the Puritans observed, the marriage covenant. Contemporary views of marriage have drifted over time toward the contractual, but a more traditional view underscores its covenantal origins. For example, the pledge of marriage is not traditionally understood as an agreement between a man and a woman, but rather a commitment to God that a man and woman undertake together. In other words, the traditional vows are made before and to God Himself. And again, God and not man actually dictates the terms of traditional marriage. The duties of a husband to his wife (and vice versa), as well as the requirement of strict fidelity to one another, are covenantal terms of marriage not open to renegotiation.

Like most other American Puritans, Bradstreet absorbed the principle of the covenant into nearly every aspect of life. To My Dear and Loving Husband, Bradstreets most well-known poem, practically shouts out a covenantal understanding of marriage. The unity of husband and wife (If ever two were one, then surely we), the requirement of exclusive devotion (My love is such that rivers cannot quench), and the permanence of the marital relationship (when we live no more we may live ever) are all emphasized in this one brief poem.

Individual vs. Community

Bradstreet is best known as a poet, but she also wrote a series of short, aphoristic-style Meditations in prose. In one of these Meditations, Bradstreet examines the injunction found in Proverbs 22, Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. She focuses on the phrase the way he should go, that is, it behooves parents to discern the differences among their children and guide them appropriately. Diverse children have their different natures, she writes, some are like flesh which nothing but salt will keep from putrefaction, some again like tender fruits that are best preserved with sugar. Education and childrearing, thus, are not one-size-fits-all.

Bradstreet here captures something of the balancing act the Puritans performed between the autonomy and affirmation of the individual and the needs of the larger community. Of course, every culture must deal with this same problem, finding an acceptable equilibrium between the parts and the whole. Indulge too much individualism, and a society quickly declines into anarchic uncertainty. Subsume individual interests too much into the whole, and oppressive tyranny is never far behind.

The Puritans, not surprisingly, looked to the example of the Bible for guidance in balancing the interests of the one with the interests of the many. The Old and New Testament alike are replete with messages of individual salvation. Each and every one of us, we are told, will be judged by God for our personal sins, and only those meriting forgiveness through Christ the Son of God will be saved. Obviously, the needs, interests, and duties of the individual are critically important in the Christian economy. However, despite the fact that clergy and laymen of many stripes ignore it, the Bible also reveals Gods interest in larger groups, communities, and nations. A careful reading of the Old Testament, the Puritans often pointed out, shows many instances of both judgment and blessings poured out on whole cities and nations. [T]he day is coming to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains, Jeremiah warns, for example. Israel itself goes through cycles of collective judgment and redemption. And, of course, the collective destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is still a well-known Old Testament story. But the New Testament also indicates God is attentive to groups as well as individuals. In Revelation 2-3, for example, we see the Holy Spirit pronouncing judgments and blessings on the seven churches of the ancient world, suggesting that God certainly places value on both individuals and communities.

The American Puritans took to heart such passages, placing due emphasis on the individuals need for salvation and the communitys need to maintain its shared obligations to God. Hence, Puritan colonists enjoyed a great deal of latitude in matters of politics and the disposition of property compared to their brethren in Britain. But Puritan communities also insisted on the necessity of maintaining proper order, especially when it came to worship. Their notion of religious liberty was not hyper-individualistic. The individual had the autonomy to engage in false or heretical acts of worship if he chose to (and to personally suffer Gods wrath for doing so), but the community had no obligation to permit false worship in its midst. In fact, the community could be held accountable for tolerating such behavior. Still, despite popular misconceptions, very few heretics died at the hands of Puritan colonial governments. But a number of offenders were banished from Puritan colonial communities. In essence, the Puritan view was, You may worship God in whatever manner you please, but if you insist on rejecting our community standards, you must do it somewhere else. In a place like the New World, where space was readily available, this proved a workable solution to the individual vs. community problem. And the idea of ostensibly offensive individuals establishing new communities remained a part of American life until the eventual closing of the western frontier.

A Chosen People

A critical piece of the Puritan colonists self-image was derived from the Old Testament narrative, particularly the story of the Exodus. With remarkable regularly, Puritan leaders from John Winthrop to Cotton Mather invoked biblical language of escape from Egyptian slavery, crossing the Jordan, taming Canaan, and inheriting the Promised Land to describe their own errand into the wilderness.

Metaphor would not be the correct term to represent how these Puritans understood their Exodus-like endeavor, however. In a very real sense, they thought of themselves as a new Israel, a people chosen by God to achieve His historic ends. Just as the Israelites escaped bondage in Egypt and wandered in the wilderness before entering into the land God had promised, the colonists saw themselves as escaping a kind of cultural bondage in England, fleeing into the wilderness of the New World, and seeking one day a New Testament version of the Promised Land. In this way, they quite literally thought of themselves as a new Chosen People, uniquely tasked by God to be an example to other believers. Winthrop explicitly made just such an assertion in A Model of Christian Charity: We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when he shall make us a praise and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantations: The Lord make it like that of New England. For we must consider that we shall be as a city on a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us. He was hardly the last public man to make the connection, and one can still find evidence of this Puritan self-consciousness manifested to this day in some of the place-names established by New England colonies, such as Providenicetown or New Canaan.

While it does not directly address this notion of a Chosen People, Bradstreets lengthy historical poetic quartet, The Four Monarchies, nevertheless stands as a reminder of what happened to the Israelites in their own promised land when they failed to maintain Gods law and their devotion to Jehovah. Most of Bradstreets corpus consists of poems of personal reflection or pieces memorializing specific people in her life. The Four Monarchies, however, takes a much larger social and theological view.

The poems first quarto in particular, The Assyrian Being the First, highlights the wickedness the crept into the line of the kings of Israel, as the original Chosen People turned away from their God. As Gods new Chosen People, colonial Puritan readers could easily project themselves into the narrative. Bradstreets contemporaries, feeling the collective weight of their chosenness, no doubt understood her thinly veiled warning.

Optimism

Perhaps the greatest historian of the American Puritans was the late Perry Miller. Miller wrote and edited several volumes on various aspects of the Puritan experience in the colonies and became intimately, if rather objectively, acquainted with his subject. In so doing, he made the following observation: The most persistent misunderstanding of the Puritan mind is that which charges it with fatalism. Modern sensibility supposes that believers in predestination must necessarily give over exertions. That is to say, the Puritan theological doctrine of predestination, or what they more often called election, did not cause its adherents to give up and passively accept events that unfolded around them. Rather, confident in the truth that God ordains events and outcomes, the Puritans felt liberated to pursue seemingly implausible, even outrageous, courses of action and empowered to endure nearly any setback. If God willed the endeavor, however unlikely it seemed, it could not fail.

The very audaciousness of the Puritans colonial enterprise reflects this theologically-inspired optimism. The first (and smaller) wave of Puritan immigrants to the New World, the ones we call pilgrims and celebrate on Thanksgiving, were a small, poorly-funded, and rather desperate band. They had suffered some genuine persecution in both Britain and Holland, and one might say that it was need that drove them to the shores of New England. But the second wave of Puritan immigrants, those who founded the successful Massachusetts Bay colony and of which Bradstreet was a part, found themselves in quite different circumstances. They were a larger and better-financed band of colonists. In fact, most of them came from relatively well-to-do families and enjoyed comfortable lives, as Bradstreet had. They did not leave Britain in desperation; they left because they were fed up and believed God had called them to the task of establishing a new society in a New World.

Seen in this light, Millers observation becomes clearer. There was nothing fatalistic in the Puritan mind, at least not in these early generations. Instead, they could turn away from comparative wealth and ease and embrace all manner of struggle and challenge for the sake of a cause that they whole-heartedly believed God had ordained. To be sure, the colonists experienced a variety of setbacks, from disease to foul weather to violence, but they generally remained optimistic throughout.

Bradstreet again illustrates the American Puritan outlook in her poetry. At one point she and her family suffered a devastating loss when a fire destroyed their home. The material loss was nearly total. Bradstreet reflected on the episode in another of her most memorable poems, Upon the Burning of Our House. After a series of verses recounting all the joyful sounds and activities that would now never happen within the houses burned-out walls, she castigates herself and refocuses her thoughts on her more Heavenly purpose:

In silence ever shalt thou lye;

Adieu, Adieu; Alls vanity.

Then streight I gin my heart to chide,

And didst thy wealth on earth abide?

Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,

The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?

Raise up thy thoughts above the skye

That dunghill mists away may flie.

Thou hast an house on high erect

Framd by that mighty Architect,

With glory richly furnished,

Stands permanent tho this bee fled.

As time passed, this same optimism found its way into the broader American mind. The notion that somehow things will work out right in the end has been a consistent cornerstone of American society since the colonial period. A similar optimism has driven pioneers to the frontier, explorers to the Earths remotest regions, and even astronauts to the surface of the moon. The intervening years have not rendered the Puritan errand into the wilderness any less outrageous, but they have added a great many more items to the collection of outrageous things Americans have done.

The eighteen-year-old Anne Bradstreet who disembarked from the Arbella may have had her misgivings, but the mother, teacher, and poet she emerged as a chief voice of a remarkable generation that exercised lasting influence over the American colonies, and later over the American Republic. The Puritans do not enjoy much favor among historians today, deservedly so perhaps, at least in part. But it is also difficult to imagine America without its covenantal political heritage, its careful balance between the individual and the community, its tradition of exceptionalism, and especially its undaunted sense of optimism, each derived to some degree from Bradstreet and her shipmates.

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.

The featured image is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
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Linkedin Masajeng Rahmiasri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

Indonesian comic artists have been invited to join one of the largest comic festivals in Europe next year.

The decision was made after noting the diversity of Indonesian comics, said Angouleme International Comics Festival Asia content coordinator and N2 The Emerging Side news agency founder Nicolas Fiinet.

Fiinet told The Jakarta Post that he hoped the selected artists would be able to present the archipelago's unique characteristics and diversity in genre.

There's a distinct Indonesian identity in its comics that I dont find in comics from any other countries. For example, in the Gundala comics by Hasmi: He is not Superman, [rather] he is Gundala, who has characteristics and super powers that are really only available in Indonesia, he said during the opening of the three-day Popcon Asia 2016 in Central Jakarta on Friday, adding that he expected to have the list of selected artists by next week.

(Read also: 'Peanuts' production house to join Popcon Asia)

Fiinet visited Indonesia and met around 30-40 artists during last year's Popcon Asia in Jakarta, and through workshops in Bandung in West Java, Yogyakarta and Surabaya in East Java.

Discussions regarding Indonesias participation at the Angouleme festival have been ongoing for several years.

Popcon Asia initiator and Fiinet's main liaison with Indonesian artists, Grace Kusnadi, said that Indonesia had been planning to participate in the Angouleme festival since 2013, but talks had run aground on financial reasons including expenses for display tools and accommodation.

Even if we only brought around 10 artists to Angouleme, the costs would be very high, she said, adding that the committee was currently discussing the matter with with the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) and the Culture and Education Ministry.

(Read also: Popcon Asia lights up city with creative talent)

This is a good opportunity for Indonesia to expand its comic artwork market to Europe. Why limit ourselves to the local market? Grace said when asked why Indonesia should participate in the French festival. Up until now, there's only one Indonesian comic translated into another language, namely the work of Bandung-based comic artist Tita Larasati, she added, referring to Curhat Tita: Back in Bandung, for which licensing rights were bought in France last year.

The Angouleme International Comics Festival is an annual event held every January since 1973. At least 275 exhibition participants, 7,700 professionals, 2000 comic artists and 879 journalists from France and outside the country reportedly participate in the event.

The festival features Asian artists works in a 300-square-meter Asia Pavilion, featuring artists from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. (kes)
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Linkedin Hendarsyah Tarmizi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

Being creative and innovative does not always get the respect of others. If we are unlucky, we can even get scorn from other people.

This happened to Pertiwi Darmawanti Oktavia, a student majoring in entrepreneurship at a private university in Bandung, West Java. She not only received ridicule, she was even treated like a criminal.

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Linkedin Teressa Warianto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, August 12 2016

Double Duty: Australian maestro Daniel Herscovitch opens the Ananda Sukarlan Award with a concert and sits on the judges panel for the four-day event. (Courtesy of Australian Embassy Jakarta)

The absence of winners does not reduce excitement for this years Ananda Sukarlan Award.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, August 12 2016

Heri Kiswanto, a 40-year-old trash picker, was killed after being hit by an angkot (public minivan) on Jl. Raya Bogor in Cimanggis, Bogor, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Depok Polices Traffic Unit chief Comr. Sutomo said Heri died because of a severe wound on the back of his head.

Sutomo said according to the testimony of a witness, Heri was hit by a speeding minivan while crossing the road. His body was thrown a few meters from the road while the driver ran away, he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.He said Heri died at the scene and the witness could only identify the color and the type of the car. It was a blue minivan, he said.

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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is downplaying rumors that claim Minister Arcandra Tahar has violated Indonesian law by holding dual citizenship.

Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry secretary-general Teguh Pamudji told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that, whatever the issue, it had already been cleared with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

"It has already been cleared with the President and other relevant officials. So, it is no longer an issue," he said in a short message.

Rumors began circulating on Saturday morning after a WhatsApp message alleged that Arcandra swore an oath of allegiance to the US in 2012 that made him a naturalized US citizen. According to the message, Arcandra kept his Indonesian passport valid, allegedly for private purposes.

He was appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister in late July, replacing Sudirman Said. When asked about his citizenship by journalists at the State Palace on Friday, Arcandra replied, Look at my face. Its a Padang face.

Law No. 12/2006 on Indonesian citizenship stipulates that Indonesians automatically lose their citizenship if they obtain another on their own accord, or if they voluntarily pledge allegiance to a foreign country, or if they have a foreign passport. (tas)
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Linkedin Adil Akbar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

Indonesias largest international performing arts festival kicks off with drama workshops that map out the landscape of the countrys performing arts.

A discussion featuring esteemed Indonesian artists  playwrights, dancers and composers  opened the celebration of the 2016-2017 Art Summit Indonesia festival this month.



The three-day workshop was held at Kinosaurus in Kemang, South Jakarta, last week  led by writer, musician and theater man Ugoran Prasad, or Ugo for short. The workshop gathered together a group of artists from different fields  including Teater Satu Lampungs esteemed troupe leader Iswandi Pratama  in daylong discussions of dramaturgy.



The scientific-styled meeting of the arts had the carefully selected group of rising and senior artists gathered in a tight circle  with those active participants sitting up front, where Ugo had a whiteboard and projector screen set up.



The gathering started by scrutinizing how a drama was structured and how it related itself to the real world. Utilizing the screen, Ugo led the group in a discussion akin to those you would find in critical thought, taking definitions and branching off into issues that connected to each active participants individual views and concerns.



For the first time since its inception in 1995, the eight performing arts event is pushing workshops and lectures targeted at artists in addition to its usual artwork-showcase festival.



Yet the workshops and lectures curated by the team of curators  Yudi Ahmad Tajudin, Helly Minarti, Nyak Ina Raseuki, Nungki Kusumastuti and Otto Sidharta  serve only as a sort of road to for the highlight of the two-year long program, the big festival next year.



One of the events producers, Rama Thaharani  who only got involved this year  said a key theme of the event was repositioning. The event is trying to reclaim the glory that it once had during its first year, both in quality and in its visibility to the public and to the performing arts community.



This year the Directorate General of Culture tasked us with not only organizing the Art Summit as a regular festival again, but with the quality and success that the first Art Summit had, she said.



The declining quality of past events  mostly due to the frequent changes in the role and responsibilities of the ministry that holds the event  has led the team behind the festival to focus on remapping, making the event one that spans two years, instead of one month, in its eighth incarnation.



The first year will consist of the aforementioned workshops and lectures, with around 12 programs planned in total. The programs will involve several acclaimed international artists, including theater and contemporary performance researcher Peter Eckersalle, Japanese playwright and director Toshiki Okada, Japanese performer Takao Kawaguchi, Filipino composer Jonas Baes and Malaysian composer Chong Kee Yong.



The international artists will host workshops curated for local artists, sharing and exploring recent challenges in expressing artistic efforts to respond to social and cultural issues, in addition to leading a lecture open to the general public. Rama said these efforts to cater to the local arts community were an attempt to create a space for dialogue on global issues, to reposition Indonesia on the global map.

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Linkedin Hans Lukiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

As the Association of Young Indonesian Entrepreneurs (HIPMI) prepared to send a delegation to the recent ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival and the second ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the question was: whats the reason for the indifference of Indonesian youth toward ASEAN?

On all three main pillars of ASEAN integration, Indonesia and its fellow ASEAN members are vastly behind schedule. HIPMI believes that a lack of youth engagement with the larger ASEAN community, both socially and economically, stems from a lack of infrastructure for young entrepreneurs and a lack of depth in education on ASEAN.

A prime example of entrepreneurship supporting infrastructure within ASEAN is that of Singapore. As early as 1989, the government sought to create a milieu in which entrepreneurship could flourish. This desire was shaped by the recession of 1985 and the realization that internal economic resilience could be supported by entrepreneurship on a small and medium enterprise (SME) level. The 1989 SME master plan and the 2000 SME21 master plan are the main foundations on which Singapores supremacy of entrepreneur infrastructure in ASEAN are built on.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, August 13 2016

I dreamed that TV wildlife guru David Attenborough was narrating a film about my life: And for the 49th time, the runt of the group attempts to climb out of the pit but does a dramatic face plant into decomposing warthog poop. Lets see if he gets up this time.

Yet I remain fascinated by animal news stories. A reader just sent me one about a team of Australians who flew to Botswana recently to paint eyes on cows bottoms. I showed it to an illustrator colleague and she said: Artists have to take whatever jobs are available, cow bottoms, whatever.

The article said that they were painting pairs of eyes on bovine buttocks to stop lions eating them. The big cats apparently turn away from what they see as ugly faces, thinking: She looks like a cows behind, shes got enough problems without us mauling her.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, August 13 2016

My politically minded sister Noni has been unusually grumpy lately when discussing the power play happening in Jakarta.

She is one of the millions of people nationwide who are broken hearted by incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnamas shocking decision to run on a party ticket next year instead of as an independent, as he had sweetly promised.

She admires the brazen governor so much that she set a picture of her posing with him during an event at the Monas (National Monument) Square as her phones wallpaper and only recently replaced it with a landscape photo.

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Linkedin Imanuddin Razak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

A verbal statement by drug convict Freddy Budiman accusing members of three prominent institutions of complicity in the drug trade, which went viral after rights activist Haris Azhar posted it on his Facebook account a few hours before Freddys execution on July 29, has aroused the nations consciousness that drug-related crimes in the country are more serious than we imagine.

In his account, which he gave to Haris during the latters visit to a maximum security prison on Nusakambangan Island two years ago, Freddy said high-ranking officers within the police force, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Indonesian Military (TNI) had helped him smuggle and distribute illegal drugs in the country.

It is very unlikely that Haris, who is also coordinator of the Commission for Disappeared People and Victims of Violence (Kontras), had a malicious intent to discredit the three institutions. He said the revelation was meant to stimulate a thorough investigation into such illicit practices. Haris might have the intention to influence the countrys policymakers to reconsider Freddys execution because law enforcement officers had been involved in the illegal business.

Yet, the three institutions reported Haris for defamation. They accused Haris of breaching the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law by circulating defamatory information on the internet. They, plus the Law and Human Rights Ministry, also decided to launch separate investigations to verify Freddys allegations.

Apparently under pressure because of widespread criticisms, the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) said it would put the defamation case against Haris on hold while the investigations were underway. National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar told the media on Wednesday of the importance of maintaining good relations with civil society organizations, especially Kontras.

The decision to suspend the legal case came only days after National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian formed a team of 18 members consisting of police investigators and representatives of the public to investigate the claims.

In a different tone, the TNI headquarters had clarified that its internal investigation was meant to prove whether Freddys allegations were true.

Freddys reported claim, althought not yet legally proven, has added to widespread information about officers involvement in the illegal drug trade. Worse, as Freddy claimed, drugs confiscated by police and the BNN had frequently been resold to the market for various reasons and purposes.

A positive response has come from TNI chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, who said that TNI headquarters would support the investigation into Freddys allegations. The general said in a press statement that TNI headquarters would especially verify Freddys claim that a senior TNI officer had escorted him while he was transporting a drug-loaded vehicle belonging to a two-star general from Medan, North Sumatra, to Jakarta in 2012.

While indicating such illegal practices would apparently involve government and law enforcement officers, including those of the TNI, Gatot said he was committed to cleaning up the military institution of such serious offenses. The TNI chief cited that while the accused TNI member was a two-star general at the time of the occurrence, he might have retired or become a three-star general by now.

Despite the alleged involvement of the three institutions in the drug ring, the general public should share the responsibility for the rampant drug trade and abuse in the country.

Perhaps the 2013 investigation into celebrity Raffi Ahmad over alleged possession and use of drugs exemplified how members of the general public should share the blame for the countrys failure to combat drug trafficking and abuse.

The case against the television personality should have proceeded in accordance with the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) with the litigation guidelines and the Criminal Code (KUHP) as the legal foundation. Instead of simply following the two legal references, Raffi apparently did a backroom deal to secure his temporary release from detention and was placed under house arrest. Raffi also agreed to fire his defense lawyer Hotma Sitompul as part of the package, in exchange for his release.

Raffi was arrested along with 16 others on Jan. 27, 2013, when the BNN raided his house in South Jakarta in the early hours of the morning. BNN agents found two marijuana cigarettes and 14 methylone (MDMC) capsules in the house, which the agency claimed were Raffis property.

The case against Raffi was controversial since the very beginning, but particularly after a BNN doctor stated that Raffi had consumed methylone for a long time and should be treated at the agencys rehabilitation center in Lido, Sukabumi. His lawyers attack on the controversial medical examination and the subsequent recommendation for rehabilitation at the center had apparently angered the BNN.

The agency had reportedly been in a difficult situation and under pressure to build the case against him. The problem with the case is that it really did not exist. The 2009 Narcotics Law does not include MDMC among its 39 illegal substances, making the legal case against Raffi a weak one as it involved two small marijuana cigarettes, while the case for rehabilitation was even weaker.

Instead of going ahead with the legal fight for his freedom, the TV presenter eventually resorted to a secret settlement of his case. It was an apparent display of the absolute abnegation of justice in this country.

The three law enforcement institutions are in hot water following Freddys posted testimony. Yet, all of us as members of the nation actually should not be exempted from the shared responsibility.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

In a 40-square-meter room on Jl. Cikini Raya in Menteng, Central Jakarta, a 35-year-old man, Yofi Setiawan, was sitting at his desk in the late afternoon one day earlier this week designing his own website template.

Meanwhile, three other persons, all female, were cleaning up the room, which has a big Mozilla logo made of plastic attached to one wall.

These were among the daily activities of Mozilla Community Indonesia (MCI) members in the room on the second floor of the Cik9 office building. The community, which has been active since 2011, has its own space for its members to gather, conduct courses, or just express their obsession for software production from Mozilla  a renowned free-software community in the United States.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

News Desk

The families of seven kidnapped Indonesian crew from the tugboat Charles are said to be under stress with two days remaining until a deadline set by the Abu Sayyaf group for a Rp 60 billion (US$4.6 million) ransom.

Several family members of the crew said they were frustrated as the Aug. 15 deadline approached, a spokesman for the family, Kapten Ginting, said on Saturday.

"Approaching August 15, the psychological state of the families is that they are in shock as there are only two days left to the deadline," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

The families have yet to receive updated information from the government after a meeting in Jakarta last week with a crisis team set up by the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister. The families trusted the government to secure the release of the sailors, Ginting added, but had received no word on recent efforts.

A team of doctors and psychologists from the Foreign Ministry is currently examining and providing counselling to the family members at the headquarters of shipping company PT PP Rusianto Bersaudara, which owns the Charles, in Sungai Lais, Palembang.

The Charles, carrying 13 Indonesian crew, was hijacked by the notorious Filipino militant group in Sulu waters in the southern Philippines on June 20. Seven sailors were taken from the boat while six others were released. (rin)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Tangerang  Sat, August 13 2016

A man in Tangerang, Banten, was killed by an unidentified group of people during an aggravated robbery in the early hours of Friday, the Jakarta Police have said.

The victim was identified only as RS, 25. He was riding his motorcycle on Jl. Benteng Betawi when a group of people suddenly approached and stabbed him in the back and neck before running away with his motorcycle, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said Friday.

The incident occurred at about 1 a.m. and the perpetrators were three people, he told kompas.com, adding that the three perpetrators all rode one motorcycle while the victim was alone.

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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has said the establishment of several holding companies is aimed at improving the performances of Indonesias state-owned enterprises (SOEs) so they can become world-class companies and increase their role as the prime driver of the countrys economy amid tighter global competition.

As such, the President said, every step in the establishment of the holding companies, which will supervise SOEs in various sectors, must be well-calculated.

During a limited meeting at the State Palace on Friday, Jokowi reiterated that SOEs should be able to play a role as the locomotive of the national economy and help realize the governments road map toward the establishment of strong SOEs. It is therefore crucial to ensure that every stage of the establishment of an SOE is calculated properly, starting from the preparation phase to its formation, he went on.

"The establishment of the holding companies should not be merely seen as a strategy to cut state capital injections [...] It must be understood that the holding companies are intended to strengthen the role of SOEs amid tighter competition, especially on the global level," Jokowi said.

"It is hoped that SOEs can become world-class companies and I expect to be run with a paradigm that puts an SOE as a business corporation, as mandated in a Constitutional Court decision," he went on.

As reported earlier, the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry plans this year to create two more holding companies for two strategic sectors, namely food commodities and maritime affairs. The two holding companies will be established immediately after the government completes the establishment of five holding companies set to operate in five sectors, namely mining, energy, financial services, property and toll roads. (ebf)
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Linkedin Aulia R. Sungkar (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, August 13 2016

Hotel design as art

Entering its second decade, Blink Design Group has reached great heights in the world of hospitality design, working with luxury hotel brands such as Alila, Conrad, Jumeirah, Kempinski, Mandarin Oriental, Regent, Rosewood and Six Senses.



Hotel designer and creative director Clint Nagata founded the firm in 2006 in Bangkok with a staff of 20. Flash-forward to today, and the firm boasts over 120 professionals working in studios in Bangkok, New Delhi, Shanghai and Singapore.



The Blink Design Group, which is known for its collaborative, design-concierge approach, focuses on creative services such as master planning, building and interior design for luxury hotels, resorts, restaurants, clubs, spas and residences.



The firm has completed projects in global destinations such as China, French Polynesia, Kenya, the Maldives, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, India and Indonesia.



Michael Sagild took over at Blink as CEO in April. With over 30 years of hospitality experience under his belt, including leading MGM Hospitality and Stein Group International, Sagild spoke with J+ during a recent visit to Jakarta. Here are excerpts of our interview, edited for length and clarity:



Tell us a little more about the firm.



Architecture and interior design have both traditionally been dominated by feature architects or designers. To a great degree, theyve created a style, so when you walk into a locationbe it a hotel lobby or loungeyou immediately know the designer. Not us. We build a relationship early on with our clients and we tailor and design everything in accordance with their tastes. We dont have a style per se, we have guidelines.



We do branded residences and hotels, as well as mixed-use developments. We dont do commercial projects. Our mixed-use projects are only those integrating apartments and hotel.



A hotel is a very emotional thing. When we meet clients, we ask a lot of questions, asking a lot of whys and hows. Its not like building an office or a mall, where the emotional element is scanty.



Where does Blink Design Group get its name?



Its the blink factor. There must be a strong connection [between] a brand and its products. As design consultants, it is important for us to be able to create that connection in the blink of an eye.



When we meet clients, we also build relationships with them, and those relationships are very, very important. Its a relationship closer than that of your bankeror dentist. Its a trust thing.



Im neither an architect nor an interior designer. Ive spent more than 30 years of my life in the hotel business. I tell owners what to build. I have built and opened hotels. The firms have shown me what theyre doing. They come to me and I have represented the owners, whether its MGM or Starwood or Hyatt. I sit at the end of the table and can tell the architect what to do, just like the owner.



Can a hotels design approach the level of art?



When a guest first has contact with a hotel, whether through a website or a reservation desk, a brand impression is naturally created. First impressions are very important. Other things that are also important are lighting, ambience, music, and so on. Its all about creating a homey and comfortable feeling.



When I look at a hotel room, I can tell if the room has a mismatch. Our job is to fix that. Everything has to fit together, so our guests can feel like theyre at home and comfortable in the roomthats a design skill, and its a form of art.



Whats the strategy for new markets?



Historically our market has been Asia Pacific, with a focus on five-star luxury hotel and resort designs. The biggest market, no matter how you look at it, is China. You have to be very selective in China. Many people often have a misunderstanding: China is not just one market. All the provinces have completely different laws and rules.



Asia Pacific is a lucrative destination, where owners can build five-star luxury resorts and make money. If you build a five-star luxury resort in Spain, its very, very difficult to make money because prices are so high there.



Thailand is a unique market. If you go to Tokyo, you will pay 45 percent more compared to the small towns in Japan. But in Thailand, you go to Phuket and you pay 35 percent more than you do in Bangkok. Its just the nature of business in Thailand, and it has been a tourist destination for a long time.



What about Indonesia?



Indonesia has a lot of untapped markets in the luxury hospitality segment, and this is one country that is on our business development map. We are currently doing master planning on three projects in Lombok.



There has been tremendous growth in domestic-brand hotels, like Fave and Archipelago, for example. Back in the 1980s, there werent too many Indonesians who wanted to travel, because it was not part of their lifestyle. Now the situation is changing. The media and the internet obviously play a part in the change. You are more aware of what places in the world have to offer.



The improved income of the middle-class sector is another determining factor that changes lifestyles. Most people in the middle-class segment usually choose to stay at three-star hotels when they travel. Indonesias burgeoning middle class is indeed helping to boost the budget hotel business across the country.

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Linkedin Estrella Torres (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Manila  Sat, August 13, 2016

Japan on Friday said the international community should remain firm in its support to an arbitration ruling in favour of the Philippines to stop Chinas incursions into other countries waters in the South China Sea.

Masato Ohtaka, deputy press secretary of the Japanese government, said countries around the world should continue to push for the implementation of the ruling, including parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and those who follow and respect it.

The international community will have to stay firm on this, any weakness can be another message to the other side, Ohtaka told reporters in an interview at a hotel in Manila.

International position

China has rejected the ruling of the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, insisting it has undisputed sovereignty over the South China Sea, but Ohtaka said the international community needs to stick to its position, no matter how long it takes.

Ohtaka said the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimants needed to find a peaceful solution to the disputes in the South China Sea but without pressure from the international community, I dont think anything [will] happen.

He said Japanese foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City on Thursday, had given assurance that Japan would stand united with the Philippines in the search for a peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea in accordance with the rule of law.

Asean centrality

Ohtaka also said Japan remained committed to the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in dealing with China for a peaceful settlement of the disputes.

Asean remains divided on the South China Sea disputes. Four members of the blocBrunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnamare claimants to parts of South China Sea, while two othersCambodia and Laosare allies of China and oppose China-bashing at meetings of the grouping.

The bloc makes decisions by consensus and a veto by even just one member leads to failures, such as the failure to issue a joint statement after a ministerial meeting in Cambodia in 2012 and the watering down of a joint communique on Chinas artificial island building in the Spratly Islands in Laos last month.

Ohtaka said, however, that [n]obody is giving up on Asean yet, a lot of things will be discussed and we will continue to focus on Asean.

Asean, according to Ohtaka, is now a union and a force to reckon with.

Its integrity and centrality is something Japan wishes to support as well, he said.
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

The State Palace has been a busy place this week as it gears up for the countrys 71st celebration of independence next Wednesday.



Red-and-white flags can be seen in almost every corner of the palace, while stages and tents have been constructed within the grounds. Workers and palace staff have been seen running errands for the upcoming event, for which the palace will hold rehearsals from Saturday to Monday.



Aiming to remain modest, while at the same time celebrating joyously and upholding the ceremonys solemnity, the palace will continue an initiative it introduced last year to give more chance to the general public to attend the celebrations. Like last year, the palace is set to give 70 percent of invitations to the Independence Day event to members of the public and 30 percent to public officials.



The public rarely have the chance [to visit the palace], therefore we want people to join the celebrations to share in the energy of independence, Presidential Secretariat head Darmansjah Djumala said on Thursday.



As well as members of the public, President Joko Jokowi Widodo, who will preside over the national ceremony for the second time, will invite a number of figures deemed to have inspired others in human development and students who have represented Indonesia in international math or science Olympiads.



Have you heard about the floating nurse? She is a hero. Or a dropout who organizes educational trainings? Darmansjah said, adding that such figures needed to be acknowledged for their hard work in improving the nation.



Darmasjah referred to nurse Andi Rabiah in South Sulawesi, who supports residents in Pangkajene Islands regency, and Andri Rizki Putra, a high-school dropout who founded the Foundation for the Nations Young Leaders (YPAB), which organizes equivalency diplomas for the poor.



Last years event had a different atmosphere, with Jokowi inviting locals from the neighborhood and members of disadvantaged communities from across Jakarta, including fishermen, farmers, street vendors, orphans and vendors from Tanah Abang Market.



The upcoming celebration will feature more kindergarten and elementary school children  not only from Jakarta, but also from Papua, Bengkulu and Banten, as well Tulungagung in East Java  taking part in dance performances, unlike last years event, which was dominated by professional dancers.



The move will ensure that the experience stays with them as members of the countrys young generation who will build the nation in the future, Darmansjah added.



Another event slated for this years celebration at the palace will feature the countrys first national flag being transported in a traditional carriage from the National Monument (Monas) to the palace, in an idea raised by Jokowi himself.



Therefore, it is not seen as merely a piece of cloth, but a sacred and respected state symbol, Darmansjah said.



On Friday, members of this years national flag-raising team (Paskibraka) visited the palace for a practice session.



It had never previously occurred to 16-year-old Melinnia Hilda Mareta from Pare, Kediri, East Java, that she would visit the palace as a Paskibraka member.



This is the palace, where not everyone can have the luxury [of visiting], said Melinnia, who underwent a selection process that encompassed school, regency and provincial levels. Im so happy; what I have fought for, what I have sacrificed, its worth it.

_________________________________________

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

A man in Medan, North Sumatra, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison and a fine of Rp 5 million (US$381) after the Medan District Court declared him guilty of violating the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law in light of a tag on his Facebook page.

The man, Dodi Sutanto, was tagged by a friend in a news story from local online media outlet medanseru.co on the arrest of local businessman Anif Shah by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Claiming that Dodi did not offer clarification about the news and that his friends on the social networking site could access the story from his page, Anif reported Dodi to the police for defamation and violating the ITE Law, according to a press statement from the Legal Aid Institute for The Press (LBH Press) on Saturday.

Dodi, who is also the chairman of the National Committee of Indonesian Youths (KNPI) North Sumatra branch, was taken into custody and the case was processed without supporting evidence, LBH Press research and network division chief Asep Komarudin said.

"The legal process was odd because the editor of the disputed news was not questioned at all by the police. Press Council chairman Yosep Adi Prasetyo also declared that the online media was vague and not under the protection of the Press Council," Asep said in a statement.

The police also named as suspects several of Dodis friends who shared and were tagged in the story, though their cases are still ongoing. LBH Press feared that more people could be implicated in the same charges.

"We regret the court's verdict that declared Dodi guilty without a fair trial. Of all ITE Law violation cases, this case is the worst in terms of the verdict," Asep said.

LBH Press urged the National Police to order the North Sumatra Police chief to stop the investigation, in accordance with a 2005 police circular that prioritized corruption cases over defamation cases. Furthermore, Asep called on the House of Representatives to eliminate the defamation article during deliberations on the revision of the law.

The ITE Law has long been lambasted by the public for jeopardizing freedom of speech. (rin)
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Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

For Indonesian palm oil producers, the traditional Chinese mooncake may just have saved the day.



After a disappointing year, the local palm oil industry is finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel with improving prices and expected increases in demand, especially from China, one of the worlds largest importers of the commodity.



Crude palm oil (CPO) futures, traded in the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives, saw a price surge in the past few days to about 2,500 ringgit (US$622.98) per ton from the usual 2,200 to 2,300 ringgit.



Demand from China, which will be holding a major autumn festival next month, is expected to revive as palm oil stocks recover, resulting in cheaper supplies.



Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that a jump in demand for oil to make fried foods and seasonal treats like mooncakes during the three-day mid-autumn festival in China next month may boost buying further.



Indonesia, the worlds biggest producer of palm oil, can also breathe a sigh of relief after months of weak sales. According to data from the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki), exports increased by 4 percent in July, compared with the previous months figure of 1.9 million tons.



Total exports in the first half of the year reached just a little more than half of those in 2015. As of July, Gapki recorded an estimated total of 14.4 million tons in exports, about half of last years total of 27.4 million tons.



Furthermore, companies have produced an estimated 18 million tons as of July, while last years total production was 35.5 million tons.



Bank Central Asia (BCA) chief economist David Sumual said the palm oil industry was expected to improve in the second half of the year with better commodity prices and better weather.



David said the improvement of the economy in Indonesias main palm oil export destinations, including India, China and the EU, would also boost demand. Also, Indonesias palm oil exports to countries such as the US, which is traditionally not a large palm oil importer, have increased in the last few months.



Our palm oil exports to the US have increased. This is a pleasant surprise because the US is known to prefer soybean over palm oil, David said over the phone on Friday.



Last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that artificial trans fats would no longer be found in snack foods, baked goods and frozen vegetables starting in 2018. With the ban, palm oil has been named the primary replacement.



Palm oil stockpiles in China, meanwhile, currently stand at about 300,000 tons, the lowest over the past six years, according to the China National Grain and Oils Information Center. Purchases typically rise several months before the mid-autumn festival as refiners and food makers restock edible oils.



The global palm oil industry has experienced a slump in the past year along with an economic slowdown and high prices caused by a lack of supply because of a disruptive weather phenomenon called El Nino. Main palm oil export destinations such as China, India and the EU had started to look to other alternatives such as soybean and sunflower oil.



Separately, CPO producer Sampoerna Agro head of investor relations Michael Kesuma said the palm oil industry in the last few weeks had shown a bullish trend, which is expected to last until next year. As stocks increase, prices start to improve, he said.



We can still feel the negative effects of last years El Nino, which is understandable because it was the worst weve seen in years, but we can now see signs of recovery, Michael said over the phone on Friday.



However, Gapki secretary-general Togar Sitanggang said the association did not have high expectations for the industry for the rest of the year, despite it showing signs of recovery. The commoditys price has increased in the last few days, he said, but still has a long way to go to bring it up to 2013s level, when the average price was $851 per ton.



Although there are improvements, we prefer not to be overly optimistic as global economic conditions are still uncertain, he said.

______________________________



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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

The National Police have ordered their rank and file to beef up security ahead of Independence Day on Aug. 17.

The activities of the police force should be intensified, police spokesman Agus Rianto said as quoted by kompas.com.

The spokesman said he expected the public to take part in securing their neighborhoods and not to hesitate to tip off the police of possible security threats.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

Following uproar on social media on Friday, a painting entitled #The Indonesia Idea (.ID) by Galam Zulkifli at the new Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has been taken down by operator Angkasa Pura II because of its apparent inclusion of the face of late Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) leader D. N. Aidit.

Before being taken down, the painting was wrapped in white cloth to conceal it.

Netizens engaged in fierce debate about whether Aidit's face was among the hundreds of national figures faces featured in the painting.

Read also: New terminal begins operation amid glitches

AP II corporate secretary and legal head Agus Haryadi responded to the discussion on Friday about 3 p.m., saying that he was not sure it was Aidit, but might rather be Sutan Sjahrir, the first prime minister of Indonesia and the founder of the Indonesian Socialist Party (PSI).

We have been trying to contact Galam since this morning but he hasn't answered. We want to confirm whether it is indeed Aidit, because it looks like Sutan Sjahrir, Agus said as quoted by kompas.com.

Hours later, AP II decided to take the artwork down.

We have taken it down because it has attracted debate on social media. Were waiting for the curators explanation about the painting, AP II acting president director Djoko Murjatmodjo told kompas.com.

The painting features hundreds of faces, including those of former presidents Abdurrahman Wahid and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and historical leftist figures such as the PKI's Musso and leftist Tan Malaka.

The paintings brief description says, As a stage, Indonesia is an enduring offering about the search for truth through debate. Ideas meet to find the formula, not only about the state, but also how to blend diversity from different languages to become one soul: national unity. (evi)
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Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

New management appointed by the government to make over the free trade zone of Batam, Riau Islands, wants the area to emerge as a major industrial and logistic hub for the Asia Pacific region.

The executives of the Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority (BP Batam), a newly established state agency tasked with managing and developing the industrial areas in the island, began their service in April with the major challenge of shouldering competition with neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

In the wake of an assault on a teacher who had slapped a pupil in Makassar, South Sulawesi, the National Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) has urged parents and teachers to cooperate in the scholastic development of students and refrain from any violence.

"All forms violence must be avoided in the education of students," KPAI commissioner Rita Pranawati said on Friday, calling on parents not to overreact to accounts of violence against their children.

Separately, Paramadina University education expert Totok Amin Soefijanto said teachers must also learn to discipline their students without resorting to violence. As well as discipline, creativity in teaching methods is also needed to enhance the learning experience, Totok said, adding that violence would merely serve to exacerbate disciplinary issues.

A teacher at vocational school SMKN 2 Makassar named Dasrul, 52, was assaulted by a pupil, MAS, 15, and his father, Adnan Achmad, last week; Dasrul had previously slapped MAS' face when the latter responded with crude language to being reprimanded by Dasrul for not bringing drawing equipment to class. MAS then reported the incident to his father Adnan, who came to the school looking for Dasrul and struck him, abetted by his son. Local police have named both Adnan and MAS as suspects in the case for allegedly violating an article in the Criminal Code (KUHP) on assault. (rez/rin)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will take into account the opinions of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who is also a senior party member, in determining its candidate for the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, a politician has said.

"The President will give his comments about the candidacy. We will discuss his comments at the party's central executive board meeting," PDI-P deputy secretary-general Eriko Sotarduga said on Friday at the home of party chairwoman and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

The party, which has not yet announced a candidate to compete in the regional election next year, has taken careful steps in naming a potential governor for the capital city. Moreover, the party will also look back at its success in catapulting Jokowi from the local to national level following his victory as governor in the 2012 regional election.

Eriko did not deny the possibility of throwing support behind Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, as suggested by several party members, such as secretary-general Hasto Kristianto.

"The scenario of supporting Ahok and Djarot is still possible. We still have enough time to name the candidates before the time to register with the Jakarta General Elections Commission is over," he added.

However, the PDI-P will also highlight support for its own qualified politicians such as Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini, Banyuwangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas, Semarang Regent Hendrar Prihadi and Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi Rudaytmo. The party would monitor Jakartans aspirations before naming a governor candidate, Eriko added.

Top PDI-P politicians met at Megawati's house on Friday afternoon to further discuss preparations and potential candidates for the regional election, scheduled to be held in February next year. (rin)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13, 2016

The Islamist Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has its eye on Surabaya Mayor Tri " Risma " Rismaharini as a potential candidate it may support in Jakarta's gubernatorial election next year, a PKS politician said on Saturday.

Risma has the qualities that the PKS is looking for, PKS election campaign division head Agung Setiarso said, highlighting Risma's achievements and her non-power-thirsty attitude.

"Risma fulfills our criteria. The more she refused [to be nominated as a candidate to be Jakarta governor], the more sexy, more expensive she gets and we like her even more," he said in a discussion as reported by kompas.com.

The PKS was more interested in supporting a potential leader who did not beg for positions, just like Risma, Agung said, praising the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician.

The party was ready to throw its official support behind Risma for the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election slated to take place next year. However, the PKS is still waiting for a green light from the PDI-P, Agung said.

As a ruling party that has secured a gubernatorial ticket, the PDI-P had not yet made an official announcement about who it would nominate for the capital's top post. The PDI-P may nominate Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, some analysts said, but Risma is also in consideration following rising support for her.

The PKS had recently joined the "Kinship Coalition" with the PDI-P, the Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), Gerindra and the United Development Party (PPP) in a move to find a pair of candidates to run for governor and deputy governor in next year's election. (rin)


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Linkedin Lisa Lerer & Ken Thomas (Associated Press) Washington  Sat, August 13, 2016

Hillary and Bill Clinton earned $10.6 million last year, according to a tax filing released by her campaign Friday that sought to pressure presidential rival Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns.

The filing shows that the Clintons paid a federal tax rate of 34.2 percent in 2015. The bulk of their income  more than $6 million  came from speaking fees for appearances made largely before Hillary Clinton launched her campaign in April 2015. They gave more than $1,042,000 to charity, with $1 million going to the Clinton family foundation. That is the financial vehicle the family uses to give money to museums, schools, churches and other charitable causes. It is not the same organization as the better-known Clinton Foundation.

The Clintons' income puts them well within the ranks of the top 0.1 percent of Americans, though they pay a higher tax rate than many of their elite peers, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, based on 2013 data.

The release is part of an effort to question Trump's record. He has refused to make his filings public, saying they're under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and he'll release them only once that review is complete. All major U.S. presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns.

Trump steered clear of mentioning his personal taxes Friday. A spokesman pointed to Clinton's move to delete tens of thousands of personal emails from her private account as secretary of state.

"Hillary Clinton has turned over the only records nobody wants to see from her - the American public wants to see the 33,000 emails she deleted to obstruct an FBI investigation," said Trump spokesman Jason Miller.

The Clintons have disclosed tax returns for every year since 1977, in part due to laws requiring public officials release returns. She put out her most recent eight years of tax filings last summer and several years during her first presidential bid.

Hillary Clinton frequently mentions Trump's returns as a way of underscoring how his economic plans would benefit his personal interests and questioning whether he's as wealthy as he claims.

Democrats believe Trump's returns could be a trove of politically damaging information. They want to see his tax rate, charitable giving, and business dealings with foreign governments.

"Here's a pretty incredible fact: There is a non-zero chance that Donald Trump isn't paying (asterisk)any(asterisk) taxes," Clinton tweeted, after releasing her own returns.

Protesters at Trump afternoon rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, held up signs reading "Tax Forms" before being escorted out by security.

Clinton's strategy borrows from President Barack Obama's winning playbook against Mitt Romney in 2012. Obama repeatedly used Romney's business dealings against him and seized upon his reluctance to release certain tax records.

Clinton's campaign also released 10 years of returns from running mate Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton. Over the last decade, the couple has donated 7.5 percent of their income to charity, the campaign said, and paid an effective tax rate of 25.6 percent last year.

Kaine, the Virginia senator who's spent much of his life in public service, reported a far lower income than the Clintons. Over the past decade, he and his wife earned the most in 2014, more than $314,000 in adjusted gross income. The Clintons made about 90 times more, reporting nearly $28 million for the same year.

Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, has yet to say if he will release his taxes, which he has not done as governor of Indiana. A spokesman for the governor's office referred all tax-related questions to his vice presidential campaign. The campaign did not respond to messages.

Clinton has tried to paint Trump as an out-of-touch business mogul, but her substantial wealth has also caused headaches. Republicans have seized upon the millions in speaking fees and a tone-deaf comment by Clinton in a 2014 interview that she was "dead broke" after leaving the White House in 2001. The couple owed millions in legal fees, but quickly generated far more from book deals, paid appearances and consulting fees.

In total, the Clintons earned than $139 million between 2007 and 2014, according to eight years of federal income tax returns released by her campaign last July.

The bulk of their income came from speeches delivered to corporate and interest groups, which paid Bill Clinton and later Hillary Clinton after she resigned as secretary of state in early 2013.

Clinton delivered six paid speeches in 2015, including one to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. She commanded her highest rate from eBay, which paid her $315,000 for a March 2015 address in San Jose, California.

Bill Clinton's consulting work for GEMS Education, a global network of for-profit schools based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, earned him more than $5.6 million in fees between 2010 and 2015, according to the tax returns.

He also earned more than $17 million over the same period for consulting work for Laureate Education Inc., a for-profit education system based in Baltimore that makes most of its profits from overseas operations. Several former students have sued a school operated by the company, alleging fraud.

Bill Clinton's office previously said he had ended his consulting work with Laureate last year. On Friday, his office confirmed that Clinton also halted his business dealings with GEMS Education last year. His office said he had "engaged with GEMS students and faculty around the world and assisted the Varkey GEMS Foundation in its efforts to increase access to education to underprivileged children."
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Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar, South Sulawesi  Sat, August 13, 2016

State vocational school SMKN 2 Makassar in South Sulawesi has officially expelled a 15-year-old male student who was named a suspect in a case involving the assault of a teacher, a school official said on Saturday.

The decision to expel the student was taken during a meeting of the teachers' council and the students' council, SMKN 2 Makassar's headmaster Chaidir Madja said.

"The meeting decided to return [the student] to his parents because we could no longer teach him," he said.

Makassar Police had detained and named the student and his 42-year-old father suspects for allegedly beating a teacher named Dasrul, 52. However, the decision to expel the student was not taken merely over the assault case, Chaidir said, adding that the sophomore student had also violated other school regulations.

Another consideration was the school feared if the student returned to the school, he would be the target of his friends' anger.

"His safety and future are at risk. So it is better if he studies in a different school," Chaidir said.

Makassar Police chief Sr. Cmr. Rusdi Hartono said his force took over the case from the Tamalate Police after it gained national attention. Furthermore, the Makassar Police wanted the case because the suspect was still underage. Since his psychological state must be taken into consideration, under the authority of the Makassar Police, he would be accompanied by personnel from the Women and Children Protection Division.

Despite taken into custody, police are conducting mediation because of child protection issues. (rin)
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Linkedin Shankaran Nambiar (The Jakarta Post) Kuala Lumpur  Sat, August 13 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodos appointment of Com. Gen. Suhardi Alias as the new chief of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) comes at a very crucial moment. France recently suffered a terrorist attack in Nice, the second in a short span of time. Closer to Indonesia, Malaysia has being issuing warnings on the latent potential for terrorist attacks in the country.

Indonesia has reeled from a string of extremist attacks unleashed since September 2000 in the parking garage of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) building to the attack last January at a Starbucks store, again in Jakartas business district.

Bali has fallen victim twice; and Aceh, Palu and Palopo in Central Sulawesi have not been spared.

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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

The US-Indonesia Council on Religion and Pluralism will continue to be available to give advice to the governments of both countries on tolerance and pluralism even after the initiators no longer serve as presidents.

We intend this council to be sustained and live for a long time, the United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO) president David Merril told reporters after the closing of a two-day council-organized conference late Thursday afternoon in Yogyakarta.

The conference was the first to be held since the council was established following an agreement between Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo and US President Barrack Obama in October 2015 made during the formers visit to the US.

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Linkedin (The Nation) Bangkok  Sat, August 13, 2016

Thai authorities believe that all the 10 bomb attacks over the past two days across several southern provinces, which are not parts of the deep South, are connected.

Four people were killed and 30 others injured, including foreign tourists, in a bloody series of devastating explosions in the South that mostly targeted crowded areas and tourist spots.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers who analysed each scene have concluded that all the explosions were connected as the devices used in every attack were similar and they also used mobile phones to trigger the blasts.

The bombs in each attack were packed with ball bearings, similar to bombs used in past political disputes and the explosion at Erawan Shrine on August 17 last year, the officers stated.

The first explosion happened at Centre Point market in Trang on Thursday afternoon. One person was killed and seven were injured when the bomb exploded.

Later that night, two bombs exploded at the front of Johnny Bar and Rain Tree Bar in the busy tourist area of Hua Hin district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. One person was killed and 20 others, including 10 foreigners, suffered injuries.

On Thursday, early on Mothers Day, three bombs exploded in Surat Thani soon after a Buddhist ceremony at the city centre. The attack killed one person and injured three.

One witness of the attack, named Pongpol, said he was on his way to the market when he heard a loud blast and saw everybody running. He said he was stunned by the scene and very frightened.

Two bombs also exploded at Phuket. Fortunately, only one person suffered minor injuries. Police in Phuket said the bombs were also IEDs.

Second attack on Hua Hin

Late Thursday morning, Prachuap Khiri Khans Hua Hin suffered its second bomb attack, this time the location was at Hua Hin Clock Tower, near the busy bus stop. Two bombs at this spot killed one victim and injured three others.

At approximately the same time, in Phang Nga, two bombs went off at the Bang Niang Market at about 9.20am but without causing any casualty. Earlier in the day, a fire also suspiciously happened in the market destroying more than 80 shops.

National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said NCPO leader and Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed his condolences toward all the victims of the attacks and promised that the government will take care of everyone affected by the blasts.

Meanwhile, I would like to ask everyone not to panic and continue your daily life normally, but with care. Right now, the authorities have provided security for all people as best as we can, and I would like the media not to spread fear, Winthai said.
(front page)

Who should rule  capitalist bosses or the working class?

The two crisis-wracked parties of capitalism and war in the U.S.  the Democrats and Republicans  and their candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are tearing into each other, debating whether America is great or needs to be made great again, while presenting no proposals to create jobs or meet other burning needs of working people.

At the same time, Socialist Workers Party members and supporters are campaigning on workers doorsteps and in their living rooms, discussing how the deepening capitalist depression is an unfolding catastrophe for workers and farmers and how we can unite to defend our class interests. Members of Communist Leagues in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are doing the same.

Addressing the faltering U.S. economy Aug. 8, Trump noted that the number of workers the government counts as members of the labor force is at the lowest point in four decades and proposed a package of pro-business tax cuts that would boost profits, claiming this would increase production and jobs. The previous week Clinton promised millions of jobs with rising incomes.

But many capitalist pundits  in articles such as Robert Gordons New York Times Aug. 8 op-ed Can Clinton or Trump Recapture Robust American Growth? and Neil Irwins Aug. 6 Times article Were In a Low-Growth World. How Did We Get Here?  acknowledge that no policy can solve the worldwide contraction of capitalism. It increasingly looks as if something fundamental is broken in the global growth machine, Irwin writes.

Both capitalist candidates say they are dedicated to assuring the military and political supremacy of U.S. imperialism. While President Barack Obama and Clinton argue that Trump is too unstable to be trusted with Washingtons foreign policy, Trump hammers away at Obamas legacy of eight years in office with the U.S. government at war somewhere in the world every day of his administration. Many workers say theyre dismayed by both capitalist candidates.

David Rosenfeld, SWP candidate for U.S. Congress in Minnesota, and supporter Rose Engstrom met Jose Rosas, a call center worker, at his trailer home in Owatonna, Minnesota, July 24. Rosas liked what they had to say. Two weeks later he attended an Aug. 6 public campaign meeting in Minneapolis to hear Osborne Hart, the partys vice-presidential candidate.

Rosas, 24, agreed things need to be changed. He said he was disturbed by the dog-eat-dog values of capitalism. There must be a better way for people to live, he said. They talk as if we are all in a bucket and have to step on each other to get out, to get ahead.

While touring Minnesota, Hart was interviewed Aug. 7 by Jeremy Jones, a reporter for the Hutchinson Leader. Jones talked with Hart for two hours at the Happy Hour Cafe in Glencoe, an hour west of Minneapolis.

Hart explained that the Socialist Workers Party campaigns going door to door in working-class areas, in towns large and small, in city and countryside, and gets a good response in all of them. When Jones expressed doubts about the kind of response the Socialist Workers Party is receiving, Hart and supporters started talking with June and Marlen Wichelman, who were having coffee at a table nearby.

Socialism? Hadnt considered that, Marlen Wichelman said. Well, there has to be something better than those two running for president! June Wichelman replied. They wished Hart luck in the campaign.

Later Hart spoke with farmer John Worm, who was selling corn at a stand in Glencoe. Im a Trump supporter, Worm told Hart, adding that he didnt like the word socialism.

When Hart said the Socialist Workers Party is a working-class party, Worm pointed out that Trumps rallies are big because working people come out for them.

Yes, Hart replied, because he talks about unemployment and some of the problems workers and farmers face. But he doesnt raise answers to those problems.

Youre right about that, Worm said, and listened when Hart spoke of his discussions about the capitalist crisis and the example of the Cuban Revolution with small farmers in south Georgia. Worm took a campaign flyer and got a copy of the Militant, saying, Now I have something to read and think about.

Before going to Minnesota, Hart toured in Nebraska, speaking at campaign meetings at Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso in Lincoln and at the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation in Omaha. Eleven people who had never heard of the Socialist Workers Party came, discussing the need to build the party to help lead workers and working farmers to take political power.
(front page)

Zika epidemic spreads across US colony of Puerto Rico

Despite knowing at least six months ago that the U.S. colony of Puerto Rico was at risk of a Zika epidemic, the colonial regime on the island and the U.S. government took few measures to eliminate the mosquitoes that spread the disease.

The outbreak, the Wall Street Journal reported June 8, gives U.S. and Puerto Rican health authorities a rare chance to better understand the disease. U.S. Centers for Disease Control official Steve Waterman told the paper that were going to be generating some good information.

Two months later, President Barack Obama in a video admonished the people of Puerto Rico to use mosquito repellent and eliminate standing water in their homes, but announced no actions to combat Zikas spread. Puerto Rican Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla thanked Obama for calling on Puerto Ricans to carry out their individual responsibility.

By Aug. 6 there were 8,776 people confirmed with Zika infections on the island, including 901 pregnant women. Twenty-seven people have Zika-related Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause paralysis. The greatest danger is the risk of birth defects in children whose mothers are infected during pregnancy.

The way they treat us  because of our situation as a U.S. colony  is infuriating, Gerson Guzman, president of General Workers Union Local 1199, told the Militant by phone Aug. 5. Dealing with this is not an individual problem, he said. It can only be solved collectively.

To pay the $70 billion debt to bondholders, the colonial government over the last several years has laid off thousands of workers, including those who fumigated in the communities, Guzman said.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries Zika prefers to live near people and bite indoors and doesnt travel far from its breeding spots. The same species spreads dengue, Chikungunya and yellow fever. Zika can also be transmitted through sexual contact.

One of the governments few actions has been moving 1.6 million tires that could hold standing water away from residential areas. Puerto Rico imports millions of used tires, because many residents cant afford new ones.

But there are mountains of discarded tires and thousands more pile up every day, said retired health worker Luis Epardo by phone from Aguadilla. Used tires wear out quickly. Were the dumping ground of the United States.

And with tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans emigrating every year, a result of the islands economic crisis exacerbated by its colonial status, thousands of houses are vacant  prime mosquito-breeding real estate.

When a car wont start, the first thing you check is the battery, Ramon Figueroa, a retired Bacardi Rum worker, said from Aguadilla. To fight Zika the first thing you have to do is eliminate the breeding grounds. But the government has no plans.

When the Garcia government announced in July that it was going to carry out aerial fumigation with the pesticide naled, a coalition of union, community and religious groups organized several protests. Garcia backed down and returned the naled to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which had sent the chemical without even asking the islands government if they wanted it.

The aerial spraying would not only be ineffective, because this type of mosquito lives indoors, it would create more problems, Pedro Irene Maymi, president of the Puerto Rican Workers Federation (CPT), said by phone Aug. 7. It would kill bees and sea life, harming agriculture on the island. The cure could cause more damage than the disease.

Union leaders proposed the government form brigades of public workers to go block by block to eliminate breeding grounds and to educate people on how to stamp out the mosquitoes.

The response of Gov. Garcia to the union proposal? He has not answered us, Maymi said.

Cuba virtually eliminates Zika

Many in Puerto Rico have heard how revolutionary Cuba has fought Zika. An article in the July 6noted that by going house to house, fumigating and eliminating breeding spots, Cuba has almost wiped out not only Zika, but dengue and Chikungunya. But the article makes the Cuban effort sound like a police action, rather than the revolutionary effort it has been. Tens of thousands of volunteers, including medical students, community organizations and others, have carried out the successful campaign along with soldiers, educating the population as they go.

In Brazil, where thousands of pregnant women were infected, more than 1,700 babies were born with microcephaly  an abnormally small head.

But its a mistake to focus just on microcephaly, Dr. Alberto de la Vega, head of the high-risk pregnancy unit at San Juans University Hospital, told the Militant by phone Aug. 6. The hospital is treating 150 Zika-infected pregnant women.

We already have twice the normal percentage of delayed growth in the fetuses of the women we are treating, more than 20 cases, he said. And many Zika-related problems cant be detected until after birth, such as retinal damage and lesions.

There is a lot of distrust of the government and many people dont believe anything it says, de la Vega said about the governments campaign to encourage using mosquito repellent and wearing long sleeves.

De la Vega is concerned that the worst is yet to come. Forty more pregnant women are infected every day, he said, most of whom wont start giving birth until October.





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(front page)

Debate over Russia shows crisis in US foreign,

military policy

The increasing world disorder of capitalism and the growing crisis of Washingtons foreign and military policy have deepened in the quarter of a century since the Soviet Union collapsed because the U.S. rulers erroneously concluded they had won the Cold War. They have reaped unintended consequences as theyve stepped up military intervention in the Middle East and beyond.

This reality has produced a caustic debate between Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump over relations with Moscow and its president, Vladimir Putin, and the extent to which Washingtons war machine can be used from Iraq to Afghanistan to the South China Sea.

The debate takes place as the Barack Obama administration moves provocatively to deploy battalions from the U.S.-dominated NATO alliance around the Russian border in the Baltics.

When leaked email correspondence revealed Democratic Party officials in Clintons camp had planned to discredit Bernie Sanders by calling him an atheist and a Jew, implicated Democratic leaders tried to deflect attention from their coarse and anti-Semitic actions by blaming Russia and Trump.

It was the Russians who perpetrated this leak for the purpose of helping Donald Trump and hurting Hillary Clinton, Clintons campaign manager, Robby Mook, said July 25. Democrats charges that Trump is soft on Moscow are not new. In March Clinton said that if Trump is elected, it will be like Christmas in the Kremlin.

After Trump jokingly suggested that Putin might dredge up missing Clinton emails sought in a congressional probe of her conduct as secretary of state, Michael Morell, former acting director of the CIA, said that Putin had recruited Mr. Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation.

US imperialism lost the Cold War

Following the fall of the murderous Stalinist bureaucracy in the Soviet Union in 1991, the U.S. rulers crowed they had won the Cold War and acted accordingly on the world stage. But Washington had depended on the help of Moscows repressive apparatus and counterrevolutionary Stalinist parties around the world to derail and tamp down working-class struggles.

Washingtons false assumptions led Democratic and Republican administrations alike to intervene abroad when the capitalist rulers saw instability or threats to U.S. interests.

Far from resulting in stability for U.S. imperialist exploitation, decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan have torn up the Middle East, left in their wake widespread death and destruction, resulted in the emergence of the reactionary Islamic State  led by former military commanders from Saddam Husseins regime in Iraq  and sent millions of workers from Syria and elsewhere to seek refuge in Europe.

Weakened and battered by a string of military disasters, Washington acts in contradictory ways. Sensing their impotence in the Mideast, the propertied U.S. rulers pivot to enlist Moscows help, along with that of Tehran, to try to end the war in Syria and defeat Islamic State. At the same time the Obama administration has moved provocatively to strengthen its military presence in eastern Europe  what Moscow regards as its near abroad buffer zone. The Kremlin considers this a direct threat. As well, Washington is modernizing its nuclear weapons arsenal in a $1 trillion 30-year upgrade.

Top Pentagon officials warn of Russian revanchist moves to regain lost territory. But if there is a power trying to regain lost hegemony and prestige, its Washington.

There is no new Cold War. Russia is no superpower. The collapse of oil and gas prices with the world contraction of production and trade have put the Russian economy in deep crisis and generated widespread discontent with the Putin government. The Russian economy contracted by 4 percent in 2015. Some 19 million Russians were living below the poverty level of $139 a month. Earlier this year truckers protested for weeks against a new road tax.

However, Putins moves in Syria and the near abroad, and his efforts to strengthen military and economic ties with China and Turkey, show he senses U.S. imperialisms post-Cold War weakness.

The wealthy U.S. rulers, feeling the pressure of the grinding depression they cant solve and unable to impose a new imperialist order, will continue to veer on a vacillating and dangerous course no matter which capitalist politician wins the White House in November.





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(feature article)

History will absolve me: program of Cuban Revolution

Excerpt from Fidel Castros defense speech at trial after 1953 Moncada attack

Thousands rallied in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, July 26  and many more across the island and worldwide  to celebrate the 63rd anniversary of that action, and the Cuban Revolution, which stands as a powerful example for working people worldwide. Other events are being organized in Cuba and elsewhere to mark Castros 90th birthday Aug. 13.

The excerpts are from a new translation prepared by Pathfinder Press. Subheadings are by the Militant.

The indictment for this trial should have included five revolutionary laws  the laws that we planned to proclaim immediately after the capture of the Moncada garrison and broadcast to the nation by radio. 

The first revolutionary law would have returned sovereign rule to the people. The 1940 constitution would have been proclaimed the supreme law of the land until such time as the people decided to modify or change it. Its a fact that no popularly elected bodies exist at present to implement the constitution and punish those who betray it. Therefore, the revolutionary movement  the living incarnation of this sovereignty, the only source of legitimate power  would have assumed all powers inherent within the constitution, except that of modifying the basic law itself. That is, the revolutionary movement would have assumed legislative, executive and judicial powers.

This approach could not be more transparent or free of sterile absurdities and fakery. A government proclaimed by the mass of combatants would be vested with all necessary powers to implement the will of the people and bring about true justice. 

The second revolutionary law would have given ownership of the land  under the condition that it couldnt be mortgaged or transferred  to all small farmers, tenant farmers, sharecroppers, and squatters who work five caballerias [165 acres] of land or less. 

The third revolutionary law would have granted workers and employees the right to share 30 percent of the profits of all large industrial, commercial, and mining enterprises, including sugar mills. 

The fourth revolutionary law would have granted all small sugar farmers a 55 percent share of the sugar their cane yields. 

The fifth revolutionary law would have ordered the confiscation of the holdings of those who had embezzled money from any previous regime. 

Solidarity with peoples of continent

Furthermore, it was to be declared that Cubas policy in the Americas would be one of close solidarity with the democratic peoples of the continent, and that all those politically persecuted by bloody tyrannies oppressing sister nations would find generous asylum, brotherhood, and sustenance in the land of Marti. 

These laws would have been proclaimed immediately.  They would have been followed by another series of fundamental laws and measures. These would have included agrarian reform, a complete overhaul of the educational system, nationalization of the electric and telephone monopolies, refund to the people of the illegal and excessive rates these companies charged in the past, and payment to the treasury of all taxes they brazenly evaded in the past.

All these laws and others would have been based on strict compliance with two essential new articles of our constitution.

The first article would ban large landed estates. To end them, the maximum area of land any one person or entity might own for each type of agricultural enterprise would be stipulated by law. Measures would be adopted to return land to the people of Cuba.

The second article would categorically order the state to use all means at its disposal to provide employment for all who lack it and to ensure a decent livelihood to each manual or intellectual worker.

None of these laws could be called unconstitutional. The first popularly elected government that came to power after these decrees would have to respect them, not only because of moral obligations to the nation but because when people achieve something they have yearned for over generations, no force in the world is capable of taking it away.

Land, industrialization, housing, unemployment, education, and public health: these are the six problems we would have taken resolute steps to solve, along with restoring civil liberties and political democracy. 

Eighty-five percent of small farmers in Cuba pay rent and live under the constant threat of being evicted from their plots of land.

More than half of our best farmland is in the hands of foreign owners.

In Oriente, our biggest province, the holdings of the United Fruit Company and the West Indian Company extend coast to coast from north to south.

Some 200,000 peasant families dont have a square meter of land to till to provide food for their starving children.

On the other hand, nearly 300,000 caballerias [10 million acres] of productive land owned by powerful interests remain uncultivated. 

Except for a few food processing plants, lumber mills, and textile factories, Cuba continues to be primarily a producer of raw materials. We export sugar to import candy. We export hides to import shoes. We export iron ore to import plows. 

Just as serious or even worse is the tragedy in housing. There are 200,000 huts and hovels in Cuba. Some 400,000 families in the countryside and in cities are crowded into barracks-style housing and shacks that lack even the most elementary sanitary facilities.

Some 2.2 million of our urban population pay rents that absorb between one-fifth and one-third of their incomes.

Some 2.8 million of our rural population and those who live on the outskirts of our cities lack electricity. 

Death is the only liberation from such poverty and here, yes, the state is most helpful. Ninety percent of children in the countryside are devoured by parasites that enter under the nails of their bare feet. 

Crime of unemployment

When the father of a family works only four months a year, how can he buy clothing and medicine for his children? They will grow up with rickets. At age thirty they wont have a single healthy tooth in their mouths. They will have heard ten million speeches and will finally die of poverty and deception. Public hospitals, which are always full, accept only patients recommended by some powerful politician who demands in return the vote of the unfortunate person and his entire family so that Cuba may continue forever in the same or worse condition.

In face of these facts, is it not understandable that from May to December over a million people are jobless? 

When you try a defendant for robbery, honorable judges, you dont ask him how long he has been unemployed. How many children he has. Which days of the week he ate, which he didnt. You arent concerned at all with the social conditions he faces. You send him to jail without further thought. But the rich man who burns warehouses and stores to collect insurance doesnt go to jail  even though a few human beings may have gone up in flames as well  because he has more than enough money to hire lawyers and bribe judges.

You imprison the poor wretch who steals because he is hungry. Yet not one of the hundreds of thieves who steal millions from the government has ever spent a night behind bars. You dine with them at the end of the year in an aristocratic club and they enjoy your respect.

In Cuba, when a government official becomes a millionaire overnight and enters the fraternity of the rich, he could very well be greeted with the words of that wealthy character in Balzac  Taillefer  who in his toast to the young heir to an enormous fortune, says:

Gentlemen, let us drink to the power of gold. M. de Valentin, who has become a millionaire six times over, has become a power. He is a king, he can do anything; he is above everyone, as are all who are rich. For him from now on, the statement that All Frenchmen are equal before the law is a lie inscribed at the opening of the legal code. He is not going to obey the law; the law is going to obey him. There are neither scaffolds nor executioners for millionaires.*

* From 1831 novel by Honore de Balzac(The wild asss skin
Working people in Utah welcome SWP campaign

SALT LAKE CITY  In this battleground state between Republican and Democratic presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, five other capitalist parties have now joined the race. This includes the just announced campaign of Evan McMullin, a former CIA operative, backed by leaders of the anti-Trump wing of the Republican Party. On the working-class side, the campaign of Socialist Workers Party presidential candidate Alyson Kennedy is getting a hearing among working people.

Kennedy, who worked as an underground miner in Utah, West Virginia and Alabama, was a leader of the widely known 2003-2004 Co-Op miners strike in Huntington, Utah. She has campaigned here several times over the past month. Supporters of the SWP have been going door to door throughout the state engaging in discussions with working people about the deepening capitalist depression, the class conflicts on the horizon and why the working class needs to think socially and act politically.

Im glad to hear Alyson Kennedy will be on the ballot in Utah, said Bob Fivecoat, a retired miner from East Carbon. She is very respected here and also she is very respectful. I am urging others to support her campaign.

As a former co-worker of Alyson Kennedy at the Co-Op mine, I worked with her and many other underground coal miners in the struggle to win union representation with the UMWA back in 2003, wrote Bill Estrada Aug. 10. Alyson played a central role in our efforts for better working conditions, dignity, respect and in building solidarity for our union fight.

In July, I joined Alyson in knocking on doors in Carbon and Emery counties collecting signatures to get her on the ballot. There are many workers, including coal miners, that we talked to who remember our union fight and supported it.

Neither Trump nor Clinton offer any proposals to address what working people are facing today  wars, high unemployment, deteriorating working conditions and declining wages, Kennedy said as she landed in Utah Aug. 9 for a press conference when state officials confirmed the SWP will be on the ballot. We are getting a hearing when we explain there is another road through the fight for workers power and why we need to overthrow this rotten capitalist system.

Campaigners have been making extensive use of the new book Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart? Class, Privilege, and Learning Under Capitalism by SWP National Secretary Jack Barnes. More than 220 workers, young people and others throughout the state bought the book from door-to-door campaigners in the last five weeks.

Dissatisfaction with the choices the two major capitalist parties have put forward has spurred additional bourgeois candidates to enter the presidential race in Utah. The most recent is McMullin, who is backed by William Kristol, the anti-Trump editor of the National Review and a number of prominent Republican Party leaders. McMullin, who is a member of the Mormon church, says his candidacy is fueled by the widespread loss of faith in the candidates of both major parties. He criticizes Trumps scapegoating of Muslims, saying it sets back the fight against terrorism.

Some two-thirds of Utahns are Mormons, who form the backbone of the Republican Party here. Trumps calls for a religious test for immigrants and a ban on Muslim immigration is a reminder to many Mormons of the fierce persecution the church faced in the 19th century.

Founded in western New York in 1830, the Mormons came under attack as heretics and were driven from the state. They moved to Missouri, where they were met with violence and a call from the governor for residents to exterminate them. They fled to Illinois, where a lynch mob shot and killed Joseph Smith, the groups founder. They then moved to the Great Salt Lake Valley, which was not yet a state at the time.

Additionally, Trumps America First demagogy does not sit well with many Mormon believers, who promote their religion worldwide. Every year thousands of youth go abroad on religious missions. The type of American nationalism fostered by Trump  equally promoted as a centerpiece of the Clinton campaign  flies in the face of the international experiences and contacts many Mormons have made over the years.

Thousands of refugees  many from Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia  have made Utah their home.

With more and more working people here weighing alternatives to the Republican and Democratic parties, the Socialist Workers Party gets a good hearing posing a clear class alternative. The capitalists have two parties, Alyson Kennedy said. The SWP sees the working class not only as the class that is bearing the brunt of the capitalist crisis, but also as the only class with the power to end the dictatorship of the capitalist system and fight for a socialist world to end the exploitation of working people.

I think that is about right, said John Bell, a retired construction worker who was talking with SWP members on his doorstep in Taylorsville about how none of the capitalist parties offer solutions for working people. The work you are doing out here is needed.

SWP builds Sept. 8 protest in West Virginia, Kentucky
SWP campaigns in Tennessee, condemns US

wars abroad

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Workers need their own party to lead the fight for working-class political power, Alyson Kennedy told the press after filing Aug. 8 to place the Socialist Workers Party on the ballot here. We say to workers, Our party is your party.

The filing followed a weekend of campaigning here with SWP supporters talking to workers on their doorsteps. In an indication of the interest, nine people bought the book Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart?, 10 subscribed to the Militant and 109 signed to put the party on the ballot. In all, they submitted 569 signatures from across the state, more than double the 275 required.

The party calls for Washington to unilaterally eliminate its nuclear weaponry and to withdraw all its troops from the Middle East and elsewhere.

The war against workers here and Washingtons spreading wars against workers and farmers abroad will deepen, Kennedy said. This is what happened in the last great depression in the 1930s. Capitalist governments fought ever more fiercely for markets and sources of raw material until the second imperialist world slaughter broke out, killing millions of workers. And these profit-hungry rulers have enough nuclear weapons to destroy all of humanity.

When SWP supporters went door to door to discuss the party program in South Pittsburg, a town of 3,000 just west of Chattanooga that was a center of coal mining prior to World War II, two dozen workers signed to place the SWP on the ballot in a couple of hours of campaigning. The loss of jobs in rail transportation and manufacturing, resulting from mine closings in recent years, still mark the town.
(Morry Gash/AP/PA)

The US District Court in Milwaukee on Friday overturned Brendan Dasseys conviction and ordered him freed within 90 days unless an appeal is filed.Dassey confessed to helping his uncle Steven Avery carry out the rape and murder of Halbach, but lawyers argued that the confession was coerced. Dassey was 16 when Halbach was killed in 2005 after she went to the Avery family car salvage yard to photograph some vehicles. Avery was tried and convicted separately in the homicide.
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Infograph: Largest self-built bicycles

TECHNOLOGY: A look at some of the most innovative and peculiar applications of the bicycle.

technology

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 9 August 2016, 02:56PM

The DIY bicycle generator is certainly an innovative machine. While it might one of the first of its kind, other inventors have had similar ideas when it came to bicycles. In fact, one of the earlier models of this machine was both ludicrous in design and size: The penny farthing.

Of course the creativity did not end there. Over the years, people have been coming up with increasingly larger and more astonishing bicycles. This infographic provided by Cykelvalg shows you some of the largest bicycles ever created.

Some of these designs are quite ingenious, allowing an entire family to fit on a single bicycle. Others like the T-Rex bike and the Butterfly are a little more confounding. Despite their curious appearances, however, the inventors of these machines certainly need to be applauded for their creativity.

It would be a great experience to get a chance to ride even one of these fantastic machines.
Laguna Phuket announces postponement of Bodyslam, Big Ass Thai rock charity concert over 'safety consideration'

PHUKET: Laguna Phuket has announced the postponement of a Thai rock concert scheduled for tonight.

tourism

By The Phuket News

Saturday 13 August 2016, 01:17PM

POSTPONEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT Laguna Phuket presents Big Body+ Charity Concert 2016 In view of the recent incidents in the Southern provinces of Thailand, Laguna Phuket has decided to postpone its Laguna Phuket Big Body+ Charity Concert 2016 to ensure the safety and security of the concert goers.

We have carefully planned for this event and been encouraged to go ahead with the Concert by partners who trust in the capabilities of Laguna Phuket and Phuket province to host such events, said Mr. Ravi Chandran, Managing Director of Laguna Phuket.

However, with safety and security as a paramount consideration, we together and the organiser have agreed to postpone the concert to a later date, date to be advised.

"Concert goers may use their tickets for the later date or request for refund through tel. 076.362.300 ext. 1404, email: ticket@lagunaphuket and/or Facebook: LagunaPhuketResort from now until 30 September 2016. -end- "

The concert postponement follows the cancellation of this week's LardYai Sunday night walking street market.
'No foreign tourist cancellations' say Phuket tourist associations as Sunday 'Walking Street' night market cancelled

PHUKET: The weekly Lard Yai Walking Street market in Old Town Phuket has been cancelled this Sunday (August 14) as an extra safety precaution in the wake of arson and bomb attacks on Thursday and Friday.

tourismviolencecrimefootball

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Saturday 13 August 2016, 12:08PM

LardYai Walking Street market, a popular Sunday night activity among Thais and foreigners, is cancelled on August 14. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

The cancellation was announced through a post on the markets official facebook page.

Meanwhile, leaders of four key hotel and tourism business associations on the island have signed a letter issued to member businesses asking for cooperation in crisis management measures.

The letter  signed by the heads of the Phuket Tourist Association (Satienpong Na Takuathung), Thai Hotel Association Southern Chapter (Dr Kritsada Tansakul), Patong Hotels Association (Ms Supattra Jaruariyanon) and the Kata Karon Hotel Business Association (Mr Kritsada Kanchanalai)  asks for hotel and tourism operator members to ramp up surveillance and exercise vigelence around their respective places of business, and to provide convenience and accurate information on the state of affairs.

The letter noted that though there may be cancellations among Thai nationals, there has been no notification of cancellations among foreign tourists, adding that occupancy remains at about 70 per cent islandwide, and 80% in Patong.

The letter closed by stressing that ramped-up security measures would help to restore confidence among travellers.

At the time of press, Phuket FCs match tonight with Ranong United at Surakul Stadium was still on schedule for a 7pm kickoff.

However, the "Laguna Phuket presents Big Body+ Charity Concert", which was scheduled to start at 5pm tonight and feature popular headling Thai rock acts Bodyslam and Big Ass, has been postponed.




Sketch of Phuket bomb suspect released amidst heightened surveillance orders

PHUKET: Region 8 Police have released a sketch of a male suspect wanted for detonating a bomb in Patong on Friday morning, which left one motorbike taxi driver injured.

policetourismcrime

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 13 August 2016, 10:52PM

The sketch was released earlier today (August 13) and follows Phuket Governor Chamroen Thipayapongthada and Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong paying a visit to Phukets sole bomb victim at his house this morning in Patong.

Somboon Kaikaew, 41, a Patong motorcycle taxi driver, suffered an injury to his right arm on Friday morning, when an explosion occurred at the traffic signal control box near the junction of Bangla Road and the beach road in Phukets premier tourist town.

Up until this point, speculation has been rife as few details about investigation progress have been released to the public.

In a statement issued to the press this afternoon, Gov Chamroen gave his assurances that authorities are working tirelessly to track down the culprit or culprits behind the attack in Phuket.

The statement reads: Phuket belongs to everyone, every nationality, every religion A world destination, we need to preserve Phuket to be a safety zone for the happiness of everyone, to be a destination of peace where everyone can travel, and return [home] having experienced nature or acquired goods this or that, but we mustnt be complacent with whats happened, and employ measures for the private and public sectors to help serve as the eyes and ears. We will ensure that CCTV surveillance coverage is maintained in precarious areas, and fix where needed. In addition, we will ramp up security forces in populated areas.

Phuket Provincial Police Commandar Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen also gave his assurances that authorities are working around the clock on heightened security alert.

Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen explained that his officers, together with Thachadchai Police, officers from the Third Naval Area Command and other security personnel in Thalang have inspected all vehicles coming onto the island via the Thachadchai checkpoint on the north of the island.

We have not found anything suspicious yet, but were also cooperating with security personnel working at commerce centres throughout the island [and have ordered them] to be vigilant in inspecting all vehicles coming and going.

Law enforcement are distributing the sketches at all places throughout Phuket and adjacent provinces, Maj Gen Teeraphol added.

Authorities did not provide any other details about the sketch or suspect.

The Rakyat Post, a daily in Kuala Lumpur reports that a Malaysian mobile phone is suspected to have been used to detonate the Phuket bomb.

The Phuket News has yet to independently verify this claim.

To report any leads or suspicious behavior, click here.






11AAA semis will be awesome and more from HS football quarterfinals
In this Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, photo, rescue workers help an unidentified woman after a bomb blast in the southern resort city of Hua Hin, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Bangkok, Thailand. Police are investigating a series of bomb blasts in Hua Hin and other cities in Thailand. (Daily News via AP)
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, a key feature of which is the increase in the stipulated maternity leave to 26 weeks from the present 12 weeks. The move was widely cheered, as it was seen as long overdue.

According to research by S.K. Sasikumar, senior fellow at Noida-based VV Giri National Labour Institute, the phenomenon of women dropping out of the workforce is most pronounced in the age group of 25 to 34, which coincides with marriage and childbirth in the lives of most working women.

If you look at the labour force differentials, there is a 60 percent plus differential between male and female workforce participation in the 25 to 34 age group and this is the age when people get married and have children. This is when women fall out of the market, Sasikumar says.

In the 20 to 24 age group, the differential is 48.2 per cent. That means that people are entering, but the exit is happening here. You have 99 per cent of men working between 30 to 34 and only 37 percent of women working.

It is also expected to feed into India's economic growth story over a period of time.

According to research, India can add upto $700 billion of additional GDP, if more women join and stay in the work force. With the rise of nuclear families, family and social support for young parents is reducing and women are being forced to give up their career ambitions, which in turn is a loss for the society, says Sonal Arora, vice president at recruitment and staffing firm TeamLease Services.

While progressive, the legislation can only be considered a start towards creating a more gender-neutral environment in India's workplaces. On this front, the legislation has lagged some sections of industry, which already voluntarily offer six months of paid maternity leave. The list of such companies includes Hindustan Unilever, Flipkart, HCL Technologies, PwC, Accenture, Procter & Gamble (P&G) India and the Tata group.

Some companies also make other adjustments, such as an additional four weeks of leave in case of a medical exigency at PwC and an option to avail an additional six weeks of paid leave at P&G India. Obviously, such practices are limited to the larger companies with a reputation for relative progressiveness.

The challenge will be to enforce the implementation of the legislation by mid-sized and small firms, which together employ a majority of the workforce. These firms are likely to plead inability to meet the maternity benefit norms. There is in fact concern that the legislation may do at these firms the opposite of what is intended, as these companies may now shy away from hiring more women. Or, they could impose curbs on getting married or conceiving babies, as airlines do.

There are other issues at play as well. Both Sasikumar's research and Arora's experience tell us that it is important to have a procedure to actively bring women back to work and acclimatise them to balancing home and work. Arora says that in some organisations, immediately after maternity leave, there is the flexibility to work from home or an option of partial work for two or three days a week is offered. Some have managers periodically scheduling a call to keep the woman employee updated on what is happening so that she is not completely out of step when she comes back.

There are many organisations which have now aggressively started seeking women who have taken a break. We have started getting requests from customers, especially in the IT industry, who say that, 'okay, I'm looking at hiring women who have taken a break and who are not working anywhere right now, because it's a part of my initiative to have more gender-balanced and empowered workplace', Arora says, adding, At the moment, if you look at the male-female ratio, at the entry level, it's at 25 per cent, at mid-level, it is 16 per cent and at the senior level, it is 4 per cent only. So it is about getting more women not just to join the workplace, but also about retaining them.

If legislators are listening, they could help bring more legislation to create progressive workplaces, apart from their own suggestion to formulate norms for paternity leave.
Uttar Pradesh has recently seen some horrifying crime incidents, including Bulandsher gang-rape and an assassination attempt on a BJP leader in Gaziabad. But, the state police has dedicated its resources to find a missing VIP dog, instead of going after criminals those who pose threat to the public safety.

The Agra police has thrown all its energy to search a Labrador dog that belongs to former state minister and BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria.

The UP police is notoriously popular for its lackadaisical approach in nabbing criminals. However, it did not waste any time and swung into action in connection with the missing dog case.

Sources said senior officers have directed their subordinates to find the dog within a couple of hours. Even a police team was rushed to the spot, from where Kallu the dog reportedly went missing. The police are also searching old files related to the missing dog.

Kallu has been reported missing from the MPs residence at Khandari campus since Tuesday morning. The area is located in the high security zone and is guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force.

Soon after the dog was found missing, Katheria's wife Mridula, along with some BJP leaders, met Superintendent of Police, Agra, Sushil Ghule to register a complaint over the missing dog.

When Police can probe case of Azam Khan ji's missing buffaloes then why not our missing pet dog? Mridula asked while making a statement to the media in Agra in connection with the case.

In 2014, Samajwadi Party Cabinet Minister Azam Khan drew flak for using police force to search and find his seven buffaloes, which were stolen from his farm house.

As part of the investigation, an FIR was lodged, a police team with sniffer dogs was formed, CCTV footage was examined. After a week, the VIP buffaloes were found and safely returned to their owner.

Three police officers, however, were later punished by the department for 'dereliction of duty, following a public backlash.
Ahead of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India, China's state-run media on Friday said the door for India's admission into the NSG is "not tightly" closed and New Delhi should "fully comprehend" Beijing's concerns over the disputed South China Sea.

Terming that India and China are partners not rivals, a commentary by state-run Xinhua news agency said "as Beijing and New Delhi head into a season of intensive top-level diplomatic encounters that could well define the future of their partnership, the two need to work together to keep their disagreements in check".

"What should be noted above all else is that India has wrongly blamed China for blocking its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)," it said.

"So far, there is no precedent for a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory to become a NSG member. Many inside the body that monitors the global flow of nuclear materials insist prudence in handing a membership card to any non-treaty party," it said in apparent reference to China's persistent demand that signing the NPT is a must for the entry of new members into the 48-member body which controls global nuclear commerce.

"However, New Delhi should not be downhearted as the door to the NSG is not tightly closed," it said in a first such reference by China in recent months since the two counties differed on the issue.

"But any future discussions need to be based on safeguarding an international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism, in which India itself has a huge stake," it said.

However the commentary did not mention whether Wang, who begins a three-day visit to India today, will be carrying any new proposals to assuage India's disappointment over its failed bid to get NSG membership despite having majority support in the grouping.

The commentary also wanted India to understand China's concerns over the South China Sea, where Beijing is on the back foot specially after the verdict of the international tribunal striking down its expansive claims over the area. The US, Australia and Japan besides the Philippines which won the case asked China to implement the verdict saying that it is binding.

Beijing, which boycotted the tribunal's proceeding however termed it as illegal and null and void.

Referring to the joint communique issued at the recent meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India, and China (RIC) in Moscow, the commentary said "India agreed that the South China Sea issue should be addressed through talks between the parties concerned".

"Given that the South China Sea correlates with China's vital national interests, it is hoped that India would fully comprehend Beijing's concerns, and continue to play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific," it said.
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

"A morning for neighbourly engagement. Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup posted on Twitter.

Wang is visiting India for holding talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on various issues of mutual interest.

Wang on Friday met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to review the logistics and security arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposed visit in October to the coastal state for the BRICS summit.
Republican Donald Trump on Friday backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State, while the Republican Party sought to project unity behind their candidate.

A new poll showed Trump, whose unfiltered speaking style has repeatedly landed him in hot water, losing ground in three crucial states ahead of the November 8 general election against Clinton.

In a surprise appearance, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who in private expressed fury over some of Trump's actions earlier this month, introduced the candidate at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the two hugged onstage.

"Were so honoured to be working with Donald Trump and the campaign," Priebus told thousands of Trump supporters.

"And dont believe the garbage you read. Let me tell you something. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, were going to put him in the White House and save this country together."

Republican sources earlier this month said Priebus was furious over Trump's failure to endorse House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and his feud with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. Trump did endorse Ryan a few days later.

Trump brought Priebus on stage later at another rally, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to thank him for the work he has done as he insisted there is great unity in the party.

"I have to say we have great unification," Trump said.

Trump on Friday told the rallies in Altoona and Erie that his remarks earlier this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of ISIS, as Islamic State is also known, had been sarcastic.

"I have been saying because it's true, but somewhat sarcastically, that he's the founder of ISIS and she's a close second," Trump said in Altoona.
The leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a US drone strike on July 26, a Pentagon spokesman said on Friday after the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan announced the news.

The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan is a blow to efforts by Islamic Statealso known as ISIS or Daeshto expand from its heartlands in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan, already crowded with jihadist movements including the Taliban and al Qaeda.

It is the second US killing of a prominent militant in the region in months. In May, a US drone killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a strike in Pakistan.

Despite that, Afghanistan's 15-year-old war grinds on with no clear victory in sight. Taliban fighters have been threatening at least two provincial capitals this summer, in Helmand and Kunduz, and a US government report said Afghan forces have lost 5 per cent of territory this year.

In terms of its own territory, Islamic State has been largely confined to a handful of districts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, where IS militantsmostly defectors from the Talibanare blamed for raiding villages and government outposts.

Still, worries that Islamic State might be expanding its operational reach heightened this week when the group took credit for an attack on a Pakistani hospital that killed at least 74 people in the southwestern city of Quetta. A Pakistani Taliban faction also claimed responsibility.

A few weeks earlier, Islamic State claimed an attack on a rally in Kabul that killed more than 80 people.

Bitter rivals

Khan has been reported dead before. But a claim by Afghan intelligence agents last year that he had been killed was never confirmed.

On Friday, however, Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal said he had seen confirmation from Afghan security forces.

"I can confirm that ISIS Khurasan (Afghanistan and Pakistan) leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a US drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province," he said.

Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge confirmed Khan's death, and said in a statement that the air strike took place during joint operations by US and Afghan special operations forces against IS in the southern part of Nangarhar province. Trowbridge said the airstrike was in Achin district, as opposed to Kot district.

Khana longtime commander with the Pakistani Talibanpledged allegiance in October 2014 to Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Taliban's various factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as their al Qaeda allies are bitter rivals of Islamic State's al-Baghdadi. The Taliban reject al-Baghdadi as leader of an envisioned worldwide caliphate.

In Afghanistan, Taliban and Islamic State fighters have battled over territory in Nangarhar, though both have recently been more busy defending against US and Afghan assaults.

Between January and early August, American warplanes conducted nearly 140 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Afghanistan, according to the US military.

Afghan forces, backed by the American military, killed an estimated 300 Islamic State fighters in an operation mounted two weeks ago, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan said on Wednesday, calling it a severe blow to the group.
Hillary Clinton has turned over the only records nobody wants to see from her  the American public wants to see the 33,000 emails she deleted to obstruct an FBI investigation. We want to see the Clinton Foundation records showing how the Clintons sold our uranium to Russia, ripped off Haiti and cut deals with oppressive regimes around the world. We want to see the pay-for-play emails that Clintons Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, refuses to turn over. We want to see the transcripts of the secret Wall Street speeches Clinton was paid $10,000 dollars-a-minute to give. We want to see the records the night of Benghazi that explain why Secretary Clinton didnt send in reinforcements as soon as the attack had begun.

Hillary Clinton is at the center of an international corruption scandal that reveals her use of government authority and influence for personal gain. The records we need to see are those being hidden, deleted, obstructed and stashed away by Hillary Clinton to keep authorities from untangling this corrupt scheme that reaches into the worlds shady corridors of power. Everything she doesnt want us to see has been digitally shredded or put under lock and key. This document release is nothing more than an attempt at distraction and misdirection by an individual who created and then purged an illegal private email server.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed by a U.S. drone last month, a U.S. defense official confirmed to Fox News Friday.

The operation agaisnt Hafiz Saeed Khan was first disclosed by Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan.

Omar Zakhilwal told Reuters: I can confirm that ISIS Khorasan leader Hafiz Saeed Khan, along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a U.S. drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistans Nangharhar province.

Khan, a former member of the Pakistani branch of the Taliban, had sworn allegiance to Middle East-based ISIS. He was earlier reported killed last year but the death was never confirmed.

Khans death is a blow to efforts by ISIS to expand its territory and its jihadist push into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

U.S. and Afghan leaders have been concerned about the growth of IS in Afghanistan. They were targeted by a U.S.-backed Afghan military offensive last month, in which five U.S. commandos were injured.

Khan is the second prominent jihadist to be killed in the region in three months. Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed by a US airstrike strike in Pakistan in May.

(AP)
Donald Trump is warning his Pennsylvania supporters about potential voter fraud in the state and suggests that they volunteer to monitor the election.

Speaking at a Friday evening rally in Altoona, Trump says, We dont want to see people voting five times, folks, and adds: We have to be very careful.

In 2014, a Pennsylvania judge struck down a law requiring voters to produce state-approved photo ID in order to vote.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the nations voting system, an unprecedented assertion by a modern presidential candidate.

(AP)
Animal genetics firm Genus fell after it lost a court decision in a patent row. It has been battling rival Inguran over technology used for sexing bull semen.

Its a process that can skew which gender is produced from artificial insemination, which is important because dairy farmers prefer female calves.

Genus launched its product as an alternative to technology already in use by Inguran, hoping to increase competition in the market. But yesterday a US district court in Wisconsin ruled that Ingurans patent was valid and had been infringed.

It said Genus had breached confidentiality obligations which were set out in a 2012 agreement between the two firms.

Bullocks: Genus fell after it lost a court decision in a patent row. It has been battling rival Inguran over technology used for sexing bull semen

Basingstoke-based Genus argued that Inguran had wilfully maintained a monopoly position. But the jury said Genus had not proved it had suffered as a result of that.

The jury will now consider a verdict on damages. Genus was the biggest faller on the All-Share for the day as its shares slumped 8 per cent, or 156p, to 1782p.

TT Electronics rose as Peel Hunt put a Buy rating on the stock. A day earlier, the automotive electronics firm reported revenues had risen 5 per cent to 277million in the first half

Pre-tax profit for the six months to June 30 was 11.4million, up 25 per cent on the same period a year ago.

STOCKWATCH - PARKMEAD Parkmead Group has been rising all week after it doubled its stake in two UK oil fields. The oil and gas producer now operates 100 per cent of the Polecat and Marten oil fields in the central North Sea. The pair are estimated to hold more than 90million barrels of oil. Cantor Fitzgerald has a Buy rating on the stock. It said the company is well positioned to keep growing through acquisitions. Finncap also put a Buy rating on the stock while Panmure Gordon upped its target price to 105p. Shares rose 3.5 per cent, or 1.75p to 51.5p.

It said improvements in cost efficiency boosted profitability and it does not anticipate significant impact from the UK referendum result.

Shares had slipped as it said trading in US industrial markets had been challenging but there was strong demand from the automotive sector. Yesterday they rallied 2.7 per cent, or 3.75p to 142.25p.

Online gaming software company GAN climbed as it announced a major client win.

US business Chickasaw Nation has around 20,000 electronic gaming machines across 20 casinos in Texas.

It has more than 1million customers a year. The two firms are set to work together on a new so-called social casino experience.

GANs simulated gaming system allows users to play casino games including poker, backgammon, gin rummy and slow machines using the internet, mobile phones and virtual reality.

It alluded to a partnership back in April but did not disclose the partner. Shares gained 6.8pc, or 2.5p to 39.5p.

The FTSE 100 eased up just 1.31 points to finish the week at 6916.02. EasyJet topped the list for the day, rising 4 per cent, or 42p to 1101p.

As part of the airlines share incentive plan a number of top dogs snapped up a few shares yesterday.

Chief operating officer Warwick Brady and group commercial director Peter Duffy each added 26 shares, while chief financial officer Andrew Findlay snapped up 28.

EasyJet employees can each contribute up to 150 a month to the scheme. Elsewhere, bottling firm Coca Cola HBC was in the top flight for a second consecutive day as JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and UBS all raised their target price for the stock. Shares advanced 2.3 per cent, or 39p to 1720p.

Miners were in the red for the day, despite the price of the black stuff climbing 5 per cent to $46 a barrel.

Antofagasta lost 3.4 per cent, or 18p, to 514p, the greatest faller on the index for the day, while Rio Tinto fell 3.2 per cent, or 80p to 2409p.

E-commerce software firm cloudBuy rose as it reassured investors the second half would be stronger than the first.

The AIM-listed firm said turnover fell to 785,000 in the six months to June 30, down 11 per cent on the same period a year ago.

The business made an operating loss of 2million over that time, around a third lower than the 2.9million loss it reported in the first half last year.

But cloudBuy said revenues from projects it has won should boost numbers over the next six months. Full-year performance should be similar to last years.
Top investors fear the boss of Lloyds might be forced to quit sooner than expected after a scandal over an alleged affair.

Antonio Horta-Osorio was joined by Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of universities, while attending a banking conference in Singapore.

She was spotted entering and leaving his room at a hotel, even using her own key. The chief executive ran up a bill of 3,276 during his stay in June, with 550 spent on two visits to the spa.

Dangerous liaison: Antonio Horta-Osorio was joined by Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of universities, while attending a banking conference in Singapore

The bank insists no rules were broken but is under mounting pressure to reveal what was paid for on expenses, if anything.

And as the criticism of the boss continues to mount, major shareholders are beginning to question his position.

'It is definitely something the board should be thinking hard about,' one top 20 investor said.

A second major shareholder said: 'Whether that is enough to drive him out, I don't know.'

There are also concerns over a lack of possible successors to the 52-year-old boss, who took the helm in 2011, pledging to clean up the industry.
The flagship BHS store on Oxford Street shuts today, with the retailer set to disappear from the high street by next weekend.

The central London outlet is among 58 branches shutting in the next eight days as administrators end 88 years of retail history.

This final death knell comes as the pension regulator called for new powers to stop takeovers such as the BHS case.

Everything must go: The flagship BHS store on Oxford Street shuts today, with the retailer set to disappear from the high street by next weekend

Sir Philip Green sold BHS to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for 1 in 2015.

Sir Philip has come under fire for taking more than 400million in dividends from the chain, leaving it with a 571million pension deficit.

Labour MP Frank Field asked the Serious Fraud Office to launch a formal investigation into the pair to ascertain if any criminal wrongdoing occurred during the sale.

Pensions Regulator chief Lesley Titcomb said clearance  where firms apply for pension schemes to be protected in the event of a takeover  should be compulsory.

She said: 'One of the areas we need to look at is whether, in certain circumstances, corporate transactions should come to us.'
The accident happened in Zibo city, when a heavily loaded tractor collided with vehicles, including two buses, at a road crossing.

By Press Trust of India: The death toll from a multi-vehicle pile-up involving two buses, a car and a motorcycle, in China's eastern Shandong Province has risen to 11, officials said.

Another 21 were injured in the accident which took place on Thursday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The accident happened in Zibo city, when a heavily loaded tractor collided with vehicles, including two buses, at a road crossing.

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An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.



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By India Today Web Desk: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family and SP-BSP at an event at Kakori near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Shah held Nehru-Gandhi family for general lack of development in the country while blaming SP-BSP for backwardness of UP.

Shah recalled how UP helped the BJP form Modi government at the centre. He said, "With the blessings of UP, Modi formed a government at the centre. We need your blessings again." In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP coalition had won 73 out of 80 seats from UP. Shah was in-charge of the state for BJP.

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ONE FAMILY HELD BACK DEVELOPMENT

Taking a swipe at the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Congress, Shah said, "It has been 70 years since we gained Independence. But, there has been no development in the countryas the government was run by one family for 60 years. Without development of UP, country's development is not possible"

Shah further added, "I feel sad to say for 60 years, Congress was in saddle and the result is for everyone to see."

SHAH SLAMS AT SP-BSP

Shah slammed both the ruling Samajwadi Party and the opposition BSP holding both these parties for the state of affairs of UP. Shah said, "If SP or BSP comes to power (in the next assembly elections) in UP, they will work only for a particular community and themselves. BJP alone believes in "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas."

WHY KAKORI?

Shah was in Kakori as part of a nationwide campaign of the BJP being hailed as "Azadi 70- Yaad Karo Qurbani". Around 30 minutes past 12.00 noon Shah reached Kakori to slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" by thousands of BJP workers and supporters.

It was at Kakori in 1925 that revolutionaries Chandrashekhar Azar, Ashfaqullah Khan and Ram Prasad Bismil looted a train carrying money for the British treasury. Shah paid tribute to the revolutionaries at a memorial built in their honour at Kakori. This event was a precursor to BJP's much hyped "Tiranga Yatra", which is set to begin on August, 16.

After Kakori's even Shah had lunch at BJP MP from Mohanlalganj Kaushal Kishore, who hails from dalit community. Dalits constitute approximately 20.5% of UP's population.

ALSO READ:







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In an exclusive interview, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani answers questions on the Dalits and Patel issues in his state and what the strong Amit Shah stamp on his back means to him.

By Uday Mahurkar: Vijay Rupani, 60, has often been described as a relatively junior leader in electoral politics by those who don't know the nitty-gritty of Gujarat politics. In precise political parlance, however, the new and enterprising Gujarat Chief Minister is senior to many Gujarat BJP leaders including outgoing Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. Rupani was jailed for nine months during Emergency in 1975. Anandiben entered BJP in 1987. In 1980 when Rupani married Anjaliben Bakshi, his co-worker in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidarthi Parishad and daughter of RSS sympathiser, late Sharad Bakshi, the wedding ceremony was attended by Narendra Modi, then a Pracharak of RSS who had played a key role in opposing the Emergency by remaining underground.



A master of electoral politics of Saurashtra where he has repeatedly fashioned BJP's victory using his political skills, Rupani, however, isn't exposed so much to the politics of north and south Gujarat. His administrative experience is limited. He was the Mayor of Rajkot during 1996-97. Later he was chairman of Gujarat Tourism Corporation. And lastly he was Gujarat's Minister for Water Supply and Transport while being state BJP President when he became the Chief Minister . In all the three positions he gave a good account of administrative ability. As Water Supply Minister his management of Gujarat's water problem during a water scare last year was seen as good.

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MANAGEMENT SKILLS OVER ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

Moreover, many believe Rupani will overcome his lack of administrative experience with his natural management skills, maturity and committment Still, what Rupani is called upon to do is a herculean task, which is to do bring BJP politically on track in the wake of disenchantment of Patels and Dalits with the party and at the same time deliver on the administrative front - all in just one year followed by a make-or-break Gujarat State election. Even Modi first strengthened himself administratively by building the image of a great administrator and then started converting it into political gain.

Clad in an ordinary pyjama kurta and remarkably relaxed at his Ministerial bungalow in Gandhinagar, Rupani replied to my questions with skill and ease in an interview.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

Q: What is that trait that will mark your rule as Chief Minister in a phase that is indeed challenging?

A: As a leader I will give credit of our success to my ministerial colleagues and the party while remitting the discredit due to failures to my account. In short, credit will be of my colleagues and discredit mine. I know about the challenges but these are not insurmountable.

Q: Why?



A: That is how one should lead for getting the best result as I strongly believe. That is the way to lead and for political success.

Q: You have a strong stamp of Amit Shah on your back?

A: I am a loyal party worker. What is party after all? It is national party leadership's principles and agenda. Amitbhai is national party head. So, it is natural for me to follow him as well as Narendrabhai.



Q: Your challenge is very stiff. You have to solve the Patel and Dalits problems of the BJP and also give good governance in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image? How will you meet these twin challenge?

A: Our Patel and Dalit issues require sensitivity and positivity for solution. After the violence that happened on the night of August 25, 2015 in Ahmedabad after the Patel rally, what the issue needs is healing touch. We have already withdrawn 90 per cent of the cases against the Patel agitators. So our healing touch is marked by concrete steps. Then we came up with a Rs 1,000 crore unique economy package for the economically backward amongst the upper caste (EBC) under which the government will share half of the fee burden of the wards of the economically backward if they are getting admissions in private colleges.

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Besides , it gives them other benefits.

Plus, we have declared 10 per cent reservation for the EBC. It has been disallowed by the Gujarat High Court but we have appealed to the Supreme Court. Same with the Dalits. They need immediate healing touch. However, in both the cases political manouvering against us has also played a role. We shall neutralise that with skilful political steps.

Q: What about giving good administration in the midst of this political course correction exercise.

A: Narendrabhai has already led a strong administrative and development foundation of Gujarat with his vision and foresight. We are in that sense lucky that we have a ready-made turf. We only have to take things forward by following his principles in administration.

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Q: How will you tackle bureaucratic corruption?

A: We are committed to transparent governance and shall do whatever is needed for that. Narendrabhai is providing one of the cleanest governments in Delhi in many years. We have to persevere to match his performance on clean governance. There can't be any compromise on transparent governance and accountability.



Also Read:

No place for Anandiben's ministers in new govt, Rupani drops 8 out of 16 ministers

Vijay Rupani sworn in as Gujarat's new chief minister in Gandhi Nagar BJP accepts Anandiben Patel's resignation, rules out Amit Shah as next Gujarat CM



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The police in Bangladesh have published the photo of another militant involved in the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: The police in Bangladesh have published the photo of another militant involved in the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka. His organisational name was Marzan and he was one of the masterminds of the attack.

But no further details has been found out yet by the police. Hallo City Apps and DMP news of Counter Terrorism & Trans-national Crime (CTTC) have sought the help of citizens to provide more details about Marzan.

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Monirul Islam, the chief of counter-terrorism unit of Bangladesh, told reporters on Friday that the terrorists had sent 'protected text' - which likely included photos and regular updates from inside the Holey Artisan restaurant - to a link and Marjan had the password to access them. The suspect is a Bangladeshi and likely highly educated too, Monrul said.

"He is a second-tier leader. We are not sure about his true identity but arrested Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) members had identified him as Marjan," he said.

INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY TO GATHER MORE DETAILS OF THE SUSPECT



Investigators did not have any more information on the suspect at the moment, he added.

The picture has also been released on the counter-terrorism unit's CT app. Anyone with information about the suspect has been requested to contact police.

Marzan's name came up after police identified two other suspects, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and disgraced army Major Syed Md Ziaul Haque, as the masterminds of the deadly militant attacks in recent times.

Though Middle East-based terror group Islamic State reportedly claimed responsibility for the cafe attack, in which 22 people, mostly foreigners, were killed, security agencies have laid the blame on the banned militant group JMB.

According to police, a man named Tamim leads a faction of the terror outfit called 'Neo-JMB' and Ziaul leads another banned group Ansarullah Bangla Team.

Police earlier this month had announced a reward of 2 million Bangladesh rupees on each of them for information leading to their arrest.

Also read:

Dhaka attack: Photos show rescued teacher Hasnat Karim the mastermind, claims paper



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Consequently, the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) directed the BBMP to set up temporary shelters apart from providing food to the affected families.

By Mail Today Bureau: With hundreds of families losing their homes in the demolition drive being carried out by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in Bengaluru, the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has directed the civic agency to provide shelter and food for the displaced people.

PETITION

The KSHRC directive comes in the wake of a petition filed by social activist T Narasimha Murthy. He contended that houses built after obtaining approval from various government organisations were now being demolished by the civic agency. He contended that under such circumstances, house owners, who lost their properties, were entitled to relief.

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Consequently, the KSHRC directed the BBMP to set up temporary shelters apart from providing food to the affected families. BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad, who met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the KSHRC directive, later told the media that the agency would abide by it.



PROBE

The government is expanding the scope of the probe after registering FIR against 20 officials for abetting the encroachment of houses on storm water drains (SWDs). Another dozen officials of the Revenue Department are likely to face action. The BBMP will resume demolition of structures, which have come up on SWDs, from August 17 onward.



ALSO READ:

Bengaluru demolition drive: Martyr Niranjan's house to come under the bulldozer

Bengaluru demolition: BBMP uses British-era map, citizens fume





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Ambridge music museum to close & go up for sale; items to be relocated
Health-conscious people downtown looking for an option geared toward their nutrition habits will soon have a new choice when The Gypsy Kit Fit opens in the lobby of the City National Building at 807 Eighth St.

Chris and Tagan Couch, owners of the new venture, said their goal is to get the former space used by Variety Foods Cafe up and running by mid-September. But, don't expect it to be a repeat of The Gypsy Kit Cafe, their first Wichita Falls eatery, just a block west.

'The whole goal is to give people a healthy option where they don't have to be restricted from taste and flavors,' Chris said. 'It's hard to eat healthy when everything' doesn't taste good.

The Gypsy Kit Fit will feature a salad bar and other pick-up-and-go items that will change weekly. Tagan said the new restaurant's menu will likely feature a few dishes that are beef, chicken or fish based, and also offer protein shakes and healthy snacks.

Having gluten-free options is also important for the couple who have taken on the family-owned eatery and wine and craft beer scene by storm, having also opened Gypsy Uncorked eight months ago.

Tagan, who has fairly recently taken on a physical and healthy eating lifestyle, said part of what she and Chris want to do is also educate the public. They are also planning on having workshops on Wednesday evenings on a variety of topics including diabetes, healthy foods and more.

For those on-the-go families, The Gypsy Kit Fit will also have Meal Prep Monday, basically offering meal kits for families to pick up and take home to cook.

'If you don't like the combinations that we've put together for the week, I will make (for example) a bunch of chicken breasts and portion them out at 4 oz. portion, and 3 oz. salmon, and 3 oz. beef,' Tagan said. 'We'll put that out on the salad bar and you can come in and actually decide whatever you want.'

The Gypsy Kit Fit isn't a new concept for the Couches. They said they had originally planned on that type of business when they instead chose to put in Gypsy Uncorked. But, City National Building property manager Mark White contacted the couple a few weeks ago and asked if they'd like to occupy the former Variety Foods Cafe spot, opening up an opportunity for the Fit concept.

Folks looking for fried food or greasy hamburgers need not to look for it at The Gypsy Kit Fit. Only a flat top and a few other options are available for cooking a couple of dishes. Otherwise, food will be on the salad bar or refrigerated and ready for pickup.

The plan is to have the new store open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. with workshops after 6 p.m.
The question of whether a federal judge will release the state of Texas and other plaintiffs from U.S. guidance on transgender bathroom rules is still up in the air after a hearing Friday in Fort Worth.

Austin Nimocks, the lead attorney for plaintiffs in the case, told Judge Reed C. OConnor that a ruling on an injunction against the federal government has to come before public school begins in Texas this month.

We cant have one soon enough, he said.

Still, the judge gave no ruling Friday in the case, saying he was still working on it.

The Texas Attorney Generals Office, joined by about a dozen other conservative states, filed for the injunction after the U.S. departments of Education and Justice issued guidance to school districts directing them to make bathrooms accessible to transgender students based on their gender identity.

The guidance appeared to imply that non-compliant school districts would be at risk of losing federal funding.

The Texas AGs Office filed a lawsuit against the federal government almost immediately. It charged that the Obama administration skirted statutory rules of lawmaking by issuing the guidance, and that school districts would be put under undue stress in reaching compliance. One key plaintiff in the case is Harrold Independent School District in Wilbarger County.

The defendants, which include the U.S. departments of Education and Justice, retorted by saying they never threatened to stop funding schools that dont make bathroom accommodations for transgender students.

That point  whether the school districts are in imminent danger of losing significant federal funds  was the focus of Fridays hearing. In a new development, an attorney representing the U.S. government argued that non-compliant districts are not currently being penalized, though they might be in the future.

Benjamin Berwick, the attorney representing the U.S. government in the case, said school districts would not be at risk of losing funding until the time that enforcement action is taken against them. Therefore, he said, an injunction against the federal guidance should not be granted.

He also argued that the federal government merely informed school districts about its interpretation of Title IX discrimination law  it never forced local officials to reexamine its rest room policies, Berwick said.

It appears that Judge OConnor did not fully buy the argument. He grilled the attorney for the better part of an hour during the hearing, asking at one point if Berwick actually believed schools administrators wouldnt feel compelled to change their policies after receiving the federal guidance.

Did you not expect schools and employers to look at their policies and consider, Maybe we should change our policies? OConnor asked.

As of Friday, no concrete deadline has been set for the injunction ruling.

Advocates on both sides on the issue swarmed to Fort Worth Friday to attend the hearing, chief among them Amber and Adam Briggle and their transgender son MG.

She said in an interview inside the citys federal courthouse that they wanted to put a face on the issue of transgender access to bathrooms in public schools. Her son MG is an 8-year-old third-grader in the Denton Independent School District.

Still, hes going great at school, Amber Briggle said of MG, who was born biologically as a girl. He looked like a boy when he started school. Then we noticed some disciplinary problems and he wasnt himself. So I admitted it to myself.

Amber Briggle said the source of her sons disciplinary problems was the result of not using the bathroom at school. He was scared to use the wrong bathroom at school.

He said he had been holding it in, Amber Briggle said. He didnt know where to do, and as a little first-grader he didnt know where to go.

The family made an agreement with the school district  an agreement they decline to expound upon  for their son to use the bathroom comfortably. MG does not use a bathroom separate from other students, as separate is never equal, Amber Briggle said.

After Fridays hearing, the Briggle family, including 4-year-old daughter Lulu, ran to a nearby playground. MG climbed a tree, plucked a magnolia leaf and handed it to his younger sister.

I think its important to say MG was not born into the wrong body, Amber Briggle said. His body is perfect. Hes perfect.
For 40 years, Ronald Reagan's ideas  and the idea of Reagan  have guided the GOP: Republican candidates for offices high and low have claimed his mantle, and even Democrats like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have had to contend with his legacy.

But Donald Trump is a departure from that tradition, and in Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback  who has taken Reagan's tax-cutting philosophies to their limit  last week found himself repudiated at the polls when primary voters in his state chose to replace conservative Republicans with moderate challengers.

Does Reaganism have any life left?

JOEL MATHIS

When all you have is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail.

For decades, all the GOP has had is Reaganism. While the political ideology may have been suited, in some ways, to its original times  government of the late 1970s really was sclerotic, taxes probably were too high, and the military definitely was mired in a post-Vietnam malaise  the '70s ended long ago.

More tax cuts won't boost the economy the way they did back in the 1980s. Just look to Kansas, where Brownback's tax-cutting spree has left government underfunded and produced anemic economic growth.

And deregulation can certainly go too far, as Americans found out when unconstrained big banks led the country, and the world, into the worst economic slump since the Great Depression.

Fierce hawkishness, another tenet of Reaganism, can lead to unending folly, as the United States  with troops still stuck playing whack-a-mole in Iraq and Afghanistan  is reminded on a daily basis.

The clearest sign of the Republican Party's exhaustion: The Democratic Party isn't acting afraid anymore. Hillary Clinton isn't declaring that 'the era of big government is over.' Obama is ending a presidency that saw the passage of a universal health care bill and gay rights make huge, unheard-of advances.

During the George W. Bush administration, conservatives were fond of asserting that this is a center-right country, and Democrats often seemed to believe them. Now? Well, it's telling that Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, made Clinton work so hard for the party's presidential nomination.

Long story short: Reaganism long ago lost its usefulness, and Republican voters caught on before their party leaders did. The result? Trumpism. GOP leaders need to find a new tool, and soon, or the future will bring them, and us, more of the same.

BEN BOYCHUK

Republicans sometimes make fun of liberal Democrats for being stuck in 1965 or, for voters of a certain age, 1932. Yet for too many Republicans, it's always 1980 or 1984.

It's true. Many Republicans, especially Republican presidential candidates, use Reagan's name like an incantation. Simply say the 40th president's name often and reverently enough, promise to cut taxes, and the votes will appear like magic, the thinking seems to go.

Trump doesn't invoke Reagan the way other Republicans do. He doesn't talk about Reagan at all. Why not? Well, part of the reason may be that Trump never liked Reagan very much and famously dismissed the 40th president in 'The Art of the Deal' as a 'con man' who couldn't 'deliver the goods.' (Years later, Trump would appear on Sean Hannity's Fox News program and claim Reagan as his favorite president.)

But it's also the case that Reagan was the right man with the right policies at the right time. He was a unique politician and quite unlike many Republicans of the time.

My colleague Chris Buskirk argued at the website American Greatness the other day that it's high time for conservatives to finally accept that the Gipper isn't coming back. He served his purpose. But it's time to move on.

'Yes, we honor his work and respect the man and the movement that made him president,' Buskirk wrote. 'But conservatives have too easily retreated to a posture of nostalgia for a golden age that never really existed. Worse, most Americans don't care about all of the paeans to Reagan offered by the faithful  they want a political movement that speaks to today's issues.'

Trump is a mess as a candidate. But he resonates with voters, including people who would have been Reagan Democrats 30 years ago, in a way no politician has in a long time. Trump may not win, but Trumpism isn't going away.

Ben Boychuk (bboychuk@city-journal.org) is associate editor of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. Joel Mathis (joelmmathis@gmail.com) is a writer living in Kansas.
Apparently we've reached the part where Donald Trump, not satisfied with having demolished the Republican Party, tries to bring down the rest of the political system as well. No one should be surprised.

The garbage that comes out of his mouth gets more vile and putrid by the day. On Tuesday, he suggested that fervent defenders of the right to keep and bear arms could take things into their own hands if Hillary Clinton were elected. It was a shocking incitement to political violence.

'If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks,' Trump told a rally in North Carolina. 'Although the Second Amendment people  maybe there is, I don't know.'

We all understood exactly what he was saying. House Speaker Paul Ryan suggested that perhaps he was trying to be funny. Since Trump knows nothing, perhaps Ryan will explain to him that five of our 44 presidents have been shot while in office.

A day later, Trump was equally unhinged at a Florida rally when he went on a bizarre rant about the terrorist Islamic State, also known as ISIS. 'In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama. ISIS is honoring President Obama. He's the founder of ISIS. He's the founder of ISIS. The founder. He founded ISIS. And I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton.'

Be honest, all you Republicans who support Trump despite knowing better. If you were walking down the sidewalk and someone coming toward you was screaming those words verbatim, you'd cross the street. This is the man you want to entrust with the nuclear codes? Seriously?

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt tried gamely to help Trump clean up the mess. 'I know what you meant,' he told the candidate Thursday, 'you meant that [Obama] created the vacuum, he lost the peace.'

'No, I meant that he's the founder of ISIS, I do,' Trump said. 'He was the most valuable player.'

Hewitt suggested this line of attack was a mistake. Trump's reply: 'No, it's no mistake. Everyone's liking it. I think they're liking it.'

So much for the idea that Trump, at some point, will undergo a metamorphosis and turn into a normal candidate, the kind who doesn't go around encouraging political assassination or accusing the president of founding a terrorist group. If the cheering crowds at his hate-filled rallies are happy, Trump is happy.

Speaker Ryan and all you other reluctant Trump supporters, you know as well as I do that he's not going to change. Not ever. You will recall that this was supposed to be the week when Trump turned to the economy. He even gave a teleprompter-aided speech Monday that was generally praised by conservatives, who clearly are willing to grade their candidate on an absurdly generous curve. But within a day, Trump was back to setting new lows in the history of modern presidential campaigning. If there is a trophy for Most Dishonest and Destructive, Trump is determined to retire it.

He is also determined, apparently, to rationalize his likely defeat by claiming the election was stolen from him.

The other trope he keeps returning to these days is that the election is somehow being 'rigged.' He claims that the striking down of discriminatory voter ID laws in North Carolina, Wisconsin and elsewhere would make this possible. He fails to explain why Republican officials  who administer the voting process in most states  would want to steal the election from their own party.

The point isn't logic, of course. It's emotion. Trump strikes a chord with Republicans who cannot bring themselves to admit they were beaten fair and square by Barack Obama, not once, but twice. Trump has long sought to delegitimize Obama by refusing to disown all the 'birther' nonsense and insinuating that the president has some sympathy for jihadists. Now Trump seeks to delegitimize the likely next president as well by claiming the election will be rigged.

In 2000, after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Florida recount must cease, Al Gore graciously conceded to George W. Bush. Gore said he was doing so 'for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy.'

Can anyone imagine Trump ever giving such a speech?

Trump wants to stoke anger, resentment and victimhood. He abases our democracy  and Republican elected officials abase themselves by supporting him. History will have no mercy for Trump's enablers.

Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
Cannes, France

The French resort of Cannes has banned full-body, head-covering swimsuits from its beaches, citing security reasons  a measure some are decrying as a discriminatory anti-Muslim move that only worsens religious tensions.

The ban on so-called burkinis, at the height of the French Riviera's vacation season, comes as France remains on edge after deadly Islamic extremist attacks in nearby Nice and on a Catholic church in northwest France.

Cannes Mayor David Lisnard issued an ordinance in late July forbidding beachwear that doesn't respect "good morals and secularism." It notes that swimwear "manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create risks of trouble to public order."

A City Hall official said the measure, in effect until the end of August, could apply to burkini-style swimsuits. Violators risk a $42 fine.

The mayor calls the burkini "the uniform of extremist Islamism, not of the Muslim religion." Lisnard told the Nice-Matin newspaper the measure could also apply to saris worn by Indian bathers, because the clothing could hamper rescuers' efforts to save them in an emergency.

Beachgoers in Cannes had mixed opinions.

"I am from Egypt and I grew up with people like this," said Diana Bishay, who now lives in Paris, referring to women who cover themselves up. "But I am shocked to find this in Cannes ... We have to respect the society we live in."

Delphine Hannouna, of Paris, said that for her burkinis are not "illegal." However, she fears the consequences for women. "If we accept more and more things, it's like a regression for women," she said, "especially for French women who are very free."

The Cannes beach ban is just the latest of many French measures seen as singling out Islam, the country's No. 2 religion, in the name of official secularism.

Last week, the mayor of a town near Marseille banned a swimming day for women at a local park, citing a risk to public order because swimmers were required to cover up from chest to knee.
WATERFORD  The New York State Office of Parks joined forces with the Department of Environmental Conservation's Hudson River Estuary Program for the Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count Saturday morning at Peebles Island. The one-day event, which takes place each summer, brings naturalists and volunteers together at multiple sites along the Hudson to catch fish to show the variety of slippery, wriggly, and fascinating creatures hidden below the river's surface.
Born in Kolar, Karnataka, in a Dalit family of human scavengers; Bezwada Wilson, 50, is the national convenor of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, which has, over the years, protested in innovative, effective ways to break the shackles of inhuman professions associated with caste and untouchability, especially manual scavenging; won the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay award for his efforts.

I remember clearly that when I used to read about the independence movement during childhood, I used to feel unlucky. I used to wonder why I wasn't born at the time of the freedom struggle.

I was born into a very different kind of world. I knew I was an untouchable. And I would try and forget this about myself. I would try to ignore it. I would even try to change it, by perhaps trying to change my name. But people would remind me constantly. Remind me that I am an untouchable in many ways. This is when I understood that the freedom we have won is only a political freedom. There are still several individual freedoms that we need to fight for. I realised that there is a missing legacy in the freedom movement, that of women, Dalits and adivasis who fought, but whose efforts were not recorded. Today, we represent all of them.

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Human scavenging, of course, existed through all of this. It had done under the many rulers of India, it continued after Independence, and it continues to exist today. This can't be freedom. There needs to be an end to this.

Personally, just the sight of somebody cleaning human excreta, I can't bear it. The fight is to get it stopped immediately. People keep talking about how, after the freedom struggle, this is the largest democratic struggle for independence. You can call it what you want. I do believe the zeal of any person to live freely is something we cannot ignore. I go to the human scavengers and talk to them, and they are still trying to break free.

There are usually two voices and lines of thought that people push forth at safai karamchari mahilas working as human scavengers. One is, "Didi, aap itna achha kaam karte ho, aap nahin karenge toh aur kaun karega?" This is the glorification. This is something Mahatma Gandhi did, and what Narendra Modi perpetuates. It needs to stop.

The other is "Didi, we understand that you should not be doing this work, but agar yeh nahin karenge toh aap kaise jiyenge? Aap ka livelihood yahi hai." It's so cruel. We have made a package deal of their birth and livelihood. And a clear boundary is drawn, beyond which they apparently cannot function.

But the reality, which people manipulate and put before the scavengers in these ways is, "Didi, agar aap nahin karenge toh mere liye safai kaun karega?" It's a very systematic manipulation. The line of the Safai Karamchari Andolan is that human scavenging will not be done at any cost. This is azaadi.

The problem is, we are not identifying or recognising the things that continue to keep us captive. It is not just about freedom for Dalits or untouchables. If you think I am lower than you, you are a slave. You have a psychological problem. Caste is one of the biggest diseases. Patriarchy is another virus we never acknowledge. Babasaheb Ambedkar took two very important steps in this regard, one is Article 17 of the Constitution, which outlaws untouchability. But for this to have had a countrywide effect, we needed a programmatic intervention. The second was the Hindu Code Bill. He had to resign because it wasn't accepted.

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Today, you have made Ambedkar a huge symbol. The prime minister says he too is an Ambedkar bhakt. But what was Ambedkar's vision? Why don't you start implementing it? The casteist mindset is a virus that no government, till today, has had the power or courage to take on. And it's the same with patriarchy. There are many doctors, but what they do is hand out medication that furthers the ills of the body or system. Come August 15, it should be our aim to wipe out this disease. It's like we have a very beautiful building, but it has neither an elevator nor stairs to connect the floors. There is no interaction, relationship between them. The only way forward is to break down the walls, the shackles of caste and patriarchy, and rebuild Indian society.

(As told to Asmita Bakshi)

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Hua Hin, Thailand

Attackers struck a series of tourist resort towns across southern Thailand with homemade explosives and firebombs in some of the worst violence to hit the country since a military coup two years ago. Police said at least four people were killed and dozens wounded, including 11 foreigners.

It was not clear who was behind the attacks Thursday and Friday, which followed a successful referendum held last weekend on a new constitution that critics say will bolster the military's power for years to come.

But the violence appeared aimed at undermining the country's tourism industry, which provides vital income to the government. One small bomb exploded on a beach in Patong on the island of Phuket and four others rattled the seaside resort city of Hua Hin, prompting businesses to shut their doors, streets to empty and anxious tourists to huddle inside their hotels.

Police said firebombs also triggered blazes at markets and shops in six places, including Phuket, Trang, Surat Thani, Phang Nga and a souvenir shop in the tourist town of Ao Nang, Krabi, a seaside province known for its stunning limestone cliffs.

Thailand's economy has sagged since the military seized power in a 2014 coup. But tourism has remained one of the few bright spots, with visitors rising to 30 million in 2015 and more than 14 million having visited by May 2016, according to official figures.

Foreign governments, including the United States, issued warnings urging travelers to use caution and avoid affected areas.

In a televised address late Friday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the attacks "struck at the hearts of all Thai people."

He said it was unclear who carried them out and that the government would do its best to investigate. Police said earlier they were investigating all leads, but had ruled out links to international militant groups.

Royal Thai Police Col. Krisana Patanacharoen also said it was "too early to conclude" who was behind the attacks. But he said the bombings followed "a similar pattern used in the southern parts of the country"  a reference to a low-level insurgency in the country's Islamic south that has ground on for more than a decade and killed more than 5,000 people.

Southern militants fighting for greater autonomy have carried out sophisticated, coordinated attacks before, but most have hit three provinces in the far south that were not among those targeted this week.

The violence occurred just ahead of the first anniversary of the Aug. 17 bombing of Bangkok's Erawan Shrine, which left 20 dead and injured more than 120 others. Thai authorities said that bombing was revenge by a people-smuggling gang whose activities were disrupted by a crackdown, but analysts suspect it might have been the work of Uighur separatists angry that Thailand forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China.

The latest troubles began Thursday afternoon, when a bomb exploded in the southern province of Trang  an area full of beautiful beaches and tourist islands  killing one person and injuring six, according to police.
Lake George

An archaeological dig that was supposed to wrap up this week at an 18th-century military site has yielded such intriguing artifacts the project has been extended, the archaeologist leading the excavations said.

The six-week project was to end Friday, but state officials have granted an extension for excavations in Lake George Battlefield Park to continue another week and possibly two, said David Starbuck, an anthropology professor at New Hampshire's Plymouth State University.

More than two dozen pits dug along the two-lane road that cuts through the park have yielded evidence of the British and provincial American encampments known to have been located there in 1755-59 during the French and Indian War, which was part of the Seven Years' War. New excavations have been made along sloping ground above the park's open field, which was a swamp in the 18th century.

Among the many artifacts found so far are uniform buttons and buckles, musket balls, gun flints, and high-quality pottery and porcelain, Starbuck said. Those finds, along with of butchered animal bones and oyster shells, indicate the site may have been occupied by officers.

"Can we ever really prove that? Probably not," he said. "But given the quality of the artifacts, it's the best we've ever seen at any of our military digs."

It's the third consecutive summer the archaeological field school sponsored by the State University of New York at Adirondack has been working inside the park, located on Lake George's southern shore. Volunteers and students have spent the past three summers excavating other spots in the park, including the site of an unfinished fort, but this is the first time digging has been conducted at this location.

A couple hundred yards away, excavations have uncovered more of the stone walls that were part of the only completed bastion of Fort George, built in 1759. The British halted construction because threat of attacks had lessened.
The path to the Olympic stage is paved with determination and hard work ... and maybe a tiny bit of superstition.

Athletes are well-known to be superstitious, from Michael Jordan wearing his practice shorts from his college days under his Chicago Bulls uniform to Tiger Woods wearing a red shirt on Sundays.
In his first feature film as writer-director, James Schamus does something elusive and perhaps difficult even to describe. He creates a pervasive atmosphere of something not so unsettling or definable as dread, but rather something more vague and even ignorable if you choose to ignore it: unease. There's a feeling here that something is unsafe, or could go wrong. There's a feeling here of being a stranger at the party.

Based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth, "Indignation" takes place mostly in 1951 and tells the story of a Jewish kid from Newark, N.J., who goes away to school at a small, traditional college in Ohio.

This sounds like the premise for a heartwarming coming-of-age story, but the energy here is more sober. Already, as the film opens, one of the young man's friends is dead because he didn't go to college and therefore didn't get to defer his military service in Korea. One of the first scenes is of Marcus (Logan Lerman) attending the dead friend's funeral.

A sense pervades, not of a hostile world, but of a careless one, in which fatal things can happen randomly or stupidly or for causes that don't become obvious until they're inescapable. Marcus' father (Danny Burstein), a butcher, is the character that most embodies this underlying atmosphere. In mid-life, he has suddenly become neurotic with anxiety and dread, either because he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown, or because he has developed a sixth sense about the true nature of things.

More Information **** Review "Indignation" Rated: R Length: 110 minutes **** Excellent *** Good ** Fair * Poor See More Collapse

When Marcus escapes from Newark and goes to college, the screen is filled with sunshine and the atmosphere seems to lift, but not completely. There are other Jews at the college, but they travel in defined circles  there's a Jewish fraternity, for example  and everyone, regardless of religion, is expected to attend Christian church services, at least 10 times each year. Other Jews on campus are willing to roll with it, but Marcus, who likes to keep to himself, is only placid on the surface. When pressed, he has a decided tendency toward indignation.

There are several stand-out scenes in "Indignation," but one particularly memorable one is between Marcus and Dean Caudwell, the head of the University. The dean is played by Tracy Letts, the anarchic playwright ("Killer Joe," "August: Osage County") who specializes in playing narrow company men, authoritarians in the movies and on television.

The dean here is a variation on the familiar Letts type, not really a bad guy, but rather someone easy enough to circumvent or appease. Yet, as brilliantly played by Logan, there's something in Marcus that makes him unable and unwilling to connect with this man. Watching their first scene together is an uncomfortable and fascinating experience, as well as a great duet between two actors.

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Of course, Marcus meets a girl. Her name is Olivia, and she is played by Sarah Gadon, who, in the pleated skirts and prim blouses created by costume designer Amy Roth, looks like the platonic ideal of a young college woman circa 1950. But like the '50s themselves, Olivia is much more troubled and complicated than she appears. Gadon is really rather wonderful in this film, plaintive and haunting, with all her nerve endings raw.

"Indignation" is haunting as well. It's hard to file it away. Instead, the story and treatment keep inviting us to circle back to it and wonder what the characters might have done here or should have done there. Like the best wines and the best films, there's a complexity to the finish, so that it reverberates with meanings beyond the obvious.

"Indignation" has the disconcerting quality of truth and is an altogether adult piece of work.
Arguably one of the most polarizing personalities in the race for the White House this election cycle, Donald Trump has been both praised by s
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.
Chines Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits PM Modi and Sushma Swaraj. Wang to discuss various issues of mutual interest with his Indian counterpart.

By India Today Web Desk: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence.

Wang who is on a three-day visit to the country will also hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on various issues of mutual interest.

Both Wang and Swaraj will discuss issues including the upcoming multilateral meetings including the G-20 Summit being held in China and BRICS Summit to be held in India.

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"A morning for neighborly engagement. Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup posted on Twitter.

A morning for neighbourly engagement.

Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/2u7ypGmMwX Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 13, 2016

Wang had also met Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to review logistics and security arrangements for Chinese President Xi Jingping's visit in October for the BRICS summit.

Wang had praised Parsekar for the hospitality he received upon arriving in Goa. Sources said that on being asked about South China Sea dispute, he said it is up to India to decide on what position it wishes to take the ongoing issue.

Sources said that the Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to the country is a part of a high level dialogue between India and China.

NGS DOOR NOT TIGHTLY CLOSED



China earlier this week had indicated it would be ready to revisit the question of India's membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, declaring the door "is not tightly closed" just as Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits India.

The exchange of visits comes amid new strains in ties in the wake of India's failed bid to enter the elite NSG at its Seoul plenary, where China emerged as the biggest obstacle.

In a rare commentary on Friday, the official Xinhua news agency said that "as Beijing and New Delhi head into a season of intensive top-level diplomatic encounters that could well define the future of their partnership, the two need to work together to keep their disagreements in check."

"New Delhi should not be downhearted as the door to the NSG is not tightly closed. But any future discussions need to be based on safeguarding an international nuclear non-proliferation mechanism, in which India itself has a huge stake," it added.



Also read:

NSG door 'not closed' says China as FM Wang Yi visits India



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In some of the best news youll hear all day, last night Fiji utterly destroyed Team GBs Rugby 7s team and claimed the first ever gold medal in the countrys history.





Oh  and the country went fucking crazy turning the entire nation into one big party.





Fiji has competed in the Olympic Games for the past 60 years (Melbourne, 1956) but now and only now have the former-British colony obliterated team GB 43-7 and raked in the gold medals, reports Mashable.









Even during game-play some companies decided they needed time off to watch the final few minutes, including this bank who said they needed a 30 minute break as the country was about to create history:

And now the stories start to come out if rugby crazy Fiji. This for starters. pic.twitter.com/mTIoeHu52n August 11, 2016

But to be fair, they werent wrong  and I doubt anybody was rushing to the bank judging from the constant Twitter pictures and videos showing people partying here, there, and everywhere.

Today we are exclusively serving FijiGold beer on board all our flights.  Fiji Airways (@FijiAirways) August 11, 2016

And as if this story could not get any better this is the the first time rugby has been included in the Olympic Games since 1924  so Fiji are the first nation in over 90 years to claim gold in the rugby.









I bet theres some seriously sore heads in the South Pacific this morning




Chief Justice TS Thakur gave a wrap on the knuckles to the Modi-led BJP government over the appointment of judges. He asked if the Centre wanted to bring the judiciary to a "grinding halt".

By Harish V Nair: The confrontation between Supreme Court and the Modi-led government over process to be followed for appointment of judges reached a flashpoint with Chief Justice T S Thakur on Friday asking if the Centre was trying to bring the entire judicial institution to a "grinding halt".

At a time when deep differences persist between both the sides over the memorandum of procedure for the appointment of Supreme Court and high court's judges being drafted by the government after its new law NJAC was quashed by the apex court, the Chief Justice of India has accused the government of sitting on recommendations of the Collegium ( comprising of chief justice and four senior most judges of the Supreme Court) for appointment and transfer of judges to High Courts across the country.

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WHAT THE BENCH SAID

"The collegium has cleared 75 names of high court judges (for transfer/appointment) but they have not been approved. I don't know why, where these files are stuck," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur said while hearing a PIL on the issue.

"Why there is mistrust? Judges who have been transferred by the collegium have not been transferred. We don't want all this," the bench also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said.

"I will take it up at the highest level and will come back to the court," Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the bench and pleaded that no notice be issued for the time being on the PIL filed by 1971-war veteran Lieutenant Colonel Anil Kabotra on the issue.

Not satisfied by Rohtogi's repeated assurances, Chief Justice Thakur said "Don't force us to ask where the files are. Don't force us to judicially intervene. Don't try to bring this institution to a grinding halt. That's not the right thing to do."

It is to be noted that on April 25, 2016, during the national judicial conference, an emotional CJI Thakur went on to launch an unprecedented attack on the present and earlier governments for often blaming the judiciary for mounting backlog of cases, which touched an alarming 3.14 crore, but at the same time doing nothing to improve the number of judges and increasing the number of courts despite repeated pleas from the judiciary.

Also read: CJI TS Thakur breaks down in front of PM Modi, calls for increasing judge strength

The ratio at present is 10 judges for 1 million people while the Law Commission had way back in 1987 recommended increasing it to 40.

--- ENDS ---
We had the rare opportunity to catch an exclusive glimpse of Microns QuantX 3D XPoint prototype during the recent Flash Memory Summit, and we were also able to secure some juicy details. Micron based its QuantX SSDs on the new 3D XPoint memory that Intel and Micron promise will upend storage and memory as we know it. As good as our exclusive details were, they were only the beginning; we were able to track down the purported controller vendor and get the full low-down on a high-flying new SSD architecture.

Development boards are always somewhat cramped affairs, because they are merely larger versions of the refined and sophisticated end device, but they are indicative of overall design choices and help identify key components. One discovery in particular on the prototype sent us on a hunt for more information.

A Micron representative commandeered a yellow sticker from a nearby electrostatic bag to cover the name of an undisclosed partner on the PCB before they allowed us to take our pictures, but the representative was apparently unaware that both of the daughterboards on the card are clearly labeled with CNEX  Diamond V2.0.

This was an interesting coincidence: CNEX Labs, the company behind the CNEX branding, had reached out to us before the show for a briefing. Unfortunately, our schedules didnt align.

After our discovery, we suddenly found that our schedule magically aligned, and we hastily arranged a meeting. CNEX quickly threw up a wall of silence and refused to discuss anything directly related to a QuantX or 3D XPoint-specific product, or the name Micron, for that matter. However, CNEX shared details of its SSD controllers and the software and hardware architecture that it designed to operate with any persistent memory, such as NAND, 3D XPoint, ReRAM and PCM, et al. We also discussed (in a broad sense) the companys vision for the future of persistent memory.

We also scheduled a follow-up meeting with the Micron QuantX development team and requested more information. The company indicated that it does have an exclusive arrangement with an undisclosed third-party SSD controller partner, but Micron representatives adamantly refused, in very strong terms, to confirm or deny if CNEX Labs is involved in QuantX development.

And yet we live in the land of common sense, so we firmly believe that all signs point to CNEX as the exclusive (at least for now) QuantX SSD controller vendor. After all, CNEX branding is emblazoned on the prototype in bold letters.

Our conversation with CNEX outlined the challenges associated with unlocking the true performance capabilities of todays NAND and future persistent memories. This requires circumventing some of the established SSD architectural rules to cut through the layers of abstraction between the host and the storage, and it may just give us a glimpse of how 3D XPoint-powered devices will operate.

Who Is CNEX Labs?

CNEX Labs is a privately owned startup founded in June 2013. The company has had four funding rounds from seven investors (Micron, Cisco, Samsung, Seagate and VCs Sierra Ventures, Walden, and UMC Capital) for a total of $45.5 million (source: Crunchbase). The company, which is still operating in startup mode, touts on its limited website that the company secured funding through venture capital and strategic investments from storage and networking companies in the Fortune 500.

The company has a roster that reads like a whos who of the semiconductor industry. Alan Armstrong, CEO, who has 14 years of tenure at Marvell under his belt, heads the team, and he loaded his bench with heavy-hitting veterans from such industry bastions as Huawei, SandForce, SanDisk, Samsung, Smart Storage Systems and Cisco.

CNEX targets SSD manufacturers, such as large fabs like Micron, and also targets hyperscale data center operators, such as Facebook, Google, Baidu and Tencent, many of which build their own SSDs. CNEXs value proposition is that its controllers enable multiple types of memory, and it provides customers with unprecedented access and control of the underlying media, regardless of what memory the vendor employs.

CNEX SSD Controllers

The CNEX Labs SSD controllers feature an innovative design geared to offer its customers a number of options that range from plug-and-play NVMe to support for Open-Channel and LightNVM, which gives the user complete control of the underlying storage media. The solution can be as simple as providing the user with a fully NVMe-compatible controller that is plug-and-play with all existing systems, but the company also offers much more granular control of the SSD, literally down to the cell level, to its users.

What Does This Have To Do with 3D XPoint?

3D XPoint doesn't work in the normal way that NAND does. For instance, Micron disclosed to us that program and erase cycles (P/E Cycles) do not really apply; it doesnt have to erase the media before it writes to it, so the company simply overwrites existing data using a method called "forced writes." Forced writes are one of the many problems that the increased capabilities of CNEX controllers are designed to solve, but to understand how it works, we have to begin with the basics

How SSDs Work

A normal SSD is basically a black box. Users simply plug the device in and the SSD controller serves as the conductor of a symphony of internal SSD functions that are constantly playing in the background, commonly referred to as the Flash Translation Layer (FTL). A normal SSD controller handles I/O scheduling, wear leveling, XOR engines, background operations, and data placement internally. The FTL, which runs in the controller firmware, is of particular importance because it is responsible for directing the incoming data to its final destination.

Because of the nature of SSD design, and the need to spread wear evenly across the cells, the SSD does not place the data exactly where the host directs it. The SSD FTL maps Logical Block Addresses (LBA) from the host to the Physical Page Addresses (PPA) on the media.

Essentially, the SSD has two maps of the LBA addresses: the logical map outlines where the host "thinks" it is placing data and the physical map notes where the SSD actually places the data. When the host issues read or write requests, the SSD translates the address from the logical address to the physical address, and either places data into, or retrieves it from, the correct place. The FTL manages this abstracted logical-to-physical (L2P) mapping process. Other processes like wear leveling and garbage collection use the FTL heavily during normal operation to ensure that the SSD manages endurance and performance in accordance with the SSD vendors' specifications.

The great thing about the embedded FTL is that the device stands alone; the user has to do nothing, and the SSD is as simple as plug-and-play. The bad thing is that there is limited computational horsepower behind the controller, and the lack of control leaves some truly amazing capabilities on the table.

How CNEX Labs, And Just About Everyone Else, Thinks SSDs Should Work

There is broad movement in the industry to streamline SSD design and allow users more control over the inner workings of the SSD. Open-Channel SSDs offload portions of the internal FTL to the host, which allows the host to juggle the SSD management tasks. This new functionality utilizes the LightNVM FTL abstraction layer in tandem with NVMe, and Linux 4.4 and newer kernels support it.

Image 1 of 3

LightNVM allows the user, or even an application (such as RocksDB, which Facebook demoed running with 3D XPoint), to assume control of the key processes, such as garbage collection and data placement. Meanwhile, the hardware still controls the other processes, such as ECC, XOR engines, error handling, and wear leveling. CNEX focuses on keeping the processes that need to be in the silicon in the silicon, but its approach employs hardware acceleration and a proprietary deterministic ECC to increase performance.

The host directs data directly to the actual physical address, which eliminates the complexity and performance penalties of L2P abstraction. The specification is NVMe compatible, and only three NVMe commands are changed (read, write, and erase) so that the host can place the data directly in its physical location. Data scientists can use unique management techniques on the host computer to preserve data locality, carve SSDs into multiple LUNs with different QoS profiles and QD allocations, support an unlimited number of data streams, and even employ direct-programmed (and customized) RAID and erasure coding. The system also reduces write amplification, which increases endurance.

The end result is increased performance, consistency, and endurance, along with reduced latency. Clever techniques can also schedule different SSDs to conduct garbage collection operations at different times, and the host-based FTL can manage multiple devices with one global FTL. The technique unlocks many more possibilities, particularly for all-flash JBOFs. For instance, if an SSD's endurance is about to expire the host could possibly switch it into read-only mode and only use it for caching.

How Do We Get There?

It all begins in silicon. Nearly all modern SSD controllers have embedded CPUs. For instance, the Microsemi controllers found on many of the enterprise SSDs we review feature more than 20 cores, but much of the core functionality runs in firmware. CNEX claims its controllers are more efficient because it uses a hardware-accelerated architecture, which cuts down the heavy firmware payload found with some controllers. CNEX also designed the architecture to reduce long development cycles and avoid sacrificing power, performance, consistency, and latency to run the inefficient embedded processes.

CNEX controllers enable a range of capabilities. The plug-and-play mode slips into an NVMe host and runs as normal, as evidenced by the "1" option in the chart above, and varying levels of customization place a portion of the FTL in different positions, including directly in the user space (4), which provides the most options and capabilities. The remaining operations run in the hardware-accelerated controller.

The FTL usually hold the LBA addresses in DRAM, which is costly, consumes precious PCB real estate, and adds firmware complexity. Moving the FTL into the host RAM eliminates SSD DRAM requirements on the SSD, which is interesting because the QuantX prototype featured DRAM cache on the board. However, Micron indicated that QuantX doesn't need DRAM, but it can use it for SSD management tasks or as a layer of 3D XPoint-backed DRAM, similar to an NVDIMM. This also aligns with the capabilities of DRAM-less CNEX-based SSDs.

The controller exports key metrics about each memory cell, such as the P/E ratio and voltage threshold, to the host. This technique provides enough information for the data placement algorithms to steer the data intelligently to the correct place. Managing the FTL in the host does require some computational horsepower, which CNEX claims is roughly equivalent to 1/10th of a single modern Xeon core, and the usual DRAM to NAND/persistent memory ratio of 1 GB of DRAM per TB of memory.

Back To 3D XPoint

Micron disclosed to us that during its search for a controller partner it was looking for a flexible SSD controller technology that has enough hardware acceleration to unlock the potential of 3D XPoint. The company also disclosed that it isn't using LDPC error correction, and is using a proprietary form of ECC. Both of these comments mesh nicely with the CNEX story. An off-the-shelf controller wouldnt allow Micron to achieve its goals, so it found a partner that would allow them to influence the architecture.

The current QuantX prototypes use an FPGA to control the NAND, but this is likely an interim step to qualify the design before ASIC tapeout. Most of the hyperscalers also use FPGAs for their current designs, whereas CNEX can provide ASICs and all of the benefits that entails, such as reduced power consumption and a lower cost structure.

CNEX only provides the controllers; it doesn't manufacture end products. The company does provide reference architectures to help its customers design the SSDs, and that is likely the source of the "Diamond V2" branding. The design also alleviates the need for firmware engineers, which are a rare and hot commodity, and allows Linux programmers to control the SSDs.

And So It Begins

Using Open-Channel and LightNVM requires an incredible amount of engineering talent, so hyperscalers will likely use these approaches. Even OEMs such as Dell or HP really wouldn't be interested in that level of control, but its nice to have the option.

Open-Channel and LightNVM aren't exclusive to CNEX. Other companies, such as OCZ (coverage here) and Samsung are also working on similar techniques, but their development efforts center on NAND.

CNEX aims to provide its customers with either the whole painting or just a canvas and a set of oils; the controllers offer plug-and-play simplicity or users can go for varying levels of unparalleled granularity that unlock incredible possibilities. If Micron is using the CNEX architecture for its 3D XPoint-powered QuantX controllers, which it most assuredly is (according to me), then the company has made a wise choice.

Micron has the blank canvas, but the real question is just what kind of picture it is painting.

Micron disclosed to us that the QSFP+ connection on its development board is for NVMe Over Fabrics experimentation. CNEX also happens to specialize in a revolutionary new architecture that brings four 10 GbE controllers on die with the SSD controller (more on that soon), so we might only be seeing a small piece of the larger QuantX picture.
Nick Haines, Mary Sanchez, Steve Kraske and Linda Wagar discuss the reaction to the death of Kansas lawmaker Scott Schwab's son at the Schlitterbahn waterpark and the potential implications. They also take a look at upcoming ballot issues on both sides of the state line including limits on political contributions, voter ID and a cigarette tax increase in Missouri and retaining judges in Kansas.

SPECIAL SATURDAY TREAT . . . CHECK MARY SANCHEZ FORCED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HER EFFORT TO SILENCE DECAPITATION DEETS WAS NOT ONLY UNSUCCESSFUL BUT ALSO MISGUIDED AND A SLAP IN THE FACE TO JOURNALISM ON "CERTAIN WEBSITES" LIKE OUR KICK-ASS BLOG!!!

Right now we're watching an interesting debate about journalistic ethics in Kansas City amid tragedy and a review of reports from official channels locally versus stories that the rest of this planet has already seen . . .Here's the description:More in a bit . . .
DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY TOY TRAN STREETCAR TRAX HAVE CRITICALLY INJURED A LADY CYCLIST AND HER AMAZING FRIENDS ARE HOPING TO CROWDFUND HER MEDICAL BILLS!!!

Last week on First Friday, OUR FRIEND was enjoying a ride in the Crossroads when her bike tire got stuck inside the new street car track. She was thrown off her bike causing serious injury, including a gash on her head and a shattered left arm.





She went to the hospital that night and received stitches in her head and a referral to a surgeons office. After five painful days of waiting she finally had a successful surgery. Metal plates and pins were used to piece her arm back together.





Now she will need to heal and undergo physical therapy to regain movement in her arm ... This will take time. As you know, she's a barista and will not be able to work until her arm is healed.





With all of these large bills piling up and her unable to work her main job, she will need any help she can get. Let's help out our gal pal whose smile & giggle can melt even the iciest of hearts.





This "goal" is just a conservative guess of what she will owe for her bills...she may need more.





Help spread the word!

CRITICS OF THE TOY TRAIN STREETCAR NOTE THIS INCIDENT AS A DEFINING MOMENT HIGHLIGHTING THE DANGERS OF THE TOY TRAIN AND DEMAND A FULL STOP OF EXPANSION PLANS UNTIL FURTHER STUDY OF PUBLIC RISK IS COMPLETE!!!

"It is time for the citizens of KCMO to take a stand. Do we want to continue having a tourist attraction for free loaders OR safe streets for our residents?"

"Our friend has been a loyal, amazing employee for over a decade. She recently was injured when her bike got caught in the new streetcar tracks and she was thrown to the ground shattering her left arm. She'll be unable to work her 2 jobs for a little while and we are trying to support her recovery with this fund. Please share and donate if you can . . ."

Right now ouristo report thisconsequence of unbridled Downtown Streetcar development which has causedto a woman who is nowand relying on support from her friends.To wit . . .And whilst we all may endlessly disagree about transit . . . There's no denying that Kansas City is showing a lot of love for this lady.Take a look:##########And now here's where the plot thickens . . .Checkit:Here's the word . .Don't get it twisted, these folks are friends with this lady as well and they are part of the effort to help her back to good health...And now, here's where our blog community can put its money where its mouth is and act on the info we've provided . . .There will be more debate about the merits of the streetcar but there isthat the treacherous trax have come under question and now have injured a woman as her friends valiantly help and hope to prevent further harm.Developing . . .
September will bring to light more information on the Cyprus file of Greece

September will bring to light more information on the Cyprus file of Greece, as informed sources of SigmaLive have said that the process of opening the file is no longer frozen, and has for some time been archived.

The same sources told SigmaLive that Greece and Cyprus have been working together, through the cooperation of their parliamentary committees of experts, who are archiving the information, characterised as labour-intensive. September is expected to be a major turning point for the post-invasion time, as the whole process for opening the Cyprus file will be made known.

SigmaLives sources have also mentioned that meetings are expected to take place among authorities as the Cyprus file opens.

It is work that requires many hours of work, the same sources from Greece mentioned. We are working very carefully, they added.

We owe it to all generations

Turkish invasion of 1974

On May 27, Greeces Defence Minister Panos Kammenos had announced that they would be opening the file on the island and the Turkish invasion of 1974.

Specifically, he said, As Defence Minister and along with the Generals of the national defence, we will open all of the files that deal with the past, so the people can learn about all the things in the past. And we will make public the file of Cyprus. The Greek people need to learn the whole truth, as we owe it to the generations to come.

The head of the Parliamentary Committee on the Cyprus File, Marinos Sizopoulos, had then told SigmaLive that they had not been aware the file would be opened, however the move would shed light on some areas that remain unknown regarding the invasion.

The protocol and use of the file

In June 2015 Greece had agreed to give Cyprus full access to the Cyprus File, when former House President Yiannakis Omirou had visited Athens.

It had been agreed by Omirou and the head of the Greek Parliament Nikos Voutsis that material will only be used for parliamentary or scientific and historical purposes following approval from both the Greek and Cypriot Presidents and their respective parliaments.

They had also agreed that Cyprus would complete access given to documents - selected by the Examining Committee of the Greek Parliament on the file  regarding the events before and during the coup on July 15, 1974 and the Turkish invasion that followed.

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
JetBlue Airways said 22 passengers and two crew members were injured when its flight from Boston to Sacramento, California ran into heavy turbulence on Thursday.



Flight 0429 landed safely on Thursday night in Rapid City, South Dakota, where the injured were taken to the hospital, the U.S. budget carrier said in a statement on Friday.



"Flight attendant was in galley during incident," passenger Derek Lindahl tweeted. "Hit her head on ceiling and completely dislodged the panel. Cuts, neck injury, and concussion."



The airline said it had sent a team to assist the injured and a replacement flight had been sent to Rapid City to fly passengers to Sacramento.



In May, eight passengers were injured when a JetBlue flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Orlando experienced turbulence.  Reuters
The incident took place in Bowenpally in Secunderabad when two unidentified miscreants came on a bike and fired two rounds on Congress leader Yadagiri and fled.

By Ashish Pandey: A Congress leader was injured when an unidentified assailant opened fire at him in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad on Saturday, police said.

Yadgiri, a local Congress leader, was taken to a hospital and his condition was reported to be stable.

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT



Eyewitnesses say that the incident took place in Bowenpally in Secunderabad when two unidentified miscreants came on a bike and fired two rounds at Yadagiri and fled. Yadagiri received injuries in the lower part of his body.

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"Due to some scuffle between the Congress leader and the attacker, he was shot," Hyderabad Police Commissioner, Mahendar Reddy said. Police suspect the role of Dakkala Babu from Alwal.

INCIDENT RECORDED ON CCTV



CCTV footage showed the Congress leader trying to resist the attacker as he chased Yadgiri inside a nearby hospital premises.

Yadgiri is in the real estate and liquor business.

According to Reddy a special probe team has been formed to scan the CCTV footage in order to identify the attacker and arrest him.

INVESTIGATION



Police recovered two pistols.

While one weapon was found in a dustbin of the hospital, another weapon was recovered from Yadgiri. He, however, told the police that he snatched the firearm from the attacker.

Reddy said that a land dispute was believed to be the reason behind the incident.







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As many as 327,272 people entered Bahrain between August 4 and 10, the kingdom's Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs (NPRA) has said.



According to the weekly report, 264,402 arrived from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries via King Fahad Causeway, 62,296 through the Bahrain International Airport and 574 through ports, said a BNA report.



The 25-km King Fahad Causeway is the terrestrial link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
170 grams of fine quality heroin was recovered from his possession. The recovered heroin was estimated to be worth Rs.15 lakh in the international market.

By India Today Television: The Crime Branch has apprehended one drug trafficker who goes by the name Pappu. He is a resident of Khajuri Khas in Delhi. 170 grams of fine quality heroin was recovered from his possession. The recovered heroin was estimated to be worth Rs.15 lakh in the international market.

POLICE OPERATION

Pappu Khan indulged in the sale and supply of heroin in bulk to dealers as well as peddled drugs himself. The Information further entailed that Mohamed Pappu would be coming near Jammu and Kashmir Pocket Bus Stand in Seemapuri, Delhi to deliver a huge consignment of heroin to someone, between 7 and 7:30 PM. A team of officers from the Crime branch laid a trap for him near the J&K Pocket Bus Stand and Pappu Khan was apprehended when he arrived at the location.

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FINDINGS

During the sustained interrogation, he revealed that he is a permanent resident of Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, he came to Delhi and started working with Jal Board as a labourer. In 2005, he purchased a truck on installment but decided to sell it after some time. A few years ago, he came in contact with one Naeem and started driving Naeem's Tata Safari.

He himself got hooked to consuming heroin. Later on, he came in contact with Satpal Maurya from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, who was involved in the supply of heroin. He said Satpal Maurya convinced him that he could make easy money by selling heroin and got him into drug trade.

ALSO READ:

Drug peddler from Rajasthan arrested

Cheap alternative to cocaine, psychoactive drug Meow Meow takes Delhi by storm

--- ENDS ---
Chandigarh, August 13

An auto driver was arrested today by the police for allegedly molesting an Egypt national.

The police said the accused, Nannu (34), a resident of Mani Majra, was arrested after the victim noticed that the auto driver was following her from Elante Mall.

The accused allegedly molested her and tried to assault her near the road separating Sector 48 and 49. Passers-by came to her rescue and later the police were informed. The driver fled leaving the auto on the spot. After impounding his vehicle, the police nabbed him from the forest area in Sector 50. A case under Sections 354-B and 323 of the IPC has been registered against the accused at the Sector 49 police station. The victim was staying in a PG accommodation in the city.  TNS
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 14

Over 600 persons registered for organ donation during an awareness campaign: Be the change, be an organ donor, organised by the PGI to mark Organ Donation Day here yesterday.

The aim of the awareness campaign organised at all OPDs of various departments from 9 am to 2 pm was to focus attention on the altruistic and noble cause of organ donation and boost organ transplant activity. Since people from across the region came to the PGI for treatment, educating them or their attendants on organ donation will have a cascading impact, stated Dr Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO), PGI.

During the campaign, the transplant coordinators along with the hospital staff reached out to the maximum number of people, including the staff on duty, made them aware of the concept of brain death and the importance of organ donation card. They also addressed queries pertaining to myths and misconceptions. As an outcome, over 600 persons, including the hospital staff, registered themselves as organ donors.

The maximum response was received from the Advanced Paediatric Centre with 143 persons registering as organ donors from a single OPD. There were also motivating incidents where some families from the city had just come to register themselves as organ donors at the PGI.
Four major raids conducted in the past six-eight months suggest a resurgence of ivory trade within India. The ivory trade is currently banned in the country.

By Baishali Adak: Authorities may have put a ban on ivory trade in India, but recent raids suggest there's resurgence in the practice that has put elephants on the path of extinction. What has shocked wildlife crime control agencies, and NGOs involved the most, is the resurgence of the 'domestic ivory market' in India.

As opposed to the centuries-old practice, whereby all 'raw and finished' tusk products were routed to China, Japan and Thailand - the global destinations for these illegal items - a reliable clientele base seems to have developed within the country.

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FOUR RAIDS IN THE PAST 6-8 MONTHS

A senior MoEF official told Mail Today on the condition of anonymity, "At least four major raids had been conducted in the past 6-8 months in several states, including Maharashtra and Kerala, which yielded about 13 kg of the contraband. These were based on the information provided by Umesh Aggarwal."

Umesh, a businessman based in Laxmi Nagar, east Delhi, was arrested by the Kerala Forest Department in October 2015. The biggest ivory consignment of India -- 487 kg worth Rs 12 crore in the black market -- was seized from him. On his tips, more than 90 poachers have been arrested so far.

According to Jose Louies, senior programme manager, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), these raids point towards booming domestic market in elephant-tusk products.

"Crucially, none of the items resemble those traditionally smuggled to Southeast Asia. These are, in fact, statues of Indian gods and goddesses like Tirupati Balaji, Radha-Krishna and Swami Satyanarayan, Quran stands, Christian crosses, tusks depicting the Ramayana, Rajasthani chooda (bangles), etc. The best-selling item is Ganesha idols," informed Louies.

He reminded how the Chinese and the Japanese prefer their own 'school of ivory art'. "The Chinese, for instance, prefer uncarved tusks and tusk flakes to turn into statues of Buddha, monks, their royal figures, various animals, etc. We are sure that all these ivory products are now being manufactured for Indians only."

IVORY PRODUCTS A SYMBOL OF STATUS

Experts point fingers at high-profile individuals --politicians, ministers, bureaucrats, celebrities, film stars and royal families -- who can afford these ivory products.

"They serve as a symbol of their 'status' and 'power' in society," said a WTO official, emphasising how a kilogramme of uncarved ivory can cost anything between Rs 15,000 and Rs 50,000 in the Indian black market, while 'intricately carved and modelled items' fetch several hundred crores. Dr Shekhar Kumar Niraj, head of NGO, TRAFFIC, concurred. "It is true to a large extent.

The purchasing power of individuals in India has gone up. So has the demand for contraband items, including ivory products," he said. Tito Joseph of the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) too pointed at the trend when he said that there has not been "a single incident of Indian ivory being smuggled to Japan in the past few years."

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Recently, Minister for Environment and Forests Anil Madhav Dave informed Parliament that 85 elephants across the country have fallen prey to poachers in the last three years. The maximum number of cases has arisen from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The elephants --currently only 30,000 odd pachyderms are left in the wild in India -- are generally shot to death and their tusks, up to 10 feet long, wrenched out.

The elephant is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It lists it as a 'most endangered animal.' Killing it or possessing any ivory item calls for a minimum three years in jail punishment and Rs 50,000 fine. Sadly, it hasn't been able to deter the criminals.



Also Read:

Save our jumbo: Elephants tortured, starved in the name of religion

At 86, world's oldest captive elephant is yet to retire



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New Delhi, August 13

Patanjali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by yoga guru Ramdev, today threatened to file a suit against

the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which has issued 27 notices this year to the company for what it calls violation of advertising code of conduct.

We will file a suit against the ASCI. We will file the case in the court very soon. We are discussing the possibilities and will take action on this issue very soon, said Ramdev here at a press conference while describing these notices as love letters from the ASCI.

However, he left the venue when posed with questions on certification of his toothpaste range, under brand name Dant Kanti.

Questioning the authority and jurisdiction of the ASCI, Ramdev said it was a body formed by MNCs and they were spreading wrong messages about advertisements by Patanjali.

It is an illegal organisation and I will write a letter to the Government of India in this regard, he said, adding that the ASCI was not a constitutional authority but a company only, which had been advising powers to its members.

They are sending love letters to us. This issue has even been raised in Parliament also, he said.

He further said that various high courts in their orders had ruled that the ASCI had no constitutional authority.

In May, the ASCI upheld 10 complaints against Patanjali Ayurved for products such as Jeera Biscuit, Kacchi Ghani mustard oil, Kesh Kanti and Dant Kanti, among others.

The advertising regulator had earlier upheld six cases each against Patanjali in March and April 2016.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore had on August 2 informed Parliament that over 30 complaints against advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd were received between April 2015 and July 2016.

Patanjali is looking to open five food production units to meet growing demand.

We will set up food production units in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. Production at the Nagpur unit will start soon, he said.

Production in most of them is slated to start by the end of 2016.  PTI
Tribune New Service

Chandigarh, August 13

Former Independent Ateli MLA Naresh Yadav today met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here and handed over a memorandum demanding action against the police for delaying the arrest of an accused, who opened fire at Bihali village residents of Mahendragarh district last week.

Yadav and other residents of the area announced that if Khattar fails to act immediately and fulfil their demand for electricity, they would organise a mahapanchayat and launch an agitation against the government.

Last week, robbers opened fire in the Bihali village in which several people were injured. There has been no arrest in the case so far, alleged Yadav.

He also demanded financial aid for the victims.
Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, August 13

Flattery marked the day at the training workshop of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) here today.

Delhis Social Welfare Minister Sandeep Kumar, who was here to give organisational tips to the party volunteers, ended up in making statements in the praise of AAPs state convener Naveen Jaihind.

Jaihind, a close aide of AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was the first to start targeting the partys founder member Yogendra Yadav, who was eventually expelled from AAP last year.

Equating Jaihind with Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Kumar credited the Haryana leader for making him a minister in the Kejriwal government.

Earlier, a local delegate complained from the dais that the prevalent sycophancy was hurting morale of activists.

Meanwhile, the Delhi minister claimed despite being a key decision maker in the party, Jaihind opted to play a bigger role in Haryana than in the national politics. Jaihind and his wife Swati Maliwal, Chairperson of Delhi Women Commission, have remarkable influence in central leadership. It was due to the blessings of Jaihind that I first got the party ticket and then became a minister, said Kumar, who represents the Sultanpur Majra Assembly constituency.

Kumar said Jaihind was handpicked by Kejriwal to lead Haryana and the members must follow the leader.

In a brief telephonic address to party activists, Kejriwal asked the activists to start a mass outreach programme in Haryana. The party should have its presence at the booth level for electoral gains, he said.

AAP has a vision to make Indian society progress. Whereas the BJP is bent on to overthrow the duly elected Delhi Government by misusing the office of the Lieutenant Governor. We will not allow this to happen, he said.
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13

The Haryana School Education Department is all set to begin the transfer of over 35,000 TGTs and primary teachers (PRTs) in the coming week through the online process.

PK Das, Additional Chief Secretary (School Education Department), said today that the department was likely to begin the process of inviting the choice of stations under the new transfer policy from the TGTs and PRTs in a day or two.

He said while the transfer process for the TGTs and PRTs would continue, the department would also keep redressing grievances of PGTs, who have already been transferred.

Meanwhile, the department has issued several clarifications with regard to its Teachers Transfer Policy, 2016, after it was flooded with complaints from PGTs transferred on August 6. As many as 10,431 teachers were shifted that day.

Virender Singh Sehrawat, Additional Director in the department, said in cases where no teacher had opted against a deemed vacancy, the one already occupying the post would be allowed to continue for the next five years if he or she was willing. Such teacher, however, would not be allowed to seek transfer for the next five years.

A large number of teachers, meanwhile, have been coming to headquarters with complaints that their service actions, such as grant of leave, reimbursement, increments or annual career progression, which were granted by their previous principals, were not being recognised at their new places of posting. I am on child care leave for eight months, but my new principal refuses to recognise the leave granted by the principal where I was posted earlier, said a teacher.

Sehrawat admitted that the department had received complaints and said principals had been told to honour all approved actions of previous offices.
Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, August 13

More than 300 postgraduate guest teachers have become surplus after the recent online transfer of postgraduate teachers (PGTs) in the state

Teachers said that the department had assured them that the transfers would not affect any guest teacher, but now they had become surplus after regular teachers were shifted to their schools.

The School Education Department had on August 6 transferred 10,431 postgraduate teachers through an online process.

The Haryana Atithi Adhyapak Sangh demanded immediate adjustment of the surplus guest teachers in nearby government schools.

Over 300 postgraduate guest teachers across the state have become surplus at their present postings after the online transfers. The teachers are in a fix as they have not been allotted new stations, while regular teachers have joined in their place, said Vijay Dhankar, Rohtak unit chief of the sangh.

Dhankar said a delegation of the sangh had also called on senior officers of the Education Department, but no action had so far been taken in this regard.

He said the state government should adjust the guest teachers in nearby schools with immediate effect so that they could join their duties without further delay.

It is clearly mentioned in the new transfer policy that no guest teacher will be displaced under the move and they will work as usual at their present postings, but the Education Department has betrayed us, said a guest teacher.

He said the surplus guest teachers were now compelled to make rounds of the office of School Education Department in Panchkula, but no one was ready to pay any heed towards their plight.
Tribune News Service

Solan, August 13

BCCI president and Hamirpuri MP Anurag Thakur today said liquor and mining mafias were proliferating in the state.

The Hamirpur MP said they were having a field day, while the common man was suffering owing to poor governance and corruption.

He was addressing a gathering during the Tiranga Yatra at Paonta Sahib. Anurag said: The country and the people have benefitted immensely in the two-year rule of the Central government where 70-pro people initiatives were introduced. This vision and approach will make the country a superpower in the years to come.

He said: It is unfortunate that despite the introduction of several progressive initiatives by the Central government, the Congress in the state had miserably failed to implement social welfare schemes successfully.

Drug, liquor and mining mafias are looting the states wealth under the leadership of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. This is evident from the significant drop in the ranking of the state which was earlier the number 1 with over 75 awards. It is now at the 22nd position with debts over Rs 4,5384 crore, he said.

With farmers under stress, unemployment at its peak, failed governance and no vision, the Congress government has let down the state and its people, said Anurag.

He said the BJP would emerge victorious in the next Vidhan Sabha poll.

The Hamirpur MP announced to construct a Rs 3-crore stadium at Paonta Sahib.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 13

Responding to the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has decided to observe Yaad karo kurbani fortnight from August 9 to August 23 to honour freedom fighters.

Renowned freedom fighter Bhagmal Sohta from Jubbal in Shimla district will be honoured posthumously at his native Dhar village on August 22.

Union Minister of Sstate for Human Resource Development Mohinder Nath Pandey will visit the village to honour the freedom fighter, former BJP minister Narendra Bragata said, adding that such programmes were being organised across the country.

Another freedom fighter Thakur Hakam Singh from Bari village in Dehra will be honoured by Union minister Ajay Tamta at his native village on August 18.

The Shimla BJP launched 70-years of Freedom - Remember the sacrifices, campaign to recall the sacrifices made by freedom fighters. Launching the movement that coincided with Teej festival from Kalvari Hall here, senior BJP leader and former state BJP chief Suresh Bharadwaj said the younger generations must know the sacrifices made by martyrs.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 13

Supporting the stand taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of PoK, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said people were being forced to live in fear there.

Talking to the media after inaugurating a children park named Bal Pramod Van and residences of pujaris at the Jakhu temple today, Virbhadra said the Baluch community in Baluchistan was also being subjected to atrocities.

Referring to the Dalit issue which had ignited a nationwide debate following the thrashing of members of the community for skinning dead cattle in Una in Gujarat, the Chief Minster said skinning of cows was their old profession. We should rather respect the profession and give full honour to those who were involved in such profession, he said.

The Chief Minister said it was shameful on part of those who assaulted Dalits. He said many leather products were made out of such skin which also benefited the community doing the business. He said the Prime Minister should have made the statement in Parliament on the issue of atrocities on Dalits instead of a public forum.

Virbhadra said the government had constituted a Gauvansh Samvhardan Board for the protection of cows and other stray cattle. He said his government would open shelter homes for stray cattlein a phased manner so that they could be properly fed and looked after.

On being asked about the amendments to Town and Country Planning Bill, the Chief Minister said the government had eased the norms for regularisation of unauthorised structures on the suggestions of the people. He added that it was the habit of the BJP to criticise every move of theCongress irrespective of whether it was reasonable or not.
Suhail Shah/ Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Anantnag / Srinagar, August 12

A civilian and a policeman were killed and two others were injured after some gunmen opened fire in a Kulgam village in south Kashmir region.

The shootout took place at about 8 pm in Czeansur village in Kulgam district, nearly 70 km from Srinagar.

Muhammad Irshad, Kulgam's Senior Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident.

According to sources, the local police constable Manzoor Ahmad was buying some groceries at a village shop when some gunmen on a motorcycle fired at him. A civilian was also killed in the shootout.

The police have cordoned off the area and have begun to look for the gunmen.

No militant group has so far claimed the responsibility for the attack.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 13

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a peaceful solution within the framework of the Constitution to the Kashmir unrest, various religious groups of Ladakh today reiterated the demand for the Union Territory (UT) status to the region.

They warned that any attempt at handling the Kashmir issue in isolation by ignoring the problems of Ladakh will be short-sighted and prove counterproductive.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, the groups said, The leaders of the Kashmir valley can never be the leaders of our people and our assimilation with the people of the Valley is next to impossible.

It is absolutely erroneous to equate the Kashmir valley with the rest of the state. Ladakh constitutes 69.6 per cent of the total J&K territory and has a distinct geo-political and geo-cultural identity. The aspirations of the people of Ladakh and their national outlook are different from those of the people of Kashmir, the representatives of the groups said while talking to reporters in Leh today.

The leaders who attended the press briefing comprised Tsewang Thinles, president, Ladakh Buddhist Association, Ashraf Ali Barcha, president, Anjuman Imamia, Sheikh Saif Ud Din, president, Anjuman Moin Ul Islam, and David Sonam, president, Christian Community, Leh.

We strongly feel that the UT with an elected legislature is the only instrument through which the present political ambivalence can be ended and by which we can achieve our aspirations, they said.

They said the Ladakhi people had consistently been demanding separation from J&K and demanding the status of UT with legislature. The Central government, however, never responded favourably to our sincere conviction. Instead it made us be governed by Kashmiris over the decades to our utter ruin, they alleged.

They said the need of the hour was to tackle all problems relating to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in totality.
By Rohit Kumar Singh: Extortionists in Bihar have demanded Rs 1.25 crore from former JDU MP Baidyanath Mahto. The matter was reported from his hometown Bettiah in West Champaran district. However, the manner in which the extortion money was demanded has put the police department into a tizzy.

This incident of demanding extortion from the former MP is yet another indicator of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state where even legislators or parliamentarians are not being spared.

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The extortionists who have a group named "Royal Group", on Friday reached Mahto's residence at Jai Prakash Nagar in Bettiah and triggered a bomb blast outside his house. The former MP was not present at his house when the explosion took place. However, no one was injured in the explosion.

POSTER DEMANDING RS 1.25 CRORE PUT UP



Before leaving the spot, the group pasted a poster on the boundary wall of the former MP's house demanding Rs 1.25 crore as extortion money. Mahto was a former MP and represented the Valmikinagar parliamentary constituency. He was also a former minister in the Bihar government.

"Some miscreants have carried out the explosion outside my house and demanded Rs. 1.25 crore as extortion. The poster threatens to eliminate me if I fail to pay the money," said the former JDU MP.

Soon after the police was informed about the incident, top cops reached the spot and began investigating the matter. The police asserted that the explosion was of a cracker and not a bomb. Police have intensified search operations in the area to track down the accused. Meanwhile, the police have beefed up security at the residences of the former MP both at Bettiah town and his native village Jagdishpur in the district.

SECURITY BEEFED UP



"We are not taking any chances and have deployed police personnel at the house of the former MP. We are investigating the incident," said Gopal Prasad, DIG Bettiah Range.

According to the police 'Royal Group' is a notorious gang of criminals known for extorting money from doctors, businessmen and advocates in the similar manner.

In the last two years itself they have demanded extortion money from seven persons. Almost half a dozen gang members of this group have also been arrested in the past.

Also read:

Bihar DIG receives Rs 20 lakh extortion call, FIR lodged



--- ENDS ---
Dinesh Manhotra & Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 13

The PDP-BJP coalition government has stopped the Tiranga yatra, being undertaken by a group of youths who want to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

The five youths, who belong to the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency of the Prime Minister, are undertaking the rally to inculcate patriotism in the younger generation.

Interestingly, on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has taken out Tiranga yatras all over the country to reach out to the electorate with a message of national unity and amity but in J&K, the state government has stopped nationalist youths from conducting a similar exercise, taking the excuse of the law and order issue.

We were detained by the police near Jammu Railway Station and taken to the nearby police station, said Devender Kumar Pathak, who is heading the yatra. We were told that the law and order situation was not conducive in the Valley so it was better to go back, he added.

Being an Indian, I have all the right to hoist the national flag anywhere in the country. It is unfortunate that the J&K Government, of which the nationalist BJP is a partner, has stopped us from proceeding to Srinagar, said Pathak. He said stopping the rally had exposed the double standards of the BJP.

Everyday, miscreants are disgracing the national flag in the Kashmir valley and openly hoisting the Pakistan and ISIS flags. We want to hoist the Tricolour there to give a message to such forces but unfortunately, the BJP government has stopped us, he said.

The other four youths accompanying Pathak are Chander Shekhar, Rameshwar Sawhney, Lalan Prashad Prajapati and Krishan Kant Ojha.

The BJP is facing criticism for taking out the Tiranga yatra in Jammu because party ministers had not supported non-local students of the NIT-Srinagar when they had dared to hoist the national flag on the campus.

The five youths are members of the Manav Adhikar Jan Shakti Party and are at present putting up at Circuit House, Jammu.

We dont want to disturb peace in the state, but will make an effort today to move further. If stopped, we will sit on a hunger strike till Independence Day and hoist the national flag in Jammu and move back with a message that the coalition government in J&K has acceded Jammu and Kashmir to the separatists and other forces, said Pathak.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 13

At least 16 persons, including Buddha Amarnath pilgrims and a police officer, were injured, two of them seriously, in a low-intensityexplosion at the bus stand in Poonch this evening.

It was a low-intensity explosion. At least 16 persons, including a woman and four pilgrims, were injured, said Johnny William, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Rajouri-Poonch range.

The DIG said the bomb was planted 60 metres from the main camp of Dashnami Akhara, where the pilgrims were staying. Sources said the blast took place at 7.45 pm near a Tata Sumo carrying pilgrims at Bag Deodi near Dashnami Akhara.

The police and Army men cordoned off the area. The pilgrims were taken to Dashnami Akhara and the injured to the district hospital. The critically injured were later shifted to Jammu,said a source.
R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, August 13

The Centre is against increasing the retirement age of Army doctors to 65 years in line with the new age limit for their civilian counterparts.

The Army always has its own retirement age for its personnel from time immemorial, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh pleaded with the Supreme Court yesterday.

The Centre took the stand before a Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra which was hearing a PIL by some of the doctors who retired last month after being denied the benefit of a recent government notification on the new retirement age for civilian doctors.

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The ASG also pleaded that retirement age was a service issue for which the doctors had no right to approach the apex court directly. The proper forum for resolving the controversy was the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), he said.

Other affected doctors had already approached the AFT, New Delhi, and as such the petitioners in the SC should be directed to join the litigation pending with the AFT, Singh pleaded.

Accepting the Centres plea, the Bench asked the petitioners to approach the AFT. The apex court directed the tribunal to dispose of the case expeditiously, preferably in three months.

On July 29, the Bench had asked the Centre to respond within two days to Army doctors plea for enhancing their retirement age to 65.

The petitioners from the Army Medical Corps (AMC) had 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 making use the services of experienced doctors for the benefit of the poor.
R Sedhuraman

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, August 12

The Supreme Court today warned the Centre that it would not allow the continuance of the logjam over the appointment of 75 judges for various high courts as this would bring judicial work to a grinding halt.

A three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to find out the reasons for the long delay on the part of the Centre in clearing the recommendations of the SC Collegium for their appointment.

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Dont force us to pass orders to remove this logjam. Dont force us to ask where the files are. Dont force us to judicially intervene to prevent the institution from coming to a grinding halt. That is not the right thing to do, the Bench told the AG.

Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud were the other members of the Bench that was hearing a PIL by Lt Col Anil Kabotra for implementation of the Law Commission recommendations for appointment of higher judiciary judges.

Rohatgi assured the Bench that he would take up the issue at the highest level and come back with necessary information, upon which the Bench posted the case for next hearing after four weeks.

The Bench clarified that the ongoing preparation of a fresh memorandum of procedure (MoP) by the government in the light of the judgment by a five-member Constitution Bench should not come in the way of clearing the pending appointments.

The Constitution Bench, headed by Justice JS Khehar, had made it clear that the appointments should not be halted, pending notification of the new MoP, the CJI Bench noted. On October 16, 2015, the apex court had revived the Collegium system of appointments by striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act. The CJI Bench told the AG that the government should get back to the Collegium of five senior-most SC judges headed by him if it had any problem with the recommendations. We will look into it. This kind of a logjam is making the situation very difficult, it remarked.

The Bench clarified that the recommendations for 75 appointments included the transfer of some Chief Justices, including CJ KM Joseph of the Uttarakhand HC as CJ to Hyderabad HC. The number of judges in most of the HCs was just 40 per cent of their sanctioned strength, it noted.

Accused were languishing in jails for 12-13 years due to shortage of judges. Will you wait till the accused complete the life sentence, it asked. In Allahabad HC alone, 10 lakh cases were pending.

While hearing another PIL, the Bench slapped a cost of Rs 25,000 on the Centre for not filing its response to a plea for issue of guidelines for transporting iron rods and other protruding objects to minimise casualties in road accidents. The court had directed the government to file its affidavit more than three years ago, it noted. The government had no right to blame the judiciary for delays in disposal of cases in this situation, the apex court said.
Mumbai, August 13

Eleven days after a bridge over the Savitri river in Maharashtras Raigad district collapsed taking down two state transport buses and at least one SUV, naval divers located the wreckage of the second bus, officials said here today.

The wreckage was spotted this morning by naval divers who reported that the remains of the vehicle plying between Jaigad and Mumbai were submerged 5 m below the surface.

Strong currents in the river caused by monsoon had caused the wreckage to move 400 m from the location of the collapsed bridge, officials said.

The wreckage of the first bus was discovered on Thursday and its chassis with parts of the bus body attached were pulled out of the riverbed.

Efforts were on to pull the second bus out of the riverbed this afternoon, the state police said. By late afternoon, officials had brought in a crane for the retrieval operation.  TNS
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at an all-party meeting on the Kashmir unrest, said here today that the government was committed to a peaceful solution within the framework of the Constitution.

The meeting, which was attended by leaders of all parties represented in Parliament, said cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan is the root cause of turbulence in the Valley.

Edit: Regaining Kashmiris trust

Hitting out at Pakistan, Modi said, Our neighbour forgets what it does with its people in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Fighter planes are dropping bombs on them. The time has come when Pakistan has to answer to the world community about its atrocities against its own people in Balochistan and Kashmir. The PM asked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to contact citizens of occupied Kashmir, residing in different parts of the world, for gathering details on their pitiable condition so that these could be shared with the international community. "When discussing Jammu and Kashmir, we should keep in mind all its four regions -Jammu, Kashmir Valley, Ladakh and PoK," he stressed.

"We are committed to the national sentiment that there cannot be any compromise with the country's regional integrity. We are ready to address the grievances of all sections under the Indian Constitution."

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Appealing to the Opposition parties for support, the Prime Minister said, "Terrorism is on the rise the world over. We are facing terrorism sponsored by our neighbouring country. We will have to be united in our fight. The government expects constructive support from all Opposition parties."

Praising Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's government for its "careful handling" of the situation, he said he was confident that normalcy would be restored in the state with the cooperation of all parties.

The Kashmir Valley has been in a turmoil ever since Hizbul commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter on July 8. Some Opposition parties reportedly asked the government to initiate confidence-building measures (CBMs), such as putting an end to the use of pallet guns and relaxing AFSPA in certain parts of the Valley.

Addressing medipersons later, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, The Home Minister has already informed the two Houses of Parliament that an expert committee has been constituted to look into the issue of pellet guns.The government decision will be based on the assessment of security concerns.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who accompanied Jaitley, said, "The Central Government is working on a Rs 80,000 crore special package for the troubled state. Results will be visible soon. We are determined to hasten the release of funds."

Sources said the government was not in favour of an all-party delegation visiting Kashmir at this juncture. It was of the opinion that the situation was not conducive for any such exercise.
New Delhi, August 13

India has said it will only talk to Pakistan about contemporary and relevant issues, a hint that it was unwilling to indulge its rival's request to discuss Kashmir as the two nations continue to thrust and parry over a bloody unrest in the Valley that has killed 54 people so far.

"India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said at a press briefing, days after Pakistan said it wanted a dialogue on Kashmir  a sticking point between the two nations.

"Incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan."

Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Friday that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir and that Pakistans Foreign Secretary would write to India.

"Our Foreign Secretary would formally be writing to his counterpart in this regard," Aziz had said as he briefed the Pakistani press about the Pakistan's Envoys Conference held on August 13 to deliberate on major foreign policy challenges of Pakistan.

At a separate event, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said: "Unlike in the past, we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard", in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

"Threat of terrorism dominates global concerns today. It is an issue that has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross border manifestation.

We are also pushing for an early comprehensive convention on international terrorism," she said.

The state has been witnessing violent protests over the killing of a militant in an operation by security forces. Militant group Hizbul Mujahideens commander Burhan Wani was killed in an operation on July, triggering protests that have seen thousands injured.  Agencies
Angry protesters took out a march and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans after security forces arrested the men for asking the Pakistani Army to vacate Gilgit's soil.

By India Today Web Desk: Locals today took to streets in Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region to protest against the imprisonment of over 500 young men by security forces.

Angry protesters took out a march and chanted anti-Pakistan slogans after security forces arrested the men for asking the Pakistani Army to vacate Gilgit's soil. The political crackdown and arrests in Gilgit were made against people protesting against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which they said would only benefit China and Pakistan's Punjabi traders, ANI reported.

WATCH: Protest in Pak occupied Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan and demanding release of activist Baba Janhttps://t.co/KuIFEVDZsS; ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

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However, protesters claimed that the youth of Gilgit were not involved with the CPEC and those protesting are being hardly dealt with.

Those arrested include Gilgit's top political activist Baba Jan. Protestors were outraged as according to them Pakistan was perpetrating human rights abuses and crushing the political aspiration of their people.

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 12

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained for a third time at the Los Angeles airport on Thursday, following which the US Ambassador to India tweeted an apology while US Assistant Secretary of State, Nisha Biswal, tweeted something short of an apology.

There is still no clarity as to why he was detained or for how long by the US immigration authorities. Khan's previous detentions had led to massive uproar by his fans who had accused the US of racial profiling and of singling him out for being a Muslim.

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The Bollywood star, however, played it down and tweeted: "I fully understand and respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks."

The US had previously denied that Khan was detained because he was a Muslim. Apparently, someone with the same name is reportedly on a US no-fly list of 80,000.

Khan even made light of the situation by tweeting: "The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons."

"Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk," US ambassador to India Richard Verma tweeted today, adding that they were "working to ensure it doesn't happen again." Khan replied: "No trouble sir, respect the protocol & not expecting 2 b above it. It's just a tad inconvenient. Thx for ur concern."

As news of the superstar's detention garnered response on the Internet, Biswal tweeted: "Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk  even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening!"

Khan has been detained twice before by the US immigration authorities. In 2009, Khan was detained for more than two hours at the Newark airport and in 2012 he was detained at the New York airport.

I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk - even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening!  Nisha Biswal (@NishaBiswal) August 12, 2016
Mumbai, August 13

A court today sent five doctors, including the CEO of LH Hirandanani Hospital, to judicial custody till August 26 in an illegal kidney sale and transplant racket here.

The five  hospitals CEO Sujit Chatterjee, Medical Director Anurag Naik, Prakash Shetty, Mukesh Shah and Mukesh Shetye  were produced before the court after their three-day police custody ended today.

Public prosecutor Sudhir Sapkal told the court that the police investigations were complete and they did not require the custody of the accused for further investigation. Accordingly, the magistrate ordered the five accused  arrested on August 9  to be remanded in judicial custody till August 26.

The police said they had scrutinised the bank account details and call records of the arrested medicos and were trying to probe how long they had been in contact with each other and with another accused, Brijkishore Jaiswal, the Surat businessman who was the intended recipient of a kidney transplant last month.

Seeking bail for one of the accused, Prakash Shetty, his lawyer Abad Ponda said it must be granted immediately as his wife had delivered twins on Saturday morning and produced a certificate to the effect.

The court declined to take up the bail plea and directed the lawyer to move it on a regular hearing day and asked the police to be prepared with its reply on August 16.

Earlier on Friday, the Dindoshi sessions court rejected the anticipatory bail application of two other medicos from LH Hiranandani Hospital  Suwin Shetty and Veena Salekar.  IANS
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 13

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today to discuss issues of mutual interest and to prepare for Modis China visit in September.

India at the meetings, it is learnt, raised the issue of China blocking its Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership and also of China preventing Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar from being designated a terrorist by the United Nations. Sources in the government maintained that China did not bring up the issue of the South China Sea.

Sources said Wang met Modi for about 20 minutes and briefed the PM on the G20 Summit to be held in China. Wang and Swaraj held three-hour discussions, including over lunch, where sources said a discussion was held on Indias NSG membership. It is learnt that India has offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that the Directors-General of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon.

India raised the issue of Chinas technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UN Security Council. Swaraj also expressed concern over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Sources said the two sides decided to set up a new mechanism at the level of the foreign secretaries to discuss ties.

Wang arrived in the capital after his stopover in Goa where he visited the premises where the BRICS Summit will be hosted by India in October. Chinese President Xi Jinping will be among the world leaders who will attend the Summit and Wangs visit to Goa was to oversee the preparations. Sources maintain its unusual for a foreign minister to oversee Summits preparations, but the Ministry of External Affairs shrugged it off as normal.

Meanwhile, a commentary in Global Times made two points: India has wrongly blamed China for blocking its entry into NSG and that the door to NSG entry for India is not tightly closed.
New Delhi, August 13

Sharmishtha Mukherjee, Delhi Congress spokesperson and daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, claimed today that a man harassed her by sending lewd messages and put up screenshots of the texts on her Facebook page. She lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime unit of Delhi Polices Economic Offences Wing (EoW).

We are in the process of registering a case and launching investigation to catch the culprit, said Anyesh Roy, DCP (Cyber Crime).

The police said the lewd messages were sent to the complainant through Facebook Messenger. The profile of the sender mentions him as a resident of Nauhati in Hooghly, West Bengal.

The person is completely unknown to me and he sent me dirty sexual messages last night. I first thought of ignoring him and blocking him but then (I) thought my silence will encourage him to find other victims, she said, identifying the man as Partha Mandal.

In her Facebook post, she said, I feel such people should be publicly exposed and humiliated. Im posting screenshots of his profile and messages he sent me. Im also tagging him. Please share this post and tag this rat as a message that these pervert acts will not be taken lightly (sic).

The police may have thousands of such cases with them. I will fight as an ordinary woman and do not require any preferential treatment as a daughter of the President. The police must take all such cases with equal diligence, she said.  PTI
Kakori (UP), August 13

Lashing out at the Congress, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday said the country had not witnessed any progress since Independence as one family held the reins for 60 years and asserted that the BJP alone could usher in development.

With an eye on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls due next year, Shah said if the country is to progress, the development of the state is essential.

It has been 70 years since we gained Independence. But there has been no development in the country as one family was in power for 60 years, he said.

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Shah slammed the erstwhile Congress governments for absence of development in the country.

I feel sad to say that it has been 70 years since we have won freedom and for 60 years, the Congress was in saddle and the result is for everyone to see, he said.

Shah was speaking at a Tiranga Yatra as part of Yaad Karo Qurbani programme to commemorate the sacrifices of freedom fighters ahead of Independence Day.

Asserting that the BJP alone could usher in development in the country, he said if the SP or BSP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, they would work for the development of only one community.

If the SP or BSP come to power they will work for the development of only one community. The BJP alone can ensure all-round development in the state. The BJP believes in sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, Shah said at the event held on the outskirts of Lucknow.

Without the development of Uttar Pradesh, the country cannot march ahead, he said.

The programme was held at Kakori town which had shot into prominence due to the Kakori train robbery when some Indian revolutionaries looted the British governments treasury from a train on August 9, 1925.

He termed as unfortunate the situation in the country saying villages are without electricity, youth are jobless, agriculture fields are without irrigation facilities and poor patients are dying for want of medicines.

He said the country could not repay the debt of the martyrs who laid down their lives for freedom. PTI
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, August 13

The man whose wife and 14-year-old daughter were brutally gang-raped on national highway 91 on July 29 near Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh) has approached the Supreme Court seeking its intervention for a proper investigation into the horrendous crime and payment of adequate compensation to his family.

In the PIL, he has also pleaded that the trial of the accused in the case should be shifted from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, besides registration of an FIR against those who made insensitive and outrageous remarks on the crime, including a state minister.

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The Supreme Court should monitor the investigation by seeking status reports, the petitioner said. Though his name is mentioned in the petition, it cannot be reported as it would amount to identifying the mother-daughter victims which is illegal. Rape victims cannot be identified in any manner, either by naming their relatives, places of work or educational institutes.

The petitioner has also pleaded that the Uttar Pradesh government be directed to pay appropriate compensation to his family. The court should ensure safe educational arrangements and security for his daughter till she completed her higher education.

The victim was driving in the night with his family from Noida to Shahjahanpur when the criminal elements attacked the car to stop it and commit the crime. The criminals decamped with the victims jewellery and about Rs 36,000.

The state police had failed to patrol the dark stretch of the highway despite the fact that several such crimes were committed there regularly, he said.
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 13

In a fierce attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia on Saturday accused him of dividing Hindus as he criticised the former for condemning cow vigilantism.

Addressing a press conference here, Togadia gave a six-point programme to Modi and demanded that he withdraw his advisory. He questioned Modis facts and demanded statistics on how many cows had died of consuming plastica statement the Prime Minister had made in his address at Town Hall last week.

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Togadia claimed that there had been a 44 per cent increase in beef exports in the past two yearssince the incumbent central government came to powerdespite the Prime Ministers claims to stop the practice.

Dossiers should have been made of terrorists in Kashmir and Muslims who kill cows, not of the gaurakshaks, Togadia claimed, accusing Modi of profiling cow-loving Hindus, as he referred to Modis promise to have dossiers made on cow vigilantes.

We had expected that cow-slaughter would be stopped, Togadia said, adding that he had no face to show anyone after Modis statement and even claimed that he had received abusive phone calls demanding to know why Modi made such a remark.

You have shamed us, he said, accusing Modi of dividing Hindus by linking cow vigilantism to the Scheduled Castes. He also claimed that the PM's statement gave a clean chit to cow butchers.

I am not asking Hindus to take law in their own hands but am asking the Prime Minister to find a legal way out so that we can come to know when there will be a law to stop the slaughter, he said.

In his interaction with the citizens at Town Hall to mark the second anniversary of the launching of MyGov portal on August 7, the Prime Minister had said: I get very angry at these gau rakshaks. They indulge in anti-social activities at night and turn cow protectors in the day. I want states to take action against them."
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 13

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia today locked horns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his criticism of cow vigilantism and its link with Dalit atrocities. He asked him to withdraw his insulting statement and the special advisory to states for strict action against cow protectors.

VHP international working president Togadia accused Modi of dividing Hindus and giving a clean chit to cow butchers. He said: A clean chit to cow butchers and victimisation of Hindu cow protectors without any dialogue the VHP fears that more cows would be killed now.

Togadia, Modis friend-turned-adversary, said the PMs directive to states to create dossiers of cow vigilantes amounted to racial profiling of Hindus.

Expressing utmost dissatisfaction and agony, he said, Special dossiers are made of terrorists and serial rapists. Here, dossiers are being made of Hindu gau rakshaks, not of cow killers. You (the PM) have shamed us. I am not able to show my face to those who dedicated their lives to protect cows.

When the head of the government gives a specific figure and says 80 per cent of cow protectors are fake and indulge in anti-social activities during night, surely he would have the basis for such specific numbers, Togadia said, challenging Modi to reveal the source of his information that more cows die eating plastic and not by cow butchering.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13

Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh today said the acquittal of drug lord Jagdish Bhola in a case of heroin smuggling was total miscarriage of justice.

It is not only the matter of punishing Bhola, but also providing justice to thousands of youths who died of drugs smuggled and supplied by him, Amarinder said.

He blamed the Akalis for Bholas acquittal with an obvious intent to shield some important people whose names have figured during the investigations.

He said he had full faith in the state police that they would take the case to the logical conclusion, but was disappointed over the way they handled the case and eventually facilitated his acquittal.

Will reopen case

The PCC chief claimed it was a matter of six months and his government would reopen and reinvestigate the case. He said he was committed under oath to ensure zero tolerance towards drugs.
Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Adampur, August 12

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal today made contradictory statements on the issue of ISI hand in recent incidents of law and order in the state.

Speaking at a Sangat Darshan programme at Kapoor village in the Adampur constituency, the CM said, There is no direct evidence about the involvement of the ISI or any other foreign agency in any of the cases, including the attack on RSS leader Brig Jagdish Gagneja (retd) and various sacrilege incidents.

Contrary to this, the Deputy CM, while interacting with the media at the opening of a Sewa Kendra at Begowal in Kapurthala this afternoon, said the recent arrest of terrorists at Hoshiarpur and Amritsar was indicative of the active role being played by the ISI in various incidents taking place in the state.

Asked how can that be said when the police were still clueless in the Gagneja case, he said, Gal eh hai ke, shak kita ja sakda (the whole issue is derived from a suspicion of this sort). Having said so, he tried to duck further queries on the issue saying, Till the time an inquiry is on, we should refrain from making any categorical statement publicly.

Incidents of sacrilege

Asked if he had managed to lay hands on any direct evidence as regards sacrilege incidents, Badal replied, We have probed 13 out of 14 sacrilege incidents. However, there is no direct evidence establishing a foreign link in these cases. Some officers are still working specifically on solving the Bargari case only.

AAPs foreign funding

In contradiction to statements by Sukhbir, Harsimrat Badal and Bikram Majithia as regards foreign funding to AAP, the CM said, Jehri gal da mainu pata hi nhi mein ki kahan? (How can I comment on a matter when I am not aware of it?).

Gagneja suffers from high fever

Ludhiana: Senior RSS leader Brig Jagdish Chander Gagneja (retd), who is recuperating at Hero DMCH Heart Institute, is suffering from high fever, but his condition is said to be stable. One of the doctors said due to gut-perforation, fever is generally expected. Senior BJP leader and former Himachal CM Shanta Kumar visited the leader today. Kumar said a few forces wanted to disturb peace in the state. Such disturbing elements should be booked and punished as per law at the earliest. Meanwhile Dr GS Wander, chief cardiologist and Director of the Hero-DMC Heart Institute, said there was no deterioration in the leaders condition. He said he was put off ventilator for an hour today. Cabinet Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal also visited the hospital today. TNS
Ankita Singh, along with her mother, were walking on the Preet Vihar flyover when suddenly a man snatched Ankita's purse near Hasanpur Depot and jumped off from the flyover into the forest area below.

By Ram Kinkar Singh: In a rare example of doughtiness, a woman jumped off from a flyover in Delhi to catch the man who snatched her purse.

Ankita Singh, along with her mother, were walking on the Preet Vihar flyover when suddenly a man snatched Ankita's purse near Hasanpur Depot and jumped off from the flyover into the forest area below.

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Ankita followed the snatcher and chased him into the woods. After a while, on finding the girl all alone, the snatcher attacked Ankita and thrashed her black and blue.

Putting up a brave front for half an hour, Ankita still could not manage to stop the snatcher who later fled with her purse.

Ankita, who works in a private company, was rushed to a hospital.

The incident has been registered at east Delhi's Madhu Vihar police station.

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 13

A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the appointment of 18 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs), Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the state government would file an appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court.

Speaking on the sidelines of his Sangat Darshan at Bhatnoora Lubhana today, the CM said he had asked the state Advocate-General to study the verdict and take appropriate action within the ambit of law. Since the judgment came only yesterday, it is too early to comment on it. But we will definitely move the Supreme Court after studying the case, he said.

In a setback for the SAD-BJP government, the HC yesterday quashed the appointment of 18 Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs). The CPSs were appointment by the government in April 2012.

Badal, Capt spar over free power to farmers

A war of words erupted between Badal and PPCC president Capt. Amarinder Singh after the CM today claimed that if the Congress returned to power in the state, it would withdraw free power to the farm sector. Reacting to it, Amarinder termed the CMs statement false, saying the Congress was committed to provide free and regular electricity to the farmers without any hidden costs. the CM alleged that the Congress had always been an anti-farmer party. During his regime, Amarinder had sent power bills for tubewells to farmers. Badal said the PPCC presidents sudden love for the farmers was only due to the Assembly elections. In his statement issued here, Amarinder told the CM: Let me assure you, it is not the matter of if, but when we form the government. We will ensure free power to farmers. Alleging that the CM was spreading lies, the PPCC chief said besides providing free power, but would ensure its regular supply to the farmers and that too without hidden charges as imposed by the Badals.
Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Khatkar Kalan, August 12

The Punjab Archaeology Departments decision to display British-era items such as hats, walking sticks and typewriters at Shaheed Bhagat Singhs ancestral house here has not gone down well with the martyrs kin. Reason: These objects have nothing to do with Bhagat Singh.

Sources said the department bought about 30 items for Rs 1.5 lakh and placed these recently beside the martyrs relics.

Prof Jagmohan Singh, Ludhiana-based nephew of Bhagat Singh, said, Even a broken bowl related to him or other freedom fighters is welcome at the Khatkar Kalan house, but colonial relics are a blot on his legacy. These should be kept elsewhere.

Jagmohan, who was instrumental in getting the house converted into a protected monument in the 1970s, said it was built in 1858 by Bhagat Singhs great-grandfather Fateh Singh. The British tried to get his support during the 1857 revolt, but he refused. The house symbolises the familys resistance to colonial rule.

Justifying the departments move, Director, Archaeology, Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa said the memorabilia belonged to Bhagat Singhs times. We also want visitors to have a look at other items of that era, he said. He said the department was ready to keep more things related to the martyr if people came forward to donate the same.
Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Pathankot, August 13

Reports of two terror suspects near Madhopur, some 10 km from Pathankot, sent police force on a wild goose chase on Saturday, two days before the country celebrates Independence Day.

A report of two suspicious-looking men wandering about the streets of Tharial  a village adjoining the tourist town of Madhopur  sent police force scurrying to the area, only to find that the men were only looking for an address of a relative.

My men received information in the morning that two men wearing black clothes were roaming in the area. The entire village was searched but nothing was found. It just happened that two middle-aged men from Himachal Pradesh had come to the village to meet their relatives. They had forgotten the address of the house they were supposed to go to. As they were asking for directions, somebody passed on the information that there were some 'suspects' were in the village. Keeping in mind the Dinanagar and Pathankot terrorist attacks, we were not in a position to take risks, Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kaushal said.

Although the senior policeman had ordered vehicles to be checked on the Pathankot-Jammu National Highway, the direction was put on hold after the village was declared safe.

Police have frequently had such false alarms since a predawn strike on a military installation in Pathankot in January.

In a separate development, a television channel quoted Kuldeep Sharma, the Station Head Officer of Shahpur Kandi, as saying that police were conducting security checks because some unidentified people were seen wandering in Tharial village. The news was later picked up by other channels, sending panic in the area.

Kaushal has ordered a departmental inquiry against Sharma, who was not authorised to speak to the press.

Four gunmen had attacked an airbase of the Indian Air Force in Pathankot on January 2. The terrorist strike  blamed on the militant Jaish-e-Mohammed of Pakistan  left seven security men and all attackers killed.

Three armed militants had fired on a bus and laid siege on a police station in Gurdaspurs Dinanagar on July 27, 2015. Seven policemen had been killed in the daylong standoff.

Madhopur is an important town that serves as a gateway to the states of J&K and Himachal Pradesh.


Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 13

Congress leader Sunil Jakhar has said that given the worsening law and order situation, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal must step down, particularly after CM Parkash Singh Badal has contradicted Sukhbir on the ISI hand in the attack on RSS leader Jagdish Gagneja.

This raises a serious question as the CM has expressed no-confidence in his Home Minister. Sukhbir must step down as Deputy CM or at least stay away from the Home Ministry, he said.

Slight improvement in Gagnejas condition

RSS leader Brig Jagdish Gagneja continued to be critical despite slight improvement. This was stated by Dr GS Wander, Director of Hero DMC Heart Institute. He said Gagneja was still on life-support system. He continues to suffer from high fever.
Chandigarh, August 13

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today took a dig at Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, saying he should be made a "Comedy" minister instead of state Home minister for his "irresponsible" statements.

AAP leader and in-charge of Punjab affairs, Sanjay Singh also asked Sukhbir to reveal the names of those leaders who are facing a threat from Pakistan's spy agency ISI.

"The kind of statements we are getting to hear from Sukhbir Badal in past few days, he should be made comedy minister instead of handling Home portfolio," Singh told reporters here today.

He was referring to Sukhbir's statement in which Deputy CM had said Pakistan's ISI has "big plans" to destablise the state by targeting important leaders there.

"Sukhbir should inform who are the leaders which are under ISI's radar," he said.

"Earlier, he (Sukhbir) was saying that AAP was getting funds from pro-Khalistan people, then he said AAP had links with Naxals, ISIS and now he is making serious and worrisome statement, saying ISI plans to attack leaders in Punjab," Singh said.

He asked Sukhbir whether ISI was behind the attack of Mata Chand Kaur, Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale and RSS leader Jagdish Gagneja.

"If AAP was getting funds from pro-Khalistan people then he should make this report public and if anybody is involved in any such thing, he should be put behind bars. Otherwise, he should stop making irresponsible statements," Singh said.

He expressed fear that Deputy CM could carry out attack on AAP leaders in coming days for which he ostensibly wanted to blame ISI.

"Are you trying to make ground for attacking any big leader," Singh asked Badal.

Earlier, AAP had accused Badal of raising the "bogey" of ISI threat in Punjab to "terrorise" the people to create fear and panic, and his "evil designs" was "exposed" by none other than his father Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who categorically ruled out any such threat.

Asked when Navjot Singh Sidhu will join AAP, Sanjay said this question should be posed to Sidhu. "We have welcomed him when he announced the decision (to resign from Rajya Sabha).

It is now up to him to make decision," said Singh.

Responding to query on opposition to some of names of candidates announced for Punjab polls, Sanjay said, "there is no consideration going on changing the names. There will be no change in candidates."

To a query, AAP Punjab Convener and party's senior leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur, said, "he will raise this issue within in the party and will also meet Arvind Kejriwal."

Earlier, Chhotepur had raised "strong objection" against two names whom had been given the party ticket for contesting 2017 Punjab assembly polls, saying he would raise the matter with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 13

The police have seized three more weapons from the arrested members of terror modules busted by them few days ago.

MF Farooqui, IG, Counter Intelligence, today said the weapons were seized from Rachhpal Singh, who was arrested from Khuda Ali Sher village near Chandigarh. Farooqui said Rachhpal revealed that he was in possession of three weapons of .32- bore which he had hidden at Khuda Ali Sher. A team was sent which recovered three pistols and 15 cartridges from the spot.

The IG said a probe was being carried out to dig out information which could lead to the arrest of more persons inducted by terrorists residing abroad to create disturbance in Punjab. Other two arrested were identified as Gurpal Singh of Jalalpur Kalan and Major Singh of Veronangal village in Jalandhar.

Sources said Rachhpal was a student and was doing research in Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi Punjabi language in Chandigarh. He is double postgraduate and was inspired to take this path after Bargari incident. Gurpal came into contact with terrorists based in England after he asked his relatives for weapons as he wanted to take revenge.
Humra Quraishi

After teaching at IIT Bombay for decades, Prof Ram Puniyani sought voluntary retirement in December 2004 to work for a cause close to his heart  communal harmony in India. He is associated with various secular and democratic initiatives like the All India Secular Forum, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism and ANHAD. Author of more than three dozen books, Puniyani feels that in these times, the literary society of India needs to object to distortion of historical events in text books.

His latest book, Indian Nationalism Versus Hindu Nationalism, elaborates on the need of the hour, which is strengthening the secular social fabric of India. Excerpts from an interview.

The title of your latest book is rather stark...

We are living in difficult times when the very core of our national values is being attacked. The notions of pluralism, fraternity and equality are under constant attack. We have a Constitution based on these values, which, in a nutshell, can be defined as Indian nationalism. However, from the last three decades, Hindu nationalism is being asserted in many aggressive ways. This nationalism is constructed around sensitive issues making it difficult to fight it. After several recent developments, I felt there was a need to highlight the contrast between these two types of nationalism. So I counterposed the two.

Your book focuses on RSS-run schools. Comment on the teaching method, teachers, students and the curriculum of these schools and the obvious impact on young minds.

RSS has single-teacher schools, Ekal Vidyalayas, and bigger ones called Shishu Mandirs. The pattern of authoritarianism between teachers-students, senior-junior is very rigid. The values promoted are those of conformism. The books in these schools are structured around the mythical history of superiority of Hinduism, that all was well with Hindus till Muslim aggressors came. Caste is presented as a system that renders stability to society, Muslim kings are described as cruel and so on. The hatred for religious minorities is drilled into children.

A chapter in your book says Mahatma Gandhi was impressed by the RSS. Can you tell us more about it?

A claim was made by the RSS followers that Gandhi was very appreciative of the organisation. In the chapter, I have tried to elucidate that Gandhi had total disdain for the sectarian ideology followed by RSS. Through partial presentation of facts, RSS is trying to distort history.

There is a certain level of haze on RSS compatibility with the imperialistic designs. Comment.

During the colonial period, RSS never struggled against the British rulers. When US witnessed the McCarthy period that propagated anti-communism, RSS offered the government its cooperation against the communists in India. RSS appreciated Americas anti-Vietnam stand on the ground that it is leading the forces of dharma by attacking Vietnam. At the time of the recent attack on Iraq, RSS chief said that the US had a right to protect itself. All this shows how pro-imperialist RSS is.

RSS cadre is expanding their base in the country. Why have the secular elements not been able to halt the communal brigades?

In India, the secular forces have not taken the issue of communalism in all its seriousness. Political parties focus merely on electoral politics. The progressive groups have tried to engage with the issue, but not to the desirable degree. While the threat of communalism became glaringly obvious with Babri demolition, not many parties or groups took a step to combat communalism at the social level. We need awareness campaigns to promote syncretism and the inclusive values of freedom movement. Distorted perceptions of history, prevalence of stereotypes forms the foundation of divisive politics, which need to be countered.

With the rise of the fascist forces, do you foresee a bleak scenario in very sense of the term?

The developments in last couple of years are very worrying. The growing intolerance in a tolerant society like ours has to be recognised so that we can overcome it. Murder of rationalist thinkers, killing people for their eating habits or for the choice of their partners does not augur well for our society. The spate of returning awards was meant to highlight what has gone wrong with our social fabric, but the message seems to have been lost. We need to internalise the spirit of freedom movement to overcome this dark phase of our national history.
Manoj Bajpayee is filming an international project, In The Shadows, along with the Belgian actress, Laura Verlinden, in Delhi. Laura recently starred in Oscar short-listed and Golden Globe nominated The Brand New Testament.

The film is a psychological drama about a man who is trapped within the city walls and in his own mind. He attempts to break free to find a human connection. Producer Shuchi Jain says, The main focus would be on a widespread theatrical release in India. Thanks to our impeccable cast, including Manoj Bajpayee, we are already in talks with prestigious Indian distributors.
Vishav Bharti in Khatkar Kalan

In the land of rang de basanti and pagdi sambhal jatta, the romance of history is losing out to flirtatious overtures of bling politics. On February 23, 2009, then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram laid the stone for Shaheed Bhagat Memorial at Khatkar Kalan (Nawanshahr). In February 2014, a similar announcement came from the Pakistan government to preserve Bhagat Singhs birthplace at Chak No. 105 GB (now Bangay village) in Lyallpur. On March 23 this year, the Lyallpur house was opened to public.

At Khatkar Kalan, the foundation stone is surrounded by weeds and construction material; the memorial lies abandoned. The latest is the contractor stopped work six months back. The Khatkar Kalan memorial was to be built in around 10 acres. It was not only to commemorate Shaheed Bhagat Singh, but also his comrades Rajguru, Sukhdev and other martyrs from Punjab. It was to have a modern museum & auditorium, a house video development programme, a library and hostel for research scholars. The original cost of around Rs 8 crore has escalated to over Rs 18 crore.

Bhagat Singhs nephew, Prof Jagmohan Singh, doubts if the project would ever be a reality. It was a unique idea to build a freedom struggle memorial with focus on Bhagat Singh. The entire funding was to come from Centre; the state government was to execute the work, says Prof Singh.

He alleges the same inaction and corruption were visible during Bhagat Singhs centenary and other celebrations associated with him and other freedom fighters. But the government claims it has spent Rs 100 crore on memorials, he says. Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa, director, Archaeology and Museums Department, Punjab, says the Khatkar Kalan project will be completed very soon. We have held a review meeting.

Kulwinder Singh, a teacher from village Khatkar Kalan, says it is clear that Bhagat Singh is removed from the memory of present-day politicians. About three months back, the Punjab Chief Minister offered support to a Pakistani delegation for converting Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singhs house at Lyallpur into a world-class memorial. Surprisingly neither the Pakistan government nor its delegation knew that martyrs home has not only been preserved by that government, but has also been declared a heritage site. This shows our CMs concerns, says Ajmer Sidhu, a Nawanshahr-based Punjabi short story writer, who has written on freedom fighters of Doaba.
By Shamsul Islam

Proud to be a complaining Indian

We as Indians must be proud that our country remains the only country to survive with its democratic-secular Constitution out of 30 counties which got freedom after the World War II. Of course, the only survivor had to face immensely critical situations like 1975-77 Emergency, violence against minorities-Dalits and terrorist attacks.

One unfortunate aspect of our post-Independence governance has been that whenever the country witnesses the large-scale violence against minorities and Dalits, the search for perpetrators continues endlessly and criminals rarely punished. Major incidents of violence against minorities like Nellie massacre (1983), Sikh massacre (1984), Hashimpura custodial massacre of Muslim youth (1987), pre/post-Ayodhya mosque demolition violence against Muslims (1990-92), Gujarat carnage (2002) and Kandhmal cleansing of Christians (2008) are testimony to this reality.

The status of anti-Dalit violence is no different. The major incidents of persecution and massacre of Dalits; 1968 Kilvenmani massacre, 1997 Melavalavu massacre, 2013 Marakkanam anti-Dalit violence, 2012 Dharmapuri anti-Dalit violence (all in Tamil Nadu), 1985 Karamchedu massacre, 1991 Tsundur massacre (all in AP), 1996 Bathani Tola Massacre, 1997 Laxmanpur Bathe massacre (all in Bihar), 1997 Ramabai killings, Mumbai, 2006 Khairlanji massacre, 2014 Javkheda Hatyakand, (all in Maharashtra), 2000 Caste persecution in (Karnataka), 5 Dalits beaten/burnt to death for skinning a dead cow 2006, 2011 killings of Dalits in Mirchpur (all in Haryana), 2015 anti-Dalit violence in Dangawas (Rajasthan) are some of the thousands of incidents of the Dalit persecution. In almost all these cases perpetrators are yet to be identified. Even if identified the prosecution rate never exceeded 20%.

On the other hand, the Dalit and minority perpetrators of violence are efficiently put on trial by constituting special investigation teams and punished by fast track courts. But when the victims are Dalits or minorities no such urgency is shown. In such cases Indian State is fond of playing commission-commission. Commissions after commissions would be constituted to see that the heinous crimes disappear from the public memory. The 1992-93 Bombay violence can be an interesting case for study.

According to BN Shrikrishna Commission inquiry report for December 1992 violence against Muslims, important leaders of Hindutva organizations were found responsible. They were not even called for questioning. On the contrary for January 1993 violence many Muslim perpetrators of bomb blasts in Bombay were hanged. This is true of Khalistani violence. The Khalistanis were hanged or killed on roads but for 1984 massacre of Sikhs Indian State is yet to conclude its process of finding the real culprits. Hashimpura massacre where 42 Muslim youth in police custody were shot dead on the banks of a river by a PAC team all the culprits who were on bail were finally acquitted by the court in 2015. In almost all the anti-Dalit violence cases, the culprits have been acquitted or released on bail despite murder charges against them.

It may be interesting to note here that first two convicts to be hanged after Independence were two peasant activists, G. Krishta Goud & J. Bhoomaiah. Moreover, 80% of those who are on the death row at present belong to Dalit, minority and poor sections.

It was happening when the ruling elite were normatively committed to a democratic-secular polity and a Constitution based on the principles of egalitarianism. Despite this commitment we were practising two systems of justice delivery, one for the religious majority/haves and other for Dalits/minorities/poor. Any violence by the former was regarded as riot and one by the latter as terrorism. However, this commitment in principle to a democratic-secular polity though often superficial and unstable did not let the sufferer lose heart in the system as judiciary and civil society often stood with the victims.

However, with the present RSS-supported BJP government in power, even this normative commitment to democracy and secularism seems to have dissipated. PM Modi when he was CM of Gujarat while talking to Reuters journalists on July 12, 2013 identified himself as Hindu nationalist. He also declared himself to be an RSS swayamsevak nurtured by Guru Golwalkar. It was first time in the history of Independent India that a constitutional functionary identified himself as a Hindu nationalist. Shockingly, the term Hindu nationalist Muslim nationalist originated in a specific historical context, both being committed to two-nation theory and opposed to freedom struggle. Moreover, those who killed Gandhiji described themselves too as Hindu nationalists. Moreover, if Modi is Hindu nationalist then naturally there will be Muslim/Sikh/Christian nationalist too.

Only PM Modi is not a swayamsevak of RSS, most of his ministers, BJP chief ministers and governors fall in the same category. They naturally are committed to convert India into a Hindu rashtra as RSS English organ, Organizer just on the eve of Independence (14 August, 1947) rejected the whole concept of a composite nation (under the editorial title Whither): In Hindusthan only the Hindus form the nationthe nation itself must be built up of Hindus, on Hindu traditions, culture, ideas and aspirations.

When the Constituent Assembly of India finalized the Constitution of India, RSS was not happy. Four days after it (November 30, 1949), the Organizer in an editorial demanded promulgation of Manusmriti as laws of Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing.

This mindset has led India to the situation which we are witnessing today. ghar wapsi, Bharat Mata ki Jai (a slogan which RSS cadres never raised against the British) and cow have left minorities and Dalits at the mercy of vigilante gangs who run a parallel state and have been provided with police escorts. Attacks on Muslims who are mostly Dalits did not create ripples but Dalits showed that they are not Muslims and will not submit to the fate. Today India seems to be at a crossroads; whether to stick to a democratic-secular polity or embark on a journey to undo it.

(The writer taught Political Science at University of Delhi)
By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Patidar leader Hardik Patel has filed a complaint against senior Rajasthan Police officials alleging wrongful confinement and restricting his freedom of movement. The Patidar leader lodged the complaint at Pratap Nagar police station in Udaipur.

Patel has named senior police officials and alleged that they threatened him of dire consequences should he move out of his house. He also alleged that a large number of police personnel has been deployed around his place of residence. CCTV cameras have been installed and a temporary police chowki has been set up to keep an eye on him.



THE COMPLAINT

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In his 9-page complaint, Patel said, "Policemen are deployed outside my house restricting my freedom of movement. Police officials wrongly and deliberately with a malafide intention misinterpreted the conditions imposed upon me in the judgement dated 8.7.2016 by the Gujarat High Court. Police officers told me that I would be put under "house arrest" and threatened me that if I go outside the circumscribing limits of my temporary residence, I would have to face the dire consequences"

"Circle inspector Surendra Singh Bhati of the Pratap Nagar police station came to my residence and threatened me that if I leave the premises, I would be booked under various offences," he further alleged in his complaint.



'POLICE HAVE MALAFIDE INTENTION'

Patel has alleged that Rajasthan Police have deliberately, illegally and with malafide intention misinterpreted the High Court judgment granting him bail. "Udaipur Additional SP Sudhir Joshi came to my residence, insulted, threatened and intimidated me that he shall not let me go out of the house. He said that I will be confined and detained for the period of six months in the house and if any attempt is made to move out of the house, I should be ready to face terrible and horrible dire consequences", Patel alleged.

In his complaint Patel has sought action against the named cops for offences punishable under sections 341, 342, 343, 344, 352, 504, 114, 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.



SEDITION CHARGE IN THE PAST

Patel is facing sedition charge in Gujarat for allegedly acting against the State. After spending nine months in jail, he was released on bail in July this year. Granting him bail, the Gujarat High Court asked him to stay out of Gujarat for six months. He is currently staying at Udaipur in Rajasthan.

--- ENDS ---
Dilli dilwalo ki (Delhi belongs to the passionate, courageous). History proves it, but contemporary antiquity is slightly different. Noted Punjabi and Hindi poet Prof Pratap Sehgal remembers when the city got its first flyover at Shadipur in 1968. Since then Delhi has added 150 flyovers. Add to that is the Metro that covers around 300km of its periphery and arteries. Yet it is the distance that defines its residents, the wide gaps that exist between Old, New, plain Delhi-ies and the National Capital Region (NCR).

Some Delhiites revel in the fact that the city has lost the tag of being a refugee city as Biharis, UPiites, Malyalis and others have virtually invaded it. Yet, areas like Lajpat Nagar, Kalkaji, Krishna Nagar, Ramesh Nagar, and Rajindra Nagar have retained their Punjabi identity. And Old Delhi boldly retains its chaos amidst a seemingly sanctimonious character.

But one part of it that seems to be changing, yet unchanging is New Delhi, where live top babus, the whos who and the political class.

The contrasts of the city get sharpened by its sub-urban areas, where everyone knows everyone else; where omnipresent Sharma-jis, Verma-jis and Singh sahebs joust over political preferences, jostle for seats on a bus or Metro and count their money each time the DA is raised. For most in the city Independence Day means chhutti, catching up on sleep and eating out. In some areas, especially Old Delhi, this is the day to fly kites  patangbazi  where fights over catching a lost kite can be serious.

The people who drive rickshaws formed the largest group that supported Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party untill things began to change once again.

In so many ways, Independence Day, too, means the same for an average Delhiite: Kya Farak Parta Hai.  TNS

Yeh hai Bambai meri jaan

Flush with power when the Shiv Sena changed Bombay to Mumbai more than 20 years ago, it hardly mattered to the party that the nativization of the citys nomenclature would help little to shore up the fortunes of the Marathi manoos it sought to represent.

Wealth in the countrys financial capital never really found its way into the hands of the locals. Not during the days of the British when the colonial rulers first settled traders from the former commercial capital of Surat in order to build a trading centre around the natural harbour. Lacking a mercantile caste, the local population ended up as employees of the new business class.

And when textile mills were allowed in Mumbai, the Gujarati mercantile castes flourished even as hordes of Marathi people flocked to work in Mumbais mills.

Envy led to resentment which gave way to anger when the erstwhile Bombay State was split into Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The uneasy coalition between the citys two major communities frequently gives way to rancour as the moneyed class edge the working people out of Mumbais prime areas. The old-style chawls in neighbourhoods like Central and South Central Mumbai where Marathi culture once flourished are making way to posh high-rises which restrict home ownership strictly to the vegetarian mercantile class. The continued expansion of Mumbai has seen surrounding villages being swallowed by the city.

Political parties have been quick to latch on to the evolving characteristics of the city. The Congress is headed by Sanjay Nirupam, a North Indian. The BJP, with its base among traders, has Gujaratis in high places. Even Shiv Sena has taken to speaking up for the middle-class Mumbaikar.  Shiv Kumar

Lack of ideas in Bengals Kolkata

Basanta Cabin, the iconic restaurant at College Street in Kolkata, can become a metaphor for the city in a conversation. It all starts when the kosha mangsho (mutton in thick gravy) served in the restaurant turns out to be a couple of pieces of badly cut mutton in a watery liquid. The tea, once relished by some of the most cerebral Bengalis around then, lacks flavour. Poet Ranajit Das says it is emblematic of the overall degeneration of the city from Calcutta to Kolkata, and now perhaps, from West Bengal to only Bengal.

For Das, the most significant change that has taken place in Kolkata is in the realm of ideas. There were larger concerns that found expression in Left-wing politics. This has almost disappeared, Das says. Saumyabrata, a corporate executive, says the restaurant also shows how time has stood still in Kolkata. Amarnath Roy, a young man in his late twenties, runs Basanta Cabin in as much the same fashion as his father Ambar Roy and his grandfather and great-grandfather ran it: the wooden chair could be the same where Amartya Sen sat when he was a student of Presidency College.

Saumyabrata says the underground metro, first introduced in India in Kolkata, has also lost its initial charm and become like any other mass transport system in the city. In place of automated checking at the gates, manual checking has come at metro stations, says Saumyabrata.

Bishambhar Yadav (60), a porter at the Howrah station in Kolkata, is not much bothered about the changes that have taken place in a city where he arrived four decades back from a UP village. He is upset about one recent change introduced by the baggage manufacturing industry - the trolley suitcase.This has affected our income, rues Yadav.  Shubhadeep Choudhury

Chennai speaks only one language

Decades after Independence, anything that suggests promoting Hindi or Sanskrit is enough to get Tamil Nadu worked up. The latest is the draft New Education Policy. We will not give any chance to impose Sanskrit or Hindi, state Higher Education Minister K P Anbalagan recently told the Assembly.

Leader of Opposition MK Stalin welcomed the assurance and sought an Assembly resolution against various provisions in the document, including emphasis on Vedic and gurukul systems of education.

Way back in the 1950s, language was used as a tool to carve out Andhra Pradesh from the then Madras State by a Gandhian, Potti Sriramulu, whose ability to observe fast to press a point was far better that of Anna Hazare. Sriramulu died in the process leading to widespread violence. A new state was born on October 1, 1953.

By that time a self-respect movement against Brahmin hegemony launched by Erode Venkata Ramasamy, better known as EVR Periyar, to uplift the backward classes had gained tempo. Intertwined with it were the violent anti-Hindi agitations and the growth of Tamil nationalism, which got an element of political credibility following the DMK led by CN Annadurai capturing power in 1969. That was when the state was named Tamil Nadu. Madras was renamed much later as Chennai in 1996.

Periyars movement uprooted the Brahmins and brought the Other Backward Castes to power, but had little impact on the lives of the Dalits. The OBC took maximum advantage the ideology was used more by the intermediary castes, says retired Prof Tho Paramasivan, better known as Tho Pa, who deifies Periyar amidst withering criticism of DMK chief M Karunanidhi for stoking the caste cauldron.  S Lathakalyani
Amarjot Kaur in Chandigarh

For on-the-move young Indian, who has seen phone booths of the 90s and internet cafes, an international call is just an internet pack away  the world has become smaller. At a time when the global Indian has found a face in the likes of Google CEO Sundar Pichai, a 1993 alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur, and Flipkart founders Nitin Bansal and Sachin Bansal, who recently opened shop in Silicon Valley, the expectations from the home country are higher.

As they voice their concerns over cleanliness, equality, and freedom, the youth identify themselves with the nation on a more realistic level. They are comfortable with Indias growing economic might but feel Indians have to learn a lot to be more professional. Their concept of freedom also involves being truly an individual first, in terms of gender and social status.

Swacch Bharat

For Nitin Saluja (28), the policy programs manager for India and South Asia of Facebook and a graduate from the prestigious London School of Economics, cleanliness sets foreign countries apart from India. It is the first thing that hit me when I travelled abroad for the first time, he says. Having visited many countries, Nitin feels India is a brand in itself because of its rich heritage and diversity. According to Nitin, Indias biggest asset is its huge young population. On how he feels India has grown over time, the New Delhi resident shares his experience of the London Tube. I remember commuting in it in 2011; it was quite dirty. The Delhi Metro is far cleaner. By those standards, India has come a long way in these 69 years, he says.

Power to women

Anuradha Beniwal (29), a former national chess champion and now a Hindi author, first travelled abroad to represent India at a chess tournament in Spain 15 years ago. It was liberating and confusing, she says. Anuradha is now settled in the UK. In December 2015, she released her first Hindi book, Mera Brand Aazaadi, which was based on her travels across Europe in Rs 1 lakh.

The girl who hails from Rohtak, the limited interaction between the two sexes and moral policing are the biggest problems in the country. Though there are countries in Eastern Europe that are more conservative, there still is a visible difference between how girls are treated in India and how they are treated abroad, she says. Here, in the UK, girls and boys dont need a societal approval to talk to each other.

Want more freedom

Freedom and professionalism: These are the two things that Abhishek Singhania (29) feels are still missing in India. Having grown up in Chandigarh, Abhishek lived in New York in 2015 for pursuing a course in contemporary dance. Though Abishek is now based in Bangalore and is teaching there, he says he felt the most liberated in life during his time in the United States. Abhishek, who worked as busboy at a New York-based restaurant, says there is a level of professionalism and respect even between seniors and their subordinates in the US. It doesnt exist in India, he says.

Staring eyes

Born to an Iranian father and a Punjabi mother, Aryana Vala (22) identifies herself as a global citizen. She has travelled to and lived in the Middle East, South East Asia, Europe, and America, and is now studying masters in social work in Tazmania, Australia. For Aryana, Indias biggest problem is the log kya kahengay dialogue that mothers use to control their daughters. There are no such expectations abroad. I can wear anything and go to obscure places with my boyfriend without inviting any stares. On the other hand, the situation is such in India that when I was visiting home in Chandigarh with my Australian boyfriend this year, people refused to rent their house because we are not married. It was expected, but still disheartening. Aryana finds it convenient to live abroad, for it spares her of the 10 extra steps required to get anything done in India. I went to Panjab University for admission once. Since I have not studied in India throughout, they had a problem with my certificates. There was no such problem in Australia.

India-born confused Americans

For Rohit Aggarwal (38), an associate professor at the University of Utah who has been living in the USA for the past 13 years, India scores poorly because of its cripplingly slow judiciary. Theres more racism in India than abroad. We treat people from the Northeast differently, as if they are not our fellow countrymen, he says.

Such has been the influence of Internet on Indians in India that theres a joke in the diaspora circles in the US. He says. So, the second generation of NRIs were referred to as ABCDs, short for America-born confused desis. Now, we have IBCAs, or India-born confused Americans.

 amarjot@tribunemail.com
Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, August 13

Underground drilling being done by the Public Works Department (PWD) and Tehri Hydro Electric Development Corporation (THDC) India Limited for a proposed parking in Mussoorie has led to widening of old cracks in the building of CJM Hampton Court School that had surfaced after the 1991 earthquake.

Sister Lucy D, Souza, principal of CJM Hampton Court School, said they had written a letter to the Governor, the Chief Minister, Dehradun District Magistrate, Garhwal Commisioner on July 27 and demanded immediate stopping of drilling work as Mussoorie falls in the high seismic zone. Already the cracks in one of the school buildings that had emerged during the 1991 earthquake in the region had widened. This was endangering the lives of 750 students.

She said the PWD in a letter on June 2 had sought permission for geo-technical investigation of the school premises from the ITBP gate passing through Hampton Court right till Mall Road. Drilling was to be done underground around 50 m in diameter, 50 m deep and 80 m long under geo-technical investigation for the proposed underground parking that would initially house over 100 vehicles.

The school management refused permission on the ground that the school was a private property and is situated in the high seismic zone. However, she alleged that the work was going on unabated and the tunnel has now reached right under the school premises, making parents, the school authorities and children panicky.

Sister Lucy said no signage citing details of the project had been put up near the project site. Most of the hills on which the school is situated have a limestone formation, which is porous in nature, thus causing fears, she added.

Local resident RH Khan, who is residing at Sussex cottage adjacent to the school, said drilling as part of the geo-technical investigation was being done right under the property belonging to his relatives, who were spending sleepless nights. What is more baffling is that the Municipal Council has given a no-objection certificate for the work on the property that belongs to private people, he added.

Khan said around Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh had been spent on geo-technical investigation. Sister Lucy demanded immediate stopping of the illegal work being done on the school property that is a minority institution. She had written a letter in this regard to the Uttarakhand Minority Commission in this regard. IS Bindra, Chairman of the Uttarakhand Minority Commission, said he was looking into the matter.
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 13

Children of Sai Sanskar School, Vivek Vihar, were today apprised about the Indian freedom movement and freedom fighters who paved the way for independence 69 years ago. A fancy dress competition, based on the theme of Independence, was also organised in which more than 30 students took part.

School principal Sapna Arora said for more than 100 years, India remained under British rule which had initially arrived as traders through the East India Company but later annexed the whole of India.

She cited the pivotal role of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subash Chandra Bose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gobind Ballabh Pant, Rani Laxmi Bai, Tatya Tope, Annie Besant, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Raj Guru among others in the Indian freedom movement. Sapna said the icons gave up their whole life for the motherland and led masses to fight against the Britishers.

School manager Pankaj Arora stressed on the need of appraising the younger generation about the sacrifices people made during the independence movement so that they value the freedom.

In the fancy dress competition for nursery section, the first prize was awarded to Kirti Arora, second prize was jointly given to Dhairya Goyal and Vivaan Chaurasia and third prize went to Samaira and Jai Kant.

In play group section, Adhvika and Ansh Arora were selected for the first prize, Samridhi Kukreja won the second prize and the third prize was given to Saksham Taneja. School teachers Anita, Jai Shri, Anusha, Rashi, Denu, Neha and Benu coordinated the event.
Stockholm: Swedens youngest-ever Cabinet minister, who came to the country as a refugee from Bosnia, announced her resignation today after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol. Aida Hadzialic (29), minister for secondary and adult education, said she was stopped by the police in the southern city of Malmo and tests showed she had an alcohol level (0.2 gm) above the permissible limit of blood.That was the biggest mistake of my life... I will take responsibility. I announce my intention to resign from my ministerial post, an emotional Hadzialic told a press conference at government headquarters in Stockholm. I understand that a lot of people are disappointed in me. And I am angry with myself, and certainly I deeply regret it, added the young politician seen as the future of the Social Democrat party. afp
Bangkok, August 12

A string of coordinated bomb blasts within hours rocked Thailand's famous tourist towns, including Phuket, killing four people and injuring 34 others, days after the country voted to accept a military-backed Constitution.

At least 11 bombs, many of them twin blasts, hit five southern provinces in the past 24 hours. Police said they had detained some suspects but ruled out international terrorism.

Two bombs went off in the resort of Hua Hin this morning near the clock tower, a city landmark, killing one and injuring three.

Around 200 meters away, another two bombs exploded late yesterday as foreign tourists were leaving local bars to go back to their hotels, Police Lieutenant Colonel Samoer Yoosumran said.

At least 11 people-mostly citizens from Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria-were injured and a woman who had a food vending cart in front of a bar was killed, Yoosumran said. No Indian has been reported injured.

Hua Hin is a popular coastal resort, about 145 km southwest of the Thai capital, Bangkok. It's also home to the Klai Kangwon Palace, the seaside residence of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The palace is located less than about 2 km from the bombing site.  PTI
San Francisco, August 12

A Indian-American tech mogul whose rise as an entrepreneur began after he sold his startup for $300 million was sentenced to a year in jail on Friday for having violated his probation in yet another domestic abuse case.

However, Gurbaksh Chahal, 34, will not immediately begin serving the sentence because San Francisco Superior Court Judge Tracie Brown on Friday cited questions about the evidence while giving him time to appeal her ruling.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Brown determined last month that Chahal had violated the probation ordered after he pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic violence battery.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage from his San Francisco penthouse showed him punching and kicking his girlfriend more than 100 times and trying to smother her with a pillow.

Chahal entered his plea to the reduced charges after the woman stopped cooperating with authorities and a judge said the video could not be used as evidence because it had been improperly obtained.

He was accused of violating his probation by kicking another girlfriend, who also didn't cooperate with prosecutors.

Chahal said both women had cheated on him, according to prosecutors.

Chahal's attorney, James Lassart, said in court that his client was denied his right to question the woman during his probation revocation hearing when she failed to attend the proceeding.

"In this instance, the constitution requires that my client be allowed to confront his accuser," Lassart said.

Brown allowed the penthouse video to be admitted as evidence in the probation hearing, and she reviewed it privately before issuing her ruling last month.

Lassart said the judge should not consider the video in her sentencing because it had previously been ruled inadmissible.

The footage has not been played in court or made public.

Assistant District Attorney O'Bryan Kenney called for a sentence of 18 months, saying Chahal had shown no remorse and committed a second act of violence just months after his domestic violence conviction.

"He clearly didn't get the message," Kenney told the judge.

Chahal's rise from a high school dropout to a 25-year-old Internet mogul who made $300 million in 2007 when he sold his digital advertising company to Yahoo landed him on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Extra in segments touting him as a highly eligible bachelor.  Agencies
Dallas (US), August 13

The Indian-American community here has donated $60,000 to the family members of the Dallas police officers killed by a sniper during a recent protest against the fatal police shootings of black men.

A cheque of $60,000 was recently presented to the Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Executive Assistant to Dallas Police Chief David Pughes, by a group of Indian-American community leaders led by A K Mago, founding chair of the US India Chamber of Commerce in Dallas.

We appreciate the protection you give us. We wanted to recognise what you do for us every day, Mago was quoted as saying by the local Dallas Morning News.

This is more than generous. I have such respect for the Indian community, Rawling said.

About half of the amount came from US India Chamber and its members.

Other groups, such as the Dallas Indian Lions Club, DFW Hindu Temple, the DFW Gujarati Samaj, the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple, the Jain Society of North Texas and the India Association of North Texas, donated about $5,000 each, the daily said.

On July 7, a sniper ambushed and fired upon a group of police officers in Dallas, killing five officers and injuring nine others.  PTI
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR, August 5

Pakistan's Prime Minister said on Friday his government is using "formal and informal channels" to seek the return of seven passengers of a crashed helicopter Pakistani helicopter who were captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

A Taliban commander claimed the seven were "in safe hands" with the insurgents.

The Pakistani government helicopter, en route to Russia for a routine overhaul, crash-landed in a Taliban-held area of Logar province in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday.

"Formal and informal channels are being used to ensure safe recovery of the entire crew," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement from his office.

Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday to request his country's help.

"Afghan President Ashraf Ghani assured all possible assistance in this regard," tweeted General Asim Bajwa, the Pakistani military's spokesman on Friday.

Logar province has been increasingly lawless since the launch two years ago of a military operation in neighbouring Pakistani tribal areas pushed many Taliban and allied fighters into Afghanistan.

On Friday, a senior Afghan Taliban commander, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the passengers  six Pakistanis and a Russian technician  were in their custody and that negotiations for their release were ongoing.

"They are being looked after, being provided tea, food, everything," he said. "We are in touch with the Pakistani officials. We conveyed to them that they are in safe hands." He added that it was no use seeking help from the Afghan government or US military, because the Taliban are in full control of the district.

The Pakistani government and military did not directly confirm direct talks with the Taliban, but officials said they were doing everything possible.

"Efforts are in top gear for early recovery of the crew & pilots of the chopper... Prayers for my dear friends safe return," tweeted Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister's brother and chief minister of the Punjab provincial government that operates the helicopter.

The aircraft had permission to fly over Afghan air space on its way to Uzbekistan further north, said Nafees Zakaria, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman, on Thursday.

Pakistan's army chief had previously contacted top US commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson asking for his international military coalition's help in recovering the men, Bajwa said on Thursday.  Reuters
Moscow, August 12

The Russian military said today it had delivered its most advanced air defence system to Crimea after pledging last month to deploy it to the disputed region.

Russia's southern military district said in a statement carried by state news agencies that troops in Crimea had received the modern S-400 Triumph air defence system".

The announcement comes as tensions between Ukraine and Russia have soared over the contested peninsula.

Russia's FSB security service said on Wednesday it had thwarted terrorist attacks in Crimea over the weekend by Ukrainian military intelligence and beaten back armed assaults, claims Kiev has fiercely denied. The S-400 Triumph is Russia's latest anti-aircraft and missile defence system.

It has also been deployed to Syria, where Moscow is conducting a bombing campaign in support of long-time ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The system can track some 300 targets and shoot down around three dozen simultaneously over a range of several hundred kilometres. Since Crimea's annexation Russia has stepped up its military presence in the peninsula, which is home to its Black Sea fleet.

Russia plotting unrest, accuses Ukraine

Ukraine today accused Russia of plotting further unrest as the international community sought to ease tensions after the two sides ramped up security around the disputed Crimean peninsula.

Both sides have boosted security around the region as the simmering feud sparked by Moscow's annexation of Crimea in March 2014 has unexpectedly flared up again.

Ukrainian troops near Crimea and along the frontline with pro-Russian separatists regions have been placed on high alert, and Kiev's military intelligence said "the enemy is planning large-scale provocative actions".  Agencies
Here are four things that are likely to happen to your ear if you have a habit of using earphones or headphones every day.

Do you have a habit of using headphones while commuting in metro, buses, autos or even in office? Picture courtesy: Pinterest

By Mandwi Singh: Do you feel helpless if you leave home without your earphones? Then, my friend, you are suffering from an addiction that doesn't have a name but only harmful effects.

via GIPHY

If you are one of those people who have a habit of using their headphones while commuting in the metro, buses, autos or even in the office while working on their computers and laptops, (basically, earphones are the basis of your survival throughout the day), then you are in some serious sh**.

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It IS damaging your hearing ability more than you know.

Did you know that headphones or earphones can cause permanent hearing loss?

Yes, you read that right!

Here are some initial symptoms of hearing loss. Have a look.

1. Having the impression that you keep hearing some kind of buzzing, ringing or hissing noise in your ear?

2. Having difficulty in understanding speech in loud places?

3. Muffled sounds and a feeling that your ear is plugged?

4. Listening to the TV at a higher volume than in the past.

Have you witnessed any of them, then read on...

Here are some of the things that could happen to your ears if you continue to exploit the use of earphones.

Dr Kumaresh Krishna Moorthy, Consultant, ENT and Head Surgeon and Neurology at Apollo Spectra Hospitals says if a person sitting right next to you can hear the noise coming from your earphones--then the volume is too high and is causing extreme damage to the ears."

Noise-induced deafness or hearing loss: Volume exceeding 90 decibels can result in hearing complication and even hear loss, according to Dr Kumaresh, "25 decibels is the most comfortable level a person can listen music to and anything above that is the way to louder". If anyone listens to more than 100 decibels for even 15 minutes, he can face hearing loss. Ear infection: "Dude can I borrow you earphone for a minute?" the person is likely to return those earphones with a lot of bacteria on it. Also, many women keep their earphones in their handbag, which according to a recent study has been dubbed 'worse than toilet.'(Just saying!) Ear pain: Every time you decide to go on 'listening binge,' at the end of it, you have to get an appointment fixed with a doctor because you are very likely gonna end with a bad pain in your ears. This can happen because of the strange and different sounds buzzing in your ears, which is caused by listening music at a very high volume. Too much ear wax: Using those fancy in-canal earplugs block the air entering in the ears and people who regularly use earphones and headphones experience more ear wax which results in tinnitus, ear infection and even problems in hearing.

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Beijing, August 13

The Philippines' ex-president Fidel Ramos has called for formal talks with China to resolve the South China Sea (SCS) issue after meeting Chinese officials during a visit to Hong Kong in the wake of an international tribunal's verdict that rejected China's claims over the area.

Ramos, who was appointed as the special envoy by the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte for his contacts in the higher echelons of the Chinese government, held talks with Fu Ying, Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress, and Wu Shicun, President of the National Institute for SCS Studies in the last few days.

Winding up his five-day visit to Hong Kong, 88-year-old Ramos stressed that his meetings with Fu, a former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, and Wu, a specialist on South China Sea dispute, were held "in a private capacity", but said Manila wanted formal talks to avoid further tensions with China and allow the two countries to cooperate in some areas.

Discussions on resolving the territorial dispute would be held, but "as to where this will take place we don't know yet.

We have to go back to Manila to find out the latest developments on the official side", he was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong media.

Acknowledging the talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying last night said that "we noted that Fu Ying and Wu Shicun met with their old friend Ramos in Hong Kong. We hope that communication as such will help China and the Philippines restart dialogue and improve relations".

At the centre of the conflict between China and the Philippines is Scarborough Shoal which is called as Huangyan Island by China in the SCS over which the international tribunal last month upheld the Philippines right and struck down Beijing's claims on almost of the SCS.  PTI
Altoona, August 13

Republican Donald Trump on Friday backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State, while the Republican Party sought to project unity behind their candidate.

A new poll showed Trump, whose unfiltered speaking style has repeatedly landed him in hot water, losing ground in three crucial states ahead of the general election against Clinton.

In a surprise appearance, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who in private expressed fury over some of Trump's actions earlier this month, introduced the candidate at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the two hugged on stage.

Republican sources earlier this month said Priebus was furious over Trump's failure to endorse House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and his feud with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. Trump did endorse Ryan a few days later.

Trump brought Priebus on stage later at another rally, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to thank him for the work he has done as he insisted there is great unity in the party. "I have to say we have great unification," Trump said.

Trump on Friday told the rallies in Altoona and Erie that his remarks earlier this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of Islamic State had been sarcastic.

I have been saying because it's true, but somewhat sarcastically, that he's the founder of IS and she's a close second, Trump said in Altoona. Trump first made the unfounded claim on Wednesday and repeated it through the week.

Trump claimed sarcasm in July as well after he was heavily criticised for inviting Russia to dig up tens of thousands of "missing" emails from Clinton's time as US secretary of state.

A Wall Street Journa l/NBC News/ Marist poll released on Friday suggested support for Trump is eroding among voters in three battleground states.

Such states are hotly contested because their populations can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and thus play a decisive role in presidential elections, which are ultimately decided by the state-by-state tally of the Electoral College.

The poll found Clinton widening her lead in Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, while holding her advantage in Florida.  Reuters

Hillary releases her 2015 tax returns

US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Friday released her 2015 tax returns and stepped up pressure on her Republican opponent Donald Trump to make his tax returns public

Clinton and her husband, Bill Clinton, paid an effective federal income tax rate of 34.2% and an effective state and local income tax rate of 9% in 2015, with a total income of about $10.7 million

Clintons running mate Tim Kaine and his wife released 10 years of their tax returns

Trump is totally nuts: De Niro
Researchers have found out that those who post fitness-related pictures or statuses are in a constant need of attention and validation.

By India Today Web Desk: A new study has gone on to reveal that people who possess the habit of posting every little detail from their fitness regime have psychological issues.



Before your mind rushes to that one friend in your friend list who plagues your social media feed with his/her gym selfies you should probably take a minute to know how the brains of these 'gym rats' function.

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According to a report in Independent UK, people who are inclined towards sharing their fitness rituals with the world tend to be high on narcissistic tendencies and often seek validation from the world.

Also Read: Can you differentiate between chest pain and angina trouble?

In a study conducted by the researchers from Brunel University, London it was found out that the main goal of these fitness obsessed individuals is "to boast about how much time you invest in your looks." The results of the study also revealed that posts like these are extremely popular in the department of Facebook Likes.

Also Read: Poor infant sleep may indicate attention problems later

On a concluding note, the study hints towards the fact that these posts are almost always driven by the need to be validated and the hunger for attention.









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Did you know that National Grandparents Day is less than a week away? While this Day is not as widely known as Mothers Day or Fathers Day, it is nonetheless important, as it recognizes the key role that grandparents play.

If you are a grandparent yourself, you might expect some cards or phone calls or emails from your own grandchildren  but you will probably experience even greater enjoyment in the gifts you can give them. If youre thinking of making a financial gift, consider your options carefully.

To begin with, dont forget about your own needs. As much as you love your grandchildren, you cant afford to provide significant financial gifts to them at the expense of your own retirement savings or the resources you might need for health care or long-term care. So, review your budget to determine what you can afford to give. This amount may change year by year, depending on your circumstances, so you may want to review your potential gifts annually.

However, assuming you can afford to give regularly to your grandchildren, how should you go about it? Here are a few possibilities:

Establish a 529 plan. A college degree is a very good investment in your grandchildrens future  but higher education comes with high costs. If you want to help your grandkids go to college, you could establish a 529 plan. Earnings in a 529 plan can grow federal tax-free and will not be taxed when the money is taken out to pay for college. Plus, you may receive state tax incentives if you invest in your home states 529 plan. (However, if withdrawals are not used for higher education expenses, the earnings portion is fully taxable and will incur a 10% penalty.)

Keep in mind, though, that a 529 plan could affect your grandchilds financial aid. While a 529 plan owned by a grandparents generally wont be reported as an asset under the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), withdrawals used for school will be treated as student income on the next years FAFSA, and so could lower your grandchilds financial aid package. So you could wait for your grandchilds final year of college, when he or she wont be applying for future financial aid, before you allow withdrawals from the 529 plan. (You may want to discuss a 529 plans potential financial aid impact with a financial aid professional.)

Contribute to a custodial account. You can give money to your grandchildren through a custodial account, known as UGMA or UTMA. These are irrevocable gifts that minors gain control of at the age of majority. Be aware, then, that once they get the money, they can do with it as they choose, and their choices may be far different from what you had intended.

Pay college bills directly. You can simply write a check to the college to help pay for your grandchilds expenses.

By making any of these gifts, you can help your grandchildren move forward through life  and their journey can provide you with the gifts of pride and joy.

This article was submitted by T Casey Loper
Thousands of children, parents and teachers geared up for the school year at Saturdays Back to School Expo, where the kids were supplied with free backpacks, notebooks, pencils and haircuts.

For 14-year-old Bokin Wonne and his four siblings, free backpacks can make all the difference.

Were trying to save money for our school clothes and stuff like that, said Wonne, a student at East Central High School. We dont have a lot of money, so we came here to get free supplies.

Wonne and all but one of his siblings moved to Oklahoma with their mother, Philyana Maddison, from the Marshall Islands about eight years ago in pursuit of a better life and education, she said.

But an education can sometimes be pricey, and the start of the school year  Aug. 22 for Tulsa Public Schools  is fast approaching. Because of this, any free supplies help, Wonne said.

And Wonne and his family are not alone.

A line around the Exchange Center building started to form around 3 a.m. even though the doors didnt open until 9 a.m., said Steve McDonald, show producer for the expo.

Just after 10 a.m., a line still stretched from that building to the Central Park Hall.

The Cox Media Group and KOKI-TV donated about 3,000 backpacks filled with school supplies for the event.

At last years expo, the first, about 5,000 people were served, and the number was expected to double this year, McDonald said. Exhibitors contributed their own supplies, including backpacks, to the event.

Almost everybody who shows up will at least get a backpack, McDonald said. It may not have school supplies in it, but itll be a backpack.

The expo was also aimed at helping teachers as well as students from kindergarten to college ages, he said.

A teacher-appreciation area provided free office supplies, such as staplers or tape dispensers, donated by exhibitors who intended to get rid of the supplies anyway, McDonald said.

Teachers were able to take any supplies they needed for free.

We know they pay for a lot of stuff out of pocket, so were trying to lessen that burden on them so they can focus on teaching the kids, McDonald said.

In addition to providing free supplies to teachers and students, the expo also featured fun activities for children.

The expo featured a balloon animal booth and an area where children could take pictures with firefighters in front of a fire engine.

The expo was inspired by smaller but similar local events, McDonald said. The goal of this event is to reach a bigger audience than the others.

Its been a great event, and were looking forward to next year making it even bigger and better, he said.
The Tulsa Fire Department operations study is complete and will be released by the city this week, calling for a redirection of priorities for the department.

City officials said the final report is nearly identical to a draft of the study obtained by the Tulsa World in June that recommended the department be reconfigured to more efficiently address its most common calls  medical calls, not fire.

The independent study, conducted by the Center for Public Safety Management, analyzes Tulsa Fire Department operations, as well as the departments working relationship with EMSA.

City Manager Jim Twombly said the studys focus on staffing medical squads works well with incoming Vision Tulsa funding, acting as a road map for adding 40 of the 65 firefighters funded in the tax package.

However, City Councilor Karen Gilbert, who led the task force that molded the public-safety tax, disagrees.

That particular group that did this study is formed by former city managers, Gilbert said.

They look at ways to save money. What we need to do is to put safety first.

Gilbert, who often criticized the citys administration for not providing the fire study earlier, said she does not recognize several of the studys recommendations above the recommendations of her task force.

Specifically, Gilberts task force emphasized the need to add an extra firefighter to fire engines across the city  going from three to a truck to four to a truck.

Tulsa fire officials, speaking to the task force last year, said adding an extra person to each engine would cut down on firefighter injuries and increase their ability to put out fires quickly.

Gilbert said four firefighters in a single engine allow the first truck at the scene of a fire to do search and rescue, if necessary.

The study, however, does not recommend four to a truck, saying that it provides no significant efficiency for the job Tulsa firefighters do most  which is responding to medical calls.

According to the study, 63 percent of all TFDs calls to service  totaling more than 56,000 per year  are for some type of medical response.

Fire-related calls make up about 28 percent, including more than 7 percent for false alarms.

Just over 1 percent, or two calls per day, are for structure fires, according to the studys report based on TFD call data.

The study recommends the fire department stop sending fully loaded fire engines to medical calls.

Instead, the study recommends investment into smaller squads of firefighter EMTs and firefighter paramedics outfitted with smaller vehicles meant specifically for medical calls  freeing up fire trucks from being occupied when actual fires are burning.

The study recommends the fire department civilianize some positions, invest in lightweight EMS response vehicles and stop running hot with lights and sirens to priority 2 medical calls.

Priority 2 calls are non-life-threatening situations such as falls, broken limbs and minor injury motor-vehicle collisions, according to EMSAs website.

TFD is responding hot on nearly all EMS responses, according to the report. CPSM believes that up to 40 percent of the total EMS calls ... can be downgraded to a cold response.

A cold response, meaning no lights and sirens and following normal traffic patterns, would decrease accidents that become costly for the city, according to the study.

Twombly said Vision Tulsa funds could be applied to staffing those smaller medical squads, as well as the 15 firefighters needed to outfit an east Tulsa station as previously planned.

But Gilbert sees that as a broken promise to voters who were told by her task force that Vision funding is for four-to-a-truck staffing increases.

She also doesnt think the Vision Tulsa funding could be applied to the capital needs of new vehicles for the medical squads in the first place.

While not trusting the study, Gilbert said she would prefer to hear from the fire department about its needs in a public meeting before taking a final position.

I dont see how they can (fund medical squads), to be honest, Gilbert said. It still shows that we need more firefighters either way.
Tulsa has received a federal grant that will fund the hiring of 27 firefighters  a $2.7 million boon for a city that was preparing to bolster the departments roster anyway.

City Manager Jim Twombly said hirings through the grant will ease an attrition gap, which means budgeted positions left vacant through retirements or other actions will be filled for two years at little cost to the city.

The two-year, $2.7 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant, or SAFER, is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

It transitions well with Vision Tulsa funding coming online in January, which will immediately go toward another academy to continue to add to Fire Department ranks, Twombly said.

A major concern with grants is often how to continue to fund positions once the money runs out. With Tulsas attrition-fueled openings and Vision Tulsas incoming hires, paying for the positions in two years wont be a major concern in this case, Twombly said.

For right now, 27 firefighters will help us address the current attrition issue, he said.

The catch is that grant-funded firefighters must be added within 90 days, so Tulsa is already interviewing candidates for a fire academy, according to a city press release.

Twombly said he expects the firefighters to be hired and placed in the academy in about 60 days. The academy then lasts four months.

The grant comes at the perfect time for us, Tulsa Fire Chief Ray Driskell said in a statement. Many firefighters have been working 48-hour shifts to keep trucks in service and fire stations open while awaiting the reinforcements provided by this award.

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett credited U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, who worked to help Tulsa get the grant.

I would like to give a special thanks to Congressman Markwayne Mullin and his staff for their support and assistance, which was instrumental in ensuring more firefighters could be hired to meet the needs of our city, Bartlett said in a statement.

Mullin, also in a statement, said he is glad Tulsa secured the grant.

The department not only provides services to more than 400,000 citizens in Tulsa, but also assists more than 20 different towns, municipalities and companies in the surrounding area, said Mullin. This grant will ensure that TFD is well-equipped and fully prepared to continue their work helping folks in Oklahomas Second Congressional District and beyond.
Celebrate India's freedom with a treat for your modern palate at these four impressive Delhi restaurants.

By Sourish Bhattacharyya, Srijani Ganguly/Mail Today, Adila Matra: INDIAN ACCENT



WHERE: 77,Friends colony West, The Manor Hotel

TIME: 12 PM to 2:30 PM & 7 PM to 10:30 PM

The highest-ranked Indian restaurant in the prestigious Asia's Top 50 List, Indian Accent and its celebrity chef, Manish Mehrotra, are no strangers to awards. Mehrotra's distinctive style isn't based on any complex chemical process described in the textbooks of molecular gastronomy, but it involves a seamless interplay of multiple tastes, flavours and textures that doesn't compromise the Indian-ness of any dish. You've got to dig Mehrotra's signatures, from duck khurchan cornettos to achari spare ribs, avocado raita and the soul-satisfying doda barfi treacle tart to understand and appreciate his style.

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- Sourish Bhattacharyya

VARQ



WHERE: The Taj Mahal Hotel, 1,Mansingh Road

TIME: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM and 7 PM to 11:30 PM

Varq's dishes are very Indian at heart, despite using exotic ingredients. Photo: Mail Today

Despite the use of ingredients that are exotic in nature, the dishes, deep down inside, are all Indian. This place offers the best experience for the modern Indian who wants to taste the world yet stay grounded to the home base. The 80-seater restaurant offers dishes such as Varqui Crab, Palak Patta Chat, Ganderi Kabab, Varqui Jalebi. The crab, which comes with a few prawns as well, comes dressed in between sheets of pretty filo pastry. At Varq, the art is not only on the plates but on the walls as well. Renowned artist Anjolie Ela Menon's works adorn the restaurant at strategic places.



-Srijani Ganguly

You just have to try the Varqui Crab at Varq. Photo: Mail Today

GASTRONOMICA



WHERE: 2nd Floor,M-55, M Block Market, Greater Kailash (GK) 1

TIME: 12 PM to 12 AM

Gastronomica's whisky sour with nimbu achaar is to die for. Photo: Mail Today Gastronomica's whisky sour with nimbu achaar is to die for. Photo: Mail Today

Traditionally, in Italy, arancini is made from leftover risotto. It's stuffed with meat, sauce and cheese and then deep fried. The rice balls, thereby acquire a very crispy exterior. At Gastronomica, the arancini looks the same from the outside but inside it's all desi. The rice inside isn't risotto but kadhi chawal. It's the perfect manifestation of east meets West. Other such innovative dishes at the restaurant include the healthy Quinoa Bhel and the exquisite Ferrero Rocher Gulab Jamun. Gastronomica also offers the not-too-overpowering whiskey sour with nimbu achar as well. Innovation is key at Gastronomica. And for their next round, they've come up with a special set of burgers made without buns. This food revolution will only last till September 10.

-Srijani Ganguly

LANTERNS KITCHEN & BAR

WHERE: Rajendra Bhawan, Prasad Nagar, Rajendra Place

TIME: 12 PM to 1AM

The decor of Lanterns is inviting and comfortable. Photo: Mail Today

The owner of Lanterns, Jasneet Sahni is an innovator and a foodie. One sip of Natwarlal mocktail with apple pieces, and you become a fan of his recipes. His Chettinad Paneer Bruschetta that combines the grilled Italian favourite with diced paneer fried in Chettinad spices lets you know how good fusion food can be even for vegetarians. The Keema Enchilada is the perfect medley of Spanish and Indian. But the star of the menu is Zaffran Chapta Kabab that is inspired from the Iranian Chelow kabab. It is served in desi style with Khasta roti.

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- Adila Matra

The Zaffran Chapta Kebab is the star dish of Lanterns'menu. Photo: Mail Today

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During the Energy Chamber's Post AGM Event at the Hyatt Regency hotel Wednesday evening, the Finance Minister Colm Imbert offered an insight into how going to the supermarket has been for him since he announced the increase in the prices of gasoline and diesel in the 2023 Budget.
https://twitter.com/JoshBavas/status/764289278868193280

Warning: language

Josh Bavas, ABCs Queensland police and crime reporter, was detained by Queensland police outside a Bunnings store in Oxley yesterday.

Police said he was off his chops on drugs.

But Bavas told the officer he had a cold.

Senior Constable Richard Power told him Mate, the fact you got pinpoint eyes and youre looking directly into the sun and theyre not dilating, due to the sunlight? I believe you to be under the influence of a dangerous drug. So for the moment, Im going to detain you.

A spokesperson for Queensland Police Service told news.com.au they were examining the behaviour of the police involved.

Bavas has been with ABC News since 2009, joining the Brisbane newsroom as a cadet journalist.
Updated: Criminal Minds star Thomas Gibson has been fired from the show following a incident during production.

Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds. Creative details for how the characters exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date, producers ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios said in a statement.

I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last 12 years, Gibson said in a statement. I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that wont be possible now. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have.

Earlier:

Gibson was directing an episode when he had a dispute with the writer. Tempers on both sides flared with Gibson said to have kicked the writer.

He has been written out of two episodes, replaced as director and will not step behind the camera again this season.

The matter is under investigation by human resources.

There were creative differences on the set and a disagreement, Gibson said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter.

I regret that it occurred. We all want to work together as a team to make the best show possible. We always have and we always will.

This is the second incident for Gibson with the series; he pushed another producer a few years ago and had to attend anger management classes, though he was not suspended.
Four Corners Debbie Whitmont reports on Milked Dry, the awful price being paid by Australian dairy farmers for the milk we drink, due to industry mismanagement.

Were locked in to produce milk for three years to this company that has shat in our face.  Dairy Farmer

Theyre the farmers who get up at five in the morning, day in, day out, to provide milk for the dairy products we eat and drink every day.

You wake up and you just rack your brain about how youre going to save some money to survive.  Dairy Farmer

The shock decision by Australias biggest dairy company, Murray Goulburn, to cut the price of milk paid to farmers has left many trapped in a nightmare of debt and despair.

The very minute that we got the letter that said thats what the price is going to be, we decided, no, we cant keep going like this, that we would finish up.  Dairy Farmer

Four Corners visits the farms where its costing farmers more to make the milk than they can get for selling it. The situation has become so desperate that some farmers are selling off their prized cows for slaughter, others are walking off their farms for good.

Theyre telling us to take a pay cut, why dont they take a pay cut?  Dairy Farmer

Many of these farmers were already angry after the company locked them in to supply $1 supermarket milk.

It sent the message to farmers that what we produced was worth less than water and that did an incredible amount of damage to our self-worth and more importantly to the worth of milk.

But thats nothing compared to the fury they feel now.

I dont know what they thought that our reaction would be, that we would all go, oh thats okay! Well keep milking for this bullshit price!  Dairy Farmer

Four Corners investigates the mismanagement thats led the dairy industry into such despair.

Monday 15th August at 8.30pm on ABC.
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 military intelligence has received specific inputs that a consignment of arms and ammunition could be headed towards Indian soil via sea route.

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan is planning a 26/11 type terror attack on Indian soil. The military intelligence has received specific inputs that a consignment of arms and ammunition could be headed towards Indian soil via sea route. A small team of infiltrators might also try to sneak into India. The intelligence alert has come at a time when the entire nation is preparing for the Independence Day.

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According to intelligence inputs, the landing point of the consignment of arms and ammunition could be anywhere along the Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa coasts.



VIGIL STEPPED UP

The inputs have been passed on to the Indian Navy, which serves as the nodal agency for securing the maritime border and exclusive economic zone of India. The Indian Navy has shared this input with the Indian Coastguard and the Mumbai Police. Gujarat and Goa police have also been informed about the possibility of maritime infiltration.

Police of all three concerned states, the Navy and the Coastguard are working in coordination to avoid 26/11 like situation. The Navy and the Coastguard have stepped up the vigil along the coastal borders. Commercial ships entering Indian waters are being thoroughly checked.



FOCUS IS ON MUMBAI

Mumbai is in the focus again with city police beefing up security in the coastal areas. After receiving inputs from the Navy, a meeting was held between the Bombay Port Trust (BPT) and Senior Officials of Port Zone Police to devise strategy to deal with the perceived threat. They are now keeping a close eye on the movements of all the commercial and passenger ships.

The coastal areas of Mumbai are guarded by three layers of security. The Mumbai Police have a jurisdiction upto 12 nautical miles from the coast beyond which the Coastguard and the Navy take over. There are four police stations across the coast of the city at Yellow Gate, Wadala, Sewri and Mumbai Sagari. A fifth police station, Mumbai Sagari II operates from a bungalow.



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Russian-backed militants launched 61 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

"Russian occupation troops again violated the Minsk agreements over the past day. The enemy launched 61 attacks on Ukrainian troops, including using weapons banned under the Minsk agreements," the report reads.

The tensest situation was observed in Mariupol direction. The terrorists used grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine guns and small arms to shell Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk), Hnutove (19km north-west of Mariupol), and Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol). Ukrainian servicemen came under mortar fire in Krasnohorivka (29 km west of Donetsk) and Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk).

In Donetsk area, the militants used 82mm mortars, heavy machine guns, and grenade launchers to fire at Avdiyivka (18km north of Donetsk) and Mayorske (45km north of Donetsk).

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One Ukrainian serviceman was killed, two soldiers were wounded in ATO area in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the ATO Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

One Ukrainian serviceman was killed, two soldiers were wounded as a result of the armed hostilities in ATO area in eastern Ukraine over the past day, he said.

He added that one militant had been killed and six militants had been wounded over the past day.

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The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has called on the Canadian legislators and officials to toughen sanctions against Russia and provide Ukraine with weapons.

This is stated in the letter by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress sent to the ministers and members of the Parliament of Canada, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The Ukrainian Canadian Congress called on Canada to strongly condemn the mendacious accusations by the Russian Federation made against Ukraine; significantly increase sanctions on the Russian Federation in response to Russias increasing aggression, including banning Russia from the SWIFT international payments system; immediately provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, including anti-tank weapons and equipment it needs to defend its territorial integrity and the lives of the civilian population," the letter reads.

As stated by President of the Congress, Paul Grod, the latest provocations by Russia demand a firm and robust response from the international community. Putins ridiculous accusations against Ukraine are part of a tried-and-true Russian playbook of manufacturing a crisis and then responding to it by military aggression. We have seen this before  in Georgia, in Russian-occupied Crimea, and in the Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, he stated.

ol
The Ukrainian World Congress calls for urgent actions in response to the escalation of Russias military activity on the Ukrainian territory.

This was stated by President of the Ukrainian World Congress Eugene Czolij, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The Ukrainian World Congress calls for immediate unwavering action by the international community in response to the escalation of military activity by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory which underscores alarming imperialist ambitions and raises the omnipresent threat to global peace and security, Czolij said.

He noted the importance of condemning such acts and strengthening sanctions against Moscow. "It is imperative for the international community to unequivocally condemn this escalation with which the Russian Federation continues to violate international law and agreements while blatantly disregarding the value of the lives of yet more innocent men, women and children who remain perilously at risk; and to strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation until it de-occupies Crimea and fully complies with the Minsk agreements," the statement reads.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi who is visiting India right now and flagged off the discussion on NSG membership and Masood Azhar.

By PTI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who is on a three-day visit to India to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the G-20 summit that's scheduled for September and will be hosted by China.

This was the first meeting between the two countries after China blocked India's membership.

THE CONTROVERSIAL NSG BID

"Lengthy discussion was held on India's NSG membership. Swaraj outlined the importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21. She offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that the DGs of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon," official sources said.

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At the NSG plenary held in Seoul in June this year, China blocked India's bid for membership on the ground that a country joining the 48-member group should be a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

ZERO TOLERANCE TO TERRORISM

According to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup, the discussions were positive, constructive and held in an open spirit.

He said progress in bilateral ties was reviewed, as also challenges on some recent issues.

"Positive assessment of expanding investments, more infrastructure cooperation, easier visas, greater tourism and expanded cultural, academic and civil society interactions," the spokesperson said.

The issue of China vetoing India's bid to put Pathankot airbase attack mastermind and Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar on the UN terror list also came up for discussion.

Swarup said that China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

Sushma Swaraj also conveyed to Wang India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

"The situation on the border was reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquility were discussed," Swarup said.



THE SOUTH CHINA SEA CASE

It was also agreed to set up a new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries to discuss ties.

Regional and international issues including the implications of Britain's exit from the European Union, the situation in Korean Peninsula, UN Security Council reforms and forthcoming G20, East Asia and BRICS summits were also on the agenda.

"South China Sea was not brought up by China," Swarup said.

An international arbitration tribunal in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague ruled on July 12 that China violated the Philippines' rights in the South China Sea, one of the busiest commercial shipping routes in the world.

The court accused China of interfering with the Philippines' fishing and petroleum exploration, building artificial islands in the waters and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.

The tribunal held that fishermen from the Philippines had traditional fishing rights in Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and that China had interfered with these rights by restricting their access.

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The court held that Chinese law enforcement vessels unlawfully created a serious risk of collision when they physically obstructed Philippine vessels in the region.

China is locked in disputes over the Spratly and Paracel groups of islands in the South China Sea with other countries of the region.

(With inputs from agencies)

ALSO READ

NSG door 'not closed' says China as FM Wang Yi visits India

China slams US official for 'driving a wedge' after Delhi comments on NSG



--- ENDS ---
SANAA, Yemen, 13 August 2016  An airstrike this morning has killed at least seven children and injured 21 others in a religious school in the Saada governorate in northern Yemen.



The children killed, aged between six and 14 years, were studying in a school in the Jumaa Bin Fadil village in Haydan. Bodies are still being pulled out of the rubble and the death toll is expected to increase.

The surviving children are being treated in a hospital in Saada.



With the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by airstrikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply.



UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Yemen to respect and abide by their obligations under international law. This includes the obligation to only target combatants and limit harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.



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Gurbaksh Chahal, 34, will not immediately begin serving the sentence because San Francisco Superior Court Judge Tracie Brown cited questions about the evidence while giving him time to appeal her ruling.

By AP: A Silicon Valley internet mogul who sold his startup for $300 million at the age of 25 and appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as a highly eligible bachelor was sentenced on Friday to a year in jail for violating his probation in a domestic violence case.

However, Gurbaksh Chahal, 34, will not immediately begin serving the sentence because San Francisco Superior Court Judge Tracie Brown cited questions about the evidence while giving him time to appeal her ruling.

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Brown determined last month that Chahal had violated the probation ordered after he pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic violence battery.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage from his San Francisco penthouse showed him punching and kicking his girlfriend more than 100 times and trying to smother her with a pillow.

Chahal entered his plea to the reduced charges after the woman stopped cooperating with authorities and a judge said the video could not be used as evidence because it had been improperly obtained.

He was accused of violating his probation by kicking another girlfriend, who also didn't cooperate with prosecutors.

Chahal said both women had cheated on him, according to prosecutors.

Chahal's attorney, James Lassart, said in court Friday that his client was denied his right to question the woman during his probation revocation hearing when she failed to attend the proceeding.

"In this instance, the constitution requires that my client be allowed to confront his accuser," Lassart said.

Brown allowed the penthouse video to be admitted as evidence in the probation hearing, and she reviewed it privately before issuing her ruling last month.

Lassart said the judge should not consider the video in her sentencing because it had previously been ruled inadmissible.

The footage has not been played in court or made public.

Assistant District Attorney O'Bryan Kenney called for a sentence of 18 months, saying Chahal had shown no remorse and committed a second act of violence just months after his domestic violence conviction.

"He clearly didn't get the message," Kenney told the judge.

Chahal made $300 million in 2007 when he sold his digital advertising company to Yahoo. A year later, he appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in a segment that highlighted his success and promoted him as a highly eligible bachelor.

Chahal's legal woes extend beyond the criminal case. Two former employees have sued him for discrimination, painting him as a bullying boss who thought little of women.

Patricia Glaser, the lawyer representing Chahal in the lawsuits, did not return an email or call seeking comment. An email to Chahal's online advertising technology company, Gravity4, was not returned. A message to his Twitter account also went unanswered.

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Faced with the initial domestic violence charges, Chahal got help from powerful former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and the former chief financial officer for the state of California, Steve Westly, according to one of the lawsuits and emails between Westly and Chahal reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Westly, who was on the board of a company Chahal founded, suggested the businessman reach out to Willie Brown, according to a 2015 lawsuit by Yousef Khraibut, a former Gravity4 employee.

Chahal told Khraibut that he paid Brown a $250,000 retainer to exert pressure on the district attorney to dismiss the charges, saying Brown had the "juice" to make them disappear, the lawsuit said.

Brown did not return a message left at his law office.

He said in a radio interview last September that he was asked to put together a legal team to defend Chahal but did nothing unethical and returned most of the $250,000.

Westly, whose name has been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2018, said in a statement that he doesn't comment on ongoing legal cases but added that domestic violence in any form is inexcusable.

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In court documents, Chahal shot back that Khraibut was fired for not doing his work and was seeking publicity.

--- ENDS ---
More and more universities are into debt in spite of the student opposed tuition fee hike in South Africa.

Contrary to the belief that the increase in the number of students enrolling in universities means a higher amount of income entering, universities nowadays consider the higher count of enrollees as a bigger challenge for them.

This is primary because the increase in population requires an increase in staffing. Manpower increase means the need for higher funding. But the sad truth is as the rise in population continues; the subsidy funding remains the same.

The dramatic increase in student debt is also another factor making the challenge tougher for universities. From 2012 to 2014 a huge student debt increase of almost 50 percent was recorded in South Africa. The struggle in collecting is making the scenario even worse as even some students from well-off families does not want to settle their accounts.

These funds were directly owned by the students to the university and do not include the amount they receive from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). The slow movement in the collection of student debts are pushing the universities to find income generating opportunities, The OFM News reported.

The above-mentioned factors are often the reasons why universities are pressured to implement tuition fee hike. However, tuition fee hike does not really provide an enough answer to the problem as there is a continuous increase in the percentage of students availing discounts and scholarships; resulting in a lower amount of collection.

The student opposition is also another factor making the universities rely less on tuition fee hike. The "Fees Must Fall" campaign took South African universities by storm in 2015 that even resulted to shutting down of university campuses. The campaign also worsened the collection of student debt that has been a long time struggle of universities, The Citizen reported.

Watch this video for more of the story.
32-year-old Arambam Robita Leima vowed to carry forward the protest against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act with an indefinite hunger-strike.

By Indrajit Kundu: Just days after rights activist Irom Sharmila ended her 16-year-old hunger strike, another Manipuri woman as announced her decision to sit to an indefinite fast demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the state.

On Friday, 32-year-old Arambam Robita Leima vowed to carry forward the protest against AFSPA with an indefinite hunger-strike.

"After Sharmila broke her fast, people of Manipur want somebody to come forward to carry on the stir. So, I have decided to continue the movement showing respect to the people's wish and adopting Sharmila's ideology," Robita announced.

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A mother of two girls, Robita is the founder secretary of Organisation for Indian Women Against Crime (OIWAC).

Robita said she would launch her fast-unto-death today at a community hall in Imphal west district. Apart from AFSPA withdrawal, she also wants the implementation of Inner Line Permit system.

However, a majority of civil society organisation in Manipur have disapproved Robita's unilateral decision as she was the mother of two young children.

--- ENDS ---
The BJP state spokesperson for Jammu and Kashmir, Brigadier Anil Gupta seconded the Prime Minister's statement that Pakistan must be exposed globally by highlighting its atrocities in Pok and Balochistan.

By India Today Web Desk: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP today called for "moral, political and financial support to the freedom movement in Pakistan occupied Kashmir", mere hours after Prime Minister Modi said the time had come to expose Pakistan's brutality in Balochistan and Pok at the all party meet held on the Kashmir issue.

The Prime Minister had also said that the process of dialogue must be initiated with expatriates all over the world from the region. The BJP state spokesperson for Jammu and Kashmir, Brigadier Anil Gupta welcomed the Prime Minister's remarks and called for providing full support to the freedom moment in Pok.

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Gupta also seconded the Prime Minister's statement that Pakistan must be exposed globally by highlighting its atrocities in Pok and Balochistan.

ANIL GUPTA'S STATEMENT

Gupta said, "The protests are spontaneous and an expression of disgust and anger over the atrocities committed by the federal government and the Pakistani army. In fact, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, also part of Jammu and Kashmir, too have revolted against exploitation and repression by Pakistan,". He added that the residents of these regions have also expressed their anger over the "massive" presence of Chinese people there.

"Since PoK, including Gilgit-Baltistan, is part of Jammu and Kashmir, India is well within its right to provide moral, political and financial support to the people there to help them in their just struggle for freedom from Pakistan which has been illegally occupying these areas since 1948," said Gupta.

Gupta alleged that the elections recently held in the region were "rigged" and that slogans of 'azadi' has been reverberating from PoK as a result.

He further added that PM Modi had allayed the fears of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by stating that talks would be held with all the stakeholders on the Kashmir issue.

ALSO READ:

PoK part of Jammu and Kashmir, Pak terrorism behind unrest: PM Modi at all-party meet

Anti-Pakistan protest erupts in PoK, students demand independent Kashmir

--- ENDS ---
SHARE Michael Turner

CAMARILLO

Sexual harassment to be discussed

Employment law firm LightGabler will present sexual harassment prevention training for supervisors from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday at 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 300, Camarillo.

California law requires companies with 50 or more employees to provide their supervisors with at least two hours of interactive sexual harassment prevention training every two years. New supervisors must be trained within six months of starting their supervisory position.

LightGabler employment attorney Ryan Haws will conduct the training program. Attendees will receive a training acknowledgment form to sign and return to their employers acknowledging that they have completed the program. The training program is also open to supervisors at companies with less than 50 employees.

The cost is $50 per person and is limited to four attendees per company. For larger groups, contact Jody Toerner at 248-7033 to schedule an in-house session.

Reservations for the seminar are required and can be made by contacting Kristine Chatari at 248-7089.

SIMI VALLEY

Session to explore marketing efforts

A free workshop, "Ten Tips to Rev Up Your Fall Marketing," will be offered from 7:45-9:30 a.m. Aug. 23 in Simi Valley.

The workshop will be led by Michael Turner, who has more than 35 years of marketing experience and teaches traditional and digital marketing and consumer psychology at University of Phoenix, according to a news release.

Topics will include better understanding a target market; improving use of social media, email and websites; and establishing and maintaining a consistent image and message across all marketing platforms.

The Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the workshop, which will be held at the chamber offices, 40 W. Cochran St., Suite 100 in Simi Valley. Register by calling 526-3900. Light refreshments will be served.

THOUSAND OAKS

Networking mixer set for Wednesday

The Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce will hold the Networking at Night Mixer event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ventura County Credit Union, 18 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

Cost to attend is $5 members and $15 nonmembers. For more information, email suhrig@conejochamber.org or visit http://www.conejochamber.org.

VENTURA COUNTY

Workshop to focus on getting a job

The Outstanding Professionals Employment Network will offer a workshop over five half-days to help unemployed professionals with their job searches.

The workshop will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 26-30 at the Camarillo Library, 4101 Las Posas Road.

The free workshop will cover online and traditional job search strategies, network building, cover letter and resume writing, interviewing, salary negotiations, skills analysis and more.

For reservations, visit http://www.eu-open.org.

The network also announced the following free events:

Lolhy Salinas will give a presentation titled "HR Resume" from 9:30-11 a.m. Friday in the sheriff's station at 2101 E. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.

Ben Pumphrey will speak on communications from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Aug. 26 at the Simi Valley Library, 2969 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley.

OPEN, a chapter of Experience Unlimited, is a no-fee service, sponsored by America 's Job Center of California.

To share news about your company or business-related organization, email business@vcstar.com. If there is an event involved, please email the information at least three weeks in advance of the event.
Singapore's Joseph Schooling denied Michael Phelps his fifth Gold medal in Rio by winning the 100m butterfly event in an Olympic record time of 50.39.

By Reuters: Joseph Schooling won the men's 100 meters butterfly final on Friday to secure Singapore's first Olympic gold medal and deny childhood hero Michael Phelps a 23rd in the last individual race of the American's extraordinary career. (Rio Olympics - Full Coverage)

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Phelps, the defending champion and world record holder who is heading into retirement -- again -- after Rio, finished second in a three-way dead heat with two of his greatest rivals -- South Africa's Chad Le Clos and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh. (Rio 2016: Nadal wins second Olympic Gold medal)

Astonishingly, all three touched out in 51.14 seconds, behind Schooling's Olympic record 50.39 in the second dead-heat in a final in two days.

"I'm just ecstatic. I don't think it has set in yet. It's just crazy," said Schooling.



Phelps, who now has 27 medals, had been hoping to win the event for the fourth successive Games but his Midas touch deserted him and he had to settle for another colour medal for the first time in Rio.

His tally now reads 22 golds, three silvers and two bronzes. He has one event remaining, the 4x100 medley relay on Saturday, before bowing out.

"I don't know if I've (ever) been in a tie, so a three way tie is pretty wild," said Phelps.

"I saw a second next to my name and then I looked up again and I looked over at Laszlo and Chad and hey we all tied. We're all second that's kind of cool.

"It's kind of special, and a decent way to finish my last individual race. Can't complain too much," he said.

Le Clos, who lost his 200m butterfly title to Phelps on Tuesday, failed in his bid to turn the tables but was happy not to have been beaten by him again either.

"Strange is not the right word. Need to create a new one for that," he said. "I got silver tie in London so a three way tie is crazy. Maybe in Tokyo a four way tie."

The tie, although astonishing, was not unprecedented in top level swimming.

At least year's world championships in Kazan, Russia, three women tied for 200 breaststroke bronze - Spain's Jessica Vall, Denmark's Rikke Moeller Pedersen and China's Shi Jinglin.

Two women's freestyle golds were handed out on Thursday after Canada's Penny Oleksiak and Simone Manuel of the United States recorded the same time.

--- ENDS ---

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Oxnard

Heritage Square birthday event set

Friends of Heritage Square, in cooperation with the Facebook group "My Oxnard Memories," will present a celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 21 to recognize the 25th anniversary of Heritage Square.

The event at 715 South A St. will feature a screening of the documentary film "Oxnard 1961." There will be special guests, music, T-shirts and other souvenirs, as well as refreshments for purchase.

Visit http://heritagesquareoxnard.com for more information.

Simi Valley

Post 10049 sets summer dinner

VFW Post 10049 will host its midsummer "Cool Summer Salads" dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday at 4242 E. Los Angeles Ave.

Dinner will feature cold green bean salad, Italian pasta salad, chicken macaroni salad, coleslaw, Jell-O molded salad, tossed salad, pea salad and desserts.

Cost is an $8 donation. Call 583-9722 for more information.

Council No. 4 will have meeting

Neighborhood Council No. 4 will meet from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the community room at Simi Valley City Hall, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road.

Call 583-6756 for more information.

Thousand Oaks

'Avenue Q' to be presented

Young Artists Ensemble Alumni and Friends will present "Avenue Q" at 8 p.m. from Wednesday to Aug. 20 at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts, 403 W. Hillcrest Drive.

"Avenue Q" is rated R for adult situations and language. Reserved tickets are $15 for students and seniors and $20 for adults

Visit http://www.hillcrestarts.com/spring-awakening or call 381-1246 to buy tickets.

Auxiliary welcomes new attendees

The Coast Guard Auxiliary will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the Ventura County sheriff's station at 2101 E. Olsen Road.

Interested individuals can develop leadership skills through the auxiliary's free classes and workshops. Participants must be at least age 17.

Email cgauxatodd@gmail.com to RSVP.

Portrayal to focus on Geronimo

The community center/outdoor unit of the Conejo Recreation and Park District will present "Geronimo, Life on the Reservation" from 7:30-9 p.m. Aug. 20 at the McCrea Ranch visitor center, 4545 N. Moorpark Road.

Actor Rudy Ramos will portray the Apache warrior Geronimo in the intense one-man enactment.

Cost is $20. Visit http://www.crpd.org or call 495-2163 to register.

Staff reports
STAR FILE PHOTO Oxnard Performing Arts Center

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By Staff Reports

Oxnard officials this week encouraged the public to attend a community meeting Tuesday to provide input on an ordinance the city is drafting on short-term rentals.

The meeting will be from 5-7:30 p.m. in the Oxnard Room of the Oxnard Performing Center, 800 Hobson Way. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m.

Staff members from the city's planning division will provide an overview of short-term rentals  typically dwellings rented to vacationers who stay for a few days  and existing best practices for them, the city said. Staff members also will discuss the proposed standards for short-term rental operations being drafted for a city ordinance.

The public can provide input on the proposed standards during the meeting.

City staff members also will review the results of the online survey conducted from late March through early April 2016 to gauge public opinion about short-term rentals. The city received 840 responses, and the results can be viewed at http://www.oxnard.org/str.

Short term-rentals have raised concern from neighbors of them in some parts of Oxnard as well as other cities in Ventura County. Ojai has banned them entirely.

Call 385-7858 for more information.
TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Canine trainer Emily Fisk and her dog Skye give a search-and-rescue demonstration at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula on Friday.

SHARE TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR People tour the industrial park mock-up at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula during Friday's Navy Distinguished Visitors Day. Seabee reservists are helping build the facility. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Senior Chief Petty Officer Tim Cooper speaks during Friday's tour of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. Seabee reservists are helping build the facility. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR A simulated plane crash is part of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation training center in Santa Paula.

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Special to The Star

It's been a long summer of hard work for dozens of Navy reservists who are helping construct the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation's training center in Santa Paula.

But on Friday, those reservists  all members of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25 participating in a volunteer training program organized by the Department of Defense  took a break to show off the results of their labor to a handful of visiting superiors.

It isn't a typical construction project. The Seabee reservists have built a tilted house that looks like it's about to fall down. They've created an enormous concrete-covered trench, and they've carefully arranged large chunks of concrete slabs, pipes and other broken construction materials into a giant pile of rubble.

"It's a huge help," said Emily Fisk, one of three canine trainers with the foundation.

The nonprofit group trains dogs to search for human survivors after disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and floods. The dogs and their trainers need access to simulated disaster environments that replicate what they might deal with in real life: collapsed buildings, industrial hazards and transportation wreckage.

Creating that kind of disaster infrastructure is what the Seabee reservists have been working on this summer and for the past three years. They've also helped with general construction and landscaping.

The reservists  about 150 total this year  arrive from across the country and spend two to three weeks working. They're participants in the U.S. military's Innovative Readiness Training program, which sends service members to work on civilian projects.

In addition to helping the foundation, the reservists are learning construction skills they can use in the military, said Cmdr. Steve Kelley with the 1st Naval Construction Regiment at Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme.

"It's incredibly valuable," said Kelley, who spent the day at the Santa Paula site. "Some of the people that come here don't work in the construction trades, so over the course of the year, their only experience working with tools and with their hands will come from this ... program."

He said the reservists go home feeling like they've learned a lot, and they've become believers in the Search Dog Foundation.

"It's really a win-win," he said.

The foundation acquired the 125-acre property in 2008 and houses and trains about 10 rescue dogs at the site, although that number is expected to grow. The organization in June moved its administrative headquarters from Ojai to the Santa Paula location.

Debra Tosch, the foundation's executive director, said construction continues on other buildings, including a welcome center, which should be finished next year.

Plans include creating a collapsed freeway and building a replica of a hotel in Haiti that was wrecked during the 2010 earthquake there.

"Every single prop that they are building has very specific training needs in mind," Tosch said. "This is a never-ending project because you have to constantly keep things changed up, because we can't have the dogs and handlers memorizing everything."

Steve Jones, a reservist equipment operator, called his experience "incredible."

"You just know that you're really a part of something," he said. "What we're doing now, who knows? Maybe in three years, if we have a national disaster, they send the dogs out there to help, and because of what we have done I feel like I'm actually helping, too."
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Five years ago, if you didn't receive health coverage through your employer or couldn't qualify for Medi-Cal, finding affordable insurance could be difficult at best, and completely out of reach at worst. Many young, healthy people opted out of insurance altogether, and those most in need of medical care found it hard to get coverage at all.

Three years ago, the Affordable Care Act opened access to health care for millions  young, old, healthy, and sick  offering subsidies to make it affordable and ensuring everyone is guaranteed a comprehensive package of health benefits and preventive services.

Early implementation of California's health exchange, robust competition and choice, and successful enrollment have helped keep premiums relatively stable. But premiums may still rise for some as the cost of health care goes up and we settle into a marketplace drastically different from just a few years ago.

Enrollment in individual insurance has grown by more than 50 percent since Covered California launched, providing comprehensive coverage to 2.3 million Californians. And 90 percent of Covered California consumers qualify for subsidies. With more Californians than ever using medical services, the cost of providing care has understandably increased.

For the first few years, the market saw very modest changes in premium prices. But when rate increases are a little higher, it's important to understand the factors involved.

Not only are more Californians using medical services, but the costs of those services are becoming more and more expensive. The price of a hospital admission alone has risen 76 percent since 2004, and prescription drug spending is rising faster than any other sector of health care. Health plans are covering drug treatments that can cost as much as a house, and some drug companies have done everything they can to accelerate this budget-busting trend.

Ultimately, premiums reflect the cost of providing care to you. By law, health plans are required to spend a minimum of 80-85 percent of every premium dollar on medical care. The lion's share of spending pays for prescription drugs, doctor visits, hospital bills, medical tests and treatments. In fact, the executive director of Covered California noted the health plan profit margin is less than 2 percent.

Existing laws ensure premium dollars go to medical care and require rate filings to be made public and reviewed by regulators, who provide important consumer protections. Subjectively capping insurance rates does nothing to address the underlying costs that drive up premiums, which is why both lawmakers and voters have overwhelmingly rejected proposals to arbitrarily regulate the price of health insurance.

To achieve truly affordable coverage and maintain a stable marketplace, we must have tough conversations about the factors driving health care costs. Some drugs provide lifesaving hope, but repeated price increases on decades-old medications and ever-higher launch prices for new treatments are driving up premiums. It is hard to have an informed debate about solutions when we have no information on what's behind these price hikes.

With high enrollment and guaranteed access to coverage, it is time to shift our focus to the "affordable" part of the Affordable Care Act. That is the only way to protect consumers and taxpayers from rising health costs and ensure all Californians can maintain their coverage.

Charles Bacchi is president and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans, a trade group for the health insurance industry.
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Education in Ventura County is approaching a precipice, and we cannot afford to fall over the edge.

Two forces are pushing us toward the cliff: increased retirements accompanied by fewer people pursuing teaching credentials; and increased expectations for excellence by everyone involved in education.

Boomer-generation educators are retiring in record numbers. At the same time, fewer and fewer college graduates are pursuing teaching as a career, and as a result we are experiencing a teacher and administrator shortage.

Some reports estimate that over the next decade, California will need 100,000 more teachers than will be produced by our universities. Proposed responses to this crisis include increasing teacher salaries and streamlining credential programs.

Education in the 21st century is more complex and demanding than ever. California is entering an era of new, higher educational expectations and standards, ever-expanding technology, and new assessment and accountability systems for our schools. Our community and children deserve, and absolutely need, ever- improving education so they can pursue careers of their choice and formal education to whatever level they desire.

To meet these challenges and expectations, we need energetic, compassionate, knowledgeable, skillful, effective, innovative and visionary teachers and leaders.

Institutions that provide teaching credentials, such as CSU Channel Islands, can hope that high-quality educators will just come to us, but hope is never a good strategy for success. The CSU system, which educates half the state's teachers, has launched a pilot program this year that seeks to identify students who might make good teachers, even if they hadn't considered a teaching career.

Each CSU campus is also constantly developing programs and methods to identify, train and support teachers and administrators.

At Channel Islands, we have been credentialing teachers and school administrators since 2004. We provide master's and doctoral programs taught by teachers and academic leaders who are successful professionals. Our programs are designed to challenge and stimulate thinking, so graduates question the status quo and reinvent education.

In 2014, the university added a master's specialization in higher education leadership. Our teaching credential programs continuously undergo redesign. Using research from the UC Berkeley and UCLA Principal Leadership Institute, we also are reinventing our academic leadership programs.

This year marked the addition of our first doctoral program, called the Collaborative Online Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Channel Island's first cohort of about 19 students enjoyed an on-campus residency in June. They will continue their education online with interactive classes and social networking

It's the first Ed.D. program in the CSU system delivered primarily online in collaboration with Fresno State University faculty. This way, classes can accommodate students' professional schedules.

With flexible and innovative programs like this, we will do our best to make sure our community has the superior teachers and administrators necessary to meet the educational needs of coming generations.

Charles Weis is an assistant professor of educational leadership at CSU Channel Islands, a Hueneme School District board member and a former Ventura County schools superintendent.
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Don't look too closely at what we do. That's the order from the Obama administration. It has spied on reporters, threatened them with jail and thwarted interviews. It has tricked the press into inaccuracy. More than a half million times last year it came up short on citizen requests for government information.

It has also twisted embarrassing facts to confuse critics, a technique expertly displayed last week in President Barack Obama's mocking fulmination about $400 million in foreign cash delivered early this year to Iran. The delivery happened the same day Iran released four Americans from prison, and some dared call it ransom.

Not so, snorted Obama in a press conference, looking to quash a storyline of him encouraging kidnapping. He disdainfully observed he had earlier announced we were returning money that belonged to Iran. We returned these particular millions when we did, he said, because of a court proceeding that could have cost us more if we waited.

So in other words, if the money is legitimately Iran's, there's no way it could be connected with release of prisoners? Even putting aside the questions of whether the transfer via foreign cash in a secretly deployed airplane was actually legal and whether the stacks of dough will enable terrorism, the logic doesn't work, especially when you consider more details.

1) The Justice Department was concerned that if the money was returned on the same day the prisoners were released, it would look like ransom. It asked that the two events happen on different days. 2) Without explanation, the State Department refused the request. 3) A prisoner being released said he and the others sat on a plane for hours waiting for another plane to arrive. 4) Iranian officials said the money was definitely a ransom. 5) U.S. officials agreed Iranian officials demanded cash before the release.

It was The Wall Street Journal that told most of this story, not a president who had said right after his first inauguration that his would be the most transparent administration in history. In fact, in 2015 it set an astonishing record of either censoring government materials or providing none at all in 77 percent of citizen requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

That would be 596,095 instances of less than was sought, The Associated Press reported. The excuses were many, and in some cases no doubt valid, but thousands of pages that at first couldn't be found were somehow discovered when the courts stepped in, and the administration admitted it had in some cases sidestepped the law.

And the press? The Obama administration has been "the greatest enemy of press freedom in a generation," according to James Risen, a New York Times reporter who faced prison for not revealing a source. The administration has intimidated still others and has stubbornly denied White House reporters access to officials in the know. It has spied on Associated Press reporters and others. An aide to the president also revealed in a New York Times Magazine article that he easily manipulated inexperienced journalists into producing misleading stories about the Iran nuclear deal.

As president, Hillary Clinton just might top all of this. A short Q-and-A session with an organization of minority journalists last week was the first official press conference she has had in seven months. She recently lied again on the topic of recklessly managed classified emails, the latest fib in a lifetime of whoppers.

The corrupt Clinton Foundation has broken rules by not reporting who its donors are and how much money it has taken in, and she has refused to release recordings of her cozy confabs with corporate contributors.

Worst of all, she wants a rewrite of the First Amendment to give D.C. politicians greater power to regulate speech.

Donald Trump could be frightening, too, but he has stomped his candidacy to death, and what's needed is election of a Republican-controlled Congress to counterbalance autocratic impulse.

Jay Ambrose is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. Email him at speaktojay@aol.com.
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Get the hook. Donald Trump has just gone where no respectable presidential nominee has ever dared. And every Republican leader knows, deep down, there is now just one course of action that must be taken.

They must dump Trump.

House Speaker Paul Ryan now knows this, deep down. So does Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. Ever since Trump addressed a rally in Wilmington, N.C., Tuesday, these party leaders have had to feel the stab of moral reality deep down in the souls they still have but have so far been too politically fearful to heed.

Clearly and crudely, Trump carefully suggested  without flat-out saying it  that maybe it would be a good thing if someone shoots his Democratic presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton. Trump set out to demonize, falsely claiming she wants to abolish the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms.

Here's what Trump actually told his rally audience  including a last portion cut and omitted from the sound bite snippets you have seen on your favorite news screens ever since. I'm adding it because I believe it makes Trump's context and intent disgustingly clear:

"Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment. By the way, and if she gets to pick, (AUDIENCE BEGINS BOOING) if she gets to pick her judges  (TRUMP PAUSES, SHRUGS) nothing you can do, folks. (PAUSES AGAIN) Although the Second Amendment people (PAUSE), maybe there is. I don't know."

Most news accounts stopped the quote here, but Trump went on to add this: "But  but I'll tell you what. That will be a horrible day  if, if Hillary gets to put her judges in."

Trump, forever a master of the art of oratorical imprecision, knows well the potential (see also: diabolical) impact of what he carefully suggested without quite saying. He may well have succeeded in planting the seed of a suggestion with a nutcase who has access to a gun and has a mind that is easily bent, as to how he could help his favorite firearms cause.

The ugliness of Trump's suggestion is a reminder of how close we can be to revisiting a hellish era I have covered far too many times. I was in school when President John F. Kennedy was killed. But I have covered the events following the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy; the two assassination attempts on President Gerald Ford; the assassination attempts that crippled presidential candidate George Wallace, severely wounded President Ronald Reagan, crippled my friend and Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, and severely wounded the heroic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Trump and his campaign spokespinners say Trump was only referring to the great political clout of the National Rifle Association. I think that's a damnable lie. As former CIA Director Michael Hayden so accurately noted, "If someone else had said that outside the hall, he'd be in the back of a police wagon now, with the Secret Service questioning him." Hayden added that at the CIA, he used to tell his top officials: "You're not just responsible for what you say; you're responsible for what people hear."

Among the conservative Republicans who reacted and converted quickly was Joe Scarborough, who was elected to the House in 1994 in a North Florida panhandle district that was considered one of the most conservative in the nation. For years he was considered a bold and uncompromising conservative ally in then-Speaker Newt Gingrich's revolution. Scarborough has since moved on to host MSNBC's "Morning Joe"  and Tuesday night Scarborough blogged for The Washington Post that the GOP must "dump Trump."

"Trump and his supporters have been scrambling wildly all day to explain away the inexplicable, but they can stop wasting their time," Scarborough wrote. "The GOP nominee was clearly suggesting that some of the 'Second Amendment people' among his supporters could kill his Democratic opponent were she to be elected."

Scarborough added: "Paul Ryan and every Republican leader should revoke their endorsement of Donald Trump. ... A bloody line has been crossed that cannot be ignored. At long last, Donald Trump has left the Republican Party few options but to act decisively and get this political train wreck off the tracks before something terrible happens."

Trump's reckless ways have proved his unfitness to govern. But oddly, the very transparency of his contemptible excesses have also given the best of this once-Grand Old Party one last chance to get it right.

Martin Schram, an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service, is a veteran Washington journalist, author and TV documentary executive. Email him at martin.schram@gmail.com.
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On Aug. 6 and Aug. 9 some 71 years ago, the world entered the nuclear age with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and injuring more than 200,000 people immediately. The first nuclear arms race followed, resulting in the ability to destroy civilizations and life as we know it.

Under the pretense of mutually assured destruction (MAD), where the U.S. and U.S.S.R. threatened to destroy each other if attacked, the myth of nuclear deterrence was born. This ultimately became the greatest driving force of the arms race, because if one side had one nuclear weapon, the other needed two, and so on and so forth, until the global arsenals swelled to tens of thousands of weapons.

We have lived with this threat to the present day, lulled into a state of psychic numbness, oblivious to our potential impending doom.

We have brief reminders of this danger from time to time and passing acknowledgments to the extreme peril we face, yet we never have the courage to take the steps necessary to eliminate this threat. In a classic bullying posture, we continue to threaten the use of these weapons, effectively holding the rest of the world hostage to our delusion of safety  like a smoker floating on a raft in a pool of gasoline. We now recognize the dangers posed by these weapons is much greater than previously thought.

Physicians for Social Responsibility has scientifically shown that the detonation of 100 nuclear warheads could kill 2 billion people from the devastating climate change and famine that would follow. There are currently more than 15,000 nuclear weapons. The U.S. and Russia have about 7,000 each.

The MAD doctrine is indeed crazy as we now realize the use of even a tiny fraction of existing stockpiles  unilaterally with no retaliatory response  would put millions of people in the attacking country at risk. MAD is now better called SAD  Self-Assured Destruction  turning any country that uses its weapons into de-facto suicide bombers.

The first and only nation to have used nuclear weapons, the United States has not tried to lead toward disarmament as bound by the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, but rather it has initiated a second arms race by spending $1 trillion over three decades to modernize, miniaturize and make more effective its nuclear arsenal.

These steps will actually make the weapons easier and more likely to be used. And as the deterrent doctrine would predict, Russia, China and other nuclear nations will respond with their own buildups, not to be outdone.

Reflecting this reality, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has moved its Atomic Doomsday Clock representing the apocalyptic countdown to nuclear annihilation to 3 minutes before midnight. This is the closest it has been since 1953  the height of the Cold War.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump has suggested that since we have nuclear weapons, he would consider using them in Europe and elsewhere and that he is OK with an arms race in Asia.

Hillary Clinton has indicated she would continue the current policies of the Obama administration, with its $1 trillion buildup.

Only former candidate Bernie Sanders proposed working to eliminate nuclear weapons, cancel the $1 trillion new arms race and support the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures Act to reduce nuclear spending by $100 billion over the next 10 years.

President Obama also has an opportunity to lead in his final months by declaring a "no first use" policy and taking our weapons off "hair-trigger alert". These symbolic moves would send a signal to the world and provide a foundation for our next president to build upon.

The existence of nuclear weapons is no longer a political issue, either Democratic or Republican; it is a survival issue. When leaders refuse to lead, then the people must act.

Barring accidental or intentional nuclear war by the nuclear powers, the way forward is most likely to come from the non-nuclear nations, as they have grown impatient with being held hostage  127 nations have signed the Humanitarian Pledge calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons.

From this, the United Nations established the Open Ended Working Group, which has been meeting regularly to develop a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. It is anticipated the group will introduce a treaty at the next U.N. session. Such a treaty would place nuclear weapons in the same category as all other weapons of mass destruction, from chemical and biological weapons to land mines. The move would make pariah states out of any nations continuing to maintain nuclear arsenals.

As the nuclear clock continues to tick, the question remains: Will we honor the victims of nuclear weapons from the past, both deceased and living, and make sure these weapons are never used again? Or will we continue down the path of nuclear roulette?

Doing nothing is not an option. Time is not on our side. The choice is ours.

Robert Dodge, a family physician in Ventura, serves on the boards of Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions. He wrote this column for PeaceVoice.
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As schools begin opening around California, the state's new vaccinate-or-stay-out-of-school policy ought to be taking effect at last, more than 18 months after the December 2014 measles outbreak at Disneyland that propelled it.

Under the new law, all students entering kindergarten this fall must have had two measles shots, a mumps and rubella (MMP) vaccination, their final doses of polio vaccine, and a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) injection.

Parents who don't want to provide these must home-school their kindergartners. That's because unless 94 to 96 percent of children in any group are vaccinated, there can be no guarantee against disease outbreaks.

The most recent California example of what non-vaccination can bring came in Nevada County in March, when many students at the Yuba River Charter School were kept out of classes more than a week after an unvaccinated child was diagnosed with measles. Health officials said the child was infectious while attending school. Classes were shut down because only about 43 percent of kindergartners entering the school in fall 2015 had up-to-date vaccinations and an epidemic could have resulted.

Many of the unvaccinated 57 percent were exempted because of a "personal belief" provision written into previous state law, allowing parents to claim vaccinations ran counter to their religious beliefs. The new law, SB 277, allows exemptions only for children medically unable to receive vaccines, with parents required to produce a doctor's note.

Unvaccinated students admitted to kindergarten in previous years will continue in school, however. When they reach seventh grade, their parents will have to provide written evidence of vaccination.

Fes of vaccination, who have long insisted vaccines backfire and lead to adverse reactions and more disease, are not giving up their fight. Their first move was trying to qualify a referendum for this fall's ballot aiming to overturn SB 277. They got far too few signatures to qualify it.

So they've turned to a Superior Court judge in San Diego County, seeking an injunction to suspend the law until higher courts can rule on its constitutionality.

That move has not yet succeeded. But an initiative proposed for the November 2018 ballot remains alive, with a Sept. 26 deadline for gathering signatures.

Amid all this, there are no credible denials of research showing that no more than 86 percent of those at Disneyland had been vaccinated before the day many were exposed to measles. The actual rate may have been as low as 50 percent, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Because the scientifically accepted vaccination level for so-called "herd immunity" is at least 94 percent, there was ample opportunity for infection, and 145 cases were recorded among those at the theme park and others who came in contact with them later.

"This is what happens when parents opt out of vaccinations, as roughly half the cases occurred in children who were not vaccinated but were eligible to receive the shots," wrote Dr. Lila Abassi, director of medicine for the American Council on Science and Health.

Because some who have been vaccinated can still contract measles when exposure is strong and direct, most physicians consider "herd immunity" vital to disease prevention.

Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan, SB 277's author and the Legislature's only practicing pediatrician, said, "It is unfortunate there are still people who perpetuate misinformation about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and minimize the dangers of vaccine-preventable diseases that disabled and killed millions annually before vaccines were available."

The safety and efficacy of vaccines have been proven in myriad studies. But that doesn't quiet naysayers any more than photos from space deflated flat-Earth advocates who still hold conventions.

What's important is that parents understand that regardless of their personal preferences, they don't have the right to expose the children of others to potentially deadly ailments.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.
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America is a fractured country. That's how The Associated Press described us in reporting the results of a recent poll it conducted with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey found 85 percent of Americans believe the nation is more politically divided today than in the past.

The percentage who believe that is stunning, but it probably should not be a surprise. All you have to do is read the news stories about what is being said every day on the political campaign trail. Then you can switch to the cauldron of social media to really experience the depth of that divide. Even casual conversations that once were polite ways to pass the time, or to exchange ideas, now devolve into animosity.

This is not, however, a divide that was created by the Clinton vs. Trump presidential campaign.

Our divisions run much deeper. The AP quoted a Civil War historian, who said, "It's just not a pleasant time in the country."

Our divisions have to do with how we see ourselves based on economic status, based on race, based on geography, based on demographics. It stems from who we listen to and what value we give to those who seek to influence us.

It grows out of fears and hopes for our tomorrow, for ourselves and our children. It comes from how we react to a world where we know far more than we ever have about what is going on elsewhere, and have far more direct ties to somewhere else in the world.

The vitriol of this campaign is at a level that is unprecedented in our lifetimes, but it does mirror some vicious campaigns from the 19th century.

That noise is troublesome and creates our sense of being fractured. What is a greater worry, though, is the recognition that this will not be solved in November. This divide is so deep and so personal that we are not sure either candidate will be able to successfully implement his or her vision for the nation.

We can only hope that all of us will be willing to accept the person elected as our president. But frankly, the past eight years have shown us that we are far more content to be divided than unified. And that is the most perplexing dilemma we face.
President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union; Kanhaiya Kumar, 29, was arrested in February along with 21 other JNU students for allegedly shouting seditious slogans, sparking off a debate on nationalism. The PhD student's speech on azaadi after his release made him a national icon; currently working on a book, From Bihar to Tihar.

I can't point to the time when I first became aware of the politics around me. I come from the category of 'have nots'. and one keeps counting disparities from one's childhood. It could be the time when I wore half pants and aspired to be like those who wore trousers. Or maybe when I saw people going to the salon, treated like kings on a throne while I got my hair cut under a tree. Or maybe, it was when I was in my mother's womb, and what she ate was determined by her socio-economic status in society. My political consciousness was determined before I was born.

People ask me whether life inside jail has made me understand what freedom truly means. But I have found that life outside is a bigger cage than the jail cell I left behind. Our idea of freedom as Indians is driven from the Constitution. At the heart of it is the Preamble that lists the guiding principles of sovereignty, equality, justice and fraternity by which the state must be run. Our struggle is a fight for freedom within the state. These are simple demands of equality in job opportunities, in gender, right to education, of justice given to all and not forcefully taken from one and put in the hands of another, freedom from discrimination and affirmative action to bring those who have historically been discriminated against at the same level as others.

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Social hierarchies are perhaps the greatest bane of our society. This hierarchy where identity is based on the work one does is driven by the Manusmriti. Manuvaad is the belief that one's past karmas influence the nature of one's rebirth. It is this bizarre idea that some people are born to rule while others are born into servitude. This is the one we are battling.

What we see today is a clash of ideologies-one between Hindustan and Sanghsthan. The political interpretation of religion remains the most problematic challenge faced by the nation today. It can be conquered only by information, wisdom and knowledge. This fight is inherent to everyone today.

(As told to Ursila Ali)

--- ENDS ---
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The full restoration of the Channel Islands foxes is an event that deserves wide praise and recognition.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week that it was pulling the foxes off the endangered species list. It was the fastest recovery of any mammal in the history of the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

The Endangered Species Act has been a continual target of mockery for those who think efforts to save butterflies or beetles or snail darters come at the expense of activities that benefit man.

This effort to save the foxes on Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Cruz islands from extinction validates the act and the efforts of all those involved in successes like this.

By the late 1990s, primarily due to golden eagles, the population of foxes on the three islands had dwindled from about 3,500 to about 70. Biologists began a program of captive breeding to restore the numbers while also removing the golden eagles, who were nonnative to the islands.

Federal biologists worked with private organizations like The Nature Conservancy, which is part-owner and manager of Santa Cruz Island, and with academics and other experts to figure out how to tackle the problem.

The fact that they succeeded, and in such a short period of time, is a testament to the drive, the passion and the resources made available for this effort.

We all will benefit for generations from their marvelous work.
Las Vegas Events (LVE) and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced today that the New Years Eve celebration known as Americas Party: Las Vegas New Year 2011 will include a spectacular fireworks show fired from seven rooftop locations along the Las Vegas Strip.

The firing locations (from the south, heading north) include the following resort properties: MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island (TI), The Venetian and the Stratosphere.

Fireworks by Grucci of New York will coordinate the pyrotechnic display for the seventh time. The group has executed numerous presidential inaugurations and citywide celebrations. Locally, Fireworks by Grucci has produced many of Las Vegas largest special events and grand openings, including the official Las Vegas Centennial celebration.

The Americas Party Fireworks display belongs on the rooftops, said LVE President Pat Christenson. We have worked consistently with Fireworks by Grucci, the Clark County Fire Department and Building Services and the individual resort properties to ensure that the show is executed safely. With hundreds of thousands of revelers expected on the Strip, were confident that Fireworks by Grucci will design a show that is befitting of this city.

According to the LVCVA, Las Vegas hosted an estimated 315,000 visitors during the 2009 New Years Eve celebration.

New Years Eve in Las Vegas is unlike any other celebration in the world, said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the LVCVA. Our visitors participate in a one-of-a-kind evening of celebrity-hosted nightclub count-downs, special dining experiences at restaurants, and live music at Fremont Street Experience downtown all culminating in our world-renowned fireworks display at midnight. There is no other destination that offers this excitement on New Years Eve.

Thematic elements and the musical portion of the fireworks show will be announced at a later date.
Vietnam boasts an abundance of beautiful sights to behold and delicious food to taste. But if time is not your friend, here are five must-visit destinations that will guarantee you a trip to remember.

Taking a train to Sapa

Sapa is a small town in the northern province of Lao Cai. Dubbed the "the Tonkinese Alps", the region is home to hill tribe minority groups who farm on terraced rice fields.

Mount Fansipan, the roof of Indochina, stands tall at 3,143 meters right in the center of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range not far from Sapa.

Taking a train from Hanoi to Lao Cai

The town, 376km north of Hanoi, is easily accessible by an overnight train from the capital. One can take a bus too, but such a long journey is usually reserved for those with a thirst for adventure.

The train, on the other hand, is safe, cheap and convenient while still affording you a breathtaking view out of the window from a cabin that still breathes the air from the French colonial period.

If you opt for the train, tickets should be booked at least a few days or even months in advance, especially if you plan to travel during public holidays such as Labor Day on May 1 or National Day on September 2.

Drinking bia hoi with locals

Bia hoi, roughly translated as fresh beer, is a locally-brewed, preservative-free beer served at small bars and at street corners.

A visit to Hanoi is incomplete without a stop at the bia hoi corner at the crossroads of Luong Ngoc Quyen, Ta Hien and Dinh Liet streets for a glass of 20 cent beer.

Most bia hoi joints also serve inexpensive street food that goes well with the beer. There are prawns barbecued with chili and salt, clams steamed with lemongrass, green mango with a prawn-chili-salt dip or coconut snails sauteed with butter and fish sauce.

Instead of a proper table, youll find yourself seated on tiny plastic stools, most likely blue, which also serve as mini tables. As the alcohol kicks in, youll soon forget the discomfort in your legs to cheer the night away.

Overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay, the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, is not to be missed in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Spanning an area of 1,553 km2, the bay features thousands of limestone karsts formed over 500 million years and 2,000 islets that come in all shapes and sizes.

You can venture out onto the waters in a kayak, descend into mysterious caves or discover your own secret hideout among the thousands of islets.

The sunrise or sunset on a cruise would take your breath away

Travelers can book an overnight cruise that comes with a double room, breakfast, lunch and dinner. As the sun comes up, you will be treated to piercing limestone karsts rising majestically out of the bay.

By evening, a candlelight dinner awaits you on board under the stars and the moon, lighting the way for small fishing boats heading out for the night.

Hoi An food heaven

Inside the ancient town of Hoi An lies a whole new world for you to discover. And its not just 16th century houses for which this former port city has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage.

On its small sidewalks and inside unassuming houses there are 1,001 street food specialties awaiting you. Here are just a few to add to your bucket list, because you wont find a cheaper or tastier equivalent anywhere else:

- Mi Quang, or Quang noodles, the central sister of pho, just bigger and with a pulpy rather than silky texture

- Hen xuc banh trang: Vietnamese burritos - sauteed clams eaten with crispy rice paper

- Cao lau: Brown noodles with pork and greens, only in Hoi An

Floating market in Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta down south is criss-crossed with thousands of canals interlocking through fields and mangrove forests that have created a world of their own: life on water.

Put your bike aside and jump in a boat to discover tropical fruits on offer at floating markets.

Floating markets have long been the iconic feature of the Mekong Delta

The most famous ones include Cai Rang (Can Tho Province), Cai Be (Tien Giang Province), Phung Hiep (also called Nga Bay in Hau Giang Province), Long Xuyen (An Giang Province) and Tra On (Vinh Long Province).

In the midst of hundreds of boats anchored next to each other, youll find huge crowds of buyers and seller bargaining over fruit, fish, poultry, fabric, home appliances and farming tools.

The goods are hung on long bamboo polls for customers to choose from. For the more adventurous, you can go snake and snake wine shopping in Phung Hiep Market.
Viet Nam expects to promote prawn and shrimp exports to Australia if this export market abolishes quarantine barrier for those products. - Photo thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn

Viet Nam's seafood exports, including shrimp, would increase strongly in the future if that is done, according to Consulate General of Viet Nam in Sydney, Australia.

Australia's total output of seafood products from catching and production is between 220,000 tonnes and 280,000 tonnes each year, and a half of that total has been exported. Meanwhile, the country's total demand for seafood products is one million per year.

However, the domestic supply of seafood products has reduced because Australia has had a policy on reducing exploitation of seafood on the seas to protect the environment.

Therefore, Australia's demand for imported seafood has increased sharply. The import value of seafood to Australia rose from US$868 million in 2011 to $1.9 billion in 2014.

In 2015, the value dropped sharply to $1.6 billion, mainly due to reduction of global prices and difficulties in business on the world market as against 2014.

Now, Viet Nam is ranked fourth among seafood exporting countries to Australia, after Thailand, China and New Zealand. In 2015, the export value of Vietnamese seafood products to Australia reached $117 million, accounting for 11.2 per cent of Australia's import value of seafood.

According to the Consulate General of Viet Nam in Sydney, export prices of Vietnamese seafood products are half that of Thai seafood products, so Viet Nam has the chance to promote its seafood exports to Australia, Nong nghiep Viet Nam newspaper reported.

Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy, vice consul general, said that if seafood exports have to increase, Australia has to abolish inspection of white spot disease and yellow head virus for prawns and shrimps from Viet Nam.

Australian customers like back prawn which is a key product of Viet Nam's shrimp industry. But Vietnamese prawn exported to Australia face stricter quarantine barriers than seafood exported to other strict markets such as the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), because they have white spot disease and yellow head virus. Due to the fact that its shrimp and prawn exports had white spot disease and yellow head virus, Viet Nam was not on the list of countries cleared by Australia.

So, Vietnamese seafood exporters send processed prawn and shrimp to Australia but are not permitted to ship fresh products to the market, and are, therefore, unable to expand their market share in Australia.

To overcome the quarantine barrier, local seafood enterprises should ensure quality of exported prawn and shrimp, Thuy said. Viet Nam should hold negotiations with Australia to abolish inspection of white spot disease and yellow head virus.

Meanwhile, the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said Australia has small scale production in shrimp so those diseases would not have much effect on the domestic seafood production. Thus, Viet Nam could propose to Australia to abolish inspection of the two diseases or have a bilateral agreement on the methods of inspection for products with the two diseases.

The association reported in the first half of this year, Viet Nam's seafood export value gained a year-on-year increase of 2.4 per cent to $80.9 million to Australia. Australia was the seventh largest market for Vietnamese export seafood products, after the US, the EU, Japan, and China, in addition to South Korea and ASEAN. Shrimp accounts for 31 per cent of Viet Nam's seafood export value to Australia.
Citi supporting Vietnam in connecting the global dots Vietnam is considered by US group Citi as an attractive market. Ramachandran A.S., Citi country officer, talked to VIRs Linh Le about the groups efforts to utilise its global experience in the Southeast Asian nation, and its priorities moving forward.

Radisson Hotel Group spearheading hospitality growth in Asia-Pacific With travel restrictions easing, air traffic increasing, and leisure and business travel bookings on the rise, Radisson Hotel Group is optimistic about the outlook for the hospitality industry in Asia-Pacific.

Secrets of the most special securities company in Vietnam Techcom Securities (TCBS) leadership, with cutting-edge vision and execution muscle, has changed the course of the company over the last nine years since Nguyen Xuan Minh became chairman of the Board of Directors. VIRs Tuan Khanh sat together with Minh and talked about his path, vision, and success story.

Promoting gender equality & enhancing women's economic empowerment Vietnarn's national strategy on gender equality for the 2021-2030 period sets a target that by 2025, 60 per cent of state management ageneies and local governments at all levels will have female key leaders.
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
Author of the novels, The Association of Small Bombs and Family Planning, Karan Mahajan, 32, lives in Austin, Texas, where he is at work on his third novel.

I reached the conclusion of my second novel, The Association of Small Bombs, in 2015, during a period of censorship by mob: the hounding of Tamil author Perumal Murugan, the murder of Lingayat scholar M.M. Kalburgi, and the continued silence of the government in the face of such harassment. As a result, I worried about the many direct political references in my novel. I discussed them with my editor. But I quickly understood that this anxiety was the first stage of self-censorship. In the end, I made no changes. My Indian editor stood by me.

This, I think, will be a widespread consequence of the current era of illiberalism: writers making pre-emptive strikes against themselves, to protect themselves, or others. But, as Saul Bellow wrote, "Everybody knows there is no fineness or accuracy of suppression; if you hold down one thing you hold down the adjoining." Untruth can ruin a writer.

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I know this firsthand. My first novel Family Planning, a comedy about a politician's family, earned me the sharp rebukes of many people close to me when it came out in 2009. Some of their reactions were perhaps justified; most were not. I was shaken. I became upset and fearful, but, as far as I could tell, my writing didn't change. But an odd thing happened. I was blocked for four years after Family Planning. Not in the traditional sense-I produced lots of pages. I just couldn't move forward with the story. In retrospect, there was a simple reason for this: I hadn't tapped the river of truth that is essential for a novel to flow. I would draw near it, recall my trauma, back away, and remain marooned on its banks, draping myself in gorgeous descriptions. The river of emotions grew dimmer and dimmer till it twinkled out.

Self-censorship threatened other aspects of my imagination as well. When I write, I try to picture real places; this makes invention easier. But now I focused on spots in Delhi I had little emotional attachment to, because they were safe. The story, as a result, refused to rise, like bread without yeast.

By 2013, four years into working on the book, I reached a dead end. I felt it was over; I couldn't go on. I would have to give up writing and this novel; I would have to declare this experiment over and cave permanently. But then, in giving up, in clearing away the thickets of grief and sadness, I saw it: that river. I waded in and began writing. The novel poured out in months. And I wrote things I would never have risked before; I wrote as if no one else existed.

This is the key freedom every writer aspires to: the freedom of not kowtowing to anyone. Sensitivity is important; and a writer should take pains not to be vindictive. When you are writing well, you are the most generous version of yourself, forgiving yourself and others. I am an advocate for environments in which the writer can forgive himself.

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For me, this environment was a surprising one: Austin, Texas. I went there for graduate school in 2012 and stayed for four years. I was utterly out of my element, even disliked the city at times, but I was forced into myself. Because I couldn't step out into the streets of Delhi and fill myself with distracting mental photographs, I had to think about who I really was. Finally I could deny it no more.

Such an option is not available to writers like Perumal Murugan, who are embedded in the communities they write about. In January 2015, after he was hounded by the Hindu Munnani, the RSS, and government officials in Tiruchengode, Murugan declared, on Facebook, "Perumal Murugan the writer is dead. As he is no God, he is not going to resurrect himself." The judgement of the Madras High Court in July absolving him of all charges might change that-I hope it does. Still, when he does finally sit down to write again, I fear it will be hard for him to hear himself.

--- ENDS ---
A fire provoked by violent gusts of wind rages near the village of Rodes in the Pyreneeson on Aug 11, 2016 (Photo: AFP/Raymond Roig)

The situation had calmed down on the frontline of fires in northern Portugal and on the island of Madeira where three people perished this week in the flames.

"Weather conditions improved overnight, the wind is a bit calmer and we have been able to make progress," Carlos Guerra, an official with the national civil protection authority, told Lusa news agency.

The mercury on Thursday topped 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), the hottest temperature on Madeira since 1976, with winds gusting to 90 kilometres (55 miles) per hour.

On Friday nearly 1,400 firefighters continued to battle some six major fires in northern Portugal, but they have succeeded in halving the number of blazes, officials said.

Portugal has been aided by water bombers sent by Italy, Spain and Morocco, and on Friday it announced two more planes were coming from Russia.

In southern France, firefighters said Friday that they had managed to extinguish the blazes that swept through more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) north of Marseille for the past two days as the Mistral wind that had fanned the flames dropped sharply.

Three houses, a restaurant and a car repair garage were gutted by fire and another 17 houses were damaged.

SUSPICIOUS FIRES

Prosecutors are investigating the cause of a fire in Vitrolles, north of Marseille, after a man was arrested near the outbreak when local residents saw him acting suspiciously.

French President Francois Hollande said Thursday the authorities believe some of the fires were started deliberately. He vowed the perpetrators would be tracked down.

Likewise in Spain, officials said Friday that over the past few days in Galicia on the Atlantic coast, the number of fires have increased in a way that raises suspicions they were deliberately set.

"We cannot confirm it until police establish the cause (of the fires), but we know that in the last few days, different incendiary devices have been discovered on site," a source in the regional government told AFP.

In all, firefighters in Spain are battling some 15 blazes which have ravaged more than 5,800 hectares in five days.

Five of the fires were still advancing Friday including three that threatened homes.

A 56-year-old woman has been arrested suspected of lighting around 15 fires that were quickly extinguished near her home in a village in Galicia since Jul 18, the civil guard said.

She is suspected of having placed decorative candles in the woods to start blazes, a civil guard member said.

The fires sweeping through Galicia's forested mountains are damaging to the region's logging industry.

Its federation issued a statement Thursday calling for "zero tolerance" and severe punishment for anyone found responsible for igniting the flames.

Separately, a fire that has destroyed more than 4,800 hectares of pine woods on La Palma, the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands, was brought under control after eight days.

The blaze claimed the life of a park ranger. A German man who allegedly sparked the fire by burning toilet paper has been remanded in custody.

And in France's Pyrenees region near the Spanish border, a fire that erupted Thursday forced the evacuation of 60 people as the flames edged dangerously close to a village, police said.

"The smoke was so thick that we couldn't see the village, which is just a kilometre from here," said local tourist official Nathalie Dephino.

The town's deputy mayor Patricia Vignon said on Friday the fires had been put out and air tankers had dumped water on the scorched areas to ensure the fires do not re-ignite.
Photo by ASSOCIATED PRESS

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets supporters after giving a speech on the economy at Futuramic Tool & Engineering, in Warren, Mich., on Thursday. Clinton made $1.48 million from speaking engagements in 2015, a sharp decrease from the nearly $10.5 million she made in 2014.
The actor tweeted to confirm that he will not be quitting the show, and did not mean to send such a message across.

Your favourite TV actor, Karan Patel, will not be quitting Yeh Hai Mohabbatein any time soon. Picture courtesy: Instagram/karan9198

By Shreya Goswami, India Today Web Desk: When Karan Patel tweeted #TheShowMustGoOn along with a few other words, all the #RKB fans panicked! Is the popular TV actor leaving the show because he isn't happy with the storyline? Will he no longer play Raman Bhalla in the much loved show?

With these speculations leading to a massive number of grieving tweets from fans across the nation, Karan Patel decided to pump the brakes and send out another tweet to put his fans out of their misery.

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Also read: IshRa no more? Raman Bhalla aka Karan Patel to quit Yeh Hai Mohabbatein?



In his follow-up tweet, Patel wrote that he didn't mean to suggest that he's leaving the show at all! He instead insisted that Yeh Hai Mohabbatein will always be a part of his life.

While fans can heave a sigh of relief, Karan Patel's issues with the show's makers still seem to be unresolved. Patel might still feel that the show's focus is still on the female characters, Shagun (Anita Hassanandani) and Ishita (Divyanka Tripathi). And the show's makers at Balaji House might still kill off the lead male character to boost falling TRPs.

What really will happen is a mystery we are all waiting to unravel completely.





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Its time for a change: Cara Castronuova on Her Race for District 22 in the NYS Assembly

On Oct. 25, Cara Castronuova, who is vying to unseat longtime Democrat incumbent Michaelle Solages as representative for District 22 in the New York State Assembly, sat down with Vision Times to discuss why voters should vote for her, and not her opponent, in the upcoming election on Nov. 8.
The map of the world is a lot stranger than you think it is. Especially this map youve probably seen it a lot in classrooms or office buildings, but this map is extremely very badly wrong.

As we can all hopefully agree upon the Earth is a sphere and that means that it is impossible to accurately depict her surface on a two-dimensional map.

This particular common map is called the Mercator projection and if youd like to experiment with countries for yourself please go to this website called the thetruesize.com

Lets take the U.S. state of Wyoming as an example. Under the assumption that Wyoming is actually a real place and not a land full of tumbleweeds with the population less than downtown Baltimore. This example will work perfectly because of the states square shape.

As we step one unit of Wyoming on top of each other, we get more and more distorted as we approach the North Pole to the point where we dont even really recognize its familiar boring shape anymore. When we move our Wyoming stack south they get more squished together as we approach the equator.

This will happen with every other land mass in the world but first lets take a look at some other U.S. states.

They say that everything is bigger in Texas, but what is Texas itself bigger than. Moving the borders over to Europe, the answer may surprise you. Texas is much bigger than spain and portugal put together and is also even bigger than France. But Texas is only the second biggest US State behind Alaska, which seems absolutely gargantuan at the top of our map, but while

Alaska is large, it isnt that large. Taking down to the U.S. mainland it compares like this and taken to Europe it looks like this. And while were here in Europe lets take the time to understand how much bigger Europe seems than what it actually should be.

Lets start by taking France and moving it down to Africa to get our first glimpse at this. The United Kingdom seems pretty large as well but lets take India and move it over to see just how small it really is. The united kingdom is actually smaller than quite a lot of places in the world that you might not expect. Places like Japan, The Philippines, Sumatra, Madagascar and New Zealand. Next door to New Zealand is Australia and the UK looks so small just off the east coast in comparison.

And Australia in fact is much bigger than most people believe it to be. It can be placed to cover almost the entire continental U.S. Interestingly the combination of the following countries will not cover that same area: Portugal, The Netherlands, Estonia, Albania, Hungry, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Austria, Croatia, Latvia, The Czech Republic, Serbia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, The United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Norway.

And thats not even factoring in big but not too big Alaska to the north. Between Alaska and the United States is Canada, which also seems huge up here, and while Canada is a very large country its actually roughly the same size as China. But still looks like a colossus when placed in Europe, where it stretches from east to west to Portugal to Iran and up north into the Barents Sea just above Russia.

Slightly off-topic Japan is another bigger place than most people believe it to be. If Japan replaced off the U.S. East Coast it would look like this in comparison, but much much bigger than Japan and also not often thought about Brazil, which is an absolutely massive country.

It doesnt really look like it on our map, but when we move it to Australia, we can actually discover that Brazil is much bigger which makes Brazil larger than one of the worlds seven continents.

Brazil is also almost larger than the United States, spans almost all of Europe, but its rather snugly into Africa. We are about to discover that Africa is a colossal continent that we dont often realize. It can almost fit the entire contiguous United States into just the Sahara Desert, and the continent can also squeeze in China, Western Europe, India, Argentina, Scandinavia and the UK and still have some room left over.

Russia is another place that looks pretty big at the top of the map, but dropped down next to Africa. She also seems much smaller than what our map was telling us beforehand.

While were still here in Africa the Democratic Republic of the Congo used to be a colony of Belgium. But Belgium in comparison looks like this.

Finally we need to look at a few other places on the map to the north and the south. Lets start with Sweden which looks big, but comparing it to Madagascar again, we see that it actually isnt.

Iceland also seems like a large island but its actually roughly the same size as tasmania just south of Australia.

And finally we have the white elephant in the room of Greenland which towers like a behemoth at the top of the map. Greenland masquerades as being a continent in her own right looking better than Australia, South America and being comparable to North America, but in reality Greenland is much much smaller. The globe reveals Greenland to be the island that she pretends that she isnt, and we get a much more accurate depiction this time when we compare her to Australia, South America and North America.

And of course we cant forget about the most shy continent in the world, that everybody always forgets about. Antarctica who spends her time hiding away at the bottom of the map.

Most people dont truly have a good understanding of the size of Antarctica which could probably go either way between being larger or smaller than you think, but the truth is Antarctica is a huge continent, it is much bigger than Australia. it can stretch all the way from Kiev to Uganda, and incredibly can be placed between the southernmost tip of Texas in the United States and stretch all the way into the northernmost islands of Canada.

There are many more examples like this but youve probably understood the point by now. The world is both a bigger place and a smaller place than you previously thought it to be.
Vice President Joe Biden will visit Turkey later this month, the White House announced Friday.

His visit scheduled for August 24 will mark the first by a top Western leader since the attempted coup on July 15th. The trip comes at a time of strained relations between Ankara and Washington over demands that the U.S. turn over an Islamic cleric blamed for organizing the coup attempt.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency is reporting that Turkish officials have prepared an official request for the U.S. to arrest Muslim cleric Fetullah Gulen over his links to the coup.

Earlier this week Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey had received "positive signals" from Washington regarding the cleric's extradition.

But Prime Minister Binali Yildrim reiterated that the Vice President's visit would not open up discussion of compromise on the issue.

"Improving our relations with the United States depends on the extradition of Gulen, and on that issue there is no room for negotiation," Yildrim said, according to CNN Turk.

Ankara already has asked for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of the plot to take down President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the failed coup attempt earlier this summer.

The United States has replied that it must have evidence against the cleric, who is a former ally of the president, in order to justify turning him over to Turkey.
The leader and chief negotiator for the Confederation of Labor Unions in Burkina Faso said the Burkinabe people are happy that authorities have brought charges against General Gilbert Diendere for the murder of the countrys revolutionary President Thomas Sankara.

Sankara was assassinated in a 1987 military coup led by Diendere and Blaise Compaore. His body and those of 12 former aides were exhumed earlier this year for an autopsy to determine how they died.

Diendere, a former Compaore chief of staff, also led a failed coup in September of this year against Burkina Fasos transitional government.

Labor union leader Bazie Bassolma says the authorities must also charge former president Blaise Compaore and investigate other African and world leaders who are believed to have had a role in Sankaras death, including former Togolese President General Gnassingbe Eyadema, Felix Houphouet Boigny of Cote dIvoire and former French President Francois Mitterrand.

My reaction is a good one because we are fighting always and always to get some justice because Thomas Sankara is one of our presidents in Burkina Faso who was killed by Blaise Compaore and Diendere. So if in this moment we find the killers, it is a good thing, he said.

Compaore fled into exile earlier this year after he was overthrown by a popular uprising and is believed to be either in Morocco or Ivory Coast.

The unions played a major role in the protests and general strikes that eventually led to his overthrow.

New Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore served as prime minister and speaker of parliament under Compaore.

Bassolma said the new president must know that the people will take to the streets again if they find that their demands are not being met.

Protestation is not finished; it is not finished because workers have many, many problems with no solutions. We have a problem of justice; we have a problem of labor organizations liberty and democracy liberty. We called on each candidate before the election to tell them our problems. So, if we have a new president, we think he knows already our problems. We are waiting for solutions to our problems, he said.
Ivory Coast is headed for a constitutional referendum in October. President Alassane Ouattara backs the initiative, which would create a senate and a new post of deputy president, but the opposition does not share his enthusiasm.

One of the main reasons to reform the current constitution, Ouattara has said, is to remove a contentious article on nationality that played a role in years of civil war in the West African nation.

Ouattara's political opponents used the article on nationality to block him from several presidential elections in the past, claiming his parents were not born in Ivory Coast, and he was thus not eligible. The U.S.-trained economist was elected head of state in 2010 and took office the following year, after months of unrest involving supporters of his predecessor as president, Laurent Gbagbo.

Ivory Coast has kept its role as the world's leading producer of cocoa despite the civil war earlier in this decade, and Ouattara has since won re-election. He declared one of his main goals is to revise and update the constitution.



Unseen new charter

The text of a new national charter has not yet been released, but when the president announced details of the planned change this month - creating a new post of deputy president, and adding a senate as a second legislative branch of the government - they immediately aroused controversy.

The opposition denounced the president's proposal, saying it reflected a lack of national dialogue and consensus.

Bamba Morifere is the spokesperson for the CODE, the opposition coalition.

When you bring in a new constitution, all Ivorians should be part of the debate, he says.

"The president should follow international standards and and establish a constitutional commission," Morifere said. "Itll take time - as much as needed - but there needs to be an in-depth debate. [Ouattara] shouldnt try to force his way through."

The opposition spokesperson believes Ivory Coast's fragile social order is at stake.



New position, control

Ouattara said he wants the new constitution to establish the office of deputy president, since the office of the president needs to fill such a vacancy. The opposition claims his real agenda is to choose a successor.

As for the senate...

"He wants to name one-third of the senators," Morifere claims. "Thats against the separation of powers."

Civil society platform POECI has recently run several small focus groups across the country.



Priorities questioned

Spokesperson Marie Paule Kodjo says most of those who participated believe the president's new constitution is not what Ivory Coast needs now. "They believe priorities are elsewhere," she said, such as action to curb "the rising cost of living, unemployment and corruption."

Kodjo's group also emphasizes the need for a national consensus on the text of a new constitution, and is against creating new institutions that could challenge the nation's existing order.

This is necessary "given the fragility of the social fabric and the need to rationalize the expenses granted to the governing body," said Kodjo.

The civil-society organization also asked the government to communicate better on the new text, and to publish full details sooner than the minimum period required before a national referendum  just two weeks prior to a vote due to take place in October.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton defended his wife on Friday, saying the controversy about her use of a private email server is the biggest load of bull Ive ever heard.

The former U.S. leader, responding to a question about Hillary Clintons trustworthiness at a forum sponsored by Asian-American organizations, said it would be inconceivable [that] all the prominent national security people, including Republicans, would have endorsed her if they did not believe in her ability to protect secrets.

Bill Clinton asserted that the email issue tainting the former secretary of states campaign for the presidency involved a long-running dispute between the State Department and the intelligence agencies about the U.S. government's system of labeling sensitive information.

However, Bill Clinton acknowledged that the private server was a mistake that some of Hillary Clinton's predecessors as secretary of state also made, but she should have known a different set of rules would apply to her if she ran for president.

In his formal remarks, Clinton, who never mentioned Republican Party nominee Donald Trump by name, told a primarily Asian-American audience to elect his wife as the next president because she is part and parcel of the American quilt of diversity in a campaign to decide between walls and bridges.

'Heart' of this election

The former president said the election, 87 days away, would determine if were going to be one country.

That is at heart what this election is about, he said warning against being mad, dividing the world up into us and them.

Fridays event, which also featured two minor party candidates, turned the spotlight on increasingly important Asian-American voters, once solidly Republican, who in the decades ahead are forecast to overtake Hispanics as the countrys largest minority bloc.

But that bloc is no longer solidified. A division has occurred among Southeast Asians, such as Filipinos and Vietnamese in the United States, and Chinese-Americans due to the conflict in the South China Sea, said Genie Giao Nguyen, chief executive officer of the Voice of Vietnamese Americans.

However, we all look for one leader who has a strong stance in rule of law and will be able to make alliances with Indo-Asian Pacific nations, Nguyen told VOA at the Las Vegas event.

President Barack Obama was re-elected in 2012 with the support of 73 percent of the 4 million Asian-American voters.

Voting allegiance

Vietnamese-Americans, for instance, traditionally voted for Republican candidates, Nguyen said, adding that younger members of the community are now drifting to the values of the Democratic Party.

Right now 40 percent of Vietnamese-Americans are undecided on whom to vote for in November, she added, underscoring her assertion that both of the major parties have yet to pay attention to Asian-Americans compared to Latin-American and Middle-Easterners.

Overall, Hillary Clinton has increased her lead against Trump in some of the most diverse battleground states, according to NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls released Friday.

Trump was also invited to attend the event, organized by the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes was a stand-in at the forum for Trump, who was campaigning in Pennsylvania.

Trumps tax, trade and education policies will allow all Asian-Americans to achieve their American dream, said Reyes, whose father emigrated from the Philippines.

Third-party candidates

Also participating in the forum were two other presidential candidates: Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party.

I think there is a real possibility we might be in the presidential debates, said Johnson who has broken into double digits in some battleground states, such as Colorado and Virginia, according to recent polls.

Johnson, a former Republican governor of New Mexico, rejected the assertion that choosing a third-party candidate at the ballot box would be a wasted vote.

A wasted vote is voting for someone you dont believe in, he replied.

Stein is averaging 5 percent nationally, according to several polls, up from close to invisible ... which I would say is pretty amazing, noting that the two major-party candidates have been the beneficiaries of billions of dollars' worth of free media, while she has received almost none.

Presidential candidates who have the support of at least 15 percent of the electorate in five selected national public opinion polling organizations will be eligible to participate in three television debates to be held September 26, October 9 and 19.
The state has earned an unprecedented total of five awards at the National Tourism Award function in New Delhi.

By Mail Today Bureau: Madhya Pradesh has earned a rare distinction by winning five awards including the National Award for Best Tourism State at the recently held National Toursim Award function in the Capital.

The state was also conferred awards for turning Amarkantak, a pilgrims destination, disabled friendly, for conducting the best heritage walks and for launching the most innovative and unique tourism project. Award for the best tourist guide went to Jeevan Jyoti Pateria. The state which boasts of unmatched historical heritage, religious places, eco tourism points and national parks had recently turned all its temples at Amarkantak disabled friendly.

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As a part of the initiative, wheel chairs were made available to disabled tourists and notice boards and signages put up for blind people in Braille language. Disabled friendly toilets have also been constructed in the pilgrim town.

In Bhopal, a number of paths have been developed for heritage walk, providing an opportunity for visitors to soak in the history and architecture of Bhopal. The first path starts from Kamlapati Mahal, meanders its way through Upper Lake and snakes towards Sufi masjid and Sadar Manzil while the second showcases the history of Taj-ul-Masajid.

Also read: Hanuwantiya Island: Madhya Pradesh gets a new tourist destination



The awards comprising trophies and letters of citation were give away by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan and minister of state for tourism and culture, Mahesh Sharma to Surendra Patwa, Madhya Pradesh culture and tourism minister. The event was also attended by Tapan Bhowmik, chairman, Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation, Hari Ranjan Rao, managing director and Sushri Tanvi Sundriyal, additional managing director.

Expressing joy over the Best Toursim Award, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulated the entire tourism team.

According to him, tourism development is the priority of the state government and said that the government would continue to do the good work in the sector.

It may be noted that Madhya Pradesh has bagged national awards in the tourism category for the last two years in a row. Last year, the State had bagged six national awards.

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A French judge rejected on Saturday a demand by a French Muslim group to overturn a ban on burkinis -- the full-body, head-covering swimwear worn by Muslim women in public.

The southern French city of Cannes specifically banned the full-body swim outfits from its beaches on Friday, citing concerns about public order.

Last month, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard said beach access would be denied to anyone "lacking correct attire," or who was not "respectful of good customs and secularism."

Sefen Guez Guez, a lawyer for the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, said he would appeal the judge's ruling on Saturday to the Council of State, the country's highest administrative body.

The burkini ban says swimwear "manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create risks of trouble to public order."

Anyone caught flouting the rule, which is in effect through August 31, could be fined about $42.

A private waterpark near the Mediterranean port city of Marseille earlier this week canceled a burkini-only day after being criticized for the event.

France is on high alert following a series of violent incidents, including a truck attack on July 14 in Nice, adjacent to Cannes, killed 85 people. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bloodshed in Nice, and less than two weeks later a Roman Catholic priest in northwestern France was slashed to death while celebrating Mass, by attackers who proclaimed their allegiance to the extremist group.

France is home to one of the European Union's largest Muslim populations. In 2011 it became became the first country in Europe to bar women from wearing full-face Islamic veils in public.


The man responsible for instigating an attempted coup against former Lesotho prime minister Thomas Thabane last August appears to have launched a wave of reprisals, prompting several political leaders to flee. Escalating political violence in Lesotho is threatening crucial trade deals at the center of the country's economy.

Following years of political wrangling and feuds between the police and army, Lesotho was plunged into turmoil in August when army commander Lt. General Tlali Kamoli led an attempted-coup against then prime minister Thomas Thabane.



Following the coup attempt a new seven-party coalition was elected in a snap election in February under Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, who reappointed Kamoli as commander of the Lesotho Defense Force.



He replaced Maaparankoe Mahao who was appointed army commander by Thabane last August and was shot dead on June 25 after several Lesotho Defense Force trucks stopped him. The army said that he resisted arrest during an operation to clamp down on mutiny. At least 50 soldiers are facing charges of mutiny for allegedly plotting to assassinate Kamoli.



In May, prominent businessman Thabiso Tsosane, a political contributor to former prime minister Thabane's All Basotho Convention party, was also shot dead. His death prompted Thabane to flee the country, saying he feared for his safety.

Thabane's supporters say the violence in recent months appears targeted at them and they blame Kamoli.



U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho Matthew Harrington condemned the move to reinstate Kamoli, whom he described as a highly-polarizing figure in a May statement.



At risk of losing AGOA's benefits

A U.S. diplomatic source in South Africa told VOA Lesotho risks losing benefits from the African Growth and Opportunity Act that provides duty-free access to U.S. markets. Since joining the deal, employment in the Lesotho textile industry has risen 75 percent to 35,000, and 100 percent of its exports are facilitated under act.



Speaking to VOA in February, Deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing said the countys industry would collapse without the trade deal.



"For us, without that, it will exacerbate the problems that we are having," said Metsing. "It may even be worse. Remember those firms are employing more than 30,000 people. It is doing so much to help us as a country. So any politician, anybody would be worried and that is why we will always engage the Americans on this matter..."



But the United States could rescind the deal if Lesothos political violence intensifies. The deal calls for AGOA partners to respect the rule of law and to protect human rights.

The deal was withdrawn from Swaziland last year when it failed to protect workers rights and freedom of expression. Thousands of jobs have been lost as factories struggle to stay open.

The politics of Lesotho continue to be intertwined with infighting between the countrys police force and army, says NKC African Economics' analyst Gary van Staden.



"I do not see a short-term solution," he said. "The economic impact will come if there is an issue between bilateral and unilateral donors to Lesotho and what is happening in the political environment at the moment, because any withholding of aid is going to be fairly catastrophic for Lesotho."



Prime Minister Mosisili has dismissed U.S. and European criticism on June 8 saying the main principle guiding countries relations is that they should desist from interfering in each others internal or domestic affairs.
U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi warned other Democratic lawmakers on Saturday not TO answer their phones or read incoming text messages after she received a deluge of "obscene and sick" calls and texts following a hacker's release of personal information about nearly 200 lawmakers.

A computer hacker who calls himself Guccifer 2.0 has posted statements online saying he carried out two breaches of U.S. Democratic Party organizations - the latest release of personal data and last month's disclosure of Democratic leaders' private email messages.

Pages maintained by the hacker on Wordpress.com were updated Friday to display email addresses, personal cellphone numbers, home addresses and other personal information. The disclosures were about 194 former and present members of Congress, their schedulers and their press secretaries, among others.

Reports such as Pelosi's indicate the information may be genuine, but not for long.

The House Democratic leader said she is changing her telephone number, and she advised her colleagues to do the same.

"This is a sad course of events, not only for us, but more importantly, for our country," Pelosi said.

Justifying his actions, the hacker said the U.S. presidential election this year is "becoming a farce." Referring to the earlier intrusion at the Democratic National Committee, which revealed that party operatives may have improperly favored Hillary Clinton during the primary elections that preceded last month's nominating convention, Guccifer wrote that the hack showed that "everything is being settled behind the scenes."

The 20,000 emails that were exposed included a number of private notes showing that DNC officials were sharply critical of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton's main opponent in the party's nominating contest. Many of the Vermont senator's supporters were enraged by what they as evidence that the party was tipping the scales in favor of Clinton.



The hacker stated that the latest penetration of the Democratic Party's computer network was not difficult, noting that finding lawmakers' personal data "was even easier than in the case of the DNC breach."

Although the contact information that was exposed did not appear to be damaging or greatly embarrassing, lawmakers are concerned that their personal emails are now at risk.

Congressman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, was to hold a conference call with lawmakers and cybersecurity experts Saturday evening, The Associated Press reported.

Guccifer's blog post included a screen shot of an email sent from a DCCC official enclosing passwords - which the hacker noted were shockingly simple - to access certain tax databases.

Several campaign documents were also posted, including one recounting an incident where a congressman was forced to return a previously accepted check for $200,000 from a single donor, saying he was not aware of the federal rule limiting election contributions to $2,700 per person.

Democratic Party officials have said they believe Russia was behind both of their computer breaches, and this has heightened suspicions that Moscow is trying to influence the U.S. presidential election in favor of Republican candidate Donald Trump.


In a signal of a revival in ties between India and the Maldives, the president of the Indian Ocean island country committed to what he called an India-first policy on a two-day visit to New Delhi.

During talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Monday, the two countries sought to put behind a recent spell of cooler ties. India was seen backing former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed and Chinese influence was perceived to be on the rise in the country that lies along important shipping routes in the Indian Ocean.

Six agreements signed by the two countries include a defense cooperation pact which New Delhi hopes will revive its strategic clout in the Maldives.

Modi underlined New Delhis readiness to protect its interests in the region.

The strong friendship between our two countries is important for peace and security in the entire Indian Ocean. India understands its responsibility as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean, he said.

Saying the two countries share a common perspective, the Maldivian president said that is why the Maldives pursues an India first foreign policy. The security of the Maldives is intimately linked with the security of India.

Last year, Prime Minister Modi canceled a trip to the Maldives amid a downturn in ties over political turmoil triggered by the arrest of former president Nasheed, a pro-India leader ousted in 2012.

Analysts, however, say India was prompted to repair ties with the Maldives government amid concerns over a bid by China to deepen security ties and increase its investments with strategic Indian Ocean countries such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Beijings investments in infrastructure projects in the archipelago have increased significantly since Yameen took power.

The two countries also agreed to cooperate in counterterrorism amid concerns that there has been a surge in young people from the Maldives leaving for West Asia to join Islamic State.

The Maldivian president said his countrys economy is in distress and opportunities are needed for the desperate and restless youth. Yameen warned that otherwise this part of the world is right open to radicalism, to militant exercises by the youth across the borders.

The Maldivian opposition is unhappy that New Delhi is repairing ties with Yameen, saying India should have reprimanded him over the arrest of Nasheed, who has been convicted on terrorism charges. Campaigners have also been pressing for travel bans and sanctions against top Maldivian officials to press them to restore democracy.

In New Delhi, Yameen lobbied India for support to thwart such moves, saying his government is upholding the rule of law. We look at India for continued support in preventing any unfair, any punitive action by the CMAG (Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group) on the Maldives.
Thousands of jubilant Syrian civilians returned Saturday to the ruined northern city of Manbij, a day after U.S.-backed fighters drove the last Islamic State extremists from their stronghold near the Turkish border.

Video from Kurdistan 24 television showed scores of vehicles making their way through rubble-strewn streets. Then came crowds of men, women and children, returning on foot from the countryside, where they took refuge while fighters from the Syria Democratic Forces fought to liberate the once-tranquil city.

Smiling men cut off their beards and women burned black niqab veils, reversing rules imposed by Islamic State fighters during the time they occupied the area. Women hugged fighters from the SDF, and others celebrated by smoking cigarettes, another activity banned by extremists.

Scores of children waved to cameras recording the spectacle.

A spokesman for a local military council allied with the SDF told Reuters that "today is the first day that life is returning to normal."

IS abandoned the city

Extremists abandoned the city Friday, retreating toward the IS-controlled border town of Jarabulus along with nearly two thousand civilians.

It was not immediately clear whether those non-combatants exited Manbij as hostages or whether they had left voluntarily. But witnesses said many of the civilians had returned to the city in the hours after the extremists left.

Manbij was a strategically important link in supply lines to Islamic State's headquarters in Syria in Raqqa. Analysts said its loss is a major setback for the extremists, who have sought to establish an Islamist "caliphate" in large parts of Iraq and Syria.

While Manbij was occupied, U.S. officials say, it also was the place where Islamic State members processed foreigners trying to join the extremist movement.

The SDF was formed with U.S. backing in 2015, when Arab fighters joined forces with powerful Kurdish militias. With U.S. air cover, SDF fighters moved on Manbij in May, as part of a strategy to expel extremists from their strongholds near the Turkish border.

U.S. defense officials said Friday that IS fighters planted explosives in hundreds of buildings, including "key pieces of civic infrastructure," before they fled from Manbij.

Coalition officials also voiced concern over the possible presence of Islamic State sleeper cells, whose fighters masquerading as civilians could stage surprise attacks later against SDF forces.

In photos: Manbij residents return after IS driven out
A court in the impoverished former Soviet republic of Moldova has sentenced former prime minister Vlad Filat to nine years in prison after finding him guilty of corruption and abuse of power while in office.

Filat  prime minister from 2009 to 2013  was arrested last year during a parliamentary session after months of public protests sparked by the disappearance from three banks of $1 billion  nearly 13 percent of the tiny country's annual GDP. His successor later lost a parliamentary vote of confidence.

Accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes linked to the disappearance, Filat also faces related charges in a separate case that has not yet gone to trial.

Filat's pro-European coalition had long been linked to the country's most powerful oligarch, Vladimir Plahotniuc, who is accused of running the country through bribes and intimidation.

Filat has denied any connection to the bank fraud and claims the charges against him are politically motivated. Prosecutors, speaking at the conclusion of the closed trial, told reporters they will pursue further cases against Filat, saying "his guilt is clear."

Monday's sentence stems from the 2015 Central Bank discovery that three commercial banks had granted loans worth $1 billion in 2014 to recipients who have not yet been publicly identified.

The embezzlement came to light just before Moldova signed a landmark association agreement with the European Union.
This past June, 30-year-old Mikah Meyer set out from Washington, DC on a roadtrip across America to visit the more than 400 sites within the U.S. National Park system. And VOA has been following him as he travels from state to state.

Thanks to the stunning photographs and videos Mikah and his travel companion Andy Waldron have been sending us, we have a virtual front row seat to some of the most amazing landscapes within the U.S. national park system. As one observer recently noted, its almost as good as being there.

Mikahs latest adventure across the northern states took him from the lush land and sparkling waterscapes of Minnesota to the open prairies of North Dakota.

The Great Plains

Mikah said he was super excited" to get to North Dakota because he believes many people like himself have little understanding of the state and often dont even know where it is on a U.S. map. So for me personally I was really excited to discover the unknown.

Anyone can love the mountains but it takes a soul to love the Prairie, wrote Willa Sibert Cather, an American author who wrote about frontier life on the Great Plains. Mikah says he thought about that line often as he visited some of those weathered grasslands during his visit to several sites in North Dakota.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park features a seemingly endless expanse of prairie and badlands -- heavily eroded, horizontal rock formations -- which Mikah discovered change color depending on the weather and angle of the sun.

What I've never understood about the geology there is that essentially it was the Great Plains just like everything else, and then it eroded to expose all of this amazing geology, Mikah explained.

Also referred to as the North Dakota Badlands, the area is home to an ecologically diverse collection of animals including bison, feral horses, elk, deer and prairie dogs.

Mikah recalled how thrilled he was when a giant bison (pronounced bizon by the locals) trotted along the side of a road where he was parked on a recent windy day, paused for a brief moment to take a look at him, and kept moving.

The conservation president

The park is named after U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt, who -- as a skinny young man from New York -- traveled to the Dakota Territory in September,1883, to hunt bison. By the end of his 10-day hunting trip, he had purchased a ranch and entered the cattle business.

It was during this time that he fell in love with a place he once described as "a land of vast silent spaces, a place of grim beauty." Roosevelt's time in North Dakota reinforced his interest in conservation; a passion that ultimately influenced his policies as president.

He could not have imagined how his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation, reads the National Park Service web page in describing the man who would become Americas 26th president. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that TR (Theodore Roosevelt) experienced here would help shape a conservation policy that we still benefit from today.

During his time in the White House, Roosevelt established many national parks, wildlife refuges, forests and monuments, and supported the idea of an agency that would manage them. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act which created the National Park Service, bringing Roosevelt's vision to reality.

Native American influence

North (and South) Dakota got their names from the Dakota tribe that called the area home. Dakota is also the Sioux Indian word for "friend."

That Native American presence could be felt everywhere during his journey across North Dakota, Mikah said, and especially at the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site.

What was especially interesting about this place is it was the first fur trading post in the area and it was also the most successful one, he said. It ran for 39 years, all with peaceful operations. So for me it was really interesting to see how all these different cultures came together over their shared economic prosperity, he added.

Native American influence was also evident at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic site, where visitors can explore the history of the Northern Plains Indians.

The tribes living in the Upper Missouri River Valley developed unique circular earthlodges to fit their sedentary lifestyle. Mikah said it was fascinating to learn how they lived on the river bluffs during the summer, which allowed them to monitor the movement of the bison herds. In the winter the tribes moved down to the river, where there was shelter, firewood and more game.

They were in essence farmers living in villages along the Missouri and its tributaries. The area was a major Native American trade center for hundreds of years, prior to becoming an important marketplace for fur traders after 1750.

Coming attractions

In the coming days, Mikah and his travel companion Andy Waldron plan to head back east to Minnesota and then on to Wisconsin. To follow Mikah and learn more about the places hes traveling to, he invites you to visit him on his website.
A top Pakistani official is expressing optimism about restarting the stalled Afghan peace talks, but there are no signs that Kabul is ready to rejoin the process.

Sartaj Aziz, the foreign policy adviser to Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, told reporters on Friday that the peace talks, which were scuttled in 2015 by news of Taliban leader Mullah Omars death and subsequently by Mullah Mansoor's death in 2016, could resume in the coming weeks.

When asked about Aziz's assessment Saturday, Dawa Khan Menapal, a deputy spokesperson for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, said that Pakistan still must demonstrate its commitment to the peace process by taking action against militants that launch attacks in Afghanistan.

"Pakistan needs to act on the promises it made in the quadrilateral meetings. Unless and until that happens, we will continue to pursue our current stand in regards to peace talks," said Dawa Khan Menapal, President Ghanis deputy spokesperson.

The last quadrilateral meeting was held in May and included representatives from the U.S., Afghan, Pakistani and Chinese governments. Taliban representatives refused to join.

During the talks, Pakistan pledged to crack down on militant groups that launch attacks in Afghanistan. For many years, Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of differentiating between "good terrorists" who launch attacks against Afghan and foreign troops, and "bad terrorists" who also attack Pakistani targets.

"Pakistan must prove it by action that its against all militants and it no long differentiates between good and bad terrorists," said Dawa Khan Menapal.

He indicated that until that happens, the Afghan government will not participate in the talks.

Trust deficit

Last month Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told leaders at a NATO Summit in Warsaw that all regional countries are on board to bring stability to Afghanistan  except Pakistan.

"Our regional initiatives with neighbors are beginning to yield significant cooperative dividends. The exception is with Pakistan. Despite clear commitments to a quadrilateral peace process, their dangerous distinction between good and bad terrorists is being maintained in practice," Ghani told the summit.

Upon assuming power in 2014, President Ghani vowed to start a new chapter in relations with Islamabad, one based on mutual trust and confidence building.

In July 2015, that appeared to be on track with the so-called "Murree Talks", which marked the first ever direct official talks between Taliban and the Afghan government. The talks were hosted in Pakistan, and were viewed as the fruit of the new attitude by leaders in Islamabad and Kabul. The second round of talks were postponed when the news of Mullah Omars death broke.

In 2016, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States launched new efforts to restart the stalled peace talks. The so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group met five times in Kabul and Islamabad, without Taliban representatives present.

Pakistani Crackdown Sufficient?

Retired General Talat Masood believes that Pakistan has done enough in tackling militant groups and the country can only do so much without endangering its own security.

"Pakistans view point is that we are doing more than what we could and if we do anything more than that, we will have to fight them all," said General Masood. "That we [Pakistan] do not want because we are already engaged with our own war. We do not want to fight the Afghan war in any case."

Masood added that should Pakistan increase its pressure on Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, they will join hands with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and that will pose greater risk to both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Anthony H. Cordesman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies believes that while Pakistan has not illustrated any meaningful efforts, it is also important to remember that Taliban have continuously denied peace talks and talks have over time become an extension of the fighting verses a solution.

" It is critical to note that the new head of the Taliban has specifically rejected peace negotiations and in many cases like this peace negotiations have simply become an extension of the fighting -- not a solution," Cordesman said.

General Masood believes that with Taliban capturing territory in Afghanistan and having made military gains in recent months and years, Pakistan no longer has much influence on them.

"They [Taliban] think that they are quite independent. They have territory within Afghanistan. They can launch attacks from Afghanistan. They have the support of certain segments of the Afghan people and they can keep fighting," Masood said.

But Afghan analyst General Atiqullah Amarkhil believes that Pakistan risks becoming isolated by declining to aggressively confront all militant groups.

"Pakistan ought to cease its covert support to insurgents in Afghanistan and continue its crackdown on terrorists and extremists in its soil or else the country will risk a total isolation from the international community," Amarkhil said.

Long Road for Crucial Peace Process

The peace process has long been seen as a way to end the war in Afghanistan that all sides see as essentially stalemated.

After nearly 15 years of war, Afghanistan's military still requires significant assistance from U.S. and NATO troops, its government depends on foreign financial support, and the Taliban insurgency continues to grind away at government control in pockets across the country.

Rebecca Zimmerman of Rand Corporation says the peace process has been slow, but that is not unusual.

"The road to any peace agreement in any country has steps forward and steps backward. Thats a natural part of the process and it has to be," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman added "I by no mean think that the future of peace talks in Afghanistan is completely gone, but in the form of the quadrilateral coordination group, I think they are gone for the foreseeable future."
Pakistani officials say the crew members of a Pakistani helicopter that crash landed in Afghanistan earlier this month have been released by their captors and the crew has returned home safely.

A Foreign Ministry statement Saturday said "The six-member crew of Punjab government helicopter that went missing in Afghanistan on 4th August 2016 has been recovered and arrived in Islamabad today."

The statement said all six crew members, five Pakistanis and a Russian navigator, are "safe and in good health."

Authorities said earlier this month the crew was in the custody of the Taliban.

The Russian-made MI-17 aircraft took off from the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar for the central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan, but developed "a technical fault" on the way, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing across the Afghan border.

Villagers said the helicopter caught fire immediately after touching the ground and all the men onboard survived the accident before they were captured and taken away by unknown armed men.

The accident happened in the remote district of the Afghan province of Logar.
The polio virus struck Nigeria just as the country was set to celebrate an important anniversary this week - two years of being polio free. Now two children infected by polio are paralyzed for life.

The virus attacked in Borno, a northern state that borders Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Borno is where Boko Haram militants have their stronghold.

It's also a place where, at times, being a polio vaccine worker is dangerous. Fighting in this area makes it difficult to get all children vaccinated. And in the past, traditional leaders mistrusted vaccine workers.



Watch video report:

Some vaccine workers were killed, and "that derailed the [vaccination] effort in Nigeria, according to Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, a former chairman of Nigeria's Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication.

That was a time, less than a dozen years ago, when polio virus from Nigeria was spreading into other parts of Africa.

"Nigeria exported the virus to several other countries," Pate told VOA in an interview.

Eradication program

The physician, who now works in the U.S. with Duke University's Global Health Institute, said the Nigerian task force worked to establish trust with local leaders and parents who were wary of vaccinations. Since then, the polio eradication program has won wide support in northern Nigeria as well as in other parts of Africa's most populous nation.

Though now based in the U.S., Pate says health-care workers in his home country have maintained that trust with local communities. He continues to help combat polio in Nigeria through the Chigari Foundation, which he established in 2014 with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

As recently as August 10, Pate said he was hopeful that he would still see the end of polio, not just in Nigeria, but in all of Africa, by next year. But then he learned the following day that two new cases of polio were confirmed, and realized than ending the crippling disease in Nigeria will now take at least three more years.

"My reaction to this painful setback is that Nigeria should face up to the challenge and address gaps in parts of the North East. Polio can be eradicated, and Nigeria has already demonstrated what it can do if all hands are on deck. The [Nigerian] president should declare this an emergency and lead personally to ensure all children are immunized repeatedly in the affected areas," Pate said in an e-mail to VOA.

In fact, the U.S. government is taking action through the Centers for Disease Control, which provides technical support to Nigeria. John Vertefeuille heads the CDC's polio eradication program. In a Skype interview, he said the Nigerian government is set to begin an intense immunization campaign in Borno starting August 15.

And while the news of the new polio infections was disappointing, Vertefeuille said it is part of the process of looking very closely at the surveillance - making sure that nothing was missed, and recognizing that sometimes these things do come up.

Vertefeuille says the Nigerian government's response to the two new cases has been "fast and strong."



Progress made

Five entities are involved with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative: The World Health Organization, UNICEF, Rotary International's PolioPlus program, the Centers for Disease Control and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. All have pledged continuing support to the Nigerian government's program to wipe out polio.

Despite this week's disappointing news from Nigeria, having only two cases in two years is still significant. As recently as 2012, more than half of all polio cases worldwide occurred in Nigeria.

The campaign to eradicate polio throughout the globe is close to reaching its goals. From a time about 70 years ago when polio would kill or cripple up to a half-million people a year, only 23 cases have been reported worldwide so far this year. Most of those are in Pakistan or Afghanistan, and those countries also are making progress in their anti-polio efforts.

Pate says the effort to end polio exemplifies what a global partnership can actually accomplish. The challenge is not to let this opportunity slip away.
Graduate from the National Law School, Bangalore, with a PhD from Oxford University and a Master's from Harvard Law School, Guruswamy, 41, started her own practice in Delhi in 2009; previously worked on a petition with T.S.R. Subramanian and 86 other bureaucrats for transparency and accountability in relationship between the executive and bureaucracy; defended a provision in the Right to Education Act mandating that all private schools admit disadvantaged children; currently appointed amicus curiae in a case looking into 1,528 extra-judicial killings by police or armed forces in Manipur.

I think Amartya Sen once said that freedom is all very well, but you also have to have the capability to exercise freedom. In many ways, the Constitution is an interesting instrument in capacity-building for all citizens. It's a radical idea. Traditionally, in Indian society, you had enhanced capacity for a few and diminished capacity for the majority; women were meant to have diminished capacity, as were the lower castes and religious minorities. But the Constitution would ensure enhanced capacity for everyone. We would all be entitled to achieve our true potential and it would set up that moral code, a legally enforceable doctrine which the courts would interpret and the executive would implement.

I've had a diverse, across-the-board litigating practice, but I would hope that some of the cases I've fought, whether regarding the right to education, bureaucratic reforms, Section 377, challenging vigilantism in Chhattisgarh or extrajudicial executions, are in small ways chipping away at things that shackle freedom. Freedom is conventionally, in its western conception, thought of as expression, speech, writing. It certainly is all of that, but it is also about education, healthcare, food, access to movement, employment and opportunity. Freedom is opportunity. The caste system is about restricted opportunity, the Constitution is about extraordinary opportunity. Freedom in its simplest version, is just being allowed to fly, and in its more pragmatic version, in India, it's about breaking the chains, so that you can fly.

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Freedom of education ensures people can conceive of different ways of imagining their potential, perhaps differently from how their parents or grandparents imagined theirs. There is tremendous amount of opportunity in private schools. Obviously these are elitist, well-resourced oases. But it's also true that some of the children in these institutions rarely have the opportunity to meet their fellow citizens. And that's a loss both ways. The thing about diversity is that it presumes that the marginalised are enriched, it does not understand that the privileged are also enriched. And the Right to Education Act is about both those things. It is about breaking down islands of privilege, but it is also about enabling conversations, friendships and fraternity.

The Azim Premji foundation was the only private body that actually came forward to defend the act. They thought the idea of an amalgamation of Indians studying together was a wonderful and principled thing. We live in a country of lineages and clan-based alliances-whether political or business dynasties, caste-based voting. The idea that we can stand up for different castes, class and creeds can only be implemented in schools, when you form those friendships. That's why the freedom project has to be implemented at the primary school level, not when you're standing for your first election and are suddenly expected not to play the caste or religion card.

(As told to Asmita Bakshi)

--- ENDS ---
Somalia has officially released new poll dates for the 2016 elections.



In a statement, Omar Mohamed Abdulle, chairman of the Somalias election commission announced on Sunday that the countrys 2016 presidential election will take place on October 30.



The commission said the election of 275-member Lower House will be from September 24 to October 10 while the election of Upper House should be completed by September 25.



More than 14,000 delegates representing Somalia clans will cast their votes for members of the Lower House, while the regional states will select the members of the Upper House.



The incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud is among dozens of candidates vying for the post of president, who will be elected by new lawmakers.

The term of the president expires on September 10, but according to a source, the speaker of parliament has approved a new resolution agreed by the national leaders forum to extend the term for the president until election day in October.
South Sudan's information minister says the government in Juba would soon meet to decide on a way forward following a decision by the U.N. Security Council authorizing a 4,000-member regional protection force for the capital, Juba.

The authorization follows heavy fighting last month in Juba that left hundreds of people dead, including two Chinese peacekeepers, raising fears of a return to civil war. The U.N. peacekeeping force in South Sudan was criticized for failing to protect civilians at U.N. sites.

The council Friday adopted the U.S.-drafted resolution that also threatens an arms embargo on South Sudan's government if it does not cooperate with the deployment. The vote was 11 in favor with four abstentions -- China, Russia, Egypt and Venezuela.

The troops would be deployed to Juba, and are authorized to "use all necessary means, including undertaking robust action where necessary" to enforce their mandate.

But South Sudans information minister, Michael Makuei, says the Security Councils decision is a violation of the sovereignty of South Sudan. He says the decision also undermines the peace agreement signed last year to end the countrys conflict.

The resolution taken by the U.N. Security Council is in flagrant violation of the rights of a member of the U.N. body. It amounts to an intervention and this is very clear in the terms even though the penholder tried to play with the words. But, nevertheless it is a clear case of intervention. And it is a clear case of disregard of [the] sovereignty of a member state, and] that is even against provisions of the U.N. CharterThe fact that the resolution is taken by the U.N. does not necessarily mean that it must be as it is , said Makuei.

But critics of the administration say the U.N. resolution is just an affirmation of a recently-held regional meeting of leaders from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This, after supporters of Riek Machar, the replaced first vice president of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), welcomed the U.N. resolution as a positive step.

This is misleading It is complete disregard of the resolution of the IGAD and the IGAD Plus summit which was held on [August] 5th . It is a complete diversion and it is a misleading report and it is misleading to say that you are conforming with the decision. Because, in the IGAD summit plus, it did not provide for whatever figures, it did not provide for intelligence, it did not provide for the taking over of Juba airport [and] it did not provide for all these, said Makuei.

The government will sit and it will come out with the official position, he added.

Makuei also denies local media reports suggesting that President Salva Kiir has announced South Sudan would not cooperate with the U.N. following the resolution. He says the resolution will not do the implementation of last years peace accord signed between President Kiir and Riek Machar. The accord was aimed at resolving South Sudans recent conflict. Makuei says the situation in Juba is calm despite reports of ongoing clashes between the army and other armed groups

The resolution has even thrown away the agreement. The resolution is not in conformity with the provisions of the agreement. So there are a lot of issues to be discussed here, said Makuei.

The situation in Juba is normal it is only those who send in this fictitious reports with the aim of interfering in the affairs of South Sudan that are rendering these reports There has not been any fighting anywhere near Juba, but nevertheless there are certain individuals with their own ulterior objectives who keep on reporting that there is insecurity in Juba. And that there is insecurity at the airport at the time when the planes are landing at the airport, the busiest international airport, is Juba international airport.
Thai officials are searching for those responsible for 11 small bomb attacks that killed four people and wounded dozens of others in several key tourist towns Thursday night and Friday morning.

Police have said they do not suspect international Islamic militant groups were behind the attacks, instead calling them "acts of sabotage" likely carried out by a local group with a political agenda. Some officials have blamed elements in Thailand's Muslim insurgency in the country's deep south, but no group has claimed responsibility.

The bombings took place on the 84th birthday of Thailand's Queen Sirikit, a national holiday, and one of the blasts occurred in the beach resort town Hua Hin, where the king and queen have a palace. Thailand's military junta, which has run the country since its 2014 coup, sees itself as protectors of the monarchy.

The junta has cracked down on student activists and opposition political groups who have publicly criticized military generals for intervening in the country's political process. Since taking power, the junta also has come under heavy criticism from international rights groups for banning public protests, detaining political activists for "re-education" sessions at military-run camps, and tightening controls over the news media.

Last week, the military government's draft of a new charter was approved by voters in a nationwide referendum. Critics had slammed the vote as unfair because the military prohibited public campaigning on the issue ahead of the polls.

Thailand's military government seized power in a bloodless coup in 2014, arguing that it needed to stabilize the country after weeks of anti-government protests against the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Thai leaders have said they plan to return the country to democratic rule under a new constitution, but have declined to give a firm timetable for the transition.
Afghanistan was on the brink of a civil war when both presidential candidates claimed victory in the 2014 run-off election, which outside observers called flawed by fraud and irregularities led to a contested result.

The impasse was only resolved after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry brokered a compromise power-sharing agreement and a pledge to reform the country's electoral system.

Two years later, the country's two top leaders remain deadlocked over the electoral reforms, stalling the already overdue parliamentarian elections and raising worries over the next presidential contest in 2019.

Since taking office, President Ashraf Ghani has issued two presidential decrees to introduce electoral reforms. Both have been rejected by the legislative branch, and some analysts say that is largely due to supporters of Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Ghani's rival, who remain opposed to the changes.

The presidents office is reportedly crafting a third decree, and may try to bypass the parliament with an executive decree under article 79 of the constitution while the parliament is in its summer recess. The constitution allows the executive branch to bypass the legislative branch when the parliament is in recess and at times of emergency.

A spokesperson for President Ghani told VOA that the second vice president Sarwar Danesh is heading a commission that is preparing the text of the third executive decree.

The Afghan government remains committed to bringing change and reform in the countrys electoral system. We have continuously worked to that end, said Dawa Khan Menapal, deputy spokesperson to the presidential palace.



The latest is that Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court and the Commission of Constitution Supervision has advised the president that in the absence of the parliament, the constitution allows him to issue an executive order which does not require the approval of the law makers, said Menapal.

Ignoring millions of people

On Thursday, while talking to a group of Afghan youth, Abdullah appeared frustrated over the process and publicly accused Ghani of not expediting the reform process.

Ignoring our opinion is ignoring the opinion of millions of constituents that we represent. I would like to be very clear to the people of Afghanistan. The past couple of days a series of events were set in motion which prompted me to call the president, Abdullah told the gathering. I told the president that there is need for a serious discussion which will serve as the foundation for all other discussions and clarify everything."

Why do we still not have electoral reforms? Is it my fault? We have promised to the people about electoral reforms. We have tens of other meetings, but when it comes to election reforms, a meeting is called every four months," he added.

On Friday, Ghani's office called Abdullahs remarks counterproductive.

Unfortunately Abdullah Abdullahs recent remarks were not in line with the spirit and principles that shape the foundation of governance because governance is premised on legal principles and enacted accordingly, said Haroon Chakhansuri, Ghanis spokesperson. National Unity Government will continue to work and a series of effective and serious discussions will soon be held in regards to his [Abdullah's] remarks.

Jan Dad Speenghar, former head of the Free and Fair Elections Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) who in 2015 was tapped to head the election reform commission, believes that the president has the legal ability to push through the reforms via executive decree, but doing so could lead to even more political gridlock if both sides are not onboard with the decree.

If an executive decree is issued in regards to the implementation of electoral reform law, the government is not obligated to send it for legislative approval, Speenghar said. In general the legal path is paved and clear for electoral law to be enacted what remains as a potential point of concern is the political path that we hope will not lead to a gridlock.

'We were let down'

Analysts believe that after flawed elections in 2009 and 2014, Afghanistan needs to restore credibility to the polls.

Previous elections in Afghanistan have unfortunately created a mindset amongst the political class that if they have influence in election commissions, they can safeguard their interests and if not they may not be the winners even if they have the votes of the entire country, Speenghar said.

"The observing entities, civil society and the international community all have a role to play to have a relative balance in the commission. Neutrality and qualification for the members of the commission should be upheld. Political influence in commissions is inevitable in current situation, even if we have half neutral members, we will still have an achievement," he said.

Noor Mohammad Noor, spokesperson of the Independent Election Commission (IEC), believes that neither leader is interested in election reform and both are looking to retain influence inside the election commission for future elections.

Lawmakers realize that both leaders and those outside the government constantly try to gain access to the election commission to turn election in to selection and send their favorite people to parliament to gain political leverage, Noor said. This will have a huge toll on democracy in Afghanistan which will not be amendable.

Sardar Mohammad, a resident of Kabul believes that everyone so far has failed to gain the trust of the public.

Ordinary people are paying the ultimate price in all of this. We have put ourselves in real risk to cast a vote. We had our fingers cut by the Taliban for voting, we faced threats but we still voted and believed in democracy. We were let down, Mohammad said.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) seized full control Friday of the Islamic State stronghold of Manbij, near the Turkish border, a spokesman for the group said.

SDF told Reuters its forces were sweeping the city after the last Islamic State (IS) militants in the city fled.

The U.S.-backed forces had also freed more than 2,000 civilian hostages whom IS had been using as human shields, Sharfan Darwish of the SDF-allied Manbij Military Council said.

"The city is now fully under our control but we are undertaking sweeping operations," Darwish told Reuters.

Earlier Friday, Gordon Trowbridge, Pentagon deputy press secretary, told reporters in Washignton, ISIL is clearly on the ropes and called the imminent fall of Manbij "the latest significant milestone in the coalitions efforts to cut off and eliminate a hub of ISIL activity.

Key hub

U.S. and coalition officials have long seen Manbij as a key hub for the terror group.

They said the city served as both a processing center for incoming foreign fighter and a pivotal cog in the groups external operations from which fighters would be sent to plot and carry out attacks on the West.

It is also the latest significant milestone in the coalitions efforts to cut off and eliminate a hub of ISIL activity," Trowbridge said. The fall of Manbij will do real damage to IS capabilities in both areas, he added.

Yet even with Syrian Democratic Forces in control, it will likely take some time before the city is fully secured.

Coalition officials and troops on the ground have voiced concern about the possibility of IS sleeper cells, poised to attack coalition-backed troops when the opportunity arises  a tactic IS used previously in Fallujah and Ramadi.

Booby-trapped city

The city has also been laced with booby traps and explosives.

U.S. defense officials said IS fighters planted IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in hundreds of buildings, including what Trowbridge described as key pieces of civic infrastructure, before they left.

Syrian Democratic Forces began operations to liberate Manbij, backed by U.S. and coalition airstrikes on May 21, 2016.

Since then, U.S. officials said they have liberated 1,000 square kilometers of Syrian territory from IS control, while destroying more than 50 IS heavy weapons, 600 fortified fighting positions and more than 150 IS battle vehicles.

In that same time, U.S. officials said coalition jets carried out 650 precision strikes on IS targets.
The U.S. government declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico on Friday responding to widespread transmission of the Zika virus.

Following his visit to the island territory this week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy predicted that one fourth of Puerto Rico's 3.5 million residents will be infected by the end of 2016.

Puerto Rico reported 1,914 new cases in the past week, bringing the total to 10,690 since the first case reported in December. More than 1, 000 of the total cases have been pregnant women.

But experts fear the real number of infections may be higher. As many as eight of 10 people show no symptoms when infected and thus would not go to the doctor.

The state of emergency, requested by Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla, will allow the U.S. to allocate emergency funding to combat the virus in Puerto Rico, as well as deploy medical staff.

"Zika poses a hidden threat to future generations of Puerto Ricans, and I feel the responsibility to do everything in my power to fight the spread of it," Padilla said.

Although the virus is relatively mild in most cases, pregnant women who are infected with Zika risk giving birth to babies with a congenital defect called microcephaly, which causes an abnormally small head.
The U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services on Friday declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico because of the widespread transmission of the Zika virus, which poses a "significant threat" to public health.

The statement came at the request of Alejandro Garcia Padilla, governor of the U.S. commonwealth, where the Zika virus is spreading rapidly, threatening hundreds of pregnant women and their unborn babies and women of childbearing age.

The declaration will allow HHS to provide added support to the government of Puerto Rico to address the outbreak on the island.

Specifically, declaration allows the government of Puerto Rico to apply for funding to hire and train unemployed workers to assist in vector control and outreach and education efforts through the U.S. Department of Labors National Dislocated Worker Grant program.

It also allows Puerto Rico to temporarily reassign public health workers funded through Public Health Service Act programs to assist in the Zika response.

As of Aug. 12, the Puerto Rico health department has had 10,690 laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika, including infections in 1,035 pregnant women. It believes the actual number of infections is likely higher because most people with Zika infections have no symptoms and might not seek testing.
As the first U.S. president with familial ties to Africa, President Barack Obama has left a mark and a legacy on the continent. Among his signature achievements is Power Africa, which aims to add 60 million new electrical connections to light up the continent.

Obama also launched the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), which mentors and funds projects for ambitious young people. He has also helped expand trade to the continent and has visited sub-Saharan Africa four times, more than any other U.S. president.

But as Africans closely watch this year's presidential race, they are wondering what the policy of either party's candidate  Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton or Republican candidate Donald Trump  would look like toward the region.

African policy has not been a priority topic on the campaign trail for either candidate, but each has advisers who offer hints at how they would approach Africa as president.

Clinton offers continuation

Tom Daschle, former Senate majority leader and a Clinton supporter, said Clintons relationship with the continent runs deep, especially with the Clinton Foundation, which has worked to fight AIDS and supports educational initiatives.

Hillary and Bill Clinton have really made a commitment to Africa and the relationship between our continents for a long time, Daschle said. The Clinton Foundation has been extremely active in Africa, and so we think it really represents a new chapter for the relationship. We are very really bullish and very optimistic about what it could mean.

He also said Clinton would have a very different perspective on immigration than her opponent, who has pledged to halt immigration for Muslims and for people coming from areas of the world with high instances of terror.

I think its night and day when it comes to immigration, Daschle said. We believe in immigration. We think that immigration is really the reason why we celebrate the diversity and the strength that is America. And the more we can embrace immigration, the more we believe we have an opportunity to help create stability around the world, in addition to enhancing their own diversity.

Trump's counterterrorism efforts

Trump has made little mention of Africa in his campaign appearances.

The closest Africa has come to being a hot topic was when Trump mispronounced the nation of Tanzania when speaking about terrorism. Additionally, some animal-rights activists have protested the fact that two of Trumps sons go on hunting trips to shoot big game in Africa.

Walid Phares, a Lebanese-American foreign policy analyst and adviser to the Trump campaign, said he has met with ambassadors from about 50 countries and addressed their concerns.

We confirmed that a Trump administration would show solidarity with Africa, Phares told VOA.

He said Trump will be eager to form security partnerships with African countries to combat shared enemies such as extremist groups. Many African countries, including Libya, Mali and Tunisia, have seen their security situation erode, Phares said, adding that he believes they are hungry for a stronger commitment to fighting terror from the White House.

Africans like Obama, for sure, but his foreign policy was not good for Africans and Sahel countries feel they were not part of this policy, Phares said. They would rather go now with a Trump administration. Without security, there is no economy.

2016 party platforms

Each of the two parties mention policy toward Africa in official party platforms introduced and voted on at the party conventions.

The Democratic Party platform promises to improve capabilities in crisis response and provide protection of civilians with an emphasis on women and girls.

They promise to continue Obamas initiative to combat wildlife trafficking and make counterterrorism efforts a priority.

We will work to end the reign of terror promulgated by Boko Haram, al-Shabab, AQIM and ISIS, the platform reads.

Terrorism is similarly important to the Republican Party, which states in its platform: We urge governments throughout the continent to recognize this threat to their own people. We support closer cooperation in both military and economic matters with those on the front lines of civilizations battle against the forces of evil.

Other GOP promises include the extension of health care support throughout the continent until 2025. The initiatives include President George W. Bushs signature program to offer AIDS relief, known as PEPFAR, and funding to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Witney Schneidman, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution and adviser to Clinton on Africa, believes that no matter who wins, both parties can find common ground in their shared interest to help the continent.

Over the last two administrations, Bush and now Obama, theres been a tradition of bipartisanship when it comes to Africa, Schneidman said.

He pointed to the 2000 passage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act that received strong bipartisan support, which the Presidents Emergency Program For AIDS Relief did as well. Obamas efforts in Africa have similarly enjoyed broad support from both parties, he said.

I would expect into the next administration that many of these programs will continue and this bipartisan consensus will be sustained, Schneidman said.
Yemen's Houthi rebels gathered members of parliament in Sana'a Saturday for the first time in two years, in an attempt at asserting their dominance over the internationally recognized government.

In a statement released on state media, President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi condemned the session, which did not appear to have a quorum, calling it a "violation" of the constitution and warning that members of parliament present had committed a crime punishable by law.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition bombed a school in the Houthi-held Northern city of Sa'dah, killing at least 10 people people. Ten children were reported injured in the attack.

Hadi's government, which operates from the southern port city of Aden, has demanded that the Shi'ite rebels withdraw from all territory gained since hostilities erupted in September 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi fighters seized the capital, Sana'a, after years of allegations about government discrimination.

The United Nations suspended peace talks in the country last week, saying its peace envoy would negotiate separately with the two governments in the coming weeks before bringing them together.

The U.N. sponsored two rounds of peace talks last year, but those efforts collapsed in January after an outbreak of fierce combat that lasted for weeks.

Monitors say at least 6,500 people have been killed in the fighting, including more than 3,200 civilians.
At an all-party meet on Kashmir held on Friday, Modi had said that it was time when Pakistan is exposed for its atrocities on its own people in Balochistan and suppression in PoK.

By India Today Web Desk: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the diplomatic fight to Pakistan over abuse of human rights in Balochistan, activists in the Pakistani province on Saturday welcomed the stand. At an all-party meet on Kashmir held on Friday, Modi had said that it was time when Pakistan is exposed for its atrocities on its own people in Balochistan and suppression in PoK.

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'RAISE BALOCHISTAN AT UN'

The Baloch National Movement leader Hammal Haider Baloch said, "We welcome PM Modi's statement to support freedom movement of Balochistan. This is the first time ever that an Indian PM has expressed his wish to support the Baloch people. It is a very crucial decision."



#WATCH: Baloch leaders welcome PM Modi's statement on PoK and Balochistanhttps://t.co/OVmaSrlgiy ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

In response to Modi's indictment of Pakistan for bombing its own people in Balochistan, Haider further added, "The Baloch people share common interests with India. We are secular and believe in democratic principles. Pakistan butchers Sindhi political activists and supports religious groups which are threat to the world."



Another very prominent voice of Baloch movement Naela Qadri Baloch, who is World Baloch Women's Forum president, has expressed hope that India will raise Balochistan issue at the UN. She said, "We the people of Balochistan are suffering. We hope that you raise this issue in the UN session in September."

KASHMIR Vs BALOCHISTAN

Pakistan has been actively fomenting trouble in the Valley directly as well as through non-state actors. Islamabad has raised Kashmir issue on all the international fora accusing Indian security forces of violating human rights of people. Pakistani establishment openly praise terrorists operating in Kashmir. Intelligence agencies have found some evidence of cross-border support even in the ongoing wave of social unrest in the Valley.



#WATCH: Baloch leaders welcome PM Narendra Modi's statement on PoK and Balochistan.https://t.co/JucBnlg6yd ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016



To counter Pakistan's covert support to terrorism on Indian soil, PM suggested a counter-strategy of exposing Pakistan for its deeds in Balochistan. He also asked the External Affair Ministry officials to establish a channel of communication with the people of PoK living anywhere in the world. With enthusiastic response from Baloch leaders, Modi seems to have hit the bull's eye.

Also Read:

J-K unit of BJP calls for moral, political and financial support for freedom movement in PoK

Amid unrest, Jammu and Kashmir government rolls out 10,000 'Special Police Officer' jobs for youth

--- ENDS ---
Whatll you do when you get lonely, and nobodys waiting by your side? Travel to Iceland and catch some salmon, obviously. Thats what rock legend Eric Clapton decided to do, anyway, when he embarked on a fly-fishing trip to the Nordic country last week and reeled in a massive 28-pound, 42.5-inch salmon on the Vatnsdalsa River. Accompanied by a local guide, Claptons catch  which required him to rigorously run fast down the river for two and a half hours, and potentially move like the sea as well  measured to be the biggest salmon this year. Although he couldnt keep the salmon (the Vatnsdalsa has a strict catch-and-release policy), Clapton got to celebrate and pose with the ray-finned fish for a few minutes, and the photo is truly a sight to be seen. Proud angler alert!



Photo: Vatnsdalsa.is
Logans Roadhouse in Central Texas Marketplace has escaped the ax, with a spokesman confirming Saturday it would not close as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing the Tennessee-based restaurant chain announced last week.

Logans had said 18 underperforming locations around the country would be shuttered.

We can confirm that there are no locations impacted in the (Waco) area, Brad Jacobus, vice president of marketing, said in an email.

In other restaurant news related to the marketplace, West Loop 340 and Interstate 35, Waco attorney and businessman Dan McReynolds confirmed he has received the development rights for La Madeleine Country French Cafe in Colorado and in Waco and Tyler, and hopes to open La Madeleine in the marketplace by March 2017.

He said he has been joined by another Waco businessman, Gordon Robinson, in the pursuit of placing the upscale dining establishment in Waco and Tyler. He said they are collaborating to develop a strip center behind the La-Z-Boy furniture store near West Loop 340 and have a 145-seat, wood-and-stone La Madeleine anchor it.

We also want to have a progressive, fast-casual restaurant there with fun food offerings, McReynolds said. And well even have room for more occupants.

La Madeleine will operate near the vacant Twin Peaks building, the scene of a shootout between motorcycle bikers and law enforcement in May 2015 that left nine bikers dead and created headlines nationwide. The Twin Peaks franchisee had his license pulled by corporate headquarters, and the 7,869-square-foot building remains for sale.

Also nearby is Wacos Logans Roadhouse, part of a 260-restaurant chain that serves steaks and Southern-inspired entrees in a laid-back setting.

The company posted $605 million in revenue last year and a loss of $112 million before earnings, interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, including one-time restructuring charges, according to a statement it released in conjunction with the bankruptcy filing.

It blamed financial struggles on pressure being placed on the discretionary income of customers, correlating to depressed restaurant sales and reduced customer traffic. Logans said in a statement that its CEO, Sam Borgese, would leave the company, but it did not name an immediate replacement.

Founded in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1991, the company went public in 1995 and was sold to the Cracker Barrel chain in 1999.

LRI Holdings bought the company in 2006, and LRI currently is controlled by Kelso & Co., a private equity financing firm based in New York City.

Meanwhile, La Madeleine is part of Groupe Le Duff, a Franch restaurant conglomerate with holdings in Europe and America, consisting of more than 1,300 restaurants and bakeries. Besides La Madeleine, brand names include Kamps, Mimis Cafe, Pizza Del Arte, Timothys World Coffee, Brueggers and Brioche Doree.

The company was founded in 1976 by Louis Le Duff, whose son, Philippe Le Duff, lives in Dallas and has become friends with McReynolds.

Le Duff was in Waco this weekend to compete in the Xterra Off-Road Triathlon in Cameron Park, and spent some time with McReynolds and his family.

I fell in love with Waco last year, Le Duff said. I think its just the right size between city and countryside. And Cameron Park is a place where you can run and ride your mountain bike for hours. The Off-Road Triathlon there is one of the hardest and longest, but also the most beautiful.

He said he moved to the United States to get a feel for its culture and tastes, since it has become such an important part of his familys enterprise.

We have about 100 La Madeleine locations, with the heaviest concentration in Dallas but others in Houston and San Antonio, he said. We are focused on franchise development and hope to open 20 new locations every year. We would like to have a master franchisee for every state.

He said the company strives to keep La Madeleine locations very cozy and decorated with natural materials to create a country French charm.

We have some big ones around the country, as well as small ones, he said. The one in the Phoenix airport is only 1,500 square feet.

Entrees are prepared from scratch using the freshest ingredients and with field-to-plate authenticity, he added.

Philippe was the first person to open an all-organic restaurant in France, and besides that, hes a great athlete, McReynolds said.

Elsewhere in Central Texas Marketplace, construction continues on a Buffalo Wild Wings location, and hiring has begun for Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom.
A McLennan County jury will be asked this week to determine the taxable value of the sprawling Sandy Creek coal-fired power plant in Riesel, which is taking its appeal of the plants appraisal to court.

Jury selection is set to begin Monday morning in Wacos 170th State District Court in Sandy Creek Energy Associates lawsuit against the McLennan County Appraisal District.

The lawsuit will focus on the plants $850 million appraised value for tax years 2014 and 2015. Sandy Creek officials will be asking the jury to drastically reduce the appraised value, claiming that the plants market value was vastly inflated by appraisers.

In June 2015, a five-member Appraisal Review Board reduced the plants value from MCADs appraisal of $1.05 billion to the current $850 million.

Attorneys for the plant argued at the appeal hearing that the plant, which came on line in 2013, was worth but a fraction of its construction price because a period of cheap natural gas has made coal energy uncompetitive.

One of the plants attorneys, William Sullivan, of San Antonio, declined comment about the trial, as did Kirk Swinney, of Round Rock, one of MCADs attorneys.

Court officials expect the trial to last five or six days.

Ed Kliewer, an attorney who represented Sandy Creek at the 2015 appeal hearing, said then that an argument could be made for an appraisal of zero or below based on the improbability of finding a buyer for the plant.

$385.3 million

But, he said, the company would agree to a $385.3 million value.

Like anything else, you can build something that costs $1 billion, but down the line its not going to be worth $1 billion if the economics dont support it.

They committed a lot of money in 2007 on the thought that gas prices were going to go up and coal was going to be the way to go, but it didnt happen that way, Kliewer said last year. Gas went down, and now they have a plant that is not marketable. . . . If they knew then what they know now, the plant never would have been built.

At stake in the dispute are millions of dollars in revenue for local taxing entities, such as Riesel schools and McLennan Community College.

McLennan County granted partial tax abatements to Sandy Creek, but the county gets some revenue from the plant.
Jeff Bridges portrayed the legendary lawman Wild Bill Hickok and re-created the iconic role of U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, first made famous by the Duke himself, John Wayne.

Bridges won a Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Otis Bad Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart and has been nominated for Oscars five other times.

He played evil Obadiah Stane and battled Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man and created the cult favorite slacker from The Big Lebowski known as The Dude.

But when it came to portraying an authentic Texas lawman in his new movie Hell or High Water, Bridges called upon McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara to make sure he was keeping it real.

He really wants to get into his roles and make them authentic, McNamara said of Bridges. I helped him, but he didnt really need all that much help.

McNamaras cousin, Taylor Sheridan, grew up in Bosque County idolizing McNamara and his late brother, Mike, who, like their father, both were longtime deputy U.S. marshals.

Sheridan, who now lives in California and is a successful screenwriter, wrote the screenplay for Hell or High Water and fashioned Bridges character in McNamaras tough, take-no-prisoners mold.

Bridges plays an aging Texas Ranger facing retirement who goes after two bad-guy brothers played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster.

The movie, set in modern-day West Texas, was filmed in New Mexico last year. But whenever Bridges felt he needed some advice about what to wear or how to say a particular line, he picked up the phone and called McNamara for some pointers.

Their telephone relationship grew and McNamara and his wife, Charlotte, wound up getting a special invitation to the red-carpet premiere of the movie July 19 at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin.

McNamara said he just expected to go to Austin to watch the movie and fade into the background as his cousin, Bridges, Pine, Foster and the other Hollywood types stood in the glare of the spotlight.

But he said Bridges pulled him out onto the red carpet and introduced him as the true lawman on which Bridges character was based. Before long, McNamara was answering questions from TV reporters and soaking it all in.

It was so cool meeting all the actors, McNamara said. They were all very friendly and down-to-earth. They made me feel more important than I really am.

McNamara made Bridges an honorary McLennan County deputy sheriff and a member of Parnells Posse. To make it official, the sheriff presented Bridges with a deputy ID card complete with his photograph wearing a Texas-size Stetson from the movie and a hand-tooled leather wallet to carry it in.

After the movie screening, the actors walked out onto the Alamo Drafthouse stage and took questions from the media and the audience. Someone asked Bridges about being deputized.

He pulled that leather carrying case out of his pocket and flipped it open so everybody could see the ID card, McNamara said of Bridges. He said, Yeah, if you are speeding through McLennan County, you just might get pulled over by The Dude. 

Facing retirement

Sheridan has been quoted in press junkets for the movie saying that he had McNamara and the sheriffs younger brother in mind when he wrote the portion of the script about a longtime law enforcement officer dealing with retirement.

The McNamara brothers, who both served in the U.S. Marshals Service for more than 30 years, hit the mandatory retirement age for federal agents when they turned 57. McNamara was not ready to retire and neither was Mike McNamara, who died in September 2015.

Sheriff McNamara, who is now 70, jokes that there are still claw marks in the floor of the marshals office where they had to drag him out on his last day in April 2003.

Taylor told me he was writing a screenplay about a lawman who has to retire and doesnt want to, McNamara recalled. He said he remembers when Mike and I were forced to retire. It was very hard on both of us. Its kind of like you put your heart in something for all those years and they told you you are not needed anymore just because of your age. Even though you are still fit, you still shoot good, you are finished, you are out the door. One of the hardest things I have ever done was leaving my badges on the desk that day.

Bridges, who is 66, started his long-distance relationship with McNamara by sending the sheriff pictures of himself dressed in various hats and clothes. McNamara would critique them.

I told him the hat is important because when people see a lawman who has a hat on, the first thing they notice is the hat, McNamara said. That is what stands out. I said if you get a goofy-looking hat, you are going to end up looking like Howdy Doody, and he said, Oh, I dont want to look like Howdy Doody. He wanted to play the part of the Texas lawman. He wanted the look and everything to be authentic.

Bridges also asked about what kind of belt, gun belt and gun would best complete the look.

I told him not to get a .38 snub-nose, McNamara said. I told him most Rangers carry .45-caliber 1911 models. Thats what I carry and thats what he got.

McNamara allowed a few of his captains and his executive assistant, Lori Sawyer, to get in on a bit of the Hollywood mystique one day when Bridges called and wanted McNamara to read a portion of the script with him over the phone.

The sheriff put the call on speaker phone and he read the part of Bridges character and Bridges read the part of one of the bad guys.

It was very interesting. He called and wanted to know how I would talk to a criminal after I had retired if I was trying to get him to confess to a murder, McNamara said. I said after you retire, you no longer have that big hammer to hang over their head like when you were carrying a badge, and I tried to explain how I would talk to somebody.

Sheridan asked McNamara if he wanted to come to New Mexico and be in the movie as an extra. McNamara and his wife were preparing to go when the May 17, 2015, shootout at Twin Peaks forced them to cancel the trip, McNamara said.

The movie finished filming that summer, but McNamara said Bridges called him from California to offer condolences after Mike McNamaras death.

I appreciated that so much. For him to take the time out of his busy schedule to call me about Mike, that shows what kind of guy he is. He is just a real gentleman, McNamara said.

He is very kind and respectful and a very personable person. Hes the kind of person you would like to sit around a campfire with and swap stories, and I know he has plenty to tell.

Now in his second term as sheriff, McNamara once said that he would be in office until he is 95. He now regrets saying that.

I dont want to put a cap on it, he said with a laugh.
Hidden deep among the cottonwood and cedar trees along the Brazos river, a meeting was being held of the Venerated Council of Sovereign North American Black Bears. While the business at hand was quite important, we use only first names to protect identities.

Bruiser: Order! Order! Come to order! What is our business today?

Joy: I have an idea for reducing poverty among the bear populations.

Joe: I have an idea for preserving the bear middle class!

Ted: I have an idea for attracting bees that produce more honey.

Bruiser: All great ideas. But we have one agenda item left from the last council meeting.

Joy: Surely it could not be more pressing than stopping the cycle of poverty!

Bruiser: Oh, much more important. It is an idea to save us 294,000 jars of honey a year.

Ted: Fantastic!

Joe: Too good to be true!

Bruiser: All we have to do is contract out the custodial work.

Ted: This is better than Poohs Spring Cleaning Mystery!

Joy: Its a no brainer. Wed have to have fluff in our ears not to know that.

Bruiser: We get to pay someone else to pay the custodial bears for us.

Joe: They do it for free?

Bruiser: No, they take the smaller amount of honey we give them and they take some of it out for their trouble, but they let the custodial bears have the drops that are left.

Joy: I bet the custodial bears will be happy not to have to worry about having insurance cards to carry around anymore.

Ted: And no more having to count vacation days.

Joe: And no more having to find a place in a tree to store retirement statements.

Bruiser: This is the best idea we have ever had! We can use the honey we save to spread around to bring new businesses to the forest. When they open, they might create jobs that provide more honey to our fellow bears!

Joy: The problem with giving the custodial bears honey is that they will just use it up.

Ted: But what if the custodial bears get angry?

Joe: They claim to be working too hard to show up for our meetings, but I think that just proves that we should contract them out. They dont care about us.

Bruiser: Im sure one of those custodial bears will suggest contracting out this Venerated Council of Sovereign North American Black Bears. But that wont happen  the other bears rely on us to protect their quality of life.

Joy: To attract new jobs with honey saved by cutting ones we already have.

Ted: Exactly! Even the custodial bears will be grateful once they realize that their losing honey, insurance, leave and retirement benefits might just maybe someday help create a job for another bear that provides all those things.

Joe: Lets promise to use most of the honey we save for programs to stop bear poverty. That way even the do-gooder bears cant complain.

Bruiser: Its unanimous then. A round of tea and honey for everyone!

Joy: You have forgotten, Brother Bruiser, that we end all our meetings with a reading of a randomly picked verse from our Beloved Bear Bible.

Joe: (Flipping open the Beloved Bear Bible, putting his claw down) Here it is, I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least paid of these bears, you refused to help me.

Ted: Not sure what it means, but I like it.

Joy: As Pooh remarked, They say nothing is impossible, but I did it today.

David Schleicher is an attorney who blogs at TheContranym.com.
"Nitish Kumar does not have any control over the administration. This is the beginning of super jungle raj," senior BJP leader Gopal Narain said.

By India Today Web Desk: Bihar's senior BJP leader Gopal Narain Singh on Friday targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's regime by terming it 'super jungle raj'.

Rajya Sabha member Singh did not mince words while expressing his displeasure with the Nitish government.

"Things which did not happen even during Lalu Prasad's regime are now taking place in Nitish Kumar's regime. This is the revival of jungle raj which is evident from the fact that incidents of loot, kidnappings, ransom etc have become the order of the day. Criminals are demanding extortion from IG and DIG," said Singh.

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"Nitish Kumar does not have any control over the administration. This is the beginning of super jungle raj," added the former Bihar BJP president.

Singh alleged that things went out of control from Kumar's hands which were evident from the recent incidents of a Pakistani flag being hoisted in Kumar's hometown Nalanda. He added that apart from the flag, miscreants even raised pro-Pakistan slogan in the state capital.

Singh further termed prohibition as a cheap publicity gimmick. He said that Kumar has been touring various states but no one was paying attention to his pleas for prohibition.

"It was Nitish Kumar, who in his first 10 years of rule opened a huge numbers of liquor shops across the state and got people addicted to liquor. Now he wants to ban it overnight, which is not possible," said Singh.

The former BJP chief asked Kumar to concentrate on improving law and order and development activities, instead of indulging in activities to build his personality through "prohibition".

The BJP leader said he would go to Chapra tomorrow and take stock of the situation, after clashes between two communities broke out few days back over an objectionable photo and video related to a particular community.

In reply to a query over appointment of a new state BJP president, Singh said, "The (current) state president has completed his tenure of three years and now the central leadership has to take a decision in this regard."

--- ENDS ---
Magadh Mahila College which comes under the Patna University has issued this diktat to its students making wearing of jeans, leggings and shorts in the college as an offense.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: A college in Patna has banned girls from wearing jeans and shorts in the campus premises as per the new dress code that has been enforced. Magadh Mahila College which comes under the Patna University has issued this diktat to its students making wearing of jeans, leggings and shorts in the college as an offense. The diktat by the college will be enforced from August 16.

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RS 1000 FINE FOR VIOLATING DIKTAT



The college administration, which for a long time, was contemplating this move finally came out with its new dress code on Friday. College Principal Asha Singh who has issued this order says that the students of the college will have to wear, salwar-kurti with dupatta and college blazers as per the new dress code. Any students who violates the dress code will be liable to pay a fine of Rs.1000 for the first time and if she violates dress code for the second time, her name will be struck from the college roll.

"There should be a dress code in every college. Some girls in our college were wearing objectionable dress. Our girls student's union members also raised objections on this. I myself found yesterday that some girls were wearing vulgar dress and when I objected, they did not like it", said Asha Singh, Principal Magadh Mahila College.

College Principal Asha Singh said that the students of the college will have to wear, salwar-kurti with dupatta and college blazers.

NO JEANS, SHORTS OR LEGGINGS

Principal of the college said that she did not have any objections to girls wearing jeans and tops but some girls were going too far and wearing dresses that many other were not comfortable with in the college. Principal said that it was the objections from girls which compelled her to bring out a dress code.

"We never stopped girls from wearing jeans and top but in the name of freedom some girls were wearing vulgar dress. A dress that is worn in a night club cannot be worn in college. Despite repeated instruction when the girls did not adhere, finally we had to make a dress code. We will penalise them and if they did not follow the dress code, we will throw them out of the college", warned the college principal.

Many girl, however, were fine with the new dress code but insisted they should be allowed to wear leggings.

"This is not the right move from the college as many girls are not willing to wears salwar-kurti to college. Girls want to wear clothes of their choice. However, I am fine with it, its not a Talibani diktat", said Shruti, a B.Sc 2nd year student.

--- ENDS ---

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National Retail Properties is a REIT focused on retail-oriented properties across the United States. The company invests in high-quality retail properties subject to long-term leases that generate stable, consistent, predictable income. The company laid claim to 3,305 properties enclosing 33.8 million square feet of space in 48 states leased to 380 tenants engaged in 37 trades as of October 2022.

National Retail Properties was formed in 1984 as Golden Corral Realty Corporation. The company was intended as a means for employees to invest in Golden Corral but it soon took on a life of its own. The company split from its parent in 1993 and then became a REIT in 1998. Since then a number of mergers and acquisitions resulted in the company that is traded today.

National Retail Properties seeks to generate returns for shareholders through capital appreciation and dividends and is one of the most stable dividend payers in the REIT universe. The company made its 33rd consecutive distribution increase in 2022 ranking it 3rd on the list of REITs with sustained annual dividend increases. In regard to all publicly listed companies, there are less than 90 which have increased their payout for as many years or more as National Retail Properties. The compound annual growth rate runs in the range of 4% to 5%.

National Retail Properties is not limited in scope to the type of business it will lease to. The top four sectors occupying its space, however, are convenience stores, automotive-related, full-service, and limited-service restaurants which command a lions share of retail dollars. These segments made up nearly 49% of the portfolio in 2022 with no tenant making up more than 5% of the total income.

The top three tenants at the time are 7-11, Mister Car Wash, and Camping World followed by L.A. Fitness, GPM Investments (convenience), and Dave & Busters. The firm's average lease runs in the range of 10.6 years and occupancy runs high and above 99%. Properties are all single-occupier and leased on a net basis. Most properties are leased on a triple-net basis which means National Retail Properties is insulated from taxes, maintenance, and insurance costs. Other notable tenants include Yum! Brands and Wendys.

National Retail Properties uses leverage to enhance its returns. The companys debt ratio is low however and its debt carries an investment-grade rating from Standard & Poors and Moodys.
2 hours ago

Elon Musk takes over Twitter but where will he go from here?

Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform. Musk gave one indication of where he's headed in a tweet Friday, saying no decisions on content or reinstating of accounts will be made until a content moderation council is put in place.

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By Kumar Abhishek: In one or the other form most of us believe in a life after death. This is why people talk of leaving behind a legacy. But, only a few succeed in doing that. Diksha Srivastava of Lucknow has left behind a living legacy. On the eve of World Organ Donation Day (August13), Diksha's organs were donated for unknown beneficiaries.

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Twenty-two is not the age for heavenly abode, but Diksha breathed her last on Friday at 22 in a Lucknow hospital. Her father occupied another bed at the same King George Medical Hospital. They met with an accident last week which left Diksha brain dead and her father, Anil Srivastava badly injured.



THE GREAT DONATION

When doctors made it clear that there was no chance of Diksha's revival, Anil signed the organ donation affidavit for her daughter while he was still on the hospital bed. His hands were shaking but humanitarian resolve of the family was rock solid. They decided to make Diksha live longer by donating her organs.

Within one hour of the signing of documents, liver, kidneys and eyes of Diksha were retrieved successfully by the doctors. Liver was sent to ILBS, Delhi. The kidneys were sent to PGI, Lucknow for transplant while the eyes were preserved at the King George Medical College itself.

In death, Diksha won the spirit of Lucknow and humanity.



THE GREEN CORRIDOR

As soon as Anil gave consent to donate Diksha's organs, doctors began the process for retrieving organs and the Lucknow administration got busy with making a green corridor for speedy transport of the organs. Organs were retrieved in one hour and in the next 18 minutes, liver reached the Lucknow airport from where it was taken to IBLS, Delhi late night.

This is second time in the past two weeks that organs have been retrieved from a brain dead patient and transported to their destinations through green corridors in Lucknow.



DIKSHA WAS A B. TECH STUDENT

Diksha was a B. Tech engineering student studying in Lucknow. The family originally hailed from Gorakhpur in eastern UP. She and her father got injured when a motorbike hit them near the Fun Mall in Lucknow. She was admitted to the trauma centre of KGMCH, where doctors declared her brain dead on Saturday.



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Breyton Horomona suffered a fatal allergic reaction. Credit:Facebook Fundraising for a funeral is one of the fastest growing areas on crowdfunding sites, ranging from YouCaring, MyCause, Pozible and FuneralFund. American research estimates crowdsourcing funeral expenses has grown twice as fast as any other category, and they often receive 50 per cent more page views because the stories  like Breyton's and Aaron's  are tragic and in the news. A funeral page has become the "new obituary", said Adrienne Gonzalez, the founder of GoFraudMe, a critic of GoFundMe. Often memorial and funeral pages were launched before the body was even cold, she said. Aaron Pajich's body was found in the backyard of an Orelia home in June. GoFundMe, launched in 2010, has doubled in size this year alone, and with $2 billion in donations, is the largest. In Australia its fee combined with online payment processing charges total 6.75 per cent plus 30 on every donation to an individual campaign.

A campaign starts every 18 seconds on GoFundMe to pay for health costs, someone's dream trip, a funeral or a memorial. In Australia, where GoFundMe has raised $60 million in the past two years, funding funerals and memorials is the second most popular category. It is just about the default move. There will be an outpouring on Facebook and someone puts up a GoFundMe site. Dave Hillyard, acting WA consumer protection commissioner Breyton's father, Bishop Horomona of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said fundraising had been the last thing on his mind when his brother-in-law had proposed it. "We were hurting and didn't want everyone to feel sorry for us. But they went ahead, and in the end, it was such a help for us." He was warned by other members of the church, though, to be wary of online fundraisers and people attending the funeral who may expect a free flight home. Even with the best of intentions, it is easy to upset donors as Ms Kerton discovered. Some donors were alarmed to see their bank accounts listing the donation to Aaron's funeral as "Misty's vet fees". That was a reference to a previous fundraiser by Ms Kerton for her dog that she hadn't fixed in the rush to put up the page after Aaron's body was discovered. Other donors queried why Aaron's father Keith spent money on new suits. Some asked why the family had not approached established government programs, such as those helping victims of crimes. Mr Sweetman told Fairfax he was "absent-minded with grief", and should have loaded receipts online earlier than he did.

"With so much grief. I forgot about everyone. I was very much concerned about my son, my son was taken away from me," he told Fairfax. "We've had such a good response from most of the public, yet of course, naturally, you do get a few who are unhappy. At a time of grief, it doesn't seem right that some people feel animosity .. but some people do." M s Kerton ended up pulling the plug on the fundraiser: "When it hit $15,707 I stopped it because it was getting out of control," she said. She had set up the account to help Aaron's aunts, who were afraid the funeral would bankrupt the family, yet the fundraising had left "a sour taste". Ms Kerton also lost money from additional bank fees when some donors asked for their money back. WA Government's consumer protection officials also tried unsuccessfully to transfer the fundraising for Aaron's funeral to a licensed charity because the online appeal breached the state's law on charities. Setting up an online fundraising site following a tragedy was routine, said WA's acting commissioner for consumer protection Dave Hillyard.

"It is just about the default move. There will be an outpouring on Facebook and someone puts up a GoFundMe site to deal with the outpouring of emotion and financial support," he said. "There will be flurry of activity, and money will start pouring in," he said. It is not unusual for donors to query how money is spent. Yet donors who ask whether the case is legitimate are often attacked for daring to ask in a time of grief. Mr Hillyard said without independent and objective decision making and accounting by a licensed charity, fundraising often became very difficult. "People blurt things out, and it gets very negative." Australia's laws had "not kept up with the development in technology" that has seen crowdfunding explode.

While crowdfunding sites cross borders, Australia's charity laws differ from state to state. For instance, WA Government's consumer protection officials tried unsuccessfully to transfer the fundraising for Aaron's funeral to a licensed charity because the online appeal breached the state's law on charities. While raising funds for a funeral requires a license in WA and QLD, it does not in NSW. In South Australia, people collecting money for individuals or their families for specific causes (eg funeral costs, health expenses) are not considered charities and, as such, do not require a licence. In Queensland, donations from the public for a charitable or community purpose, regardless of whether the fundraising is done by 'crowd-funding' or simply by donation, may only be done by a licensed fundraiser or an individual can apply for an exemption. GoFundMe's CEO Rob Solomon said that the "platform is built to empower people to help people all around the world, and that's not limited to family members."
The state government has taken the first steps toward forcing drug addicts into rehab by setting up a consultation group which will include addicts.

Mental Health Minister Andrea Mitchell announced on Saturday that she was planning to oversee new legislation to introduce compulsory alcohol and drug treatment in Western Australia.

Mental Health Minister Andrea Mitchell has asked for people across WA to volunteer to join a community drugs advisory group. Credit:WA Government

Ms Mitchell has asked for people across the state to volunteer to join a community advisory group.

"The group will play a key role in consulting widely with a network of consumers, families and community members to develop an appropriate model of service and supporting legislation," she said.
The WA Liberal Party has started its annual conference with attacks on coalition partners in the National Party, and Labor.

The 67th state gathering began with an address from State President Norman Moore.

State Liberal party members gather for their 2016 conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Perth. Credit:Ten News

Mr Moore attacked new Nationals' leader Brendan Grylls, saying his proposed mining tax would only benefit Brazilian iron ore producers.
Pakistan consistently supported the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and voted for it when it was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1996, Sartaj Aziz said.

By Press Trust of India: Pakistan was ready for an agreement with India on bilateral moratorium on nuclear non-testing, the country's top diplomat said.

"We have declared a unilateral moratorium on further testing. Pakistan is prepared to consider translating its unilateral moratorium into a bilateral arrangement on non-testing with India," the Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said.

Briefing the media about the Envoys' Conference held last week, Aziz said the meeting noted that Pakistan consistently supported the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and voted for it when it was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1996.

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Noting that the conference held detailed talks on the Pakistan's application for the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and regional nuclear stability issue, Aziz said Pakistan is one of the applicants, along with India, for NSG membership.

"While Pakistan's formal application for NSG membership was submitted on May 19, 2016, we had been preparing for it for quite some time. Our efforts to upgrade our export controls, nuclear safety and security long pre-date our application," he said.

He said Pakistan's candidacy is based on a desire to strengthen global non-proliferation regimes; the need for strategic stability and level playing field in South Asia; priority for socio-economic development and technological advancement of the country; and capability to supply items on NSG lists Part 1 and 2.

"Our strong lobbying efforts have yielded positive results. Our arguments for criteria-based approach, and the impact of any India-specific exemption on the strategic stability in South Asia and on the future of non-proliferation regime, have been accepted by several NSG countries," he said.

He said Pakistan is confident of the merits of its membership application as its export controls were harmonized with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Australia Group.

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A hundred-and-sixty people, most of them dressed in black, convene on the eighth floor of the St Regis Hotel in Mumbai with one goal in mind: to walk the ramp at Lakm Fashion Week (LFW). Only, they don't seem like typical models at first glance. The women have generous waistlines; the men, prosperous paunches camouflaged by loose T-shirts. As the women totter on high heels and the men flex their biceps, the conversation veers towards food. "Food is the reason we are here, so they should serve us lunch at least," says a hungry female model. "Abbe, call us healthy, not fat," says a male model to a newfound friend backstage.

The politically correct moniker for these folks is 'plus-size'. They are a small but growing community of aspiring models who are proud of their curves and ready to take on the bodyshamers. Their idols are plus-size supermodels like Ashley Graham, Tara Lynn and Tess Holiday. Shilpi Nambiar, who brought her three-year-old child in a pram to the LFW auditions, didn't make the cut; but she's glad that the popular fashion show is finally opening its doors to plus-size models, even if it doesn't see them walk alongside the regular models. "My husband says 'Yahaan [in India] mote mote hi hote hain and it will take time'," she says. "But our time has come."

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The winners of the auditions

Indeed, and it's about time. India currently has the third-largest population of full-bodied individuals in the world, after the United States and China, with an estimated 41 million of the population identified as plus-size. Says runway director Lubna Adams: "Designers do make clothes for all shapes and sizes. It's just that they are scared to put them up on the ramp or use them in shoots because the perception is that fashion has to be a small size. How far can you run from reality? If you don't expand your market and reach out to people, you will never be a big business industry."

According to management consultancy firm Technopak, the plus-size clothing market in India is valued at around Rs 110 billion, and is only going to get bigger. Manish Aziz, the business head of aLL, says that while the plus-size clothing market is at a nascent stage and accounts for only 4 per cent of the overall clothing industry in India, it is expected to grow at the rate of 25 per cent a year. Plus-size brands are now more common than ever before, both in stores and online. There's Xmex, Revolution and aLL, all of which cater to the fuller-bodied. Even mainstream fashion outlets have collections for the plus-size: Westside has Gia Curves and Pantaloons, Alto Moda. There are portals devoted to the community such as Pluss, LastInch, Calae and Mustard.

The presence of so many brands has not only given Neha Parulkar, 24, the opportunity to dress up as trendily as her peers at her workplace (Viacom 18's Voot), but has also given her the opportunity to be a model. Parulkar has posed for aLL's e-commerce campaign and will be paid in gift vouchers worth Rs 15,000 for her work. "The stereotype that all good-looking females are thin needs to be broken," says Parulkar. "A plus-size girl can be as graceful. You just have to embrace your body and carry yourself well."

Aspiring plus-size models want it to be known that skinny doesn't necessarily mean fit and beautiful. The movement has gained traction, especially on social media where Bollywood actors such as Sonakshi Sinha and Zareen Khan have been vocal advocates of the body positive movement. Sana Murab Saini, 42, a Delhi-based fashion designer and event organiser, is spearheading the cause of aspiring plus-size models. In 2014, she set up a Facebook page, Plus Size Models India, which currently represents 100 plus-size models, most of them women. Now, Saini is looking to bring Miss Top of the World, an international plus-size beauty pageant, to India later next year. "There are definitely requirements for plus-size models, especially [in] apparel advertising, but there aren't many serious takers," says Saini, who is also finishing an e-book, 21 Flavours of Confidence with Curves, which offers tips on grooming.

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The lack of professional models is apparent at the auditions. Rajiv Bhasin, 26, an actor, is an exception. Having done a campaign for aLL and earned Rs 25,000 in the process, his story suggests that size does matter after all. Such assignments also enable Payal Soni, a 21-year-old working in real estate, to aspire to be a professional plus-size model, much like her inspiration, British-Indian model Bishamber Das. "Many people used to tell me, 'You're charming; just lose weight and you'll be more beautiful'," says Soni, who wears a double XL. "But I'm happy and healthy. Being curvy can also be beautiful."

Reflecting the diversity of people and breaking the size barrier is important for Jaspreet Chandok, vice-president and head, fashion, IMG Reliance, who is bringing the plus-size show at LFW. But, for the big and beautiful movement to take hold in India, it's the standards of beauty that need a makeover. A fashion show at which plus-size models are on equal footing with the regular ones shouldn't be a pipe dream. "We [were] told if you are overweight, modelling is not a thing you can do," says Tanvi Gita Ravishankar, a stylist whose donning of a t-shirt that said "Pataka" made an impression with the five judges. "I love eating." Nothing can stop Tanvi from catwalking her way to fashion glory.

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Follow the writer on Twitter @suhani84

--- ENDS ---
VERNON PARISH -- Rayford West has many stories to tell. Spend a few moments with the 88-year-old and you'll learn that he's humble. He won't admit it, but he's an ace at dang near everything.

He's a collector, mechanic, farmer, historian and an old-fashioned syrup maker, to name a few.

Best of all, he's a father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was husband to Mary until her death last year. Rayford and Mary were married in 1954. She gets credit for any success he has had, he said.

"She was my driving force. If it hadn't of been for her, I wouldn't have done nothing. I am going to give her credit. I didn't, at the time, realize it ... now, after she's been gone ... I had to wash a load of clothes out there this morning. She took care of all of that. She took care of all of my paper work ... pay the bills. All I had to do was make a living," he said.

Last of the old "fire watchers"

For nearly three decades, Rayford worked with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. He is of the remaining, original towermen in the state, hired to climb the fire towers to watch for fire and fight it, day and night, protecting timber, homes and livelihoods.

The state moved away from tower fire watch several years ago as they transitioned to airplanes. Some of the out-of-commission towers are currently being torn down. The Kurthwood tower property is now owned by the U.S. Army.

Rayford, an Army veteran, was hired in 1960 and assigned to the Kurthwood tower, a few miles from his home in the tiny Kurthwood community of Vernon Parish.

The La. 117 tower was built around 1950 when timber companies were planting trees. They wanted their investments protected. There were towers in Kurthwood, Hornbeck, Leesville, Evans, Hicks, Fullerton and near Pitkin.

Rayford was towerman for five years and then became crew chief. The late Don McFatter, of DeRidder, who later became district forester in Southwest Louisiana, hired him. Rayford remembers that day.

"He drove up there out there that day, and I remember three questions he asked me. He looked up there and he said, 'Mr. West, how far do you think that tower is from here? I said, 'Well, looks like about three miles.' Next question, he says, 'Can you get by on $145 a month?' I said, 'Well, right now, I'm getting by on less.' The next question he asked me was, 'Can I get along with the Grant boys?' They were the ones that were working up there. I said, 'Well, I've lived here with them all of my life and I've never had no problems with them.' He said, 'Well, you are the one I am going to hire, but I've got to go interview five more,' " Rayford recalled.

View from above

Rayford said the Kurthwood area looked very different back then. He has old aerial photographs to prove it. From the 100-foot tower, you saw mostly farms and very little mature timber, primarily young loblolly and slash pine. On a clear day, you could spot smoke about 50 miles away.

"You could see for miles over them trees until they got up like it is now," he said. "They've cut them several times."

Towermen had to learn what "permanent smoke" and glows looked like. There were sites like the Fisher Mill in Sabine Parish and Police Jury-owned land dumps scattered about.

Towers were equipped with radio. Including the radio antenna, the Kurthwood tower was 118-feet tall -- 100 from the ground to the enclosed observation deck.

In the summer time, there were swarms of wasps. Rayford said an employee once killed 250 in one day.

In the winter, despite an electric heater, it was often bone-chilling. Rayford said he would wrap up in a quilt and find a sunny spot.

On a windy day, climbs were tricky.

"I remember on my birthday, I don't remember which birthday it was ... my kids waited up pretty late. My wife had made me a birthday cake. So, they wanted me to eat birthday cake with them. I didn't get in until 12 o'clock that night. Well, they had done went to bed but they had saved me a piece of cake. I carried my lunch in one of them buckets that had a coffee bottle in it and you could put your sandwich ... anyway, they put me a piece of cake into it," Rayford said.

"I was looking forward to eating some of that cake. Next morning, I went up there to climb that tower and it was locked up on the top landing. I sat my lunch bucket up there to unlock the door to get into the tower. It come a puff of wind about that time, it blowed my lunch bucket off out across the fence -- cake, sandwiches and coffee bottle, it broke it. I didn't have anything but the lunch bucket. That's just one instance," he continued.

A man was in the tower 24/7 during fire season. In rainy weather, firefighters were off. A crew on the ground included three people: the crew chief, backfire man and a third to watch the fire.

Rayford saw various types of equipment used. He has pictures of the kinds he had -- totaling five trucks and tractors during his tenure. He recalls several large fires he fought, the largest being in Natchitoches Parish in the 1980s before his retirement in 1986.

"I've had the fires go over me. Whenever you get in the thick of it, maybe it comes in on you unaware. Anyway, you know that you are trapped, you are going to jump off of that tractor. They told me always pull the throttle wide open to keep that fan blowing and off of the wires, to keep that fire off the wires," he said.

"Cow burns"

Most everyone owned cattle. The country was open range back then, and firefighters often responded to "cow burns." Farmers would start a fire so their cows would come to it.

"They marked them with a different mark and everybody knows everybody's mark, or they had a brand. And the old milk cows had a bell and they could hear that bell," Rayford said. "Everybody wanted them a cow burn. Everybody had a herd of cows. Those cows would go to a burn. You could find your cattle there."

People also started fires to hunt turkeys.

"Those turkeys would come to it, too," he said.

Telling farmers to put out their fires didn't earn Rayford any favors.

"Back in that day and time, as I say, it's kind of like the sheriff's department and the police today ... They didn't have too much use for people who were putting out their fires," he said.

As an outreach, the state would allow the public to climb the tower and see the view. Towermen kept a visitor's log and would report visitors each month.

"That was a come-along to invite them up to kind of let them know that you were on their side," said Rayford.

Roots

Rayford said he's never regretted staying in the Kurthwood area. He and his wife bought their place a few years before he went to work for the state. They raised three children.

The West home reflects a faith-filled life well-lived, with scores of family photos and curious things that Rayford found and treasured -- with a story to tell with each. He was born in the old Vernon Parish settlement of Indian Creek, not far from his home today. He said his roots run deep.

"My great grandparents are buried in Vernon Parish ... Laurel Hill, Silver Creek, Good Hope. They were all from here. This is a good place to live. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else other than right here," he said.

Listen to some audio clips from our interview with Rayford West here:
President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter, Sharmistha Mukherjee, took to Facebook to slam a man sexually harassing her online.

By Siddharatha Tiwari: President Pranab Mukherjee's daughter, politician Sharmistha Mukherjee, has spoken up about being repeatedly sexually harassed online by a man named Partha Mandal.

Sharing the details and screenshots of the lewd messages, Mukherjee, who is the chief spokesperson and In-charge Communication of DPCC, put up a Facebook post earlier today that read:

"This pervert Partha Mandal is sending me dirty sexual messages. My 1st reaction was to ignore & block him. But then I thought the silence wud encourage him to find other victims. Just blocking & reporting is not enough. I strongly feel such ppl shd be publicly exposed & humiliated. I'm posting screenshots of his profile & messages he sent me. I'm also tagging him. Pls share this post & tag this rat as a msg that these pervert acts will not be taken lightly."

Source: Sharmistha Mukherjee/ Facebook

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Along with the post, Mukherjee shared the following screenshots of the man's lewd messages to her in Bengali:

Source: Sharmistha Mukherjee/ Facebook



The man, Partha Mandal, who hails from Naihati, West Bengal, has neither removed his tag from Mukherjee's post nor responded to it.

Police has filed an FIR on Sharmistha's complaint and said, "We'll act accordingly after verifying".

Sharmistha Mukherjee had earlier filed a complaint with the cyber cell of the Delhi police against the user who sent her lewd messages on Facebook.





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Search of Mayfield home snares alleged meth trafficker and two others
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 13, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 13, 2016 | 01:50 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Paducah Police are investigating Friday night's robbery of the Sprint store on Hinkleville Road.



Police were called to the store at 5134 Hinkleville Road about 7:45 pm, and an employee said two men entered the store, pulled handguns, and forced both employees into the back of the store. The men reportedly took the employee's cell phone and wallet, and took unknown items from the store before they left.



A vehicle that is believed to have been used in the crime was found abandoned in Massac County.



Very few details were given about the suspects, but they were both described as black, and one of them was reportedly wearing a white t-shirt and pants.



Police are asking anyone with information about this crime to call them at 270-444-8550 or call Crime Stoppers at 270-443-TELL. Tipsters may also text a tip to CRIMES (274637) by entering KyTips followed by their information, or by visiting the Crime Stoppers website at westkycrimestoppers.info. Information leading to an arrest or indictment may result in a reward of up to $1,000.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 11, 2016 | 10:11 PM | MURRAY, KY

The Hancock Biological Station is a year-round facility on Kentucky Lake, providing scientists with a base of operation for a wide variety of field research. The station presents students with opportunities for field-oriented classes, individualized instruction, independent research and close interactions with researchers and faculty.



The station, located approximately 16 miles from Murray, is celebrating its 50th year of operation.



The four-year grant is titled Sensing and Educating the Nexus to Sustain Ecosystems (SENSE): A Kentucky-West Virginia Partnership. The grant focuses on the need for water quality sensors that can pinpoint problems as they occur. Data streams can help researchers understand the conflicts of phosphorus from farmlands with warm surface waters that lead to toxic algae blooms.





An educational component of the grant will include the mentoring of early career faculty who recently have been hired in the states of Kentucky or West Virginia to promote independent thinking and scaffolding towards careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) areas.





Murray State faculty through the Jesse D. Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology who are part of the grant include lead principal investigator Dr. David White, professor of biology and director of the Biological Station, and Dr. Susan Hendricks, a senior research scientist with the Biological Station.







Murray State Universitys Hancock Biological Station has received a $3.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will study toxic algae blooms using environmental sensors and cyberinfrastructure.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 03, 2016 | 03:02 PM | PITTSBURG, PA





The most Americans in recent years are heading to national parks in recognition of the U.S. National Park Services 100th anniversary on Aug. 25.Visitation to the national parks reached an all-time high in 2015, with more than 307 million visitors, according to the National Park Service, and travelers can expect the parks to remain busy in the year ahead. According to a recent AAA survey, 79 percent of Americans say they are as likely (42 percent) or more likely (37 percent) to visit a national park in the next 12 months, building on the momentum of this years centennial celebrations.AAA East Central, which oversees offices in parts of Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, has found that Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon are the most requested parks for a vacation package or a tour.The demand for national parks is off the charts this year, and its exciting to see that Americans are poised to take even more national park vacations in the years to come, said Tracy Edwards, AAA East Centrals Managing Director of Travel. In times of global uncertainty, many people are turning to domestic vacations and the wide variety of national parks offer something for every traveler to discover, he added.Eighty-five percent of Americans have visited at least one national park, and a majority say the national parks are a must-see vacation destination (73 percent). National parks are growing in popularity among younger generations, with nearly half of Millennials (46 percent) citing that they are more likely to visit a national park in the next year, outpacing both Generation X and Baby Boomers.According to the National Park Service, the most visited national parks in 2015 were Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain.AAAs survey revealed the national parks that top most Americans bucket lists for future travels include Yellowstone (33 percent), Yosemite (17 percent) and Grand Canyon (12 percent).Americans feel the best times to visit the national parks are during the spring (35 percent), fall (33 percent) and summer (27 percent). Travelers planning trips to national parks for the remainder of 2016 can enjoy a discount on select dates in honor of the National Park Services 100th anniversary. All sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission Aug. 25-28, Sept. 24 and Nov. 11.Results from the AAA survey reveal additional details about Americans national park vacation preferences:The vast majority (91 percent) of visitors to national parks drive to their destination. The remainder choose to fly (18 percent), ride on trains or buses (10 percent each) or take a cruise or boat (7 percent).The majority of Americans (66 percent) typically stay in a hotel, motel or lodge when visiting a national park. Camping (41 percent), vacation rentals or cabins (38 percent), staying with friends and family (33 percent) and bed and breakfasts (27 percent) are also popular accommodation options.Visitors favorite national park activities include walking or hiking on park trails (53 percent) and sightseeing (35 percent).
Ranveer Singh and his European vacation is the stuff dreams are made of.

Ranveer Singh is having the time of his life. Picture courtesy: Instagram/Ranveer Singh

By India Today Web Desk: When Bollywood heartthrob Ranveer Singh isn't busy dancing to some maverick tune, he is investing his time in making the world jealous--and boy, he's so great at it!

This time around, the Bajirao Mastani actor has turned his Instagram feed into a travel diary through which he's sharing snippets of the wonderful time he's having in Switzerland.

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Ranveer Singh is having an awful amount of fun. Picture courtesy: Instagram/RanveerSingh

Yes, you read that right. Our very own Tattad Tattad man is on a vacation to Europe and is having an awful lot of fun. But Ranveer being Ranveer, did not disclose the details of his escapade at one go.

Also Read: This girl's honeymoon pictures are breaking the internet. Why? Because her husband's not in them

He in fact, posted a series of pictures and urged his fans to guess where is he off to!

The guessing game started with him posting a picture of his plane ticket alongside the caption, "Off for a Howl-iday w my homeboys...So friggin' excited!!! Chal...can you guess where I'm going??#euro #trippin."

Picture courtesy: Instagram/RanveerSingh

Also Read: Karisma Kapoor is holidaying her divorce away

Following the picture of the ticket came a snap that Ranveer captioned, "Okay okay here's a clue.."

In the woods. Picture courtesy: Instagram/RanveerSingh

Finally, putting an end to all the speculations came Ranveer's next picture with the caption, "Welcome to Switzerland !!!#inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND@myswitzerlandlive."

He also posted this delightful video himself.



He made the most of the snow-laden locales of Switzerland to pay tribute to Shah Rukh Khan:

From him enjoying the locales of Lucerne, Switzerland to getting philosophical in the woods, Ranveers Instagram feed is gradually turning into an envy-inducing goldmine.

But if you think Ranveer Singh and his "homeboys" are the only ones excited about the vacation, then you're wrong, for Switzerland Tourism Lives Instagram account too has been actively posting pictures of the actor having a great time in the European country.

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Here are the latest updates on his Instagram feed:

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Anonymous, based in Mumbai and Delhi, aged 26, 27; run a Twitter account and Facebook page posting real images, both newly captured and historical, with sardonic captions that capture the mood of the nation; started in February 2016, the History of India Twitter account now has close to 55,000 followers, and their Facebook page, close to 24,000.

Thousands of fake images are being circulated on social media for publicity. Rightists claim the history of the leftists has been imposed on us, that the Left wants subaltern history. This got us thinking-what if images are for real but captions are fake? So we came up with this third option, where people can laugh irrespective of their political ideology.

It is freedom if we can give a shout-out to issues that are relevant to society in a way that doesn't harm or aggravate the issue at hand. We use humour, sarcasm, quotes-or modified quotes-to best present our concern. That such a presentation can make people lighten up their otherwise stressful lives is a fulfilling feeling.

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The purpose here is to highlight core issues; so, naturally, the ruling party often becomes the subject. Which is why we are judged as being politically affiliated. parties they support are the subject of a tweet or comment. The present situation is challenging as the overall atmosphere is delicate and deteriorating day by day.

But for the good of our democracy, freedoms should not be curbed. The beef ban is a perfect example. Past and present governments have used it for political mileage. And when the issue is raised, citizens are abused, threatened, called anti-national. This sort of situation begs for intervention.

This is not what the idea of India is. This is not what our forefathers fought the freedom struggle for. India must remain united in diversity. It has to learn to live and let live, and all within our constitutional framework. That should be the idea of a beautiful country such as ours.

(As told to Asmita Bakshi)

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This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With its narrow streets and houses chiselled into the rocks, the ancient charm of Monschau in the Eifel region of western Germany serves as an inspiration to farmers fighting to survive Europes deepening dairy crisis.

Like the town that has reinvented itself through the centuries, some are mixing the old with new.

Dairy farmer Markus Legge, 53, converted his 80-hectare dairy operation to organic production in 2004. A key cost- and labour-saving technology for his operation is two portable robotic milkers positioned in the paddocks.

LAURA RANCE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dairy farmer Markus Legge is coping with the European dairy crisis by lowering costs and increasing his margins through organic milk production.

The cows amble one by one out of one paddock up to the milking parlour and enter the stall. A robotic arm attaches the milker as the chute opens and offers them grain to eat. When theyre done, the gate opens and off they go into a new pasture.

Situating the robotic milkers where his 125 cow herd is grazing, as opposed to in a central barn, means Legge doesnt have to move the cows one to two kilometres twice a day. Thats a huge saving in labour for him and less stress for the cows, which means he has to hire less help and he has more time to do other things on the farm.

Europes dairy sector has been particularly hard hit since the European Union ended its quota system, the last of its supply-management program, in April 2015. Many farmers had expanded their production in anticipation of new markets in Russia, China and perhaps even Canada under its new trade deal with the EU. Those markets have yet to materialize. Instead, the market crashed under the weight of surplus production.

Today, milk is selling in supermarkets for less than the cost of bottled water, well below the cost of production. The EU Common Agricultural Policy recently stepped up with 500 million euros ($720 million) in support for farmers who voluntarily curb milk production. Many would like to see a full return to supply management.

Because he is producing organic milk, Legge has lower production costs and he receives a higher prices for his milk, more than double what conventional dairy farmers receive when premiums for quality and subsidies for sustainable farming practices are considered.

Those more than make up production that is slightly lower because he grazes his cows three seasons a year instead of keeping them confined and eating concentrated feed.

Most of his farmland is only suitable for forage, so its tailor made to the organic method. Even the organic market goes through volatile price swings relative to available supply. Organic suppliers are routinely asked to limit their deliveries to their processor until markets recover. Legge is working with two other local farmers on a plan to build their own dairy-processing facility as a means of securing a stable market for their milk.

Just as Monschau, which gained fame thanks to its weaving industry, is now capitalizing on its old-world ambience, another dairy family is finding quaint pays better than efficiency.

LAURA RANCE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dairy producers in the Eifel region of western Germany are changing with the times as the European Unions regulations are overhauled.

Elmar and Iris Victor didnt listen to the experts who told them to expand their dairy herd. Instead, they opted to convert their old dairy shed into vacation apartments.

It was a question of what we would do because the income was not sufficient from 40 cows, Iris said through an interpreter. Offering urbanites a week on the farm where children can ride ponies, play in a forest and milk a pretend cow surrounded by the aroma of a working dairy farm has proven far more lucrative.

Despite their success, both families remain uncertain about their future. Europes Common Agricultural Policy, which has underpinned the rural sector on the continent for generations, is offering farmers less support all the time. Global competition is fierce.

Legge has some advice for Canadian dairy farmers contemplating a deregulated market in exchange for access to export sales. It would be the greatest mistake farmers can do, he said.

Laura Rance is editor of the Manitoba Co-operator and editorial director for Farm Business Communications. She can be reached at laura@fbcpublishing.com or 204-792-4382
Opinion

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There was a cold, hard business fact lost in the rancour and finger-pointing regarding the recent layoffs at the Port of Churchill and the 50 per cent reduction in rail freight service to northern Manitoba.

Grain shipments out of the Port of Churchill may be over  for good.

Omnitrax and the federal and provincial governments may be playing a reckless game of chicken with Omnitrax cutting back or withholding service unless it gets financial support from government, the province dithering over prior commitments to Omnitrax and scoffing at the thought of extending them and the federal government, at best, putting a First Nations proposal to acquire the assets on low priority.

Churchill Gateway Development Corp OmniTRAX photo Port of Churchill Manitoba

Meanwhile, not much attention is being paid to what caused Omnitrax to shut down the Churchill grain terminal  there were no grain shipments booked for this years shipping season. None.

Regardless of how ill-advised you might think Omnitraxs strategy was to go silent for more than two weeks after laying off the port staff, it is not hard to understand why the layoffs occurred, as hard as it is for the people and communities affected.

In the first media interview since the issue began, Omnitrax Canada president Merv Tweed told the Free Press this week despite pronouncements earlier in the summer of expectations for a good shipping season, the bookings never materialized.

We received no commitments from anyone for a kernel of grain, Tweed said. We are always optimistic, every business has to be positive. But at the end of the day, we have to make a decision. It is not something we came to easily or overnight.

There has been plenty written about why shippers could or should use the Port of Churchill, but the arcane logistics system of the grain-handing network has likely shifted, inextricably, east-west.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canadas subsidy programs, instituted after legislation was passed to end the Canadian Wheat Boards marketing monopoly, was increased to $12 per tonne this year. It was obviously too little too late for the grain handlers.

Last year, Richardson International accounted for 75 per cent of the grain shipped out of Churchill.

But this year, it opened a $140-million expansion of its Port of Vancouver terminal, and so the writing was on the wall as to where its preferred shipping port would be.

Tracey Shelton, a spokeswoman for Richardson, was polite and concise in her explanation for Richardsons decision to go in another direction after it had been a vocal supporter of Churchill as recently as last year  Short shipping season, low ocean freight rates, our investments in our own terminals. The port facilities definitely have challenges. It is an older facility, and operating conditions are not prime.

What may be even more disconcerting when it comes to a sustainable long-term business case for the port is Omnitraxs effort to diversify the commodity portfolio has been an unmitigated failure.

And, said Omnitrax CEO Kevin Shuba, it was not for lack of trying.

We have been accused of not marketing, he said. The marketplace has determined it is not going to be grain. The shippers and class-one railroads have made that decision. But I cant tell you how many fertilizer companies and other companies we have talked to about opportunities.

Shuba believes the proposal from a consortium of northern First Nations led by Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Chief Arlen Dumas to acquire the assets will change the dynamics and perhaps inspire some companies that avoided Churchill to be more sympathetic were they dealing with a First Nations-owned company rather than an American one.

However it operates, it will certainly require public-sector financial and political investment with a degree of responsibility much greater than has been the case.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two veteran Brandon Police Service officers  one of them a celebrated investigator  face obstruction-of-justice charges for a series of events that seem to have begun with a confrontation at a Brandon bar in late 2014.

The Winnipeg Police Service investigated the case as an impartial police agency and announced the charges against the officers Friday.

(Thursday), our investigators from (the) professional standards (unit) travelled to Brandon and charged two members of the Brandon Police Service, WPS deputy chief Danny Smyth told reporters during a news conference in Winnipeg.

Few details were provided, but Smyth said in January 2015 his force began to investigate at the request of provincial justice officials.

In a statement issued Friday, the BPS reported it received a complaint Dec. 16, 2014, of an assault allegedly committed by one of its officers. The next day, Chief Ian Grant asked Manitoba Justice to appoint an independent police service to investigate.

In January, the WPS forwarded its findings to Manitoba Prosecutions, which authorized charges against the two BPS members July 11, Smyth said.

Sgt. Dallas Lockhart, a 20-year member of the force, is charged with attempting to obstruct justice and obstructing a police officer.

Const. Shane Stephenson, also a 20-year member, is charged with one count of obstruction of justice.

The allegations against the men havent been proven in court, and they are presumed innocent.

In its statement, the BPS said both officers have been put on administrative leave pending the outcome of their court cases and wont perform any police duties in the meantime.

They will appear in court at a later date.

While police released little information, one source, speaking on condition of anonymity, provided an account of what happened in 2014 to spark the investigation. Based on the information provided by the source, it seems to stem from conflict between Lockharts son and Stephenson.

On Friday, Smyth said Lockhart is charged in relation to a November 2014 incident at a Brandon bar. He said Lockhart was off-duty when he allegedly intervened in a matter in which two men were in the custody of other BPS officers.

The source indicated an incident at the bar led to Lockharts son being taken into custody.

How Lockhart allegedly intervened wasnt specified, but his son had reportedly been injured in an altercation (not at the hands of police). No charges were laid against Lockharts son in relation to that incident.

One of the officers called to the bar that night was Stephenson. The source said Lockhart complained of being assaulted by Stephenson during the police response, although he wasnt charged as a result of the WPS investigation.

Rather, Smyth said, Stephenson is charged with obstruction in connection with an assault case he was assigned in July 2014 that also involved Lockharts son. The manner in which the assault investigation was conducted was brought into question, Smyth said.

Court documents indicate police pressed a charge of assault causing bodily harm against Lockharts 20-year-old son five months after it was allegedly committed July 4, 2014.

A promise for the accused to appear in court on the matter is dated Dec. 13, 2014, and the BPS said it received the bar-related assault complaint two days later.

The charge was sworn before the court Jan. 23, 2015. Lockharts son made his first appearance in court on Feb. 9, 2015, and the charge was dropped on May 28, 2015.

In 2006, Lockhart was one of two BPS officers honoured with an Excellence in Law Enforcement Award.

 Brandon Sun
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This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sixty years ago, a plane dropped out of the sky and loaded up an entire community of Dene hunters and trappers and their families from Little Duck Lake Bay, deep in Manitobas northern interior.

RICHARD HARRINGTON / HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY ARCHIVES [Sayisi Dene] boys. Photo taken around Duck Lake post on Nejanilini Lake, Northern Manitoba, 1947.

There would be four separate trips. The 300 Dene, and whatever they could bring, would be flown first to Churchill and then transported by a coal truck to the shores of the Churchill River, a few kilometres inland from Hudson Bay.

The Dene set up tents and made shelters. The federal government then relocated them again  to North River, about 35 km up the coast.

These people, whose winter gear and trapping equipment were left behind on their Duck Lake traplines, joined some scattered Sayisi Dene already living at North River. There were no caribou, few furs, scant timber and no big lakes with large reserves of fish. Both communities were effectively destroyed.

This coming week  in recognition of the tragic anniversary date of Aug. 17, 1956  Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett will deliver a national apology and $33.6 million in compensation for that act of relocation and the misery that followed.

Where and exactly what words will be delivered took weeks to work out. In an elaborate set of ceremonies, Bennett will apologize three times, starting in Tadoule Lake Aug. 16, later the same day in Churchill and the next day in Winnipeg.

Tadoule Lake was selected because its where the survivors and their descendants now live. Churchill was chosen because that is where nearly all the relocated died, while Winnipeg is home to an urban Dene diaspora.

The details of the compensation package have been closely guarded  theres a small land holding, some 13,000 acres of shoreline at Little Duck Lake where the Dene had a winter camp next to a caribou crossing. That location, called Edah, or caribou spearing place, is located a few kilometres to the north of a Hudsons Bay Co. store where the Canso amphibious cargo plane landed that day in August 1956.

The package also includes a one-time bonus payment to relocation survivors, ranging from $15,000 to $20,000. The higher amount is reserved for those who survived the ghastly flights, where dogs and children alike were so unnerved they kept violently throwing up, according to Night Spirits, a 1997 book that recounts the Dene relocation.

RICHARD HARRINGTON / HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY ARCHIVES [Sayisi Dene] girl photographed around Duck Lake post on Nejanilini Lake, Northern Manitoba, 1947.

The Government of Canada is deeply committed to renewing the relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples and to negotiating agreements that address long-standing issues in a balanced way that respects the rights of all Canadians. Working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition, rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation with indigenous people in Canada, a spokeswoman for the minister said.

Tadoule Lake is located about 300 km northwest of Churchill in one of the most remote regions of North America. The only routes to this part of Dene traditional lands in the mid-20th century were by snowshoe, dog team or air. Today, there are winter roads and snowmobile trails.

Currently, about 300 people live in Tadoule Lake, and there will be about 20 survivors of the forced relocation on hand for the apology.

Theyll include Jim Clipping, 72, who was 12 when he boarded one of the flights with his grandfather in 1956, and Eva Thorassie, who was in residential school the day the plane landed. She only saw her family the next summer. By then, they were starving, their dogs dead, far from their familiar caribou hunting grounds, the image of abject despair. A girl of eight in the summer of 56, shes now 69.

Both elders said they voted for the package, a take-it-or-leave-it deal from Ottawa, if only to put an end to decades of talks on how to atone for the forced relocation.

The federal government said they were going to be apologizing and giving out compensation when they came up here, Clipping said in a phone interview from Tadoule Lake, describing how the deal finally came together with the final offer.

Clipping is a longtime community leader, having served on numerous local councils, and hes a blunt-talking walking encyclopedia on the relocation.

I asked, Whats in the apology? That youre sorry, you killed over 100 of my people? You expect me to forgive you? Clipping recounted. I would sooner have my friends back, my family back to go out hunting. But thats long gone.

Thorassie also gave the impression the apology and compensation are less than satisfactory.

The way I see it, theres no amount of money thats ever going to replace the people we lost. I did vote. If we dont, its another long process of waiting. For how many more years? she said.

  

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill Camp 10, 1966

The story of the Dene is riddled with irony, and the most recent is the day Tadoule Lake turned out for the vote on the apology. It was near-unanimous and it came with deep misgivings.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill Camp 10, 1966

It was also made against a hail of gunfire from one of the biggest hunts of caribou in the history of the north. Caribou and the way theyre hunted were the framework behind the forced relocation, too.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill Camp 10, 1966

The difference this time was it was the Dene who called the hunt a slaughter; locals put it at close to 10,000 animals. The province, which the Dene called in to stop it, put the number at about one-third of that.

With the vote looming at the end of March, Dene and Cree and non-native hunters from Alberta to Manitoba were on the doorstep of Tadoule Lake, drawn there by the biggest winter gathering of regional northern caribou in recent memory.

Gunfire started in December and didnt end nearly April. Tadoule Lake Sayisi Dene Chief Ernie Bussidor described the winter months leading up to the vote as sickening, a carnage.

It was like opening a raw wound for the survivors, he said, describing the day of the vote in one of many Facebook chats and phone calls.

The irony, of course, is it was a traditional Dene hunt that whipped up the frenzy of Southern Canada against the Dene 60 years ago and caused the relocation.

It started with tourism photos from Little Duck Lake that showed what looked like dead caribou stacked up like cordwood on a frozen lake shore. They would be used by officials who believed the Dene were hunting caribou to extinction. Wrongly, as it turned out.

Half a century later, non-native Canadians who are staunch allies of the Dene are still coming to their defence over that miscarriage of justice.

One of them is Phil Dickman, a social worker from Winnipeg who worked with the Dene in Churchill for three years until 1970, when the Dene decided to move back to the bush.

His anger is still as sharp as a razors edge decades later.

Theres not a band of indigenous people in Canada who were abused to the extent they were, for nothing else but to save caribou herds, Dickman said. To save the herds, the government decided to destroy the Sayisi Dene. The experts later agreed there was no caribou crisis. It was the only tribe (in Canada that was) taken and dumped in a hellhole. And they died. They were all going to die if they didnt leave Churchill.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill Camp 10, 1966

Dickman said theres also no amount money that could ever compensate the Dene.

The caribou that was the focus of that notorious photo turned out to be a traditional cache, the camps winter supply, whole caribou laid out on the shoreline like an open-air freezer.

So the gunfire this March understandably put Tadoule on edge, and the vote added to the angst.

The forced relocation of the Sayisi Dene of northern Manitoba is one of sorriest but least-known chapters in Canadian history.

That first year, they wintered on the rocky shores of Hudson Bay in the canvas tents theyd brought from Little Duck Lake.

The second year, Ottawa moved them to a cluster of 16 clapboard cabins next to the Churchill graveyard.

Finally, they were sent to the notorious Dene Village, deliberately set apart from Churchill, on the towns outskirts.

With no education, little English and no ability to hunt, the Dene spent the next 18 years dying off, victims of rampant violence, fire, alcohol poisoning and abuse. Everyone had tales of shopping at the dump for discards and scraps of food. Almost every girl had horror stories of being molested or raped.

They were considered the lowest of the low.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill Camp 10, 1966

Within a decade or so, 130 of the original 300 were dead.

A semi-nomadic people, who depended on the caribou as much as Plains peoples did on buffalo, was stripped of their way of life inside a single generation.

The chief said hes read passages in the journals of explorer Samuel Hearne that hint at a storied history, long buried, for his people. The Dene created a culture on caribou for thousands of years in a place on Earth few could survive, yet almost nobody knows it, he said.

Hearnes Arctic expeditions to the Coppermine River in the 1770s were led by a Dene known to history as Matonabbee. History notes that in 1771, Hearne with his Copper Indians attacked and killed a group of unsuspecting Inuit that would be recorded as the Bloody Falls Massacre.

But to the Sayisi, oral tradition suggests Matonabbee was a leader they knew as Ojabu, a noted medicine man. He was raised at the Fort (Prince of Wales at Churchill), captured by the Cree and spoke four languages, Cree, Dene, French and English, Bussidor said.

Hearne seemed to marvel at the Dene relationship with caribou. His journals described the Dene, called the Chipewyan, clothed in caribou from head to toe.

During hunts Matonabbee took the English explorer to see, Hearne had a hard time distinguishing the humans from the caribou. Hearne was probably the first one to see us, and he said you couldnt tell the difference between the caribou and the people. They looked the same because of the clothing, Bussidor said.

History would also record another one of those tragedies so commonplace in the Dene story.

Matonabbee is known as the first northern First Nations leader to kill himself. He hanged himself after the French took the fort from the English in the only naval sea battle of Canadian history. The destruction of the fort in 1782 coincided with a smallpox epidemic that nearly wiped out the Dene. The two combined to undermine Matonabbees livelihood; he was a key middleman between indigenous trappers and the Hudsons Bay Co., and he saw no way out.

The Sayisi Denes near disintegration two centuries later has been well-chronicled in books and a haunting documentary called Nuhoniyeh, Our Story.

  

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Children in Dene Village in Churchill, 1968

Documentary producer Allan Code was a young journalist when he arrived from the south 50 years ago and saw the Dene in Churchill for himself. In one of those twists of fate that can change the course of a lifetime, Code fell in love and ended up marrying into his story. His bride was a teenage daughter of a former chief and a lay minister for the Sayisi Dene, a girl named Mary Clipping.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill Camp 10, 1966

Together, the couple made the 56-minute documentary to record the Dene side of the history. Three years in the making, the film in 1992 cost a lot of money; the couple mortgaged their home in Churchill, and it took three years of teaching to pay it off. After paying off their debts, the Codes decided to raise a family elsewhere. They moved to the Yukon and still live there.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill Camp 10, 1966

In a phone call and a series of emails during a visit back to Churchill and Tadoule Lake, they pieced the story together.

This was a culture as different from any culture Id ever met, and Id travelled a fair amount around the world Why they were relocated is a question thats haunted me for most of my life, Code said.

They said Churchill never had the resources to sustain a traditional Dene lifestyle.

To live there successfully was to cease being Dene in many important ways. The elders carried on somehow. Many found the strength to look after their children and grandchildren, through the toughest of times. The young grown men and women suffered the most. Twenty-somethings, at the peak of their strength and abilities, they were moved to a place where what little they possessed or understood had little meaning or apparent worth. The children adapted, as children do. Many made and continue to make poor choices in their personal lives. Every generation suffered in their own way, the couple said.

Its a fascinating story, and the worst part of it is you have an assembly of nonsensical facts you have to debunk before you can begin to tell the truth, Code added.

Whats also fascinating is the way the Dene can tell that story, slipping a lens into history and widening its scope, as the Codes related this summer with the notorious photograph.

Delores McFarlane was working for the Manitoba Department of Tourism when she took the photos of the ancient killing place where generations of hunters had harvested caribou. Of course there were lots of bones and antlers there. The black-and-white photo shows not a huge slaughter, but a few caribou hauled up on the shore and row upon row of boulders behind them that looked enough like caribou bodies to trick the eye into seeing an enormous slaughter, the Codes said.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO A semi-nomadic people, who depended on caribou, the Sayisi Dene were stripped of their way of life inside a single generation. Photo: Churchill, 1968.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Shacks from Camp 10 were moved during the construction of Dene Village. Photo: Churchill, 1968.

McFarlane gave the photos to the conservation officer Joe Robertson, who distributed them to Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa and many other places, it seems. In 1956, the photo appeared on the the Beaver magazine, with an article by W.F. Banfield, declaring a Caribou crisis. That article and a subsequent scientific paper by Canadian Wildlife Service biologist John P. Kelsall in 1969 blamed the Dene for the reduction in the caribou herds a reduction that never actually existed outside of survey error, the Codes recounted.

Along with the apology, the Dene would like to be seen the way they see themselves: The Sayisi Dene are a kindly people, proud of their traditional ways and respectful of the land. The relocation contributed to loss of language and culture as no other event in their history, Mary Code added.

The Sayisi Dene are also a resilient people who have found many ways to survive. May this apology and compensation mark a new beginning in a long relationship based upon respect and understanding of each other and the land, she said.

Allan Code blames the debacle on a cluster of individuals who either lived with the Dene or knew about them 60 years ago, from Indian agents to wildlife conservationists, from government biologists to the storied Canadian author Farley Mowat.

It was wrong. Just wrong. The people were not killing too many caribou. The caribou were in no danger of extinction at that point, although they may be now. It was such an injustice, and they were punished and treated like villains. Allan Code said. As for the compensation, he said, Im glad something came to the people before they were all gone.

Less widely known is the Denes reclamation. The remnant that walked back into the bush to reclaim what was left of the semi-nomadic way of life theyd lost. Two of the original men who blazed that trail still live in Tadoule Lake.

The people who started moving? I was one of them, said Jim Clipping, the former council member who spoke bluntly about the futility of an apology.

WILLIAM KOOLAGE PHOTO Sayisi Dene in Churchill 1968 - photo shows distance from the town of Churchill

There were five teams, and three of them are already gone. There are only two of us left now, The other gentleman? His name is Thomas Duck. There were no families (with us), just one gentleman to a dog team. It took us 13 days to get here, mushing through our dogs, building roads, very little food, Clipping said.

The dog mush was the winter of 1973 from South Knife Lake, the final place the Dene were moved after Churchill. Local recollections of Ottawas response to the audacious move to Tadoule Lake do justice to a Hollywood movie, the kind with a deadpan script, lean on words.

Once we got here, Indian Affairs (sent a plane) and landed outside out tents and they said, It looks like you guys meant it when you said you were going home So were going to start moving your families up here. It is quite a story, and its a true factual story, Clipping recalled.

It took awhile. Five of our families did come up a few days after that. Thats when they started moving all the families.

By 1981, the new homesite was reserve land, housing was being built and the people, once chronicled as the Fort Churchill band, was officially renamed the Sayisi Dene of Tadoule Lake.

As details were being worked out, Bussidor said the apology is raising anticipation, but its bittersweet.

The apology is coming, the week of Aug. 15, Bussidor said. The community is getting very excited about it, and theyre apprehensive about it. Lots of mixed feelings.

As a postscript, compensation for the forced relocation doesnt end the matter for the Dene.

The community is heir to a separate Dene land claim  split among federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions and Dene in Manitoba and Saskatchewan  to more than 80,000 square miles of traditional land from Hudson Bay through parts of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

Described as one of the most complex land claims in Canadas history because of the overlapping jurisdictions, a settlement for that claim has been in the works for 17 years. Its about the size of the Atlantic provinces put together.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What would you like with your coffee?

Cream? Sugar?

Kittens?

Starting today, that will be an option in Winnipeg when Jennifer Laferriere opens the citys first cat cafe in West Kildonan.

It will be a soft opening, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., as there is currently no sign on the Kingsbury Avenue strip-mall space, which is also occupied by Laferrieres dance school.

But there are 11 cats, including six three-month-old brothers, who on Friday were batting around stuffed toy mice and wrestling with their siblings.

It wont be 100 per cent what we want, Laferriere said. It will be basically cats and coffee for now. But the cats are the main attraction. Theyre doing great. Everybody is getting along. Theres some hissing once in a while, but its been a really good adjustment.

And theyll just jump on you and snuggle. Theyre very cuddly.

Laferriere isnt certain how Winnipeggers will respond. She has spent the last two months preparing to open the doors operating on the theory that, if you build it, they will come.

Cat lovers just want to go, she said. Theyd want to be part of it. There will be stuff for them (the cats) all over where they can play and eat. And people can come in and sit around, just to relax and enjoy the cats.

Laferriere is going to call the cafe Fur Babies, and the plan is to charge customers $10 an hour to enjoy the company of cats through a partnership with Ksens Kittens rescue, a small foster-based adoption centre.

The cafe will eventually offer hot and cold beverages, and desserts will be available in a separate area. However, Laferriere stresses the main goal is to provide cat companionship with the hope of facilitating adoptions.

You cant have, like, a Tim Hortons with cats hanging around, she said. Its limited.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The cafe will charge $10 an hour to enjoy cats through a deal with Ksens Kittens.

The lounge area is furnished with couches and chairs for humans and toys and beds for the four-legged furballs. At any given time, the cafe will have a dozen cats on site, plus a designated kitten room. If a customer takes to one of the felines, they can fill out a form to begin the adoption process.

Laferrieres cafe comes at a time when the population of cat-themed cafes is growing like, well, cats. First established in Taiwan at the turn of the last century, the concept quickly took hold in Japan, where there are around 150 cat cafes and counting.

Now theres Lady Dinahs Cat Emporium in London, Cafe Katzentempel in Munich, Le Cafe des Chats in Paris and La Gatoteca in Spain. In fact, the website Coffee With Cats  Find a Cat at Your Destination  lists 255 across 37 countries and 143 cities.

In the last two years, the trend spread to North America, where the Cat Town Cafe opened in Oakland in 2014. Canada now has cat cafes in Vancouver, Toronto and Quebec, which has four.

(Unlike other provinces, Quebec allows cats in the same space where food is served).

Laferriere believes Winnipeg is a strong cat-lovers market. When she first announced plans of the cat cafe on her Facebook page  she has more than 14,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts photos of her four cats  the response was overwhelmingly positive.

Its been crazy, she said.

Michelle Ashcroft, a partner in Ksens Kittens along with Ksenia Klazura, sees Laferrieres project as an ideal way to provide a service for both customers and homeless cats.

I think its a fantastic idea, Ashcroft said. Its a great environment for the cats. We specialize in cats that are pregnant or have just had kittens. They can be shy. But being around people brings out their personalities more. Quite often the shy ones are overlooked. It could give a lot of these guys a good chance to come out of their shells.

The reasons for the emergence of cat cafes, Ashcroft believes, is the result of simple supply and demand. In most large cities, apartment dwellers arent allowed to keep pets. Many dont have the time or space to care for them full time.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jennifer Laferriere is opening the Fur Babies cat cafe and adoption centre today in West Kildonan.

But the demand for a furry creature to ball up in your lap and purr is a constant human trait, she said.

The therapeutic value that you can get from spending time with pets cant be undervalued, Ashcroft noted. I think a lot of people are becoming more aware of what a pet can do emotionally. Theres something about an animal that doesnt judge you and gives you love. And if you cant have it in your home, (a cafe) is a good opportunity to spend some time with them.

Added Laferriere: People are opening them, and people are loving them. Thats why theyre catching on.

But will the concept cat(ch) on in Winnipeg, though?

I dont know, Ashcroft said. Time will tell. But Winnipeg has a reputation of being a test market, right? But I do see huge potential there.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Aaron Driver seen in a video warning Canadians We thirst for your blood is not the Aaron Driver his defence lawyer knew.

Leonard Tailleur said he doesnt know what happened in the five months since the 24-year-old left Winnipeg on a peace bond to live in his stepsisters house in Strathroy, Ont., but he knows now the man must have been indoctrinated even further into terrorism.

I was shocked, Tailleur said Friday.

When I saw the video, I was astonished in the difference in his tone and demeanour. If he had displayed that in 2014 when he gave a (media) interview and was questioned by CSIS and the RCMP, instead of asking for a peace bond, I would think they would have charged him.

This wasnt the same guy police were dealing with or who was in our office. He is a different person.

Driver was killed shortly after RCMP confronted him outside the house he was living in at Strathroy. He set off one explosive device inside the taxi he had called and was preparing to set off another when he was shot by police.

RCMP had earlier received a tip from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States, which had found a video by a man threatening Canadians. RCMP quickly determined the man in the video was Driver.

Tailleur said he doesnt understand why, after the federal Crown and police got Driver to agree to 12 conditions on a peace bond including not having explosives, it appears they ignored him after he moved to Ontario.

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Aaron Driver, leaving Winnipeg Law Courts in February 2016.

The feds had asked for it, but he goes to Ontario, and nobody is actively watching him? That I dont understand He got truly radicalized during that period of time. How that happened Id like to know.

Tailleur said it doesnt appear police were monitoring whether Driver was using a computer to access and didnt go to see him when he stopped attending the mosque in London, Ont., he was going to.

Its almost like they just left him there, he said.

He stopped going to the mosque  this is a sign something is happening. With peace bonds, if youre going to have them, you should watch them closely, dont just say its done.

I just think it would be astonishing that he leaves here with a peace bond and then they dont watch him.

  

Drivers dad says his son was a troubled child but appeared to have turned his life around after converting to Islam.

Wayne Driver said his son stopped doing drugs, had a full-time job and a girlfriend and was civil again after years of problems that began when the boys mother died when he was seven.

But then, the father said, CSIS contacted him in January 2015 about disturbing posts his son had made on social media.

It was babies in mass graves and killings of other Christians, and he said that they had it coming to them, and they deserved it, the father said in a phone interview from his church in Cold Lake, Alta., where he retired from the military and is training to be a pastor.

When Wayne Driver was told his 24-year-old son had died in Strathroy after allegedly making a martyrdom video that suggested he was planning to detonate a homemade bomb in an urban centre, the father said it came as a surprise that hed actually gone that far.

His sons troubles started when his mom died of brain cancer, Wayne Driver said. The son blamed his father.

Wayne Driver remarried when his son was eight, but the boy wouldnt accept his stepmother. He refused to participate in counselling, and at one point he stopped eating.

He was saving his lunches at school in the locker. His teachers found out that he was doing that because his locker started to smell, his father said.

He was taking his lunches to school and not eating them because he wanted to die to be with his mum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnaULhs_weA

Wayne Driver and his wife were both in the military. At 15, Aaron Driver ran away right before they were supposed to be transferred from Edmonton to London, Ont.

At 16, he applied to be emancipated, and his father agreed to sign the papers. The teen lived in a youth home in Ontario until he was 18, and when Wayne Driver went to visit, his son would often refuse to see him.

When Aaron Driver was 21, he came back to live with his father and stepmother when they were in Winnipeg.

He said he had converted to Islam. Its not my belief, of course, and I just figured it was a phase he was going through. But we supported him because it had changed his life, Wayne Driver said.

We still tried talking with him about Christianity. But he wouldnt hear anything of it.

The family was transferred to Cold Lake, but the young man stayed in Winnipeg. Hed quit school because of trouble with math, his father said, but was planning to return.

Then communication became strained again. Most of the news his father got about his son came from his stepsiblings.

Aaron Driver was picked up by police in Winnipeg in June 2015. RCMP say a raid on his home uncovered instructions for homemade explosive devices on his computer.

Police also say Aaron Driver was communicating with well-known members of the so-called Islamic State.

Aaron Driver was held on a peace bond because of fears he would participate in or contribute to, directly or indirectly, the activity of a terrorist group to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity. He was released under a raft of conditions in February.

Amarnath Amarasingam, an expert on radicalization who has spoken on multiple occasions with Aaron Driver, said the young man was radicalized while looking for order in a life that was characterized by chaos.

Amarasingam is working on a study at the University of Waterloo, interviewing western foreign fighters and people who have been radicalized in Canada. He said he was brought in by Aaron Drivers lawyers.

He was a very troubled guy. Hed gone through several tragedies in his life, Amarasingam said.

On top of losing his mother, Amarasingam said Drivers girlfriend was pregnant at 16 but lost the baby, and one of his friends was fatally shot in London, Ont.

Amarasingam said he last heard from the young man in April.

He was saying that he had a job, he was working, he had a group of friends, he was moving on with his life, he said.

But between April and August, there were a number of attacks on Islamic countries during Ramadan, Amarasingam said. This helped crystalize Aaron Drivers allegiance to IS.

Wayne Driver said he never stopped trying to reach out to his son.

I called him a month ago. I said, Hi, how are you doing? He said, Im not talking to you, and he hung up the phone on me, Wayne Driver said.

So I tried reaching out again, I tried sending texts, he wouldnt respond to texts. He unfriended me on Facebook.

He said prayer is helping him get through his sons death.

It would be very difficult for sure if I didnt have Gods love on my side.

 staff / The Canadian Press

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

JUSTIN TANG / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Video footage showing Aaron Driver is seen behind RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana and Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Strachan during a news conference Thursday about the terror suspect.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite losing badly in the last federal election, it would appear the federal Tories didnt learn their lesson.

The Conservative Party of Canada, somewhat desperate to interrupt the prolonged post-election honeymoon enjoyed now by the Liberal government, has gone on the attack with a series of posters that mock Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Echoing the tone and content of past attack campaigns, the posters hammer Trudeau for taking a family vacation at the same time Canadas jobless rate has gone up. In one image, the Tories used a much-shared photo of a shirtless Trudeau standing in the background of a wedding photo taken on a beach near Tofino, B.C.

CONSERVATIVE ad (from official party twitter account)

Another of the ads features Trudeaus photo on a milk carton under the caption missing. Yet another features a missing poster with the same picture of Trudeau and the caption Last seen wandering shirtless in the B.C. wilderness looking for photo opportunities.

When asked to explain the motivation for the ads, Conservative staff said the party only wanted to remind Canadians just how inappropriate it was for Trudeau to be publicly engaged in a family vacation  and appearing without a shirt in someone elses photo at a time when the ranks of the unemployed were growing at an alarming rate.

Two things are abundantly clear from this latest effort to tarnish Trudeaus image and diminish his soaring popularity.

First, the Tories really, really hate Trudeau. They hate the way he looks. They hate the fact he is constantly visible, that he is a master of getting free publicity on social media and his innate capacity for interacting with everyday Canadians. Lets face it  they just plain old hate him.

And second, the Tories have absolutely no idea how their childish attack ads feed the countrys fascination, and even admiration, for Trudeau.

That was proven quite conclusively in the two years preceding the last federal election, when a constant barrage of Tory attack ads making fun of Trudeaus youth, his good looks and even his hair did nothing to undermine his popularity. In fact, these ads only made the Tories look old and cranky and out of step with current trends, while Trudeau was able to assume the role of a kinder, gentler politician who was disinterested in traditional attack ads.

The Tory outrage about Trudeaus summer vacation  whether mock or genuine  is fascinating from a number of perspectives. Having just left government, the Conservatives know full well prime ministers often take vacations during summer months when the House of Commons is not in session. Former prime minister Stephen Harper often took extended vacations in July and August with his family at his official government summer residence at Harrington Lake, Que.

In fact, the only real difference between Trudeau and Harper is when the latter took off his shirt for a dip in the aforementioned Harrington Lake, he apparently had the sense to do it without having anyone take his picture.

The ads also expose the Conservative partys urgent and desperate need for a permanent leader. Interim Tory Leader Rona Ambrose has tried to change the tone and content of the message coming from her party. She has spoken frankly about mistakes made in the last election, a campaign in which Harper used fear and contempt to divide and conquer the electorate.

Shortly after accepting the interim leadership, Ambrose told journalists the tone of a renewed Conservative party was a top-of-mind concern for her and how it was important to be strong but not angry when communicating with voters.

Tone is also about respect, and its about how you treat one another in caucus, outside of caucus, and also how you treat other people in the House, Ambrose told the Huffington Post. If you want tone to change, it starts with respect.

Ambrose was widely lauded for her honesty and her efforts, even as an interim leader, to rebrand the party. However, it seems she was either disingenuous in her original comments, or the minions deep within the party machinery were just not getting the message.

Veteran Conservatives will argue attack ads such as this are less about appealing to a majority of Canadians and more about stirring core supporters to hold firm and  most importantly  donate heavily to the Tory cause. By all visible measurements, that strategy is working; the Conservatives continue to raise as much as or more money than the Liberals, a remarkable feat for a party that was thumped in last falls election.

However, at some point the Tories have to start thinking less about dredging up more donations from their base and more about expanding that base of support. There are simply not enough core Conservative supporters left to defeat the Liberals, unless somehow the NDP is able to rise from the ashes of last falls electoral debacle and start once again earning the support of centrist or slightly left-of-centre voters.

The Tory attack ads, in this context, are penny-wise and pound foolish. They suggest to voters this is still the party of Harper, and it will be for some time. And it is yet another reminder this is the party of the niqab controversy and the tip line for barbaric cultural practices, two of the more objectionable policy planks used in the last election.

Trudeau has changed the rules of engagement for retail politics in this country forever. He is, in almost every way, a disrupter who has broken barriers and challenged conventions and, in doing so, has succeeded in winning a nearly historic level of popularity among voters.

That leaves the Tories at a crossroads. They can learn to be disrupters, and compete head to head with Trudeau and the Liberals.

Or they can continue to be the disrupted and find their joy in petty potshots that thrill hard-core supporters but ring hollow with the electorate.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @danlett
Richa Chadha was born in 1986, in Amritsar, to a non-Sikh family. The year defines her. It was in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, the city was embroiled in the uprising of pro-Khalistan militants, where a furious assertion of identity manifested itself in violence against the 'other'.

When Chadha was a year-and-ahalf, her family moved to Delhi to start a new life. "It's just context according to me. I don't want to talk about it. I was very young," says Chadha, now armed with powerful performances in her armour, looking squarely into a mirror after drying off from a gruelling photo shoot, where she spent close to an hour in the shower, posing as both bitch and belle (and often an amalgamation of the two) in an off-shoulder top and a towel.

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Actor Richa Chadha's eclectic moods

While she does not discuss it actively, the 'refugee' status does affect her beliefs. "I am only very strictly liberal and like to let people be, in terms of what their faith is," she says. "I'm a very spiritual person. I believe in energy and some kind of God-I don't think science can explain consciousness yet- but that is pretty much it." But growing up in the Capital is something she remembers fondly. Chadha lived in a joint family with four brothers. Her parents, both teachers, have always given her a lot of freedom and her dad's belly played a major role in setting aspirations to be a performer in motion. "I must have been four or five when I decided I want to be an actor," she says. "I really enjoyed making my family laugh."

Also read: Eating disorders are the best-kept secrets of showbiz: Richa Chadha



It's difficult to imagine that the actor who played the cuss-spewing, husband beating, violence-driven Nagma Khatoon in Gangs of Wasseypur launched into performer mode as a toddler playing the fool, but that is exactly the kind of confused presumptuousness that annoys Chadha. "It gets tiring for me to keep explaining to people that you are not necessarily that bold person in real life. A person has different shades." And this is true for people who meet her both professionally and personally.

Chadha is comfortable in her own skin

In an industry obsessed with appearances, pigeonholing is something of a sport, and breaking out a real struggle. It is tough to typecast someone who has played both Bholi Punjaban the loud-mouthed badass in Fukrey and the demure Sukhpreet in Sarbjit, smashed mean trolls and collaborated with comedians Kannan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath on a project. She says "People in the industry think it's either going to be short skirts and blowers in the hair or rustic and non-glam because of roles like Masaan and Gangs of Wasseypur." "There's nothing in the middle."

Meeting her reveals, however, that the Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! actor is a heady mix of glam and grit, intellect and wit. An avid reader as a teen, the once shy, bespectacled girl from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in central Delhi grew up on Salman Rushdie and remembers grumbling about having to read school books over Shame and Midnight's Children. The reading also helped her pick up nuance in films she watched earlier on.

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"I would watch Hero No. 1 and Coolie No. 1, but I would also watch Shyam Benegal films with my mum...and I'd feel equally passionate about both," she says. And eventually, in college, she took to theatre. "I worked a little with Barry John. I was an extra in a play by the Theatre In Education (TIE) Repertory and learned a lot," she says. And this was what helped her when she moved to Mumbai in 2007, ready to be a "heroine".

With a dollop of confidence and a friend from the Film and Television Institute (FTII) in Andheri West to crash with, Chadha took the plunge that thousands take every day. And a play she did with John, who had also coincidentally relocated, got her noticed. A round of auditions later, she finally earned a part in her first film, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! "It's never easy to first move out of your home and start doing things on your own," says Chadha. "So it was like a big growing-up experience for me, but I made the most of it, made friends, took the train, autos and buses."

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After Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, Chadha spent a lot of time doing theatre, workshops and even trained in street jazz dance. The film made her a recognisable enough to easily bag TV commercials and make a quick buck, but there was a breed of ads no professional lure could compel her to do. "I just don't think I would ever do fairness creams," says Chadha. "I think a lot of children grow up believing they are lesser because of their skin; I don't want to perpetuate that. It's a colonial hangover and it's time we get over it."

Making principled choices was something she was always conscious of. While saying no to films is never easy, Chadha made sure she did not dilute her repertoire by throwing herself at any odd film that came her way. "It is difficult to say no because it's always tough to say no to money," she recalls. But she does want to do what she calls a "fun" film-anything she thinks she might enjoy, since the demanding roles, she admits, do take a toll on her. "I actually enjoyed Welcome, I thought it was really funny. But I won't really do anything in which I am just a prop-something that anybody can do." Fittingly, her forthcoming film is her first "song-and-dance commercial" project. Pooja Bhatt's Cabaret, involved an entirely "different grammar" for Chadha, but the experience was immensely thrilling, she admits. "It wasn't a random break-into-dance situation, all the lip sync songs were performances and the character is on stage so it didn't feel very weird like that," she says. "What is weird is wearing completely outlandish costumes and high heels and then balancing and dancing. That is weird."

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The Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela actor otherwise enjoys dressing up and has terrific people skills-two of the most prized qualities if one wants to make it in the film industry. She may have struggled with body image issues at first, faced with bulimia or "Big B" as she calls it, and odd fashion choices, but Chadha eventually came into her own. "I may not have always had the best taste, because it was a bit whacked out. You have different phases-an all black phase, a big kajal phase, short hair, long hair, that kind of stuff." And even more daunting is dolling up for the red carpet abroad, as Chadha needed to do for Cannes in 2015. Fortunately, she had kicked her insecurities and knew exactly how she wanted to look. "I didn't want to look like a costume version of myself. I did assert my Indian identity, because I did pick a sari, but that doesn't necessarily mean I need to look bridal," she says. From a magazine intern (for a period of three shoert months) to Masaan, from Fukrey to f*** you tweets, from kicking bulimia to owning Bollywood, Chadha has pretty much been as intrepid and independent as it gets. And she isn't quite done yet.

Photographs: Bandeep Singh; Location: The Claridges, Delhi;

Make-up and hair makeup by: Rishab Khanna; Stylist: Srishti Jha; Denim and top by: H&M

--- ENDS ---
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 13/08/2016 (2267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The urge to make a martyrdom video was Aaron Drivers undoing. The 24-year-old supporter of so-called Islamic State recorded himself ranting against Canada for helping to make war against IS so people would know why he had planted his bomb. He sent the video somewhere, and it promptly fell into the hands of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI called the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Mounties recognized the masked ranter among their list of known IS fanatics, and so Aaron Driver was surrounded and killed on a quiet street in Strathroy, Ont., as he set out on his mission.

For the most part, the supporters of Islamic State in Canada have been people of limited personal gifts, acting more or less alone. John Stewart Nuttall and Amanda Marie Korody attempted a terrorist act on Canada Day in 2013 by setting off pressure-cooker bombs on the grounds of the B.C. legislature. They were convicted of conspiring to commit murder and possessing explosives, but RCMP undercover agents played such a large role in encouraging the conspirators the conviction was recently overturned by the B.C. Supreme Court.

In Quebec, Martin Couture-Rouleau struck two Canadian soldiers with his car, killing Patrice Vincent, in October 2014. A few days later, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo as he stood guard at the Ottawa war memorial. Zehaf-Bibeau then ran into Parliaments Centre Block, where he was killed. Neither of these crimes shook the foundations of the Canadian state. Neither caused Canadians to doubt the importance of defeating IS.

All of these people had already come to the attention of the police. They were all born in Canada, and they were all known to the authorities as radicalized supporters of Islamist terrorism. The police were in close contact with Mr. Nuttall and Ms. Korody throughout their adventure. Mr. Couture-Rouleau and Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau struck before the police could nab them.

The difference in the case of Mr. Driver was he felt a need to let the world know about his motives by means of a martyrdom video. He sent the video presumably with the intention the recipient would post it on the Internet after he had set off his bomb in some public place. Little did he know he was also delivering it into the hands of the FBI. The RCMP played the video at their news conference Thursday. It showed they had excellent reasons for arresting him and using all the force necessary to stop him from planting his bomb.

It was not immediately clear whether Driver died by police gunfire or whether he was hoist with his own petard, but it scarcely matters. He had made his intention abundantly clear. The explosion of one device in the back seat of the taxi he had just boarded showed he had with him some means of carrying out his announced plan.

The anti-terrorist methods of the RCMP are evidently working. The RCMP should continue to keep abundant information on Canadians who have announced their support for so-called Islamic State. Police surveillance of Canadians purely because of their political beliefs would infringe our liberties, but the track record of supporters of IS speaks for itself. This is a terrorist group that incites its supporters to carry out terrorist acts, and enough of them do so that Canadian police forces must keep their eyes open and their files up to date.
I would like to comment on the letter to the editor titled Clinton the Better Choice for President.

Why not have a businessman for president? Our country has had an actor for president, several generals and even an engineer for president. Why is it, liberals are so against anyone who makes millions of dollars, or is it just Donald Trump they have a problem with?

I hardly think Trumps Florida condo fiasco as it was put, compares with the lives that were lost in Hillarys Benghazi disaster. Trumps belief in torture was also mentioned. Do you realize that thousands of U.S. citizens could have been killed had American security been breached because of Hillarys email scandal? To me this shows her total disregard for American lives.

Scandals have followed her throughout her entire career in government. The Whitewater scandal, the Clinton Foundation scandal, travelgate, just to name a few, and lets not even go into her husbands immoral behavior while in office. Does this make her the kind of person we want as president?

Remember Brian Williams, NBC news anchor, was suspended for six months over his Iraq helicopter lie? Now go back to 1996 when Hillary supposedly landed in Bosnia under sniper fire. She changed the story several times and it was found out there was no sniper fire directed at her at all. Why is one lie punished and not the other?

I for one am sick of the lies, the scandals and having liberal diversity shoved down my throat. In my opinion Hillary Clinton lacks the integrity, decency and character to serve as president of this country. Oh, and by the way, I am not a Trump supporter, Im simply voting for the lesser of two evils.

Dawn Hein, Beaver Dam
I started college while still in high school.

While many students wisely take advantage of this opportunity now, few students knew their rights when I was in high school.

My family moved from Colorado back to Michigan during my senior year, and my new schools graduation requirements were less demanding than those of my Colorado high school. I only needed one credit to graduate, but was expected to be a full-time student.

Unfortunately, while a much larger school (I went from a class of 25 to a class of 136), Luther L. Wright High School did not offer many of the classes I had been taking in Colorado. No psychology, no A.P. literature and no journalism. So my day started with the required course for graduation  government and economics  followed by an enlightening sociology class during second hour, and then padded with choir, serving as a library aide, study hall, and an English class identical to one Id taken my junior year.

My mother went to bat for me.

She fought the school administration and school board until I was allowed to enroll in a few classes at Gogebic Community College. The school district paid the tuition, but would not provide any transportation.

So during the second semester of my senior year, I left the high school after lunch and walked a mile to college, unless my parents had allowed me to take a car to school that day. There may have been a few times when I bummed a ride/hitchhiked. (Sorry, Mom. What can I say? One is not wise at 17.)

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I took Freshman Composition 101, and Tuesdays and Thursdays offered desktop publishing.

Why am I sharing this?

My very first college professor, Kenneth Bowman, taught the freshman comp class. He passed away this week at the age of 80.

I learned so much from Mr. Bowman. I still have the textbooks from that class, and many of the papers I wrote. I aced his first test, and found myself both mortified and pleased when he announced to the rest of the class that a student still in high school earned the top grade.

I continued as a student at GCC for two years after high school. Mr. Bowman served as my advisor and as my director. As a secondary education major with an English emphasis, I took several of his English literature courses, public speaking and his philosophy classes. In addition to his teaching and advisor duties, he also played an active role in the colleges drama department. He served as the director of GCCs 1994 production of Pride and Prejudice.

I auditioned hoping to play Elizabeth Bennet.

He cast me as her mother.

After Liz and Darcy, Mrs. Bennet had the most lines in the play. I value the faith he showed in offering me a lead role, and how he helped me gain confidence in myself.

GCCs new student orientation included presentations of all the college had to offer, and in 1993, Bowman spoke about the drama opportunities. He recruited several of his drama students to heckle him during his presentation to help showcase the program. We loved filling that role.

Teaching was his second career. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1955 to 1977 with a focus on communications. He served as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the White House Communications Center in Washington D.C. and accompanied the president, vice-president and secretary of state on trips around the world.

After leaving the Air Force, he followed the same education path my maternal grandmother did, attending Gogebic, Northland College in Ashland, Wis., and Northern Michigan University. He taught English in the Ironwood Area School District before beginning his career at GCC.

My father often called GCC the gem of Ironwood, and he was right. GCC offered a great education at an affordable price and its English department included three instructors who remain among my favorites: Mr. Bowman, Patrick ONeil and Jeannie Milakovich.

William Arthur Ward, known for his inspirational maxims, wrote, The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

Ken Bowman inspired and challenged me in my writing, speaking and leadership skills, and self-confidence. He helped me find my voice as a writer.

Friends and former students shared links to his obituary on Facebook, and the comments mourning his loss made his legacy as an educator apparent.

As students return to school this month, I hope they share my good fortune and meet a teacher like Ken Bowman.

Thank you, Mr. Bowman. For everything.
On July 31, 1941, Neil Andrews and the Mackey Walker Evangelistic Party pitched a canvas tent on the corner of Dickason Boulevard and Fuller Street and started preaching the word of God to anyone who cared to listen.

After 24 nights of services, with an average gathering of 40 worshippers, Andrews took a leap of faith that the little band of believers could make a go of it, and the Columbus Church of the Nazarene was born.

Today, Columbus Elementary School stands on the site where those early services were held, and the church has a decidedly more permanent home. But on Aug. 21, the congregation will pitch another tent, this one outside their current building at 753 Waterloo St., where theyll display 75 years worth of photos and mementos. The public is welcome to stop by and take a peek at the pictures, look up names in old membership registries and join in celebrating the churchs anniversary.

Barbara Isham, who has been helping to organize old records and photos in advance of the celebration, said the church has had 21 ministers and burned two mortgages over the course of its history.

In the early years, the church rented space in other buildings around Columbus to worship in: first in the Baptist church that was located on the corner of Dickason Boulevard and Harrison Street (which has since been demolished), then in the auditorium inside City Hall, and later in a storefront on Ludington Street.

By 1948, the members were ready for their own home and started looking for a church for sale. The one they found, the former Grace Evangelical Church, was located in Cassell Prairie in Sauk County.

We bought the church for $750, Isham said. It included everything: the pews, the pulpit, everything. We just had to move it.

At that point, the congregation bought land at 442 Selden St. and built a brick basement to serve as a foundation. Then they moved the old Cassell Prairie church, which, minus the bell tower, measured 26 feet by 38 feet, according to church records. (The bell tower was dismantled and never made it to Columbus.)

In one of the secretarys notes it says it was recommended that they cut the church at the corners and lay it flat to transport it, Isham said.

Apparently the moving process was accomplished without incident, and the building went on to serve as the congregations home for most of the next four decades.

In 1964-65, an addition was built onto the church, to allow for more classrooms and an expanded worship area.

Then in 1983, the congregation bought a lot on Waterloo Street, with plans to build on the site. Two years later, the house next door to the property went up for sale, and the church bought it, as well, to use as its parsonage.

The current church was designed by the Rev. Richard Moore, who was the pastor from 1977 to 1986, and was also a trained architect. The buildings design features a unique sloped roof that is reminiscent of an upside down ark. Moores design reused most of the stained glass windows from the original Cassell Prairie church, which dated back to 1911.

Rev. Moore, in his lifetime, he built 38 churches, Isham said. He was good at it. Hed pastor, and hed build at the same time.

Moores son, Richard Moore Jr., an architect and a builder, oversaw the construction, which took place from 1984 to 1986. All of the work, with the exception of electrical and plumbing, was done by members of the congregation.

A special type of wood had to be ordered for the curved roof, and putting it up was a huge undertaking for the volunteer crew, Isham said. Everybody got called to help, and more than a few nervous wives and moms said a prayer as they watched their husbands and sons crawl around on the steep peak. Despite the danger, the work got done, and no one got hurt.

It was fun, Isham said. It was an energetic vision for bringing the word of Jesus Christ and holiness to Columbus and another step in that endeavor.

On Sunday, June 29, 1986, the congregation met at the Selden Street church for a hymn and farewell prayer and then proceeded as a group to their new home.

The Waterloo Street church was dedicated two months later.

Today, the congregation is served by a husband-and-wife team: the Rev. Chris Baker and the Rev. Teresa Baker. The pastors bring a new energetic vision to the church, Isham said. A kids Bible School is currently being offered on Sunday nights, and the Rev. Teresa has been having children come up front during Sunday morning services to share a Bible story and lesson with them. The church has also started holding a service on the third Saturday of every month.

While the church looks to the future, it also continues to embrace its past. The congregation today includes at least five direct descendents of its founding members, including Jim Wolf, Marvin Schoenwetter, Loren Schoenwetter, Leroy Dieckhoff and Pam Braker.

And two of the daughters of Neil Andrews, who helped pitch that first tent 75 years ago, are expected to attend the anniversary celebration.
Stuff the Bus is at its halfway point in collection and for anyone thinking about donating its important to remember, Portage Lions leaders say, how many children need school supplies.

With the economy the way it is, and even though its getting better, Nancy Schaper said, lots of things are needed.

Portage Lions have been collecting school supplies and books for local schools since Aug. 5 and will Stuff the Bus from noon to 4 p.m. on Aug. 20 at Walmart. The next collection is set for 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 19 outside Walmart.

Portage Lions seek items you can easily imagine will soon be put to good use, like pencils, colored pencils, pens, erasers, loose leaf paper, notebooks, graph paper, earbuds or headphones, index cards, binders of all sizes, binder dividers, dry-erase markers, Post-It Notes, highlighters, folders, calculators, scissors and protractors.

Donate because it makes you feel good, Schaper said.

Heather Smith  Portage Lions president  said Thursday during a collection at Walmart that Portage Lions last year received more than $4,000 worth of supplies.

We literally had 20 huge totes just full of stuff, Smith said. So the Portage community is very generous.

But theres a lot of need, she added.

Other school supply drives in Portage often ensure the elementary students are well-covered for supplies, so Portage Lions this year is asking for more middle and high school supplies. This year weve focused our list on them (the older students)  graph paper, more pens and things like that, versus the colors, Schaper said.

Supply drive successes in years past dont surprise Smith, who grew up in Portage and learned, over time, how unique the giving spirit is in her hometown.

I guess as a kid youre not really aware of everything, she said, but as an adult Im always amazed: the fundraising for the skate park, the Splash Pad, and now the firefighters raising (money) for their training center  people are donating money.

People who donate  its (sometimes) people you wouldnt even expect who bring you a whole big bag of supplies.

More evidence of generosity came at the Madison College-Portage Open House event held Tuesday, where Portage Lions received two big boxes of supplies like highlighters and binders and books  all sorts of stuff, Smith said.

So is it possible to at once be used to the generosity of Portage and surprised by it?

Smith and Schaper seemed to agree: the answers in the end result.

Who deserves our help more than a child? Schaper said. Theyre our future.

It just makes you feel good, she repeated. Youre helping somebody.
Wisconsin Association of School Boards is excited to once again represent every public school district in the state after Portage this week rejoined the organization, its executive director John Ashley said.

Portage School Board at its Aug. 8 meeting ended a year-long boycott of WASB  a stand Ashley said he understood and respected.

They were able to express some of their frustrations with things happening in public education, and they wanted us as an association to hear that message, Ashley said.

I think we heard it loud and clear.

During Portages absence, WASB never for one moment stopped advocating for parents, students and teachers in the community, Ashley said, but we wanted them to be members all the same.

Following some recent consolidations, Wisconsin now has 422 public school districts  all of them members of WASB paying annual rates that depend on the number of full-time employees in a district. Portage this year is paying $5,865, slightly higher than what the board considered paying in 2015-16 before Portage dropped out. Membership rates for WASB typically rise incrementally from year to year.

Several Portage school board members openly criticized WASBs effectiveness in influencing lawmakers in the state Capitol before and after the board elected to cancel membership last summer, leading Ashley to travel to Portage to address the board in the hopes of alleviating concerns and convincing Portage to rejoin. While it didnt work then, most members commended Ashley for making the effort.

Two members  Matt Foster and Dan Brown  all along supported sticking with WASB, noting how in addition to advocacy, WASB provides school districts with legal services, updates on policies and procedures for administration and holds regular workshops and other learning events for board members.

I think last year when we didnt join we sent them a message, member Fred Reckling said after the board voted Monday to rejoin WASB. Theyve been a little more responsive to the school, and I think we need to utilize their attorneys and save some money.

Steve Pate, a school board member for 30 years, said he thinks WASB deserves another chance, noting this years increase in state aid for Wisconsin schools puts Portage in good shape right now and helps taxpayers. Pate, though, said he thinks this coming budget cycle will present even greater challenges for schools, a belief Ashley shared.

Hes right, Ashley said. Were going to have a challenging budget so we need the communitys voice, and I think we have much more resonance in Madison when we can say we represent all public school districts in the state.

Ashley said advocacy in Madison that involves physically paying visits to the Capitol to speak with lawmakers is only a tiny part of what WASB advocacy is about. The bigger part, he said, is encouraging members  like Portage  to connect with their local representatives.

We do our best to help our member districts engage in advocacy at the local level, and I think thats the most potent form of creating change.

Pate after Mondays school board meeting said he admires Ashleys belief in grassroots efforts, but he added, I just dont know that it works.

Ashley did note, however, that WASB regularly meets with influential people in government, having recently sat down with staff of Gov. Scott Walker to discuss the budgeting process and for the governors staff to learn what we expect.

The process, Ashley said, is just beginning, but theyre very interested in hearing from our membership and we feel good about that  and we know thats something Portage wants us to be doing  and loudly  and thats something we are doing.

Issues public schools want addressed in Madison include the debilitating effects of revenue limits, the fact so many districts need to try and try again for referendums to fund their schools, and the national teacher shortage, Ashley said.

Two months ago four of the Portage School Boards seven members were opposed to rejoining WASB, with most saying the nearly $6,000 it costs to be a member just wasnt worth it. Member Connie Shlimovitz  the only member who voted against rejoining WASB on Monday  said the cost is still the biggest reason she thinks Portage should have stayed out.

Ashley said any concerns about cost are best summed up in Fosters comments Monday: how everything depends on what we take out of it.

Mr. Foster is right: theres only so much you can avail yourself of, and its just a matter of reaching out and soliciting (our help).

If you think about the professional development opportunities we provide  and the responsibility they have running multi-million dollar entities  its almost a miniscule amount to make sure the school boards have the proper resources and support and are able to leverage it.

Its a very good deal.
Sauk Prairie will get a glimpse of one of the two eclipses that will occur over the next thirty days. The total solar eclipse is only visible over the Atlantic Ocean ending toward the North Pole on March 20, and the total lunar eclipse is best seen in western North America on April 4. However, the partial phase of the lunar eclipse will greet those who rise before the sun on the morning of April 4.

The Full Moon occurs on April 4 at 7:05 a.m., but the moon sets just before this, around 6:40 a.m., as the partial eclipse is ongoing. The partial phase begins around 5:17 a.m., as the moon slips into the deeper part of Earths shadow and begins to turn a bit red. The moon will become close to completely eclipsed around 6:34 a.m., just as it is setting. This will make for a strange and wondrous view for those awaking to the day to find a blood red moon setting in the west.

At the same time that the moon is setting, the sun is rising in the east. Sunrise will continue to arrive earlier every morning and sunset later every evening from the spring equinox on March 20 through June. Spring arrives precisely on March 20 at 5:45 p.m.

Spring planets and constellations

On March 21, a day after the new moon and eclipse graces the far north, a crescent moon returns to the sky just after sunset. The moon will be right beside Mars, and the next night the moon rises a bit higher to float beside Venus. On March 29 the moon will be high in the sky and not far from Jupiter. The moon and Saturn keep close quarters around April 8, but they dont rise until after midnight.

Back in the west, Venus draws attention as it shines at magnitude -4 and stays above the horizon for three hours. In early April, Venus closes in on the star cluster the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus. This grouping of stars is setting in the west while the spring constellations rise in the east. Leo, Virgo, and Libra rise up from the horizon, carrying along a slew of distant galaxies that can be viewed through large telescopes. Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, is taking on its spring look, with the bowl of the dipper turning upside down as it sends spring showers to Earth.
The Supreme Court lifted the ban on the registration of diesel vehicles with an engine capacity of more than 2000cc in Delhi and the NCR. However, manufacturer or dealer will have to pay one per cent of the showroom price of each car.

Ban on sale of 2000cc plus diesel cars has been lifted by the Supreme Court.

By Harish V Nair: Those gleaming new diesel SUVs and luxury sedans will once again be back on Delhi roads as the Supreme Court on Friday lifted its eight-month-old ban on sale of diesel cars with an engine capacity of 2000cc and above in the National Capital Region. But there is a rider - a "condition precedent" for registration.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur said manufacturers or the dealer will have to pay to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) one per cent of the showroom price of each car as environmental compensation charge (ECC) at the time of purchase. "Registration shall be done only after the authority concerned satisfies itself upon the deposit of the ECC amount," the order said.

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MANY, INCLUDING THE CENTRE, SOUGHT CHANGES IN THE EARLIER ORDER

The order came on pleas filed by the auto manufacturers like Toyota, Mercedes and BMW seeking lifting of the ban citing huge losses.

The Centre also filed a separate petition seeking modification of the order.

Imposing the ban on December 16, 2015, the bench had told the car dealers' association: "Why should rich people move around in expensive diesel cars causing pollution when they can afford petrol cars? Here, life of people is at stake and you are more worried about the dealers? You are selling cars to the rich, while the common man suffers".

GREEN TAX FOR SMALLER CARS TOO?

Significantly, the bench also hinted that it has plans to impose green tax on diesel cars of less than 2000cc capacity also but said the issue will be examined later.

Friday's verdict is a big relief for petitioner auto majors for whom the Delhi region represents almost a quarter of sales in the country and who suffered losses of thousands of crores per month on account of the ban. The CPCB has also been directed to open a separate bank account for the deposit of the ECC collected and use it for measures to improve the environment.

The one per cent cess is in fact a big climb down as going by the tone of the bench earlier, it was set to impose up to 30 per cent of car cost as environment cess as per a suggestion by the courtappointed Environment Pollution Control Authority. The change of mind apparently came after the Modi government threw its weight behind the car manufacturers.

"There is no rationale to show that 2000cc plus cars are bigger polluters. We are proceeding on the premise that they are meeting emission norms. Big diesel cars have better emission norms than smaller ones. The ban has its difficulties too. It sends a message that there are inconsistencies in our policy and it affects FDI and also millions of jobs. Huge investment has been made by foreign companies and they are saying we will go away if the ban continues," Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had told the bench.

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AG said a court cannot impose any stiff cess on vehicles and it was the duty of the executive.

MULTI-PRONGED STUDY ON EFFECT OF DIESEL



"We are ready to conduct a multi-pronged study on the effect of diesel on the environment and possible green cess and that can even be under the auspices of the court," he had said.

The trigger for the entire decision was the IIT-Kanpur report on air pollution in Delhi which was extensively quoted by the EPCA in the case. The report revealed that diesel vehicles are a major source of particulate matter (PM) emissions in the transport sector.

The report showed how barring Rohini, diesel vehicles contributed to 60-90 per cent of PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) emissions in Delhi. At Vasant Kunj for instance, they contributed to about 90 per cent of vehicular emissions while in Okhla, the emission was about 80 per cent.

Also Read:

Here's why the diesel ban and scrappage plan may be good for the auto industry

Diesel Ban impact: Mercedes-Benz to launch petrol variants for all cars in India

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Ban on diesel cars is corporate death penalty:Toyota tells NGT



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The U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday they had seized full control of the city near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the militants, who had been using civilians as human shields.

By Reuters: Thousands of displaced residents streamed back into the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Saturday after U.S.-backed fighters ousted the last Islamic State militants from their former stronghold, residents and U.S. allies said.

The U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Friday they had seized full control of the city near the Turkish border after the departure of the last of the militants, who had been using civilians as human shields.



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RESIDENTS RETURN TO WAR TORN CITY



Hundreds of cars and vehicles carrying families and their belongings flocked into the city from makeshift camps and villages in the countryside, where many of the city's residents took shelter during the two-month campaign, according to an SDF official and relatives who were in contact with residents.

"Thousands are coming back and shops are opening. Today is the first day life is returning to normal," said Sharfan Darwish, spokesman for the SDF-allied Manbij Military Council told Reuters from the city, adding they were working to restore basic services.

SYRIANS REJOICE

Pro-SDF news sites showed jubilant families who had been trapped in the city during the fighting talking about how harsh life was under Islamic State and its imposition of strict dress codes in public.

Their footage showed men shaving their beards and veiled women setting fire to niqabs they were forced to wear in public that covered their entire face apart from the eyes.

The militants were finally ousted after a deal was reached on Friday that secured their departure together with some 2,000 civilians, believed to have been their relatives, towards their stronghold of Jarablus near the border with Turkey, a Syrian from Manbij who is in touch with relatives there said.

It was not clear whether those leaving were hostages or had left voluntarily, a Kurdish source said.

The SDF, formed last year by recruiting Arabs to join forces with the powerful YPG Kurdish militia, launched an offensive with the support of U.S.-led strikes at the end of May to remove Islamic State from areas it controls along the Turkish border.

BLOW TO MILITANTS

The loss of Manbij, occupied by Islamic State since early 2014, is a big blow to the militants as it is of strategic importance, serving as a conduit for the transit of foreign jihadists and provisions from the Turkish border.

The operation, in which U.S. special forces played a significant role on the ground, marks the most ambitious advance by a group allied to Washington in Syria since the United States launched its military campaign against Islamic State two years ago.

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Darwish attributed the speedy return to life in the city to a military and aerial campaign that he said spared many neighbourhoods where thousands of civilians had remained even at the height of fighting.

Despite intensive US bombing of bridges, several hospitals and a large silo in the course of the campaign, the city appears to have been spared the devastation of other cities in the Syrian conflict.

FEAR OVER OPERATION OF SLEEPER CELLS

The SDF, which had already cleared over 13,000 mines, was sweeping some neighbourhoods in search of militant sleeper cells suspected to still be operating.

A former resident of the city said he had reports from family members that the Kurdish YPG, who are the dominant group within the SDF, had rounded up dozens of young men before screening them because of concerns that some of them belonged to sleeper cells.

The capture of Manbij bolsters the position of Kurds who already control an uninterrupted 400 km (250 mile) stretch of Syria's northern border with Turkey.

Washington has long lacked capable proxies on the ground, but has found its first strong allies in SDF.

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Their gains have alarmed rebel forces battling President Bashar al-Assad, who say they will respond with force to any attempt to break up Syria.

Also Read: From Syria to Rio: Meet the Olympian swimmer who saved 20 lives by pushing sinking refugee boat for hours

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We? Does not my very use of the word say it all? Are we, the people of India so integrated as to give me the right to use the collective 'we'? By 'we', do I not mean me and my kind? For us 'we', Independence Day is just an annual ritual, a holiday. We wake up that morning, change our FB status, tweet our tweets, listen to the prime minister's exhortations from the Red Fort, watch Ben Kingsley play Mahatma Gandhi on the telly, and the next day, it's business as usual. A complete farce, hogwash, that is what 15th of August has been for long.

For those who have benefited from this nation, it feels good to be proud. It's so easy, we are convinced that it is only our hard work and merit that has got us success. In celebrating the nation, we are patting ourselves on our backs. I am a member of this team, self-satisfied, self-centred and fundamentally self-seeking.

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What does it mean to be independent and free? Independence is a collective experience; it is meant to be about the others and not me, and imbued with the spirit of empathy, not condescension. Our freedom fighters fought realising the plight of the poorest of the poor and, irrespective of their own social addresses, demanded this right for us in unison. But we have lost the ability to see, feel and hear people and the loudest of our own swadeshi bullies have replaced the ruling firangi.

And whenever 'we' refer to the poor, oppressed and marginalised, we do so not with concern but pity. I know this may be well intentioned, but it helps us dodge the duty of thought. We need to introspect and accept that we are inherently privileged through centuries of access and that caste supremacy is ingrained in our living. And we must recognise 'their' right to everything that we have explicitly and implicitly kept away from them. Do not think that by educating your house help's children or giving them a job at your company, you have purged yourself of caste bias. You have not. Unfortunately, today caste camouflages itself in insidious ways and we think we can do away with it by calling it class; an ingenious but dangerous argument.

Even if significant change in our society is a long way off, at least today caste is discussed with vigour. But there is another self-deceivingly self-centredness in us that needs tackling with equal force-the first vertical division in the social scale-sexism and misogyny. Sexism feeds and incubates racial, caste and religious segregations. It is the man who has manipulated all these spaces. Therefore, it is implied that any change in society must begin with gender equality; equality not just in functional terms, but in being.

And let us face this fair and square: there is among the minority communities of India-Muslims, in particular-a feeling of a growing alienation. Are India's Hindus now being persuaded that India's Muslims are here by the Hindus' leave, their permission, their large-heartedness? The powerful brokers, people like me, are we really independent? We are members of a gang, and through generations we have convinced ourselves, with help from our leaders, that given a little philanthropy, a touch of egalitarianism, we are good Indians. Anyone who joins our organisation makes sure that he or she becomes like us. So we have been adding to our numbers and this we term as progress. Independence Day has no meaning unless we see ourselves for who we really are. From that experience will emerge hope. There may just be a time when every day is Freedom Day for every inhabitant of this land.

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The Ghostbusters actress was the victim of online negativity

Amy Schumer says she provided emotional support to Ghostbusters Leslie Jones when she was criticized on social media due to the movies negative reception. Schumer also advised her on how to deal with online trolls.

Though the hatred was initially directed at the movie itself, Jones was subsequently a victim due to association.

Schumer revealed to the Los Angeles Times newspaper: Leslie is a friend and we talked about it. It was just so much hate at once. And you feel like its never-ending and it is the truth. She was not used to it. Ive had 10 years of people sending a lot of vitriol and its been spread out. For her, it hit like a ton of bricks. I told her, Youre going to come back and be like,  you. And its going to make you stronger.

The 35-year-old comedian acknowledged Twitter for eventually listening, adding that people can assert their rights and still protect people in a way that isnt careless.

It took Leslie Jones to get them [Twitter] to realize that people are banding together in a violent and dangerous way. And, you know, we can uphold our First Amendment and still protect people in a way that isnt careless. I was really happy to see that I remember how it feels. It feels like your new reality, like your biggest fear has come true. And then once theyve come true, you have nothing to be scared of, she added.

Schumer also talked about peoples hypocritical nature by describing themselves as decent individuals, all while portraying such a negative behavior online.

She said: Theres always going to be a pocket of aggressive crazies. Thats what that sketch was about. Its always a guy, whose avatar is the American flag or them with their kids on their shoulders, and theyll write, Die, you fat  But then their description of themselves is, Father. Christian. Spreading the word. 
The Iron Man actor has a new baby boy named Hero

Terrence Howard recently welcomed his fifth child, Hero, with wife Mira Pak. The actor announced the news by posting a photo of the baby accompanied by their older son, Qirin.

He added via Twitter: Hero being held by Qirin.

Hero being held by Qirin pic.twitter.com/mk0XnJBoGz  Terrence D Howard (@terrencehoward) August 12, 2016

This was followed by: What else is there beyond the love of family. This is where God was born!

The actor also has a son and two daughters from a previous marriage. However, he has not announced when the new baby was born.

Despite being a happy couple, Howard and his wife had divorced in 2015 after roughly two years of marriage, only to reconcile soon after. The news came out after a lawyer referred to Mira Pak as the actors ex-wife during a court case relating to second wife Michelle Ghent.

While Howard initially chose not to confirm the news, he was scrutinized over recorded telephone conversations with Ghent merely days after marrying his current wife.

In one of the calls, Howard was heard professing his love for her, saying: I will never love someone like I loved you. You are my dream of all time.

When asked why he married Mira Pak while still being in love with his second wife, Howard stated: Ive got a chance to be OK and to just settle.

The actor had previously claimed that he reluctantly signed his divorce settlement only because Ghent threatened to leak personal visual and audio footage of him. Some of these included phone sex conversations he had with other women.

However, Howards devotion to his second wife remained strong. I loved her, and I was afraid of her also, he told Ghents lawyer.
Fresh intelligence input keeps security agencies on tenterhook, security cover for the Red Fort planned, ITBP working to ensure explosive-free area around the main celebration spot.

By Manjeet Negi: Fresh intelligence inputs indicate cross-border terror plot to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations in the national capital. Intelligence agencies suspect that the terror groups operating from across the border have hatched a conspiracy to carry out an IED blast at the Red Fort ground during the I-Day celebrations.

Earlier, the intelligence agencies got inputs about a possible Drone attack by the terror groups on the Red Fort during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech. But, the latest intelligence inputs suggest that the terrorists may use IED to disrupt the celebrations.

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NON-METALLIC BOMBS

According to intelligence officials, terror groups have started assembling bombs without using any metal in them. The security apparatus used by the agencies makes it impossible for the terrorists to sneak in with conventional IED bombs. At present, security forces only detect metal or electronic content in an IED.

Terrorists with basic knowledge of Chemistry can be trained by terror groups to assemble a bomb from easily available materials, say security experts. It does not require much training. If they succeed in brainwashing a gullible youth along jehadi ideology, giving bomb making training is not difficult for them.

SECURITY TIGHTENED

With a number of intelligence inputs indicating terror threat around the Independence Day, the security agencies have made a detailed counter-terror plan. A complete security cover for the Red Fort has been envisaged.

ITBP explosive detection dogs are working 24x7 to ensure that the Red Fort area is free of any kind of explosives. Other agencies are also working overtime to avoid any untoward happening.

Also Read:

Traffic restrictions for Independence Day: How you should plan your travel

Culture Ministry removes Independence Day video featuring Pakistan jet

Patna boy leaves for Srinagar to hoist tricolor at Lal Chowk on Independence Day



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Canadian authorities are claiming that a security operation involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), a Canadian military Special Forces unit and a bomb squad thwarted an imminent ISIS-inspired terrorist attack Wednesday.

The alleged terrorist, 24-year-old Aaron Driver, was killed in the operation, either from a gunshot fired by a police officer or army sniper, or by an explosive device that he reportedly set off in the back of a taxi just outside his home. Under court order, Driver was living at his sisters house in Strathroy, a small southwestern Ontario town.

Driver was well known to the authorities. In June 2015 he was illegally detained for eight days without charge. He was subsequently placed under a peace bond, a measure the state can use to restrict an individuals movements and activities under conditions where they cannot lay criminal charges due to lack of evidence.

According to the RCMPs version of events, a tipoff from the FBI alerted them to the imminent prospect of a terrorist attack after a video featuring a masked man appeared online. Within three hours, Canadian authorities had identified Driver as the person in question and dispatched personnel from Canadas national anti-terrorism force to Strathroy. Shortly after 4:30 p.m., as Driver got into the back of a taxi, police opened fire and an explosion was heard, in the course of which Driver died and the taxi driver suffered light injuries.

The RCMP and Canadas domestic spy agency, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS), say they had concluded Drivers alleged attack was planned to take place within 72 hours and that it would target a transit system or shopping center in a major urban area with the aim of causing mass casualties.

They concede that there is no evidence he had any accomplices, let alone assistance from ISIS or another terrorist organization. The explosives Driver planned to use were reportedly homemade.

Driver was clearly a troubled individual. A recent convert to Islam, he had repeatedly expressed support for the Islamic State in online postings. In the video released by the police, he vowed to make Canadians pay with their blood for Ottawas involvement in the wars in the Middle East, lauded the reactionary terrorist atrocities in Paris and Brussels, and pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Driver had a difficult childhood, with his mother dying when he was seven. Both his father and stepmother were Canadian military personnel, and as a consequence, the family moved frequently. He converted to Islam in his late teens after discovering it online. He first came to the attention of intelligence officials in October 2014, when he began posting on Twitter about his support for the twin attacks on Canadian Armed Forces personnel in Ottawa and St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.

Extremely restrictive conditions were imposed on Driver when he was released following his 2015 arrest. He was ordered to attend religious counselling, provide the counselors name to the RCMP, and wear an electronic tag. These conditions were lifted when Driver agreed to abide by the peace bond in court last February.

Wednesdays events remain shrouded in secrecy

It is impossible, with the information currently available, to determine whether the authorities account is truthful. But Drivers death and the circumstances surrounding it raise a host of questions, including whether the police summarily executed an injured Driver.

First, the claim that Driver was hours away from conducting a terrorist attack without the authorities having any knowledge begs interrogation. The peace bond subjected him to a number of onerous conditions, including a ban on owning a computer or cell phone unless it was reported to the police, a stipulation that he reside with his sister, a prohibition on accessing social media sites, and regular meetings with a bail officer.

At the very least, Drivers ability to bring his alleged plan to such an advanced stage points to a major blunder on the part of the security forces, given that they would have been able to monitor his communications at will and otherwise track his movements.

The mass spying operations run by the Canadian government, which came to light thanks to whistleblower Edward Snowden, stand in stark contrast to the repeated claims by senior police officials that they lacked the resources to subject Driver along with all the other Canadian supporters of jihadi terrorism to constant surveillance.

In fact, Driver had been singled out for special treatment, no doubt because the authorities deemed him especially dangerous. According to Elizabeth Armitage of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, only 11 people have been subjected to anti-terrorism peace bonds. With Drivers death, only one peace bond remains active.

This makes it all the more damning that the authorities failed to investigate a July 31 complaint from a neighbor about explosions, which they thought sounded like fireworks, coming from Drivers backyard.

Another possibility that cannot be excluded is that Driver was allowed to proceed with his preparations so as to create conditions for the RCMP and armed forces to conduct a real-life anti-terrorism exercise.

That such a scenario is far from impossible is demonstrated by the recent court ruling that more than 240 RCMP officers were involved in an entrapment operation, which actively encouraged an isolated couple from British Columbia who had recently converted to Islam, to plan an attack on the provinces legislature. (See: Canadian police manufactured terror plot to ensnare couple)

Even more troubling questions arise from the manner in which the authorities chose to stop Driver from proceeding with his plans. Having surrounded his house, why did they not demand he surrender or at the very least seek to apprehend him before he called and got into a local taxi? And why, almost two days after Drivers death, have the authorities yet to clarify how he died? Was it from his having set off his crudely-constructed bomb or, as appears more likely, was he felled by police bullets after the bomb blast had left him injured, if not incapacitated?

None of these issues have been raised in the media coverage, nor in the response from the political establishment, which has assumed a predictably right-wing character.

Canada and the phony war on terror narrative

Drivers death is being seized upon to perpetuate the narrative of Canada being under attack from terrorists, an attack that must be countered through a continuation of the Mideast war and a strengthening of the already repressive state apparatus.

The alleged terrorist threat has been used by successive governments to legitimize Canadian imperialist operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. The Liberal government is currently preparing to announce yet another deployment of up to 1,000 troops and warplanes to an as yet unidentified African country or countries. The fraudulent claims that such a military intervention will be aimed at promoting peace and combatting the emergence of terrorist groups in West Africa are designed to cover up the real motivations for such an interventionCanadian imperialisms significant economic and geopolitical interests in Africa.

Liberal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale released a statement Wednesday night praising the operation against Driver, saying the RCMP had acted to ensure public safety. Goodale added that he had conferred with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and had reassured him that public security continues to be properly protected.

Goodale went on to boast that the Liberals had allotted an additional half billion dollars in their first budget to the police, national security and border control, and that this was proof of the governments determination to fight terrorism. He added rather ominously, Weve made our first investments in that direction and there will be more to follow.

The Conservatives exploited Wednesdays events to attack the Liberals for their plans to make minor alterations to the draconian Bill C-51 anti-terror law passed by the Harper Conservative government in spring 2015. The legislation, which the Liberals voted for, gives CSIS the power to actively disrupt vaguely defined threats to public security and to break virtually any law when doing so. It also created a new offence of promoting terrorism in general, established provisions for the prohibition of terrorist propaganda and granted police the power to detain suspects without charge for up to seven days.

The Liberals planned amendments include the creation of a parliamentary oversight committee, ensuring that all court-issued warrants comply with the law, and a redefinition of the terrorist propaganda clause.

I think its time, sooner than later, that Mr. Trudeau put to rest what it is his plans are with Bill C-51, said interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose. Its important that the Liberal government reassure all Canadians that  our security and intelligence services are going to be able to keep the tools that they need to do their job.

Some media coverage has suggested that even more draconian measures are now required. The Globe and Mail noted in a report Thursday, The episode also underlined the limits of the authorities ability to control wannabe terrorists with judicial tools such as peace bonds.

The RCMPs former deputy commissioner, P.Y. Bourdas, singled out encrypted communication as a concern in comments to CBC. Driver allegedly communicated via an encrypted messaging service with two British men who travelled to Syria to join ISIS. Citing the threat of terrorist attacks, elements within the national security apparatus in both the US and Canada have been demanding sweeping restrictions be placed on the publics use of encryption software.
After multiple explosions rocked tourist destinations in Thailand, PM in a televised programme called for unity and patience to counter such incidents.

Investigators at one of the bombing sites. (Photo: AP)

By Indo-Asian News Service: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday called for patience and unity to help rid of bad people behind the bomb attacks that killed four and injured 15.

Prayut made the statement in a special televised programme on Friday night right after presiding over Thai Queen's 84-year-old birthday ceremony, Xinhua reported.

Expressing sorrow for families of the victims, the Prime Minister has promised that his government would do the utmost to alleviate victims as well as investigate the tragedy.

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GOVT TO LOOK AFTER SAFETY OF DIPLOMATS

He said the government would look after the safety of all diplomats and foreigners in the country and fully care for those affected.

Prayut asked the public not to be panic and not to make any assumption as the culprits are still at large.

Yet he alerted the public that "there are still bad people in Thai society who tried to act before the referendum day and on this auspicious day known as Queen Sirikit's birthday and Mother's day of all Thai people."

After the multiple explosions that struck Thai tourist towns on Friday, police detained two suspects for being involved in the blasts.

MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS ROCK THAILAND

Friday's explosions came just hours after one person was killed and nearly 20 injured, including foreign tourists, in two explosions in Hua Hin town on Thursday night.

At least eight explosions hit three cities in 12 hours, the police said.

"The blasts in Prachuap Khiri Khan and other southern provinces were not terrorist acts, but of sabotage," Pol Maj Gen Piyaphan Pingmuang, deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said.

He said that Thailand had no conflict over race and religions among ethnic minorities or was under threat linked to Islamic State terrorism.



INTERNAL CONFLICTS TRIGGERED THE BOMBING

The explosions stemmed from internal conflicts and were aimed at creating chaos, he said.

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda instructed all police agencies to tighten security at government offices and symbolic places, particularly bus terminals, railway stations, airports, tourist attractions and areas frequented by tourists.

The explosions began on Thursday night in the resort of Hua Hin. Two bombs placed near a local bar called Johnny's 56 went off as tourists were leaving to go back to their hotels, CNN quoted Police Lieutenant Colonel Samoer Yoosumran as saying.

Also read:

Thailand: 1 dead, 10 injured in twin blasts at resort





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Administrators at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC), the second largest two-year college in Illinois, have decided to drop two required college-readiness courses that were limited to African Americans students. The decision came a day after the online postings about the classes caused a backlash among students and parents.

Jessica Crotty, a spokeswoman for the community college located in the Chicago suburb of Palos Hills, initially defended the decision to create segregated course sections in a statement issued on August 8. Students feel comfortable and are more likely to open up because theyre with other students who are like them, Crotty claimed.

Other school officials also argued that the college had already held similar segregated college-preparatory courses in past semesters for women, Hispanics, athletes, military veterans, and the disabled. The official course descriptiontitled College: Changes, Challenges, Choicesomewhat ironically lists one of its goals as the appreciation of diversity.

Initial media coverage presented the story either uncritically or in a fairly supportive light. An editorial by Chicago Tribune education reporter Ted Slowik, for instance, supported the initiative.

Evidence supports the practice of restricting enrollment in a class to blacks only, because outcomes show students are more likely to achieve academic success through interventions like peer support, Slowik passively noted.

The decision by MVCC administrators to pull the race-exclusive requirement, however, came almost immediately the next day on August 9. The college did not elaborate on its abrupt change of course, only that it would drop the racial requirement while still continuing to pursue the success of special populations.

Slowik implied in a follow-up editorial piece that the college succumbed to pressure from right-wing press outlets like the Daily Caller, as well as Internet haranguing from individuals with Confederate flag avatars. He did not mention that multiple civil rights organizations also attacked the policy, citing the historically regressive and divisive content of the decision to racially segregate students.

Undoubtedly the large volume of complaints from parents and students, some of which surfaced in local media, was a decisive factor in dropping the courses.

Parents writing in local media like the Daily Southtown, complained that they were disturbed to find that their children were excluded from some sections of the general education courses because of the color of their skin. Others pointed out that the logic of the courses pointed toward creating even further divisions among students along racial and ethnic lines, such as separate classes for Asian-Americans and Native Americans.

College-readiness courses have traditionally helped students from working class backgroundsoften from poorly-funded high schools or the first in their family to attend collegetransition to college. Such classes are often offered in high schools across America to students of all races, ethnicities, and genders.

The approximately 34,000 students at MVCC are largely drawn from working class suburbs on the south side of Chicago. A 2015 report from the school noted that the average per capita income of the district that the college primarily draws from is $27,993.

Approximately 55 percent of the schools population is white, and the remaining 45 percent consists of students of minority backgrounds. The African American student population is approximately 10 percent.

Amid a broad spectrum of attacks on the working class as a wholedeepening social inequality, the assault on democratic rights, cuts to public education and health care, and a massive drive toward war and police state measuresthere is growing anger and disaffection among students, workers and youth of all racial, ethnic and gender backgrounds.

Despite claims that the segregated courses at MVCC were designed for peer support initiatives, they cannot be properly understood outside of the decades-long efforts to promote identity politics on college campuses across the country. This goes hand in hand with the increasingly rabid initiatives by the Democratic Party and pseudo-left political organizations to divide workers, students and youth along racial and gender lines seeking to prevent a unified struggle of workers and youth against the misery and exploitation of capitalism.

The MVCC incident comes on the heels of several similar events where racialist politics have been promoted as a supposed solution to the endemic racism and sexism of college campuses. To note just some of the most recent cases:

 In July at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the schools Multicultural Student Center (MSC) organized four separate meetings for students, staff, and faculty to discuss the police killings in Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. Two of the meetings were held for white students and staff and two for students and staff of color. The segregated meetings received heavy criticism locally and nationally. Marquise Mays, president of the schools Black Student Union (which aligned with Black Lives Matter on campus), defended the racially segregated meetings, It's a bit off-putting to hear that news outlets are upset about the MSC holding separate meetings based on race. That is not segregation, it is actually providing the appropriate healing for the variety of communities that have attended.

 At Concordia University in St. Paul, freshman students received a letter from the Department of Diversity Affairs requiring that students of color attend their own orientation to help them feel more adjusted and connected to the university. In capital letters the message stated, All new students of color are expected to attend this meeting.

 Several universities have recently created buildings or designated areas, often referred to as safe spaces on campus, that are exclusive only to students based on their identity: Hampshire College in Massachusetts now offers identity-based student housing to historically marginalized groupsin order to counter systemic oppression. The University of Connecticut and the University of Iowa have announced the creation of living-learning communities for African American males that purport to counter low graduation rates and endemic campus racism. Princeton University now features affinity rooms around campus that are open to students depending on their race, ethnicity, or gender.

 Video footage of Black Lives Matter protests outside the Democratic National Convention last month in Philadelphia show an organizer demanding that all white protestors move to the back of a march. Take your rightful position, behind us," the organizer ordered. "White people, get to the back. Black people, come to the front. The Black Lives Matter movement is heavily promoted on college campuses. Co-founder Alicia Garza, for instance, was the keynote speaker at this years Martin Luther King Jr Day symposium at the University of Michigan.
Years of corporate asset stripping and the financial skulduggery that epitomises the pursuit of shareholder value have ensured the demise of high street retailer British Home Stores (BHS).

One hundred sixty-four stores are set to close, while 11,000 workers will lose their jobs and 22,000 workers, including retired workers, will lose much of their pensions. Tens of millions of unpaid taxes and redundancy costs will be borne by taxpayers.

But as far as two House of Commons select committees were concerned, Sir Philip Green, the former owner of the high street retailer BHS once lauded as king of the high street, had committed no crime. He was simply the unacceptable face of capitalism.

The report of the Work and Pensions and Business, Innovations and Skills Committee is just one of many similar reports into corporate scandals published in the 43 years since Conservative Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath dubbed the events at Lonrho, the African-based mining conglomerate headed by Roland Tiny Rowland, as the unpleasant and unacceptable face of capitalism. Rowlands position as Lonrho chief executive was the subject of a 1973 High Court case in which eight Lonrho directors sought his dismissal. Among the claims made against Rowland were that he concealed financial information from the board.

Heaths aim was to present Lonrho as an aberration, and to deflect attention from the more fundamental processes of which they were an expression. This latest report, which paints a devastating picture of the criminality, parasitism and greed of British capitalism, has the same aim.

BHS, for long a major player on Britains high streets, collapsed last April with debts of 1.1 billion. Its owner, Retail Acquisitions Ltd, a financially dubious outfit, was headed by Dominic Chappell, a thrice bankrupt former racing driver with no retail experience. In March 2015, he bought the financially distressed BHS from Green for just 1, following an introduction by Paul Sutton, a convicted fraudster. Green was anxious to offload the chain, which the Work and Pensions Committee said had become a financial millstone and threatened his reputation.

Green, a billionaire ranked 29 of 1,000 in the Sunday Times rich list, had bought the store for 200 million in 2000 via a leveraged buyout, and proceeded to bleed the company dry, slashing wages and conditions and squeezing his suppliers. While this enabled him to boost BHSs profits in the short term, it fatally undermined its long-term viability.

Green starved BHS of much needed investment, allowed the pension fund to go from a pension surplus to a 571 million deficit, loaded the company with debt payable to his other companies, and used BHSs assets to secure the loans. At the same time, Green funnelled at least 1.5 billion out of BHS through a complex web of companies, many of which were registered offshore, in the form of dividends to his wife, a resident of Monaco, thereby avoiding UK tax.

The report accused him of appalling judgement and excessive greed in allowing a pension surplus to become a huge deficit on his watch, taking hundreds of millions out of the business in dividends, and then selling BHS for 1 to Chappell, who was manifestly unsuitable and a chancer with no retail experience and a long record of bankruptcies.

Moreover, Green loaned money to Chappell to fund the purchase, holding on to 35 million of BHS assets as security. Thus, he is now BHSs chief creditor who must be paid first, ahead of unsecured creditors, including the tax authorities and outstanding employee claims.

The promised 120 million that would secure the future of BHSthe apparent basis for the dealnever materialised and the situation deteriorated. Despite negotiating a rent reduction and selling some of its property, BHS was unable to pay its creditors or plug the pension gap. After Greens Arcadia Group demanded immediate repayment of the 35 million loan, BHS called in the administrators.

The report also exposed the complicity and criminality of some of the biggest names in the City of London. It noted that the City law firm Olswang and accountants Grant Thornton had received some 8 million in fees in their capacity as advisers to Chappells outfit when it was so clearly unfit to lead any enterprise. When the Commons asked for the documentation surrounding their role in the catastrophe, they refused to cooperate, claiming confidentiality.

Similarly, Greens advisers, the leading law firm Linklaters, relied on Olswang for the due diligence checks on Chappell to assess whether he was reputable. Greens investment banker, Goldman Sachs, while claiming only to provide informal advice to Green, became the gatekeeper of the transaction, lending lustre to an otherwise questionable process and gave Green a chance to say he had acted on the best advice.

The distinguished barrister Lord Grabiner, the well-remunerated chairman of BHSs ultimate parent company, was asleep at the wheel, taking no part in the sale. He admitted he had only learned about the sale to Chappell from the media. This is the man who, until recently, was collecting huge fees for advising the Bank of England on ethical wrongdoings.

The report reiterated the tired refrain of the need for stricter accounting procedures, oversight and pension controls, and said that Green had a moral duty to find a resolution for BHS pensioners. Thus far, he has offered the trifling sum of 40 million. This from a man with three yachts, the latest costing around 100 million, and a penchant for extravagant parties costing millions.

The two parliamentary investigations into the collapse demonstrated the real state of relations between Britains corporate and political elites. Greens evidence session saw him contemptuously dismissing subservient legislators with constant interruptions, bullying, insults and evasions. Every word spoken by this arrogant super-rich billionaire expressed his outrage over their audacity to question him, even in the meekest manner that they did.

Greens response to the report was to threaten to sue Frank Field, the chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, after the legislator accused him of behaving like a thief during a radio interview.

When Heath made his remarks in 1973 about Lonrho being the unacceptable face of capitalism, the processes he pointed to were only just beginning.

Today, the BHS collapse and Greens role expresses in so many ways the real face of Britains financialised and parasitic capitalism, stripped bare of all the cosmetic niceties in which it is usually dressed.

Asset stripping, sale-and-lease-back arrangements, the use of a complex web of companies and tax havens are now the norm, not the exception. Advisers, in the words of the Work and Pensions Committee, are used to legitimise people who would otherwise be bereft of credibility, while the board of directors, far from exercising any check over a CEO, facilitate the expropriation of the wealth created by the workforce by the corporate owners.

BHS is only the most graphic expression of what has become the universal business model for achieving shareholder value. This mode of accumulation, with its attendant semi-criminal activities, has come to dominate society as a whole. No amount of controls and regulations can rectify this situation because the processes that gave rise to it are no longer peripheral but central to the functioning of the capitalist economy.

The political task today is not a futile attempt to reform the present social order but rather its complete transformation. The needs of working peoplethe producers of all wealthare subordinate to the ever-more frenzied process of profit accumulation for the benefit of the enriched few. Living conditions for the majority have become intolerable. Society must be re-organised along socialist lines, so that the mode of accumulation of wealth is subordinated to the needs and requirements of its producers and is controlled and regulated by them.
Wednesday evening an explosion ripped through an apartment complex in Silver Spring, Maryland. The blast and subsequent fire left two dead and injured more than 30. As many as 24 apartment units were completely destroyed.

While the cause of the blast is still under investigation, officials believe that it was likely due to a natural gas leak.

The explosion, which residents compared to an earthquake, was so powerful that it could be felt almost two miles away. The site of the explosion resembled a bomb blast. Clothes and personal effects were strewn among the trees and streets surrounding the apartment complex.

The number of households impacted is significant, Paul Carden, the regional disaster officer for the Red Cross told local media. And the impact is more emotional because it was an explosion. I was at the scene and theres someones shoe here, someones sock there and someones papers over there.

Gustavo Zuniga and his wife were asleep when the explosion took out the floor beneath their bed causing it to fall down two stories. His wife clawed through debris to rescue her unconscious husband who was treated at MedStar Washington Hospital Center for second-degree burns on his feet and cuts to his head.

People were dropping children and jumping out of other windows, said Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein at an early morning briefing on Thursday.

Injuries ranged from respiratory problems from smoke inhalation, to burns and bone fractures from jumping out of windows.

On Thursday morning cadaver dogs discovered two dead bodies among the rubble.

Around 120 firefighters and EMS workers responded to the explosion and fire. A temporary shelter was set up in the gymnasium of the nearby Long Branch Recreation Center, which currently houses around 60 to 70 residents who lost their homes to the fire. According to Montgomery County Police Assistant Chief Russ Hamill, around 100 people have been displaced.

Residents of the apartment complex consisted predominantly of low-income, working class immigrants from Central America and Africa.

Many of those who survived the explosion have lost all of their possessions. After being treated at the hospital for cuts and burns, Armindo Benitez returned to the apartment complex. But it was all gone, he told the Washington Post. I have no ID. I cant get money out of the bank, and my car is blocked in.

Helder Lopez, who lived in his apartment with six other family members, lost his car keys, wallet and sensitive documents. The entire family lost their clothes. I dont know what we are going to do, he told the Post.

When I ask them their address and I hear the address that is completely demolished, I have to break the news to them that [they] may not have any belongings to salvage whatsoever, said Chuck Crisostomo, operations chief of Montgomery County Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

The Post reports that authorities suspect a natural gas leak caused the massive explosion. This was the working proposition, said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. However Montgomery County Battalion Chief Steve Mann said it could be weeks before officials determine the cause of the explosion and fire.

A resident who spoke to the Post said that a neighbor taking out his trash smelled gas and could hear the hissing moments before the explosion.

Washington Gas Light Company, which distributes natural gas to more than 1 million customers in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, says it is cooperating with authorities. The private utility holds a monopoly on natural gas in the area.

At a press conference, Leggett noted that officials had received a call on the evening of July 25 reporting the smell of gas at the apartment complex. Emergency personnel could not verify the smell of gas and left the scene 12 minutes after their arrival. Officials say it is unclear if this incident was related to the explosion.

Renato Mendoza, an organizer with CASA de Maryland, says that he has helped residents in the past file complaints with the county over rodents and other pests in the apartment complex.

The apartments are old and they require extra maintenance, he told the Post. The landlord, Kay Apartment Communities, was notorious for not providing the most adequate maintenance.

The decaying social infrastructure in the United States increases the likelihood of these types of tragedies. Furthermore, the profit motive of privately held utilities gives few incentives for investing in upgrading pipes and other critical infrastructure.

The explosion in Maryland follows a number of other similar incidents across the country.

A gas explosion at a jail in Pensacola, Florida in April 2014 killed two inmates and injured 184 others. In March 2013, a gas explosion in a Detroit suburb killed a retired autoworker. A natural gas explosion in January 2011 in Philadelphia killed a utility worker. In December 2010, a gas explosion leveled a furniture store in a Detroit suburb killing two employees and injuring several others. Seven people died in September 2010 when a PG&E gas line exploded in the suburbs of San Francisco.

Last year, the largest natural gas leak in US historylasting from October 2015 to February 2016 and releasing an estimated 97,100 metric tons of methane into the atmospheretook place at the SoCalGas Aliso Canyon underground storage facility as a result of antiquated infrastructure and inadequate maintenance and inspection.

While the US ruling class can find endless resources to prop up the financial sector and support the ongoing wars abroad, when it comes to funding basic social infrastructuresuch as upgrading aging bridges and gas pipelines, or pipes that leak lead into drinking waterthere is always no money.
The abortive terrorist attack launched against Crimea by elements of the Ukrainian secret services, undoubtedly with the full backing of Washington, has plunged Europe into one of its most serious crises since the end of the Second World War.

The US-backed government in Kiev has placed Ukrainian military forces on the highest state of combat alert, while the Russian military has launched a series of military exercises in the area. Russia reported Friday that it had deployed its advanced S-400 air defense missile system to Crimea, and the countrys prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, indicated that Moscow might break diplomatic relations with Kiev. For its part, the US has indicated it is preparing further economic sanctions against Russia.

The Financial Times of London bluntly characterized the situation in an editorial, declaring, Ukraine and Russia stand once again on the brink of open war. The newspaper added that the Ukraine situation remains the biggest threat to European peace since 1945. In keeping with the bellicose policies of both the Obama administration and the British Tory government of Prime Minister Theresa May, the newspaper advocated a further escalation of threats against Russia.

The evidence presented by Moscow points to an utterly criminal operation staged by the US-backed regime in Kiev. Special operations squads made two attempts to cross into Crimea between August 6 and August 8, backed by supporting fire from Ukrainian regular forces. One member of the Russian security services and a Russian soldier were killed in the attacks.

The Ukrainian commandos carried improvised explosives, land mines, grenades and assault weapons. Russian state television broadcast part of the confession given by one of the operatives, who said they had aimed to blow up a ferry, an oil refinery and a chemical factory, as well as other targets.

For the past two-and-a-half years, the US and its NATO allies have invoked the fate of Crimea as the pretext for a steady buildup of military forces on Russias borders, supposedly to counter Moscows aggression and expansion. NATO battle groups consisting of 1,000 troops each are being deployed to Poland and the three Baltic Republics. They are backed by a newly created Rapid Reaction Force, which is capable of deploying 40,000 troops to the region in a matter of days. Continuous military exercises are being staged on Russias western flank.

The crisis in Ukraine and the developments in Crimea are the direct outcome not of Russian aggression, but of the US- and German-orchestrated coup to topple the elected government of President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014. Spearheaded by fascist militias, this operation, funded and directed by Washington and Berlin, brought to power an extreme right-wing, anti-Russian regime under the oligarch Petro Poroshenko. Mired in corruption and under constant threat from the neo-Nazi thugs who were the coups shock troops, it has presided over a deepening economic crisis and an ongoing war against the civilian population in the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbass region.

In the immediate wake of the coup, Crimea, whose population is predominantly Russian-speaking, voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to break with Ukraine and become part of Russia. Under the Soviet Union, the peninsula had been part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic only in 1954 in an administrative action meant to promote Soviet development as a whole.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union transformed the significance of this territorial transfer. The city of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula had been the base for the Russian and then Soviet Black Sea Fleet since the 18th century. For Russia, the fate of Crimea is an existential question, bound up with its access to the Black Sea as well as the Mediterranean.

The present crisis is, in the final analysis, part of the terrible price being paid for the Stalinist bureaucracys final betrayal of the October 1917 Revolution, which established the workers state. The bureaucracy in 1991 liquidated the USSR and launched the process of capitalist restoration.

In seeking to draw Russia into an armed conflict over Crimea, US imperialism is carrying out a policy that is breathtaking in its recklessness. But then, this has been the nature of US foreign policy over the past quarter-century of unending and ever-expanding wars throughout the Middle East.

The confrontation being provoked over Crimea is not separate from these wars. It is bound up with US frustrations over the debacle of its regime-change operation in Syria, where Russian backing for the government of President Bashar al-Assad has succeeded in driving back the Al Qaeda-linked militias that served as Washingtons proxy forces on the ground. This crisis of American policy has been compounded by the failure of last months US-backed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the subsequent deepening of rapprochement between Ankara and Moscow.

The Russian government, representing a layer of criminal oligarchs who enriched themselves through the theft of state property following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, has no coherent policy to confront the escalating crisis. Elements within the government of Vladimir Putin want to avoid a confrontation and reach a deal with the West at all costs. But appeals to the US for reason fall on deaf ears.

Others invoke Great Russian chauvinism and the military force, including the stockpile of nuclear weapons, left over from the Soviet Union as the countrys defense against the Western drive to militarily encircle it and reduce it to the status of a semi-colony. Without any clear and integrated strategic orientation, much less the ability to appeal to the antiwar sentiment of the worlds peoples, the Putin regime stumbles from crisis to crisis, intensifying the war danger.

The profoundly dangerous developments in Crimea make clear the significance of the anti-Putin hysteria that has been whipped up in both the US election campaign, with Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons neo-McCarthyite attacks branding the Republicans fascistic candidate Donald Trump as a virtual Russian agent, and the hypocritical crusade to ban Russian athletes from the Rio Olympics. Both of these campaigns are designed to prepare public opinion for a military confrontation with Russia.

The US is gearing up to go to war with a nuclear-armed country, yet the issue is debated neither in the election campaign nor in Congress or the corporate media. No information is offered as to what the casualties would be in a war between Ukraine and Russia, much less the catastrophic implications of such a war drawing the US and NATO into a nuclear exchange with Moscow.

While the American ruling establishment has traditionally sought to hold off the initiation of new wars until after elections, to prevent the question of militarism from becoming an issue of national debate, given recent developments, it is far from clear that the war being prepared will wait until after November.

If there is a postponement of a new eruption of American militarism, it will be of only a short duration. The crisis of world capitalism and the irresolvable contradictions of the nation-state system are threatening to drag humanity into another world war. It can be halted only through the unification of the international working class in the struggle against war and for socialism.
Late last month SriLankan Airlines signed an agreement with Pakistan International Air Line (PIA) to lease three A330 planes to PIA. The deal, which is another stage in the privatisation of the national carrier and follows job downsizing in preparation for its sale, is in line with International Monetary Fund demands for the reform of Sri Lankan state-owned-enterprises (SOEs).

The new leasing arrangement follows announcements by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that several state-owned enterprises, including the Hilton Hotel, the Grand Hyatt and Lanka Hospitals, will be put up for sale. The government, he said, was considering the sale of Mattala airport and Hambantota seaport to the Chinese companies that built them in order to reduce government debt.

Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama told the recent Sri Lanka Economic Summit: Over the next few months it is our intention to dispose of hotels, Lanka Hospitals and private commercial property in Colombo business districts via the stock exchange or through requests for proposals, he said.

In a report last May, the IMF said it wanted the privatisation of SriLankan Airlines completed by September this year. According to the Sri Lankan ministry of finance, the national carrier had a debt burden of over 62 billion rupees ($US427 million) and was seeking a suitable business partner.

Last February, the airline ended its ColomboRome route and plans to withdraw from its ColomboFrankfurt and ColomboParis routes by October.

On June 28, SriLankan Airlines chairman Ajith Dias told staff that ground-handling duties currently organised by the airline at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) will be privatised. Airline workers have protested against the move, pointing out that ground-handling is profitable for the airline and warning that other departments, such as catering and engineering, would also be sold off to private companies. A staff representative told the media that the government was forcing the airline to suffer a slow but natural death.

The privatisation of SriLankan Airlines is an indication of what is in store for other Sri Lankan SOEs. The IMF regards Sri Lankas state-owned enterprises as a major burden on the economy as well as a potential source of profit for private investors.

Its May report declared: Sri Lanka had some 235 public enterprises representing 17 percent of the nations economic activity in 2010. Although some SOEs are profitable and performing well, collectively they represent a drag on the private economy and a drain on public finances (both directly, and through the state banks, which fund the largest SOEs).

The IMF identified six of the largest SOEsCeylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), SriLankan Airlines, National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Airport and Aviation Services Limited, and Sri Lanka Ports Authorityand demanded major structural reforms.

It called on the government and the SOEs to publish statements of corporate intent, outlining the SOEs mission, high level objectives, and multiyear corporate plan; capital expenditure and financing plans; explicit financial and non-financial targets; and description and cost of non-commercial obligations.

The IMF declared that the CPC and CEB were losing money because of implicit energy subsidiesretail fuel and electricity prices have been set below cost-recovery levels and signalled that the government would increase the rates on these items, as well as water, by December.

The authorities will introduce a formula-based automatic pricing mechanism for petroleum products, so as to ensure that future losses by the CPC and large retail adjustments are avoided. Also, the Public Utilities Commission will be granted enhanced authority to set electricity and water tariffs in a cost-reflective manner, the IMF said.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government has included these directives in the ministry of finances half-year report, declaring that the CEB would move towards cost reflective pricing policies and that the National Water Supply & Drainage Board was quickly moving to reduce non-revenue water.

Addressing the recent Sri Lankan Economic Summit, Development and Trade minister Malik Samarawickrama said the government was establishing a public private partnership (PPP) framework that clearly lays out policy, legal and institutional obligations for contracting PPPs.

He said that a Public Enterprises Development Bill, which is aimed at efficient governance of SOEs, will be presented to parliament next month. This means downsizing, layoffs and attacks on working conditions similar to those being already being implemented at SriLankan Airlines.

A job destruction Voluntary Retirement Scheme has already been introduced at the Sri Lanka Transport Board. Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Mahinda Amaraweera has also announced that 415 jobs, or almost half of the 1,100 positions at the Fisheries Corporation, should be eliminated in order to create the conditions to convert the state-owned corporation into a private public partnership.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government is acutely aware that these moves to corporatisation and privatisation will face stiff resistance from the working class. This is why Colombo is strengthening the police-state apparatus built up during in the 30-year civil war against the separatist Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam.

The government has enacted a range of new laws on national security and organised crime that will be used to curb all democratic rights, including strikes, workers protests and demonstrations. A warning of how these new measures will be used is indicated in the police repression against the struggles of university students and the crackdown against the recent strike by non-academic university staff.
Bill and Hillary Clinton made $10.6 million in income in 2015, according to tax returns released by the Democratic presidential campaign Friday. This placed the Clintons in the top 0.02 percent of US families.

Fewer than 30,000 US families made as much as the Clintons last year, a further demonstration of how far the former first family has advanced since Bill Clinton left the White House in January 2001.

In the nearly 16 years since then, the Clintons have netted at least $200 million in income, most of it from making speeches to corporations, Wall Street firms, universities, Washington lobbyists, trade unions, and anyone else willing to fork over $200,000 or more to hear the former president or his wife.

Hillary Clintons Republican opponent, Donald Trump, is by reputation a billionaire, placing him in the top 2,000 US households for income, although he has refused to release any tax returns that could verify his income level and tax payments.

The Clinton campaign released the familys tax return as part of a political effort to put more pressure on the Trump campaign to do likewise. This was coordinated with a prominent article in the New York Times suggesting that Trump was unwilling to release his tax return because he had used many lucrative deductions available to real estate speculators, cutting his tax liability to zero.

Other possibilities suggested by the Times are that Trumps personal fortune is far less than the $9-10 billion he has claimed publicly, or that his tax returns would document income from investments with Russian oligarchs. The latter charge is part of a persistent McCarthy-style campaign spearheaded by the Times, suggesting Trumps candidacy represents Russian government interference in the US elections.

The Clinton tax return demonstrates the vast social gulf that separates the Democratic presidential candidate from the working people whose votes she seeks in the 2016 election. The November 8 election represents a choice between two candidates from the financial aristocracy, both of whom uphold the interests of the super-rich against working people.

The $10.6 million raked in during 2015 actually represented a significant decline for the Clintons, whose combined income reached $27.9 million in 2014, their largest ever, thanks to $23 million in speaking fees divided roughly equally between the former president and the former secretary of state.

In 2015, by contrast, Bill Clinton earned the lions share of the speakers fees, some $4.4 million, while Hillary Clinton netted only $1.1 million, since she stopped taking money for appearances before corporate audiences after declaring her candidacy for president. Hillary Clinton also reported $3 million in revenue from her book Hard Choices, a memoir of her four years as secretary of state.

The current year 2016 is likely to mark a low point in the Clinton buck-raising, since neither Clinton has been able to make paid appearances because of the requirements of the election campaign.

Not to worry, however. From 2007 through 2015, the Clintons reported making a total of $149 million over nine years, out of which they paid taxes totaling $48 million, and gave $16 million to charity (most of it to their own charitable entity, the Clinton Family Foundation).

That means they enjoyed after-tax income of some $85 million, the bulk of which they would have put into investment accounts. A fortune of, say, $75 million would place the Clintons in the top 20,000 US families in terms of total assets.

During this period 2007-2015, which includes six years when Hillary Clinton was on a federal salary, as US senator for New York and then secretary of state, Bill Clinton made the bulk of the income, including $105 million from delivering more than 540 speeches.

The average annual Clinton family income over this nine-year period, $16.3 million, is 300 times the median US household income, $53,482. In other words, Bill and Hillary Clinton typically earned every day about what the typical US working-class family made in a year.

The Clintons paid tax rates close to the 35 percent due from top income earners over that nine-year period, as they did not make use of special tax evasion vehicles, most likely to avoid the negative political repercussions.

The bulk of their income was routed through what are called pass-through vehicles, standard for wealthy individuals whose income does not come from salaries. The Clinton campaign pointed out that under the tax plan advocated by Donald Trump, the Clintons own taxes would have been cut in half, since such pass-through vehicles would receive a 50 percent tax break.

The Democratic campaign also released ten years of tax returns for Hillary Clintons running mate, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, and his wife Anne Holton, daughter of former Virginia governor Linwood Holton. In 2015, the couple reported income of $313,441, which represents Kaines salary as a US senator and his wifes as secretary of education for the state of Virginia.

The combined family income of Kaine and Holton in 2015 is less than the $315,000 that Hillary Clinton was paid for a single speech delivered to a corporate audience at eBay last year.
Unifor officials and representatives from General Motors (GM), Ford and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) met August 10 and 11 to begin negotiations for new Canadian auto assembly contracts covering 23,000 workers at plants in Windsor, Oakville, Brampton, Etobicoke, Oshawa, St. Catharines, and a parts distribution center in Woodstock, Ontario. The current concessions-laden agreements expire on September 19.

At press conferences held after the meetings, Unifor President Jerry Dias spelled out the unions nationalist and corporatist program, offering up Canadian auto workers as a highly productive low-cost workforce based on a cheap Canadian dollar and the prospect of hefty government subsidies to the auto companies.

Dias and other leading officials on the bargaining committees were effusive in their praise for Detroit Three management, demonstrating once again their utter servility to corporate bosses that have, with union collaboration, rammed through a series of collective agreements over the past eight years freezing wages, steadily extending the two-tier grow-in period and, in the 2009 contracts alone, slashing $20 per hour per worker in labour costs.

Chris Taylor, chairman of Unifors master bargaining committee for the Ford contract, bragged, We have done a lot of competitive operating agreements to make sure we are the highly productive work force that Ford is looking for. In other words the union has, in a series of contracts, torn up gains made by workers over decades of struggle to squeeze the maximum productivity out of workers to boost shareholder profits.

Unifor officials did not advance a single concrete economic demand. Instead they talked entirely of gaining investment commitments from the automakers. As autoworkers know, talk of job security boils down to the offer of ever-deeper concessions in a drive to undercut the overseas rivals of the Detroit Three.

Along these lines Dias railed against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal that will ultimately allow for the reduction of Canadian content rules for auto parts as well as the import of tariff-free Japanese vehicles.

Unifors promotion of economic nationalism dovetails with the promotion by the United Auto Workers (UAW) of protectionist policies in the United States. This perspective has proven utterly disastrous for autoworkers and for communities dependent on the auto industry. It has served to pit Canadian, Mexican and American autoworkers against each other in a drive to lower wages and benefits and destroy working conditions for all sections of workers.

The auto contract talks are taking place under conditions where senior workers have not had a pay increase in ten years, seen their benefits steadily reduced and working conditions deteriorate and where the two-tier system for newer workers is now inferior even to the American grow-in scale of eight years. Already, for instance, there have been statements from union officials that, in order to save jobs the inferior hybrid pension scheme for newer workers may be further reduced to a defined contribution program (as GM has already done at its separate Ingersoll CAMI operation), cost-of living allowances again restrained, retirees once again abandoned, and brutal speed-up deepened on the shop floor (GM recently proposed a reduction in break time in exchange for shifting some excess capacity between CAMI and Oshawa).

As the auto talks open auto companies are warning that they are preparing for a significant slow-down in sales over the next several years, presaging demands for further attacks on the living standards of autoworkers.

Meanwhile, auto industry analysts are citing current Detroit Three investment commitments to US plants arising out of last years UAW contracts as exhausting any possibility for taking production from south of the border and assigning it to Canada. If new investment is to be found, it is asserted, it will have to be for any prospective new model lines not yet assigned anywhere.

For his part Dias has characterized the current round of negotiations as crucial for the future of auto assembly in Canada. No new products are currently allocated to Ford Windsor, Brampton Fiat-Chrysler and GM Oshawa. All three auto companies have withheld any (potential) new announcements on future investments in order to contain building sentiment amongst rank-and-file workers that years of record profitability based on massive concessions contracts after the 2008 economic crisis and the 2009 auto bailouts must now form the basis for gains in wages, benefits, jobs and working conditions.

According to Dias, GM and Unifor are currently miles apart on the future of the Oshawa assembly complex  GM has insisted that no investment decisions will be made until after the contract is ratified. However, the Unifor president was keen to emphasize that the union has an incredible history in resolving our differences in negotiations.

While Dias has talked of strike action if an agreement is not reached, in a recent interview given to Automotive News Dias was already waffling. Were going to solidify the footprint he declared, Hopefully we solidify it by the deadline. If not, by some time or another, well find a resolution.

What Dias is relying upon by some time or another is another bailout by the Ontario and federal governments that would provide handouts in the form of favourable loans, tax breaks and electricity discounts to induce a modicum of future investment in Canada as a follow-up to the $10.8 billion given to FCA and GM in 2009. Those packages had no stipulations for any new investment in the Canadian auto footprint, let alone requirements to redress the slumping living standards of autoworkers. Subsequent to that initiative, FCA reneged on a portion of the monies due for payback whilst the governments ultimately sold the over-priced stocks they had purchased at a $3.5 billion loss.

Prior to his current role Dias served as a lieutenant to former Canadian Autoworkers union president Buzz Hargrove during the closure announcements in 2008 for GMs Windsor Transmission and Oshawa Truck plant. In both cases, strike action was threatened but never carried forward. Indeed, in the case of the Oshawa facility, the union had actually negotiated the language that allowed for the shutdown, called for the membership to ratify the deal and then, to deny their own culpability, cried foul when weeks later GM announced the closure. In any case, as Dias himself said to the Globe and Mail, by way of showing his credentials, Ive probablyunfortunatelybargained more plant closings than anybody else in the country.

Also instructive is Dias fulsome praise for United Autoworkers president Dennis Williams in the wake of the auto contract negotiations last fall in the United States. During that round of concessions bargaining, workers at FCA rejected the initial sell-out deal but were then not called out on strike and instead told to vote on a similar agreement a week later. At GM, skilled trades workers voted down the contract and in a violation of the union constitution, UAW officials over-rode the result. At Ford, a large margin for rejection was carried into the last day of voting when, under very credible charges of vote fraud, a landslide at the final plant to vote narrowly shifted the tally in favour of ratification. For all this, Dias has characterized Williams as an incredible leader.

Canadian autoworkers will no doubt resist the plans of Unifor and the auto bosses to impose ever more hardships on them. But to be successful, this struggle requires a new, international strategy. In the first place autoworkers need to draw the lessons of last years US auto contract struggle, and more generally of the transformation of the unions internationally into corporatist appendages of big business.

A fight to defend jobs and living standards requires the formation of rank-and-file factory committees to unite autoworkers, not only across auto plants in Canada, but also in the US and internationally in a common struggle against the corporations. This requires a new political perspective based on uniting the working class around a socialist program in opposition to the big business parties and the capitalist system they defend. We encourage readers of the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter in the plants to step up their efforts to build resistance and to share information and their comments with us for dissemination among autoworkers throughout North America and the world. If you have not already, subscribe to the WSWS Auto Worker Newsletter today!
As many as 1013 soldiers and 13 helicopter pilots have lost their lives at the glacier since 1984.

By Manjeet Negi: While the whole country is preparing for Independence day celebrations, the fate of the heroes demonstrating a staggering level of patriotism in life-threatening situations at world's highest battlefield remains under reported. For those fighting at the Siachen glacier, there are three basic requirements- doctors, porters and helicopters. Here is the story of the brave IAF helicopter pilots giving much needed strength to the army personnel in Siachen.



STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

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Siachen's strategic importance for India cannot be downplayed. This is why as many as 1013 soldiers have lost their lives at the glacier since 1984.

13 helicopters pilots have also lost their lives from 1971 to 2007 during the journey to and back from Siachen. Due to China's rising assertiveness in Leh and Siachen on the one hand, and to be able give a befitting reply to Pakistan's nefarious activities on the other, Air Force Sukhoi and MiG-29 fighter aircrafts are deployed at around 11 thousand feet on the Leh airbase. The air base at Leh is used to operate all helicopters throughout Ladakh and Siachen regions.



JOURNEY

We flew in Air Force MI-17 helicopter from Leh to Siachen and it took an hour to reach the destination at Siachen. The Chital helicopters carries military personnel and all the necessary equipment from 18 thousand to 22 thousand feet from the base camp at various posts.

The Helicopter works as a lifeline for the troops in Siachen. Despite the bad weather, the helicopter took us to the area where the army personnel are posted.

The helicopter was first called Cheeta. Now the engine has been updated and is more even more powerful than before. The Air Force helicopter unit stationed in Siachen is refereed to as Siachen Pioneers.

WATCH VIDEO HERE



BRUTAL CONDITIONS

The temperature at siachen usually hovers around the minus 50 degrees Celsius mark. Air Force spokesman and Wing Commander, Sandeep Mehta told us that since Operation Meghdoot, the helicopters have worked as a lifeline for Soldiers posted in forward post. From Siachen Base Camp we were flew in chital helicopters to reach the forward post. The whole valley of Siachen is covered in snow during the month of August.

The Pilot landed the helicopter at the top of the ice on a small helipad. Pilot Squadron Leader, Mayank Paliwal told us that in the worsening weather helicopters cannot stop on the helipad for a long duration. Their main job is to Para Drop some stuff as that is important for men working in this post. Chital is the only helicopter that can work at 18 thousand to 22 thousand feet.



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INDOMITABLE SPIRIT



The Air Force's helicopter unit, Siachen Pioneers have risked their own lives to save the lives of foreign tourists. Clarke, a British climber was stuck at Padam valley about 100 km from Leh, at an altitude of three thousand feet.

After receiving the information, IAF pilots flew a helicopter to the area sit under adverse weather conditions. After landing in the Padma valley, they pulled the unconscious and injured climber on board. Wing Commander Anshul Saxena said the operation was difficult and an indomitable spirit is a prerequisite to be able to work there. High altitude, steep slopes, caused by continuous snow and heavy wind made the rescue operation very difficult.

This is the experience of the troops based in Siachen. Before being deployed at Siachen, troops are brought in from elsewhere and exposed to extremely cold weather, so their body is able to adjust to conditions. Soldiers are expected to climb rugged terrain on a regular basis . The soldiers in Siachen Battle School train hard for three months.

On 3rd February this year at the Sonam post in Siachen, 10 soldiers were buried in an avalanche. According to the Lieutenant Colonel S. Sengupta, Siachen Battle School takes a leaf of the army's loud crash training regime. The forces are equipped with Javier radar and other advanced equipment to track people buried in the snow.

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ALSO READ:

Salute Siachen: India's first-ever celebrity expedition to Siachen honours the Indian Army

Irani to meet soldiers at Siachen on Raksha Bandhan





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Latika and Tanya Bansal from Bulandshahr, had written the letter alleging that their mother Annu Bansal was burnt alive on June 14 by their father and paternal grandparents and the local police did not pay any heed to their complaint.

The two sisters who wrote the blood letter to Akhilesh Yadav (Image:ANI)

By Indo-Asian News Service: Two teenage sisters who wrote a letter in their own blood to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav seeking justice for their dead mother, met him here on Saturday.

The girls, Latika and Tanya Bansal from Bulandshahr, had written the letter alleging that their mother Annu Bansal was burnt alive on June 14 by their father and paternal grandparents and the local police did not pay any heed to their complaint.

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Annu succumbed to her injuries six days later.



AKHILESH YADAV MOVED

Moved by the letter, the Chief Minister ordered the Bulandshahr SSP and other senior officials to visit Latika and Tanya's house and get a first hand account of the whole case. Thereafter, he invited them to his official residence.

Latika and Tanya, escorted by their maternal uncle and maternal grandmother met Akhilesh for over 30 minutes. The chief minister assured them of all possible help and justice.

He also said the two girls will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each, a flat and announced that the expenses of their studies would be borne by the state government.

He also offered a government job to the maternal uncle and proposed to bear the expenses of their maternal grandmother's treatment who is suffering from cancer.

After the meeting, Latika said she was satisfied by the action being taken.

ALSO READ:

Akhilesh Yadav should resign over Bulandshahr gangrape incident: UP BJP leader Pankaj Singh



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Kittitas County District Court Judge Jim Hurson this week denied a motion to dismiss the case of a Salkum man accused of shooting a well-known local elk named Bullwinkle.

Tod Reichert, 76, is charged with second-degree unlawful hunting of big game, a gross misdemeanor, which can carry the possibility of fines and a two-year suspension of his hunting privileges. He has pleaded not guilty.

Hunter facing charges after death of beloved elk named Bullwinkle ELLENSBURG, Wash.  Bullwinkle was as smart as he was big. The most photographed bull elk in

The elk was something of a celebrity in the Fairview District near Ellensburg, and was known to wander around hay fields and yards. The case has attracted statewide attention.

Reichert is accused of shooting the elk in a field where it was not permitted, in an area closed to hunting branch-antler elk.

Stephen Hormel, Reicherts attorney, asked the court to dismiss the case on July 26 on the basis that there was no resource available to Reichert that would have led him to know where he was prohibited from hunting with his raffle permit. That motion was denied on Tuesday.

Hormel filed another motion to dismiss the case the same day. The state has charged the key witness in Reicherts defense, David Perkins, with second-degree aiding and abetting, or as a principal, to unlawful hunting. Perkins was Reicherts disabled hunting companion. Hormel said the courts action was prosecutorial mismanagement in the court filing.

Hormel writes that the act of charging Perkins prevents Reichert from using Perkins as his primary witness. According to court documents, Perkins was going to testify that he called the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to obtain permission to harvest the bull.

Other local witnesses include Cody Carollo, Brian Roberts and Ron Axman.

Charging Perkins means that Reichert must either waive his right to a speedy trial or waive his right to have his key witness at the trial, both of which Hormel writes is unacceptable given the circumstances.

Perkins is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 15.

A pre-trial hearing for the Reichert case is scheduled for Aug. 18. The jury trial has been moved to Sept. 9.
By Smita Sharma: UK's new Development Minister Priti Patel is in India on her first official visit in her new role since the Theresa May government came to power. She met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today and also held discussions with Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday.

Patel announced that the UK will provide technical assistance to India for developing smart cities. She praised PM Modi's investment initiatives and business reforms.

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Patel a strong advocate of Brexit believes her nation is moving away from the European Union will open up new trade opportunities for India and the UK. When asked if as a member of the UN Security Council, UK will pay heed to Pakistan's request of International intervention in Kashmir, the UK minister categorically stated that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.

Priti Patel spoke exclusively to India Today's Smita Sharma.



Q. You are here on a mission, to talk about development and UK will partner with India on smart cities. Tell us about it.



I am delighted to announce today that my department is providing support to the ministry in Delhi to look forward to technical assistance. This is about the know-how of the mechanics behind developing a smart city. I am looking at infrastructure, real mechanics and components to put various smart city development projects together at national and also state level. I will also visit Bhopal and meet the chief minister and have discussions to further advance interstate development initiatives.

Q. We have seen flooding in investors' hub Gurgaon and also in metropolitan city of Bengaluru. Is civic apathy a huge problem for smart cities development?

We have to be very proactive in recognising the challenges that different regions and different parts of the country face. There is no identical blue print that can be established for every single of the hundreds of smart cities that are being proposed. So looking at the floods, drain water management -that's just one component .we have to take that one component and integrate that with technology, roads, transport to wider level. Look at energy and sufficiency of supply of energy and water, water management and water drainage as well. So these are the various strands that come together.



Q. What is the one big challenge in India for smart cities?

It's the ambition. The government is incredibly ambitious and they should be commended for having that ambition. It puts the challenge out to other governments around the world and partners and businesses in private sectors as well to say come to the table, bring you a framework and also bring you the assistance so you can show these projects are viable and can be developed.

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I had a very constructive engagement with the Minister for Urban Development. He is a champion of smart cities and he is being clear with us in ways where we can add value. We are absolutely doing everything we can and we will continue to do more. I think there is a challenge coupled with expectation and management as well because these are long term projects. These are not short term projects that go up overnight. Natural disasters too become a component when you look at geographies of certain parts of the county.



Q. How do you see social harmony as an aspect to development and investors wanting to come in? Does beef row, cow vigilantism, security issues impact brand India from an investors' perspective?

For foreign investors India has been very successful due to FDI. When you look at PM Modi has succeeded in attracting investment for India. Ease of doing business makes India an attractive investment location.

Looking at how easy it is to transact, what are the regulatory environments like, how competitive is it, how open is the market place. So World Bank, the UK we are strategic partners supporting India on that journey. It is a good journey and India already advancing in ease of doing business and we will continue to provide support.

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Q. You were a strong advocate of Brexit .Business communities in India say Brexit does not augur well for India .How do you react?

On the contrary we see new opportunities. We should recognise as well that the European Referendum result was a democratic mandate and now says to British Govt that we will deliver that result. Point about Brexit is that it is about our relationship with the European institutions, so the regulatory institutions that put forward laws and regulations, we want the freedom to succeed. That is exactly what we will do through trade agreements, through establishments of new trade departments.

It is incredibly encouraging and positive. It is about growth and vision. Having the vision, the dynamism, the ability to transact and have new trade deals and new relationship of commerce which institutions of EU have provided with new opportunities for UK and India

Q. UK has a seat on the Security Council, Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue. With the ongoing agitation and unrest in Kashmir valley what is UK's view On Kashmir ?



I am not going to comment on the specifics here and this is very much an India and Pakistan relationship. My visit is here to cement as ever and show the strength of that strategic partnership between the UK and India. When Mr. Modi came to India last year we had strategic discussion on counter terrorism and security .We stand shoulder to shoulder and these are strong issues UK and the world has interest in.

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Q. So there will be no third party intervention in Kashmir? Do you think India and Pakistan should sit down and talk?



Exactly that is for the two countries and has always been for the two countries. But on the big issues of security and counter terrorism we stand shoulder to shoulder in supporting India within that macro landscape of those big issues.

Also read:

Centre directs IITs to shape smart city plan for PM's constituency



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PARIS- An anti-terrorism judge on Friday handed preliminary charges to a man who met with two extremists shortly before they killed a priest at Mass, a judicial official said.

The 21-year-old, from Toulouse in southwest France, was arrested last week.

The judicial official said the man, whose name was not given, was charged with association with terrorism "with the intention of committing crimes of bodily harm." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the case.

The official said the man was questioned about his alleged meetings July 24-25 with the killers in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, outside Rouen. The Rev. Jacques Hamel was killed in his church in the Normandy town on July 26.
This past week, after a decades-long battle, the Supreme Court ruled that a trove of manuscripts and drawings by Franz Kafka and Max Brod called the Kafka Papers be handed over to the National Library of Israel. The controversy surrounding these papers pitted the Hoffes, an Israeli family that has retained custody of the papers since Brod's death, against the National Library.

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The trail of the papers, which wound its way from Czechoslovakia to Israel and Switzerland, sounds like it could be one of Kafka's own stories involving greed, governments and grievances.

"The National Library, naturally, has the goal and the task of accumulating, preserving and providing access to works, which are part of the Israeli and Jewish legacy," Dr. Guy Pessach, a senior lecturer at the Hebrew University, told The Media Line. "In the context of Kafka, however, it is much more complicated because even though Kafka was a Jew, the question of his cultural and intellectual relationship to the Jewish tradition is not something that is a natural derivative." Dr. Pessach added that while Kafka studied Hebrew, his connection to the Judaism and his attitudes towards Zionism are much more complex.

Franz Kafka (Photo: Getty Images Image Bank)

Franz Kafka, a 20th century Jewish novelist, was born in Prague in 1883 and died of tuberculosis in 1924. He is best known for his literary works The Metamorphosis, The Trial and The Castle.

Brod, a Czech Jew, was a writer, journalist and even a music composer, publishing 83 separate works in his lifetime. He is renowned in German literary circles and is most famous for receiving custody of Kafka's papers.

Kafka and Brod met in 1902 at Charles University in Prague and quickly became close friends. Before Kafka died, he bequeathed his estate, which included all of his works and papers, to Brod. Kafka asked Brod to burn his unpublished works, but Brod disobeyed Kafka's wishes, publishing The Trial, The Castle and Amerika in the late 1920s and 1930s.

When Brod and his wife, Elsa, fled Nazi-occupied Prague for Tel Aviv in 1939, Brod carried all of Kafka's papers with him in a suitcase.

After Elsa died in 1942, Brod became close with Otto and Esther Hoffe, a Jewish couple living in Palestine, eventually employing Esther as his secretary. The two were rumored to also be romantically involved.

Brod left his literary estate, which included both his papers and Kafka's, to Hoffe when he died in 1968, and asked that she donate them, preferably to the National Library of Israel, when she died. Against Brod's wishes, Hoffe sold the manuscript of The Trial for two million dollars to the German Literature Archive, a contentious move seeing that Kafka was not German and his three sisters died in concentration camps.

Following her death in 2007, Hoffe left the remaining papers to her two daughters, Ruth Wiesler and Eva Hoffe. The following year, when the daughters wanted to sell the papers, they were met with opposition from the National Library of Israel. The library stated that Brod's 1961 will instructed that the papers be donated to them.

The two sisters had planned to sell the papers to the German Literature Archive in Marbach and, since 2008, they had been immersed in a legal battle with the National Library, which ended this past Monday in the Library's favor.

In the 1950s, most of Kafka's manuscripts were actually transferred to Oxford University's Bodleian Library by his heirs; therefore, the contents of these Kafka Papers is up for debate.

"It's a very long list. Most of the stuff is Brod's stuff, and there is very little that is Kafka's," Dr. Aviad Stollman, head of collections at the National Library, said. "There might be some drawings of Kafka's, but everything we have has been published."

The contents of the papers seem to swirl around Brod, who was, in his own right, one of the most important authors of the 20th century, according to Stollman. "Some years he was more well-known than Kafka, and he invested his lifetime to publishing Kafka's work."

Stollman said that because Max Brod was the closest person to Kafka, there might be documents in these papers that tell us more about Kafka and help us understand his literary works.

While researchers hope to find unpublished manuscripts by Kafka in the safes, it could cause legal issues.

"Presuming there are such manuscripts in the safe, their legal status is much more complicated," Pessach said. "It is unclear under which power and under which legal basis the Israeli courts have the jurisdiction to decide that manuscripts by Kafka, which are not part of Max Brod's literary estate, should be devoted to the National Library."

The National Library expects to receive the documents within the next two or three months and has plans to digitize most of the collection.

Article written by Katie Baiter

Reprinted with permission from The Media Line
One police constable was killed and another injured after militants attacked a police station in Karbi Anglong district of Assam today morning.

By India Today Web Desk: An Assam Police Battalion personnel was killed and another injured after militants attacked a police station in Karbi Anglong district of Assam today morning. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police said the firing took place at Rongbongway police station in Karbi Anglong, about 250 kms from Guwahati. An investigation was on to ascertain further leads.

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"There was an accidental firing in the barrack of jawans inside Rongbongway police station. Two jawans were injured and one of them was declared brought dead by the doctors in a local hospital," a police official said.

"The other jawan is being shifted to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH)," he added.

The incident came a day after suspected ULFA(I) millitants opened fire in a village under Pholobari police station in Tinsukia district on Friday evening. The incident left two persons dead and seven people injured.

Sources say that those speaking in Hindi were mostly targetted in the attack.

On Friday, 12 militant outfits of the northeast had given a joint call to boycott Independence Day in the region. In a statement issued by United National Liberation Front of WESEA (UNLFW), an umbrella group of several north-eastern rebel outfits, condemned the "continuous racist attacks" on people from the region in Indian mainland.

The United National Liberation Front of WESEA consists of the ULFA (I), NDFB (S), NSCN (K), KLO, CorCom (under which six Meitei outfits operate) and two Meghalaya-based groups - Garo National Liberation Army and Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council.



With inputs from IANS



Also read: Northeast rebel groups call for total shutdown on Independence Day

--- ENDS ---
The story of Michael Levin, who was killed in the Second Lebanon War a decade ago, has inspired hundreds of young Jews from around the world to leave comfortable lives abroad and enlist in the IDF, as Levin had previously from Philadelphia.

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Thursday night, the tenth anniversary of his death, an emotional meeting took place between Levin's bereaved parents and soldiers from the Paratroopers' Brigade, where Levin served, who immigrated to the country to enlist.

Michael's parents, Mark and Harriet, came to Israel to visit their son's grave at the IDF cemetery on Mount Herzl. Joining them were 20-old Cpl. Yehuda Dresner from England and 21-year-old Private Eitan Goldfried from Brazil, who both happened to hear about Levin's story by chance. They were 10 and 11 when Levin fell in battle, and they didn't even know about the difficult war going on along Israel's northern border.

Levin's parents, Yehuda Dresner and Eitan Goldfried (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Goldfried happened to have met a young woman wearing a bracelet with Levin's name on it; when he asked her about it, she said that she was the fallen soldier's cousin and told the Brazilian her cousin's story. Goldfried decided that he, too, had to realize his dream and enlist in the IDF, as had Levin.

"Hearing about a person who was born and raised in the United States who just decided to leave everything and immigrate to and defend the State of Israel, the Jewish Stateit was inspiring," he said.

At the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, Levin was thousands of kilometers away, on furlough with his family in Pennsylvania. On hearing of the battles being waged against Lebanon, the Paratrooper chose to return early to join the fight. After arriving back in Israel, he joined his unit and crossed into Lebanon.

On August 1, 2006, Levin fell in battle at Aita al-Shaab at the age of 22. His death received much media coverage both in Israel and around the world, and the Lone Soldier Center in memory Michael Levin continues to support other lone soldiers in the IDF to this day.

At the graveside memorial, the soldiers said to the Levins, "We won't forget Michael. Even today, a decade after his death, he still influences lots of soldiers and us."
ISTANBUL - US Vice President Joe Biden is to visit Turkey on August 24, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was quoted as saying by Turkish media on Saturday.

Yildirim, speaking to a group of Turkish journalists, said that Washington's attitude on an extradition request for Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating an attempted coup last month, had improved.

Yildirim said a total of 81,494 people including judges, soldiers and civil servants have either been suspended or sacked since the July 15 abortive putsch.
PORTLAND, Maine - Sweden is digging in on a proposal to ban imports of live lobsters into the European Union after a rebuke from American scientists, and the issue could go all the way to the World Trade Organization.

Sweden asked the European Union to bar imports of live American lobsters into the bloc earlier this year after 32 were found in Swedish waters.

The US government then told the European Commission that the proposal isn't supported by science. US and Canadian scientists agreed.

Sweden's Agency for Marine and Water Management is issuing a response to criticism that says the country is right to be cautious about the appearance of a foreign species in its waters.

Some American politicians say they will appeal to the WTO if the European Union sides with Sweden.
BEIRUT (AP)  US-backed fighters have seized a key ISIS stronghold in northern Syria after two months of heavy fighting and freed hundreds of civilians being used as human shields, Syrian Kurdish officials and an opposition activist group said Saturday.

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Nasser Haj Mansour, of the predominantly Kurdish Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) told The Associated Press that the town of Manbij "is under full control," adding that operations are ongoing to search for any ISIS militants who might have stayed behind.

The SDF launched its offensive in late May to capture Manbij under the cover of US-led airstrikes. The town lies on a key supply route between the Turkish border and the city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the ISIS group's self-styled caliphate.

Men cut their beards in Manbij after the city's liberation by SDF forces. ISIS imposes a strict Islamic dress code on the population under its control

Amateur videos posted online showed that shortly after SDF fighters captured the town late Friday, dozens of residents went to celebrate in the streets. Some men were seen clipping their beards with scissors while women were able to uncover their faces. ISIS imposes a harsh and extreme version of Islam on the territory under its control, including a mandatory dress code.

"May God destroy them. They slaughtered us," a young man shouted in a Manbij square. "May they not live for a minute."

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to Associated Press reporting of events.

In a photo posted online by Kurdish activists, a young woman defiantly uncovered her face while smoking a cigarette and flashing a victory sign.

A woman burns her Niqab in Manbij after it's liberation by SDF forces. ISIS imposes a strict Islamic dress code on the population under its control (Photo: Reuters)

Under the extremists' reign, women had to wear long black cloaks that covered all but their eyes, while all adult men were forced to grow beards. Smoking was banned.

Haj Mansour said some ISIS fighters were captured in the town while others fled to nearby villages.

"Military operations will continue until these villages are clean," Haj Mansour said.

Sherfan Darwish, another SDF official in Manbij, also confirmed that the town is under the full control of his fighters.

The capture of Manbij is the biggest defeat for the extremist group in Syria since July 2015, when they lost the town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey.

A female Kurdish fighter helps evacuate civilians from Manbij (Photo: Reuters)

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that with the capture of Manbij, hundreds of civilians that ISIS used as human shields are now free.

For weeks, SDF fighters have been slowly advancing in the town and nearby villages over the past weeks. The fighting and the airstrikes have killed some 450 people, according to the Observatory.

ISIS has suffered major defeats over the past months in Syria and Iraq, where the military recaptured the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in the western Anbar province. However, ISIS still controls large parts of Syria as well as Iraq's second largest city, Mosul.
SAN ANTONIO- Thousands of Venezuelans were welcomed to Colombia by a military band early on Saturday morning as the two countries' borders were officially reopened after being closed by Venezuela a year ago.

Some people had traveled across Venezuela to queue overnight hoping to cross to buy food and other basics that are in short supply in Venezuela, which is steeped in an economic crisis.

"I came with my family to do some shopping because we can't find anything to eat," said Wilmary Salcedo, a 17-year-old engineering student who had traveled some 500 miles from the central city of Maracay hoping for rice, sugar and cooking oil.
ISTANBUL - Turkey's prime minister said on Saturday that Ankara could not compromise with the United States over its request for the extradition of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen which it blames for orchestrating last month's attempted coup.

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Prime Minister Binali Yildirim made his comments to a group of Turkish journalists who quoted him as saying that US Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on August 24.

US Secretary of State John Kerry would also visit Turkey some time in October, he said.

"The main element improving our relations with the US is the extradition of Gulen, where there is no room for negotiation," Yildirim was quoted as saying by CNN Turk's general manager who was among journalists attending the briefing from Yildirim.

US based Fethullah Gulen has been accused of helping to orchestrate the attempted coup against Erdogan (Photo: EPA)

"Whether or not the anti-Americanism in Turkey will continue is also dependant on this," Yildirim said.

Turkey has been angered by what it sees as lukewarm condemnation by its Western allies of the abortive July 15-16 putsch against President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government, and Western criticism of a subsequent purge of military, judiciary and civil servants.

More than 240 people were killed in the violent coup attempt by a rogue faction in the Turkish military using fighter jets, helicopters and tanks.

Since the failed coup, almost 5,000 out of 81,000 people had been sacked and the others suspended, Yildirim said.

Turkey almost immediately increased pressure for the extradition from the United States of Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan who runs an influential network of international schools outside Turkey.

Yildirim on Saturday said that the United States had improved its attitude on the issue of Gulen's extradition, but he did not elaborate on this.

Maintaining Ankara's criticism of the Muslim cleric who denies any involvement in the putsch, Yildirim said on Saturday that Gulen ran an exclusive communication channel with 50,000 using it.

Earlier on Saturday Turkey took exception to remarks by a top UN human rights official for saying that Ankara should stem its "thirst for revenge" against internal critics following the coup.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said Zeid's comments were unacceptable.
Hezbollah chairman Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech on Saturday celebrating the "anniversary of the end of the Second Lebanon War." Speaking from his bunker, his speech was broadcasted on giant screens in the town of Bint J'beil, located only a few hundred yards away from the border with Israel.

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Nasrallah said that Israel is in need of a new doctrine. "The whole issue of 'after Haifa' is over. The Israelis have adopted a new doctrine which isn't based on a quick victory  meaning that they know that they are unable to achieve (quick victory), and they know that the Israeli home front will be hit during the fighting."

He also responded to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's statements, whereby the prime minister said that anyone who thinks that Israel is weak like a cobweb will receive an iron fist.

Hassan Nasrallah speaking from his bunker during a speech marking 10 years since the Second Lebanon War

The Hezbollah leader also said that as a result of the war in 2006, "the Israeli military establishment has been undermined, and there is a lack of trust between the different ranks  something which continues to this day. (The war) also undermined the trust which the Israeli public has in the military, and undermined the Israeli public's belief that the IDF can win wars. Eisenkot himself said that the largest threat to the IDF is the public's lack of trust in it. The trust in the political leadership was also undermined, something which has created a crisis which continues in Israel to this day."

A Hezbollah supporter has his face painted with the Hezbollah logo (Photo: AFP)

"In light of all of these results," Nasrallah continued, "it is possible to surmise that Israel was hurt in the last war in terms of its spirit, trust, and will. It also lost confidence in its very existence."

Nasrallah stressed that "after the (Second Lebanon War), the question was raised as to whether or not Israel will continue to exist. Both Israel's enemies and even Israel's 'friends' arent sure of the answer to the question of Israel's existence."

Hezbollah rally in a border town close to Israel marking 10 years since the end of the Second Lebanon War

The Hezbollah leader went on to claim that the quiet on the border isn't due to agreements between Israel and the UN or the Lebanese government, but because "Israel is deterred by this country. (Israel) knows that the resistance (Hezbollah) has grown in terms of weapons, strength, faith, and determination. Israelis today are afraid of the possibility of an invasion of the Galilee after OUR villages lived in fear."

Regarding the "divine victory" over Israel, Nasrallah said that newspapers all over the world said that Hezbollah "thwarted the goals of the aggressors." He argued that Israel; and its backers failed to defeat Hezbollah during the war, failed to drive Hezbollah back from the border, failed to form an international coalition, failed to restore Israel's deterrence factor, and failed in retrieving its captured soldiers without paying a price.

He added that what he claims was the main objective of the war  to re-shape the Middle East as per an Israeli-American conspiracy  also failed.
Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, visited Aug. 7 through 10 to get a first-hand look at Yokota Air Base members accomplishing the mission, as part of his first trip as COMPACAF.

During his visit, O'Shaughnessy met with Airmen from across the base during an Airman's call to discuss the strategic role Yokota plays in the region.

The strength of our alliance with Japan has never been more important, O'Shaughnessy said. When we look at the current security situation in the region, the growing dependence on air power to maintain the peace and stability is directly related to both the strength of our Airmen as well as their ability to contribute to the alliance.

O'Shaughnessy addressed several issues that are important to him, including continued ambassadorship of Airmen to their host nation, Japan.

The actions of our Airmen can have strategic impact on our vital relationship with Japan, he said. As guests in our host nation, I stress to all of our Airmen that the professionalism they show each day must continue both in and out of uniform. Ensuring we maintain a strong alliance will help us to deter and defeat any potential threats.

O'Shaughnessy mentioned readiness as another important topic.

Whether its humanitarian assistance, disaster relief or a conflict, our Airman are going to be called upon and having our forces prepared to respond to any situation is critically important, he said. The threat coming for northeast Asia including North Korea is very real and having our forces ready in Korea is important, but it is equally important for our forces in Japan to be ready to assist them.

Lastly, the general said he's honored to lead PACAF and expressed his gratitude.

I thank all of the Airmen who are forward deployed here in Japan, all of which are making sacrifices of being away from home, O'Shaughnessy said.

During the commander's three-day tour, he visited several Yokota facilities and spoke with key leaders in Japan. He also visited the Japan Air-Self Defense Force Air Defense Command, U.S. Embassy and Japans Ministry of Defense.
YORK  James J. Gusich, 52, of York, has been sentenced to prison for felony terroristic threats.

Initially, the prosecution was asking for Gusich to be declared a habitual criminal, which could have added 10-60 years to the sentence. That enhancement was eventually dropped as part of a plea agreement, in which Gusich then pleaded no contest to the felony threats case.

In court documents, the prosecution cited Gusichs long criminal history, which includes convictions of voluntary manslaughter and burglary in Cook County, Ill. For the manslaughter conviction, he was sentenced to prison for 18 years, for the burglary he was sentenced to four years in prison.

They also cited convictions of burglary and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in Walker County, Texas. He was sentenced to a term of 2-4 years for the burglary conviction and five years for the other conviction.

Regarding the current conviction of terroristic threats, the county attorney explained during the factual basis proceedings that Gusich threatened state patrol officers and health care workers at York General Hospital after he was transported there following a car accident.

He told the health care worker that he was going to kill her and her family, Dick told the court.

She said health care workers had experienced earlier contacts with him and believed the threats to be credible.

Gusich was sentenced to two years in prison, as well as three years of post-release supervision.
US backed forces have gained control of Syria's Manbij City near the Turkish border after the last remaining IS terrorists left the city.

By Reuters: US backed forces have seized full control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border after the last remaining Islamic State fighters, who had been using civilians as human shields, left, a spokesman for the group said Friday.

Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) were now sweeping the city after the departure of a last remaining group of militants who had been holed up in the city. They had freed over 2,000 civilian hostages who had been held by the militants, Sharfan Darwish of the SDF allied Manbij Military Council told Reuters.

"The city is now fully under our control but we are undertaking sweeping operations," Darwish said, adding militant sleeper cells in the city were still a threat.

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The SDF, with heavy air support from a U.S.-led coalition, said last week they had taken almost complete control of Manbij, where a small number of IS fighters had been holed up.

The SDF's offensive, which began at the end of May, aims to remove Islamic State from areas it controls along the Turkish border.

AMBITIOUS ADVANCE BY A GROUP ALLIED TO WASHINGTON IN SYRIA



The Manbij operation in which U.S. Special Forces have played a significant role on the ground marks the most ambitious advance by a group allied to Washington in Syria since the United States launched its military campaign against Islamic State two years ago.

Manbij's loss to the militants is a big blow as it is of strategic importance, serving as a conduit for transit of foreign jihadists and provisions coming from the Turkish border.

Earlier the alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters grouped in the SDF said Friday's operation was "the last operation and the last assault."

Darwish said earlier roughly 100 Islamic State fighters were left in the city center using civilians as human shields, some of whom were killed trying to flee.

RESIDENTS WELCOMED BY SDF FORCES



Pictures showed residents being released from an Islamic State-held neighborhood on Friday and being welcomed by SDF forces.

Kurdish sources and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria's five-year-old conflict, later said around 500 cars had left Manbij carrying Islamic State members and civilians. They were heading northeast towards Jarablus, a town under Islamic State control on the Turkish border, the Observatory said.

The convoy carried the final Islamic State members leaving the city, under an agreement between the fighting parties that would not be announced officially, Kurdish sources and the monitor said, marking the end of the operation.

AVOIDING LARGE SCALE ASSAULT



The SDF's campaign quickly captured the countryside surrounding Manbij, but slowed once fighting entered the city. The SDF said it had been avoiding a large-scale assault inside Manbij out of concern for civilians.

Dozens of civilians, including children and women from Manbij who had fled the city at the height of the aerial strikes, were killed in suspected U.S. coalition air strikes last month, residents and monitors said.

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U.S. officials have said once the Manbij operation is completed, it would create the conditions to move on the militant group's de facto capital of Raqqa. U.S. officials anticipate a tough battle.

Also read:

ISIS video shows killing of 5 captured Syrian media activists

--- ENDS ---
The apex court, commenting on the Kashmir situation, said that the protesters as well as the security forces were responsible for the Kashmir violence.

By Anusha Soni: Pointing to the vicious cycle of violence in the Kashmir valley, the Supreme Court said that the protestors and the security forces have equally contributed to an unfortunate situation leading to widespread violence.

The apex court said that while many so-called peaceful protests become a sight of hooliganism leading to destruction of property, at the same time due to lack of training, the police and security forces do not know the boundaries of 'proportionate force' to be used to quell such situations.

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The court handed down a judgment on the petition of three Kashmiri migrants who had planned to take out peaceful protest and were assaulted by the police in Jammu and Kashmir in 2007.

IF FORCE IS USED, 3 PREREQUISITES REQUIRED

The court held that the force used against the protestors was disproportionate and awarded them compensation.

The court further said that before force is used, three prerequisites must be satisfied.

First, there should be an unlawful assembly with the object of committing violence or an assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace.

Second, an Executive Magistrate should order the assembly to disperse.

Third, in spite of such orders, the people do not move away.

COURT ON DEMONSTRATION AND KASHMIR

The Supreme court said that the recent happenings show an unfortunate trend where such demonstrations and protests are on increase. These protests are also becoming a common ground that religious, ethnic, regional language, caste and class divisions are frequently exploited to foment violence whenever mass demonstrations or dharnas etc take place.

The apex court called it unfortunate that more often than not, such protestors take to hooliganism, vandalism and even destroy public and private property.

Commenting on the role of police, the court said that when police tries to control, the protestors or mob violently target policemen as well. Unruly groups and violent demonstrations are so common that people have become to see them as an appendage of Indian democracy. All these situations

frequently result in police using force.

FORCE USED AGGRAVATES PUBLIC ANGER

The court said that use of any degree of force by police exacerbates public anger against the police.

Commenting on the situation in Kashmir itself the court argued that there have been numerous instances where separatist groups have provoked violence which makes task of the police and law enforcing agencies becomes more difficult and delicate.

In curbing such violence or dispersing unlawful assemblies, police has to accomplish its task with utmost care, deftness and precision without using disproportionate force.

"Policemen are required to undergo special training to deal with these situations. Many times the situations turn ugly or go out of control because of lack of sufficient training to the police personnel to deal with violence and challenges to their authority", the court said in its judgment.

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Also Read:

PoK part of Jammu and Kashmir, Pak terrorism behind unrest: PM Modi at all-party meet

Pakistan's new Kashmir-weapon is hi-tech devices, reveals LeT operative Bahadur Ali

Kashmir unrest enters 35th day, mobile networks, internet services suspended



--- ENDS ---
Rajagopal was reportedly in a grave condition when his daughter Jayasudha pulled out the intervenous drip injecting medicines into Rajagopal's veins.

Jayasudha pulled out the drip injecting medicines into her father.

By India Today Web Desk: As her father lay in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Chennai, his daughter, a doctor herself, pulled out the drip injecting medicines.



According to a CCTV footage given to the police, 83-year-old resident Rajagopal's daughter Jayasudha tried to kill him last September when he was still in the hospital. He survived the attack but died later that year.

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Rajagopal was admitted to a hospital in August 2015, after his health had deteriorated to an alarming degree. He was placed in the ICU of a hospital owned by his son.

Video grab of the CCTV footage from the hospital.

PROPERTY DISPUTE

It is understood that Jayasudha resorted to these extreme measures due to disputes on property inheritance. She has also been accused of forcibly obtaining her father's thumb impression at the hospital.

The entire incident has been recorded on a CCTV camera at the hospital. The footage which was recently released has created quite a furore.

Kilpauk police have charged Jayasudha and her son with an attempt to murder. The case will now be heard by a court.



ALSO READ:

Woman drowns daughters over family dispute

Man murders family over property dispute, commits suicide



--- ENDS ---
Latest News

Washington< DC - From August 14-18, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein will travel to Mexico City and Pachuca, Hidalgo to discuss religious freedom with government officials, religious leaders, and civil society representatives.

In Mexico City, Ambassador Saperstein will meet with various religious groups to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities for their communities in Mexico. He will also meet with government officials to discuss the importance of protecting religious freedom, human rights and continuing to promote tolerance.

In Pachuca, Hidalgo, the Ambassador will meet with civil society and state government representatives to discuss reports of religious discrimination in some rural and indigenous communities.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - The Yuma Main Library, in collaboration with AARP, will host Social Security & Medicare on Saturday, August 27th, at 10:00 a.m. There is no charge to attend.

Karl Koenig, a trained volunteer with Arizonas Community Educators Program, coordinated through the Arizona AARP State Office, will discuss the following topics:

How and when to start my retirement benefits

Other benefits offered by Social Security

Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage

How Parts A, B, and D work with each Medicare option

The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871.
It lasted six hours, resulting in property loss to civilians who were forced to escape from their homes, and get to safer zones.

In the early hours, of Thursday, Iran began shelling mountainous areas of Erbils Sidekan district, Karwan Karim Khan, Sidekans district governor, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. He said that the intense artillery bombardment had forced many local residents to flee their homes in search of safety, adding that four villages located in Sidekan district were evacuated amid intense shelling. Fortunately, no one was killed. However, forest fires were spread across stretches of farms at the region.

According to Abdullah, The attack came two days after Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Ali Jafari visited the Kurdistan and Azerbaijan region. During his visit, Jafari inspected the special Revolutionary ground units deployed in the zone, which has been lately rumored of being further refurbished with heavy artillery.

A Kurdish shepherd living with his family of six in one of the bordering villages of Sidekan said, Iran kills us on a daily basis, destroys our lives, burns our farms, killing our sheep and cattle, while the international community stands idle.

Moreover, a reporter from a local Kurdish media outlet who was covering the incident was injured during the shelling.
Lusaka: Early results in Zambia`s presidential election Saturday showed opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema ahead of his rival President Edgar Lungu, in a tight race marred by political tensions.

Results released by the Zambia Electoral Commission from eight of 156 constituencies showed businessman Hichilema in the lead with 47,706 votes after Thursday`s election, against 41,572 for Lungu.

Hichilema who leads the United Party for National Development (UPND) had on Friday made allegations of fraud, following delays in releasing early results.

Zambia is known for its relative stability, but the election campaign was marked by weeks of clashes between the rival groups, with at least three people killed in the run-up to the vote.

However, there were no major disruptions on polling day.

Hichilema, a wealthy businessman who is making his fifth attempt to win the presidency, narrowly lost a snap election to Lungu last year by less than 28,000 votes.

Constitutional changes now require the winner to have more than 50 percent of the vote, and a re-run would be called if there is no clear majority.

A total of nine candidates contested the election.

Lungu`s short term in office has been marked by criticism for failing to revive an economy battered by a decline in copper prices, the country`s main export, and a poor performing currency.

The turnout at Thursday`s election was 57.55 percent, and voters also cast ballots in a constitutional referendum on amending the bill of rights.

The results were expected to trickle in throughout the day, in a vast country mainly made up of rural districts.
Havana: Thousands partied along Havana`s Malecon seafront into the early hours of Saturday, celebrating retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro turning 90 to the tune of Latin beats as an electric storm in the distance lit up the night sky.

On the strike of midnight, a live band played "Happy Birthday" in honor of the iconic leftist revolutionary on the "Anti-imperialist Tribune", a plaza located outside the newly-opened U.S. embassy, while fireworks exploded on the other side of the bay.

Colorful floats carrying dancers and salsa bands stretched for kilometers down the Malecon, as Havana`s annual carnival was combined this year with Fidel`s birthday concert.

"This is the best gift we can give him, this party," said dancer Leydis Campos, 25, decked in a skimpy limegreen outfit, her eyelids caked in glitter.

"To 90 years past, and to 90 more!"

Cuba has gone into overdrive this month honoring "El Comandante" who led its 1959 revolution and built a Communist-run state on the doorstep of the United States, surviving what it claims were hundreds of assassination attempts along the way.

Tributes have ranged from the conventional such as photo exhibits about his life, to the outlandish, with one cigar maker rolling the longest smoke in the world, measuring 90 meters, in Fidel`s honor.

While many Cubans criticize Castro for having restricted personal freedoms and imposed a Soviet-style command economy, others revere him for having freed Cuba from U.S. domination and provided universal access to healthcare and education.

"Fidel is the best thing that happened to our country," said Aldo Zamora, 40, selling candy-colored balloon animals.

Fidel handed over the reins of power in 2008 to his younger brother Raul due to an intestinal ailment that nearly killed him, although he retained the title "Historic Leader".

Since then, he has ventured into public rarely, looking increasingly frail and sporting comfortable tracksuits and trainers instead of his trademark olive green military fatigues.

He is not scheduled to appear in public for his festivities although he could meet with Cuba`s ally Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who arrived in Havana early on Saturday.

Some Cubans say they miss the charismatic leader who accompanied them for decades, holding forth on topics from nuclear energy to farming in famously long speeches, lending the revolution moral authority and him a sense of invincibility.

"His words gave us a sense of confidence," said Yadira Escudero, 25.

Yet, even those party-goers said they welcomed the changes that have taken place since a more pragmatic Raul took power, such as market-style reforms, detente with the United States and greater personal freedoms such as the right to travel.
Havana: Fidel Castro thanked Cubans for their tributes to mark his 90th birthday on Saturday in a meandering column carried by state-run media in which the iconic leftist revolutionary also lambasted old foe United States.

Cuba went into overdrive this month honoring the retired "El Comandante" who spearheaded its 1959 revolution and built a Communist-run state on the doorstep of the United States, surviving what it says were hundreds of assassination attempts along the way.

Thousands danced to Latin beats along Havana`s curving seafront Malecon boulevard throughout the night from Friday to Saturday. It was a giant street party in his honor, with a live band playing "Happy Birthday" on the stroke of midnight and fireworks exploding on the other side of the bay.

"I want to express my most profound gratitude for the shows of respect, the greetings and gifts I have received the days, which give me the strength to reciprocate through ideas," Castro wrote in the opinion piece.

Castro, who handed power to his younger brother Raul in 2008 due to poor health, went on to reminisce about his youth as a child on the family plantation in the eastern village of Biran, in particular about his father who died before the revolution.

"He suffered quite a bit," Castro wrote. "Of his three male children, the second and third were absent and distant, both fulfilling their duty in revolutionary activities."

Even back then, Fidel wrote, he knew Raul should replace him if anything should happen to him, in particular if the United States succeeded in its attempts to kill him.

"I almost laughed about the Machiavellian plans of the U.S. presidents," he wrote.

True to form, Castro went on to lambast Barack Obama, this time for the U.S. president`s speech in May when he visited Hiroshima, site of the world`s first atomic bombing at the end of World War Two.

"He lacked the words to ask for forgiveness for the killings of hundreds of thousands of people," Castro wrote.

In his last opinion piece, in March, the "Historic Leader" accused Obama of sweet-talking the Cuban people during his visit to the island - the first by a U.S. leader in 88 years - and of ignoring the accomplishments of Communist rule.

Many Cubans feel Fidel is no longer in step with the times. Raul`s most broadly feted accomplishment since taking power has been implementing a detente with the United States after a half century of frozen confrontation.

Considered more pragmatic, the younger Castro also introduced market-style reforms to invigorate the state-dominated economy and increased personal freedoms, such as the right to travel abroad. Fidel has lent these policies only lukewarm support in public.

Still, that didn`t stop tributes to Fidel flooding in on the occasion of his birthday, ranging from the conventional, such as photo exhibits about his life, to the outlandish, with one cigar maker rolling the longest smoke in the world, measuring 90 meters (295 feet), in Fidel`s honor.

Indeed, regardless of the present, many Cubans continue to revere Fidel for having freed Cuba from U.S. domination and introduced universal, free healthcare and education.

"Fidel is the best thing that happened to our country," said Aldo Zamora, 40, selling candy-colored balloon animals at the street party along the Malecon, as a tropical electric storm lit up the night sky.
Los Angeles: A police officer in the US state of New Mexico died after being shot by a passenger in a car he had pulled over, the latest deadly incident involving law enforcement in the country.

Three suspects were taken into custody yesterday after the 3:41 PM local time traffic stop in the town of Hatch.

Officials said the trio was allegedly responsible for shooting the officer and for shooting another man during a carjacking, triggering a massive manhunt and high-speed chase.

The condition of the hijacked car driver was unknown.

"During the traffic stop, a passenger who was in that vehicle reportedly exited the vehicle and she fired shots at the officer," Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson told reporters.

Another officer who witnessed the shooting then chased the vehicle, with speeds exceeding 160 kmph, but "was unable to catch up," Jameson said.

"The incident at the rest stop triggered a multiple-jurisdiction manhunt. We had assistance from just about every police agency in this county, including air assistance from border patrol."

Ultimately, officers deflated the hijacked vehicle's tires with devices known as "stop sticks," according to Jameson. The driver was suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh and was taken to hospital.

The two other suspects were arrested later in the evening.

Several police officers have been targeted and shot to death in recent weeks amid nationwide outcry about the deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police.

Last month, five officers were shot dead in Dallas, Texas by a black extremist as they were protecting a peaceful march against police brutality.
Islamabad: Afghan Taliban have released the crew members of a Pakistani helicopter which crash landed in Afghanistan last week, officials said on Saturday.

An MI-17 transport helicopter was on its way to Russia for maintenance when it crash landed on August 4 in a Taliban controlled area of Logar province. The rebels made the crew members as hostages.

An official said that local tribal elders were tasked to release the captives and after successful negotiation, the Taliban released the crew.

"All crew members were handed over to Pakistani in Kurram tribal region," an official said.

He refused to give further details.

Several private channels also reported that the crew was released and already in Pakistan.

There has been confusion about exact numbers of the captives, as initially Punjab government which owned the chopper said that six Pakistanis and one Russian were on board, while officials of the federal government said there were only six crew members.

Taliban did not formally confirm the capturing or release of the crew.
Dhaka: A Bangladeshi court today extended the remand of a British national by eight days and a Canadian citizen by six days for their alleged involvement in the Dhaka cafe attack last month that killed 22 people, including an Indian girl.

Hasnat Reza Karim, 47, who had been shown arrested this morning, has been placed on an eight-day remand in connection with the Gulshan terror attack case, Counter- Terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said.

A British national and former teacher of the North South University, Hasnat has witnessed the bloody carnage in the Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1, and was previously placed on an eight-day remand on August 4.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate also extended the remand of Tahmid Hasib, a 22-year-old student at the University of Toronto, by six days, Islam said.

However, Tahmid, a permanent resident of Canada, has not yet been shown arrested for the cafe attack in the heart of Dhaka's diplomatic enclave that killed 22 people, including foreigners and policemen.

The 11-hour standoff ended after commandos stormed into the cafe and killed the hostage-takers.

Tahmid and Hasnat were among the 32 hostages rescued by the commandos from the cafe.
Manila: The Philippines on Saturday restarted peace talks with the country`s largest Muslim rebel group, the first under President Rodrigo Duterte aimed at ending decades of violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Negotiators for the two sides said the weekend talks in Malaysia would discuss details of Duterte`s peace road map.

"They will discuss the road map to clarify certain issues. But let me warn everyone, it is not an easy task. It is very complicated," Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur without elaborating.

The 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has waged a bloody insurgency in the mainly Muslim southern Philippines since the 1970s but an accord signed in 2014 had raised hopes of a lasting peace.

Under the accord, the rebels would have only given up their arms after a law was passed creating an autonomous homeland in Mindanao and a regional government was elected.

The vote was meant to take place alongside the May 2016 general election.

However a bungled raid into MILF territory that killed 44 police commandos in 2015 helped derail the passage of the law and stalled the peace process with the rebels.

Dureza described the relaunching of the talks in Malaysia, the first formal sit-down between the two sides since Duterte took office, as a "big milestone for peace in Mindanao".

MILF chief Murad Ebrahim said he welcomed fellow Muslim rebel Nur Misuari, chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), to join the transition commission to establish the "Bangsamoro" autonomous region in the south.

"For the inclusion of brother Nur Misuari, the MILF welcomes him joining because we believe there has to be inclusivity in finding a solution to the problem in the Bangsamoro homeland. We need all the players to be onboard," he said.

While there were some people in the southern Philippines inspired by the Islamic State jihadists, Ebrahim said "if the peace process was successful, they (IS) will not garner the people`s support."

The Philippine Muslim separatists comprise three main groups -- the MNLF and breakaway factions the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group.

Armed Muslim groups have been fighting since the 1970s for an independent Islamic state or autonomous rule in the south, which they regard as their ancestral home, and the conflict has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

The conflict has condemned millions of people across Mindanao to brutal poverty and created fertile conditions for Islamic extremism, with the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and other hardline militants making remote areas their strongholds.
Lahore: Pakistani police have declared a known cleric as a 'suspect' in the murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch and is likely to arrest him, a media report said today.

"Mufti Abdul Qawi's name has been made part of the Qandeel murder case on the statement of her father," senior police officer Azhar Akram told Dawn newspaper.

"The cleric's suspected role in her murder cannot be ruled out," he said, adding police can arrest the cleric when sufficient evidence against him is available.

Qandeel was killed soon after her controversial pictures with Qawi appeared on her Facebook account. She had received death threats from Qawi's followers for allegedly disgracing him.

Qandeel was found dead in her house on July 16. Muhammad Waeem, her brother, confessed to have strangled her in a so-called 'honour killing'.

Waseem, who had earlier claimed that he was the lone killer, disclosed the name of his cousin Haq Nawaz as a co-suspect after the polygraph test.

Besides Waseem and Haq Nawaz who have been sent on judicial remand by the court, the police also got the remand of two other accused, Zafar Hussain, the cousin of Haq Nawaz, and Abdul Basit, a taxi driver.

Qawi is upset over his name being included in the suspect list saying when Qandeel's brother has confessed to her killing and also disclosed the name of the other suspects, police's insistence to drag him into the case is unfair.

"I have already replied to a police questionnaire and now again raising fingers at me is not justified," Qawi said.
Hua Hin: Thai authorities today hunted for culprits behind a wave of bombings targeting popular holiday destinations, as businesses braced for the economic fallout from the attacks on the crucial tourism industry.

The kingdom was on edge after 11 small bombs exploded across five southern provinces Thursday night and yesterday, killing four locals and wounding more than 30 people -- including foreign tourists.

The bombs, most of them detonated in twin blasts, struck key tourism hubs during a long weekend, including the seaside resort town of Hua Hin and the island of Phuket.

No one has claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack, but police have ruled out international terrorism and said the campaign was an act of "local sabotage".

"We are confident this was work of a network with a mastermind," said deputy police commissioner Ponsapat Pongcharoen, adding that no arrests had been made.

"It's still unclear what the motive is," he said, stressing it was not connected to a simmering insurgency in Thailand's south, as analysts have suggested.

If the Muslim rebels are to blame, it would mark a major expansion of a secessionist campaign that rarely targets foreigners.

It would also be a huge embarrassment to Thailand's coup-installed military government, which has made boosting national security a flagship policy of its regime.

In hardest-hit Hua Hin, a popular beach resort rocked by four bombs in 24 hours, locals said they were fearful the town's mainstay industry would suffer just ahead of peak tourist season.

"Hua Hin has never had a problem like this," Nai Amporn, the owner of a beachside restaurant, told AFP.

"I am afraid business will become slow -- even this morning, you can see there are fewer people here for breakfast. I think they have all gone home," he added.

Hua Hin, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Bangkok, is home to the favourite palace of revered but ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has spent most of the past few years hospitalised in Bangkok.

Famed for its idyllic islands and Buddhist temples, Thailand is a tourism powerhouse and was hoping for a record 32 million visitors this year.

The bombings will not affect the tourism industry's target revenue of 2.4 trillion baht (USD 69 billion) for 2016, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said Saturday.

"The confidence in tourism will return," she told reporters in Bangkok.
Guwahati: An Assam Police Battalion personnel was killed and another injured in an accidental firing at Karbi Anglong district in Assam on Saturday morning, police said.

Police said the firing took place at Rongbongway police station in Karbi Anglong, about 250 kms from Guwahati. An investigation was on to ascertain further leads.

"There was an accidental firing in the barrack of jawans inside Rongbongway police station. Two jawans were injured and one of them was declared brought dead by the doctors in a local hospital," a police official said.

"The other jawan is being shifted to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH)," he said.
Guwahati: Ahead of the Independence Day on Monday, powerful explosives have been recovered that were meant to attack the LGB International Airport here and other major areas of the city, police said on Saturday.

Two extremists on a motorcycle threw a box of explosives they were carrying and fled after seeing a joint police and CRPF checking point last night near the Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport, police officials said.

Upon checking the box, a powerful bomb and three grenades that were meant to target the airport and crowded areas of the capital city were found, they said.

Bomb disposal squad safely defused the explosives in the nearby Deepor beel (freshwater lake), they said.

Assam has witnessed intensified militant violence in the past week with the latest one on last night when ULFA-Independent militants shot dead two persons and injured six others in an indiscriminate firing at Philobari Bahbon village in upper Assam's Tinsukia district.

In the same area on Thursday, the militant outfit had exploded an improvised explosive devise (IED) in a drain on the Philobari bypass road near Badalbheta Tea Estate, no one was injured in the blast.

14 people were killed and over 20 were injured on August 5 by heavily-armed NDFB(S) insurgents at Balajan in Kokrajhar district.

Meanwhile, security measures have been tightened in the state to prevent recurrence of such violent incidents with the police and para-military forces intensifying security measures for the safety of people, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said in the Assembly today.

The state government has decided to give Rs 5 lakh compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured, Patowary added.
Raipur: Two security personnel were injured on Saturday when Naxals attacked them in Chhattisgarh's insurgency- hit Narayanpur district, officials said.

"The Naxals carried out an attack near the 9th battalion of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) at Kurrajohar village in Narayanpur district in which two assistant platoon commanders, Vinod Mishra and Narayan Kushawaha, sustained injuries," Chhattisgarh's Special DG for Naxal Operations D M Awasthi told PTI.

"There is a CAF camp in that area. The two assistant platoon commanders had gone to a walk in the vicinity without carrying their weapons when the Naxals attacked them," the officer said.

According to Awasthi, extra forces have been rushed to the spot and the injured will be airlifted to Raipur for providing better treatment.

"We have launched a manhunt to trace the ultras involved in the attack," he added.
New Delhi: Scores of Jamia Millia Islamia students Saturday staged a protest alleging that "surprise checks" were made by Delhi Police in their hostels.

While the students dubbed them as "raids", police officials maintained that they were part of routine checks being conducted in that area ahead of Independence Day.

"This is a breach of students' constitutional rights. What is the fear of security from students that they are conducting raids in hostels," a protesting student said.

The students gheraoed the Chief Proctor Mehtab Alam's office and shouted slogans against him for allegedly allowing police on campus.

Jamia officials maintained that the police authorities visited the campus for routine verification.
The Seventh Ordinary Meeting of the Inter-state Council of Ministers (ICM) of the Central Corridor Transit Transportation Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA) has concluded its meeting in Dar es Salaam. The ICM is composed of Ministers of Transport from Partner States (Tanzania, Uganda, Congo DR, Rwanda and Burundi), meets once a year while the Board of Directors (Executive Board) is composed of Permanent Secretaries from the Ministries of Transport and one Private Sector representative from all partner States. The Meeting was opened, chaired and closed by Hon. Prof Makame Mbarawa, the Minister of Works, Transport and Communications (Tanzania) at Kunduchi Beach Resort Hotel.

The New CCTTFA Chief Operations Officer Mr Sayiba Tambwe Patient (right) being Congratulated by the Executive Secretary Capt. Dieudone Dukundane after being appointed by the ICM.





The meeting was also attended by Hon. Eng. Jean Bosco Ntuzwenimana, the Minister of Transport, Public works & Equipment (Burundi), Hon. Justin Kalumba Mwana-Ngongo, Minister of Transport and Ways of Communication (Congo DRC), Hon. Bagiire Aggrey Henry, Minister of State for Transport and Works (Uganda). Hon. Minister of Infrastructure of Republic of Rwanda was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Christian Rwakunda.





According to the Joint Communique released and read by Capt. Dieudone Dukundane, CCTTFA Executive Secretary, at the end of the meeting, the Council of Ministers approved various resolutions of the CCTTFA Executive Board of Directors. The Council appointed Mr Sayiba Tambwe Patient as the Chief Operating Officer of the CCTTFA, a new position, effective from September 2016.

Tanzanian Minister of Works, Transport and Communications who is also a Chairman of ICM Prof. Makame Mbarawa briefing Journalists. On his right hand side are Burundi Minister for Transport, Public Works and Equipments Hon Justine Kalumba Mwana-Ngongo and Executive Secretary of CCTTFA Capt. Dieudonne Dukundane.





The Ministers resolved to commit themselves to follow up on the CCTTFA Executive Board recommendations to address key issues requiring policy and regulatory decisions such as Visa requirements, harmonization of Road User Charges, Transit Transport Facilitation, Tanzania Port Authority in Kigali, DRC and in Bujumbura, amongst others.





The Council commended efforts undertaken by member states to spearhead transport infrastructure and services along the Central Corridor, including Standard Gauge Railway project connecting the United Republic of Tanzania with all CC member states. It directed CCTTFA to fast track and finalize consultations with all CC Countries on matter to be transacted during the next Presidential Round table.
New Delhi: In his first public comments after his 10-day meditation break, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday reiterated his demand for full statehood for Delhi.

Addressing a meeting to mark the unveiling of a statue of Delhi`s first Chief Minister, Chaudhry Brahm Prakash, Kejriwal also made an oblique criticism of a Delhi High Court ruling that has given Lt Governor Najeeb Jung primacy in the affairs of the administration in the capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader quoted the late Brahm Prakash`s son as saying that his father too fought doggedly to secure statehood for Delhi.

"We are also fighting for statehood," Kejriwal said. "We are also fighting for the rights of the people."

The Chief Minister said the decision to make the Lt Governor the supremo in Delhi was an insult to the people of Delhi and the choice they made in the February 2015 assembly elections.

"Why should it be that the value of a vote in Haryana is more than in Delhi? This is an insult to the people of Delhi.

"We too are a part of this country. But our vote has no value," he said.
Alpes-Maritimes: A second resort on France`s Riviera coast, Villeneuve-Loubet, announced on Saturday a ban against burkinis after Cannes banished the full-body swimsuit from its beaches.

The town`s mayor told AFP that he made the decision to bar the burkini worn by some Muslim women because of sanitary reasons.

"I was informed that there was a couple on one of our beaches where the wife was swimming fully dressed," Lionnel Luca said.

"I considered that unacceptable for hygienic reasons and that in general it was unwelcome."

The mayor of Cannes, famous for its annual film festival, said he had signed off on the burkini ban out of "respect for good customs and secularism", a founding principle of the French republic.

But prohibiting the burkini has caused an uproar with anti-racism organisations and human rights groups vowing to go to court to seek to overturn the "deeply worrying" ban.

In the city of Marseille this week, a waterpark cancelled plans to host a private event for women wearing burkinis after the idea sparked an uproar.

The issue comes at a highly sensitive time for relations with Muslims in France after two attacks last month linked to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.

Mayor Luca referred to the attacks in disputing charges that the burkini ban was discriminatory, saying it was intended "to avoid any disturbance to public order in the region which was hit by attacks".

On July 14 the nearby Riviera city of Nice was the target of an attack claimed by IS which killed 85 people, when an Algerian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day.

And on July 26, a priest was killed in his church in northwestern France by two attackers who had proclaimed their allegiance to IS.

Islamic dress is a hot-button issue in France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places. But there is no ban on wearing religious symbols or clothing.
Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited executives from some of Germany`s biggest listed companies to attend a summit next month where she will urge them to hire more refugees, the newspaper Bild reported on Saturday.

More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market, which would reduce their dependence on the state and compensate for labour shortages as the workforce ages.

Merkel will push reluctant German companies to offer more traineeships and position to refugees, Bild reported. Large companies have been criticized for doing little to help integrate the refugees into the thriving job market.

Companies say most of the new arrivals lack the German language skills and the education required for a job.

Engineering giant Siemens, chemicals group Evonik, carmakers Opel and VW and utility RWE will share with Merkel the results of pilot projects with refugees, Bild said.

Merkel`s office declined to confirm Bild`s report, which said the meeting at the chancellery will take place Sept. 14.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported a month ago that the 30 biggest DAX-listed companies had until June employed only 54 refugees, including 50 who were hired by logistics provider Deutsche Post.

Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel last month urged large companies to do more for refugees, saying their efforts pale in comparison to the Mittelstand, the small and medium-size companies considered the backbone of Europe`s biggest economy.

More than 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, mostly refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Stockholm: Sweden`s youngest ever cabinet minister, who came to the country as a refugee from Bosnia, announced her resignation on Saturday after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

Aida Hadzialic, 29, minister for secondary and adult education, revealed that she had been stopped by police in the southern city of Malmo and tests showed she had an alcohol level of 0.2 grammes per litre of blood -- just the level considered an offence in Sweden.

"That was the biggest mistake of my life... I will take responsibility. I announce my intention to resign from my ministerial post," an emotional Hadzialic told a press conference at government headquarters in Stockholm.

"I understand that a lot of people are disappointed in me. And I am angry with myself, and certainly I deeply regret it," added the young politician seen as the future of the Social Democrat party.

Hadzialic was born in Bosnia and immigrated to Sweden at the age of five, in 1992, with her parents fleeing the war in the Balkans.

She became involved in the Social Democrats youth movement in high school and went on to be elected a municipal councillor at age 23.

Then in 2014 at 27 she became the youngest ever government minister in Sweden`s history.

She is not the only politician to have to drop out since Sweden`s political left returned to power two years ago.

Deputy premier and environment minister Asa Romson from the Green party resigned in May after a series of gaffes, the last being to describe the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States as "the accidents of September 11".

Housing minister Mehmet Kaplan, of Turkish origin, had to step down in April after comparing Israelis to the Nazis, and Mona Sahlin, the national coordinator for protecting democracy against violent extremism, was forced to resign in May after media revealed that she had made false income declarations for her bodyguard to help him obtain bank loans.
The great 'Sepoy Mutiny' of 1857 first sprouted the dream of Independence among the common masses of India, which witnessed a fierce movement for freedom from the ''British Raj'' during the span of 90 years. Many historical and unforgettable incidents took place during this period which are still remembered by the Indian people. Here is the list of some important places which played a pivotal role in the freedom movement and without which the story of India's Independence Movement is incomplete.

Barrackpore

The famous armed rebellion of 1857 started from Barrackpore when Sepoy Mangal Pandey refused to follow the orders of his British commanders. Mangal Pandey was angered by the recent changes in British Army and especially by the introduction of paper cartridges that were used in 1953 Enfield Rifles. To load the rifle, the soldiers had to bite the cartridge and it was rumoured that the grease used on these cartridges were derived from beef, which was offensive to Hindus. When British Lt. Henry Baugh came to see the unrest, Pandey opened fire on him. In order to quell the rebellion, the British regiment officers ordered a manhunt for Mangal Pandey. However, the entire quarter guard and the sepoys refused to follow the order. Mangal Pandey was later caught, court-martialed and hanged on April 8, 1857. Barrackpore is also the oldest cantonment in India.

Jhansi

The city of Jhansi, also known as the City of Rani Lakshmi Bai, served as another place where the spark of ''Sepoy Mutiny'' reached and later turned into a war. Britishers had annexed the princely state of Jhansi under the policy of 'Doctrine of Lapse' thereby refusing to accept the adopted son of Rani as heir to the throne. When the war broke out, Jhansi became the center of the rebellion in central India. Rani Lakshmi Bai successfully saved the kingdom from the armies of the neighboring Rajas of Datia and Orchha who were loyal to British. She was defeated by the Company forces under the command of Sir Hugh Rose. Afterwards Rani with the help of Marathas captured the city of Gwalior. She died during the Battle of Gwalior (June 17, 1858). Many British commanders compared her with Joan of Arc for her fearless fight for kingdom.

Bombay

Bombay was an important place during the Independence movement. Congress (now Indian National Congress) was founded in Bombay by Allan Octavian Hume. The first session of Congress took place in Bombay from December 28-31, 1885 and it was attended by 72 delegates. Womesh Chandra Banerjee presided over the first session of Congress. During its initial days, its main aim was obtaining a greater share in government for educated Indians and to create a platform for civic and political dialogue of educated Indians with the British Raj.

Calcutta

Calcutta, also known as the cultural capital of India, remained the center of Indian Nationalism throughout the Independence struggle. Indian National Association was the first nationalist organization that was founded in Kolkata by Surendranath Banerjee (Teacher of the Nation) and Anandamohan Bose. Many famous poets, writers, social reformers and nationalist were directly or indirectly associated with Calcutta. These great men, through their writings, speeches and work, strengthened the movement for India's freedom. It was the fear of growing 'nationalism' in Calcutta that Britishers had to shift the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. Important personalities from Calcutta during freedom struggle include - Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Aurobindo Ghose, Rash Behari Bose, Khudiram Bose, Subhas Chandra Bose and many more.

Champaran

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's transformation into Mahatma Gandhi began from the Champaran Satyagraha, which was his first successful mass movement. Britishers at that time had forced Indian farmers to cultivate Indigo, which was used for dying cloths and not the food crops that was necessary for their survival. Cultivation of Indigo further worsened the condition of several poor farmers, many of whom later died of starvation. Raj Kumar Shukla, a money lander, persuaded Gandhi ji to visit Champaran and see the plight of poor farmers. Initially, British crown asked Gandhi to leave Champaran but he refused to do so and he was supported by prominent leaders. Finally, Champaran Agrarian Law was passed and the Britishers had to lift the ban. Champaran Satyagraha was the first successful Satyagraha on Indian soil.

Jallianwala Bagh

Jallianwala Bagh is known for Jallianwala Bagh Massacre that took place on April 13, 1919. British Army Commander Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to fire on crowd of Baishakhi Pilgrims and non-violent protesters, protesting against the arrest of two leaders, Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew. General Dayer arrived at the Jallianwala Bagh with sixty-five Gurkha and twenty-five Balochi and Pathan soldiers. Though he had also brought two Machine Gun armored cars but due to narrow entrance they were left outside. The Bagh had high walls and the main entrance was relatively wide but Dyer had guarded the wall with his troops. Dyer, without warning the crowd to disperse, ordered his troops to fire. Firing continued for nearly 10 minutes and it was stopped when ammunition supplies were exhausted. Approximately 1650 round were fired on innocent crowd leading to 379 deaths and 1200 wounded (British Government data). Other sources including Indian National Congress estimated the death count to be 1000 and more. The Jallianwala Bagh incident is regarded as a turning point in the freedom movement. Udham Singh, an Indian revolutionary, later assassinated Michael ODwyer in 1940 who had backed Reginald Dyer firing on innocent crowd.

Chauri Chaura

Chauri Chaura is a small town in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is famous for the Chauri Chaura Incident, in which the police first killed several peaceful demonstrators and, later an angry mob set an entire police station on fire thereby killing 22 policemen. Mahatma Gandhi, after Jallianwala Bagh incident, had called for a nationwide Non-Cooperation Movement. Its aim was to resist British Rule in India through non-violence and Satyagraha. However, after Chauri Chaura incident, Gandhi called off the movement because he thought that the movement had lost its non-violent nature. Gandhi was criticised for calling off the movement and many leaders who backed Gandhi now lost faith in him.

Kakori

Kakori is a small town situated in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh. This place is famous for Kakori Conspiracy that took place on August 9, 1925. Indian revolutionaries required money to carry out their activities and to win people's support for Hindustan Republican Association. They looted the train carrying money-bags belonging to the British Government Treasury. They looted some 8,000 INR but accidently killed one passenger making it a murder case. This incident shook the British Government as it was first case in the history when British property was looted. A massive manhunt was ordered and over a period of time nearly 40 revolutionaries were arrested. After the trial, which went on for nearly 2 years, main accused Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and Ashfaqullah Khan were sentenced to death. Remaining conspirators were given life sentences for varying durations.

Lahore

City of Lahore was one of the important centers of Independence movement. Though after the Independence it became part of Pakistan, several important decisions, events and activities had taken place here in the pre-Independence era. The 1929 session of Congress was held in Lahore and it was for the first time that ''Declaration of the Independence of India'' was passed on 31st December, 1929. During the Lahore session, the Tricolour was adopted as the national flag and January 26 was selected as Independence Day of India. Lahore also hosted many important sessions of Muslim League and the ''Two-Nation Theory'' by Md Ali Jinnah was also proposed in Lahore. Sardar Bhagat Singh, one of the most famous martyrs in the history of India's Independence, was hanged here.

Dandi

Dandi is a village in Navsari district of Gujrat. It is famous for 'Dandi March', also known as 'Salt Satyagraha' started by Mahatma Gandhi. Due to increased tax on Indians, Gandhi started 'Satyagraha' to revolt against British. He used salt as a medium and said next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life. Gandhi started 'Salt Satyagraha' on March 12, 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and after a 24-day journey, covering 390-kms, he reached Dandi to produce salt without paying tax. Dandi March was one of the biggest movement that started after Non-Cooperation Movement and a large number of Indians joined participated in it. Dandi March had significant impact on changing the attitude of British and rest of the world towards Indian Independence movement.
New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an all-party meet on Kashmir that the time has come for Pakistan to answer the world on atrocities against the people in Balochistan and PoK, activists from the Pakistani region on Saturday came out to thank the Indian government.

Several Baloch activists today reacted to the Indian prime minister's remarks and said the people are suffering in Balochistan.

We the people of Balochistan, Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) thank you (PM Modi) for your support, Baloch activist Naila Qadri Baloch was quoted as saying by ANI news agency.

We, the people of Balochistan, are suffering. We hope that you (PM Modi) raise this issue in the United Nations General Assembly session in September, she added.

Another activist Hammal Haider Baloch said it was the first time that any Indian prime minister has openly spoken for the people of Balochistan.

We welcome PM Narendra Modi's statement to support freedom movement of Balochistan. This is the first time ever that an Indian PM has expressed his wish to support the Baloch people. It is a very crucial decision, Hammal Haider said.

Baloch people share common interests with India, we are secular and believe in democratic principles, he said further.

Hammal Haider accused the Pakistani government of killing Baloch people.

Pakistan has never complied with international rules, they're killing Baloch people. It is time for the world to come forward and support us, he said.

Pakistan is butchering Sindhi political activists and supporting religious groups which are a threat to the world, he added.

While calling for exposing Pakistan on the issue of Balochistan, PM Modi had also reiterated yesterday that PoK is a part of Jammu and Kashmir.

Today, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said, It is our moral and national responsibility to stand by our brothers in PoK and also in Gilgit-Baltistan.

At the same time, to draw attention of the world to the kind of human rights violation that is taking place in that region, he added.
Islamabad: The minorities in Pakistan continue live in a state of fear and there have been several instances of teenage girls from Hindu families being kidnapped, forced to marry Muslim men and embrace Islam against their wishes in the recent past.

Human rights activists and Hindu groups in Pakistan have condemned the growing incidents of kidnapping of Hindu girls and their forced conversion to Islam.

Hundreds of activists assembled at Lahore's Faisal Square, in Karachi and Islamabad recently to protest against Mian Abdul Haq or Mitthu Mian - a politician and Muslim cleric, who is reportedly behind the alleged conversions.

Besides several Pakistani cities, protests were held in Toronto, New York and Houston against Haq, who has now become a symbol of terror among Hindu families.

He's a symbol of forced conversions  and Hindus from that area, they cannot even dare to utter a single word against him," said activist Kapil Dev, who used social media to initiate the push to demonstrate.

Mian Mithu belongs to an influential family in Pakistan's Sindh province, which is home to most Hindus who live in Pakistan.

The country's Hindu community has long alleged that he provides protection to those who kidnap Hindu girls, often under age 18, and forcefully converts them to Islam before he marries them off to their kidnappers.

These protests have come in the wake of several reports of attacks on Hindus in Karachi over past weeks. In one case a Hindu boy was murdered and a doctor was shot on August 6.

Mithu was also targeted in a case several years ago when the family of a Hindu girl, Rinkle Kumari, filed a petition in court alleging he supported her abduction.

The court decided, after hearing Kumari's statement, to send her with her husband, but her family alleged that Mithu used strong-arm tactics and political influence during the legal process to influence the outcome.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a Member of National Assembly of Pakistan (PML-Nawaj) and the President of the Pakistani Hindu Council, was quoted as saying, "Forced conversion, particularly of Hindu girls to Islam, is one of the biggest problems and is one of the reasons for Hindus leaving Pakistan."

Hindus are demanding a change in the law and a mechanism for conversion that could help determine free will, he added.
New Delhi: In a bid to lodge a protest against the crackdown by the Pakistani Army, people in the Gilgit-Baltistan area, a part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, took to the street on Saturday morning.

According to news agency ANI, protesters said 500 young men have been imprisoned for asking the Pakistani Army to leave Gilgits soil.

Raising 'anti-Pakistan' slogans, angry protesters came out in Gilgit town, Astore, Diamer and Hunza of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, which is the only Shia-dominated area in Sunni-dominated Pakistan.

The political crackdown and arrests in Gilgit were made against people protesting against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which protesters said would only benefit China and Pakistan's Punjabi traders.

The youth of Gilgit are not being involved in any manner with the CPEC and those who are protesting are being harshly dealt with, said the protesters.

Over 500 young Gilgitis have been jailed, including Gilgit's top political activist Baba Jan, which saw increasing mass street-based movement for his release.

Protesters alleged that Pakistan is perpetrating massive human rights abuses to crush the political aspirations of the people of Gilgit.

WATCH: Protest in Pak occupied Gilgit Baltistan against Pakistan and demanding release of activist Baba Janhttps://t.co/KuIFEVDZsS  ANI (@ANI_news) August 13, 2016

The Pakistan government has signed a multi-billion dollar deal on a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passing through Gilgit, which activists and separatists in the region see as a design by the two neighbours to exploit the resources in the occupied territory. The corridor is said to be part of China's ambitious proposed 21st century Silk Road (also called the Belt and Road) initiative to reach out to Central Asia.

The Chinese government is said to have made huge investments in the vast but sparsely populated Gilgit-Baltistan area, bisected by the Karakoram highway, which leads from the plains of north Pakistan to China.

The protests came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi minced no words in terming cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan as the root cause of turbulence in the Kashmir Valley and said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Gilgit-Baltistan is part of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, divided between India and Pakistan after the 1948 war. Pakistan has separated Gilgit-Baltistan from the areas occupied by it in Kashmir and designated it as a separate administrative territory.

The landlocked region borders the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan to the northwest, China's Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the northeast, Indian Kashmir to the south and southeast, and Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province to the west.

Traditionally, Pakistan maintains that Kashmir is a disputed region and its status should be decided through a plebiscite under the UN resolution of 1948-49.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: A day after concluding his day-long visit to Goa, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will on Saturday call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two leaders are expected to discuss issues of mutual interests.

He will also hold bilateral consultations with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Wang`s visit to India is part of the regular high-level dialogue between the two countries.

Both the foreign ministers have been meeting regularly on the margins of multilateral meetings.

During their meeting, the two sides will discuss various issues of mutual interests including the upcoming multilateral meetings including G-20 Summit being held in China and BRICS Summit being held in India.

Wang had visited Goa on Friday to review logistical and security arrangements in the state which is hosting the upcoming BRICS summit which Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.

Wang, during his brief interaction with reporters at the Secretariat yesterday, had asked India to decide its position vis-a-vis the South China sea row.

Asked to comment on whether China was seeking support from India on the South China Sea, Wang said: "It is up to India to decide what position to take."

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Back in December 2015, well before politics over bovines took centrestage in India, the late Rohith Vemula, the Dalit scholar from University of Hyderabad, wanted cow vigilantes to be declared terrorists and sent to rehabilitation, according to his online diary published by Juggernaut Books.

In the book "#CasteIsNotARumour: The Online Diary of Rohith Vemula", collated and edited by journalist Nikhila Henry, Vemula, comes down heavily on cow and caste politics in the country.

If any organised movement has claimed lives like these Gau-dals, those organisations would have been declared terrorist sects by now," says a Facebook post on December 12, 2015.

Vemula, the face of the ongoing Dalit agitation across the country, committed suicide on January 17, 2016 following his expulsion from the hostel and public spaces on university campus.

The book, a compilation of his Facebook posts from 2008 to 2016, serves as a critique on Indian politics.

People who believe that cows are their mothers and kill people who eat beef should immediately be declared a national threat and must be sent to rehabilitation asylums, he wrote.

The book gives a glimpse of the political ideology, wit and the romantic side of the 26-year old scholar, who found beauty in female company, loved campus explorations and hummed the "Jungle Book" theme song.

Pulling no punches against the left, right and the centre, Vemula's dark humour could take on the mightiest, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, On the lines of Mussolini, the Indian loony is living up to his expectations, he wrote on May 26, 2015.

With his sarcastic comments on Independence Day, the student leader paints the sorry state of an unequal India.

Even after 67 years of Independence there are class differences and caste discrimination but we should Love our Nation'. If you are a Muslim, it is better to not get into an argument with a Hindu and if you are a Dalit, never look at any Savarna personh eye-to-eye. All this might trigger massive communal violence. Independence Day Greetings!'. You should love your country and your love for the country is gauged with your hatred for other countries. Just curse a fellow Pakistani and you will be regarded as nationalist, reads his post on August 15, 2013.

From nationalism, patriotism, and marxism to feminism, Vemula voiced his fearless opinion on every issue on his Facebook wall. A staunch critic of the right wing poltics, he tore apart its cultural chauvinism and the politics of hatred.

Today, Saffron blankets are spread over our conscience and we are doomed to believe that light is impossible. But the truth will come out like a shining RED sun in the BLUE sky and on that day, at that moment, the saffron darkness will have to die, he wrote.

From Modi to then HRD Minister Smriti Irani and Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechuri, Vemula criticised everyone from US presidential nominee Donald Trump to former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Vemula was also vehement in his criticism of the 'impassivity' of the Indian Left parties and he questions their faiure to adress the caste reality of the country.

The Left severed ties with the masses long ago and had no voice in movements for social change because it had ignored the Dalit conscience for decades, Vemula argued. It had become the other side of the Hindu nationalist coin. He questioned the CPI-M caste Hindu leaders of ignoring Dalit communists. Vemula fumed at the fact that the Indian Left, though it was questioned repeatedly by Ambedkar, never acknowledged caste as an important social question", says the book.

A few of Vemula's posts in a section titled "Caste is not a rumour", shows that how he believed that only a debate on the manifestation of caste in modern times will lead to its annihilation.

On Asura festival: Because the Asura group is my family, reads a post on October 1, 2013. Another post on December 5 says: Black Panthers is a guiding inspiration for Dalit Panthers movement of oppressed classes in Maharashtra. Ideas can't be killed.

Other sections of the book, like Of love, romance and the self", "The romantic", "Broken and buried" and "Musings of life" reveal the romantic in Vemula, who loved life, beer, music and cigarates with equal passion.

For example, "We are made of Stardust and Dewdrops. We are amazing, even without worldly accomplishments. Because we are not ordinary." Here was a young man who saw tomorrow, but tomorrow never saw him....
The Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group, HE Dr Jakaya Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania (pictured above) says that the voting, closing and counting process following the Zambian General Elections and Referendum has been credible and transparent. However, the Group will reserve full judgement of the overall process until it publishes its final report in the coming months.

I commend the people of the Republic of Zambia for the peaceful and orderly manner in which they exercised their right to vote, he said to a packed press conference in Lusaka.

On Election Day, our Observers reported that most voting stations opened on time with few exceptions. They were struck by the long queues in some polling stations but found that voting generally took place in an atmosphere of calm.

Seventeen Commonwealth Observers were deployed to all ten provinces of Zambia. They fed back their observations over the pre-election period and Election Day. After the elections they remained in their areas to assess the post-election atmosphere.

Over six and half million people are eligible to vote in Zambia and turn out is expected to be high. Women are active participators in the election process and Observers were pleased to see an equal number of men and women voters taking part not just as voters, but also as polling officers and other staff involved in the election process.

We urge all political parties and candidates to respect the will of the people of Zambia, the Chair reiterated. This is the Zambian Constitutional way. It is also the Commonwealth way.

The Commonwealth Observer Group, composed of seventeen persons drawn from across the Commonwealth, was appointed by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland QC. Their mandate is to observe the preparations for the election, the polling, counting and the results processes, and the overall electoral environment.

The observers are tasked with assessing whether the elections were conducted according to the standards to which Zambia has committed, including domestic law and relevant regional, Commonwealth and other international standards. The observers are bound by the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.

The Commonwealth Observer Group arrived in Uganda on 4 August and was deployed to all ten provinces of Zambia. The final report will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the Government of the Republic of Zambia, Electoral Commission of Zambia, political parties, and all Commonwealth governments. It will shortly thereafter be made public.



To read full Interim Statement CLICK HERE




New Delhi: Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was told on Saturday that his government should revisit its technical hold on listing of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad terror group chief Maulana Masood Azhar in United Nations' banned list.

Government sources said Chinas technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in UNSC 1267 Committee was taken up when Wang Yi called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here today.

During the meeting with Sushma Swaraj, the Chinese foreign minister was urged to revisit his country's technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism.

The issue of India's membership bid for the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which was blocked by China, was also raised during the meeting, sources were quoted as saying by ANI news agency.

Sushma Swaraj told his Chinese counterpart that New Delhi was ready to discuss any technical issues which Beijing may have with regard to India's NSG membership bid.

India also conveyed its concerns to the Chinese minister on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which is currently under development and passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Situation on the border was also reviewed and further steps discussed to strengthen peace and tranquility.

Interestingly, the Chinese foreign minister did not bring up the controversial issue of South China Sea, on which Beijing had recently faced a setback when a UN-affiliated tribunal ruled against its ownership claims.

Wang Yi had on Friday said that it was for India to decide whether it wants to support China on the South China Sea dispute.

"It is up to India what position it has to take," the minister said in Goa when asked whether his visit was aimed at seeking India's support on the issue.

Earlier, Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper had said in an editorial on Tuesday, India may want to avoid unnecessary entanglement with China over the South China Sea debate during Wang's visit if the country wishes to create a good atmosphere for economic cooperation, which would include reducing tariffs on made-in-India products exported to China amid the ongoing free trade talk known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership."
Jammu: Union Minister in the Prime Ministers Office Jitendra Singh on Saturday pledged to launch a movement to liberate the people of PoK from Pakistan's illegally occupation .

One more battle for freedom is pending and it is that we have to get the people of PoK liberated from illegal occupation of Pakistan so that they are reunited with India, the Indian Express quoted him as saying.

He made the remarks while embarking on his Tiranga Yatra near the border town of Kathua in Jammu.

From today, we have to launch a formal and consistent movement campaign for getting freedom to the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, he reportedly said.

In a recent message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for taking out Tiranga yatras across the country from August 13 to felicitate freedom fighters and rededicate themselves to nation.

I feel that Tiranga yatra in the real sense will culminate only when tricolour gets unfurled at Muzaffrabad, Kotli and other areas of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Singh was quoted as saying.

He said that PM Modi's government will do everything to achieve it.

He criticised Pakistan for committing worst human rights violations in PoK, Gilgit and Balochistan.

The world knows that Pakistan bombards its own people and even murder its own intellectuals to suppress their voice, he added.
New Delhi: A day after concluding his day-long visit to Goa, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj in the national capital today.

"A morning for neighbourly engagement. Chinese FM Wang Yi calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi," External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup posted on Twitter.

The two leaders discussed issues of mutual interests.

Mr. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China calls on PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/FZY0f2KUqg  PIB India (@PIB_India) August 13, 2016

Yi also held bilateral consultations with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj later in the afternoon today.

Wang's visit to India is part of the regular high-level dialogue between the two countries.

Both the foreign ministers have been meeting regularly on the margins of multilateral meetings.

During their meeting, the two sides discussed various issues of mutual interests including the upcoming multilateral meetings including G-20 Summit being held in China and BRICS Summit being held in India.

Wang had visited Goa on Friday to review logistical and security arrangements in the state which is hosting the upcoming BRICS summit which Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.
New Delhi: Virtually turning down Pakistan's proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K, India on Saturday made it clear that it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues in Indo-Pak relations and at this time it included stoppage of Pak-supported cross-border terrorism.

"India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations. At this time they include a stoppage of Pakistani support for cross-border terrorism, infiltration of terrorists like Bahadur Ali.

"Incitement to violence and terrorism across the border, parading of internationally recognised terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, and sincere follow up on the Mumbai attack trial and the Pathankot attack investigation in Pakistan," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He was replying to a question on a statement by Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at a press briefing yesterday that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on Jammu & Kashmir for which the Pakistan Foreign Secretary would be writing to his Indian counterpart.

"Our Foreign Secretary would formally be writing to his counterpart in this regard," Aziz had said as he briefed the media about the Pakistan's Envoys Conference held on August 1 -3 to deliberate on major foreign policy challenges of Pakistan and make recommendations.

At a separate event, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, "Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard", in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

"Threat of terrorism dominates global concerns today. It is an issue which has confronted Indian diplomacy for many years because of its cross border manifestation.

"Unlike in the past we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsor and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard. At the international level we are also putting the spotlight on early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism," she said.
Srinagar: Amid curfew, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, 'Chhari Mubarak', today joined the annual Amarnath yatra, marking the concluding phase of the 48-day pilgrimage to 3,880 metre cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

Amid chanting of Vedic hymns, a group of sadhus and devotees led by its custodian, Mahant Deepindra Giri, left with the saffron robed-mace from its abode at Amareshwar Temple Dashnami Akhara near Lal Chowk this morning for Pahalgam base camp along the traditional 42-km route to the holy cave, officials said.

On way to Pahalgam, they said it was taken to various temples, including historic Martand Temple at Mattan, and prayers were offered.

The officials said special prayers were also offered at Sureshwar Temple in Srinagar, Shiv Temple at Pampore in Pulwama, Shiv Temple at Bijbehara, Ganesh Temple across river Lidder, Ganeshbal and Gouri Shankar temple in Anantnag district.

The Chhari Mubarak will reach the cave on August 18 on the occasion of 'Raksha Bandhan' which officially marks the culmination of the annual yatra.

The yatra began on July 2 fom the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and the shorter 12-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. So far over 2.19 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the cave shrine.

Early this month, the Chhari Mubarak was taken to various temples, including Shankaracharya and Sharika Bhawani in the city, and special prayers were offered in accordance with the tradition.

'Chhari-Sthapana' and 'Dhwajarohan' ceremonies were also performed at Dashnami Akhara on August 5 followed by traditional Chhari-Pujan on August 7.

After a night halt at Pahalgam, special prayers would be offered at Pahalgam tomorrow before the start of the onward foot journey to the cave shrine the same day.

After leaving Pahalgam, the officials said the Chhari Mubarak will be taken to Chandanwari for the second night halt on 'Dwadashi'.

It will be taken to Sheshnag on 'Tryodashi' (August 16) and would leave for Panchtarani on 'Chaturdashi' (August 17). On August 18, the Chhari Mubarak would proceed to holy cave for prayers from Panchatarani on the occasion of 'Raksha Bandhan' and 'Sharavan Purnima'.

Traditional rituals would be performed for the whole day at the cave and the holy mace would leave for night halt at Panchtarani before dusk.

On August 19, the holy mace would be taken to Pahalgam for night halt, he said adding 'Pujan' and 'Visarjan' ceremonies would be performed on the banks of river Lidder next day followed by traditional 'Kari Pakouri Bhandara', which is the last ritual in connection with the religious pilgrimage.

The holy mace would return to its abode at Amareshwar temple in Srinagar on August 20, the officials said.

Kashmir Valley is on the boil since July 9, a day after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and so far 56 persons were killed in widespread clashes between protesters and the law enforcing agencies.

Separatists, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation, had called for a "referendum march" to Lal Chowk today.

The ongoing unrest has badly affected the arrival of the pilgrims from different parts of the country as only over 19,000 pilgrims could perform the yatra during the past 16 days.

Last year, a total of 3.52 lakh pilgrims had visited the cave shrine for 'darshan' of the naturally formed ice- shivlingam.
Srinagar: Unrelenting curfew by the authorities and protest shutdown called by the separatists crippled Kashmir Valley for the 36th consecutive day on Saturday.

Authorities continued curfew and restrictions at ten district headquarters in the valley in addition to the trouble torn towns of Sopore, Handwara, Trehgam, Awantipora and some others, a senior police official said here.

Restrictions were imposed in old Srinagar city falling under the jurisdiction of seven police stations.

An injured youth, identified as Suhail Ahmad, succumbed to injuries in a hospital overnight, taking the death toll to 57 since violence gripped the valley on July 9.

The youth was injured when a mob attacked the vehicle of an additional district magistrate at Lethpora in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway last week.

The security guard of the magistrate had fired to disperse the mob killing one person on the spot while Suhail Ahmad had sustained a bullet injury in the head.

Both call facilities and mobile Internet services remained suspended in the valley on Saturday.

Internet facility on mobile phones was suspended on July 9, a day after the killing of Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani, in a gunfight with security forces.

Call facilities were, however, available on post paid mobile phones provided by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Separatists have issued a fresh protest calendar extended the ongoing shutdown till August 18.
Jammu: Suspected militants hurled a grenade this evening in a market in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving 11 people injured, one of them critical.

A grenade was thrown in market place in the Poonch city this evening, Divisional Commissioner (Jammu zone) Pawan Kotwal said.

In the blast, 11 people were injured, one of them critically, he said. While 7 of the injured are locals, 4 others are outsiders.

Police and other security forces, who were on alert due to the Buddha Amarnath yatra in the border district, have cordoned off the area and launched search operation. Further details are awited, he said.

The incident has taken place close of Dashnami Akhara in the city.
Srinagar: Curfew remained in force in entire Srinagar district and Anantnag town today to thwart the separatists' plan to stage a two-day sit-in in the city centre even as the death toll in the ongoing unrest climbed to 56 in the Valley with the death of a youth injured in firing.

"Curfew has been imposed in entire Srinagar district to foil the plans of some elements to stage a sit-in for two days in the Lal Chowk city centre," a police official said.

He said curfew also remained in force in Anantnag town in south Kashmir.

The separatist camp, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, had asked the people to hold a "referendum" march at Lal Chowk today and on Sunday.

The separatist camp is spearheading the protests in the Valley over the civilian killings during the protests against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last month.

Meanwhile, according to media report, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Faroor were taken into preventive custody to prevent them from holding protest march in the city prior to the Independence Day.

The death toll in the ongoing unrest went up to 56 as a youth, Suhail Ahmad Wani, who was injured in firing by a policeman last week, succumbed to injuries at a hospital here today, the official said.

Wani had suffered a bullet injury in the head on August 2 at Lethpora in Pulwama district on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Normal life remained affected in the Valley for the 36th consecutive day due to the curbs imposed by the authorities and separatist sponsored strike against the killing of civilians in the security forces action.

Schools, colleges, business establishments, petrol pumps and private offices remained closed while public transport remained off the roads.

The attendance in government offices and banks was also thin, the official said.

Mobile Internet services continued to remain snapped in the entire Valley.
Raigad: Indian Navy divers on Saturday located wreckage of second of the two ill-fated State Transport buses which were washed away on August 02 when a bridge on raging Savitri river in Mahad collapsed due to floods.

The wreckage has been located around 400 metres away from the collapsed bridge site on the busy Mumbai-Goa Highway.

"Continuing search operations on Day 10 at Savitri River, the naval divers located one more wreckage assessed to be part of the second bus (Jaigad-Mumbai). Post recovery of the first bus on August 11, the search was continued downstream. The wreckage is 400 meters from the bridge in an area where strong currents are observed. The wreckage is completely submerged in around 5 meters depth," a defence spokesperson said.

"It is assessed that the wreckage is recoverable. NDRF teams are being informed and a crane for recovery of the wreckage is being requested," spokesperson Commander Rahul Sinha said in a statement here.

On Thursday, the wreckage of Rajapur-Borivali MSRTC bus was retrieved approximately 170 and 200 meters from the collapsed bridge.

After the Navy divers located the bus, braving strong currents and crocodiles in the river, NDRF teams were summoned to retrieve it.

The Indian Navy team comprising personnel specialising in diving was searching for the wreckage and survivors since the morning of August 4, braving high water current and crocodile hotbeds in the river.

The bridge collapse had also resulted in at least another four-five private vehicles being washed away in the heavy rains and floods, claiming an estimated 42 lives.

Billed as one of the worst road tragedies in the state on the seven-decade-old British-era bridge, rescuers have managed to recover only 26 bodies so far, some were found washed away over 100 km in the Arabian Sea, officials said.

A mega search operation on land, river, creek and in the Arabian Sea was launched with the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NDRF, Maharashtra Police and local fire-brigade, private adventure clubs and even the fisherfolk to trace out the victims of the multiple vehicles tragedy.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and other Ministers and officials visited the site.

Later, Union Minister for Shipping Nitin Gadkari announced that a new bridge would be constructed on the spot within six months.

Meanwhile, anxious kin of the deceased who were camping at the rescue site have left the place.

Sanjay Patil, Additional SP of Raigad police said, "The local MIDC Mahad police has registered a case of accidental deaths of 26 people whose bodies have been recovered while a missing case has been registered for those whose bodies have not been found so far."

"Our investigation into the missing cases registered with us will go on up to two months and if their bodies are not found or recovered, then on the basis of accidental death reports, we will come to a conclusion that they too were part of the tragic incident and would be considered dead.

"Thus they will be issued the necessary documents paving their way to claim the financial compensation announced by the state government," Patil told PTI.

NDRF's 5th battalion commandant Anupam Srivastava also said that his four teams were at work and doing their job to trace remains of the swept away vehicles and passengers.

"Till we don't get orders from the higher authorities, we are not going to call off the (search) operations," he said.

The State Cabinet, in this particular case, has already reduced the waiting period for granting compensation to next to the kin to two months (from seven years as per existing rules).

If the missing people are not traced within two months, the state will declare them dead and award solatium, PWD Minister Chandrakant Pati had said.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has announced a compensation of Rs 14 lakh each to the kin of deceased travelling in the ST buses and Rs 10 lakh each to the family of deceased in other vehicles involved in the tragedy.

(With Agency inputs)
Imphal: Days after iconic rights activist Irom Sharmila ended her 16-year-old hunger strike, a 32-year-old woman from Manipur vowed to carry forward the protest against Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA) by launching an indefinite fast.

A mother of two girls, Arambam Robita Leima announced that she would begin her fast-unto-death at 10 am on Saturday at a community hall in Imphal West district.

Robita said she was not only demanding repeal of the 'draconian' AFSPA but also the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state adding that she has deep regards for Irom Sharmila and now wanted to continue her fight.

Meanwhile, leaders of several civil women organisations like Organisation for Indian Women Against Crime (OIWAC) and Salai Apunba Lup has requested Robita to not to embark on indefinite fasting and appealed to her to think about her two daughters.

On August 9, Manipuri activist Shamila ended her 16-year-old fast on August 9 thus changing her strategy from a civilian protest to taking the political route for the removal of AFSPA from the north eastern states.

Sharmila said that she looks forward to become the Manipur chief minister to achieve her goal and will continue to fight for removal of AFSPA.

The 44-year-old had held up the worlds longest running fast and although she has stated her desire to become the chief minister, she is yet to announce a political leaning.
Imphal: Imphal west district police on Saturday picked up Arambam Robita, editor of `Women and Crime Journal`, a monthly magazine, for sitting on a fast--unto-death demanding the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

Robita told media persons that she decided to fast like activist Irom Sharmila who started fasting on November 4, 2000 demanding the repeal of AFSPA and finally ended it on August 9.

However almost all NGOs, women`s organisations and activists had urged her not to fast mainly due to her having two daughters and opposition from Robita`s husband Arabam Hera.

Despite the urging, Robita launched the fast on the ground floor of her office at Canchipur in front of Manipur University.

Sources said the district police were asked to pick her up.

Robita is also a writer who has bagged international and national awards.

Though the AFSPA was enforced in the hill areas much earlier to contain the insurgency by the Naga rebels, it was on November 8, 1980 that it was imposed in the valley areas.

Despite Sharmila`s campaign it has continued in Manipur.
Beijing: Amid the intense preparations for the launch of China's first quantum communication satellite, scientists hope it can help unravel one of the strangest phenomena in quantum physics -- quantum entanglement.

By beaming individual entangled photons between space and ground stations, the satellite should be able to test whether the quantum's entanglement property extends over the record-breaking distance, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

"We have the technology to produce pairs of entangled photons on the satellite," said Pan Jianwei from the Chinese Academy of Science and chief scientist at the Chinese quantum communication satellite project.

One photon of an entangled pair will be beamed to a station in Qinghai province and the other to a station in Yunnan. The distance between the two ground stations is about 1,200 km.

Quantum physics has a phenomenon that so confounded Albert Einstein that he described as "spooky action at a distance" in 1948.
Chennai: Senior DMK leader and former minister S P Sarguna Pandian died here today following an illness.

The 75-year-old Deputy General Secretary of DMK passed away early this morning, a party release said.

She is survived by her two sons. Her husband had predeceased her.

Party President M Karunanidhi said Pandian, who was the Social Welfare Minister during 1996-2001, had spoken in DMK stage meetings even as a young woman and had later grown through the party ranks.

In his condolence message, he said she had represented DMK twice from Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency in the city in 1989 and 1996.

Party Treasurer and Opposition Leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly M K Stalin paid tributes to Pandian.

Meanwhile, the party high command announced that DMK flags would fly at half mast for three days and asked the functionaries to postpone all party works during this time.
Hyderabad: A local Congress leader was shot at by a person known to him near his residence in Bowenpally area in Secunderabad here on Saturday, police said.

The victim, identified as D Yadgiri, is undergoing treatment at a hospital and is stated to be out of danger.

Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said as per the initial information given by Yadgiri, a person with whom he had a land dispute opened fire on him.

The incident took place between 11 am and 11.30 am.

"Yadgiri said he was shot by a person known to him. We are investigating as to what the dispute is. We found that at least two rounds were fired at him. The victim ran into a nearby hospital to save himself. Later he came to the police station and registered a complaint," Reddy said.

"The assailant also tried to chase Yadgiri and entered that hospital, but later disappeared from the spot," he said.

Reddy said they found two weapons -- one in a dustbin at the hospital and the other with the victim.

A senior police official added that apart from the two bullets, they have also recovered four empty shells from the crime scene.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) spokesman Mahesh said, "Yadgiri's daughter had unsuccessfully contested the recently-held elections of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)."

Further investigation into the case is on.
Hyderabad: A Congress leader has been killed by unknown assailants in Telangana's Secunderabad on Saturday.

According to reports, two unidentified bike-borne assailants came and opened fire at Yadagiri in the Bowenpally area today. At least six rounds of bullets were fired on him.

The minister was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical state where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police have initiated a probe in the murder case but are suspecting personal rivalry behind the murder of the Congress leader.

Yadagiri is a former member of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Agra: In yet another shocking incident, a 13-year-old girl has been raped after being kidnapped by four youths in Uttar Pradesh's Agra.

The girl is an orphan and stays with her uncles and aunt. According to the victim, she was returning home from a nearby grocery shop at around 8 pm on Thursday when at least four youths abducted her and took her to an abandoned home, where she was raped by one of them.

As per the report, one of the locals heard her scream and helped her reach back to her aunt's home.

On Friday morning, the victim along with her relatives visited the police station and registered an FIR against the accused.

The incident, which took place near Kalandi Vihar in Kashiram Yojan Awas colony in Itmad-ud-daula area, has left locals in shock.

According to the TimesNow, this is the third case of rape in Itmad-ud-daula area. In Agra range, at least 26 cases of sexual abuse and assault with minors have been reported in last five months.
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police has detained a woman constable for interrogation in connection with the brutal attack on senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Brijpal Teotia.

Police said that at least 100 rounds were fired from AK-47 rifles at the convoy of Teotia on Thursday in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) at around 7:20 pm. Five others were also injured in the gruesome attack.

Constable Sunita's husband, gangster Rakesh Hasanpuria, was killed in a police encounter in 2003. She had then held Teotia responsible for her husband's death.

According to reports, Sunita could be the mastermind behind the attack on the BJP leader, who once used to work as a constable with the Delhi Police.

Notably, Rakesh Hasanpuria's family had also opposed Teotia during his election campaign in 2012. Teotia contested the 2012 state Assembly Elections from Muradnagar seat but lost and was preparing for 2017 polls.

Meanwhile, Teotia is reportedly recuperating at Fortis hospital in Noida, where he was admitted for treatment.

Police have recovered the vehicle used in the attack along with automatic weapons from "close to the place of occurrence".

UP DGP Javeed Ahmad said police was investigating the crime from different angles.
Ballia: A BJP supporter died when party workers clashed with police while protesting the arrest of five persons on charges of cow smuggling in Narhi area here.

While the protesters alleged that the worker died in police firing, police have denied the charge.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and cases have been registered against BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari, 35 named and 300 unnamed accused under various sections of IPC and six persons have been arrested.

Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Jha said the MLA and his supporters sat on dharna before Narhi police station and clashed with police last night in protest against the arrest and pelted stones when authorities tried to evict them.

Police then lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the irate crowd, he said.

District BJP chief Binod Dubey alleged that police used batons and opened fire at the party workers leading to the death of Vinod Rai and injury to 50 others.

However, Jha refuted the charge saying the worker did not die in firing as police did not open fire and said the reason behind his death would be known only after getting postmortem report.

Though the SP said the MLA was absconding, Dubey claimed that he was seriously injured in the police action and was undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
New Delhi: The girl, who along with her mother was gang-raped at Bulandshahr last month, on Saturday moved the Supreme Court, seeking FIR against Uttar Pradesh minister and senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who had triggered a political storm alleging a "political conspiracy" in the incident.

The minor victim also sought FIR against those police officers who did not pay attention to her family's complaints initially.

Seeking court-monitored investigation into the heinous incident, the victim wants the case to be transferred to Delhi.

The girl has further requested schooling for herself, and security and rehabilitation for her family.

Notably, Urban Development Minister Mohd Azam Khan had alleged that the gang-rape could have been a political conspiracy and should be investigated. Khan had received a fusillade of criticism for his comment from opposition political parties, women's groups, as well as the victim family's members .

The Allahabad High Court had on Friday ordered a CBI probe into the incident which took place on July 29.

A bench of Chief Justice DB Bhonsle and Justice Yashwant Verma had taken suo motto cognisance of the case and sought a report from the state police on the action taken in the matter.

The high court double bench asked the police to furnish before the court the statements of the victims from the case diary and asked the Senior Superintendent of Police Bulandshahr as to why a medical examination of the victims was not conducted.

It ordered the police investigating team to take the accused on remand for interrogation.

The high court directed the state government to take action against police officials who are callous in the discharge of their duties and have failed in containing crimes against women.

The court on Thursday had observed that women were not safe in the state and that crimes against women were on the rise.

A 34-year-old woman and her teenage daughter were raped after their car carrying six members of the Noida family was stopped by criminals on National Highway-91 in Bulandshahr last month.

The family was going to meet their relatives in Shahjahanpur in western Uttar Pradesh.

(With Agency inputs)
Muzaffarnagar: A 10-year-old girl was crushed to death by a car following which irate locals set the vehicle on fire in Jamianagar locality here, police said today.

The girl was last evening playing outside her house when the car crushed her to death.

The irate locals then set the car on fire and thrashed the occupants before handing them over to police while the car driver managed to escape.

Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

The body has been sent for post-mortem.
Mathura: Eight persons, including two women, were killed and over a dozen injured in two separate accidents on Yamuna Expressway in the wee hours today, police said.

Six persons including a woman and a child were killed and a dozen were injured when a canter hit a bus at Kilometer No 88 of Yamuna Expressway, DSP Sanjai Kumar said.

The canter driver fled from the spot and the injured were rushed to district hospital, he added.

One of the deceased was identified as Mentu (22) of Kanpur and efforts are on to identify others, Kumar said. ???? In a seperate accident, two persons of a family were killed when a car they were travelling in overturned at the same strech after hitting a divider.

The family was travelling from Farrukhabad to Delhi when the incident took place, he said.

The deceased have been identied as Rampal(64) and Lajjavati (60), the DSP said.

The car was being driven by an army personnel who apparently dozed off at the wheel, police said.
Kakori: Lashing out at Congress, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday charged that the country has not witnessed any progress since Independence as "one family" held the reins for 60 years and asserted that BJP alone could usher in development.

With an eye on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls due next year, Shah said if the country is to progress, the development of the state is essential.

"It has been 70 years since we gained Independence. But there has been no development in the country as one family was in power for 60 years," he said.

Shah slammed the erstwhile Congress governments for "absence of development" in the country.

"I feel sad to say that it has been 70 years since we have won freedom and for 60 years, Congress was in saddle and the result is for everyone to see," he said.

Shah was speaking at a 'Tiranga Yatra' as part of 'Yaad Karo Qurbani' programme to commemorate the sacrifices of freedom fighters ahead of Independence Day.

Asserting that BJP alone can usher in development in the country, he said if SP or BSP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, they will work for the development of only one community.

"If SP or BSP come to power they will work for the development of only one community. BJP alone can ensure all round development in the state. BJP believes in 'sab ka saath, sab ka vikas'," Shah said at the event held on the outskirts of Lucknow.

"Without the development of Uttar Pradesh, the country cannot march ahead," he said.

The programme was held at Kakori town which had shot into prominence due to Kakori train robbery when some Indian revolutionaries looted British government's treasury from a train on August 9, 1925.
Meerut: A 45-year-old woman here has alleged she was abducted and gangraped by a group of men in a moving car here, police said on Saturday.

However, SP Om Prakash said that according to preliminary investigations the whole incident looks "suspicious".

Based on the complaint filed by the woman, four persons have been booked in this connection and one them was arrested yesterday, Circle Officer Vinod Sirohi said told PTI.

According to the victim, the incident took place yesterday when she along with her 13-year-old daughter was going to a doctor's clinic in Tejgadhi here when four men, travelling in a car, asked her for directions and pulled both of them inside the vehicle, Sirohi said.

The woman alleged that three of them gangaraped her and threw her out of the car near the city court and fled with her daughter, he said.

She then started looking for her daughter when she spotted one of the men, Aas Mohammed of Kithaur area, in the court premises. She shouted for help and handed him over to the police with the help of others, Sirohi said.

Later, the woman's daughter was found near Jail Chungi area who said she fled from Mohammed's custody and reached Jail Chungi looking for her mother.

Sirohi said based on the complaint, Aas Mohammad, Aasif, Naimuddin and another identified person was booked in the case at Nauchandi police station and investigation in this connection is underway.

The SP said Mohammad's sister was abducted and gangraped three years ago. Three persons -- Ikram, Buddhan and Rehana were booked in the case under charges of gangrape, abduction and the POCSO Act.

"The case is currently pending in the court of ADJ-17. We have found out that Mohammad is being pressurised for a settlement since months. Not getting succeeded in that, the case of abduction and gangrape has been filed through the woman against Mohammad and the people of his side," Prakash said.
Allahabad: Coming down heavily on the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal over the Narada sting operation case, the BJP today demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sack her top leaders who figured in the tapes in the wake of the findings of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory.

"During the assembly polls, Banerjee kept alleging that the tapes that had emerged as a result of the sting operation were doctored. Now, the CFSL has examined the tapes following directions of the Calcutta High Court and its report says that the tapes were genuine.

"We now look forward to the TMC chief, who is also the state's CM, to act against her state ministers and members of Parliament who had figured in the tapes," BJP national secretary in-charge of West Bengal Siddharth Nath Singh told PTI.

Attacking the TMC government over the Vivekananda flyover collapse, Singh cited a report of investigation conducted by scholars at IIT Kharagpur claiming "it is now clear that substandard construction material and faulty supervision was responsible for the tragedy which claimed close to 30 lives.

"We would like to ask if Mamata Banerjee would not act against the erring officials, including ministers in her own cabinet as well as the Mayor of Kolkata."

Replying to a query, the BJP leader said, "Banerjee contends that renaming the state as Bengal was necessary as West Bengal comes at the bottom of the list of states, prepared alphabetically, during meetings held in the national capital. This is an absurd reasoning and therefore we are opposed to it."

"Moreover, we suspect that by renaming the state as Bengal, she is trying to erase the bitter history of Partition in line with her politics of appeasement of a particular community. We are not going to allow that to happen," he said.

Singh said that with a vote share of nearly 17 per cent, "the BJP has, for the first time since its establishment, emerged as a force to reckon with. We look forward to improving our position further in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and, of course, in the next assembly polls which will be held in 2021.

"We have identified the areas on which our thrust would be. These are the weak points of the ruling TMC."

Asked to elaborate, the BJP leader said, "There is an all-pervasive sense of dejection in West Bengal despite the fact that the Left Front has been virtually obliterated there.

"TMC won because it appeared as the only viable option but its self-styled syndicates and youth clubs are painfully reminiscent of the marauding Left cadres who had wrought havoc in the state for close to three decades.

"Moreover, Banerjee's response to the violence in Malda earlier this year shows that she has given up her sense of propriety in her zeal to build a vote bank. About her track record with regard to checking influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, the less said the better."

Singh said even the Supreme Court's observation that it was a silent invasion of India could not serve as a wake up call for the state government.
Sanaa: An airstrike on a school purportedly carried out by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen killed at least 10 children and wounded dozens more today, Yemeni officials and aid workers said.

The Islamic school said in a statement that the strike in Saada, deep in the Houthis' northern heartland, was part of raids that have resumed against the rebels after peace talks collapsed earlier this month.

Aid group Doctors Without Borders condemned the attack on social media, saying that all ten killed and 28 injured were between eight and 15 years old. The school released some of the names of those killed.

The conflict in Yemen pits the internationally-recognized government backed by the Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite rebels, who captured the capital in September 2014.

The war has left a security vacuum throughout parts of the country.

Both al-Qaida and its rival militant group, the Islamic State group, have exploited the turmoil and expanded their footprint in the country's southern region.

Separately, lawmakers convened at Yemen's parliament for the first time since the Houthis disbanded the body in early 2015, aiming to consolidate power inside the country after the Shiite rebels and the party of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh named a joint body to rule the parts of the country they control.

The internationally recognized government-in-exile, led by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, considers that body illegitimate.

Rights groups and U.N. Agencies say that more than 9,000 people have been killed during the conflict, which pushed the Arab world's poorest nation to the brink of famine.
Istanbul: Turkey`s prime minister said on Saturday that Ankara could not compromise with the United States over its request for the extradition of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen which it blames for orchestrating last month`s attempted coup.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim made his comments to a group of Turkish journalists who quoted him as saying that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on August 24.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry would also visit Turkey some time in October, he said.

"The main element improving our relations with the U.S. is the extradition of Gulen, where there is no room for negotiation," Yildirim was quoted as saying by CNN Turk`s general manager who was among journalists attending the briefing from Yildirim.

"Whether or not the anti-Americanism in Turkey will continue is also dependant on this," Yildirim said.

Turkey has been angered by what it sees as lukewarm condemnation by its Western allies of the abortive July 15-16 putsch against President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government, and Western criticism of a subsequent purge of military, judiciary and civil servants.

More than 240 people were killed in the violent coup attempt by a rogue faction in the Turkish military using fighter jets, helicopters and tanks.

Since the failed coup, almost 5,000 out of 81,000 people had been sacked and the others suspended, Yildirim said.

Turkey almost immediately increased pressure for the extradition from the United States of Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan who runs an influential network of international schools outside Turkey.

Yildirim on Saturday said that the United States had improved its attitude on the issue of Gulen`s extradition, but he did not elaborate on this.

Maintaining Ankara`s criticism of the Muslim cleric who denies any involvement in the putsch, Yildirim said on Saturday that Gulen ran an exclusive communication channel with 50,000 using it.

Earlier on Saturday Turkey took exception to remarks by a top U.N. human rights official for saying that Ankara should stem its "thirst for revenge" against internal critics following the coup.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic, in a statement, said Zeid`s comments were unacceptable.
Dhaka: Bangladeshi police have formally arrested a British national allegedly involved in the deadly Islamist attack on a Dhaka cafe that killed 22 people last month, officials said Saturday.

Hasnat Karim, a 47-year-old Briton, had initially been detained along with Tahmid Khan, 22, a University of Toronto student, as a suspect in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

A court Saturday ordered Karim to be remanded in custody for eight more days after police said he was the "first person" to be formally arrested over the attack.

Karim and Khan were both inside the Holey Artisan Bakery when gunmen raided the cafe on the night of July 1, taking a group of mainly Western diners hostage and then killing 20 of them, along with two policemen.

Police had sought to hold Karim for 10 more days, saying the father of two should be questioned further as he was now the "first person to have been arrested in the case".

"We have found some information regarding his involvement in that incident," Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP.

Karim and Khan were last week arrested under a law which allows the police to detain someone on suspicion of any crime but they were not directly linked to the attack.

Karim`s lawyer maintained he was innocent.

"We`ve said that he was a victim of circumstances. He was used as a body shield and forced to walk with the attackers at gunpoint," Golam Mostafa told AFP.

Khan was remanded into police custody for six days, police said.

Neither Karim and Khan have been seen in public since the end of the siege when commandos stormed the cafe in the capital`s upmarket Gulshan neighbourhood on the morning of July 2.

The men`s families have said they were being held by security forces even though there was no evidence to link them to the attackers.

Karim`s father Rezaul Karim last week told AFP that his son had helped save lives during the siege.

"My son was a hero. He saved the life of at least eight people during the siege. I know him. He is innocent."

Relatives say Karim, his wife and two children were at the cafe to celebrate the 13th birthday of their daughter.

Reports in local media said both men were being investigated for suspicious activity during the siege. They said Khan was seen holding a firearm and Hasnat Karim strolling with the attackers on the roof.

Karim was a lecturer at the North-South University in Dhaka, where two of the five attackers who were gunned down at the end of the siege had studied.

Khan, who is a Bangladeshi citizen, was back in his homeland while on leave from the university.

Police earlier this week named a Canadian citizen, Tamim Chowdhury, as the attack`s mastermind, offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The siege was by far the deadliest in a string of attacks claimed by Islamist groups which have blighted Bangladesh over the last three years.
Altoona: Republican Donald Trump on Friday backed away from comments calling President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton the founders of the militant group Islamic State, while the Republican Party sought to project unity behind their candidate.

A new poll showed Trump, whose unfiltered speaking style has repeatedly landed him in hot water, losing ground in three crucial states ahead of the Nov. 8 general election against Clinton.

In a surprise appearance, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who in private expressed fury over some of Trump`s actions earlier this month, introduced the candidate at a campaign event in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the two hugged onstage.

"Were so honoured to be working with Donald Trump and the campaign," Priebus told thousands of Trump supporters.

"And dont believe the garbage you read. Let me tell you something. Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, were going to put him in the White House and save this country together."

Republican sources earlier this month said Priebus was furious over Trump`s failure to endorse House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and his feud with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq. Trump did endorse Ryan a few days later.

Trump brought Priebus on stage later at another rally, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to thank him for the work he has done as he insisted there is great unity in the party.

"I have to say we have great unification," Trump said.

Trump on Friday told the rallies in Altoona and Erie that his remarks earlier this week calling Obama and Clinton the founders of ISIS, as Islamic State is also known, had been sarcastic.

"I have been saying because it`s true, but somewhat sarcastically, that he`s the founder of ISIS and she`s a close second," Trump said in Altoona.

Trump first made the unfounded claim on Wednesday and repeated it through the week.

Trump claimed sarcasm in July as well after he was heavily criticized for inviting Russia to dig up tens of thousands of "missing" emails from Clinton`s time as U.S. secretary of state.

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released on Friday suggested support for Trump is eroding among voters in three battleground states.

Such states are hotly contested because their populations can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and thus play a decisive role in presidential elections, which are ultimately decided by the state-by-state tally of the Electoral College.

The poll found Clinton widening her lead in Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, while holding her advantage in Florida.

Clinton released her tax returns on Friday, painting the move as a sign of transparency that her campaign says Trump lacks.

U.S. presidential candidates are not required to release their tax returns, but it has become a common custom.

Trump has cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service in refusing to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one`s business and that they reveal little.

Trump scheduled a speech in Warren, Ohio, on Monday that will focus on how he would handle the threat posed by Islamic State. Trump has said he would "knock the hell out of ISIS," without offering details.

Trump has been mired in repeated controversies in recent days. He drew heavy criticism after he suggested gun rights activists could take action against Clinton, a statement he later said was aimed at rallying votes against her.

Nearly one-fifth of registered Republicans now want Trump to drop out of the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.

Republicans frequently trace the birth of Islamic State to the Obama administrations decision to withdraw the last U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011.

But many analysts argue its roots lie in the decision of George W. Bushs Republican administration to invade Iraq in 2003 without a plan to fill the vacuum created by Saddam Husseins ouster. It was Bushs administration that negotiated the 2009 agreement that called for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.

At his Erie event, Trump seemed to acknowledge he is facing a formidable opponent in Clinton as well as a difficult electoral path.

"The Republicans have a tougher path  not my fault, he said.

He said Clinton`s campaign is smart to keep her out of the spotlight.

"She doesnt talk to reporters very often. ... She doesnt expose whats going on up here, which isnt good, he said, meaning her brain. Shes doesnt expose her mind to questions. What they want to do is try to fake it through.

Trump also said in Altoona that the only way he could lose Pennsylvania to Clinton is if "cheating goes on."

He said he wants authorities to monitor the voting closely. "I know what`s happening here, folks. She can`t beat what`s happening here."


Brussels: Expressing concern over the August 8 suicide bombing at the Civil Hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, European Parliament member Alberto Cirio has said it is time Islamabad is held accountable for its misdirected policies, perpetuated over the years, and is pressured into allowing international scrutiny of the pathetic plight of the indigenous population in Balochistan.

In article that he has written for eptoday.com, Cirio states that the suicide bombing in Quetta should be seen as another wakeup call for the international community to take notice of a situation created due to years of concerted government use of extremist groups as proxies against political activists, journalists and intellectuals.

"The stark choice now before the Pakistan government is either to move against all jihadi groups active on its soil, or be willing to face a blow back from those protected from such action, like that witnessed in Quetta," he writes.

The European Parliament member warns that the situation in Balochistan is bound to worsen and the establishment will continue to look for scapegoats to explain its own misdeeds, usually pegging all blame on imaginary external conspiracies.

"The local population is already facing the brunt of terrorism, the brutal violation of human rights, the lengthing shadow of extremist Islamic groups enjoying state patronage, and poverty despite being a resource rich province," he adds.

Cirio also threw light on the fact that the Pakistani Army, which has a sizeable presence in Balochistan, was quick to state that the attack was an attempt to undermine the security of the province and target the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-faceted project allowing China access to Gwadar Port in Baluchistan from its western province of Xinjiang.

"The CPEC has generated major resentment in Balochistan, and the Gwadar Port project is perceived as merely facilitating further exploitation of the area," he said.

Underscoring that incidents of violence have become a way of life in Balochistan, Cirio said there were 306 incidents last year of violence, which included what were categorised as terrorist attacks, operational attacks by the security forces and armed clashes between security forces and sectarian groups.

"More than 550 people died in these incidents, a majority of which took place in Quetta, Dera Bugti, Kech and Gwadar," he added.The European Parliament member said Balochistan, a natural resource- rich province, has posed challenges for the Pakistani Government since 1947, with the Baloch nationalist movement demanding independence from Pakistan.

"Successive Pakistani establishments have preferred to counter secular Baloch nationalist movements by using extremist Sunni groups with roots in Punjab. Years of myopic and ultimately self-destructive policies have resulted in a lethal mix of militant groups operating in Balochistan, predominantly at the behest of the establishment," he said.

"Global terrorist networks have found natural allies among Sunni sectarian militant networks. The Afghan Taliban has also found sanctuary here since 2002. This has given rise to a complex security situation, often beyond the control of the very establishment that created it. The National Action Plan, formulated to counter militancy and religious extremism, has been implemented selectively to target the Baloch nationalists and their sympathisers, even while allowing terrorist and sectarian groups, many of them officially banned, to expand," he added.

He maintained that the Pakistan government continues to promote extremist groups in Balochistan, and after the massive earthquake in the Awaran region in September 2013, it denied access to international humanitarian organisations and journalists, but allowed extremist charity groups like the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (a front of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa) and the Al Khair (a front of the Jaish-e-Mohammad) to take charge of the resettlement work. These organisations, that are merely proxies of these terrorist groups, continue to have a strong-hold in the province.

Cirio said that the links between security agencies and extremist groups have also resulted in the rise of criminal syndicates, thereby further exacerbating the security situation.

He said that the Frontier Corps (FC), the lead security agency in Balochistan, has been regularly accused of involvement in smuggling and corruption. This year six senior officers, including a Lt. General who headed the FC from 2010 to 2013, were dismissed from service for corruption in Balochistan, signalling the deep roots of this nexus.

Meanwhile the systematic hard hitting policy of the Pak government against the Baloch nationalist groups has resulted in the targeting of not only genuine political activists, but also the ordinary Baloch. The number of cases of enforced disappearances, torture, and targeted killings continue to increase by leaps and bounds.

The province has become virtually a no-go area for journalists, and killing of rights activists who raise uncomfortable questions, is common.The near total information black-out by the Pak government of the situation in Balochistan, amounts to a systematic abuse of human rights and reflects total contempt for all international human rights laws.
Beirut: The Islamic State group has freed hundreds of civilians used by the jihadists as human shields while retreating in northern Syrian, US-backed forces and a monitor said on Saturday.

A source from the Syrian Democratic Forces, which pushed IS from the city of Manbij this week with the aid of US-led air strikes, told AFP that some civilians taken by the jihadists as they fled were able to escape while "others were freed".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor confirmed the account.
Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian Police has arrested nine militants, including two suspected of carrying out a grenade attack, claimed by Islamic State, at a nightspot on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in June, the country`s police chief said on Saturday.

A known Malaysian IS fighter in Syria, Muhammad Wanndy Muhammad Jedi, had said in a posting on his Facebook page that the group had carried out the June 28 attack on a bar in the Puchong neighborhood that wounded eight people.

If the claim was genuine it would have been the first attack by IS on Malaysian soil.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement the two men who carried out the attack had been caught in the northeastern state of Kelantan, where they had been awaiting instructions from Wanndy to carry out further attacks.

"Following on from their arrest, police managed to seize a grenade, and it was suspected it would have been used in a planned attack," Khalid said.

He said two other people had been arrested for helping to hide the suspects.

Police had also tracked down a suspected IS member, whose cell had received orders from Wanndy, and had threatened attacks on the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and on government buildings in the country`s administrative capital of Putrajaya, Khalid said.

Others arrested included a 17-year-old in the eastern state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, who was believed to have been planning a `lone wolf` attack on non-Muslims after communicating with another Malaysian IS member in Syria.

Meanwhile, three foreigners, who were ex-military, were arrested in Kuala Lumpur for allegedly using the country as a transit point to secure fake travel documents and plan an attack on a Middle East nation, Khalid said.

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have been on high alert since IS-linked militants carried out an armed attack in the capital of neighbouring Indonesia in January.

Police said last week 230 people, including 200 Malaysians, have been arrested since 2013 for involvement in militant activities.

In June, IS released a video of its fighters from Southeast Asia calling on its supporters to unify under one umbrella group and launch attacks in the region.
Geneva: A man set a train carriage in Switzerland on fire using a flammable liquid and stabbed passengers on Saturday, injuring six people, including a six-year-old child, police said.

The man, a 27-year-old Swiss citizen, carried out the attack on a train travelling in Switzerland`s far east, along its border with Liechtenstein, and was also injured, regional police in Saint Gallen said in a statement.

Police said the attack had taken place at around 2:20 pm (1220 GMT) near the Salez station on a train running between Buchs and Sennwald and that some of the injuries were serious.

"According to the information we have for the time being, the 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid ... (which) caught fire," police said, adding that the man "was also armed with at least one knife".

Seven people including the suspected attacker were admitted to various hospitals with burn and stab wounds, the statement said.

Contacted by AFP, police said the motive for the attack was unknown.

The victims included two men aged 17 and 50, and three women aged 17, 34 and 43. Dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack, the police statement said.

A massive contingent of rescue workers rushed to the scene, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters.

The Salez station remains closed, and police said replacement buses had been set up.

Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack.

Police said the train had suffered damages upwards of 100,000 Swiss francs ($103,000, 92,000 euros).
Washington: US actor Robert de Niro on Saturday compared Donald Trump to the mentally unstable character he played in the iconic 1976 film "Taxi Driver", calling the Republican nominee "totally nuts".

The Oscar-winning veteran star made the comments at the Sarajevo Film Festival, which opened Friday with a screening of the Martin Scorsese classic, digitally remastered for its 40th anniversary.

In "Taxi Driver," De Niro -- a long-time Democrat supporter -- played Travis Bickle, a Vietnam war veteran who drives a cab at night in New York, but descends into paranoia and vigilante anger at perceived sleaze.

"I mean one of the things to me was just the irony... at the end (of the film) he is back driving a cab and it`s... yeah, celebrated, which is kind of relevant in some weird way today too," said De Niro at a public talk.

Making the link to the US presidential race, De Niro said Trump, like Bickle, was where he should not be.

"I don`t know, it`s crazy but people like Donald Trump who ... shouldn`t even be where he is, so, God help us."

Trump`s poll ratings have nose-dived and he is coming under growing pressure even within Republican ranks for his apparent inability to stop making controversial claims and incendiary off-the-cuff remarks.

Earlier this week he accused President Barack Obama of being the "founder" of so-called Islamic State and his Democratic rival as the "co-founder". After standing by the comments repeatedly, he finally suggested Friday that he was being sarcastic.

"I think people now are starting to really push back," said De Niro.

"The media, they`ve given him all this attention and finally they are starting to say `Come on Donald, this is ridiculous, this is nuts, this is insane`.

"Because what he has been saying is really totally crazy, ridiculous stuff... its nuts, totally nuts."
Washington: US Vice President Joe Biden has urged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko "do his part to avoid escalating tensions" with Russia in the Crimean peninsula, the White House said.

Speaking over phone, Biden on Friday assured Poroshenko that the US had urged Russia to do the same, EFE news reported.

"Both leaders reiterated their strong support for political and diplomatic means to restore Ukraine`s sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the statement.

It also said Crimea was "occupied" by Russia "in contravention of international law".

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukrainian military intelligence units had tried to infiltrate into Crimea on two sabotage missions against critical infrastructure in the peninsula.

Poroshenko, for his part, ordered on Thursday troops on maximum alert along the line separating them and the rebel forces in Crimea, and claimed the Russian accusations were a pretext for launching fresh military threats.

Biden and Poroshenko also reviewed Ukraine`s "recent progress" in complying with the International Monetary Fund`s conditions for the next credit tranche.
1 hour ago

Elon Musk takes over Twitter but where will he go from here?

Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter after a protracted legal battle and months of uncertainty. The question now is what the billionaire Tesla CEO will actually do with the social media platform. Musk gave one indication of where he's headed in a tweet Friday, saying no decisions on content or reinstating of accounts will be made until a content moderation council is put in place.

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A number of downstate public universities might consider changing policies to avoid the expensive lesson learned by Chicago State University.

CSU, like Illinois State, the University of Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Southern Illinois, is a state-supported public university. Like its brethren, the university received far less state money in the last year because of the state's financial problems.

Unlike most of its fellow schools, however, Chicago State trimmed its expenses with a wide swath of personnel cuts meant to stem the flow of red ink.

A recent investigation by the Chicago Tribune, using documents sought under the state's open records law, shows the layoffs resulted in high expenses because of notification laws similar to those also in place at ISU, U of I, Eastern and Southern.

"The mass layoffs, unusual in higher education, came with a cost: $2.2 million, the bulk of it in severance pay mandated by a longstanding school policy that requires up to a year's notice of being terminated or a payout for the time. It's a policy common at Illinois public universities but generous compared with what is provided by most schools in other states," the Tribune recently reported.

For the nearly 400 workers who were laid off, Chicago State spent nearly $1.6 million on severance and another $650,000 to pay out unused vacation time, the Tribune reported.

Under the CSU policy, the Tribune wrote, administrators receive anywhere from three to 12 months' notice before a layoff. The university also paid out accrued vacation time, which in one instance tallied $20,000.

Such extensive advance notice is uncommon among private employers. The newspaper cited several people who explained such niceties are more common in higher education settings because they help with staff recruitment and retention.

The university's human resources director said that while the payout was high, the layoffs also would bring cost savings from employees who no longer must be given benefits.

That's true for any reduction in force: When someone is laid off, the company saves money simply by not paying benefits like health and life insurance.

But in having such generous policies for state-supported universities " ... the question becomes, can you afford them anymore?" state Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, vice chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, told the Tribune.

Rather than learn the lesson of CSU, we urge the various university boards to instead study Western Illinois University, another state-supported university.

Two years ago, the Tribune said, Western changed its notification policy to give administrators a maximum of six months' notice as a way to bring the policy more in line with private business.

That sounds like a lesson worth learning.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 11, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan received newly appointed Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Armenia H.E. Timur Uruzayev on August 11, press service of the Ministry informed Armenpress.

Defense Minister Ohanyan congratulated the Ambassador on his new post and expressed hope during his tenure the Ambassador will contribute to the development of relations and the strengthening of cooperation between the two states.

The sides discussed the Armenian-Kazakh military-political cooperation, issues of bilateral mutual interest, as well as regional issues during the meeting.
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh says overnight August 12-13 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime for 37 times by firing more than 400 shots from various caliber weapons at the Armenian positions in Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

The Defense Army forces control the situation and continue confidently fulfilling their military tasks.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. Despite the ongoing gas dispute between Tehran and Ankara, Iran has turned into the second largest exporter of gas to Turkey, reports Mehr news agency.

Notwithstanding the continuous gas dispute between Tehran and Ankara over international arbitration and disagreements between the two sides on determining the discount percentage on gas sales, the exports volume of Iranian gas to Turkey has followed an upward trend since the beginning of the current year.

Following the increase in gas production from South Pars field and Irans freedom to export larger amounts of natural gas, the shipment of the clean energy carrier to Turkey climbed by about 8.8% reaching an aggregate total of 518 million cubic meters.

Meanwhile, the figure for the same period in 2015 only stood at 472 million cubic meters indicating a 40-million-cubic-meter upsurge in the ongoing year.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Armenia informs the Armenian Armed Forces operative group departed for Pskov on August 13.

The group will take part in CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces "Cooperation-2016" joint military exercise which will be held on August 13-19.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. The terrorist groups have fired at the military academy, two residential districts and the Airport of Aleppo, Syria during the last few days, Interfax.ru reported.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State terrorist organizations continue to prevent the final establishment of the regime of cessation of the hostilities.

The Ministry also informed that within a day 10 cases of ceasefire violations were recorded in Damascus and Latakia.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Emergency Situations informs no precipitation is expected in Armenia on August 14-18.

On the second half of the daytime and on the first half of the night from August 15 to 17 short rain with thunderstorm is expected in Shirak, Lori and Tavush provinces. During the storm the wind speed may reach up to 15-20 m/s. South wind speed is 2-7 m/s.

On August 14-18 no precipitation is expected in Yerevan.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani media reports a resident of Ararat province of Armenia has crossed the border in Nakhijevan and appeared in the Azerbaijani territory. The Azerbaijani commission on prisoners of war, missing persons also confirmed the news.

The Azerbaijani media presented the mans name-surname in a different way. In one case they wrote Henrikh Agetyan, in the other Henrik Agetsyan.

Armenpress managed to check the real name-surname of the person: he is Henrik S. Aghekyan (born in 1954), a resident of Aygepat village of Ararat province of Armenia. He likely has crossed the border on August 7.

Head of the working group of the Armenian State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons Armen Kaprielyan told Armenpress H. Aghekyans relatives have already submitted a request that he has left the home. Aghekyan suffers from mental illness, previously he has tried to cross the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, but the Armenian side prevented his action.

Clarifications are made under what circumstances he disappeared. After receiving the information on being found in the Azerbaijani side, we immediately start the negotiation process and demand to return our citizen. We hope this will happen within a reasonable timeframe. I dont think the process will be delayed since Azerbaijan cannot use people with mental illness for political purposes. Such people are not accountable for the actions, they do not even realize what direction they are going. In any case the country, where a person crossed the border, makes certain clarifications which can last from 1-2 days up to several weeks, Kaprielyan said.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a bill that would automatically register eligible Illinois residents to vote when they obtain or renew a drivers license or state identification card.

But in a veto message Friday, the first-term Republican offered a series of recommended changes that he said would earn his signature.

I strongly support efforts to encourage greater voter participation in our democracy and share the goals of this legislation, Rauner said Friday in a written statement. Unfortunately, as currently drafted, the bill would inadvertently open the door to voter fraud and run afoul of federal election law.

Rauner vowed to continue working with supporters to craft a version that meets our shared goals while complying with federal law and preventing voter fraud.

Proponents of the bill, including sponsor Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, say it would remove barriers to the ballot box and at the same time save money for the state and local governments by streamlining the registration process.

Eligible residents can currently choose to register to vote or update their registration at drivers license facilities operated by the secretary of states office, but the bill would make registration automatic unless someone opts out. Each persons information would be sent to the Illinois State Board of Elections for verification and then to local election authorities, who would handle the actual registration.

But in his veto message, Rauner said the bill lawmakers approved does not plainly and clearly describe the process that supporters say would be used to ensure the integrity of the states voter rolls.

Rauner argued that the State Board of Elections might not have access to the citizenship information it would need to weed out those who are ineligible to vote. The responsibility should be handled by an agency with access to citizenship records before a voters registration is processed, he said.

The governor also recommended a series of other changes, including giving the elections board more time to implement the new system and requiring the secretary of states office to verify that people who are already registered wish to update their address information.

The General Assembly passed the bill with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities in both chambers, and lawmakers could attempt to override Rauner when they return to Springfield in November for their fall veto session.

Automatic voter registration was one of the few issues that brought Democrats and Republicans together in both houses of the legislature this spring, Manar said Friday in a written statement. I am disappointed the governor chose to veto this very good, very important measure.

He and other supporters vowed to continue working to implement automatic voter registration.

Whats uncertain is whether the Republicans who initially supported the bill will break with Rauner to support an override.

One of those supporters was Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, who said he needs to study Rauners proposed changes before casting judgment.

I think the perspective hes provided here is useful, Barickman said, adding that the governor and supporters of the bill clearly share the goal of creating a more efficient voter registration system, which would be good for democracy and  for taxpayers, who want to see our government operate more efficiently.

Other Republicans who voted in favor of the bill include Sens. Chapin Rose of Mahomet and Neil Anderson of Rock Island and Rep. Terri Bryant of Murphysboro.

California, Oregon, West Virginia and Vermont have already implemented automatic registration.
Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum in June 2016

The British government pledged Saturday to match European Union funding for farmers, universities and infrastructure projects following Brexit, as it sought to allay fears over key sectors.

The commitment, intended to address uncertainty arising from the June 23 vote to quit the bloc, could cost 4.5 billion ($5.8 billion, 5.2 billion euros) a year, finance minister Philip Hammond said.

The vow applies to agricultural funds until 2020, structural and investment projects signed before the government's budget update this autumn, and university bids won under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

"The UK will continue to have all of the rights, obligations and benefits that membership brings, including receiving European funding, up until the point we leave the EU," Hammond said in a statement.

"We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive.

"That is why I am confirming that structural and investment funds projects signed before the autumn statement and Horizon research funding granted before we leave the EU will be guaranteed by the Treasury after we leave.

"The government will also match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020, providing certainty to our agricultural community, which play a vital role in our country."

The cost will depend on the level of applications for funds, and on when Britain leaves the EU.

"Around about 4.5 billion a year would be the level we would expect," Hammond added.

Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative government has indicated it will not trigger the two-year EU withdrawal process before the end of this year.

Campaigners for Britain to stay in the EU in the June 23 referendum had highlighted the funding benefits of membership to key sectors such a farming and research.

But the Brexit camp argued that any shortfall could be covered by ending Britain's contributions to the EU budget, which stood at about 12.9 billion in 2015, after the rebate.

Story continues

Projects covered by the government's guarantee include a new facility at the University of Manchester to develop research into graphene -- a material which scientists say could transform consumer electronics -- using 5 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

The Royal Society, Britain's leading scientific institution, described the move as "very welcome news".

However, president Sir Venki Ramakrishnan said some researchers and scientists had already missed out on collaborative projects because European colleagues were worried about funding.

"I think that is why this measure is so welcome because we have been hearing anecdotal reports of people not being willing to collaborate with certain UK collaborators because they weren't sure that they would be able to stay for the full duration of the grant," Ramakrishnan told BBC Radio 4.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents more than 32,000 farmers, landowners and other businesses, hailed Saturday's announcement.

"It will provide a significant degree of reassurance to farmers and other landowners across the country," said CLA president Ross Murray.

"We have been clear, since the start of the EU referendum campaign, that this is the first decision ministers had to make to reassure rural businesses in the advent of a Brexit vote."
By Anna Driver NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch on Friday named company veterans Jack Abernethy and Bill Shine as co-presidents to lead Fox News after Chief Executive Officer Roger Ailes resigned last month following sexual harassment allegations. Abernethy is CEO of Fox Television Stations and Shine is senior executive vice president at Fox, a unit of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc . Both men worked at Fox when it launched in 1996. They will report to Murdoch, who has been running the day-to-day operations of the cable network on an interim basis. The appointments are effective immediately, Fox said. While this has been a time of great transition, there has never been a greater opportunity for Fox News and Fox Business to better serve and expand their audiences," Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox and Fox News, said in a statement. Ailes, who turned Fox into America's most lucrative and powerful cable news channel for conservatives, resigned in July following allegations of sexual harassment. Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson sued Ailes last month, claiming sexual harassment. Ailes has denied the charges. Fox hired a law firm to conduct an internal investigation. New York magazine followed up with reports of other women who said they had been harassed by Ailes. The magazine also said popular Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly had told investigators hired by Fox that Ailes "made unwanted sexual advances toward her" about 10 years ago. Ailes has denied those charges as well. By choosing two men who worked under Ailes for years, Fox sent viewers and advertisers a message of continuity in an important election year, said Merrill Brown, who helped launch MSNBC and is now director of the school of communication at Montclair State University. But that strategy could carry risk if the independent probe reveals the harassment allegations were known to more people at Fox, he said. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that Twenty-First Century Fox anticipates having to settle with the women who said they were victims of harassment by Ailes. The number of women who have come forward in the internal probe are in the double digits, the paper said. A representative for Twenty-First Century Fox did not immediately return a call for comment. Abernethy, 60, will continue to run Fox Television Stations and will oversee all business components of Fox News Channel and Fox Business News, including finance and ad sales. Shine, 53, will run all programming and news functions of each network including production and talent management. He will also continue to oversee all strategic planning through the election season. Fox News also named Suzanne Scott as executive vice president of programming and development for Fox News Channel and said Chief Financial Officer Mark Kranz was retiring. When Twenty-First Century Fox reported earnings last week, it said Fox News was on track to record its highest-rated year ever. When Co-Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch was asked if Fox News would change its strategy, Murdoch said: "There is no desire or need to shift the position it has in the market." Shares of Twenty-First Century Fox ended down 14 cents, or less than 1 percent, at $26.02 on Friday. (Additional reporting by Rishika Sadam in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)
By Ross Kerber CANTON, Mass. (Reuters) - An attorney for Sumner Redstone said the media mogul would be willing to be interviewed briefly under oath in a lawsuit over his mental competency that could influence the future of his majority ownership of Viacom and CBS. The issue arose as part of a lawsuit that is questioning whether the 93-year-old Redstone knew what he was doing when he removed Viacom Inc Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman and fellow Viacom board member George Abrams in May from a seven-person trust. The trust will control Redstone's majority ownership of Viacom and CBS Corp when he dies or is incapacitated. At a hearing on Friday in Norfolk County Probate and Family Court in Canton, Massachusetts, Judge George Phelan set a Sept. 19 trial date. Redstone attorney Robert Klieger said his client would agree to a "brief" deposition in the run up to trial, though attorneys for Dauman are also seeking a medical exam of Redstone. "We don't believe a further medical exam is necessary," Klieger said. Phelan set a hearing for Aug. 26 to discuss both the deposition and the medical exam. Dauman and Abrams filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts, where the trust was established, contesting their removal from the trust and the board of National Amusements Inc, Redstone's privately held movie theater company. Through National Amusements, Redstone owns 80 percent of the voting shares of CBS and Viacom. The outcome of the case, and who ends up with control over the trust, will have wide-ranging implications for Viacom and CBS shareholders and could result in changes at the top of both companies, possibly through mergers and acquisitions. Abrams and Dauman claim 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. In a June court filing, Sumner Redstone called it "offensive and untrue" to suggest that he was being unduly influenced. Redstone and National Amusements also moved to oust five Viacom directors in June, including Dauman and lead independent director Frederic Salerno, asking a court in Delaware to rule that the changes were valid. Salerno fired back with his own lawsuit challenging the removal. Viacom is incorporated in Delaware. (Writing by Dan Levine; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and David Gregorio)
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Three more people in Florida have tested positive for Zika caused by local mosquitoes, including another person who does not live in the one-square-mile (2.6-square-km) area believed to be the hub of local transmission, state officials said on Friday. Florida now has 28 cases of non-travel-related Zika, a virus that spread rapidly across Latin America and the Caribbean. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning for pregnant women to avoid this area of Miami. Zika has been shown to cause birth defects, including microcephaly, which causes severe developmental problems. As of Friday, two individuals in Miami-Dade County have been infected with Zika through local transmission who live outside the transmission area. A third person in Palm Beach County has also tested positive for Zika. The health department said it still believes local transmission is only occurring in the one-square-mile (2.6-square-km) area located in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. The state said is has just begun investigating the second Miami case outside of the Wynwood neighborhood and has begun mosquito control efforts. It did not disclose the location of the new case and stressed that one case does not mean active transmission. In addition to cases caused by local transmission, Florida reported 10 new travel-related cases of Zika, bringing the total to 413. The continuing Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. Its arrival in the continental United States had been widely anticipated. (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
FRIDAY, Aug. 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Concerns around the mosquito-borne Zika virus aren't dampening many Americans' plans to visit Florida, a new survey shows.

Earlier this month, the first cases of locally acquired Zika infection were confirmed in the Miami-area Wynwood neighborhood. The virus can cause a transitory illness but is most dangerous to pregnant women, since maternal infection can trigger a serious birth defect called microcephaly. Babies with microcephaly are born with too-small heads and underdeveloped brains.

The new survey was conducted three days after the first 15 non-travel-related cases of Zika were reported in the Miami area. That has now increased to 25 cases, according to Florida health officials.

In their poll, researchers at the University of Florida questioned 828 people nationwide. All had already planned to visit the state within the next six months.

Most of the would-be visitors to Florida seem undeterred by the Zika news. More than 70 percent of those surveyed said they were concerned about the virus, but less than 10 percent of those with concerns changed their travel plans, according to researchers at the university's Tourism Crisis Management Initiative (TCMI).

Of the 10 percent of respondents who said they were changing their travel plans, 60 percent said they would postpone their visit to Florida, while 25 percent said they would travel somewhere else.

Among those who changed their plans, about 15 percent consulted with a health care provider before making that decision, the researchers noted.

The survey also found that 45 percent of respondents had "medium to high" levels of knowledge about Zika, and 82 percent knew about protective measures such as use of insect repellents, staying indoors with air conditioning, and having screened windows and doors.

There are steps that Florida officials can take to encourage visitors and keep them safe, stressed study lead author Ignatius Cahyanto in a University of Florida news release.

"Making insect repellent available for guests in public areas of hotels and other public accommodations, as well as directing them to information such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] website, would help to build protective behaviors," said Cahyanto, an affiliate TCMI researcher from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the Zika virus.
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 recent past would suggest we give this pivot a bit of breathing room before offering a final pronouncement on whether it's actually taken this time.

The issue is always Trump. Does he have the discipline to stick to the message he delivered last night in Charlotte? Or will he revert back to the person he has been for the bulk of this campaign and the majority of his adult life?
The title of the article says it all when it comes to leading effective meetings. As the sales executive, you are the leader when meeting with clientele.

False Start

On occasion you may hear someone say, I can talk to you now, but I only have a few minutes. In a snapshot, tell me what youve got.

Many people fall for this, and proceed to tell everything theyve got in a two-minute verbiage vomit. The only thing this produces is a mess, and hearing not interested.

A far better approach is to ask to schedule a meeting where you may have a give and take to get to know one another better. This lets the other party know you are serious and potentially trustworthy. This normally promotes a scheduled date.

Share Your Story

As we move through life, we take on a variety of roles. The only constant is to be true to self, your principles, and personal brand. The previous sentence is key, because this is the basis for building your personal story.

It is our unique story that serves to build a sound connection and human bond; it also gradually works toward building the relationship and trust.

Begin by asking your prospective client how they began their career or achieved the position they are. People love talking about themselves and this will lend great insight on how to work with your potential client. Then briefly, in two minutes or less, share your story. Try to find an area of commonality to connect a common interest.

Leading the Meeting

Ask prospective clients what caught their interest to learn more. You wouldnt be in a meeting if there werent some need in mind. Inquire as to personal as well as business goals. Then delve deeper to inquire about specific goals for the year and what obstacles might be in the way. The more open you conduct the conversation, the more likely you will be to get the sale. Sales dont necessarily happen the same day you meet. The sale depends on the expenditure, complexity, and the need for other people to be involved in the process.

Become the Doctor

The second phase of the meeting is to be the doctor of business. What problems or symptoms are being experienced, why do they believe this is the case, and how they see the remedy. Discuss all. Should your belief be different than theirs, ask if they would consider XYZ. Upon hearing, no, ask why and prior experiences. Hearing yes, mark a star to capitalize on that segment.

Transform into Problem Solver

Some conversations only require a simple on the spot idea for solution while others require a well thought out proposal based upon everything discussed. Get the Client to Announce They Wish to Buy Two questions to be asked prior to ending the meeting are:

Do my services appear to be what you are seeking? Do you believe me to be a provider who will serve your company well?

Hearing Yes as an answer to each question signals you are well on your way. Confirm your conversation prior to leaving the meeting.

Republished by permission. Original here.
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Imagine  generating hundred and thousands of hits to your website a day. Those hits turn into email subscribers, and people buying your products.

This consistent traffic gives you the financial freedom you need to spend time living a life that brings joy and abundance to the world. This is the reality for many business owners and entrepreneurs just like you.

It doesnt happen over night, and it isnt easy  but it can be a reality for you.

If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, then this is the definitive guide to being an SEO expert.

Before I show you how to be the master DIY SEO expert, I want to lay some ground rules.

First, understand there are over 200 different signals that Google uses to determine ranking in the Google search engine.

Its not necessary to pay attention keenly to all 200 (unless this is your 24/7 occupation). There are some key signals and criteria to focus on and that we can easily control.

Second, understand that you MUST write and produce content for humans (not the Google bots). If you focus on producing content that humans enjoy you will win in the eyes of Google.

Lastly, nothing beats hiring a real SEO expert: someone like a WordPress developer who is versed in SEO. He or she can help increase your ranking within your website for optimal results.

Hosting

Before you start your website, the proper hosting service determines your website. Smaller hosting platforms that are niched may be more appropriate for you depending on your goals.

That being said I look at the hosting platform that the major players are using. One of them beats out the rest in the hosting world. Bluehost  It is the same hosting service Patt Flynn uses on most of his sites.

Bluehost has cheap hosting, great service, reliability, and awesome SEO components taken care of.

Obviously there are other hosting platforms to choose from. No matter the platform, youll need to secure a rock-solid host.

Website Theme

Finding a website theme for your business that has the design functionality you want (without a bunch of junk code) can be challenging.

There are many places to get themes for your website including Themeforest, MojoThemes, and Genesis.

For SEO purposes  Genesis is the winner. Their code is very clean (not a bunch of sloppy code). It is not image heavy, and it is maintained incredibly well.

The downside to Genesis is that it is a higher price point to customize. Plus youll need a coder to customize an themes. However if you can handle the out-of-the-box solution this may be great for you!

Otherwise, feel free to grab a clean looking template from Themeforest, and install the demo content onto your new domain name in WordPress (after installing WordPress.org of course!).

Site Speed

How fast your site loads is one of the key factors in determining your SEO ranking.

Plus for every second your website takes to load, your chance of a user abandoning your website increases.

See Also: Wix Launches SEO Wiz to Help Small Businesses Get Found

The bottom line is faster = better.

Google has an amazing tool that is 100 percent free to test your site speed. Just go to Googles Site Speed Insights Page and type in your URL to test. It will let you know how fast it is on a ranking of 0-100 on mobile and desktop.

Plus it will also let you know what you need to fix and update to make the SEO rank higher.

The following plugins are geared to increase site speed as much as possible while minimizing unnecessary code.

Plugins for WordPress (to Increase Site Speed)

WorPress plugins are going to be the bread and butter of your DIY guide to being an SEO expert.

More plugins doesnt mean better. Your site can slow down with too many plugins (so be selective).

Focus on the most productive plugins for your stellar SEO driven website.

First download the Yoast SEO plugin.

Yoast SEO takes care of most of the SEO things you need done and they have an amazing blog article to walk you step by step through the key components of their tool and SEO in general.

Yoast SEO integrates perfectly with website tools like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. And it has an amazing section for social SEO, where you can turn on meta tags for open graph searches and much more.

Youll be pumped about the Yoast SEO plugin. Time saver, seriously.

WOT Cache

These plugins are kind of complicated to explain but simply it goes like this  HTML code is less resource intensive than PHP code.

If a website has to repeatedly call PHP code for a user, it slows down the load speed.

Caching plugins like these generates static html files from your dynamic WordPress blog.

After an html file is generated, your web server will serve that file instead of processing the comparatively heavier and more expansive WordPress php scripts.  WP super cache plugin description

If your technically savvy, use WOT Cache. It is superior and truly amazing.

Content Delivery Networks

A Content Delivery Network or (CDN) is a tool that saves all your static content across multiple servers around the world.

Static content, is content that rarely changes like images, videos, and blog articles. A CDN saves the static files on multiple servers all across the globe. This increases load time speed,because the information has to travel less literal distance.

Imagine your website is hosted in Austin Texas, and someone in New York City visits your website.

The information has to go from New York City to Austin, Texas and then back to New York City. This slows down the response time drastically.

Imagine though, if a server was set up with 90 percent of your content saved in Washington D.C. Instead of retrieving all the data from Austin, you can grab 90 percent it from D.C and the remaining 10 percent from Austin. This is what a caching plugin does (the plugins I recommended above).

It saves your content all around the world on a plethora of servers.

Bluehost has an automatic CDN built into it, and services like Squarespace do, too. That being said, if you dont have a CDN check out MAXCDN, this is the recommend CDN used by the Yoast SEO plugin.

Image Optimization

Images are the number one reason sites take so long to load. They are highly resource intensive and very rarely are optimized for web.

Most images can be optimize by 50 to 90 percent and still retain excellent quality. Here is the beautiful thing: there are tons of excellent plugins to use for image optimization.

I like to personally use the tools that have a bulk image optimization tool. That way my 1,000 images throughout my site can all be optimized in a matter of minutes.

This is why I recommend the tool Shortpixel. The user experience is top notch!

There is a free version that gives you 100 images for free (more than enough if you are just starting) or a small fee of $5 a month to process a 5,000 images at once. I have yet to see anyone need more than a few thousand images to optimize.

Image SEO

When creating image, there are 3 more SEO components to keep in mind.

The first thing is the file name. When you hit save does it save as xivasln32x.png? The generic file name gives you no SEO juice.

Instead save the file with the keywords you are looking to achieve. For example: DIY_Guide_SEO.png. That file will be crawled for the keywords DIY, Guide, and SEO by the Google bots.

Alt attributes: When an image cant render properly or when you hover over an image, what pops up in the dialogue box? xivasln32x.png Again?

Alt attributes add associated keywords with your image. Dont go spam crazy with a hundred keywords. Two or three will work perfectly.

Make sure your images are crawl-able by Google. Add a Google sitemap (covered later in the guide).

Headlines, Page Titles, and Meta Descriptions

These three component make up what you do every day to increase your SEO. Creating regular content for your readers and Google sends tons of signals to Google that your website is pertinent and important.

I have stated before how writing bad headlines is killing your business. It doesnt matter if your writing headlines for email, articles, social media posts. On average 5x as many people read headlines as compared to the body.

There is a dilemma though  writing headlines for Google can be boring.

Huffington Post created the headline What time is the Super Bowl and rocked a ton of hits but the article was less than 100 words. Did it convey the message and information? Yes.

Yet does it bring personality and style into the article? Nope!

SEO is about being literally conveying the information for Google, while also remembering ground rule 2: write for humans.

Here is how you can write for humans and Google bots.

There are three options when it comes to headlines, titles, and meta descriptions

1. Write headlines that pack an SEO punch AND a creative catchy headline. Check out Jon Morrows headline hacks to create an effective headline. The DIY guide to SEO is a long tail keyword that will rank well in google, #humblebrag.

2. The next option is a two part process. Write a different article title and a page title. An article title is what you show your reader. A page title is what you show Google bots.

3. Take the two step process and add a meta description for heavily searched terms. Meta descriptions can help visitors determine which site is best to click on. a well written synopsis or description to bait readers can add to more clicks and better overall SEO.

Sitemaps

A sitemap is a file that tells Google and other search engines like Bing where to go on a website. A sitemap is the GPS coordinates of your site.

If you are using the plugin Yoast SEO, creating and feeding Google is easy!

Click on the section that says XML sitemaps, follow the directions, and viola you are done. Now  Google, Bing, and any other search engines will crawl your site map.

Links

Links are the bread and butter of Googles algorithms.

Simply put, the more high quality links pointing into your site (from highly reputable sources) the better.

To achieve this, make great content, reach out to people and build the links over time. There is no quick fix to build massive amounts of links.

Outbound links are important too. Remember to link to high quality articles that pertain to your subject. This shows your readers and Google that you know quality content.

Overall SEO doesnt have to be complicated. The more time you spend learning and optimizing your website, the better your business will do.

Remember the guideline to make content for humans and you should be on your way to massively successful online business!

Make great content, promote it, and SEO juice will be flooding in  on stop.
Building a successful business is a constantly changing process. So you need to be able to adapt and keep up to ensure long term success. Members of our small business community have had to navigate plenty of changes and updates. Check out some top tips for moving your business toward future success in the list below.

Be Useful for Mobile Shoppers

If you want your business to be successful going forward, you need to focus on mobile. And if you sell products, that means you need to provide an experience that is useful for mobile shoppers. Colin Williamson of Reef Digital shares some tips for doing so in this post.

Get a Headstart With Instagrams Latest Update

Social platforms like Instagram can be great tools for businesses. But theyre also constantly changing. So you need to keep up with updates like Instagrams newest feature, Stories, in order to be successful in the future. Ben Marshall explores how to use Instagrams latest update in this Studio Culture post. And the BizSugar community also discusses the post here.

Protect Your Business From Crashing and Burning

There are all kinds of disasters that can happen to businesses. And while you cant necessarily anticipate all of them, you can use processes to protect your business from some common issues. Benjamin Brandall details how processes can help in this Process Street post.

Maximize Your Marketing Efforts With Statistics

Building your own marketing strategy can be sort of a gamble. But if you take a look at the facts and statistics behind things like social media marketing, like the ones shared in this RightMix Marketing post by Chris Flores, you can improve your odds of being successful.

Consider the Past, Present and Future of SEO

SEO is one of those concepts thats always changing. So if youre going to use it for your business, you need to keep up with all the changes. Jasmine Sandler outlines some of those changes along with what might come next for SEO in this Search Engine Journal post. And BizSugar members share thoughts on the post too.

Bring Your Team Together With Fun Office Activities

Having a strong team can help your business deal with pretty much any situations that come your way. But in order to bring your team together, you might need to get a little creative. Ivan Widjaya has some suggestions for fun office activities in this SMB CEO post.

Engage Employees With Summer Rewards

You can also keep your employees engaged by providing some kind of rewards system. And summer is a great opportunity to offer some fun rewards to your team, as Stephanie Galioto shares in this Marketing Innovators post.

Design the Perfect Twitter Campaign

If you use Twitter as part of your content strategy, you may need to do more than just post the occasional promotional tweets. Using actual Twitter campaigns can be beneficial when done correctly, as David Lowbridge of Two Feet Marketing explores here. You can also see conversation surrounding the post over on BizSugar.

Write a Blog Series

You likely already know about the potential benefits that blogging can bring to your content strategy. But some entrepreneurs still struggle with getting people to read their blogs on an ongoing basis. Thats where blog series can help. Megan Hicks shares how to start a blog series in this post on the Social Marketing Fella blog.

Keep an Eye on These Gadget Trends

If you want your business to be successful well into the future, you need to monitor upcoming trends. Whether you run a tech business or not, gadgets and tech trends can have a huge impact on how you run your business. And Stephen Moyers outlines some upcoming gadget trends in this post on the SPINX Digital Blog.

If youd like to suggest your favorite small business content to be considered for an upcoming community roundup, please send your news tips to: sbtips@gmail.com
As an SEO company, one of the most frequent questions we get from our clients is how they should be managing and writing their blog. While there is some variation to what does and does not work for different forms of content, there are certain best practices that can help enhance your blog from both an SEO and user perspective. If you arent already, put these tips into practice for a blog thats as helpful as it is successful.

Blog SEO Tips

1. Unique, Quality Content. For a while now, weve heard over and over that content is king. However, you cant crank out unoriginal, boring content and expect significant user engagement. Whats more, search engines value high quality content and give well-constructed pieces much greater consideration in their rankings than they do poor bulk content. Avoid copying and pasting other content that you find on the internet unless you are quoting a publication. Always try and add your own spin to whatever youre writing about, especially if its a popular topic, and foster strong content writing habits that will make regular production of blog posts a more natural process.

2. Be Engaging. If you write engaging content, your readers will want to keep coming back. Not only will they want to come back, but theyll also be more willing to share what you write with their friends. A big part of creating engaging content is providing users with information thats actionable, specific and offers utility. This is why content like listicles, checklists and infographics are so successful; theyre easy for users to quickly absorb and apply, which then makes them more likely to share the content with others.

3. Social Tools. Incorporating social sharing tools into your blog posts gives your readers an easy option to share content on their social media accounts. This is also important because search engines analyze social signals to determine which companies or websites people like and share as a means of determining the legitimacy of sites. These signals are incorporated into search engine algorithms, so having social sharing tools built into your posts is a must. You can add social sharing sidebars to your content through websites such as addthis.com and sharethis.com.

4. Length of Posts. Even though search engines are looking for content with substance, they do give consideration to the word count of a post. Length isnt always a true gauge of the quality of a post, but it doesnt hurt to shoot for somewhere between 250-600 words. Quality content will fair far better than fluff pieces with little depth, but high quality long form content does tend to do better. In short, there isnt an ideal length for blog posts, because it depends on what youre writing. Instead of paying attention to length, try and treat each piece of content as an individual resource, and accomplish the end goal of that post in whatever length works the best.

5. Opportunity for Comments. I always recommend allowing comments, because you want to stay connected to your readers. You also get an SEO benefit from the comment content being added to the page, because search engines like it when pages are updated and added to often. If you choose to allow comments, make sure you moderate often and have a comment spam solution in place.

6. Spelling and Grammar. Search engines pay close attention to spelling and grammar, as well as informed users. There are several low quality websites that outsource their writing needs to content shops that churn out low quality content littered with improper spelling and grammar. Sniffing out and devaluing that low quality content was and is one of the primary objectives for the Google Panda updates. Moreover, a polished and knowledgeable website should be as free of such errors as possible in order to be considered an authority.

7. Linking Strategies.When writing your posts, dont forget to look for opportunities to link to other content within your website even better if you have the opportunity to link back to that content with a keyword phrase youre trying to rank for on the linked page. Its also encouraged to link outside of your website if theres an authoritative source on the topic of your post. Obviously, you wont receive as much of a benefit as you would if you were linking to your own website, but the post could earn some trust points with engines. As a rule of thumb, try and limit yourself to 1-2 links per 200 words.

8. Tags. After you have written your blog post, title, description, and keywords, you also generally have the option to set tags. Tags can be used for categorization by the search engines, but probably dont hold much weight. Content will be the ultimate guide for their algorithms. When you do tag, try and keep the tags limited to ideas, concepts, locations, events and product names. Its also important to avoid overusing tags. 10 tags should be plenty to categorize a blog post, but aim for 4 or less.

Republished by permission. Original here.
"A little fill here and there may seem to be nothing to become excited about. But one fill, though comparatively inconsequential, may lead to another, and another, and before long a great body may be eaten away until it may no longer exist.

Our navigable waters are a precious natural heritage, once gone, they disappear forever," wrote the Wisconsin Supreme Court in its 1960 opinion resolving Hixon v. PSC and buttressing The Public Trust Doctrine, Article IX of the Wisconsin State Constitution.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Aug 11, 2016) - Entree Gold Inc. (ETG.TO)(NYSE MKT:EGI)(EKA.F) ("Entree" or the "Company") has today filed its interim operational and financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2016. All numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS

Underground Development at Oyu Tolgoi Update Provided by Turquoise Hill

On August 2, 2016, Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. ("Turquoise Hill") released an update on the progress towards the start of underground construction at the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia.

The August 2 release advised that Oyu Tolgoi LLC ("OTLLC") has drawn down approximately $4.3 billion of the $4.4 billion project finance facility that was signed in December 2015. Steps are being taken to finalize the drawdown of the remaining amount. As part of the project finance facility, a debt cap of $6.0 billion for Oyu Tolgoi was agreed, which provides the possibility for an additional $1.6 billion of supplemental debt in the future.

In June 2016, OTLLC signed a contract with Jacobs Engineering Group ("Jacobs") to provide engineering, procurement and construction management ("EPCM") services for the underground development, which paves the way for construction to begin. Jacobs will be responsible for the materials handling systems for the underground mine and associated surface and underground infrastructure. The project is expected to be delivered over a five to seven year period. Major contractor mobilization for the sinking for Shafts #2 and #5, underground development, critical construction works and maintenance are all progressing. As at August 2, 2016, Shaft #2 had approximately 100 metres of development remaining and is expected to be completed in 2016. A site infrastructure office has been established as well as project personnel being mobilized. In July 2016, OTLLC signed a contract with mining services provider Thiess and Mongolian contractor Khishig Arvin for development of twin declines, incorporating both a service and conveyor tunnel.

Story continues

Entree has a 20% carried interest in two of the Oyu Tolgoi project deposits, Hugo North Extension and Heruga. The resources at Hugo North Extension include a Probable reserve, which is included in the first stage of underground mine development, On May 5, 2016, OTLLC received formal 'notice to proceed' approval by the boards of Turquoise Hill, Rio Tinto and OTLLC. Underground construction is expected to begin in the next few months. As part of the notice to proceed process, the 2016 Oyu Tolgoi Feasibility Study ("OTFS16") was also approved. Turquoise Hill has reported that it expects to publish an updated National Instrument 43-101 technical report before the end of the year.

Expenditures Reduced

Q2 2016 exploration and general and administrative expenditures of approximately $447,000 and $486,000, respectively, were reduced by 66% and 40% compared to the same quarter in 2015 as a result of the Company's continued objective to reduce non value adding expenditures. This is also a decrease of 10% and 15%, respectively, from the previous quarter's results (Q1 2016).

SECOND QUARTER 2016 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Tabled amounts below in USD 000's YTD 2016 Q2 2016 Exploration $ (945 ) $ (447 ) General and administration (1,058 ) (486 ) Stock-based compensation (56 ) (14 ) Foreign exchange loss (438 ) (3 ) Loss from operations (2,497 ) (950 ) Interest expense and equity investee loss (189 ) (104 ) Net loss (2,686 ) (1,054 ) Foreign currency translation adjustment 1,349 (52 ) Comprehensive loss $ (1,337 ) $ (1,106 ) Cash outflow from operating activities before changes in working capital $ (1,793 ) $ (906 ) Decrease in receivables, prepaids and other assets 276 221 Decrease in payables (1,142 ) (226 ) Refund payment to Sandstorm (5,500 ) - Cash receipts from stock option exercises 36 25 Cash receipts from asset disposals 40 37 Cash payments to acquire equipment, net (6 ) - Cash balance at June 30, 2016 $ 14,697 $ 14,697

The Company's Interim Financial Statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 are available on the Company website at www.entreegold.com, SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Robert Cinits, P.Geo., Entree's Vice President, Corporate Development, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has approved the technical information in this release.

ABOUT ENTREE GOLD INC.

Entree Gold Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company balancing opportunity and risk with key assets in Mongolia and Nevada. As a joint venture partner with a carried interest on a portion of the Oyu Tolgoi mining project in Mongolia, Entree has a unique opportunity to participate in one of the world's largest copper-gold projects managed by one of the premier mining companies - Rio Tinto. Oyu Tolgoi, with its series of deposits containing copper, gold and molybdenum, has been under exploration and development since the late 1990s. Additionally, Entree has also been advancing its Ann Mason Project in one of the world's most favourable mining jurisdictions, Nevada. The Ann Mason Project hosts the Ann Mason copper-molybdenum deposit as well as the Blue Hill copper deposit within the rejuvenated Yerington copper camp.

Sandstorm Gold, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill Resources are major shareholders of Entree, holding approximately 15%, 11% and 9% of issued and outstanding shares, respectively.

This News Release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to ongoing efforts to conserve cash; construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine; anticipated business activities; and corporate strategies.

In certain cases, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budgeted", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of Entree's future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, local and global economic conditions, legal proceedings and negotiations and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the status of the Company's relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia, OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill. With respect to the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine, important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, the timing and cost of the construction and expansion of mining and processing facilities; the timing and availability of a long term power source for the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine; the impact of the delay in the funding and development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine; delays, and the costs which would result from delays, in the development of the underground mine; and production estimates and the anticipated yearly production of copper, gold and silver at the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine.

Other uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, whether the size, grade and continuity of deposits and resource and reserve estimates have been interpreted correctly from exploration results; whether the results of preliminary test work are indicative of what the results of future test work will be; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand; changing foreign exchange rates; actions by Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill and/or OTLLC and by government authorities including the Government of Mongolia; the availability of funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices, including laws, regulations and government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment, royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits; the availability and cost of necessary items such as power, water, skilled labour, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining arrangements; and misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements.

In addition, there are also known and unknown risk factors which may cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to international operations, including legal and political risk in Mongolia; risks associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign investment; risks associated with the conduct of joint ventures; discrepancies between actual and anticipated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; global financial conditions; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of economic evaluations; future prices of copper, gold, silver and molybdenum; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining government approvals, permits or licences or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; environmental risks; title disputes; limitations on insurance coverage; as well as those factors described in the Company's most recently filed Management's Discussion and Analysis and in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2015, dated March 30, 2016 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. 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 as 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. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.
WARSAW (Reuters) - Prolonged stagnation in the euro zone, which has significantly weakened the European banking sector, is one of the biggest threats for the Polish economy, Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday.

"There's still big uncertainty connected to - among others - Brexit and European banks' troubles, which may lead to further problems in the euro zone," Morawiecki said in his comment on second quarter economic growth data sent to Reuters.

Morawiecki welcomed second quarter GDP data for Poland saying that they underlined positive economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe's biggest economy. He also said that the deflation Poland is suffering is not dangerous for the economy.

(Reporting by Marcin Goclowski)
A couple of weeks ago I woke to read that 750 piglets and sows had been killed in a Wiltshire barn fire.

My heart breaks for the family who have seen their livelihood go up in flames as well as the animals who must have suffered unbearably.

The cause is still unknown, but if intentional, this unspeakable act of cruelty is beyond comprehension.

A minority of the comments on social media, though, were not so sympathetic, with people suggesting that the animals were due to be slaughtered anyway, and if the pigs had been free range the tragedy would not have happened.

Others made tasteless jokes about the waste of bacon.

Disconnect

Such comments show a worrying disconnect between farmers and the public they feed, which the animal rights brigade continues to capitalise on.

Liz Haines and her husband Nick milk 320 spring-calving cows in a contract-farming arrangement in north Shropshire. and her husband Nick milk 320 spring-calving cows in a contract-farming arrangement in north Shropshire.

Farmers Weekly has reported on pig farmers being targeted already this year with Animal Aid carrying out an undercover investigation following expansion plans at a pig unit in Yorkshire and the National Pig Association claiming it dealt with a peak of 15 expose in a fortnight.

Intensive dairy and broiler units have also faced action, and it seems that no area of livestock production is immune from the threat.

What does this mean for the future of livestock farmers?

Despite the apparent renaissance of British food, there are still far too many misconceptions circulating about how our food is produced.

So many people I speak to seem to think that we pump our cows full of hormones and antibiotics which are transferred into the milk, and one friend actually asked me if we milk the bulls.

Surely a key part of growing our industry is marketing ourselves, our values and standards to the public Liz Haines

My Facebook feed brings up links to films, such as Cowspiracy, which claim the beef industry is the leading cause of climate change, posters greet you in motorway service station toilets declaring that all male chicks are killed at birth in the egg industry

Even The Sun has run stories in the past with Compassion in World Farming, which imply that most male dairy calves are killed at birth and 70% of dairy cows have mastitis.

The truth

Farmers know that the truth is completely different  the UK has some of the highest welfare standards in the world, and we are rightly proud of them.

But when supermarkets can import cheaper products from other countries which dont have the same stringent regulations, and worse still label them up to look like they have come from British Farms, it is no wonder that consumers are left feeling confused.

In his column on 29 July, David Alvis suggested that Brexit provides a golden opportunity to promote the buy British message, and I completely agree.

But who should take responsibility for spreading the word?

In February, AHDB chairman Peter Kendall rejected calls to launch a farmer-funded advertising campaign urging people to buy British food, claiming the levy bodys role is to provide farmers with the tools to grow their industry,not make [them] feel good about themselves when they watch TV in the evening.

Marketing

Surely a key part of growing our industry is marketing ourselves, our values and standards to the public.

As individual farmers, we are best placed to tell the story of the work we do, and fight the misinformation which too often abounds in discussions about food production.

Social media provides a free and easy way to connect with people from all walks of life.

Whether its tweeting a photo, posting a video, or writing a blog, the power is in our hands to spread the truth about our fantastic industry.

Perhaps some AHDB funding would be well spent on developing our skills in this area.
Kuala Lumpur : The Malaysian Police has arrested nine militants, including two suspected of carrying out a grenade attack, claimed by Islamic State, at a nightspot on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in June, the country`s police chief said on Saturday.

A known Malaysian IS fighter in Syria, Muhammad Wanndy Muhammad Jedi, had said in a posting on his Facebook page that the group had carried out the June 28 attack on a bar in the Puchong neighborhood that wounded eight people.

If the claim was genuine it would have been the first attack by IS on Malaysian soil.



Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement the two men who carried out the attack had been caught in the northeastern state of Kelantan, where they had been awaiting instructions from Wanndy to carry out further attacks.

Following on from their arrest, police managed to seize a grenade, and it was suspected it would have been used in a planned attack, Khalid said.

He said two other people had been arrested for helping to hide the suspects.

Police had also tracked down a suspected IS member, whose cell had received orders from Wanndy, and had threatened attacks on the police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and on government buildings in the country`s administrative capital of Putrajaya, Khalid said.

Others arrested included a 17-year-old in the eastern state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo, who was believed to have been planning a `lone wolf` attack on non-Muslims after communicating with another Malaysian IS member in Syria.

Meanwhile, three foreigners, who were ex-military, were arrested in Kuala Lumpur for allegedly using the country as a transit point to secure fake travel documents and plan an attack on a Middle East nation, Khalid said.

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia have been on high alert since IS-linked militants carried out an armed attack in the capital of neighbouring Indonesia in January.

Police said last week 230 people, including 200 Malaysians, have been arrested since 2013 for involvement in militant activities.

In June, IS released a video of its fighters from Southeast Asia calling on its supporters to unify under one umbrella group and launch attacks in the region.

Source : Zee News
New Delhi : The Home Ministry has initiated an inquiry against an NGO named Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) run by the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik for alleged violation of Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act.

The move comes a day after the Mumbai Police indicted Islamic preacher Naik for involvement in unlawful activities and possible terror links.

A standard questionnaire has been sent to Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) after preliminary inquiry found the NGO run by Naik allegedly received about Rs 15 crore during a five-year period preceding 2012.

The IRF has been asked to furnish details of its bank accounts, including the designated FCRA account, and amount of foreign contributions received and utilised by it since inception, official sources said.

The preliminary probe has found that most of IRFs foreign funds came from the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and a few other Middle-East countries.

The Home Ministry probe will cover the allegations that foreign funding to IRF was used for political activities.

It will also look into allegation that the NGOs funds were used to induce people towards converting to Islam and attract youths towards terror, the sources said.

Meanwhile, sources said, legal opinion tendered recently to the Home Ministry has favoured declaring IRF an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The grounds for such a ban may include spreading hatred among religious communities and forced conversions by members.

Though IRF will be given a month to reply to the questionnaire, which seeks to know if NGOs are following FCRA rules, sources said, adding intelligence agencies have already pointed to a major violation by IRF as it is receiving and utilising funds for religious and religion-linked purposes despite being registered under educational purpose.

Sources said once the reply is received, a Home Ministry team will inspect the IRFs accounts. A show-cause notice may be issued if the inspection confirms FCRA violations.

The Home Ministry will move for cancellation of IRFs FCRA registration if the reply to the show-cause notice fails to satisfy it.

Any organisation declared as unlawful is banned from recruiting members and faces closure of all its offices and interests across the country.

But at the outset in a latest revelation as published by TOI, Zakir Naik got Rs 60 crore in 3 years from abroad.

A total of Rs 60 crore was deposited in controversial televangelist Zakir Naik s bank account in the last three years from three different countries, a Mumbai police probe has found. The money was transferred to five accounts belonging to Naiks family members, a police officer who did not wish to be named said.

Police sources said they had probed the money angle and found details of all transactions. We still dont know what this money was meant for. We have done an inquiry and found the money trail. The money was transferred to family members accounts, said the officer.

The account, the officer made clear, does not belong to Naiks NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) but is his own. Police are looking into the financial transactions of Naik and the IRF. However, they are yet to question IRF officials.

We may question them about the source of income, the connection between the depositors and Naik, said the officer to TOI reporter.

Interesting enough, while Naik allegedly received about Rs 15 crore during a five-year period preceding 2012, he got Rs 60 crore in last three years. It proves that maxium of foreign fund to Zakir Naiks NGO came under PM Modis tenure, most probably to destabilized his Govt. through spreading communal disharmony, communal clashes and political backlash, as Modi is always treated as a Hindu poster boy in Indian politics.

Source : Hindu Existence
From the Open-Publishing Calendar From the Open-Publishing Newswire Indybay Feature

Santa Clara County Court Clerks Fight For Living Wages & Human Rights After 7 Year Freeze by Labor Video Project Four hundred Santa Clara County Superior Court clerical workers have been on strike for 8 days for living wages and human rights. The Chief Executive Officer David Yamasaki has refused to give a cost of living increase even though the state of california provided the increase for court workers.



Many also commute 2 and three hours to work because they cannot afford to live in the San Jose area.

The independent Superior Court Professional Employees Association was formed only two years ago and this strike is important for all workers. This interview was done on August 12, 2016 in San Jose.

To support the workers

Superior Court Professional Employees Association

https://www.gofundme.com/259356rs.

Production of

Labor Video Project

http://www.laborvideo.org An independent union representing nearly 400 court workers in Santa Clara County have been on strike for 8 days for living wages and also human rights. Workers have not had a pay raise in 7 years and face homelessness and some are forced to get public services because of their low pay in Silicon Valley.Many also commute 2 and three hours to work because they cannot afford to live in the San Jose area.The independent Superior Court Professional Employees Association was formed only two years ago and this strike is important for all workers. This interview was done on August 12, 2016 in San Jose.To support the workersSuperior Court Professional Employees AssociationProduction ofLabor Video Project For more information: https://youtu.be/XcLEpsLTIhk Related Categories: South Bay | Labor & Workers

 Court Workers Rally by Labor Video Project Santa Clara County Court Workers Rallied at the courthouse in solidarity. https://youtu.be/XcLEpsLTIhk

 Dogs Owner Needs A Raise by Labor Video Project A dog at the strike wants his owner to get a raise https://youtu.be/XcLEpsLTIhk

 Clerks United For Justice by Labor Video Project Santa Clara County Superior Court clerks are very united in their fight for a living wage. https://youtu.be/XcLEpsLTIhk

 Santa Clara Santa Clara County Court CEO David H. Yamasaki Has Attacked Clerks by Labor Video Project Santa Clara Santa Clara County Court CEO David H. Yamasaki refused to give a 2.1% increase to clerical workers and has said the courts don't need them. He also sent an email to staff at the courts that they should not contribute food or money to the strikers because it would be unethical.

He has increased his salary and the salary of other top managers while stiffing the workers who do the work. https://youtu.be/XcLEpsLTIhk

 New Building But No Living Wages by Labor Video Project The courts are building a new court by refuse to provide living wages to the court clerks. Many are forced to go on food stamps and other government services to survive. They also are forced to work two or three jobs to survive. https://youtu.be/XcLEpsLTIhk

 Stop Labor Abuse by Labor Video Project Striking Santa Clara Superior Court workers are angry about the abuse that they face from the top management. https://youtu.be/XcLEpsLTIhk
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Vivid Portrayal of Massive Human Tragedy

BOOK REVIEW

New Songs of the Survivors: The Exodus of Indians from Burma by Yvonne Vaz Ezdani; Speaking Tiger, New Delhi; 2016; price: Rs 350 (paperback).

Human memory of any important incident or event has now become a major source of history. There are pitfalls. Memories may fail. Memories may get clouded by other events thereby distorting memories of the events. In fact, in earlier days history depended entirely on written and/or archeological evidence, references in literature, epics and the like.

But in recent times Oral History has become a major source of recording an important event. In India we are not in the habit of writing out individual experiences of participating in any notable incident. Thus, one of the main sources of history does get lost.

Yvonne Vaz Ezdans book, New Songs of the Survivors; The Exodus of Indians from Burma, is a remarkable piece of literature based very largely on human memories. Amitava Ghosh in his introduction rightly said: It is, so far as I know, the first attempt to write an oral history of the forgotten long march drawing on the recollections of survivors and their descendents. Indeed the book is much more than an oral history. The manner of writing is such as to allow the reader to witness the events as they unfolded giving the narrative the vividness and momentum of a novel.

The accounts of human suffering are rarely pleasant reading. The authors father, Lucio Alexandar Vaz, writes: And on that difficult walk with hunger, they did not even have the strength to pull the grass from the ground to eat. Instead they had to lie down and eat the grass off the ground like cattle.

The author is fully aware of the weakness of any oral history: Many factual stories remain only in oral tradition: they are passed from generation to generation and each telling distorting them a little. Some simply die with the passing of those who lived through them. And so, I began making rough notes of the stories I was told. The author carries the story to a higher plain when he writes: While recapturing the memories of a generation that is advancing in age, New Songs of the Survivors also seeks to record little known tales of determination of survivors that are relevant not only to the period of history in Burma and India, but to the human spirit everywhere.

The British colonial masters discriminated against Goans even though they wore European clothes and spoke the Portuguese language. They were not allowed to be members of the British Gymkhana Club. Though they distinguished themselves from other Indians, the Britishers treated them as shabbily as any colonial person. Goans did not have any particular skill nor were they highly educated, but by the sheer sincerity and hard work they acquired wealth and respectability. The colonial masters valued their services and often promoted them out of turn. That way they thought that they were a cut above the other Indians.

As described earlier during the recollections from the survivors and their descendents, this book is an excellent story of the forgotten Long March, one of the biggest and most harrowing mass migrations in recent history.

The author has succinctly put it as follows: While recapturing the memories of a generation that is advancing in age, New Songs of the Survivors also seeks to record little known facts of determination and survival that are relevant not only to that period of the history in Burma and India, but to the human spirit everywhere! The progress of human civilisation had been from the stage of migrating and hunting-gathering occupation to settled life through agriculture, formation of villages, towns, cities and the associated activities therewith. Mass migration of human being is both a colossal mass tragedy and undoing of the entire process of history. Agony and suffering of the participants cannot be understood by us living in settled and peaceful civilised society.

This book is a major contribution to the portrayal of the massive tragedy of human beings in recent times. This is worth keeping in ones own private collection.

The reviewer, an erstwhile administrator and expert on land issues, is currently a Rajya Sabha member representing the Trinamul Congress.
The Braves have designated right-hander Roberto Hernandez for assignment as part of a series of roster moves, reports MLB.coms Mark Bowman (on Twitter). In addition to Hernandezs DFA, the Braves have optioned right-hander Brandon Cunniff to Triple-A Gwinnett, recalled right-hander Akeel Morris from Double-A Mississippi and selected the contract of right-hander Jason Hursh from Gwinnett.

Hernandez, 35, made two starts within the past week for the Braves but served up eight runs on 13 hits and a walk with six strikeouts in nine innings. Four of those hits cleared the outfield fence, thus accounting for the vast majority of the runs he surrendered. While those results, clearly, are uninspiring, Hernandez proved at least capable of delivering a mid-4.00 ERA from 2013-15 with the Rays, Phillies, Dodgers and Astros, as he pitched to a 4.45 earned run average with 5.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate near 52 percent. His Triple-A work this season, split between the Jays and Braves, was largely similar, as he posted a 4.60 ERA in 86 innings of work. If he doesnt get another crack in the Majors this season, Hernandez should still be able to secure another minor league pact to serve as rotation depth for a club heading into the 2017 campain.

As for the players being added to the Braves roster, Morris was acquired from the Mets earlier this year in exchange for Kelly Johnson. The return for Johnson was somewhat of a surprise, as Morris ranked as a solid prospect within the Mets system. Morris is a relief prospect with a big fastball, gaudy strikeout numbers and questionable control, and none of that changed when he switched organizations. Hes posted a 2.78 ERA and averaged 11.9 K/9 in 22 2/3 innings with Atlantas Double-A affiliate, but hes also issued 17 walks in that time. The 24-year-old Hursh was a first-round pick by the Braves back in 2013 (No. 31 overall), but hes moved from the rotation to the bullpen in recent seasons. In 64 innings of relief between Double-A and Triple-A, hes turned in a 1.83 ERA this year, though that pristine mark comes with a less exciting 45-to-26 K/BB ratio.
When Bilikis Rafiu was with her parents as a young lady, she thought life would be bed of roses for her, unknowingly to her, she would end up as a vulcanizer.

Even though, her uncle whose name was not disclosed is also into the job, but as a woman, her thought was to be an hairdresser, and petty trading to survive.

Like a destiny which follow all human being irrespective of challenges, Bilkis Rafiu later got married to her uncle's apprenticeship Aremu Olaitan Rafiu few years ago. Bilkis Rafiu, a 35-year-old from Oke Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government, Kwara State happened to be the only female vulcanizer in Kwara State.

She was sighted by our correspondent along Oke-Adini, Kulende area in Ilorin where she usually display her skills and ply her trade, a career that is believed to belong to the men only.

The mother of four children revealed that her parents could not afford to see her through a formal education, no thanks to her the polygamous where she grew up.

In her early years, she was compelled to sell sachet water, snacks, soft drinks on the streets in other to raise money to assist her mother as the trend in some Nigerian States.

READ ALSO: How FMC abandons pregnant women to die in labour rooms

Journey

Recalling how she started her adventurous life before delving into vulcanizing work, Bilkis Rafiu revealed that, she was an apprehentice in Lokoja, Kogi State under her elder sister who had a saloon where she served for close to ten years.

I never believed that I would go into vulcanizing work as a woman, but when I came back from Lokoja where I had served under my sister, I met a man who is my current husband and he introduced the work to me, She said.

Bilkis Rafiu developed interest in vulcanizing and accepted to learn the act, this took her just six months to be perfect compare to hairdressing that took her almost a decade to learn.

Throughout the period in which Bilkis Rafiu was learning this trade, she did not pay any money to Aremu Rafiu Olaitan, her trainer - the man she eventually got married to.

Then, I used to observe how my husband do his work, and I used to see how many motorists used to patronise him in which I later developed interest for the job.

I approached him if I could be under him, and I even thought that he would scold me, but he accepted me and encouraged me not knowing that he would later become the father of my children, she said.

Even though, Bilkis' parents were unable to send her to school, her father was nonchalant, her mother, however, kicked against what she chose to do as a means of livelihood.

My father has many wives, so he does not care about anyone, but my mother was against this job when I started as she claimed that the work is meant for men.

The third day when I started learning this work, I had a serious cut in my left hand when I was trying to remove a tyre from the rim, and it took me three weeks before the wound healed up.

After recuperating, I told my mother that I would go back to vulcanizing work, and to my surprise, she agreed since that was what I wanted, she explained.

After a while, Bilkis Rafiu decided to start the vulcanizing work at the front of the house where she and her husband lives and she revealed that she never regretted learning the work.

When I started this work on my own on full time basis, a lot of people were asking me the reason why I decided to be a vulcanizer, and what I told them was I wanted something different as a woman.

There are so many ladies who are into tailoring, hair dressing and so on, but I thought this work would bring a lot of sales for me considering my status as a woman and I am happy up till now because I make up to Five thousand naira everyday from this job.

Even my husband who also has his own shop does not make the sales I use to make here and for the past five years that I have started this work, I have never had any cause to regret doing this job, she stressed.

When asked if she would love any of her children to also go into vulcanizing, she said: Me and my husband are using the money we are making to send our children to school since we never had the chance to go, but all our children will also know how to do this but it is not necessary that they practice it.

Challenges

Bilkis Rafiu said some male customers do assault her sexually claiming that some men would seek for her phone numbers after she might have done the job brought to her. Sometimes, she said she would receive strange calls to come over to hotel.

"There was a man who collected my phone number after I had repaired his car tyres and he later called me to come over to meet him in an hotel, I realised he was into another thing, and I told him not to call me for such illegitimate act again.

So, that are some of the challenges I do receive on this job, but I am not bothered because life itself is a challenge," she said to Legit.ng.

The lady vulcanizer with Legit.ng's correspondent - Ibitoye Shittu

Profit?

Bilkis Rafiu explained that, she earns a minimum sum of N5,000 on a daily basis, some part of the realised funds were normally used to take care of her children, savings, and to also attend to all other needs.

"I am happy doing this job because I use to make at least 5,000 naira daily which is alright for me rather than going into labouring work that could attract assault.

Husband's Reaction

Mr Aremu Rafiu Olaitan, a 40-year-old who is from Ilorin said that his wife has being a fortress to him, adding that, he never regretted marrying her.

Some people do abuse me that she was doing the job so that I can't marry a second wife, but I thank God that we are able to cater for our children, planning ahead for our family.

READ ALSO: Samuel Okwaraji  A true Nigerian icon

Today, I have two motorcycles and I don't care what people are saying again, after all, I am able to discharge my responsibilities as husband in my extended family and I have never owed anyone.

Every morning, I use to go to my own stand, and my wife would be at home to do her work and also to cater for the children and prepare our home needs, I support her chosen career, and I am happy she is doing well for herself and the family, he explained.

Customer's Remarks

A motorist Rasak Akinola who came to repair his tyre as at the time when Legit.ng was speaking with Bilkis Rafiu, said he was surprised when he saw that women can remove car tyres, repair them and fix without any obvious stress.

This show that what a man can do, a woman can do better and I believe that there are many people that would share the same views with me on this,.

Another customer named Wuraola Ajao, said she felt challenged when she saw Bilkis for the first time doing the work supposedly reserved for men.

Since the first day I saw her, I have been patronising her anytime I have trouble with my tyres so as to appreciate her for what she does. Even sometimes, I do tell people about her.

Nothing is wrong

A legal Practitioner, Barrister Lawal Akanbi while speaking with Legit.ng disclosed that, there is nothing unusual in what Bilikis is doing.

What matter most is that the job she is doing must be legitimate in which people can associate with in our community. We have seen women who assist their husbands in robbery, crimes, selling helms and at the end of the day, they endanger lives of their children. So, I believe she is not doing what is wrong."

Bilikis said she is contented with her business, "No stress and I am happy with myself and my chosen career, I am also working for myself, whatever a man can do, a woman can also do better.

Source: Legit.ng
- Some unknown gunmen have attacked Rivers state

- The gunmen reportedly intercepted a commercial bus and kidnapped 14 passengers

- Police say the 14 hostages have regained their freedom

The release of 14 passengers kidnapped by some unknown gunmen in Rivers has been confirmed by the state's police command.

Unknown Gunmen kidnap 14 in Rivers state.

A bus belonging to ONELGA Link was hijacked by some hoodlums last weekend, with 14 passengers on board. The bus was reportedly set ablaze while the passengers were kidnapped.

The police in a statement signed by its spokesman, DSP Omoni Nnamdi said the victims were rescued following the swift response of the police to the situation.

He stated that no ransom was paid for the release of any of the hostages, adding that none of the victims was hurt.

READ ALSO: Top 5 things that will kill you in Nigeria, number 1 will shock you (pictured)

Meanwhile, the police has cautioned members of the public to be weary of kidnappers who disguise as military personnel.

According to the statement, It has been observed that kidnappers have now evolved new method of wearing Army Camouflage Uniforms and the use of Hilux Vehicles in perpetrating their criminal act by claiming to be Military men on official assignment.

In view of this, the public is hereby warned to seek clearance and confirmation from the Police Control Room, before following any officer who claims to have come to arrest him/her. It has been discovered that such arrest eventually turns out to be abduction.

On the 12th of August, 2016, fourteen (14) passengers were abducted while traveling from Omoku to Port Harcourt in a bus. In a swift reaction by the Commands Tactical Units, the bus was seen and after a diligent operation by the Command; the hostages were released unhurt. They have been debriefed and have reunited with their families. However, no ransom was paid.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Francis Mobolaji Odesanya, wishes to assure the good people of the State that we are on top of our game, as we continue to wage the war against all manners of crime and criminality in the State. We urge the public to continue to have confidence in the Police, and volunteer information timely, as the Command is poised to making the State safe again.

A wave of tension was felt in Rivers state on Friday, August 12, as a commercial bus conveying about 14 passengers from Port Harcourt, the state capital to Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state was intercepted by unknown gunmen.

READ ALSO: SHOCKING! You wont believe what kidnappers did to this 18-year-old girl

The incident happened on the Elele-Ikiri-Omoku Road at about 4pm during which the hoodlums reportedly ordered the passengers out of the vehicle marked ONELGA Link, set it ablaze and whisked them away in their vehicle.

The kidnappers were said to have forced the vehicle to a halt shortly after it negotiated through a sharp bend.

The police spokesperson, Nnamdi Omoni when contacted, said he had little or no details on the incident.

He spoke to newsmen saying: Im not in the know officially. I will speak on the matter when I get full details.

In a similar development, Daily Post reports that a senior lecturer of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor John Okorie who was abducted by suspected kidnappers has regained his freedom.

This was confirmed by the Rivers state Police Command at a media briefing held at the Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt.

Spokesman of the Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni disclosed that no ransom was paid for the release of the lecturer.

Omoni said: The Lecturer was rescued within 24-hours of his kidnap. When our men got wind of the information, they swung into action. Men of the Anti-kidnapping Squad were deployed to go after the criminals and they were able to rescue him. I have to say no ransom was paid. Nobody paid anything.

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And this is a warning to everyone committing crime in Rivers state to either leave this state or turn a new leaf. We will not allow criminals to make Rivers state their haven.

Professor Okorie of the Faculty of Engineering and also the director of the offshore technology institute at UNIPORT was kidnapped on his way home on Monday, August 8.

Source: Legit.ng
- Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arrest and charge Abdulmumin Jibrin to court for N17 billion money laundering

- There is a money laundering charge of N15bn against him and a former governor of Nasarawa State, Mr. Aliyu Akwe-Doma

- Another case involved N2bn, which he reportedly laundered in the name of Green Forest Investment Limited, a firm he owned

Abdulmumin Jibrin

Fresh trouble is here for former chairman, House committee on appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arrest and charge him to court for N17 billion money laundering.

According to a report by Punch, Jibrin who had claimed that he was invited by the EFCC to shed light on his petitions on budget padding against Dogara and three others, was actually being grilled by the anti-graft agency over his past financial transactions and several petitions against him.

The report said they are three cases against the former appropriation committee chairman.

READ ALSO: Crisis rocks APC over contracts scam, as EFCC, ICPC wades in

In 2012, the EFCC was said to have investigated and charged Jibrin to court over money laundering allegations and contract abuses in his Bebeji/Kiru Federal Constituency in Kano State.

There was also a money laundering charge of N15bn against him and a former governor of Nasarawa State, Mr. Aliyu Akwe-Doma. Another case involved N2bn, which he reportedly laundered in the name of Green Forest Investment Limited, a firm he owned.

The report also added that Jibrin proceeded to an Abuja Federal High Court to seek injunctions against a possible arrest.

He filed two suits, one against the Inspector-General of Police, and the second, against Dogara and 13 other respondents.

In the suit he filed against the IGP, he also joined Dogara; the House of Representatives; the Federal Capital Territory Police Commissioner; Lasun; Ado-Doguwa; Ogor and 10 other lawmakers.

The suit had reference number, FHC/ABJ/CS/539 and was filed on August 9

READ ALSO: Regret: Buhari has failed already and cant wait to go back home

Upon receiving signals that he (Jibrin) may soon be charged to court by the EFCC, he rushed to court on Thursday August 9, 2016, seeking injunction restraining the police and other anti-graft agencies from arresting or charging him to court, a source was quoted.

Recall that Jibrin had alleged that Yakubu Dogara and three other principal officers requested the inclusion of N40bn projects in the 2016 budget, besides sundry projects in sums ranging from N20bn to N30bn.

He claimed that his refusal to oblige the four principal officers and his opposition to several financial infractions, were responsible for his sacking by Dogara on July 20.

Jibrin later said he petitioned the EFCC, ICPC, the police and the Department of State Services.

Meanwhile EFCC says it has reportedly arrested an alleged oil tycoon, Shehu Badamasi for duping a lagos-based businessman of N2.3 billion.

Source: Legit.ng
- Two suspected members of the Niger Delta Avengers have been apprehended by the army

- The suspects were paraded at the Warri Naval Base

- The 2 NDA members are said to be behind attacks on Chevron's facilities within May and July 2016

The Nigerian Navy, on Saturday, August 13 paraded two suspects believed to members of the dreaded militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

Nigerian Navy personnel guarding the territorial waters of the country

Parading the suspects at the Warri Naval Base, Warri, Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunve said the suspects were behind series of attack on oil and gas facilities especially in Warri South West Council Area of the state.

Commodore Dzunve, disclosed that the suspects were behind the attacks on Chevron Nigerian Limited (CNL) facilities within May and July 2016.

The two suspects who were identified as Stanley Toghan and Felix Miyenminiye were arrested in Sapele area of the state.

The Naval Chief said: You are all aware of the recent series of attack on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta and in particular Delta State for which some groups/persons have claimed responsibilities.

READ ALSO: Panic in Imo state: Igbos clash with Hausas, 3 killed (photos)

Today, I am pleased to inform you that after persistent efforts, the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta, being part of the maritime component of the Operation Delta Safe, has arrested two suspects responsible for the attack on Chevron facilities, witnessed between May and July2016, around Warri North axis of Delta state.

Meanwhile, following reports, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has vehemently denied having any ties with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

He disclosed this through his lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor while briefing newsmen in Abuja. He said: Nnamdi Kanu is not opposed to political solution in resolving his present politically orchestrated ordeal as he welcomes genuine political solution to this case.

In the past few days, the media was awash with news on negotiation going on between the federal government and the members of MEND where our clients name, Nnamdi Kanu conspicuously featured.

It is on the note that we need to inform the public that Nnamdi Kanu has no connection, contact, ties or any form of relationship with the members of the MEND.

As such , MEND has no implied, direct or express authority of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him or independent people of Biafra (IPOB). In any purported negotiation, going on between MEND and the federal government. The general public is advised to ignore and disregard the falsehood being peddled by MEND. Nnamdi Kanu does not know them!.

Source: Legit.ng
Total sales dipped 79 percent in March 2020 with 3,697 units sold, down from 17,201 units sold in March 2019

Honda Cars finished 6th among automakers in India in terms of sales in March 2020. It noted domestic sales of 3,697 units in the past month, down 79 percent as against 17,201 units sold in the same month of the previous year.

Even as every model noted de-growth in the past month, Honda Amaze was the best selling model in the company lineup. Total sales stood at 2,744 units, down 63 percent as against 7,419 units sold in March 2019. Honda Amaze, in the sub 4 meter sedan segment, competes with Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Hyundai Aura, Tata Tigor, and Ford Aspire. It has consistently been in second position on the monthly sales charts.

Also Read  Honda Launches Online Car Booking

Honda Jazz failed to see any sales in the past month even as sales in March 2019 has stood at 1,078 units. The Jazz facelift has been teased ahead of launch and gets several sportier updates as compared to its earlier counterpart. It could be powered by the same set of petrol and diesel engines in BS6 format and could see its price hiked by Rs.50,000 as compared to BS4 Jazz which falls within the range of Rs 7.45 lakhs to Rs 9.4 lakhs.

Honda Car Sales  March 2020

No Honda Mar-20 Mar-19 Diff % 1 Amaze 2,744 7,419 -4,675 -63.01 2 City 786 3,432 -2,646 -77.10 3 WRV 86 2,552 -2,466 -96.63 4 Civic 67 2,291 -2,224 -97.08 5 CRV 14 104 -90 -86.54 6 Jazz 0 1,078 -1,078 -100.00 7 BRV 0 325 -325 -100.00  Total 3,697 17,201 -13,504 -78.51

The 10th Gen Honda Civic which was launched in March 2019 noted sales of 2,291 units in that month which dipped to just 67 units in March 2020. Sales of the Honda WR-V stood at just 86 units, down from 2,552 units sold in March 2019, a dip of 97 percent. Bookings have opened for the 2020 WR-V which comes in with BS6 compliant petrol and diesel engine options and design upgrades.

Also Read  Car Buyers Will Not Get Test Drives Post Lockdown

Honda City has also noted de-growth of 77 percent to 786 units sold in March 2020 as compared to 3,432 units sold in the same month of the previous year. The new 2020 Honda City will be launched soon in India. It will be offered in three variants: V, VX and ZX. It will be presented with two engine options of a 1.5 liter petrol and 1.5 liter diesel. Launch date will be finalized once the nationwide lockdown has been lifted.

Honda BR-V failed to note any sales in the past month while sales of the CR-V clocked 14 units, down 87 percent as against 104 units sold in March 2019.

The entire auto industry has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as has been every other industry in the country. Recovery remains a point of concern especially considering the extended lock down period and no announcements being made by the Government of India regarding opening up of industries in the immediate future.
While the ill effects of breathing in secondhand smoke can pose a health risk to anyone, children under the age of 18 are even more vulnerable. Children breathe more rapidly and have less developed airways and lungs not to mention a not so resistant immune system.

80% of cigarette smoke is invisible while open windows do not negate its harmful effects which include meningitis, cancer, bronchitis, and pneumonia besides increasing the condition of asthma. In view of this, UK has banned anyone from smoking inside a car or vehicle where there is an individual who is under the age of 18 years.

If found smoking, smoker will be fined as much as $80. This regulation is applicable to every driver in England and Wales and also includes those aged 17 and possessing a provisional drivers license. The law does not apply to drivers who are 17 years of age and on their own in the vehicle.

While the rule includes private vehicles with whole or partial roof, vehicles with roof completely down will be exempted. Smoking in vehicles rule also does not include boats, ships and aircrafts as each of these vehicles have their own set of rules to comply with. The new rule does not apply to e-cigarettes.

Besides being illegal to smoke in a car with an under 18 present, from 1st October 2015 it will also be illegal for retailers to sell electronic cigarettes or e-liquids to anyone under the age of 18. The law also include fines to adults attempting to buy tobacco products or e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 thus going a long way in protecting these youngsters from the ill effects of both smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke.

Speaking about India, the same rule has been in existence since 1st July 2009. Here you cannot smoke inside a vehicle if a fellow passenger is below the age of 16 years.
A new gem has been added to the vast treasure of Mexican reptiles. Mexican scientists recently described a new and strikingly colored species of earth snake from the mountains of Puebla and Veracruz in east-central Mexico.

These burrowing reptiles are seldom encountered and, consequently, have been poorly studied. Furthermore, several species have restricted distribution, making them particularly vulnerable to extinction. The description of the new species was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

Looking to shed light on the evolutionary history and diversity of earth snakes, Luis Canseco-Marquez and Adrian Nieto-Montes de Oca, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, started to collect samples of these rarely seen critters.

A sample from east-central Mexico exhibited a unique set of traits among earth snakes, one of them showing striking orange and black banding pattern. They realized that these snakes represented a new species and proceeded to describe it in collaboration with scientists Carlos J. Pavon-Vazquez, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, and Marco A. Lopez-Luna, Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco. The specimens of the new species were deposited in the herpetological collections of the Museo de Zoologia "Alfonso L. Herrera" and the Instituto Tecnologico Superior de Zongolica.

The new species is the fourth described by Nieto-Montes de Oca and collaborators for the last fourteen years from the Mexican highlands. Funding from the Mexican Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) has allowed the team to discover other species of earth snake in Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Puebla.

"Most of these snakes have notably small geographic ranges and sometimes are only found in one type of vegetation. This makes them particularly vulnerable to the destruction of their habitat. It is important to know them before it gets too late," note the scientists.

Genetic data and careful anatomical examination have been vital to understand the real diversity within the group. "These snakes are remarkably similar to each other and it has been only through molecular analyses and rigorous specimen examination that we have come close to understand how diverse they are," explain the authors.

The region in which the species is found has not been thoroughly explored yet. Therefore, it seems likely that it could yield future discoveries. Additionally, the work made by the researchers suggests the existence of other undescribed species of earth snake.

"Our analyses suggest that this group is more diverse than previously thought. They have proven to be an exciting model to understand the patterns of biological richness in the Mexican mountains," conclude the authors.
Researchers have used CRISPR -- a revolutionary new genetic engineering technique -- to convert cells isolated from mouse connective tissue directly into neuronal cells.

In 2006, Shinya Yamanaka, a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyoto University at the time, discovered how to revert adult connective tissue cells, called fibroblasts, back into immature stem cells that could differentiate into any cell type. These so-called induced pluripotent stem cells won Yamanaka the Nobel Prize in medicine just six years later for their promise in research and medicine.

Since then, researchers have discovered other ways to convert cells between different types. This is mostly done by introducing many extra copies of "master switch" genes that produce proteins that turn on entire genetic networks responsible for producing a particular cell type.

Now, researchers at Duke University have developed a strategy that avoids the need for the extra gene copies. Instead, a modification of the CRISPR genetic engineering technique is used to directly turn on the natural copies already present in the genome.

These early results indicate that the newly converted neuronal cells show a more complete and persistent conversion than the method where new genes are permanently added to the genome. These cells could be used for modeling neurological disorders, discovering new therapeutics, developing personalized medicines and, perhaps in the future, implementing cell therapy.

The study was published on August 11, 2016, in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

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"This technique has many applications for science and medicine. For example, we might have a general idea of how most people's neurons will respond to a drug, but we don't know how your particular neurons with your particular genetics will respond," said Charles Gersbach, the Rooney Family Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director for the Center of Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering at Duke. "Taking biopsies of your brain to test your neurons is not an option. But if we could take a skin cell from your arm, turn it into a neuron, and then treat it with various drug combinations, we could determine an optimal personalized therapy."

"The challenge is efficiently generating neurons that are stable and have a genetic programming that looks like your real neurons," says Joshua Black, the graduate student in Gersbach's lab who led the work. "That has been a major obstacle in this area."

In the 1950s, Professor Conrad Waddington, a British developmental biologist who laid the foundations for developmental biology, suggested that immature stem cells differentiating into specific types of adult cells can be thought of as rolling down the side of a ridged mountain into one of many valleys. With each path a cell takes down a particular slope, its options for its final destination become more limited.

If you want to change that destination, one option is to push the cell vertically back up the mountain -- that's the idea behind reprogramming cells to be induced pluripotent stem cells. Another option is to push it horizontally up and over a hill and directly into another valley.

"If you have the ability to specifically turn on all the neuron genes, maybe you don't have to go back up the hill," said Gersbach.

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Previous methods have accomplished this by introducing viruses that inject extra copies of genes to produce a large number of proteins called master transcription factors. Unique to each cell type, these proteins bind to thousands of places in the genome, turning on that cell type's particular gene network. This method, however, has some drawbacks.

"Rather than using a virus to permanently introduce new copies of existing genes, it would be desirable to provide a temporary signal that changes the cell type in a stable way," said Black. "However, doing so in an efficient manner might require making very specific changes to the genetic program of the cell."

In the new study, Black, Gersbach, and colleagues used CRISPR to precisely activate the three genes that naturally produce the master transcription factors that control the neuronal gene network, rather than having a virus introduce extra copies of those genes.

CRISPR is a modified version of a bacterial defense system that targets and slices apart the DNA of familiar invading viruses. In this case, however, the system has been tweaked so that no slicing is involved. Instead, the machinery that identifies specific stretches of DNA has been left intact, and it has been hitched to a gene activator.

The CRISPR system was administered to mouse fibroblasts in the laboratory. The tests showed that, once activated by CRISPR, the three neuronal master transcription factor genes robustly activated neuronal genes. This caused the fibroblasts to conduct electrical signals -- a hallmark of neuronal cells. And even after the CRISPR activators went away, the cells retained their neuronal properties.

"When blasting cells with master transcription factors made by viruses, it's possible to make cells that behave like neurons," said Gersbach. "But if they truly have become autonomously functioning neurons, then they shouldn't require the continuous presence of that external stimulus."

The experiments showed that the new CRISPR technique produced neuronal cells with an epigenetic program at the target genes matching the neuronal markings naturally found in mouse brain tissue.

"The method that introduces extra genetic copies with the virus produces a lot of the transcription factors, but very little is being made from the native copies of these genes," explained Black. "In contrast, the CRISPR approach isn't making as many transcription factors overall, but they're all being produced from the normal chromosomal position, which is a powerful difference since they are stably activated. We're flipping the epigenetic switch to convert cell types rather than driving them to do so synthetically."

The next steps, according to Black, are to extend the method to human cells, raise the efficiency of the technique and try to clear other epigenetic hurdles so that it could be applied to model particular diseases.

"In the future, you can imagine making neurons and implanting them in the brain to treat Parkinson's disease or other neurodegenerative conditions," said Gersbach. "But even if we don't get that far, you can do a lot with these in the lab to help develop better therapies."
A simple phone checklist can help detect telltale changes in the health status of people receiving nonmedical home care, according to the findings of a pilot study led by investigators at Harvard Medical School.

Results of the research, published online Aug. 10 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, are based on a program that requires home-care aides to record changes in status during a telephone clockout at the end of each shift.

The research was conducted in collaboration with Right at Home, a senior home care provider, and ClearCare, a company that provides a software platform for homecare agencies.

Analysis of the data captured over a six-month period across 22 Right at Home agencies reveals that changes in clinical status are relatively common -- occurring in 2 percent of all caregiver shifs and affecting, on average, 2 percent of recipients. The majority of changes were in behavior (17 percent) and skin condition (16 percent), followed by changes in eating or drinking behavior (14 percent) and ability to stand or walk (9 percent).

The results, researchers said, underscore the potential of real-time monitoring systems to spot problems and avert complications before they escalate enough to require hospitalization. Indeed, over the course of the six-month trial, 14 percent of the home-care recipients were hospitalized.

Recipients of non-medical home care often have chronic health conditions that lead to hospitalizations, some of which may be preventable.

The research team cautioned that whether the real-time monitoring system could, in fact, prevent hospitalizations and reduce cost of care remains unknown. That, they said, is the subject of an ongoing randomized trial across 400 home-care locations in the United States. However, the research team said, the fact that a basic phone questionnaire could capture important indicators in clinical status points to the value of harnessing simple technologies to monitor those receiving care at home.

"Millions of elderly Americans receive supportive home-care services each year, and many of them require frequent hospitalizations, so we set out to determine whether a simple real-time checklist could help improve outcomes and lower health care spending," said study leader David Grabowski, Ph.D., professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. "Our results are a first step to answering that question."

Under the pilot program, home caregivers were required to do a phone clock out at the end of their shifts. Caregivers receive an automated phone message prompting them to report any changes in health status. The message included a list of questions pertaining to changes in mental, neurologic, gastrointestinal, urinary and other indicators. Any changes reported via the automated system were immediately dispatched to a manager at the home-care agency office for further assessment and triage. The care manager determined whether the condition required closer monitoring, a change in care, a call into the doctor's office or all of the above. The idea, researchers said, is to prevent complications before they become grave enough to require hospitalization.

Patients who may benefit the most include those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, neurologic disorders or cardiovascular disease, in whom even seemingly innocuous changes could spell bigger trouble. That theme, researchers said, emerged clearly in a series of interviews with home-care workers. For example, one manager relayed the story of a person with diabetes whose caregiver reported a foot ulcer through the phone-based checklist. Normally, that injury would not have been reported until the end of the week, but because of the prompt alert, the care manager reached out to the patient's nurse, who initiated treatment immediately. One week later, the wound had healed. Sores, wounds and injuries are particularly dangerous in people with diabetes and can lead to rapid decay of tissue and, in some cases, limb amputations.

Frontline caregivers play a critical role in monitoring, reporting and preventing serious complications among patients with chronic conditions, the researchers said. Given that home-care services account for nearly $200 billion in Medicare spending a year, identifying opportunities to improve outcomes, avert complications and reduce overall healthcare spending is vital.
Dark matter, the mysterious substance that constitutes most of the material universe, remains as elusive as ever. Although experiments on the ground and in space have yet to find a trace of dark matter, the results are helping scientists rule out some of the many theoretical possibilities. Three studies published earlier this year, using six or more years of data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, have broadened the mission's dark matter hunt using some novel approaches.

"We've looked for the usual suspects in the usual places and found no solid signals, so we've started searching in some creative new ways," said Julie McEnery, Fermi project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "With these results, Fermi has excluded more candidates, has shown that dark matter can contribute to only a small part of the gamma-ray background beyond our galaxy, the Milky Way, and has produced strong limits for dark matter particles in the second-largest galaxy orbiting it."

Dark matter neither emits nor absorbs light, primarily interacts with the rest of the universe through gravity, yet accounts for about 80 percent of the matter in the universe. Astronomers see its effects throughout the cosmos -- in the rotation of galaxies, in the distortion of light passing through galaxy clusters, and in simulations of the early universe, which require the presence of dark matter to form galaxies at all.

The leading candidates for dark matter are different classes of hypothetical particles. Scientists think gamma rays, the highest-energy form of light, can help reveal the presence of some of types of proposed dark matter particles. Previously, Fermi has searched for tell-tale gamma-ray signals associated with dark matter in the center of our galaxy and in small dwarf galaxies orbiting our own. Although no convincing signals were found, these results eliminated candidates within a specific range of masses and interaction rates, further limiting the possible characteristics of dark matter particles.

Among the new studies, the most exotic scenario investigated was the possibility that dark matter might consist of hypothetical particles called axions or other particles with similar properties. An intriguing aspect of axion-like particles is their ability to convert into gamma rays and back again when they interact with strong magnetic fields. These conversions would leave behind characteristic traces, like gaps or steps, in the spectrum of a bright gamma-ray source.

Manuel Meyer at Stockholm University led a study to search for these effects in the gamma rays from NGC 1275, the central galaxy of the Perseus galaxy cluster, located about 240 million light-years away. High-energy emissions from NGC 1275 are thought to be associated with a supermassive black hole at its center. Like all galaxy clusters, the Perseus cluster is filled with hot gas threaded with magnetic fields, which would enable the switch between gamma rays and axion-like particles. This means some of the gamma rays coming from NGC 1275 could convert into axions -- and potentially back again -- as they make their way to us.

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Meyer's team collected observations from Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT) and searched for predicted distortions in the gamma-ray signal. The findings, published April 20 in Physical Review Letters, exclude a small range of axion-like particles that could have comprised about 4 percent of dark matter.

"While we don't yet know what dark matter is, our results show we can probe axion-like models and provide the strongest constraints to date for certain masses," Meyer said. "Remarkably, we reached a sensitivity we thought would only be possible in a dedicated laboratory experiment, which is quite a testament to Fermi."

Another broad class of dark matter candidates are called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). In some versions, colliding WIMPs either mutually annihilate or produce an intermediate, quickly decaying particle. Both scenarios result in gamma rays that can be detected by the LAT.

Regina Caputo at the University of California, Santa Cruz, sought these signals from the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), which is located about 200,000 light-years away and is the second-largest of the small satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. Part of the SMC's appeal for a dark matter search is that it lies comparatively close to us and its gamma-ray emission from conventional sources, like star formation and pulsars, is well understood. Most importantly, astronomers have high-precision measurements of the SMC's rotation curve, which shows how its rotational speed changes with distance from its center and indicates how much dark matter is present. In a paper published in Physical Review D on March 22, Caputo and her colleagues modeled the dark matter content of the SMC, showing it possessed enough to produce detectable signals for two WIMP types.

"The LAT definitely sees gamma rays from the SMC, but we can explain them all through conventional sources," Caputo said. "No signal from dark matter annihilation was found to be statistically significant."

In the third study, researchers led by Marco Ajello at Clemson University in South Carolina and Mattia Di Mauro at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California took the search in a different direction. Instead of looking at specific astronomical targets, the team used more than 6.5 years of LAT data to analyze the background glow of gamma rays seen all over the sky.

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The nature of this light, called the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) has been debated since it was first measured by NASA's Small Astronomy Satellite 2 in the early 1970s. Fermi has shown that much of this light arises from unresolved gamma-ray sources, particularly galaxies called blazars, which are powered by material falling toward gigantic black holes. Blazars constitute more than half of the total gamma-ray sources seen by Fermi, and they make up an even greater share in a new LAT catalog of the highest-energy gamma rays.

Some models predict that EGB gamma rays could arise from distant interactions of dark matter particles, such as the annihilation or decay of WIMPs. In a detailed analysis of high-energy EGB gamma rays, published April 14 in Physical Review Letters, Ajello and his team show that blazars and other discrete sources can account for nearly all of this emission.

"There is very little room left for signals from exotic sources in the extragalactic gamma-ray background, which in turn means that any contribution from these sources must be quite small," Ajello said. "This information may help us place limits on how often WIMP particles collide or decay."

Although these latest studies have come up empty-handed, the quest to find dark matter continues both in space and in ground-based experiments. Fermi is joined in its search by NASA's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle detector on the International Space Station.
Silicon holograms harness the full visible spectrum to bring holographic projections one step closer.

We can't yet send holographic videos to Obi-Wan Kenobi on our droid, but researchers at Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, have got us a little bit closer by creating holograms from an array of silicon structures that work throughout the visible spectrum.

Many recent advances in hologram technology use reflected light to form an image; however the hologram made by Dong Zhaogang and Joel Yang from the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering uses transmitted light. This means the image is not muddled up with the light source.

The team demonstrated the hologram of three flat images at wavelengths ranging from blue (480 nanometers) to red (680 nanometers). The images appeared in planes 50 microns apart for red and higher spacings for shorter wavelengths.

"In principle, it can be tuned to any wavelength," says Yang.

Holograms can record three-dimensional images, which mean they can store large amounts of information in increasingly thin layers.

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Recently, holograms that are mere hundredths of the thickness of a human hair have been made from metal deposited onto materials such as silicon. The holograms are created by nanoscale patterns of metal that generate electromagnetic waves that travel at the metal-silicon interface; a field called plasmonics.

Silicon holograms are slightly thicker than the metal-based ones, but have the advantage of being broadband. Plasmonic holograms only operate in the red wavelengths because they undergo strong absorption at blue wavelengths.

A disadvantage of the silicon holograms is their poor efficiency at only three per cent; however Dong estimates this could easily be tripled.

"The losses can be lowered by optimizing the growth method to grow polycrystalline silicon instead of amorphous silicon," he says.

The hologram is an array of tiny silicon skyscrapers, 370 nanometers tall with footprints 190 nanometers by 100 nanometers. Unlike a city grid, however, the tiny towers are not laid out in neat squares but at varying angles.

The hologram operates with circularly polarized light, and the information is encoded on to the light beam by the varied angles of the skyscrapers. These alter the phase of the transmitted light through the 'Pancharatnam-Berry effect'.

"What's interesting about this hologram is that it controls only the phase of the light by varying the orientation of the silicon nanostructures. The amplitude is the same everywhere; in principle you can get a lot of light transmitted," says Yang.

The A*STAR researchers focused on nanofabrication and measurements and collaborated with Cheng-Wei Qiu from National University of Singapore, whose team specializes in hologram design.
In Singapore, as well as many other countries, ensuring a high quality of life for an expanding elderly population demands that community eldercare providers strike a delicate balance between frequently competing factors. For instance, safety is sometimes at odds with privacy; providing comprehensive care may erode an elderly person's cherished sense of independence; and a sense of security may give rise to a sense of being controlled.

Project SHINESeniors, which is focused on resolving these contradictions, does so by creating a "smart home" for older people living alone. Driven by a research team at Singapore Management University (SMU)'s iCity Lab (co-founded by SMU and Tata Consultancy Services), the project is funded by the Singapore Ministry of National Development and National Research Foundation under the Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge (L2NIC) grant.

As part of the three-year project, the team has equipped 50 one-bedroom apartments with motion sensors that can detect unusual periods of inactivity -- a possible indication that the tenant has either fallen or suffered a health crisis. This information is then fed to a Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) for its staff and volunteers to react to the potential emergency.

Although other projects in Singapore are testing similar technologies, what makes Project SHINESeniors unique is its focus on how the technological tools can enhance the efforts of community caregivers who provide the crucial, person-to-person contact with elderly tenants.

"What we are providing that's of value is tying the technology to care provisioning," says Associate Professor Tan Hwee Pink, Academic Director of iCity Lab. "We see it as a more complete, holistic, and end-to-end evidence-based approach to aging. The technology enables community organisations to improve their operations and increase their effectiveness with the limited number of staff and volunteers they have, while still catering to the elderly person's individual needs."

Staying in place is preferable

The research proposes that the best approach to deal with a growth in an aging population is to allow as many people to stay in their homes as possible.

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With senior citizens set to account for 20 percent of Singapore's population by 2030, the concept of "aging in place" becomes key to dealing with "the fact that healthcare resources and assisted living facilities are becoming more limited," says Professor Tan. "We don't want our population to be over-stressing the hospitals, and we want them to have a good quality-of-life in the community they are living in. That's why care is being moved away from the hospitals and nursing homes and into the community, with the help of community-based VWOs."

Interviews with participants of the iCity pilot project indicate that "most of the elderly prefer to be living by themselves rather than living in an assisted living facility," he says.

Yet, living alone is not without risk. In fact, the government initiated the current research in response to the tragic realisation that, over a five year period, "about 50 elderly residents in Singapore passed away in their homes, and it had taken days, or sometimes up to a few weeks, to find out that they were dead," according to Professor Tan.

To reduce such incidents, a sensor-enhanced "smart home" is designed. The first line of defense is a 'panic button' that a resident can push to alert the community caregivers that he or she has fallen or is facing some kind of problem. And if the elderly person is not carrying the panic button, there is still the sensor system to detect the conditions that point to an emergency, analyse the data, and sound the alarm.

Door contacts at the main door detect the opening and closing of doors, indicating whether the tenant is inside or outside the apartment. If the resident remains inside, motion sensors on the walls of each room will determine whether the person is moving according to normal patterns, or if there is an unexpected absence of movement.

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SMU research fellow Dr. Alvin Valera says a common scenario that it is crucial to have the sensor system is when the resident has encountered trouble after entering the toilet.

"The reason we monitor inactivity," he explains, "is that there are situations where the person might not have access to the button. If the person is in the toilet and has fallen, he or she has probably left the panic button outside. In this case, the system will detect that the last activity was in the toilet and that there was no motion afterwards. After a certain period of inactivity, an alert will be sent to the caregivers."

Dr. Valera stresses that the "unobtrusive" nature of this motion-detecting system reassures residents that their privacy is not being violated.

"We don't use vision-based or camera-based sensors, or even those that record audio precisely because of this concern with privacy," he says. "The unobtrusiveness of the system means that elderly are much more likely to accept the technology. And because the sensors are passive -- installed on the walls -- they don't have to do anything to change their lifestyles."

Refining the system for scale-up

A key objective of the current iCity Lab pilot project is to refine the technology to distinguish better between normal and abnormal periods or inactivity, so as to reduce the number of false alarms.

"We want to make sure that alerts are sent in a timely way, so that they don't swamp the caregivers with false alerts," Dr. Valera explains. So we looked at the historical data of each resident's movement patterns to determine a personalized threshold that would give us a better indication of how long it should be before an alert is sent."

A second technological enhancement is a personalised, sensor-equipped medication box that is being tested in ten apartments. Unlike those off-the-shelf pillboxes, the 'sensorised' medication box has been customised to the needs and preferences (e.g. size and colour) of the individual user. Such customisation has been shown to be effective in encouraging elderly to use these technologically enhanced box.

"Whenever the person opens up the medication box, we can infer that medication has been taken," says SMU research scientist Dr. Tan Hwee Xian. "We are able to look at the frequency and timing of the medication intake, to determine if the elderly person is adhering to their medication schedule."

This is an important issue since controlling chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure requires medication to be taken and at the right times.

The monitoring of pillbox use has also uncovered helpful information that was not anticipated. Dr. Tan recalls the case of a woman who had been using the pillbox frequently in the middle of the night. "We thought something must be wrong," Dr. Tan recounts.

The researchers informed caregivers, who then spoke to the tenant. They discovered that the lady was suffering from insomnia and leg pain, and hence was taking painkillers from the pillbox in the middle of the night to relieve the pain. She would also repack her medication in the pillbox when she couldn't sleep, creating a false response that the pillbox was used frequently." With the truth uncovered, caregivers could better help the lady with her conditions.

After its three-year trial, there are hopes that the implementation of the smart home systems will be scaled up throughout Singapore. In the interim, improvements have been made to increase the effectiveness of the technology. For instance, the system's interface has been redesigned to provide information to caregivers in a more usable form, while VWOs now receive alerts directly, without researchers acting as intermediaries.

Responses from elderly participants have also been encouraging. No one has dropped out of Project SHINESeniors, and many seniors have also urged their friends to sign up for the pilot test.

"What touches me most," says Dr. Tan, "is to hear from the elderly that the system makes them feel safe."
A new study, led by Prof. Jaesung Jang at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, has developed a new sensor for early detection of heart attack in humans.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Therefore, a fast and reliable diagnosis of heart attack is urgently needed.

A new study, led by Prof. Jaesung Jang (School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering) has developed an electrical immunosensor to detect the acute myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack within a minute. The system works by measuring the level of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a protein that is excreted by the heart muscle into the blood following a heart attack.

Prof. Jang states, "This new immunosensor is constructed in a different way than any other sensor." He adds, "Owing to the new design of this immunosensor, this device is able to rapidly diagnose the level of heart attacks at the point of care."

A schematic diagram of the SWCNT electrical immunosensor with two pairs of concentration and detection electrodes.A schematic diagram of the SWCNT electrical immunosensor with two pairs of concentration and detection electrodes.

According to the research team, this novel immunosensor holds considerable potential for use as a platform for sensing distinct types of proteins, along with the feasibility of miniaturization and integration for biomedical diagnosis.

The findings of the research have been published in the August issue of the biotechnology journal Biosensors & Bioelectronics.

This work has been supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education and by the 2016 Research Fund of UNIST.

Journal Reference: Abhinav Sharma, Chang-Ho Han, and Jaesung Jang, "Rapid electrical immunoassay of the cardiac biomarker troponin I through dielectrophoretic concentration using imbedded electrodes." Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2016.
DAKOTA CITY  Officials in northeastern Nebraska's Dakota City have broken ground on a $2.4 million fire hall.

Voters last year approved a half-cent city sales tax increase to fund the project.

"The voters of Dakota County deserve a lot of credit for this project, because they're the ones that ultimately made it happen," Dakota City Administrator Alyssa Silhacek said.

The Dakota City Fire Department's new home is just blocks from where the current station has sat for nearly 60 years. The new digs won't just look good, Dakota City Fire Chief Clint Rasmussen said, they'll serve a vital role.

"The equipment is getting bigger, the trucks are getting longer," Rasmussen said. "We're getting more equipment for the needs of the community. Looking through the fire station, it's showing its age."

The department had been trying to collect the funding for a new building on its own  and failing, the chief said. That's when the town's residents turned the tables and came to firefighters' rescue with the sales tax vote.

"We like the community's support," he said. "It's overwhelming."

The fire department is still trying to raise about $300,000 to pave a back parking lot and add more landscaping and kitchen equipment.

But that won't stop the department from soon sounding its sirens outside the new building, which is expected to be completed by next spring.
Jag is 13 years old, and has lived most of his life inside a chicken coop in rural Maryland with 300 other dogs. All of the dogs were in horrible condition when rescuers from Last Chance Animal Rescue found them. They had no fresh water and no access outside, and some of them were so matted that they couldn't even walk or move around at all.

Micah Larsen Brannon

Jag was estimated to be the oldest dog of the whole group, and had likely been there for a very, very long time. Finding foster families and forever homes for all of the dogs was not an easy feat. After being confined to a cage for so long, the dogs had very fragile bones, and many of them broke their legs while jumping or playing in their new foster homes. The rescued dogs faced so many challenges, and Jag was no exception. When Jag's foster family returned him, saying he was too difficult, it looked like Jag was out of luck - until Micah Larsen Brannon met him.

Dodo Shows Soulmates Dog Goes Everywhere In His Dad's Kangaroo Pouch

Micah Larsen Brannon

Brannon was volunteering at the rescue when Jag's foster family dropped him off, and immediately felt for the little guy. "I couldn't stand the thought of him alone in the office at night so I brought him home to foster him," Brannon told The Dodo. Brannon already has three rescue dogs of her own at home, and so Jag fits right in with the pack. He spent most of his life surrounded by hundreds of other dogs, with little human contact, and is therefore comforted by his brothers and loves spending time with them.

Micah Larsen Brannon

"He does not understand or enjoy human contact," Brannon said. "He prefers to be around the other dogs and keep to himself. It's hard not to love on him, but we respect his personality." A week after Jag arrived at his new foster home, he started having seizures due to brain damage he suffered in his previous life. Brannon knew that with his advanced age, his personality and the seizures, Jag would have a very hard time getting adopted - and so she decided to make him a permanent member of her family.

Micah Larsen Brannon

Now, Jag is loving his new life and all the things he missed out on while being trapped for all those years. His brothers have played a big role in helping him adjust to his new home, and are there for him every step of the way. "He follows them and watches for cues of what to do and what not to do," Brannon said. "After 13 years he is finally figuring out how to be a dog."

Micah Larsen Brannon

Jag is a calm, quiet senior dog who doesn't want much - just a family to take care of him and plenty of space where he can relax and be himself. Finally, he has exactly that. "He is a sweetheart who just wants to live the rest of his life surrounded by his brothers, lying in the sun," Brannon said.

Micah Larsen Brannon
Stephen Harper used to call it the Sea of Troubles.

Yes, Canada is doing relatively well, Harper said at a campaign stop in St. Johns in 2011, as he began putting a historic thumping on Michael Ignatieffs Liberals.

But a Sea of Troubles is lapping at our shores.

It was, in those days, a feature of every campaign stop. He would repeat the pitch in 2015, but listlessly, inconsistently, the way he did so much else last year. But in 2011 Harper laid it on thick at every stop.

Sea of Troubles. Disaster in the Pacific, chaos in the Middle East, debt problems in Europe, and all kinds of challenges  some very serious challenges  south of our border, he said in St. Johns. Canada  this country  is the closest thing the world has to an island of stability and security. And weve got to keep it that way.

Harpers message worked as politics because it had the ring of truth. The world is always a mess, and Canada usually looks pretty good by comparison. Harpers point was essentially defensive: dont screw it up. His tactical goal was to highlight the cost, as he saw it, of handing control over our island of stability to some nutty coalition of Liberals and New Democrats.

The surprise, as I talk to Liberals in this long quiet summer about what lies ahead for their government, is that they are once again talking about the trouble and woe facing the rest of the world. They see Canadas relative stability not only as a political advantage but as a potential source of competitive edge internationally.

One senior Liberal  no, not that one; another one  told me Canadas competitive advantage is that it is starting to look like the only sane Western society. And where Harpers Sea of Troubles pitch was deeply introverted and defensive, Justin Trudeaus government will seek to use Canadas relative serenity to lure trade and investment.

Lets do the tour. Britain just voted to leave the European Union. It will spend the next three years sorting itself out. The EU as an institution, ditto. France elects a new president, and Germany a new chancellor, in 2017. Marine Le Pen of the right-wing National Front will probably make it at least as far as the second round of voting in France. Angela Merkel is widely thought to be in trouble in Germany. Even if Le Pen is shut out and Merkel survives, much of the discourse in both countries will be about getting tougher and more restrictive on immigration.

Look south. Brazils senate is impeaching its president, Dilma Rousseff, in a move that seems deeply partisan and unlikely to get at the roots of real corruption there. Venezuela is a black hole. Wherever else you look  Turkey? Russia?  you dont see a lot of sound investment in human and physical capital.

Im increasingly confident the United States will pass on a chance to make Donald Trump its next president. But no president dances alone. Hillary Clinton would face embittered Republicans in both houses of Congress, and her domestic agenda is so vague its hard to imagine her making much progress in the early years of her presidency.

Then there is Canada, whose advantages in many ways predate the current federal government: Low debt and taxes. Both going up, thanks to the Liberals, but even then, lower than they had been for many years here. Political stability across levels of government. Serious people, at last, as mayors of any big city you can name. A deeply slumbering Quebec sovereignty movement.

The relative ease with which Canada welcomed Syrian refugees last winter is part of the story the Trudeau government wants to tell. I think the openness of Canadians to immigrants is a competitive advantage for Canada, Immigration Minister John McCallum told Bloomberg in July.

Now, whats the goal of all this? Attracting foreign investment. I wrote here recently that sluggish global growth is the biggest problem facing the Trudeau government. Their fondest hope is that very large-scale foreign investment can offset it. Thats why Trudeau has been courting private investment firms like Blackrock. And its why he will turn the G-20 summit in Hangzhou into early September into a longer visit to China. Blackrock controls $5 trillion in investments. China controls more. Both are awesomely unsentimental about any leaders personal charms. Trudeaus bet is that Canadas competitive advantage is becoming so solidly entrenched that the big money will be willing to listen.

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The Aaron Driver case highlights gaps in Canadas ability to assess and monitor suspected terrorists, experts say.

Driver, 24, was killed in a confrontation with police in Strathroy, Ont., Wednesday evening, after he had detonated an explosive device inside a taxi, injuring himself and the driver.

He had been the subject of a peace bond, with the most recent conditions including that he not have access to a computer or cellphone. A previous condition that he wear a monitoring bracelet had been lifted several months ago.

Not good enough, said Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former senior manager and intelligence officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and former RCMP investigator, who is now a criminology professor at the University of Ottawa.

The justice system: Youre the culprit, you failed us, he told the Star in an interview. The failure of the justice system, in my point of view, is where the story is, because at the end of the day, limitations were imposed on the RCMP.

When the Mounties picked Driver up in Winnipeg last year, after he reportedly expressed praise for terrorist activities, he was released with 18 conditions, including that he wear a GPS tracking device.

However, some restrictions were later loosened, including the requirement to wear the device and take religious counselling. Under the peace bond agreed to by both sides, there was an acknowledgment there were grounds to fear that Driver might help a terrorist group.

Police said Driver was communicating with well-known members of Daesh.

Dealing with suspected terrorists in the judicial system has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of Drivers death.

The federal government said Friday it is appealing a Federal Court judges decision to strike down a national security certificate against Mahmoud Jaballah, saying the judge made mistakes in concluding there was no clear evidence he posed a threat to Canada.

The government alleges the Egyptian-born Jaballah is a member of the terrorist group al-Jihad, an accusation he denies. Ottawa has been trying for years to deport him through a national security certificate, a tool for removing suspected terrorists and spies.

Juneau-Katsuya said the actions of the Crown and jurists in the Driver case are indicative of the Canadian justice systems lack of knowledge and experience on how to handle suspected terrorists. Instead, he said, they treat them as the common criminal.

A peace bond is basically an order from the court that says: Youre not necessarily a bad guy. We will consider maybe this is a misguided moment, so were going to give you one year to show us you can be a good boy,  he said.

Thats usually what you do with common criminals, because no criminal is going to kill himself for a bag of weed or the stolen goods he has. He has a chance to maybe correct his course of action. But were not dealing with a common criminal here. Were dealing with suspected terrorists. Its a different beast. They are prepared to die. A peace bond wont stop them.

One of the biggest mistakes in the Driver case was the decision to remove the monitoring bracelet, he said.

What is needed, Juneau-Katsuya said, are more judges and prosecutors who are skilled at handling suspected terrorist cases and treating them as completely separate from a common criminal case, a practice he said has been adopted in several European countries.

The problem may not so much have been the peace bond itself, but rather the threat assessment on which it was based, said terrorism and national security expert, Wesley Wark.

The threat assessment was basically that he was a talker. I dont think there was any understanding that Aaron Driver might be something more than that, that he might actually engage in direct terrorist actions himself, said Wark, a visiting professor at the University of Ottawas Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, adding he was speculating as the exact assessment has not been made public.

Clearly, given the outcome this week, the threat assessment was wrong, and it will be important to understand how and why it was wrong. It could have been wrong simply because it was wrong, or could have been wrong in the sense that Aaron Driver was driven to do the things that he did ultimately because of the imposition of the peace bond itself.

He lamented the lack of resources that goes into intelligence analysis in Canada.

The real problem about the threat assessments is not the ability to effectively share analysis between different agencies. I think its really a question of resources and talent, he said.

Drivers father, Wayne, said he was told by CSIS in January 2015 about disturbing posts his son had made on social media.

It was babies in mass graves and killings of other Christians, and he said that they had it coming to them and they deserved it, the father said in a phone interview with The Canadian Press from his church in Cold Lake, Alta., where he retired from the military and is training to be a pastor.

He said he never stopped trying to reach out to his son.

I called him a month ago. I said, Hi, how are you doing? He said, Im not talking to you, and he hung up the phone on me, Driver said.

So I tried reaching out again, I tried sending texts, he wouldnt respond to texts. He unfriended me on Facebook.

On Friday, the London, Ont., mosque that Driver had sometimes attended said it had attempted to steer him away from radicalization by showing him the warmth of the community, Nawaz Tahir, spokesperson at the London Muslim Mosque, told the Star.

The thinking was, if we turn them away, it would further isolate him and direct him back to the resources that had got on the wrong path to begin with, Tahir said.

Tahir said they had been given some information about Drivers interactions with the law. (Police in Strathroy said Friday they were also aware of Driver when he moved there in August 2015.)

However, the efforts to keep Driver away from radicalization failed. The last time Driver attended the mosque was around three weeks ago, Tahir said. The community at the mosque is sad and angry about what happened, Tahir said.

(Theres) sadness this is man you shouldve had the best years of his life ahead of him, Tahir said. At the same time, theres anger that Driver planned to hurt innocent people, he said.

With files from Oliver Sachgau and The Canadian Press

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BIGGAR, SASK.Racial tensions are flaring after the fatal shooting of a First Nations man who relatives say was just looking for help with a flat tire.

Colten Boushie, 22, was shot and killed Tuesday after the vehicle he was in drove onto a farm in the rural municipality of Glenside, west of Saskatoon.

Boushies cousin, Eric Meechance, said he and three other friends were also in the car, heading home to the Red Pheasant First Nation after an afternoon swimming at a river.

But Meechance said they had a tire blow out and thats how they ended up at the farm.

That guy just come out of nowhere and he just smashed our window, said Meechance.

Meechance said they tried to drive away, but ended up colliding with a parked car. He then ran for safety as gunshots rang out.

Running is probably what saved all of our lives, you know, because if hes going to shoot one, hes probably would have shot us all, he said.

He wasnt shooting to scare us. He was shooting to kill.

Gerald Stanley, 54, is charged with second-degree murder. He is to make his next court appearance in North Battleford on Aug. 18.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise $10,000 to help Boushies family cover funeral expenses.

Another GoFundMe page has been set up to help Stanleys wife. The hope is to raise $35,000.

That page has been set up by someone who said they live in the area. It says much of the farming community around us who know this family know they (are) loving and deserving of some help through a difficult time.

First Nations leaders say the RCMP news release about the shooting was biased.

The first police news release said that people in the car had been taken into custody as part of a theft investigation.

Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said the RCMP statement provided just enough prejudicial information for people to draw the conclusion that the shooting was somehow justified.

The messaging in an RCMP news release should not fuel racial tensions, he said.

Chief Clint Wuttunee of the Red Pheasant First Nation said the medias initial portrayal of the event, based on the RCMP release, made the incident sound like a crime was about to be committed by the passengers in the car.

The FSIN wants a review of the RCMPs communication policies and writing guidelines.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde, with the Assembly of First Nations, said he was particularly disturbed by racist, derogatory comments about the incident on social media. Its a stark reminder of how much work we have to do to eliminate racism and discrimination, he said in a statement.

In too many ways, this is a sad day for Saskatchewan.

Robert Innes, a University of Saskatchewan indigenous studies professor in Regina, said the situation shows the community divide.

You can see that the racial tension is basically a tinder box in Saskatchewan, said Innes.

Speaking generally, Innes said some farmers are blaming First Nations people for rural crime. Their mentality is to protect their property, he said.

So theres this real fear and contempt towards indigenous men by many white people, to the point where they will shoot before asking questions.

Innes said indigenous people are angry that Boushie was killed.

He notes that some Caucasians are angry that the young people were even on the farm and believe Stanley is being railroaded by political correctness.

A lot of people who are talking on social media are happy that the person was shot and killed and believe it was justified. That, to me, is kind of disturbing in a lot of ways.

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The Greater Toronto Area saw four shootings in about three hours between late Friday night and early Saturday morning.

Police, paramedics, and firefighters working the graveyard shift in Brampton and Toronto were also kept busy with several other assaults.

Its been a fairly violent night in the city, said Const. David Hopkinson of Toronto Police.

The first shooting of the night happened at a Dominos Pizza outlet on Wexford Rd., just east of Hurontario St. in Brampton, according to Peel Regional Police. Several bystanders called police around 11:30 p.m., after a 24-year-old Dominos employee was shot in the chest. He was taken to hospital with serious to critical injuries, according to Peel Paramedics.

Const. Harinder Sohi later said the victim was stable in hospital, and expected to make a full recovery.

A short while after the shooting, police were called to hospital for reports of a man seeking treatment for a gunshot wound. Officers discovered the 17-year-old man was a suspect from the earlier shooting.

He has been arrested and charged with robbery, attempted murder, and wearing a disguise with intent.

Const. Bally Saini said the accused was not shot by the victim or Peel police, and officers are investigating the circumstances around this shooting.

One suspect is still outstanding. Police say the second suspect has a medium build and was wearing dark clothing. They warn that he is considered armed and dangerous, and anyone with information on his whereabouts should immediately contact police.

Twenty minutes later, emergency services were called to Gentian Dr. and Sagamore Cres., a residential street just south of Pearson International Airport in Etobicoke. A man  said to be about 20 years old  had been shot in the leg, Peel Paramedics said.

He was taken to local hospital, in serious but not life-threatening condition.

Toronto Police cordoned off the street for an investigation.

Witnesses told police a car had been heard speeding off shortly after the shooting, but Hopkinson stressed that this was still being investigated.

Elsewhere in North York, two hours later, at around 2:10 a.m., several people called police after hearing gunfire near Falstaff Ave. and Maidstone St., just south of Jane St. and Hwy 401 in North York.

Hopkinson said the callers saw a man lying on the ground outside. He was then helped into a nearby car, which fled the scene.

According to police, a man showed up at a Toronto hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg soon after. Police confirmed he is the same victim involved in the shooting.

The man remains in non-life-threatening condition. Police say there is still no information on possible suspects.

One man was also taken to a local trauma centre after being stabbed overnight near Bloor and Yonge Sts. Toronto Paramedics said they were called to Charles St. E., between Al Sparrow Lane and Ted Rogers Way, at around 1 a.m.

His injuries were considered serious, but not life-threatening.

When asked whether last night was particularly busy for emergency responders, Hopkinson said they handle calls such as this all the time  especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

The calls, some of them are a little unusual. But we deal with this every day, Hopkinson said.

With files from Vjosa Isai

Correction  August 15, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Falstaff Ave. and Maidstone St. is located in Etobicoke.

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The husband of a 56-year-old Toronto woman has been charged with second-degree murder after, her daughter says, he called their children and told them she had died in her sleep.

Dan Reil, 56, was charged the day after his three children arrived at their parents home and called emergency services about their mother, Kathy Plytas.

We were told she passed in her sleep and we started to figure otherwise when we seen our mom, said Krystal Reil, 31, who did not want to go into detail.

Were all just devastated.

Reil, who was married to Plytas for 38 years, was initially taken to a hospital for a psychiatric assessment, his daughter said. He appeared in a College Park courtroom Thursday.

Plytas, Torontos 41st homicide this year, suffered from Graves disease, an immune disorder that made her frail, Krystal said, adding that her mother was dependent on a scooter.

It was her mothers illness that was on Krystals mind Tuesday afternoon when she got a phone call from her father. She and her other siblings, who her father also telephoned with the news of Plytass death, gathered at the house near Danforth and Jones Aves., Krystal said.

Thats when they saw the state of their mothers body and, Krystal said, they knew something wasnt right.

They left the house, Krystal said, and went outside where they telephoned emergency services.

Police responded to a call about sudden death, a news release said, and officers arrived on the scene at 2:16 p.m., where Plytas was pronounced dead.

After an autopsy on Plytass body, Krystal said, police arrested Reil on Wednesday and charged him.

The family is still digesting the tragedy and taking it minute by minute, Krystal said, calling her mother beautiful but noting that her life was horrible and tragic.

She said her mother was loving, caring, kind and funny and lived for her children, especially her three young grandchildren, who she saw every chance she could get, Krystal said.

After Plytass illness forced her to stop working as a waste-management emergency dispatcher for the City of Toronto about five years ago, Krystal said, she spent her days seeing her two daughters and son, going out for coffee with friends and roaming the neighbourhood on her scooter and with her dog Pooks, a German shepherd-husky mix.

Plytass brother James Plytas, 58, said he learned about his sisters death over the phone on Tuesday and was stunned by the news. Although he hasnt been close with his sister in years, he said he recalled her wedding at a Greek Orthodox church.

Their mother died 11 years ago and their father died 15 years before that, the brother said. He last spoke to his sister about a month ago to discuss estate matters of their brother, who died four years ago. This is a shock, he said.

Krystal Reil said the last time she saw her mother was four days before her death, she said. The women spent the afternoon shopping downtown at the Loblaws on College St.

Plytas bought Krystal a new bathing suit and sweets for her three grandchildren, Krystal said. The pair enjoyed each others company over a picnic lunch of shawarma sandwiches in a downtown park.

I just want everyone to know that she was the most kind woman I ever met and if I turn out to be half the woman she was, Im lucky.

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Toronto police will hit the waterfront this weekend to launch a traffic blitz on crowded Queens Quay.

In a news release issued Friday, the force said officers will be on the street Saturday and Sunday afternoon, between noon and 4 p.m., and the blitz will target motorists, cyclists and pedestrians not obeying the rules and committing unsafe acts.

The release said the goal of the initiative was to enforce the rules but also educate the public on how to make Queens Quay a safe place for everyone.

The lakeside boulevard reopened in June 2015after a $128.9-million overhaul that took three years and was intended to allow drivers, bikers, pedestrians and public transit to coexist on the same road.

While the redesign has proved popular and Queens Quay is a favourite destination for locals and tourists, it has also prompted complaints from people who say the unfamiliar configuration is sowing confusion and conflict among road users not use to sharing the street.

Waterfront Toronto, the publicly funded agency that led the redesign, is still making adjustments like adding signs telling pedestrians to watch for cyclists at intersections where they might come into conflict, and installing additional traffic lights to discourage illegal left turns.

But potentially dangerous behaviour, like drivers illegally using the streetcar right-of-way, is still a common sight.

Mayor John Tory, who did a walk-through of Queens Quay with Toronto police officers and members of Waterfront Toronto on Friday afternoon, said he believed the redesign has been successful but people need time to get used to it.

I think it is working as well as you can expect when this is a concept that is I think quite new for Torontonians, he said.

The mayor said that with all the activity on Queens Quay you really have to keep your wits about you, and admitted that during the walk-through he accidentally wandered into the path of bicycles because he wasnt paying attention.

But he rejected any suggestion that Waterfront Toronto had bungled the project.

I dont look at it that anybody made a mistake, he said. Well continue to learn, but it doesnt mean you dont do these things. This is part of building a modern city that is going to be shared by people who want to get around in different ways.

Const. Barry Bates of 52 Division said that last summer there was an extraordinary number of accidents on Queens Quay. He estimated there were about 70 collisions between Rees. St. and York St. This year that number has declined, he said.

According to Bates, while Queens Quay has had its issues the problem is mainly with the amount of people who use the street rather than with its design.

When you overload something, it breaks down. . . Theres no correction for that. Its just part of being downtown in an urban environment.

About eight uniformed police will take part in this weekends blitz, plus parking enforcement officers, Bates said. The service intends to concentrate on issues like cyclists riding too fast, drivers making improper turns, pedestrians crossing the streetcar right-of-way, and road users of all kinds disobeying signals.

According to Bates, the officers will favour educating people over handing out tickets. Thats all we can do, do our best to educate. Its an ongoing process. Its not going to end this summer.

Laura Feltz, who has lived in the area for six years, said she welcomed the blitz. Her eyesight is deteriorating, and she sometimes has to be extra cautious on the street, especially at night.

You dont have to stay too long to see people doing the wrong things, she said.

Youve got people who dont obey signals, youve got pedestrians who are new to this city and theyre trying to understand where theyre going and not really paying full attention.

The rules, one more time

Confused about the redesigned Queens Quay? Dont worry, the police are here to help. This weekend theyll be educating (and possibly ticketing) road users who dont follow the rules. Here are the types of behaviour theyll be focusing on.

Unsafe crossings: Its not illegal to cross the street mid-block, Const. Barry Bates of 52 Division said, but with pedestrians forced to traverse both streetcar tracks and car lanes to get to the other side of Queens Quay, police will be advising people pay extra attention. Use a crosswalk if you can, Bates said.

Speedy cyclists: The Martin Goodman Trail that runs along Queens Quay is a popular cycling route, but some riders seem to love it a bit too much. Many dont heed the signs to slow down. This is a family area, said Const. Bates. As far as having a wide-open bicycle track, this is not it . . . Cyclists need to slow down and share the (trail).

Reckless turns: A major cause of the high number of collisions last year was drivers ignoring left-turn traffic lights, particularly at the intersection with Lower Simcoe St. Waterfront Toronto has added additional signals to make it clearer to drivers when its safe to turn left, but police will be watching for motorists who ignore them.

Signal scofflaws: There are separate traffic signals on Queens Quay for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and streetcars. During the blitz police will be watching for anyone who disobeys them. Whatever group decides at one point, Im not waiting, its going to have a trickle-down effect to everybody else, said Const. Hugh Smith.

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Two days after a possible terrorist threat put Toronto transit agencies on alert, the union representing TTC workers is calling on management to reconsider plans to remove guards from subway trains.

In a news release Bob Kinnear, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, suggested that eliminating the guards would make passengers less safe.

Kinnear noted that in response to the potential threat on Wednesday, TTC management issued a see something, say something notice to workers, advising them to be vigilant. By eliminating the subway guards, however, there will be far fewer trained observers who can see something or who can respond to passenger alarms from inside the trains. How very reassuring that must be to the 1.8 million TTC passengers per day, Kinnear said.

While we do not know that the TTC was a specific target (of Wednesdays threat), we do know that transportation is a favoured terror target. We need more, not fewer layers of security for the TTC.

TTC subways are currently operated by two-person crews consisting of a driver and a guard. The guards typically ride in the second-to-last car on older subway trains, and in the rear cab of newer Toronto Rocket models. They have no special security training but are responsible for opening and closing train doors, and watching for obstructions at track level.

The TTC is moving toward one-person train operation, which would eliminate the guard position. Instead, the driver would operate the doors and monitor platform activity with the help of four CCTV cameras that would be installed on the station platform and transmit video to inside the operators cab.

In October, the TTC intends to start testing one-person operation on Line 4 (Sheppard). If it proves successful, guards will also be taken off of Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) subways. A decision has yet to be made about Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth), according to a commission report published in July.

Removing guards from Line 1 and Line 4 would allow the commission to reduce its complement of subway operators, who earn an average salary of $103,400 a year, from 389 to 209. That would translate into annual savings of $18.6 million for the TTC, which is facing a major budget crunch in 2017.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross rejected the unions suggestion that removing the guards would make the transit system less safe. He pointed out that the TTCs Scarborough RT has had one-person operation since 1985, and subways in cities like London, Chicago, Los Angeles, Bangkok, and Mexico City are operated by a single worker.

He said that a new station-management policy the agency instituted in 2013has increased the number of employees present in subway stations, and there will be even more workers in the public areas of stations once the Presto automatic fare-card system is fully implemented and collectors are moved out of ticket booths.

The system is incredibly safe, he said.

On Wednesday, law enforcement alerted the TTC, as well as the Greater Toronto Airport Authority and Metrolinx, to a potential terror threat. Later that day, police intercepted and killed 24-year-old Aaron Driver as he left a residence in Strathroy, Ont., about 195 km southwest of Toronto.

The RCMP said he intended to attack a major urban centre during rush hour.

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A provincial judge has stayed the charges against three men accused in a fraud and conspiracy case that shook public confidence in the TTC, after handing down a ruling that slammed the frustratingly glacial pace of the prosecution and determined that lengthy delays in the case had violated the trios charter right to a speedy trial.

In the judgment delivered in the Ontario Court of Justice at College Park on July 26, Justice John Moore agreed with applications from the defence that argued the time it had taken to get the men to trial was unreasonable.

Moore blamed the drawn-out nature of the proceedings in part on the disorganization and lack of a game plan in the Crowns office. He also rebuked the prosecutor initially assigned to the case, describing him as often unresponsive or inaccessible to the defence.

The three accused in the case were two former TTC employees, Amadeo Cuschieri, 57, and Maciej Zych, 51, as well as a third man, Dan Doron, 52. All three were arrested on Jun. 11, 2014, after a lengthy TTC investigation.

Three other men, who were either working for the TTC or had retired from the agency at the time, were arrested the same month on related allegations, but charges against them had already been stayed.

The charges against all six stemmed from allegations laid out in a 2014 court document called an information to obtain a search warrant (ITO), in which police alleged that, between 2008 and 2013, TTC employees improperly billed the commission for more than $100,000 in fraudulent purchases that included trigger locks for firearms, decorative front door handles, folding knives and expensive tools for an auto body shop.

Between them, the six men were charged with a range of offences alleged to have taken place between 2008 and 2014 and included fraud, theft, breach of trust, conspiracy and possession of stolen property.

The allegations in the ITO were not tested in court.

In Moores ruling, which he made at the end of a two-day hearing that began July 25, the judge noted that when the Crowns office disclosed its evidence to the defence in May 2015, the disclosure was missing key information like summaries of what several Crown witnesses would testify to. Also missing was evidence relating to the conspiracy charges facing the three men, even though that information had been available to the Crowns office since the time of the arrests.

It wasnt until January 2016, 18 months after the arrests, that the Crowns office provided enough disclosure for both sides to be prepared to set trial dates.

According to the judge, the assistant Crown who was originally assigned to the case, an attorney named Craig Power, departed the Crown office in the fall of 2015 for personal reasons, and once assistant Crown Scott Patterson stepped in to take the lead matters proceeded in a more timely fashion.

Power, who is still listed by the Canadian Law List as an assistant Crown, did not return messages requesting comment this week. The Ministry of the Attorney General refused to comment on his employment status, citing the confidentiality of human resources issues.

At the July hearing, Patterson argued that the delays were reasonable because of the complexity of the case, which he said required linking the thousands and thousands of items found during searches of Cuschieris and Zychs homes to documents that allegedly proved they were TTC property.

But Moore dismissed that argument and said that the legal issues involved in the case were simple and straightforward.

In his reasons for judgment, Moore cited a recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling that laid out new deadlines for cases tried in provincial court. The court set a presumptive ceiling of 18 months from the time someone is charged to the end of their trial, and ruled that delays longer than that should be presumed to be unreasonable and a violation of charter rights unless the Crown can show exceptional circumstances.

The trial for Cuschieri, Doron, and Zych was scheduled to begin in October and finish in January 2017, or 31 months after their arrest, which would have exceeded the ceiling by 13 months.

Asked if the Crown intended to appeal Moores decision, Brendan Crawley, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Attorney General, said it would be inappropriate to comment because the case was still within the appeal period.

Cuschieris lawyer, Aaron Spektor, said his client was extremely happy and relieved.

Cuschieri worked as a TTC foreman and manager in the agencys revenue and security equipment maintenance department, but retired on May 30, 2014. Twelve days later, he was charged with theft over $5,000, fraud over $5,000, breach of trust, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property over $5,000 for the purpose of trafficking.

Spektor said that the evidence presented to obtain search warrants almost never matches the information that comes out at trial, and that Cuschieri would have pleaded not guilty if the charges hadnt been stayed. He added that his client is presumed to be innocent, just like you and I would be, of any charges that are laid against him.

Zych was working as a TTC repairman at the time of his arrest but resigned soon after, according to the transit agency. He was facing charges of conspiracy and possession of stolen property over $5,000. His lawyer, Paul Genua, said that his client had always maintained his innocence and that, if the case had gone to trial, I was confident that . . . I was going to win that case.

Genua emphasized that the judges decision to stay the charges wasnt a technicality, but recognition of the important right that all citizens have to be tried within a reasonable time.

Doron, 52, the only one of the three who didnt work at the TTC, was charged with conspiracy. His attorney, Seth Weinstein, said most of the evidence in the ITO didnt pertain to Doron and we were always confident in our defence.

The ITO that led to the charges was based on information provided to the police by TTC employee Staff. Sgt. Mark Russell, a veteran investigator who led the transit agencys probe.

According to the document, Russell alleged that, between 2008 and 2014, the accused billed the commission for more than $100,000 in fraudulent purchases, including almost $20,000 for residential door hardware and other material the transit agency had no need for, $16,838 for four tool cabinets and drawers that didnt appear to be on TTC property, and $1,445 for a cordless drill kit that the TTC didnt need.

According to the ITO, Cuschieri had signing authority for purchase orders up to $15,000, and between 2007 and February 2014 his department spent more than $65,000 on high-end Snap-On brand tools for auto mechanics. Russell estimated that more than 95 per cent of the purchases couldnt be considered legitimate.

Russell also alleged that Cuschieri, Doron and Zych intended to set up a company to manufacture turnstiles, and when Cuschieri issued a TTC procurement request for 200 turnstiles worth a collective $4,000,000, he listed the company as a suggested supplier.

At the time of the arrests, allegations that TTC employees had perpetrated a sustained and elaborate fraud against the transit agency rattled TTC leaders. CEO Andy Byford wrote a letter to employees in which he acknowledged the alleged crimes had harm(ed) our collective reputation and the publics trust of us in the process.

According to TTC spokesman Brad Ross, in response to the allegations the commission established a new whistleblower policy to protect employees who report wrongdoing from reprisals. The commissions code of conduct policy was also updated, about 200 senior managers received ethics training, and the commission put a system in place to detect unusual purchases.

The decision to stay the charges is outside of the TTCs control and not a reflection on the investigation or the actions we took as an organization, Ross said. The TTCs reputation as an organization that takes wrongdoing seriously  criminal or otherwise  is extremely important for both employees and the public that funds us to understand.

Although the arrests prompted changes at the transit agency, by spring of last year the cases against the six accused were falling apart.

Charges against one of the men, Amadeo Cuschieris son, were stayed in April 2015. Steven Cuschieri, a 37-year-old who was working as a TTC bus mechanic in 2014, had been accused of possessing stolen tools and tool chests worth over $5,000. In November 2015 the case against Lorenzo Lamanna, 58, a TTC repairman charged with theft and fraud under $5,000, was also stayed.

According to Crawley, the attorney general spokesman, the Crown stayed the charges after it examined the evidence and determined there was no reasonable prospect of conviction in either case.

Steven Cuschieri remains employed at the TTC. His lawyer declined the Stars request for comment, but Ross, the TTC spokesman, said: In the end, there was no evidence of any wrongdoing on his part.

On Jul. 22 of this year, the Crown also abandoned the case against John Mulhall, a 67-year-old former TTC worker who had been Amadeo Cuschieris supervisor. Mulhall, who was retired at the time of his arrest, was facing charges of theft over $5,000, criminal breach of trust, and fraud over $5,000. The Crown stayed those charges after Mulhalls attorney filed an application claiming the case had been unreasonably delayed.

Mulhalls lawyer declined to comment to the Star about the case.

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Staff at the Lincoln Correctional Center used pepper spray to subdue an inmate Friday afternoon, saying he began punching a caseworker in the head and upper body with his closed fists.

The caseworker was taken in a state vehicle for medical treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, the Department of Correctional Services said in a news release.

At least six Corrections employees have been assaulted by inmates so far this month, including three at the penitentiary on Tuesday. The prison was locked down after the assault.

As it does in all cases in which Corrections staff say they were assaulted by inmates, the department will investigate those incidents as well as the one from Friday afternoon and forward results to the Lancaster County Attorney's Office.

Earlier this week, Corrections officials said multiple reports have indicated general unrest at the penitentiary and threats of physical violence toward staff.
For the past three years, Ontarios legal aid staff lawyers have been attempting to unionize, arguing it would help them negotiate fair working conditions to better serve their clients.

But Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), a provincial government agency, has refused to recognize their chosen union, and so employee and employer are now locked in a legal battle that could prove to be lengthy and expensive.

The lawyers  many of whom work out of courthouses, often representing the most marginalized in society who cant afford counsel  have launched a constitutional challenge over LAOs refusal to bargain with their chosen representative, the Society of Energy Professionals (SEP). The case is set to be heard in Superior Court beginning Dec. 5.

All I can tell you is I think the people of Ontario would be profoundly disappointed with the way that Legal Aid Ontario has conducted itself as a government agency by denying its employees the right to associate freely and bargain collectively, said Matthew Kellway, assistant to the president of the SEP and former NDP MP.

This is a government-funded agency that has chosen to spend its highly-valued dollars to fight its employees in court on bargaining collectively rather than providing justice to low-income Ontarians.

Lawyers are not recognized as employees under Ontarios Labour Relations Act, and so are excluded from its collective bargaining system.

But the government has voluntarily recognized the associations representing its own lawyers and bargained with them, such as the association that represents Ontarios Crown attorneys.

An LAO spokesman said the agency has repeatedly offered to meet and negotiate with a similar association of legal aid staff lawyers, should one be formed.

In LAOs view, an association of its lawyers would recognize the unique culture and the particular workplace issues at LAO. These offers have been declined to date, said spokesman Graeme Burk.

The Society of Energy Professionals initiated this lawsuit. We are defending this action because we believe our position is consistent with the law.

Legal aid staff lawyers are often found assisting recently arrested individuals on their first appearance in court and representing accused persons in bail court and when they wish to plead guilty. Some also work on family court matters and at immigration hearings.

They have taken to the streets to protest the refusal to recognize their chosen union, most recently outside a Liberal Party fundraiser at the TIFF Bell Lightbox earlier this month.

The union remains hopeful that recently appointed Attorney General Yasir Naqvi will step in before the court date and allow for staff lawyers to commence bargaining with Legal Aid Ontario through the SEP, said lawyer Steven Barrett, who represents the staff lawyers in the constitutional challenge.

I think with the new Attorney General, theres a new opportunity to look at the matter fresh, and he should have an understanding of the importance of collective bargaining as the former Minister of Labour, Barrett said.

He should understand the legitimacy of collective bargaining and he should have a keen understanding of the obligations of the government. Otherwise, obviously well be in court in December.

A Ministry of the Attorney General spokesman declined to comment as the matter is before the court, other than to say LAO is an independent organization whose management and board of directors are responsible for human resources matters.

About 80 per cent of LAOs staff lawyers have signed a petition to join SEP over the last two years, Barrett said.

Duty counsel Dana Fisher, who is an applicant in the constitutional challenge, said there had been some discussion about the lawyers forming their own association, but said in the end it had decided to go with a union that had a strong ability to organize a large group of people spread out across the province.

Fisher said the lawyers liked SEP because it is accustomed to working with employees who have professional and ethical obligations such as lawyers, and said it also represents lawyers and judges in the U.S.

Our aim has always been to improve access to services for our clients, said Fisher, who has been based at the crowded College Park courthouse in downtown Toronto for the past six years.

One example of improvements that are desperately needed, Fisher said, is more space. She said there are currently 14 lawyers working out of cramped quarters in the duty counsel office at College Park, where no one has their own desk.

I dont have any private space where I can interview my clients privately. It makes it very difficult to receive instructions and provide confidential advice to clients, she said.

In a separate action, three legal aid staff lawyers are taking their employer to the Pay Equity Commission, arguing that Ontarios legal aid lawyers are predominantly female, and therefore LAO must conduct what is known as a gender neutral job evaluation to ensure the lawyers are not being discriminated against in terms of remuneration.

Fisher, who is not directly involved with the pay equity complaint, said her colleagues also believe they are the most racially diverse group of public sector lawyers. LAO said it does not keep statistics related to race.

Barrett, who is also counsel for the pay equity complaint, explained that because more than 60 per cent of the legal aid staff lawyers are women, the job is considered a female job class under provincial legislation, which triggers the gender neutral review.

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What is life like in the middle of Syrias largely forgotten civil war?

It is something like this, as described by doctors still working in the besieged city of Aleppo: Two weeks ago, four newborn babies gasping for air suffocated to death after a blast cut the oxygen supply to their incubators. Gasping for air, their lives ended before they had really begun.

I wonder if their parents even had time to name them.

The battle for Aleppo is perhaps the most crucial one in Syrias five-year civil war. It is reaching its climax with an estimated 300,000 lives at risk. Yet it is happening largely out of sight, with the worlds attention focused elsewhere.

That prompted the few courageous doctors remaining in Aleppo to write a poignant open letter this week to President Barack Obama pleading with him to intervene: We do not need tears or sympathy or even prayers. We desperately need a zone free from bombing over eastern Aleppo to stop the attacks, and international action to ensure Aleppo is never besieged again.

Rebel forces opposed to President Bashar Assad hold the eastern part of the city. But Assads military, backed by Russian planes, has bombarded the city continually, including its hospitals. Last month alone, there were 42 attacks on medical facilities in Syria. The 15 doctors who signed the letter to Obama accused these forces of committing war crimes.

The battle is strategically crucial. If Assads forces win, it would confirm that his side  with aggressive Russian help  has gained the advantage. That would inevitably prolong the fighting because a genuine settlement is only thought possible if the two sides remain locked in a military stalemate.

With so many competing interests at play, efforts to work out a ceasefire have faltered. The United Nations said that as many as two million people in the area currently lack access to running water due to the fighting. It appealed to the combatants to declare a humanitarian pause to permit emergency aid.

Russia and Turkey, two key nations in the region on opposite sides of the conflict, added a dramatic new dimension. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Moscow for a high-profile rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The region is waiting to see what impact, if any, this will have on the Syrian drama.

The conflict only grabs the worlds attention when the worlds major powers dictate. From the perspective of these countries  the United States, Russia, Iran, Turkey and their allies  this is a proxy war involving global rivalries and tensions. What happens on the ground to the Syrian people doesnt matter much to them, but it should.

What has been the real human cost of this civil war?

Casualties: Nearly 500,000 people have been killed, according to the Syrian Centre for Policy Research (SCPR). It estimates that nearly two million people  more than one-tenth of the population  have either been killed or injured.

Refugees: Nearly four million Syrians are refugees in other countries, with 2.7 million in Turkey alone. An estimated six million people have been internally displaced. The UN childrens fund, UNICEF, estimates that 2.4 million children are refugees.

Economy and heritage: SCPR studies indicate that in terms of economy and infrastructure, Syria has almost all been obliterated. Half of all hospitals are said to be damaged or destroyed. Half of the countrys children are not attending school. And virtually all of Syrias UNESCO World Heritage sites have been either damaged or destroyed, including the ancient city of Aleppo.

The letter to Obama from the Aleppo doctors was moving in its account of the daily suffering: What pains us most, as doctors, is choosing who will live and who will die.

But it was absolutely withering in its indictment of the United States and the world in general for doing little to end the conflict: We have borne witness as countless patients, friends and colleagues suffered violent, tormented deaths.

If Aleppo joins the ranks of Rwanda, Darfur and Srebrenica as awful moments in history when the world turned away, it will be the painful eloquence of those doctors that endures.

Tony Burman, former head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, teaches journalism at Ryerson University. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com .

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At long last, the ice age is almost over. The vast glaciers that have formed an impenetrable barrier across the top of North America are finally beginning to recede. Between the two walls of ice, a corridor emerges, harsh and scrubby, but green enough to sustain life. In a chilly but habitable region of Alaska, the descendants of Asians who daringly crossed an ice bridge into the unknown get the opportunity theyve been waiting for: finally, a pathway south.

They step into the corridor. They slowly edge their way south. When they emerge on the other side, many decades and 1,600 kilometres later, they are in what is now Montana  the first human inhabitants of what is truly a new world.

Unless you closely follow the latest findings in paleoarcheology, this is probably the version of North Americans origin story youre accustomed to. But its almost certainly wrong.

A growing body of evidence suggests that people had colonized the Americas several thousand years before the end of the last ice age  long before the corridor between the glaciers was even open.

The schoolbook story that most of us are used to doesnt seem to be supported, said Eske Willerslev, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Copenhagens Center for Geogenetics and a co-author of a new study on the history of that legendary ice-free corridor.

Writing in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Willerslev and his colleagues reconstruct what the corridor would have been like 13,000 years ago, when geologic records indicate it first opened up. In rock cores taken from the bottoms of former lakes, they find evidence of a rocky, barren place that no prehistoric human would have ventured into for several hundred years.

If and when people finally did migrate through the corridor, the scientists say, it seems likely that they travelled south to north as well north to south, adding to the evidence that humans were already in what is now the lower 48 states when the path through Canada emerged from the ice.

Twenty years ago, this finding would have been deemed outlandish. For most of the 20th century, it was archeological orthodoxy that a society known as Clovis  for the characteristic fluted points made by human hands and discovered in Clovis, Mexico  was the first to colonize the Americas 13,000 years ago. Evidence of their technological sophistication and dominant presence litters the prehistoric landscape: some 10,000 Clovis points have been discovered in locations as far flung as Florida and Washington state.

Not coincidentally, those points appearance in the archeological record matches perfectly with when geologists believed the ice sheets covering Canada first began to melt. For years, the Clovis first and ice-free corridor models for migration into the Americas went hand in hand.

But in the late 1990s, a group of prominent archeologists examined a hunk of mastodon meat and the remains of huts uncovered at Monte Verde in southern Chile. They concluded the site had been established by people who predated Clovis by some 1,500 years. (Note that dating is a fraught subject in paleo-American studies; some have estimated Monte Verde is as old as 18,500 years.)

Other discoveries of human activity  but so far, no actual human remains  at roughly a dozen sites scattered throughout two continents have bolstered support for a new model: the first Americans travelled along the Pacific coast by boat, hopping between intermittent ice-free beaches and living off the abundance of the sea until they finally reached the land beyond the glaciers.

These days, its rare find a scientist who promotes the Clovis first and ice-free corridor model. But the concept still looms large in American archeology.

If the very first Americans didnt come through the corridor, some wondered, perhaps the Clovis people took the route later.

No such luck, according to Willerslev.

Even for Clovis people  I find it very unlikely they could have come through the interior ice corridor, he said. It simply wasnt viable.

To reach this conclusion, Willerslev and his colleagues took core samples from nine former lake beds in British Columbia, where the vast Laurentide and Cordellian ice sheets parted. They used radiocarbon analysis to date each sediment layer, then tested for large fossils, pollen (evidence of trees) and DNA (evidence of, well, everything else).

Normally, it would be all but impossible to get coherent data from a random sediment sample  the strands of DNA are too jumbled and degraded to be isolated for sequencing. But the Nature team used a technique called shotgun sequencing, which involves indiscriminately sequencing every bit of DNA in a clump of organic matter and matching the results to a database of known genomes to see signs of individual organisms emerge.

This allows us to analyze DNA from all types of organisms  and start to characterize the environment through time, said Mikkel Pedersen, a PhD student at the Center for Geogenetics and the first author on the paper.

In the deepest layers, from 13,000 years ago, Pedersen and his colleagues found almost no evidence of life.

The land was completely naked and barren, he said.

About 400 years above that, in the 12,600-year-old layer, they started seeing traces of bison, hare and sage brush  the things that would live in an emerging tundra steppe environment. At this point, the corridor was likely lush enough to support human travellers, he said.

By 10,000 years ago, the corridor would close again  not because of ice, but because of trees. Canada was blanketed in the dense boreal forest we know today.

This research doesnt put an end to the questions about human migration into the Americas; it just means scientists can focus on new ones. For example, how were the Clovis people related to ones who settled at early sites such as Monte Verde? And if those first arrivals really did take a coastal route, where is the evidence?

Its a complicated geological situation and a complicated archeological situation, said David Meltzer, an author on the Nature paper and an archeologist at Southern Methodist University. Sea levels have risen dramatically in the last 13,000 years, likely swamping any coastal settlements the first Americans might have established.

Does that mean those settlements are now beyond our reach? Oh, one never bets against negative data in archeology, Meltzer said.

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TEHRAN, IRANIrans semi-official ILNA news agency is reporting that the families of at least 400 people killed fighting in Iranian brigades in Syria have been referred to the Martyr Foundation, which offers financial support to the relatives of those killed fighting for Iran.

The Saturday report quotes the head of the Martyr Foundation, Mohammad Ali Shahidi, as saying that Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard announced the number of fighters killed, saying that around half of them were Afghan.

It is the first time an Iranian official has indicated how many people have been killed fighting in Iranian militias in Syria.

Iran has provided military and political backing to President Bashar Assad in Syrias civil war. Afghan Shiites, some of whom live in Iran, have been fighting alongside Iranian fighters in Syria.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise change in the Kremlin, dismissing Sergei Ivanov, his chief-of-staff since December 2011, as he makes way for younger blood by replacing some long-time allies.

Anton Vaino, 44, will replace Ivanov, the Kremlin said in a statement on Friday. Vaino had been deputy chief-of-staff since May 2012, when Putin returned to the Kremlin for a third term as president. Before that, he was head of protocol and then head of government staff when Putin was prime minister. Born in Tallinn to a Soviet political family, Vaino is the grandson of Karl Vaino, the first secretary of the Estonian Communist Party from 1978 to 1988.

Putin is czar so he needs a team of younger people that are 100 per cent his, that havent had any authority in their lives other than him, Igor Bunin, director of the Moscow-based Center for Political Technologies, said by phone. Ivanov knows not only Putin but knew Leonid Brezhnev as well and is a broad-minded person. And this created some discomfort for Putin.

As a member of Putins closest circle, Ivanov, 63, was one of the handful of officials who worked on operations in Crimea, eastern Ukraine and Syria, Bunin said. The change is a part of a technocratic reform Putin hopes will lower the political risks from Russias current economic hardships, he said. Last month, Putin placed trusted security officials in key positions, carrying out a large shuffle of regional governors and envoys as Russia prepares for parliamentary elections in September.

Putin discussed the changes with both men in a meeting shown on state television, saying it was Ivanovs request to switch to another job after four years. The presidents term expires in 2018. Ivanov was appointed Putins special representative for environment and transportation.

Ivanov, who had also served as defence minister and as deputy prime minister, worked with Putin in the KGB in Leningrad in the 1970s. In 2007, Ivanov was seen as a potential successor to Putin. Instead, current Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev took a four-year turn as president from 2008.

In the past year, Putin has dismissed several long-time allies, including Vladimir Yakunin, 68, who was head of Russian Railways JSC for a decade, and Vladimir Dmitriev, 62, who oversaw the indebted state development lender Vnesheconombank. He installed younger managers to help steer the companies during the countrys longest recession in two decades.

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PORTLAND, MAINESweden is digging in on a proposal to ban imports of live lobsters into the European Union after a rebuke from American scientists, and the issue could go all the way to the World Trade Organization.

Sweden asked the European Union to bar imports of live American lobsters into the bloc earlier this year after 32 American lobsters were found in Swedish waters. The U.S. government then told the European Commission that the proposal isnt supported by science, and American and Canadian scientists issued reports calling the Swedish claim into question.

Now, Swedens Agency for Marine and Water Management is issuing a response to criticism, and says the country is right to be cautious about the appearance of a foreign species in its waters. The response came out at the end of July and defends the prevention of the spread of American lobsters as environmentally desirable and cost-effective.

The Congressional delegation of Maine, the countrys largest lobster producing state, issued a statement that said it will appeal to the WTO if the European Union ultimately sides with the Swedes.

Lobstermen in America and Canada, which together export $200 million (U.S.) worth of lobster to European markets each year, are hopeful that Swedens call for a ban eventually amounts to nothing.

I havent taken my Swedish engine out of my boat yet, said Gerry Cushman, a Port Clyde lobsterman. Id like to see lobsters stay open throughout the world everywhere.

European Unions Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species is expected to express an opinion about Swedens call for a ban on Aug. 31. The country has said American lobsters, which are fished off the coasts of the U.S. and Canada, could spread disease and overtake the smaller European variety of lobster.

Robert S. Steneck, a University of Maine scientist, wrote a paper that said the American lobsters that turned up in Europe were most likely released illegally, as opposed to migrating across the ocean. He also wrote that American lobsters dont pose a threat to European lobsters, in part because winter ocean temperatures along the coasts of European countries are too warm for the American lobsters to reproduce.

But Swedens marine agency said it is vital to take a precautionary approach to the issue, because American lobsters failure to gain a foothold in Europe thus far is no guarantee that the same species will not be successfully invasive in another place or time. The agency also says more research is needed into the impact of crossbreeding of American and European lobsters.

Maines congressional delegation said the European import market is critical to the lobster industry, and the states leaders remain committed to supporting it. Maines lobster industry was worth about a half-billion dollars last year and catches have soared to record highs in recent years.

State leaders hope the EU will strongly consider the evidence offered by North American experts and decide not to pursue a ban on imports of live American lobster to Europe, the delegation said in a statement.

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HOUSTONTexas lawyer Jerry Guerinot said he no longer represents people accused of capital murder after four decades of posting a perfect record.

None of his nearly three dozen capital murder clients was found innocent.

Some opponents of capital punishment label him the worst lawyer in the United States. Guerinot shrugs off the criticism, which he says comes from taking notorious cases.

My theory is if they are the sorriest of the worst or the very worst, I got em, Guerinot, 71, said in an interview with The Associated Press. Somebodys got to defend  defend is the wrong word  represent these people.

Guerinot has represented gang members, serial killers and sociopaths accused of heinous crimes.

He works from Houston, in Harris County, which has sent more people to death row than any other U.S. county and all but two states since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. So, Guerinot got a lot of business.

Too much business to properly represent the accused, according to Jim Marcus, co-director of the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas.

He points to 1996, when jurors over a seven-month period convicted people in four separate Guerinot cases. Three of those clients have been executed. Marcus now represents the fourth, Anthony Medina, who he contends in appeals received virtually no defence from Guerinot, including little trial preparation and inadequate questioning of witnesses.

It is unthinkable that a defence attorney would try four separate death penalty cases to verdict in the space of seven months, said Marcus.

Guerinot said he was not the lead attorney on some of those cases, that extensive preparation was made earlier on two of them and that he spent considerable time on Medinas case before trial. He acknowledged the perception of trying to rush cases to get a paycheque, but thats not what happened.

Over his career, court records show 21 Guerinot clients received the death penalty. Ten have been executed. Two had their sentences commuted to life when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that those under 18 at the time of the crime could not be executed. One case is awaiting retrial on the punishment. Prosecutors dropped the charges in another case.

Thirteen other Guerinot clients are serving life sentences, either because a plea agreement or lesser charge was negotiated, jurors couldnt agree unanimously on the death penalty or prosecutors didnt seek it.

You never hear about the ones we pleaded down to murder or aggravated robbery or when the jury came back (with a life sentence), Guerinot said.

This fall, courts are reviewing cases involving two former Guerinot clients. While his performance isnt the central issue, they raise questions about whether they received fair trials. The highest profile case involves Linda Carty, the only British woman on death row in the United States.

I hate to say that mans name, Carty said in a 2010 prison interview with The Associated Press. I wouldnt be here if I had better counsel.

She was convicted in 2002 of orchestrating her 20-year-old neighbours slaying and abducting the womans infant. Carty denied involvement. Three men convicted as accomplices received long prison terms. Carty got death.

Her current lawyers believe she deserves a new trial, arguing prosecutors improperly withheld evidence from the defence team Guerinot led.

Carty told The Associated Press that Guerinot didnt meet with her until a month before the trial  and never sought legal help from the British consulate.

Guerinot says Carty refused to meet him for four months and, even though she is from St. Kitts when it was part of the British Virgin Islands, she never told him she was a citizen of Britain, where the death penalty is outlawed.

She got the death penalty because it was a terrible crime, Guerinot says.

At a June court hearing, Guerinot testified his defence efforts were hampered by Carty and other unco-operative witnesses. Final submissions from lawyers are due Aug. 29 and the judge will make a recommendation to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the states highest criminal court.

Guerinot believes he got numerous appointments over the years because of his capital case experience, which began in the early 1970s as an assistant prosecutor, and his frequent presence at the courthouse once he went into private practice.

Its very hard to look at a judge who says, I need you to take on this case, and say: I wont do it, he said.

In 2001, Texas passed a law that attorneys for indigent people be selected from a list of those deemed qualified through training and experience.

Guerinot said he hasnt retired but he is tired of being pilloried over capital murder cases and wont take them anymore.

Im there to ensure they get a fair shake, Guerinot said. And, by God, there aint one of them that didnt.

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Re: Mayor horrified over tree removal, July 29

Mayor horrified over tree removal, July 29

I agree completely with Mayor John Tory. The real underlying problem seems to be the Ontario Municipal Board. Developers do what they want because they have been allowed to do so; they are cavalier because they can be. Time and again, the needs and welfare of citizens of Ontario communities are overruled by the OMB.

This begs the question: When will the OMB be revamped to be more than a rubber stamp for developers? Everyone knows this, yet so far it continues.

Even the Oak Ridges Moraine, being developed as conservation lands, are being destroyed. Is it then surprising that trees are cut down as suits developers? Where does it end?

I will tell you where, and only when: when the OMB is revamped to reflect the wishes of the Ontario public and when it does not bulldoze constantly over the standards of communities and even Ontario agencies like the Conservation Authority.

Sadly, it is clear that it is the rare developer who is mindful of more than maximum profit by using any possible green space anywhere, or tearing down any possible older building to build as large a replacement as possible. They are snakes in the grass, and the OMB is feeding them consistently. That needs to stop now.

Mai-Reet Eljas Cartan, Toronto

The first thing the city council should do regarding the illegal 30-tree removal on Bayview Ave. should be to put a three- or five-year freeze on the development of the property. Setting a fine, even a million dollars, might be considered just the cost of doing business by the developer.

Our city council must forcefully demonstrate that illegal tree clearing will not be tolerated. The costs for such actions must be so prohibitive that our trees will be left standing. Even a jail term for illegal tree clearing might be considered justified.

Our trees are too precious to be left without protection from unscrupulous developers.

David Gladstone, Toronto

I hope Star reporter David Rider follows the money trail for the devastation of the 30 trees removed without a permit. How can a developer get approval from OMB when permits for the tree removal were never approved? Why are we always having official plan and zoning bylaw amendments? Why do we have laws?

It seems that the city mayors and councillors have never objected about the power of the OMB and are giving developers carte blanche.

Why dont we have a real official plan and zoning bylaws that people actually follow? Instead we amend every bylaw and then run to the province for approval at the OMB. We would not be in this bizarre situation if we really believed in our future and had a plan.

If the City was really serious about saving trees then the tree bylaws should be followed and the perpetrators fined. Otherwise we will have to amend our bylaws to accommodate tree removal with no punishment.

Astra Burka, Toronto

Something does not add up to the controversy over the large mature trees that were cut down. Taking down a large number of mature trees would take some time and a lot of noise. Some questions:

What time of day was Councillor Jaye Robinson notified? What time of day was the city department notified? How long did it take for the city to react? Why was a supervisor not sent out immediately to at least save some of the trees?

I understand that in some parts of Europe it is extremely difficult for a developer to cut down trees. In most cases they have to work around them, not like what happened in High Park, whereby over 600 signatures where signed, and still the councillor allowed mature black walnuts to be cut down for a condo. Now that the condo is finished, the trees where a considerable distance from the back entrance to the condo, and could easily have been saved.

The attitude here is just bulldoze the site completely with no regard for mature trees or what might be nesting in the trees. Photo-ops by the mayor after the event are a joke and will not change anything.

According to the CBC website, over 95 per cent of developers request to cut down trees are approved, well thats a joke. If we love our tree canopy so much, then we need to rethink, as fines for developers are just a slap on the wrist and a tax right-off by their lawyers.

Council members and the city need to get their act together. But maybe that is wishful thinking.

Keith Hyde, Toronto

Kudos to Toronto City Hall for agreeing to investigate the 30 mature trees that were cut in North York. How lucky the citizens of Toronto are to have representatives that will intervene on their behalf.

When the same thing happened to me in Peterborough, I was told I would have to sue the builder myself. I decided I couldnt just sit back and watch my property and the beautiful surrounding trees get destroyed. I was cursed at by the builders workers, told to get off my property as I was interfering with progress and eventually I was told by the builder himself that he would be calling his friends at the police station. Too bad there are no bylaws in Peterborough like the ones outlined in your newspaper.

Thanks to the Star for deeming this article worthy of print. Unfortunately people dont really care about these issues until it affects them personally. Toronto city hall sets an example for other municipalities by imposing a punishment greater than the developers gain when rules are not followed. These builders shouldnt be above the law. Other municipalities have a lot to learn from the citizens of Toronto.

I hope Torontos elected representatives follow through and do the right thing for Heather Cassels neighbourhood and ultimately for everyone elses.

Michelle White, Peterborough

It seems to me that even if the company involved has to pay a million dollars as a fine for cutting down the large number of mature trees, but they are allowed to continue to build on that site, the imposed fine is an inconvenience rather than a deterrent.

The slated buildings would simply become more expensive to cover the builders cost. The difference between $1.5 vs $1.4 million isnt huge to the clientele who will occupy those homes. The extra money wouldnt be the end of the expenses for the homeowners who will want luxury touches. The clientele would easily pay $100,000 more for the location, if thats where they would like to be. The fine to the builder is now covered.

Cant a huge infraction like this not only have the result of a fine, but also a removal of the building permit? This company shouldnt be allowed to build on this site.

Nothing will bring those big, beautiful and healthy trees back, but hopefully a strong message can be sent to other construction companies. If their building permit isnt revoked, large construction companies will take notice that they dont need to play by the rules, and can do whatever they want.

Karen Whitfield, Toronto

Sadly, the practice of indiscriminate mature tree removal is based on the odious principle dont ask, apologize. Do it, say you are sorry, maybe get a fine, but just include that as part of the cost of doing business.

I agree with Mayor Tory that the penalty for this blatant act of tree removal should be as high as provided under the law.

Bil Wensley, Cobourg

The Star has a great investigative team, yet they do not seem interested in tackling the mysterious yet powerful OMB. Who is on the board, how did they get appointed, how much do they get paid, what is the ratio of approvals to developers vs rejections, how is it possible that they can legally overturn decisions made by our elected officials?

Googling the organization does not provide us with the deep background that your paper provides on serious issues.

Pat Sherbin, Grafton

I am wondering just how much money the City of Toronto raises by imposing fines for illegal removal or injury to trees. Unfortunately, I have searched through the published finances and I am unable to find any trace of revenue from this source. I have written to Mayor Tory and to Councillor Jaye Robinson, and neither is willing or able to give me an answer.

As a certified arborist, I am increasingly at a loss to answer my clients concerns when they do everything according to bylaw and watch this sort of thing happen out their kitchen window with impunity.

When will Toronto start enforcing the fines it is its duty to administer as the controlling authority over a public good  the unauthorized destruction of trees that provide well-documented social, health and environmental benefits to all citizens. After all, if someone was parked in front of a fire hydrant, we all know what would happen.

Jose Rubio Lazo, Toronto

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Next weekend, representatives of 85 breweries from across Virginia will gather in the fields surrounding Devils Backbones Basecamp Brewpub in Roseland, Va., for the fifth Virginia Craft Brewers Fest. Theyll be joined by a crowd of 3,000 beer lovers, some of whom will be camping  and even glamping in deluxe tents  in the adjacent meadows. Three Sheets to the Wind, a yacht rock cover band, will perform.

The event has come a long way since 2012, when two dozen breweries brought 48 beers to the same location for a crowd of 1,250 to taste, and a few dozen beers were judged in the first Virginia Craft Beer Cup competition. Devils Backbones Schwartz Bier was named best of show, the first of the brewerys three consecutive titles. (Talk about a home-field advantage.)

But 2016 is a transitional year for the festival: This will be the first time it wont include the announcement of the winners of the Virginia Craft Beer Cup, which has grown to award medals in 30 categories. This will be the last time the festival will be held at Devils Backbone, in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. And for the first time, the brewery that helped found the festival and hosts it wont be eligible for any awards.

Thats because on April 12, Devils Backbone, Virginias largest and most decorated brewery, announced it was being acquired by Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Budweiser, for an undisclosed sum. The backlash was immediate. On the brewerys Facebook page and in online beer forums, former fans posted screeds accusing the brewery of selling out and swearing they would never buy another Vienna Lager. (Those were the nicer ones.)

There was fallout on the corporate side, too. Devils Backbone founder Steve Crandall resigned from the board of directors of the Brewers Association, a national trade organization representing craft breweries. The Brewers Association defines a craft brewery as small, independent and traditional, and breweries purchased by the worlds largest brewer obviously dont fit that bill. Devils Backbone was removed from the prestigious Savor craft beer festival, an event organized by the Brewers Association, even though it had been a paid sponsor.

After the May meeting of the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, the group issued a statement reaffirming that VCBG membership is available to independent craft breweries as defined by the Brewers Association, with similar requirements for entry in the Virginia Craft Beer Cup competition. The Guild also decided that the Virginia Craft Brewers Fest would move to a still-undetermined location in 2017.

Translation: Devils Backbone could host one last party but would not be allowed to compete for the Craft Beer Cup. I would be lying if I said we werent really, terribly disappointed by that, says Hayes Humphreys, the brewerys chief operating officer. Compounding the problem, from Devils Backbones side: The deal with Anheuser-Busch is not yet final, so it technically remains a craft brewery.

In what looks to be both a slap at Devils Backbone and a letdown for Virginia beer fans, the competitions awards ceremony was moved from the public festival to a private event at the corporate offices of WestRock in Richmond. (WestRock makes cardboard six-pack holders for many Virginia breweries, including Devils Backbone.) The space is limited (for safety) to 300 attendees, Virginia Craft Brewers Guild president Brett Vassey wrote in an email. So, we have to reserve most spaces for members, spouses and employees. We are looking at larger venues for 2017.

(Vassey is not a brewer, but he is the president of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, of which the Craft Brewers Guild is an affiliate. His office said he was traveling and not available for a phone interview before deadline.)

Devils Backbone knew there would be repercussions from the sale. The ill feeling between craft breweries and macrobrewers has been festering for a long time, but it has been exacerbated in the past few years. Craft supporters point to the apparent hypocrisy of Budweiser Super Bowl ads that paint craft beer as an effete hipster affectation while its parent company spends millions to buy independent breweries such as Elysian, Four Peaks and Devils Backbone.

When a small brewer sells to a large company, they choose to willingly, and should expect their position in the brewing community to change and customer relationships to change, says Julia Herz, the Brewers Associations craft beer program director. These companies no longer face the same issues of access to market, access to money or access to ingredients. As we have seen the number of former small brewers sell to the large brewers, that is a matter of concern to guilds in the state where these sales have occurred.

Herz says that its not impossible for craft and no-longer-craft breweries to get along: Everyone from Anheuser-Busch to a local brewpub can compete for awards at the annual Great American Beer Festival, though booth space at the festival is limited to full and associate members. Top beer bars across the country still pour beers by breweries that are no longer considered craft, including Founders, which sold a 30 percent stake to Spanish brewer Mahou San Miguel in 2014, and Lagunitas, which sold half of its brewery to Heineken last year. And brewers of all sizes lobbied Congress for the passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2015.

At the same time, When it comes to the localization-of-beer movement, there is an absolute desire and value to helping small and indie craft brewers thrive, Herz says, pointing to surveys that show a majority of beer drinkers believe its important that the beers they order are local and independent. In the spirit of that, the big global conglomerates are not always invited to the party. Just like at a farm-to-table dinner you are not serving Hormel, Kraft or Heinz.

The Virginia Craft Brewers Fest and the Beer Cup will go on, and Devils Backbone is planning a new event to take its place on the brewerys busy calendar of festivals and parties. But out of respect for the guild, Humphreys says, it will be held on a different weekend. Well support Virginia craft beer any way we can, he says.

Virginia Craft Brewers Fest: Saturday, Aug. 20, at Devils Backbone Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows. 200 Mosbys Run, Roseland, Va. vacraftbrewersfest.com. $35.
Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your column in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, and I hope you can answer the following question for me:

How can the stains from coffee, tea and/or soda be removed from the bottom of my mugs, particularly my bone china ones?

Marje O., Westerville, Ohio

Marje O.: Glad you are using your bone china coffee cups! Too many people put them away and use them only once or twice a year! I try to use one or two sets of the good stuff all the time. Why not?

Here is the hint: Fill the mug/cup with very hot water, add 1 tablespoon of dishwasher detergent and stir until its dissolved. Let sit for several hours, pour out and scrub with a plastic brush or scrubbie sponge  dont use anything that will scratch the china. That should remove all of the stains. I use this for our coffee mugs.

Dear Readers: Micki M. in Pittsburgh sent a picture of her 2-year-old ginger tabby, Milky Kisses, getting cozy in the box for Mickis new microwave. Milky is so named because Micki hand-raised him  he didnt have a mother  and hed show his appreciation by giving her kisses right after she bottle-fed him!

To see Milky Kisses, visit Heloise.com and click on Pet of the Week.

Dear Readers: Here in San Antonio, my home town, we drink tea (iced and sometimes hot) all year-round! Sweet tea (already sweetened with sugar) or plain is a staple at lunch all across Texas, and all day long at my house!

When it is sunny and hot (and hot and hot  even up to winter), making sun tea is easy and uses nothing but sunlight from Mother Nature!

Heres how: Put eight to 10 tea bags in a gallon glass jar of water, and place in direct sunlight for three to five hours. I use five to six family size bags. Remove the bags and pour over ice, or chill in the refrigerator. For a collection of many of my favorite and delicious coffee and tea recipes, order my tea/coffee pamphlet. If youd like to receive one, visit Heloise.com, or send a stamped (68 cents), self-addressed, business-size envelope and $3 to: Heloise/Coffees and Teas, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. There are soooo many different teas available at the market and online. Ive discovered passion-fruit tea and pineapple-flavored tea, and they are both just yummy.

Dear Heloise: I recall your mother so well  I met her once in Dallas while I was in school at Baylor University Medical Center. My helpful hint:

When planting flower bulbs, use a tall can, similar to ones used for potato chips or asparagus spears. Cut out one end, wash and use to make a hole and drop in bulbs! Push down about 4 to 5 inches. Aloha, and ciao!

Beatrice K. in Houston

Beatrice K. in Houston: Aloha (hello and goodbye in Hawaiian) and ciao (hello and goodbye in Italian) to you, too!

Heloises column appears six days a week at washingtonpost.com/advice. Send a hint to Heloise , P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Tex. 78279-5000, or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
Rescue workers flew a boy to a Lincoln hospital after his vehicle veered off the road and rolled into a ditch in Richardson County early Saturday.

The crash happened west of Humboldt near 63277 Nebraska 4 around 2 a.m.

No one else was in the car and no other vehicles were involved. The boy was first taken by ambulance to Pawnee County Memorial Hospital, then flown to Bryan West Campus.

Authorities didn't provide additional details, such as the boy's exact age or name.

Richardson County 911 dispatcher Daniel Mayall says he didnt believe alcohol was involved.
A water-skier tries to stay cool in the Potomac River while riding the wake of a boat, near West Potomac Park in the District. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Temperatures reached record levels here Saturday afternoon, while thousands of people made do at night without power, and officials slowed Metro trains, extended pool and spray-park hours, and encouraged residents needing help to call a hotline.

About 11 p.m., on one of Washingtons steamiest, sultriest summer nights, Pepco reported that about 4,800 homes and businesses in the city lacked electricity. They were in Adams-Morgan, in the Rhode Island Avenue corridor in Northeast and Northwest, and in Eckington. About 2,000 were out in Montgomery County.

In a physical feat that is demanding at the best of times, dozens of visitors to the Washington Monument were required to walk down the interior stairs when the elevator failed there once again Saturday night.

No injuries were reported.

The temperature at Reagan National Airport reached 101, tying the Districts 1881 record. The National Weather Service had issued an excessive-heat warning for the District, where the heat index reached at least 114. It was 90 at Reagan as late as 10 p.m. Dulles International Airport set a record of 99 degrees.

Relief was not imminent. Misery was produced by a combination of high temperatures and humidity, with dew points in the 70s, and a high-pressure area that may not disperse for several days.

[Dangerous heat and humidity persist Sunday]

Metro announced shortly after 1 p.m. that trains running above ground would be restricted to 35 mph due to the high track temperatures. The stifling heat also caused D.C. United to push back the kickoff of a game against the Portland Timbers to 8 p.m.

The Districts Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency extended spray-park hours  10 a.m. to 9 p.m.  for both Saturday and Sunday. Select pools also were to be open until 9 p.m. An agency spokesman encouraged people to call the shelter hotline (800-535-7252) if they saw anyone in danger.

People outdoors for work, errands or fun, including playing Pokemon Go, walked slowly, some wiping faces on shirts. Renovation continued at the firehouse on 13th Street NW; windows were washed on 11th Street NW; and at Espita Mezcaleria, on Ninth Street NW, patrons dared to sit on the patio. In Franklin Square, the weekly Widows Pantry to feed and clothe the homeless went ahead, with adjustments: Organizers planned to close a half-hour early, at 1:30 p.m., and provide more water for the volunteers.

They want to be here, Widows Pantry founder Keena Trapps said of the volunteers. They dont care about the heat.

At 12:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Recreation Center in Northwest Washington, the cooling center inside was empty but for two people, while outside several families splashed in the spray park. Neal Falis, his wife and their two 2-year-olds enjoyed splashing around.

We came specifically because we knew it was a water park, he said. All the adults got in as well, so we had a great time.

The National Weather Service issued another excessive-heat warning for Sunday for the District and surrounding counties, from noon to 8 p.m., urging extra care by people who must be outdoors.

Not all were fazed. On Saturday afternoon, Noah of Northwest Washington, who would not give his last name, had already made it out once and was planning to go to Walmart. It was extremely hot, he granted, but he said he used to live in Arizona. . . . This is nothing.
Retail giant Walmart is running a back-to-school promotion this summer, encouraging customers to nominate their favorite teachers to win school supplies and a $490 gift card  the estimated amount public school teachers spend out of pocket each year on their classrooms.

On Friday morning, members of the Washington Teachers Union slammed the competition as deceitful and bogus. They argued that the Walton Family Foundation, the charitable organization started by Walmarts owners, has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into backing charter schools, which they say are undermining traditional public schools.

Its a cynical coverup, WTUP President Elizabeth Davis said at a news conference outside Moten Elementary School in Southeast Washington.

The unions criticism of the Arkansas-based retailer stems from its concerns with the Walton foundation, one of the countrys biggest financial supporters of charter schools. The foundation says it has poured $1.3 billion into K-12 education over the past two decades, and it announced in January a commitment of $1 billion to help expand charter schools and other school-choice options nationwide.

[Walton family steps up support for school choice with $1 billion pledge]

Critics of charter schools say the foundation is fueling the privatization of public schools. The teachers union represents teachers in D.C. Public Schools.

Davis said the robust charter sector in the District  nearly half the citys students attend charters  is stripping taxpayer dollars from traditional public schools. She and other teachers argued that if charters werent so influential in the District, perhaps the citys traditional public schools would have enough money to pay for all the supplies classrooms need.

Walmart is privatizing all sectors, and we need to put a stop to it, Davis said.

Walmart and the Walton Family Foundation did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

The Districts charters  public schools that are independently operated  have long said they are serving D.C. students while giving parents more options. Charter supporters bristled at the allegation that they are shortchanging D.C. Public Schools.

All of our schools are funded on a per-pupil basis, said Irene Holtzman, executive director of Friends of Choice in Urban Schools, a D.C. charter-school advocacy organization. Charters are not taking away money from DCPS.

And DCPS pushed back against the idea that teachers dont have enough resources.

DCPS has increased our investments in schools every year for the last five years to ensure that our schools and classrooms have the materials needed for high-quality teaching and learning, spokeswoman Michelle Lerner said. We also provide every teacher with $200 to supply their individual classrooms with school supplies.

[District leaders furious Walmart breaking promise to build stores in poor neighborhoods]

Walmart opened two stores in Northwest Washington in 2013 and another store last year in Northeast Washington. In January, the retailer abruptly announced that it would pull out of two supercenters planned for east of the Anacostia River.
THE DISTRICT

Man shot in restroom at arena McDonalds

A 25-year-old man was shot in the face about lunchtime Friday in a McDonalds restaurant restroom at Verizon Center, according to D.C. police.

Authorities said t he was conscious and breathing when taken to a hospital.

 Peter Hermann

2 injured in shooting near Dupont Circle

A gunman in a car shot and wounded two men walking on Connecticut Avenue NW near Dupont Circle about 2 a.m. Friday, police said.

One of the two was arrested when he tried to hide a .45-caliber pistol under a trash bin in an alley, police said. Charges were pending, they said.

Police said a man in a white Chevrolet Malibu opened fire as the two men walked north in the 1700 block of Connecticut Avenue. One man was hit in the foot, the other in a leg. The shooter was not found, police said.

 Peter Hermann

Body found in home; homicide case opened

D.C. police officers, checking on a person who had not been seen in several days discovered a body with visible trauma in a Southeast Washington house, authorities said.

A police spokeswoman said the death is being investigated as a homicide.

The discovery was made shortly before noon Friday in the 200 block of Newcomb Street SE, near Congress Heights.

 Peter Hermann

MARYLAND

Federal aid requested after deadly flooding

Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has requested a federal disaster declaration for Howard County, nearly two weeks after flooding left two people dead and caused massive damage in downtown Ellicott City.

A presidential declaration would send federal funding to help rebuild affected communities.

The U.S. Small Business Administration this week declared the county a physical disaster area, allowing businesses, homeowners and renters to apply for low-interest loans to repair flood damage.

 Fenit Nirappil

VIRGINIA

6 killed in crash of small aircraft

Six people were killed Friday when a small private plane crashed near a Fredericksburg airport, the Virginia State Police said.

The pilot was attempting to land at the Shannon Airport when the plane reached the far end of the runway and climbed out again, police said.

Police said the plane flew beyond railroad tracks just past the airport property, banked to the left, crashed into trees and caught fire.

The six people aboard were from outside Virginia, officials said. Names were withheld pending notification of relatives.

The cause of the crash remained under investigation, said state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

 Victoria St. Martin and Martin Weil
Chuck Conner is a political novice in many respects, but officials with the Maryland Democratic Party saw two things in him that they wanted in their new executive director: a common touch and experience with community outreach.

Party Chairman Bruce Poole said those qualifications made Conner, a fourth-generation pastor with a law degree, an easy choice to lead day-to-day operations after Patrick Murray left the position to head the U.S. Senate campaign of Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D) in May. Conner, 33, had been the state partys outreach director since January.

We had plaudits from people who were never connected with the party before, Poole said. We sent him out to a lot of African American churches and tried to reach out to black and Hispanic communities. People came back and said, We like this guy. 

Reconnecting with community leaders and grass-roots organizations has been a primary focus for the state party since losing the governorship and nine seats in the General Assembly nearly two years ago.

Right now, the party is in trouble in terms of its bench, said Donald Norris, director of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Whats going to help the party is someone who can rebuild.

Maryland Democratic Party Executive Director Chuck Conner. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

[In August swelter, Democrats criticize Hogans new heated walkway]

According to Norris, that means strengthening ties with the party faithful, including labor unions, environmental groups and social-justice advocates. From there, he said, Democrats and their allies need to groom a candidate who can eventually take back the governorship, which Republican Larry Hogan won in 2014.

If they cant knock him off in 2018, they need to find someone who can run against two or three really attractive Republicans in later elections, Norris said. Possible Republican successors to Hogan include Anne Arundel County Executive Steven R. Schuh and Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman.

One sign Democrats are buckling down in Maryland is the partys decision not to send volunteers and resources this summer to neighboring battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Virginia, as it has done for past presidential elections. Conner played down the move, saying volunteers want to knock on doors in their own neighborhoods.

Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) expressed confidence in the partys overall approach, adding that he was impressed with an event Conner helped organize for more than 700 supporters last month at the Democratic National Convention.

The energy in the room for our Maryland Day lunch in Philadelphia was outstanding, Busch said.

[A long bus ride for a glimpse of the Democratic National Convention]

Conner, a native of South Carolina, has little political experience compared with Murray, his predecessor, who previously served as director of the Kansas Democratic Party, a lobbyist for Johns Hopkins University and deputy chief of staff for state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert). Conners resume includes seven months serving in a leadership position with a Baltimore nonprofit group that supports underperforming high-schoolers and almost two years as an aide to Del. Luke H. Clippinger (D-Baltimore).

After graduating from the Charleston School of Law in 2013, Conner, who has a divinity degree from Duke University, moved to Maryland to be closer to his now-fiancee. Soon after, he landed the job doing constituent services for Clippingers office. The interview for the job was supposed to last a few minutes, but the two chatted for more than an hour.

His previous experience as a divinity student brings an emotional intelligence, and he combines that with what they teach in law school  being able to hear people and identify what is important, what the key issues are, Clippinger said.

As outreach director, Murray said, Conners job was to go into the places where Democrats have not been showing up as much as they should have in the past few years. He really took the bull by the horns by picking up the phone, setting up meetings and building a network that, frankly, the party had allowed to atrophy.

Pamela Faulkner, secretary of the United Democrats of Washington County, said she met Conner while sitting across from him at a lunch with her group. I had no idea that he was an important member of the Maryland Democratic Party, she said. Im new to the state and just learning about Maryland, so his kindness meant a great deal to me.

Van Hollen, who defeated fellow Rep. Donna F. Edwards in a bruising April primary and is heavily favored to win the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D), recalls meeting Conner at a party unity event in Queen Annes County in June.

It was clear that we shared the view that Democrats need to talk to voters in every area of Maryland, Van Hollen said.

[Mikulski: The senator who handed Hillary Clinton her sledgehammer]

Hogan and the state GOP raked in more than $2 million within a few months of the 2014 election, including money from Democrats enamored with the straight-talking governor or eager to maintain access and influence in the new administration.

But filings with the Federal Election Commission show that the state Democratic Party has regained its traditional fundraising lead, with $415,310 in cash on hand to support federal candidates as of June 30, compared with $69,811 for the Maryland GOP.

After the April primary, the party was stung by criticism from Edwards, one of two African Americans in the states congressional delegation. She said the Democratic establishment had turned away from candidates who are women, minorities or outsiders.

Conner said Edwardss remarks will force the party to reflect and become stronger.

She brought up some hard truths, but I feel like this is a party where those hard truths could be spoken and well-received, Conner said. As a young black man, I feel invested in making sure the Maryland Democratic Party is one that is inclusive and brings out the best in anyone that wants to serve.

Conner said the party will focus on distinguishing its agenda from that of the governor, particularly on education, pocketbook issues and the environment.

Growing up in church, we used to sing a song, Let My Work Speak for Me,  he said. I think thats what we need to do.
Sandra Jimenez, left, and her sister Karla Jimenez look at the ruins of an apartment complex, reflected in the window, in Silver Spring, Md., on Friday. Their brother Augusto Jimenez and his wife, Maria Castellon, are still missing. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Most evenings, Maria Castellon prepared a traditional dinner that often featured the Nicaraguan style of mixed rice and beans known as gallo pinto. She usually headed to bed by 10 p.m., while her husband, Augusto Jimenez, stayed up a little longer, listening to music or watching sports.

Now, the son who shares his fathers name, Augusto Jimenez, 35, said he fears his parents did not make it out of their Silver Spring apartment when an explosion and fire ripped through the building late Wednesday.

Each hour that goes by, we are less hopeful we will find them alive, Jimenez said Friday, speaking in Spanish.

Jimenez is among those who have been enduring an anguished wait, unable to find family members or other loved ones who lived in the Flower Branch Apartments.

Authorities in Montgomery County, Md., have recovered the bodies of three people who died in the blast and fire that nearly leveled a building. They said Friday that they thought a number of people were still in the rubble but did not specify how many people were missing.

Augusto Jimenez and Maria Castellon are shown in this family photo.The husband and wife are among the tenants missing after a fatal explosion and fire Wednesday in Silver Spring.

[Crews continue search for the missing after Silver Spring explosion that killed 2]

The three people known to have died have not yet been identified, police said, and the cause of the tragedy is still not known.

Officials on Friday said recovery efforts were complicated by oppressive heat and humidity and by the structural instability of the burned apartment building, which they said required them to work slowly and methodically to keep personnel safe.

Rosi Lopez, a resident of the building, told Univision Washington that the blast woke her but that she could not reach her 9-year-old son as their apartment collapsed. She said she was knocked unconscious and was pulled to safety by neighbors.

I am left with nothing, Lopez told the station in Spanish. I lost everything. I lost my child.

Angie Paniagua, 28, said Friday that since the fire, she has not been able to reach her father, who lived in the building.

A retired painter, Saul Paniagua, 65, migrated from Guatemala nearly three decades ago. His life was focused on his family, especially two granddaughters whom he spoiled with ice cream and other sweets.

As Angie Paniagua held out hope that her father is alive, perhaps hospitalized, she spoke of him in the past tense.

He was the best husband. He was the best father and the best grandfather, she said.

Her mother, who has been ill and living in a nursing home, was not yet aware of what had happened, she said. And she is not sure how she will tell her two daughters, who are 12 and 7.

[Still want to help victims of the Silver Spring apartment explosion? Heres how]

Augusto Jimenez said that when he heard about the explosion, he tried unsuccessfully to reach his parents by phone. He and other relatives have searched the shelter where displaced families were relocated and have visited hospitals. They asked neighbors about the couple, but no one had seen them.

We are hoping for a miracle, Jimenez said. But if they made it out, they would have called us by now.

Jimenezs parents, Augusto Jimenez and Maria Castellon, lived at the Flower Branch complex for 16 years and had worked together for years cleaning homes in the Washington area.

The couple left their native Nicaragua in the early 1990s to come to the United States in search of economic opportunity. They settled in Silver Spring, Md., and their children joined them a few years later.

The elder Jimenez spent his free time playing the piano in the couples two-bedroom apartment. In Nicaragua, he was in a band that played various genres of music, but when he settled in the United States, he became passionate about new-age melodies that he said soothed the soul. He would record his music and give it away to friends and family members.

He had a mini music studio in the living room of the apartment where he recorded his music. When someone was celebrating a birthday or a special occasion, he would make them a special CD with his music, the son said.

Jimenez described his mother as quiet and devoted to her grown children. She would cook for them anything they requested, he said.

She was friendly and kind to everybody, he said, and thats why everybody loved her.

The couple have two children in the Washington area and two in Nicaragua. They were looking forward to meeting their youngest grandchild, a 4-month-old girl who lives in Nicaragua.

They still had so many plans, their son said. I know that we are all destined to die, but not in these circumstances.

Antonio Olivo, Emma Brown and Eddy Palanzo contributed to this report.
The scene at a house fire in Fairfax where two people were found dead. Police said Roy Eugene Rumsey killed a child and then took his own life. They have not publicly named the child. (Courtesy of Fairfax County Police)

The family of a toddler killed in an apparent murder-suicide has asked police in Fairfax County, Va., to take the unprecedented step of not publicly identifying the victim of a homicide to spare the family additional pain, police said Friday.

Fairfax County police were set to identify the 2-year-old girl, who was killed last month, but put the move on hold so they can consider the familys request and research the legality of not naming the child.

Police officials said the decision about the unusual request is delicate, forcing them to weigh the grief of a family against the duty of police to inform the public about crimes in the community.

We are striving to be empathetic to the family, said Maj. Ed OCarroll, director of the departments Public Affairs Bureau. It would be unprecedented if we were not to release the name.

Fairfax County police said 58-year-old Roy Eugene Rumsey killed the girl before taking his own life and setting a large blaze at his home in the Fairfax area on July 27. Rumsey was the childs father.

Fairfax County firefighters found the bodies of Rumsey and the girl inside the home after extinguishing the fire. The state medical examiner said Rumsey died of a gunshot wound to the head and that his death was a suicide. The cause of the girls death has not been released.

[Gun, gas cans found at scene of suspected murder-suicide in Virginia home]

Rumseys family has not responded to phone calls, but neighbors described him as a defense contractor who seldom interacted with them and who had run-ins with the neighborhood association. Court records show he was divorced in 2012.

OCarroll said it has long been the police departments policy to release the names of all homicide victims. Officials could not recall another time that a victims name had been withheld, he said.

OCarroll said the family believes that making the girls identity public would create additional trauma for the family and that there is little public interest, since the incident was domestic in nature.

Police said the attorney for the family argued the girls name could be withheld under Virginias Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act, which requires authorities to get a familys consent to release the name of a victim of family abuse.

The police have received dozens of calls from relatives and friends of the family in support of keeping the name private.

OCarroll said police have asked the Fairfax County attorneys office to look at the arguments of the familys attorney and render a legal opinion, but he said the final decision about releasing the name will be up to Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr.

Scott Surovell, the attorney for the family, declined to comment on the familys request.

The family is devastated by the sudden loss of their beautiful 2-year-old baby, Surovell wrote in a statement. She was an incredibly happy, vibrant and loving child. She will be forever missed. The family thanks you for respecting their privacy at this time.
A man believed to be in his 30s was fatally shot early Saturday in Glenarden in Prince Georges County, according to the citys police chief.

The shooting occurred at about 2 a.m. outside an apartment building in the 8100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Highway. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Glenarden Police Chief Philip ODonnell said the man had been shot several times. No arrests have been made. Glenarden is an independent city of about 6,000 in Prince Georges, near U.S. 50 and the Capital Beltway.
A man was fatally shot Saturday afternoon in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington, according to D.C. police.

The shooting occurred about 12:35 p.m. in the 1400 block of V Street SE, a block lined with homes and a D.C. fire station. No other details were immediately released. Homicide detectives are investigating.

On Aug. 3, two men were shot just blocks away and hours apart.

About 2:40 a.m. that day, police said Robert Lee Vinson, 20, of Northwest, was shot in the 1600 block of V Street SE. About 10:50 a.m., police said a man was shot and wounded in the 1600 block of W Street SE.

No arrests have been made, and police have not said if there is any connection between the shootings.
Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a plane crash Friday near Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, Va. (Dave Ellis/Associated Press)

The pilot of a private plane that crashed Friday at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, Va., killing all six aboard, had aborted a landing and was trying to climb for a second attempt when the plane went into a stall, investigators said Saturday.

The pilot was identified by Virginia State Police as William C. Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Ind. Three passengers were from Shelbyville, Ind.: Lisa K. Borinstein, 52; her son, Luke J. Borinstein, 19; and her daughter, Emma R. Borinstein, 15.

Another passenger, Maren Timmermann, 15, of Berlin, and the planes owner, Robert D. Ross, 73, of Louisville, also were killed.

The crash occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. State police said the aircraft  a 1969 Beech 95-B55 twin-engine, fixed-wing plane  touched down midway down the runway.

Hamerstadt then pulled up and tried to execute what is known as a go-around  to circle the airport and make another landing attempt. But police said as the plane climbed and turned, it crashed into trees just beyond railroad tracks at the edge of the airport property.

The reason for the crash remains under investigation by state police, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Police said the aircraft had left Louisville on Friday morning and stopped in Shelbyville before heading to its destination of Fredericksburg.
Three people were taken to a trauma center Friday after a fight between two groups at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair.

About 10:40 p.m., officers came upon the groups fighting, police said. Everybody ran except for three people with stab wounds, which police said were not thought to be life-threatening.

As of right now, detectives are trying to identify possible suspects, said Officer Rick Goodale, a spokesman for the Montgomery County police.

Mark Fennel, who was at the fair, said he saw several dozen young men sprinting through the main throughway, followed by police.

Ive never seen anything like that, Fennel said Saturday. Last night was an unsafe environment for kids.

Friday was the first day of the fair, which ends Aug. 20.
With school starting -- Lincoln Public Schools students start class on Monday -- the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reminds parents to make sure their childrens vaccinations are up to date.

Nebraska law requires kids enrolling in kindergarten or first grade (depending on their school districts entering grade) and students transferring into any grade to have proof they've received the following vaccinations.

* Three doses of hepatitis B vaccine

* Three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTaP)

* Three doses of poliovirus vaccine (IPV)

* Two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR)

* Two doses of varicella (chickenpox) vaccine

Children entering seventh grade and students transferring into grade seven or higher must have received all of the vaccinations listed above, as well as one booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine.

If children ages 11 or 12 have not received the human papillomavirus vaccine, this is a good time to discuss the benefits with health care providers, said HHS. The HPV vaccine prevents various forms of cancer, but just 43.3 percent of Nebraska girls and 22.3 percent of boys are getting the recommended three doses.

Nebraska ranks high in immunization rates for young children, but as children grow older the coverage drops off dramatically, according to HHS statistics. Nebraska ranked:

* Fourth in the nation for vaccine coverage among children 19-35 months old at just over 80 percent for 2014 (the most recent year data is available).

* Fourteenth in the nation for estimated vaccination coverage among children enrolled in kindergarten at 96 percent for the 2014-2015 school year.

* Twenty-ninth in the nation for vaccine coverage among adolescents 13 to 17 in 2014.

HHS also encourages college-bound youth to get the meningococcal vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, college freshmen, particularly those who live in residence halls, are at an increased risk for the disease, and the vaccine can help prevent serious illnesses like bacterial meningitis.

Children enrolled in licensed child care and school-based pre-kindergarten programs also must be up-to-date with their age-appropriate immunizations.

On a visit to a physician or immunization clinic, take along a current list of your childs vaccinations. Parents can get copies of immunization records from their child's physician or look in the Nebraska State Immunization Information System, a secure, statewide database.

For more information, contact HHS Immunization Program at 402-471-6423 or email DHHS.Immunization@nebraska.gov or go to: dhhs.ne.gov/immunization.
Residents look through donated food outside their apartment complex in Silver Spring. The adjacent apartment complex exploded and burned late Wednesday night. 2 people are still missing. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Montgomery County officials released an updated list on Friday of the things people could do to lend a hand to the victims of the explosion at a Silver Spring apartment.

[Authorities: Third body found after massive Silver Spring explosion]

Officials said goods and financial donations as well as volunteers  especially those who can volunteer as interpreters for affected families  are still needed.

Investigators and fire crews continued to look over the ruins of an apartment complex in Silver Spring. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

[An anguished wait for families of those missing in Maryland apartment fire]

Want to be an interpreter?

CASA Welcome Center is looking for people who can volunteer as an interpreter  both Spanish-English and French-English interpreters. Interested? Send an email to mlarue@wecasa.org for more details.

Want to donate furniture?

You can contact A Wider Circle by calling (301) 608-3504. The program is located at 9151 Brookeville Rd. in Silver Spring and you can either call for a pick-up or drop-off furniture seven days a week.

Want to donate clothing, household items, toiletries, blankets and sheets?

Reach out to Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, located at 501 Sligo Ave. in Silver Spring, by calling (301) 585-6556. Officials said no furniture please. A Spanish speaking case manager is available to answer questions.

Want to help sort through donations of goods?

You can also contact CASA Welcome Center for more information. Officials said the center is looking for volunteers to help with sorting and those interested can come to the Silver Spring location, 734 University Blvd. East, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Want to make a financial donation?

County officials said people can make donations online by visiting www.MHPartners.org. From there, people can click on GiveDiect at the top right corner of the screen, type in an amount and a credit card number and the words Long Branch Fire in the comment box.

Heres a few other ways to send in donations:

 Mail it to Montgomery Housing Partnership

(Attn: Long Branch Fire)

12200 Tech Road, Suite 250

Silver Spring, MD 20904

Write LONG BRANCH FIRE in check memo.

 Mail it to Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington or make a donation via online by visiting www.acsgw.org.

PayPal donations are also accepted  mark all donations with the words Emergency Fund.
The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November.

The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November.

What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail

What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail

A little more than a decade ago, President George W. Bush won Virginia with ease for a second time  an eight-point victory that was never in doubt.

Over the subsequent eight years, nearly the opposite happened: Barack Obama won the state twice, becoming the first Democrat to win here since Lyndon B. Johnsons victory in 1964.

Now, Virginia appears to be drifting out of reach for Republican Donald Trump; he trailed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by 13 percentage points in an NBC-Wall Street Journal-Marist poll released Friday. Analysts are contemplating taking Virginia off the list of presidential battlegrounds entirely and tucking it neatly in the column of safely blue states.

Where uncertainty remains is whether that status applies only this year, because of the steady decline of Trumps campaign, or whether it is a sign of a longer-term problem for Virginia Republicans that will extend beyond presidential races in years to come.

What is clear is that the demographics of the state have shifted dramatically in the space of a single decade, with populations of educated, high-income professionals as well as immigrants and other minorities  all voters who tend to choose Democrats  growing in urban areas. These shifts reflect national trends, Pew research shows.

1 of 57 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail View Photos The Democratic presidential nominee hits the road after her partys national convention. 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.

And they are particularly bad news for Trump. Not only was he propelled to victory in the GOP primaries by white, blue-collar and rural voters who are in dwindling supply in Virginia, but he also has alienated large swaths of the electorate that have become deciding factors in Virginia races: women, minorities and educated professionals.

David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report predicted that Trump is at risk of losing by a landslide in the vote-rich suburbs of Northern Virginia  and that no amount of support in the less-populous rural regions could counteract that.

Heres the problem for Trump, Wasserman said. Not only could he get annihilated in Prince William and Loudoun. He could lose by 200,000 votes in Fairfax County.

Wasserman noted that Trump made a telling misstep at his rally in exurban Loudoun County recently. Speaking to residents of a diverse county with some of the highest income and employment rates in the country, he lamented the hemorrhage of manufacturing jobs in rural Virginia.

There isnt a demographic in Loudoun County that he hasnt turned away, Wasserman said. Voters in Loudoun want to know what Trump will do to improve schools, infrastructure, health care  but they dont ascribe to his apocalyptic view of the country.

The outlook is so grim for Republicans that Clinton recently hit pause on some television ads in Virginia and another typically swing state, Colorado. Meanwhile, in addition to concentrating on more competitive battlegrounds, she has turned some attention and resources to other, traditionally red states, including Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, in hopes that the shifting demographics on display in Virginia might also work in her favor there.

Even Virginia Republicans acknowledge the challenge. Trump counts few Republican elected officials among his vocal supporters in part due to some of his more inflammatory comments, which have alienated groups including women, Muslim Americans, Hispanics and those with disabilities.

Theres still time, but to date the campaign has shown little inclination to reach out to the sorts of voters you need to get to 50 plus 1 in the commonwealth, said Phil Cox, who ran former Republican governor Robert F. McDonnells 2009 campaign  ending in a 17-point win  and is the former executive director of the Republican Governors Association.

McDonnells victory seven years ago  his subsequent legal troubles notwithstanding  continues to offer solace to some GOP leaders that there remains a path to statewide victory in Virginia, if not in presidential elections, when turnout is so much higher.

Its worth noting that fewer than 2 million Virginians cast ballots in the 2009 gubernatorial race that McDonnell won  little more than half the number, 3.8 million, who voted in 2012 for president.

Its also worth noting just how enormous the voting power of the Northern Virginia suburbs has grown. In 1992, when then-President George H.W. Bush lost his reelection campaign, he won Virginia by four points. He was buoyed by a 100,000-plus-vote advantage outside of Northern Virginia that overwhelmed Bill Clintons 12,000-vote advantage in the areas surrounding Washington.

Fast-forward to 2012, when President Obama netted 225,000 votes in Northern Virginia, which he won by 21 points  overwhelming Republican Mitt Romneys advantage of 79,000 votes across the rest of the state.

Heres another way to look at it: From the 1992 to the 2012 presidential elections, the population of Northern Virginia grew from 1.5 million to 2.2 million. And it grew with an influx of a particular kind of voter; in that same time period, in Fairfax County alone, Democrats lead over Republicans in Fairfax grew from three points to 15 points, according to election returns, with Obama garnering nearly 6 in 10 votes.

Now, Democrats rely on what may be fast becoming a fail-safe formula: Focus on turning out voters in the urban crescent of Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads and the college towns of Charlottesville and Blacksburg, and it becomes really hard to lose. Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) used this playbook to defeat Republican Ken Cuccinelli II in the 2013 governors race  and Clinton is on track to do the same this year.

Corey Stewart, the chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors and the head of Trumps Virginia campaign, insists that Trump continues to have a path in Virginia. He said Trumps appeal to working-class voters is greater than Romneys was.

A lot of people who voted for Obama will vote for Trump, Stewart said. Thats because of Trumps particular attraction to blue-collar voters. He can appeal to blue-collar voters in a way that Romney could never do.

Experts, however, disagree. Those likely voters that Stewart described live along the less densely populated Interstate 81 corridor through central Virginia and the economically challenged Southwest, as well as the battleground region of Hampton Roads. Even with the relatively high turnout of a presidential year, there simply arent enough Trump voters to overtake Democrats edge in the north.

Nevertheless, Trump recently visited Roanoke and Abingdon, while the campaign dispatched his running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, to Norfolk and Virginia Beach, home to a large percentage of active and retired members of the military. At the height of the fervor over Trumps attacks on the Muslim American family of a U.S. Army captain killed in Iraq, the visit received mixed reviews.

[Heres a close look at how immigrant voters could affect the 2016 U.S. election]

Trump also appears to be lagging behind in organization. Stewart said the campaign has 40 paid staffers in Virginia, but he did not identify any local events or field offices. The statewide communications director started Thursday  three months after Clintons did.

Clinton, meanwhile, has 28 field offices so far and holds phone banks seven days a week.

They bring all of the organization, they have the phone lists, they have their goals for the day, they line up all the volunteers, said Anne Murphy ONeil, 77, a retiree who made meatloaf sandwiches on artisan bread for the latest in weekly Democratic phone banks at her Fairfax County home.

In fact, the Clinton hype is widespread enough that the campaign is fighting complacency.

[Showing growing confidence, Clinton campaign and super PAC pause ads in Colorado and Virginia]

For this reason, many Virginia Republicans have written off the presidential election and are turning their attention to the 2017 races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Additionally, if the Clinton ticket wins, Sen. Tim Kaines seat could be on the ballot, too.

That may be no more true than for Ed Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee who narrowly lost a challenge to Sen. Mark R. Warner in 2014 and is gearing up for a run for governor next year. To win, Gillespie must follow the McDonnell model: turn out all GOP voters in rural Southwest and southern Virginia, do well in Hampton Roads and stem losses in Northern Virginia.

Its a strategy that relies on policy-oriented moderates who dont turn off the base. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), whose district includes portions of Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William counties, is one; Trump isnt. (Comstock has not endorsed Trump and stayed away from the Republican convention in Cleveland last month.)

Its a purple state with an increasingly blue hue, but as Republicans, weve shown we can win statewide if we run the right kind of candidates and campaigns, Cox said.

Its one part of this years Virginia political story that makes Democrats nervous. A backlash to Obama in 2009 helped sweep McDonnell into office, and the following year saw the defeat of three Democratic congressmen. Democrats fear a similar reaction to a Clinton victory. Last week, early front-runner Gillespie unveiled his policy team, and he has been fundraising for months.

Every time I give a speech at a rally or a house party, Del. Marcus B. Simon (D-Fairfax) said, I end it with, Dont forget, our work doesnt end in 2016  stick around for 2017. 

Scott Clement contributed to this report.
Hurricane Sandy caused massive destruction when it hit Hoboken, N.J., in October 2012. The city is now trying to decide how best to defend against future such storms. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

The tavern that Tom Brennan has run for decades sits two blocks from the waterfront here, with views of the gleaming Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River.

Like much of Hoboken, his business was devastated four years ago when the massive storm surge from Hurricane Sandy filled this city like a bathtub, knocking out the power grid, swamping train tunnels, stranding residents, flooding homes and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

But unlike most of Hoboken, Brennans tavern would remain unprotected by the leading proposals to defend against the next superstorm. Some of his neighbors are content to stay outside the proposed barriers, saying they would rather take their chances than risk changes that might alter the citys historic charm. Brennan isnt one of them.

What are you going to do for me? What are you going to do for [the] other people? he asked at a recent community meeting, adding later, Im not looking for a handout. Im just looking for answers.

For months, the question over how best to fortify Frank Sinatras home town has provoked division, hard feelings and debate  about what to protect and what to leave exposed, about where barriers should and shouldnt go. Those tensions foreshadow the tough choices an increasing number of cities will face in an age of climate change, rising seas and more frequent and powerful natural disasters.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a resident walks through floodwaters in Hoboken. (Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg News)

Nearly 1.9 million U.S. homes could be rendered uninhabitable if sea levels rise six feet by the end of the century, as many scientists expect, according to a report from the real estate data firm Zillow. Nearly half could be in Florida, but New York, New Jersey, South Carolina and Louisiana each could have tens of thousands of inundated homes.

The places that are struggling with this early, like South Florida or Hoboken, are just harbingers of the future for almost any coastal city, said Benjamin Strauss, director of the program on sea-level rise at Climate Central, an independent organization of scientists based in New Jersey. Every place is going to have to make decisions about what they can protect and what they cant.

Most will not start with the advantage that Hoboken has, in the form of a $230 million federal grant awarded in 2014 to keep the river at bay and protect low-lying areas here and in nearby Jersey City and Weehawken.

Early conceptual ideas included barriers along parts of Hobokens cherished waterfront  and, in one case, down a leafy residential street lined with brownstones. The backlash came quickly.

When people heard the word walls, they just thought, Hoboken cant have walls,  said Brian Battaglia, owner of a home-furnishings store who supports the flood-protection efforts. They went ballistic. . . . There was a lot of yelling in the early days.

[Scientists nearly double sea level rise projections for 2100]

Although Sandy might be a hundred-year storm, encroaching waters already are threatening some cities. The East Coast, from Massachusetts south, is particularly at risk. Norfolk, for one, has debated many strategies, from building floodgates to abandoning the most vulnerable parts of town. Miami Beach is spending $400 million to install pumps and raise sea walls and roads in a bid to stave off encroaching water.

Many others are sure to face a similar reckoning in coming decades, scientists say.

There will be a bitter awakening, said Klaus Jacob, a Columbia University climate scientist and disaster expert who predicted much of the damage a storm like Sandy would do to New York City. Right now, the policy [in many places] is postponing the solution for future generations. Its an injustice.

Despite the conflicts that have surfaced in Hoboken, the city is ahead of the curve in trying to adapt, said Michael B. Gerrard, a Columbia Law School professor and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

Hoboken is taking proactive measures to protect itself, which relatively few places are doing, Gerrard said. They are seeing the hurdles that cities all over the world will face when they tackle this problem.

The densely packed city of 50,000 also starts with a natural advantage. Because it covers only about a square mile, experts say that relatively modest measures to prevent storm surges on its north and south sides could protect a large swath of the population.

If theres a city along the Atlantic coast in which a sea wall  or, I should say, a protective structure  is warranted, Hoboken can probably make the best case for it, Jacob said. You get a lot of bang for the buck.

Or, as Strauss said, If it cant happen in Hoboken, it cant happen anywhere.

It still hasnt happened here, at least not yet. Early on, hundreds of residents packed public meetings. Some started a Change.org petition and created a Facebook group called Save Our Streets. They barraged the states Department of Environmental Protection with angry letters and emails, calling the effort ridiculous, half baked and short-sighted.

Please do not destroy one of the most valuable assets Hoboken has, which is its view and the charm of tree-lined streets, one resident wrote.

To have the waterfront ruined by these walls is absolutely unimaginable, wrote another. You have to do better.

I view this project as a poorly designed overreaction to low-probability events, wrote another.

Much of that outrage appears to have dissipated, as officials tweaked the initial designs and abandoned the most controversial features.

Part of it was trying to get people to understand were talking about something thats beautifully designed and landscaped, Mayor Dawn Zimmer said. One proposal would disguise a large barrier as a boathouse, for example. Thats extremely important to me. . . . Were not going to be building ugly walls.

After the many meetings and changes, a mayoral listening tour and vows that any new flood-fighting structures would blend in, officials are poised to settle on a specific engineering approach in coming weeks.

Several proposals are on the table, and each includes strategies for pumping out rain and floodwater and for slowing their release into the citys aging sewer system. The leading contenders would protect about 85 percent of the city from a Sandy-like storm surge, with some waterfront buildings left outside of the barriers.

An intense design phase will take more than a year, and the goal is to finish construction no later than 2022.

This is not an easy project for the city. I think theyve done a good job listening to folks and incorporating feedback, said Joseph Calabrese, who lives in Harborside Lofts, which overlooks the water and would be in the 14 percent of the city left unprotected, along with Brennans tavern. Id prefer not to be protected directly and to preserve the waterfront.

For some residents, particularly those who found themselves underwater after Sandy, the first priority is to avoid a repeat of that disaster.

There are plenty of places to go look at a view, but you have to think, its these peoples lives, said Tracey Lyons, who lived in a public housing project off Jackson Street that experienced some of the worst flooding. Backed-up sewage filled her bath and sinks, and she waded through knee-deep water outside her first-floor apartment.

It was horrible. [The streets] looked like Venice, said 83-year-old Rose Visaggio, who lost furniture, family photos and other keepsakes when the bottom floor of the Adams Street home where she has lived for more than a half-century filled neck-deep. We need protection. We need to do something.

[This is how rising seas will reshape the face of the United States]

On a recent evening at the Stevens Institute of Technology, a standing-room-only crowd gathered to see computer simulations of how the remaining designs would safeguard Hoboken should another massive hurricane strike.

Some residents expressed lingering doubts that the project will save the city. Others said too many questions are still unanswered.

Yet most seemed to acknowledge that Hoboken will become only more vulnerable over time.

We should be very critical of this process, thats fair. But the idea of not doing anything is unfathomable to me  it aint going to get better, said Gary Holtzman, a member of the planning board. Im willing to give up a little bit of my view or complete access to the waterfront to get a benefit out of it. . . . Its not the Berlin Wall.

The meeting ended near sunset. Outside, Manhattan shimmered in the distance. Mayor Zimmer said she understands the fear of change, the disagreements over specific plans, the impulse to guard Hobokens character. But she also remembers the damage Sandy did.

Peoples whole lives were on the sidewalk, she said. It was devastating.

And she knows the water, so calm on this summer night, will rise again.

Theres a clear misunderstanding when people think it happened once, so its not going to happen for another 100 years. Thats not true, Zimmer said. It could happen next year. And until we get this project completed, we cant really protect our city.
A Swiss police officer stands near workers cleaning a platform after a 27-year-old Swiss man's attack on a Swiss train at the railway station in the town of Salez, Switzerland. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

SWITZERLAND

Man sets fire on train, attacks passengers

Police in Switzerland say a Swiss man set a fire and stabbed people on a train in the countrys northeast on Saturday, wounding six people as well as himself.

Police in the canton of St. Gallen said the incident happened in the afternoon as the train neared the station in Salez, near the border with Liechtenstein.

Police said the 27-year-old suspect had at least one knife and poured out a flammable liquid, which caught fire. They said he is in custody, but is nonresponsive.

Police say the wounded included a 6-year-old child, three women and two men. Some of the injuries were said to be serious, but no details were available.

Police were investigating the attackers motive. Switzerlands 20 Minuten newspaper reported on its website that police did not believe the incident was related to terrorism .

A man, bottom, carries a piglet to higher ground as he wades through a flooded street in San Mateo, east of Manila, on Aug. 13. Floods inundated major streets in the capital on Aug. 12, after heavy rains from a southwest monsoon. (Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images)

Last month, there were two attacks on trains in Europe. A refugee from Afghanistan assaulted four tourists on a German train, then stabbed a woman as he fled from the train. Later in July, a teenager armed with an ax and a knife attacked passengers on a different train in Germany, injuring a score of people. In both cases, the attackers were shot and killed by police.

 Reuters

BRITAIN

Brexit campaign worker indicted

A campaign worker for Britains right-wing U.K. Independence Party has been indicted in the United States on charges including blackmail and money-laundering.

A federal indictment issued in Arizona alleges that George Cottrell agreed in 2014 to launder money for undercover law-enforcement agents posing as drug traffickers. He is accused of 21 counts relating to money laundering, fraud, blackmail and extortion.

According to authority in Switzerland, a 27 year old man dispersed flammable liquid on the train and set it alight during an attack on the train. (Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA)

Cottrell was arrested July 22 at Chicagos OHare International Airport as he and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage were returning from the Republican convention in Cleveland. A judge denied bail, saying Cottrell poses a serious risk of flight.

UKIP said Saturday that Cottrell had worked unpaid for the party, helping with logistics and media arrangements during Britains European Union referendum campaign. UKIP supported the victorious leave side in the June 23 vote. UKIP said the criminal allegations date from a time before he was directly involved with the party.

 Associated Press

Thai police says bombing suspects soon to be named: Police in Thailand said Saturday that they were hoping to identify suspects in the next couple of days in a series of bombing and arson attacks that struck several tourist towns, killing four people and wounding dozens, including 11 foreigners. Thai authorities have suggested there were political motives behind the violence, which began Thursday night and into Friday morning, but gave no details. No group has claimed responsibility for any of the 11 bombings.

Turkish leader says Gulens extradition is non-negotiable: Turkeys prime minister said on Saturday that Ankara could not compromise with the United States over its request for the extradition of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, which it blames for orchestrating last months attempted coup. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim made his comments to a group of Turkish journalists who quoted him as saying that Vice President Biden would visit Turkey on Aug. 24. Secretary of State John F. Kerry would also visit Turkey some time in October, he was quoted as saying.

French court upholds citys ban of burkinis on public beaches: A French court rejected a demand by a group of French Muslims in Cannes to overturn a ban on full-body, head-covering swimwear on city beaches. The ruling upholding the ban on so-called burkinis fell as the newspaper Nice-Matin revealed that another Riviera town, Villeneuve-Loubet, had issued a similar ban. The Collective Against Islamophobia in France said after the decision Saturday by a court in nearby Nice that he would lodge an appeal with the Council of State, the highest administrative body in France.

 From news services
Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly hopes to be handling all juvenile cases by early next year, even those now prosecuted by the city attorneys office.

It may not be the most financially efficient option, Kelly said, but it's the right thing to do.

Kelly and the Lancaster County Board agreed this week to send a letter to the city, letting them know the county would like to take over all juvenile case work, even without any city financial support.

In earlier discussions, City Attorney Jeff Kirkpatrick said he won't be able to cut his staff if the juvenile cases move to the county, and the city won't help pay the county for that work.

But transferring the cases is the right thing to do, said several county commissioners and Kelly.

A task force looking at a county-city merger recommended in 2013 that the county attorneys office handle all juvenile cases to avoid confusion for youth and their families.

Judges have also said having one office handle the cases is in the best interest of those directly involved, Kelly said.

The letter asks Mayor Chris Beutler to allow city police to send these cases to the county attorney, rather than the city attorney's office.

Kirkpatrick said he doesn't want to give up these cases because he thinks city staff does a good job with them. And, he said, transferring the cases to the county office will not save him any money.

There is no efficiency to a consolidation, he said during a Friday telephone interview, but the decision is the mayor's.

The overriding issue should be providing better outcomes for the families involved, county officials said.

"We are acting in the best interest of the kids," said Commissioner Deb Schorr.

Now, the bulk of juvenile cases are handled by the county attorneys office and include abuse and neglect, truancy, cases in which juveniles commit felonies and some misdemeanor cases.

The city attorneys staff handles a narrow range of cases involving juveniles, ages 16 and 17, who are accused of committing misdemeanors within the city limits. Younger and older teens with misdemeanor violations, and all teens accused of felonies, go through the county attorneys office.

Last year, city staff handled about 870 misdemeanor juvenile cases while the county attorneys staff processed almost 3,500, including time-consuming abuse and neglect cases.

Six attorneys and a full-time chief deputy in the county attorney's office are assigned to juvenile cases, Kelly said.

His office will apply for a federal grant to pay for the legal secretary required for the additional caseload if a consolidation takes place, Kelly told the board at a Thursday meeting.

In addition, the county may eventually need another attorney, he said.

County Commissioner Bill Avery thanked Kelly for continuing to pursue the issue.

"Just be a bulldog on this. It is the right thing to do."
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Torrential rains have caused massive flooding in rivers and creeks in states along the Gulf Coast this weekend, leaving at least two people dead and a trail of damage. More than 1,000 have been rescued in Louisiana from the fast-rising waters, found in homes, cars and even clinging to trees. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The rains are expected to continue, sweeping westward into Texas. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency in Louisiana on Friday, and many of the states parishes have urged their residents to evacuate.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) has declared states of emergency in several counties, mostly in the southern region of the state. The National Weather Service declared a flash-flood watch on Saturday afternoon in Deep East Texas.

But the rains appeared to be most destructive in Louisiana. Records were handily broken throughout the state in what Edwards called a truly historic weather event. Baton Rouge received two months worth of rain in one day, CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam said. On average, 5.82 inches of rain falls in August, and twice that fell in Louisianas capital in a 24-hour period. Some rainfall totals have exceeded 20 inches.

At least 2 dead in southern Louisiana, Mississippi flooding https://t.co/SVyyC8DTFr via @theadvertiser pic.twitter.com/WTZD6JoJP5  Linda Dono (@LindaDono) August 13, 2016

Edwards said that he was not sure how much worse the flooding would become. This is unprecedented, so we dont have records where we can go back and see who all is going to be impacted, Edwards said at a news conference on Saturday morning.

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Its going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better, Weather Channel meteorologist Tom Moore said Saturday morning.

Two have died in Louisiana, multiple news outlets have reported. William Mayfield, 68, slipped and drowned in a flooded ditch near Baton Rouge on Friday. Fifteen miles south of the Mississippi border, the body of a 50-something man was found Friday evening in a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10.

Several residents said its the worst flooding theyve seen in their life. Even the Louisiana governor and his wife had to evacuate  their basement is deluged.

Amid disastrous flooding, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued 3 people stranded on the roof of a home in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Aug. 13. (Video: U.S. Coast Guard Heartland)

Sam Cassidy of Bossier City, La., stayed with his wife at their mobile home on Friday. The night before, water had reached waist level, and he told the Associated Press that he saw an alligator swim by. He said it looked like a horror movie.

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Sooner or later its going to get into our house, Linzy Cheramie of Luling, La., told Fox 8 New Orleans on Thursday. It got in the mans house next door. Hes not home. Hes out of town, so this is what hes going to come home to.

theadvocatebr: Aerial photos show Massive flooding in Denham Springs & Baton Rouge areas --  pic.twitter.com/FzkTl42zHx  Edmon Collins (@CustomerSalesEx) August 13, 2016

Virtually every road now in the city has some kind of water problem, Mayor Jr. Shelton of Central, La., said. Weve never seen anything like this before.

In south Louisiana, much of the flooding centered on communities near the swollen Amite and Comite rivers, which merge east of Baton Rouge. Many residents were caught off guard by how quickly the water rose.

On Friday afternoon, Chad Israels driveway and yard in Central had flooded, and about an inch of water had seeped into the first floor of the two-story home he lives in with his wife, Audrey, and their 18-year-old daughter, Hayden.

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Israel, 45, put some boarding around the home to keep the water out, and when he woke up Saturday at 5 a.m., the water had receded. So we thought everything was good, he said.

Five hours later, the family noticed water leaking into the house, and at 11 a.m., Israel said it looked like a waterfall.

We have a glass door at the front of our home, and it was coming onto that front door, he said. I felt like we were in an aquarium.

The familys vehicles were submerged, so Israel said he and his wife each grabbed a garbage bag full of clothes and walked in waist-deep water to level ground, where a friend helped them evacuate.

About nine miles southeast of Central in Denham Springs, Nicole Graves had a similar experience. She said that on Friday, the street by her home was flooded, but her driveway and yard were dry.

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But when Graves, 37, who lives with her husband, Eric, and daughter, Abigail, woke up at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, the water was rising fast. Her husband yelled to her that the water was rushing in both the front and back doors.

I would compare it to standing in a kiddie pool as it was filling up. Thats how fast that water was coming in, she said. She and her husband changed their clothes while her daughter grabbed three of her favorite stuffed animals and her Kindle. They headed for the truck.

As we were backing out, we heard my neighbors calling for help across the street, Graves said. They jumped into the back of his truck, and we all got out of there.

More than 1,000 Louisianans have been rescued in what Edwards called unprecedented flooding. Edwards urged all residents who have been asked to evacuate to do so, saying that it is risky and resource-draining when people who could have evacuated beforehand require rescue missions later.

Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis of the Louisiana National Guard said during the Saturday morning news conference that the state had deployed 170 high-water vehicles, 20 boats and five helicopters. About 1,000 soldiers are on the ground, with as many as 250 more coming by the end of Saturday.

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Edwards said people should not assume their home is fine just because they havent seen flooding before. Because these are record levels of floods, we dont know how wide the water is going to get.

More photos of the flooding near LSU and McKinley High. pic.twitter.com/mfqQYwl1VO  Brianna Paciorka (@bpaciorka) August 13, 2016

The state of emergency will remain in effect until Sept. 10, the executive proclamation reads. As of Saturday morning, 21 parishes had declared or were in the processing of declaring their own states of emergency.

Flooding plagued this area in January and March of this year, as well. Three died as a result.

Graves and her family are now staying with her boss in a home near the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. The Denham Springs resident said her entire family has been affected by the flooding. Her parents, who live on the Amite River, evacuated their home by canoe.

After Hurricane Katrina, I didnt understand why people didnt leave before it flooded. They said it happened so quickly. But I get it now. It happens so fast, she said. We were fine at 6:30 when we woke up this morning. But by 7, we were underwater.

April Capochino Myers in Baton Rouge contributed to this report.

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James Downie is The Posts digital opinions editor.

Its all coming up aces for the Democrats. Hillary Clinton leads Republican Donald Trump by more than seven percentage points nationally in the poll averages. She is ahead by seven points in New Hampshire, eight in Virginia, nine in Pennsylvania and 11 in Colorado  enough to lock up the electoral college. Polls also look good for the Democrats to retake the Senate, especially because former Indiana senator Evan Bayh decided to run for his old seat.

But not all the news is good. Despite the Democrats having the inside track for the executive branch and the upper chamber of Congress, there seems little chance of a Democratic House.

Why? The easy answer is that the Democratic Party  and especially the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee  has failed to take advantage of its opportunity. With the White House nearly clinched and the Senate ripe for retaking, the argument goes, surely the only reason a House takeover appears remote is institutional failure. While the DCCC would like to make between 45 and 60 seats competitive, outside prognosticators put the number in the mid-30s.

There is no doubt that the DCCC and the party could have done a better job preparing for a Trump-led ticket. Though Trumps nomination helped the DCCC recruit, in many cases his victory came too late: By the time Trump essentially clinched the nomination in March, three-quarters of the filing deadlines had passed. Frankly, though, staffers at places like the DCCC are paid to anticipate things like a Trump victory. There are a dozen districts where Democrats should have been able to compete with Trump at the top of the ticket, says David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton leads her Republican opponent Donald Trump by 8 points in a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. The poll also found a majority of voters see both candidates as dishonest. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

A dozen districts, in other words, that might have been in play but can be counted as safe by Republicans. Democrats have a good roster of recruits in the most flippable seats, from rising stars such as Morgan Carroll in Colorados 6th District to veterans such as Carol Shea-Porter in New Hampshires 1st. But Mike Bost in Illinoiss 12th District and Tom MacArthur in New Jerseys 3rd are just two of a number of GOP members of Congress who can breathe more easily because Democrats could not find strong opponents for them. And though Darrell Issa won his intraparty primary only 51 percent to 45 percent in an increasingly Hispanic (and therefore anti-Trump) district, the DCCC seems reluctant to help dark-horse opponent Doug Applegate capitalize. No doubt Issas large personal fortune scares Democrats, but laying the groundwork for a national wave requires making some long-shot races competitive.

All is not lost for the Democrats. Trumps nomination gives House candidates something they can use to convince donors that normally tough districts are competitive, netting them badly needed funds before Election Day. If a Democratic wave is truly a possibility, one sign will be that House races that right now look safe for the Republicans will start to tighten in the coming weeks, as voters tune in and GOP candidates struggle to defend Trump. Just this week, Larry J. Sabatos Crystal Ball noted that Republicans might have to play defense in Indianas 9th District and Kansass 3rd  two seats previously considered safe for them.

Yes, the DCCC may deserve some blame for Democrats struggle to flip the House. But the sad truth is that, as Wasserman says, The Democrats best chance of taking back the House is a Trump presidency. Without the added fuel of a backlash to an incumbent GOP administration, winning the House will be nearly impossible. With Trump both trailing badly and embarrassing many key conservative donors such as the Koch brothers, millions of dollars that would have gone to support a different GOP presidential nominee will now go to defending the House and Senate majorities. Furthermore, gerrymandering, the coalescing of Democrats into high-density urban districts and the decline of split-ticket voting have all made it more difficult for either party to flip a large number of seats.

Clinton and the Democrats will no doubt celebrate on Election Day. But the subsequent elections will be the true tests. Even if the Democrats retake the Senate, the GOP House will surely block every major piece of legislation the new administration seeks, and then blame Clinton for the gridlock. The 2018 midterms, with lower turnout and 23 Democratic Senate seats up for grabs (vs. only eight Republican seats), will be difficult for liberals. If they ever hope to truly advance a progressive agenda, Democrats need to start working now on surviving those midterms, retaking state legislatures and reversing gerrymandering  or Republicans stranglehold on government will last even longer.
BIG BUSINESS, elite media and major donors are lining up behind the campaign of my opponent because they know she will keep our rigged system in place, Donald Trump declared at the Republican National Convention last month. She is their puppet, and they pull the strings.

Never persuasive, this line of attack was at least less hypocritical when Mr. Trump largely self-funded his campaign. These days he is raking in donations  $80 million last month, according to the campaign  and from bigwigs as well as small donors. Among others, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and coal executive Joe Craft are fundraising for the GOP nominee. So who, to use his formulation, is now pulling Mr. Trumps strings?

Voters could get some answers if Mr. Trump would release, as have Hillary Clinton and most recent candidates before her, the names of his bundlers. These are the people who solicit large numbers of often medium-size checks and hand them over to campaigns. Though they do not necessarily give huge amounts of their own cash, bundlers rake in big sums for their candidates  and therefore pose a similar threat to the integrity of the political process. Even so, the law requires campaigns to disclose bundlers only when they are registered lobbyists. It is left to the campaigns to voluntarily provide more information.

Ms. Clinton has done so, releasing the names of some 500 bundlers. Mr. Trump, Politicos Shane Goldmacher recently noted, has not. Nor would the campaign discuss with Politico, or with us, its intentions with regard to this rudiment of transparency.

Such contempt for voters is not surprising. Mr. Trump also is thumbing his nose at the long tradition of major-party presidential nominees releasing their tax returns. He promised to do so. Ms. Clinton has released decades of hers, including her 2015 return, which she disclosed Friday . Yet Mr. Trump continues to keep his beautiful tax documents under wraps.

Why the secrecy? With respect to bundlers, Mr. Trump might not want to draw attention to the special interests now backing him, and some of his bundlers might (understandably) be embarrassed to be outed. With respect to his tax returns, the candidate may not want to reveal that his business is not as successful as he claims, that he is stingy with charity or that he has compromising business relationships in Russia or elsewhere overseas.

No matter the reasons, Mr. Trumps refusal to meet essential standards of transparency expresses contempt for the democratic process and erodes crucial norms. If voters reject him in November  and his secrecy provides yet another reason they should  we hope future presidential candidates will conclude that these traditions are not so easily discarded.
Supreme Soviet Chairman Anatoly Lukyanov, standing, talks with Boris Yeltsin, Russian Federation President while Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, right, listens during the morning session of the Congress of Peoples Deputies of the USSR at the Kremlin, Moscow in 1990. (AP Photo/Boris Yurchenko) (Boris Yurchenko/AP)

Stephen Sestanovich, a Columbia University professor and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, was U.S. ambassador-at-large for the former Soviet Union from 1997 to 2001.

Twenty-five years ago this week, a group of Politburo hard-liners launched a coup against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The effort to depose him provoked a gigantic popular protest and collapsed in just three days. With the failure of the coup, the communist system itself began to unravel. The 20th century  so claimed Boris Yeltsin, Gorbachevs rival, rescuer and eventual successor  had essentially ended. People power had defeated the Soviet state.

Today, an angry populism is again the driving force of politics in much of the world. We can better understand its sources, the problems it poses and, yes, its continuing promise, if we remember both how Yeltsin succeeded and why he finally failed.

Before the coup, many observers  Americans and Russians alike  saw Yeltsin as a crude demagogue making life difficult for the thoughtful, gradualist Gorbachev. His radical demands, they feared, would only mobilize conservatives and divide reformers. Too-rapid pressure for democracy would activate ethnic passion (suicidal nationalism, President George H.W. Bush called it).

Yeltsin was a demagogue, but this label missed his real achievement. He had become the leader of an opposition that energized nationwide resistance to the coup. Two months earlier, Yeltsin had won a landslide victory to become president of the Russian Federation. He was the only Soviet politician with a true democratic mandate, and coup plotters hesitated to arrest him. He made himself into a popular hero.

Official Washington, of course, saw Gorbachev as the driver of reform, but it was Yeltsin who kept the pressure on him. He gave advocates of change somewhere to turn whenever Gorbachev retreated from radical ideas (which was often). During the coup, Yeltsin also provided its opponents with a physical rallying point. That famous tank he climbed onto was, with its friendly crew, parked right outside his office.

Perhaps most important, Yeltsins strong anti-communist rhetoric turned out to moderate ethnic passions rather than inflame them. Throughout Eastern Europe and the (soon to be dissolved) Soviet Union, nationalist conflict was marginalized wherever popular mobilization revolved around anti-communist ideas. Nothing demonstrated this connection more clearly than the violent break-up of Yugoslavia. Because the Yugoslav regime had long since drifted away from Marxism-Leninism, socialist ideology and anti-communism were equally irrelevant. Ethnic grievances  pushed by demagogues such as Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia and Franjo Tudjman in Croatia  took center stage.

Yet if Western governments underestimated the value of Yeltsins populism in his challenge to Gorbachev, they also failed to see what would happen if Yeltsin could not make good on his populism after he took power. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991  and in eight years as president of the new Russia  Yeltsin regularly sought refuge in anti-communist rhetoric. But it did him less good as time went on.

A demagogue who attains power has to show he can deliver, and Yeltsin did not. Beyond the material hardship his policies produced, critics charged that he let new scoundrels replace the old ones. The populist who railed against insider privilege in the Soviet system allowed gross abuses of power on his watch. Ordinary citizens who backed Yeltsins call to tear down old institutions gradually came to favor their revival. Yeltsin didnt just pick Vladimir Putin as his successor; he made it easy for Putin to become popular. As the new president, Putin took on the enemies that he claimed were pushing Russia around  corrupt oligarchs, Chechen separatists, foreigners (and especially Americans). Having failed to act like a populist president, Yeltsin gave Putin the chance to play the role.

The coup against Gorbachev and its aftermath have their echoes today. The 1991 populist overthrow of Soviet communism was not so different from the 2014 populist overthrow of the Yanukovych regime in Ukraine. Each was a national uprising against a system seen as corrupt and undemocratic; each offered new leaders a mandate for root-and-branch transformation.

Despite some real progress, however, Ukraines new government has the same flaw as Yeltsins  too little reformist follow-through. If Ukraines experiment founders, U.S. policymakers are likely to feel the same retrospective remorse that they feel about post-Soviet Russia. Too often, Western governments have made excuses for backsliding. They have treated populism as their enemy, not seeing that  as a force for fundamental change  it can be their friend.

European politics today shows how much has changed since the liberal populism of the late 1980s and early 90s. Populism is now almost everywhere illiberal  thriving on ethnic hostility and exclusion. East European movements and leaders used to denounce a corrupt elite that they said blocked integration into a broad democratic Western community. Today they say real democracy is impossible unless that integration is reversed. In the view of 21st-century populists, only the elite benefit from integration.

It is hard to recall Yeltsins populism  anti-communist, liberal, tolerant, forward-looking  without feeling regret for what might have been. But 25 years after the coup, it is not too late to learn its lessons. The first is to recognize the positive mobilizing force of popular frustration. Real conviction and determination generate the kind of support that caution can rarely match. In hard times people trust a Yeltsin rather than a Gorbachev to understand their anger.

The second lesson is not easy to act on but just as important. Over-promising and under-performing give life to populism of a far more dangerous type. Once people conclude that liberalism serves only the privileged, that popular grievances are never answered, that the usual reform simply produces new scoundrels, they take their anger elsewhere.
Correction: An earlier version of this op-ed incorrectly stated that Congress declared Nevada a state in 1864. Congress passed an act in March 1864 enabling the people of Nevada to form a constitution and state government. On Oct. 31, 1864, President Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring Nevada a state. This version has been corrected.

Nevada, which calls itself the Battle Born State, actually was born prematurely because of Republicans anxiety. Now, 152 years later, it again is a subject of their anxiety.

Entering 1864, Abraham Lincoln and his party were intensely, and reasonably, in doubt about his reelection. So, scrambling for every electorate vote, Republicans decided to conjure three from thin air  thin desert air. In March 1864, the Republican-controlled Congress began the process of admitting Nevada to the union, even though the 1860 Census said its population was 6,857, far short of the 60,000 ostensibly required for statehood. Nine days before the election, Lincoln proclaimed Nevada a state (although Gen. Shermans Sept. 2 capture of Atlanta probably guaranteed Lincolns victory).

On election night 2016, the nations attention might be focused on Nevada, where Republicans have their most promising, and probably their only realistic, chance to capture a Democratic Senate seat. Harry Reid, Senate minority leader, is retiring, and Republicans hopes of retaining their majority might depend on Joe Heck replacing Reid.

He is a strong candidate for his party, as his opponent is for hers. Catherine Cortez Masto is a former two-term state attorney general who won reelection even against the 2010 anti-Democratic wave. She would be the Senates first Latina.

Heck, an emergency room physician and a brigadier general in the Army Reserve, is a third-term congressman from the Las Vegas metropolitan area, where 75 percent of Nevada voters live. His district, where he defeated his 2014 Democratic opponent by 24.6 points, is 19 percent Hispanic and 16 percent Asian American.

The states non-Hispanic white population was 79 percent in 1990 and is now 54 percent. There are about 70,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, down from 90,000 in 2012, when Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney here by 67,806 votes.

According to the Almanac of American Politics, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and from 2000 to 2007, before the economy cratered. Since 1990, the population of Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, has quadrupled to 286,000, the size of Cincinnati. Heck says many people come to Nevada, which has no income tax, in flight from Democratic governance in contiguous California  but some come with, and retain, Democratic attitudes.

Only 24 percent of Nevadans were born in the state, the lowest percentage of any state, which is one reason Nevada was devastated by the subprime mortgage crisis, which left 62 percent of Nevada homeowners underwater  owing more on the mortgages than their homes were worth. Today, only 24 percent are, but Cortez Masto is picking at the scab of the post-2008 trauma with ads accusing Heck of putting the big banks before Nevada families, partly because he has received contributions from the financial industry.

Heck notes that Trumps candidacy has energized Nevada Republicans. He says their February caucuses on a Tuesday evening attracted more participants than the 2008 and 2012 caucuses combined. Which is good for Heck, unless it isnt: Trump might similarly energize the Hispanic 17 percent of the electorate against Trump, with Heck as collateral damage.

Nevada has a senator from each party and a split (three Republicans, one Democrat) House delegation. Polls show a close contest between Heck and Cortez Masto. Today, there are 54 Republican senators, seven of whom are in difficult reelection races: Arizonas John McCain, New Hampshires Kelly Ayotte, Pennsylvanias Pat Toomey, Ohios Rob Portman, Missouris Roy Blunt, Wisconsins Ron Johnson and Illinoiss Mark Kirk. Johnson and Kirk are currently trailing by five or more points. If Hillary Clinton becomes president, Vice President Tim Kaine will vote with Democrats to organize a 50-50 Senate. Republicans, needing 51 seats for control, must have a net loss of no more than three.

If in October Clinton seems headed for the presidency, Heck may need to persuade many Nevadans who are tepidly for Clinton to vote strategically  supporting him so a Republican Senate can restrain her. Reid is determined to keep his seat Democratic, but Heck says that in 2014 Reids celebrated turnout machine was an utter disaster.

In 1908, the Silver State (another Nevada nickname, a legacy of the long-since-depleted Comstock Lode) voted for a third and final time for the Democrats presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan, who favored free coinage of silver. Since then, only once (in 1976, when it favored President Gerald Ford) has Nevada not supported a winner. Which is another reason the nation will be watching Nevada late on Nov. 8.

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The whole thing would be laughable, a real thigh-slapper, if the danger werent so real.

The Trump Organization, led by arch First Amendment foe Donald Trump, has worked out a traffic arrangement with the D.C. government that one free-speech advocacy group, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, fears will allow for the stifling of speech and assembly in proximity to the historic Old Post Office Building, which Trump has leased from the feds for use as a Trump International Hotel.

This is the same Donald Trump, who, as depicted in the partnerships lawsuit against the city, called for protesters to be roughed up and carried out on a stretcher, offered to pay the legal fees of persons who assault protesters, deployed security who have assaulted protesters and destroyed protest signs outside the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City, suggested he would be in favor of closing the internet under certain circumstances, indicated that he would like to rewrite libel laws to suppress unflattering press coverage, and revoked press credentials from The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Univision, The Daily Beast, the Des Moines Register and Politico.

Why the concern?

The D.C. Department of Transportation has approved a vehicle-access lane for valet parking service at the hotels entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue, the historic national thoroughfare running between the White House and the Capitol, where free speech and dissent have long openly fared. Free-speech advocates worry that the Trump hotel will now feel free to create a buffer zone around itself, restricting access to exclusive or priority use by the Trump Organization.

Filed last week, the partnerships lawsuit seeks the release of information held by the D.C. government regarding aspects of the deal reached with the Trump Organization. The suit was filed because D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowsers (D) executive office  despite a legal obligation to make such information public  has failed to produce information in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed more than five months ago  appalling, given the publics right to know.

Pressed about the delay, the Bowser administration responded to me this week in an email: Despite the volume of FOIA requests we receive and the thousands of pages of documents that must be reviewed, we can always do better to reduce wait times. In this case, we intend to resolve the lawsuit filed this week by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund by beginning a rolling production of the requested documents.

Roadblock dismantled  maybe.

Still, that is hardly a confidence builder when it comes to D.C. leaders protection of First Amendment rights.

The question of how the Trump Organization managed to secure a dedicated traffic lane on Americas Main Street has not been answered.

By way of background, the hotels main entrance, according to the final negotiations, was to be around the corner on 11th Street NW. That is where guests would arrive and receive valet service and parking.

But as The Post reported in February, the District and the Trump Organization agreed to keep one lane open at all times so the hotel can operate its valet service on the Grand Avenue. Hence the fear among free-speech advocates that Trump might treat Pennsylvania Avenue as another one of his political rally sites, where guards, at a nod, could hustle protesters to the nearest exit.

Residents, it turns out, arent the only ones in the dark.

I asked the Bowser administration, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), whose Transportation Committee oversees D.C.s transportation department, if they were aware that the Trump Organization had been granted priority use of a traffic lane on Pennsylvania Avenue, or if they knew whether the D.C. government had entered into agreements with the Trump Organization regarding the use of public space, such as sidewalks and street lanes.

Mendelson emailed: As for what I have known about the Trump Hotel having exclusive priority use of a traffic lane, Ive only just learned of this. Similarly, I have no knowledge of what agreements the District government has entered into with Trump regarding the use of public space around the hotel. Ive never been briefed on the development, and have thought it to be the result of negotiations with the federal government. Nothing has come before the council.

Cheh also said she had not been briefed. But she contended that the dedicated Pennsylvania Avenue lane would apply only during street festivals.

Rob Hawkins, Bowsers communications director, also emailed: We are unaware of any agreement that would prevent anyone from exercising their First Amendment rights in front of the hotel or otherwise using the public space. The sidewalks abutting the hotel . . . are to remain accessible to pedestrians even during special events . . . that would close Pennsylvania Avenue to vehicular traffic. The District-controlled street will also be accessible for protests and assemblies. Public spaces in the District of Columbia are a particularly powerful location for First Amendment expression and it is our commitment to keep them that way.

So if the District keeps its word, the First Amendment will trump Trump. Well know soon enough.

The Trump International Hotels grand opening is set for Sept. 12.

Read more from Colbert Kings archive.


Jo and Wes Tongue with their daughters, Evie, 4, and Lu, 3, in Fort Collins, Colo. The Tongues are disillusioned with the presidential campaign and undecided about which candidate to support. (Matthew Staver/For The Washington Post)

This article was reported by Philip Rucker in Fort Collins, Colo.; Robert Costa in Madison, Wis.; Abby Phillip in Austin and Fort Worth; John Wagner in Washington; Dan Balz in Palo Alto, Calif., and Seaside, Calif.; and Isaac Stanley-Becker in Goldsboro, N.C., and Norfolk, Va.

Jo Tongue doesnt have much time for politics, but the Hillary and Trump show is hard to tune out. And even harder to take. To this 31-year-old mother of two, with a third on the way, the presidency should be an honorable office, but instead she feels bummed that were at a place where it all feels like a joke.

Watching Jimmy Fallon, I feel like, ugh, is this how we should start out? Were already mocking our president?

Tongue says she is both sad and defeated and  in a world filled with shootings, bombings and financial strain  maintains scant hope that a new president will change any of it.

At a sports bar 1,800 miles away in Goldsboro, N.C., Aaron Stewart is shooting pool with a buddy and thinking the same thing. The pair doesnt just feel cut off from the current campaign, but from a political system they see as controlled by mysterious networks, greased by money and off-limits to people like them.

Im not really a conspiracy theo rist, but the system is corrupt, says Stewart, 21, who works at a convenience store. He draws a $1 bill from his wallet, holds it up to the bars faint light and declares, This little piece of paper tells me what I can and cannot do.

At the Panetta Institute for Public Policy in California, the summer interns are up on the issues. But Dominic Cicerone has a similar sense of foreboding. For him, the big issue is his own safety  he was afraid to go to the July 4 fireworks at Fishermans Wharf because the Islamic State had released a video claiming San Francisco as a target  and neither candidate is easing his concerns.

These things are no longer happening in other places in the world; theyre now happening right here in our own communities  and that scares me, says Cicerone, 20, a student at Humboldt State University. To be completely honest, I dont trust either one with foreign policy.

Polling suggests that the millennial generation will act much the same this November as it did four and eight years ago  by voting heavily for the Democratic nominee, though with a considerable share supporting a third-party candidate.

But in interviews this past week with more than 70 young voters in nine states from diverse backgrounds, lifestyles and careers, it is clear their mood is decidedly different from previous elections. Despite their varied lives, most of those interviewed shared a disgust with both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump so intense that it is pushing many beyond disillusionment and toward apathy.

The message coming from Americas rising generation is ominous, and it carries ramifications after the November election. No matter who wins, they dont think the next president will address their concerns or even have an impact on their lives. They have grim expectations for their government and have stopped looking to Washington for solutions. Why? Because they see it as too gridlocked  and its leaders too corrupted.

These voters were embarrassed and ashamed that Clinton and Trump are the best the country has to offer. Of the more than 70 millennials interviewed by The Washington Post, only a small fraction sounded genuinely enthusiastic about a candidate.

Though a few people voiced admiration for Clinton, most talked about both her and Trump in searing, caustic words: Super villain. Evil. Chameleon. Racist. Criminal. Egomaniac. Narcissist. Sociopath. Liar. Lying cutthroat. Panderer. Word salad. Willy-nilly. Douche. Joker. Troll. Oompa Loompa. Sad. Absurd. Horrifying. Dishonest. Disgusting. Dangerous. Disaster.

The election seems like its a prank, but its not a prank, said Kyle Forster, 21, a student at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.



Wes Sumrell, 32, a longshoreman in Norfolk, Va., says he will vote for Donald Trump but does not believe he can be the countrys savior. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Wes Sumrell, 32, who enlisted in the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and now works as a longshoreman in Norfolk, Va., said he plans to vote for Trump. But his enthusiasm is tempered by what he sees as the moguls unrealistic promises.

Hes doing the same thing Obama did  building people up to think he can do all these things, Sumrell said. But the nature of the position is that you cant satisfy everyone. I dont think hell be the savior he claims to be.

The presidential campaign is drawing global interest, but young people from Virginia to Silicon Valley  students and teachers, shopkeepers and baristas, engineers and lawn mowers  feel isolated from it. Their Facebook feeds are cluttered with political headlines and outrage. They see snippets of Clinton and Trump on Snapchat. Some of them follow daily developments on news websites. But they dont hear anything from Clinton or Trump that sounds like solutions for their own challenges.

Its kind of a scary time to have such a wishy-washy presidential election, said David Searle, 25, a software engineer in Portland, Maine.

Some young people said they are so uninspired that theyre just going to sit this one out.

Im not going to vote. Im just not, said Dustin McKindsey, 26, a handyman in Madison, Wis. This is the first time Ive felt that way. . . . A choice between two stones thatll sink.

Many young people said they are mistrustful and wary of both parties and inclined to disaffiliate. I dont see the point of the parties  just another way to divide us, said Casey Bunn, 21, an automotive repair worker in Goldsboro.

These sentiments represent a dramatic shift from eight years ago. With his cool charisma and change message, Barack Obama inspired legions of young voters to volunteer for him. Many poured into the streets of Americas cities to celebrate his victory with tears and toasts.

Aaron Johnson, 32, a barista and musician in Seattle, predicted that would not happen this year.

You have a choice between a douche and a turd sandwich, he said. Thats from South Park. This is a lesser-of-two-evils vote. Well be a laughingstock if Trump becomes president. With Hillary, well stomach it for four or eight years and live through it.

For any politician, millennials are a prized block. Roughly 1 in 6 voters have been younger than 30 in the past two presidential elections, according to Census Bureau data. This spring, millennials up to age 34 surpassed baby boomers as the nations largest living generation, numbering 75.4 million, according to the Pew Research Center.

For Clinton, millennial outreach is a cornerstone of her strategy. She trumpets her plan to make college debt-free and last week visited Raygun, a millennial-owned T-shirt manufacturer in Iowa, to promote entrepreneurship. And her campaign is prolific on social media  making behind-the-scenes videos for Snapchat and designing Clinton-inspired pantsuit outfits for Bitmoji users.

Trump is not ceding this demographic. He talks openly about gay rights  a greater priority for millennials  and his 34-year-old daughter, Ivanka, has championed his cause with her peers.

The millennial generation is loosely defined as people born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, so adults up to age 35. Political pollsters measure the demographic as voters between the ages of 18 and 29.

These voters favor Clinton over Trump by nearly 2 to 1, 57 percent to 32 percent, according to an average of the last two national surveys by The Washington Post and ABC News. That is similar to Obamas 23-percentage point margin over Republican Mitt Romney in 2012.

These polls show Obamas job approval rating at 68 percent among young adults, far higher than overall, and 58 percent of them said they think Clinton better understands their problems than does Trump.

But both are deeply polarizing with younger Americans, just as they are with the broader population. Seventy-two percent said they have an unfavorable view of Trump, while 49 percent said the same of Clinton. An overwhelming majority  68 percent  said they are dissatisfied with the choice of Clinton or Trump.

One-quarter of younger voters said in the two Post-ABC polls that they would support a third-party candidate. In a four-way race, Clinton leads among younger voters with 43 percent, followed by Trump at 25 percent, Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson at 16 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 9 percent.

Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster who researches millennial attitudes and wrote The Selfie Vote, said: Were at a depressing moment where its unlikely that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will ever get these voters to love them. Instead, theyre trying to scare them, saying, You cant vote for him because hell nuke countries, or, You cant vote for her or like her because shes a liar. 

So it is that the impressions many millennials have formed of the candidates are based almost entirely on issues of character, as opposed to their policy prescriptions or ideologies.



April McGuffie, 24, an E-5 Naval Petty Officer Second Class stationed in Norfolk, Va., says she likes Donald Trump but is discouraged by his temperament. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

April McGuffie, 24, who serves in the Navy and is stationed in Norfolk, said she doesnt have the millennial mind-set. She is more aligned with Trump yet has a hard time imagining him as president.

Trump is acting like were in high school again, McGuffie said. He has good ideas, but it seems like hes constantly on the attack.

Polls show a majority of the countrys voters want change in Washington, but many young people interviewed said things are not so bad as they may seem. Gay men and lesbians can legally marry. Health care is more accessible. Jobs are more available. Society has become more diverse and tolerant. To them, that is progress.

Parker Grimes, 20, a microbiology student from Fond du Lac, Wis., recalled talking about Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan with his roommates the other day.

We said, You know what? This place is pretty great,  Grimes said. We go to UW, a pretty decent school, and my family is okay, and a lot of things did get done in the last eight years.

Behind the counter at Bean Cycle Roasters in Fort Collins, Derrick Wessels described himself as only marginally unhappy. Asked whether he thought Clinton would be a change agent, the 24-year-old barista said, I dont think shell cause a whole lot of change  and thats why Im voting for her. I think Trump will change things for the worse.



Derrick Wessels, 24, a barista in Fort Collins, Colo., says he does not think either presidential candidate can bring positive change to the country. (Matthew Staver/For The Washington Post)

Over and over again, young voters said they had hoped one of the candidates would inspire them. Some of them cast their first ballots for Obama and said they long to feel those same emotions of pride and hope for someone else.

Instead, this summer they have grown disenchanted with the whole process.

This election is a complete joke, lamented Donovan DeWeese, 25, a pantry chef at a steakhouse in Fort Collins.

This is my future, he said. When I have kids, this will be something they remember me for. When my parents were this age, they had candidates like JFK and Ronald Reagan. These candidates we have now are not inspiring.



Britni Smith, 29 in Fort Collins, Colo. (Matthew Staver/For The Washington Post)

Few of the young women interviewed said they felt moved by the historic nature of Clintons presidency. Britni Smith, 29, said, I wanted the first woman president in office, but then everything came to the surface  the email scandal, how much her positions fluctuate on really important issues.

I dont think shes super trustworthy, added Smith, who works in retail and backed Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) in the Democratic primary campaign. Shes kind of a social chameleon. Shell tell any group shes standing in front of what they want to hear.

To Claire Secrist, 23, who was raised in a Republican household in Fort Collins, Clintons life is a lie. Secrist, who manages a clothing store, said: It doesnt matter that shell be the first woman president. She should be in jail.



Claire Secrist, 23, photographed in Fort Collins, Colo., with her boyfriend, Jarrad Doolittle, 22, thinks Hillary Clinton belongs in jail. (Matthew Staver/For The Washington Post)

It does not help that Clinton and Trump, at 68 and 70 respectively, are two of the oldest presidential candidates ever.

Asked whom he might vote for, Noah Mack, 20, a junior political science major at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, exhaled in frustration.

I dont know, he said, looking out at a glistening Lake Mendota. Probably Hillary, but I dont particularly like her. Hate Trump. I really dont like Trump because hes obviously incredibly racist, and his agendas, I just dont agree with. Hes out of the Stone Age. So is she, too, in her own way  not age-wise, but in terms of values.

Sanders, 74, is even closer to the Stone Age than the two nominees, yet he connected with millennials. They saw him as authentic and principled. In the Democratic primaries where exit polls were conducted, millennials supported Sanders over Clinton 71 percent to 28 percent, even though Clinton won many more votes overall.

Bernie did spark a fire with a lot of us, said Christopher Lee, 22, a nursing student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. We thought, Wow, our generation is actually going to get someone who has our values and understand that we want to see change. Then it all went away. Hillary and Trump. . . . Its like were reverting to the country before Obama.

This generations support for Sanders grew so intense that Allison McCartney recalled having to hide her Clinton favoritism.

People who liked Clinton or thought she had anything worthy to say kind of had to hide in a digital hole for a while to let it blow over. Any time you posted anything vaguely pro-Clinton, it was like immediate swamping  Youre a horrible person, Shes a criminal,  said McCartney, 26, a recent Stanford University graduate who works at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation.

But not every millennial has been so engaged. John Bynum, a Democrat, recalled eight years ago feeling excited about the possibility of the first black president.

I remember following closely, watching the debates and everything, said Bynum, 30, a Navy logistics specialist in Norfolk. But not this time. He said he will vote for Clinton, but thats about the extent of his participation. Ive slacked off a lot this election.



John Bynum, 30, a Navy logistics specialist, says he is not as interested in this presidential campaign as he was in 2008. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Some right-leaning millennials thought they had a standard-bearer in Marco Rubio  until Trump effectively ate the youthful Florida senator for lunch. One of them is Branden Windle, 27, who lives in Austin and heads marketing for a company that sells cowboy boots.

Windle sounded chagrined and at times sheepish as he explained his political evolution. In 2008, as a college student in California, he was super engaged with John McCains campaign. This time around, he supported Rubio in the primary. In November, however, he doesnt even plan to vote.

The more I engage in this election, the more apathetic I become, he said. Im reluctant to talk politics and more reluctant to identify as a Republican. . . . Im 100 percent sure Im not a sexist or racist or bigot or intolerant, but I feel like identifying with the Republican Party makes you more associated with those things.

The 2016 campaign risks making millennials  mistrustful, alienated and disappointed  a lost generation in politics.

Jessie Nelson, 21, was a star wrestler in high school in Stoughton, Wis. Then he worked as a process operator at a chemical company. Now hes unemployed in Madison. Nelson follows politics on Snapchat. A whir of images. The one that stuck with him was of Sanders marching for civil rights in the 1960s.

Im afraid when I watch Trump, said Nelson. Hes openly racist against so many people. With the little knowledge I have about politics, I know someone like that shouldnt be funded or supported. To think millions of people think hes a good idea, its scary.

Hillary, he added, I dont know. You hear the news, and you wonder why either of these people should be president. I see disguised evil.
The unraveling of Donald Trumps candidacy continues apace, a long and steady decline since the high point three months ago. If he were deliberately trying to avoid winning the election, he could hardly be doing a better job.

The hole he has dug for himself is wide and deep. National polls and battleground state polls all tell a similar story. Hillary Clinton has opened up a small-to-significant lead over Trump almost everywhere it counts. Unless Trump can reverse course, Clinton, despite persistent questions about her honesty, is on track to win a handsome electoral college majority. The lone bright spot for Trump: Its August not October. But that comes with a caveat.

Republicans hope Trump is bottoming out. They are waiting for a pivot that could and should have happened before Memorial Day. They wonder whether it will happen by the end of the month or at all. Labor Day used to be seen as the kickoff of the general election  that moment when more and more Americans start paying close attention. That notion is a relic of another era  and Trump is hardly underexposed. The general election is already half over, and Trump has lost the first half decisively.

The past few weeks provide a telling account of a candidate who has found multiple ways to avoid focusing on a consistent message. He got into a pointless and damaging exchange of criticisms with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004. He hesitated to give House Speaker Paul D. Ryan an endorsement while praising Ryans opponent in the Wisconsin primary. He made a comment at a rally that appeared to advocate violence against Clinton or Supreme Court justices. And then he claimed that President Obama was the founder of the Islamic State (and Clinton the co-founder).

The pattern was consistent. Days of damaging media attention followed by cleanup efforts. After not endorsing Ryan, he endorsed Ryan. After making his comment about what Second Amendment supporters could do if they didnt like Clintons judicial appointments, he and surrogates said he was only talking about mobilizing a key constituency. After calling Obama the founder of the Islamic State, and doubling down when more benign interpretations of his remarks were offered as escapes, he finally claimed he was just being sarcastic, or maybe not.

The Fix's Aaron Blake explains the controversy around Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's comments that "maybe there is" something "the Second Amendment people" can do to prevent Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton from appointing pro-gun control justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

In a political climate that favors change, Trump has managed, by shifting attention away from Clintons vulnerabilities, to make the election as much about temperament and stability as it is about shaking up the status quo.

[Trump claims only cheating can prevent him from winning Pennsylvania]

Where has this left Trump? He trails Clinton by more than six percentage points in the RealClearPolitics national poll average. The two biggest battlegrounds, Ohio and Florida, remain competitive, although Clinton currently leads in both. Trump must win both or find a truly innovative route to victory. Trump also trails by an average of roughly nine points in Pennsylvania, another state considered a must-win for him and supposedly ripe for his anti-trade message.

Beyond that, he trails by an average of five or more points in three states that have been critical battlegrounds in recent elections: Virginia, Colorado and New Hampshire. Newly released NBC-Wall Street Journal-Marist polls show Clinton leading in Virginia and Colorado by double digits, and there is now a question of whether both should be removed from the swing state list.

Trump advisers point to Iowa and Nevada as states that went for Obama but are now competitive. But, for now at least, so are Arizona, which Democrats have not won since 1996, and North Carolina, which Obama won in 2008 but Mitt Romney won four years ago. Polls even suggest that Georgia is potentially competitive. Trump also trails in Michigan and Wisconsin, two more industrial states his advisers have suggested might be winnable.

The net of all this is that Trumps path looks as or more difficult than it did a few months ago.

Trump spokesman Jason Miller took issue with analyses that say the GOP nominee is not delivering a clear and consistent message. This is why the American public feels that there is such strong media bias against Mr. Trumps campaign, he wrote in an email. The reality is, Mr. Trump is effectively delivering messages of economic growth and defeating radical Islamic terrorism while Hillary Clinton plays clean up after her email and corrupt pay-to-play scandals, not to mention her in-campaign vacations.

[These three states are making a Trump win basically impossible]

All Trumps talk about tapping an army of disaffected white voters who have been on the sidelines in past elections has produced little in terms of tangible evidence. Meanwhile, he continues to bleed support from prominent Republicans, who say they cannot support him in November.

One thing remains steady for Trump. His core supporters are thoroughly loyal and seemingly enthusiastic. His crowds remain huge. They are also a misleading indicator. The closer Trump gets to Election Day, the more those big crowds will distract him from the reality of the overall campaign. Hes in danger of permanently locking himself into a losing percentage of the electorate.

Trump continues to practice the politics of subtraction, finding ways to prevent expansion of his potential coalition. Rather than looking at weaknesses in his support and trying to find ways to win a few percentage points among particular groups of voters, his words and behavior do the opposite.

[Clinton releases tax returns, calls on Trump to release his]

A comparison of two Washington Post-ABC News polls illustrates the problem. In mid-May, Trump led Clinton 46 percent to 44 percent. In the most recent poll, completed on Aug. 4, Clinton led 50 to 42.

Among Democrats, Clinton has picked up six points since May. Meanwhile, Trump has lost two points among Republicans. Trump is still ahead among men, and Clinton is ahead among women, but hes actually lost ground among men, while shes gained among women.

He has made no progress picking up support from nonwhite voters and so must rely almost totally on whites to win. His strongest support is still among whites without college degrees, but his margin in the Post-ABC poll has declined from 40 points to 25 points since May. Among whites with college degrees, Clinton has gone from down one to ahead by six. On the ideological spectrum, she has added to her margin among moderates.

Clinton performed better in two of the three high-profile moments of any general election. Trumps vice-presidential rollout was messy; hers was not. His convention bounce was modest; hers was larger and, so far, more lasting. That leaves the upcoming debates as even more critical for Trump than they should be.

There are three presidential debates (and one between the vice-presidential candidates), with the first on Sept. 26. The Commission on Presidential Debates established the dates and formats last year. Trump has sent mixed signals about the debates, but assume for now that he participates in all three.

Trump believes he won virtually every debate against his Republican primary opponents. Trumps big personality was an asset in those multi-candidate forums. Trumps advisers believe his more freewheeling approach will play well against a scripted Clinton. But his disinterest in the details of policy could prove to be a liability in formats that require the candidate to talk much more about issues substance.

Trump needs to put his campaign on sounder footing well ahead of those debates. If the polls then look close to what they are now, he would need decisive performances throughout the debate season. His Republican allies are nervously watching and waiting to see if the candidate responds  quickly.
Fierce battles near Lashkar Gah, the sand-swept capital of Afghanistans remote but strategic Helmand province, are continuing to rage between a handful of Taliban fighters and hundreds of Afghan forces backed by ground reinforcements and American airstrikes. Thousands of civilians have fled the surrounding districts, insurgents have blown up bridges, and the only highway out of the region has been cut off for nearly two weeks.

Officials said Lashkar Gah does not appear to be in danger of falling, but large patches of Helmand  a vast, dry territory in southern Afghanistan  have been under insurgent control for months, and their forces have moved steadily closer to the city. Recapturing the former bastion of Taliban power, which was liberated and controlled by NATO forces for years, would give the Islamist militia a launchpad near its current sanctuaries in Pakistan, control of the regions vast opium trade and a huge propaganda boost.

So far, the insurgents have fought partway into the urban area but are being repelled elsewhere, according to local officials. Fighting continues in one district of the capital, Babaji, and safer neighborhoods have been flooded with more than 18,000 families fleeing conflict in outlying areas. Many have erected tents in vacant lots and abandoned stores, but only a fraction are receiving emergency food and supplies, they said.

The situation is one of intense fighting, and the people are under a lot of pressure, Kareem Atal, head of the provincial council, said in a telephone interview Saturday from Lashkar Gah. Buses and trucks cannot go in and out of the province, so the price of rice and potatoes is rising very high, and the price of our melons and other fruits for export has fallen.

Doctors Without Borders, the medical aid group, said Friday that sick and injured people are struggling to reach the 300-bed hospital the group runs jointly with the Afghan health ministry in Lashkar Gah. The intensification and proximity of fighting is clearly limiting access, said Guilhem Molinie, the groups representative in Afghanistan. In the immediate aftermath of conflict, one in four patients are unable to reach our emergency room.

Atal said fighting is also continuing in several nearby districts of central Helmand, including Garmser and Nawa, and that the hotly contested highway linking Lashkar Gah and Marja, which had been cleared and reopened Thursday by government forces, is now back under Taliban control. The insurgents still hold several northern districts, including Nowzad and Musa Kala. If not for the recent addition of U.S. airstrikes, Atal said, The Taliban would have surrounded Lashkar Gah by now.

The council leaders account differed sharply from that of the provincial governors office, which painted a much more positive picture of the conflict. Omar Zhwak, the governors spokesman, said on Saturday that the situation was normal in Lashkar Gah and that Afghan forces were on top of the situation across the province. He said the fighting in nearby Garmser was under control and that Gov. Hayatullah Hayat had visited the front line there Friday.

All the Talibans major attacks are being repelled, Zhwak said by phone. In addition to crediting the surge in U.S. airstrikes, he said hundreds of reinforcement ground troops have arrived in the past week, as well as Afghan Special Forces. The Taliban are now being defeated where they first launched their attacks, and the highway to Helmand has been reopened. This is a major achievement, he said.

The Taliban launched a strong offensive in Helmand last year, winning control of several large northern districts, but they backed off during the opium poppy harvesting season, when many fighters were working in the fields. Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani installed a new governor and regional military commander, and U.S. military officials sent hundreds of trainers to work with Afghan army troops there and strengthen their performance.

But local officials said that poor communication and coordination had persisted among Afghan security forces in the region and that the actual number of fighting forces was inflated by nonexistent ghost soldiers on the payroll. For some police and others, Atal said, fighting is a kind of business, where you use 500 bullets in a clash and then ask for 10,000 more so you can sell them. As a result, he said, as few as 600 active Taliban fighters have been able to make headway against thousands of Afghan forces.

Other critical reports from the region blame government inattention and negligence for allowing the Taliban to reclaim much of Helmand last year, including most of its northern districts, after years of ferocious fighting by NATO forces and Afghan troops that won control of the province at a cost of extremely high casualties. From the north, Taliban forces swept south this summer, aiming at Lashkar Gah.

If we had successfully defended our northern districts last year, we wouldnt be facing the enemy in Babaji, Bashir Shakir, a provincial council member, told Radio Free Afghanistan this week. He said the withdrawal of thousands of foreign troops from Helmand in 2014 left Afghan officials unprepared to fend off the Taliban threat, even after more than 30,000 army troops and police were sent to man abandoned NATO camps. They understood the gravity of the situation but failed to mobilize resources and make the right decisions at the right time, he said.

Earlier this week, Hayat told Radio Free Afghanistan that Helmand and its capital city were in no immediate danger of falling to the Taliban, but he acknowledged that such a victory would be a huge blow to the country. The fall of Helmand will resonate strongly in Kabul and beyond, he said.

Read more:

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Omaid Sharifi, the co-founder of ArtLords, a group that paints murals on blast walls around prominent buildings in Afghanistan, speaks about the power of murals. (Mahnaz Rezaie/The Washington Post)

Omaid Sharifi, the co-founder of ArtLords, a group that paints murals on blast walls around prominent buildings in Afghanistan, speaks about the power of murals. (Mahnaz Rezaie/The Washington Post)

The well-educated, 20-year-old woman did not want to leave Afghanistan, but she said she had no choice.

After receiving death threats because of her work on womens rights, she feared for her life and left in 2013  feeling guilty, but intending to return after a few months when the security situation at home improved.

Three years later, the young woman, now 24, lives in the United States and does not know when she will go back to Afghanistan. She told her story on the condition that her name not be used because of concern that her family in Afghanistan could be in danger.

I left because I didnt feel safe anywhere, she said. Afghanistan doesnt need another dead body or another dead woman.

She is one of a growing number of educated young people who, frustrated by their countrys growing insecurity and lack of job opportunities, have been leaving Afghanistan in record numbers.

This mural on a blast wall in Kabul shows a picture of the perilous journey that hundreds of thousands of Afghans make to Europe each year in search of a better life. It was drawn by ArtLords activists during Art Activation Day, an event to bring awareness to the countrys brain drain problem and to encourage people stay in Afghanistan and invest in their society. (Omaid Sharifi/Omaid Sharifi)

The woman, who earned her masters degree in the United States, said that growing violence against women contributed to her decision to leave Afghanistan. Her parents agreed and told her not to return. In recent years, many of her friends have also left Afghanistan  partly because of the violence and the countrys depressed economy. I know a lot of people who are leaving because they dont have jobs and they are scared they cant feed their children, she said.

As a result of unemployment and the insecurity that has followed a resurgence of the Taliban after the withdrawal of U.S. and international forces at the end of 2014, Afghanistans economy showed minimal growth in 2015  about 1.5 percent, according to the World Bank. Combined with increased fighting between government troops and insurgents, that instability is causing some of Afghanistans brightest young minds to flee the country.

[One American, one Australian kidnapped at gunpoint at American university in Kabul]

Everybody anticipated that this was going to be a problem because of the drop-off in the economic opportunity after the bulk of international forces were transiting out, said James Cunningham, who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 2011 to 2014. Unfortunately, the government effort to reorganize itself to deal with the economy didnt materialize as they had hoped.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that a large part of Afghanistans economy in recent years was built around the war, so brain drain was inevitable because a lot of jobs disappeared after the foreign troops left.

Although there are no reliable figures for the number of Afghans who leave each year, there was a mass exodus in 2015. Afghans accounted for 20 percent of the more than 1 million refugees who reached Europes shores in 2015, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and nearly half of them were young adults.

As more educated young people pack up and leave Afghanistan, government officials, who are depending on the younger generation to rebuild the country, are becoming increasingly concerned.

Cunningham said it is important to find ways to encourage Afghans to remain in their country. There are many people who are staying and continue to tough it out, and what they can do is quite noteworthy, actually, Cunningham said. My last year and a half in Afghanistan, I kept telling Afghan leaders that this was a really unique opportunity . . . and that they should take advantage of it, he said of the countrys talented youth.

Shaharzad Akbar returned to Afghanistan after finishing her studies at the University of Oxford in 2010 and works in the project-management sector in Kabul. The 28-year-old says that even though she studied abroad and has relatives who left the country, she always planned to return to Afghanistan.

We feel a sense of responsibility as people who are privileged with an education, she said. If we give up, who can we expect to stay behind?

But she also understands the fears and frustrations of many of her peers. Every morning when I leave the house, I dont know if Ill come back, she said. Every time Im stuck in a traffic jam, Im nervous about what could happen.

[The bomb that killed 80 Hazaras in Kabul also upended their nonviolent reform effort]

Feroz Masjidi, an assistant professor of economics at Kabul University, also decided to return to Afghanistan after studying abroad. After finishing his studies in the United States on a Fulbright scholarship, Masjidi returned to Afghanistan in 2011. The 31-year-old said that he encourages his students to stay but that the government also needs to come up with more long-term solutions and help build confidence in the country so that Afghans will invest in it.

President Ashraf Ghani has made stemming the brain drain a priority. Last year, Afghanistans National Unity Government started a program called Jobs for Peace to stimulate more employment and restore faith in the economy. However, a lack of funding may limit the impact of this initiative, according to the World Bank.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations started a social-media campaign to discourage people from making the trip to Europe, warning of the potential life-threatening dangers involved on the journey there.

Even if the government promises to create jobs for young people, it cannot change the fact that the economic outlook in Afghanistan is not promising in the near future, Felbab-Brown says. The World Bank estimates that gross domestic product growth will be 1.9 percent in 2016, which would mark the third year in a row it would be below 2 percent.

About 55 percent of the population is under age 20, according to the World Bank, and unemployment is hovering around 22 percent.

Bolstering the private sector and encouraging entrepreneurship are important steps toward lessening the brain drain, says Laurence Hart, the International Organization for Migrations head of mission and special envoy for Afghanistan.

Young Afghans also have been involved in creating initiatives to motivate people to invest in the country. Omaid Sharifi, co-founder of ArtLords  a group that paints murals on blast walls around prominent buildings in Afghanistan  said that he wants to restore hope through the arts. Some of the groups most popular murals feature giant eyes with the slogan I See You written near them, designed to fight government corruption and encourage transparency. Sharifis most recent project is aimed at tackling the brain drain problem.

Thousands of young Afghans are leaving the country, he said. So I want to do an art activation day, where we paint nine to 10 murals in one day, have street art and also show a movie about immigration.

Even for those like the young woman who left in 2013, Afghanistan is still home.

I want to help out, and I want to participate in rebuilding [my country], she said. But I want to make sure if I die, it wont be in vain. And right now, Im not sure it wont be in vain.

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Fighting in the Syrian city of Aleppo for several days has cut off the flow of water to millions of residents as a humanitarian crisis shows signs of spreading from opposition neighborhoods to pro-government districts.

Escalating assaults between government soldiers and rebels for control of this key northern city appear to be turning into a crucial battle in the five-year-old conflict, which has killed at least 400,000 people and displaced millions.

The western districts held by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have not experienced the severe deprivations of areas in the east controlled by rebel forces. But after an array of rebels and extremists linked to al-Qaeda broke the brutal government siege of opposition neighborhoods last week, the rebels escalated the assault to besiege the government side. That has disrupted supplies of food and medicine to an area where more than a million people live, potentially testing loyalties of residents there to the embattled Syrian leader.

In response, rebels and opposition activists say, Assads forces have responded with intensified bombings that have struck hospitals and involved munitions containing chlorine gas, a choking agent. Compounding the misery, U.N. officials said Tuesday that fighting had disabled Aleppos main power plant, which had pumped water to 2 million people on both sides of the city.

Prices are getting expensive, and businessmen are choosing not to sell what they have because they want to profit later when prices get even higher, said Hisham, a resident of a loyalist district in the citys west end who asked that his last name not be published because of concerns for his safety. Because of Tuesdays disruptions, he added, his neighborhood now totally depends on water that is trucked in.

A man cuts the beard of a civilian who was evacuated by Syria Democratic Forces fighters from an Islamic State-controlled neighborhood of Manbij. (Rodi Said/Reuters)

Meanwhile, a U.S.-supported force dominated by Kurdish fighters drove Islamic State militants out of the Syrian city of Manbij on Friday. The city near the northern border with Turkey acted as a key hub for funneling militants and weapons to the extremist group, which has lost swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq to U.S.-backed forces.

Manbij is under full control, said a fighter in the U. S.-aided group, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, according to Reuters.

About 500 vehicles carrying Islamic State militants fled Manbij on Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group. And images posted on social media that evening purport to show residents of the city celebrating the militant retreat.

The pictures, which could not be independently verified, show veiled women dancing and smoking  activities that are banned by the Islamic State.

SDF fighters launched the campaign to oust the militants from Manbij in June. They have dealt successive blows to the Islamic State in northern Syria, and Fridays victory could be a prelude to an assault on the Islamic States self-declared capital of Raqqa, a city in the countrys northeast.

Seizing all of Aleppo  the largest city in Syria and an important industrial hub before the civil war  has long been a key objective for government and rebel forces. Despite attempted offensives by both sides over the years, the city has only suffered in a bloody stalemate.

In apparent response to recent rebel assaults, pro-government warplanes on Wednesday targeted the citys opposition areas with at least one bomb suspected of being filled with chlorine gas. Syrian American Medical Society doctors said that at least three people died in the incident, which the United Nations says it will investigate. Amnesty International said 60 people received medical treatment for symptoms associated with chlorine gas, which rights groups say has been routinely used as a weapon by Assads government.

Syrias government declared that it formally destroyed its chemical weapons under an agreement sponsored by the United States and Russia, but arms inspectors suspect it of harboring  and using  illicit stockpiles.

One eyewitness contacted by telephone, Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, said Wednesdays suspected chlorine gas attack lit up the evening sky. It was followed by a foul smell that made it difficult for his infant daughter to breathe, he said.

Residents also say that airplanes either from Syrias government or Russia  a key ally of Assad  have increasingly targeted medical facilities in the citys rebel areas. On Friday, suspected government airstrikes on a maternity hospital and market in the city killed least 18 people.

Some 300,000 people are living in eastern Aleppo, which rebels have controlled since 2012, and they have long faced bombings by Assads warplanes and acute shortages of food and basic medicines.

The shortages intensified after pro-government forces  including Shiite militants from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan  took control of the last supply line leading to eastern Aleppo last month.

Rebels and militants from a group with ties to al-Qaeda staged a surprise assault on Aug. 6 that ended the governments encirclement of the citys opposition areas. But pro-government air raids have still made it difficult, if not impossible, to bring in aid to opposition areas of the city.

Now we have both sides of the city in need, said Christy Delafield, a spokeswoman for Mercy Corps, which runs humanitarian deliveries from Turkey to Syria.

Naylor reported from Beirut and Loveluck from Marthas Vineyard, Mass. Zakaria Zakaria Zakaria contributed from Istanbul.

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Yemenis take part in a rally to show support for the Yemeni parliament in Sanaa on Aug. 13. (Yahya Arhab/European Pressphoto Agency)

Ten children died and 28 were injured in what Yemeni locals and officials described as an airstrike on a school in northern Yemen by a U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition. The aid group Doctors Without Borders confirmed receiving casualties at its medical facility in the area.

The children, according to local reports, were taking exams inside their classrooms in Haydan, an enclave of the city of Saada. Gruesome images of what appeared to be the bodies of the children have emerged on social-media sites.

In a statement released late Saturday night, Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Asiri, a spokesman for the Saudi military coalition, said the air strike hit a Shiite Houthi rebel training camp and that children were present there as recruits. The claims could not be independently verified.

But Saturdays attack was the latest airstrike to hit Yemen since U.N.-backed peace talks collapsed a week ago between the Western- and Saudi-backed government of Yemen and Shiite Houthi rebels, who have seized the capital, Sanaa, and other regions. Dozens, mostly civilians, have been killed across the country by the coalition, which dramatically stepped up its air assault Tuesday after five months of relative calm.

In a Twitter feed on Saturday, Doctors Without Borders wrote that the final number of injured from Haydan school is 28 & 10 deaths. All between 8-15 years old #Saada #Yemen

The conflict began early last year, when President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi resigned and fled to the southern city of Aden after Houthi rebels seized and consolidated their hold on Sanaa. Saudi Arabias Sunni Muslim monarchy was wary of the Shiite Houthis and their links to Iran, Riyadhs main rival in the region. So the Saudis and their allies intervened to restore Hadi to power.

The Houthis are also aligned with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who remains a powerful presence in the country, and maintain military and political muscle.

The conflict has claimed more than 6,500 lives, about half of them civilians, and has plunged Yemen, already the Middle Easts poorest nation, into a humanitarian crisis and to the brink of famine. Tens of thousands of children, in particular, have felt the brunt of the conflict in myriad ways, including chronic malnutrition and recruitment as soldiers.

Human rights groups have accused the Saudi-led coalition of indiscriminately bombing civilians and systematically committing human rights violations, which Riyadh has denied. Activists and some lawmakers have urged the United States and other Western powers to stop supplying billions of dollars of fighter jets, bombs and other weaponry to Saudi Arabia.

In June, the United Nations placed the Saudi coalition on a blacklist of states and armed groups that kill and maim children in war. About 60 percent of the children killed in Yemen were the victims of airstrikes, according to the United Nations. But the kingdom was swiftly removed from the list after protesting, prompting Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to publicly tell journalists that he had faced undue pressure from the Saudis.

Last week, the Pentagon said it planned to sell $1.5 billion more in weapons and military advisory support to Saudi Arabia.

Raghavan reported from Cairo. Sheikha Aldosary in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, contributed to this report.

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Asia

South Korea: Hyundai Motor workers resume strike action

Following four days of rolling strike action in mid-July, 15,000 unionised workers at Hyundai Motor, South Koreas top automaker, again walked off the job at the companys Ulsan plant this week. The strike was held for three consecutive daysin a two-shift system for eight hours a dayuntil August 12.

The union has called for a 7.2 percent rise in the basic monthly wage and performance pay totalling 30 percent of the automakers 2015 net profit. Other demands include giving employees the right to refuse promotion so that they can maintain their union membership.

According to the union, Hyundai wants to freeze wages, revamp the wage structure and expand the peak-wage system, which reduces salaries in return for extending the retirement age. When workers reach the age of 59 their pay would be reduced by 10 percent. It is one of the labour-market reforms demanded by the Park Geun-hye administration in 2015.

Negotiations between Hyundai and the union resumed on Wednesday. The union said if the negotiations fail to reach middle ground it would join its affiliate Korean Metal Workers Union (KMMU) to walk out on both Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors on August 12 and 19.

Cambodia: Chung Fai Knitwear factory picket continues

About 200 workers from the Hong Kong-owned Chung Fai Knitwear factory in Phnom Penhs Meanchey district are maintaining 24-hour vigils outside the factory amid suspicions that the company is bankrupt and trying to sell off assets. Workers discovered a transportation company removing equipment from the factory on July 1.

While late last month the municipal court issued a ruling barring the owners from selling the factory equipment, the issue of unpaid wages and benefits remains unresolved. Workers want the government to sell the factory assets and use the proceeds to settle the companys debt to workers.

In a similar but separate dispute, more than 200 workers from the Chhang Voy factory in Phnom Penhs Russey Keo district protested yesterday. A worker told the media that the company had started moving to a new location without paying July wages.

Sri Lanka: University workers unions end strike

Trade union leaders representing over 130,000 striking non-academic university workers ordered their members to end a two-week strike on Monday after the government agreed to enter talks. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had threatened to cancel the jobs of temporary workers and deduct the wages of permanent workers.

Non-academic workers at universities throughout Sri Lanka walked off the job on July 27 after the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government and university authorities refused to meet with them over pay and conditions. The unions were demanding an increase in monthly compensation allowances, a 2,500-rupee salary rise, medical insurance, reinstatement of the language-proficiency allowance, the pension age increased to 60 and a new agreeable pension scheme.

The unions accepted open-ended government promises to find viable solutions to demands, such as a better Employee Trust Fund (ETF) contribution, reduction in salary anomalies and a proper pension scheme. A ministry official said talks would be held with finance officials to solve the ETF issue and a common framework developed to pay allowances in the next five years. Wage and allowance increases within the university establishment would be organised after a common understanding.

Sri Lankan veterinary surgeons walk out

Around 750 members of the Government Veterinary Surgeon Officers union called a two-day strike on Monday demanding higher salaries and their recognition as professionals. Veterinary services at zoos, quarantine, provincial and municipal councils and the animal production and health department were impacted.

Surgeons want salaries increased from SL-1 scale to SL-2, which would put them on par with government medical officers salary, and qualified veterinary surgeons classified as professionals in permanent positions.

Pakistan: Karachi university workers end strike without resolution

The Karachi University Teachers Society representing academic and non-academic staff at the University of Karachi called off a three-day strike on August 4, after talks with authorities. While strikers returned to work they plan to maintain daily protests until their grievances are fully resolved.

Teachers and non-academic workers walked out when the university administration failed to pay July salaries, leave encashment since last year, and 10 percent wage increase announced by the government. The strikers condemned the government for not increasing the university grant and not releasing funds in a timely manner.

India: Uttar Pradesh government workers on strike

Over 1.6 million Uttar Pradesh state government employees from 155 departments began a three-day strike on Wednesday following the ongoing refusal of the Samajwadi Party-led state government to honour promises to act on workers long-pending demands. All government services were affected including hospitals and schools.

The walkout followed a strike over the same issues in July last year. That strike was called off after the government promised to meet workers demands. Workers want a cashless medical facility, house-rent allowances equal with federal government employees and anganwadi workers, cooks, computer operators and others classified as government employees.

The strike was called by the State Employees Joint Council and Uttar Pradesh Secondary Teachers Federation and was supported by more than 250 employees and teachers organisations.

Lucknow police assault protesting sanitation workers

Several workers were severely injured on Wednesday when police physically attacked a demonstration by hundreds of Lucknow Municipal Council (LMC) sanitation workers. Workers responded by pelting police with garbage and mud. Darulshafa Road was closed during the confrontation.

The sanitary workers want the council to begin making contractors permanent and remove delays in appointments. The workers have threatened to begin indefinite strike action.

New Delhi sanitation workers end strike

Sanitation workers in the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida), on the outskirts of New Delhi, returned to work on August 5 after a one-week walkout over various demands. Nearly 1,600 contract workers struck on July 29 and held a continuous sit down protest outside Noidas offices.

The authority rejected the workers demands for permanency but agreed to pay them their salary directly and pay an additional 2.5 percent commission to contractors. Workers will also now get uniforms, shoes and other equipment for cleaning the city streets.

Karnataka cement factory workers strike

Up to 3,500 contract workers at ACC Cement, Indias largest cement manufacturer, in Wadi struck on August 5 demanding a wage increase as per the Cement Wage Board (CWB). A union representative told the media that although the CWB had fixed wages at 550 rupees per day for contract labourers, ACC were only paying just 250 rupees ($US3.75).

The company had failed to honour its agreement to increase wages and include contract workers under CWB coverage during a tripartite meeting of the Joint Labour Commissioner in February. Of the 4,200 employees in the cement factory, only 700 are permanent. The 3,500 contractors, some of whom have worked at the plant for 20 years, do not receive any CWB benefits.

Telangana university teachers walk out over delayed wages

Teachers at the Osmania University in Hyderabad walked out on Monday and demonstrated outside the administration block over the non-payment of July wages. A spokesman from the Osmania University Teachers Association said this had never happened before and that strike action would continue until the July wages were paid. Their action followed a protest over the issue on August 5.

Tamil Nadu rural care workers protest

Rural health care (anganwadi) workers staged a protest in Tiruchi on August 8 with a charter of ten demands. These include the filling of vacant posts, a monthly minimum wage of 26,000 rupees ($US390) and 300,000 and 200,000 rupees for anganwadi workers and helpers respectively on retirement. The rural care employees also complained that they were being forced to work for other government departments. The protest was called by the Tamil Nadu Anganwadi Workers and Helpers Association.

Tamil Nadu liquor store workers protest

Workers of state-owned TASMAC liquor outlets in Tamil Nadu protested in Coimbatore on August 5 to demand permanent employment and deployment to other departments of the state government. The liquor outlet workers fear they will be terminated as the state government begins phasing in its liquor prohibition policy. The government has already closed five shops in Coimbatore.

Workers complained that while the government had provided alternative employment in some districts, it was only temporary or contract employment. The workers are demanding permanent employment in other government departments.

Australia and the Pacific

Australian border protection workers strike

Thousands of Department of Immigration and Border Protection employees, who are members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), began three days of protected industrial action on August 11. Strike action occurred at airports, sea ports, container examination terminals, client services, visa processing centres and international mail centres.

Border protection workers are in dispute with the federal Liberal-National government over a new enterprise agreement (EA). Tens of thousands of federal public sector workers are in involved in a long-running enterprise agreement dispute with the federal government.

After two-and-a-half years of negotiations, almost 75 percent of the total federal public sector workforce of 160,000 still do not have a new enterprise agreement. At least 100,000 government employees have not had a pay increase for three years.

The Turnbull government has ordered that all federal public sector EAs must restrict annual wage increases to between 1.5 and 2 percent and be combined with cuts in current conditions. There will no back pay from when the last EA ended, the equivalent of a three-year pay freeze.

New South Wales railway controllers walk out

Following two-hour stoppages on August 5, employees of the federally-run Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), which controls outer-Sydney train movements in New South Wales (NSW), walked out for 24 hours on August 6. Passenger and cargo services in country NSW were affected, while Hunter Valley coal trains were cancelled during the strikes.

The enterprise agreement dispute involved over 580 workers of four unions, Professionals Australia, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, the Australian Services Union and the Electrical Trades Union. The unions and ARTC have been in discussions for 18 months.

Workers want 4 percent annual pay increases and conditions from their previous agreement rolled over into a new four-year agreement. The unions claimed that improvements, including fairer rostering, improved consultation with workers and better dispute resolution, could be implemented at no cost to the corporation.

ARTC has insisted that the future agreement is within the governments 1.5 to 2 percent annual pay rise cap with cuts to existing entitlements. Workers rejected an offer made in December and are set to reject managements latest offer. There is no provision for back-pay in the latest offer, more employees will not be covered by the EA and the current consultation clause has been removed.

ARTC is a federal government-owned corporation, which manages and maintains the freight rail networks in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Workers are concerned that the corporation will be privatised and the unions want clauses in the new EA that protect wages and conditions and improve redundancy and redeployment protection if it is sold.

Melbourne casino workers demand improved weekend wages

Hundreds of workers from Crown Melbourne protested in the Victorian state capital last night to demand better late- and over-night pay rates on weekends. The demonstration is part of a long-running enterprise dispute with the company.

The casino workersgames dealers, restaurant workers, security guards and hotel staffare paid the same rates, irrespective of when they work. United Voice, the union that covers the workers, has called for new allowances of up to an additional $3 an hour for all weekend shifts falling between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Crown Melbourne, which employs over 5,000 workers and is the largest single site employer in Victoria, made $662 million profit last year, a 30 percent increase on the previous year.
Two pseudo-left tendencies within the Left PartyMarx21 and SAVhave published assessments in recent days of the Social Democratic Party-Left Party Senate, which governed the state of Berlin between 2001 and 2011. Both paint a devastating picture of their own party. Marx21 is the German affiliate of Britains Socialist Workers Party, while SAV (Socialist Alternative) is the German offshoot of Britains Socialist Party, formerly the Militant Tendency.

In the ten years that the Left Party and its predecessor the PDS were jointly responsible for state politics in Berlin with the SPD, it shared responsibility for massive attacks on social welfare, education, healthcare, public sector jobs and democratic rights. The assault on the public sector by the so-called red-red Senate (state executive) in Berlin was far greater than by any other previous state government, including those led by conservative parties.

This alliance was apparently the only one imaginable that could have carried out and maintained such an austerity course, write Lucia Schnell and Irmi Wudack from Marx-C21, citing Die Zeit. Lucy Redler of SAV comes to the conclusion, With the inclusion in the SPD/Left Party coalition, something was achieved that would not have been possible under a continuation of the grand coalition [the previous Social Democrat-Christian Democrat Senate]. This was a similar phenomenon, as became clear, with the implementation of Agenda 2010 by the SPD/Green Party federal government: [SPD Chancellor] Schroder imposed measures that [CDU Chancellor] Kohl had not dared to.

Only one conclusion can be drawn from the disastrous balance sheet of the SPD/Left Party coalition: without breaking from the Left Party and combatting it politically, not a single social achievement or democratic right can be defended. This is even more correct given the fact that the Left Party is striving for a return to the Senate in the current state elections, to continue attacking the working classbut now in coalition with both the SPD and the Greens. The core policies from 2001 to 2011 are still justified today and a similar participation in government to defend the interests of the state is being sought, Redler bluntly admits.

Marx21 and SAV are not seeking to break with the Left Party, but are, instead, participating in its election campaign and standing candidates on its slate. During ten years of the red-red Senate, 195,000 of 366,000 voters and 4,000 of 12,000 members turned their backs on the party. However, the pseudo-lefts are heading in the opposite direction, climbing the career ladder inside the Left Party.

In 2005, Lucy Redler was the lead candidate of the WASG (Election Alternative for Social Justice), standing against the then SPD/PDS Senate. She was opposed to the federal leadership of the WASG, which was already preparing to merge with the PDS to form the Left Party. The reason for this, as she openly acknowledges in her latest article, was the strong opposition among students, teachers, healthcare workers and public service workers to the SPD/PDS Senate.

The WASG wanted to prevent this opposition from developing in an independent direction and breaking out of the control of the Ver.di trade union, which was closely collaborating with the SPD/PDS Senate in imposing cuts on public services. Shortly after the election, the Berlin WASG dissolved itself and began knocking on the Left Partys door. Redler is now a member of its federal executive.

Lucia Schnell and Irmi Wurdack, who authored the Marx21 article, are also playing a crucial role in the Left Partys election campaign. Schnell is party spokeswoman in Neukoln and Wurdack is a constituency candidate in the same district.

The glaring contradiction between their critique of the legacy of the SPD/Left Party Senate and their campaign to continue the same policies speaks volumes about the politics of Marx21 and SAV. They support the Left Party not in spite of, but because of its right-wing politics. Both articles show that they are well aware of the right-wing, anti-working class policies of the Left Party. They know that it paralyses and weakens the working class and prepares the ground for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

As Schnell and Wurdack write, In addition, a much greater danger threatens with possible government participation [by the Left Party] than in 2001 and 2007, namely a weakening of the struggle against the AfD and other racists who want to turn the lack of housing, insufficient social security and wage dumping against refugees.

Despite this, they are doing all they can to strengthen the Left Party, and, although they know better, spreading illusions that the party can be transformed into an instrument of social resistance. The contradictions they fall into are becoming ever more obvious and their attempts to deceive the population ever more transparent.

The Marx21 article begins with a long catalogue of sins committed by the SPD/Left Party coalition. It refers to the Berlin banking scandal, in the course of which the state paid out around 15 billion and laid off 4,000 workers so as to rescue the Berlin State Bank and its junk property fund from bankruptcy. The Senate blocked a referendum which would have rejected rescuing speculators using public funds.

There follows an account of the cuts made by the Senate following the motto, cut until it hurts. Over ten years, the SPD/Left Party cut spending by the state of Berlin by almost 4 billion. The costs were borne by the population. According to Marx21, those affected were workers in the public sector, social services, and education and healthcare workers.

Initially, Marx21 asserts that a continuation of this course can be prevented if the Left Party rules out participation in government and prepares for opposition from the outset. In conclusion, they write, we are declaring that it is more effective to be in opposition and push ahead with building movements against social cuts, for social improvements and a left-wing refugee policy.

However, they do not attempt to explain why a party that has proven itself such a reliable defender of the interests of the ruling class would be capable of organising resistance against the same interests in opposition. By the end of their long article, they even give up their initial reservation, writing, It would be wrong to exclude participation in government from the outset in the election campaign.

The article concludes with an unconditional declaration of praise for the Left Party: The Left Party is the only party with wide social influence that has the potential to articulate protests against the profit logic of the capitalist system, war and racism, and organise people from below to resist.  Despite the grave weaknesses in the positions of the partys Berlin state association, it is important to engage energetically in the election campaign and mobilise to elect the Left Party. It is the only party providing left-wing answers to the capitalist crisis and capable of offering an alternative from the left to the SPD, which dominates in Berlin.

The SAVs Redler argues along similar lines. She also presents a long list of crimes committed by the SPD/Left Party Senate, including the privatisation of over 100,000 homes; the elimination of 35,000 jobs in the public sector; wage cuts and outsourcing in public operations; the reduction of personnel levels in the schools and the removal of the free use of learning materials and the expansion of surveillance.

As successes of the coalition, Redler can only cite the abolition of repeating a school year; the introduction of the Berlin pass for social welfare claimants; the polices duty to identify themselves and the creation of a Public Employment Sector (OBS). She is, however, forced to add that the OBS replaced 35,000 fulltime regular jobs with 7,000 compulsory jobs on low wages.

Redler avoids providing any explanation for why she sits on the executive of a party that is responsible for all these attacks. Instead, she ends her article with the banal sentence, Improvements were not made in the past and will not be made in the future by clever government action, but through pressure from below.

In reality, social improvements can only be secured if the working class breaks from the influence of all bourgeois parties, including the Left Party and SPD, wages an independent struggle and takes up an internationalist and socialist programme.

In the face of globalisation and the global capitalist crisis, national reformist programmes are bankrupt. The ex-reformist parties have moved far to the right and are immune from any pressure from below. This is proven not only by the legacy of the SPD/Left Party Senate in Berlin, but also by Syriza in Greece. When the Greek working class overwhelmingly rejected the austerity dictates of the European Union in a referendum on July 5, 2015, the Left Partys sister party in Greece responded by agreeing to an even stricter austerity programme.

Pseudo-left organisations like Marx21 and SAV play a key role in covering up such politics and suppress the development of an independent political movement of the working class. They are not merely creating a pseudo-left fig-leaf for the Left Party, but are also strangling all social opposition. The SAVs trade union functionaries ensured that the struggles by workers against the Senates cuts at the Charite hospital and the Berlin public transport company were led down a blind alley.

Both organisations are parts of international tendencies that which play similar roles in other countries. SAV is a member of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI) and Marx21 emerged from the International Socialist Tendency (IST).

For some time, the World Socialist Web Site has characterised these organisations as pseudo-left. This concept denotes political parties, organizations and theoretical/ideological tendencies which utilize populist slogans and democratic phrases to promote the socioeconomic interests of privileged and affluent strata of the middle class, wrote David North in the book The Frankfurt School, Postmodernism and the Politics of the Pseudo-left, which subjected this phenomenon to a careful examination.

They do not represent the interests of the working class, but those of privileged sections of the middle class which that are moving further to the right under the pressure of deepening class conflicts. This is why they support the Left Party ever more openly the more it displays its right-wing character. Whoever is unwilling to tolerate social attacks, poverty, the strengthening of the state apparatus and militarism must vote for and help build the Partei fur Soziale Gleichheit (Socialist Equality Party) on September 18 and support the building of the party.

Note:

(1) LINKE in Berlin: eine Linke Koalition fur eine Gerechtere Stadt, Lucia Schnell and Irmi Wurdack, and Normale kapitalistische Entwicklung, Lucy Redler
I, Ann Alshomari, a Muslim-Iraqi Citizen of the United States, have a right to defend my beloved people and country, Iraq! I stand with them and by their side.

The Alkarada attack was and still is and will always be unacceptable -- not only to all Muslims, to everyone that saw and knew about the attack.

I will explain how the attack happened.On exactly the 3rd of July 2016 at 1:45 A.M over one thousand human beings where happily, and innocently shopping for our three-day holiday after Ramadan, a month of fasting and prayer. It's called Eid Alfater Almubarak.

The Alkarada street was closed to protect the citizens. It has always been closed for the same reason every single year of Ramadan. The guards that were on the job were given a command. And that command was to open the gates so that cars can go through.

It was opened for only ten minutes, then closed again. In that ten minutes, a car pulled over right in front of the mall. The car suddenly blew up and a huge fire occurred. Moreover, other buildings that were next to the mall, and in front of it, caught on fire too. People started running everywhere. Everyone that was working outside, tried to save all the people that where inside the mall and in other buildings.

Moreover, they all tried to stay away from the fire that was entering the mall. However, they couldn't even breath from all the smoke. Everyone was choking to death. They tried to unlock the back doors and the emergency doors. Sadly, they were all locked.

After everyone went to the third floor to try and find a way out of the mall, half of the people were already dead. However, no one was able to save them because there was fire in the building that was in front of the mall too, and it was bursting into flames. It was making it look like a bridge because both sides were blowing against each other.

Thirty-five minutes later, an ambulance finally arrived. Some of them were still alive and they got away and tried to save other people. Some where burned but still alive. Some were burned alive. And some just died breathless. If the ambulance wasn't so slow to come and save the attack, they would have made it in five minutes.

The people that were burned, they weren't even recognizable. Their family's came by to identify them, but they couldn't because of how dark and burned they were. I mean, who could know who they were if even their bone's were burned and melted. How can an ID of theirs stay at peace without burning?

It's just too sad how everything happened. My eyes start to tear once I remember all that. Ashes and burned children bodies were everywhere. Those people that passed away were no ordinary people. They were once roses. I just hope it will never happen again.

Nevertheless, if you are wondering who would have done that, I'd be more than happy to let you know. They are the same people that bombed the two towers in New York City. The 9/11 attack, which they blamed Muslims for. And the attacks in Paris, on Friday the 13th, November 2015.

They were gunmen and suicide bombers. Also made and created by the same filthy hands. They are called Isis (also known as (IS) or the Islamic State.)

The Paris attacks left 130 people dead, and hundreds wounded, a hundred left in critical condition. More than 250,000 have been killed in the civil war in Syria.

It's all by the hands of the terrorists, the so-calledIslamic State, or Isis.

We are just living on the edge of life. We are always nervous, we are always afraid! is what people in the fearful scenes of the wars always say!
American ground troops were involved in fighting in Libya this week, in operations that include supporting local militias and coordinating air attacks from a secret base just outside of Sirte, a coastal city that was reduced to rubble by the 2011 US-NATO bombing campaign.

US forces have gone in and out of Libya to exchange information with these local forces in established joint operations centers, and they will continue to do so, US Deputy Defense Press Secretary Gordon Trowbridge said on Wednesday.

The US Special Forces operating in Libya are based out of joint operations rooms, and are providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and precision strikesthat will help enable GNA-aligned forces to make a decisive, strategic advance, Trowbridge said.

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) plans more small deployments of US troops, Trowbridge said, and has launched airstrikes against some 30 targets since last week, in support of Libyan militias fighting on behalf of the Government of National Accord, which have reportedly succeeded in retaking some 70 percent of Sirte, previously held by Islamic State.

The Pentagon established at least two secret bases in Libya last fall, unnamed Defense Department sources told the Washington Post in May. US Special Operations forces are using the bases as springboards to develop joint operations with various local militias in preparation for the attack against Sirte.

These operations, though justified in the name of the war against the Islamic State, represent the spearhead of a renewed imperialist military intervention in Libya that aims to exploit the chaos produced by the 2011 war to assert control over the countrys oil resources and prepare the way for further neocolonial predations throughout North Africa.

US forces are backing an array of proxy forces inside the war-devastated country, including the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by General Khalifa Hafter, who has been a known asset of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) since the 1980s. Washington intends to develop a new long-term mission in Libya, US General Joseph Dunford said in May.

Beyond Libya, US military-intelligence cadres are mapping local networks both friendly and unfriendly, a retired US Special Operations Command officer said in May. Under the pretext of fighting the Islamic State-affiliated militant group Boko Haram, Washington organized an invasion of northern Nigeria by the Chadian and Cameroonian militaries in the opening weeks of 2015. The US-backed African forces are encamped around Lake Chad, where they are joined by a growing number of US commandos, in preparation for a direct US military intervention in Nigeria.

A new scramble for Africa is unfolding, under the leadership of American imperialism, which is expanding its interventions in every strategic area of the continent. The European powers, following in the wake of their American partners, are eager to re-establish their old colonial dominions.

Frances military is involved in military operations in Libya, as revealed by the death of three French soldiers in a secret operation last month, and has seized on the destabilization of Mali by the outflow of guns and fighters from Libya to development of a permanent presence of thousands of troops throughout the Sahel.
This week, two leading figures within the Australian political establishment warned that a win by Republican nominee Donald Trump in the US elections could jeopardise the US-Australian alliance.

On Mondays Q&A program on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Bob Carr, who was foreign minister in the Gillard Labor government, said a Trump presidency would really challenge US security arrangements throughout the Asia-Pacific.

On Tuesday, former federal Labor leader Kim Beazley published an article on the website of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a prominent government-funded think-tank. He called for immediate, forceful and sustained Australian responses to the prospect of a Trump administration. In other comments to the ABC, he warned that Trump would cause mayhem for the US-Australian alliance.

Both Carr and Beazley speak for sections of the Australian ruling elite and have longstanding connections in Washington, including within the US military and intelligence establishment.

Beazley served as Australias ambassador to the US from 2010 until January this year. He was a senior minister in the Hawke Labor government, which participated in the US-led war on Iraq in 1991. As Labor leader, he supported Australian participation in the criminal US occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. In June, he was appointed to the Australian board of major US defence contractor Lockheed Martin.

Carr was premier of New South Wales, the most populous state. In 2013, diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks revealed that Carr was one of a number of senior Labor figures secretly operating as informants for the US embassy. The leaks revealed that he first gave confidential briefings to US officials in 1974. He became foreign minister in 2012 as Gillards government deepened Australias alignment with the US pivot to Asia, directed against China.

Beazleys and Carrs comments coincide with the campaign of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, working in league with the US military and the intelligence agencies, to attack the fascistic billionaire Trump by presenting him as a threat to the entire post-war framework of US foreign policy and unfit to be commander-in-chief. The Clinton campaign has hysterically denounced the Republican candidate as an agent of the Russian government, who could derail the US confrontation with the Putin regime in Eastern Europe.

Beazley and Carr, however, are not merely speaking as mouthpieces of the US military establishment. Their comments express fears within the Australian ruling elite that the Republican candidate threatens the US-Australia alliance, which has been the cornerstone of Australian imperialisms ability to pursue its own predatory interests in the Asia-Pacific and internationally since World War II.

The two Labor figures have raised their concerns as the US intensifies its pivot and military build-up throughout the Asia-Pacific region against China. Carr and Beazley take a somewhat different tactical approaches to the dilemma confronting the Australian ruling elite as it attempts to balance between its longstanding military alliance with the US and its economic dependence on China, the countrys largest trading partner.

Beazley, a former defence minister, also known as Bomber Beazley, is a wholehearted supporter of Australias integration into the US military expansion in Asia. His article began by citing US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, who declared at the Shangri-La Dialogue in June that the US-Australia alliance is more and more a global one. Carter referenced Australias support for US freedom of navigation provocations against China to challenge its territorial claims in the South China Sea, and Australian participation in the US-led war in Iraq, aimed at ensuring US hegemony over the geo-strategically critical Middle-East.

Beazleys article asked, what on earth do we say, and where do we begin, with a victor in the presidential race who during the campaign has trashed the entirety of the alliance system, and the liberal international rules-based order, that have underpinned trade and broader global relationships since 1945?

Referring to the US, Beazley wrote of the depth of our relationship and the massive character of our mutual investment, which far exceeds any American pairing in the region outside Japan. His comment was an oblique reference to Australias key role in US preparations for war against China.

Beazley pointed to the establishment of a new US Marine base in Darwin under the Gillard government, and the ever-closer ties between the Australian and US armed forces, including at the level of military technology. Joint US-Australian military facilities, Beazley wrote, are integrated into our intelligence system and our militarys operational capabilities. Of a possible Trump presidency, he bluntly stated, We cant afford to sit back and let mayhem rule.

In his comments on Q&A, Carr, who has been critical of the US pivot, took a more cautious tack. He declared: Wed be in the peculiar position as Australians, an ally [and] a treaty partner to the United States, of watching a President Trump unravel arrangements that have been considered vital to avoiding nuclear exchanges in the region in which we live.

Carr rhetorically asked whether Australia should move sideways from the military integration that weve got with America at the present time, in the event of a Trump presidency. He said he would be very uncomfortable with Australian troops being integrated into a US fleet commanded by Trump. Carr also warned of the prospect of South Korea and Japan developing their own nuclear capabilities if the US withdrew its nuclear protection from those countries.

Carr was giving voice to the sentiments of layers of the Australian ruling elite who fear the dangers involved in Australias integration into the US military build-up against China and its potential to damage economic relations throughout the Asia-Pacific, particularly with Beijing.

At the same time, responding to a question from the moderator, Carr made clear he was not calling for the repudiation of the US-Australia alliance. In other words, his concerns about the pivot are entirely tactical and centre on how best to advance the interests of Australian imperialism.

That Carr and Beazley come together, despite their differences, to denounce Trump and implicitly back the Clinton campaign, underscores the dependence of the Australian ruling class on the US military alliance. In the event of war in the Asia Pacific, the Australian military, its bases and other facilities are so integrated with the US that Australia would be automatically involved.

Carrs claim that only a Trump presidency risks a nuclear conflict is false. As former US secretary of state under Obama, Clinton was one of the chief architects of the US pivot and aggressively pursued its implementation. In 2010, she provocatively declared that Washington had a national interest in the South China Sea, effectively transforming localised territorial disputes into a major flashpoint for war.

Over the past year, the US Navy has already conducted three freedom of navigation operations, deliberately intruding within the 12-nautical-mile territorial limits around Chinese islets in the South China Sea. These reckless operations are just one of the potential triggers for a conflict between the US and China that could escalate out of control into a nuclear exchange. The US war drive stems not from particular personalities in the White House but from the desperate attempt of American imperialism to use military force to maintain its global hegemony.
The Australian government announced on Thursday that it would block bids by two Chinese-based companies for a controlling stake in a major power grid network on unspecified national grounds. The decision, which has triggered deep disquiet in Australian business circles, is in line with Washingtons escalating confrontation with China throughout the region.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison both cited security concerns to justify barring the $14 billion sale of a 99-year lease of 50.4 percent of Ausgrid to either of the biddersChinas government-owned State Grid Corp and Hong Kongs privately-owned Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (CKI). They gave the two companies a one-week deadline to mitigate these concerns before making a final rulingan indication that the outcome is already determined.

The Liberal-National government provided no explanation for an obvious shift in its stance. Both companies have been cleared in recent years to buy significant stakes in electricity and gas networks across the country, and were given initial clearances late last year to proceed with their Ausgrid bids.

These are not small firms. State Grid is the worlds second largest company, according to Fortune 500, and the largest electricity utility corporation, with energy assets in the Philippines, Brazil, Portugal and Australia. CKI is part of the CK Hutchison Holdings empire of billionaire Li Ka Shing, which has infrastructure and telecommunications operations around the world.

Turnbull and Morrison denied that the decision was country-specific, but this has convinced no one. Morrison declared that he could not reveal what the national security concerns were, not even to the two bidders.

Turnbull said the advice of Australias security agencies was unequivocal, but denied that the decision was aimed at China. Yet all these intelligence agencies have close ties to their US counterparts.

Peter Jennings, the executive director of the government-funded think tank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, was explicit that China was the target, however. The danger for us is to pretend that theres some sort of invisible separation barrier between how China behaves militarily in the region on the one hand and how it directs investment on the other, Jennings told Reuters today.

Significantly Jennings spearheaded a campaign last November against the leasing of Darwins civilian port to a Chinese companya move that had provoked outrage in Washington. Darwin, in northern Australia, is increasingly becoming a crucial hub for US military operations in Asia.

Jennings said the situation had altered since power grids in some Australian states were leased to Chinese companies. He told the Weekend Australian: Theres been a change of leadership in China and under President Xi Jinping, and what we see is a much more assertive and aggressive Chinese foreign policy, particularly in the South China Sea. Now Chinas foreign policy looks increasingly like (Russian President Vladimir) Putins foreign policy.

While Jennings did not spell out the implications, his comments only have any meaning within the context of Washingtons accelerating preparations for conflict against China. Why else would a Chinese company pose an unspecified security threat to the Australian power grid, or carry out hostile actions that would forfeit its investment, except in conditions of all-out war?

After President Barack Obama personally admonished Turnbull over the Darwin lease last November, the Australian government altered its Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) regime for approving overseas investments. First, former Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) director-general David Irvine was added to the FIRB board. Then, in March, all state government asset sales were added to the lists of transactions that must be cleared by the FIRB.

The opposition Labor Party, which backs the US military build-up in Asia against China, quickly supported the Ausgrid ban. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen stated: Labor agrees that national security considerations must be paramount in foreign investment approval decisions.

Beijing has reacted angrily. A comment in Xinhua, the official news agency, dismissed security concerns. To suggest that China would try to kidnap the countries electricity network for ulterior motive is absurd and almost comical, it stated. The article accused the Australian government of pandering to paranoia over Chinese investment and the dangerous mindset of China-phobia.

An element of the governments decision might well be a bid to gain support from right-wing populists such as Pauline Hanson and Nick Xenophon who in last months election sought to channel widespread social discontent in economic nationalist and xenophobic directions. The promotion of economic nationalism, blaming China for the lack of jobs and deteriorating living standards, is itself a symptom of the deepening drive to war. Xenophon openly champions the building of the new Australian submarine fleet in his home state of South Australia as the means to ensure that the Australian navy has the capacity to assist the US to confront China.

Within leading business circles, however, the decision has aroused alarm because of its broad economic implications. These go beyond the prospects for multi-billion dollar privatisations, like Ausgrid, on which numbers of state governments are relying to offset falling tax revenues and rising debts. There are wider fears for the impact on inflows of Chinese and other foreign investment, under conditions of global slump including in Australia.

Prominent business leaders described the decision as perplexing, shambolic and likely to generate sovereign risk fears among investors. The Business Council of Australia, which represents the countrys largest firms, said it respected the governments decision, but it is important to remember that throughout our history, foreign investment, particularly foreign direct investment, has been crucial for Australias economic growth.

These fears were reflected in todays Australian Financial Review editorial, which noted that no Western country is as dependent on China as Australia is, yet now the underlying assumption is that China is a threat to Australias security.

The ruling elites are caught in a basic dilemmadependent, on the one hand, on the longstanding US military alliance as the means for pursuing Australian imperialisms vital interests in Asia and globally, and, on the other, reliant on China as the countrys largest trading partner and increasingly as a source of investment.

In the Weekend Australian, editor-at-large Paul Kelly warned that the dilemma was becoming more profound and blamed China. Having China as our major trading partner was relatively easy Australia is now at the cutting edge of two big trends from Chinaas a creditor power it is surging across the world... yet as a rising military power it is militarising the South China Sea, flouting international arbitration and refining the techniques of cyber infiltration.

In reality, it is Washington that has stoked territorial disputes in the South China Sea, including by orchestrating the recent Philippines legal challenge to Chinese maritime claims. This is part of Washingtons broader pivot to Asia to aggressively confront China, including through a military expansion across the region.

With Australian capitalism facing intense economic and strategic crises, the Ausgrid decision is another warning that workers and youth in Australia, and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, are in danger of being dragged into a potentially catastrophic military conflict between the US and China.
This year marks the 75th year of Marvel hero Captain America. To commemorate this milestone, a 13-foot bronze statue of this iconic member of the Avengers was created. As Yahoo Movies reported back in July, it was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con, but now its residing in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Why Brooklyn, you ask?

Well, Cap is just a kid from Brooklyn, according to the Marvel movies, not the Lower East Side, as he was depicted in the comics. A ceremony was held to celebrate his appearance in New York, which included appearances from the Joint Service Color Guard of New York City and borough president Eric Adams. According to Reuters, a lot of the revelers were happy to have Steve Rogers in their park.

Captain America fan Samwell Winkelman had a particularly interesting reason for cheering the statues presence in New York. Captain America means a lot to me because Im trans, and I think that Captain America is trans because hes like this weak little sickly kid and he gets like this shot that turns him into a Superman, Winkelman told Reuters. He just wants to be taken seriously, and that means the world to me.

Of course, there are those who arent happy about the statues location. The New York Post reported that some people are upset about what they see as commercialization of a green space. The spirit of that perspective was perhaps best put by one mother who explained, You want to maintain the serenity, calmness and beauty of the park.

The statue doesnt move, but it wont stay in one place. Though its in Prospect Park for now, it will be visiting other parts of the borough. In September, Cap will reside outside the Barclays Center, home of the Nets, and then in October hell head off to Sunset Park.

Russians Are Upset Over Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.
Were sailing in a dugout wooden canoe, cutting across the opening of one of the largest natural bays in the world, water and wind whipping in our faces. Its early morning, but its warm out, and the local Malagasy sailors, born-and-bred fishermen, are perched precariously on the edge of the watercraft. Theyre equally comfortable standing over open water as they are on dry land, but Im imagining falling overboard and being gobbled up by sharks.

Its the perfect place for adventure travelers who are looking for something more backpacker than five-star, with all the same scenery and an even better vibe.

Thirty minutes later, we pull up to a tiny slice of white-sand beach on a small island in the middle of Madagascars Emerald Sea. Its our own private hideaway for the day in the middle of turquoise-blue waters, where well snorkel, relax and chow on some freshly caught fish. This isnt a pricey trip reserved for the worlds wealthy. Instead, its the perfect place for adventure travelers who are looking for something more backpacker than five-star, with all the same scenery and an even better vibe. Its the color of the sea. When you get there, you know its the Emerald Sea, says 19-year-old Erika Fabre, who sailed there in an old pirate ship she rented for around $10. Its a paradise, she says, and she would know  shes originally from Bali.

The Emerald Sea is a retro cab ride and a boat trip away from Antsiranana, also known as Diego-Suarez, a town lost in time on the northernmost tip of Madagascar. The taxis are nearly uniformly 20-year-old Renaults, and the island, once a French territory, has vestiges of the colonial: two-story buildings with wide verandas, a French-speaking population. But the feel of Diego is shaped by influences from its Indian Ocean counterparts, from East Africa to India. Aside from its blended cultural heritage, Diego is most known for its tiny fishing villages, remote beaches, killer kite surfing  thanks to Varatraza, the famous yearly winds  and intensely powerful hurricanes. The best part? Youll probably see only a handful of other tourists, if that. And after any day trip, you can plant yourself back in one of Diegos many karaoke bars, where people sip Malagasy rum or locally brewed Three Horses Beer and party. Island style.

As laid-back as it is, Diego does have a twisted history. It was once host to a French military base, and was the site of Operation Ironclad, a British plot to seize the towns port from the French in 1942. The battle launched a war that lasted throughout much of that year. But such history isnt what the local guides will tell you about. Instead, theyll focus on whats perhaps Madagascars biggest claim to fame: Upwards of 90 percent of its flora and fauna is endemic, meaning it cant be found anywhere else in the world. And its as close to a time hop as one can get. Unless Jurassic Park was real.

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Seventeen fishermen were missing Saturday after an Indian trawler sank off the coast of Bangladesh, officials said, sparking a major search effort in the Bay of Bengal.

Two Bangladesh Navy ships and a patrol aircraft were deployed after a distress signal was sent from a ship travelling with the sunken fishing boat, called Maha Gouri, a Navy official told AFP speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The fishing trawler sank in the Bay of Bengal just 40 nautical miles (70 kilometres) north of Hiron Point in the Sundarbans," the official said.

He said waters were choppy Saturday afternoon when the distress call was sent.

Another official confirmed the number of missing after the boast sank in the Bay of Bengal, the world's largest bay.

"Seventeen fishermen were missing after the trawler sank today," Tapushi Rabeya, a Defence Ministry spokesman, told AFP.

Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest that straddles the India-Bangladesh border and the Hiron Point docking station is popular among both fishermen and tourists.
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.
(BATON ROUGE, La.)  As the Louisiana floodwaters swallowed Lyn Gibsons two-story home, she hacked away on a hole near the roof, desperately trying to get to safety.

She used a saw, a screwdriver and her feet, knocking her way through wood, vinyl and sheet rock.

I just kept picking and hitting and prying until I could get a hole big enough, the slightly-built, 115-pound woman said. I would saw for a while. Id kick at it for a while.

Eventually, Gibson made it out of her Tangipahoa Parish home with her dogs, and they were all rescued by National Guard soldiers on a boat. It was one of thousands of rescues after a deluge dropped more than a foot of rain on parts of southeast Louisiana, submerging roads, cars and homes.

At least three people were killed across the state, and the rescues were continuing late Saturday, including missions by crews in high-water vehicles who went car to car to pluck motorists from a flood-soaked interstate. Maj. Doug Cain from the Louisiana State Police said about 125 vehicles were stranded on a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 12 near Baton Rouge and the occupants were being taken to safety.

In one dramatic moment earlier in the day, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car that was almost completely underwater, according to video by WAFB. The woman, who is not initially visible on camera, yells from inside the car: Oh my god, Im drowning.

One of the rescuers, David Phung, jumps into the brown water and pulls the woman to safety. She pleads with Phung to get her dog, but he cant find it. After several seconds, Phung takes a deep breath, goes underwater and resurfaces  with the small dog.

Both the woman and dog appeared to be OK.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods unprecedented and historic. He and his family were even forced to leave the Governors Mansion when chest-high water filled the basement and electricity was shut off.

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Thats never happened before, said the governor, whose family relocated to a state police facility in the Baton Rouge area.

Rivers and their tributaries swelled and bulged beyond their banks.

During an aerial tour, an Associated Press reporter saw homes in parts of rural Tangipahoa Parish that looked like little islands among flooded fields. Farmland was covered and streets descended into impassable pools of water.

In the Livingston Parish city of Denham Springs, a suburb of Baton Rouge, entire shopping centers were inundated, only roofs of cars peeking above the water. And in many places, the water was still rising, with days expected before rivers were expected to crest.

This is an ongoing event. Were still in response mode, Edwards said, urging residents to heed warnings to evacuate and be prepared for a disaster that could last for several days.

Earlier in the day, Edwards said more than 1,000 people had been rescued. That number appeared to at least double by the end of the day, when Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said 2,000 people in his parish alone had been rescued, and more people still await help.

We havent been rescuing people. Weve been rescuing subdivisions, he said. It has not stopped at all today.

Beginning Friday, 6 to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of Louisiana and several more inches of rain fell on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas got even more rain. In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge had as much as 11 inches while one weather observer reported more than 17 inches in Livingston.

The system is expected to turn to the north Sunday and portions of central and northern Louisiana could see heavy rain into next week.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency for several counties in his state as it also battled the heavy rainfall.

In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents were rescued by boats or waded through waist-deep, snake-infested water to reach dry ground. Dozens of them awoke Saturday morning on cots at a makeshift Red Cross shelter only a few blocks from their flooded homes and cars.

John Mitchell, 23, said he swam to safety with his pit bull after police officers in a boat picked up his 20-year-old girlfriend, her 1 year-old daughter and Mitchells father.

This is the worst its been, ever, Mitchell said. We tried to wait it out, but we had to get out.

Mitchell fears he lost their trailer home and his car, which was flooded up to the seats. A bag of clothes was all he had time to save as the water levels rapidly rose.

Shanita Angrum, 32, said she called 911 on Friday morning when she realized flood waters had trapped her family in their home. A police officer carried her 6-year-old daughter, Khoie, on his back while she and her husband waded behind them for what felt like forever.

Snakes were everywhere, she said. The whole time I was just praying for God to make sure me and my family were OK.

The body of a woman from Amite was recovered Saturday from the Tickfaw River, according to Michael Martin, chief of operations for the St. Helena Sheriffs Office.

The woman, her husband and the womans mother-in-law were driving on a state highway Friday when their car was swept off the road. The womans husband and mother-in-law clung to a tree for hours before they were rescued Saturday, Martin said.

A man died Friday after slipping into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary, said East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs spokesman Casey Rayborn Hicks, who identified the victim as William Mayfield, 68. And the body of Samuel Muse, 54, was found in St. Helena Parish, where crews pulled him from a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10, authorities said.

Numerous rivers in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi were overflowing. The governor said some were expected to crest more than 4 feet above previous records. Officials were not sure just how widespread the damage would be.

The Tickfaw River, just south of the Mississippi state line in Liverpool, Louisiana, was already at the highest level ever recorded.

In southwest Mississippi, Leroy Hansford, his wife and stepson were among those rescued near Gloster, which had more than 14 inches of rain, when the nearby Beaver Creek rose quickly overnight.

We woke up and the water kept on coming, Hansford said. It came up to my waist.
At least two people are dead and hundreds have been rescued from their homes and cars as "unprecedented" flooding ravaged Louisiana in recent days, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency, reports say.



An elderly man drowned after slipping and falling in the high flood waters of East Baton Rouge Parish, ABC News reports. And a man in St. Helena Parish died after his pickup truck was swept off of a submerged highway.



"This is certainly not over. The rain continues to fall in the areas that have been most impacted already. This is a very slow-moving, low pressure system," Louisiana Gov. John Edwards said at a recent press conference. "Because these are record floods, we don't know how wide the water is going to get in these areas."



Six to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of the state on Friday and officials expected up to six more inches to fall Saturday afternoon, the Associated Press reports.







Authorities are searching for missing people, according to the AP.





Dramatic Footage Shows Human Chain Saving a Stranded Woman During Maryland Floods



Edwards said 18 parishes have declared a state of emergency and three more were in the process of doing so. And on Friday the governor declared a state of emergency for the entire state, effective until Sept. 10, he wrote in a statement.



The governor urged residents to heed warnings to evacuate and cautioned them not to rely on their past experiences amid the "record" flooding.



Multiple agencies, including the National Guard, have worked to rescue people from the flood waters and more than 197,000 sandbags were delivered to Livingston Parish, where more than 20 inches of rain fell in one day, NBC News reports.



"We need you to help us get you out. This is not a mandatory evacuation, but it's absolutely urgent," Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said at a Saturday press conference. " "This is the worst event I have ever seen."



One man told the AP that he swam to safety with his dog after police in a boat rescued his girlfriend, her daughter and his father.



"This is the worst it's been, ever," 23-year-old John Mitchell told the AP. "We tried to wait it out, but we had to get out."
Convention wisdom says that trends are slow to come to Nebraska.

Sometimes thats a good thing. Maybe the state will have time to stem the tide of opioid abuse that has risen to epidemic levels elsewhere.

State officials have begun putting in place new programs and practices to curb and prevent opioid addiction. If the implementation is successful and officials follow through, the chances are good that overdose deaths will be prevented and fewer lives ruined.

Nationally drug overdoses  including opioids, heroin and other prescription drugs -- last year surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

In comparison, Nebraska consistently has ranked among the lowest five states in the rate of fatal opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

In 2015 Nebraska recorded 145 drug overdoses, far below the 242 traffic fatalities that year. Fifty-two of the drug overdoses involved opioids.

The challenge is to keep the states ranking on overdoses near the bottom. Nebraska can be proactive, rather than reactive, and learn from other states.

One important measure to be implemented soon is new limit set by the state Department of Health and Human Services on the amount of immediate pain medication allowed to any one Medicaid patient. Effective Oct. 1, Medicaid patients will be limited to 150 pills per month.

Currently 1,700 Nebraskans are receiving more than that, and will need to use other strategies to cope with chronic pain.

Another important anti-abuse program launching Jan. 1 is the states comprehensive prescription drug monitoring program aimed at stopping patients from doctor shopping to find a one willing to prescribe drugs. Some physicians are worried that the system may not function well, especially when it comes to connecting with data in bordering states.

In mid-October a statewide summit on opioid issuus will be hosted b y the University of Nebraska Medical Center, along with the Nebraska Attorney General, Nebraska Department of Health and Human services and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Earlier this year the CDC issued guidelines advising physicians treating chronic pain to first try alternatives like physical therapy or massage. Then physicians should consider anti-inflammatories. Opioids are to be used as a last resort.

One theory on why Nebraska has such a low ranking on fatal opioid overdoses is that doctors here have been more conservative in dispensing the addictive drugs. If so, the new CDC guidelines should find ready acceptance and bolster physician commitment as the first line of defense against opioid abuse in the state.
Beirut (AFP) - At least 51 civilians, including four children, were killed in air raids and shelling attacks on Saturday in Syria's battleground city Aleppo and the neighbouring countryside, a monitoring group said.

Syrian air force raids left 15 people dead in rebel-held areas in the east of Aleppo city. Nine civilians died in rebel shelling on the government-held west, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Another 27 people were killed in Syrian and Russian raids targeting a string of towns in the west of Aleppo province, the Britain-based group added.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 12, 2016 / Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (ATTBF) (CSE:ATT) (the "Company" or "Abattis"), announces that today the Company issued 2,621,452 common shares as compensation for services to consultants, directors and employees of the Company for the month ended July 31, 2016, no legend was required on any of the issued shares.

The Company is saddened to announce the untimely death of one of its directors, Tim Fealey. Mr. Fealey joined the Abattis board in 2011 as was a member of the audit committee. The board of directors is currently seeking a replacement.

Rene David, CFO of Abattis commented that "Terence (Tim) Fealey was a valued advisor and integral member of the Abattis board. He provided Abattis with insight and guidance that helped Abattis immeasurably. He was a terrific businessman, friend and mentor. His presence will be missed. Our condolences go out to his family."

The Company also announces that it has arranged a $50,000 CAD credit facility (the "Facility") from Crimson Opportunities Ltd. (the "Lender"), a company controlled by Rene David, the CFO of the Abattis.

The Facility is evidenced by a convertible promissory note (the "Note") which is unsecured and is due 24 months from the date of issuance of the Note, upon an event of default or upon a private placement of at least $250,000 in gross proceeds (the "Maturity Date"). Interest accrues at a rate of 10% per annum and is payable quarterly. The principal and interest under the Note is convertible at the election of the Lender with the conversion price being the lower of: (i) $0.05 per common share; or (ii) the allowable discounted to market price for each common share as permitted by the rules of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Exchange"). The proceeds from the Facility will be used for general corporate purposes. The Facility also requires a $5,000 CAD initiation fee. All securities issued in conjunction with the Facility will be subject to a four-month hold period under applicable securities law.

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The Facility constitutes a "related party transaction", as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Take-over Bids and Special Transaction ("MI 61-101"). The transactions will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any shares issued to or the consideration paid for the Note will exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization and Abattis is not listed on a specified market.

About Abattis Bioceuticals Corp.

Abattis is a specialty biotechnology company that aggregates, incubates, integrates, and invests in the botanical drug development industry. The Company develops and licenses natural health products, medicines, extractions, and ingredients for the biologics, nutraceutical, bioceutical, and cosmetic markets - some of which will contain cannabinoid compounds. The Company also has an extensive pipeline of high-quality products and intellectual property for the rapidly expanding botanical drug market. We follow strict standard operating protocols, and adhere to the applicable laws of Canada and foreign jurisdictions. For more information, visit the Company's website at: www.abattis.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Rene David"

Rene David, CFO/COO and interim CEO

For further information, contact the Company at (604) 336-0881 or at news@abattis.com.

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

SOURCE: Abattis Bioceuticals Corp.
Adrienne Bailon is engaged!



The Real co-host announced on Friday that boyfriend Israel Houghton had asked for her hand in marriage, and she showed off her massive engagement ring on social media.



Kudos to Houghton for picking one of the most romantic spots to pop the question. The couple have been vacationing throughout Europe, and it appears Houghton proposed in France. Bailon, 32, shared a video of her new diamond ring  and sparkling just as brightly in the background was the Eiffel Tower lit at night.





You. Me. Oui. A video posted by Adrienne Bailon (@adriennebailon) on Aug 12, 2016 at 6:29pm PDT









The former Cheetah Girl and Houghton went public with their relationship in April, months after Bailon ended her seven-month engagement to Lenny Santiago, who proposed in February 2015.



In his own lengthy celebratory Instagram post, Houghton defended his fiancee following the criticism the pair faced early in their romance. Back in March, Houghton had slammed cheating allegations that were prompted by his announcement to divorce his wife of 20 years just one month before he was photographed vacationing with Bailon in Mexico.





French Kiss xo #Paris #EiffelTower #SeineRiver #YachtsDeParis @ihoughton @nyricanmama (thnx Mami) Checkout my snapchat! RealAdrienneB A video posted by Adrienne Bailon (@adriennebailon) on Aug 12, 2016 at 7:17am PDT





"I have seen and felt the essence of Gods grace through the life, the kindness and the courage of this woman. I've seen her attacked. Lied about, Wrongfully accused, Mocked. Laughed at, and misunderstood. But I've also seen the shining example of the eagle she is that rises above the cacophony of the noise of ignorants," Houghton captioned a photo of Bailon's engagement ring.



"I've taken a giant leap of faith in asking her to share life with me forever and to give me a shot at getting it right this time," he continued, adding, "She has graciously granted my request... She said yes. Thanks Be To God. Thank you @adriennebailon for graciously loving me."





#Engaged A photo posted by Adrienne Bailon (@adrienne_bailon) on Aug 12, 2016 at 7:47pm PDT





Bailon also shared more moments from her Parisian love trip on Snapchat, including a clip of the engaged couple doing a happy dance on board of their riverboat.
By Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Amjad Ali ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Five Pakistanis and a Russian who were captured by the Afghan Taliban after their government helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan have been released and returned to Pakistan, the foreign ministry said on Saturday. The Russian-made transport helicopter belonging to the Punjab provincial government was en route from Peshawar in northwest Pakistan to Uzbekistan for maintenance on Aug. 4 when it suffered a technical failure and crash-landed in a Taliban-held area of Logar province in eastern Afghanistan. The crew's release was arranged through a handover between tribes in the border region, from where they were transferred to Islamabad by helicopter, the ministry said in a statement. "The six member crew of Punjab government helicopter that went missing in Afghanistan on 4th August 2016 has been recovered and arrived in Islamabad today," it said. Whereas Pakistan acknowledges that it wields some influence with the Afghan Taliban, it denies Afghan and U.S. accusations that it provides support and sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban and its leaders. Pakistan says it has been a victim of terrorism, much of it from groups based in Afghanistan, for years. Initial reports after the crash had indicated that there were seven passengers but Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria said on Saturday that it turned out there were only six on board. One of the seven people listed on the flight manifest had been unwell and decided not to fly, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity. (The story corrects that helicopter crashed in Taliban-held area of Logar province. Taliban do not control all of Logar province) (Additional reporting by Saud Mehsud. Writing by Kay Johnson and Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Adrian Croft)
The front-page headline on the July 6 Journal Star, Kintner admits to cybersex, prompted me to think, So what?

I admit to thinking that Senator Bill Kintner is the most useless member of the Legislature and that he has a vastly exaggerated sense of his own accomplishments. I have lobbed several Twitter-bombs at him over the years and I would dearly love to see him gone but not because of a Constitutionally protected act.

Senator Kintner committed only one crime, that of using a state-owned computer for non-state business. He has been punished for that. The sexual activity he has been involved with is fully protected by the First Amendment.

Senator Kintners escapade is not the first time in human history in which a hot, young woman has befuddled the sensibilities of a middle-aged male, nor will it be the last.

All the fuss in the media and state government is only to satisfy the salaciousness of the public and the self-righteousness of the Governor and some legislators. Senator Kintner has apologized to his wife and his God ("Kintner apologizes only to God, wife," August 6). The rest of us need not be concerned.

The talk of expelling Senator Kintner from the legislature brings to mind something a guy said a couple of thousand years ago: Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Good advice!

Now, can we forget all this drivel and concentrate on the many real problems that Nebraska faces?

Gerald R. Grow, Lincoln
Some of you may be upset that the Galaxy Note 7 that you wanted to buy this year isnt going to be available outside of China. You know, the one packing way more than we need in smartphones these days  thats 6GB of memory if youre behind with the news. Samsung rationalized its choice to make a 6GB version by saying that it wants to compete better against local brands that keep pushing the envelope when it comes to RAM (though Samsung now seems to be rethinking the decision).

Well, if you roll your eyes when hearing that phones have 6GB of RAM these days, then you'd better prepare yourself. A new report says that Chinese company LeEco will launch a handset with 8GB of RAM early next month, maybe on the same day Apple hosts its iPhone 7 event.

DONT MISS: The iPhone 7 is going to be so much more exciting than you think

According to GizChina, the LeEco Le 2s  which is a terrible name, by the way  will feature the hot new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 8GB of RAM. When it comes to storage, you can expect 64GB of built-in memory. The device should have a 5.5-inch display with 2.5D curved glass and likely 2K resolution, at least considering the specs above.

Again, we really dont need that much RAM in a phone, or at least not yet. OnePlus showed everyone how to blow it when it comes to putting 6GB of RAM inside a phone. The OnePlus 3 failed to beat the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 6s even though it shipped with 6GB of RAM, because the company crippled the performance of RAM to improve battery life. Sure, OnePlus fixed the problem, and the OnePlus 3 did better in subsequent tests, but it did so at the expense of battery life and failed to prove we need that much memory in a phone.

On the other hand, if Chinese companies are willing to increase the amount of RAM in phones, its likely Samsung will follow suit, at least for that region. Ironically, it was Samsung in previous years that kept adding RAM to its flagship devices, yet they still failed to beat the iPhone in performance tests. Now it has to face the same marketing tricks in China, which happens to be the biggest mobile market in the world.

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Alleged LeEco Le 2s images follow below.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Amber Heard made it to her deposition on Saturday in Los Angeles.

The 30-year-old actress, who's currently in a legal battle with her estranged husband, Johnny Depp, arrived to the law office of Laura Wasser (Depp's attorney) with her legal team in Century City at 9:51 a.m., a few minutes before her scheduled 10 a.m. meeting.

WATCH: Amber Heard Delays Deposition, Lawyer Insists Actress Is Not Refusing to Give Testimony

An eyewitness tells ET Heard kept her sunglasses on and was silent as she walked through the front doors of the law office with attorneys Samantha Spector and Joseph Koenig.

Splash News

Depp's deposition was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed when Heard's attorneys filed a "withdrawal" in order to reschedule Heard's deposition.

The Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed to ET that Heard -- who was filming Justice League in London, England -- was to give her deposition on Friday. It was pushed back to Saturday so that she could return to the U.S. in time for the meeting.

At Heard's last deposition earlier this month, Depp's attorney accused Heard of refusing to go on the record to testify in court papers obtained by ET. Wasser claims that Heard arrived nearly two hours late for the court-ordered deposition regarding Heard's request for a permanent domestic violence restraining order against the Alice Through the Looking Glass actor. Wasser claims that instead of testifying, Heard was "manic and irrationa," sat with her lawyers, and "paced in a separate room."

A source close to Heard told ET at the time that the actress sat for "10 hours through intense settlement negotiations, which could not be settled because it required a gag order." She did not scream or cry, the source added, and has medical records as proof of abuse.

More updates on whether or not Heard will testify this time around to come.

NEWS: Amber Heard Claims Johnny Depp Has Been 'Stonewalling' Divorce Proceedings

"To no fault of her own, Amber was unable to arrange for a flight to travel from London to Los Angeles which would arrive in Los Angeles by 10 a.m. on Friday August 12, 2016, so that she could appear for deposition on that date and time," a recent court filing obtained by ET read.

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Both parties are expected at an upcoming hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 17.

On Friday, TMZ released a video of Depp throwing a wine bottle and glass inside the estranged couple's kitchen. Sources connected to Depp told the outlet that the video was "heavily edited" and was allegedly a "complete set up by Amber." It appears Depp was not aware he was being filmed by Heard.

RELATED: Johnny Depp Files Request to Keep Amber Heard Divorce Details Private

Heard denied she leaked the video in the following statement obtained by ET:

"I am not responsible for the release of the video. It was not what I wanted and I am doing what I can to force the media to take it off the internet. I underestimated the toll that this difficult few months have taken on me, emotionally and physically, and the efforts made by the media to intimidate and discredit me. It is for that reason, and my desire to make the healthiest choice for myself, and hopefully for Johnny, that I am attempting to resolve this matter in the most private way possible."

ET has reached out to Depp and Heard's reps for comment.

As ET previously reported, Heard filed for divorce from Depp in May. She was granted a temporary restraining order against him on May 27, after alleging that Depp was both emotionally and physically abusive towards her throughout their relationship. Depp's attorney responded to Heard's allegations, claiming the actress is "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse."

WATCH: Johnny Depp's Attorney Claims Amber Heard Was 'Manic' and 'Irrational' During Deposition

Depp's ex, Vanessa Paradis, is among the 23 witnesses that Wasser will call upon to support the 53-year-old actor's claim that he did not physically abuse Heard during their time together. Heard's witness list includes friends Elizabeth Marz and Rachel Pennington, as well as Pennington's fiance, Joshua Drew. The trio was supposedly in Depp and Heard's apartment building on the night of the alleged attack.

To hear the latest updates on the estranged couple's legal battle, watch the video below.

Related Articles
pew study graph 1

Religious Americans say that their clergy frequently speak out on hot-button political issues, and sometimes even support or oppose specific political candidates.

A study from the Pew Research Center found that nearly two-thirds of Americans who have recently attended religious services have heard their preachers discuss religious liberty, homosexuality, abortion, immigration, environmental issues, or economic inequality. Nearly half say that their clergy have discussed multiple issues.

With so many political topics deeply tied to religious beliefs, that might not be surprising. But the study called attention to something that could be troubling: 14% have heard their preachers speak out in favor of or against a particular candidate.

Technically, that's against the law. Churches and other tax-exempt organizations are not allowed to back or oppose political candidates, according to a 1954 amendment to the US tax code called the Johnson Amendment.

The report didn't specify whether clergy supported or opposed candidates while actually in the pulpit, but if they did, then their churches could face consequences.

"If a number of clergy got up and endorsed Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump ... [and] if the IRS pursued that, it might revoke their tax-exempt status," John Green, a political scientist at the University of Akron and a senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, told The Washington Post.

Clergy are free to share their opinions on candidates on their own time, and nonprofit organizations can take positions on issues like poverty and crime.

But under the Johnson Amendment, Green said, political speech becomes a problem "when it's a pretty clear endorsement of a candidate."

The amendment has long been controversial. The 2016 GOP platform calls for it to be repealed, and Donald Trump has pledged to make that happen if he wins in November. Religious-liberty advocates have pushed to fight what they believe is a restriction on free speech through initiatives like the Alliance Defending Freedom's Pulpit Initiative.

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"The IRS doesn't feed the hungry. The IRS doesn't comfort the hurting. And the IRS definitely doesn't heal the broken," the initiative's website states. "A pastor's pulpit should be accountable to God alone, and the future of religious freedom in America depends on it."

pew study graph 2

But even as it stands, the amendment doesn't appear to be dissuading clergy from expressing support or distaste for this year's candidates.

This is the first time that Pew has asked this type of question, so it's not clear whether clergy are speaking out more or less than in previous years.

But Claire Markham, outreach and campaign manager for the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at the Center for American Progress, believes that this particular election could be motivating political speech from the clergy because choosing between Trump and Clinton may seem like a moral choice as well as a political one.

"This is an unusual election," she told Business Insider. "For many of the values at the heart of a number of religious traditions  welcoming strangers, focusing on the vulnerable, a specific care for economic quality  a lot of these issues are discussed seriously by both candidates [in other elections], and I don't think that's happening now."

According to the survey, more clergy have spoken out in support of Clinton than Trump. This could be partially motivated by black churches, which have a history of being politically active. In this election, 29% of black churchgoers heard their clergy express support for a candidate  almost always Clinton.

But even though the Pew study shows that clergy have more often embraced Clinton than Trump, religious conservatives tend to back Trump in part because he has supported policies that promote religious liberty, like repealing the Johnson Amendment.

"They [the Trump campaign] understand the importance of religious organizations and nonprofits, but religious organizations in particular which is what the Johnson Amendment affects, to have the ability to speak freely, and that they should not live in fear of the IRS," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told Time. "That is a priority in the platform, and from the Trump folks, it is a priority of the campaign, and will be a priority of the administration."

trump

But whether or not the Johnson Amendment survives, political statements from clergy are likely here to stay.

Churches are unlikely to actually get in trouble with the IRS if their clergy support or oppose a candidate, Markham said, because someone from the church has to complain, and then someone from the US Treasury has to instigate an investigation.

"There's a very specific process for enforcement ... it's rarely been brought to bear in recent history," she said.

Anthony Gill, a professor of political science at the University of Washington, believes that it's against the interests of clergy to get political.

"That's [supporting a candidate] dangerous for the clergy because, if a clergy member endorses a candidate who turns out to be corrupt or tainted somehow, their reputation is diminished as well," he told Business Insider. "A number of evangelicals run this risk with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton  if anything comes out that these people are less than upstanding politicians, their endorsement is going to affect their reputation as well."

And especially in places where churches play prominent roles, clergy could have a great deal of influence on their communities' votes.

"Clergy tend to be individuals who cultivate a lot of trustworthiness," Gill said. "It's not surprising that people look to clergy for advice in the practical world."

NOW WATCH: This animated map shows how religion spread across the world





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CLEVELAND -- An extremely lopsided series will continue Saturday at Progressive Field when the Cleveland Indians play host to the Los Angeles Angels.

The first two games of the four-game series have been blowouts, as the Indians have outscored the Angels 27-7. The Indians won 14-4 on Thursday and 13-3 on Friday.

The Indians this year are using a facet of their game that hasn't been this productive since the heyday of speedy Kenny Lofton and the powerhouse Indians teams of the late 1990s. Cleveland leads the American League with 92 stolen bases, and outfielder Rajai Davis tops the league with 31 steals.

Making Davis' stolen base total even more impressive is that he is not in the lineup every day. Davis has only started 82 of the Indians' 113 games.

In the Indians' 13-3 win on Friday, however, Davis was in the lineup and had three of the Indians' eight stolen bases. The eight steals ties a 99-year-old Indians record for most stolen bases in a season. The record was set Aug. 27, 1917 vs. Washington.

"I thought our baserunning set the tone," Indians manager Terry Francona. "We stole bases. We didn't just run with abandon. We were intelligent. I thought it set the tone for the whole game."

In their 115-year history in the American League, the Indians have only led the league in steals six times, most recently in 1999.

"You just trust your instincts, and you go," Davis said. "It helps us as a team, and puts pressure on the defense."

The beleaguered Angels were ill-equipped to stop Cleveland's running game Friday.

"Gio didn't have much of a chance (to throw out any of the runners). We'll make some adjustments," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of catcher Giovanny Soto.

Add controlling the running game to the Angels' growing to-do list, as their losing streak has now grown to eight games. It's their longest losing streak since then lost eight in a row in July 1999 as part of a streak that eventually became an 11-game losing streak.

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"Nobody is taking this lying down," Scioscia said. "We know we can play better than this and we're going to make the necessary adjustments."

The Angels should feel good about their chances Saturday as they will send Matt Shoemaker to the mound. Shoemaker has a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings against Cleveland and an 0.82 ERA in three career games against the Indians.

In Shoemaker's last start against Cleveland on June 11, he pitched eight scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. In 22 starts this season overall, Shoemaker is 6-12 with a 4.07 ERA.

The Indians will counter with Mike Clevinger, who was originally drafted by the Angels in 2011. The Angels traded him to the Indians in 2014 for reliever Vinnie Pestano. Clevinger has made four spot starts for the Indians this year and the results have not been good: a record of 0-1 and a 6.97 ERA.

However, Clevinger has spent most of the year at Triple-A Columbus, where he has had a big year, going 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 17 starts. This will be Clevinger's first career appearance against the Angels.
Anthony Ervin

American swimmer Anthony Ervin won the 50-meter freestyle from Rio on Friday night, marking the second individual gold medal of the 35-year-old's wild life and swimming career.

Ervin, a California native, was a swimming prodigy in his youth and won gold 16 years ago, at Sydney in 2000. He swam at the University of California at Berkeley, but dropped out of college and retired from the sport at 22. For years, he struggled with substance-abuse problems and was often homeless.

According to People, Ervin on numerous occasions came close to death driving his motorcycle while on LSD, and at one point attempted suicide.

From the time he was little, Ervin has battled Tourette's. Around the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, he dabbled in Buddhism, cross-dressing, and a band called Weapons of Mass Destruction. He completely shed his swimming persona, reportedly not even telling people that he was a former Olympic champion.

"The oppression of my former swimming identity loses its hold on me," Ervin wrote in his book, according to People. "I am no longer Anthony Ervin the Swimmer, but Tony, just another guy in a band."

In 2011, he re-enrolled at Berkeley and announced his return to swimming. Showing his natural talent in the 50-meter freestyle, he wound up taking fifth in the Olympic final in London in 2012.

In Rio, Ervin was the oldest member of the US swim team. He earned a gold medal swimming a prelim in the 4 x 100-meter freestyle, and on Friday night won another gold medal.

Needless to say, it's been quite the journey for Ervin.

If anyone deserves a gold, it's him.

NOW WATCH: Heres why Olympic officials closed the green diving pool





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By Mark Trevelyan RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - When your name is Michael Phelps, it's hard to play second fiddle. Appearing before journalists after dead-heating for the silver medal in the 100 meters butterfly on Friday, the last individual race of his long career, the most successful Olympian of all time was peppered with questions as gold medalist Joseph Schooling of Singapore sat alongside him. Gracefully, the American tried to ease out of the spotlight. "Joe should be getting most of the questions," he eventually told reporters, laughing. "This kid just won a gold medal, guys. Let's ask him some more questions." When a journalist obliged by asking Schooling how it felt to become "the go-to butterflier in the world right now", the 21-year-old hesitated and glanced to his left at Phelps. "That's for you bro, don't look at me," Phelps told him. It was a surreal moment for Schooling, who had just beaten three of the greatest butterfly exponents in Phelps, South Africa's Chad Le Clos and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh, all of whom tied for second. "That sounds like a lot of pressure. I don't think I'm anywhere close to these three guys next to me," he said modestly in reply to the question. "Today just happened to be a good day for me. "I think Chad, Michael and Laszlo should still be the face for butterfly. This is like my first gold medal it's not like I've won 22 or 23." Phelps shot back: "It's a pretty good one to win, though." Schooling paid tribute to Phelps as the idol whose inspiration set him on course to become Singapore's first gold medalist in any sport. "If it wasn't for Michael, I don't think I could have gotten to this point. I wanted to be like him as a kid. "I wanted to win. And I think a lot of this is because of Michael, he's the reason I wanted to be a better swimmer." After the medal ceremony, the pair were deep in conversation on the pool deck, and Schooling said he told Phelps the feeling was 'out of this world'. "He smiled and said, like, I know," Schooling said. "He's been through it all, and just being beside him, walking beside him and celebrating, I'll really cherish that for the rest of my life." (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
By Krishna N. Das and Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's central bank has said it is withholding findings of investigations into the cyber theft of $81 million (62.6 million) from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to avoid tipping off the "foreign perpetrators" of the hack.

Bangladesh Bank lawyer Ajmalul Hossain was responding to comments by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) (RCB.PS) in the Philippines - through which the stolen money was routed before disappearing into Manila's casino industry - that the central bank in Dhaka was wary of releasing reports that could implicate its own officials.

More than six months have passed since hackers broke into the Bangladesh central bank's computer systems in one of the biggest-ever cyber heists.

Most of the $81 million stolen is still missing and the culprits have not been identified, but Bangladesh Bank has held RCBC accountable for the loss. It has said it may sue RCBC if other efforts to recover the money are unsuccessful.

"Bangladesh Bank knows enough about what happened from the internal and external reports so far obtained by it and others," the central bank's lawyer Hossain told Reuters late on Saturday.

"This truth is being deliberately withheld from the public domain so as not to allow the foreign perpetrators of the hacking to have knowledge of the investigations."

RCBC has questioned Bangladesh Bank's June decision not to extend a contract with U.S. cyber security firm FireEye (FEYE.O) to investigate the February theft, saying the recovery of the money could be "imperilled" if someone within the central bank was found responsible for the heist.

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. As many as six types of malware were used to infect Bangladesh Bank computer systems.

A Bangladesh government-appointed panel said in May that Bangladesh Bank officials may have been involved in the brazen theft, but its report has also yet to be released.

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"That's why I think a report is not forthcoming," Maria Celia Estavillo, RCBC's legal and regulatory affairs head, told Reuters. "They should finish their investigation, they should find out what happened in Bangladesh, they should find out who is liable there, they should give a copy of that to the Philippines government. And if they are confident of the strength of their case, they should file a case in court."

The central bank of the Philippines last week fined RCBC a record 1 billion pesos ($21 million) in connection with the heist.

RCBC had expected the fine because of some lapses within the bank, Estavillo said, but blamed a couple of rogue employees for letting the money go out of the bank despite stop-payment instructions from Bangladesh Bank. She said internal investigations by the bank showed nobody from its head office was complicit.

Bangladesh Bank said RCBC had "corporate knowledge" of the money laundering.

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Karen Lema; Editing by Alex Richardson)
We learned during the Watergate scandal that covering up crimes and transgressions are worse than the incident itself. Gov. Pete Ricketts needs to hold a press conference and explain why the cybersex crimes of Bill Kintner were withheld from Nebraskans for an entire year ("Kintner admits to cybersex," August 6). Ricketts has a major conflict, with Kintner's wife on his staff. Another obvious reason for his silence is that he needed Kintner to do his bidding during legislative votes. This entire story is slimy and disgusting, outrageous and embarrassing to this state.
Forget a Harley Quinn-Joker spinoff from Suicide Squad: What about a Lego Batman vs. Suicide Squad Joker feature? The stars of both movies are up for a fight, it turns out, as two interviews make clear.

The initial challenge was laid down by Will Arnett, the voice of Lego Batman during an interview with Fandango's Tiffany Smith and Kristian Harloff during San Diego Comic-Con last month. Asked how well he thought Lego Batman would stand up to Jared Leto's Clown Prince of Crime, Arnett was surprisingly cocky.

"Very well," he said, going on to argue that Leto's Joker "looks a little  scrawny, doesn't he? Just kind of, like, skinny, just kind of like hipster - in a good way, by the way! It looks amazing. I'm just saying, in a fight."

When Smith went on to interview Leto during Suicide Squad promotion recently, she couldn't help but bring it up, prompting Leto to say that he was ready for the challenge: "Anytime you want to meet the Joker in a dark alley, bring your Legos!" he replied. Sounds like the perfect clash of the titans follow-up to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice?? especially if it means we'd also get to see Ben Affleck's live-action Batman having to deal with Zach Galifianakis' Lego Joker at the same time. DC's multiverse of parallel worlds can make that a possibility, right?

Watch both videos below and decide whether Arnett or Leto would come out on top of this particular super tussle. If nothing else, Lego Batman might have had better luck than Affleck's Dark Knight at making sure the Joker didn't get away 

Read more: 'Suicide Squad': Jared Leto Teases Joker Scenes That Were Cut From the Movie
The A-List is Travel + Leisure's annual selection of the world's best travel agents and destination specialists, as chosen by the editors. Rely on these industry experts to plan the perfect trip to Mexico, or to Central or South America. For more about our methodology and how to apply, read How We Choose the Travel Agents for T+Ls A-List.

Argentina, Chile & Uruguay

Maita Barrenechea

Not only does Barrenechea organize travel for top execs and celebrities visiting South America, she has actually played a role in building the travel infrastructure throughout her region of expertise. Shes convinced Argentine ranchers, many of whom were suffering financially, to convert estancias into plush guesthouses, and shes advised hoteliers throughout Uruguay on how to upgrade their properties and tour offerings for a higher-end clientele.

Best for: culture buffs, adventurers, luxury seekers

Extras: Along with securing hotel-room upgrades and late checkouts, Barrenechea often surprises clients with personalized gifts such as an Argentinean perfume or a belt buckle engraved with their initials.

Minimum daily spend: $300

54-11-4314-3390; maita@mai10.com.ar; mai10.com.ar

Argentina and Chile

Jordan Harvey

Since 2009, Harvey has built his boutique firm into a company that works with more than 500 clients a year. His mission is to connect travelers craving local experiences with artists, chefs, architects, and photographers.

Best for: culture buffs, adventurers, luxury seekers

Extras: When Argentinas Lago Moreno became overrun with crowds, Harvey created a kayaking and picnic adventure on nearby Lago Mascardi, a pristine lake thats tourist-free, even in high season. He can also arrange an Argentine asado cooking experience with Lucas Mallmann, nephew of famed chef Francis Mallmann, on his family farm.

Other expertise: Ecuador and the Galapagos, Peru

Minimum daily spend: $300

612-616-8747 ext 101; jordan@knowmadadventures.com; knowmadadventures.com

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Brazil

Martin Frankenberg

What distinguishes this Sao Paulobased specialist and his travel company, Matuete, from the competition? In addition to having a reputation for being able to secure VIP tickets to events like Rios Carnival, Frankenberg operates his own yachts on the Amazon and enjoys exclusive access to waterfront and jungle villas.

Best for: luxury seekers, adventurers, families

Extras: Frankenberg and his team vet every single property they work with at least once a year. Clients also have access to an English-speaking doctor.

Minimum daily spend: $800

55-11-3071-4515; martin@matuete.com; matuete.com

Paul Irvine

As the luxury travel market continues to expand in Brazil, Irvine is especially excited about tapping interest in urban neighborhoods off the usual tourist trails (Rios Botafogo, for example). He also specializes in undiscovered coastal regions like Ceara, which welcomes a new airport this year.

Best for: foodies, multigenerational families, culture buffs

Extras: Recently, Irvine had a private villa in Rio custom-decorated according to his clients wishes.

Other expertise: Argentina

Minimum daily spend: $800

800-690-6899; paul.irvine@dehouche.com; dehouche.com

Central and South America

Emmanuel Burgio

Before creating his travel company, Blue Parallel, Burgio worked in finance, and he has an intimate understanding of the needs and demands of time-constrained travelers. His bespoke adventures have included guided biking tours of Buenos Airess Palermo neighborhood and meetings with Easter Islands Rapa Nui communities.

Best for: culture buffs, adventurers, luxury seekers

Extras: Burgio likes to include village stops on itineraries to give travelers a glimpse of rural South American life. En route to Cuzco, for example, one of his clients visited the ancient town of Pinimpampa to see families making tiles according to generations-old practices.

Other expertise: The Mediterranean

Minimum daily spend: $1,000

301-263-6670; emmanuel@blueparallel.com; blueparallel.com

Barkley Hickox

Hickox inspects dozens of hotels in any given location so she can best pair properties with her clients. She also has an eye for special experiences, from tours of up-and-coming contemporary art galleries in Mexico City to hikes in Brazils Lencois Maranhenses National Park and stays in vineyard lodges in Argentina.

Best for: culture buffs, luxury seekers, couples/honeymooners

Extras: As so much of Latin American culture revolves around family, Hickox often includes experiences like a barbecue with a gaucho clan or a cooking class in the home of a local.

Other expertise: France

Minimum daily spend: $1,500

646-455-3101; barkley.hickox@localforeigner.com; localforeigner.com

Beth Jenkins

Its easy to see why Jenkins has such a devoted following of repeat customers. Shes a strong advocate, negotiating great rates at hotels and visiting destinations with specific clients in mind. In her early 30s herself, shes also a pro at working with adventure-minded millennial travelers.

Best for: culture buffs, adventurers, luxury seekers

Extras: Jenkins is often able to open doors that are closed to most, like securing tables at sought-after restaurants.

Other expertise: Honeymoons

Minimum daily spend: $500

703-762-5048; beth@mccabeworld.com; mccabeworld.com

Gisela Polo

Passionate about environmentally conscious tourism, Polo focuses on sustainable travel by organizing trips tailored to showcasing the continents best eco-lodges, little-known nature reserves, and leading sustainable farms, as well as visits to artisan communities.

Best for: culture buffs, multigenerational families

Extras: Polo travels back to her native Peru a few times a year, so shes especially well-versed in the countrys popular cities and best-kept secrets.

Other expertise: Argentina

Minimum daily spend: $850 per couple

772-287-7995, ext. 2212; gisela@bigfive.com; bigfive.com

Chile

Brian Pearson

When it comes to outdoor adventures in Chile, theres little that Pearsonwho is based in Santiago and Hadley, Massachusettshasnt experienced. He works best with clients who want a live-in-their-shoes experienceeven if that means more rustic accommodations at times.

Best for: adventurers, sporting types

Extras: On arrival in Santiago, clients are met by an Upscape Travel representative at the airport, and a bottle of wine is waiting for them at their hotel. For a client looking to combine adventure and luxury, Pearson might plan a tour of the Chilean Lake District and northern Patagonia that involves sailing, horseback riding, and private vineyard visits.

Other expertise: Argentina and Uruguay

Minimum daily spend: $500

802-904-6798; brian@upscapetravel.com; upscapetravel.com

Colombia

Marc Beale

Having spent the past six years traveling every inch of his adopted country, Beale has uncovered Colombian travel secrets that few other outfitters have tapped. His portfolio includes family-owned inns in coffee country and in the lesser-known Tatacoa Desert.

Best for: adventurers, foodies, families

Extras: Beale specializes in smart, engaging itineraries such as a Gabriel Garcia Marquezthemed trip with stops in the writers birth town of Aracataca, the untamed Tayrona National Park, and Cartagena, where travelers might enjoy a private recital of vallenato music.

Minimum daily spend: $300

646-736-7582; marc@amakuna.com; amakuna.com

Mexico

Zachary Rabinor

The Puerto Vallartabased founder of Journey Mexico worked his way up the industry ladderhes been a tour leader, driver, guide, and logisticianwhich gives him an inside perspective on the planning process. He collaborates with the countrys best hotels on everything from wellness-focused Tulum getaways to culture-filled stays in San Miguel de Allende. His coordinators personally check in with clients at least three times per trip.

Best for: culture buffs, foodies, adventurers

Extras: Rabinor can arrange special excursions like a helicopter trip to Tequila La Fortaleza in Jalisco, a distillery owned by a fifth-generation tequilero, where clients sample spirits over lunch while mariachis play in the background.

Other expertise: Central America

Minimum daily spend: $800

800-513-1587; zach@journeymexico.com; journeymexico.com

Peru

Thomas Robinson

Quarterly trips to Peru mean Robinson stays abreast of the countrys exciting food scene, expanding hospitality options (private villas are a specialty of his), and new adventure experiences such as the Sacred Valley hiking trails.

Best for: culture buffs, luxury seekers, families

Extras: Robinson is deeply interested in Incan history, and hes particularly adept at creating trips that include lesser-known sites such as Vilcabamba, the last Incan stronghold.

Other expertise: Colombia

Minimum daily spend: $450

800-690-6899; thomas.robinson@dehouche.com; dehouche.com

Galapagos and Ecuador

Brian Morgan

Call upon Morgan to set up your Galapagos tripwhether an island-hopping cruise or a science-focused expeditionas well as other Darwin-themed holidays on Ecuadors mainland, including kayaking and hiking excursions and culinary adventures organized around fishing and coffee-plantation visits.

Best for: culture buffs, adventurers, families

Extras: Unlike most travel advisors, Morgan is happy to field requests for backpack-style value trips as well as ultra-luxury adventures.

Other expertise: Peru, Central and South America

Minimum daily spend: $500

406-541-2677; gogalapagos@adventure-life.com

South American Food and Wine

Liz Caskey

A cookbook author and trained sommelier based in Santiago, Chile, Caskey is an ace at arranging exceptional culinary travel in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, and Ecuador. Recent trips for clients have included stays in an old hacienda in Chiles wine-rich Colchagua Valley and a surfing and wine-tasting itinerary along the Chilean coast near Pichilemu.

Best for: foodies, luxury seekers, families

Extras: When Caskeys clients are traveling in Santiago, she often takes them out for a special lunch and a personal culinary tour of the city.

Minimum daily spend: $550

904-687-0340; liz@lizcaskey.com; lizcaskey.com
The A-List is Travel + Leisure's annual selection of the world's best travel agents and destination specialists, as chosen by the editors. Rely on these industry experts to plan the perfect trip to Canada or the U.S. For more about our methodology and how to apply, read How We Choose the Travel Agents for T+Ls A-List.

Hawaii

Marilyn Clark

Clarkwho books 140 trips to Hawaii a yearis one of a handful of people who have certification as a Master Specialist for each of Hawaiis six major islands, given to those with particular expertise in the states history and culture. Because of her contacts in the islands, she always has the latest information on shops, restaurants, and experiences.

Best for: culture buffs, luxury seekers, adventurers

Extras: For family trips, Clark keeps travelers of every age in mind. While the mom and dad tee off at Kapalua Golf Club on Maui, for example, the kids might go ziplining in the West Maui Mountains.

Other expertise: Tahiti

Minimum daily spend: $400

844-339-1774; marilyn@lighthousetravel.net; lighthousetravel.net

Stacy Small

Small spends half of the year in Hawaii, jumping between islands to vet resorts and hotels, meet tour guides, and critique new restaurants and take a fresh look at old standbys. Shes especially knowledgeable about Hawaiian wellness travel and keeps a little black book full of private yoga instructors, acupuncturists, and Reiki healers.

Best for: luxury seekers, couples/honeymooners, families

Extras: Small is a master matchmaker of guests and hotel rooms. During site inspections she carefully notes which suites, ohanas, and bungalows are best for which types of clients.

Other expertise: Hotels

Minimum daily spend: $700

561-351-5907; stacy@elitetravelinternational.com; elitetravelinternational.com

Napa Valley and Sonoma

Michelle Murre

While she often works with oenophile clients interested in premier bottles and exclusive tastings, Murre also knows what the region offers beyond wine and food: scenic drives, dramatic cliff-side beaches, and family-friendly parks and hiking trails.

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Best for: epicurean travelers, multigenerational families, adventurers

Extras: Tap Murre if you want to visit wineries that arent open to the public or partake in wine-making rituals (harvest parties, grape crushes) at top vineyards.

Other expertise: Italy

Minimum daily spend:$500

415-796-3869; michelle@azurinetravel.com; azurinetravel.com

New York City

Lia Batkin

Batkin and her partner, Seth Kaplan, created their travel and lifestyle firm with a younger set of savvy explorers in mindthose who crave insider knowledge and local connections.

Best for: luxury seekers, epicurean travelers, couples/honeymooners

Extras: For a fashionista client, Batkin arranged a meeting with a top shoe designer so they could co-create a custom pair of shoes. She has arranged for clients to watch New York Citys Fourth of July fireworks from a yacht, with dinner catered by a leading chef.

Other expertise: Birthday trips

Minimum daily spend: $2,000

212-776-1784; lia@itkexp.com; itkexp.com

Pacific Northwest

Sheri Doyle

While Doyle should be your go-to expert for any type of leisure travel in northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, her favorite trips pair food and soft adventure. She has mapped out sea-kayaking excursions through the San Juan Islands (where orcas roam), for example, as well as road trips from one celebrated restaurant to another.

Best for: epicurean travelers, families, luxury seekers

Extras: Doyle is best known for her highly detailed itineraries, with smart current suggestions, such as small-town street festivals worth a detour or pop-up restaurants not to miss.

Other expertise: Canadian Rockies and western Canada

Minimum daily spend: $300

800-935-9730; info@pnwjourneys.com; pnwjourneys.com

The West

Harold C. Jenkins

In many ways, planning a trip to Montana is more difficult than planning a trip to Moscow, says Jenkins, who knows the rugged regions secrets well. He travels through the American West and beyond at least four times a year to scout private fishing spots and road-trip routes, gather intel on ski mountains, and meet with knowledgeable guides who can lead backcountry excursions.

Best for: adventurers, families, luxury seekers

Extras: For a family with a teenage daughter studying U.S. history, Jenkins put together a trip that highlighted Lewis and Clark Expedition sites. He even arranged for a college professor and his graduate studentsin period dressto make a surprise visit to their riverside luxury camp and act out the roles of Lewis, Clark, and others in their exploration party.

Other expertise: Ski vacations

Minimum daily spend: $1,000

847-257-6262; hcjviptravel@sbcglobal.net; travelink.com
* Bollore clashes with Berlusconis over Italy's Mediaset

* French tycoon has history of taking control of firms

* He has built a global conglomerate over three decades (Adds details on Neuville's occupation in paragraph 17)

By Mathieu Rosemain

PARIS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - When French tycoon Vincent Bollore backed out of a deal to buy the pay-TV business of Italian broadcaster Mediaset, and instead proposed to take a large slice of the parent company itself, investors feared he was plotting another stealth raid.

The family of former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, which controls Mediaset, suspected Bollore would seek to loosen their grip on the company - concerns based on his history as a skilled and aggressive corporate tactician.

Through shrewd investments and creeping control methods, over three decades he has turned his Bollore group from a family-owned maker of thin papers into a global conglomerate that spans transportation and logistics, energy storage, communications and media assets including Vivendi.

Bollore's Vivendi had agreed in April to acquire all of Mediaset's pay-TV unit, Premium, as part of a deal that would also see the two media groups take a 3.5 percent stake in each other.

But late last month it proposed new terms: it would buy just 20 percent of the unit, and also take bonds that could be converted to give it a total 15 percent stake in parent Mediaset. It said its change of plan was a result of differences with Mediaset in the analysis of Premium's financial forecasts.

The Berlusconis saw the situation very differently. Their holding company Fininvest said Vivendi's real reason for the U-turn was to covertly build up a big stake in Mediaset, denouncing the "total impropriety" of its conduct.

Vivendi declined to comment for this article. Its CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on July 30 that it had no plans to take over Mediaset. The Italian broadcaster lost 27.8 million euros ($31 million) in the first six months of this year, including its pay-TV arm.

Story continues

Bollore has not spoken publicly about Mediaset, and could not be reached for comment.

Mediaset, which has repeatedly rejected Vivendi's alternative proposal, did not respond to requests for comment. Fininvest, which owns about 35 percent of Mediaset, did not provide fresh comment but has previously made clear it is opposed to Vivendi's proposed new terms.

STRICTLY BUSINESS

Bollore is a long-time friend of fellow billionaire Silvio Berlusconi. But for the 64-year-old Frenchman, dealmaking is never personal, it's strictly business.

"His reputation precedes him and, indeed, it frightened them (the Berlusconis)," said a source close to the negotiations. "They fretted that this 15 percent stake could make Fininvest lose its blocking minority in Mediaset following a capital increase."

Bollore's corporate career is strewn with examples of the tycoon wresting control of companies via minority stakes.

Vivendi itself is a case in point.

Bollore initially received a 4.4 percent stake in the media group in exchange for the sale of the two TV channels he had created to Vivendi's pay-TV arm Canal Plus. He has since built that stake up to over 15 percent.

He is Vivendi's biggest shareholder and its chairman. With his wealth of business success and political contacts, he is the undisputed kingpin.

Corporate raids might be resented by those who lose power, but they are a perfectly legitimate part of business, said Colette Neuville, who is the head of a French association that champions the interests of small shareholders and has known Bollore for over a decade.

She is also a member of the ethics committee for the Canal Plus channel.

"Bollore has shown his capacity to turn businesses around and he's playing by the rules," she told Reuters in an interview. "If you want no risk of being taken over, don't list your shares on a financial market."

Bollore has hired and fired top management and imposed his vision of turning Vivendi into a European media powerhouse - a reversal of its previous course of focusing on core assets - and taken key strategic decisions, including the company's big bet on Telecom Italia.

Vivendi initially acquired just 1.9 percent of the Italian telecoms firm in June last year. In under a year it had increased that to almost 25 percent, making it the biggest investor and giving it effective control.

It pushed for the resignation of Telecom Italia's former CEO Marco Patuano, who stepped down in March.

"As soon as he buys shares of a company, he tends to think that it's badly managed," said a senior French banker who has knowledge of Bollore's business dealings in Italy.

"He was absolutely convinced that Telecom Italia was a lame duck and that everything needed to be changed."

COUNTDOWN

The dispute with the Berlusconis is not the first time Bollore's business methods have tested personal relationships.

When his family conglomerate bought almost 9 percent of the Bouygues construction group in 1997, he assured company boss Martin Bouygues - his former school classmate - by phone that it would be a friendly move and that he would support Bouygues and not interfere with strategy.

A year later, he had about 13 percent and opposed a strategic decision taken by Bouygues to diversify the activities of the group into telecoms. "Bollore took me for an idiot," Bouygues told a French magazine in 2013. "He fooled, deceived and humiliated me. I'll never forget it."

In a rare reversal, Bollore backed off from the confrontation and sold all his Bouygues shares in 1998 following a big backlash by supporters of his rival industrialist both inside and outside the Bouygues group.

He defended his dispute with the Bouygues boss by saying he had no choice but to speak out against the telecoms strategy because he believed it would damage the company's finances.

Two decades on, and several deals later - including raids on the likes of advertising firm Havas and shipowner Delmas-Vieljeux - Bollore's appetite appears undiminished. As well as the proposed Mediaset deal, he has set its sights on the video games market - in a tussle that might be closely watched by the Berlusconis.

Vivendi took over mobile games maker Gameloft in June and has built up a 22 percent stake in its bigger sister company Ubisoft. Both companies were founded by the Guillemot family, which considers the move on Ubisoft to be hostile and has refused to allow Vivendi board representation.

Vivendi has said it does not intend to launch a takeover bid for Ubisoft, saying it wants to collaborate with the existing management so that synergies can be found with Gameloft.

"I don't believe the synergy argument," said Vikram Kumar, a hedge fund manager at London-based TT International, which owns more than 1 percent of Ubisoft shares. "If Vivendi wants to get the hands on the company, it has to be a purely financially based outcome."

Ubisoft declined to comment for this story.

Even though he has assembled an empire that stretches from Dakar to Dunkirk, and amassed an estimated net worth of more than $5 billion, Bollore is unlikely to disappear into retirement any time soon.

His publicly stated plan the idea is to hand over the Bollore group to his four children in six years' time. He has even set a countdown on his smartphone for Feb. 17, 2022, the date that will mark the bicentenary of the family group and supposedly end his career as pater familias for the company.

But not even his family is convinced.

"I don't believe one second in this countdown," his son Yannick told French newspaper L'Opinion last month.

"The more the deadline approaches, the less he looks at it."

($1 = 0.8981 euros) (Additional reporting by Giulia Segreti in Milan; Editing by Richard Lough and Pravin Char)
By Mathieu Rosemain

PARIS (Reuters) - When French tycoon Vincent Bollore backed out of a deal to buy the pay-TV business of Italian broadcaster Mediaset (MS.MI), and instead proposed to take a large slice of the parent company itself, investors feared he was plotting another stealth raid.

The family of former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, which controls Mediaset, suspected Bollore would seek to loosen their grip on the company - concerns based on his history as a skilled and aggressive corporate tactician.

Through shrewd investments and creeping control methods, over three decades he has turned his Bollore group from a family-owned maker of thin papers into a global conglomerate that spans transportation and logistics, energy storage, communications and media assets including Vivendi (VIV.PA).

Bollore's Vivendi had agreed in April to acquire all of Mediaset's pay-TV unit, Premium, as part of a deal that would also see the two media groups take a 3.5 percent stake in each other.

But late last month it proposed new terms: it would buy just 20 percent of the unit, and also take bonds that could be converted to give it a total 15 percent stake in parent Mediaset. It said its change of plan was a result of differences with Mediaset in the analysis of Premium's financial forecasts.

The Berlusconis saw the situation very differently. Their holding company Fininvest said Vivendi's (VIV.PA) real reason for the U-turn was to covertly build up a big stake in Mediaset, denouncing the "total impropriety" of its conduct.

Vivendi declined to comment for this article. Its CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on July 30 that it had no plans to take over Mediaset. The Italian broadcaster lost 27.8 million euros (24.01 million) in the first six months of this year, including its pay-TV arm.

Bollore has not spoken publicly about Mediaset, and could not be reached for comment.

Mediaset, which has repeatedly rejected Vivendi's alternative proposal, did not respond to requests for comment. Fininvest, which owns about 35 percent of Mediaset, did not provide fresh comment but has previously made clear it is opposed to Vivendi's proposed new terms.

Story continues

STRICTLY BUSINESS

Bollore is a long-time friend of fellow billionaire Silvio Berlusconi. But for the 64-year-old Frenchman, dealmaking is never personal, it's strictly business.

"His reputation precedes him and, indeed, it frightened them (the Berlusconis)," said a source close to the negotiations. "They fretted that this 15 percent stake could make Fininvest lose its blocking minority in Mediaset following a capital increase."

Bollore's corporate career is strewn with examples of the tycoon wresting control of companies via minority stakes.

Vivendi itself is a case in point.

Bollore initially received a 4.4 percent stake in the media group in exchange for the sale of the two TV channels he had created to Vivendi's pay-TV arm Canal Plus. He has since built that stake up to over 15 percent.

He is Vivendi's biggest shareholder and its chairman. With his wealth of business success and political contacts, he is the undisputed kingpin.

Corporate raids might be resented by those who lose power, but they are a perfectly legitimate part of business, said Colette Neuville, who is the head of a French association that champions the interests of small shareholders and has known Bollore for over a decade.

She is also a member of the ethics committee for the Canal Plus channel.

"Bollore has shown his capacity to turn businesses around and he's playing by the rules," she told Reuters in an interview. "If you want no risk of being taken over, don't list your shares on a financial market."

Bollore has hired and fired top management and imposed his vision of turning Vivendi into a European media powerhouse - a reversal of its previous course of focusing on core assets - and taken key strategic decisions, including the company's big bet on Telecom Italia (TLIT.IT).

Vivendi initially acquired just 1.9 percent of the Italian telecoms firm in June last year. In under a year it had increased that to almost 25 percent, making it the biggest investor and giving it effective control.

It pushed for the resignation of Telecom Italia's former CEO Marco Patuano, who stepped down in March.

"As soon as he buys shares of a company, he tends to think that it's badly managed," said a senior French banker who has knowledge of Bollore's business dealings in Italy.

"He was absolutely convinced that Telecom Italia was a lame duck and that everything needed to be changed."

COUNTDOWN

The dispute with the Berlusconis is not the first time Bollore's business methods have tested personal relationships.

When his family conglomerate bought almost 9 percent of the Bouygues (BOUY.PA) construction group in 1997, he assured company boss Martin Bouygues - his former school classmate - by phone that it would be a friendly move and that he would support Bouygues and not interfere with strategy.

A year later, he had about 13 percent and opposed a strategic decision taken by Bouygues to diversify the activities of the group into telecoms. "Bollore took me for an idiot," Bouygues told a French magazine in 2013. "He fooled, deceived and humiliated me. I'll never forget it."

In a rare reversal, Bollore backed off from the confrontation and sold all his Bouygues shares in 1998 following a big backlash by supporters of his rival industrialist both inside and outside the Bouygues group.

He defended his dispute with the Bouygues boss by saying he had no choice but to speak out against the telecoms strategy because he believed it would damage the company's finances.

Two decades on, and several deals later - including raids on the likes of advertising firm Havas (HAVA.PA) and shipowner Delmas-Vieljeux - Bollore's appetite appears undiminished. As well as the proposed Mediaset deal, he has set its sights on the video games market - in a tussle that might be closely watched by the Berlusconis.

Vivendi took over mobile games maker Gameloft in June and has built up a 22 percent stake in its bigger sister company Ubisoft (UBIP.PA). Both companies were founded by the Guillemot family, which considers the move on Ubisoft to be hostile and has refused to allow Vivendi board representation.

Vivendi has said it does not intend to launch a takeover bid for Ubisoft, saying it wants to collaborate with the existing management so that synergies can be found with Gameloft.

"I don't believe the synergy argument," said Vikram Kumar, a hedge fund manager at London-based TT International, which owns more than 1 percent of Ubisoft shares. "If Vivendi wants to get the hands on the company, it has to be a purely financially based outcome."

Ubisoft declined to comment for this story.

Even though he has assembled an empire that stretches from Dakar to Dunkirk, and amassed an estimated net worth of more than $5 billion, Bollore is unlikely to disappear into retirement any time soon.

His publicly stated plan the idea is to hand over the Bollore group to his four children in six years' time. He has even set a countdown on his smartphone for Feb. 17, 2022, the date that will mark the bicentenary of the family group and supposedly end his career as pater familias for the company.

But not even his family is convinced.

"I don't believe one second in this countdown," his son Yannick told French newspaper L'Opinion last month.

"The more the deadline approaches, the less he looks at it."

($1 = 0.8981 euros)

(Additional reporting by Giulia Segreti in Milan; Editing by Richard Lough and Pravin Char)
LONDON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Britain will plug a funding gap of up to 4.5 billion pounds ($5.8 billion) for European Union-financed projects in agriculture, universities and its regions once it leaves the bloc, Finance Minister Philip Hammond said.

Scientists, farmers and other recipients of EU funding had been facing uncertainty after Britain voted to leave the EU on June 23, before receiving reassurance on Saturday that the UK government would pick up the tab.

The new guarantee over funding comes as Britain faces the looming prospect of a recession following the Brexit vote, with uncertainty over a new relationship with the EU expected to cause firms to defer investment and consumers to slow spending.

Hammond said projects signed before Britain's Autumn Statement financial update, will continue to be funded by Britain after it formally leaves the EU and the UK would match the current level of agricultural funding until 2020.

The country will not start the two-year leaving process this year Prime Minister Theresa May has said.

Hammond told British media that the funds needed to fill the gap left by the EU are around 4.5 billion pounds a year.

"We recognise that many organisations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive," Hammond said.

The funding guarantee covered structural and investment funds and Horizon research funding, the Treasury said.

($1 = 0.7736 pounds) (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Dhaka (AFP) - Bangladeshi police have formally arrested a British national allegedly involved in the deadly Islamist attack on a Dhaka cafe that killed 22 people last month, officials said Saturday.

Hasnat Karim, a 47-year-old Briton, had initially been detained along with Tahmid Khan, 22, a University of Toronto student, as a suspect in the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

A court Saturday ordered Karim to be remanded in custody for eight more days after police said he was the "first person" to be formally arrested over the attack.

Karim and Khan were both inside the Holey Artisan Bakery when gunmen raided the cafe on the night of July 1, taking a group of mainly Western diners hostage and then killing 20 of them, along with two policemen.

Police had sought to hold Karim for 10 more days, saying the father of two should be questioned further as he was now the "first person to have been arrested in the case".

"We have found some information regarding his involvement in that incident," Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Masudur Rahman told AFP.

Karim and Khan were last week arrested under a law which allows the police to detain someone on suspicion of any crime but they were not directly linked to the attack.

Karim's lawyer maintained he was innocent.

"We've said that he was a victim of circumstances. He was used as a body shield and forced to walk with the attackers at gunpoint," Golam Mostafa told AFP.

Khan was remanded into police custody for six days, police said.

Neither Karim and Khan have been seen in public since the end of the siege when commandos stormed the cafe in the capital's upmarket Gulshan neighbourhood on the morning of July 2.

The men's families have said they were being held by security forces even though there was no evidence to link them to the attackers.

Karim's father Rezaul Karim last week told AFP that his son had helped save lives during the siege.

Story continues

"My son was a hero. He saved the life of at least eight people during the siege. I know him. He is innocent."

Relatives say Karim, his wife and two children were at the cafe to celebrate the 13th birthday of their daughter.

Reports in local media said both men were being investigated for suspicious activity during the siege. They said Khan was seen holding a firearm and Hasnat Karim strolling with the attackers on the roof.

Karim was a lecturer at the North-South University in Dhaka, where two of the five attackers who were gunned down at the end of the siege had studied.

Khan, who is a Bangladeshi citizen, was back in his homeland while on leave from the university.

Police earlier this week named a Canadian citizen, Tamim Chowdhury, as the attack's mastermind, offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The siege was by far the deadliest in a string of attacks claimed by Islamist groups which have blighted Bangladesh over the last three years.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Note to burglars -- don't fall asleep outside the place you just burglarized with your vehicle full of the loot.

A pair of 17-year-olds in the Central California community of Winton were arrested and released to the custody of their parents on Friday after passing out in a haze of marijuana smoke outside of a construction site, their blue SUV packed with copper wires and other items from the property, police said.

The youths also had a loaded gun, which investigators determined had been stolen in March of this year, said Jason Goins, Undersheriff for the Merced County Sheriff's Department.

They were spotted in their car by a sheriff's deputy shortly after midnight on Friday, Goins said.

"There was a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle," Goins said. "They were passed out and he had to wake them up."

The youths, whom Goins said were gang members, were arrested on suspicion of participating in a criminal street gang, possessing stolen property and having a loaded firearm in the vehicle.

"We've run across it before - people who are intoxicated or high on drugs passed out at the scene," Goins said. "It's not common but it does happen."

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Sandra Maler)
With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, crossing the Missouri River to connect and unify the U.S. became a priority. In 1854 a ferry service connected Omaha and Iowa, but a bridge was obviously the only way to ease crossing for large numbers of people and freight.

Railroads tried imaginative concepts, including an ice bridge in 1872 and a pontoon bridge in 1888, and though the Golden Spike at Promontory Summit (not Point), Utah, in 1869 supposedly marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad, it was in fact not finished until 1872 when the Union Pacific bridge connected milepost 0 in Iowa with Nebraska.

Still, a hopefully free wagon/pedestrian bridge was needed, and it wasn't fulfilled until the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben stepped up to the plate.

In 1882, a decade after the Union Pacific completed the railroad bridge across the Missouri River, active discussion centered around a wagon bridge. Apparently very limited wagon use of the railroad bridge had occurred with tolls ranging from 5 to 60 cents charged for a single crossing.

Actual construction of the first wagon/street railway bridge began in 1886 and the following year the Omaha & Council Bluffs Railway & Bridge Co. of Nebraska was incorporated. Its $500,000, 3,263-foot-span bridge connecting to Omahas Douglas Street opened Oct. 30, 1888, with Ben Murphy riding his horse across as the first toll customer.

Complaints were voiced in 1890 pointing out that the space between the trolley rails should be paved but were ignored. Beginning in 1922 and completed in 1924, what would become known as the Douglas Street Bridge was widened to 40 feet and discussion in 1935 called for additional bridges on Farnam and Dodge streets but with no action.

By the late 1930s it was pointed out that the huge tolls, purportedly over $1 million, had been collected by the Omaha & Council Bluffs Railway, which leased the crossing from the separate bridge company, and a further outcry for a free bridge began. The owners offered to sell the bridge but the city balked. However the concept was picked up by the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben who saw a great civic good which could be accomplished without using tax dollars.

In June 1938 Ak-Sar-Ben sold bonds to finance the purchase of the Douglas Street Bridge for $2,350,000 which allowed continued trolley use of the bridge without cost. Now named Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge, they also agreed to replace the bridges decking and only collect tolls until the bonds were paid off at which time they would give the bridge to Iowa and Nebraska and no further charges would be made as tolls.

Although minor objections came from Omahas mayor and the Nebraska governor, it was obviously a popular public boon. In 1939, the 500,000 board foot lumber planking was replaced with a concrete deck, sodium vapor lights had been installed and the entire structure painted. The same year Ak-Sar-Ben turned down a potential sale of the bridge to a private concern which would have netted them a $500,000 profit but would have meant it would have remained a toll bridge indefinitely, thus defeating their goal. By the end of the first year of ownership Ak-Sar-Ben had spent $300,000 in improvements but had still paid off $200,000 of the bonds.

In 1940 a separate nonprofit corporation was established and three years later half of the bonds had been retired. Only $600,000 in bonds remained in place by the end of 1945 even though still more work had been completed and in June of 1947 they predicted that by that fall the bridge would be toll free.

In 1933 another bridge, a W.P.A. project, had been completed, called the South Omaha Bridge which was also purchased by Ak-Sar-Ben. Projections showed that it, too, should be paid off and toll free at the same time as the Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge.

In September, the South Omaha Bridge had been paid off and on Sept. 24, 1947, at 11:30 a.m., George Langeferman paid the last Omaha toll and with 35,000 observers on hand the bridge was opened toll free and deeds given to Iowa and Nebraska.

Without tolls it was estimated that bridge use doubled the following year. In 1955 the remainder of an escrow account was expended for more repairs and in 1961 the bridge association corporation was dissolved. The Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge, with the exception of a small west pier, was demolished in 1968 with the I-480 bridge taking its place. Thus the first purely road bridge to connect Iowa and Nebraska also became known as Ak-Sar-Bens greatest civic achievement.
Havana (AFP) - Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro turned 90 on Saturday in an island transformed from the one he led for half a century.

Both loved as a hero and hated as a dictator, Castro is one of the giant figures of modern history.

He defied 10 US presidents during his 48 years in power, but in the decade since he stepped aside Cuba has become a different world. His sworn foe, the United States, is no longer officially Cuba's enemy.

- Warrior -

Now white-bearded and frail, Castro was a strapping 32-year-old in green fatigues when he led a rebel force that drove out dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

His image as a revolutionary warrior storming down from the mountains, rifle in hand, stirred his admirers' imagination. His communist policies and iron-fisted treatment of rivals drew the hostility of the United States and other Western powers.

His voice used to boom out over Havana in speeches that lasted hours. Nowadays he is rarely heard from, although his face still smiles out from countless billboards across the Caribbean island.

No official public events were scheduled to mark his birthday. The former president spends his days out of sight at home.

But in an article published by official media late Friday, Castro showed that he had lost little of his old fire, particularly when it comes to his longtime enemy the United States.

He criticized US President Barack Obama for failing to explicitly apologize during his historic visit to Japan in May for Washington's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. He condemned as "equally criminal" the bombing of Nagasaki three days later.

Referring to the scores of US assassination plots against him -- Cuban intelligence services numbered them at more than 600, some reportedly involving poisoned or explosive cigars -- he said, "I almost laughed at the Machiavellian plans of US presidents."

- 'Dictator' -

Although mostly out of sight, Castro has not been out of the minds of ordinary Cubans. State newspapers on the communist island have for days been printing pictures and articles about him to mark his 90th year. Concerts have been played in his honor.

Story continues

Fidel Castro retired from public life in 2006 due to ill health. He formally transferred the presidency to his brother Raul in 2008.

But Fidel continues to exert "an indirect influence through certain figures in the regime who are not comfortable with the reforms that Raul has made," said Kevin Casas-Zamora, a political scientist at Oxford University.

Raul, 85, has gradually opened up Cuba's economy and foreign relations, restoring diplomatic relations with Fidel's old foe, the United States.

Such reforms were unthinkable when Cuba was a pro-Soviet state on the United States' doorstep during the Cold War.

Fidel gave free healthcare, housing and schooling to citizens on a poor island.

"Fidel is everything. He is sport, he is culture. He is rebellion. If Cubans are rebels, it is thanks to Fidel," said Manuel Bravo, a 48-year-old glazier.

But the former president's regime is also accused by human rights groups of brutally repressing dissent by torturing and jailing opponents.

"I will remember him as a dictator," said Martha Beatriz Roque, 71, an anti-Castro dissident who was one of 75 opponents jailed in the "black spring" of 2003.

"He is the man of 'E's: egomaniacal, egotistical, egocentric," she said.

"I don't know whether I will be able to wish him a happy birthday."

- 'Hero' -

Castro has reportedly suffered from intestinal illness in recent years. But official secrecy shrouds his condition.

He last appeared in public on April 19 at the close of the Cuban Communist Party Congress.

Dressed in a blue tracksuit and speaking in a trembling voice, he seemed to say goodbye.

"Soon I'll be like all the rest," he said. "Everyone's turn comes."

After Barack Obama visited Cuba in March, Castro recalled the island's long enmity with the United States, including Washington's backing for the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in 1961.

His bitterness over that botched CIA plot played a part in pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis the following year. The Soviet Union agreed to his request to send ballistic missiles to Cuba.

"For most Latin Americans, Fidel Castro represents heroic resistance to the hegemony and control of the United States," said Peter Hakim, an international affairs expert at Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank.

"But I do not think he will be seen as a hero for much longer... The modern world has left him and Cuba behind."
Leanne Drapeau, an Atlantic reader and high-school teacher in Connecticut, has a story that illustrates just how valuable education can be in shaping good citizens. Her class of seniors in a summer credit recovery program had been reading Platos Allegory of the Cave and Malcolm Xs autobiography when she came across a 2015 Atlantic essay about teaching philosophy in prison that references both of these works. Leanne writes:

Naturally I brought the essay into school the next day and it was an incredibly empowering class for the students, who, now equipped with Plato and Malcolm, could fully enter into discussion  both with regard to the essay itself and education behind prison walls.

That essay, Incarceration, Education, Emancipation, is by Eric Anthamatten, who teaches college-level philosophy courses to inmates in New York, Texas, and Connecticut. After one lesson, a student who was serving a life sentence told him, Ive never felt so free as when Im in this class. Anthamatten reflects:

How is it that anyone can experience freedom inside a place that is designed to make the person unfree? One answer is that freedom is a private, internal experience of power and understanding. In the case of these inmates, that also means being able to dialogue with the past, express themselves to others, and to imagine and articulate a future. It means actively participating in and contributing to a conversation, a problem, and a solution. It is the experience of being recognized as a whole person.

Back to Leanne. Her students were so interested that they asked to go to a prison with a college education program and interview the inmates.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Washington (AFP) - Michel Richard, an innovative and enormously influential French chef who helped turn Washington from a food backwater into one of the best eating cities in the country, died Saturday at 68, US media reported.

The Brittany-born Richard died of complications of a stroke, his assistant Mel Davis told The Washington Post.

Starting his career as a pastry chef in France, he came to the United States as a young man, finally arriving in Washington in 1993. His Citronelle restaurant had an impact on the city's culinary culture that "cannot be overestimated," leading other chefs to follow him to Washington, The Post reported.

He later opened a high-end bistro, Michel Richard Central, that gave a French twist to some American classics.

"I am completely saddened by the news of a great chef & close friend's passing," tweeted Thomas Keller, who won the James Beard Best Chef in America award in 1997 and whose French Laundry restaurant in California is considered one of the best in the world.

Richard himself won the Beard best-chef award in 2006.

And boosted no doubt by the groundwork he laid, Washington was honored by Bon Appetit magazine this year as the nation's best restaurant city.
By Amanda Becker and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton on Friday released her 2015 tax returns, which showed the Democratic presidential nominee and her husband had $10.75 million in income that year and paid an effective federal tax rate of 34.2 percent. In 2015, the Clintons made $1 million in charitable contributions, mostly to the Clinton Foundation; former President Bill Clinton brought in nearly $5.3 million in speaking fees; and the former secretary of state reported income of $3 million from publisher Simon & Schuster for her book on her tenure at the State Department. Clinton's running mate, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with his wife, Anne Holton, released 10 years of tax returns. They paid an effective federal tax rate of 20.3 percent in 2015. "Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine continue to set the standard for financial transparency," Clinton campaign aide Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. "In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns." It is customary for U.S. presidential candidates to make their tax returns public, although they are not required by law to do so. Clinton's tax returns have been made public, in some form, every year since 1977. Trump, a New York businessman, and his lawyers have cited an audit by the Internal Revenue Service as a reason for his refusal to release his returns. Trump also has said his taxes are no one's business and that they reveal little. "Your move," Clinton campaign aide Ian Sams said on Twitter, linking to the Democratic nominee's returns. The Trump campaign dismissed Clinton's action, saying in a statement: "This document release is nothing more than an attempt at distraction and misdirection" from controversy about her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. The IRS has said Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit. On Thursday, Trumps special counsel, Michael Cohen, told CNN he would not allow Trump to release them until the audits are complete. RETURNS SHOW BUSINESS TIES Trump's critics, including 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and other fellow Republicans, have said his refusal raises questions about his net worth, his charitable contributions, his business dealings and various other ties, including with Russia. Clinton has pounced on the issue, releasing an online video on Friday highlighting high-profile Republicans urging Trump to release his taxes. On Thursday, she raised the issue during an economic speech in Michigan. "He refuses to do what every other presidential candidate in decades has done and release his tax returns," she told the crowd. Politico has reported that Trump paid zero to very little taxes for two years in the 1990s, and a New York Times business columnist on Friday quoted a number of tax lawyers and accountants saying that could still be the case. Federal tax rates have become an issue in the presidential election. Clinton has endorsed a rule named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett that would ensure those making more than $1 million a year pay a tax rate of at least 30 percent. President Barack Obama also backs the proposal. At a Clinton rally last week in Omaha, Nebraska, Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate is based there, challenged Trump to meet and exchange tax returns. Buffet said that he too was under IRS audit and Trump is "afraid" not of the tax-collection agency but of voters. Clinton's campaign has released tax returns going back to 2007. The Clintons, who now live in Chappaqua, New York, paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 32 percent from 2007 to 2014 and an effective combined tax rate of approximately 40.5 percent. The Clintons' 2015 return showed that, unlike most Americans, just $100 of their income came from wages. Their main investment was a low-cost index mutual fund, and the Clintons reported dividend and interest income of $109,000. (Additional reporting by Kevin Drawbaugh; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
This Colorado sexual assault survivor gave the most incredible speech to empower other survivors

This Colorado sexual assault survivor gave the most incredible speech to empower other survivors

Coming forward about being sexually assaulted isnt right for everyone, and neither is going to court. But for some victims and survivors, its an extremely important part of regaining power. For one unnamed University of Colorado student, coming forward was the right move, and shes hopeful that by openly discussing her sexual assault and challenging her attacker in court, shell inspire others to do the same. Her statement to the court, according to Refinery29, was incredibly moving and incredibly important.

Heres a little of what she had to say:

She called out a system when we worry about ruining the life of rapists, rather than victims & survivors of sexual assault.

His life is ruined. Oh yeah, and its not like my life isnt ruined or anything. Its always been about the rapist since the assault. As the victim of this sexual assault, my life has been ruined socially, psychologically, academically, and financially.

She reminded us that victims and survivors often know their rapists.

Instead of having the typical fun 21st birthday celebration, I was saying that I couldnt go to the bars with everyone because I had too much homework. In reality, I was too scared of my friends friends because the rapist was a friend of a friend I feel like those dogs who become afraid or dont like being around certain people. In my case, Im afraid of acquaintances, since this sexual assault was an acquaintance rape.

She opened up about they impact its had on her mental health.

When Im not having nightmares of rape, retaliation, or retrial that goes awry, Im having panic attacks. Like the nightmares, these started after the sexual assault. Prior to the assault, I never had a panic attack in my life. At first, I thought these panic attacks were random, but the more of them I had, the more a pattern emerged that aligned with the sexual assault: I would be peacefully sleeping when all of the sudden I would be jolted awake by this horrible thing happening to me. There wasnt much I could do except try to breathe through it  just try to survive  and wait for the horrible thing to be over with. Just. Like. The assault.

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She shared that the assault made her suicidal.

Its the depression. About a month after the assault, I tried to kill myself because of the impact of the sexual assault. Some days I cant even get out of bed, let alone do four readings, projects, and study for tests. And no wonder. The rapist made pleasurable things of sex, sleep, and going out traumatic. So its no surprise that less pleasurable things like studying are 100 times more difficult.

She reminded us of the financial impact of sexual violence.

Finally, financially. $250,000. $127,582 lost of future wages because Ill still be in school instead of working. Lower starting income because Ill only have an undergraduate degree instead of a masters degree: $14,698. Hospital bills from panic attacks: $5,000. Bills for antidepressants: $100. MESA trauma class: $90. Money spent on textbooks and material for failed and withdrawn classes: $10,000. Money lost on failed and withdrawn classes: $15,000. Money lost on having to do extra undergraduate years (which includes housing and living expenses): $20,000. Bills from suicide attempt resulting in MIP, hospitalization, and BASICS classes: $4,000. $52,900 for my parents time, my time, and gas spent for meetings and trial. The $250,000 doesnt even include a lifetime of future expenses of therapy, antidepressants, etc. as a result of this sexual assault.

And, finally, she talked about victim-blaming.

Following my breaking down and crying and getting ridiculed about the sexual assault, someone in the jury had the audacity to ask me why I didnt say, No. The real question is, Why didnt the rapist get my consent?! It would be like if someone robbed you and they said, Well you didnt say no! Does a lack of a no make the robbery okay? Of course not! Even my own mother was victim-blaming. She told me that if I hadnt been drunk, this wouldnt have happened. Yet, it was excusable for him to rape me because he was drunk. After all Ive endured emotionally, physically, psychologically, and financially, the burden of the blame still crashes down on my shoulders.

In the end, her rapist was sentenced to zero prison time for sexual assault.

Hearing about this unnamed survivors case, its impossible not to think of the Stanford Survivor. And, unfortunately, the case had a similar result: her rapist, Austin Wilkerson, got no prison time, while the Stanford Survivors rapist got only six months.

People are infuriated.

And rightfully so. Its so sickening to live in a society where people continue to get away with sexual violence based on the argument like the one made by Judge Patrick Butler, as reported by The Huffington Post, that the rapists life would be damaged by jail time.

Judges who don't understand the impact of rape have no place on the bench. #AustinWilkerson  Hannah Cwan (@HannahBCowan) August 11, 2016

Judge said "I think we need to find out whether he can or cannot be rehabilitated. Basically, let's see if he rapes again. #AustinWilkerson  R E N E G A D E  (@valicenavidad) August 11, 2016

His name is #austinwilkerson . And his whole life SHOULD BE defined by being a rapist. https://t.co/qsBw6ToTYr  Jennifer K. (@jenlvsbooks) August 11, 2016

Outrageous how white, male judges are so concerned that young, white RAPISTS will suffer ill effects if they go to prison. #AustinWilkerson  Osborne Rogers (@osbornerogers1) August 11, 2016

We hope that the survivor has found empowerment in her statement, and that we one day live in a society where all victims and survivors of sexual violence are listened to, respected, and empowered, rather than blamed for their own trauma.

The post This Colorado sexual assault survivor gave the most incredible speech to empower other survivors appeared first on HelloGiggles.
KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's state miner Gecamines expects to increase copper production by over 40 percent this year as new machinery comes online, the company said on Friday. Gecamines plans to produce 24,000 tonnes of copper this year and 50,000 tonnes next year, interim director-general Jacques Kamenga told Reuters. This is up from about 17,000 tonnes in 2015, according to central bank figures. The increase in production will be driven by a new concentrator at the company's Kambove site, new electrical lines and a machine to crush ore at its Kamatanda mine, Kamenga said. "We have all the mechanisms in place to reach that production level," he added. The company's output peaked at close to 500,000 tonnes in 1986, but then fell during decades of political upheaval, mismanagement and asset sales. In recent years, investments by companies like Glencore and Freeport-McMoRan have helped make Congo Africa's top copper producer. Congo, the world's fifth-biggest copper producer, produced 990,000 tonnes of the metal last year, down from 1.03 million tonnes in 2014. In June, Gecamines announced a modernisation plan for 2016-2020 that will see the company invest $717 million in operations in a bid to increase production to over 100,000 tonnes per year. However, similar promises have failed to pan out. Gecamines is some $1.6 billion in debt and Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo sharply criticized the company in May for poor leadership and a lack of transparency, charges the company rejects. Kamenga also said negotiations are ongoing with China Nonferrous Metal Mining Company (CNMC) over major investments the company is supposed to make in two factories, including one at Deziwa, Gecamines' flagship project. Congo's copper production surpassed 1 million tonnes for the first time in 2014 but slumping commodity prices caused output to fall about 20 percent in the first quarter of this year. (Reporting By Aaron Ross; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Susan Thomas)
Last week, UFC president Dana White announced some important fight news on UFC.com: new welterweight champ Tyron Woodley would be facing Steve Wonderboy Thompson next, and featherweight champ Conor McGregor would defend his belt against interim belt holder Jose Aldo. But during a media scrum on Friday, Conor McGregor didnt sound like he was committed to the promotions plan at all.

I read that, he said when asked about the proposed Aldo rematch. Well see. Well see.

Related Links:





Later he bristled at the idea that he was refusing to defend his featherweight title. Theyre praying I dont come back! Ive beaten everyone in the division. If Frankie had of won after all the s**t he was talking and his team was talking, it would have been set in stone: Id be going back there to shut that man up. But he got slapped around that fight, he couldnt do nothing against a guy that I KOd in one shot.

Im the featherweight world champion. The guy I KOd in 13 seconds is holding the interim, so what does that tell you? Im leaps and bounds ahead of that featherweight division. Im the world champion, of course Ill defend it at some time in the future. But well see what happens after this fight.

But if not a featherweight title defense, then what? When one reporter noted that all signs are pointing to a Georges St. Pierre comeback, McGregor became contemplative. You hear so many things. Lets see what happens. Lets see the dotted line signed. Lets see fights take place.

But right now I dont see anyone on my level, so Im having a hard time deciding whos next after this one. So well see. Well let things play out and then well figure it out.

Beyond the question of who is the issue of where. Four of McGregors last five fights have taken place in Las Vegas, and its clear the Irish superstar is ready for a change of venue.

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I certainly want to fight closer to home, he said. Ive fought so many times, Im very active as you know. Ive fought out here in Vegas and its a long trip from Ireland, so New York is certainly closer. Theres a lot of Irish in New York  I would like to fight there. I think Ive earned a chance to fight in my hometown also. So those are things that I want to do.

Giving McGregor a fight in Dublin may be something the UFC can do to bring him around on the idea of rematching Jose Aldo. But at this point its unclear whether they have a carrot or stick big enough to make him do anything hes not particularly interested in doing. And right now, McGregor sounds like a man scanning the moneyweight division for an opponent, and not finding much that excites him.

(video via Zombie Prophet)
By Justin Madden (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday overturned the murder conviction of one of two Wisconsin men serving life sentences for the 2005 slaying of a freelance photographer in a case spotlighted in the popular Netflix television documentary "Making a Murderer." Magistrate Judge William Duffin ruled that the guilty verdict returned by a trial jury in 2007 against Brendan Dassey was based on a coerced confession he gave as a 16-year-old youth with a learning disability. Dassey and his uncle, Steven Avery, were convicted in separate trials of killing freelance photographer Teresa Halbach at Avery's home in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Halbach's charred remains were found in an incineration barrel and a burn pit on Avery's property, about 80 miles (130 km) north of Milwaukee. The case was the subject of the 10-part Netflix-released documentary "Making a Murderer," which questioned the handling of the investigation and the motivation of Manitowoc County law enforcement officials, who sent Avery to prison in 1985 for a rape he did not commit. "As we have done for the past 10 years, we will continue to document the story as it unfolds, and follow it wherever it may lead," film makers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos said in a joint statement. Avery served 18 years in prison before DNA evidence exonerated him of the rape. He filed a $36 million federal lawsuit against the county, its former sheriff and district attorney in 2004. A year later, Avery and his nephew were accused of killing Halbach. Dassey was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, second-degree sexual assault and mutilation of a corpse. Avery was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and being a felon in possession of a gun. The Emmy-nominated documentary suggests authorities planted evidence against both defendants, a claim rejected by the current sheriff. In his ruling on Friday, Duffin wrote that misconduct by Dassey's own lawyer was "indefensible," including his permitting investigators to interrogate his client without being present. The judge also faulted Dassey's interrogation by investigators, who assured the teenager "he would not be punished if he admitted participating in the offenses" and that "he had nothing to worry about." "These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary," Duffin said. Dassey is set for release within 90 days unless prosecutors plan to retry him. Avery has filed a notice of appeal in his own case. His attorneys were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Justin Madden in Chicago; Editing by Steve Gorman and Leslie Adler)
Caracas (AFP) - A Venezuelan court upheld the 14-year sentence of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez on Friday, in a move likely to increase tension in the crisis-hit South American country.

Lopez has repeatedly declared himself innocent of the charge of inciting violence at anti-government protests in 2014, calling himself a political prisoner.

"This is certainly a political trial. Unfortunately, the government's interest takes priority over the justice system," Lopez's lawyer Juan Carlos Gutierrez told AFP.

"They upheld his sentence under the same terms," Gutierrez said, referring to the 14-year sentence.

A 45-year-old US-educated economist, Lopez was arrested in February 2014 amid a wave of pro- and anti-government protests that swept Venezuela and left 43 people dead.

The government accused Lopez, one of leftist President Nicolas Maduro's most hardline opponents, of inciting the violence.

His sentence, handed down in September after a closed-door trial, was strongly condemned by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union.

During his 12-hour July appeals hearing, Lopez once again declared himself innocent.

Jesus Torrealba, spokesman for the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), wrote on Twitter Friday that the group rejects "the illegal and unjust condemnation of our brother @leopoldolopez and we reiterate that he will be freed by a vote of the people."

Venezuela's opposition has steeled itself in a battle to remove Maduro in a recall referendum, blaming the leader for the country's mounting chaos.

Once-booming Venezuela, home to the world's largest oil reserves, is gripped by severe shortages of food, medicine and basic goods that have triggered violence and looting.

The opposition is racing to force a referendum by January 10, four years into the president's six-year term.

Any time after that, a successful recall vote would simply transfer power to Maduro's hand-picked vice-president rather than trigger new elections.
Shemar Moore is walking into the weekend $60,000 richer.

The Criminal Minds alum will receive $61,084 following a plea deal from a former castmate who bilked Moores charity, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office told TheWrap on Friday.

Moore befriended Keith Tisdell after the latter appeared on two episodes of Criminal Minds as a character named Rodney Harris.

Also Read: Thomas Gibson Responds to 'Criminal Minds' Firing

Moore portrayed Derek Morgan on the CBS series from 2005 until earlier this year.

Tisdell became involved with Moores charity, Baby Girl LLC, but an audit later indicated that the till for the organization was short. Tisdell was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement in January, eventually admitting to grand theft, according to the Los Angeles Times.

During Tisdells sentencing on Wednesday, Moore told the court that he confronted his former friend about the missing money, but Tisdell denied taking it, the Times reported.

Also Read: Thomas Gibson Fired From 'Criminal Minds' After Kicking Writer

Ive done a lot for him because he had me, my friends fooled, Moore said. Im not here for money. Im here because he betrayed a friendship. This is not OK. You dont do this to people.

As part of his plea deal, Tisdell must not only return the money to Moore, but keep his nose clean for the next three years.

A spokesperson for Shemar Moore has not yet responded to TheWraps request for comment.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Thomas Gibson Responds to 'Criminal Minds' Firing

Thomas Gibson Fired From 'Criminal Minds' After Kicking Writer

CBS Suspends 'Criminal Minds' Star Thomas Gibson for Kicking Writer
Shemar Moore, who portrayed beloved FBI agent Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds, was robbed of $61,084 by an actor and former colleague who guest-starred on the hit crime drama.

According to court documents obtained by ET, Keith Tisdell, 42, was convicted on charges that he stole money from Moore. An agreement was reached Wednesday morning in California, in which Tisdell will repay the 46-year-old actor.

WATCH: Shemar Moore Opens Up About Criminal Minds Surprise Exit: 'Last Night Was Not Goodbye

Tisdell is ordered to pay restitution to Baby Girl LLC, a charity created by Moore (named after one of his signature phrases on the show) that aims to help those battling multiple sclerosis. Tisdell was involved with the charity and arrested in January on suspicion of embezzlement. Moore reportedly learned of the missing cash from an audit.

ET reached out to Moores reps, who declined to comment.

The news comes just one day after another Criminal Minds star, Thomas Gibson, made headlines for allegedly kicking a writer in the leg while filming scenes a few weeks ago. He was temporarily suspended from the show, and permanently let go from the CBS series on Friday.

Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds, a joint statement from ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios read. Creative details for how the characters exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date.

Gibson, who played Aaron Hotchner, quickly responded to the news, stating, I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last 12 years.

WATCH: Thomas Gibson Fired From 'Criminal Minds After On-Set Altercation

I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that wont be possible now, Gibson continued. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have.

Hear more in the video below.

Related Articles
CHICAGO (AP) -- Following two stints in the minors this season, Randal Grichuk is back in the majors and eager to prove he belongs.

Grichuk hit a grand slam that capped a six-run burst in the eighth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals stopped the Cubs' 11-game winning streak, beating Chicago 8-4 Saturday.

After a run-scoring wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the eighth put the Cardinals ahead 4-2, Grichuk connected.

It was his second homer since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Thursday - and it came on his 25th birthday, no less.

''I feel like a lot of people let that opportunity slip away thinking they're going to have many more,'' Grichuk said. ''I'm definitely thankful for being up here right now and getting the opportunities, and I'm definitely trying to take advantage of it.''

Brandon Moss and Jedd Gyorko also homered for St. Louis.

Addison Russell hit his 14th homer for the NL Central-leading Cubs.

Alex Reyes (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to get his first major league win in his second appearance.

St. Louis starter Luke Weaver gave up two runs on four hits in his major league debut. The 22-year-old was lifted for a pinch hitter after four innings and 85 pitches.

Carl Edwards Jr. (0-1) allowed five runs while getting only two outs.

Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks struck out 12, matching a career best, in seven innings. He gave up five hits, including two homers. His ERA rose slightly from 2.17 to 2.19.

''Just two bad changeups, really, two changeups up (in the strike zone),'' Hendricks said. ''That was about it. Hopefully, we could keep that winning streak going, but we'll start a new one tomorrow.''

It was 2-all in the eighth when the Cardinals loaded the bases with one out. Edwards Jr. struck out Yadier Molina with a breaking pitch in the dirt and the ball bounced off the chest of catcher Willson Contreras and rolled toward the third-base dugout, allowing Stephen Piscotty to score.

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Edwards then walked the next two batters to force in another run. Joe Smith relieved and Grichuk hit his slam.

''It means a lot,'' Grichuk said. ''It's definitely a confidence booster. In Wrigley against the Cubs, a division rival, it's definitely big and, hopefully, the confidence can carry over through the rest of the season.''

FUTURE ACES?

With Weaver and Reyes, 21, the Cardinals have a pair of prized pitching prospects. Manager Mike Matheny was asked if he allowed himself to think about both being in the rotation next season while watching them on Saturday.

''I won't deny that that hit me at some point in that game,'' Matheny said. ''I even turned to (bench coach) Dave Bell and said, 'This is really impressive stuff. These kids are making a nice first statement.'

''You probably couldn't throw them into a hotter spot than what we just threw them into. This is a tough place to pitch and watching them . not just survive, I thought they looked terrific,'' he said.

LA STELLA UPDATE

The Cubs are awaiting a decision from INF Tommy La Stella, who was put on the inactive list earlier this week after failing to report to Triple-A Iowa following a demotion last month. La Stella returned to his home in New Jersey.

''I'm still very optimistic about him coming back, but nothing has really abruptly changed right now,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ''I think he was very clear how he felt. I think we were very clear back to him how we felt.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) was placed 15-day disabled on Saturday to make room for Weaver on the roster.

Cubs: After a bullpen session Friday, RHP Hector Rondon (sore triceps) reported no physical complications. Maddon said the reliever was ''real close'' to a return to the active roster ... RHP Pedro Strop, who had an arthroscopic procedure to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee on Thursday, was back in the clubhouse on Saturday walking on crutches. He's expected to be sidelined four to six weeks.

UP NEXT

Cubs RHP John Lackey (9-7, 3.56 ERA) pitches the finale on Sunday. Lackey, who jumped from the Cardinals to the Cubs in the offseason, is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA against St. Louis this season. RHP Mike Leake (8-9, 4.79) goes for the Cardinals.
By Frank McGurty

(Reuters) - Six people, including three members of an Indiana family and a German exchange student, were killed on Friday when their small plane plowed into a line of trees after an aborted landing at a northern Virginia airport, authorities said on Saturday.

The twin-engine aircraft, identified as a 1969-model Beech 95-B55, crashed at the edge of Shannon Airport outside Fredericksburg, about 55 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.

The plane touched down halfway along the runway, pulled up and executed a maneuver known as a "go-round," but the engines appeared to stall as the pilot tried to turn and climb, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement.

"The plane banked left, crashed in the trees and immediately caught fire," Geller said. She said the crash occurred at 12:24 p.m. (12:24 p.m. EDT).

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the state police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Representatives of the NTSB and the FAA could not be reached on Saturday.

Six bodies were recovered from the wreckage including the remains of the pilot, William Hamerstadt, 64, of Carmel, Indiana, and the plane's owner, Robert D. Ross, 73, of Louisville, Kentucky.

The four other passengers were Lisa Borinstein, 52, of Shelbyville, Indiana; her son Luke, 19; her daughter Emma, 15; and Maren Timmermann, 15, an exchange student from Berlin, according to a statement from the Northwestern Consolidated Schools of Shelby County.

Emma Borinstein and Timmerman were students at the district's Triton Central High School, the statement said.

Luke Borinstein was a sophomore at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, the school said.

The flight departed from Louisville on Friday morning en route to Shannon with an initial stop in Shelbyville, state police said.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Paul Simao)
Racine Public Library

RACINE  The Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., is offering these free events:

Storytelling with Mij Byram, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Award-winning storyteller Mij Byram will share stories with children and adults about her memories, as well as her favorite folk and fairy tales that continue to shape her life.

Stories from the Racine Corner Store, 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Storyteller Mij Byram will share stories about her upbringing in Racine.

Meet the Author: Betty Marinello, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. Betty Marinello, author of the childrens book Miracles, will visit the library.

For more information or to register for a program, call 262-636-9217 or go to www.racinelibrary.info.

Waterford Public Library

WATERFORD  The Waterford Public Library, 101 N. River St., is offering these free events:

Read to Chester, 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16. Children may sign up for a 15-minute block of time to read to Chester the dog. Registration is required.

Making a Difference with Carrie Reichartz, 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17. Reichartz, author and founder of Operation Give Hope, will talk about the similarities and differences between the U.S. and Kenya. She is asking for donations of new and gently-used shoes to bring on her next trip to Kenya.

Family Movie, 10-11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19. A film about a band of misfit birds will be shown. Sponsored by the Friends of the Waterford Library.

Pooch Parade, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. Dog parade featuring a strut your mutt contest. Participants who stop at the library may purchase a new bed or pull toy crafted by the ladies of the Loose Ends Sewing Club. Proceeds will support the funding of more library classes.

To register or for more information, call 262-534-3988 or go to www.waterford.lib.wi.us.

Graham Public Library

UNION GROVE  Graham Public Library, 1215 Main St., will hold a Make n Take activity from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. Preschoolers with a caregiver are invited to make a simple, self-directed craft project.

Burlington Public Library

BURLINGTON  Burlington Public Library, 166 E. Jefferson St., is offering these free events:

Time Out for Play, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays. Children may play with the librarys puzzles, books, puppets and toys or bring their own. No registration required and free coffee will be offered.

Sensory Storytime at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug.16. This is a hands-on program in the park next to the library where kids can explore with their senses so they may get a little messy.

Yarn Club drop-in 3:30-5 p.m. Mondays. Those with an itch to stitch, crochet or knit are welcome. Children ages 13 through adult are welcome and no experience is necessary. Beginners should bring one pair of size 15 needles, long or short; two skeins of super bulky yarn; and a crochet hook, size I or J.

Born Learning Trail, during weeks of Aug. 15 and 22. This trail offers interactive activities and games that caregivers can play with young children.

For more information, call 262-342-1130 or go to www.burlingtonlibrary.org.
Donald Trump on Friday morning said he was being sarcastic when he told a rally full of supporters, then a radio talk show, that President Barack Obama was the founder of ISIS earlier this week.

The GOP presidential nominee faced immediate backlash for the comments in an already tumultuous week in which he seemed to encourage violence against his rival, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

"Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?" tweeted Trump.

A couple of hours later, he followed up with, "ISIS gained tremendous strength during Hillary Clinton's term as Secretary of State. When will the dishonest media report the facts!"

Read more: Rob Reiner Calls Out GOP Over Trump's 'Second Amendment' Comments: "Enough's Enough"

Trump claimed Wednesday that Obama was the "founder of ISIS" during a rally, then doubled down on Thursday when asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt to clarify that statement.

"No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS. I do," Trump told Hewitt, according to the show's transcript. "He was the most valuable player. I give him the most valuable player award. I give her, too, by the way, Hillary Clinton."

Hewitt responded: "But he's not sympathetic to them. He hates them. He's trying to kill them." Trump replied, "I don't care. He was the founder. His, the way he got out of Iraq was that - that was the founding of ISIS, OK?"

Also on Friday, Trump said he enjoys watching members of the media - whom he calls dishonest and incompetent daily - try to "figure him out."

Read more: Michael Moore Writes Open Letter to Ivanka Trump to Stage "Intervention" on Her Father

"I love watching these poor, pathetic people (pundits) on television working so hard and so seriously to try and figure me out. They can't!" tweeted Trump.

Story continues

Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016

I love watching these poor, pathetic people (pundits) on television working so hard and so seriously to try and figure me out. They can't!

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016

ISIS gained tremendous strength during Hillary Clinton's term as Secretary of State. When will the dishonest media report the facts!

- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016
Adelinde Cornelissen of the Netherlands riding Jecih Parzival during the freestyle Grand Prix individual dressage competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games in France in 2014. (AP)

Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

The reigning silver medalist in the Olympic dressage competition withdrew from the Rio Games after her horse, Parzival, became ill.

Dutch equestrian Adelinde Cornelissen ended her trip to the Olympics after Parzival suffered an apparent spider or insect bite. Cornelissen detailed the reasoning behind the decision in a Facebook post.

After double checking with the vets here they concluded he was bitten by an insect or spider or some sort of animal which produces toxics, she wrote Aug. 10 explaining her decision to withdraw.

The 19-year-old horse had a fever Tuesday morning and the right side of his head was swollen when Cornelissen went to begin training for the day. After getting some tests done and giving the horse fluids to reduce his temperature, Parzival appeared to be in better health and was cleared for competition.

[Related: Rio mystery solved: Can NCAA athletes keep their Olympic medal bonuses?]

Cornelissen said she contacted the International Equestrian Federation to request a schedule change that would allow her and Parzival another day to prepare, but her request was denied.

She made a difficult decision just a few moves into her routine Thursday: Cornelissen quit in order to protect her horse.

As she wrote on Facebook:

When I entered I already felt he was giving his utmost and being the fighter he is, he never gives up. But in order to protect him, I gave upMy buddy, my friend, the horse that has given everything for me his whole life does not deserve this. So I saluted and left the arena..#twohearts



In addition to the individual silver medal, Cornelissen was also a member of the Dutch team that took home bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.

More Summer Olympics coverage on Yahoo Sports:
What Were Following

Deadly Blasts: Four people are dead and more than 30 are injured after 11 explosions hit provinces across Thailand. The attacks, detonated by mobile phone signals, all came within 24 hours of a national holiday marking the birthday of Thailands queen. No one has claimed responsibility, but Thai authorities suspect local separatist groups.

Security Checks: This week, the TSA found 68 firearms in travelers carry-on luggage, including a palm-sized 3-D printed pistolwhich would have slipped by the scanners, if not for the fact that it was loaded. Based on a 2015 undercover test, the TSA has a 95 percent fail rate in detecting weapons, suggesting there may have been even more guns that the agency missed. But Juliette Kayyem, an international security expert, argues that homeland security systems arent the best measure of a countrys safety anywayrather, its the readiness of individual families.

Recommended: Hollywood Has Ruined Method Acting

Meanwhile, in Rio: American swimmer Michael Phelps broke a 2,000-year-old record and American gymnast Simone Biles made history on her own terms. In judo, Egyptian athlete Islam El Shehaby broke a timeless tradition by refusing to shake hands with his Israeli opponent. Read our full Olympic rundown here.

Snapshot

An elephant swims in an indoor pool at the zoo in Leipzig, Germany, on August 8, 2016. See more of the weeks best photos here. (Jens Meyer / AP)

Who Were Talking To

Today we interviewed:

Heather Akou, a professor of fashion design and an expert on the history of full-body swimwear.

Luke Dittrich, the grandson of a neuroscientist and an expert on the ethical dilemmas of lobotomies.

Desiree Dixon, a bank teller in Florida and an expert on the financial needs of military families.

Evening Read

Livia Albeck-Ripka on what happens when an islands lone caretaker leaves:

On a sweltering day in July, the sole inhabitant of Budelli, a small Mediterranean island in Italys Maddalena archipelago, glances up from his iPad just in time to observe a single wave crashing on the shore. He is Mauro Morandi, the frail, 77-year-old caretaker of this rugged paradises wild ecosystem. Aside from weekends and the peak tourist season, when day-trippers peer into Morandis ramshackle home, Budelli is silent, but for the lapping of the water, the calling of gulls, and the howling of the strong northwest wind. The winters here are long and brutal; once, Morandi endured a 20-day storm on the island, alone. He almost went mad. Now, Morandi fears his possible eviction from Budelli, his home of 27 years. Granted the right to reside on and work as a caretaker of the island by its previous, private owners, Morandis future became uncertain this past May when the Italian government reclaimed jurisdiction of Budelli. It is now part of La Maddalena National Park, which is contesting Morandis right to remain on this one-mile stretch of sand.

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Continue reading here.

Recommended: Simone Biles Also Wins at Media Criticism

For a different reading experience this evening, try playing No Mans Skya video game that, Robin Sloan explains, feels a lot like reading a book.

What Do You Know?

1. The essential oils that give ____________ its taste include citrus, cassia, lavender, anise, and nutmeg.

(Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.)

2. The idea behind Google Image Searcha search engine that yields pictures instead of textwas inspired in 2000 by an unprecedented spike in searches for ____________.

(Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.)

3. A series of 400-year-old petroglyphs recently discovered in Hawaii appear to show people ____________.

(Scroll down for the answer, or find it here.)

Olympic Hugs

Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez of Spain embrace after winning their tennis doubles match against Canada. See more Olympic hugs here. (Charles Krupa / AP)

Reader Response

Is the most common therapy for autism cruel? A reader responds to that question, posed by an article about applied behavioral analysis (ABA):

Most of the criticism here seems to be directed at ABA therapy targeted at social skills. I can understand this, though Im not sure that the people regretting their treatment would actually have been better off without that treatment. Still, impossible to say. But ABA is also teaching children to eat and communicate and use the bathroom and get dressed. Its teaching them the basics of independent living. As someone who works in a home for adults with various types of disabilities, including several women who are recipients of ABA therapy, while I feel somewhat uncomfortable with several aspects of how therapy is done, I still see it transforming people who are functioning at a much lower level than the people in this article who will never in a million years be neurotypical but who, by learning life skills, can live a life with dignity and with more independence than otherwise. It also makes it much easier for the caregiver as well (though that may sound heartless).

Read more here. Do you have firsthand experience with ABA? Tell us about it here.

Track of the Day

Whats your favorite music to work to? Reader Allen K. recommends modern cello pieces such as Zoe Keatings Tetrishead, as well as some epic mixes of classical music from video games. Listen here, and send your own recommendations to hello@theatlantic.com.

Verbs

Bad singing celebrated, Ivan the Terrible rebranded, South Park swears charted, fighter jet swarmed.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
RACINE  The City of Racine Health Department has announced a second session to discuss its bike and pedestrian master plan.

The meeting will take place Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Festival Hall, 5 Fifth St. The first session took place in October and more than 70 community members submitted suggestions, according to a press release.

Attendees should include people who are interested in seeing an improvement to the bike/pedestrian routes in the City of Racine, Village of Elmwood Park and Village of Wind Point, whether they are used for recreation or transportation, Health Department Administrator Dottie-Kay Bowersox said in the release.

The meeting will offer community members a chance to interact with the members of the Racine Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Council. Citizens may also learn about draft recommendations for the master plan and share their own thoughts with the council.

We hope to make the appropriate changes based on the communitys recommendations, Bowersox said.

After the public meeting, the feedback will be reviewed and taken into account as potential routes are drafted, further investigated and studied, according to the release. During the meeting, residents will be able to learn about the plan from stand-up displays.

Well have these big panels that will show you locations and also give you perspective from the city, Bowersox said.

And because of the success of the October meeting, Bowersox said the upcoming meeting would have a similar format.

We had great turnout last time and a lot of wonderful information so Im not altering the format, she said.
Fidel Castro turns 90 The caption describing Fidel Castro in his 1945 high school yearbook reads: Distinguished student and a fine athlete. Very popular. Will study law and we have no doubt he will have a brilliant future. (AP Photo)

After surviving more than 600 assassination attempts, defying 10 US presidents and shaping half a century of history, Fidel Castro turns 90 on Saturday. Here are six snapshots of this magnetic, polarizing giant of the 20th century, who has beaten the odds to hang on well into the 21st. - The survivor - The years have left their mark on the father of the Cuban Revolution, who transferred power to his younger brother Raul 10 years ago. His long black beard has turned a wispy gray. He has given up his iconic Cohiba cigars. He rarely appears in public. But Fidel lives on. No one could have predicted his place in history when he launched his revolutionary career with a botched attack on Cubas Moncada military barracks in 1953. The 26-year-old lawyer was captured and jailed for the failed raid, which ended with dozens of rebels killed or executed by dictator Fulgencio Batistas forces. Fast forward six years, and Castro was triumphantly rolling into Havana, having returned from exile to lead a guerrilla army that once numbered just 12 men to defeat Batista and his military of 80,000. The unlikely victory brought the red menace of Communism to the United States doorstep at the height of the Cold War. Alarmed, the US Central Intelligence Agency and Cuban exiles tried to assassinate Castro 634 times, his ex-intelligence chief, Fabian Escalante, has estimated. Castro once told Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet he nearly always carried his Browning pistol just in case. But he denied reports he wore a bullet-proof vest. I have a moral vest. Its strong. It has always protected me, he told journalists in 1979, baring his chest to prove the point. - The seducer - I was so impressed! I could only look at his face and say, I love him, says Mercedes Gonzalez, 59, who has only seen Castro twice up close. But she says she felt an overpowering attraction. With his rugged rebel look and imposing persona, Castro has long fascinated people, and women in particular. He projects a very attractive public image, says Salomon Susi, the author of a Dictionary of Fidel Castros Thoughts. Its part of his legend. Officially, Castro has been married twice and fathered seven children by three women. Rumors of secret affairs and more children abound. But he keeps his private life to himself. Private life, in my opinion, should not be an instrument for publicity or politics, he said in 1992. - The enemy - Castro defined himself in opposition to the American empire, and the resentment lingers to this day. He held his tongue when his successor Raul and US President Barack Obama announced a historic rapprochement in 2014  his younger brothers latest move to slowly reopen the Communist island. Weeks later, he gave his lukewarm blessing. But after Obama visited Cuba last March, Castro lashed out, telling Cubans not to be fooled by the US presidents syrupy words. He recalled the islands long enmity with the US, including Washingtons backing for the failed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in 1961. His bitterness over that botched CIA plot played a part in pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis the following year, when the Soviet Union agreed to his request to send ballistic missiles to Cuba. You dont want to be on Castros bad side. He opened his half-century of iron-fisted rule in 1959 by jailing one of his own guerrilla commanders, Huber Matos, for 20 years when he criticized the new regimes turn toward Communism. Many more crack-downs would follow. Human Rights Watch sharply criticized Castros highly effective machinery of repression across the decades: basic civil and political rights were outlawed, and dissidents were jailed, tortured or forced into exile. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled the island, mostly to the United States, to escape repression and poverty. He is the man of 'Es: egomaniacal, egotistical, egocentric, said Martha Beatriz Roque, 71, an anti-Castro dissident who was one of 75 opponents jailed in the black spring of 2003. I will remember him as a dictator. - The underdog - Castro had a penchant for trying to pull off the seemingly impossible. In 1961, he all but eradicated illiteracy with an ambitious rural education campaign. When the exodus of Cuban exiles left the country with just 3,000 doctors, he vowed to make the island a medical superpower. Today it has 88,000 doctors and one of the most respected health systems in the world. Other projects were less successful. In 1970, with Cubas economy strangled by the US embargo, he ordered a nationwide campaign to harvest a record-shattering 10 million tons of sugar. Despite mobilizing Cubans en masse to work the fields, the campaign failed. Cubans are all too used to Fidel Plans that never quite pan out, like the ones to raise buffalo or turn Cuba into a world-class cheese producer despite a shortage of cows. - The icon - Castro was a hero to revolutionary movements and independence struggles worldwide. He sent 386,000 troops to fight in spots where the Cold War turned hot: Angola, Ethiopia, the Congo, Algeria and Syria. And he backed leftist guerrillas across Latin America. The military results were mixed. But the symbolism was powerful. Hes the most important personality of the 20th century in the Western hemisphere, said Ivan Marquez, second-in-command of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Castros revolution ignited the desire to struggle, to take to the mountains, to grab a rifle and try to change things, Marquez told AFP. - The myth - As Castro gave his speech proclaiming the triumph of the revolution in 1959, a white dove landed on his shoulder. The man had officially become the myth. In a country where Catholicism blends with African religions, Cubans say Castro is protected by Obatala, the most powerful of the orisha divinities. Some thought him immortal, until a health crisis forced him to give up power in 2006. Still, he survived. Last April, however, he seemed to say goodbye. Soon Ill be like all the rest. Everyones turn comes, he said. (AFP) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.
If Cambodia is on your travel bucket list, good news: Flights are on sale for as little as $427 round-trip.

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Eligible dates can be found by searching Google Flights for trips between September and May.

While there are blackout dates around Christmas and New Years, you can travel during Thanksgiving.

Need ideas for what to do in Cambodia upon arrival? Check out Phnom Penhs frenetic outdoor markets, visit the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat, and enjoiy all the fun things to do in Siem Reap, like the Cambodian Circus. Just be sure to use all that extra pocket change to bring back unique, hand-made souvenirs.

Get more details on booking this flight deal on DealRay.

Melanie Lieberman is the Assistant Digital Editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @melanietaryn.
Beirut (AFP) - Islamic State group jihadists have released hundreds of civilians they used as human shields while fleeing a crumbling stronghold in northern Syria, but the fate of others remained unknown Saturday.

On another front, scores of civilians were killed on Saturday in air raids by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, and in shelling attacks by the rebels in the battleground province of Aleppo, a monitoring group said.

At least 51 civilians including four children were killed in Aleppo city and the surrounding countryside, while another 22 civilians were killed in the neighbouring province of Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The last remaining IS fighters abandoned the city of Manbij near the Turkish border on Friday after a rout the Pentagon said showed the extremists were "on the ropes".

The retreat from the city which IS captured in 2014 was the jihadists' worst defeat yet at the hands of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurdish alliance backed by US air power.

Fleeing fighters took around 2,000 civilians, including women and children, Friday to ward off air strikes as they headed towards the IS-held frontier town of Jarabulus, according to the SDF.

At least some captives were later released or escaped, the alliance said Saturday, but the whereabouts of the rest was unknown.

"There are no more IS fighters" left in Manbij, an SDF member said.

Kurdish television showed footage of jubilant civilians in Manbij, including smiling mothers who had shed their veils and women embracing Kurdish fighters.

One woman burned a black robe that the jihadists had forced residents to wear, while men who had lived for weeks under a shaving ban cut their beards.

- Booby-trapped houses -

"The battle was very hard," a Kurdish source told AFP, adding the jihadists had laid mines in the city.

"One SDF fighter entered a house on Friday and saw a shoe placed on a Koran. When he removed it there was an explosion and he was killed," the source said.

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One resident told AFP there was not a single house inside his neighbourhood that had not been booby-trapped.

"We ask the people in charge... to do something" to remove the mines, Jamal Abul Ababiyya said, adding that mines were wounding people every day.

AFP footage showed the city's streets strewn with rubble and a wall still painted with the jihadists' black and white flag.

A female SDF fighter, a traditional keffiyeh scarf loosely tied around her hair, beamed as she spoke of the city's "liberation".

"We're inside Manbij after its liberation from IS... and taking civilians to secure places," Nayruz Serekaniye said.

The Britain-based Observatory also reported that several hundred of the civilians taken from Manbij were no longer being held by IS.

"Among the civilians taken by IS there were people used as human shields but also many who chose voluntarily to leave the town due to fear of reprisals" by the SDF, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF began an assault in May on Manbij, on a key jihadist supply route between the Turkish border and IS's de facto Syrian capital Raqa.

The jihadists, who have suffered a string of losses in Syria and Iraq, have often staged mass abductions when they come under pressure to relinquish territory they hold.

IS has also booby-trapped cars and carried out suicide bombings to slow advances by its opponents.

- Hundreds killed -

SDF forces captured Manbij on August 6 but continued to battle pockets of jihadist resistance there.

According to the Observatory, 437 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed in the battle for Manbij and surrounding territory.

Around 300 SDF fighters died, along with more than 1,000 jihadists, it said.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Gordon Trowbridge said on Friday that IS "is clearly on the ropes".

"It has lost the centre of Manbij, it has lost control of Manbij," he said.

Since the battle for Manbij began, US-led strikes have destroyed more than 50 IS heavy weapons and more than 600 fortified fighting positions, Trowbridge said.

But the job of clearing the city will be difficult after the jihadists left behind hundreds of mines and booby traps, he added.

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 and has since killed more than 290,000 people and drawn in world powers on all sides of the war.

Rebels and government forces clashed Saturday in Syria's second city Aleppo, a fortnight on from the launch of a major rebel offensive on July 31.

In Aleppo city and the neighbouring countryside, air raids by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, as well as shelling by the rebels left at least 51 civilians dead on Saturday, according to the Observatory.

The latest toll brought to over 230 the number of civilians killed in the embattled city since the rebel offensive began.

Strikes by the Russian and Syrian air force continued despite a pledge by Moscow to observe a three-hour daily ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid deliveries.
Nice (France) (AFP) - The French resort of Cannes won court backing for its "burkini ban" on Saturday as a judge refused to overturn its decision to forbid Muslim women from wearing the full-body swimsuit.

Local authorities in the Riviera city, home to the famous Cannes film festival, moved to ban burkinis from beaches at the end of July. The nearby resort of Villeneuve-Loubet followed suit on Saturday.

Three women backed by the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) challenged the Cannes decision in court on Friday, saying it was illegal and calling for it to be suspended.

But a court in Nice rejected the request, saying the move was legal under French law forbidding people from "invoking their religious beliefs to skirt common rules regulating relations between public authorities and private individuals".

The judge noted that the Cannes ban had been declared "in the context of the state of emergency and recent Islamist attacks, notably in Nice a month ago".

"The wearing of distinctive clothing, other than that usually worn for swimming, can indeed only be interpreted in this context as a straightforward symbol of religiosity," the ruling said.

CCIF lawyer Sefen Guez Guez said he would appeal the decision before France's highest administrative court, adding: "This decision opens the door to a ban on all religious symbols in the public space."

Anti-racism groups have expressed outrage at the burkini bans, which come at a highly sensitive time following a series of jihadist attacks in France.

Islamic dress has long been a hot-button issue in secular France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places. But there is no ban on wearing religious symbols or clothing.

- 'Unhygienic' -

Cannes mayor David Lisnard said he had signed off on the burkini ban out of "respect for good customs and secularism", a founding principle of the French republic.

In nearby Villeneuve-Loubet, mayor Lionnel Luca had a different justification for banning the garment, saying he made the decision for sanitary reasons.

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"I was informed that there was a couple on one of our beaches where the wife was swimming fully dressed," said.

"I considered that unacceptable for hygienic reasons and that in general it was unwelcome."

He disputing charges that the burkini ban was discriminatory, saying it was intended "to avoid any disturbance to public order in the region which was hit by attacks".

Burkinis have also been in the headlines in France this week after a waterpark in the city of Marseille cancelled plans to host a private event for women wearing burkinis, following a public uproar.

France has been hit by three major terror attacks in 18 months, and the Islamic State group claimed two assaults on French territory in July.

On July 14 Nice was the target of an attack claimed by IS which killed 85 people, when an Algerian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day.

And on July 26, a priest was killed in his church in northwestern France by two attackers who had proclaimed their allegiance to IS.
Libreville (AFP) - Tens of thousands of supporters of Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba turned out Saturday to back his re-election, as less well-equipped rivals struggled to compete on the first day of campaigning.

Bongo accused his rivals, mostly septuagenarian supporters of his father Omar Bongo, of having killed the old man "by a thousand cuts... by sabotaging his actions through repeated lies," speaking at a rally attended by 60,000 outside Libreville according to police.

His main rival among 13 other candidates for the presidency, former head of the Commission of the African Union Jean Ping, drew 2-3,000 people to two public meetings in the centre of the African country.

Bongo, whose father ruled for 41 years until his death in 2009, has dismissed allegations he is not Gabonese, but Nigerian  which would make him ineligible to stand for re-election in the August 27 polls.

The 57-year-old, nicknamed, "ABO", declared himself the candidate of "change," ridiculing his rivals for "making my birth certificate into their political programme. Lamentable. Pitiful", he said.

His posters, declaring "Ali, Let's Change Together", were everywhere in Libreville, while it was difficult to find any other candidates' campaign material.

"While he buys planes... Ferraris, Rolls Royces with your money, you, you have no roads, no schools," Ping told a rally attended by an AFP journalist.

"The president's candidate posters were put up by soldiers in the night in Libreville, while others tore down our posters," added Ping, a former minister.

On July 25, the constitutional court rejected an appeal against the eligibility of Bongo, who came to power in a disputed election following his father's death and is standing for a second seven-year term.

Earlier this month, Bongo warned of possible unrest during the election which he said was the "strategy" of the opposition.

The representative of the EU election observation mission also called on politicians to "do everything" to "avoid any violence or any form of provocation".
A 13-year-old boy from Staten Island, New York, took his own life on Thursday after being bullied by classmates at school.



In teenager Daniel Fitzpatrick's tragic suicide note, which was supplied by his parents to The New York Daily News, he claimed that his old friends at Holy Angels Catholic Academy had stopped talking to him and didn't like him.



"I gave up," Daniel, who was scheduled to start at Brooklyn's Xaverian High School in the fall, wrote on lined paper.



"The teachers either they didn't do ANYTHING!" he scrawled in the note.



Daniel's cause of death was hanging and the manner was suicide, New York medical examiner spokesperson Julie Bolcer confirmed to PEOPLE.



Daniel's father, also Daniel Fitzpatrick, posted a video to his Facebook page on Saturday to thank people for their support. In it, he condemns both the boys who allegedly "tormented" his son and the Catholic school that reportedly told him, "You'll be finea These things will pass" when the teen went to school officials for help.



Holy Angels Catholic Academy has not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.



"Thank you to all the people out there for your support and condolences, your thoughts and your shares," Daniel says in the Facebook video. "My son's story is now out there for the world to see and for the world to know the pain that he went through. I miss my son very much."



"No parent should have to bury their child. No child should have to go through what my son went through."







"To the parents of the boys that tormented my son, all I have to say is I hope you never have to feel what my family is going through right now. You get to hold your children every night and day for the rest of your lives and their natural lives. I don't get that anymore. Your little monsters took that from me and my wife," he continued.



Daniel's mother, Maureen Fitzpatrick told the Daily News she recalled her son saying he wanted the bullies  who he names in his suicide note  to "know what they did to me and how I feel."





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Daniel and Maureen claim the "bullies" mentioned in his note embarrassed him at Holy Angels Catholic Academy  throwing balls at him in gym class and calling him names, according to the Daily News.



"Danny was always left out. He used to come up to me and ask me to get kids to play with him. The other kids would say they thought he was weird," Maureen told the news outlet.



And the parents allege that the school did nothing to prevent or to help the situation.



"He felt like the whole school knew what was going on and was laughing behind his back. They humiliated him," said Maureen.





Danny my son oh how I love you. Posted by Daniel Fitzpatrick onA Friday, August 12, 2016



The Brooklyn/Queens Diocese spokesperson told the Daily News: "In light of this tragedy we are reexamining all bullying prevention policies and training. The principal, teachers, and staff of Holy Angels Catholic Academy are heartbroken over the loss of Danny Fitzpatrick. We take the issue of bullying very seriously and address every incident that is brought to our attention."



A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Daniel's funeral. And a visitation at Harmon Funeral Home in Staten Island will take place on Monday at 2 p.m.
RACINE  Energy Services Inc. will be relocating on Sept. 1 to the Dennis Kornwolf Service Center, 1717 Taylor Ave.

Energy Services Inc. is Racine Countys contracted agency for administering the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program and is the parent organization for a number of other energy-related services, such as Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund, We Energies WeCare, and the Heat for Heroes Emergency Assistance Program.

The Racine County WHEAP program handles more than 30,000 calls for energy and emergency-related assistance annually. In addition to the new location at the Kornwolf Center, satellite application sites will continue to be available throughout Racine County to ensure services and energy related assistance is available throughout the county.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 262-633-6000.
New Highs and a Softening Outlook?

Major global stock markets continue to grind higher, with key US indexes making new all-time highs and European stocks finally recovering all of the post-Brexit losses this week. At the same time, incoming news and data, as well as geo-political events, keep pointing to trouble ahead.

Just Friday, the Eurozone posted an anemic preliminary 2Q GDP of 0.3% QoQ, down from 0.6% in 1Q. Also out Friday, U.S. retail sales for July were flat on the measure that goes into GDP calculations (control group ex-food, autos, gas, and building materials) vs. forecasts of +0.3% (prior +0.5%), and down -0.1% ex-autos and gas vs. expectations of +0.3% (prior +0.8%). Not a good way to start the third quarter, especially after the disappointing 2Q.

Also Friday, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) issued a warning to China that it urgently needed to undertake economic reforms or risk permanently lower growth. Lack of action on the governments part could lead to a medium-term hard landing, even though near term prospects remain benign, according to the IMF. The IMF also cited mounting corporate debt levels as a major concern. On the data side, Chinas industrial production slipped back to 6.0% from 6.2% in July.

Global Flashpoints Abound

On the geo-political front, numerous potential flashpoints continue to smolder. Russia has accused Ukraine of mounting terrorist operations and vowed to deliver a serious response, moving its most advanced air defense systems into the annexed Crimea. While Putin is probably provoking an issue to stir up domestic support ahead of parliamentary elections on Sept. 18, it was enough for the EU and OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) to issue warnings and calls for de-escalation.

August has historically been a month prone to Russian intrigue and incursions: Russia annexed the Crimea in August 2014, sent troops into Georgia in August 2008, invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968, and started the Berlin Wall in August 1961. The theory seems to be that Russia acts when world leaders are away on holidays, leaving them with a fait-accompli.

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The Syrian civil war continues to drag on, with new reports indicating the government may have used chlorine gas in attacks on rebels around Aleppo. If confirmed, the US and its allies may feel compelled to take punitive action against the Assad regime, potentially creating a scenario for a confrontation with Russia in the conflict.

Stay Thirsty, My Friend

And yet markets continue to hum along higher. I can only think that part of the reason is that stocks remain the only game in town for investors seeking anything resembling a real return (TINAThere Is No Alternative). That suggests a strong lack of conviction, and such markets are ripe for unexpected corrections, as latecomers panic and dump shares. Im on high alert for such a pullback, though I cant say with any certainty what might cause it.

dolan.png

Source: Bloomberg; DriveWealth

On the technical side, looking at the S&P 500 index of US stocks above as a global proxy, momentum continues to fade (stochastics-middle panel), even as prices continue to levitate, generating a clear bearish divergence. Trend indicators (DMI/ADX-bottom panel-white line) remain in range-bound rather than trending territory, suggesting the current push higher does not have legs. In the S&P 500, a drop below the 2147/50 level (horizontal support-red/Kijun line-yellow) could be the trigger to a steeper unwind of positions.

For investors active in the market, I would continue to urge caution and protection, and to not be lulled into complacency during the August doldrums. The summer will soon come to an end and trading desks will be back to full staff before you know it. There are enough fundamental warning signs leading to a heavy load being built on this camels back.

See more from Benzinga

 2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
REFRESH FOR UPDATES A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination. He WAS the droid I was looking for! So said Mark Hamill this morning about his Star Wars co-star Kenny Baker, who died today after a lengthy illness. Baker portrayed iconic droid R2-D2 in six Star Wars films and in the original Star Wars trilogy was the constant companion of Hamills Luke Skywalker, sharing as much if not more screen time with him than the other main cast.

Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination He WAS the droid I was looking for! pic.twitter.com/rd94OEYaHi  Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 13, 2016

As the news became public, Bakers Star Wars family, along with fans and admirers influenced by his work, began to weigh in publicly with condolences and tributes to the actor also known for turns in Time Bandits and The Elephant Man among many other films. Among those mourning Baker, 20th Century Fox called him the heart and soul of R2-D2, while Ewan McGregor, who played the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels said it was lovely working with Kenny. Gary Whitta, screenwriter on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story also joined in, saying that as a child, nothing inspired me more than Star Wars and Time Bandits.

Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2-D2. pic.twitter.com/NqOpxotxyK  20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) August 13, 2016

So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny. Kenny Baker, Star Wars R2-D2 actor, dies aged 81 https://t.co/9HW6f3MWZl  Ewan McGregor (@mcgregor_ewan) August 13, 2016

When I was a kid nothing inspired me more than Star Wars and Time Bandits. Kenny Baker was a big part of both. Alas. https://t.co/NNh8vjU1NN  Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) August 13, 2016

Many of Hollywoods biggest Star Wars geeks also paid tribute, including Edgar Wright and his frequent collaborator Simon Pegg (who had a small cameo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens), and Kevin Smith.

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RIP R2D2. Farewell Fidget, Time Bandit. Goodbye Mister Kenny Baker. pic.twitter.com/wuiQuCH7g6  edgarwright (@edgarwright) August 13, 2016

Rest in Peace @starwars legend #KennyBaker  whose name I learned at age 7 because he brought #R2D2 to life. Feels like losing family  KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) August 13, 2016

Other famous fans also mourned Baker.

A great one- And, like Napoleon, his stature was measured not from head-to-ground but head-to-sky. A brilliant man. https://t.co/wQMsQ5Sjoz  Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) August 13, 2016

Sorry to hear of the passing of Kenny Baker.R2D2 to many,one half of "The Mini Tones" to me. pic.twitter.com/BRilcVDntW  William Regal (@RealKingRegal) August 13, 2016

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 12, 2016 / Lundin Law PC (the "Firm") announces a class action lawsuit was filed against Eaton Corporation plc ("Eaton" or the "Company") (ETN) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws between November 13, 2013 and July 28, 2014 inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the Class Period should contact the Firm in advance of the September 23, 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, Eaton issued false and misleading statements about the Company's ability to divest its automobile-part manufacturing business. Since 2008, the Company shifted away from its vehicle business and expanded its electrical component businesses. In 2012, Eaton merged with Irish-headquartered Cooper Industries plc, which reincorporated the Company in Ireland. After the merger, Eaton executives assured investors of the continued feasibility of divesting the automobile-part manufacturing business on a tax-free basis. This kept the Eaton stock price artificially inflated. On July 29, 2014, Eaton's CEO Alexander M. Cutler informed investors that the Company could not feasibly divest the automobile-part business until late 2017 because of tax law restrictions related to the merger. Mr. Cutler also revealed that the Company was "well aware" of these restrictions all along. When this news was disclosed, Eaton's stock fell in value, causing investors harm.

Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights.

Story continues

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

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
Freddie Gray protest

The Department of Justice (DOJ) released a scathing report on Baltimore's policing this week, a result of its 14-month investigation after Freddie Gray, a black man, died from an injury he sustained during transport in a police van.

While much of the outrage surrounding the report focuses on evidence of racial profiling and excessive use of force, the DOJ also found that officers "routinely infringe upon the First Amendment rights of the people of Baltimore city," specifically their right to free speech and to peaceably assemble.

When a community feels the police have mishandled its duties, demonstrations often occur to try to effect change  like those in Baltimore, which turned destructive after Gray's death.

People make their decision whether to trust police based on their ability to exercise free speech, Chuck Drago, a former police chief in Florida with over 30 years of experience, told Business Insider.

Infringing on that ability  as has happened in Baltimore and other major cities in the US  often results in increased tensions between police and the community.

"Youre going to see theres no relationship with the community because the officers dont allow them to express themselves within the confines of the Constitution," Drago said, who likened interfering with First Amendment rights to departments "shooting themselves in the foot."

"Its virtually impossible [for police] to be successful and effective without a partnership and a healthy relationship with the community," he added.

One of 3 ways

According to the DOJ's report, the Baltimore police typically violated First Amendment rights in one of three ways: unlawfully stopping and arresting individuals for free speech that officers considered "disrespectful or insolent," using excessive force as retaliation, and interfering with recording police activity.

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More generally, people within the legal and police communities have a term for when police retaliate against behavior they don't like: POP or "pissing off the police," Drago explained. New York-based lawyer Wylie Stecklow called the same abuses being held in "contempt of cop."

These types of issues arise in departments across the country. In New York, for example, lawyers frequently attribute a trio of offenses, including disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice, and resisting arrest, to "contempt of cop" arrests, according to Stecklow. In Baltimore, Stecklow suspects, failure to obey, trespassing, and making a false statement fall into the same category.

"A lot of what you're seeing when you hear about police retaliating for the way people speak to cops violates the First Amendment," he said.

Baltimore police Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

The lower courts have generally established that preventing someone from filming police activity also violates the First Amendment, except in certain circumstances.

"It's always OK to film the police as long as you're not interfering," Stecklow said.

In scenarios that may limit free speech, however, officers have some leeway to mold the narrative to fit the charges.

For example, police typically can't charge someone with disorderly conduct unless they pose a "public harm," not just a threat to the officer, according to Stecklow. To circumvent that, the officer could claim that other people were watching or surrounding the interaction, which could potentially lead to a riot or other lawless activity not protected by the First Amendment, he added.

"If you look at disorderly conduct statutes around the country, theyre pretty vague," Drago agreed. "They say things like 'disturbing the peace' or 'disrupting the civil order,' so its up to the officer many times."

In other cases, however, officers may have legitimate reasons to restrict free speech. While laws vary state-to-state, gatherings of even two or three people, especially in public, may require a permit, Adam Winkler, a UCLA professor and Constitutional law specialist, told Business Insider.

"There can be some abuse of those statutes  theres no question about it," Drago said. "But some of those are necessary, and an officer has an obligation to uphold the law."

A lack of training

Like many problems present in modern policing, violating First Amendment rights could stem from a lack of training.

"Police officers are supposed to be trained in the rules governing ordinary public behavior and should know people have free-speech rights. But we've seen over and over again that the police don't know," Winkler said.

The DOJ came to a similar conclusion in its report  that the Baltimore Police Department "failed to provide ... sufficient guidance and oversight" regarding First Amendment protections.

Drago, who now acts as a consultant for various law-enforcement groups, constantly acknowledges the role that lack of training plays in policing failures, including free-speech violations. But in his mind, the issue goes even deeper  to a lack of accountability.

Baltimore riot police

Police officers are trained to withstand verbal abuse, use good judgment, and walk away from toxic situations when they can, according to Drago. But even good cops make mistakes.



"If they've been out there for 12 hours with people calling them names, do officers sometimes lose their temper? Absolutely," Drago admitted. "The big issue is that it cannot be pervasive throughout the agency  when it's a systemic problem and it's common."

In these cases, when limiting free speech goes unpunished, it becomes an "unofficial practice" with the police department, as Drago described.

"Officers know, 'Well, it says Im not supposed to do this, but nobody cares, so Im going to do it.'" Drago said. "I look at departments, and I think, 'OK, theyve got the training. Theyve got the policies, but no one has ever held them accountable.'"

That's why reports like the one the DOJ issued on Baltimore, at the request of mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, are so significant. When an agency steps in to hold police accountable for bad behavior  or someone sues  changes happen, according to Drago.

NOW WATCH: This police officer has become a social-media star by promoting community policing





More From Business Insider


London (AFP) - Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has been named as the Premier League club's new captain even though the injured German may not play again this year.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger defended the curious decision and said he will choose from a pool of experienced players to lead the side during Mertesacker's prolonged absence.

"Per is a very respected figure in the dressing room, is loved as well and is also a very demanding figure," Wenger told Arsenal Player.

"I think it is absolutely natural to be him. In his absence that's where it will be taken by the assistants.

"One of them will be Laurent Koscielny, also Santi Cazorla - the experienced players - Petr Cech maybe.

"We will have a group of people that will take care of the energy levels and the problems of the team. That will be down a lot to the experienced players."

Arsenal needed to appoint a new captain following Mikel Arteta's departure in the close-season.

The Spaniard's injury problems over the last two seasons have seen several players fill in as temporary captain.

Mertesacker, who joined Arsenal from Werder Bremen in 2011, captained the side on occasions last season before he was dropped as Wenger preferred to partner Gabriel with Koscielny at the heart of his defence.
IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 12, 2016 / Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Tokai" or the "Company") (TKAI). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares between June 24, 2015 and July 25, 2016 inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the Firm prior to the September 30, 2016 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

If you purchased Tokai shares 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, Tokai made false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: there were significant structural problems with the trial design for its Phase 3 galeterone study, ARMOR3-SV; that ARMOR3-SV was unlikely to succeed in meeting its primary endpoint; the commercialization of galeterone was less likely than investors were led to believe; and as a result of the above, Tokai's statements about its business, operations, and prospects were false and misleading at all relevant times.

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.

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
Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

RIO DE JANEIRO  He moved toward his opponent in a gesture of sportsmanship, reaching out his hand. And the other man turned away.

Then the boos came like rain.

Or Sasson, a long-shot medal contender for Israel, had just defeated Egypts Islam El Shehaby in their early-round 100-plus kg judo match in front of a packed house, and El Shehaby refused to shake his hand.

The referee of the match forced El Shehaby to bow, and he did so, but by then the Israeli man was gone.

[Related: Chinese swimmer tests positive at Rio Games]

El Shehaby walked through the press area without stopping for interviews. (One later report said he decided to quit the sport.)

The IOC has decided to look into the matter.

We believe the Olympic movement should be about building bridges, not erecting walls, said spokesman Mark Adams. Theres absolutely no excuse for it.

Egypts Islam El Shehaby (R) declines to shake hands with Israels Or Sasson. (AP)

Even a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu weighed in on Twitter, calling the situation shocking and writing, Sports are not the field for politics and extremism.

It was only the latest episode of sporting tension between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors, with the backdrop being so many years of political tension. Last Sunday, Saudi Arabias Joud Fahmy forfeited her first-round match against Christianne Legentil of Mauritius and some speculated it was to avoid Israels Gili Cohen in the next round. The Saudi Olympic team said Fahmy was injured.

That came two days after the Israel and Lebanon teams were told to share a bus back from the Opening Ceremonies. The Lebanese delegation refused.

In 2011, a judoka from Egypt refused to shake his Israeli counterparts hand, which is customary in the sport. The next year, he refused again.

Friday ended joyously for the Israeli delegation as Sasson went on to capture bronze  an upset that gave the nation only its ninth Olympic medal. But after his final match, even amid celebration, the conversation didnt stray far from what El Shehaby did.

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[Related: Hope Solo calls Swedes cowards but blame for Olympic exit falls on U.S.]

Im an athlete, I came to fight, Sasson told Yahoo Sports. Im sorry for that. In judo, we always respect the others. This is his decision, his country. I cant say nothing about that.

Islamic and nationalist groups had been pressuring El Shehaby not to compete at all. (Egypt was the first nation in the Arab world to sign a peace treaty with Israel.) One TV host advised him, Dont be fooled, or fool yourself, thinking you will play with the Israeli athlete to defeat him and make Egypt happy. He went on to warn that El Shehaby will be seen as a traitor and a normalizer.

Yet some in the Israel delegation chose not to criticize El Shehaby, commending him for navigating a difficult situation.

I think this guy from Egypt did the right thing, from his perspective, I would say, said Israel Olympic Committee President Igal Carmi. When he came to fight, it was against [the wishes of] many people there [in Egypt]. They were pushing him hard  and he chose a compromise.

Yael Arad, who is the first Israeli to ever win an Olympic medal (also in judo), went even further.

Its very important that he decided to compete, she said. I read how stressed he was. I really appreciate it. I hope he will be safe in Egypt.

The Egypt Olympic Committee said El Shehaby was alerted before the match to abide by all the rules and to have sporting spirit during his match with the Israeli player.

Sporting spirit is the norm at the Olympics, and each Games usually has at least one tale of inspiring sportsmanship between nations. But in the Middle East, the anger is often too deep to overcome.

You hope in the Olympics people will find the better of themselves, but apparently not, said Israel swimmer Gal Nevo, who is a friend of Sassons. I think its more theyre worried about their own sake, at home. You go to the fight, finish it, like a man.

Nevo then spoke of his friend.

Hes the opposite of a fighter. So kind, so generous. He cares about people. He told me once, I love this sport but I hate this sport because I have to be bad.

Those words have another layer of meaning after what took place Friday.
The subject of a Netflix documentary whose teenage confession to a Wisconsin murder saw his 2006 conviction overturned this week.

Brendan Dassey was found guilty of helping his uncle, Steven Avery, kill a young woman in 2005 after a videotaped confession that was featured in the 2015 docuseries "Making a Murderer."

On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Duffin ordered Dassey to be released within 90 days unless prosecutors choose to file an appeal.

Read: Nearly 20 Years After JonBenet Ramsey's Murder, Where is Her Family Today?

Duffin wrote that investigators offered the teen false promises that "he had nothing to worry about" while interrogating him without a parent present about the slaying of Teresa Halbach at his family's salvage yard.

"When considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary" under the U.S. Constitution, Duffin wrote.

The decision notes that the confession comprised "the entirety of the case against him on each of... three counts."

Read: Sheriff's Office Featured in 'Making a Murderer' Receives Bomb Threat Vowing 'Justice for Steven'

Following the release of the documentary, the sheriffs office received an onslaught of criticism from the public for its handling of the Halbach murder investigation.

The sheriffs department said less than a month after the documentary series premiere that it received between 250 and 300 phone calls and hundreds of emails, most of which were negative, about its role in the Avery case.

Watch: Police in Desperate Search for 5-Year-Old Girl After Mother Is Found Dead in Apartment

Related Articles:
A true movie icon. Kenny Baker, the actor who portrayed the iconic R2-D2 in the Star Wars films, died on Saturday, August 13. He was 81.

The 3-foot-8 British star, who rose to fame in 1977, was battling a long illness in his lungs, his niece Abigail Shield told The Guardian on Saturday.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Deaths in 2016: Stars Weve Lost

It was expected, but its sad nonetheless, she told the newspaper. He had a very long and fulfilled life. He brought lots of happiness to people and well be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world. Were all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime.

Baker was best known for his role as the legendary science fiction robot, who he played in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode I  The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II  Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III  Revenge of the Sith.

PHOTOS: Most Shocking Celebrity Deaths of All Time

When he was a child, he was told that he probably wouldnt survive through puberty. Being a little person in those times, they didnt have a very good life expectancy, Shield told The Guardian on Saturday. He did extremely well in his life. He was very ill for the last few years, so we had been expecting it. He had been looked after by one of his nephews, who found him on Saturday morning.

Shield continued, He had problems with his lungs and was often in a wheelchair. He was very poorly for a long time. He was asked to go out to L.A. for the new Star Wars premiere, but he was told he was too ill to travel. Luckily, he did manage to meet George Lucas again when he came to Manchester.

PHOTOS: Best and Worst Movie Remakes

Baker also appeared in The Elephant Man, Flash Gordon and Time Bandits. He was married to actress Eileen Baker from 1970 until her death from epilepsy in 1993.





Related Content
Brendan Dassey, the Making a Murder subject whose conviction was overturned by a federal judge, could sue police or even his own lawyer for millions of dollars, legal experts say. But winning wont be easy.

He could sue his lawyer for putting him in the hands of his investigators, who just ripped him a new one, Steve Cron, a veteran criminal defense attorney and Pepperdine University law professor, told TheWrap. He said Len Kachinsky, Dasseys court appointed lawyer, had committed what amounted to malpractice.

Asked how much Dassey could stand to make should he sue, Cron said, What is spending 10 years in prison worth? It could be hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly millions.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': How Brendan Dassey's Judge Agreed With the Filmmakers

On Friday, federal Judge William E. Duffin found that Dasseys imprisonment was unlawful because his confession to the murder of Teresa Halbach was involuntary.

The investigators repeatedly claimed to already know what happened on October 31 and assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about, wrote Duffin in his decision. These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dasseys confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.

While Fridays court decision to throw out his confession is certainly good news for Dassey, attorneys say its way too early to celebrate.

The court didnt say there was no basis for prosecution, former sex crimes prosecutor and criminal litigator Steve Meister told TheWrap. The court threw out the confession. Now its up to the state to decide whether or not it has enough evidence to retry.

Criminal defense attorney Mark McBride told TheWrap that if Dassey was his client, he would sue the investigators in the case for $10 million  a million for each year Dassey spent in prison. Dassey was convicted in 2007.

Story continues

The first thing Id be doing right now is put pressure on the state to let Dassey out on bail pending the states decision, McBride said.  He said suing would come much later, but noted that without the confession, the states case would be much weaker.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Internet Flips Out Over Brendan Dassey's Overturned Conviction

In his decision, Duffin wrote that Kachinskys misconduct was indefensible.

Making a Murderer suggested that Kachinsky cut a deal with prosecutors that put his client behind bars instead of fighting to prove his innocence.

I watched the series and, as a lawyer who has been practicing criminal defense for 40 years, I was appalled, Cron said, adding, He sold out his client.

Dassey, now 26, was convicted in the murder Teresa Halbach, along with his uncle Steven Avery. He was sentenced to life in prison.

But experts say that just because Dasseys confession was deemed inadmissible, it may not deter prosecutors from retrying the case, weak as it may be.

Its a murder, he said. You dont let a murder go just because of public opinion. The facts of the case are going to be the key in determining whether the state can prosecute him without a confession. The question is, is there enough evidence to convict without a confession. And if there is, theyll retry him.

Also Read: Why 'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Homicide Conviction Was Overturned

But Meister said that even if the state dismissed the case, Dassey may not recover any money.

Just because the prosecution dismissed the charge doesnt mean the original charges were brought in bad faith, he said.

McBride added that its extremely tough to win these types of cases.

Its possible but its not easy, unfortunately, he said. Investigators have a qualified immunity, which means you have to prove they went out off the reservation and knowingly and purposefully broke the rules.

Asked about Dasseys chances of winning a civil case and actually earning enough money to re-start his life, McBride said 50, maybe 60 percent.

'Making a Murderer': 8 Alternate Theories on Who Killed Teresa Halbach (Photos)

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If Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey didnt kill Teresa Halbach, who did?

Theory No. 1.: It was Scott Tadych and Bobby Dassey

In January, a Reddit user posted a theory he first saw on YouTube, which claims Scott Tadych (Brendans mothers boyfriend at the time, now husband) and Bobby Dassey (Brendans brother) kidnapped, raped, shot and then burned Teresa Halbach in the privacy of the gravel quarry off of Jambo Road on Halloween evening.

View In Gallery

Related stories from TheWrap:

'Making a Murderer': How Brendan Dassey's Judge Agreed With the Filmmakers

Why 'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Homicide Conviction Was Overturned

'Making a Murderer': Steven Avery's Lawyer Cheers Brendan Dassey's Legal Victory
By Ahmad Ghaddar and Libby George LONDON (Reuters) - Libya's plans to increase oil output by five-fold by the end of the year will remain out of reach until the government allocates funds to repair the damage to oil infrastructure, the National Oil Corp's chief told Reuters. "If we receive around $1 billion, we can do a lot," Mustafa Sanalla said, adding that the corporation submitted its budget to the Presidential Council, the OPEC member's government, on July 3 and is still waiting for the funds. Libya, which holds Africa's largest oil reserves, has seen it production hobbled to 207,000 barrels per day (bpd) this week from a peak of 1.6 million bpd before it descended into civil war. It relies almost exclusively on oil revenue for its expenditure and faces a serious cash flow problem due to the disrupted oil exports, but Sanalla said money going to NOC would multiply the country's revenue by generating more in oil sales. The NOC, which recently united rival eastern and western factions, is aiming to boost oil output to over 900,000 bpd by the end of the year and to 1.2 million bpd within a year. But the company has bumped up against both security and cash flow problems. Sanalla said the storage capacity at the Es Sider oil terminal had plummeted to 750,000 barrels, from 6 million barrels, due to repeated attacks on export terminals over the course of the revolution, civil war and attacks from Islamic State. Sanalla said NOC also owes tens of millions of dollars to international oil service companies, and warned earlier this week that a looming clash between Petroleum Facilities Guard forces and the Libyan National Army (LNA), which is loyal to the eastern government, threatened to more oil infrastructure damage. He said NOC owes one service company alone $80 million, declining to name it. "They were thinking of closing shop in the country, but after my meeting with them, they decided to stay. They've been in Libya for 50 years." Still, Sanalla said the united NOC was working. He planned to personally visit the eastern city of Benghazi in two weeks to smooth tensions. He added that clear support from the international community, with western powers expressing support for the NOC, would help keep various factions on board. "They [the international community] recognise NOC as a neutral body that is trying to unite and to save the country," he said. Sanalla said it would not be safe to send repair crews to Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, two major terminals that are set to reopen under a recent deal with guards who had been blockading them, until force majeure from the two ports is lifted. But he said that the El Sharara and El Feel fields could add 200,000 bpd to production within weeks if a deal to reopen them were reached. (Editing by William Hardy)
amanda fixed train

The search for a lost Nazi gold train is back on.

Last August, two amateur treasure hunters said they had "irrefutable proof" of the existence of a World War II-era Nazi train, rumored to be filled with stolen gold.

Peter Koper and Andreas Richter nazi train

Andreas Richter and Piotr Koper claimed they used ground-penetrating radar to locate the train, which is somewhere alongside a railway between the towns of Wroclaw and Walbrzych in southwestern Poland.

"The train isn't a needle in a haystack," Andrzej Gaik, a retired teacher and spokesman for the renewed effort to search for the train, told Agence France-Presse.

"If it's there, we'll find it," Gaik said.

'There may be a tunnel. There is no train.'

nazi train

In December, after analyzing mining data, Polish experts said there was no evidence of the buried train.

Janusz Madej, from Krakow's Academy of Mining, said the geological survey of the site showed that there was no evidence of a train after using magnetic and gravitation methods.

"There may be a tunnel. There is no train," Madej said at a news conference in Walbrzych, according to the BBC.

Koper insists that "there is a tunnel and there is a train," and that the results are skewed because of different technology used, The Telegraph reports.

Local folklore

According to a local myth, the train is believed to have vanished in 1945 with stolen gold, gems, and weapons when the Nazis retreated from the Russia.

nazi train

During the war, the Germans were building headquarters for Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in Walbrzych's medieval Ksiaz Castle, then called the Furstenstein Castle.

Below the castle, the Germans built a system of secret tunnels and bunkers, called "Project Riese."

The train is in one of these hidden passages, says Tadeusz Slowikowski, the main living source of the train legend. Slowikowski, a retired miner who searched for the train in 2001, believes the Nazis blew up the entrance to the train's tunnel.

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"I have lived with this mystery for 40 years, but each time I went to the authorities they always silenced it," Slowikowski told The Associated Press. "For so many years. Unbelievable!"

Slowikowski believes it is near the 65th kilometer of railway tracks from Wroclaw to Walbrzych.

NOW WATCH: A mysterious lost Nazi train  supposedly filled with gold  may have been found





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The world's largest carnivorous marsupial has sharp fangs, screeches like it's possessed, and devours food with a ferocity unmatched in the Australian wild. But the Tasmanian Devil is not as tough as it seems.

This unusual creature is growing increasingly scarce as an incurable disease attacks the native population. Already confined to the tiny island of Tasmania off Australia's south-east coast, the devil is now being afflicted with a contagious cancer that causes facial tumors and, eventually, death.

Meet Tasmanian Devils At This Luxury Lodge

Spotting devils in the wild has become rare, but a recent initiative to safeguard the species is providing visitors with opportunities to witness them up close.

At Saffire Freycinet, Tasmania's most luxurious accommodation, experts tend to a group of devils as part of the government-instigated Save The Tasmanian Devil program, which is growing the number of healthy devils in captivity and conducting research into the facial cancer. Saffire, which is located deep within the dramatic Freycinet National Park, is the only lodge in Australia with devils on site.

Meet Tasmanian Devils At This Luxury Lodge

The property, which has 20 suites plus a restaurant and spa, offers several distinctly Tasmanian experiences, including champagne-soaked tours of an oyster farm in nearby wetlands. But the devil enclosure, which is just meters from Saffire's main building, is arguably the lodge's most memorable attraction.

Meet Tasmanian Devils At This Luxury Lodge

At dusk, guides accompany guests to the enclosure, where they summon and then feed the devils, usually with a wallaby carcass. Although not domesticated, Saffire's devils do enjoy human attention, and photo opportunities are plentiful. The guides can provide further information about the devil-preservation project, and there's even a devil-sponsorship program for those who grow attached.

Meet Tasmanian Devils At This Luxury Lodge

The devil program is just one of Saffire's points of difference. The cooler Tasmanian climate makes the resort an ideal base for those seeking an atypical Australian holidayinstead of sand and surf, leisure activities here revolve around bush exploration and scenic tours by boat or light plane. The lodge's out-of-the-way location and panoramic views create a hushed, contemplative mood at the property. Even the food and wine are distinctive (a significant portion is locally sourced from Tasmania's lauded growing regions). There's plenty to enjoy at Saffire, but it's the humble devils and their charismatic keepers that are likely to stick longest in the mind.

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Dan F. Stapleton covers Australia for Travel + Leisure. Follow him on Instagram.

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Amendment to Transitional Justice Act: Proposed bill sets new definition of murder

Just as the transitional justice bodies gear up for investigating complaints related to war era, there are some issues that could be of major cause for concern for those who have been awaiting justice for years. And one of them is the new definition of murder. The proposed amendment bill on transitional justice has limited the definition of murder to the act of killing after taking under control.
Following news that U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin had overturned the conviction of Making a Murderer subject Brendan Dassey, many have praised the Netflix documentary series for its impact on the decision.

But legal experts told TheWrap that it is difficult to determine how much of an influence the series and ensuing media coverage had on Fridays ruling, especially since the habeas petition for Dasseys case was filed in Sept. 2014  more than a year before the series debuted.

My experience with federal judges is that theyre very careful about having outside influences affect their decisions, attorney and UC Berkeley adjunct law professor Ramiah Brien said. Especially in a case like this, I dont think the judge would want the appearance that he was influenced by something other than what the attorneys were arguing in that brief.

Also Read: Lawyers: Brendan Dassey of 'Making a Murderer' Could Sue for Millions

Brien also added that Duffins 91-page ruling was careful to include detailed reasons to support his opinion.

Still, according to Loyola Law School professor Laurie Levenson, the series may have taken an alternate route to impacting the case: further arming Dasseys attorneys.

I actually dont think its so much that it influences the judges, Levenson said. I think what happens though is that it sort of gives the lawyers more support  so they bring a better, a stronger argument to the court.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Filmmakers Respond to Brendan Dassey's Overturned Conviction

Levenson also doesnt dismiss the possibility that the hit docu-series could have had a subconscious effect on the judicial powers presiding over the case.

Judges are not supposed to decide the case based upon the media, but I do think the documentary helped to highlight the real problems with Brendans case, she said. [The series is] not part of the record, but judges are people too, and so well never know to what extent the publicity about this case influenced the judges.

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Making a Murderer, which was written and produced by Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi, first premiered on Netflix last December and follows the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of Steven Avery and nephew Brendan Dassey for the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': How Brendan Dassey's Judge Agreed With the Filmmakers

Throughout the series, viewers are shown evidence from the case and are led to question the handling of both cases by the Manitowoc County Sheriffs Department and attorneys for the defendants. But particularly in Dasseys case, the series attempts to show how investigators may have coerced a false confession from the then-16-year-old.

The series, which has been nominated for six Emmys, garnered widespread attention and even prompted a change.org petition addressed to President Barack Obama and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, which called for Avery to be pardoned of the crime. The petition received over 500,000 signatures.

The overturning of Dasseys conviction on Friday also comes shortly after a retrial for Adnan Syed, the subject of Sarah Koenigs Serial podcast, was ordered in June.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Internet Flips Out Over Brendan Dassey's Overturned Conviction

Levenson and Brien agreed that the growing trend in popular media coverage of criminal cases like Dassey and Syeds has potential benefits for the court system.

Though Brien maintained that it is unlikely Making a Murderer directly impacted the decision to grant Dasseys petition, she said she is hopeful that the docu-series will help bring more attention to similar cases  especially since she estimates only about one to three percent of federal habeas petitions are granted.

There are a lot of innocent people that give false confessions and end up in prison for a long, long time, so I hope that if [Making a Murderer] didnt influence this decision, it does influence other cases, Brien said.

'Making A Murderer': Brendan Dassey's Road to Release (Photos)

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Len Kachinsky says he's not responsible for Dassey's conviction

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Brendan Dassey Could Stand to Make Millions, But It Won't Be Easy, Lawyers Say

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After nine years in prison, the Netfllix docu-series subject may soon be set free

Nine months after the release of "Making A Murderer," Brendan Dassey's conviction in the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach has been overturned. TheWrap looks back on the 11-year murder case that has captured America's attention and how Dassey ended up in prison with his uncle, Steven Avery.

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'Making A Murderer': Brendan Dassey's Road to Release (Photos)

Lawyers: Brendan Dassey of 'Making a Murderer' Could Sue for Millions

'Making a Murderer' Filmmakers Respond to Brendan Dassey's Overturned Conviction
Making a Murderer filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos issued a statement in response to a judges ruling that overturned the conviction of Brendan Dassey on Friday.

Today there was a major development for the subjects in our story and this recent news shows the criminal justice system at work, the duo behind the Netflix docuseries said in a joint statement. As we have done for the past 10 years, we will continue to document the story as it unfolds, and follow it wherever it may lead.

Netflix announced last month that the popular series will return for a second season, documenting the new developments in Steven Averys case, as well as Dasseys.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': How Brendan Dassey's Judge Agreed With the Filmmakers

On Friday, a federal judge granted Dasseys petition for a writ of habeas corpus, ruling that his 2007 conviction in the killing of Teresa Halbach was unlawful because Dasseys confession was involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

In his order on Friday, Federal magistrate judge William E. Duffin wrote that investigators repeatedly claimed to already know what happened on October 31 and assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about. This, the judge wrote, led Dassey  whom the judge described in detail as a special education student who suffered from certain intellectual deficits  to confess that he helped Avery kill Halbach. Dassey, Averys nephew, was a teenager at the time.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Internet Flips Out Over Brendan Dassey's Overturned Conviction

These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dasseys confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, the order concluded.

The saga surrounding Halbachs killing in Wisconsin around Halloween 2005 and whether Avery committed the brutal act was the focus of Ricciardi and Demos Making a Murderer, which gained wide acclaim and interest after it was released in December of last year.

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9 'Making a Murderer' Memes to Make You Laugh While You Seethe

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The Internets favorite true crime obsession has inspired a host of memes that vent outrage over the Netflix docu-series with humor

Lots of "Making a Murderer" fans have found grim humor in the dark show. Here are some of the most popular memes it has spawned.

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'Making a Murderer': Internet Flips Out Over Brendan Dassey's Overturned Conviction

Why 'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Homicide Conviction Was Overturned

'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned
Arghakhanchi starts expansion project

Leading cement manufacturer Arghakhanchi Cement has obtained a consortium loan pledge to finance the expansion of its cement plant. The company has planned to boost its production capacity to 3,000 tonnes daily from the current 1,200 tonnes.
Social media was ablaze Friday after a federal judge overturned Brendan Dasseys conviction for involvement in the murder of Teresa Halbach.

The bombshell was dropped less than a year after Netflixs Making a Murderer documentary series cast a light on what it suggests was a shady investigation by Wisconsin police into Halbachs murder. Dasseys conviction came in 2007.

Given what a cultural event Making a Murderer was, Dassey became a celebrity of sorts, particularly because the teenagers shy and soft-spoken demeanor endeared him to viewers, making him appear more of a victim of the police and prosecutors alleged shenanigans than was Steven Avery, the main subject of the documentary. And, indeed, the judge overturned Dasseys conviction on the basis that his confession to having participated in the murder was involuntary and coerced.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned

Many of the reactions on Twitter have been related to Wrestlemania  Dassey said he was upset about going to prison because he didnt want to miss the yearly pro-wrestling event. We also saw triumphant fist pumps about justice being served and Netflixs part in it, topical humor about totally unrelated things and light joking about Dasseys tendency on Making a Murderer to respond to questioning with a simple yeah.

QUICK WHERE DO I DONATE TO THE "GET BRENDAN DASSEY TO WWE SUMMERSLAM" FUND  Matt Binder (@MattBinder) August 12, 2016

If Vince McMahon doesn't have the business sense to get Dassey front and center at Wrestlemania, there's no helping him.  Mark Ennis (@MarkEnnis) August 12, 2016

WRESTLEMANIA 33 IS WAITING FOR YOU BRENDAN DASSEY  jen yamato (@jenyamato) August 12, 2016

Finally Brendan Dassey can watch that Wrestlemania he was trying to get back for. #TiVobetternothavedeletedit  Daniel Sharman (@daniel_sharman) August 12, 2016

Once Brendan Dassey watches Wrestlemania 32 hell wish he was back in prison.  JB (@JDB92_) August 12, 2016

Brendan Dassey's conviction overturned  GET THAT KID TO WRESTLEMANIA BROTHER https://t.co/KE6wNhsJOj (cc @justin_halpern)  FilmDrunk (@Filmdrunk) August 12, 2016

Brendan Dassey is FREE!!!!! NETFLIX YOU DA REAL MVP! pic.twitter.com/HRwD1p1zUZ  Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) August 12, 2016

Nobody breathe wrong, something good happened in 2016https://t.co/5UBSsxtRz5  Lindsay MacDonald (@lindsayjoane) August 12, 2016

Brendan Dassey's conviction has been overturned in the Halbach murder. Watch more documentaries, kids.  Elamin Abdelmahmoud (@elamin88) August 12, 2016

Brendan Dassey writ granted to reverse his conviction. Justice finally strikes!  Jerome Buting (@JButing) August 12, 2016

.@realDonaldTrump For the record, Brendan Dassey has an alibi for when ISIS was founded.  Karen Howell (@karenehowell) August 12, 2016

Well, I guess Brendan Dassey can finally go back to school and turn that project in. #MakingTheMurderer  Adam Boedeker (@aboedeker) August 12, 2016

Hope Solo furious Brendan Dassey has been released. Claims he was a coward to confess in the first place. #MakingAMurderer #hope #Rio2016  Jon Rogers (@goldunballz) August 12, 2016

Brendan Dassey may be getting out soon but Harambe's assassin still walks the streets unprosecuted  Christian Antonio (@ImCAntonio) August 12, 2016

REPORTER: brendan, what's the first thing you're going to do now that you're free

BRENDAN DASSEY: yeah  Ethan Booker (@Ethan_Booker) August 12, 2016

ME: hey brendan dassey are you excited to be getting out of jail?

BRENDAN DASSEY: [brendan dassey voice] yeah  Bobby McKenna (@bobby) August 12, 2016

6 Times Hollywood Shook Up Criminal Justice Before 'Making a Murderer'

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West Memphis Three HBO

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The overturning of Brandon Dasseys murder conviction isnt the first time a documentary has helped right a legal wrong

"Making a Murderer" subject Brendan Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on August 12. But it's not the first time a film or documentary has been a factor in a major legal reversal of fortune.

View In Gallery

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6 Times Hollywood Shook Up Criminal Justice Before 'Making a Murderer'

'Making a Murderer': Who Should Star in the Inevitable Movie? (Photos)

'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned
After independently publishing their first album The Party in 2013, the Mexican boy band CD9 has become one of the most promising new boy groups in Latin America. Three years after they began their musical career, the band is currently ruling the digital world with millions of followers on social media and slowly, but steadily, climbing up Billboard's Social 50 chart.

On this week's chart (dated Aug. 20), the group, now signed by Sony Music Mexico, reached a new high, going from No. 33 to No. 24. It's also worth mentioning that with 43.93 percent of the votes, CD9 came in second place on our Favorite New Latin Boy Band Poll where CNCO took the lead with 44.42 percent of the votes.

CNCO Tops New Latin Boy Band Reader Poll

Formed by Jos, Freddy, Alonso, Bryan and Alan, CD9 -- who this summer recorded their version of the theme song "Turtle Power" for the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, included in the soundtrack of the movie -- is currently promoting the new album Evolution and will kick off their tour in Mexico later this month.

Meet this week's Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise: CD9.

Name: CD9

Age: Late teens/early 20s

Place of Origin: Mexico

What do they sound like: Their fresh sound and vocal range allow CD9 to go from romantic ballads like "A tu lado" to the ultimate party track like "I Feel Alive."

Major accomplishment to date: CD9 reached a new peak on the Social 50 chart (dated Aug. 20). The Mexican boy band went from No. 33 to No. 24.

Recommended song: "I Feel Alive"

What's next: From Aug. 26 until Dec. 11, CD9 will be on their Evolution Tour in Mexico visiting cities like Monterrey, Veracruz and Mexico City.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel has invited executives from some of Germany's biggest listed companies to attend a summit next month where she will urge them to hire more refugees, the newspaper Bild reported on Saturday. More than one million migrants flooded into Germany last year, and the government wants to get as many as possible into the job market, which would reduce their dependence on the state and compensate for labor shortages as the workforce ages. Merkel will push reluctant German companies to offer more traineeships and position to refugees, Bild reported. Large companies have been criticized for doing little to help integrate the refugees into the thriving job market. Companies say most of the new arrivals lack the German language skills and the education required for a job. Engineering giant Siemens , chemicals group Evonik , carmakers Opel and VW and utility RWE will share with Merkel the results of pilot projects with refugees, Bild said. Merkel's office declined to confirm Bild's report, which said the meeting at the chancellery will take place Sept. 14. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported a month ago that the 30 biggest DAX-listed companies had until June employed only 54 refugees, including 50 who were hired by logistics provider Deutsche Post . Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel last month urged large companies to do more for refugees, saying their efforts pale in comparison to the Mittelstand, the small and medium-size companies considered the backbone of Europe's biggest economy. More than 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, mostly refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. (Reporting by Holger Hansen; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Larry King)
(Photo: Facebook/Genesis Davila)

A beauty queen who had her sash and crown stripped from her last month is seeking $15 million in damages, People reports. Genesis Davila was named Miss Florida USA 2017 on July 16. Her reign lasted all of six days. Pageant executive director Grant Gravitt tells the Miami Herald he stripped Davila of her title after receiving 30 to 40 complaints from other contestants. At issue is Davila possibly using her own professional hair and makeup team instead of the one provided by the pageant. Gravitt claims to have photographic proof of Davila breaking the rules.

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By losing her crown, Davila also loses the chance to compete in the Miss USA 2017 pageant and at least $100,000 in endorsements and appearances. Now shes suing Gravitt and the other organizers of Miss Florida 2017 for defamation. Her lawyer says that Gravitts photographic evidence comes from a week before the pageant and that he acted maliciously and intentionally to defame and hurt my client. Davila, who is from Puerto Rico, also claims Gravitt accused her of not being a US citizen, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Genesis Davila wipes her eye as she speaks during a news conference on Monday. (Image via AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)



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I am innocent, People quotes Davila as saying. I have faced many challenges in my life, but nothing like this. (Six runners-up sued a beauty pageant in Texas over the winner.)

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This article originally appeared on Newser: Miss Florida Lost Her Crown, Now She Wants $15M
After the cameras disperse, the hashtags stop trending and the protestors go home, the mothers of those who have died by the hands of police are left fighting for peace, justice and preserving the legacy of their children. Its a story not often told to the publicuntil now.

The mini-documentary Mothers Of The Revolution tells the other side of the story by the women who have bonded together through the death of their children. Directed by Davia Carter and Executive Produced by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) and Blackout for Human Rights, the film features the women who have been dubbed, Mothers Of The Movement within the Black Lives Matter Movement. Lezley McSpadden (Michael Brown); Geneva Reed-Veal (Sandra Bland); Theresa Smith (Caesar Ray Cruz); Samaria Rice (Tamir Rice); Lucia McBath (Jordan Davis), along with others join Rev. Wanda Johnson (Oscar Grant), for a celebration on what would have been Grants 30th birthday.

Grant, who was unarmed, was fatally shot by former BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle in 2009. His story was told through the critically acclaimed film, Fruitvale Station in 2013. Speaking with Mic, Carter says she wanted to show the womens strength through tragedy. Each mothers strength really, really came through, Carter said. I really listened to what they each had to say and cut that together.

Rev. Johnson led the conversation, where they focused on their love and faith while calling on legislators to investigate questionable police practices. In the end, the women let their faith take the lead. Reed-Veal, the mother of Sandra Bland explained their superpower. Bland died in police custody after she was jailed for an unlawful traffic citation in 2015. All of us are faith-filled women, Reed-Veal said. We are frustrated, but faithful. And so when you see us, you see power. You see strength.

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Check out the film below.

"Mothers of the Revolution" from CampaignforBMA on Vimeo.
Battery-compatible television from CG

CG, one of Nepals leading electronics brand, has expanded its LED TV line-up.
TORONTO (AP) -- The Houston Astros have a whole lot of rookies in the lineup right now.

Two of them played a big part in Friday night's win at Toronto.

Joe Musgrove pitched seven innings for his first major league win, Teoscar Hernandez homered for his first big league hit and the Astros beat the Blue Jays 5-3.

Nine of the 25 players on Houston's current roster are rookies, tied with Oakland for most in the majors.

''We've got a pretty young group now,'' manager A.J. Hinch said. ''This is fun to watch these guys come up and break in.''

Astros DH Evan Gattis had four hits, including two doubles. Hernandez had two hits and reached base three times while George Springer singled and walked three times.

Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve had two RBIs each as Houston extended its winning streak to four.

Making his second career start, and facing the team that drafted him in 2011, Musgrove (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits.

''It's awesome,'' Musgrove said. ''It's definitely good to get that first one out of the way, get the nerves and stuff out of the way.''

The Blue Jays traded Musgrove to the Astros in July 2012, as part of a nine-player deal that sent left-hander J.A. Happ to Toronto.

''He used all four of his pitches,'' Hinch said. ''Seven strong innings is about as much as you could expect at his development curve right now.''

Hernandez found out Thursday that he was being selected from Triple-A, and was too excited to sleep before catching a 4:00 A.M. flight from Fresno. He finally arrived at Rogers Centre about an hour before the game, and didn't even have time to take any swings before his first at-bat, a walk. He homered in the sixth and singled in the eighth.

''Incredible day, a day that I'm never going to forget,'' Hernandez said.

Edwin Encarnacion hit his 300th home run and Michael Saunders hit his career-high 20th, but the Blue Jays lost for the first time in four meetings with the Astros.

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''Good for Eddie,'' manager John Gibbons said.'' He puts himself in a different category with 300.''

Encarnacion's 32nd home run tied him with Baltimore's Mark Trumbo for the major league lead.

Pat Neshek handled the eighth and Will Harris worked around Encarnacion's homer in the ninth for his 12th save.

Blue Jays left-hander Francisco Liriano (6-12) took the loss in his home debut with Toronto, allowing five runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings.

''I was behind in the count a lot so that didn't help,'' Liriano said through a translator.

GURRIEL'S DEBUT DRAWS NEAR

Cuban infielder Yulieski Gurriel, who signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal with Houston on July 16, is expected to make his major league debut against St. Louis on Tuesday. Gurriel defected in February after competing in the Caribbean World Series in the Dominican Republic. He entered play Friday batting .321 with one home run and nine RBIs in eight games at three minor league levels.

POWER TRIO

Toronto is the fifth team in the majors with at least three players with 20 homers (Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, Saunders). The others are Baltimore, Colorado, Detroit and Seattle. The Orioles have four 20-homer hitters.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: OF Colby Rasmus had surgery Wednesday to remove a cyst from his right ear. He is expected back by mid-September. ... OF Jake Marisnick (right groin) was not in the lineup for a second straight game. He is day-to-day. ... OF Preston Tucker (right shoulder) was placed on the 15-day DL. ... Houston activated RHP Luke Gregerson (left oblique) off the 15-day DL and put RHP Ken Giles on the paternity list.

Blue Jays: OF Ezequiel Carrera (left Achilles) went 0 for 4 and struck out three times in a rehab game at Triple-A Buffalo. Carrera is expected to come off the DL on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (7-9, 4.69) has lost his past three decisions. McHugh matched a season-worst by giving up 10 hits in an Aug. 8 start at Minnesota.

Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (11-2, 2.85) lost at Kansas City in his previous start, his first defeat since April 22 against Oakland. Manager John Gibbons confirmed Friday Sanchez will be skipped in the rotation over the next few weeks in an effort to limit his innings.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Muslim imam and a second man were fatally shot on Saturday while walking home from afternoon prayers at a mosque in the New York City borough of Queens, authorities said. The motive for the shooting was not immediately known and no evidence has been uncovered so far that the two men were targeted because of their faith, said Tiffany Phillips, a spokeswoman for the New York City Police Department. But police were not ruling out any possibility, she added. The cleric, who police identified as Maulama Akonjee, and the second man were both shot in the head at close range at about 1:50 pm EDT (01:50 p.m. EDT) after leaving the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood. Both men were wearing religious garb at the time of shooting. The men were transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and died "while life-saving procedures were being performed," said Andrew Rubin, a hospital spokesman. Phillips declined to identify the second man or his relationship with the imam pending notification of his family. Police have yet to identify a suspect but Phillips said witnesses said they saw a lone armed assailant fleeing the scene on a blistering hot summer afternoon. Akonjee, 55, was described as a peaceful man who was beloved within Ozone Park's large Muslim community. "He would not hurt a fly," his nephew Rahi Majid, 26, told the New York Daily News. "You would watch him come down the street and watch the peace he brings." Video footage posted on YouTube showed dozens of men gathered near the site of the shooting, with one of them telling the crowd that it appeared to be a hate crime, even as police said the motive was still unknown. "We feel really insecure and unsafe in a moment like this," Millat Uddin, an Ozone Park resident told CBS New York. "It's really threatening to us, threatening to our future, threatening to our mobility in our neighborhood, and were looking for the justice." (Corrects spelling of name in paragraphs 3 and 7) (Reporting by Frank McGurty in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)
Narciso Rodriguez's body of work is Miami bound.

The designer's thoughtful, modern creations will be featured at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum in a new exhibition titled "Narciso Rodriguez: An Exercise in Minimalism," making it the first solo exhibition for the American designer. The display will also feature never-before-seen archival materials, original sketches, video, and works of art that have influenced Rodriguez's work.

"I am honored to be asked to be part of the celebrated history of exhibitions presented by the Frost Art Museum FIU - and particularly excited to do so during Art Basel Season in Miami," Rodriguez said in a statement.

The exhibition - co-curated by Elle creative director Alex Gonzalez and Frost Art Museum curator Klaudio Rodriguez - will kick off with a private reception on Oct. 8 and then open to the public the following day. It will remain on view through Jan. 8, 2017.

The New Jersey-born creative's minimalist luxe designs are a perennial favorite of the Hollywood set. Julianna Margulies most recently wore a single-shoulder look by Rodriguez to the Accessories Council Excellence Awards. Claire Danes, Emma Watson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw also have worn his dresses. And first lady Michelle Obama is a longtime fan; she wore one of his dresses on Election Night 2008, and another to??the final State of the Union address this year.

NARCISO'S LADIES: From left: Julianna Margulies, Michelle Obama and Claire Danes in Narciso Rodriguez designs. (Photos: Getty Images)

After receiving his education at Parsons School of Design, the designer worked at Anne Klein under Donna Karan and Calvin Klein, where he focused on the women's collection. Rodriguez also has had stints at TSE, Cerruti and Loewe.

When he dressed Carolyn Bessette for her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996, he achieved worldwide recognition. That simple white satin dress dress worn by??Bessette??became an icon of '90s fashion, and one of the most famous dresses of all time. A year later, Rodriguez introduced his namesake label in Milan for the spring/summer 1998 season.

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The designer has since gone on to receive the CFDA??womenswear designer of the year award in 2002 and 2003; he was named one of the "25 Most Influential Hispanics in America" by Time magazine in 2005; and he earned the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Award for fashion in 2014.

Now Rodriguez can add the museum treatment to his list of major achievements.

Read more: Hedi Slimane Parties With Mariah Carey, Brett Ratner at Backyard Bash
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump hasn't quite asked the dead to vote for him, but he's nearly there.

"I joke a lot as I say if you're sick, if you just got the worse prognosis that a doctor can give you, if you're lying in bed and you just know you're not going to make it -- you have to get up on November 8th and you have to vote," he said Thursday.

At least nine times in the speech to evangelical leaders in key swing state Florida, the brash 70-year-old billionaire -- sometimes speaking in an uncharacteristically low voice -- called on them to ensure their parishioners cast their ballots for him.

The Republican presidential candidate is a bit worried about his chances in November against Hillary Clinton, and he's not exactly hiding it.

And his team is struggling to transform his winning primary campaign model into an unbeatable national election machine.

During the Republican primaries, the Manhattan real estate mogul and former reality television star ignored the experts and the pundits who told him to be more "presidential," to stop insulting his rival and to prepare his speeches.

To everyone's surprise, Trump's iconoclastic strategy worked. He was the last man standing, and won the Republican Party's nomination.

But since officially becoming the party's standard-bearer, at the urging of his aides, he has given more policy-driven speeches using a teleprompter.

But part of him visibly chafes at the constraints, and he's quick to go off-script -- and off-message, as evidenced by some of his near-daily missteps in recent weeks: over Russia, the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in action, on guns and Hillary Clinton, and on the Islamic State group and President Barack Obama.

"They would like to see it be a little bit different, a little more modified. I don't like to modify. But that's what I've done. Well see where it takes me," he told Time magazine on Tuesday.

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Floating from one plan to the next, Trump remains incapable of outlining his campaign strategy. When he is asked to do so, he says he relies on his instincts. He stages rallies in seemingly random locations, sometimes in states that are unwinnable.

"The crowds we're getting are tremendous. So I don't know what that indicates. But it's got to indicate something good," he said Tuesday.

"We'll find out on November 8."

- Time running out -

Trump has a handful of stock campaign pledges: to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, curb immigration, destroy the Islamic State group and bring industrial jobs back to America.

But winning a presidential election historically requires more than just catchy slogans.

Clinton's campaign team has designed a strategy that centers on consolidating support among black and Hispanic voters for the former secretary of state and first lady, and on winning over white working-class voters in swing states Pennsylvania and Ohio, which could be the key to victory.

The strategy hinges on a strong grassroots game, with local paid and volunteer campaign workers on the ground.

It also requires a massive communications budget.

According to ABC News, the Democrat's campaign and her main super PAC (political action committee) have spent nearly $93 million on television ads against just $11 million spent by outside groups backing Trump.

The Republican's official campaign committee has so far spent nothing on television ads -- practically unheard of in modern campaigns.

Trump is acting as if he is still in the more welcoming world of the Republican primaries, in which 31 million people voted. In 2012, nearly 130 million people voted in the November presidential election.

So far, Trump's expected appeal to middle-class, middle-of-the-road voters has not materialized, according to opinion polls.

"Preferences are substantially baked by this point in time. There's not much cooking time left," said Christopher Wlezien, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin.

- Clinton in command -

Trump's unpredictability, seen as an advantage in terms of a possible campaign rebound in September, "can be a good thing and a bad thing, right? But it's not clear it's been a good thing in the last two weeks," Wlezien told AFP.

Not only has Trump dropped off in the national polls (48 percent for Clinton against 40 percent for Trump, according to HuffPost Pollster), but he is also in danger in the so-called swing states that has often been key to Republican wins.

A new poll from the Wall Street Journal and NBC News show him trailing Clinton in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.

The US presidential election is an indirect one -- voters in each state technically pick a slate of party electors -- not one of the candidates -- when they cast their ballots. The winner needs a majority of the 538 votes in the Electoral College, or 270.

Experts for the specialized political newsletter Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia are predicting that Clinton will win easily, with 347 electoral votes against 191 for Trump.

"Trump is behind, and he may not have many ways to catch up," said Kyle Kondik, the newsletter's managing editor.

Faced with the prospect of defeat, Trump so far seems oddly detached.

"If at the end of 90 days I fall short... even though I'm supposed to have a lot of good ideas, it's OK. I go back to a very good way of life," he told CNBC.

"It's either going to work or I'm going to, you know, I'm going to have a very, very nice long vacation."
Managua (AFP) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is negotiating with Russia and the United States to acquire helicopters and coast guard vessels to modernize the country's military fleet as it fights drug smuggling, the government said Saturday.

Ortega said he was approaching countries "with the ability to "support (us) in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime," according to a post on the official "19 de Julio" website.

The Nicaraguan president said Russia had committed to providing "medium-range naval vessels but with sufficient autonomy to allow round-the-clock patrols in the Caribbean, the Pacific or the Gulf of Fonseca," which Nicaragua shares with Honduras and El Salvador.

The three Central American countries face the challenge of preventing the gulf from becoming a regular passageway for criminal gangs and drug traffickers, he said.

Ortega said he was also negotiating with Russia to acquire helicopters, and hoped the United States would also help provide "this type of asset to Nicaragua."

He said a request for coast-guard vessels had been discussed earlier this year with visiting US emissaries, whom he did not name, and said Managua was hoping for "a positive response."

The vessels would be used "to defend Nicaragua, the region and the North American people ... from the drug invasion," Ortega added.

The Nicaraguan leader's remarks on updating the military fleet came in a speech Friday at a closed-door ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of the country's navy. It was published Saturday on the official website.
Looks like North West is ready to make some cash of her own!

The 3-year-old daughter of Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West made another appearance on her mom's Snapchat story on Friday. This time, she was selling lemonade with her cousin, Kourtney Kardashian's 1-year-old son Reign, and friends.

WATCH: Saint West Can't Stop Giggling in Mom Kim Kardashian's Latest Snapchat

In the video, North can be seen holding an "organic" sign upside down, excitedly jumping up and down and yelling, "dollah!"

"It's one dollar?" Kim, 35, adorably asks in the video. "OK, can I have some lemonade for me and Rob [Kardashian]?"

NEWS: Kim Kardashian Opens Up About Raising North and Saint in an 'Abnormal' World

She then hands out a $100 dollar bill to one lucky kid that's part of the fab group, asking again, "Where's my lemonade?"

Snapchat

Kim's eldest sister, Kourtney, also took to the app, sharing a few close-up shots of the lemonade stand.

Snapchat

Snapchat

It doesn't get much cuter than that!

WATCH: Kim Kardashian Reveals She's Lost Even More Weight as She Steps Out in Latex and Lace

On Thursday, Kim revealed over Snapchat that she had lost even more of her baby weight, shedding over 70 pounds since giving birth to her and Kanye's second child, son Saint, in December.

According to the scale, the Selfish author currently weighs 123.8 pounds, crediting her slimmed-down figure to "#Atkins." To hear more, watch the video below.

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Okay, youre all about to cry at these pictures of a lost baby seal

Okay, youre all about to cry at these pictures of a lost baby seal

A baby seal is in police custody after a long day of exploring.

The New Zealand police have made their streets safe again after charging the sleepy seal with aww-sault.

According to the New Zealand publication Stuff, a passerby spotted the furry fella curled up underneath a car outside the barracks on Friday afternoon. Senior Sergeant Dave Houston came to the rescue. We went to see and he was under the car  hes a little fella, Houston said.

Baby seal taken into police custody for trespassing https://t.co/zcwBwAnj2n pic.twitter.com/0Y7wZhsLSt  Erin Ruberry (@erinruberry) August 13, 2016

The owner of the car stumbled upon an interesting situation when he returned to his vehicle  police had surrounded his car and were shoving a broom underneath it. When asked by law enforcement if the baby seal was his, the driver said that the little pup was working alone. It was lucky that someone spotted the baby seal, Sgt. Houston said, because the owner of the car might have missed him  and, worse, He could have been squashed.

gameofthrones

Police officers managed to charm the baby seal out from under the car. Sgt. Houston pointed out that the furry fella had been sitting near the barracks in recent days. The sergeant, who was unsure about patting the infant seal goodbye, said, He is a little bit bitty.

#Breakingnews down at Queens WharfA baby seal has been saved from under a car by our wonderful maritime Police. Great... Posted by Wellington District Police on Thursday, August 11, 2016

The baby seal, which was adorably named Steve by its rescuers, was taken into the Department of Conservation and Wildside New Zealand, according to the Wellington Police Facebook: The wee pup now in the care of DOC Wildside New Zealand. Good luck little guy!

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#Breakingnews down at Queens WharfThe wee pup now in the care of DOC Wildside New ZealandGood luck little guy! Posted by Wellington District Police on Thursday, August 11, 2016

The Department of Conservation informed the Wellington Police that the baby voyager was around the age where their mothers let the pups roam free by themselves. The little explorers tend to get tired, which explains why the baby seal was catching up on his beauty sleep underneath a parked car.

sailor moon

Fortunately, the Department of Conservation plans to release the little furry pup to his rightful home, but until then, hes getting TLC from the DOC.

The post Okay, youre all about to cry at these pictures of a lost baby seal appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Building bridges

How a team of artists helped convert a rathole into a vibrant community art space
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge has ruled that the federal government and the city of Rio de Janeiro cannot provide some 270 million reais ($85 million) in public funds for the Olympics organising committee unless its accounts are made public. The decision late on Friday by Rio de Janeiro federal judge Marcia Maria Nunes was based on a request by federal prosecutors to prevent disbursements announced by a minister this month designed to prop up the accounts of the organising committee. If the transfers had already been made, the judge said the organising committee should not make any payments using the money, under the threat of a fine of 100,000 reais per day. Presidential Chief of Staff Eliseu Padilha announced on Aug. 4, the day before the Rio Olympics' lavish opening ceremony, that the federal government would provide 120 million reais to the organising committee and the city of Rio would make a further 150 million available. He said the money would be used to fund the opening and closing ceremonies of the Aug. 5-21 Olympics and next month's Paralympics. Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes declined to confirm the transfer. However, a spokesman for Rio 2016 said the organization would not require public funding to balance its books. He said organizers had been curbing expenses as Brazil suffers its worst recession in decades. "We had a commitment not to use public money in organising the Olympic Games. This has to do with several things: with transparency and the need to prove that we can do things without the rescue of the government," he said. "We don't believe the government needs to step in to pay expenses that are ours in regards to the organisation of the Olympic Games." ($1 = 3.1929 Brazilian reais) (Reporting by Tatiana Ramil and Daniel Flynn; Editing by Bill Rigby)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Defending champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand beat Croatia's Damir Martin in a photo-finish to win gold in the men's single sculls at the Olympic rowing regatta on Saturday. The race had been billed as a showdown between the Kiwi and his arch-rival Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic, who took the bronze medal. Martin took an early lead chased by Drysdale and Synek but the New Zealander moved ahead in the last section. He looked to pull away but with a last lunge the Croatian shot forward. The gold went to Drysdale by a margin of 5,000ths of a second. (Reporting by Angus MacSwan and Amy Tennery, Editing Ed Osmond)
(Recasts to add additional sailing results, comment from sailors, medal race details) By Jeb Blount RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The Netherlands's Dorian van Rijsselberghe clinched the first sailing gold of the Rio 2016 Games, winning the men's RS:X boardsailing class on points before the regatta finished, World Sailing, the sport's governing body, said on Friday. With 23 points after 12 preliminary races, the Dutchman sits 21 ahead of Britain's Nick Dempsey, who has clinched silver, World Sailing, formally known as the International Sailing Federation or ISAF, said. That is an insurmountable lead even if van Rijsselberghe is disqualified in the final medal race scheduled for Sunday and Dempsey wins, World Sailing said. The only thing now that could put Van Rijsselberghe and Dempsey's medals at risk, is failure to make a "judicious" effort to sail in the medal race, the governing body said. "If they show up Sunday and sail, they win," a World Sailing press spokesman said. Van Rijsselberghe racked up seven first-place finishes in 12 races, the most dominant performance of any sailor so far at Rio 2016. "Its been great because the whole week I haven't talked to him, and it's been pretty tense because we're like arrggghhh...," Van Rijsselberghe said of his rivalry with Dempsey. "If there's one opponent that makes me work for it and makes me sail excellent, it's him," he added. The only medal left to decide in the men's RS:X is bronze. Two points separate Poland's Piotr Myszka from fourth place Pierre le Coq of France. Le Coq stands only six points ahead of Greece's Vyron Kokkalanis. In the women's RS:X Stefaniya Elfutina of Russia leads the final ten after a week of steady performances. In 12 races she only finished above eighth once and that finish, a 16th, was her single allowed discard. Italy's Flavia Tartaglini and Spain's Marina Alabau Neira are in second and third. Only 25 points separate the first from the 10th place medal-race qualifiers meaning the final medals are up for grabs in a race where points for each finish are doubled. Meanwhile, preliminary sailing began in the men's 49er and women's 49erFX two-person skiff classes. In the men's Laser one-person dinghy class, Brazil's Robert Scheidt increased his chances of winning a record sixth Olympic sailing medal with fourth- and fifth-place finishes in the roller-coaster waves and light winds of the "Pai" open-ocean course outside Guanabara Bay. The result moved him into second place behind Croatia's Tonci Stipanovic who has led the regatta from the first day. (Reporting by Jeb Blount; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Andrew Hay)
By Chris Gallagher RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - No one would blame Anthony Ervin if he walked off into the sunset after triumphing in the same Olympic event he won 16 years ago, but the 35-year-old U.S. swimmer has no intention of slowing down. Basking in the glow of the gold medal he won a day earlier in the Olympic 50 metres freestyle, Ervin -- now the oldest swimmer to win a men's individual gold -- said retirement was not on his mind and he would keep going for as long as possible. "I just love the lifestyle, I love swimming, being in the water. It's a sanctuary. And I'm not going to give that up whether I'm the best in the world or completely irrelevant," Ervin told reporters on Saturday. "I can guarantee you'll see me in Tokyo in 2020, just whether I'm in a suit, cap and goggles, or a suit and tie, we don't know yet... "I'm just going to keep going until I'm not wanted anymore," added Ervin, who was also a member of the U.S. team which won gold in the 4x100 freestyle on Sunday. His first gold in the 50-metres freestyle was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. "I actually remember watching Anthony win that gold at 19, when I was seven," said Maya DiRado of the U.S. women's swim team, sitting next to Ervin and drawing laughter from reporters. In fact, Ervin did retire once: he gave up competitive swimming in 2003 and pursued a love of rock music but returned for the 2012 Games in London. Ervin said athletes often retire when their competitiveness and the love for what they do is gone, but he hasn't lost any of his drive. "I'm not talking about retirement. I don't want to go back to that place," he said. "The competitive part is the end all be all of why I do it." (Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Brian Homewood)
* Phelps tries to shift spotlight to gold winner Schooling * Was just a good day says modest Singaporean By Mark Trevelyan RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - When your name is Michael Phelps, it's hard to play second fiddle. Appearing before journalists after dead-heating for the silver medal in the 100 metres butterfly on Friday, the last individual race of his long career, the most successful Olympian of all time was peppered with questions as gold medallist Joseph Schooling of Singapore sat alongside him. Gracefully, the American tried to ease out of the spotlight. "Joe should be getting most of the questions," he eventually told reporters, laughing. "This kid just won a gold medal, guys. Let's ask him some more questions." When a journalist obliged by asking Schooling how it felt to become "the go-to butterflier in the world right now", the 21-year-old hesitated and glanced to his left at Phelps. "That's for you bro, don't look at me," Phelps told him. It was a surreal moment for Schooling, who had just beaten three of the greatest butterfly exponents in Phelps, South Africa's Chad Le Clos and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh, all of whom tied for second. "That sounds like a lot of pressure. I don't think I'm anywhere close to these three guys next to me," he said modestly in reply to the question. "Today just happened to be a good day for me. "I think Chad, Michael and Laszlo should still be the face for butterfly. This is like my first gold medal it's not like I've won 22 or 23." Phelps shot back: "It's a pretty good one to win, though." Schooling paid tribute to Phelps as the idol whose inspiration set him on course to become Singapore's first gold medallist in any sport. "If it wasn't for Michael, I don't think I could have gotten to this point. I wanted to be like him as a kid. "I wanted to win. And I think a lot of this is because of Michael, he's the reason I wanted to be a better swimmer." After the medal ceremony, the pair were deep in conversation on the pool deck, and Schooling said he told Phelps the feeling was 'out of this world'. "He smiled and said, like, I know," Schooling said. "He's been through it all, and just being beside him, walking beside him and celebrating, I'll really cherish that for the rest of my life." (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
By Daniel Flynn RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Moments after becoming the first male swimmer to win an Olympic gold in the same event 16 years apart, 35-year-old Anthony Ervin said he would look to make the United States swimming team for the 2020 Tokyo Games. He may have been joking. Or maybe not. Ervin won his first gold in the 50-metres freestyle at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in a dead heat with compatriot Gary Hall Jr, before leaving the sport to pursue a love of rock music. He even sold his gold medal to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami. With his arms cloaked in tattoos, Ervin -- now the oldest man on the U.S. swimming team -- returned to claim a second title on Friday by the narrowest of margins, edging out defending champion France's Florent Manaudou, by 0.01 seconds. While Manaudou -- 10 years his junior -- said he was looking forward to some time away from swimming, Ervin was considering another Olympic tilt in Tokyo. "I'm gonna try to make the team, of course," he told reporters. "I like being in an environment where I can try to swim to the best of my potential and I don't think that my age should limit me with that." While the most successful Olympian of all time, 31-year-old U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, insisted repeatedly he would not return in 2020, Ervin had no such qualms. He said he had never thought of retirement despite finishing fifth in the 50 metres freestyle at the 2012 Games in London. "Keeping going was an easy decision. I was enjoying what I was doing, so why stop," he said. "It's been an incredible journey to think that after 16 years, I'm back on the podium at the Olympic games. But I credit it to the love and support of my people, my family." Manaudou said that as a small child he had watched Ervin win gold in Sydney, and dreamed of becoming a swimmer himself. "Even if I lost tonight, I am happy that he came back to win 16 years later," he said, but ruled out emulating Ervin's achievement. "I'm going to take a three month break and if I want to swim after that, then I'll swim. For the time being, I want to party." (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
The ex-husband and father of a British woman suspected to be the victim of an "honour" killing appeared in a Pakistani court Saturday after being arrested by police.

Samia Shahid died last month during a visit to her family village in Punjab province with her second husband, Mukhtar Kazam, claiming she was murdered for bringing "dishonour" on her family.

"Shahid's ex-husband, Muhammad Shakeel, who was on pre-arrest bail, was arrested along with Shahid's father, Muhammad Shahid, after a local court did not extend Shakeel's bail," Aqeel Abbas, a local police official, told AFP.

Abbas said both men would remain in custody for four days in Jhelum, 126 kilometres (78 miles) east of the capital Islamabad.

Police have not charged the men.

Kazam and Shahid, a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP.

Kazam, who is Pakistani, said his wife had angered her parents by converting to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding.

Earlier this month at an emotional news conference he had presented a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife's death that said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, suggesting she had been strangled.

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.
Last year, when Panera Bread announced that it would phase out from its menu a number of ingredients commonly used in quick-service restaurant food, the banned items were dubbed the No No List. Its the kind of terminology that a four-year-old would readily understandThese are bad things to eatand it has now, fittingly, led to an overhaul of the restaurants kids menu, which will debut on Sept. 7.

The updated menu features bland kid classics such as buttered noodles, mac and cheese, and chicken noodle soup, along with more, well, ambitious dishes like clam chowdereach of which is served with either a fruit-flavored yogurt tube, an apple, or bread. All meals are served with water, and organic milk or 100 percent juice can be purchased for an additional cost. Its a far cry from a Happy Mealand thats part of the point.

In announcing the new menu, CEO Ron Shaich made it clear that this isnt just about how his company serves its youngest diners. Rather, hes challenging the industry as a whole to follow suit.

Frankly, the typical restaurant-industry kids meal doesnt serve our kids well, Shaich told CNBC in a statement. We shouldnt be marketing to kids. Toys and games distract from honest food choices. They come with poor options like fries and sugary beverages. This is not food as it should be. The meals we serve our children should be good food.

The lack of sugary drinks, fried foods, and movie marketing tie-in toys on the Panera kids menu makes it look far better in the eyes of public health experts, who have criticized both the nutritional content and the heavy branding of kids meals replete with soda, fries, and toys.

A 2013 study on how fast-food chains market to kids concluded that advertisements emphasized toy giveaways and movie tie-ins rather than food products. Self-regulatory pledges to focus on actual food products instead of toy premiums were not supported by this analysis. Many chains have made minor adjustments to kids meal offerings; McDonalds, for example, has added apples and milk as an alternative choice to fries and a soda. McDonalds also recently said that it would stop using artificial coloringsomething included on Paneras No No Listin its Chicken McNuggets.

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But while parents may feel better serving their kids food made without artificial ingredients, far more research supports that overconsumption of sugar, empty calories, and bad fats present more of a health risk than small amounts of Yellow No. 5 or sodium benzoate. Whats sodium benzoate, you ask? In a video on its website, Panera put that question to a couple of kids, who came up with answers like its a lone wolf who likes to ruin things or it is probably like a really, really big egg thats red and has one eye. Consider it an update to the Michael Pollan adage that you shouldnt eat food made with ingredients your great-great-great-grandmother wouldnt recognizethe same, perhaps, goes for children.

Neither a wolf nor an egg, sodium benzoate is a preservativeone whose consumption has been linked to cell damage in humans but is considered safe to consume in the low amounts used in processed foods. Is eating it more of a risk to a kids well-being than the 2.5 teaspoons of sugarmore than half of a recommended daily servingin one of the organic yogurt tubes that Panera serves? It would seem that Shaich believes soand would like to convince McDonalds and others in the industry to think so too.

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Call for cultivating creativity in pupils

Minervaa Nepal (Education) Pvt Ltd, an educational assessment orgnisation, organised a talk programme on Friday on the present state of the countrys education system.
BELFAST (Reuters) - Catholic youths attacked police with petrol bombs in the Northern Ireland city of Londonderry on Saturday ahead of one of the largest Protestant parades of the year. Thousands of pro-British unionists were due to take to the streets of the city for the annual Apprentice Boys parade, which marks the ending of the siege of Derry by Catholic King James II in 1689. Pro-British Protestants march every summer to commemorate historical events, sometimes triggering a violent response from mainly Catholic Irish Republicans. Police said at least 25 petrol bombs and fireworks were thrown at officers as they investigated a suspected bomb that turned out to be a hoax, but no injuries were reported. Police said they had been called to investigate several suspicious objects across the province. A peace deal signed in 1998 largely ended three decades of violence between Catholics and Protestants that led to the deaths of more than 3,600 people, but much of the British province remains divided along religious lines. (Reporting by Ian Graham; Editing by Conor Humphries and Stephen Powell)
Will those involved in Viacom chief Philippe Dauman's??legal battle over his removal from the Sumner M. Redstone National Amusements Trust really be ready to go to trial by next month?

Well, a Massachusetts probate judge on Friday thought so, setting an ambitious trial date of Sept. 19 to hear evidence on Dauman's allegations that??Shari Redstone has manipulated her father and subverted??the administration of the trust, which??exerts its influence over National Amusements, owning 80 percent of both Viacom and CBS' stock.

That doesn't necessarily mean there definitely??will??be a trial. The possibility of settlement and any interim motions loom. But if a trial does happen without any further delay, the several dozen lawyers involved in the battle could be bringing to a public forum more revelations about the condition of 93-year-old Sumner Redstone and, possibly, the behind-the-scenes maneuvering over his media empire.

It appears that Redstone also will be deposed in the coming weeks, though the scope of questions directed his way and the conditions on which he appears could be a subject of judicial review before the trial begins. The??Massachusetts judge will hear that topic at a hearing on Aug. 26.

A judge in Delaware, presiding over??Viacom lead independent director Frederic Salerno's own lawsuit over the Redstones' decisions regarding the company, similarly will entertain discovery disputes and more in anticipation of a trial scheduled (hopefully in pencil) for Oct. 31.

At the very least, the litigants involved won't have to worry about the third lawsuit that was filed by Sumner Redstone in California. Given the tight scheduling and the East Coast judges' recent decisions moving the case forward, the mogul's attorneys have seen the wisdom of asking a court to pause those proceedings.
The Philippines and China discussed setting up a "two-track" system that would allow them to cooperate in some areas while separately handling "contentious issues" such as their South China Sea territorial dispute, a Manila envoy said Saturday.

Former president Fidel Ramos and ex-interior secretary Rafael Alunan discussed the proposal at meetings with Chinese representatives in Hong Kong on a trip aimed at improving relations.

Ramos, a longtime advocate of closer ties, said the talks were "very hospitable... very encouraging, in the sense that we have a common interest" in such goals as fighting global warming.

They met with Fu Ying, chair of the foreign affairs committee of the National People's Congress, China's communist-controlled legislature.

Alunan said both sides discussed "encouraging track two or think-tank exchanges... where we will be discussing contentious issues."

"That would relieve us (of) the burden of discussing contentious issues because we have another group doing that while we explore ways and means on how to move our relations forward," he told reporters.

He did not say which "think-tanks" would be involved in these issues, apparently referring to the two countries' territorial dispute over the South China Sea.

When asked if they discussed a UN-backed tribunal's ruling last month that Beijing's claims over most of the South China Sea were invalid, Ramos said "we never mentioned that."

The decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration was widely seen as a victory for the Philippines which has challenged China's claims to the vital waterway.

China refused to recognise the decision and had demanded that the Philippines disregard it in future talks. The Philippines rejected this.

Both Ramos and Alunan stressed that they were only informal envoys and that further formal talks would be handled by other parties.

Ramos said they also "talked about fishing," referring to China driving away Filipino fishermen from a shoal it occupied in 2012 after a stand-off with Philippine authorities.

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The shoal is 230 kilometres (140 miles) off the main Philippine island of Luzon and 650 kilometres from Hainan island, the nearest major Chinese landmass.

Ramos said he discussed restoring the previous situation where Chinese, Filipino and even Vietnamese fishermen freely plied their trade in the Scarborough Shoal.

However both Ramos and Alunan said the Chinese side made no commitments and merely noted their proposals.

While the territorial dispute has strained ties, new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has previously said he would seek Chinese help for vital infrastructure projects.
A new princess was crowned at Disney, and youll cry happy-tears just looking at the pictures

A new princess was crowned at Disney, and youll cry happy-tears just looking at the pictures

Say hello to Elena of Avalor, the newest Disney princess to make her way to the Magic Kingdom.

Princess Elena Of Avalor Arrives At Walt Disney World

In case you didnt know, and this is something you should definitely know, whenever a new princess waltzes into the kingdom, she gets her own little ~welcoming~ party. And it really is a party! Disney doesnt hold back when it comes to showing royalty a good time, and theres always a parade, streamers, music, dancing, and of course, so much magic.

Elena is the newest to receive this literally princess treatment, and were so excited shes here. Elena is also the first Latino princess, and shes even got her own show on Disney Channel, which is perfectly titled Elena of Avalor. Like many princesses before her, she is smart, strong, and fiercely independent. She doesnt need anyone to fight her battles for her.

elena

Those in the Magic Kingdom got a taste of this in real life when she was officially welcomed to the park. If you missed the celebration, dont worry; weve got the highlights right here.

There was a royal procession, in a horse-drawn carriage.

Princess Elena Of Avalor Arrives At Walt Disney World

Cinderella was there to welcome Elena to the castle (and it is her castle, after all)

Disney's "Elena of Avalor"

Elena also sang and played guitar, because not only is she a princess, but also an accomplished musician!

Disney's "Elena of Avalor"

And there were so. many. streamers.

Disney's "Elena of Avalor"

Theres almost like, too much magic happening right now.

You can watch the whole princess procession yourself below (starting at 15:44). Anyone else suddenly feel like taking a trip to Disney to meet Elena IRL?

The post A new princess was crowned at Disney, and youll cry happy-tears just looking at the pictures appeared first on HelloGiggles.
San Salvador (AFP) - Central America's relentless struggle with gangs and street crime has created a worrying consequence: prisons so overcrowded they serve more as schools for felons than institutions for rehabilitation, according to experts.

Together, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama have 103,993 convicts in around a hundred penitentiaries -- whose combined capacity is meant to be 48,218.

Prison overpopulation in each facility ranges from 22 percent to 246 percent.

"The overcrowding highlights the failure of the structure of the justice system in its entirety," said Laura Andrade, a Salvadoran expert on prison issues.

Several studies show that the governments in the region have opted for a populist policy that simply scoops up massive amounts of criminals and locks them away as an answer to public fears in some of the world's most dangerous countries.

Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador constitute what is known as the "Northern Triangle" of Central America: gang-ridden nations whose murder rates are among the highest on the planet outside of actual war zones.

But experts question the strategy, which they say merely creates fertile centers for criminal learning.

"The citizen perception of imprisonment as a solution to security problems has impeded progress in reforms to reduce the inmate population, adopt alternative measures, and promote social reinsertion," the UN Development Programme said in a 2013 report.

- Hotbeds of violence -

In recent years, Central American governments have thrown themselves behind renovating prisons or building new ones. The allocated budgets are focused much more on improving penitentiary employees' salaries and inmates' food than on rehabilitation schemes.

For the UNDP, the prisons have become hotbeds of violence where human rights violations, criminal networks and recidivism abound.

In a heightened crackdown on gangs this year, El Salvador in March imposed strict measures to prevent many of the 16,197 gang members locked up -- 46 percent of the country's prison population -- communicating with the outside world in a bid to curb their criminal activities.

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Yet there are some signs the region is realizing the need for a change in direction.

"In the current conditions of overcrowding, the inhuman living conditions and the human rights violations experienced by most of the inmate population, prison is doing the opposite of what it's supposed to, which is to resocialize," said a recent study of El Salvador's prison system carried out by the University of Central America.

With 34,938 inmates in 19 penitentiaries, El Salvador has the worst rate of prison overcrowding in the region, at 246 percent.

It is followed by Guatemala at 204 percent.

The Central American country with the lowest level of overcrowding is Panama, at 22 percent.

- Lack of personnel -

"It's urgent that the state develop a new crime-fighting policy that involves the three powers (executive, legislative and judicial), and which require us to take decisions that avoid prison as the sole applicable measure, with a series of alternatives," Costa Rica's justice minister, Cecilia Sanchez, told AFP.

For her, the "poor penitentiary structure" and the lack of qualified personnel are the main obstacles to working out a real reinsertion program for released prisoners.

In Guatemala, Andrea Barrios, coordinator for an association called Colectivo Artesanas, urged alternatives to prison for lesser crimes, such as home detention or community service.
Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday congratulated his "dear friend" Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on his 90th birthday.

"You enjoy deep respect in Russia as an outstanding statesman who devoted his entire life to serving the people of Cuba," Putin wrote in a telegram posted on the Kremlin's website.

"It is hard to overestimate your personal contribution to the development of friendship and cooperation between our countries," the Russian leader wrote.

"I wish you good health, longevity, vitality and prosperity."

Both loved as a hero and hated as a dictator, Castro is one of the giant figures of modern history who defied the United States to turn his island nation into a firm ally of the Soviet Union.

Ties between Moscow and Havana suffered after the collapse of the USSR as the massive flow of financial aid from Moscow dried up, delivering a major economic blow to the country.

Ex-KGB agent Putin has sought to bolster ties with Havana as he increasingly squares off against Washington and last met a frail Castro in 2014 during a visit to Cuba.
Constructive support to government: Gachchhadar

Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Loktantrik (MJF-L) Chairperson Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar has said his party would lend constructive support to the incumbent government.
The killing of the Islamic State group's leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan has dealt a major blow to the jihadists, but despite a US-backed scorched earth offensive the regional franchise is far from over, observers said Saturday.

Hafiz Saeed was killed in a US airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province last month, the Pentagon announced Friday, as Afghan forces mount an operation against the militants after they claimed the deadliest attack in Kabul for 15 years.

The death of Saeed, the second prominent militant to be killed in a US regional strike in recent months, is a setback to the group's efforts to expand beyond its heartland of Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The killing of IS leader Hafiz Saeed in a US airstrike is a major blow to the group, which will struggle to make gains without a strong leadership," Kabul-based political analyst Haroun Mir told AFP.

"But the IS threat in the region is still far from over."

The group claimed twin bombings last month that tore through crowds of minority Shiite Hazaras protesters in Kabul, killing 80 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001.

The devastating attack in the capital represented a major escalation for IS, which so far has largely been confined to its stronghold in Nangarhar, where it is notorious for brutality including beheadings.

But officials denied that it marked a turning point for IS in Afghanistan, saying the group has been under heavy pressure from both US air strikes and a ground offensive led by Afghan forces.

The US military says the group's nascent presence in Afghanistan has dwindled, with fighters largely confined to two or three districts in Nangarhar from around nine in January.

But despite the offensive, residents of Nangarhar say the group is still maintaining its reign of tyranny in the region.

- IS-Taliban alliance? -

"The offensive is going on and the government says they are winning," a tribal leader in Hiska Mina, one of the worst-hit districts in Nangarhar, told AFP.

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"But Daesh fights every night, and the insecurities have increased, not decreased," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Local tribal leaders say the Taliban, a stronger group than IS, has forged an informal alliance with the jihadists after a year of fierce rivalry in order to effectively combat government forces.

"The Daesh and Taliban have stopped fighting each other and are both fighting the government," said Malek Haseeb, a tribal leader in Kot, a mountainous district from where IS militants were last month flushed out by Afghan troops.

"Once government forces leave, we fear Daesh will return and resume their operations," he added.

An army commander in Nangarhar confirmed the informal insurgent alliance, but the Taliban have strongly denied joining hands with IS.

The Taliban, who have themselves often been accused of savagery during their 15-year insurgency, have publicly sought to appear as a bulwark against IS's reign of brutality and as a legitimate group waging an Islamic war.

The NATO-led coalition estimates there are around 1,500 IS militants in Afghanistan -- mostly disaffected Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, as well as Uzbek militants and local residents of Nangarhar.

The group has so far not announced a successor to Saeed.

Afghan authorities erroneously believed Saeed had been killed in another strike in July 2015, when a US drone targeted dozens of IS-linked cadres in Nangarhar, close to the Pakistani border.

News of his death comes after former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in another US drone strike inside Pakistan in May.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Olympics organisers said they would pump millions of litres of green water from a Rio pool after admitting defeat in attempts to get it back to blue.

In a "radical" step, 3.73 million litres (985,000 gallons) will be replaced at the 50-metre water polo pool, which hosts synchronised swimming from Sunday.

Officials blamed hydrogen peroxide, added to the pool by a contractor, as the cause of the pool turning a murky green.

Clean-up efforts are also failing at the adjacent diving pool, which is a darker green and smelled like a "fart" on Friday, according to one diver.

But while the diving pool can stay green without affecting competition, venue manager Gustavo Nascimento said synchronised swimming requires crystal-clear water.

"We've been trying for four days. Obviously it's not going as fast as we wanted... so we're going to change the water," Nascimento told a press conference.

"We're going to drain the water from the competition pool and we're going to pump the water from the warm-up pool into the competition pool," he added.

The operation should be finished by 7:00 am on Sunday, Nascimento said -- four hours before synchronised swimming gets underway with the duet free routine.

Nascimento said the diving pool and then the bigger pool next to it turned green because a contractor added 80 litres of hydrogen peroxide which neutralised the chlorine.

Hydrogen peroxide is used in the cleaning of swimming pools but it should not be mixed with chlorine, Nascimento told reporters.

"Our contractor's failure is our failure," he said, adding that the effect of some 120 athletes jumping into the pool had compounded the problem.

Divers said it had no effect on their performances but water polo players using the larger pool complained of stinging eyes as extra chlorine was pumped in.

"Synchronised swimming requires clear water for refereeing and clear water for athletes to see each other so we're going to change the water," Nascimento said.

"This (replacement operation) will be done overnight. The warm-up water is in perfect condition with ascetics, visibility and transparency for the athletes to perform at their best."

Rio Olympics spokesman Mario Andrada said the "radical measure" had been taken after discussions with aquatics body FINA.
Entrepreneurs urge govt to prioritise industrial security

Industrial security has not been given adequate priority by the state even though business enterprises and businessmen have been frequent targets of extortionists, stakeholders said Friday.
Robert De Niro compared Donald Trump to Travis Bickle, the mentally disturbed character he played in the 1976 movie Taxi Driver.

What he has been saying is totally crazy, ridiculous, stuff that shouldnt be even he is totally nuts, De Niro said.

His comments came during a Q&A at the Sarajevo Film Festival on Friday, according to the AP.

Elaborating on the character which earned the actor an Oscar nomination, De Niro said, One of the things to me was just the irony at the end, [Bickle] is back driving a cab, celebrated, which is kind of relevant in some way today too.

He then drew a comparison to the current presidential candidate for the Republican party: People like Donald Trump who shouldnt be where he is so God help us. The AP reports that De Niros comments were met with applause.

De Niro added during the Q&A that he thinks the media has focused too much attention on Donald Trump. But he has seen a shift in tone that now resembles, Come on Donald, this is ridiculous, this is nuts, this is insane.

The actor was attending the film festival, now in its 22nd year, to receive its first ever lifetime achievement award.

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Nancy Pelosi

The cyberattack aimed at the Democratic Party is evolving in some unsavory ways.

Less than a day after a hacker, or group of hackers who go by the name, Guccifer 2.0 published personal information belonging to high-ranking members of the party, some lawmakers are getting bombarded with ugly messages.

Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, said in a message to colleagues on Saturday that's she has received "scores of mostly obscene and sick calls, voicemails and text messages."

The representative from California was one of nearly 200 party officials whose personal emails and phone numbers were published online as a result of the hacking at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Pelosi called the cyber breach "an electronic Watergate break-in," and a "sad course of events" for the party and the nation.

Given the raucous and unconventional nature of this year's presidential race, lawmakers fear the cyberattack is an attempt to influence the election in November. The fallout forced former Democratic Party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to announce her resignation just before the party's national convention last month.

Her departure came after leaked internal messages revealed suggestions that the party favored presidential nominee Hillary Clinton over her former rival, Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary.

Lawmakers fear this is just the beginning.

An emergency meeting among party officials and cybersecurity experts was expected to be held Saturday.

NOW WATCH: Here are all the prominent Republicans voting for Hillary Clinton





More From Business Insider




Credit: Al Bello/Getty

Before facing off against longtime friend and rival Michael Phelps in the 200-meter individual medley at the Rio Olympics Thursday night, Ryan Lochte got a bit sentimental about their last Olympic showdown.

The U.S. swimmer (who is known for his changing appearance as well as his swimming abilities) posted a One last time! #USA #longjourney #12years A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on Aug 11, 2016 at 4:50pm PDT

One last time! #USA #longjourney #12years A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on Aug 11, 2016 at 4:50pm PDT

Between them, Lochte and Phelps have won the 200 I.M. at 13 of the last 14 major international meets, while Phelps has taken gold in the event in the past four Olympics. Come race time on Thursday, Lochte managed to hold the lead for the first 100 meters, but ended up finishing fifth. Phelps took home the gold, yet again.

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Fifth place seems to have left a bad taste in Lochte's mouth, however, because on Today Friday morning he told Matt Lauer that although he plans to take a break from swimming, we can expect to find him back in the pool at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo Japan. And he expects Phelps to be there too.

"You know what, I can definitely say that, because I guarantee he will be there,'' he told Lauer. "I think so. I really think so. So Michael, I'll see you in Tokyo."

"(Phelps is) definitely an inspiration, just what he's accomplished in the sport,'' Lochte went on to say. "He brings the best out of me, and hopefully I can say the same for him. The rivalry that we've created and that friendship, I'm definitely going to cherish it for the rest of my life."

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4 Olympics straight we've won this relay. So humbled to be apart of this moment! #USA #olympics #relay #gold A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on Aug 10, 2016 at 7:56am PDT

RELATED: "Way to Go Daddy!" Check Out Boomer Phelps's Adorable Olympic Outfit as He Congratulates Dad Michael on More Gold

Phelps and Lochte will be 35 and 36 years old, respectively, for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Will they actually make it that far? We'll have to just wait and see.
Rising Latin pop star Sammi Sanchez twirls around, tugging on her white midriff top. "Do I have a stain on my shirt?" she asks, giggling. She adjusts her dragon embroidered bomber jacket and brushes long brown locks from her face. "I thought I spilled my soda on it, but I'm good!"

She begins singing her new single, the atmospheric, electro-pop "Girls Talk," inside the Hollywood Patch (one of two houses designed by SOUR PATCH KIDS to support touring musicians). It's an anthem for all the ladies who have been duped by a cheater. Sanchez starts crooning in Spanish and then grabs the microphone to belt out, "You been caught, tell me what you know about that. Yeah, you hot, but you lost, and I'm gone and now you're never getting me back." The eighteen-year-old co-wrote the song, which is about a guy who was dating her and three of her friends at the same time. They all realized they were seeing the same person, but none of them confronted him. She thought the best way to address the issue would be to sing about it.

Her mentor and executive producer, former American Idol judge Randy Jackson, dances around in the background, clapping and shaking his backside. He bobs his head to the rhythm of the drums and leans back on a Stars and Stripes-painted Baldwin grand piano. "Yeah! You sound great!" he shouts after each take, giving her some extra singing pointers in a side huddle.

"When I was little, I was terrified to sing in front of people. I hated it," explains Sanchez. Her parents and friends convinced her that the best way to get over her fear was to sing in a talent show in grade school. She sang Demi Levato's "This Is Me," and admits she was terrified. "Things have changed. I don't get as nervous anymore. It's kind of like my happy place, on stage," she says, smiling.

Born in San Diego, Sanchez and her family moved around a lot: to Las Vegas, then New York and finally Los Angeles. Although she enjoyed the adventure, it wasn't easy for her. "I was bullied a lot growing up. It was a thing my whole school life until I finally opted for home-schooling," she says. "It was tough to go through, but I think it was better for me, because it gave me a chance to focus on my schoolwork and singing. It motivated me to work harder and prove those people wrong."

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Sanchez began her career online, covering Justin Bieber's "Baby" in a 2011 YouTube video that has been viewed over 22,000 times. She followed his career from the start and thought if he could make it, she could, too. After accumulating a fan base from posting more covers of artists like Rihanna and Sia, she released her first original song, "Butterflies," on Radio Disney in 2014.

A year later, she was discovered by longtime industry executive, bassist and producer Jackson. He went to see Sanchez perform at the Roxy in Los Angeles and thought she would be great to work with. "When I first saw her on stage, I thought she had a cool charisma and charm about her. I fell in love with her voice and thought she could really do it," recalls Jackson. "You have to have the talent first, and she's got the talent." He decided to take Sanchez under his wing and executive produce her as-yet-untitled debut EP. She was hesitant to work with him at first, but he really helped hone her craft in the studio and gave honest feedback and constructive criticism.

"Randy has always said, 'Do what you want to do, and stick by it.' I think that's something I always keep in the back of my head. If you don't love what you are doing, then change something," Sanchez declares. The two are currently working on new songs and don't have a date set for the release.

As Sanchez sings "Girls Talk" for the last time today, she looks back at Jackson who gives her a nod. The two smile at each other. It's obvious that she feels more comfortable performing now than she did in the past. "I definitely think now with making music, I'm not afraid," she confides. "I thought I had to fit a certain mold and be careful about what I wanted to say. Now I can kind of just say whatever I feel and reveal whatever I am going through, and it will be okay. It's only going to get better from here."
A stunning performance from Joseph Schooling saw him become Singapores first ever Olympic champion as he struck gold in the 100-metre butterfly.

The 21-year-old blitzed the rest of the field in the final on Saturday morning, setting a new Olympic record of 50.39 seconds en route to touching the wall first.

No one else went below 51s, with second place being shared in a remarkable three-way tie between Michael Phelps, Chad Le Clos and Laszlo Czeh. It is the first event that Phlelps, the defending champion and Schoolings childhood idol, has lost at this Games.

Schooling, Singapores first male Olympic swimming finalist and the shortest of the eight competitors, led from start to finish in a sensational swim to bag the Republics first-ever Olympic swimming medal.

His feat at the Olympic Aquatic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ended a wait that had begun since Neo Chee Kwok became the first swimmer to represent Singapore at an Olympics in the 1952 Helsinki Games.

It was also only Singapores fifth ever Olympic medal and the third individual one, coming after Tan Howe Liangs weightlifting silver in 1960 and paddler Feng Tianweis bronze in 2012.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook to congratulate the history-maker.

It is an incredible feat, to compete among the worlds best, stay focussed, and emerge victorious, he said. Congrats once again to Joseph, you made us very proud today."

Schooling, who already had ambitions to make the Olympics at the age of six, is the first Southeast Asian male to win a medal since Philippines Teofilo Yldefonso won bronze in 1932 in the 200m breaststroke.

It is the third-ever medal and best finish by a Southeast Asian swimmer, with Yldefonso also having won bronze in 1928. Filipino Jikirum Adjaluddin and Singapores Tao Li are the only others to have qualified for a final.

Schoolings medal is the first won by Singapore at the these Games, as he concludes his swimming campaign on an unprecedented high.
Guca (Serbia) (AFP) - A small town in western Serbia is hosting the world's largest trumpet festival, a raucous annual celebration of brass bands that draws crowds of hundreds of thousands.

Now in its 56th year, the Guca festival brings together dozens of Serbian bands who compete for prestigious awards and entertain revellers in a turbocharged street party.

The five-day event, which ends Sunday, usually attracts around 200,000 to 300,000 music-lovers from Serbia and abroad, according to festival organiser Marija Pavlovic.

"We have every year more and more foreign tourists coming here, so we are very happy," she told AFP.

Brass band music is symbolic of Serbian culture and Pavlovic said the festival began "spontaneously" outside Guca's church back in 1961, growing in popularity each year.

A three-hour drive from the capital Belgrade and home to just a few thousand people, Guca is now famed for its yearly festivities and a statue of a trumpeter stands in its centre.

Following preliminary heats held throughout the year, the best bands compete on Guca's main stages while others play for tips on the streets and in cafes, as whole pigs and lambs are roasted on spits.

Beer and rakija, the local brandy, are drunk in abundance at what is officially called the Dragacevo Assembly of Trumpet Players, after the region in which it is held.

Among the first-time visitors this year is Danish tourist Anders Vold, 25, who has attended Denmark's leading Roskilde music festival several times but said Guca was in a different league.

"It's like Roskilde on steroids, with Balkan brass," he said.

"Everyone has to experience this because it's crazy and it's very good, and the people are so nice."
Mississippi hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd rolled out the sequel to January 2015's SremmLife with the ear-grabbing set SremmLife 2, released via Ear Drummer Records/Interscope Records on Aug. 12. Like the first go-round, there is no shortage on party jams, like "Set The Roof," featuring Lil Jon, and the opener "Start The Party."

With summer '16 still in full effect, real-life bros Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi turned every situation into a turn-up on SL2. Here are their most celebratory lyrics.

Turn Up to Rae Sremmurd's Partystarting Album 'SremmLife 2'

"Start The Party"

"I told my n----s I'ma pull up to the party/ Give me 20 minutes/ Show up in some leather pants/ With some bitches you ain't even know existed" -- Swae Lee

"Real Chill"

"Spittin' game to that girl and her friend/ I got dressed, left the crib, set the trend" -- Swae Lee

"By Chance"

"I'm thumbin' through the cash, damn my pockets got a leech/ You tryna roll with me, you gotta be a 10 at least/ Mona Lisa with a Visa vibin' to the beat/ No she not a keeper, she just my little freak" -- Slim Jxmmi

"Look Alive"

"Kill this cup, not my vibe/ Be the highlight of my night" -- Swae Lee

"Black Beatles"

"I'm a f---in black Beatle, cream seats in the Regal/ Rockin' John Lennon lenses like to see 'em spread eagle/ Took a bitch to the club and let her party on the table" -- Swae Lee

"Set The Roof"

"We set the roof on fire, then we flood it out/ We just threw the money up, we ain't even count" -- Swae Lee

"Came a Long Way"

"All the young n---as what I represent/ Pockets on swole cause I stay committed/ Let my top down when I'm in the city/ It's a celebration when I'm in the city" -- Slim Jxmmi

"Over Here"

"Hakuna matata, I came in with my partners/ Hakuna matata, I'ma red carpet walker/ 50 bad bitches drinkin' vodka like it's water"
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 12, 2016 / Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Juno Therapeutics, Inc. ("Juno" or the "Company") (JUNO) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Western District of Washington, and docketed under 16-cv-01083, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Juno securities between June 4, 2016 and July 7, 2016 inclusive (the "Class Period"). This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

If you are a shareholder who purchased Juno securities during the Class Period, you have until September 12, 2016 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Juno is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing cell-based cancer immunotherapies. Its leading product candidate is called JCAR015, which is currently in clinical trials.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: Defendants made misleading partial disclosures about JCAR015's safety and made public misrepresentations or failed to disclose material facts of the death of patients in its Phase 2 clinical trial.

In May 2016, a patient in the Phase 2 trial of JCAR015-dubbed the "ROCKET" trial by Juno-died of a cerebral edema, a form of neurotoxicity. In late June or early July, two more patients in the ROCKET trial died of cerebral edemas. This caused the FDA to issue a clinical hold and forced Defendants to reveal the truth, which they finally did on July 7, 2016, after the market closed. On this news, the Company's share price fell $13.01, or 31.87%, to close at $27.81 on July 8, 2016.

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The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
Govt can't bypass UML and RPP-N: Thapa

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal chairman Kamal Thapa has said the governing parties cannot amend the constitution for changing the borders of provinces by neglecting the CPN-UML and his party.
Police advisory on playing Pokemon Go (Singapore Police Force/ Facebook) Police advisory on playing Pokemon Go (Singapore Police Force/ Facebook)

In just one week, the wildly popular Pokemon Go game has taken Singapore by storm since its release last Saturday (6 August).



Throngs of avid Pokemon fans, both young and old, have been flooding the streets in an attempt to find Pikachu and his friends.

Organisations in Singapore have also joined the craze by posting Pokemon Go-related messages on social media, from the police issuing a public safety message to the Singapore Zoo mapping all the Pokegyms and Pokestops at the attraction.


Kenny Baker, the actor who played R2-D2 in Star Wars has died, CBS NEWS confirms.

The 3' 8" actor shot to fame when he first played the beloved Star Wars character in 1977, and reprised his role for 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the Jedi, as well as the three prequel films from 1999 to 2005. Baker also served as consultant on 2015's The Force Awakens.

WATCH: 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens' Trailer Reunites Harrison Ford & Chewbacca

Lucasfilm Ltd

The actor, who also starred in films such as The Elephant Man, Time Bandits and Flash Gordon, died on Saturday in his home in Preston, north west England, after suffering through years of breathing problems.

Baker's nephew and caregiver, Drew Myerscough, told Sky News that the love from Star Wars fans around the globe "kept him going, without any doubt."

"He was amazed that, even after 30-odd years, the fans still basically adored him," he said.

Baker was also adored by George Lucas, who released a heartfelt statement on the actor's death.

"Kenny Baker was a real gentleman as well as an incredible trooper who always worked hard under difficult circumstances," he said. "A talented vaudevillian who could always make everybody laugh, Kenny was truly the heart and soul of R2-D2 and will be missed by all his fans and everyone who knew him."

Ewan McGregor, who starred with Baker in the Star Wars prequels, took to Twitter to share his condolences.

"So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny," he wrote.

So sorry to hear about this. It was lovely working with Kenny. Kenny Baker, Star Wars R2-D2 actor, dies aged 81 https://t.co/9HW6f3MWZl  Ewan McGregor (@mcgregor_ewan) August 13, 2016

RELATED: Tony Dyson, Who Built the Beloved 'Star Wars' Droid R2-D2, Dies at 68

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"Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination," Mark Hamill tweeted shortly after. "He WAS the droid I was looking for!"

Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination He WAS the droid I was looking for! pic.twitter.com/rd94OEYaHi  Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 13, 2016

The rest of Hollywood soon followed with their own condolences.

RIP R2D2. Farewell Fidget, Time Bandit. Goodbye Mister Kenny Baker. pic.twitter.com/wuiQuCH7g6  edgarwright (@edgarwright) August 13, 2016

Rest in Peace @starwars legend #KennyBaker - whose name I learned at age 7 because he brought #R2D2 to life. Feels like losing family...  KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) August 13, 2016

Kenny Baker, actor behind R2-D2, dies https://t.co/SmMSCOQfCo Hate to hear this. I worked w Kenny on Sleeping Beauty-lovely man-lovely soul  Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) August 13, 2016

Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2-D2. pic.twitter.com/NqOpxotxyK  20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) August 13, 2016

#KennyBaker is gone. #RIPR2D2 You will live on in this galaxy for years to come!  Josh Gad (@joshgad) August 13, 2016

You brought life to one of my favourite characters, thank you Kenny Baker. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/9L53J5rN17  Rahul Kohli (@RahulKohli13) August 13, 2016

So sad to hear one of my dearest friends passed away. Rest in peace Kenny Baker. Love you. Will miss you! pic.twitter.com/FosdwNysGk  Daniel Logan (@Daniel_Logan) August 13, 2016

RELATED: New 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Trailer Shows Some Familiar Faces and Exciting New Heroes

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Colombo (AFP) - Australia's Nathan Lyon Saturday praised Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal for Sri Lanka's epic fightback on the opening day of the final Test in Colombo, but insisted the visitors were very much in the game.

De Silva and Chandimal put together an unbeaten 188-run partnership for the sixth wicket to steer Sri Lanka to 214 for five after the Australian bowlers wreaked havoc.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc and Lyon shared five wickets between them to reduce the hosts to 26 for five before lunch but failed to make further inroads.

De Silva, who scored his maiden Test century, remained unbeaten on 116 at the close, with strong support from Chandimal who was batting on 64.

"Lucky enough to take five early wickets but you should give credit to the two guys batting. They have batted outstandingly and they are in a good partnership," Lyon told reporters.

"So we have to come back tomorrow and start the grind again. The game is not out of our depth, that's for sure.

"If you go anywhere in the world and say at stumps 210 for five (214 for five) after them winning the toss and batting first, it's a big tick, so we are in a fight and that's the best thing about it," Lyon added.

- Sri Lanka revival -

After settling at the crease, De Silva and Chandimal counter-attacked against an aggressive Australian onslaught who kept pushing hard by rotating their bowling options.

De Silva's 240-ball stay was laced with 16 boundaries while Chandimal has so far hit four boundaries.

The 24-year-old De Silva, who made his debut at the start of this series, survived a dropped catch on 104 by Shaun Marsh at cover with Starc being the unlucky bowler.

But the batting duo ensured Sri Lanka go into the second day with their tails up against the Australian attack that seemed to have lost its way after the initial burst.

"I dare say that's a big key why Sri Lanka have been 2-0 up in the series for the ability of their batsmen to bat in partnerships and for a long period of time.

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"We have spoken about it and our batsmen have all got their plans to come out in this Test match and hopefully bat long for periods," Lyon said.

Medium-pacer Josh Hazlewood, left-arm spinner Jon Holland and allrounder Mitchell Marsh have so far returned wicketless during their spells.

The visitors had dominated the morning session with Starc striking early to have Kaushal Silva trudging back to the pavilion after a 15-ball duck.

Lyon, who had had been criticised for failing to utilise the turning conditions, also proved effective at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground with his two wickets.

The spinner seemed to have learnt his lessons on these pitches after getting Kusal Perera caught at first slip and then the prized wicket of Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews, who was out for just one.

The left-handed Perera looked good during his 32-ball 16 which included three boundaries, but was done in by a beauty from Lyon that pitched and turned to take an outside edge of the bat.

Starc also kept the other end busy with his wicket-taking as he bowled opener Dimuth Karunaratne for the fifth time in the series.

"To be honest I was proud of all our bowlers today. That was hot today, a good test to all our bowlers," Lyon said.
Riyadh (AFP) - A Yemeni man accused of murdering a policeman in Saudi Arabia had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, authorities in the kingdom said.

The suspect ran over and stabbed Corporal Muthhel al-Saluli on Wednesday after the officer left a mosque in Bisha, in the southwestern Asir region, the interior ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

The assailant, who was arrested the same day, told police "he belongs to Daesh (IS) and has pledged allegiance to the group", it said, adding that he killed Saluli "because he is a security official".

Six other Yemenis suspected of links to the incident have been arrested, said the statement, which was carried by the official SPA news agency.

Since late 2014, IS has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, shootings, and assassinations targeting members of the security forces and the kingdom's Shiite minority.

Saudi Arabia is part of the US-led coalition that is fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

Saudi political and religious leaders routinely denounce IS attacks -- at home and abroad -- as violations of Islam.
Higher Edu Fair draws 3,500 visitors

The second Nepal Higher Education Fair commenced at Hotel Annapurna in the Capital with a decent turnout on Friday.
By Chris Gallagher RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - No one would blame Anthony Ervin if he walked off into the sunset after triumphing in the same Olympic event he won 16 years ago, but the 35-year-old U.S. swimmer has no intention of slowing down. Basking in the glow of the gold medal he won a day earlier in the Olympic 50 meters freestyle, Ervin -- now the oldest swimmer to win a men's individual gold -- said retirement was not on his mind and he would keep going for as long as possible. "I just love the lifestyle, I love swimming, being in the water. It's a sanctuary. And I'm not going to give that up whether I'm the best in the world or completely irrelevant," Ervin told reporters on Saturday. "I can guarantee you'll see me in Tokyo in 2020, just whether I'm in a suit, cap and goggles, or a suit and tie, we don't know yet... "I'm just going to keep going until I'm not wanted anymore," added Ervin, who was also a member of the U.S. team which won gold in the 4x100 freestyle on Sunday. His first gold in the 50-metres freestyle was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. "I actually remember watching Anthony win that gold at 19, when I was seven," said Maya DiRado of the U.S. women's swim team, sitting next to Ervin and drawing laughter from reporters. In fact, Ervin did retire once: he gave up competitive swimming in 2003 and pursued a love of rock music but returned for the 2012 Games in London. Ervin said athletes often retire when their competitiveness and the love for what they do is gone, but he hasn't lost any of his drive. "I'm not talking about retirement. I don't want to go back to that place," he said. "The competitive part is the end all be all of why I do it." (Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Brian Homewood)
R.I.P. Tamir Rice was painted on a block of wood near a memorial for Rice outside the Cudell Recreation Center, Dec. 29, 2015, in Cleveland. (Photo: Tony Dejak/AP)

The Cleveland gazebo where Tamir Rice was shot and killed will be disassembled but not destroyed  potentially to become a symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Chicago-based civil rights attorney Billy Joe Mills, who is co-counsel for the Rice family, said ownership of the gazebo will be transferred to the Tamir Rice Foundation, a nonprofit in Ohio founded by his mother, Samaria Rice.

From there, he continued, it will probably head to the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, an exhibition venue run by installation artist Theaster Gates.

Nothing has been officially decided upon at this point. Were still figuring out the details of it, Mills said in an interview with Yahoo News. Obviously, there are a lot of logistical details to figure out when moving something like that. We are still in discussion, and nothing is official at this point.

Its conceivable, he said, that the gazebo will be transported to several institutions over the next few years, but this has not been officially confirmed yet.

Mourners covered a picnic table in the gazebo with stuffed animals, prayer candles, and letters for 12-year-old Rice. (Photo: Angelo Merendino/Corbis via Getty Images)

On Nov. 22, 2014, a police officer shot and killed 12-year-old Rice, who was holding a toy gun (an Airsoft replica) at the Cudell Recreation Center. A surveillance video of the shooting sparked widespread outrage and reignited an ongoing debate about policing in African-American communities throughout the United States.

In the shootings aftermath, the gazebo became a makeshift memorial, with people placing prayer candles and stuffed animals beneath it.

I think its a unique symbol, Mills said of the gazebo.

According to Mills, the recent change in consciousness surrounding police violence likely did not come about because of a spike in cop-involved shootings but rather because of the proliferation of cameras that have captured these incidents. This footage has created a unique era of civil rights awareness, he said.

There arent many physical symbols of what has happened, of the turmoil that the country has endured over the last few years now, he continued. I think that because of Tamirs innocence, as a 12-year-old boy, that his spirit has the ability and the power to imbue the gazebo with what I hope and what I think the family hopes is a healing power.

Story continues

Rice was shot by a patrol officer after a 911 call reported someone pointing a gun at people at the Cudell Recreation Center. (Photo: Cleveland Police Department/Handout via Reuters)

Mills said he would like to see the gazebo become a house for mediation and reconciliation between groups that are at odds with each other, whether they be communities that dont feel totally safe around police officers or between warring factions of young men on the South Side of Chicago.

The gazebo had been slated for demolition in May, but the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture successfully urged Cleveland to hold off because of its importance in black history. At the time, the museum was talking with Black Lives Matter about their options for preserving the structure.

Local media, such as Cleveland Scene and NBC affiliate WKYC, reported that the city council passed an emergency measure Wednesday to have the gazebo taken apart and moved to a nearby storage site. Councilman Matt Zone, who previously wanted the structure removed by the end of July, now reportedly hopes the project will be completed by the start of the school year.

When reached by Yahoo News for comment, Stony Island Arts Bank spokeswoman Amy Schachman said, Were having conversations about the gazebo, but at this point, no decisions have been confirmed.
DUBAI (Reuters) - At least 10 children were killed and 21 were injured in northern Yemen on Saturday, aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said, in what the country's dominant Houthi group said was a Saudi-led air strike on a school. The tragedy occurred as Yemen's parliament convened for the first time in almost two years, in a move that bolsters the Houthi movement and challenges the Saudi-backed exiled government. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition had no comment on the attack. Saudi Arabia and its allies have launched thousands of air strikes against the Houthis since they drove the internationally recognized government into exile in March 2015. "@MSF received today 21 injured & 10 deaths in Haydan #Saada. All were under 15 years old," the medical aid group said on its official Twitter account. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, a senior official from the Houthi movement whose main support base is in Saada, blamed the attack on the mostly Gulf Arab military coalition that has been at war with the group for over a year. At least 6,400 people have been killed in the conflict, around half of them civilians. The armed Houthis and their allies in the General People's Congress (GPC) party headed by powerful ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh control the capital Sanaa and have so far withstood the coalition campaign. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his internationally recognized government view them as putschists after they took the capital by force in September 2014 and have warned them against seeking to legitimize their rule through parliament. In a statement carried on the state news agency Saba, Hadi called the parliament session illegal and warned that MPs attending it could be prosecuted as criminals. After U.N.-backed peace talks to end the war collapsed last week, the Houthis and the GPC set up a governing council to rule the country despite U.N. and government opposition. The assembly convened within earshot of bombings by Saudi-led warplanes on military bases several miles away. (Writing by Noah Browning; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Terrance Howard is a father for the fifth time!

The 47-year-old actor and 38-year-old restaurateur Mira Pak welcomed their second child together, a son named Hero.

Howard announced the newborns arrival on Friday by tweeting an adorable pic of Hero being held by the couples 15-month-old son, Qirin Love.

Hero being held by Qirin pic.twitter.com/mk0XnJBoGz  Terrence D Howard (@terrencehoward) August 12, 2016

READ: Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard Shoot Down Empire Feud in Heated Video

The Empire star who married Pak in 2013, quietly filed for divorce after they appeared together at the Emmys last September.

Howard has three other children  Aubrey, 22, Heaven, 18, and Hunter, 20  from his first marriage.

WATCH: Terrence Howard Expecting 5th Child, Mira Pak Debuts Pregnancy on the Red Carpet

Related Articles
The resurgence of cast-iron frying pans and cookware might give the impression that nothing is new in the cookware aisle. But makers of pots and pans are busy cooking up new ways to sell this age-old necessity, either promising better results and easier cleanup or by branding cookware sets with a celebrity name.

Walmart, for example, sells a cookware collection from the Pioneer Woman of Food Network fame, which Consumer Reports will be testing soon. And when we recently put some familiar brands of cookware sets to the test, things got heated.



Our newest tests include cookware sets from across the price spectrum including a classic 5-piece set from Le Creuset for $450 to a 12-piece set from Tools of the Trade for $60. We also tested a midpriced 13-piece set from Costcos house brand, Kirkland Signature, which sells for $175. The results were decidedly mixed, and none did as well as our current champs, the high-performing $600 Swiss Diamond 10-piece set and the $120 Calphalon Simply Nonsitck 10-piece set, which earned a CR Best Buy in our tests.

We also tested cookware sets from Rachael Ray, which we've seen on discount, as well as from All-Clad, Cuisinart, OrGreenic, Circulon, Farberware, and Scanpan, among others.

In our tests, we gauge how evenly the pots and pans cook, how easily food releases from nonstick pans, nonstick durability, speed of heating water in a 4-quart pot, and how hot the handle gets during heating, as well as its sturdiness and whether panelists find the size and shape comfortable.

In addition to performance, our ratings of cookware sets tell you what pieces are included in a set, the material used, and more.

Cookware Shopping Tips

Match the cookware to your cooking surface. Appliance manufacturers websites list specifics, including the need for flat-bottomed pans on electric smoothtops and warnings about cookware that scratches this surface. If a magnet sticks to the bottom of a pan, its fine to use on an induction cooktop.

Pick up the pots and pans when shopping. Is the pot heavy? Do you find the skillet handle comfortable?

Try out a skillet before buying the entire set. The frying pans in our tests range from $20 to $160.



Count the usable pieces . Keep in mind that manufacturers include such extras as spatulas and other add-ons in their count so 16-pieces may not mean 16 pans and lids.

Check our cookware ratings of 18 sets and 20 skillets.to find out whether the cookware is oven-safe and what the recommended maximum temperature is. Check the manufacturers online manual before using a pan for broiling.

Story continues

Send your cookware questions 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.
Hua Hin (Thailand) (AFP) - Thai authorities on Saturday hunted for culprits behind a wave of bombings targeting popular holiday destinations, as businesses braced for the economic fallout from the attacks on the crucial tourism industry.

The kingdom was on edge after 11 small bombs and a series of suspected arson attacks exploded across seven southern provinces Thursday night and Friday morning, killing four locals and wounding more than 30 people -- including foreign tourists.

The bombs, most of them detonated in twin blasts, struck key tourism hubs during a long weekend, including the seaside resort town of Hua Hin and the island of Phuket.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police have ruled out international terrorism and said the campaign was an act of "local sabotage".

They said the motive was still unclear, but stressed the assault was not connected to a simmering insurgency in Thailand's southern tip, as some analysts have suggested.

"I can assure you that this is not a terrorist attack or the expansion of militants from the three southernmost provinces," deputy police commissioner Ponsapat Pongcharoen told reporters.

If the southern Muslim rebels are to blame, it would mark a major expansion of a secessionist campaign that rarely targets foreigners.

It would also be a huge embarrassment to Thailand's coup-installed military government, which has made boosting national security a flagship policy of its regime.

Junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha confirmed Saturday that at least one man had been detained for questioning over a suspected arson attack in Nakhon Si Thammarat province that coincided with the bombings.

But Prayut stressed it was just a preliminary investigation.

"Don't say he was arrested, he is just under investigation by officials and being questioned. Please be calm," he said.

- 'Confidence will return' -

In hardest-hit Hua Hin, a popular beach resort far from the conflict zone that was rocked by four bombs, locals said they were fearful the town's mainstay tourist industry would suffer just ahead of peak season.

Story continues

"Hua Hin has never had a problem like this," Nai Amporn, the owner of a beachside restaurant, told AFP.

"I am afraid business will become slow -- even this morning, you can see there are fewer people here for breakfast. I think they have all gone home," he added.

Famed for its idyllic islands and Buddhist temples, Thailand is a tourism powerhouse and was hoping for a record 32 million visitors this year.

The sector accounts for at least 10 percent of Thailand's economy, which the military government has struggled to invigorate since its 2014 power grab.

"The confidence in tourism will return," Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said Saturday, adding that the industry is still aiming for a target revenue of 2.4 trillion baht ($69 billion) in 2016.

An August 2015 bombing at a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people -- mostly tourists -- was followed by a sudden drop in visitors. But it did not stop the kingdom from welcoming a record high of nearly 30 million travellers that year.

- 'Rebels capable' -

The recent bombings were aimed at striking the vital tourism sector without causing extensive carnage, said Anthony Davis, a security analyst at IHS Jane's.

"This will have a significant impact on the tourist season in the south this year and into early 2017, using tactics that were clearly intended not to cause mass casualties," he told AFP.

He said southern insurgents were the only domestic group capable of carrying out the coordinated assault.

"They have the operational infrastructure and the manpower. Arguably, extending the campaign in a striking manner was only a matter of time," he told AFP, adding that the junta's initial efforts to negotiate with the rebels had reached an impasse.

Davis said it was unlikely the junta's other political foes -- supporters of the ousted government loyal to ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- were responsible for the attack, as they have been under close military surveillance since the coup.

The bombings came less than a week after the junta's draft of a new charter was approved in a referendum.

The poll was held in in a repressive climate, with criticism of the document banned under a harsh anti-campaigning law.

Only the north and northeast -- strongholds of the ousted government -- and the three insurgent-torn provinces rejected the charter.

The southern rebellion, waged by Muslim militants seeking greater autonomy from the Buddhist-majority state, has killed more than 6,500 people since it erupted in 2004.
By Andrew R.C. Marshall and Aukkarapon Niyomyat BANGKOK/HUA HIN, Thailand (Reuters) - The Thai political party whose governments have been overthrown by the country's ruling generals denied on Saturday having any role in the bomb attacks on popular tourist destinations that killed four people and wounded dozens. The blasts on Thursday and Friday in five of southern Thailand's internationally known resorts came days after Thais voted to accept a military-backed constitution that paves the way for an election at the end of 2017. Analysts say suspicion would inevitably on fall on enemies of the ruling junta beaten in the referendum or insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the mostly Buddhist country. Fears that followers of former prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, including an opposition movement sympathetic to the Shinawatras known as the "red shirts", could be blamed prompted a senior figure in their Puea Thai Party to issue a sharp denial. "People, through social media, are sending messages saying Thaksin Shinawatra is behind these events," Noppadon Pattama, a former foreign minister, said. "This is slander and defamation. Anyone who is a former prime minister is worried about the country and would not do such evil," said Noppadon, who served in both Thaksin and Yingluk's cabinets. No group has claimed responsibility for the wave of bombings, which sent shudders through the tourism industry, one of the few bright spots in Thailand's sluggish economy. For more than a decade Thailand has been divided between populist political forces led by Thaksin, who was toppled in a 2006 coup, and the royalist and military establishment, which accuses him of corruption. His sister Yingluk swept to power in an election in 2011, before being ousted in another coup in 2014. At last Sunday's referendum voters in Thaksin's northeast stronghold voted to reject the constitution, which opponents of the junta said would entrench the military's power and deepen divisions. Voters in three mostly Muslim southern provinces, where separatists have been fighting with the military for than a decade in an insurgency that has cost 6,500 lives, also voted against the new constitution, while the rest of the country accepted it. The bombs on Thursday and Friday went off in the upscale resort of Hua Hin and beach destinations in the south including Phuket, Phang Nga and Surat Thani, a city that is the gateway to popular islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Police and Thailand's foreign ministry initially ruled out links to Islamist terrorism and foreign terror groups, though national police chief Jakthip Chaijinda later told reporters that the devices were similar to those used by Muslim separatists. Pongsapat Pongcharoen, a deputy national police chief, told reporters on Saturday that no arrests had been made, but DNA samples collected at the blast sites would be compared with DNA samples stored in databases in the southern Muslim provinces. The attacks came on a busy weekend for tourism as domestic and international visitors flocked to seaside resorts on a long weekend for a public holiday. Hua Hin, an easy weekend getaway for residents of Bangkok, was returning to normal on Saturday - though most businesses in the vicinity of the Thursday night explosions remained closed, a Reuters witness said. (Additional reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Juarawee Kittisilpa Panarat Thepgumpnat, Pairat Temphairojana, Pracha Hariraksapitak and Prapan Chankaew; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
There are two main strategies we use when shopping for nail polish (or picking a color at the nail salon under pressure). Youre either the person who leaves the store with a new bottle and 10 fingers painted different hues, or you grab the first polish name you recognize. Either way, it can be hard to find a shade you love, especially when each brand offers (what feels like) endless color options.

Related: The Best Way To Get Rid Of Acne

Related: Heres Your Dream Sephora Starter-Kit



Take, for example, Essie. The popular brand is a salon, pro, and consumer favorite, and many of us are on a first-name basis with popular colors like Clambake and Mademoiselle. But with dozens upon dozens to choose from, youre majorly missing out if you never stray beyond your go-to orangey-red. For help navigating the massive selection, we turned to nail artist Michelle Saunders, who also serves as the brands official celebrity manicurist (and has an encyclopedic knowledge of its color offerings).



Ahead, Saunders takes a break from her A-list clientele to share her favorite foolproof shades for every skin tone, from everyday nudes and pale pinks to more unexpected brights and, of course, the best reds.





Best Bright For Fair Skin Tones

This may be much brighter than youre used to wearing, but its actually pretty classic on the nail, says Saunders. People constantly ask about this shade when I use it [on shoots].

Essie Nail Polish in Fiesta, $8.50, available at Essie.







Or Try

If Fiesta is a little too bright for your liking, a magenta shade like this one will be just as eye-catching. Plus, the polish is part of the brand's new Gel Couture line, which boasts an updated brush stem and a gorgeous Frank Gehry-inspired bottle.



Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish in Sit Me In the Front Row, $11.50, available at Essie.



Or Try

If you want to add a little more flair to [Sit Me In the Front Row], you can apply it over a coat of Blanc, Essies opaque white, and it almost looks neon, Saunders says.

Story continues

Related: The Craziest Beauty Routines Of The Rich & Famous

Essie Nail Polish in Blanc, $8.50, available at Essie.



Or Try

Essies spring 2016 collection has a host of colors that are perfect for warmer weather. This shade, Sunshine State of Mind, is our go-to hue to sport while lounging poolside.

Essie Nail Polish in Sunshine State of Mind, $8.50, available at Essie.





Or Try

A cantaloupe hue like this one is a great option for those who want to experiment with brighter nails, but dont want to dive deep into bright reds or pinks just yet.

Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish in Looks To Thrill, $11.50, available in June at Essie.





Best Bright For Medium Skin Tones

This color looks great on medium skin tones, and I think were going to be seeing this color more this spring. Its the perfect sky blue, says Saunders.

Essie Nail Polish in Bikini So Teeny, $8.50, available at Essie.







Best Bright For Dark Skin Tones

This brand-new, super-bright purple called Shades On is probably the most on-trend color to wear right now, Saunders told us.

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Related: What No One Tells You About Going Platinum Blonde



Essie Nail Polish in Shades On, $8.50, available at Essie.







Or Try

There is a another color that people dont really know about that I love for [dark skin tones] called Play Date, Saunders says. Its basically a neon lavender, and its perfect for pedicures, and I use it all the time for nail art, too.

Essie Nail Polish in Play Date, $8.50, available at Essie.







Or Try

This indigo shade may look dark in the bottle, but when its layered onto the nails it provides a pop of shiny, bold color.



Essie Nail Polish in All Access Pass, $8.50, available at Essie.



Best Dark For Fair Skin Tones

For [those with fair skin who] want to dip their toes into a dark shade, but not go too dark, my pick is Chinchilly, Saunders says. Its like a deep neutral, almost like a warm gray. There is also this color that I love called Carry On. It feels like a rich, kind of mahogany wine color, which is good for a dark color that is also very on-trend.

Related: What Going Paleo Did To My Body



Essie Nail Polish in Carry On, $8.50, available at Essie.



Best Dark For Medium Skin Tones

Wicked is a bit like a plum burgundy, and its one of the best colors, maybe ever, Saunders says. I have to say, in my career, Wicked and Mademoiselle are the two most requested colors.

Essie Nail Polish in Wicked, $8.50, available at Essie.







Or Try

I [also] love the color Smokin Hot and the shade Licorice, which is like a patent-leather black, says Saunders. Unfortunately both shades are sold out, but Luxedo (a deep plum) is a great alternative for those looking for vampier hues.

Essie Nail Polish in Luxedo, $8.50, available at Essie.

Best Dark For Dark Skin Tones

My top pick for deep skin tones is Bahama Mama, Saunders says. Its flattering for all darker skin tones; I would put that on anybody.

Essie Nail Polish in Bahama Mama, $8.50, available at Essie.





Best Neutral For Fair Skin Tones

A good overall neutral color for a fair hand is a color like Sugar Daddy. Its a traditional shade that gives your nail bed a healthy, sheer sheen. Its especially great for spring, because were seeing a lot of pinks that lean on the sheer side, says Saunders.

Essie Nail Polish in Sugar Daddy, $8.50, available at Essie.







Or Try

Ballet Slippers is another classic your nails but better shade. Plus, the sheer, pinkish hue is extremely forgiving, meaning you can swipe it on in a hurry and dash out the door.

Essie Nail Polish in Ballet Slippers, $8.50, available at Essie.



Best Neutral For Medium Skin Tones

There is a traditional color called Ballet Slippers that is great for medium skin tones, but if you want something that is a bit more on-trend, I love Lady Like, says Saunders. It looks like a natural flush of color if you apply it on hands [with a medium skin tone].

Essie Nail Polish in Lady Like, $8.50, available at Essie.







Best Neutral For Dark Skin Tones

The most traditional color that looks really great on a dark skin tone is Mademoiselle  you just cant go wrong with that on dark skin, Saunders told us. But, if you want to go more [trendy], I love this color called Mamba. Its the perfect peachy hue that were seeing a lot of. I would almost call it a secret color, because not many people know about it.

Essie Nail Polish in Mambo, $8.50, available at Essie.







Best Red For Fair Skin Tones

For fair skin, there is a color I love called Fifth Avenue, Saunders tells us. People may look at it and think that it could be too coral, but on the nail its not; its a really bright red. I would call it a spring red.

Essie Nail Polish in Fifth Avenue, $8.50, available at Essie.





Best Red For Medium Skin Tones

I know that people think that this shade, A-list, may be too dark, but I think this is the real red of all of Essies colors, says Saunders. Its a true red, and I have had it in my kit forever. Its a classic, traditional red and a cult favorite. It looks great on anyone, and I love it on medium skin tones.

Essie Nail Polish in A-List, $8.50, available at Essie.



Or Try

Looking for something a little less vampy? You cant go wrong with Russian Roulette.

Essie Nail Polish in Russian Roulette, $8.50, available at Essie.







Best Red For Dark Skin Tones: Lacy Not Racy

A few red colors that I love on dark skin tones are Berry Naughty, Bordeaux, and Lacy Not Racy. If you look them up online, they look very dark, but they go on quite red. Lacy Not Racy is my pick, If you see someone wearing it you cant help but think, Wow, she has really beautiful deep red nails, Saunders says.

Essie Nail Polish in Lacy Not Racy, $8.50, available at Essie.



By: Lexy Lebsack
House panel urges action after spate of air crashes

Four plane crashes in six months this year have spurred the government to address air safety issues after regulatory shortcomings became glaringly apparent.
Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

RIO DE JANEIRO  The other story of Michael Phelps can be told in two pictures.

THROWBACK: 9-year-old Katie Ledecky was all smiles while getting Michael Phelps autograph! (NYT/Ledecky Family) pic.twitter.com/UHpMS9SEw6  NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 11, 2016

Joseph Schooling and Michael Phelps go way back. https://t.co/toWRjQ0Fjk pic.twitter.com/Jb6TVVSv7v  AP Sports (@AP_Sports) August 13, 2016

You know the main story. Phelps is the greatest Olympian ever. In the last individual race of his Olympic career Friday  no, really, seriously, he swears its the last one  Phelps won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly. It was his 27th Olympic medal, 22 of them gold, four of those golds here at the Rio Games that were supposed to be a swan song and ended up another coronation. That is the easy tale that will be told as long as the Olympics are around. That is what he did.

The other story is the effect of what he did, how for a dozen years now Phelps has taken swimming and challenged it to be better. Long before he became the elder statesman he is now  31 years old, with a child, about to be married, generous with advice, wise with his words  Phelps was something more.

The first picture is of Phelps and Katie Ledecky. She won her fourth gold medal of these Olympics on Friday night, setting a world record in the 800-meter freestyle and treating the pool at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium like her personal splash zone. The silver medalist finished more than 11 seconds behind her. She is 19 years old. She has five Olympic gold medals and a silver. She is the future of swimming.

Story continues

The second picture is of Phelps and Joseph Schooling. It was taken in Singapore when Schooling was 8. He was a swimming prodigy who moved to the United States at 13 to train in Florida. He distinguished himself in the 100-meter butterfly and won two NCAA titles at Texas. In the last individual race of Michael Phelps Olympic career on Friday night, Schooling beat him. He is 21 years old.

As much as Phelps legacy is the 22 golds and 27 medals, he leaves behind something even more dear to him: a generation of children who wanted to be like him more than anybody ever has wanted to be like any other swimmer.

Weve all seen the photo of Katie and I when she was 9 or 10 and the photo of Joe and I, Phelps said. I wanted to change the sport of swimming. Thats what I wanted to do. With the people in the sport now, I think youre seeing it.

Michael Phelps congratulates Joseph Schooling. (Reuters)

The Olympics are going to be worse without Phelps, and not just because his races are appointment viewing and his accomplishments history heaped on top of history. Phelps greatness begat another sort of greatness: the unimpeachable future filled with those who want to be like him. Around the stadium Friday, they chanted at him the same thing they had in London four years earlier: Four more years. Four more years. Even Schooling asked whether he would consider it. The answer was the same for everyone.

No. Im not going four more years, Phelps said. Im standing by that. Guys, Ive been able to do everything Ive ever put my mind to in this sport, in 24 years in this sport. Im happy with how things finished. Thats why I came back after 12. I didnt want to have a what-if 20 years later. Being able to close the door on this sport how I want to  thats why Im happy now.

Never had Phelps looked so thrilled to win silver. (Admittedly, this was only his third.) He stood on the medal stand next to Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh, two of his greatest rivals who touched the wall at the exact hundredth of a second Phelps did to share the silver with him. Le Clos suggested they hold hands before they ascend the podium, and so they did, pride aside and smiles abundant.

Above them stepped Schooling, having finished in an Olympic-record 50.39 seconds, exactly three-quarters of a second before the trio of silvers. Im proud of Joe, Phelps said, and it sounded like he understood the batons hed passed on to so many of the young Olympians today and the future ones to come.

On the pool deck, as they walked around the stadium, Schooling had confessed something to Phelps.

I dont know how to feel right now, Schooling said.

Phelps didnt try to tell him. After all his golds, he never misplaced the unique feeling one betroths.

I know, Phelps said.

Schooling felt the sincerity. Ill really cherish that for the rest of my life, he said, and not just because it was Michael Phelps. OK, maybe because it was Michael Phelps, but just as much because to have taken that picture all those years ago and now to feel an equal, and a superior for one race, is the sort that only a handful in the world can understand.

This was being knighted by the king, being kissed by the don, being accepted into a fraternity that will continue to grow even without Phelps in the pool. Swimming may always be a niche sport, but it is a niche sport with cachet, the kind that cannot be looked down upon because Phelps showed evermore the legitimate badass-ery packed inside of a persons arms, legs and core.

If he is true to his word, Michael Phelps will swim one more race in the Olympics, the 4100-meter medley relay on Saturday night. Hell get one more crack at 100 meters of butterfly, and then hell be done, off to spend time with his kid and his wife-to-be, to travel the world, to turn his business ventures into an empire. Swimming will survive without Phelps at its forefront because of his contribution. His legacy is his medals, yes, but its also the gift he gave it. He changed the sport for the better. The proof is in the pictures.
It was the third strike in five years that led to Thomas Gibsons ouster from Criminal Minds on Friday, according to multiple industry sources with knowledge of the situation.

The actor was fired by Criminal Minds producers ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios following an internal investigation of an on-set fight in which Gibson allegedly kicked writer-producer Virgil Williams during production of an episode that Gibson was directing.

The incident that took place about two weeks ago was the last straw for the studios, after two prior flare-ups. In January 2013, Gibson pleaded no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving after being arrested on suspicion of DUI. And in December 2010, he allegedly shoved Criminal Minds assistant director Ian Woolf during a late-night location shoot. That led the production studios to mandate that Gibson take eight hours of anger management classes.

Gibson, according to multiple sources, was a mercurial personality on set who could be personable and friendly at times and other times quick to anger. It was no secret that Gibson and Criminal Minds co-star Shemar Moore, who exited the series at the end of last season, had an extremely tense relationship. Sources said Moores habit of arriving late to the set aggravated Gibson.

Gibsons demands that the production schedule be juggled to allow him maximum flexibility in traveling to his home in San Antonio, Texas, was a source of friction with other actors and producers. One longtime staffer described Gibson as selfish in that regard.

The shoving incident came late at night just before the holidays in 2010 during a location shoot on the Sixth Street Bridge near downtown L.A. The chase sequence called for Gibson to drive quickly across the bridge. There was some confusion about when Gibson was supposed to set off, and after the take, he came out of the car yelling and confronting Woolf about safety concerns. Woolf, by multiple accounts, yelled back, after which Gibson shoved the director with both hands.

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The incident rattled staffers because it appeared to mark an escalation of on-set tension for Gibson. There was surprise that he didnt face harsher discipline from ABC Studios, the lead production entity on the show. The flap also came in the midst of Gibsons negotiations on a new contract with the show  talks that were suspended until he completed his anger management classes.

Despite the altercation, Woolf remained on the staff of Criminal Minds until two years ago when he shifted to the spinoff Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

After Gibsons DUI arrest in 2013, he lost the use of his drivers license for a period, which meant Criminal Minds staffers frequently drove him to and from the set for work.

The past incidents weighed heavily on the studios decision to terminate Gibson, even as it presents a significant creative challenge for the series. The actor has been a stalwart of the show since its inception in 2005. Hell appear in the first two episodes of the upcoming season, which were already completed prior to his suspension, but he will not return to the set to film any final scenes. Criminal Minds begins its 12th season on Sept. 28.

A rep for Gibson declined to comment for the story, as did ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios and Criminal Minds showrunner/exec producer Erica Messer.

Gibsons dismissal recalls the even more extraordinary circumstances surrounding Charlie Sheens ouster in 2011 by Warner Bros. Television from the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. At some point, the potential for a studio to be liable for unpredictable behavior trumps even star power on a profitable series.

Criminal Minds has been a consistent player for CBS in primetime and a steady source of syndication profits for both studios.

Some sources who have worked with Gibson for years say theyve never seen the dark side described by others. One source emphasized that he was a dedicated family man who was committed to spending as much time with his young children and aged mother as possible.

But others were not sorry to see him go.

Its like a dark cloud has been lifted off that show, said one longtime staffer of Gibsons departure. You never knew which Thomas Gibson was going to show up.

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Im fascinated by the multiplicity of identity said Tom Hiddleston tonight about taking on the role for AMCs multi-Emmy nominated The Night Manager. Up for an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in the limited series, Hiddleston was talking with Deadlines Dominic Patten on Friday in a Facebook Live interview  which you can see below. Im not just looking for roles, he said, Im interested in what the entire piece says.

Most well known for his Marvel role as the mischievous and villainous Loki in the Thor and Avengers pics, Hiddleston was joined in the Susanne Bier-directed show based on John le Carre 1993 novel of the same name by Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman and Elizabeth Debicki. Oscar winner Bier is also nominated for an Emmy for TNM as is the former House star and Colman among the 12 noms in total the series snagged.

I feel le Carres anger is even sharper than ever, said Hiddleston about the issue of arms dealing. When the novel came out it spoke very much to the world in which it was written those memories have receded, and yet arms dealing has not. As for whether hell return for a hypothetical second season of the critically acclaimed series, its the lap of le Carre and his sons. But, says Hiddleston, I feel so connected to Pine and his predicament that I would be very interested to see where he would go next.

Back as Loki, as his recently launched Instagram account teased, in the currently filming Thor: Ragnarok, Hiddleston has had quite the last year and likely quite the 2017. Besides the UK cultural phenomenon of the BBC co-produced The Night Manager and the accolades it has received on both sides of the pond, the actor had the big screen High-Rise, based on J.G. Ballards 1975 book, and the Hank Williams biopic I Saw The Light.

Next year will see not just the third Thor film for Hiddleston but also the big budget Godzilla spinoff of sorts Kong: Skull Island from Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures  which was a big deal at Comic-Con last month. Out on March 10, 2017, the 1970s set Jordan Vogt-Roberts helmed latter sees Hiddlestons ex-SAS officer Capt. James Conrad sharing the screening with Oscar winner Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman.

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Thats to come, just like the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards  which air live on ABC on September 18.

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By Cecile Mantovani GENEVA (Reuters) - Torture is on the rise against government critics detained in Burundi and security forces are using sexual violence against women during protests and searches, United Nations human rights experts said on Friday. The U.N. Committee against Torture voiced concern at the use of "genocidal rhetoric" by senior officials and at the ethnic nature of the year-long conflict in the central African country. "We have reports and information that indicates that the violence, the torture, is politically-motivated. And whether it also has an ethnic component, there are also indications for that," Jens Modvic, panel chairman, told a news briefing. "You could consider that systematic torture directed toward certain political and ethnic groups would be an early warning sign of a process that could deteriorate into genocide." More than 450 people have been killed since President Pierre Nkurunziza won a third term. Opponents said his move violated the constitution and a deal that ended a civil war in 2005. About a quarter of a million people have fled the violence, which has alarmed neighbouring countries in a region where memories of Rwanda's 1994 genocide remain raw. Like Rwanda, Burundi has an ethnic Hutu majority and a Tutsi minority. The panel, composed of 10 independent experts, called on Burundi to exert rigorous control of its police and security forces and to halt crimes including extrajudicial executions, torture and disappearances. Investigations should be carried out and perpetrators prosecuted. Most torture occurs in the national intelligence services near the Bujumbura cathedral, but also in secret detention centres, the experts said after examining Burundi's record. Justice Minister Aimee Laurentine Kanyana told the panel at the start of the two-day review torture was prohibited in Burundi and perpetrators were tried and punished. The government delegation boycotted the session on the second day, the U.N. said. The panel, in a statement on Monday, said four Burundian lawyers who provided information to them about alleged torture face disbarment as retribution for their testimony. (Writing by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
By Colleen Stopforth RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Belarussian Uladzislau Hancharou upstaged world champion Gao Lei and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Dong Dong to soar to victory in trampoline gymnastics at the Rio Games on Saturday. Hancharou performed four high-flying triple somersaults to become the first gymnast from his country to win a trampoline medal with a score of 61.745. It was also Belarus' second gold of these Games. Fist-pumping his way through his out-bounce, the 20-year-old looked confident of success. "It was an explosion of feelings," he told journalists after the competition. A gracious Dong who had just packed a massive 25 somersaults into 10 skills sportingly gave Hancharou's performance the thumbs up when he realized he had been overtaken at the top of the standings by a man who had never before won a global meet. Although the defending champions bid to win back-to-back Olympic golds ended with a second-place finish (60.535), 27-year-old Dong did become the first man to win trampoline medals at three different Games. Gao had high hopes of succeeding Dong as champion as he had drawn the top score in qualifying. However, Hancharou's score had piled on the pressure and the group leader broke his lines and appeared to lose control slightly as he struggled to land on the big red cross target while showcasing his 10 elements. The new champions victory may signal a changing of the guard in trampolines top flight. Just minutes after taking the title the Belarusians sights were already set on a win in Tokyo while Dong hesitated to commit to the grind of another Olympic cycle. Right now I feel very tired and I don't know yet, he said. (Writing by Pritha Sarkar, Editing by Alison Williams, Meredith Mazzilli and Susanna Twidale)
Id strongly argue that Trumps bullying, hyper-aggressive persona isnt masculinity, but rather what immature males confuse with masculinity. I grew up surrounded by mens menfirst on the farm, then working construction and commercial fishing. Ive met plenty of men who were confident and comfortable in themselves, and who managed to be masculine without being ignorant, belligerent assholes. Hell, the nicest guys I know do things like fix heavy machinery in Russian oil fields, freeze their assess off on fishing boats in the Bering Sea, and risk their necks in the logging industry in Canada. Theyre badass guys who would never dream of bullying someone for any reason, much less their gender or religion or perceived weakness.

So, I think that what we see in Trumps supporters is what happens when males grow up in the absence of these sorts of men for role models.
By Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will not compromise with Washington over the extradition of the Islamic cleric it accuses of orchestrating a failed coup, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday, warning of rising anti-Americanism if the United States fails to extradite. Yildirim's comments, at a briefing for local reporters, were the latest to take aim at Turkey's top NATO ally and coincided with a report that an Istanbul prosecutor wrote to U.S. authorities asking f/4or the detention of cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey says Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in rural Pennsylvania since 1999, masterminded the failed July 15 putsch when a group of rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, warplanes and helicopters in an attempt to overthrow the government. Gulen has denied the charge and condemned the coup. "There is no compromise apart from this chief terrorist coming to Turkey and being prosecuted," Yildirim was quoted as saying by state-run Anadolu Agency. "The only way to prevent the rising (negative) sentiment against America is for the U.S. to hand over this man and make sure Turkey's justice system holds him accountable." Turkey's foreign minister said this week documents had been sent to the United States and that Turkey had received "positive signals" about Gulen's possible extradition. Turkey has not said clearly whether it has filed a formal extradition request. The White House said on Saturday that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on Aug. 24, the first trip by a high-ranking U.S. official since the abortive coup. Yildirim said a U.S. technical team would visit Turkey on Aug. 22 to discuss legal issues relating to the possible extradition, according to Anadolu. He said Secretary of State John Kerry is due in October, according to broadcaster CNN Turk. Yildirim said he believed there would be a "positive outcome" with Washington on the extradition, Anadolu said. U.S. officials have said that the United States has a formal process for dealing with extradition requests and that Turkey must provide solid evidence of Gulen's involvement. The Istanbul chief prosecutor wrote to U.S. authorities asking for Gulen's detention, CNN Turk said. Turkey's Justice Ministry passed on the letter - which contained 10 charges against Gulen including attempting to overthrow the government - to the United States, it added. Gulen said on Friday he would hand himself over to Turkish authorities only if an independent international investigative body first found him guilty. "If a tenth of the accusations against me are established, I pledge to return to Turkey and serve the heaviest sentence," he said in an opinion piece in French daily Le Monde. More 240 people were killed in the putsch, and Turkish authorities say they have detained more than 35,000 people and placed more than 17,000 of them under formal arrest. Yildirim said that more than 76,000 officials have been suspended and nearly 5,000 dismissed since the coup, including 3,000 soldiers as well as judges and civil servants. SECURITY CRACKDOWN ALARMS NATO, EU There is concern among Turkey's NATO allies as well as the European Union, which it aspires to join, that Erdogan - in power the prime minister or president since 2002 - might be using the purge to eliminate dissent. Such perceptions have angered senior Turkish officials, who say that Western critics appear to be more concern about the security response than the coup itself. Still, the scope of the security sweep now appears to be worrying even some in the ruling, Islamist-rooted AK Party. "Even if the shock absorber of a car breaks down, they say someone with (the Gulenists) has done this," Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes told CNN Turk. "(Such an approach) would make this a witchhunt....and would weaken the gravity of what happened on July 15," said Turkes, a former member of the nationalist opposition who switched to AK. Erdogan's critics say he and the AKP he founded allowed Gulen's followers to rise to important posts within the state apparatus and relied on them to help curb the power of the military, which had ousted four governments since 1960 for posing what it saw as an Islamist threat to the secular order. The troubled relationship between Gulen's movement and Erdogan and the AKP he founded burst into the open with a corruption scandal in late December 2013 that fingered members of Erdogan's inner circle. Erdogan cast the allegations as an maneuver orchestrated by Gulen's followers to undermine him. Speaking to Reuters on Saturday in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Selahattin Demirtas, head of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition, said Erdogan had allowed Gulen's followers to tighten their hold within state bodies. "Gulenists have been organizing within various state institutions ... within the last 35-40 years but they had their golden years by all means (after) AKP took the helm (in 2002)," Demirtas said in an interview. "Until the last three years, staff positions within the state were presented to them openly with the support and encouragement of the AKP. These positions were given to them; and this wasn't done covertly. They didn't get these positions by tricking the AK Party. This was an obvious alliance." (Additional reporting by Umit Ozdal in Diyarbakir and Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Maoist Centre calls for broader consensus on local body restructuring

The governing CPN (Maoist Centre) has said broader political consensus among parties is needed for prompt restructuring of local bodies in line with the three-point agreement that the party and the Nepali Congress (NC) have signed with the agitating Madhes-based parties.
(Reuters) - Two men accused of aggravated murder in Ohio have been arrested in southern New Mexico, and one has been charged with shooting and killing a local police officer during a traffic stop, officials said on Saturday.

Jesse Hanes, 38, faces one count of willful and deliberate first-degree murder for allegedly shooting a police officer on Friday during a traffic stop near a convenience store in the village of Hatch, New Mexico, said Kelly Jameson, a spokeswoman for the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Department.

Hanes was traveling with James Nelson, 36, who is being held in Dona Ana County on a fugitive from justice charge in connection with the same murder in Ohio, Jameson said. Nelson did not face any other charges as of Saturday afternoon.

The fugitives were traveling with another man who told officers he had been hitchhiking. The third man is not believed to be involved in the Ohio murder or the shooting of the police officer in New Mexico, Jameson said.

Jose Chavez, a 33-year-old officer with Hatch's police department, died Friday evening after undergoing surgery in a hospital about 80 miles away in El Paso, Texas, Hatch Mayor Andrew Nunez and local authorities said.

Chavez had been with the department for two years. He had a wife and two children.

After the shooting, Hanes fled the scene in a Lexus that was seen racing on the highway at speeds above 100 miles per hour, the sheriff's department said.

After evading police, Hanes is thought to have shot another motorist at a rest stop and stolen his Chevrolet Cruze, authorities said. The 36-year-old motorist was in stable condition and could be released soon, Jameson said.

Authorities surrounded the stolen Cruze after it crashed into a pile of firewood at a residence. Hanes had a gunshot wound to the leg and was taken to a local hospital, Jameson said. The wound appeared to have been self-inflicted, she said.

Nelson and the hitchhiker were picked up by authorities near the rest stop. It was unclear if Nelson was involved in the carjacking, Jameson said.

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Hanes and Nelson are wanted by authorities in Ohio in connection with the fatal shooting of a 62-year-old man on July 25, Ohio's Chillicothe Gazette reported.

The investigation into Friday's incident is ongoing, authorities said.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Chris Prentice in New York; Editing by Alexander Smith and Paul Simao)
By Jibran Ahmad and Yeganeh Torbati PESHAWAR, Pakistan/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a U.S. drone strike on July 26, a Pentagon spokesman said on Friday after the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan announced the news to Reuters. The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan is a blow to efforts by Islamic State - also known as ISIS or Daesh - to expand from its heartlands in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan, already crowded with jihadist movements including the Taliban and al Qaeda. It is the second U.S. killing of a prominent militant in the region in months. In May, a U.S. drone killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a strike in Pakistan. Despite that, Afghanistan's 15-year-old war grinds on with no clear victory in sight. Taliban fighters have been threatening at least two provincial capitals this summer, in Helmand and Kunduz, and a U.S. government report said Afghan forces have lost 5 percent of territory this year. In terms of its own territory, Islamic State has been largely confined to a handful of districts in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, where IS militants - mostly defectors from the Taliban - are blamed for raiding villages and government outposts. Still, worries that Islamic State might be expanding its operational reach heightened this week when the group took credit for an attack on a Pakistani hospital that killed at least 74 people in the southwestern city of Quetta. A Pakistani Taliban faction also claimed responsibility. A few weeks earlier, Islamic State claimed an attack on a rally in Kabul that killed more than 80 people. BITTER RIVALS Khan has been reported dead before. But a claim by Afghan intelligence agents last year that he had been killed was never confirmed. On Friday, however, Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal told Reuters he had seen confirmation from Afghan security forces. "I can confirm that ISIS Khurasan (Afghanistan and Pakistan) leader Hafiz Saeed Khan along with his senior commanders and fighters died in a U.S. drone strike on July 26 in Kot district of Afghanistan's Nangharhar province," he said. Pentagon spokesman Gordon Trowbridge confirmed Khan's death, and said in a statement that the air strike took place during joint operations by U.S. and Afghan special operations forces against IS in the southern part of Nangarhar province. Trowbridge said the airstrike was in Achin district, as opposed to Kot district. Khan - a longtime commander with the Pakistani Taliban - pledged allegiance in October 2014 to Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Taliban's various factions in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as their al Qaeda allies are bitter rivals of Islamic State's al-Baghdadi. The Taliban reject al-Baghdadi as leader of an envisioned worldwide caliphate. In Afghanistan, Taliban and Islamic State fighters have battled over territory in Nangarhar, though both have recently been more busy defending against U.S. and Afghan assaults. Between January and early August, American warplanes conducted nearly 140 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military. Afghan forces, backed by the American military, killed an estimated 300 Islamic State fighters in an operation mounted two weeks ago, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said on Wednesday, calling it a severe blow to the group. (Additional reporting by Josh Smith in Kabul and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Leslie Adler)
Jerusalem (AFP) - The United Nations on Saturday said a Gaza employee had diverted tonnes of rubble on instructions from the Palestinian Authority (PA) days after Israel charged him with aiding Islamist movement Hamas.

Engineer Waheed Borsh, 38, who worked for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), was arrested on July 16 and accused by Israel of being recruited by a Hamas member to "redirect his work for UNDP to serve Hamas's military interests".

He was charged in an Israeli court with diverting 300 tonnes of rubble from a UNDP project in the coastal enclave to a Hamas operation to build a jetty for its naval force.

Hamas, the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip since 2007, have denied any involvement.

UNDP said that after reviewing Borsh's charge sheet -- which was made public on Tuesday -- it had "established that the rubble in question was transported to its destination according to written instructions from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of the Palestinian Authority as to where it should be placed."

"UNDP has full documentation on the process flow, the instructions and transportation of the rubble," it said in a statement.

UNDP had said on Tuesday that it was "greatly concerned by the allegation" and promised "a thorough internal review of the processes and circumstances surrounding the allegation".

The charge sheet's publication came days after the Gaza head of US-based NGO World Vision was charged with passing millions of dollars of international aid money to Hamas.

Since 2008, Israel has fought three wars in Gaza with Hamas, which is branded a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

Israel has long alleged that aid has been diverted to Hamas, claims rejected by NGOs and the United Nations.

Aid workers privately admit to pressure from Hamas.
worried nervous

How are people feeling about the economy?

If you were to listen to the managements and CEOs of some of the largest companies in the US, you would assume that the world is melting down.

In a roundup of the most recent season of quarterly earnings calls, the Goldman Sachs strategy-research team identified the uncertainty of customers as one of the key themes of S&P 500 managements' commentaries.

For example, the largest asset manager in the world, BlackRock, noted the lack of conviction among investors.

"Clients do not know what to do with their money," said CEO Larry Fink during the call.

"They are afraid and they are pulling back, as evidenced by more than $55 trillion in bank deposits sitting in the United States, China, and Japan alone. And even as markets have rallied recently, many clients have missed that upside and find themselves feeling even further behind."

Even beyond economics, it appears that CEOs are sensing unrest and worry among Americans. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz highlighted the social unrest in the US in his firm's earnings call. Here's Schultz (emphasis added):

"I think we have a situation where you have a very uncertain election. You have domestic civil unrest with regard to race. And I think the issues around terror have created a level of anxiety. And so, were no longer looking at just an economic downturn. There are a number of things that we are facing as citizens, and I think the direction of the country."

Schultz also added that this is weighing on sales and that "every consumer brand" is impacted.

Steve Easterbrook, the CEO of McDonald's, also noted many of the same themes as Schultz.

"I think generally, theres just a broader level of uncertainty in consumers minds at the moment, both trying to gauge their financial security going forward," said Easterbrook. "Whether through elections or through global events, people are slightly mindful of an unsettled world."

Economic data, such as consumer confidence and retail sales, has slowed in the last week, but this is a very recent development. Citi's Economic Surprise Index, a measure of whether economic data is beating or falling short of expectations, is still in positive territory and has been for over two months.

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So to be fair, these may be just ways to try and place the blame for less-than-stellar earnings or setting up weakness in future quarters by blaming it on something other than their own business.

The widespread concern from such giants, however, is certainly not something to ignore.

NOW WATCH: What abandoned Olympic venues from around the world look like today





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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 12, 2016 / Lundin Law PC (the "Firm") announces that a class action lawsuit was filed against Inovalon Holdings, Inc. ("Inovalon" or the "Company") (INOV) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws in connection with Inovalon's initial public offering ("IPO") on February 12, 2015. Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares on or about the IPO should contact the Firm in advance of the August 23, 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.

The complaint alleges that the Company's Registration Statement issued in connection with its IPO failed to disclose material facts and contained misleading and/or false statements. Inovalon did not disclose that it receives substantial revenues from sales in New York City and New York State, which were both pushing to obtain more taxes from out-of-state businesses like Inovalon. The corporate tax rate increases commenced on January 1, 2015 and significantly raised Inovalon's effective tax rate, and lowered the Company's 2015 earning potential. When this information was revealed to the market, the Company's common stock price dropped significantly, causing investors harm.

Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

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
Miami (AFP) - US health authorities on Friday declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico due to the outbreak of Zika, which has now infected more than 10,000 people.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause birth defects and is particularly dangerous for pregnant women.

A total of 1,035 pregnant women are among the 10,690 people who have been infected in the US territory of Puerto Rico in the past seven months, the island's health authorities said.

More than 1,900 cases of Zika were identified in the last week alone.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell declared "a public health emergency of national significance exists within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico relating to pregnant women and children born to pregnant women with Zika."

Burwell said in a statement that the declaration would allow the United States to "provide additional support to the Puerto Rican government," but did not give further details.

Zika is primarily spread by mosquitoes, but can also be transmitted by sexual contact.

In four out of five cases, the virus causes no symptoms. Those who do feel sick have reported fever, rash, body aches and conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

Pregnant women are particularly urged to protect themselves against Zika because it raises the risk of birth defects including microcephaly, in which infants are born with small heads and malformed brains.

Zika has spread rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean region since 2015.

The United States reported its first locally transmitted cases of Zika in Florida in July.
Chicago (AFP) - A US judge in the state of Wisconsin on Friday ordered the release from prison of Brendan Dassey, who was featured along with his uncle in the Netflix documentary series "Making a Murderer."

Unless prosecutors decide to appeal the judge's order overturning Dassey's conviction, he could be set free in 90 days.

Dassey and his uncle Steven Avery were sentenced to life terms for the murder of a woman in 2005.

Their story was featured in the Netflix documentary series, prompting many to believe that they were improperly convicted.

The judge's order included strongly worded rebukes of the investigating police and of Leonard Kachinsky, the public defender appointed in 2006 to represent Dassey -- a 16-year-old minor at the time.

US Magistrate Judge William Duffin referred to Kachinsky's representation as misconduct that was "indefensible." He also said police investigators acted inappropriately toward Dassey.

"The investigators... assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about. These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary," Duffin said.

Following release of the Netflix series, fans called for the two men to be freed and almost 130,000 people signed a White House petition asking for a presidential pardon.

"There is clear evidence that the Manitowoc County sheriff's department used improper methods," the petition said.

The White House explained that because the men were not convicted of federal crimes and "are both state prisoners," pardoning them was outside the scope of the president's power.

The documentary was prompted by the unusual story of Avery, who remains in prison serving a life sentence.

He was exonerated of a rape case through DNA evidence and freed from prison in 2003 after serving 18 years behind bars.

Two years later, while he was suing Manitowoc County in Wisconsin over wrongful imprisonment, he was arrested over the death of 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach.

Dassey was also charged with Halbach's murder and sentenced to life in prison.
San Antonio del Tachira (Venezuela) (AFP) - Venezuela and Colombia on Saturday opened several "provisional" border crossing points for pedestrians for the first time in nearly a year as part of a progressive reopening agreed this week, AFP journalists confirmed.

As of 0600 local time (1000 GMT), the authorities had opened a total of five crossing points in the Venezuelan towns of Tachira, Apure, Zulia and Amazonas.

During three temporary border openings last month, some 150,000 Venezuelans -- suffering from their country's severe economic crisis -- poured into Colombia to purchase food, medicine and other basics.

Early Saturday, the flow of pedestrians was relatively light across the Simon Bolivar Bridge from Tachira to the Colombian city of Cucuta, but longer lines began to develop as the day wore on.

Both governments agreed to facilitate "the fastest possible movement of people, rapidly but in a controlled fashion," Venezuelan regional military chief Jose Morantes Torres said.

The agreement Thursday by presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia called for the border to be opened 15 hours a day.

Maduro had ordered the border closing in August 2015 following an armed attack on a Venezuelan military patrol that left three soldiers wounded. It was blamed on Colombian paramilitaries.

The 2,200-kilometer (1,350-mile) border has long been plagued by drug and contraband smuggling, another reason Maduro had cited for last year's closing.

Thursday's agreement also called for an exchange of customs information to help stem fuel smuggling.
NMB, Himalaya sign student loan MoU

NMB Bank and Himalaya College of Engineering, Lalitpur have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide education loans to students of Bachelor of Engineering (BE) against their academic certificates as collateral.
CARACAS (Reuters) - A Venezuelan court has dismissed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez's appeal against 14-year prison sentence for his role in anti-government protests two years ago, a lawyer representing him said on Friday. Lopez has become a cause celebre among opposition supporters, who accuse President Nicholas Maduro of trampling of human rights. The U.S. government, the United Nations and international rights groups had also called for Lopez's release. His sentencing last year upended a brief rapprochement between Caracas and Washington just a few months after the two sides had begun discussions to end more than a decade of acrimony. Lawyer Juan Carlos Gutierrez gave news that Lopez's appeal had failed in a tweet. "The sentence was confirmed on the same terms. It's official," Gutierrez wrote. Lopez was at the forefront of demonstrations demanding Maduro's resignation. Forty-three people died during the protests. Lopez had publicly called for peaceful resistance to the Maduro government and was behind bars during most of the unrest. Critics say his trial was a mockery and Lopez, who Maduro refers to as a dangerous criminal, was imprisoned to stifle dissent. A lead prosecutor later fled the country saying he was pressured to frame Lopez. During the trial, the prosecution had accused Lopez of sending subliminal messages through his speeches that constituted a call to violence. (Reporting by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
By Anggy Polanco SAN ANTONIO, Venezuela (Reuters) - Thousands of Venezuelans were welcomed to Colombia by a military band early on Saturday morning as the two countries' borders were officially reopened after being closed by Venezuela a year ago. Some people had traveled across Venezuela to queue overnight hoping to cross to buy food and other basics that are in short supply in Venezuela, which is steeped in an economic crisis. "I came with my family to do some shopping because we can't find anything to eat," said Wilmary Salcedo, a 17-year-old engineering student who had traveled some 500 miles (800 km) from the central city of Maracay hoping for rice, sugar and cooking oil. Venezuela's stores lack the most basic foods and medicines. Queues of hundreds and even thousands of people are common, and riots and looting are a daily occurrence. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro abruptly closed the border last August hoping, he said, to protect his country from smugglers and paramilitaries. Critics saw the action as a stunt to shift attention from worsening domestic problems. Maduro announced the reopening on Thursday, alongside his Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos. "We're interested in a new beginning in economic and commercial relations with all of Colombia's productive sectors," Maduro said on Thursday. Santos said it would be a "gradual" reopening. Five border crossings will be open to pedestrians during the day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. (1100 to 0200 GMT). Colombia's Foreign Ministry said more than 28,000 people -- many of them Venezuelans -- had moved across the border in the first few hours that it was open on Saturday. A representative from Colombia's Foreign Ministry said 5,000 people had crossed in the first two hours. The border has for years been a hotbed of smuggling of everything from price-controlled toothpaste and pasta to illegal drugs and weapons. Maduro blamed Colombians, among others, for the country's crisis and the closure strained relations between the South American neighbors. Many people continued to cross the border over the past year using dirt paths, shallow river crossings and by paying officials. (Reporting by Anggy Polanco; Writing by Girish Gupta; Editing by Toni Reinhold and Sandra Maler)
Making a Murderer subject Brendan Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on Friday, a surprise ruling that could result in one of the subjects of Netflixs popular 2015 docuseries going free. Heres how it happened.

In 2014, Dasseys attorneys filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, leaving it up to a federal judge to decide whether or not Dasseys arrest and imprisonment were legal under the terms of the Constitution.

The legal maneuver followed the state Court of Appeals decision to reject Dasseys request for a new trial in January 2013, in which it also deemed his confession voluntary. The Wisconsin Supreme Court similarly denied Dasseys request to review the case later that same year.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned

Dasseys case was one of two followed in the hit Making a Murderer series, which depicts the story of his uncle, Steven Avery. Both Dassey and Avery were sentenced to life for the 2005 murder of 25-year-old photographer, Teresa Halbach.

According to Cornell University Law School, habeas corpus is mainly used as a post-conviction remedy for state or federal prisoners who challenge the legality of the application of federal laws that were used in the judicial proceedings that resulted in their detention.

In this case, Dassey claimed he was denied his Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel, and that his confession was obtained in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer': Netflix Boss Promises 'A Lot of New Info' in Upcoming Episodes

On Friday, Federal Magistrate William E. Duffin issued his ruling vacating Dasseys 2007 conviction, in which he also accused Dasseys appointed attorney Len Kachinsky of indefensible misconduct, including allowing his teenage client to be interrogated without an adult in the room.

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Although it probably does not need to be stated, it will be: Kachinskys conduct was inexcusable both tactically and ethically, Duffin wrote in the opinion. It is one thing for an attorney to point out to a client how deep of a hole the client is in. But to assist the prosecution in digging that hole deeper is an affront to the principles of justice that underlie a defense attorneys vital role in the adversarial system.

Also Read: 'Making a Murderer' to Return to Netflix With New Episodes

Ultimately the judge concluded that Dasseys confession to the crime was involuntary due to the investigators repeated use of leading questions and coercive interrogation techniques on a minor.

The investigators repeatedly claimed to already know what happened on October 31 and assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about, Duffin wrote. These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dasseys age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dasseys confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.

'Making a Murderer': Where Are They Now? (Photos)

Making a Murderer

Netflix

Green Bay Packers

Andrew Colburn Netflix

Gregory Allen Netflix

Sheriff Tom Kocourek Netflix

Angenette Levy Netflix

Aaron Keller Netflix

Dean Strang Making a Murderer Strang Bradley LLC

Denis Vogel Wheeler Law

Steven Avery The Innocence Project

Brendan dassey making a murderer Netflix

Sheriff Kenneth Peterson Netflix

Barb Tadych Netflix

Sandra Greenman Bustle

James Lenk Netflix

Jodi Stachowski Bustle

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Brendan Dasseys murder conviction was overturned, but what happened to everyone else featured in the Netflix docu-series?

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'Making a Murderer' Subject Brendan Dassey's Conviction Overturned

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Aden (AFP) - Iran-backed rebels convened Yemen's parliament on Saturday in defiance of the internationally recognised government, prompting condemnation from President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The session in rebel-held Sanaa was the first in almost two years, and comes after the Huthis rejected a UN peace plan and appointed a council to run the country.

Parliamentary sources said 91 lawmakers in the 301-member national assembly attended, and all voted in favour of the council created last week.

The Huthi rebels overran Sanaa in September 2014 and then fought their way into other parts of Yemen, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Huthis and their allies -- supporters of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh -- since March last year to shore up the Hadi government.

After Sanaa's capture, many parliamentarians also sought refuge in other towns or overseas.

Political and security sources in Sanaa told AFP that some lawmakers were forced to attend Saturday's session after rebel threats, but without elaborating.

Parliament chief Yehya al-Raie, a leading figure in Saleh's General People's Congress party, urged all MPs "outside the country to review their positions" and invited them to retake their seats.

Hadi denounced the session as a "violation" of the constitution and a "crime punishable by law", in remarks carried by the official sabanew.net website.

"Whatever takes place at this meeting has no legal effects and cannot be implemented," he said.

According to the constitution, more than 150 lawmakers must be present for a vote to be held.

Armed rebels were inside parliament for Saturday's session, held as coalition warplanes pounded military targets around Sanaa, parliamentary sources said.

UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed has described the rebel governing council as a violation of commitments to the peace process.

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Last week, he suspended UN-brokered talks between rebels and the government.

The UN says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the coalition air campaign began in March last year.

- Sanaa airport remains shut -

Arab coalition air strikes have hit rebel positions across northern Yemen as well in as the southwestern province of Taez as ground fighting raged.

Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on Facebook on Saturday that Sanaa airport would remain shut for at least three more days after being closed since Tuesday.

Abdulsalam said the rebel delegation from the Kuwait talks was still stranded in Muscat, where it had made a stopover.

He lashed out at the United Nations which "had promised" to secure his delegation's flight to Sanaa.

"It is not strange for those who have let down Yemen's children to break other promises, forcing us to review the way we deal with (the UN) next time."

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said in a statement Friday he was "deeply alarmed by the intensification of violence across the country".

He said the people continue to bear the brunt "as a result of the inability of the parties to find a political solution" to the conflict.

McGoldrick said dwindling foreign currency reserves meant importers found it hard to secure credit, "making it nearly impossible for government entities to maintain basic social services".

"The return to full-scale hostilities only drives humanitarian needs further."

The fighting in Yemen has driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 percent of the population needing humanitarian aid, the UN says.

A government statement criticised McGoldricks remarks, saying he should have blamed the violence on "the bloody (rebel) coup and their continuing attacks".

"It is stunning that the (UN coordinator's) statement mentions the depletion of foreign currency reserves in the Central Bank without clearly pointing to who was behind this," it added.

The government accuses the rebels of having "robbed" the Central Bank to finance their war, leaving the "public treasury bankrupt".

In Saudi Arabia, the civil defence agency announced that five foreign residents were wounded in shelling from Yemen Saturday in the Jazan border region, without giving their nationalities.

Around 100 members of the Saudi forces and civilians have been killed inside the kingdom's borders since the coalition campaign began.
DailyFX.com -

Yen Runs to Resistance as Stimulus Bets Continue to Price-Out

Fundamental Forecast for JPY: Neutral

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The Japanese Yen has been quite the volatile currency of recent. After the Brexit referendum drove the Yen to fresh highs as risk aversion permeated through global markets, a two-week bout of weakness in the currency threatened to pose a longer-term reversal on the prospect of an even more enhanced stimulus package coming out of the Bank of Japan. But when the BoJ disappointed in July, and later when the Japanese Government Budget indicated far less fiscal stimulus than originally hoped, those bets of Yen-weakness priced out of the market aggressively, driving the Yen towards the highs established in the Post-Brexit environment.

To be sure, there is one key driver here for Japanese Markets: Anticipation of stimulus. Sure, data points matter, but primarily in how they might motivate policy makers to mold future stimulus efforts. And after the BoJ failed to deliver the comprehensive, bold package in July that many were looking for, interest and attention began to steer towards the banks next meeting in September. As we mentioned in the trading forecast last month, just two weeks ahead of that most recent BoJ decision, September may be more optimal to get that next BoJ announcement of increased stimulus. From our Yen forecast on July 15th:

However, stimulus is likely coming and its just a matter of time and a matter of how its going to be done, whether its helicopter money or just more QQE (Quantitative and Qualitative Easing). And while September might be a more likely period to get such an announcement from the Bank of Japan rather than the Central Bank meeting in two weeks, we will likely see markets continuing to price-in this probability of more economic stimulus throughout the week ahead.

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And while we did get that continuation of a pricing-in of increased stimulus heading into the July meeting, much of that has been erased in the first half of August after the BoJ underwhelmed. But, is the Bank of Japan done? This is the same bank thats embarked on some extremely experimental policy efforts already in the goal of fighting deflation; like buying stocks with QE in 2014 (which hasnt worked out well at all) and then making the surprising move to negative rates earlier in the year. So the BoJ is comfortable taking on risks in economic policy as theyve exhibited in the past, and this has many expecting the eventual delivery of helicopter money. And while there are still some quandaries around the execution of such a policy, including whether or not helicopter money would even be legal under current Japanese structure, what is clear is that the bank has not yet shown any signs of letting up on the stimulus front.

Next week brings a smattering of Japanese data points that could help shape odds around expectations future policy moves. The big release for Japanese markets next week is the delivery of 2nd quarter GDP set to come out Monday morning in Japan (Sunday evening in New York), where the expectation is for a print of .2% quarter-over-quarter growth, or .7% annualized. These numbers are quite a bit lower than the previous prints of .6% and 1.9% respectively, and this further highlights the slowdown in the Japanese economy that is helping to build those expectations for more stimulus. Later in the week we get some slightly less-pertinent data points with finalized June Industrial Production numbers later on Monday morning, July trade numbers on Wednesday and then the All Industry Activity Index on Friday morning (Thursday evening in New York).

But what could end up being more relevant than any of these numbers could be commentary from Japanese politicians, Finance Minister Taro Aso or BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda that may indicate that more stimulus is in the pipeline. While such commentary is utterly unpredictable, the fact of the matter is that this has become a huge driver in financial markets, particularly in the QE-driven economies of Europe, the United States and of course, Japan.

On a technical basis, the Yen has found itself nudged-up to fairly strong resistance against many major currencies. USD/JPY, for instance, remains near the psychological level of 100.00, and this is likely at least somewhat resultant of the fact that other market participants are harboring the same expectation for even more stimulus from the Bank of Japan at some point in the near-future. This could continue to provide support unless any major themes of global risk aversion pipe-up, which, with the current state of the Chinese economy, remains as a risk moving-forward.

Due to this opacity of this scenario and further given the fact that the short-side of the Yen would seemingly be waiting for clues or innuendo ahead of that next phase of stimulus-driven Yen weakness, were setting the forecast on the Japanese Yen to neutral for the week ahead.



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By Chris Mfula and Stella Mapenzauswa LUSAKA (Reuters) - President Edgar Lungu took the lead over his main rival on Saturday in early counting from Zambia's presidential election, but the main opposition said some electoral officials were colluding in favour of his party. Lungu faces a stiff challenge from United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema, who accuses him of failing to steer the economy out of its slump after Africa's second-largest copper producer was hit by weak commodity prices. He led with 207,547 votes against Hichilema's 153,633 after 22 of the country's 156 constituencies in Thursday's voting had been collated, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) told a news conference also attended by political parties. Early results announced on Friday from only eight constituencies had put Hichilema ahead. The commission has rejected UPND charges that some of its officials were working to manipulate results to the advantage of Lungu's Patriotic Front. It said police were still investigating a report that an ECZ official had given his identity card on Friday to a man who could then enter the commission's computer room and tamper with the results. The UPND renewed its calls for the commission to remove some officials from the election process to preserve its credibility. "There is a syndicate in this institution and the syndicate is colluding to steal the election. We are demanding that they be suspended, resign or alternatively stop participating in these elections, UPND lawyer Martha Mushipe said. SLOW PACE OF COUNTING The ECZ has also defended the relatively slow pace in announcing election results, saying audits were taking longer than expected mainly due to a large voter turnout. As of Saturday's count, turnout was at 56.32 percent, far above the 32 percent recorded early last year when Lungu narrowly won an election to fill the vacancy left by the death of then president Michael Sata. If no candidate fails to win more than 50 percent this time, Zambia will have to hold a second round of elections. Campaigning for this week's vote centred on the economy, after months of rising unemployment, mine closures, power shortages and soaring food prices. Supporters of the two main parties clashed in what is generally one of the continent's most stable democracies. With emotions running high as parties awaited results, the ECZ would need to clearly demonstrate it was acting to resolve complaints to retain the confidence of the electorate, political analyst Lee Habasonda of the University of Zambia said. "People are giving them the benefit of doubt at this particular time, they have not lost confidence in them yet but yes, there are certain questions being raised about their performance," he told Reuters. Hichilema says the president has mismanaged the economy but Lungu, whose government has been negotiating a financial support package with the International Monetary Fund, blames weak growth on plunging commodity prices. The ECZ said final results from the elections, in which Zambians also chose members of parliament, mayors, local councillors, and proposed constitutional changes, would not be in by late Saturday or early Sunday as initially anticipated. (Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / August 12, 2016 / Zecotek Photonics Inc. (ZMS.V) (W1I.F), a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for medical, industrial and scientific markets, today announced that the Company has arranged for a non-brokered private placement of 2,750,000 units of the Company at a price of $0.30 per unit for gross proceeds of $825,000.

Each unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share at an exercise price of $0.43 per common share at any time on or before the 24-month anniversary of the closing of the offering.

Net proceeds from the funds raised will be used to complete the transfer of technology for the purpose of immediate commercialization, strengthen and maintain patents of the Company's IP portfolio, and used for purchase order financings and general working capital purposes. Pursuant to the financing, the Company may pay a finder's fee. All shares and warrants are subject to a four-month hold period.

About Zecotek

Zecotek Photonics Inc (ZMS.V) (W1I.F) is a photonics technology company developing high-performance scintillation crystals, photo detectors, positron emission tomography scanning technologies, 3D auto-stereoscopic displays, 3D metal printing, and lasers for applications in medical, high-tech and industrial sectors. Founded in 2004, Zecotek operates three divisions: Imaging Systems, Optronics Systems and 3D Display Systems with labs located in Canada, Korea, Russia, Singapore and U.S.A. The management team is focused on building shareholder value by commercializing over 50 patented and patent pending novel photonic technologies directly and through strategic alliances, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Switzerland), Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. (China), NuCare Medical Systems (South Korea), the University of Washington (United States), and National NanoFab Center (South Korea). For more information visit www.zecotek.com and follow @zecotek on Twitter.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what may have been stated.

For Additional Information Please Contact:

Zecotek Photonics Inc.

Michael Minder

T: (604) 783-8291

ir@zecotek.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. If you would like to receive news from Zecotek in the future please visit the corporate website at www.zecotek.com.

SOURCE: Zecotek Photonics Inc.
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe will only issue mining rights to companies listed on the local stock exchange and will not allow the export of raw minerals without ministerial approval, according to a draft mining bill published on Friday. The bill, which has been in the works for more than a decade, will now be sent for debate in parliament. Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Aquarius Platinum are some of the foreign mining firms operating in Zimbabwe but they are not listed on the local stock exchange. "No mining right or title shall be granted or issued to a public company unless the majority of its shares are listed on a securities exchange in Zimbabwe," the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill said. Under the proposed law, holders of mining rights would also be required to use banks registered in Zimbabwe as the government seeks to have greater oversight on finances generated in the mining sector. The government would no longer allow the export of raw minerals unless with written approval of the mines minister, the draft law said. Minerals like gold and silver would only be exported in refined form as Zimbabwe seeks to get more local involvement and jobs from the mining sector. Zimbabwe introduced a platinum export tax in January last year but suspended it seven months later after mining companies, including Amplats, Implats and Aquarius, agreed to support local metal processing. The draft bill also said platinum metals, iron ore, chrome and coking coal would be among 19 commodities designated as "strategic minerals" considered important for the economic, social and industrial future of the country. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Joe Brock)
NSU General Convention: Election panel to take out voter list today

Nepal Students Union is likely to publish its much-debated list of representatives by Saturday morning, clearing the way for filing official candidacies and holding elections within a couple of days.
Gweru (Zimbabwe) (AFP) - Zimbabwe's opposition leaders led a mass rally Saturday against embattled President Robert Mugabe's failure to resolve the country's worsening economic crisis.

Thousands of supporters gathered to hear Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-deputy president Joice Mujuru denounce Mugabe's hold on power, calling for unity among opposition parties.

"The reason we are here is because we need a collective consensus of all Zimbabweans to make sure that Mugabe listens to the voice of the people," Tsvangirai said in Gweru, some 220 kilometres (140 miles) southwest of the capital Harare.

"I don't hate Mugabe but I disagree with him that he gets to 92 and does not want to leave the throne," he told the crowd, gathered in a stadium.

Thousands of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and Mujuru's newly formed Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) attended the rally, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.

The crowd clad in red MDC party colours chanted "Mugabe must go," others hoisted placards reading "Where are the promised jobs?" "Stop Abductions" and "No to bond Notes" -- referring to the pending introduction of bond notes, a local token currency equivalent to the US dollar.

The rally went on under a watchful eye of anti-riot police.

Mujuru, the widow of Zimbabwe's first post-independence army general, was fired from Mugabe's government and the ruling ZANU-PF party in December 2014.

Before her ouster, she had been seen as Mugabe's favoured choice of successor.

She launched her own party in March.

The former deputy president urged the nation and opposition parties to unite.

"We want the people of Zimbabwe to work as one not to be divided. Today we found a way of working together to deal with issues affecting us," Mujuru said.

Zimbabwe has been hit by a series of street protests - the largest seen in many years in the country, triggered by an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers.
Twenty-four peopleincluding 22 passengers and two crewwere sent to the hospital Thursday after a JetBlue plane encountered strong turbulence on a flight originally headed from Boston to Sacramento.

Flight 429 diverted to Rapid City, South Dakota, and landed at around 7:30 p.m. local time, according to FlightAware.

Weather conditions over the central plains likely contributed to the turbulence.

Jet blue scary ride... pic.twitter.com/q9iFTgmKeJ

 Rhonda Renee (@Bistrobaby) August 12, 2016

People were flying out of their seat belts and hitting their head on the ceiling, passenger Rhonda Renee told CNN. It was very scary.

Another passenger, Derek Lindahl, tweeted that he grabbed the passenger in front of him out of the air to hold her to her seat.

;@RapidCityFire filling us in & setting up triage. Everyone has been A++ including @JetBlue & @RapidCityPD pic.twitter.com/dWAIoKZBD4

 Derek Lindahl (@oif_vet) August 12, 2016

Lindahl also tweeted that a flight attendant who had been standing in the galley hit her on the ceilingso strongly the ceiling panel was dislodged.

JetBlue said in a statement that a team was dispatched to Rapid City to assist the injured.

The rest of the passengers stayed at the airport until JetBlue was able to send another aircraft to get them on their way.

The @rapidcitypd brought around crayons and coloring books around to all the children on our @jetblue flight that was forced to land after severe turbulence injured dozens. Thanks to the force and the @rapidcityfiredepartment - we really appreciate your hard work and kindness.

A photo posted by Jason Layne (@djjasonlayne) on Aug 11, 2016 at 9:20pm PDT

@jetblue staff sorting out our fate.

A photo posted by Jason Layne (@djjasonlayne) on Aug 12, 2016 at 12:49am PDT
Katie Ledecky proudly poses with her fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics  all of which were designed by Elena Votsi. (Photo: Getty Images)

How did Greek jewelry designer Elena Votsi, who is known for her bold sculptural work, win the competition to design the Olympic medal for the Summer Games?

The story started right before the 2004 Olympics in Athens.



(Photo: Getty Images)

To celebrate the return of the event to its place of origin, the Olympic Committee decided there should be a redesign of the medal. It would mark the first time the hardware had been materially changed since the 1928 Games in Amsterdam. Elena recounted the moving experience of winning the intense competition for us.

How were you chosen to design the Olympic medal for the Athens Games?

In 2003, I received an invitation from the organization of the Olympic Games asking me to take part in the international competition to redesign the Olympic medal. My first reaction was to politely decline. The pressure was too much and the competition too challenging. I never thought I could win. Then I got a specific idea in my mind. I began drawing and making it real.

(Photo: Getty Images)

More: The Best Jewelry at the Olympics is On This Unexpected Team

After finishing the design, I left from Athens to Hydra to clear my head but more ideas were coming to my mind. As the deadline approached, I felt strongly that I should send the first idea that I had in my mind and heart. The one that was making me feel sure as an artist and as an admirer of the Olympic Games.

Jewelry designer Elena Votsi (Photo: Courtesy)

After turning in my proposal, I had some appointments with the organization. Finally, they announced that the winner will be chosen in a few days. I traveled to Hydra again. Then, one morning, I received a call from the president of the Olympic organization, telling me I was the winner.

More: The Story of One of the Rarest Gemstones from Brazil



The same day I received a call from my doctor who told me I was pregnant with my son Nicholas. It was one of the best days of my life.

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When you did the initial design did you know it was going to be used indefinitely for the Summer Games?

Not exactly, a few days after that first call, I had a second call where they told me that the international Olympic committee loved the universal approach of my proposal and the Greek elements used. They had decided to keep and use my design for the front of the medals for all the future Olympic Games. That was an unbelievable moment and the biggest honor of my career.

Each host city creates a unique design on the reverse and their own size for the medal. Both sides of Rios medals can be seen in the photo above. (Photo: Getty Images)

Your beautiful heroic design celebrates Greece with the goddess Nike, the Kallimarmaro stadium and the Acropolis? Greeces ancient history is rich with symbolism. What made you decide to put these three elements on the medal?

More: Marie-Helene de Taillacs Dreamy Boutique



According to myth, the goddess Nike came down from the sky to put the wreath on the head of the winning athletes. Thats why Nike is in the middle of the Kallimarmaro stadium. The stadium was part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The Acropolis is the jewel of Athens and ancient Greece where Democracy and Philosophy started. It is where meaning was given to important words such a universal, heritage and legacy.

Gold and diamond ring by Elena Votsi. (Photo: Courtesy)

The three motifs were the first ones in my mind when designing the Olympic medal. They were the three symbols I wanted to use for making the connection between past and present, myth and reality.

Your collection is so bold and artistic and the medal is such a classical work. Could you tell me about the side of your personality you explored to execute the design?

This is something many people ask me. In my mind everything is very clear. My first degree at the School of Fine Arts in Athens was in painting. My masters at Royal College of Art in London was in Jewelry. Two different things that allowed me to think as a painter and artist when needed and as a jewelry designer when needed too. Sometimes I use my knowledge from both for both.

When I am asked to design for a museum or for an organization or for the town hall or the government, it is different than when I design my jewelry collections. I love the fact that I can play in both ways and I can use everything I have learned by being next to my amazing teachers as a student in both colleges. I love designing anyway. There is nothing else I could I do.

All 23 (and counting!) of the Olympic medals Michael Phelps has won feature Elena Votsis design on the front. (Photo: Getty Images)



Finally, what has it meant to you to be the designer of the medal for the Summer Games?

I think there are not any words that can explain my feelings about that. It is such a privilege and part of my identity already. It is so touching when I see all those great athletes wearing my medal, people who had to practice all their lives to achieve something like that. It is a great moment when I happen to meet some of those athletes or when they send me a picture holding their medals. I am more than happy to quietly be part of the idea of the Olympic Games. Its an idea that brings different people together and tries to communicate the importance of friendship, love, courage, peace and humanity.

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Exclusive Jewelry Details for the Vulcan Amulet Necklace in Star Trek Beyond

Chanel Diamonds Make Cafe Society a Jewelry Blockbuster

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The late Star Wars actor spoke with THRs Scott Feinberg in 2004.



Kenny Baker, the actor who played beloved droid R2-D2 in the first six Star Wars films, died Saturday at 81. The star, who stood 3 feet, 8 inches, wasnt expected to live past adolescence, but he defied the odds, going on to be part of a worldwide phenomenon.

In 2004, Baker - then 70 and preparing to film his final turn as the droid in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - spoke to The Hollywood Reporter awards analyst Scott Feinberg for a wide-ranging interview discussing his early forays into performing, why he initially turned down Star Wars and rumors of tension with C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels (I didnt have a relationship with him. He was an actor and I was an actor, he said).

Before gaining worldwide fame in Star Wars, Baker got his start after leaving school at 17 and joining a touring company of little people. He went on to find success with ice shows and touring theatrical work before starting a two-man variety act, the Mini-Tones, which saw him and partner Jack Purvis (himself a future Ewok in Star Wars) tour all over Europe.

Below are highlights from the 2004 interview, with Baker recalling his life and career in his own words.

On meeting George Lucas and turning down Star Wars

Lucas came into London looking for someone to fit inside the robot. In fact, theyd already made the robot, but they couldnt find anybody to move it, because it was heavy. So I went to London, into 20th Century Fox in Soho Square. And there was George Lucas with [co-producer] Gary Kurtz and [production supervisor] Robert Watts. They said, Hell do, because I was the right size. That was all it was. And I just jumped into the robot. And I didnt enjoy it at all, I didnt like it all. I didnt think it was gonna be very successful. So I turned it down about three times  I thought, Well, Id rather not be stuck in a robot, to be honest. But they talked me into it and, as we all know now, it was a big success.

Story continues

On being inside the droid

I was mainly stationary for the acting, the dialogue. Im moving the robot  and George shouts at me with a megaphone. Look this way! Look that way!  Its moving the robot and making it look as though its knowing what its doing. Thats all. Youve got to try and make it make sense, you know?  Im not involved with all the big scenes. The big scenes - with fighting and a huge cast of fighters or stormtroopers - Im not usually in it. I might be in it in a one-shot, but thats about it. I cant move [in the droid], I cant travel. So Im usually only in close-ups.

On George Lucas as a director

Hes very good because he knows what he wants. He tells you to do it, and you know hes going to be correct, because hes got a great vision and can see what the eventual picture will be.

On Star Wars success

It just happened to hit at the right time - everybody was looking for a fantasy after the Vietnam War, and everything like that. It was pretty grim, you know? And I think Star Wars just came out at the right time, when everybody could go and enjoy themselves at the movies and see a good fantasy story, a good gung-ho type of Harrison Ford, you know, with the whip. No blood anywhere.

On being a little person in the industry

There are not very many opportunities for little people in the industry. There are small parts and character parts, but we dont get the girl at the end of the film kind of parts  but I was quite happy with what I was doing. I didnt really get involved too heavily with being an actual film person. Ive always been a cabaret-vaudeville artist - an hourlong cabaret and a floor show in a hotel - somebody like that. Thats my main forte.

On his favorite Star Wars memory

Just meeting the people, you know? Carrie Fisher was very young. So was Harrison. And Alec Guinness was a very nice person - you know, very English.

Related: R2-D2 Actor Kenny Baker Dies at 81
More and more cities around the globe are rolling out free public Wi-Fi networks to help ensure their residents have access to high-speed internet.

Earlier this year, New York City began deploying its own Wi-Fi network called LinkNYC. The system is being built by a consortium called CityBridge, which includes companies like Intersection, a subsidiary of Googles parent company Alphabet (GOOG); Qualcomm (QCOM) and CIVIQ Smartscapes. Under a franchise agreement with NYC, CityBridge will put up between 7,500 and 10,000 LinkNYC kiosks across the city. So far, the company has about 300 beta versions of its LinkNYC stations around Manhattan.

Visiting the city that never sleeps? Heres how you can browse the web at lightning speed with ease.

Find a LinkNYC Kiosk

There are only 300 LinkNYC kiosks in operation so far, which can make them difficult to find if youre not in the right area of the city. Fortunately, LinkNYCs website provides a map that shows you where the nearest kiosk is located.

Get online

To connect to LinkNYCs open public Wi-Fi network, open your devices Wi-Fi settings menu and look for the LinkNYC Free Wi-Fi network. Youll then be asked to enter your email address.

LinkNYC says it wont sell your email address to third-party advertisers, but that it will use it to send you updates about LinkNYC services. If you dont feel comfortable using your own email, you can choose to make a new one just for LinkNYC. It doesnt matter.

Go private

If the prospect of connecting to a open, unsecured Wi-Fi network triggers an instant panic attack, youll be happy to hear LinkNYC also offers a secure network that encrypts your browsing data. Unfortunately, the network is only available for iOS devices for now. Sorry Android owners.

Connecting to the network is the same as connecting to LinkNYCs unsecured network. Just find the LinkNYC Private network in your Wi-Fi settings, enter your email address and youre set.

But wait, theres more

In addition to LinkNYCs two Wi-Fi networks, each kiosk includes a built-in internet-connected tablet that you can use to surf the web, make free phone calls, check out local NYC services or dial 9-1-1. That last one proves particularly handy when a 7-foot tall man dressed as Elmo decides your $2 tip for taking a picture with him isnt enough.

Story continues

The tablet is slow in terms of responsiveness, but it gets the job done. To start, you simply walk up to the machine and tap the touchscreen. At the bottom of the display, youll see apps for the tablets web browser, a Vonage free calling app, NYC 311 City Services and Google Maps.

The LinkNYC web browser is just like the one you use on your own smartphone or tablet. Just open the app, tap the address bar and enter a website to start surfing.

Naturally, there are plenty of people who will decide that a free, public portal to everything the internet has to offer is the perfect opportunity to check out some more, er, adult material. Fortunately, LinkNYC has implemented a continuously update filter designed to keep people from accessing certain sites.

The Vonage app lets you place calls for free, but if you dont have a pair of headphones to plug in, everyone on the street can hear what the person on the other end of the line is saying through the LinkNYC kiosks speaker.

The 311 City Services app provides you with a means to do things like pay parking tickets or check the citys lost and found, which is especially helpful if you lose your phone in the back of a cab.

Finally, theres perhaps the most useful feature of the LinkNYC tablet: Google Maps. Yep, just like on your smartphone, the Google Maps app provides you with directions for anywhere you need to go in the city. And when youre downtown, youre going to need it.

Privacy and security

At this point youre probably wondering how LinkNYC keeps your browsing data private on a public tablet. Well, according to the company, the tablet automatically performs a factory reset when you log out, deleting any and all data you may have entered.

If you forget to log out, the tablet will ask if youre still using it after 20 seconds of inactivity. If you dont reply, the tablet will automatically reset itself.

LinkNYC says it doesnt store any of your information when youre connected to its Wi-Fi network and can only see individual URLs you visit through the tablet.

The New York Civil Liberties Union, however, points out that LinkNYCs privacy policy allows for the company to collect your browsing data. According to LinkNYC, the company collects less data about you than your own internet service provider.

So what do you think of LinkNYC? Will you give it a shot the next time youre in the Big Apple?
One-third ministries sought for women

At a time when the Congress-Maoist coalition is struggling to expand the Cabinet, the Inter-Party Women Alliance has demanded appointment of one-third female ministers.
Plastic ban: Team formed to fix thickness regulation

The governments decision to ban use, sale and distribution of plastic bags throughout the country has been largely ineffective due to lack of clarity about the size and thickness of the plastic bags that have been prohibited.
PM seeks info on Nepalis in foreign jails

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday asked Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi to find the number of Nepali nationals languishing in jails in Gulf nations and Malaysia.
PM urges UN to facilitate resolving refugee problem

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed his gratefulness to the United Nations for its concern towards resolving Bhutanese refugee problem and also urged the global body to facilitate addressing the problem of the remaining refugees.
Sebon sets criteria for FPO pricing

Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) has set four criteria on stock pricing for further public offering (FPO).
Tarai stir: Madhesi parties turn up heat for cadres release

The Madhes-based parties are mounting pressure on the government to withdraw all kinds of criminal charges against their members, claiming that the cases are politically motivated.
Thailand tourism: Arrests made over bomb attacks in Hua Hin resort

Police in the Thai resort of Hua Hin have arrested two men after bomb attacks there and across the country left four people dead.
Achyut Wagle holds PhD in economics and is currently a professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management. He is an econo-political analyst, writing for The Kathmandu Post for many years.
Three-point pact does not favour Madhesh: Gachchhadar

Madheshi Janadhikar Forum Lokatantrik (MJF-L) Chairperson Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar has argued that the three-point agreement among Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre) and United Madhesi Democratic Front on August 3 this year was not doing any good to Madhesh community.
Towards a kleptocracy?

There are unmistakable signs that we as country are fast becoming a kelptocracy as our ministers, parliamentarians and officials enrich themselves at the expense of the public. In what was
US 'killed IS leader in Afghanistan'

Hafiz Saeed Khan, leader of so-called Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, died in a US drone strike last month, the US believes.
Zika found to remain in sperm for record six months

The Zika virus has been found in the sperm of an Italian man six months after his first symptoms, twice as long as in previously reported cases.
Yes, its hard to to tell when one enters the city limits

Yes, they will make the city more inviting

Maybe ... does it really matter?

No, the signs in place are fine

No, it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars

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Welcome! You have come to the right place. Khmerization is a home to the Cambodian daily news, which is updated twice daily. Please take a tour and enjoy yourself. Thank you.

To contact Khmerization please send an email to:
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Yes, a light case

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One serious case

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Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church of La Crosse is hosting a fundraiser, Vogue  One More Time, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, to benefit the Family & Childrens Center Hope Academy.

A variety of men's and womens jewelry and accessories, and crafts will be for sale, and the Sweet Boutique will offer chocolates, desserts and coffee. All sales and donations will go toward providing haircuts and new school supplies for the Hope Academy program.
A proposed agreement filed with the city of La Crosse suggests Optum Services Inc. has met the 2,000 job goal outlined in its development agreement with the city of La Crosse, as well as paid $2.74 million in damages after failing to meet its previous deadlines.

The Delaware-based company, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth that purchased La Crosse-based Logistics Health Inc. in 2011, has submitted a legal document to the city stating that it has met all obligations it took on when it purchased the three Riverside Center buildings in downtown La Crosse on Front and Jay streets.

La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat said the company is looking to assign the agreement to another entity, but hopes to have the La Crosse Common Council confirm that the terms have been met first.

In essence, its pretty straightforward, Kabat said, but the city will verify that the conditions have been met.

The city attorneys office and an accounting firm will work with the company to ensure that it met the goals after twice receiving extensions from the council. City staff will also confirm that previous penalties, required as part of the extension agreement, have been received by the city in what Kabat called a pretty standard move.

Some of those things started over 10 years ago. With all those amendments, its important to check in fairly regularly, Kabat said. The goal of course is to have all those confirmed before the next council cycle.

Optum declined to comment on the specifics of the agreement but said it remains dedicated to job creation in the Coulee Region.

We remain committed to creating jobs in La Crosse and continue to make progress toward our goal, said Optum spokesman Brad Lotterman.

Optum purchased the buildings, which house LHI, for $45 million from LHI founder and president Don Webers development company in September 2014. Weber sold the buildings to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest by collecting both salary and rent from LHI.

As part of the purchase, Optum took on Webers development agreements with the city, which called for the buildings to house 2,000 employees total by the end of 2016. When Optum purchased the center last year, about 1,750 people worked in the complex, which includes LHI, Kaplan Professional, SAP Business Objects, The Waterfront restaurant, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC and River Rocks Coffee. It added about 50 jobs last year but was 200 jobs short in December 2015.

The conditions were in place originally to make sure the city sees direct tangible benefits from the development, Kabat said.

In return, the company gets access to development incentives set up in the tax increment district funding program.

If theyve met the job threshold for example, they would be eligible for their TIF incentive (in) the development agreement, Kabat said.

If everything checks out in the verification process, Kabat said, the attorneys office will review the agreement and give a recommendation to the council.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (TNS)  For decades, the fabled Hazelden Foundation here has relied on group therapy, individual counseling and other nonmedical approaches to help tens of thousands of people recover from drug and alcohol addiction.

But several years ago, Hazelden realized that too many of its opioid-addicted patients were dying of overdoses after dropping out of the traditional 12-step treatment programs.

It was time to try a different approach.

Breaking nearly 70 years of tradition, Hazelden in 2013 began offering patients in its 12-step program two addiction medications, buprenorphine and Vivitrol, to reduce their drug cravings. Three years later, the preliminary results are so promising they could prompt many medication skeptics to shift course.

Hazelden offered the medications to 500 opioid addicts who participated in an intensive outpatient program between 2013 and 2015. Historically, about a quarter of patients quickly drop out of Hazeldens 12-step program to go back to using drugs. But among the 500 people studied, that figure dropped to 5 percent. Approximately two-thirds of the patients in the program opted to try the drugs.

This is dramatic new evidence, said Dr. Robert DuPont, a Maryland-based addiction specialist who served as the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Its revolutionary because its coming from Hazelden, which is the font of all drug-free programs.

For years, national detox chains and residential rehab programs, some led by recovering addicts who conquered their own addictions without medication, have resisted using the drugs, despite research showing their effectiveness. More than two-thirds of U.S. clinics and treatment centers still do not offer them, and only about a fifth of the people who would benefit from addiction medications are getting them.

But Hazeldens willingness to offer the medications and publicize the results could make a huge difference.

For the many mom-and-pop recovery programs out there who have modeled themselves after Hazelden, this is a game changer, said David Gastfriend, a medical adviser to the Treatment Research Institute.

Theyre not willing to take the scientists and the federal governments word for it. But they can believe that medication works if they hear it from Hazelden.

Dr. Marvin Seppala, Hazeldens medical director, emphasized the need for further study. Hazeldens Butler Center for Research plans to follow 200 of Hazeldens medication-assisted patients for a year to determine which medications worked best for which patients and how both medications compared to abstinence.

The study, Seppala said, will examine the differences among the three groups  no medication, buprenorphine and Vivitrol  in length of time in treatment, relapse rates, readmission to treatment, length of time on medication, and overdose deaths, among other factors.

What were hoping to find is that certain personal traits determine which medication, or no medication, a patient may choose and which medications work best for certain patients, Seppala said.

There are places that say everybody should be on medications and places that say nobody should, Seppala said. People are going to try these medications. If you had predictors for choosing which medications to use for which patients, we would have a better chance of success.

In the midst of a prescription painkiller and heroin epidemic that is killing 78 people every day, the Obama administration and addiction medicine experts are urging state Medicaid programs, private insurers, physicians and the treatment community to make medication available to an estimated 2.5 million opioid addicted people who need them.

In Minnesota, sometimes called the land of 10,000 treatment centers, there is no shortage of treatment facilities. But the vast majority of treatment in the state, and in the rest of the country, does not include any of the addiction medications that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, despite research showing that opioid addicts who take them are at least twice as likely to stay in recovery and avoid relapse for a year or longer.

Instead of paying for their services out-of-pocket or through private insurance plans as Hazelden patients do, lower-income people with opioid addictions rely on federally supported insurance exchange policies, Medicaid and federal block grant funds.

Minnesotas medical director for its Medicaid program, Dr. Jeff Schiff, said the state is making strides in expanding access to all types of medication- assisted treatment, though it needs to streamline the process patients encounter when seeking it.

Public funding for addiction treatment in Minnesota is better than in many other states, said Dr. Gavin Bart, director of addiction medicine at the Hennepin County Medical Center and a regional director of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. But Bart said there is still plenty of red tape. As a result, decisions about which medication a patient will receive, or whether medication is used at all, are based more on financing and logistics than personal or medical considerations, he said.

Minnesota is not the only state where the path to treatment, particularly medication-assisted treatment, can be circuitous. Not all state Medicaid programs even cover the cost of all three medications. And in the 19 states that have not expanded Medicaid to able-bodied adults, only limited federal block grant funding is available for addiction treatment.

Some physicians say they are seeing progress in insurers willingness to pay for treatment of addiction as a chronic, lifelong disease and to pay for the specific type of treatment and medication an individual patient may need.

Some plans are beginning to understand they are required to cover the payments for treating this chronic disease and it could save them money in the long run, said Dr. Kelly Clark, acting president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Insurers are starting to realize that providing the right treatment for the right person in the right place, for as long as treatment is needed, will dramatically lower overall health care costs, she said. Keeping people in recovery prevents the spread of hepatitis C and HIV, as well as repeated inpatient hospitalizations and ER visits for related medical and psychiatric complications of addiction, Clark said.

Gastfriend says Seppalas results are another sign of progress. This news from Hazelden may begin to change the hearts and minds of many of the nations treatment providers, potentially opening the doors to greater access to evidence-based treatments at a time when insurers are beginning to wake up to the reality that it is in their interest to pay for the most effective treatments available.

More than two-thirds of U.S. clinics and treatment centers dont offer addiction medications, and only about a fifth of the people who would benefit from the drugs are getting them.
The U.S. agriculture department predicted another record harvest this fall on Friday, raising the prospect of yet more financial pain in farm country.

Crop, livestock and dairy farms are all suffering. Some are filing for bankruptcy, among them John Quaal, who runs a dairy farm near Fergus Falls.

Its nearly impossible to break even producing milk, he said.

For almost two years now weve been going backwards, said Quaal. Youve got to learn to deal with it I guess. Its just the way it is.

Milk, like corn and soybeans, has been fetching less money than it costs to produce the commodity for most of those two years. Low grain prices have kept down the price of feed, but not enough. Quaals farm has lost as much as $40,000 in a single month. He figures the dairy lost $300,000 in total last year. And Quaals running short of money to pay his bills.

Its pretty hard to go to any bank, or anywhere and borrow money with a negative cash flow, said Quaal. So it looked like about the route we should probably go is filing a chapter 12 bankruptcy.

Under the bankruptcy filing, Quaal, his wife, and son will continue to milk nearly 300 cows, but have more time to pay off debt. And by what hes seen in the local ag economy, hes not the only farmer in trouble.

There are a lot of cows coming to the sale barn, said Quaal. People [are] just giving up and selling.

Quaal turned to Bill Januszewski to help him cope. Januszewski is a farm business management instructor at Alexandria Technical and Community College. Hes currently working with a total of 21 conventional dairy farms in the area.

Out of the 21 I have about 12 of them that are under some sort of stress, said Januszewski. And I would say out of those 12 Ive got five that are under considerable stress.

Its touch and go whether those five will be in business a year from now Januszewski said. It mostly depends on milk prices, which have been rising this summer. If that continues it should relieve some of the stress on the dairy sector.

Crop and livestock farms are also feeling financial pressures. Statewide, the number of troubled agricultural loans is rising. The number of farmers offered mediation by lenders is up 20 percent so far this year. The program is designed to head off farm failures by identifying and solving credit issues before they sink an operation. Crop farmers could face an especially bumpy track.

Row crop commodity prices have dropped below the break-even levels, said Sterling Liddell with Rabo AgriFinance.

Grain producers are in the third year of a financial downturn.

So far most have managed to stay in business because theyre able to draw down savings to pay their bills, Liddell said. Much of that economic cushion comes from a run of historically high corn and soybeans profits between 2007 and 2014. But unprofitable crop prices have worn the cushion thin, Liddell said. With another record harvest expected this year, prices will likely stay low.

It may be another three years before corn prices, for example, return to profitable levels for most farmers in Liddells view. If hes right, he said, farmers must plan now for an extended period of slim or non-existent profits or face the prospect of going out of business.

Some choices will be psychologically tough. Farmers hate to give up land, but Liddell said if land is never going to make a profit because the rent is too high or the soil unproductive, a farmer may have to let those acres go. As some farmers are already finding out, theres only so much loss an operation can withstand.

How you move forward is going to be critical for the future of your business, said Liddell.

Dan Gunderson contributed to the reporting on this story.

There are a lot of cows coming to the sale barn. People [are] just giving up and selling. John Quaal
This year marks the first time in U.S. history that all military positions and occupations are open to women. As we mark this significant moment, lets not forget the many women who have selflessly served their country.

This World War II American Red Cross jacket was once worn by Mary Ellen Higbee Cameron, an American Red Cross worker who served in post-WWII occupied Japan.

Higbee graduated from Central High School in 1933. She went on to study at Carleton College, as well as La Crosse State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse), where she attended the La Crosse State Teachers College Training School. In her mid-20s, Higbee attended the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, graduating with a degree in costume design. By the time she was 30, she joined the Red Cross and was stationed in the Philippines, awaiting a transfer to Japan.

Higbee joined the Red Cross in 1946 after the end of WWII. She served primarily in Japan, where the Allies had begun their occupation. While we do not know exactly what she witnessed during her time in Japan, the wars end did not signal an end to the Red Cross service to soldiers waiting to return home, as well as to those who remained injured or wounded in military hospitals.

The main role of most Red Cross workers was to boost morale among the troops. This included a broad range of duties, the most common of which were: hosting parties and dances, operating clubs and clubmobiles, making doughnuts and coffee, visiting with the wounded and comforting the homesick.

While it may sound lighthearted, the duties of a Red Cross worker were exhausting and relentless  most Red Cross women worked 12- to 14-hour days. The work did not come without risk, either. During the war, a total of 86 Red Cross workers  34 men and 52 women  lost their lives.

After her service, Higbee returned to La Crosse where she married attorney Alex Cameron. She worked as an art teacher at Logan High School for many years and served as an instructor for several local art clubs.

She died in 1991 at age 75.

This jacket represents not only her story but the story of all women of the Red Cross who served their country in WWII. The war was a physically and mentally scarring experience. Without women such as Mary Higbee Cameron to provide care and comfort, many soldiers may not have survived to return home.
Donald Trump plans to return to La Crosse next week for a high-rolling fundraiser, and once again the states top Republican leaders wont be there.

Trump plans to stop in La Crosse and Milwaukee to raise money on Tuesday, based on invitations obtained by The Associated Press. Attendees are asked to give at least $2,700 per person, while couples who donate or raise $100,000 can be designated an event co-chair.

Don and LaVonne Zietlow, who own the Kwik Trip convenience store chain, are hosts of the La Crosse event. Logistics Health founder Don Weber is another La Crosse host.

Giving or raising $15,000 gets attendees a photo opportunity with Trump.

The campaign has not released details, but Trump typically also holds public campaign stops while in battleground states.

Trump spoke to a crowd of 1,700 people the day before Wisconsins April 5 primary, which U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz won 41.4 to 37.2 percent. La Crosse County voters favored Trump 41.4 to 37.2 percent.

Just like last week when Trump was in Green Bay, the states highest-ranking Republicans wont be around Tuesday.

Gov. Scott Walker had previously committed to being in Colorado as part of a Republican governors panel at the Aspen Institute. House Speaker Paul Ryan will also be unavailable due to a family trip. Ryan cited scheduling conflicts when he missed Trumps Green Bay stop.

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson also missed Trump in Green Bay. His campaign spokesman did not immediately return a message Friday asking whether Johnson would make it to any Trump events next week.

While Ryan, Walker and Johnson all back Trump, they have also distanced themselves from him and some of his more controversial comments and positions.

Walker skipped Trumps last stop in the state in favor of attending an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner fundraiser. On Tuesday, Walker will join with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts for a panel discussion about how their policies are making a difference and the challenges that lie ahead, according to the website touting the event in Colorado.

Walker has appeared twice in Wisconsin with Trumps running mate, Mike Pence, including Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Both Johnson and Walker are listed as honorary hosts for both fundraisers. More vocal Trump supporters, U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy and Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, are also listed as honorary chairmen.

Murph and John Burke, who are hosting the Milwaukee fundraiser, are real estate developers. In addition to giving money to Walker, they also donated to three other former GOP presidential candidates  Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and businesswoman Carly Fiorina.

A Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday showed Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by 15 points among likely voters in Wisconsin. Clinton has yet to return to Wisconsin since losing the states April primary to Bernie Sanders. Her running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, held a rally at a Milwaukee brewery last week.
This week on our national parks journey, we travel to the northwestern state of Oregon. Here, you will find a huge, deep lake. It waters seem impossibly blue. It is the deepest lake in America and one of the deepest lakes in the world. Its water is among the clearest and purest found on Earth.

Around the lake runs the wall of an extinct volcano. In the middle of the lake a small island rises over 230 meters above the surface.

Welcome to Crater Lake National Park.

The lakes beauty inspires artists, photographers and nature lovers. That beauty was born from the violent burst of Mount Mazama about 7,700 ago. Hot liquid -- called magma -- rose from deep under the mountain, causing it to collapse.

The powerful burst destroyed the surrounding area. Huge amounts of ash fell on the land. The burst also left an enormous, circular hole in the mountains center. Scientists call this a caldera.

Over the next hundreds of years, rain and snow filled the hole with water. Rainfall and snowfall are the lakes only source of water. It has no connections to the rivers and streams around it. That is what keeps its waters so pure.

As water collected, plants began to grow in the area again and animals returned. Scientists say it took about 250 years for the lake to rise to its current level.

Crater Lake is 592 meters deep. It is one of the 10 deepest on Earth. But, its depth is not the only remarkable quality. People are awed by its water color and clarity.

Crater Lake is so clear that, on most days, you can see nearly 30 meters below the surface. The lake takes on its intense blue color because of the waters clarity. Sunlight reaches deep into the water.

Crater Lake gets its name from geology. A crater is a large bowl-shaped area on top of a volcano. The crater that formed the lake sits within the larger caldera.

Human History

Native Americans were in the area even before the lakes formation. Researchers have found artifacts buried under layers of ash and dust from the Mount Mazama's huge eruption.

Following the burst, Native Americans considered Crater Lake to be a holy place. Ancient Native American stories describe the eruption of Mount Mazama.

European explorers and settlers did not arrive in the area until the middle 1800s. In 1865, a hunter became one of the first non-Native Americans to reach the shores of Crater Lake.

In 1870, a boy in Kansas read a newspaper article about the strange lake in Oregon. The story about Crater Lake fascinated the young William Gladstone Steel. He promised himself he would one day see this lake.

In 1872, Steels family moved to Portland, Oregon, about 375 kilometers north of the lake. Thirteen years later, Steel honored his promise and visited Crater Lake. Its beauty moved him greatly. He began a 17-year fight to preserve the area as a public park.

Steel was a writer. He described one of his first visits to Crater Lake in 1886 in the West Shore magazine.

Not a foot of the land about the lake has been touched or claimed. An overmastering conviction came to me that this wonderful spot must be saved, wild and beautiful, just as it was, for all future generations.

His proposal of creating a national park did not please nearby sheep herders and miners.

But, his efforts succeeded anyway. On May 22, 1902 Crater Lake became the countrys fifth national park. It remains the only national park in Oregon. And William Gladstone Steel is called the Father of Crater Lake.

Visiting the Park

Crater Lake National Park covers 740 square kilometers. The lake itself makes up less than 10 percent of the park. It also includes surrounding mountains and thick forests. The trees shelter many kinds of animals, from black bears to elk to spotted owls.

About 480,000 people visit Crater Lake National Park each year. They explore by car, bicycle, or on foot.

Roads that encircle Crater Lake usually are open from July through October, depending on weather. They provide breathtaking displays of the lakes unusual blue color as well as the thick forests around it.

Crater Lake National Park also has more than 140 kilometers of hiking trails. The Cleetwood Cove Trail drops more than 200 meters down to the edge of Crater Lake. It leads to a spot where swimming is permitted.

The water is extremely cold. Most swimmers cannot stay in for more than a few minutes. Crater Lakes average water temperature is just three degrees Celsius. In summer, the lakes surface warms to about 10 degrees Celsius.

Visitors can also ride a boat from the end of Cleetwood Cove Trail. Park rangers lead visitors on boat rides around the lake. Visitors can also take boats to Wizard Island. The piece of land sits in the western part of the lake.

Volcanic eruptions formed Wizard Island. It rises over 760 meters above the lake floor. However, most of the island, about 500 meters, is underwater.

At Wizard Island, visitors can hike, swim and fish. It is also a wonderful place to relax and enjoy nature.

But, such extraordinary places can be found all over the park. Discovering ones own is part of the magic to experience at Crater Lake National Park.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

And I'm Caty Weaver.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

extinct - adj. no longer active

enormous - adj. very great in size or amount

remarkable - adj. unusual or surprising : likely to be noticed

awe - v. to have a strong feeling of wonder or surprise

artifact - n. a simple object (such as a tool or weapon) that was made by people in the past

fascinate - v. to cause (someone) to be very interested in something or someone.
Studying at a university in his home country of Syria made Amer Horani very proud.

But that was before the war in Syria forced him to leave his country.

Horani was the first in his family to attend a university. He began studying psychology at Damascus University in 2012. He dreamed of using his education to help others.

Then his friend, also a student, disappeared.

The army came for him. I never saw him again, Horani told VOA. The disappearance of his friend was one reason the 22-year-old chose to leave Syria. He left after completing only eight months of his studies.

Horani and many other Syrians were forced to abandon higher education to become refugees.

Everything is bad here, Horani said. He now works in a small convenience store in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.

More than one million refugees live in Lebanon. Some Lebanese do not want them there. The refugees also face difficult living conditions and restrictions on job opportunities.

Sometimes it feels like I have lost everything here, my life has stopped, Horani said. Im not a criminal, Im not bad. I just want to study.

At one point, at least 250,000 students studied at universities in Syria. Now experts suggest that almost 200,000 students have fled the country.

There are many reasons that refugees are prevented from re-entering higher education. The biggest reason is the lack of money to pay the cost. Also studying in a different country may mean they must learn in a language that is not their own. Or the refugees may not have the right documents to register at a university in their new country.

Allan Goodman is the president of the Institute of International Education, or IIE. The IIE is an organization that studies and supports the exchange of students between countries.

This is the most challenging higher education emergency we have ever faced, Goodman said.

International media have brought attention to the efforts of Syrian refugees to reach Europe. However, over 4.5 million refugees are now living in countries close to Syria like Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

These countries already struggle to accept and help these refugees. But, support efforts continue.

In Lebanon, the Ministry of Education and several United Nations agencies are discussing the problem. They are working to make 300 scholarships available to refugees this year.

Estimates suggest 10,000 Syrians are enrolled in higher education programs in Lebanon. One report says about 5,000 people are enrolled in Turkey. Turkey has offered almost 1,000 scholarships.

But, those numbers do not show how many of those Syrians are refugees.

Goodman said, Id be amazed if the number of Syrian [refugees] back in higher education were more than a few thousand.

Theres not the capacity in Jordan or Lebanon or even Turkey, he said.

Efforts to solve this crisis have spread all over the world.

The IIE is working with universities in many different countries to help more than 500 Syrian students and 100 professors. The IIE is only one of several organizations seeking to connect Syrians with universities.

Other groups also are creating different ways to help.

In Berlin, one organization has started Kiron University. Kiron University offers online courses designed for refugees.

Also, an engineering student at Oxford University named Thais Roque started her own scholarship program for refugees.

The program will help students beginning their studies in 2017. Roque hopes to raise enough money for 20 scholarships. This would cost around $320,000.

I cant believe how many emails weve been getting  some have said that this is their last chance [to get higher education], Roque said. She asks others to follow her example.

We are students too, she added. We just happen to be luckier than them.

But the gap between refugees needs and what is offered is still very large.

Goodman says there is already one example of how refugees can really be helped. During World War II, a university designed for refugees was created in New York. Goodman says the IIE is investigating the idea of re-creating this university.

For Syrian refugee Amer Horani, getting back into university is still a major challenge.

But, his desire to become a psychologist is still very strong. He knows that in his war-torn country, his training and skills would be more important than ever.

After the war, Horani said, everyone in Syria is going to need someone.

Im Pete Musto.

John Owens reported on this story for VOA News Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

We want to hear from you. What other ways can universities, governments and other organizations help refugees complete their higher education? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

proud  adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own, someone you know or are related to

abandon  v. to stop doing or having something

convenience store  n. a small store that is open for many hours of the day

challenging  adj. difficult in a way that is usually interesting or enjoyable

scholarship(s)  n. an amount of money that is given by a school, or an organization to a student to help pay for the student's education

enroll(ed)  v. to enter someone as a member of or participant in something

amazed  adj. feeling or showing great surprise

gap  n. a difference between two people, groups, or things


Our story today is called The Boarded Window. It was written by Ambrose Bierce. Here is Shep ONeal with the story.

In 1830, only a few miles away from what is now the great city of Cincinnati, Ohio, lay a huge and almost endless forest.

The area had a few settlements established by people of the frontier. Many of them had already left the area for settlements further to the west. But among those remaining was a man who had been one of the first people to arrive there.

He lived alone in a house of logs surrounded on all sides by the great forest. He seemed a part of the darkness and silence of the forest, for no one had ever known him to smile or speak an unnecessary word. His simple needs were supplied by selling or trading the skins of wild animals in the town.

His little log house had a single door. Directly opposite was a window. The window was boarded up. No one could remember a time when it was not. And no one knew why it had been closed. It surely was not because of the mans dislike of light and air. Sometimes, he could be seen lying in the sun on his doorstep. I imagine there are few people living today who ever knew the secret of that window. But I am one, as you shall see.

The man's name was said to be Murlock. He appeared to be seventy years old, but he was really fifty. Something other than years had been the cause of his aging.

His hair and long, full beard were white. His gray, lifeless eyes were sunken. His face was wrinkled. He was tall and thin with drooping shoulderslike someone with many problems.

I never saw him. These details I learned from my grandfather. He told me the man's story when I was a boy. He had known him when living nearby in that early day.

One day Murlock was found in his cabin, dead. It was not a time and place for medical examiners and newspapers. I suppose it was agreed that he had died from natural causes or I should have been told, and should remember.

I know only that the body was buried near the cabin, next to the burial place of his wife. She had died so many years before him that local tradition noted very little of her existence.

That closes the final part of this true story, except for the incident that followed many years later. With a fearless spirit I went to the place and got close enough to the ruined cabin to throw a stone against it. I ran away to avoid the ghost which every well-informed boy in the area knew haunted the spot.

But there is an earlier part to this story supplied by my grandfather.

When Murlock built his cabin he was young, strong and full of hope. He began the hard work of creating a farm. He kept a gun--a riflefor hunting to support himself.

He had married a young woman, in all ways worthy of his honest love and loyalty. She shared the dangers of life with a willing spirit and a light heart. There is no known record of her name or details about her. They loved each other and were happy.

One day Murlock returned from hunting in a deep part of the forest. He found his wife sick with fever and confusion. There was no doctor or neighbor within miles. She was in no condition to be left alone while he went to find help. So Murlock tried to take care of his wife and return her to good health. But at the end of the third day she fell into unconsciousness and died.

From what we know about a man like Murlock, we may try to imagine some of the details of the story told by my grandfather.

When he was sure she was dead, Murlock had sense enough to remember that the dead must be prepared for burial. He made a mistake now and again while performing this special duty. He did certain things wrong. And others which he did correctly were done over and over again.

He was surprised that he did not cry  surprised and a little ashamed. Surely it is unkind not to cry for the dead.

"Tomorrow," he said out loud, "I shall have to make the coffin and dig the grave; and then I shall miss her, when she is no longer in sight. But now -- she is dead, of course, but it is all right  it must be all right, somehow. Things cannot be as bad as they seem."

He stood over the body of his wife in the disappearing light. He fixed the hair and made finishing touches to the rest. He did all of this without thinking but with care. And still through his mind ran a feeling that all was right -- that he should have her again as before, and everything would be explained.

Murlock had no experience in deep sadness. His heart could not contain it all. His imagination could not understand it. He did not know he was so hard struck. That knowledge would come later and never leave.

Deep sadness is an artist of powers that affects people in different ways. To one it comes like the stroke of an arrow, shocking all the emotions to a sharper life. To another, it comes as the blow of a crushing strike. We may believe Murlock to have been affected that way.

Soon after he had finished his work he sank into a chair by the side of the table upon which the body lay. He noted how white his wife's face looked in the deepening darkness. He laid his arms upon the table's edge and dropped his face into them, tearless and very sleepy.

At that moment a long, screaming sound came in through the open window. It was like the cry of a lost child in the far deep of the darkening forest! But the man did not move. He heard that unearthly cry upon his failing sense, again and nearer than before. Maybe it was a wild animal or maybe it was a dream. For Murlock was asleep.

Some hours later, he awoke, lifted his head from his arms and listened closely. He knew not why. There in the black darkness by the side of the body, he remembered everything without a shock. He strained his eyes to see -- he knew not what.

His senses were all alert. His breath was suspended. His blood was still as if to assist the silence. Who  what had awakened him and where was it!

Suddenly the table shook under his arms. At the same time he heard, or imagined he heard, a light, soft step and then another. The sounds were as bare feet walking upon the floor!

He was afraid beyond the power to cry out or move. He waitedwaited there in the darkness through what seemed like centuries of such fear. Fear as one may know, but yet live to tell. He tried but failed to speak the dead woman's name. He tried but failed to stretch his hand across the table to learn if she was there. His throat was powerless. His arms and hands were like lead.

Then something most frightful happened. It seemed as if a heavy body was thrown against the table with a force that pushed against his chest. At the same time he heard and felt the fall of something upon the floor. It was so violent a crash that the whole house shook. A fight followed and a confusion of sounds impossible to describe.

Murlock had risen to his feet. Extreme fear had caused him to lose control of his senses. He threw his hands upon the table. Nothing was there!

There is a point at which fear may turn to insanity; and insanity incites to action. With no definite plan and acting like a madman, Murlock ran quickly to the wall. He seized his loaded rifle and without aim fired it.

The flash from the rifle lit the room with a clear brightness. He saw a huge fierce panther dragging the dead woman toward the window. The wild animal's teeth were fixed on her throat! Then there was darkness blacker than before, and silence.

When he returned to consciousness the sun was high and the forest was filled with the sounds of singing birds. The body lay near the window, where the animal had left it when frightened away by the light and sound of the rifle.

The clothing was ruined. The long hair was in disorder. The arms and legs lay in a careless way. And a pool of blood flowed from the horribly torn throat. The ribbon he had used to tie the wrists was broken. The hands were tightly closed.

And between the teeth was a piece of the animal's ear.

The Boarded Window was written by Ambrose Bierce. It was adapted by Lawan Davis who was also the producer. The storyteller was Shep ONeal.

Download activities to help you understand this story here.

Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. What do you think it would be like to live all alone in the woods? What kinds of scary stories are famous in your country?Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

frontier  n. a border between two countries

doorstep  n. a step or series of steps leading up to one of the doors that is used to enter or leave a building

lifeless  adj. Having no life

rifle  n. A gun that has a long barrel and that is held against your shoulder when you shoot it

unconscious  adj. not awake especially because of an injury, drug, etc.


Russia and Turkey are taking steps to improve ties and work together in Syria after talks between the Russian and Turkish leaders.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday.

Putin announced that Russia would begin easing sanctions designed to punish Turkey. The move would include restarting work on energy projects, such as work on Turkeys first nuclear power center and a pipeline from southern Russia to the Black Sea.

Russian officials said trade with Turkey could return to normal by the end of the year.

The Hurriyet Daily News reported that the two sides agreed to set up a direct telephone line between their militaries to prevent incidents in Syrian airspace.

Relations strained by downing of Russian bomber

In November, Turkey shot down a Russian jet bomber near its border with Syria. Turkish officials accused the airplane of violating Turkish airspace.

Russia denied the plane had been over Turkey and called the act a planned provocation by supporters of terrorism.

Russian officials answered the Turkish move by ordering economic and diplomatic sanctions on its neighbor. In June, the Turkish president apologized for the incident, and the two sides agreed to hold direct talks.

Russia supports the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey has supported groups trying to force him from power.

The two sides have been fighting in Syria for more than five years. The violence has caused more than 2.5 million refugees from Syria to enter Turkey.

Russia increased its involvement in the fighting last year by carrying out bombing raids on Syrian rebel targets.

Cooperation or compromise?

Some observers, however, are questioning how much Turkey and Russia can cooperate. They say the two sides have little common ground in Syrias civil war.

Military expert Alexander Golts says, I think until now they have no clear decision because its clear that their interests are colliding in Syria. Golts currently works as a visiting researcher at Uppsula University in Sweden.

However, the talks between the two presidents could be a sign that Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants compromise on the issue of Syria. The meeting also could show Western allies that the Turkish leader has several options available to him.

Ishat Saetov directs the Modern Turkey Studies Center in Moscow. He said Erdogan was surprised by the effect Russian economic actions had on Turkey. The loss of more than 4 million tourists made quite a blow on the economy, he said.

The coup attempt partly changed relations

Although the two countries disagree about Syria, Russia supported Erdogan after members of Turkeys military attempted to overthrow his government.

The United States and European countries have criticized Turkeys reaction to the failed overthrow attempt. The Turkish government has arrested thousands of people, including many reporters.

Turkey accuses clergyman Fethullah Gulen of plotting the failed coup. Gulen lives in the American state of Pennsylvania. Turkish officials want him extradited to Turkey for trial. The U.S. government has refused to do this without evidence.

Turkey is also in disagreement with Europe over payments for accepting Syrian refugees and other migrants. The government wants the European Union to permit visa-free travel for Turkish citizens.

Syria is one of the issues that Erdogan may trade upon, said Saetov. He said Erdogan may be willing to negotiate on the issue.

Yet Turkish officials say Assad must leave office eventually and that Russia will not take the place of its western allies.

Im Mario Ritter.

Daniel Schearf reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

sanctions  n. measures taken to punish a country for something it has done such as restrictions on trade or financial transactions

collide  v. the act of two things crashing into each other

options  n. two or more possibilities or opportunities to take action

coup  n. an attempt by a small group to take control of a country or large organization

extradite v. to send someone to another country where they are charged with a crime for trial

provocation  n. an act meant to cause anger or a harsh reaction
LEXINGTON, Neb. - Residents from the Lexington area are planning a special 15-year anniversary ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles.

"A bigger program is still being worked on at this time," said Steve Zerr, a volunteer with the event.

The event is being planned and organized by a group of local volunteers, with the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles taking the lead in this project, said Earl Lindeman, another volunteer with the event.

The date and time of the remembrance event is Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 beginning at 8:00 a.m. The program will last 45 minutes to an hour and will include an interfaith service, tributes to the victims, their families, and the first responders at each of the three impact sites, Lindeman said.

Some aspects of the event, as noted by Zerr, are: all four airplane crashes will be commemorated, each name of all the 3,000 victims will be read, and a certain number of American flags will be retired and disposed of properly in honor of all the victims.

"Earl Lindeman came up with the idea for this. We want to draw people from Denver to Omaha," Zerr said.

"When 9-11 happened, we said we would not forget. Fifteen years later, some people are starting to forget. Kids are getting older and don't understand the changes, what that event did to this country," he said.

Some current seniors in high school were three years old when 9-11 happened, and some youngsters don't know life before the age of TSA at airports and enhanced security features like terrorism warrants and a need to have a passport or ID to travel anywhere.

Lindeman said the objectives of this event are: 1) Honor the memories of the victims and to make tribute to their families and loved ones; 2) To pay respect to the first responders that risked their lives to aid others in need that day and afterward; 3) Preserve the firsthand memories and recollections of members of the Greater Lexington Community, including nearby towns and cities for posterity, and 4) Inform and educate youth in the community that were either too young to have independent memories of this series of tragedies or were not yet alive on Sept. 11, 2001.

Also, volunteers are planning collect items for a time capsule for the purpose of meeting of preserving firsthand memories of locals and to continue to inform and education future generations, Lindeman said.

The time capsule will be kept at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles to preserve items contributed by local residents in an effort to preserve local history of the impacts of this series of events that occurred thousands of miles away.

Anyone from the Lexington area and Midwest is welcome to an item for the time capsule, from first responders and anyone who visited Ground Zero; to anyone with a photo, news article, letter or email from or to anyone affected by the national tragedy.

A parade of flags will occur during the ceremony to honor the victims. Each American flag will represent fifty victims, a star on the Star Field for each one, Lindeman said. The flags will then be ceremoniously retired with a portion of the ashes added to the time capsule in an urn, he said.

In five years time, Lindeman said he has a dream of having every motel/hotel room in Lexington filled for the 20th Anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, a commerative event that hopefully could draw people from across Nebraska and other states.

Even in the Midwest, thousands of miles from WashingtonD.C.New York City and Pennsylvania, Lindeman said the impact of the psychological and security adjustments of 9-11 was felt right away.

"It impacted the cattle market, stock market. There were restrictions on air travel. It led to TSA regulations, which are still resonating and enhanced secuirty in federal buildings. It changed our lives," Lindeman said.

Army National Guard Soldiers, some from the area, were not only deployed multiple times to a theater of war, but some were even diverted from a planned mission to Offutt Air Force base in Bellevue to guard then President George W. Bush, Lindeman said.

Anyone wanting to get involved with the preparations is welcome to: donate new or used flags to be retired and items of memorabilia for the time capsule (written recollections of 911 and the days and weeks that followed, photos, news articles, etc.). These items may be dropped off at the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles during normal operating hours, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday 1-5 p.m. The museum is located at just off Interstate 80 at exit 237 in Lexington, 606 Heartland Road, their office number is 308-324-6329.
Susie Melliger comes to Pershing Elementary from Millard, one of the most affluent school districts in the state of Nebraska.

Prior to that, however, she spent 20 years with Omaha Public Schools at a school with a high rate of poverty.

Part of what attracted Pershing Elementarys new principal to Lexington was the opportunity to return to a school district where she really had the chance to help people who need it, Melliger said.

Its different kinds of needs, she noted of the difference between the Millard and Lexington districts. Millard has needs, too. The first thing I want to do is observe and learn, and as I discover what the needs are, then I can implement some of the things Ive learned in Millard and Omaha.

Melliger has been very impressed with the staff at Pershing. I made an appointment to sit down with every teacher on staff, and last night we hosted a staff party at our house and had a great turnout. That was great to see, she said.

Shes also felt very welcomed by the communities at Johnson Lake and in Lexington. The sense of community is priceless, and the welcoming spirit has just been unbelievable, Melliger said.

Melliger is a Columbus native and graduated from Columbus Scotus. She completed her undergraduate work at Creighton University, and earned a Masters degree and superintendents endorsement from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

She and husband Dave have two sons, one of whom is married with two daughters in Omaha.

It wasnt hard to leave the city, but it was very hard to leave family and friends there, Melliger said.

Despite that, shes excited to be in Lexington.

I consider myself to be an agent of change, but change has to be implemented gradually, she said. Her philosophy is perhaps best summed up by the book If youre riding a horse and it dies, get off, which she plans to share with her staff on Monday.
It was in January this year that reports emerged that supermodel Bar Refaeli was expecting her first child.

Refaeli, who married businessman Adi Ezra in September 2015, had shared a photo of her positive pregnancy test on social media.

Now, Refaeli has given birth to the couple's first child, a baby girl, at the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Thursday.

Reports state that Refaeli and Ezra have named their daughter Live.

According to the Jerusalem Post newspaper, the little one was born healthy.

A report in US Weekly said that Refaeli and Ezra were hoping to have a large family, and were already thinking of another sibling for Liv.

I think this will be a decade of family.  I come from a family of four children, Rfaeli was quoted as saying. A lot of [moms] could read this and think, Yeah, try having one first. Hopefully, Ill have a big family, but Ill take it one by one.

 With IANS inputs
It has been two weeks since Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hit the shelves, and to say it has received mixed reactions would be an understatement. Without going into too much detail, it is safe to say that a majority of fans arent too pleased with what is termed as the eighth installment of the iconic seven-book series.

As someone who bought and read the book on the first day, I concur with the majority, but only partly. Yes, it is true that several things that are wrong with the book  the slightly implausible plot, the plot holes in that being the most obvious. But it is also true that it not actually a book, but a script for a play, a rehearsal edition one at that, and it is not written by JK Rowling, but based on a story by her. There will be several things missing, because it is not the format or author we know.

But first, credit where credit is due. Cursed Child is the story fans have been waiting for almost a decade. How many times have we seen fans wonder what happens to the Potter-Weasley families after the Deathly Hallows prologue and devoured whatever new material came out?

The Cursed Child gave us great insight into the adult life of the trio  it is wonderful to know that Hermione is now the Minister for Magic; a Muggleborn who leads the magical community is great subtext. Former Auror Harry heading the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, (not very proficiently, the book suggests) but still being a capable dueller who is haunted by his pretty troublesome growing up is also a believable development. The character arc for Draco Malfoy, who grows up to be decent human, a good father and stands by the Gryffindor trio is another positive. And its simply fantastic to see Rose called Granger-Weasley, a scholar and a Quidditch prodigy.

However, while the characters are well placed, they are not very well-written. In fact, the Cursed Child is written in a markedly simplistic manner, which may well be due to its format as a play script. But it is not just the story, but also other elements that are written in a manner unlike Rowlings previous works. Simply put, the characters in the Harry Potter series and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are incongruent.

The best example here would be the titular Boy Who Lived. The title may have Harry Potter at the start, but the protagonist is one of the most underwritten characters in the story. Here is a character we have followed for over a decade and thousand pages, and there are certain set expectations from him  how he reacts or would react to a situation, how he interacts with the people around him and most importantly, his value system. Cursed Child brings it all down. Why would Harry Potter says things like this to his second son, The thing that scares me the most is being a dad to you. Because I am operating without wires. Most people have a dad to base themselves on and either try to be or try not to be. Ive got nothing, or very little. Er, wasnt almost every male character throughout the series a father figure to you? Right from Hagrid who ushered him into the wizard world to Sirius Black, his godfather. And are you suggesting that Arthur Weasley was anything less than a father to you, considering you married his daughter? Sorry, doesnt cut it.

Then there is the infuriating scene where he bullies Hogwarts Headmistress Minerva McGonagall into keeping his son away from Malfoys son, threaten her using his Ministry connections and says she doesnt know what it means to be a parent as she isnt one. Aside from the fact that Harry would never address her as Minerva, it is very hard to imagine Harry talk in this manner with his former Professor.

Speaking of, Hermione also address her as Minerva, who in turn calls her Minister and there is even more conflict between the two, than the using of names. Two witches with such respect for each other at loggerheads like this is extremely odd. How much changed in 20-odd years?

In fact, this brings me to one of my biggest grouses with Cursed Child  the treatment of female characters. In the series where women have some of the strongest character arcs,their portrayal in the play is atrocious. They are treated as plot devices rather than actual characters in the printed script, and I really hope that the staged play is different. Move over Black Hermione, the real outrage should be over how the brightest witch of her age is shown as a hassled government leader and a confused wife. She says she doesnt want to be Cornelius Fudge, and then proceeds to take every decision based on what Harry feels and blunders on in briefings. And she is not able to recognise her nephew from her husband, when a group of teens break into the most protected office at the ministry, where a truly dangerous object is safe behind a bunch of childish riddles. And then there is Ginny, the feisty hexing, Quidditch-playing journalist who is reduced to being the sounding board for Harry, when he wakes from a nightmare or look at him accusingly, every time their son messes up. She isnt the nagging wife, she is the editor of the biggest newspaper, some respect please. Rose, who turns up at rare occasions, is conveniently forgotten till she used as a measurement of comparative success or as the love interest for Scorpius Malfoy, as if she is only present to show one of the protagonists is a heterosexual male. McGonagall is shown nothing like the Deputy Headmistress we know, rather just a government employee who is cowed down and wants to defy her former students. In fact the only character consistent with the books is that of Moaning Myrtle, and the most intriguing woman is the robot-replicant Trolley Witch, and that is saying something.

True, the titular Cursed Child and the main antagonist is a woman. A female villain is again a rarity in pop culture, so the presence of Delphi, who pretends to be a chirpy girl but is actually a psychotic murderer, works. But she is also layered as a potential crush for Albus, another red flag. And though she is not shown outright evil like her father Voldemort or insane like her mother Bellatrix, there is so much more potential to explore with her, which is just reduced to her basic act of evil for the good to triumph over. There is so much time spent on establishing the tough childhood of Albus, a little of that on Delphi would have been a bonus.

Then there are the more glaring plotholes, the ones you can't ignore. Apart from the fact that this 'alternative reality when time is changed' trope has been seen in enough television shows and the fact that this is not how time travel in Potterverse works, is a big red flag. A Time Turner with a time limit? Werent Harry and Hermione able to travel for hours in the Prisoner of Azkaban? And does Transfiguration work in a way that can change a person to another? Then why did the trio not use it as disguise when on the run, all the time? So many unanswered questions!

But all this aside, Cursed Child has some massive winning moments  portions that make it truly stand out as a Harry Potter book. One of my favourite portions was the interaction between Dumbledores portrait and Harry. The former Headmasters transgressions have been well documented by the fandom; leaving a child to a family that mistreated him, hiding crucial information, having mysterious and dodgy reasons for all the tragedies. But to see him have this conversation with Harry and apologise for the times he went wrong, years after his death, is cathartic. As is his simple admission that all he did, even the things that failed, was motivated by love for Harry. Their mutual declaration of their love, something that has been unspoken thus far, was wonderfully sentimental. And the highlight was yet another poetic and beautifully worded piece of advice for Harry  There is never a perfect answer in this messy, emotional world. Perfection is beyond the reach of humankind, beyond the reach of magic. In every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again. Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human to breathe.

Vintage Dumbledore. Vintage Rowling.

Then there was the brief cameo from Snape, in the darkest timeline. Another resurrection of sorts, to see his side of things, after his true allegiance was declared, was poignant. His Patronus, the doe, his words to Scorpius, his pride and sacrifice, were all callbacks to the person Snape was supposed to actually be, and was a perfect character arc for such a contentious character.

Its fitting to see Dumbledore and Snape show their true selves, flaws and all, in a book about Albus Severus Potter, after all.

And then there is the final confrontation in Godric's Hollow, that sequence right there is what salvages the story. When it is all about Harry facing the bad guy/girl, with a little help from his friends, the story reaches its peak. And the emotional scene that follows, where Harry and family relive the murder of Lily and James is heartbreaking and exactly what the book needed to conclude on a good note. When Albus tells Harry about his grandparents is another poignant moment.

It is these moments that make you realise that the book had so much more potential. Expectations were high, and the disappoint on the internet is palpable. Rowling has now said that her expansion of the Potter universe is complete. Well, if there was more of this to come, it is a good sign that we end with this.
Joker comes as a breath of fresh air in Tamil commercial cinema.

This little gem is written and directed by former Tamil journalist Raju Murugan; it neither has stars, nor does it stick to the formulaic patterns of Kollywood.

Let's start with the hero's 'introduction' scene: It is unglamorous. The guy is squatting in a makeshift toilet reading a popular Tamil daily while he relieves himself. The crucial interval block scene has the heroine taking a look around heros shanty house, as our man boasts that he has a colour TV and mixer-grinder in the kitchen. She just turns around and asks him, does he have a proper toilet? He is stumped, as she walks out on him and says she will not marry him till he has a toilet!

Mannar Mannan (Guru Somasundaram) lives in a village in Dharmapuri, a backward district in Tamil Nadu. Mannan, an angry crusader, takes up issues on behalf of the villagers and calls himself the 'peoples president' of India. In his fight against the corrupt bureaucratic system which denies justice to the poor, he is aided by Ponoonjal (Ramasamy) and Isai (Gayathri Krishna) who record his campaigns for social media (on which our hero has a huge following).

It is obvious that Mannan is mentally disturbed due to the fact that his wife Malliga (Ramya Pandian) is living in a vegetative state due to the apathy and negligence of the corrupt system. All this is told through a flashback including the romance between the two, which started as they were taken for a large political meeting after being promised booze and biryani. But soon tragedy strikes, which changes Mannans life as he fights for justice and files a petition in the Supreme Court for a mercy killing for Malliga.

Raju Murugan, whose earlier film Cuckoo was a melodramatic mush, has this time hit the bull's eye with Joker.

The Left-leaning director has taken on a relevant issue: that in the age of smart phones, usage of which has penetrated even villages, basic sanitation facilities are still poor, leading to health problems. Only 60 percent of the Indian population has access to a toilet and when the government starts free toilet schemes, corrupt middle men and politicians grab the money. Open defecation is still a major issue in villages.

The director has etched his story from many real life incidents happening across rural India. He has added a lot of local colour and humour into the script, which makes it entertaining.

Guru Somasundaram brings alive the anguish and pain of Mannar Mannan. He is brilliant and the supporting cast of newcomers is equally impressive. The music  especially the background score of Sean Roldan  is in sync with the theme of the film. Cinematographer Chezhiyans camera makes the story visually stunning and real. The only drawback of the film is the first half, where some scenes are repeated. If the film is trimmed by 10 minutes, it would be an even better watch at a crisp two hours' runtime.

One thing is certain  Joker is a path-breaking film in Tamil, and others will now have the courage to make different cinema, instead of merely chasing stars.
Ballia: A BJP supporter died when party workers clashed with police while protesting the arrest of five persons on charges of cow smuggling in Narhi area. While the protesters alleged that the worker died in police firing, police have denied the charge.

Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and cases have been registered against BJP MLA Upendra Tiwari, 35 named and 300 unnamed accused under various sections of IPC and six persons have been arrested.

Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Jha said the MLA and his supporters sat on dharna before Narhi police station and clashed with police last night in protest against the arrest and pelted stones when authorities tried to evict them. Police then lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the irate crowd, he said.

District BJP chief Binod Dubey alleged that police used batons and opened fire at the party workers leading to the death of Vinod Rai and injury to 50 others. However, Jha refuted the charge saying the worker did not die in firing as police did not open fire and said the reason behind his death would be known only after getting postmortem report.

Though the SP said the MLA was absconding, Dubey claimed that he was seriously injured in the police action and was undergoing treatment in a hospital. Heavy police force has been deployed to bring the situation under control and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Hyderabad: Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said "freebies" would no longer help the country develop and maintained that reforms were the need of the hour.

Naidu, while addressing students of Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, said, the NDA government is committed to protecting the public sector units and at the same time would encourage private sector participation in India's growth story.

"We are following a particular model so far - Soviet model of Socialism - which proved to be not harmonious with the Indian situation. Now, we are changing our approach.

"Freebies (free power to public) can no longer take the country forward. We are trying to be populistic like (offering) free power," he said, while talking about the implementation of 'Smart Cities' project.

He said business and industry are vital for the growth of the country and the government would come forward to offer concessions to the industry if it is worthy.

"We are focusing on the 'ease of doing business' and removing the obstacles that are there in the business. We have no problems in giving necessary concessions, also so that the business grows and then value is added and employment is created," he asserted.

"Earlier, the slogan was Automation is anti-nation. Government gives priority to business and to the industry and removed all obstruction. Reforms are also need of the hour," the senior leader said.

Referring to accumulated losses of Air India and government-run hotels, he said the national carrier has loses to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore and it would impact the public indirectly.

"Now, public sector is also made accountable. If you don't perform and then you have to go on giving salaries (to the employees of those loss making PSUs), that is not possible. Of course, they should be given the comfort. We got to protect the public sector and at the same time encourage private sector," he said.

Meanwhile, in an apparent dig at Pakistan, he claimed, "our neighbour is abetting, funding and training terrorism without any hesitation."

"The entire country says one word that Kashmir is an integral part of India and even Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) has to be with India," he said.

He also requested political parties not to use the issues pertaining to Dalits for political advantages and categorically stated that law and order is state subject.
Mumbai: Naval divers on Saturday located wreckage of the second MSRTC bus which was washed away in the turbulent Savitri river near Mahad in Raigad district after a British-era bridge collapsed on 2 August.

"Continuing search operations on Day 10 at Savitri River, the naval divers located one more wreckage assessed to be part of the second bus (Jaigad-Mumbai). Post recovery of first bus on 11 August, search was continued downstream. The wreckage is 400 meters from the bridge in an area where strong currents are observed. The wreckage is completely submerged in around 5 meters depth," a Defence spokesperson said.

"It is assessed that the wreckage is recoverable. NDRF teams are being informed and a crane for recovery of the wreckage is being requested," spokesperson Commander Rahul Sinha said in a statement.

On Thursday, wreckage of Rajapur-Borivali MSRTC bus was retrieved approximately 170 and 200 meters from the collapsed bridge. After the Navy divers located the bus, braving strong currents and crocodiles in the river, NDRF teams were summoned to retrieve it.

The Indian Navy team comprising personnel specialising in diving was searching for the wreckage and survivors since the morning of 4 August, braving high water current and crocodile hotbeds in the river. So far, 26 bodies have been recovered and nearly 14 are still missing and feared dead after two State Transport buses and some other vehicles fell in the swollen river following the bridge collapse on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad in Raigad district, about 170 kms from here.

The bridge was to be dismantled last December as part of the Mumbai-Goa Highway expansion project. Meanwhile, anxious kin of the deceased who were camping at the rescue site have left the place. Sanjay Patil, Additional SP of Raigad police said, "The local MIDC Mahad police has registered a case of accidental deaths of 26 people whose bodies have been recovered while a missing case has been registered for those whose bodies have not been found so far."

"Our investigation into the missing cases registered with us will go on for up to two months and if their bodies are not found or recovered, then on the basis of accidental death reports, we will come to a conclusion that they too were part of the tragic incident and would be considered dead.

"Thus they will be issued the necessary documents paving their way to claim the financial compensation announced by the state government," Patil told PTI.

NDRF's 5th battalion commandant Anupam Srivastava also said that his four teams were at work and doing their job to trace remains of the swept away vehicles and passengers. "Till we don't get orders from the higher authorities, we are not going to call off the (search) operations," he said.

The State Cabinet, in this particular case, has already reduced the waiting period for granting compensation to next to the kin to two months (from seven years as per existing rules).

If the missing people are not traced within two months, the state will declare them dead and award solatium, PWD Minister Chandrakant Pati had said. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has announced a compensation of Rs 14 lakh each to the kin of deceased travelling in the ST buses and Rs 10 lakh each to thefamily of deceased in other vehicles involved in the tragedy.
Imphal: Days after iconic rights activist Irom Sharmila ended her 16-year-old hunger strike, a 32-year-old woman from Manipur on Friday vowed to carry forward the protest against Afspa with an indefinite fast.

A mother of two girls, Arambam Robita Leima said she would launch her fast-unto-death at 10 am on Saturday at a community hall in Imphal West district. She said she was not only demanding repeal of the "draconian" Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), but also the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in the state.

Robita said she has deep regards for Irom Sharmila and now wanted to continue her fight against Afspa. Leaders of several civil women organisations like Organisation for Indian Women Against Crime (OIWAC) and Salai Apunba Lup, requested her not to embark on an indefinite fasting and appealed to her to think about her two daughters Diamond (10) and Tamphamani (4). However, Robita is standing firm on her decision.

Changing her strategy from a civilian protest to taking the political route for the removal of Afspa from the north eastern states, Sharmila ended her 16-year-old fast on 9 August and said she wanted to become the chief minister to achieve her goal.
New Delhi: India on Saturday raised with China its blocking of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar's banning by the UN as well as Beijing's opposition to India's NSG membership bid for which the two sides agreed to have a meeting soon between their top disarmament officials.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during their talks, also decided to put in place a new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries to discuss various aspects of bilateral ties which have witnessed strain in the recent past.

Swaraj also conveyed to Wang, India's concerns on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during the three-hour-long discussion including over lunch.

They reviewed the situation on the border and discussed further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity.

Earlier on saturday, Wang also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a number of issues were discussed during the 20-minute-long meeting.

"Lengthy discussion were held on India's NSG membership. Swaraj outlined importance of meeting our clean energy goals in the context of COP-21. India offered to discuss any technical issues China may have. It was agreed that the DGs of Disarmament of the two countries would meet soon," official sources said.

China had scuttled India's bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), evoking a strong reaction from India.

India had said China was the only country that put a road block to its NSG membership. Swaraj also raised the issue of China blocking India's efforts to get JeM chief Azhar, mastermind of the Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks, banned by the UN.

"China's technical hold on listing of Masood Azhar in the UNSC 1267 Committee was also taken up. China was urged to revisit its technical hold in line with its own professed zero tolerance towards terrorism," the sources said.

They said the situation on the border was also reviewed and further steps to strengthen peace and tranquillity were discussed.

"A new mechanism at the level of Foreign Secretaries agreed to discuss ties," the sources said.
Jammu: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP said on Friday called for "moral, political and financial" support to the "freedom movement" in PoK.

"Provide moral, political and financial support to the freedom movement in PoK," BJP state spokesperson Brigadier Anil Gupta said.

He welcomed Modi's remarks that PoK is a part of Jammu and Kashmir and the process of dialogue must be initiated with expatriates all over the world from the region.

Gupta claimed that since the announcement of the results of the recently held "rigged" elections, the slogan of 'azadi' (freedom) has been reverberating in PoK and widespread protests going on in all the major towns such as Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Chinari and Kotli.

"The protests are spontaneous and an expression of disgust and anger over the atrocities committed by the federal government and the Pakistani army. In fact, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, also part of Jammu and Kashmir, too have revolted against exploitation and repression by Pakistan," he said, adding that the residents of these regions have also expressed their anger over the "massive" presence of Chinese people there.

"Since PoK, including Gilgit-Baltistan, is part of Jammu and Kashmir, India is well within its right to provide moral, political and financial support to the people there to help them in their just struggle for freedom from Pakistan which has been illegally occupying these areas since 1948," said Gupta.

He also welcomed the statement of the Prime Minister that Pakistan needs to be exposed globally by highlighting its atrocities in PoK and Balochistan and claimed that by stating that talks will be held with all the stakeholders on Kashmir, Modi has allayed the fears of the people of Jammu and Ladakh.
Kakori: Lashing out at Congress, BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday charged that the country has not witnessed any progress since Independence as "one family" held the reins for 60 years and asserted that BJP alone could usher in development.

With an eye on the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls due next year, Shah said if the country is to progress, the development of the state is essential. "It has been 70 years since we gained Independence. But there has been no development in the country as one family was in power for 60 years," he said.

Shah slammed the erstwhile Congress governments for "absence of development" in the country. "I feel sad to say that it has been 70 years since we have won freedom and for 60 years, Congress was in saddle and the result is for everyone to see," he said.

Shah was speaking at a Tiranga Yatra as part of Yaad Karo Qurbani programme to commemorate the sacrifices of freedom fighters ahead of Independence Day. Asserting that BJP alone can usher in development in the country, he said if SP or BSP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, they will work for the development of only one community.

"If SP or BSP come to power they will work for the development of only one community. BJP alone can ensure all round development in the state. BJP believes in sab ka saath, sab ka vikas," Shah said at the event held on the outskirts of Lucknow.

"Without the development of Uttar Pradesh, the country cannot march ahead," he said. The programme was held at Kakori town which had shot into prominence due to Kakori train robbery when some Indian revolutionaries looted British government's treasury from a train on 9 August, 1925.

He termed as unfortunate the situation in the country and said villages are without electricity, youths are jobless, agriculture fields are without irrigation facilities and poor patients are dying for want of medicines. He said the country could not repay the debt of known and unknown martyrs who laid down their lives for freedom.

The BJP president assured the people of the area that he would pass on the message of converting Kakori memorial into a tourist place. The Tiranga Yatras will be held till 23 August in which 75 ministers will visit 150 places associated with the freedom struggle and seven women ministers will visit the country's borders to tie rakhis on soldiers deployed there.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off celebrations on Tuesday from the home of freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad in Madhya Pradesh. With eyes firmly set on Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections are due early next year, BJP has lined up a host of Union ministers to visit the state as part of its Tiranga Yatra.

"Tiranga Yatra will be carried out in two phases. Union ministers and senior party functionaries will participate in the yatra," BJP state general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh would participate in the yatra at Shahjahanpur and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari will do so in Mughalsarai. Other ministers who would participate in the yatra include Uma Bharti (Jhansi), Ram Vilas Paswan (Akbarpur), JP Nadda (Lucknow), Chaudhary Birender Singh (Pratapgarh), Prakash Javadekar (Gorakhpur), Dharmendra Pradhan (Agra), Piyush Goyal (Mathura), Ram Kripal Yadav (Bijnor), Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary (Ghaziabad), Kiren Rijiju (Kanpur), Krishna Pal (Aligarh), Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Meerut), and Anupriya Patel (Faizabad), Pathak added.
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday warned police officials that action would be initiated against them for failing to enforce the liquor ban in the state.

"I have committed to enforce liquor ban and there is no compromise on it. Nobody is above the law, action would be initiated against all if negligence is found to enforce liquor ban," Nitish Kumar said at a function of elected rural bodies members.

"SHOs have threatened to leave their positions, no problem, leave the post and even resign from the service but law will remain to enforce liquor ban."

The Chief Minister's remarks came in response to the Bihar Police Association (BPA) that had protested against suspension of 11 SHOs last week and issued an ultimatum to the Bihar police headquarters to withdraw the suspension of the SHOs and threatened to launch an agitation.

The 11 SHOs were suspended after it was found that they failed to check and control manufacture of banned liquor in their jurisdiction.

The BPA said nearly 250 SHOs of various police stations in Bihar have expressed their unwillingness to continue on the post in protest against the suspension of the 11 SHOs.

"I was voted to power by the people to run the government, liquor ban has been imposed, now there is no chance of any slackness to implement it," Nitish Kumar said.

Additional Director General of Police, Sunil Kumar said 4,707 people were arrested during the last four months and 3,719 FIRs lodged in connection with the flouting of the liquor ban.
Geneva: A man set a train carriage in Switzerland on fire using a flammable liquid and stabbed passengers on Saturday, injuring six people, including a six-year-old child, police said.

The man, a 27-year-old Swiss citizen, carried out the attack on a train travelling in Switzerland's far east, along its border with Liechtenstein, and was also injured, regional police in Saint Gallen said in a statement.

Police said the attack had taken place at around 2:20 pm (1220 GMT) near the Salez station on a train running between Buchs and Sennwald and that some of the injuries were serious.

"According to the information we have for the time being, the 27-year-old Swiss man poured out a flammable liquid ... (which) caught fire," police said, adding that the man "was also armed with at least one knife".

Seven people including the suspected attacker were admitted to various hospitals with burn and stab wounds, the statement said.

Contacted by AFP, police said the motive for the attack was unknown.

The victims included two men aged 17 and 50, and three women aged 17, 34 and 43. Dozens of people were on the train at the time of the attack, the police statement said.

A massive contingent of rescue workers rushed to the scene, including police, firefighters, ambulances and three rescue helicopters.

The Salez station remains closed, and police said replacement buses had been set up.

Saint Gallen prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the attack.

Police said the train had suffered damages upwards of 100,000 Swiss francs ($103,000, 92,000 euros).
By Devanik Saha

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to deliver his third Independence Day speech on 15 August, he is inviting ideas from citizens on issues he should speak on.

Share your ideas for the PM's speech on 15th August. https://t.co/pRVINYuEJo via NMApp  PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 11, 2016

Speeding up financial inclusion, toilets in every school, reducing LPG subsidy and electrification of villages were some of the key promises made by Modi during his second Independence Day Speech on August 15, 2015. FactChecker reviewed the implementation of the key announcements he made, as we did previously for his 2014 speech.

1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: More than 228 million bank accounts opened; 24 percent have no money.

What Modi said: "I had announced 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna' on the last 15th of August. Even after 60 years of Independence; even when the banks were nationalised for the poor, 40percent people of the country were without a bank account till the last 15th of August; the doors of the banks were not open for the poor. My countrymen, today I can proudly say that we achieved that target within the time frame. 17 crore people opened their bank accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna. With a view to extend opportunities to the poor, we had said that these bank accounts could be opened with zero balance.

What happened: As many as 228.1 million new bank accounts have been opened as on August 3, 2016, an increase of 31 percent from 174 million in 201524 percent of these accounts (zero-balance accounts, in officialese) had no money, a reduction of 22 percent from 2015. The balance in the accounts increased 85 percent over one year, from Rs 22,033 crore to Rs 40,795 crore.

The previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had opened more than 50 million no-frills accountsas they called themfor the poor over five years, but most were never used, IndiaSpend reported in October 2014.

2. Swacch Vidyalaya Abhiyan: Claim of 100 percent separate toilets for boys & girls in all schools not true

What Modi said: It just came into my heart and I had announced that we would build separate toilets for boys and girls in all of our schools till the next 15th August. But later on, when we started work, the Team India figured out its responsibilities, we realised that there were 2 lakh and 62 thousand such schools where more than 4.25 lakh toilets were required to be built. I compliment all the state governments, government officers of the districts, policy framers and implementers of educational institutions, who were involved in realising this achievement.

What happened: A nationwide FactChecker check revealed the claim that 100 percent of Indias schools was not true. Random checks across seven states revealed widespread infirmities, such as:

Many schools, from urban New Delhi to backward, often remote, areas, such as Chatra district (Jharkhand) and Sedam Taluka, Gulbarga district (Karnataka), did not have toilets. The specific claim that every school now has separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools was not true.

Existing toilets in schools in areas such as Delhi, Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh), Tumkur (Karnataka), Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) and Wanaparthy (Telangana)either already built or newdo not have water or are not maintained. That makes them useless. Without water, and after a few students used them, they became unusable.

Newly built toilets in Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chauhans constituency), Chatra (Jharkhand) and Baramulla (Jammu & Kashmir) could not be used because in the rush to build them, no drainage was constructed. In Baramulla, a toilet was constructed where there was no school. The school had been moved a year ago, but the toilet construction went ahead, so it could be shown as built.

The campaign aimed at constructing 417,000 toilets in 262,000 schools, or 1.5 toilets per school. This meant a maximum of two toilets in some schools, one in others. One or two toilets per school is not quite enough (For instance, in Pillangkatta, Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya, two government schools, each with more than 250 students, had just one toilet each; there were no separate toilets for boys and girls, and there was no water)

Educating children in using toilets has proved to be as important as building them. The construction of toilets has been so rushed that various stakeholders do not appear to have had time to understand the importance of the mission and implement it in full measure.

Toilets were either in very bad condition or were unusable, according to another investigation conducted by ABP News in May 2016 across several states.

In June 2016, five girls in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradeshs Satna district left a state-run school in the absence of a proper toilet.

3. Give it Up: 10.4 million have given up LPG subsidy voluntarily, 1.76 million women get free gas connections

What Modi said: My brothers and sisters, I had made a request to my countrymen that if you are economically sound, then why do you avail subsidy on LPG? Why do you need this paltry amount of rupees five to seven hundred which you usually spend on petty snacks? I had just started giving message about this, I didnt launch any campaign as yet, because I have faith in Team India. As the message spreads the result would come, but today I can tell with pride that ever-since I had launched movement of give it up subsidy of LPG gas cylinder, till date 20 lakh (2 million) consumers have already given it up.

What happened: As many as 10.4 million people gave up their LPG subsidy voluntarily, according to recent official data from the ministry of oil and petroleum. The Centre launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to provide LPG connections to 50 million women from families who live below the poverty line over a period of three years, starting from financial year 2016-17.

As many as 1.76 million connections have been given under the programme as on 25 July 2016, according to data tabled in Parliament.

4. LPG subsidy saving 10 percent of claim made by govt: Rs 2,000 crore not Rs 20,000 crore, says auditor

What Modi said: Countless efforts of several types have to be made to wipe out the corruption in such a vast country, and that can be done. If I had said that I would cut subsidy worth Rs 15 thousand cores on LPG gas, then I can say that hundreds of articles would have been written to glorify my government. They can say that this man has the power and strength to discontinue the subsidy worth Rs 15 thousand cores on LPG gas.

In May 2016, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan claimed that this amount was more than Rs 21,000 crore in the last two financial years.

What happened: A recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), the governments auditor, tabled in Parliament during the current session, found that the saving from those who gave up the LPG subsidy added up to less than Rs 2,000 crore, The Hindu reported on 20 July, 2016.

The audit also found systemic problems with cash transferscalled Pahalof LPG subsidy, including diversion of domestic subsidy for commercial use and commercial LPG being used in homes.

The subsidy discrepancy mostly stems from a fall in the global price of LPG imported, the CAG report said.

5. Electricity to villages: Govt says 98.1 percent electrified, but electricity supply suspect

What Modi said: Brothers and sisters, in the coming days I wish to concentrate on an issue. Even today, there are about eighteen thousand, five hundred such villages in our country where electric wires and poles are yet to reach. Eighteen thousand five hundred villages are deprived of the sun of independence, deprived of the light of independence, they are deprived of the rays of development of independence. But it is now the solemn pledge of the Team India of 1.25 billion countrymen that the target of providing electric poles, electric wires and electricity to these 18,500 villages would be achieved within the next 1000 days.

What happened: As many as 587,569 of 597,464 villages (98.1 percent) in India were electrified as on June 30, 2016, which means only 9,895 do not have electricity, according to a recent report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

A village being declared electrified does not mean a household will get electricity, FactChecker reported in November 2015. The ministry of power defines a village (from 2004-05) as electrified if:

Basic power infrastructure, such as a transformer and distribution lines, is provided in the inhabited locality as well as associated Dalit bastis (Dalit settlements, which are often excluded from village facilities), where they exist.

Electricity is provided to public places such as schools, panchayat (village council) offices, health centres, dispensaries and community centres.

The number of households electrified should be at least 10 percent of the total number of households in the village.

The first threshold for electrification should be at least 50 percent of homes in a coverage area (i.e., the majority), according to Rahul Tongia, Fellow at Brookings Institution, and Advisor to the Smart Grid Task Force of the central government.

Actual electricity is importantand that there should be no power cutsto achieve meaningful electrification, Tongia wrote in this column in The Hindu on 7 October, 2014.

In Uttar Pradesh, for instance, three of four households get electricity for less than 12 hours a day. In Jharkhand, only 2 percent of electrified households get electricity for 20 or more hours; 81 percent do not get four or more hours in the evenings, while 60 percent face three or more days of total blackouts every month, IndiaSpend reported in October 2015.

An investigation of rural electrification data by The Hindu found that the number of villages said to be electrified in the last year is exaggerated. Their report revealed several discrepancies such as:

Many villages classified as un-electrified are counted as electrified on an app GARV (launched by the power ministry to track electrification).

Uninhabited villages have been marked as electrified. Villages like Panalomali, Kusadangar and Patyetapali in Odisha and Sunwara in Madhya Pradesh  all counted as electrified villages  have no people residing there.

6. Social security: 127 million people enrolled for three major programmes

What Modi said: We have laid great stress upon social security and also the welfare of the poor  and thus Prime Ministers Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY) and Prime Ministers Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) have been launched. Crores of people of our country have no social security cover.

What happened: APY has been given to 2.7 million, PMSBY to 94.5 million and PMJJBY to 29.7 million citizens as on 14 June 2016, according to official data.

More recent data tabled in Parliament indicates that 3.04 million Indians have registered under APY as on July 20, 2016.

7. Rural India: Agriculture budget increased by 44 percent, several rural programmes launched

What Modi said: We need drastic changes in the agriculture sector. The cultivable land is shrinking; it is getting divided between families and pieces of land are getting smaller. The fertility and productivity of our agricultural land must increase. The farmers need water and electricity and we are working towards their availability. We have decided to pump in fifty thousand crore rupees in Pradhaan Mantri Krishi Sinchaai Yojna. How will the water reach the farms? Water will have to be saved. We have to launch a movement in our agricultural sector with the mantra of Save Water, Save Energy, and Save Fertilisers.

Whats happened: Modi is right about the divide in farming land5 percent of farmers control 32 percent of Indias farmland and a large farmer in India has 45 times more land than a marginal farmer, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016.

The land that can be farmed has marginally declined, from 182.5 million hectares in 2008-09 to 182 million hectares in 2012-13, mainly for non-agricultural purposes, such as urbanisation, roads, industries and housing, according to data tabled in Parliament.



The agriculture budget rose 44 percent, from Rs 24,909 crore ($4 billion) in 2015-16 to Rs 35,984 crore ($5 billion) in 2016-17, to address growing distress in rural areas from successive monsoon failures.

Finance minister Arun Jaitely announced during Budget 2016 that 2.85 million hectares would be irrigation through the flagship Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) scheme in 2016-17. He also added that the government will reorient its interventions in the farm and non-farm sectors to double the income of farmers by 2022. An Indian farmers income effectively rose 5 percent per year over a decade (2003-2013), IndiaSpend reported in March 2016.

The budget also created a dedicated long-term irrigation fund (through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) with an initial corpus of Rs 20,000 crore

8. One Rank One Pension for service personnel: Approved, but protests continue

What Modi said: The issue of One Rank One Pension (OROP) has come before every government, each one has considered its proposal, and each and every government has made promises on it, but the problem is still pending to be resolved. I say to service personnel, we have accepted One Rank One Pension in principal but talks are going on with its organisations. Talks have reached at the final stage and we want that all get justice keeping in view the development of whole country. How it is implemented in view of its nitty-gritty situation, we are taking the talks forward by engaging with its stakeholders.

What happened: Modi approved the OROP proposal in April 2016. It will cost the government an additional Rs 7,488 in annual pensions and Rs 10,925 crore in arrears.

As many as 1.6 million pensioners were paid their first pensions through the OROP programme; Rs 2,861 crore was spent until March 31, 2016. Certain issues and anomalies have been raised by servicemen, which a government panel is considering.

The author is a freelance journalist and MA Gender and Development candidate 2016-17 at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.
Dallas (US): Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's campaign has said that the American public wants to see the thousands of emails deleted by his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to keep authorities from untangling a corrupt scheme and not her tax returns released by her.

"Hillary Clinton has turned over the only records nobody wants to see from her  the American public wants to see the 33,000 emails she deleted to obstruct an FBI investigation," Jason Miller, senior communication advisor of the Trump Campaign said.

The Trump campaign statement came hours after Clinton released the latest tax returns of her and her husband Bill Clinton.

According to the returns, in 2015, the Clintons paid an effective federal income tax rate of 34.2 percent and an effective state and local income tax rate of nine per cent for a combined federal, state, and local effective tax rate of 43.2 percent.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee has not released his tax returns.

Trump has said that his returns are currently being audited and he would release his returns after it is completed.

The Clinton campaign on Friday challenged Trump to release his tax returns.

"In stark contrast, Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns. He has failed to provide the public with the most basic financial information disclosed by every major candidate in the last 40 years. What is he trying to hide?" said Hillary for America communications director Jennifer Palmieri.

The Trump campaign was quick to respond by challenging Clinton on the 33,000 emails of hers as the Secretary of State that has been deleted.

"We want to see the Clinton Foundation records showing how the Clintons sold our uranium to Russia, ripped off Haiti and cut deals with oppressive regimes around the world. We want to see the pay-for-play emails that Clintons Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, refuses to turn over," Miller said.

"We want to see the transcripts of the secret Wall Street speeches Clinton was paid USD 10,000 dollars-a-minute to give. We want to see the records the night of Benghazi that explain why Secretary Clinton didn't send in reinforcements as soon as

the attack had begun," he said.

Miller alleged that Clinton is at the center of an international corruption scandal that reveals her use of government authority and influence for personal gain.

"The records we need to see are those being hidden, deleted, obstructed and stashed away by Hillary Clinton to keep authorities from untangling this corrupt scheme that reaches into the world's shady corridors of power," he said.
Los Angeles: A police officer in the US state of New Mexico died after being shot by a passenger in a car he had pulled over, the latest deadly incident involving law enforcement in the country.

Three suspects were taken into custody on Friday after the 3:41 pm local time traffic stop in the town of Hatch.

Officials said the trio was allegedly responsible for shooting the officer and for shooting another man during a carjacking, triggering a massive manhunt and high-speed chase.

The condition of the hijacked car driver was unknown.

"During the traffic stop, a passenger who was in that vehicle reportedly exited the vehicle and she fired shots at the officer," Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson told reporters.

Another officer who witnessed the shooting then chased the vehicle, with speeds exceeding 160 kmph, but "was unable to catch up," Jameson said.

"The incident at the rest stop triggered a multiple-jurisdiction manhunt. We had assistance from just about every police agency in this county, including air assistance from border patrol."

Ultimately, officers deflated the hijacked vehicle's tires with devices known as "stop sticks," according to Jameson. The driver was suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh and was taken to hospital.

The two other suspects were arrested later in the evening.

Several police officers have been targeted and shot to death in recent weeks amid nationwide outcry about the deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of police.

Last month, five officers were shot dead in Dallas, Texas by a black extremist as they were protecting a peaceful march against police brutality.
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TWIN FALLS  The bishops' storehouse was closed Wednesday night, but it was bustling with activity.

About 20 people were quickly restocking empty shelves with canned goods and toiletries. The cans were arranged perfectly with labels facing out: Pear halves, applesauce and corn.

Inside a cooler, two young boys wearing coats placed cartons of milk, eggs and butter behind glass doors.

It looked like a typical restocking night at a grocery store, but there was no cash register and the walls were decorated with pictures of Jesus Christ. And the workers were mostly youth volunteers from wards in Filer and Buhl. The bishops' storehouse is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is open only twice a week and its mission is to help those in need.

The bishops' storehouse is a resource to help those in need  Mormon and non-Mormon  with food and other supplies. People need to meet with the area bishop and bring a bishops order form to the storehouse to receive two weeks of food for a family. The majority of the food offered is grown, canned and processed on farms owned by the LDS church. The goods are transported to more than 100 bishops' storehouses across the U.S. and Canada.

"When the savior was on earth he went out to help the poor and needy," said Ray Parrish, an LDS spokesman. "That's what this facility is for  to help people become self-reliant. It's all based on love and compassion for the savior."

For more than 40 years, the only bishops' storehouse in the Magic Valley was in Burley. That meant people in Twin Falls and surrounding communities had to drive more than 40 miles away to receive help.

The bishop's storehouse in Twin Falls opened June 29. It is 50 percent larger than the facility in Burley.

Over the years, orders had been filled in Burley and delivered by truck on certain days to communities such as Twin Falls and Shoshone. But orders are filled only when a bishop signs off. If someone had an emergency, it often meant traveling to Burley. The Burley storehouse served people as far away as Sun Valley and Carey.

"They love the idea," Parrish said. "They come here rather than meeting a truck somewhere."

People who get help at the bishops' storehouse can walk the aisles with a shopping cart and pick out the items they need. There are 135 items available at the storehouse.

There are also 24 items available at the home storage center located next to the storehouse. Any member of the community can buy bulk items without a voucher from the bishop.

"The whole idea is to foster self-reliance within the community," Parrish said. "We know that things happen to people. A lot of times people look at home storage as when a disaster occurs. We encourage people to get a couple months supply of food. Things you can use and make meals with."

The items are sealed in nitrogen and will last for 25 years. Parrish picked up a can of oats and shook it to show they were dry inside.

"If it gets flooded, it will still be here when the flood waters go down," Parrish said.
DENALI NATIONAL PARK  As our tour bus rounded a bend near Talkeetna, Alaska, the impossible happened.

Through the front window and cloud layers, we clearly saw Denali, The Great One to native Alaskans. Worried that the elusive mountain would disappear in the swirling clouds, I jumped ship in Talkeetna, 17 miles short of our destination at a Mount McKinley lodge, and grabbed a few images.

At 20,310 feet tall, Denali is the highest mountain on the continent.

Such a behemoth should be visible from a great distance. But the mountains make their own weather. Despite the plethora of photographs showing a snow-covered Denali enveloped in blue sky and reflected in Wonder Lake, only one-third of visitors to Denali National Park actually get to see the parks namesake.

We felt privileged to have joined what locals call the 30 Percenter Club. In addition to the mountain often hiding in the clouds, only about half of the climbers who attempt the 17,000-foot climb from base camp to the southern summit ever make it.

Our first day was great, with views of the partly shrouded mountain lasting through a midnight sunset. However, when we went back out a few hours later for sunrise, Denali was cloaked in clouds and remained that way for the remainder of our visit.

Could it possibly be worth it to travel several thousand miles, spend equal amounts of money and not get to see the parks icon? Would there be anything else to see in this 6.2 million-acre park?

We signed up for the 60-mile Tundra Wilderness Tour to find out. As we mounted the modified school bus in a drizzling rain, I wasnt hopeful. Flightseeing in a bush plane was even out of the question at this point. But the clouds lifted a little and sunlight found a few holes to shine through and we were on our way.

Driver and guide John Miller, a veteran of 26 seasons guiding tours in Denali, was a friendly man with an easy demeanor. In a soft voice he told us, The mountain wont present itself today, but said there was still plenty to enjoy and admire there. Hiking trails, backpacking, six campgrounds and visitor center all enhance the experience, but it is the wilderness, the wildness, he said, that brought him back year after year.

Miller then explained some of the history of the park, which celebrates its centennial in 2017. Charles Sheldon, one of the few non-native Alaskans to visit the mountain in the late 1800s, was enthralled with the white dall sheep of the area and determined to see them protected. He left Alaska, never to return, and lobbied the U.S. Congress for nine years for the formation of what he called Denali National Park.

The park was formed, but the mountain had been unofficially named Mount McKinley in 1897 for a presidential candidate from Ohio, William McKinley. After McKinleys election and assassination, the federal government officially named the park and the mountain in his honor. The mountain was renamed Denali in 2015 by President Barack Obama.

With the completion of the George Parks Highway linking Fairbanks to Anchorage in 1971, the park was at a crossroads, Miller told us during the tour. It was clear that visitation would now dramatically increase. The decision was made that in order to keep the wilderness atmosphere and best protect the resources, private vehicles would not be allowed to travel the single park road. A shuttle bus system was initiated and has worked well for more than 40 years.

As we motored down the road, the views from the bus window astounded us. We slowly climbed out of the white spruce forests and onto the wide-open tundra spreading out across glacial valleys and disappearing into the clouds up the sides of steep mountains. Shafts of sunlight found holes in the clouds and spotlighted distant hills like stage lights.

Wildlife was plentiful. My wife, Cathy, spotted several giant moose even before we left the pavement. Miller employed a new camera system to zoom in and project them onto television screens throughout the bus. Next came a grizzly bear working over a caribou carcass, dall sheep on a steep hill and a willow ptarmigan, a type of grouse, strolling across the road like it owned it.

The caribou were close enough that Miller didnt need the camera.

When the bus finally turned around after 68 miles, we had added arctic ground squirrels to the list, a new species for both of us.

The skies cleared for the return trip, so we opted to hike around nearby Horseshoe Lake rather than return to the lodge. Moose and beaver went about their business in the lake, and rafters floated by on the Nenana River. It was an ideal introduction to the Alaskan bush.

The next day was cloudless, but you still couldnt see the mountain from the town of Denali. A bus waited to take us to Fairbanks, and it was as clear as the day that we werent going to see the mountain again. I jealously watched busloads of people leaving on tours.

Denali National Park is beyond special. With one-tenth the visitation of Yellowstone and managed vehicular access, it truly was an opportunity to witness unspoiled wilderness. Although we were glad to have joined the 30 Percenter Club, the trip to the feet of the Great One was worth it even if the mountain was shy.
Ada County denies permit for private airstrip in Boise

BOISE  Ada County commissioners have dashed one mans hopes of having his own airstrip in the citys foothills.

The Idaho Statesman reports that the commissioners voted 2-1 on Wednesday to overturn a Planning and Zoning decision that would have allowed Dean Hilde to build the 1,200-foot landing strip on about 150 acres as well as a 3,600-square-foot hangar and shop.

The city of Boise and two conservation groups had appealed the earlier ruling. Opponents of the airstrip argued that the project would disrupt wildlife and could pose a fire risk.

Hilde said his plane would be no more disruptive to wildlife or neighbors and pose no more fire risk than dog walking, driving cars and trucks.

Cooler weather helps firefighters with central Idaho blaze

LOWMAN  Fire managers trying to stop a 102-square-mile wildfire in central Idaho say they will continue to build fire lines on Thursday as cooler weather in the 60s and 70s combined with lighter winds have helped efforts in recent days.

The fire is 37 percent contained but officials say the town of Lowman is still threated with fire burning to the north and west of the community.

The Banks-Lowman Road to the west is closed and the U.S. Forest Service has issued a broad closure for multiple roads and trails in the Boise National Forest.

State Highway 21 is open to the public from Idaho City to Stanley.

About 1,500 firefighters are battling the blaze burning timber in rugged terrain.

The cause of the fire that started July 18 is unknown.

Idaho police investigating after finding infant remains

NAMPA  Police in southwest Idaho say FBI lab results have determined that the skeletal remains of an infant found under the porch of a vacant home are female.

Nampa police tell the Idaho Press Tribune that results from the lab received on Tuesday didnt match the infants DNA to any in the system and no arrests have been made.

Authorities found the remains at a vacant Nampa home on Aug. 15, 2015, that had multiple renters previously.

Police say the remains had been under the porch for about a year before being found during a construction project.

Police say they are looking into who lived in the house.

SW Idaho police investigating after finding infant remains

NAMPA  Police in southwest Idaho say FBI lab results have determined that the skeletal remains of an infant found under the porch of a vacant home are female.

Nampa police tell the Idaho Press Tribune that results from the lab received on Tuesday didnt match the infants DNA to any in the system and no arrests have been made.

Authorities found the remains at a vacant Nampa home on Aug. 15, 2015, that had multiple renters previously.

Police say the remains had been under the porch for about a year before being found during a construction project.

Police say they are looking into who lived in the house.

Boy dies in accidental drowning in pool at Boise home

BOISE  Authorities say a 5-year-old boy died of accidental drowning in a pool at a home in Boise.

The Ada County Coroner says Ilai Mizrachi-Gabbitas died Tuesday.

The Boise Police Department says emergency workers responded to a report of a possible drowning at about 6 p.m.

Police say the boy was taken to St. Lukes Regional Medical Center but died a short time after arriving.

Boise police say they are investigating.

Southwest Idaho teen dead after shooting

NEW PLYMOUTH  Law enforcement officials in southwestern Idaho say a teenage boy has died after a shooting.

According to the Payette County Sheriffs office, deputies responded to reports of a shots fired in New Plymouth on Tuesday evening and discovered a 17-year-old victim had died from a gunshot wound.

The sheriffs office says the shooting is believed to be an isolated incident and the public is not in danger.

Detectives from Payette County and Idaho State Police are currently investigating the shooting. No arrests have been made.

The teens name has not been released.
RUPERT  Rupert police are investigating an apparent drive-by shooting that left a bullet hole in the door of a Rupert residence.

Police say they have suspects in the case.

According to the Minidoka County Sheriffs blotter, police responded to a call for shots fired at First Street and J Street at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

No one was hurt, but there is one bullet hole in the door of a residence, Sgt. Jeremy Normand, with the Rupert Police Department said.

Normand said the case remains under investigation and further details can not be released at this time.
Cassia County

Felony sentencings

Irene Cano Garcia-Zacarias; felony possession of controlled substance, guilty, $285.50 costs, $100 restitution, 24 months probation, two years determinate time, two years indeterminate time, ten days credited, penitentiary suspended; misdemeanor driving without privileges, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; misdemeanor fail to provide proof of vehicle insurance (second or subsequent offense, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.

Jessie Tyler Garcia; felony possession of controlled substance, guilty, $535.50 costs, $100 restitution, 48 months probation, three years determinate time, four years indeterminate time, 79 days credited, penitentiary suspended; misdemeanor drug paraphernaliause or possess with intent to use, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.

DeWayne Hickman; felony driving under the influence (second felony offense violation within 15 years, guilty, $540.50 costs, five years drivers license suspended, three years determinate time, seven years indeterminate time, 54 days credited, retained jurisdiction, penitentiary suspended.

Felony dismissals

Jeremy Clifford Hyde; felony attempted strangulation, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; misdemeanor batterydomestic violence without traumatic injury against a household member amended battery, guilty, $150 fine, $157.50 costs, 18 months probation, 180 days jail, 163 days suspended, 17 days credited.

Jeremy Clifford Hyde; felony injury to child, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; misdemeanor battery amended misdemeanor disturbing the peace, guilty, $150 fine, $157.50 costs, 18 months probation, 180 days jail, 163 days suspended, 17 days credited.

Driving under the influence sentencings

Glenn Tony Maybin; misdemeanor driving under the influence (second offense) amended misdemeanor driving under the influence, guilty, $300 fine, $202.50 costs, $1,000 forfeited bond, 90 days drivers license suspended, 12 months probation, 120 days jail, 118 days suspended, two days credited time.

Aaron J. Malhiot; misdemeanor driving without privileges (third or subsequent offense, guilty, $172.50 costs, 365 days drivers license suspended, 24 months probation, 365 days jail, 335 days suspended, three days credited time, 27 days community service in lieu of jail time; misdemeanor driving under the influence (second offense), guilty, $400 fine, $202.50 costs, 35 days drivers license suspended, three days credited, to serve seven days on days off Saturday till Monday night until all seven days are served.

Driving under the influence dismissal

Leticia Larios; misdemeanor driving under the influence, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.
CAREY  Under intense afternoon sunlight Friday, Devra Mary dumped an array of vegetables into her Dutch oven and stirred them with a spatula.

Alright, do you want to put olive oil in there? she asked 4-H member Braxton Webber, 8. They were working near a grassy area at the Blaine County Fairgrounds in Carey.

Yep, he responded. He carefully drizzled extra virgin olive oil on top.

The ratatouille vegetable stew included ingredients such as zucchini, onions, red and green peppers and eggplant. Braxton and another 4-H helper sprinkled spices  including oregano  on top.

It was the first year for the Chuck Wagon Dutch Oven Cook-Off at the Blaine County Fair.

The fair  with the theme Rough Hands, farmer tans, dirty boots, country roots  started Monday and runs through Saturday.

Mary, a fair board member and real estate broker, spearheaded the Dutch oven competition.

Dutch oven cooking has been around for many years. And Mary wants to see the activity live on.

Its a tradition  just like the county fair tradition, she said, as she heated up coals. I feel like its a tradition we just cant let go of.

She expected five to seven people to participate in the competition. During the four-hour event, fairgoers were invited to drop by to sample the food.

And they served as judges, deciding who would win the competition.

Dutch oven cooking is a way to slowly cook food, while allowing time for storytelling and visiting with others, Mary said.

She has been cooking with a Dutch oven for more than 20 years. Her first introduction: A class in 1992 at the College of Southern Idaho.

Mary makes a variety of dishes, including breads, entrees and desserts. She has even made birthday cakes.

On Friday, she used tongs to shift coals as they heated in a pile on the ground.

A sign hanging on a home arts building was made of several sheets of white paper. In handwritten letters, it read: Dutch Oven Cook-Off with the word friendly written in much smaller font.

Mary was preparing a French ratatouille and potato dish. She didnt want to take any risks. The recipes, she said, are tried and true. Everybody loves them.

After spending 20 minutes heating coals, Mary picked the best ones to put on a cast iron lid.

Right now, Im just putting the coals out that are looking really good, she said.

She expected it would take 45 minutes of cooking at 350 degrees before the vegetable stew was ready to taste.

It will start to slowly smell good with the garlic, she explained to fairgoers, who were watching.

Nearby, 12-year-old Alivia Singh wiped sweat off her forehead. She was waiting for her dish  sausage, bacon, onion, garlic and beans  to cook.

Alivia was a last-minute entry in the competition, signing up right at 2 p.m. She lives in Salt Lake City and is in the Wood River Valley visiting her aunt.

Its her first time experiencing life outside of Utah. And it was her first-ever cooking event. But she has lots of mentors: her entire family cooks, she said, and her father enjoys Dutch oven cooking.

Alivia was enjoying one last taste of summer before starting a new school year and said she likes Dutch ovens because they dont require a power source and its not a big bulky oven, she said.

Another competitor, Kelly West, was trying out Dutch oven cooking for the first time. His father gave him the equipment years ago, but hed never used it.

But for Fathers Day, his wife gave him a Dutch oven table  another push to give the activity a try.

West didnt hear about the competition until Thursday night. And two hours before the competition, he decided what to cook by opening his refrigerator and seeing what was inside.

He decided on venison enchiladas.

West, who lives in Hailey, has spent a lot of time at the fairgrounds this week. Hes a 4-H leader, helping 12 children from Hailey and Bellevue in his club: Pig Whisperer.

The children all live within city limits and cant raise animals at their parents house. That means all of the animals live off-site, West said.

Its a wonderful to experience what farm kids do, he said, surrounded by two friends sitting under the shade of a tree.

Nearby, his friend  an experienced Dutch oven cook  was making a Chicago deep dish pizza and commented: Anything you can cook in a regular oven, you can cook in a Dutch oven.
Eight hundred and one words in the Deseret News, Utahs Mormon-owned newspaper, show the difference between a competent, respectful campaign and whatever Donald Trump is running.

In an op-ed published Wednesday, Hillary Clinton extended a hand to one of the most Republican voting blocs in the countrymembers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsas part of an audacious strategy to make inroads into some of the reddest states in the country. Her piece reflects a basic difference between her and her opponent. Clinton assumes everyone has interests and preferences that must be acknowledged and, hopefully, reconciled. Trump assumes everyone is shallow and manipulable.

Turns out sheor someone on her staffspeaks Mormon pretty well. Its easy for non-members to get LDS lingo wrong. Mormons have wards, not parishes, sacrament meeting, not mass, stakes, not dioceses. Even non-members who should know better often have trouble, as when, in an early episode of HBOs Big Love, Harry Dean Stanton mispronounces Palmyra, Joseph Smiths home town in upstate New York.

Clinton recognized and handled the challenge well. We know that it so often takes a villageor a wardworking together to build the change we hope to see, Clinton wrote (emphasis mine). She included a requisite reference to Mitt Romney. She also wrote of generations of LDS leaders, from Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to Gordon Hinckley and Thomas Monson. Monson is the current LDS president, but no one has defined modern institutional Mormonism more than Hinckley, particularly for members of my generationI was raised Mormon in the 1980s and 1990s. And, in a clever twist, Clinton quoted Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, who just finished a six-year stint as the general president of the Primary, the LDS childrens organization. Clinton included a female voice in a way that was not threatening to traditionalist Mormons, who generally disfavor giving women a large and meaningful role in the church hierarchy. Her biggest mistake is omitting the middle initials normally included in Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monsons names. Removing them preserved the parallelism with Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, but it was still jarring.

Beyond mere language, Clinton was careful not to pretend as though she is Mormons perfect candidate. Americans dont have to agree on everything. We never have, she wrote. Instead, she highlighted common ground she and the community might plausibly sharebasic religious freedom. Listen to former Sen. Larry Pressler, who said Trumps [Muslim ban] reminded him of when Missouri Gov. Lilburn Boggs singled out Mormons in his infamous extermination order of 1838, Clinton wrote.

Mormons are less preoccupied with the contemporary culture wars than evangelicals; the church recently played a key role in the passage of a statewide anti-discrimination law for the LGBT community in Utah. But Mormons have a pronounced sense of history concerning more essential questions of religious libertysuch as whether governments allow minority religions to worship at all. The extermination order Clinton mentions is near-constantly referenced in Mormon wards.

This sensitivity to religious persecution is not just historical, but present, as Mormon missionaries face hostility from governments abroad. Clinton therefore stressed protecting minority religious rights, such as those of Chinese Christians, around the world.

Clinton also played into Mormons belief that the nations founding documents are divinely inspired, writing about the infinite blessings we have received from the Constitution of the United States, the texts sacred ideals that Donald Trump doesnt seem to grasp and the sacred responsibility presidents have to uphold them. Once again, Clinton reached out in Mormon terms without cheapening them with obvious pretense.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, has repeatedly made a fool out of himself pretending to be all sorts of things he isnta gun nut, an anti-abortion crusaderin order to curry favor with conservative and religious voters unimpressed with his crude form of nationalism. He professed loving the Bible then infamously referred to Two Corinthians. MSNBCs Chris Matthews trapped him on abortion, getting Trump to say that he favors punishing women who terminate their pregnancies. This position makes logical sense if all you have heard from the right is abortion is murder, but even zealous pro-life advocates nevertheless consider it outre.

Trump suggested this week that Second Amendment people would rise up against the federal government if Clinton won and appointed Supreme Court justices. Reason Magazines Ed Krayewski pointed out on Twitter, Donald Trump is what a Democrat might imagine a Republican is like. Second Amendment people lol who says that? And how many GOP gun owners are seriously contemplating armed insurrection? Once again, Trump sounded like he came to class having read a sentence out of a CliffsNotesyet wont stop talking. Despite his claim that he is sincerely conservative, he seems not to have spent much time speaking to anyoneor even thinkingabout these issues.

Its still unlikely Clinton will flip Utah. But just making the state competitive would be a problem for Trump. So will the fact that he doesnt respect his voters enough to do his homework.
Cheer

Congratulations to Olympian Will Brown, a Twin Falls native who competed in two shooting events at the Rio de Janeiro games.

Brown fell short of qualifying for the medal rounds in each of his events, but his performance is being lauded as one of the best for an American shooter in decades.

His 10th-place finish in the 50-meter pistol competition was just the third top-10 finish for an American in the event since 1964, according to USA Shooting. And it was the highest finish for any American since the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain.

Thanks, Will, for making us proud.

Jeer

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine will be in Blaine County next week, but its not likely well hear from the candidate. Hes there to raise money from wealthy Wood River Valley residents.

What a shame. Kaine, a junior senator from Virginia, is mostly an unknown in Idaho. Voters deserve to know more about Kaine, his policies and what a Hillary Clinton administration would mean for Idaho.

Instead, Kaine is here to make a quick buck before he jets off to a state where politicking is likely to have a greater influence on the election outcome.

Idaho is expected to be firmly in the GOP column for this presidential election, but that doesnt mean candidates dont have an obligation to reach out to voters here.

So far, Kaine is expected to meet only with donors for lunch at a private residence Thursday, where a seat will cost you $1,000. For $5,000, you can get your picture taken with Kaine.

We hope Kaine can adjust his schedule and meet with the public. Were happy to welcome candidates into our state; we just expect to hear from you while youre here.

Cheer

Critics of the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center often claim refugees arent doing enough to assimilate into the Twin Falls way of life.

So what better way than to help them by volunteering at the center?

As we noted in a story Friday, the recent controversy over the center is doing little to quell the flood of donations pouring in for refugees. In fact, the local and national hubbub has led to even more support for local refugees, especially from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through donations of clothing, household items and childrens toys.

For us, the outpouring of donations is a clear sign of widespread community support for the center and the refugees who are fleeing war-torn nations, mass killings and unimaginable horror for the promise of the American dream here in Twin Falls.

But what the center really needs now are people  folks who can simply hang out with refugee families and help show them the ropes and get them more involved in the community.

Material donations are great, but what the refugees are really looking for is help becoming Americans.

When we ask them what they need, said ZeZe Rwasama, the centers director, they say be my friend.
France, the EU and the United States have fired shots at Israel this week following demolition on Tuesday of Palestinians homes in the West Bank.

Israel Tuesday razed three shelters and two structures located in the village of Umm el-Kheir, in Palestinian Area C, claiming the dwellings were illegally built in the Israeli settlement of Carmel in the South Hebron Hills.

Some 27 people including 16 children have been left homeless after the demolition according to the Israeli Human rights organization, BTselem.

Paris on Thursday voiced concerns following the Israeli move.

France condemns the Israeli armys destruction of several structures funded by France in the Palestinian village of Nabi Samuel (West Bank) on August 3, the French government said in a statement.

This is the third time that buildings funded through French humanitarian aid have been demolished or confiscated by Israeli authorities since the beginning of 2016, and notably follows the dismantling of a school in February.

Washington also sounded the alarm criticizing Israel for the action that it described as provocative and calling into question Israels drive towards peace with the Palestinians.

We remain concerned about the increased demolition of Palestinian structures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which reportedly have left dozens of Palestinians homeless, including children, said spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau during a press briefing.

We believe that this is part of an ongoing process of land seizures, settlement expansions, legalization of outpost, denial of Palestinian development, she said.

Paris and Washington believe their allys action violates the international law.

Israel has engaged in systematic demolition of Palestinians houses claimed to have been built in Israel-controlled Palestinian lands or houses belonging to Palestinian fighters flagged by Israel as terrorists.

Six EU-funded modular homes were demolished in Umm el-Kheir in April, Times of Israel reports.

EU ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen in July chided Israel for the destruction of 170 EU-funded structures of a value of 300,000 since 2009. According to the diplomat, 600 structures, worth over 2.3 million, have been served with demolition, stop-work or eviction orders and are therefore under threat of demolition.

Some 91 houses sponsored by the EU in 2016 and 70 in 2015 have been razed out over the past two years, Lars Faaborg-Andersen reportedly said on July 27. He assured that the EU would continue funding Palestinians housing in Area C despite the tension it generates with Tel Aviv.
Prime minister-designate of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and head of the Presidency Council, Fayez Serraj, has stated that forces loyal to his government, with the continuous support of American airstrikes, will take over Sirte within a few weeks while calling for the supply of more sophisticated weapons for the street battles.

The Libyan forces have taken over the Ouagadougou conference center used by the Islamic State as its headquarters and sources at the Bunyan Marsus Operations Room said they are preparing to announce the total liberation of Sirte in the next two days at most.

The Mayor of the coastal city Mokhtar Khalifa said 70% of the city has been freed and it will soon be completely free. IS took over the city in June last year but has now lost control of the southern and western parts to the advancing forces. The extremist group was also ousted from the Ibn Sina hospital and the citys university.

IS fighters are said to be still holding positions in three residential areas and in a villa complex near the sea.

General Mohammad al-Ghassri, spokesman of Bunyan Marsus said the battle is at its final phase with sources claiming that they are pursuing the last remnants of IS in the city, who have been dispersed and their organizational capabilities destroyed.

Since the US began supporting them at the beginning of the month, the forces loyal to the UN-backed GNA have made noteworthy advances.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the National Oil Corporation, Mustafa Sanalla, is worried about the aftermath of the crisis as he deplored that UN special envoy Martin Kobler contaminated the name of the UN inside Libya by reaching a payoff deal with Ibrahim Jadhran, leader of one of the militias blocking Libyas oil ports, to liberate these ports. He claimed the deal could increase blockades and demands for ransom by armed groups. My frustration is that this country can be, and was, so wealthy. The country has descended into poverty and we cannot send money to the treasury. The deficit last year was 40bn dinars  all because of the oil blockade designed to support one militia or another, he concluded.
Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih has hinted that an agreement to stabilize the market could be reached at next months International Energy Forum.

The ministerial meeting to be held on the sidelines of the Forum presents an opportunity for OPEC and major exporting non-OPEC ministers to discuss the market situation, including any possible action that would help boost prices, the Saudi Energy Minister said.

There are concerns that oil prices could further dive as producers increase their output. Saudi Arabia announced a record output of 10.67 million barrels per day in July. Minister Falih explained that the increment was due to summer demands and requests from customers. He claimed that the market is on the right track towards rebalancing but he quickly added the process of clearing crude and products inventories will take time.

Omans oil and gas minister Mohammad bin Hamd al-Rumhy said earlier this week that they will not be attending the forum because they are disappointed by the groups failure to address the issue of low oil prices. He lamented, we are moving into difficult times, and others still believe that everything will be fine.

Major oil producing countries are divided over freezing production to boost prices and Falih said the large shoot positioning in the market has caused the oil price to undershoot. However, this is unsustainable. To reverse the declines in investment and output, oil prices have to go up from the current levels.

The ministers statements made in a question-answer interview with the state news agency, helped oil prices to make a gain of more than 3% reaching $45.5 per barrel for Brent crude.

Analysts are however pessimistic that an agreement will be reached during the three-day forum to be held in Algeria because some countries are unwilling to freeze production.
Egypt and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached an agreement for the three-year $12 billion loan needed by Cairo to support its reform program.

The head of the IMF delegation Chris Jarvis said the country has a great potential but it has some problems that need to be fixed urgently with reference to tax reforms, flexible exchange rate and subsidy cuts. Governor of the Central Bank Tarek Amer said the loan would boost confidence in governments efforts.

Jarvis acknowledged the efforts of the Egyptian government in adhering to the conditions of the loan as he noted that the central bank is progressing on exchange rate policy, the Value-Added Tax (VAT) to be introduced is being discussed in parliament and the reform of the fuel subsidy program continues to unfold. Experts say the Egyptian pound has to be devalued again by another 10% for the reforms to be effective. The latest devaluation dates back to March.

Jarvis said a quick implementation of the measures to restore economic stability is needed.

The agreement needs to be ratified by the IMF executive board and the Egyptian parliament

President Sisi is wary of the sensitivity of the reforms because the financial and economic reforms that the coalition government, led by Mohammed Morsi, embarked on led to a popular uprising which ended with a coup detat.
Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote, insists that Nigeria is the continents biggest economy contrary to Bloombergs reports on Wednesday that the country had been overtaken by South Africa.

The president of Dangote Group who was moderating a presidential policy discussion organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, said the economy may have issues but despite the challenges it remains Africas biggest.

According to Bloomberg, South Africas economy regained the position of Africas largest in dollar terms, more than two years after it lost the standing to Nigeria as the value of the nations currencies moved in opposite directions.

Bloomberg whose report is based on gross domestic product at the end of 2015 said the size of South Africas economy is $301 billion at the rands current exchange rate, while Nigerias GDP is $296 billion.

Both economies contracted in the first quarter of 2016. Another contraction and they will both be in recession.

Nigeria is almost entirely dependent on its oil exports, and as the price of oil slumps so does the flow of petrodollars coming into the countrys coffers. South Africas economy is more diverse.

Dangote is credited with having built the biggest indigenous conglomerate in West Africa in the Nigerian economy. He has built the biggest cement company in sub-Saharan Africa and the second biggest sugar refinery in the world.
The Democratic Republic of Congos veteran opposition chief Etienne Tshisekedi has sacked the secretary general of his party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) on Thursday, accusing him of being too close to the camp of incumbent president Joseph Kabila.

According to Jeune Afrique Magazine, the Ex secretary general of the party, Bruno Mavungu, was criticized for backing the political dialogue proposed by president Kabila, a dialogue Etienne Tshisekedi is fiercely opposed to, at least in its current form.

The government has called for a national dialogue and former Togo Premier Edem Kodjo has been named by the African Union as the facilitator of the talks. But Kodjo has been rejected by Tshisekedi as well as by most opposition groups in the country.

Tshisekedi said the opposition could consider dialogue with Kabila but on conditions, namely respect for the Constitution, the release of political prisoners and international oversight of any agreement.

Political observers in the country are projecting that the UDPS leader would most likely pick Jean-Marc Kabunda, Federal President in the province of Lualaba, in the former Katanga province, in replacement for Mavungu, the man who was until Thursday the number two in the party.
The United States has ended its six-year Operation Onward Liberty (OOL) mission in Liberia that targeted the training of the West African countrys armed forces to take over the countrys security after years of turmoil.

Operation Onward Liberty has been mentoring and advising the AFL in building a professional army that is answerable to civilian authority. OOL was officially chartered in 2010; and the personnel who formed that first mission built up a strong partnership with their Liberian counterparts in the newly formed Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL.)

According to the U.S. embassy in Liberia, the mission, including U.S. Marines, Army, Air Force and the National Guard, offered training from infantry to staff operations in the West African nation.

The AFL has made great strides since its reconstitution in 2005 and is now a professional and capable force; in light of the progress achieved, OOL was able to successfully conclude its mission, the embassy stated.

The United Nation Peace keeping mission in Liberia has also left the country last month. The task of ensuring proper security has been left to the countrys forces.

The United Nations military mission in Liberia was one of the longest and largest UN missions in sub-Saharan Africa and one of the most widely supported with 42 countries contributing military forces and 35 contributing police personnel.
On Thursday, a local band called Modality will play a show at the VFW bar in downtown Missoula to mark the release of its new album, a sprawling 80-minute collection of synthesizer and guitar textures, rock drums and modern classical shadings.

All four band members will play, but at most, three members will be in Missoula. Guitarist Clark Grant lives in Butte and isn't sure if he'll make the drive over. That isn't an option for their violinist, Charles Nichols, who lives in Virginia. They can be piped in remotely via JamLink, a hardware set-up that allows them to play in real time with synth player Ben Weiss, and Jay Bruns, who plays synth and drums.

They've practiced this way nearly every week since Nichols took a faculty position at Virginia Tech, and Grant moved to Butte to start a community radio station in 2014.

Nichols, who teaches music technology and composition, set up the system so he could keep playing with the band, which he said is "a joy."

In contrast to some groups, there's no front man or lead songwriter, per se.

"If we weren't democratic and we weren't friends, it wouldn't work," Bruns said.

***

"Under the Shadow of this Red Rock" comprises five songs and two LPs, and sounds like a collective effort, with no instrumental voice dominating the music.

The album is a mix of 1970s German rock, ambient music, synthesizer drone, modern classical "new music" and psychedelic rock, although that description doesn't account for its often serene and melodic atmosphere, occasionally disrupted with harsher moods.

They recorded it two main sessions. In 2012 Bruns, Grant and Weiss went to Butte for five days, where they camped out in the Pioneer Club ballroom. They spread their amps, drums and mics all over the space to capture the full sound of the room.

Several months later, they invited Nichols to come play a show. Bruns and Grant took a home-recording course from Nichols at the University of Montana, and they'd sent him a copy of their recent album, "Particle City."

He liked what he heard and wanted to come play with them. At the first practice, Weiss said they gelled musically, although the younger, largely self-taught musicians were keenly aware that Nichols was classically trained: He began playing at age 3 and performing at 5, going on to earn degrees from Eastman School of Music, Yale and Stanford.

"At the end of the practice, Charles said 'I hope you guys know I'm going to keep coming on Thursday nights until you tell me not to,' " Weiss said.

Grant said, "We were puzzled for a long time, why this lifelong, classically trained violinist wanted to be in our band."

Interest from Nichols, who understands the theoretical workings of computer music, was "validation" of their efforts, Bruns said.

Nichols said the draw was both the performances and compositions.

"I just fit into their sound and we think about music similarly, and we compose music similarly," he said.

The following summer, they spent another four or five days recording with their new member. And often re-recording older songs, or adding and blending the material with his contributions.

"That's what's fun about the group," Nichols said. "We all bring such different experiences and perspectives of music to the band. We all serve different functions in the band. We don't limit what the band can be," he said.

***

For "Under the Shadow," exploring meant exploring at length.

"One of our mantras for the recording was, 'accept longer,' " Weiss said.

The tracks ballooned to the time associated with minimalist and ambient music, where it's nearly standard practice to release an album that consists of a single composition.

In keeping with those genres, they expanding the duration while paring it down to the essentials, making a few notes count instead of noodling.

"We recognize that we straddle the line of jam-band, and we really want to eschew that," Weiss said.

Clark said his musical taste over the past few years has drifted toward minimalist music, and they sought out a deliberation in their note selection.

Clark, who as guitarist plays the instrument most associated with self-indulgence, typically contributes spare, ringing arpeggios and single-note lines - there's barely a strummed chord on the record, or what you could call a riff. On some tracks, like "I Will Show You Fear in a Handful of Dust," he and Nichols generate dissonant-but-melodic lines that are reminiscent of prime German rock bands like Neu!, or experimental 1980s alternative rock.

On moments like those, Bruns provides a driving motorik groove, although much of the album lacks drums.

Pigeonholing their music is difficult, since it's often too busy and melodic to be considered ambient.

"Charles plays lines on the violin that you can hold onto and say that's a melody line," Weiss said.

That's abundantly clear on the opener, "Rarefied Airwaves," in which his MIDI violin, run through software that simulates guitar effects, draws bright, memorable lines over a bed of shimmery synth.

"That is unusual for that music, but we're nowhere near as melodic as a pop song, even the weird ones that are being released today. So what sort of middle ground are we operating in?" Weiss said.

A recent tour showed the varied contexts they can play in. They played an electronic music festival and conference in Missoula, a rock bar in Chicago, an opera space in Indianapolis, a jam-band bar in Columbus, Ohio, and an academic spatial audio conference at Virginia Tech.

At the bars, they were the strange experimental band. At the latter conference, they were poppy in comparison to pure avant-garde compositions.

While on tour, they began working on new material for an album to be recorded next summer. They're planning for shorter, concise songs this go-round. Bruns didn't bring acoustic drums on the tour, instead playing electronic instruments and controlling a video synthesizer.

The exact sound of the next record could go in myriad directions.

"It's continually evolving and each track is a different exploration of how we interact with each other, and what we do with our instruments," Nichols said.
HOUSTON (AP)  Mexican-born Maria Dawood grew up Catholic, but the church never fit her heart.

Her questions about its teachings brought only certitudes. Rituals grew meaningless. Even the stylish attire of female worshippers annoyed her.

Spiritual but doctrinally untethered, Dawood's life centered on a search for God.

In Houston, Dawood sampled Pentecostalism. Then a Muslim friend loaned her his Spanish-language Quran. From the Islamic holy book's opening lines, Dawood knew she had found a religious home.

"I couldn't stop," she said. "I continued reading. Once I finished, I started again. Every time I read it I found something new. This is what I had been looking for."

Dawood's conversion came almost 40 years ago, a time when resources for Houston's Spanish-speaking Muslims were few.

Now, with the opening earlier this year of Centro Islamico, Texas'  and possibly the nation's  only Spanish-language mosque, the city is poised to become a center of Hispanic Muslim teaching.

Located in a bank building on Houston's far southwest side, the mosque is a project of Islam in Spanish, a producer of religious educational materials. Founded 15 years ago, the nonprofit has spawned similar organizations in Dallas, California and New Jersey.

In its first months, Centro Islamico welcomed 28 new converts to Islam, said Alex Gutierrez, Islam in Spanish's development and operations director. "They were all Latinos  families, single mothers, couples with children. We've had 10-year-old sisters; we've witnessed a grandmother accepting Islam."

Gutierrez, himself a former Catholic, estimated as many as 1,000 Hispanic Muslims live in the Houston area. Nationally, by some estimates, as many as 300,000 Latinos follow Prophet Muhammad's teachings.

Demographics may tell the tale

To date, Islamic inroads into the U.S. Hispanic population have been small.

Fifty-five percent of Hispanics are Catholics, Pew Research Center reports. Slightly more than 1 in 5 are Protestants; only 1 percent adhere to non-Christian religions.

Still, demographic trends may foretell Islam's growth.

Latinos now comprise almost 40 percent of the population in Texas and 20 percent in the U.S. Pew reports that almost 1 in 4 identify themselves as former Catholics. By the second half of the century, Islam is projected to become the world's dominant religion.

Islam in Spanish was created to supply Spanish-language religious materials for a new wave of converts.

In its early years, it issued more than 500 audio books and 250 videos, most of which were aired on public access television. More recently, it has directed attention to the internet.

Sunday classes are streamed live, offering a worship option to Muslims unable to travel to the Houston mosque.

"We reach viewers in Brazil, Spain, Argentina," Gutierrez said. "We've had people tune in from Germany and Paris. We're open to anybody, any Latinos anywhere in the world who are open to Islam."

In December, the nonprofit will host the nation's first Latino Muslim convention as part of the 2016 Texas Dawah Convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Values that reconcile with childhood teachings

Each conversion is unique, but Dawood's path to Islam is familiar to many Hispanic Muslims.

Like Dawood, Nahela Morales, 40, was born in Mexico to a Catholic family.

"As far back as I can remember, I was always looking for God," she said. But when she sought religious guidance from the most devout member of her family, her grandmother, she simply was admonished to "always believe."

"By my mid-20s, that wasn't good enough," said Morales, who today is "brand ambassador" for Islam in Spanish.

Morales attended Mormon, Baptist and Jehovah's Witness services. She talked religion with a Jewish friend. In 2001, she moved to New York City. When terrorist-piloted airplanes slammed into the World Trade Center, she, with millions of other Americans, was enraged.

Then she bought a Quran to better understand Islam. What she found was surprising.

"When I came across Islam, I was encouraged to ask questions. All my questions were answered," she said. "I got a Bible to compare with the Quran. When I found that Islam didn't disregard Jesus, that was a big deal with me. Islam doesn't disregard any of the messengers and prophets  there's room for Adam, Noah, Jesus and finally the Prophet Muhammad, peace be to them all."

For Dawood, the values of Islam comported with what she had been taught in her Catholic girlhood.

"It teaches love and peace," she said. Islam, she said, offers direction on how to treat people, get along with parents, to engage in charity without judging the recipients. "When I travel and see someone in need, I give a dollar. What they do with it is up to them," she said.

Islam in Spanish founder Jaime Muhajid Fletcher was a searcher, too. Classes at west Houston's Elfarouq mosque brought him to the faith, and, arguably, saved his life.

A one-time Houston gang member, Fletcher, 39, was traveling this week and unavailable for comment.

In a 2008 Houston Chronicle article, though, the Colombian native explained the transformative nature of his found faith.

"I didn't drink anymore. I didn't smoke anymore. I didn't go out," he said. "Not because someone told me to stop, but because I would have felt dirty if I'd done it. It was a total change.  Deep inside, I wanted peace, and I wanted justice and for God to have given me Islam  it is what I hoped for all along."

Conversion and conflict

The roots of religion run deep, and conversion often doesn't come without pain.

In Hispanic families, said Gutierrez, a move from Christianity to Islam can be perceived as betrayal.

"Latino families associate Islam with a certain culture and people," he said. "When you embrace Islam, it's as if you had rejected your own people."

Gutierrez, related to Fletcher by marriage, said his family's acceptance of his conversion at first was "a struggle."

"My mother really was very rejecting," he said. "She would say things like 'I won't go with you.'"

Morales agreed.

"Family members can feel betrayed until they see that this new path is only enhancing and bettering you," she said. "When I moved to New York, my parents worried that I would be clubbing and drinking. When I embraced Islam, it almost came as a relief to them."

Morales, who wears a Muslim scarf, even reconciled her new belief with her devout Catholic grandmother.

"My grandmother in Mexico, actually, wears a scarf, covers her head, upon entering the church. The older generation does that," Morales said. "When I struck up a conversation about my hijab with her, it wasn't an alien concept."

On one torrid Mexican day, she recalled, the grandmother-granddaughter head coverings even inspired a moment of weary commiseration.

"Oh," the older woman sighed, "it's so hot."
HELENA  Representatives from three organizations say they will either change or cease running issue ads that mention Montana political candidates ahead of a deadline Tuesday that would require them to register as political committees and make financial disclosures to the state.

Tuesday marks 60 days before absentee voting begins for the Nov. 8 elections. A campaign finance reform law passed last year by the Montana Legislature requires an organization to register and make certain financial disclosures if it runs issue ads that name or show the image of candidates within that 60-day window.

Previously, groups could run ads on issues such as education and the environment that mention candidates, but don't expressly tell their audiences to vote one way or another, without registering with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices' Office.

Not anymore. The 2015 Disclose Act requires groups to register as incidental or independent political committees within five days of paying for an ad, if it falls within 60 days of voting, and to report the expenses and the source of the contributions they solicited or earmarked for the ad, Commissioner Jonathan Motl said Friday.

"It's close enough to voting where it's deemed potentially influential of the election, and therefore disclosure is required," Motl said.

Currently, at least four groups are running ads that would require registration and disclosure on Tuesday: Americans for Prosperity, the League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund and the Montana Wilderness Association.

Environmental Defense Fund and the League of Conservation Voters' television ads both promote renewable energy, and they urge viewers to either thank or contact Gov. Steve Bullock for his work on the issue.

The ads by Americans for Prosperity and the Montana Wilderness Association are direct mail fliers. The wilderness association's ad touts Bullock's public lands and access initiatives, while the AFP ad blasts Bullock for vetoing a bill that would have created education savings accounts.

Bullock, a Democrat, faces Republican challenger Greg Gianforte in November's election.

Three of the groups contacted by The Associated Press said they will either stop running their ads or change the content to avoid having to make disclosures with the commissioner's office.

David Herbst, Americans for Prosperity's Montana state director, said his organization will follow the law but won't disclose its donors because it doesn't want to expose them to intimidation by people who oppose the group's conservative stances.

"We will continue to do what we do, but we will change our strategy to comply with the law," Herbst said.

Clayton Elliott, the director of Montana Conservation Voters, the state affiliate of the League of Conservation Voters, said his organization also is aware of Tuesday's deadline.

"We have been planning for this trigger to come into play," Elliott said. "If we choose to do issue ads that advance our cause or campaign, we will do it with eyes wide open and follow the law."

Anneka Wisker, the national spokeswoman for Moms Clean Air Force, a project of Environmental Defense Fund that ran the Montana ad, said her organization's ad would stop running before Tuesday's deadline.

The spokesman for the fourth group, the Montana Wilderness Association, did not return a call for comment.
SUPERIOR  A long summer of labor strife and negotiations came to an end Friday when 15 sheriffs deputies, dispatchers and detention officers ratified an agreement with Mineral County commissioners.

Im glad its over, Sheriff Tom Bauer said with a sigh. Its been a stressful time, Im sure, for everybody involved.

It was a good conclusion for all of us, said Patti Curtin, an emergency dispatcher and strike captain. I know we didnt get everything we wanted, and not even a portion of some of the stuff wanted, but at least about two of the six things we wanted were accomplished.

Sixteen employees went on strike on Memorial Day over salary, overtime and longevity issues after working without a contract since July 1, 2015.

The walkout lasted 10 days as Bauer, undersheriff and detention administrator Mike Boone, and retired, nonunion employees worked to exhaustion to plug the gaps of the 24/7 jobs. The regular employees returned to work when a state mediator was brought on board in June.

What Im most proud of is the way the bargaining unit stood together through everything, said Shawn Fontaine of Teamsters Local Union No. 2. Votes were unanimous at the meetings and we had very good meetings where everybody got a chance to voice their concerns and everybody took those concerns to heart.

The sides agreed on pay raises of 50 cents an hour for employees making $10 or more an hour, and 70 cents for those making under $10. Those were hikes the commissioners presented in their original offer.

"We really weren't able to offer more money, so we were able to make some concessions in less financially impactful ways," county commission chairman Roman Zylawy said.

Deputies will be paid overtime after 40 hours, rather than the 80 that have been in effect since 2000, and there were changes on how holiday pay is calculated. The raises will be made retroactive from July 1, 2015, while new contract language will be considered to have gone into effect on July 1 of this year.

The two-year contract will run through June 30, 2017, so it's already more than half completed. Negotiations will resume next spring.

Fontaine said the last sticking point had to do with vacation hours being included in the weekly calculation for overtime pay. Union workers voted to concede that issue in order to get the contract signed.

Bill Smith of the Montana Department of Labors Board of Personal Appeals came to Superior to mediate negotiations twice in June and once on July 28. Fontaine said on the day after the third session he got together with Zylawy to hash out most of the final details.

Neither side got everything they wanted, Fontaine said. We made good gains and were able to get what the county would consider concessions that they gave.

Mineral County is one of the poorest in the state. The point was underscored in early July when the county commissioners voted to chop five full-time positions and a half-time deputy attorney in five departments to address a shortfall of more than $400,000  roughly one-fourth of the total county budget.

Zylawy learned of the contract ratification Friday afternoon after a budget meeting in which he and fellow commissioners Laurie Johnston and Duane Simons were trying to find another $120,000 in cuts. They're due to adopt the final budget Sept. 1.

"I'm really glad the union is happy with what we came to offer up to them, and any of the things that they were not satisfied with, I hope things will improve next year in Mineral County. Like I've said before, everybody deserves more. We're just trying to make the funds balance out."

Curtin said one emergency dispatcher was laid off and another quit in July under the stress. The former will reassume his job next week, but the pool of six dispatchers has been staffed by just four people for the past three weeks.

"It's really hard to run 24/7 on four people, so we're all getting lots of overtime," Curtin said.
LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA  Elephants ramble out of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, crossing the highway, wandering into villages.

In Montana, wolverines power across snowfields in Glacier National Park, up one drainage and down another, and sooner or later, they'll leave the artificial constraints of the park.

"All these animals are telling us the same story, which is that they have been given isolated reserves, or reservations for animals," said Douglas Chadwick, the Whitefish-based wildlife journalist and author of "The Wolverine Way" and "The Fate of the Elephant." "And they're supposed to stay there and breed happily. ... (But) genetics and population dynamics don't work like that, and climate doesn't work like that.

"So I think elephants are telling the same story that a little 3-foot-long wolverine does."

That is, the animals need space.

Saving wildlife requires one solution for sure, according to conservation professionals in Montana and in Africa, and some traveling back and forth: Land managers must consider wild places beyond the lines drawn on a map.

When it comes to this imperative, North America and Zambia are potentially bright spots for the future.

In North America, much public land still exists, and the United States and Canada both have stable economies, Chadwick said. Since the animals don't need a land grab but protected corridors, these countries have the ability to save pathways in an already diverse landscape without too much change.

"We have maybe the best chance in the world of pulling it off," Chadwick said.

The same is true in Zambia, albeit for different reasons, said David Banks, with The Nature Conservancy. Banks, who is based in Missoula but leads the organization's Africa team, said Zambia set aside large parks during colonial times, and it buffered them with game management areas.

In the buffer zones, people living in a country with a 60 percent poverty rate sometimes grow food on land originally set aside for animals.

"Yet Zambia is still the best chance in southern Africa and east Africa, for sure, for having that ecosystem connectivity because the population density is really low," Banks said.

The way forward requires working across jurisdictions. It also means some wildlife advocates might have to consider brand-new concepts in conservation, even ones that stretch comfort levels or sound like heresy in the United States.

***

In 2005, Oluronke Oke was the only planning officer in Zambia working with some 39 protected areas, she said. Since then, the planning officer for the Department of National Parks and Wildlife said her sector has grown to an estimated 16 employees.

In her country, management plans are enshrined in acts of parliament, and getting the documents to that point means everyone from representatives of cooperating institutions to village chiefs must buy in  "we're talking about large groups of people."

"You have to approach them the right way. The chief is the signatory to that management plan," Oke said.

In the course of her day, she demonstrated the type of relationship-building required to make change for the long haul, joking with guards in the field, suiting up for meetings in town, inviting a newly hired human resources employee into the park to get a closeup view of the work the rhino guards do.

Funding to put management plans in place remains a challenge, but the work also takes time and finesse.

***

In the past, the fight over land protection in the United States pitted "the greenies versus the developers," or environmentalists versus people who believed protecting land would kill the economy, Chadwick said.

Now, people's attitudes are changing, he said. Montana's economy and that of other states in the West rely partly on tourism and recreation, and people are coming to see the economic benefits of preserving large swaths of land.

"Animals like wolverines and grizzly bear and moose and elk did not arrive in small, scattered, isolated sections of habitat," Chadwick said. "They arose over big, freewheeling landscapes."

Chadwick has traveled to various regions of Africa since the 1980s, and he follows African conservation and research as a journalist and also as a board member for the New York-based Liz Claiborne Art Ortenberg Foundation, funding projects around the world and "dedicated to the survival of wildlife and wildlands and to the vitality of human communities with which they are inextricably linked."

As he sees it, private conservation groups and nonprofits are doing the most encouraging work to protect those landscapes. Animals need to get across valleys, they require corridors along mountain divides, and many options for them exist in North America, Chadwick said.

"That is being done with more conservation easements and partnerships on private land, which is a wonderful trend," he said. "And it's a very small percentage of our landscape, but it's a critical one."

Decades ago, biologists managed grizzlies inside Yellowstone National Park, but national forests around the park had their own management plans, he said. Now, people consider the larger ecosystem, the 18 million acres that include Yellowstone park's 2.2 million acres.

"Just as it was one of our first national parks, the greater Yellowstone ecosystem has inspired people to start thinking on a larger level," Chadwick said.

***

Some conservationists may need to consider bold and foreign concepts to protect land in the future.

In this regard, Africa offers different ideas, such as community ownership of wildlife, The Nature Conservancy's Banks said. The ideas aren't established in the United States and might be considered anathema, especially in Montana where residents dearly value property rights.

"Some of these concepts are really hard for Americans to get their heads around," he said. "There's very little private land tenure in Africa."

There, the majority of land is held in common by groups of people, or held in trust for people, and individuals don't own titles to land, he said. The communities set the rules for how the land can be used, and they recognize boundaries.

In Namibia, a community ownership model for wildlife has witnessed success in the course of a decade, Banks said. There, he said, a tribe or a clan owns wildlife and manages it, and the revenue returns to the community for education or health care.

The result? "The number of wildlife started going up," Banks said.

In Zambia, another model offers a different way to manage and pay for national parks, he said. There, the government agency has contracted with the African Parks Foundation to manage some parks.

The foundation gets all the revenue from the park, and it covers all the costs of managing the park. The idea is it improves infrastructure, brings up wildlife numbers, and makes the park more profitable.

It's different from the concessions model in the United States, where private companies earn income from tourism in the parks, Banks said: "I think it's interesting for what could happen in the U.S. as well."
During Growing Up on the Hill, a panel discussion held Friday afternoon at the Butte Public Archives as part of the An Ri Ra festival, several contributors from the book Buttes Irish Heart spoke about their experience of growing up in Buttes Irish neighborhoods. The following represents snippets from their discussion.

Dan Kelly

Dan Kelly shared his memories of attending St. Marys Catholic Schools and of Corktown, Trestles, and Sidehill. Kelly said the first St. Marys School was built in 1905 and part of its purpose was to assimilate the children of immigrant families. The second school was built in 1952, and its facade was corrugated with asbestos. Kelly also recalled the nuns who taught at St. Marys schools. The schools were run by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth  and for me, I have mostly fond memories of The Nuns.

Dianna Porter

Dianna Porter discussed the two structures that served as St. Marys Church. The first church was built in 1903 on Wyoming Street, but after it burned down in 1931, a second church was built on Main Street in 1933. The church eventually closed in 1986. The important thing to remember about our church was that it was the center of our lives, where all of our transitions took place, from transitioning into spiritual life with baptism. Its also where we had first confession, first Communion, confirmation, Holy Orders, matrimony, and in the transition with the funeral Mass.

Danette Harrington

Danette Harrington focused on her childhood in Dublin Gulch. Her father was a hoisting engineer who could only communicate with the miners hundreds of feet below from the hoist house using bells. Harrington said Dublin Gulch was a great place to grow up. It was a blessing to be raised there. We learned a lot of faith, a lot of family, and a lot of trust in each other, said Harrington.

Debbie Shea

Debbie Shea grew up in Muckerville. She said her grandparents came from the Cork region of Ireland, met in Butte during a Hibernian dance, and settled in the Irish neighborhood where they raised four children. My Mucker roots are deep, and my affection is unwavering, said Shea.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks confirmed Friday a large scale fish kill involving mountain whitefish in the Yellowstone River, according to a news release.

FWP staff floated the section of the Yellowstone from Loch Leven Fishing Access Site to Pine Creek Fishing Access Site south of Livingston and counted 382 dead whitefish on the east bank of the river alone. The fish discovered were of all age classes.

The fish kill was reported to FWP by a number of outfitters and guides.

FWP collected several samples Friday and will return to the Yellowstone with two crews Saturday to further investigate the kill and collect additional samples to be studied by the fish disease and health lab.

FWP Region 3 Supervisor Sam Sheppard said, We consider this a significant event. Whitefish play an important role in the ecosystem and can be an indicator of overall river health.

Sheppard added that he encourages the public to continue providing the department with reports of any dead fish in the Yellowstone, including the location and numbers.
COLUMBIA FALLS  Sixteen fewer people than initially feared will lose their jobs when Weyerhaeuser begins closing its lumber and plywood mills in Columbia Falls next week.

Well over 200 employees are being affected by the closure of the two plants, but 146 of them will be transferred to either Weyerhaeusers stud mill or plywood plant in Kalispell, where extra shifts are being added, according to Tom Ray, Montana resources team leader for the company.

Thats up from 130, the figure given in June when Weyerhaeuser announced the closures.

After a thorough examination of the shifts being added in Kalispell, we were able to offer 146 people jobs, Ray said.

The Columbia Falls operations employed 230 people at the time of the announcement. A dozen have voluntarily terminated their employment in the weeks since, according to Ray.

With the resignations and the increase in jobs available in Kalispell, it means 72 people will be out of work when the two Columbia Falls plants permanently close.

Initially, the company said 100 jobs would be eliminated.

Weyerhaeuser will continue to operate a medium-density fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls that employs approximately 200 people, but the toll on the community is still great.

Up to 100 other administrative jobs in what was known as the cedar palace in Columbia Falls were already in the process of being eliminated or moved to Weyerhaeusers Seattle headquarters when the plant closures were announced.

The main office in Columbia Falls will be permanently closed by the end of the year, according to the company.

Weyerhaeuser purchased the former Plum Creek Timber Company, which had operated in Columbia Falls for seven decades, for $8.44 billion four months before the June closure announcement.

The company blamed a chronic log supply shortage on the decision to shut down the two Columbia Falls facilities.

Last week, Weyerhaeuser also announced its second quarter earnings for 2016 were the companys highest of any quarter in the last decade  net earnings of $157 million on net sales of $1.7 billion.

The last logs will go through the two Columbia Falls mills that are closing on Friday, Aug. 19, Ray said.

As you follow the work stream, after theyre cut, they still have to be stacked, put in a dry kiln, planed, graded, packaged and shipped, he said. There will also be clean-up work, so most employees will continue past the 19th for a few weeks.

The very last day, he said, is estimated to be sometime in mid-September.

With the fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls and the stud mill and plywood plant in Kalispell, Weyerhaeuser will still employ more than 550 people in the Flathead Valley, Ray said.

In announcing the solid second quarter, Weyerhaeuser president and CEO Doyle Simons said, Going forward, we remain relentlessly focused on successfully integrating Plum Creek and fully capturing cost and operational synergies to drive superior value for our shareholders.

For some time now our operations in Montana have been running below capacity as a result of an ongoing shortage of logs in the region, Simons added. These closures will allow us to align the available log supply with our manufacturing capacity, including adding shifts at our Kalispell facilities. These moves will improve the operating performance of our remaining mills and best position these mills for long-term success.
Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Electric vehicles are being hailed as eco-friendly alternatives to the petrol and diesel vehicles most of us drive.

One thing many seem to forget is that South Africas electricity is predominately generated by coal-fired power stations.

Coal power is environmentally unfriendly, spewing large volumes of pollutants and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

So when you plug in your electric car to recharge, it is not a cleaner, zero-carbon emissions alternative to petrol and diesel cars.

South Africas energy mix

To determine the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced when an electric car is plugged into the South African electricity network, we must look at how much CO2 is being produced by our power stations.

Our power generation mix is detailed in the 2013 (non-promulgated) Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), while the CO2 emissions data is contained in the Eskom 2016 Integrated Report.

The graph below shows that the amount of electricity generated by coal power will level out from about 2027, while the percentage of non-carbon emitting power gradually increases.

It shows that carbon emissions produced by South Africa gradually reduce over time until they level out in about 2047.

CO2 emissions in South Africa: day vs night

One can argue that the graph is not a true reflection of carbon emissions, though.

During the day, there are times when the percentage of non-CO2 emitting power stations that are online are higher.

For example, solar power will be online during daylight hours, which would suggest that daytime carbon emissions per unit of energy produced will be lower than during the night.

The graph below shows the effect the time of day has on carbon emissions produced.

If you have an electric vehicle you want to charge from the national grid, it would be best to plug it in during daylight hours when CO2 emissions are lower.

The graph also shows that from now until about 2025, one can expect an electric cars CO2 emissions to be bad, but that from about 2020 onward it should improve significantly.

CO2 emissions of electric vehicles charged during the day

However, the improvement is not great when compared with other vehicles currently on our roads.

The most eco-friendly electric car to drive is the BMW i3 (without the range extender), but only on condition it is recharged during daylight hours.

Even if this is done, it will only start to emit less CO2 than diesel cars from about 2026, and only if we assume that no improvements are made in reducing the carbon emissions of diesel vehicles.

CO2 emissions of electric vehicles charged during the night

We can also assume that most South Africans will only be able to plug in and recharge their electric vehicles at night when the car is parked at home.

The graph below shows that the emissions are then much higher, and that the BMW i3 will only start producing less carbon emissions than diesel vehicles by 2029.

The Nissan LEAF performs worse than some petrol vehicles, while the Tesla Model S 70D performs the worst overall.

Therefore, your daily commute will actually be more environmentally friendly if you choose to drive a diesel vehicle as opposed to a plug-in electric car, assuming that:

Petrol and diesel vehicle manufacturers report carbon emissions of their vehicles accurately.

South Africas power generation mix will grow as envisioned in the 2013 IRP.

Electric vehicle owners are restricted to recharging their vehicles by plugging them into the South African grid network.

More on renewable energy in South Africa

The true cost of electricity in South Africa

Mercedes-Benz electric truck unveiled

More renewable energy will make electricity more expensive: Eskom CEO

UberGreen electric cabs launched in Cape Town

Telkoms big electric vehicle charging station plans
A man with a need for an LTE data package has lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) against Telkom, arguing that the network does not state its cellular service is not available in certain areas.

Mr R Liston said a Telkom advertisement stated that customers can connect their home or business with Telkom LTE and enjoy loads of data, anytime all the time.

Get connected on SAs most connected network. Telkom, tomorrow starts today, ended the advert.

Liston said the advert was misleading, as the LTE service is not available throughout his neighbourhood.

He said the adjacent property to him, a vacant lot, has LTE reception, but his home does not.

Telkom said it investigated the claim, and found that LTE was available at the complainants address.

The complainant was offered the service but declined, noting that it might be of interest in future, said the ASA.

Telkom said there was no information available as to who advised the complainant initially, but a miscommunication might have resulted in the complaint.

Cross referencing the complainants address on Google Maps with the respondents LTE Coverage map suggests that the complainant seems to fall on the edge, but still within the LTE coverage area indicated, said the ASA.

The ASA dismissed the complaint, noting that Telkoms advertisement does not contravene its provisions and that the complainant appeared to have access to the LTE service.

More on Telkom

No price war with Telkom: MTN SA CEO

Telkom and MTN face renewed strikes
The November election lineup for local council and educational offices across Napa County is mostly set, with the closing of nearly all candidate registrations Friday afternoon.

Napa City Council

Jill Techel, the mayor since 2005 and a councilwoman for 20 years, has no opposition for mayor.

The two other incumbents  Councilman Scott Sedgley, who is seeking a second term, and Vice Mayor Mary Luros, who was appointed to the council last year  will be running against a single challenger, Doris Gentry.

Gentry, a two-time candidate for the state Assembly, ran for City Council in 2012 only to fall short of Sedgley and current county Supervisor Alfredo Pedrozas winning vote totals. She also was one of 16 applicants for the council seat Pedroza vacated in January 2015, but council members nominated Luros instead.

American Canyon City Council

Incumbent Mayor Leon Garcia will face a challenger, longtime resident Douglas Lindsey.

Lindsey, 58, who has lived in American Canyon since 1965, is a retired Teamster truck driver who grew up in American Canyon.

Garcia, 73, has been mayor since 2006, and on the City Council since 2002. On the City Council front, the November election will be at least a four-way race for two seats.

Councilmembers Joan Bennett and Kenneth Leary have filed their papers, as have two challengers: Napa County Deputy Sheriff Tony Heuschel and attorney Mariam Aboudamous.

The top two candidates to receive the most votes will win the seats in the at-large election.

Bennett, 77, will seek her fifth term on the council. Leary, 65, will bid for his second term.

Heuschel, 45, previously served as an officer in the American Canyon Police Department, and founded the California Cadet Academy, a summer program for teens interested in public safety careers.

Aboudamous, 29, is an attorney specializing in immigration, business and real estate. She grew up in American Canyon, and graduated from Vintage High School in 2004. She serves on the Napa County Democratic Party Central Committee.

St. Helena City Council

All three members of the St. Helena City Council whose terms expire in November have filed for re-election: Mayor Alan Galbraith, Sharon Crull and Greg Pitts.

Geoff Ellsworth, a member of the advocacy group Citizens Voice St. Helena, and Planning Commissioner Mary Koberstein have filed for a regular council seat, setting up a four-way race for two seats.

Barring a last-minute filing, Mayor Galbraith will run for re-election unopposed.

Jeff Conwell and Jeannie Kerr, incumbents on the St. Helena Unified School District Board of Trustees, have filed for re-election. Unless someone else filed by 5 p.m. Friday, Conwell and Kerr will run unopposed.

Calistoga City Council

Only the incumbents have filed papers to fill the mayors seat and two council seats, leaving the city with the possibility of not holding a city election this year, officials said.

The council will have the option of not holding an election, said Kathy Flamson, city clerk.

Mayor Chris Canning and Councilmember Michael Dunsford filed papers to run for re-election. Councilmember Irais Lopez-Ortega, who was appointed to her seat three years ago due to an abrupt vacancy, is also running for a full term.

The City Council may have to hold a special council meeting by Aug. 25 to determine if the city will choose one of two options.

One option is to continue with the election that would have only the incumbents listed for the three available seats. The other option is to appoint the nominees to the offices they seek, and currently hold, Flamson said.

Not holding the election would save the city about $9,000, she estimated.

Yountville Town Council

Both Yountville council members who are up for re-election will appear on the November ballot unopposed. Margie Mohler will receive a third term, while Jeffrey Durham will begin his first full four-year stint after his 2015 appointment to replace Lewis Chilton, who moved to Southern California.

A third candidate, Kerri Dorman, was the only other person to file for the race by Friday. She would complete the two years left on the term of former Vice Mayor Richard Hall, who in July stepped down halfway through his second term when he moved to Napa.

A public law attorney who advises water, sanitation and other special districts, Dorman, who moved to Yountville in 2013, is vice chairwoman of the towns Zoning and Review Board and served a one-year term on the Napa County grand jury.

Napa Valley College Board of Trustees

Of the three NVC trustees up for re-election, one will face a challenge for his seat, another is slated to return unopposed, and a third will not seek another term.

Dan Digardi, the boards 1st District representative for south Napa, was first to file for a re-election bid but will have to compete with Jennifer Baker, formerly the St. Helena Library director, and Jacqueline Kearns of Napa.

In the 7th District covering Calistoga, Angwin and Pope Valley, Rafael Rios has registered to seek another term, with no opponents.

JoAnn Busenbark will not run again in the 6th District, which includes Yountville and St. Helena.

On track to take her place is Debra Alter-Starr, a Yountville resident who announced her candidacy July 23. The filing period will remain open until next week since the incumbent didnt file.

Alter-Starr is a clinical social worker who works at Queen of the Valley Medical Center. She is a former member of several committees in the Napa Valley Unified School District, as well as a board member for the Napa Valley Education Foundation.

Napa County Office of Education Board

Filing for re-election were: Lisa Lindsey in Area 3, Steve Ornduff in Area 5 and Jennifer Kresge in Area 7. There were no challengers as of late Friday afternoon.

Napa Valley Unified School District Board

The Napa Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees has five seats up this year. Area 4 Trustee Joe Schunk and Area 7 Trustee Jose Hurtado have filed for re-election.

The filing periods for three seats will remain open until next week since incumbents did not file for re-election. The non-filing incumbents are Helen Busby, Area 1; Carlos Hagedorn, Area 2, and Frances Ortiz-Chavez, Area 5.

Contributing writers: reporter Howard Yune, Napa Valley Register; Noel Brinkerhoff, American Canyon Eagle editor; David Stoneberg, St. Helena Star editor; and Anne Ward Ernst, Weekly Calistogan editor.
All week, my head has been full of frosting and sprinkles. I imagined having to put my bias for red velvet cake and cream cheese icing aside when I was told I would be representing the Register as a judge in Napa Town & Country Fairs adult cupcake contest.

But the Great American Cupcake Wars were a little less exciting than I had imagined. To be fair, I do have an active imagination.

I planned everything around Fridays judging and stressed over what outfit to wear, whether or not to eat lunch beforehand and how I would score. I was even late to work after trying on multiple dresses, eventually choosing a denim one with stars on it  appropriate for the Red, White & Ewe! fair theme and the patriotic lanyard that was my press pass.

Arriving at the judges table, I was surprised that it wasnt elevated or even on a stage, instead it was hidden behind the best of show winners in Chardonnay Hall at the Napa Valley Expo. My status with the newspaper wasnt announced nor was I introduced at all. Did my credentials not matter?

I wondered if it was because contestants might think Im not qualified, but they dont know how many cupcakes Ive eaten in my life.

And I was even more surprised when the other two judges and I were told there were only three entries. I had been expecting anywhere between five and 25. If there were only five, I decided that I could eat each whole cupcake. If there were 25, maybe Id only take a bite of each.

The cupcakes were being judged on presentation, decoration, texture and flavor, all of which were valued the same. To me, taste seemed like it should be worth more, but I guess that category could be pretty subjective (like I said, red velvet is my favorite).

I sat down in the middle of the two more experienced judges, getting mentally prepared to be in the spotlight and have the fate of these cupcakes in my mouth.

The first cupcake was brought in and, like Vanna White, a woman presented them to us on the plate they came in on. There were four, as the rules demanded  one for each judge and one to display.

It was a big cupcake  bigger than I pictured. No way I could eat that whole thing, I thought. The grapefruit-colored frosting along with the peach and lime slice atop the cupcake made me curious and nervous. What flavor could this be?

Im still not certain, but the filling was definitely key lime. And it was good, although when I cut into it with my fork it toppled over. The light green mush seemed muddled, mixing in with the rest of the cake creating all-over mushiness.

The next cupcake really lacked in the presentation and decoration departments. The brown cake, brown icing combination was boring but the cupcake itself didnt taste blah. There was a crispy crust on the bottom and a marshmallow filling. Once I took a bite, I knew this was a smores cupcake and I wanted mores.

The final cupcake was peanut-butter-and-jelly flavored. It was nut colored but featured purple edible glitter on top along with what looked like a little maple leaf. The cake was dense but tasty and homemade grape jelly was inside. It would make a great lunch and could compete with an actual PB&J.

It wasnt my favorite, but it did deserve to win. It was cute, clever, creative and tasted good.

About a dozen people, including the entrants, had been watching us taste and judge their creations, which seemed to be why the judges didnt do much talking. Their eyes were on us, judging us while judging their cupcakes. Each moment of silence seemed heavy as we made our decision.

I took another bite of each, calculated my scores and compared with my co-judges. We agreed  PB&J was the winner. The baker, Karen Ortega of Lake Berryessa, looked thrilled and told us that she had never entered before.

She was awarded $50 for first place, smores bakes Kelly Leary came in second, earning $35 and key lime, Rebecca Fuller, was third, earning $15. Entry cost $3. Each woman was also awarded a ribbon  the two other ribbons set aside for the competition went unclaimed.

All in all, it was a great experience, but I think I missed out judging the adults instead of the junior competition. Before leaving, I stopped in at Zinfandel Hall to check out the entries. The kids were creative  cupcakes were decorated to look like bacon and eggs, turtles and Pac-Man. There were more entries and the stakes were higher  there could be tears.

The other judges told me that the adult competition has been fading out a little, getting fewer entries each year. They need to step it up, they said of the adults. The consensus was that more people need to enter.

And why not enter? Three dollars and four cupcakes is all it costs and you, too, could go home with a ribbon. After being a judge and sizing up the competition, I may even put an apron on and enter next year.

Watch out, Napa. I have a year to perfect the craft.
The suspect in the brutal murder of an Armenian and a Kyrgyz in Moscow has been detained.

It was found out that this person is Ivan Skorkin, 30, a resident of the Russian capital city, informed the Russian Investigative Committee.

According to the respective statement, Skorkin, who was under the strong influence of alcohol, inflicted numerous stab wounds to two men born in 1947 and 1980, respectively. One of the victims died at the scene, whereas the otherin the ambulance.

The statement also reads that the suspect also caused injury to another man born in 1981. The victim was taken to hospital. According to preliminary data, Ivan Skorkin had stabbed him for his attempt to stop Skorkins unlawful actions.

A criminal case has been launched into this incident.

It is currently being determined whether or not arrest shall be enforced as Ivan Skorkins restraining order.

A murder took place Friday nearby a Moscow subway station. The attacker inflicted fatal stab wounds to Lyova Kamalyan, 69, from Armenia, and Nurik Munduzov, 36, from Kyrgyzstan. Another person, Aleksandr, 29, was wounded in the arm.

The attack was carried out by drunken skinheads, and on grounds of national intolerance, reported Moskovskiy Komsomolets, a newspaper based in the Russian capital city.
U.S. Vice President Biden urged Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko to avoid escalating tensions with Russia, The White House reported.

During a phone conversation on Friday the two leaders discussed recent tensions on the Crimean Peninsula, which is occupied by Russian forces in contravention of international law. The Vice President urged President Poroshenko to do his part to avoid escalating tensions.

The Vice President noted that the U.S. has urged the Russian side to do the same.

Besides, both leaders reiterated their strong support for political and diplomatic means to restore Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, in particular through full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

According to the website of the President of Ukraine, the Ukrainian head of state underlined the desire of Ukraine to avoid increasing tension due to groundless accusations of Moscow.

Poroshenko commented on  recent false statements of Russia about terrorist threat from Ukraine in the occupied Crimea were a hybrid provocation and another attempt to justify further Russian aggressive actions and massive repression in Crimea.

In this context, it noted the importance not to allow Moscow using the situation over Crimea as an apology for the apparent failure to comply with its Minsk agreements. The parties agreed on the importance of continuing the dialogue in the Normandy format.
Ivan Skorkin, who is the suspect in the murder of an Armenian and a Kyrgyz in Moscow, was twice convicted before, RIA Novosti news agency of Russia reported citing a law enforcement source.

The source informed that Skorkin, who lives in the Russian capital city, was convicted in 2005 and in 2008 for robbery.

As reported earlier, a murder took place Friday nearby a Moscow subway station. The attacker inflicted fatal stab wounds to Lyova Kamalyan, 69, from Armenia, and Nurik Munduzov, 36, from Kyrgyzstan. Another person, Aleksandr, 29, was wounded in the arm.

The attack was carried out by drunken skinheads, and on grounds of national intolerance, reported Moskovskiy Komsomolets, a newspaper based in the Russian capital city.

Police have detained the murder suspect.

A criminal case has been launched into this murder.
Malaysian police arrested nine suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants, including two suspects linked to the Puchong nightclub bombing, in a four-state swoop, The Straits Times reported.

The bombing occurred on June 28, eight people were injured. It was the first terrorist attack conducted by ISIS in the territory of Malaysia. The responsibility for an explosion was claimed by the Malaysian who is fighting on the side of the ISIS in Syria, Muhammad Wanndy Mohamad Jedi.

As Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar reported, two suspects in a terrorist attack were arrested in the northeast of the country where they were expecting instructions from Mohamad Jedi and were planning new attacks.

Since 2013, some 230 people including 200 Malaysians have been arrested for associating with militants in Malaysia where the majority of the population is Muslim.
YEREVAN.  The friends of Artur Sargsyan, who had delivered food to the Sasna Tsrer armed group, which took over a police station but later surrendered in Armenias capital city of Yerevan in July, on Saturday held a sale of his works in Yerevan Vernissagea large open-air market that mainly features a collection of traditional Armenian art works, and primarily for tourists.

Samvel Tadevosyan, a friend of Sargsyan, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that people are coming to the Vernissage since early morning, just to buy Sargsyans creations.

Today, we are selling jewelry boxes and clocks, he added.

Armen Khachatryan, another friend of Artur, stressed that the proceeds from this sale will be transferred to a bank account that has been opened so that later, when Sargsyan is released, he may use it at his discretion.

On July 26, Artur Sargsyan had broken through a police wall with a vehicle loaded with food, and delivered food to members of the Sasna Tsrer.

He is charged with aiding this armed group.